Friday November 15

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Music: Gringo Star
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Cameo Gallery
Food: SEA
Drink: Zablozki’s
Miscellaneous: Zenkichi

Indie rockers Gringo Star recently released their second album Floating Out To See recently and are performing in support of it. Also on board are Princess Music and Ski Lodge. Just as much fun as any show, SEA is one BIG Thai restaurant. Big enough to have a pool surrounded by tables as a giant Buddha stands above it. Luckily, the food is really great. Offering traditional Pad Thai ($7) to more involved dishes like the Mummy Fish ($14). On N6th, a street full of bars and restaurants, Zablozki’s is the local bar of the bunch, with a pool table and a friendly atmosphere and 12 beers on tap. A modern Japanese brasserie, Zenkichi boasts a gorgeous wood interior and a menu that features affordable and traditional Japanese fare like the Grilled Saikyo Black Cod ($16.50) that is out of this world.

Friday November 15

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Music: Eli “Paperboy” Reed
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Union Pool
Food: Fette Sau
Drink: Spuyten Duyvil
Accessory: Union Pool

In one of two jam-packed nights at Union Pool, Eli “Paperboy” Reed will debut songs from his new album on Warner Brothers Records (including the singles “WooHoo” and “Nights Like This”), as well as present some of his favorite bands, DJs and much more. Vendors will be on hand selling vintage records, clothing and ephemera, and special guests and surprises are expected throughout both nights. If you’re feeling German BBQ, you can head over to Fette Sau (fat pig in German), where the owners of nearby bar Spuyten Duyvil have opened up this meat only restaurant serving up some of the best pork and beef in NYC. For drinks, Spuyten Duyvil is a beer lovers dream, with a selection from all over the world, friendly and knowledgeable bartenders and a neighborhood feel, it’s no wonder this place has been so successful. If you’re still ready for more, you can always just stay at Union Pool, where there’s always a DJ playing, a huge outdoor area to drink in, a Taco truck if you’re hungry, and plenty of action.

Saturday November 16

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Music: Ani DiFranco
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Town Hall
Food: Empanada Mama
Drink: Xai Xai
Miscellaneous: Vintage

Singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco is a music making machine, with more than 20 albums to her name plus she’s a feminist icon. Catch her as she performs live with very special guest Paula Cole. Though small, Empanada Mama packs a hefty punch with more than 40 kinds of empanadas. Choose from a wheat or corn flour shell to start as ingredients include basic rice and beans to what they have dubbed “Viagra,” a wheat flour empanada stuffed with shrimp, scallop, and crab ($3). For drinks, I’d recommend the wine bar Xai Xai. With a South African theme, this darkly designed spot is great for a date as well as for before or after event drinks. The wines are incredible and they even have fondue! An alternative wine bar, Vintage has a wine list with over 200 wines by the glass or bottle from most of the boutique wineries in Long Island and Upstate New York.

Saturday November 16

Location: Union Square, NYC
Event: The Awesome 80s Prom
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Webster Hall
Food: Thai Me Up Sandwich Bar
Drink: McSorley’s Old Ale House
Miscellaneous: Mudd Cafe

Relive the best and worst of coming of age in high school at The Awesome 80s Prom. This interactive show is part musical and full-on party as the audience gets to drink, dance and vote for the Prom King and Queen. For eats, check out Thai Me Up Sandwich Bar, a sandwich shop offering Thai sandwiches with 7 Steamed Fried Vegetables and a choice of chicken, veggie, tofu or beef on a baguette with 3 types of sauces for $7. One of the city’s oldest bars, at McSorley’s Old Ale House you can feel the history when you enter as memorabilia, since its beginnings in 1854, are all over the walls. Aside from it being a frat hangout nowadays, it’s worth the trip. You’ve seen that orange Mudd coffee truck parked on Astor Place and on various other streets, but check out their Mudd Cafe on East 9th for coffee and a healthy, vegan, and vegetarian menu.

Sunday November 17

Dorothea Rockburne. Neighborhood. 1973. Transparentized paper, pencil, and colored pencil on wall, 160 x 90” (406.4 x 228.6 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of J. Frederic Byers III, 1978. © 2013 Dorothea Rockburne / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Location: Midtown East, NYC
Art: Dorothea Rockburne: Drawing Which Makes Itself
Show time: See website for schedule; Through January 20, 2014
Venue: MOMA
Food: Eatery
Drink: Valhalla
Miscellaneous: Central Park

“How could drawing be of itself and not about something else?” Having asked this question in 1973, the painter Dorothea Rockburne (American, born Canada 1932) went on to answer it in visually compelling and intellectually provocative ways that tested the bounds of traditional drawing practice. This exhibition, Dorothea Rockburne: Drawing Which Makes Itself, examines her groundbreaking project Drawing Which Makes Itself, of 1972–73, while highlighting the ideas that she has pursued throughout her career. 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!