MONDAY >> DC9 scoured the globe for tonight's lineup. The Comas hail from Brooklyn and Chapel Hill and specialize in the darker shades of psychadelic rock. The Veils are here all the way from New Zealand, with some "if you like The White Stripes, you'll love The Veils"-style blues-inspired rock. Locals Zulu Pearls round out the lineup with solid, basic, indie rock. We're incapable of hearing their name without thinking of "Zuzu's petals" from It's... more ›

Monday >> You can be fairly certain that when a rapper takes a stagename that is a play on Hawthorne, you're going to be dealing with a hip-hop experience concerned with more than just the next glass of Courvoiseir. Hesta Prynn and her cohorts in Northern State take the Black Cat backstage with Bitch and the Exciting Conclusion, the new project from half of the fantastic Bitch & Animal. This ought to be a mainstage... more ›

The Sketches have dealt with all of the uncertainties of a new artist. Even with a name that does nothing to dispell this notion of transition, they've defined themselves and their place among the D.C. area’s finest upcoming musicians. Front man Charlie Bernardo’s voice is strikingly similar to Freddie Mercury, with melodies heavily influenced from The Beatles days of his youth. Bassist Greg Watkins and drummer Anthony Allen support the vocally driven alt-rock with their classical backgrounds and sophisticated sound. more ›

Monday >> This past December, Matthew Ryan released his latest album, From A Late Night High-Rise, a collection of songs inspired by the death of his friend and the sentencing of his brother to 30 years in prison. Tonight you can experience his acoustic contemplations on stage at Iota Club with Tim Easton. 8:30 p.m., $12. >> Do you want to see Silver Spring's Flaming Cooters? Did you ever think you would hear those words... more ›

You may have seen them lurking in such venues as Wonderland in Columbia Heights, or Iota Club in Arlington, VA, or perhaps you read about them in our Three Stars feature back in April where we mentioned that Alec and his band were in the process of putting together a follow-up to their last full length album, What Lasts. With their latest LP, Win?orLose?, Alec Gross and the Districts pose yet another question, and one... more ›

“It replaced my need for porn,” shouted Brandt Huseman, front man for the Baltimore-based Americana and power pop sounding Pale Stars, as they neared the final song in their set last night at Iota Club and Cafe. He went on to instruct the crowd, (aka, the few who lingered with beer in hand quietly around the edge of the room) to visit the band’s MySpace page where they could hear more of their tracks online, and hopefully even add them as a friend. While it might be a while before this revolutionary means of musical promotion overtakes the online porn industry, it’s definitely a great way for unheard up and coming bands to reach out and make a name for themselves. And like MySpace, it was in fact via another online unsigned music endorsing website, Alternative Addiction, where this DCist first became hooked on the drug known as Granian. more ›

Photos by Patrick L. Dunne. more ›

(Interview by DCist contributor Justin Kielsgard) In the late 70s, through forces still unknown, six different mothers on the East coast gave birth to six different babies, all somehow imbued in the womb with the influences of Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, the Beatles, and Dave Brubeck. The children, all boys, were raised on Voodoo Economics, Marvel Comics, RUN DMC records, and the public school system of the 1980s. Later on in their lives, they somehow... 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 ›

We have to admit it: we're a sucker for the Sox. And we'll be staying in tonight with a bottle or four of beer to watch the game. But if baseball's not your bag, there are plenty of events to keep you occupied this rainy fall evening: It's the sixth anniversary of Mothertonuge, a spoken poetry event, and they're having a happy birthday at the Black Cat. 8:30 p.m., $7. The first of the monthly... more ›

Because we like to keep you in the know, here's an updated list of upcoming shows, through middle of October or so (if we've missed anything, please let us know!). A couple of DCist-ers will be in attendance at the Thrills show tomorrow night at the Black Cat, so come on out! 9/17: Lungfish, Black Cat 9/18: The Thrills, Black Cat 9/23: The Walkmen, 9:30 Club 9/24: Fiery Furnaces, Black Cat 9/25: Travis Morrison, Galaxy... more ›

DCist usually laments the state of shows here in the nation�s capital. Often passed over for the bigger markets of Philadelphia or New York, the D.C. never seems to get a fair shake when it comes to the concerts that all the cool kids wanna go to. It�s so unfair! We have some great musical venues; when are we going to get a steady influx of good live bands? Well, it seems the times, they... more ›