Friday November 19
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bands: One Ring Zero
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Barbes
Food: El Viejo Yayo
Drink: Buttermilk Bar
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room
Led by Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp, One Ring Zero, blends accordions, Theremins, and lyrics contributed by some of literature’s best contemporary authors (Jonathan Lethem, Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster, Dave Eggers, A.M. Homes, Rick Moody, Neil Gaiman, and Denis Johnson) to make music that has both a South American and out of the galaxy flavor. Keeping the night going with Latin flavor, try El Viejo Yayo for dinner. This gorgeous and warm restaurant has an elegant dining room and an affordable menu offering Dominican/Latin cuisine. The outside of Buttermilk Bar may look non-descript, but looks are deceiving . . . just not in this case, as this low-key watering hole is where you can grab a cheap drink in a friendly atmosphere, while playing a board game or two. With a near insane menu of chocolates from coffee and tea to delectable dessert, and even beer, The Chocolate Room is a great way to end the night on a high note.
Friday November 19
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: Bear in Heaven Get Tickets Here
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
Food: Fornino
Bar: D.O.C. Wine Bar
Miscellaneous: Verb Café
Brooklyn band Bear in Heaven make electro infused indie rock with a pop feel that is addictive and catchy. Joining them is Twin Shadows and Sun Airway. For dinner, Fornino offers a great variety of old school thin crust real Italian pizza, wrapped up in an original concept. Serving wood oven burning pizza, the menu is broken up into three generations, the first being your basic pizza ingredients while the second and third go off the gourmet deep end, giving you more than 20 options total. For drinks, the D.O.C. Wine Bar has a homey atmosphere and an excellent wine list of strictly Italian wines and small plates of food. If coffee is your thing, The Verb Café offers not only coffee but sandwiches, desserts, and soup. Chill at a table and write that novel, look for jobs online, or hang with a friend like everyone else there.
Saturday November 20
Location: Tribeca, NYC
Band: Peelander Z Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Santos Party House
Food: Pakistan Tea House
Drink: Mocca Lounge
Miscellaneous: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
What I love about Peelander Z is that they look like a rock and roll version of the Power Rangers, their music has much better anime and their live show would make Godzilla blush. This Japanese band is absolutely amazing live. Joining them is the incredible chiptune band Starscream and TsuShiMaMiRe. Nearby, Pakistan Tea House is a buffet style Indian restaurant where you can choose between chicken, meat, fish and vegetables. It’s affordable and very good. For drinks, check out Mocca Lounge. With a funky interior and a menu of Italian inspired fare, it’s also a bar with a large list of coffees with or without alcohol, beers, and frozen shots. Smack dab in the heart of Chinatown, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory makes gourmet ice cream flavors like Black Sesame, Ginger, Durian, and more exotic flavors like Taro and Wasabi. Don’t worry, they have the go-to’s like Vanilla, fruits, and chocolate flavors too.
Saturday November 20
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: Lee Fields and the Expressions Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
Food: Dumont Burger
Drink: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Miscellaneous: Verb Cafe
Prepare for a trip back in time when soul music came from the heart rather than a computer as the incomparable Lee Fields and the Expressions take the stage. Joining them is Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band who are releasing their album No Time For Dreaming in late January, rounding out an incredible night of old-school soul. With one of the best burgers in Williamsburg, Dumont Burger offers theirs with gourmet toppings, sandwiches, salads, and their amazing mac & cheese. So you consider yourself a beer connoisseur and like to party. You can do all that and eat at Radegast Hall & Biergarten. The Austrian/German menu perfectly compliments the 12 beers on tap and more than 30 German and Austrian bottles at this large beer hall. One of the oldest and best hipster hangout coffee shops, The Verb Cafe offers up excellent coffee an d baked goods, a boho vibe, and big windows to watch the days pass while collecting unemployment!
Sunday November 21
Location: Midtown West, NYC
Theater: The Pee-wee Herman Show Get Tickets Here
Show time: 2 PM & 7 PM; Through January 2
Venue: Stephen Sondheim Theatre
Venue: Terminal 5
Food: Eatery
Drink: Valhalla
Miscellaneous: Central Park
Surprisingly, Pee-wee Herman returns into our collective pop culture consciousness but not so surprisingly The Pee-wee Herman Show works brilliantly on Broadway and features several of the original characters from his original Saturday morning kids show. Anyone up for reliving their childhood? 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!
