The Blankman List: Things to Do in NYC, August 2024

The Blankman List is a monthly curated list of things to do in New York City. It showcases the full range of what there is to do, for residents and tourists alike.

I especially seek out artistic and cultural events like concerts, plays, and art exhibits, along with anything that is high-quality, notable, and/or free. There is at least one event for every day of August 2024, and no borough or event type is off limits.

Seeing events past the first week requires a paid subscription. (All subscribers, however, will receive a free highlights post.)

Disclaimer: before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, location, cost, and description using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar and may change. I try to vet quality and describe accurately, but I may misjudge. All views are my own.

Thursday, August 1

• Hank Azaria & The EZ Street Band

  • Debut of Hank Azaria-led Bruce Springsteen tribute band performing “classics and deep cuts”; 8:30 pm (7:30 pm doors)

  • $35 advance / $45 day of

  • Le Poisson Rouge

  • 158 Bleecker St (NoHo, Manhattan)

• Cyborg Reading Group

  • Group discussion about readings on the ethics, social implications, and myths in reproductive science; 7–8:30 pm (6:30 pm doors)

  • $7 (includes refreshments)

  • Genspace NYC

  • 132 32nd St, Suite 108 (Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn)

• Chuck Chillout 40th Radio Anniversary Party

  • Outdoor celebration of 80s-era hip-hop MCs and DJs, hosted by DJ Chuck Chillout and including Ice-T, M.O.P., and many others; 6–9 pm; part of City Parks Foundation SummerStage 2024

  • Free

  • Crotona Park

  • 1700 Crotona Ave (Crotona Park, The Bronx)

Friday, August 2

• La Excelencia

  • Renowned salsa dura band that harkens back to sounds from the 1970s; 7 pm; part of Carnegie Hall Citywide

  • Free

  • Bryant Park

  • Between 40th & 42nd St and 5th & 6th Ave (Midtown, Manhattan)

• Aperitivo all’Italiana: A Happy Hour at Eataly

  • Traditional Italian aperitivo, where people share drinks and light bites in the evening; 6–7:30 pm

  • $45 (includes light bites and two drinks)

  • Eataly NYC Flatiron

  • 200 5th Ave (Flatiron District, Manhattan)

Saturday, August 3

• Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto: “The Pillars of Cumbia”

  • Traditional Colombian cumbia concert; 9 pm–4 am

  • $31 (mezzanine) or $15 (first floor); food and drink menu

  • Terraza 7

  • 40-19 Gleane St (Elmhurst, Queens)

• Broadway Barks

  • Pet adoption event hosted by Broadway stars Bernadette Peters and Sutton Foster showcasing animals available for adoption; 3–6:30 pm

  • Free entry

  • Shubert Alley

  • Between 44th St & 45th St / 7th Ave & 8th Ave (Times Square, Manhattan)

• Sarah Sherman

  • Comedy show featuring SNL alum Sarah Sherman; 7 pm (6 pm doors) & 9:30 pm (9 pm doors)

  • $42–$170

  • Gramercy Theatre

  • 127 E 23rd St (Gramercy, Manhattan)

• Queer Out: First Saturday Brooklyn

  • Casual social meetup focused on the LGBTQ+ community; 4–7 pm; part of Queer Out! Fun & Free Social Adventures

  • Free

  • Central Library

  • 10 Grand Army Plaza (Prospect Heights, Brooklyn)

Sunday, August 4

• Kara & Emma & Barbara & Miranda

  • Dramatic comedy play following the journeys of “four women whose major life crises collide on Christmas Eve”; 7 pm; Aug 2–17

  • $23–$54

  • The Tank

  • 312 W 36th St

• Masterworks Series: Beethoven, Haydn, Dvořák

  • Series of Classical- and Romantic-era piano trios performed on a floating steel barge; 4 pm

  • $35

  • Bargemusic

  • 1 Water St (Dumbo, Brooklyn)

Monday, August 5

• The Gorilla (1927)

  • Screening of the digitally restored 1927 silent film The Gorilla with live piano accompaniment; 7 pm; part of Silent Movie Week 2024

  • $14 adult / $12 senior / $10 student (cost is estimate; tickets not available until Jul 29)

  • The Museum of Modern Art [MoMA], floor T2/T1

  • 11 W 53rd St (Midtown, Manhattan)

Tuesday, August 6

• Captain Zuke: A New Glam Rock Musical

  • Off-Broadway 1970s glam rock-inspired musical theater with themes of queer identity and the price of fame; 9:30 pm (9 pm doors)

  • $25, plus two drink or one food item minimum

  • The Public Theater

  • 425 Lafayette St (NoHo, Manhattan)

Wednesday, August 7

• The Feels NY, Edition 34

  • “Mindful,” evidence-based singles mixer event; 6:30–9:30 pm

  • $96–$106 (includes drinks + light bites; use promo code “Blankman” for 20% off)

  • The Knife Factory

  • 347 Maujer St (East Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

• 16mm Film Screening: Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard

  • 16mm film screening of Billy Wilder’s 1950 classic film noir Sunset Boulevard; 5:30–7:30 pm; part of The Little Screen: 16mm Film at NYPL

  • Free

  • Seward Park Library

  • 192 E Broadway (Lower East Side, Manhattan)

• Piecemeal Puzzle: the Graph Reconstruction Problem

  • Public presentation on the classic math problem of graph reconstruction by IBM research scientist Rik Sengupta; 4 & 7 pm; part of Math Encounters

  • Free (registration required)

  • Museum of Mathematics

  • 11 E 26th St (Madison Square, Manhattan)