Merry Christmas week, everyone. Lots of Washington venues take this time to rest and refuel before a big New Year’s Eve, so there aren’t quite as many events this weekend. Maybe it’s a sign you should refuel a bit, as well. But if you’re adamant about being about town, here’s what’s going on.
Wednesday, December 24
FILM: Black Cat is screening Rye Coalition, a Behind the Music-esque documentary about the punk/hardcore band Hard Luck. It’s been winning documentary film festivals all over the mid-Atlantic, so it’s worth checking out. $5. 8 PM.
Thursday, December 25
BAR/FILM: It’s Christmas, so hopefully you’re spending time with your family. If you need to get out of the house, Chief Ike’s opens at 7, and I suppose you could also be ultra-American and go see The Interview.
MUSIC: The Kennedy Center’s annual All-Star Christmas Day Jazz Jam is also happening on the Millennium Stage. As usual, it features some of the area’s best musicians playing Christmas classics. Free. 6 PM.
Friday, December 26
FILM: If you want to go out this weekend, Black Cat is your savior. The venue is screening Salad Days, a quite popular documentary that explores the beginnings of DC’s punk scene. We’ll get a look at Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Brains, Scream, Marginal Man, Government Issue, and more. Definitely a must-see if you plan on living here for any length of time. Tickets ($8) are available online. 9 PM.
DANCE: Afterward, you can head downstairs for Space Heater, a dance night focused on “futuristic dance jams,” which means new jazz and old-school disco and dance. Sounds groovy. Free. 10 PM.
Saturday, December 27
COMEDY: Chinese Menu is a mishmash of improv comedy people from all around the country. Basically, homegrown DC talent who have since moved on to major troupes like UCB and Groundlings in Chicago, Baltimore, New York, and Los Angeles are all back in town for the holidays, and they’ll be performing an all-star show at Mellow Mushroom. Drafts are just $4 all night. Tickets ($10) are available online. 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 PM.
Sunday, December 28
MUSIC: Gogol Bordello, crazy gypsy punks that they are, play the second of two shows at 9:30 Club. Saturday is all sold out, but there are still tickets for Sunday. Expect to dance and to feel like you’re at some weird religious experience—if klezmer music, accordions, and lots of yelling were a tenet of any sort of religion. Tickets ($35) are available online. 7 PM.
Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com, or find him on Twitter at @jason_koebler.
