Alfonso Velez is an old soul. The former frontman from Monopoli recently stepped out of the indie rock scene and into the past, drawing upon various folk and blues influences in his solo career. He has the demeanor (and hair) of a young Elvis, the storytelling stylings of Bob Dylan, and the gritty vocals of George Harrison. These are but a few of the names that come to mind as you watch him on stage.... more ›

FRIDAY: >> At 11 a.m. today or noon tomorrow, grab the kids and a box or twelve of tissues and head down to the National Archives for a screening of An American Tail. Part of their celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, they're sharing the story of Fivel and his cheese-paved streets with the next generation. We can only assume they'll watch it over and over like we did, each time hoping Fivel doesn't go... more ›

After the whirlwind of April arts events, May looks to be a little quieter, perhaps even serene at times. Though if you're looking for a party, we've got the info for this week's Artomatic events, which is only just past its halfway point. >> Ever dream of being one of those madly rich people with original Van Goghs or Kandinskys in your climate controlled, wood paneled library (in the east wing)? Bring your envious eyes... more ›

This Saturday is the sixth annual Free Comic Book Day, which is exactly as awesome as it sounds. Independent shops all over the country will be handing out a hearty selection of comics to anyone who wants one. The idea emerged as a way to introduce people to the art form who might only associate comics with this guy or a childhood fascination with Superman. These days comics are as diverse as any other medium,... more ›

We know that despite the grumbling, despite the lack of voting rights, despite the indie rock neighborhood battles to the death, even despite the fashion sense or lack thereof, you guys love this town just as much as we do. That's why this year we're starting our own team for the Greater Washington Servathon 2007, the massive, annual volunteer event presented by Greater DC Cares and AOL. In addition to volunteering our time on either May 4 or 5, each participant is asked to raise just $100 by asking friends and family to donate to the cause. All the money, including your registration fee of $20 (which goes towards your $100) goes to help local nonprofit agencies run throughout the year. This year, Servathon hopes to raise $400,000 and provide 11,000 volunteer hours fixing up the community. more ›

We're torn here at Overheard over how to feel about St. Patrick's Day. On the one hand, it's a pretty transparent excuse to get blind drunk, usually for people who'd be doing that on any given weekend anyway. It's just that on March 17th, they get to do it while wearing green and engaging in mildly to egregiously offensive stereotypes of an entire nation. I've always thought that, just to be fair, the Irish... more ›

Today's photo from the National Gallery of Art was taken by Flickr user photogene. And get this, it was taken on something called "film" via a Nikon F80. John Vanderslice spoke about "film" when I talked to him last week, I'll have to look it up on Wikipedia or something. Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone. more ›

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Good morning, Washington, and happy Cinco de Mayo. We understand that with all the recent furor over immigration, some folks might suddenly find themselves adopting an anti-Cinco stance. But to our xenophobic, er, friends we say: remember, this holiday is really about a military victory against the French. Surely that's something that both Minutemen and Mexican immigrants can agree to celebrate. Day Labor Center's Fate Unknown: Immigration opponents in Herndon have been quick to claim... more ›

The rapidly developing D.C. blogosphere was the subject of a story in today's Express, who profiled Kelly Ann Collins in an article on page 32 for their Outlook page. If you missed it, today's entire Express (PDF) is available for download from their website. In addition to Kelly Ann Collins' Washington Socialites, the article mentions DCist (or our Cinco de Mayo party at least), the Cleveland Park Men's Club, DC SOB (no URL), and the Cleveland Park Junior League (also no URL), arguing that through her blog Ms. Collins has become "a bona fide full-time socialite," complete with a bodyguard and occasional charity events. more ›

Cinco De Mayo has come and gone, as the temperature swing towards the 80’s and the trees fill with leaves. Soon spring will be gone and intense summer heat and the killer tomatoes it produces will be here. When one of our friends requested the jambalaya pasta that graces many local bar menus, we thought it would be the perfect way to say goodbye to colder evenings and winter/spring dishes that stick to your bones. Make this one soon before the weather gets any warmer, because you might have to spend the rest of the summer working it off. more ›

We'd like to thank everyone who showed up last night to the DCist Cinco de Mayo party at Chief Ike's Mambo Room, especially to those on the dance floor who kept the party going on well past midnight. You know that when the bartending staff had to pull out extra cases of Corona (only to run out later), we not only went beyond our crowd predictions, we were also doing our part to drive... more ›

Today might be a slow day at work (no loss -- it may rain, and just in time for what looks to be a great weekend). After all, we here at DCist expect that everyone celebrated the Cinco de Mayo in style. How else could you recognize Mexico's 1862 victory over the hated French than with copious amounts of Mexican-themed drinks? Whether or not you joined DCist at our own Cinco de Mayo happy hour... more ›

PITTSBURGH -- They say Pittsburgh is a difficult city to navigate your way into, but really easy to leave. With its urban life dictated by what would normally be inhospitable topography, Pittsburgh is an interesting city. While we'd like to spend a little more time exploring, we have to head back to Washington this afternoon. After all, we can't miss the DCist Cinco de Mayo party at Chief Ike's this evening. So if this DCist is coming all the way from the Keystone State to show up, you should make your way up to Adams Morgan tonight. With Bluestate DJing, good company and prizes (more on that in a second), there shouldn't be any reason why you should miss it. more ›

Toxic Trains Coming Back to D.C.: A federal appeals court has overturned the lower court rule that supported the city council's decision to bar trains carrying hazardous materials (usually from CSX) to travel through the District due to concerns over terrorism. According to the W. Times, Mayor Williams is "deflated" by the decision, which states that such laws are in the purview of the federal and not the city government. Baltimore and Philadelphia are also considering such legislation. more ›

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. -- If it weren't that this DCist ran across additional snow flakes yesterday driving through the unseasonably cold spring weather, Lake Michigan looked down-right enticing when we went to the beach. Calm water, some sun, and the summer tourists from Chicagoland were nowhere in sight. And for $1.50, a bag of chocolate-covered peanuts from Fortino's on Washington Street was welcome treat. But we should have gotten a Pronto Pup, which is "a hotdog dipped in a corn meal batter and deep fried," according to this Grand Haven community center site. According to Jason Kottke, the pronto pup seems to have made its way across the lake to Minnesota. But the Grand Haven variety, which have been around for the more than 50 years, are an essential beach food. more ›

Today will be mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain, with highs in the lower 60s. Matthew Bradley posted this photo of historian Howard Zinn to DCist photos yesterday. Also, it's only one more day before DCist celebrates Cinco de Mayo at Chief Ike's! Same-sex Couples Prohibited from Filing Joint Taxes: D.C.'s Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi ruled yesterday gay couples could not file taxes jointly in D.C., even if they were... more ›

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Greetings from the hometown of Gerald R. Ford. While former President Ford was born in 1913 as Leslie King in Omaha, Neb., and he grew up with his adopted family in Grand Rapids, this inner suburb of Michigan's second-largest city on its welcome sign claims Mr. Ford as a hometown son because the former chief executive and his family once resided in leafy lakeside community. Now the suburb is... more ›

With Cinco de Mayo and our Cinco de Mayo party at Chief Ike's fast approaching, it's the perfect time of year to brush up on your Mexican culture and history. The Mexican Embassy's Cultural Instite of Mexico has planned ten events on the history and culture of Mexico throughout the month of May. They include a tequila tasting tomorrow, a panel discussion at the Library of Congress on Thursday on "Why is 5 de Mayo celebrated in the United States," a family festival on the National Mall, and a talk in Bethesda by Mexican author Carlos Chimal, among other events. more ›

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Greetings from southern Indiana, where this DCist has been traveling the past day. The home of Indiana University, Bloomington was the setting for the movie "Breaking Away." If you've seen the movie, you know how hilly and forested the beautiful countryside surrounding the town is. More recently, Bloomington became famous for one more thing: being the home of the Subway where Jared Fogel got his start in advertising. According to the story, Fogel lived in an apartment above the Subway at the corner of Atwater and Woodlawn. Fogel simply had to walk up and down a flight of stairs to get his Subway, nearly every day. more ›

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Greetings from the capital of the Buckeye State. Thanks for all your input on our "Team America: World Police"-themed journey. We're continuing to head west. This photo, taken from Third Street near the Nationwide Arena District shows one of Columbus' more controversial advertisements. Like the giant H&M advertisement on the Flatiron Building in New York that has graced the landmark building and pissed off most everyone, the three-part ad seen here... more ›

WOODLEY PARK, D.C. -- This DCist is going to Wallyworld, no matter what! We're going to go pick up Aunt Edna and retrace the Griswold family's 1983 cross-country roadtrip. Since there isn't a real Wallyworld (actually there is online ... via a Google search, there is a "Wally" World, but it is NOT safe for work), we guess we'll have to settle for where ever the open road takes us. Living and working inside the... more ›

May 5 is always an important holiday. It's where we celebrate Mexico's 1862 victory at Puebla over the French. And this year, it's technically 05/05/05. So there's even more reason to remember Benito Juarez and the Mexican battlefield win. So why not do it with DCist? Remember, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Amigos don't let Amigos Drive Drunk. You can take the 42 bus. Where: Chief Ike's Mambo Room, Columbia Road, Adams... more ›