Alfonso Velez is an old soul. The former frontman from Monopoli recently stepped out of the indie rock scene and into the past, drawing upon various folk and blues influences in his solo career. He has the demeanor (and hair) of a young Elvis, the storytelling stylings of Bob Dylan, and the gritty vocals of George Harrison. These are but a few of the names that come to mind as you watch him on stage….

Sorry for the late arrival of this week’s agenda, but you see, I work in Tysons Corner and I was stuck in traffic. Now on to our picks! TUESDAY >> If you don’t think there is such a thing as hardcore klezmer music, Gogol Bordello are in town to prove you wrong. These Eastern European transplants to New York serve up Slavic ska, polka punk, and lots of other funky fusions, but those were the…

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…