Your perfect weekend

Saturday, Nov 7

The Colbert Report

Every once in a while, Madison Square Garden (Seventh Ave at 32nd St; 212-465-6741, thegarden.com; Sat 7, Sun 8 at 7:30pm; $69.50–$102.50) opens up its hallowed doors for a scrappy upstart on his way to stardom. Like, say, this Bruce Springsteen character, a sweet kid from New Jersey who needs every break he can get. What are the odds that a bar band from the Shore will make it in arena rock? Or consider going to help support your local scalper, who, let’s face it, is going through the recession just like the rest of us (we found tix on StubHub for $98).

A recent report claimed that 24 percent of Americans believe that news-spoofing shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are taking the place of actual news programs as places to learn about current affairs. So who’s behind this trend of faux news (that’s influenced by actual news) as news? Find out at “The Truthiness Behind the Lines: An In-Depth Look Behind the Scenes with The Colbert Report Writers” at the Paley Center (25 W 52nd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-621-6800, paleycenter.org; 5pm, $15–$25), a discussion featuring 11 members of the show’s writing staff.