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Discover Thom Yorke, classical composer, and more things to do this week in NYC
By
Steve Smith
Published Apr 21, 2023
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Mélanie Bordas
By
Steve Smith
Published Apr 21, 2023
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Seven Picks a Week is our guide to what’s worth catching in arts, culture and activities during the week ahead, with contributions from reporters throughout the WNYC/Gothamist newsroom and colleagues from WQXR and "All of It."
Hear the North American premiere of Thom Yorke’s first classical piece
What are the boundaries of classical music? Always shifting when it comes to The Dream House Quartet, a supergroup made up of duo pianist siblings Katia and Marielle Labèque and guitarists Bryce Dessner and David Chalmin. The group makes its North American debut at Town Hall, playing the North American premiere of the first classical composition by Radiohead's Thom Yorke, world premieres by Dessner and Chalmin, and works by Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Steve Reich and more. The concert starts at 6 p.m. on Sunday, but come early: At 4:30 p.m. a panel discussion of a groundbreaking new book, “On Minimalism,” will feature authors William Robin and Kerry O'Brien in conversation with Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo. Learn more here.
– Ed Yim, WQXR
Get reacquainted with one of NYC's biggest bands of the aughts
The Walkmen were one of the most emblematic bands of New York City's indie rock scene before they went on hiatus in 2013. Now, a decade later, they're back together, and they sounded razor-sharp when they played "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" earlier this week. They'll play five reunion shows at Webster Hall next week; the first four are said to be sold out ... but is anything really ever sold out in New York City? Fans who want to get in will find a way; start your quest here.
– Steve Smith
"Welcome to Clowntown" is on now through May 13 at the Tank.
See a show about one woman’s experience as a party clown
“Welcome to Clowntown” is a one-woman show from comedian Tanya Perez about her 30 years as a party clown in New York City and Los Angeles. In the hour-long performance, she tells stories about her life in these gigs as a “Latina just trying to make ends meet.” Audience members are also invited to partake in an immersive experience with party games. Tickets start at $25, and the production is for ages 18 and over. Guests are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination and wear masks. The show runs April 21 through May 13, and you can see the schedule, and learn more, here.
– Kerry Shaw
Celebrate the continued rediscovery of a maverick NYC musician
The continuing rediscovery of Julius Eastman, a dynamic composer and performer whose struggles with mental health and substance abuse led to his premature death in 1990, has been among the 21st century's most vital and necessary acts of artistic reclamation. (If you're not caught up, New Yorker critic Alex Ross recounts the story perceptively in a 2017 column, "Julius Eastman's Guerrilla Minimalism.") Over the past few years, the aptly named ensemble Wild Up has been cataloging Eastman's canon on CD, with a new volume announced just yesterday in advance of the group's residency at the 92nd Street Y. The concerts — one tonight and two tomorrow — feature guests Devonté Hynes (a.k.a. Blood Orange) and Adam Tendler, and cover a lot of terrain. Find out more here.
– Steve Smith
Rogelio Báez Vega's 2019 work "Paraíso Móvil" is on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art through Sunday.
Courtesy Whitney Museum of American Art
Reflect on ecology, conservation and stewardship at the Whitney
Noted previously in our guide to Earth Day activities, this weekend the Whitney Museum of American Art is hosting a convergence of three exhibitions that all touch on some aspect of our relationship to nature, and it's your last chance to see one of them: "no existe un mundo poshuracán," which features works made by Puerto Rican artists in the wake of Hurricane Maria, closes this Sunday. Two more shows, "Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Memory Map" and "Josh Kline: Project for a New American Century," have just opened. Admission is free tomorrow for Earth Day, but if you'd prefer to avoid crowds, today and Sunday are fine options, too. Grab your tickets here.
– Steve Smith
Fall in love with Aly & AJ all over again
If you grew up in the era when the Disney Channel made its actors into teen pop sensations and want to relive that time, then hit the Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom for a night with sibling duo Aly & AJ. The California-raised sisters are touring behind their latest record, "With Love From," and will perform new cuts alongside big hits like “Potential Break-Up Song” on Saturday. For information on ticket availability, look here.
– Precious Fondren
Calvin Leon Smith, Nikki Crawford, Billy Eugene Jones, Benja Kay Thomas, Adrianna Mitchell and Marcel Spears perform in "Fat Ham," now open on Broadway.
Joan Marcus
Catch a tasty remix of a Shakespeare classic on Broadway
The Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fat Ham" opened on Broadway last week to rave reviews, after a successful run last year downtown at the Public Theater, a collaboration with National Black Theater. This modern "Hamlet"-flavored take on a son avenging his father's death is set at a Southern backyard cookout, complete with potato salad, a cooler of beer, karaoke and charades. Earlier this week we spoke with Marcel Spears, who plays the queer Black college student Juicy, and Nikki Crawford, who plays his mother. "Fat Ham" is running at American Airlines Theatre through June 25; find out more here.
– Alison Stewart, "All of It"
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new york city
nyc events
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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