The covers night: Is it the lowest form of expression, or the highest expression of flattery? And is it misguided to pay homage to music that flipped the bird to almost everything that came before it?

However you come down on those questions, what’s indisputable is this: D.C.’s Spelling for Bees collective approaches everything it does with earnestness and enthusiasm.  So when its members gather at the Velvet Lounge tomorrow night to interpret their favorite songs by Minor Threat and Fugazi, there’ll be nary a drop of irony in the room.

The event, Fugazi in the Key of Minor Threat, will give all proceeds to the Red Cross for Haiti-earthquake relief. From the announcement:

SO… “Full disclosure” (if you will): I don’t think it’s any secret that we Bees are a proud bunch. We are proud of each other, of the music we create, of the scene we take part in… and a large part of these things is the music that, in our developmental stages, inspired us the most. That’s why with this next coming residency night. We wanted to pay homage to two of the most ground breaking bands of our youth: Fugazi and Minor Threat!

Lead bee Dave Mann told me the collective will devote the first half of the evening to covers—-like a go-go-esque interpretation of “Cashout” and a post-rock take on “Strangelight”—-and the second to Spelling for Bees originals. He said he wasn’t sure how many of the collective’s 53 members will be able to attend. “Lost is our competition, so that sucks,” Mann said, referring to the season premiere of the popular ABC show. “I thought DVR was invented for nights like tomorrow night.”

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Velvet Lounge. $5.

Related: One Spelling for Bees member made a video using the comments from a One Track Mind I wrote about the collective’s song “Love at First Sight”: