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Mon 29
The Camaraderie January Cocktail Party The Loft in Flatiron; 6:30pm; Free for members, $25
The Camaraderie—an empowering women's group in NYC—is hosting another uplifting bash equipped with free rosé, poems by the Haiku Guys + Gals and an inspirational chat with co-founder Renata Black of EBY—a new underwear brand created by Black and Sofia Vergara. You're bound to leave having made multiple new friends, plus you get a goodie bag on your way out. Win!
Shanghai Mermaid at various locations; 9pm; $25–$30
Return to the Paris of the Jazz age at this Shanghai Express-themed party, featuring live bands, decadent burlesque and plenty of champagne. Location disclosed with R.S.V.P.
Kevin Smith Kirkwood: Classic Whitney—Alive! Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater; 9:30pm; $25 plus $12 minimum
On a night off from his ensemble role in Broadway's Kinky Boots, Kirkwood takes center stage as Whitney Houston in a show that impressively re-creates the doomed diva's greatest hits and concert banter.
We Are Thomasse Peoples Improv Theater; 9:30pm; $8
We Are Thomasse, the British-American duo that's been compared to both Monty Python and Key & Peele, serves up sharp wit and lightning-quick sketch comedy—over two dozen sketches in 45 minutes!—at its cheeky show.
Tue 30
Winter Carnival at Bryant Park; 5pm; free
At the always-festive Winter Carnival at Bryant Park, you can take free curling lessons, drink hot chocolate and enjoy some of the best seasonal ales at the Outdoor Winter Brew House. There's special skate performances including a strong lineup of entertainment, including a silent disco. Dine on mouthwatering fare from local vendors and play some board games once the post-skate exhaustion sets in. Another draw: Step inside a life-size ice castle!
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble Le Poisson Rouge; 8pm; $15–$25
Drummer-composer John Hollenbeck leads his glorious new-jazz orchestra—like a turbocharged version of his proggy, minimalism-infused Claudia Quintet—celebrating its new album, All Can Work.
Audio Visual UCBEast; 9pm; $9
Real-life couple and very funny duo Lisa Kleinman and Casey Jost wheel in the old AV projector for an unhinged series of hilarious multimedia sets, stand-up, character acts and beyond from their most charming buddies.
Orfeh and Andy Karl: Legally Bound Feinstein’s/54 Below; 7pm; $70–$90 plus $25 minimum
One of musical theater's royal couples—power belter and blue-eyed-soul recording artist Orfeh (soon to be seen in Pretty Woman) and her charming husband, Rocky dreamboat Andy Karl (most recently of Groundhog Day)—share some of their love.
Golden Spiral Comedy Dream Baby; 8pm; free
A dynamite pairing, Katie Compa and Mindy Raf come together every month and invite top comics to share the stage at this free East Village gig. For their first show of 2018, they bring Khalid Rahmaan, Myka Fox, Alexis Guerreros and more to Dream Baby.
Wed 31
The Juice Union Pool; 7:30pm; $5, at the door $7
Host Carmen Christopher and DJ Kerry Lacy gather their favorite stand-up, sketch and improv performers at Union Pool for an anything-goes night of shenanigans. This month’s lineup includes some of the city's most daring, deranged acts: Sandy Honig and Peter Smith, Conner O'Malley, Joe Pera, Rachel Joravsky and Rachel Pegram, John Reynolds, Maya Sharma, Annie Donley, John Thibodeaux, Kady Ashcraft and Joey Dundale.
Hot Box Comedy et al; 8pm; free
The mercilessly funny buddies and Unofficial Expert podcast cohosts Marie Faustin and Sydnee Washington take over the charming new LES cocktail bar et al. for a night of dope comedy to start their year of conquest. They welcome their very funny friends Shalewa Sharpe, Mo Fry Pasic, Nathan Macintosh and Rob Haze. Show up looking sharp, or these two will read you to filth.
Dragon Sorcery New York Comedy Club; 7pm; $25, with promo DRAGON $10
Healer, comedian and tarot reader Kate Wolff welcomes stand-up buddies onstage to share their personal woes and receive very funny (and very real) advice, spiritual guidance and card-based direction. This month, the Invasion of Privacy podcast host welcomes Chris Scopo, Kyle Ocasio, Katie Barbaro and Ritu Chandra to consult with the oracles.
Ja Rule B.B. King Blues Club & Grill; 8pm; $30–$81
Flashback to 2002! Ja Rule's heartfelt collaboration tracks with Murder Inc labelmate Ashanti cemented the duo's legacy as legends of the early aughts. The two joined forces last year for a comeback tour, which returns to the area Mar 2 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center—but to kick off the New Year, the gruff-voiced Queensbridge rapper steps out on his own for an intimate Times Square gig.
Thu 1
Losers Lounge: Tribute to Barbra Streisand Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater; 7pm, 9:30pm; $30
The celebrated, stalwart NYC covers act turns its collective hand to the oeuvre of the one and only Barbra Streisand. Thanks to her last studio album, Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, Streisand is the only artist in history to have Billboard chart–topping records in six separate decades, so the Losers will have no shortage of material to work with.
Filthy Pony House of Yes; 7pm; $25, VIP $30
2017 National Pole Dancing Champion Blaine Petrovia invites his most talented, twisted and fully flexible friends to show off their skills at this fabulously debauched night of high-flying sexy shenanigans. Get down to pole dancing, aerial wonders and outrageous contortion by Amber Ray, Vic Sin, Alisa Mae, Medea, Carmine Black and many more.
“Loud Eyes” by Elizabeth Scholnick C.A.N.V.A.S Gallery; 6pm; free
C.A.N.V.A.S (a new-ish art gallery in Dumbo) is showcasing the work of local, up-and-coming talent in New York. This week, view East Village photographer Elizabeth Scholnick's eye-opening images captured during protests against Trump before and after his inauguration.
No Such Thing as Love Q.E.D.; 7:30pm; $7
When it comes to love, Claire Burns and Jessie Jolles have had it. At this delightful monthly show, they invite their funniest single pals to share tales of dating woe. For this special Valentine's edition, they go all out with an onstage blind double-date, with assistance from X-Mayo. This should be good.
MOIST The Creek and the Cave; 10pm; free
All hail Abby Feldman, the intrepid stand-up who doles out advice from her bathtub on her addicting podcast and video series MOIST. She brings the tub to the Creek and the Cave stage, where she asks Mark Normand, Julia Shiplett, Sarah Hartshorne and Luke Mones the iconic question: "What's making you uncomfortable right now?"
Big Ups Silent Barn; 8pm; $8, at the door $10
Connoisseurs of ’90s post-hardcore will feel right at home with Big Ups, a band that embodies the ferocity, tension and offbeat humor inherent to the genre.
Just Blaze Brooklyn Bowl; 11pm; $10
DJ-producer Just Blaze—best known for his work with Jay Z and more recently, the anthemic horns on Beyoncé’s Lemonade—throws a Williamsburg party. Expect his set to include a collection of red-hot radio hits, hip-hop deep cuts and bass-rattling trap bangers.