Whatever other event you had planned for Friday night, it’s not as cool as seeing Martin Garrix live, according to DJ Mag. In October, the publication named the Dutch EDM artist 2016’s top DJ. As far as anyone knows, Garrix hasn’t dated Taylor Swift, and he’s only 20 years old, but he’s built an impressive resume. His hit “In the Name of Love,” featuring Bebe Rexha, currently sits at #28 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. Contrary to the usual EDM stereotype of masked, headphone-d loners, Garrix is cheerful, personable, and constantly smiling. This kind of youthful joy will only stick around for a while, so catch Garrix while he’s still fresh and excited. Read more >>> Martin Garrix performs at 9 p.m. at Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE. Sold out. (202) 503-2330. echostage.com. (Noa Rosinplotz)
EAT THIS
Ventnor Sports Cafe in Adams Morgan is hosting a gingerbread house competition tonight starting at 7 p.m. The bar will provide everything you need to make an epic gingerbread house (no pressure, but last year there was one of the Lincoln Memorial) and a winner will be awarded a prize at the end of the night. To fuel your creativity, the bar will serve 15 different winter beers, like Great Lakes Christmas Ale, as well as holiday cocktails. Ventnor Sports Cafe, 2411 18th St. NW. (202) 234-3070. ventnorsportscafe.com. (Laura Hayes)
OH AND ALSO
Friday: If you’ve tired of straight ballet interpretations of The Nutcracker, head to the Music Center at Strathmore, where dancers and DJs bring The Hip-Hop Nutcracker to life. 8 p.m. at 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. $32–$58.
Friday: Rhizome hosts Austrian sound artist and composer Mia Zabelka for an intimate house show. 8 p.m. at 6950 Maple St., Takoma. $10.
Friday: Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra pay tribute to the 100th anniversary of Ella Fitzgerald‘s birth with performance of songs from Fitzgerald’s 1960 holiday album, Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas, at the Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery. 9 p.m. at 2700 F St. NW. $26–$39.
Saturday: Archie Comics and its characters have inspired everything from a sitcom about a teenage witch to a pop song, “Sugar, Sugar,” that rings in the ears of listeners nearly 50 years after its first release. The Riverdale gang has its origins in real life—series creator Bob Montana based the characters on people he knew—and filmmakers Gerald Peary and Shaun Clancy wanted to know more about them. Peary and Clancy’s detective work results in a so-called cinememoir, Archie’s Betty: Celebrating a Pop Icon at 75, which incorporates photos, home movies, and personal memories from those in the know. Read more >>> The film shows at 3:30 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art East Building Auditorium, 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Free. (202) 737-4215. nga.gov. (Caroline Jones)
Saturday: Nightmares on Wax, the performance moniker of electronic artist George Evelyn, brings his Ground Floor Tour to U Street Music Hall with opening acts Christine Mortiz and Yola. 10 p.m. at 1115 U St. NW. $12.
Saturday: Rasputina, the New York rock band that uses cellos instead of guitars, performs a lively set at the Howard Theatre. 7 p.m. at 620 T St. NW. $20–$25.
Sunday: D.C.-based hip-hop crew the Washington Slizzards, are coming together for a third time to celebrate the holidays, the slizz life, and crew founder Ras Nebyu’s latest mixtape, Slizzatrism, for Holy Slizz 3 at U Street Music Hall. Hot off the heels of her latest EP, PHO, D.C. native Ari Lennox headlines the show with her soulful, ’70s-inspired R&B grooves. Nebyu, an Ethiopian-American rapper, showcases his worldly, trapped-out hip-hop stylings with frequent collaborator and party rocker DJ K-Meta. Read more >>> The show begins at 9 p.m. at U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St. NW. $15. (202) 588-1889. ustreetmusichall.com. (Casey Embert)
Sunday: Figure out whether you’re on Santa’s good or bad list while attending the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s holiday program, “Naughty and Nice” at the Lincoln Theatre. 3 p.m. at 1215 U St. NW. $25–$65.
Sunday: Close out the weekend with a dose of funk when Ms. Lauryn Hill performs at the Fillmore with Seun Kuti. 7:30 p.m. at 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $77.
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