The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

14 things to do in the D.C. area this week

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July 2, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
Keir Dullea in a scene from "2001: A Space Odyssey." Dullea will participate in a Q&A on Thursday at AFI Silver after a screening of Stanley Kubrick's film in its original 70mm analog presentation to commemorate its 50th anniversary. (Warner Bros./AP)

Monday, July 2

Fort Reno Concert Series at Fort Reno Park: For 50 years, an outdoor stage in Fort Reno Park has hosted some of the city’s finest punk and alternative bands, including Fugazi, Unrest, Priests, and Q and Not U. To celebrate the series’s 50th anniversary, organizers launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than three times its $4,000 goal, allowing them to extend the concert season into August. Headlining Monday’s concert will be local outfit Des Demonas, who have become known for their energetic live performances that cull from a wide range of influences from post-punk to psychedelia. 7 p.m., Mondays and Thursdays through Aug. 2. Free.

Road trips, pool parties and other ways to have a splendid summer in D.C.

JulyPA at Pizzeria Paradiso: If you love hops, you are probably going to find yourself at Pizzeria Paradiso a few times this month. All four locations of the local pizza-and-craft-beer chain are filling all of their draft lines with pale ales and IPAs through July 14. Whether your tastes run to hazy tropical-fruit IPAs or classic bitter British IPAs, there is going to be something on tap. Daily through July 14. Prices vary.

Tuesday, July 3

Sam Smith at Capital One Arena: It has been only a few years since British singer-songwriter Sam Smith and his androgynous tenor helped make Disclosure’s “Latch” a sleeper hit. On the strength of his voice, Smith scored hits of his own (“Stay With Me”) and established himself as a pop star with his pristine — if overproduced — debut album, “In the Lonely Hour.” Last year, Smith returned with “The Thrill of It All,” a quintessential breakup album that found him mending a broken heart with syrupy ballads and the occasional midtempo jam. Even if the songs and lyrics tend toward the generic, Smith’s voice is legit: a falsetto that flawlessly fills arenas with ease. 8 p.m. $40.25-$125.

The Third of July at Suburbia: Let's be honest: Everyone tries to leave the office a little bit early when the next day is a holiday. The crew at Suburbia, the Airstream trailer and beer garden outside Union Market, knows this, so they are opening at noon July 3 with an all-day happy hour. Drink deals include $5 frozen cocktails, $4 Jello shooters and $3 Narragansett tallboys, while specialty hot dogs, such as the Mexican Elote Dog, are also $5. Noon to 8 p.m. Free.

Wednesday, July 4

Fourth of July celebrations: Military units, marching bands, floats and giant balloons parade down Constitution Avenue NW between 11:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jimmy Buffett, the Temptations and the Beach Boys are among the artists joining the National Symphony Orchestra for a free concert at the Capitol’s West Lawn, beginning at 8 p.m. The main event — fireworks over the Washington Monument — begins at 9:09 p.m. (Click here for maps, street closures and a list of prohibited items.) Don’t want to deal with the crowds? Head for an alternative viewing site: The National Park Service honors Frederick Douglass’s bicentennial at his Cedar Hill home in Anacostia with tours, live music, recitations of Douglass’s famous speeches and views of the fireworks.

Barbecue, fireworks and baseball: Where to celebrate the Fourth of July around D.C.

‘Fun House’ at the National Building Museum: The museum’s annual Summer Block Party series returns with an exhibit by New York-based design studio Snarkitecture that revisits its old designs and installations. Included in these greatest hits is a kidney-shaped pool filled with plastic balls, alluding to “The Beach,” which Snarkitecture famously installed in the museum in 2015. 10 a.m., runs through Sept. 3, $13-$16.

Fourth of July Free for All at Pearl Street Warehouse: This free day-long concert kicks off at noon and runs through the evening. The Grandsons, a D.C. band that mixes several styles of American music, plays first, followed by soul and blues band Vintage #18 and jazz/go-go fusion act the JoGo Project. (And if you want to see fireworks, you can walk outside for a viewing party on the Wharf.) 11:30 a.m. Free.

AmeriCAN DrinkDependence Day at Jack Rose Dining Saloon: Jack Rose’s sixth annual rooftop terrace party will offer views of fireworks with $4 specials on Flying Dog cans and $5 drafts, including the D.C. debuts of the Neon Freedom Meyer Lemon Gose and the Brewhouse Rarities Lemon Lime Pilsner. 3 p.m. Free; drinks priced individually.

Rooftop Party at Radiator: Nothing says July 4 like barbecuing by the pool, unless you are an urban dweller who lacks access to a grill or a pool. In that case, the rooftop bar at Radiator has you covered — and they are even giving out free sunscreen if you are trying to get in some tanning time. Chef Jonathan Dearden has prepped a menu of half-smokes, coney dogs and corn dogs, while bartenders serve Orange Crushes and fruited adult slushies. It does not hurt that the view from the roof is one of the best in town. 5 p.m. Free.

Thursday, July 5

Mock Identity at Black Cat: Separately, the members of Mock Identity make moody electronic pop, abrasive noise punk and experimental ambient. But bring them together, and the D.C.-based band makes politically minded post-hardcore. Vocalist Adriana-Lucia Cotes sings vivid, visceral poetry (in English with a smattering of Spanish) as her melodies take a circuitous path through Jeff Barsky’s angular riffs and the off-kilter rhythms of Joshua David Hoffman and Nate Scheible. “I hope you see me one day, doing my own damn thing,” Cotes swaggers on the opening track of Mock Identity’s just-released debut album, “Paradise.” Make that day today, at the band’s record release party. 7:30 p.m. $10.

Mateship: Phillips After 5 at Phillips Collection: The Dupont art museum continues its popular monthly series of after-hours programming with a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the “mateship” of the United States and Australia. Expect many fun facts about our country and the land down under accompanied by Australian-brewed beer and music from D.C. jazz musician Akua Allrich and her band. 5 to 8:30 p.m. $10-12.

2001: A Space Odyssey at AFI Silver: The sci-fi epic has a long history with D.C.; the world premiere took place at the Uptown Theater on April 2, 1968. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the classic film, AFI Silver will be running a one-week-only engagement -- screening in its original 70mm format -- that kicks off Thursday with a Q&A with actor Keir Dullea, who played astronaut David Bowman in the film. 7:30 p.m. (various showtimes throughout the week). $15-$20.

Friday, July 6

Shy Glizzy at the Fillmore Silver Spring: While rapper GoldLink may have gotten the name recognition for 2017’s Grammy-nominated breakout “Crew,” rapper Shy Glizzy jolts the latter half of the track with a verse that proves he is arguably D.C.’s most vital and distinct voice. 8 p.m. $30.

Forklift First Fridays at Community Forklift: On the first Friday of the warmer months, the nonprofit home-improvement-supply warehouse opens up its lot to host live music and a market for odds and ends. The event also includes such family-friendly happenings as face painting, as well as a food truck and pop-up bar for adults. 6 to 8 p.m. Free.

- Hau Chu, Fritz Hahn, Rudi Greenberg and Chris Kelly