MONDAY, AUGUST 17
FILM: The Black Cat brings platform nine and three-quarters to the non-wizard folk with Muggle Mondays. Tonight, they’re screening Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Kick off the week with one of their butterbeer drink specials. No cover, 7 PM.
MUSIC: Shark Week—DC’s fuzzy, surf rock quartet—is known for their high-energy performances. But this show at the Pinch’s homey basement lounge has an extra perk: Throughout the night, Wesley Wolfe will demonstrate the meticulous art of hand-lathing vinyl records. No cover, 7 PM.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18
MUSIC: For more than 20 years, Blackalicious has been a touchstone of alternative hip-hop, with Gift of Gab’s eviscerating lyrics and wit, and Chief Xcel’s earworm beats. Catch them at Howard Theatre tonight as they prepare to drop Imani, Vol. 1—their first album in a decade. Remember when Daniel Radcliffe totally nailed their track “Alphabet Aerobics” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon? $25 to $45, doors at 6 PM, show at 8 PM.
BOOKS: In Landfalls, author Naomi J. Williams reimagines the doomed 18th-century voyage of French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse. The book tells the story through several vantage points—family and friends, the surviving crew, and the people they met along the way. Williams speaks about her debut novel at Kramerbooks & Afterwards Cafe. Free, 6:30 PM.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19
FILM: Want to show your friends that you’re not like a regular mom, you’re a cool mom? Take them to the Park at CityCenter for a screening of Tina Fey’s cult classic Mean Girls. Not only does the movie take you right back to 2004, it also balances seriousness with fun—touching on the trials and tribulations of high school, while still being wickedly funny. Free, 7 to 10 PM.
