There’s always something special about last shows. Whether the final episode of a beloved television series, or the farewell tour of a band, or even just the closing show of a tour, the artists involved always seem to throw a little something extra into the mix. So what does that mean for someone like Ted Leo, who closed out his tour Saturday night at the 9:30 Club, for whom giving roughly 210% at any…

Given his position as chairman of the committee that oversees transportation and the D.C. Taxicab Commission, we knew headline-loving Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to create his own spectacle in the wake of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s announcement about the transition to taxi meters. But it seems as though Graham was only able to muster up the resources to put together a 2 p.m. public roundtable at the Wilson…

FRIDAY: >> Though perhaps not quite as high profile anymore as some other D.C. bands from the mid-1980s, the cryptically-named 9353 always had, and still maintains, a dedicated group of fans. You may never have heard of them, but in addition to playing with some of the biggest local names like Scream, G.I. and Iron Cross, they also shared bills with Public Image Ltd, Sisters of Mercy and the Butthole Surfers back in the day,…

We’ve got more on that Dupont Circle fire we mentioned briefly in the Morning Roundup. As some commenters feared, the building in question does contain everyone’s favorite Dupont neighborhood pizza spot, Alberto’s, and the fire looks to have done some vaguely serious damage. Apologies for the poor photo quality, but a camera-phone shot was the best we could do so far. What you’re looking at is 2010 P Street NW, home to Alberto’s, a…

An unidentified man was shot around 2:40 a.m. last night inside Joe’s Restaurant on 9th Street NW, right next to popular local bar and music venue DC9. The man later died at an area hospital. And of course, only hours after that, D.C. Council member Jim Graham is calling for the restaurant’s permanent closure. This is becoming a familiar pattern. Graham says the restaurant is “notorious and dangerous,” dating back to shooting and violence that…

Fort Reno, the long-running summer concert series that dates back to the days when Marion Barry wasn’t dodging indictments, gives D.C.’s indie and punk faithful welcome respite from dark, dimly lit clubs, and everyone a chance to enjoy some great local bands during the long summer evenings. The stage has witnessed many amazing performances by a who’s who of local luminaries including Fugazi, Q and not U, Ted Leo and Mary Timony, and was to…

A bit of disheartening news today for local runners. According to an email sent by Richard Zeichik, National Director for the AIDS Marathon Training Program, the group will discontinue its popular training program in the D.C. area in 2007. It seems that the group’s partner, the Whitman-Walker Clinic, has chosen to sever its ties with the organization. From the email: After nine incredible years of producing the AIDS Marathon Training Program on behalf of Whitman-Walker…

Written by DCist contributor Ian Buckwalter The startup costs for that strip club you and your friends were hoping to open in Prince George’s County just got a little pricier. And the club itself may have just become a little less attractive to both patrons and performers. As reported in The Examiner this morning, the Prince George’s County Council passed a bill yesterday requiring that all adult entertainment establishments obtain a license from the county…

Written by DCist contributor Ian Buckwalter D.C. music fans still lamenting the loss last fall of Q and not U had two reasons to celebrate last night. Not only was Georgie James, Q drummer John Davis’ new project with Laura Burhenn, playing yet another DC-area show, but they were playing with Scottish twee darlings Camera Obscura, who are so good at doing the “Belle and Sebastian thing” that it’s quite possible they may do it…

After a brief summer hiatus, Opinionst is back. Please send DCist your thoughts, comments and critiques on almost all things related to our fair city. Bring it, guys! Today’s opinion comes to us from 10-year D.C. resident Ian Buckwalter. Video Americain ended its tenure in D.C. last month, succumbing to high rent, diminishing business, and the factors that will likely doom most video stores: Netflix and video-on-demand. But when the Blockbuster on Columbia Road eventually…