FRIDAY: >> Do the right thing and head to 9:30 Club for a show hosted by the strange gathering of the likes of Gypsy Eyes Records, The Federal Reserve and haberdasherie Propper Topper for a benefit for the DC Public Library Foundation. Kitty Hawk, Vandaveer, Revival, These United States and many more make up the crowded bill. 7:30 p.m., $20. >> The Brunettes (pictured right) perform sickly sweet but addictive pop duets, and they’ll be…

Atlanta-based singer Donnie first made himself known around 2001 with the release of two tracks, “Do You Know?” and “Our New National Anthem.” The former song sounded very reminiscent of “Flying Easy,” which was performed by one of Donnie’s influences, Donny Hathaway. Besides Hathaway, it was evident on the 2002 album, The Colored Section, that Donnie’s sound was also derived from Stevie Wonder and the gospel music he was exposed to by his preacher parents….

Well this is … disgusting. Showtime drama Dexter, which is the show everyone says is good but nobody watches, has filled a small makeshift fountain at Union Station with red dye to make it look like blood. Dexter, in case you didn’t know, is the Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) series that follows a blood splatter expert who also kills people for fun — but you know, only bad people. Showtime may owe our…

MONDAY: Elliott Lewis will be at Busboys and Poets to discuss and sign copies of his book Fade: My Journeys in Multiracial America. 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY: Daniel Levitin will be at Politics and Prose to discuss his latest book This is Your Brain on Music with Jeffrey Brown, senior correspondent from NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. The book examines the always-fun subject of neuroscience and how certain music is composed to get stuck in your head….

When we last heard, the crew from Gypsy Eyes Records were in the metaphorical maternity ward resting comfortably with great things ahead of them. Those great things kick off this weekend in grand fashion, and you’re all invited to join the festivities. The upstart local music collective has put together an exciting two day concert series they’ve christened as the Forever Festival and the first incarnation is almost upon us all. On Friday, head to…

MONDAY >> The 9:30 Club has enough hotness going on tonight to shut down for the rest of the week. Luckily, they’re not, but tonight will still be one hell of a night for music in its hallowed halls. Kicking things off with the early show are The Sounds, female-fronted Swedish rockers, peddling what we call indie and the rest of the world calls pop, much to the delight of reviewers ’round the Web. Touring…

Almost 43 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. As his commanding stage presence showed, he was a man of boundless energy — enough to foster a national fervor for racial equality. But where exactly did he get all that energy? Was Wheaties the Breakfast of Civil Rights Champions? No, King liked soul food — at the very least, “not something like…

Today’s review was written by DCist contributor Jim Smalley, a patent examiner for the USPTO and aspiring local musician. For those who weren’t living on a prayer at the MCI Center Saturday night, the Black Cat hosted a classic matchup of local music, featuring three D.C. bands each armed with their own flavor of rock n’ roll. The temptingly-diverse bill drew from all circles of D.C. society, packing the Cat with friends and fans alike….

Good morning, Washington. Today’s weather is likely to match Jerry Kilgore’s mood: lousy. That’s right, the results are in, and Virginia’s new governor is Democrat Tim Kaine. Kaine beat Kilgore by six percentage points in the culmination of a brutally negative race that turned dirty, then got even dirtier. Frankly, we’re glad it’s over. The Post has complete election results for Virginia here; Maryland’s results are here. Group Surveils Day Laborers: The situation surrounding illegal…

So it wasn’t Philadelphia’s night. We’re sure Tracy Lord and C.K. Dexter Haven, where ever they are, are rolling in their graves, pissed off that their dejected city lost out on football’s top prize. Are you happy New England won? Or do you think Philadelphia should have taken home the Lombardi trophy? (This DCist had divided loyalties of sorts. First, in our undergraduate days in Ann Arbor, we were introduced to a very drunk Tom…