It just hit 80 degrees in New York City for the first time this spring, which can only mean certain things: the parks will be full, the Aperol Spritzes plentiful, and over a 100 miles east of the city, some of music’s biggest stars will descend upon the Surf Lodge for another season of live music. Every year, the year-round residents of Montauk (the eastern-most point of the Hamptons) mix with the Jitney and Long Island Rail Road-goers for a concert series held on the back decks of the iconic Surf Lodge hotel.
Last year, the venue saw a sunset set from Kaytranada, a rare performance by Kate Hudson, a masterclass on the drums from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, and more. This year, there’s been a shift in booking philosophy in the concert series as the Surf Lodge nears its 20th birthday: a larger emphasis on live music to compliment the DJ sets that gets folks out of their seats each weekend.
While there’ll still be acts that spin records in the Montauk sun like Bob Moses, Louis the Child, and Chris Lake, those who make it past the door will also catch sets from Fetty Wap, Grace Bowers, Snoop Dogg, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, and more. The Surf Lodge’s summer concert series kicks off this week with Gorgon City, the Martinez Brothers, and Francis Mercier for Memorial Day Weekend and runs through September.
New York nightlife veteran Jayma Cardoso opened the Surf Lodge back in 2008, renovating an unassuming motel on the edge of Fort Pond years before Montauk became a hotbed of BFA paparazzi photos and brand activations. Still, the goal was — and if you ask Cardoso, still is — to compliment the charm of the small community and not to lean into a certain “scene.”
“Our opening weekend we had Stephen and Julian Marley perform and it was freezing rain. I had zero expectations anyone would show that night, but they did,” Cardoso tells Rolling Stone. “Courtney Love came for a performance and went on to fall in love with the intimacy of our audiences… She ended up staying for an unofficial residency for the rest of the summer.”
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Over the years, the property’s back deck has hosted impromptu collaborations across a wide spectrum of genres: from Jimmy Buffett joining Willie Nelson in 2013 to an epic back-to-back set from John Summit and Alesso a couple of summers ago. For some acts, they hit the Surf Lodge stage only to end up on arena runs or the silver screen years later.
“You can go from the Flaming Lips, which was a monster act, to at-the-time emerging acts like Halsey, who was a baby when she opened for Tove Lo,” Cardoso says. “Or Zoë Kravitz with LOLAWOLF, I think her voice is so beautiful. I’m friends with her father Lenny and I watched her grow up!”
Perhaps the busiest weekend of the summer season is Labor Day weekend, with folks looking to get one last tan or dance floor Instagram Story in. The Danish pop group WhoMadeWho will perform on Friday, Sept. 4, DJ Carlita hops on the decks on Saturday, Sept. 5, and then on Sunday, Sept. 6, White Claw Sessions will host an intimate performance with the Grammy-nominated Teddy Swims.
More names are expected to be announced, as well as the surprise set and usual impromptu happenings. Additional lineup details and tickets for each week will be on sale here.
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The Surf Lodge Summer Lineup
5/22 — Gorgon City & The Kimonos
5/23 — The Martinez Brothers
5/24 — Francis Mercier & special guest 50 Center
5/29 — May Styler
5/30 — Dombresky
6/5 — Louis The Child (Playground Set)
6/12 — Ahmed Spins & Tripolism
6/13 — Bob Moses
6/14 — Prospa
6/18 — Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy
6/19 — Guy Gerber
6/20 — Alex Wann & Allah-Las
6/21 — David Shaw of The Revivalists
6/25 — Chaparelle
6/26 — Chris Lake
6/27 — Fetty Wap
6/28 — St. Lucia & Parson James
7/3 — Hugel
7/4 — Snoop Dogg & Carlita
7/5 — Adam Port
7/10 — Brunello
7/11 — Cassian
7/16 — G. Love
7/18 — Damian Lazarus
7/26 — Adam Ten b2b Mita Gami
7/31 — Bunt
8/1 — Vintage Culture & Cheat Codes
8/2 — Empire of the Sun (DJ Set)
8/7 — Notre Dame
8/8 — Kettama
8/9 — Quinn XCII
8/13 — Grace Bowers & Donavon Frankenreiter
8/14 — Hayden James
8/15 — Omri
8/21 — LP Giobbi
8/28 — Arodes
8/29 — Special guest & Arodes
8/30 — Jan Blomqvist
9/5 — WhoMadeWho (DJ Set)
9/6 — Carlita
9/7 — Teddy Swims, presented by White Claw
