Friday October 23
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Leonard Cohen Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Food GoGo Curry
Drink Stitch
Miscellaneous Leisure Time Bowl
One of the forefathers of cool, Leonard Cohen brings his legendary catalog of songs about love and the mysteries of life to Radio City for a two night stand starting tonight. Catch this amazing songsmith, whose voice is just as pristine as it was on his first album. The owner of GoGo Curry is obsessed with the Yankees Hideki Matsui and his Jersey (55). The menu’s theme is baseball and katsu, a fried meat, chicken, or shrimp cutlet served in a curry sauce is the specialty here. Portion sizes are Walk (small), Single (Med.), Double (L), and Triple (XL) and are inexpensive. The mascot, a gorilla for some reason, is plastered everywhere, making this place even quirkier. In the heart of the garment district, Stitch, a cozy after-work bar/lounge, stocks a cocktail menu with a design theme. If you still have energy and are in the mood to bowl, check out Leisure Time Bowl. Located in the Port Authority, this place is stylish and fun.
Friday October 23
Location: Midtown East, NYC
Event: UN Day Concert: A Tribute to Peacekeeping
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: United Nations General Assembly Hall
Food: Peking Duck House
Drink: Blackstones Pub & Restaurant
Miscellaneous: New York Milkshake Company
Celebrating the UN’s peacekeepers stationed all over the world in some of the most dangerous areas you can imagine, all in the name of peace, UN Day Concert: A Tribute to Peacekeeping will see music performed live from all over the world including Africa’s amazing rapper Sister Fa, Salman Ahmad with Samir Chatterjee, Aterciopelados, Harry Belafonte, Roberta Flack, Emmanuel Jal, Angelique Kidjo, Sister Fa, John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Remember Shakti, Isha Sesay (Emcee), Fisher Stevens (Film Director), Nile Rodgers (Musical Director). At one of my favorite places to get duck, The Peking Duck House, the meat is succulent and the skin crunches like a potato chip. Sometimes you just want to grab a pint without paying a cover charge or playing host to a group of people after work, which is why I like Blackstones Pub & Restaurant. It looks like an old-time saloon and has two pool tables in the back and plenty of other games, while also being big enough to grab traditional American food from the menu. If you’re still hungry, check out the New York Milkshake Company for one of the best $6 shakes of your life.
Saturday October 24
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: CMJ Music Marathon presents: Panache Showcase
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Union Pool
Food: Chimu
Drink: Union Pool
Miscellaneous: Eks
This show looks ridiculous if you’re a fan of some of the hottest psychedelic and experimental music as An Albatross, Lovvers, and Dark Meat headline this CMJ event. With so much good food in Williamsburg, you should not forget about Chimu. A Peruvian steakhouse right next to Union Pool, the rotisserie chicken and every other dish I’ve had here is amazing, and it won’t break the bank! For drinks, Union Pool is still one of the best bars in town. If you’re single, it’s a goldmine for ass, the drinks aren’t pricey, and the DJs play an eclectic mix of ridiculously good music plus there’s a taco truck outside in case you get the munchies. Not exactly Pinkberry, yet just as expensive, Eks is Williamsburg’s answer to the yogurt fad currently popping up.
Saturday October 24
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: CMJ Music Marathon Presents: Beast
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Living Room
Food: The Stanton Social
Drink: The Magician
Accessory: The Pink Pony
Hailing from Montreal via France, Beast, is made up of drummer/composer Jean-Phi Goncalves (who worked with Lauryn Hill) and Betty Bonifassi (who provided the singing voice in the animated film Les Triplets De Belleville). Together they make industrial meets Rage Against the Machine while Bonifassi’s voice is reminiscent of Shirley Bassey. Though that combo may sound off, it works well. Highlights from this all day affair you should not miss include Sissy Wish (4 PM), Orba Squara (10 PM), and Skidmore Fountain (11 PM). For dinner, The Stanton Social has earned a reputation for being a beautifully designed restaurant/lounge while serving up some delicious multi-ethnic cuisine. For drinks, a favorite of mine is The Magician, this bar’s chill atmosphere just may be the cure for a well-earned night of rocking. A great way to end the night? Stop by The Pink Pony. This boho café has been serving French food and coffee since the 80s and has a relaxing vibe. It’s as punk as that neighborhood gets nowadays.
Sunday October 25
Location: Union Square, NYC
Art: John W. Codling: Sundays With Chris
Show time: See website for schedule; Through November 1
Venue: DVF Gallery
Food: Chat ‘N’ Chew
Drink: Pete’s Tavern
Miscellaneous: Whole Foods
Pop artist John W. Codling brings his collection of Christopher Walken paintings to DFV Gallery blending a non-conformist approach with wry wit. For food with southern flair in Union Square, Chat ‘N’ Chew makes some kickass fried chicken, pork-chops, and meatloaf. In the running for oldest bar in NYC, Pete’s Tavern has been around since 1864 and was made famous by author O. Henry who wrote “Gift of the Magi,†in one of its booths. One good thing about the Union Square location of Whole Foods is that it’s not only a reprieve from this tourist heavy area, but with it’s huge windows, you can sit, get healthy organic food and drink, and watch the insanity like it’s a movie.
