Arts & Culture

Saturday, August 3rd – On Saturday New Yorkers and anyone lucky enough to be visiting the city will have an extremely rare chance to walk through the Park Avenue Tunnel. For a few hours this highly used conveyer of transportation will be converted into an incandescent, echoing, interactive art show.  (Park Avenue Tunnel)

Sports

Friday, August 2nd – Sunday, August 4th – Shake off all that A-Rod drama with a trip to Queens to see your New York Mets take on the Kansas City Royals in a best of three series. Hey, they may not be the best team but atleast they are in town. (New York Mets)

Music & Entertainment

Friday, August 2nd – Movie release day. Quiet night tonight? Check out the films opening this weekend. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg are teaming up and strapping in for the intense buddy action comedy, “2 Guns” (R). Any movie that stars Bill Paxton as the villain is fine by us! La,la,la,la,la you know the song! “The Smurfs 2″ (PG) are back at the theater this weekend to tickle your childlike funny bone! America’s sweetheart Neil Patrick Harris returns, so don’t worry.

Friday, August 2nd – Sunday, August 4th – If you were ever staying local for a weekend full of concerts, this would be the one to do it as the Barclays Center will be poppin’ all weekend long. Tonight, scant tickets remain for your boy Justin Bieber as Atlantic Avenue becomes pop music paradise. Screaming girls and their daughters are surely going to be out in droves. Meanwhile Saturday and Sunday, it’s the Mrs. Carter World Tour as Sasha Fierce and former Destiny’s Child member Beyonce struts those fine ass legs in Brooklyn on Saturday and on Sunday. Like I said- why leave the area this weekend?

Nightlife

Saturday, August 3rd – Dance away the first Saturday in August at New York City’s hottest club, Marquee! On this late summer evening prepare to fall into a trance when famed DJ’s Mysto & Pizzi take over for one night only!  (Marquee)

Other

Friday, August 2nd  – Sunday, August 4th -  Whoever said nothing awesome happened in August obviously did not attend Paper Magazine’s, “Super(Duper) Market last year! For the second year in a row this pop-up will take over Mulberry Street to entice patrons with over 35 vendors from across the country. But don’t worry, tons of your favorite New York eats from the likes of Brooklyn Soda Works, Momofuku Milk Bar, La Esquina, and Sour Puss Pickles will be on hand to keep you well fed and hydrated all day long! (Super(Duper) Market)

Friday, August 2nd – “I am an FBI Agent!” It’s a phrase you know and love from one of the most outlandishly fun movies of all time. It’s “Point Break” and for one night only you can embody the classic character of Johnny Utah on stage. Point Break Live! lets one lucky audience be the star, as a cast of characters act out the entire movie right on stage. Prepare to be transported to the beach, the bank and the sky as each over the top moment is recreated right before you eyes. (The Bell House)

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Arts & Culture 

Friday, May 3rd – Tonight, join thousands of fellow New Yorkers who have a huge appreciation for the all things creative. It’s “Arts’ Night Out” an evening to gather at the historic Park Avenue Armory to both purchase and gaze upon fine art and antiques. (Arts’ Night Out)

Sports

Saturday, May 4th – Put on your fanciest hat ladies. Guys, toss on a seersucker suit and hit the road. It’s the, “Kentucky Derby” and only one place truly shows off how fun this horse race can truly be. Yes, you guessed it we’re talking about the Bell House. Tickets are extremely cheap for a day loaded with mint juleps and plenty of surprises along the way! (The Bell House)

Music & Entertainment

Friday, May 3rd – Movie release day. Quiet night tonight? Check out the films opening this weekend. Robert Downey Jr.  is the man! “Iron Man 3″ (PG-13) that is. Head to the cinema to witness Robert don the Tony Stark guise for what’s being called the best entry into the trilogy following the life of the comic book superhero. Michael Shannon has been called both creepy and one of the greatest actors working today. In, “The Iceman” (R) you will see all of those factors come together in one delicious feature. In the film, Shannon plays Richard Kuklinski a hit man for the mob who is also trying to be a family man at the same time.

