When guitarist Malcolm Brickhouse, bassist Alec Atkins and drummer Jarad Dawkins performed on the street in Times Square, a video of their performance went viral, leading to a record deal with Sony and festival performances and tours. They’re the subjects of the documentary Breaking a Monster, and a book about their journey, titled Unlocking the Truth: Three Brooklyn Teens on Life, Friendship and Making the Band (with a foreword by Questlove of The Roots), was published in May.

In advance of the band’s show Thursday morning at Wolf Trap’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, I caught up with Brickhouse (age 14), Atkins (14) and Dawkins (13) over email.

Bandwidth: Whose idea was the Times Square performance?

Jarad Dawkins: The idea of going in Times Square was Malcolm’s mom and dad. Since they work in the heart of Times Square, they knew all about it. They knew that tourists come to Times Square for sightseeing, so they thought we would get good exposure there.

Were you nervous to set up and play in the street like that?

Malcolm Brickhouse: Not really. I think we were more excited because we had an audience. It was much better than playing in my basement.

How has Unlocking the Truth’s sound changed in the years since that video was posted?

JD: It has changed because as we grow, our musical influences change. Nowadays, we write more intense and melodic songs, which I like a lot. I feel that a good song always gives a message and that’s what we are doing.

You’ve played at clubs and at festivals like Coachella and SXSW, but your show on Thursday is at Wolf Trap’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, which is Wolf Trap’s summer series for children. How is performing for an audience of your peers different from performing for an audience that’s mostly adults?

Alec Atkins: The adults are more likely to enjoy our music and will truly understand where we are coming from. But an audience of our peers might have a not so good reaction because unlike an adult audience, they are not nearly as mature.

JD: I prefer adults but kids are good too because you need kids to increase your fanbase and for them to really buy your music. Adults take music more seriously where kids see music everywhere. They are the ones who are really going to buy your product. So kids are very important to us.

MB: I think the main difference is the crowd’s reaction. Adults like our music but are surprised that we are kids. The kids who like our music are surprised that we are playing metal. Adults are too, but I prefer any audience who likes our music.

“[We want to] become one of the biggest metal bands in the world and to be not just one predominantly because of race. People from any race can listen to us as well. I want Unlocking the Truth to be universal.” —Jarad Dawkins

You’ve gotten to perform with and meet a lot of great bands in the metal scene. Which band has been your favorite to open for and to meet? Any cool stories about meeting one of your idols?

MB: We have met so many great bands like Guns N’ Roses, Marilyn Manson, Motörhead, Chelsea Grin, Motionless In White, Metallica, but we became very good friends — just like family — with Living Colour. Doug, Vernon, Will, Corey, those guys are the best. They’re like our new uncles.

JD: Marilyn Manson was my favorite just because he treated us with great hospitality from beginning to end. I just thank him so much. I would love to tour with him again in the future.

What’s it like for you now being an idol or role model that kids look up to?

MB: I don’t consider myself an idol, but I am proud that we are looked at as role models. We want everyone to know that they shouldn’t give up on their dreams no matter what people say.

JD: It feels great because now kids really see that dreams do come true and that they don’t have to be scared to try them.

What do you see is the future of Unlocking the Truth? What are your goals and plans for the band?

JD: Just to become one of the biggest metal bands in the world and to be not just one predominantly because of race. People from any race can listen to us as well. I want Unlocking the Truth to be universal.

Unlocking the Truth performs the morning of July 9 at Wolf Trap.

These days, Robbins dedicates most of his time to recording other people’s bands at Magpie Cage, the studio he opened in 2004. There he’s worked with numerous D.C.- and Baltimore-area bands–recently Lemuria, Roomrunner and Dope Body—and also used the space to churn out some of his own music, like the solo acoustic EP he posted to Bandcamp in June. That EP consisted mostly of songs he’d made with his previous bands, but also featured a new tune, title track “Abandoned Mansions.” Robbins aims to put out a second six-song EP this fall.

In other Robbins release news, Arctic Rodeo Recordings still plans to re-release the Jawbox collection My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents on vinyl, and he expects Dischord to drop a remastered vinyl version of the band’s final album this year.

Meanwhile, Robbins’ bands seem to be dormant rather than broken up: Channels played a few shows this spring to celebrate the vinyl reissue of Waiting for the Next End of the World, and Jawbox played a sole show on Jimmy Fallon in 2009 to mark the reissue of For Your Own Special Sweetheart. Monday night, he plays Arlington’s Galaxy Hut with Office of Future Plans cellist Gordon Withers.

In advance of the show, Bandwidth emailed with Robbins about doing music as a job, how he views his role in the recording studio and D.C. and Baltimore’s music scenes.

This interview has been edited for brevity.

Bandwidth: What can we expect from a J. Robbins solo show?

J. Robbins: The set consists of any song from any band I’ve played in that will translate intelligibly to the format of acoustic guitar and voice, and for which I can comfortably take credit as the “songwriter.” I’m very lucky that every band I’ve been in has been able to write collaboratively, where each member contributes something valuable, and in all of those bands there are a lot of songs that can only work in a rock band format, where the interplay of the specific parts is what gives the song its identity.

I never used to like to think of myself as “the songwriter,” more as just a band member, in a totally non-hierarchical way. Jawbox in particular was very socialistic in that way; we liked to think of ourselves as a collective. But in every band I’ve been in, there are also a lot of songs that I can finally admit to myself I just plain wrote, and I actually quite like them and find myself wanting to play them again and take some responsibility for their existence. I think they can still have a life beyond the lifespan of the band they were written for, and I am a better singer now than I was when I wrote most of them, and I have a better idea of what I want to communicate, so it’s really enjoyable for me to sing and play these versions now.

You’ve been playing in bands since the early ’80s. At what point did you decide to do music full-time?

I didn’t really decide, it’s more like I just let my obsession take over. I’ve had a few day jobs back in the olden times: I pretended to be a graphic designer for a while, I have worked in a few bookstores, that kind of thing. All just subsistence stuff so I could be playing music or making recordings with people. The recording studio has been my “job” since the mid-’90’s, but that is also not really a job, rather an obsession that’s somewhat complementary to the first one, and now it’s my primary obsession.

When did you start recording bands?

The first time I set foot in a recording studio with Government Issue, I had this visceral feeling that the studio is a place where your dreams become manifest, and of course why would you want to ever leave a place like that? I had that feeling before then without realizing it, listening to records with headphones, in the way that the soundscape of a record is like a little world that exists between your ears. If you really get into that, then eventually you start to want to pull back the curtain and figure out the how and why of the sounds that affect you deeply, so you can make that happen too.

As far as training, I never went to school for it; whenever my bands would record, I just bothered the engineer about what he was doing and why, I read a lot, and I started recording people for free in my basement on a portastudio. I was also very lucky because early on a few very good bands who liked Jawbox (Texas is the Reason, Kerosene 454) asked me to “produce” their records, which mostly meant reminding them to tune up and maybe coming up with some harmony parts or overdubs … and that was incredibly fun and I learned a lot from that—and the records turned out pretty well, because truthfully if you let a good band that already sounds good just be themselves in the studio and you don’t meddle with their inherent strengths, then you will end up with a good record.

“The first time I set foot in a recording studio with Government Issue, I had this visceral feeling that the studio is a place where your dreams become manifest.”

When did you move from D.C. to Baltimore? Why Baltimore?

My wife Janet and I moved in 2002. We were living in Silver Spring and we couldn’t remotely afford to buy a house anywhere around there. I have always loved Baltimore, I had gone to MICA for a couple years way back when and a had a lot of friends here, loved the art and music scene here, and always thought of it as a really livable city. So we found a place here and moved, with no regrets.

I think people are quick to talk about how different Baltimore’s music scene is from D.C.’s. What’s your perspective?

I don’t think you can generalize any more, if you ever could. In the ’90s it seemed it was not hard to catalog the differences—but then for everyone you asked, you might get a different reply. I guess that’s still true. It might come down to Baltimore feeling more relaxed or freewheeling than D.C. … but you can’t just boil a city down that way. And now there are so many little microscenes everywhere. There are a hundred scenes in D.C. and a hundred in Baltimore. Things are very fluid. People are so mobile and we’re not so tied down to geography any more.

And also, I am no longer at an age where I get caught up in the social drama of scenes, so what I mostly get excited about is just knowing that there is a lot going on, and that people are motivated to create, especially when it’s on a DIY level, on their own terms for their own reasons … and I would say on that score Baltimore is an amazing place to be. I also worry that it has to be harder and harder for weirdos and mavericks to flourish in D.C. because it’s just too expensive to live there.

I’ve heard that you’ve got both a luthier and an amp guy working at Magpie Cage. Is that typical for recording studios? How did you start those partnerships?

I don’t know how typical it is, but it makes a lot of sense. They don’t work “for ” me, we share the space. It’s extra-great when bands show up and you find out their guitars haven’t been set up since 1996, or someone’s amp explodes in the middle of a session … Brooks Harlan (Big Crunch Amp and Guitar Repair) is the “amp guy”—he is also the tech guy for the studio, he’s got some great amps and recording gear that stay here, and if things run smoothly here he can take a lot of credit for it. We worked together to improve this space, and he is an incredibly smart guy with a lot of practical skills and imagination. And we are good friends with a lot of common interests. James Healy, the luthier, has just come into the picture. He’s great.

I’m sure you’ve been asked a million times about Jawbox’s time on a major label. Sorry to pile on with that subject, but: what did you learn from being on a major label that you use now that you’re recording bands and presumably working with their labels?

Nothing that I would directly credit to Atlantic Records! Except maybe to urge bands to employ a lawyer if they are dealing with a label that uses contracts … but I learned a lot about recording and production from Ted Niceley and John Agnello, who each produced one of the two Jawbox Atlantic records. Ted especially taught me a lot about listening closely to the technical details of a performance; John about remembering to enjoy the experience and to trust yourself.

“If you let a good band that already sounds good just be themselves in the studio and you don’t meddle with their inherent strengths, then you will end up with a good record.”

How do you view your role as the recording engineer/producer? To what extent do you get involved in a band’s sound?

My role is determined by what a client is looking for. So often it boils down to “engineering with advice” (not just deciding how to best capture the sound, but nuts and bolts stuff like “When’s the last time you tuned up? Changed your strings?” “You could do a tighter version of the bridge,” “What if this was two BPM faster?” “Let’s try a different snare drum”). Sometimes its more collaborative, where I might suggest arrangement changes, add harmonies or textures or alter a melody; more rarely, as in the records I have done with Peter Maybarduk, it’s very collaborative to the extent of commissioning musicians and sometimes arranging almost to the point of being a co-writer, which makes sense to me with a solo artist, but I tend to not do this to any great extent with bands because hopefully a band has its own internal mechanisms and that’s part of what you should be trying to capture, rather than replacing something that works and is idiosyncratic.

Anyone you’re particularly excited to work with in the coming months?

I’m mixing War On Women’s album in a couple of weeks, which Brooks and I recorded. Coliseum is coming in October; this will be the second full-length I’ve done with them at Magpie Cage but it’s part of a long-standing working relationship I’ve had with their singer/guitarist Ryan Patterson. I love that band. Also very excited to finish up album sessions with [D.C. bands] TONE and King Giant. And I’ve got ongoing sessions with the fantastic Baltimore band Boister, which will hopefully add up to the second full-length record we’ve done together. I did an EP with the awesome Baltimore band Roomrunner a few months ago that’s about to come out …

How do you balance writing/recording/practicing with your musical projects (both your bands and your solo project) with Magpie Cage? Is it hard to make time/energy for your own music when you spend much of your time recording other bands?

I am a full-time studio owner/operator/producer/whatever you call it, and a very part-time musician. That’s just how the time breaks down, and it’s fine, because both things are fulfilling.

Jawbox played just one reunion show, for Jimmy Fallon in 2009, coinciding with the reissue of For Your Own Special Sweetheart. Looking back on it now, do you have any regrets about not playing any full reunion shows? Any possibility of or plans for future shows?

No, I don’t think any of us has regrets. The Fallon thing was really special. I can’t see us doing any Jawbox reunion shows in the future. Although, never say never, I suppose.

“I can’t see us doing any Jawbox reunion shows in the future. Although, never say never, I suppose.”

You’ve been public about your son Cal and his diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1, and there have been numerous benefit shows for him over the years. How is Cal doing nowadays? Most of the recent posts on Cal’s blog deal with his health, medical procedures, etc.—and I don’t want to belittle the impact that has on his and your life, but can you walk me through what a “normal” day is like? What’s school like for him?

Thanks for asking. Callum is doing great. This is a big question; I think it’s too big to get into in a way, because almost every aspect of our lives has had to adapt in some way to his situation, but since this is our “normal,” we just get on with it, and even things that are actually a big deal—like his annual spinal surgeries for example—though we take these things seriously, we really have learned to take them in stride because they are a necessity rather than an option, and we can’t afford to freak out about everything that comes along, precisely because so much of it is really quite heavy, we’d be freaking out nonstop. So we have got pretty good at rolling with it.

Anyone who is reading this can google Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 to find out more about what it is Callum is up against. And though every time I say this I feel I am tempting fate, so far he is bucking the trend for kids with his diagnosis.

One really mundane example of what Cal’s condition means to our daily lives is that I have been writing most of this interview late at night; during the day it’s hard to concentrate, because if I’m at home I’m constantly on call as a caregiver. Every few minutes Janet or I will need to either massage Cal’s neck, or move his limbs around to stop his muscles from getting stiff, or help him with his food or drink, or do Cal-friendly versions of the stuff that any child and parent would do together, but which also mostly require some sort of creative thinking or workaround. We play games together on the computer, or read together, you know, stuff that is enjoyable for us both.

But it is a real challenge to carve out time or reserve energy for anything else, whether it’s working on songs or Janet and I going on a date. It helps a lot that Cal is an incredible kid, a really wonderful person to be around. He spends too much time with screens, but adaptive technology means that he is able to use a computer and he can really accomplish quite a lot. He’s really really smart, perceptive, sensitive and articulate. Truthfully, a little precocious. He is doing great in school—he’s at a public magnet school part-time, with a home tutor to fill in the gaps in the curriculum, and he has a helper who is always with him in class, and at times that helper has ended up being me, which can be great … and in some ways, not so great.

It’s fantastic for him to be around other kids finally, because most of his life he’s been around adults more … but it’s also nerve-wracking because if he gets at all sick, he tends to develop pneumonia, which is so often fatal for SMA kids, and of course getting sick is just about half of what kids do in elementary school … but there’s a quality of life issue here too … anyway, a capable and trustworthy adult always needs to be with him, because he’s totally dependent, and that someone needs to be one of us or someone we really really trust, who really gets it.

You can probably see, this is an enormous subject. … I want to try to keep the blog updated a bit more frequently. He is certainly up to a lot more than just recovering from surgeries. The support we’ve received from the music community, from people all around the world, has really blown us away and I think that energy and feeling of care has really helped Janet and me to be strong and do our best for him. We are very very lucky to have had that.

J. Robbins plays Monday night at Galaxy Hut with Ghosts of Sailors at Sea.

The group’s lineup has remained fairly constant in the past two decades: Williams, Fowley and bassist Jim Hunter have formed the core of the group since the beginning, while rhythm guitarist Matt Ibach and drummer Sean Wilhide arrived later. October 31 recorded a new full-length called Bury the Hatchet this spring with Mike Bossier at Oblivion Studios in Maryland; the album is due out officially in October on Hells Headbangers. That label also recently re-released October 31’s first two albums, The Fire Awaits You and Meet Thy Maker, with tons of bonus tracks, demo recordings and archival photos. In advance of October 31’s show at the Pinch this weekend, we emailed with King about Bury the Hatchet, the old days of the area’s metal scene and writing “heavy metal” on his butt cheeks.

Other than a few singles/EPs over the past few years, October 31 hasn’t released a full-length since 2005. How does the new album compare to No Survivors?

It’s not as speedy. That album had a lot of real uptempo [riffs] to it. This is more traditional heavy metal with not as much speed-metal bits. The songs really seem quite as intense as before but it’s more in the power of the band as players than tempo. Good choruses and nice arrangements.

Compared to most current bands, October 31 has a very small digital footprint: You don’t have any streaming media other than YouTube, your official homepage hasn’t been updated since 2005 and you post infrequently on Facebook (as of today, three posts total so far this year). The same is true for Deceased. Why such a limited online presence for your bands?

My [personal] Facebook page is busier than a free money hand-out. It all happens there. Websites, to me, are really a thing of the past. The October 31 page isn’t me, someone [else] made it. Same with Deceased. I do all my stuff in my Facebook page, and everyone is kept up to the minute in there on anything I’m a part of. Sadly the 5,000 friends [limit] is long past and now I have to try and fit folks in as I go deleting people who no longer have Facebook accounts. Deceased has a big website with old stories, pics and such that gets updated periodically.

“Websites, to me, are really a thing of the past.”

As far as metal festivals go, our area is now really known for Maryland Deathfest, held in Baltimore every Memorial Day weekend. But a lot of people don’t know that before MDF existed, there used to be underground metal fests at Wilmer’s Park in Brandywine, Maryland. Deceased used to be a staple on those festival bills. What was it like to play (or attend) shows there back in the day?

Wilmer’s honestly was a dump. [But] it was a place to play—many wild nights there, for better or worse. Good times in the scene and great turnouts. The festival that is most remembered is the Nuclear Festival that our old label Relapse Records put on [in 1993]. Packed with lots of underground bands like Macabre, Saint Vitus, Anal [expletive], it was hot and wild, and it rained too that day. My kit was used by all the bands, and it got really beat up with rain water and all, but that’s metal, that’s part of it. I’m happy the place finally met its end, though. I really disliked the people who ran the place. Greed pigs, weirdos and drug addicts. The owner of the land was a super old man that had no idea what was going on in there. He got really taken advantage of.

Besides Maryland Deathfest, what do you consider unique or special about our area’s metal scene?

Virginia, Maryland and D.C.’s metal scene in its heyday (1989 to 1995) was special—lots of unity and support. I know Deceased pretty much was ground floor in helping to build it, and I know I booked at least 100 shows wherever they’d have our madness. It slowly became a bit confused and people grew up and out of it, or life came a-calling and babies, marriage and work kinda grabbed them and pulled them into the clutches of reality.

I no longer live in Virginia, but when I return and do shows I see some old faces who have now done the 20-year cycle and been around the block so to speak. But it seems a bit different now. The passion isn’t as strong in a lot of people. Bands are more standoffish. But it is what it is. Thirty years doing this, I’ve seen a lot, and all you can do is march on.

“I really disliked the people who ran [Wilmer’s Park]. Greed pigs, weirdos and drug addicts.”

When did you move out of Virginia, and whereabouts are you now?

I moved to Pennsylvania in 2006, up in the Plymouth Meeting area. It’s easy-going and laid-back. Virginia, to me, got too overpopulated with snobbish yuppie types, and things suddenly cost a zillion dollars. Traffic was at a standstill too often. Most of my fellow Virginia friends moved away for similar reasons.

What are some D.C.-area bands that you’re really into—current or past?

Early Bad Brains is all I can really think of that is actually D.C.-based that I dig the hell out of. Biovore is right outside D.C. too. Love that stuff.

From the audience perspective, October 31 brings a unique flair: Out of all the bands I’ve seen over the years, you’re the only band that’s ever thrown candy into the crowd. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done at a show?

We’ve done some crazy stuff. One time, I tried to bring shots of liquor on stage for everyone and was gonna pass ’em out to anyone in the room. But the owner stopped me midway to the stage, screaming. It was a wild idea. All-ages show! Haha. I go out during an instrumental jam and headbang front row with the crowd, which scares them a little and confuses them because 10 seconds earlier I was in their face on stage. We bring out empty poster board, and I’ll spray paint stuff that seems viable during a concert on them that everyone would “get” as a fun crack or silly moment. [Once,] I wrote “heavy metal” on my butt cheeks and mooned the crowd during the finale with that. We are working on a Dave Mustaine piñata that we will hit during show and his stupid quotes will pop out of [it].

Do you do music full-time, or do you have a day job?

I do it all the time. And no, it doesn’t pay the bills. I have a distro company that helps, and I have a record label that kinda helps, and I take little jobs here and there to make ends meet. I love to keep moving. Work work work. But not building houses or making cars. Building music and having time to record and gig for it.

“Virginia, to me, got too overpopulated with snobbish yuppie types, and things suddenly cost a zillion dollars.”

How long have you been a full-time musician?

I gave my life to music. I don’t have expensive cars or collect watches, but I have a healthy environment, answer to my own whistle and bother no one. I pay my bills and keep my family fed and in safe quarters. That’s all that matters to me.

Lots of metal fans and bands are also horror fans, but your collection is rumored to be incredible—which won’t surprise anyone who listens to Deceased’s horror-themed lyrics. Any all-time favorites or recent new discoveries?

I love horror films. All my extra money goes there. I’ve been collecting since I was 13 and I’m now 46. [I’ve] been through VHS onto DVD and so on. [I] love so many movies for so many reasons. Some all-time faves are Phantasm, The Exorcist, Burnt Offerings, Black Christmas and Night of the Living Dead. And more modern titles are still fine by me, from the fantastic The Blair Witch Project down to lesser-known titles like Lovely Molly and Lake Mungo. I love them for many reasons. A good scare goes a long way.

You’ve been a horror fan for decades, obviously before the Internet was around. How has the Internet changed how you discover or connect with films?

You can get a lot of details [now]. You can track down directors and actors, [and] you can also find rare movies, ’cause somewhere, someone has it. I’ve helped a lot of folks to discover rare “gems” too. It feels good to contribute to others.

You’ve been known to come out and sing a cover song with opening bands you play with—how often do you do that? Is that planned or rehearsed in advance? And you don’t have to give too much away if you don’t want to, but are you planning on collaborating with any of the other bands on the bill at The Pinch show this weekend?

It happens from time to time, always on the spot. It’s just for fun and [expletive] and giggles. Nothing planned for the Pinch gig, but you never know.

October 31 plays Saturday at The Pinch with Metanium, Cladonia Rangiferina and Drunken Master.

A Sound of Thunder, MindMaze, Iris Divine, and Metanium
Friday, June 6 at the Pinch, $10

Local power-metal quartet A Sound of Thunder doesn’t often play within D.C.’s borders, so this is a rare chance for Metro-dependent fans to catch its crazy guitar riffs and thunderous lead vocals live. ASOT is one of the more prolific local metal acts, having released an album each of the last three years, with another one due out this year, so it’s always adding new tunes to its set. Joining A Sound of Thunder are the Pennsylvania power metal band MindMaze, local progsters Iris Divine and Metanium. (CPL)

Janka Nabay and The Bubu Gang
Friday, June 6 at Tropicalia, $10 to $13

Janka Nabay and The Bubu Gang’s En Yay Sah was one of the most exciting D.C.-affiliated albums to come out in 2012. Around the time of its release, Nabay—originally from Sierra Leone—was working here, on Fojol Bros. food trucks. His band was also one of the first acts to play Tropicalia when the club opened in the fall of 2012. Nabay hasn’t released much new music since that fine LP, but the speedy sound of his very own bubu genre hasn’t aged whatsoever since he first brought it to D.C. listeners’ attention. (Ally Schweitzer)

Nothing, Superheaven, Myrrh Myrrh
Saturday, June 7 at DC9, $14

Philadelphia’s Nothing features a Dominic Palermo from the hardcore band Horror Show, but this new project has far more of a shoegaze sound than a punk one. It’s not a surprise that Palermo has left his aggressive side behind: After a 2002 knife fight, Palermo spent two years in prison for assault and attempted murder, eventually starting the Nothing project in 2011. It’s a good transition: Nothing’s debut, Guilty of Everything, is reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine with its distortion and indistinguishable vocals. Nothing will be joined by Pennsylvania rock band Superheaven and local newcomers Myrrh Myrrh. (CPL)

Typefighter
Saturday, June 7 at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, free

The Kennedy Center has a free show every day at 6 p.m. as part of its Millennium Stage series, and once in a while, they team up with local promoter Listen Local First to bring D.C. artists to the stage. This month’s LLF show features D.C. garage-pop quartet Typefighter, who will certainly be playing a lot from its new album, The End of Everything. (CPL)

Babe Rainbow and Rich Morel’s Hot Sauce
Saturday, June 7 at the Black Cat (backstage and mainstage), $10

It’s Capital Pride week, and there are events all over the city. During the day on Saturday, dance the day away to the sounds of Rita Ora, Betty Who, DJ Cassidy, Bonnie McKee, and Karmin. At night, move the party up to U Street, where DJs are taking over the entire Black Cat: downstairs, you can boogie to the Rich Morel half of Blowoff, and upstairs you can blow off steam to a whole cadre of DJs that you’ve heard at Gay/Bash, Cobalt, and BearZerk. (CPL)

Deafheaven, Pallbearer, Wreck & Reference
Tuesday, June 10 at Rock & Roll Hotel, $15

With the release of Sunbather last year, Deafheaven eclipsed Liturgy as the most buzzed-about hipster black-metal band. This isn’t trve black metal, though: imagine shoegazer instrumentals with black-metal vocals on top, and you’ll get a pretty good picture of how Deafheaven sounds. Opener Pallbearer is a fantastic doom band from Little Rock, Arkansas, and the first band of the night is California’s Wreck & Reference. (CPL)

Other notable shows:

Beautiful Swimmers, Sami Y. and Jane Junior at Lost Society (Thursday); Feedel Band at Bossa (Thursday); Pharoah Sanders at Blues Alley (Thursday through Sunday); Spoonboy, Colour Me Wednesday, and The Goodbye Party at DC9 (Friday); The Men, Heavy Breathing, and Passing Phases at Rock & Roll Hotel (Saturday); Future at Fillmore Silver Spring (Sunday); Ratking, Show Me the Body, Sir E.U at DC9 (Tuesday); Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 at Howard Theatre (Wednesday).

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.

Channels, Soccer Team, Bells≥
Friday, May 30 at Rock & Roll Hotel, $12

Baltimore rock band Channels features J. Robbins (from Jawbox and Burning Airlines) alongside bassist Janet Morgan and drummer Darren Zentek of Kerosene 454. Their recorded output in their 10-year career has been relatively minimal (one album and one EP), and their live shows seem even more rare, so this is an excellent chance to check out these almost-locals. They’ll be joined by D.C. rockers Soccer Team and Brooklyn instrumental band Bells≥. (Catherine P. Lewis)

Foul Swoops, Nic Fits, Anchor 3, and Luke Reddick
Friday, May 30 at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, $5 to $10

St. Stephen’s doesn’t host benefit shows as often as it used to, but it’s back at it this weekend with an all-local lineup that will benefit UNICEF’s work to help Syrian children. The show features Arlington rockers Foul Swoops, D.C. punkers Nic Fits, D.C. indie-pop band Anchor 3, and Alexandria’s Luke Reddick (of Dudes). (CPL)

Eels and Chelsea Wolfe
Saturday, May 31 at Lincoln Theatre, $35

This is Chelsea Wolfe’s “acoustic with strings” tour leg, which I hope means the gothic-folk/rock artist plans to perform a whole set of gorgeous tunes like this special version of one of her best songs to date, “Flatlands.” Wolfe’s last album, the synth-infused Pain Is Beauty, had plenty of memorable moments (especially the thunderous “We Hit A Wall“), but I always return to the seething, lower-key Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs. Here’s hoping Saturday’s show (with headliner Eels) coaxes out more of that understated beauty. (Ally Schweitzer)

Outputmessage, Paperhaus, and The Effects
Saturday, May 31 at 945 Florida Ave. NW, free

A solid lineup of local performers, free admission, and dogs? I can’t think of many reasons to miss this show, co-presented by DCist.com, which takes place Saturday in the parking lot that formally hosted District Flea. Electronic wizard Outputmessage and indie-rock mainstays Paperhaus top the bill, but new band The Effects is worth an ear, too, featuring members of Medications, Buildings, and Deleted Scenes. The dogs come courtesy of Metro Mutts, which hosts a “Canines and Cocktails” happy hour before the show. (AS)

Priests, The Shondes, and Pinkwash
Monday, June 2 at Black Cat Backstage, $10

Local punk band Priests isn’t one for social media, but it’s all over the press, both locally (on Bandwidth and in the pages of Washington City Paper and the Washington Post) and nationally. The group finally drops its debut EP Tuesday—a step up from its previous cassette releases—but its DIY ethos still rages on. Opening group The Shondes joined this lineup after being booted from the Washington Jewish Music Festival because of their support of Palestine. (CPL)

Also recommended this week:
Internationally Known Global Hip-Hop Showcase at Tropicalia (Friday); Drop Electric, The Walking Sticks, and The Raised By Wolves at the Howard Theatre (Friday); Janel Leppin’s Volcanic Ash at Twins Jazz (Friday and Saturday); Queering Sound at Pyramid Atlantic (Saturday); The Menzingers, Lemuria, Pup, and Cayetana at Rock & Roll Hotel (Sunday); Br’er, Wei Zhongle, Three Brained Robot at the Paperhaus (Monday); Louis Weeks at Anacostia Arts Center (Wednesday).

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.

Trans Am and Heavy Breathing
Thursday, May 22 at the Black Cat Backstage, $10

Trans Am isn’t based in D.C. anymore, but it will always be a D.C. band: the Bethesda-born post-rock trio has been steadily releasing albums on Thrill Jockey since 1996 despite its members now being scattered across the country (guitarist Phil Manley is a recording engineer in San Francisco, and drummer Sebastian Thomson joined the progressive metal band Baroness last year). The group’s latest (and 10th overall), Volume X, continues the group’s heavy electro-rock tradition with a dash of thrash (!) and some bizarre vocoded vocals. Opening band Heavy Breathing will set the energy bar high, so come ready to move.

Ayman Fanous and Jason Kao Hwang, Jaimie Branch, Nine Strings
Thursday, May 22 at Back Alley Theater, $10

Get your experimental/improvisational fix here: This is the CD-release show for Egyptian guitarist/bouzouki player Ayman Fanous and violinist/violist Jason Kao Hwan, who have just released their first album together, Zilzal (the Arabic word for “earthquake”). Also performing is trumpeter Jaimie Branch and a double bass/cello duo called Nine Strings.

Fu Manchu, Electric Citizen, Borracho
Friday, May 23 at Rock & Roll Hotel, $15

Most of the area’s metalheads will be in Baltimore this weekend for Maryland Deathfest, but those who stay in town will find their way out to this heavy show, featuring SoCal stoner-rock band Fu Manchu. On its last two trips through D.C., the band played two of its older albums in their entirety, but since they’ve just released a new album (Gigantoid), this show will likely (finally!) feature some new Fu tunes. Opening the show will be Ohio’s Electric Citizen and local stoner band Borracho.

