Thursday, February 26
FUN LECTURES: Thirst, DC’s best beer-and-lecture series, is back—this time, you’ll hear from scientists who are going to talk about karma, the jerks of the field, art, and, of course, the healing properties of beer. Get started on that healing by downing a few at Hierarchy, the series’ new home. Tickets ($15) are available online. 7 PM.
FILM: The Washington Jewish Film Festival continues with 2 or 3 Things I Know About Him, a 2005 documentary by Malte Ludin in which, after years of ignoring it, he finally examines his father’s life as a Nazi officer. Ludin interviews most of his family, who deny his father’s actions and who eventually must come to grips with what their relative did. Lupin will answer questions afterward. Tickets ($12) are available at the door; call 202-289-1200 to check availability. 7 PM.
Friday, February 27
COMEDY: Don’t Block the Box, Wonderland’s very cheap and very funny comedy night, is this week. Five local comics (well, one is from Baltimore) will perform. Chelsea Shorte, who performed at Brightest Young Things’ Bentzen Ball, will headline, and beers are half-price during the show. Afterward, there’s dancing. Lots of dancing. $3. 7:30 PM.
MUSIC: Wytold is a cellist (he’s got a guest ensemble as well) who mashes up classic rap songs with classical music. Think Dre and Beethoven, Biggie and Bach. Intrigued? Me too. He’ll be at Atlas Performing Arts Center. Tickets ($16.50) are available online. 9:30 PM.
VARIETY: Black Cat hosts Under the Sheets, a comedy, burlesque, and variety show featuring Glam Gamz and Dutch Oven, who I assume may be popular in their chosen field of work. Expect a carnival/sideshow vibe. Tickets ($12) are available online. 9 PM.
COMEDY: The Happy Buddha is a standup and improv comedy show dedicated to celebrating diversity in the comedy scene. This month, the show features Lawrence Gilliard Jr., whom you know as D’Angelo Barksdale from The Wire (and more recently, from The Walking Dead). There’ll also be an improvised telenovela, and three other improv troupes will perform. Don’t ask where Wallace is. Or do, maybe it’ll be funny. Tickets ($12) are available online. 10 PM.
Saturday, February 28
VARIETY SHOW: What the the DC Arts Center’s Capital City Showcase might lack in instant name recognition, it makes up for by being constantly surprising. Head to the latest show to see performers you might not have seen before but will likely want to seek out again. Tickets are $10 online or $15 at the door. 10 PM.
COMEDY: The Betches of Comedy are Liza Treyger, whom you know from Comedy Central, Megan Gailey of Marie Claire magazine, Jared Freid of Total Frat Move, and Sara Armour, who calls herself the “Jewish J-Lo.” They are the writers behind the blog and book of the same name—if you’re into either of those, you’ll be into their live performance at Sixth & I Synagogue. Tickets ($20) are available online. 8 PM.
DANCE: Bliss is consistently one of the best dance nights in DC, and U Street Music Hall still has the city’s best sound system. Things usually get sweaty, so it’s a good way to beat the cold. Free before midnight, $10 after. 10 PM.
Sunday, March 1
FILM: You’ve probably noticed that beer is having a bit of an extended moment. Well, not just beer—more specifically, craft brews that have popped up all around the country. Trace the rise and, well, continuing rise of the microbrew movement with Blood, Sweat, and Beer, a documentary being screened at the US Navy Memorial Heritage Center that follows two breweries through the startup process. Q&A with the filmmakers after and beer before, duh. Tickets ($20 with beer, $12 without) are available online. 1:45 PM.
THEATER: Bare is kind of like the movie Saved, but on the stage. It follows a group of teens through their senior year of Catholic school, when they realize that maybe their personalities (or sexualities) don’t necessarily match with what they’ve been taught in school. Also, it’s a pop opera, so be ready for that. Tickets ($22) are available online. 3 and 7:30 PM.
