As the weather warms up to a humidity level like that of warm jello covering our entire bodies, the perfect solution for the weekend warrior is to take a trip up to Central Park and chill out to live music and a cool breeze. I did just that this past Saturday, all to a soundtrack of Living Colour at Central Park SummerStage.

With a high temperature of 8 million degrees this past Saturday, I packed a light bag with Harpoon Summer Ale, a couple of ice-packs, a crank radio and my lucky Frisbee and headed to meet friends for a trip to Central Park. “You gotta know at least one of their songs!” I exclaimed, trying my best to sing ‘Cult of Personality,’ “They’re on Guitar Hero III!”

But the friends I was with shrugged apathetically, wanting to visit Central Park more for the atmosphere than to listen to any ’90′s throwback band.
As we neared the stage, the faint sound of a double bass and the classic wail of lead singer Corey Glover became louder. We reached the entrance and hesitated at the sign that claimed “No alcoholic beverages” and bee-lined away from the blue-shirted bag checkers onto a freshly manicured grassy knoll. The music was audible but unrecognizable.
We sat and talked and the price of lousy train service seemed reasonable. My skeptical friends seemed oddly confused by the Metal-funk that was permeating the Manhattan Schist outcropping separating us from the stage. I shrugged and reminded them that it was free music. After getting a bit antsy after the third or forth brew, it seemed like the perfect time to start playing Frisbee. A few minutes in, and it was quitting time.

My friends and I parted ways, and I decided it was time to check out the SummerStage, and I ambled my way up and past the security guards after dropping my empties in a nearby garbage bin. The scene was passive with the crowd in direct sunlight, and the next act on the bill was trying feverishly to get the crowd amped for their psychedelic funk revival. I sat on the outskirts of the seating, taking in a breeze and drunkenly checking my wallet to see if I could afford an overpriced piece of pizza from one of the vendors. Shuffling through one dollar bills, I calculated that I did indeed have enough. I ambled over to Pizza Moto and bought a woodfired slice of pie. I realized that I had come all that way but hadn’t actually heard “Cult of Personality,” but that was okay. The band played a soft acoustic song and it all felt worth the trip.

Central Park SummerStage event info can be found here.