Friday, May 3rd – The Ramones were one of the founding bands of the Punk movement. Sadly most of the band has passed on into rock n’ roll heaven. One member, Marky Ramone is still kicking and going strong and we couldn’t be happier. Tonight head to Santos Party House to witness, “Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg” with very special guest vocalist Andrew W.K. (Santos Party House)

Nightlife

Saturday, May 4th – It’s the, “Electric Circus” at W.I.P!  This week the club welcomes special guest and world renowned DJ and producer, Funkagenda. “Funk’s” high energy, big room house sound is sure to rock W.I.P for whats already set to be a memorable night. (W.I.P)

Other

Friday,  May 3rd – Help support the “Miss Kate Foundation” by climbing aboard the USS Intrepid for a night full of dancing and fun benefiting brain cancer research. With 41,434 tons of steel beneath your feet, the USS Intrepid is located on the Hudson River with the New York City Skyline in the background. (Miss Kate Foundation)

And as Always, Droid users- make sure to Download the official LocalBozo.com App for FREE from Google Play (formerly the Android Market)! Get all the information we can fit onto your smart phone, NOW!

You think you’re a trivia buff dude? Well put your money where your mouth is hot shot and head to our favorite Gowanus, Brooklyn venue for an evening chock full of audience participation trivia! It’s “TrivWorks Live Trivia Entertainment” with special host NY1 morning news anchor and veteran game show host Pat Kiernan. On Wednesday night the LocalBozo.com crew made our way to The Bell House to join Mr. Kiernan and a completely sold out crowd where 1990s vs. 2000s trivia was the name of the game.

Shortly after 7:30pm, droves of trivia and nostalgia heads made their way into The Bell House’s main event space to form teams and grab tall beers. Due to the popularity of Wednesday night’s theme, the line for teams to sign up snaked almost entirely around the venue. Unlike the typical live events held here, the seating arrangement was altered to have teams facing each other as well as the stage. And once the final team was formed, TrivWorks leader David Jacobson took to the microphone to welcome the capacity crowd, give some background to the evening’s game and welcome the highly anticipated host. After his resume was run down, the clean cut looking yet hilarious Pat Kiernan took centerstage to a roaring applause.

Each team was given the opportunity to select questions pertaining to ’90s or ’00s trivia or both. Kiernan meanwhile wasted no time in launching into the first round. As he ran through each ’90s era question we could hear audience members whisper answers to each other and laugh as they reminisced about the often goofy decade that was. Since we recently came out of the ’00s, we were happily surprised to see how many of the questions made us mentally time travel back almost thirteen years. So much time has passed since 2000, providing a wealth of easy to difficult questions to sift through but the attendees knew their stuff and it showed. But it was the moments when Pat Kiernan pulled members of the crowd onstage for head to head trivia that really got us invested while sending us into fits of laughter. On several occasions, the questions would be music related and if the contestant was drawing a blank, we would have to hold our tongues if we knew the answer. Other times mini dance contests were held with teams busting out versions of the ’90s line dancing classic “The Electric Side.” This truly brought me back to Bar Mitzvah days.

Once the final question was pondered and the last challenge was doled out it was time to call it a night. TrivWorks events not only test your brain power and teamwork skills but they also know how to seriously tickle your funny bone. As host, Pat Kiernan proves why New Yorkers count on him to deliver the local news from “In The Papers.” His dry yet impeccable sense of humor kept us laughing and pumped to return for future trivia nights, regardless of the theme.

- Jay Rubin

Make all the snarky puns you want. We’ve heard them all. But yes, on Sunday afternoon our mouths were loaded with balls. Meatballs that is! Master of ceremonies Matt Timms returned to his Brooklyn Graceland, The Bell House for another chapter of his ingenious “Takedown” series. On a weekend that had been filled with near frigid temperatures and even a touch of snow, all attendees were thrilled to take part in this super event where savory hot food would be served in abundance. The LocalBozo crew trekked down to Gowanus for an afternoon of meat filled gluttony and outstanding competition that we won’t soon forget.

Shortly after 2pm, the doors flew open wide allowing the completely sold out crowd of Takedown loyalists and newbies into the Bell House’s amazing main room. As the sea of humanity trickled into the space, Timms took to the microphone and humorously informed everyone exactly how to “Takedown” the right way. As I’ve stated in the past, these speeches really set the tone for an amazing day of eating. And eat our faces off we did! Our crew hopped on one of the long yet fast moving lines to load up on a first round of balls. With plate in hand and turned up metal blasting out of the house PA we hit our first tasting. And in a way that appeared to go hand in hand with the overall mystique of the event itself, our first morsel of meaty goodness came from the team of “Righteous Burn.” This fun bunch of guys created an Asian influenced meatball that contained: pork, veal, roasted garlic and Siracha sauce just to name a few of the noticeable ingredients. It was all laid out on traditional Eastern soup spoons for a terrific presentation. And adjacent to them, the hilariously named yet tasty “Faceballs.” These pork and bacon filled spheres jokingly paid tribute to everyone’s favorite Star Wars spoof by Mel Brooks.

With our paper plates overflowing with choice bites from the left wing of the room it was time to find an area to devour and imbibe. We stood atop all the action next to the bar, slugging back “Miller High Life” tall boys and ciders as we tried to demolish our plates while at the same time taking into account each of the numbers to better prepare us for the vote. The savory and interestingly vegetarian selections we received on this round all stood out as excellent in their own right. Brooklyn certainly has balls when it comes to standing out. After another round of drinks we cleared our heads and our palettes for round two of our Sunday afternoon gluttony. The right wing of the room was chock full of avant garde and Italian mainstay versions of the meatball. All of which found a pleasant home in our collective bellies. Cookie Takedown winner Susan Palmer came with a fine crafted and tasty “Meatball Wellington.” With my first nibble, I could instantly notice the amount of work that she put into this challenging dish and it seriously paid off. The chef hat wearing team fourteen created what we thought was the most traditional take on the popular meat dish as their version of the much coveted grandmother style of Italian meatballs was juicy and loaded with thick red tomato sauce. And even though the line was packed, we had to go back for repeat samplings.

The second line produced several plate and scale tipping favorites. It was impossible not to love the “Johnny Utah,” which was a take on the much beloved meatball hoagie named after a funny scene from the classic film “Point Break.” I could see several event goers do balancing acts with their respective plates. Sadly, some fumbled leaving a few stray balls on the floor. Once everyone had their fill and then some, it was time to get judged. The packed house dropped their ballots into the box, and the judges painstakingly met to decide who to crown. As always Timms gathered all the cooks on stage to give them much deserved praise. And after the intros had concluded it was time for the judges to take over. In third place was team “Lion’s Head” (13) who had prepared some tasty Chinese style balls. In second was our personal favorite, the aforementioned team number fourteen with the traditional, grandmother’s style meatball. And in first was team eight with what was called the “Great Wall of Meatball.” The People’s Choice winners however were doled out to second runner up, team number twenty-five with the “K-Pop” meatballs, first runner up, the aptly named “Sweaty Balls,” and your 2013 Meatball Takdown winner was the funny man Frank with you guessed it “Frank’s Balls” (24). This was hands down one of my favorite Takedowns from Matt Timms. Not only did we fill up for both lunch and dinner but we saw a whole new world when it comes to rolling meat into a sphere. All hail balls!

