As temperatures drop and fallen leaves remind us of the cycle of life and decay, October arrives and with it the return of Noir City D.C.: The Washington D.C. Film Noir Festival. As always, Eddie Muller and the Film Noir Foundation bring a smartly selected lineup of crime dramas to Silver Spring’s AFI Silver for the 21st annual film festival. This year’s theme is Darkness Has No Borders: 15 key programs pair classics of American and British film noir with non-English-language dramas that prove hard-boiled gangsters, tough dames, and the alienation that defines film noir isn’t a phenomenon unique to Tinseltown and the Brits.

The series includes such perennials as This Gun for Hire (paired with Le Samourai in memory of Alain Delon, who died earlier this year, on Oct. 11 and 14), but we’ve taken a look at some of the less frequently screened titles across three gritty and fascinating double bills.

Assault on the Pay Train and Armored Car Robbery

The most conventional of the pairings we’re previewing, these two films follow doomed characters in the aftermath of two big heists—one in Rio de Janeiro, the other in Los Angeles. Armored Car Robbery (directed by Richard Fleischer, 1950) tells a taut 67-minute crime story that bursts with action—taking viewers from L.A.’s legendary Wrigley Field to the old standby of crime dramas of any age, a strip club. If the structure is standard procedural, the character actors bring it all to sardonic seedy life. William Talman stars as Purvis, the heist’s ringleader, who—while barking instructions to key man Benny (Douglas Fowley)—happens to be having an affair with Benny’s wife, blond burlesque queen Yvonne LeDoux (Adele Jergens). Charles McGraw plays the veteran police lieutenant out for revenge after his partner is killed in the botched heist. Is the armored car a metaphor for the seemingly impenetrable shells we put up around ourselves, ultimately vulnerable to a couple of handguns and a pair of long gams? 

Based on the true story of a legendary Brazilian heist, Assault on the Pay Train (directed by Roberto Farias, 1962) is a far cry from the B-movie glamour of the L.A. heist. Tio (Eliezer Gomes) leads a gang of thieves from the slums of Rio on a train robbery so daring the local cops can’t believe Brazilian crooks were capable of it. Unlike Armored Car Robbery, there are no strip clubs in this scenario, just dire poverty, as Tio divvies up the $30 million pot among his co-conspirators—and with even more complications, his two wives. Naturally, there is no honor among thieves, and between flashy spending and a series of double crosses, it doesn’t end well.

These contrasting robberies provide the most direct contrast between American noir and its non-English counterpart; the most striking element being the appalling conditions in Rio’s favelas, where the film captures barefoot children happily playing in little more than mud.

Assault on the Pay Train and Armored Car Robbery screen in 35mm on Oct. 12 at 11:15 a.m. (with an introduction by Eddie Muller) and Oct. 17 at 3:45 p.m. $18.

Zero Focus and Across the Bridge

This pair of thrillers from Japan and England take very different looks at the nature of identity. The densely layered plot of Zero Focus (directed by Yoshitarô Nomura, 1961) fans out as newlywed Teiko (Yoshiko Kuga) tries to find out what happened to her husband, Kenichi (Kôji Nanbara), who disappeared on a business trip only a week after their wedding. The more she asks questions, the more she realizes she had no idea who Kenichi really was. The film’s structure is a little too complex, the mystery revealed in a series of alternating flashbacks. But what maintains the film’s sense of dread is the bleak wintry landscape of Kanazawa, the town where Kenichi lived his secret lives, along cold streets flanked by mounds of snow piles, all on an island surrounded by foreboding cliffs that lend an air of dreary romanticism to the prosaic story. 

Across the Bridge (directed by Ken Annakin, 1957) features the great Rod Steiger in a role that amplifies noir’s signature alienation. In this British adaptation of a Graham Greene novel, the American actor plays Carl, a German businessman who runs to Mexico to avoid embezzlement charges. Across the Bridge’s connection with Zero Focus lies along the banker’s escape route: on a train headed for the border, Carl kills a stranger to steal his passport, but then learns that the man he killed is wanted for murder in Mexico. Steiger finds humanity in what could have been a ridiculous role, and he finds a formidable co-lead in Dolores—his victim’s dog, whom Carl spends most of the movie trying to shoo away. This intrigue-heavy double bill isn’t seamless, but Across the Bridge is essential for noir and dog lovers.

Zero Focus and Across the Bridge screen on Oct. 19 at 3:30 p.m. (with an introduction by Foster Hirsch) and Oct. 23 at 3:15 p.m. $18.

Odd Man Out and Victims of Sin

These two must-see films seem to have little in common thematically, but both create a highly palpable sense of space. The camerawork immerses you so completely in the black-and-white grit of these ominous dark alleys that, by the time the tragedies end, you’ll feel like their neighborhoods are your own. Odd Man Out (directed by Carol Reed, 1947) stars James Mason as Johnny, an Irish Nationalist who reluctantly takes part in a payroll heist where he is mortally wounded. For much of the film, Johnny is bleeding to death, but Reed (who also directed 1949’s The Third Man), who shot exteriors in West Belfast, instills order into this chaos by methodically leading you down the cobblestone roads where Johnny and his friends wander in a fatalistic dance. When it starts snowing in the final act, it feels like a much darker parallel to It’s a Wonderful Life.

The Mexican production Victims of Sin (directed by Emilio Fernández, 1951) is even more of a revelation. Ninón Sevilla (a Mexican dancer born in Havana) stars as Violeta, a showgirl who rescues a baby from the trash and tries valiantly to keep the child from his wicked father, Rodolfo (Rodolfo Acosta, a frequent villain in American westerns). Set largely in Mexican nightclubs but bursting with Cuban music from acts such as Pérez Prado and Rita Montaner, this operatic crime drama features delirious imagery such as a black-draped Violeta crossing through busy traffic with her baby, and a Mariachi band walking in formation into the path of an oncoming train. How can a movie be both so brutal and so musical? This is a heartbreaker of a double bill, but if you see one pair in this series (that is, in addition to Le Samourai and This Gun for Hire), make it this one.

Odd Man Out and Victims of Sin screen on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. (with an introduction by Eddie Muller) and Oct. 14 at 3:15 p.m. $18.

Noir City D.C.: The Washington D.C. Film Noir Festival opens on Oct. 11 and runs through the 24 at AFI Silver. silver.afi.com. $18–$200.

Washington may fall well short of New York’s sprawling repertory and festival scene. But one major advantage of the DMV is that, in addition to the commercial screenings at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (a venue that beats any in Manhattan for style and screen size), you can supplement your continuing film education with the free screenings at the local museums’ always intriguing programs. Here are just a handful of the already announced screenings coming to a rep house or museum near you this fall. —Pat Padua

The Latin American Film Fest at AFI Silver starts on Sept. 19

Every year, AFI Silver has multiple festivals that highlight cinema from all over the world. Now that the theater has announced its full lineup for 2024s LAFF, we can see this year promises to be special, with several U.S. premieres such as the tense thriller Ellipsis and the coming-of-age comedy Greice. The Latin American Film Festival runs from Sept. 19 through Oct. 10 at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $15–$200. —Alan Zilberman

To help readers pick and choose what films to see, Josh Gardner, AFI’s associate film programmer and public relations manager, shared his top five films screening at this year’s fest:

1. In the Summers, the feature film debut from Alessandra Lacorazza, won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Directing Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; screens at 3:20 p.m. on Sept. 22.
2. Gaucho Gaucho, a documentary from Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, screens at 2:10 p.m. on Sept. 28 and 8:45 p.m. on Oct. 1.
3. Mexico 86, a  political thriller from filmmaker César Díaz, who was inspired by his own mother’s guerrilla activities; screens at 7 p.m. on Sept. 28 and Oct. 3.
4. Sleep With Your Eyes Open from German filmmaker Nele Wohlatz; screens at 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 6 and 9:20 p.m. on Oct. 9. 
5. You Burn Me from acclaimed Argentine filmmaker Matías Piñeiro; screens at 3:45 p.m. on Oct. 6. 

Double Suicide in 35mm at the Freer on Oct. 9

If the National Museum of Asian Art’s spooky exhibit Staging the Supernatural leaves you hankering for more, then join them when they turn out the lights for a 35mm print screening of Masahiro Shinoda’s 1969 dramatic thriller. Double Suicide is an adaptation of a Bunraku puppet play. Like much of the Japanese cinema of the late ’60s, this creepy, sexy thriller fuses traditional forms with the kind of modern sensibility frequently telegraphed by Toru Takemitsu, who composed the score. The film screens at 2 p.m. at Freer Gallery of Art’s Meyer Auditorium, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Free, but register in advance. —Pat Padua

Nosferatu the Vampyre at Alamo Drafthouse on Oct. 9

Robert Eggers will modernize this silent horror classic for today’s audiences this holiday season, but Werner Herzog’s 1979 take on Nosferatu is stunning in its own right. Come for the rich atmosphere, and stay for Klaus Kinski’s singular take on the repulsive, beguiling horror legend. The film screening starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Alamo Drafthouse, 630 Rhode Island Ave. NE. $11. —A.Z.

Those Who Dance at the Library of Congress on Oct. 10 

This rarely screened 1930 crime drama is loosely based on the real story of a Los Angeles cop who went undercover to build a case against the mob figure who killed his brother. Director William Beaudine cast bit parts by comparing actors’ headshots with mugshots from L.A. Police Department. The Laurel and Hardy short “Blotto” will also play at this screening. [Editor’s Note: Pat Padua works at the Library of Congress but did not program this film.] The film screens at 7 p.m. at the Mary Pickford Theater in the Library’s James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free. —P.P.

Noir City D.C. at AFI Silver runs Oct. 11 through 24

It was a cool fall night when you grumbled to yourself, “I like my movies like I like my eggs: hard-boiled and salty.” AFI Silver continues its annual film noir festival with host Eddie Muller. The noir film fest runs from Oct. 11 through 24 at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $18-$200. —A.Z.

Noir City’s Opening Double Feature: Le Samourai and This Gun for Hire at AFI Silver on Oct. 11

This year’s noir festival aptly begins with an homage to the late Alain Delon, who died on Aug. 18 at the age of 88 at his home in France. Delon’s cold-blooded assassin in Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 drama, Le Samourai, puts a samurai-like twist on the typical contract killer. The film, of course, also serves a generous dash of 1960s alienation. Le Samourai shares a double bill with This Gun for Hire, the classic 1942 vehicle for Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd as a surprisingly modern couple. The double feature with an introduction by Muller, host of TCM’s Noir Alley, starts at 2:45 p.m. at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $18. —P.P.

