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This week you can warm yourselves up by seeing the iconic women of ’90s R&B live, hear about some grizzly murder mysteries, and watch rowdy talking dogs solve crimes. Catch the latest in news, reviews, and ticket sales at the bottom of this newsletter. —Kayla Randall
FRIDAY
Toni Braxton and SWVBack in 2013, Toni Braxton almost retired from music, telling The Grio, “For what I do I have to love it. I have to feel that excitement and it’s gone.” But the R&B legend was able to unbreak her heart, reuniting with longtime collaborator Babyface for an album of duets. Braxton appears to be all the way back now, returning with her first solo album since 2010, last year’s Sex & Cigarettes. Read more>>> Toni Braxton performs with SWV at 8 p.m. at The Theater at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill. $137.50–$353. (844) 346-4664. mgmnationalharbor.com. (Chris Kelly)
The St. Lawrence String Quartet performs classical masterworks at The Barns at Wolf Trap. 7:30 p.m. at 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. $40.
The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage welcomes the unique South Louisiana music stylings of Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas. 6 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. Free.
Five-piece bluegrass-rock band Greensky Bluegrass performs at The Anthem. 7:30 p.m. at 901 Wharf St. SW. $40–$75.
SATURDAY
My Favorite Murder LiveDoes the word “Murderino” mean anything to you? How about the phrase “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered”? Do you ever end conversations with “Elvis, do you want a cookie? Meow!”? If you answered “yes” to any or all of these questions, this event has probably been on your radar for months. And if not, this event will quickly initiate you into the fandemonium that follows Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark and their beloved podcast My Favorite Murder. Read more>>> The show begins at 8 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW. Sold out. (202) 628-1776. dar.org. (Diana Metzger)
Legendary reggae group The Wailers perform a Bob Marley birthday tribute at The Hamilton. 8 p.m. at 600 14th St. NW. $25–$35.
D.C. Latin-Celtic music fusion band La Unica performs a free Groundhog Day show at Pearl Street Warehouse. 8 p.m. at 33 Pearl St. SW. Free.
Jazz trumpeter Ron Miles performs music from his project I Am a Man at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. 7 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. $45.
SUNDAY
PAW Patrol Live!: Race to the RescueNo venue is too big and no pup is too small for your kids’ (and maybe your) favorite crime-solving talking dogs. And now these CGI purebreds come to life for an afternoon of thrilling entertainment that doesn’t cost much more than a movie. Well, unless you get the meet-and-greet VIP package—just tell junior you never got to meet Luke Skywalker, it’s a good lesson to learn at an impressionable age. Read more>>> The show begins at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax. $15–$175. (703) 993-3000. eaglebankarena.com. (Pat Padua)
Author and paleobotanist Kirk R. Johnson speaks at Politics and Prose about his new book Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline, which takes readers along the Pacific coast in search of fossils and fossil lovers. 3 p.m. at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free.
Anacostia Arts Center screens The Let Out, a film which uses the collective memories of regional residents to tell the story of go-go music. 3 p.m. at 1231 Good Hope Road SE. $10.
Suns Cinema screens the powerful political film Come Back, Africa, which chronicles the cruelty and injustice black people suffered under apartheid. 7 p.m. at 3107 Mount Pleasant St. NW. $8.
MONDAY
Angela J. Davis“This powerful book demands our fierce attention,” proclaims Toni Morrison on the cover of Policing the Black Man, Angela J. Davis’ most recent high profile contribution to the growing canon of literature on race and America’s justice system. From profiling to prosecution, Policing the Black Man analyzes the justice system’s discriminatory methods, ultimately condemning its treatment of black boys and men. Read more>>> Angela J. Davis speaks at 6:30 p.m. at Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free. (202) 387-1400. kramers.com. (Amy Guay)
Soul and jazz vocalist Miki Howard performs at City Winery. 8 p.m. at 1350 Okie St. NE. $35–$45.
The jazzy Herb Scott Quartet, lead by D.C. native and saxophonist Herb Scott, performs at Blues Alley. 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $20.
The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage welcomes two rock bands from the local community music school Levine Music, J Rock Experience and The Blamers. 6 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. Free.
