NYC Shortlist for Friday, May 1

Ten curated Scope NYC picks for Friday, May 1.

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Events

  1. Merryn Omotayo Alaka and Sam Fresquez: Your Birth is My Birth

    6:00 PM · Jane Lombard Gallery

    This Jane Lombard opening gives Friday's art lane a clean starting point before the bigger music decisions take over.

  2. NewDad, Freak Slug

    6:30 PM · Webster Hall

    NewDad and Freak Slug at Webster Hall is a sharp early indie bill with enough scale to feel like a proper Friday plan.

  3. Jen Shyu presents Fertile Land, Fertile Body

    7:00 PM · Jazz Gallery

    Jen Shyu at the Jazz Gallery is the kind of artist-led set that makes the venue feel less like a club and more like a lab.

  4. Dorian Wood: Canto de Todes Record Release Concert

    7:00 PM · Joe's Pub

    A Dorian Wood record-release concert at Joe's Pub should have the scale and intimacy that room is built for.

  5. Drugdealer, Sedona, Longplayer

    7:00 PM · Music Hall of Williamsburg

    Drugdealer at Music Hall is an easy Williamsburg anchor if you want the Friday music choice to feel loose but still dialed-in.

  6. Long Play Festival 2026: Blank For.ms with Jason Moran and Marcus Gilmore // Billy Hart Quartet // Chris Ryan Williams

    7:00 PM · Roulette, Brooklyn, NY

    Blank For.ms with Jason Moran, Marcus Gilmore, Billy Hart, and Chris Ryan Williams is the Long Play bill with the deepest musician pull.

  7. Joe Lovano Quartet

    8:00 PM · Village Vanguard, New York, NY

    Lovano at the Vanguard is still the jazz pick to beat, even against a packed first-Friday slate.

  8. Kali Malone's Does Spring Hide Its Joy featuring Lucy Railton & Stephen O’Malley

    8:00 PM · Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, NY

    Kali Malone with Lucy Railton and Stephen O'Malley at Pioneer Works is the heavy, immersive choice for the night.

  9. Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Yuja Wang, Piano and Director

    8:00 PM · Carnegie Hall

    Yuja Wang directing from the piano gives the Carnegie slot enough electricity to compete with the downtown calendar.

  10. OUR LAND (NUESTRA TIERRA) Sneak Preview Screening and Q&A with Filmmaker Lucrecia Martel

    8:10 PM · Film Forum

    A Lucrecia Martel Q&A at Film Forum is the film pick with real urgency, not just another strong title on a screen.