You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight’s shows, but here are some highlights…
Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, Selah Sue, City of the Sun @ Beacon Theater
The great soul singer Charles Bradley has a career not quite like many others. His latest album, Changes, is named for the Black Sabbath song that he covers and turns into a ’60s-Motown-style song without doing much to the melody or pacing of the original. And that’s not the only impressive feat he achieves on the album. Years fronting a James Brown tribute act has given him serious moves too.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band @ Barclays Center
The Boss wraps up his North American ‘The River’ tour with two sold-out shows at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Poliça, MOTHXR @ Warsaw
Polica’s third album United Crushers is more of the band’s unique take on pop, with off-kilter melodies and furious drumming.
Behemoth, Myrkur @ Webster Hall
Polish black/death heavyweights Behemoth are playing their already-classic 2014 album The Satanist in full for this tour, but that’s not the only reason it’s exciting. It’s also the first NYC show ever for rising black metal musician Myrkur.
WBAR-B-Q feat. Antwon, Downtown Boys, Japanese Breakfast, Frances Fox @ Columbia University
Barnard College’s annual free concert WBAR-B-Q goes down at the Columbia campus this year, and it’s got a great multi-genre lineup. There’s avant-rapper Antwon, sax-fueled political punk party Downtown Boys, dream popster Japanese Breakfast, and Australian indie musician Frances Fox.
The Sugarhill Gang, The Furious 5 @ House of Independents
Hip hop as we know it couldn’t exist without The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” or Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message,” so it’s a pretty exciting thing that you can see both groups on one stage all these years later.
Diane Cluck, Toby Goodshank @ Muchmore’s
The very eccentric folk singer Diane Cluck is always worth catching, and she’s saying this show is “perhaps [her] only NYC performance this year.”
Houndmouth, Rayland Baxter, Lucy Dacus @ Terminal 5
Rootsy rockers Houndmouth headline this big show, and it’s worth catching both openers too. Rayland Baxter makes folky alt-country and Lucy Dacus makes wordy indie rock that’s a little similar to Courtney Barnett.
Kiki & Herb @ Joe’s Pub
Legendary lounge/cabaret duo Kiki and Herb (aka Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman) went into retirement in 2007 but they’re returning to the stage for this run called “Kiki and Herb: Seeking Asylum!” Sold out but a limited number of tickets given away free each night via lottery.
OBN IIIs, Pink Mexico @ Shea Stadium
Austin punk rippers OBN IIIs, led by the wildly charismatic Orville Bateman Neely, are one of the most fun rock bands around and are not to be missed.
TEEN, Fake Boyfriend, Annie Hart, Pouty, Char2D2 @ Cake Shop
This Planned Parenthood benefit features a bunch of great bands, including Brooklyn’s TEEN, Philly’s Fake Boyfriend, and Au Revoir Simone’s Annie Hart.
Big White, Pow Pow, Vivienne Eastwood, Matt McKee @ Berlin
Sydney, Australia’s Big White make bright guitar pop that that is a direct descendent of their indie ancestors The Triffids and The Go-Betweens. They’re in the midst of an all-out assault on NYC clubs.
Overlake, Dead Stars, Vaureen @ Mercury Lounge
It’s a night of ’90s-loving sounds, including NJ’s sludgy Overlake and Brooklyn trad indie rock trio Dead Stars.
Mike Birbiglia @ The Lynn Redgrave Theater
Comedian Mike Birbiglia has been doing his show “Thank God for the Jokes” for nearly two years. He’s putting it to bed, but not before this run which was recently extended through May 22.
24 Hour Drone (Experiments in Sound and Music) @ Basilica Hudson
Just a bit upstate from NYC, the very cool venue Basilica Hudson hosts an all-day drone show with impressive names like Oneida, Christopher Tignor, Noveller, and plenty more.
For all of tonight’s shows, and tomorrow’s, check out our NYC concert calendar.
For laughs, check out the NYC Comedy calendar too.
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