The Winter Drinks — is Richard Alwyn, creator of The Love Hangover, singing melancholy songs with a literary leaning.Jessie Kilguss&nbsp;— Jessie released her 6th album&nbsp;They Have a Howard Johnson's There&nbsp;in November 2025. She's toured Europe with Freddie Stevenson, opening for the Waterboys on their&nbsp;Modern Blues&nbsp;Tour. In addition to performing her own music, she also sings with the&nbsp;Loser's Lounge, Gramercy Arms, Jim Andralis &amp; the Syntonics, and Benjamin Cartel.Gramercy Arms&nbsp;— Gramercy Arms is a revolving New York based collective of musicians and artists, masterminded by main songwriter/producer Dave Derby (The Dambuilders/Lloyd Cole). “Gorgeous song craft and sun-kissed vocals and laidback power pop – Oh, Gramercy – we’re in love!” -The Guardian (UK)

The Winter Drinks + Jessie Kilguss + Gramercy Arms

Make it out. Make it weird. Make it new. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nightteachermusic.com/">Night Teacher</a> hosts artists across a variety of disciplines in this salon-style series celebrating new work and a spirit of play.

Night Shift: A Summer Salon with Night Teacher

All inclusive safe space where we are truly free. Let's dance, positively vibe, shine &amp; let our glorious illuminations suddenly transmit!$5 Donation - 50% of Proceeds to Francis Kite Club and City Meals on Wheels! Let's get on our dance, positive vibes, and shine together!

GIST

Join Sienna Sears as she plays through her new album with a full band featuring Avinoam Ettun, Kate Pass, and Liv Kelly.Afterwards, Christopher Sears will take the stage joined by Sienna and Avinoam. Don't miss this magical musical evening! This will be the Sears' last concert at the Kite before the venue closes!

Sienna Sears

Come through to The Francis Kite Club for the Doc Ahk Birthday Celebration and release party for SilentFunk+1’s new album, You Ain’t Special!Performances by:SilentFunk+1Shabaam SahdeeqJ Sands&nbsp;and specials guestsMusic by:Deejay ToshiDJ Ready CFred OnesKrazy DJ BazarroHosted by:Poison PenMic Handz

Rock Da House Presents... Dock Ahk's Birthday Celebration

The only NYC karaoke night with a game show twist: win big even if you don't sing!Dare to Karaoke is NYC karaoke with a game show, Chuck E. Cheese prize twist!How to play:🎟️ Sing songs to win prize tickets 🎯 Complete Song Dares (team or physical challenges) for more tix 🏆 Spend your tickets at DTK's deluxe prize tableThe best part: with Song Dares you can win bonus tickets to spend on cool prizes... even if you don't sing!So assemble your adventuring party, build your songlists, and join us Thursday, May 28 for a night of song-and-games at Dare to Karaoke - only at The Francis Kite Club in the East Village!

Dare To Karaoke!

Parting is such sweet sorrow! Come join us on Sunday, July 19 and say ciao for now to our sweet, sweet Kite Club.Hear sounds from the likes of:Days ☀️HeadfooterJehovah’s PrincessPeasant MannerismsKelsey LuMiss PhillipSterling RhymeWillis WillisKyp MaloneWhippoorwillLeslie StewAyla 🌞

Ciao For Now!

Come and see&nbsp;Katheryn McGaffigan, Woodhead, ToughDarling and Weegee play at The Kite!

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Jalopy Records Presents: The Binoculars Album Release, with Mamie Minch!

Jalopy Records presents: The Binoculars

Come to The Kite for toe-tapping tunes brought by Buck And A Quarter at Swing Night! Doors at 8PM, with a dance lesson to get your feet moving in style at 8:15PM, then there is dancing at 8:45PM on the big wood floor!$10 cover at the door, cash or Venmo. Give the password “swordfish” for a discounted admission: $15 for two!<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.buckandaquarterquartet.com/">Buck And A Quarter Quartet</a> is the NYC-based string band that plays the forgotten gems and favorites of the golden age of American pop and vintage-inspired originals in their own category-defying style, described as ‘skiffle meets Cole Porter’ and ‘what do you call this kind of music?’

Swing Night

A Night of Umm Kulthum TarabFeaturing Najla al-Arabi and Sami Abu Shumays with The Umm Kulthum WorkshopTunisian-Canadian singer Najla Al-Arabi brings her soulful renditions of Umm Kulthum back to the series. The Umm Kulthum Workshop is a concert series dedicated to presenting the long songs of Umm Kulthum in their entirety, and reviving the performance practice of repeating sections, improvising, and extending them to create heightened states of tarab.

A Night of Umm Kulthum Tarab

Billygoat&nbsp;is Michelle Segre on guitar and vocals, Jennifer Sirey on guitar, vocals, slide, and drums, Kathryn Lewis on guitar, vocals, keys, drums and percussion. Their original songs employ haunting, lyrical harmonies to evoke everything from perky despair to transcendent, cosmic optimism. Hailing from New York City, their musical roots are a diverse mix of English Psych Folk, American Old Time, and dissonant sounds of a Post-Punk generation.Obsessed with contrast and contradiction, Brooklyn outfit Hard Nips cobbles together wiry anthems from striking riffs, throbbing bass lines and high-register vocal squalls. Built around the entangled personal and musical histories of Yoko and the Gooch, the band writes and performs with an eye and ear toward rhythmic variation, with amplitude supplied in plentiful excess.

Hard Nips + Billygoat

Proceeds go to raising funds for a new short film, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/lostdogshort/">Lost Dog</a> by Jordan Panzier.Lighthearted trans stories need to be told not only for visibility’s sake, but because they offer more broad wisdom (and laughs). Through a trans perspective, Lost Dog explores universal experiences of feeling stuck, worrying about your relationships changing… and dealing with a bad shrooms trip.Can’t make it to the show? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://seedandspark.com/fund/lost-dog-short#story">Donate here!</a>

Lost Dog: A Fundraiser

Make it out. Make it weird. Make it new.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nightteachermusic.com/">Night Teacher</a> hosts artists across a variety of disciplines in this salon-style series celebrating new work and a spirit of play.

Isaac Romagosa is an award winning guitarist, composer and educator from Barcelona (Spain), based in New York City.Ria Modak&nbsp;an Indian-American historian, guitarist, and composer from New York City.Come see this duo, live at The Francis Kite Club!&nbsp;

Ria Modak / Isaac Romagosa Duo 

This is Not an Artist Talk! is a space for artists to share their research and inspirations only, an artist talk without the art.Join us on July 8 with Tega Brain, who will draw connections between environmental systems, computational forms of knowledge, and alternative approaches to powering technological infrastructure — from water computing to ecological logics.This event is a fundraiser for the School for Poetic Computation (SFPC), an experimental school focused on the intersections of art, code, hardware, and critical theory, with the motto “more poems, less demos!”Come early or stay late to mingle with artists, technologists, environmental thinkers, and the curious.

This is Not An Artist Talk with Tega Brain

Join us for a celebration of our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bombmagazine.org/articles/2026/06/01/bomb-176-summer-2026-announcement/">Summer 2026 issue</a> on Tuesday, June 23 at the Francis Kite Club. Welcome the beginning of summer by enjoying readings by BOMB contributors <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bombmagazine.org/articles/2026/03/17/from-paradiso-17-hannah-lillith-assadi/">Hannah Lillith Assadi</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bombmagazine.org/articles/2026/06/02/alex-difrancesco-by-jennifer-wortman/">Alex DiFrancesco</a>, and Kelsey Day, whose poetry from our summer issue will be available to BOMB Members on June 15. Enjoy complimentary beverages while they last and a party with the BOMB community.&nbsp;BOMB Members enjoy free entry to the party. Tickets are $20 for nonmembers and come with a complimentary copy of our Summer 2026 issue and drinks.Beer, wine, cocktails, and NA beverages will be available. Space is limited. This is a 21+ event.Not a member? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bombmagazine.org/membership/?utm_source=francis-kite-club&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=join-today#entry:961747@1:url">SIGN UP HERE</a> and receive free entry to the party and a subscription to BOMB Magazine.About BOMB's Summer 2026 issue:The authors, artists, and performers featured in BOMB’s summer issue model what making art can be in 2026. Their practices offer new methods to sustain creativity and support healing, engage language as a means of salvation, and mine personal and national histories with empathy and wit. The poetry and prose in our summer issue consider a range of subjects, from mysterious ailments to locker room conflicts to the last gringo president of the US.INTERVIEWSDave Eggers by Jim JamesJun Kaneko by Mark MackLotus L. Kang by Lara Mimosa MontesReverend Joyce McDonald by Katherine CheairsRodney McMillian by Dave McKenzieRuth Ozeki by Hannah TintiSamora Pinderhughes by Jason MoranDebra Priestly by Nancy GrossmanElaine Reichek by Sabrina Gschwandtner

BOMB’s Summer 2026 Issue Party

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/arklightnyc/">Arklight</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/dommer_group/">Dommer</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/childlessnyc/">Childless</a> play The Kite!

Childless + Dommer + Arklight

Dance the night away to the sounds of Fuego En La C, only at The Francis Kite Club!

Fuego En La C

Bambi Lake was a trans chanteuse, performer, provocateur, and countercultural darling of the ‘70s, and subsequent decades. “The Glamorous Life follows me around,” she sang in her ballad “The Golden Age of Hustlers” (later popularized by Justin Vivian Bond). Her life in San Francisco—including being on the fringes of the Cockettes, and a member of the adjacent Angels of Light—was “sort of legendary,” sort of “sweet, sticky, nasty,” and always precarious, lived in spite of addiction, homelessness, and the horrors that came from chasing and surviving her own desires.Here are her poems, long out of print, that wear “burgundy velvet jezebel bras” to seduce “fatally hetero” men, detailing the cabaret of desire amidst social, cultural, and political change. “I am Beauty,” she writes, “and the world dissolves.”The collection includes a series of interviews by August Bernadicou and a foreword by Brontez Purnell.With readings by&nbsp;with Silke Berlinn, Harron Walker, August Bernadicou, Perry Brass, and Kay Gabriel.

Devour Me, Again: The collected poems of Bambi Lake

Launch of Red Card with author Jules Boykoff, Brenda Elsey and Dave Zirin co-hosted by Golden Goal<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtube.com/live/WjwVICQfsvg?feature=share">Join the livestream</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://orbooks.com/catalog/red-card/">Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the FIFA Greed Machine</a>Publishing on the eve of the soccer World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, this concise, power-packed philippic provides a critical take on the dark underbelly of the beautiful game at its most storied moment.At the heart of this analysis by acclaimed sportswriter and scholar Jules Boykoff, who himself played soccer professionally, is the concept of sportswashing, where political leaders use sports to stoke nationalism and legitimize themselves on the world stage, deflecting from chronic problems at home. Step forward the recipient of the newly cast FIFA Peace Prize, Donald J. Trump, a titan unrivaled in squeegeeing every drop of personal wealth and prestige from hosting the competition. In this, he is ably assisted by a governing body of global soccer dripping in patronage and corruption.In these pages Boykoff demonstrates that it is possible to simultaneously treasure the skills and athleticism displayed on the pitch while lamenting their exploitation by malevolent powerbrokers for whom love of the game means nothing next to turning a buck or harvesting prestige. And, as Red Card so skillfully shows, this bait and switch is not confined to soccer. Precisely the same legerdemain will be used to distract and enrich when the Olympic Games come to Los Angeles two years from now.

Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the FIFA Greed Machine

Come through to The Kite on June 14th and experience the sounds of Willow Vass, Prachi Sinha and Wormcatcher.

Prachi Sinha + Willow Vass + Wormcatcher

4 stride piano killers battle Harlem-style—hot jazz, cocktails, Charleston dancing &amp; no mercy. June 11 at Francis Kite ClubIn the golden age of Harlem, the piano cutting session was the ultimate proving ground. No backing band. No safety net. Just two hands, eighty-eight keys, and the nerve to step up and cut the man before you.Da Lion's Den II resurrects that raw, unfiltered tradition. Four pianists with serious chops go head to head — pushing each other harder with every chorus, raising the temperature with every round. The music will be hot, the room will be moving, and cocktails will be flowing all night long at the Francis Kite Club — an elegant intimate bar curated for exactly this kind of evening. This is Harlem Stride the way it was meant to be heard — loud, live, and dangerous.The contenders:Mike Lipskin: A direct protégé of Willie "The Lion" Smith A living link to the origins of Harlem Stride, Lipskin learned directly from the masters — Willie "The Lion" Smith, Eubie Blake, and Luckey Roberts. He produced the 1971 album California Here I Come with The Lion himself, and has spent decades championing the stride tradition across the United States and Europe, alongside trad jazz legend Dinah Lee. This is not borrowed knowledge. This is the real thing, passed hand to hand.Jon Weber: perfect pitch · total melodic recall · no mercy. Largely self-taught, Weber is a freak of nature. He holds court every Tuesday night at the world famous hot jazz jam at Mona's, where on any jazz legend can walk through the door and Weber will be ready. He has performed with heavyweights across the United States, Europe, South America, Australia... He has heard everything, and he will use it against you.Jon Thomas Juilliard MM '19 · next generation heat Trained equal parts the streets and at Juilliard and already running with the best — Samara Joy, Marquis Hill, Jazzmeia Horn. A regular at The Blue Note, Dizzy's Club, Smalls, and Minton's. Lauded as one of the most gifted rising forces in jazz today — and June 11th is his proving ground.Brennen Ernst Philadelphia jazz veteran · NYC's rising force A musical daredevil who has mastered piano, banjo, and guitar, Ernst has been a fixture of the Philadelphia jazz scene performing regularly with Drew Nugent &amp; The Midnight Society. He is now swiftly emerging as one of the most in-demand talents in New York City, playing across Manhattan and Brooklyn with growing frequency. On June 11th he turns his focus to the greats of Harlem Stride. Do not underestimate him. That would be a mistake.Dress the part. The floor is open for 20s Charleston and swing. Come ready for the kind of hot jazz that gets into your bones and doesn't let go. One bandstand. Four killers. No mercy. You have been warned.

Da Lion's Den II

Launch of The Complicit Lens with Rashid Khalidi and Robin Andersen<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtube.com/live/lp4JLwdyFMw?feature=share">Join the livestream</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-complicit-lens/">The Complicit Lens</a>This vitally necessary and carefully researched book examines the way US establishment media ran interference for Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, aligning its coverage with Israeli military narratives whilst downplaying, and even condoning, the wholesale massacre of Palestinians.Commencing with the October 7, 2023, attack, The Complicit Lens scrutinizes mainstream journalism, contrasting it with social media reports and international news coverage. It reveals how legacy media presented Israeli violence as defensive and justified, casting doubt on IDF bombings, employing passive language to deflect blame for atrocities, and repeating Israeli talking points, often word-for-word. Massacres of those seeking food became “aid-related deaths,” whilst missile attacks on tented refugees were “tragic mistakes.” Meanwhile, well-worn tropes of war propaganda, including claims of the beheading of babies and mass rapes, subsequently revealed to be without foundation, were used to justify Israeli actions and obscure culpability.Andersen documents the targeting of journalists and aid workers in what has become the deadliest conflict for each on record. She spotlights the editorial censorship that prohibited the use of terms such as “genocide” and “massacre” in the reporting of Palestinian deaths. And, as global protests against the Gaza genocide gathered strength, she examines the hostile media portrayal of these uprisings, particularly those led by young people and Jewish organizations.

The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

Back in 2023, bassist Peter Kerlin and drummer Rob Smith ritualistically burnt their passports, ate the ashes, and began conspiring together under the guise of Animal, Surrender! Together they ask:&nbsp;“Yet when an animal catches its own distorted reflection in the rolling river, what is left to do but surrender to the song?”.Shenke/Shaffie/Bracken is a new trio:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/jonnytwoeyes/">Jonny Shenke</a>A Brooklyn-based music producer, recording engineer, mixing engineer, and musician known for working with indie rock and alternative artists like Parquet Courts, The Drums, Liars, Snail Mail, and Nation of Language. He co-owns Studio Windows and has contributed to hundreds of records.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/riffmaster123/">Arian Shaffie</a>A Brooklyn based guitarist/improviser most known for his playing in the off-kilter dance punk band Guerilla Toss. Growing up with Iranian/Turkish parents, he peripherally absorbed various middle eastern musics, blurring their lyrical and harmonic mainstays into his writing and improvising. By using fretless, microtonal, and acoustic guitars, Arian aims to process these stylized genres into an organic music, free of idiom and convention.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/_realadult_/">Corey Bracken</a>A composer, performer, improviser, curator, and artistic administrator currently residing in Ridgewood, New York City. Recent projects have included REAL ADULT, Ashcan Orchestra , Sunwatchers, American Football, Birthmark, Yonatan Gat, KATIEE, LoftOpera, String Orchestra of Brooklyn, Iktus Percussion, and various performance activities as an improviser, noise artist, percussionist, and drummer.

Animal, Surrender! + Schenke, Shafiee, Tobias, Bracken 

Spring is turning to Summer. A Sword is a band led by Josiah. They are playing with Kaib and Great Crane at The Francis Kite Club.A Sword is the project of Josiah Martuscello.Kaib is the home for the songs written by drummer and guitar player Kai Barshack.Great Crane, Eli Recht-Appel's solo project, takes the stage after a six year hiatus!

