This post was written by Hatchet reporter Jarrod Carman.

Concerts, comedy shows, panels and celebrity speakers. In other words, it’s just your average week in D.C. Check out this week’s top picks, from live Afro-Brazilian tunes to a comedy festival that will ease your midterm-month woes.

Monday

SambaDá at the Kennedy Center: Add a spicy mixture of salsa, cumbia, funk and reggae to your Monday with this free show at the Kennedy Center. Afro-Brazilian band SambaDá aims to spread knowledge and love of Brazilian music through their performances, which offer a circus of rich tradition and entertainment.
Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC. 6 p.m. Free.

Kiesza at U Street Music Hall: The Canadian-born, London-based singer famous for her single “Hideaway” will stop by D.C. on Tuesday for a show at U Street Music Hall. Kiesza is a self-proclaimed pioneer of her own genre of music: SteamPop, an electro-pop combination that has critics and audiences alike buzzing.
U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW, Washington, DC. 7 p.m. $20.

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Tuesday

“First Ladies’ Fashions” panel with host Tim Gunn: D.C. fashion week may be over, but America’s first ladies are always in style. Whether you’re fascinated by Jackie Kennedy’s acute fashion sense or prefer Michelle Obama’s classy look, head over to the National Archives for the program “Style and Influence: First Ladies’ Fashions,” hosted by Tim Gunn of “Project Runway.”

William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC. 7 p.m. Free.

Book talk with author Mitchell G. Bard: Mitchell Bard, a foreign policy analyst and Executive Director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, will host a talk about his new book “Death to the Infidels: Radical Islam’s War Against the Jews,” which charts the growth of radical Islam in the Middle East.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 4801 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, MD. 7 p.m. Free.

Wednesday

Bentzen Ball Comedy Festival: If you’re looking for a good laugh before the tears that announce midterm season, then it’s time to check out the Bentzen Ball Comedy Festival. Hosted by D.C.’s online magazine Brightest Young Things, the festival will host a variety of famous comics from Tig Notaro (“The Sarah Silverman Progam”) to Jeff Garlin (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) starting Wednesday night at the Lincoln Theatre.
Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW, Washington, D.C. 7 p.m. $30.

Book talk with author Walter Mischel: If you’re looking to curb your sweet tooth, resist study distractions and quit other temptations, Walter Mischel is the man with the plan in the pages of “The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control.” Mischel, a Columbia University psychology professor, is renowned for his contribution to personality theory and his work on self-control.

Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW, Washington, DC. 7 p.m. $12.

Thursday

Emerge Art Fair Preview Party: Head over to the Capitol Skyline hotel for a sneak preview of the annual Emerge Art Fair, which will take place Oct. 2 through 5. The preview party will include a poolside concert with Furniteur, Pleasure Curses, and DJ Chris Burns, along with peeks of work by some of the 85 exhibitors that will participate in the fair.
Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I St. SW, Washington, DC. 7 p.m. $45.

The Airborne Toxic Event at the Lincoln Theatre: L.A.-based rock group The Airborne Toxic Event earned acclaim for singles like “All I Ever Wanted” and “Sometime Around Midnight,” which blend gritty, emotive lyrics with moody, dramatic interludes. The group pushes the boundaries of rock, going as far as to include full symphonies in some of their songs.
Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW, Washington, DC. 8 p.m. $35.