Ten curated Scope NYC picks for Tuesday, May 12.
A Karma Gallery conversation with Jeremy Frey and Thom Collins gives the early evening a sharper art-world starting point than another passive exhibition stop.
Steve Nelson in the Smalls early set is a serious straight-ahead jazz option that does not require staying out past midnight.
Firelei Báez opening on West 22nd is one of the clearer Chelsea anchors, with enough scale and specificity to justify the stop.
Anton Kern is a useful second art stop tonight, and Lin May Saeed keeps the Chelsea circuit from feeling too predictable.
Annie Baker at McNally Jackson is an easy yes for theater-and-books people, especially in the Seaport store’s more intimate event mode.
Flea at Webster Hall gives the night a bigger music headline without defaulting to the most obvious arena-scale option.
BAM giving this political essay-film a prime-time slot makes it the film pick that earns space beside the live options.
Failure at LPR should pull a more committed heavy-alt crowd than the average Tuesday club bill.
Dave Douglas leading a Vanguard quintet is the most reliable late anchor here: serious players, historic basement, no filler.
C'mon Everybody gives Manaqueen the right kind of room: performance-forward, queer-adjacent, and not trying to sand off the edges.