TEEN and The Sea Life (Update: This show has been canceled.)
Saturday, May 24 at the U Street Music Hall, $15

When Kristina Lieberson (aka “Teeny”) left the Brooklyn indie-rock band Here We Go Magic, she teamed up with her sisters Katherine (drums) and Lizzy (keys) and unrelated bass player Boshra AlSaadi to form the R&B-laced alterna-rock band TEEN. Not to be confused with that other four-letter band featuring sisters (the one with the bass face), TEEN’s new album The Way and Color is synth-driven and saturated with vocals from all four of the group’s members. Local indie-rock band The Sea Life will open.

Estonia in Concert: The Music of Arvo Pärt
Tuesday, May 27 at the Kennedy Center, free

This show is a rare opportunity to see legendary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt in person and hear some of his best works performed—for free. His intimate show at the Phillips Collection on May 29 has been sold out for months, but the Kennedy Center is hosting this Estonia In Concert event, featuring the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, with a repertoire hand-selected by Pärt scholars at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. The President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik, will also be in attendance. The performance is free, and tickets will be distributed at the Kennedy Center beginning at 4:30 p.m., so queue up early. If you’re interested in learning even more, there’s an Arvo Pärt panel discussion at George Washington University on Wednesday.

Wild Luck, ShowPony, Penguin Gentry
Wednesday, May 28 at DC9, $8

Wild Luck is a new D.C. post-rock instrumental band, very much in the vein of Explosions in the Sky or Drop Electric’s instrumental work. This will be their first live performance, following an EP that they released last December. They’ll be joined by math-rock group ShowPony and funk/rock/jam/fusion band Penguin Gentry.

 Also recommended this week:

The Sun Ra 100th Birthday Celebration at Bohemian Caverns (Thursday); Deleted Scenes, Celestial Shore, and Laughing Man at Rock & Roll Hotel (Thursday); Mobb Deep at Howard Theatre (Friday); The Great Noise Ensemble at Atlas Performing Arts Center (Friday); Oumar Konate at Tropicalia (Friday); The Caribbean, Nice Breeze, Marriage Blanc at Velvet Lounge (Saturday); The Flatmates, Foul Swoops, Expert Alterations, and DJ Archie Moore at Comet Ping Pong (Tuesday); Teen Mom, Minka at Black Cat Backstage (Wednesday).

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.

I Dream Of Wires
Thursday, May 15 at Goethe-Institut, $8 to $12

This isn’t actually a concert, but tonight’s showing of the documentary I Dream Of Wires (7 p.m.) is a must-do for followers of electronic music—or really any music that’s been shaped by synthesized sounds. Showing as part of the ongoing Forward Festival, I Dream Of Wires examines the development and influence of the modular synthesizer, one of last century’s most important and lasting musical innovations. Trent Reznor, Morton Subotnick, Gary Numan, and Carl Craig are just a few of the film’s key talking heads. After the doc, stop by Flash to check out an extended techno set from Daniel Bell, who’s also performing as part of Forward. The fest goes through the weekend. Check out its complete schedule at forwarddc.com. (Ally Schweitzer)

Panda Bear, Regal Degal, Geologist
Friday, May 16 at 9:30 Club, $25

Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) is the most prolific solo member of Animal Collective, having released four solo albums since the late 1990s. Truthfully, his career might have peaked in 2007 with the release of Person Pitch, which landed on several Top 10 lists thanks to the catchy haze of its single “Bros.” Still, Lennox promises a new solo album this year, with the ominous title Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. The Los Angeles psych-rock band Regal Degal opens this show, and fellow Animal Collective member Geologist is on tap to DJ. (Catherine P. Lewis)

Los Master Plus, G-Flux, The Empresarios
Friday, May 16 at Artisphere, $12

Called the “new kings of cumbiatronica,” Mexico’s Los Master Plus may be better known for their silly YouTube videos. It’s hard to tell where the charismatic, funny duo draws the line between sincerity and absurdity, but somewhere in their comic routine, there’s a jab at machismo and the masculine ideal. When they come to town this weekend, their show at Artisphere will feature D.C.’s Empresarios and local space-cumbia producer G-Flux. (AS)

Titus Andronicus, Baked
Friday, May 16 at Black Cat, $15

Titus Andronicus is a New Jersey indie-rock band that puts on an intense live show—and if you don’t believe my word on that, then check out this report, published last year, of every single D.C. show the band has played since 2008. When Titus Andronicus plays live, expect the whole crowd to be jumping so vigorously that the entire building will either levitate or implode into itself, creating a Titus Andronicus-shaped black hole. Opening the show is Brooklyn rock band Baked. (CPL)

Franz Nicolay, Louis Weeks, Sean Barna, The Room Outside
Friday, May 16 at The Alamo, by donation

This show is a rare opportunity to see Franz Nicolay in a DIY space; his last few times through town, he’s played more-traditional spots like Black Cat and Galaxy Hut. The punk-rock musician is known for his time in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and The Hold Steady, but he also has a lengthy discography under his own name and with the composer/performer collective he founded called Anti-Social Music. Rounding out this show are D.C. songwriters Louis Weeks and Sean Barna, plus the New Mexico alterna-folk trio The Room Outside. (CPL)

Chain and the Gang, The Ar-Kaiks
Saturday, May 17 at DC9, $10

What’s left to say about D.C. songwriter, frontman, filmmaker, tongue-in-cheek intellectual, fashion plate, Instagram expert, and provocateur Ian Svenonius? The Washington Post recently deemed him the most interesting man in rock ‘n’ roll, and around these parts, he’s earned the title. His band Chain and the Gang—usually stacked with a rotating cast of promising young musicians—just released its fourth LP. The group’s Saturday show with Richmond’s The Ar-Kaiks promises to be part victory lap, part performance-art project, and part comic routine—just like always, and just how we like it. (AS)

Highasakite and Faces On Film
Sunday, May 18 at Black Cat Backstage, $12

Admittedly, most of the Norwegian acts I follow are metal bands, but Highasakite is a bright and bouncy exception. The indie-pop quintet gained a nod of approval from both tastemakers Pitchfork and Bon Iver at the 2012 Øya Festival, but the group’s newest album Silent Treatment shows that it’s not just a buzz band with no substance. There’s plenty of nuance in the band’s instrumental textures, but the real spotlight is on frontwoman Ingrid Helene Håvik, whose pronunciation adds to the band’s captivating feel—and who can somehow make the words “Darth Vader” sound both charming and seductive. Opening the show is Boston’s Faces On Film. (CPL)

Alice Despard Group: Farewell D.C. show with Marshall Keith and Sri Baba Marley Jones
Sunday, May 18 at Galaxy Hut, $5

Clarendon hasn’t always looked as trendy as it does now, but it’s (almost) always had the Galaxy Hut, the dive bar and local music venue that opened there in 1990. Singer-songwriter Alice Despard operated the space until 2005, when she sold it to longtime bartender (and half of the duo Aerialist) Lary Hoffman. Despard and her husband are now moving out of the area, so it’s fitting for her to say farewell to D.C. in the bar where she booked bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Low for all those years. (CPL)

Solstafir and Junius
Monday, May 19 at Empire, $12 to $15

Quick, name a band from Iceland besides Sigur Ros and The Sugarcubes. Stumped? Check out Solstafir to broaden your Icelandic horizons: The Reykjavik-based folk/progressive metal band is in the U.S. for a brief tour leading up to next weekend’s Maryland Deathfest. They’ll be joined on tour by Boston post-rock band Junius, who doesn’t hide its love for the Cure. (CPL)

Unholy Grave, War Master, D.O.C., Bestial Evil
Wednesday, May 21 at Union Arts, $10

This show’s Facebook event page isn’t kidding with the advertisement: “fast bands, over quickly!” These grindcore bands will fly through their sets, so don’t show up on punk time or you just might miss longstanding Japanese grind band Unholy Grave, who formed in the early 1990s but hasn’t been to D.C. in almost a decade. (They’ve kept busy, though, if their lengthy list of split 7-inches is any indication). They’ll be performing with the Bolt Thrower-influenced Texas band War Master, D.C. grindcore band D.O.C., and new Baltimore death/thrash band Bestial Evil. (CPL)

Also recommended this week:

The Chuck Brown Band at Howard Theatre (Friday); DTMD and Redline Graffiti: Luce Unplugged at the American Art Museum (Friday); Melanie Fiona and Black Alley at Howard Theatre (Sunday); Deer Tick at Black Cat (Tuesday [sold out] and Wednesday).

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.

Redline Graffiti
Friday, May 9 at the Hill Center, $10 to $15

Washington Post pop-music critic Chris Richards has an ongoing series at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital called District Sounds, featuring an interview and performance with a local band. May’s installment features electro-rock quartet Redline Graffiti, a chillwave-influenced electronica project that just released a new EP, The Drill. (Catherine P. Lewis)

The Haxan Cloak
Friday, May 9 at U Street Music Hall, $15

I don’t tend to associate Friday nights with cavernous dronescapes, but that’s what’s in store for attendees at tomorrow night’s Haxan Cloak show at U Street Music Hall. U.K.-based artist Bobby Krlic is behind the moniker, and last year released Excavation, the latest LP from his blackened drone project. There’s little glee to be found on the record; on the contrary, it produces an enveloping feeling of loss and helplessness, with moments of heinous beauty. In the right state of mind, The Haxan Cloak can be, somehow, cleansing. (Ally Schweitzer)

Side Yards at the Yards: U.S. Royalty, Shark Week, Drop Electric
Saturday, May 10 at the Yards, free

Sometimes music alone isn’t enough, and the evening party Side Yards at the Yards has you covered: In addition to the Bluejacket beer garden, there will be three stages of sideshow performers, from contortionists and jugglers to fire breathers and sword swallowers. If all that is too boring, then there are still three local rock bands performing: U.S. Royalty, Shark Week and Drop Electric. (CPL)

Protect-U, Peaking Lights Sound System, Maxmillion Dunbar
Saturday, May 10 at Comet Ping Pong, $12

I won’t write anything fawning about two of the acts on this bill—having been friends with them for years—but I will say that this is a record-release show for (my pals) Protect-U, a local electronic duo that tends to play partially improvised, exploratory sets with an ear for abstract house and techno. Joining them is DJ and producer Maxmillion Dunbar (another pal), as well as (not a pal) Aaron Coyes from the great dubby twosome Peaking Lights, whose gorgeous song “Beautiful Son” (from 2012’s Lucifer) still ranks among the best of label Mexican Summer. (AS)

Young Rapids, Big Hush, The Sea Life, The Effects
Saturday, May 10 at Rock & Roll Hotel, $12

D.C. alt-rock band Young Rapids has been a staple of the local music scene for the past few years, performing all around town at venues ranging from the Paperhaus and the Dunes to Comet Ping Pong and the 9:30 Club. But this will be that group’s final show. For this finale, they’ve put together a solid lineup of other great local rock: Big Hush, The Sea Life, and the debut of The Effects (featuring Devin Ocampo from Medications, Matt Dowling from Deleted Scenes and David Rich from Buildings). (CPL)

Cognitive, Palkoski, Existentium
Sunday, May 11 at the Lab, $8 to $10

If you’re taking your mom out to celebrate Mother’s Day, it should probably not be to this show, unless she’s a big death-metal fan: Cognitive is a relatively new tech-death-metal band from New Jersey with a new full-length album out this year. They’ll be joined by two solid locals: grindcore band Palkoski and Baltimore death metal band Existentium. Bring earplugs, but leave the booze at home—the Lab is a dry DIY space. (CPL)

Maimouna Youssef
Wednesday, May 14 at Howard Theatre, $13 to $17.50

Local singer and rapper Maimouna Youssef has been on a roll lately, flipping radio-pop tunes into sharp social commentary. Her new track “Student Loans”—premiered today on this website—transforms Rihanna’s far-from-transgressive hit “Pour It Up” into a critical track about crushing debt. Her new project comes out next Tuesday, and the following night, she plays a release show at Howard Theatre. (AS)

Listen to “Student Loans” here.

Amen Dunes and Amos Piper
Wednesday, May 14 at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, $10 to $12

There’s a lot to love on Love, the forthcoming album (now streaming at Pitchfork) from psych-folk artist Amen Dunes (Damon McMahon). My favorite cut is “Lilac In Hand,” a simple, hypnotic tune from the experiment-prone songwriter who almost quit making music entirely. Give it a listen and you may be thankful he didn’t put down his guitar. (AS)

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.

