Michael Jantz is our hero. The Cleveland bred folk/indie-rocker moved into the District a few years ago after leaving his mark on the Midwest to save us from our end-of-the-week doldrums. Sunday evenings can be somewhat of a downer, but Jantz has found a way to take back the night…as a weekly host and feature artist at Wonderland Ballroom. He draws talent from both inside the District and beyond, and headlines these intimate shows with…

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…

Monday >> Struggling through another slow week of the 9-5? Well there’s a Labor Day light at the end of the tunnel and what better way to get you there than with two very loud and bold female punk songstresses who will shake you right into the weekend. Catch Full Minute of Mercury (***) and Knives in the Attic tonight at DC9. 8pm, $8. Tuesday >> While Shakira works out her Oral Fixation, Wyclef…

You may have seen them lurking in such venues as Wonderland in Columbia Heights, or Iota Club in Arlington, VA, or perhaps you read about them in our Three Stars feature back in April where we mentioned that Alec and his band were in the process of putting together a follow-up to their last full length album, What Lasts. With their latest LP, Win?orLose?, Alec Gross and the Districts pose yet another question, and one…

TUESDAY >> Not too much going on this Tuesday, but the one-hit-wonder who can thank American Idol for his claim to fame, will be at 9:30 Club tonight with Holly Brook and Mozella. For $20 a ticket it might make more sense to just go buy Daniel Powter’s single “Bad Day” on iTunes and save yourself the other 19 bucks and a headache from the mob of screeching AI fans guaranteed to be in attendance….

Monday >> From the city that brought you Starbucks coffee, Pretty Girls Make Graves will wake you up this Monday night at the Black Cat with their own caffeinated brand of post-punk rock off of their new album Elan Vital with Giant Drag and The Joggers. $13, mainstage, 8:30 p.m. >> There’s no better place to get out of the rain and mellow out than at Iota with the acoustic sounds of Virginia’s young singer/songwriter…

This week we saw more and more news on church parking, took a look inside the District’s restaurants, tried to find the region’s cheapest gas and celebrated the nation’s interstate system. We talked to Deleted Scenes and Alec Gross and the Districts, found some great roast beef, analyzed the region’s ubersexuals and took a stab at Jenna Bush’s new hairstyle. We remembered school lunches, reviewed the news in transit, and saw The Strokes at…

Back in December on one cold snowy night, DCist walked upstairs at DC9 and into a unique blend of smooth melodic pop rock, country, bluegrass, and Americana that left us feeling intoxicated with the smooth stylings of Alec Gross and the Districts’ “whiskey rock.” A self-taught guitarist from the age of 15, harmonica player, and talented singer/songwriter, Alec defines all that is the hardworking musician. As they currently write and record tracks for their new…

You may have noticed a suspicious absence yesterday, this being the last week of the month and Tuesday being the usual Three Stars kick off day. Sadly, this month we’re a star short, at no fault of the D.C. music community, but more at the fault of my car that wouldn’t start when I was to travel from the burbs and into the city last Thursday to see The Daybreak Line. So this month we…