The Weekend Shortlist September 3 to 5
Friday September 3
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Theater: NY Clown Theatre Festival
Show time: 10 PM; Through September 26
Venue: The Brick
Food: The Lodge
Drink: Hope Lounge
Miscellaneous: The City Reliquary
Get ready for all the staples of what makes clowns funny. The NY Clown Theatre Festival feature diverse clown theatre artists from around the world and across the United States including cabarets, parades, pie fights, workshops on the art of clown, family friendly shows, and even an interactive street show. 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 September 3
Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Film: The Fearless Vampire Killers
Show time: 2, 4:30, 6:50, 9:15 PM
Venue: BAM
Food: ICI
Drink: Moe’s
Miscellaneous: Tillie’s
Roman Polanski’s 1967 horror-comedy The Fearless Vampire Killers saw him and Sharon Tate star and was one of the directors most underrated works. 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 September 4
Location: East Village, NYC
Band: Black Francis
Show time: 9:30 PM
Venue: Joe’s Pub
Food: Oyama
Drink: Grassroots Tavern
Miscellaneous: Mudd Cafe
You know him best as the frontman for The Pixies, but his solo career has been just as bright. He returns with a new album in NonStopErotik for several nights at Joe’s Pub. Catch him before he goes back on the road with The Pixies. With sushi that’s 50 percent off all the time, you might think, “Something’s wrong with that?†but the fish is good and the rolls are inventive, making Oyama one of the best low-priced sushi joints in the city. Though St. Marks all of a sudden lost its charm, Grassroots Tavern hasn’t. This large dive bar has cheap drinks, darts in the back, and old men behind the bar, things a good dive bar should have. Excellent coffee served in a big mug and a healthy menu of food coupled with a year round enclosed outdoor backyard patio make Mudd Cafe a great little coffee shop in the area.
Saturday September 4
Location: Lower East side, NYC
Band: The Dutchess & the Duke Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Mercury Lounge
Food: The Stanton Social
Drink: The Magician
Miscellaneous: The Pink Pony
Check out The Dutchess & the Duke who excellently blend the singer/songwriter thing with some groove ala 1960s Rolling Stones. Joining them is the Wailing Wall. 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.
Sunday September 5
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Theater: Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party Get Tickets Here
Show time: 2 & 8 PM; Through September
Venue: The Acorn Theatre
Food: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl
Drink: Rudy’s Bar and Grill
Miscellaneous: Peking Duck House
In Abraham Lincoln’s Big, Gay Dance Party, a fourth-grade Christmas pageant in Abraham Lincoln’s rural Illinois hometown sets off a firestorm of controversy when it calls into question Abraham Lincoln’s sexuality. 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.