8

Entertainment & Nightlife

D.C. nightlife is rollicking and diverse. One-third of the city’s population is between 20 and 35; thanks to the capital’s strong economy, most have jobs and are ready to party. But just about everyone in this hard-charging city, from government wonks to high-powered attorneys, find themselves seeking a timeout at the end of long work days, whether that means a night out in the clubs or at the theater.

The best neighborhoods for nightlife are Adams Morgan; the U & 14th streets NW crossroads (U St. between 16th and 10th sts., and 14th St. btw. P and V sts.); Shaw (7th to 10th sts. NW, btw. Massachusetts Ave. NW and U St. NW); north and south of Dupont Circle along Connecticut Avenue; all over the Penn Quarter; Georgetown; the Atlas District; Barracks Row, on Capitol Hill; Capitol Riverfront in southeast DC; and Columbia Heights, east of Adams Morgan and north of the U Street district; and the Southwest Waterfront, where the new Wharf complex has fast become a night and day destination.

Most of D.C.’s clubs and bars stay open until 1 or 2am Monday through Thursday and until 3am Friday and Saturday; what time they open varies. Note: The city allows establishments serving alcohol to open early and stay open until 4am for certain holidays, such as the 4th of July, and special events such as the World Cup. For current concert and club offerings, check the Washington Post’s online “Going Out Guide” (www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide). Available for free at Metro stations and newspaper racks is the Post’s weekday tabloid publication Express (www.washingtonpost.com/express), which focuses on local news and fun; the Thursday edition highlights nightlife and entertainment. Another free and excellent resource is the Washington City Paper, available at restaurants, bookstores, and other places around town, and online at www.washingtoncitypaper.com. (The printed version is easier to read, so it’s worth getting your hands on one.)

One last note: Be sure to look closely at the calendars for all those places you visited during the day. Fun after-hours events are taking place at all sorts of unlikely venues, from the Library of Congress to the National Gallery of Art, many of them free or inexpensive to attend.

The Performing Arts

Washington’s performing-arts scene has an international reputation. We have not just one, but two Shakespeare theaters. The Kennedy Center reigns over all, staging opera, dance, classical/jazz/contemporary music performances, musicals, comedy, and traditional theater. Arena Stage is renowned for its innovative productions of American masters and new voices. And don’t assume that these theaters present only classic renditions from a performing-arts hit list; no, each is wildly creative in its choices and presentations. For the most avant-garde theater, seek out smaller stages like the Woolly Mammoth and Studio theaters.

Seasons for both the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage run year-round; the Shakespeare Theatre’s season (and that of other smaller theaters) is nearly year-round, taking a 4- to 6-week break July into August. The Kennedy Center often has performances going on throughout the day, but all theaters hold their major productions at 7:30 or 8pm nightly, with Saturday and Sunday matinee performances at 2pm and occasional midweek matinee performances on the schedule, especially at Arena Stage.

The bad news is that ticket prices have gone through the roof in the past couple of years. A lot of locals subscribe to the big three (Kennedy Center, Shakespeare, Arena), which leaves fewer one-off tickets available. Expect to pay $75 to $100-plus for a ticket—unless you’re able to obtain a discounted ticket; see the “Getting Tickets” box, p. 229.

Major Theaters & Companies

Arena Stage    Founded in 1950, Arena Stage has long been about “putting the American spirit in the spotlight” as the company tagline phrases it. What that means is that the theater produces the works of American artists, choosing plays that explore themes of American diversity, challenges, and passions. A typical season features an American classic or two, a musical or two, new plays by emerging playwrights, world premieres, and, because Arena is in the nation’s capital, a play of political topicality. Many Arena Stage productions go on to win Tony awards on Broadway, as did Dear Evan Hansen, the 2017 Tony winner for best new musical.

The Arena Stage.

The theater is D.C.’s second-largest after the Kennedy Center. Officially called “The Mead Center for American Theater,” the venue’s three staging areas are the theater-in-the-round Fichandler, the fan-shaped Kreeger, and the intimate (200-seat), oval-shaped Kogod Cradle. Locals love Arena’s productions, which draw more than 300,000 of us annually.

Arena’s 2018–19 season highlights include a play about the comic genius of Dick Gregory, Turn Me Loose; a world-premiere “power play,” JQA (about John Quincy Adams); a “fearless political journey,” Kleptocracy (about the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of Vladimir Putin); a Wall Street drama, Junk; and the classic Cole Porter musical Anything Goes.

1101 6th St. SW (at Maine Ave.). www.arenastage.org.  202/488-3300 for tickets, or 202/554-9066 for general information. Tickets $40–$110; discounts available for students, those under the age of 30, patrons with disabilities, families, veterans, groups, and others. Metro: Southwest/Waterfront.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts    The capital’s most renowned theater covers the entire realm of performing arts: Presentations of ballet, opera, plays, musicals, modern dance, jazz, hip hop, comedy, classical and chamber music, and children’s theater all take the stage at this magnificent complex overlooking the Potomac River. The setting is gorgeous, the productions superb. As a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, the Center is committed to fulfilling the president’s mission to make the performing arts available to everyone. The Center’s 3,000+ annual productions draw more than 3 million people.

