I've managed to catch a number of awesome shows of this kind over the years. Speaking strictly of Central Park Summerstage, I saw Pere Ubu, They Might Be Giants, The Mekons, Sonic Youth, Patti Smith and, of course, Devo. Right nearby, I saw bands like Skeleton Key, the Del Fuegos and (long-since-forgotten?) punk band, Paleface play in the Central Park Bandshell. I saw Firewater play in Tompkins Square Park and again over on the pier several years back and watched Public Enemy, Blondie and a handful of other bands play a benefit for CBGB in Washington Square Park. I also caught a couple of shows at the since-closed McCarren Pool in Brooklyn (notably Devo, once again). I even attended the fabled Central Park show by Simon & Garfunkel that resulted in that live album, but if I'm being truthful, I left about three songs in (as I was bored). Who knew it was going to be recorded for posterity?
In any case, I did a little YouTube search and found some clips from probably one of my favorite outdoor NYC shows. Here's the White Stripes from October of 2002 playing in Union Square. Hard to believe it was eight years ago already.
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