There was a time in the 1970s when male artists could become famous by simply writing and singing great songs. Seemingly average joes such as Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Elton John sold millions of records without subscribing to the psychedelia of 60s rock, the angst of punk, the glam of the 80s, or the hyper-masculinity of metal and hip-hop. Today, acts such as Coldplay and James Blunt might hint at a resurgence... more ›

A couple of weeks back, we found ourselves at IOTA paying $10 to see two bands we were previously unfamiliar with (Iowa City's Death Ships and Chapel Hill's The Old Ceremony). The experience left us feeling satisfied and slightly adventurous. We wanted to make a regular habit of checking out bands based on 30-second clips and "borrowed" tracks from elbo.ws. And that's partly why we were at IOTA last night to see mellow Canadian folksters... more ›

Vince Scheuerman, eat your heart out. This morning, DCist's inbox contained a press release announcing an upcoming party kicking off a campaign to adopt a city song for Washington. The effort calls itself, "Come to Washington: A Song for the City," and it's thrown its support behind "Come to Washington," a treacly bit of civic pride penned by Lincoln Ross, a longtime D.C. musician whose past work has included stints with Count Basie and Donald... more ›

Guest stars galore this week on "The West Wing." Al Bundy, James Taylor and Tim Matheson are around as the president fumbles a routine photo op right before an important Chinese economic summit causing tensions between China and Taiwan to escalate to an alarming degree. more ›

Last week the American University student paper The Eagle ran a decent story on the chess culture at Dupont Circle. The article discusses some of the personalities and conventions of the chess players who have met at the circle since the permanent boards were installed in 1968. Here's a taste:

If Dupont Circle is the heart of D.C., then the chess crowd is that mysterious force keeping it pumping. Ten stone tables follow the circle's gentle curve. At them sit retirees and college students, lawyers and doctors, bums and transients, locals and foreigners, disguised grandmasters and brazen amateurs, regulars and curious tourists. Each fights a battle of wit and intellect. Passersby and players settle around a game like at a campfire, and move on to another if the level of excitement and banter begins to dwindle.

"It's not just chess," said Taylor in his quiet, distant voice, stroking his salt-and-pepper goatee. "If you talk to a grandmaster, they'll tell you, you have to be spiritually, morally and mentally right. A lot of people play chess to be perfect, but it teaches humility."

If you were hoping to attend Moveon.org's 'Vote For Change' megaconcert at the MCI Center on October 11, prepare to fork over some dough. An email sent yesterday to MoveOn members registered for the pre-sale listed the prices as $90 and $175. The concert will feature Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Dave Matthews Band, The Dixie Chicks, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp, Jurassic 5, Keb’ Mo’, Kenneth “Babyface”... more ›

(From DCist contributor Kanishka Gangopadhyay) A national star-studded musical tour organized by the online organization Moveon.org will culminate with a massive concert on October 11th in Washington D.C.'s MCI center, the group announced today. Thus far, the artists have been touring the country separately as individual participants in the nationwide Vote For Change Tour. The concert will most likely be the largest concert event to hit D.C. this fall. The concert's eclectic 13-performer lineup includes... more ›