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>> Tonight's a big night for music, beginning with a celebration of one of the great musicians of the 20th century, Frank Zappa. His son, Dweezil, leads a group of Zappa-alums for this tribute, which takes place at Warner Theater. 7:30 p.m., $50/$75 + Ticketmaster fees. >> Tonight, the musical flavor of New Orleans comes to the Wonderland Ballroom tonight as Yamomanem takes the stage. Call 202-232-5263 for cover information. 9 p.m. >> Also tonight,... more ›

The Police made their way back to the District last night, playing their first show in town in over 24 years. Their last D.C. show was on August 22, 1983, when they graced the stage at the Capital Center. The crowd at the Phone Booth welcomed Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland with a huge ovation when Summers strode on stage and began the riff for "Message In A Bottle." Were you in attendance... more ›

Walking into Jammin’ Java Friday night, here’s what I knew about Philly rockers Marah: 1) High Fidelity and About a Boy author Nick Hornby, a man who has documented his musical preferences at least enough for me to know I largely share them, loves on this band so much he devoted one of his book columns in Believer magazine a couple of years ago to their largely unsung magnificence. 1a) Stephen King --Josh Ritter... more ›

Renee Stout, a very cool D.C. resident and assemblage artist, has a new collection of works on view at Hemphill Fine Arts -- Journal: Book One. Walking into this cabinet of curiosity, you are greeted by a large, accurately painted advertisement for the corner psychic. By putting on the airs of alter ego Fatima Mayfield, Stout is able to role play as a fictitious herbalist/fortuneteller who enters the arena of the shadowy and strange.... more ›

MONDAY >> They put it pretty well themselves, and since it's all about them anyway, we're just going to repeat what the Black Cat had to say about their anniversary party tonight: "After 14 years of pouring you guys drinks, then picking up the glasses, working the doors, and sweeping the floors, we've decided that it's time to dedicate a night to ourselves. Black Cat staff bands, staff DJs, and staffers will be hanging out... more ›

It's time to dig your stakes out from under your beds, Buffy fans. more ›

One of our favorite questions to ask local musicians is what they think of the local music scene — is there a community here? On Friday night, as we spotted Hamilton Leithauser and Ian Svenonius in the crowd, it was refreshingly clear that no matter where your music career takes you, D.C. bands come back to support one another. Two bands with deep local roots were taking the stage. The Childballads, led by the... more ›

>> Tomorrow D.C. United players will be sporting special maroon jerseys in honor of Virginia Tech. After the game, all 18 shirts will be signed by a player and auctioned, with the proceeds going to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund which provides assistance to victims and their families along with grief counseling and other "comfort expenses". >> Tax hikes may force Trimper Rides, one of the oldest businesses in Ocean City, to close shop.... more ›

MONDAY Richard Preston, fresh off his Daily Show appearance, where he confounded Jon Stewart, brings his unique perspective on some of America's oldest residents, California redwood trees, in The Wild Trees. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, 7:00 p.m. TUESDAY With the glut of celebrities proclaiming themselves Buddhists, it's sometimes hard to pin down the historical and ethical roots of this ancient religion. Author Lama Surya Das, who the Dalai Lama calls 'The American... more ›

We're all familiar with The Rules. You know, that iron clad system by which every woman can land herself the man of her dreams and keep him, if only she's willing to act like the most obnoxious kind of person you've ever met. Of course, men have rules, too. They just don't publish them. They've been passed down in locker rooms, cigar-choked men's-only clubs, and fraternity houses for time immemorial. The fact is, I could... more ›

Don't panic, Washington! You didn't in fact leap ahead an entire month when changing your clocks on Sunday. A mere week after temperatures dipped into the low 30's, today we can expect the mercury to hit an unseasonably high 70 degrees, with tomorrow getting even warmer. Why not walk to work and avoid soaring gas prices? Oh, that's right. more ›

At this point in December, people looking to hear a concert are probably only looking for a performance of Handel's Messiah or Holiday Concerts, and we have already dealt with both of those. Since there is not much else to mention, this will be your Classical Music Agenda until the New Year. There are a few things to hear, so hang in there. We will be back on January 7. >> The year's final free... more ›

There's something strangely Disney-like about Arena Stage's production of She Loves Me. Is it the candy-colored sets? The cartoonish dancing? The opening song, "Good Morning, Good Day," which calls to mind Beauty and the Beast's "Bonjour" number? Or maybe it's just that leading lady Brynn O'Malley seems to have taken her recent performance as Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast and transplanted it in D.C.? She Loves Me, a classic, romantic musical adored by... more ›

Today, the Washington Examiner returns to a theme we've noticed (and scratched our collective temple at) a number of times over the past year. It seems that Fannie Mae and the Urban Institute have conducted a survey showing that many District families are leaving the capital for the suburbs, due, according to the Examiner piece, to poor schools, excessive condo construction, and high housing costs. Says the article:Most housing booms are “primarily driven by the... more ›

Rain, rain, rain. Our apologies, Washington. We'd love to tell you that it's going to be a beautiful Indian summer day. Instead we find ourselves staring at weather.com, trying to divine what the subtle differences between their various rain icons could possibly mean. Well, happy Tuesday. Gallaudet Faculty Votes No Confidence In Jordan: NBC4 reports on the latest from Gallaudet. It appears that the weekend's arrests have shaken the faculty's faith in university president... more ›

