The definitive list of shows I have seen this summer (that I can remember). Part II
UPDATE: So I didn’t end up going to see The xx on Sunday, but I more than made up for it with the shows I went to this week:
- 8/11 - Gov’t Mule at Central Park Summerstage
Mule was probably the best show I saw in NYC all summer (with the obvious exception of Camp Bisco because that was just so incredibly amazing). My good friend Marshall got us on the press list (tickets were $50) and also got us into the VIP section which meant free beer all night long. Warren Haynes shredded and it was so refreshing to see some good ol’ rock ‘n roll. It seems like everything these days is all indie and different/weird, so seeing Gov’t Mule rock Central Park was great.
- 8/12 - Jay-Z at Radio City Music Hall
Just when I thought I had seen the best show to close out my summer here in NYC, my cousin who works at Madison Square Garden (and who helped me get my internship) called me up and asked if I’d like to go check out an event put on by Nike at Radio City for the World Basketball Festival. The WBF is “an unprecedented four-day celebration of the performance and culture of basketball featuring the National Basketball Teams from Brazil, China, France, Puerto Rico and the United States, in New York City from August 12-15.” Some huge NBA superstars including Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Paul were there to watch the USA team scrimmage. They somehow fit a regulation-size court on the Radio City stage, and after the scrimmage, transformed it into one of the most incredible stage setups I’ve ever seen for Jay-Z’s performance. Hova absolutely killed it. Although his set was only half an hour long, he managed to fit in all his recent hits and some older throwback tracks. While I thought Gov’t Mule was a breath of fresh air from all the small indie shows I’ve seen this summer, seeing Jay was like getting hit by a hurricane. His overall production value and stage presence is mind blowing. The guy is a freaking superstar.
Well there you have it. My summer of music has come to an end with two amazing shows. I head back to VA on Saturday and have about 2 weeks until I go back to JMU for my senior year. If I’ve realized one thing this summer, it’s that I’m really happy with the path I took with my studies and the direction my life is seemingly heading. I’m sure this year will be a productive one and who knows where I’ll be this time next year.
