Via Thrillist this morning, the now-closed ESPN Zone is auctioning off pretty much all of their arcade games and the going prices aren’t bad. Knowing the WeLoveDC audience, I figured there would be some of you out there interested in getting your gaming hands on some of these classics. Aside from the games, the auction includes lighting, furniture and industrial kitchen equipment from the Zone, so if you’re in need of an ice cream machine or a heavy duty deep fryer this is your auction.

If I lived in a group house, I would totally be ALL over my housemates to chip in and buy one of these beauties. Personally, I’m partial to the Trophy Hunting (Bear & Moose) and the Super Shot games, but I’m sure the Slapshot Hockey and Washington Redskins Football Throwing game will be big fan favorites as well.

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Georgetown Cupcake has unveiled the world’s largest cupcake for the Guinness Book of World Records at the Washington Harbour.  Post record keeping/awarding administration, the 1000 lb cupcake will be sliced up, so head on down there for a taste of the world’s largest cupcake while it lasts.

UPDATE: THE BOOMERANG PARTY BUS TO THE RENNFEST WITH WE LOVE DC AND THE PASSENGER IS NOW SOLD OUT! THANK YOU!

Ah, yes, it’s that time of year. The time when you begin to have strange cravings for Steak-on-a-Stick, or smoked turkey leg eaten right off the bone, gnawing away with relish like Henry VIII. Perhaps you find yourself speaking in an excruciatingly bad English accent, or inexplicably adding “e” to the ends of words like “Shop” or “Old” – well then my friend, it’s time to don thy frippery best and hie thee to the Maryland Renaissance Festival!

RennFest is always a blast, and this year we’ve decided to really let our inhibitions run wild with some good olde-fashioned goofy fun. Lots of it. And we want you to come along! We Love DC has partnered with The Passenger and the Boomerang Party Bus to bring you to the Maryland Renaissance Festival this Sunday, October 16th! Tickets are $25 and include both your bus ride to and fro ye old faire and your entry admission! Snap them up on the magickal PayPal.

We’ll depart promptly at 11am from The Passenger (that’s at 1021 7th Street NW, milords and ladies) and travel to the Festival in a refurbished school bus replete with music, mayhem and dance poles (Yes, I know that’s an anachronism. But seriously, have you seen The Tudors?). After arrival at the Festival you’re free to wander the Revel Grove, slurp down some oyster shooters, indulge in fried Oreos, beer and bee stings, testing your mad skills at archery or feats of strength, buying chainmail underwear, and just giving in to the kitschy glory that is the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Then our carriage departs around 5pm to hie back to The Passenger just in time for a late, delicious brunch.

So please come along with fellow WLDC authors Don, Fedward, myself and the rest of our motley crew as we join our favorite folks from The Passenger on a trip back in time… I may even wear a corset. HUZZAH!

They just don’t make videos like this anymore. I wish Dan Snyder would organize a remake; I’d love to see Okrapo, Grossman, Fletcher and co. in their best 80s entire.

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.

Alberta Cross: Alberta Cross, hailing from Brooklyn, New York was the first band on the bill. Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by their sound which at first reminded me a little bit of Nirvana as they seemed to use their classic soft/loud/soft formula of songwriting. However, there’s more of a blues and southern rock influence involved in their music. Singer Petter Ericson Stakee has a soulful voice and the guitar work of Sam Kearney is where the southern influence really comes through.

Photographers are usually able to photograph the first three songs of a bands set during a concert but the rules for FreeFest only allowed us to shoot the first two songs. I initially groused at the prospect of not being able to photograph the first three songs but quickly learned that it would help me make it to the different performances on time.

The first two songs from Alberta Cross’s set were “The Thief and The Heartbreaker,” and “Lay Down“. And while preparing this review, I found myself listening to their song “ATX” which has a harder edge than the two songs I heard on Saturday.

Alberta Cross will be back in the DC area on October 25th at the 9:30 Club.

