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Things to do
Mike Tyson in Conversation; Kings Theatre; June 1 at 7:30pm; tickets start at $37
“Former world heavyweight champion” and “New York Times bestselling–author” are two titles that don’t often go together—but they do for Mike Tyson. Don’t miss the boxer’s one-night-only speaking engagement at Kings Theatre to promote his second book, Iron Ambition: My Life with Cus D’Amato.
Alan Alda in Conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson; Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y; June 7 at 8pm; tickets start at $140
You’d be hard-pressed to think of a more charming pair than actor Alan Alda and star astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Join the dynamic duo for a discussion of Alda’s latest book on communication science, empathy building and interpersonal relationships.
Master of None: A Conversation with Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang; Paley Center for Media; June 9 at 6:30pm; tickets start at $95
No doubt you’ve already binged your way through the second season of Master of None, the hilarious, provocative and heartwarming show created by Ansari and Yang. Fans will want to score tickets to this screening and discussion to hear how Ansari came up with that foolproof Tinder pickup line, learn what inspired the Chef Jeff scandal and find out what’s next for Dev and Francesca.
Pop-Up Magazine: A Night of Live Stories; Town Hall Theatre; June 9 at 7:30pm; tickets start at $61
Pop-Up Magazine’s spring issue is out now, but you won’t be able to find it on any newsstand. This publication is created for a stage, screen and live audience. Contributors to the New York City live show include the producers behind This American Life, writers from Buzzfeed and Wired, award-winning directors and many other creative minds. You’ll have to buy tickets to learn more!
Brazilian Jazz and Tango Special; Highline Ballroom; June 17 at 12:30pm; tickets start at $71
Groove to live bossa nova and nuevo tango music while sipping mimosas at this brunch concert. Argentinian guitarist Andres Laprida will showcase the best of South American jazz in a tribute to some of the the genre’s greats.
BookCon Javits Center; Jun 3 and Jun 4; Sat $45, advance $35; Sun $40, advance $30
Alright, New York. It’s time to get lit(erary)! BookCon—a massive book festival—is coming to New York in June. Whether you love nonfiction, sci-fi or romance novels, there’s an event or panel for everyone at this wonderful celebration for those who love reading. Some of the highlights include a chat with Chad Michael Murray, who is launching a book with Heather Graham titled “American Drifter.” You can also catch authors such as Jenny Han (“Always and Forever Lara Jean”), Shannon Hale (“Real Friends”) and Laini Taylor (author of the “Daughter of Smoke & Bone” trilogy) and so many more.
Bushwick Collective Block Party; Jun 3; Free with R.S.V.P.
A chunk of Brooklyn’s top-notch outdoor artists stage a Bushwick street takeover, fully armed with food trucks, live jammin’ and Instagram-worthy graffiti to celebrate the nabe’s trendy art scene. Watch spray-can masters create new masterpieces in real time, while local hip-hop and rock-and-roll artists provide the backdrop tunes. Groove to performances by Foxy Brown, rapper Busta Rhymes, CL Smoother and many more.
Figment Festival Governors Island; Jun 3; free
Arts group Figment takes over Governors Island with its usual hodgepodge of mind-bending, genre-crossing projects. For its opening weekend, wander through more than 300 projects, which include live performances. Two installations will be up all summer long: a minigolf course and a Pavilion titled “Cast and Place.”
Astor Blaster Silent Disco Astor Place Cube; Jun 9; free
Don't forget the Alamo—the official name of the Astor Place "Cube"—as it turns 50. Celebrate with a free silent dance party. You'll don wireless headphones (provided on a first come, first serve basis) to get down to three live DJs—or pop on your own headset and dance to the beat of your own drummer before the party continues with specials at local bars.
Jazz Age Lawn Party Governors Island; Jun 10 and Jun 11; various prices
Slap on your spats and practice the Charleston because the Jazz Age Lawn party is returning to Governor’s Island. Sip on Prohibition-era cocktails like a classic St-Germain with mineral water and a twist or a glass of bubbly and none of the back-alley hooch of the day. Food vendors will be on hand to keep your Lindy Hop hoppin’.
Museum Mile Festival at various locations; Jun 13; free
This festival is back for its 39th 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.
Coney Island Mermaid Parade Coney Island USA; Jun 17; free
After spending nearly a year getting sequins and glitter out of their bedsheets, NYC’s mermaids and seamen are ready to undo all their hard work. Join a packed crowd on Coney Island’s streets for an epic procession of wild floats, barely clad revelers and beachside celebrating. Now in its 35th year, the world’s largest arts parade welcomes partyers of all ages to rejoice in kitsch, camp and craft, but those who are serious about their scales can register to win iconic titles, including best sea creature, best motorized float, King Neptune and Queen Mermaid.
Midsummer Night Swing; Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center; Starts June 27; $17, $20 day of
For three weeks this summer, folks can twist, turn and twirl under the stars to jams provided by incredible live bands and artists such as The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Binky Griptite, Loser's Lounge, Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, Joe Bataan and others at Damrosch Park. Although the term "swing" is included in the title of the main event, each one of the 15 bashes covers a specific genre of dance, including disco, ballroom, salsa and more. You can also attend a late-night Silent Disco on select nights!
Comedy
Punderome 3000 Littlefield; Jun 6; $8–$10
Jo Firestone and her Rodney Dangerfield impersonator father, Fred, host this beloved competition, in which the first 18 individuals or duos to sign up at the door attempt to pun-up each other’s spontaneously produced wordplay. Winners are determined by the Human Clap-O-Meter and go home with a Mystery Box prize.
Cole Escola: Help! I’m Stuck Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater; Jun 14; $15
Some stars are made to shine over New York, and in the case of the Cole Escola, the disturbingly talented character incubator was meant to rule downtown. Witness the Difficult People star as he unleashes new and beloved characters like "Oh, Jeremiah" and broken-down cabaret legend Maven Crawford in this demented solo show.
The Lantern Comedy Village Lantern; Jun 15; free
Local comics dole out jokes for free at this monthly comedy show with cheap drinks. There's even a raffle, so there's a chance you could go home with more than a buzz and some new laugh lines.
Happy Place Comedy Q.E.D; Jun 15: $6
Sue Funke and Katie Compa welcome both established and up-and-coming comics to the stage at this monthly show. The April installment features the comedic stylings of Myka Fox, Garry Hannon, Lauren Vino, Darin Patterson, Selena Coppock and Scotland Green.
No, But What’s You Real Job? Village Lantern; Jun 15; free
Join this hangout at the lantern, where a solid lineup of stand-ups can be expected every Third Thursday of the month. Look out for a raffle, and register early for a free margarita.
Never Sleep Alone Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater; Jun 17; $45, participants $35, plus $12 minimum
Outrageous character actor and cabaret comic Roslyn Hart inhabits her alter ego, "sexual psychologist" Dr. Alex Schiller in this interactive bash. The doctor’s goal: getting the audience in the mood with a few choice tunes and making sure all of the single people in the audience hook up. Make sure you've made your bed before heading to Joe's Pub, as you're likely to bring a new friend from this show home with you.
Celebrity Autobiography The Triad; Jun 26; $40–$60, plus two-drink minimum
The only thing thing better than reading a celebrity's innermost thoughts is having a comedian read them to you. Major comedic actors prick the bubble of autobiographical puffery by performing droll, verbatim readings from stars' memoirs in Eugene Pack’s acclaimed series. Guests for the May 20 installment include Mario Cantone, Rachel Dratch, Cady Huffman, Will Shortz, Tate Donovan, John Fugelsang and Alan Zweibel; guests on June 26 include Gina Gershon, Marsha Mason, Peter Asher, Maulik Pancholy, Scott Adsit and Alan Zweibel.
Michael Blackson Carolines on Broadway; Jun 29; $42, plus two-drink minimum
The Ghanaian powerhouse, who has been bringing his high-voltage rants to film and TV since appearing in 2000’s Next Friday, tears up Carolines on Broadway a whopping seven times over four nights with ballsy social humor. Stay out of his line of fire, modasuckas.
LGBT
Pride March at various locations; Jun 25; free
The Gay Pride Parade in NYC may go down over just one day, but with five boroughs of queer partying, protests and celebration, you can count on having plenty of LGBT things to do all month long for Gay Pride 2017. NYC is home to a lot of LGBT history, so whether you want to know where to park your hot rod for the Dyke March or you're looking for the best gay bars and lesbian bars in NYC, we’ve got your Gay Pride activities all planned out for you.
PrideFest at various locations; 11am; free
You know those street fairs that pop up around the city whenever the weather is nice? The ones everyone pretends to hate, but secretly can't resist walking into? Pridefest is one of those—but with way more sequins. In addition to enjoying the usual street-fair fare—tube socks, hilarious T-shirts, greasy treats—you can pick up information about public health, collect swag from corporate sponsors, and mingle with a crowd full of Pride revelers and shell-shocked Village residents. After things wrap up, you can work off that street food at the Dance on the Pier.
Dungeons & Drag Kings Talon; 8pm; $10–$15
Anja Keister and Lee Valone host this mad monthly night of gender-bending, kink and geek ecstasy at Talon. Witness inventive drag from Valone and JJ Sparks and gagworthy burlesque from Ms. Suki E, Trinity Starlight and Qualms Galore. As if the performances weren't enough, the wild night includes a demonstration in shibari—Japanese bondage—followed by drunk geek trivia.
Food & Drink
Pinknic; Governors Island; June 24-25; $95-$5,000 for Sunday
Rosé all day (or weekend) at this Governors Island fete. The Hamptons-esque bash will offer rosé wine, champagne and frosé (that's frozen rosé, FYI) for the masses during the last weekend in June. Food by celebrity chef Chris Santos (Beauty & Essex, the Stanton Social) will be served amidst live performances from bands, DJs, acrobats, jugglers and stilt walkers. There will even be a Ferris wheel and a pool at the event.
The Big Apple BBQ Block Party; Madison Square Park; June 10–11; free
Get your southern fixins’ at this blow-out BBQ festival in Madison Square Park. Celebrating its 15th year, the organizers are bringing pitmasters from all over the country firing up your favorite fare. Look out for Scott’s Bar-B-Que from South Carolina, Baker’s Ribs from Dallas and Jim ’N Nicks Bar-B-Q from Birmingham.
Egg Rolls and Egg Creams and Empanadas; Museum at Eldridge Street; June 18; free
The culturally-rich community of the Lower East Side is bringing back its annual block party celebrating its historic diversity. The eponymous Chinese, Jewish and Puerto Rican fare will be doled out amidst live performances, free language lessons and plenty of arts and crafts.
NYC Bourbon Bash; Parkside Lounge; June 10; $65
Sample eight Kentucky bourbons at eight NYC venues for this refined, dark-spirited bar crawl. Types of bourbons from the south include Maker’s Mark, Wooford Reserve, Four Roses Single Barrel, Russell’s Reserve and Knob Creek. Each whiskey will be distributed at a different bar throughout the city, including East Village Social, Finnertys, Shades of Green and Plug Uglies. There will also be small bites on hand, and a portion of proceeds will benefits charities and nonprofits.
NYC Craft Beer Festival; Metropolitan Pavilion; June 24; $45–$85
Get sloshed by trying 150 craft brews, ciders and meads from 75 different breweries across the nation. Hop-lovers will be able to meet industry experts, sample grub, play games and shop directly from the vendors themselves at this convivial festival.
Dance
American Ballet Theatre Spring 2017 at the David H. Koch Theater; through July 8; $22–$235
The venerable company returns to the Met with full-length ballets including The Golden Cockerel, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, Onegin and he New York premiere of Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky's Whipped Cream.
Rioult Dance NY at the Joyce Theatre; May 31–June 4; $26–$56
Pascal Rioult and his company return to the Joyce to perform the world premiere of Fire in the Sky, set to music by 1970s rockers Deep Purple, and a restaging of Rioult's religion-infused 1995 Te Deum, set to a score by Arvo Pärt.
Ivy Baldwin Dance: Keen (Part 2) at the Abrons Arts Center; Jun 1–11; $20
Contemporary dancer-choreographer Baldwin and an all-female cast of dancers explore love, loss and grief in a piece co-commissioned by the Chocolate Factory, Abrons Arts Center and Joyce Unleashed.
Lumberyard in the City at the Kitchen; June 1–July 2; $25
Lumberyard Contemporary Performing Arts presents its second annual festival. Offerings include works by David Gordon, Vicky Shick, Cynthia Hopkins, Raja Feather Kelly/the feath3r theory and Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion.
L.A. Dance Project at the Joyce Theatre; June 13–25; $26–$76
The ambitious West Coast dance collective, led by Benjamin Millepede, presents two program in rep, including Ohad Saharan’s Yag, Justin Peck's Murder Ballades and the premieres of Millepied's In Silence We Speak and Orpheus Highway.
Film
It Comes at Night
This one knocked us out at the Overlook Film Festival. A major statement on the subject of civilization in freefall, writer-director Trey Edward Shults’s nerve-shredding domestic thriller joins the rarified company of Cormac McCarthy’s 2006 novel The Road and the small handful of intimate post-apocalyptic scenarios that puncture through to our deepest fears. (June 9)
The Beguiled
Don’t mess with Sofia Coppola. Even when she takes on a remake of an underrated 1971 Clint Eastwood movie about a houseful of vengeful women, you can expect the psychological warfare to be sharpened to a prickly point. Her cast includes Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and the on-fire Nicole Kidman. (June 23)
The Big Sick
Adding some much needed cross-cultural tension to Judd Apatow’s rom-com formula, actor-screenwriter Kumail Nanjiani breaks out with this autobiographical girlfriend-in-a-coma comedy that signals his arrival to the top. The movie’s two secret weapons: Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, both uncorking magnificently real performances. (June 23)
Baby Driver
He hasn't directed a film since 2013's The World's End, so we're more than ready to welcome Shaun of the Dead genius Edgar Wright back. His new film is a hot blast of Tarantino-type fun: a car-chase comedy about a getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) who finds himself in trouble when he tries to escape the criminal underworld. (June 28)
Theater
1984 at the Hudson Theatre; through Oct 8; $35–$299
You are watching Big Brother! Tom Sturridge, Olivia Wilde and the indispensable Reed Birney play inhabitants of a dystopian surveillance state in Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan's stage version of George Orwell's classic novel.
Raw Bacon from Poland at the Abrons Arts Center; June 1–17; $25
In a new work by the gifted Christina Masciotti (Social Security), Joel Perez (Fun Home) plays a shoe salesman and military veteran battling through a divorce, a custody fight and an addiction to prescription drugs.
Maps for a War Tourist at Dixon Place; June 2–17; $20
The documentary-minded performance collective Sister Sylvester uses the tortuous journey of a real-life Turkish woman to investigate the difficulty of capturing the complexities of real life (and the Middle East) in art.
Marvin’s Room at the American Airline Theatre; June 8–Aug 27; $47–$147
Janeane Garofalo, Lili Taylor and Celia Weston play estranged family members brought together by life-threatening illness in the Broadway debut of this acclaimed 1990 dark comedy by Scott McPherson, directed by the astute Anne Kauffman.
Hamlet at the Public Theater; June 20–Sept 3; $115
The dashing Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars in a version of Shakespeare's tragedy directed by Sam Gold, who helmed last year's gorgeous Othello (with Daniel Craig). The cast also includes Keegan-Michael Key as Horatio.
