Fri, Nov 1

First Life – 7:00pm
Icons of Culture Festival

First Life is a dynamic hip-hop/jazz band formed in the heart of downtown Jersey City, New Jersey. The group features four talented members: Adam Lomeo on guitar, André Mayes on turntables, Emilio Guarino on bass, and Lateef Dameer on the MPC/drum machine. First Life emerged from a vibrant scene of performances and collaborations in record shops and local clubs, extending their reach from New Jersey to Brooklyn. Their unique blend of genres and exceptional musicianship has quickly set them apart in the hip-hop music scene.

Fri, Nov 1

Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 – 9:00pm
Icons of Culture Festival

Chinatown Records 華埠錄音 is a homegrown community effort to celebrate the music, memory, and history that comes with inherited family collections. Based in Manhattan Chinatown, artist and oral history educator YiuYiu 瑶瑶 is both DJ and researcher for the Chinatown Records archive, caring for and activating over 30 record/CD/tape collections inherited from her family and neighbors. Chinatown Records bridges generations of memories through music. With each beloved song and memory, Chinatown Records evolves as an ever-growing record of the people we love, who bring all this music back to life with us.

Photo: Cindy Linh

Sat, Nov 2

Nora Schell – 4:00pm
Icons of Culture Festival

Nora Schell is a Drama Desk, Drama League, and Clive Barnes Award nominated actor. Though they are primarily known for their theater career, they are just as passionate and dedicated to sharing their songwriting talents. Nora’s original music finds itself at the intersection of Y2K singer songwriter pop and early aughts pop punk, with faint echoes of 90’s grunge and riot grrrl influence…all funneled through the lens of Blackness.

Sat, Nov 2

Community Room with Elijah Amitin of Zopa – 7:00pm
Icons of Culture Festival

Community Room is the electronic synth project of Elijah Amitin, Combining elements of, disco, funk, soul, Latin, classic techno, and house with analog sound design, this native New Yorker aims to express the common heartbeat of the city through deep danceable grooves and lyrical melodies. Among his many projects, Amitin is also bass player and producer of the indie rock trio Zopa with Michael Imperioli and Olmo Tighe.

Photo: Danny Clinch

Sat, Nov 2

Kai, the Black Angel – 9:00pm
Icons of Culture Festival

Kai, the Black Angel is a New York City phenomenon. There’s nothing this person can’t take a grab at and dominate. There are so many people involved in the New York City nightlife, but only a select few can successfully stand out and let their talent speak for itself. Kai is one of them.

Thu, Nov 7

Benjamin Hightower – 5:30pm
33W Series

Benjamin Hightower is a U.S. Air Force veteran and emerging singer-songwriter in NYC. After leaving the military in November 2023, he settled in Brooklyn, where he began to craft his unique sound. His music delves into themes of religious deconstruction and sexuality, reflecting his personal experiences and growth. Benjamin’s songs blend earnest lyrics with melodic storytelling, inviting listeners to explore the complexities of life, religion, and identity. Benjamin was a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent Season 12 and has performed the national anthem at Madison Square Garden for various sporting events.

Thu, Nov 7

Sounds With Benefits: mai—lei + spase – 8:30pm
Oscillate

As an exploration into the soulful sides of dance music, Sounds With Benefits offer an intersection of B-sides and feel-good tunes that uplift, motivate movement, and bring much needed joy to the global airwaves. They achieve this through the constant work of digging for the most inspiring tunes in the range of jazz, funk, boogie, disco, house, and everywhere else that these worlds touch. With backgrounds in music production & DJing, all of the entities present in Sounds With Benefits offer a unique, yet overlapping perspective. 

Fri, Nov 8

Aya Aziz – 5:30pm
Old Songs, New Songs Series

Aya Aziz is a composer, playwright, and performer. She created the award-winning musical “Eh Dah? Questions for my Father” (Next Door at NYTW) a “musically adventurous” (NYTimes) story about belonging and immigration in the post 9/11 era. This year, she composed and music directed House of Telescopes (Pipeline Theater), danced in Gathering by Yaa Samar Dance Theater (The Shed), debuted her upcoming album Rapids at Joe’s Pub, and went back to school.

Sat, Nov 9

Malini & Ensemble – 2:00pm
Family Programming

Malini & Ensemble invite you on a journey through the vibrant world of Indian classical dance and music. The group presents Bharatanatyam dance and its sister art form, Carnatic music. The dance grew in the courts and temples of South India and combines percussive and rhythmic footwork with dynamic movement and intricate storytelling. Dancers use storytelling techniques including hand gestures and facial expressions to tell stories from Indian mythology. Join Malini & Ensemble for an introduction to the oral tradition, which is how classical arts in India are passed down from generation to generation.

Sat, Nov 9

Beau – 7:00pm
Annie O Presents at PAC NYC

Alt-pop duo Beau, comprised of Heather Goldin and Emma Jenney, are the amalgam of all that the artistic community has to offer. From punk rock to folk, to modern pop, Beau’s reputation for creating atmospheric and catchy songs is directly influenced by their eclectic upbringing in NYC’s art scene. Their music embodies the soul of the city’s musical history pumping through each note.

Thu, Nov 14

Theo Kandel – 5:30pm
33W Series

With bold, witty lyricism that brings you to that liminal space between laughter and tears, Theo Kandel has been described as “a modern-day James Taylor, albeit slightly scruffier and a good deal shorter. But maybe also sexier.” (Source pending.) Having amassed over 160k followers across social media and 8M+ worldwide streams, Theo continues to delight listeners young and old, leaving his own fingerpicking-saturated musical fingerprint as he goes. His debut album, Eating & Drinking & Being in Love, is expected to be released on Nettwerk Records this fall.

