Whassup: Pre-4th Edition

With July 4th falling in the middle of the week this year, I don't know what to expect: will you all be BBQ-ing and blowing shit up all week long? Maybe the 4th just gets relegated to a hump day fling with boomy things? Either way, we've got a week until we can OFFICIALLY blow off our fingers, so let's fill it with good times. Welcome to Whassup: Pre-4th Edition:

* Thursday, June 28: Alex Battles, BK Historical Society: This one went on my radar because it was rumored to maybe/maybe not be the last show in Brooklyn for Slope country grandmaster Alex Battles. Looking like maybe not the swan song after all, but still -- show the man behind the Johnny Cash Birthday Bash and the CasHank Hootenanny Jamborree some love so he never leaves us crying into our craft beers. 6pm-9pm, FREE.

* Thursday, June 28: Salute Your Jorts!, Crown Victoria (Williamsburg): The fine bloggists over at Brokelyn are welcoming the summer with the two sweetest words to every hipster's ears: "childhood nostalgia." The Nickelodeon-inspired summer party camps it up with friendship bracelets, Awful Waffling, spin the bottle, and other kitsch. More importantly, FREE Brooklyn Brewery beers from seven to 8. 7pm, $3.

* Friday, June 29: Gospel Jam, Bar 4: A slate of down-home crooners, including Brother Hamm -- known to regulars at Roots Cafe -- in a gospel setting, hits Bar 4's cozy little stage. 8pm, FREE.

* Friday, June 29: Sleepless like its '93, Bell House: Purely by coincidence, one of the seminal works by the late Nora Ephron, Sleepless in Seattle, will inspire this month's edition of Party Like it's 1999. The '90's nostalgia trip will spin pop, rock, and rap from the most Clintonest of decades. 10pm-3am, FREE.

* Friday, June 29: Night of the Living (Gaiman?), Littlefield: This is (hopefully) the most celebrity stalkerish thing I've ever done in this blog, but according to the following tweet, Neil Gaiman's planning to attend Kurt Branohler's comedy game/interview show this Friday. Even without the author of American Gods in attendance, Kurt's funny as hell. Certain to be there are comedian Judah Friedlander (30 Rock) and singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer. 7:30pm, $10-12.

* Tuesday, July 3: Dancing Under the Stars, 5th Ave. and 4th St.: The first night of this year's Dancing Under the Stars hits 5th Ave., continuing every Tuesday through August. 6pm, FREE.

* Tuesday, July 3: Punderdome 3000, Littlefield: New York's safest place for unrepentant punning returns. 7:30pm, $7 DOS.

* Tuesday, July 3: Time's Up! 25th Anniversary, Brooklyn Brewery: The Time's Up green activism group celebrates 25 years of defending community gardens, expanding bike usage, and gently stroking wounded pigeons back to health. 8pm-Midnight.