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Timothy S. Griffin

Beach @ Governors Island adds Mos Def & other 2009 shows

Mos Def gets ready for the beach (Black Star @ Nokia Theater) (more by Tim Griffin)
Mos Def

The lineup for this summer’s Highline Ballroom/AEG-produced events on Governors Island has been expanded. We already mentioned the big B-52s and Erykah Badu shows. One big addition to those is a performance by Mos Def on Saturday, September 12th. Those tickets go on “internet presale” starting Saturday, June 27th at 10am. General sale starts Monday, June 29th at 10am.

More DJ parties, kids events and other bands have been added as well. Full info and schedule below…

The Highline Ballroom Presents THE BEACH AT GOVERNORS ISLAND

Live Music and Family Entertainment Minutes Off the Coast of Lower Manhattan July thru October 2009

The Highline Ballroom and Liberty Event, in conjunction with Water Taxi Beach and AEG Live are proud to announce the new and permanent home for our annual Governors Island Concert Series at Water Taxi Beach Governors Island, The Beach at Governors Island. Shows on The Beach will be rain-or-shine, all-ages performances on the newly constructed waterfront sand Beach venue on beautiful Governors Island, located only 800 yards off of Lower Manhattan. Tickets to all shows are available to the general public via Ticketmaster.com.

Programming for the over two dozen shows that are a part of The Beach reflects the excellence and diversity of booking that has become the signature of The Highline Ballroom. Currently announced acts include a Saturday July 11th Dark Star Orchestra show with Keller Williams and Pete Francis of Dispatch; Rachel Trachtenberg’s Homemade World tribute to Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and an afternoon hip hop and dance party with DJ kHZ on July 12; a heavy metal tribute to The Bee Gees with Tragedy and The School of Rock All-Stars; an afternoon dance party with The Beatards on July 25; soul superstar Erykah Badu on August 4; sing along with The Hip Hop Karaoke Barbecue on August 15; pop sensations The B-52s on August 18; hip hop’s poet laureate Mos Def on September 12 and the hard-rock guitar wizard Buckethead on September 26.

More shows through October will be announced shortly; updates will be released as dates are added.

Beer, liquor, non-alcoholic drinks and food will be available for purchase. Ticket price to all shows will include round-trip ferry passage from the Battery Park Maritime Building to the island. Ferry schedules for each show will be posted at least two days prior to each event on The Beach at Governors Island website. For more information about the series, transportation to the venue, artists and performances, general restrictions and rules and the latest updates and additions to the lineup, visit The Beach at Governors Island website at www.thebeachconcerts.com and www.nywatertaxi.com.

CURRENT SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMMING FOR THE BEACH AT GOVERNORS ISLAND:

Saturday, July 11
At The Beach at Governors Island:
DARK STAR ORCHESTRA and KELLER WILLIAMS
– PETE FRANCIS OF DISPATCH and BAREFOOT TRUTH
File Under: Rock, Classic Rock, Jam Band
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Doors at 4:30pm, Show at 6:30pm
$40 adv, $45 at door – Ticket Includes roundtrip Ferry to the Island
VIP Tickets: Seated by Stage – $75
– Each night, the Chicago-based band decides on performing one show from the 2,500 that the Grateful Dead performed during their 30 year tenure as fathers of improvisational rock. As a chamber orchestra interprets Bach or Mozart, Dark Star Orchestra presents the complete original set list, song by song, and in order, recreating historic music with uncanny faithful interpretation. DSO is drawing national attention with their true-to-life performances. Rolling Stone praises “Dark Star Orchestra’s fanatical attention to detail.” USA Today says DSO is “channeling the Dead” and the Washington Post declares them “the hottest Grateful Dead tribute act going.” Dallas Morning News affirms DSO is “the next best thing to being there”, the Denver Post describes Dark Star Orchestra as a perfection-oriented practitioner of homage and the Associated Press notes that DSO takes its act to a level of detail that befits a rock band famous for its fanatical following.
– Keller Williams has built a career on his uncanny ability to captivate a packed house–all by himself. He’s been called a “one-man band.” A “solo cult-hero.” “Music’s mad-scientist.” All of which are clever labels for what seems to be an essential truth: On stage, Keller Williams works alone. For over 100 shows a year, Williams has proven himself to be a master of improvisational performance art. In his one-man show, he pads barefoot from guitar to bass to percussion stations, using looping effects–and enough instruments to stock a strip-mall music store–to layer sound atop sound until the stage swirls with a full-blown composition. While Keller has made liberal use of technology throughout his career, he knows that musicianship is ultimately a human undertaking. With a seemingly unquenchable thirst for all genres of music – bluegrass, jazz, and–who’d-a-thunk-it–hard rock – occasionally Williams puts unyielding faith in a backing band. Whether performing with solo or with Grateful Grass, Keller, Moseley, Droll and Sipe or Grunge Grass (just a few of his “band” projects), Keller Williams knows best how to please a music hungry crowd.

