Mike D. & 5D and Very Nice Person at Xanadu Roller Arts
On Friday, May 22, 2026, Mike D. (of Beastie Boys) performed at Xanadu Roller Arts in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The influential musician was backed by a live band called 5D, and performed brand new songs and a few Beasties classics. Taking the stage at 9:10PM, Mike D. began his set with “B-Boy Bouillabaisse: Hello Brooklyn” from Paul’s Boutique which felt simultaneously like a surprise and such an obvious way to commence his first live solo performance in Brooklyn. He announced the names of his new songs (“Make It Stop” [pretty sure I caught a sample of Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force’s “Planet Rock" in it], “True Colors,” and his new single, “Switch Up”) and the Beastie Boys songs needed no introduction with many in the crowd singing along (the aforementioned “Hello Brooklyn,” “Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun,” and the final song of his set, “So What'cha Want.")
Mike D. was backed by a band called 5D, featuring his sons, Skyler and Davis Diamond, who also are in the opening band, Very Nice Person, who that kicked off the show at 8PM. Unfortunately, I found it hard to hear the vocals during their set (they were a bit low, plus I was standing right next to the drummer). The headliner was finished by 10PM, with the audience clearing out of the roller rink so that the afterparty with DJ Qbert could begin at 10:30. Before this show, I last photographed Mike D. during the Beastie Boys Square event in September 2023, and photographed Beastie Boys only once during a benefit show at Hiro Ballroom in 2006.
Photos of both acts can be found in the above gallery, and there’s another sold out show at Xanadu tonight (Saturday, May 23rd) before Mike D. and 5D head to Europe next month. More information, plus merchandise, can be found on the Mike D 5D website.