Megafaun and Grandma Sparrow
Thursday, May 1 at DC9, $14

Before Justin Vernon recorded as Bon Iver, he was in a Wisconsin indie-rock band called DeYarmond Edison. Vernon’s three former DeYarmond Edison bandmates, now based in Durham, North Carolina, are the psychedelic rock band Megafaun. Merging vocals reminiscent of Fleet Foxes with off-kilter instrumentation and a lo-fi aesthetic, the trio might not be quite as famous as their former bandmate, but Megafaun’s folk/post-rock style is well worth hearing. Opening the show is the psychedelic Grandma Sparrow.

Nakatani Gong Orchestra
Friday, May 2 at tBack Alley Theater, $12

Friday, acoustic sound artist Tatsuya Nakatani leads a group of 11 local musicians in a large gong ensemble. These instruments, both bowed and struck with mallets, produce a sound both melodic and percussive; Nakatani’s last visit to D.C. saw him performing at the Kennedy Center, so the DIY feel of the Back Alley Theater will give this ensemble quite a different feel. Preceding the ensemble performance, Nakatani will perform a solo percussion set.

The Whigs and Nikki Lane
Friday, May 2 at Rock & Roll Hotel, $15

Athens-based garage rock band The Whigs blend their noisy riffs with some serious pop-influenced hooks—not surprising influences for a band that’s toured with acts ranging from Kings of Leon to Band of Skulls. The fuzz and distortion that permeates their music is perfect for a sweaty Friday night. Opener Nikki Lane has a distinct country point of view; her sassy twang is reminiscent of early Neko Case.

The Funk Parade
Saturday, May 3 on U Street NW; free

Coordinated by the folks behind Listen Local First, the inaugural Funk Parade is an all-day street festival with a participatory parade (from their web site: “Get up, get into it, get involved!”), dance performances and workshops. At night, the funk moves into many of U Street’s top music venues—DC9, Tropicalia,  U Street Music Hall, Patty Boom Boom, and Twins Jazz, among others—with free-admission performances by performers including Cheick Hamala Diabate, Elikeh, and Sugar Bear and EU.

Kohoutek, Taiwan Housing Project, Tulsa
Sunday, May 4 at Velvet Lounge, $8

Kohoutek used to be a D.C.-based band, and the group’s drummer, Scott Verrastro, regularly put on DIY shows at his home on Florida Avenue NW. Those days have passed now that Verrastro has moved to Philadelphia, so Kohoutek’s improvised psych-noise shows in the District are a much rarer occurrence than they used to be. Verrastro still knows how to put together a killer lineup, though: joining Kohoutek are Taiwan Housing Project (a collaboration between Kilynn Lunsford of Little Claw and Mark Feehan of Harry Pussy) and Tulsa, a band featuring members of the psych-shoegaze band Dark Sea Dream.

Jessy Lanza, Ricky Eat Acid
Monday, May 5 at Black Cat Backstage, $12

This week Stereogum declared that R&B-tinged electronic music—inescapable for the last three years—had reached its saturation point. I can’t disagree, but I’m not quite ready to take Jessy Lanza’s electronic-meets-R&B album “Pull My Hair Back” out of my headphones. The whispery Canadian vocalist and producer is too good at earworms. A live video she recently recorded for KCRW is entrancing, particularly her deft performance of “Keep Moving,” a highlight from “Pull My Hair Back” (and my running playlist). Monday night, she’s supported by College Park, Maryland’s own Ricky Eat Acid. (Ally Schweitzer)

Also recommended this week:
Heavy Metal Night at Port City Brewing and Foul Swoops, Flesh Panthers, and Neonates at The Dougout (tonight); Typefighter, Shark Week, Sunset Guns, and Teen Mom at Rock & Roll Hotel (Saturday); A Minor Forest and Two Inch Astronaut at DC9 (Sunday); The Dead Women and Nice Breeze at Galaxy Hut (Monday).

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.

Acid Mothers Temple and Perhaps
Thursday, April 24 at DC9, $10

Acid Mothers Temple is a Japanese psychedelic band formed in 1995 whose lineup—beyond core guitarist Kawabata Makoto—changes regularly. In the studio, the band seems to don a new name for every slight lineup shift (Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Acid Mothers Guru Guru Gong, Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic Inferno, and so on); live, they perform just as “Acid Mothers Temple.” They’ll be joined by Boston’s experimental collective Perhaps.

Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks, Dustin Wong, Co La, Geologist
Friday, April 25 at U Street Music Hall (early), $15

Don’t be fooled by the name: Animal Collective’s Avey Tare isn’t writing horror soundtracks with his new project Slasher Flicks. The group (a collaboration with Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors and Ponytail’s Jeremy Hyman) bears a strong resemblance to Animal Collective—albeit a little more stripped down—and with AC’s Geologist DJing, it might just feel like a mini-Animal Collective show. Also performing are Ponytail’s Dustin Wong (watch our recent video of his show at Black Cat) and Baltimore’s Co La.

Lo-Fang, Kate Berlant
Saturday, April 26 at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, $15-$18

A former D.C.-area resident, Lo-Fang‘s mastermind Matthew Hemerlein now lives in Los Angeles—and just wrapped up a tour opening for Lorde. He’s swinging back through town on his own headlining tour in celebration of his debut album, “Blue Film.” Hemerlein is classically trained and performed all the instruments on his album, switching seamlessly from cello to piano to banjo, all while singing in a soft voice reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens. Opening this show is not another reformed folkie, but instead a comedian: Kate Berlant.

They Might Be Giants
Saturday, April 26 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center, free (two shows: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.)

For those who think that a science and engineering festival might be a little dry, They Might Be Giants is here to spice things up. Seriously: The alternative band (who often dabbles in children’s music) is performing two shows at the USA Science & Engineering Festival this Saturday, and since the entire event is free, these shows are, too. Come for the tunes, and then poke around the fest for a little math and science learning—everything from hands-on experiments to a lecture by Hollywood stuntman Steve Wolf.

Woods, Quilt
Saturday, April 26 at the Rock & Roll Hotel, $12

Brooklyn’s Woods are an experimental indie-folk outfit that bury beautiful, catchy melodies beneath their noisy instrumental effects. If this is what campfire music sounds like for the hipster crowd, then a weekend in a tent without running water wouldn’t be so bad. Woods is performing with Boston experimental indie-folk band Quilt, which formed when its members were students at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.