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Mon 28
YES Memorial Day BBQ + Party; House of Yes; 2pm; $8
Throw together your most patriotic getup and bring your holiday to a thrilling end with 12 hours of all-American raging in House of Yes’s yard, where hot dogs and patties (with veggie options!) are doled out all day, barely clad partyers dance to house beats and the alcohol keeps coming. Tunes are provided by Eli Escobar and David Kiss.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do in NYC this week
Dirty Dancing + Watermelon Margarita Videology Bar & Cinema; various times; $24
Relive one of the greatest summer love stories of all time at this delightful screening event for “dance people.” Sing along to “Hungry Eyes,” let Patrick Swayze teach you how to dance (and how to love), and live your best Catskills fantasy with a delicious margarita in hand. Don’t try to do a lift with a stranger from the bar until after the movie.
Original Crosstown Pizza Walk Lombardi’s; 11:15am; $45
Ready to feast on some of the city's most notable pies? Sign up for this walking tour led by a "pizza spirit guide" from Scott's Pizza Tours. The three-hour excursion takes you to three New York City pizzerias in Greenwich Village and Soho to sample the slices and check out the kitchens. The itinerary changes every time, so no two tours will be the same.
Permission to Fail The Creek and the Cave; 10pm; free
The very funny Andy Sandford invites comics to road test new material at this free weekly show. The lineup is kept secret, but count on catching some of the scene's brightest (previous guests include Judah Friedlander and Josh Gondelman). Trust us, this is the most fun you'll ever have as a test subject.
Tue 29
Girls Trip Dinner Alamo Drafthouse City Point; 7pm; $70
Human civilization may have taken some dark turns in 2017, but at least we got Tiffany Haddish. Celebrate her legendary debut as part of the Girls Trip foursome with a rowdy screening at the Alamo, paired with a Cajun-inspired menu from chef Ronnie New. While Haddish, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah party through New Orleans, dish on gumbo, crawfish pie and bananas foster, along with plenty of complimentary cocktails.
Generation Women Caveat; 6:30pm; $25
At this storytelling night, The Regulars author Georgia Clark welcomes four women, whose ages range from their twenties to their eighties, to share personal stories. In celebration of its one-year anniversary, the show is inviting back its best: Madeleine Martin, Keisha Zollar, Jess Rowland, Lois Thompson, Janice Maffei, Martha Connors and June Duffy.
Kendrick Lamar Madison Square Garden; 7:30pm; $49.50–$199.50
After scoring Marvel's box-office smashing film Black Panther and earning a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album, DAMN., Kendrick Lamar hits the road with his Top Dawg Entertainment label mates on the aptly-titled Championship Tour. In addition to a headlining set from Lamar, the lineup also includes R&B singer-songwriter SZA as well as L.A. rappers Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul. With so much talent on the bill, you'll probably see some unexpected collaborations throughout the evening.
Billy Hart Qaurtet Village Vanguard; 8:30pm, 10:30pm; $35
This veteran drummer's quartet with saxist Chris Potter, pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street is one of the finest working bands on the current jazz landscape. The group’s elegantly shaded originals and ingeniously tweaked standards add up to a strikingly unpredictable take on postbop orthodoxy.
The Bad Plus Blue Note; 8pm, 10:30pm; tables $35, bar $20
This alt-jazz phenomenon made its name—and earned itself a few haters—interpreting favorites by Blondie, Nirvana and other rock icons, but has since aimed the spotlight on its striking, inventive postbop-gone-pop originals, tunes that handily demonstrate the group's uncommonly broad pool of influences. This week of shows welcomes a new chapter in the band's history, as Orrin Evans takes over the piano bench in the idiosyncratic Ethan Iverson's absence.
Wed 30
Underground Science Festival Caveat; various times and prices
This fest offers comedy nights, drinking games, storytelling performances, lectures and multimedia talks on scientific breakthroughs and theories that were swept under the carpet due to sexism and racism. There are sixteen different events to choose from, but no matter which you attend, count on learning about kick-ass scientists doing kick-ass things, and having a kick-ass time doing it.
