Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, APR. 19, 2014.
For other useful and curated NYCity event info for Manhattan’s WestSide check out:
♦ “Notable NYC Events-April”, and also “on Broadway”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
Tour of Italy: Cheese, Charcuterie and More
“Embark on an edible journey through Italy led by Murray’s cheese connoisseur Jason Donnelly. The feast of regional specialties will feature Castelvetrano olives, Parma prosciutto and caciocavallo, paired with Montepulciano and Prosecco wines.” (TONY)
Murray’s Cheese Shop
254 Bleecker St., Leroy and Cornelia Sts.
4pm / $65
murrayscheese.com / 212-243-3289
Record Store Day
Record Store Day was created in 2007 in order to promote brick-and-mortar record stores — many of which struggle to survive in this era of downloadable media culture. Each year Record Store Day has gathered momentum and is used by bands, labels and distributors to showcase exclusive releases and to organize one-off in-store performances.
Dozens of stores in New York City participate in the event and for many it’s the busiest day of the year. New on the local scene is Rough Trade NY, the hip English retail outlet that recently opened their U.S flagship store in Williamsburg at 64 N. 9th St. After a few hiccups (their live room required additional sound-proofing) Rough Trade NY will feature dozens of bands performing live from 9 a.m. including The Rails, Nothing and Fear of Men. Click here for the full list of participating stores in New York. (DNA)
Lila Downs
“A flamboyant performer who illustrates her music with synchronized art, film, and photography, Oaxaca-born singer-songwriter Lila Downs specializes in dramatic transformations. Marvel as she becomes a deeply emotive mariachi, realist folkie, or shamanic priestess in rapid succession. Downs’s equally malleable voice modulates just as suddenly from pop pep to tear-jerking operatics.
Downs collaborated with Argentine singer Soledad and flamenco singer Niña Pastori on their forthcoming Raiz (Roots), which contains “La Cumbia de Mole,” an appetizing ode to Oaxaca’s tastiest feature, among deeper themes. She performs here with her longtime band, La Misteriosa, which deftly navigates ranchera, banda, corridos, and other Mexican styles. Raised in Mexico, California, and Minnesota, Downs is a child of the Americas who also happens to sing the best version of “La Cucaracha” ever.”
(Richard Gehr, VillageVoice)
Town Hall, 123 West 43rd St.
800-982-2787, the-townhall-nyc.org
At 8 p.m. / $45 to $55
Ronnie Spector’s ‘Beyond the Beehive’
“Even in the pantheon of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Ms. Spector stands apart as an enduring figure of glamour. This former lead singer of the Ronettes reprises songs from her long career with a full band. She’ll also share anecdotes, home videos and photos.” (Anderson-NYT)
City Winery, 155 Varick Street, near Spring Street, South Village,
212-608-0555, citywinery.com;
At 8 p.m. / $45 to $55.
GUY DAVIS
“Unless you can hitch a ride to the nineteen-twenties and thirties with Mr. Peabody in the WABAC, your best shot at experiencing Delta country blues is to be in the same room with Davis. The New York-raised son of Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis has been releasing albums since the seventies, and in concert his singing, storytelling, and guitar- and harmonica-playing drip with soul-satisfying authenticity.” (NewYorker)
Terra Blues, 149 Bleecker St.(btw thompson/la guardia pl)
7 PM /
212-777-7776 / terrablues.com
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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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A PremierPub / Midtown West.
Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)
Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.
From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys”, just down the block.
Those in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.
Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.
But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.
Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.
It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music some nights includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man.
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 