After a whiz bang summer featuring musical big guns such as U2, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews and Radiohead – all playing arena extravaganzas – on the surface, the fall concert schedule may seem a little lackluster.
But the flash of summer arena and stadium concerts is giving way to musical substance from very respected performes such as John Mellencamp, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Ray Davies, the Black Crowes, Nick Cave and Tori Amos who are all appearing in clubs or small theaters.
For those who believe bigger is baddest the season kicks off tonight at Madison Square Garden with Michael Jackson whooping it up with the likes of Ray Charles, Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan and Quincy Jones, to name a few. While this isn’t the Michael Jackson comeback solo concert we’ve all been expecting for the last decade, it is a nice halfway step to show if he still has the moves to support his up coming “Invincible” CD with a tour.
If boy bands are more your thing, the Backstreet Boys take a bow tonight at the Meadowlands Sports Complex arena in full formation complete with A.J. McLean dried-out, re-energized and road-ready. This concert was rescheduled from July 17, when the band put its summer tour on hold so McLean could get his act together.
Another highlight and one of the more unusual all-star concerts of the season is tomorrow’s 26th New York Salsa Festival at Madison Square Garden. It features everybody who’s anybody in salsa, including Ruben Blades, Ray Barretto and Tommy Valentine as well as Willie Colon and Yomo Toro. For those who are missing the late great Tito Puente, this is a musit see event.
The following is a comprehensive list of the major concerts coming up this fall:
September
7 & 10 Michael Jackson Tribute Concert, Madison Square Garden $2,503-$48.
7 Backstreet Boys, Madison Square Garden $39- $125
7 Yes with the Long Island Philharmonic, Jones Beach $33-50.
8 Tenacious D Town Hall (sold out)
8 Yes with Long Island Philharmonic, Radio City Music Hall $35-$85
8 John Mellencamp with the Wall Flowers, Jones Beach Theater sold out
12 High Times Doobie Awards featuring Afroman Wetlands Preserve $20
13 Ben Folds (solo tour), Irving Plaza (sold out)
14 Stevie Nicks, Radio City Music Hall $48-$129
15 Earth Wind & Fire, Jones Beach $30-$60.
16 Coldplay, Irving Plaza (sold out)
16 Blues Festival featuring B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Tommy Castro and John Haitt Jonew Beach $30-$45
17&18 Stereophonics, Irving Plaza $20
19 Ray Davies, The Vanderbilt $30.
19&20 Laurie Anderson Town Hall $28-$38
20-22 The Black Crowes, Beacon Theater (sold out)
20-22 Built to Spill, Irving Plaza $15
23 Smashmouth Irving Plaza $20
24 Oliva Newton John, Westbury Music Fair $48
24 Leona Naess Mercury Lounge $17
24 The Rollins Band Irving Plaza $19
25 Lifehouse with Michele Branch Irving Plaza (sold out)
25 David Bryne Apollo Theater $36.
27&28 Wilco Town Hall $25-$35
29 Weezer Jones Beach $28
October
1&2 Tool Madison Square Garden $33-45
3 Travis Radio City Music Hall $34.
4&5 Bjork $55-$80 Radio City Music Hall
4 The Root Tour Village Underground $15
4&5 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Beacon Theater $28-$43
5&6 The Waterboys Irving Plaza $30
6 Jay Black and the Americans Westbury Music Fair $40
6 Sisters in Spirit featuring Yolanda Adams The Theater at MSG $39-$64
9-11 Tori Amos Beacon Theater (sold out)
9-10 Joe Strummer Irving Plaza $35
11&12 Neil Diamond Madison Square Garden $55 & $75
12 Judas Priest Roseland Ballroom, $32
13 Rosemary Clooney Westbury Music Fair $40
13 The Original New York Doo Wopp Show Radio City Music Hall $29-$59
14 Sum 41 Irving Plaza (sold out)
16&17 Megadeth Iirving Plaza $30
17 I-Town Records Showcase Lion’s Den $10
18 Gov’t Mule Roseland Ballroom $27
19-21 Mary Wilson and the Duke Ellington Orchestra Westbury Music Fair $45
26 Rock and Roll Revival Show The Theater at Madison Square Garden $39-$104
28 Cowboy Mouth Irving Plaza $15
31 Medeski Martin & Wood Beacon Theater $33
31 Alice Cooper Halloween Extravaganza Roseland Ballroom $35
November
3 Michael Amante Westbury Music Fair $40
4 Tony Orlando Westburn Muisc Fair $35
7-10 Sterolab Irving Plaza $22
9 Ceasaria Evora Beacon Theater $40-$75
10 Wynonna Westbury Music Fair $40
11 Tantric Irving Plaza $25
11 Connie Francis Westbury Music Fair $35
14 Jon Secada Westbury Music Fair $38
15 Taj Mahal Westbury Music Fair $38
16 Stephen Malkmus & thre Jicks Roxy $25
16-18 Englebert Humperdinck Westbury Music Fair $38
17 Dan Bern Irving Plaza P $25
23&24 moe. Hammerstein Ballroom $25
23-25 Paul Anka Westbury Music Fair $50