HIGHBROW POWER HOUR: Why pregame for the theater when you can combine drinking and performance with TinyRhino Tuesdays? Audience members will be given a list of elements to look out for, and then will drink each time one appears in one of the ten-minute plays. Translation: a lot of theater and a lot of drinking. Not for the weak livered or weak-hearted, they warn, "We are artists, and sadists by definition; these plays will venture down a darker path than your average drinking game."
Tuesday, July 12 // 7:30 p.m. // 227 4th Ave Brooklyn // $10
JEM FEST: Sugary Saturday morning cereals, glitter, and other Jem and the Holograms- inspired memorabilia will flood the Bell House on Tuesday, July 12 during a TV Party dedicated to HASBRO's answer to GI Joe's for girls. The event includes a cereal bar, a live band covering hits by Jem (and the Misfits, too!), Jem trivia, karaoke, and themed drinks-- bring on the Jerrica Benton and the Starlight Girls cocktails!
Tuesday, July 12 // 7 p.m. // 149 7th St, Brooklyn // $5
CELEBRATE MANHATTANHENGE: If you missed Manhattanhenge the first time around, not all hope is lost! The July edition is right around the corner and our friends at the American Museum of Natural History are providing an in-depth look at the stunning phenomenon. Jackie Faherty, a research scientist in the Museum’s Department of Astrophysics, will discuss the science behind the magic and provide tips for the best viewing locations when the event occurs on July 13th.
Tuesday, July 12 // 7 p.m. // American Museum of Natural History [200 Central Park West] // $15
MOMA FILM PREVIEW: The MoMA is teaming up with critically acclaimed visual artist, performance artist and short story writer Miranda July (of Me and You and Everyone We Know) to screen her new film, The Future. Largely real though somewhat magical (we hear there's a kitty voiceover), the film trails a couple at the beginning of the rest of their lives, which won't begin until their rescued cat, Paw Paw, comes home. Having received rave reviews at Sundance, the film now comes to the museum's screen tonight.
Wednesday, July 13 // 8:30 p.m. // 11 West 53rd St. // Adults $10, Students $6
KEEPIN' IT REEL: The 10th Annual Historic Harlem Parks Film Festival aka Reel Harlem brings a concert-plus-screening double whammy to drop some knowledge about what music means to Manhattan. Move your body to the opening Latin Jazz Tribute then move through time with a cinematic evolution of music--from mambo and salsa to disco and hip hop--in the South Bronx's lovely Jackie Robsinson Park.
Wednesday, July 13 // 7:00 p.m. // Jackie Robinson Park, 148th St. at Bradhurst Ave. // Free
ACROBATIC ART: Things get a little Strange at the River to River Festival. For four days, the arts fest snags innovative dance/theater crew Strange Fruit as part of a 90-minute avante-garde dance event that will also feature one-man acrobat performer Michael Moschen and the premier of dance troupe STREB's Human Fountain, a 30-foot-tall recreation of the Bellagio's famous Las Vegas fountains, minus the water. Follow the performances through different sections of the plaza for this moveable feast for the eyes.
Thursday, July 14 // 6:00 p.m. // World Financial Center Plaza [220 Vesey St.] // Free
BUST IN TOYLAND: BUST magazine teams up Babeland, a store popular for bringing sex into the city, to give shoppers the gift that keeps on giving. The occasion is Babeland's Customer Appreciation Party, where guests will sample Babeland Bubbly, bedazzle the bag for a sexy sleepover kit and, if you're one of the first 50 customers, grab swag bags filled with toys, condoms and a copy of BUST's latest issue.
Thursday, July 14 // 7 p.m. // Babeland SoHo [43 Mercer St.] // Free
BASTILLE DAY: Feeling Francophile? While many of the city's bigger Bastille Day celebrations took place last weekend, there are still a handful of dining deals at the city's French-accented restaurants and few smaller celebrations going on. Check out a list of events here, and raise your hat to life, liberty and smelly cheese.
LITERARY KARAOKE: And we thought karaoke wasn't geeky enough. If you have your nose in a book and a knack for public embarrassment, WORD Brooklyn has just the event for you. Brush up on your non-regional diction, bibliophiles, this monthly BYOB event involves three-minute book readings following a selected theme. July's theme is "Greatest Hits of the 90s," so come prepared to read the most creative and delightful passage penned from 1990 to 1999.
Friday, July 15 // 7 p.m. // 126 Franklin St., Brooklyn // Free
EVANGELICAL POTTER MUSICAL: There's a comedy group inspired by Kirk Cameron's (of Growing Pains fame) "hardcore Evangelical Christian" ways, and they're playing at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater tonight. The Kirk Cameron Repertory Players will put on their "improved" version of Harry Potter, timed to coincide with the release of the final installment of the Potter movies--only this time, "witchcraft is evil and Jesus is good!" Because who said satirical, God-fearing Christians can't enjoy Harry Potter, too?
