Joan Baez, Reyna Tropical, and Maurice James Jr., Oh My!: City Lights for July 25–31

A new exhibit imagines a Black Utopia, Baez talks poetry, and music from the Pointer Sisters, Reyna Tropical, Open Mike Eagle, and Plena Libre.

Opens Friday: Maurice James Jr.’s New Negro at Art of Noize Graphic artist Maurice James Jr. is reimagining Black history through art. Although his career only started in 2021, he’s become quite prolific during those three years. By March of 2023, he was displaying his work at three overlapping exhibits, and this year he was…

by Dorvall Bedford, Christina Smart, Brandon Wetherbee, Serena Zets, Steve Kiviat and Ella Feldman

A Night With Prince, Girls Rock!, and More: City Lights for July 18–24

Two films, pop punk from the Dollyrots, spellbinding guitar from Tinariwen, a showcase from Girls Rock!, and a festival celebrating Colombia’s Independence Day.

Thursday: Under the Cherry Moon at Franklin Park In a city with literally hundreds of outdoor movie night options, it’s somewhat surprising there aren’t more Prince-themed options. Sure, it’s not unlikely to see Purple Rain on a lawn near you, which makes sense because it’s Prince’s best movie, but the unlikely showing of the artist’s…

by Brandon Wetherbee, Pat Padua, Heidi Perez-Moreno and Steve Kiviat

Book Fair, Brutalism, and Progression: City Lights for July 11–17

That’s right, an adult book fair at Folger Library, two Insta-worthy photo exhibits, The Last Podcast on the Left at Warner Theatre, and Pebble to Pearl rock the dock.

Daily: Progression at Multiple Exposures Gallery It’s a project with a design so convoluted that few would dare attempt it twice within nine months. But the photographers of Multiple Exposures Gallery are game for another Progressions exhibit, in which 15 members contribute 45 images in sequence, thematically playing off the previous image with either a…

by Louis Jacobson, Brandon Wetherbee, Serena Zets and Simone Goldstone

Forget the Fourth: DC Does Dischord, Sixth Sense in a Cemetery, and More City Lights for July 3–10

A record release for DC Does Dischord, sad girl indie rocker Daphne Eckman plays in the park, Cinematery returns, new shows at the Phillips and Photoworks, and Emily Nussbaum on reality TV.

Friday: Yesterday & Today: DC Does Dischord Release Party at the Black Cat D.C.-based label For the Love of Records is putting on a show to celebrate the release of their new compilation album. Entitled Yesterday & Today: DC Does Dischord, the LP is a tribute to the area’s hardcore punk heritage by some of…

by Will Lennon, Brandon Wetherbee, Allison R. Shely and Louis Jacobson

Lavender Evolutions Creates Third Spaces for QTBIPOC Washingtonians

“We share similar values. Not just in what we want for a party but in what we want for our community and how to live.”

Some of the best ideas are born in the living rooms of D.C. group homes. Lavender Evolutions, the ever-growing D.C. collective, began as one of those ideas. While living together in the Petworth home, lovingly referred to as the Giant Peach for its vibrant peach-painted facade, Madi Dalton and Leslie Tellería continued the group house’s…

by Serena Zets

FIGHTMASTER, Orville Peck Close Out Pride: City Lights for June 27–July 3

The masked queer country star lands at the Anthem, FIGHTMASTER takes Atlantis, Pride poetry reading, Mdou Moctar, and Neuroland by Michal Gavish.

Thursday: Mdou Moctar at the 9:30 Club The Nigerien guitarist has come a long way from his first U.S. tour in 2017, when his whirlwind immersion in Washington culture included a gig at the Library of Congress and a three-day residency at Episcopal High School before culminating in a headlining performance at the Black Cat.…

by Pat Padua, Lizzy Rager, Serena Zets, Brandon Wetherbee and Louis Jacobson

Crosswords and Ethio-Jazz: City Lights for June 20 Through 27

Embrace your nerdy side with the Crossword Show, listen to Mulatu Astatke, see the world premiere of Rachel Lynett’s latest plays, visit a couple of art shows, and get ready for Mdou Moctar.

Thursday through Sunday: Letters to Kamala and Dandelion Peace at Universal National Memorial Church Voices Festival Productions presents the world premiere production of two plays by Wisconsin-based playwright Rachel Lynett, Letters to Kamala and Dandelion Peace. Directed by A. Lorraine Robinson, the show is staged in the basement theater of the Universal National Memorial Church…

by Ian Thal, Brandon Wetherbee, Steve Kiviat, Louis Jacobson and Pat Padua

Tekno, Trees, and 10,000 Dreams: City Lights for June 13 Through 19

An ode to Asian choreography, music performances from Nigerian afrobeats singer Tekno, local Ethio-jazz artist Munit Mesfin, and Kumbia Queers, plus a cult film screening and Jo Levine’s latest exhibition.

Friday: Munit Mesfin at Lubber Run Based in the D.C. area, Ethiopian-born vocalist Munit Mesfin is skilled in multiple genres. She plays some gigs strictly focused on Ethiopian music, as well as Roberta Flack tribute shows and family performances with Munit and Z Lovebugs, but she’s a member of global music ensemble Project Locrea. In…

by Steve Kiviat, Pat Padua, Louis Jacobson, Brandon Wetherbee and Rebecca J. Ritzel

Pride Weekend May Be Over, But the Events Continue

Remember, it’s a month, not a weekend, so there are plenty more LGBTQIA events happening in the District to keep you celebrating Pride for the rest of June.

Take a nap, drink some water, and wipe the glitter from your eyes—or don’t. D.C.’s official Pride Weekend may have concluded with Sunday, June 9, but as we always say, June is a marathon, not a sprint. With 20 more days left of Pride Month, we’ve rounded up some especially great events aimed at offering…

by Sarah Marloff and Serena Zets

Alice Randall, Blvck Hippie, Pride: City Lights for June 6 Through 12

Take a tour of musical genres this week with Alice Randall on Black country, Blvck Hippie’s avant-garde indie, guitar virtuoso Gary Clark Jr., and Aussie indie-pop band Sheppard; also, Baltimore artist Edgar Reyes explores growing up Chicano in the DMV

City Lights welcomes you to Pride Month. As per usual you’ll find our regularly scheduled event previews below, but if you’re looking for something a little—or a lot—more queer, check out Blvck Hippie below along with the first half of City Paper’s 2024 Pride Guide. For parade and festival lovers, this is the weekend. You…

by Serena Zets, Will Lennon, Colleen Kennedy, Christina Smart and Heidi Perez-Moreno

Brazilian Guitar Masters, Bill Evans, and More: City Lights for May 30 Through June 5

Yamandu Costa and João Bosco play D.C. this weekend, Shannon and the Clams play the Black Cat, Julia Chon’s latest artwork is on display in the lobby of the Silva apartment building, and more.

Friday and Saturday: Brazilian Guitar Masters Festival at Miracle Theatre and Catholic University This weekend offers an opportunity to hear Brazilian masters of guitar from two different generations, who each bring their own unique songcraft touches: Yamandu Costa and João Bosco. Costa, 44 is a Latin Grammy-winning instrumentalist who plays a seven-string acoustic guitar rather…

by Stephanie Rudig, Steve Kiviat, Colleen Kennedy, Brandon Wetherbee, Michael J. West and Heidi Perez-Moreno

Dragula and Lots To Look At: City Lights for May 23 Through 29

The Boulet Brothers make Halloween in May, DanceAfrica DC returns, and enticing visuals from Franz Jantzen, Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann, Terry LaRue, and more.

Saturday: Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Season 5 Tour at Fillmore Silver Spring Unless you’re a Ministry devotee, you may not realize every day is Halloween. Unless you’re a drag aficionado over the age of 30, you may not realize there’s an entire drag ecosystem outside of RuPaul’s World of Wonder. If the Venn diagram of your…

by Brandon Wetherbee, Allison R. Shely and Louis Jacobson

Beyond the Parade: A 2024 Pride Guide to D.C.

Hold on to your sequins. From Memorial Day Weekend to June 30, the nation’s capital is alive with queer and trans events to celebrate, commemorate, and honor Pride Month. Here’s a solid sampling.

The sun is shining, Partiful invites are popping, outfits are coming together, and across the city rainbow flags are flying.  It can only mean one thing: Pride is upon us! Here in the nation’s capital, Pride festivities begin Memorial Day Weekend with DC Black Pride—one of the largest and greatest Black Prides in the country.…

by Serena Zets and Sarah Marloff

Nicole Chung, Zodiac Suite, and More: City Lights for May 16 Through 22

The Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium’s Walk Weekend means free entry to neighborhood museums, high schooler photos shine in So It Goes, Nicole Chung’s final stop in D.C., and Aaron Diehl pays homage to Mary Lou Williams with a free concert of Zodiac Suite.

Thursday: Nicole Chung at People’s Book Author Nicole Chung continues to take the DMV by storm with an event celebrating the paperback release of her bestselling 2023 memoir, A Living Remedy. Chung will be joined by Clint Smith, the D.C.-based author of How the Word Is Passed and an Atlantic columnist. Chung has done many events…

by Serena Zets, Emma Francois, Rebecca Ritzel and Louis Jacobson

Seeing Green Through Dance, Dog Film Fest, and More: City Lights for May 9–15

BANDportier’s All Tomorrows at Dance Place, a zine workshop, IN Series combines the Odyssey and the Vietnam War, the Capital Jewish Museum pays homage to the deli, while Arlington Drafthouse shows us the best of dogs and cats.

Friday: Zine Workshop at People’s Book Even as the world becomes increasingly digital, zines (small-circulation magazines) persist as a common method of information dissemination and storytelling. In recent years, political movements have used zines to counter online disinformation and surveillance tactics and people across the globe have turned to zine creation to document their experiences…

by Serena Zets, Heidi Perez-Moreno, Colleen Kennedy, Brandon Wetherbee and Hannah Docter-Loeb

La Perla, Jazz Greats, and More: City Lights for May 2–8

This outta-control lineup includes La Perla’s first DMV performance, Babehoven at DC9, a grand piano for Benito Gonzalez and Allyn Johnson, a dazzling film at AFI, a villains ball, and the American women who became Brilliant Exiles.

Thursday: Belle and Sebastian at the Anthem Don’t forget this show highlighted in last week’s City Lights: After Belle and Sebastian’s Sarah Martin graduated from university, she took a job in a local bookshop. “My mum was like, ‘Yeah, but what are you really going to do?’” Martin tells City Paper. “I was like, ‘No,…

by Heidi Perez-Moreno, Michael J. West, Brandon Wetherbee, Pat Padua and Samantha Ostwald

Anna Deavere Smith and a Chocolate Festival: City Lights for April 25 to May 1

Mariah Stovall discusses her debut novel, a chocolate lover’s dream, Smith lectures at NGA, Bodega at Comet, and Belle & Sebastian next Thursday.

Thursday: Oneohtrix Point Never at Howard Theatre Don’t forget this show highlighted in last week’s City Lights: “Daniel Lopatin, who performs and creates under the moniker Oneohtrix Point Never, constructs sample-heavy, synthesizer-forward compositions that conjure a sense of tuneful existential dread.” Friday: Mariah Stovall at Lost City Books As a literary agent, Mariah Stovall is…

by Serena Zets, Alan Zilberman, Christina Smart and Heidi Perez-Moreno

ENNIO, Art Films at NGA, and More: City Lights for April 18–25

Wine and chocolate with Giuseppe Tornatore’s documentary, discover Margaret Tait, a contemporary art pop-up from Morton Fine Art, Maureen Minehan’s solo exhibit, and Oneohtrix Point Never at Howard.

Opens Friday; With a Wine and Chocolate Party Saturday: Ennio at AFI Silver After graduating from Rome’s Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia with a degree in composition, Ennio Morricone found himself in a condition familiar to many of those who study the creative arts: educated, talented, and broke. He took odd jobs playing trumpet on the…

by Will Lennon, Brandon Wetherbee, Allison R. Shely, Louis Jacobson and Matt Siblo

New Worlds, Atmosphere, and More: City Lights for April 11–17

A must-see exhibit at NMWA, German indie rockers Giant Rooks in D.C. along with Ethiopia’s Qwanqwa, Atmosphere’s spring tour, a dance-theater piece paying homage to Sting, and more.

Opening Sunday: New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts I wrote about this exhibit for March’s Spring Arts Guide, but after seeing it in person it felt especially important to boost my recommendation of New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024. During the press tour, Katie Wat, chief curator…

by Serena Zets, Sarah Marloff, Dave Nyczepir, Steve Kiviat, Brandon Wetherbee and Allison R. Shely

Curtis Sittenfeld, District Dreamers Film Fest: City Lights for April 4 to 10

A new film festival debuts, the Romantic Comedy author talks with East City Bookshop, the DC History Conference and Capital Art Book Fair return, plus Peter Pan, and a “postmodern, fever dream memento mori” art exhibition.

Thursday through Saturday: The DC History Conference at MLK Library The 50th annual DC History Conference will offer presentations from historians, journalists, graduate students, and current and former area residents with specialized knowledge on the myriad aspects of D.C. life from the 1700s to the present. Thursday night, April 4, the event kicks off with…

by Steve Kiviat, Coley Gray, Colleen Kennedy, Serena Zets and Allison R. Shely

Washington Women in Jazz Festival: City Lights for March 28 to April 3

The 14th annual festival wraps this weekend, Woven Histories is now open at NGA, Multiple Exposures Gallery shows tough times, not ruin porn, and Nairobi artist Prina Shah has a solo show at Morton Fine Art.

Saturday and Sunday: The 14th Annual Washington Women in Jazz Festival Though the 14th annual Washington Women in Jazz Festival has already hosted multiple events this March, it is closing out the month with a hopping, final weekend. Saturday starts off with a live recording of the Washington Women in Jazz podcast the Turnaround and…

by Steve Kiviat, Stephanie Rudig and Louis Jacobson

Revolutions, Plant Sales, and Cider: City Lights for March 21–27

Join ANXO Cider in raising funds for DCAF during Women’s History Month, kick off the Hirshhorn’s 50th anniversary year, check out the Nationals Prospects on Tuesday, and take in some architecture art.

Thursday, Saturday, and Wednesday: Women’s History Month DCAF Fundraiser at ANXO Cider ANXO Cider is honoring Women’s History Month with a ton of events at their Brightwood Park location, housed within Brightwood Pizza & Bottle, raising funds for the DC Abortion Fund. Upcoming March events include Wednesday wine tastings accompanied with music by local DJs…

by Serena Zets, Brandon Wetherbee, Louis Jacobson and Stephanie Rudig

New Work From Justin Weaks: City Lights for March 14–20

The actor presents a memoir-in-performance, Capitol Hill Chorale remember Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, and visual art exhibits from Jo Levine’s grasses to NMAA’s Knotted Clay.

Saturday and Sunday: The Music of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church Although romantic-era composer Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) received the same education as her famous younger brother Felix Mendelssohn (best known for the ubiquitous “The Wedding March”), even her own father declared her musical output as “only an ornament” to her calling…

by Colleen Kennedy, Louis Jacobson and Irene Bantigue

Bratty and Soomin Ham’s Photos: City Lights for Feb. 29–March 7

Culiacán’s 23-year-old singer-songwriter comes to Songbyrd while women rockers put a queer spin on Americana at Pearl Street, Soomin Ham at MEG, a new play at the Kennedy Center, and California Soul comes to D.C. next Thursday.

Thursday: Bratty at Songbyrd On the opening track of TRES, the third album by 23-year-old Culiacán, Mexico, native Jennifer Abigail Juárez, the singer-songwriter confesses over a gentle acoustic guitar that she wants to “Write a new album/ One that’s really worth it.” That sort of frankness and insecurity, narrated in Juárez’s sweet soprano voice, has…

by Ella Feldman, Colleen Kennedy, Anupma Sahay, Louis Jacobson and Simone Goldstone

Last Wednesday, Rhett Miller: City Lights for Feb. 22–28

Ali Sethi at Wolf Trap, Last Wednesday open for Flowerbomb, Rhett Miller’s solo tour lands in D.C., Madi Diaz plays the Atlantis, and local poets discuss Saretta Morgan’s ALT-NATURE.

Thursday: Last Wednesday at Quarry House Tavern Most fledgling high school musicians who want to rock out find a few friends to jam with in a very accepting parents’ basement or garage and that’s about the extent of their music career. Last Wednesday, a Maryland-based rock quartet, have long graduated past the garage door, playing…

by Christina Smart, Steve Kiviat, Colleen Kennedy and Serena Zets

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.