The Features, We Love Arts

Theater Spotlight: What Mike Daisey Thinks of You

Mike Daisey in The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Photo credit: Stan Barouh

Mike Daisey, the famous-turned-infamous creator and star of The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, has returned to Woolly Mammoth with his controversial production. The show – a monologue about all things Apple, including geekery, gadgets, and Chinese factories – inspired a national inquiry into Apple’s manufacturing process. It also caused a public outcry as his “work of nonfiction” was later revealed to be partly fiction.

I didn’t want to bore you with the ugly details, because you’ve heard them already from former staffers at Woolly Mammoth, from NPR’s This American Life (TAL), and from Daisey himself.

Instead, I headed over to Woolly Mammoth last week to see the show for a second time. Then I spoke with Mr. Daisey about coming back to our fair city and what he thinks of our very favorite thing: us.

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The Daily Feed

It’s not a relationship, it’s rape

Here’s my memo to all news outlets: Light-hearted euphemisms for assault, particularly sexual assault, are offensive.

“The Georgetown Cuddler” was an insultingly cute way to refer to a man who would break into people’s homes and assault them while they slept. I was willing to grade on a slight curve since this was such an odd sort of crime, but that gets you very little slack.

Here’s one where you get no slack, WaPo: it is not possible in any state in the union for an adult to have a “sexual relationship” with a 13-year-old. A 13-year-old – particularly not one in a student-teacher relationship with a person – cannot give consent to an adult.

If you can’t bring yourself to call rape rape, by all means, fall back on local law terminology and say sexually abused (DC ST § 22-3002). Modern district law, which wasn’t yet passed when this alleged incident would have occurred in the 80s, even tacks on a 1.5x modifier for someone in an authority position – say, a teacher or coach (DC ST § 22-3020).

But it is no more a relationship than I am acquainted with someone who says “hello” to me before stabbing me in an alley.

Music, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: Iceage, Dirty Beaches and Give @ Black Cat — 7/24/12

Photo courtesy of draugurinn
Iceage @ Iceland Airwaves 2011
courtesy of draugurinn

So I went into last night’s show with some misplaced expectations (therefore you should read the rest of this review with a grain of salt). Punk Danes Iceage played unfortunately predictable hardcore while Taiwanese noise popper Dirty Beaches presented a surprising cowboy score that sounded like machines meeting nature.

I read some press, listened to a few songs, and counted on some familiarity with the catalog at the label What’s Your Rupture? to get me started with Iceage. And so I was anticipating a post-punk band with hardcore overtones but instead I got a straight up hardcore band with a bit of melodic deftness.

Certainly, hardcore kids Iceage are not to blame for my misplaced anticipation. The four young men from Copenhangen thundered through roughly 10 two-minute songs, whipping up a good old-fashioned mosh pit in a sold-out show in the backstage of the Black Cat on Tuesday night.

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Entertainment, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts

Fringe 2012: Week Two

Photo courtesy of flipperman75
Capital Fringe Festival
courtesy of flipperman75

This past week, the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival brought us everything from the apocalypse to an actual wedding. Just like the first week, our team watched, wondered, and then of course tweeted.

We write to you from our recovery caves, where we’re attempting to cure our Fringe-related exhaustion by reliving some of the highs of the festival so far.

Fringe runs until July 29, but many productions only have a few performances. Prevent eternal regret from either a) missing a winner or b) checking your watch through a bummer. Check out our thoughts on this past week of shows.

Recapped: The Last Flapper, The City of God, The Every Fringe Show You Want To See in One Fringe Show Fringe Show, McGoddess, Beertown, iConfess, Where In the World? The Untold Story of Camilla San Francisco, Planet Egg, 3rd Annual “Fool for All”: Tales of Marriage and Mozzarella, Apocalypse Picnic, Thomas is Titanic.

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Featured Photo

Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of ekelly80
sidewalk sun
courtesy of ekelly80

Sometimes you should look down; it can be just as important as looking up. To demonstrate, Erin does a great job of catching this small piece of the sidewalk. We’d probably just pass by the sight, and miss how the petals fill in the sections of the manhole, making the lines very distinct. With the petals fanning out like a solar wind, it really does look like a sidewalk sun. Of course, the filter used gives the picture a nice, pleasant, golden hue. An excellent shot however you look at it.

