Thursday, Nov. 20 "Vanitas: Nicholas and Sheila Pye" Noon-6 p.m. WHERE: Curator's Office, 1515 14th St. N.W. METRO: Dupont Circle (red line) INFO: Experience the transience of life and love, before, well, you know. This husband and wife duo takes genre painting to the next level with this video installation, closing Thursday at the most intimidating gallery in the city. COST: Free
"President Harding is a Rock Star" 7:30 p.m. WHERE: D.C. Arts Center, 2438 18th St. N.W. METRO: Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (red line) INFO: If you thought President-elect Barack Obama made the ladies swoon, wait 'til you get a feel for former President Warren G. Harding. The D.C. premiere of this musical, which runs through the end of this month, is sure to hit home for the political set. COST: $18
Friday, Nov. 21 Preview: "Bam Bam Dilla: Traveling Riddims" 7 p.m. WHERE: Adidas Store, 1251 Wisconsin Ave. N.W. METRO: Check wmata.com for bus routes INFO: Feel the riddim at this preview event for portrait artist Ben Floeter's solo show, opening Saturday at Art Whino. Floeter's work is inspired by '70s Jamaican reggae, so it's appropriate that Jeremy Sole will be on hand to lay down the dub. COST: Free
Grand Reopening Festival 8:30 a.m. WHERE: National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W. METRO: Smithsonian (blue and orange lines) INFO: After a two-year hiatus, this perennial fave will reopen its doors to great fanfare. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell will fire off a canon from the War of 1812 as part of this three-day-long celebration. COST: Free
Saturday, Nov. 22 Capital Punishment IV 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Kay Spiritual Life Center basement METRO: Tenleytown-AU (red line) INFO: Join WVAU one last time this semester in shaking the walls of the flaming cupcake. Local bastions of rock Imperial China, Caverns, Solar Powered Sun Destroyer and Hammer No More the Fingers will bring down the house. COST: Free
Bombadil 9:30 p.m. WHERE: IOTA, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. METRO: Clarendon (orange line) INFO: North Carolina's favorite troubadours will swing by the District for a third time this year in support of their album, "A Buzz, A Buzz." Purportedly, this will be their last time in the area for some time, so catch them before you can't. COST: $12
Sunday, Nov. 23 Tina Turner 7 p.m. WHERE: Verizon Center, 601 F St. N.W. METRO: Gallery Place-Chinatown (red, green and yellow lines) INFO: In a venue this size, Turner will put on quite the show. The new stage show promises top-notch choreography, state-of-the art lighting and of course, the songstress herself. COST: $59.50-$153
"Why is Kofi Annan Not a Woman?" 8 p.m. WHERE: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. N.W. METRO: U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) INFO: Kofi Annan just can't be a woman - or that's the point filmmaker Andreas von Warburg strives to prove with this film that explores gender roles in the U.N. Von Warburg will discuss the film after the show. COST: Free
Monday, Nov. 24 "Uncle Meat" 7 p.m. WHERE: Library of Congress, Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. S.E. METRO: Capitol South (blue and orange lines) INFO: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention started making this sci-fi mind trip in 1968, but ended up with a documentary of the same name about the process. Check out this film as the first in the Library of Congress's Zappa mini-festival. COST: Free
The Gay Blades 8:30 p.m. WHERE: DC9, 1940 Ninth St. N.W. METRO: U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (green and yellow lines) INFO: Garnering comparisons to Queen, The Gay Blades will bring arena rock to the small stage. COST: $10
Tuesday, Nov. 25 "Giants" book talk 7 p.m. WHERE: Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. N.W. METRO: Tenleytown-AU (red line) INFO: Author John Stauffer will stop by D.C. to talk about his book that looks at the historical friendship between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln on the eve of the iconic president's 200th birthday. COST: Free
"Eldorado" 7 p.m. WHERE: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md. METRO: Silver Spring (red line) INFO: Belgium's official entry to the foreign language film Oscar race takes on a journey taken by two strangers. The film's dark comedy takes a turn for just plain dark as it reaches its denouement. COST: $10 ormation, e-mail altbreak@american.edu.
