NYC Concerts: May 30-June 5
Rakim, Fatboy Slim, Ledisi, Tank and the Bangas, Halluci Nation, Nikka Costa and more
Hello! I’m back. Sorry for not writing the past few weeks, life (weddings, birthdays, apartment hunting) has gotten in the way. But rest assured, if you haven’t been to a concert since the last newsletter, you can more than make up for it with the bounty of musical offerings the city has to offer this week.
And, summer is here at last. The free programming in all of the parks (Central, Prospect, and Bryant) and Lincoln Center will soon kick off, making this, and future newsletters longer than you might be used to. Too many names coming up to bother highlighting in this introduction, so I’ll cut to the chase with the list. Let me know if I missed anything or you have shows coming up. I’d also love to hear from you if you end up at one of the shows! What did you think?
Here’s to another great week of music,
Caleb
Friday, May 30
Fatboy Slim, 4 pm
Knockdown Center (52-19 Flushing Ave, Maspeth)
You know him from the 1998 classic “Rockafeller Skank.” On Friday, he takes over Knockdown Center in Queens. A really great space to dance. Reddit tells me his style is “big beat,” which makes a lot of sense if you skim through the elevator music set below. I’m not sure what time he’s on, as the set goes on for quite some time and there are supporting acts, but if you show up after work I bet you’ll still catch him and have a great night. And tickets are only $33 which feels quite good for someone as big as him!
Saturday, May 31
Rakim, 2-6 pm
Bushwick Collective Block Party (15 Scott Ave, Bushwick)
Free! I’ve been going to the Bushwick Collective block parties for a few summers now. They always get classic New York hip hop acts to headline, with plenty of surprise guest appearances. There’s a lot of great street food to top it off. This year’s headliner is Rakim, who’s is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Without getting too technical, part of the reason he gets that title is that he’s credited with helping bring hip hop out of the square rhyming schemes of the ‘70s and early ‘80s (think “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash or “Rapper’s Delight”) into a cadence that’s much more natural and virtuosic. Thankfully, he’s still with us, and regularly performs a free hometown show (or two, or three) every summer.
MIKE, 8 pm
Irving Plaza (17 Irving Pl, Union Square)
Speaking of New York legends, the 27-year old, fully independent rapper MIKE is quickly rising to the top of the ranks of NYC hip hop. Past collaborators include Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist. As the creator of the Young World festival at SummerStage he’s turned me onto some of my favorite artists (this year Roc Marciano and the Alchemist headline), and his live shows are incredible. The show’s sold out, but try Vivid Seats/Stub Hub/Seat Geek a couple hours before the show and you might be able to get reasonably priced resale tickets.
Karyn White, 8 pm
Sony Hall (235 W 46th St., Times Square)
“The Queen of New Jack Swing” is most famous for her 1988 song “Superwoman.” Just some great old school R&B by a class act at the mid-sized Sony Hall in Midtown.
Tinzo and Jojo, 10 pm
Brooklyn Steel (319 Frost St, Williamsburg)
My old roommate turned me onto this DJ duo for their intimate Book Club Radio sets. Their rules are simple: no phones, come for the music, face each other instead of the DJ, and dance your heart out. That much is clear in watching any of their sets. Seems like they’ve gotten quite big since those days, as they’re headlining a late night set at the 1,800 person capacity sized Brooklyn Steel.
Sunday, June 1
Ledisi & Marsha Ambrosius, 7 pm
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (1 Center St, Newark)
Two excellent R&B/Jazz/Neo Soul singers. All I can say is, expect top notch buttery vocals backed by a silky smooth band. I don’t send you to New Jersey for just anybody. Trust me on this. Opening for Ledisi is Marsha Ambrosius, who rose to fame as one half of the British Neo-Soul duo Floetry in the early ‘00s.
Monday, June 2
Nikka Costa, 8 pm
City Winery (25 11th Ave at Pier 57, Chelsea)
I was unfamiliar with this artist, but was immediately struck by the funky nu-disco tracks atop her Spotify profile. Plus this line in her bio puts her in excellent company: “Under the guidance of icons like Prince, Nikka flourished, touring alongside luminaries such as Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay, and Beck, and collaborating with esteemed artists like Mark Ronson, D'Angelo, and Femi Kuti.” She’s touring to support her first album after a six-year hiatus.
