Monthly Archives: July 2013

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: America All Better!!

America All Better!! Photo: Todd Rosenberg

I’ve seen two of the past three collaborations between Chicago’s famed Second City and Woolly Mammoth. America All Better!! (make sure you use two exclamations to differentiate it from an older revue with the same title) has less of an overall theme that unites the show compared to Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies or A Girl’s Guide To Washington Politics. However this show is the funniest of the Second City shows I’ve seen yet. The material is fresh, quick-hitting, and topical. It is two acts of intense, in-your-face comedy that will leave your face aching from laughter.

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Food and Drink, We Love Drinks
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Friday Happy Hour: Pineapple Cardamom Gin Rickey

Pineapple cardamom gin rickey by Jung-Ah Park at Sidebar Jenn Larsen

A hot, humid, rainy evening. An Indonesian evening, without the benefit of actually being in Indonesia. I was rushing from the Silver Spring metro, pushing my cyborg heart to the limit in a race to get to Jackie’s Sidebar in a break between Fringe shows. I arrived drenched. If ever I needed “air-conditioning in a glass,” otherwise known as the Rickey, it was then.

I’d never been to Sidebar, and I felt a bit ashamed of that as I spilled into its cool, dark interior. Sidebar has a quirky, kitschy feel with black walls, chandeliers, and mismatched furniture. Its charm is elevated by the presence of bartender Jung-Ah Park, whose entry in the Rickey Month Contest I was there to sample. When I saw the name on the chalkboard – Pineapple Cardamom Gin Rickey – I knew it would be perfect for that monsoon night.

All month long, our local mixology talent stir up their versions of the deceptively simple cocktail known as the Rickey, for the DC Craft Bartenders Guild contest culminating on August 4th at Jack Rose. A few years ago I attended a seminar about its history taught by Derek Brown, who was instrumental in getting the Rickey its “DC’s native cocktail” status. It’s remained one of my favorite drinks ever since: gin or bourbon, lime, soda water, ice.

Heading to Maryland for DC’s native cocktail? Blasphemy, right? Wrong. Continue reading →

Week in Review
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Week In Review: 7/14-7/18

smile ekelly80

Some how we have survived an entire week of the first heatwave of the summer. I’d say congrats, but I’m half melted and stuck to my chair. So you’ll just have to content yourself with a half-hearted “huzzah.” Be thankful I can still manage that.

Despite the heat, our plucky photog contributors got out and about this week. Check out their wonderful contributions below. Continue reading →

Music, The Features, We Love Music
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The Winning Ticket: Paul Weller @ 9:30 Club, 7/30/13

PaulWellerF

As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader periodically. Keep your eyes open for opportunities at 9am once a week or so to find out what tickets we’re giving away and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

Today, we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Paul Weller at the 9:30 Club on Tuesday, July 30.

Holy cow, did I say Paul Weller? Yes, indeed, the Modfather is coming to Washington, DC. Weller has been putting out solo albums for more than 20 years, but many still hold his work as lead singer of The Jam in the highest regard. In 2012, Weller released a new album, Sonik Kicks, that went all the way to the top of the UK album charts. With songs like “That Dangerous Age,” Weller sings of an older man’s life concerns but still from a point of punk rock idealism. He’s also been known to revisit some of the best selections from The Jam like “That’s Entertainment,” a young man’s ode to finding fun on the streets.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. Feel free to leave any comment, but you should tell me your favorite song by Weller, The Jam or the Style Council! One entry per email address, please. Tickets for this show are also available through Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…

Comments will be closed at 4pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 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 he/she is under 18 years old.

Paul Weller
w/ Matthew Ryan
9:30 Club
Tuesday, July 30
doors @7pm
$45
All ages

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: July 19-21

outside the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent Joe in DC

Joanna: I’m still coming down from Capital Fringe Weekend 1 , only to head right back in for round 2. But first, it’s a friend’s birthday dinner at Etete and perhaps a drink (using that Fringe button discount) at Cafe Saint-Ex. Then back to the festival tent on Saturday. The Baldacchino Gypsy Tent Bar at Fort Fringe has a decent menu for more than decent prices, and is usually quiet and relaxing in the afternoon. Also I’m way overdue for a Corcoran trip, and since summer Saturdays are free I’ll probably spend some time there during the hottest parts of the day.

Coffin at the fairground Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums

Fedward:  Friday, we’re headed to the Bier Baron to support our friend who’s sitting in on vocals with one of the bands on the night’s bill.  Is the beer list any more accurate under current ownership than it was when it was still the Brickskeller? Saturday we’ll start our furniture search for our new house with visits to Miss Pixie’s, Ruff & Ready, and Goodwood for a dining room table, and then maybe even the places that specialize in new furniture for a sofa, if we survive that long. Sunday we’ll celebrate the reopening of the Passenger after three long dark nights of the soul. They said it was so the staff could attend Tales of the Cocktail, but I’m not sure I buy it.

Banneker Park Tony DeFilippo

Tom: Gonna be a Fun. weekend for us! After Saturday out and about, we’ll be enjoying the stage show at MPP, with the two most adorable, tiny and earnest bands ever. Part of me is thinking that after all my physical therapy is done, a trip to Bourbon or Jack Rose are in order, as who couldn’t use a good whiskey celebration? Sunday feels more like an Italian Store and Banneker Pool sort of day. Bring on the beautiful summer.

The Kimmiepalooza Birthday Weekend for Kimmie Nguyen began tonight with our favorite band Tegan and Sara andradeXcobain

Rebecca:  Ever since July 4th I’ve been hating this 5 day work week thingy, so my weekend efforts will all be focused on decompression. Friday I’m in desperate need of some stiff gin and tonics which I shall procure at the rooftop deck at The Graham Hotel in Georgetown. Saturday, like Tom, I’ll be at MPP to see .Fun, but I’m really going for the show’s opener Tegan and Sara. Sunday morning, I’ll be doing the 10am bike ride with CycleLife and then trying to recoup my tan at the Jelleff Recreational Center Outdoor Pool.

Dog and Pony Show Sean Davis

Jenn: After several days of Fringification, utterly saturated in theater (miss the team’s week one reviews?) and sweat, pretty much exhausting my cyborg heart, I’m off to the wilderness for several much-needed days of total relaxation in nature (wait, Jenn likes nature? it isn’t all just drinks and drama?). But if I were staying in town, of course I would be at the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent sipping cold beer and ranting about the state of experimental theater. You should definitely not miss Tia Nina, Pointless Theatre Co., or dog&pony at the festival, so go. Since it’s so hot, you might as well put the sweat to good use Saturday at Joy of Motion’s immersive dance event, the Summer Stock Showcase. Or hit Dance Place’s New Releases Choreographers’ Showcase, highlighting emerging work. Other essential activities would be catching up on all the new restaurants and joining in the discussion/fray about whether DC is a great food town or not. And don’t forget it’s Rickey Month! I really need to get to Casa Luca to be reunited with Jeff Faile’s cocktails and his amazing ways with amari, but that has to wait until next week, when I return well-rested and ready to rumble more.

AK NW: Red Cross kimberlyfaye

Don: My weekend is largely about celebrating the return home of my darling wife. Suffice to say we now know far better than we’d like about local health care operations, but finally the end is in sight. If she feels up to spending time watching That Darned Baby then maybe I’ll bop out to some Fringe shows, purely as a civilian. However will I decide what I should see…

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Escalator vpickering

Escalators; in this town, they both fascinate and annoy us. The fascination comes from being an almost steampunk era machine, constantly clicking and clacking, tucked away in mysterious low light areas. The annoyance, well, that comes from the people who use them; the clash of local vs visitor. Everyone has their way of getting clueless tourists to the right side; whether it’s a polite “excuse me,” or a more impolite “EXCUSE ME” followed by some choicer adjectives. Yep, escalators bring us all together.

Victoria certainly captures the fascination of these machines with her picture above. The low angle provides a unique point of view; after all, most of us don’t hunch over while riding up one of these things. This perspective captures the forward motion of the escalator, making the viewer feeling like they are rising up into the light. As well, the dark, almost black and white, coloring gives the photo a gritty look. This gritty look is complemented by the orange lights, flowing upwards to the vanishing point, helping to make this picture by providing a vivid splash of color into otherwise two toned scheme. Put simply, this is a great photo.

Fun factoid: did you know Metro has the longest single span escalator in the Western Hemisphere? I want to walk up that thing.

Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Jason Mendelson

Photo Courtesy of Jason Mendelson

Photo Courtesy of Jason Mendelson

She/He Loves DC is a series highlighting the people who love this city just as much as we do.

Jason Mendelson is an explorer. Mendelson first made his way from Tampa, Florida to DC with his wife nearly three years ago. Since then, Mendelson’s embarked upon a unique and time-consuming project — writing a song for each and every Metro station in the WMATA system. Along side his band, The Open Doors, Mendelson has released four volumes worth of what he calls “Metro Songs.”

When he’s not working on Metro Songs, Mendelson is an avid supporter and member of the DC-area music community. Whether he’s playing bass in a band one night, singing lead for The Open Doors on another, organizing (and executing) a “Classic Albums” concert, recording in his home studio, or out on the town catching a show, Mendelson’s devotion to making and listening to music is a physical display of genuine passion.

What is it about DC that makes it home to you?

The things that brought my wife and I here are not necessarily the same things that make it home for us now. After living our whole lives through 2010 in and around Tampa, Florida, we wanted a change and narrowed the selections down to D.C. for its superior job market and Alexandria specifically for safety and accessibility. The things that make it home to us now are all the wonderful friends and connections we’ve made, and all the great things to do in the area. We frequently visit museums and parks and attend arts events here that eclipse their sunshine state counterparts.

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Entertainment, Special Events, We Love Arts
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Fringe 2013: Week One in Review (Part Three)

So much Fringe... Jenn Larsen

Earlier today we brought you parts one and two of our first week of Fringe, with Patrick, Joanna, Kristin and Jenn yapping about theater as usual. At long last, it’s the final installment, at least for this week’s go-around. Time for a beer. Hit the tent.

Recapped: Mark Twain’s Riverboat Extravaganza!, Violent Delights: A Shakespearean Brawl-esque Sideshow, Recovery, 21 King, Pitchin’ the Tent: Tia Nina Live at Baldacchino

Mark Twain’s Riverboat Extravaganza!
Reviewer: Jenn

Easily the wittiest, most enjoyable show I’ve seen at Fringe so far, Pointless Theatre’s romp through the tall tales of American history mixes Vaudeville with puppetry to create something quite unique, not to mention, truly hilarious. I laughed from the pre-show interactions right on through to the end, and even sniffled a bit – who really can stay dry-eyed through the story of John Henry struggling against the evil might of the Industrial Revolution? You cry too, people, I know you do! Continue reading →

Entertainment, Special Events, We Love Arts
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Fringe 2013: Week One in Review (Part Two)

Fringe and Pole M.V. Jantzen

After a quick bite at the Baldacchino Gypsy Tent catching up with part one of our first week of Fringe reviews (I personally vouch for the hamburger), it’s time to dive back in with Patrick, Joanna, Kristin and Jenn.

Recapped: H Street Housewives, Lore, Double Freakquency, Tragedy Averted, Big River (and Other Wayfaring Ballets), Tell-Tale

H Street Housewives
Reviewer: Patrick

With a show title like that you will certainly get some local pre-festival buzz. Nothing like pandering to DC residents: it’s as effective as pandering to theater people at Fringe. While there are a lot of DC-centric jokes including gluten-free free-range food obsessions, overachieving professionals, and the odd love for Whole Foods and Cheesecake Factory, there’s not a whole lot about the show that’s unique to H Street. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Special Events, We Love Arts
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Fringe 2013: Week One in Review

Life is to be enjoyed..... LaTur

The chaotic artsy madness that is the Capital Fringe Festival is well underway. Patrick, Joanna, Kristin and Jenn are dashing from venue to venue, soaking up some experimental theater (and just soaking). We’re sharing our thoughts on Twitter as we go, and have some thoughts on how to get the most out of your experience. Here’s part one of our massive brain dump from the first week.

Recapped: Kubrilesque, Dark House, Our Boys, The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs: The Musical, Apples & Oranges, Impossible to Translate But I’ll Try

Kubrilesque
Reviewer: Patrick

If you are expecting Kurbrick references, you’ll find them here. If you are expecting something classy, go elsewhere. Between the catcalls and the music that is blasted at you to let you know somebody is about to take off their clothes, I felt kinda trashy. Continue reading →

Music, The Features, We Love Music
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The Winning Ticket: US Air Guitar Semifinals @ 9:30 Club, 7/19/13

USAirGuitarF

As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader periodically. Keep your eyes open for opportunities at 9am once a week or so to find out what tickets we’re giving away and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

Today, we are giving away a pair of tickets to see the US Air Guitar Semifinals at the 9:30 Club on Friday, July 19.

This event has become a big thing! In the US Air Guitar competition, contestants take to the stage to mime their way through a performance instead of actually playing a guitar. Let’s call it grinding the invisible ax! (I guess I always was more of an air synth guy as a kid.) Now you can go and enjoy the spectacle as the contest reaches the semifinal stage this Friday.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. Feel free to leave any comment, but I would like to hear your vote for world’s best guitarist! One entry per email address, please. Tickets for this show are also available through Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…

Comments will be closed at 4pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 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 he/she is under 18 years old.

US Air Guitar Semifinals
9:30 Club
Friday, July 19
doors @8pm
$20
All ages

Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark @ 9:30 Club — 7/13/13

OMD -Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark- @ CORONA CAPITAL 2011 monophonic.grrrl

If you are head over heals in love with a woman, and you don’t know what to say to her, you might take your cue from Andy McCluskey, a bouncy dynamo of a man at age 54, when he sings “Sailing on the Seven Seas”:

Because I’m so in awe of you/That I don’t know what to do/And I’m sailing on the seven seas so blue

If you wish she were closer, and you still don’t know what to say, Paul Humphreys, a vibrant virtuoso of the keyboards, might have some words he could lend you from “(Forever) Live and Die”:

I never know, I never know why/You make me wanna cry

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Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Paul McCartney @ Nationals Park — 7/12/13

Paul McCartney (Photo courtesy the artist)

Paul McCartney (Photo courtesy the artist)

Mick Jagger once told Rolling Stone magazine that the Rolling Stones ultimately “won” in any battle with the Beatles because his group continued to record longer.

But after seeing Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones perform this year, I think it’s hard to agree with that assessment in 2013. Whereas strained relations between Jagger and Keith Richards made for an occasionally lackluster Stones performance in my view, McCartney was simply riding high in his performance at Nationals Park on Friday, July 12, for his “Out There” tour.

For the size of the stage, McCartney’s five-piece band, including himself on guitar, seemed elegantly and effectively simple for the scope of the sold-out ballpark. Wry and earnest, McCartney charged through a catalog of songs by the Beatles, Wings and himself with incredible charm, skill and workmanship.

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We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon First National Tour Company / credit: Joan Marcus

The Book of Mormon First National Tour Company / credit: Joan Marcus

When DC ticket sales opened last winter for The Book of Mormon‘s first national tour, it crashed The Kennedy Center’s servers. Then it happened again; soon after, the whole run sold out.

For over two years, the 9-Tony-winning NYC production has maintained over 100% capacity on Broadway – unheard of in today’s climate. Tickets for the Broadway show still fly past $400. Oh, and locally? Certain sketchy websites are pricing orchestra seats at around $500, or about the cost of a movie ticket every week for a year.

It’s been called the musical of the century and the funniest of all time. Now it’s here and finally time to ask: does The Book of Mormon live up to the hype?

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: Jul 12-14

Stoney's Joe in DC

Rebecca: SOOOOO much going on this weekend. For starters on Friday I’m hitting up a birthday happy hour at Stoney’s after which I’m catching the Bosnian Rainbows concert at the U Street Music Hall. Post concert a drink on the newly opened rooftop of 1905 sounds like the perfect way to end a Friday night. Saturday it’s a sports filled day with pick up footie on the Stoddert Field at 10am and a sloshball match at our secret location in my hood. Sunday you’ll find me playing softball in Glover Park potentially against this week’s He Loves DC. Go Beach Bums!

julianne's

Rachel: With the Nats out of town this weekend, that gives me plenty of time to spend with my softball team the Near Misses. We play in the Glover Park Coed Softball League on the corner of 39th and Calvert NW each Sunday between April and August. Our season comes to a close during the final week of July and in anticipation of the two-day tournament, our team is celebrating our season thus far with a lil’ party Saturday night. So I’m mostly looking forward to hanging with the team away from the diamond and then heading to the sandlot on Sunday.

Crabs yostinator

Patrick: Crabs. We all love them. Perhaps you order them at a place like The Quarterdeck or buy them at the Maine Avenue Fish Market. Regardless of how you get them, you have your own special way of cracking them open and eating them. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit I’ve not experienced a good ol’ Crab Boil in all my years here. That will change on Saturday, I’m heading up to Bethesda and enjoying Crabs. Lots of Crabs. Sunday I will be taking in a lot of Fringe shows, I’m looking forward to “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs: The Musical.” Make sure you follow me on Twitter for all of my #CapFringe13 tweets!

caroline.angelo

Mosley: Fun packed weekend…again!  Friday I’m planning on spending the evening taking photos of the Washington Monument’s new lighting scheme.  Judging from the pictures in our Flickr group, it looks impressive and I want to check it out for myself (PS: check back next week for a roundup of photos).  Saturday is for Star Wars, specifically Return of the Jedi at the AFI in Silver Spring.  This is my favorite one of the Original Trilogy (don’t judge me) and, even though it’s the dreaded Special Edition, I haven’t seen it in a theater for quite some time, so I’m looking forward to it.  And Sunday I’m thinking of checking out the lotus blossoms at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens; with the summer heat soon to be hitting “UGH” levels, they won’t be around for much longer.

One Night in New York! 8 tedeytan

Joanna: This morning I found three pieces of glitter in my hair, left over from the Fringe Festival preview a week and a half ago. It made me realize two things: 1) I’m a walking dreamcatcher. 2) I’m really excited about Fringe opening this weekend! Along with the rest of the theater team, I’m seeing a bunch of shows starting Saturday. Follow me on Twitter @jocastlemiller for very (very) short reviews. Oh, and when I’m not seeing shows, I’ll probably try to get through some of the arts events on my wish list from last weekend.

YouTube Preview Image

[editor’s note – I don’t hate you all so I refuse to embed videos from the worst band ever to pollute your ears with their sound while their fans pollute your nostrils. Enjoy some Lamb instead]

Tom: What’s that sound? Could it be the biggest jam band since the Grateful Dead? Yeah, Phish is doing two massive shows at Merriweather Post on Saturday and Sunday, and though I still don’t quite understand the pull, I’ll be there with bells on, because how can you miss something like that? I’m dying for some rest and relaxation, but it seems elusive. I may try to take myself back a bit with a malted from Buffalo & Bergen, which I’ve been craving since an NPR spot they did last weekend. Count me in for one DC’s great sandwiches this weekend also.

Don: As much as I’d like to be a part of the Fringe coverage this weekend, I’m going to plead infant with a sick wife chaser. So I’ll be sticking close to home, watching some Nats on the tv playing my hometown’s Marlins, wondering why they have a retractable roof stadium and we don’t. Oh right – because we went with a design to maximize the beautiful view of the capitol building. *cough*

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Shoes-1 caroline.angelo

We have a wonderful fashion/detail photograph from Caroline today, straight from this year’s Smithsonian Folk Life Festival. With such a close cropped shot, the viewer focuses right in on all these wonderful details. Such details as the two different types of rhinestones on the shoe; the bright yellow nail polish on the woman’s toes; the subtle reflections of color in the flooring. As well, capturing the model in mid-step adds a sense of movement to the shot. The colors are also well captured, and help to tie the entire photo together. All around, a great shot.

PS: Caroline got a number of excellent photos from the Festival, and it is well worth your time to check them out. In fact, it was pretty hard finding a single one to talk about.

Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Chris Cicatelli

Photo Courtesy of Chris Cicatelli

Photo Courtesy of Chris Cicatelli (pictured, center)

Whether he’s surrounded by a cloud of diamond dirt on the sandlot, getting creative inside the television studio, or recording the latest in a string of podcast episodes at his home studio, Chris Cicatelli is known throughout the DC area — especially among a couple different softball leagues. His charismatic personality coupled with his love for being around people are attributes that people flock to, particularly when he’s acting as his infamous alter ego: Coco Caray, sports announcer.

What is it about DC that makes it home to you?

I moved to DC in 1983, my dad got a job with CNN as a political and we made the move to DC/MD. After being here for so long, I have to say, what makes DC home to me is the spring and summer seasons. The cherry blossoms, the monuments in the spring. It is truly a beautiful city in the warm weather months.

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Music, The Features, We Love Music
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Hot Ticket: OMD w/ Diamond Rings @ 9:30 Club, 7/13/13

Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey (Photo courtesy Big Hassle)

Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey (Photo courtesy Big Hassle)

For my money, one of the top five acts at the Coachella Valley Music Festival this past April was Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, or OMD. The synthpop band was in top form, performing fresh with the release of its latest album, English Electric. This new album is a little more mellow than the jaunty History of Modern, released in 2010 after the reformation of the classic OMD lineup of vocalist and guitarist Andy McCluskey, keyboardist Paul Humphreys, drummer Malcolm Holmes and keyboardist Martin Cooper.

OMD return to the 9:30 Club to promote their new album on Saturday, July 13. With English Electric, OMD have gone straight back to their love of Kraftwerk, paying homage to the German electronic pioneers in particular on their song “Metroland,” which clearly has influences of Kraftwerk’s “Endless Europe.” The new single “Dresden” recalls some of the very best of OMD’s work like “Enola Gay” and “Joan of Arc.”

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