While there are some great shows coming up in January, this week is still subject to holiday doldrums. Here are a few shows to check out. >> Tomorrow, vocalist/pianist Mose Allison comes to Blues Alley to begin a four night stand with daily 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets. It is common for touring jazz acts to hire local rhythm sections, and concert goers will be treated to two of D.C.'s finest in bassist Tommy......

>> A man was hospitalized this morning after his Ford Expedition crashed into a Metrobus at 8th St. and Massachusetts Ave. NE. [WJLA] >> A 19-year-old Maryland woman got stuck in a two-story chimney about 12:20 a.m. Monday at her father's tire shop on Bladensburg Road. Firefighters were able to rescue her to safety. [WaPo] >> D.C. police responded to a shooting at an apartment complex at 6420 14th St. NW just after noon......

Clarifying the intriciacies of replacing himself at his job, Boudreau told the Canadian Press, "Until further notice, I'm here."...

Whenever the dirtiest plays in hockey history are discussed, New York Islanders fans malign Dale Hunter's hit on Pierre Turgeon. True, Hunter hit Turgeon from behind, without warning, as Turgeon raised his arms to celebrate a decisive playoff goal. True, Hunter separated Turgeon's shoulder, earning a (then record setting) 21-game suspension. Regardless, Caps fans will no longer have to listen quietly as Long Island residents insult our good name. That's because Islander Chris Simon has......

The National Symphony Orchestra is about to lose its captain, when Music Director Leonard Slatkin steps down at the end of this season. Slatkin is clearly not ready to retire, although he has hinted that he is all too ready to move past the discomforts of his tenure in Washington. He will split his time among the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic in London, and the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as teaching at Indiana......

Former Capitals coach Bruce "Butch" Cassidy (who famously wrote his plays on napkins, and then brought the napkins to practice) has just been fired by the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League after they lost six straight games. The firing from the junior team confirms the suspicions of many Caps fans who remembered the 2003-2004 season and though the coach might have been slightly less than qualified for the NHL. Cassidy joined the Capitals......

Washington Concert Opera presented the first half of their new season on Sunday night at an admirably full Lisner Auditorium. Rather than a more typical rarity, it was one of the gems of the bel canto repertoire, Vincenzo Bellini's late opera I Puritani, or as bad-girl soprano Anna Netrebko memorably put it, "crap." No one should ever mistake I Puritani for a dramatic masterpiece, but it does have some of the best, most polished, and......

Well, it's been several weeks since we got a false report out of Russia saying that Washington Capitals superstar left winger Alexander Ovechkin savagely attacked someone. Therefore it came as no surprise yesterday when we got an apparently false report out of Russia saying that Alexander Ovechkin broke a hockey agent's jaw in a bar fight. Last time, we had to watch the video to see that nothing happened. This time all we have is......

In an interview yesterday, discussing the state of goalie development in Russian hockey, Caps superstar Alexander Ovechkin optimistically announced that Caps goaltending prospect Semen Varlamov will remain in Russia this year, playing with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. This contradicted Ovechkin's earlier optimistic prediction that Varlamov would challenge Olaf Kolzig for the starting job in Washington, which in turn contradicted Varlamov's earlier announcement that he planned to play for Lokomotiv this year. Goalies take longer to develop than......

Editor's Note: J. Tom Hnatow from These United States is writing a tour diary for DCist chronicling the band's latest national tour. July 26, 2007 We wake up, get ready, and go right back into rehearsing. Jason and Robby are champs…we're throwing songs and ideas at them left and right, and they're doing a great job of learning the material. Jesse and I are really lucky to know so many phenomenal musicians. At the level......

Saxophonist Matt Rippetoe is a busy man. A mainstay within the D.C. jazz circuit, Rippetoe plays regularly with several different groups that cover a variety of styles. He has performed at Bohemian Caverns, Blues Alley, Cafe Nema, Jo-Jos, Tryst, Utopia, Columbia Station... basically all the local places. The time has finally arrived for him to take charge as a band leader and this Sunday, June 29th, at 8 p.m., he will celebrate the release of......

As a practical matter, any art museum or gallery needs to carve out a niche for itself in order to remain relevant. To that end, Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, chose local art and political art as two areas of emphasis. Two exhibitions reflecting this institutional philosophy opened this past weekend. Bush Leaguers: Cartoonists Take on the White House is a collection of 99 editorial......

>> Fort Reno soldiers on tonight, with Mess Up the Mess, Julie Ocean, and the final ever performance from Three Stars alums The Sentiment, who are calling it quits as a group after tonight. 7:15 p.m. >> Debuting tonight is "Bomb Shelter," a weekly stand-up showcase featuring five local improv personalities. Why the militaristic name? Because there is no "bombing" here. The comedians promise to stun weapons of mass hilarity, which means no random drunk......

FRIDAY: >> Let it be known - any country with a holiday that translates as "party of music" (or "music party") is OK in our book. In celebration of the French holiday Fete de la Musique, as well as the summer solstice, French and American musicians will be performing at La Maison Francaise tonight. Local guitar and cello duo Janel and Anthony*** will play from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the auditorium stage, but......

In a best of seven playoff series, any team with a 3-1 lead has distinct advantage. This is entirely false when that team is the Washington Capitals, and it holds that slim advantage over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Capitals blew 3-1 leads against the Penguins in 1992 and 1995, and blew a 2-0 lead to the Penguins in 1996. Since this season's Hershey Bears are one-third composed of players from this season's Washington Capitals, they......

