Photo by Echoes via Getty Images
Weekend Guide: Alice Coltrane’s Eternity’s Pillar, The First Annual Bodega Cat Awards, and a Rap Show on The J Train
Plus: Ho99o9 at Saint Vitus, The Pharcyde and Slum Village at Brooklyn Bowl, a cassette-making class in Dimes Square, and more
Every once in a while, we here at Brooklyn Magazine like to get a little out there. This week, we’re bringing you along. A number of our events are a tad bit avant-garde, whether it’s a screening of Alice Coltrane’s late-night TV show or a rap show on a moving train or an event from the experimental Durations festival. And if offbeat isn’t your thing, we’ve got plenty of less wild fare, from Sting to a literal walk in the park. Whether you’re feeling highbrow or low, into hearing from Nobel winners or watching people play video games, we’ve got you covered here at Weekend Guide.
Courtesy of Signal
Thursday, November 12
BAM x Alfreda’s Cinema, ARTNOIR co-present: Alice Coltrane’s Eternity’s Pillar @ BAM Rose Cinemas
7 p.m.
From 1985 until 1988, Alice Coltane had a late-night TV show in Los Angeles that combined meditation, spirituality, and music into a heady and powerful stew. Now, screening theatrically for the first time, you can see six episodes in succession. The night will be introduced by musician Surya Botofasina and will feature a conversation with filmmaker Ephraim Asili.
Elektra @ Theatre for a New Audience
7:30 p.m.
Newly minted Nobel Prize winner Anne Carson’s translation of Sophocles’ classic opens this week at TFNA. Daniel Fish directs, and the choral songs are composed by Ted Hearne.
The Pharcyde & Slum Village @ Brooklyn Bowl
8 p.m.
Two of the best and most influential rap groups of the ‘90s and aughts are still around and performing. They’ve survived plenty of lineup changes and, in the case of Slum Village, the deaths of two of founding members. Come see the crews perform their classic material at one of the most fun venues in the borough.
Archivio + 1: Kiyoshi, Pablo Romero, and Daniel Dutts @ Signal
10 p.m.
Get the weekend started on the good foot, if that’s what it demands, at Signal on Thursday night, with a line-up anchored by Archivio chief Pablo Romero.
Courtesy of Public Records
Friday, November 13
New York Tattoo Convention @ The Duggal Greenhouse
2 p.m.
This convention goes on all weekend, but you should get there on the first day. After all, there will be 320 different tattoo artists to visit—plus burlesque, a drag show, live music, local vendors, and more.
Ho99o9, N8NOFACE, and Slay Squad @ Saint Vitus
6 p.m.
Progenitors of punk’s farther, darker edges are coming together for what will surely be, to the extent that you’ll allow it, a battering night of music at the deep Bushwick venue.
Oofie Fest @ Rubulad
6:30 p.m.
Oofie Magazine, a publication that celebrates queer artists and “the art of slowing down and building something you’re passionate about,” is celebrating the launch of its fourth issue. Its theme is “fan girl,” so dress appropriately. O Slow, Carlos Antonio, and Molly Offline will provide live music, and Rat Cat XO and Mx. Ology will bring the drag.
This event, part of the week-long Durations 2026, is a series of readings followed by a conversation. The goal is to dissolve the lines between philosophy and magic. Pretty ambitious, but with a lineup like this, they might just pull it off.
A Rap Show on The J Train @ Broad Street Station
7:30 p.m.
A collective of New York rappers, musicians, and producers will be giving a whole new meaning to showtime on Saturday night, taking over the last car on the J train for an in-transit live music experience that will be hard to forget (or replicate, for that matter). For the sake of crowd control, prospective attendees are encouraged to RSVP before meeting up at the Broad Street train station and riding the performance out until it reaches its final stop at Broadway Junction.
Master of the Flying Guillotine @ Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg
11:55 p.m.
The classic ‘70s martial arts film has everything, including arguably the most awesome weapon ever to appear onscreen, in any genre. It is the perfect type of film to become a midnight movie, so we’re eternally grateful to Nitehawk for actually making it one.
Courtesy of Union Pool
Saturday, November 14
Shirley Chisholm History Hike @ Shirley Chisholm State Park
10 a.m.
Shirley Chisholm State Park is perhaps this writer’s favorite place in the five boroughs. It’s giant, peaceful, beautiful, and rarely overcrowded. Now you can combine a visit to this gem with a chance to learn about its namesake’s life and times.
NY Cider Festival NYC 2026 @ Red Hook Cidery
11 a.m.
Nothing says fall like a good hard cider—or a good few dozen. You’ll have a chance to try all of them here. And if you’re willing to splurge on a special ticket, you can experience a special food and cider pairing, from either the Hudson Valley or the Finger Lakes.
Brooklyn Cranksgiving 2026 @ Principles GI Coffee House
12 p.m.
This bicycle scavenger hunt-slash-food drive will have you going all over the borough to complete challenges. At the end of the ride, there’s a party and prizes. And it’s all for a good cause: Red Hook Initiative, which provides a youth-centered urban agriculture and food justice program.
League of Legends 2026 World Championship @ Barclays Center
2 p.m.
A crowd of nineteen thousand watching people play video games? Why not! See who is the best in the world at LoL. It’s the first time the finals have ever been held on the East Coast, so we need to represent.
The First Annual Bodega Cat Awards @ Union Pool
8 p.m.
We are saddened to report this is a hilariously deceptive title for an event that will probably fill the back half of Union Pool with people hoping to see a collection of actual, fur-and-paw bodega cats. What they’ll actually arrive to is the award ceremony for the exhibitors at this year’s Brooklyn Expo of Comics, which “showcases the greatest indie comics and sequential storytelling in Brooklyn and beyond.” The winners are determined by votes, and the BEC is accepting ballots until 4 p.m. on Saturday. Cast yours today.
Courtesy of 8-Ball Artist Collective
Sunday, November 15
8-Ball Artist Collective’s Cassette Making Class @ 1 E. Broadway
Noon
This workshop and class on cassette-making is presented by 8-Ball and, yes, requires leaving this beloved borough for the nether regions of Dimes Square. But attendance is rewarded with a crash course on burning and duplicating tapes and, of course, something intimate and personal to gift or bring home and sort out how to actually play later.
The Old Ball Game: A Variety Show @ BKCM Prospect Park West
3:30 p.m.
Live music, short films, and some wacky baseball humor—what could be better? Musician and filmmaker Jared Engel will be screening two of his baseball-themed shorts, accompanied by a live band. Kids 10 and under get in free.
Rasin San Bout: Roots Without End Closing Art Reception @ Haiti Cultural Exchange
4 p.m.
Davidson “2Cent” Toussaint, who designed the soundscape for this exhibition, will be on hand for this closing night party. Rasin San Bout | Roots Without End puts artists in dialogue with sounds from Haiti recorded by the ethnomusicologist and archivist Alan Lomax during the 1930s. Artists of Haitian descent were invited to respond to the recordings, and each artwork is paired with the sound that inspired it.
Sting 3.0 Tour @ Brooklyn Paramount
7 p.m.
Sting is bringing his trio (Dominic Miller on guitar and Chris Maas on drums) to town for half a dozen shows at the Paramount in what is being billed as a “mini-residency.” Fiction Plane opens.
Frances Whitney @ Baby’s All Right
9:30 p.m.
Whitney’s backstory (former-pro-volleyball-player-turned-singer-songwriter) is fascinating. But it wouldn’t be worth much without her lyrical, confessional tunes. Come see her as she promotes her wonderful new release Daisy’s Mixtape.
