Capitol Hill Block Party

After reaching critical mass in crowd capacity, sponsorship blight and neighborhood patience last year, Block Party has veered into some new directions. This year, Ghost Gallery will curate visual art around the festival; Sunday morning, gates will open early for a family-oriented event featuring music by Caspar Babypants and treats by Cupcake Royale; and select performances will be broadcast live online. Smart moves, because attendees must endure a maze of chain-link corralling for a musical lineup that’s pretty meh: Neko Case, Fitz and the Tantrums, Aesop Rock, Major Lazer and Grimes headline over dozens of mostly local acts.