5 Things

The future of First Fridays is uncertain, people are going mad in London, and Ashton Kutcher is reportedly getting near $900,000 per episode of ‘Two and a Half Men.” WTF!?! Luckily we have cool stuff happening in town to take our beleaguered and bemused minds off of the current inanity in the world!

August 11, 2011; 6:00 AM • by Nathan Cushing

Did you hear, purchases of baseball bats on the UK Amazon.com site have gone up by over 5,000%. Gee, I wonder why? If you have travel plans that involve London in the immediate future, you actually might have a safer trip to IRAQ, amiright??? But if you can’t decide between London OR Iraq, might I offer an alternative? Staycation! There’s a bunch of awesome, totally non-violent stuff happening around Richmond this weekend. Don’t believe me? Here’s five of them.

1. Anthem Moonlight Ride

Motorists! If you’re looking to kill and maim as many cyclists as possible this weekend, you’re in luck! The Anthem Moonlight Ride will feature hundreds (maybe even thousands; perhaps MILLIONS!) of people cycling away under the cover of darkness. Perfect for a hit-and-run getaway (I’m kidding!). If it makes you feel any better, I’m a cyclist who enjoys riding (sometimes responsibly) along Richmond’s many streets, and my favorite rides are nighttime rides, by far. Unfortunately, cycling at night can be a rather hairy affair, so this moonlight ride is perfect for both novice and experts. Both Half Moon (8-mile) and Full Moon (17-mile) rides available. I’ve heard that 1,600 people are currently registered, and that organizers of the event expect more than 2,000 Richmond cyclists on the streets.

Now time for a crazy video of bizarre cycling mishaps!!!

Sat., Aug. 13 • 6pm – 11pm
Sportsbacker Stadium, 100 Avenue of Champions
Adults $30 – $35, Children <10 $10 – $15

2. Mekong is For Beer Lovers

I’m going to level with you. I don’t drink. I used to, but then I would turn into this. Not good! So I gave it up, and I’m now healthier and wealthier than ever before! But alas, I know that beer is popular pastime, and I am in no way some prudish Puritan when it comes to Bacchanalian-esque pleasantries. I also know that the food at Mekong is the shit! And our favorite authentic Vietamese cuisine is celebrating its 16th year of operation by hosting a Mekong is For Beer Lovers event on every remaining Thursday in August. They’ll showcase some of the most exotic and bubbly brews that you’ve NEVER HEARD OF! Beers this week include Vrienden, Curieux, Bourbon Black, Hugh Malone, Grand Cru, among MANY others.

Thurs, Aug. 11 •
Mekong, 6004 W. Broad St
Food and beer prices will vary

3. Filipino Festival

I’m going to level with you again…I know jack poop about the Philippines (to be honest, I had to rely on spell check to even spell the NAME of the country correctly, how sad is THAT?). I’m the kind of guy that loves exotic food, exotic music, hell…exotic culture all around! So it saddens me that I’m so ignorant. Merifully, there’s the Filipino Festival happening. It will feature folk dances, exhibits, games, and a kids’ section, to say NOTHING of the amazing Filipino cuisine. Walk in being an ignoramus; leave with a full belly and a full mind of Filipino knowledge!

Fri., Aug. 12 5pm – 10pm • Sat. Aug. 13 10am-10pm
8200 Woodman Road, Henrico, VA
FREE admission

4. Spider-Man and Friends

So, in case you’ve been living under a rock, you must surely know about the 60’s Spider-Man meme that’s taken to the Internet like a radioactive spider to Peter Parker’s nerdy flesh. Some SFW examples are here, here, and here. What do memes have to do with 5 Things, you ask? 60’s Spider-Man is coming to Richmond! And he’s bringing his friends (who happen to all be super-heroes…AMAZING!!). Kids love Spider-Man, and if you’re a parent who has to drag your cretin children to just INSANELY boring events (because that’s what “being a good parent” is all about, I guess) then you’re in need of something that won’t suck for you, either!

Sat., Aug. 13 • 11am & 1pm
Children’s Museum of Richmond, 2626 West Broad St.
FREE

5. Cabaret Brunch

In case you haven’t heard, Virginia ABC agents put the kibosh on local burlesque troop Richmond Varietease from performing at the Canal Club. If this news didn’t get you totally titillated to see cabaret-style entertainment, then perhaps this will inch you closer. Balliceaux will host a Cabaret Brunch this Sunday, which means it’s like a brunch, but with cabaret! Take a break for your boringly typical Sunday brunch activities and do something different. A little boob never did anyone wrong!

Sun., Aug. 14 • 12pm
Balliceaux, 203 N. Lombardy Street
$10

UPDATE: Balliceaux has CANCELLED their Cabaret Brunch, so if you’re looking for boobies, you’ll have to go somewhere else!

5. (REVISED) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

You’re money! You’re SO MONEY! Who doesn’t like Swingers? C’MON! Well, the band at the end that plays when Jon Favreau’s character dances with Heather Graham was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and they’re going to be in Richmond tomorrow night! Get yo’ swing on!