NYC's Free Outdoor Show Roundup: July 13-19 – Jazz, Standup & More

See some of the top outdoor concerts across NYC's five boroughs next week with standup comedy, jazz, a celebration of Moroccan music, and more!

(In case you missed it, bookmark our list of free summer show series for more fun this season)

---

Carnegie Hall Citywide: American Patchwork Quartet at Madison Square Park

July 15 @ 6 pm 

Info available here.

Led by multiple Grammy-winning guitarist and vocalist Clay Ross, the American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) blends timeless American folk song with jazz, country twang, West African influences, and East Asian ornamentation. It’s a modern American musical mosaic that recently earned the group’s debut recording a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. Alongside Ross, the APQ features Falu, an 11th-generation Hindustani classical vocalist; Moto Fukushima, an internationally acclaimed jazz bassist; and Koleby Royston, an emerging jazz drummer with chops and artistry rooted in African American church traditions.

Free & no rsvp needed

---

Morocco: From Dakhla to Casablanca: Hoba Hoba Spirit / Hamid El Kasri / Dakhla Casa Xpress / Mr ID / NDRK at Central Park

July 15 @ 6 pm

Info available here.

In association with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad, and Maroc Festivals, SummerStage brings a handful of artists showcasing the diversity of sounds and rhythms from the North African nation to Central Park. Headlining is Hoba Hoba Spirit, a Moroccan rock band from Casablanca that fuses rock, reggae and Gnawa (a Sufi style brought from West Africa) into a sound they call “haiha”—evoking the controlled chaos and randomness of their live experience. They joined by Hamid El Kasri, a Gnawa master trained in the Chemeli style with a distinctively deep and rich voice who performs with the three-stringed bass guembri; Dakhla Casa Xpress beginning with the stillness and warmth of the desert, and building toward the electric energy of the city; Mr ID, the DJ and producer who brought American rap beats, funk rhythms and the spirit of Jazz back home with him to Morocco, where he fused the sounds with violin airs and African percussion; and NDRK, a rising star on the dance floors of Marrakech, Casablanca, and Dubai, who also produces gems like the track selected as the anthem for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Free & no rsvp needed

---

Marcus Russell Price Presents The Funniest Humans I Know Vol. 7 at Lincoln Center Plaza (UWS)

July 15 @ 6 pm

Info available here.

The photographer and film director Marcus Russell Price has the ability to capture a thousand laughs in a single picture. An accomplished cameraman for comedy specials by Nimesh Patel, Seaton Smith, and Gavin Matts, as well as a capturer of candid shots for Hollywood artists like Hannibal Buress, Amy Schumer, John Mulaney, Judd Apatow, Bill Burr and Sam Jay, Price's keen eye snaps the split second moments before and after a joke lands with laser precision. His personal relationships with luminaries such as Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari, and Ronny Chieng have opened doors for him to craft uniquely casual portraits of performers. Price curates his own superb stand-up series, featuring some of the greatest unsung comedians in the world... and a few of the biggest ones too! Get ready for an unforgettable evening of wit and wisdom from renowned favorites and rising stars brought to you by the insider's insider of comedy.

First-come first-served. Fast Track RSVP opens the Monday before the event at noon for all. Become a member and enjoy priority entry with automatic access to every Fast Track line, all year round. See the website for accessibility information including for those who would have difficulty standing in line.

---

The American Quartet at Lincoln Center Plaza (UWS)

July 16 @ 6 pm

Info available here.

Join performers from the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center for an evening of classical music at the David Rubenstein Atrium in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A string performs Still Singing, the second string quartet from Jazz at Lincoln Center's own Wynton Marsalis. This signature work captures Marsalis's joyful embrace of American music traditions, from jazz to blues, and classical to funk. The quartet also plays Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 in F major, better known as the American quartet. As an immigrant artist living in New York in 1893, Dvořák famously predicted that a “great and noble school” of uniquely American music would spring from the nation’s “negro melodies.” In keeping with his prognostication, Dvořák’s American quartet evokes the panoply of sounds that enlivened American music at the turn of the 20th century, with notable influence from Black spirituals and other contemporary folk music of the time. The American quartet remains one of today's most popular pieces of chamber music.

First-come first-served. Fast Track RSVP opens the Monday before the event at noon for all. Become a member and enjoy priority entry with automatic access to every Fast Track line, all year round. See the website for accessibility information including for those who would have difficulty standing in line.

---

Carnegie Hall Citywide: Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas at Bryant Park

July 17 @ 7 pm

Info available here.

Experience zydeco, the fast and furious, accordion-driven Creole dance music of South Louisiana. With its trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars, and R&B influences, this is an exciting and modern roots music that’s nearly impossible to resist—and from festival stages to Louisianan dance halls, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas has been one of the most celebrated zydeco bands of the past 40 years. Listen and dance at this free performance in Bryant Park!

Free & no rsvp needed

---

RTA Summer Sunset Concert Series featuring The Slim Kings at Riverside Park (UWS)

July 18 @ 7 pm

Info available here.

The Slim Kings feature R&B bassist Andy Attanasio (Black Thought, Joey Bada$$), and singer-songwriter MSB, best known for 40+ Primetime TV placements, alongside iconic drummer Liberty Devitto. DeVitto spent over three decades playing on seminal records for and performing with Billy Joel, Stevie Nicks and Paul McCartney. The Slim Kings have over twenty primetime TV placements, four albums, and ten years of gigging under their belt. Tour mates ZZ Top affectionately refer to them as "Them Slim Boys.

Free & no rsvp needed

---

DJ Rekha’s Basement Bhangra Beyond: Jaz Dhami / Mitika Kanwar / Babbulicious / Rajuju / DJ Rekha + special guests at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (Queens)

July 18 @ 6 pm

Tickets available here.

For the fourth consecutive year, cultural instigator DJ Rekha takes the energy of their legendary Basement Bhangra party beyond the club walls with a multi-genre live show, infusing sounds of hip-hop, dancehall, and diasporic grooves to the World’s Fair grounds at Queens’ Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. This year’s lineup is anchored by British-Indian singer Jaz Dhami, known for redefining the face of Punjabi music through hits such as “High Heels,” “Zulfa,” “Beparwaiyan,” and his latest single “Saviour.” Also featured is Mitika Kanwar, whose unique blend of Punjabi lofi folk and R&B includes collaborations with Sidhu Moosewala, Nucleya, and Talwiinder. Babbulicious, a Punjabi-Canadian singer and multidisciplinary artist, brings a joyful energy with crowd favorites like “Gaddi Red Challenger,” recently performed at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration. The lineup is rounded out by DJ Rekha, who, alongside master Bhangra dancer Kala Sher and special guests, delivers a ground-shaking, full-body experience reflecting the eclectic vibe of the World’s Borough.

Free & no RSVP.

Don't Miss a Cabaret News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...