The weekly edit
One pick for every night.
Two more for the weekend daylight.
September 28–October 4, 2026
September gives way to October with a week of close encounters: an ambient duo in Red Hook, a quartet in the Village, dancers at CPR and San Francisco’s past reassembled on screen. The weekend opens up to glass, family history, Arabic music and shipboard singing, before a puzzle-maker explains her tricks.
Updated September 28 · All times New York
Monday night
Sep 28
PastStart the week by slowing it down. Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O’Halloran bring their piano, strings and electronics to Pioneer Works for the first of two nights, with Pan•American opening. The scale of the Main Hall suits music that asks you to follow small changes over long stretches; give it an uninterrupted Monday.
Doors at 7 p.m.; music at 8 p.m. General admission, standing room only.
Tuesday night
Sep 29
PastImmanuel Wilkins begins a six-night Vanguard run with pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Ryoma Takenaga and drummer Kweku Sumbry. Take the early set and settle into the quartet’s exchange between saxophone and rhythm section. A Tuesday in this small basement is a good invitation to put the phone away and hear four musicians think together.
First set at 8 p.m.; seating begins at 7. One-drink minimum in addition to admission.
Wednesday night
Sep 30
TodayBrooklyn’s queer performance collective PVMNT joins choreography, original artwork and ambient music in a new presentation at CPR. Chriss Kinsey develops the movement with a six-person cast, with music credited to Rabit. Come for the meeting of dance and visual art, then stay for the reception to let the performance become a conversation.
Doors at 7 p.m.; performance at 7:30. General admission $35; artist tickets $25, including fees.
Thursday night
Oct 1
Rick Prelinger assembles 300 clips from 128 years of San Francisco footage, then invites the audience to help make a live soundtrack. Stay for Prelinger’s Q&A with Mackenzie Lukenbill and watch the city’s visual memory take shape in the room.
7 p.m. screening with a post-film Q&A with Rick Prelinger, moderated by Mackenzie Lukenbill.
Friday night
Oct 2
Watch glass take shape before heading out for the rest of Friday. UrbanGlass’s puppetry-themed open studio features Ari Eshoo, Daiqi Cui, Roxana De Leon and Lucky Kernan, with demonstrations and a sale of locally made glassware and jewelry. It is a chance to see the teamwork behind the finished objects, with no admission charge.
Free, 6–8 p.m., at 647 Fulton Street. Optional $10 tickets support the program.
Saturday day
Oct 3
At eighteen, Yuchen Ye learned that a great-grandfather had directed twenty-one films in 1930s China. In this solo performance, Ye searches the fragments of that hidden history for an answer to a present-tense question: why keep making art? Choose the afternoon show for a family investigation that unfolds onstage rather than onscreen.
Choose the 3 p.m. performance; there is also a separate 9:30 p.m. show.
Saturday night
Oct 3
The qanun takes the lead at Roulette as Firas Zreik brings Tarabesque into an ensemble with saxophone, nay flute, guitar, bass and percussion. His approach connects Arabic melodic modes with jazz instrumentation. Make Saturday an evening of close listening to a plucked instrument carrying both the rhythmic drive and the tune.
Doors at 7 p.m.; concert at 8. Listed admission: $35 advance, $40 at the door.
Sunday day
Oct 4
Board the 1885 tall ship Wavertree for an afternoon of maritime work songs and ballads. The Seaport Museum’s round-robin welcomes a song from anyone who wants to lead, while joining the chorus—or simply listening—is equally welcome. This is an unusually companionable way to spend two hours at the waterfront before the colder-weather move indoors.
Free, 2–4 p.m., aboard Wavertree at Pier 16. Preregistration encouraged; boarding involves stairs and a gangway.
Sunday night
Oct 4
If Connections has become a daily group-chat argument, take those feelings to Caveat. Comedian Negin Farsad interviews New York Times puzzle editor Wyna Liu about making the game and what makes a puzzle work, with Brielle DeMirjian hosting. End the week by hearing from the person constructing those deceptively innocent sets of words.