SummerStage 2018 Featured Concerts

A sure sign of spring is the release of the SummerStage calendar of featured  concerts.

SummerStage is the largest annual outdoor FREE performing arts festival of its kind, with nearly 100 music and dance performances in all five boroughs, plus a few ticketed concerts that help raise money for the free programs.

Tickets are on sale now for Dispatch, Jason Mraz, and an evening of New Orleans jazz, performing in July and August.

• Dispatch performs with with special guests Nahko, Medicine for the People and Raye Zaragoza
• Good Vibes with Jason Mraz and Brett Dennen,
• Voodoo Threauxdown is an evening of music from New Orleans featuring Trombone Shorty, Galactic, the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band and New Breed Brass Band.

Tickets are $40-$55, directly from the City Parks Foundation.  Get tickets now before they sell out.

SummerStage 2018 is May 16th through September 23rd.

These featured concerts are in Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield ampitheater.

We’ll share the full SummerStage 2018 program schedule with you when it is released.

Wed./Thurs., July 18/19,  6pm to 10pm

Dispatch is a popular indie folk band from the Boston area, best known for fusing different genres into their sound, including reggae, rap, rock and ska. Their latest album is called “America, Location 12.” It has already reached the fourth spot atop Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. The band will be embarking on a world tour this year. Special guests Nahko and Medicine for the People and singer Raye Zaragoza.

Dispatch also is known for its humanitarian efforts, including creating the nonprofit organization Elias Fund to raise money for the impoverished youth of Zimbabwe.

August 8, 6pm to  10pm

Voodoo Threauxdown is a special concert dedicated to New Orleans, which celebrates its 300th birthday in 2018. Trombone Shorty and his band Orleans Avenue lead the night with their unique blues and hip-hop sound. The band has an impressive resume that includes performances at the White House and also the Grammy Awards. They’ll be joined onstage by such up-and-coming jazz and blues bands as Galactic.

The roster of performances also includes the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the New Breed Brass Band, and other featured guests.

Wed., August 9, 7 pm to 10pm

Good Vibes with Jason Mraz and Brett Dennen features the popular Californian singers/songwriters. Mraz reached stardom in 2002 with his infectious debut single “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)”. Since then, he’s released five successful albums, won two Grammy Awards and been awarded ASCAP Song of the Year for “I’m Yours” in 2010. . The redheaded California native Dennen combines folk melodies with meaningful lyrics.

Monday, August 13th, 6pm to 10pm

Rock band O.A.R. (“Shattered”, “Love and Memories”) is stopping by SummerStage as part of their latest album tour. The popular band has a long history, founded more than twenty years ago in Maryland. They will be performing their latest single, “Just Like Paradise”, on stage. They’ll  be joined by songwriter Matt Nathanson, who produces upbeat songs that mix folk with rock and pop melodies. He reached the top of several music charts in 2007 with his hit “Come On Get Higher”.

Thurs., September 8th, 6pm to 10pm

Mac DeMarco is a Canadian singer and songwriter whose last album, “This Old Dog”, became a success overnight when it hit the top of Billboard’s Independent Albums chart last year. His one-of-a-kind music blends psychedelic rock with also some jangle pop and lo-fi.

These SummerStage 2018 concerts all take place at Rumsey Playfield, mid-park in the 70s.

SummerStage is backed by the City Parks Foundation.

More info on Summerstage 2018 here.