The Weekend Shortlist August 1 to 3

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Friday August 1

Location: Financial District, NYC
Band: Seaport Music with Brother Ali + The Rub
Show time: 7:00 PM FREE
Venue: South Street Seaport
Food: Burritoville
Drink: Jeremy’s Ale House
Miscellaneous: Century 21

Coming with a live band, Brother Ali, an albino rapper with politically charged lyrics and dub and hip hop influences, has a well-received album that just came out called The Undisputed Truth. He is joined by The Rub, a Brooklyn outfit of DJs who play mashups and old school beats. While most people buy hot dogs and grab a beer at expensive restaurants in the Seaport mall, you’ll be smart and head over to Burritoville for inexpensive and delicious California inspired burritos, all under $10. For drinks, Jeremy’s Ale House has a lively crowd and a beer list that will get you a pint for $5 and under. If you get down to the financial district early, check out Century 21. They won’t try to sell you some property, but they have some great designer clothing on the cheap, plus the place is huge to roam.

Friday August 1

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: Stephenie Meyer + Justin Furstenfeld
Show time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Nokia Theatre Times Square
Food: Island Burgers and Shakes
Drink: Smith’s Bar
Miscellaneous: Colony Music

This looks like an odd show, Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight vampire book series performs with Justin Furstenfeld, frontman for the band Blue October to sing songs about vampires. Don’t expect any Freebird covers! For a kickass burger or chicken sandwich, Island Burgers and Shakes specializes in making great burgers like the Bourbon Street Burger that’s blackened, with bacon, Jack, bayou mayo, and onion on sourdough. One cheap bar in midtown, Smith’s is a dive bar with cheap booze, friendly locals, and live music daily in the next room. Though the place is way expensive, Colony Music is a fun music store that sells albums and sheet music. You can walk around and check out the entertainment memorabilia. Whether you’re looking for an autographed guitar signed by the Rolling Stones or an autographed 8×10 of Linda Carter, they’ve got it.

Saturday August 2

Location: West Village, NYC
Band: Steve Dalachinsky and Matthew Shipp
Show time: 6:00 PM
Venue: Cornelia Street Café
Food: Koo Sushi
Drink: Blind Tiger Ale House
Miscellaneous: Peanut Butter & Co.

I’ve seen Mathew Shipp play his avant-garde piano style many times live and he’s always amazing to watch and listen to. He plays with downtown poet Steve Dalachinsky, most likely performing music from their collaboration album Phenomena of Interference. A little known sushi joint, Koo Sushi offers affordable and fantastic fish with an impressive number of specialty rolls. For a bar that looks like any other, Blind Tiger Ale House offers an impressive number of beers including draught, bottled, cask and one called Louise’s Bloody Beer. Try it if you dare! If you’re in the mood for some comfort food, Peanut Butter & Co., offers some PB heavy hitters like the Elvis, a PB, banana, and bacon sandwich that tastes better than it sounds.

Saturday August 2

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Band: King Khan and the Shrines + Live Fast Die
Show time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Mercury Lounge
Food: Supper
Drink: Barramundi
Miscellaneous: Kudos

Though they are playing for FREE tomorrow, you should no doubt catch King Khan and the Shrines sometime this weekend. Bringing 60s psychedelic and soul music that sounds like it came from some obscure band from Cambodia, they are without a doubt a spectacle in the flesh. A favorite restaurant of mine, Supper has a dimly lit, all-wood interior giving it a rustic vibe. They even have what looks like a bar overlooking the chefs cooking for you to watch. The Italian menu offers some fantastic food too. Though it might sound like it has to do with Buddhism, Barramundi is actually an Australian owned bar that has infused vodkas, sangria, and a laundry list of mixed drinks like the Champagne Cocktail made with sugar and bitters with Courvoisier, topped with bubbly. If coffee and a snack is your thing, Kudos is an inexpensive place to get baked goods, a cup of coffee and chill before the show.

Sunday August 3

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Bands: JellyNYC Pool Parties with Black Lips + Deerhunter + King Khan and the Shrines + Tall Firs
Show time: 2:00 PM FREE
Venue: McCarren Park Pool
Food: Wasabi
Drink: Bar Matchless
Miscellaneous: The original Soupman

Who doesn’t like a free show? Especially with a line-up featuring the Black Lips, Deerhunter, Tall Firs and my new favorite band, King Khan and the Shrines. This aught to be a good one. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain like last Sunday. There’s a lot of restaurants popping up in Greenpoint nowadays. The Japanese restaurant Wasabi has been there before many of them and serves up some of the best sushi in that hood. A good local bar, Bar Matchless is that low-key place where you can chill, get a drink and not have to scream at the top of your lungs to make conversation. He’s been called “The Soup Nazi” on Seinfeld, but Al Yeganeh knows how to make soup. Try the Lobster bisque, it’s the best I’ve ever had, and don’t forget to follow his rules or “No Soup for You!”

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