Bombay Bicycle Club: Bombay Bicycle Club is a British based indie-rock band and were the second band of the afternoon, playing on the Pavilion stage. I arrived a bit early in time for their set and was surprised to see a decent crowd already gathering to see their set.

Formed in 2005, the band has just released their third full length album in August, however singer Jack Steadman mentioned that this was their first time ever playing in the States and how excited they were to be here. I liked their sound, it was very upbeat and pop influenced, the type of music you’d hear on Jersey Shore before they head to a commercial. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m not afraid to admit that I like the adventures of Snooki, Situation and the gang as well as the music that appears on that show.

The song from their set that I really liked was “Always Like This“. Unfortunately, Bombay Bicycle Club won’t be returning to the area anytime soon as their tour has them making some brief stops in Canada before heading back to the UK. However, this is a band that you should keep an eye on for the future.

Two Door Cinema Club: I had the misfortune of having to see this band earlier this year and wondered if they could still be as bad as they were back then.

It was the same driving beat over and over for the first two songs, they sounded exactly the same. I even stuck around for part of their third song to try and see if it’d be any different. It wasn’t.

Fortunately, I wasn’t trapped inside of the 9:30 Club this time around, trying to wait and see the headlining band. I shot their first two songs, and promptly left. However, if you’re interested, the first two songs they played were “Cigarettes in the Theatre” and “Undercover Martyn.”

Okkervil River: Okkervil River was one of the bands I was really looking forward to as they’ve had a good following for a few years now. A good friend of mine tried sending me a song of theirs a few months ago and I thought the sampling was decent folk music, but nothing spectacular. However, for being the fourth band on the bill and for taking the stage so early in the afternoon, they had drawn a large crowd in the Pavilion.

Frontman Will Sheff led the band out on stage, and he looked every bit of the part of an English major with his trendy close cropped beard, tweed jacket and black framed glasses. It’s actually fitting because Sheff was an English major. I was expecting folk music but Okkervil actually hit pretty hard with an uptempo version of “For Real” and Sheff was all over the stage, bouncing back and forth between they keyboardist and lead guitarist, then back to the drum riser. The next song was “John Allyn Smith Sails” and they worked in a medley of the Beach Boys classic song “Sloop John B.”

It was a great performance and I wish I could have stayed for more, so I raced back from the Big Sean set in time to catch Sheff hunched over his guitar on stage, finishing their setlist. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Okkervil River will be back in the DC area anytime soon.

Big Sean: Ugh.

Big Sean’s set was appropriately placed as the fifth act of the afternoon, and if you were walking back and forth between the two stages trying to take in all of the bands like I was, you might have been ready for something a little different, some hip hop to get the juices flowing and create a bit of a party atmosphere.

Big Sean certainly did that, as he drew a large crowd to the outdoor stage. The buzz for his set was palpable as I overheard a few people talking about how excited they were to see his show, with a couple people mentioning that he was the only reason they came out. Really? Ok…

My issue with Big Sean’s set wasn’t that he failed at his perceived task, it’s in the way that he did it. He certainly got the crowd excited and played up to them, working his way back and forth on the stage, walking out to the sides and getting as close as he could to the people. However, I could have done without the part where he stuck his hand down his boxers. Or the part where where he dangled the microphone in front of his groin. Or the part with the overtly misogynistic lyrics that I probably can’t type here.

Hey, I don’t have an issue with rap or hip hop. I’ve listened to more than my fair share and I’ve got a lot of it on my iPod. However the difference between Big Sean and someone like Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco or even Eminem is that there’s no brilliance behind Big Sean’s lyrics. Eminem is clever, and while he’s had his misogynistic moments everyone who has spent time listening to him knows that he’s battling his inner demons and is full of contradictions and conflict. Eminem raps from personal pain, Talib and Lupe keep their lyrics insightful, thoughtful while at the same time bringing a lot of energy to the stage and getting the party started. Big Sean was rapping from…well, I’m not sure. the mic dangling, the crotch grabbing, the unoriginal content, it was all a bit sophomoric. Especially juxtaposed between the talented performances of Okkervil River and Grace Potter, it seemed a bit out of place.

