The Weekend Shortlist April 25 to 27

The Fiery Furnaces Courtesy of HRT

Friday April 25

Location: East Village, NYC
Band: Baby Dayliner + Blockhead
Show time: 4:25 PM
Venue: Rehab
Food: Veselka
Drink: B-Side
Miscellaneous: ChiKaLicious

Local frontman/one-man-band and crooner extraordinaire Baby Dayliner comes across like the great frontmen Morrissey and Frank Sinatra while sounding all his own. His live show is always fun. Don’t miss beatmaker Blockhead. You may know some of his work from Aesop Rock and Murs among others. Part diner with a Russian menu, Veselka stays open 24-hours and offers blintzes, pierogi’s, and stuffed cabbage along with standard diner fare. One of the L.E.S.’s favorite rock n’ roll bars, B-Side has a kickass jukebox, and an excellent happy hour from 3-8pm, where you can get a PBR and a shot of Whiskey for $5. If you’re serious about your desserts, then ChiKaLicious will blow you away with a $12 pri-fixe that includes an Amuse, Choice of Dessert, and Petit Fours (with wine pairing, $7 additional).

Friday April 25

Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Bands: Paul Simon: American Tunes with Olu Dara + Grizzly Bear + Josh Groban + The Roches + Gillian Welch
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Food: Junior’s
Drink: O’Connor’s
Miscellaneous: Thomas Beisl

At the tail-end of Paul Simon’s month-long residency at BAM celebrating his long and storied musical career, tonight he performs with an eclectic group of modern artists he’s influenced including Olu Dara, Grizzly Bear, Josh Groban, The Roches, and Gillian Welch. Known more for its cheesecake than anything else on its menu, Junior’s also offers fantastic diner and deli style eats from steak burgers to deli sandwiches. If you can make it through dinner, the cheesecake will be worth the wait! One of Brooklyn’s most interesting dive bars, O’Connor’s offers cheap drinks in a place where Park Slope hipsters meet old-time drinkers, making for one of the oddest pairings that works. An excellent place to get schnitzel and goulash and other Austrian delights, Thomas Beisl is right across the street from BAM.

Saturday April 26

Location: Soho, NYC
Band: Bent Festival 2008
Show time: 7:00 PM
Venue: DCTV
Food: Nha Trang
Drink: Knitting Factory
Miscellaneous: La Esquina

Get ready to geek out as the annual Bent Festival comes to town! Featuring art, music and DIY electronics, hacking, and all kinds of circuitry, prepare to see bands from all over the world playing home-made instruments, artists giving workshops, and witness just what these circuit benders are creating. One of the best affordable Vietnamese restaurants in the city, Nha Trang is right near the downtown courthouse, making it a high volume place. Despite that, the food is great and the Pho (rice noodle soup) dishes are $5 and under. An hip and eclectic place for drinks, the Knitting Factory is also a music venue. The drinks here aren’t expensive and the crowd is fun and artsy. One of the best taqueria’s in the city, the Mexican food here is authentic and to die for. While tacos will set you back $3, plates are in the $6 to $7.25 range.

Saturday April 26

Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Band: The Fiery Furnaces
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Press 195
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room

The genius of The Fiery Furnaces is well documented and tonight they take their recording process to another level as the debut “Democ-Rock,” a series of recordings written with the help of their fans. Taking the pressed sandwich to the gourmet level, Press 195 offers 30 kinds of hot pressed sandwiches that make this place hard to get tired of. One of the more social bars in Park Slope, The Gate is a great bar with a wide selection of local beers on tap and an outdoor patio overlooking the park. A great little dessert and coffee shop, The Chocolate Room has a menu filled with everything made with some form of chocolate. Try the hot chocolate, you won’t regret it.

Sunday April 27

Location: Tribeca, NYC
Film: Tribeca Film Festival
Venue: See here for times and locations
Food: Ear Inn
Drink: Village Lantern
Miscellaneous: Jacques Torres

With Robert Deniro’s Tribeca Film Festival, new films come first though there will be plenty of events, music, art, panel discussions, and special screenings including Tina Fey’s Baby Mama and Speed Racer. One of my favorite places for food, Ear Inn is a 200-year-old bar with a small menu featuring burgers, sandwiches, and a chalkboard with specials including Jerk Chicken that’s under $10. With $3 pints Monday thru Friday 12pm to 7pm along with comedy and music performances, the Village Lantern is a great bar to chill at after work, especially now that it’s finally getting warm outside. Watch some of the best chocolate in the world made right in front of your eyes or browse through the store and sample for yourself the fruits of this master chocolatier’s labor.