Local Ish: 8/21-8/23

Posted by Stacks (Follow Me)- Stacks was born in DC and raised in VA. That's about all you need to know about him. - To see more posts by this author click here

It has been a couple of weeks since the last Local Ish, but we’re back now and this weekend is absolutely packed with things to do.  No theme this time, just a lot of big name performances both musically and in the comedy world.  Also, we are actively seeking posts from our readers as we want to hear your thoughts and opinions and what types of events are of interest to you.  If you are interested in attending a local event and writing about it, contact us first and we can set something up.  Ok, enough of the administrative stuff, on to the fun…

All Weekend

 Summer (for obvious reasons) is the season when the majority of county fairs take place.  This week (it started on Wednesday and continues throughout the weekend), Arlington County is having their 33rd annual soiree’, complete with the requisite rides, family-friendly activities, vendors, and D-List celebrity.  On the plus side, there does appear to be plenty of things for the kids to do with a list of ‘Kids Court‘ activities, a number of exhibits by the National Aquarium, and outdoor movies (with free admission).

Probably best known for his show, Insomniac with Dave Attell, which ran for over 3 years on Comedy Central; comedian Dave Attell has been doing stand-up comedy for over 20 years. Named one of the 25 Funniest People in America by Entertainment Weekly, this weekend he brings his finely honed stage act to the DC Improv for 4 shows over Friday and Saturday nights.  Tickets are currently still available (as of this posting), but I wouldn’t expect them to be around for very long.  [On a side note, if you've never seen this, you should definitely check it out]

While the Warner Theatre is known more as a musical and live theater venue, it has also hosted many big-name comedians such as the aforementioned Dave Attell, Lewis Black, Chris Rock, and others.  This weekend is no exception as Wanda Sykes will be performing shows both Friday and Saturday nights.  While she is known for her stand-up performances as well as her roles in The New Adventures of Old Christine and HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm…what most people don’t know is that she was Chris Rock’s head writer for many years and is directly responsible for a lot of his most famous routines.  She also was named one of the 25 Funniest People in America by Entertainment Weekly and also like Dave Attell…I expect the show to sell out as tickets are under $40 (which is very inexpensive for this caliber performance).

British metal legend Judas Priest, appropriately, will be the headlining what Merriweather Post Pavilion is billing as Heavy Metal Weekend.  Friday night is Judas Priest with opening bands Kix and Pop Evil.  Saturday night is Coheed and Cambria opening up for Heaven & Hell (aka Black Sabbath minus Ozzy).  Tickets are available individually, or you can save $20 with a 2-day pass.

Friday

 Stop by Cowgirl Creamery (919 F Street NW) sometime today between 2-5pm and sample OYA Restaurant’s Private Label wines (YIN Malbec Blend and YINYANG Pinot Gris Rose) created by Sommelier Andrew Stover.  If you’d like some cheese to go with your wine, you’re in the right place as Cowgirl Creamery offers a variety of artisan cheese and the opportunity to learn a little about the cheese-making process.

Asylum, the DC area’s Rock & Roll Lounge, is such a mainstay that it feels as though it has been there forever.  While it hasn’t been there quite that long, Friday night they are celebrating their 18th birthday with quite a party.  There is no cover and the doors open at 9.  Going on around 9:30 is Lucky Dub, a DC-based, rock-reggae fusion band (Listen here).  From 8-10 enjoy $0.18 beers and from 10-close they are just $1.80.

For those whose humor tastes tend to lean towards the political,  Janeane Garofalo is performing this weekend at the 9:30 Club.  For those not familiar with her work, she was in the Kevin Smith movie Dogma, has made multiple appearances on CNN and Realtime with Bill Maher, and has had both Comedy Central and HBO comedy specials.  Doors open at 8:00 and the show opens with Al Madrigal at of course, 9:30.

Saturday

It can be argued that you will find the hottest women at soccer games versus all other professional sporting events and this weekends DC United game should be even better as it is also Ladies’ Night.  I doubt that it is a coincidence that DC United happens to be playing the LA Galaxy (aka David Beckham’s team), but even in addition to that there are other draws to get the ladies out there including complimentary beverages in a private pre-game area, as well as demos and samples from local boutiques, salons, restaurants, and wineries.  The first time they did this back in May it sold out, so like many of the other events this weekend, get your tickets early.

With 5 Grammys and 14 albums, Peter, Paul & Mary have crossed multiple generations with their music and this Saturday they hope to reach more with their performance at Wolftrap.  Due to the linger effects of her cancer treatment, Mary Travers will not be performing, but Peter and Paul will be performing all of the trios classics in her honor.

Back over at the 9:30 Club we’ve got a shift from the comedy of the previous night to a birthday party for Chuck Brown, The Godfather of Go-Go and founder of a sound that is unique to the DC area.  Special guests include Little Benny and Huggy Lowdown, the doors open at 9, and tickets are still available.

Another comedy performance?  Yep.  However, I can guarantee that this one will be quite a different experience from the others.  In addition to having multiple performers, the Queer Queens of Qomedy are…you guessed it, lesbians.  This all lesbian comedy revue is “taking the country by storm” (according to the website) with performances all across the country.  In this area, they’ll be performing at the Birchmere in Alexandria which is one of the few venues that I must admit I’ve never been to.  The show stars Julie Goldman, Vickie Shaw, and Poppy Champlin and tickets are still available.

Though it may be a little bit of a drive for those of you that live in the city, Purcellville, VA is home to the Hillsborough Vineyards which is a boutique winery about an hour northwest of the city.  From 7-11pm tonight is their Moonlight Sonata which is dinner and wine tasting under the stars, complete with dancing to romantic music provided by DJ Mark Denis.  Admission is $50 and does not include wine.

Sunday

A lot of my friends with bikes tell me that there’s nothing better to do on a summer Sunday afternoon (when it isn’t football season) than to go for a long ride.  This weekend you can do it and benefit a really good cause. Benefiting his Street Corner Foundation which was setup in 2002 to “address the needs, care and well-being of people who are living with HIV/AIDS”, Big Tigger is having his 3rd Annual HIV/AIDS Ride For Life.  SCF aims to help “every HIV Positive and Non-positive population, race and ethnicity, such as:  youth, adults, seniors, heterosexuals, gay, Black, White and Latino” and for this year’s ride they are already expecting over 2,000 riders from over 100 motorcycle clubs.  The ride starts at RFK Stadium and proceeds to Six Flags.  Your $30 registration fee includes entrance to the stadium before the ride and to the park after, where at the conclusion there is the grand finale and cookout.  Additional information available here and merchandise here.  This is a great cause and I encourage you to support it.

Summer is winding down and though it isn’t nearly as important to us now, as it was when we were young (and had 3 blissful months of no responsibility other than checking in with the local ice cream man on a daily basis), I think it is still important to take some time to enjoy the weather.  There are a lot of outdoor events going on this weekend and I hear a lot more complaining about the cold in the winter than I do about the heat in the summer…so take advantage because it will be over before you know it.

udothedishes…

Related posts:

1. Local Ish: All About the Venues ’6/12-6/14′
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3. Local Ish: 4/30-5/3
4. Local Ish: 7/23-7/26
5. Local Ish: Thanksgiving Weekend

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