This Week in Geek: Anti-Art, Thrash Metal, and Flame Wars

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

Today

• Anti-Art School - Dr. Sketchy's Baltimore - Baltimore, MD - 7:00PM
• The usual mix for Dr. Sketchy's, for the unfamiliar, is a bit of burlesque or other niche talents like Mab Just Mab's sideshow talents (autoplaying link). The first rule of Dr. Sketchy's is not that you have to draw. Yes, you do have to draw, but Rule One is please, please buy drinks so the venue sees what a lucrative idea these events are. And Rule Two is of course, you have to draw. No photos. Doesn't matter if you're a studio art graduate or if you only have a half a pack of crayons to bring. It'll be fun either way.

All it took to win some of us over to Dr. Sketchy's
(from NYC's 2011 homage to Sandman NSFW)

Wednesday

• Trivia - Trivia Night at Wisdom - Washington, DC - 8:00PM
• Some of you may remember our podcast with Erik Holzherr, owner of Wisdom, that we actually recorded from within the gorgeous bar. The first word that comes to mind with the atmosphere is "intimate" but although the space may be full of fascinating alcoves and niches, there is a weekly trivia night. If you've become tired of your usual trivia fix and cheap beers, step it up a notch (or five) and have the best goddamn gin and tonic you've ever had in your life.

Thursday

• Comedy - College Humor Live - Arlington, VA - 7:30PM
• College Humor sometimes feels hit or miss. Although about once a month, Aine will spend a full 24 hours with "We Didn't Start the Flame War" (NSFW and autoplaying) stuck in her head.And the Arlington Drafthouse is hosting Jaek, Amir, and Streeter Seidell. They don't call it College Humor for nothing as the show is 18+ only. The link to the above page not only has links for tickets, but also includes a brief look at Streeter's style of standup if you want a better example of the show's tone.

DC Rollergirls - good enough to go on the road for.
(image by James Calder from the Rollergirls' site)

Saturday

• Derby - DC Rollergirls Away Bout - Baltimore, MD - 6:30PM to 10:30PM
• It may seem like we've plugged a lot of derby this season. Partly that's because derby is amazing, but this actually isn't your usual bout. Note that this one requires the haul up to Baltimore. Fear not, your teams have not deserted you. However, they are headed up to show a few Charm City girls exactly how tough derby is down here in the district. The teams from each league will face off for charity: Junkyard Dolls vs Majority Whips, then the Night Terrors vs Cherry Blossom Bombshells. Head on up and see if we can't out-cheer the home teams.

Sunday

• A Perfect Sunday - GWAR at the 930 Club - Washington, DC - 7:30PM
• What better way to keep the Sabbath holy? Any thrash metal band worth its salt should be able to boast that they have the words "graphic," "heavy metal," "obscene," and "taboo" in their Wikipedia entry before it's even gotten past the first paragraph. Damn, how do you describe GWAR? Ah ha! Here we go: Check out the AV Club's video of GWAR's cover of "Carry On Wayward Son." Yes, that prosthetic with its own face that's, um, getting friendly with the mic stand, is exactly what you think it is. So let's tag that last link with a NSFW and autoplay warning.

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.

This Week in Geek: Throwdowns on Canvas or on Skates

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

All good things...
(photo by Evil Erin)

Today

• Last Chance - AFI Silver Halloween Movies - Silver Spring, MD - 5:15PM
• We brought you the earliest Halloween events, and now it's finally all winding to a close. For those of you looking to wring that last day or four out of your favorite holiday, AFI Silver has your back. The last showing of this year’s horror series is the 50th anniversary of The Haunting. A last hurrah of retro scares before you start counting down days until next year. Although, if you're a zombie fan, there's a guy who can get you a fix. Give Jason Bayless' podcast, Zombie Popcorn a try.

Tuesday

•  Lecture - Without Their Permission: A Night with Reddit Cofounder Alexis Ohanian - Washington, DC - 8:00PM
  • Whether or not you're a Redditor, cofounder Alexis Ohanian is a force in his own right and an interesting dude. The GW Tech Collective is hosting an evening with him where he will discuss his entrepreneurship, open internet, grass-roots internet movements, and his first book. Tickets are gone, but you can try your luck with the waitlist.
    

Wednesday

• Lecture - The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets - Washington, DC - 7:00PM
• TIL: Many members of The Simpsons' writing team have STEM degrees. Forget taking your kids forcibly to the Air and Space museum, this should be common knowledge to encourage more kids and young adults to pursue a career in the sciences (or, if all else fails, dinosaurs). Simon Singh has a new book out focusing on Math and the Simpsons, and he'll be lecturing on times when the writers' knowledge has been able to shine through as well as discussing the geniuses behind the longest-running primetime scripted show.

Friday

• Screening - "I Know That Voice" - Washington, DC - 6:00PM
• If you can't wait til MAGFest to get your voice actor fix, John DiMaggio, a.k.a. Futurama's Bender, will be at the premier of "I Know That Voice", presented by the National Press Club. The documentary doesn't drop until December, so grab your favorite Futurama or Adventure Time collectible and catch it now, along with a Q&A/Meet & Greet after the show. Tickets are $10 and still available, so grab them while you can.
  
• FIGHT! - Super Art Fight invades the Black Cat - Washington, DC - 9:30PM
• Last week we plugged the throwdown for new "applicants" to Super Art Fight, and this time we ARE plugging a regular show. The Super Art Fight leaves their usual Baltimore cocoon to come back down and rock the Black Cat. So no driving. You can just metro in and get wasted while watching the throwdown! Hell yes! If there are any left, tickets will be on sale here. Don't rely on getting there early and waiting in line.

OM NOM NOM NOM You gotta love
Super Art Fight's promo poster designs.

Saturday

• Convention - Southern Maryland Comic-Con - Waldorf, MD - 10:00AM to 6:00PM
• Here's all that should sell you on this: exclusive. #11. My Little Pony comic! And if that doesn't do that for you, then there's still plenty of reasons to hit the comic-con. For most of you (at least for the non-bronies), the real reasons to attend are Olivia Olson of Adventure Time and Jim Zub of Samurai Jack. There's also more artists than I can list here (including our former podcast guests Interrobang Studios! Hi, Sarah and Kevin!) Kids 10 and under are free, always a bonus if you're looking to get out of the house with the whole family for a day.

• Derby - Nova Roller Derby Championships - Dulles, VA - 4:30PM
• For those of you who've been following the season beyond just the DC action up at the Armory, the women of NOVA Derby have their end of season blowout this weekend. Just looking to check out a bout for the first time? Never fear: Treat it like the Superbowl. Or, treat it how non-football-fans treat the Superbowl. Check out the Teams and pick which ever one sounds best, and cheer like mad for them.

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.

This Week In Geek: Sideshow, Art, and Philanthropy (How Highbrow!)

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

Longer Term

• Haunted House - Nightmare Manor - Ijamsville, MD - Thursday, Friday, Saturday
• The lore is that there was a guy, and he was bad. And he had a quarry and a lot of fatalities, so he burnt his house down and hanged himself in the front yard, so there's ghosts now. True fact. You can read for yourself. They wouldn't let people put just anything on the internet. But regardless of history and lore, there's a moon bounce and paintball so even if you're not there for the haunted house, there's awesome things to do. (What's a bungee run?)

You see? You see how that's not an image of a spider?
It's because we care. (great photo by DeusXFlorida)

• Paranormal Folk - Jonah Knight at Screamland Farms - Frederick, MD - Four shows this week
• As Jonah puts it on his site: “A haunted farm! Barn of Bedlam! Corrupted Corn Maze! Hay wagon ride through the Haunted Forest!” and concerts with songs about clones and zombies and ghosts! After scouring the internet for Halloween goings on, Screamland Farms probably wins for most unnerving website. $10 per attraction, discounts for groups of three or more, and they've chosen to rate their attractions as PG-13. Those of you with young geeklings will want to snag a sitter.

• Convention - Nekocon 16 - Hampton Roads, VA - Friday through Sunday
• Recovered from Halloween? Great! Spend your All Saints Day heading down to Hampton Roads for one of the best anime conventions of the year. Karaoke sign-up went live on the 5th, but there's a chance you might be able to snag a spot if you enter now. Know how we know that Nekocon loves you? They have essentially day care so you can leave your "chibi nekos" to do arts and crafts while you con it up.

Wednesday

• Sideshow Halloween - Night of the Living Zoo - Washington, DC - 6:30PM to 10:30PM
• Not to be at all confused with the kids thing the zoo does. This is a stunning adults-only, after-dark bash at the National Zoo. Enjoy the moonlight glinting off the pandas, or well, maybe the goats. Meanwhile, the Cheeky Monkey Sideshow will provide "bone-chilling" entertainment. Palm readers, fire eaters, sideshow, illusionists, live music, and more. Want an example of bone-chilling? Check out Mab Just Mab's act with broken glass. (Aine's note: gives me chills, no matter how many times I see her lay in broken glass).

Imagine how cool the zoo will be at night. Look, this seal practically
screams, "Bitch, I am fabulous." (photo by Stephanie Clifford)

Friday

• Kid-Friendly Scares - Screamplex Family Night - Ijamsville, MD - 5:00PM
• This is hands-down the coolest idea for a way to get young'uns through a haunted house, “Kids going through the haunt will be given magical rings that are capable of warding off all forms of ghosts and monsters in case they get too scared. The show will be a 'lights on' tour but people are welcome to bring flashlights.” One could be tempted to make a reference to Little Fears, but instead let's just say your kid gets to feel like she has her own Patronus watching over her for the evening.

Saturday

• Zombies  - Silver Spring Zombie Walk - Silver Spring, MD - until the 10:15PM movie
• (Editor's note: This, right here, is the downside of not procrastinating. At the moment the site just says "Stay Tuned" and the Facebook group has info from 2011). This is happening. The zombies cannot be stopped, even if you all have to flash mob it. Dress up like zombies, shamble around downtown Silver Spring. Then, finish up at the AFI Silver, which notes that the 10:15PM showing of Return of the Living Dead marks the end of the event.

• Art! - FREE Super Art Fight Idol - Baltimore, MD - 12:00PM to 6:00PM
• Thought we'd be plugging another show, right? But this is different. In the gladiatorial nature of the Art Fight, the show is the only chance this year for artists to fight their way onto the roster. These potential members will be judged, but not merely on their art skills (psh, make an online portfolio if you're just here to draw). This Idol show is to determine who has the strength of personality and the powerful performance skills to really win over a crowd and become a true Art Fighter!

• Fundraising - Extra Life 25-Hour Charity Gaming Marathon - Everywhere - All Day
• While the battle rages on in Baltimore, Team NerDC will already be more than four hours into their non-stop gaming marathon. The Extra Life fundraiser raises money for local Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Any game qualifies: From PS3 to Angry Birds or Farmville, and you can donate by sponsoring gamers by the hour. (I wonder if Cow Clicker counts as a game? Or Hope). If you aren't available to hook into a caffeine IV and game all night, please show the NerDC group some love.

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.

This Week in Geek: Zombies, The Fair Folk, and Your Firstborn

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

"Well, a puppet is controlled by a person. And I'm an actual talking frog."
(image by Chris Hsia)

Tuesday

• Muppets - Jim Henson: More than the Muppets - Washington, DC - 6:45PM
• Ok, so maybe not muppets? Depending on who you ask, Jim Henson was everything from a brilliant creator to the very crafter of childhood joy. Seriously. Ask anyone who grew up as a Muppet addict, and you will find feels that run deeper than most of us would really ever admit. But the Smithsonian has invited his biographer, Brian Jay Jones to speak about the truly extraordinary man and provide a rare glimpse into his intensely private life. The session is sold out, but there is a waiting list, and more sessions may be added, so keep an eye out.

Friday

• Cabaret - Cabaret Macabre: Opening Night - Silver Spring, MD - 8:00PM
• The fourth annual Cabaret Macabre is brought to you by the Round House Theater. You have to love the Washington Post's take on the show as a "Gorey illustration brought to life." Dark, nightmarish, and deadly flare are blended with the comedic vignettes and striking Victorian styles. More information is available at the Happenstance Theater, and you can purchase tickets at The Round House Theater's Silver Spring site.

Saturday

• Zombie 5k - Blood and Guts Run - Centreville, VA - first heat is 9:00AM
• Here, right here, is why you should ante up and go, “Tickets are $79.00, with discounts available for teachers, students, police officers, firefighters, nurses and emergency management services personnel. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society, Military and Veterans Association and local school districts.” Also, zombies. Do some good, prep for the apocalypse, and have a good run.

Motivation if ever we saw it.
(image by Katie Crommett)

• Multiple Events - Raven's Night - Alexandria, VA - Doors open at 5:00PM
• What would a good story be without villains, especially a wholesome story for children? Without Maleficent, would Aurora have grown to a brat who resented her arranged marriage, never realizing the love that could have grown between her and Phillip? Tales need villains, and this week at the Birchmere, Belladonna is presenting a performance that honors villainesses in their shining moments of triumph through live music and belly dancing (to echo the site's disclaimer: not suitable for all ages).

• Steam/Fae Punk - Goblins and Gears Masquerade Ball - Glen Burnie, MD - 8:00PM
• A chance to dress up? Doesn't matter if it's Halloween, there's always a reason to be found to throw on that gorgeous set of new goggles and head out to the airship. This year's ball melds steampunk with another beautiful chance to showcase your more stunning or terrifying outfits. The theme is the mishap of the Fae return. "Elves are glamorous. They project glamour. Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment. Elves are terrific. They beget terror." (Pratchett)

• Pub Crawl - Halloween on M Street - Washington, DC -  5:00PM to 1:00AM
• This will sell out if it hasn't already. Every holiday can be improved upon with a solid pub crawl. Puns aside, with nearly thirty locations involved in the Bacardi- and Coors-backed event, you could stage your own recreation of The World's End. Except, hopefully without having to drunkenly fight a robot army. The link above will take you to advance, discount tickets, but as always Facebook has the hook up for all the gritty details. So head to the pub, grab [many] pints, and wait for this whole thing to blow over.

