The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

12 things to do in the D.C. area this week

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May 20, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
After years of near silence on any new music, Chromatics performs at the 9:30 Club on Wednesday. (Eric Charbonneau/Invision/Associated Press)

Monday, May 20

‘The Big Picture’ at DC History Center at the Carnegie Library: The sheer number of artifacts in the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s archive is mind-blowing. There are over 100,000 catalogued photographs alone, in addition to thousands of manuscripts, maps and books centered on local history. Most of these items were donated by private collectors, businesses, local organizations and other historical repositories, and date as far back as 1640. The historical society’s new space at the Apple-renovated building — dubbed the DC History Center — boasts two galleries filled with the society’s collections, a remodeled Kiplinger Research Library that will open in July (both free to the public) and a gift shop co-run with Shop Made in DC. Free.

[DC History Center’s exhibition, ‘The Big Picture,’ looks at the city’s past through gigantic panoramic photos]

‘Junun’ at Freer Gallery of Art: If you have time for a longer-than-usual lunch break on Monday, head to the Freer Gallery for this enriching documentary from acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson. The “There Will Be Blood” director followed Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood, a frequent collaborator, as the musician set out to a 15th-century fort in India to record an album with composer Shye Ben Tzur and the musical ensemble the Rajasthan Express. It’s a fascinating (and nearly one hour long) look at the artistic beauty found in collaboration. 1 p.m. Free.

Tuesday, May 21

Sirius Company at Hill Country Live: If you love go-go, you know the story by now. Central Communications, a MetroPCS vendor in Shaw, had been pumping hyper-rhythmic go-go music from its storefront for years — until last month when a resident of a neighboring luxury apartment building demanded silence. For go-go’s faithful, it felt like a punch in the gut. But then, in the words of go-go mainstay Frank “Scooby” Sirius, it started to feel like “a shot in the arm.” Sirius is bringing his current band, Sirius Company, into new venues. The group — which also features the great go-go vocalist Kimberly “Ms. Kim” Michelle — will kick off a new weekly go-go series at Hill Country Live in Penn Quarter — a venue traditionally associated with country singers and folk acts. 9 p.m. $20-$25.

[Sirius Company is moving go-go into new spaces]

‘Charles Hinman: Structures, 1965-2014’ at the Kreeger Museum: In the early 1960s, a group of New York artists turned down the heat of the contemporary art world. Charles Hinman was central to this movement away from the passion, spontaneity and individualism of abstract expressionism, and toward a cooler, more calculated approach to form and content. Yet today he’s less well known than his cohorts, who include pop artists (and onetime Hinman studio mates) James Rosenquist and Robert Indiana. The Kreeger Museum’s “Charles Hinman: Structures, 1965-2014” is the artist’s first retrospective mounted in Washington. Through July 31. Free-$10.

[At the Kreeger Museum, canvases that combine both painting and sculpture]

‘Armageddon’ at Marie Reed Soccer Field: Adams Morgan’s annual summer movie series focuses on space this year, and it kicks off with a delightful ‘90s relic. Michael Bay’s space adventure has gone viral every couple of years, usually when star Ben Affleck’s profanity-laden commentary track roasting of the premise of the movie (a team of drillers who train to be astronauts) resurfaces. Its lasting memory might be the pervasive, ever-so-slightly embarrassing power rock ballad “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” courtesy of Aerosmith. At sunset. Free.

The 1975 at the Anthem: The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, above, can be a little too grandiose at times, but his candor and lofty ambitions are what make the band one of pop’s most interesting acts. The 1975’s latest album, “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships,” is a disjointed effort — abruptly swerving from a shrilling guitar track (“Give Yourself a Try”) to dancehall (“TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME”) to down-tempo (“How to Draw/Petrichor”) — but each song shines in its own right. 7 p.m. Sold out.

Wednesday, May 22

Chromatics at the 9:30 Club: At this point, presidential elections happen more frequently than Chromatics album releases. What a shame, as the world could use more of the quartet’s spellbinding electro pop. Their long-promised release “Dear Tommy” seemed all set to go in 2015. As lore goes, bandleader Johnny Jewel had a near-death experience and took to destroying every last copy of that record. The band has reportedly gone back into the studio to rerecord, but there’s still no sign of when an album will come out. Their first set of live shows in five years began earlier this month with the band’s comfortably dreamy tunes performed in front of a projection of new short films directed by Jewel. 7 p.m. $31.

Channel Tres at Flash: The Los Angeles musician has delivered a few bass-thumping (but tragically short) records in his young career. Channel Tres came to town earlier this year as the opening act for Robyn at the Anthem, and his albums seamlessly translated to a big room as he performed and danced in a trio of stylishly dressed men. It should be an even livelier show on Wednesday, when he takes to the intimate Shaw nightclub and brings his tunes to one of the area’s best sound systems. 10 p.m. $15.

Thursday, May 23

American Football at Black Cat: Can a band find success reinventing their sound two decades deep into their career? Maybe if they take a 17-year hiatus in between. The quartet from Urbana, Ill., are considered the godfathers of emo thanks to their 1999 debut album, which features Mike Kinsella’s soul-searching lyrics buoyed by distinct time signatures and guitar arrangements. The band reunited in 2016 with a follow-up album that tried to capture the magic of their younger, angstier years. The newest record, which grapples with the emotions of maturing, sounds lush, with new instrumentation in the mix and enchanting guest vocalists including Paramore’s Hayley Williams. When the band composed new material for their latest album, perhaps they took Kinsella’s words from 20 years ago to heart: “Honestly, I can’t remember teen dreams / All my teenage feelings and the meanings.” 7:30 p.m. $27-$30.

Friday, May 24

Spring Bling Festival at Royal Farms Arena: Washington’s own radio party for the rising stars of rap isn’t for another couple of weeks, but if you’re itching for a blowout of a concert, head to Baltimore for this outstanding lineup. Cardi B is the clear draw as the headliner, but don’t miss out on the time-distorting flow of Blueface; one of the most intriguing new voices in rap, DaBaby; or one of the newest bullies on the rap playground, BlocBoy JB. 7:30 p.m. $160-$210.

John Waters at Politics and Prose: Following the Met Gala, there was a lot of talk about “what is camp?” Local oddballs know that camp immediately brings to mind one name: John Waters. The Baltimore born polymath will talk about his latest book, “Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder,” a series of appropriately crude essays about his career as a weirdo artist who was able to breach the mainstream. 7 to 8 p.m. Free.

Rivershed Ale release at Port City Brewing Company: The Alexandria brewery is adding another beer to its lineup, and it’s paying homage to the region. Rivershed Ale is a dry-hopped pale ale that will use local grains as a tribute to the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers. The new brew will be available on draft and in a variety of take-home options for any Memorial Day parties you might be attending. 3 to 10 p.m. No cover charge; drinks priced individually.

-- Hau Chu, Rudi Greenberg, Mark Jenkins, Chris Richards and Stephanie Williams