Thursday, March 12: Dance night Shorts is back at Asylum. All you have to do is wear a pair of shorts — short-shorts, jorts, daisy dukes, swim trunks, whatever — and you’re in. DJ Gavin Holland of Nouveau Riche will be spinning 80s muzak and there will be a ball pit. [Asylum] MORE »

Friday

• Be Bar Anniversary 2 month party with open bar. [Be Bar]

• Jay Farrar (Son Volt) and Anders Parker (Varnaline) perform as Gob Iron at the Black Cat. $15 at 9PM, stay for 80s dancing. [Black Cat]

Saturday

• J.D. McClatchy introduces poet Morri Creech as part of the DC International Poetry Festival at Chapters. 5PM. The festival goes on all weekend with panels, readings, etc. [Chapters]

• Bourbon Dynasty CD Release Party with Rose and Kid Goat at The Red & The Black. $8 at 9:30PM. [The Red & The Black]

Sunday

• Thrill Jockey’s beautiful Califone has roots in Red Red Meat. With Brent Green at Iota. $10 at 8:30PM. [Iota]

• Free Simulcast of Madame Butterfly on the Mall. At 2PM. 15,000 are expected so beware. [Washington National Opera]
• American University Journalism Professor Alicia Shepard talks about her book Woodward and Bernstein, about, you guessed it, “the intersection of journalism, politics, and celebrity that occurred in Woodstein’s Watergate reporting.” She also discusses how they parted ways afterwards. Politics & Prose. Free at 5PM.
• China’s The World, is “set in World Park, an actual attraction full of scaled-down versions of the world’s wonders.” Directed by Jia Zhangke. The Freer. Free, but you need a ticket. Tickets are handed out at 1PM, film at 2PM. [Freer]

• Sleater Kinney rescheduled. 9:30 Club. It’s sold out, but tickets are moving on Craigslist. [9:30 Club]
• Hard Tomorrows, The Fake Accents & Georgie James at Fort Reno. Free at 7:15PM. [Fort Reno]
• David Plotz, Jack Shafer, Emily Yoffee, Timothy Noah and Seth Stevenson present The Best of Slate. 7PM. [P&P]
• The Clientele with Great Lakes at Iota. $13 at 9PM. [Iota]
• 20th Anniversary new 35mm print of Blue Velvet. “I had a dream. In fact, it was on the night I met you. In the dream, there was our world, and the world was dark because there weren’t any robins and the robins represented love. And for the longest time, there was this darkness. And all of a sudden, thousands of robins were set free and they flew down and brought this blinding light of love. And it seemed that love would make any difference, and it did. So, I guess it means that there is trouble until the robins come.” 9PM at AFI Silver. [AFI]