THURSDAY, AUGUST 13
DRINK: DC Central Kitchen partners with DC Loud for a boozy fundraising event at One Eight Distilling. R&B artists Lamont Bagfeel and Hippie Control provide the tunes alongside folk band Letitia VanSant and the Bonafides. Tickets will set you back $20 and include one cocktail. 6 to 9 PM.
THEATER: Two Broadway shows close at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. These musicals, however, couldn’t be any more different. Once ($65 to $160, 7:30 PM) is a romantic tale about a Dublin street musician, featuring an impossibly catchy sentimental song. And The Book of Mormon ($43 to $250, 7:30 PM) is an outrageous satire that touches on everything from female circumcision to AIDS and has characters with names like “General Butt-Fucking Naked.”
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14
DRINK: Stop by High Velocity at the Marriott Marquis from 4 to 11 PM for a DC Beer Week Takeover featuring the likes of Atlas Brew Works, Flying Dog, and North Coast. If you’re in the mood for something more eclectic, check out Washingtonian’s picks for the seven can’t-miss brews this week–including a Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout available on Friday and Saturday at Pizzeria Paradiso Georgetown.
CARS: The Red Bull global rally cross descends upon RFK Stadium for two days of racing. The event kicks off on Friday with practices and heat races; on Saturday, there’s semifinals and finals. (Last year, before the race, Rhys Millen took over DC’s streets for some wild tricks.) $25 to $35, 11 AM.
MUSIC: Sorry, guys. This isn’t Zac Brown Band’s “Home Grown” tour. This is the “Jekyll + Hyde” tour. So if you were a fan of the group’s country-inflected tunes, then you might be disappointed. Those digging their latest album–a schizophrenic compilation of both jazzy and heavy rock tunes–will be pleased. Performing alongside the Avett Brothers, this Georgia-based band hits up Nationals Park. $81.50 to $108.50, 7 PM.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15
DRINK: Old Ebbit Grill throws its 3rd Annual Craft Brewhaha from 8 to 11 PM. Expect brews from Hellbender, Denizens, Port City, DC Brau, and more. Pair those suds with food from the Red Hen, Jack Rose Dining Saloon, the Fainting Goat, among others. $65.
DRINK SOME MORE: Here’s yet another reason to drink beer this week: Wunder Garten’s Battle of the Beers pits the US versus Germany in a beer-tasting competition. Rocklands BBQ and Federal City Brothers dish up food for the event. $7 entry includes two tasting tickets, 4 to 10 PM.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16
MUSIC: Phish’s Wednesday night show in Philadelphia included an impressive 76-minute stretch, when the band performed a grand total of five songs. The improvisational rockers’ Washington stint includes two performances at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. Their Saturday gig is already sold-out, but the Sunday show has some tickets left, which means you still have time to get a glimpse of the jam band. $45 to $65, 7 PM.
