[Concerts]

LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES -- Friday, doors at 9 p.m. Originally rising to fame in its native Venezuela, the group relocated from Caracas to New York and found some crossover success stateside. Blending funk, disco, acid jazz and electronic club music, Los Amigos Invisibles provides a very contemporary take on Latin dance. Standing up well on stage, this group is better appreciated live than on record. With DJ Afro. 9:30 club, 815 V St. NW. $18. 202-265-0930.

SPACEBOY! -- Friday at 9 p.m. The closing of a number of popular Southeast nightclubs to make room for the Nationals' new stadium created something of a diaspora for the various hip-hop, rave, Goth, industrial and gay DJs who made the area one of the most diverse local club scenes. Among the displaced was DJ Kangal, who now settles in with a new night at a relatively new club. His event on the first Friday of every month will mix electro and retro dance music with a healthy dose of industrial rock. The Red and the Black, 1212 H St. NE. $5. 202-399-3201.

VIOLENT FEMMES -- Friday at 9 p.m. Saturday, doors at 9 p.m. The classic '80s underground band has been touring and releasing albums for more than 20 years. Though its early work continues to be its most memorable, its more recent albums have hardly been flops. Gnarles Barkley proved that the Femmes songs can stand up to interpretation, but that's no reason to snub the originals. Friday: Rams Head Live, 20 Market Pl., Baltimore, $25-$28, 410-244-1131; Saturday: 9:30 club, 815 V St. NW, $25, 202-265-0930.

COMETS ON FIRE -- Friday at 9:30 p.m. A staple on the underground jam rock scene, the band's riff-heavy brand of overdriven acid-rock has become more accessible in recent albums without losing its hard-driving anthemic rock approach. For fans of big grooves and big guitars. With (The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope and Benjy Ferree. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $12. 202-667-7960.

ATOMIC MOSQUITOS AND FLEA BOPS -- Saturday at 9:30 p.m. Enjoy a night of revival rock by two acts whose sound is tight, fun, authentic and catchy. The Flea Bops play full-bore rockabilly while the Atomic Mosquitos are known for honest two guitar surf-rock. Galaxy Hut, 2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. $5. 703-525-8646.

BEAUTY PILL -- Saturday at 9:30 p.m. This all-Dischord lineup sees the Aquarium and Soccer Team, brand-new additions to the record label's roster, take the stage with local post-punk favorites Beauty Pill. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $9. 202-667-7960.

[Exhibits]

AN UNCOMMON WAY -- Opens Wednesday. Reception Friday, 6-8 p.m. Through Oct. 1. Recent paintings by JoAnn Clayton feature non-representational, playful colors influenced by her studies with Sam Gilliam at the Corcoran. Foundry Gallery, 1314 18th St. NW. Free. 202-463-0203.

RUTH DUCKWORTH: MODERNIST SCULPTOR -- Opens Friday. Through Jan. 15. A comprehensive retrospective assesses the artist's contributions to the contemporary art world. The 80 works include wall reliefs, freestanding sculptures and sculptural vessels, some of which were drawn from the artist's private collection and are being exhibited publicly for the first time. A video documenting the artist's work will be incorporated, as well as photographs of her large-scale architectural murals and site specific sculptures. Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street NW. Free. 202-633-2850.

OUT OF THE WOODS -- Opens Friday. Through Sept. 30. Nature-themed watercolors by local artist Jane Alexandra Walsh explore a small natural space in the otherwise urban environment of Bethesda. Orchard Gallery, Art & Framing, 7917 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda. Free. 240-497-1911.

PIECES OF A PUZZLE: CLASSICAL PERSIAN CARPET FRAGMENTS -- Opens Friday. Through Jan. 7. Three known fragments of an unusual 16th-century Persian carpet are reunited for the first time, along with other rare carpet fragments from the same period. Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW. Free. 202-667-0441.

CHINESE SCHOLAR'S STONE EXHIBIT -- Opens Saturday. Through Sept. 24. Scholar stones, shaped and naturally occurring rocks selected for their aesthetic shapes and patterns, are displayed. Includes stones from the museum's permanent collection as well as private collections. Included in the show are Taihu stones, often considered the best example of the art. U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, 3501 New York Ave. NE. Free. 202-245-2726.

PERSPECTIVES: SIMRYN GILL -- See Can't Miss, this page.