Early Color Cinema and Impressionism at the National Gallery of Art on Oct. 19

With live musical accompaniment by pianist Andrew Simpson, this is the first in the series Color, Cinema, and the Impressionist Moment, held in conjunction with the gallery’s current exhibit Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment. Joshua Yumibe, a professor of film and media studies at Michigan State University, will introduce the films of 1890s cinema, some of which were “hand-colored, frame by frame, often illuminating [women] dancers moving in a rainbow of hues,” according to NGA. The screening starts at 2 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art’s East Building, 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. —P.P.

Count Gore De Vol presents The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at AFI on Oct. 26

Along with Night of the Living Dead, Tobe Hopper’s 1974 chestnut is one of the standard bearers of low-budget horror, and remarkably, it hasn’t lost an iota of its chill factor in the half century since its release. Can host Dick Dyszel’s amiable showmanship cool down the feeling of existential dread that oozes from its now digitized pores? Or does an audience screening, no matter how convivial, only add to the sense that the human race is doomed? The screening starts at 7 p.m. at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $15. —P.P.

Go at E Street Cinema on Oct. 29

I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that 1999 was the best year in recent film history. Go, starring Sarah Polley (long before her Women Talking Oscar win), Katie Holmes in her Dawson’s Creek era, Taye Diggs, and Timothy Olyphant, is a long-slept-on adventure/buddy/crime comedy about a Christmastime drug deal gone wrong. Told from the perspective of several characters, you’ll get rave scenes, car chases, Breakfast Club references, a killer soundtrack, and even a talking cat. It’s fun, chaotic, and an oddly poignant capturing of life on the brink of Y2K. The screening starts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 29 at E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. $6.25. —Sarah Marloff

Psycho at Angelika Pop-Up opens Oct. 30

Alfred Hitchcock falls on the list of despicable men, but I’ll shout out Psycho for ushering in a new wave of horror films. Despite being 64 years old, Janet Leigh’s shower scene remains one of the most unnerving moments in film history and Norman Bates still gets under your skin in the creepiest ways. The screenings start on Oct. 30 and run through Nov. 5 at Angelika Pop-Up, 550 Penn St. NE. $14. —S.M.

Azymuth at the Black Cat on Sept. 5
This jazz-funk band formed in 1973, and while bassist Alex Malheiros is the only surviving member of that original trio, the group have continued to make music, with a pair of solid albums in 2020. Two years ago, Malheiros released his first album in more than a decade, and the Azymuth sound—rooted in the ’70s fusion but reverent of Brazil’s long pop legacy before and after—remains intact, and as vital as ever. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $35–$40. —Pat Padua

BLK ODYSSY at the Atlantis on Sept. 6
To residents of the Texas Capital, BLK ODYSSY is an artist to know. That knowledge should be spread outside Austin City limits. Words like “smooth vibes,” “sultry,” and “utterly intoxicating” are used to describe BLK ODYSSY’s sound, which throws a middle finger to genre boxes, dabbling in soul, hip-hop, and indie rock with touches of funk. Catch him touring with his latest album, 1-800-Fantasy. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $35. —Sarah Marloff  

Pillow Queens at Songbyrd on Sept. 7

Whenever a band 1) you like rocking to in your headphones 2) that hails from overseas comes stateside, you do your best to make it to the show. Ireland’s Pillow Queens would be great openers for Julien Baker (playing in D.C. on Sept. 27), Waxahatchee (at Wolf Trap on Sept. 6), or (fellow Dubliners) Fontaines DC (at the 9:30 Club on Oct. 18). Perhaps All Things Go can find a slot for this queer indie four-piece on 2025’s lineup. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $18–$20. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Pretty Bitter and Cherub Tree at Pie Shop on Sept. 8
Two of D.C.’s most fun live bands open for Brooklyn’s riot grrrl-inspired alt-rockers Birthday Girl. Pretty Bitter serve dreamy emo synth-pop (and they say this might be their last show for a minute), while Cherub Tree’s bubblegrunge is fueled by punk sensibilities. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pie Shop, 1339 H St. NE. $12–$15. —Sarah Marloff  

Distrito Music Fest at Songbyrd on Sept. 14

The talent and artistry pulsing through SIE7E, Tres Minutos, Max Rosado, Soroche, and JChris has made these five local Latin American bands grow in recognition in recent years. Each of them are connected by varied influences that stretch beyond the DMV, which makes boxing them into a single genre largely impossible and it doesn’t begin to do justice to the bands’ repertoire. The raw, pulsating spirit that each act delivers with ease only gets stronger with every show, and I can’t wait to see this energy take over Songbyrd at one of the few local festivals highlighting local Latin American artists. The show starts at 3 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $38.63. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Joyce Moreno at Blues Alley on Sept. 14 and 15
With chestnuts like the surprise club hit “Aldeia de Ogum,” this singer-guitarist has made some of the catchiest music of MPB, the sometimes jazzy pop music that can run from bossa nova to the more eclectic sounds of Tropicalia. She’ll be in town to play the once-lost ’70s album Natureza, and the extended version of her ebullient signature anthem “Feminina.” Moreno plays at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on both days at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $40. —Pat Padua

Kehlani at EagleBank Arena on Sept. 18

Talk about a doubleheader: On Sept. 18, self-described “raging lesbian” singer Kehlani plays EagleBank Arena in Fairfax while queer pop star/celesbian drama magnet Fletcher hits the stage at the Anthem. The Fletcher show is sold out, but tickets are very much still available for Kehlani’s show, perhaps because the artist has been embroiled in personal controversy all summer. Regardless, the queer agenda did not coordinate well on this one. The show starts at 8 p.m. at EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax. $35–$129. —Amelia Roth-Dishy

HFStival at Nationals Park on Sept. 21
People of the 1990s, rejoice! I.M.P. is resurrecting the annual D.C. festival formerly run by WHFS in the heyday of alternative rock radio (1990–2006). In homage to HFStival’s roots, this year features Incubus, Bush, Liz Phair (replacing Garbage), Jimmy Eat World, Girl Talk, Violent Femmes, Tonic, Filter, and Lit, headlined by the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie (great news for those who missed their dual anniversary tour last September). The festival starts at noon at Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St. SE. $150–$250. —Taylor Ruckle

LEIF at the Pocket on Sept. 23
In our Spring Arts Guide we introduced D.C. to the WRIZZARDS, a Filipino multi-genre collective. LEIF, who makes pop infused with alt rock, is part of that collective. The show starts at 7 p.m at the Pocket, 1506 North Capitol St. NW. $15–$20. —Sarah Marloff

Local H at Pearl Street Warehouse on Sept. 23
Touring behind one of their best LPs in Local H’s 30-plus year career, 2004’s Whatever Happened to PJ Soles?, Scott Lucas and Ryan Harding are lifers that fit on nostalgia bills but don’t attempt to relive the glory days. Instead they just provide excellent albums and stellar live shows that incorporate radio-friendly unit-shifters from the ’90s, introspective ballads from the ’00s, oddly effective covers from the ’10s (Lorde?), and screeds of righteous indignation triggered by right-wing politics in the 2020s. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. $25–$40. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Bad Moves at the Black Cat on Sept. 27

We would be remiss not to mention the record release show for the local indie quartet recently described in this very paper as the “purveyors of anthemic guitar pop songs for underdogs.” You can also sample Ocelot Brewing’s latest musical beer collab, this time with Bad Moves and dubbed Outta My Head, a “power hop” IPA with bright, bold hops, malted oats, flaked wheat, and a 6.3 percent ABV. Added bonus: Ekko Astral open. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $20. —Sarah Marloff  

Outerloop at Pie Shop on Sept. 27
Not to make choices harder for you, but across town from Bad Moves’ record release show, post-punk band Outerloop are celebrating the release of their EP, which WCP critic Dora Segall says “packs a dense and eclectic array of lyrics and instrumental layers.” The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pie Shop, 1339 H St. NE. $15. —Sarah Marloff  

Adeem the Artist at DC9 on Sept. 29

Country music comes in any color you can find on a pride flag—not just the usual red, white, and blue. Nonbinary Knoxville singer-songwriter Adeem the Artist proved it on their albums Cast Iron Pansexual and White Trash Revelry, and they continue to capture the spectrum on their latest LP. Anniversary is another twangy and boldly political collection of songs that renders the culture of the American South in all its manifold hues, both light and dark. The show starts at 8 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. $20. —Taylor Ruckle 

Crush Fund at Comet Ping Pong on Sept. 29

“Unwanted Attention” makes for an easy two-word summary of the perils of trans visibility in 2024. In the hands of New York City queercore trio Crush Fund, it also makes for a raucous punk shout-along (produced by the incomparable Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females). Likewise, the title of their latest EP, New Fixation, forecasts your relationship with the band, once you see them live—just be cool about it. The show starts at 9 p.m. at Comet Ping Pong, 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW. $15. —Taylor Ruckle 

Infinity Song at Songbyrd on Oct. 1

Infinity Song, a band of four Detroit siblings, will play Songbyrd fresh off their All Things Go debut a few days earlier on Sept. 29. The up-and-coming R&B band got their big break in 2016 when Jeymes Samuel sent a video of the group busking in Central Park to Jay-Z. They later signed with Jiggaman’s label Roc Nation. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $25. —Serena Zets

Chromeo and the Midnight at the Anthem on Oct. 3

It’s been a decade since the Montreal electro-funk duo Chromeo took the dance music scene by storm with “Jealous (I Ain’t with It),” but Dave and Pee are back with a polished yet still funky sound and tackling fraught subjects like relationships in your 40s. Complementing them is the Midnight, a band whose synth-tinged rock instrumentals hearken back to ’80s power ballads that will have you feeling like an action hero. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. $45–$75. —Dave Nyczepir

Maxwell at Capital One Arena on Oct. 4

In the mid-’90s, Maxwell led the neo-soul charge with his debut, Urban Hang Suite. Nearly 30 years later, the hang continues. This fall, Maxwell headlines the Serenade Tour, his first in two years following 2022’s sold-out 25-date international arena run. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4  at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. $69.50–$79.50. —Christina Smart

Marcos Valle at the Howard Theatre on Oct. 5

Marcos Valle was a baby-faced composer when he made his 1964 debut. Since then, he’s written some of the most timeless bossa nova standards such as “Summer Samba” and “Crickets Sing for Anamaria.” Now 80, Valle has never stopped performing and growing, and his 2019 album, Sempre, is among his best. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $35–$50. —Pat Padua

SEB at Songbyrd on Oct. 5

Singles like “seaside_demo” and “last great american summer” might be the breezy mix of acoustics and bongos that got SEB noticed, but his wide-ranging style incorporates elements of P-pop, hip-hop, and proto-funk, among other genres. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. $18–$20. —Dave Nyczepir

La Luz at the Atlantis on Oct. 6

Ever wish you lived inside a Quentin Tarantino-esque film about 1970s Los Angeles? This surf noir band should be your soundtrack. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $25. —Brandon Wetherbee 

Mass of the Fermenting Dregs at the Howard Theatre on Oct. 9

This Japanese three-piece is shoegazey and proggy, power poppy and lo-fi bedroom poppy, and more styles of music that make them difficult to categorize in the best possible way. If you’re on the fence about the live show, listen to their recently released live album and you’ll be sold. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $20–$40. —Brandon Wetherbee

The Lemon Twigs at the Atlantis on Oct. 10

The easiest way to describe the Lemon Twigs to someone who has never heard their music is the Beatles meet the Beach Boys (or at least that’s how they were described to me before the owner of 48 Record Bar in Philadelphia put on their vinyl Everything Harmony). That’s a rather reductive explanation though, as the D’Addario brothers are two of the most creative, meticulous songwriters in progressive pop right now, which has me hoping their Merseybeat revival catches on. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $25. —Dave Nyczepir

Empress Of at Union Stage on Oct. 10

Honduran American singer Empress Of’s latest album, For Your Consideration, is all about dichotomies: English and Spanish, romantic and transactional, throwback pop and experimental dance. She’s comfortable in all of them. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $25–$40. —Dave Nyczepir

illuminati hotties at the Black Cat on Oct. 19

Sarah Tudzin’s indie-rock project first wormed its way into my ears and heart with their sad and slow cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Since then, illuminati hotties have fallen on and off my radar, but their latest album, Power, is an indie bop with staying power. Parts of it are reminiscent of Tegan and Sara’s Heartthrob album—the one where they got polished and started writing dance-esque tracks. But other parts of Power wash over you in a wave with its emotional tracks of stripped-down guitar and Tudzin’s haunting voice. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $20–$25. —Sarah Marloff

Aoife O’Donovan and Bonny Light Horseman at the Kennedy Center on Oct. 22

Continuing along the fall folk road, contemporary troubadour supergroup Bonny Light Horseman are teaming up with singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan for a one-night-only performance in the Kennedy Center concert hall, with support from the National Symphony Orchestra. This show is the band’s lone East Coast stop before heading to Europe on a tour supporting their excellent new album, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. $29–$79. —Amelia Roth-Dishy

Daphne Eckman at Pearl Street Warehouse on Oct. 24

The quickest way for me to explain why you should check out Daphne Eckman’s “sad girl indie rock” is this: I saw her perform in a forgettable restaurant on Kent Island over a year ago and her gorgeous voice and indie vibe left such an impact I tracked her down on Instagram and have been a fan ever since. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. $15–$35. —Sarah Marloff

Hinds at Union Stage on Oct. 26 

This fascinating (and fun) indie pop project by Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote started as a duo, became a quartet, and in late 2022, reverted back to a duo. The loss of their drummer and bassist happened in a time of upheaval; Hinds recently split from their label and their management as well. Clearly the Madrid-based band are familiar with traversing change and their newest album, Viva Hinds, out Sept. 6, reflects their recent journey. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $25. —Serena Zets

Cyndi Lauper at Capital One Arena on Oct. 27

Hard to believe it’s been more than 40 years since Cyndi Lauper knocked the pop world on its ear with the release of her debut album, She’s So Unusual. This is your last chance to see Lauper live, because the girl who just wanted to have fun is retiring from the road. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. $59.50–$479. —Christina Smart

The Go! Team at the Black Cat on Nov. 3

Sure, this is a nostalgia tour focused on the band’s 2002 debut, Thunder, Lightning, Strike, but when was the last time you listened to “Ladyflash” or “Everyone’s a VIP to Someone”? These are earworms that will still get you moving. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $25–$30. —Brandon Wetherbee

NewDad at the Atlantis on Nov. 6

I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this foursome from Northern Ireland to tour the U.S. By far one of my favorite indie bands to emerge in the past few years, NewDad make the kind of sad, gauzy, dream-pop you can get lost in—it’s no wonder NME compared them to the Cure. With its sludgy guitar, their first full-length, Madra, dropped in January and remains one of the best albums of the year. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. $15. —Sarah Marloff  

FEVER 333 at Union Stage on Nov. 7

The new-look FEVER 333 rounded out their talent with the additions of drummer Thomas Pridgen, who has toured with the Mars Volta and Thundercat, bassist April Kae, whose Instagram cover of Cardi B’s “Up” went viral in 2021, and guitarist Brandon Davis. Expect frontperson Jason Aalon Butler to keep the anti-racist, anti-fascist rapcore band grounded, even as they venture deeper into frenetic protest punk waters with tracks like “$wing.” The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW. $25–$125. —Dave Nyczepir

André 3000 at the Kennedy Center on Nov. 9

André 3000 still raps, including on Killer Mike’s MICHAEL, released in 2023. He’s just not rapping on his own albums. With his solo debut, 2023’s New Blue Sun, André made a jazz album, and traded his vocals for a flute (or several flutes). Now hundreds of thousands of André, OutKast, and hip-hop fans are expanding their sonic horizons. With this show, the rapper-turned-jazz musician will make his Kennedy Center debut. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. $90.85–$310. —Brandon Wetherbee

Rare Essence & the Junkyard Band at the Howard Theatre on Nov. 10

Two of D.C.’s most acclaimed go-go bands come together over Veterans Day Weekend to celebrate the 114th Anniversary of the Howard Theatre. The show starts at 10 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $45–$85. —Sarah Marloff

Ratboys and Palehound at the Atlantis on Nov. 12

If you asked me to build this fall’s most exciting bill from scratch, it wouldn’t take me long to come up with the acts behind two of 2023’s finest albums: The Window by Ratboys and Eye on the Bat by Palehound. With one ticket, you get peak indie alt-country and some of the cleverest singer-songwriter work of recent memory in an intimate setting. It’s no wonder it sold out. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. Sold out. —Taylor Ruckle

Haley Heynderickx at the 9:30 Club on Nov. 16

The folksy and ever-observant indie darling Haley Heynderickx is in the running for the artist I’ve seen live the most—and for good reason. She puts on a killer show no matter the venue. I’ve seen her perform in a chapel, in front of a dewy, empty field during the noon slot of a music festival, at Miracle Theatre, and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Despite how grand (and different) each of these venues were, I don’t think anything will beat seeing her in my favorite D.C. venue this November. The show starts at 6 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $25. —Serena Zets

Lupe Fiasco at the Howard Theatre on Nov. 16

Stalwart Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco has already released one of the year’s best hip-hop records. Samurai is clad in choruses hard as armor and wields verses like shining steel blades. With an understated, jazzy aesthetic and a 30-minute run time, it’s the most succinct artistic statement of his 24-year career. Oh, and it’s also a narrative concept album about Amy Winehouse reimagined as a battle rapper. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $45–$85. —Taylor Ruckle

Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the 9:30 Club on Nov. 19

The elders of instrumental post-rock are back with their new album and a tour to support it. As always, their shows promise to be beautiful and utterly hypnotic. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $40. —Alan Zilberman

Sun June at DC9 on Nov. 20

This twangy indie band from Austin made one of the best albums of 2023, and when I saw them last year at this same venue, my “I think this might be love” ratcheted up to “I’m so in love.” If it was possible to wear out a record on Apple Music, I would’ve broken Bad Dream Jaguar with the number of times I flipped it over. The show starts at 8 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. $18–$22. —Sarah Marloff 

Mariah Carey at Capital One Arena on Dec. 1

If you’re a fan of whistle notes (and really, who isn’t?), the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, will start spreading holiday cheer early in the season with a performance at Capital One on Dec. 1. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. $59.95–$580. —Christina Smart

Micky Dolenz at the Birchmere on Dec. 12

Cheer up, sleepy Jean. The last surviving Monkee, Micky Dolenz, is touring. With Songs & Stories, Dolenz will reminisce and sing about life as a member of the Prefab Four. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $75. —Christina Smart

Check out more of our 2024 Fall Arts Guide here.

Thursday: Missy Elliott’s Out of This World Tour at Capital One Arena

It’s not often that an artist’s first headlining tour happens nearly 30 years after their debut album. But when that artist is Missy Elliott, one of the most original, innovative hip-hop artists ever, one can forgive her for taking her time getting to the road (she was too busy hitting people with the hee). The announcement of Elliott’s Out of This World tour, which will hit Capital One Arena on Aug. 8, was exciting enough. The fact that she’s performing with Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, and Ciara is enough to make Gen X squeal while running to find their shell toe Adidas and tracksuits. “I think it was divine intervention,” Timbaland, rapper and Elliott’s producing partner, tells City Paper of the tour coming together. “Everybody was ready to go on the road together. That’s what I believe. It was an idea that was maybe brought to Missy and Missy agreed … and good thing she agreed because she brought magic together.” While Elliott has performed at festivals in the past few years and had a guest spot during Katy Perry’s Super Bowl performance in 2015, her more recent public appearances have centered around accolades—including receiving an honorary doctorate from the Berklee School of Music and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to Timbaland, the tour is “a celebration of all our music throughout 30 years of what we’ve given to the game. It’s like giving back to the fans.” Both Elliott and Timbaland, who met in high school, hail from Norfolk, Virginia, and consider D.C. a hometown show. “It’s the DMV,” says Timbaland. “It’s definitely hometown. Everything about the DMV is hometown.” Missy Elliott with special guest Timbaland, Ciara, and Busta Rhymes play at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. capitalonearena.com $59.50–$895. —Christina Smart

Friday: Sad Summer Festival at Merriweather 

You can see a pattern of seasonality in rock music. Winter is for metal or goth—all that leather gets pretty warm—while fall is more for singer-songwriter fare or gentle Midwest emo like American Football. With the days getting warmer and wedding season going into full effect, spring is for danceable music, whether it’s LCD Soundsystem or the Faint. But summer has always been about pop punk. Teenagers, or maybe the young at heart, are the target audience for music defined by fast beats, faster hooks, and short attention spans. Nothing beats driving around in the suburbs on languid, warm summer nights while you listen to another snotty vocalist scream about how they cannot wait to escape the mediocre suburb they’re stuck in. What better way to relive that precise feeling than Sad Summer Festival, a one-day pop punk showcase in Columbia? The planned community is arguably the apotheosis of the suburb, so bands like the Wonder Years and Mayday Parade will fit right into that feeling of angst that no afternoon at the pool or beach can solve. Other highlights include We the Kings, a band whose tune “Check Yes, Juliet” sounds like it was created in a lab for young fans to shake their fist toward the sky while holding back tears. Many years ago, I was once a teenage pop-punk fan in Columbia, or the “Columbubble” as it was widely known, and this lineup instantly transported me back to a period where teenage angst got in the way of what should have been the most carefree period of my life. Or maybe it was? Either way, all that’s missing is a trip to Double T diner after the mandatory noise curfew cuts off the music. Sad Summer Festival starts at 2 p.m. on  Aug. 9 at the Chrysalis at Merriweather Park, 10431 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. sadsummerfest.com. $72. —Alan Zilberman

Saturday: Claire’s Camera at National Gallery of Art

Prolific director Hong Sangsoo seems to release movies on a schedule almost as frequent as the 42 bus. This month the National Gallery of Art provides local moviegoers with a seasonal sample that just touches the surface of his sprawling work, and Saturday’s program focuses on two of Sangsoo’s films made with the great Isabelle Huppert. One of Sangsoo’s more lighthearted films, the 2017 (mostly) comedy Claire’s Camera is nevertheless fueled by all sorts of meta-tensions. Huppert stars as the eponymous photographer, a teacher/poet visiting Cannes. Claire meets Manhee (Kim Minhee), a sales rep for a film production company who has been unceremoniously fired for unspecified reasons. However, she’s been sleeping with the director, who was involved with Manhee’s boss—both of whom Claire happens to run into on the same day. What makes this romantic entanglement so intriguing is that Min-hee, a frequent Sangsoo collaborator, was herself in the throes of a fraught affair with the married director. With such behind-the-scenes drama at play, the film before us is deceptively breezy, yet Sangsoo injects the easygoing plot with strange touches: In one close up of Claire walking with the amorous director, her heavy heels seem a meaningful contrast to the director’s casual shoes. Claire’s Camera was reportedly churned out in a few days while Huppert was in Cannes promoting the film Elle. Min-hee has explained that Sangsoo would write the script the morning of the shoot, and the crew and actors would scramble to get everything in place. But despite or because of its off-the-cuff origins, the film plays out like a spontaneous outpouring of creative energy. It lasts just 68 minutes, and in terms of surface narrative, not a lot happens, but Sangsoo lets us in on the layers of meaning that bubble under even the most seemingly ordinary encounters. The double feature opens with Sangsoo’s 2012 film, In Another Country, which stars Huppert as three different women. In Another Country and Claire’s Camera screen at 2 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. nga.gov. Free, registration required. —Pat Padua

Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday: Godzilla Vs. Hedorah at AFI Silver

What if Godzilla was the heroic beast in an ecologically conscious psychedelic musical? That’s the improbable conceit behind this wild 1971 science fiction thriller that was the first and only Godzilla movie directed by Yoshimitsu Banno. Originally titled Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster for American audiences, this film offers a new kind of scaly villain, one who feeds on garbage and huffs smokestacks. The screaming, smoggy carnage creeps in on ginormous smog feet when Marine biologist Dr. Yano (Akira Yamanouchi) and his son witness a horrifying sea mutant that thrives on pollution—and, worse, makes a heavy metal mockery of the stages of insect life by morphing into different horrifying forms, from yeasty mega-walrus to a sleek flying craft emitting poison gas that leaves everyone in its wake dying an excruciating death. It’s a bleak outlook for humanity, but the apocalypse is leavened by Banno’s fertile avant-garde imagination. While Godzilla movies often lose steam when humans dominate the screen, here the human spectacle keeps up with the monster magic in vivid psychedelic dance sequences, from an underground rock club threatened by Hedorah’s primordial ooze to a protest party on Mount Fuji used to lure the ozone-destroying shape-shifter into a climactic battle with Godzilla. Director Banno got his start as a stage actor, and worked as an assistant to Akira Kurosawa on films such as Throne of Blood and The Bad Sleep Well. Godzilla vs. Hedorah reinvigorated a series that had gotten stodgy—the last thing you can say about this movie, which not only features rock music but hallucinatory animated interludes and one sequence that starts as a mere split screen and divides into a dizzying multicellular picture of a world in crisis. Naturally, Banno didn’t get to make another Godzilla movie. Godzilla vs. Hedorah screens at 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 10, 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 11, and 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 14 at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. silver.afi.com. $13. —Pat Padua

Wednesday: The Courettes at Pie Shop

At the middle of their worldwide tour, the Courettes, a rock band marked by the infectious doo-wop harmonies of the Ronnetes and the manic tempo of the Ramones, will make a stop in D.C. this week. The duo, made up of Brazilian vocalist and guitarist Flavia Couri and Denmark drummer Martin Couri, have already made a name for themselves across Europe following the release of their first album, Here Are the Courettes, in 2015. They’ve since played at Eurosonic in Holland and punk festivals in Germany, and headed back to Denmark for the Copenhagen Psych Fest. Now they’re looking to leave a mark in the U.S. The duo and couple have released three full studio albums (not including 2022’s B-sides and outtakes from their 2021 release Back in Mono). In 2020 they signed with the legendary British label Damaged Goods Records, where they share a home with seminal English punk band Buzzcocks and Australian punks Amyl and the Sniffers. Much of the Courettes’ music draws from the garage rock and girl group sounds from the ’60s and ’70s giving their sound a glimmer of nostalgia. Pie Shop has paired the Brazilian/Danish band well, billing them with D.C.’s own Cinema Hearts. Caroline Weinroth’s project blends a pageantry, dark doo-wop, and punk for a deeply alluring sound. The Courettes with openers Cinema Hearts play at 7:30 p.m on Aug. 14 at Pie Shop, 1339 H St. NE. pieshopdc.com. $12. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Thursday: Under the Cherry Moon at Franklin Park

In a city with literally hundreds of outdoor movie night options, it’s somewhat surprising there aren’t more Prince-themed options. Sure, it’s not unlikely to see Purple Rain on a lawn near you, which makes sense because it’s Prince’s best movie, but the unlikely showing of the artist’s much more forgettable flick makes this screening of 1986’s Under the Cherry Moon even better. Prince’s directorial debut isn’t as memorable as his on-screen debut, but few films featuring the Purple One and Lake Minnetonka are. The follow-up to Purple Rain, Under the Cherry Moon is more style than substance but at this point, who cares? It’s a black-and-white film with Casablanca vibes shot in Nice, France. The story and acting leave a lot to be desired—Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave it two thumbs down and it tied Howard the Duck for Worst Picture of the year at the 1986 Golden Raspberry Awards—but the soundtrack is Prince’s Parade! You’ll want to attend this screening to celebrate Prince’s life and, most importantly, dance to his music. Outdoor film screenings are less about what’s on-screen and more about taking in the sights under the stars. When it comes to Under the Cherry Moon, the vibes are way better than the on-screen product. Under the Cherry Moon screens at 8:30 p.m. on July 18 at Franklin Park, 1332 I St. NW. downtowndc.org. Free. —Brandon Wetherbee

Friday: Chungking Express at Freer Gallery of Art

Deliriously entertaining, at once quirky and profound, Wong Kar–Wai’s 1994 breakthrough is one of the pivotal films of the 1990s. Thanks to the impressionistic, kinetic cinematography, Chungking Express is a feast not only for the eyes and ears, but a vividly suggested platter for the nose and tongue. Wong’s split narrative follows two lovelorn law enforcers who frequent the same Hong Kong fast food counter. First up is Cop 233 (Takeshi Kaneshiro), who becomes obsessed with two things after his girlfriend leaves him: cans of pineapple that expire on May 1, 1994, and a mysterious, elusive blond (Brigitte Lin) who turns out to be a drug smuggler. The pineapple quest unresolved, the plot shifts to Cop 663 (Tony Leung), whose paramour leaves him after he changes her regular take-out order. But this officer has another choice in the form of new snack, bar worker Faye (Faye Wong), who’s obsessed with the Mamas & the Papas hit “California Dreamin’” and falls for the uniformed regular. Two cinematographers worked on this film; Andrew Lau shoots the first thread like a dazzling new wave crime drama. But Christopher Doyle, who shot most of Wong’s most successful films, almost finds a new visual language for the Faye segment, his camera swooning much like its characters. Two of many delicious moments sum up its magic: In a mesmerizing slow-motion aside, Faye stands in front of a fan at one end of her lunch counter, gazing at her beloved and sending her scent his way, to no avail. And in the movie’s best joke—Faye sneaks into 663’s apartment, redecorating and switching out labels on the canned food in his pantry: When he eats a mislabeled can of sardines, it’s as if he’s trying them for the first time. It’s hilarious, but also a moving metaphor for the way love transforms us. As Faye changed his taste buds, and his life, Wong changed cinema, if only for 104 minutes. Chungking Express screens at 7 p.m. on July 19 at the Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. asia.si.edu. Free. —Pat Padua

Saturday: Girls Rock! Showcase at the Black Cat 

The work happening at Girls Rock! DC’s annual summer camps go beyond teaching girls how to rock out in a band. For a week straight, counselors and program leaders echo the words and mantra that would have changed the life of its own executive director Noel Schroeder if she’d heard them as a teenager. “My voice matters,” she says. The D.C. chapter—similar to hundreds of girls’ rock camps that have formed across the country—has spent 17 years working to provide a space for girls and women to feel comfortable speaking their minds and making their own decisions. Campers learn a lot in just a few days, such as working with band coaches to play instruments and write their own music. Program leaders also take the opportunity to expand the training to go beyond music, by helping youth find their sense of expression. They also learn to collaborate with bandmates and fellow campers alongside coaches, preparing them for future situations when they’ll need to compromise and work with a team, whether that happens in a band or not. Seeing these campers take to the stage to perform after only a week is superbly joyful. It’s why the performance tends to sell out year after year. The magic behind this weekend’s Girls Rock! Showcase isn’t simply floating down the Black Cat stage, but the product of a weeklong effort to build stamina, confidence, and in today’s young girls. July Summer Camp Showcase starts at 11 a.m. on July 20 at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. (A second showcase takes place on Aug. 10, same time, same place.) girlsrockdc.org. $30. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Saturday: The International Colombian Festival at Catholic University

Colombia celebrates its Independence Day on July 20, and here in D.C. Colombians and supporters can celebrate at the International Colombian Festival. Home to Indigenous residents, descendants of European immigrants, and descendants of enslaved Africans, Colombia is the third most populous Latin American country, and this event offers a chance to experience some of the tropical locale’s music, dance, and food. In a nod to the large number of Salvadorans who live in the D.C. area, the festival also honors them by including guest participants from El Salvador too. Musical acts on the bill include Teno El Melodico, a Colombian salsa choque vocalist with a warm voice who sings and raps over a tuneful mesh of salsa and reggaeton, and Cathia, who lends her smooth vocals to polished yet bouncy cumbia and Latin pop. Also on the roster is Los Embajadores Vallenatos, a singer and accordion duo who perform fast-tempoed folkloric vallenato music, and La Marvela, a local all-women band known for their harmonies, percussion, and activist spirit. Dance company participants include El Tayrona, a Falls Church-based Colombian folk dance company, and Flor de Café, a local Salvadoran dance troupe. Attendees, while watching the performances, can dine on culinary offerings including  arepas, corn dough patties stuffed with various ingredients that have been eaten in Colombia since precolonial times. The International Colombian Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 20 at Catholic University, 598 John McCormack Rd. NE. colombianfestivaldc.com. $20–$25. —Steve Kiviat   

Tuesday: Tinariwen at Warner Theatre

Tinariwen’s guitar work, specifically from band members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Alhassane Ag Touhami, is so impressive it’ll make you want to pick up a guitar as soon as you get home or put one down forever. With more than 30 years into a recording career, 40 as a collective, the group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara region of Mali may be the most internationally relevant guitar-based band working today. In the last year they’ve graced stages in Australia, France, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. They’ll be playing across the United States and Canada this summer before hitting most every major Western European city in the fall. Their infectious and universal music is truly international and it sounds like it could have been made as soon as guitars were electrified. There’s noodling reminiscent of early 1950s Les Paul-era jazz and pop. There are riffs on par with 2020s Queens of the Stone Age. Tinariwen’s desert blues have a lot in common with the best psychedelic music. They make hypnotic head-nodders and toe-tappers that are easy to get lost inside. If you’re listening in headphones, time slips away. If you’re seeing them live, that’s when you’ll either want to pick up or put down that guitar at home. Tinariwen play at 8 p.m. on July 23 at Warner Theatre, 515 1th St. NW. livenation.com. $20–$108. —Brandon Wetherbee

Wednesday: The Dollyrots at Atlas Brew Works

With the help of Pie Shop, Atlas Brew Works, the sometimes music venue and beloved neighborhood brewery, will be the local stop for the current tour for L.A.-based, Florida-bred pop-punk-rock band the Dollyrots. Formed by bassist-vocalist Kelly Ogden and guitarist Luis Cabezas, the Dollyrots bring the force and noise of punk in their bubblegum hooks and sunny lyrics that their own two kids get to watch as audience members. The band have released eight albums, including a few extended plays, live albums, and Christmas-themed tracks, since forming shortly after the results of the 2000 presidential elections. Disillusioned with George W. Bush and convinced the world was going to end, the band took their music full-time. That torch they carry has kept pop-punk music alive since the genre experienced commercial success in the 2000s, when acts like Jimmy Eat World, Sum 41, and Blink-182 reshaped the punk of their predecessors into radio-friendly pop. These influences are alive on the Dollyrots latest album, Nights Owl, which came out last October. Their Wrapped in Sunshine tour plays off the name of one of their newest singles, emblematic of the light and energy behind many of the melodic choruses the band is known for. Philadelphia-based Soraia and local band (and self-titled “punk nerd party people”) Curse Words open. The show starts at 7 p.m. on July 24 at Atlas Brew Works, 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE. atlasbrewworks.com, $20. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Thursday: Mdou Moctar at the 9:30 Club

The Nigerien guitarist has come a long way from his first U.S. tour in 2017, when his whirlwind immersion in Washington culture included a gig at the Library of Congress and a three-day residency at Episcopal High School before culminating in a headlining performance at the Black Cat. In May, Moctar released Funeral for Justice, his second album on Matador Records, graduating from small stages and, at times, restrained folkish rock to a huge, positively head-banging rock sound. And to think he learned how to play on a homemade instrument. Moctar is modest about his distinct musical voice, explaining, “I don’t know what rock is exactly … I only know how to play in my style.” With his latest album, Moctar lends his love for ZZ Top to a crucial message. In “Funeral for Justice,” he pleads (in translation), “African leaders, hear my burning question, Why does your ear only heed France and America?” Mdou Moctar plays at 7:30 p.m. on June 27 at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. 930.com. $28. —Pat Padua

Friday: Pride Poem-a-Day Reading at Little District Books

Get ready to work those philosophical cogs like Aristotle on a sunny day in ancient Greece, because summer is the perfect time to grab one of those poetry collections gathering dust on your bookshelf for an afternoon visit to your favorite park bench. But D.C. doesn’t have the dry, mild Mediterranean climate the philosopher king enjoyed. You might find yourself desperately scanning for meaning in prose, searching for when line-breaking hyphens are stylistic or functional, wracking the last cells in your brain to grasp Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” as the heat numbs all sensibilities. Yeah, hot reader summer is not going so well. Don’t lose faith, weary reader! There’s a better way to immerse yourself in literature: Hear it from the poets themselves—in an air-conditioned room! The annual DC Pride Poems project is holding its Poem-a-Day Reading on June 28, with four of D.C.’s accomplished LGBTQIA poets. For the uninitiated, DC Pride Poems releases a video of a poem reading every day for the 30 days of June in honor of Pride Month; some of those featured poets will be reading at the event. Listen to the free-form of Richard Hamilton, author of Rest Us and Discordant, and Kim Roberts, author of six poetry books and guidebook A Literary Guide to Washington, D.C.: Walking in the Footsteps of American Writers from Francis Scott Key to Zora Neale Hurston. Or indulge in the critical lens of Natasha Sajé, author of five poetry books including The Future Will Call You Something Else, and Dan Vera, author of two poetry collections and co-editor of Imaniman: Poets Writing in the Anzaldúan Borderlands. The diversity and richness of D.C.’s queer poets will be celebrated this Friday. The four poets perform at 7 p.m. on June 28 at Little District Books, 737 8th St. SE. littledistrictbooks.com. Free. —Lizzy Rager

Saturday: FIGHTMASTER at the Atlantis

E.R. Fightmaster is most recognizable for their star turn in Grey’s Anatomy, a two-season stint on Hulu’s Shrill, and their cameo in Lucy Dacus’ “Night Shift” music video. An accomplished and history-making actor, they’re now embracing being a multihyphenate artist, creating music under their surname FIGHTMASTER. Their debut EP, Violence, came out last year and their sophomore project, Bloodshed Baby, was released earlier this month. Both EP names misleadingly evoke an aggressive intensity that their music doesn’t possess. FIGHTMASTER’s music is tender, twangy, and, above all, explicitly queer. Dancing on the tiled floor of the Atlantis as FIGHTMASTER croons onstage sounds like the perfect closing to Pride … or the perfect precursor to Orville Peck at the Anthem the following night (see next City Light). FIGHTMASTER plays at 8 p.m. on June 29 at the Atlantis, 2047 9th St. NW. theatlantis.com. $18. —Serena Zets 

Sunday: Orville Peck at the Anthem 

Orville Peck, the masked country singer-songwriter, continues to raise his profile. He’s featured on the new Willie Nelson album and Nelson is featured on his new record for two different versions of “Cowboys Are Secretly Quite Fond of Each Other.” Special guests like Diplo and Kylie Minogue are featured on Peck’s newest single, “Midnight Ride.” Elton John and Midland are some of the guests on his May EP of duets. But bigger doesn’t entirely mean better. Other than “Miénteme” with Bu Cuaron, Stampede: Vol 1. is a skippable entry into his otherwise stellar catalog. The genre hopping may be an important exercise for the 36-year-old musician, but he tends to be at his best when focused. Fingers crossed the LP version of Stampede, due to be released August 2, will be on par with the sonically ambitious Bronco from 2022 and his utterly fantastic 2019 debut record, Pony. On just two full-lengths, the South African musician who first made waves as a drummer in a Canadian indie rock band before pivoting to a new sound and persona, has proven to be one of the best modern frontpersons. Though his trajectory sounds like a Mad Libs-inspired parlor trick, there’s nothing gimmicky about his music. The sound is steeped in what initially made country music fantastic and his vocal delivery is superior to some of his 1990s country icons turned 2020s collaborators. Orville Peck may be a stage name from a seasoned performer, but his material is both powerful and easy to relate to. Based on the first few weeks of the Stampede tour, expect a healthy amount of the first two records. This is a performer playing larger and larger rooms with each tour cycle (he was at the 9:30 Club for two nights in 2022 and Union Stage in 2019), and if his star continues to rise, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in an amphitheater or arena the next time he’s in the DMV. Orville Peck plays at 7 p.m. on June 30 at the Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com. $60–$85. —Brandon Wetherbee

Ongoing: Neuroland by Michal Gavish at the American Association for the Advancement of Science

The scientifically inclined art of Michal Gavish, a D.C.-based multimedia artist, is informed by her previous career as a research chemist. In her exhibit Neuroland, Gavish seeks to answer, “How do you picture a brain”—not the wrinkly pink organ per se, but rather the “network of neurons that extend through the body and make up a person’s thoughts and personality—the chemical and electrical webs that make us all both similar and unique?” Gavish’s works include myriad portrayals of dendritic shapes, some in stand-alone paintings on canvas or paper, and some blowing gently on veils of shiny, diaphanous fabric. Indeed, the more layers of translucent, satiny fabric she uses—up to four ply in some works—the more convincing the illusion of motion within the neural system. For a layperson, it’s hard to know how true-to-life Gavish’s biological portrayals are; dopamine is rendered in violet, adrenaline in green, and serotonin in magenta. One of her more intricate paintings, of melatonin, calls to mind a twin-peaked blue mountain with white waterfalls flowing into a blue green pool. Whether or not this depiction is literal, it certainly seems like a reasonable metaphor for the hormone that plays a role in sleep. Michal Gavish’s Neuroland runs through Sept. 30 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1200 New York Ave. NW. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. aaas.org. Free. —Louis Jacobson

Thursday through Sunday: Letters to Kamala and Dandelion Peace at Universal National Memorial Church

Voices Festival Productions presents the world premiere production of two plays by Wisconsin-based playwright Rachel Lynett, Letters to Kamala and Dandelion Peace. Directed by A. Lorraine Robinson, the show is staged in the basement theater of the Universal National Memorial Church on 16th Street NW. Letters to Kamala is set in the midst of the 2020 presidential race, sometime between Kamala Harris’ acceptance of the vice presidential nomination and Election Day. Originally presented as an online reading that November, this marks its first staging. Three figurative ancestors come to address the future VP: Charlotta Spears Bass (Kendra Holloway), owner, editor, and publisher of the The California Eagle, and the first Black woman to run for national office as the 1952 vice presidential candidate of the short-lived Progressive Party; Charlene Mitchell (Fatima Quander), presidential nominee for the Communist Party USA in 1968; and Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink (Mariele Atienza), the first woman of color and first Asian American woman to serve in the House of Representatives in 1965 and in 1972. In addressing the future vice president, the three women offer congratulations and criticisms. What did she compromise to advance from California Attorney General to Senator to running mate? What was necessary for her career advancement, and what was necessary to advance the greater good? At what point does admiration and symbolism trump ideological differences? Will other audiences see it before this November? Dandelion Peace, commissioned by VFP as a companion to Letters, is a political satire writ small, showing the most cynical of tactics and electioneering deployed in the seemingly idyllic setting of an urban community garden. Artist Anita (Holloway) has planted dandelions in her plot so that she can make dandelion wine. But Zuri, a history teacher who wants to transform the ethos of the garden, has labeled the dandelions as an “invasive species” to be uprooted. Moira (Atienza), president of the garden’s steering committee, is trying to forge a compromise, and be reelected. In a hilarious dance of comic villainy choreographed by Chitra Subramanian, Zuri continues to escalate matters. Can a compromise be found? Rachel Lynett’s Letters to Kamala and Dandelion Peace run Thursday through Sunday to June 30 at Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St. NW. voicesfestivalproductions.com. $20-$45. —Ian Thal

Sunday: The Crossword Show at Planet Word

D.C. is a city of nerds, which isn’t a derogatory term in 2024. It seems like every person who moves here was at top of their class and flexes those intellectual muscles at thriving and daily trivia nights. We’re a city that loves smart so much there’s a long-running, quite successful pun-based competition show in town, Pun DMV. Sometimes it’s at DC Improv, sometimes it’s at Planet Word, which leads us to this pick. Of course there’s a museum devoted to words and language located in D.C.! We love this stuff! The Crossword Show returns to Planet Word after a successful October 2023 performance. This edition is hosted by Zach Sherwin (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, YouTube’s Epic Rap Battles of History), who will be joined by local funny folks Reese Waters and Kasha Patel, deputy weather editor for the Capital Weather Gang and a very good stand-up. If you’re looking for a funny show that isn’t your typical stand-up or improv and really want to use your noggin, this show is tailor-made for your nerdtastic taste. The Crossword Show begins at 7 p.m. on June 23 at Planet Word, 925 13th St. NW. planetwordmuseum.org $20–$25. —Brandon Wetherbee

Sunday and Monday: Mulatu Astatke at Howard Theatre

Mulatu Astatke is known as the father of Ethio-jazz, arranging songs that seamlessly meld the Middle Eastern-tinged, pentatonic scales of Ethiopia with John Coltrane-rooted hornwork, Jimmy Smith-derived organ, and Latin jazz-originated percussion. Astatke was born in Ethiopia, but his parents sent him to Wales to study engineering in 1959. But his love of music led him to the Trinity College of Music in London, and later the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he was the first African student. It’s also where he developed his vibraphone and percussion skills. His time in New York City led him to combine sounds he heard in the city—Afro-Latin, jazz, and funk rhythms—with traditional Ethiopian music. Atatke’s efforts with Ethiopian groups and his 1973 collaborative appearance with Duke Ellington in Ethiopia led to acclaim in his homeland and within the Ethiopian diaspora, but most of his acclaim elsewhere came later. In the late 1990s a French label released a series of reissued recordings of Ethiopian music that included an entire album of his earlier music, which introduced him to a new audience. One such listener, American film director Jim Jarmusch later placed seven Astatke songs on the soundtrack of his 2005 film, Broken Flowers. Over the decades, the now-80-year-old artist has worked with a variety of different bands, perfecting compositions both upbeat and melancholy to reflect his musical vision, combining his own vibraphone chops with busy bursts from his horn players and danceable chords from his rhythm section. Mulatu Astatke performs at 8 p.m. on June 23 (sold out) and June 24 at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. thehowardtheatre.com. $35. —Steve Kiviat

Closing June 28: Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s at the Japan Information & Culture Center

The works in the Japan Information and Culture Center’s current exhibit about 1970s contemporary Japanese art straddle the line between photography and prints, buffeted by the era’s artistic movements. Of the exhibit’s 14 artists, some produced painterly works aligned with the abstract expressionists of the previous generation, including Lee Ufan’s and Shoichi Ida’s elemental homages to Adolph Gottlieb and Robert Motherwell. Other artists in the exhibit were shaped by 1960s movements. The exhibit’s conceptualists include Satoshi Saito, who photographed what appear to be carefully arranged glass panes placed in various urban settings, and Koji Enokura and Tatsuo Kawaguchi, who experimented with stains on paper (in Kawaguchi’s case, caused by small metal tools embedded in the paper). Still, others artists in the exhibit responded to op art, including Arinori Ichihara, with an image of a dizzyingly textured surface, and Jiro Takamatsu, with a streamlined, sharply receding portrayal of three upside-down park benches. Ultimately, the two most compelling artists are Akira Matsumoto and Sakumi Hagiwara. Matsumoto deconstructed photographic images into colored arrays of Ben-Day dots that sometimes devolve into dreamlike interference patterns. Hagiwara, meanwhile, created repeated images of various objects to mark the passage of time in seconds, minutes, hours, a day, a month, and a year. (The last used an apple that grew ever more desiccated over time). It’s a smart distillation of multiple strands of the era’s artistic trends. Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s runs to June 28 at the Japan Information & Culture Center, 1150 18th St. NW. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. us.emb-japan.go.jp. Free. —Louis Jacobson

Ongoing: Sarah Hood Salomon at Multiple Exposures Gallery

The recent arc of Sarah Hood Salomon’s art began with ethereal photographs of trees, then morphed into the interaction between mutually encroaching swaths of nature and the human-built environment. Her current exhibit at Multiple Exposures Gallery allows man-made structures to replace flora entirely, as Salomon destroys some of the nature photographs she’s made to use them as fodder for resin-encased sculptures. If you look closely at the traces of Salomon’s “purposefully scratched, cut and puréed” photographs, you might make out a shading of light or dark here and there. Mostly, though, you’ll see linguine-shaped strips arranged into organic forms that suggest curled hairs, hanging moss, feathers, and brushy plant matter. Some of Salomon’s more intriguing works use thin, parallel cross sections of photographic remnants suspended within clear, hardened cubes, as if they were prepared microscopic slides. Even more compelling are Salomon’s experiments with “sanded” detritus from photographs, with dust either encased in clear, snow globe-like spheres or piled up in empty lucite boxes like a miniature experiment in land art. Artistically, it’s not clear that the sculptural transformations are more remarkable than Salomon’s original photographs were on their own. (I chose her tree photography as the second-best photography exhibit in D.C. of 2019.) But the process of altering her images is undeniably poignant. As Salomon writes in her artist’s statement, the trees she photographed were about to be uprooted for development, and by sending her images through the blender, she makes sure that they “can’t be reconstructed, just as landscapes altered by humans can’t be reassembled.” Sarah Hood Salomon’s Questioning the Photograph runs through June 30 at Multiple Exposures Gallery, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. Daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. multipleexposuresgallery.com. Free. —Louis Jacobson

Next Thursday: Mdou Moctar at the 9:30 Club

The Nigerien guitarist has come a long way from his first United States tour in 2017, when his whirlwind immersion in Washington culture included a gig at the Library of Congress and a three-day residency at Episcopal High School before culminating in a headlining performance at the Black Cat. In May, Moctar released Funeral for Justice, his second album on Matador Records, graduating from small stages and, at times, restrained folkish rock to a huge, positively head-banging rock sound. And to think he learned how to play on a homemade instrument. Moctar is modest about his distinct musical voice, explaining, “I don’t know what rock is exactly … I only know how to play in my style.” He was born in a small village in Niger and came up through the ranks of intrepid indie label Sahel Sounds, whose catalog includes such pivotal compilations as Music from Saharan Cellphones. Moctar even unofficially remade Purple Rain with the 2016 film Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red In It, a rock ’n’ roll movie whose drama lay not in the typical resistance from his family, but in the daily lives of the Tuareg people. With his latest album, Moctar lends his love for ZZ Top to a crucial message. In his new album’s anthemic title song, he pleads (in translation), “African leaders, hear my burning question, Why does your ear only heed France and America?” Moctar’s band includes Mikey Coltun, with whom Moctar has worked since 2017. Coltun, now 31, grew up in D.C.’s punk scene—at 16, his group Les Rhinoceros recorded for John Zorn’s Tzadik label. Mdou Moctar plays at 7:30 p.m. on June 27 at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. 930.com. $28. —Pat Padua

Friday: Munit Mesfin at Lubber Run

Based in the D.C. area, Ethiopian-born vocalist Munit Mesfin is skilled in multiple genres. She plays some gigs strictly focused on Ethiopian music, as well as Roberta Flack tribute shows and family performances with Munit and Z Lovebugs, but she’s a member of global music ensemble Project Locrea. In an email to City Paper, Mesfin says this free gig with her own band at Lubber Run will offer “a mix of Ethio-jazz, both old-school classics from legends such as Mulatu Astatke (‘Yekermo Sew’), Tilahun Gessesse (‘Tiz Alegn Yetintu’), Asnakech Worku (‘Abet Abet’), and Aster Aweke, and some of my own originals (‘Ante Lej,’ ‘Noro Noro’), and songs that have an Ethiopian feel or that we will give an Ethiopian feel … from both the realms of jazz and soul.” Mesfin has noted in previous interviews that many of her influences come from Ethiopian radio and the American jazz and soul records her parents played. But her time living in India and Namibia as a child, and later in South Africa, has also impacted her sound as well. Not to mention her time at Smith College in Massachusetts. Mesfin is currently a project director for Carpe Diem Arts’ Ukes on the Move program, teaching ukulele and songwriting to third and fourth graders in Montgomery County Public Schools. When she’s not teaching, she’s working on a solo album and a recording of her family band. Her vocals in Amharic and English exhibit quite a range—she can sound smooth, lush, and honeyed; deep and passionate; or light and poppy. Expect to hear all of that at the season’s second show of the Lubber Run 2024 summer concert series. Munit Mesfin performs at 8 p.m. on June 14 at Lubber Run Amphitheater, 200 N. Columbus St., Arlington. arlingtonva.us. Free. —Steve Kiviat

Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday: The World’s Greatest Sinner at AFI Silver 

You want an over-the-top performance from a hulking ectomorph? Nicolas Cage is the current go-to guy for your ultra-hammy needs, but once upon a time Timothy Agoglia Carey (1929-1994) would have ordered Cage to hold his beer. Carey had the honor of working with Stanley Kubrick and John Cassavetes, and boasted about turning down parts in all three Godfather movies. But even though he worked with some of the best directors in the business, he would take on any role, perhaps none lower than the unwatchable exploitation fare of Chesty Anderson, USN. Off-screen, Carey was equally unhinged; while working in Munich on Kubrick’s Paths of Glory, he staged his own kidnapping as a publicity stunt. By the end of his life, Carey was obsessed with the creative potential of flatulence, and among his possessions was a device he called a fart chastity belt. But Carey’s labor of love was the legendary 1963 cult obscurity The World’s Greatest Sinner, which he wrote, directed, and produced. It’s a hot mess, as fascinating and uncompromising as his acting. Carey plays Clarence Hilliard, an insurance salesman who quits his job to follow a strange path: He becomes a rock star (despite having no musical ability) and, calling himself “God,” Hilliard founds his own religion and political party. Sinner’s reputation, and its rarity, was such that even Elvis Presley asked to see it (Carey has an uncredited role in the 1969 Presley/Mary Tyler Moore vehicle, Change of Habit, as a hulking, massive grocery store clerk). Sinner’s rock ’n’ roll cred is further enhanced by the young composer who made his professional music debut with its score: Frank Zappa. The World’s Greatest Sinner was hard to see until TCM Underground rescued it from obscurity. Now, thanks to the Academy Film Archive and the Film Foundation (whose founder Martin Scorsese calls The World’s Greatest Sinner one of his favorite rock films), Carey’s still-shocking vision, more relevant than ever, is screening in a new 4K restoration. The World’s Greatest Sinner screens at 9:30 p.m. on June 14, 9:30 p.m. on June 15, 9:20 p.m. on June 17, and 9:10 p.m. on June 19 at the AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. silver.afi.com. $13. —Pat Padua

