MONDAY, SEPT. 25
JANELLE MONAE: There are still tickets to see the “Tightrope” singer and actress live at the Anthem! Hip-hop duo Flyana Boss and singer Nana Kwabena will open. (The Anthem; 8 p.m.; $95+)
PROFS AND PINTS: It’s been over a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, and the abortion legal landscape has already shifted. Sonia Suter, professor of law, scholar of emerging reproductive technologies, and founding director of the Health Law Initiative at the George Washington University Law School will discuss what has changed, what hasn’t, and where the U.S. is headed in terms of abortion access. (Penn Social; 6 p.m.; $14.31)
MORE: Vintage Market (Electric Cool-Aid; 5 p.m.; FREE), The Electric Nature/Craig Bowen (Rhizome DC; 8 p.m.; $10+), True Widow (Songbyrd; 7 p.m.; $17+), Frankie & The Witch Fingers and Wine Lips (The Black Cat; 7:30 p.m.; $20)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 26
SOLITAIRE: Embassy Week is long over, but luckily embassies have public facing events year round. This Tuesday, Austrian violinist Johannes Fleischmann and pianist Christoph Ulrich Meier head to the Austrian embassy to play little-known works by famous composers like Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt or Johannes Brahms and selections from Fleischmann’s latest album, Solitaire. An Austrian wine reception will follow the concert. (Embassy of Austria; 7 p.m.; FREE)
HUMANITIES LECTURE: This year, Ruth J. Simmons will deliver theNational Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities. A professor, author, and president emerita of Prairie View A&M, Brown University, and Smith College, Simmons will discuss her experiences and the role of the humanities in fostering socioeconomic mobility and cultural belonging. (National Museum of African American History & Culture; 7 p.m.; FREE)
BATTLE OF THE BARREL-AGED BEERS:Boundary Stone’s premier event is back. The 10th annual battle of the barrel aged beers will feature brews from Denizens, Atlas, DC Brau, Hellbender, Port City, and Right Proper. Tickets include a 5-oz pour of each brew, a pint of Denizens, complimentary food and the opportunity to vote for this year’s winner. (Boundary Stone; 5 p.m.; $65)
BOOK TALK: Head to One More Page Books to meet Ariel Kaplan, author of The Pomegranate Gate, a fantasy novel. The book pulls from Jewish folklore and is the first in a trilogy of books set during the Spanish Inquisition. (One More Page Books; 7 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Bad Medicine (DC Improv Comedy Club; 7:30 p.m.; $17), Wu-Tang Clan (Capital One Arena; 8 p.m.; $21+), Wildlife Night Touring the Anacostia River (Langston Golf Course; 7 p.m.; FREE)
SPONSORED 1898 FILM SERIES: Calling all history buffs! Join the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery for the final day of the free two-part film program exploring the impact of U.S. expansion around 1900 and its ongoing impact. These films are presented in conjunction with the exhibition, “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions” currently on view through Feb. 25, 2024, and sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. (Sunday, Oct. 1, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Registration is required.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27
MILLION TO ONE: The second annual Prince George’s County Film Festival officially kicks off on Thursday, but community members can get involved as early as Wednesday. The festival will host a free community screening of Million to One, a movie produced and directed by Prince George’s film office grant recipient Harold Jackson III. (National Harbor; 6:30; FREE).
TALK OF THE HILL: Journalist Bill Press returns with another thought-provoking one-on-one conversation. This month, he sits down with American writer, playwright, director, and producer, George Stevens Jr. (Hill Center; 7 p.m.; $10)
JAZZ IN CANAL PARK: Canal Park in Navy Yard is hosting jazz on Wednesday nights through October 11. This week, groove to a free jazz concert by Juniorbryce. (Canal Park; 6:30 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Past Lives screening (Milian Park; 7:30 p.m.; FREE), Neon Trees (9:30 Club; 7 p.m.; $30), Witchy Autumn Equinox Party (Dew Drop Inn; 7 p.m.; FREE), Educator Night Out (International Spy Museum; 5 p.m.-8 p.m.; FREE but registration is required), Neon Trees (9:30 Club; 7 p.m.; $30+), Potomac River Jazz Club Jazz Talk with Steve Herberman (Virtual; 7 p.m.; FREE)
THURSDAY, SEPT. 28
NATIONAL MALL OF PICKLEBALL: The Trust for the National Mall and Humana are bringing America’s newest obsession to the Mall. Starting Thursday, anyone can book a pickleball court and play for free. There will also be celebrity matches, a rec league tournament, pickleball clinics, cooking demos and even a D.C. Pickleball Team showcase. (National Mall; various times; FREE)
IF BOOKS ARE BANNED: Ahead of banned book week, Sixth & I is hosting a discussion on the movement to ban books. Attendees will get to hear from PEN America Washington Managing Director Nadine Farid Johnson, author and journalist James Kirchick, DC Public Library Executive Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan, and The Washington Post education writer Laura Meckler. After the discussion, drag queen Tara Hoot will read a banned children’s book.(Sixth and I; 7 p.m.; $15)
LOVE LETTERS: Originally performed virtually during the COVID-19 lockdown, Love Letters is a unique, imaginative theater piece. In the play, actors read letters exchanged over a lifetime between two people who grew up together and went their separate ways. This Kennedy Center debut marks the first time the show will be performed before an in-person audience. (Kennedy Center; 7:30 p.m.; $69)
MORE: Sense of Tumor Cancer Comedy Showcase (Silver Spring Black Box Theater; 7:30 p.m.; $25), La Salpêtrière (Capitol Hill Arts Workshop; 7:30 p.m.; $9), Art + Wine + Cheese: Jill Malouf (Nepenthe Gallery; 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.; FREE) Anomaly (Washington Printmakers Gallery; various times; FREE), Dorothy’s Dictionary (Washington Stage Guild; 7:30 p.m.; $50+)
