Múm is the latest in what seems to be a global trend of acts that believe the bigger the band, and the more unusual the instrumentation, the better. Though only two original members of the group remain, Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar óreyjarson Smárason, there were seven musicians on stage during last night's concert at the historic 6th and I Synagogue. The ensemble employed the following instruments over the course of the show: guitar, bass,... more ›

FRIDAY: >> Even though Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is an obvious choice for the movie-going crowd this weekend, the Avalon Theatre -- just north of the Potter madness at the Uptown -- is showing Talk to Me, the new biopic on the life of famed Washington, D.C., talk-show host and activist Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. 5:50 and 8:30 p.m. >> Unbuckled alumni The Vita Ruins celebrate the release of their... more ›

Maybe it’s always been this way, but it seems the latest trends in indie bands are to either go really big or pare everything down. Examples: The two-person, girl-boy pop duo has exploded, not to mention the two person blues combo. Power trios seem on the rise — run-of-the-mill rhythm guitarists need not apply. On the other side of the spectrum, The Arcade Fire gains a member every time they tour, collectives like Broken Social... more ›

FRIDAY: >> Palace of Wonders is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a literal circus of performers both tonight and Saturday. Acrobats, burlesque performers, magicians, freaks and rope trick artists are just some of the acts that will take the stage, and fortune tellers will be on hand near the bar. Tickets are $15 in advance (click here), and $20 at the door. 7 p.m. to midnight tonight, 7 to 2 a.m. on Saturday. We recommend... more ›

The Red and the Black, Northeast's cozy jambalaya joint, added some more Southern flavor to their menu last night: Cackalackee (that’s “Carolina” to you Yankees) natives Mikal Evans and Sweater Weather, served up with a side of The Foreign Press. The Foreign Press aren’t exactly Southern, unless your definition of the South includes D.C. (and yes, we're below the Mason-Dixon line), but lead singer Andy Fox’s Stephen Malkmus-style delivery has earned FP comparisons to Pavement’s... more ›

Have you heard anything about Live on Penn making a comeback for the summer? Last summer when DCist was in super-secret beta mode, we actually answered this very same query when the concert series was abruptly stopped in July 2004. So no, no comeback in the works as far as we have heard. But have no fear, Fort Reno's summer lineup was just released today. The series kicks off tomorrow with The Rude Staircase, Sentai... more ›

This weekend is just chock full of good stuff to do! The weather is shaping up nicely (with a chance of a storm on Saturday) so get out there. more ›

From DCist contributor Catherine Andrews: more ›

Hopelessly cynical hipster kids can get a dose of feel-good, irony-free music tonight with the Polyphonic Spree concert, going on at the 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW). Twenty-five bandmates, dressed in technicolor floor-length robes, indoctrinate audience members into their wonderful world of musical puppies and rainbows. The Texas-based group, building on the success of their first album, "The Beginning Stages of ...", has found some critical success with their second effort, "Together We're Heavy." DCist, always on the lookout for some good, clean, cultish fun, will be in attendance. It'll be just like the Sun Myung Moon bizarro crowning ceremony on the Hill, except with catchy music and fewer Congressmen. $18. more ›