In late October the major musical groups in Washington — the Washington National Opera and National Symphony Orchestra — take a break from performing for a couple weeks until November. You might think that their absence would mean a reduction of concert volume, but this is not really the case. In fact, we have a lot to tell you people about for the next two weeks, and without opera and symphony, we may even get…

Bicycle Thieves have become well-known around the D.C. area for their polished melodies and catchy hooks (listen to a couple of mp3s here). Lucky for you, you’ll have a chance to check out their crowd-pleasing music tonight at Unbuckled (9 p.m.! Black Cat backstage! Be there!). Frontman Jon Kaplan chatted with DCist about having his song featured on MTV, how a band can apply for a D.C. arts grant, and the local scene. DCist: Can…