Longer Term

• Kid-Friendly Halloween - Boo at the Zoo - Washington, DC - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
• There's three events, each day between 5:30 and 8:30PM - so after dark but in time to get your geeklings in bed at a decent time. The event is specifically aimed at ages 2 through 12. If your kid is a hard sell on trick-or-treating events like this one, here are a few ideas for your pitch: they'll get their candy days before the kids wandering the streets on Halloween night, and they'll likely get more candy. Honestly, how many houses are really going to leave the lights on for a mid-week barrage of kids? Guaranteed candy and a lot less walking. Win / win.

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.

This Week in Geek: Let the Halloween BEGIN!

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

Tuesday

• Hilarity - Comedy Bang! Bang! Live! - Washington, DC - 10:00PM
• Whether you're a fan of the podcast, the show, or completely oblivious as to the existence of this insanity, you should still hit up tomorrow's show if it's not sold out. The deeply and almost elegantly awkward nature of the episodes is... something else. Check out full episodes on IFC. There's really no adequate way to describe it, just, give it a view and see if it's your thing.

IFC's promo poster for the Comedy Bang! Bang! tour

Thursday

• Discounted Halloween! - Student Night at Hallow Inc - Kensington, MD - 7:00PM
• We interviewed Hallow Inc for our podcast last year (you remember, the one with all the screaming in the background?) They are not only open this year, but this week is their student night. As an indoor, terror-filled experience, you may be inclined to believe that the scares won't live up to the generic "dude with a chainsaw chasing you around the woods" aspect of some haunted forests. But being in a small room where you don't see the zombie until you feel its breath on your neck? Far, far scarier. Just remember: If you safeword out, your Polaroid could wind up on the wall of shame. Check them out on their Facebook site.

Friday

• Burlesque - Beyonce vs. Rhianna: Choose Your Side - Washington, DC - 8:45 and 11:00
• Brown Girl Burlesque returns to DC! This act is being billed as a "show girl show down." Choose your side. Will you go with the beautiful Rihanna now that she's found the strength to ditch her violent son of a bitch ex, Chris Brown? Or will you side with the teen-star who grew up to sing "America the Beautiful" at the inauguration? Wikipedia up on each of them to make an informed decision. This shit is srs business; it's not like just deciding to be on Team Cedric
• Early Halloween - Crime Museum Dead Men Walking - Washington, DC - 7:00PM
• Rather than wait until the last few claustrophobic days of all the Halloween attractions, we've attempted to scatter announcements throughout the month. This week, the scares are courtesy of the Crime Museum. What better place than the home of exhibits about Ted Bundy and the unibomber to come up with some genuinely dark and authentic scares?

The Crime Museum: Everything you ever wanted
to know about the black heart of a serial killer.
(promo image for Fright at the Museum)

Saturday

• Free Con - Tigercon - Towson, MD - 10:00AM to 10:00PM
• Short, sweet, to the point, and free. Go support the Towson University student organization that's throwing this gratis. Their Facebook page may have more up to date information (e.g. the location is 8000 York Road rather than 800). More than a few DC Geeks have a soft spot for the tiny, student-run conventions. With this one relatively close, and again - free, it's certainly worth a trip out for those of you in the northern half of our readership.

Longer Term

• Last Chance - Closing Weekend for MD Renaissance Faire - Saturday and Sunday
• How can this already be the last week of the renfaire?! Where has the time gone!? Well, now is your last chance to buy from a lot of the vendors and to experience the excellent performers. As always, remember to keep an eye out for Mab and the Cheeky Monkey Sideshow. Note that most of the vendors have websites that barely survived geocities, if they have sites at all (hey, calling it like it is). So the faire is the only chance you'll have to purchase some of the beautiful wares. Don't let the chance slip by.
• Beat the Rush - Markoff's Haunted Forest - Poolesville, MD  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
• As the faire season closes, there's more Halloween events firing up. This week may be a great chance to miss the rush at one of the bigger events of the year. At 21 years, Markoff's is certainly one of the longest running. There are plenty of events to keep you entertained even while you're waiting for your turn to enter the main attraction. None of this inconsiderate multi-hour queue nonsense.
• Horror Films - AFI Silver's Halloween Line Up - today through November 4th
• And finally, another early start to help turn the majority of your October free time into a festival of horror. AFI Silver is continuing the tradition of their Halloween series. Check through the sight for everything from the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy to the 50th anniversary of The Haunting. If physical jump out scares aren't really your thing, you can grab some popcorn and consider bring along a significant other to comfort through the scariest parts (or to comfort you, depending on which side of the coin you're on).

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.

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.