Caleb's Concert picks: May 8-14

Kendrick, Afro-Cuban jazz legend Chucho Valdés, an epic punk lineup (free), some Gospel royalty, Japanese Breakfast, and more!

Hi, It’s me again with your weekly dose of concerts to see in NYC. We got some heavy hitters coming to town the next few days: Afro-Cuban jazz legend Chucho Valdés celebrates the 50th anniversary of Irakere, his legendary band that changed the course of Latin music in the 1970s and 80s; Kendrick Lamar and SZA bring their Grand National Tour to MetLife Stadium for two nights, and indie pop darlings Japanese Breakfast perform four nights at the stunning Brooklyn Paramount. And some of Gospel’s best women performers are on an all-star lineup in the Bronx.

Plus, a free punk show at Tompkins Square Park; BAM Free Music continues their series with trans-African pop music; the brilliant Durand Bernarr comes to Warsaw (Brooklyn, not Poland) for two nights; R&B from Coco Jones; the young singer and rapper Audrey Nuna performs in Williamsburg; and it’s Eurovision week, so why not go see the competition’s highest scoring UK entrant, English singer Sam Ryder?

Thursday, May 8

Lollise x Lokobo | 7 pm
The Adam Space (BAMcafé) at BAM (30 Lafayette Ave, Downtown Brooklyn)

Trans-African pop by way of Brooklyn. This latest offering from BAM’s excellent free music series features the incredible Botswana-born Brooklynite singer Lollise with the dance band Loboko fronted by a Congolese guitar virtuoso.

It’s an awesome pairing, and great dance music with infectious energy.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA | 8 pm
MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

I don’t think you need to be told who Kendrick Lamar is. Especially after last year’s incredible run with “Not Like Us” blasting out of every stereo system in NYC last summer, the Super Bowl performance, the release of GNX, the… you get the point. His co-headlining tour with alternative R&B singer SZA makes its way to NYC this week, at the biggest stadium the region has to offer: MetLife in East Rutherford, NJ. Show up early, catch DJ Mustard’s set. (Note: this show repeats on Friday, same time, same place. And, always check re-sale tickets for these stadium shows. You’ll likely find stuff way below face value if you check last minute, or can navigate Reddit successfully without getting scammed)

Durand Bernarr | 8 pm
Warsaw (261 Driggs Ave, Greenpoint)

Progressive R&B/Neo-Soul, smooth vocals, funky beats, humor and charm is what Durand Bernarr brings to the table in spades. He’s the background vocalist for Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, The Internet, and more. This tour is in support of his recently released album BLOOM. Comedian Nore Davis and GAWD, also former background vocalists turned front women, open. (Note: This show repeats, same place and time, Friday night)

Chucho Valdés | 8 pm
Kupferberg Center (65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY)

This Afro-Cuban Jazz pianist is so important to the scene I remember writing a paper about him in college. What did that paper say? Can’t recall. But I can tell you that he helped revolutionize Latin jazz in the U.S. and across the world, and his group Irakere spawned the careers of musicians Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D’Rivera. I’d put him up there with the likes of Herbie Hancock in terms of what an influence he is, and the fact that he’s still touring the world is a gift. Go to Queens. It’ll be worth it.

Friday, May 9

Gospel Fest with Yolanda Adams, Shirley Ceaser, Dorinda Clark Cole and Karen Clark Sheard | 8 pm
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts (250 Bedford Park Blvd West, Bronx, NY)

Speaking of leaving Brooklyn to see legends, the Queen of Gospel Shirley Ceaser performs on this all-star line up at the Lehman Center in the Bronx. She shares the night with two of the Clark Sisters and Yolanda Adams, one of the genre’s best-selling artists of all time. This line up comes to Palladium Times Square for two shows on Saturday, but those tickets are way too expensive, so save yourself some money and enjoy the trip up north to catch Friday’s set.

Nala Sinephro at C2C Festival | 8 pm
Knockdown Center

Nala Sinephro is a jazz harpist who’s doing really cool stuff. Describing her as ambient might turn a lot of people off, but it’s not boring at all. The way she processes her harp and collaborates with some of the UK’s freshest jazz acts made her album Endlessness get a Best New Album nod from Pitchfork, and made a ton of the year-end lists. She’s on a line up of Italy’s C2C Festival, which is headlined by experimental producer Oneohtrix Point Never.

Saturday, May 10

Japanese Breakfast | 7 pm
Brooklyn Paramount (385 Flatbush Ave Ext, Downtown Brooklyn)

I confess, I haven’t listened to much from these indie darlings who have been around for over a decade. Still, they are quite beloved, performing four nights (Friday-Monday) at the beautiful Brooklyn Paramount, and some of those resale tickets aren’t priced too high!

Sunday, May 11

Show Brain Presents: Skorts, Tea Eater, Pons, Francie Moon, Bec Lauder and the Noise | 1:45 pm - 6 pm
Tompkins Square Park (E 7th St at Ave A, Alphabet City)

Even if my friend wasn’t in the headlining band for this show, it’s a no brainer to list. I can put my bias aside to say Skorts is a band you need to see stat. The “post-psych, dark wave disco influenced” band rocks very hard. Front woman Alli Walls has a operatically powerful voice that’s often joined in perfect harmonies by bassist Emma Welch. After sweeping Our Wicked Lady’s Battle the Bands competition last year, they’ve just continued to perform on bigger and bigger stages, and I’m sure they’re in excellent company for this line-up put on by Show Brain at Tompkins Square Park.

Monday, May 12

Sam Ryder | 8 pm
Bowery Ball (6 Delancey St, Bowery)

As I mentioned above, we’re coming up on the annual campy pop competition everyone loves to love and loves to hate: Eurovision Song Contest. I’ve started watching regularly the past few years. It’s fun to root for usually not great pop songs, but when it’s all relative, GOOOO FINLAND! Anyway, the UK’s 2022 entrant Sam Ryder is in town on Monday at the Bowery Ballroom. His song “Space Man” carried him to second place, as the highest scoring entrant from his country ever.

Tuesday, May 13

Audrey Nuna | 8 pm
Music Hall of Williamsburg (66 North 6th Street, Williamsburg)

Great singer. Great rapper. Infectious energy. Styles ranging from funk to jazz and everywhere in between. Been wanting to see her for a while now, and between her 2024 album TRENCH and this Tiny Desk, I am hyped for this concert.

Wednesday, May 14

Coco Jones | 8 pm
Brooklyn Paramount (385 Flatbush Ave Ext, Downtown Brooklyn)

Classic R&B from a GRAMMY-award winning breakout star.