The best summer concerts in NYC

More than twenty years after Kool Keith turned hip-hop on its head with his solo debut as deranged extraterrestrial gynecologist Dr. Octagon, he reunites with Dan the Automator and DJ Qbert for a trip back to all things trippy.

Way back in the early 2010s, producer Jerrilynn Patton’s manic tempos and unconventional sonic palettes were a high mark for the Chicago-born sound called footwork. Check out her cutting-edge beats upstairs at Brooklyn Bazaar, Greenpoint’s newish shopping-eating-partying destination

With a new generation of young pop icons like Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino borrowing heavily from Clinton’s playbook, it’s high time for funk’s elder, OG statesman to take out the mothership for a spin again.

Each June, nearly 300 gigs are held in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick as part of the Northside Festival. But for our money, the show to see is this alfresco affair in McCarren Park, a perfect setting for an “alt-R&B” star whose cuts, like the self-explanatory “Do You,” bask in bouyant, Prince-like psychedelia.

The Minneapolis singer-MC is still building her fan base, but she’s already refined a diva persona that comes through with equal intensity, whether she’s belting out uplifting soul anthems or clubworthy booty-clap bangers.

We love us a local favorite who makes a lot out of very little. Most of Byrne’s songs consist of just fingerpicked guitar, soft new-age synths and her bell-like voice, but the end result proves that, sometimes, it’s best to keep it simple, stupid.

Katie Crutchfield’s roots are in the DIY punk scene, but with her solo project, Waxahatchee, she’s developed a talent for mixing confessional lyrics and irresistible hooks that have made her a rightful indie-rock It girl.

Twenty years after his death, Nigerian singer, multi-instrumentalist and political revolutionary Fela Kuti’s artistic daring continues to be as inspiring as his actual music. Here his torch is picked up by jazz-funk legend Roy Ayers and Fela’s son Seun, who leads one of his dad’s best-loved combos, Egypt 80.

Metal trends have come and gone by the dozen in the four-plus decades that Iron Maiden’s been making music, but the band’s talent for over-the-top performances has kept stadiums packed with devil-horn–gesturing fans the entire time.

Zimmer’s bombastic, brass-heavy scores for the likes of The Thin Red Line, The Dark Knight trilogy and Interstellar have not only reshaped the sound of modern cinema, they’ve also influenced pop. Need proof? Just check out how often hip-hop artists lift the blaring horns in Inception’s score. Here’s your chance to experience the German genius’s work firsthand, with a full orchestra in one of NYC’s most majestic theaters.

In just a year, the Chicago vintage soft rockers (that’s actually a compliment) have gone from playing a scrappy DIY venue in Bushwick to headlining an outdoor gig in Brooklyn’s most prized park. See what all the feel-good, country-tinged, horn-laden buzz is about for yourself.

The weekly outdoor boozing-and-dancing series Warm Up is back, people! This late-summer gig boasts Dan Snaith, best known for mixing folky songwriting and electronic sounds under his Caribou moniker. But with his side project Daphni, he dives into full-blown floor-filling dance music. He’s joined here on an exciting triple bill by the eccentric singer-songwriter John Maus and the noise-loving protest poet Moor Mother.

In the mid-’60s, Astatke began bending the rules of American jazz to fit the traditional music of his native Ethiopia and ended up launching an entire genre—a profoundly deep and funky one that hasn’t lost a shred of its cool over its 50-year run.