Leo, Bird, Langford Rock Inaugural Ball in DC

Presenting the Big Shoulders Ball: Chicago Celebrates Change

By Roxana Hadadi

Hipsters probably helped elect Barack Obama into the White House, so why not have some fun now that the next four years are locked up liberal-style?

If you happen to be in the nation's capitol (not necessarily as hipster-heavy a city as New York City or Chicago, but still..) on the night before President George W. Bush's last day, stop by the Black Cat for the Big Shoulders Inauguration Ball, presented by storied Chicago venue The Hideout along with Interchange but held in D.C. for obvious reasons. Washington will be going apeshit the next day, so if you want to prepare yourself for Obama's history-making, check out the tiny club that could for a show featuring Andrew Bird, Ted Leo and more on Jan. 19.

The Black Cat's website describes the event as a "celebration of citizen politics, independent music and Windy City civic pride," and along with Bird's folk-y American sound and Leo's delightfully angry political tunes will feature Chicago's Waco Brothers, Eleventh Dream Day and Jon Langford, among others (for the full artist list, visit www.blackcatdc.com).

You may want to get your tickets soon ($50 each) and line up early - the venue is all ages and kinda small, so it being packed isn't unimaginable. And you'll finally be able to know for sure: Can Democrats party? Bill Clinton's numerous sexy rendezvous don't count...

A portion of proceeds will go to the Chicago Public Schools marching bands program as well as the Future of Music Coalition.