Going Out Gurus

When it comes to live music on Valentine's Day in D.C. there will always be a handful of the same options every year: Jerry "the Ice Man" Butler at Blues Alley, Felicia Carter at Twins Jazz and Lalah Hathaway at some theater are the trio of reliables. For shows that are a little more unique, see the picks below. After all, the "Ice Man" cometh every Valentine's Day.

When you think of people known for sensual songs, Al Green is one of the first that comes to mind. Of the Reverend's countless hits, "Let's Stay Together," "I'm Still In Love With You" and "You Ought to Be With Me" are sure to get people in a Valentine's state of mind. Now into his fifth decade of performing, he still has as powerful and silky smooth a voice as ever. Green plays at Constitution Hall on Friday and Saturday.

Ask anyone who grew up in the '80s what the most memorable new wave love song was and they'll probably say "Don't You (Forget About Me)." But ask them for the second most memorable one and they very well may say "Don't Dream It's Over" by New Zealand group Crowded House. Songwriter Neil Finn is the subject of a Saturday night tribute at Wolf Trap that features local musicians Jon Carroll, Luke Brindley and Margot MacDonald performing many of Finn's best-known tunes.

A much more low-key option is a concert featuring local indie-pop groups Sweater Set and Olivia Mancini. This one takes place on Valentine's Day itself at alternative venue the Fridge. There will also be champagne, martinis and a chocolate fountain to add a touch of romance to the occasion.

-- David Malitz

While some businesses are throwing the doors wide open and offering specials and snow-themed parties, many others are closing and canceling events. We'll add updates about what's not happening on Wednesday and the rest of the week below.

Closed on Wednesday:
• All Smithsonian museums, including the Zoo
• National Gallery of Art
• National Archives
• Strathmore
• Transformer Gallery (closed Thursday as well)
• National Geographic Museum. Ticket-holders for "Terra Cotta Warriors" will be given alternate viewing hours to see the exhibit. All National Geographic Live programs for Wednesday through Friday have been canceled.

Event updates:

• First up, we have one of our own. Our February Going Out Guide happy hour, which was scheduled for Thursday, was canceled by the Big Hunt. Our next happy hour will be 6-8 p.m. March 11, and we'll keep you posted on the location for that one.
• The Verizon Center's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and 10:30 a.m. Thursday performances of "Disney on Ice" have been canceled.
• The National Air and Space Museum's Family Day planned for Saturday has been postponed to Feb. 27.
• Citronelle's Wednesday wine dinner in honor of Nancy Piho's book "My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus" has been postponed. A new date has not yet been set.
• La Maison Francaise's Wednesday screening of "Je l'aimais (Someone I Loved)" has been postponed to Sunday at 4 p.m.
• The Black Cat's Wednesday show with Pepi Ginsberg, Pash and Olivia Mancini has been postponed to March 2.
• The major outdoor events during the City of Alexandria's George Washington Birthday Celebration have been canceled, including Saturday's 10K race and the parade on Monday.
• The Birchmere has postponed Wednesday's Dr. John show.
• Brightest Young Things' inaugural "Cruisin'" party, scheduled for Thursday, now won't take to the water until Feb. 18.
• Dumbarton Concerts has rescheduled its already rescheduled performance that was set to take place on Saturday. The concert will now happen on March 6 at 8 p.m.
• Jammin' Java's Green River Ordinance shows on Wednesday has been postponed.
• Wednesday's The Delta Spirit show at DC9 has been canceled.
• International Arts & Artists has canceled February's First Friday event -- originally postponed from Feb. 5 -- at Hillyer Art Space.
• Wednesday's performances of "Orestes" at the Folger have been canceled.
• This month's Second Thursday Art Night at the Torpedo Factory will become the Third Thursday Art Night, taking place on Feb. 18.

-- Going Out Guide staff

Title Tracks frontman John Davis recorded the group's new album all by himself, but he'll have a band backing him at Thursday's album release party. (Shervin Lainez)

Snow got you down? Look forward to a weekend full of Mardi Gras, carnival and Valentine's Day events, a release party for the new CD by Title Tracks, a concert by the reunited Goodie Mob, a rare U.S. appearance by U.K. dubstep producer Untold, and zydeco from C.J. Chenier.

Best thing about the snowpacalypse? Watching the evolution of Twitter's trending topics (#snOMG to #snoverkill). But the second-best thing is the way area establishments are bucking up to help you get over your cabin fever. Here are a few ideas for those who want to get out of the house during Snowpocalypse Part Deux.

Vinoteca hosts a snowman competition on its patio tonight. The wine bar opens at 5 p.m., so contestants can show up any time after that and get down to work. At 9 p.m., the chef will pick his favorite entry, and the winner gets a free bottle of wine. To help get your creative juices flowing, there will be happy hour specials all night (20 wines are available by the glass for $5 each).

Studio Theatre is rewarding those who are willing to brave the elements. Tickets to tonight's performance of "In the Red and Brown Water" are discounted to $30; use the promo code SNOW to secure the sale price, whether you buy tickets at the box office or from Studio's Web site.

Feeling a chill in the air? Head to PS 7's, where head mixologist Gina Chersevani will whip up warm drinks all night. Hot toddies, steamed brandy and "adult" hot chocolate are among the offerings on the special menu. Each drink is $7.

Meanwhile, Brasserie Beck is trading Snowpocalypse for "Beerpocalypse" tonight. Look for half-price drafts until 11 p.m.

Tomorrow, from noon until sunset, Bar Dupont will serve mulled wine and a full selection of mixed drinks on its outdoor patio. Hungry? Bratwurst will also be available for $5.

-- Julia Beizer, Fritz Hahn and Stephanie Merry

Chocolates and flowers are oh-so-lovely, but few gifts are as romantic as a nice bottle of wine. This weekend, wine lovers can sample hundreds of varieties at a smattering of events around the city.

On Friday, Zola Wine and Kitchen adds a Valentine's theme to once of its twice-weekly wine tastings. Taste a rosé, red and white varieties from Chateau Coupe-Roses and the Chocolate Block wine from South Africa. The tasting is free -- just stop by between 5 and 7 p.m.

Cork Wine Bar and Cork Market offer two opportunities to indulge in vino this weekend. From 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Cork Market will be pouring free samples of champagne and other sparklers, so customers can try before they buy. From 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Cork Wine Bar will host a special tasting of seven champagnes. We're not talking sparkling wine here; we're talking real-deal vintages from the Champagne region of France. Importer Brian Forsgren will lead the tasting and talk about the winemakers who work in the region. The price is $50. RSVP for the Valentine's Day tasting by Feb. 12; e-mail info@corkdc.com.

Co Co. Sala will host two indulgent tastings this weekend. From 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, guests can taste three chocolate flights, each paired with a special champagne. Expect to taste chocolates in a variety of shades (dark, milk and white) and textures (hard, soft and liquid). The class is $50; reserve a space by e-mailing contact@cocosala.com.

Oenophiles will have their glasses full at the International Food and Wine Festival, which takes over the Ronald Reagan Building this weekend. There will be hundreds of wines to taste and a handful of cooking demonstrations to watch. Our sister site TastePost will be hosting its own kick-off party for the festival from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday in The Washington Post building. (The Post is a sponsor for the event.) The wine-and-cheese fete includes wine samples from around the world and cheese-inspired small bites from chefs like Rob Weland of Poste, Peter Smith of PS 7's and Todd Gray of Equinox. Tickets are $25.

-- Julia Beizer

Since reports say there's more of the white stuff on the way, some major venues are still closed on Tuesday. (We're beginning to think the Snoverkill option in the name-this-storm poll could be a winner.) We'll keep a running list of Tuesday updates on this post.

Closed on Tuesday:
• All Smithsonian museums, except the Museum of Natural History and the Air and Space Museum
• National Gallery of Art
• National Archives
• Phillips Collection
• Folger Shakespeare Library
• The Strathmore will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Event updates:
• The major outdoor events during the City of Alexandria's George Washington Birthday Celebration have been canceled, including Saturday's 10K race and the parade on Monday.
• The Birchmere has canceled tonight's Neville Brothers concert and postponed Wednesday's Dr. John show.
• Shakespeare Theatre Company has canceled Tuesday's performance of "Henry V" at Harman Hall.
• Signature Theatre has canceled the Tuesday night performances of "Sweeney Todd" and "I Am My Own Wife."
• Tuesday's Joshua Bell concert at Strathmore has been postponed to March 3.
• Brightest Young Things' inaugural "Cruisin'" party, scheduled for Thursday, now won't take to the water until Feb. 18.
• The Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks game that was to happen last Saturday has been rescheduled for March 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets will be honored for the new date, or they can be exchanged at the Verizon Center box office for certain other Wizards games.
• All National Geographic Live events have been canceled for Tuesday. The museum is open, but it may close early on Tuesday. Call 202-857-7588 for updates.
• Tonight's SpeakeasyDC performance, "After Hours: Stories about Things that Happen at Night," has been postponed.
• Tuesday night's "Call + Response" panel discussion at Hamiltonian Gallery has been canceled.
• The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is postponing opening night of "Lysistrata" until Thursday, Feb. 18.
• Dumbarton Concerts has rescheduled its already rescheduled performance that was set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 13. The concert will now happen on March 6 at 8 p.m.
• Jammin' Java shows Tuesday and Wednesday are off. Canibus (Tuesday) is canceled; Green River Ordinance (Wednesday) is postponed.
• Shows at DC9 on Tuesday (Inlets) and Wednesday (the Delta Spirit) have both been canceled.
• International Arts & Artists has canceled February's First Friday event -- originally postponed from Feb. 5 -- at Hillyer Art Space.
• Wednesday's performances of "Orestes" at the Folger have been canceled.
• This month's Second Thursday Art Night at the Torpedo Factory will become the Third Thursday Art Night, taking place on Feb. 18.

-- Going Out Guide staff

While some major museums (including the Smithsonian) are closed today, some bars and restaurants are seizing on the unscheduled holiday to try and drum up business.

Tonight's Gist concert at the Black Cat was postponed until March 2, so instead, the club is showing a free double feature of "A Mighty Wind" and "Waiting for Guffman" on the backstage. While you watch, enjoy Mrs. T's warming winter cocktails. Doors open at 8:30.

The Argonaut opened at noon to serve lunch. (This is the regular menu, not brunch.) And don't forget: It's Monday, so all bottles of wine are half-price.

Getting tired of sitting home? So are the hosts of the Shadow Room. So tonight, they're throwing "The Cabin Fever Relief Party." (Shadow Room is usually closed Monday through Wednesday.) Doors open at 10 p.m., and unlike the usual weekend scene, there's no cover charge and no dress code in place. Drink specials will be offered until 11; DJs spin until 2 a.m.

-- Fritz Hahn

We reported about cancelations through the weekend, but some major venues are still keeping the doors shut on Monday. We'll update this post as we hear more.

Closed on Monday:
• All Smithsonian museums, including the zoo;
• National Gallery of Art
• Strathmore's entire venue

Cancelations:
• The Dressed to Dance program scheduled for Monday at the Corcoran has been canceled.
• The Gist and Kodiak show at the Black Cat has been postponed until March 2.
• The National Theatre has canceled its Monday Night at the National performance.
• Bossa has canceled tonight's Mountains and Tape show. Organizers will try to reschedule Mountains "in the near future."
• Galaxy Hut has canceled tonight's show (Hey Arbore, Jews & Catholics). The bar will be open with no cover.

-- Going Out Guide staff