Written by DCist contributor Dave Weigel Who are these people? Who in the year 2008 hikes to Falls Church in order to watch Matthew Sweet play a 16-song set? With a couple of skinny-jeaned exceptions, they don’t look like the same indie rock kids who went to see Sweet the last time he played in the District. The State Theatre was a rolling sea of comfy fleeces, ties, and college shirts, of people unwrapping earplugs…

Do you remember the cover for Broken Social Scene’s breakthrough album, You Forgot It In People? Basically it was a bunch of faceless musicians, silhouetted against a blank backdrop with guitars slung – the middle of a jam session. Welcome to the Broken Social Scene live show – a lot of dudes on stage playing slight variations on rhythm guitar with a heaping of atmosphere. When it works, it works: at last night’s State Theatre…

>> Since you’ll probably want to wake up in time to see the total lunar eclipse tomorrow morning (more on that in a bit), you might want to call it an early night. But if you’re feeling frisky… >> Hanson doesn’t play until mid-September, while Megadeth and Cannibal Corpse are both about a month away. So, you’ll have to settle for the Black Cat Backstage tonight, where The Chance and J. Forté + the…

MONDAY >> DCist Martin just saw Chris Robinson walking down M Street, so if you weren’t lucky enough to snag Black Crowes tickets for last night or tonight’s sold out shows at the 9:30 Club, you could hang out in Georgetown and hope to catch a glimpse. >> “Old Blind Dogs at the Institute of Musical Traditions” was just bulky enough to grab our attention through the mass of concert listings. Some further digging revealed…

Looking for a few good shows? Our music picks for this week follow. TUESDAY: >> The Carlsonics (pictured at right) continue their month-long Tuesday night residency at DC9. Read the DCist review of their performance here. With The American Watercolor Movement & The Heartless Bastards. $6. THURSDAY: >> Noise Against Facism: The Inauguration got you down? You should head over to the Black Cat tonight, where for $12 you can see Mirror/Dash, a duo of…

Don’t get yourselves down about the gloomy weather, fellow DC-ites. Capital Weather suggests that it’ll get sunny by tomorrow afternoon, and there are plenty of goodies to keep you occupied this weekend. FRIDAY: >> Local band Full Minute of Mercury (pictured here) plays the Velvet Lounge tonight. Read a review and see pictures over at Seeking Irony. She calls them “fun girl-fronted powerpop with a smile.” Plus, we think they’re hot. >> The Fraser Gallery…