MONDAY

"Gezelligheid" -- a Dutch word loosely translatable as "cozy" -- is the term Andrew Bird uses to characterize the unique and intimate series of holiday concerts he debuted last December at churches in Minneapolis and his native Chicago. This week, the show comes to D.C. for a three-night stand at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, the dramatic architecture and superb acoustics of which should make it an sublime setting for Bird's captivating, loop-layered solo violin compositions. Julianna Barwick opens tonight and tomorrow night, with Marissa Nadler taking over the supporting slot on Wednesday. Sold out. 8 p.m. more ›

With all that went down this week, we thought we thought we'd cheer everyone up by giving everyone a double dose of dogs. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions this week at DCist. Like the rest of country, we were floored by the news of so many dead coming out of Virginia Tech, and with so many of the victims and their relatives from the D.C. area, we felt it important to pay... more ›

In all honesty, it's tough to wholeheartedly recommend going out on New Year's Eve at all. We love the spirit of the holiday, but paying around $100 a person for a regular night of dancing dressed up with champagne is enough to make anyone feel like a schmuck. It's a safe bet most of us at DCist will be hitting various house parties to ring in the new year with friends at a more reasonable... more ›

MONDAY >> Get your Zydeco just in time for Mardis Gras! CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band bring their Grammy award-winning act to the Birchmere. Whether they play their classic upbeat sound, or their Katrina-inspired latest recordings, it's sure to be a worthwhile show. 7:30 p.m., $19.50. >> If you prefer the funk, or you just really liked PCU, head to 9:30 for George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic Allstars. 7:30 p.m., $40.... more ›

As the Hot Ticket turns into the pleasantly, autumnally cool ticket, there are certain hot items that will go without saying from now on, so don't ask why we haven't mentioned them. These are: 1) You should all be ashamed for not going to Nats games while there are a few left in this inaugural season, but we're not going to mention this anymore. 2) There is, apparently, a professional football team in the area,... more ›