We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
If you’re bored in D.C., that might be your own fault. Luckily, City Lights is here to help.
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
Girls Gotta EatAre you hungry? Whether you’re craving some greasy food or relationship advice, Ashley Hesseltine and Rayna Greenberg, two self-professed food lovers and media mavens, have you covered. The duo’s podcast is, fittingly, called Girls Gotta Eat, and the show’s simple magic is that it covers topics at the heart of universally asked relationship questions: When is it OK to get seriously committed? Why isn’t he that into you? Can you date your co-workers? More importantly, how do you balance today’s social media landscape with sex and romance? READ MORE >>> The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. $35–$70. (202) 888-0050. thelincolndc.com. (Sarah Smith)
Yola is Walk[ing] Through Fire on her world tour. 8 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $20.
Catch local band Fellowcraft, supported by Shovel and Laws of Average, in an intimate space. 7 p.m. at The Pocket, 1508 North Capitol St. NW. $8–$10.
The Almost are almost ready to play. 7 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $18–$35.
SATURDAY, JAN. 11
CimafunkOne day, Erik Iglesias Rodríguez was in a Cuban medical school class, thinking not about biochemistry, but about the inspiring singer he had recently seen onstage, Ray Fernandez. That’s when Rodríguez decided to give up on becoming a doctor and to become a musician instead. He utilized his teenage choir background and his passion for music from the ’60s through the ’90s to get a job five years ago on a cruise ship singing Motown songs. Back in Cuba, he then started a band, and began referring to it—and himself—as Cimafunk. READ MORE >>> Cimafunk performs at 10:30 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $30–$50. (877) 987-6487. unionstage.com. (Steve Kiviat)
Don’t miss this display of the Akili Ron Anderson sculpture of Jesus and the Apostles found behind drywall last year. 11 a.m. at Studio Acting Conservatory, 3423 Holmead Place NW.
Bite Your Tongue and listen to a group of women in the food industry tell true, hilarious, and heartwrenching stories. 7 p.m. at Hook Hall, 3400 Georgia Ave. NW. $20.
Get into the groove with Giles McConkey, playing alongside Moody Mouse and Tweed. 8 p.m. at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. $10.
SUNDAY, JAN. 12
Studio + Laboratory and Surface from Under the MicroscopeSimultaneous National Academy of Sciences exhibits probe both the workspaces and the work products of scientists. Stefanie Bürkle, an art professor at the Technical University of Berlin, pairs artists’ studios with scientific labs, in a style that owes a deep debt to Dusseldorf School photographers Andreas Gursky and Candida Höfer. The rooms she documents—always devoid of people—are lived-in yet crisply portrayed down to their reflective tinfoil, their spaghetti networks of wires, and their delicate polygonal models hung from the ceiling. READ MORE >>> The exhibitions run to Jan. 31 (Bürkle) and March 13 (Kent) at the National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave. NW. Free. (202) 334-2415. cpnas.org. (Louis Jacobson)
Step Afrika! Step Xplosion promises to be a kinetic, joyful celebration of the region’s best step squads, and offers a preview of Step Afrika!’s new work Drumfolk. 5 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. $35–$75.
Cuba Va! is closing on Sunday—get in to see it before it’s gone. Noon at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. $8–$10.
Richard I. Suchenski is offering an illustrated talk on cinema and art history, smashing together images from films and one from the National Gallery of Art’s collection. 2 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art’s West Building Lecture Hall, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free.
MONDAY, JAN. 13
Alexander BoxerFrom celebrity social media posts to the modern convenience of the Co-Star app, the human fascination with astrology has been piqued, not dampened, by 21st-century technology. In Alexander Boxer’s A Scheme of Heaven: The History of Astrology and the Search for Our Destiny in Data, readers can enjoy an engrossing narrative that examines the ancient origins of astrological belief and runs through the subject’s vast changes over thousands of years. READ MORE >>> Alexander Boxer speaks at 7 p.m. at Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 70 District Square SW. Free. (202) 364-1919. politics-prose.com. (Tristan Jung)
The Backcountry Film Festival aims to celebrate humans in nature (and includes a raffle for some sweet gear). 7 p.m. at Penn Social, 801 E St. NW. $17.
The Capitol Lab Band is a big band in both style and number—they’re 17 pieces strong. 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $22.
