The Roots and the Boss lead this Summer's class

By JOSHUA LIEBERSON
STATIC and FEEDBACK correspondent

After last summer's shenanigans, great shows, and good times, I am back for another installment of the Summer of Live column series. While it will be tough to top some of the great acts I saw last summer, this year could prove to have some real interesting and fantastic shows, based on a combination of upcoming shows and the rumor mill circulating. While the lineups have not been announced for Celebrate Brooklyn!, the River to River Festival, or the Central Park Summerstage concert series, there are always bands on those bills I try to take in.

Before I preview a couple of upcoming shows to kick off the Summer of Live, here's a looki back at the Fall of Live and Winter of Live if you will, or at the very least, some shows I took in between the last time I wrote here:

LOOKING BACK

The Black Keys/Tapes N' Tapes/Love As Laughter — McCarrin Pool, Brooklyn, N.Y., Aug. 6, 2008: The Black Keys put on a fantastic set inside the worst concert venue I've ever been in — an empty municipal pool. I can't begin to describe the foot and back pain that ensued.

The Who — IZOD Center, East Rutherford, N.J., Oct. 29: An incredible two-hour-plus set from Pete and Roger, featuring an amazing Tommy medley, and a few surprises I did not expect, including "Getting In Tune” and "Eminence Front," along with a greatest hits set that has me still on a Who kick six months later.

Ben Harper and Relentless7 — Mercury Loung, New York City, Dec. 11 and 12: Read all about it here.

The Black Keys/Lucero/Heartless Bastards — Terminal 5, New York City, Feb. 6, 2009: Back at the car dealership for another rousing set from the Black Keys, the best of the four sets I have seen them put on, due their more extensive jamming and the energy in the place. The Heartless Bastards also proved themselves a band to look out for in the near future with an excellent set.

Ben Harper and Relentless7 — Highline Ballroom, New York City, Feb. 17: Ben and his new band put on their tightest set yet, for those at the Highline Ballroom and for the rest of the still radio-listening population, as it was recorded by WRXP for re-broadcast the next night.

Dan Auerbach/Hacienda/Those Darlins — Bowery Ballroom, New York City, March 3: Auerbach stretches out, and you can read about it here.

Ozomatli with Chali 2Na — Fillmore East (Irving Plaza), New York City, March 20: Armed with Chali 2Na of Jurassic 5 and early Ozomatli fame, the band brought the house down with the best set I've seen them play yet. Once again, I was right in the front of the pep rally that ended the show. The true highlight was hearing much of the early catalog with Chali 2Na, who is one of the most talented showman I have seen live.

LOOKING FORWARD: 2009

This year's Summer of Live series will start off with a bang: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on May 4, at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Floor tickets, to be exact. I am days away from spinning all my Bruce records back to back to back in preparation.

After that, nothing is in stone until June 6th, when I head over to Philly for the Roots Picnic, a day long music festival that the Roots will both open and close. That's right, they hit the stage for a set at 2 p.m., and again at the end of the night. Sandwiched in between will be TV on the Radio, the Black Keys, Santigold a very special performance by Public Enemy, where they will play the entirety of their album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, backed by The Roots and Antibalas, DJ sets by DJ Jazzy Jeff, and much more. This could be my big show for the summer, right here!

E-mail Joshua Lieberson at joshualieberson@yahoo.com

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