Slayer, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Mudhoney were all name checked during Ryan Adams’ Sunday night solo set at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore. A prolific musician, Adams’ versatility still never veers into head-thrashing territory, but it’s clear that as a fan of these cult-favorite bands, he has learned how to captivate a fan base with showmanship.

Forget everything you thought you knew about Oasis! I kid, of course. While Los Bros. Gallaghers and The Whomevers may continue to rate themselves in the Beatles-Stones pantheon, they’ve got a lot more in common with AC/DC or the Black Crowes. This is a band that prides itself on being proof against evolution. I’ll give them this much: “Rock and Roll Star” is one hell of a way to open a rock ‘n’ roll show….

Ryan Adams is famously: prolific, eccentric, smart, currently-sober, a very hip New Yorker, unpredictable and a little nuts. That said, nobody knows what they’re going to get when attending a Ryan Adams concert. Last night at DAR Constitution Hall, the alt-country musician gave the audience musical perfection and a heaping helping of tension. Ryan Adams and his band, The Cardinals, unassumingly took the stage to a half-empty room about an hour after the show…

>> Tonight is the annual 17th Street High Heel Race. The classic D.C. drag event kicks off officially at 9 p.m., but you’ll want to take your position on 17th St. NW between Church and R well before that (we’d recommend 7 at the latest). If you’re looking to make a queer night of it, don’t forget about the Hug-In planned at the U Street Rite Aid at 7 p.m., and the pre-Hug-In Happy Hour…

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…

Shanghaiist probably knows a little more about China than the Chicago Sun-Times. Giving them the benefit of the doubt on that one. The city does to have a music scene. Don’t even front like they don’t. They also have Dorito bananas and white guys shopping for wives. What they don’t have is any more tolerance for jaywalkers. Bostonist sees Boston and Somerville each whip out their art and face off. A plagiarized novel is the…

SXDC As much as we’d like to be, DCist isn’t at SXSW right now. A couple of our ist-a-verse brethren made the trek to the oh-so-awesome music, film and interactive festival out in sunny Austin. What’s even more exciting than that is that so did two D.C. musicians! We’re beaming like proud parents as our very own Three Stars alum The Hint head to Texas. It’s kind of like sending our kids off to college….

Behold the power of Broken Social Scene (and constant touring). When Feist made her first stop in town last May she played to a half-full room at the Black Cat opening for British Sea Power. A few more stops through town in ’05 and a mere eight months later she is headlining the Cat and sold it out to boot. The crowd inside was a mix of hipsters and um…people that don’t go to many…

(Review and interview by DCist contributor Justin Kielsgard) Tegan and Sara are water bubbling in a pot. Blending tender, sometimes raucous harmonies with pop and punk sensibility, these 20-something twin sisters from Canada are not simply the fresh-faced darlings of the indie scene, but seasoned rock musicians (having toured with Ryan Adams, Hot Hot Heat and The Killers). In a Monday night performance at the 9:30 Club in support of their latest release, “So Jealous”…

MONDAY: >> Built to Spill is known for its smart, gorgeous pop; catch the band live tonight at the 9:30 Club for $18. Built To Spill goes on at 10 p.m. >> Are you intrigued or terrified after looking at the web site of Pleaseeasaur? We think we’re both. They play the Black Cat backstage tonight with Neil Hamburger. $8, 9 p.m. THURSDAY: >> The 10th annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival commences…