Sunday, July 12
At The Beach at Governors Island:
The Children’s Author Series: A Tribute to MAURICE SENDAK featuring
RACHEL TRACHTENBERG’S HOMEMADE WORLD and
THE BEACH PUPPETEERS
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 3:00pm
FREE!
Rachel Trachtenberg (of The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players) and Wakka Wakka Productions (known for their creative and entertaining puppetry) takes you on a magical journey of music, reading, puppetry and live performance to find out Where The Wild Things Are.

Sunday, July 12
At The Beach at Governors Island:
DJ kHZ
File Under: R&B, Hip Hop, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Spinning beginning at 4:00pm, Ending at 7:00pm
FREE!
DJ kHz spins the bands you wish you’d found and the b-sides you wish you’d heard. He lays down tracks so old school that your grandpa will break his walker and so new that they don’t even have names yet. Come out and dance on the beach!

Saturday, July 18
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE TONY KIDS JAMBOREE
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 10:00am
FREE!
Bring your family to The Beach for fun in the sand and sun! Listen and dance to family-friendly music; watch the strolling jugglers, musicians and balloon sculptors; make sandcastles; sip lemonade and embrace the Summer! The entire island is open to the public, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity to explore an underappreciated haven. Programming will vary weekly.

Saturday, July 18
At The Beach at Governors Island:
DJ ERIK THE RED
File Under: R&B, Hip Hop, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Spinning beginning at 2:00pm, Ending at 6:00pm
FREE!
DJ Erik the Red spins classic funk, reggae, and hip-hop.

Sunday, July 19
At The Beach at Governors Island:
TRAGEDY: The Heavy Metal Tribute to THE BEE GEES with
THE SCHOOL OF ROCK ALL-STARS and THE RODNEY SPEED EXPERIENCE
– DJ sets with RODNEY SPEED
File Under: Rock, Classic Rock, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 2:00pm
FREE!
– TRAGEDY are the #1 heavy metal tribute to the Bee Gee’s in the tri-state area!
– THE PAUL GREEN SCHOOL OF ROCK is the original and premier performance-based rock music school in the country for kids 7-18. Founded on Green’s original program of weekly, individualized instruction sessions augmented by rigorous group rehearsals, the Paul Green School of Rock effectively motivates students to practice–driven by frequent performances where they discover that how hard they work leads directly to applause, the most beautiful music of all. Each year, the 45 School of Rock branches around the country give more than 1,000 concerts at established venues including The Whiskey, BB King’s and Carnegie Hall and at festivals such as Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Zappanale and the annual SORFest. The School’s All-Stars have performed with Alice Cooper, Butthole Surfers, Eddie Vedder and Perry Farrell, among others, and have toured with Jon Anderson of Yes as his featured back-up band. Founded in 1998, the Paul Green School of Rock Music was the subject of the documentary Rock School, which regularly airs on A&E since its debut at Sundance in 2005. The School also served as the apparent inspiration for the Jack Black hit comedy, School of Rock. Currently in a period of rapid expansion, the Paul Green School of Rock plans to open in more than 60 locations by end of 2009.

