The little ensemble Animal Collective, originally from Baltimore but now spread out around the world, years ago became the big kahuna in the indie-rock universe, merging noise-pop with African polyrhythms, psychedelic sounds and other non-melodic musical eccentricities. The band closes out the season at the local venue that became the namesake for its last studio album, all as part of ... [more]

GALA opens its 37th season with the delightful comedy from Agustin Moreto, a contemporary of Lope de Vega, or the master of Spain's Golden Age of theater. El desden con el desden focuses on a count and a princess who both pretend to disdain love and each other, but of course eventually fall in love after a series of madcap ... [more]

Quirky pop mastermind and Talking Heads founder David Byrne teamed up with introspective, indie darling St. Vincent to create the idiosyncratic album Love This Giant, featuring heavy brass arrangements over programmed drums and interweaving vocals from the two artists. The two will bring their music to life this weekend in the acoustically rich Music Center at Strathmore. Sunday, Sept. 30. ... [more]

Totem, Cirque du Soleil's latest traveling show, dazzles in the typical way, mostly language-free and multicultural, down to its musical roots. Totem loosely interprets various legends about the origin of species, and doesn't glom onto anything specific. Really, it's the simple evolution of the circus that Cirque du Soleil sells best. This is not the ethically questionable, animal-focused kids show ... [more]

In his review of the North American debut of Madonna's MDNA Tour in Philadelphia, Metro Weekly's Yusef Najafi noted that the visuals were stunning, but the acoustics left much to be desired. "At times the volume level of Madonna's vocals were so loud you'd give anything for her to revert to lip-synching," he wrote. "She yells, not sings, most of ... [more]

The openly gay pop star and former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert has announced a surprise concert next Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the 9:30 Club as a benefit for Marylanders for Marriage Equality. The purpose is to raise money to help convince voters to vote for the state ballot measure granting same-sex couples marriage equality. 9:30 Club owner Seth ... [more]

Joey Arias is kicking off a new season of his popular, select Sundays social dining and cabaret shows at L'Enfant Cafe with as big of a bang as they come, enlisting fellow singing New York drag stars Sherry Vine and Raven O to relive the fun they had as their careers launched, at the now-defunct West Village spot Bar ... [more]

"Never too old to contain my rage," Bob Mould sings on the title track to his blistering, bewitching new album Silver Age, out today. He's also apparently not too old to make his Late Show with David Letterman debut, happening tonight. "It's always hard to tell when you're going to get a break like that," Mould told Spotlight. "If you're ... [more]

Alexandria's MetroStage opens its new season with a bang, recruiting one of the best singing actresses around, Natascia Diaz, to reprise the role she played Off-Broadway in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, a jukebox musical about late legendary French singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. Serge Seiden directs the revue, which blends Brel's wide-ranging music, including ballads, tangos, ... [more]

The American Film Institute's Silver Theatre takes advantage of a "Marilyn Monroe Retrospective" film series to screen this 1950 Bette Davis classic, which has had impressive lasting cultural relevance -- and which really everyone should see at some point. Monroe was only a bit player in the film, though you can't forget her turn as the flirty party date ... [more]

As summer winds down, thoughts naturally turn to jousting, feasting, crafts, theater, music and merriment. Ah yes, the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival, now in its 36th year, is up and running outside of Annapolis. Just don't bring weapons, real or costume -- but of course silly and frilly costumes are welcome -- and don't bring pets as they tend to ... [more]