The Best Live Music in NYC in Mid-May

Muna, photographed above at Governors Ball in 2021, will launch a four-night residency at the Music Hall of Williamsburg this Saturday

The Manhattan Beat regularly lists the best live music events coming to the New York City area. The twice-weekly guide also celebrates via photographs some of the musicians who have performed locally in the past few days.

Everynight Charley recommends the following 60+ live music events in New York City this weekend. Contact the venue or the artists' social media to confirm ticket availability, show times, location and directions, age restrictions, COVID compliance, and other updates.

Bruce Springsteen at Madison Square Garden on May 11; Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will return there this Saturday

Courtney Barnett at the Kings Theatre on May 9

Momma at the Kings Theatre on May 9

Truman Sinclair at the Kings Theatre on May 9

Friday, May 15

• Bilmuri, the Home Team, Gang! at the Rooftop at Pier 17
• Avatar, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Frozen Soul at Palladium Times Square
• Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Beacon Theatre
• CMAT, Blonde in Car at Brooklyn Steel
• Ashnikko, Googly Eyes at the Hammerstein Ballroom
• Stéphane Wrembel's Django a Gogo at Symphony Space
• Slide Away '26: Hum, Nothing, Chapterhouse, Loveliescrushing, Bleary Eyed, Manslaughter 777 at Brooklyn Paramount
• VNV Nation at Warsaw
• BUNT., jigitz, Bridge at Under the K Bridge Park
• Ice-T at le Poisson Rouge
• Shadow of Intent, AngelMaker, Mental Cruelty, Synestia at Irving Plaza
• Melody's Echo Chamber, Strange Lot at Webster Hall
• Marc Broussard, Sway Wild at ​Brooklyn Bowl
• Combust, Crown of Thornz, Regulate, Blow Your Brains Out, Bazooka/Ferment, Sin Against Sin at the ​Music Hall of Williamsburg
• Tank & the Bangas at Rough Trade Below
• Natalie Jinju at the Bowery Ballroom
• Dave Hause & the Mermaid, Apes of the State at the Meadows
• Vanessa Carlton at City Winery NYC
• Madeleine Peyroux w. the Carlile Family Band at ​Sony Hall
• Adam Ezra Group at the Loft at City Winery
• Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, American Sharks, Trip Villain at TV Eye
• friqtao, Raffaele Magliuolo at le Poisson Rouge
• Andy Falco, Cody Kilby at Cafe Wha?
• Billy Childs at Smoke Jazz Club
• Tyler Rich, James Barker Band, Dawson Anderson at Mercury Lounge
• Live Skull, the Whimbrels, Luna Honey at Main Drag Music
• Tilt at the David Rubinstein Atrium, Lincoln Center
• Maximum Love Timeline, Lily Piette, MAN LEE at Purgatory
• David "Doc" French Trio at Terra Blues
• SaRon Crenshaw Band at Terra Blues

The Black Keys at the Capitol Theatre on May 7

The Wailers at Brooklyn Bowl on May 10

Winyah at the Bowery Ballroom on May 6

Little Image at Mercury Lounge on May 8 (photograph by Isaac Westberg)

Saturday, May 16

• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Madison Square Garden
• Stéphane Wrembel's Django a Gogo at Symphony Space
• Muna at the Music Hall of Williamsburg
• Slide Away '26: Hum, Nothing, Chapterhouse, Swirlies, She's Green, Warmachine at Brooklyn Paramount
• Clara La San at Brooklyn Steel
• Rādhikā Dās at Adler Hall
• Cut Worms, Tchotchke at Warsaw
• Breakfield, Wheelwright at the Gramercy Theatre
• Enno Cheng at Racket NYC
• Vanessa Carlton at City Winery NYC
• Rostam (acoustic) at Rough Trade Below
• Billy Childs at Smoke Jazz Club
• Theo Kandel, Kate Stephenson at Mercury Lounge
• Doug Howard at the Cutting Room
• Krebs & the Maynard G's, Joybuzzer NYC, the Rover Boys, Hudson City Rats at Parkside Lounge
• Bobby Bryan Trio at Terra Blues
• Junior Mack Band at Terra Blues

Hilary Hawke with the Demolition String Band at The Songs of Woody Guthrie at Lucinda's on May 4 (photograph by David Sussman)

Diane Stockwell with the Demolition String Band at The Songs of Woody Guthrie at Lucinda's on May 4 (photograph by David Sussman)

Christian & Cole (Cole Quest, grandson of Woody Guthrie, left, and Christian Apuzzo) at The Songs of Woody Guthrie at Lucinda's on May 4 

Melody Allegra Berger with the Demolition String Band at The Songs of Woody Guthrie at Lucinda's on May 4

The Demolition String Band at The Songs of Woody Guthrie at Lucinda's on May 4

Sunday, May 17

• Muna at the Music Hall of Williamsburg
• Anri at Brooklyn Paramount
• Thy Art Is Murder, Bodysnatcher, Carnifex, 200 Stab Wounds, Ingested, Gates to Hell, Bodybox at Brooklyn Monarch
• Infected Rain, Stitched Up Heart at Mercury Lounge
• Boris Grebenshikoff & Aquarium at Webster Hall
• Clara La San at Irving Plaza
• Cat Clyde, Boy Golden at Baby's All Right
• Los Retros at le Poisson Rouge
• Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at the Loft at City Winery
• Billy Childs at Smoke Jazz Club
• Captain Rondo and Heidi, Giada Mammarano and Alden Meil, Michael G. Potter, St. Divine at the 11th Street Community Garden
• The Hipp Pipps, Density Black Cat, George Gilmore & the Giblets at Otto's Shrunken Head
• Peter Stampfel's Atomic Meta-Pagans, Spectre Folk, Joshua Burkett at Pianos
• Samoa Wilson (acoustic) at Terra Blues
• Traditional Irish Seisiún at the 11th St. Bar
• The Pioneers at Terra Blues
• Carl Banks at the Red Lion

The Lemon Twigs at Tompkins Square Park on May 10

The Andy Statman Trio at barbes on May 6 (photograph by David Sussman)

The weekly Monday Night Bluegrass Session at Mona's on May 11 (photograph by David Sussman)

The Abruptors at the monthly Subway to Skaville at Otto's Shrunken Head on May 8

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."

For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's May calendar.