After a tumultuous first decade, the band's current roster has endured for more than seven years now. Featuring singer Jeff Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche, guitarist Nels Cline, keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, it's the closest the Chicago-based group has come to stability in its 17-year run.

"It's never comfortable," says Stirratt, the only member to have stuck with Tweedy since the band's formation in 1994. He watched six members leave the band before making three records with the current lineup. But "I feel like these guys have been in the band [since the beginning]," he says. "They've taken ownership in a lot of ways. They get it."

This connection comes through from the new album's first track, "Art of Almost," a dense, electro-rock jam that ends with a scorching Nels Cline guitar solo. "It was unexpected, that's for sure," Cline says of the song. "Usually, the last thing anybody wants me to do in Wilco is play finger-wiggle guitar."

"I had some problems keeping up that live intensity because I wasn't a very good singer in the traditional sense," he says. "I didn't have any idea how to project without hurting myself. It was a battle to get my voice back by sound check."

"If I was doing it for the money, I would've done it 15 years ago," says lead singer John Garcia. "My background is in veterinary medicine and veterinary diagnostics — that's much more lucrative than being a musician."

That wasn't the plan. Alice Childress' 1955 work, "Trouble in Mind," would have been the first. But when Childress' producers asked her to make the denouement more upbeat, she refused, and the show was canceled.

Sweet Charity 2012
The Beneficiary: Heart of America

The Backstory: With a focus on children's literacy and volunteerism, this event — which honors three awardees known to lead and serve in their communities — raises money for the foundation's Books for the Heart program. Last year, the organization was able to buy more than 12,000 books for students. According to Carlamae Chavez, Heart of America's events and special projects manager, "The great thing about Sweet Charity is that the benefactors are right here in D.C.'s public schools. The money isn't going very far."

Keeping It Fresh: Though the runway show of clothing made purely out of chocolate (see Ms. Sweet Charity — aka Kate Michael aka K Street Kate — in her edible fashion, left) is undoubtedly the highlight of this event, the organizers know you can consume only so much chocolate. To balance the sweet with savory, tasting stations will be open throughout the event from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Help Wanted: The organization has grown so much that there's less of a need for outside volunteers. Culinary novices should sharpen their skills, though, as students have been paired with chefs to help out at the event in the past.
Specifics: Spring 2012; for updates, follow on Twitter (@SweetCharity_11) or visit Heartofamerica.org.

Now pay attention, because this is confusing: The satirical "Habit" is set during a present-day rehearsal for "Caliban's Day," an avant-garde work that imagines a meeting between two elderly former friends, composer Benjamin Britten and poet W.H. Auden, in 1972.

Britten (played by fictional actor Henry, played by real actor Paxton Whitehead) is writing his last opera, "Death in Venice," and wants to bounce ideas off Auden (actor Fitz, as portrayed by Ted van Griethuysen). And Fitz is having trouble remembering his lines.

"Caliban's Day" veers wildly between the sublime and the silly (talking furniture spouting gloomy verse about living with Auden). Above all, it captures the decline of a genius who's now a forgetful, profane old man with a penchant for urinating in the sink.

For the 2006 video, now screening in the museum's Black Box theater, Pereg "choreographed" and filmed the movements of a group of flamingos at a zoo in Karlsruhe, Germany.

"It's interesting, because they are a community, with no one leader," Pereg says. "We go to zoos to observe animals and find comparisons to our own social situations. Flamingos are perfect for that. Birds don't have the same individuality that mammals have, but I was looking for individuals within this group."

"67 Bows" features the birds doing choreography that Pereg (who is unseen in the film) "taught" them during her daily visits to the zoo. In the black-and-white looped video, the birds appear to be responding to the film's nontraditional score, an intermittent cocking and firing of a gun that makes the flock bow in submission. (The score was added during post-production).

Wear a glittery bow tie and no shirt.

Change name to "Metta World Peace."

Kick a male dance partner in the crotch.

Invite a shirtless stranger into bed, then get up and dance the cha cha cha with him.

Make leering remarks to a woman like, "I feel good standing next to you, Brooke."

Ask stupid questions of an Iraq War veteran like, "Eight years ago, when you were in Iraq, could you ever have believed you'd be dancing in a ballroom on TV?"

Written by Express contributor Marc Silver
Photo by Adam Taylor/ABC

Today, independent, family-run fashion houses like Missoni are as scarce as the knitwear that caused Target.com to crash. In this case, the family business would rather sell out to Target than Gucci Group, even if it means compromising quality (the styles weren't made in Italy). Is Missoni for Target a sign that the house will cash in on any opportunity? First Target, then French conglomerates?

