Nightlife Agenda

Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Tuesday | Wednesday

Thursday, April 20
Ballston's Caribbean Breeze restaurant has been open for a year now, and we're still enjoying the cheap happy hour ($2.99 appetizers and draft beers, $4.99 mojitos and margaritas), the huge covered patio and the lively weekend salsa parties. The large horseshoe-sharped bar is a perfect place to relax after work. Tonight from 5 to close, the restaurant marks its anniversary with salsa and Brazilian dance performances, live Caribbean music by El Groupo Palenque and an outdoor cookout. Even better: The $10 cover charge goes to Community Residences, a charity that helps disabled people live independent lives.

DJ Tony Touch is one of the most rock solid brands in hip-hop. His strength lies in the diversity of his playlists and his ability to seed trends way before they crest. He has true-school cred through his membership in the Rock Steady Crew, not only representing as a DJ but also as a b-boy. His pioneering mixtapes sated the underground faithful and also fueled the mainstream explosion of the mixtape phenomenon, eventually landing him a deal with Tommy Boy for his major label album, "The Peace Maker." To top it all off, he was making reggaeton before most partygoers outside of the island of Puerto Rico even knew what it was. Tony Toca brings his mixology to Five tonight for a show for all true hip-hop heads.

Friday, April 21
DJ Spinna is a master of his craft, melding the soulful elements of all styles of urban music. This Brooklyn beat alchemist first popped up on the radar in the early-to-mid-'90s with some of the best instrumental hip-hop releases of that period. The "party breaks" section of any DJ's crate wasn't legit unless it held a copy of his "Rude Rydims Experiment" record. Spinna went on to build his name in New York's budding indie hip-hop scene as part of The Jigmastas and Polyrhythm Addicts. The emerging neo-soul movement got Spinna's touch too, with remixes and original productions for artists such as Kim Hill and Les Nubians. Then he decided to branch out into house music, and he keeps adding to his body of signature jams that bring the rapture to a party. His remix of Shaun Escoffery's "Days Like This" is one of the most purely joyful experiences that can be had on a dancefloor. Spinna's solo album "Here to There" on BBE records expertly connects the dots between each niche in his oeuvre. Not only can he create tracks in all of these various hues, but he can also spin them authoritatively. He'll most likely be sticking to the house and classics side of things at DC Sanctuary tonight. Disco naps are highly recommended, as he's unlikely to get on before the far side of midnight.

Once upon a time, the most popular music for suburban teenagers wasn't emo, screamo, dreamo or goth. It was a jumpy, peppy sound from the Caribbean (by way of England) called ska, and rude boys and rude girls wearing Fred Perry shirts and black-and-white outfits held shows at record stores, firehouses and community centers across the land. Washington actually had an amazing ska scene in the '90s, with bands like the Pietasters, the Skunks, Eastern Standard Time and the Checkered Cabs, and regular appearances by out-of-towners the Toasters and the Pilfers. The scene's not as popular as it was a decade ago, but still draws lively all-ages crowds for concerts. Tonight at the Warehouse Next Door, the good folks from Rude in D.C. are putting on a show with locals the Pressure Sounds (featuring members of the Checkered Cabs and the Downbeat Rulers) and the Ready Steady Go!, plus Baltimore's rocksteady and roots-tinged Rootworkers and Philadelphia's Ruder Than You, who mix ska and dancehall to good effect. The all-ages concert, held at the Warehouse Next Door, kicks off at 8:30.

Note to the organizers of tonight's Official Summer Kick Off Party at Joe's Crab Shack: Summer doesn't begin until June 21. Still, we understand why they want to put the rainy spring behind them. Promoters are turning Joe's -- a cheesy, wannabe beach bar in the middle of Gaithersburg's Rio Center -- into a Hawaiian-themed luau, with drink specials and DJs spinning hip-hop, reggaeton, top-40 and other tunes recorded without the help of ukuleles. The free party runs from 5 until 1 a.m.

Saturday, April 22
The creative output of Bob Marley's progeny can definitely add fuel to the nature-versus-nurture debate. Is his musical legacy so influential that it had an indelible and inevitable effect on his offspring, or did Bob just really have some powerful genes? Darwinian conundrums aside, Stephen Marley carries the name effectively. His talents appeared on one of the first Marley kid projects, when he teamed with his brother Ziggy as part of the Melody Makers, and he contributed to brother Damian's Grammy winning effort "Halfway Tree." Stephen appears with sibling Ky-mani Marley at Crossroads tonight.

