At the start of each month the BYT staff compiles a list of things we’re PARTICULARLY looking forward to seeing, reading, eating, touching etc. Our goal is for you to have the best possible month. This may help. -ed.
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D.C. doesn’t actually suck and your August won’t suck either! Here’s all you need to have the best August ever and end your summer on a high note.
Red Bull Global RallyCross zooms into DC – August 14th and 15th
And they say August in D.C. is sleepy. Well, for the second year in a row one of the most dynamic forms of four-wheel racing, Red Bull GRC is making its way to D.C. What to expect: 600 horsepower cars tearing around a part tarmac, part dirt track, drifting around sharp turns and flying over the series’ signature 70-foot jump. All tickets grant access to an open paddock, where fans can watch crews working on the state-of-the-art racecars. All in all: A perfect summer event for high adrenaline fans! -Svetlana
Don’t forget to consult our Roller Coaster Guide…
SYNTH Series – happening now at an abandoned building near Rhode Island Ave Metro
Every once in a while a magical thing happens in D.C., one that ORGANICALLY explodes all over social media, and SYNTH SERIES, a string project installation by Toki, the collaborative force that is two recent architecture graduates, Tolu & Khai. Read all about it in A Creative DC blog, and make sure you #SynthSeries tag your adventure in it. -Svetlana
SynchroSwim 2015 @ Capitol Skyline Hotel Pool August 15
There are lots of things to do at the pool, you can lounge around with a book, do laps, scare strangers with your unsafe antics on the diving board, etc. But let’s face it, nothing is weirder (and cooler) then watching pool performance art. There’s time for relaxing and then there is time to watch strange and possibly uncomfortable performance art take place in a pool. Just think about how weird it’s going to be. Past performances have included critiquing BP for their role in the Deepwater Horizon. Usually Baltimore gets all the cool arty shit, but this is all ours. You can do normal summer things whenever you want, but this August you should really try and mix it up. Do some weird shit. -Kaylee Dugan
Wind/Pinball: Two novels by Haruki Murakami available August 4
It’s a Haruki Murakami novel. If you want your friends to think you’re cool, buy it. If you want your partner to think you’re educated, buy it. If you want to keep your job, buy it. Our economy runs on Murakami books. That’s just the way it is now. -Kaylee Dugan
This is a coloring book. You can use it to color real cities and imaginary cities. It looks awesome. When was the last time you colored something? Shh. Don’t actually tell me. That was a rhetorical questions because I already know the answer and it is “a long ass time ago.” It’s summer. If you are like me, you are probably too poor to go anywhere besides Ocean City. Ocean City is gross. Don’t go there. Save your money and buy this coloring book. It’s going to transport you to cities real and imagined. It’s a vacation for your brain. It’s only $8.01. That is cheaper than most things that bring you joy. That is cheaper than most beer (if you’re at a bar). I know I never tell you to do this, but next time you’re out, order one less beer. Buy this instead. -Kaylee Dugan
Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore available August 25
I have not read a Christopher Moore book in quite a while, so forgive me if he’s become terrible, or if he was always terrible and I was too busy being 16-years-old to notice, but after years he’s finally come out with a sequel to my favorite Moore book, A Dirty Job. If you want a silly summer beach read, this is definitely the book to pick up. While many of his books are death / vampire / weird sentient animal themed, none of them are scary, so if Stephen King is too much for you, this will be totally fine. Another thing about Moore is that you really don’t need to read his prior books to understand what’s happening. A lot of the characters connect, and there may be throwbacks to the previous novel (or other novels in this universe like Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck), but it will be totally fine if you don’t read them. However, A Dirty Job is great so totally read that if the plot sounds interesting to you. Also read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal because reading about teenage Jesus learning kung-fu is obviously awesome. -Kaylee Dugan
Make sure to consult our Summer Reading Guide.
TJ Miller @ The Lincoln Theatre August 9
Remember when TJ Miller auditioned for the Yogi the Bear movie by sending in a tape of him reading his script with an actual bear? That’s why you go see TJ Miller do stand up. That and he’s amazing. -Jenn Tisdale
Throwing Shade @ Black Cat August 13
Throwing Shade is a comedy podcast created by Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi, and it’s ostensibly about women/gay issues in pop culture. They do not treat any topic with respect, however, so the podcast is more about their improvised, hilarious banter. The whole experience is even better with an audience, as Safi and Gibson feed off the energy of their eager fans. If you’re feeling especially daring, you can write a hypothetical “Would you rather” question on an index card, and the hosts will invite you on stage to discuss it. When I went to Throwing Shade live last year, I got on stage with the question, “Would you rather shit so hard you cum, or cum so hard you shit?” I know you can top my question, BYT readers. Don’t let me down. -Alan Zilberman
DC Beer Week – August 9th – 16th
DC Beer Week is back and chock-a-block full of events like Brewers on the Block, Port City’s Beach Party @ National Building Museum, Beer Scavenger Hunts and tap take-overs everywhere. Add to that a healthy use of our DC Biergarten Guide and you should never be far from a cold one this month. -Svetlana
Port City Beach Party @ BEACH August 11
August 9th through the 16th, DC Beer Week descends upon the District with a head-spinning number of cool events, including DC Brau’s Crab Fest, a locals only night at ChurchKey, and a Sunday scavenger hunt for the uber beer nerd in your life. But the week’s big ticket is Port City’s Beach Party at the National Building Museum, where attendees will get to tipsly tromp through the interactive architectural installation, pick up swag from the Alexandria brewery, and be one of the first to taste Metro, a double red ale brewed for DCBW. Of course, there will be other craft offerings from Port City. Get familiar with all of them with our June Tap Takeover profile. -Phil Runco
Ricki and the Flash in theaters August 7
What do you get when you mix the director of Silence of the Lambs with the writer of Juno, starring Meryl Streep and soundtracked by Jenny Lewis? I thought the answer was “my personal taste, to a T” but it’s actually Ricki and the Flash, Jonathan Demme and Diablo Cody’s film about an aging rock star (Meryl Streep) who returns to her family to finds out what she missed while she was on the road. I’m deliberately choosing to ignore the awful trailer because everything else points to this being a perfect movie. -Tam Sackman
The Diary of a Teenage Girl in theaters August 7
I hate summer, and I especially hate August, so it would be a lie to say that I am looking forward to ANYTHING that is happening this monthly simply due to guilt by association. HOWEVER, I am pretty stoked to see how The Diary of a Teenage Girl turned out; it’s the theatrical adaptation of The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures by Phoebe Gloeckner, and the trailer (which I saw before Amy // as a disclaimer, I was extra-prone to feel feelings) looks SUPER SOLID. The cast (including Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård) is stellar, the visual aesthtetics seem PRETTY DAMN CHARMING, and (having been a teenage girl myself at one point) I’m anticipating the whole shebang will resonate REAL HARD. -Megan Burns
Straight Outta Compton in theaters August 14
Remember when the ghost of Eazy-E was featured in the Bone Thugs n’ Harmony music video for “Crossroads?” I hope they include that in this movie. -Jenn Tisdale
Grandma in theaters August 21
Lily Tomlin and Julia Garner star in this family dramedy about a young girl who enlists the help of her rough riding, foul-mouthed lesbian grandmother in funding her abortion. It’s a classic road trip movie with an unlikely pretense and protagonist. Tomlin’s performance got lauded at Sundance, which isn’t surprising– you’re already attached to her character by the time the trailer ends. -Tam Sackman
White God now available VOD
White God is one of the coolest movies I’ve seen all year and it’s coming to Netflix this month. It’s a metaphor for the struggles of classism and the abuse of power by our fascist overlords but also features literally hundreds of dogs taking over an entire European city. No CGI was used in the production, the massive packs of dogs running wild are completely real and must have been so fun to corral! I’ve never seen anything like this movie and neither have you. -Matt Byrne
DC Restaurant Week returns August 17-23
Diner en Blanc – returns to DC August 29th
Last year, Diner en Blanc (which is exactly what it sounds like-a massive dinner, all in white) made its D.C. debut to massive success, wait lists, and every street style photographer’s wet dream. This year’s edition is on August 29th, and check out our photos from 2014 from some serious sartorial inspiration. -Svetlana
Cayucas @ Rock & Roll Hotel August 3
Cayucas make happy, summery music. They sound like being effortlessly cool in high school probably felt (I wouldn’t know). It’s timeless, youthful, feel good stuff. Check out “A Summer Thing” to feel nostalgic about a summer camp you never went to as a kid. Sometimes distorted vocals are distracting during a live show, but I don’t think it will be a problem here. They’ll be joined by Hibou. -Tam Sackman
Glass Animals @ 9:30 Club August 5
Glass Animals are blowing up. They were all over the summer festival circuit. And its no surprise– they mix trippy yet smooth electronic R&B with sultry, breathy vocals that are almost Alt-Jish, if Alt-J sounded hotter. They make music to get stoned and have sex to. Please don’t do either of those things at this concert. It won’t go over well with security. -Tam Sackman
Ezra Furman is one of my favorite recent finds. Nobody sounds like him right now– he’s got that Courtney Barnett, Bob Dylan lyrical rambling thing where the music is a vehicle for a story and I love that. He had a hit a while back with 2013’s “My Zero”, but he’s come a long way with his most recent release, “Perpetual Motion People.” “Lousy Connection” is my ideal soundtrack for every movie ever, not to mention my own life. Not to mention, he rocks lipstick like no other. He’ll be joined by J Fernandez, whose got Mac Demarco guitars and a disregard for time signatures. -Tam Sackman
Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique Love Is Free available August 7
Another summer, another collaborative EP from Robyn. It’s been almost five years since Body Talk, but am I complaining? Hell no. However Robyn wants to release music is A-OK with me. The forthcoming Love Is Free doesn’t feel like quite the event that 2014’s Do It Again was, in part because the latter was made with Röyksopp and not many people know who La Bagatelle Magique is/was. Also, two of the songs (“Set Me Free” and “Love is Free”) have been released as singles, while a third (“Tell You Today”) appeared on last year’s Red Hot triubute to Arthur Russel. On the other hand: Two totally new Robyn songs! And the other three rule! #ThankYouBasedRob – Phil Runco
Heems at Rock & Roll Hotel August 8
You probably know Heems as one half of the hip-hop (mostly) comedy weirdness that is Das Racist. His solo stuff maintains that quick humor that makes you realize the punchline of a joke three lines later. He’s the South Asian Childish Gambino but significantly less angry. Without having to share the track with other rappers, Heems’ flow is unstoppable– his intelligence leaks all over his verses. He’ll be joined by Spank Rock for what is bound to be a banger. -Tam Sackman
Carly Rae Jepsen E·MO·TION available August 21
Are you ready for E·MO·TION? Have you mentally prepared for a Carly Jespen Record to consume your life? Can you allow yourself to admit that it is perfect? Will you join me in ransacking the offices of Interscope Records if every song isn’t released as a single? Did you know she worked with Ariel Rechtshaid, Rostam Batmanglij, Greg Kurstin, and Dev Hynes? How cool is that? How cool is she? Did you even see the “Runaway with Me” video? Did you know her boyfriend shot it? How cute is that? Can Carly Rae Jespen hurry up and become a superstar already? Isn’t that world you’d want to live in? I would. – Phil Runco
Method Man The Meth Lab available August 21
So last month we got a new Public Enemy and Ghostface release, and now we’re getting something from Method Man. Don’t get me wrong I’m totally digging it, but who exactly is responsible for this? Who has initiated this renaissance of golden age MCs? Although there’s no doubt I’m more excite about the idea of a new Method Man album than I am about how it actual turns up sounding. Though, if the single is any indication of the rest of the album, Meth may have given us plenty get excited about. These days it seems hip-hop is hardly dead. -Zeke Leeds
Royal Headache High available August 21
Australian garage rock band Royal Headache made some waves a few years back with the release of their cultishly adored self-titled debut, which managed to combine Otis Redding-style soul vocals and breakneck buzzsaw guitars into something incredibly catchy and memorable and NOT at all corny or cover band sounding like so many modern garage and/or soul revivalists. They are BACK with a new album on What’s Your Rupture? and are touring the US with the equally amazing/soul-indebted Sheer Mag. Buy this record (it’s called High) and go see them live if they’re playing anywhere near where you live. -Matt Bryne
Destroyer Poison Season available August 28
Poison Season approachin’ / Fuck whatever y’all been hearin’ / Fuck whatever Apple been streamin’ / A monster about to come alive again / Soon as Bejar pull up and park the Saab / He make this bitch grizzly like Hüsker Dü Bob / Take free shipping and lock it in / Unwashed hair plus moccasins / There’s too many strings in this house of gin / Cheesy sax back in the house again / Dark thoughts all on your Bose again / Black humor all in his prose again / And I know you like this Canadian / He got more melodies than Carl Newman / On sight! / So white! – Phil Runco
BYT Presents: BYT Emerging Artists Super Sampler @ Howard Theatre August 8th
Consider this your ultimate crash course in (awesome) D.C. music. For the 3rd year in a row, we assemble a dozen or so super cool DC bands and acts (all genres, welcome), throw them all together for one evening of the best they have to offer (which is sort of like a live mix-tape – with 3 songs per act and quick turnovers) and ask some of our favorite local comedians to host. Nothing not to like. $8 discount tickets (that’s like 50 cents per act, all local band support karma points nonwithstanding) are on sale now, and this year, we step the game up with some cool super group collaborations too. To get to know your Super Sampler Artists better, click here. -Svetlana
Jungaloo @ Brandywine Lions Park August 8
I’ll go to anything described as a carnifest. Where else will you find standard carnival games and bands and weird inflatable physical challenges and of course food? Plus it’s good deed-based. (Note: Do not confuse this with the Gathering of the Juggalo). -Jenn Tisdale
Citi Open, now through August 9th
Nevermind Wimbledon. D.C. has its own bona fide tennis all star tournament (Andy Murray! Nenad Zimonjic! Ekaterina Makareva!), replete with cool outside-the-court events (including a August 8th 80s happy hour, offering you a chance to wear shorts smaller than McEnroes and feel completely OK about it) and more. Bonus: you can win free tickets by entering this sweet instagram contest too. -Svetlana
Difficult People premieres on Hulu August 5
Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner are two of the most underrated and hilarious comedy people working today, and I’m so excited to watch their new show, coming to Hulu this month, Difficult People. Billy’s ambush “game show” set on the streets of NYC Billy On The Street is the funniest show on television, and Julie’s How Was Your Week? podcast is one of my all time favorites, and one of probably three comedy podcasts I’ve heard literally every episode of. They’re IRL friends and collaborators (Julie was a writer on BOTS) and this new single-camera sitcom looks like a great distillation of their shared sensibility: ruthlessly mean, referential comedy that’s relentless in its execution. They’re both unafraid to come off as unlikeable, and based on what little footage is currently available, that’s going to end up happening a WHOLE BUNCH on this show. -Matt Byrne
Mr. Robinson premieres on NBC August 5
Craig Robinson is a pretty delightful personality and I’m cautiously optimistic about his new sitcom vehicle, Mr. Robinson. He plays a hard-partying musician who tries to balance his night life with his day job as a music teacher. It’s produced by the same folks who brought you The Office and Parks & Rec, and sort of looks like a Disney Channel sitcom for adults, but who knows? It might be good, you know? -Matt Byrne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqmi2jvnk3wThe Carmichael Show premieres on NBC August 5
Jerrod Carmichael is a high quality standup comic whose new NBC sitcom, called The Carmichael Show, premieres this month. David Alan Grier and Loretta Devine, plays his parents and Lil Rel Howery, a hugely talented up-and-coming comic himself, plays his brother. The show’s based around Jerrod and his live-in girlfriend’s struggles with his overbearing, bickering family. The trailer’s pretty funny, and has way more straight up jokes than most full episodes of other sitcoms. This is definitely worth checking out! -Matt Byrne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs0yHgNcVEU
