Hey everyone! This week’s BEST WEEKEND BETS are, as always, hand selected from BYT ALL CITY and carefully calibrated for maximum fun and minimum stress, and will be punctuated with inspirational images of Dr. Steve Brule (and this is long overdue). For your health:

A COUPLE OF PSAs before we start:

• We have a super jazzy event scheduled @ the brand-spankin’ new HOWARD THEATRE on April 26th. It features UNDERGROUND REBEL BINGO, NANCY WHANG FROM LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, GAVIN HOLLAND, MAGIC….get your tickets here (they’re going pretty fast, so don’t say we didn’t warn you)
• ALSO: WE’RE HIRING: click here for our PT programmer needs.
• Our SPRING/SUMMER Guides are live as we speak: peruse the very exhaustive/extensive: FILM+MUSIC+FOOD+THEATRE+ART+STYLE
• Read up on food here, our amazing movie reviews are here, STYLE Licks can be found here, and as always, GAY Best Weekend Bets are coming right up.

OK, ready for the weekend now? (pick your outfits carefully)

THURSDAY

• In the mood for something different and special theatre wise to kick the weekend off in a way that makes you feel good about yourself:
• drag performance legend Joey Arias and master puppeteer Basil Twist come together for a very special Arias with a Twist/Puppets in Drag (AND SPACE) extravaganza @ Woolly. We have a special, intimate, behind-the-scenes look at Joey’s preparation process here. DO NOT MISS IT.
• THEN- LOTS OF GOOD SHOWS:
• BYT Premier girlcrush Eleanor Friedberger returns to Black Cat. GO.
• BYT’s getting-to-be-premier girlcrush Alex Winston is playing U Street Music Hall. GO.
• throwback good times: Fountains of Wayne are @ 930 CLUB
• Definitely worth a trip to Baltimore: Portugal.TheMan are playing Rams Head.
• + DEV. FREE ENERGY. ALICE SMITH. AND MORE.
• then: everyone making good bad decision together at QUE SERA @ Napoleon. #TEAMWORK.
• + other stuff

FRIDAY

• first things first: Check out our “Shows Going On Sale” post/spotify playlist and get all your ticket ducks in a row.
• great, during work/lunch break, free show: Allen Stone plays a Sweetlife session.
• great, after work, free show: Birdlips play Millenium Stage @ 6PM.
• in a continuation of great spring pop-up initiatives in DC, tonight is the big opening of the Water Street project a 10 day extravaganza featuring music, awesome art, food, and more.  Full preview coming your way.
• speaking of great spring pop-up initiatives-Lumen8 is in full swing too. Check out our photos from the opening festivities here and make sure you GO.
• in non-pop-up gallery opening news: checking out Billy Colbert’s opening @ Morton Fine Art is highly recommended.
• Looking for dining ideas? Support one of the restaurants who are working on the 930 club/DC Central Kitchen Soundbites benefit, take a photo of your food on your plate, tweet it at us AND WIN TICKETS to the May benefit.
• EASY.
• shows wise: Jill Barber is @ U Hall. Empresarios and Alma Tropicalia take Hamilton and/or just party on a party yacht?
• for those in the mood to fancy it up, may we suggest Club Corcoran tonight?
• + other stuff

SATURDAY

• daytime activities:
• HAPPY RECORD STORE DAY. To celebrate-buy something and then enjoy listening to it. Need suggestions? Read our “the record that changed my life” story where everyone from A-Trak to Girl Talk to Yacht shares their formative record buying experiences.
• check out the new Joan Miro show @ The Kreeger
• enjoy short movies from France and Germany @ Goethe Institut
• or come feel woman-in-business empowered @ GW. (full disclosure: I am speaking at the 10 am panel)
• in search of a food idea? Eat the Rammy Vote as various locations.
• AT NIGHT:
• the big party tonight is Cherry Blast IV. Always fun.

• MORE SATURDAY:
• it is a great weekend for Eugene O’Neill fans:
• over @ Shakespeare Theatre Company, providing you’re under 35, you can see his groundbreaking Strange Interlude for only $15.
• and at Arena Stage you can see the Neo-Futurists do his complete and condensed works in one night. Nothing not to love.
• Black Cat+930 Club present Charilift AND Nite Jewel @ U Hall. Should be great.
• a 2nd Bad Brains show is added @ Howard Theatre
• ALL OUR NOISE is back with a showcase @ Montserrat
• for those in the mood to sweat it up, may we suggest Fatback?
• movie bonus: this is the closing weekend of Filmfest DC. GO.
• + other stuff

SUNDAY

• HAPPY EARTH DAY! Celebrate by stuffing your face with oysters at POSTE. If you need extra motivation-LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS. OMG.
• HAPPY MOVIE DAY! Alan is at Tribeca Film Festival so expect all sorts of nerd-out  missives but for those of us here and looking to lose a few hours in the dark: Morgan Spurlock’s “COMIC CON” is playing (read our interview with him here) as are “DAMSELS IN DISTRESS” (read our Whit Stillman interview here) as is MARLEY and more. Our FILM column is well stocked with suggestions for both at-home and at-theatre entertainment, so follow it religiously.
• Then also:
• Annie-freakin-Liebovitz is giving a speech @ The Corcoran
• Gospel brunches ahoy: Howard Theatre gets in the game as well.
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff

REMEMBER: THERE ARE A BAJILLION OTHER THINGS TO DO LISTED IN BYT ALL CITY, so use it (to both post your events and search for them) and if you think we may have missed something, comment away–you know you want to.

and as a parting note: