The Village Voice has compiled a list of the season’s best free shows, ranging from small to large, miscellaneous bar to Central Park’s summer stage. The artist list is pretty comprehensive, too, including Mykki Blanco, Yo La Tengo, Fiona Apple, and Steve Gunn, to name just a few. Some of the dates have passed, but there are still plenty left—if you’re going to be in NYC, it’s worth a look. Or if you’re West Coast–bound, Thrillist and LA Record have pretty comprehensive lists of free outdoor concerts in the LA area running through September.
It’s Not Too Late: Summer’s Best Free Shows
Liz Wood
Liz Wood is a writer and critic living in Cape Cod. She was a 2022 National Book Critics Circle Emerging Critics Fellow and a member of the NBCC 2023 and 2024 Greg Barrios Book in Translation Prize. Her writing has appeared in The Rumpus, Words Without Borders, Electric Literature, and elsewhere.