Friday January 7
Location: Tribeca, NYC
Bands: Here Comes Trouble
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: 92Y Tribeca
Food: Pakistan Tea House
Drink: Mocca Lounge
Miscellaneous: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Trouble Worldwide and Barbès Records present Here Comes Trouble, an APAP showcase with Non Stop Bhangra, Very be Careful, Razia, International Body Music Festival, Sanda Weigl, and a Surprise Special Guest.Nearby, Pakistan Tea House is a buffet style Indian restaurant where you can choose between chicken, meat, fish and vegetables. It’s affordable and very good. 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.
Friday January 7
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: Lee Fields & the Expressions Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Bowery Ballroom
Food: The Stanton Social
Drink: The Magician
Miscellaneous: The Pink Pony
Soul sensation Lee Fields & the Expressions, who is on the Truth & Soul label makes some of the most authentic down-home soul around today. So expect one badass performance. 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.
Saturday January 8
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: Barbes Takes Manhattan
Show time: 6:30 PM
Venue: Drom
Food: Three of Cups
Drink: Whiskey Ward
Miscellaneous: Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Celebrate world music with an impressive line-up of bands from all over the globe. Barbes Takes Manhattan features performances from Barbes record label acts including Brooklyn Qawwali Party, Chicha Libre, Hazmat Modine, Pierre Gaillande’s Bad Reputation, and Les Chauds. What I like about Three of Cups the most is that the food is classic Italian fare like Pizza made in a wood-fired oven, risotto, pasta, while also offering more exciting dishes like lamb stew in a barolo wine reduction, served with potato gnocchi. The atmosphere is relaxing, bordering on romantic. With a name like Whiskey Ward, it’s expected that they deliver the goods, which lucky for this bar, they do. Whether it’s Scotch, Bourbon, Whiskey, or Single Malts, they got em’ along with a pool table and a damn good jukebox. Who doesn’t like cupcakes? Sugar Sweet Sunshine has one of the best in the city. With 10 different kinds, it’s hard to beat.
Saturday January 8
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: Sharon Van Etten Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Bowery Ballroom
Food: The Stanton Social
Drink: The Magician
Miscellaneous: The Pink Pony
Sharon Van Ettenmakes sweet sweet folky music. Her new album Epic is chock full of amazing songs featuring Sharon’s incredible voice and guitar work. 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 January 9
Location: Tribeca, NYC
Bands: Klezmer Brunch: Metropolitan Klezmer
Show time: 10 AM
Venue: City Winery
Food: Pakistan Tea House
Drink: Mocca Lounge
Miscellaneous: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Pairing good food and music, check out Klezmer Brunch: Metropolitan Klezmer at City Winery, where Metropolitan Klezmer perform some classic Jewish music while you eat bagels, lox, and more from the brunch menu. Nearby, Pakistan Tea House is a buffet style Indian restaurant where you can choose between chicken, meat, fish and vegetables. It’s affordable and very good. 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.