- Jay Rubin

 The Greg Proops you may know from his tenure on the American version of “Whose Line Is It Anyway” is simply only one dimension of a truly remarkable and highly intelligent comedian and entertainer. Over the past year, Proops stretched and worked out his other talent muscles as the host and creator of a podcast that truly is his namesake. “Greg Proops is The Smartest Man In The World” features the spectacle wearing funny man as a one man band of sorts, sprouting out deliciously layered monologues going in a thousand different fantastic directions. On Saturday, Greg brought the popular podcast to Brooklyn’s The Bell House for a live taping. The LocalBozo comedy crew was front and center, ready to digest every nuance Proops would produce.

Before the show even began, Proops could be seen chatting with friends and fans all around The Bell House space. At 8:30pm on the nose Proops emerged from the back dancing his way onto the stage to his fans’ collective delight. With vodka drink in hand, he welcomed everyone in attendance with his larger than life persona. Like other live podcast tapings we have attended the hosts rap with the crowd before officially beginning the broadcast. Proops did that and then some. After making a joke about forgetting to hit record on some occasions, he went over some of his show’s stats from around the world including intimating a certain region of Panama that literally has only two people listening. This statement became a running joke well into the recording, allowing the live crowd an inside track into several funny riffs.

To my surprise and many others in the house, a huge portion of the taping had Proops humorously discussing a recent night out at The Brooklyn Academy of Music (or as he would call it “BAM!”) and Berlyn the German restaurant located directly across the street. His restaurant commentary ran the gamut from the fact that Berlin is spelled with a “Y” and that downtown Brooklyn is impossible for getting a cab. When this episode airs you will understand how many topics Mr. Proops covered literally tiring the audience out with laughter and brainstorming. 

The night may have been filled with rapid fire brilliant comedy pieces that could satisfy any intelligence level, but this writer’s favorite part of the evening was when Proops began to discuss Pussy Riot. If you recall, Pussy Riot is the feminist punk group in Russia that has been imprisoned by the government for protesting. Proops ventured toward a more serious discussion, reading from a book written by the women of Pussy Riot themselves. Despite it being labeled as a comedy show, it was certainly refreshing to not have to wait around for the next punch line. Sometimes it’s important to just stop and listen and get informed from a guy who truly knows his shit. 

- Jay Rubin 

“Hello people of Earth,” screamed comedian Paul Scheer as he introduced a live version of the extremely popular podcast “How Did This Get Made?” to a capacity crowd at Brooklyn’s Bell House. For those of you not in the know, “How Did This Get Made?” is a regularly produced podcast on the Earwolf network where Scheer and his crack team of comics rip apart terrible movies, while offering praise to those films which are awesomely over the top.  On Thursday night, Brooklyn received a live double shot of this extremely original and hilarious podcast. As usual, Scheer was joined on stage by his podcast partner and wife June Diane Raphael and “The League” co-star Jason Mantzoukas, for not one but two completely sold out performances. Both performances featured different movies and guests to join the regular crew. First up was the classic “Anaconda,” with special guest Michael Ian Black and the late show featuring the bat shit crazy “The Devil’s Advocate,” with the always great Julie Klausner filling the guest role. The LocalBozo.com crew caught the latter performance which was nothing short of riotously funny.

When we hint that both shows were sold out, we mean it. As the first performance let out, the line for the late show was already snaking in and around the building. The enthusiasm was extremely high as I could hear ticket holders talking about having just screened “The Devil’s Advocate” in order to be on the same page with the hosts. This just goes to show you how popular this show is and how podcasting is quickly becoming a leading entertainment medium. After grabbing a few tall beers at the bar to enhance the experience, we made our way inside the large event space in the Bell House. The room was abuzz as like minded comedy nerds like myself joked and quoted their favorite jokes from previous episodes. As soon as the clock stuck 10:30, Scheer emerged from the back to welcome the crowd and play the sing-a-long friendly theme song. At that point Scheer was joined onstage by Raphael, Mantzoukas and Klausner who wasted no time in dissecting the film. The last time I had actually watched this movie to completion was about ten years ago. Since then I have caught bits and pieces on cable during a lazy Sunday. My main memories of the film was the landmark performance of Al Pacino, as this film launched the second portion of his incredible career and into the very persona we know him as today. Yet, when these highly talented comedic minds come together on one stage you really are provided with a completely different perspective on what you previously thought to be true.

The hosts started quickly without missing a beat. If an accent was off they caught it. Weird set pieces, they noticed. This eye for detail really shows you how insanely off “The Devil’s Advocate” truly is. A large chunk of Scheer and companies skewering came at the expense of Keanu Reeves, the film’s leading man.  Pin point jokes about Reeves’ performance came at rapid speed, with laser precision. Keanu’s lawyer character is supposed to be from the south. At times he has a heavy southern drawl, while at other times it’s total “Point Break.” This is something that lead the hosts and Klausner to easily agree in unison that Keanu Reeves is the worst actor ever. No surprise, this got one of the biggest laughs of the event. Jason Mantzoukas had so much gut busting venom for the film, it was hard to keep up with him. At times Jason was acting so much like his character, “Rafi” from “The League” that I didn’t know if I was watching an episode of the popular FX show or not.

Both June Diane Raphael and Julie Klausner killed it with spot on one liners that took on everything from a highly awkward then scary dressing room scene to the film’s extremely odd apartment painting sequence. Both of these silly scenes featured the extremely talented Charlize Theron being wasted. Scheer seamlessly kept everyone on track and moving along to cover as much ground as possible. He makes being witty look easy due to his calm and likable approach. I don’t mince words when I say the jokes were relentless, causing much in the way of side pains. I can now view “The Devil’s Advocate” in my own home and laugh at it. Which after spending over an hour with this amazing group seems like the purpose for the film in the first place.  Be sure to head over to Earwolf and check out all of these outstanding episodes.

- Jay Rubin

December Events in New York City: Where You Need to Be

Date: Saturday, December ^1st 2012

Event: NYC Craft Beer Festival – Winter Harvest

Place: Basketball City – Pier 36

Cost: $55 in advance, $65 at the door

The Scoop: Beer fans, there really isn’t much one has to say to convince you to attend a festival celebrating your favorite drink. On the first Saturday of the month, December kicks off right as suds fans from all over the tri-state area will descend upon Basketball City at Pier 36 for the much anticipated “NYC Craft Beer Festival – Winter Harvest.” Nearly 75 participating breweries from across the country are each expected to showcase two of their finest offerings (about 150 beers total) with a strong emphasis on their Limited Release and Seasonal selections. All participants will be given 2 oz pours in a 3oz Souvenir Glass. But the experience of being at the Festival is more important than any keepsake memento.

Date: Sunday, December 2^nd 2012

Event: The Second Annual Slow Food Show

Place: Jimmy’s No. 43

Cost: $10 Slow Food Members / $15 Non-members / $15 At the Door

The Scoop: New York City event maven Jimmy Carbone is at it again. Mere weeks after restoring his namesake bar after Hurricane Sandy, Carbone returns to produce yet another exciting event with the, “Second Annual Slow Food Show.” It’s an exciting event that showcases local food entrepreneurs who are committed to rebuilding the regional food and farming economy with the production of their artisanal products. Spend your Sunday at one of the best bars in town, sampling some truly remarkable fare. And with tickets just $15 for the four hour event, you’d be hard pressed to find a better value anywhere in town.

Date: Thursday, December 6^th, 2012

Event: How Did This Get Made? – Live Podcast Taping

Place: The Bell House

Cost: Sold Out (Check with Bell House box office for availability)

The Scoop: Hosts Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael take their extremely popular Earwolf podcast on the road making a stop right here in New York City. Two sold out shows are scheduled at Brooklyn’s much beloved Bell House allowing the hilarious team a live audience to make fun of moves in front of. Past ‘so bad it’s amazing’ movies have included, “Roadhouse” and “Super Mario Bros.” One can only imagine what schlocky flicks they have up their sleeves for this go round- but we’re making sure not to miss the live show.

