Mavis Staples and Toshi Reagon & BIGLovely at Central Park SummerStage

Post Author: Edwina Hay

On Saturday, June 3, the 2017 season of SummerStage began with a free concert featuring the legendary Mavis Staples who is known for her work with The Staples Singers, as an activist, and has collaborated with a wide range of artists such as Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco), M. Ward, Nick Cave, Gorillaz, and others. City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage, New York City’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival, presents over 100 performances and benefit concerts each year in 16 parks throughout the five boroughs. The show also featured an opening set by Toshi Reagon & BIGLovely. Photographer Edwina Hay attended the opening performance in Central Park on Saturday and provided the images in this gallery.

Since its inception 32 years ago, more than six million people from NYC and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage.