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September 28
Nowafest Nowadays, Brooklyn; 4pm; free
Start the week with classy takes on bratwurst and Bavarian pretzels at Nowadays’s chill outdoor celebration of Oktoberfest. Mister Sunday’s Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin’s dreamy alcove won’t be open for much longer, so enjoy chill beats and specialty beers in the breeze while you can.
Night Train with David Cross Littlefield, Brooklyn; 8pm; $5, at the door $8
Join the Arrested Development star for a night of fantastic, well-curated comedy, with performances from Punderdome 3000’s Jo Firestone, The Bone Zone’s Randy Liedtke, Last Comic Standing’s KT Tatara and more.
Tears for Fears The Capitol Theatre; 8pm; $65–$125
Pretty much anyone who turned on a radio in the ’80s has a soft spot for Tears for Fears. Belt out every word to “Head Over Heels” and “Sowing the Seeds of Love” when the band rocks the Capitol Theatre.
Ben Howard + Daughter Radio City Music Hall; 8pm; $39.50–$49.50
Check out a moody set from the British indie-folk darling, featuring hazy singles from his second album, I Forgot Where We Were. Experimental folk couple Daughter sets the tone for the night with their dark and dreamy style.
September 29
Grand Zentral Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Hall; 7am; free
If the prospect of practicing meditation in a New York train station doesn’t seem instantly appealing, then you may be won over by the Vinyansa course offerings and prime goodie bags that all participants receive, including mats, coconut water and skin products.
The Roaring Twenties: A Jazz Age Party McKittrick Hotel; 6pm; $150–$500
Patrons of one of the city’s most iconic genres of music will get to party like it’s 1927 at this bash to launch Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 28th season. Take a spin among fizzy drinks, bouncing tassels and big band performers at this lively celebration.
CHVRCHES Central Park, Rumsey Playfield; 6:30pm; $36, at the door $41
All eyes are on CHVRCHES this fall as they release the follow-up to their smash 2013 debut. Get a preview of their upcoming album, Every Open Eye, as the synth-pop trio pleases a crowd of outdoor revelers with their swirling, kaleidoscopic ballads.
Get Your Knit On with Wool and the Gang Battery Harris, Brooklyn; 7pm; $35–$40
The folks at Wool and the Gang are unfurling some of their softest yarns (like Crazy Sexy Wool) for this knitting party, during which you’ll learn how to make your own yummy fabric creation. Get to know knitters of all experience levels over drinks and needlework.
Eclipsed opens at the Public Theatre; 8pm; $80–$110
Lupita Nyong’o clearly knows how to please all types of audiences. Before beginning publicity for her upcoming role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Oscar winner and red carpet slayer stars in this intense drama about a group of captive wives in the Liberian War.
Punderdome 3000 Littlefield, Brooklyn; 8pm; $6, at the door $7
The best punmakers in the city gather to spit their most groan-inducing wordplay at this rowdy comedy show hosted by the ubiquitous Jo Firestone and her dad.
September 30
New York Gypsy Festival: Memoria Antigua Metropolitan Museum of Art; 7pm; $65, children $1
Globally acclaimed choreographers Abel Harana and Patricia Ibáñez perform Memoria Antigua, their stirring, sensual flamenco show that employs traditional movements and music from Andalusia and other lesser-known areas of Spain.
Tropical Goth Bossa Nova Civic Club, Brooklyn; 7pm; free
There’s still time to whip out your Hawaiian shirts and party ‘til you’ve left permanent sweat stains in your polyester. Jump onto the floor and dance to radiant, thrumming tracks by Bossa Nova curator Chris Video, the Rapture’s Luke Jenner, Japanster and more lively acts.
What Are You Afraid Of? Over the Eight, Brooklyn; 8pm; $5
As New York takes a turn into the macabre in preparation of Halloween, host Mara Wilson (the original Matilda) leads this charge into our subconscious terrors with this hilarious storytelling show about the anxieties and fears that keep comedians up at night.
Drunk Shakespeare Roy Arias Stages; 8pm; $54–$69
If you couldn’t manage to snag Shakespeare in the Park tickets, and you’re not quite sure what Michael Fassbender is talking about in the Macbeth trailer, then you may want to catch up at this zany, lubricated performance of some of the Bard’s finest works. One “professional drinker” will down five shots and stumble through a Shakespeare play, and you’ll have to make sense of it between laughs.
Dave Chappelle Gramercy Theatre; 9, 11:30pm; $66
Fans of Chappelle’s mega-hit Comedy Central series have come of age and will certainly enjoy the bulked-up comic’s sharp-as-ever material. It’s the last night to catch the mysterious comedy legend in New York before he continues his national tour.
October 1
In the Company of Legends 92nd Street Y; noon; $24
Sneak out during your lunch break, and get the dish on old-school Hollywood gossip as Emmy-winning documentary producers Joan Kramer and David Heeley share secrets and stories about Bette Davis, Paul Newman, Audrey Hepburn and more from their book, In the Company of Legends.
Etsy Craft Night Etsy Labs, Brooklyn; 6pm; free
Learn how to make spectacular, shimmering Halloween luminaries out of upcycled soda cans at this master craft lesson. You’ll walk away with some sick decorations that will make all your neighbors jealous.
Stromae Madison Square Garden; 7pm; $71.30–$91.65
The Belgian superstar makes his boldest bid yet for American glory with this show at the Garden. Expect the slender songsmith to deliver high-energy takes on hits en français ,like “Alors on danse,” at this banging stadium event.
Hedda Presents the Classics: Psycho Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas; 7pm; $10
The only person more demented than Norman Bates is the emerald-haired drag icon Hedda Lettuce, and at least she slays in heels. Gather with other sassy cinephiles and laugh through Hitchock’s seminal horror film while the fabulous diva delivers her crisp, snarky commentary.
Fluent City Videology, Brooklyn; 7pm; free
If you’ve been meaning to learn Spanish but don’t feel like sitting in front of a Rosetta Stone disc all night, then head to Videology for a screening of Spain’s chilling 2008 horror movie The Orphanage. Immersive language academy Fluent City hosts the screening and will raffle off $100 towards a class.
National Sawdust Opening Night Concert National Sawdust, Brooklyn; 7:30pm; early set $60, late set $100
Ever been in a NYC club on its opening night, before the cigarette stains and pallor of alcohol spills have made their eternal mark? This brand-new, artist-led Williamsburg venue features a stunning dance floor that’s basked in sublime LED colors, and its opening night will host vocalists Theo Bleckmann and Tanya Tagaq, cellist Jeffrey Ziegler and Buffy the Vampire Slayer alumni Cibo Matto, among other eclectic acts.
H.P. Lovecraft Festival Kraine Theatre; 7:30pm; $20
Cthulhu, Shoggoths and the other trippy stars of the Lovecraft canon take center stage at this theatrical celebration of the beloved sci-fi visionary. Enjoy live adaptations of The Horror at Red Hook, Hypnos and The Curse of Yig as Kraine Theatre kicks off the 10-day festival.
Tammy Faye Starlite: Cabaret Marianne Pangea; 7:30pm; $20
Cabaret singer and ’60s devotee Tammy Faye Starlite gained notoriety with her stunning rendition of Nico in 2014. She turns to another tantalizing, troubled chanteuse of the era, Marianne Faithfull, for this dark and seductive performance.
Boys’ Night: An All-Male Cirquelesque Revue Slipper Room; 10pm; $20, at the door $25
The men of this gravity-defying burlesque crew vary in height, hair volume and acrobatic technique, but they’re sure to leave you staring in shock and delight as they traipse, twist and strip on the stage and in the air.