What's that, reader? You thought the hockey season had come to a merciful end? You thought that Caps players like Mike Green, Jeff Schultz, Jakub Klepis, Eric Fehr, Alexandre Giroux, Dave Steckel and Frederic Cassivi had shown they belong in the minor leagues, and would now spend the summer playing golf and healing unspecified injuries? Well, smartypants, you got the first part right. All those Caps players do belong in the minor leagues, and......

FRIDAY: >> Don't forget to check out our guide to the Six Points Music Festival as it takes over the town in its second weekend. We're going to once again heartily recommend you head to Iota to catch Unbuckled alums Middle Distance Runner headline a show that also features Unbuckled alums These United States, plus Pittsburgh's Black Tie Revue. Get there early -- this is going to be a packed house for sure. $10, 9:30......

Six Points is underway! We imparted the general DCist wisdom about the bands participating in the first weekend last week, so we're doing it again as the festival draws to a close. Have you been to any shows so far? Planning on going to any? What did you think? Thursday, 4/19 at DC9 Way back in 2005, DCist Tom had this to say about Lejeune: "...it's the half-surf tones of Matthew Richardson's clean, delayed hollowbody......

So some Penguins walk out of arena negotiations… The Pittsburgh Penguins are staying in Pittsburgh. After years of debate, the Pennsylvania government agreed to open up a bunch of casinos and use the revenue to keep the best young collection of hockey players anywhere on Earth right squarely in the Iron City. While this is great news for the Penguins and all of their fans, it is terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad news for the......

Georgetown 61, Pittsburgh 53 The Big East is aptly named. The 16-team behemoth is the largest in Division I and backs up its girth with some of the finest play in the nation. So it's no small feat that Georgetown has climbed to the top of this daunting hill. Backed by the strong play of juniors Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, and Jonathan Wallace, the Hoyas gritted their way to a victory over a Pittsburgh......

Written by DCist contributor Eli Resnick Last night, the Washington Capitals lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They've been doing this for quite a while. In this so-called rivalry, the Penguins have owned the Capitals for decades. Well, okay, there was a night back around 1993 that the Capitals beat the Penguins 8-1, and there was one playoff series where the Capitals actually pulled through, but basically, as the NHL decides whether to build the rivalry......

Usually I recommend concert experiences I have actually heard or at least of which I have a fairly good idea what to expect. However, sometimes I recommend things that sound interesting but may be even stranger than I could have foreseen. This week I am leading with one of those. COLLEGE PARK: THE OPERA >> The interdisciplinary art collective called Squonk Opera got its start in Pittsburgh. Their latest project is Put Your Hometown's Name......

Outrageous prices for not-so great food -- the issue of stadium concessions is pretty interesting. So interesting that Slate's Daniel Engber wondered and found out what it's like to be a beer vendor. Aside from in airports and on airplanes, where else can you be subjected to a limited number of relatively unappetizing, uncreative, unhealthy concoctions that are sold at unbelievably high prices? Even the July 2006 revamping of RFK Stadium and the new food......

The Washington Nationals found themselves in a familiar position Sunday afternoon. After dropping their first two games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Nats again were trailing in the third and final game of the series. Down 3-1 in the seventh, and in danger of being swept for the fourth time in a month's time, the Nationals turned to pinch-hitter Alex Escobar. With Jose Guillen on board with a walk, Escobar drilled a shot over......

After getting thrashed at home by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the tune of 11-1, the Nationals experienced something of a wake-up call. The Nats might have looked around and found out that they were in the basement of one of the worst divisions in baseball. They might have done some research and found out that Friday night's beat-down was at the hands of franchise whose entire existence has been marred by futility......

Shortly after Pope Benedict XVI was elected by the College of Cardinals, the Archbishop of Washington, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, sent his letter of retirement to the Vatican. This is something that bishops are required to do when they turn 75, and the Pope accepted the resignation and soon nominated a successor. The Bishop of Pittsburgh, Donald W. Wuerl, was appointed to be the new leader of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Washington last month. Yesterday,......

It's been eight months since their last home series win, but the Nationals finally captured two out of three at RFK from their opponent as they downed the Pirates yesterday afternoon. For the Nationals, these games were as much much-win games as any team 10 games under .500 ever plays. Coming off a disastrous two-game home sweep at the hands of the lowly Florida Marlins, the Nats faced the Pittsburgh Pirates, off to their......

Written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds. With just five of their last 18 games coming at home the Caps hoped to take advantage of their final extended homestand to build momentum. With a record of 2-2-1, the Caps failed to realize their hopes and were unable to create a consistent style of play. Wednesday night saw the Caps destroy the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the last game of this season’s series between the two rivals, The......

It's been a busy few days for the Redskins, as the deadline for roster cuts passed and the free agent signing period began. Washington sports fans might still be mourning the departure of LaVar Arrington, but the team is moving on and making some big changes. On Friday, the Skins cut five players in a last minute move to get under the salary cap. Linemen Brandon Noble and Cory Raymer, DBs Walt Harris and......

On Sundays, DCist publishes opinion pieces about life in D.C. Today's column comes to us from reader John Heaton. If you have an opinion to share, please email us. Almost every city has it; some local delicacy that represents the roots or fabric of the area. NYC has cheesecake and pizza, Philly has cheesesteaks, and, going out to the left coast, the Seattle area has coffee and smoked salmon. What does D.C. have? Nothing. Some......