Washington Planner: Domestic Invasion Edition
From that very first fanny pack you spot on the Metro, you know that the annual Tourist Invasion of our Nation’s Capital has begun. As we brace for three months of excruciating, smothering heat and throngs of Girl Scouts on troop pilgrimages to the monuments, it’s nice to remember the benefits of being a local. This week, there’s plenty to do to get out and shake it – if you can brave the mean streets of Washington and all the rogue elementary school safety patrol groups that have descended upon them…
MONDAY, JUNE 11
A Spy Thriller Lunch Break:David Ignatius swings by Chapters (1512 K St) at 1 pm to sign copies of his book Body of Lies, a post 9-11 novel about counterintelligence and all manner of espionage goodness.
Great Bands Play Mondays, Too: Cross the moat to Arlington for the Eames Era at Iota tonight, opening for Exit Clov. $10, 8:30. (Ladies, you may recognize “Could Be Anything” by Eames Era from Grey’s Anatomy season one. Well, guys, you might too. More guys should watch that show. OK, I digress.)
TUESDAY, JUNE 12
You’ve Got These Claws…: Remember Swingers? When Jon Favreau whirls Heather Graham around the dancefloor at the end of the movie while Vince Vaughn looks on with intoxicated delight? Right. Well, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is swinging by the Birchmere on Tuesday, so bring your best gal and re-live the movie. Or at very least, get nostalgic for the big band era. Or its late-nineties revival. Whatever you were alive for. 7:30, tickets $29.50.
Michael Moore-less Documentaries!: Taking a pass on “Sicko”, refusing to put any coin in Moore’s coffers? Don’t ignore docs totally. AFI’s “SilverDocs” festival kicks off on the 12th, so swing by www.silverdocs.com to get information on attending the festivities.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13
Gearing Up For The Fringe Festival…: Washington CityPaper hosts a Happy Hour celebrating the pending DC Fringe Festival at Temperance Hall (3634 Georgia Ave, Petworth), 5:30-8:30.
THURSDAY, JUNE 14
Exit The Comfort Zone: Hide your conservative credentials (and wear a hat to cover those horns we have, of course) and swing through Busboys and Poets on Thursday evening at 7 pm to see Ralph Nader chatting about his book Seventeen Traditions.
The Stork Brought It, Honey: If you were anything like me when you were a child, you were full of questions, the most important of which was (around the age of three) “Mommy, where does big government come from?”. Well, Ronald Pestritto and the Heritage Foundation are going to finally give me my answers. Lunch, Heritage, noon o’clock, free.
FRIDAY, JUNE 15
Not Just About Pilgrims and New England WASPs: The Mayflower Foundation hosts its Summer Gala at DAR Constitution Hall (did you know the address is 1776 D Street? Does anyone else find this adorable?). Tickets are $65 if you buy them now, $75 at the door. The gala benefits the Higher Achievement Program of DC and will of course feature a whole host of DC’s young professional bright young things social set. Open bar, a good cause, you can’t go wrong.
A Double Dose of Artsy: The National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden provides the scene for “Jazz in the Garden”, a weekly outdoor showcase of DC’s jazz music scene. From 5-8pm, come enjoy a soothing jazz atmosphere, a little fresh air, and some artistic surroundings. This week features Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA, which the website lists as “modern jazz”. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll hear a little jazz flute…and that’s with a soft “j”.
SATURDAY, JUNE 16
All The Pretty Little Horses: Head out into horse country in Maryland for the Courage Cup’s “Champagne, Charity, and Chukkers” Meadow Matches. Rumor has it that Patrick Gavin will be playing polo on a Segway. Yeah, I’d pay money to see that. Get a tailgate together or hop on a bus, the options are limitless. Visit www.couragecup.com for more details.
The Real DC Social Scene: Polo not your thing? No worries. While the socials play with the horses, the scenesters will be celebrating the album release party for Washington Social Club. Tickets $12, 9:30 club, doors at 8 pm. And another awesome local band, The Dance Party, will be opening for them. Come, shake it, bask in the glow of a great local music success, and find me singing along loudly to the title track “Bigger Than Your Boyfriend”.