Photo by Jamelle Bouie.
FRIDAY
CHRIS GRIER MEMORIAL: Longtime D.C. experimental/noise musician Chris Grier—best known for his work To Live and Shave in L.A.—left quite a hole in the music world when he passed away last month. There will be a tribute show for the late musician—who collaborated with Andrew W.K., Thurston Moore, and many others—at the Velvet Lounge (915 U Street NW) tonight, featuring Kohoutek, Max Ochs, Rat Bastard, Insect Factory, and Layne Garrett. Doors at 9 p.m., $8.
METRO PERFORMS!: WMATA’s best street performers, MetroPerforms!, will perform not on the street but on Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Free, starts at 6 p.m. Info here.
JAZZ: Reginald Cyntje is one of the area’s most in-demand trombonists. He waited a good, long while to record his first album, but has been quite prolific over the last few years. He will debut a new set of compositions on Friday and Saturday along with his latest ensemble, Spiritual Awakening, which features a number of area all stars, including bassist Herman Burney, vocalist Christie Dashiell, saxophonist Brian Settles and pannist Victor Provost. The band plays 8 and 10 p.m. sets at Bohemian Caverns. Tickets $20 online/$25 at the door. — Sriram Gopal
SATURDAY
NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL: The annual celebration of all things literary returns on Saturday, this time at the Washington Convention Center. Be sure to read DCist’s guide to the festival, courtesy of Nicole Dubowitz, to know what’s worth checking out.. The festival runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. All the info about the festival can be found here.
PERFECT PUSSY: Syracuse’s Perfect Pussy made waves in the music world this year with their relentless touring, blistering live shows, and their highly buzzed debut LP “Say Yes To Love.” They’re playing Rock and Roll Hotel on Saturday along with Joanna Gruesome, Potty Mouth, and Love of Everything. All of whom are excellent. Go see this show. No, seriously, go. Doors at 6:30 p.m. $12, tickets here.
SOUL DANCE PARTY: Happening at Showtime, everyone’s favorite is it-or-isn’t it “dive” bar. DJs Michael Saretsky and Brenda Hernandez will be spinning “raw funk, razor-sharp soul, gritty R&B, disco danger, and boogie madness” from 10 p.m. ’til close. Info here.
BISON: The National Zoo celebrates its 125th anniversary with the opening of its new American bison exhibit on Saturday. Learn about it here. Gates open at 11 a.m.
SUNDAY
EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA: This weekend the National Gallery of Art wraps up its showcase of work from San Francisco-based Canyon Cinema Foundation, a substantial archive of American experimental cinema.This program includes a selection of newer films by “artists whose work has been the bedrock of Canyon Cinema as well as of filmmakers working in their influential lineage.” Titles include “Sources” (Rose Lowder, 2012); “Entr’acte” (Lawrence Jordan, 2013); and “Little Girl” (1966/2013) by Bruce Baillie. Screens Sunday at 4 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art’s West Building Lecture Hall. Free. — Pat Padua
FILM: The AFI’s Totally Awesome 8: Great Films of the 1980s continues this weekend with a 35mm print of Foxes, a teenage melodrama of four San Fernando Valley girls who deal with the anxiety of their changing bodies in the manner of the time: sex, drugs, and booze. The directorial debut of Adrian Lyne featured Jodie Foster, Scott Baio, a hip-hating Sally Kellerman, and a soundtrack produced by disco kingpin Giorgio Moroder. Screens Sunday at the AFI Silver Theater at 7:20 p.m. Tickets here. — Pat Padua
SPOONBOY: Through his longtime band the Max Levine Ensemble and his solo project Spoonboy and the Papas, local singer-songwriter David “Spoonboy” Combs is a staple the local punk scene. The dude tours all the time, so it’s always a treat when he’s home to play shows in D.C. He’ll be performing at the Black Cat’s backstage with Brooklyn’s Bellows and Eskimeaux. Doors at 8 p.m., $10.
MONDAY
WINE AND JAZZ: Get ready for a celebration of wine and jazz at the inaugural FLOFest happening Monday at Gateway DC (2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE), part of the new St. Elizabeths East development. Enjoy wine tastings, wine pairing workshops, and chef demonstrations while listening to live jazz. Gates open at 10 a.m. and musical performances begin at noon. Tickets are $45 and include two food samples and at least four wine tastings. — Alicia Mazzara
OLD BAY WORSHIP: Why celebrate Labor Day when you can celebrate all things Maryland at Old Bay Day? City Tap House (901 9th Street NW) will be hosting an Old Bay party on Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The $35 entrance fee gets you unlimited Maryland blue crabs, jambalaya, and corn on the cob. Wash it down at the bottomless Bloody Mary bar or with a pint of Flying Dog’s Old Bay summer ale, the only acceptable beer choice at an Old Bay party. Competitive types can sign up for an all-day corn hole tournament, though we think a crab walking contest would have been more appropriate. Teams must register by August 31 by emailing egartzke@publichouseusa.com. — Alicia Mazzara