Designers' cashing in via big-box stores or big business won't weaken design, but it changes their charm. No more, "Fabrizio supplied us leather for decades!" Family houses (Ferragamo, Versace) remain like old city states, protecting the town piazza and spirit. You won't find that at Target. For real Italian, try Filene's Basement, where past-season Missoni jeans sell for $25. You won't even have to wait in line!

Iranian-American filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz, who made her directorial debut with the drama "Circumstance," doesn't have any answers, but she's got plenty of perspective, from personal experience.

"I grew up quite close to cousins [in Iran] who were almost exactly the same age," says Keshavarz, who spent her childhood in New York and New Jersey but also studied in Iran. "We had the same sense of humor, our parents are very similar, but our circumstances were different. I had two passports, they didn't. They grew up during the war, I didn't. And it was always in my mind, 'Why have our lives turned out so differently?'"

Keshavarz's film depicts two 16-year-old girls who lead parallel — and then suddenly divergent — lives in contemporary Iran. For privileged Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri) and orphaned Shireen (Sarah Kazemy), hip-hop music is contraband, vibrant nail polish is subversive and appearing in public without face-framing head-coverings is forbidden.

Sure, there's a time to shake things up. But I'm guessing that my definition of shaking things up — asking the hard questions, trying to break through the inertia — doesn't match yours (which seems to involve grabbing some random dude from Payroll).

There are many problems with your idea, not the least of which is that if you were to decide that your marriage is worth saving, you would have just done something that makes it infinitely harder to do so. Simply put: no. Please, no.

Of course, you feel wronged and neglected. But acting on these thoughts would do irrevocable damage and bring no benefits. You're a grown-up and can decide whether the marriage is worth saving without hurtful stunts — through self-reflection, honest discussion and, yes, counseling.

And what a band it was — full of people who would go on to keep D.C. music evolving. In addition to MacKaye (Untouchables, Ignition, the Warmers), Faith's ranks included bassist Chris Bald (Embrace, Ignition), drummer Ivor Hanson (Embrace, Manifesto) and guitarists Michael Hampton (State of Alert, Embrace, One Last Wish, Manifesto) and, later, Eddie Janney (Rites of Spring, Happy Go Licky).

"I'd just stay home and make records," Owens says. "For the audience, that would be very rewarding. But the reality is, if I did that, I'd have to go back to work — and I'm not sure I want to do that."

While Owens enjoys playing live with bassist and producer Chet White, the richly produced music he makes with the San Francisco-based Girls would have been well-matched to a time when studio output was the priority and concerts were just supplemental income.

Alas, these days, he explains, "You don't support yourself from record sales; you support yourself from touring."

"We've doubled most of our projections," says Chris Holben, who manages the program for D.C.'s Department of Transportation. He's talking ridership, membership (17,000) and the number of one-day rentals (more than 60,000). Now that CaBi's on a roll, there's been a surge of interest from other area jurisdictions. Montgomery County has secured funding to start a pilot with 20 CaBi stations, and Alexandria's considering joining the program, too. And it's time to gear up for an expansion in both D.C. and Arlington, with 62 stations being added to the map (beyond the 110-plus already in the system).

More than that, I always bring my experiences — for example, since I became a mom, I find it much harder to watch any movie in which a child is in danger or dies. But never has my Christianity been so present with me in a theater as it was when I saw "Higher Ground," which opens Friday. Director Vera Farmiga, above, insists it's not a "Christian film," and I believe her. But for me, this story of Corinne (Farmiga), who finds, then questions, faith, was the most moving portrayal of Christian faith I have ever seen on-screen.

Why did you get involved with the "Get Back in Rhythm" campaign?
I want people to know that if their heart is going wacky and out of rhythm, they need to see their doctor and take it seriously. I didn't realize there were so many people who have A-fib. I don't like talking about my health or my personal life, but I wanted to be public about this [disease] and help somebody.

Have you ever gone into A-fib on stage or in an interview?
One time, I was scheduled to do a show with the Boston Pops on July 4. I was the headliner, and I woke up in the morning and felt this thing starting, and I couldn't believe it. It got more and more violent, so doctors had to shock my heart back into rhythm with paddles. You know, "Clear! Bang!" When I woke up, my heart was back in normal rhythm, and I went to sound check and nobody knew that it had happened.

