55 Issues to Do in DC This February: Concert events, Ebook Talks, Extra

Joyful February, DC!

Take your Valentine to a romantic R&B live performance this month, or groove to the beats of native musician Bartees Unusual at 9:30 Membership. There’s additionally a ton of creator talks, new artwork displays, and Black Historical past Month occasions to maintain you entertained this month.

10 Greatest Issues to Do in DC

by Pat Padua

Books

Geraldine Brooks

February 10

Geraldine Brooks and her husband, Tony Horwitz, each hung out as journalists masking war-torn areas, so their later life collectively on Martha’s Winery was a welcome idyll. However this era was reduce quick when Horwitz died all of the sudden in 2019. Brooks’s new guide, Memorial Days, movingly recounts their life collectively.

Music

Mdou Moctar

February 11

On the 9:30 Membership along with his band final yr, the Tuareg guitarist walked into the group to play solos–an electrifying efficiency of songs from his album Funeral for Justice. He has since reworked that materials for an acoustic album; the change of venue and vibe ought to end in a extra subdued expertise, however with equally mesmerizing musicianship.

Music

Bartees Unusual

February 15

As a follow-up to his breakthrough 2022 album, Farm to Desk, the DC-area musician and producer celebrates Valentine’s Day with a brand new report referred to as Horror. It deftly conveys love and concern in a flexible musical template that man­ages to honor each Fleetwood Mac and Parliament Funkadelic.

Music

Seong-Jin Cho

February 18

This extremely touted younger Korean pianist is releasing recordings of all of Maurice Ravel’s solo piano works, which he’ll carry out of their entirety at this live performance.

Books

Rebecca Romney

February 19

Everybody is aware of Jane Austen’s novels, however what about these of Elizabeth Inchbald and Frances Burney? They’re among the many authors who impressed Austen however have been principally misplaced to time. In Jane Austen’s Bookshelf, Romney–cofounder of the native rare-book firm Kind Punch Matrix–chronicles her efforts to uncover Austen’s influences.

Museums

“We Collect on the Edge”

February 21–June 22

This vibrant exhibit tells the story of Black historical past by way of intricate, wall-size textiles, together with Marion Coleman’s 2014 quilt “Tender Gardens,” above. The concept was hatched after Carolyn Mazloomi, an aerospace engineer who based the Girls of Shade Quilters Community, donated 35 items from her assortment to the museum in 2023.

Museums

“Timeless Mucha”

February 22–Could 18

Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) was a key participant within the Artwork Nouveau motion. This exhibit explores how his distinctly elegant graphic artwork had an affect lengthy after his demise, inspiring psychedelic designs within the Nineteen Sixties and even up to date Japanese manga.

Theater

The Eventualities

February 26–April 6

A world premiere from playwright Matthew Capodicasa, this play appears to be like at what occurs when an out-of-work actor will get an uncommon improv gig: A police division hires her to create fictional disaster conditions that may practice legislation enforcement to cope with the mentally sick. Issues don’t go easily.

Edith Wharton’s traditional novel has been tailored repeatedly for stage and display screen. The newest effort comes from DC playwright Karen Zacarías, who workshopped the play-in-progress final yr by means of Area’s Kogod Cradle sequence and now presents the completed product.

Museums

“Uncanny”

February 28–August 10

An unsettling assortment of dreamlike and nightmarish depictions of ladies, the items right here have been created by artists who work with kinds of surrealism–from Remedios Varo’s ethereal figures, under, to Laurie Simmons’s absurd ventriloquist dummies.

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Need Extra Issues to Do?

by Briana Thomas

Arts and tradition:

• Browse objects from makers and artisans on the Lunar New 12 months Market at Smithsonian Arts + Industries Constructing (February 1, free, Nationwide Mall).
• Watch artists battle it out in an entertaining Tremendous Artwork Combat at Black Cat (February 1, $20, Shaw).
• Watch a documentary screening of Who within the Hell is Regina Jones? to be taught in regards to the co-founder of historic Black publication Soul journal (February 2, free, Nationwide Gallery of Artwork).
• Opera followers could have the uncommon alternative to see the lately recovered Morgiane by Nineteenth-century Black composer and conductor Edmond Dédé (February 3, $30+, U Road Hall).
• The Smithsonian Anacostia Neighborhood Museum’s first after-hours artwork celebration of the yr opens with the theme “Daring & Stunning: After Darkish” (February 6, free, however waitlist tickets out there, Anacostia).
• Browse mixed-media artist Jabari Jefferson’s new Black historical past exhibition “Sacred Areas,” a tribute to native African American historic figures Harriet Tubman and Benjamin Banneker (February 8 by means of December 30, free, Annapolis).
• Tour gardens all over the world with botanical horticulturist Keith Tomlinson (February 9, $30, digital).
• Binge-watch a mixture of quick and have movies at DC Unbiased Discussion board (February 12-17, $13, a number of DC areas).
• Attend a guide signing with authors of Radical Paper Lynn Sures and Michelle Samour at Phillips Assortment (February 14, $20, Dupont).
• Create your individual cacao-inspired codex, and be taught in regards to the historical past of chocolate (February 15, free, Smithsonian American Indian Museum).
• NMWA Nights is again for after-hours museum enjoyable together with hands-on crafts, stay music, and cocktails (February 19, $25, Northwest DC).

 

Neighborhood and heritage:

• Be a part of a web based lecture about “Capital Brutalism,” presently on view on the Nationwide Constructing Museum (February 3, $25, digital).
• Ring within the Lunar New 12 months with bites from native meals vans, and stay cultural performances at Twin Lakes Golf Course (February 8, free, Fairfax).
• Commemorate George Washington’s Birthday on the first president’s historic property (February 17, free, Mount Vernon).
• Attend the annual George Washington Birthday Parade in Outdated City (February 15, free, Alexandria).
• The DC Black Historical past Movie Competition celebrates Black tradition by means of artwork and movie on the Lincoln Theatre (February 28, free, U Road Hall).

 

Theater:

• DC’s Scena Theatre recreates Ajax at Atlas Performing Arts Middle (by means of February 9, $50, H Road Hall).
• A speaking puppet brings comedic reduction to a play about religion and morality in Hand to God at Keegan Theatre (February 1 by means of March 2, $54, Dupont).
• Actress Sarah Silverman’s co-written manufacturing The Bedwetter: The Musical opens at Area Stage (February 4 by means of March 16, $69+, Southwest DC).
• Clap alongside to folk-rock hits within the new musical adaptation of Paul Simon and Artwork Garfunkel’s profession (February 5, $100+, Downtown).
• Signature Theatre takes on an upbeat manufacturing of the Latin New York Metropolis phenomenon Within the Heights (February 11 by means of Could 4, $40+, Arlington).
• Take your Valentine to Je’Caryous Johnson’s Video games Girls Play (February 13, $44+, Nationwide Theatre).
• Don’t miss the US premiere of playwright John Kani’s Kunene and The King (February 16 by means of March 16, $39+, Penn Quarter).
• Corn-filled musical comedy Shucked arrives at Nationwide Theatre (February 25 by means of March 2, $69+, Nationwide Theatre).

 

Exhibits and performances:

• Mega comic Kathy Griffin does standup at Warner Theatre (February 1, $75+, Warner Theatre).
• Sam Morril brings his humorous The Errors Tour to DC (February 7, $35+, Warner Theatre).
• NPR’s All Issues Thought-about host Ari Shapiro leads a solo cabaret-style present at Wolf Entice (February 7, $58+, Vienna).
• The novel Crime and Punishment is dropped at life on stage by the American Ballet Theatre (February 12-16, $50+, Kennedy Middle).
• Comic and filmmaker W. Kamau Bell is bound to have audiences laughing out loud at Kennedy Middle (February 13, $35+, Kennedy Middle).
• Get tickets to Step Afrika!’s high-energy step present (February 16, $39+, Warner Theatre).
• The Second Metropolis improv troupe celebrates 65 years of comedy at Wolf Entice; tickets are going quick (February 19-22, $48+, Vienna).
• Comic Jo Koy makes a tour cease at Capital One Area (February 22, $38+, Capital One Area).

 

Music:

• Washington Wizards’ Friday Night time Live performance Sequence returns with headliners Yard Band and Junkyard Band, and rapper T.I. (February 7, 21, $12+, Capital One Area).
• Nationwide Symphony Orchestra performs Mozart and Beethoven hymns at Mount Vernon (February 11, $68+, Mount Vernon).
• Take heed to the Peabody Institute’s Songs from Inside live performance—a group of narrations from prisoners (February 13-14, free, digital, Baltimore, Penn Quarter).
• R&B singers Joe, Musiq Soulchild, and Eric Benét carry out a soulful live performance (February 15, $135+, Downtown).
• You’ll be able to spend Valentine’s Day weekend with R&B stars Trey Songz and Tamar Braxton (February 16, $59+, Congress Heights).
• You’ll be able to see 5 orchestras in a single night time on the Kennedy Middle (February 17, free with ticket, Kennedy Middle).
• Indie duo Toro y Moi & Panda Bear are stay at 9:30 Membership (February 17, $46, Shaw).
• Have an intimate folks music night with singer-songwriter Jason Isbell (February 27, $91+, Warner Theatre).
• Rap stars and R&B vocalists Latto, Bryson Tiller, Hunxho, Jacquees, Skilla Child, and Massive Boogie share the DMV Winter Fest stage (February 28, $59+, Capital One Area).

 

Bites and drinks:

• Fulfill your candy tooth at Virginia’s three-day Chocolate Lovers Competition the place you may sip scorching cocoa, make your individual chocolate bars, and style treats from distributors (January 31 by means of February 2, free admission, $1 for deal with tokens, Fairfax).
• Elevate a glass to Black Historical past Month at Metrobar’s Cheers and Beers tasting (February 8, $32, Brentwood).

 

Issues to do with children:

• The favourite kids’s  TV present Paw Patrol is stay at EagleBank Area that includes characters Marshall, Skye, Chase, and extra pups (February 1-2, $25+, Fairfax).
• Children can go on a Navajo-inspired exploration at The Different Youngsters of the Solar (February 22 by means of March 9, $25+, Kennedy Middle).

 

A model of this text seems within the Feruary 2025 concern of Washingtonian.