Capitals 4, Bruins 1: In the immortal words of Wayne Coyne, "do you realize?" So, do you? Do you realize that the Washington Capitals, with last night's win over the Boston Bruins, are bulldozing their way through not just what is probably the best year in the 35-year history of the franchise, but one of the best seasons in the sporting history of Washington, D.C.? Do you realize the Capitals now have a larger lead for first in their conference than any other NHL team has at the top of their division? Do you realize that they are doing it as a team -- including a goal last night from Boyd Gordon, a total of 18 players have scored for the team during the streak. (And do you realize that the Caps might actually be looking for ways that they can improve that already incredible offensive power?) Do you realize that Alex Ovechkin is actually only the second hottest Russian on the team at the moment? Do you realize that they're winning in different ways -- for instance, this evening, the Caps rode Tom Poti's defensive acumen in the first and an unreal save by Jose Theodore in the second until they finally opened the floodgates in the third with three goals. more ›

At this point in their amazing and improbable career, I'm not sure there's much that hasn't already been said as far as reviewing a concert by The Flaming Lips. Anyone that has seen them live in the last 10 years or so knows about the confetti canons and balloons, the crowd surfing inside a giant bubble, the costumed dancers pulled from the audience, the lighting setups and the various costumed mascots that pop up every now and then. You know that you're going to hear "Race For The Prize," "Yoshimi Part 1," "The WAND," "She Don't Use Jelly" and "Do You Realize" and a bunch of other songs. So it's a credit to the band (and the audience for that matter) that it can all seem so new and fun as it happens. Yes, you can nitpick at the setlist, but then you'd be missing the point. Just sit back, enjoy the show and sing along with everyone else. And if you weren't there, don't fret. Wayne Coyne told the audience they were recording last night's show -- so at some point in the future you might be able to hear what you missed. more ›

>> Justin Moyer performs as his alter-ego, Edie Sedgwick, tonight. The Three Stars alum's shows are unusual to say the least, but also interesting: the Black Cat described her as "Le Tigre meets Black Flag for an irony-free dance party with a tranny Milton Berle as MC!" 9 p.m., $8. more ›

Kind of upset with the Capital Weather Gang, Umbrella Today, and the planet itself for this notice of rain later today. Will the Earth interrupt the performance that the Flaming Lips et al. are putting on in her honor? Probably not. The headlining Lips are tentatively scheduled to play by 5 p.m.; the District should expect rain tonight, but the chance of showers during the late afternoon is just 30 percent. more ›

Holy shit, the Flaming Lips are playing the National Mall this Sunday! Not even kidding! You will not be rickrolled if you visit the Web site for the Green Apple Festival, for which actors, performers, activists, musical acts, and will assemble for the Earth Day on the National Mall celebration on Sunday. more ›

Ahhh, summer music festivals. As any music blog reader could tell you, as soon as the ground starts to thaw, they're all the indie kids can talk about. Last year we were all lathered up about getting a mega-fest of our very own (or at least, within reasonable stomping-ground distance). Several DCists embarked upon Pimlico and were pleased to report that the festival was wonderfully organized, accomodating, really well done and... that it just plain rocked. more ›

When the afternoon's labor hangs about your neck like so many albatross carcasses, their limp beaks slicked with the sweat of eight hours' worth of futility, when the sun hangs low in the air like a thug-strewn rock on its downward trajectory into the skull of an unsuspecting bicyclist, when the administrative assistant two cubes down sashays off to happy hour, leaving you sick with the thoughts that such a treasured sixty-minute span might ne'er come your way again, you can't help but wonder as you stare into the hypnotic mock of your monitor: how are the "good people" supposed to stave off brain glaze in that last forty-five minutes of the workday? more ›

By DCist Contributor Mehan Jayasuriya We here at DCist have noticed a rather disturbing trend recently. More and more often, it seems, touring bands are skipping over the District in favor of our neighbor to the north, Baltimore. It makes sense if you think about it: Baltimore has a burgeoning arts scene, a variety of music venues and a seemingly disproportionate reputation for housing a large number of twentysomething scenesters (not that we're short on... more ›

Hopewell is a five piece hailing from New York City perhaps best known by the company they keep. Lead singer Jason Russo formerly played bass for space-rock pioneers Mercury Rev. Hopewell's acclaimed album "Hopewell & the Birds of Appetite" was produced by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and Sleater-Kinney) and Bill Racine (Rouge Wave, Phantom Planet). They've played shows all over the world with tour mates like the Brian Jonestown Massacre, British... more ›

DCist took in three phenomenal bands on Monday night at the Black Cat. Midlake, Cold War Kids and the Sound Team played the backstage, much to our confusion, and they just may have put on the best show that little room has ever seen. First up was Midlake, a five piece from Denton, TX that embrace interactivity as much as they do fancy instruments. Midlake’s been around for a while, gaining fans and success in... more ›

We've been waiting for the official V Fest details for a little while now. We'd gotten hints that the September 23 affair at Pimlico would include The Raconteurs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and more. All of those: confirmed. Here's the full lineup: Bands The Red Hot Chili Peppers; The Who; The Killers; Flaming Lips; The Raconteurs; Gnarls Barkley; Scissor Sisters; Keane; Thievery Corporation; Clap Your Hands Say Yeah;... more ›

A few weeks ago, we told you about the cumulating evidence that Virgin Mobile will be bringing its popular European music festival, V Fest, to the states. The formal announcement has been made: The creators of England's phenomenally successful Virgin Festival will be announcing the debut of the American version. The Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile will be held at Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes, in Baltimore, Maryland on September 23, 2006.... more ›

It doesn’t matter where they say they came from or how they were formed, one thing that will immediately draw listeners to The Roosevelt is their sound. It’s surprising to hear a new band write such polished songs with memorable hooks. Maybe there is something in the water at the building in Northwest that they're named after. As of right now, the band’s discography consists of a handful of mp3s available on their site. But... more ›

The buzz at Arlington's IOTA Club and Café on Saturday afternoon was palpable. A half hour before the doors opened for the big show, the line stretched down the block to Whitlow's on Wilson. Was it a special Arcade Fire show? Nope. A closer look at the line revealed a number of attendees who were still many years from IOTA's usual 21-and-over age limit. Ralph's World had come to Arlington. more ›

There's a tiny bit of a lull this week in concerts before the end of February and the start of March absolutely slam us with great shows, but there are still a few good picks out there for the next seven days. MONDAY: >> Tonight, lo-fi spacey rockers Low take their show on the road to the Black Cat. We hear their new album, "The Great Destroyer," was produced by Dave Fridmann, who's worked with... more ›