Friday January 29
Location: Union Square, NYC
Band: The Crystal Method
Show time: 10 PM
Venue: Webster Hall
Food: Momofuku
Drink: The Village Pourhouse
Miscellaneous: Sundaes and Cones
On their first studio album in five years Divided By Night, The Crystal Method continue making electronic dance music that incorporates everything including the kitchen sink and several guests like hip hop act LMFAO and New Order’s bassist Peter Hook. They will be performing a DJ set live as part of the Girls & Boys party. 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 may look like a neighborhood bar to watch sports but 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 January 29
Location: Upper West Side, NYC
Bands: St. Vincent
Show time: 8:30 PM
Venue: Jazz at Lincoln Center, Allen Room, Time Warner Center
Food: Symposium
Drink: Broadway Dive
Miscellaneous: Sip
The thing I love about Lincoln Center is just when you think you have them figured out as “that place to go for classical music,†they bring in someone like Annie Clark AKA St. Vincent who is a brilliant and well-respected indie singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who has worked with The Polyphonic Spree ans Sufjan Stevens among others. Low priced anything near Columbia University is getting harder to find, but at Symposium, you’ll get Greek food that won’t force you to take a mortgage out. The Pastitsio (baked macaroni with ground meat $9.95) is out of this world. Not the kind of dive bar you’re thinking, though Broadway Dive has a single malt scotch and bourbon menu big enough that you won’t even know where you are after a few. A coffee bar that also serves liquor, tapas, and baked goods all in one place? Sip sounds good to me.
Saturday January 30
Location: Union Square, NYC
Bands: Of Montreal + James Husband Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Highline Ballroom
Food GoGo Curry
Drink Stitch
Miscellaneous Leisure Time Bowl
James Husband will be pulling double duty being in Of Montreal who create some of the most groundbreaking indie rock, while also performing his own material off his recently released album A Parallel I. The owner of GoGo Curry is obsessed with the Yankees Hideki Matsui and his Jersey (55). The menu’s theme is baseball and katsu, a fried meat, chicken, or shrimp cutlet served in a curry sauce is the specialty here. Portion sizes are Walk (small), Single (Med.), Double (L), and Triple (XL) and are inexpensive. The mascot, a gorilla for some reason, is plastered everywhere, making this place even quirkier. In the heart of the garment district, Stitch, a cozy after-work bar/lounge, stocks a cocktail menu with a design theme. If you still have energy and are in the mood to bowl, check out Leisure Time Bowl. Located in the Port Authority, this place is stylish and fun.
Saturday January 30
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bands: Slavic Soul Party
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Barbes
Food: Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.
Balkan brass band Slavic Soul Party bring some serious funk heat at their live shows as Eastern European tradition meets western groove and their music fully exploits all that and more. Ever have Oaxacan food? Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen 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.
Sunday January 31
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: An Albatross
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Knitting factory
Food: Fette Sau
Drink: Spuyten Duyvil
Miscellaneous: Union Pool
Noise rock outfit An Albatross make a muddy stew of synth driven scream metal that will blow you away. Check these guys live to comprehend. Joining them are RICE and Wharton Tiers Ensemble. If your feeling German BBQ, you can head over to Fette Sau (fat pig in German), where the owners of nearby bar Spuyten Duyvil have opened up this meat only restaurant serving up some of the best pork and beef in NYC. For drinks, Spuyten Duyvil is a beer lovers dream, with a selection from all over the world, friendly and knowledgeable bartenders and a neighborhood feel, it’s no wonder this place has been so successful. If you’re still ready for more, you must hit Union Pool, where there’s always a band playing, great DJs, and plenty of action.
