MONDAY, AUG. 28
RESTAURANT WEEK: Monday is the first day of the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week! Hundreds of restaurants in the area will be offering all sorts of deals through Sunday. Check out this post for some of DCist’s top picks. (Various locations; various times; $25-55)
CITY CAST DC: The CityCast DC team will live-tape a new podcast episode in celebration of their first anniversary. The event will feature an interview with guest Chelsea Cirruzzo of Politico, as well as a natural wine tasting by Plant Wines. (Sonny’s Pizza; 6:30 p.m.; FREE)
DESIRE: There’s a lot of shame and misinformation around sex and libido — and many self-help resources only cater to cisgender women. But Desire, a new book by sex therapists Lauren Fogel Mersy and Jennifer Vencill attempts to break this mold. Written for all ages, genders, sexual orientations, and relationship structures, Mercy and Vencill use evidence-based approaches to explain how sex and libido really work. The two will be discussing the book and answering any and all audience questions in this online Busboys and Poets event. (Virtual; 6 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Yoga in the Park (Merriweather Post Pavilion; 6 p.m.; FREE), Escape from New York screening (Songbyrd; 6:30 p.m.; FREE), Profs and Pints: Making Sense of the 1990s (Penn Social; 6 p.m.; $14.31)
TUESDAY, AUG. 29
PROFS AND PINTS: Artificial intelligence may have a bad rep, but it’s possible for the technology to do good rather than harm. Mary “Missy” Cummings, professor of robotics and director of the Autonomy and Robotics Center at George Mason University, will discuss how the technology works, the ethical and safety concerns, and the potential benefits if responsibly introduced. (Penn Social; 6 p.m.; $14.31)
WHEN YOU DIE: What happens when you die? For many, this question may be upsetting, but film director Johanna Lunn hopes to change this. With her “When You Die” project, Lunn wants to foster good conversation around death, demystify the process, and reduce fears. Arlington Draft House screens the first two chapters of Lunn’s project, followed by a Q&A with the director herself. (Arlington Drafthouse; 6 p.m.; $20)
MORE: Ned Collette/Big Trash/Tammy (Rhizome DC; 7 p.m.; $10-15), Phum Viphurit (Howard Theatre; 8 p.m.; $27.50), Kaitlin Butts (Union Stage; 8 p.m.; $15)
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 30
DC JAZZ: The annual DC Jazz Festival begins on Wednesday. To kick it off, there will be an opening day celebration at the Eaton DC Downtown, and Ayodele Owolabi will perform at the Kennedy Center. The flagship stage is at The Wharf all weekend. (Various locations; various times; Some events FREE, others ticketed)
LYRICS TO GO: In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Dr. Fahamu Pecou has curated an exhibit all about the influence of hip-hop poetics, writing, and literature in contemporary art practices at this Rockville gallery. The exhibit features works from artists Ebon Heath and Tahir Hemphill. (VisArts; various times; FREE)
SEPTEMBER EXHIBITS: After a two week summer break, Studio Gallery is back with some new exhibits. Starting Wednesday and running until Sept. 23, see art from painter and printmaker Carolee Jakes, sculptor Chris Corson, painter Iza Thomas, and visual artist Jennifer Duncan (Studio Gallery; various times; FREE)
PIXEL: French-Algerian hip hop artist Mourad Merzouki’s dance company Compagnie Kafig will take the Kennedy Center stage. The show features 11 dancers as they navigate a sophisticated interactive environment of light and video projection. (Kennedy Center; 8 p.m.; $25)
MORE:Iris DeMent (Birchmere; 7:30 p.m.; $45+), The JoGo Project (The Wharf; 7 p.m.; FREE)Masters of the Blues screening (Hill Center DC; 6 p.m.; FREE), Soulja Boy (Union Stage; 8 p.m.; $30+), Revolution Selfie: The Red Battalion screening (Suns Cinema; 9:20 p.m.; $12)
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
LOOK BOTH WAYS: Jason Reynolds’ critical acclaimed young adult novel is making its stage debut. The show opens Thursday and will run at the playhouse until September 17, and switch to the Kennedy Center in October. (Anacostia Playhouse; through Sept. 17; $50)
THE BLACK VIOLIN EXPERIENCE: Two-time Grammy nominated duo Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste are making a stop in the D.C. region. The pair will perform a fusion of exquisite classical sounds and exhilarating hip-hop beats. (Birchmere; 7:30 p.m.; $90.50)
MORE JAZZ: For the second day of Jazz Fest, there are tons of free performances lined up throughout the city. Both George V. Johnson Jr. and the Alex Hamburger Quarter and José Luiz Martins will play for free, whereas EJB’s East Coast All Stars,Lisa Sokolov, and the Corcoran Holt Group will have ticketed shows. Additionally, a multigenerational cast of musicians including George Cables, Benny Green, and Orrin Evans, will perform at Arena Stage. (various locations; various times; various prices)
MORE:Black Panther: Wakanda Forever screening (The Wharf; 7:30 p.m.; FREE), Summer in the Parks (Fort Slocum Mini Oasis; 6 p.m.; FREE), Gavin Creel (Kennedy Center; 7:30 p.m.; $59), Weavings and Musings (Touchstone Gallery; 12 p.m.; FREE)
