Photo by Gerald L. Campbell.FRIDAY
MUSIC: What is it that’s so engaging about Neko Case? Is it the fact that her powerful voice can awe and stun from note number one? Is that the fact that, although she has this utterly royal presence onstage, she also has surprisingly down-to-earth stage banter? Is it that she stood barefoot on top of a sports car on her most recent album cover? Or is that she supports causes we can get behind like ending animal cruelty and supporting literacy? Her two sold-out shows at the Black Cat (1811 14th St NW) are benefitting the latter cause; money from both shows with Y La Bamba will go towards 826 National. 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Check with Craig.
>> Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson are on the Rock and Roll Hotel‘s (1353 H Street NE) docket tonight, representing for indie hip-hop. $18 in advance / $20 at the door. 8:30 p.m.
>> Frequent D.C. visitor and past Madonna collaborator Jellybean Benitez returns to U Street Music Hall (1115A U Street NW) as a part of “Red Fridays.” Free before 11 p.m. / $10 after.
>> Hoots & Hellmouth are at Iota (2832 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington). $12, 9:00 p.m.
>> Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Generationals take the stage at the Red Palace (1212 H Street NE). $12. 9:30 p.m.
>> The 9:30 Club (815 V Street NW) brings in Xavier Rudd and Honey Honey. $20. 8:00 p.m.
>> Of course, if that any of those options aren’t cutting it for you, there’s always an old-fashioned Battle of the Bands in the Lerner Room at the Hirshhorn (1100 Jefferson Drive NW). Winner gets a chance to play at Comet Ping Pong!
MOVIE: The Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival in Gateway Park (base of Key Bridge, 1300 Lee Highway, Arlington) presents their third entry in this year’s SNL-themed festival, When Harry Met Sally. Be sure to check out the entire slate of this summer’s outdoor movie fests or download a Google calendar.
>> Kids World Cinema, a set of five programs of children’s international film programming which will run over the course of the next two weekends around the city, provides a taste of foreign films for the kiddies, including several shorts. Opens Friday at the Hillwood Museum (4155 Linnean Avenue NW), and continues over the next two weekends. Free.
AIR GUITAR: Solly’s (1942 11th Street NW), inconjunction with DC Brau, hosts a Friday the 13th Air Guitar happy hour, with a focus on heavy metal tunes. The happy hour will abide by the rules of the national Air Guitar Championships, and the brewers will be giving away prizes for the best faux-rockers. 5 p.m. Free.
FOOD & DRINK: Mmm, lamb. The Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral (2815 36th Street NW) is holding its annual spring festival this weekend. Friday and Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 7 p.m. The festival is accepting food and financial donations; call 202-333-4730 for details.
PUPPETS: Inside its Dome Theatre, Artisphere (1101 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington) will host a discussion and festival on Czech Puppetry. (Let’s hope, given the Friday the 13th occasion, they’re not like these puppets.) 7:30 pm, pay what you can.
JAZZ: Véronneau was formed in 2010 by French Canadian vocalist Lynn Véronneau and her husband, guitarist Ken Avis from Northern England. Now based in NoVa, the group will celebrate the release of its new album, Joie de Vivre, with Friday and Saturday night sets at Twins Jazz (1344 U Street NW). 9 and 11 p.m. $15 + $10 food/drink minimum. (Plenty more in This Week In Jazz, if that doesn’t suit your fancy.)
BOOKS: Weygandt Wines (3519 Connecticut Avenue NW) hosts a book signing and discussion with Chef Barton Seaver, who has a new cookbook For Cod and Country. Also in attendance at the signing will be sustainable-grape winemaker Pierre-Marie Chermette. 6 p.m. Free, though RSVPs are appreciated.
COMEDY: “The Anti-Social Network Comedy Tour” features insomniac Dave Attell, Joe Pesci impersonator Jim Breuer, “Comedian’s Comedian” Bill Burr and host Jim Norton. DAR Constitution Hall (1776 D Street NW), 8 p.m. Tickets: $60.70-82.25
SATURDAY
MOVIE: The National Portrait Gallery (750 9th Street NW) presents a screening of Metropolis, Fritz Lang’s classic science fiction fantasy about a dystopian future in which society is divided between workers on one side, and the rich corporate overlords who exploit them on the other — now with considerable amounts of previously lost footage. Silent Orchestra, a two-man team of multi-instrumentalists who compose and perform new scores for old silent films, will also be on hand to perform a new score with the film. 3 p.m. Free.
>> The AFI’s (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring) Morgan Freeman tribute series continues this weekend with Glory, the story of the 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, a black Civil War regiment led by white officers which will probably leave you teary-eyed. (Yeah, I can admit it.) Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 4:30. $11.
MUSIC: It was a no-brainer that Ted Leo‘s solo show at the Black Cat Backstage (1811 14th Street NW) would sell out within hours. Not only does Leo usually sell out places ten times this size when he tours with the Pharmacists, but his solo shows include more banter, more covers and more songs that he’s unlikely to play with a full band setup. See what the internet has to offer in terms of tickets. Drew O’Doherty opens. 7:30 p.m.
