Thursday, April 4
PARTY: Fringe Festival is getting started soonish—okay, in a couple of months—but to keep
your interest piqued, it’s hosting the annual
Gala Gala, complete with open bar, dancing, and Fringe-y weirdness. Don whatever you think
most closely approximates “creative Rat Pack attire” and head over to Fringe HQ on
New York Ave. Tickets ($50) are available online. 9 PM.
BOOZE AND CRAFTS: Creative types should check out the Renwick Gallery’s
Handi-Hour—DC’s only (I think) event that combines arts and crafts with booze. You’ll spend
two hours learning how to repurpose old books into cool pieces of art while you sip
two free craft beers selected by ChurchKey’s Greg Engert. Tickets ($20) are available
online. 5:30 PM.
Friday, April 5
ART: The Corcoran’s Pump Me Up has gotten a lot of people excited about DC’s old punk scene—but
it’s also gotten some people riled up about how it kind of glosses over go-go culture.
That’s why Contemporary Wing is hosting
Mumbo Sauce, a complement/competitor/response to Pump Me Up, featuring go-go show posters and
works by BORF, Cool Disco Dan, and many more. The show opens Friday with a reception
and music from deejay Stereo Faith. Free. 6 PM.
KARAOKE: DC’s best purveyor of live-band karaoke,
HariKaraoke, heads to the Hamilton Friday night. It might be your only chance to sing on a stage
that’s been graced by Grammy winners, so bring your A-game. $5. 7 PM.
IMPROV: Washington Improv Theatre is taking over Source Theatre for most of the month to determine which improv troupe
is DC’s best. The March Madness-style tournament is down to the sweet 16, so you won’t
have to suffer through any bad performers. $12 online or $14 at the door. 10 PM.
VARIETY: The
Encyclopedia Show DC takes on explosives this month, meaning you’ll learn all about shrapnel, bombs, volcanoes,
the Boston Molasses Disaster, and pop in the show’s typically irreverent style. The
lineup includes a slam poet, spoken-word artists, a performance artist, a standup
comedian, and a reggae singer. $11 online or $15 at the door. 8 PM.
Saturday, April 6
POETRY: The National Museum of African Art hosts the
Poetry Games, a
Hunger Games-themed night of slam poetry. Not entirely sure if that’s the best marketing scheme,
but it works something like this: Six teams of two slam poets face off in a three-round
tournament, leaving only one duo standing. They’ll have to create poetry using “quotes
from the
Hunger Games novels” and perform a poem “inspired by a district from the
Hunger Games.” Yikes. Free. 6 PM.
CHERRY BLOSSOMS: The Southwest Waterfront hosts its annual
cherry blossom fireworks festival, featuring food trucks, three stages of live music, face painting, Japanese arts
and crafts, a “cherry blossom beach,” and, of course, fireworks at night. Free. 1
to 9 PM.
MUSIC: Brightest Young Things and the Hamilton are showcasing 13 local bands at the first
ever
Emerging Artists Super Sampler. This edition features Shark Week, who recently played at SXSW, the Animal Collective-ish
Drop Electric, and lots more. As with any BYT event, there’ll be a photo booth and
other diversions to keep you entertained between sets. Tickets ($20) are available
online. 8 PM.
SHOP: The
DC MeetMarket between Dupont and Logan Circles features local artisans, vendors, and food. Check
out handmade toys, locally made salsas, chocolates, clothes, and art, and much more.
Free. 11 AM to 5 PM.
FIGHT: You’ve spent every slumber party of your life practicing for this—now it’s time to
show your pillow-fighting skills to the world. Grab a pillow or two and head to the
Washington Monument for the largest fluffy fight you’ve ever seen as part of
National Pillow Fight Day—yet more proof that anything and everything has a national day. Free. 3 PM.
Sunday, April 7
SHOP (FOR MUSICAL STUFF): Attention, musicians:
Toki Underground’s space is being taken over for a couple of hours to showcase guitar pedals and other
DIY musical-effect-producing accessories. Noise Kick Effects, Sean Ryan Customs, Earthquaker
Devices, Cricket Cemetery, and TTLLYBLWN Audio will all be in attendance. Free. Noon.
SHOP (FOR OLD STUFF):
Notoriously Vintage takes over the Moishe House pop-up space for one day only—the Refinery 29-featured
vendor and a host of other local pickers will be selling off their latest finds for
both men and women. Free. Noon to 4.
Know of something cool going on around town? E-mail Jason Koebler at jasontpkoebler@gmail.com,
or find him on Twitter.
