Where to find free music tomorrow as part of Make Music New York 2026

If your Sunday afternoon plans include wandering the neighborhood, you may come across a few unexpected performances. 

Tomorrow (June 21) is the 20th edition of Make Music New York, with free music scheduled at several local spots, including: 

• 11th Street Community Garden, 422 E 11th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue 

• Albert's Garden, 16-18 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery 

• Astor Place • Le Petit Versailles, 247 E. Second St. between Avenue B and Avenue C 

Hit the Make Music website for details about these shows and other venues citywide.

The annual Lower East Side Pride Book Crawl is TODAY

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Yu and Me Books (@yuandmebooks)

The annual Lower East Side Pride Book Crawl takes place today, bringing together seven independent bookstores across the Lower East Side and East Village. 

Participating shops are offering queer literature spotlights, discounts and giveaways throughout the day. 

The bookstores: 

• Afterword Bookshop, 216 E. Sixth St., between Second Avenue and Cooper Square tores

• Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, 28 E. Second St., between First and Second Avenue 

• Book Club Bar, 197 E. Third St., between Avenue A and B 

• Pillow-Cat Books, 328 E. Ninth St., between First and Second Avenue

• Sweet Pickle Books, 47 Orchard St., between Grand and Hester 

• Village Works, 12 St. Mark's Place, between Second and Third Avenue 

• Yu & Me Books, 44 Mulberry St., between Bayard and Worth

Check with the individual shops for hours and participating specials.

A Father's Day tribute at 106 Avenue B

An EV resident shared details about a Father's Day memorial and art sale taking place on Sunday at 106 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nancy Jagelka will host a memorial table honoring her father, grandfather, as well as great-uncle, jazz guitarist Chuck Wayne, all of whom lived at 106 Avenue B during the 1940s and 1950s. 

According to Jagelka, all three were guitarists and military veterans. The event will also include an art sale. Jagelka said she will be vending at the 106 Avenue B location as well as around the corner near 7B/Vazac's/ the Horseshoe Bar. 

The musical legacy continues later that evening at 6 when Jagelka's daughter, also a guitarist, performs at Berlin with her band, MeowMeow.

From an early 1980s East Village rooftop: Beat Rodeo's 'Just Friends'

 

Steve Almaas, a longtime East Village resident, musician and songwriter, died on June 5 at the age of 69. 

He was arguably best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Beat Rodeo, a pioneer of the Americana and alt-country sound. 

The video here for "Just Friends," filmed on an East Village rooftop, is from Beat Rodeo's 1984 album Staying Out Late. 

A snapshot of a band, a rooftop and an East Village that feels both familiar and far away.

About the inaugural Rebelmaticfest in Tompkins Square Park

Rebelmatic is bringing its brand of punk, funk and metal to Tompkins Square Park tomorrow... headlining the inaugural Rebelmaticfest. 

Per the NYC band: "We're thrilled to announce a Juneteenth celebration at Tompkins Square Park on Saturday, June 20th from 2-6 pm. Expect a day of resistance through punk, hip-hop, and sound..."

The free show starts at two and features Mega Consortium, Fatboi Sharif, Carlos the Chords x Nvrhrdengh, and Honeychild Coleman x Jason Bernard Lucas representing The 1865 ... and more.

Bob Bert celebrates Beach Bongo Bloodbath at the Bowery Palace

Photos by Stacie Joy

On Monday night, the Bowery Palace hosted a sold-out release party for Bob Bert's debut solo album, Beach Bongo Bloodbath.  

But the evening felt less like a record release and more like a tribute to Bert's four-plus decades in music. Friends, collaborators, and bandmates from across his career — including stops in Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Chrome Cranks, Knoxville Girls, Bewitched, and the Wolfmanhattan Project — filled the room for what amounted to a live-action retrospective. (He also celebrated a birthday last week, so there was also a cake.)

Despite his longstanding presence on the downtown music scene, Beach Bongo Bloodbath marks Bert's first release under his own name.

Released by Bar/None Records, the album trades guitars for bongos, percussion, keyboards, and theremin, resulting in a strange, playful, and unorthodox collection of originals and reimagined covers. 

Bert took the stage multiple times throughout the evening, which unfolded like a downtown This Is Your Life — with old friends, former bandmates and fellow musicians paying tribute through stories and songs. 

The bill at the venue on the Bowery (formerly the Bowery Electric) included reunions featuring Chrome Cranks, Knoxville Girls, Bewitched and the Wolfmanhattan Project.

Genre is Death (below) and the Skull Practitioners played short sets devoted to Pussy Galore and early Sonic Youth material, with Bert joining in on several songs.

Genre Is Death's Ty and Taylor — longtime admirers of Pussy Galore and early Sonic Youth — performed a brief set of songs associated with Bert's past, including "White Noise," "Halloween" and "Pussy Stomp."

And one last shot of Bert, where many fans first came to know him: behind the drum kit.

Billy Jones Forever Foundation launches to support emerging music professionals

Photo courtesy of Billy Jones Forever Foundation 

A new scholarship and mentorship fund has launched in memory of Billy Jones, the longtime musician, promoter, venue owner and East Village music scene fixture who died on June 7, 2025, after a battle with glioblastoma. He was 45. 

The Billy Jones Forever Foundation will provide financial assistance and mentorship to emerging music professionals. According to organizers, recipients may receive support for relocation, housing, equipment, travel and other expenses, along with access to industry mentors and professional networks. 

After arriving in New York in the early 2000s, Jones helped shape the city's independent music scene through booking and programming at East Village and LES venues, including Sin-é, Pianos, and Elvis Guesthouse. He later co-founded the Williamsburg venue Baby's All Right. 

In early 2025, Jones helped open Night Club 101 on Avenue A ... further fostering a community around independent music and emerging artists. 

Family members and friends established the foundation to continue Jones' legacy of supporting musicians and creative talent. Donations and scholarship applications are now open. 

Find more information here.

Friday's opening shots

Two views of last evening's sunset courtesy of Cecil Scheib...

The weather people say this Juneteenth will be partly sunny and less humid ... with a solid weekend ahead for outdoor plans.

Scenes from the Knicks championship parade

For a few hours today, Lower Manhattan belonged to the Knicks — and their fans. 

As the city's first NBA championship parade in more than 50 years made its way through the Canyon of Heroes, East Village photographer Kyle de Vre was in the middle of the celebration, documenting the confetti-filled scene from street level. 

The following photos capture moments from a memorable day for generations of Knicks fans...

Sunday afternoon with Pinc Louds in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Tompkins Square Park hosted a free Show Brain concert on Sunday, with headliners Pinc Louds closing out the afternoon. 

The local band — who were recording a new live album — filled their set with an F train, Christmas tree, inflatables, dancing and the kind of audience-participation-fueled chaos that has become a trademark of their performances. 

Here are a few scenes from the show...

From earlier in the day, here's Show brain founder Ozzie... and some other faces in the crowd...

The show also featured Telescreens, Abbie Roper and, below, Nautics...

The next Show Brain show is June 27 with, among others, Leftöver Crack.

Freedom Village, 13-story supportive housing, officially debuts on 2nd Street

A new affordable housing development for survivors of domestic violence and older adults experiencing homelessness has officially opened (as of June 11) at 270 E. Second St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

The 13-story building, known as Freedom Village, contains 74 apartments and replaces a former school building that had served as transitional housing for roughly 30 years. 

Barrier Free Living, which was founded at the site in 1981, developed the project.

The apartments are available to households earning at or below 30% of the Area Median Income. Residents are eligible for on-site supportive services, including case management, health-related support services and referrals to community resources. 

All apartments are fully accessible for residents with disabilities, and six units include additional accommodations for residents with hearing or vision disabilities. The building also includes community space, offices for supportive-service staff and a rooftop terrace with a tenant-run garden. 

Foundation work for the 65,000-square-foot facility started on the site in the summer of 2023.

Read the Gov. Hochul news release on Freedom Village here. 

'We're back' — Kotobuki officially announces its East Village return

Photos by Steven 

Signage is up announcing that Kotobuki is returning to the East Village... in a new home at 8 Stuyvesant St. at Ninth Street, which has been vacant for six years since Sharaku closed in the early days of the pandemic. 

As you can see, the Japanese restaurant will use part of the second level of the building above the Wonder food court...

Kotobuki East Village was on the CB3 docket last month for a new liquor license. 

Eric Kim and Bon Koo manage three Kotobuki restaurants on Long Island, in Babylon, Hauppauge and Roslyn. 

They previously owned Kotibuki at 56 3rd Ave., which closed in 2024, after developers bought up the parcels between 10th Street and 11th Street for a new residential building. 

Signage states a summer opening.