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Let’s say the modern era of indie-rock nostalgia began in 2004, the year Frank Black and his Pixies bandmates realized their foundational, not-especially-lucrative catalog had aged well enough to pack stadiums. New Zealand’s The Clean was ahead of its time in the late ’70s and early ’80s, when it pioneered a wry, nonaggressive brand of jangle rock before R.E.M., The Feelies, and Yo La Tengo had the chance, and it was ahead of its time nearly a decade later, when it reformed after spending much of the intervening period in hibernation. But give The Clean credit for more than just beating reunion culture by 15 years: With each record, David Kilgour and Co. has refined its smart-kid swoon pop, building better textures, incorporating Krautrock and other far-flung influences, and getting noisy when necessary. As for the band’s legacy, look to the steady stream of San Francisco and New Jersey lo-fi acts that find new ways to rip off The Clean’s 1981 classic “Tally Ho” each year. The kids, it seems, are still catching up. The Clean performs with Times New Viking at 8 p.m. at Rock & Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. $13–$15. rockandrollhoteldc.com. (202) 388-ROCK.
MUSIC
The guitar-and-cello duo Janel and Anthony just released their second album, and it “evokes a life where the purer powers of melody temporarily succumb to the special seductions of sonic chaos,” writes Joe Warminsky in his review in this week’s City Paper. They perform at 9 p.m. at IOTA, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. (703) 522-8340. $12.
THEATER
Chris Klimek gets behind Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, which imagines a post-apocalyptic future wherein humans must rebuild the oral tradition via their memories of, yup, The Simpsons. Invoking the show’s inspiration, he declares the comedy “a perfectly cromulent hit.” To July 1 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. (202) 393-3939. $20-$67.50.
FOOD
Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s Bluejacket Brewery near Nationals Park isn’t scheduled to open until next year, but you can can an early taste tonight at Churchkey. Brewers Megan Parisi and Greg Engert collaborated with Cigar City Brewing in Tampa and Funky Buddha Brewery in Boca Raton to create their first two brews, including one that incorporates the flavors of movie snacks. Get the first sip starting at 6 p.m. Churchkey, 1337 14th St. NW. (202) 567-2576. (Jessica Sidman)