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The National Gallery of Art gets a lot of play in this section, and with good reason—its permanent collection is unmatched in this city and rivaled by only a select group of museums in the country (and the world). That means it’s full of gems that are easy to miss among the rest of the gallery’s superb offerings. One worthy painting is literally out of sight, at least at first: Titian’s “Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos,” which is mounted on the ceiling of a gallery in the West Building’s ground floor. This isn’t just a quirky choice—the painting was always intended to be a ceiling piece. St. John is posed, both in the scene and physically, as if the viewer is looking up at him from below. Originally, it was the centerpiece of a ceiling decoration for a prominent confraternity dedicated to St. John the Evangelist in Venice, surrounded by 20 other panels. While not considered Titian’s greatest work—he spent more time and effort on pieces for his wealthiest clients (emperors and princes)—it’s a substantial painting, and its scale and placement does much to enhance the viewer’s experience. Like St. John in the painting, viewers have to crane their necks to glimpse the figure of God the Father peeking through the clouds to reveal himself to those below. —Emma Sarappo
FRIDAY
Science of SpeechFour highly respected and politically aware hip-hop acts—Talib Kweli, Styles P, Jay Electronica, and Dead Prez—come together on the “Science of Speech” tour. This is the concert for those hip-hop junkies who appreciate intelligent content and razor-sharp lyricism. Its frontliner, Kweli, broke into the music industry as one half of the seminal group Black Star, then launched a successful solo career; his 2003 hit “Get By” is one of the greatest alternative singles in hip-hop history. Read more >>> The show begins at 8 p.m. at The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $35. (301) 960-9999. fillmoresilverspring.com. (Sidney Thomas)
Carrie Underwood is trying not to let cheating boyfriends with souped-up four-wheel drives get to her anymore, but when they do, she makes a point to Cry Pretty. 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. $49–$229.
Stephen Chbosky, the author ofThe Perks of Being a Wallflower, will discuss his new novel, Imaginary Friend. 7 p.m. at Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 70 District Square SW. Free.
Chicago-based Mexican American singer Victor Internet tours in advance of the release of his debut EP. 8 p.m. at Songbyrd Music House, 2477 18th St. NW. $13–$15.
SATURDAY
Visual Poetry and Double VisionThrough early October, Photoworks is spilling out of its cozy confines at Glen Echo Park and into the neighboring Popcorn Gallery with a pair of exhibits featuring a combined 100 photographs. In Visual Poetry, an image or series is paired with verse; of special note are Diane Charnov’s photograph of tail lights seen through a rain-speckled windshield, Gayle Rothschild’s moon and indigo sky captured through spectral window blinds, Alejandra Vallejo’s spindly palms set against an ocean horizon, and Mac Cosgrove-Davies’ eclectic assortment of more than a dozen tiny, framed scenes. Read more >>> The exhibitions run to Oct. 6 at Photoworks and the Popcorn Gallery at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Free. (301) 634-2274. glenechophotoworks.org. (Louis Jacobson)
In Pittsburgh-based slowdanger‘s empathy machine, five dancers collaborate with a responsive LED sculpture and two computational artists to physicalize intimacy in a futuristic society. 8 p.m. at Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. $15–$30.
Iconic percussionist Sheila E. marches to the beat of her own drum—all the way to D.C. 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $49.50–$79.50.
After an extended hiatus, Bombay Bicycle Club are back together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut record and the release of an apparently forthcoming album. 10 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $35.
SUNDAY
Akua AllrichAkua Allrich is one of D.C.’s most gifted jazz singers. A graduate of Howard University, she reflects the breadth of the African diaspora in her music. It incorporates African American jazz and soul traditions, as well as her deep knowledge of various cultures from across the African continent. One of the local jazz calendar’s highlights is Allrich’s annual tribute to Nina Simone and Miriam Makeba, now in its 11th year. Read more >>> Akua Allrich performs at 7 p.m. at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. $20–$30. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org. (Sriram Gopal)
Fairview—which won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for drama—features a dysfunctional family reunion and a strange group of voyeurs observing them from outside; the play finishes its run at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company on Sunday. 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m. at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. $15–$68.
Kid Quill‘s rap is less prickly than his name might suggest. 8 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $13–$50.
Jeannie Vanasco will discuss her memoir Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl, the story of interviewing her rapist 14 years after the fact. 3 p.m. at Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free.
MONDAY
Maggie RogersMaggie Rogers is “the Pharrell girl” no longer. In 2016, a video of Rogers earning Pharrell Williams’ unequivocal adulation launched her from talented NYU student to the cusp of folk-pop stardom. She released the finished cut of “Alaska”—the song Williams called “singular” and likened to a “drug”—and its pulsing, electric beat propelled the single to 13th on Billboard’s U.S. Adult Alternative Songs chart. Read more >>> Maggie Rogers performs at 8 p.m. at The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. $45–$75. (202) 888-0020. theanthemdc.com. (Amy Guay)
Find contemporary jazz pianist Keiko Matsui performing smooth jams in Virginia. 7:30 p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $45.
Rick Ross docks his Port of Miami 2 tour in Silver Spring. 8 p.m. at The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $38.50.
Post-presidency, George W. Bush took up painting—now, a collection of his portraits of veterans opens for display in the nation’s capital. To Nov. 15 in the Kennedy Center REACH, 2700 F St. NW. Free.
TUESDAY
Soul PowerIn 1974, an all-star concert of top R&B, salsa, and African acts was scheduled to take place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), along with the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. But Foreman got injured while training, so the music festival ended up happening six weeks before the postponed fisticuffs (where Ali defeated Foreman). Both events were filmed, but due to legal issues, the boxing release When We Were Kings didn’t come out until 1996 and the concert movie Soul Power was held up until 2008. Read more >>> Soul Power screens at 8 p.m. at Suns Cinema, 3107 Mount Pleasant St. NW. $10. sunscinema.com. (Steve Kiviat)
Paquita, famous for its Act III wedding but rarely performed in its entirety, shows off the amazing turns and classical technique of the Mariinsky Ballet. 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center Opera House, 2700 F St. NW. $39–$150.
10 years after his American Idol win, Kris Allen is on tour with his career-defining songs in the setlist. 7:30 p.m. at City Winery, 1350 Okie St. NE. $30–$35.
Meanwhile, Kiana Ledé, the girl Allen told about winning an American Idol talent search, performs in advance of her debut album. 7 p.m. at U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. $25.
WEDNESDAY
We Banjo 3When you think about it, traditional Irish music mixed with classic bluegrass is a match made in folk music heaven. We Banjo 3 have used this synthesis to great effect, creating a unique, infectious, and poignant style, dubbed “Celtgrass,” that has made them one of the biggest names in contemporary Irish music. Their fifth album, Haven, topped the Billboard bluegrass charts and received critical acclaim upon its release in 2018. Read more >>> We Banjo 3 perform at 7:30 p.m. at The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. $16.75–$45.25. (202) 769-0122. thehamiltondc.com. (Tristan Jung)
Rosemary Feit Covey‘s show The Dark ReImagined, full of detail-heavy work featuring the natural world and its decay, closes Wednesday. 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Morton Fine Art, 52 O St. NW #302. Free.
Charlie Parr‘s quest to sing his folk songs has put over 200,000 miles on his Kia. 7:30 at Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $15–$18.
German guitarist Ottmar Liebert, famous for his takes on Spanish guitar music, plays with his band Luna Negra. 7:30 p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $35.
THURSDAY
clipping.Best known for originating the roles of Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in Hamilton, Daveed Diggs has also spent much of the decade in an experimental rap group, clipping. Alongside producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, Diggs makes experimental hip-hop with the same multisyllabic attack found in his work with Lin-Manuel Miranda, but with beats much noisier and pneumatic. Never ones to shy away from high concepts, the forthcoming album from the Los Angeles trio, There Existed an Addiction to Blood, remakes horrorcore in their own image. Read more >>> clipping. perform at 7 p.m. at U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. $25. (202) 588-1889. ustreetmusichall.com. (Chris Kelly)
The Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation’s 2019 HillFest kicks off with panels about women in jazz and mental health among performers, plus live jazz between them. 11 a.m. at 700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free.
Enchanting singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky plays in Vienna. 8 p.m. at the Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. $28–$30.
Electro-pop trio SHAED‘s breakout single “Trampoline” was just remixed with One Direction alum Zayn Malik. 7 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $25.
NEWS AND REVIEWS YOU CAN USE
News: Event organizers are putting a premium on consent in D.C. spaces.
Theater: Candida is perhaps the wrong George Bernard Shaw play to stage in 2019, even if it was his most popular.
Theater: Synetic Theater’s wordless adaptation of The Tempest speaks volumes.
Film: Joker is “the cinematic equivalent of bullying”—a cowardly film in a thriller’s shell.
Galleries: Bob Ross‘s joyful paintings are finally available for viewing unmediated by a screen.
OFFICE OF FUTURE PLANNING
Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday for K. Michelle at the Warner Theatre on Nov. 20. 8 p.m. at 513 13th St. NW. Ticket prices to be announced at time of sale.
Tickets are on sale now for GWAR at 9:30 Club on Dec. 27. 8 p.m. at 815 V St. NW. $25.
Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday for Amber Liu at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Feb. 8. 8 p.m. at 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Ticket prices to be announced at time of sale.