Friday May 25
Location: Union Square, NYC
Music: Dylanfest 2012
Show time: 6 PM
Venue: The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Food: Momofuku
Drink: The Village Pourhouse
Miscellaneous: Sundaes and Cones
Come celebrate the extensive music catalogue of Bob Dylan at Dylanfest 2012. Featured performers include The Cabin Down Below Band starring: Adam Green, Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes, Nicole Atkins, Ryan Miller of Guster, Cory Chisel, Boz Scaggs, Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Chu of POP ETC, Petter Ericson Stakee of Alberta Cross, Tyson Ritter of All American Rejects, Jody Porter of Fountains of Wayne, Danny Clinch and the Tangiers Blues Band, Sammy James, Jr. of the Mooney Suzuki, Justin Long, Johnny T, Jamie Burke, Steve Schiltz of Hurricane Bells, Jack Dishel of Only Son, Antony Ellis of Five O’Clock Heroes, Adriel Harris and many, many, more… 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! The Village Pourhouse looks like a neighborhood bar to watch sports but is 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 and Cones offers eclectic flavors like wasabi and corn and many more flavors that are familiar.
Friday May 25
Location: Greenwich Village, NYC
Music: Search & Restore presents: Downtown Music Gallery’s 21st Anniversary Show
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: (Le) Poisson Rouge
Food: Koo Sushi
Drink: Blind Tiger Ale House
Miscellaneous: Peanut Butter & Co.
If you don’t know Downtown Music Gallery, it’s a great record store run by a man named Bruce who sells very hard to find jazz records and knows just about every player in and passing through NYC. : Search & Restore presents: Downtown Music Gallery’s 21st Anniversary Show and features Nels Cline & Julian Lage (First appearance as a duo!) , Kalabalik feat. Raoul Björkenheim, Anders Nilsson, and Gerald Cleaver and CD Release Party for Kalabalik’s debut CD on DMG/ARC Records. 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 May 26
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Music: The Blip Festival 2012
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Gramercy Theater
Food: Kelley & Ping Gramercy
Drink: Rodeo Bar
Miscellaneous: City Bakery
The Blip Festival 2012 takes the love of videogame music to another world as Chiptune bands come together to perform. Featured artists include George & Jonathan, Bit Shifter, Omodaka, Batsly Adams, Chipocrite, and many more. For dinner, Kelley & Ping Gramercy offers a taste of the food stalls from all over Asia including noodles, curries, and of course street food like pad Thai. The food is delish! Though honky tonk doesn’t spell R-O-C-K, the Rodeo Bar offers both. With the bar itself being an old horse trailer and the bartender offering up 10 kinds of margarita’s, this place is white trash awesome! For some of the best bakery goods and hot chocolate in the city, stop at City Bakery and indulge in delectable morsels. Expect to pay for every delicious cent of em’ cause they ain’t cheap, but they’re worth it!
Saturday May 26
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Art: Whitney Biennial 2012
Show time: See website for schedule; Through May 27
Venue: Whitney Museum of American Art
Food: Brother Jimmy’s Bait Shack
Drink: BB&R
Miscellaneous: Dylan’s Candy Bar
The Whitney Biennial 2012 features sculpture, painting, installations, and photography—as well as dance, theater, music, and film, providing a look at the current state of contemporary art in America. If you’ve got a craving for barbeque, check out Brother Jimmy’s Bait Shack as the ribs, chicken, beef, and pork are all smothered in some amazing BBQ sauce. BB&R, which stands for Blonde, Brunette, and a Redhead is the brainchild of three best friends. What they’ve created is something between a neighborhood bar and a lounge with leather seats in the front and a pool table, photo booth, and video games in the back. Looking more like it came out of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Dylan’s Candy Bar is a colorful place to get lollipops, licorice, and all things sugary. Don’t go crazy though, or your sweet tooth might melt here!
Sunday May 27
Location: Midtown East, NYC
Art: Cindy Sherman
Show time: See website for schedule; Through June 11
Venue: MOMA
Food: Eatery
Drink: Valhalla
Miscellaneous: Central Park
Bringing together more than 170 photographs, this retrospective survey traces Cindy Sherman’s career from the mid 1970s to the present. Highlighted in the exhibition are in-depth presentations of her key series, including the groundbreaking series “Untitled Film Stills” (1977–80), the black-and-white pictures that feature the artist in stereotypical female roles inspired by 1950s and 1960s Hollywood, film noir, and European art-house films; her ornate history portraits (1989–90), in which the artist poses as aristocrats, clergymen, and milkmaids in the manner of old master paintings; and her larger-than-life society portraits (2008) that address the experience and representation of aging in the context of contemporary obsessions with youth and status. Nearby and delicious, Eatery offers a new American menu that’s asian influenced. Try the Red Curry Chicken Breast over roti pancake, with baby carrots and red curry coconut sauce ($16.95). Valhalla’s minimalist space is chill, letting the 24 brands of beer from all over the world on tap be the main attraction at this bar. While its warm out, waste a little time walking through Central Park, relax, and get out of the hustle and bustle of the city. Just watch your step. The working horses tend to leave surprises behind them!
