This week in NYC concerts: Nov 15-19

Kacey Musgraves, a $25 opera ticket, reggae star Buju Banton, Rosalia collaborator Ralphie Choo, and more!

Another week has flown by, and the concerts keep coming. This weekend Kacey Musgraves, who just picked up four GRAMMY nominations for her new album, brings her spectacular Deeper Well tour to Brooklyn; Rosalia’s latest collaborator Ralphie Choo performs at the intimate Mercury Lounge; La Bohème returns to the Metropolitan Opera with a fantastic cast (and yes, you can get $25 orchestra seats); and I even picked out a comedy show if you’re looking for something different.

If you know of an event you think I should post about, or missed something in this week’s post, please let me know. And if you went to one of these events I’d love to hear from you! Just shoot me an email or comment on this post.

Now for this week’s events:

Friday, November 15

Kacey Musgraves with Lord Huron and Nickelcreek | 7:30 pm
Barclays Center (620 Atlantic Ave, Prospect Heights)

Superstar Kacey Musgraves has dipped in and out of the country music scene with all its flaws, and for her latest album Deeper Well she’s returned to an acoustic, folk sound. I saw her perform this tour last month at Prudential Center and was immediately sold on the album. She made a stadium feel like a living room where she performed barefoot surround by moss. The woodsy, magical set was really impressive too. One more reason to go? Bluegrass icons Nickel Creek open. Tickets on VividSeats are relatively cheap, and will only go down close to the show. She also performs Saturday night, so keep an eye out and the price might be(come) right!

Saturday, November 16

La Bohème | 1 pm (Rush tickets available 9 am)
Metropolitan Opera (30 Lincoln Center Plaza, Upper West Side)

The Metropolitan Opera is expensive. But! They have $25 rush tickets that are right in orchestral seats. For this matinee, go to their rush page exactly at 9 am (to the second, if possible) and you’ll be able to grab a single or pair online. If it says sold out, keep refreshing the page for a bit and you might get lucky.

La Bohème is the most performed opera at the Metropolitan Opera for a reason. It’s a classic story (which the musical Rent is famously based off of) and the Franco Zefferelli production is a spectacle and a half. There’s a donkey on stage! A gorgeous snowfall. 250 artists on stage at once in one scene, and of course the lush music of Puccini. If you’re new to opera, this could be a good start. Even if you’re not, early reviews of this month’s cast are excellent. Just set an alarm for 8:58 am Saturday morning and try for those rush tickets to save yourself a few hundred bucks.

Free
Organ recital | 4 pm
Grace Church (802 Broadway, East Village)

Grace Church, just south of Union Square, has regularly scheduled organ recitals throughout the week for free. Saturdays at 4 pm you can walk in and hear a gorgeous 45 minutes of music in their beautiful space. I don’t know what the program is, but it shouldn’t matter. There’s something special about the sound of a full-sized organ with all its pipes coming washing over you in the acoustics of a church.

Brasstracks and Phony Ppl | 8 pm
Sony Hall (235 W 46th St, Theatre District)

Two feel-good, upbeat funky pop acts come together for a performance at Midtown’s Sony Hall. Brasstracks has taken home GRAMMYs for their collaborations with Chance the Rapper (“No Problems”) and Harry Styles (“Watermelon Sugar”). They frequently bring on J. Hoard as a vocalist, who’s always worth going to see perform in any circumstance. Brooklyn-based Phony Ppl open with their signature mix of hip-hop, jazz, and funk.

Sunday, November 17

Buju Banton | 8 pm
Barclays Center (620 Atlantic Ave, Prospect Heights)

One of the biggest reggae singers of our day comes to Brooklyn. With the borough being home to so many people from the Caribbean diaspora, demand is high and I wouldn’t count on tickets prices going down too much on VividSeats, but you never know. This is mainly an excuse to turn you onto his music.

Cisco Swank | 10 pm
Baby’s All Right (146 Broadway, Williamsburg)

Pianist, drummer, and rapper Cisco Swank brings his jazz-rap fusion to Baby’s All Right. Expect a live band made up of top-notch players and laid back, funky grooves on this late night Sunday show.

Monday, November 18

Comedy show
ONSIGHT with Sam Jay and Keith Johnson | 8 PM
Bell House (149 7th St., Gowanus)

Brooklyn comedy thrives in Gowanus. Sam Jay is a hilarious comedian, and this therapy session/comedy show at The Bell House with co-host Keith Johnson might be exactly what some of us need after getting through the election. Tickets are $25 online ($20 at the door, but this is likely to sell out). If you go, show up early because seating fills up quick at this venue.

Tuesday, November 19

Ralphie Choo | 9:30 pm
Mercury Lounge (217 E Houston St, Lower East Side)

When reading about this Spanish artist, that Rosalia just collaborated with for her latest single, I kept seeing the word “experimental” pop up. That’s not to say his music is inaccessible, but rather that it crosses many genres from from R&B to trap with elements of flamenco - all quite seamlessly. He cites Frank Ocean as an influence, and that’s probably a better way to picture this mix of sounds as heard on his debut album SUPERNOVA (2023). Catch him now, at the intimate Mercury Lounge, before he blows up. And get your tickets now, because his Baby’s All Right show the following night has been sold out for a minute. Tickets are $21.

Suggested donation $10
bigyuki x jharis yokley | 9 pm & 10:15 pm
LunÀtico (486 Halsey St, Bed-Stuy)

BIGYUKI is a synth god. He turns his instruments into a full band as if he were a DJ. Joined by Jharis Yokley on live drumset, this duo returns to Bed-Stuy’s bar LunÀtico on Tuesday turning the cozy bar, with its excellent menu, into a rave. Sets are at 9 at 10:15 pm. First-come-first-served, and admission is $10 suggested donation (bring cash!).