Hi All. This edition of NYC Best Weekend Bets has been carefully calibrated for maximum fun and minimum stress on your part over the course of the next few days. It features a little something for everyone (music, movies, free vodka opportunities, theatre, $1 PBR bars and more) and will be punctuated with inspirational images of WEEKEND AT BERNIE’s because a few days on the beach seems like just what the doctor ordered these days. Dead bosses optional.
Before we kick off though: do sign up to get this as a newsletter/tell all your friends to sign up for it too + follow us on twitter @BYTNYC so you can keep track of all the fun content to come.
ALSO! – we’re giving tickets away to GOVERNOR’S BALL festival + to the FIREFLY festival this week. You probably wan to win those.
OK, ready for the weekend now?
THURSDAY
- play hooky from work and go check out Cindy Sherman’s retrospective @ MOMA. This is the last weekend the show is up and you can only imagine what trying to go see it on a Saturday is going to be like.
- on a smaller but also compelling photo exhibit scale-at the Lomography Gallery in Greenwich Village, Transmography: Thirteen Fairytale Portraits of Queers Beyond the Gender Binary By Najva Sol & Molly Crabapple opens.
- Patti Smith apparently has a new book and you, as a direct result, have a chance to see her IN THE FLESH at her book signing at Union Square today. Orderly line starts forming here.
- if I say: “Think “Inside The Actors Studio” meets Steve Coogan’s “Knowing Me, Knowing You” with a dash of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” tossed in” and you think that sounds awesome-go to CINERAMA
- over at the self-proclaimed NERDVANA that is The Way Station an evening of Burlesque, Jazz and Dr. Who: all annoying on their own. Combined though: so annoying it might be really fun.
- for ladies who love ladies or those who support ladies loving ladies: NYC Dyke March fundraiser is @ The Stonewall Inn
- + Second Chance Prom
- and a lobster roll throwdown? (why not, I guess)
FRIDAY
- In honor of Karl Lagerfeld’s upcoming book The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited, NYC will play host to an exhibition celebrating the timeless piece. Perfect for a sartorial inspiration pick-me-up before work. Noon-7pm, every day through June 15 at 18 Wooster Street (between Grand and Canal)
- then! food! Chef John Currence, 2009 James Beard Foundation award-winning Best Chef: South (and Top Chef Masters season 3 contestant), is doing a three day pop-up (Thurs, June 7 – Saturday, June 9) part of the “Secrets Behind the Chef” series at City Grit (38 Prince Street, New York, NY) culinary salon. Full details, reservations and all that jazz-here.
- @ Terminal 5 the Cult is joined by AGAINST ME!, on their first tour since the “Tom Gabel comes out at transgender” news
- at Brooklyn Bowl-the “#1 live tribute 2 Prince” EROTIC CITY (hopefully) makes everyone feel all sorts of sexy
- also: Lana Del Ray @ Irving Plaza. For all the different reasons you may think of.
- + INFLATABLE SCULPTURES! everyone loves those.
SATURDAY
- nothing like some sizzlin’ bbq on a lazy Saturday (especially if it is free): Loving Day has their annual BBQ Flagship celebration at the East River Waterfront: Free BBQ all day, free beer for first hour, free music (definitely), free loving (maybe)
- BYT favorites BLUEBRAIN team up with Spacious and host another Central Park walk-through with their awesome site-specific music apps. DO IT. Maybe get lost in the process.
- FIGMENT NYC takes over Governor’s Island this weekend.
- shows wise:
- Knitting Factory BK presents the bliss out combo of 2:54 and Widowspeak.
- over @ Union Pool the free theme (in this case: free show, free music) continues with SUMMER THUNDER 2012, today featuring : RAIN MACHINE (Kyp Malone from TV on The Radio) and ERIC COPELAND (Black Dice)
- NY Night Train feat. the great Jonathan Toubin (who is back in action, thankfully) and his massive vinyl collection + everyone involved dancing their asses of is @ Glasslands
- party your residual PRIDE feelings off @ Bell House with LAID NYC
- also: Zombie prom feat. GWAR. Get ready to get messy.
SUNDAY
- Nothing like some sizzling BBQ on a lazy Sunday (even if it is not free): Southern Living takes over Madison Square Park for the 10th annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party and if hot meat on a hot grill is your thing-welcome to heaven.
- in the mood NOT for bbq but definitely still in the mood to eat your way through Sunday? EGG ROLLS AND EGG CREAMS is a celebration of both all things Chinese and all things Jewish (food wise) + features performances as random and awesome as Cantor Eric Freeman (singing Jewish liturgical music) and Qi Shu Fang’s Peking Opera…
- feel more like shopping? the Built By Wendy outlet (N. 6th between Kent and Wythe) has a massive warehouse sale going on this weekend with everything from $20-$60, and apparently a $10 bin. Get mentally prepped for some elbowing.
- plenty of hooky fun with Tokyo Police Club and Hollerado @ Bowery Ballroom
- + get deep with Sessions with Danny Krivit @ Santo’s
LEAVE US COMMENTS WITH THINGS YOU THINK WE MAY HAVE (not on purpose) MISSED. And remember: if you have tips, an event you want to let us know about or would like to get involved with BYT NYC, shoot us an email at: [email protected] with #BYTNYC in the title. See you around and all the time. And, one for the road: