FRIDAY:
>> Bliss, the Black Cat’s indie rock dance party, presents a combination DJ/Live show. Kicking things off will be The Juan Maclean, followed by the always memorable (and not nearly as dead as you might have thought) Edie Sedgwick. 9 p.m., $12.
>> We’re all by now familiar with the greatest hits of the Kubrick canon: The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, etc. But if you’ve never had the chance to view some of the director’s earlier works on the big screen, this weekend provides a rare opportunity. We’d especially recommend The Killing, Kubrick’s 1952 foray into Noir, which was nominated for the British Oscar but is often overlooked by American audiences. One of Kubrick’s favorite actors, Sterling Hayden, plays ex-con Johnny Clay, just out of Alcatraz but still hasn’t learned his lesson. Johnny comes up with a racetrack betting scheme with the help of a stellar supporting cast (especially Vince Edwards), but naturally, things eventually go awry. And since it’s a Kubrick film, you can bet things fall apart in some truly unexpected ways. 7:10 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theater, part of a Kubrick retrospective running through March 1.
SATURDAY:
>> We ran a full preview of The Shondes earlier in the week. They’ll be at Warehouse Nextdoor, with Dawn of Man and Mess Up the Mess, starting at 9:30 p.m.
>> Now we know its been cold, and its easy to hibernate, but its time to get out and begin prepare yourself for some serious partying before DCist’s Unbuckled 5. What’s the best way to do that you say? Why perhaps you can practice by taking in Unbuckled 1 alums — D.C.’s Cedars with Baltimore’s Two-if-by-Sea at the Black Cat tonight. Hopefully you haven’t gone into sense overload by the time headliners and Three Stars’ alum Telograph goes on. Mainstage, 9:30pm. $10.
>> DC Coast declines to defy stereotypes and hosts a “men’s only” cooking class to ensure the male population has a better chance of getting lucky on Valentine’s Day. It’s a steep $70, but seriously, who DOESN’T put out for rock fish?
SUNDAY:
>> Rumor has it there is some kind of football game on Sunday. If you are buying a 6 foot sub sandwich for some other reason, you should probably order it ahead of time. And the Black Cat is showing “The Dead Kennedys: The Early Years” for free at 9 p.m. that day if you are anti-football. It’s kind of like the Chinese restaurant on Christmas.
>> The Kirov Opera ends its residency at the Kennedy Center with what may be its finest work, a concert performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s controversial modern opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Valery Gergiev conducts in what is arguably the company’s specialty, Russian opera. Concert Hall, February 4, 3 p.m.