Date: Monday, December ^10th, 2012

Event: Fourth Annual Latke Festival

Place: Brooklyn Academy of Music

Cost: Varies $55

The Scoop: Loads of NYC’s top restaurants like Blue Ribbon and Fatty ‘Cue will make their way to BAM this month to get the Hanukkah spirit! It’s the “Forth Annual Latke Festival” an evening filled with loads of latkes and lots of drinks including kombucha, wine, beer and vodka. It’s seasonal and fun so what are you waiting for? Buy your ticket and spin that dreidel.

Date: Wednesday, December ^12th, 2012

Event: 12.12.12- The Concert for Sandy Relief

Place: Madison Square Garden

Cost: TBA

The Scoop: Remember that little hurricane from a month ago? The one that left many of us without power for days and weeks at a time? How do you not remember it? Well some of the music industry’s biggest names are joining together for a benefit show at Madison Square Garden on December 12th for 12.12.12: The Concert For Sandy Relief with proceeds going to help the relief efforts. Springsteen. McCartney. Bon Jovi. Grohl. Billy Joel. The Who. Kanye West. Eddie Vedder. Just try getting tickets.

Date: Saturday, December 1^5th 2012

Event: SantaCon 2012

Place: Citywide

Cost: Participation is free.

The Scoop: Santa’s on the move! You will hear that phrase and other much more colorful ones when you take part in the 2012 SantaCon. This yearly happening is almost beyond description because of its sheer craziness. The LocalBozo.com crew has woken up bright and early and donned our Santa suits in each of the past four years. The event marries many of New Yorkers favorite things: showing off, drinking, and giving to charity. The last part is no joke as 2011’s event raised $10,000 for Toys for Tots and donated over 6,000 lbs of food to Manhattan and Brooklyn food banks. If you want to take part in this extremely unique event, and you should, you better go buy a Santa suit now!

 

Date: Sunday, December 16^th 2012

Event: The Brooklyn Cookie Takedown

Place: The Bell House

Cost: $15

The Scoop: A friend to LocalBozo.com, the domestic traveler Matt Timms is back at The Bell House once again for one of his signature Takedown events. And with the holidays just around the corner, his now annual Cookie Takedown is sure to be another can’t miss event. With free egg nog, taste around the room as thirty different entrants will all vie for supremacy of best in show. If last year’s event was any indication of what’s to come, Timms’ and company will surely outdo themselves this time.

Date: Thursday, December ^27th 2012

Event: WWE Presents: “Raw Holiday Tour”

Place: Madison Square Garden

Cost: $25 to $100

The Scoop: Any reader of LocalBozo.com understands our reverence for the art of professional wrestling and any fan that lives in New York City has a ton of exciting options in the month of December. With a live Monday Night Raw taping on December 10th in Newark and their TLC pay per view event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on December 16th the WWE is all over our area this month. But the gem of them all is the now annual Raw brand Holiday Show at Madison Square Garden, where so many iconic WWE moments have taken place over the years. With a main event of CM Punk versus Ryback in a Steel Cage and with tickets as low as $25, the WWE has your holiday fix for nonstop action on December 27th.

Place: William Greenberg Desserts

Date: All Month Long

Cost: Various

The Scoop: William Greenberg Desserts has been a New York City institution since 1946, known for a variety of traditionally baked goods. The bakery still uses the same recipes today that it used when it opened its doors over 65 years ago. And if that’s not staying power, we don’t know what is. The entire month of December is a joyous time to spend with friends and loved ones as we end the year and look forward to a healthy and happy New Year. Therefore we’d recommend that you pick up a box of William Greenberg’s delicious black and white cookies to keep these good feelings going! Each cookie is festively dressed for the season in red and green frosting. Everything about their cookies is on point and tasty. They are perfect for a holiday party gift, or simply as an after dinner treat to dip in a glass of milk.

 

Date: Monday, December 31^st 2012

Event: New Year’s Eve in New York City

Place: Everywhere

Cost: Varies

The Scoop: Whether you’re going to some loud club to spend a ton of time waiting for drinks, having a dinner with friends, or going to brave it out in Times Square for hours and hours, New Year’s Eve is one of the most magical times to be a New Yorker. Surround yourselves with friends and loved ones during the countdown to 2013. And if you’re like us and you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.

- Jane Van Arsdale & Jay Rubin

The music made popular in the United States has been exported overseas for decades gaining local talent universal acclaim. While much of the world’s music is vastly ignored domestically, with the exception of cross-over artists, the production team known as Stage Mothers wants all that to change. Stage Mothers is comprised of two music lovers named Mary and Glenn, a Melbourne, Australia couple interested in taking Australian music to the world. And yesterday at Brooklyn’s The Bell House they succeeded with the ‘Aussie BBQ,’ an all day event featuring a cornucopia of Aussie music acts spanning genres.

The crowd was filled with a combination of Aussie ex-pats who were psyched to see some of their nation’s brethren bust out tunes and New York locals curious about what these folks had to offer. The first band we caught was Adelaide’s'Traveller & Fortune.’ ‘Traveller’ is perhaps best described as a folk outfit but they are truly much more. Throughout their set, they busted out solid rock numbers all embodying an authentic local Australian flare and attitude. The band’s instrumentation was quite impressive as well- from the use of a mandolin, keys, and an upright bass, the audience got the full spectrum of talents with the band on display.

After taking in some solid sets from a lengthy list of talented bands, it was time to grab some food. Even though I believe the ‘Aussie BBQ’ has more to do with a celebration of music and less to do with smoking a whole hog, we were happy to see the ‘Urban Rustic Outpost’ from Williamsburg (which has a permanent booth at the Bell House) serving up some traditional slow cooked eats to a hungry crowd. It was a brilliant coincidence. After weighing my options, I decided to go with the ‘Pulled Pork Sandwich’ ($8) served with a side of creamy cole slaw and pickles. The sandwich was a perfect example of how pulled pork should be, sauced just the right way mixed with a melt in your mouth salty goodness.

Once we got our grub on, we took in a set by ‘Pets With Pets’ whose sound could best be described as noise rock with a garage vibe to it. What stood out about them was the risk they were willing to take to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. As the day rolled on I realized how important it is to attend festivals like ‘The Aussie BBQ,’ especially considering that music is universal and not just what your city or top 40 radio station has to offer. And with spots all around the country and the immensely influential South By Southwest Festival, it appears that the ‘Aussie BBQ’ is here to stay as our gateway to the land down under.

- Jay Rubin

Arts & Culture

Saturday, March 10th – NYC Art innovators Indiewalls have teamed up with ultra hot Meatpacking spot RdV Lounge for the first of its kind exhibition called, “Lips and Lollipops”. Indiewalls helps local artists looking for exposure find cool local venues, whose walls become their gallery space. The show will feature artwork from: Kristina Cao, Vincent Ballentine, and music from DJ Alkamyme. (Indiewalls)

Sports

Sunday, March 11th- Jeremy Lin and the rest of the reborn New York Knicks have an afternoon meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers.  Will Lin-Sanity continue, or will the 76ers pour cheez whiz all over the Knicks? Head over to the Garden and root for the home team! (New York Knicks)

Music & Entertainment

Friday, March 9th- Movie release day. Quiet night tonight? Check out these releases coming out today. Newcomer, Taylor Kitsch stars as the title character in “John Carter” (PG-13) the decades all story placing a Civil War vet who discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians, while trying to save a princess who is in desperate need of a savior. Not a Sci-Fi fan, Okay! It’s a “Bridesmaids” reunion of sorts when Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, and Chris O’Dowd share the screen in “Friends with Kids” (R). Just don’t expect to seen anyone defecating in the street.

Friday, March 9th – Some of NYC’s brightest comedic mind are on FOX’s animated series Bob’s Burgers. Tonight celebrate the Season Two premiere, with a live show at the Bell House featuring comedy acts from cast members Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, Larry Murphy and Jon Benjamin, plus previews from the new season. This event is free, so it is most likely first come first served. So get there early! (The Bell House)

Nightlife

Saturday, March 10th – Join French ex-pat DJ Mitchlj on trip to, ‘Electric Beach’ Santos Party House’s weekly party featuring only the best DJ’s and electronic performers. Mitchlj’s international appear has made him in demand worldwide. Now based exclusively in NYC he is ready to unleash his renowned remixes on our local eardrums. (Santos Party House)

Other

Saturday, March 10th – East Village favorite, Village Pourhouse will house the ‘Draft Party’ for Blondes vs. Brunettes (BvB), a flag football game played by 50 of the areas most talented, bright and beautiful women all fundraising for a common cause: The Alzheimer’s Association. This age-old rivalry will finally come to a close with some female grid-iron action for a very good cause. And hey beer is involved so, win win. (Blondes Vs. Brunettes)

And as Always, Droid users- make sure to Download the official LocalBozo.com App for FREE from the Android Market! Get all the information we can fit onto your smart phone, NOW!

It’s always refreshing to find out that someone whom you respect and take pleasure in watching in one medium, exists in the another. Legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky has provided the bricks and mortar to many films and television shows which I hold dear. Be it as the titular, smarmy Ned Reyerson in the classic ‘Groundhog Day,’ or the shady Hugo Jarry in ‘Deadwood’ – Tobolowsky takes these supporting roles and elevates them to be notably classic performances.

More recently, Tobolowsky has found a niche in podcast form with his series aptly titled,”The Tobolowsky Files” a serial storytelling program where he reveals true stories about his life, love, and his works on screen. It was even more of a surprise to find out he would be performing some of these stories in a one off New York show in Brooklyn. Accordingly, Tuesday night we traveled to The Bell House for a sold out performance of ‘The Tobolowsky Files.’ It was a night where the conversation was introspective and entertaining at once, where my respect and knowledge about the actor grew by leaps and bounds.

The Bell House presentation was my first actual encounter with Tobolowsky as a long form storyteller. Throughout the hour long performance the actor managed to interweave a handful of true stories into a one man show type presentation. His vigor and method of connecting with a packed room appeared to be an innate trait. The man was simply born to be an actor, and anything that involves projecting himself to the masses. Tobolowsky reminisced that as a young man he spent time with a woman named Beth, with whom he would enjoy cheap wine and chicken dinners with. On a routine trip to the grocery store he would run into a lunatic brandishing a gun while picking out mangos, a fruit relatively new to his native Texas. Stephen took us on a trip through his horror, uncertainty, and even the humor of this unimaginable situation and how he personally extricated himself from its clutches.

The Tobolowsky Files as a podcast would not be possible without the good people at Slash Film, the highly popular film and television blog. Author David Chen works with Tobolowsky directly in the production of the show and is an author himself. Chen, like everyone in the packed Bell House views Tobolowsky as a master thespian and a brilliant storyteller. Following the actor’s narrative, the floor opened up to an interactive Q&A period where the questions were focused and well rounded. One particular audience member questioned Tobolowsky about how much of his own personality goes into each of his roles, especially during the audition period. And like that favorite professor you had in college, the actor revealed that it is necessary to draw from one’s self without attempting to guess what the director or writer wants. This response drew a loud applause because of its fearless amount of truth.

Needless to say, Tobolowsky’s live performance sent me racing home to download the entire series of his podcasts. As an actor he has always impressed me, and I will continue to seek out his work but it is the ‘Files’ which will become my new audio obsession. It is both engaging and relatable and is always interesting. Fingers crossed that with the success of The Bell House performance that they will take this show on the road to show the masses how terrific it and Tobolowsky are.

- Jay Rubin