MUSIC
1. MorMor
Union Stage | January 20
The somewhat mysterious Toronto singer and multi-instrumentalist released his debut album, Semblance, in November. Now we get to see how he’ll translate this batch of moody pop tunes to a live setting.
EXHIBITS
2. “Looking Up: Studies for Ceilings, 1550–1800”
National Gallery of Art | January 29–July 9
Attention, daydreamers: Here’s your chance to spend some quality time staring at the ceiling. This exhibit shows off nearly three centuries’ worth of room-topping European architecture and interior design, from vibrant Baroque-era paintings to the geometrically complex models of Neoclassicism.
MUSIC
3. NSO Pops: an Evening With Ne-Yo
Kennedy Center | January 27–28
In the early 2000s, the R&B singer Ne-Yo’s hits boomed on the radio nonstop, until you really did become “so sick of love songs.” Fortunately, this team-up with the National Symphony Orchestra will present those songs in a whole new way. That gorgeous croon backed by a stage full of classical pros? We can’t wait.
THEATER
4. English
Studio Theatre | January 11–February 12
Set in Iran, Sanaz Toossi’s play traces the awkward and comedic study sessions of four adults gearing up to take an English-language proficiency test that holds the key to their futures. Full of word games and funny mistranslations, it also has a serious message about how a new tongue can expand the world around you.
MUSIC
5. Sphinx Symphony Orchestra
Kennedy Center | January 31
Diversity remains a big issue in the classical-music world, but not here: The musicians who perform in Detroit’s Sphinx Symphony Orchestra are Black and Latinx. One of the evening’s most moving works will likely be a vocal piece by Joel Thompson that contains the last words of Black men killed by the police.
MUSIC
6. Dry Cleaning
Howard Theatre | January 31
Florence Shaw—the British post-punk band’s vocalist (“singer” isn’t quite right)—will do her speak-sing thing when the lauded quartet arrives to promote its latest album, Stumpwork.
PODCASTS
7. Not Another D&D Podcast
Lincoln Theatre | January 19
Admirers of the classic nerd-chic role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons will flock to this in-person version of the popular podcast, which mixes comedy and storytelling. Twenty-sided dice not required.
FESTIVALS
8. Super Magfest
National Harbor | January 5–8
If you’ve ever settled in for a quiet evening playing a new video game, only to look up and realize it’s 7 AM and you haven’t gone to the bathroom in nine hours, this festival is for you: The four-day celebration of gaming—which includes things like an arcade, a mini-museum, and panel discussions—runs 24 hours a day. Just don’t forget to eat.
SPORTS/MUSIC
9. Wizards vs. Knicks Go-Go Night
Capital One Arena | January 13
Basketball and a concert? Count us in. After the Wizards (fingers crossed) trounce the New York Knicks, go-go favorites DC Vybe will take to the court, with appearances by Northeast Groovers, Kim, Scooby, and Sugar Bear.
BOOKS
10. Listen, World! by Allison Gilbert and Julia Scheeres
Politics and Prose | January 21
Journalist Allison Gilbert (right)—who coauthored this recent book—will discuss the intriguing story of Elsie Robinson, a hugely popular newspaper columnist in the mid–20th century who is mostly unknown today. Prominent biographer Kitty Kelley will be asking the questions, so expect a lively discussion.
This article appears in the January 2023 issue of Washingtonian.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