Ends Saturday: Jo Levine’s Trees 360° at Studio Gallery

Jo Levine’s previous photography exhibit at Studio Gallery was about grasses. With her latest (and much larger) exhibit at the same venue, Levine graduates to trees. A lesson from her previous show still holds, however: Stay close to your subject. At a distance, Levine’s arboreal subjects—spindly trunks in the mist, lazily hanging branches, fall foliage reflected in rippling water—come off as distinguished but somewhat routine. When Levine inspects them from a closer perspective, however, their visual quirks emerge. Some of the trunks she photographs offer mottled, multicolored patches of lichens or isobar-like patterns on textured bark. Fallen leaves flaunt their divergent hues, or collect rain droplets in surprisingly orderly arrangements. Cherry blossoms cast a reflection in pond water that turns into a crazily twisted pattern. An arrangement of fallen, beige-toned leaves is seen encased in ice, covered by an unexpected layer of frozen bumps. Most notably, several images capture the ghostly imprints of leaves on sidewalks. Often paired with actual leaves elsewhere in the frame, the negative leaf imprints of this series spark a dialogue about the interaction between presence and absence. Jo Levine’s Trees 360° runs through June 15 at Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW. Wednesday through Friday, 1 to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. studiogallerydc.com. Free. —Louis Jacobson

Postponed Until July 20: Tekno at Fillmore Silver Spring

Nigerian vocalist Tekno may be best known to some for his vocals on “Don’t Jealous Me” from the 2019 Beyoncé-curated album, The Lion King: The Gift, but he won acclaim with afrobeats listeners back in 2012 for his ability to croon and rap over that genre’s programmed beats. Tekno, born Augustine Miles Kelechi Okechukwu, released his debut album, Old Romance, in 2020, and in 2023 the track “Enjoy” was used in an episode of Ted Lasso. While Tekno learned how to play piano and guitar as a kid in music school and still plays a keyboard at times, his fame has come from the distinctive way he enunciates his tales of romance, love, and lust. Sometimes using Auto-Tune, Tekno’s flow—whether singsong, spoken in clipped phrases, or emoted in a melancholy manner—is what captures our attention. Billie Eilish, no stranger to careful word-bending and oration, once told Vanity Fair that he was her favorite artist. Tekno has also lent his skills to other afrobeats stars. He wrote and produced the cleverly syncopated song “If” for Davido, and appears on Kizz Daniel’s “Buga (Lo, Lo, Lo),” which enthralls with its catchy chorus and staccato beats. On his own hits, Tekno, working with cleverly constructed instrumental rhythms, makes his songs shine with his repeated, warbled recitation and memorable earworm chorus. Due to visa issues Tekno’s June 15 show at Fillmore has been postponed until July 20. livenation.com. $48 to $68. —Steve Kiviat

Monday: Kumbia Queers at Songbyrd

Certain artists sound better in certain seasons. Long-running cumbia punk band Kumbia Queers sound best in warm weather and, lucky for you, it’s going to be hot in D.C. this week. Since 2007, the group from Buenos Aires have released music that’ll inevitably get you to move. Touring regularly across the globe since 2012, Kumbia Queers would fit well on any major punk or even jam band festival. They’re billed as tropical punk and it’s a pretty apt description. Their tunes are head-nodders, some with laid-back vibes, some thick with heavy distortion. Their newer singles are more electronic-based, but the beats will still get you on your feet (well, we should say stay on your feet—we all know shows at Songbyrd aren’t seated). Nearly 20 years as a group, the band is far from their Madonna-inspired lo-fi antics. The sound has increased in quality over the years, both in terms of production and skill. They’re a well-oiled cumbia machine that knows how to move large crowds—there’s a reason they’ve played Pride concerts all across the world. While D.C.’s Capital Pride Weekend may be over, it’s still June, which means the party continues. Kumbia Queers play at 8 p.m. on June 17 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. songbyrddc.com. $20–$25. —Brandon Wetherbee

Opens Tuesday: 10,000 Dreams: A Celebration of Asian Choreography at the Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center has not hosted a dance festival on the scale of 10,000 Dreams: A Celebration of Asian Choreography since 2017. The weeklong event brings dancers from four countries and nine companies to Washington for three rotating programs of work by choreographers of Asian descent. Modern-day impresario Phil Chan—a New York-based historian, choreographer, and cultural consultant—cocurated the festival with the goal of bringing high-level dancers and varied choreography to the stage. He chose the name 10,000 Dreams to reference both a popular number in East Asian cultures and the infinite creativity of Asian peoples working in dance around the world. Program A features the Washington Ballet, Utah’s Ballet West, and Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet performing works by contemporary U.S.-based choreographers, including new Washington Ballet artistic director Edwaard Liang. There will be a one-night celebration of the longtime Washington Ballet choreographer-in-residence Choo–San Goh, who died of complications from AIDS in 1987, on June 21. “Goh’s ballets will stand as a testament to the fructifying effect of the cultural blending of East and West,” wrote the late Alan M. Kreigsman, a Pulitzer-winning critic for the Washington Post, praising Goh’s “sculptural” dances that sometimes used arms, hands, and fingers to suggest Chinese calligraphy. Although Goh choreographed for Mikhail Baryshnikov and major companies around the world, his works have rarely been staged in the U.S. since his death. Chan worked with Goh’s niece and his estate holder to resurrect three for the Kennedy Center stage, including “Fives,” a classic created for the Washington Ballet. The festival wraps with weekend performances of works by two Chinese-born choreographers, Disha Zang and American Ballet Theatre’s Zhong-Jong Fang. 10,000 Dreams: A Celebration of Asian Choreography opens June 18 and runs through June 23 at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. $33–$126; discounts are available.

Thursday: Belle and Sebastian at the Anthem

Don’t forget this show highlighted in last week’s City Lights: After Belle and Sebastian’s Sarah Martin graduated from university, she took a job in a local bookshop. “My mum was like, ‘Yeah, but what are you really going to do?’” Martin tells City Paper. “I was like, ‘No, this is fine because I’m joining this band and I want to do something that won’t be too difficult to give up.’ She was like, ‘That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.’” Her mum needn’t have worried. —Christina Smart

Saturday: The Villains Ball at the AutoShop 

Put those Mickey Mouse ears and Superman shields back in the attic—far away from the wicked peripheries of the antiheroes and bad guys running rampant at DC’s Villains Ball. Here’s the time to embrace the characters often overshadowed by their hero counterparts, because even villains need time away from their diabolical plans. This year’s home base will morph out of the AutoShop and into a safe haven for those deemed enemies across all fandom dimensions. Last year’s inaugural ball saw popular anime, comic book, sci-fi, and Disney villains that blurred enemy lines into a circle of its very own. Cruella De Vil was in rare and various forms: donned in floor-length Dalmatian scarves, white petticoats, and lace masks. Majin Buu (from the Dragon Ball manga series) made it to the function in a bright pink suit and even brighter feathers—a similar pink hue to the feathers pinned in Marie Antoinette’s hair. This Ball allows fandom enthusiasts to put themselves in the shoes of their favorite villain, where Roquois Clarke, event organizer and co-founder of Plus Ultra Entertainment, says people often find common ground with the bad guys. “People can realistically empathize with them in certain situations, and it kind of creates that love for them.” The evening will celebrate the villains’ stories with like-minded foes—from lightsaber battles from martial arts group Urban Force to acro-pole dancing inspired by the villainous Golden Woman of Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots. And one lucky attendee will be crowned Villain of the Year. The Villains Ball starts at 8 p.m. on May 4 at the AutoShop, 416 Morse St. NE. villainsball.plusultraentertainment.com. $135–$235. —Heidi Perez-Moreno

Saturday and Sunday: Jazz Greats at Takoma Station 

Some wonderful music has transpired at Takoma Station since it brought live jazz back to its stage a few years ago. Yet, some wonderful music has also bypassed the Upper Northwest tavern because it doesn’t have the space for the grand piano that many of the top 88ers insist upon. That changes this weekend—if only for the weekend. A concert grand piano is coming to the Station’s floor (taking up what’s usually table space) especially for the use of two jazz grand masters. Benito Gonzalez, a wizard of the keys who was based in D.C. during the 2000s before moving on to New York, takes the piano bench on Saturday night as the head of a trio. The next night, “Bishop” Allyn Johnson, a D.C. lifer and one of our fair city’s best and most accomplished jazz talents, does the same. If the names aren’t enough to whet your appetite, consider: It’s expensive to rent a grand piano, and it will displace something like a fifth of Takoma Station’s customer capacity. But the powers that be have decided that these two musicians are so good, they have to make that sacrifice. Benito Gonzalez and the Allyn Johnson trio perform at 7 p.m. on May 4 and 6 p.m. on May 5, respectively, at Takoma Station, 6916 4th St. NW. jkproductions.org. $20–$25. —Michael J. West 

Sunday: La Perla at Rhizome

La Perla, a woman-led trio made up of Bogotá-based musicians Karen Forero, Giovanna Mogollón, and Diana Sanmiguel, have made it their life’s mission to master the intricate beats shaped by the traditional sounds along Colombia’s Caribbean coastline. So when they began playing in 2014, their vocal and percussion styles blended magic—so much so that they’ve been dubbed the “three Colombian drum witches.” The trio built this reputation through years of playing gaitas and hand drums, and mastering folk singing styles. Their music fuses many of the high-energy and fast-paced rhythms found in traditional Colombian cumbia, bullerengue, and vallenato genres. Critics have deemed their work as reinventing Colombian music. They’ve released one EP—Paren La Bulla—and several singles including a feminist hymn on the struggles women in Latin America face. (It was featured on the Netflix show Siempre bruja, aka Always a Witch, in 2018.) This weekend’s performance at Rhizome DC will be their first in the DMV where they’ll be joined by Taxi Vision, a Queens-based six-piece that blend Ecuadorian, Brazilian, and Italian musical influences. La Perla play at 5 p.m. on May 5 at Rhizome, 6950 Maple St. NW. rhizomedc.org. $15-$25. — Heidi Perez-Moreno

