Saturday - Sunday Afternoon: Outdoor Parties!

So yesterday I skipped out on the Webster Hall party, as well as an underground Danger party and instead spent my evening at Karaoke Cave, a basement karaoke bar in Shanghai Square. 

Karaoke Cave, located at 9 E. 13th St, is conveniently located in the Union Square area, and has recently undergone renovations and a name change. Somehow I passed a few hours in there without even realizing it! Definitely a place worth having a karaoke adventure at.

After that, I wandered around with new and old friends, the new friends (whose private party we crashed at the Karaoke Cave) leading the way to take us to a rooftop party in the vicinity. However, I ended up skipping out, biking to a pizzeria on Bleeker Street and then back home to Williamsburg. 

TODAY, however, there are THREE outdoor parties, all of which I would LOVE to check out. 

(and all of which are free!!)

These are: 

The Pool Party at East River Park, Williamsburg, featuring Girl Talk (free!)

East River Park is located between N. 8th and N. 9th Streets in Williamsburg. Doors

 at 2

.

The High on Life Rooftop Party at Highbar, 251 W. 48th St. at 8th Ave. This party is from 4-11 pm, free with GBH list.

AND:

3rd Ward's Bluegrass BBQ (RAIN OR SHINE), Sunday, August 23, 4 to 9 p, FREE Admission, FREE Colt 45 - 4 to 5 p, Cheap Eats & Drinks

3rd Ward is located at 195 Morgan Ave, Bushwick.

Hmm, it could be possible to at least mellowly enjoy 2 of the 3!!

Cruise, Music, Dancing... An Idyllic Hot Summer Night

Okay, I admit it; I didn't make it to Tuesday's free events. Between the heat and my slowly-recovering bike incident scrapes, I have been a little lethargic lately.

BUT, last night I did have an adventure, and it was the kind of night I would definitely repeat again.

First, I went on a cruise on the Queen of Hearts, which has weekly cruises, Wed-Fri for only $10 (in advance, $15 at the door). It was a three-hour cruise, which set sail from Pier 40, on West Houston St. and the West Side Highway, and featured two floors of dancing, a buffet, live Brazilian dancers and spectacular views. Sadly, I didn't have my camera on-hand, and a phone camera did not produce such worthy results.

Check out the Fire on the Water Cruise site for information; every Wednesday is a regular Brazilian boat ride party, from 7-10 pm, and there are similar events Thursday and Friday. This cruise is part of the larger Affairs Afloat company, which calls boasts that it has "New York's Largest Sailing Night Clubs!"

After the cruise, I meandered on over to the West Village and saw live music at The Red Lion, at 151 Bleeker St. The Red Lion, which boasts of itself as being considered a "premier live music venue in the city" truly was; the cover was only $5 and was a steal for the fantastic funk and blues performances of the night. They also have live music acts 7 nights a week, apparently, from 7 pm - 10 pm and 10 pm - 1 am.

The band that I saw was Milo Z. , which proclaims, "Milo Z is to New York City what the Funky Meters are to New Orleans." Though NYC may not know it yet, Milo Z. really is a phenomenal band, with an energetic live performance featuring Milo Z. the frontman, a backup singer, a drummer and four saxophonists. Worth checking out!

In fact... check out the video clip below!

Free Events Tonight! - Regina Spektor & More

The events below are from FreeNYC.

I may just make it to see Regina Spektor, who will be performing alongside Kurt Andersen. Should be interesting, as the last time I saw Regina Spektor perform was years ago, at Tonic back in the day before it got shut down, and the venue and experience weren't quite, shall we say, sanitized, as I expect from a performance at B & N.

Still, looks like a good time! 

Regina Spektor and Kurt Andersen at Upstairs st the Square Date: Tuesday, August 18th Time: 7:00pm Location: Union Square Barnes & Noble (33 East 17th Street) Cost: Free Barnes & Noble’s acclaimed “Upstairs at the Square” series continues its celebration of three years of innovative and eclectic events with Regina Spektor and Kurt Andersen.Regina Spektor is a Soviet-born American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her last album Begin to Hope was a huge success and she released her latest album Far in June. Kurt Andersen is the author of the bestselling novels Heyday and Turn of the Century. He is also the host and co-creator of the public radio program Studio 360 and a contributor to Vanity Fair. He is here today to discuss his new book, Reset. Posted by Lindsay at 7:00 PM | View This Article | Email to a friend Love and Rockets Tribute Show Date: Tuesday, August 18th Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm Location: Ben Sherman Store (95 Spring St) Cost: Free with RSVP To celebrate the release of long time music legends, Love and Rockets, and their new tribute album, the Musebox and Swing House have put together an official tribute show tonight. The party features a live performance by Frankenstein 3000, plus David Johansen (NY Dolls) and other surprise guests expected to jam!!! DJs Stabwalk (Sirius XM Radio) and Ultragrrl hold down the tables. Posted by Chris at 8:00 PM | View This Article | Email to a friend

Dreaming of Fun... Like Webster Hall's Dollar Daze

If my scratches from this past weekend's fall off my bike have healed significantly by this upcoming weekend, I may go to this:

Dollar drinks and dollar admission before midnight! (Apparently, admission is 19+, the dollar specials are only for those 21+). See the Webster Hall site here. Even a DJ set by Does It Offend You, Yeah? Will definitely be an interesting time.

But I may just have to dream about it and wait for another night for some dancing debauchery.

Mellow Sunday

I am recovering from a minor bike accident, so I kept it mellow last night and today.

Today I enjoyed some wining and dining in not one, but two cafes in the East Village: Cafe Brama and the MudSpot.

Cafe Brama, on 2nd Ave. at 10th St., features a $10 brunch menu with $2 drinks (my $2 drink was a mimosa - yum!). Its evening menu looks quite delectable as well. My spinach and cheese crepes were phenomenal - seriously, incredible! It couldn't quite make my scratches go away, but it could certainly take my mind off things!

Even more special was the MudSpot, located at 307 East 9th St. Known for its Mud trucks around the city, the MudSpot is a very quaint cafe with a charming, hidden backyard they call the Secret Garden, a nickname that is fully deserved! My sangria and molten brownie with vanilla ice cream were delectable. Aparrently they have live events on Monday nights at the Mudspot cafe.

Last Night: Emiliana Torrini at Highline Ballroom

On a whim last night, I decided to take myself - by that, I mean, bike - to Highline Ballroom to see Emiliana Torrini. Torrini, hailing from Iceland, has a wonderfully lilted singing voice and puts on a charming, moving show.



Her opener, Anya Marina, was equally captivating. I am still chiding myself for forgetting to stop by the merch table and pick up their latest albums there... Definitely music worth checking out!



Pics and videos from the show to come!

I also hope to see more shows at Highline in the future -- it's a lovely intimate venue to enjoy live music and other performances!

Free Comedy Over Free Music Last Night

As much as I really, really wanted to see Blondie live last night, I wasn't quite prepared for the combination of the long subway rides and the crowds that were surely there - in masses and masses, out for the free show with legendary rock performers Blondie and Pat Benatar, along with the Donnas.

So I stayed semi-local and saw a free comedy show at the Nightingale Lounge, in the East Village.

Thursdays they offer free comedy -- which started out strong and generally very enjoyable, and slowly declined with each successive comedian. Anyway, it was free, so I can't say it wasn't worth it! Nightingale Lounge has a very relaxed, intimate set-up, with the small stage central, across from the bar and encircled by the audience.

I recommend checking out this lounge and seeing their Calendar of Events, which features nightly happenings, such as open-mics of all kinds, poetry readings, music jam sessions and dance parties.