Pop singer/part peacock Katy Perry will perform at President Obama’s inauguration. Image courtesy of Harmony Gerber/Shutterstock.
Remember on Tuesday when we hinted that Katy Perry would be coming to perform at President Obama’s inauguration? We were right. The Associated Press reports today that the “Teenage Dream” singer will perform at the official inaugural balls on January 21 and at a children’s concert on January 19, along with Usher, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and the cast of Glee.
Also on the lineup to perform at the three official inaugural events are Fun, Far East Movement, Mindless Behavior, Nick Cannon, and Marc Anthony. There’s also a rumor that the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be performing at the January 22 ball for staff—you may remember Jay-Z rapping “I got 99 problems but George Bush ain’t one” at 2009’s event. Will you be able to get tickets to any of these events? Almost certainly not, unfortunately.
Did your invitation get lost in the mail, too? Not to worry, here’s a list of parties and balls happening the week of inauguration that don’t require a special invitation, overly expensive tickets, or—in some cases—black-tie attire. Don’t see a party listed? Send an e-mail to asalinas@washingtonian.com and we’ll get the information posted.
For lots more daily inaugural coverage, news about balls, parties, the parade, and more, check out our Washingtonian.com Inaugural Guide.
And if you do want to see a list of balls and galas, head here.
Party Like a President
Date: Thursday, January 15 through Tuesday, January 20
Location: 14 different venues
Ticket price: Daily package ticket range from $300 to $1000; Weekend package tickets are $1500 for one person and $2,500 couples; All Access Presidential package is $3000 for one person and $4500 for couples.
For more details on the venues and tickets, click here.
Wonkette Inaugural Ball
Date: Friday, January 16
Location: Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill
Time: 10 PM.
Ticket Price: Free, but you must RSVP at tips@wonkette with the subject line "I have coordinated my bumpass-rose to wonkette's party"
Food and drink: Complimentary beer.
Entertainment: Other than the Wonkette writers? DJs and live performances.
Lizz Winstead's Wake Up World
Date: Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17
Location: Arlington Cinema 'n' Drafthouse
Time: 8 PM.
Ticket Price: $20
Entertainment: Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead and a troupe of comedians put on a live morning show satire.
Asia Society Presidential Inaugural Reception
Date: Saturday, January 17.
Location: Astor Ballroom at the St. Regis.
Time: 5:30 PM.
Attire: Business.
Ticket price: Asia Society members $100 for an individual, $175 for a couple; nonmembers $150 individual, $275 couple; $250 VIP.
Food and drink: Open bar and complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
Obamarama Pre-Inaugural Party
Date: Saturday, January 17
Location: Surf Club Live
Time: 8 PM.
Attire: Casual
Ticket price: $10 members; $12 nonmembers; $15 at the door.
Entertainment: CW Harrington & Band will perform.
Washington Film Institute’s Pre-Inaugural Ball
Date: Saturday, January 17.
Location: Warehouse Theatre.
Time: 9 PM.
Attire: Cocktail, black-tie optional.
Ticket price: $100.
Food and drink: Open bar and dessert buffet.
Terrified by the Arctic freeze forecast for Inauguration Day (or the idea of a million or so people and not enough bathrooms)? We get it. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of indoor spots (with clean bathrooms!) where you can watch the historic event. Know of other viewing parties? Let us know in the comments.
>> See all Washingtonian.com Inauguration coverage
Related: The InaugurAle Beer | Inaugural Cocktails | Inauguration Parties for Everyone | Inaugural Balls | Dirt Cheap Eats | Washingtonian Inauguration Guide
Viewing Parties:
Politics and Prose
Time: 11 AM.
Price: Free admission.
Details: In addition to broadcasting the event, the bookstore will offer an inauguration sale, with a 20-percent discount on most items for all Politics and Prose members.US Navy Memorial (sold out)
Time: 9 AM.
Price: $30.
Details: Box lunch catered by Organic to Go is included in the ticket price. The event will be shown on a 46-by-16-foot high-definition TV screen. Tickets are limited.
Arlington Cinema 'n' Drafthouse
Time: 11 AM
Price: Free Admission
Details: For more information, click here.
You might also like . . . The InaugurAle Beer | Inaugural Cocktails | Inauguration Parties for Everyone | Inaugural Balls | Dirt Cheap Eats | Washingtonian Inauguration Guide
Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | INAUGURATION TUESDAY, WOO!
Thursday, January 15: Cupcakealooza! The first 500 customers at new the Penn Quarter sweet spot Red Velvet score a free cupcake today. You might need that sugar rush to get through the next few days.
As Washington gets ready to welcome our country’s 44th president, local bars and restaurants are toasting the occasion with a slew of special inauguration-themed cocktails. Why not kick off inauguration weekend by sipping on one of these creations?
Bottles of InaugurAle await opening in brewer Sam Chapple-Sokol's basement.
For Mount Pleasant homebrewer Sam Chapple-Sokol, victory tastes like a cold glass of beer. The mastermind behind election night’s Audacity of Hops brew has returned with a tasty inauguration edition of his Barack Obama-inspired recipe: the InaugurAle.
“It’s the first time I’ve repeated a recipe,” says Chapple-Sokol, who has scrubbed clean 200 used beer bottles for four batches of his InaugurAle. “It’s the most I’ve made at one time. It didn’t burn me out, but it was a big expense and effort. At one point before Thanksgiving, I brewed straight from 2 PM to 3 AM.”
As a response to Obama’s decisive victory, Chapple-Sokol has dropped the Challenger variety of hops for the more aptly titled Liberty. He’s also had a friend print labels with an added “InaugurAle Edition” emblem modeled after Pabst Blue Ribbon—Obama’s beer of choice last Spring while courting voters in North Carolina.
Want more inauguration fun? Check out our full guide and coverage.
As Washington gets ready to welcome our country’s 44th president, local bars and restaurants are toasting the occasion with a slew of special inauguration-themed cocktails.
Several drinks will be available at Penn Quarter’s Poste Moderne Brasserie, including beers from both Barack Obama’s and Joe Biden’s native states—Hawaii and Delaware. At the bar, specialty cocktails include a handful of classics made in honor of past presidents, such as Bill Clinton’s Snakebite—equal parts organic hard cider and North Coast Stout—and Harry Truman’s Old Fashioned—Maker’s Mark, soda water, and a maraschino cherry. Poste’s drink for Obama is called the Americano = Change, and it features Bluecoat organic gin, Campari, and a foam of sweet vermouth. All cocktails are $11.
The Bushwacker ($8) wasn’t named with President Bush in mind, but Nage couldn’t resist serving it anyway because of the name. A traditional recipe in the Caribbean, the Bushwacker is a combination of Kahlúa, Mount Gay rum, crème de cacao, and a shot of espresso.
