Monthly Archives: September 2011

The Daily Feed
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Chien-Ming Wang Continues to Improve, Nats Beat Marlins 4-3

Photo courtesy of
‘Chien-Ming Wang’
courtesy of ‘ElCapitanBSC’

Nationals’ starter Chien-Ming Wang, who returned from the disabled list after nearly two years away from the big leagues in 2011, recorded his third win of the season on Sunday in his longest outing since 2008. Manager Davey Johnson continued to sing Wang’s praises after the game, stating that Wang shows consistent signs of improvement each time he starts.

Washington beat the Marlins 4-3 thanks to Wang’s productive start. Wang threw 6 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, two homeruns, and struck out two batters over 93 pitches (60 for strikes). The second homerun of the afternoon hit by Marlins catcher Brett Hayes served as the proper cue for the starter’s exit. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Features
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Neutered Nats Flop Against Fish, Lose 3-0

Friday night was never going to be easy for the Washington Nationals. A letdown of some kind had to be expected after an emphatic four-game road sweep of the New York Mets earlier this week, and the red flags waved even more frantically when Davey Johnson announced that he was giving both Michael Morse and Jayson Werth a day off. (And he meant it; Alex Cora was first off the bench to pinch-hit.) And that was before anyone bothered to check the statistics and note that Florida had had the Indian sign over Washington this season, with an 8-4 head-to-head record entering this three-game weekend series, the next-to-last of the season between these two clubs.

But no one expected the Nats to go down as meekly as they did in the 3-0 loss. Javier Vazquez, a pitcher who has generally been mediocre to below-average since being traded by the Montreal Expos to the New York Yankees prior to the 2004 season (exceptional outliers in 2007 and 2009 notwithstanding), recorded his first complete game since September 25, 2009 (when his Braves defeated, yes, the Nationals), and he needed only 104 pitches to do it. True to form, there was nothing particularly special about what Vazquez was doing. He threw his fastball for strikes, got ahead in the count, and took advantage of a Nationals lineup that seemed completely uninterested in working the count. Of the 30 batters that Vazquez faced, 17 either took a first-pitch strike or swung at the first pitch.

The Nationals were compliant in their own demise as well, making two foolish mistakes on the basepaths. The first came in the second inning with the score still 1-0. After Rick Ankiel had singled to center with one out, Espinosa flicked a ball into left-center field. The ball was cut off quickly by center fielder Bryan Petersen, but Ankiel was still able to advance to third. However, Espinosa either underestimated Petersen’s arm or thought it was the right time to take the double play out of the equation. Regardless of his reasoning, he was easily cut down at second base for the second out of the inning. Chris Marrero flied out to right field to end the once-promising inning.

The other, less forgivable lapse came in the seventh inning, with the score 3-0 but Vazquez wobbling for the first time all night. Ryan Zimmerman and Laynce Nix singled to lead off the inning before Ankiel (fooled by a curveball) and Espinosa (unable to catch up to a fastball) struck out swinging. Then, with Marrero at the plate in search of a first home run of his term with the Nats, pinch-runner Brian Bixler was picked off of first, despite the fact that second base was already occupied by the less-than-speedy Zimmerman and it was unnecessary for Bixler to take undue risks on the basepaths with the tying run at the plate. The whole sequence summed up the lazy, haphazard approach the Nats offense brought to the ballpark last night.

Lannan wasn’t much better, though he managed to wring six innings and a quality start (in name only) out of his evening. He struggled to locate his fastball and changeup in the early going and gave up six of the eight hits recorded off him in the first three innings. The pitches that weren’t hit were taken outside of the strike zone, and this is what led to Florida’s first run of the game. Gaby Sanchez and Petersen worked one-out walks in the second inning and advanced to third and second on a wild pitch. Sanchez scored on John Buck’s single to center, and if Petersen hadn’t stopped between second and third base to make sure the ball would drop, he would have scored as well. As it was, Lannan got out of the inning with no further damage after Vazquez failed to get a squeeze bunt down and got Buck thrown out at second base and Emilio Bonifacio grounded into an inning-ending force play.

