The Blankman List: Things to Do in NYC, May 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 May 2024, and no borough or event type is off limits.

Seeing events past the first week requires a paid subscription. All subscribers 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.

Wednesday, May 1

• Belle & Sebastian

  • Scottish indie pop concert (Belle & Sebastian website); 8 pm (7 pm doors)

  • $113

  • Brooklyn Paramount

  • 385 Flatbush Ave (Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

• I Stood My Ground Closing Reception

  • Closing reception for art exhibition on overlooked historical stories told through different materials; 6–8 pm (gallery open 12–6 pm)

  • Free

  • Longwood Art Gallery, Hostos Community College

  • 450 Grand Concourse, Room C-190 (South Bronx, The Bronx)

Thursday, May 2

• The Fairy Queen

  • University performance of Henry Purcell’s 17th-century semi-opera based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; 7:30 pm; May 2 & 3

  • $15 adult / $10 student/senior

  • The Riverside Theatre, Manhattan School of Music

  • 91 Claremont Ave (Morningside Heights, Manhattan)

• Nikkei Twist Tasting Menu

  • Five-course tasting menu with wine pairing curated by chef Will Ono; 7–10 pm

  • $195

  • The One Manhattan Square Chef’s Kitchen

  • 225 Cherry St (Lower East Side, Manhattan)

Friday, May 3

• Free First Friday at the Noguchi Museum

  • Museum showcasing a collection of works by category-defying artist Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988); 11 am–6 pm

  • Free

  • The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum

  • 9-01 33rd Rd (Astoria, Queens)

• Whiskey Tasting Class

  • Guided tasting through a flight of five whiskeys; 7–8 pm; every Friday

  • $35 (includes whiskey)

  • Kings County Distillery

  • 299 Sands St (Downtown Brooklyn)

• Evil Does Not Exist

  • Screening of 2023 Japanese drama film that “provocatively considers the kind of responsibility we bear” toward others, followed by Q&A with filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (trailer); 8:30 pm

  • $17

  • Film Forum

  • 209 W Houston St (Greenwich Village, Manhattan)

Saturday, May 4

• Libraries & Riots: An East Village Walking Tour

  • Walking tour on the history, landmarks, and libraries of the East Village; 11:30 am–12:45 pm; part of Jane’s Walk NYC

  • Free

  • Meet at the Ottendorfer Library

  • 135 2nd Ave (East Village, Manhattan)

• Dead on a Sunday, The Funeral Portrait, Nite

  • Dark-wave hardcore concert (Dead on a Sunday Spotify); 6 pm

  • $25

  • The Kingsland

  • 269 Norman Ave (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)

• Kamasi Washington

  • Saxophone-based jazz concert (Kamasi Washington Spotify); 8 pm (7 pm doors)

  • $64–$268+

  • Beacon Theatre

  • 2124 Broadway (Upper West Side, Manhattan)

Sunday, May 5

• Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical

  • Off-off-Broadway performance of the musical based on the Roald Dahl story about a telekinetic five-year-old girl; 7:30 pm; May 4–19

  • $35 adult / $30 senior

  • Gallery Players

  • 199 14th St (Park Slope, Brooklyn)

• O Blind World (O Ciecho Mondo!): Medieval Love, Politics & Salvation

  • Concert of late medieval music showcasing a time when courts “saw erotic passion intermingle with political intrigue”; 4 pm

  • $5–$60, depending on seating and category

  • Corpus Christi Church

  • 529 W 121st St (Morningside Heights, Manhattan)

Monday, May 6

• Alastair Macaulay on Balanchine Rarities

  • Screening of “lost” and rare films of George Balanchine ballets; 6–7:30 pm

  • Free (registration required)

  • New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium

  • 111 Amsterdam Ave (Lincoln Square, Manhattan)

Tuesday, May 7

• Charlotte Mundy: Strange Moving Power

  • Contemporary classical works for voice and electronics (Charlotte Mundy website); 7–8:30 pm

  • Free

  • Americas Society/Council of the Americas

  • 680 Park Ave (Upper East Side, Manhattan)