If you can't make it to the Beatniks Flies show at the Velvet Lounge this Saturday, you might want to check out the breakUps at the Rock and Roll Hotel on FRIDAY. (or better yet- go to both and compare musical notes) I haven't seen the breakUps, but their grinding sort of sixties rock sound has me intrigued, and sometimes reminds me of the Flies. Check 'em out on myspace to see what I mean.  Plus there's a great fish sandwich lurking around the corner at Horace Dickey's on 12th Street. Or the french fries and mussels at Dr. Granvilles. (Gotta keep up your strength if you're going to dance.)

Summer Breeze

Just in time for our area's reprieve from global warming-go out and celebrate how a cool breeze can transform this hot humid quagmire into one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. Yes, we can go outside again- armed with mosquito repellent- and see one of my favorite bands- The Grandsons play a free outdoor gig early tomorrow evening in Mclean. As if that's not enough -special guest guy on sax, Derek Huston will be sitting in. Derek hails from up here, but he'll be flying in from New Orlean-a place he is proud to call home. Ask him about it if you see him.

Peep on Rocking by Lyn2

If you haven't been to Artomatic, your time is running out. Be sure to check out the Peeps exhibit, which began as a Washington Post Style Invitational contest but morphed into something sure to put the DC art scene on the map again. The deal is people create scenes from books, movies and other culturally iconic things out of- you guessed it- those marshmallow beyond sugary mind messing confections- Peeps. Having a hard time imagining this? Check it out. Once you see it-you'll think in Peeps forever.

This Friday, June 13, you can not only check out all the great "arty madness" and the scene that goes along with it, but the band PUPTENT will be there, too, bringing their diabolical skronk pop-not-pop sounds to the electric stage. Also playing are 302Acid, whom our friend, Philvis reports is "a multimedia mix of projected film/light show, upright bass, percussion, computer sound generation and more." He also recommends Artomatic for its good cheap beer. Puptent plays at 10:00 pm- 302Acid after that. You can check out all the calendars and artist profiles at www.artomatic.org

Heat Index

Hazy hot and humid. Some things about DC never change except now we have this thing called the heat index which Bob Ryan keeps mentioning. If the thermometer doesn't make you run screaming for a cold shower, the heat index will make you wonder why we would ever get OUT of a shower. ("It's 95 out there, but it FEELS like 102.")
On the music side of things:
My friend, John Meadows is trying to find small bands to play at 100 King Street, the restaurant he's managing in Old Town, Alexandria. And Eric Brace is going to town gathering kudos for Last Train Home's latest CD- including a good review in the Washington Post of the band's last show at Iota, and a mention in USA Today of all things. (Do people read that thing if they aren't traveling?)