Two weeks ago Eater reported that 34 Avenue A, the space that held Mo Pitkin's -- which closed earlier this year, is now in contract. Since there's a transferable liquor license which goes along with the keys to the joint (described as a perfect multi-use space), it will likely become another bar/venue/club...but one prankster is suggesting otherwise. more ›

PARTY: Nostalgic for the Blackout of 2003? Someone has put together an event that will recapture the night of no lights so we can all enjoy it once again (with reassuring knowledge that the contents of the fridge aren't melting back at home). Stain's blackout party will be complete with candles, canned goods, beer, a battery-run boombox, board games, grilling and other non-electricity-dependent activities. more ›

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). more ›

We're just going to get this out of the way: Justin Timberlake is bringing deep-fried pickle-sicles back. The modern day song and dance man has gone and opened his very own restaurant called Southern Hospitality (at 1460 2nd Ave and 76th St). It opened last night to a crowd of A-listers people you may have heard of, hankering for some barbecue. Amongst the items offered are deviled eggs, pulled pork, mac-n-cheese, fried catfish, and yes...the aforementioned pickle treat (we hope JT took his indigestion pills last night). more ›

E:First of all, it sounds pretty impressive. Eating a panda? Well, that's something isn't it? more ›

MUSIC: The Good, the Bad and the Queen play a sold out show at Webster Hall tonight, but before that they're playing a much more intimate show for free at the Apple Store. Not familiar with the band? It's headed up by Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame. more ›

EVENT: Talking Head David Bryne joins Elizabeth Diller, recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant, for a talk about new tendencies and relationships between architecture and music. Christopher Janney moderates. More information here. more ›

Even before they were a part of our first ever Laughable Hype comedy show, we were fans of Human Giant (then known just by their common names: Aziz Ansari, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel). The group got their own show on MTV (airing in a few months) and have released a sneak peak in to what we can expect from it. You can watch it here, though if you are a fan - you've probably already seen "Illustionators" in its entirety during one of Aziz's shows at UCB or Mo Pitkins last year. more ›

ART: Yesterday we mentioned a few friends who spend their time making hamster nests, art and apparently making people very upset by merely existing. Anyway, one of them, Ryan McGinley, had an opening last night for his new show Irregular Regulars. His photographs of Morrissey were taken at shows from the past two years, and seem to depict Moz as God. more ›

EVENT: Rev Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir have been unleashing their rowdy anti-corporate exorcisms at the Spiegeltent, “a wondrous 1920’s venue of billowing velvet, stained glass, teak, and a thousand mirrors.” But righteous consumers beware: The Spiegeltent is part of the South Street Seaport Mall, which is made unclean by wicked corporations like Victoria’s Secret – all the better for the Rev’s antics. He chastises the company for clear-cutting Canadian boreal forests to produce one million catalogs per day. (A Village Voice blog reports on Victoria’s Secret’s struggle to silence the Rev) On this day he rests from damning their unmentionables to observe the fifth anniversary of 9/11. - John Del Signore more ›

A few weeks ago we metioned our latest feature, Tourist. Fittingly, the first New York band to write about their tour for us...never even left New York. more ›

I got booked on the show. We spent a some time looking through a thirty-minute tape of mine and put together a five-minute set that would work. We taped the show, the audience responded very well, the staff writers told the booker that they were pleased, and the booker himself was very pleased. Basically, it couldn't have gone better. Somehow, I don't know how it got on her radar, but the network executive that oversees all the late night stuff wouldn't allow it to air. more ›

Passover starts tomorrow night at sundown -- are you ready? Sure, you might have gotten a box of matzoh or two to get you through the week, but what are you doing for your seder? Since the seders fall in the middle of the week this year, some of us may not be able to travel to celebrate with our families outside of the tri-state region, but there are plenty of restaurants offering to fill the void by offering Passover seders of their own. more ›

Last year Jonathan Ames and Moby shared a stage at Bowery Ballroom. This year, this month to be exact, the two will join forces again for the Jonathan Ames & Moby Show. What is this show? It will be a "downtown Dick Cavett/Smothers Brothers/Letterman/variety-show explosion." The hosts, Ames and Moby, will perform and "reveal their innermost selves to the audience". Scary. They'll also invite comedians, musicians, burlesque artists, puppet-acts, and magicians to perform. more ›

We usually associate reading with sleeping. When we were younger we were read to before going to bed, or taking a nap. Now, thanks to Lindsay Robertson, Alex Balk and Jon Friedman...we can associate reading with pills. more ›

So far we've found nothing funny about the month of January, hopefully things will change starting this week. Check out our comedy picks: more ›

Dave Eggers and Paul Auster start a band...it sounds like the beginning of a joke. For better or worse, it's not. Joe Pacheco's documentary, As Smart As They Are: The Author Project documents how the McSweeney's in-house band, One Ring Zero, collaborated with some writers to make Lit Rock. more ›

It's not a great week for the slim of pocketbook, as we've dug up some gems that will cost you. We hope they're worth it, though! There's funny, slightly arty, and just plain bookish. Take your pick. more ›

As the holiday countdown continues, this part of Gothamist has noticed that the number of major national touring acts has dwindled. All those midwestern indie-rockers had to get back to the Mall of America and finish up their shopping. Luckily, this is New York, where there are no malls, but there are hundreds of bands eager to play for indifferent ears no matter the season. This week, here's who should be on your list: more ›

John Hodgman is everywhere! Not that we are complaining of course, but Gothamist has already seen his interview from the Daily Show repeated, he was at Mo Pitkins earlier this week, and tonight he will be a guest at How to Kick People. Surely there will be talk of hobos, but there will also be other guests, including Onion editor Carol Kolb, comedian Susie Felber and Andy Friedman & The Other Failures. If you aren’t able to make the show, Hodgman does have a limited edition blog composed of twenty electronic messages devoted to all the areas of his expertise. more ›

With Thanksgiving just moments away, literary events in New York have gone into standby mode. Nonetheless, there are few things happening this week and a few things to keep your eyes on for next week. And, as a little gift to you from the city, it's all free! Happy Thanksgiving. more ›

Chengwin is exactly what it sounds like, a creature that is half penguin, half chicken. Less obvious are the motives behind Chengwin’s public displays of theatrics when he takes to the streets of New York City to create scenes. He has been known to race his arch-nemesis Chunk (half chicken- half skunk) in a quarter mile marathon and has tried to break up Chunk’s public wedding ceremony, all while thousands of spectators participate in the pageantry. The video release and screening party for the latest Chengwin video, Homecoming 2004: The Chengwins vs. The Chunks is tomorrow night and will be a spectacle in itself, with an appearance by Chabio (yes, half-chicken, half…Fabio), 2 DJ’s, drinks and book-signings. The party starts at 8pm Thursday, November 10th at North Six in Williamsburg, admission is $5 which goes to help fund the next Chengwin event which will occur on a snowy winter day in 2006. more ›

Camera phone looky-loos, this one's for you. We're talking about the biggest band to hit small to medium sized NYC venues since Sufjan Stevens, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and The Arcade Fire. We're talking about Montreal's latest buzz band Wolf Parade. You've got three chances to see them this week. That's three chances to see them before they come back to play Webster Hall. If you can't find a ticket to the sold out shows Monday and Tuesday at Bowery Ballroom and Northsix, try to snag one of the non-student tickets available at the door to the NYU performance on Thursday. Listen to songs at their MySpace page. more ›

During this week we were reminded of a few things: New York bars don't close for anyone's holidays, apples and honey go very well with Manhattans, and we should probably pick up some kosher wine in case family drops by. After moving recently, we realized we must have had this idea every year since, oh, 5761, because there were a half dozen not-exactly-empty bottles of Manischewitz. We've never even had good luck adding it to sangria - it's a problem. more ›

A few months ago Indie Night School asked us to be a panelist, we obliged and promptly discovered our near paralyzing stagefright. Because of this we feel we owe them, ergo, tonight Fringe Benefits and Indie Night School are putting together a Katrina Benefit at Mo Pitkins (you know, Jimmy Fallon's bar). We're really exited to be a mere audience member for this one! more ›

Gothamist loves that on any given night, the performers and writers who create shows like SNL, Conan and the Daily Show are performing live at other venues around the city. It’s just one of the many reasons we love living here and this week it seems like there are more opportunities to check them out than usual. more ›

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