Nightlife Agenda

Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday

Thursday, August 9
Chick Hall's Surf Club will close up shop in the fall, but there's still time to enjoy one of the area's last true honky-tonks. Tonight would be a good time to make it out to Bladensburg, as roots-rock royalty will be in the house in the form of Sleepy LaBeef. The big Texan and his equally big voice have been around since the onset of rock-and-roll, when he toured with the likes of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. Decades later, he can still deliver rockabilly rave-ups with the intensity of someone half -- or a third -- his age. Tonight, LeBeef is joined onstage by local boogie pianist Daryl Davis, and the evening also serves as the premiere of the documentary "Remembering Roy Buchanan," which tells the tale of the talented, troubled blues guitarist who called D.C. home for much of his life.

D.C. feels a bit like Hollywood tonight, with dueling celebrity bashes on opposite sides of town. Visiting soccer celebrity David Beckham is being feted at semi-private parties at Play and Lima, while Love hosts an afterparty for Beyonce, who performs at the Verizon Center this evening. Whether or not said celebrities will show up at these affairs is anyone's guess -- our money's on "no" -- but that doesn't mean the rest of us can't have a good time. Love is selling advance tickets for $20, but anyone who's not going to the concert and willing to arrive early -- like, between 8 and 9:30 early -- can get in for free. See lovetheclub.com for a free pass, though you might want to put on your headphones first. (Note for the guys: Love has long refused entry to anyone wearing Timberlands or baggy jeans, but in one of the odder moves we've seen recently, Love now requires men to wear "a button down dress shirt." [sic] You've been warned.

As one-half of the legendary duo Gangstarr, Guru's monotone delivery has always served as the perfect counterpoint to DJ Premier's crisp and spare slices of beat. In the early '90s, Guru's flow found another great match in the horns of jazz talents like Donald Byrd, and his Jazzmatazz side project was born. Although it has deviated over the years into downtempo and "street soul," the personnel he aligns himself with can generate memorable shows, even when some of the material on more recent Jazzmatazz projects stretches the concept. Jazzmatazz takes the stage at the State Theatre tonight courtesy of Hear Hope, a concert series that raises funds to provide aid for Darfur and raise awareness about the situation in Sudan.

Friday, August 10
The Can A Sista Rock A Mic? festival features a diva throwdown tonight, as four sets of amazing pipes converge on Republic Gardens. Carol Riddick is the latest singer to move from providing Jill Scott's background vocals to a solo career. (Vivian Green's the only one to have much success with the switch.) Purple Saint James got her start here at Duke Ellington School of the Arts before recording extensively with Little Brother, Nicolay and Marcus Johnson's roster of artists. Alison Carney has been popping up on the D.C. scene as one to watch, most recently as a featured performer at Jon Laine's Dilla tribute. Sy Smith is another Washington native who dropped a great solo record in between gigs writing music for television and film and gigging in Los Angeles. After the ladies blow the roof off, stick around for the hip-hop sounds of Qool DJ Uncle Q and Cuzzin B.

On July 17, local punk icon John Stabb, former frontman for straight-edge pioneers Government Issue, was viciously assaulted by a group of teenagers just a block from his Maryland home. (Stabb himself gives a good-natured, but graphic account of the attack here.) Unfortunately, his insurance will not adequately cover the costs of the extensive facial surgery that was necessary; Stabb now has half a dozen titanium plates in his face and will be on a liquid diet for at least a few weeks. The first of many benefits to help raise money for Stabb will take place tonight at the Velvet Lounge with a diverse lineup that includes former Dag Nasty vocalist Dave Smalley, local garage rockers the Saviours, reunited shoegazers Lorelei, D.C. percussionist du jour Jerry Busher and more. For more information and to make a donation via PayPal, visit this Web site.

Amel Larrieux combines a jazz stylist's timing with operatic range and a taste for modern nu-soul grooves. Her ballads can be ultra sweet or emotionally wrenching, and her mid-tempo tunes scratch that itch for a smooth sound with some snap to it. From her work with Sade's band Sweetback to four solo albums and her early hits with Groove Theory, plus her new album of jazz standards, she has a lot of great material to work her magic on at the 9:30 Club tonight.

Heat makes us think of the beach. It's true. And if you can't get to Dewey this weekend -- or you can't bear the thought of sitting in your car for hours in this heat -- than you might as well thank the Friday Night Live! concert series for bringing the Rusty Rudder to Herndon's town green. Longtime Bottle N Cork favorites Mr. Greengenes cover U2, Soft Cell, Hall and Oates, Journey -- anything that will get the crowd up and dancing. The evening's free, and music runs from 6:30 to 10:30. (P.S.: If there's a thunderstorm, all bets are off, so call 703-481-6133 for the latest info.)

