NYC events in September 2019

Baltimore-born outsider-artist Ali raps and sings over a "post-afro-futurist" mix of jazz sounds, B-more club beats and punk attitude—a fitting pairing to the glitchy synth anarchy, blown-out speaker textures and sinister screeches Luwayne Glass peddles as Dreamcrusher.

Nancy Whang and Gavin Rayna Russom of the acclaimed dance-punk act LCD Soundsystem launch Elsewhere's new signature party series, Elseworld, which promises a "vast psychedelic nightlife experience" replete with immersive lighting by designers Dave and Gabe and top-notch Funktion One audio.

Were you to ask how Vampire Weekend went from being a bunch of dewy college grads with an art project to a global success story in less time than it takes to raise a small child, we would reply, simply: Tunes. At this big hometown show, the group—sans co-founder Rostam Batmanglij, who departed a few a years ago—hits town behind its recent release of its Father of the Bride.

Indie-rocker Mitski has a talent for swift transformation. Over the past several years, she has rocketed from self-releasing albums and DIY gigs to selling out just about every single big-room New York’s rock venue months in advance. Her latest collection, Be the Cowboy, continues that hunger for multifaceted growth, left-turning into art-pop as its augments her distinctive songwriting with layers of lush synths. Catch her outdoors at this Summerstage gig with wry and rocking opener Lucy Dacus.

Madonna may not be a New York native, but at this point, she's been repping NYC for more than three decades. Catch the pop diva in rare form here as she celebrates the release of her new Latin-inspired album, Madame X, with a series of special gigs at a surprising digs: the intimate BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Considering her usual arena shows feature cutting-edge videos and dizzying choreography, expect fireworks as she packs her big-league pop razzmatazz into a uniquely intimate setting.

The Boris discography contains something for everyone. Well, maybe not everyone, but open-minded listeners have found much to love throughout the veteran Japanese trio's 25-year career, which encompasses arty metal, sludge rock, crust punk and more. Here, the band hits town to behind LφVE & EVφL, its new full-length.

Way back in the early 2010s, producer Jerrilynn Patton’s manic tempos and unconventional sonic palettes were a high mark for the Chicago-born sound called footwork. Since then, she's cultivated a kinetic style all her own to universal critical acclaim. Check out her cutting-edge beats here alongside those of experimental Philly duo SCRAAATCH.

In recent years, anarchic Odd Future leader Tyler Okonma moved beyond the now played-out shock rhymes and into surprisingly earnest territory with his newly released Igor and 2017's Flower Boy. From liberatory lines like "Tell these black kids they can be who they are" to sexual revelations ("I've been kissing white boys since 2004"), the rapper tapers his confrontational tactics in favor of newfound relatability. It's a new side of Tyler, the Creator, but make no mistake—though more elegantly hewn, his rougher edges remain as sharply anti-social as ever.

Too old to rock & roll, too young to die? Hardly! Original band leader and celebrated flautist Ian Anderson brings the modern lineup of his prog-folk institution Jethro Tull to town for its 50th anniversary tour. It may have been nearly half a century since the band's golden days, but few since have so elegantly melded the worlds of woodwind instruments and arena rock showmanship.

Over-the-top spectacle is part of metal's DNA, but when it comes to pure batshit bombast, BABYMETAL might just have everyone from Alice Cooper to Iron Maiden beat. This Japanese import juxtaposes the fizzy J-pop song-and-dance of three pixieish teens with mercilessly steroidal shred, raging pyrotechnics and camp-macabre chills. BABYMETAL’s first NYC show in three years ought to fulfill your yearly WTF quota and then some.