Tonight: Punk Rock Vegan Movie at sPACYcLOUd
sPACYcLOUd, in partnership with DC Veg Restaurant Week, is hosting Food Revolution, an outdoor summer film series aimed at finding solutions to the problems in our modern food system. Every Thursday from late July through the end of August, as the sun sets, a big screen and projector are set up along 18th Street NW in front of the Adams Morgan cafe to show the films included in the series. An eclectic venue featuring an art gallery and a skate shop, sPACYcLOUd is an immigrant- and woman-owned community hub. Tatiana Kolina, the shop’s owner, tells City Paper that she’s proud to be one of the three spots in the nation offering plant-based adaptations of Eastern European cuisine. And she takes the cafe’s role as a community space very seriously. “There’s so many different divisions and I think it’s important to bring everybody together,” she explains. “We can work as a village to spread the message, to ask questions, to educate, and to be more impactful in this world. We cannot make change by ourselves, you have to have a community.” This Thursday, Aug. 17, is the second to last screening with the feature-length documentary, Punk Rock Vegan Movie, scheduled. Written and directed by Moby—yes, that Moby—the 2023 film looks at the surprising history of punk rock and animal rights activism. The series concludes with a screening of The Invisible Vegan on Aug. 24. Released in 2019, this independent documentary by filmmaker Jasmine Leyva explores harmful dietary patterns present in the Black community while offering plant-based lifestyle changes as a potential path to health and wellness. sPACYcLOUd and DC Veg Restaurant Week’s Food Revolution film screenings start at 8 p.m. on Aug. 17 and 24 at sPACYcLOUd Lounge, 2309 18th St. NW. spacycloud.com. Free. —Jamaica Kalika
Friday: Oneida and Insect Factory at Rhizome
Anyone lucky enough to catch Oneida at Rhizome this week will understand their past collaborations with Yo La Tengo, Portishead, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. A cult favorite among indie rock fans, the band have been putting out music since 1997. Though the group have recently ventured into experimentation, their latest album, Success, brings their sound back to ’60s garage rock and related influences. According to Rhizome’s website, band member Bobby Matador has said of Sources, “We wanted to play very, very simply in our own idioms and own vocabularies.” He continues, “But it’s funny. It’s a record of rock songs. Some of which have two chords. Some only one.” The tracks play between psychey spaciousness and fuzzy grit, evoking Velvet Underground and other shoegaze predecessors. Insect Factory will provide local support for Oneida’s show. Fronted by Silver Spring guitarist Jeff Barsky, the ambient act foster a meditative headspace that will carry into the headliner. Oneida and Insect Factory play at 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 at Rhizome, 6950 Maple St. NW. rhizomedc.org. $10–$25. —Dora Segall
Friday: Verse Vortex: A Celebration of Language and Expression, virtual
On Aug. 18, Genesis Poets and Rock Creek Conservancy presents Verse Vortex: A Celebration of Language and Expression at Carter Barron Amphitheatre. This online DC Poetry Festival event will feature a diverse array of both emerging and established poets, and will combine the energy of an open mic night with the visual artistry of local painter Luther Wright, who will accompany the evening’s spoken-word artists. The lineup is an exciting one, including 13 of Nazareth, Miko Reed, Eddie Oliver, Devorah Major, and Dr. Khadijah Ali–Coleman. The celebration promises to be both interactive and engaging, and supports the Rock Creek Conservancy and Carter Barron, which has housed the DC Poetry Festival for more than a decade. Genesis Poets, a group of spoken-words lovers dedicated to promoting the arts and nurturing creative expression, says in their press release, “Whether you’re a seasoned poetry enthusiast or just beginning to discover its charm, Verse Vortex promises to captivate and leave you inspired.” Verse Vortex starts at 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 via Zoom. rockcreekconservancy.org. Free. —Hannah Grieco
Sunday: Screaming Females at Songbyrd
