Summer Guide 2011: Music
An exhaustive guide to the sounds of summer for anyone who’s even slightly interested in seeing live music

I don't go to the city's great parks nearly enough. Where can I go for some grass time and a show?

Well, your two main options are the gold standards of summer shows: SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn!

SummerStage, taking place from June 7 through Sept. 2, strikes its usual eclectic balance of genres and locations with park shows in all five boroughs. Of course, its biggest concerts take place at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield. Performers include Florence and the Machine, Lykke Li, Twin Shadow, Cults, Rakim, EPMD, Wiz Khalifa, Reggie Watts, jazz legend Roy Ayers, Wavves, Talib Kweli, Milagres, Nas & Damian Marley, The Sugarhill Gang, Ryan Leslie, The Budos Band, Kool Moe Dee and Ozomatli.

So you've been outside all day, checking out your very favorite performers and swigging cheap beer out of a plastic cup. You're tipsy, dehydrated and on the verge of heatstroke. Life is rough! And you're hungry! Have no fear, sweet friend— we've got all your food needs covered.

Eat And Drink To The Beat

If you're seeing a show at…

SummerStage 

Every year, SummerStage brings an awesome mish-mosh of genres to that weird mass of green stuff the subway doesn't go across. But that's OK, big spender: If this is your local venue of choice, we're assuming you've got cab fare. Or maybe not, because with a line-up of artists ranging from Funkmaster Flex to Yo- Yo Ma, SummerStage is worth a train-trek uptown.

You can grab a bite at…

Via Quadronno 
25 E. 73rd St., 212-650-9880