MONDAY >> Those looking to kick the month off with a bang might be out of luck, as it looks like there's not a whole lot going down tonight. Still, it's not a total wash, as all the usual suspects — the Black Cat, DC9, the Velvet Lounge and the Rock and Roll Hotel — will have their bars open and waiting for the District's disillusioned masses. >> DJ Jahsonic has a new Monday night......

Monday >> It's been quite a while since Czech avant-rockers Už Jsme Doma have toured the U.S. If you've never had the chance to see them live over the course of their 22-year career, tonight at the Black Cat backstage is your chance. The band has defied easy categorization with its loud, chaotic and proggy punk sound, but it matters little what you call it. It's amazing stuff, and takes on an even more intense......

>> Since you'll probably want to wake up in time to see the total lunar eclipse tomorrow morning (more on that in a bit), you might want to call it an early night. But if you're feeling frisky... >> Hanson doesn't play until mid-September, while Megadeth and Cannibal Corpse are both about a month away. So, you'll have to settle for the Black Cat Backstage tonight, where The Chance and J. Forté + the......

The Ponys play the Black Cat Backstage tonight with Jay Reatard. $10, Doors at 9 p.m. The Ponys are one of those buzz bands that seem perennially plagued with the “next big thing” tag. Hailing from Chicago, a city full of legends of all sorts and more than a few hype-worthy up-and-comers, theirs is a difficult task. But 2006's Turn the Lights Out picked up where Celebration Castle left off and took it one step......

FRIDAY: >> We told you all about the Buzzlife White Party at Five yesterday, so follow the link for more details. >> ArtOutlet presents its first ever Flash animation film festival, called Flick, at Warehouse. Tim Bracken opens the event with an alt-country set at 7 p.m., with screenings from selected artists beginning at 8. $5 suggested donation, also Saturday. SATURDAY: >> Like we mentioned in this week's music agenda, the artwork of Mingering Mike,......

>> We've already said a ton of great things about rising local band Le Loup, so odds are good you're already planning on heading over to the Rock and Roll Hotel tonight to check 'em out. Brightest Young Things has a fun interview with the recently-Hardly Art signed band over at their site. They open for Raleigh's The Rosebuds, along with Bowerbirds. $10, doors at 8 p.m., music starts at 9. >> Smithsonian American Art......

FRIDAY: >>Do you like Hall and Oates and Haddaway? Who doesn't? The Black Cat is hosting Crap, a dance night of bad music on purpose. We advise loosening your Macarena muscles and preparing your ears for "singers" like Don Johnson, Eddie Murphy, and Bruce Willis. 10 pm, free. SATURDAY: >>There are more art openings than we can shake a sculpture at today, so check out our Arts Agenda for a rundown. >>Anything called "Underwear Party"......

The XYZ Affair will be at the Black Cat Backstage Sunday night. With the Teeth and the High Strung. $10. Is the XYZ Affair’s first proper full-length, A Few More Published Studies, a concept album about academia? If so, it’s anything but bookish. Give the band points for originality -- quoting F. Scott Fitzgerald and echoing Queen isn’t exactly a natural combination -- but give them more points for ambition, because this album is a......

Knowing little about either band, DCist attended Wednesday night's performance by Chin Up Chin Up and The Oxford Collapse, armed only with a few tracks from each heard on Myspace, glowing reviews from Pitchfork, Mojo and a host of other publications, and a promise from a good friend that we would not regret it. Success on the Black Cat Backstage tends to be dependent on two things: your ability to soldier on despite often questionable......

Have you heard anything about Live on Penn making a comeback for the summer? Last summer when DCist was in super-secret beta mode, we actually answered this very same query when the concert series was abruptly stopped in July 2004. So no, no comeback in the works as far as we have heard. But have no fear, Fort Reno's summer lineup was just released today. The series kicks off tomorrow with The Rude Staircase, Sentai......