This Week in Geek: So Many Nostalgias

A showcase of this week's finest geek and geek related activities for the week. Mark your calendars.

Tuesday

• Zombies - Zombies on the Loose: Why Can't We Get Rid of Them? - Washington, DC - 7:00PM
• Did you know George Mason has a course on the cultural importance of zombies? Its professor, Jeffery Mantz, is hosting a talk tomorrow. NOTE: Due to the government shutdown, the location has been changed (since, you know... Smithsonian). The new location is Congressional Cemetery Chapel 1801 E St SE. Mad props to the organizers for moving instead of just cancelling. So for those of you looking to stare deep into the soulless eyes of the undead and see what abyss looks back, the event is still on. Grr. Arg.

Saria was the best female character in OoT. Discuss.
(wonderful image by Lauren Turner) 

Wednesday

• Zelda! - DC Geeks Happy Hour - Washington, DC - 7:30PM
• Hey! Listen! Over here! Listen! Alright, now that that's out of the way and we have your attention, it's the glorious second Wednesday of the month and that means another Happy Hour with us over at Atlas Arcade with those of us at DC Geeks! From 8-bit to Wii-mote and beyond, we have the line up of all things triforce for this month's theme. If you absolutely CANNOT WAIT another day for some crazy Zelda action, one recommendation would be Aine's latest addiction, Zelda Speed Runs. Ocarina of Time record is, no kidding, ninteen minutes and fifteen seconds (with enough bug exploits to make a QA professional burst into tears). You have two days to study the video and try to wow everyone at the event with your speedrunning prowess. How hard could it be?

Thursday

• YES! FOR REALS! - Protomen Concert! - Springfield, VA - 7:00PM
• So if you thought that you'd have to wait until MAGFest to see the Protomen, then Christmas (well, January, technically) just came early! Their tour stops include a Northern Virginia appearance. As any of their many avid fans will tell you, regardless of where you are in the D/M/V region, it's likely to be worth any drive. If you hit up their homepage (linked above), you can get a taste of one of their newer tracks, a cover of Bohemian Rhapsody. Just don't forget, no matter what cover, there will is a mandatory headbanging session mid-song.

Saturday

• Derby - NoVA Derby League Mixer - Sterling, VA - 4:30PM
• Derby. The reason for the season. And there's a league mixer with a "wickedly sweet" theme to be announced in more detail on the NOVA Roller Derby website. At the usual SportsPlex in Dulles, the event will run through about 8:00PM. Fans of everything from merely derby fashion to those of you looking for a good ole dose of the ultraviolence should consider heading out. The Vineyard Vixens, The Backwoods Rollers, and The Beltway Betties aren't likely to disappoint.
• Concert - They Might Be Giants - Washington, DC - 8:00PM
• Nostalgia bars, nostalgia games, nostalgia DC Geek Happy Hour (*cough* in case you hadn't noticed Wednesday's posting), and now there's a concert by what some might consider a nostalgia band. Of course, they've put out a plethora of new music since "Birdhouse in Your Soul." And Flood came out in, rutting gods and heroes, it came out in 1990. So if you're not up on their current work, here's a chance to catch-up on the last 23 years. In case that didn't make you feel a twinge old, their TED Talk starts off with some rockin' accordion, but also: "You're older than you've ever been before, and now you're even older, and now you're even older, and now you're even older."

“It's completely fucked up and can only be explained in song.”
(From TMBG TED Concert image by Steve Jurvetson)

Longer Term

• Convention - Capclave - Gaithersburg, MD - Friday through Sunday
• Now in it's 13th year, Capclave has an author guest of honor that anyone will want to meet, or anyone with HBO (or an internet connection and loose morals - hey, you can always pay for it when it comes on Bluray, right?) It's George R.R. Martin!! For those of you who still need catharsis after the ridiculous damn wait between Feast for Crows and Dance with Dragons, here's a bit of Paul & Storm and Geek & Sundry (needs more ampersands). Note: DC Geeks neither endorses nor encourages the harassment of sloth-esque or any other authors or public figures.
• Convention - International Steampunk City - Morristown, NJ - Saturday and Sunday
• There has to be a better way to hawk Steampunk cons than "Step right up, ladies and gents!" but Hack & Slash already took "Right this way: Underwater midget tossing!" We'll have to settle with the following: HEY YOU! Yes, you with the gears, goggles, and top hat. Go to Morristown, NJ for Steampunk City. This festival appears to delve behind the dirigibles and derringers to include a look at the history of steam power, live blacksmithing demonstrations, and a charity benefit.

Did we miss something? If you have an event you’d like to promote that isn’t on this list, leave a comment or email us.  Other weekly recurring events are listed on our website (such as Rocky,  CCG tournaments, crazy themed happy hours). For more information, check out the calendars at DC Geeks.