The Legendary Levon Helm & Emmylou Harris

I think it's pretty safe to say that New York City's where it's at when it comes to awesome summer events. There is so much going on here all summer, it's tough to pick exactly what you want to do! One of the most fun things, in my opinion, is the Central Park Summerstage series where performances of all kinds are going on all over the city. There are so many interesting events and artists of all genres participate. One of the coolest spots to see live music is outside at the mainstage right in the middle of Central Park. It's really neat because, even when you're out for a run in the park and not attending a show, you can clearly hear the music as you pass by and it's kind of a cool "NY" moment.

When my close friend, Johnny, saw that Levon Helm and Emmylou Harris were coming to town, he jumped at the chance to get tickets for us and I was SO excited. Two legends on one stage, YES. We decided to get there a little early to get a good spot, have a few beers and catch up before the show. Both of us were seriously psyched:

The opening artist was a guy named Hayes Carll and I immediately fell in love with his rich, raw voice. He had such a genuine nature and his tone was significantly unique and soulful. I really enjoyed him (despite Johnny's advice of "never trust a man with two first names"):

Hayes played for a while and then finally it was time for the unforgettable Emmylou Harris:

First off, damn that woman looks good for her age. On top of that, she was lively and energetic which made for such a fun performance. There's truly nobody like her and I was thrilled to see her in such a perfect outdoor setting. Shortly after, Levon Helm and his team of incredible performers came out and it was awesome. I'm sad ol' Levon is covered up by the drums here:

Throughout the show, I became more and more obsessed with his daughter, Amy (the pregnant gal who freaking rocked it up on that stage), and I really think I want to be her. She's a part of the band, Ollabelle, which is absolutely tremendous. I dunno man, she is one talented lady and I could've listened to her all night. I definitely have to note that oh, maybe a quarter into the show, it started downpouring and didn't stop until it was over. I guess that might put a damper on the evening for some folks but definitely not for Johnny and I. We danced and sang like crazy and it was honestly fantastic. How great do we look:  

That was definitely an evening I won't forget. Not only do I still feel giddy that Johnny lives here now but I feel so happy that we have these opportunities to do things like this together. It's really special and adds to my NY memories in a very treasured way.

PS - On an ironic side note, I just realized that I'm writing this post about Johnny and today is his birthday! Happy birthday, my dear friend. I can't wait to celebrate you tonight! :)