The Weekend Shortlist March 13 to 15
Catch Irish band Bell X1 at Highline Ballroom on Saturday
Friday March 13
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Band: Telltale
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Pianos
Food: Katz’s Deli
Drink: Nurse Bettie
Miscellaneous: Ludlow Guitars
Brooklyn based post-punk act Telltale kick off their tour with a performance at Pianos. With meaty hooks and dreamy soundscapes, this band will put you into a daze you may not want to escape. Joining them are Jonathan Tyler and Northern Lights, Rosewood Thieves, Bottle Up and Go, Rosie and Goldbug, and Simon Says No. If you’re starving, I mean really starving, head over to Katz’s Deli. This old school deli packs on the pastrami a mile high. The portions are huge and the place is classic NY. For drinks, Nurse Bettie is a chic looking bar with exposed brick walls, paintings of 50s pinups, and offers an excellent cocktail menu. Stop by Ludlow Guitars if there’s time and peruse through some magnificent rare and new music equipment from inexpensive to guitars that you will have to save dearly to afford.
Friday March 13
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Music: Hip Hop Karaoke 3rd Annual Biggie Tribute
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.
Bring your best Notorious B.I.G. impression and prepare to rock the mic at the Hip Hop Karaoke 3rd Annual Biggie Tribute. First place takes $100, while second place takes $50, and runners up get various prizes. Speaking of interesting, ever have Oaxacan food? Chiles & Chocolate serves up some fantastic, not exactly Mexican food. Try the smoky flavored Mole Negro, one of the best mole sauces I’ve had in NYC. Before leaving, you must try one of the hot chocolates like the Chiles Y Chocolate. A hint of chipotle without too much heat is a nice kick start for the night. The Gate is a great Park Slope bar with excellent beers on tap and a outdoor courtyard to chill. If time permits, you must, and I mean MUST go to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co., a non-profit organization that helps kids with their writing, that’s fronted by a store selling super powers.
Saturday March 14
Location: Union Square, NYC
Band: Bell X1 Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: Highline Ballroom
Food: Thai Me Up Sandwich Bar
Drink: McSorley’s Old Ale House
Miscellaneous: Mudd Cafe
Irish rockers Bell X1 have been picking up lot’s of steam lately on the heels of their recently released and well-received album Blue Lights on the Runway, with songs featured on Grey’s Anatomy and The OC. Joining them are another great band called The Harlem Shakes. 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, 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 café on East 9th for coffee and a healthy, vegan, and vegetarian menu.
Saturday March 14
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Band: Nancy
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Piano’s
Food: Café Himalaya
Drink: Max Fish
Miscellaneous: Pink Pony
Brazillian band Nancy are not your typical South American act. Filled with rock anthems and a singer (Camila Zamith) with a sexy breathy voice, Nancy mean business, and live they should bring some gorgeous music with them. Joining them are We Have Band, Postwar Years, Jon Hopkins, and Body Language. Ever have Nepalese or Tibetan food? Must try dishes at Café Himalaya include the momos, better known as pan-fried dumplings, and thukpa, a Tibetan noodle soup, both amazingly delicious and under $10 like most menu items. One of the last boho bars on the L.E.S., Max Fish is a mix of local dive and new art as upcoming artists show their work monthly, while being a local hang for artists from all genres. A great late night cafe for coffee or drinks, it has a literary atmosphere and a friendly and hip waitstaff where you can sit and talk the night away.
Sunday March 15
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: Modest Mouse Get Tickets Here
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Terminal 5
Food: Sullivan Street Bakery
Drink: Rudy’s Bar & Grill
Miscellaneous: The Shops at Columbus Circle
Though the band is not touring with guitarist Johnny Marr, expect Modest Mouse to put on one hell of a show. The tour is selling out fast so get your tickets before this one does the same. Arguably one of the top bread makers on the east coast, and good to get gourmet pizza’s and sandwiches, Sullivan Street Bakery makes exquisite food using ingredients you’d see on the Food Network! More bar than grill, Rudy’s is like going back to college, minus the books. The beer is cheap and by “grill,†they mean free popcorn and hot dogs. If you have trouble finding the bar, just look for the 6 foot tall fiberglass pig standing outside! To get out of the cold and see what an upper-class mall is like, stop by The Shops at Columbus Circle. Expensive restaurants like MASA and shops like Williams Sonoma are fun to browse through to see how the other half lives.