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Fri 15
Under the Radar Festival Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater; various times; $25
Some of the wildest and weirdest new theater productions and performances from around the world are convening at Joe’s Pub for this 12-day showcase. Check out hypnotizing, hour-long pieces like The Art Of Luv (Part 1): Elliot by the gilded multimedia artists of the Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble, a concert reimagining of the 1922 film Nanook of the North by vocal powerhouse Tanya Tagaq, music and poetry from trans South Asian performance duo DarkMatter and more before the artists return to their homes across the globe.
Winter Jazzfest 2016 at various locations; 5pm; prices vary
WJF, a perennial highlight of NYC's annual jazz calendar, hosts its signature Greenwich Village marathon on Friday 15 and Saturday 16, preceded by two kick-off events—Dutch jazz-punk outfit the Ex on January 13 and the Jazz Legends for Disability Pride benefit on January 14—and one encore gig with sax quartet Rova. A previously scheduled show with jazz-funk ensemble leader Kamasi Washington at Webster Hall has been postponed until February 24.
New York Jewish Film Festival Walter Reade Theater (at Lincoln Center); noon; $14
Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Jewish Museum have teamed up for the 25th edition of this enormous festival event, which features screenings of noteworthy new pics like Natalie Portman's writing/directing debut A Tale of Love And Darkness and Joey Kuhn's intimate romance Those People, along with retrospectives of classics like Welcome to the Dollhouse, featuring director Todd Solondz and more. With up to five screening per day, this jam-packed fest makes it worth it to play hooky and skip out to the movies
Monster Energy Buck Off Madison Square Garden; 8pm; $25–$30
Hold your breath and hang on tight for those fateful eight seconds as some of the country's most fearless bull riders take on their horned opponents in rodeo-styled rides. It may be an MSG show, but that doesn't mean the mud won't fly.
Vogue Knitting Live Marriott Marquis Hotel; 9am; Various prices
Times Square, the obvious place to take your interests to an almost unhealthy extreme, becomes a veritable temple to knitting for a full weekend during Vogue Knitting LIVE! Craft nuts can shop for patterns, hooks, needles and every kind of yarn (care for some bison or possum fiber?) at an international marketplace or check out dozens of classes and lectures catering to all levels of stitching mastery such as "Sweaters, Deconstructed" and "Crazy Cool Cables."
Sat 16
The 2016 Zlatne Uste Golden Festival The Grand Prospect Hall; 6pm; $35
More than 60 bands gather in Brooklyn to celebrate the musical traditions of the Balkans (including Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Roman cultures) with an annual all-night blowout. Get down to Transylvanian folk jams and bangin’ Bulgarian horns as old-school and experimental acts take the stage. If the circle dancing makes your head spin, shop for Turkish paper arts and taste free goodies at the market. Don’t underestimate the old-timers, lest ye be outdanced.
Hooking Up with the Second City New Jersey Performing Arts Center; 3pm; $20–$45
The beloved Chicago sketch-comedy group and superstar incubator (veterans include Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert and more) attacks Tinder, one-night stands gone horribly wrong and all the hilarious woes of modern romance in their new touring act. If you want to brag to your friends about seeing the next big SNL breakout before he or she gets famous, now's your chance.
Pups 'N Coffee Winter Pupplyland The Salty Paw; noon; Free–$11.24
Prepare yourself for an abundance of caffeine and cuteness overload at this open-to-the-public fundraiser benefiting the dogs of the Humane Society of New York. Stop by to shop, play with the pups and take home a new (slightly hairier) best friend while warming up with a cup of Gregory’s coffee. A suggested VIP ticket ($11.24) gets you automatic raffle to win prizes like a free vacation and loot from various java and pet establishments in the nabe.
Crazy Since Da 90s Union Hall; 10pm; Free before 11pm with R.S.V.P, $5 after
Can we kick it? Yes we can! Get in free before 11pm to this house party taking you back to the sweet days of DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mariah Carey with $7 gin-and-juice specials all night long.
Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival Village East Theatre; 6pm; Free–$65
This fest is dedicated to flicks inspired by the pioneering sci-fi writer, who authored iconic works like The Man In the High Castle and Do Androids Dream of Anatomic Sheep? Check out shorts and feature films that deal with time travel, artificial intelligence, morality and beyond at this packed fan fest, which features a panel discussion on Amazon's new The Man In the High Castle series and screenings of films including Sympathy For the Devil: The True Story of the Process Church of the Final Judgment.
Sun 17
Wasabassco’s Pajama Party The Bell House; 8pm; General Admission $20, VIP $35
The bad girls and boys of the Wasabassco burlesque troop unzip their sleeping bags and unleash a wild night of slumber party revelry, with pillow fights, scantily clad games and other tongue-and-cheek high jinks.
Winter Flea + Smorgasburg at Industry City; 10am; Free
When the weather gets really cold, this alfresco flea is held indoors for warmth. Don’t fret—apart from a new location in Sunset Park and an enclosed shopping space, not too much has changed. The market still hosts more than 100 vendors, including popular eateries from Smorgasburg. Remember, this is among the most visited fleas in the city, so arrive before noon to fulfill your vintage dreams.
Coil at various locations; 2pm; prices vary
This is the last Coil before P.S. 122 regains its East Village home, so events will be all over the city. The fest skews political (including Chris Thorpe’s solo about extremism, Confirmation) and musical, with sound works by Ranters Theatre, Samita Sinha and Annie Dorsen. The best bet is the remount of David Neumann’s ravishing, hilarious I Understand Everything Better, though we’re also curious about new works by artists we know better as performers: Frank Boyd (The Holler Sessions) and Kaneza Schaal (Go Forth).
globalFEST2016 Webster Hall; 7pm; $45
This übercosmopolitan music event will likely be your only chance to hear Brazilian Afrobeat, Hawaiian swing, Pakistani Sufi music and a host of other genre-spanning international genres in one night. The bash features a dozen musicians across three stages in Webster Hall. Represented locales range from Ukraine to New Orleans; acts include NYC/Paris electro pop hybrid Ginkgoa, Haitian groove collective Lakou Mizik and Afrobeat goddess Somi.
Race and Privilege: Exploring MLK’s Two Americas Apollo Theater; 3pm; Free with R.S.V.P.
WNYC and Apollo Theater celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with a panel discussion about the legacies of the civil rights leader and of the systemic racism he sought to erase. Brian Lehrer and Jami Floyd will lead the conversation, with performances by Daniel Bernard Roumain with Special Guests Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Emeline Michel.