A Sword + Kaib + Great Crane

Featuring seven poets and five musicians, All the Birds Sing Bass is a collaborative event aimed at shifting our sonic and lyric geographies. The event is curated by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.the87press.co.uk/">the87press</a> Founding Director and Caribbean Philosophical Association’s Poet Laureate, Azad Ashim Sharma.This event is free to attend but donations are accepted and encouraged. All donations will support the Silver Anniversary Endowment Campaign for the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://caribbeanphilosophy.org/">Caribbean Philosophical Association</a> (CPA) which aims to increase financial resources for students and academics in the Global South, along with the creation of scholarships for graduate students to attend various conferences and summer schools.

All the Birds Sing Bass

Come through for a solo set by Maddie Batzli of LINE, alongside 2nd Adolescence Snowen. It’s gonna be a very fun night!

Snowen + 2nd Adolescence + Maddie Batzli (LINE)

LOUNDOVING projects presents: DANCE/MUSIC an evening of new, reimagined and improvised music and dance works.Featuring: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.lisalatouche.com/">LISA LA TOUCHE</a> (tap dance) <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.dancermlove.com/">MICHAEL J. LOVE</a> (tap dance) <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.kaleenamiller.com/">KALEENA MILLER</a> (tap dance) <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.abywolf.com/">ABY WOLF</a> (vocals and electronics) <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.laurawolfmusic.com/">LAURA WOLF</a> (cello and vocals)

DANCE/MUSIC at Francis Kite Club

Ritmo y Tumbao

The only NYC karaoke night with a game show twist where we DARE you to sing!Dare to Karaoke is NYC karaoke with a game show, Dave &amp; Buster's twist!How to play:🎟️ Sing songs to win prize tickets 🎯 Complete Song Dares (team or physical challenges) for more tix 🏆 Spend your tickets at DTK's deluxe prize tableDare to Karaoke is the PERFECT starter kit for 1st timers because with Song Dares you can win tickets... whether you sing or not!DTK is the addictive karaoke game show you never knew you needed - month after month, the vibes are impeccable!So assemble your adventuring party, build your songlists, and join us Thursday, May 28 for a night of song-and-games at Dare to Karaoke - only at The Francis Kite Club in the East Village!

Dare to Karaoke!

Mutt Readings back at home on May 27th at The Francis Kite Club in support of Darcey Steinke’s new book, This is the Door with readings by…<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/steinkedarcey/?hl=en">Darcey Steinke</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/haroldrogers_/">Harold Rogers</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/sam.farhi/">Sam Farhi</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/tomianelli/">Tom Ianelli</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/mikayladbryant/">Mikayla Bryant</a>

Mutt Readings

Come to The Kite for toe-tapping tunes brought by Buck And A Quarter at Swing Night! Doors at 7PM, with a dance lesson to get your feet moving in style at 7:30PM, then there is dancing at 8:30PM on the big wood floor!$10 cover at the door, cash or Venmo. Give the password “swordfish” for a discounted admission: $15 for two!<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.buckandaquarterquartet.com/">Buck And A Quarter Quartet</a> is the NYC-based string band that plays the forgotten gems and favorites of the golden age of American pop and vintage-inspired originals in their own category-defying style, described as ‘skiffle meets Cole Porter’ and ‘what do you call this kind of music?’

The great Luke Bergman starts things off solo, before SNEAL takes over. Should be a beautiful evening of music. Tell your friends and lovers.

SNEAL

Billygoat&nbsp;is Michelle Segre on guitar and vocals, Jennifer Sirey on guitar, vocals, slide, and drums, Kathryn Lewis on guitar, vocals, keys, drums and percussion. Their original songs employ haunting, lyrical harmonies to evoke everything from perky despair to transcendent, cosmic optimism. Hailing from New York City, their musical roots are a diverse mix of English Psych Folk, American Old Time, and dissonant sounds of a Post-Punk generation.Steve’s Job is a happenstance-ical gaggle of like minded professional poetic hasslers. Noisily grooving and groveling loudly with various levels of intact soulfulness….often in a manner befitting a band lost in the hitchhiker’s lane of the underground sounds of the late 70’s and early 80’s.

Billygoat + Steve's Job

In these times of tension, Songs of Love and Freedom in English, French and&nbsp;Kabyle are more needed than ever. The name of the project is inspired by a Stevie Wonder song that gave the direction of the whole set,&nbsp;and the ‘vision in our minds’ is a vision of peace.&nbsp;Ourida is a French-Algerian songwriter, singer, pianist and ukulele player with multiple uprootings.Jeff Miles is an innovative composer and an impressive guitarist, with a wide musical palette. &nbsp;&nbsp;Visions is inviting us to a musical ritual full of questions, where learning to be a human being is the purpose of the journey. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Songs of Love and Freedom

Join Or Books for the launch of Killing Baby Hitler with Mike Tomasky and Molly Jong-Fast!In the year 2141, the planet is ruled by billionaire, democracy is a relic, the environment is collapsing, and Illinois is home to thirty-foot alligators. When a ragtag team of scientists discovers the secret of time travel, they set their sights on history’s most infamous villain: Adolf Hitler.The mission doesn’t go quite as planned.Because rewriting history is never simple. Instead of preventing the rise of fascism, they trigger a bizarre new timeline in which Hitler grows up in America, editing one of the country’s most hateful newspapers , and history warps in strange and unsettling ways. What begins as a darkly funny scheme to fix the past spirals into a mind-bending journey across centuries, as the time travelers confront unintended consequences, shifting timelines and a future that may be even worse than the one they left behind.&nbsp;Part sci-fi thriller, part biting satire, Killing Baby Hitler is Mike Tomasky’s first work of fiction — a wildly original novel that skewers power, questions the logic on hindsight, and reminds us that the present may be the hardest time of all to change. Bold, provocative, and disturbingly plausible, it’s a time travel tale like no other.

Killing Baby Hitler

Join Lux for a launch party on May 8 at the Francis Kite Club, our beloved bar-office, with a special happy hour 6pm-8pm. And to celebrate Lux’s 5th birthday, we’ll have a very special cake.Our new issue has it all: an investigation into labor abuses at SSENSE, a probe into whether we’re Botoxing our brains with AI, reports from court watching ICE, a searing and timely report on drone warfare in Lebanon, an essay on the fall and rise of the PMC, and much much more. Come meet the authors and artists, have some cake, and hang with the Lux editors.Not a subscriber yet? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://lux-magazine.com/register/?level_id=2&amp;si=7393&amp;region=us&amp;coupon_code=party">Sign up</a> with a 15% discount code by entering PARTY at checkout.

Lux Issue 16 Launch Party

Join Lily Vakili &amp; her band for an electric night of live music at Francis Kite Club! Advance tickets strongly recommended.

Lily Vakili

The launch of American Trickster with author Ru Marshall in conversation with Lisa Cohen.

American Trickster

Join us for a night of jazz in celebration of Utopia in the Dark's record release. Also featuring sounds from the&nbsp;Nico&nbsp;Jin Quintet.

Wide Eyed Live Presents...

What is humor? Why do we laugh? What purpose does comedy serve? These questions and more will be answered by comedians Jenna Sherriton, Jeremyah Schur, George Hayward, Bini Yamin, and Tyrone Thornhill, along with philosopher Simon Critchley and psychoanalyst Benjamin Cheney. Hosted by psychotherapist and comedian Daniel Hoffman.

Intimate Thoughts 

Come for the sounds of&nbsp;Titan, The Midnight Confessions and Topaz, with DJ&nbsp;William Martin on the 1’s and 2’s!

Titan + The Midnight Confessions + Topaz

Is Not Music presents Pegg, live: revisiting Pegg’s self-titled album. Joined by Kelly Karivalis and a solo set by Lou Tides.

Pegg Live

Mark Crozer from The Jesus and Mary Chain

Join DJ Cuba, Dres, and special guest Ian Friday on Friday, April 24 at The Francis Kite Club for Ritmo y Tumbao!$10 at the door.

It's the NYC karaoke night with a game show twist where we DARE you to sing!

Lower East Side post-punk band THE ORANGE BLOSSOMS rocks The Kite.

The Orange Blossoms

A theatrical variety show dedicated to artistic clowning, set in the world Glenn built. Hosted in character as Glenn Blurton, the Clar foregrounds original work and collaborative creation within a playful, immersive theatrical frame. This edition is a genre showcase of linguistic clowning and a birthday celebration for Glenn Blurton with CAKE, featuring newly devised acts that feature clown games on the level of language, speech, and sound. Featuring: Tom Achilles, Nathan Repasz, Luke Elmer, Miriam Maissen, Blush Bullseye, Kill Moves Nate, Lindsey Weaving, Front Row Phil, and more!No Cover&nbsp; — donations / tips appreciated and all proceeds will go to the performers!

Glenn Blurton's Clown Clar 4

Come to The Kite to hear the sounds of Spencer on the 1’s and 2’s.

Spencer

B-Side Presents Pink Noize at the Francis Kite Club, with the sounds of&nbsp;Jhette, Esai, DJ B Murray and Martin Angus, Jr. with Adam Radice. Come by!

Pink Noize by B-Side

wide eye live presents Wulfer, Willow Vass &amp; Mommy Ryan!

Wide Eyed Live Presents

Join Or Books for the launch of Duchamp Takes New York&nbsp;with author John Strausbaugh and Peter-Christian Aigner.Artist, anti-artist, joker, trickster, shape-shifter: Marcel Duchamp broke with tradition and pushed the avant-garde decidedly forward. When his work exploded like an art bomb in New York in the 1910’s, American arts was still mired in the nineteenth century. Duchamp, bored with tradition, reimagined what art could be, what it was for, and how it could be made — hanging a snow shovel from the ceiling, inverting a urinal,&nbsp;“panting” with dust and bits of string between planes of glass, and reducing his entire oeuvre into a briefcase of miniatures. Duchamp Takes New York traces this bold, playful energy, showing how this city inspired and staged his avant-garde experiments.Duchamp’s offhand gestures reshaped the course of twentieth century American art, laying the groundwork for nearly every major movement that followed. And then, at the height of his influence, Duchamp appeared to walk away — declaring himself finished with art and devoting his energies to becoming a chess champion instead. Only after his death did it emerge that he had spent two decades secretly working on one final, unsettling work, leaving the world to try to comprehend it without explanation — his ultimate prank.John Strausbaugh, a longtime chronicler of the city, puts New York at the center of Duchamp’s story. Fleeing the comforts of French bourgeois life —&nbsp;“wives, three children, a country house, three cars!” — Duchamp found New York instantly liberating. It was here that he produced his most radical work and eventually settled for good, one declaring , “New York itself is a complete work of art”. Duchamp’s art simply can’t be pinned down, without first recognizing his relationship to New York.&nbsp;

Duchamp Takes New York

Office Culture, Pat Kelly and Trash Girl take the stage at The Francis Kite Club!

Office Culture + Pat Kelly + Trash Girl

Brainrot is a radio station you would want to hear. It’s not radio that disregards the listener, and it’s not radio you think the listener would want to hear. It’s not an algorithm, it’s not a recording, it’s not tiring, and it’s not trying to sell you anything. It’s all the good parts and none of the bad.Come to Brainrot Radio Presents at The Francis Kite Club,&nbsp;Isabella Ashton, Machinor, Feed Him To The Dogs and Anjoli Simone are up.

Brainrot Radio Presents

It’s a big bill with big sounds, be there!

Donna Allen Trio + Cal Fish + Andy Boay + DJ Edwin White

Glenn Blurton returns with his pals: "SEE HOW MANY MUSICAL GUYS I CRAMMED INTO MY CLOWN CLAR!!!!" A unique variety show ft. great acts!A theatrical variety show dedicated to artistic clowning, presented as a cohesive staged world rather than a loose lineup. This edition is a special showcase of musical clowning, featuring newly devised acts by Anni Rossi, Borbo, Edward Pankov, Kuzu Daddy, Matt Proctor, Joe the Swan, Kill Moves Nate. This show will be hosted by a trio of clowns, in character the entire time: Glenn Blurton, Front Row Phil, and Lindsey Weaving. The show blends playful onstage interaction with original work developed specifically to present the intersection of clowning and musical performance.