Here’s the lead single from the new project to give you a taste of what to expect:
Infinity Song, 8 & 10:30 pm
Blue Note Jazz Club (131 W 3rd St, Greenwich Village)
I’ve mentioned this soft rock quartet before, when they performed at the Apollo. Here they are again for two nights at the historic Blue Note jazz club. I’m really impressed by the tight harmonies of these siblings that are paired with breezy pop melodies. Shows are also on Tuesday at 8 & 10:30 pm.
Mourning [a] BLKstar, Fatboi Sharif, Yaz Lancaster, 8 pm
TV Eye (1647 Weirfield St, Ridgewood)
Experimental New Jersey rapper Fatboi Sharif caught my eye on this line up, but the headliner is the Afrofuturist collective Mourning [a] BLKstar. They’ve been around for 10 years and like all great artists who make an impact on the culture, their cross-genre sound (live vocals, soul, hip hop production) is both unique and something very special.
Cab Ellis, 9:30 pm
Mercury Lounge (217 E Houston St, Lower East Side)
NYC underground rock! My friend’s band Skorts opened for this 8-piece group at Bowery Ballroom a few months ago and I decided to stick around for the headliner to see what they were all about. The house was packed and the lead singer was a great performer. It felt like a return to the NYC indie rock days of yore that people can be so nostalgic for. This show is only $11, and the venue is small. I expect this late night Monday show to be raucous.
Tuesday, June 3
The Halluci Nation, 8 pm
The Rooftop at Elsewhere (599 Johnson Ave, Bushwick)
This Canadian electronic music duo from Six Nations, fka A Tribe Called Red, is probably most famous for their song “Electric Pow Wow.” I saw them last year and they gave a really incredible show. Elsewhere’s rooftop is a beautiful spot to witness these masters of the craft up close.
Wednesday, June 4
Marcus Miller / Tank and the Bangas, 6 pm
Summerstage (Rumsey Playfield, Central Park)
Free! NYC summers are the best. Nearly every day there’s a free concert (or more) with a world class artist. Summerstage in Central Park is one of the primary institutions making this possible. They kick off their season with bassist Marcus Miller, best known for his collaborations with Miles Davis on the classic acid jazz album Tutu (among others), Luther Vandross, and the classic Go-Go anthem from Spike Lee’s School Daze “Da Butt.” The range has no boundaries.
Opening for him is the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winners, Grammy-award winning Tank and the Bangas from New Orleans. I’ve seen them a few times now and they’re one of my favorite acts. Lead singer Tarriona "Tank" Ball has her roots in poetry, and while the lyrics in their songs are very powerful, it’s her quirky raps, singing, cross-genre performances, energy, and the live band complete with a horn section that makes the group’s shows so incredible.
Thursday, June 5
Yola, 8 pm
Webster Hall (125 E 11th St, East Village)
This British singer-songwriter broke out as an Americana artist in 2019. Since then, she’s been nominated for six Grammys, portrayed Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrman’s Elvis, starred on Broadway was Persephone in Hadestown, and pivoted her sound to a blend of progressive R&B and electronica with her latest EP. I love the new sound, and am excited to see what she does with it live.
Takaat, 7 pm
TV Eye (1647 Weirfield St, Ridgewood)
The rhythm section for Nigerian rock star Mdou Moctar have formed their own trio: “TAKAAT is sonic chaos, improvisation, freedom of exploration, and the punk styles of bands such as Fugazi and Unwound, all mixed together with the guitar music from the Sahel.”
Looking ahead at the following two weeks:
June 6: Doobie Brothers (Yacht Rock)
June 6: Lil Wayne (Hip Hop)
June 6: New York Philharmonic at Prospect Park (Classical) free
June 7: Sound, Sun, Pleasure w/ Quelle Chris and Duendita (Hip hop/Experimental) free
June 8: Bastid’s BBQ with Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Skratch Bastid (Hip Hop) free
June 10: Perfume Genius (Art pop)
June 11: Robert Glasper + Alain Perez (Jazz) free
June 13: Allison Ponthier (Indie folk)
June 14: The Aussie BBQ (Rock) free
June 14: Lettuce / Styles P (Hip Hop, funk) free
June 14: Phoneboy (Indie rock)
June 16: Paul Simon (Folk)
June 16: Warren G (Hip Hop)
June 17: Saba (Hip Hop)
June 17: The Baylor Project (Jazz)
June 18: Jazz Is Dead's Adrian Younge (Jazz) free