UPDATE: Local new outlets have the story that Poke was captured just before 4 p.m. in Prince George’s County and is in police custody, while CNN.com says he was shot dead during a shoot-out with police. UPDATE: Indeed, everyone is now reporting that Poke was shot by police during his capture and pronounced dead at the hospital. *** Police across the D.C. and Baltimore region are searching for Kelvin Poke, pictured right, a 45-year-old…

To say D.C. is not known for its fashion sense is an understatement. The people in our fine city get slammed again and again for their inability to dress themselves in anything other than career wear. Luckily this holiday shopping season offers a little incentive in the form of trunk shows for those of us who’d like to look better and help us score some spiffy new duds. As gifts, of course. Trunk shows are…

After yesterday’s preview of the endless list of holiday concerts in the area in December, it is time to discuss the piece that must not be named, Georg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah (1742). Yes, it is a masterpiece of music history, but the lamentable annual round of weary performances at Christmas time (in spite of the fact that Messiah is an Easter work), makes me want to run screaming for anything else this time of…

A long-time complaint of commuters looking for more and better options to get between Washington and Baltimore could be remedied as soon as next year. The Baltimore Sun reports that the Maryland Transit Administration plans to expand MARC commuter train service to include weekends and additional weekday trains in 2008. The ambitious plan, which will still require approvals from relevant rail agencies, includes tripling MARC’s capacity by 2035. The change would allow those looking for…

Be a good son or daughter and call your mother today. Then you can start thinking about what concerts to hear this week. Maybe you can ask your mom to come with you. THE BIG GUNS: >> Joining the National Symphony Orchestra this week is Chinese pianist Lang Lang. He and composer Jennifer Higdon have parted ways about her new piano concerto, which he was supposed to premiere this week. Instead, Lang Lang will play…

Here are a few highlights for your first full week of classical concerts in March, followed by a respectable list of free events for the small of budget. >> Argentinian pianist Ingrid Fliter won the second prize, after the astounding performance by Yundi Li, at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2000. She will play a free recital at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (1250 New York Ave. NW). You need a…

Along with lilac and hyacinth, the sweet sweet smell of summer concerts is in the air. Here’s a breakdown of some exciting dates so far. >> Belle & Sebastian, Broken Social Scene & Ted Leo + Pharmacists, Merriweather, July 8. If you’re interested, the belle tix presale started today. Tickets go on sale en masse this Saturday at 10 a.m., via Ticketmaster or the Merriweather or 9:30 Club box offices. >> Wolfmother’s been doing their…

It’s that time again! For this month’s Three Stars — our monthly feature that highlights three local bands — we’ll start off today with The Hint, take a look at The Apparitions tomorrow, and finish things up on Thursday with Shortstack. The Hint Experiencing The Hint, is like tossing back that late night Jager shot just as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” streams through the bar sending a new wave of energy and passion through the…

Despite the fact that the humidity is supposed to decrease this weekend, it’s still going to be a hot one in D.C. And it’s in this hot weather that we get hit with a bad case of nostalgia for our youth, which for this DCist was spent in Baltimore (okay, Baltimore County). One of the greatest joys for us in summer was cracking steamed crabs — something you can find fairly easily in the general…

Photo of a member of the NatPack taken by Matthew Bradley posted in DCist photos Man Gets Life in Col. Brooks Murders: The Baltimore man found guilty in the triple homicide at Brookland’s Colonel Brooks Tavern has been given a life sentence by a jury, the Post reports. Any Old Town Bloggers? The Post reports that the city of Alexandria has now started to offer free WiFi in a zone that centers on King Street…