Ten curated Scope NYC picks for Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
Allison Russell brings the Hour of Chaos tour to Irving Plaza, with doors at 6 p.m. and a 7 p.m. show. Her voice moves between folk, soul and the blues.
Van Alen Institute’s Public Art Party pairs an evening gathering with a conversation on “Future Shook,” exploring the forces shaping public space. The program runs 6–8:30 p.m.
Art historians Ananya Sikand and Rattanamol Singh Johal share research on Rummana Hussain and Nasreen Mohamedi at Asia Art Archive. The talk runs 6:30–8 p.m.; registration is requested.
BAM screens Ken Russell’s uncut 4K restoration of The Devils, his 1971 film about religious power and political corruption. The 6:45 p.m. screening runs 114 minutes.
The Courettes share Union Pool’s stage with the Dracu-Las and Todd-O-Phonic Todd for a 7 p.m. garage-rock bill.
Argentine songwriter Juana Molina brings her looping, finely layered songs to Le Poisson Rouge. Doors are at 6:30 p.m.; the show starts at 7:30.
Mfoniso Udofia’s new play follows a Black woman through encounters with her younger self and possible daughter as she reckons with art, ancestry and AI. The 7:30 p.m. performance is at Claire Tow Theater.
Fred Hersch leads a five-piece lineup with Tony Malaby, Ralph Alessi, Drew Gress and Joe Dyson at the Village Vanguard. Their Oct 20 engagement begins at 8 p.m.
Roulette hosts an 8 p.m. bill from Contemporaneous, Recap and Mantra, pairing adventurous new music with a premiere by Lila Meretzky and Estebanico’s new meta-opera.
The Tallest Man on Earth returns to Webster Hall for a 9 p.m. set, bringing Kristian Matsson’s intimate, guitar-led songs to the large East Village room.