Within the arts center’s original 17-acre facility are eight different theaters and stages: the Opera House, the Concert Hall, the Terrace Theater, the Eisenhower Theater, the Theater Lab, the Terrace Gallery, the Family Theater, and Millennium Stage. A 4-acre expansion scheduled to be complete by Fall 2019 will add three pavilions housing rehearsal, performance, and education spaces, a reflecting pool, grove of trees, an outdoor performance area, and a pedestrian bridge arching over Rock Creek Parkway, connecting the Kennedy Center to the Potomac riverfront.

The 2018–19 season lineup includes blockbuster musicals Hello, Dolly!, The Band’s Visit, and Music Man; the race- and class-themed play Byhalia, Mississippi; the Second City satire Love, Factually; “World Stages,” a program of international theatrical productions; the annual engagements of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the American Ballet Theatre, and the Mariinsky Ballet; the modern dance presentations of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and Lucky Plush; the National Symphony Orchestra’s classical series covering the masters, Stravinsky to Beethoven; the Washington National Opera’s presentations of Verdi’s La traviata and Puccini’s Tosca; a robust schedule of 50 jazz concerts; and abundant children’s presentations.

Visit the KenCen to attend a performance, for sure, but also consider stopping by for one of the free guided tours, which take place throughout the day. Finish the visit by attending a free “Millennium Stage” performance, mostly concerts, but also dance, theater, comedy, and other forms of entertainment, staged every single evening at 6pm in the Grand Foyer, each night featuring a different act, local artists sometimes, but nationally known and international performers, too, and often performers appearing on a main stage later that evening.

Longer Than the Washington Monument Is Tall

Most Kennedy Center performances take place in theaters that lie off the Grand Foyer. But even if the one you’re attending is on the Roof Terrace level, one floor up, make sure you visit the foyer anyway. The Grand Foyer is one of the largest rooms in the world. Measuring 630 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 60 feet high, the foyer is longer than the Washington Monument is tall (555⅝ ft.). Millennium Stage hosts free performances here nightly at 6pm; free yoga classes fill the space Saturday mornings at 10:15am; the famous Robert Berks sculpture of President John F. Kennedy is here; and just beyond the foyer’s glass doors is the expansive terrace, which runs its length and overlooks the Potomac.

Otherwise, expect to pay ticket prices that range from $20 for a family concert to $300 for opera; most tickets cost between $45 and $150.

2700 F St. NW (at New Hampshire Ave. NW and Rock Creek Pkwy.). www.kennedycenter.org.  800/444-1324 or 202/467-4600. 50% discounts offered (for select performances) to students, seniors, travelers with permanent disabilities, enlisted military personnel, and persons with fixed low incomes ( 202/416-8340 for details). Garage parking $23 (pay $20 online in advance). Metro: Foggy Bottom (there’s a free shuttle btw. the station and the Kennedy Center, departing every 15 min. Mon–Thurs 9:45am–11:30pm; Fri–Sat 10am–11pm; and Sun noon–11pm. Bus: 80 from Metro Center.

National Theatre    Open since 1835, the National is the capital’s oldest continuously operating theater and the country’s third oldest. In earlier days, the like of Sarah Bernhardt, Helen Hayes, and John Barrymore took the stage, and presidents Lincoln and Fillmore and others were among those in the audience. These days, the National is almost entirely about Broadway musicals. Among the productions coming our way in the 2018–19 season are Beetlejuice, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, School of Rock, Finding Neverland, A Bronx Tale, and Stomp. The 1,672-seat National continues its free, public-service programs: Saturday-morning children’s theater (puppets, clowns, magicians, dancers, and singers) and screenings of classic films on select Monday nights.

1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (at 13th and E sts.). www.thenationaldc.org.  202/628-6161 for general info, 202/783-3370 for info about free programs, 800/514-3849 or go to www.etix.com to buy tickets. Tickets $38–$153 (most in the $70–$90 range). Metro: Metro Center (13th and G sts. exit) or Federal Triangle.

Shakespeare Theatre Company at the Lansburgh Theatre and Sidney Harman Hall    This is one of the best Shakespeare theaters in the country, known for its accessible interpretations of plays by Shakespeare, his contemporaries, and modern masters, from Oscar Wilde to Thomas Stoppard. Attend a play here and you’re in for a thought-provoking, of-the-moment experience, whether it’s the tweaking of a classic to address the political climate in D.C.; the casting of people of color for the majority of roles; or the display of a little nudity. In its 33 years, the theater has won national and international acclaim, including a Regional Theater Tony award and recognition by Queen Elizabeth II, who named the theater’s artistic director, Michael Kahn, an Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his distinguished service to the arts and sciences. Washingtonians know to expect the best when they see the names of the theater’s resident artists, like Edward Gero and Nancy Robinette. But the theater brings in renowned guest performers too, like Stacy Keach and Marsha Mason.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company has two downtown locations (literally within a stone’s throw of each other), the 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre, at 450 7th St. NW, and the 774-seat Sidney Harman Hall, at 610 F St. NW (across the street from the Capital One Arena), and both houses frequently sell out. The 2018–19 season is Michael Kahn’s grand finale as artistic director and includes Bard favorites The Comedy of Errors and Richard III, but also an adaptation of the classic novel Vanity Fair; two world premieres, The Panties, The Partner and The Profit: Scenes from the Heroic Life of the Middle Class and The Oresteia; and the award-wining production of J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls. The Shakespeare Theatre also screens live performances of London’s National Theatre productions.

In addition, the theater hosts all kinds of talks, dance performances, discussions, cocktail hours, workshops, and other events, many of which target 20- to 30-somethings. Best deal for the under-35s is the sale of $25 tickets available online with the promo code provided on the website.

Lansburgh Theatre: 450 7th St. NW (btw. D and E sts.). Sidney Harman Hall: 610 F St. NW. www.shakespearetheatre.org.  202/547-1122. Tickets $25–$123; discounts available for military, patrons 21–35, seniors, and groups; check the website for all options. Metro: Archives–Navy Memorial or Gallery Place/Chinatown (7th St./Arena exit).

Smaller Theaters

Studio Theatre , 1501 14th St. NW, at P Street (www.studiotheatre.org;  202/332-3300), since its founding in 1978, has grown in leaps and bounds into a four-theater complex, helping to revitalize its U Street neighborhood in the process. Productions are provocative and the season jam-packed, at least seven plays on tap for the 2018–19 calendar. The Studio has had particular success in showcasing contemporary plays and nurturing Washington acting talent.

The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (www.woollymammoth.net;  202/393-3939) offers as many as seven productions every year, specializing in new, offbeat, and quirky plays, often world premieres. The Woolly resides in a 265-seat, state-of-the-art facility at 641 D St. NW (at 7th St. NW), in the heart of the Penn Quarter.

I also highly recommend productions staged in the Elizabethan-styled Folger Theatre at the Folger Shakespeare Library , on Capitol Hill, 201 E. Capitol St. SE, at 2nd Street (www.folger.edu;  202/544-7077), which celebrates its 87th anniversary in 2019. The theater typically produces three to four plays each season, using the same fine directors (Aaron Posner’s a favorite) and casting the same excellent actors (Holly Twyford is always a treat), that you’ll see at the Shakespeare Theatre and other stages around town. The main differences at the Folger are its design—its three-tiered wooden balconies, oak-carved columns, and half-timbered facade resemble the courtyard of an English Renaissance inn—and its intimacy: The theater holds 270 people. The theater is also the setting for musical performances, lectures, readings, and other events.

Getting tickets

Most performing-arts and live-music venues mentioned in this chapter require tickets, which you can purchase online at the venue’s website, in person at the venue’s box office, or through one of the ticket vendors listed below.

The best deals in town might be those posted on the website www.goldstar.com. It costs nothing to subscribe, and you’ll immediately start receiving e-mail notices of hefty discounts on admission prices to performances and venues, including museums, all over the city.

TodayTix sells discounted and full-price last-minute tickets for shows in D.C. and its suburbs. You can browse and purchase tickets online at www.todaytix.com, but certain features, such as the use of ticket lotteries, are only available on the free downloadable app. FYI: Despite its name, the service works for tickets purchased up to a month in advance.

Ticket sellers Live Nation Entertainment (www.livenation.com;  800/745-3000) and www.ticketfly.com ( 877/987-6487) operate in the D.C. area, selling full-price tickets for all sorts of performances. Expect to pay taxes plus a service charge, an order-processing fee, and a facility fee (if a particular venue tacks on that charge).

Three more specialized theater companies are of note: GALA Hispanic Theatre, at 3333 14th St. NW in Columbia Heights (www.galatheatre.org;  202/234/7174), which presents classic and contemporary plays in Spanish and English, as well as dance, music, and other programs; Theater J (www.edcjcc.org;  202/777-3210), praised by The Washington Post as “the most influential Jewish theater company in the nation” (its 2018–19 performances take place at venues around town while Theater J’s building undergoes renovation, so check the website for locations); and the tiny (130-seat!) Keegan Theatre, at 1742 Church St. NW, also in Dupont Circle (www.keegantheatre.com;  202/265-3767), which often stages plays that embrace Irish writers and themes.

Concert Venues

The Anthem , 901 Wharf St. SW (www.theanthemdc.com;  202/888-0020; Metro: Waterfront; L’Enfant Plaza, with free shuttle from L’Enfant Plaza station to The Wharf), which opened in October 2017, is the much-heralded new sibling of the 9:30 Club (p. 235), located at the Wharf. Expect to see rock acts, international artists, and local favorites at this “acoustically advanced” concert hall with a 2,500–6,000-person capacity.

Meanwhile, headliners like Harry Styles, U2, and Drake continue to sell out the 20,600-seat Capital One Arena , 601 F St. NW, at 7th Street (www.capitalonearena.com;  202/628-3200). Situated in the center of downtown, the Capital One Arena is a hotspot for music but also is Washington’s premier indoor sports arena (p. 239).

A concert at the Capital One Arena.

DAR Constitution Hall on 18th Street NW, between C and D streets (www.dar.org;  202/628-4780), is housed in a beautiful turn-of-the-20th-century Beaux Arts building and seats 3,746. Its excellent acoustics have drawn an eclectic group of performers, from Regina Spektor to John Legend.

Under management by the 9:30 Club (p. 235), the historic Lincoln Theatre , 1215 U St. NW, at 13th Street (www.thelincolndc.com;  202/888-0050), showcases indie favorites such as Feist, jazz legends like Roy Ayers, and assorted others. Once a movie theater, vaudeville house, and nightclub featuring black stars such as Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway, the theater closed in the 1970s and then reopened in 1994 after a renovation restored it to its former elegance.

The Warner Theatre , 513 13th St. NW, between E and F streets (www.warnertheatredc.com;  202/783-4000), opened in 1924 as the Earle Theatre (a movie/vaudeville palace) and was restored to its original, neoclassical-style appearance in 1992. It’s worth coming by just to see the ornately detailed interior. The 2,000-seat auditorium offers year-round entertainment, alternating dance performances, like the Washington Ballet’s Christmas performance of the Nutcracker, with comedy acts such as Marc Maron and seasoned rockers like Steve Winwood and Little Feat.

The Bar Scene

Some of the best and most popular bars in town are in hotels, including Off the Record at the Hay-Adams (p. 69), Crimson at the Pod DC (p. 69), the Top of the Gate at the Watergate (p. 77), and the rooftop bars at any of the hotels at the Wharf (p. 64). Here’s a smattering of other favorites, old and new.

Bluejacket Brewery    A Washington Nationals baseball game at Nationals Park is one reason to visit the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. Bluejacket is another. Opened by Greg Engert and his band of master brewers, the same team behind ChurchKey (see below), Bluejacket brews 20 unique ales and lagers daily at its three-story site, from dry-hopped ales to barleywine. You can hang out at the bar in Bluejacket’s restaurant, the Arsenal, and sample a few homebrews, dine here, or take a tour. Bluejacket offers two options, both of which require a reservation: a $29-per-person taste-as-you-go tour on Saturday at 3pm and a $35-per-person 7pm Friday night “Beers and Bites” tour. No tours on Nationals home-game days. 300 Tingey St. SE (at 4th St.). www.bluejacketdc.com.  202/524-4862. Metro: Navy Yard/Ballpark (New Jersey Ave. exit).

ChurchKey    This mellow hangout draws a diverse mix, from boomers to their 20-something children, all sprawled on loungey banquettes or perched on stools at the long bar. It’s a haven for beer lovers with its 50 drafts, 500 bottles, and 5 cask ales on tap. ChurchKey’s downstairs sibling, Birch & Barley, is a popular eatery. 1337 14th St. NW (at Rhode Island Ave.). www.churchkeydc.com.  202/567-2576. Metro: McPherson Square (14th St. exit) or U St./Cardozo (U and 13th sts. exit).

Columbia Room    Shaw’s Blagden Alley is home to several dining hotspots (see “shaw-thing” box, p. 110) and this nationally recognized cocktail bar. Its magical concoctions and energy derive from owner Derek Brown, esteemed mixologist, spirits historian, and perennial James Beard Award nominee. Columbia Room offers three spaces, a punch garden, spirits library, and a three- or five- course tasting menu of cocktails and snacks. 124 Blagden Alley NW (behind Ninth St., btw. M and N sts.) www.columbiaroomdc.com.  202/316-9396. Metro: Mt. Vernon Square/7th St./Convention Center.

Bluejacket Brewery.

Cheap Eats: happy hours to Write Home About

Certain restaurants around town set out tasty bites during happy hour, either free or for an astonishingly low price. These Penn Quarter ones are particularly generous:

At cheery Central Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (www.centralmichelrichard.com;  202/626-0015), not far from the White House, happy hour cocktails and wine are $8 each, beer is $5, and a selection of delicious French and American tastes are available for $5 to $12 each (most $5 or $6), from chicken nuggets to crab croquettes (Mon–Fri 5–7pm at the bar or in the lounge).

Cuba Libre, 801 9th St. NW, at H St. (www.cubalibrerestaurant.com/en/washington/;  202/408-1600), serves up an irresistible array of picada (bar bites), such as empanadas, fritters, sliders, and a cubano sandwich ($5 each). Drinks are a real deal: $3.50 beer, $4 wine or Sangria, $5 Cuban cocktails, either a Cuba Libre or a Caipirinha (Sun–Fri 4-7pm).

Finally, Oyamel, at 401 7th St. NW (www.oyamel.com;  202/628-1005), has happy-hour specials featuring $7 margaritas, $5 Dos Equis or Tecate beer, and $6 glass of wine, and, for another $4 each, appetizers such as ceviche or two of Oyamel’s superb tacos (Sun–Fri 4–6pm).

The Dubliner    Capitol Hill big names and the media that cover them, as well as neighborhood regulars, hang here for no other reason than that the atmosphere’s Irish and the bar’s got Guinness on tap. Open from breakfast through last call, the Dubliner features live Irish music nightly. In the Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 N. Capitol St. NW (separate entrance on F St. NW). www.dublinerdc.com.  202/737-3773. Metro: Union Station.

H Street Country Club    The main draw of this Atlas District fave is its assortment of activities: Skeeball, shuffleboard, and the District’s only indoor miniature golf course. Up top is a huge rooftop deck. H Street serves pretty good Mexican food, too. 1335 H St. NE (at 13th St.). www.hstreetcountryclub.com.  202/399-4722. Metro: Union Station, then take a cab, or the DC Streetcar, or walk.

Hill Country Barbecue    Everybody knows to go to this Penn Quarter restaurant for awesome barbecue, strong drinks, and, downstairs, live music nearly nightly. The music tends toward outlaw country and honky-tonk; most Wednesday nights, the HariKaraoke Band provides live backup as a singer takes the microphone and “rocks ’n twangs” her heart out. 410 7th St. NW (at D St.). www.hillcountrywdc.com.  202/556-2050. Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown (7th and F sts. exit) or Archives–Navy Memorial.

Jack Rose Saloon    Said to be one of the best whisky bars in the country (its inventory numbers 2,700), this saloon has much going for it, including an expansive open-air (but enclosable) rooftop terrace with a great view of the neighborhood; a subterranean, speakeasy-like cellar; and all-around nods of approval for its comfort cooking. 18th St. NW ( btw. U and California sts.). www.jackrosediningsaloon.com.  202/588-7388. Metro: Dupont Circle (19th St. exit).

Lucky Bar    Looking for a good old-fashioned bar with booths, couches, a pool table, a jukebox, and cheap beer? Lucky Bar’s the place. It’s also Soccer Central, with TV screens broadcasting soccer matches from around the globe. Monday through Wednesday and Friday, Lucky Bar’s happy hour runs from 3 to 8pm. Look for nightly specials, like $1 tacos on Tuesday nights and half-price cheeseburgers on Wednesday. 1221 Connecticut Ave. NW (at N St.). www.luckybardc.com.  202/331-3733. Metro: Dupont Circle (South/19th St. exit) or Farragut North (L St. exit).

Marvin    Downstairs is a soul-food bistro, upstairs is the bar, which includes a lounge, rooftop beer garden, and live music/DJ space. Washington millennials come here to dance; it’s always crowded after 10pm. 2007 14th St. NW (at U St.). www.marvindc.com.  202/797-7171. Metro: U St./Cardozo (13th St. exit).

Quill    A pianist plays Tuesday through Saturday starting at 9pm, the perfect accompaniment to that Swept Away cocktail you’re sipping and plate of charcuterie you’re nibbling, at this chicest of lounges inside the city’s chicest hotel. In the Jefferson Hotel, 1200 16th St. NW (at M St.). www.jeffersondc.com/dining/quill.  202/448-2300. Metro: Dupont Circle (19th St./South exit) or Farragut North (L St. exit).

Tryst    Tryst is a coffeehouse bar. Coffee to charge you up in the a.m., drinks to get you going later in the day. It’s got a good vibe, too: loungey in the pre-hipster sense of a comfort zone. Morning, noon, and night, customers sprawl on comfy old furniture, juggling laptops and beverages. Tryst also runs the cafes at the Phillips Collection (p. 186) and the Washington National Cathedral (p. 192). 2459 18th St. NW (at Columbia Rd.). www.trystdc.com.  202/232-5500. Metro: U St./Cardozo or Woodley Park/Zoo/Adams Morgan, then the DC Circulator.

Tune Inn    In business since 1955, this Capitol Hill watering hole is a veritable institution. The divey Tune Inn is open from early morning ’til late at night serving police officers, Hill staffers and their bosses, and folks from the hood. Sometimes they eat here, too, from a menu that includes burgers, fries, and crab cakes. 331 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (at 4th St.).  202/543-2725. Metro: Capitol South.

The Club & Music Scene

Live Music

If you’re looking for a tuneful night on the town, Washington offers everything from hip jazz clubs to DJ-driven dance halls—places where you sit back and listen and places where you get up and rock out.

Jazz & Blues

If you’re a jazz fan and are planning a trip to D.C. in early to mid-June, check out www.dcjazzfest.org for exact dates of the fabulous 10- to 18-day DC Jazz Festival, which showcases the talents of at least 100 musicians in various venues around town, including many free events. Other times of the year, check out the following venues:

And Now for Something Completely Different

Become part of the show at ARTECHOUSE (www.artechouse.com), a three-level, 15,000-square-foot funhouse that marries the arts and digital technology and sound and light and space and visuals to create an immersive multimedia experience. In one 2018 exhibit, for example, a person’s own movements—a swing of the arm, a twirl around the room—sent colorful images and designs skittering across the space. You really have to experience it for yourself. ARTECHOUSE is open during the day, but I recommend going at night, when visitors must be 21 or older and able to enjoy the bar serving augmented reality cocktails (at $8–$12 each, the cocktail is real but the computer-generated images floating above the rim of your glass are not!). ARTECHOUSE mounts about eight major installations a year, changing every 1 to 2 months. You’ll find it just southwest of the National Mall, at 1238 Maryland Ave. SW (12th St.). It’s open daily 10am to 5pm and 5:30 to 11pm (tickets required: $15 general admission, $12 seniors, students, and military-ID holders, $8 children 12 and under; some shows require visitors to be older than 12).

The Birchmere Music Hall and Bandstand    This place started out 40 years or so ago showcasing primarily bluegrass and country acts. Its calendar now offers more range, stretching from Maysa & Her Jazz Funk Soul Symphony to John Hiatt. Located in Alexandria, 8 miles and a $20 cab fare from downtown D.C., the Birchmere is well worth the trip. The hall seats 500 and serves food. Purchase tickets at the box office or online from www.ticketmaster.com. 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. (off S. Glebe Rd.), Alexandria, VA. www.birchmere.com.  703/549-7500. Tickets $25–$60. Take a taxi or drive.

Blues Alley    An inconspicuous alley off busy Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown delivers you to the door of Blues Alley and another world entirely. It’s a showcase for jazz greats like Wynton Marsalis and Ahmad Jamal and up-and-comers. The club usually offers two sets a night, at 8 and 10pm, with the occasional midnight show on weekends. Blues Alley is a tiny joint filled with small, candlelit tables, so reservations are a must for the first-come, first-served seating. The supper club has been around since 1965 and looks it, but that’s part of its charm. Its Creole menu features dishes named after stars (try Dizzy Gillespie’s Jambalaya). 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW (in an alley below M St.). www.bluesalley.com.  202/337-4141. Tickets $16–$75 (most $20–$40), plus a $12-per-person food or drink minimum, plus a $4.50-per-person ticket surcharge. Metro: Foggy Bottom, then walk or take the DC Circulator.

Gypsy Sally’s    Gypsy Sally’s features bluegrass and “Americana” acts. Ticketed performances take place in the Music Room, which holds 300 people, and follow a Wednesday through Saturday schedule. Most shows offer a mix of reserved seating and general-admission standing. The club incudes the Vinyl Lounge bar, which hosts no-cover performances Tuesday through Saturday. The Vinyl Lounge has a separate entrance, on 34th St. NW. Gypsy Sally’s serves food and has a full bar. The club is located in Georgetown, down by the waterfront, underneath the Whitehurst Freeway. 3401 K St. NW (at 34th St.). www.gypsysallys.com.  202/333-7700. Most tickets $10–$15. Metro: Foggy Bottom, then walk or take the DC Circulator.

The Hamilton    Located on the subterranean level of a large restaurant is this live-music venue, with blues, rock, jazz, R&B, and folk performances staged nightly. Seating is at communal tables. The pizza, sandwich, and sushi menu is not recommended (eat before the show). Located in the heart of the Penn Quarter, the Hamilton’s great sightlines, eclectic lineup (world music, jazz, blues, you name it), and excellent sound system make it a club always worth checking out. The Loft at The Hamilton is the venue’s cozy, late-night bar on the second floor of the restaurant; a band plays for free from 10:30pm to 1:30am, and the late-night menu features sushi items at half-price. 600 14th St. (at F St.). www.thehamiltondc.com.  202/787-1000. Live music acts $15–$50. Metro: Metro Center (13th St. exit).

Madam’s Organ Restaurant and Bar    Everyone stops by the legendary Madam’s at some point. There’s a lot going on throughout its eclectically decorated three levels, and it’s all fun: live music nightly on the first floor, from funk/jazz/blues on Sunday and Monday to regional blues bands on weekends; the second-floor Big Daddy’s Love Lounge & Pick-Up Joint (it is what it is); and the year-round rooftop deck, for mingling, playing darts, and taking in the fine view. 2461 18th St. NW (at Columbia Rd.). www.madamsorgan.com.  202/667-5370. Cover $3–$7. Metro: U St./Cardozo or Woodley Park–Zoo, then catch the DC Circulator.

Rock, Hip-Hop & DJs

Below are primarily live-music clubs, but also a sprinkling of nightclubs known for their DJs and dance floors.

9:30 Club    The 9:30 Club is now a mini-dynasty, with the Lincoln Theatre (p. 230) and the Anthem (p. 229) part of the family. But this venue still rules. It’s a 1,200-person-capacity concert hall with excellent sightlines, state-of-the-art sound system, four bars, and most important, a nightly concert schedule that features every possible star, rising or arrived, in today’s varied rock world, from the Struts to Adele. It’s frequently voted the best live-music venue, certainly in D.C., but also countrywide. Unless advertised as seated, all shows are standing room only, general admission. 815 V St. NW (at 9th St.). www.930.com.  202/265-0930. Tickets $12–$40. Metro: U St./Cardozo (10th St. exit).

Black Cat    This club is D.C.’s flagship venue for alternative music. When it opened on 14th Street in 1993, the neighborhood was a red-light district and D.C. was not a major player in the live-music scene. So hats off to the Black Cat, which played a part in the changes that have happened since. Today, local, national, and international groups play here, everyone from Arcade Fire to local trio Flasher. The Black Cat has two stages: its main concert hall, which holds more than 600 people, and Backstage, the place for soloists, smaller bands, DJs, film screenings, and poetry readings. The Red Room Bar features pinball machines, a pool table, and a jukebox. Concerts are nightly, sometimes twice in a single night, on different stages. 1811 14th St. NW (btw. S and T sts.). www.blackcatdc.com.  202/667-4490. Purchase tickets ($5–$25) online for concerts or arrive with cash, since the club does not accept credit cards; cover charge for Black Cat’s two main stages; no cover in the Red Room Bar. Metro: U St./Cardozo (13th and U sts. exit).

A performance at the Black Cat.

Eighteenth Street Lounge    Ever the hotspot, ESL is the place to go for dressing sexy and dancing to live music and DJ-spun tunes, a range of acid jazz, hip-hop, reggae, Latin jazz, soul, and party sounds. The setting is somewhat surprising: a restored, century-old mansion, once the home of Teddy Roosevelt, with fireplaces, high ceilings, and an outside deck. It’s open Tuesday through Friday from 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9pm. 1212 18th St. NW (at Jefferson Place and Connecticut Ave.). www.eighteenthstreetlounge.com.  202/696-0210. Covers vary, usually $5–$15 after 10pm. Metro: Dupont Circle (South/19th St. exit) or Farragut North (L St. exit).

Rock & Roll Hotel    Located in the Atlas District, this club features a second-floor pool hall, a 400-person concert hall, a separate comfy bar for hanging out, and year-round rooftop deck and bar. Nightly acts range from local garage bands to national groups on tour. Note: Don’t expect to stay overnight; despite its name, the hotel is just a club. 1353 H St. NE (at 14th St.). www.rockandrollhoteldc.com.  202/388-7625. Cover $8–$20. Metro: Union Station, then take the D.C. Streetcar, a taxi, or walk.

Comedy Clubs

In addition to the Kennedy Center’s growing presence on the comedy circuit, the Warner Theatre (p. 230) sometimes features big-name comedians or troupes.

The best of D.C.’s International Scene

Washington is home to more than 180 embassies and international culture centers, which greatly contribute to the city’s cosmopolitan flavor. Few embassies are open to the public on a walk-in basis (see p. 25 for info about embassy open houses in May), but many offer programs highlighting the culture of their countries. It’s often some of the hottest nightlife in town.

The helpful website www.embassy.org provides a list of all the embassies, with links to their websites. If you explore the individual websites, you’ll find that many host events that are open to the public—sometimes for free, sometimes at minimal cost. In my opinion, the French Embassy’s La Maison Française (www.frenchculture.org) and the Swedish Embassy’s House of Sweden (www.swedenabroad.com) offer the most interesting events. A highlight is the Nordic Jazz Fest, co-sponsored by the embassies of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland every June, with the best performances staged at the House of Sweden, on the Georgetown waterfront, and always including a pre-concert reception on the roof, with its stunning view of the Potomac River. The cost is usually $25 per person per concert.

You can also buy tickets for Embassy Series (www.embassyseries.org;  202/625-2361) program events. These world-class, mostly classical-music performances are hosted by individual embassies and held at the embassy or the ambassador’s residence. In celebration of its 25th anniversary season in 2018–19, the series has expanded its program to include many more embassies and performances. It’s an intimate experience, but tickets can be expensive. For instance, on April 27, 2018, the Embassy of Argentina staged an evening of “tangos and boleros” performed by Argentine mezzo-soprano Malena Dayan and pianist David Rosenmeyer, along with a buffet of empanadas, wine, and other Argentine tastes, for $90 per ticket, but well worth it!

The Capitol Steps    Orange is the New Barack is the name of the latest album released by this musical political satire troupe, following fast on the heels of What to Expect When You’re Electing, Mock the Vote, and How to Succeed in Congress Without Really Lying—just four of the 40 albums the troupe has produced since it debuted in 1981. But really, it’s best to see them perform their songs and skits in person, which you can do nearly every weekend at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The performers are former congressional staffers, and therefore well-equipped to satirize politicians. In the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (at 13th St.). www.capsteps.com.  202/312-1555. Tickets $40.50. Metro: Federal Triangle.

The Improv    The Improv features headliners on the national comedy-club circuit as well as comic plays and one-person shows. Shows are about 1½ hours long and generally include three comics (an emcee, a feature act, and a headliner). Showtimes are at 7, 7:30, or 8pm Tuesday through Sunday, with a second show at 9:45pm or later on Friday and Saturday. Sometimes the club adds a third show at 11pm on weekends. Acts also take place in the more intimate 60-person lounge. You must be 18 to enter. 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW (btw. L and M sts.). www.dcimprov.com.  202/296-7008. Tickets $15–$45, plus a 2-item minimum per person. Metro: Farragut North (L St. exit).