Prachi Gupta is speaking about her new biography of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC: Fighter, Phenom, Changemaker! 7 p.m. at Solid State Books, 600 H St. NE. Free.
TUESDAY, JAN. 14
Connie HanJazz pianist Connie Han is carefully crafting an edgy, even punk-ish stage persona for herself. It’s in everything from her dark glower and “Bad Seed” T-shirts to her debut album’s title (Crime Zone). Yet listeners who expect a loud, contentious, or contrarian sound from this not-yet-24-year-old pianist will be surprised. Han is actually rich in the tradition: a diligent student of Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and the blues who fits easily into the straight-ahead jazz landscape. READ MORE >>> Connie Han performs at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $25. (202) 337-4141. bluesalley.com.(Michael J. West)
Author Ada Calhoun is trying to figure out Why We Can’t Sleep. 7 p.m. at Solid State Books, 600 H St. NE. Free.
The DAR Museum is pulling some objects out of their cases so you can get a closer look. Noon at the DAR Museum, 1776 D St. NW. Free.
Danish klemzer giants Mames Babegenush are leading a workshop bookended by a performance from the band. 6 p.m. at Bossa Bistro, 2463 18th St. NW. $15–$20.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15
A Clockwork Orange There’s no better way to embrace a new year than with a bit of dystopia, right? Well, maybe not the current warmongering in the White House—try instead a screening of A Clockwork Orange at the West End Cinema. The adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel of the same name was initially banned in a lengthy list of countries including Ireland, Singapore, and South Africa. It focuses on teenager Alex (played by Malcom McDowell) and his so-called ultra-violence. READ MORE >>> The film screens at 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. at the West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. $9.75–$12.75. (202) 534-1907. landmarktheatres.com. (Sarah Smith)
The Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation bring together Katya Cengel, author of From Chernobyl with Love, and Shilpa Jindia, a freelance journalist, for a talk about reporting abroad. 7 p.m. at Loyalty Bookstore, 827 Upshur St. NW. Free–$31.75.
What’s that sound? Probably the hiss from Hiss Golden Messenger coming to town. (Also, a dollar from every ticket goes to the Durham Public Schools Foundation.) 7 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $26.
Beyoncé impersonator Riley Knoxx describes her act as an “illusion.” 8 p.m. at City Winery, 1350 Okie St. NE. $25–$45.
THURSDAY, JAN. 16
American Authors and Magic GiantYou’ve probably heard of the New York-based band American Authors if you turned on your radio or shuffled through a Top 40 playlist on Spotify in 2013. That’s when the alt-rock group first burst onto the country’s airwaves with the feel-good anthem “Best Day of My Life.” The song went multi-platinum and set the Authors on their way to releasing their freshman album, Oh, What A Life, an indie-folk rock collection that spawned another hit, “Believer.” READ MORE >>> American Authors and Magic Giant perform at 7 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $25. (202) 265-0930. 930.com. (Christian Paz)
FiveThirtyEight’s politics podcast goes live: Nate Silver, Clare Malone, Micah Cohen, and Galen Druke discuss the winnowing Democratic field. 6 p.m. at Sixth & I, 600 I St. NW. $45–$100.
Hello, winter: Goodbye July and Jackie & the Treehorns will help warm you up. 8 p.m. at Pie Shop DC, 1339 H St. NE. $10.
Mavi‘s music focuses on black liberation. 8 p.m. at Songbyrd Music House, 2477 18th St. NW. $12–$15.
NEWS AND REVIEWS YOU CAN USE
Cover story: Check out City Paper‘s Fiction Issue winners—there are some real gems in here.
Theater: We chatted with accomplished thespian Craig Wallace.
Film: Just Mercy is a realistic, compelling look at racism and the criminal justice system.
Books: Not the Girl You Marry is a typical romance novel with some twists that elevate the work.
Music: Miles Ryan has moved into the events space with his new venue, The Pocket.
Cartoon: Liz at Large, “Sun”
Books: A D.C.-area documentary photographer captured China’s movie industry in his new book Once Upon a Time in Shanghai.
OFFICE OF FUTURE PLANNING
Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday for Kesha at The Anthem on June 2. 8 p.m. at 901 Wharf St. SW. $57.75–$127.75.
Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday for Rod Stewart and Cheap Trick at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Aug. 15. 7:30 p.m. at 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. $39.50–$750.