Concerts In Ny

NAS, Marley top this week's Top 5 concerts bill

Today, Aug. 11

Nas and Damian Marley at the Central Park Summerstage in New York City at 7 p.m. ($56.90; call 212-360-2777 for more information.) nasindependenceday.com or myspace.com/damianmarley.

Why you should go: Regarded as one of the most influential figures in the hip-hop scene today, Nas has been ranked fifth on MTV's list of The Greatest MCs (Rappers) of All Time. He's been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and six MTV Video Music Awards, and he has even tried his hand at acting. Although he has a new album in the works, he recently teamed up with Damian Marley. Marley, who is the son of the late reggae musician Bob Marley, follows in his father's footsteps and has won three Grammys and great acclaim for his own reggae music. The artists will likely perform their own solo material as well as songs from their collaborative record, "Distant Relatives."

Today, Aug. 11

The Beach Boys at the NYCB Theatre in Westbury, N.Y., at 8 p.m. ($71-$81.25; call 516-334-0800 for more information.) thebeachboys.com.

Why you should go: The Beach Boys is one of the most profoundly influential pop-rock bands to ever come out of America. The band has been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it was listed at No. 12 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. This tour marks the band's 50th anniversary, although some of the original members are out of the lineup.

Friday, Aug. 12

Alkaline Trio at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville at 6:30 p.m. ($21; call 732-238-5500 for more information.) alkalinetrio.com.

Why you should go: Formed in McHenry, Ill., in 1996, Alkaline Trio's first two albums received positive reviews for their aggressive but emotional pop-punk, it was the group's third record that really propelled them toward success. "From Here to Infirmary" (2001) was their first album to reach above the Billboard Top 200 mark, and it grossed six figures in sales. Since then, Alkaline Trio has produced five more albums, the latest of which came out last month.

Friday, Aug. 12

Pendulum DJ Set at Webster Hall in New York City at 10 p.m. ($15-$25; 19-plus to enter. Call 917-302-0847 for more information.) pendulum.com.

Why you should go: This Australian-British band fuses drum and bass, arena rock, and electronica to create a dynamic and unique sound. Their first album, "Hold Your Colour," has become one of the top-selling drum and bass records of all time, and Pendulum has become one of the most recognizable and famous groups of the genre, even though their more recent CDs have drifted more toward an electronic rock sound.

In New York City, Free Summer Concerts Feel The Burn | KOSU Radio

Over the next few weeks Weekend Edition Saturday will be producing stories about the business of putting on free concerts, how they work and what they bring to their communities. Last week’s story was on free shows at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

New York City is an expensive place to live, but there are plenty of bargains to be had, especially if you like free music. The city boasts hundreds of free summer concerts, indoors and out, in all genres of music. This year, it’s also seen a few major cancellations, including one of its marquee attractions, the New York Philharmonic’s annual Concerts in the Parks series.

The New York Philharmonic’s free concerts in Central Park have been a summer tradition since 1965. They were a formative experience for many New Yorkers, including the orchestra’s current music director, Alan Gilbert. Gilbert grew up around the Philharmonic and his mother still plays violin in the orchestra. “I’ve been going since I was a kid,” Gilbert says.

In a Philharmonic promotional video, he praises the concert series as a vital part of his experience leading the orchestra. “It’s really one of the ways that you can feel a connection between the orchestra and the city,” Gilbert says, “It makes me proud to be part of the philharmonic, and to be a New Yorker.”

Gilbert has conducted the orchestra in Central Park several times, but he won’t this summer. In June, just over a month before they were scheduled to begin, the Philharmonic canceled its 2011 Concerts in the Parks series.

Orchestra officials declined our request for an interview about the cancellation, saying that the orchestra is focusing its resources instead on two free concerts in September, including one to mark the 10th anniversary of September 11th. They insist the Concerts in the Parks will be back next year.

The New York Philharmonic isn’t the only nonprofit struggling to maintain its free concerts.

Martin Riskin runs Free for All at Town Hall. For almost a decade, he’s presented a handful of spring concerts by A-list chamber music artists at Town Hall in Manhattan, free of charge. Riskin was able to support the cost of the concerts – about $200,000 a year – with the help of a generous donor who recently passed away.

This summer, Free for All is on temporary hold. “We lost a tremendous bit of funding,” Riskin explains, “Therefore we felt it’s best not to have a regular season, but to rebuild.

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