Friday: Diwali Rock Show at Atlas Brew Works

Diwali is approaching next week and events celebrating the Hindu Festival of Lights are popping up across the city. One unmissable event is the third annual Diwali Rock Show at Atlas Brew Works, featuring local bands led by Indian American artists including Laal Taal (a member of Bottled Up), NAYAN, Prabir Trio, and Sravani. The showcase began three years ago as a project of Richmond-based musician Prabir Mehta, supported by D.C.’s Nayan Bhula (of NAYAN). In the years since its inception, the showcase has grown into a festival featuring far more than music, now highlighting Indian art, food trucks, and clothing. It’s part of a larger celebration of Diwali, the joyous festival marking the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. The showcase, and holiday more broadly, is an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate the good in their lives. The showcase starts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Atlas Brew Works Ivy City, 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE. atlasbrewworks.com. $12. —Serena Zets 

Friday: Loboko at Hill Center

New York’s Loboko play Congolese dance music, a style that is best known for its high-pitched, mesmerizing guitar lines, tuneful vocals, and a funky bass and drums bottom. The band was founded in 2019 by Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo-born singer and guitarist Yohni Djungu Sungu (who’s toured with Congolese acts Soukous Stars and Fally Ipupa) and drummer Morgan Greenstreet (also an acclaimed DJ and podcast producer), but the two met five years earlier when they played backup for another New York-based Congolese musician. Today, in Loboko, they’re joined by guitarist Nikhil P. Yerawadekar, whose resume includes stints playing Ethiopian and Nigerian music, and a rotating cast of bass players. Their style of Congolese dance music is also known as rumba and the genre’s tempos can sometimes vary. In 2023, Loboko released their first single, “Kanyunyi,” which features speedy guitar bursts, but draws more from the traditional mid-tempo Congolese Mutuashi rhythm. While that song has a bit of a 1970s retro flavor, the band’s founders say their live style is more impacted by the ’90s output of uptempo Congo bands like Wenga Musica and current groups that have also drawn from that era. B-side track “Ekenge” better captures that approach as it uses the fast Congolese music composition style known as seben where the dual guitars take the lead. The guitarists aren’t doing flashy rock-like solos, they’re combining on shimmering notes designed to keep people gyrating on the dance floor. The bandmates tell City Paper they have more originals and plan to self-produce an album. Expect to move your body to those songs at the show. Loboko play at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. hillcenterdc.org. $20. —Steve Kiviat

Friday and Saturday: Ben Folds With the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center

Ben Folds will join the National Symphony Orchestra in the Concert Hall this week for an unforgettable experience. This isn’t just your typical concert; it’s a special live recording of Folds’ new orchestral album with NSO. If you are a fan, Folds will showcase hits and new music. For newer ears, Folds has made significant contributions to music and returns to the Kennedy Center recognized as an indie icon. His repertoire includes pop rock hits from his time as the frontperson and pianist of the alt rock band Ben Folds Five and several solo albums, but he also boasts noteworthy collaborations as a musician and songwriter. Folds’ 2015 album, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, reached No. 1 on the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. His most recent album, What Matters Most, which he’ll perform with NSO this weekend, was released in 2023 and features a more pop rock sound with a spotlight on piano. This concert marks a special homecoming, as Folds serves as the first NSO Artistic Advisor. In this role, Folds curated a concert series pairing NSO with numerous popular artists including Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor, and Julian Baker. Ben Folds: Recorded Live with NSO starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 25 and 26 at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. $29–$79. —Anupma Sahay

Saturday: Spoons Toons, and Booze at Arlington Drafthouse

It might be inappropriate for adults to trick-or-treat without a kid, but some grown-ups still want to dress up for Halloween. For those DMVers, here’s an opportunity to put on a costume—no children or trick-or-treating required. The Spoons Toons and Booze noontime cereal-based brunch features a Halloween costume contest, free all-you-can-eat sugary cereals (Halloween-themed brands included, obviously), specialty cocktails featuring aforementioned sugary cereals, and cartoons. Lots of cartoons. The audience will choose from 150 different Saturday morning cartoons, spanning the decades from the 1940s to early 2000s, to enjoy on the big screen. Pop culture and cereal experts Michael Austin and Nell Casey lend commentary between nostalgic cartoons about witches, monsters, ghosts, and other seasonally appropriate drawn images. There’s nothing too spooky about this event—unless you’re a diabetic—but if you’re not careful, you may die from Count Chocula. Spoons Toons and Booze starts at noon on Oct. 26 at Arlington Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. arlingtondrafthouse.com  $15. —Brandon Wetherbee

Tuesday: Halloween Cookie Class at Lost Boy Cider

Cookies and beer are on the menu at Lost Boy Cider this season. Halloween isn’t just about trick-or-treating and bar crawls; it’s the perfect setting for a fun, spooky activity with a sweet twist. At this delicious experience you can sip on award-winning cider—or nonalcoholic options—while partaking in a spooktacular Halloween Cookie Class hosted by Sugarcoated Bakery. These cookie experts will lead a creepy decorating tutorial on baking sweets shaped like pumpkins, ghosts, and more. Participants will trade in Halloween tricks for decorating tips, including piping bag techniques, and using “wet-on-wet” style for detailed designs, icing options, decorating tools, how to add dimension to cookies, and all-important guidance on fixing decorating mishaps. After the 90-minute class, participants will leave with a bag of festive cookies, an instruction manual for future baked goods, and recipes for royal icing and sugar cookies. The Halloween Cookie Class starts at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Lost Boy Cider, 317 Hooffs Run Dr., Alexandria. lostboycider.com. $65. —Anupma Sahay

Tuesday: Billy Ocean at Warner Theatre

It’s been 40 years since the release of Billy Ocean’s album Suddenly, the double-platinum project that sent the Trinidadian English singer-songwriter’s career up the charts with the assistance of hit singles including the title track, “Caribbean Queen (No More Love On the Run),” and “Loverboy.” In celebration of the album’s anniversary, Ocean is on tour with a show scheduled for Oct. 29 at Warner Theatre. What’s surprising is that Suddenly was Ocean’s fifth album—that luxury of artist development is almost unheard-of these days. “The whole record industry has changed drastically,” Ocean tells City Paper. “Record companies then, they gave you the opportunity to grow. Now it’s very much a case of a short-lived thing. They don’t give you the encouragement. They don’t give you the finance anymore to allow you to grow.” One of the key ingredients to the success of Suddenly was the addition of Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who served as executive producer and co-wrote “Loverboy” with Ocean and producer Keith Diamond. Prior to collaborating with Ocean, Lange was primarily known for his work with AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Foreigner. “Mutt Lange had his own studio in his house,” Ocean recalls. “Mutt is an amazing producer in the sense that he hears the record in his head before he actually produces it.” (Lange continued his collaboration with Ocean, co-producing and co-writing songs on Ocean’s next two albums, Love Zone and Tear Down These Walls). After nearly 50 years in the industry, Ocean knows what audiences want to hear. “I do all the hits,” says Ocean. “That’s what they came to see. That’s what they would rather hear than you being self-indulgent and giving new songs.” Billy Ocean plays at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. warnertheatredc.com. $41–$125. —Christina Smart

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Friday: Eddie Palmieri at the Library of Congress

South Bronx-raised pianist Eddie Palmieri established his musical reputation decades ago by innovatively combining the Afro Caribbean dance music he heard growing up in the 1950s with African American jazz. Now 87, Palmieri continues to love performing live where he often enthusiastically shakes his head and smiles while energetically pounding his fingers and sometimes his forearms and elbows on the keys. Although Palmieri has sometimes worked with vocalists, and emphasized more straight-ahead rhythms, he often, as he will be doing at the Library of Congress, digs into his Latin jazz songbook that highlights his ability to solo and improvise with his band. It’s this technique that led the National Endowment of the Arts to award him a Jazz Master in 2013, and he has won various Grammys over the years. Palmieri’s acclaimed skills also draw from the classical piano lessons he took as a youngster and the brief period as a teenager where he played timbales in his uncle’s Latin dance music orchestra. His work has been fueled by his own social justice values. Thus, Palmieri can play sweet and touching chords as he did solo on a song for his late wife Iraida Palmieri in a 2016 NPR Tiny Desk appearance, get noisy with his combo and use unusual time signatures, or combine all these different aspects as he did on his song “Justicia.” For this show Palmieri will be playing with longtime bandmates Luques Curtis on bass, Louis Fouche on alto saxophone, and Camilo Molina on drums. They’ll help provide the mix of dissonance and funky polyrhythms that Palmieri has become legendary for providing. The son of parents who emigrated from Puerto Rico, the charismatic Palmieri is likely to further enhance the evening with stories about his life between songs. Eddie Palmieri plays at 8 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the Library of Congress’ Coolidge Auditorium, 10 1st St. SE. loc.gov. Sold out, but Free RUSH passes will be available on site two hours before the concert. —Steve Kiviat

Opens Saturday: Mixed Up, Cut Up at Pyramid Atlantic

Pyramid Atlantic is known locally as a hub for artist studio space and workshops, but it’s also a hub for printmaking and paper arts more broadly, attracting workshop instructors and exhibitors from around the country and the globe. Its most recent guest is Houston-based artist Carlos Hernandez, showing an exhibit of his silkscreens and collages, as well as hosting an artist talk and two workshops. Hernandez creates both commercial and fine art works, creating concert posters and projects for corporations while also exhibiting widely, from small galleries all the way to the Smithsonian and Library of Congress. He’s worked collaboratively, founding the printmaking space Burning Bones Press in Houston and joining up with the group Outlaw Printmakers. Over the course of his storied career, he has racked up accolades including recognition from the Communication Arts Typography Annual for his playful and inventive lettering work and serving as artist in residence for the legendary Hatch Show Print letterpress shop. Mixed Up, Cut Up features works that are vibrant, frenetic, and jampacked with details, rewarding close looking. There is a level of planning that must go into making multicolored prints in order to get all the pieces to line up, and Hernandez’s work at times is meticulously planned; at other times it embraces the chaos and unpredictability of the process. His workshop on Oct. 17 (from 6 to 9 p.m.) preceding the exhibit revolves around using unconventional or mixed media in daily sketchbook use, and his own doodlings and explorations in this realm are the foundation of the finished works. Mixed Up, Cut Up runs from Oct. 19 to Nov. 24 at Pyramid Atlantic, 4318 Gallatin St., Hyattsville. Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. An artist talk and opening reception start at 5 p.m. on Oct. 19. pyramidatlanticartcenter.org. Free. —Stephanie Rudig

Closes Oct. 26: Gary Anthes at Studio Gallery

A photographer’s road trip through the sparsely populated west is, at this point, something of an American cliche. Gary Anthes’ exhibit Dust and Destiny on the Great Plains includes some of the expected subject matter—abandoned general stores, dilapidated farm buildings, boarded-up Main Street shops, dusty vintage cars, cracked and peeling grain elevators—and it offers a Dust Bowl warning about looming environmental decay. Still, the series benefits from its surprisingly sprightly mood, offering a striking contrast between the decay on view and the glorious light that illuminates it. Anthes—whose most notable prior exhibit in D.C. involved placing natural and man-made objects against the backdrop of interiors of an abandoned 200-year-old barn on his property—made his current collection of images during a 1,000-mile, back-road jaunt through seven states. Several of Anthes’ images feature facades with compellingly rhythmic wooden shingling, one of which includes an appealing arrangement of broken windows, in an echo of Minor White’s “The Three Thirds.” Another image, of a row of grain elevators alongside a receding rail line in Yuma, Colorado, conjures the Neoclassicism of Charles Sheeler’s painted depiction of Ford’s River Rouge plant. Anthes’ finest image may be one from eastern Colorado. It features a gently undulating field of grasslands under a mesmerizing sky in shades of blue; against this elemental pairing, a long piece of irrigation equipment jumps and snakes backward into the frame, providing a bracing sense of three dimensionality. Gary Anthes’ Dust and Destiny on the Great Plains runs through Oct. 26 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

Closes Oct. 26: Perspectives, a Morton Fine Arts’ *a pop-up project, at Washington Square 

Morton Fine Arts brings another installment of its trademarked *a pop-up project, titled Perspectives, to Washington Square. In a press release, Morton promises that this free exhibit of “’nature-based abstraction” will “communicate elements from nature directly” as experienced by the featured artists, who have been “[f]reed from the limitations of traditional representation.” Earlier this year, Morton Fine Arts staged another pop-up exhibit at Gallery B in Bethesda: Creating in Abstraction: A Pop-up Project Group Exhibition of 11 Global Contemporary Artists. Two of the highest-profile artists featured in that exhibit, Morton heavyweights Rosemary Feit Covey and Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann, return for Perspectives. The other artists featured in Perspectives are Natalie Cheung, Hannelie Coetzee, Maya Freelon, Hiromitsu Kuroo, Eto Otitigbe, Andrei Petrov, and Jenny Wu. In interpreting the theme, the artists’ imaginations have varied widely: from Tzu-Lan Mann’s signature blending of Eastern and Western brushwork to Otitigbe’s blue-toned aluminum plate engravings; and from Freelon’s neon tissue ink monoprint Eclipse series to Wu’s latex-and-resin wood panel pieces. Wu’s panels, notably, feature titles that would not be out of place on a Fall Out Boy album, such as “DMV Still Does Not Default to Department of Motor Vehicles For Me,” “This Is Almost As Exciting As the Bylaw Review,” and “I Checked the Tag But I Don’t Understand the Tag.” With the unbeatable price of free and a wide variety of styles to survey, Perspectives is an opportunity for anyone who is modern art-curious but has been afraid to commit. Perspectives runs through Oct. 26 at Washington Square, 1050 Connecticut Ave. NW. Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. mortonfineart.com. Free. —Allison R. Shely

Ongoing: Mari Calai’s GENESIS at Photoworks

You can’t accuse photographer Mari Calai of lacking inspiration. Calai, in her capacity as artist in residence at Photoworks, has assembled a collection of works of unusual breadth. In one series, Calai—a native of Bucharest, Romania, who now lives in Falls Church—photographs doilies, but with a fuzzed approach that softens their fine, lacy details into near ethereality. In another series, Calai produces “chemigrams,” cameraless images made in the darkroom using light and chemicals, which she prints and attaches directly, without fuss, to the wall. The patterns in these chemigrams range from Japanese-style filigrees to abstract expressionist blobs; their toning ranges from mocha to an unexpected shade of pink. Other works teeter on the edge between realism and abstraction; some images suggest a raging fire, others like astronomical orbs, while others could pass for a foggy mountain valley—often printed on paper with subtle textures. The most impressive images veer a little closer to realism, notably a scene that appears to be sand dunes, a look upward into leaves and branches, and a spiral shell, highlighted with gold leaf. Mari Calai’s GENESIS runs through Nov. 10 at Photoworks at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. glenechophotoworks.org. Free. —Louis Jacobson

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Saturday: Rebellion and Aesthetic Expressions With Phuc Tran and Elizabeth Ai at MLK Library

On Oct. 5, two authors from different corners of the literary world, Phuc Tran, author of Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In, and Elizabeth Ai, author of New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora, sit down with moderator Thuy Dinh to discuss their shared experiences. The core theme of their work is self-preservation as they both navigate what it means to be Asian American in today’s world. Both of their books interrogate the cycle of intergenerational trauma and cultural displacement—while celebrating the Asian American diaspora and experience. But the pair are more than just writers: Ai is a prolific director and producer of several documentaries and films and Tran is a practicing tattoo artist and Latin teacher. Dinh is a critic, author, and editor-at-large for the Vietnamese Diaspora at the Asymptote Journal. A book signing will follow the talk. Rebellion and Aesthetic Expressions book talk starts at noon on Oct. 5 at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. dclibrary.libnet.info. Free, but registration is suggested. —Meg Richards

Saturday: Meshell Ndegeocello Honors James Baldwin at the Strathmore

 The late novelist, playwright, and essayist James Baldwin was born 100 years ago and died in 1987. This astute observer on race relations, queer issues, and humanity once noted in his writing that his thoughts were exemplified in part by the Black spiritual lyric: “God gave Noah the Rainbow sign/ No more water, the fire next time!” When Baldwin wrote that in 1963, he was spelling out the destructive post-flood fate the United States would face if Americans don’t learn from the country’s past and condemn bigotry and racial segregation. On No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin, singer and multi-instrumentalist Meshell Ndegeocello, with the help of her guitarist and co-producer Chris Bruce and a handful of other musicians she often works with, gives us a race and gender history lesson and guidance on love and hate via music and spoken word. (The project also features poet Staceyann Chin and author Hilton Als.) The music is penned by Ndegeocello and her bandmates and half of the compositions feature sung or recited verses that include quoted excerpts from Baldwin. Based in New York for years, Ndegeocello grew up in the D.C. area, briefly playing bass for Rare Essence and others before moving on to her solo career that brought her some ’90s hits and much critical acclaim. This latest album has its roots in a 2016 theatrical effort she created and presented in Harlem called Can I Get a Witness? The Gospel of James Baldwin, which was based on his writings collected in his book The Fire Next Time. While the lyrical messages about the unending inhumane treatment of Black people—from enslavement through to the murder of Tamir Rice—are appalling and painful, Ndegeocello and her vocalists are steadfast in their desire as Chin chants assertively to “Find courage to speak for them.” The clever musical composing uses acoustic and digital instrumentation influenced by multiple eras of Black music to create ethereal jazzy funk. The track “On the Mountain” vocally goes from Als’ spoken word over squawking jazz horns to operatic soul via singer Justin Hicks, while the “The Price of the Ticket” is a ballad with acoustic guitar playing rooted in early 1960s Odetta-style folk with Ndegeocello plaintively asking a cop to put down his gun that is aimed at her. Other songs use Baptist church organ and gorgeous vocal harmonies to convey riveting emotions and to present Baldwin’s personal and timeless themes. Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water / The Gospel of James Baldwin starts at 8 p.m. on Oct. 5 at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Ln., North Bethesda. strathmore.org. $28–$74. —Steve Kiviat   

Ends Soon: Ikxisuluntuk (Swollen Foot), a Live Radio Play at Dandelion Collective DC

Created by Angel Rose Artist Collective, Ikxisuluntuk (Swollen Foot), a bilingual Nawat and English language audio adaptation of Sophocles’ play Oedipus the King, opened last week at Dandelion Collective DC. As someone forced to study Oedipus in high school and college, I found it thrilling to see an adaptation breathe new life into the Greek tragedy. Petrona Xemi Tapepechul, managing director of Angel Rose Artist Collective, has updated Sophocles’ story to focus on Tiutećan, the city of the Gods, as it suffers a terrible (and all too timely) curse: the loss of its ancestral language. A foreigner, Ikxisuluntuk (Swollen Foot), a fluent Nawat speaker, arrives and quickly becomes the King of Tiutećan. A lifelong curse follows Ikxisuluntuk and he’s forced to beg for answers and forgiveness from the city Elders. They send Ikxisuluntuk on a journey of self-discovery, betrayal, and self-doubt. In a press release, Tapepechul says, “Today, there are less than 50 first-language speakers of Nawat alive, making Nawat a critically endangered language as declared by the United Nations.” Tapepechul notes that Oedipus has been translated into dozens of languages, “and now, we have a Nawat-language version … for our communities who are working to revitalize this language for future generations.” The play previously ran this summer at Sitar Arts Center and the Mount Pleasant Library. This time around, this important production is only doing a 12-show run so be sure to catch it before it closes. Ikxisuluntuk (Swollen Foot), the live radio play, runs through Oct. 13 at Dandelion Collective DC, 3417 14th St. NW. angelrosearts.org. $20. —Serena Zets 

Ongoing: Diane Szczepaniak at Gallery Neptune & Brown

Diane Szczepaniak (1956-2019) was a Detroit-born painter who worked as an artist in D.C. since the 1990s. A retrospective of her work at Gallery Neptune & Brown, Meditations on Color and Light, includes a watery landscape limned in creamy oils; a large-scale, Op Art-inspired watercolor featuring cheerily colored, hand-drawn squares that communicate an oddly 3D texture; and patchwork-like assemblages of soft tones. But Szczepaniak’s most impressive works play with subtle gradations of color, created by careful layering of paint. In two works, Szczepaniak lightly spreads white highlights over understated fields of blue, creating unexpectedly radiating patterns. And in nine works that comprise the exhibit’s visual core, she replicates an L-shaped form that suggests the frame of a painting or a window. Within this repeated structure, Szczepaniak pairs tones such as magenta and various shades of blue with a dreamy subtlety that evokes the paintings of Mark Rothko, or, perhaps even more, the out-of-focus photographs of Uta Barth, some of which featured fuzzily portrayed windows into the obscure distance. Meditations on Color and Light runs through Oct. 19 at Gallery Neptune & Brown, 1530 14th St. NW. Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 7 p.m. galleryneptunebrown.com. Free. —Louis Jacobson

Ongoing: Power & Light at the National Archives

In 1946, coal occupied a central place in the national consciousness. That year, widespread strikes at coal mines threatened not just an industry but a crucial source of energy for the nation. The Truman Administration negotiated an agreement to end the strikes, which included one provision that’s now the subject of a National Archives exhibition: a 2,000-image survey of the coal-mining industry by Russell Lee (1903-1986), a member of the federal photography corps that documented the Great Depression. The largely forgotten survey, which spanned mines in 13 states, used black-and-white photography to spotlight both the grim working conditions underground and the families’ cramped, newspaper-lined homes, with the goal of publicizing the plight of coal workers. The subjects are notably diverse—many of the people captured on film are Black, some are Asian, and many were brought into the industry in order to keep wages low. The adults project an understandable weariness, but the children remain angelic, even when pushing a baby around in a makeshift stroller made from a discarded box of mine explosives. If images like Lee’s aren’t enough of a gut punch, the exhibit delivers an even bigger one in its final panel: A 1979 follow-up survey found significant material improvements for most mine families, but many who were interviewed voiced frustration that the nation continued to view them as backward and impoverished. Lee’s work from the 1940s “may have inadvertently contributed to this lasting stereotype,” the exhibit acknowledges. Given this, what are we to think about the value of documentary photography? At this point, I have no idea. Power & Light runs through Dec. 7, 2025, at the National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. archivesfoundation.org. Free. —Louis Jacobson

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For 20 years, Nick Johnson, under his radio sobriquet of Dr. Nick, has charismatically and creatively brought the sounds of blues and soul, new and old, popular and obscure, to listeners via a trio of outlets. An Anacostia High graduate and former air traffic controller, Johnson started with the D.C.-based WPFW in 2004. Two years later, he moved to XM Satellite radio, where he worked until 2009 when he returned to WPFW, where he stayed until 2022. (From 2021 to 2024, Johnson also worked at the Austin, Texas, station ATX Soul Radio.) 

His WPFW program “Southern Soul Rumpin’” was beloved for Johnson’s expert curation of lighthearted, double entendre-filled southern soul songs about love, lust, and cheating. While he retired in June from being a full-time host, the now-Maryland resident returns sometimes to WPFW as a fill-in DJ. 

Despite retirement, Johnson, who was inducted into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame as a blues DJ this past May, is staying active in the music world. He’s currently a board member of the newly formed Southern Soul Foundation. Once a frequent MC at local concerts, Johnson tells City Paper he’s hosting just one more event—the Oct. 12 celebration of Lamont Savoy, in honor of the longtime owner of Lamont’s nightclub in Indian Head, Maryland, who sold the establishment in July 2024 but is staying on as a booker for the music programming under the new ownership. 

Johnson says his “favorite venue in the area was the Carlyle Club. I was brokenhearted when [the short-lived downtown jazz club] ceased operations” earlier this summer. “Now, my fave is the Birchmere,” Johnson says. “It’s the size of the place, the fact that there’s not a bad seat in the house, and the proximity that make it attractive to me.” 

For City Paper’s Fall Arts Guide, Dr. Nick Johnson shares the upcoming shows he’s looking forward to: 

A Big Southern Soul End of Summer Celebration at Lamont’s on Sept. 28. Performers include Jeff Floyd, Donny Ray, Karen Wolfe, J-Red the Nephew, Hardway Connection, and Jesi Terrell. The event starts at noon on Sept. 28 at Lamont’s, 4400 Livingston Rd., Indian Head, Maryland. $50–$55.20.  

Lamont Savoy’s Celebration at Lamont’s on Oct. 12. Performers include TJ Hooker Taylor, Hardway Connection, Shirleta Settles, and more. The event starts at noon on Oct. 12 at Lamont’s, 4400 Livingston Rd., Indian Head, Maryland. (301) 283-0225. $30–$40. Call the club’s voicemail at (301) 283-0225 for more information.

Buttercup Presents: Soul Sessions Vol. 1 at the Blue Dolphin on Oct. 17. Performers include E.J. Thomas, Duane Nelson, Andre Jackson, David Lawson, and Tony Smith. The event starts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Blue Dolphin, 1166 MD- 3 South, Gambrills, Maryland. $44.52.

Alison Crockett’s Holiday House Party at Blues Alley on Dec. 12 and 13. The local vocalist partners with Chelsey Green on violin on Dec. 12 for a night of acoustic jazz, soulful melodies, and a mix of classic and contemporary sounds of the season. On Dec. 13 she melds rhythm and blues, gospel, go-go, bossa nova, and swinging jazz. The show starts at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 and 13 at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $57. 

Check out more of our 2024 Fall Arts Guide here.

Leon City Sounds is the DJ team made up of married couple Claudia A. and Charles Lawrence. The duo plays Latin American genres such as cumbia, chicha, salsa, and boogaloo—mainly on vinyl—at monthly parties and one-off gigs throughout the city. To keep audiences guessing, they sometimes throw in Latin American psychedelic surf and garage rock records, but they’re also fans of reggae, ska, and punk. 

Their Tropical Beat party takes place on the first Saturday of the month at the Green Zone; their Sabor Tropical event runs on the fourth Thursday of the month with DJ Crown Vic (aka Jim Thomson) at Eighteenth Street Lounge, and, on occasion, Leon City Sounds host their own Heat Dome party (also with DJ Crown Vic) at the Marx Cafe. This summer, the duo DJed a Fort Reno show, and they’ve played other stand-alone gigs at spots such as Showtime Lounge, Union Stage, and the Black Cat. The Lawrences are skilled at picking records that get people on the dance floor even if the dancers are not familiar with the songs. 

Via email, Lawrence shared with City Paper a bit about herself, Leon City Sounds shows, local bands she likes, and concerts she’s looking forward to.  

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. I moved to the U.S. at the end of 2012 and have been living in the area since. I met Charles in 2013. We were introduced to each other through a friend that said we had a lot in common musically. Indeed, we quickly bonded by our love for music, record shopping, and concerts. Shortly after we decided to start our DJ duo Leon City Sounds to share what at the time was lacking in the city: music from Latin America and the Caribbean on vinyl.

Because I missed home, it was important for me to share what my country, Peru, had to offer musically other than what is heard on the radio. Many people know salsa and cumbia, but I finally had room to share subgenres and artists that others might not be able to access because of a language barrier, lack of exposure, or because the music couldn’t be found digitally.  

I was very lucky to have found in Washington, D.C., a very welcoming community of musicians, DJs, record collectors, promoters, and artists. For example, Jim Thomson from Electric Cowbell Records/Multiflora Productions, who, from early on, invited us to do DJ sets opening for bands he was booking. [He] has been a good friend since; now we … host together Sabor Tropical and Tropical Heat Dome.

Did your parents’ heritage influence your musical interests?

Yes, for sure. I started collecting cassettes because my dad gifted me a Walkman when I was 8 years old. That’s when music became very important for me. At that time, the music I spin now wasn’t part of my music collection, but was the soundtrack to my days in Lima.

How do you discover musicians? Do people send you music?

For new music, we follow independent record labels such as Peace and Rhythm Records, Names You Can Trust Records, Discos Rolas, Electric Cowbell Records, Sonorama Records, Barbes Records, Music with Soul, Discodelic.

Are there any local bands you’ve enjoyed seeing live and would recommend?

Of course. The D.C. music scene is so rich for its size. We love Cumbia Heights [who Leon City Sounds performed with earlier this month at Comet Ping Pong], Soroche, Bongo District. We also love the Fuss, Easter Standard Time, Black Masala, Des Demonas, Bed Maker, and Sensor Ghost.

Below, Claudia shares the show she’s most looking forward to this month and where you can find Leon City Sounds this season. 

La Sonora Mazuren play at the Kennedy Center on Sept. 26: 

Of the alternative tropical and traditional band from Bogotá, Colombia, Claudia says, “It makes me happy to see that the alternative music scene in Colombia keeps reinventing itself, that bands are able to keep generating new refreshing and original music influenced by traditional genres.” She continues, “It is a beautiful cycle where musical genres keep reinventing themselves organically, while blending with other genres to create a rich hybrid.” The show starts at 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. Free. 

Tropical Beat takes place at Green Zone on Oct. 5: 

Leon City Sounds spins at this monthly party in Adams Morgan. Tropical Beat starts at 10 p.m. at Green Zone, 2226 18th St. NW. thegreenzonedc.com. Free. 

Tropical Heat Dome at Marx Cafe on Nov. 1: 

Leon City Sounds’ Dia de los Muertos edition of their Marx Cafe party will not only feature the DJ duo and Crown Vic—Claudia promises a special surprise guest. Tropical Heat Dome’s Dia de los Muertos party starts at 9 p.m. at Marx Cafe, 3203 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. Free. 

Check out more of our 2024 Fall Arts Guide here.

 Darrin “X” Frazier is still passionate about go-go. The musician has been involved with the official music of D.C., known for its percussion and call-and-response vocals, for a number of years in a variety of different roles: In the ’90s, he played keyboards with Rare Essence. In the early 2000s, he played with 911, and, from 2004 to 2014, he managed pioneering bouncebeat band TCB. Today, Frazier is a broadcast technician at Monumental Sports, where one aspect of his job involves booking the bands for the Wizards’ annual postgame go-go concert at Capital One Arena. 

Behind the scenes, Frazier helps local artists apply for arts and humanities grants and is providing assistance with the forthcoming Go-Go Museum. Frazier is also working on another passion project: developing a series of online maps designed to track local historic and shuttered venues, as well as current businesses, that support go-go artists.  

For the fall arts guide, Frazier shared when and where City Paper readers can find a go-go show most nights of the week.    

A number of bands have weekly residencies at local venues. On Wednesdays, Frazier likes to visit Babylon Futbol Cafe in Falls Church to “see New Impressionz and to just hang out,” he says. “That’s the in-thing to do right now.” Last year, the band (melding traditional and bouncebeat go-go) released a live album named after the Northern Virginia venue, Babylon. Shows start at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Babylon Futbol Cafe, 3501 S Jefferson St., Falls Church. $20–$30. 

Frazier also catches music midweek in Maryland: “I like to go to Urban Crab out in Forestville to see Original Facez on Wednesdays … I know those younger guys and that’s where I go to support them. It’s free, it’s a good atmosphere, and it’s in the middle of PG County. There’s a lot of potential for them to build a crowd there.” Shows start at 7 p.m. at the Urban Crab, 3310 Donnell Dr., Forestville. Free.

But it’s not all weekdays—shows continue Thursday through Sunday. “I will pop in to Throw Social [on] just to get a taste of the atmosphere,” says Frazier. “It’s go-go, but it’s more tourist-friendly go-go. It’s got good aesthetics.” Take Ova Band (aka TOB) play at 10 p.m. on Sept. 27 at Throw Social, 1401 Okie St. NE. $20–$30.

Frazier also likes to go see TCB when they perform on Fridays at Power in Northeast.  He has fond memories of when TCB were creating their bouncebeat sound. “I saw potential in TCB when they were young,” he says. “I remembered how fun it was when I was young. I didn’t want to kill their dreams and say this is a bunch of noise and you’re destroying go-go—like some of the older musicians I looked up to were telling me. I didn’t get mad and we proved them wrong.” Follow TCB to stay up to date on their shows at Power, 2335 Bladensburg Rd. NE.

Every couple of months Frazier catches his old crew Rare Essence on their late-night Saturday gigs at Aqua, the longtime venue dedicated to the genre. He notes, however, that Rare Essence often play their newer hip-hop and bouncebeat-inflected songs at these Aqua shows. For more of their old-school catalog, featuring veteran Rare Essence talker James Funk on the microphone, he recommends catching their shows at the Hamilton or the Howard Theatre. Rare Essence play at 10 p.m. every Saturday at Aqua, 1818 New York Ave. NE. 

As for special fall programming, Frazier has two recommendations. It’s a bit of a jaunt from D.C., but Frazier’s excited to attend the Go-Go and Hip-Hop Festival taking place at the Charles County Fairgrounds in La Plata, Maryland, on Oct. 5. The fest boasts a large roster of well-known acts such as Backyard Band, Northeast Groovers with featured guest Killa Cal, Be’la Dona, and Sirius Company. Rapper Jeezy will also perform.

“The outside one-offs and the festivals I especially like,” says Frazier. “Getting BYB and NEG together is a rare thing. It’s good to get those two bands together on a show—this is one of them. The regular bookings at the clubs are always there but it’s good to have the variety and the [autumnal] outside weather.” The festival runs from 1 to 11 p.m. on Oct. 5 at Charles County Fairgrounds, 8440 Fairground Rd., La Plata, Maryland. $66.

“The other thing I am looking forward to is in November, what we call ’Lo-vember, because it’s Polo’s birthday month,” Frazier says, referring to TCB’s late vocalist, Reggie “Polo” Burwell, who tragically died from a brain aneurysm in 2013. Frazier says TCB will celebrate Burwell all month including with a special, yet-to-be-announced birthday gig.

Last but not least, Frazier is fired up about putting on another show after a Wizards game, but it hasn’t been scheduled yet. He’s got plenty of good memories from these shows. “We have a display case exhibit in the arena near the owner’s suite on the concourse and every time EU plays I remind percussionist Mo Hagans ‘there’s a picture of you there performing on your congas,’ and he goes and takes a picture of it every time he comes in the building.”

Check out more of our 2024 Fall Arts Guide here.

The DMV continues to be a destination for touring artists who make music that doesn’t fall under the umbrella of American pop.  

Fall highlights include longtime Mexican American singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas, who does make music that can be considered pop, but she sings her exquisite melodies in Spanish, and often plays accordion with additional indie-rock rhythms in her band. Julieta Venegas plays at 8 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Wolf Trap Filene Center, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna. $49–$149. 

A Louisiana supergroup with Jourdan Thibodeaux, Cedric Watson, and Joel Savoy also uses the accordion, but they sing in French, and feature fiddles, guitar, and a triangle. Their dance music repertoire includes leisurely Cajun waltzes, up-tempo Creole zydeco, and wistful ballads. Jourdan Thibodeaux, Cedric Watson, and Joel Savoy play at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 8 at Hill Center, 921 Penn. Ave. SE. Free with registration. 

Ustad Noor Bakhsh, a Pakistani musician from the country’s least populated region, Balochistan, is on his first U.S. tour. Bakhsh plays high-pitched ragas on an electrified benju, a long flat dulcimer-like instrument with strings and large typewriter-like keys. At times the buzzing sonics from his instrument—and his bandmates on the lute-like damboora—resemble North African guitar-led desert blues. Ustad Noor Bakhsh plays at 7 p.m. on Oct. 2 at Bossa Bistro and Lounge, 2463 18th St. NW. $20–$23. 

Drummer Makaya McCraven was raised in the U.S., but he’s the Paris-born son of a Hungarian singer and flutist mom and an African American jazz drummer dad. McCraven and his big band play largely instrumental jazz, but his skittering stickwork also draws from James Brown funk, drum and bass, and hip-hop. Makaya McCraven plays at 5 p.m. on Oct. 20 at Sycamore and Oak, 1110 Oak Dr. S.E. Free with registration.

Ghanaian guitarist Ebo Taylor started playing rhythmic highlife music in the late 1950s, then transitioned to Afrobeat with Fela Kuti in the 1960s, and, by the ’70s his own hybrid of funk, jazz, and Ghanaian genres. The now 88-year-old will be joined by 78-year-old Ghanaian vocalist Pat Thomas, whose affecting tone led him to be known as the “Golden Voice of Africa.” Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas play at 8 p.m. on Nov. 4 at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $35–$60. 

For more recommendations from our Fall Arts Guide, click here.

Thursday: War and Treaty at the Hamilton

As part of The View’s Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit cast reunion episode that aired in June, War and Treaty singer Tanya Trotter stepped center stage to sing the solo introduction to “Joyful Joyful.” Sixty seconds in, a male voice can be heard enthusiastically shouting from offstage “Go on, girl!” “Yes, that’s my big mouth,” Michael Trotter, co-singer and husband of Tanya, admits sheepishly. “I just could not control myself … There was a second there where I forgot that was my wife.” For Tanya (previously Tanya Blount), who performed in the 1993 movie alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Lauryn Hill (who was not at the reunion), and Sheryl Lee Ralph, it was wonderful to revisit with the people who gave her her first big break. “It was incredible,” says Tanya. “Whoopi has this way of making everybody feel like they’re that 17, 16-year-old kid again … So when I saw her and I saw—I call them my classmates—I immediately started crying because I remembered how it felt to be on that set with everybody.” The visit to The View is the latest in a continuous series of highs for the D.C. duo. This year alone has included Grammy nominations, a performance at the Emmys, another performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and touring as the opener for Zach Bryan. The year 2024 did include one awful low though. There was a cotton plant in their dressing room backstage at Austin, Texas’ Sips and Sounds Music Festival. Whoever used the plant as a set dressing was never determined; the duo received an apology from the promoter. Michael views the incident as a teachable moment. “With the temperature of our country and all that we’re going through with the ugliness of politics, I think that, in the spirit of following our current president, we need to tone it down a bit,” he says. “I would add to it—we need to tone it down a lot …What I would’ve loved to have seen is us and the promoter company come together and make a joint statement realizing that ‘Hey, the festival did not intentionally do this to us.’” Michael adds, “Also, letting people know that you can have a grievance and you can voice your grievance and it can be heard and it is not the end-all be-all.” After a brief respite at their home in Nashville, the duo will hit the road again, which includes a stop at the Hamilton on Aug. 22. As if that wasn’t enough for the couple, their biopic should (fingers crossed) start production this fall and a new album should land at the beginning of 2025. “We have a target date,” says Michael. “In good old Mike and Tanya fashion: Valentine’s Day 2025.” The War and Treaty play at 8 p.m. on Aug. 22 at the Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. thehamiltondc.com. $25. —Christina Smart

Friday: Korchfest at the Black Cat

In about a month, Ben Gibbard will take the stage at Nationals Park for the HSFestival and get quite a workout. First, he’ll perform with his longstanding indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie before toweling off and then return to the stage with his beloved electro-pop side project the Postal Service. An impressive accomplishment by most rock standards until compared with Korchfest at the Black Cat this Friday. Local drumming stalwart Brandon Korch will celebrate his 40th birthday by performing in five bands, a feat of strength most musicians looking to avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome wouldn’t dare. While attending to see whether Korch collapses is worth the price of admission alone, the lineup presents a smorgasbord of punk-related genres that includes currently active bands and projects that had since gone dormant. I’m most looking forward to Pilau, whose grind-inflected hardcore is sure to make Korch sweat buckets mid-evening and the resurrection of Gnarly Rae Jepsen, a Carly Rae cover band (which includes WCP alum Matt Cohen) that will end the evening on an e*mo*tional note. Korchfest starts at 7 p.m. on Aug. 23 at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com. $15–$20. —Matt Siblo

Friday and Saturday: Local Theatre Festival at the Kennedy Center 

At its pre-pandemic peak, more than 40 theaters, universities, and playwriting collectives participated in the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage, its free, annual Labor Day weekend festival of new play readings. Nearly every local actor in town who wanted to work over Labor Day weekend could—and the same went for anyone who wanted to see a free show. COVD ended what had been a great 18-year run. While the Kennedy Center’s Local Theatre Festival, the replacement event, which returns for its second year on Friday and Saturday, doesn’t offer the array of readings from heavy-hitter playwrights and theaters like Page-to-Stage did, it’s a step in the right direction, and at least tickets are still free. The 2024 Local Theatre Festival includes two panels, seven workshops, and 11 readings, which are mostly spearheaded by local emerging playwrights. The main draw is likely to be Friday night’s conversation between Peter Marks, the former longtime Washington Post theater critic who accepted a buyout from the paper in December, and Naveen Kumar, the New York-based freelancer for Variety recently tapped to replace him at our paper of record. Promising writer-generated readings include This Play Is Not About Brian, a semi-biographical show by Nikki Mirza, a multi-hyphenate artist wrapping up a star turn as Cynthia Weil in Olney Theatre Center’s production of Beautiful. Of the readings organized by local troupes, Spooky Action’s new musical adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita sounds the most intriguing. It’ll probably be weird, but in a good way. Teen theater geeks may be good candidates to enjoy the festival’s workshops, which will cover everything from set design to commedia dell’arte. The second annual Local Theatre Festival runs Aug. 23 and 24 at the Kennedy Center. 2700 F St. NW. kennedy-center.org. Free. —Rebecca Ritzel

Saturday: All Time Low at Merriweather Post Pavilion

Like all baby bands when they first start out, All Time Low would play any venue that would have them: VFW halls, churches, small bars—you name it. And like most baby bands, those early shows for the Towson, Maryland, band would typically have a sparse turnout. “I think the show [when] we played at Sidebar … I think we probably played for 14 people,” lead singer Alex Gaskarth tells City Paper. “There can’t have been over 20 people there. There were some really small ones but nobody knew who we were.” All Time Low don’t have issues with people not knowing who they are anymore. Twenty-one years into their career, the pop-punk quartet have released nine studio albums and their music has streamed more than 4 billion times worldwide. They also reached peak rock star status when they launched their own wine brand Everything is Wine. Not bad for a band that formed while attending Dulaney High School. Now, in celebration of their more than two decades career, the band are performing a series of shows that include playing a small club followed by a larger venue a few nights later. For Gaskarth, it’s a great opportunity for the band to get back to their roots. “We’ve been having a blast doing these kinds of clusters, these weekends of shows,” he says. “Those are the rooms that we grew up playing. I think our band really connects in those kinds of rooms and it’s really fun for us to actually be able to put on a show like that. Nothing beats that kind of energy.” Though the local small show, scheduled for August 22 at the Atlantis, is already sold out, you can still see the local band in another D.C./Baltimore suburb, not unlike their hometown. All Time Low play at 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. merriweathermusic.com. $45–$75. —Christina Smart

Saturday: Washington Salsa Festival at Eaglebank Arena

Reggaeton, bachata, and Regional Mexican music may be the biggest Latin music genres these days but salsa will forever be popular, and the Washington Salsa Festival will feature a who’s who of veteran greats from the percussion and horn-filled dance music. Salsa has managed to stay timeless for decades thanks to its combination of tuneful vocals and energetic instrumentation. The old-school stars on Saturday’s bill include the South Bronx-raised singer and trombonist Willie Colon. His raw-rhythmed 1970s solo albums and collaborative efforts with vocalists Hector Lavoe and Ruben Blades are still considered classics today. Puerto Rico’s El Gran Combo have changed members over the years since their 1962 beginning. Still, this well-rehearsed, charismatic outfit always offer three vocalists who cleverly alternate call-and-response and harmony while dancing—propelled by the group’s keyboard, drums, and bass-led musical background. Puerto Rican singer La India has sung house music and pop over the years, but her strong-voiced ’90s salsa efforts are what many still treasure the most from her catalog. The event’s lengthy bill also includes Tito Nieves, Rey Ruiz, Frankie Negron, and Los Adolescentes. Expect to see couples dancing in the aisles all night long. Washington Salsa Festival starts at 8 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Eaglebank Arena, 4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax. eaglebankarena.com. $39–$350. —Steve Kiviat

Ongoing: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania at the National Building Museum

The central tension of the exhibit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania at the National Building Museum is between the famed architect’s “realized” and “unrealized” projects. The “realized” projects—notably the Fallingwater residence—are justly celebrated. The “unrealized” ones? They’re more of a mixed bag. To the exhibit’s credit, it communicates Wright’s vision through more than just standard architectural drawings and scale models; it has partnered with Skyline Ink Animators + Illustrators to produce high-quality digital animations that capture both exterior and interior views of Wright’s unbuilt designs. Some of these animations are simply lovely. One shows a farm cottage blanketed with swirling snow and chimney smoke; another depicts a small Rhododendron Chapel with a fireplace full of quietly licking flames; another shows a never-built addition to Fallingwater with an unexpectedly castle-like roof that features a succession of small dentiles. More mundane is Wright’s circular-ramp design for a 1,100-space vehicular garage in downtown Pittsburgh; it was never constructed, but it eventually came to fruition more than a decade later for the infinitely classier purpose of housing New York’s Guggenheim Museum. The big swing-and-miss from Wright, however, was a proposed, multi-use civic center on Pittsburgh’s “Point,” where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River. In Wright’s vision, this triangular focal point for the city, a geographic and historical treasure, would have been overrun by a web of circle-and-spoke structures. Thankfully, the city went a different direction and built the simple, untrammeled greenery of Point State Park, which remains a civic treasure to this day. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania runs through March 17, 2025, at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. nbm.org. $7–$10.—Louis Jacobson

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Opens Friday: Maurice James Jr.’s New Negro at Art of Noize

Graphic artist Maurice James Jr. is reimagining Black history through art. Although his career only started in 2021, he’s become quite prolific during those three years. By March of 2023, he was displaying his work at three overlapping exhibits, and this year he was the first artist to be featured in Homme Gallery’s new location inside Union Station; he even did a show earlier this month in Oakland, California. Much of James’ previous work has focused on imagining a Black utopia by portraying Black people in mediums they’ve been excluded from in the past—from comic book covers and movie posters to old-time propaganda. Now James plans to build on his earlier themes in his third showing at Petworth gallery Art of Noize. The New Negro: Manifest Destiny focuses on the architecture of James’ Black Utopia. The idea behind this exhibit came from his observation that, though Black architects have been recognized for their work in the past, they weren’t “necessarily building anything that added to the efforts of Black liberation.” By pairing figures from the Harlem Renaissance and portraits drawn by Winold Reiss with architectural designs, James says the exhibit shows what “true Reconstruction” would’ve meant to Black people after slavery. One such piece that captures this vision is a depiction of educator Elise Johnson McDougald with a sketching of a building meant to be the imaginary “Department of Negro Education.” James’ art is a blend of history and imagination that he describes as “AfroFuturism from the 1920s,” and a blueprint of Pan-African and Black Nationalist ideas woven into society. New Negro: Manifest Destiny opens on July 26 with an opening presentation from 6 to 10 p.m. The exhibit runs through Aug. 31 at Art of Noize, 821 Upshur St. NW. artofnoizedmv.com. Free. —Dorvall Bedford

Friday: The Pointer Sisters at MGM National Harbor

When Beyoncé released Cowboy Carter earlier this year, much fuss was made about a Black woman singing country music. But anyone with the slightest knowledge of popular music would know that R&B singers have delved into country long before Beyoncé with great success. Most notably, the Pointer Sisters, who won the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for their 1974 song “Fairytales,” and were nominated in the same category the following year for “Live Your Life Before You Die.” The Pointer Sisters were so busy in their career at the time they failed to realize they had reached a milestone. “I was in shock when they said, ‘You won a Grammy,’” says Ruth Pointer. “We were like ‘For what?! We were on the road and we didn’t even go to the ceremony.” This marked the start of an extensive run of hits and accolades for the group who will be performing alongside the Commodores and the Spinners at MGM National Harbor on Friday (though her sisters, Anita, June, and Bonnie—who left the group to go solo in 1977—have passed, Ruth continues performing with her daughter Issa Pointer and granddaughter Sadako Pointer). Contrary to the belief that girl groups don’t write their own songs, the Pointer Sisters wrote several of their hits throughout their career including “Fairytales” and “I’m So Excited.” Not that producers in the industry thought these songs should automatically be included on their albums. “I remember my sister Anita fighting to get songs that she wrote, that she and me and June wrote together, on the album,” says Ruth. “Even ‘I’m So Excited’ was on the album before Break Out and it just kind of went unnoticed. Anita fought and said, ‘No! We’ve got to rerelease this song. I know it’s a hit and I’m insisting,’ and she got it back on there.” (Rereleased as part of the 1984 pressing of Break Out, “I’m So Excited,” along with the hits “Automatic,” “Neutron Dance,” and “Jump (For My Love),” helped the album go triple-platinum). And while the Pointer Sisters will perform hit after hit at their show at MGM, Ruth is most looking forward to seeing the other acts perform. “I’m a fan of all of those guys,” she says. “I’ll probably run out there and watch them before we go on.” The Pointer Sisters play at 7:30 p.m. on July 26 at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill. mgmnationalharbor.mgmresorts.com $93.37–$235.70. —Christina Smart

Friday: Previous Industries at Songbyrd

Does Open Mike Eagle belong in the best albums about divorce? While Marvin Gaye’s Here, My Dear and Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours pack an emotional punch both sonically and lyrically, they’re not exactly fun. Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks is a bit more relatable with songs like “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Idiot Wind,” but it’s a little much sometimes—how do you top Dylan? Richard and Linda Thompson’s Shoot Out the Lights was the best of the best of the breakup records—not too heavy, a classic on par with Blood on the Tracks without the weight of Dylan. But it may now be the second best divorce album. Open Mike Eagle’s 2020 opus Anime, Trauma and Divorce is the best entry in his catalog, though it’s not the most streamed. I get it. Who wants to listen to a concept album about the end of a marriage when you can listen to more universal songs about social anxiety? If you’re not 100 percent comfortable in your relationship status, it is a good idea to stay the hell away from songs like “The Black Mirror Episode.” But if you’re not afraid of Netflix and not-at-all-chilling with your significant other, it’s the best breakup song of the decade. It’s heavy, obviously, but it’s also fun. It is possible to see the humor at the end of the road! Open Mike Eagle is not touring behind a 2020 record. This appearance is part of the new Previous Industries, a project featuring Mike and two fellow former Chicagoans/current Los Angelenos: Video Dave and Still Rift. If you like Mike’s solo stuff, this new trio’s work is in the same wheelhouse. Video Dave is on the aforementioned Anime, Trauma and Divorce and all three musicians are on the excellent 2022 single “Circuit City” and 2023 single “WFLD 32.” Previous Industries play at 8 p.m. on July 26 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. songbyrddc.com $20–$22. —Brandon Wetherbee

Wednesday: Joan Baez at Sixth & I

Iconic folk musician and activist Joan Baez has added a new title to her illustrious resume: poet. While she played her final concert in 2019, she’ll hit the Sixth & I Stage Wednesday as an author to discuss her recently released debut book of poetry, When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance. Despite decades of making her voice heard on some of the world’s biggest stages (the March on Washington, Kennedy Center Honors, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and the inaugural Newport Folk Festival, just to name a few), the book marks the first time Baez has publicly shared her poetry with the world. Baez told Vanity Fair earlier this year that her creativity “just exploded as soon as I quit touring.” The autobiographical poems vulnerably reflect on critical moments, people, and places from her long and impactful life in the public eye. Baez will be joined in conversation by NPR’s Ari Shapiro. The conversation with Joan Baez starts at 7 p.m. on July 31 at Sixth & I, 600 I St. NW. sixthandi.org. $12–$45. —Serena Zets 

Wednesday: Plena Libre at Strathmore’s Gudelsky Gazebo

You don’t have to be familiar with the folkloric origins of plena, a Puerto Rican musical genre, or even speak Spanish to appreciate the rhythms and fast-tempoed flow of the Grammy-nominated band Plena Libre. Formed in 1994, the Puerto Rico-based group have modernized the way plena is sung and combined their take with the barrel-shaped conga drums of bomba with touches of salsa and jazz via horns, bass, and a keyboard. Plena Libre were founded by bassist Gary Núñez, who died of cancer in 2023. Under Nunez, Plena Libre released 15 albums and brought their lively sound to concert stages around the world. Now his son LuisGa Núñez has assumed his late father’s role as bassist and bandleader. While the unit’s music has always been rooted in traditional Puerto Rican folk styles, that doesn’t mean it’s sedate. Live, some of the frontline vocalists, who also hit handheld drums or maracas, do choreographed dance moves, and harmonize behind a lead vocalist while the horn section expertly comes in and out with riffs, and the bomba and timbales drummer pound away. There’s a lot going on, but it’s well coordinated and not atonal. Audience members can both admire the musicians chops and dance. Plena Libre play at 7:30 p.m. on July 31 at Strathmore’s Gudelsky Gazebo, 10701 Rockville Pk., Rockville. strathmore.org. Free. —Steve Kiviat

Wednesday: Reyna Tropical at Songbyrd

If you combine the Spanish words for “bad” and “happy,” you get a portmanteau that rolls off the tongue: malegría. Over two decades ago, Manu Chao used the word to name a song on his seminal 1998 album, Clandestino. This year, it serves as the title of an entire album: the debut from Reyna Tropical. In one of the many interludes sprinkled throughout Malegría, Reyna Tropical co-founder Nectali “Sumohair” Díaz says the duo’s music seeks to encapsulate that bad-happy feeling. “Being able to dance it off, it’s very important,” he once said. “When constructing a track, I think about, like, how can people move, even though the song is not the happiest song in terms of lyrics?” That question took on heightened meaning for Fabi Reyna, the other founder of Reyna Tropical, following Díaz’s tragic death in an e-scooter accident in downtown Los Angeles in 2022. “For several months I didn’t know how to perform on stage without him, or how to write music without him,” she told Rolling Stone last year. “It left me with the question of, ‘How is this going to continue? Is this fair, is this what he wants?’ But the answer was always a resounding yes.” Although he’s gone, Reyna invoked Díaz all over Malegría—in intimate interludes made of old voice memos, in lyrics tinged with grief and depression, and in its bittersweet, malegría spirit. Despite its inherent heaviness, Reyna Tropical’s stellar debut album overflows with joyful, tropical rhythms that will make you want to dance. Reyna, now a solo project, weaves together sounds from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico, and other cultures in Latin America, with special attention and reverence paid to Afro-Latine and Indigenous traditions. The result is an expertly crafted statement about creative partnership and diasporic living that doesn’t shy away from the ugly (say, colorism within the Latine community, or the harmful effects of ecotourism), but also staunchly celebrates the beautiful. Reyna’s soft, enchanting voice swings between sophisticated lyrics and simple mantras, giving certain songs an almost prayer-like effect—if prayers were something you sprung up and swayed your hips to. Reyna Tropical plays at 8 p.m. on July 31 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. songbyrddc.com. $15–$22.—Ella Feldman

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