Long Island Summer Events Guide 2011

Sunday, June 12

Holocaust Survivors & Liberators @ Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center
The Center will remember, honor, and celebrate the extraordinary lives of Holocaust survivors and liberators and their families with a special program. Visitors will have an opportunity to tour the new museum prior to the program. A memorial wall dedicated to Holocaust victims will be unveiled. To RSVP for this special program, please call 516-571-8040 ext. 100, www.holocaust-nassau.org.

Elvis Karaoke @ Long Island Museum

Pirate Festival & Boat Show @ Long Island Maritime Museum
AAAAARGGHHHH MATEYS! This weekend hordes of pirates will descend upon the grounds of the museum to perform live shows and historical reenactments. And don’t think you just have to sit on the sidelines and watch. There will be pirate costume contests, children’s activities, a thieves market and a showcase of antique and classic boats.

32 Pints of Applejuice @ Crazy Donkey

Weekend FM @ Vibe Lounge

Blessing of the Fleet @ Montauk Dock

Americana Fair @ Islip Grange

Bay Day: Anything That Floats Race @ Oyster Bay Waterfront
This may be the best event on Long Island you didn’t know existed. This crazy race challenges participants to create something that floats that isn’t anything close to a boat. Using nontraditional materials, contestants will vie for prizes in speed, design ingenuity, team spirit, charisma, creativity, among others.

Sloan Wainwright/Suzzy Roche @ City Winery

Company of Thieves @ Looney Tunes

Nassau County Craft & Gift Show @ Eisenhower Park

LI2DAY Breast Cancer Walk Day 2

Long Island GLBT Pride Parade, Rally & Festival
According to public estimates, the Parade drew an estimated 5,000 spectators in 2009, making it one of the largest parades outside of New York City in New York State. The Festival in the Park celebrates the spirit and vitality of the Long Island GLBT Community with all-live entertainment, food courts, community information booths and vendors of all kinds. Families can enjoy the Pride Kiddie Korner with a clown and face painting. Parade step off takes place at the Municipal Parking lot on Gerard Street opposite the Huntington Post Office at 1 p.m. The Rally starts at noon at the same place. The Parade continues down Main Street turning left onto Prime Ave into Heckscher Park and Pride in the Park! SUN 6.12 Main Street, Huntington

Monday, June 13

WWE Raw @ Nassau Coliseum
Featuring John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Miz, Rey Mysterio and others.

Blaze Ya Dead Home @ Crazy Donkey

Tuesday, June 14

The Decemberists
Now that Colin Meloy was able to translate his idea for a rock opera into 2009’s most excellent The Hazards of Love, The Decemberists followed it up with this year’s The King is Dead. This far more conventional outing features famous guests Peter Buck and Gillian Welch and may very well be the band’s most commercial outing despite managing to include the Fairport Convention-flavored influences that have marked all of the band’s work up to this point. TUE 6.14, Prospect Park

Wednesday, June 15

Flag Day Art Exhibit Opens @ Islip Art Museum

Meshell Ndegeocello @ Highline Ballroom

Great South Bay Tap Takeover @ The Loyal Dog
The Great South Bay Brewery staff takes over the Loyal Dog Ale House starting at 7 p.m. with their four main beers on tap and they’ll share behind the scenes information on the beers, the brewing process, and the upcoming plans for GSB.

Aficionado @ Vibe Lounge

Joan As Police Woman @ The Bell House

Deep Purple @ Beacon Theatre

The Low Anthem @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Robin Trower @ YMCA Boulton Center

Thursday, June 16

Shark Tournament @ Star Island Yacht Club

Medium Janet Russell @ Theatre Three

Beer Tasting & Food Pairing @ Bellport Country Club

Long Beach Arts & Crafts Festival @ Riverside Blvd, Long Beach (Also 6.17)

Ballyhoo! @ Gramercy Theatre

Divided by Friday @ Vibe Lounge

Paul Bond @ Governor’s Comedy Club
This Long Island born, stand up comic has worked his way up the New York comedy scene now headlines at comedy clubs across the country. Paul is also an accomplished musician and song parody writer and produces numerous songs for syndicated comedy radio shows nationally, appearing on shows such as Roger & JP in the Morning and Opie and Anthony. Also on 6.19, 7.22 & 7.23

Friday, June 17

Katy Perry @ Nassau Coliseum

The Monkees @ NYCB Theatre at Westbury

Lobsterpalooza @ LI Maritime Museum

Long Island Vine Time @ The Stirling House B&B

Kenny Chesney @ Rockefeller Plaza

Music of The Cars & The Police with Invisible Sun @ Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

The Slackers @ Bowery Ballroom
Coming up on 20 years of playing together, Brooklyn’s Slackers have shown a mastery of ska, reggae and swing that’s manifested itself through a dozen studio albums and a dedicated fanbase. The band’s latest demonstration of musical brilliance is last year’s The Great Rocksteady Swindle, whose reliable nods to the sounds of influences like the Skatalites and Alton Ellis are gilded by a hint of Stax/Volt-flavored nuance.

Blessing of the Fleet Boat Parade & Nautical Market @ Northport Dock
The Blessing of the Fleet marks the beginning of the boating season. Today, this ancient tradition continues as those who fish seek blessings on their vessels for an abundant catch, as well as those who take to the waterways for recreation who seek safety upon the water and a safe return home.

Peter Frampton @ Beacon Theatre

Dispatch @ Terminal 5

Leon Russell @ Stephen Talkhouse

Madeleine Peyroux @ Highline Ballroom

Anthony Jeselnik @ Governor’s Comedy Club

Selena Gomez @ Central Park Summerstage

Huntington Pub Crawl & Historical Walking Tour @ Huntington Historical Society (Also 7.14, 8.19 & 9.15)

Saturday, June 18

Glee Live!
Glee Live! In Concert! returns to Long Island with Gleeks Rachel, Finn, Mercedes, Kurt, Artie, Tina, Puck, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Mike, Sam and Blaine performing in an all-new singing and dancing celebration that will include live performances of some of the show’s most memorable musical numbers, including “Empire State of Mind,” “Toxic,” and of course, the show’s anthem, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” SAT 6.18, Nassau Coliseum

The Empire Strikes! @ Cradle of Aviation
Bringing together Star Wars costume enthusiasts from all over Long Island, the Empire City Garrison will bring the bad guys like Stormtroopers, Clone Troopers, Bounty Hunters, and Sith Lords to life.

Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Show @ Plainview Residence Inn Marriott

Author Jeffrey Lyons @ BookHampton

Coney Island Mermaid Parade @ Surf Avenue, Coney Island

Setauket Village Green Walking Tour @ Setauket Village

Master Magician Michael Carbonaro @ CM Performing Arts Center
As seen on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Indigo Girls @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center

Captain Nicholas Stevensson Karas Book Signing @ Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

Noah and the Whale @ Irving Plaza

The Sophomore Beat @ Vibe Lounge

Chaka Khan @ B.B. King Blues Club

8-Cylinder Demolition Derby @ Riverhead Raceway

Shark Tournament @ Star Island Yacht Club

Fast Food for Father’s Day @ Old Westbury Gardens
Fast forward your at-home veggie garden by planting a few quick germinators to take home. Grucci Fireworks Extravaganza @ Ducks Bethpage Ballpark

Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein @ Cinema Arts Centre

Kenny Loggins @ NYCB Theatre at Westbury

Anthony Jeselnik @ Governor’s Comedy Club

Long Island Senior Games @ Suffolk County Community College, Brentwood

North Shore Fine Art Festival @ Eisenhower Park (Also 6.19)

Sunday, June 19

Northport ArtWalk @ Northport Village

Deertick performing as Deervana @ Brooklyn Bowl

Tom Rush/Buskin & Batteau @ City Winery

Ladies of Laceration vs Wicked Wheelers Roller Derby @ United Skates of America

Bat Safari @ Connetquot River State Park

Long Island Vine Time @ The Stirling House B&B

Father’s Day Breakfast @ Brookwood Hall

Wine, Beer & Oyster Festival @ Blue Point Brewery

Michael Bolton/Kenny G. @ Beacon Theatre

Monday, June 20

10K Race @ Sunken Meadow State Park
Part of the NYS Park Summer Run Series. www.lirunning.com/races.htm

The Fabulous Thunderbirds @ B.B. King Blues Club & Grill

Empires @ Vibe Lounge

K.D. Lang @ Beacon Theatre

Tuesday, June 21

National Park Fee Free Day @ State Parks

Sade/John Legend @ Nassau Coliseum
Famously reclusive is one way to refer to British chanteuse Sade, who released Soldier of Love, her sixth album last year after a decade-long silence. Joining the cool jazz vocalist on the road is neo-soul Renaissance man John Legend, who joined fellow Philly natives The Roots on last year’s stellar Wake Up! (Also 6/24 @ the IZOD Center.)

Evening Lighthouse Tour @ FI Lighthouse

Eddie Vedder @ Beacon Theatre

Summer Solstice Celebration @ Pagan Unity Council of NYC

Start with a Faucet @ Boltax Gallery

Wednesday, June 22

Los Lonely Boys @ Irving Plaza
Discovered by Willie Nelson, the sibling threesome that makes up Los Lonely Boys has been serving up a tasty mix of Tex-Mex guitarist Henry Garza’s Stevie Ray Vaughan/Jimi Hendrix-influenced rhythmic style of playing. With the recent release of Rockpango, the band’s first independently released project since parting ways with Epic Records in 2009, the Garza brothers continue to deliver more of their bluesy Texas soul with a hint of grit.
Galactic featuring Corey Glover @ Brooklyn Bowl

Legally Blonde
The Broadway sensation, based on the hilarious MGM movie and nominated for 7 Tony awards, tells the spirited story of Elle Woods, a carefree California girl who also happens to have a 4.0 average. To win back the man of her dreams, she enrolls at Harvard Law School and she discovers along the way that she may have more to offer the world than just her looks and an empty ring finger. Get set for a fabulous time at the theater, full of comedy and, of course, pep. WED 6.22, Gateway Playhouse

Thursday, June 23

Owl City @ Roseland Ballroom
Yet another artist whose career got a major boost from YouTube postings, Owl City is essentially multi-instrumentalist/composer Adam Young. A bout with insomnia led to Young dabbling with computers and keyboards in his parents’ basement. The Minnesota native quickly saw this initial experimentation blossom into a full-blown pop career that has led to this current tour with a full band supporting his forthcoming fourth album, All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Bethpage Bike Night @ Tack Room Bar

Shark Tag Tournament @ Montauk Marine Basin (Also 6.24)

Alice Smith @ Highline Ballroom

Beady Eye @ Webster Hall
Essentially Oasis minus Noel Gallagher, Beady Eye picked up where the old band left off with vocalist Liam Gallagher getting into another band feud, with The Vaccines playing the role of Blur this time around. In the meantime, the band’s Steve Lillywhite-produced debut, Different Gear, Still Speeding, finds the younger Gallagher not only continuing his plundering of Fab Fourisms, but throwing in nods to Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie and The Who.

Mike Yard @ Governor’s Comedy Club (Through 6.26)

Friday, June 24

Florence & The Machine
Credit the break-up with a former boyfriend for being the accelerant that sparked the creative fires at the heart of Lungs, Florence and the Machine’s smashing 2009 debut. Not unlike fellow British songbird Adele, band namesake Florence Welch taps into the mindset of a scorned woman to peel paint both in the studio and on stage whether she’s tearing into the breakthrough hit “Dog Days or Over” or delivering a swaggering take on the Candi Staton classic “You’ve Got the Love.” FRI 6.24, Central Park SummerStage

Bruno Mars @ Rockefeller Plaza

Turnover @ Vibe Lounge

Sunset Walk @ Seatuck Environmental Center

Charlie Wilson @ Beacon Theatre

Syl Johnson & the Sweet Divines @ The Bell House

Keller Williams @ Stephen Talkhouse

Gloria Gaynor/The Village People @ NYCB Theatre at Westbury

Midsummer Night Celebration Weekend Begins @ Old Westbury Gardens
Spend enchanted evenings with dance and music performances among illuminated gardens, lanterns and magical fairies.

School Out Ice Cream Event @ Westfield-Sunrise Shopping Mall
School’s Out invites all kids to celebrate the summer with a creative sundae. At 4 p.m., kids will take 21 oppings to create their own sundae with an array of soft serve flavors and topping choices. Want to participate? Families are asked to meet in front of the H&M store.

Saturday, June 25

Star Jones @ BookHampton
Just take cover if you see NeNe Leakes…

Café Shakespeare @ Comtesse Therese
Come hang out on the lawn of the historic Comtesse Therese Bistro’s Wine Garden and be witness to random acts of Shakespeare.

James Frey @ BookHampton

General Hospital’s Maurice Benard @ Governor’s Comedy Club

The Bermuda Avenue Triangle @ Islip BayWay Arts

Gilbert Gottfried @ The Brokerage

Pink Floyd’s The Wall: Project Floyd @ Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

WBAB Show @ Eisenhower Park

White Denim @ Bowery Ballroom

Shark Tag Tournament @ Montauk Marine Basin

Delusions @ Vibe Lounge

Bobby Vinton @ NYCB Theatre at Westbury

Archers of Loaf @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Hipsters will be undoubtedly rejoining in Brooklyn now that Eric Bachmann and his crew have reunited for the band’s first tour since its 1998 break-up. One of the 1990s most-beloved noise rock outfits, Archers of Loaf flirted with commercial success when Madonna’s Maverick Records came a-courting and AOL wound up being an ill-fated opening act on a 1995 Weezer tour.
Salute to Veterans, Blood, Sweat & Tears in Concert, Bay Fireworks @ Town Park, Point Lookout

Sunday, June 26

Patti LuPone @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center

Dragonfly Delight @ Seatuck Environmental Center

‘The View Behind the Eyes’ Opens @ Northport Tasting Room & Wine Cellar
Abstractions from Memory & Imagination by Tom de Gruyl. Through 8.4

Of Fortune and Fame @ Vibe Lounge

Storytime Under the Stars @ Vanderbilt Planetarium

Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart @ City Winery

South Shore Syncopators
Ten instrumentalists and six vocalists make vintage music for new audiences projecting the original and exhilarating spirit of the music and delivering each song, from high-flying killer-dillers and bitter sweet love ballads to whimsical novelties, in a fresh and endearing style all their own. From the era of the Harlem cabaret, the Ziegfeld Follies and Vaudeville to the Art Deco world of Busby Berkeley film musicals, the South Shore Syncopators draw from the rich music cornucopia of the time. SUN 6.26, Dix Hills Performing Arts Center

Monday, June 27

Hamptons Golf Classic VII @ The Hamptons Hills Golf & Country Club

Tuesday, June 28

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers @ Brooklyn Bowl

Earth, Wind & Fire @ Beacon Theatre
Far more than the nickname used by the New York Giants 2008 backfield, Earth, Wind & Fire continues to bring its effects-laden and horn-driven live show to the masses. The brainchild of creative mastermind Maurice White, EW&F used a fusion of funk, R&B, rock, jazz, blues and disco to create an enormous canon of hits while influencing a wealth of superstars including Mary J. Blige, Usher, Phil Collins, Wyclef Jean, Babyface and Raphael Saadiq. Also 6.29

Wednesday, June 29

Matt & Kim @ Terminal 5

Lee Dewyze @ The Gramercy Theatre
Not quite sure if there’s been a more divisive American Idol winner but Lee DeWyze seems to have that spot nailed down, especially given his success following a season where many felt that uber-showman Adam Lambert wound up losing to the considerably more vanilla Kris Allen. Meanwhile, former paint salesman DeWyze is experiencing some commercial lulls with his debut Live It Up, becoming the second after Allen’s self-titled debut not to debut in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.

Open Mic Night @ Governor’s Comedy Club

Thursday, June 30

Alicia Keys @ Beacon Theatre

Grucci Fireworks Extravaganza @ Ducks Bethpage Ballpark

Sloan @ Knitting Factory

The Lox/EPMD/Brand Nubian/Nice & Smooth @ Best Buy Theater

The Justice of Noon @ B.J. Spoke Gallery

Buckwheat Zydeco @ Stephen Talkhouse

LI Shakespeare Fest
Celebrate the Bard with free performances of an abridged version of Shakespeare’s King Henry V, one of the great history themed plays by William Shakespeare. THU 6.30-7.10, Suffolk County Community College

Friday, July 1

Pitbull, T-Pain & Ne-Yo @ Rockefeller Plaza

Beyonce @ Central Park SummerStage

Matthew Morrison @ Beacon Theatre

Kenny Loggins @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center

LI Comedy Festival @ Theatre Three

Citizen Cope @ Stephen Talkhouse

Chris Monty @ Governor’s Comedy Club

Richard Belzer
Most famous for his role as Detective John Munch on Law and Order: SVU, Belzer was a seminal force in the world of stand up comedy, influencing a generation of comics to follow. As well as being a frequent guest on Howard Stern, John Stewart and Bill Maher’s shows, he starred in Homicide Life on the Streets, has published numerous books including two novels. In the words of Richard Pryor….. “Belz, you’re one funny mutha.” FRI 7.1, Governor’s Comedy Club. SAT 7.2, Bay Street Theatre