The Weekend Shortlist July 8 to 10

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Friday July 8

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Brooklyn Bowl
Food: Blue Ribbon
Drink: Brooklyn Bowl
Miscellaneous: Bowling at Brooklyn Bowl

Two things that shouldn’t really go together are definitely metal and the Bee Gees but at Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees it does. Think early Guns N’ Roses or Motley Crue playing disco. It’s weird, wild, and works. 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?

Friday July 8

Location: Tribeca, NYC
Bands: 10,000 Maniacs
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: City Winery
Food: Pakistan Tea House
Drink: Mocca Lounge
Miscellaneous: Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Alt-rock act 10,000 Maniacs are back with a new album and are touring again, so all of you thirtysomethings that grew up on “These Are Days” and “Because the Night,” get ready to relive your childhood in this intimate setting. 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 July 9

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bands: Matt Bauder
Show time: 5 PM
Venue: Barbes
Food: Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

Saxaphonist and composer Matt Bauder has performed with jazz great like Anthony Braxton, Ken Vandermark and Phil Minton and performed on albums by bands like His Name is Alive and Saturday Looks Good to Me. So expect jazz with a touch of the unexpected. Ever have Oaxacan food? Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen serves up some fantastic, not exactly Mexican 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 Y Chocolate. 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 July 9

Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn
Theater: Death Valley: A Zombie Western
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Bushwick Starr
Food: Northeast Kingdom
Drink: Life Café Nine 83
Miscellaneous: Stain

Set in 1880 on the Texas-New Mexico border, Death Valley: A Zombie Western follows smooth-talking Lawrence and his occasional ladyfriend Adele. As the dead return to un-life and the world crumbles around them, our heroes must dig deep to find the strength to survive. This is your front-row seat to the end of the world. For food in this neighborhood, Northeast Kingdom is where you want to go. With a seasonal menu of American cuisine with a culinary twist, like the Beef Bourguignon with herbed dumplings ($17), this place offers a relaxing atmosphere for an artist heavy crowd. For drinks, check out Life Café Nine 83. While it’s THE same Life Café that the RENT musical features in the play, it’s not the same location. This new Bushwick locale also possesses a boho vibe, an Americanized menu of ethnic food, and a fun selection of mixed drinks including martini’s and lemonade cocktails. A HUGE space decked out in old couches, Stain is an artsy bar that looks like an old-school coffeehouse yet serves local wines and beers.

Sunday July 10

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Art: German Expressionism: The Graphic Impulse
Show time: See website for schedule; Through July 11
Venue: MOMA
Food: Eatery
Drink: Valhalla
Miscellaneous: Central Park

The exhibitionGerman Expressionism: The Graphic Impulse takes a look at the artform in the early twentieth century, highlighting a diverse array of individuals—from Oskar Kokoschka and Vasily Kandinsky to Erich Heckel and Emil Nolde. 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!

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1 COMMENT

  1. These look like pretty cool ways to spend an evening, especially the Zombie Western! I would also recommend City Maps when planning your day in NYC. It’s a new website that combines the likes of yelp, mapquest, pricing… everything you need to know about any business in NYC in one location. It’s very very helpful

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