Good morning, internet! We are still very much in virtual mode when it comes to the weekend guide, so prepare for a diverse selection of livestreams (ft. Oprah, fermented condiments, Beanie Feldstein, queer book clubs, Pussy Riot, dream interpretation and more) that’ll hopefully keep you entertained without inducing screen fatigue. (It is what it is, we may as well try and make the most of it.)

Before we get into all the details, here are a few updates ‘n must-reads from the BYT universe this week:

We announced a v. special @BrightestYoungThings Instagram Live takeover for this Monday, May 18th! It’s International Museum Day, so we’ve invited some of our favorites (including the National Gallery of Art, National Air and Space Museum, Hirshhorn, National Geographic Museum, and even the Tonya Harding Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Museum) to appear for a full day of stimulating presentations, and we hope to see you there!

Also…

• Scope this v. important guide for how to keep the Eurovision dream alive this weekend, even though the final (slated for Saturday) was canceled.
• Three incredible BYT photo essays were born out of Covid-19 uncertainty; check out Chris Chen’s love letter to DC galleries and venues, portraits of fascinating and obscure local gems in Austin Graff’s exploration of 131 DC neighborhoods, and George and Sherryl Kamper’s whimsical Bubble Boy series ft. a couple of 35 years and their giant, six-foot inflatable bubble.
• Resident beer expert Phil Runco kicked off new series The Brews of Summer with a deep dive into Union Craft’s legendary Old Pro Gose. (You’re gonna wanna crack open a can, trust.)
• Wednesday was National Hummus Day, but to be fair, any time is the right time for hummus. Here are our top three joints to get it in DC, or if you’re not local, we included a bomb recipe to DIY.
• We interviewed the hosts of Wondery’s Even The Rich, a podcast for lovers of LOLs ‘n dynasty-based scandals. (RIYL: Succession.)
• And Patrick Hetherington of Australian band Parcels talked to us about what it’s like being a musician on lockdown in Berlin.

Friday May 15th

• Before you lean hard into those weekend vibes, get in a quality workout with St. James instructor Kevin Mullins on our IG live at 9am ET! (And tune back in at 3:30pm ET for the Weekly Wind Down w/ The Glow Club; founder Caitlin Fox will host the mini-mindful tea break, so brew a cup while being guided through a mindful-meditative experience.)
• Or cut a rug bright ‘n early with Glitterbox Virtual Festival ft. appearances from Nightmares on Wax, The Shapeshifters, Billy Porter and more! Starts at 9am ET.
• We’ve also got new albums out from Perfume Genius, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Thao and The Get Down Stay Down, REJOICE!
• Meanwhile, Katy Perry is going live with Amazon Music for a performance and Q+A at 1pm ET!
• In terms of very important and good fundraisers, Julio Torres is hosting My Sun In Aquarius, a comedy benefit for undocumented workers in NYC ft. appearances from Fred Armisen, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll, Aidy Bryant and Bowen Yang. You don’t have to purchase a ticket to virtually attend, but please meet the $10 suggested donation if you’re able.
• Facebook and Instagram’s Celebrate the Class of 2020 will also go live starting at 2pm ET, so if you wanna pretend you’re trying to graduate during a pandemic, tune in for appearances from Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Awkwafina, Oprah and MORE!
• Later, be sure to tune into 92Y’s presentation of a chat between the one and only Beanie Feldstein and Variety editor Jenelle Riley!

• In terms of course-based learning, Brooklyn Brainery is offering a six-part virtual Sourdough Bread Baking for Beginners course ($75), as well as a Drink Bitters class ($15) and a Botanical Line Drawing Class ($25).
• And chances are you’ve been having some p. fucked up dreams lately, so why not learn what they mean via Catland’s virtual Dream Interpretation 101 class?! Tickets are $15.
• Or if you’ve been thinking about getting into the drums, Madame Gandhi is taking over Tom Tom Magazine’s daily IG lessons at 2pm ET! She’s covering how to create melodies w/ sensory percussion, plus she’ll do a lil’ Q+A action.
• Then follow Madame Gandhi over to California Women’s Music’s HOMEBOUND: A Virtual Benefit Concert; she’ll join Paula Cole, Tracy Bonham and more starting at 4pm ET.
• Also swing by KC Bands Together to support Kansas City and the Midwest Music Foundation; Kevin Morby, Waxahatchee and more are set to perform tonight and tomorrow starting at 9:30pm ET.
• AND let it be known that Adventures BK’s Robyn Party has gone digital via Dancing On My Own *Together*! They’re back at it again tonight w/ Portland’s Holocene on Twitch, YouTube ‘n Zoom starting at 11pm ET.

Saturday May 16th

• If you’re NYC-based, Brooklyn’s Archestratus has a dope One Stop Contactless Shop on Saturdays from 1pm to 7pm ET! In addition to local, organic meat, eggs, dairy, produce and pantry staples, they’ve got everything from a grow your own mushrooms kit to fresh yeast. Just pick a time slot and get contactless shoppin’!
• You can also keep the foodie vibes going w/ Brooklyn Brainery’s Fermented Condiments class on Zoom, which’ll run you $15 to join!
• More interested in reading? Bluestockings’ Queer Book Club is set to meet digitally at 2pm ET today, so if you want to join, email [email protected] to say you’re interested!
• And find even more queer community via WMN Zine’s 3pm ET zoom chat with the editors!
• Tunes-wise, La Blogotheque is going live with Sasami at 1pm ET for today’s Stay Away Show!
• Meanwhile Block By Blockwest will attempt ROUND TWO (it crashed servers due to popularity last time) ft. Idles, Pussy Riot and MORE! Action kicks off in Minecraft at 3pm ET.
• Or if that ain’t your jam, just tune into Pickathon’s presentation of a Warpaint performance at 4pm ET!
• Also, OH MY GOD. Choreographer Brian Friedman is breaking down the steps to his original choreography for Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U” video at 3pm ET! Tickets are $17, and a portion of the proceeds will go to UNICEF USA.

• And while we’re on the topic of d-d-d-d-dancin’, House of Yes is partnering with Remote Burn, a network of regional Burns and Burning Man Camps who are coming together to create a unified digital experience devoted to continued artistic expression during uncertain times, on tonight’s digital dance party! Starts at 8pm ET.
• Or maybe you’re more concerned about the Eurovision Song Contest being snuffed out, in which case choose from a variety of Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light broadcasts being streamed around the world!

Sunday May 17th

• First and foremost, be sure to tune into Brian Bahe’s comedy fundraiser for Navajo and Hopi Covid-19 relief at 8pm ET; Larry Owens, Jo Firestone, Dan Licata, Sarah Squirm, Jes Tom and more are set to perform, and tickets are $10 to $30 each. All ticket sales and donations will go to the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Navajo Nation Relief Fund. INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
• And if you’ve got kids, Books Are Magic will go live in IG and FB with Lil Miss Hot Mess for Drag Queen Story Hour at 2pm ET!
• For online learning vibes, Brooklyn Brainery is teaching us all how to make SOAP. (It’s flippin’ sold out everywhere, so why not DIY?) Tickets to the digital class are just $5.
• In terms of tunes, we’ve got Joseph going live with Pickathon for their Concert A Day series over on YouTube! Starts at 4pm ET.
• Or if you’re more into theater, Irish Arts Center is offering a serialized presentation of Marie Jones’ A Night in November starting today at 3pm ET. It’ll be performed by actor Matthew Forsythe, with live conversations between Jones and director Matthew McElhinney before and following each show.
• Just wanna tune in to TV? Snowpiercer premieres on TNT, and Hightown premieres on Starz.

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