The DC Lineup for this weekend: Union Station, a student dance show and a socially distant sing

Events that honor the conclusion of Black History Month as well as history, arts and animal rights are featured in this edition of The DC Lineup.

The weather for this weekend, Feb. 26–28, should be cloudy on Friday afternoon with rain in the forecast for Friday evening and throughout the rest of the weekend. Temperatures are predicted to range from 38 to 59 degrees.

1. Music: The local a cappella group The Augmented 8 is organizing its 29th annual benefit concert Sing Out for Shelter to raise funds to support people in the District who are experiencing homelessness. The “socially distant sing,” which is virtual this year, features The Augmented 8 as well as guest performers Venus d Minor, Doox, Whim ’n Rhythm, Mixed Company, Mendicants, Jackets Off, Buffers, Katzenjammers, Nassons, Whiffenpoofs and Pitch, Please. Donations are welcome to help The Augmented 8 reach its $32,000 fundraising goal; so far, nearly half the funds have been raised. Proceeds go to Friendship Place, Christ House and National United Methodist Church’s Metropolitan House, which collectively serve more than 30,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in the Washington area. Since it began, the benefit concert has raised more than $300,000 for this cause. The show is on Saturday at 8 p.m. and is viewable for free through Facebook.

2. Comedy: Sunyatta Amen — a Cuban/Jamaican/Native American fifth-generation master herbalist, naturopathic physician, vegan chef and founder of the DC-based shop Calabash Tea & Tonic — is the featured guest in this week’s People of the District comedy show presented by Washington Improv Theater. The format of the show includes an interview with Amen, followed by an improv sketch inspired by the Q&A. Cast members rotate each week. This week’s cast includes Bam Alston, Darnell Eaton, Derek Hayes, Erica Johnson, Eva Lewis, Jamal Newman, Krystal Ramseur and Nic Small. The performance will be livestreamed on Facebook from 7:30–8 p.m. on Friday. Donations are appreciated.

3. History: Antioch Baptist Church of Deanwood is hosting a Black History Storytime on Saturday from 1–2 p.m. Youth and their families are invited to listen to a storyteller read on Facebook Live. Snack packs are also available for in-person pickup at the church, 1105 50th St. NE.

4. Dance: Graduating students of the American University Dance Program are sharing their integrative art research projects, which guide viewers through the American University Museum. The livestreamed presentations include talks, performances and films that center on the themes of agency, colorism, temporality and space. Audience members are invited to ask questions after the show. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Tickets cost $5.

5. History: The Union Station Redevelopment Corp. is presenting the History of Union Station Virtual Experience #4. The event will showcase archival photos and highlight historic moments from Union Station’s construction in 1907 until today, including the building’s decline in the 1960s and 1970s followed by a transformation into its current form as a transit and shopping center. The program, which costs $10, is on Saturday from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants prior to the program. 

6. History: Whitman-Walker Health is hosting a watch party on Saturday in honor of the namesake of its Anacostia site, the Max Robinson Center. The event will feature a screening of The Legacy of Max Robinson! and highlight his legacy as the first Black news anchor on a major television network. The video features DC-based journalists Maureen Bunyan, who was a lead co-anchor at WUSA9 for 22 years, and Bruce Johnson, who was an anchor and reporter for WUSA9 for 44 years, speaking with Max’s son Mark C. Robinson. Max’s former co-anchor, Gordon Peterson, moderates the discussion. The watch party is on Saturday at 8 p.m. on Whitman-Walker’s Facebook Live.

7. Politics: DC Voters for Animals is hosting a gathering for anyone interested in advocating for animal rights in the District. The guest speaker — Jill Eckart, managing director of nutrition for the DC-based organization Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which strives to implement plant-based food programs — will discuss advocacy efforts to bring healthy food to city hospitals. The free virtual meeting takes place on Sunday from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. 

8. Literature: The DC Poetry Collective is hosting a virtual poetry reading with Lost City Books that includes a discussion of the group’s publication iNK BLOTS vol. 1. Local poets whose work is featured in the book include Dana Gittings, Julie Maurer, Elizabeth Black and Rebecca Wener. The program takes place this Friday from 7–8 p.m. on Facebook Live. Tickets are free, with an option to buy iNK BLOTS vol. 1 for $10 to be picked up at the store, 2467 18th St. NW.

9. Film: The DC Public Library is partnering with the local media and event company Team Rayceen Productions for a DC Queer Flix viewing party Defiance: Voices of a New Generation. The event will include a screening of Defiance, created by Nigerian filmmaker Harry Itie, followed by a discussion with Itie moderated by Rayceen Pendarvis and Krylios of Team Rayceen. The film explores issues that LGBTQ+ people face in Nigeria. The event will be broadcast on YouTube starting at 7 p.m. on Friday. Members of the public are invited to join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #DCQueerFlix and #DefianceDoc.

10. Comedy: The DC Improv Comedy Club invites the audience to co-create a show this weekend during Porkchop Volcano Online, where the improv troupe takes suggestions from viewers to create a one-of-a-kind performance. The troupe — which DC Metro Theater Arts called “a force to be reckoned with” — generally entertains corporate and private audiences at locations like DC Improv and Brightbox Theater. The event is on Saturday from 8–9 p.m. Tickets cost $5, and registrants will receive a Zoom link when the virtual doors open at 7:30 p.m.