We’ve all missed it. Both artist and audience have been longing for the feeling of a “crowd,” of singing along, and of feeling alive. NYC is not unique in this regard, but its bevvy of concerts coming this summer 2021 are. NYC artists are looking to show out in the Big Apple these next few months, and we can’t wait.
Amazingly enough, we are, slowly but surely, snapping back to how things used to be… sort of. You might still need to wear a mask and keep your distance – perhaps sit down rather than collide with other spectators in a mosh pit – but New York City is indeed seeing all artists, from rising to established, return to the stage.
Photographers, get ready to capture the energy of live music again, from performer to spectator, even if smiles will have to be looked for in one’s eyes. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss this summer 2021 as events and culture come back to life.
In the summer breeze
Nothing screams summer like an open sky concert under the stars.
The Summer Concert Series at Pier 17, in Seaport, is reopening and featuring artists like Pink Martini (Aug 12th) and Jason Mraz (Aug 21st), among many others. Stretching onto the East River, the downtown venue is one for capturing the scenic and dreamy live music experiences we’ve all been missing.
Similarly, the SummerStage in Central Park will welcome artists such as funk icon George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, as well as famous American trumpeter Chris Botti. Those performances are programmed as part of the Blue Note Jazz festival, happening all summer between June 15th to August 15th.
These artists pulling up to NYC to perform could not be a bigger treat for the Big Apple faithful.
A singer in a smokey room
Indeed, the mythical Blue Note Jazz Club will be hosting its Jazz Festival with a lineup worthy of its name.
Featuring talented artists like the famous pianist Robert Glasper, young Grammy-winner Jacob Collier, or even world-renowned classical guitarist Al Di Meola, and many more, this NYC concert this summer 2021 is sure to be incredible. The room will bring you right back to those fuzzy, cozy, jazzy bar nights the city is known for.
Offering an ambiance of a similar vein, The Sultan Room in Bushwick is back and starting the summer at full speed, with performances already happening almost every night. With a program of up-and-coming artists such as Softee, Quarters of Change supported by Cisco Swank and Jacob Daley, Adeline, and Katy Kirby, this concert is slated to be special.
Tickets are still up for grabs in the next few days, and all summer long. These fresh voices might open your ears to new kinds of sounds and aesthetics worth capturing sonically and visually.
More NYC concerts coming summer 2021
On a more classical front, free-access performances will be taking place on Bryant Park‘s open stage and lawn, with a program of over 25 different shows.
From the New York Philharmonic to Broadway, with everything like Shakespeare and dance in between, make sure not to miss NYC’s finest artists, on stage, every other day of the summer.
More concerts this summer 2021 in NYC
Brandi Carlile will be taking Forest Hills Stadium by storm on July 23rd and so will Wilco and Sleater Kenney later in the summer on August 21st. Head to Queens for power and nostalgia shedding light into those summer nights.
Additionally, you could still snatch a ticket to see John Mayer play alongside the band Dead & Company at Citi Field, also in Queens on August 20th, along with some subsequent dates across the state, as part of the 31-dates tour the artist announced.
Lady Gaga’s The Chromatica Ball was postponed from its August 19th date, but is worth keeping an eye out for, if you finally want to experience the pop icon’s new album, live, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
All these venues will still see their show dates multiply by the day, with events planned well into 2022.
Finally, closing the summer, the Governors Ball will be happening late September (25-27th), with more acts than one could name and promising an overwhelming return to this kind of event.
Ready, steady, go…
Even though it feels a little hard to believe that venues as big as these are opening their doors again, it looks like this summer is only the beginning for the return of NYC’s music scene which we’ve all missed so dearly.
It’s nerve-wracking to sing to a masked crowd. But it’s also beyond a thrill for artists to get back on real stages, and it is time for that sparkle to return to everyone’s eyes.
So photographers, reach for your cameras to capture those new moments, and everyone, make sure to follow guidelines. It’s time for a little more of that magic we call live music.