Saturday, July 25
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE BEATARDS
File Under: Hip Hop, Rock, Dance, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Spinning Beginning at 2:00pm, Ending at 6:00pm
FREE!
NYC’s livest hip hop party-crashing crew, The Beatards are burning up this summer with their regular Sex Wax and Mixtape Riot! parties. Rocking the mic and behind the turntables, DJ O, Chuck Wild and UTK the INC know how to party.

Sunday, July 26
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE TONY KIDS JAMBOREE
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 10:00am
FREE!
Bring your family to The Beach for fun in the sand and sun! Listen and dance to family-friendly music; watch the strolling jugglers, musicians and balloon sculptors; make sandcastles; sip lemonade and embrace the Summer! The entire island is open to the public, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity to explore an underappreciated haven. Programming will vary weekly.

Sunday, July 26
At The Beach at Governors Island:
TURNTABLES ON THE HUDSON
File Under: Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Dance
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Spinning Beginning at 3:00pm, Ending at Midnight
Ticket Price and Lineup TBA

Sunday, August 2
At The Beach at Governors Island:
The Children’s Author Series: A Tribute to THEODOR ‘DR. SEUSS’ GEISEL
Featuring THE XYLOPHOLKS and THE BEACH PUPPETEERS
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 1:00pm
FREE!
Visit the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss with the musical masters of the fantastic, The Xylopholks, a dynamic group of musicians who mostly play novelty ragtime music from the 1920’s (featuring the xylophone), while wearing furry animal costumes alongside Wakka Wakka Productions, known for their creative and entertaining puppetry. The Xylopholks will make you smile and perhaps even dance as they read and recreate famous and favorite stories from the Seuss collection.

Tuesday, August 4
At The Beach at Governors Island:
ERYKAH BADU with special guests TBA
Produced by AEG Live
File Under: R&B, Soul
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$52 – Ticket Includes roundtrip Ferry to the Island
Erykah Badu, is a multiple Grammy-award winning American soul singer and songwriter whose work encompasses elements of R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is known as the “First Lady of Neo-Soul”. Erykah’s lyrics are highly personal urban philosophies which throw emotional challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical influences together creating a rich texture of sound. In many aspects she remains the quintessential Hip-Hop B-Girl.

Saturday, August 8
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE TONY KIDS JAMBOREE
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 10:00am
FREE!
Bring your family to The Beach for fun in the sand and sun! Listen and dance to family-friendly music; watch the strolling jugglers, musicians and balloon sculptors; make sandcastles; sip lemonade and embrace the Summer! The entire island is open to the public, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity to explore an underappreciated haven. Programming will vary weekly.

Saturday, August 15
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE HIP HOP KARAOKE BARBECUE
File Under: Food, Hip Hop, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 2:00pm
FREE!
Hip Hop Karaoke and Rare Form Promotions present Live at the BBQ: a day of classic hip-hop at Governors Island. Now in its fifth year, Hip Hop Karaoke takes the traditional karaoke concept and transforms it into the complete emcee experience. This is the opportunity to grab a mic, get up on stage, and perform to a diverse, enthusiastic crowd. The event, one of the most popular in the city, uses only original instrumentals and the hosts ensure that every participant, from the seasoned hip-hop veteran to the casual fan, stays on track.

Sunday, August 16
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE TONY KIDS JAMBOREE
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 10:00am
FREE!
Bring your family to The Beach for fun in the sand and sun! Listen and dance to family-friendly music; watch the strolling jugglers, musicians and balloon sculptors; make sandcastles; sip lemonade and embrace the Summer! The entire island is open to the public, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity to explore an underappreciated haven. Programming will vary weekly.

