(Photo by Victoria Pickering)
It’s been raining all week, the Metro station closure messed with your commute, and R. Kelly is in the news again for dropping a 19-minute-long song no one asked for. Everything is awful, and you deserve this weekend. Now, listen, friends. There’s a chance the rain won’t completely clear up. But we’re staring down the best odds we’ve had all week for some Vitamin D, and we’re going to plan accordingly.
FRIDAY, JULY 27
ROLL WITH IT: Do you ever find yourself making up a little song about whatever it is you’re doing? How about a song about a random topic selected by someone else, say, a doomsday event sparked by a 45-day-long Metro shutdown? We don’t know where that idea came from. Just spit ballin’ here. Washington Improv Theater presents Summer Escape, a series of different improvisational shows. Friday night, you can see Lena Dunham and iMusical Presents: Apocolypse How?. The former is a group of black members from different improv troupes who are joining forces to give you an inside look at what it means to be somebody’s “black friend.” The latter is an improv group that will turn a hypothetical, and not necessarily plausible, world-ending event into a musical. That show is at 7:30 p.m. At 9:30, catch Karaoke Storytellers, in which performers will confess their personal stories and then perform a song inspired by the tale. (Source, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $15-$30)
RELAX: It’s been a long week, and there will be a full moon Friday night. Take the opportunity to make time for self-care, and allow yourself to sink into the energies of the crystal bowl and gong at Sound Bath: Full Moon Reset. Heather Luna will guide attendees through breathing and chanting at this meditative event. (Church of the Holy City, 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., $15-20)
HOPPY HOUR HISTORY: Kick off your weekend with a guided Brewmaster Tour of Heurich House Museum, the historic former home of Christian Heurich. The German immigrant built the house in the late 19th-century, and his family lived there until 1956. In addition to touring the Dupont Circle mansion, you’ll also enjoy a flight of beers from D.C.’s Atlas Brew Works. (Heurich House Museum, 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m., $30)
DANCE LIKE YOUR CLOTHES WON’T WRINKLE: Those light-weight, pastel-colored suits can have a life beyond Seersucker Thursday. The International Club of D.C. presents Seersucker Garden Soiree, an evening of live jazz, dancing, and playing dress-up. Come in your finest 1920’s-style attire, nibble on some sweets, and tour the restored presidential home of Woodrow Wilson. You’ll see artifacts from his time in office, including gifts received on state visits. Museum staff will be on hand to point out the really cool stuff, and drinks will be available for purchase. (The President Woodrow Wilson House, 7:15 p.m.-9:30 p.m., $35-$55)
ARTS, CRAFTS & SNACKS: MarketSW is a flea market meets art fair meets beer garden. Every other week through October 19, you can shop, eat, drink, and hang out while different musicians and DJs play some tunes. Friday’s lineup features David Fogel and Grand Ancestor. Visit the website for a list of food, craft, and antique vendors. (The Lot at 4th and M streets SW, 4 p.m.-10 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Friday Night Full Moon Walk: National Mall Monuments & Memorials (World War II Memorial, 6:45 p.m.-9:30 p.m., FREE), Raphael Saadiq (The Kennedy Center, 8 p.m., $39-$99), Zac Brown Band with OneRepublic (Nationals Park, 7 p.m., $43-$127)
The crowd during National Dance Day at the Kennedy Center (Photo by Jati Lindsay courtesy of the Kennedy Center)
SATURDAY, JULY 28
LET’S BOOGIE: Get on out there and dance. Dance, I said! Fly muthas and others are all welcome to get their groove on for National Dance Day. The Kennedy Center, in partnership with The Dizzy Feet Foundation and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, invites everyone to celebrate the art of dance and joy of movement with a full day of activities. The festivities include dance performances and tutorials, such as a Dancing Under the Stars class featuring Afro-Colombian beats, and beginner-level Soukous and Champeta dance lessons. (The Kennedy Center, 2 p.m.-10:30 p.m., FREE)
BE A KID: If there was a favorite day of the week in school, it was obviously pizza day, a.k.a. Friday. But what about a favorite day of the year? Field day. You can relive your childhood glory at EventsDC’s second annual DC Field Day. It’s an adults-only outdoor party featuring tug-of-war, a giant obstacle course, two-legged races, giant beer pong, and dizzy bat flip cup, and more. Your ticket gets you entry, a free beer, and *squints* a $5 voucher to spend in the Field Day gift shop. (RFK Stadium Grounds, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $45)
OH BABY. OH BABY.: Sex? Awkward? Whaaaaaaaaat? From weird masturbation techniques to unfortunate sexual encounters to stories we maybe don’t regret but have to admit are pretty outside the norm, our sex lives are an entertainment gold mine. Cue comedy ensemble Awkward Sex… and the City, which presents two performances of Wet Hot Awkward Summer this Saturday night. During this storytelling meets stand-up program, the cast will share awkward dating, sex, and relationship moments that just might make you feel better about that thing you did in grad school. (Black Cat, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m. $15)
ROYALTY: To Bey honest, it’s kinda hard not to love the Carters. Beyoncé is a queen who has worked her gravity-defying ass off for everything she’s got, and Jay-Z is a rap legend. Even after Bey’s (amazing) emotional rollercoaster of a sixth solo album, the pair are so untouchable they booked the Louvre for a video shoot. The Louvre. Bow down in person at this weekend’s D.C. stop on their OTR II tour. (FedExField, 7:30 p.m., $49.50-$350)
MORE: Made in Cameroon Music Festival (The Fillmore, 7 p.m., $30-500)
SUNDAY, JULY 29
COSPLAY ALL DAY: If you have to be asked not to bring your replica samurai sword out of the house, will take any opportunity to dress as Harley Quinn, your partner is getting really annoyed by your upside-down kisses and “spidey senses,” or you were the last one in your friend group to stop greeting people with “Wakanda Forever,” and especially if any of these things are true and you happen to be Black, you might enjoy Blerdcon. The weekend-long annual convention and celebration of Black nerd culture will include panel discussions, workshops, cosplay contests, anime screenings, gaming tournaments, and more. It starts Friday, and is open to geeks of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. (Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., $15-$55)
ARCTIC MONKEYS: When the Arctic Monkeys’ first album dropped in 2006, it quickly became the fastest selling debut album in UK chart history. The Grammy-nominated British band still has a loyal fan following, and will be entertaining hundreds and hundreds of those fans this weekend in D.C. L.A.-based band Mini Mansions opens the show. (The Anthem, 8 p.m., $55-75)
FINAL BOWS: The 2018 Capital Fringe Festival ends on Sunday. If you’ve been waiting to check out that weird play or performance piece you heard about, now’s the time to buy a ticket. Check out all of our coverage of this year’s Capital Fringe Festival here. (various Locations, various Times, $17 per show, $7 for mandatory button)
STAND-UP COMEDY: American comedian John Witherspoon is setting up shop in D.C. this weekend. The actor, best known for playing the dog catching dad in the Friday films and “Grandad” in the animated television series The Boondocks, has performances Thursday through Sunday nights. Comics Kasaun Wilson and J-L Cauvin will warm up the audience with their own routines. (DC Improv, 7 p.m. $27)
