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Mon 13
NYC Undiscovered The Living Room at the W; 6pm; free
Ever wish you could listen and enjoy the great talents who perform on the subway without rushing to your next destination? The Living Room – W New York – Times Square, the recently remodeled bar and lounge, is making your dream a reality. Every Monday night, the venue invites raw talents such as subway musicians Najah Lewis, Chris Zurich and Drew Angus to provide free entertainment while you chill out and sip specialty cocktails.
Good Catch Musical Improv Peoples Improv Theater; 9pm; $5
Witness musical improv greatness (or calamity) as a wildly creative group of comics creates and performs a complete musical on the spot, based on your suggestions. May's MGM theme promises tapping, tuxedos and plenty of romance, but there's always a chance that the show will go completely off the rails. Either way, it's likely to be win/win.
Preoccupations Baby’s All Right; 8pm; $15
New title, same band: Finally responding to the critique of its admittedly ignorant band name, hard-driving Alberta postpunk crew Viet Cong has officially rebranded as "Preoccupations." A spin-off of Women, which broke up in 2010 at the height of its buzz, the band continues to accumulate rave reviews for its self-titled debut on the tastemaking Jagjaguwar imprint, despite the controversy.
Barenaked Ladies Central Park, SummerStage Mainstay; 6pm; $52
It's been nearly two decades since Canada's Barenaked Ladies first released "One Week," but we're sure the infuriatingly earwormy tune will stick in our heads for centuries to come (gift or a curse?). The crew turns up for an outdoor gig at SummerStage to crank out its irreverent ’90s throwback pop once more.
Tue 14
Museum Mile Festival at various locations; 6pm; free
This festival is back for its 38th year, which turns Fifth Avenue into the city’s largest block party. Live music and entertainment flood the streets while museums open their doors to the public at no charge. This year’s participants include Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum, Cooper Hewitt, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neue Galerie New York and more. Fifth Ave between 82nd and 105th Sts.
Trivia Tuesdays The Sackett; 8pm; free
Don't let the Sackett's stacked drink menu blur your trivia skills, because you'll need to bring your A-game for five rounds of unpredictable trivia. You'll have to keep up with music, visual, mystery rounds and more if you want to win eternal glory (at least, until the next game two weeks later).
Taste of Bushwick Boar’s Head Distribution Plant; 6:30pm; $50
Go up a pant size after noshing on eats from Bushwick, including Archie’s Pizza and Syndicated.
The Drunk Spelling Bee The Creek and the Cave; 10pm; free
Spell Mississippi without slurring a letter during this boozy event hosted by comics Jake Flores and Blake Midgette. The walking dictionary gets a P-R-I-Z-E, but everyone’s technically a winner—it’s a free comedy show, dammit!
Florence and the Machine + Grimes Barclays Center; 7pm; $50–$130
With her massive voice and stage-ready histrionics, the U.K.’s reigning queen of mystical pop Florence Welch is a natural for a stadium takeover. Expect her theatrical wailing, drum-thwacking and barreling harp-playing to mix well with ethereal Canadian synth maestro Grimes' new flourescent hyper-pop tunes.
Jim Down Reading The Center; 7pm; Suggested price $10
Join the author as he reads from his new book, “Stand by Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation.” In his book the acclaimed historian explores gay liberation in the 70s post Stonewall and pre-AIDS.
Wed 15
Tenement Kitchens: Adaption in America The Tenement Museum; 6:30pm; $25
Take a tour through the many doors of the Tenement Museum, and view the cramped kitchen spaces where Greek and Lithuanian immigrants preserved their culture through food a century ago. After the tour, join historian Sarah Lohman for a baklava cooking class and learn a legendary recipe from an LES family.
A Drinking Game NYC Presents: Beetlejuice Littlefield; 8pm; $8–$10
It's showtime! If the only thing you love more than getting drunk is getting drunk while watching Beetlejuice, then you're in luck. While a talented crew of performers nails a staged reading of the 1988 classic (we're dying to see how they interpret the dinner party scene), everyone in the room must look out for buzz words that signal a drink. As the classic ghoul comedy gets more bizarre and the players become more wasted, the night promises to end with one unforgettable dance to Harry Belafonte's "Jump in the Line (Shake Senora)."
Showgasm Ars Nova; 9pm; $6
Subversive mastermind John Early hosts this eclectic neovaudevillian variety show, which features a lively mix of music, comedy and burlesque (with the tart Hamm Samwich sidekicking as DJ). This special ANT festival edition features unpredictable performances by Livia Scott, Three Busy Debras, Pat Brown and Nate Weida. As with all Showgasm shows, you never know when a famous face will drop by for a wild and queer night.
Legion of Skanks The Creek and the Cave; 9pm; free
The trio of Big Jay Oakerson, Luis J. Gomez and Dave Smith gets together each week to do stand-up and record an episode of its raw and unapologetic podcast, Legion of Skanks.If you're ready to experience "the most offensive podcast on earth," then head to the Creek and the Cave for some hilarious mortification.
Funniest Jewish Comedian Contest Broadway Company Club; 6pm; $15 plus two drink minimum
Jewish news and culture site The Jewish Week hosts this annual showdown of the finest stand-ups and characters the tribe has to offer. Burgeoning comedy superstars can enter for free, and winners get guaranteed slots at the Broadway Comedy Club. Better study up on Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman and Susie Essman to feel the ancestral pride.
Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band; St. George Theatre; 7:30pm; $75–$250
The ponytailed, peace-sign-flashin' Beatles thumper returns to NYC with his All Starr tour, in which a bunch of veteran rockers take turns singing their hits. This time around, he's joined by Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Gregg Rolie, Todd Rundgren and Gregg Bissonette.
Thu 16
Amazeballs: An Experimental Magic and Comedy Show The Creek and Cave; 10pm; free
Open your brain to mind reader Eric Dittelman (America’s Got Talent) and some of the best magicians in town. Comics try out new material while also working on their sleight of hand at this monthly celebration of the unknown.
That Time of the Month The PIT Loft; 7:30pm; $5
Some of the funniest and most ferocious women in the NYC comedy scene gather for this brutally honest, DGAF late-night variety show with hosts Liisa Hill Murray and Meghan Ross leading the charge.
Chelsea Music Festival German Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Paul; 7:30pm; $20–$35
Chelsea’s most sensory festival returns for its seventh season with a new theme: "Gravity 350," in honor of the 350th anniversary of Newton's famous encounter with an apple. Highlights of more than two dozen events include premieres by composers Michael Gandolfi, Nicolas Namoradze, Edmund Finnis, J.P. Redmond, Grammy-nominated keyboardist Scott Healy with his band, and jazz virtuoso and composer Aaron Diehl, whose trio will perform with 2016 Grammy Award–winner Cécile McLorin Salvant on June 16. You’ll also have the opportunity to taste chef Timothy McGrath’s gourmet eats and see multi-media works from artist Lukas Birk. Events take place at five different venues: Aperture Foundation, Canoe Studios, General Theological Seminary, Leo Baeck Institute and St. Paul’s German Lutheran Church. Check out the festival's website for the full lineup.
Homotown Henrietta Hudson 4pm; free
Head to Henrietta Hudson every Thursday for a seemingly endless happy hour (till midnight, seriously) and chill jams from veteran DJ Tikka Masala, who keeps you grinning all night with Motown, soul and beloved hip-hop classics.