The Weekend Shortlist July 23 to 25
Friday July 23
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: GAME PLAY: A CELEBRATION OF VIDEO GAME PERFORMANCE ART
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: The Brick
Food: The Lodge
Drink: Hope Lounge
Miscellaneous: The City Reliquary
Celebrate your love for retro videogames at GAME PLAY: A Celebration of Video Game Performance Art where the technology is pushed beyond its limits. For dinner, The Lodge, with décor reminiscent of a log cabin and a menu coming from the same forest, serves comfort food in a warm and inviting setting. For drinks, Hope Lounge is a great stop. Exposed brick and earth tones mingle and the outdoor patio is big. The drink list is deep with beers from all over the world and tonight, expect a DJ to spin classic party jams. You may or may not have noticed The City Reliquary, a small storefront museum that shows artifacts of NYC, including a flashlight collection, but this place is definitely interesting to check out.
Friday July 23
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: Modest Mouse Get Tickets Here
Show time: 5:30 PM
Venue: Williamsburg Waterfront
Food: SEA
Drink: Zablozki’s
Miscellaneous: Hugs
Though Modest Mouse last release, their EP No One’s First and You’re Next was a year ago, the band are amazing live and maybe they will preview a new song or two? Just as much fun as any show and just as big a venue, SEA is one BIG Thai restaurant. Big enough to have a pool surrounded by tables as a giant Buddha stands above it. Luckily, the food is really great. Offering traditional Pad Thai ($7) to more involved dishes like the Mummy Fish ($14). On N6th, a street full of bars and restaurants, Zablozki’s is the local bar of the bunch, with a pool table and a friendly atmosphere and 12 beers on tap. What looks like some dark basement with tables and some couches, Hugs will end up being a dance party with an awkward blend of music genres that you will grow to love quickly.
Saturday July 24
Location: Union Square, NYC
Band: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Food: Momofuku
Drink: The Village Pourhouse
Miscellaneous: Sundaes and Cones
Known for his lo-fi recordings, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti recently dropped their first record in a few years and sees Ariel Pink’s weird recordings continue to develop nicely. 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.
Saturday July 24
Location: East Village, NYC
Art: Brion Gysin: Dream Machine
Show time: See website for schedule
Venue: New Museum
Food: Minca
Drink: Common Ground
Miscellaneous: Beard Papa Sweets Cafe
The exhibition Brion Gysin: Dream Machine is the first US retrospective of the work of the painter, performer, poet, and writer Brion Gysin. If you’ve never been to Minca for dinner, go right now! This small noodle bar makes some amazing ramen noodles from scratch. Try the Minca Ramen, a mild broth with pork, chicken & dried seafood ($8.50). One of the newer bars in the East Village, Common Ground has a dark wood interior, a relaxed atmosphere, and excellent cocktails like the Blueberry Pie. If you like pastries filled with cream, check out Beard Papa Sweets Café. They offer cream fillings like earl grey, green tea, coffee, and the standard vanilla, chocolate, strawberry among others.
Saturday July 24
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: YAWN
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Brooklyn Bowl
Food: Blue Ribbon
Drink: Brooklyn Bowl
Miscellaneous: Bowling at Brooklyn Bowl
Check out buzz band YAWN who make sweet electronic music with an indie rock persuasion that is fun and mellow. Joining them are the magnificent band Midnight Juggernauts and Teengirl Fantasy. Brooklyn Bowl is a self contained playland for adults that you don’t even have to leave, so your night is wrapped up in one venue. For dinner, check out Blue Ribbon, part of the highly rated eateries in the city, you’ll find southern fare including fried chicken and BBQ, some crazy shakes & floats, and more. For drinks, just walk about 20 feet to the bar where they offer nine draft beers from Brooklyn. Finally, and most obvious, there’s 16 lanes of bowling. While the wait is generally long, where else can you throw a strike and see a great band at the same time?
Sunday July 25
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
Show time: 3 PM
Venue: Central Park SummerStage
Food: Brother Jimmy’s Bait Shack
Drink: BB&R
Miscellaneous: Dylan’s Candy Bar
Malian act Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba take the African instrument the Ngoni and make sweet contemporary African music with it. Joining them at Summerstage are Burkina Electric, Fool’s Gold, and DJ Frank of Voodoo Funk. 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 or your sweet tooth might melt here!