Best Weekend Bets

Hey everyone! This week’s events on DC BEST WEEKEND BETS are, as always, hand selected from our awesome AGENDA HOMEPAGE  and carefully calibrated for maximum fun, minimum stress and will use inspirational images of THE LEGO MOVIE because it is Oscars weekend and lets face it, THEY WERE ROBBED.

• SOLD OUT: our AWESOME Parks & Rec Finale party.
• BUT YOU CAN STILL GO TO: a new series of SLOW RIDE events with New Belgium Brewing. YESSSS. check out how much fun the last edition was.
• We are looking for marketing, and EVENT MARKETING interns. You want to do this.
• Some cool announcements coming up so: stay forever in the loop and follow us on Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest. And now we have an Instagram hashtag!
• Can you even handle the excitement?
  

All sorts of great stuff:

• We bring you the VERY important DC WINE GUIDE featuring recs by some of our favorite sommeliers, wine makers, wine directors, and more. PRO TIPS.
• We took photos at the DC SNOWBALL FIGHT and the CUPID’S UNDIE RUN both in D.C. and in Baltimore. Winter good times.
• We interviewed Leighton Meester aka Blair Waldorf aka NICEST PERSON ALIVE. And they say dreams don’t come true?
• Oscars are this weekend: who should win/who shouldn’t win and WHO WILL WIN
• We did first looks of: MELT SHOP, a sweet new grilled cheese operation and HIGHLINE, a sweet new bar by the owners of Penn Social
• Since it is GODDAMN FREEZING we updated our BEST RAMEN IN DC and BEST PHO IN D.C. guides to also include DELIVERY OPTIONS FOR ALL.
• We’re giving tickets away to DEMETRI MARTIN AND RICKY MARTIN. Top that.
• District’s best hot dogs/half smokes/etc -welcome to the DC SAUSAGE PARTY.
• We remembered the late and great Leslie Gore.
• Our guide to Your BEST February should help you make the most of this month no matter what you’re interested in: music, food, drinking, tv, film, comedy etc.
• Plus, we brought you our weekly SHOWS TO GET PUMPED FOR THIS WEEK live music guide as well as our BEST NEW MUSIC guide. USE THEM.

• REASONS TO LOVE DC IN 2015 – PART 1 and PART 2. Use them as needed year round.
• BEST DC PLACES FOR A BLIND DATE (aka “where to go with people you have never met in person but have temporary semi-high hopes for”)
• BEST DC PLACES FOR A FIRST DATE (aka “where to go with people you HAVE met in person before, after you two mutually decided that some one-on-one time to explore your potential future of nudity and Sunday afternoon marathons of Law & Order SVU is in order”)
• BEST DC PLACES FOR A SEAL-THE-DEAL/SPECIAL OCCASION DATE (aka “where to go with people you’ve made it through the wilderness of of early “dating” with and are just about ready to make it really count… you lucky bastards yous)
• plus, for last min plans: we updated our BEST DC RESTAURANTS THAT DON’T TAKE RESERVATIONS post just in time for this occasion.
• Bar Games Guide! Pool and darts and arcade games and more!
• CHEAP EATS GUIDE
• LEAST DOUCHEY BARS IN DC
• DC TRIVIA GUIDE
• BAR GAMES GUIDE – NEW!!!
• It’s time for some fishy treats. Time to use our OYSTER GUIDE.
• DOG GUIDE! Dog friendly happy hours, where to adopt, where to take a doggy yoga class and more.
• BYT BEST BRUNCH GUIDE – from gluten free to outdoor seating approved to best bottomless deals and prix fixes to parent impressing factors to vegetarian options-we have you covered.
• THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CONCERT ETIQUETTE. We asked: bands, bookers, DJs, music reviewers, photographers, and more-they all weighed in. Spoiler alert: put that cell phone away.
• The Ultimate Gluten-Free Guide to DC – which includes date night options, snacks, PIZZA and desserts, among other things.
• THE BEST PIZZA IN DC
• Are the PARENTS PLANNING A VISIT? Here’s the only guide you’ll ever need to keep them entertained.
• BREAKFAST GUIDE: It’s different than brunch, it’s breakfast, it’s not brunch.

• And as always-a gentle reminder we now how BYT NYC homepage too and publish a NYC Best Weekend Bets. So….tell yourself/friends to subscribe to it + follow us over there on twitter@BYTNYC.

Good.

• Kick things off right:
• go to a nice wine happy hour – here are the best ones in town.
• The Washington Jewish Film Festival begins tonight! We recommend checking out Magic Man at AFI Silver Screen.
• also: Oscar Nominated Films are playing at National Archives all weekend long
• The Fainting Goat celebrates Chinese New Year with the Year of the Goat.
• Big Head Todd and the Monsters are at 9:30 Club.
• Whether or not you find 50 Shades of Grey funny, you may enjoy 50 Shades! The Musical Parody at The Warner Theatre. BONUS: our readers can receive a $5 discount for using the promo code “SHADES” when purchasing tickets.
• Speaking of 50 Shades, Kramerbooks presents the Second Annual Erotica Slam at Hillyer Art Space’s CultureBlast.
• Kishi Bishi is at Sixth & I.
• Mark Normand is at Black Cat for a We Are Family benefit show.
• Get to DC9 early for Lance Neptune before Beacon headlines. We also like openers Caustic Casanova at Velvet Lounge before Borracho.
• The Den of Thieves Vinyl District DJ series begins with DJ Name Names (Ian Svenonius).
• Best band name of the weekend: Lamont Bagfeel and Hippie Control are at The Gryphon.
• This is weird but cool. Laughing Man plays a ‘basement show’ at the DC Public Library.
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff (SERIOUSLY, JUST SO MANY)

• Laser Cat begins its 2 day descent onto DC, courtesy of Washington Project for The Arts. It is EXACTLY what it sounds like.
• Lots of shows tonight:
• Punch Brothers begin their three night stand at 9:30 Club.
• A Place To Bury Strangers headlines Rock & Roll Hotel. Read our interview.
• Not nearly as loud as the Rock & Roll Hotel show, Pleasure Curses and Young Summer are at U Hall.
• The DC Shorts program WINS! is at the Burke Theatre tonight and tomorrow. Read our NIGHTMARE GIG with Programming Director and Founder Jon Gann.
• The DC Gurly 10-year anniversary show is at Black Cat.
• Similar but not the same, Naked Girls Reading is at DCAC.
• We consistently recommend this because it’s a very good idea: DISCNOTHÈQUE at DC9, $2 drinks and no cover if you check your phone.
• also:  Martha Reeves & The Vandelles are at the Howard Theatre.
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff (SERIOUSLY, JUST SO MANY)

• It’s cold. Go ice skating – we have a DC ICE SKATING RINK GUIDE.
• The Washington Jewish Film Festival continues. Consult our preview.
• Bell’s Hopslam is back. Can’t find it? We have some other suggestions.
• Chili Cookoff is happening @ Hill Country BBQ This is the kind of chili cookoff that doesn’t involve a slew of crap bands. Bonus: It’s for a good cause! All ticket sales are donated to MicroGreens, an organization that is committed to teaching low-income families how to eat healthy.
• It’s National Biscuits and Gravy Day (sure) and One Eight Distilling in Ivy City is celebrating.
• Comics collective DC Conspiracy celebrates 10 years with special music guest MICKIE & MALLORY at Fantom Comics.
• spend DAYTIME with Laser Cat.
• then, go home and relax:

• Then, providing you make it to the night, here are some suggestions for the evening:
• A band we like very much that has played our Super Sampler, Coup Sauvage & the Snips, headline Black Cat
• Workaholics Adam Devine plays a sold out Lincoln Theatre.
• Speakeasy, FotoDC and WPOW join forces for an evening of photojournalist storytelling.
• Bentzen Ball album Myq Kaplan performs at Bier Baron.
• in what is proving to be a VERY GOOD night for comedy: Pete Holmes is in town all weekend @ DC Improv
• Typefighter headlines a quality show at Babe City.
• The Soul Rebels are at The Hamilton.
• In the mood to get out of D.C.? Jonny Grave, Alex Vans, Two Dragons and a Cheetah and more cover albums released in 1995 at IOTA.
• Br’er, TONE and Greenland are at Comet Ping Pong.
• Alvin Risk comes back to D.C. for a show at U Hall.
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff 

• BRUNCH TIME–Our BEST DC BRUNCH guide is live and ready to serve you. USE IS EXTENSIVELY.
• Bonus brunch info: check out our taste test of the new Casa Luca brunch + the new spot in Georgetown, Orange Anchor, opens for brunch for the first time ever THIS WEEKEND.
• COUCH BONUS: everything releasing on Instant Netflix and Amazon Prime this month on a day-by-day basis.
• EVENING COUCH BONUS: Our guide to who will and who won’t win the Oscars. (p.s. we will be live tweeting, so find us at @BYT)
• hosting an Oscar party? Need booze delivered to your house? Don’t want to pay delivery charges? Use code BYT (It’s not case sensitive) on Klink. Anyone that uses that code will get a free delivery!

• Leaving the house?
• We saw a ‘wordless Shakespeare’ version of Much Ado About Nothing and enjoyed it quite a bit.
• The Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company are at Sixth and I.
• Broken Social Scene fan? Leisure Cruise is at DC9.
• Pree, Sunflower Bean and Honduras are at The Beehive.
• Punch Brothers end their three night stand at 9:30 Club. We’re mentioning this a second time because the Sunday show is the only one that still has tickets available.
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff 
• And just like that, the weekend is over. How do you feel about that?

PHEW. THAT WAS A LOT. BUT:  THERE ARE A BAJILLION OTHER THINGS TO DO LISTED IN THE BYT AGENDA PAGES, 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. NO EXCUSES!

Till next time: