Mdou Moctar @ the Atlantis in DC on February 12,2026

Q: Can you confirm that CBP actually hit a party balloon it thought was a drone with a laser? And why wasn't that coordinated with the FAA? KRISTI NOEM: You know, this was a joint agency task force, um, mission that was undertaken. And um, we're continuing to work on communication *ends presser*

Postmambo is in Veracruz.

This man is a thief, coward and hypocrite. He argues the U.S. can't afford to protect workers from scammy corporations through the CFPB, but it CAN afford to pay millions and millions robbed from three different agencies to pay for his imperial guard. #stopvought www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...

Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell warned of upcoming staff cuts and the reality of “skeletal teams” in a Tuesday night email to his staff that also touted a “total renovation of the building beginning in early July.” www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...

This DC artist Larry Cook’s work “Rare Essence “ is part of the “Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection “ exhibit @ Phillips Collection in DC through Feb. 15. Cook used to be a photographer in a dc go-go music club.

Fri. Feb. 13 in DMV DC- Adobo DMV dj event Flavor of Love w Pedro Night dj’ing 10 pm @ AI Warehouse, 530 Penn Ave NE (pan-Latin & pan-global dance music); Exit Angles (album release), Red Sunflower, Alma Laprida & Harley @ Rhizome (noisy rock, arty experimental); Zacarias Ferreira @ Rio Cantina🧵

Thurs. Feb. 12 in DMV DC-Mdou Moctar solo @ Atlantis (guitarist from Niger); Dende & opener Melan @ Pearl St Warehouse (r& b); Black Belt Eagle Scout & Mato Wayuhi @ Songbyrd (Native American indie rock); What Band @ Martinis (go-go); Selam Sound @ Makeda (Ethiopian) 🧵

This DC artist Larry Cook’s work “Rare Essence “ is part of the “Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection “ exhibit @ Phillips Collection in DC through Feb. 15. Cook used to be a photographer in a dc go-go music club.

Rapper J. Cole did a special last minute event at Howard U in DC yesterday plus he invited folks to join him in a car in Silver Spring, Md to listen to his new album

Always lots of music related events in the DC area ( touring acts, dc go-go, dc Ethiopian, dc punk, & more) stevekiviat.blogspot.com/2026/02/dc-b...

A Reuters photographer captured this image of a page from Pam Bondi's "burn book," which she used to counter any questions from Democratic lawmakers during an unhinged hearing today. It looks like the DOJ monitored members of Congress’s searches of the unredacted Epstein files. Just wow.

Was fortunate to get a guided tour of the huge 3,600-piece Hip Hop 80s exhibit in São Paulo today by Rodrido Brandão (pictured), who helped organize it & conducted dozens of interviews. A very impressive display of art & artifacts primarily from New York City & São Paulo. 📸 Jeff Caltabiano, 2.11.26

I wrote about the most important collection of jazz history landmarks on the planet all going on the market at once. This includes the Eagle Saloon, one of Buddy Bolden’s main venues, and is a major plot twist in the saga of S. Rampart Street.

Rosa Hawkins of the Dixie Cups put out a book about the group a few years ago that was really good but seemed not to get much attention. It’s called Chapel of Love. Recommended.

okay but also for the Angelenos specifically, villa’s tacos were featured in the opening sequence of the half time show and I’m just so delighted that villa’s was blessed by bad bunny the way we are blessed by their food

Today my band is announcing our 2nd album “the beltway is burning,” a 45-minute collection of fake stories based on true events about society and self collapsing at once. It will be released on Earth Day, April 22. The lead single “lil xan goes to washington” is out now.

Ekko Astral announce new album 'The Beltway is Burning' & shows, share "lil xan goes to washington" www.brooklynvegan.com/ekko-astral-...

Wed. Feb. 11 in DMV DC- Plug-n-Band @ Sycamore & Oak food hall SE; 454 & Pig the Gemini @ Songbyrd (rap); Cecily @ Keystone Korner (neo-soul vocalist); Solas @ Birchmere (Irish); New Impressionz @ Babylon (go-go); What Band feat. Killa Cal @ Shark Bar (go-go); Ethiopian music @ Napoli Lounge 🧵

NY-based Iraqi singer Zahra Azubaidi backed by the Torath Arabic Music Ensemble as part of the “From Cairo to Baghdad by way of Aleppo” program on Saturday Feb. 7th @ Washington Liberty High School in Arlington, Va near Washington DC.

DC protest events happening

NY-based Iraqi singer Zahra Azubaidi backed by the Torath Arabic Music Ensemble as part of the “From Cairo to Baghdad by way of Aleppo” program on Saturday Feb. 7th @ Washington Liberty High School in Arlington, Va near Washington DC.

Most of the people ICE has detained have no criminal records, and no one who is detained should be mistreated but there are already numerous supported allegations of mistreatment in existing detention camps. ICE has been blocking oversight of these facilities.

