Friday May 4
Location: Upper West Side, NYC
Music: Andrew Bird
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Beacon Theater
Food: Hummus Place
Drink: Jake’s Dilemmal
Miscellaneous: Alice’s Tea Cup
Andrew Bird is a multi-instrumentalist, collaborated with countless artists, and writes some catchy pop songs, especially on his new album Break it Yourself. Opening is Patrick Wilson. 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 Dilemmal 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.
Friday May 4
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Music: Dirty Beaches
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Bowery Ballroom
Food: Social
Drink: 151
Miscellaneous: Bereket
Who doesn’t love Suicide. The band that is, and Dirty Beaches channels Alan Vega and Elvis Presley to make some dark and daring music that is mesmerizing to hear. Joining him are two great acts in Xiu Xiu and Father Murphy. Where to go afterwards? Go straight to the bar, and that bar would be 151, where happy hour is 7 days a week from 6pm till 10pm and includes 2 for 1 drinks. For those that don’t want a liquid dinner first, check Social for comfort food including the Mac and Cheese (Macaroni covered in Three Cheese Truffled Mornay Sauce and topped w/Seasoned Bread Crumbs). For a late night eat, a favorite spot of mine is Bereket for falafels and to watch drunks succeed at spilling their food all over themselves and failing at picking up chicks. Not for the faint of heart!
Saturday May 5
Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Music: Crossing Brooklyn Ferry Festival
Show time: 5 PM
Venue: BAM
Food: ICI
Drink: Moe’s
Miscellaneous: Tillie’s
Brooklyn Academy of Music hosts the Crossing Brooklyn Ferry Festival, a three day music fest curated by the National’s Bryce and Aaron Dessner and featuring performances by Beirut, Atlas Sound, My Brightest Diamond, yMusic, Caveman, Oneohtrix Point Never, Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang, Skeletons, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, The Yehudim, Benjamin Lanz, and a DJ set by Pat Mahoney and Nancy Whang.. Creating a seasonal menu filled with fresh and locally grown ingredients along with wines from small interesting local wineries, ICI creates innovative dishes like Wild Striped Bass with shitake mushrooms, fennel butter, and fennel slaw ($25). An eclectic bar in Ft. Greene that has absolutely nothing to do with The Simpsons, Moe’s offers a decent beer selection, a neighborhood vibe, and big windows to people watch. For coffee and a place to just sit and relax, Tillie’ss serves a great cup of joe, while consistently having performances, and serving excellent baked goods and vegan food.
Saturday May 5
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 6
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Theater: Jesus Christ Superstar
Show time: See website for schedule
Venue: Neil Simon Theatre
Food: Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar
Drink: Café des Artistes
Miscellaneous: Magnolia Bakery
Two-time Tony Award®-winning director Des McAnuff brings a bold, new vision to Jesus Christ Superstar by Tony, Grammy, and Academy Award-winners Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. While Swizz has an extensive wine menu and a downstairs cave, it’s the cheese that people come here for. Fondue lovers, Swizz Restaurant & Wine Bar is the place to go and the menu is just as extensive as its wine. It’s romantic and cheesy. Get it! Café des Artistes is one of those old historic bars that’s as New York as it gets. This bar/restaurant was the meeting place of artists going all the way back to 1917. Today, it serves up new American dishes and cocktails to those in the know. To soothe your sweet tooth, check the uptown location of Magnolia Bakery and sink your teeth into one of the city’s best cupcakes.