Glenn Blurton's Clown Clar

8 Ball is back at FKC for an intimate night of live music. Selectah One Seven Oh’s vinyl set will take us from rock &amp; roll grooves to interstellar jazz, Rashaan Jiles will bring us down south with some blues &amp; soul, and finally Anna Worm will transport us into a dreamy world of synthy indie pop.

8 Ball Radio Presents...

Eva Novoa, Ricardo Gallo and Holman Alvarez will play three piano solo sets at the Francis Kite Club!

Eva Novoa, Ricardo Gallo y Holman Alvarez

Join Or Books for the launch of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1976371063052?aff=oddtdtcreator">Search Work</a>&nbsp;with editor Rachel Meade Smith and contributors Eduardo Lytton, Jasper Nathaniel, Gabriella Rhodeen and Jordan White.Search Work asks what we uncover when we pause and examine the textures of something as mundane and tedious as the job hunt. In this anthology, made up of personal essays, archival job ads, labor research, and even a playscript, more than fifty contributors reflect on the rituals, cultural artifacts, and emotional turbulence of looking for work. Their collective inquiry shows how and why the quest for a paycheck almost always morphs into something deeper — a search for belonging, a referendum on identity, a macro view of the systemic forces that govern our lives. Through a variety of formats and voices, Search Work shows how the labor of looking does more than land us a new job; it reshapes desire and alters our sense of self, sometimes for good.The book was inspired by a free weekly newsletter that editor Rachel Meade Smith started ten years ago, Words of Mouth, which shares curated job and opportunities with an engaged community of over seventy thousand. From this community, Search Work brings together a diverse group of contributors — writers, artists, public servants, researchers, service workers, career changers, recent grads — to defang one of life’s loneliest activities through an act of collaborative creation.As entry-level paths vanish and AI redraws the labor map, Search Work offers a timely, refreshingly critical inquiry into the isolating and often absurd experience of job hunting.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Search Work

Come celebrate the burgeoning of spring with us on March 29 at Francis Kite Club. With sets by Caroline Kuhn, OXA and Kacie Jewel Hill ✨

Caroline Kuhn, OXA & Kacie Jewel Hill

Join us at the only karaoke night in NYC where we DARE you to sing!Dare to Karaoke is NYC karaoke with a game show twist! How to play:<ol><li>Sing songs to win prize tickets.</li><li>Win more tix with Song Dares - bonus challenges or stunts that have nothing to do with singing - think Taskmaster, or Double Dare!</li><li>Spend tickets at Dare to Karaoke's deluxe prize table! There's no price list - make offers on the swag you want &amp; bargain with the hosts!</li></ol>Since you can combo &amp; stack multiple Dares for huge ticket payouts, you can participate even if you're not singing!Dare to Karaoke is the most addictive karaoke game show you never knew you needed!So assemble your adventuring party, build your songlists, and join us Friday, March 27 for a night of song-and-games at Dare to Karaoke - only at The Francis Kite Club in the East Village!

Mac Gollehon and The Hispanic Mechanics make their return to The Francis Kite Club!

Mac Gollehon and The Hispanic Mechanics

Featuring a line up of NYC musicians — a live auction alongside, with all proceeds donated to The New York Legal Assistance Group.

Folk vs. Fascism: Songs of Protest and Resistance

This is Not an Artist Talk! Robby Herbst with the AnamoliesHosted by Brooke SingerFree with one drink minimum&nbsp;RSVP to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:thisisnotanartisttalk@gmail.com">thisisnotanartisttalk@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;This is Not an Artist Talk! is a space for artists to share their research and inspirations: an artist talk without the art. Join us for “Not an Artist Talk” on Sunday, March 22, as Robby Herbst weaves stories from the histories of movement, art, counterculture, and tech to consider ideological uses of urban space and manifestations of publicness. Come early or stay late to browse the political poster and wearable collection designed by the Anomalies, a student art collective from SUNY Purchase, while mingling with friends, art lovers, and the curious.

This is Not an Artist Talk!

with Jam Young, Ian Bambeger, DJ WDP and DJ Lovetrain. Come for the sounds, stay for the that Big Aries Energy!

Big Aries Energy

The Night of 1,000 Stars? Try 100 Socialists.We’re screening the Academy Awards on the big screen with popcorn flowing, gowns encouraged, and absolutely no chill. Hosted by Paid Protest’s Anders Lee, Sharif Hasan and FreddyG, with games for movie obsessives and prizes for our very own DSA icons.And while the rich take the stage, we’ll be passing the hat. All proceeds support NYC-DSA’s Tax the Rich campaign to help pass Zohran’s affordability agenda.Gowns encouraged, popcorn guaranteed!

Cinema with Comrades Presents: Oscar Night! 

Come celebrate at The Francis Kite Club, with DeeJay Toshi, Skanks The Rap Martyr, H&amp;L Associates, Rhymrcka, Hazernomical, Prossess and other special guests.

