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Thursday, December 18: The monthly Weirdo Show at the Palace of Wonders is one of the most interesting and unique shows in town. Tonight’s show features burlesque, belly dancing, pyrotechnic artistry, and even ukulele playing. Make sure to order a Cheeky Monkey Punch from the bar! The show starts at 9; tickets are $10. Check out our guide to the Atlas District here.
Every third Thursday of the month, Som Records owner Neal Becton, also known as DJ Neville C, takes his collection of samba, bossa nova, and tropicalia records next door to Cafe Saint-Ex for a Brazilian Rhythms party. Drink specials include $5 Caipirinhas. 10 PM.
Socialize with the Blonde Charity Mafia crew at the “Sexy Santa and Ugly Christmas Sweater” party at Tattoo bar on K Street. Holiday attire, though not required, is highly encouraged. 10 PM. RSVP to andrea@dcrsvp.com or call 202-321-1388.
Recent Local Listens featured artist Justin Jones and Vince Scheuerman of local band Army of Me, which will play an acoustic show at Iota. Tickets are $10. The artists are also hosting a food drive for the Capital Area Food Bank, so attendees are encouraged to bring canned items and paper products (paper towels, toilet paper). 9 PM.
The folks behind the gay alternative Web site TheNewGay host their monthly get together at Solly’s. Inspired by the Brazilian band CSS, this month’s theme is “Tired of Being Sexy,” so dress accordingly. Speaking of CSS, five sets of tickets to the band’s Saturday show at the 9:30 Club will be given away at the party. 8 PM.
Don’t miss out on the Corcoran’s Power Hour, a Thursday happy hour held in conjunction with the museum’s “Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power” exhibit. A $25 cover charge grants you admission to the exhibit plus two glasses of wine, a platter of cheese, and other hors d’oeuvres. 5:30 to 7:30 PM. NOTE: This Power Hour is not the last as originally stated; they go through January 22.
Friday, December 19: Fatback, a monthly funk and soul dance party, celebrates its one year anniversary with—what else—a dance party at the Red Lounge (2013 14th St NW). A host of DJs, including New York City’s Doc Delay (who worked on Spoon’s Don’t You Evah EP), will be spinning throughout the night. No cover charge or dress code. 10 PM.
The Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce is hosting Fashion Night as a part of the National Zoo’s ZooLights celebration. The event is sponsored by Wal-Mart and will feature ecofriendly fashion designers including Ryann, Fashion Philanthropy, Avani Ribbon, and West Potomac Fashion & Graphic Design. For more information, visit fonz.org or gwfcc.org.
Will Eastman, the man behind the monthly Bliss dance parties at the Black Cat, and the folks of Brightest Young Things are hosting a Blisspop holiday party extravaganza at the 9:30 Club. The party will feature a collection of DJs, including Tittsworth and Nadastrom. Tickets are $15. 11 PM.
Celebrity chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak opens tonight. Located in the Four Seasons in Georgetown, the 144-seat steakhouse and 42-seat bar/lounge will serve lunch from 11:30 to 2:30 and dinner from 5:30 to 11. For dinner, the restaurant’s offerings include cuts of Dakota bison tenderloin and American Wagyu ribeye. Complimentary duck-fat fries and potato-and-truffle focaccia land on each table. Call 202-944-2026 for reservations.
Saturday, December 20: The second-annual Georgetown Bar Hop & Shop event starts at noon with $3 mimosas and $4 Bloody Marys and wine at Tony & Joe’s. Buy a discount guide ($5) to various stores and bars on M Street and spend the day bar hopping and shopping. RSVP to info@lgpresents.com or for more information visit lgpresents.com.
90s music nostalgists can rejoice: Brit band Oasis plays at the Patriot Center, with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals as the opening act. Tickets ($52.50-$72.50) can be purchased here.
Explaining Brazilian band CSS’s sound is almost as difficult as pronouncing its full name, Cansei de Ser Sexy (Tired of Being Sexy), so instead, we suggest you just check out the video for the song “Alala” here. If you like what you hear, check the band out at the 9:30 Club. Tickets ($20) can be purchased here.
The British comedy Blithe Spirit, made in full Technicolor, stars Rex Harrison as a cynical novelist hounded by the ghost of his first wife. The film plays at 4:30 on Saturday in the National Gallery of Art’s East Building auditorium.
The American History Museum will help spread the holiday spirit with a “Home for the Holidays” musical program featuring holiday songs from 1940’s wartime America. The program starts at 11 and repeats at 1, 3, and 4.
Sunday, December 21: Long before Alfonso Cuaron decided to cast Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow in the roles of Pip and Estella, the Charles Dickens’ classic Great Expectations had already been taken to the screen by David Lean. The 1946 film screens at the National Gallery’s East Building Concourse at 4:30 PM. Free.
Feel like browsing through piles of records while also getting some holiday shopping done? Stop by the Black Cat’s main stage at 8 PM for a rock ‘n’ roll garage sale. Who knows? You might even find your favorite band’s t-shirt. See more holiday markets here.
Start your Chanukah on a tasty note with potato latkes prepared by chef Spike Mendelsohn, a former Top Chef contestant and owner of Good Stuff Eatery. Chef Spike will instruct guests on how to prepare the classic Jewish dish and hand out some of his favorite recipes. The event starts at 6 and will be held at the Historic Sixth & I Synagogue. It’s $6 per person. Visit sixthandi.org to purchase tickets.
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