Mousetrap vs. Underground at 9:30 Club
In the early 2000s, Britpop and indie rock dance parties took over live music venues in major American cities, providing a place for 20-somethings to dance to Blur, Pulp, the Smiths, New Order, Belle and Sebastian, the Strokes and other imported and domestic bands — and, at the time, offering a rare chance to dance to rock music instead of the ubiquitous DJ nights focused on house, Top 40 or retro tunes. In the Mid-Atlantic, two of the biggest were the Mousetrap, based at the Black Cat, and Underground, held at Baltimore’s Ottobar. The founders of those two important dance parties are joining forces, almost two decades after their heyday, to give everyone a chance to dance to “Common People” and “Girls and Boys” one more time. 8 p.m. $20.
The Blackbyrds at the Howard Theatre
Half a century on from their self-titled debut, which featured the singles “Gut Level” and “Do It, Fluid,” is it time for the Blackbyrds’ renaissance? Formed at Howard University, and best known for their anthem “Rock Creek Park,” the group is the bedrock of the sound of D.C. Though they ostensibly broke up in the early 1980s, they never really went away, with artists like Tupac, De La Soul, Massive Attack and MF Doom sampling their songs. Original members Keith Killgo (vocals and drums) and Joe Hall (bass) are performing with a new version of the group, including D.C.’s Thad Wilson on trumpet and Marshall Keys on saxophone, and this show at the Howard Theatre is billed as a “50th anniversary world tour launch and homecoming.” 8 p.m. $35-$45.
Pinkhouse at Songbyrd Music House
There’s a moment in “13th Street,” a sugary, nostalgic track off Pinkhouse’s upcoming EP, that feels less nihilistic but more sincere than those that surround it. In most of its four minutes, the song deals in lyrics like “Does it matter at all?” until both the groove and the voice of frontman Max Fillion drop to reveal what might be the crux of the whole project: “I am everyone when I come undone,” he sings through the bridge. Like the rest of the EP, it’s a song firmly set in that murky, universal period of your early 20s, when everything feels a little fake and a little too real all at once. Pinkhouse is joined by Outerloop and Orbweaver at its EP release show. 8 p.m. $15-$18.
‘The Rise of Amapiano’ at Wild Days
As amapiano continues to take over dance floors from South Africa to Southeast Washington, join a discussion at the Eaton’s Wild Days rooftop bar and event space for a conversation about the evolution of electronic African dance music, from its originators to its future, and a dance party celebrating the sound. 4 to 9 p.m. Free.