Drummer Scott Verrastro—who used to book the venue—is helping organize the event on Friday. “As Chris would have preferred, we’re going to have a big ol’ rock ‘n’ roll blowout to commemorate his life,” Verrastro writes in an email.

Verrastro and Grier played Velvet Lounge dozens of times starting in 2007, Verrastro writes. They teamed up in the ensembles Thee Ultimate Vag and Kohoutek. Grier also played for four years with the experimental collective To Live And Shave In L.A., often alongside Andrew W.K. and Thurston Moore.

W.K. wrote this heartfelt statement after Grier’s death:

When I first met Chris, it was on tour with To Live and Shave In LA. I was playing keyboard in the band and all I was told was that Chris was a newspaper writer from Washington D.C. who would also be performing with us. I guess I was kind of wary and shy of him at first. I somehow thought I wouldn’t get along with him. Turned out he was one of the most sincere, earnest, and devoted musicians I would ever have the privilege of playing with. He was a deeply great guitar player—an extremely advanced and attuned musician. He was great in that unassuming way that reveals itself from the inside out—from the sound of his playing, from the way it felt to hear his sound.

In the best way, all Chris really cared about was music. Probably one of only a handful of people who really lived their life for music and was brave enough to pursue it. And he pulled it off! He was playing constantly. He made big moves and sacrificed a lot to play music as much as he possibly could, often against the odds, and often due to his sheer tenacity and undeniable ability. When people ask what it means to be a successful musician, Chris really defines it for me—to play as much music as you can and with everything you have.

Kohoutek, Max Ochs, Rat Bastard, Insect Factory and Layne Garrett are scheduled to perform at the event Friday. Verrastro says donations can be made to the Chris Grier Memorial Music Fund, which will help pay for music supplies and instruments for students in the Charles County public schools system. (“Stooges records accepted as well,” he adds.)

“If you knew Chris or were inspired by his art, please attend and share stories, laughs and memories,” Verrastro writes. “There are many.”

The Chris Grier Memorial concert takes place 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29 at Velvet Lounge. Admission $8. Donations to the memorial fund can be sent to Chris Grier Memorial Music Fund, Charles County Public Schools, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD, 20646. 

Top photo via the memorial’s Facebook event page; lower photo by Ally Schweitzer

Jowe Head and The Fleeting Glimpses, Foul Swoops, Luke Reddick, and DJ Paul Krolian
Thursday, April 17 at CD Cellar, by donation

British musician Jowe Head is best known for his time in the Brit noise-pop band Swell Maps in the 1970s and then the indie-pop band Television Personalities in the 1980s. He’ll be opening for the legendary Loop in Baltimore Friday night, but we’re exceedingly lucky to have him play a special D.C.-area show on Thursday night with a backing band of D.C. musicians called The Fleeting Glimpses, featuring members of The Plums, Harness Flux, and America Hearts. Joining Jowe Head at this show are the energetic Foul Swoops and Luke Reddick from Dudes and Post-Nasal Drip.

Kill Lincoln, Boardroom Heroes, Still Alive, Collapser
Friday, April 18 at Rock & Roll Hotel, $12

Ska-punk band Kill Lincoln certainly keeps busy: the local septet plays regularly around town, and this show is the kickoff for a national tour. They promise to play a bunch of new songs at this show, where they’ll play alongside D.C. pop-punk band Boardroom Heroes, Chicago ska band Still Alive, and local punks Collapser.

Warning: This song includes explicit lyrics.

Black Panties, The Sniffs, Radiator Greys
Friday, April 18 at the Pinch, $7

It’s always fun to see a show at a dive bar with good food: wander upstairs between bands for the Pinch’s famous duck fries and a beer. Head downstairs to see St. Louis garage-punkers Black Panties, D.C. pop-punk band The Sniffs, and Radiator Greys, atmospheric noise from Select DC’s Josh Levi.

Warning: This song includes explicit lyrics.

Broccoli City Festival
Saturday, April 19 at St. Elizabeths Gateway Pavilion, $29 to $45

I’m not clear on why chicken and waffles and lobster rolls are being sold at a festival that’s supposed to be about healthy living, but setting that aside, the ostensibly eco-friendly fest Broccoli City is a fine place to catch big names in hip-hop (including Cam’ron, whose trip to D.C. will hopefully go better than his time here in 2005, when he was shot three times) alongside up-and-coming acts with local roots, like R&B artist Kelela and Virginia MC GoldLink. Go for the fresh rhymes, stay for the fresh juices. (Ally Schweitzer)

Cloud Cult
Saturday, April 19 at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, $18 to $20

Experimental indie rockers Cloud Cult hail from Duluth, Minn. (fun fact: also the birthplace of Bob Dylan and the home of slo-core rockers Low). The eight-member band features string players, horn players, and a visual artist (!), and this “An Evening with…” show will feature two full sets of the band’s music, one acoustic and one electric—so expect a wide breadth of songs from the group’s two-decade career.

Andrew W.K., Adam Warrock, Rare Candy
Saturday, April 19 at Black Cat, $20

D.C.’s new comic-con Awesome Con is this weekend, but you don’t have to be into comics to enjoy this after-show, featuring performances by Andrew W.K., “overly enthusiastic hip-hop” artist Adam WarRock, and Baltimore’s synth-rock video-game tribute band Rare Candy. Note that AWK will also be giving a lecture at the Con, as well as signing autographs—hopefully slightly more engaging than his last area appearance, when he DJed rock songs before Black Sabbath’s show last summer.

The Pietasters, Caz and the Day Laborers
Saturday, April 19 at DC Brau, $12

Shows at bars can be great, but a show at a brewery means you’re getting beer right from the source. DC Brau celebrated its third anniversary this week, and the party continues with a performance by D.C. ska band The Pietasters and rocksteady group Caz and the Day Laborers. Last year, the Brau collaborated with Colorado’s Ska Brewing on a Pietasters beer called the Tasters Choice, a coffee doppelbock. DC Brau hasn’t said publicly whether they’ll be brewing more of the Tasters Choice, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they brought out a special batch of it for this show.

Pentagram, Satan’s Satyrs, Coke Bust, Unholy Thoughts
Saturday, April 19 at the Mary Graydon Center at American University, $20

Doom-metal legends Pentagram are playing their first show in the District proper since their infamous 2005 Black Cat show where vocalist Bobby Liebling overdosed backstage and collapsed during the band’s first song. Liebling has appeared to be a little more under control at recent shows (although he does wear some ridiculous shirts on stage). Also performing are the blues-rock inspired Satan’s Satyrs, hardcore punks Coke Bust, and Richmond’s hardcore Unholy Thoughts. Note that American University is a dry campus, so no drinking or smoking at this show.

Omar S, Chris Burns, R&B
Sunday, April 20 at Dirty Bar, $13 in advance

Detroit producer Omar S has made his FXHE imprint one of the best American dance labels out there, and he’s done that while remaining somewhat isolationist and stubbornly attached to doing things his way. If that state of mind is what keeps producing records as great as 2011’s “It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It“—a killer, if occasionally X-rated encapsulation of his warehouse-ready sound—well, stay grumpy forever, Omar S. (Ally Schweitzer)

These and other show listings can be found on ShowListDC.