Music

The Winning Ticket: The Dance Party

This week we are giving away a pair of tickets to see The Dance Party at the 9:30 Club on December 23. Tickets for this concert are available on Ticketfly or at the 9:30 Club box office.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address by 5pm today. One entry per email address, please. Comments will be closed at 5pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within two hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if they are under 18 years old.

If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts

Downtown, Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features, The Hill

Restaurants Here and On The Way

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Courtesy of Tricia Barba

It seems like there’s never a shortage of restaurants opening up in DC.

To finish out 2011, Xavier Cervera plans to open his fifth Capitol Hill restaurant, Boxcar Tavern, located in the old Petite Gourmetspace on 7th St. SE right next to Tunnicliffs. The staff is currently in training mode, and it sounds like the plan is still to open by the end of the month. The Eastern Market Metro Community Association has a pic of the inside.

Places that are open 24 hours a day always excite me. Case in point: The Hamilton located in downtown DC (same block as another Clyde’s Restaurant group favorite, Old Ebbitt Grill) opened up to the public just this week. The restaurant and live music venue comes to us from Clyde’s Restaurant Group. The 37,000 square foot space has two floors, four bars and four dining rooms. Where else can you get sushi, charcuterie, and seasonal and regional American fare? For more information and a slide show check out Washingtonian’s Best Bites. Continue reading

capitals hockey, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed

Caps Top Predators, 4-1

Photo courtesy of bridgetds
Mike Knuble has played 1,000 NHL games.
courtesy of bridgetds

The Capitals honored 39-year-old Mike Knuble last night for playing in 1,000 NHL games, then went out and earned a hard fought 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators before a festive crowd at Verizon Center last night. Riding goals from marquee players Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin along with some timely saves by goalie Michal Neuvirth, the Caps played as complete a game as we have seen under new coach Dale Hunter. Continue reading

The Daily Feed

Amir Khan Attempting to Regain Stolen Titles

Photo courtesy of SportsAngle.com
Amir Khan
courtesy of SportsAngle.com

On a confrence call earlier this afternoon Amir Khan revealed that he feels he was robbed in DC and wants the DC commission, the IBF, and the WBA to make things right. He will settle for a rematch but would prefer for the decision to be overturned outright and for what he feels to still be his titles to be returned to him. Khan feels that the decision being reversed would do a lot to repair the image of DC as a venue for boxing and restoring other boxers’ confidence in fighting in the nation’s capital. Khan and his representatives do have a seven figure offer to Lamont Peterson on the table for a May 19 rematch at the Staples Center.

This is where sports fail. Aside from a knockout or a submission combat sports are going to be decided by the refs and judges. Letting a fight go to the scorecard is begging for controversy. The job of the refs is to keep order and to make sure the participants decide the outcome. Khan feels that Joe Cooper was against him the entire fight and now the outcome will be decided in the court room.

Whatever the decision of the appeal process is there should be a rematch. The first Khan/Peterson fight was too good to not happen again. Controversy is a part of boxing more than it is any other sport, and the holder of the WBA and IBF Light Welterweight titles should be decided in the ring and not a court room.

The Daily Feed

Cheh introduces Bath Salts ban, Don’t Freak Out.

Photo courtesy of saaleha
Oranges and Lemons Health
courtesy of saaleha

When you hear that Councilmember Mary Cheh has introduced a ban on bath salts and plant food later today, you shouldn’t freak out and start hoarding epsom salts and Miracle Grow. The bath salts and plant food in question are slang names for a synthetic stimulant called mephedrone, MDPV and methylone. These aren’t the kind you’d get at Lush or a garden center.  They skirt the existing laws by being sold as bath salts or plant food, hence the name.  Going by product names like Vanilla Sky, or Purple Wave, or Ivory Wave, the drugs carry with them a pretty awful list of effects, including hyperthermia, renal failure, chest pain, hallucination and suicidal tendencies.

The proposed Cheh law mirrors federal scheduling of these substances as illegal for sale.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

FREE FOOD ALERT: Taylor Gourmet Bethesda

Photo courtesy of Plantains & Kimchi
9th Street Italian @ Taylor Gourmet, DC
courtesy of Plantains & Kimchi

Oh yeah. You heard me right. Free food (read: hoagies!) at the Taylor Gourmet in Bethesda in honor of their one year anniversary. If you stop by anytime from 11 AM til 8 PM today, you’ll get a free six-inch hoagie or pastina salad. Plus, Taylor Gourmet is really upping the ante by raffling off free hoagies for a year, a catered office party for up to 30 people (note: your office must be in Bethesda or Chevy Chase), 4 tickets to a Washington Capitals game and a paid Bethesda parking ticket.

So get yourself over to the deli. I’ll bet the line I gonna be pretty long…

Featured Photo

Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of Dwood Photography
Holiday Lights – Washington Style
courtesy of Dwood Photography

Bokeh. I swear it’s an actual word…though, granted, it is Japanese. It describes the aesthetic effect of having a blurred background or depth of field in a photograph. It’s a hard effect to get, mainly because you have to have a really good (read: expensive) lens to get it. But when you can get the effect, it can look great. And the ways of using are almost infinite. It helps that all the Christmas lights give it a way to shine…so to speak.

Dwood Photography uses the bokeh to great effect in his shot. Not only does he keep the shape of the National Christmas Tree, but he also has the Washington Monument in shot, giving it that DC flair. It helps that the lights on the tree have a nice circular look, giving the shot a unique look. Definitely a shot that can get one into the Season!

Life in the Capital

Flex your rights, redux

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Radly Balko talks today about Terrance Crossland’s failed appeal over his arrest and conviction for assault on a police officer. Which sounds like a pretty slam-dunk Bad Action, though maybe marginally less so when you discover it came after an inappropriate detention and search.

The officers, who were in full uniform, stopped appellant and his cousin Joseph Womack, both of whom were standing near the corner, as part of their effort to gather information about a rash of recent shootings and drug sales in the area. Officer Baldwin acknowledged that neither man was “doing anything unlawful” when the officers stopped them. The officers instructed both men to place their hands on a nearby fence for a weapons pat-down. Appellant “initially” complied, but quickly became “agitated,” telling Officer Baldwin words to the effect of “Fuck this shit. I’m tired of this.”

Whether Crossland actually physically resisted after that point is in dispute, but the case also mentions a sad fact you should know: just because an officer is violating your rights doesn’t mean you have any right to physically resist – a delightful little clause in a 2001 DC law that says “It is neither justifiable nor excusable cause for a person to use force to resist an arrest when such arrest is made by an individual he or she has reason to believe is a law enforcement officer, whether or not such arrest is lawful.” (emphasis mine)

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Sports Fix

Redskins defeat Giants 23-10

Photo courtesy of Homer McFanboy
Cowboys2
courtesy of Homer McFanboy

After Rex Grossman’s four interception game against the Eagles a decision was made. With the great power of hindsight that now looks like a poor decision. When John Beck took over for Rex Grossman people were excited to see what Beck could do, and for at least one game Beck looked like the much better option. He was mobile in the pocket, and moved the ball down the field. Then a few more games happened and Beck managed to do the impossible, he made people long for Rex Grossman.

Since taking back over as the starting quarterback the Redskins offense has looked competent. Grossman still has all the problems that come with Grossman. He turns the ball over, he sometimes holds onto the ball too long and takes a sack, and he has trouble with the pre-snap duties of a quarterback. Rex Grossman has always been inconsistent. His game against the Eagles was the worst that Grossman can be.

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Weekend Flashback

Weekend Flashback: 12/16-12/18

Photo courtesy of kimberlyfaye
(352/365)
courtesy of kimberlyfaye

Over the past few weeks, in this column, I’ve been talking about all the holidays that come around this month: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa. But I’ve left out the most important holiday; the one that is most overlooked and whose practitioners are most oppressed. That’s right, Festivus. It’s coming up on Friday. Sure, to everyone it’s nothing more than a Festivus Pole and Feats of Strength. But did you know you also get to tell everyone you know how they’ve disappointed you during the past year? After a year like 2011, this is a holiday I can get behind!

I really don’t know how to end this article, so I’m just going to call it a Festivus Miracle and say look at these great pics from the weekend. Enjoy! Continue reading

Entertainment, Sports Fix, The Features

The Wizards Post-Lockout FAQ

It is going to be a Happy Holidays for the Washington Wizards.

Not only does December 25th mark the return of NBA across the country- the Wizards will open up 2012 with a New Years Day game against the Boston Celtics in the Verizon Center- a game that maybe closer than you think considering the Wizards’ last two victories at home against the Cs.

Basketball is back, and NBA fans across the country are enjoying all the drama, deals, and decisions that are flying about.

Now for those that don’t normally pay attention to basketball, those whose only NBA knowledge is the rash of superstar divorces (watch out Lamar & Khloe – you’re next), it’s time to catch you up.

I thought it would be fitting to preview the upcoming lockout-shortened season by answering a few questions to get everyone up to speed on DC’s Basketball Team and why you should be paying attention to them this season.

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Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, Ward 7

Cooking Demo with Carla Hall at DC CHEW

Photo courtesy of ekelly80
170/365
courtesy of ekelly80

Last weekend, DC C.H.E.W. (Community. Harvest. Education. in Ward 7) opened to local residents in Ward 7, and this weekend the market is hosting a chef demo by former Top Chef contestant, Carla Hall.

The market is part of the Skyland project to redevelop a shopping mall in the area into an improved town center and meet the demands of local restaurants who have been asking for a market in their neighborhood. Plus, customers at the market can get healthy eating and nutrition tips in addition to locally grown food. DC CHEW will feature local vendors including Tuckey’s Mountain Farm, Plum Good and Converge Coffee. This Saturday is the second and last date for the season; the market will close for the winter and reopen in full force in May 2012.

Hall will be doing her food demo at 11 AM. You can find the market at the intersection of Good Hope Road, Naylor Road and Alabama Avenue SE.

Sports Fix

Redskins Preview Week Sixteen: The Giants

Photo courtesy of Homer McFanboy
Giants1
courtesy of Homer McFanboy

Remember all the way back to week one when the Redskins looked surprisingly good in beating the Giants. Ryan Kerrigan scored a touchdown in his first game as an NFL player, and Rex Grossman looked like a competent quarterback. It might feel like it was a long time ago or happened in a different universe. It did happen this season and it caused a bit of a stir to the Giants world. They felt like they should roll over the Redskins and if that game were played 100 times they would win 99 of them.

The Redskins and Giants don’t play 100 times in a season, but the Giants will get another crack at the Redskins. One of the excuses the Giants used was that they were injured. They are no less injured no. They are still missing players on the defense. The real difference in the Giants from week one ’til now is the play of Eli Manning.

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Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features

Christmas Day Dining Picks

Photo courtesy of kimberlyfaye
Capitol Christmas Tree
courtesy of kimberlyfaye

It seems like we’re all still working off those pounds from Thanksgiving. If you want a more hassle-free holiday this Christmas Day, how about you keep the pots and pans in the kitchen and head out to one of your favorite DC restaurants open on the holiday.

After the jump are my top five choices of where to go. Keep in mind some are a bit pricey, but special menus can be worth it if you chose wisely.
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