Friday May 24
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Music: Alkaline Trio
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Best Buy Theater
Food: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl
Drink: Rudy’s Bar and Grill
Miscellaneous: Peking Duck House
Punk rock band Alkaline Trio recently released their eighth studio album, My Shame Is True, attributed to a recent breakup. While that may not sound punk, their show is. Making fast food healthy, Yoshinoya serves bowls of rice, vegetables, and your choice of beef, teriyaki chicken, veggie, or a combo of meats. Super cheap, it’s a favorite spot of mine in midtown. A great dive, Rudy’s Bar and Grill serves up cheap beer by the pint or by the pitcher, and as for the grilling, that includes free hot dogs and popcorn! Though slightly on the expensive side, if you’re in the mood for duck and are a couple or in a group of four or more, Peking Duck House makes some of the best duck you will ever likely have.
Friday May 24
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Music: Richard Lloyd
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: The Bowery Electric
Food: The Stanton Social
Drink: The Magician
Miscellaneous: The Pink Pony
Guitarist for the legendary New York rock band Television, Richard Lloyd remains one of the city’s best guitarists out there and is a must see show. Also on board are 3 Teens Kill 4, Steve Almaasorm. 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 May 25
Location: Upper West Side, NYC
Music: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Beacon Theater
Food: Hummus Place
Drink: Jake’s Dilemmal
Miscellaneous: Alice’s Tea Cup
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers perform one of five intimate concerts at New York City’s Beacon Theatre on May 20, 21, 23, 25, and 26. This is the first time the band will perform here in their thirty-seven year career as they kick off a 2013 North American tour of arenas, festivals, amphitheaters, and clubs. 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.
Saturday May 25
Location: Union Square, NYC
Event: The Awesome 80s Prom
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Webster Hall
Food: Thai Me Up Sandwich Bar
Drink: McSorley’s Old Ale House
Miscellaneous: Mudd Cafe
Relive the best and worst of coming of age in high school at The Awesome 80s Prom. This interactive show is part musical and full-on party as the audience gets to drink, dance and vote for the Prom King and Queen. For eats, check out Thai Me Up Sandwich Bar, a sandwich shop offering Thai sandwiches with 7 Steamed Fried Vegetables and a choice of chicken, veggie, tofu or beef on a baguette with 3 types of sauces for $7. One of the city’s oldest bars, at McSorley’s Old Ale House you can feel the history when you enter as memorabilia, since its beginnings in 1854, are all over the walls. Aside from it being a frat hangout nowadays, it’s worth the trip. You’ve seen that orange Mudd coffee truck parked on Astor Place and on various other streets, but check out their Mudd Cafe on East 9th for coffee and a healthy, vegan, and vegetarian menu.
Sunday May 26
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Theater: Kinky Boots
Show time: See website for schedule
Venue: Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Food: Eatery
Drink: Valhalla
Miscellaneous: Central Park
From Grammy Award-winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper and four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein comes the exhilarating new musical Kinky Boots, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell. Charlie Price (Tony nominee Stark Sands) has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola (Billy Porter). A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he’s meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible… and discovers that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world. 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!
