Afrika Bambaataa Wednesday:
>> Previous DCist interviewee, Avery Sunshine, has made a good name for herself on the soul music scene. The “Ugly Part of Me” singer will be at Blues Alley for two shows. $25. 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Friday:
>> Drizzy Drake is slated to be in town at Verizon Center. $72-$197.65. 7 p.m.
>> From her start as the voice of Groove Theory to her present work as a solo artist, Amel Larrieux‘s voice has always been phenomenal. She’ll be performing at the Howard Theatre. $35. 8 p.m.
>> Though the ties between Virginia Beach-area producers haven’t birthed any notable rivalries, “Timbaland vs. The Neptunes” seeks to up the competitive ante. DJ Eskimo and John Jazz will be at the Black Cat‘s backstage to officiate the throwdown. $5. 9:30 p.m.
>> Bay Area house producer/DJ Miguel Migs returns with his frequent collaboration partner, vocalist Lisa Shaw, to “Red Fridays” at the U Street Music Hall. Also, DJ Sam “The Man” Burns will be on hand to open the night up. $10. 10 p.m.
Saturday:
>> Grammy-winning vocalist Chrisette Michele will be headlining a show at The Yards Park that will also feature Be’la Dona, Suttle Thoughts and Black Alley. $40 in advance. 4 p.m.
>> The daughter of a soul legend, Lalah Hathaway is an accomplished singer in her own right. Her show at the Howard Theatre will be down the street from where her father, Donny, honed his craft while a student at Howard University. $55-$60. 7:30 p.m.
>> Eric Roberson needs little introduction in the D.C. area. The Howard grad is a frequent visitor who has built a solid career on the indie soul scene as a singer/songwriter. His show today will be at the Birchmere. $35. 7:30 p.m.
>> You could argue that New Edition served as the template for the litany of ’90s boy bands and you’d probably be right. However, Ronnie (DeVoe), Bobby (Brown), Ricky (Bell), Mike (Bivins), Ralph (Tresvant) and D.C. native Johnny (Gill) are over 30 years into the music game in some iteration or another which can’t be said about those other groups. The “Cool It Now” and “Can You Stand The Rain” singers will be at Constitution Hall. $67.60-$140.35. 8 p.m.
>> It’s been a rough past few weeks for “Axel F“-era artists, with the deaths of MCA, Chuck Brown, Donna Summer and Robin Gibb. Nevertheless, the show must continue and DJs Jahsonic, Stylus and Adrian Loving will be on hand to help attendees at Liv revel in the tunes of these performers, not to mention a slew of others. $5 before 11 p.m. / $10 after 11 p.m.
Sunday:
>> Nikka Costa comes from a musical family and has had a career in the industry since she was 10 years old. Having performed with the likes of Don Ho and Frank Sinatra, she’s moved into her own lane as a funk/soul singer. She’ll be at The Hamilton. $22.50. 7:30 p.m.
>> R&B crooner Joe has been wooing crowds for nearly 20 years with songs like “All The Things” and “Don’t Wanna Be A Player”. He’ll be at the Howard Theatre. $32.50-$35. 8 p.m.
>> He’s a hip-hop legend who shouldn’t need an introduction. Afrika Bambaataa (pictured) will be at U Street Music Hall along with All Good Funk Alliance, Fort Knox Five and Nappy Riddem. $10. 9 p.m.
>> Having Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez in town for Memorial Day Weekend has become a welcomed routine. The producer and DJ responsible for songs like “The Bomb” and “To Be In Love” brings his Latin funk and house repertoire to Eighteenth Street Lounge. $TBA. 9 p.m.
