The Weekend Shortlist May 27 to 29

Friday May 27

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bands: Snowmine
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: The Rock Shop
Food: El Viejo Yayo
Drink: Buttermilk Bar
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room

Snowmine are a Brooklyn five-piecethat make indie pop by means of echo pedals, tribal beats, electro-acoustic soundscapes and classical orchestrations. Joining them are The Donkeys. Keeping the night going, 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 The Chocolate Room is a great way to end the night on a high note.

Friday May 27

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 May 28

Location: Upper East Side, NYC
Bands: Bettye LaVette
Show time: 8:45 PM
Venue: Café Carlyle
Food: Barking Dog Luncheonette
Drink: The Auction House
Miscellaneous: Uptown Lounge

Soul singer Bettye LaVette takes the small stage at Café Carlyle as she brings a vast catalogue of soul stirring songs including ones off her recent album Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook. If you love dogs, not hot dogs but real doggies, then you’ll really love the Barking Dog Luncheonette, as the décor features everything with a dog on it. The food, is your regular diner fare with plenty of burger, sandwich, and hot plate options. Grab a drink and feel like you were transported to the late 1800’s at The Auction House. With ornamental red velvet couches, exposed brick walls, and vintage chandeliers, this hidden gem of a bar is cozy. Beautifully designed, Uptown Lounge is a bar and restaurant serving American fare like Apple Peppercorn Pork Chops ($18), while being big enough to stick around afterwards for drinks.

Saturday May 28

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.

Sunday May 29

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Theater: Carson McCullers Talks About Love
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Food: Tortilla Flats
Drink: White Horse Tavern
Miscellaneous: Magnolia Bakery

In Carson McCullers Talks About Love, singer Suzanne “My Name is Luka” Vega wrote and performs in this spoken-word musical, taking on the role of famed writer Carson McCullers (The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Reflections in a Golden Eye) as she discusses her experiences in art, love and life. 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.