The Marlins added their other two runs in the third inning as Omar Infante and Mike Stanton opened the inning with back-to-back doubles before Stanton came home on Sanchez’s single to center. Again, the damage could have been worse, but Petersen went too far when turning first base after his two-out single and managed to get himself thrown out 7-6-3.

It was, in short, the type of game that was to be expected on a cool Friday night in September when both teams are eliminated from the playoff race (mathematically as well as realistically).  If there’s anything positive to be taken from it, it’s that Saturday’s game shouldn’t be nearly as somnolent. After all, Werth and Morse should be back, and some kid named Strasburg is on the mound.

Featured Photo
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Special Featured Photo: Sunset Edition

Super Sept Sunset - darkview

Photo by Kilohoku

As we walked out of an impromptu Happy Hour at Mighty Pint on Thursday night, we were greeted by the incredibly beautiful sunset sky over downtown, with regal golden hour light washing over the office buildings, casting shadows on the ornaments of St. Matthew’s, on the Federal-styled squat buildings all along the Connecticut Avenue corridor. The Mayflower looked its finest, standing in the orange hued lights.

What a wonderful, incredible, beautiful city we live in. We Love DC, and this is part of why.

Thanks for the great capture, Kilohoku!

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Friday Happy Hour: Sixpoint Righteous Ale

There was a lot of buzz surrounding the recent arrival of New Belgium in the DC market, but I was not that worked up about it. My nonchalance is largely a product of having lived in California with easy access to the stuff and so there was not much novelty in it for me.

On the other hand – though my colleagues here may tease me about it – I have never lived in Brooklyn and so I have never had the opportunity to get bored by the output of Sixpoint Craft Ales and was delighted when they announced that they would be widely available in the DC, Maryland, Virginia region. Getting bored of Sixpoint would certainly take me some time. I like just about everything I have had from them and they produce a fairly long and rotating list of beers. (Not that I am unwilling to put in the time drinking their beers to find out, if pressed, of course…)
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The Daily Feed
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This Sunday: Wine and Jazz in Crystal City

Following Post by Gene Moses for We Love DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Vintage Crystal – Wine, Tapas & Jazz Festival’
courtesy of ‘cliff1066â�¢’

Ah, sunny days with just a hint of chill, briskly slammed the door on summer and launched us into autumn! Walking my dog this morning with sunglasses and a JACKET(!) reminded me of the first time I wore a jacket last autumn – in Argentina!

Along the Andean foothills lies Mendoza – heart of Argentine wine, and especially the ruby red elixir called Malbec. Mendoza lies in desert that some years can go 350 days without any precipitation, yet reliable, consistent wines can be produced because of irrigation from the Andean snow melt. The desert climate also creates high daily temperature variance — some days can have a 40 degree fahrenheit swing – which results in thicker skinned grapes that give Mendoza grapes more body and color. Just the perfect compliment to grass-fed beef steaks or grilled vegetables.

Just 120 miles west, on the other side of the Andes, is the heart of Chilean wine country. In addition to award-winning Casablanca Valley Chardonnay is Chile’s signature red grape, Carmenere. This cousin of Merlot provides a bold, aromatic richness that is just the right pair for harvest-time meals.

This Sunday, I can relive my Andean memories, or virtually escape to Spain’s Costa del Sol, in Crystal City! “Vintage Crystal: A Taste of Wine and Jazz” provides an afternoon of wine, music and dancing — just in time to chase away the rainy days and sweltering heat of summer 2011!
Entering its fifth year, the annual Vintage Crystal: A Taste of Wine & Jazz brings people to the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington for a Spanish and Latin-American inspired festival.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Clutch the band introduces Clutch the beer


courtesy of NBB.

Clutch just may be the most bad ass band to have ever come out of these parts (hailing from Germantown, MD and making 9:30 Club their home). Now this bad ass band has teamed up with New Belgium Brewing (of Colorado) to design their own bad ass beer: “Clutch Dark Sour Ale”.

To celebrate their eponymous libation, Clutch are hosting a free launch party at Red Palace on Sunday night. On hand will be ample supplies of Clutch Dark Sour Ale and all the members of the band to mix it up with their fans and fellow beer aficionados. Rumor has it that Clutch will perform some kind of acoustic set for the lucky fans who gain access to this first come, first serve – 200 capacity event. For fans of a band that normally fills the 9:30 Club with ease, this intimate performance will be a very special event. My advice – get in line early. Good luck!

Clutch: The Band, The Beer
@ Red Palace
Sunday, September 18
7pm doors / 8pm show
21+ / First Come, First Serve

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Only Twenty Kegs in the World. DC Gets One.

Photo courtesy of
‘Brasserie Cantillon’
courtesy of ‘mersy’

The annual release of Cantillon’s Zwanze is quite an event amongst the cult of beer nerds. The very limited edition beer, different each year, is debuted – and usually sells out almost instantly. If you see beer heads lying on the ground outside of ChurchKey this Friday night, it is (probably) not because they drank too much – but rather because they are camped out to be first in line for Saturday’s tapping.

After years of bottles being scalped for huge sums, the Cantillon folks have decided to make the 2011 Zwanze a keg-only release. All the kegs in the world – and there are only twenty of them – are to be simultaneously tapped. Then, when it sells out, it sells out. No secondary market.

The moment of the simultaneous tapping works out favorably for us in the Eastern time zone – 3pm on Saturday the 17th. For the one keg going to Japan (Beer Brasserie Dolphins Temabashi in Osaka), however, a bit less so.

ChurchKey will be open for usual Saturday brunch service starting at noon with glasses of Zwanze becoming available at 3:00. Another beer from Cantillon, Iris, will also be available on draft.

Sports Fix
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Redskins Preview Week Two: The Arizona Cardinals

Photo courtesy of
‘Giants1’
courtesy of ‘Homer McFanboy’

Last Sunday the Redskins beat the Giants handily by not allowing any points in the second half while outscoring the Giants by 14 in those two quarters. The following Monday should have been a well earned day off in reward for the victory, but the ‘Skins players wanted no such thing and went to practice on Monday to further prove their commitment to making this a new era.

Tim Hightower is looking forward to facing his old team and thinks that the Redskins should win this game. His statement could end up on the Cardinals’ bulletin board, but with a Philly columnist writing this week that the Eagles will win the NFC East because, “The Redskins are still the Redskins,” and Giants corner back Antrel Rolle insisting that the Giants would beat the Redskins 95 times out of 100 the Redskins have some bulletin board material of their own. Football is an emotional game and man players play better when they think they have something to prove. The Redskins played a good game against the Giants, but still have to prove they can play that well on a consistent basis.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Cardinals shocked the world and ended up in the Super Bowl. One of the reasons they made it that far was the play of Larry Fitzgerald, and now with Todd Heap added to the passing attack the Cardinals have two game changers to catch the football. The man whose job it is to get the ball to those dangerous targets is recently traded for Kevin Kolb. Kolb has yet to deliver on his promise, but with pass catchers as good as Fitzgerald and Heap any quarterback can be dangerous. Even if Kolb has trouble sustaining a drive against an improved Redskins defense Fitzgerald and Heap give the Cardinals big play ability.

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Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Hill
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H Street Festival This Saturday

Photo courtesy of
‘1012733-09Crop’
courtesy of ‘furcafe’

According to hstreet.org 35,000 people pressed onto H Street NE for last year’s event. With even more activity and businesses open along the corridor now, one can only assume an even larger turn-out this Saturday when the H Street Festival 2011 takes over the street from noon until seven.

