PJ Harvey is playing Wolf Trap on Wednesday. (Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images)
TUESDAY, JULY 18
Stranger in the Alps is the solo project of D.C. singer-songwriter Steve Kolowich. The project takes its name from an infamous dub of obscene dialogue in The Big Lebowski, but Kolowich is more Llewyn Davis than The Dude: he crafts moody and introspective folk music with modern, electronic accents that is perfect for the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Doors 6 p.m. FREE
The Who bring their classic rock hit parade to The Theater at MGM National Harbor. Doors 8 p.m. $228-$350
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19
London duo Ultimate Painting is comprised of indie vets Jack Cooper (Mazes) and James Hoare (Veronica Falls) and—true to the band’s name&mdashthe pair’s third album Dusk is a psychedelic watercolor with gentle guitar melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies. D.C. punks Dot Dash kick off the show at DC9. Doors 8:30. $10/$12
Takoma art space Rhizome is the area’s best venue for all things experimental. This show is no different, pairing Jonah Parzen-Johnson, who mixes baritone saxophone and analog synthesizers to tell his story, with Heart of The Ghost, three improvisational musicians from the Baltimore-Washington area. Doors 8 p.m.
Head to the Black Cat Backstage for a showcase of three local up-and-comers: post-punks Yesferatu, raucous rockers Company Calls and Honey, a band “born out of a love for rock camp and interpretive dance.” Doors 7:30 p.m. $10
THURSDAY, JULY 20
Earlier this year, Amadou & Mariam returned after a five-year hiatus with “Bofou Safou,” a buoyant track that takes their distinct Afropop sound to the roller disco. The Malian duo and D.C. genre-hoppers Redline Graffiti perform at the 9:30 Club. Doors 7 p.m. $40
Recommended for fans of hip-hop classicists J. Cole and Logic, Anaheim rapper Phora previews his forthcoming album Yours Truly Forever at Songbyrd. Doors 7:30 p.m. $11/$80
Fort Reno season continues with indie rockers Bitter Medicine, neo-emo act The Southern Ocean, and Data Recovery Project, a self-described “future-retro dance:pop:rock fever-dream” that mixes original compositions with classic synth-pop cuts. Doors 7 p.m. FREE
FRIDAY, JULY 21
With each successive album, Kendrick Lamar makes his case for Best Rapper Alive honors. DAMN. is no different: the Compton rapper abandoned the experimental jazz-hop flourishes of To Pimp A Butterfly for a forceful statement that is focused by his anger at haters, doubters, and anyone who doesn’t meet his high standards. At the Verizon Center, Lamar is joined by Travis Scott and D.R.A.M., young talents from opposing ends of the hip-hop spectrum. Doors 7:30 p.m. There are still standard tickets available for $250, and official resale tickets to be had, starting at $131. Alternatively, you can check out Lamar’s one-day pop-up store in Georgetown.
In 2016, PJ Harvey returned with The Hope Six Demolition Project, an album inspired by her travels to Kosovo, Afghanistan and — in case you missed all the local outrage — Washington, D.C. The alt-rock goddess makes her debut at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap with — perhaps to pushback against charges of cultural appropriation on lead single “The Community of Hope” — Anacostia’s Union Temple Baptist Church Choir as the opening act. Doors 8 p.m. $35-$60
The latest warehouse party from D.C. DJ collective SEQUENCE might be their best yet. London’s Perc is one of the finest purveyors of face-melting industrial techno, both as a producer and as the head of his Perc Trax imprint. The headliner will be joined by New York contemporary Katie Rex and likeminded D.C. artists Damon Bradley and Steve Kirn. Doors 10 p.m. $20.25-$30
SATURDAY, JULY 22
Silver Spring’s Lionize has been at it for more than a decade, unafraid to dabble in reggae, go-go, and funk while crafting stadium-ready hard rock. The band previews their forthcoming album Nuclear Soul at DC9 with local genre-benders Of Tomorrow and Tomato Dodgers. Doors 8:30 p.m. $15
Los Angeles DJ-producer Justin Jay brings his live show to U Street Music Hall. A member of L.A.’s Dirtybird crew, Jay’s unique take on house, techno, and disco is perfect for the dog days of summer. Doors 10 p.m. $10-$12, free before 11 p.m. for 21+.
After taking 2016 off, the Metro Area Ska and Punk Fest returns, bringing seven bands — including Fredericksburg punks Brainbuster, D.C. hardcore act Payback, Maryland ska-punks The Bro-mantics and Forrest Fire, a band that combines post-punk revival with Forrest Gump — to VFW Post 350 (aka “Hells Bottom”) in Takoma Park. Doors 3 p.m. $10
SUNDAY, JULY 23
Ex-Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore returned earlier this year with his fifth solo album, Rock n Roll Consciousness, a five-track effort driven by Moore’s iconic guitar work and the psychedelic lyrics of London poet Radio Radieux. His band — which includes My Bloody Valentine bassist Deb Googe and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley — heads to the Rock and Roll Hotel. Doors 7 p.m. $20
MONDAY, JULY 24
More Fort Reno for you: new act FuzzQueen names Fugazi, Queens of the Stone Age, and PJ Harvey as influences, while Mimi Loco and the Drama Queens and Ear evoke memories of ’90s indie rock and ’60s proto-punk, respectively. Doors 7 p.m. FREE
Atlanta-based four-piece Algiers makes a Southern gothic stew from hypnotic post-punk and the soul of gospel music as frontman Franklin James Fisher aims his rich baritone at racism, colonialism, and imperialism. Deerhunter drummer Moses Archuleta sets the mood as Moon Diagrams at the Black Cat Backstage. Doors 7:30 p.m. $15.
“Come Original” as 311 kicks off a two-night stand at the Fillmore Silver Spring with Danish pop-punks New Politics. The reggae-rap-rock stoner icons are touring in support of their twelfth album, Mosaic. Doors 7 p.m. $50
