As the city gears up for The Meadows Music & Arts Festival in Queens this Friday, it’s a busy time for bands and venues in the area, so don’t miss out on the exciting stuff happening around NYC this week. Check out our Pancake Picks right here for recommendations on where to rock out and chill out, before/during/after Meadows – all official parties included.
Tuesday
Roger Waters @ Barclays Center – Continuing his high-production, critically-acclaimed Us + Them Tour, Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters will be bringing songs from The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, and Wish You Were Here to the Barclays stage for one more night this week. He’s playing there tonight after an impressive show yesterday, so grab tickets while there’s still time.
Prophets Of Rage @ The Apollo Theater – If you’re deliberating your Tuesday plans, this might throw another wrench into the process, because Prophets Of Rage are too badass to miss. The powerhouse Rage Against the Machine + Cypress Hill + Public Enemy supergroup will be tearing up the Apollo tomorrow night, and based on their Brooklyn show last year, we’re anticipating pure destruction.
Wednesday
Young the Giant, Cold War Kids, Joywave @ Central Park SummerStage – SummerStage is still happening even as the weather cools down, so it’s a pretty exquisite time to sit on the Central Park lawn and enjoy some outdoor live music. Hurry up on getting tickets for Wednesday night’s show, because it’s sure to draw a big crowd with much-loved indie rockers Young the Giant, Cold War Kids, and Joywave.
Thursday
Meadows Pre-Party: Big Wild @ Schimanski – Let the pre-parties begin… If you’re feeling hyped about the fest and can’t wait until Friday, head to Brooklyn’s Schimanski for a special set with electronic DJ/producer Big Wild. The pre-party starts at 8pm and is 18+.
Meadows Pre-Party: Antibalas @ Gramercy Theatre – At the same time, Gramercy Theatre will be warming up for the weekend with a pre-party hosted by Antibalas. The 8pm show is sure to be a lively one with the Brooklyn-based afrobeat/funk band.
Friday – Day 1 Meadows
Meadows Pick: Run the Jewels @ The Meadows Stage – Even if you fall asleep in a Ramen-burger induced coma and miss everything else on Day 1 of Meadows – whatever you do, don’t miss Run the Jewels on Friday eve. The incendiary rap duo, made up of Killer Mike and El-P, are a must-see live, and tore up T5 for four straight nights few months back, so be sure to catch them at the main stage at 6pm.
Meadows After-Party: Ghostface Killah @ Brooklyn Bowl – How often do you get to leave a festival to go party with a Wu-Tang member? Not often enough, as far as we’re concerned. Hit Brooklyn Bowl on Friday for a special Meadows after-party with Ghostface Killah himself. It’s 21+ and starts at 11:30pm.
Meadows After-Party: Two Door Cinema Club (DJ Set) w/ Circa Waves @ The Knitting Factory – Two Door Cinema Club is one of the tough conflicts happening during the festival on Friday (Run the Jewels have the same set time), so we wanted to be sure to tip you off to their DJ set at the Knit. They’ll be teaming up with Circa Waves for this special Meadows after-party, and it starts when the clock strikes midnight.
Saturday – Day 2 Meadows
Meadows Pick: Gorillaz @ The Meadows Stage – Being that they’re one of the headlining (and highly-anticipated) sets on Saturday, Gorillaz are an obvious pick for Day 2 of Meadows. But Saturday is rich with choices, so we’ll let you navigate between that set and others – like LL Cool J, Future, TV on the Radio, and M.I.A – during the day. We’ve got you covered with details for Saturday’s after-parties below.
Meadows After-Party: GTA @ Schimanski – Brooklyn nightclub Schimanski has 2 dance floors, and you can rip them both up on Saturday night for one of the official Meadows after-parties. Electronic duo GTA will be hosting this 21+ bash, which starts at 11pm.
Meadows After-Party: St. Paul & The Broken Bones @ Brooklyn Bowl – Another Meadows after-party (21+) is going down in Brooklyn on Saturday, and if you’re a fan of this six-piece Birmingham soul band, you’ve gotta be there. Head to Brooklyn Bowl at 11:30pm for St. Paul & The Broken Bones.
Meadows After-Party: BadBadNotGood @ Irving Plaza – Options abound for Saturday night after-parties, so be advised that there’s also a BadBadNotGood show at Irving Plaza that night in NYC. The improvisational, Ontario-based band will be kicking things off at 11:30pm.
Meadows After-Party: CRX @ The Knitting Factory – And finally, L.A. rockers CRX are among the cool bands playing a late-night set to follow up the Meadows festivities on Saturday. Their show starts at midnight at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.
Sunday – Day 3 Meadows
Meadows Pick: The Arkells @ The American Eagle Stage – Sunday is another Meadows day packed with good sets, but this is a reminder to get there before noon. Ontario-based rockers the Arkells will be playing the American Eagle Stage at 12pm, and we’re looking forward to hearing songs from their latest record, Morning Report (of which they just released a deluxe version).
Meadows Pick: Weezer @ The Queens Blvd Stage – If you’re a rock fan, then you certainly don’t need us to tell you Weezer is playing the Meadows Fest on Day 3. This is just a reminder to get over to the Queens Blvd Stage by 6pm so that you don’t somehow miss it.
Meadows Pick: Red Hot Chili Peppers @ The Meadows Stage – Same thing goes for Chili Peppers, who are a must-see for us on Day 3! We know some folks may be over at Bassnectar, but there’s no question where we’ll be racing to before 8:30pm: mainstage for RHCP. Eat something delicious beforehand, because you’re gonna be burning calories rocking.
Meadows After-Party: Wild Belle @ Le Poisson Rouge – If you’re a hardcore festivalgoer and still going strong on Sunday, the last Meadows after-party is at Le Poisson Rouge with Wild Belle. It’s 18+ and kicks off at 10pm.