It's good to be back in New York.

And, no better homecoming than last night's Wordless Music show at the Whitney, part of the Whitney Live series of free, Friday night concerts. This was the second of four Wordless shows at the Whitney this month, and just the latest in a string of recent developments for the two-year-old series. Last week, WNYC's Jad Abumrad hosted a four part series featuring excepts from live performances and conversations with composers such as David Lang and Meredith Monk, reflecting on the juxtaposition of classical music and indie rock. Later this summer, Ronen and the gang take the show outdoors, with performances of Rite of Spring and Deerhoof in Prospect Park, and Perotin and Rhys Chatham in Damrosch Park.

But, last night's gathering was on a more intimate scale. The young chamber ensemble ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble) opened with John Adams' driving Shaker Loops and Ingram Marshall's irrepressibly somber Entrada. The music was amplified outdoors, causing several passersby to stop dead in their tracks and listen on the Madison Avenue overhang. Kind of like what you'll see at MoMA's Summergarden starting next month, only cooler. (ACME plays on all four Wordless shows at the Whitney.)

Philly quartet A Sunny Day in Glasgow closed out the show with a short set of shrill vocals played over distorted guitars and electronics. Kind of rough around the edges and not always in-tune, but there were melodic moments that kept it interesting.

For those who haven't heard, Ronen's newest venture is as part-time booker for Le Poisson Rouge: a multi-genre club in the old Village Gate space on Bleecker Street. The official opening is tomorrow; Ronen's first gig is on Tuesday, featuring Bach specialist (and Slope native) Simone Dinnerstein and singer-songwriter Essie Jain. Doors at 6:30.