For our complete guide to events for the week, click here.

Tuesday, July 8
• Where else would you want to be tonight but The Washingtonian’s Best of Washington Party at the National Building Museum? The party, from 7 to 10, will feature food from Washington’s best restaurants and an open bar. Plus you’ll get to rub elbows with your After Hours editors! Catherine promises to act professionally and not drink too much. Yours truly agrees with one of those promises. Tickets will be available at the door.

• If you’re going to miss the Best of Party, it had better be to see music duo No Age at the Rock and Roll Hotel. New Yorker pop-music critic Sasha Frere-Jones has sung the praises of this LA punk-rock duo, comparing the band’s distorted, slightly jarring sound to the likes of My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Tickets are $12; 8:30 PM.

Monday, July 7: Fleet Foxes at the Black Cat
Fleet Foxes, the latest indie buzz band, play harmony-filled folk music, with a baroque sensibility, that sounds like it came straight out of the ’70s. You can hear everything from Appalachian influences to classic rock to even a tinge of Beach Boys in the lush melodies. Check them out tonight at the Black Cat with the Dutchess and the Duke opening.

Tuesday, July 8: The Washingtonian’s Best of Washington Party
It’s finally here! The Washingtonian’s Best of Washington Party, from 7 to 10 PM at the National Building Museum, features food from Washington’s best restaurants, an open bar, and lots of summer fun. Click here for tickets (or buy them Tuesday evening at the door).

Thursday, July 3: If you’ve got the Fourth off, you may want to indulge your patriotism (a.k.a. beer-drinking habits) a bit and celebrate by heading to the Independence Eve Bash at Clarendon Ballroom starting at 6 tonight. There’s all the important ingredients for a good summer-evening bash: a roof deck (but get there early, as that will fill up quickly), live music (cover band Dr. Fu and a few DJs), and drink specials. The cover charge is $5 from 6 to 7 but will go up to $10 afterward and will increase throughout the night.

Another option for those with Friday off: It’s the Midtown Liberty Bar Tour. Twelve downtown-DC bars participate in this crawl that will (a) get you loads of beer at a discount (beer and rail specials for $2 and $3) and (b) let you donate to a local charity (the Manna Food Center). The tour starts at 5; register at Mackey’s for $10 with two cans of food, $13 without. Specials go until midnight.

Tonight, U Street showroom Dekka helps kick off “Independent’s Month” with a fashion show of local designers and a shopping bazaar at the Columbia Heights bistro Rumberos. There’ll be a prix fixe menu, a runway show, art installations, and a big old sale on wares from some Dekka vendors. 8 to 11 PM.

Monday, June 30: Mondays at Fort Reno - Bellman Barker
There’s no better way to spend a summer night than at a free outdoor indie-rock concert Fort Reno Park in DC’s Tenleytown. Tonight’s show will be headlined by Bellman Barker, who play jangly and lovely pop tunes. Shows start around 7:15. If you want more free summer music, check out our guide to free concerts around town.


Tuesday, July 1: Sergio Mendes at Wolf Trap
The Grammy Award-winning superstar singer from Brazil hits the stage at Wolf Trap this evening. Mendes is the man who took bossa nova mainstream in the 1960s, and he’s still got it—his recent album included appearances by Justin Timberlake, John Legend, and more.

Thursday, June 26: Oddball bar Palace of Wonders on H Street, Northeast, is celebrating its second birthday, and you’re invited to a special party before the official festivities Friday and Saturday. Enjoy drink specials and a general carnivallike atmosphere. If you have fun, head back on Friday and Saturday for the official parties.

If you like your theater in easy-to-digest formats, than the Source Festival is the place for you this weekend. The festival, held at the newly renovated space at 14th and T streets, NW, is presenting a slew of ten-minute plays. You heard that right—no play lasts longer than it’d take you to make a Starbucks run. Take your pick—the full schedule is here.

Monday, June 23: First Night of Fort Reno
There’s no better way to kick off the first official week of summer than by heading to the kickoff of Fort Reno, the free outdoor indie-rock concert series (directions here). Tonight’s show will be headlined by Olivia Mancini & the Housemates, who play upbeat pop tunes filled with trumpets, hand claps, and harmonies. Shows start around 7:15. If you want more free summer music, check out our guide to free concerts around town, and the full schedule of Fort Reno.

Tuesday, June 24: Half-Price Belgian Beer
This warm weather got you itching for an outdoor happy hour? Let me recommend an oldie-but-goodie happy hour that’s a favorite for my friends and me: half-price Belgian beers at Bohemian Caverns on U Street. From 6 to 11 PM Tuesdays, the beers include everything from Delirium Tremens to Lucifer to a variety of Chimays. There are bottles and drafts; expect most drinks to run you between $3 and $5 after the discount.

Thursday, June 19: Ooh la la! Bethesda Row boutique Ginger hosts a Paris-themed book party for Kristin Harmel’s latest novel, The Art of French Kissing. It’s the perfect dishy beach read. Pair it with a breezy Christiane Celle Calypso tunic and you’re totally prepped for summer. (Plus, customers get free gift with all Christiane Celle purchases during the party.) RSVP to dcrsvp@thepattongroupinc.com.

Think ‘70s Swedish pop was the best it got? Then you’ll probably be at the 9:30 Club tonight for the Official Abba Celebration Tribute. The fun and campy tribute to the Swedish supergroup will still have you singing along to “Dancing Queen.” $40; 7:30 PM.

Annuals, a six-piece indie-pop outfit from North Carolina, are playing at Iota this evening. We’ve found their lush pop melodies and exuberant songs to be the perfect soundtrack for summer. How can you resist the soaring sounds of this song, for example? Find out for yourself tonight at their show. 9 PM; $12.