01.21 - "you owe me a job"
what’s going on in d.c.
Comedian Aziz Ansari of Parks and Rec and Master of None fame stops by D.C. with his “Last Minute Tour.” Shows are at The Anthem tonight and Saturday with some tickets still available. Or if you’re more in the mood for a concert, U.K. indie rock band The Wombats (you may know their hit, Greek Tragedy) performs at the 9:30 Club tonight.
Artechouse, an immersive art + technology venue, premiered a new exhibit this week - Transient: Impermanent Paintings. It’s described by Artechouse as “a duet of motorized piano and hyperreal projections.”
Metrobar DC (that one with the old Metro car) hosts a combo karaoke + hot cocoa night outside on Saturday.
Petworth’s Loyalty Bookstore is hosting a virtual Agatha Christie and Sherry Book Club, this one discussing Murder is Easy. You can join Sunday at 3 PM.
Wanting to get into vinyl records (maybe again?). WaPo features seven local record shops, including Byrdland in Union Market and Cool Kids Vinyl on H St NE (the second floor of Maketto).
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: “Woon-Sen” noodles with tofu at Mt. Vernon’s Baan Siam
Hit bagel spot Call Your Mother is now open in West End, occupying the space attached to Mercy Me in the Yours Truly hotel.
Philotimo D.C., a buzzy Greek restaurant by local celeb chef Nick Stefanelli (the man behind Officina and Masseria), opens this weekend in downtown’s Midtown Center (a business-focused area needing all the buzz it can get during COVID)
looking ahead: Local hotspot Colada Shop is heading to Dupont with an all-day location featuring a giant patio (you’ll just have to wait until October to enjoy).
what’s on our minds?
Sixteen Black female Metropolitan Police Dept. officers are suing the Dept. for a culture of harassment, retaliation, and discrimination. The women claim a number of serious issues within the Dept. that went unresolved despite multiple reports to senior leadership, including Mayor Bowser’s deputies.
D.C.’s COVID cases dropped 54% in the last two weeks, increasing hope that Omicron will fade as quickly as it arrived.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
Is confidence a cult? These sociologists think so. - per Vox, “A new book aims to show why directives to “just be more confident!” are so harmful.”
A Visionary Without a Country - per ProPublica, “Celebrated scientist Joe Tsien retreated to China after his Georgia university and the U.S. government began investigating him. He says he’s a victim of anti-Asian discrimination, but key parts of his story don’t add up.”
what are we watching/reading?
Ozark on Netflix. The fourth season of the murdery, drug laundering family you just can’t help rooting for (sort of?) is back today. Season three left off with Wendy and Marty in quite the tough spot, so I’m excited to see how the show resolves (and more of Ruth!). Netflix split the fourth season, so while part 1 drops today, part 2’s release is still TBD.
Sundance is virtual, but nevertheless will feature some of the year’s top indie movies. Here’s Vulture’s top 18 picks.