Tues. Feb. 10 in DMV DC-Alice Gerrard — Custom Made Woman: A Life in Traditional Music book talk 7pm @ Politics & Prose Union Market (Gerrard played w/ Appalachian singer Hazel Dickens, & took rarely seen photos); DJ Baby Alcatraz @ Seki Nikai; Still Familiar @ Fast Eddie's (go-go)🧵

Jill Scott just did Noochie’s Live from the Front Porch ( close to dc) youtu.be/bZZXWtuqXD8

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202... just saw this 1-22 article & am wondering why there has been no lawsuit to stop this Trump Lafayette Square project that hasn’t been signed off on by anyone

Also, Armand Ntep was at Blues Alley on Monday

Truck driving near US Capitol sponsored by liberal group home of the brave

Mon. Feb. 9 in DMV DC - YFN Lucci @ Echostage (rap) ; LMB / Will Evans & Rinatt Montoya / Walsh Kunkel @ Rhizome (local jazz; LMB is Mamet (French horn,effects) & Sandel (violin, effects)); Vince Evans Band 6-9pm @ Blues Monday @ Westminster Church SW; Ethiojazz w/ the Roots Band @ Shalla

youtu.be/6FCvZ6G0ygM This conversation introduces everyone to new book P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance

Follow the thread for cultural details from Bad Bunny’s halftime show

We wanted to know how Latino voters felt about Bad Bunny's criticism of ICE. So we talked to three white centrist podcasters at a Le Pain Quotidien in Dupont Ciricle.

If you didn’t catch the significance of the exploding transformers in Bad Bunny’s halftime show, I gotcha. Here’s one of a bunch of pieces I wrote from/on Puerto Rico about the crisis—and Trump’s role in it. slate.com/news-and-pol...

For those unfamiliar with Bad Bunny's "El Apagón" (the one with the power poles in the halftime show): Lyrics: genius.com/Bad-bunny-el... English translation: genius.com/Genius-engli... Watch the 23-min music video-documentary El Apagón: Aquí Vive Gente (People Live Here) youtu.be/1TCX_Aqzoo4?...

Coco Jones just did “Lift Every Voice and Sing” 40 minutes before Super Bowl

Lamont’s Entertainment Complex , south of DC in Indian Head, Md ( aka Pomonkey) has great southern soul & grown folks r&b and go-go shows. The place has little online presence & Lamont sometimes forgets to update the voicemail that lists their events. They do a calendar sometimes which Lamont texted

RIP Lynn Blakey. In addition to playing w/ Let’s Active, Oh-OK, & Tres Chicas, & being an inspiration for a song, she was in the '80s in a DC jangle pop band Holiday (w/ Mitch Parker, Dan Buccino, Linda Hopper)who had a record on Fountain of Youth, & a few songs on a Strum & Thrum comp.

Breaking MS NOW: The Department of Homeland Security *unsuccessfully* sought to expedite deportation proceedings against the family of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, according to a local school official. At an asylum hearing Friday, the family was granted a continuance. www.ms.now/news/dhs-rep...

ffi2026.eventive.org/films/693996... “Cutting through Rocks” a doc is showing at 2 pm today as part of the Iranian film festival & the National Museum of Asian Art in DC. Advance tix are gone, but if you get there early there may be some empty seats

Sun. Feb 8 in DMV DC-Bad Bunny music as part of DJ Raffi’s reggaeton brunch, w/ drag performances by NuNu Paris, Evry Pleasure & Labianna @ 12 to 4 p.m. @ Whitlow’s; Philip Glass: Part 2 tribute w/ 5 pianists 4-6 @ Phillips Collection; Backyard Band Super Bowl party 4pm @ Famous Lounge (go-go)🧵

If it clarifies what was lost this week: Philip Kennicott and Monica Hesse remain as arts critics at The Washington Post Eliminated: art critic arts editor arts/film editor classical critic pop critic television critic theater critic all editors/reporters in Book World including two book critics

Went to From Cairo to Baghdad by way of Aleppo - Torath Ensemble 7:30-9 pm @ Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington (Arabic music, whirling dance, live poetry) & it was great. Packed house of largely Arabic speakers for classic Um Kulthum & others from 50s to 70s w/ ensemble w/ strings,oud

Goddammit I hate these fascist faux-American fucks so much. The Folklife Festival is legitimately one of the coolest things about summer in DC (temperature notwithstanding). Last year we got to talk to NPS preservation specialists, learned to make Ciitaq, and played in a drum circle. It was great!

Smithsonian Folklife Fest on the national mall in Washington DC to be replaced by Trump patriotic fair this summer! The Folklife director told me last year they planned to have a one month fest but Trump had other plans. Smithsonian will do some things elsewhere www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/a...

Sat. Feb. 7 in DMV DC-Sun Ra Arkestra @ Black Rock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD (jazz); From Cairo to Baghdad by way of Aleppo - Torath Ensemble 7:30-9 pm @ Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington (Arabic music, whirling dance, live poetry); Baila Habibi @ Sachi (Arabic & Latin beats) 🧵

Added Fri. Feb. 20-Les Ballet Africains @ George Mason Center for the Arts (Guinea); & Sat. Feb. 21- Mackaya McCraven @ Clarice Smith Center (jazz that is sometimes funky) to DMV DC music events calendar plus more stevekiviat.blogspot.com/2026/02/dc-b...

www.testudotimes.com/maryland-ter... Gonna get my U of Md basketball news from the Testudo Times and from the Diamondback. The Washington Post layoff of the sports section means the Post didn’t cover the Terps Feb 5 loss at home to Ohio State.

This man deserves as much heat as Bezos.

I want to do the best writing I’ve ever done and I’d be honored to have you as my reader First proper electronic missive goes out Monday, February 9 Subscribe here: thefutureisourstomake.substack.com THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE