NYC summer concert calendar: August

Orange numbers indicate outdoor concerts
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31,1,2 All Points West with Beastie Boys + Yeah Yeah Yeahs + Vampire Weekend + Tool + My Bloody Valentine + Coldplay and more
In addition to solid headliners, APW’s packed bill provides much reason to get a jump on the day with second-tier, first-rate performers like Ra Ra Riot, Flying Lotus, St. Vincent and Akron/Family. Liberty State Park. Noon; $89, three-day pass $199.

What to expect: coldplay
A while back: “Chris Martin forgot the lyrics to ‘Fix You,’ and repeated one of the verses,” recalls Michael Tedder of the band’s 2008 show at MSG. “Then he caught himself and sang, ‘When you mess up when playing at MSG / And no one cares because they got in for free.’ ”
This summer: Since the band has won three Grammys, achieved world domination and so on, can you expect a fancier show than usual from the agreeable Brits? Well, while we can’t promise buddy Jay-Z will be making a special appearance, the current tour (All Points West on August 2) has a French Revolution theme in stage design and costume. And the real plus is that the songs on latest album Viva La Vida find Coldplay in its most energetic form in years.

1 M. Ward + Mike Watt and Nels Cline
The indie masses will turn out for quiet troubadour M. Ward, still riding high on the smashing success of his She & Him collaboration with Zooey Deschanel. But what’s got us particularly psyched on this bill is the opening act, which pairs erstwhile Minuteman and sometime Stooge Mike Watt with avant-guitar god (and Wilco member) Nels Cline. FREE Central Park SummerStage. 7pm.

3 Béla Fleck and Toumani Diabaté
A meeting of two dazzling virtuosic talents: NYC’s Béla Fleck plays banjo with the kind of lightning skill that makes grown instrumentalists weep, while Mali’s Diabaté approaches the traditional kora with exquisite dexterity. The pairing is a result of Fleck’s estimable Africa Project, a 15-city tour that sought to associate the banjo with its true home continent, and produced some truly breathtaking collaborations. FREE Central Park SummerStage. 7:30pm.

3, 4 Depeche Mode
Though the guys canceled a few overseas concerts earlier this month, we still say: Hats off to the black-clad OGs (original gloom-rockers). Depeche Mode has been making music for nearly 30 years now, and the trio’s recently released 12th album, Sounds of the Universe, is not only relevant, but also lusty, dark and thrillingly volatile. Just don’t expect modesty: The title of this mammoth season, which we hope continues without a hitch, is “Tour of the Universe.” Madison Square Garden. 8pm, $49.50–$129.50.

6,7 Rokia Traoré
With her latest disc, Tchamantché, Malian singer Rokia Traoré wraps her beautiful, velvety voice around moody blues and joyous Afrobeats alike. Be prepared to gape at her lovely vocals, and also to get up and shimmy. FREE Aug 6: BAM Rhythm & Blues Festival at MetroTech. Noon. Aug 7: Damrosch Park Bandshell. 7:30pm.

8 Rhys Chatham’s A Crimson Grail + Liquid Liquid
What’s gutsier than booking an avant-garde symphony for 200 electric guitars? Booking it again after it was rained out the first time. Lincoln Center takes another crack at presenting Chatham’s A Crimson Grail—and presumably this time there will be a rain contingency plan. Opening is seminal NYC mutant-disco combo Liquid Liquid, source of the killer groove under Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines.” FREE Damrosch Park Bandshell. 7:30pm.

11 TV on the Radio
If you couldn’t get into the SummerStage show on June 5, this could be your chance. Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. 5:30pm, $30.

11,12 Bontaj Roulet: Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal
Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal both came up long after the classic blues era had passed, yet each artist has been instrumental in carrying their music’s torch, relying on tradition without ever seeming musty or fetishistic. The performers offer solo sets before teaming up for an uplifting finale. Aug 11: New Jersey Performing Arts Center. 8pm, $43.25–$88.25. Aug 12: Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. 7pm, $39.75–$125.25.

13 Yeasayer The Yeasayer crew has been relatively quiet as of late, which only ups our anticipation of this appearance. While the show is sure to be heavy on tunes from one of 2007’s great records, their All Hour Cymbals, you’ll likely hear new songs, too. Let the electronic neofolk ring out upon the masses! FREE Pier 54, Hudson River Park. 7pm.

14,15 Animal Collective
It may not be rare to catch a New York–area performance from pseudolocals Animal Collective, but it is rare to get them outdoors. The expansive tunes from these experimental luminaries are meant to be heard in full-out jam mode, and we can’t think of a better space for the band’s electronics to get crazy weird. Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. 5:30pm, $30. Aug 14 sold out.

16 Dinosaur Jr. + The WalkmenBesides sporting the year’s oddest and most awesome cover art—showcasing two stoned-looking giants made of grass—Dino’s forthcoming Farm features some of the strongest tuneage yet. Expect loud, shaggy fun. Also tonight: NYC vets and perennially solid rockers the Walkmen. FREE Central Park SummerStage. 3pm.

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

INDEX NYC summer concert guide
Your next three months—planned.

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