Well, it’s been a week, huh? I don’t know about you guys, but I’m fried, emotionally and physically. I think I’ve put on five pounds and slept no more than five consecutive hours since last Tuesday, and my stress levels are through the roof. There’s a lot we can do to try to mitigate the effects of the president-elect’s already disastrous policy and personnel choices (look for tips on that in coming weeks), but the realization that we are stuck with him for now is setting in. So, time to think about what’s important, and what we are willing to do to ensure that our friends, neighbors, and family members are safe kept safe in this time of especially hateful invective and incredibly short fuses. Thanksgiving feels extraordinarily well-timed this year, and hopefully we’ll all get a chance to strengthen our reserves and really reflect on how to best proceed in this new world.
It may feel bleak, but we’ve still got art, literature, music, crystal clear crisp fall days like today, people willing to be brave and stand up for strangers, and a fast-approaching Thanksgiving feast to keep us going. One thing I’ve learned over the course of the past year, which has sucked for me generally as an American but also for specific, personal reasons, is that in times of sustained, ongoing crisis you are absolutely no good to anyone if you don’t take time to take care of yourself. So please, by all means, do keep your eyes on the prize–we’ve got a long, hard fight ahead of us–but, in the meantime, give yourself the opportunity to enjoy all that is good out there. Here are some of our favorite ways to do that in Brooklyn over the next seven days.
Put your Thanksgiving pants on for Friendsgiving.
Thursday, November 17
Getting stuck next to your ultra-conservative uncle at Thanksgiving dinner was bad enough before we elected a charlatan with open contempt for this country and well over half of the people who inhabit it, so it’s hard to imagine the level of discomfort that millions of Americans will face as they tuck into their turkey next week. The antidote? Why, Friendsgiving, of course! If none of your friends have the square footage or the culinary chops to pull it off, consider the Fourth Annual Friendsgiving Pop Up, an 80-seat, five-course, traditional Thanksgiving feast prepared by Chopped’s Alex Magliore II that will happen this Thursday from 7-11pm in a secret, undisclosed Brooklyn location. Tickets are $69 a pop and include dishes like chevre and butternut squash gnudi, winter ceviche, and caramel apple s’mores. Beer, wine, and cocktails will be available for purchase.
Friday, November 18
Terrence Malick buffs will be flocking to BAM on Friday and Saturday nights to catch one of two special screenings of the director’s contemplative and ambitious 2011 masterstroke, The Tree of Life. Not only will you get to see Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain on the big screen, but there will be live musical accompaniment provided by an 100-person orchestra. Our guess is that the sprawling film about an American family and the ties that bind spanning several decades will give you a lot to chew on. Tickets start at $35 and the show begins at 7:30pm.
Work by Mark Leckey is on display at PS1. Photo: PS1
Saturday, November 19
On Saturday night, Uber on over to LIC for MoMA PS1’s annual Night at the Museum affair starting at 8pm. The hypercool, contemporary art mecca will be throwing open its doors to the public for a chance to commune after-hours with the artwork, including current exhibits Mark Lecky: Containers and Their Drivers, Projects 105: Cinthia Marcelle, and Sascha Braunig: Shivers. M. Wells will be on hand to provide delicious food and drinks to partygoers, and tickets are $15.
Sunday, November 20
There’s a bit of a nip in the air today and so, naturally, the return of the Brooklyn Chili Takedown to the Royal Palms this Sunday afternoon caught my attention. Warm up your insides with different variations on the ultimate comfort food when a host of local home cooks duke it out for best chili bragging rights starting at noon. Your $20 ticket allows you to try them all and vote for the winner.
Go for the comedy, stay for the snacks. Photo: Over the Eight
Monday, November 21
Over the Eight’s weekly Monday comedy show, Side Ponytail, has been upping the ante on guest comics of late and this week’s show seems to be a great time to get in on that. From 7-9pm, the stage in the backroom of the Williamsburg bar will welcome the likes of Melinda Taub (a writer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), Chelsea Hood (Caroline’s Comics To Watch), Noah Findling (in from LA! Riot LA Comedy Festival), and Diego Lopez (Komedy at Kinfolk). As always, Side Ponytail is emceed by Julia Shiplett and Emily Winter and is 100% free. Santa Salsa, the Venezuelan street food spot in residence at Over the Eight has earned our love with their delicious, messy concoctions, especially the cheese dog. Yup, a cheese dog. Some things remain as awesome as ever.
Get your sweet tooth on at an Ample Hills ice cream social. Photo: Ample Hills
Tuesday, November 22
On Tuesday night, Ample Hills Creamery is hosting another one of its epic Ice Cream Socials, which gives guests the opportunity to churn their own ice cream with the help of a tricked-out indoor bicycle, dig into some pizza, try their hand at trivia, get involved in a craft project and, of course, avail themselves of a giant waffle sundae bar. The two-hour event starts at 7pm and tickets cost $35.
Wednesday, November 23
Live music is great way to celebrate Thanksgiving Eve, and as luck would have it there is something to suit a wide variety of tastes on Wednesday night. Rough Trade is hosting Thurston Moore in concert with John Zorn at 8pm for $20, but if you’re looking for a mellower sound you can still get tickets to see Conor Oberst at Carnegie Hall. Fans of electronic music will want to head to Starr Bar at 9pm for Brookladelphia, a new bimonthly showcase of the finest producers, DJs, and musicians of the genre from Philly and NYC. Or you can enjoy a quiet night in or make your T-day travel more bearable with A Tribe Called Quest’s excellent, long-awaited, and uncannily topical new album, We got it from Here. . . Thank You 4 Your service.
