Tomorrow, LES record store/venue Cake Shop turns 3. I’m not the biggest fan of the venue—the sloped floor and spotty booking rings more annoying than endearing (spotty booking meaning the club gave a couple friend’s bands their first NYC dates, so, really, nothing but love for that).

But three years is a serious accomplishment in that hood, if any in NYC. Arguably better clubs like Sin-e, Rothko and Tonic couldn’t survive the rising rents and general economic crappyness the nabe is now famous for. But Cake Shop lives.

They are celebrating with a ton of bands, including Oakley Hall, New Bloods and our new favorite band, Virgin Forest. Full lineup. —Matt Rodbard

Melvin Van Peebles might be the only artist who can claim the French Legion of Honor, Hollywood, Broadway and the Hood on his resume, and in his latest film, “Confessions of an Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha” he gives us an idiosyncratic tour through his own life.

 Still best known for “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” Van Peebles talked about his latest film on Thursday night at the Director’s Guild of America theater. The eminently quotable Van Peebles was on last night, offering the following words of wisdom:

“A courageous person is never without arms."

“Mama told me, praise the bridge that carries you across.”

"I am pretty much a loner and a maverick. What I wanted to do was not just black cinema. I wanted to open the doors for all independent film."

"I must be honest, and say when I made 'Sweetback' I caught the clap, but who’s perfect?"

"Bitter about what? I won. I made a profit."