Out and About: Weekend Picks
FRIDAY:
ART: Civilian Art Projects celebrates the opening of its new space at the Warehouse Arts Complex. Check out our early look at the space, then stop by during the opening for their two new shows by Terri Weifenbach and Carole Wagner Greenwood. 7 to 9 p.m.
MOVIE: The Freer Gallery kicks off its Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime series, a career retrospective of the Japanese animator and filmmaker's impressive body of work. Tonight's opening features a chance to see the original Pinocchio-as-android story of Astro Boy (not the bastardized big-budget American CGI version), complete with a q&a with manga scholar and Astro Boy expert Frederik Schodt. Free, 7 p.m. at the Freer.
And don't forget to consult the rest of our film picks for the week.
MUSIC: Slumberland Records might now be based in California, but the storied twee-pop label traces its roots back to the D.C. scene. Come celebrate Slumberland's 20th anniversary at the Black Cat, with a showcase that features a sampling of the label's current roster, including sets by Crystal Stilts, Brown Recluse and Pants Yell! $13 in advance/$15 at the door, 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY:
MOVIE: National Gallery is screening The Boy with the Green Hair as part of its month-long Joseph Losey retrospective. This cult fantasy from 1948 features a very young Dean Stockwell as the titular boy, a war orphan who wakes up one morning to find that his hair has turned green, and is subjected to merciless ridicule for the oddity. Free, 4 p.m.
ART: Head to the Corcoran for an all-afternoon lecture series for FotoweekDC featuring Ernesto Bazan (2 p.m.), Matthew Niederhauser (3 p.m.), and Lori Grinker and Chris Hondros (4 p.m.).
JAZZ: Vibist Stefon Harris and his band, Blackout, have managed to strike a near perfect balance between improvisation and accessibility. The group will be at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Gallery, and you can read more about them in our full preview. Tickets to the 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. sets are sold out, but it's worth contacting the box office for last minute availability.
MUSIC: Before Cee-Lo broke out with his Gnarls Barkley project, he was part of one of Atlanta's premier hip-hop groups, Goodie Mob. The four man group is back together and stopping by The Scene for two shows. They'll be joined by a legend in his own right, Houston rapper Scarface. $35 in advance, doors open at 6 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
The Black Cat's "Second Saturdays" local music showcase continues with a Backstage CD release party for the latest album from Olivia Mancini & the Mates. With Stripmall Ballads, $8, 8 p.m.
SUNDAY:
OPERA: There are still tickets available for Washington National Opera's final performance of Wagner's Götterdämmerung at 2 p.m. Our rather picky critic called it, "one of the most transcendent musical experiences in recent memory." $25-$210.00.
CYCLING: The first-ever D.C. Tweed Ride will roll ever-so fashionably through the city, starting at 11 a.m. at H and 8th Streets NE, and ending at Marvin at 14th and U Streets NW. Grab your vintage fixie and dapper attire and join in the spectacle. More details here.
MUSIC: The "God MC,"Rakim, is on the verge of releasing his latest album, The Seventh Seal. Also on the same bill tonight at the Black Cat is Kanye West associate Rhymefest and DJ P-Funk. $20, 7:30 p.m.
Pioneering synth-pop weirdos DEVO will play their 1978 debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, in full at the 9:30 Club. With JP Inc., $45, 7 p.m. Sold-out, but tickets are still available for Monday as well.
If you can figure out how to score a ticket, you won't want to miss London act the xx, perhaps the most buzzed-about band to emerge from the CMJ class of 2009. Their show at DC9 has been sold-out for awhile. With Jon Hopkins, 9 p.m.