MADAMS ORGAN HAS remained popular for so long because its drinks are strong, its decor is quirky and its stage is never empty. Its live-music-or-bust mantra keeps the place full of energy and the crowd diverse, and tonight is no exception.
One of their regular bands, Lucky Dog, will be on hand to provide the well-lubricated crowd with the funk-rock-fusion they've been doling out since 1979. They're on the bottom floor and dancing is encouraged, but if you're feeling like a break, there are several other bars to hang at between sets. Oh, and if you want to head in early, happy hour lasts until 8 p.m.
» Madams Organ, 2461 18th St. NW; Tue., Sept. 2, 9 p.m., $4-$7; 202-667-5370. (Woodley Park/Zoo-Adams Morgan)
Photo courtesy of Madams Organ
ZOOS NEED MONEY, guys. Pandas cannot eat high ideals. Actually, they can't eat money either. Got any spare bamboo?
As a fundraiser, the zoo is bringing together everyone's two favorite things: red pandas and alcohol!
More than 20 local breweries have contributed beers for Brew at the Zoo, a beer tasting meant to help out all those animals being kept in tiny enclosures. See how cute this little red panda is? He wants you to drink that IPA and give him a dollar. How can you resist?
» National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW; Thu., Aug. 21, 6 p.m., $55 of $40 for FONZ members; 202-633-3026. (Woodley Park)
Photo be Alex Wong/Getty Images
WHAT'S WRINKLED, GREY and cute all over?
The Asian Elephant, of course.
With smaller frames and smaller ears, these fellows are dwarfed by their African relatives, but still deserve to be celebrated, darn it.
The National Zoo, FONZ and the Embassy of Sri Lanka invite you to hang out with Shanti, Ambika and Kandula during a family-friendly day of activities in support of this endangered species.
» The National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW; Sat., Aug. 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., free; 202-633-4480. (Woodley Park)
Photo by Brent Davis
AS I WATCH tourists file down Connecticut Ave. toward the zoo in swarms, I wonder: Do they expect to show up in D.C. and find a populace so patriotic that flag gear is all we wear? Do they think D.C. natives go to work every day in stars-and-stripes-bedecked three piece suits and then kick back in liberty bell cargo shorts in the evening? Are they trying to fit in? So many questions and no answers. Well, you know what they say: If you can't figure them out, mock them.
Where is this going? To the Tacky Tourist Mini Bar Crawl, taking place Saturday evening in Adams Morgan. The idea is simple: dress up in the most outrageous tourist-wear you can come up with, register at Grand Central between 6 and 10 p.m., pay the $10 requested donation (as all profits go to Save the Ta-Tas, a team participating in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk), and get drink specials up and down 18th. Funny AND for a good cause.
» Grand Central, 2447 18th St. NW; Sat., July 26, 6-11 p.m., $10 donation requested; 202-986-1742. (Woodley Park/Zoo-Adams Morgan)
Photo by Rebecca D'Angelo
HAS ANYONE ELSE noticed that the average price of an entree in a restaurant has skyrocketed lately? I used to think a decent main dish at a sit-down restaurant would put me back $10-$12, but $15-$17 seems to have become par for the course at your average eatery.
Enter New Orleans Cafe. Perhaps I'm partial because it's close to my apartment and comfortably quaint, but this place isn't just tasty, it's cheap and tasty. The most expensive things on the menu are under $15 (serious entrees: linguine, jambalaya, etouffee), and a delicious Po' Boy with cajun fries goes for around $7. In the era of the $14 sandwich, this, my friends, smells like a deal.
And it tastes ... just as spicy as you want it. Owner Bardia usually also doubles as the server, and he often asks "do you want that spicy?" Affordable AND considerate? The only thing sweeter than that are the powdered-sugar-topped beignets you get for dessert.
» Bardia's New Orleans Cafe, 2412 18th St. NW; closed Mondays; 202-234-0420. (Woodley Park/Zoo-Adams Morgan)
Photo courtesy of Carl Purcell
IN THE MOOD for some action on a Monday? Head to Madam's Organ on 18th, where there's a good time to be had any night of the week thanks to a swingin' live music selection.
Mondays feature One Nite Stand, a hyped-up mixture of smooth jazz, R&B, go-go and reggae, among other things. On the mic is dynamic frontwoman Sista Pat — if anything will get those feet movin' on a Monday, it's her. Trust us, this is the sort of tryst that might turn into a more long-term relationship.
» Madam's Organ, 2461 18th St. NW; 10 p.m., prices varies, usually $3; 202-667-5370. (Woodley Park/Zoo-Adams Morgan)
Photo courtesy of One Nite Stand
ALWAYS LOVABLE TAI SHAN, who is very much no longer the size of a stick of butter, turned three today. So washingtonpost.com videographer Anna Uhls traveled to the National Zoo to watch the requisite fawning.
He was presented with a fruitcicle cake. He ate some of it. Some of it broke apart. He ran. Exciting stuff.
The stars of this video? The Tai Shan uber-fans.
Marvel at the 12-year-old who knew the exact time of Tai Shan's birth — 3:41 a.m. Puzzle over the grown woman who spent four hours being poked by a small, ink-covered needle so that she could forever honor Butterstick with a tattoo on her shoulder.
It's two minutes and 51 seconds of time well spent.
HOWL AT THE twilight on Thursday — you may have some company.
Little Red and the Renegades' spicy zydeco and Cajun mix of sound bring Southern flavor to Lion/Tiger Hill for the second installment of the National Zoo's Sunset Serenades series on Thursday.
» National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW; Thu., 6:30-8 p.m., free; 202-633-3040, fonz.org. (Woodley Park-Zoo)
Photo courtesy of Little Red and the Renegades
JUST WHEN YOU thought they couldn't find anything else to musicalize, along comes something that ... ahem ... blows your socks off.
Welcome to "Debbie Does Dallas," the musical. Based on an ... ahem ... independent film of the 1970s, this good-natured show chronicles the trials of a cheerleader who needs money to journey to Texas and pursue her dream job: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
» D.C. Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW; Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., $15-$18; 202-462-7833. (Woodley Park)
Photo by Carol Rosegg
NOW THAT IT'S — finally — starting to feel like summer, the Omni Shoreham Hotel is opening the gates to its pool for happy hour.
Every Thursday throughout the dog days (well, at this point they're still only puppies) of summer, the Code Orange Happy Hour will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests can swim, bask in the sun and enjoy a slushy orange beverage.
Wade in the shallow end, which is surrounded by beach chairs and resort-style plants. There is a $15 cover charge, which includes entry to the pool, use of the locker room and sauna facilities and one complimentary drink.
» Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St. NW; Thurdays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., 202-234-0700. (Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan)
Written by Express contributor Christopher Correa
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