Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Strokes Rock Vaccinated New Yorkers In June

A live-music world that's been showing signs of life during recent weeks is roaring into something like full speed in New York City this month. No sooner did Mayor Bill de Blasio announce advance plans for a celebratory concert to be held in Central Park this August than three noteworthy engagements popped up, one after the other: Bruce Springsteen returning to Broadway, Foo Fighters reopening Madison Square Garden, and the Strokes performing at Irving Plaza, all in June.

Springsteen is reviving his popular Springsteen on Broadway show at the St. James Theatre on Sat., June 26, with additional shows running through Sept. 4. Based on Born to Run, the iconic rocker's autobiography, Springsteen on Broadway originally ran for 236 performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre, from Oct. 2017 to Dec. 2018. The show earned Springsteen a Special Tony Award, and was adapted into a film and soundtrack album.

Proceeds from the opening-night performance of Springsteen on Broadway will be donated to a range of New York and New Jersey charities, including the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, NJ Pandemic Relief Fund and The Actor's Fund. Tickets go on sale this Thurs., June 10, at noon ET.

Foo Fighters were announced this morning as the first band to perform at Madison Square Garden since March 2020. The band, newly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in May, will perform to a fully vaccinated audience on June 20—the first full-capacity show at the storied arena in more than 460 days.

"We've been waiting for this day for over a year, and Madison Square Garden is going to feel that hard," bandleader Dave Grohl said in a press statement. Tickets are set to go on sale on Thurs., June 11, at 10 a.m. ET, via Ticketmaster.

And at Irving Plaza, a more intimate venue, the fashionable New York City band the Strokes will perform on Sat., June 12, in a concert meant to raise funds for the mayoral campaign of Maya Wiley. "The more I know her, the more I know that she is absolutely the best choice to be NYC's next mayor," Strokes vocalist Julian Casablancas said in a press statement about the event.

"This concert — the first full-capacity show in over a year — is proof that New York City is on the road to recovery," Wiley said in the same statement, adding, "I'm thrilled to be kicking off this important and joyful milestone for our city." The concert takes place 10 days ahead of New York City's primary election. Tickets for the event go on sale this afternoon at noon ET via tixr.com.

Common to all three of these newly announced events is that attendees will be required to present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for entry. But precisely how a full-capacity audience, particularly for Madison Square Garden, can be screened efficiently remains to be disclosed.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.