Tuesday, August 18
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE B-52s Ultimate Beach Party
File Under: Rock, Pop, GLBT
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Ferries begin departing at 5:00pm, Show begins 8:00pm
$38.50 adv, $45 at door – Ticket Includes roundtrip Ferry to the Island
VIP Tix: Reserved Seating – $65
Discount Summer Four Pack of General Admission Tickets is $134
It has been said that the B-52s are as quintessentially American as the Beach Boys. And twenty-five years and over twenty million albums into their career, the B-52s remain the among the most beloved rock stars ever. Any mystery concerning the longevity and ongoing appeal of the B-52s is immediately solved when exposed to the B-52s unique concert experience. From the timeless gems of “Rock Lobster,” “Planet Claire” and “Private Idaho” to the more recent classics of “Channel Z,” “Love Shack” and “Roam”, the B-52s unforgettable dance-rock tunes start a party every time the music begins.
To add to the fun, the fifty-two girls attending the show dressed in the most creative beach or nautical attire (sailor suits, bikinis, marine uniforms, mermaid costumes, etc) attending the concert will be given free tickets to a future show at The Highline Ballroom.

Sunday, August 23
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE TONY KIDS JAMBOREE
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 10:00am
FREE!
Bring your family to The Beach for fun in the sand and sun! Listen and dance to family-friendly music; watch the strolling jugglers, musicians and balloon sculptors; make sandcastles; sip lemonade and embrace the Summer! The entire island is open to the public, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity to explore an underappreciated haven. Programming will vary weekly.

Sunday, August 23
At The Beach at Governors Island:
TURNTABLES ON THE HUDSON
File Under: Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Dance
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Spinning Beginning at 3:00pm, Ending at Midnight
Ticket Price and Lineup TBA

Saturday, August 29
At The Beach at Governors Island:
BADFISH: A Tribute to SUBLIME with special guests
THE EASY STAR ALL-STARS, COLLIE BUDDZ and
THE CANNABIS CUP ALL-STARS performing a tribute to BOB MARLEY
File Under: Rock, Hip Hop, Reggae
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$30 – Ticket Includes roundtrip Ferry to the Island
– The phenomenon known as Sublime, arguably the most energetic, original and uniquely eclectic band ever, ended with the death of lead singer and guitarist Brad Nowell in 1996. But encompassing the sense of place and purpose associated with Sublime’s music, BADFISH, a Tribute to Sublime channels the spirit of their predecessors with a fury not felt for some time. What separates BADFISH from other tribute bands is that they have replicated Sublime’s essence, developing a scene and dedicated following usually reserved for label-driven, mainstream acts. BADFISH make their mark on the audience by playing with the spirit of Sublime – they perform not as Sublime would have, or did – they perform as BADFISH does.
– The Easy Star All-Stars are a collective family of some of the finest reggae musicians in the New York area. The band features a rotating cast drawn from a talented pool of players, meaning that every show has its own nuances and its own life. The masterminds behind the All-Stars are Easy Star musical director Michael Goldwasser (a.k.a. Michael G), frequent production partner Victor Axelrod (a.k.a. Ticklah), and Easy Star execs Eric Smith and Lem Oppenheimer. These four were the team behind the album Dub Side of the Moon (2003), the complete reggae re-vision of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century. It has spent over 5 years on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart and Reggae Catalog Chart. In 2006, the band followed up Dub Side with Radiodread, a complete reggae re-vision of Radiohead’s OK Computer. That record has also been a huge success, sparking great reviews, and even garnering praise from Radiohead. Originally formed in 1997 for Easy Star Records’ first recordings, the All-Stars primarily existed as a studio entity until releasing Dub Side of the Moon. The success of that album led to the formation of a touring version of the collective.
– With a falsetto that combines the singsong lover’s rock appeal of a carnival crooner like Rupee with the deeper emotional catch of Bob Marley or Sizzla, Collie Buddz’s voice sits with equal comfort over the jump-up pace of ragga-soca, 4/4 hip-hop beats or an achingly slow one drop. Most strikingly on tunes like “My Everything” he finds both the drive of dancehall and the bluesy edge of roots in a frenetic polyrhythm built around the Latin horns of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” an up-tempo track that could be just as home in a Trinidad carnival as a UK discothèque. It’s that discovery of timeless roots even within the sweatiest dancehall track that marks the culmination of Collie’s growth.
– Since emerging in 1996 as the High Times Cannabis Cup house band, the CCB has been tearing up the underground New York reggae scene with sold-out performances at some of the city’s hottest venues. The group’s ability to play a wide variety of idioms, an inspired group of special guests, and their celebration of herban life and music have earned CCB legions of inspired local fans, headline status at Boston’s Freedom Rally and the Seattle Hempfest, and gigs backing diverse artists from Rita Marley to George Clinton. The band’s annual Bob Marley Birthday Tribute show, now at BB King’s in Times Square, has sold out every year since its inception in 1997.

