The Weekend Shortlist April 1 to 3
Friday April 1
Location: Chelsea, NYC
Band: The Strokes Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Food GoGo Curry
Drink Stitch
Miscellaneous Leisure Time Bowl
With a new album out in Angles and a show at MSG, the April fool’s joke is on you if you’re a fan of The Strokes and not there, though we’ll see how the album turns out, and my beady eyes are looking at you Stroke guys in cool leather jackets and moppy haircuts! 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.
Friday April 1
Location: West Village, NYC
Bands: Gospel Queens of Brooklyn
Show time: 8:30 PM
Venue: Fat Cat
Food: Tortilla Flats
Drink: White Horse Tavern
Miscellaneous: Magnolia Bakery
If you haven’t experiences the Gospel Queens of Brooklyn you are missing out as it’s like going to church . . .minus the religion and skipping to the great music. Dinner before a show like this should be just as awesome. Check out Tortilla Flats. The food is Mexican and delicious, but it’s the insanity within (bingo and hula-hoop nights) that is the real calling for this place. For drinks afterwards, hit the White Horse Tavern, a great bar and the old haunting grounds for Dylan Thomas. If you somehow have time before all of this, stop by Magnolia Bakery for some of the best tasting cupcakes in the city.
Saturday April 2
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bands: The Rub
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.
On the first Saturday of every month, a group of DJs known as a class=”news” href=”http://www.itstherub.com” target=”_blank”>The Rub get together and put together mash ups of your favorite artists in a way you cannot believe. The only way to truly understand is to see them for yourself. If you’re an adventurous eater, Chiles & Chocolate serves up some fantastic Oaxacan 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 Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen. 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 April 2
Location: Chelsea, NYC
Band: LCD Soundsystem Get Tickets Here
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Theater at Madison Square Garden
Food: Pop Burger
Drink: Gaslight Lounge
Miscellaneous: Amy’s Bread
Legendary electro dance act LCD Soundsystem plays MSG in their biggest show of their NY shows. Prepare to dance your asses off! Burger joint in the front, upscale lounge in the back, the menu at Pop Burger includes basics like 2 pop burgers for $5 for a quick fix or if your lounging, the likes of tuna tartar with soy truffle jus ($15). The Gaslight Lounge, a great hotspot bar in the meatpacking district, is dark and cozy while affordable for the area. If you don’t know Amy’s Bread, when you order a sandwich at a café or restaurant in the city, ask where they got the bread. There’s a good chance it’s from Amy’s because she’s one of the best bread makers in the city.
Sunday April 3
Location: Midtown, NYC
Exhibit: Looking at Music 3.0
Show time: See website for schedule; Through June 6
Venue: MoMA
Food: Pig ‘n’ Whistle
Drink: Keats
Miscellaneous: Momofuku Milk Bar
S’up homie? Sad the 90’s are over? Still longing for the days of cassette tapes, zines and Run DMC? Re-visit this defining time in the New York music scene at the new MoMA exhibit, Looking at Music 3.0, which runs now through June 6th. Don’t mistake this as some kind of “I Love the [insert decade]†show though. This exhibit digs deep into the “remix culture†of the 80’s and 90’s, discussing the birth of hip hop, performance art, and other counter-culture forms of art, bringing you 70 works from artists and musicians like the Beastie Boys, Le Tigre, and Keith Haring. Pretty bitchin’! Then be sure to grab a bite to eat at the Pig ‘n’ Whistle. Don’t be fooled though, this is not your average Irish pub food. Try any of their highly-acclaimed traditional favorites like Shepherd’s Pie or Fish and Chips, or do some taste-testing with a variety of options from their tapas menu. After, indulge in some Crack Pie at Momofuku Milk Bar and you just might see God (yeah, it’s THAT good). Finally, finish off your evening with a pint and some karaoke at Keats.