Pretty hard to believe, but this is the very last BYT Weekend Guide/Best Weekend Bets EVER. (600+ total have been published up to now!!!) Basically (ICYMI), after fifteen years, we’re wrapping up BYT site content next week in conjunction with the Inauguration.
To be clear, this is NOT a goodbye (for one thing, we’re keeping the site up for any/all walks down memory lane you wish to take in the future), it’s a BYT TTYL, and a hello to the next chapter of our book; we’re going full-throttle with Exactly Agency, a project we started two years ago that we’ll be devoting total focus to in 2021 and beyond. It’s a creative agency born of the same fire of BYT, and you can read all about it (and our decision to wind down BYT) in this letter where Svetlana breaks it all down.
(It’s p. bonkers to wrap my head around the fact that I started at BYT as an intern in 2009 and never looked back; twelve years later and I’m still on this journey as it evolves into something new. Very, very excited for what’s to come.)
TL;DR – THANK YOU! Without you, there’d have been no BYT, and with no BYT, there’d have been no magic. So let’s ALL give each other a big round of applause, yeah? And if you have a favorite BYT memory, share it via this form so we can include it in a mega-nostalgic compilation post next week!
Alright, before we talk about your weekend options (which, even though it’s not technically Inauguration week yet, please still be ultra-careful and steer clear of domestic terrorists) let’s cover some stuff you might’ve missed in these final days of publishing:
- Here are some Inauguration specials including boozy floats and Kamala Harris inspired grain bowls to order next week.
- Speaking of next week, please stay safe and vigilant! Also, ICYMI, Airbnb has canceled and blocked all DC bookings.
- Moving beyond Inauguration pandemonium, Restaurant Week is on the way!
- And if you’ve ever wished for suckling pig and foie gras to join forces, Xiquet DL is making your dreams come true.
- Watched Tiny Pretty Things yet? Here’s an op-ed about how the show nails Shane’s character and boosts accurate representation of gay male dancers.
- Here’s a chat I had to Australian pop powerhouse Odette about her forthcoming record.
- And because I can, here’s a re-plug of that post I did rounding up my top ten favorite band interviews I did of all time, hand-selected from the 94 pages of archived content I have written for BYT. (WOWEE!)
Friday January 15th
- Oceanator and Maneka have been virtually touring all week long, and will continue to do so all weekend long with a string of $10 live streamed shows. Catch tonight’s gig at 7pm ET, tomorrow’s at 10pm ET, and/or Sunday’s at 2pm ET.
- We’ve also got a Jimmy Eat World performance of Surviving in full at 5pm ET; tickets are $17.50+.
- Or if DJ sets are more your jam, catch Toro Y Moi via Bandsintown PLUS tonight at 9pm ET; technically $0 if you start a free trial!
- In TV land, meanwhile, 92Y will host a virtual chat w/ Alena Smith, Hailee Steinfeld and the cast of Dickinson (which just premiered S2 on Apple TV+ last week) at 7pm ET.
- More into books? Anna North will be discussing Outlawed w/ R.O. Kwon for Books Are Magic on Friday night at 7pm ET; another one that’s free to attend w/ registration.
Saturday January 16th
- For starters, tune into a free Phillips Collection presented line drawing in space workshop with Shelley Lowenstein at noon.
- At 2pm ET, meanwhile, you can join in on a Carla Hall-hosted virtual brunch! It’s a fundraiser for Ladies of Howard University Scholarship Fund, and tickets start at $19.
- Tunes-wise, you can catch another round of Phantom Planet via Veeps starting at 9pm ET; tickets are $12 a pop.
- Wanna get out of the house but still stay toasty? Red Bear Brewing is hosting Hot Cocoa Weekend ft. loads of spiked hot cocoa.
- You can also swing by Byrdland Records for a new round of The Saturday Spins from noon to 2pm.
- Back indoors, comedy vibes! Wild Horses (Lauren Lapkus, Mary Holland, Stephanie Allynne and Erin Whitehead) will host special guest Naomi Ekperigin, and tickets are just $5 a pop.
- Plus we’ve got Ben Gleib doin’ some LOLs via Nowhere Comedy Club live stream at 7pm ET; tickets start at $10.
- And later, you can watch Dumb People Town Live (also via Nowhere Comedy Club live stream) at 9:30pm ET; tickets start at $20, and special guests include Zach Galifianakis and John Paul White from The Civil Wars.
Sunday January 17th
- Still off to a slow start on those new year new you vibes? Catland is hosting a virtual course called Home Blessing How-To // PREPARE 2 CLEANSE! Tickets are $20.
- Or if you’re down to lean into all of the carbs because (let’s be real) it’s still a pandemic, take a virtual DIY pizza class with Brooklyn Brainery at 3:30pm ET! Tickets are $29.
- More into tunes? Ratboys are set to go live on Twitch at 9pm ET.
- Or maybe you just wanna chill out and watch some TV, in which case don’t miss S2 of Batwoman premiering on the CW at 8pm ET!
Monday January 18th
- The 15th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk & Parade is still happening this year, albeit virtually; you can stream it starting at noon ET over on YouTube.
- At 2pm ET you can tune into a free, one-time virtual performance of Rosa Parks: Such A Time by Essential Theatre.
- Later, at 4pm ET, the National Museum of African American History & Culture is hosting an art, jazz, and poetry event to honor Martin Luther King Jr.; A People’s Holiday is totally free.
- And Smithsonian Associates is hosting a digital conversation with Sam Pollard and Larry Rubin about MLK/FBI at 7pm ET; free, plus the first 350 registrants will receive a screener of the film to watch in advance.
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