One of the most pleasant developments over the past year in the local music scene has been the emergence of the Federal Reserve collective. It's a loosely-affiliated group of like-minded artists that favors a sound that's sort of alt-country and sort of late-'60s Laurel Canyon (and much more Gram Parsons than the Eagles). But more than a common sound, the acts share an affinity for gimmick-free, straightforward pop songs that remind you of a time when pop songs could be built around guitars. These United States is perhaps the jangliest of the bunch, playing well-crafted, toe-tapping tunes written by frontman Jesse Elliott. These United States opens for the Hard Tomorrows and perennial Nightlife Agenda faves Metropolitan at DC9.

There's an open bar at Coyote Ugly tonight, and ... no, no, don't stop reading. It's a fundraiser for Fisher House, a charity that provides housing for military families so they can be close to loved ones recovering at hospitals like Walter Reed or the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. While we often find Coyote Ugly over the top -- and sometimes even a little creepy -- this is an event for a very good cause, and proceeds from the $40 cover charge go directly to Fisher House. You also get unlimited drinks from 10 to 1. And, as Rhome pointed out the other day, the loss of a number of cheesy clubs (Lulu's, Tequila Beach, etc.) is going to make Coyote Ugly an even bigger player on the local scene.

Sunday, April 23
The republic of Trinidad and Tobago takes quality control seriously when it comes to music. The best of the best aren't determined by the whims of fame or lavish videos but by serious competition. To be a calypso monarch you have to beat the other kings and repeatedly defend your title at Carnival parties. Year after year, a true king releases songs that speak to the cultural and social needs of the people of the Caribbean world and also humorously document the events of the day. The Mighty Sparrow has been doing this for 5 decades. Get a taste of the talent that helped shine the world's attention on Trinidad at Zanzibar tonight.

Carol Bui is a girl with a guitar, but she's not one of those girls with a guitar. No offense to those girls with guitars, but it's nice to see a woman rock out. After playing a bunch of out-of-town shows solo electric - possibly the least forgiving performance setup - Bui will have her full band for her homecoming show tonight at Galaxy Hut. Don't expect any riot grrl sounds, but if you like that early-'90s New England college radio sound - Throwing Muses, the Breeders, Belly, etc. - this is a show for you. Openers Pagoda play subdued, atmospheric rock that brings to mind Yo La Tengo and Galaxie 500. Chances are that the majority of the people in attendance tonight were DJs in their undergrad days.

Tuesday, April 25
Kitty Hawk is another member of the Federal Reserve collective, and fills the "hushed folk" niche within the group. Led by singer-songwriter Chris Walker, the quartet never really raises a ruckus, and if Walker wrote more self-consciously weird songs or used a bizarre squeal as his singing voice, it might even qualify as freak-folk. But that's not the case - thankfully - and instead we get mellow and pretty songs that would sound especially good as a soundtrack to a summer night under the stars. Kitty Hawk opens for Let's French, another band that seems to really like Interpol, at DC9.

Wednesday, April 26
If you're in a dating funk, you have a few options. You can rely on friends to set you up, register with a personals site, maybe brave the world of speed dating. Or you can take matters into your own hands and head out to one of the charitable bachelor/bachelorette auctions that tend to spring up around this time of year. A favorite of ours is Babes for Boobs, an annual fundraiser held by Trisha White, who participates in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. As part of the event, White needs to raise $2,000 for breast cancer research. And for the fourth year running, she's selling dates with her friends to the highest bidder to help reach this goal. Each date includes gift certificates for food or activities, from canoe rental to theater tickets. You can read profiles and see pictures of the auctionees -- 10 women and 10 men -- on babesforboobs.com, or arrive at Whitlow's on Wilson by 7 for a pre-auction mixer where you can meet potential dates and narrow the field. Bidding starts at 8. There's no cover charge to attend, and best of all, your bids are tax-deductible and can be paid for with a credit card.

Mustafa Akbar channels Teddy Pendergrass and James Ingram over modern dance and progressive soul tracks. He's been making a name for himself by lending his rolling baritone to dance releases by Thunderball and T-Kolai, but he's also one of the few acts that can bridge the gap between DJ-centric club heads and live music aficionados. His band the Chosen helps him ride the line between the dynamicism of live musicians and the connected musical narratives created by DJs. Catch this hometown gem tonight at Five for one of his all-too-infrequent live sets.