Sunday, August 30
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE TONY KIDS JAMBOREE
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 10:00am
FREE!
Bring your family to The Beach for fun in the sand and sun! Listen and dance to family-friendly music; watch the strolling jugglers, musicians and balloon sculptors; make sandcastles; sip lemonade and embrace the Summer! The entire island is open to the public, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity to explore an underappreciated haven. Programming will vary weekly.

Sunday, September 6
At The Beach at Governors Island:
THE TONY KIDS JAMBOREE
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 10:00am
FREE!
Bring your family to The Beach for fun in the sand and sun! Listen and dance to family-friendly music; watch the strolling jugglers, musicians and balloon sculptors; make sandcastles; sip lemonade and embrace the Summer! The entire island is open to the public, making this a rare and wonderful opportunity to explore an underappreciated haven. Programming will vary weekly.

Sunday, September 6
At The Beach at Governors Island:
TURNTABLES ON THE HUDSON
File Under: Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Dance
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Spinning Beginning at 3:00pm, Ending at Midnight
Ticket Price and Lineup TBA

Saturday, September 12
At The Beach at Governors Island:
MOS DEF – The Ecstatic Tour
Produced by Jill Newman Productions
File Under: Hip Hop
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 8:00pm
$35 adv, $40 at door – Ticket Includes roundtrip Ferry to the Island
Pre Show VIP Boat Cruise with Mos Def aboard the Zephyr: $150
VIP Ticket Includes show entrance, two hour open bar aboard the boat and a cruise around lower Manhattan with Mos Def. The boat boards at South Street Seaport’s Pier 16 at 6:00pm and leaves promptly at 6:30. Cruise lasts until 8:00pm when VIPs and Mos Def will land at Governors Island for the show.
Regarded as one of hip-hop’s most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. With the release of “Universal Magnetic” in 1996 he became an underground favorite, leading to his legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli. The two formed Black Star, whose debut album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are…Black Star, would become one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums of all time. Mos followed that release with his 1999 solo debut, Black On Both Sides, which featured the classic tracks “Ms. Fat Booty” and “Umi Says.” The album was certified gold and credited by critics as bringing hip-hop back to its soapbox roots.

Sunday, September 20
At The Beach at Governors Island:
The Children’s Author Series: A Tribute to SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Featuring JACK GRACE and THE BEACH PUPPETEERS
Presented in Association with Time Out New York Kids
File Under: Family Fun, Free!
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Show begins at 1:00pm
FREE!
A celebration of the music and writing of the celebrated author of Where The Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree. The Beach Puppeteers and special guests read a selection of Shel’s beloved poems followed by a set of Shel’s most famous songs including The Unicorn, A Boy Named Sue and more performed by Jack Grace.

Saturday, September 26
At The Beach at Governors Island:
BUCKETHEAD
File Under: Metal, Rock
NB: SRO, Visit The Beach online for more info and up-to-date ferry schedules
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$25 adv, $30 at door – Ticket Includes roundtrip Ferry to the Island
VIP Tickets: Seated Near Stage – $50
Buckethead is the masked, inverted KFC bucket wearing, “mutant guitar virtuoso” that stunned audiences during Primus’s set at OzzFest ’99, toured the world with Praxis and Guns ‘n Roses(post-Slash), and graced many a movie soundtrack/score. His last album, Enter The Chicken, was produced by Serj Tankian of System of a Down. His musical stylings range from raw-power riffing and hyper-speed metal licks to idyllic, yet edgy chordal passages and heartrending melodic lines. His music is very difficult to categorize because each release tends to have its own flavor and context. Heavy Metal and Funk styles figure formidably in the mix, but he’s not limited to the cliches of either genre. He’s equally at home chicken pickin’ country or re-creating the sound of a roller coaster with his guitar.

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