CONTEST ALERT: Tomorrow night the indie-elite will gather at Terminal 5 for The Plug Awards -- featuring Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, St. Vincent, José Gonzalez, Dizzee Rascal, The Forms, DiVinci and more. Tickets are sold out, so you can either watch the show here, or you can win tickets from us! We're giving away 5 pairs, starting now. Just email GothamistContest@gmail.com and tell us why you want to go. MUSIC: White Williams,......

MOVIE: After Marion Cotillard took home the gold for best actress in La Vie en Rose last Sunday, French cinema is sure to be all the rage. Today the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2008 series kicks off with a screening of Roman de gare (pictured). Buy tickets and get the schedule here. Friday// 6:30 and 9pm // Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts [70 Lincoln Center Plaza] // $12 (stand......

EVENT: For book lovers and the broken hearted, head over to the Knitting Factory after work for the book release party for "How Not to Date." The series of vignettes will make you feel better as they focus on nightmare dates, relationships and every sordid detail in between. Author Judy McGuire says, "There'll be snacks, a cash bar with happy hour prices, book giveaways, and some surprises (which may or may not include interpretive......

PARTY: Perhaps as a nod to Warhol, or simply as a reason to party, PBR has been on an Art Tour. Come check out their 18 PBR-inspired paintings, and more importantly drink free beer from 7 to 8 tonight as the tour hits the Knitting Factory. Music provided by DJ Awesome Derek, Cody Ranaldo, and Rezound. 7pm // Knitting Factory [74 Leonard St] // Free EVENT: The Women's Expressive Theatre storms the Angel Orensanz......

MOVIE: Every national election year reminds us of that part in The Dark Crystal where the hideous Skeksis systematically drain the Gelfling’s “essence” and drink it to increase their power. If you don’t know the scene we’re talking about, you need to go see it on the big screen tonight – a regular-sized TV monitor just doesn’t do Jim Henson’s creepy masterpiece justice. The one-night-only screening will be introduced by one of the film’s puppet......

READING: It's another First Tuesday event at McNally Robinson, and this time around author and activist Mark Crispin Miller invites Anthony Lappe to center stage. The executive editor of the Guerilla News Network also produced an award-winning documentary on the war in Iraq for Showtime. More recently, he's created a graphic novel called Shooting War with illustrator Dan Goldman, which is "a spoof of the network news, the war in Iraq, and the burgeoning 'citizen......

THEATER: As Steve On Broadway notes, Chicago’s stellar Steppenwolf Theater Company, which launched the careers of Gary Sinise and Little Johnny Malkapee, is back on Broadway for the first time since 2001, when their production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won the Tony for Best Revival. This time they’ve delivered playwright Tracy Letts’s August: Osage County, and after reading today’s rave reviews, you can count on more Tonys flying back to the Windy......

EVENT: Earlier this year Holly Hunter encountered an interesting situation with an interviewer for a news station (we highly recommend watching the YouTube video of this). She discussed her tv series Saving Grace at the time, and she'll be doing the same tonight at the Paley Center (old Museum of TV and Radio). There will be a Q&A as well as a screening of one of the episodes. 6pm // The Paley Center for Media......

EVENT: White Castle is sponsoring an "over the top" (heh) event today at Port Authority...it's the 30th Annual White Castle Empire State Golden Arm Tournament of Champions. Over 100 ladies and gents will face off to become the arm wrestling champ! The event starts at 12:30 and the finals begin at 3:30pm. More info here. 12:30 and 3:30pm // Port Authority Bus Terminal [North Wing/Main Concourse at 625 8th Ave] // Free MUSIC: The Scotland......

EVENT: The American Opera Project has taken on...baseball? Tonight they present Baseball Through The Eye of the Artist. You'll catch some scenes from Daniel Sonenberg's opera-under-development The Summer King. And stick around for Bang The Drum Slowly, "the acclaimed 1973 baseball film that marked the beginning of Robert DeNiro's illustrious film career." Dusk // Fort Green Park Conservancy [Washington Park St, Brooklyn] // Free THEATER: Tonight the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater trundles through the Upper East......

THEATER: Described as Damn Yankees meets Ed Wood, the screwball musical LOST IN HOLLYWOODLAND is a goofy retelling of the Faust myth, with a lowly production assistant’s assistant standing in for the good doctor. (Naturally, a film producer serves as the devil.) The fun begins when the peon signs away his soul for fame and fortune. Having killed ‘em in Buffalo, the production now takes Manhattan via the New York Fringe Festival. - John Del......

HEADS UP: Last year we had Daniel Kitson join our Laughable Hype comedy show, and we've been eagerly awaiting his return to the states since then. Good news...he's back! We strongly urge you to buy tickets right now so you can catch the special performance on Monday at Mo Pitkins. These will go fast Sold out! But this just in...Kitson will also be performing at Union Hall this Sunday at 9pm (first come first served).......

MOVIE: Michael Moore is in town with his latest film that's pissing off the government while informing the nation, Sicko (trailer here). Get ready to be filled with rage as the carpet is pulled back on the American healthcare system and much, much more. 7pm // Museum of the Moving Image [35th Avenue at the corner of 36th Street, Astoria] // $10 * Moved to June 28th! * THEATER: Prolific British playwright Alan Ayckbourn has......

THEATER: It’s “go time” for The Butane’s Group’s Operation Ajax, which ingenuously sets the CIA’s 1953 overthrow of Iran’s first democratically-elected government in the context of a casino. “Constructed from no less than 25 text sources (memoirs, documentaries, plays, poetry, novels, films, reality tv shows), the densely-layered performance explores how the addiction to risk and gambling has become a potent metaphor for U.S. foreign policy.” (For an enhanced theater experience, explore the show’s thorough bibliography,......

FILM: The Picture Start Film Festival is bringing us 2 nights of indie shorts this week. Both tonight and tomorrow night eight films will be screened, awards will be given out, and afterparties will be attended. Full schedule here. Tonight and Tomorrow, 6pm // Link Lounge [120 E 15th St] // Free EVENT: Tonight Mo PItkin's brings you Dark Magus: The Jekyll and Hyde Life of Miles Davis. You can meet musician and author Gregory......

THEATER: It’s Friday night, and what better way to cut loose than an evening of interactive theater – set in plague-ravaged New York City! In All Fall Down, a savage battle rages for the dwindling supplies of the vaccine, but soon a question arises: "Is the cure worse than the disease?" Theatre Recrudescence vows to explore our “post 9/11 hysteria with elements of carnival, clowning and rock and roll.” (All Fall Down is in previews,......

Let's face it, this weekend was made for bonding with your couch, napping and eating leftovers. But if you really want to go against the flow, here are some things to get you out of the house... THEATER: Gutenberg! The Musical did so well at the recent New York Musical Theatre Festival that it’s moved on up to 59E59. (The show was directed by Alex Timbers, who most recently helmed Hell House.) In this two-man......

READING: Head down to 192 Books for a very special and cool evening - James Salter, short fiction writer, teamed with his wife Kay on Life Is Meals, a illustrated food lover's companion that takes readers from a Twelfth Night cake in January to a champagne dinner on New Year's Eve. As always with 192 Books, call ahead to reserve a spot at their readings. - Krissa Corbett Cavouras 7pm // 192 Books [192 10th......

MUSIC: Love is All takes over the Knitting Factory tonight with not one, but two shows. The early show is with Cause Co-Motion! and Devastations, the later one with Cause Co-Motion! and Tyvek. Choose wisely. Or you could always watch Jared Leo bring his emo wrath upon bloggers, his band plays Roseland tonight. Friday // The Knitting Factory [74 Leonard St] // $13 MORE MUSIC: The Battering Room is putting on a show at the......

READING: Tonight at 192 Books, Marisha Pessl reads from Special Topics in Calamity Physics, her buzzy and well-received first novel. Seating is usually limited at 192 Books so call (212) 255-4022 to reserve a spot. - Krissa Corbett Cavouras 7pm // 192 Books [192 10th Ave. at 23rd St] // Free THEATER: Downtown writer/director/innovator Young Jean Lee kicks off the fall season at HERE with what the theater website describes as her own worst nightmare:......

THEATER: Both the Fringe Festival and the wildly successful, but once Fringe-y, 24 Hour Plays are celebrating their tenth anniversaries this year, so why not do it together? Starting tonight, some of the original cast members and plays from the series that proved that a gimmick (conceive, write, rehearse and perform a play in a day) can produce fresh theatre, reunite in five totally different sets of five. - Mallory Jensen Lucille Lortel Theater [121......

MOVIES: Don't forget, the Bryant Park movies start tonight! The movie won't begin until sunset - which is about the same time the rain and thunder are scheduled to begin. Tonights features in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller, The Birds. Be an early bird (heh) and get there at 5 for a good spot on the lawn! 5pm // Bryant Park // Free ART: Like Sculpture? Like to hear people talk about it? Then attend MoMA's On......

Movable Hype 7.0, our concert series, is TONIGHT! Come enjoy the music and some drink specials with us, won't you? Here's the lineup: 8pm Stars of Track & Field [Listen: With You.mp3] 9pm Land of Talk [Listen: Sea Foam.mp3] 10pm Cloud Cult [Listen: Living on the Outside of Your Skin.mp3] 11:15pm The Slack Republic [Listen: Wait For Me.mp3] The ladies of Essexy will be deejaying AND there will be DRINK SPECIALS all night long: $3......

MUSIC: The Upper Crust are playing a proletarian downtown venue tonight! These four young nobleman will Rocque and Roll you with a polished AC/DC-esque sound. Do check them out, seriously. That is them to the right. We don't think we really need say anymore. Friday // 11:30pm // Knitting Factory [74 Leonard St] // $10 ART: Removal Satisfies the Condition is the latest PublicAdCampaign exhibit, and it's opening tonight. This city's public environment is filled......

Movable Hype 7.0, our concert series, is this Monday April 17th! We couldn't be more excited about this show. Check out the lineup: 8pm Stars of Track & Field [Listen: With You.mp3] 9pm Land of Talk [Listen: Sea Foam.mp3] 10pm Cloud Cult [Listen: Living on the Outside of Your Skin.mp3] 11:15pm The Slack Republic [Listen: Wait For Me.mp3] The ladies of Essexy will be deejaying AND there will be DRINK SPECIALS all night long: $3......

We've seen you do it. Your favorite guilty pleasure 80's hair band song comes on the jukebox and you immediately get in to air guitar positioning. Closing your eyes, raising your arms, curling your fingers around the guitar that only you can see. You are our favorite person in the bar. You embrace your love of music, you don't care what anyone thinks, and you totally rip on that solo. So we hope you heard......

PARTY: Good Peoples and Beautiful/Decay magazine bring you "the sickest party of the summer"! Or so they say. Here are some of the ingredients: -2 hour open Bacardi & Mountain Dew Bar -Gift bags -the legendary PRINCE PAUL on the tables -Screening of Bomb the System and music videos from Culturama, Mockumentaries from Prince Paul RSVP for the guest list at rsvp@good-peoples.com Friday // 9pm to 4am // TriBeCa Cinemas [54 Varick St] // $5,......

Tonight: TONY's 10th Birthday And the drinks are on them! We can't think of a better way to celebrate, really. Time Out New York and the IN:NYC Card will treat patrons to a complimentary cocktail during dinner service at nine select IN:NYC restaurants: Calle Ocho (212-873-5025; 446 Columbus Ave between 81st & 82nd Sts), 6-11pm; Django (212-871-6600; 480 Lexington Ave @ 46th St), 5:30-10:30pm; Kitchen 22 (212-228-4399; 36 E 22nd St between Broadway & Park......

Gothamist is happy to see that organizations like IndieMusicForLife.org are out there bringing together independent singer-songwriters to help in the common cause of finding a cure for cancer. The money is raised through donations, live shows and from artists donating songs for compilation CD’s which are sold. Many have joined forces with this organization to help set up and perform at fund raising events all over the country, helping to raise awareness and money for......