Vision: The menu at Flay's Washington outpost is similar to those at his other locations in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. While Flay has strong opinions about every item (this is, after all, the man behind the high-octane "Throwdown!," and a grilling fiend at that), he doesn't have any illusions about BBP's identity. "This is not high cuisine; this is about satisfying cravings," Flay says.

Rustico
Rustico's chickpea pizza crust is an unusual but welcome addition to gluten-free grub. "If you can't have normal pizza, this is a good substitute," chef Steve Mannino says of the durable dough. The crust's soft, chewy texture resembles regular pizza crust more than other gluten-free crusts. Any pizza at Rustico — except the Fried Green Tomato pizza — can be made with the chickpea crust. The Basil & Fresh Mozzarella pizza ($13) resembles a regular Italian pie, and the Greek pizza ($15, hummus, tomato, red onion, feta, cucumber and black olive salad with minted yogurt) provides a tasty twist. Rustico also offers its carrot hummus with extra veggies instead of pita bread. Five types of gluten-free beer are available, too. Rustico's servers are careful about cross-contamination: Our server suggested avoiding the fries because the fryer had been exposed to gluten that day.
Rustico, 4075 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, 571-384-1820 (Ballston); 827 Slaters Lane, Alexandria, 703-224-5051. (Braddock Road)

So when Dabbs recently found himself on a panel discussing the state of the music industry seated next to a local lawyer who had turned down his idea a few years earlier, he had a private chuckle. "He [had] told me it was overly ambitious and wouldn't fly, but I didn't bring that up to him on the panel," Dabbs says with a laugh.

Crenshaw delivered on the promise of the song with album after album of well-crafted power pop, yet never recaptured the commercial success of that hit. And Crenshaw's fine with that. "There's no real fear factor like there once was," the 57-year-old says. "Maybe I used to worry [success] would go away, or there would be a deadline that I'd have to meet. There used to be pressure, but now I can just relax. When I write now, I have a feeling that I'm going someplace new."

The Little Mermaid
Many amusement park 4-D films have "hilarious" moments when you get sprayed with water by the nozzle mounted on the seat in front of you. "The Little Mermaid" (1989) would be so much better if they added a constant blast in all the underwater scenes.

In "Higher Ground," which opens Friday, Farmiga plays Corinne, a woman who joins a hippieish evangelical Christian community in the 1970s, only to watch her faith (or is it the church?) change to the point that she no longer feels she belongs. Originally, Farmiga planned only to star in the picture, though she was heavily involved in developing the script from a memoir by Caroline Briggs.

On Thursday, the Fillmore Silver Spring ushers in a new era for music in the D.C. area — and becomes a new competitor against the 9:30 Club, which currently reigns over the mid-size music-venue market. Modeled after the Fillmore East and West (in New York and San Francisco, respectively), the 2,000-person-capacity club joins spin-offs in Detroit, Denver, Miami and Charlotte, N.C.

The space has had a troubled development history. In 2002, it was debated as a second location for Alexandria's Birchmere. Then, in 2007, county executive Isiah Leggett struck a deal with Live Nation that would help fund the Fillmore venture, with $8 million coming from state and county taxpayers, according to The Washington Post. I.M.P., the Bethesda company that owns the 9:30 Club, tried to put in a competing offer on the space, but the request was denied. It then tried to sue the state to block the funding last year, but nothing went forward.

A look at the venue's early schedule reveals acts including R&B diva Mary J. Blige (Thursday's opening night performance) and speed metal legends Anthrax in November. In between, boomers, jam-banders, hip-hop heads and club kids can all get their fix — and maybe a Seaside Shrimp Trio down the block beforehand.

For Alan Palomo, the 23-year-old musician behind the chillwave band, the blending of adolescent dreams with end-of-the-world imagery served as a creative entry point for the album. "The idea that a teenage narrative could live on long after the world has fallen into a weird place of static" set the sonic tone for "Era Extrana," which Palomo wrote and recorded in an efficiency apartment in Helsinki, Finland, last winter. (The disc was released Tuesday.)

Like its predecessor, 2009's "Psychic Chasms," "Era Extrana" straddles the lines between past, present and future. It's nostalgic for the '80s while still rooted in current pop trends. With its heavy synths and more polished production, the disc has a futuristic vibe, evoking an era yet to come.

The band has been in a constant state of reinvention since forming in 2008 with bassist/guitarist Aissa Arroyo-Hill, lead singer/bassist Blue S. Moon and drummer Vivianne Njoku. Now, with the recent departure of Njoku, Noon:30 has undergone its biggest makeover yet. Arroyo-Hill talked to Express about what to expect from the latest incarnation.