Screaming Females arose in the thick of early 2000s punk, out of the basements of New Brunswick, New Jersey’s DIY scene. The band have stayed loyal to their roots over the past 20 years while staying consistently innovative, concocting lyrics and guitar riffs that prove they still have something new to say. This week, the group will play at Songbyrd, as part of a tour on the heels of their latest album. In Desire Pathway, out since Feb. 17, frontperson Marissa Paternoster deals with a breakup, something she has shied away from in previous years. Screaming Females wrote the album in 2019, but held off on recording it until post-pandemic. Once released, Stereogum featured it as an album of the week, and other critics have noted that the work showcases the hard-hitting rock for which the band are best known. Opening for Screaming Females are Lung, a two-piece from Cincinnati that Spotify describes the band as “powerhouse art-punk cello rock.” The duo’s support, like the hand-drawn tour poster on Screaming Females’ website, suggest a show rich with nostalgic scrappiness. Screaming Females with Lung play at 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 at Songbyrd, 540 Penn St. NE. Sold out, but a wait list is available. songbyrddc.com. $25.24. —Dora Segall
Monday: The Furious Fists of Bruce Lee at AFI
Bruce Lee’s body of kung fu films are surprisingly slight and yet his cultural impact is epic. In the early 1970s, the same time that Richard Nixon visited China, thawing out four decades of frozen relations, Lee may have been the best unofficial diplomat: His blockbuster films bridged East and West in set locations, languages, styles, and philosophies. Along with the Chinese American Museum, which is cohosting the event, AFI Silver celebrates Lee’s tragically short career in his five starring roles. From his starring debut in Lo Wei’s The Big Boss (1971) to the even more successful Fist of Fury (1972); his self-directed and written The Way of the Dragon (1972)—in which he famously defeats a young Chuck Norris in one of the best silver screen showdowns; the juggernaut Enter the Dragon (1973)—widely regarded as the greatest martial arts film of all time; and the posthumously finished Game of Death (1973)—featuring the film debut of basketball legend Kareem Abdul–Jabbar, Lee proved himself a global superstar and one of the most charismatic screen presences of all time. The poetry of Lee’s movements, the philosophy of his mixed martial arts form, and the politics of his films that elevated Asian and Asian American directors, actors, and martial arts practitioners while breaking racial stereotypes still resonate across all of contemporary popular culture. Lee not only changed cinematic fight sequences forever, his cultural impact is seen in everything from manga and anime (Dragon Ball), video games (Mortal Kombat), contemporary mixed martial arts (Ultimate Fighting Championship), hip-hop (Wu-Tang Clan’s oeuvre), contemporary dance (breakdancing), and comic books (Stan Lee was a huge fan). The Furious Fists of Bruce Lee starts on Aug. 21 with The Big Boss (6:30 p.m.) and runs through Sept. 18 at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. afisilver.afi.com. $10–$13. —Colleen Kennedy
Tuesday: Katie J. Wells and Kafui Attoh on Disrupting D.C. at Politics and Prose
It took less than a decade for rideshare companies such as Lyft and Uber to become a staple for the mobility of urban residents. When Uber officially launched in 2010, it seemed that the company would be a solution for failing transit systems and underemployment globally. The newly published book Disrupting D.C.: The Rise of Uber and the Fall of the City asks, at what cost? If you have recently become privy to what a low-star rating can mean for a rideshare driver—and especially if you still have not—this book is for you. More than just a story of the rise of Uber in the District, Disrupting D.C. uses interviews with gig workers, policymakers, Uber lobbyists, and community organizers to analyze the rideshare boom, and considers what the surge tells us about the failures of urban politics. D.C. specifically, argue authors Katie J. Wells, Kafui Attoh, and Declan Cullen, became a blueprint for how Uber conquered cities around the world, and explains the problematic role the political economy plays in shaping urban public policy. Wells, Attoh, and Cullen tell City Paper that the goal of the book is not to convince readers to give up rideshares. Rather, it seeks to explain why Uber emerged as a default yet faulty solution to urban issues, and how cities can demand better—and why they should. Wells and Attoh join author, writer, and D.C. resident Michael Harris at Politics and Prose in Chevy Chase to discuss Disrupting D.C., published Aug. 15. The authors tell City Paper that they hope to hone in on how its contents can function as a tool for “activists and legislators concerned about the gig economy and the future of cities.” Katie J. Wells and Kafui Attoh discuss Disrupting D.C.: The Rise of Uber and the Fall of the City with Malcolm Harris at 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 at Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. politics-prose.com. Free. —Camila Bailey
