D.C.-area nightlife, events and dining

Thousands of Washingtonians are expected to attend an open casket viewing of the late Chuck Brown at the Howard Theatre today, a public farewell to the Godfather of Go-Go who died May 16 at the age of 75.

Doors to the theater opened at 11 a.m. with crowds lined up around the block waiting to get in. Post reporter Hamil Harris captured the above image just before 10 a.m.

The crowd at the Howard Theatre is swelling as hundreds wait to pay their respects to Chuck Brown yfrog.com/gyrhygbj

— Hamil Harris (@HamilHarris) May 29, 2012

If you’re interested in paying your respects, the viewing will continue until 10 p.m. tonight. Numerous road closures around the theater mean Metro’s Green Line (Shaw/Howard University station) is the easiest way to access the venue. All photography is forbidden inside the theater.

A public memorial service for Brown will be held Thursday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Sunday’s punk rock karaoke at the Black Cat is your chance to sing some classics by the Ramones and more. (Danny Fields/Magnolia Pictures)Every Tuesday, the Going Out Gurus highlight the week’s best DJs, bands, dance nights and parties. Here are four essential events for the week ahead, with six more after the jump.

Wednesday: This city doesn’t bat an eye when big-name techno DJs visit Glow or underground house selectors stop by U Street Music Hall, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the potential of Red Bull’s Thre3Style competition. Eight of D.C.’s party-rocking DJs deliver a 15-minute set that must hopscotch between three genres, a rule that means musical knowledge is as important as brute turntable skills. Contestants battling for a trip to the competition’s Miami finals include DJ Alizay (the Park at 14th), DJ Philpz (Shadow Room, Eden), KC (Fatback) and Geometrix (Ultrabar, Beat Refinery). And, after all is said and done, Mayer Hawthorne — a.k.a. DJ Haircut — delivers the headlining set at Howard Theatre.

Friday: Dr. John has long been the musical embodiment of New Orleans, having created his own brand of voodoo music out of the city’s native gumbo of jazz, R&B, rock and other swampy sounds. A late-career renaissance, which continues in full with new album “Locked Down,” finds his grab bag of sounds just as broad, sharp and funky as ever. It’s music to move to, and — surprise! — the Birchmere is an ideal spot. This will be one of the first shows in the club’s new Flex Stage, a remodeled version of the standing-room Bandstand that will let concertgoers dance to the good doctor’s funky sounds.

Friday/Saturday: Beginning Friday, the DC Jazz Festival will be the musical focus of the nation’s capital, with more than 100 acts at dozens of venues. There will be good music coming from all corners of the city, but for some of the most innovative takes on the genre, skip the big clubs and hit the DIY venues. That’s where CapitalBop.com will present a pair of shows as part of its DC Jazz Loft series (plus another June 9) that continue its mission of proving that the genre is continuing to move forward and isn’t simply for the history books. The Todd Marcus Jazz Ensemble and Christie Dashiell Quartet perform Friday at the Dunes, while Tarbaby, Kris Funn and Corner Store perform at the Fridge on Saturday.

Sunday: Fact: Karaoke is inherently dorky. It doesn’t matter whether you’re belting out Journey in a dive bar or wearing a goofy wig while singing ’80s anthems at Kostume Karaoke. It’s fun, but it’s not really cool. Except try telling that to the people at Chicago’s Punk Rock Karaoke. The folks taking the stage and performing favorite songs by Black Flag, the Dead Kennedys, Slater-Kinney and the Misfits are basically the anti-“Glee” crowd, and every event benefits a different community nonprofit group. The Punk Rock Karaoke crew is bringing the show to the Black Cat, so expect a rush to sign up for the Fugazi, Minor Threat and Bikini Kill songs in the book. Proceeds benefit the D.C. Zine Fest.

Will Smith stars in “Men in Black 3.” (Wilson Webb) Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones’ third “Men in Black” installment was the preferred choice for Memorial Day weekend moviegoers, earning $70 million domestically over the long weekend. “MiB3” toppled “The Avengers,” which had been sitting at the top of the list for the better part of a month already (it opened May 4).

Still, though, “The Avengers” continues to have a strong showing. It has officially topped $500 million in domestic revenue, making it the fourth film to ever hit that benchmark (the AP has more details).

Here are the rest of the weekend’s top 10 movies at the box office:

1. “Men in Black 3,” $70 million

2. “The Avengers,” $46.9 million

3. “Battleship,” $13.8 million

4. “The Dictator,” $11.8 million

5. “Dark Shadows,” $9.4 million

6. “Chernobyl Diaries,” $9.3 million

7. “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” $8.9 million

8. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” $8.2 million

9. “The Hunger Games,” $2.9 million

10. “Think Like a Man,” $1.8 million

Before you dash out of the office for Dewey, Rehoboth, Bethany or Ocean City, take a look at our beach guide for tips on all of the great things you can do when you’re not working on your tan. Before you get there, stop off at Hot Spot Cool Eats in Cambridge, which features 11 kinds of hot dogs.

Also in Weekend:

At Ocean City, you can take surf lessons from a legend, Bruce "Snake" Gabrielson, who got his start in Huntington Beach, Calif. ( Judy G. Rolfe/For the Washington Post) We go to the beach to be outdoors: to soak up the sun, splash in the waves or grill in the yard of a beach house. But there’s so much more to do by the ocean than lie on a towel and bake. You can learn to surf, ride a bike to a picnic near wild horses or paddle a kayak in search of bald eagles.

Ready to find out how? Our Beach Guide is full of tips on these activities, what to do when it rains, plus updates on weather and beach traffic, design ideas for your beach house and much more. And we’ll keep adding to it all summer long. Check it out before you hit Route 50, so this summer, you can catch a break.

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No car? Take the bus to the beach