Period Party! New Women Space; 7pm; Donations welcome
In honor of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, this storytelling event explores the good, the bad and the bloody parts about surfing the crimson wave. Head to New Women Space to listen to an awesome and inclusive lineup of guest speakers share personal stories, poems, or, hell, a few jokes, about the taboo topic. When you go, bring along tampons or pads to donate to the homeless. There will also be goody bags for the first 60 people, and a raffle from some amazing sponsors: Flex, Lunapads, Diva Cup, Dame Products, LOLA, Sustain Natural and Queen V.
Comedy at Rose Gold Cocktail Lounge; 7:30pm; suggested donation $5
The very funny Caitlin Peluffo and Emily Winter host this night of giddy laughs in Bushwick, featuring some of our favorite heavy hitters. Catch sets from Ophira Eisenberg, Anthony DeVito, Erica Spera, Ben Wasserman and Alzo Slade at the May edition.
STEVIE Our Wicked Lady; 8pm; free
Very campy hexes abound at this redoubtable night of free comedy, consecrated in honor of supreme witch Stevie Nicks. Hosts Drew Anderson, Sam Taggart and Marcia Belsky summon their funniest friends to the rooftop to join in—with guests Sasheer Zamata, Kelsey Caine, Julio Torres, Friends Who Folk, Anna Drezen and Larry Owens hitting the stage at this month's edition. Worship your new dark overlords!
Dirty Projectors Public Arts; 8pm; $35
Dave Longstreth spent the past few years writing hooks and harmonies for Kanye West and Solange in Los Angeles before releasing last year's self-titled Dirty Projectors, an avant-pop affair filled with polyrhythmics, jarring turns and heartbroken lyrics. Continuing the band's ever-fluctuating lineup history, that album found the band turning into Longstreth's solo project of-sorts. The project is a bit of a lonelier, more solemn beast than before, but we expect sparks on this year's upcoming Lamp Lit Prose nonetheless.
Salty Brine: I’m a Lot Like You Pangea; 7pm; $20, plus $20 minimum
Pangea a great place to be on Wednesdays, when Brine performs his weekly Spectacular Living Record Collection Cabaret. An outrageously talented singer-actor in the vein of Taylor Mac, Brine takes a different classic pop album each month—from Joni Mitchell’s Blue to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack—and weaves its songs into funny, perceptive tapestries of storytelling. The show is highly addictive: Once you’ve been dunked into Brine, you’ll want to dive back in every month. The latest edition is a mash-up of Weezer's Pinkerton and Puccini's Madame Butterfly.
Oh Boy! Velvet Lounge; 8pm; free
Matt Little welcomes you to party at the swanky Velvet Lounge while some of his favorite acts bring the house down with stand-up. For the May edition, join Sudi Green, Ayo Edibiri, Mamoudou N’Diyae, Katina Corrao and Becky Chicoine.
Hop Along Brooklyn Steel; 8pm; $20-$25
In Philly combo Hop Along, singer Frances Quinlan tumbles through ricocheting vocal gymnastics and distinctive over-the-bar poetry to make emotive indie rock that's both heartrending and positively thrilling. Expect to hear tunes from the crew's latest, Bark Your Head Off, Dog, at this Brooklyn Steel appearance.
Thu 31
Japanese Breakfast Warsaw; 8pm; $18
Michelle Zauner matriculated from her indie rock band Little Big Leagues to the indie darling MLB's with the debut of this varied, eclectic solo project in 2016. While her first album soared through majestic dream pop summits, her stellar latest, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, features a revamped sound that veers from shoegaze into ’80s synth-pop.
The Good Dog Show: A Dog-Friendly Comedy Show DSK Kaffee; 8pm; $5
Pups are welcome at this stand-up show at a "barkeasy" in Brooklyn. Jordan Temple, Emily Winter, Daniel Simonsen, Carmen Lagala, Danny Rathbun, Keenan Steiner and host Jonathan Zeller are sure to get tails wagging.
Casual Town Sing Sing Ave A; 7pm; $5
This stellar weekly stand-up show, hosted by Albert Kirchner, Evan Morrison and Jane Harrison and produced by Jamie Rabinovitch, costs a five spot and goes down in a private room in an East Village karaoke bar. May 24 features some of our favorite acts, including Martin Urbano, Sam Evans, Sydnee Washington and Catherine Cohen. And catch even more all-stars on May 31, including Matt Goldich, Dan Perlman, Kelsey Caine and Marie Faustin. The June 7 edition boasts more favorites, including Mary Beth Barone, Alex English, Stavros Halkias and Carmen Lagala.