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So, bluegrass fans, yes or no: Is D.C. really a bluegrass capital? The D.C. Music Salon says yes—-it has been since the 1950s, mostly thanks to a few key groups like The Stoneman Family, The Bluegrass Champs, The Country Gentlemen, and The Seldom Scene. George Washington University faculty member Kip Lornell (who also cowrote The Beat: Go-Go’s Fusion of Funk and Hip-Hop) is writing a book about D.C.’s bluegrass history, and tonight, Lornell and some local musicians will chat on the topic for this month’s salon. Drop by to hear some live tunes, watch footage of local players, and learn about one of D.C.’s less heralded music scenes. 7 p.m. at the Watha T. Daniel-Shaw library, 1630 7th St. NW. Free. More information on Facebook.
If you like your ballet with a tab of LSD, you shouldn’t hesitate to check out The Washington Ballet‘s world premiere of ALICE (in wonderland), which kicks off tonight at the Ken Cen. For this one, artistic director Septime Webre is pulling out all the stops: fantastical Victorian-inspired costumes by Liz Vandal (of Cirque du Soleil’s OVO), an entirely new score, and, according to WaPo dance writer Sarah Kaufman, a hang-glider sized Jabberwocky puppet. At the moment, the ballet’s entire run is sold out (no surprise there), but you might just be able to score tickets in the standby line. Tonight’s show begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater. $50-$155 (sold out). Performances continue through Sunday.
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