Thursday, July 11
DANCE: Settle a debate hip-hop has never really tried to have: Kanye and his G.O.O.D. Music
crew vs. Outkast and Andre 3000’s fellow ATLiens at Liv Nightclub’s
Philanthrobeat. When six deejays mix and mash up songs like “Good Life” and “Ms. Jackson,” everyone’s
a winner. $10. 9 PM.
SEX(pionage): Whether you think Edward Snowden is a “spy” or not, we can all agree that he’s at
least kinda geeky. Not all spies have been that way: Espionage historian (what a cool
job)
Keith Melton will be at the
International Spy Museum discussing how spies have used sex appeal and manipulation to get state secrets.
If you’re a bit bashful, there’ll be some cocktails to loosen you up. Tickets ($25)
are available online and include one drink. 6:30 PM.
MOVIE: It’s supposed to rain tonight, so eschew outdoor movies and go for an indoor double
feature: The
Washington DC Jewish Community Center is screening two Woody Allen classics,
Purple Rose of Cairo and
Annie Hall, both of which have made numerous top-100 all-time movie lists. Tickets ($11) are available online*. 7 PM.
Friday, July 12
ART: According to photographer
Steven Cummings, gentrification has stripped DC of its Chocolate City name—check out his powerful
photos at opening reception of
“Chocolate City Rest in Peace,” which chronicles the past 22 years of DC history at the Gallery at Vivid Solutions.
Free. 6 PM.
MUSIC: Glasgow’s
Belle and Sebastian never quite struck it huge in the mainstream, but they’ve remained plugging away
as critical darlings and cult favorites for the past 15 years or so. They’ve got a
big sound perfectly suited to lying down on Merriweather’s lawn, so maybe you should
do that. Tickets ($45) are available online. 6:30 PM.
MOVIE: Union Market is a historic venue updated for modern times, so it makes sense it’s taking something
old—drive-in movies—and making it new again. DC’s first drive-in movie will be
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Order food from the market’s various vendors (delivered by roller-skating servers),
get out of your car and stop by a food truck, and check out pre-movie live music and
contests. Don’t have a car? Just walk up and sit at a picnic table or on a blanket.
Free. 7 PM.
BIKE: DC’s massively successful
Bike Party turns one this week. The monthly, community-organized bike ride has grown from a
couple of friends to hundreds of riders each month, and this time the organizers are
doing it up big. There’ll be deejay bikes with massive speakers, birthday streamers,
party hats, noisemakers, and TONS of super-upset drivers. After the couple-mile ride,
head to Mellow Mushroom for beer specials and more music. Free. 7:30 PM.
FRANCE: There are
Bastille Day parties on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend, and as an American, I feel like
it’d be unethical for me to actually look up what day it falls on. But the more celebrating,
the better, right? Check out Best Bites Blog’s guide to all things Bastille Day for
details on events, food and drink specials, and more.
Saturday, July 13
ART: Philadelphia’s
Masthead print studio takes over
Open Studio DC for the day, teaching you how to screen-print. For one day only, it’s also bringing
its massive collection of band and gig posters for you to geek out over and buy—there’s
some really cool and quirky art, so check it out. Free. 6 PM.
IMPROV: Second City’s improv show
“America All Better” was supposed to be about how Obama’s reelection, the improving economy, and our moves
closer to marriage equality mean that things are looking up for the country. It was
devised before all sorts of scandals and NSA leaks put a bit of a damper on that whole
idea, but we’re sure the country’s best improv troupe will make it work anyway. Tickets
($35) are available online. 8 PM at Woolly Mammoth.
DANCE: An all-local set of deejays, including the always-reliable Stereo Faith, takes over
U Street Music Hall to prove you don’t have to be some 16-year-old Scandinavian to drop danceable beats.
Free for 21 and up. 10 PM.
MORE DANCE: If you like your dance nights old-school, Black Cat has you covered:
Modern World features the best mod, garage, soul, and Brit pop from the past 50 years. There’re
drink specials all night. $5. 10 PM.
Sunday, July 14
COMEDY: After a hiatus to set this whole thing up, the
Encyclopedia Show is back for Fringe Festival with a night of standup, informative talks, and general
nonsense about vice presidents, featuring specials on Dick Cheney, Spiro Agnew, accidental
vice presidents, and, of course, that whole Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel. Tickets
($17) are available online. 1:45 PM at Warehouse. For more can’t-miss Fringe Festival
performances, check out our full roundup.
CUPCAKES: The cronut might be the current darling of the pastry world, but Washington’s love
affair with cupcakes continues. With
Dumbarton House’s tour of Georgetown, you’ll learn about the history of the cupcake—which has been
around for way longer than the Food Network—and sample the treats from some of Georgetown’s
best-known bakeries. It’s a walking tour, so you won’t have to feel too guilty about
eating all that frosting. Tickets ($20) are available online. 10 to noon.
Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com,
or find him on Twitter.
*This post has been updated from a previous version.
