Friday, April 13
Lil Rel Howery at Arlington Drafthouse: As an inquisitive and outspoken TSA officer in “Get Out,” actor Lil Rel Howery nearly steals the whole movie — especially the horror-comedy’s fist-pumping climax. That should have come as no surprise to fans who watched Howery get big laughs on the NBC sitcom “The Carmichael Show.” Howery had been grinding it out in comedy clubs for years before catching his big break, but now he’s top-lining his own Fox sitcom pilot, “Rel,” will star with Tiffany Haddish in the movie “Uncle Drew” and will appear with Sandra Bullock in the Netflix post-apocalyptic film “Bird Box.” Before those screen roles, he heads back to the stand-up stage for a series of shows in Arlington. Through April 14. $20.
‘Snow Child’ at Arena Stage: See the world premiere of this new musical based on Eowyn Ivey’s fairy-tale-inspired novel, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2013. In Arena Stage’s adaptation, the struggles of a homesteading Alaskan couple in 1920 are set to a score influenced by Americana string bands. There’s magic in the air, though, when a mysterious girl is spotted in the snowy landscape. This show is the first musical to debut as part of Arena Stage’s Power Plays initiative, with the goal of developing 25 new plays and musicals from 25 writers within 10 years. Through May 20. 8 p.m. $65-$110.
Thousand Incarnations of the Rose: A Festival of American Primitive Guitar in Takoma Park: A new music festival celebrates Takoma Park native John Fahey and his co-pioneers of “American primitive,” an influential style of fingerpicked guitar playing that can sound both rough and virtuosic. The style has spread slow and steady across the American underground since Fahey’s death in 2001, and festival organizers thought it was time to bring the guitarist’s legacy back home. They invited more than two dozen practitioners of American primitive to perform on Fahey’s stomping grounds, striking a thoughtful balance between living legends (Peter Lang, Max Ochs, Harry Taussig, Peter Walker) and rising torch carriers (Marisa Anderson, Daniel Bachman, Nathan Bowles, Rob Noyes). Through Sunday at various venues in Takoma Park. Weekend passes are sold out. Each day features free events open to the public.
[John Fahey's psychedelic legacy was born in Takoma Park. This festival is bringing it home.]
Ezko at Songbyrd: Trawl through local rapper Ezko’s SoundCloud page and you’ll hear everything from yawning melodies about love and lust (a new single called “The Plug”) to hopscotching shout-outs to A Tribe Called Quest (“NFWT” from last year’s “Buy Myself” mix tape). If Ezko sounds a little scattered, he says it only proves that he’s telling the truth. “I’m conflicted on a lot of things,” he says. “I think that’s a part of being an artist and a human being, period.” 8 p.m. $10.
YFN Lucci at the Fillmore: Fresh off the release of his debut album, “Ray Ray From Summerhill,” YFN Lucci seems ready to let the world know who he really is. Although he certainly hasn’t forgotten fans who prefer their rap full of bravado, here the Atlanta rapper is introspective. He’s also an effective narrator, funneling his experiences into songs and baking them with a little inspiration: “Those things we think impossible, you can achieve/ we know it ain’t promised or guaranteed/ but everyone got a dream,” he rhymes hazily on “Dream.” With high powered co-signs all around him — among them Migos, Meek Mill and the Washington area’s own Wale — Lucci seems that much closer to realizing his own. 8:30 p.m. $22.
15 Shades of Grisette Release Party at Old Ox Brewing: Women from 15 local breweries came together on International Women's Day to brew a special farmhouse ale, and it's finally time to taste the results. Join some of the brewers at Old Ox Brewing in Ashburn. Proceeds from sales of 15 Shades of Grisette benefit the Pink Boots Society, which offers support and scholarships for women in the brewing industry. 2:30 to 10 p.m. Free.
Saturday, April 14
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and Sakura Matsuri Festival: This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival lasted far longer than the pink flowers’ peak bloom, and it comes to an end with two events in the heart of downtown Washington. The parade, which moves along Constitution Avenue between Seventh and 17th Streets NW, includes floats, marching bands, giant inflatable balloons and live music from Arrested Development and “The Voice” veterans Sarah Potenza and Billy Gilman. A few blocks away, on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, the Sakura Matsuri street festival celebrates Japanese culture with four stages of traditional and pop musicians from both sides of the Pacific; demonstrations of games, culture and martial arts; family activities; and food vendors and beer and sake gardens. 10 a.m. to noon (parade) and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (festival). Parade viewing is free; street festival costs $10 for adults and is free for ages 12 and younger.
Rhode Island Avenue Porch Fest: On one Saturday each year, music fills the air along Rhode Island Avenue NE, ringing out from restaurant patios and the front porches of homes. The fifth annual Rhode Island Avenue Porch Fest is part bar crawl, part music festival: Fans wander between stoops and stops to hear different bands — rock, country, smooth jazz, old-school funk, indie folk — playing for free outdoors in the Brookland and Woodridge neighborhoods. Food trucks and local restaurants provide picnic fare, and don’t miss the beers pouring at the Public Option brewpub, which has one of the more popular pop-up stages. 2 to 6 p.m. Free.
Grilled Cheese Social at Homestead: After four years drawing diverse crowds to Marvin's rooftop deck for hip-hop and R&B DJs, gooey sandwiches and cold drinks, the Rock Creek Social Club is moving its Saturday afternoon gathering two stops up the Green Line, to Homestead restaurant in Petworth. DJ Jerome Baker III and special guests keep the party going inside and outside, including on Homestead's rooftop deck, until late. 3 to 11 p.m. Free with RSVP.
Slow Art Day: Sometimes, when we visit museums, we're in such a rush to see as much art as possible that we don't slow down and truly immerse ourselves in the works in front of us. That's what the international Slow Art Day aims to change. At the Hirshhorn Gallery of Art, for example, docents will lead 30-minute explorations of single pieces in the gallery's collection every half-hour throughout the day. The National Museum of Women in the Arts encourages visitors to examine five different works for 10 minutes each before meeting with a museum educator to discuss their observations. The National Portrait Gallery and Dumbarton Oaks are also participating. Various times and admission prices.
Gin World Gin Festival at Sax: The biggest day of the year for D.C. gin fans, this annual festival brings the opportunity to taste dozens of gins, learn about gin at seminars, and even taste various styles of tonics. Whether a fan of traditional English gins (Sipsmith, Portobello Road) or American craft gins (Spring 44, Bluecoat, New Holland), there's something at Gin World to discover. Noon to 4 p.m. $63.
Sunday, April 15
Hurray for the Riff Raff, Waxahatchee and Bedouine at the 9:30 Club: A trio of women, each with distinctive voices and genres, teams up for a triple bill in the District. Hurray for the Riff Raff, led by enigmatic frontwoman Alynda Lee Segarra, a former runaway who train-hopped her way around America as a teenager, headlines its form of ramshackle Americana. Katie Crutchfield, meanwhile, is the voice behind punky indie-rock act Waxahatchee, which offered a more polished sound on last year’s “Out in the Storm.” Bedouine, the solo project of Azniv Korkejian, who immigrated to America at age 10, will open the show with a set of quiet but compelling ’60s- and ’70s-inspired folk songs. 7 p.m. (doors). $25.
U.S. Girls at Union Stage: “Expect the unexpected” is perhaps the best tip for listening to U.S. Girls. It was once an ironic moniker for Meg Remy’s solo work, but she added musicians for her latest album, “In a Poem Unlimited,” which is her most fully formed work. The album is an exploration of feminine rage, dealing in lover’s revenge, sure, but also well-considered responses to various forms of gendered violence and trauma. It pulls from disco, pop and even ambient influences to make something as brilliant as its creator. While #MeToo and #TimesUp are fresh on everyone’s mind, U.S. Girls evokes a feeling that existed long before those hashtag movements and will exist long after as some of the most compelling music that righteous indignation can make. 7:30 p.m. $13-$15.
Bavarian Beer Garden Kickoff at Owen's Ordinary: Just in time for spring, Owen's Ordinary is reopening its beer garden with an Oktoberfest-in-April party. Dance to an oompah band, play Oktoberfest games, chow down on bratwurst and kielbasa, and, most important, sample beers from 10 German breweries, including Mahr's Brau, Gänstaller Brau and Kulmbacher. (Five German-style beers from D.C.'s Bluejacket brewery are available for those who want to drink beers made closer to home.) Noon to 5 p.m. Free; beers priced individually.
— Fritz Hahn, Adele Chapin, Rudi Greenberg, Chris Richards and Briana Younger