This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Jeanine Marie.

Be all ears this weekend by checking out performances by rappers, local folk artists, DJs and U.K, boy bands. If concerts aren’t on your ideal agenda (but let’s be honest, they probably are), try a different type of rom-com Friday or take in some free art at D.C.’s finest exhibitions.

Friday

Schoolboy Q and Rae Sremmurd at Echostage: If you’ve heard the infectious beats of “Collard Greens” by West Coast rapper Schoolboy Q, you’ll understand why he was nominated for both MTV’s Artist to Watch and BET’s Best New Artist awards for 2014. The new-age artist’s latest album, “Oxymoron,” includes collaborations with rappers like Tyler, The Creator and 2 Chainz. But for his Echostage performance, Schoolboy Q will join up with Mississippi-born duo Rae Sremmurd, brothers behind the track “No Flex Zone.”

Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets: $46.40.

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Select DC Presents: Summer Showcase: Kick off the weekend with beats by four techno, sonic-sound-packed performers for just $10. This showcase, featuring DJs Profligate, Nick Klein, Saran Man and Shane English, will require an acute set of ears to decipher the layers of electronic sounds. For those up to the challenge, beats like Klein’s radioactive “Secret Promise” and English’s hypnotic “Buy Things” are sure to please techno lovers of every taste.

Black Cat Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets: $10.

Watch “The One I Love” first: Be the first of your friends to see “The One I Love,” a new independent film premiering at West End Cinema on Friday. The film, directed by Charlie McDowell, follows a couple on the brink of divorce who travel to California to revive their love in a hallucinatory state of mind. The film stars Mark Duplass and “Mad Men”‘s Elizabeth Moss, who won the Newport Beach Film Festival’s “Outstanding Achievement in Acting” award for her role in “The One I Love.” Snag student tickets for $9, and don’t forget that the cinema now takes GWorld.

West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Showtimes 3 p.m., 5:20 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 9:20 p.m. Tickets: $9 for students.

Saturday

Visit the Corcoran before it’s too late: Before the gallery closes for renovations in October and the National Gallery of Art absorbs many of its collections, take in some of the Corcoran’s gems like Albert Paley’s renowned metalworks. And if large-scale metal sculptures are a little over your head, there’s also the “Modern and Contemporary Art Since 1945” exhibit, featuring artists from Andy Warhol to Jessica Stockholder. Admission to the gallery is free for the rest of the month.

Corcoran College of Art and Design, 500 17th St. NW. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

Ed Sheeran at the Merriweather Post Pavilion: When Ed Sheeran hit it big in 2011 with his hit “The A-Team,” he was mostly known as Taylor Swift’s redheaded best friend. Now, Sheeran has developed a cult following, and his newly-released album “X” is full of the mellow tunes his most loyal listeners have come to expect. Rudimental, who mix dubstep and R&B to create soulful dance tracks, will open for Sheeran.

Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets: $45.

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+End-of-weekend Bonus: If Ed Sheeran’s sentimental acoustics aren’t quite your style, end the weekend with a Rudimental DJ Set for $15 at U Street Music Hall at 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Sunday

Takoma Park Folk Fest: Get out of the District for a few hours with this free, seven-stage music festival in Takoma Park, Md. Local artists will jam all day, but be sure to arrive by lunchtime for Hoffman’s barbeque, Sherri’s crabcakes and bites from That Chicken That Smells Good. You can catch the free shuttle from the Takoma Metro station for an easy ride.

Takoma Park Middle School, 7611 Piney Branch Road, Takoma Park, Md. 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Free.

Get a new “Perspective” with artist Chiharu Shiota: Japanese performance and installation artist Chiharu Shiota will blow your mind with his emotive, immersive body of work that visualizes loss. Shiota’s current installation, on view now at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, is an intricate display of 300 lost shoes and personal notes, all collected over time by the artist.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave SW. Open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free.