Like most things that reach the major news outlets iPod Jukebox nights aren't exactly new (even though "not new" is such a subjective term these days). But anyway, it's officially not the province of the hip, or the little secret of the indie glitterati. D.C. has an iPod night at Saint-Ex downstairs at Gate 54. As obsessed as I am with my new iPod, I'm really intrigued with this.

It's like a 12-minute mix tape, and for someone new at that. Do you go with the standbys everyone should hear (Rocket from the Crypt's "Lipstick", Jawbreaker's "Do You Still Hate Me?", The Long Winters' "Scared Straight") or stuff you're into right at this moment (Neko Case's "The Tigers Have Spoken", Mark Lanegan's "Methamphetamine Blues", Martina Topley-Bird's "Too Tough To Die")? Would you go short and sweet to get the most songs in as possible (Archers of Loaf's "Web In Front", Guided by Voices' "Teenage FBI")? Would you go obscure? Would you have a theme (all D.C., with Fugazi's "Do You Like Me?", Shudder to Think's "9 Fingers on You", Jawbox's "Cooling Card")? Try to open people up to something new? Show off? Acoustic versions of Superchunk songs? In Flames followed by Nico? All of "Jungleland"? And of course, do you slip the Afghan Whigs' "Sweet Son of a Bitch" in halfway through? Difficult choices for difficult times.