What's going on Thursday? (Mikal Cronin, MGMT, Man or Astro-Man?, Chance the Rapper, Rancid, Austra & more)

Mikal Cronin at NXNE last week (more by David Andrako)

MGMT at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

Browse our full NYC show calendar for all of tonight’s shows. Here are some highlights…

Mikal Cronin, Roomrunner, Shannon & The Clams, Roomrunner @ Bowery Ballroom
Having put out one of the more enjoyable guitar pop album’s of the year (MCII, his Merge debut), Californian Mikal Cronin hits NYC tonight for this sold-out show with tourmates Shannon & the Clams as well as Baltimore’s grungy Roomrunner. If you didn’t get tickets, he’ll be back to play MoMA on July 18.

MGMT @ Wellmont Theatre
We’re still waiting on that third MGMT album (though we did get the excellent “Alien Days” single), but we do know they’ve been playing some of the new material live, so hopefully we’ll hear some of that at their sole upcoming NYC-area date, tonight’s sold-out Wellmont Theatre show. Tonight’s show also doubles as the last Bowery Presents-booked show at the NJ venue before Live Nation takes over. MGMT will also hit Dover, DE for this weekend’s Firefly Music Festival.

Man Or Astro-Man?, Jacuzzi Boys @ Mercury Lounge
Sci-Fi post-punks Man Or Astro-Man? put out their first album in more than a decade this year and finds them in the same enjoyable orbit as before. Of course, seeing them live is where it’s at, and they’ve brought with them Florida’s party animals Jacuzzi Boys on this tour, making for an almost guaranteed good time. Tonight is sold-out but you can still get tickets to Brooklyn Bowl on Friday.

Chance the Rapper @ SOB’s
Chance the Rapper just had the entire crowd going wild and singing every word at his sold-out Europa show last week, and tonight at SOB’s probably isn’t going to be much different. Tonight’s show is also sold out, and from the looks of things, this is the probably the last time in a while you’ll catch Chance in a venue this small in NYC.

Hausu, Cereal Banter, Turnip King @ Death by Audio
Portland combo Hausu take minor chord mope and crush it under the force of overdriven guitars. Their debut album, Total, is out next week (6/25) via Hardly Art. You can stream it via SPIN and can probably pick it up tonight at the merch table. Don’t miss local opener Turnip King who do ’90s style indie rock right.

Rancid @ Terminal 5
Bay Area punks Rancid start off their two night stay at Terminal 5 tonight, joined by Blink 182/Rancid/shampoo commercial side project Transplants and Traditionals. From the looks of recent setlists, the first three classic LPs will be well represented. Stoked.

Folk City w/ John Wesley Harding, Peter Yarrow, A.C. Newman & more @ Museum of the City of New York
The wordy Brit singer/songwriter John Wesley Harding invites a slew of other talented folk to benefit Museum of City of New York’s upcoming exhibition Folk City: New York and the American Folk Revival. Like most museum benefits go, tickets are not exactly cheap.

Pacific Air, Barbarossa @ Mercury Lounge
Having logged time as part of Junip on their North American tour, James Mathé sticks around NYC a little longer with his own project, Barbarossa, that mixes gentle folk with sparse electronics. Tickets are still available.

Austra, Mozart’s Sister @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Austra put out their terrific sophomore album, Olympia, this week and celebrates its release tonight in Williamsburg. If you got tickets to this sold-out show, do go early and catch Mozart’s Sister, aka the very talented and charismatic Caila Thompson-Hannant of Think About Life and Shapes and Sizes.

Duke Dumont, Tokimonsta & more @ Pier 84
While we’re not so into headliners Zedd, tonight’s free (with RSVP, which is now closed) show on Pier 84 has some pretty solid openers, Duke Dumont (whose “Need U (100%)” single is one of the better dance tracks this year) and TOKiMONSTA. The show’s being presented by THUMP and they’re gonna have all kinds of cool non-music stuff like fireworks and an open bar.

Slow Warm Death, Hospital Ships, Lost Boy?, The Can’t Tells @ Big Snow
Brooklyn’s Slow Warm Death (ex-Snowing) have one of the best local garage punk LPs of the year out (listen) and they’ll be playing a hometown show at Big Snow tonight with the Shearwater-related Hospital Ships and local rockers Lost Boy? and The Can’t Tells.

LL Cool J, Ice Cube, De La Soul, Public Enemy @ Roseland Ballroom
Its 1992 all over again! LL Cool J, Ice Cube, De La Soul and Public Enemy combine to play Roseland Ballroom tonight, surely dipping into classic material over their collectively substantial catalog. Here’s to hoping LL plays “Accidental Racist,” but not really.

Mobb Deep @ Best Buy Theater
Queensbridge hip hop greats Mobb Deep are clearly cooling it on the twitter feuds, and thankfully back together on stage tonight at Best Buy, roping in the not-quite-as-lyrically-gifted Wacka Flocka Flame for support. Head out to times square to see Hav and P rep for “all the killas and the hundred dolla billas“.

Hess Is More, Cascading Slopes, Float Fall @ Glasslands
Underrated groove-oriented combo Hess is More debut an entire new set of material, titled “MY HEAD IS A BALLROOM,” tonight. Openers include Cascading Slopes the new solo project from Jacob of The Drums. Tickets are still available.

Rooftop Films w/ yMusic, The Quavers @ Pier 15
A new addition of the summer-long Rooftop Films Series will take place tonight, featuring a live documentary by Academy Award nominee Sam Green with a live score by experimental folk band The Quaversand Sufjan Stevens collaborators yMusic

Zozo Afrobeat Orchesta @ Metrotech Commons
It is Thursday, which means a new addition of BAM’s lunchtime R&B Festival in Downtown Brooklyn. This week will feature the 13-piece Zozo Afrobeat Orchestra and their leader, Afrobeat guitar legend Kaleta.

Blackalicious, Phony PPL, D-Nice @ Prospect Park
Unfortunately, Big Boi‘s knee injury forced him to cancel his tour, which would have included a free Celebrate Brooklyn! show at Prospect Park tonight. Total bummer, but on the bright side, the show is going on without him with sets from Blackalicious, Phony PPL, and D-Nice.

I Love Vinyl @ Brooklyn Museum
If you love vinyl, you can celebrate by heading to the Brooklyn Museum tonight for their “I Love Vinyl” party, which will include DJ sets from Ge-ology, The Twilite Tone, OP!, Jon Oliver of East Village Radio and Scribe. There’s also a Brooklyn Flea sponsored record fair and special guest speakers throughout the night.

Keren Ann @ City Winery
Singer/songwriter Keren Ann is playing the first of two NYC shows in her “summer residency” at City Winery tonight. Tickets for tonight’s and next Thursday’s (6/27) shows are still available.

Dope Body, Liquor Store @ 285 Kent
Baltimore noise rockers Dope Body will be heading out on a tour with Scout Niblett later this year, but before that, you can catch them headlining what will likely be a very sweaty 285 Kent tonight with support from Total Slacker, Lazyeyes and Alien Whale. Plus, Kitty Pryde will be DJing the show.

Daddy Long Legs, Guadalupe Plata, The Mystery Lights @ Cameo
If catchy lovesick-blues is your game, then you might like to check out the Daddy Long legs, The Mystery Lights and Guadalupe Plata show tonight at Cameo.

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

For laughs, check out the NYC Comedy calendar too.

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