Fifteen years later, a fanboy named Kurt Cobain tracked da Silva down at a London record store, and the album made it to the masses when his influence led Geffen Records to release it on CD. After that, a new generation of bands took up the Raincoats' feedbacky mantle.

But 30 years down the road, da Silva isn't much interested in honorifics. She just wants to jam.

"When we play gigs, we're not performing the past," she says. "It's always a new moment. We aren't some sort of [musical] grandmothers. It's much more important for me to be an inspiration than an influence — making people think, 'Hey, I want to do that.'"

Depiction of club as tawdry: Key holder attacks bunny, who pierces his throat with her stiletto heel.

Depiction of club as progressive: Aging bunny, promoted to "bunny mother," institutes paid training for new bunnies, bans bunnies from dating key holders. Bunnies are well paid; one says, "My husband hates it that I work here, but I make more money than my father."

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It sounds like you've been handling her as well as possible, trying to stay civil and not fan the flames. It's hard for me to know whether this is simply a nuisance that interferes with getting your Zumba on, or whether you are getting a creepy feeling about your safety. If it's the former, keep up with the frozen smile, but don't engage further, and try to change your routine if possible. If it's edging at all toward the latter, you might consider talking to gym management or changing gyms.

Yes, switching gyms might be letting her "win," but if your workouts are stressing you out, they're not doing much for your health.

That's why the burpee is king in today's fitness world. It's raising heart rates at boot camps, martial arts classes, personal training sessions and, most of all, at CrossFit facilities. The international network of gyms that promote back-to-basics techniques for "forging elite fitness" have elevated the exercise into a must-do for its athletes.

"I'm a burpee connoisseur. I've done many in my life, tried numerous types, and I'm always awed by their power," says Andrew Killion, owner of District CrossFit, who says that every time he wants to make a workout tougher, he just adds in a few burpees.

The pop-up playground is the footwear company's way of reminding adults how much fun it can be to get outside in the middle of the day. Planned activities include a range of amusements such as corn hole and line dancing. "But we won't get you super-sweaty," promises KEEN marketing manager Linda Balfour.

What it is: After Rockville's American Dance Institute dropped its Pilates program this year, Aliyah Hardy banded together her fellow instructors to create a new studio. Located in a new development by the Twinbrook Metro station, the facility has kept much of the clientele from the dance institute — and all of its former equipment. But Hardy wanted to woo new folks, too. So she launched a series of intro classes, including the one for pole, which Hardy says is a boon for beginners because the apparatus can help hold you up in positions many people wouldn't be able to maintain otherwise. Think of a roll down: Starting in a seated position, let yourself sink vertebra by vertebra until you're flat on your back. It's much easier when you have something to hang onto. Of course, the same springs that give students a boost can also provide resistance.

Moves: "When people get on equipment, they can get caught up in being on equipment," Hardy says, which is why she starts class away from the pole units. She has students arch and curl their spines to find their neutral pelvis, and tip their bodies back to engage their abdominal muscles. Then it's time to transfer these discoveries to the pole. Every class is different, says Hardy, who likes that there's flexibility in the pole repertoire. There's also flexibility in how pole is used. "With pole, there's more freedom," Hardy says. "You're able to side-bend over and do flowing movements." You're also able to lay on your back with your feet elevated in straps and circle your legs, clap your thighs together and pretend to bicycle in the air. Students may also find themselves pushing up on a bar with their feet while pointing and flexing to stretch their hamstrings, or holding onto a bar while in a V-sit position.

On Thursday, Mary J. Blige opens the new Fillmore concert venue. And on Wednesday, the 10th edition of the experimental music festival Sonic Circuits kicks off at AFI Silver with a special performance by local group Stylus, which will use 10 vintage record players and two cellos to soundtrack the silent films "Lot in Sodom" (1933) and "Emak-Bakia" (1926).

"My grandfather used to say a gentleman carries two: one for the lady; one for the schnoz," says Jason Tesauro, co-author of "The Modern Gentleman: A Guide to Essential Manners, Savvy and Vice" ($16, Ten Speed Press). "The one for the lady lives in the pocket, and the one for the nose wasn't to be seen."

The Mobility Lab (1501 Wilson Blvd. Arlington), a new local transportation think tank started by Arlington County Commuter Services, has called for a meeting of transit tech types from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The plan for the event is to address transportation problems, discuss resources and see what solutions the group can come up with. "It's about rolling up your sleeves, bringing your laptop and attacking specific ideas," says Mobility Lab director Tom Fairchild.

