Hey concert fans — live entertainment is back at Forest Hills Stadium, one of New York City’s most popular outdoor music venues located in Queens.
Whether you’re a New Yorker or just visiting, mark your calendars and get psyched, ‘cause excitement is building for the stadium’s summer and fall lineup of unforgettable concert events.
This historic venue is conveniently situated in the quaint neighborhood of Forest Hills, just steps from the E, M, F and R subway trains at Forest Hills-71st Ave., as well as the nearby Long Island Rail Road station.
You won’t want to miss folk-rock superstar Brandi Carlile’s upcoming performance at the stadium on Friday, July 23.
It’s interesting to note that on Carlile’s Instagram page, the six-time Grammy Award-winning musician and activist describes herself as: “No. 1 Bestselling New York Times Author who occasionally sings, writes & produces music.”
Growing up in woodsy Ravensdale, Washington, the budding performer was a feisty, small-town girl, who broke lots of rules and became a rebel without a cause. As an adolescent, she and her siblings formed their own band, while young Carlile learned how to sing with self-taught vocal lessons. She likely inherited that skill from her Patsy Cline-loving mom, who encouraged her 8-year-old daughter to perform country songs on stage.
Eventually, the high-school-dropout-turned-rising-star would begin her tough journey to fame with lots of untapped talent. She got her big break when Columbia Records signed her in 2004, releasing some home-recorded songs that she made in 2005, along with newly recorded tracks in her debut album, “Brandi Carlile.”
In 2018, the singer was lauded for the release of her breakthrough Grammy Award-winning album, “By the Way, I Forgive You.”
After snagging additional awards — that recognized her work as a performer, songwriter and producer — she changed gears for a while and penned a poignant new memoir called “Broken Horses,” which recently debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestsellers list and continues to receive overwhelming critical acclaim.
Excerpts from that book are featured in a recent Rolling Stone online piece, titled “How a Teenaged Brandi Carlile Quit School, Overcame Tragedy, and Met Her First Love.”
In one snippet, the artist writes about working as a barista at a curbside coffee stand, a sample lady at a grocery store and as a roofing laborer at times while she was in a band.
“The band became my North Star. I was sad about my life and feeling really conflicted about school, but I wasn’t worried. I was absolutely going to be famous, and when I closed my eyes I fantasized constantly about all the things I would buy my family,” Carlile wrote. “Mostly four-wheelers and huge houses.”
The memoir follows Carlile’s recent collaborative project, “Crowded Table” — from The Highwomen’s self-titled debut album — which got the Best Country Song Grammy award for the song (her second-consecutive win in the category).
Known as one of the most respected voices in the music industry, Carlile is currently on tour and will soon be making her way to the Big Apple — and fans can’t wait to experience her live show at Forest Hills Stadium.
At 40, the multi-talented songstress still proudly clings to her beloved country roots. While she has found enviable success both in her musical and literary careers, Carlile still enjoys that simple, quiet rural life back in Washington state, where she’s been living with her family: wife Catherine, and their two young daughters, Evangeline and Elijah.
With an affinity for collaboration, the singer has enjoyed working with many iconic artists over the years, including Dolly Parton, Sam Smith, Elton John, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Yola, Dave Matthews and others.
Always wearing many hats, Carlile also founded the Looking Out Foundation, which amplifies the impact of music by empowering those without a voice with varied initiatives, including campaigns focused on Children in Conflict/War Child, The If Project, Fund Racial Justice, Fight The Fear, Looking Out For The Hungry and more.
To date, they have raised over $1 million benefiting children whose families, communities and schools have been torn apart by war — through their 2017 Cover Stories project — and, overall, over $2 million to grassroots causes.
If you can’t make it to Carlile’s show, check the listing below for more must-see happenings on the horizon:
- July 31 – Bright Eyes with Waxahatchee and Lucy Dacus
- Aug. 21 – Wilco and Sleater-Kinney
- Aug. 28 – Dropkick Murphys and Rancid
- Sept. 9 – King Crimson
- Sept. 10 and 11 – My Morning Jacket and Brittany Howard
- Oct. 2 – The Neighbourhood
In addition to booking and producing events, Madison House, Inc. spearheaded the rescue and rehabilitation of Forest Hills Stadium, leading the venue to a “Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue” and booking sell-outs by Paul Simon, Drake v. Lil Wayne, Flume, Tom Petty and many other A-list artists.
Tickets are on sale now at foresthillsstadium.com.
