The Weekend Shortlist October 17 to 19

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Menahan Street Band

Friday October 17

Location: West Village, NYC
Music: Baltimore Round Robin
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: (le) poisson rouge
Food: Tortilla Flats
Drink: White Horse Tavern
Miscellaneous: Magnolia Bakery

Dan Deacon hosts the Baltimore Round Robin Tour featuring the best of Baltimore’s art-punk music scene as the bands play in a round robin format so you never know what your going to get next. Bands playing include Beach House, Jana Hunter, Wzt Hearts, nautical almanac, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Lexie Mountain Boys, Teeth Mountain, Santa Dads, Creepers, Ed Schrader and Sand Cats. Dinner before a show like this should be equally wacky. Check out Tortilla Flats. The food is Mexican and delicious, but it’s the insanity within (bingo and hula-hoop nights) that is the real calling card for this place. For drinks afterwards, hit the White Horse Tavern, a great bar and the old haunting grounds for Dylan Thomas. If you somehow have time before all of this, stop by Magnolia Bakery for some of the best tasting cupcakes in the city.

Friday October 17

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bands: Menahan Street Band + The Phenomenal Handclap Band
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen Drink
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

With a new album out called Make the Road By Walking, the Menahan Street Band, a member of the venerable Daptone funk label, continue the funk and soul tradition that labelmates like The Budos Band and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings started. Of course, members of those bands are also in Menahan. Speaking of interesting, ever have Oaxacan food? Chiles & Chocolate serves up some fantastic, not exactly Mexican food. Try the smoky flavored Mole Negro, one of the best mole sauces I’ve had in NYC. Before leaving, you must try one of the hot chocolates like the Chiles Y Chocolate. A hint of chipotle without too much heat is a nice kick start for the night. The Gate is a great Park Slope bar with excellent beers on tap and a outdoor courtyard to chill. If time permits, you must, and I mean MUST go to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co., a non-profit organization that helps kids with their writing, that’s fronted by a store selling super powers.

DOWNLOAD – Menahan Street Band – Make the Road By Walking.mp3

Saturday October 18

Location: Tribeca, NYC
Event: 92Y Grand Opening
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: 92Y Tribeca
Food: Pakistan Tea House
Drink: Mocca Lounge
Miscellaneous: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Looks like the 92 Street Y has opened up a new location in Tribeca, and to celebrate the grand opening they serve up an eclectic show featuring a screening of the movie White Hot American Summer, a live performance by John Vanderslice, and stand-up comedy by Michael Showalter. Topping this night off is a screening of the cult-movie Viva. For drinks, check out Mocca Lounge. With a funky interior and a menu of Italian inspired fare, it’s also a bar with a large list of coffees with or without alcohol, beers, and frozen shots. Smack dab in the heart of Chinatown, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory makes gourmet ice cream flavors like Black Sesame, Ginger, Durian, and more exotic flavors like Taro and Wasabi. Don’t worry, they have the go-to’s like Vanilla, fruits, and chocolate flavors too.

Saturday October 18

Location: Upper West Side, NYC
Event: NYC Big Wheel Race
Show time: 2 PM
Venue: Central Park Great Hill (W 103 St. and Central Park W)
Food: Hummus Place
Drink: Jake’s Dilemmal
Miscellaneous: Alice’s Tea Cup

The first annual Big Wheel Race comes to Central Park. Bring your big wheel, trike, skateboard, velocipede, or handmade contraption on wheels along with your superhero costume (that’s right!) to the Great Hill in the park and prepare to race against some serious three wheelers. Don’t forget your helmet and plenty of Charmin to cushion that fall! Cheap yet not too heavy, Hummus Place serves up surprisingly great hummus in the uptown version of their original downtown location. More a game room for adults than a sports bar, Jake’s Dilemma offers more than 50 beers to choose from while you can play pool, video games, or foosball. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Alice’s Tea Cup is as much for adults as it is for kids. Get one of a vast assortment of teas flown in from around the world here or a gorgeously designed slice of cake.

Sunday October 19

Location: Herald Square, NYC
Art: Signs of Change: Social Movement Cultures 1960s
Show time: Tues–Thurs: 10 AM–6 PM; Fri: 10 AM–8 PM; Sat: noon–8 PM Through November 22
Venue: Exit Art
Food: Supermac
Drink: Stout
Miscellaneous: Jack’s 99 Cent Store

With the economic crisis on everyone’s mind and the election coming up, everyone is looking to the past to see how we can avoid screwing up our future. The exhibit Signs of Change takes a different page from that book by featuring hundreds of posters, photographs, moving images, audio clips, and more, bringing the art of many international social movements to life from over forty years of activism, political protest, and campaigns for social justice. Though small, Supermac packs a hearty punch with it’s gourmet mac & cheese’s like the Mac Cheesesteak with shaved steak, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, cremini/shitake, provolone, and white American ($8.25 mini; $10.95 mega). A great place in NYC to get a full-bodied dark beer is at Stout. With a very detailed beer list with descriptions, I’ve never had a bad pint at this bar and restaurant, plus the food menu is American and quite good. Probably the biggest 99-cent store in NYC, Jack’s is three floors of some of the finest values you can find, especially in an overpriced area like Herald Square.

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