Music, The Daily Feed

Hot Ticket: Iceage @ Black Cat, 7/24/12

Photo courtesy of Po'Jay
iceage
courtesy of Po’Jay

Iceage, a punk quartet from Copenhagen, Denmark, have been racing across the country and down the east coast since playing the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago a few weeks ago. The young Scandinavian rockers toured as a supporting act on their first album, New Brigade, last year but now they are back as the main feature this time around, showing up at the Black Cat Tuesday with three opening bands also likely to play short, speedy songs.

The press generally has praised Iceage for keeping the energy and aesthetic of hardcore punk alive. To my ears, however, Iceage has a wider sonic palette that draws more from a more acute post-punk guitar. Their label, What’s Your Rupture? of New York City, specializes in post-punk reissues, singles and now originals. The boys in Iceage aren’t afraid to speed it up and then slow it down a notch after a riveting verse.

They also aren’t afraid to stir up some controversy, as they have done with their use of fascist imagery in a manner similar to Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees did earlier in their careers. Those bands matured and spurned their flirtation with those images. It’ll be telling to see if Iceage grows in the same way.

Tickets to this all-ages show in the backstage room are available online or at the door for $13. Openers include Dirty Beaches, Give, and Satan’s Satyrs. Doors open at 8pm.

Music, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: Chromatics @ Rock and Roll Hotel — 7/19/12

Ruth Radelet and Johnny Jewel of the Chromatics

As synthesizers became more widely available in the 1970s, more and more European musicians adopted their use to various effects, sometimes leaving an indelible print upon their national music scene. Nowhere was this more true than with Italo disco, a synthesized extension of disco music to take root in Italy in the late 1970s.

The impact of the genre was significant, ultimately circling back to feed the cradle of the disco genre in New York City and clearing the way for the manifestation of mature new wave music — and especially New Romantic music. (There is not a New Romantic soul that does not absolutely adore the collaborations of Italo disco grandmaster Giorgio Moroder with disco queen Donna Summer.) In hindsight, Italo disco can be seen as building very important bridges across not only these genres but into Europop and Hi-NRG in general.

It is wholly welcome then that the spaced out dance beats found in Italo disco should continue to find acclaim and a home with the assistance of specific labels and projects. Perched atop this Italo disco survival is independent record label Italians Do It Better, out of Bayonne, NJ. One of the key movers and shakers in that label is Johnny Jewel, space synthmaster extraordinaire, who lends his talents to the bands Glass Candy and the Chromatics, among other efforts.

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Weekend Flashback

Weekend Flashback: 7/20-7/22

Photo courtesy of cruffo
Scavenging for popcorn
courtesy of cruffo

Like the pigeon above, the Nationals, and us Nats fans, balanced on the edge this weekend. Luckily, the series was split and a split series means no one moves up or down. Doubly lucky, even for those who don’t care about baseball, we got a nice cool weekend; we don’t get many of those this time of year. And the Dark Knight Rises kicked major booty (PS: if you haven’t seen, GO SEE IT)! And with that, that’s you’re weekend in brief, with the accompanying photos below. Continue reading

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

Mayfair & Pine Opens in Glover Park

Photo courtesy of bonappetitfoodie
Mayfair & Pine Opening
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

DC has Top Chef alums Mike Isabella, Carla Hall and Spike Mendelsohn. And now Emily Sprissler is joining the ranks.

The Top Chef season 2 alum opened her own restaurant, Mayfair & Pine last Friday. You’ll find a British influence at the self-described “family-friendly gastropub” in Glover Park in dishes like fish & chips, shepherd’s pie and beef wellington nibbles. A long, dark wood bar makes the space feel even more intimate.

Mayfair & Pine is located at 2218 Wisconsin Avenue, NW and is open Tuesday through Sunday.

