For those who haven’t seen Kevin Smith live before, I highly recommend his concert DVDs. Both “An Evening With Kevin Smith” and “An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder” will give you a good sense of what you’re in for. In short, lots of laughs, remarkable insight, and the kind of behind-the-scenes stories that will forever change the way you look at his movies. Impressive, considering that his on-screen persona is the uber-laconic Silent Bob.

Yes, I know it’s summer and October seems ages away, but this show will sell out, so buy your tickets in advance. Besides, isn’t it nice to have something to look forward to in the fall—other than the traditional Bay Area gloom?

As if the prospect of getting inebriated within shouting distance of several endangered species wasn’t tempting enough, now Zoo officials for have announced their tentative line-up brewers (along with a few local restaurateurs) that will serving up unlimited amounts of their finest wares. Check them out below:

Beer

1. Boston Beer Company

2. Brewery Ommegang/Duvel Moortgat

3. Crown Imports

4. Dogfish Head

5. Flying Dog Brewery

6. Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant

7. Harpoon Brewery

8. Hook and Ladder Brewing Co.

9. Independent Brewers United (Magic Hat Brewing Co. & Pyramid Brewing Co.)

10. Legends Limited

11. Otter Creek Brewing/Wolaver’s Certified Organic Ales

12. Paleewong Trading Co., Inc.

13. Peak Organic Brewing Co.

14. Saranac F.X. Matt Brewing

15. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

16. Stoudt’s Brewing Company

*(Breweries are still being confirmed.)

Restaurants (Concessions)

1. Armand’s Pizzeria

2. Hard Times Café

3. Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company

For all the details on Brew at the Zoo 2009 - from the ticket prices to live bands to its charitable nature (no pun intended) - check out CultureMob’s story on the matter here.

The Rock and Roll Hotel

Despite the name, this not an actual hotel, but, the rock and roll part is certainly dead on. This H Street, NE hangout offers shows by touring indie/ rock acts or a DJ dance nights almost every night of the week, not mention a swank second story bar/lounge divided up into lounge “rooms” - hence the hotel moniker. From the same folks behind other Atlas District mainstays, including the Palace of Wonders, The Red & The Black and the H Street Country Club.

1353 H St NE, Washington, DC
(202) 388-7625
http://www.rockandrollhoteldc.com

Galaxy Hut

In a town almost entirely populated by Dave Matthews Band fans, Clarendon’s Galaxy Hut is Northern Virginia’s sole claim to rock and roll street cred. Harder-edged acts of both local and national stature join the Hut’s impressive array of old school arcade games nightly at this local institution. Plus, they offer over twenty kinds of beer, a kick-ass jukebox and the ability to smoke inside (until the Virginia ban goes into effect, that is). If the management could just get around to posting their schedule online, this place would be just about perfect.

2711 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA
(703) 525-8646
http://www.galaxyhut.com

Quarry House Tavern

Though glaringly omitted from CultureMob’s rundown of DC’s Best Dive Bars, this Silver Spring tabernacle is finally getting its due. Picking up up where tiny metro area punk clubs of days past left off (RIP Phantasmagoria), the Quarry House is now DC’s designated go-to for everything from rockabilly Saturday nights to Sunday hardcore matinees. Located, appropriately enough, at the bottom of thirteen steps, this self-proclaimed dive also offers a “Beericulum Vitae” with more than fifty brews.

8401 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
(301) 587-8350
http://www.quarryhousetavern.com

The Velvet Lounge

Since coming under new ownership a few years back, the Velvet Lounge has changed from an under-performing local dive to a U Street area landmark and fixture of the DC rock scene. Whether it’s snotty garage rock, experimental electronica, ear-bleeding black metal or eclectic post-punk, this is downtown Washington’s best forum for new and undiscovered acts of all shades, sounds and statures. Plus, it’s dark and cheap, like a good bar should be.

915 U Street NW, Washington, DC
(202) 462-3213
http://www.velvetloungedc.com

The Black Cat

With an ownership that includes Dante Ferrando (Iron Cross/Gray Matter) and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), the Black Cat clearly knows it stuff. Its two stages regularly feature the best line-up of shows in the metro area, in addition to a cadre of monthly dance parties that include The Wag (garage and soul), The Soulfuck (60s funk), Mousetrap (britpop) and Kicks! (punk, rock’n'roll and power pop). The in-house eatery, Food for Thought, is also the 14th Street area’s go-to for vegetarian/vegan cuisine on the go.

1811 14th Street NW, Washington, DC
(202) 667-4490
http://www.blackcatdc.com

View of the Brooklyn Bridge from the park, a definite visual perk of the film series!

Here comes season number ten of Movies with a View, a celebration of free movies at the Brooklyn Bridge Park! Complete with a full set of movies, complemented nicely by various DJs and a featured short film, this is a great way to spend an evening without spending a dime. Plus, there’s even a bike valet! Grab your picnic blanket and a cuddle buddy and check out the selection every Thursday starting with this one. RICE will be selling dinners on site, or you can bring your own.

FILM SCHEDULE

Thursday, July 9
Feature Film: Raising Arizona
Short: Ami Underground directed by D.W. Young
DJ: DJ DRM

Thursday, July 16
Feature Film: The Maltese Falcon
Short: Under the Rollercoaster directed by Lila Place
DJ: MonkOne

Thursday, July 23
Feature Film: Paper Moon
Short: The Coffee Bird directed by Bryan Brinkman
DJ: Tim “Love” Lee

Thursday, July 30
Feature Film: To Catch A Thief
Short: Icebox Blues directed by Jesse Ash
DJ: DJ Ayres

Thursday, August 6
Feature Film: The Return Of The Pink Panther (1975)
Short: It’s Good to Be Green directed by Michael Garvey
DJ: Soulstatic

Thursday, August 13
Feature Film: Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Short: Birdman of Brooklyn directed by JL Aronson
DJ: Nick Name

Thursday, August 20
Feature Film: Catch Me If You Can
Short: 6 a.m. directed by Carmen Vidal
DJ: DJ Emch

Thursday, August 27
Feature Film: Edward Scissorhands
Short: I Am Not Obsessed directed by Imani Dean
DJ: Oneman

The article details road closures in the neighborhood, the problem with Porta Pottis and the idea that people might want a Plan B. While tens of thousands of people will stick with their original Plan A and head down to Gas Works Park anyway, I’m in favor of finding a Plan B.

Actually, I already wrote about my alternative plan to watch the Kirkland fireworks from Magnuson Park in Seattle. It’s a great option and the fireworks aren’t any farther away than watching the Gas Works show from south Lake Union. Now, however, I’m a little worried about letting my secret out. What if hordes descend on Magnuson Park? What if my quiet little spot becomes overrun? While that’s a possibility, it’s also good to know there are many other possibilities for fireworks and 4th of July celebrations all over the Puget Sound region. There’s no reason anyone has to stay in Seattle.

You do want to watch out and plan for all the construction and lane closures on area roads and check ferry schedules, but this Seattle Times article, ‘Construction, holiday travel likely to snarl region’s traffic’ tells you what you need to know.

Now that the “what” is out of the way, let’s get to the “where.” Again, the Seattle Times provides information with ‘Fourth of July festivals and fireworks in Seattle, the suburbs and beyond.’ Are you on the Eastside? No need to leave. South of the city? Plenty going on in Tukwila, Renton, Kent, and Auburn to name just a few community celebrations. North? From Edmonds to Everett you’re covered. Events are listed for areas all over western Washington all the way out to the coast. The only area conspicuously missing was Kitsap County, with the exception of Bainbridge Island, but the Bremerton Patriot has you covered there with their article, ‘Plenty of ways to celebrate the Fourth in Kitsap,’ which details celebrations in Keyport, Port Orchard, Pouslbo and Kingston.

So go ahead, get out of town, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Slated to beging at 10am. Get there early if you want to get in, though.  Could be packed.

While watching Public Enemies, you’ve heard plenty of names tossed around like John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson. And you can’t forget about the most notorious Chicago mobster of all… Al Capone. The Untouchable Tours take you way back to the 1920s and 1930s, to a Chicago that survived the Jazz Age and the era of Prohibition, when the Chicago gangs were at their strongest.

During the two-hour bus tour, you’ll see all the former hangouts of the boys. You may even pass by the alley near the Biograph Theater, where John Dillinger was gun downed in 1934. The six guides go by clever nicknames; some include “Southside,” “Big Julie” and “Ice Pick.”

Tours cost $28, and they are available every day of the week; there are more tours (six) on Saturdays.

For more information, call 773-881-1195 or visit www.gangstertour.com.

Head to Pacific Place (6th & Pine) at 5:00 pm to catch Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs in a two hour concert presented by radio station 103.7 The Mountain, Carter Subaru and Pacific Place. We love Star Anna.

“Star and her band are equal parts trashy Americana-laced rock mixed with sophisticated storytelling and charm that raises Anna and her band, The Laughing Dogs, to the gritty level of greatness.” - Twang Nation

Every Thursday, through the end of July, The Mountain’s Downtown Escape series will offer a new concert at Pacific Place “featuring acoustic music by some of Seattle’s best bands. Il Fornaio Cafe sets up the happy hour ambiance with delicious appetizers, beer and wine for sale along with their usual menu. Other Pacific Place merchants and restaurants feature their own happy hour ‘menus’ of special offers and contribute to the raffle drawings held during each concert.”

Now that’s a very happy happy hour.

Here’s the rest of the concert schedule:

July 9 - Loni Rose
July 16 - Devereaux
July 23 - Central Services
July 30 - Ian McFeron Band

The LA Galaxy will play the New England Revolution (making it very July 4th appropriate).  It is powered by 95.5 KLOS and sponsored by Macys. 

They are giving away 10,000 Galaxy Bandanas and 10,000 red, white and blue glow bracelets.  How awesomely American is that?  First come, first serve peeps…

Humpday

Since deep down inside I’m a 14-year-old boy, anything with the word “hump” in it will get my attention. So you can imagine my luck when I found out about a new independent film coming out in July called Humpday. I was lucky enough to be invited to a screening of the movie the other night, and despite the quirky plot and title, I was able to witness one of the funniest and freshest movies I’ve seen all year.

The movie revolves around two friends, Ben and Andrew, who haven’t seen much of each other since their close friendship in college. One is living a bohemian lifestyle on the road; the other is savoring married life. During a drunken party, one conversation revolves around a homemade porn film festival in Seattle called Humpfest. The idea is born that the two friends should have sex on camera, because there is a lot of gay porn but no films of straight guys having sex. As sobriety sets in, egos and stereotypical macho mannerisms come into play, and the guys decide to go forth with the ludicrous idea from the night before.

Humpday could have taken on a completely different tone, leaning towards camp and absurd, but instead the film delivers an organic and believable exploration of sex, relationships, and life. Director Lynn Shelton explores the difference in the bond between men and women, and how sometimes the ridiculous hurdles in life we jump are actually masking truths we don’t want to admit to ourselves.

Humpday opens nationwide July 10, and hits theatres in Chicago July 24th at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema.