Celebrate the first day of the Maya Indie Film Festival tonight at the Landmark E Street Cinema. The six films range from dramas to comedies and feature stars such as Martin Sheen, Jimmy Smits, and Michelle Rodriguez. The Kid: Chamaco; Backyard; Chasing 3000; In Therapy; Tropico de Sangre; and Solo Quiero Caminar play back to back each day. Tonight catch Backyard at 7:30 and The Kid: Chamaco at 9:45. Tickets are $7 for a single movie, $42 for a week pass.

Come support your favorite soccer team for the Street Soccer Championship USA at Kastles Stadium at 11th and H streets, Northwest. Tonight’s the kickoff of the three-day tournament, which features 200 players from 19 cities across the country. The winning men’s and women’s teams will be selected to represent the United States at the Homeless World Cup in Brazil. The DC championship benefits programs targeted at the city’s homeless and impoverished populations. The Parade of States is at 5, opening-round matches at 6; free.

Enjoy a beach night with the Sons of Pirates at the Rio Summer Concert Series. Best known as a Jimmy Buffet tribute band, the group also plays Bob Marley, Kenny Chesney, and Beach Boys tunes. 6 PM; free.

Every Thursday, we find the hottest concerts and let you know when tickets are going on sale in the days ahead so you don’t have to do the work. Read on for this week’s lineup.

The Budweiser Superfest tour rolls into Baltimore with a concert at Pier Six Pavilion on August 31. The R&B roster includes Anthony Hamilton, Kem, Jaheim, and Raheem DeVaughn. Tickets ($52 to $77) go on sale July 30 at 10 AM.

Indie-rock band Of Montreal heads to the 9:30 Club on September 13 and 14. “Tightrope” singer Janelle Monáe joins opens the show both nights. Tickets ($25) went on sale today at 10 AM and are available here.

Latin crooner Marc Anthony stops at the Patriot Center on September 11 with songs from his latest album, Iconos. Tickets ($79 to $129) are available July 30 at 10 AM.

This one is for the kids: Sesame Street Live comes to the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on September 12. The tour’s theme, Elmo’s Healthy Heroes, features health-conscious tunes and the usual furry array of cuddly puppets. Tickets ($13 to $38) go on sale July 30 at 10 AM.

Lots of local running and fitness stores organize free group runs throughout the week. Most of these rain-or-shine affairs are three to six miles long and can accommodate runners of all skill levels. Shops will even provide space to store personal items while you run. Here are some good ones to try.

City Sports
The 19th Street outpost of this chain holds group runs on Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Choose between two running-level groups for the three-to-five-mile run. More information—including a downloadable waiver that you must bring to your first run—is here.

Fleet Feet
This Adams Morgan store offers group runs every Sunday at 9 AM and a women-only run on Wednesday at 6 PM. The three-to-five-mile runs begin at the store on Columbia Road and take runners through Rock Creek Park. Details are here.

Georgetown Running Company
Runners meet Wednesdays at 7 PM and Saturdays at 9 AM outside the M Street store; runs are four to six miles. The Chevy Chase location offers track workouts (weather dependent) at 7 PM on Monday at American University’s outdoor track, located at 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, as well as six-to-seven-mile runs on the Capital Crescent Trail Tuesday and Thursday at 7 PM. Go here for information on Chevy Chase runs and here for Georgetown.

Celebrate 100 years of film in Georgetown with a summer cocktail reception at Tudor Place.  Stroll through the historic mansion and gardens while enjoying drinks and light refreshments, all to the scores from the early days of cinema. And for anyone who needs to rest a drink somewhere, vintage film equipment will be on display. A complimentary ticket to a feature at any AMC theater comes with admission. Tickets are $15 for nonmembers; 5:30 PM.

Stop by Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory Art Center for a night of live jazz with Reverie, a Northern Virginia jazz trio. The group specializes in standards and sees performances as a way to keep early jazz alive—and they’re all members of the Hot Society Orchestra of Washington. The group’s self-titled debut album came out in May. 7 PM; free.

