Kamasi Washington at Pitchfork Festival 2016
photo by Ben Stas

What's going on Friday?

Kamasi Washington at Pitchfork Festival 2016
Kamasi Washington at Pitchfork Festival 2016 (photo by Ben Stas)

You can browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight’s shows, but here are some highlights…

The Magnetic Fields @ Apollo Theater
Stephin Merritt is presenting his two-night theatrical 50 Song Memoir live show at this historic Harlem venue. Tonight is the first 25 songs; Saturday is the final 25.

The Horrors, The Candescents @  Asbury Lanes
The Horrors’ 2017 album V found the UK band adding dancier, new wavier elements into their dark sound, making for their best record since 2009’s Primary Colours. They didn’t tour over here for that last year but are doing so now.

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Amyl and The Sniffers @ Brooklyn Steel
Having released a whopping five album in 2017, Australian microtonal garage-psych psychos King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard bring the manic energy live show to NYC for three nights at Brooklyn Steel.

Wand, The Spirit of the Beehive, Itasca @ Elsewhere
Los Angeles group Wand never quite fit in with the fuzzed-out psych circle they traveled in originally — unavoidable though, given frontman Corey Hanson played in Ty Segall’s band for a while — as their new Perfume EP, which dabbles in glam and prog, proves. They’re even better live.

David Cross @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
David Cross’ “Oh Come One” tour kicks off tomorrow but he’s doing one last “Shooting the Shit” show to work out the kinks of his act.

Nels Cline (Trio), Joan As Police Woman, Toshi Reagan, Yonatan Gat, Tak Ensemble, L’Rain, Zs, Qasim Naqvi, Metropolis Ensemble @ Le Poisson Rouge
Le Poisson Rouge is celebrating its 10th anniversary all summer and fall with LPR X shows, but tonight is the official “LPR X” Anniversary Party with many artists who have each played LPR many times.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Lithics @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
While Pavement were known for being brainy and willfully obtuse, Stephen Malkmus has let real feelings and straightforward lyrical narratives enter into his songwriting of late. His new album, Sparkle Hard, features his best batch of tunes in a while. This is his secon of two MHOW shows with fellow Portlandians Lithics (who are well worth getting there in time to see).

alt-J, Kamasi Washington @ Forest Hills Stadium
Tonight, the very cool outdoor Queens venue Forest Hills Stadium hosts the very interesting double bill of British art rockers alt-J and crossover jazz great Kamasi Washington. Making it even more interesting, “The show will feature a surround speaker system enveloping the entire audience. The speakers will be used throughout the show to position sound effects mixed into a variety of [alt-J’s] material, thus creating an immersive sound experience.”

Brian Chase’s Drums & Drones with Ursula Scherrer, 13 Million Year Old Ghost (Nick Zinner), MV Carbon, DJ JG Thirlwell @ Mercury Lounge
Yeah Yeah Yeahs drummer Brian Chase releases his new album with his Drums & Drones solo project today, and he celebrates at this show, where he’ll be joined by Ursula Scherrer during his set. The bill also includes his YYYs bandmate Nick Zinner’s 13 Million Year Old Ghost project, MV Carbon, and DJ JG Thrilwell.

Young Widows, Null @ Saint Vitus
Noise rock/post-hardcore staples Young Widows are on tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of 2008’s Old Wounds. This is their second of two Brooklyn shows on this run.

Mike D (DJ) @ The Well
Since the Beastie Boys’ demise, Mike D has been staying busy as a DJ, and his sets are known to be super fun. Ahead of his appearance at this weekend’s Firefly Festival, he’s doing a last-minute hometown set in Brooklyn tonight.

Grizzly Bear, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith @ The Wellmont Theater
Grizzly Bear returned last year with Painted Ruins, their first album in five years, and one that reminded the world that still no one does it like Grizzly Bear. They’re about to go on a co-headlining tour with fellow indie vets Spoon, with Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith opening (including Capitol Theatre and Prospect Park next week), but first GB and KAS play a show without Spoon in Montclair tonight.

Def Leppard, Journey @ Prudential Center
Between these two bands there’s a whole lot of big-riff hits, plus occasional lighters-aloft ballads.

Bodega, Hints @ Public Arts
Mixing post-punk vibes with a healthy does of skepticism, a wicked sense of humor, big hooks (and heart, too), Bodega have made one of the best debuts of the year. Tonight’s a warm-up show for their European tour.

Deer Tick, Ravi Shavi @ Rocks Off Concert Cruises
Call in (sea)sick and go see beer-fueled country rockers Deer Tick on a boat this afternoon (1 PM boarding time).

Chromeo, Pomo @ Terminal 5
Cheeky synth-funk duo Chromeo bring the sleazy fun to T5 tonight.

Hamish Kilgour, Mezzanine Swimmers, Bentley Anderson, Mystic Ruler, Pelvi$$, Kitchen @ The Glove
One third of The Clean and leader of The Mad Scene, Hamish Kilgour has indie rock bona fides out the wazoo but didn’t make a solo record until 2014’s All of it and Nothing. He’s only now following that up with solo LP #2, titled Finklestein, which is out next week via Ba Da Bing but he’s celebrating tonight.

Discwoman, NIC Kay, Ziur @ Whitney Museum
“In collaboration with Discwoman, the Whitney Museum celebrates Pride and the LGBTQ community with a performance by artist NIC Kay. They will present about love, a performance that considers the Ru Paul quote, “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” about love is part of GET WELL SOON, a series of performances by Kay that asks how wellness can be defined outside of the neoliberal cultural economy.”

Springsteen on Broadway
The Boss continues his sold-out “Springsteen on Broadway” run at the Walter Kerr Theatre, which has now been extended through December. At these shows, Bruce is giving fans shows “that are as personal and as intimate as possible.”

For all of tonight’s shows, and tomorrow’s, check out our NYC concert calendar.

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