Music in Central Park

This is the first of what will probably be several posts about music and probably the first of many posts about central park.

On Thursday i went with 3 friends to go see a show at Rumsey Playfield, or better known as Summerstage. Of all the music I have seen and all the venues I've been to, this was only the second time i had been to summerstage. I have always found the contrast of Central Park and the surrounding city to be the kind of paradox that makes life here interesting. Add some music and a beautiful breezy summer night and life seems perfect.

The bands were two of my favorite; Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Gov't Mule. I have been talking about these bands to everyone who would listen for years now. It was good to be able to bring some friends to some good music. They did not disappoint. Grace Potter, as always, came into the night largely unknown and left with a few hundred new die-hard fans and a few lifelong crushes. Mule, lead by the great Warren Haynes ripped through another amazing night of music anchored by an encore sit-in by Jimmy Vivino. I only wish they had been allowed to play longer...but alas, the central park curfew kept the show to 3 hours (4 if you include the opening act).


Besides the great concert, it was one of those great and memorable New York nights. We met some fun interesting people (one guy named Axl who just walked by and gave us a few beers), some crazy people who towed in a nitrous tank that turned out to be the life of the after party (i don't know how someone gets a huge nitrous tank past the heavy showtime park security (who vigorously stopped the crowd from getting to the port-o-potties after the show) and then a cartoonish cab ride downtown with a cab driver that kept amusing himself by repeating the phrase "chunky monkey" over and over again. I love it!

To repeat the slogan of one of my favorite websites, Jambase; GO SEE LIVE MUSIC!