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FRIDAY

Its name means “mystic phallus,” and not because that’s funny. Its leader, Thomas Stanley, with his sad-serious eyes and phenomenally long dreadlocks, strikes a reflective figure on stage. And its subject matter, from the “N” word to the president’s problems, is serious. But for all the gravitas surrounding the local performance art group Noumenal Lingam, there is intentional humor and levity injected into its works. Powerball: When the Blind Stumble It Is Not for Lack of Light is Stanley’s latest libretto; it focuses on human fallibility, with the Lewinsky affair as backdrop. Backed by a huge space-jazz ensemble, including turntables, various percussion, keyboards, singers, bass, guitar, and saxophone, as well as a troupe of dancers and a slide show, Stanley recites his “bop-a-delic proverbs” over the band’s bitchin’ brew of swirling funk freakouts. Noumenal Lingam performs at 8 p.m. at the D.C. Jewish Community Center, 16th & Q Sts. NW. $10. (202) 546-2629. (Christopher Porter)