Monday: Babehoven and Grocer at DC9

Babehoven are a duo that specializes in pleasant sounds with well-delivered, well-sung vocals that’ll get you swaying back and forth with someone special. Their newest, Water’s Here in You, is a bit more fleshed-out than 2022’s Light Moving Time. The group are getting more sonically adventurous without losing their sound. It’s nice they’re playing in a room as intimate as DC9. It’ll be interesting to hear songs like “Millennia” and “Chariot” in this setting. They’re the kind of tracks that sound fantastic on headphones and may reveal more in a live setting. The opening band, Grocer, are a trio steeped in catharsis, delivering guitar-based angst that’s part math rock, part grunge, part post-punk. With three different singers providing three distinct types of delivery, there are a lot of Sonic Youth vibes (which is a good thing). Their recent 9-song LP, Bless Me, does a fine job illustrating the unique styles of each singer while showcasing the unity of sound. There’s no weak link and the production they achieved at Cash4Gold Studios in their hometown of Philadelphia is quite good, especially on “Blue Goose” and “Subtext.” It’ll serve as a good calling card for both the band and the studio. This is a bill with acts that have a lot of similarities (both are guitar-based, both have women singers (sometimes), both are up-and-comers in the rock scene and have potential to land on large-scale festival bills in 2025 and beyond), but the Venn diagram between their sounds doesn’t have a ton of overlap. That’s great and far too rare. Babehoven, Grocer, and Aunt Katrina play at 8 p.m. on May 6 at DC9, 1940 9th Street NW. dc9.club $18–$20. —Brandon Wetherbee

Friday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday: Last Year at Marienbad at AFI Silver 

However you feel about this enigmatic, divisive masterpiece, its reach is so pervasive that I swear you can see its influence in last year’s Super Mario Bros. Movie. But the delirious visual dazzle of director Alain Resnais’ 1961 drama, Last Year at Marienbad, has not always been easy to access. Old-timers may remember catching the film in a snowy UHF broadcast on Annandale’s Channel 56, or in a muddy 16mm print at Sidwell Friends’ summer cinema series. Thanks to the AFI’s Recent Restorations, cinephiles can see a 4K upgrade made from the original negative. The plot, such as it is, revolves around art-house power couple Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig, who play unnamed, impeccably dressed guests at an ornate chateau where they may or may not have met the year before. This central mystery—whether these people even know each other—is never solved. If anything, reality becomes less certain as the pair individually and together navigate an intricate baroque architecture. It’s a 94-minute cinematic game with no straightforward rules, and detractors may sympathize with critic Pauline Kael, who famously dismissed its influence as “creeping Marienbadism.” But what keeps viewers glued to their seats is Sacha Vierny’s exquisite black-and-white cinematography, tracking shots taking in every decadent detail of this uncanny palace (played by a number of different palaces around Munich), and capturing Seyrig’s classical facial structure and jet-black hair illuminated like she’s a glamorous vision of Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy. You may not know what it all means, even after repeat viewings, but it’s so gorgeous it will sweep you away, and maybe that’s the ultimate significance of its peerless, mystifying aesthetic. Last Year at Marienbad screens May 3, 5, 6, and 8 at AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. silver.afi.com. $13. —Pat Padua

Now open: Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939, at the National Portrait Gallery

We’re all too familiar with the literary men of the Lost Generation, but we know less about that same generation of American women artists who found themselves in Paris during the early 20th century. These painters, performers, writers, and fashion designers are the stars of the National Portrait Gallery’s latest exhibition, Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939. Through photographs, paintings, sculptures, drawings, and biographies, discover the stories of 60 women who explored their authentic identities away from America’s restrictive culture. After fleeing discrimination based on class, gender, race, and sexual identity, the women pursued their ambitions in Paris and built cultural landmarks, influenced modernist movements, and created bold feminist legacies. Brilliant Exiles opens with Edward Steichen’s “In Exaltation of Flowers,” a sprawling three-panel portrayal of three It Girls—Katharine Nash Rhoades, Marion H. Beckett, and Mercedes de Cordoba—each represented by a flower whose attributes reflect their personalities. But we learn that these women were more than mere muses: Beckett studied postimpressionist art, Rhoades helped establish and run the Freer Gallery of Art (now the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art), and Cordoba worked as a fashion illustrator and correspondent before pursuing an acting career. Many of the women featured in Brilliant Exiles received more attention for their beauty than for their talent or intelligence, but that didn’t stop them from reclaiming their identities through their art. You’ll see portraits of Isadora Duncan, the mother of modern dance, dancing barefoot and scantily clad; Natalie Barney, an out and open lesbian who hosted a literary salon where other queer women could gather safely; and Josephine Baker, a beloved Black performer who satirized colonial stereotypes of African culture. Each story is compelling, heartbreaking, and empowering in equal measures. I highly recommend the accompanying podcast from curator Robyn Asleson. As you wander, ask yourself: What were they running away from? What would they think of the progress we have (or haven’t) made? The National Portrait Gallery’s Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939, is on view through Feb. 23, 2025. npg.si.edu. Free. —Samantha Ostwald 

Seasoned D.C. moviegoers remember when Filmfest DC, could be depended on for a surprise or two. The highlights may vary, but this was a festival that—in its heyday some 30 years ago—was the only place one could see works such as the Hanif Kureishi miniseries The Buddha of Suburbia (1993) or Mani Ratnam’s dazzling musical Dil Se.. (1998). In 1989, a screening of Guy Maddin’s 1988 Tales from the Gimli Hospital from on the University of the District of Columbia campus left the audience in a daze—it was one of those films that made you walk out into the world looking at it a little differently. 

But for years, the festival has seemed to be in a holding pattern, not looking for fresh visions of the world but squeezing middling programs into tired themes like the ongoing series called Trust No One. One may be more likely to find challenging and entertaining films at one of the area’s commercial art-house theaters—in recent weeks E Street Cinemas has hosted Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s three-hour drama About Dry Grasses and Bertrand Bonello’s sci-fi romance The Beast, which is becoming everybody’s favorite envelope-pushing narrative of the year. 

One wouldn’t blame film buffs for shrugging off Filmfest, figuring that anything worth seeing will end up at E Street or AFI Silver. Yet, now in its 38th year, the festival, while loaded with crowd-pleasers slated for a commercial run, is more promising than usual. Starting on April 18 and running for 10 days, Filmfest 2024 features the latest from an octogenarian master (87-year-old Ken Loach) and a new one from a younger filmmaker on a hot streak (Ryusuke Hamaguchi). And Filmfest continues, as always, to be a showcase for local filmmakers: This year’s screenings include Chris McDonald’s go-go documentary Bring the Beat (showing April 21 at the Kennedy Center and April 27 at E Street), Freedom Hair by D.C. native Dianne Houston (April 27 at E Street), and Reston native Amy Gerber’s Hope of Escape (April 27 at E Street).

With 62 films from 36 countries, you’d have to be a curmudgeon to find nothing worth your time. City Paper previewed a small cross section of this year’s lineup, and the films range from good to great, with at least one film that may bear repeated viewings.

Diabolik

The Italian equivalent of a Batman reboot, this 2021 actioner is the first entry in a trilogy that revived a popular ’60s comic-book character. American audiences may know the masked thief from Mario Bava’s 1968 cult classic Danger: Diabolik, and the Manetti brothers, Antonio and Marco, have stylish shoes to fill. Though set in the ’60s, and shot among what appears to be the same brutalist office buildings that gave the 1968 film its distinct mid-century aesthetic, this Diabolik simply doesn’t have the pop art energy of 1968. It’s also missing the pizazz of Ennio Morricone’s agitated avant-garde surf music. But Luca Marinelli is effective enough as the burglar of a thousand faces (the festival notes erroneously identify him as Grey’s Anatomy star Giacomo Gianniotti, who replaced Marinelli in the sequels), and if the chase scenes start off sleepily, the action is eventually broken down into split-screen compositions that better evoke the pulpy source. Diabolik screens at 6:05 p.m. on April 19 and 5:50 p.m on April 27 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. $14.

Evil Does Not Exist 

In a remote mountain village outside of Tokyo, local townspeople worry about their way of life when a big city outfit proposes to construct a glamping site in the middle of their pristine wilderness. One would not think a public hearing that pivots on the placement of a septic tank would be the basis for compelling drama. But Hamaguchi, the director who broke out with the Oscar-nominated Drive My Car, seems capable of finding the human element in any circumstance. Though seemingly slighter than his other films, which can run three or even five hours long, Evil Does Not Exist (spoiler: it does) packs a lot of living into its patient 106 minutes. Evil Does Not Exist screens at 6:15 p.m. on April 19 and 1:45 p.m. on April 27 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. $14.  

The Old Oak

TJ (Dave Turner) runs the Old Oak pub in a former mining town in Northern England. The town’s residents struggle in the shadow of its former industrial glory, while its cheap real estate becomes a sanctuary for Syrian refugees. TJ tries to be helpful to the new residents, befriending Yara (Ebla Mari), a young Syrian photographer, but many of the old pub regulars are upset with the new arrangements, and tempers flare. At 87,  the director Loach (1969’s Kes, 1994’s Ladybird, Ladybird), an old Filmfest favorite, claims this will be his last film. His humanist touch is as fair and compassionate as ever, even through Paul Laverty’s occasionally preachy script. The neat resolution isn’t entirely convincing, but the heart of The Old Oak is in the right place. The Old Oak screens at 8:50 p.m. on April 20 and 5 p.m. on April 21 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. $14.

A Normal Family

This domestic drama from South Korea revolves around the aftermath of a road rage incident that fuels the rivalry between two brothers—a doctor who has dedicated his life to healing and a defense lawyer who helps rich clients get away with murder. But the brothers’ moral compasses get upset when their children find themselves in serious trouble—a crime that’s caught on a video that goes viral. If the plot sounds familiar, that’s because it was adapted from the Herman Koch novel that formed the basis for Oren Moverman’s 2017 film The Dinner. And although director Hur Jin–ho’s A Normal Family isn’t without speechifying, it’s far more subtle and accomplished than Moverman’s film. A Normal Family screens at 8 p.m. on April 26 and 4 p.m. on April 27 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. $14.

The Undertaker 

Paul McGann (Withnail & I and Doctor Who) stars as Arthur, a mild-mannered mortician who becomes useful to an increasingly unhinged local gangster, Finlay (Roger Barclay). Director Michael Wright sets this slight crime drama in 1960s England, which lends itself to a muted color palette that suits the film’s meditation on death and morality. Despite the high body count and the morbid milieu, The Undertaker is, well, kind of cute; McGann’s restrained performance grounds a violent landscape that may well be an allegory of fascism, as the undertaker simply continues to follow orders, asking “What can I do about it?” The Undertaker, with appearances from Michael Wright, screens at 8:30 p.m. on April 26 and 6:15 p.m. on April 27 at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. $14.

Filmfest DC runs from April 18 to 28 at venues around town. filmfestdc.org