By Jordan Heller
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Manhattan may only be 14 miles long, but that doesn't make it any easier to navigate its cultural landscape. In our new Weekender column, we curate an itinerary for New Yorkers.
First up is the electro dance-punk jams of Gossip, headlining a show at Terminal 5 (610 W. 56th St.) Friday night. (For the uninitiated, here's a taste.) Kudos to front woman Beth Ditto for carrying the riot grrl torch, but we suggest you arrive early for opener Rye Rye.
In all the hype over HBO’s “The Wire,” Baltimore’s other 21st century export — its thriving music scene — has been sadly overlooked. Not since the early ’90s has a regional American scene boasted such a distinctive sound. Exhibit A: Rye Rye’s 2009 hit “Bang,” featuring M.I.A.
If real music to your ears is the crack of a bat, then head to The Bronx to watch the Yankees take on the Chicago White Sox for a three-game series beginning Friday night. Game-day prices for bleacher seats are $14 but drop to just $5 if you can handle an "obstructed view" — all subject to availability. What would have otherwise been a ho-hum matchup now has a bit of drama thanks to a barbed exchange between noted Chi Sox fan Barack Obama and Yankees assistant GM Jean Afterman at Monday’s White House festivities with the World Champions.
After the Yankees exec implied that the First Fan might not get to host a similar event with his hometown team, the prez said, "and you wonder why the other teams don’t root for them.” Will the Bombers respond this weekend?
As for that other New York team, the Mets head down the Turnpike for a series with the defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies. An intense rivalry between the two squads grew cold after a dismal 2009 season by the Amazin’s. But after David Wright and the boys catapulted into first place this week for the first time since May of last year, the enmity is bound to resurface. Noted Mets bar the Subway Inn (E. 60th St. and Lexington) should provide the proper atmosphere for the games.
For the most exciting two minutes in sports — yes, the Kentucky Derby is Saturday — it's simple: Head to the OTB (the ones that haven’t yet closed, that is) and plunk down your paycheck for the long shot. But, if you want something more scene-appropriate for seersucker, pastels and oversized hats, try Southern Hospitality (1460 Second Ave., at 76th Street). This is Justin Timberlake's trendy spot on the Upper East Side, so expect mint juleps, fried chicken, more than a dozen flat-screens, and outfits straight out of a “Great Gatsby” garden party.
On the art front, Deitch Projects (18 Wooster St.) is having an opening-night party Saturday for its much-anticipated Shepard Fairey show. Entitled “May Day,” the exhibition is sure to enrage right-wing critics who already see the artist behind the Obama "HOPE" poster as a commie propagandist. Using his unique portraiture style, Fairey celebrates some of the artists, musicians and political activists that inspire him, like Joe Strummer, Woody Guthrie and Cornel West.
The show will be the last for Deitch Projects under the leadership of founder Jeffrey Deitch, who is heading out West to take over the directorship of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
If you've made it to Sunday, head to Comix (353 W. 14 St.) for the Miss Fag Hag Pageant, benefitting the Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of the Harvey Milk School. Ten contestants representing as many New York neighborhoods will vie for the title, in competitions ranging from "Evening Wear" to "Presenting Her Gay in a Swimsuit."
We asked celebrity judge Michael Musto (who will sit on a panel with John Cameron Mitchell and Caroline Rhea) how he plans on evaluating the contestants.
"I'll be looking for a 'hag' who is devoted to gay men (and to one gay man in particular, whom she'll show off in a bathing suit), but who is generally free spirited and more gay-positive than gay-dependent," the longtime Village Voice columnist said in an e-mail.
If all of that isn’t enough to keep you satisfied, then start gearing up for next weekend by e-mailing your tips to us at: events@dnainfo.com
