Rokia Traoré will be the artist in residence at New York University's Institute of African American Affairs this semester. Through three programs curated by Traoré, she will share her work, ideas, and philosophy. The events, taking place at NYU October 26–30, including two lecture-performances and a culminating concert, are free and open to the public.

Chris Thile, Emmylou Harris play free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass fest in San Francisco … Laurie Anderson is in London … David Byrne takes American Utopia to Texas … Jeremy Denk joins BBC Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven … James Farm continues European tour in Brussels, Netherlands … Kronos Quartet begins ballet residency in San Francisco … Conor Oberst tours California … and more …

Lake Street Dive announces new tour dates for January 2019 in support of their album Free Yourself Up. Following a successful run of 80+ performances in 2018, shows in the New Year include Charlotte, Orlando, Birmingham, New Orleans, and more. The band will be honored for its support of music and arts education at the Little Kids Rock Benefit in NYC on November 8 and sit down for a conversation with Stephen Colbert at a sold-out 92nd Street Y event on November 12.

Olivia Chaney performs from Shelter in London … Sam Amidon is in Indiana … David Byrne brings American Utopia to Florida … Rhiannon Giddens plays Wide Open Bluegrass in Raleigh … Richard Goode gives solo recital in Houston … Lake Street Dive takes Free Yourself Up tour to Missouri, Memphis … Robert Plant wraps up fall tour in Austin … Phantom Thread premieres on HBO ... and more …

k.d. lang takes Ingénue Redux Tour to Texas … David Byrne, Robert Plant perform at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville … Lake Street Dive plays Sonoma Harvest Music Festival … Natalie Merchant performs Berkshires benefit concerts … Nonesuch takes part in Brooklyn Flea Record Fair … and more ...

David Byrne's American Utopia tour, which has earned rave review across continents throughout the year, has been shortlisted for a Q Award for Best Live Act. Folks can cast their votes and choose the winners now through Friday, October 5, at qthemusic.com. The awards will be presented at London's Roundhouse on October 17. The American Utopia tour continues in the US through mid-October, and heads back across the Atlantic for two weeks of arena shows in the UK. "If you only go to one gig this Autumn, make it this," exclaims the Independent's i.

David Byrne brings American Utopia to NYC … Olivia Chaney is in London ... Jeremy Denk is in Denver … Rhiannon Giddens plays FreshGrass Fest … Emmylou Harris, k.d. lang are in Nashville … Gabriel Kahane brings Book of Travelers to Boston … Kronos Quartet is in Austria … Lake Street Dive takes Free Yourself Up out West … Gaby Moreno hosts benefit in Miami … Robert Plant plays festivals in Colorado, California … Punch Brothers are All Ashore in Dallas, Oklahoma City … Joshua Redman plays Still Dreaming at SFJAZZ … Rostam performs in LA … and more …

Caetano Veloso and David Byrne caught up backstage at Byrne's American Utopia concert on Friday, and Veloso took in the concert from the crowd. He shared his beautiful response to the show on his Instagram, roughly translated from the Portuguese here. "The David Byrne (American Utopia) show is incredible," says Veloso. "It is one of the most beautiful rock or pop concerts ever made and is unlike any other." Read what else he has to say here.

Rhiannon Giddens will star as Bess in Greensboro Opera's production of The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess in 2020. The performances will take place at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in her hometown of Greensboro, NC, on November 13 and 15, 2020, the company's inaugural season in the new venue. Giddens was in Greensboro last weekend as the guest curator of and a performer at the North Carolina Folk Festival. She performs in upstate New York this week and at the FreshGrass Festival at MASS MoCA this weekend.

Rhiannon Giddens guest curates and performs at North Carolina Folk Festival … David Byrne brings American Utopia to Northeast … Jeremy Denk joins Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for Beethoven … Tigran Hamasyan performs in Japan … Gabriel Kahane launches Book of Travelers tour … The Gospel at Colonus is in NYC's Central Park … Kronos Quartet is in Italy, Latvia … Lake Street Dive is out West … k.d. lang takes Ingénue to Florida … Robert Plant plays St. Louis … Punch Brothers are All Ashore in Midwest ...

k.d. lang begins the Southern US leg of her Ingénue Redux Tour on Friday, performing her 1992 platinum-selling record, Ingénue, plus songs from her 2004 album, Hymns of the 49th Parallel, in cities across Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas. The Americana Music Association will present her with its 2018 Americana Trailblazer Award as part of the Americana Honors & Awards at the Ryman in Nashville next Wednesday, September 12. She will perform a headline show at the historic venue as part of her tour the following Sunday.

This Labor Day Weekend, Brad Mehldau gives the world premiere performance of his Piano Concerto at Philharmonie de Paris … Fleet Foxes conclude tour with hometown set at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle … Tigran Hamasyan Trio starts Japan tour in Tokyo … Gabriel Kahane joins Oregon Symphony for his new oratorio ... Kronos Quartet performs in Poland … Lake Street Dive takes Free Yourself Up tour to Midwest …