In addition to having a vibrant classical music concert scene, Washington is home to a number of classical performers and composers, like Nicholas Maw, composer of Sophie's Choice, who now makes his home in the Maryland suburbs. When a great performer dies, classical music fans everywhere mourn the loss of a favorite voice or sound, but when such a performer also happens to be a fellow Washingtonian, it hits closer to home for us here.... more ›

FRIDAY: >> We'd be remiss if we didn't note that tonight will be the last time that Kathryn of Kathryn On will host one of her famous Blogger Happy Hours. It starts at 7 p.m. at Lucky Bar. Fans of the regular happy hour shouldn't fear, however, as Kathryn says she has "a couple of fledgling social chairs waiting in the wings." Thanks for all the hard work you've put in, Kathryn, to making the... more ›

Here at DCist, we're all big fans of the Colbert Report (and pretty much any and everything else the great Jon Stewart ever had a hand in). That's why we couldn't pass up the opportunity to put a few folks On Notice when we came across shipbrook.com's On Notice Board Generator. In the grand tradition of The Colbert Report, if anyone we've put On Notice comes by our offices* within the next 60 days,... more ›

MONDAY What a weekend of basketball! It’s going to be hard to come down from over the next few days, so step off gradually. Go check out Tom Graham and Rachel Graham Cody as they discuss Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball. It’ll help to augment your game IQ, which may be feeling a little shattered after all your Big 10 picks got spanked. Barnes & Noble,... more ›

In recent years, Virginia has aggressively billed itself as an East Coast alternative to the wine country destinations of California and the Pacific Northwest. And unsurprisingly, Virginia wineries have sprung up like magazine articles apologizing for Kanye West's self-confidence. But with very few exceptions, the wines coming out of the Old Dominion generally either cost far more than they should (Chrysalis Vineyards' passable viognier runs a hefty $29 per bottle, while Alban Vineyards' excellent Central... more ›

Christmas and Hanukkah both drop on 12/25 this year, and as we get closer to that date, retailers of fine books begin to put their energy behind that last big sales push of the year. This means a dearth of author events until we clear Epiphany. All the same, we got the hook-up with what’s out there. MONDAY There are those that say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Yet most of the people... more ›

Now that it's Tuesday and we've all officially recovered from our homecoming hangovers, we thought we'd take a little time out to recap some of the weekend's most memorable moments from Howard Homecoming and Colonials Weekend at GW. Make sure to add your experiences in the comments so we can all bask in the wistful reverie of college days gone past. Except for the first half of sophomore year when we lived with that girl... more ›

Admit it: the warm early autumn weather has tempted you to rock those white pants and that seersucker blazer just one more time (you swear!). We know -- we've seen similar lapses all over town. But this morning's undeniably chilly temps were enough to prompt even the most stalwart flip-flop-phile succumb to a more seasonally appropriate option. So suck it up and let the linen go. And then cancel your weekend plans and grab your credit cards -- you've got some shopping to do. Below DCist rounds up the best ways to blow your paycheck and cover those naked hangers. more ›

Now that DCist has a year's worth of material to work with, we can finally start rooting through our dusty archives to find out exactly what was happening on this very day, one year ago. Ok, so it's not exactly what the New York Times has to offer (which includes stories of historical importance, alongside cool black and white pics of the world of yester-decade), but it's something. Starting today, DCist will feature a daily... more ›

D.C. don't draw your claws in yet. This September NBC plays host not only to the latest installment of corporate head-to-head with the next season of Donald Trump's The Apprentice, but it also launches the newest catfight with soon-to-be free to move about the country Martha Stewart's rendition. In a recent release Ms. Stewart hints at a potential conference room (note: not boardroom) bloodfest remarking that the cast's "poise and creativity is balanced by a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit...Even so, there are some explosive personalities among the candidates and they really create a lot of tension in the conference room." more ›

From Rock Creek Rambler, we are reminded that Jessica Cutler, aka(fka?) Washingtonienne (the fallen Capitol Hill intern/entrepreneur-turned-blogstar-turned-author from the last year's intern season) is still around. And her book -- "The Washingtonienne: A Novel" (Hyperion Books) -- is on Amazon! Rock Creek Rambler says that those who have already purchased Ms. Cutler's book fall in the same demographic that have purchased books like "XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits" by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders; "I Am Charlotte Simmons" by... more ›

In a city often characterized as full of faceless, nameless bureaucrats, it's great to note that two entrepreneurs with strong local connections are receiving praise for their innovative approaches to business. more ›

Martha's Poncho Is Hot Stuff: Who knew that a fashion trend from West Virginia could send women everywhere searching for knitting patterns? But it's true, says that Post, which details how Martha Stewart's now-famous prison departure garb is inspiring those in the knitting world to re-create it. Kelly Ann Collins' Socialiate Reporter notes on the fashion trend: I was glad when this look went out with those Free Winona t-shirts. But unfortunately, thanks to Ms.... more ›

Set your DVR's, D.C.! Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer appearers on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight at 11 p.m., to plug his new book. We know it's a Thursday night, and you're eager to get a head start on the weekend, but Gawker is billing this as the "Battle of the Boychiks" and we think it's going to be one worth watching. more ›