Mai Khôi & the Dissidents Live at National Sawdust, NYC
PUBLISHED: 03/03/26 | 🕑 5 mins
A few months ago in New York, the singer, composer, and activist Mai Khôi took the stage at La MaMa for ArtsLink Assembly 2025: Defending Each Other, sharing her journey of exile from her native Vietnam and her work at the intersection of art and activism. She returns to NYC this March with one of her current projects, Mai Khôi & the Dissidents, which is off to a strong start with the release of a new album and a double-bill concert performance at National Sawdust.
Mai Khôi & the Dissidents:
Mai Khôi – voice
Mark Micchelli – keyboards
Jeff Siegfried – saxophones
Eli Namay – bass
PJ Roduta – drums
On March 21st, the 2-in-1 concert performance at National Sawdust will first present “Bad Activist,” where Mai Khôi recounts her journey from pop stardom to activism through a spellbinding mixture of original music, projections, archival footage, and theatrical performance. Throughout the narrative, “Bad Activist” confronts urgent political issues including the legacy of imperialism, the deleterious effects of censorship on arts and speech, and the worsening human rights situation in Vietnam. The story ends with Khôi’s exile in the United States, where she is once again confronted with the same rising authoritarianism she fled six years ago.
In the evening, the band will perform music from their upcoming album “Five Years in Exile,” which will be available for the first time following the show. The new songs address issues of climate change, political incarceration, and corporate oligarchy, as well as personal stories of love, loss, and life away from home.
“Five Years in Exile” will be available worldwide on April 10th.
LIVE AT NATIONAL SAWDUST, NYC
March 21, 2026
80 North 6th St – Brooklyn, NY 11249
4:00PM: “Bad Activist” Performance
7:30PM: “Five Years in Exile” Album Release Performance
This performance is presented by National Sawdust in partnership with Artistic Freedom Initiative.
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