Photo by BullneckFRIDAY:
>> On your way home tonight, stop by Crooked Beat Records in Adams Morgan at 7 p.m. to catch a free performance by increasingly excellent locals The Andalusions, who are celebrating the release of a 7″ on Dischord Records.
>> Hirshhorn’s first After Hours event this year is sold out, but you can still get at ticket if you join the museum. Members also get to hang out in the Pink Line Project’s VIP lounge that comes with a free drink, swag, and no waiting in line. There are absolutely no ticket sales at the door, however, so you’d better hurry. This evening’s party includes video artist Ricardo Rivera and the Klip Collective, Pieris Music’s Lumia Ensemble and Sean O’Neal (aka DJ someone else), DJ Tleilaxu, plus curator-led exhibition tours of Louise Bourgeois at 8:30 p.m. and Strange Bodies at 9. Hirshhorn After Hours runs 8 p.m. to midnight.
>> Michigan-based Afro-funk band NOMO is returning to the District and the Rock and Roll Hotel. They’ll be joined by Ra Ra Rasputin, Funk Ark, and Dirty Bombs. $12, 8:30 p.m.
>> Portland, Oregon based indie-folk-pop outfit Blind Pilot just landed the opening slot on The Decemberists upcoming tour, but you can see them on a smaller stage tonight at IOTA, with Ezra Furman and the Harpoons. $12, 9 p.m.
>> Looking for a dance night with a little something different? Head to the “Black Light Special” party at Selam (1524 U Street NW), which tonight will be heavy on the Afro-beat, with a strictly vinyl set being spun by DJ Underdog. $1, 10 p.m.
SATURDAY:
>> It’s kite flying time in D.C., so prepare for the Smithsonian Kite Festival (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the base of the Washington Monument) by stopping by at the Art Museum of the Americas beforehand and making your very own to fly. In the family workshop, you’ll learn about the giant kites made and flown in Guatemala to celebrate Día de los Muertos, then build your own and take them for a test run. 10 to 12 p.m., $5 per person. Also check the Kite Festival’s web site for details on this year’s activity tents, where kites will also be made or given away for free.
>> If the weather doesn’t hold up for kite flying, duck into the Freer Gallery’s Meyer Auditorium, which is hosting a day-long Japanese Anime Marathon. This year’s program features four films, starting with the kiddie-friendly Animal Treasure Island, post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, a futuristic look at the pitfalls of biotechnology experimentation in (Vexille, and teenage time travel comedy, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., free.
>> The London Symphony Orchestra is in town for a concert sponsored by WPAS in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The program includes Prokofiev’s first and sixth symphonies, as well as Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto with soloist Alexei Volodin. A few tickets remain: $42 – $97.
>> The Warehouse continues to show no signs of actually closing this weekend, as they host a one-off party thrown by D.C. to NYC transplant DJ Seth Pressly, plus a performance by U.S. Royalty. Get a taste of Pressly’s set, which could include anything from Wolfmother to Jay-Z, here.
>> Rising locals Deleted Scenes are back at the Black Cat tonight, with Australians The Drones and Pretty & Nice sharing the bill. $12, 9 p.m.
>> Meahwhile, Middle Distance Runner is at IOTA, promoting their new 7″, The Unbeliever, which came out March 17. Eulogies and The Payola Reserve open. $12, 9 p.m.
>> New York’s Asobi Seksu and Detroit’s Tyvek at both at Rock and Roll Hotel for what’s sure to be an intense show. $12, 8:30 p.m.
>> Sao Paolo’s Garotas Suecas blend their Brazilian roots with some straight American-style garage rock and soul. They’re playing this weekend at Comet Pizza & Ping Pong. 10 p.m., free.
SUNDAY:
>> This weekend’s lecture at the National Gallery of Art is Picasso and Truth II: Room at 2 p.m. in the East Building auditorium. Free.
>> The traditional Lantern Lighting ceremony of the National Cherry Blossom Festival is happening from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Tidal Basin. Free.
>> Read our full preview of the Bang on a Can Marathon at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The event includes: a performance of Brian Eno’s Music for Airports (lobby, 3 p.m., free), a concert with some of the Bang on a Can All-Stars (4:15 p.m., free), and a finale show with the All-Stars and their guest artists, composers Terry Riley and Glenn Kotche. (6 p.m., $35).
>> Don’t miss our film picks of the week, including a special screening of Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine, a documentary about the French artist currently on exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum. 5:05 p.m. at the AFI Silver.
>> It’s already been a stellar weekend in terms of local music, so why not add one more show? Medications and Edie Sedgwick are playing the Black Cat’s backstage for a measly $8. Also Played Tomorrow. 9 p.m.
