Thursday, September 11
MUSIC: The Hackensaw Boys usually headline the Kingman Island bluegrass festival (that’s where you know them from), but they’re playing at Gypsy Sally’s tonight, which is your chance to see them in a tiny venue. And let’s face it—when the percussionist uses old tin cans as an instrument, you want to see them in a tiny venue. Tickets ($20) are available online. 7 PM.
THEATER: Taffety Punk Theatre Company, which has a reputation for being adventurous, is staging The Devil in His Own Words, a comedic one-man show in which founding member Marcus Kyd tries to explain his motivation behind the whole being-the-devil thing. This is a revised version of the company’s first-ever production, and tonight’s show is pay-what-you-can, so it’s a good chance to see it for cheap. Tickets ($5 to $15) are available online. 8 PM.
Friday, September 12
DANCE: The H Street Red Rocks has proved to be an unlikely but welcome dance spot—let’s just say we weren’t expecting a pizza joint to host so many great deejays. This weekend, head there to see Basscamp, a deejay who makes trippy house remixes of pop songs. Free. 9 PM.
DANCE: The 9:30 Club’s back bar hosts Four Under the Floor, a house and disco dance night that was booked by the folks behind U Street Music Hall, which means you can get to know some deejays who will be probably household names soon enough. $5. 11 PM.
BIRTHDAYS: Black Cat has been around for an astonishing 21 years (it can finally drink!)—and to celebrate, the bar is throwing a huge bash, which will include comedy, seven different deejays (you’ve probably seen them if you’ve ever been to the nightclub), and performances by Spoonboy (who has worked there forever), Citadel, and Booze Riot. Most important, however, is the fact that all beer and liquor will be half price all night. Tickets ($10) are available online. 9 PM.
Saturday, September 13
BAR CRAWL: Dupont Circle hosts the Bright-N-Pint bar crawl, which I think is a pun, but I can’t figure it out. In any case, wear neon, snap on some glow necklaces (provided), and head to Front Page, Rumors, Madhatter, Sign of the Whale, Public Bar, and several other Dupont institutions for a day of specials and debauchery. $15 online, $20 at the door. 3 to 11 PM.
MUSIC: One of DC’s best local music blogs, All Things Go, is throwing its biggest event yet: the first-ever Fall Classic at Union Market. The lineup includes Future Islands, Haerts, Tove Lo, Bear Hands, US Royalty, and lots more, which is a lot of bands to see for $50. Tickets are available online. Noon to 10:30 PM.
BEER: DC has a lot of great beer events, but Snallygaster at Yards Park is maybe the most anticipated, and with good reason: Its name is based on a mythical sea beast similar to a hydra. Why? Who cares? You can sample more than 250 rare and delicious beers, listen to music by !!!, Brett, and the Pug’s deejay (what?), and the beer is curated by DC’s go-to beer guru, Greg Engert of Bluejacket and ChurchKey. There’ll also be food from Red Apron Butcher, GBD, Hill Country, TaKorean, and lots more. Tickets ($30) are available online and include $25 worth of food and beer. 1 PM.
STORYTELLING: Have you been diligently attending all the city’s storytelling events? Take things to the next level with the Story League Masters Championship, which is a “search for the funniest story in the East.” It features winners of the Moth (NYC), First Person Arts (Philly) and Story League (DC) competitions; the winner gets $500. Tickets ($15) are available online. 9 PM.
Sunday, September 14
FESTIVALS: It’s Adams Morgan Day, one of the oldest and largest neighborhood street fairs in the city. Florida Avenue and Columbia Road will be shut down, restaurants and bars will open sidewalk outposts, and you’ll find two stages of live music, a dance plaza, an art gallery, and thousands of people. Free. 11 AM to 7 PM.
MUSIC: He’s long since ditched Meg and struck out on his own, but Jack White still certainly knows how to rock. He plays songs from the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and his own solo projects, and Merriweather is a great place to see him to close out the summer. Tickets ($40) are available online. 6 PM.
COMEDY: Wonderland Ballroom hosts free comedy every Sunday night, featuring local comics. It’s a nice, low-key way to wrap up your weekend. Free. 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.
