Catch She & Him's M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel at Terminal 5

Friday July 25

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Band: Ween
Show time: 7:00 PM
Venue: McCarren Park Pool
Food: Wasabi
Drink: Bar Matchless
Miscellaneous: The original Soupman

One of rock’s most eclectic bands, Ween combine lo-fi recording and alt-rock on top of their wit to create memorable albums like their new one La Cucaracha. Catch them at McCarren Pool. There’s a lot of restaurants popping up in Greenpoint nowadays. The Japanese restaurant Wasabi has been there before many of them and serves up some of the best sushi in that hood. A good local bar, Bar Matchless is that low-key place where you can chill, get a drink and not have to scream at the top of your lungs to make conversation. He’s been called “The Soup Nazi” on Seinfeld, but Al Yeganeh knows how to make soup. Try the Lobster bisque, it’s the best I’ve ever had, and don’t forget to follow his rules or “No Soup for You!”

Friday July 25

Location: Gramercy, NYC
Art: The Subways
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Blender Theater
Food: Souen
Drink: Revival
Miscellaneous: Trader Joes

UK rock trio The Subways stop by Blender Bar to play tracks off their upcoming CD All or Nothing. Catch this high-energy band before they embark on their U.S. tour. For fans of the vegan lifestyle or if you want to try something new, Souen is one of the best places to go for macrobiotic food. With a menu offering mostly tofu and seitan, the closest you will get to any meat is fish if you can’t handle a meatless meal. Speaking of revivals, Revival is a two story bar nearby with a lounge up top and a cozy garden in the back open till midnight on weekends. If you’re feeling dangerous, step into Trader Joes. Once you get over the insane shoppers and lines, the very moderately priced gourmet goods will make you understand why the lines here are never-ending.

Friday July 25

Location: Upper West Side, NYC
Band: Laurie Anderson: Homeland
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Rose Theater
Food: Josie’s
Drink: Candle Bar
Miscellaneous: Emack & Bolio’s

Electronic composer Laurie Anderson presents Homeland, a stirring work touching on many points on the state of the U.S. post 9/11. Josie’s offers dishes like Warm Macadamia-Crusted Natural Chicken Breast Dinner Salad ($17.75), several tofu and seitan specialty dishes and the Freshly Ground Char-Grilled Brandt Natural Beef Cheeseburger ($15.75), so everyone here will walk away happy. Comfortable and dimly lit, the Candle Bar has a pool table in the back and drink specials daily. For some of the best and most interesting ice cream in the city, Emack & Bolio’s offers eclectic flavors like Deep Purple Cow (Black Raspberry ice cream with white and dark chocolate chips and blueberries).

Saturday July 26

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: She & Him + The Rosebuds + Freakwater
Show time: 9:00 PM
Venue: Terminal 5
Food: Island Burgers and Shakes
Drink: Smith’s Bar
Miscellaneous: Colony Music

She & Him, the collaboration of singer M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel, on paper and blog, sounds like another attempt by a Hollywood star at indie cred, but in this case, it’s successful as the album comes off sweet. At worst, it’s much better than her recent flick The Happening! For a kickass burger or chicken sandwich, Island Burgers and Shakes specializes in making great burgers like the Bourbon Street Burger that’s blackened, with bacon, Jack, bayou mayo, and onion on sourdough. One great dive bar in midtown, Smith’s offers cheap booze, friendly locals, and live music daily in a separate room. Though the place is way expensive, Colony Music is a fun music store selling albums and sheet music. You can walk around and check out the entertainment memorabilia. Whether you’re looking for an autographed guitar signed by the Rolling Stones or an autographed 8x10 of Linda Carter, they’ve got it.

Saturday July 26

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: Spiritualized
Show time: 9:00 PM
Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
Food: SEA
Drink: Zablozki’s
Accessory: Academy Records

Touring in support of their new album Songs in A&E, Spiritualized have long been moving theaters and listeners with their psychedlic drenched space rock and this will no doubt be a show for long standing fans waiting to hear new material from this English group. A great restaurant on the same block is SEA. Asian inspired from the décor to the food, this huge and gorgeous space serves up a mostly Thai menu from massaman curries to house specialties like Red SEA Duck (Half duck in red vinaigrette-tomato gravy sauce served with stir-fried mixed veggies). SEA is inexpensive and visually impressive for Brooklyn. With an increasing amount of new bars on the block, Zablozki’s is a standout that’s cozy, mostly mahogany, and has great drinks specials. A great stop off if you’re early is Academy Records. One of the biggest vinyl shops in NYC, if you are a vinyl fan you will be blown away.

Sunday July 27

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Bands: JellyNYC Pool Parties with MGMT + Black Moth Super Rainbow + The Ting Tings
Show time: 2:00 PM FREE
Venue: McCarren Park Pool
Food: Shanghai Lee
Drink: Black Rabbit
Miscellaneous: Peter Pan

A MUST SEE FREE SHOW, MGMT’s album Oracular Spectacular is a hybrid of rock and sun-drenched psychedelic music mixed with electronics creating probably one of the best albums of the year so far. Joining them are the excellent bands The Ting Tings and Black Moth Super Rainbow. For dinner, get your Chinese food cravings under control at Shanghai Lee. Though serving your standard Chinese fare, the atmosphere here is fun and the cocktails drinks come in special tiki glasses. Black Rabbit, the newest bar in Greenpoint, with its dark wood and dark lighting make this place look like a pub transported from somewhere deep in England. With a great vibe and even better beer selection, grab a booth and hit a button when your cup is empty. Genius! If you like donuts, then Peter Pan will be your downfall. Making huge donuts stacked with creams and jellies, they are well-worth the stomach ache to come.