Arts Desk contributor Brandon Wu photographs a lot of shows, but for our Music in Review issue, he did a 180 and pointed his camera at the crowds. His photo essay includes fans of Metallica, Lady Gaga (above), Britney Spears, Mates of State, Mudvayne, Yo La Tengo, and more. Check it out here.

Music fans paid close attention when the influential review Web site Pitchfork dropped its P2K: The Decade in Music list this August. But readers shouldn't put too much stock in it, writes Matt Siblo in our Music in Review issue. The list, he says, merely reaffirms the site's clout and critical authority:
A glance at the [...]

XIB – "Photo Shoot"
In today’s paper, I mention that lately, Gucci Mane, and not Wale, has been the most popular rapper in the DMV. I attribute that to the car-stereo test, but there’s admittedly no definitive measuring stick for this assertion. Street buzz is a vague construct and neither artist’s audience is buying too many [...]

Good morning! I was going to lead off with something District-related, but screw that. (Sorry, local arts!) Avatar opens at midnight! The nearly $250-million sci-fi epic is director James Cameron's first film since Titanic in 1997, but you knew that already. More important: It doesn't suck! In fact, it's apparently quite good! (Although City Paper's critic, [...]