Local Ish: 5/29-5/31

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Being as I am in sales (for my paying job), I always associate the end of the month with making sure I’m hitting my quota.  And though this doesn’t relate directly to your weekend, it could have implications if you don’t heed this warning…cops have quotas to hit too, so be extra careful this weekend.  On my 9 mile commute home from work last night I drove past 3 speed traps and also a spot where the cops where checking registration and emissions of every vehicle trying to get onto the highway (with plenty of drivers pulled over and being issued citations).   Bottom-line is that if you’ve had too much too drink, call a cab.  Trust me, it’ll be cheaper in the long run and we don’t want anyone getting hurt or killed out there, especially those who read our little blog.

Now, enough of the serious, on to the fun…

DC Improv – all week and weekend long, actor/comedian Ralph Harris (who made his feature film debut in Dreamgirls) brings his standup routine to the city’s premier comedy spot.  He is a well-honed comic with a previous Comedy Central Presents special as well as an episode on HBO’s Comedy Half-Hour.  The show is 18+ with a 2-item minimum, tickets available here.

The 28th Annual Vintage Virginia Wine Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Bull Run Regional Park.  This event has grown to the point where now they play host to over 50 wineries.  Here you will not only be able to taste the wines, but for those of you that are collectors, you will also have the opportunity to buy from a huge variety with over 300 vintages being present.  As a side note, with the weather starting to get nicer out, you may also want to check out Bull Run for their camping facilities as well as their public shooting center, which includes sporting clays, skeet, trap, wobble trap and indoor archery.

They have been running this all month long but as May is wrapping up, it would be nice to give an extra push to a good cause doing something for another good cause.  Let me explain…D.C. Central Kitchen (which is in their 20th year) first began operations to combat hunger back in 1989 by redistributing excess food from the Presidential Inauguration.  “The Kitchen is founded on the premise that when fighting poverty, one must fight to win by using every resource available.”  Now this is by no means a “soup kitchen” by your traditional definition.  Instead, they look to fight the poverty by looking at some of the interconnected problems in an effort to correct them.  One example is by their Culinary Job Training prepares “unemployed, underemployed, previously incarcerated persons, and homeless adults for careers in the foodservice industry.”  As a way to help support these efforts, Murphy’s Irish Pub in Alexandria will continue to donate 10% of the proceeds off of their specials to D.C. Central Kitchen so order a stuffed flounder with crabmeat to go with your Guinness.  (you can also donate directly)

In a down economy, oftentimes you need to be a little creative in order to stretch your entertainment dollar, occasionally…you can get a little help.  On the Kennedy Center’s Millenium stage, you can catch a free performance (every Monday – Friday at 6:00pm).  This Friday’s show features Shange Dance Productions which was founded in 2004 by Kutia Jawara “to provide talented dancers and choreographers the opportunity to work in the professional arena.”  Ms. Jawara “aims to create new work that is rooted in modern techniques and laced with ballet and West African dance” and which “continues to amaze its audiences with inspiring choreography that speaks to the experiences of African Americans.”  (Full schedule of free performances).

For those of you who can afford to pay for a show at the Kennedy Center, they’ve got you covered as well.  As the final performance for the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)’s Pops season, The Temptations (if you don’t know who they are, you outta be smacked) will be performing concerts both Friday and Saturday nights (led by Principal Pops Conductor Marvin Hamlisch).  This should be quite a performance and was an excellent selection for closing out the season.  (More details and tickets)

And finally, courtesy of Washington City Paper’s 2009 DC Summer Music Guide, here are some selected musical events this weekend:

5/29 Friday

• 9:30 Club: U.S. Air Guitar Championships: Washington D.C. Regional Competition. $15.
• Champions Billiards: The Marquees (featuring former members of Marvin Gaye’s first band). Free.
• IOTA Club & Cafe: Future, Among Criminals. $10.
• The State Theatre: Carl Filipiak and the Jimi Jazz Band, Tom Principato. $15.

5/30 Saturday

• 9:30 Club: Cake (additional show Sun., 5/31). $40.
• Black Cat: Isis, Pelican, Tombs (Mainstage). $13 adv/$15 dos.
• DAR Constitution Hall: Jagjit Singh. $35-105.
• Kennedy Center Terrace Theater: D.C. Youth Orchestra. Free.
• Merriweather Post Pavilion: M3 Rock Festival: Twisted Sister, Ratt, Extreme Kix, Dokken, Slaughter, Y&T, Gilby Clarke, Keel, Jetboy, L.A. Guns, Jani Lane (formerly of Warrant), XYZ, BulletBoys, Carmine Appices Slamm, Steel Panther. $35€“$75.

5/31 Sunday

• Lisner Auditorium: Saverio Mercadante’s €œIl Giuramento.€ $30€“$90.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend and (as always), I love getting feedback from anyone who attends any of these events.  Also, if you have suggestions for next weekend…send them in.

udothedishes…