Going Out Gurus

Before the fireworks, cool off with a beer on the Hirshhorn patio. (Julia Beizer - The Washington Post)

Sorry for the late notice, folks, but if you're heading down to the Mall today and are in the mood for a cold, frothy beverage, make the Hirshhorn your first stop. On the Fly, D.C.'s roving band of SmartKart vendors, has set up a beer garden on the Mall side of the museum's patio, with space for a couple hundred people. It will be open until 10 p.m.

All are welcome to make their way within the gates and take advantage of the chairs, but those who want to drink will have to have their IDs checked before they can buy tickets for drinks. Miller Lite, Yuengling and glasses of California chardonnay are $5. On the Fly treats like grilled-chicken sandwiches and hot dogs are also available.

-- Julia

This year's Fringe Festival press conference at RFD turned out to be a mix of play preview, party and marathon. A hefty 28 acts performed monologues, dance numbers, songs and straight-up summaries of what they'll be offering over the coming month.

Fringe director Julianne Brienza was also there to talk about the festival. The biggest piece of news was that Fringe has secured a liquor license for its bar inside the Baldacchino tent at Fort Fringe. There are six beers on tap -- Bells Two Hearted Ale, Bells Kalamazoo, PBR, Southampton Double White, Peak Organic Amber, Peak Organic Nut Brown and Flying Dog Doggy Style -- plus many more available in a can (including cheap beer champion Natty Boh!). There's also a bunch of food options, from ginger-teriyaki turkey burgers to BLT paninis. The food and beverages will especially come in handy this year, since Fringe venues are concentrated within a couple blocks of each other but not particularly close to restaurants and bars.

Fringe is also jumping on the green bandwagon by opening a free store. Drop by the Trading Post (a new Fringe venue) to pick up clothing, CDs and other cost-free treasures.

The preview of shows itself was an expected mix of intriguing and questionable. After the jump, catch our top 10 list of the most promising performances based on Wednesday night's previews.

We have all kinds of artsy possibilities coming our way this month, including late-night parties, a rock 'n roll-inspired museum discussion and a chance to see artists in motion -- in a swimming pool.

The National Gallery unveils a major show of Renaissance work: "An Antiquity of Imagination" marks the first American exhibition to spotlight Venetian sculptor Tullio Lombardo. The artist, who worked in the 15th and 16th centuries, took cues from classical antiquity, but he also followed the lead of some of the famous painters of his day with intimate close-ups of non-religious subjects. (July 4-Nov. 1)

The National Gallery takes a look at Renaissance sculpture this month. (National Gallery of Art)

The American History Museum amps up its discussion series with a a talk about the history of the electric guitar. Museum historian Monica Smith describes the birth of the instrument and charts its evolution to a rock band staple. (Noon-12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9)

We answered a ton of questions about the upcoming holiday festivities, in addition to queries about anniversary dinners, bars for first dates, Fort Reno policies and hookah smoking practices.

Read the full transcript here. Got comments? Leave 'em below or submit them to next week's discussion.

Happy Fourth!

-- Julia

July's live music calendar is highlighted by visits from some Wu-Tang Clan members, Frank Black's newest band and African sounds new and old from Occidental Brothers Dance Band International and King Sunny Ade. Five here, 15 more after the jump.

M. Ward brings his sterling indie-Americana to 9:30 club. (Autumn DeWilde)

"Young Hearts Spark Fire" - Japandroids (DC9, July 8)
This Vancouver duo creates an appealingly crunchy sound with a nostalgic streak ("I don't wanna worry about dying/I just wanna worry about those sunshine girls").

"Paper Bombs" (MySpace stream) - Lo Moda (Fringe Festival, July 10)
The Baltimore art-rock group plays quirky, low-key pop that on this track recalls the Vaselines.

"Staten We Go Hard" - Raekwon (Merriweather Post Pavilion, July 12)
Wu-Tang's Raekwon responds to Jay-Z's toast to Brooklyn by praising his own borough, and, of course, the Clan: "S-H-A-O-L-I-N, we kill again."

"The Quitter" - NOFX (Merriweather Post Pavilion, July 14)
The pop-punk torchbearers have been playing snotty, hook-filled songs for 25 years. That makes the band approximately twice as old as some of the kids who will be pogoing during the set at Warped Tour.

"Confetti" - Young Mammals (Velvet Lounge, July 15)
This Houston band sounds like '90s-era Flaming Lips -- gleeful, psychedelic, noisy, catchy, weird and fun.

When it comes to theater, Fringe Festival dominates the scene this month with 100+ performances across the city. But if you're looking for something a little more mainstream (and possibly more of a sure deal), we're serving up a preview of all of the non-Fringe theater July has to offer.

The Tony-winning rock musical "Spring Awakening" comes to the Kennedy Center this month. (Paul Kolnik)

But before we move on from Fringe, it's worth mentioning the festival's free preview tonight at RFD. Open to the public, the sneak peek features a taste of about 20 performances. (July 1)

On the heels of its big Fantasia-headlining production of "The Color Purple" (June 30-Aug. 9), the Kennedy Center is mounting another big summer performance. The coming-of-age story of "Spring Awakening" took the Tonys by storm in 2007, and you can get your chance to see why this show, with a score by Duncan Sheik earned the honor of best musical. (July 7-Aug. 2)

Make a splash at a holiday weekend pool party. (Dakota Fine/dakotafine.com)

The Fourth of July means a long weekend with plenty of pool parties and late-night throwdowns, but we also have Michael Jackson tributes, stellar lineups of globetrotting DJs, go-go bands and an appearance by Jay Reatard. And hey, if you couldn't get Sonic Youth tickets, the Velvet Lounge offers the next-best thing: a lineup of "noisy, out-there" artists, including a member of Animal Collective.