Music
Governors Ball; Randalls Island Park; June 2–4; 3-day admission $305, 1-day admission $105
The annual Randalls Island event is the one of the best local fests, hosting top talent from an array of genres over three days. Catch hip-hop rising stars (Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino), pop sounds of every ilk (from moody Lorde to pop-rock Phoenix), atmospheric, dreamy rock (Air, Beach House) and more .
Ween; Brooklyn Steel; June 6, 7; $59.50
For the band's sizable fan base, every Ween concert is a holy event—especially in the light of its long-awaited reunion last year. The Pennsylvanian institution's ability to project its virtuosic talent onto virtually any genre and goofily make it its own is worth the price of admission, even if you haven't drunk the Kool-Aid.
Northside Festival; various locations; June 7–11; music badge $75
Unlike its big-tent big-stage brethren, this fest opts for the CMJ approach—presenting several concerts and showcases at various venues across the city. The result is a diverse week-long experience that hosts rising local acts alongside globally renowned artists (as well as tech events to boot).
Girlpool; Warsaw; June 9; $18
As folk-punk duo Girlpool, high school friends Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker weave complex vocal interplay—unison shouts along with lilting harmonies—above spare guitar melodies. The spare arrangement leaves every note exposed—a fitting framework for the radically vulnerable lyrics found on the band's excellent new release, Powerplant.
Sorority Noise; Music Hall of Williamsburg; June 15; $15
Connecticut's positively cathartic Sorority Noise writes mature lyrical exorcisms of addiction and depression. The band's scream-along choruses somehow make key changes sound somehow oh-so-punk-rock, rather than Bon Jovi-cringeworthy.
Art
Herzog and de Meuron with Ai Weiwei, “Hansel and Gretel” Park Avenue Armory; June 7–Aug 6, $15
Famed Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei teams up with au courant Swiss starchitects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron in this immersive installation about the surveillance state. Drones and infrared cameras follow visitors as they move about, creating high-tech breadcrumb trails in their wake.
“Calder: Hypermobility” Whitney Museum of American Art; June 9–Oct 16, $22; seniors, students $18, 18 and under free
The important role sound and movement played in the sculpture of American Modern master Alexander Calder is given the spotlight in this roundup of the artist’s kinetic objects.
“Talking Pictures: Camera-Phone Conversations Between Artists” Metropolitan Museum of Art; June 27–Dec 17, suggested donation $25, seniors $17, students $12, members and children under 12 free
This exhibit features the results from 12 pairs of artists sending still images and brief videos to one another in a game of visual ping-pong.
“Richard Gerstl” Neue Galerie New York; June 29-Sept 25, $20, seniors $15, students and educators with valid ID $10. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, children under 12 not admitted. First Friday of each month 6–8pm free
A small oeuvre (only 90 pieces in all) and an early death may account for why early-20th-century Austrian Expressionist Richard Gerstl (1883-1908) is not as well known as his contemporaries Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. This show, the artist first museum retrospective in the United States, showcases his groundbreaking style with 55 examples of his portraits and landscapes.
“Mystical Symbolism: The Salon de la Rose+Croix in Paris, 1892–1897” Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; June 30–Oct 4, $25, seniors (65+) and students with valid ID $18, children under 12 free. Sat 5:45–7:45pm pay what you wish. $25, seniors and students with ID $18, members and children under 12 accompanied by an adult free
With its dreamlike and visionary imagery, Symbolism is often cited as being a precursor to Surrealism. But while the Surrealists trafficked in the temporal and psychological discordances of modern life, Symbolists latched onto mythological and mystical subject matter from the past. This exhibition looks back at a series of Symbolist salons that were organized between 1892 and 1897 by Joséphin Péladan, an author, critic and Rosicrucian whose own fascination with mysticism informed his shows.