Rock Da House

The New Colossus Festival is a six day showcase festival taking place 3-8 March, 2025 at independent music venues on the Lower East Side and features over 180 emerging artists from all over the world as well as the Colossal Conversations music conference and networking event.10:00 PM The Heaven (US)10:45 PM Aitis Band (US)11:30 PM mICROgOBLET (US)

New Colossus Festival: Late Show

The New Colossus Festival is a six day showcase festival taking place 3-8 March, 2025 at independent music venues on the Lower East Side and features over 180 emerging artists from all over the world as well as the Colossal Conversations music conference and networking event.7:00 PM Welcome Strawberry (US)7:45 PM doused (US)8:30 PM Bedroom Eyes (US)9:15 PM Plight (US)

New Colossus Festival: A La Carte Records Party

The New Colossus Festival is a six day showcase festival taking place 3-8 March, 2025 at independent music venues on the Lower East Side and features over 180 emerging artists from all over the world as well as the Colossal Conversations music conference and networking event.7:00 PM YUVEES (US)7:45 PM sorry face (US)8:30 PM marcel (BE)9:15 PM Pop Music Fever Dream (US)10:00 PM Tramhaus (NL)10:45 PM Lip Filler (UK)11:30 PM Honey I’m Home (NL)

New Colossus Festival: Opposite Showcase

The New Colossus Festival is a six day showcase festival taking place 3-8 March, 2025 at independent music venues on the Lower East Side and features over 180 emerging artists from all over the world as well as the Colossal Conversations music conference and networking event.7:00 PM Amor Vincit Omnia (IS)7:45 PM Tentative Decisions (US)8:30 PM Oliver Beardmore (UK)9:15 PM DOUR (CA)10:00 PM Ditch Days (PT)10:45 PM Dinowalrus (US)11:30 PM Runner (IE)

New Colossus Festival

Join Or Books for the launch of The Long War on Iran&nbsp;with Behrooz Ghamari and Narges Bajoghli.The United States and Iran have been locked in a decades-long standoff, driven by missteps, misunderstandings, and conflicting ambitions. This book, from a prominent Iranian authority, delves into the complex dynamics behind this ongoing conflict. It sheds light on why American policies have repeatedly failed to understand the true nature of Iran’s transformations and its role in the Middle East.Drawing on two decades of political analysis, Ghamari explore the history of US intervention in the region, focusing on the enduring sanctions imposed on Iran and the persistent perception of the Islamic Republic as a major obstacle to American power. Despite the repressive policies of the state, Iran has remained a vibrant society, with active intellectual, cultural, and social justice movements. The book examines these internal changes and shifts in Iranian politics.By challenging the conventional image of Iran as a totalitarian regime, Ghamari urges readers to appreciate the country’s diverse society and complex political landscape. It call for a re-evaluation for how the US engages with Iran, advocating for a more informed, nuanced approach to Middle East diplomacy. At a critical moment when US policy is being reshaped, The Long War on Iran is a timely that, if the US fails to acknowledge Iran’s transformations, both nations will continue to face new events — and the same old questions

The Long War on Iran

New Date! This Sunday, March 1st marks the return of&nbsp;Christopher Sears The Francis Kite Club, joined by his sister Sienna Sears, and collaborators Sydney Shepherd and Adrian Enscoe.Christopher Sears started making music in his parent’s theatre company, so his songs are all rooted in the theatrical. Think raw, emotional fun house mirrors of lyrical self reflection.

Christopher Sears

“While it’s impossible to know if we can ever fully experience our bodies outside of the institutions that define and regulate them, Goldman’s work challenges the viewer to take seriously the possibility of a self independent of these power structures… A rhizomatic problem demands a rhizomatic solution–one that is decentralized, multipronged, intersectional and capable of disrupting patriarchy’s deeply entrenched hold across multiple domains.”– Asti Hustvedt, “Introduction” to&nbsp;Disentanglement/Re-Embodiment Disentanglement/Re-Embodiment&nbsp;is a full-color monograph by artist, activist, and filmmaker&nbsp;Jill Goldman, capturing five years of bold, deeply embodied work at the edge of art and politics. Developed between 2020 and 2025, the project spans video, performance, photography, installation, and political research, unfolding in a single, cohesive publication that investigates how we live inside of–and push back against–patriarchal power and environmental crisis. The book weaves&nbsp;over 200 images–performance documentation, film stills, research ephemera, and installation views. The content centers on ten performance works, staged internationally by Goldman and collaborators in the past five years. The book features essays and interview extracts with feminist scholars and public figures contextualizing Goldman’s inquiry within broader conversations on global gender equality, abolitionism, and spirituality including Asti Hustvedt, Alex A. Jones, Amy Ziering, Yasmeen Hassan, Sumaya Awad, Catherine Coleman Flowers, Nina Menkes, Ruchira Gupta, and Tanya Selvaratnam. Positioned at the intersection of contemporary art, feminist theory, and political activism,&nbsp;Disentanglement/Re-Embodiment&nbsp;functions both as an artist’s monograph and as a research compendium–a sourcebook on the politics of resistance and collective care.&nbsp;

Disentanglement/Re-Embodiment: An Artist’s Book by Jill Goldman

Join DJ Cuba, Dres, Butch SOS, Christina Calamia and special guest DJ Tony Touch on Friday, February 27 at The Francis Kite Club for Ritmo y Tumbao!$13 at the door.

B-Side Presents Pink Noize at the Francis Kite Club, with the sounds of&nbsp;with C. Anthony Bryant, BAM &amp; DJ B Murray. Come by!

Join Or Books for the launch of The Myth of Red Texas with David Griscom and Emma Viegland!In blood-red states such as Texas, politics operates under the fallacy that these places were always conservative, so that it would be foolish, even utopian, to propose a progressive alternative. The Myth of Red Texas, David Griscom’s debut book, reassesses this misconception, arguing that the Lone Star Left must embrace it’s hidden past to reach a brighter future.

The Myth of Red Texas

Join us at the only karaoke night in NYC where we DARE you to sing! Dare to Karaoke is karaoke with a game show twist. How to play: 1) Sing songs to win prize tickets. 2) Win more tix with Song Dares - team or physical challenges you can do while singing. Think Taskmaster or Double Dare! 3) Spend your tickets at Dare to Karaoke's deluxe prize table! There's never a price list - make offers on what you want &amp; bargain with the hosts! Even if you're not singing you can help your friends - many Song Dares have nothing to do with singing.&nbsp;Dare to Karaoke is as fun to watch as it is to play and is THE most addictive karaoke game show you never knew you needed! So assemble your adventuring party + song lists, and join us Thurs, Feb 19th for a night of song-and-games at Dare to Karaoke - only at The Francis Kite Club in the East Village!

