THURSDAY, JANUARY 7
DISCUSSION: Artist Shana Lutker, whose solo exhibit “Le ‘NEW’ Monocle, Chapters 1-3” is on display at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, will explain the work, research and creative process that went into it at the museum’s Meet the Artist series. Lutker created surrealist sculpture installations based on the movement’s roots in Paris in the 1920s. Each of the sets are based on chapters in Lutker’s soon-to-be-published book, “Le ‘NEW’ Monocle”. Free, 6:30.
YOGA: Get your happy hour drink and sun salutation all at the same place: Grip the Mat is hosting Vinyasa to Vino at Mount Vernon Square’s A Baked Joint, and yogis of all experience levels are invited to participate (there’s even the option to rent a mat). After enjoying a “feel-good vinyasa yoga session,” enjoy a wine tasting and delicious food supplied by A Baked Joint. $30-$32, 8:30.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 8
DRINK: Celebrate One Eight Distilling’s one year anniversary with live music and food from such local vendors as Ekiben, Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. and Milk Cult (who’s preparing a festive ice cream using One Eight whiskey). There will, of course, be plenty of booze too: Guest bartenders will be mixing specialty cocktails, and One Eight Distilling will reveal the very special Untitled No. 6, “a nine-year-old bourbon with a triple cask finish.” Tickets include free food and three tastings. $22, 6 PM.
FILM AND COMEDY: DC Shorts shows off their favorite comedy films of 2015 on Friday and Saturday at the U.S Navy Memorial Heritage Center’s Burke Theater. Each 90-minute performance promises six, side-splitting short films along with some live laughs, thanks to standup sets from local comics. $20, 7:30 and 9:30
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9
SWEAT: This Howard Theatre event is less like your typical exercise session and more like your typical Saturday night on U Street. The “Down South Bounce Workout Party” combines southern hip hop music with cardio moves so that you’re too busy getting down to fully realize just how many calories you’ve burned. $32.50, 10:30 AM.
PERFORMANCE: The King would have turned 80 on January 7, and Astro Pop Events is giving the late great artist a shindig to remember with Elvis’ Birthday Fight Club (yes, that’s what it’s called) at the GALA Hispanic Theatre. The production features “Elvis” as one of the announcers for matchups like Putin and a Unicorn and Godzilla vs. Bridezilla. $20, 8 PM.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10
ART: Today is your last day to see Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Switzerland at the Phillips Collection. The exhibit presents more than 60 works by 22 artists from the mid-19th and 20th centuries, including Vincent van Gogh—whose serene piece “The Garden of Daubigny“ is on display. Definitely catch this exhibit before it leaves, as it’s pretty rare for works to not be a plane ride away; these paintings are typically housed at the Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Switzerland. $10-$12.
SUBWAY RIDE: Instead of complaining about perpetual trackwork, fare hikes and constantly-broken escalators, enjoy a little half-naked whimsy on WMATA’s metros on the annual No Pants Subway Ride DC. Participants will meet at Hancock Park by the L’Enfant Plaza Metro for a quick (hehe) debriefing, and then it’s off to the metro without wearing pants. You might want to pack a spare pair of jeans for the after party at Cobalt, however. The Cost of a Metro Ride, 3 PM.
MUSIC: As part of the National Symphony Orchestra’s “NSO In Your Neighborhood” series, which brings free concerts and educational events to different venues all over the city, enjoy An Evening of Chamber Music at Sixth & I, featuring a program of music by Bartok, Britten, and Mendelssohn. Tickets are free, but make sure you RSVP. 7 PM.
