Monday’s trivia night benefits DC Books to Prisons. (Photo by Shameek)
The remnants of Hurricane Florence have arrived in D.C. but don’t let the inclement the weather get you down. Avert your eyes from cloudy skies and celebrate this week with laughs, food, and fun.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
OLD FAVORITE: What’s Creed Bratton been up to since The Office ended? All you really need to know is that in 2014, he guest-starred in an episode of Adventure Time as a character named Phlannel Boxingday. (Really.) Perhaps he’ll address that gig and offer more insights into his life post-sitcom stardom during his evening of comedy and music. (Union Stage, 7:30 p.m., $20)
BRAIN EXERCISE: If you’re smart and you want other people to know it, or you’re not smart and you want people to think you are, or if you just like when people ask you questions, trivia night is perfect for you. This one’s hosted by DC Books to Prisons, which provides reading material for D.C.’s incarcerated population (they accept volunteers!). (Exiles Bar, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., FREE, $10 donation at the door suggested)
PONDER FRAGILE DEMOCRACY: Sometimes in this guide we highlight events that relate to current news developments or modern trends. But other events are interesting even though they bear no relation to what’s happening in society today. Allan Lichtman, an American University professor who recently published a book outlining the case for impeaching President Trump, will unpack “the troubled history of voting in America and current threats to our democracy.” But again, totally outside the news cycle, this one. (Bier Baron Tavern and Comedy Loft, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., $12 advance tickets, $15 at the door, $2 off for students)
MORE: The Tale of the Tea Thief book talk (International Spy Museum, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., $20); Mural Mondays weekly art event (Listen Vision Recording Studios, noon-10 p.m., FREE entry); Monday Evening Yoga with Up Top Acres (The Farm at 55 M Street, 6 p.m.-7 p.m., $15)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
MUSEUM HEIST, BABY: Two slackers in their 30s decide they need to stop being slackers and start being … artifact thieves?? That’s the plot of Museo, a new Mexican comedy starring heartthrob-slash-Coco heart-tugger Gael García Bernal. It’s already picked up some worldwide festival awards, and it’s getting an advance screening (plus a Q&A with the screenwriter) at the currently underway AFI Latin American Film Festival. (AFI Silver Theatre and Culture Center, 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m., $15)
NO, THE OTHER GEORGIA: Wine Magazine (which exists!) published in July an article entitled “Why You Should Be Paying Attention to Georgian Wine.” Heed the call and taste three new vintages with Mamuka Tsereteli of Georgian Wine House as your guide. After the event, attendees get a $10 discount on bottles of the displayed wine. (Supra, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., FREE)
DIG DEEPER: You might know a little about the history of Meridian Hill Park (also known as Malcolm X Park), but Fiona J. Clem literally wrote the book on the subject, and she’ll be sharing some of its contents during a book talk. (Busboys and Poets, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE)
A WINDOW INTO WEALTH: David Rubenstein is a very rich man who spends much of his time donating enormous sums of money to historical sites, monuments, and memorials. Take an aspirational listen to a discussion of his career and interests. (GW’s National Churchill Library and Center, 6 p.m.-7 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Barcode and Chill (Barcode, 8 p.m.-2 a.m., FREE entry); Shining a Light on Gravitational Waves science talk (Carnegie Institution for Science, 6:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m., FREE with $10 donation suggested); Comedy Night in Takoma! (Busboys & Poets Takoma, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., $10)
This could be you. (Photo courtesy of Big Chief)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
GO FASTER: Tinder is a minefield. Speed dating … is probably also a minefield, but you know what they say: The minefield you don’t know beats the one you do. (They don’t say that, but I just did.) Tonight brings two opportunities to speed-date: Anyone can do it at Big Chief for $25 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m., and black women can mingle with white men at Ozio Martini & Cigar Lounge for $17.37 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. May love bloom eternal.
FIND YOUR INNER PICASSO: Sometimes loneliness is the enemy of creativity. Art can flourish under “mad chill vibes,” according to the event description for Arts Noights! (the “o” is not silent), where artists and creative types can mingle, doodle, sketch, and, you know, vibe out. (Hole in the Sky Collective, 7 p.m.-11 p.m., FREE)
A NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS: A new documentary out of Austria and Germany asks the question, “What if the government regularly gave everyone the same amount of money?” Free Lunch Society is sure to provoke passionate debate among the proudly opinionated, who will get their chance to shine at a post-screening Q&A with filmmakers and economists. (Austrian Cultural Forum, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., FREE
MORE: Trump Must Go book talk (Politics & Prose at The Wharf; 7 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE; Adam Smith: Father of Economics book talk (GW’s National Churchill Library and Center, 6 p.m.-7 p.m., FREE; Drag Bingo (Taqueria Del Barro, 8 p.m.-10 p.m., $5 cover)
Swap greenery so your house can look like this. (Photo courtesy of Rock Paper Plant)THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
GROW AND SHOW: The event description for Houseplant and Plant Cuttings Swap emphasizes that “swapping plants” is not a euphemism, in this case. Attendees can bring one to three plants for a possible trade, and professional growers will be on hand to discuss creating a new plant from existing cuttings. Gardening nerds, unite. (The Lemon Collective, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., $8)
TALKIN’ ART: One of the best ways to get inspired is to listen someone else gab about their inspiration. Artist talks offer insights into the process of being creative, sure, but they can also teach how to look deeper within yourself. Check out Stephen Hayes, a mixed-media sculptor and creator whose work examines racial dynamics across history, in conversation with Karen Lemmey, curator of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. (The Phillips Collection, $12, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)
BYE-BYE ICE CREAM: Saying goodbye to summer is painful for some and pleasant for others. But saying goodbye to ice cream opportunities is unequivocally bad — we can all agree. Bid the season of sweet treats (from Lulabelle’s Sweet Shop) farewell along with cocktails from bartender Chantal Tseng. (Petworth Citizen, 6 p.m.-10 p.m., FREE entry)
MORE: Sahel concert (Brookland’s Monroe Street Farmers Market, 5 to 8 p.m., FREE); Ladies’ Night with complimentary prosecco (Fiola Mare, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE entry); 100 Things to Do in Washington, D.C. book talk with Katie Bianco (Politics and Prose at the Wharf, 7 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE)