Photo courtesy of bonappetitfoodie
Chef Emily Sprissler of Mayfair & Pine
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

The Daily Feed

Nats Win 9-2 to Earn Series Split

Photo courtesy of Mr. T in DC
Ryan Zimmerman Batting
courtesy of Mr. T in DC

Here’s a funny thing about baseball. It is a string of random events that leads to an outcome, because it is a game watched and covered by humans narratives are added. Take for example the feelings that spread through a shell shocked Natstown after a nine run lead was blown Friday night leading to an 11-10 extra innings loss and 4-0 shutout in the first half of a double header. From checking the pulse of the fan base one would think it was 2009 all over again, but this is baseball and things can turn around quickly.

A team is only as good as their next starting pitcher and after John Lannan came out of exile from AAA and pitcher seven innings of two run ball to earn himself and the Nats a win. Ross Detwiler followed that up Sunday by doing the same exact thing and giving the Nats a split in their four game series against the Braves and putting the division standings back the way they were before the weekend began.

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The Daily Feed

Nats Collapse in Ghastly Fashion: Lose 11-10 in 11 to Braves

Photo courtesy of MudflapDC
Michael Morse
courtesy of MudflapDC

A game that started out with promise took a turn towards misery as the Nats ended the fifth with a 9-0 lead and entered the ninth with a 9-8 lead. How the Nats got to this point is a story with more twist and turns than a back country dirt road, and after it reached this point it continued to twist and turn before reaching its conclusion. The Braves would take the lead in the top of the ninth against suddenly shaky closer Tyler Clippard before the Nats would come back and tie it in the bottom of the ninth on a Danny Espinosa homer. The Nats would end up winning it in the top of the eleventh on a Dan Uggla infield single in which he advanced to second on Zimmerman’s wild throw and to third on Sandy Leon’s passed ball before scoring on a Paul Janish single.

There is little to be said about a loss this horrific. The Nats have faced adversity time and time again this season. They started the season without Michael Morse before losing Zimmerman for a time and then losing Jayson Werth to a broken wrist and Wilson Ramos to a torn ACL. They suffered a similar loss earlier this season where they had a comfortable lead against the Reds and allowed them to come all the way back and win it on a Joey Votto walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. The Nats have faced adversity this season, but it all pales in comparison to this loss.

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The Daily Feed

Car seat fitting workshop tomorrow

Photo courtesy of mattkangas
Tiny girl asleep in car seat
courtesy of mattkangas

As some of you are aware, my darling wife and I are in the process of adoption. (NOTE: If you find a spare infant in your couch cushions, call me!) You’d probably be amazed how much time the issue of child car seats occupies when it comes to leaving a hospital with an infant. You’d more likely be amazed at just how many car seats aren’t properly installed & used – the NHSTA puts it as high as 3 out of four being mis-installed or mis-used.

The MPD is making efforts to improve that. There’s always two different locations and ways to get your install inspected. By appointment at MPD and at specific times at the DMV. Tomorrow there will be a special event at MPD between 11a and 3p, though making an appointment is encouraged. Drop in and they’ll make sure you’re installed correctly and offer guidance on making sure you do it correctly in the future.

If you’re outside the DC area you can always search the NHTSA’s finder.

The Daily Feed

Amidst the Flood, a guide for prevention

Flooding on Rhode Island Ave NW in Bloomingdale

With inches of rain last night, and more inches of rain on the way for today, residents of low-lying areas in the District and elsewhere in the metro area are reeling from their 3rd flood in 9 days and expecting their 4th in 10 days.  As you bail out your basement apartment, and curse the narrow sewers and the lack of a plan to fix the issue before 2020, it’s valuable to look at what resources are available to you.

DC Water has published a guide to preventing sewer backups and basement flooding (in PDF format, link goes straight to the PDF) that has some ideas for you, including the install of back flow preventers on your house sewer output – but recognize that once they’re closed during a flood, you’d best not flush the toilet, or you’re in for a world of hurt. They also have recommendations for sump pumps and increasing your drainage near your home.

It’s a tough thing to be expecting more and more damage to your home while DC Water is saying that we’re looking at an eight-year plan to make anything better. We’re hoping that they’re going to have a more comprehensive plan to handle the limited capacity of the wastewater system in that part of town.

