When it comes to Friday night plans, there’s a happy medium between sitting home alone with a beer and a Netflix envelope and staying out till 3 a.m. in Adams Morgan. The Smithsonian provides middle ground for those of us who prefer to end our weeks by going out and enjoying a relaxing dose of culture.

Friday evenings you can find live jazz from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Smithsonian Jazz Cafe. Think harmonic stylings are regulated to the likes of Blues Traveler? Tonight, see the Frederic Yonnet Group and learn otherwise. Events continue every week into December; there’s a $10 cover charge, and a cash bar with no minimum.

If all that jazz is too much jazz, you’re welcome to get the blues instead. The Smithsonian also offers free movies on many nights of the week, including Friday. Be pissed off (watch your mouth!) that you missed Shaft last night, but the Smithsonian’s Reel Portraits film series continues this evening with Lead Belly, which centers around bluesman Huddie William Ledbetter (yeah, stick with the nickname), showing in the National Portrait Gallery.