>> 9:30 Club (815 V Street NW) gets religious: Reverend Horton Heat and The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band are at the pulpit. $20. 8:00 p.m.
SCIENCE: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt) presents Explore@NASA Goddard, an open house event where attendees can tour the facility and enjoy music, food and, of course, science. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free.
FITNESS: The Metropolitan Branch Trail hosts its first annual 5k run/walk this Saturday. Registration is closed for the Saturday event, but there’s nothing stopping you from replicating the course some other time and take the good chance to explore some Northeast neighborhoods while getting in some cardiovascular exercise. 7:30 a.m. (or whenever).
FOOD & DRINK: The 4th Annual National Harbor Wine & Food Festival returns to the National Harbor (137 National Plaza, National Harbor, MD) this weekend, and promises “to feature some of the best chef and food talent in the Nation.” Noon to 6:00 p.m. each day; Saturday tickets are sold out, but Sunday tickets will be available on-site.
>> Drinkmaster Scott Clime talks about the “Art of Mixology” at TenPenh (1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW). 1-3 p.m. $75, includes lunch. RSVP by email or by calling 202-408-0201.
BIKE: Mt. Airy Bicycles and College Park Bicycles host a Moonlight Memorial Monument Ride starting at 8:30 p.m. The ride will take participants on a 15-mile route past the Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and more. The ride is free, but a suggested donation of $10 is suggested to help raise money for the Potomac Area Council of the nonprofit Hosteling International. Appropriately, the ride starts at the PAC hostel at 11th and K streets NW.
ART: Don’t miss Arlington Art Center’s (3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington) Annual Critique the Critics, your chance to critique the work of local D.C. area trendsetters and opinion-makers as they use the materials from childhood to create their art. Two of DCist’s own, Kelly Rand and Ian Buckwalter, will be participating, surely reason enough to head on over. General tickets are $50 and VIP tickets are $125. 8 p.m.
>> Drawing from her background as a contemporary fiber artist, Leslie Blackmon’s Baa-merica! Icons Revisited at The Art League Gallery (105 North Union Street, Alexandria), showcases crocheted sheep sculptures posing as pop culture icons such as Jackson Pollack, Dolly Parton and Andy Warhol. Blackmon will give a talk and crochet demonstration on Saturday. 1 p.m. Free.
>> Check out our Arts Agenda for lots of other art options this weekend.
SPORTS: D.C. United take on the reigning MLS champion Colorado Rapids at RFK Stadium, and the first 5,000 fans get a free DCU t-shirt. Tickets: $28.30-59.65.
SUNDAY
YOGA: D.C. Yoga Week kicks off its sixth year with a free yoga session for all levels on the Washington Monument grounds. 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
MUSIC: The two big events tonight have been sold out for a long time, so we recommend checking Craigslist for your options. After selling out both the 9:30 Club and Black Cat, the pretty mountain man folk of Fleet Foxes has conquered DAR Constitution Hall (1776 D Street NW) off of the strength of new Subpop release Helplessness Blues. 6:30 p.m.
>> Similarly, the Swedish chanteuse Lykke Li (also with a new release this year) can swoon about heartbreak and charm a room with her sweet and fractured vocals will be swooping into the 9:30 Club (815 V Street NW) with another young lady influenced by multiple genres, Grimes. Again, Craigslist is your friend here. 7:00 p.m.
>> DC9 has a tripleheader of Mercies, Hiding Places and Teen Mom. $8. 8:30 p.m.
>> Iota (2832 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington), meanwhile, has its own three-headed rock monster, with Cobra Collective, Koshari and Dot Dash. $10. 8:30 p.m.
FOOD & DRINK: Capitol Memorial Church will be hosting their annual International Vegetarian Food Fair at 3150 Chesapeake Street NW. It’s one of DCist’s favorite food festivals of the year that should provide you with a chance to explore unique fare. 1-4 p.m.
JAZZ: A host of fine local talent, including vocalists Emy Tseng and George V. Johnson, bassist James King and drummer Nasar Abadey will convene at Twins Jazz (1344 U Street NW) this afternoon for Fiesta Asia Jazzin’, a fundraiser for victims of the recent earthquake in Japan. 3 p.m. $20 at the door.
>> An icon of jazz-infused, horn-driven funk since his days with James Brown’s groundbreaking band, saxophonist Maceo Parker can also list P-Funk and Prince among his numerous credits. For the past 20 years, he has been the ultimate road warrior, leading his own bands through marathon groove-fests, while releasing over 10 albums. Parker will be playing a 7:30 p.m. set on Sunday at The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria). $29.50 + fees.
MOVIE: The 2011 Pendragwn Youth Film Festival, which exclusively features the work of 11-18 year old students, will be held on Sunday at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H Street NE).