Downtown, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Features

NMAI: Living Earth Festival 2012

Photo courtesy of bhrome


Bill Miller and Derek Miller at Living Earth 2010
courtesy of bhrome

Celebrate indigenous contributions to environmental sustainability, knowledge and traditions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian’s third annual Living Earth Festival, presented from Friday, July 20, through Sunday, July 22. This year’s festival features an organic farmers market, an outdoor cooking competition, music and dance performances, hands-on workshops about gardening, goat cheese and basketry, as well as discussions about the impact of climate change on marine habitats and concerns over genetically modified foods. 

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The Daily Feed

Gio Gonzalez struggles as Nats fall to Mets 9-5

Photo courtesy of Geoff Livingston
Gio Gonzalez Hurls the Ball
courtesy of Geoff Livingston

It was a day for the polite golf clap at Nationals Park. The golf clap might be the sort of thing that Tiger Woods lives for, but at a baseball game, it’s a mark of crowd frustration, and there was plenty of that today as the Nats dropped the last game of the series 9-5 going into a critical 4-game weekend series against Atlanta. 

After two straight come-from-behind wins, the Nationals were hoping for an easy shut-em-down-early outing from Gio Gonzalez. That’s not what they got. Gonzalez went just 3.1IP, gave up 6 runs (all earned) including two monster home runs by Mets 3B David Wright and one by Ike Davis. After giving up just four home runs all year, to see Gonzalez give up 3 dingers today was definitely out of character for the Nats’ winningest pitcher.

With a big series this weekend against the Braves, after the Mets had done their damage early, the Nats had several of their veterans yanked for fresher arms and bats, and a comeback was mounted, but R.A. Dickey’s 7 1/3 of 3-run ball was too much to overcome. Though the late inning replacements did a stellar job (DeRosa, 2-3; Desmond 1-1, HBP; Moore, 2-2) mistakes were made, and they stranded a dozen on the base paths, including 6 with the bases loaded.

The series against Atlanta is in sharper relief with a Braves win and Nationals loss today, as just 3 1/2 games separate the two juggernauts ahead of a 4-game series. The Nationals will have Ian Desmond back in the saddle, said Davey Johnson after the game today, as well as former opening day starter John Lannan making a brief cameo to start the night game of Saturday’s twin bill.  This will be Lannan’s first outing with the big club since he was optioned to Syracuse at the end of Spring Training, and is courtesy of a new policy in the collective bargaining agreement which allows for a 26th player on the active roster on the day of a doubleheader.

After the game today, manager Davey Johnson wished Rick Ankiel well, as he was designated for assignment by the club this morning to allow for the return of Drew Storen to the active roster after elbow surgery this spring. Johnson spoke well of Ankiel’s time in Washington, but said this was the right move at the right time. This will give the Nationals 8 relievers through the weekend series. Johnson also mentioned Corey Brown in passing (Brown crushed his 21st homer in AAA Syracuse this afternoon) as a possible left-handed bat to add to the roster, though the timing is not clear.

We Love Weekends

We Love Weekends: July 20-22

Photo courtesy of MudflapDC
Nats v. Phillies 4-3-1267
courtesy of MudflapDC

It’s the weekend again and this time we may not all feel like we’ve put under the broiler. Sure, it’s hard to wrap your head around the idea that a chance of showers and high of 80 is something to be excited about but that’s what we’ve come to. Gather ye rosebuds when ye may do so without heatstroke, I think that’s how it goes. What does our staff have planned? You’ll be shocked to know it includes some baseball and theater.

Mosley: Friday. Dark Knight Rises. Uptown Theater.  Enough said.  Saturday I’m hoping to get out of the apartment to finally get a day of street photography in; the heat has been keeping me in doors.  I’m use to hot summers around here, but this year is just killing any desire to be outside!  Don’t know where I’ll go but hopefully with a lot of people around.  And then on Sunday I’m going with my family to Nationals game against the Braves; we’re celebrating my dad’s birthday in style on the Club level!

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