Come for a charity fashion happy hour at Teatro Goldoni to benefit Best Buddies, a nonprofit dedicated to finding friendship, employment, and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. High Life Entertainment, Fresh of Georgetown, 1201 Salon, and other sponsors will be hosting a raffle with prizes including a VIP night out, a private shopping experience with Champagne & Cupcakes at Fresh of Georgetown, and a free membership and training session at Washington Sports Club. Drink specials include $6 martinis and $5 beers and Champagne, plus all-you-can-drink wine specials and free appetizers. 5 PM.

Thursday, July 29
Get your fall jewelry fix tonight at Georgetown’s Puro Cafe. The Wisconsin Avenue coffee shop is hosting Stella & Dot, an online-only brand of adorably versatile jewelry, for a special trunk show. 5:30 to 8:30, with 20 percent of proceeds benefit Fashion Fights Poverty.

Film buffs get a history lesson at Tudor Place on Thursday. In honor of 100 years of film in Georgetown, the neighborhood estate hosts a special exhibition of early-1900s movie scores and antique film equipment. Admission ($15) includes a free movie ticket to any AMC theater. 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Drinks and light refreshments will be served.

Author and Washington Post journalist Dave Kindred discusses his book, Morning Miracle: Inside the Washington Post, at Politics and Prose Thursday. The book details the struggle of the Post—and other newspapers—to survive in the digital age. Free; 7:30.

Hightail it out to Virginia for some good old-fashioned girl power—soul diva Aretha Franklin headlines at Wolf Trap. 8 PM; $25 to $100. Tickets are available here.

Thievery Corporation may best be known for bars and music, but the duo is branching out. Head to the Fridge tonight for the premiere screening of Babylon Central, member Eric Hilton’s first film about a courier/DJ who accidentally gets caught up in a Saudi Arabian attempt to divest from the US dollar. The movie, which dubs DC the “modern-day Babylon,” sure sounds intriguing to us. 7:30; tickets ($8) are available here.

Image courtesy of Jane Carrey

Jane Carrey, who opened last night for acoustic star Mat Kearney at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, has a story that isn’t exactly standard for an up-and-coming singer-songwriter. Sure, it has elements you’ve heard before: She just got her first big break (last night’s performance was part of her first national tour), and she’s getting a taste of life on the road. So far, Carrey has fanned herself in fetid, un-airconditioned dressing rooms, endured 12-hour bus rides, and boozed in grimy dive bars. Pretty normal for someone at the start of a musical career—except that Jane happens to be the daughter of Hollywood megastar Jim Carrey.

Sitting down to talk in a Chinatown coffee shop, Carrey seems bubbly but reserved. Although she bears a striking resemblance to her famous father, Carrey isn’t exactly bouncing off the walls or hamming it up. Despite her comedic genes, she’s focused on songwriting—and being recognized on her own merit. After picking up the guitar at age 14, Carrey found release through music.

Songs on the Jane Carrey Band’s eponymous debut album are soulful and boast a noticeable jazz influence. She cites artists Fiona Apple and Sheryl Crow as inspiration—influences that are clear in songs such as “City Lights” and “Breathing Without You.” Carrey’s strong vocals reveal remarkable control and contain striking emotional depth.

Author and Washington Post journalist Dave Kindred discusses his book Morning Miracle: Inside the Washington Post at Politics and Prose Thursday. The book details newspapers’ struggle for survival in the digital age, framed in local journalism history. Free; 7:30.

House, techno, and disco collide Thursday as a trio of DJs keep the dance floor packed for “Flashing Lights” at U Street Music Hall. $8; 10 PM.

The Made in Hong Kong Film Festival continues at the Freer Gallery with 1978’s The Contract, a classic satire of the entertainment industry by the Hui brothers. Free; Friday 7 PM, Sunday 2 PM.

Curious about contra dance? Learn the ropes at Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom (7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo; 301-634-2222) with a lesson followed by a dance to live music on Friday. And if you decide you’re too clumsy, or simply too darn hot, there are always the rides for alternative entertainment. $9; 7:30.