Saturday, August 11
Summer's here, and the time is right for taking the party out of overstuffed, overheated clubs. Wouldn't you rather spend Saturday night at a house party with music, barbecue and a pool? Us too. Today is the third annual Shukor Mansion Party at the Broadwater Mansion in Upper Marlboro, and the hosts have booked a phalanx of top hip-hop DJs to spin on the mansion's extensive grounds, including Dirty Hands (Fly), Trini (WKYS), Harry Hotter (Love), Benhameen (Love, Republic Gardens), Uncle Q (Uncle Q's Living Room, Collector's Edition), Armageddon (Love, Ultrabar) and Analyze (WKYS, H2O). With a large pool, cookout and multiple bars, this should be one of the parties of the summer. (Sadly, the drinks aren't included in the $25 cover charge.) Order tickets here and arrive early -- doors open at 10 and the party goes until 6 a.m. Yes, you read that correctly.

Sunday, August 12
Popular hip-hop artists don't generally revere the music's history, so it's nice when figures that built the foundation for today's stars can get some shine. After an appearance on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and recognition at last year's VH1 Hip-Hop Honors, MC Lyte is experiencing a resurgence of the type of attention she's always deserved. Two decades ago, Lyte emerged as the younger sister of Audio Two of "Top Billin'" fame. She showed range early with a venomous battle record ("10% Dis") and a story rap about a drug-addicted lover ("I Cram to Understand U"). From "Cappucino" to "Stop, Look, Listen" to "Ruffneck," her string of classics extended into the early '90s before the pop music machine began to prefer female rappers who showed flesh over lyrical dexterity. Fittingly, MC Lyte headlines out the Can A Sista Rock A Mic? Grand Finale at Zanzibar tonight.

The reggae group Morgan Heritage doesn't take its name lightly. The Morgan in question is Denroy Morgan, the great roots vocalist whose hits include "I'll Do Anything" and "Sweet Tender Love," and the heritage comes from five of his 30 children who've followed their father into the music business. Their smooth reggae sound, which counts influences from modern R&B as well as Steel Pulse and the Wailers, has won over longtime fans of the music, but Morgan Heritage has also picked up a new audience picked up after two stints on the Warped tour and singles that feature dancehall stars like Sizzla and Bounty Killer. This evening, the band is playing on the outdoor patio at Crossroads with local reggae stalwarts Stryker's Posse. The music begins at 7, and with gates opening at 5, it should be a good opportunity to spend time with friends and a few cold bottles of Red Stripe.

Monday, August 13
As we write this column it's 100 degrees outside with a heat index of approximately 183. It's sticky, disgusting, miserably hot. As an added bonus, it might thunderstorm later. Long-term weather forecasts are pretty much a guessing game, but it looks like it should be "only" 91 on Monday and, more importantly, the skies should be clear. Georgie James (listen) only got four songs in last summer at Fort Reno before the rain came down, so they'll be hoping to get a full set in this time, showcasing songs from their upcoming debut album "Places." This will be your last chance to see the full band perform before it embarks on a national tour this fall, so do whatever appropriate weather dance you deem necessary. Perfect Souvenir opens the free show.

Tuesday, August 14
Going to Baltimore on a weeknight seems like a long trek up I-95 for D.C.-based fans of soul, spoken word and progressive hip-hop, but Organic Soul Tuesdays is worth the trip for those looking for more of the underground urban arts scene. This weekly set at Eden's Lounge is celebrating six years as a talent incubator, in much the same vein as Philadelphia's Black Lily when that groundbreaking night was at its peak. Members of Fertile Ground's band serve as the resident musicians, and they've backed up scores of indie rappers like Labtekwon, songstresses like Malene Younglao and poets like Taalam Acey. The lineup for tonight's 6th Birthday Gala is being kept a secret, but with alums like Julie Dexter and the likelihood of the entire Baltimore scene converging on the event, it should be one for the record books.

Wednesday, August 15
New York trio A Place to Bury Strangers (listen) has a well-earned reputation as one of the Big Apple's -- and the country's -- loudest bands. But it's not just noise for the sake of noise. Taking cues from the Jesus and Mary Chain, Spacemen 3 and MC5, the group offers up a killer mix of space, garage and noise rock. The guitars are sharp and piercing, the bass is throbbing, the drums are pounding and it adds up to a truly memorable rock-and-roll experience. The band's show last year at the Warehouse Next Door was a revelation, a jolting performance that was one of David's favorite of the few hundred he witnessed last year. Airiel opens at the Black Cat.

If you've seen an indie rock band in Washington over the past two years, chances are Shervin Lainez has taken pictures of them. Lainez has produced promo shots and live images of the Dismemberment Plan, Monopoli, Georgie James, Bellman Barker, Soft Complex, Mass Movement of the Moth, Carol Bui -- the list goes on, and for good reason: Lainez has a knack for capturing the spirit and personality of his subjects, often in unconventional angles or poses. While his photos have appeared in publications ranging from the Washington Blade to Spin, Lainez taking things into his own hands with the release of "Happy Accidents," a self-produced book that features images of 25 bands and short profiles of the musicians. Tonight's "Happy Accidents" launch party at DC9 features dozens of photos hung around the club's second floor and acoustic performances by Georgie James, Laura Burhenn and These United States vocalist Jesse Elliott -- all of whom are featured in the book.