MONDAY, MAY 16
MUSIC: This month will go down as being one of the the coldest, wettest, and most miserable that Washington has endured in recent memory. But Yeasayer‘s bouncy blend of world music and psych pop can, at the very least, help you pretend you’re at Coachella sipping on a cold one under a blazing sun. The band plays the 9:30 Club tonight. 7 PM, $25
Yeasayer “Ambling Alp” from Ways & Means on Vimeo.
CONVERSATION: Writer and editor Tom Vanderbilt goes deep into the seemingly intangible idea of taste in his new book, You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice. Vanderbilt sits down tonight at Politics and Prose with WAMU producer Brendan Sweeney to explain why we like and dislike certain things as well as how the rise of the Internet has muddied it up a bit. Free, 7 PM
TUESDAY, MAY 17
OBELISKS: You’ve probably passed by the Washington Monument more times than you can count, but have you ever thought about the backstory of the obelisk? These structures were such a hit that they were actually shipped from Egypt to Europe and America in the 19th century. At Deciphering the Obelisk: A 19th-Century Obsession Helps Break the Hieroglyphic Code at the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center, Egyptologist Bob Brier will decode and explain the history of of the hieroglyphs on three well-known obelisks, and describe the “naval endurance and engineering dexterity” that was asked of those shipping these objects around the world. $45, 6:45 PM
THEATER: Director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar’s re-imagining of The Taming of the Shrew, which opens today at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, features an all-male cast in the Bard’s controversial courtship tale as a way to “examine the fluidity of identity, the authenticity of performance and the economics of love.” In addition, there will be a marketplace along with workshops and local performers in Sidney Harman Hall for the audience to interact with. $71 to $102, 7:30 PM
WATCH: The Washington Jewish Film Festival presents the Israeli family romp The Kind Words. Witty, sharp, and moving in a similar vein to Little Miss Sunshine, three siblings cope with the death of their mother by traveling across Europe in search of their biological father. $15, 7:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18
SPEED DATING: New in town? Looking to expand your circle of friends? Find your platonic match at the Georgetown Library’s endearing Friend Speed Dating event, which which is touted as a “high-energy, low-pressure way” to make new pals. Free, 7 PM
ENTERTAINMENT: The District of Columbia Arts Center’s monthly series Press Play Hump Day features all types of local performers. Tonight, catch long-form improv troupe Dudes on Dudes, the sweet and savory ensemble Cake Bagel, and musicians Jon Watkins and Porter Ryan, who play everything from blues to Irish folk tunes. $10 to $12, 7:30 PM