NYC's best and only 60s-inspired garage psych band, Illuminated Sidewalks, returns to Francis Kite Club for a Valentine's Day dance party!

Illuminated Sidewalks + Ira and the Satanmares + DJ Jodie Artichoke

Join us for a celebratory evening for Julie Carr's The Garden&nbsp;(Essay Press) and Susan Briante's&nbsp;13&nbsp;Questions for the New Economy (Noemi Press).Words, movement, and vocals: Susan Briante, Julie Carr,&nbsp; K.J. Holmes, Mónica de la Torre, and Edwin Torres.Fiddle,&nbsp;bass, and accordion: Ben Roberts, Akiva Jacobs, and&nbsp;Aidan Srimgeour.There will be food (free)! The bar is lovely! We hope to see you!&nbsp;

Launch Party for The Garden by Julie Carr and 13 Questions for the New Economy by Susan Briante

wide eye live presents ~Fort GabrielAlamo MediumGirls In Carsnone of these artists are properly captured online. come to find out.&nbsp;

<blockquote>This is Not an Artist Talk! Jenny Perlin with Heather KellyHosted by Brooke SingerFree (RSVP to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:thisisnotanartisttalk@gmail.com">thisisnotanartisttalk@gmail.com</a>)This is Not an Artist Talk! is a space for artists to share their research and inspirations: an artist talk without the art. Join us for the first “Not an Artist Talk” on February 1st, when Jenny Perlin weaves stories from literature, history, and science, contemplates the strange beauty of not knowing, and describes adventurous, absurd, bold, and futile pursuits of knowledge from the 18th century to today. Come early or stay late and get your free temporary tattoo--designed for the occasion by artist Heather Kelly--while mingling with friends, art lovers, and the curiosity-driven.</blockquote>

This is Not an Artist Talk! Jenny Perlin with Heather Kelly

Join us at the only karaoke night in NYC where we DARE you to sing!Dare to Karaoke is karaoke with a game show twist! How to play:<ol><li>Sing songs; win prize tickets.</li><li>Win more tix with Song Dares - team or physical challenges you complete during the songs. Think Taskmaster &amp; Double Dare!</li><li>Even if you're not singing you can help your friends combo &amp; stack multiple Song Dares &amp; win MEGA prize tickets!</li></ol>Then spend your prize tickets at Dare to Karaoke's amazing prize table! NO price list - make an offer on what you want &amp; bargain with us!Whether or not you sing, Dare to Karaoke is THE karaoke upgrade you didn't know you needed!So assemble your adventuring party + song lists, and join us Thursday, Jan 22 for a night of song-and-games at Dare to Karaoke - only at The Francis Kite Club in the East Village!

Closed for a Private Party

Christopher plays the Kite for the last time in 2025. He will be joined by Sienna Sears, Sydney Shepherd and Adrian Enscoe.Christopher started making music in his parents theatre company so his songs are all rooted in theatrical. Raw and emotional Fun house mirrors of lyrical self reflection. For his last show at The Francis Kite Club this year he will be joined by collaborators Sienna Sears, Sydney Shepherd and Adrian Enscoe with whom he is creating an opera!

This Sunday, from 5-8pm, Bond presents "The The Store" at The Francis Kite Club! In the spirit of Colab's A. More Store, we will be selling concrete balloons, road opener potions, various paper ephemera, and more! If you still haven't quite found a gift for your loved ones that says, "I see you don't value consumerism and have a deviant-streak, but I wanted to ground my appreciation for you in a little talisman-like gift" this is the holiday market for you ;) Hope to see u there &lt;3 More on the A. More Store: "The first A. More Store evolved from the Gift Shop at the legendary Colab-organized Times Square Show, and appeared shortly after on Broome Street in 1980 with the tag-line 'You won’t pay more at the A. More Store'. Other iterations of the store were later presented at Barbara Gladstone Gallery, Jack Tilton Gallery, White Columns, and Printed Matter. The press release of the original store promised 'rats and rip-offs, ray guns and rock bags,' and the new gathering of material brings in an equally eclectic mix of affordably priced artworks, apparel, prints and sculptural objects. Among these are original Colab creations including: ceramic plates, puzzle sets, pillowcases, a secular tree-topper, artist-designed iphone cases, and a hand-painted raincoat. Images from the Tom Warren Portrait Studio will also be included, depicting 16 Colab artists between the years 1981 and 1984."

Bond presents "The The Store"

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://littlesilvermusic.com/">Little Silver</a>“The elegantly understated debut from this Brooklyn band does what great, grown-up indie rock at its best has always done: It maps out states of personal, emotional and historical in-betweenness with careful, intelligent grace… Songs […] take their time building from muted beauty to closely held grandeur.” - Rolling Stone&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/elkcityband">Elk City</a>Elk City is an American art-pop band from New York and New Jersey formed in 1997.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://greatlakesbencrum.bandcamp.com/album/dont-swim-too-close?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExTGRpTHJjNkFuZUc4QTdZNnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4ayHf5JgQqcGJwHJOK_6yOIdl1fJoCWXqAySDieyt_o5dl0eH1gqHVS-8pmg_aem_g3Hjr0CvytmuEHpRriRgxQ">Great Lakes</a>Led by singer-songwriter-guitarist Ben Crum, Great Lakes has released 7 albums and a half dozen singles since the band formed in Athens, GA in 1996. Based in Brooklyn for nearly 20 years, Crum now lives in upstate New York.&nbsp;&nbsp;The bands will be collecting used winter coats on behalf of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.safhnyc.org/">Trinity’s Services and Food for the Homeless</a>. Bring your coat to help someone in need and come enjoy the show!

The Ghost Of Cake Shop Presents

Doug Shaw and Anni Rosso play solo sets, while Garret Devoe and Gumm round out the night at The Kite!

Francis Kite Club

@franciskiteclub