Kennedy Center

Nogu Svelo! makes its Millennium Stage appearance with a sound that is difficult to reduce to one genre, folding punk, alternative rock and Eastern European cabaret into something distinctly their own. The Moscow-formed band now performs from New York after being banned from Russia following frontman Max Pokrovskiy's outspoken opposition to Putin and the invasion of Ukraine. That context matters, but it does not overwhelm the music, which has always had a mischievous, theatrical streak alongside its harder edges. The September 3 performance is part of the band's Unstable Equilibrium Tour and is free, making this an unusually easy way to catch a group with a devoted following without committing to a ticketed club show. They are also performing newer English-language material alongside songs from their extensive catalog, so longtime listeners and curious newcomers have different reasons to show up.

The National Symphony Orchestra's Labor Day concert is a good reminder that a holiday weekend does not have to mean choosing between staying in and making a whole production of going out. The program pairs John Williams's "Liberty Fanfare" with Copland's "Appalachian Spring," before moving into Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with pianist Jan Lisiecki. That mix gives the evening both familiar American grandeur and a more substantial concert centerpiece. Lisiecki is the reason to take this particular program seriously: Tchaikovsky's first concerto is one of those pieces that can sound almost too familiar until a strong soloist makes its scale and virtuosity feel fresh again. The concert is scheduled for August 30 at 8pm, making it an easy fit for the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. For anyone staying in town, this is a polished way to mark the long weekend without overthinking it.