Thu, Nov 14

Escaflowne – 8:00pm
Oscillate

Escaflowne, an innovative electronic music producer and DJ based in Brooklyn with roots in the Bay Area and Austin, is renowned for his genre-defying approach. Seamlessly fusing elements of house, UK garage, techno, electro, jungle, and more, he’s a true multi-genre virtuoso. Escaflowne takes audiences on an exhilarating journey through the many diverse soundscapes of electronic music. His sets are a testament to his boundless creativity, seamlessly transitioning between tempos and moods, leaving dancefloors pulsating with energy and excitement.

Fri, Nov 15

Marco Foster – 5:30pm
Park Avenue Artists’ Spotlight

Marco Foster is a recording artist based in Brooklyn, New York, who has found a musical home reinventing classic songs of the past for a modern world. Having performed at venues as historic as Wembley Stadium and as intimate as the coffee shops of New York City, Marco’s extensive repertoire and dynamic ability in any setting has led to a career spanning over a decade. With his unique acoustic style, Marco has built a following of over 250,000 fans and amassed over 30 million streams on all platforms.

Sat, Nov 16

Mariella Price Quartet – 2:00pm
Family Programming

An interactive program of family friendly music from the Great American Songbook and more. Mariella Price is an award-winning songwriter and vocalist. She has been featured on Sesame Street seasons 40 and 41 and in Elmo’s Music Magic DVD, as well as the Grammy® nominated album Fu Chronicles. A genre-busting artist, Mariella is the founder of Jazz Baby Music, offering classes that combine her love of jazz standards, popular music, and multi-sensory play and is the co-creator and co-founder of the critically acclaimed, long running hip-hop jam session, Freestyle Mondays.

Sat, Nov 16

Stephan Said – 7:00pm
Annie O Presents at PAC NYC

Stephan Said is an internationally acclaimed musician, writer and activist, and the host/cofounder of borderless, a global movement, docuseries, and platform promoting a pop-culture revolution for a better world. His songs have helped build movements for social justice across the world. Billboard Magazine called him “this generation’s Woody Guthrie.” This performance will kick off Stephan’s expanding tour for global unity to the heart of a world in crisis, singing songs, bridging divides, and lifting voices at the frontlines of climate change, war, inequality, racism, natural disasters, and the refugee crisis.

Photo by Sam Erickson.

Wed, Nov 20

BMCC Live: Music Department – 3:00pm
Civic Alliances Series

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) is proud to present free performances from the college’s music as well as speech, communication, and theatre arts departments as part of our afternoon showcase series each month.

Thu, Nov 21

Break Out The Crazy – Katya Diaz and Chris Hierro – 5:30pm
¡OYEME! Music Series

Chris Hierro and Katya Diaz met while both were accompanying Alejandro Sanz on his 2021 tour. Their chemistry was undeniable, leading to the formation of the duo who went on to collaborate with notable Latin artists like Debi Nova, Andrea Echavarría, Andres Levin, Ceci Bastida, hit writer Claudia Brant, and Latin Grammy-winning producer/DJ Cruz, among others. Chris and Katya’s work can be heard on the soundtrack of the Netflix original series It’s Bruno and on Trinidad’s beloved Kes the Band’s Latin/Soca fusion turned Carnival hit Body Talk. They lent their voices to the hit Lejos de Ti, serving as the backdrop to the climactic scene of the 2018 remake of the classic Hollywood film Overboard.

Thu, Nov 21

Pontchartrain – 8:30pm
Oscillate

Pontchartrain is a Harlem-based producer, DJ, mix-engineer, and label manager. Originally from Detroit, his musical career spans over 15 years and has earned him top spots on an array of charts, dozens of releases, many more technical credits on labels such as Razor-N-Tape, Soul Clap Records, Planet E and others. Recently he has taken a lead role of the prolific disco edits label, Whiskey Disco, and subsidiary house label, Lovedancing. He has garnered several number one chart releases on sites like Juno in multiple genres, as well as recommended catalogs by stores such as Phonica and Rush Hour.

Fri, Nov 22

Ken James Kubota – 5:30pm
Park Avenue Artists’ Spotlight

Celebrated by The New York Times for his “dynamic” and “polished” musicianship, Ken James Kubota has also gained widespread recognition as a social media content creator with over 7 million views on his YouTube channel. Kubota is the founder and producer of JHMJams, an online video series featuring pop covers performed by classical and jazz musicians. Known for pioneering a unique style of strumming the cello like a guitar, Kubota continues to push the boundaries of music and engage audiences worldwide. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School with both B.M. and M.M. degrees.

Sat, Nov 23

Yacouba Sissoko – 2:00pm
Family Programming

Master kora player Yacouba Sissoko devotes his musical gift to expand the awareness of West African history and culture, spread the word of peace, and empower his listeners to take charge and realize their imagined futures. His performances have a magical effect on audiences as he skillfully transforms traditional songs and stories that he learned from his forefathers into modern day messages of peace, love, and harmony. Yacouba continues to blend his virtuosity effortlessly with other musical styles, whether in Indian ragas or Appalachian tunes. He regularly provides workshops and presentations to primary school and university students.

Sat, Nov 23

Finding Thomas – 7:00pm
Annie O Presents at PAC NYC

Finding Thomas is a guitar driven rock band that plays with melodic riffs and classic themes. The combination of poetic lyrics and distorted chaos makes for a vibrant and powerful live show. Thomas is a native New Yorker and the band plays in various downtown venues all year long, to a loyal following. Finding Thomas writes about everything involved in life and love, but mostly love. With some songs about heartbreak and others about unexpected life events, you never know what to expect when attending one of their shows.