Listen to music, have a laugh, drink a beer, and eat some ceviche. Not that we’re telling you what to do.
Hans Zimmer and Pharrell WIlliams perform together at Coachella. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)
FRIDAY, JULY 21
SOUNDTRACK: Hans Zimmer is a rock star, but not in the most traditional sense. The Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award-winning composer of film scores such as Gladiator, The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, and Inception recently played Coachella to rave reviews. Now, he’s coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion for a two-part concert featuring a straight take on some of his classics, followed by a selection of re-imagined versions. He surprised fans at his Coachella performance by bringing Pharrell Williams on stage. This show will also include some special guests. (Merriweather Post Pavilion, 8 p.m. $45-125)
THE DAILY SHOW: Watching news personalities perform on stage might not sound like the most thrilling Friday night plan, but The Daily Show isn’t your average news program. As part of The Kennedy Center’s District of Comedy Festival, correspondents and writers from Comedy Central’s late-night satirical show are coming to D.C. for an evening of stand-up performances by Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, and Gina Yashere. (The Kennedy Center, 8 p.m. $25-55)
PJ HARVEY: PJ Harvey makes her Wolf Trap debut this Friday night with Anacostia’s Union Temple Baptist Church Choir. Rolling Stone named the English alt singer-songwriter’s Grammy-nominated album The Hope Six Demolition Project, which depicts D.C. in some of its songs, one of the 45 Best Albums of 2016 So Far. (Filene Center, 8 p.m. $35-60)
FRINGE: Our city’s beloved Capital Fringe Festival is coming to a close. Not like, this weekend, but soon! Go see a show (or a few!), vote for your favorites, and support indie theater. DCist wrote a guide and a bunch of reviews to give you a sense of what to expect. (Various Locations & Times. $17)
Don’t drink and bike, unless you do it really, really slowly while a crowd of drunk onlookers cheers you on on Tour de Fat.
SATURDAY, JULY 22
RED, WHEAT, AND BREW: Another beer festival? Yes, friends. If you’ve got beer on the brain and want one in hand, the All American Beer Fest might be for you. This time around, the event is an all-American affair featuring beers brewed in the U.S.A. Replace the apple pie with an amber ale and give that stars and stripes tank top from the Fourth another opportunity to shine as you show off your cornhole skills. There will be two sessions, one from 1-4 p.m., and the second from 7-10 p.m. (Fairgrounds, 12-10 p.m. $35-45)
SIZZLE: What’s cookin’, home skillet? This Saturday, watch local chefs heat up their cast iron cookware, pull on their oven mitts, and duke it out at Skillet Battle. And it’s not just the pros getting involved. There will also be an amateur competition where culinary kings and queens will put their cooking to the test. Presented by REI and Brightest Young Things, the afternoon will include live music, games, prizes, cold beer, a photobooth, and more. (Wundergarten, 1-5 p.m. FREE)
BEERS & BIKES: You probably shouldn’t drink and bike, but you can totally raise a glass while raising money for bike advocacy groups Washington Area Bicycle Association, Black Women Bike DC, Phoenix Bikes, and Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling. Fat Tire’s Tour de Fat is coming to D.C. this Saturday, and proceeds will help benefit the aforementioned non-profits. Tour de Fat is a craft beer carnival featuring music, circus performers, magicians, comedians, and more. Costumes are encouraged, and can be shown off on the catwalk during the Tour de Fat fashion show. (Capitol Riverfront, 4-9 p.m. $25)
AWKWARD: Remember your embarrassing high school poetry? These people do. This Saturday, hear folks read their lit class-inspired poems, diary entries, love letters, terrible song lyrics, and locker notes. We were all weird kids once (But we’re totally normal and cool now, right, guys? Right?!). Let’s just agree to laugh at ourselves together. The Bentzen Ball Podcast Studio presents Mortified, a cringe and laughter-inducing event. It’s part of the District of Comedy Festival. (The Kennedy Center, 8:30 p.m. $20)
DRAMA DIVAS: They’ve spent enough time in the center of the program, relegated to a slip of paper announcing their performance—if they get the opportunity. Now the understudies are taking center stage in Signature Theatre’s Sizzlin’ Summer cabaret series. Revenge of the Understudies gives actors a chance to revel in the spotlight while singing their favorite songs. For once, all eyes will be on them, and not because audience members are wondering why tonight’s leading man doesn’t look like the actor in the headshot. (Signature Theatre, 9 p.m. $35)
Sample some fresh ceviche at Arlington’s Peru Festival this Sunday. (Photo by Elliot Mitchell)
SUNDAY, JULY 23
PERU FEST: If the bulk of your exposure to Peruvian culture has involved chicken with a side of yucca fries, it may be time to branch out and learn more about this South American country. Peru’s independence day is July 28th, but you can celebrate early at the 30th annual Peruvian Festival in Arlington. There will be dance performances, live music, prizes, and plenty of Peruvian food. Can you say “ceviche”? (Outdoor Soccer Field of Gunston Middle School, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. FREE)
HAKA: Sun’s out, tongues out. Come see a presentation of Kapa haka, a form of Māori performing arts. You’ve probably seen a few videos on YouTube of rugby players performing the traditional war dance, but this Sunday you can see it done live on the Mall. Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Embassy of New Zealand, the performance is part of Tuku Iho | Living Legacy, a nine-day-long celebration of Māori culture. Check out the schedule for more events, including daily performances, carving by skilled craftspeople, tattooing demonstrations, and more. (Lincoln Memorial, 6-6:30 p.m. FREE)
TO BE OR NOT TO BE: D.C.’s favorite op-ed columnist is taking her satire to the stage in “to tell my story,” a work of Hamlet fan fiction by Alexandra Petri. Directed by Megan Behm and presented by The Welders, this comedic twist on a classic tragedy re-imagines Shakespeare’s famous play. Instead of a castle in Denmark, we’re now walking the halls of a high school and logging in to the world of online fan fic. It’s Hamlet in the mind of a teenage girl, and it officially opens Friday. The opening night performance is sold out, but you can see Petri’s play Saturday or Sunday in Silver Spring. (Silver Spring Black Box Theatre, 2 or 7:30 p.m. $30)
