NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — New York's City Parks Foundation has announced the lineup for the 2017 season of SummerStage, the city's largest free outdoor summer concert series.
This year's SummerStage, presented by Capital One Bank, will showcase over 150 artists drawn from a wide range of genres and disciplines, including indie-rock, hip-hop, Latin, jazz, R&B, salsa, bhangra, poetry, opera, contemporary dance, and theater.
The concert series kicks off on June 3rd with performances from Mavis Staples and contemporary blues artist Toshi Reagon. On June 21st, the Digable Planets will reuinite to open the citywide SummerStage run with a rare performance in Coffey Park in Brooklyn on June 21st.
New York rap icon KRS-One and DJ Chuck Chillout will also perform in Coffey Park on June 25th and emcee Jadakiss will take the mic at Crotona Park on August 6th. Wu-Tang Clan founding member GZA will perform a concert at Corporal Thompson Park in Staten Island on July 23rd.
Brasil Summerfest returns featuring amba singer Elza Soares and rising star Liniker e os Carmelows on August 5th in Central Park and jazz veteran Joshua Redman Quartet will pay tribute to Charlie Parker as part of the annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival on August 27th in Manhattan's Tompkins Square Park.
The concert series will also feature a series of benefit concerts to help support City Parks Foundation's free programs. Artists lined up for the concerts include Gov't Mule, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Umphrey McGee, PJ Harvey, Regina Spektor, All Time Low, The Revivalists, Young the Giant with special guests Cold War Kids.
All benefit concerts are produced by The Bowery Presents.
Other highlights for SummerStage 2017 include:
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic along with Main Source, DJ Marley Marl and host Roxanne Shante will perform at Flushing Meadows Corona Park as part of the Only In Queens Summer Festival on June 11.
Indie-folk pop singer and indie-folk singer rising star Margaret Glaspy performs on June 22nd in Coffey Park
Hip-hop legends Slick Rick the Ruler and GrandWizzard Theodore will team up in Queens' Springfield Park on July 7th
Contemporary ballet company BalletX will perform their piece "Big Ones" set to the music of Amy Winehouse in Central Park on July 26th
Latin Grammy Award-winning princess of salsa La India will perform in St. Mary's Park in the Bronx on July 28th
Rising salsa performer Frankie Negrón will perform in St. Mary's Park in the Bronx on July 29th
Rock Steady Crew will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their Bronx-conceived b-boy crew in Central Park with a who's who of classic hip-hop performances including the legendary MC Lyte on July 30th
Taj Mo: The Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' Band, will perform in Central Park on Aug 13th
A performance from the cast of Broadway's new hit musical A Bronx Tale, based on the critically acclaimed play will take place in Crotona Park in the Bronx on Aug 3rd
SummerStage Family Day, featuring performances from They Might Be Giants and Bill Childs of Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child Radio, comes to Central Park on Aug 12th
The Russell Simmons / Mos Def-backed series Def Poetry Jam will host a reunion in Marcus Garvey Park in Manhattan on Aug 20th
