Thursday, April 26
DISCUSSION: Go support Washingtonian’s theater critic and arts editor Sophie Gilbert as well as critics from DCist, WETA, and the Washington Post at the National Theatre‘s discussion on theater criticism. I promise she didn’t make me tell you to go. It’s free! 7 PM. More details through Eventbrite.
SPORTS: During tonight’s NFL draft, watch the
Redskins take future franchise QB Robert Griffin III or somehow royally
screw up the
pick. Either way, it should be fun–ESPN 980 and the Sports
Reporters will be commenting on the first-round picks live at Union
Pub in Capitol Hill. Free. 4 PM.
SARTORIALISM: Hey, stylish guys (not me): Tonight is the
Style Speakeasy at the Water Street Project.
Show off whatever’s hip these days and buy pieces from local boutiques
and designers. The event
features whiskey tastings, a burlesque performance, and pro
photogs. Read more about it here. Tickets ($10) are available
online. 6 PM.
HIPNESS: Maybe it’s just me, but Brightest Young Things have been slacking a bit lately on the party-throwing front–maybe because
they were gearing up for tonight’s
Underground Rebel Bingo Club at the Howard Theatre.
Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem (RIP) spins, and there will be burlesque (I guess it’s “in” now), glowsticks, bingo, booze, and lots of
ridiculous outfits. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. 8 PM.
Friday, April 27
COMEDY: Tim Meadows stuck it out at
Saturday Night Live for ten years, doing hilarious impressions of murderer OJ Simpson and mere drug addict/wife beater Ike Turner. Since then,
his movie credits have been a little uneven. Good job choosing
Mean Girls, bad job agreeing to do the sequel, Tim. Recently, he’s returned to standup comedy. He’ll be at Arlington Cinema N’ Drafthouse
Friday and Saturday. Buy tickets ($26) online. 7:30 and 9:55 PM.
FRANCOPHILIA: If France is the snootiest
nation and Georgetown is the snootiest part of Washington (sorry, Chevy
Chase!), does that make
Georgetown the best place to turn into a mini Paris for the
day? My answer is yes–this Friday and Saturday, Wisconsin Avenue
will be turned into something like L’Avenue des Champs Elysées
for the
French Market, which will feature street cafes, designer clothes, art, French food, and mimes, duh. Oui Oui. Free until you buy something
super expensive. 10 to 5.
DANCE: The
Forward Fest is ready to wear out your dancing
shoes tonight. At the Warehouse Loft you get bass-heavy music, Rock
& Roll Hotel hosts
international electronica, and Eighteenth Street Lounge will do
what it normally does on Fridays (DJ Chris Brooks spins, people
go nuts) and pretend like it’s a special event.
Warehouse: 9 PM, $30
Rock & Roll Hotel: 6 PM, $10 including drink
ESL: 8 PM, free
Saturday, April 28
UNIVERSITY PROMOTION: Every so often, after an
important basketball win, the University of Maryland pulls out all the
stops to entice prospective
students to come to campus by throwing a huge outdoor party
near campus, with drunken frenzies, burning couches, and police
brutality that makes national news.
Maryland Day, this Saturday, is not that day.
Instead, it’s to convince parents to send their kids there. The family
fair features student
projects, professor demonstrations, art, music, performances by
on-campus groups, and a trip to the on-campus farm that must
not be missed. Free. 10 AM.
ALL THE OTHER KIDS WITH THE JACKED UP TIX: Last year, Sweetgreen’s
Sweetlife Festival all but officially kicked
off summer and the Merriweather concert season. This year, you get Kid
Cudi, Swedish deejay Avicii,
the Shins, Fun, and more–for a jacked-up price tag. Let’s hope
the kind-of-healthy food in biodegradable packaging makes up
for it. Tickets ($75) are available through Ticketfly–or enter
our ticket giveaway to win a free pair. Noon.
THE DRAFT: If you are all pumped up about the
Redskins‘ (please don’t screw this up)
selection of Robert Griffin III and want to see how they will ruin the
later rounds of the
draft, the team is hosting a party at FedEx Field–the only time
you’ll be able to both park at and get into the stadium for
free. 11:30 AM.
PLANTS: Let’s hope the cold weather is gone
forever and you can start planting summer greenery, shrubs, herbs, and
beautiful dandelions
with impunity. The Friends of the National Arboretum are
hosting a garden fair, featuring more rhododendrons, azaleas, and
tulips than you can shake a weed whacker at. 1 PM.
Sunday, April 29
ART: After five days and countless deejays, the
Forward Fest is closing Sunday with a party in Garfield Park in Southeast. The closing party, Flow, features parkour demos, live mural
paintings, sculptures, skateboarding, and dancing. Free. 11 to 8.
JOKES: The summer you spent working at the pool snack bar or running errands for a mean boss ain’t got nothin’ on the people competing
in the
Odd Jobs tournament at Busboys and Poets. Five comedians will tell the stories of the weirdest things they’ve ever done for money–you’ll laugh,
and the winner will get a cool $250. Tickets ($12) are available online. 8 PM.
