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Show: Emir Kusturica & the No Smoking Orchestra “Founded in 1980 in Sarajevo, Zabranjeno Pusenje (Serbo-Croatian for ‘No Smoking’) were part of a cultural resistance movement called ‘New Primitivism’; inspired by everything from Jethro Tull to the Sex Pistols, they combined brash, simple garage rock with touches of Balkan folk,” writes Vera Videnovich. “Since the early 90s they’ve developed a style they call ‘Unza Unza Time,’ a mix of rock, Romany music, and Balkan brass with a distinctive two-four rhythm—the name evokes the sound of a guitar playing a traditional folk dance or a sort of Serbian rumba.”
Dinner: McNamara’s This is a welcoming Irish pub right down to the brogue-tongued bartender slow pouring pints of Guinness and the “mayor” opining from his bar stool on everything from politics to the proper way to make a Bloody Mary (with a healthy dose of horseradish, thank you very much). The restaurant, two comfortable rooms with exposed brick and large windows looking onto Irving Park Road, has a menu more elaborate than you might expect: in addition to the pub grub and dishes that nod to Ireland there are upscale crusted/stuffed/sauced preparations.
