halloween

What's going on Thursday (Halloween)?

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

Sleater-Kinney, Joseph Keckler @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Sleater-Kinney play their second consecutive NYC show behind this year’s St. Vincent-produced This Center Won’t Hold, with returning opener Joseph Keckler. Although this show isn’t necessarily Halloween-themed, let’s hope they get in the spirit.

Sloppy Jane @ Baby’s All Right
Brooklyn’s Sloppy Jane have gained a reputation for putting on a killer live show, and there’s might not be a better day to witness their theatrics in person than Halloween. Admission is free with RSVP.

Frank Ocean’s PrEP+ Party @ Knockdown Center’s BASEMENT
Tonight, Frank Ocean throws the third edition of his new queer club night, PrEP+. Arca will host, and the lineup also includes Joey Labeija, Vegyn, Last Japan, and DJ Heather.

The Tits, Sex Pill, Terrorist, Anatomy, Vaxine @ Brooklyn Bazaar
It’s a punk Halloween at Brooklyn Bazaar, with Japanese headliners The Tits, along with Texas-based Sexpill, Brooklyn’s Vaxine, No Fucker, Terrorist, Fuckin’ Lovers, and more.

Big Freedia, Mykki Blanco, Boyfriend @ Brooklyn Bowl
New Orleans-based Big Freedia plays her first of two shows at NYC’s Brooklyn Bowl, dubbed “Freedia Fest 6.0,” with support from Mykki Blanco and Boyfriend.

Flatbush Zombies @ Brooklyn Steel
With a name like Flatbush Zombies, it’s only fitting the NYC-based rap group (and one-third of Beast Coast) play tonight.

Yeasayer, Kalbells, Bay Faction, Chloe MK @ Elsewhere
Brooklyn’s Elsewhere is celebrating their second year in business with this anniversary/Halloween party that inhabits every corner of the venue. Yeasayer, who returned this year with Erotic Reruns, headline.

Riceboy Sleeps (Jonsi, Alex Somers, Wordless Music Orchestra) @ Kings Theatre
Jonsi (of Sigur Ros) and Alex Somers are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their 2009 Riceboy Sleeps album on tour, and they’ll be performing the album in full with the 40-piece orchestra/choir Wordless Music Orchestra for “the first and last time.”

New York Night Train Halloween Haunted Hop: The Make-Up, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Protex, Three Brained Robot, Jonathan Toubin @ Knockdown Center
Jonathan Toubin’s annual Halloween blowout takes over all of Knockdown Center, with headliners The Make-Up, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, King Khan and Protex, plus bands pretending to be other bands, a Miss Pussycat puppet show, cult horror movies, DJs galore and more. Always a great option.

Dead & Company @ Madison Square Garden
Dead & Company, featuring original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chiment, play their first of two shows at Madison Square Garden as part of their current “Fall Fun Run” tour. After these dates, they’ll head back to the area next week for two dates at Nassau Coliseum.

Anti-Flag, Early Riser @ Mercury Lounge
Anti-Flag have been a political punk band for all of their 25+ year career, and while they’ve usually stayed away from taking direct shots at current presidents, their just-announced anti-Trump LP 20/20 Vision is changing that. Two ripping songs are out from it now, and this small, sold-out, BrooklynVegan-presented show is their first show since the album was announced. You can probably expect to hear some of the new stuff tonight, along with plenty of classics.

The Dickies, The Carvels NYC, Gillian @ The Bowery Electric
Speaking of long-running punk bands, California pop punk pioneers The Dickies — who did the soundtrack to cult horror film Killer Klowns from Outer Space — play this special Halloween show at The Bowery Electric.

Beach Fossils, Lionlimb @ The Dance
Newly-opened Manhattan venue The Dance has already booked lots of exciting acts for its initial schedule, the latest of which is Beach Fossils, who really seem to enjoy playing Halloween (and usually really get into the spirit).

Murphy’s Law, Pain @ The Kingsland
NYHC vets Murphy’s Law played a sweaty, chaotic Halloween show at The Kingsland last year, and they’ll do it again in 2019 with support from Maryland’s Pain.

Ho99o9, Anika, Yellowtech, Marco Weibel @ Villain
Industrial rap group Ho99o9 (pronounced “horror”) are custom made for Halloween shows, and Berlin singer Anika’s music is spooky too, in a dubbed-out post-punk kind of way. They both play this Noisey-presented party which is free with RSVP.

World/Inferno Friendship Society @ Warsaw
Punk/folk/klezmer collective World/Inferno Friendship Society are presenting their annual Hallowmas show at Warsaw, which is famous for its elaborate show, pyrotechnics, and surprises. What do they have store this year?

The Original Robert Glasper Experiment @ Blue Note (two shows)
Robert Glasper is on the final run of shows in his month-long Blue Note Jazz Club residency, which will find him playing with The Original Robert Glasper Experiment (Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Chris Dave, Casey Benjamin) through November 3. Glasper has already had a bunch of cool surprise guests join him at this residency… will anyone show up tonight?

The Veldt, Your 33 Black Angels, Micah Gaugh @ Alphaville
It’s a night of spooky, shoegazy psych with veteran group The Veldt (who’ve had records produced by Cocteau Twins Robin Guthrie) headlining.

David Byrne’s American Utopia @ Hudson Theatre
David Byrne has retooled his acclaimed “untethered” 2018 for the Broadway stage and while the setlist and arrangements are much like what they were on his tour, songs are now threaded together with new monologues from Byrne, making for a much more theatrical experience.

John Zorn (New Masada Quartet), Julian Lage, Jorge Roeder, Kenny Wollesen @ Village Vanguard (2 shows)
John Zorn, with much help from Julian Lage (guitar), Jorge Roeder (bass) and Kenny Wollesen (drums), aims to “put Ornette Coleman and the Jewish scales together” as the New Masada Quartet.

Blue Oyster Cult, UFO @ St. George Theatre
No Halloween playlist is complete without “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” and what better way to hear that song on Halloween night than played by Blue Oyster Cult themselves? Sweetening the deal is the last UFO show in NYC with original frontman Phil Mogg before he retires.

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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