Usually at this time of year the Washington Capitals are a distant memory and an icy dream in the warm hearts of their fans. Today, though, we watched 14 likely team members (12 returning Capitals plus Karl Alzner and Jose Theodore) practice together at Kettler Capital Iceplex. This unusual level of commitment is a positive sign for a team on the rise. Even better, we are pleased to report that Caps captain Chris Clark looks......

With the opening of its ongoing Exploring the Early Americas exhibit today, the Library of Congress marks the beginning of a transformation that by the Summer of 2008 will “merge cutting-edge technology with the knowledge and inspiration embodied in the Library’s unparalleled collections and curators.” The exhibit features some of the 3,000 items representing the "beginning" of America (that is, the beginning of European documented America), that Jay I. Kislak has been collecting for more......

It's finally over; summer's soon to be actually gone. As we slumber this evening, the season that wouldn't end will at last lift its hot, wet blanket from our area, and autumn will descend with her cool nights and humidity-free days. Summer hung on like a trooper, though, lasting nearly three weeks past the autumnal equinox, and presenting us with--as our friends at CapitalWeather.com noted--three straight days of 90 degree temperature. This has happened only......

Three years ago it was their summer. A few weeks ago, it finally became fall for San Diego-based alt-rockers Pinback, with the September 11th release of their fourth full length album and follow up to 2004’s Summer in Abaddon. Autumn of the Seraphs is both seductive and deceptive, with an opening track that is arguably the weakest on the otherwise memorable album. “From Nothing to Nowhere” doesn’t quite do justice as an introduction to the......

>> Should you expect crappy service at the Black Cat tonight, when they're advertising a party celebrating their 14th anniversary tonight as an event where staffers "will be hanging out?" Maybe. But it's a free night of noisy rock bands, and you know the guys and gals who pour your drinks night in and night out deserve some appreciation. Backstage, 8 p.m. >> Def Jux artist Aesop Rock has been redefining hip-hop since the......

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and......

As always with the end of summer, there have been slim pickings in the art world, and most galleries are banking on you using Labor Day weekend for one final trek to sunny beaches. We scrounged up a few options for those of you sticking around town, which you may want to consider using as a warm-up for next week, when the fall art season opens with a bang. >> G Fine Art is warming......

Once again, the country is in a tizzy over a conservative Republican senator doing naughty things. According to a Post report, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Id.) was arrested earlier this month in an airport bathroom in Minnesota after he became a little touchy with an undercover police officer. (Similar allegations were made against him here, though they allegedly occurred in a Union Station bathroom.) Our favorite part? That during an interview with police after the......

Good morning, Washington. Well, it couldn't last forever: this week's temperatures are edging up after all. And while things are still relatively pleasant, tomorrow's high of 98 still sounds unappealing to our recently-spoiled selves. D.C. Goes After Posters: WJLA brings encouraging news for anyone who's been sorry to see a lingering ad for a years-passed protest event: the city government is cracking down those who illegally post notices on traffic and utility boxes. Among......

Well, it's August, D.C. Temperatures will be peaking, news will be slowing, and the non-workaholics among us will be fleeing the city for less sweltering vacation spots. We're not saying you ought to panic, exactly, but there are definite signs that Summer '07 may not be endless after all. Better get going on all that relaxing you had planned. PG County Cop Indicted For Murder: Seven months ago two Marlo employees made a delivery......

Good morning, Washington. It's the last Friday in July, and we can already feel the impending doom and gloom of D.C.'s traditional No News August, a time when the Washington Post publishes lengthy ruminations on humidity and local TV news begins investigating whether your children's toy water guns are really safe. But as if feeling the need to grant us one last interesting Friday before the new month begins, D.C. Council member Harry Thomas......

Jeff Antoniuk grew up listening to 1970s and 80s R&B, and funk like Michael Jackson, Earth Wind and Fire, and Average White Band, in addition to the required Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. He then discovered jazz fusion, which then led to classic acoustic jazz. In between all of this, he was studying classical piano classical theory and his master’s studies also included world music and ethnomusicology. The result is a wide range of......

>> What's more fun than gathering your friends to go see your very own art on the wall of a gallery? The Wall Mountables community event kicks off this week, so we hope you've pulled that painting/photo/whatever out of the closet and prepared it for the limelight. The first installation date was last night, but you've still got tonight, 3 to 8 p.m., and tomorrow night, 3 to 6 p.m., to grab a space of......

Washington Improv Theater knows that it's intern harvest season. By day, the twenty-somethings flip and flop in business casual around the Hill and by night, drunkenly attempt to figure out the Metro rail system. WIT has been studying the funny critters for their second (and final) installment of an intern-themed improv comedy night called “WIT Hot American Summer.” Ken Hays and Rich Nyman, the stars of the two-man show, aren’t actual interns, but they know......

>> It's going to be hot, but tonight's Fort Reno lineup will be worth it: Greenland, Statehood and Kitty Hawk will each take the outdoor stage. 7:15 p.m., free. >> Stop by the opening night party of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, at Andalu (1214 18th St, NW) starting at 9:30 p.m. DJ Rich Medina will spin a free set. >> D.C.'s geekiest lit fan-boys will be out in full force both tonight and tomorrow......

Eating In is coming to you one day early this week to allow you to prepare for your Fourth of July cookout. Plus we know no one is going to be sitting in front of their computers reading blogs tomorrow. We’re sure you can guess what the theme for this edition might be. If you answered “What is Summer Cookout Food” then you are correct! There are a few things to consider when preparing......

It's a slow week in jazz land because of the holiday, but there's still some great music happening. Happy 4th of July, everyone! >> Smooth jazz saxophonist Walter Beasley comes to Blues Alley for a four night stand, beginning this Thursday, with daily 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. sets. $35. >> This week's top pick is legendary drummer Andrew Cyrille (pictured), who brings a group to Twins Jazz this Friday and Saturday. This man has......

What with Paris Hilton's release earlier this week and the upcoming celebration of American Independence (sorry, Londonist!), we've been thinking a lot about freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom to choose, and most importantly, freedom to blog. Here are a few things we're happy we've been free to blog about this week. Being the nation's capital, DCist felt especially proud to let freedom ring this week by exposing the really important issues, like how sad they......

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. Summer in Washington means the return of many familiar sights, some welcomed, others not as much. It means baseball, but also sticky heat and humidity. It means evenings at barbecues and bars with outdoor seating, but also children roaming the streets with backpacks full of cherry bombs and bottle rockets. It means, for many of us, time off. For others it means......

Last night at the NBA Draft, the West got better by picking some young talent (Greg Oden to Portland, Kevin Durant to Seattle) and the East got better by trading for talent (Zach Randolph to New York, Ray Allen to Boston). The Wizards got better by selecting USC shooting guard/small forward Nick Young. Young averaged just over 17 points per game last year at SoCal and is known for his mid-range jumper and fearless......

>> Fort Reno soldiers on tonight, with Mess Up the Mess, Julie Ocean, and the final ever performance from Three Stars alums The Sentiment, who are calling it quits as a group after tonight. 7:15 p.m. >> Debuting tonight is "Bomb Shelter," a weekly stand-up showcase featuring five local improv personalities. Why the militaristic name? Because there is no "bombing" here. The comedians promise to stun weapons of mass hilarity, which means no random drunk......

>> Local group Ocio brings its repertoire of classic jazz standards to Twins Jazz tonight. Call (202) 234-0072 for cover information. >> It might be a bit of a drive for those of us who live in D.C., but Jeff Antoniuk and the Jazz Update, a stellar band comprised of saxophonist Antoniuk, bassist Tom Baldwin, pianist Wade Beach, and drummer Tony Martucci, plays tonight at 49 West in Annapolis. Their album, Here Today, has charted......

>> Le Loup was kind enough to let us know that they're playing an unannounced show at Velvet Lounge tonight, with The Bang and Koshari. Catch them before they headline our next Unbuckled concert on July 11. 10 p.m. >> It's the second concert in the Ft. Reno series tonight, featuring a stellar local line-up that includes Unbuckled alumni The Hard Tomorrows, Let's French and The Mirror Script. Show starts around 7:15 p.m. >>......

Mark Adamo's opera Little Women began life here in Washington, as a subject suggested to the composer by Elaine Walter, artistic director of Summer Opera Theater Company, when Adamo was still in Washington. For various reasons, Adamo withdrew the opera from the little company, in favor of a later premiere in 1998, at Houston Grand Opera. This was a wise decision, because the greater media exposure from the larger company undoubtedly played some part in......

During a private dinner ceremony at the Arts Club of Washington (in the historic home of President James Monroe) on Monday night, the S&R Foundation conferred its Washington Awards on five deserving young musicians. For the four runners-up, we heard a brief recorded excerpt of their work: pianist Naoko Takao, Special Committee Award Winner (Persichetti's 7th sonata); marimbist Naoko Takada (a concerto by Ney Rosauro); composer Moto Osada (his own Take the Six for Marimba......

The women of Venus want to once again experience a man's touch. A former Miss D.C. transcends all normal applications of the term "statuesque beauty". And Jane Fonda does what Jane Fonda does best: save the world. The Hirshhorn brings high camp into the realm of high art with the kickoff of their free "Summer Camp" film series this Thursday. The theme? The feisty, dangerous, and scantily-clad women of adolescent male fantasies 50s & 60s......

>> Two quality offerings from the Black Cat tonight: Japan's uber-weird noise outfit Melt-Banana take the mainstage with Hex Machine at 8:30 p.m., $13. Plus Falls Church native and now Richmond-based newgrass singer Josh Small is in the Backstage tonight, with Tim Barry and The Wading Girl, for a paltry $8 at 8 p.m. >> Campus Progress is calling all summer interns and other young folks to head over to Science Club tonight for......

Everyone needs a vacation, even musicians, and the summer is quite naturally a time that the classical music world slows down. So this is it for your Classical Music Agenda, until August. This week's installment will be a little longer than normal, because there are several interesting things happening over the next couple months. If you want to hear some music this summer, you can, and here's where. HEADLINES: >> The most important classical music......

Summer is fast approaching, and that means public pools, barbeques and the inevitable jump in crime. But unlike in years past, city officials are handling this one differently. In an announcement earlier today, Mayor Adrian Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced that all 3,300 of the department's officers would work this weekend, part of a larger plan called the All Hands on Deck Summer Crime Initiative aimed at more effectively deploying resources to prevent......

FRIDAY: >> We told you all about the Buzzlife White Party at Five yesterday, so follow the link for more details. >> ArtOutlet presents its first ever Flash animation film festival, called Flick, at Warehouse. Tim Bracken opens the event with an alt-country set at 7 p.m., with screenings from selected artists beginning at 8. $5 suggested donation, also Saturday. SATURDAY: >> Like we mentioned in this week's music agenda, the artwork of Mingering Mike,......