After Hours went to the Decemberists concert at the Music Center at the Strathmore Monday night to follow up on our recent interview with Decemberists guitarist Chris Funk. The audience was full of families and fans of all ages and fashion styles—one couple looked like it just stepped out of the 1920s—and the show was lively, silly, and just as snarky as some of the Portland-area band’s quirky song lyrics.

The opening act was a surprising treat. My Brightest Diamond, an indie rock band led by Shara Worden, elicited a standing ovation from many in the crowd at the end of its set. Worden’s vocals are a blend of Fiona Apple and Edith Piaf. Her earthy, jazzy, and powerful voice soared through Strathmore. The audience erupted in cheers after the band played a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” and laughed at Worden’s dancing antics during the shrill “Freak Out.”

After My Brightest Diamond’s soulful rock, the Decemberists started off with a disappointingly slow pace. The lighting was poorly run—bright flashes occasionally blinded the audience and made the first few songs hard to enjoy. Lead singer Colin Meloy stumbled around the stage aimlessly. The Strathmore, a seated venue, didn’t seem ideal for the show—the audience was detached from the stage, and the atmosphere was still and subdued. At a more intimate venue like the 9:30 Club, people might have been likelier to dance and enjoy the show in a less dignified fashion. But the Decemberists might be aiming for performances that are more theatrical in nature and less rock concert-style: Meloy announced that the would be performing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in July, and the band is already booked to perform with the LA Symphony Orchestra July 7.

Read below for more on the Decemberists' performance. 

As I wrote in the Where & When Weekly column, Wednesdays mean one thing for the folks at the lovely lounge Tapatinis on Barracks Row—it’s Ladies Night, and the women get $1 glasses of wine and $4 cocktails from 5 to 9 pm. What are you waiting for? 711 Eighth St., SE.

If you like your drink specials a little more civic-minded, head over to Eighteenth Street Lounge (1212 18th St. NW), where local blog DCist.com and DC Vote are teaming up for a Voting Rights Happy Hour. DCist.com says, "we hope our readers will use this happy hour to learn about the current struggle for District voting rights." 6pm to 9pm.

Do you love pizza? I mean, do you really, really love pizza? Can you stuff slice after slice in your mouth without even giving it a second thought? Are you at one with pepperoni?

Then you've got to head out to the Palace of Wonders (1210 H St. NE) this evening, where the freak-show-style bar is hosting a pizza-eating competition. Better yet: they'll be serving pizza from Radius, the Mount Pleasant pizzeria that's gotten lots of buzz for its excellent New York-style pies. 

Anyone can sign up at 9pm; the eating competition commences at 10:30. Winner gets a free bar tab, and free pizza—that is, if you even want any more, ever again.

Call the Palace of Wonders at 202-398-7469 for more information. And happy eating!

Polo mallets. These, plus the band Journey, will be at the America's Cup of Polo on May 12.

Looking for sublimely absurd combinations? Try a US-UK polo match in Virginia that will feature a performance by the classic-rock band Journey as well as a celebration of America’s first settlers. On May 12, the first annual Americas Cup of Polo will trot its way into Leesburg.

The America’s Cup of Polo, like America itself, is nothing if not heterogeneous. Sponsors represent not only international luxury (Cartier, Ritz-Carlton, Land Rover, and Casa Noble Tequila) but also local color (the Virginia Wine, Travel, and Tourism Office; VirginiaWineTour.com; and Market Salamander, a Middleburg catering company started by BET cofounder and equestrian fan Sheila Johnson).

While the sponsors’ affiliation with the event makes a certain sense, the rationale behind the entertainment choices is a bit puzzling. Just what the band Journey has to do with polo is unclear, but it’s performing at the match. So are the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra; the Virginia-based bluegrass group No Speed Limit; British pop/folk duo the Webb Sisters; the Urban Nation H.I.P.-H.O.P. Choir, featuring youth from the Washington area; and ten-time Grammy Award winner Claude McKnight of the a cappella group Take 6.

The match brings together the United States and United Kingdom and pits them against each other—which is both awkward and appropriate since the event commemorates the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first British settlers in Virginia. And we all know where that went.

Read below for more on the polo match. 

Okay, so I know, this isn't exactly arts & entertainment news, but hear me out. The Washingtonian has a job opening for an assistant photo editor, and I figured that the readership of After Hours is savvy, talented and well-connected, and several readers would either have an interest in the position, or know somebody who does. Read below for the job description, and apply away! 

If there's one thing I know that Washingtonians are good at, it's offering up their opinions, on everything from politics to the area's best martini. Now you've got a chance to let the world know what you think of the best and the worst in the metropolitan area, through The Washingtonian's 2007 Best & Worst survey.

Think you know the best spot for singles? The area's creamiest gelato? What's your pick for a pre-theater dinner? 

And what might be even more fun is letting us know what you think is the worst of the worst—what's your opinion on the most overrated bar? Most infuriating restaurant service? Just let it all out. You know you want to!

By filling out the survey and entering your contact info, you'll become eligible to win dinner for two at several local restaurants—Cafe Oggi, M+S Grill, and more. So what are you waiting for? Click on over to the survey, and let your opinions out. Results of the survey will be published in the July issue of The Washingtonian.