Photo by Francis Chung Devendra Banhart played to a half-full 9:30 Club on Wednesday night, achieving occasional moments of brilliance, but generally failing to create the spirited vibe that often energizes his live shows. Indeed, it was the night before Thanksgiving, but performers and audience alike seemed already mired in a tryptophan-induced state of torpor. As if in acknowledgment that the slightest distraction might prove critical in such an anemic environment, photographers were relegated…

MONDAY >> At the ripe young age of 24, Patrick Wolf has already achieved a lot: three albums of brooding electronica and orchestral pop, modeling campaigns for Burberry, headlines in the British tabloids and at least one on-stage altercation that found the lupine violinist attacking his strung-out drummer with a cymbal. Drama notwithstanding, Wolf’s latest, the surprisingly upbeat The Magic Position, is undoubtedly one of this year’s best. Come see what all the fuss is…

On the surface, religious institutions and indie rock bands are strange bedfellows. Give it a bit of thought, however and you’ll realize that the two camps have much in common: a desire to attain some form of transcendence, an often evangelical following, beards. So maybe putting on an indie rock show in a place of worship isn’t such a strange thing after all. And if there’s one house of prayer in the city that’s made…

Marylanders, never fear, the folk is here. And the blues, jazz, and country for that matter. According to WTOP, the Birchmere, a Northern Virginia mainstay, will be setting up shop across the river. Plans are underway for a Birchmere II in the ever-developing Silver Spring downtown. It will complement the existing Alexandria location, allowing for more fun, more old people getting out, and most importantly twice as much Devendra Banhart. Birchmere owners said the Montgomery…