Along the six-block festival zone, there will be a wide variety of food, vendors, music stages, family activities, and more. Four stages will present ongoing music and other forms of entertainment throughout the day (and in some cases, well into the night) and there will be a fifth stage dedicated entirely to children’s entertainment. There will be food trucks, fashion shows, and a parade of art cars. Details about performances and entertainment are on the festival’s Facebook page.

If you want to see how all those things fit together, there will be expanded shuttle service available and a WABA bike valet. The event is free to enter and stroll around. Children and dogs are invited as long they can handle being around the sizable crowd.

The Daily Feed
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Chain Bridge closed this weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘Into DC’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

This Spring saw the renovation of the road deck on top of the Chain Bridge that joins NW DC and the far northern edge of Arlington County, and closed the bridge for a number of weekends of work. This Fall will be no different, but this time, they’ll be working up underneath the bridge. This weekend will be the first of many weekends that the bridge will be closed, with closures beginning Friday at 8p and ending on Monday at 5a.

Closures will also include the sidewalk, so cyclists and pedestrians will also need to re-route. The nearest alternatives are the Legion Bridge (495) and the Key Bridge (Route 29).

The Daily Feed
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Passport Day is Saturday

Photo courtesy of
‘US Passport’
courtesy of ‘Damian613’

There have been quite a number of articles written on the subject of Americans and Passports, and the last good figure seems to be about 1 in 3 Americans has their passport. Be it because America is so large and diverse, or because we’re insular (something I don’t buy), or because overseas airfares are so brutal, many Americans never find themselves in possession of a passport.

This Saturday is Passport Day, a program through the State Department to get more people to hold passports and explore abroad. The Passport Agency on 19th Street will be having an event for all who might like to get their passport done, and there are a bunch of other locations in DC that will also have photo services on hand to do photos on the spot. You don’t need an appointment, but you will need a birth certificate and a photo ID, and $135 for the passport (payable in two parts, $110 and $25). $30 more also gets you the passport card for ground travel to Mexico and Canada.

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends – September 16 – 18

Photo courtesy of
‘(024/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Patrick Palafox: I have trained my body to handle the awesomeness that this weekend will have and everything I know will be tested. Friday night I’m heading over to the State Theater to check out the Big “O” and Dukes show. The podcast will be recorded live and is featuring The Pietasters. Then, Saturday night I’m catching Atari Teenage Riot over at the 9:30 Club. Their digital hardcore sound will destroy the club and their anti-government rants will surely cause the Capital to rise to action to…I don’t know. Maybe make some witty signs and walk around the mall. Probably not, but still.

Rachel: I’ve been informed that on Friday night my presence is requested for a night of drinking around the Logan Circle area. My first choice would be Churchkey, however, if my friends aren’t interested in that and choose Commissary I will not be disappointed. Their hummus plate plus nachos plus drinks equals good times. I’d really like to try and make it to the Zoo Saturday for a walk since the weather is expected to be in the mid-60’s (with lows in the mid-50’s!!!!) Perhaps I’ll even bring a book too. That sounds awful relaxing, doesn’t it? On Sunday, I’ll be at Nats Park for one of the last four home games of the year. If you haven’t been to a Nats game once this season, friends, your time is running out. They’ve got three this weekend and three next weekend … and that’s it.
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The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Atari Teenage Riot @ 9:30 Club, 9/17/11

This Saturday Alec Empire brings his reconfigured and reactivated digital hardcore terror cell, Atari Teenage Riot, back to the 9:30 Club for the first time in over a decade. For old school DC-area fans like myself, this show is Alec bringing ATR back to the place where all the DHR madness began. For a whole new generation of fans, Saturday’s show is a chance to see this truly ground-breaking ultra-heavy beat attack squad for the first time.

In 1997, Atari Teenage Riot played to a painfully empty 9:30 Club. In 1999, they returned and played for a sold out club packed with FANATICAL fans. I was at both shows. From what I have seen at 9:30 Club over the years, the ATR ’99 show is unmatched in its aural intensity and audience insanity. As far as I’m concerned, Atari Teenage Riot left their mark on that place like no other band. Atari Teenage Riot returned last year with a very intimate, in-your-face show in Baltimore where they proved that the band sounds just as alien and aggressive as ever. Last year, I thought that show was a quick victory lap celebrating Alec Empire’s impact on digital music making. But then I caught ATR in London this May and they sold-out a club the size of 9:30 Club, proving (internationally at least) that their political-rant, digital-noise approach still has a strong following. I am really curious how their 10-year hiatus will affect their ability to fill the 9:30 Club this Saturday. Will it be another (almost) personal viewing like in ’97 or will it be a jam-packed, orgy of beats and violence ala ’99?

Based on the two recent ATR shows I’ve seen, one thing is certain; regardless of who does or doesn’t show-up on Saturday, Atari Teenage Riot is going to bring the noise in a way that few are capable of matching. This one is a can’t miss for fans of extreme music, electronic innovation, and good old fashioned musical catharsis.

Atari Teenage Riot
w/ Otto Von Schirach
@ 9:30 Club
6PM – $25

The Daily Feed
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Two Great New Reads

Photo courtesy of
‘Newspaper Guy, Dupont Circle’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

Warm up your RSS Readers, folks, there’s two new blogs that have started today that you absolutely, positively need to be reading. The first is the DC Local version of the Huffington Post, anchored by DCist founding editor and City Paper veteran Michael Grass who launches the new effort with an elegy for the City of Conversation.

Also debuting today is The Atlantic Cities, which is based in DC, but not entirely of or about DC, but given the subject matter, deeply relevant. Heading up this effort is former DCist editor, and TBD refugee Sommer Mathis, whose first column outlines the new effort as a need to comprehend the new city migration: “To understand cities is to get a handle on how most of us live, work, and play.”

I’m really looking forward to more great voices for the District, and these are certainly among them. Congratulations, Michael and Sommer!

Adventures, Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Virgin Mobile Free Fest 2011 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, 9/10/11


all photos by Andrew Markowitz.

It was late on Wednesday afternoon when I found out that I was going be covering the 2011 Virgin Mobile FreeFest at Merriweather Post Pavilion this past Saturday. My finger started ping-ponging down the list of the two different stage line-ups, as I began to count how many bands would be there on Saturday. Thirteen! And this didn’t count the third “Dance Forest” stage that would be hosting DJ’s all day. I knew my work was cut out for me.

The Virgin Mobile FreeFest has been held at Merriweather Post Pavilion since 2006 and this looked to be one of the strongest lineups yet.* I arrived right on time to start photographing the bands and checking out what else the FreeFest had to offer.

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The Daily Feed
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Tareq Salahi insists his wife is kidnapped

Bunny

The “news” “broke” late this morning that Tareq Salahi was quite upset with the Warren County, Virginia Sheriff’s office because he felt that they were not taking his claim that his reality TV “star” wife Michaele had been coerced against her will. Coerced to do what, exactly, remains unclear.

I’m certain that this has nothing to do with the upcoming auction of the winery.

I’m doubly certain that in no way does this story have parallels to Bunny Lebowski, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, or The Ransom of Red Chief, no matter what you say about the rug tying the whole story together.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find my lawn chair, a bucket of popcorn, and a map to the Sheriff’s office.

Update: Yeah, she’s fine. She ran off with the guitarist from Journey. Sorry Tareq. Don’t stop believing.

Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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BYT & Embassy of Spain Present YES!

This Friday, the SPAIN arts&culture series for fall/winter 2011 will kick-off with a huge party thrown in collaboration with Brightest Young Things.

When the free event became available for RSVP six weeks ago, the list filled completely within hours. Hopefully, you were lucky enough to snag a spot. If not, maybe try to find a friend who is not using their ticket because you will not want to miss this event.
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