FRIDAY
ART: Street artist Kelly Towles, whose work you may know from the side of a building or DC Brau bottle, opens his solo exhibition “The Death of Ulysses” at Hierarchy (1841 Columbia Road NW) from 7 p.m. to midnight. “The time-worn scrolls of myth and fantasy created by Homer are injected and tattooed with current trends and our deepest longings. By expanding upon this lust, Towles explores the deep roots of fables and the power of storytelling, creating a landscape for his own mythical-modern day society.” RSVP here.
MUSIC: Hey, if you like ’90s punk, pop-punk, and emo, I (Matt Cohen) am spinning that stuff at the Black Cat’s backstage (1811 14th Street NW). There are certainly better things you can do that night, but this is free, so there’s that. Come, or whatever. Starts at 10 p.m. — Matt Cohen
SHOW TUNES: Described as “a smart, gay parody of The Sound of Music,” the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. is set to perform Von Trapped at the Lisner Auditorium (730 21st Street NW) all weekend. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. See available tickets here.
SATURDAY
COFFEE: If DCist’s best coffee shop list got you in a caffeine state of mind, head to Busboys and Poets’ 5th and K streets NW location for the day-long java celebration “From Grounds to Grounds.” From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Busboys will give out a tasting of their new blend. After that, NBC4’s Wendy Rieger will moderate a panel on all things coffee. Rachel Northrop will discuss and sign her new book, When Coffee Speaks: Stories from and of Latin American Coffeepeople, at 6 p.m.
JAZZ: Pianist and director Amy K. Bormet once again brings the Washington Women in Jazz Festival to the District. The event begins on Saturday with an album release at Bohemian Caverns for rising vocalist Integriti Reeves. Other highlights include Jessica Boykin-Settles’ free tribute to Shirley Horn at the Anacostia Community Museum, trumpeter Carol Morgan’s performance with the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra and a performance at Union Arts featuring Bormet, guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Allison Miller, saxophonist Sarah Hughes (not from DCist), trumpeter Jaimie Branch and bassist Karine Chapdelaine. Visit the festival web site for full schedule and ticket information. —Sriram Gopal
SHOP: Eat Shop Live Anacostia wants to send as many customers as possible to the second Martha’s Outfitters (2204 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE) location in D.C. Nothing special is planned, but it’s as good an excuse as any to explore a neighborhood you may not be familiar with. Make sure to grab lunch at Nurish inside the Anacostia Arts Center.
SUNDAY
PARADE: Slap on some green and head out to the 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Parade, which begins at noon at Constitution Avenue and 7th Street NW. “The parade will feature traditional pipe bands, Irish dancers, military processions, marching bands, ornate floats, and more.”
ANNIVERSARY: U Street Music Hall’s fourth anniversary week kicks off with a mysterious event on Sunday. Only “special guests” are advertised for the 10 p.m. event, which costs $15 to enter.