The LGBTQ Scene

According to the Washington Blade, the D.C. publication covering the LGBT community, the nation’s capital has the highest self-identified LGBT population in the country, at 8.6 percent. Here are three of the most popular bars favored by those 8.6 percenters.

Cobalt    This is “D.C’s premier gay bar and nightspot.” So says Cobalt’s owners, but so does everyone else, too. Cobalt is actually the name of the club’s third-floor dance space, while the first floor holds the club’s Level One restaurant and the second floor its 30 Degrees lounge. The club hosts karaoke and other themed and popular events. 1639 R St. NW (at 17th St.). www.cobaltdc.com.  202/232-4416. Metro: Dupont Circle (Q St. exit).

J.R.’s Bar and Grill    This friendly place is always packed, whether it’s Thursday night between 5 and 8pm, when $15 gets you all you can drink, or on “Showtunes Monday” nights. The all-male Dupont Circle club draws an attractive crowd, here to play pool, sing along, or simply hang out. 1519 17th St. NW (btw. P and Q sts.). www.jrsbar-dc.com.  202/328-0090. Metro: Dupont Circle (Q St. exit).

Nellie’s Sports Bar    Washington City Paper’s 2018 Best of D.C. issue reported that readers voted Nellie’s Sports Bar their favorite in two categories, best sports bar and best gay bar. Clearly, Nellie’s has her fans, and they aren’t necessarily all gay. But if the idea of drag brunch or drag bingo appeals, or if you happen to be a whiz at trivia, or if you enjoy an entertaining social scene while you watch your favorite team play on TV, or if you fancy a cocktail on Nellie’s roof deck overlooking U Street, you’re bound to be happy at Nellie’s. 900 U St. NW (at 9th St.). www.nelliessportsbar.com.  202/332-6355. Metro: U St./Cardozo (10th St. exit).

Spectator Sports

Washington, D.C., has professional football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer teams, and of those five, it’s the 2018 Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals ice-hockey team, whose fans are the most passionate. And visible: In season you’ll see the red-jersey’d devotees swarming downtown before and after matches at the Capital One Arena. Tickets to the Caps games are attainable but not cheap. It’s the tickets to the Redskins football games that remain most elusive, thanks to a loyal subscription base.

Annual Sporting Events

Citi Open   This U.S. Open series event (formerly known as the Legg Mason Tennis Classic) attracts more than 72,000 people to watch tennis pros compete for big bucks. A portion of the profits benefits the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation. The tournament takes place for about 9 days starting in mid- to late July at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park. www.citiopentennis.com.  202/721-9500.

Marine Corps Marathon   Thirty thousand runners compete in this 26.2-mile race (the third-largest marathon in the United States), which winds past major memorials. The race takes place on a Sunday in late October; 2019 marks its 44th year. www.marinemarathon.com.  800/786-8762.

General Spectator Sports

Baseball   Washington, D.C.’s Major League Baseball team, the Nationals, play at the finely designed Nationals Park (www.nationals.com; 1500 S. Capitol St. SE;  202/675-6287), located in southeast Washington’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. The 41,000-seat stadium is now the centerpiece of this newly vibrant waterfront locale, whose plentiful restaurants, bars, and fun activities will keep you busy, if you want to arrive early for the game or amuse yourself afterward. Metro: Navy Yard.

Basketball   The 20,600-seat Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW, where it meets 7th Street (www.capitalonearena.com;  202/628-3200), in the center of downtown, is Washington’s premier indoor-sports arena, where the Wizards (NBA), the Mystics (WNBA), and the Georgetown University Hoyas basketball teams play. Metro: Gallery Place/Arena.

Football   The Redskins National Football League team plays at the 85,000-seat FedEx Field stadium, outside Washington, in Landover, Maryland. Obtaining tickets is difficult thanks to season-ticket holders, but if you want to try, visit www.redskins.com/fedexfield or www.stubhub.com.

Ice Hockey   D.C. ice hockey fans rejoiced in 2018 when their beloved Washington Capitals brought home the Stanley Cup, winning its first NHL championship in franchise history. The team rink is inside the 20,600-seat Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW (www.capitalonearena.com;  202/628-3200), in the center of downtown. Metro: Gallery Place/Arena.

Soccer   The D.C. men’s Major League Soccer Club team, D.C. United (www.dcunited.com), which has been around since 1994, finally has its own arena, the 20,000-seat capacity Audi Field, 1711 First St. SW (www.audifielddc.com;  202/587-5000, in an area called Buzzard Point, in the Southwest Waterfront, abutting the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. The city’s National Women’s Soccer League team, Washington Spirit (www.washingtonspirit.com), will also play matches here. Metro: Navy Yard.

Tennis   World Team Tennis franchise team, the Washington Kastles (www.washingtonkastles.com), plays at the Kastles Stadium at the Smith Center, 600 22nd St. NW, on the campus of George Washington University. WTT is a coed professional tennis league; the Kastles team includes Venus Williams, Madison Brengle, and Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan ( 202/483-6647). Metro: Foggy Bottom.