
On this week’s agenda: thought-provoking video art, an all-food market, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Greil Marcus, and
Mamma Mia! on Broadway. As always, check Groupon for even more great
things to do in New York City.
Nam June Paik: Becoming Robot
Upper East Side | Opens Friday, September 5
Sure, you could go see the
Matisse cut-outs at the Museum of Modern Art, but for an art exhibit that's colorful
and relevant to modern concerns, look no further than the Asia Society Museum. Considered the father of video art, the late Nam June Paik was fascinated by the manipulative power of technology. As funny as they are thought-provoking, his artworks on display here include a TV you can sit on to be reminded of the shrinking gap between human and machine.
(725 Park Ave.; $7–$12)
Smorgasburg
Williamsburg | Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
If you haven't visited Smorgasburg yet this summer, do yourself a favor and plan a trip to East River State Park on Saturday. This all-food pop-up market features 100 vendors from across the boroughs, all converging on the Williamsburg waterfront to dole out packaged and prepared treats.
(Kent Ave. and N. 7th St.; free)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Madison Square Garden
Midtown Manhattan | Wednesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m.
The World's Most Famous Arena will host one of America's most enduring rock bands when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers roll into town with special guest Steve Winwood. The band's latest studio album,
Hypnotic Eye, marks a return to their rollicking '60s form, and the bluesy guitar riffs in tunes like ''Fault Lines'' and ''Power Drunk'' sound like they were written to rock the rafters at MSG.
(4 Pennsylvania Plaza; $56–$137; buy tickets here)
Greil Marcus and Sasha Frere-Jones Talk Rock 'n' Roll
Clinton Hill | Wednesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m.
Greil Marcus is considered by many to be the founder of modern rock criticism, and Sasha Frere-Jones is one of the many writers who have benefitted from his influence. Frere-Jones, who writes for the
New Yorker, will sit down with Marcus at St. Joseph's College on Wednesday to discuss the latter's new book,
The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs. The price of admission includes a copy of the book, which attendees can have signed after the discussion.
(245 Clinton Ave.; $25; buy tickets here)
Mamma Mia! at Broadhurst Theatre
Theater District | Through Saturday, September 13
A lighthearted romp of a musical,
Mamma Mia! chronicles a daughter's quest to find her true father before her wedding day. It all happens to the sparkling sounds of ABBA, the Swedish pop group behind such hits as ''Dancing Queen,'' ''Knowing Me, Knowing You,'' ''The Winner Takes It All,'' and of course, the title track.
(235 W. 44th St.; $49; buy tickets here)