TUESDAY
NAO“You leave and return, you’re just like Saturn to me,” NAO croons on the title track of her sophomore studio album, Saturn. According to astrological lore, the Saturn return is the window of time when Saturn returns to the position it occupied at one’s birth. This cosmic coming-of-age usually takes about 29 years to occur and initiates a transformative chapter of personal growth and monumental changes. So, the British singer-songwriter decorated all of the heartbreak, growing pains, and regenerative rapture of her Saturn return with the sounds of her childhood, like Afropop beats, dancehall rhythms, and proto-funk grooves. Read more>>> NAO performs at 7:30 p.m. at The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $30. (301) 960-9999. fillmoresilverspring.com. (Casey Embert)
Australian country singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers performs at The Birchmere. 7:30 p.m. at 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $39.50.
Soprano Sarah Brightman performs at DAR Constitution Hall. 8 p.m. at 1776 D. St. NW. $50–$275.
Folk singer Justin Nozuka performs at Jammin Java. 7:30 p.m. at 227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna. $20–$30.
WEDNESDAY
Sharon Van EttenAnne Helen Petersen’s recent Buzzfeed essay, “How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation,” captured the guilt and confusion many feel about being too overwhelmed to complete simple chores. It ignited a conversation about burnout, its causes, and those who suffer from it. Sharon Van Etten’s first record in four years—recorded during a time when she was pregnant, going to school, beginning an acting career, and recording music for film and television—coincidentally arrives just in time to be a fitting companion to this conversation. Read more>>> Sharon Van Etten performs at 7 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $30. (202) 265-0930. 930.com. (Justin Weber)
Warbly Jets brings its brand of pop meshed with rock to Songbyrd Music House. 8 p.m. at 2477 18th St. NW. $12–$14.
Seven-piece groove band Ripe performs at U Street Music Hall. 6 p.m. at 1115 U St. NW. $18.
Local rock singer-songwriter Rachel Levitin hosts a free acoustic open mic night at Union Stage. 7:30 p.m. at 740 Water St. SW. Free.
THURSDAY
Musiq SoulchildIn the book Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove, The Roots bandleader recalled the jam sessions that the legendary crew hosted at his South Philly home at the turn of the millennium. “Before I knew it, there was round-the-clock music: singers, musicians, MCs. Some of the people there were from The Roots, but most weren’t. Most were normal people who aspired to careers in entertainment. All were welcome,” he wrote. “The pizza delivery guy… thought that maybe he’d take his turn on the microphone, too, because he had done some singing, and he thought he had something to contribute. That was Musiq Soulchild.” Read more>>> Musiq Soulchild performs at 7:30 p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $79.50. (703) 549-7500. birchmere.com. (Chris Kelly)
DMV-based soul singer-songwriter Martha Afework performs at The Fillmore Silver Spring. 8 p.m. at 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $15.
Electronic music duo Cazzette performs at Soundcheck. 10 p.m. at 1420 K St. NW. $15–$20.
Tropical house DJ and producer Lost Frequencies performs at U Street Music Hall. 9 p.m. at 1115 U St. NW. $20–$50.
NEWS & REVIEWS YOU CAN USE
News: What are your burning questions for us, D.C.?
News: Deaf and hard-of-hearing moviegoers take their fight for more open caption screenings to the D.C. Council.
Film: Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a stunning portrait of rural Alabama.
Museums and Galleries: The Newseum’s most self-indulgent exhibitions, ranked.
Theater: In Arena Stage’s Kleptocracy, subtlety is overrated.
Theater: Incongruent timing hinders Ford’s Twelve Angry Men.
Music: The shutdown is over (for now). Come to our next Luce Unplugged showcase at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Music: The Scene Report: Sneaks, Doubler, and GoldLink.
OFFICE OF FUTURE PLANNING
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for jazz crooners and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert house band Jon Batiste & Stay Human, performing at The Anthem on June 15, 2019. 8 p.m at 901 Wharf St. SW. $49–$450.
Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. for reggae group Bumpin Uglies, performing at Union Stage on May 10, 2019. 9 p.m. at 740 Water St. SW. $15–$25.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for pop singer-songwriter Lolo Zouaï, performing at Songbyrd Music House on April 27, 2019. 8 p.m. at 2477 18th St. NW. $12–$50.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. for cellist and singer Neyla Pekarek, formerly of the folk band The Lumineers, performing at Union Stage on April 8, 2019. 7:30 p.m. at 740 Water St. SW. $18–$20.
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