"Liking" a film is different than recognizing whether it's good. I like a lot of bad movies. "Bellflower" is not a bad movie; it might be a great movie. I didn't like watching it, but I'm glad I did.

50/50
Apparently, the phrase "Oscar nominee Seth Rogen" isn't as nuts as it sounds. Early word has "50/50" headed for top-10 lists everywhere. Joseph-Gordon Levitt (far left, with Rogen) plays Adam, who's suddenly hit with cancer; Rogen plays his best friend. Opens Sept. 30

Higher Ground
Vera Farmiga makes her directorial debut with "Higher Ground"; she also stars as Corinne, who joins an evangelical Christian sect in the 1970s but eventually stops fitting in. For added fun, play Spot the Bump: Farmiga was in her second trimester of pregnancy during filming. Opens Sept. 16

Rage (Human Cortico-Deficiency Virus)
The malady that wipes out Britain in "28 Days Later" (2002) produces extreme aggression after an incubation period of a few seconds. It does NOT create zombies. Sufferers are not living dead and don't eat human flesh.

Chrono-Displacement Disorder
The husband in "The Time Traveler's Wife" (2009) has a genetic mutation that causes involuntary time-jumping. His daughter has CDD, too, so it's likely her kids will have a 50-50 chance of inheriting the faulty gene.

Rendered in a dense visual style that uses no dialogue, narration or any words at all, "Congress" is certainly an odd read. But there is deep meaning behind every squiggly line and misshapen body. "The things in the story are not just arbitrary weirdness," Woodring stresses. "They convey something that I've thought out and want to say."

The new book and the new album revisit the '60s. What was it like to go back to that time?
It was very exciting. I was always in the center of that swirling '60s experience, both singing other people's songs or sometimes writing my own. [For the album,] I wanted to choose a very small number of songs that would gravitate the mind to that period, but it's past, present and future, because the new songs are geared to what's been happening in my life of late.

Gina Gleason — vocalist and lead guitarist of the tribute band Misstallica — makes a convincing James Hetfield. This is a testament to her shredding, since she's not wearing a costume. The four ladies of the Philadelphia-based group — who range in age from 16 to 26 — aim to capture the metal essence of Metallica, which comes pretty naturally.

"This is how we dress every day anyway," Gleason explains. "If you look at Metallica in the '80s, they're just wearing old jeans and rockin' it out. We try to keep it old-school."

Metal fans will be glad to hear that this means high fidelity to Metallica's first four records: "Kill 'Em All," "Ride the Lightning," "Master of Puppets" and "...And Justice For All." The group plays nothing produced later than 1988.

"We love all Metallica, of course," Gleason says. "But a lot of people are not too fond of that later stuff." So, no lighters hoisted for the 1991 ballad "The Unforgiven"?

"No. We would not play that," she deadpans. "We would also not play 'Enter Sandman.'"

"You're doing great," her dentist said while Egan gazed up at a light on the ceiling. Egan made a mental note to remember the phrase. She also found a chance during the appointment to snap a shot of the geometric light fixture using her compact digital camera.

Later, she enhanced the photo on her computer, printed it and hand-stitched her dentist's quote onto the paper using white embroidery floss. The final work, "You're doing great," now hangs on the wall of Artisphere's Mezz Gallery, as part of Egan's "Mantra Samplers" exhibition, on view through Sept. 24.

Vision: "When you put chefs and restaurants in a box and categorize them, it stifles creativity," Cooper says. "Open up the box and say, 'Do whatever you want,' and the possibilities become endless." With that as his mantra, the James Beard Award-winning chef has created a dinner experience that prides itself on its scope and vision.

Eats: The menu constantly evolves, so no two meals will be alike. No matter what is served, Cooper strives to create cuisine that is as playful as it is flavorful. Case in point is the Fowl Play: a salt-cured quail's egg laid in a nest made with golden threads of fried corn silk. On top rest two slivers of duck gizzard ham, dehydrated chicken skin cracklins and a scattered bouquet of miniature fresh flowers. The What's Up, Doc? places a loin of rabbit in a small pool of carrot juice infused with cardamom, coriander seed, fennel and star anise. Nearby there's a sprinkling of "soil" (ground pecan, dark chocolate cocoa powder, barley and coffee), sheep's milk yogurt spiked with carrot juice, a relish made with carrot top stems, a tiny salad of carrot top leaves and a sprinkle of carrot dust. Despite the complexity of the dishes, Cooper says he doesn't want to do food that's overly cerebral. "If you have to think too much about what you're eating, then the experience isn't in the taste buds; it's in the mind," he says.