Aimee Mann never seemed like one of pop's 500 likeliest candidates to release a Christmas album, but last year’s One More Drifter in the Snow was a tasteful, minor-key treat, and her “1st Annual Christmas Show” at the Birchmere last December was one of the best concerts of 2006. As she promised she would at the end of last year’s freewheeling interfaith revue, she's hitched up the sleigh again this year for a monthlong yule-tour that landed for the first of two shows at the Birchmere last night. As before, the show mingled seasonal fare with secular material from Mann’s deep songbook, music with comedy, and Christmas with Hanukkah. Kind of. more ›

Outside of her relatively small but loyal following, the United States has not seen much of Sinéad O’Connor over the past decade, though she has continued to release albums and perform. Despite having a massive hit with the Prince-penned "Nothing Compares 2 U," she is remembered equally for the controversy she generated with her infamous appearance on Saturday Night Live and her refusal to have the national anthem played before a concert in New Jersey.... more ›

The phrase “review-proof” usually denotes some property so universally recognizable and demonstrably saleable that no amount of critical huffing and puffing can possibly derail its commercial invincibility. more ›

By DCist contributor W. Jacarl Melton “Tell the truth, James Brown was old ‘Til Eric and Rakim came out with ‘I Got Soul’. Rap brings back old R&B; And if we would not, people could’ve forgot.” —Stetsasonic’s “Talkin’ All That Jazz” That quote captures how RAMP went from 1970s R&B/soul/funk jazz obscurity to having one of the most sought-after albums in the history of hip-hop sampling. If you’re not familiar with the group, you’re more... more ›

Well, there’s Rick Foucheaux in a chair playing a dead guy again. And look — Sarah Marshall is acting crazy as only she can. And come to think of it, this is another Sarah Ruhl play that concerns itself with the afterlife. Is there anything original happening here? more ›

Here’s one you might reasonably assume you’d misheard: “I doubt I would ever have gotten into stand-up comedy if not for 9/11.” The speaker is Tissa Hami, one of the five subjects of Stand-Up: Muslim American Comics Come of Age, local D.C. filmmaker Glenn Baker’s almost too-brisk profile of a loose group of comics who have banded together to challenge the perception that all Muslims are humorless fundamentalists. While Hami is the only one of... more ›

Okay Washington, so the news from this weekend isn't so cheerful. Maybe it was the thousands of war protestors on the Mall, or the hundreds of disgruntled Sufjan fans denied tickets at the Kennedy Center Saturday morning. Or maybe it was that crazy wind last night. In any case, we're really reaching for the good news this morning. Cause Sugar's Not Enough: In another entry to the "Why Most of the World Thinks We're... more ›

Let's look back at a week in which no site in the -ist network adopted anyone from Africa... -Austinist reveled in the dumb antics of some U.T. law students and posted some great audio from former New Orleans natives who've decided to stay in Austin. But the best news for Austinist? They were voted Best Local Entertainment Web Site by the local Austin alt-weekly. Congrats, Austinist. -DCist gloried in being told their musical tastes made... more ›

Last week, they brought the roof down at The Red & The Black, literally. OK, not really literally. We can't blame the Brindley Brothers for the crumbling ceiling which closed off the upper level of the H Street Corridor’s version of DC9 last week (it's hopefully fixed by now, we're trying to find out). What we can tell you is that the quality and dedication illustrated in their intimate acoustic set confirmed why they... more ›

Written by DCist Theater Reviewer Missy Frederick. more ›

MONDAY “Hey. What’s up. My name is Malcolm Lawrence. I couldn’t help noticing that you’ve been sitting outside the Hefner Auditorium here at the Keese School for Continuing Education—located, as I’m sure you know, at 417 Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg—for quite some time. Just waiting for something exciting to happen? Yeah. I don’t blame you. Well, I’ll tell you what, if you’ve got two bucks and can wait until say, 7:30 this evening, I’ve got... more ›

Saturday Night Live’s recent “Lazy Sunday” short film has given me an intense craving for cupcakes. The ones featured, from New York City’s Magnolia Bakery, brought to mind the following question: where can you find high-quality cupcakes in D.C.? “I don’t think this cupcake thing is at its height,” a bakery owner told New York magazine this past fall. With our northern neighbor's Buttercup Bakery in the process of franchising nationally and Warren Brown’s outfit... more ›

FRIDAY: >> You just can't say the D.C. music scene doesn't care. Check out the 2-night Katrina's Piano Fund benefit concert at Black Cat, featuring a packed line-up of local acts. Friday's got Monopoli, the Routineers, the Washington Social Club, the Ambitions, Andy Zipf, and DJ Will Eastman. Saturday is Wooly Mammoth, The Whips, Owls and Crows, Edie Sedgwick, Rose, andDJ lil' e. $12 for one show, or maximize your band-to-dollar ratio and pay just... more ›

In an age when broadcast radio is increasingly homogenized and corporate, WAMU’s Hot Jazz Saturday Night is a refuge for those with an interest in vintage jazz, swing and big band from the '20s, '30s, and '40s. Host Rob Bamberger, whose record collection has taken over his basement and laundry room, has been laying down jazz knowledge every Saturday night from 7 to 10 p.m. since 1980. That makes 25 years — congrats to... more ›

Our friends at Chicagoist point out that the Billy Goat Tavern, that Chicago institution parodied in Saturday Night Live's "Olympia Restaurant" sketches in the 70s, is planning on coming to D.C. This news may have many Chicagoans a little miffed, as the Billy Goat is a unique Chicago experiences akin to walking the Magnificent Mile or catching a game at Wrigley. Moving the restaurant to another time zone seems an odd decision for a restaurant uniquely Chicago -- as if Ben's Chili Bowl opened a branch in St. Louis. Of course, Chicagoist points out that the Billy Goat Tavern is no stranger to franchise controversy. In fact, when the decision was made to expand beyond its original Michigan Avenue location, many locals doubted the "authenticity" of the satellite restaurants. more ›

Sometimes, we come across strange and odd stuff on Craigslist. And in a sort-of-funny Rants and Raves post, we learn of a new terrorist threat we face: "Al Qaeda roofied my silly ass and then sent John Goodmans big sister to have her way with me. Just to let me know they can." more ›

So what's the connection, if any, of Chevy Chase the actor and Chevy Chase the [D.C. neighborhood and Maryland] suburb? Is there a proto-Chase? Is it merely a coincidence? Thanks. more ›

In today's Reliable Source, Richard Leiby reports that comedian Chevy Chase unleashed a "potty-mouthed ... rant against President Bush" at liberal advocacy organization People For the American Way's annual "Spirit of Liberty" awards at the Kennedy Center Tuesday. (Disclaimer: this DCist works for PFAW) Thus far conservative news outlets Newsmax and online gossip Matt Drudge have picked up the story, although both rely on the Post's coverage. He is seen here before the show in... more ›

Political satire takes center stage at 10 p.m. on NBC. "Saturday Night Live's Presidential Bash 2004: The Great Debates" will showcase some of the best political skits from the past 30 years. Highlights include the Bush (Will Ferrell) - Gore (Darrell Hammond) debate of 2000, the 1992 Clinton (Phil Hartman) - Bush (Dana Carvey) - Perot(Dana Carvey) debates and goes way back in time for the 1988 Bush (Dana Carvey again) - Dukakis (Jon Lovitz)... more ›