Even Philippa's a Bit Freaked Out: In what has to be her most oddball acquisition yet, Phillipa Hughes has added a girl in a bubble to her personal collection. TBD's Maura Judkis and City Paper's Arin Greenwood checked out the curious case of Agnes Bolt, the young woman living in the bubble, often while wearing a Hughes-shaped papier-maîché hat. And there are wacky preconditions, like an obligatory kiss by Hughes on the cheek of the bubble girl each morning. Hughes is blogging the whole thing too.

Colorful Snakes Good, Gaga Bad: More tattoo advice from U Street Music Hall co-owner Jesse Tittsworth's blog. Go for colorful hydras and richly-textured skulls. Avoid Lady Gaga. And Rivers Cuomo is screwed.

Yesterday on Arts Desk: Side by Side With Sondheim reviewed. Mike Rhode talks to Liz Suburbia.

Tattoo Barbecue: U Street Music Hall co-owner, tattoo enthusiast, and amateur foodie Jesse Tittsworth has plans to tattoo a pig and then eat it. You can't make this shit up.

Washington Color Schooled: The National Gallery of Art made two contemporary acquisitions: "Great America" (1994) by Kerry James Marshall and "Knight's Heritage" (1963) by local Anne Truit, who died in 2004. The museum already has a handful of Truitts, but this is the first in the collection from the minimalist sculptor's breakthrough years in the 1960s.

Today on Arts Desk: Why you should care about WMUC's troubles, and why you should; funny things you should do!

He was right: WaPo's GOG Blog reports today that the DJs behind Nouveau Riche are moving from DC9 to the new U Street Street Music Hall, a 300-capacity space that local DJs Will Eastman and Jesse Tittsworth are inaugurating this month. (The Brussels-based Balearic duo Aeroplane is performing on March 17, opening night.) Unsurprisingly, Eastman's Bliss dance night will also move to the music hall, from the Black Cat.

"We knew we were going to lose them," says Lambert, adding that he'll have no problem filling Nouveau Riche's slot, either with live music or another dance night. "Do you know how many DJs there are in this town? I mean, we didn’t want to lose them. We wish them all the best."

Vicki Savoula, who books the Black Cat, says she bares no ill will toward Eastman. "It totally makes sense that he's moving his successful DJ night to his own bar.”

The larger issue is what a new, medium-sized space means for D.C.'s nightlife status quo. Eastman told the Post that the music hall, whose ownership team also includes Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton and others, will be tapping other local DJs to spin.

For clubs that book mostly live acts, Lambert (who also books Rock & Roll Hotel and the Red and the Black) is still feeling out the implications. "I’m assuming [U Street Music Hall is] going to be more DJ and electronic-oriented, but I really do not know," he says. Although the music hall is opening next week, it hasn't announced bookings beyond Aeroplane, or even launched a Web site. "In all honestly I’ve really not heard too much about it. I can’t even really say."

Local DJ faves Jesse Tittsworth and Will Eastman and a group of partners are opening up their own space on U Street, the Going Out Gurus report at The Post. Expect the 250- to 300-capacity U Street Music Hall to open early next year at 1115 U St., formerly the Cue Bar. "The whole place is going to be a dance floor," Eastman told the Gurus. "There will be a few booths and bar stools, but it's a dance club. It's for dancing, not sitting." Eastman will still be hosting dance nights elsewhere though, like his popular Bliss night at the Black Cat.

From the Dept. of Ex-Washingtonians: Ted Leo And The Pharmacists, whose last two labels stopped releasing music, are now signed to Matador Records. And the dubby, noisy group Mi Ami—which, like Leo & Co., was on Touch & Go—has signed with Thrill Jockey. The San Francisco outfit includes two members of the disbanded Black Eyes.

The Kennedy Center announced its 2009-2010 jazz season, Jazz Times reports. Highlights include Mavis Staples on April 23 and a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald on Jan. 24 featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Al Jarreau, Janis Siegel, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band.

In other jazz news, the Congressional Black Caucus is hosting a free jazz (but not Free Jazz) forum and concert tonight in Ballroom A of the Convention Center. The evening features lots of local names, and caps off with a tribute to Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, in celebration of the album's 50th anniversary this year.

Area DJ Dave Nada and engineer Matt Nordstrom's Nadastrom project dropped a digital EP today.

Aural Suppository has some videos from the Black Cat's recent 16th anniversary show with Dead Meadow and The Shirks. Including this one:

Dead Meadow performing at the Black Cat's 16 anniversary in DC from Denman C Anderson on Vimeo.

Photo courtesy of Mi Ami's MySpace page.