Get Hooked on Dolly Parton at the Losers Lounge Tribute to this country legend.
Friday April 10
Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Event: Abandon Ship Showcase
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Tommy’s Tavern
Food: Lokal
Drink: Enid’s
Miscellaneous: The Gutter
Abandon Ship Records, the experimental noise label who releases plenty of unknown bands put this showcase together featuring Yellow Crystal Star, Hells Hills, Amir Coyle, Child Bride, and Boyzone. Lokal describes itself as a Mediterranean Bistro, though serves up burgers, pizza, and steak. Regardless, the food is delicious, the ambiance nice, is right on McCarren Park AND they serve mulled wine during the winter. For drinks, Enid’s is Greenpoint’s go to bar. With inexpensive drinks and a festive vibe, you’ll be right in the middle of a good time. The Gutter, the new bowling alley and bar, is brought to you by the same owners as Barcade, so you know it will be good. Bowling + Booze = Awesome!
Friday April 10
Location: East Village, NYC
Bands: Loser’s Lounge Tribute to Dolly Parton
Show time: 7:30 & 10 PM
Venue: Joe’s Pub
Food: Momofuku
Drink: The Village Pourhouse
Miscellaneous: Sundaes and Cones
The Losers Lounge pays tribute to country legend Dolly Parton. Started by session keyboardist Joe McGinty and backed by a full band, expect plenty of local singing talent and some surprise guests. If you like ramen noodles and pork, then Momofuku is your spot for food. The Berkshire pork is the best I’ve had and it’s the only place I’ll eat pork period, which should tell you just how good Momofuku really is! What looks like a neighborhood bar to watch sports actually has three more rooms, where you can order food or find a quiet place to smooch! For dessert a little left of the dial, Sundaes & Cones offers eclectic flavors like wasabi and corn and many more flavors that are familiar.
Friday April 10
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: The Bloodsugars
Show time: 10 PM to 4 AM
Venue: Public Assembly
Food: Dumont Burger
Drink: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Miscellaneous: Verb Cafe
Join this exciting lineup of great rock acts at Public Assembly in Brooklyn that includes Mittenfields, Soft Black, The Bloodsugars, and Grand Mal with everyone’s favorite DJ, Sheri Barclay. With one of the best burgers in Williamsburg, Dumont Burger offers theirs with gourmet toppings, sandwiches, salads, and their amazing mac & cheese. So you consider yourself a beer connoisseur and like to party. You can do all that and eat at Radegast. The Austrian/German menu perfectly compliments the 12 beers on tap and more than 30 German and Austrian bottles at this large beer hall. One of the oldest and best hipster hangout coffee shops, The Verb offers up excellent coffee and baked goods, a boho vibe, and big windows to watch the days pass while collecting unemployment!
Saturday April 11
Location: West Village, NYC
Bands: Extra Golden + Meta and the Cornerstones
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: (Le) Poisson Rouge
Food: Tortilla Flats
Drink: White Horse Tavern
Accessory: Magnolia Bakery
Extra Golden make an interesting mix of African, blues, and rock music and on their album Thank You Very Quickly they blend these styles effortlessly. Joining them is Meta and the Cornerstones who make reggae, hip-hop and soul music sound so good. For dinner, 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 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.
Saturday April 11
Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn
Bands: Black Dice
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: The Market Hotel
Food: The Northeast Kingdom
Drink: Life Café Nine 83
Miscellaneous: Stain
Brooklyn experimental electronic outfit Black Dice recently released their new album Repo and in their vast catalog of music going back 10 years these guys have done everything from thrash and noise to afrobeat and breakbeat, so their live show should have alot going on. For food in this neighborhood, Northeast Kingdom is where you want to go. With a seasonal menu of American cuisine with a culinary twist, like the Beef Bourguignon with herbed dumplings ($17), this place offers a relaxing atmosphere for an artist heavy crowd. For drinks, check out Life Café. While it’s THE same Life Café that the RENT musical features in the play, it’s not the same location. This new Bushwick locale also possesses a boho vibe, an Americanized menu of ethnic food, and a fun selection of mixed drinks including martini’s and lemonade cocktails. A HUGE space decked out in old couches, Stain is an artsy bar that looks like an old-school coffeehouse yet serves local wines and beers.
Sunday April 12
Location: West Village, NYC
Event: 3rd Annual Anarchist Book Fair
Show time: 11 AM to 8 PM
Venue: Judson Memorial Church
Food: Babbo
Drink: The Dove
Miscellaneous: Café Reggio
Who says anarchists can’t organize? At the 3rd Annual Anarchist Book Fair, join fellow anarchist thinkers for this two day (Sat & Sun) event including a fair for books, zines, pamphlets, art, film/video, and more as well as panels, presentations, and workshops to learn about anarchist ideas as well as discuss and debate all that is going on right now in the world. One of the six Italian eateries of celebrity chef Mario Battali, Babbo takes Italian American cooking to another level. While the food can be expensive and reservations would be the best way to get a table, this place is highly regarded among food connoisseurs. Disguised as a lounge The Dove is really a neighborhood bar dressed up in red, white, and gold décor with a nice selection of beers on tap and a very good mixed drink menu featuring delicious martini’s. One of my favorite coffee houses, Café Reggio has the most literate and West Village atmosphere I have been to. A real slice of New York, it was also in the movie Superfly. Go there or be square!
