SummerStage free shows in Coney Island: classic soul, hip hop, Fela! The Concert, more
SummerStage’s 2019 slate of free concerts includes a few at Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk this summer:
On Sunday, July 7 it’s the Heavy Hitters Brooklyn Take Over that is hosted by DJ Enuff & DJ Drewski and featuring Jim Jones (The Diplomats), Casanova, TJ Porter, Jay Gwuapo, Fetty Luciano and “special guests.”
Jonathan Toubin is bringing his monthly New York Night Train Soul Clap & Dance Off party to Ford Amphitheatre Sunday, July 21. For it, he’s assembled a great lineup of classic soul artists, including Irma Thomas, Archie Bell, Joe Bataan, Carl Carlton, and Renaldo Domino. They’ll all be backed by Dap Kings’ leader Binky Griptite and the Brooklyn Rhythm Band…except for Joe Bataan who has his own band. You can also catch Joe as part of Union Pool’s Summer Thunder series on July 7.
On Friday, July 26 it’s Fela! The Concert with members of the Broadway cast of Fela! featuring a 10-piece Afrobeat band, with “nine singers and dancers who bring to life Fela’s provocative spirit.” (Fela! The Concert also happens at SummerStage in Central Park on July 31.)
On Saturday, August 3 it’s The 70’s Soul Jam with The Stylistics, The Manhattans, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Fred “Bugsy” Buggs, and DJ Chuck Chillout.
And on Sunday, August 18 it’s salsa band La Sonora Ponceña featuring Dominican salsa vocalist Jose “El Canario” Alberto.
For more free live music by Coney Island’s boardwalk, the Coney Island Music Festival returns for its third year on Saturday, July 20 on Stillwell Ave between Surf and the boardwalk, with The Feelies, The Mystery Lights, Bane’s World, Spanish group Los Wilds, The Advertisers, Miranda & The Beat, and more to be announced. More info here.
Also coming up in Coney Island, you can catch fireworks there on every Friday and on The Fourth of July. There’s also a Stranger Things takeover of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park from July 5-7.
