THURSDAY, MAY 5
MUSIC: Musical comedy duo Reformed Whores are performing in DC at Birchmere with Dweezil Zappa on Wednesday, but they actually have another District connection: the band was mentioned in a court filing concerning the Washington’s NFL Team and a decision by the US Patent and Trademark Office’s 2014 to “void the federal protection on its trademarks because they depict a racial slur.” They, of course, responded back with a hilarious, ukulele-filled song. $35, 7:30 PM.
DANCE: Freddie Mercury and David Bowie not only defied musical genres—they challenged society’s idea of masculinity and made an impact on culture for years to come. The Washington Ballet celebrates the art rock tastemakers with “Bowie & Queen“ at the Kennedy Center, which opened on Wednesday. Come watch two daring, lively sets of choreography performed to songs by Queen (“Mercury Half-Life”) and Bowie (“Dancing in the Street”). $25-$110, 7:30 PM.
KARAOKE: If you’ve been singing Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” in the mirror for the past year, here’s your chance to belt it out in front of an audience for a good cause. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and District Karaoke are joining forces for “Singo De Mayo“at Policy to raise money for fighting and researching cancer. $10, 8 PM.
FRIDAY, MAY 6
MUSIC: Santi White aka Santigold—a former punk musician who delightfully blends her roots into a pop, electronic, and dancehall fusion—performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Friday night. Expect the Philly native to play songs from her critically-acclaimed third album 99¢.
ART AND DISCUSSION: Hillyer Art Space presents the opening of “Nordic Stars,” highlighting distinguished illustrators from Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, as well as solo exhibits from Danish artist (and DC resident) Rikke Kühn Riegels and local artist Dominie Nash. A bonus: ambassadors from Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark will be making opening remarks donning unique wears from their country’s designers. Free, 6:30.
SATURDAY, MAY 7
FUNK PARADE: The third annual Funk Parade turns U Street into one giant block party. From afternoon until 11 PM, dance your way through the city to live funk musicians and DJs. Free, Noon.
FILM FESTIVAL: The Maryland Film Festival, held in Baltimore, takes place all weekend (from Thursday to Sunday), but we recommend checking out Saturday’s proceedings. The itinerary that day includes a screening of the Samuel L. Jackson film Fresh presented by recent Baltimore mayoral candidate and Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson and a screening of Do Not Resist, which is about the usage of military equipment by police in the Baltimore and Ferguson uprisings. Prices and times vary.
SUNDAY, MAY 8
WATCH: In honor of Mother’s Day, AFI Silver is showing the original 1976 Freaky Friday starring a 14-year old Jodie Foster and veteran actress Barbara Harris in the roles that Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis eventually played. $13. 6:30 PM.
COMEDY: 2015 “Last Comic Standing” finalist Ian Bagg will bring his routine to DC Improv on Friday. Along with traditional stand up, Bagg is wickedly talented at improv, at one point hosting a faux game show during his set called “Suck My Balls,” featuring a large jar of gumballs. $17, 7:30.
