The local music community has come together several times over the past year and a half to support Callum Robbins, the son of local music mainstay J. Robbins and Janet Morgan. Cal was diagnosed with a genetic motor neuron disease called Type 1 SMA, or Spinal Muscular Atrophy. As explained on the DeSoto records page supporting Cal, The disease affects the brain's ability to communicate with the voluntary muscles that are used for activities such......

"We're going to play a short set," declared Chad Clark, a few songs into the Beauty Pill's opening set, "because we're not stupid." Clark knew full well why it was that Saturday night's show had sold out in four minutes, and as wonderful as Beauty Pill's collection of angular and melodic post-punk was, it wasn't them. Neither was it Owls & Crows, whose opening set was a juggernaut of hard, no-nonsense rawk that could......

FRIDAY: >> Attention all nerds: This is like our Lollapalooza or something. First Person: Stories from the Edge of the World is an event being held tonight by National Geographic Live, which features some sort of "collaboration" between NPR's Neal Conan and Liane Hansen, the Celtic/early music crossover group Ensemble Galilei, and actor Bill Pullman. Together this crew will narrate excerpts from the journals of great explorers such as Jacques Cousteau, George Mallory, and Charles......

FRIDAY: >> By far one of the most fun bar nights in town is always where ever the Guerrilla Queer Bar Takeover kids end up -- the mingling of gays and straights in D.C. ever a combination as terriffic as chili and cheese. So you can bet we'll be swinging by to celebrate the Third Anniversary of the Guerrilla Queer Bar Takeover at Black Cat tonight. The takeover starts in the Red Room at 9......

As you may have heard, one of the most beloved and, in our opinion, best bands ever to come out of the District, The Dismemberment Plan, are reuiniting next month for the sake of Callum Robbins. The overwhelming, fast sell out of the first show lead the guys to agree to a second night -- April 27, which went on sale last night relatively under the radar — but openly enough to sell out pretty......

Let's get right to it: The Dismemberment Plan is reuniting for one night only, and tickets are going on sale tomorrow at 5 p.m. (via TicketMaster and the Black Cat). It's been announced on the band's website, and both Pitchfork and the City Paper are reporting the news (the CP is helping to organize the concert, in fact). In other words: don't take getting a ticket for granted. This show might give last Saturday's Arcade......

>> Breaking news from the DCist News Desk Sofa: Anna Nicole Smith has died in Florida. Smith was reportedly found in unconscious in her Hollywood, Fla. hotel room and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Looking back, it's hard to remember all that made Smith a tabloid celeb but we're sure we'll be seeing a Law & Order "ripped from the headlines" reminding us soon. [CNN.com] >> Never let it be said D.C. artists don't......

FRIDAY: >> Nothing wrong with another strong all-local lineup: Washington Social Club, These United States and Let's French will be on Black Cat's mainstage. DCist has interviewed two of these bands before, and we're set to get up close and personal with the third. So check 'em out. 9:30 p.m., $10. >> We're definitely impressed with the speed at which DC Rollergirls have gotten their act together since hosting a series of recruitment happy hour/arm......