Friday, July 15 // 7:30 p.m. // 307 W 26th St // $10
SEAPORT DREAMPOP: The Radio Dept. and Asobi Seksu will be serenading the masses at the South Street Seaport's River to River Festival this Friday. Swedish electro-popsters The Radio Dept. have found remarkable success over the past decade with their woozy melodies, and they'll be joined by multi-layered dreampop duo Asobi Seksu. Pardon the pun, but...it's a dream come true.
Friday, July 15 // 7 p.m. // South Street Seaport // Free
MUPPET REVIVAL: Heigh-ho, everyone! First the film franchise returns, and now it's time to get a little more intimate with Jim Henson's Fantastic World , coming to the Museum of the Moving Image on July 16. Those nostalgic for The Muppet Movie will be intrigued by the original Kermit, Rowlf, Bert, and Ernie puppets alongside photos, drawings, cartoons, posters, commercials, the classics, and experimental films. The exhibit will continue through January of 2012.
Saturday, July 16 // 36-01 35 Ave, Astoria // $10 adults, $7.50 students, $5 children
MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL: Lovers of obscure music no one's ever heard of can band together at the upcoming 9th Annual NYC Musical Saw Festival to watch musicians use their tools to make the "the angelic sounds of the musical saw." Dating back almost 300 years, the art of making music with a carpenter's handsaw draws crowds from countries all over the world—India, Canada, and Germany included!—to share in the wonder. In '09, the festival birthed a Guinness World Record when 53 saws played "Ave Maria." The wonder! The magic! The saws!
Saturday, July 16 // 2 p.m. // Hellenic Cultural Center [27-09 Crescent St, Astoria] // $10
LENNY BRUCE LIVES! For those of us not lucky enough to catch Lenny Bruce while he was alive, we have Steve Cuiffo, who "resurrects the fast-rising Bruce of the late `50s and early `60s" in his show "Lenny Bruce: Alive." Without film or video aide, Cuiffo bases his performance on the study of Bruce's "rhythms, delivery and vocal attributes" as well as the "jazz and finger-snapping tempos of the Village in the Beat era." Topics for the evening will include organized religion, race, illegal and prescription drugs, sexual mores, obscenity and the Constitution, themes which have lost none of their potency since the Beatnik era.
Saturday, July 16 // 7:30 p.m. // (Le) Poisson Rouge [158 Bleecker Street] // $20 in advance; $25 day of show
BEACH PARTY: Good news for fans of free outdoor music: there's a new afternoon concert series this summer at the Beekman Beer Garden. This week, on the 200 tons of sand that line the Beer Garden's beach, catch sets from X-ay Eyeballs with Frankie and the Outs and The Babies. The Xray Eyeballs temper their surf rock with a darkness reminiscent of bands like the Velvet Underground, the Jesus and Mary Chain, or to use a contemporary example, Women, while Frankie and the Outs are more dreamy, allowing their melodies and harmonies to float alongside each other, and the Babies provide happy, poppy melodies to balance the whole thing out.
Sunday, July 17 // 3 p.m. // Pier 17 [Beekman St. at South St.] // 21+ // Free
ICE CREAM TAKEDOWN:Got a sweet tooth? Take it to the limit with the Ice Cream Takedown. July is national ice cream month (thanks, Ronald Reagan?) and July 17 is national ice cream day, so, to celebrate coalescence of all things frozen and delicious, the Bell House is busting out 20-30 scoops of Brooklyn Ice Cream, to be judged by dessert-loving audiences. Since it's 21+, there'll be no little kids getting in the way of your indulgence, so eat up.
Sunday, July 17 // 4 p.m. // 149 7th St., Brooklyn // 21+ // $15
WE'RE ON A BOAT: Ever wanted to cruise on down the East River? Ever wanted to do it while enjoying music, drinks and guacamole at the same time? All of this can be yours with a ticket to Guac Rock, a three-hour cruise on the East River with three bands: American Darlings, the So So Glos and a special guest. There will be nine types of guacamole, many crafted by the winners of May's Guactacular contest, with a contribution from San Fracisco's Guerilla/Gorilla Guac to round out the selection. There will be free free tequila cocktails from Espolón Tequila from 8-9 p.m. as well. And in case you feel a little guilty about all this indulgence, know that 10% of all ticket sales will be donated to the Food Bank of NYC.
Monday, July 18 //7 p.m //The Jewel [Skyport Marina at E. 23rd St. and FDR Dr.] //$30
ROXY'S KARAOKE PARLOUR: Karaoke veteran Roxy Bohana brings her singing show to the Brooklyn Lyceum one Monday a month, promising "the good, the bad and the somewhere in the middle." Arrive early to catch the end of the open mic and then belt out Broadway or Bon Jovi and snack on summery treats from the cafe for two hours of nonstop karaoke.
Monday, July 18 // 8 p.m. // Brooklyn Lyceum [227 4th Avenue, Brooklyn] // Free
Contributions from Nell Casey, Elyssa Goldberg, Rachel Pincus, Bethany O'Grady and Eva Saviano.
