It's still two more weekends before we get to the official start of summer (June 21st), but spring is a wonderful time to get up, get out and get something... and that something is your social life.
In a few months, the thermometer will routinely hit the mid 90s, humidity will be unbearable and the mere thought of another human touching your skin can bring on uncontrollable fits of anger. Booty calls will insist you have AC or no dice, and your commute to work will feel like traveling through a moist sweat sock.
It's always the beach or better yet, a weekend house at the beach, which is an effective antidote to the dog days of NYC summer. But which beach is best for you? Maybe the Hamptons is not your cup of $7 tea and the Rockaway doesn't really feel like a getaway and the Jersey Shore seems a bit too far. Either way, if you haven't sorted out the beach house by now, it's probably not going to happen. Which is even more reason to love the Spring wholeheartedly, because in a few months, NYC will routinely smell like bad kimchi and personal struggle.
Here now, I give you some suggestions for this weekend. It's going to rain a little bit, so bring your umbrella. But please, leave home those galoshes you drag out each time it starts to drizzle just a little. We know you like 'em and yes they're kinda stylish, but uh, yeah, leave 'em at home.
So here's my High-Five picks for this weekend
FRIDAY
Lowbrow Artique, 143 Central Avenue, 6pm-9pm, free.99 (Bushwick)
Owen Dippie is dope. That sounds like the name of an indie flick, but is true nonetheless. He's from New Zealand, though I refuse to refer to him as a Kiwi. His work has graced spaces, with beautiful faces, in multiple places. The piece he did for Bushwick Collective, during Bushwick Open Studios, was a portrait remix of Jay-Z and Basquiat and is just as fonky as you can imagine.
He's having a one man show at LowBrow Artique, the art gallery/art supply store/art community hub where Walk Of Art Kids recently held a 10 week, art workshop series. The reception is this Friday and you should totally go to check out the work and chop it up with OD.
SATURDAY
HIP Lit-Cosmic Edition, BE Electric, 1298 Willoughby St, 8:30pm-1am, $12 (with 2 free drinks) Bushwick
Lit needs love too! HIP not only supports literature and authors on the cutting edge, but they create an experience around literature so that it becomes a full experience. This one will include palm readings, immersive theater, live music and of course, readings from the featured authors.
The $12 cover is offset by the two drink tickets, so do the math an figure out how sweet of a deal that is. And it's early, so you can bop over to another party afterwards, feeling smugly smarter and more cultured than everyone else in Bushwick.
Black Weirdo, C'mon Everybody, 325 Franklin Avenue, 10pm, $10-$15 (BedStuy)
Black Weirdo is a dance party, where the DJs don't do top 40. It's lots of DJs not doing top 40 these days, but since Ezrakh is one of the DJs, I'm assuming this party is going to be a real get down. Think Disco, Funk, Soul, some Electronica and all kinda music that might not have a defined genre at the moment.
It's also a gay party, as part of Brooklyn Pride Month, so it will be a safe haven for the gay contingent and their allies to boogie down on a dancefloor built on love and acceptance. If you don't wanna dance, you should step aside for folks to get it in!
We Are Brooklyn Pride, Verboten, 54 N 11th St, 10pm-5am, $20-25 (Williamsburg)
Another party affiliated with Brooklyn Pride Month. Whatever party you like, it always gets ramped up if it's at Verboten, because their sound system is real boss and the energy is real hype. This one goes late as well, and will feature a live performance and a party photographer to capture your moments, so bring a scowl or a smile, and make a frickin' effort with your outfit!
SUNDAY
Bunna Cafe, 1084 Flushing Avenue, 8pm, $10-$35, (Bushwick)
African Restaurant Week is coming to a close on Sunday, June 14th, and to celebrate and close it, Bunna Cafe is having a prix fixe dinner, as part of ARW, and also a series of experiences to help transport you from Bushwick to Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. Besides the dinner, they're going to have a coffee ceremony, live performances of Fela Akustic, featuring Sahr & Ricardo, and then a night of dancing with the FON Sound System.
This is a fun event to close down your weekend and to transport your out of Brooklyn. You'll appreciate the memories once late July rolls around and you're sticky, stinky and sensitive.
And here's a clip from the latest Dick & Dave, where we give you event picks for your weekend...kinda like what I do with this column, but I do it with Dave Colon from Brokelyn and I do it live on TV!
