Lincoln Center Out of Doors Free Performances

One of the best events of summer in NYC starts this week, with three weeks of FREE family-friendly music, dance and spoken word performances, including comedy, and a screening of Disney/Pixar’s Coco.

Lincoln Center Out of Doors showcases NYC-based dancers, performers and musicians alongside top international artists, representing many of the immigrant cultures of NYC and the diversity of music and dance traditions in America.

And everything is FREE to attend.

The 49th annual Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, Wed., July 24 to Sun., Aug. 11.

Here are some schedule highlights:

The season opens with a celebration of the legacy of Soul at the Center—the first extended presentation of Black arts and culture at Lincoln Center in 1972—and the man who brought it to fruition with Lincoln Center, co-producer Ellis Haizlip.

• Five-time Grammy-winner Lalah Hathaway performs a rare musical tribute to her father, legendary singer Donny Hathaway, who participated in the original Soul at the Center;
• and The Illustrious Blacks start the night off with disco-infused funk. Haizlip’s co-production of Soul at the Center was visionary, as was his groundbreaking work on the WNET variety show Soul!, one of the first televised platforms for African American artistry, culture, political expression, and social justice.

On Sat., July 27, it’s the sounds of old-school, Texas Chicano R&B, park as Adrian Quesada (formerly of Grupo Fantasma) brings the 2018 album Look at My Soul: The Latin Shade of Texas Soul to life with the help of Tejano trailblazers Johnny Hernandez of Little Joe & the Latinaires, Ruben Ramos, and a mutigenerational all-star Texas band.

• A rich mixture of blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and classic mariachi, the project highlights the unsung musical heroes of 1950s and ‘60s San Antonio.
• Daptone Records artist and soul revival legend Lee Fields & the Expressions performs from his new album It Rains Love, and Austin Music Awards’ Best New Band, the psychedelic Black Pumas, complete the night.

Sat., Aug. 3 is Family Day, with reggae and dancehall jam band the Brown Rice Family. The rest of the day, dubbed Move the Crowd: A Day of Hip-Hop and Culture by Hi-ARTS, hosts the powerful spoken word performance of Brooklyn-based poet and educator Najee Omar, and the percussive dancing of SOLE Defined.

• Bronx graffiti artist Lola Lovenotes will be creating art live throughout the afternoon.

The final weekend, as always, is the Roots of American Music Weekend, with Americanafest NYC, in collaboration with Americana Music Association, includling performances by Patty Griffin and Yola and others.

Visit LCOutOfDoors.org for additional information, including times and locations on the Lincoln Center campus.

Here’s more:

Prolific songwriter, guitarist, producer, and Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy

NPR Music’s Turning the Tables Live: The Motherlode, the kick-off event for the third installation of this highly relevant series, will unveil eight iconic female artists whose work shaped the path of popular music, with musical direction by Terri Lyne Carrington.

• Performances by Rhiannon Giddens, Xiomara Laugart, Ledisi, Amina Claudine Myers, Cleo Reed, Valerie Simpson, Charenée Wade, and Lizz Wright

Dance wunderkind Caleb Teicher & Company performs enrapturing tap pieces, jazz-inspired duets, and more, followed by a rare screening of director Bob Fosse’s Liza with a “Z.” LaGuardia High School students, taught by instructors from The Verdon Fosse Legacy

• The evening also includes a special performance of “Sing, Sing, Sing” from Fosse’s Dancin’ Flamenco phenomenon Jesús Carmona who showcases his fiercely beautiful work Amator
• Arooj Aftab adds her experimental music to a night of movement, combining mystic poetry, south Asian classical music, and dreamy electronic sounds.

As part of MTV Music Month and the 2019 VMAs, Save the Music—a nonprofit organization that has launched thousands of school music programs—will have a special night at Out of Doors with Grammy Award–winner H.E.R. and U.K. soul singer Samm Henshaw, alongside top student musicians from Save the Music programs.

• Bringing poetic lyrics and soulful melodies to Damrosch Park, Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy steps out into the spotlight, playing selections from the 2019 LP Warmer and his storied body of work.
• Cellist and singer-songwriter Helen Gillet opens with her eclectic mix of acoustic and synthesized sounds.

The sublime Latin fusion of La Santa Cecilia and a screening of Disney/Pixar’s Coco

An Evening of Standup Comedy with Roy Wood Jr. & Guests

A blending of traditional Indian music and dance with hip-hop, tap, and more for desi:NOW