4th of July in the Sky

$65, go to www.lindypromo.com or by calling (301) 652-7712. Maryland Science Center, Baltimore.

The Maryland Science Center has essentially the same limited-tickets throw-down as the Aquarium, but on its roof with drinks and DJ John Bowen. (Wendy Ward)

Picnic at the Top

$75, children $30, $25-$65 advance, . Top of the World Observation Level, Baltimore.

Open bar with malt beverages, along with beer and wine plus "all beef 'sliders'" in Baltimore's seventh tallest building with views of the Inner Harbor's fireworks display. Any questions? Take it up with the Top. (Wendy Ward)

Star-Spangled Spectacular

$20, children under 12 $10, $9-$18 advance. Oregon Ridge Park, Hunt Valley.

Celebrate the nation's birthday outdoors under a sky of stars and fireworks with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as it presents its Independence Day concert. Led by guest conductor Damon Gupton, the BSO will play "The Star-Spangled Banner," accompanied by the winner of the BSO's annual "O, Say Can You Sing" competition, along with several other patriotic favorites. Bring a picnic dinner and sit back in a lawn chair as the sweet sounds of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" sweep through the fields of Oregon Ridge. (Phyllis Zhu)

The Germs, Krum-Bums, Filthy Rotten Sex Machine, Corporate Agenda

The Ottobar, Baltimore.

Well, first things first; Understand that the Germs died in 1980 when its lead singer Darby Crash intentionally pumped himself full of too much China white. You're not so much seeing the beautiful punk-rock demolition derby of those three carnage-splattered years in the late '70s tonight, rather a tribute band complete with acting. That's right, Crash's replacement is the same dude hired to play him in the 2007 movie What We Do Is Secret. But, hell, that's just how culture operates now: Everything's a better marketed copy of something that came earlier. At least the "Germs" are honest about it. (Michael Byrne)

Cricket 4th of July Celebration

www.promotionandarts.com, free. West Shore Park, Baltimore.

Is that a cell phone in your pocket or are you just happy it's July 4th? This year the city's annual Independence Day Celebration in the Inner Harbor (pictured) is sponsored by Cricket Communications and features the world's largest working cell phone, which visitors can use to send a text or make an old-fashioned phone call to a friend. The event also features a singing showcase, a concert by gospel artist Jamonne Driver, a texting competition, and of course, fireworks at 9:30 p.m. To top it off, Cricket will give anyone who brings in an old cell phone a reusable shopping bag and donate the proceeds from the phones to the nonprofit group, Rebuilding Together. How green, red, white, and blue of it. (Mikkel Wallech)

July 4th Visionary Pets on Parade

free. American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore.

July 4th has gone to the dogs, literally. The American Visionary Art Museum's annual parade/talent show (pictured) for pets and their owners (anyone can participate) returns, and what better way to celebrate our country's independence than watching animals high-five, handshake, and hump their way through the day. Past talent shows have featured everything from a hermit crab re-enacting the Revolutionary War to animals peeing all over the awards table, and with trophies awarded for best costumes, most patriotic, and least likely to succeed as a pet, there's no telling what you may see, but it sure beats a cook-out with the in-laws. All animals welcome, but they must be leashed or otherwise under control; watering stations and a pool (!) provided. (Mikkel Wallech)

July 4th Pier Party

$40, ages 3-11 $25, members $20, members ages 3-11 $15. National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore.

Call now if you wanna plop down some $ for reservations on the National Aquarium's pier and stellar front-row seats for the Inner Harbor's fireworks show. Pack a picnic basket for a not-free, but less free-for-all evening. 7-10 p.m., National Aquarium, Baltimore, (410) 727-3474 (code: FOURTH-M), aqua.org, $40, ages 3-11 $25, members $20, members ages 3-11 $15. (Wendy Ward)

African American Heritage Festival

aahf.net, $5, children 12 and under free. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore.

Weekend-long festival celebrating African-American culture, arts, and community. With musical performances by Fantasia, Chuck Brown, Mario, and MAze featuring Frankie Beverly; zones of information about health, finances, hisotry, and educations; arts and crafts; and food and drinks.

African-American Heritage Festival

$5, children free.. M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore.

Some classic 1980s and early '90s R&B takes over the 2009 African-American Heritage main stage this weekend, book-ended by a pair of consummate vocalists. Rick James protégé Teena Marie, best known for funky singles such as "Square Biz" and "Ooa La La La," kicks off the weekend Friday night, while sultry songstress Anita Baker ends the fest Sunday. Baker has certainly continued to crank out albums over the years, but her 1986 Rapture remains her signature work, a chill-jazz background framing a rich, supple, and seductive voice. Saturday night, though, packs a one-two punch of New Jack swing trio Tony! Toni! Toné! and En Vogue. Tony! Toni! Toné!--the group that spawned Raphael Saadiq--put the hard bounce rhythms of rap behind the timeless melodies of soul, in the process updating classic '70s R&B for a new generation. En Vogue, meanwhile, practically owned early '90s R&B charts with albums such as 1992's Funky Div (Bret McCabe)

African-American Heritage Festival

$5, children free.. M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore.

Some classic 1980s and early '90s R&B takes over the 2009 African-American Heritage main stage this weekend, book-ended by a pair of consummate vocalists. Rick James protégé Teena Marie, best known for funky singles such as "Square Biz" and "Ooa La La La," kicks off the weekend Friday night, while sultry songstress Anita Baker ends the fest Sunday. Baker has certainly continued to crank out albums over the years, but her 1986 Rapture remains her signature work, a chill-jazz background framing a rich, supple, and seductive voice. Saturday night, though, packs a one-two punch of New Jack swing trio Tony! Toni! Toné! and En Vogue. Tony! Toni! Toné!--the group that spawned Raphael Saadiq--put the hard bounce rhythms of rap behind the timeless melodies of soul, in the process updating classic '70s R&B for a new generation. En Vogue, meanwhile, practically owned early '90s R&B charts with albums such as 1992's Funky Div (Bret McCabe)

Sonic Youth, Endless Boogie

9:30 Club, Washington.

Sonic Youth, the Entrance Band

9:30 Club, Washington.

Baltimore rock old-schoolers will recognize Guy Blakeslee, the primary force of nature behind fire breathing psych-rock outfit the Entrance Band, as the original bassist of bleary Baltimore stalwart the Convocation. Blakeslee's done well for himself, getting his new band signed to Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label, and is currently touring with Sonic Youth. Well, that band is skipping our 'burg, but we still get the Entrance Band's rowdy, blues-kicked rock close enough to keep your neighbors awake. Love it. (Michael Byrne)

Jill Nelson

free. Enoch Pratt Free Library, central library, Baltimore.

Things are going to get kind of steamy up in the library tonight when Jill Nelson reads from her book Let's Get It On. The book is a sequel to Nelson's other Marvin-Gaye-song-titled book Sexual Healing about women who open a spa/male brothel in Martha's Vineyard and then make with making it. Nelson starts with the dirty talk just a few pages in to Let's Get It On, with LaShaWanda fantasizing about a judge while in court, imagining that he would make her "cringe with ecstasy." Here's hoping the books can handle the heat. (Anna Ditkoff)