Richmond native Drew Gibson comes to Iota Club and Cafe tonight. Photograph by Todd Hale.

Tuesday, January 10

MUSIC: Guitarist Drew Gibson is performing at the Iota Club and Cafe tonight. The Richmond native “cites early Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon as influences, but it’s apparent he also counts blues masters such as Son House and Mississippi John Hurt in his list of inspirations,” says the Washington Post. Tickets ($10) can be purchased at the door. 8:30 PM.

KID-FRIENDLY: Young adult novelist Walter Dean Myers and children’s authors Jon Scieszka and Katherine Paterson are stopping by Politics and Prose. The award-winning authors will discuss their duties as national Ambassadors for Young People’s Literature; a book signing will follow. Recommended for children 8 and up. Free. 4:30 PM.

FILM: In the mood for a ’90s throwback? Then head to the Black Cat for back-to-back screenings of Can’t Hardly Wait and Clueless. Champagne and Prosecco cocktails will be available for purchase. Free. Doors open at 8 PM.

DANCE: DJ Bruno “El Unico” will spin energizing rhythms during Artisphere’s salsa lesson and party. Tickets ($8) can be purchased through the Artisphere Web site. Dance class starts at 7:30 PM; the party begins at 8:30 PM.

FOOD: During DC Restaurant Week, more than 200 restaurants will offer three-course lunches for $20.12 and dinners for $35.12, unless otherwise noted. If you haven’t already, read our tips for tackling the long list of offers.

Thievery Corporation’s three-night show at 9:30 Club is sold out, but you can still snag tickets via Craigslist and StubHub. Photograph courtesy of IMP.

Thursday, January 5

Elvis Presley would have turned 77 today—and while you can still catch plenty of impersonators stumbling down Beale Street in Memphis, they’re often all style and no substance. Celebrate the King’s birthday with a rockabilly set from J.P. McDermott and Western Bop as they take on Elvis’s hits and throw in a couple of original songs at Red Palace tonight.

J.P. McDermott and Western Bop, 8:30 PM at Red Palace, $10.

Award-winning pianist Orion Weiss performs at the Kennedy Center Saturday. Photograph by Scott Meivogel.

Thursday, January 5

MUSIC: For one night only, Broadway star Judy McLane will join the BSO SuperPops at Strathmore. The performance will feature selections from the Gershwin songbook, including “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Tickets ($28 to $88) can be purchased through the Strathmore’s Web site. 8 PM.

THEATER: The Civil War drama Amelia opens tonight at the Washington Stage Guild. Written by Alex Webb, the love story depicts a woman’s journey to rescue her wounded husband. Tickets ($40 to $90) can be purchased through the theater’s Web site. 7:30 PM. The play runs through January 29.

COMEDY: Funny man Tony Woods is bringing his standup show to the Riot Act. Woods has appeared on Comedy Central, HBO’s P. Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy, and NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Tickets ($17 to $20) can be purchased through the theater’s Web site. 8:30 PM. The show runs through January 7.

BOOKS: Washington Post writer Eli Saslow will be signing copies of his new book, Ten Letters: The Stories Americans Tell Their President, at the Woman’s National Democratic Club. The signing includes a lunch, a presentation, and a Q&A session. Tickets ($30) can be purchased through the event’s Web site. 11:30 AM to 2 PM.

Craig Finn of the Hold Steady performs at the Rock and Roll Hotel Friday, March 2. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user Murasaki-Claire.

Sara Evans will perform at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Friday, February 3, as part of WMZQ’s Girls with Guitars and a Piano Man concert. The country singer has had numerous number one country hits and released the album Stronger in 2011. Tickets ($10) go on sale Thursday at 10 AM through Live Nation.

Youth Lagoon, the one-man show of Trevor Powers, will head to the Rock and Roll Hotel on Saturday, March 24. Since his 2011 release of The Year of Hibernation, his piano pop music has earned high marks in the music industry, including a rave review in Spin magazine. Tickets ($12) are on sale now through Ticket Alternative.

Craig Finn, the frontman of the Hold Steady, comes to the Rock and Roll Hotel for a Friday, March 2, performance. Finn will release his first solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes, on January 24. Tickets ($12) are on sale now through Ticket Alternative.

Justin Jones performs a free show at DC9 on Monday, January 2nd.

After a few quiet pre-Christmas weeks, local clubs are starting to get back to normal. There’s still a glaring lack of touring bands in town (those shows will pick up in January), but that just frees up the stage for some of Washington’s better acts. And if you’re a hip-hop fan, you’ve got plenty of options this week.

Wednesday, December 28

While most rappers strive for mainstream success, rhyming over glitzed-up studio beats, local rapper Christylez Bacon plays djembe drum and acoustic guitar, and beatboxes. He’s performed in the past with a 12-piece orchestra and at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and tonight you can catch him at the Hamilton, the brand new  24-hour restaurant and live music venue from the people behind Clyde’s.

Christylez Bacon, 8 PM at the Hamilton, $15.

Wale, seen here signing autographs while performing at last weekend's Wizards FanFest, plays a free show with Chuck Brown at the 9:30 Club tonight. Photograph by Kyle Gustafson.

We’re kicking this off a day early this week in case anyone has a yen for live music before they run home for the holidays. It’s another pretty slow week in the music scene, but we expect things to ramp up early next year. Nevertheless, if you’re in town this weekend and need to escape from the in-laws for a night, here’s what’s going on.

Tonight, December 21

We mentioned this last week, but Wale and Chuck Brown, along with some special guests, will be at the 9:30 Club tonight for a Know Your Status HIV drive. The concert’s free, but you have to bring proof of an HIV test to get a ticket.

Wale, Chuck Brown, and guests, 6 PM doors at 9:30 Club, free with proof of HIV test.

Thursday, December 22

Check out Pinkline Project’s Modern Times Holiday Show at Rock and Roll Hotel. The event features 25 performers, including indie duo Echo Armada and members of the Wax Standard.

Modern Times Holiday Show, 7:30 PM at Rock and Roll Hotel, $10.

Photographs by Dakota Fine

The high-heel drag race, an annual tradition in Dupont circle, turned 25 this year. As usual, the streets were packed with observers gawking at the race participants, who sported costumes—political and otherwise—that dared to impress. The race, which takes place on 17th Street between P and S streets, Northwest, is typically billed as a fun pre-Halloween block party that brings members of the LGBT community and its allies and supporters together. Local politicians, including Mayor Vince Gray and Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, attended.