Week of May 12
Teensy spaces and giant sounds 🗽
From teensy (the elevator-sized Mmuseumm, reopening Friday) to giant (the sound of New York’s YHWH Nailgun at Elsewhere, also Friday), this week dishes up extraordinary New Yorky happenings. Let’s get right into it.
🆓 = costs $0, 🎨 = art, 🎼 = music, 🎬 = film, 📚= books, 🌳 = nature, 🎭 = performance, 🧠 = extra smart people, 🍸 = drinks available, 🦩 = party/friendly vibe, 🗽= extra New Yorky
🔑 Click the venue link under each listing for full event details.
Monday, May 12
Book Launch: Warhol's Muses: The Artists, Misfits, and Superstars Destroyed by the Factory Fame Machine by Laurence Leamer in conversation with Eric Shiner at Rizzoli Books (Nomad), 5:30p doors, 6p talk 🆓 📚🗽
In conjunction with the exhibition, “Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity,” Neue Galerie presents Everyday Echoes: Iconic Films of the Neue Sachlichkeit, a series of films from the period. Tonight’s Filmbar screening: Jugend ohne Gott / Godless Youth at Neue Galerie’s Café Fledermaus (Upper East Side), 6:30p 🎬 🍸
A Celebration of Martin Amis: Lorrie Moore, Jeffrey Eugenides, Jennifer Egan, Daniel Kehlmann, Salman Rushdie, James Wood, Aatish Taseer, and others presented by the 92nd St Y (Upper East Side and online), 7p 📚
Tuesday, May 13
Last day of TEFAF New York at the Park Avenue Armory (Upper East Side) 🎨
Midweek Meditation at the New York Society of Ethical Culture (Online), 5-5:30p 🆓
Opening reception for Brad Kahlhamer’s Bowery Nation: Birds Are Talking at Venus Over Manhattan (East Village), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
McNally Jackson’s Preservation of Record fest presents The Past is Never Dead with Michael Luo, Jelani Cobb and Geraldo Cadava, moderated by David Remnick at McNally Jackson (South Street Seaport), 6:30p 📚 🧠 🍸
Christine Smallwood talks with the brilliant Lynne Tillman about Tillman’s new book of stories called Thrilled to Death at 192 Books (Chelsea and online), 7p 🆓 📚
Wednesday, May 14
McNally Jackson’s Preservation of Record fest featuring Lincoln Michel on Metallic Realms in conversation with Helen Phillips, Chloe Cooper Jones and Kevin Nguyen
As part of McNally Jackson’s recently launched festival, we get a night of smart people talking about new books. This is mostly a plug for Friend of the List Kevin Nguyen’s latest novel, Mỹ Documents, which we polished off on a plane this weekend and it’s just so important and funny. Get a copy! Also, Chloé Cooper Jones’ memoir Easy Beauty is one of our all-time favorites. Who could imagine a better panel?
McNally Jackson, South Street Seaport
Wed at 6:30p 📚 🧠 🍸
Other Wednesday events, briefly noted:
Lecture: Medieval Media Studies: Dreams and the Digital Imaginary by Dr. Alison Griffiths in conjunction with Mishkin Gallery’s current exhibition Visible Communication at Mishkin Gallery at Baruch College (Gramercy Park), 6p 🆓 🧠 🎨
Artist Chris “Daze” Ellis and filmmaker Charlie Ahearn talk about photographer Martin Wong’s legacy and the 80s Downtown Art Scene at the Museum of the City of New York (Upper East Side), 6:30-8p 🎨 🗽
Greenlight Books Presents: Ocean Vuong on his new novel The Emperor of Gladness with Alexander Chee at St. Joseph’s University 245 Clinton Ave (Clinton Hill), 7:30-9p 📚
The second installment of the Criterion Channel’s Craft of Acting series with Brian Cox in conversation with the great Isaac Butler at St. Ann’s Warehouse (Dumbo), 7:30p 🎭
Thursday, May 15
In Conversation: Robin F. Williams, Marilyn Minter, and Sarah Carpenter
We saw Marilyn Minter a few weeks ago at a party so chic we had no business being there. She was wearing a nametag that said “Marilyn Minter” which was funny to us. Of course this person is Marilyn—her auburn bob needs no introduction. Meanwhile, our nametag said nothing because the keeper of the guestlist forgot our name was supposed to be on it. We got in anyway; it helps to arrive at a party with one of downtown’s most charismatic art dealers. Besides, it feels great to be a nameless nobody every now and then.
We like Robin F. Williams’ work significantly more in paint than print, but you be the judge of that and let us know what you think about her current Pace Prints show, Night Shift. She and Marilyn will chat about it tonight in a conversation moderated by Pace’s master intaglio printer, Sarah Carpenter.
Pace Prints, Chelsea
Thurs from 5-6p 🆓 (rsvp required) 🎨
Other Thursday events, briefly noted:
Building the Metropolis: Architecture, Construction, and Labor in New York City, 1880–1935 book talk with scholar Alexander Wood at the New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn), 5:45p doors, 6p talk 📚 🧠 🗽
Opening reception for Alexis Ralaivao’s Éloge de l’ombre (In Praise of Shadows) at Kasmin (Chelsea), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Mark Whalen’s Night Lights at Harper’s Chelsea 534 (Chelsea), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
On the occasion of Spotlight: Jesse Mockrin, artist Jesse Mockrin chats with author Carmen Maria Machado moderated by FLAG Director Jonathan Rider at the FLAG Art Foundation (Chelsea), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Opening reception for Juan Uslé’s CIEN DIAS DE ABRILat Galerie Lelong (Chelsea), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Cabaret night: Ute Lemper with Vana Gierig at the Neue Galerie’s Café Sabarsky (Upper East Side), 7p 🎼 🎭 🍸
Secret Riso Club and Mexico City’s Zamme Projects talk about building community through design and art at Secret Riso Club (Bushwick), 7p 🎨 🦩
We Fix U: a new show hosted by Daily Show writers Dina Hashem and Matt Koff featuring stand-up comedy and unlicensed therapy from our friends at Union Hall (Park Slope), 10p 🎭 🍸
Friday, May 16
Opening day for the Mmuseumm
Tribeca’s most-bang-per-square-foot art space on Cortlandt Alley is back for 2025. The Mmuseumm is “a public service dedicated to exploring the modern world and the human condition” operating in what was once an elevator shaft. We can’t wait to see what they do this time around.
The Mmuseumm, Tribeca
Fri at 11a 🆓 🎨
A New Yorky evening of short experimental films at Paula Cooper
Paula Cooper gallery presents “an evening of short experimental films in conjunction with the exhibition Claes Oldenburg & Peter Moore: New York Streets & Signs” (the show is SO fun). Tonight features “five films [that] capture the city streets in the 1950s and 1960s, a source of inspiration for many artists including Oldenburg and Moore. The final film in the program, Stan VanDerBeek’s Snapshots of the City, shows Oldenburg's first Happening, performed at the Judson Memorial Church in 1960.”
Paula Cooper, Chelsea
Fri from 6:30-7:30p 🆓 🎨 🎬 🗽
YHWH Nailgun at Elsewhere
Days & Night’s top recommended band in 2025 (and the best reason to wear earplugs) is YHWH Nailgun. Their full-length album 45 Pounds is a revelation, a callback to the arty, weirdo hardcore bands we loved in our youth.
Consider the opening track, Penetrator—it serves a Spector-y wall of sound from a sharp, warped organ that bends time even as the frantic percussion moves it forward. Or track three: Pain Fountain, our favorite. It’s the track that comes closest to being a banger but, like the others, it resists any easy resolution. Just before the end, it sounds like the drum kit gets replaced by a giant sewing machine. It hurts to listen to. We love it. Then you have tracks like Animal Death Already Breathing, which rides atop a jazzy, 5/4 groove that swings as smooth as Brubeck’s Take Five. Or Ultra Shade (Beat My Blood Dog Down), which flirts with going off the rails in a wild ⅞ time—the ultimate alt time signature.
There’s so much going on across all ten extraordinary tracks.
We don’t understand what we’re hearing. Who are these instruments? What are the words? Do you call that singing? We don’t even know how you’re supposed to pronounce the band’s name, tbh. Who cares: we love the way these 21 minutes keep us guessing.
The band isn’t for everybody, but if you like things like metronomes, Xiu Xiu’s album Fabulous Muscles, or if you’re working on your tinnitus, join us at Elsewhere tonight for noise we wish we were capable of writing about.
Elsewhere, Bushwick
Fri from 7-10p 🎼 🍸
Other Friday events, briefly noted:
Opening night party for Available Works Book Fair at WSA/180 Maiden Lane (Financial District), 6-9p 🆓 🎭 🎨 (runs Sat & Sun 12-6p)
Opening reception for Lena Henke’s The City Transformed at Bortolami at 55 Walker (Tribeca), 6-8p 🆓 🎨🗽
Opening reception for All About 25, a group show celebrating James Cohan’s 25th anniversary at James Cohan at 52 Walker St (Tribeca), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Opening reception for Corita Kent’s love and a butterfly at two galleries: kaufmann repetto and Andrew Kreps (Tribeca), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
Opening reception for Jovencio de la Paz’s el lugar de los milagros / the place of miracles at PPOW’s 390 Broadway 2nd Floor space (Tribeca), 6-8p 🆓 🎨
San Cha presents Inebria Me at Performance Space (East Village), 7p 🎼 🎨 🎭
Saturday, May 17
Opening reception for General Conditions at Jack Shainman’s The School (Kinderhook, New York), 1-6p 🆓 🎨
San Cha presents Inebria Me at Performance Space (East Village), 7p 🎼 🎨 🎭
Sunday, May 18
Readings at Parkside featuring Lucy Sante
It’s not every Sunday you get to hear one of the year’s Pulitzer Prize finalists read a “mini-retrospctive” of work. The great Lucy Sante (author of I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition, among other bangers) reads from work she hasn’t performed in years, and you’d be an absolute fool to miss it.
Parkside Lounge, East Village
Sun from 4-6p 📚 🎭
Other Sunday events, briefly noted:
Last day of Available Works Book Fair at WSA/180 Maiden Lane (Financial District), 12-6p 🆓 🎭 🎨
2nd Annual Academy Records & Friends Record Fair at Union Pool (Williamsburg), 2-7p 🆓 🎼 🍸 🦩
Pop-Up Performances: Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra at the Brooklyn Museum (Crown Heights), 2p 🎼 🎨
San Cha presents Inebria Me at Performance Space (East Village), 7p 🎼 🎨 🎭
BREATHTURNING: An evening of performances by Jamieson Webster, Freya Powell, and A Dissonant Chorus in conjunction with the publication of Jamieson’s new book ON BREATHING: CARE IN A TIME OF CATASTROPHE at Earth at 49 Orchard Street (Lower East Side and online), 7p 📚 🎭 🎨
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