Recess weeks that are abbreviated by holiday weekends are great opportunities to get out. If you’ve stuck around Washington while the rest of Congress went back to the home district — or the beach or what have you — celebrate the opportunity to just hang out, be at the office less, breathe a little deeper and connect with the city around you.

Beltway Bombers

The Baltimore Orioles are in town to take on the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 27 and 28. Only a few short years ago, both teams were wretched, tough to watch. Both made the playoffs last year, and they’re a blast to behold, with top talent and crusty managers in Buck Showalter and Davey Johnson. A lot of Washingtonians rooted for the O’s in the years between the Senators leaving in 1971 and Nats arriving in 2005, so some folks in D.C. have mixed allegiances.

This can be seen every time “The Star-Spangled Banner” is sung at Nats Park, and the Camden Yards faithful belt out “Oooooo!!! say does that …” leading to general confusion for new arrivals or those not familiar with the rituals of Charm City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skQqRlX9mRU

Roll Call After Dark gets around this loyalty conundrum by having an American League favorite team — a friend rightfully describes what the AL does as “a sport not entirely unlike baseball” — which would be the Orioles, and a favorite National League team, the Nationals. In head-to-head matchups, the Nationals win the loyalty tie-breaker.

Music for Masses

This week’s lineup at the 9:30 Club is an interesting mix, with the alt-dandies the Dandy Warhols performing on May 29, guitar gods moe. on May 30 and Chicago standouts Fall Out Boy on May 31. If it’s a clubbier, smaller scene — and cheaper tickets — you’re after, then Rock & Roll Hotel DC has Monument on May 30, Kill Lincoln on May 31, Snowden on June 1 and a free (!) late-night event with DJs Rex Riot and Basscamp the night of June 1.

Public Citizen

Need a good scolding? Head to Politics and Prose on May 30 for Ralph Nader’s appearance for his book “Told You So: The Big Book of Weekly Columns,” by him and Jim Hightower. Nader is one of the more indefatigable political activists, and he’s never been shy about his place as one, whether it was taking on General Motors with “Unsafe at Any Speed” or plunging into the political process himself, most notably his 2000 run for president that might have tipped the results in Florida. It starts at 7 p.m. at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW.