Events to Peep for the Month of August

Kick off the month at the annual turn up known as the Spirit Festival on Saturday, August 3rd, featuring Anthony Hamilton, Jhene Aiko, Raphael Sadiiq, PJ Morton, and many more plus a host of food, art, and entertainment vendors! 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $60-$250. Merriweather Post Pavilion. 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044. www.merriweathermusic.com

Saxophonist Jackiem Joyner drops into Blues Alley on Wednesday, August 7th, performing songs from his latest release and sixth album, “Main Street Beat,” which also celebrates his tenth anniversary as a recording artist. 8 & 10 p.m. Tickets: $25. Blues Alley. 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW Washington, DC 20007. www.bluesalley.com

The mighty mighty O'Jays will command the stage as only they know how when they head to the Warner Theatre on Friday, August 16th, for their DC stop on "The Last Word" tour. Warner Theatre. 8 p.m. Tickets: $66 - $173. The Warner Theatre. 513 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. www.warnertheatredc.com

Get your laugh on with veteran funnyman Lavell Crawford on Thursday, August 22nd, when he kicks off his three-night set at the Baltimore Comedy Factory. 8 p.m. Tickets: $35-$45. Baltimore Comedy Factory. 5625 O'Donnell Street, Baltimore MD 21224. www.baltimorecomedy.com

Songbird Chante Moore will delight fans with her decades plus years of hits when she takes command of the Birchmere stage on Sunday, August 25th, performing her classics from "Chante's Got a Man" to "Love's Taken Over." 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $70. The Birchmere. 3701 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305. www.birchmere.com

Detroit-based hip hop trio Slum Village, which birthed the notoriety of great late famed producer J. Dilla, heads to the City Winery on Tuesday, August 27th, to spice up the midweek which such classic hits as "Tainted" and "Forth & Back." 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $22-$35. City Winery DC. 1350 Okie Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. www.citywinery.com/washingtondc

The incomparable Jill Scott will bring her soulful flow to the Theatre at MGM on Friday, August 30th, to kick off her two-night set of iconic ballads and stone-cold jams from her classic "Lyzel in E Flat" to "Gettin' in the Way" to "Golden." 8 p.m. Tickets: $96-$183+. The Theatre at MGM. 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD 20745. www.ticketmaster.com

Restaurant of the Month: It's no question who the king of the sausage is in DC, but protege and black-owned restaurant, HalfSmoke, is making its own mark in the Shaw area as well. At the corner of the famed Florida and Georgia Avenues, HalfSmoke is serving up its signature staple along with wood grilled flatbreads, sumptuous salads, super sized milkshakes and funnel cakes, and a full brunch menu featuring such creatively-named items as the "Bad & Bougie" and the "Netflix & Chill." HalfSmoke. 651 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001. www.halfsmoke.com

Life's short. Be entertained.

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