Big Sean’s first two songs were “Too Fake” and “Supa Dupa Lemonade”

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals: When I went up to Atlantic City to shoot the Dave Matthews Caravan this past June, Grace Potter was on the third day of the three day festival. Unfortunately, my friend and I decided to leave that morning and I missed her performance and at the time it didn’t look like she was coming to the DC area for the rest of the summer.

This was one of the best performances of the entire day, probably my favorite performance aside from the Black Keys. Grace Potter is a hybrid of Tina Turner and Janis Joplin and her backing band kicks ass. While my friend and I were in Atlantic City, I checked out her website and read her interview as well as the interviews with all of the band members. One thing that was constantly mentioned throughout was each members love of the film “The Last Waltz,” Martin Scorsese’s seminal concert documentary of The Band’s last performance which guest starred musicians like Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton and many others. Well, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals would have fit in just fine on that stage back in 1978 and I think that’s the highest praise I can give.

Potter came out brandishing a Gibson Flying V and started her set with a hard hitting version of “Ah Mary“. Potter has a dynamic stage presence and her band is tight and they immediately grabbed everyone who was in attendance. I looked behind me and the Pavilion seats were practically full and the standing room area was definitely packed. The next song was “Only Love” which featured Potter behind the electric piano but still didn’t lack any energy. She finished the song by coming out and dancing with the rest of the band, banging away with her tambourine while the band jammed.

Great performance, and as I mentioned before, probably the best of the day aside from the Black Keys. Unfortunately, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals don’t look to be coming back to the DC area anytime soon.

Cut Copy: Cut Copy is an electronic band from Australia who has been together since 2001 and they were playing at the outdoor stage. I stayed at Grace Potter for as long as I could before heading over to catch this set and by the time I got there, a sizable crowd had already gathered.

They started their set with “Take Me Over” which transported me back to the 80’s. It made me feel like I should have been cruising around Miami wearing an outfit that Crockett or Tubbs would be proud to wear. It also reminded me immediately of “This Must Be The Place” by the Talking Heads which you’ll know from the movie “Wall Street.” It’s the type of music that gets everyone dancing and depending on who you’re around that can either be great or horrible. Cut Copy’s brand of music isn’t necessarily my first choice as I tend to like rock music a bit more, however they were great. It’s very accessible and easy to dance to and while I was taking photos, I couldn’t help but tap my feet. However, I know that I can’t dance and I was able to refrain.

Cut Copy won’t be in the DC area anytime soon but if you’re up for a road trip they’ll be playing a few dates in North Carolina at the end of September.*

Patti Smith: It’s not every day you get to see a living legend, so I was pretty excited to see Patti Smith. “The Godmother of Punk” drew a big crowd to the Pavilion Stage and there were a lot of older people who came out to see her. Some of them were actually up front and pressed up against the barricade! Dedicated fans are nice to see, one of them even had a book Smith had written and was waving it above her head when Smith took the stage.

Patti came out with an old polaroid camera, smiling and snapping a few photos of the crowd. She put it down and opened her set with a reggae inspired song, one that I wasn’t familiar with and didn’t know the name of. Not what I expected and not what I really wanted to see, and I hoped that this wasn’t going to be a case of a performer shelving their hits and trying to get their new music across. It was a good song, but it wasn’t punk.

My worries were quickly laid to rest as she broke out a searing version of “Free Money” and beneath the grey hair I could see a sinister, mean look that was definitely very punk. She spit on the stage, curled her lip and belted the chorus into the microphone, put her foot up on the speaker and owned the stage. It was an awesome moment.

Patti Smith’s next and only date for 2011 is in New York City on December 2nd.

Cee Lo Green: Cee Lo Green succeeded where I thought Big Sean failed, successfully bringing a party atmosphere to the day. He opened his set with “Bright Lights Bigger City” which had an infectious groove and the whole place was rocking. Backed by a great all female band, Cee Lo showed off why he’s one of the best entertainers in music today. The big man moved all over the stage, reaching out and touching audience members hands where he could and interacting with the crowd between songs.

While he’s probably best described as R&B, there’s a lot of musical influences that come across in his music. In the short time I got to see him, there was some hard rock influence and some soul as well. I didn’t get a chance to stick around for his big hit “**** You,” but I heard he followed that up with a cover of “Rock the Casbah” by The Clash.

The second song of his set was ChamPain and I was actually able to find a decent crowd video of the song.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Cee Lo Green is touring anytime soon.

TV on the Radio: TV on the Radio took the Pavilion stage and I was excited to see this band that I’d never heard of before. There was quite a buzz thoughout the day about them, I’d heard several people say that their show was definitely one to see.

TVOTR was awesome and as a matter of fact I skipped out on the next performance by Empire of the Sun to find an empty seat in the Pavilion and stay and watch the rest of their performance. I was captivated by lead singer Tunde Adebimpe as he slowly raised the intensity of their opening song “Young Liars” which was made me put down my camera for a few moments and just listen to take it all in. There’s a lot going on in their music, from the guitar work of Kyp Malone to the bass lines and trombone, there was a lot to take in both from an visual and audio perspective. They don’t fall into one specific genre and while it’d be easy to pigeonhole them as rock they’re so much more than that. There’s elements of blues and jazz, psychedelic rock, maybe some spoken word and there is also elements of electronic music as well. It’s always changing and it’s almost always intense. TVOTR’s music seamlessly blends all of these types of music together and serves it up in one exciting burst of energy.

Most of all, it was clear that they gave everything they had which was awesome. Go to enough concerts and shows and you’ll become aware of who’s mailing it in and not giving their best effort. TVOTR is not that band.

Unfortunately, they won’t be coming back to the DC area anytime soon.

The Black Keys: Finally.

I’m willing to argue that The Black Keys are the most important band in rock music today. And if they’re not the most important, they definitely deserve their place in the conversation. All of their albums are brilliant, but most importantly the blues influence that they bring to the table smacks you in the face so hard you can’t ignore it.

My musical biases lie with rock n roll and blues as opposed to heavy synthesizer pop music. While I can appreciate that type of music and listen to some of it, I don’t think it’ll ever shape the musical landscape that blues has. And if The Black Keys can influence a kid to go pick up an album by Junior Kimbrough, Muddy Waters or B.B. King and turn them on to the blues, they’ve done a great job. I don’t want to sound like someone’s parent here, but it’s too late…there aren’t as many kids out there who are listening to the blues and that’s a shame.

If you don’t know who they are, The Black Keys are from Akron, Ohio and they consist of guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney who are childhood friends. Their first album “The Big Come Up” was recorded on an 8-track machine in Carney’s basement and they’ve been on the rise ever since. Since early 2002, they’ve released 6 studio albums culminating with 4 Grammy wins in 2011 for their work on their latest album “Brothers”. They’ve also worked on several other side projects, most notably a hip hop album called “Blackroc” and an EP of Junior Kimbrough covers.

They were a little late coming out and the crowd started a “Black Keys, Black Keys!” chant. I looked around behind me and the Pavilion was packed and from what I could tell the lawn was, too. They came out to a giant ovation and promptly launched into a version of “Thickfreakness“. Auerbach’s guitar growled while Carney pounded on the drums. Watching Patrick Carney play the drums is like watching Lawrence Taylor play football; it’s vicious, it’s hard hitting and it’s awesome.

I think one of the best compliments I can give them is that they sound like they do on their records. There’s a lot of distortion, there’s a lot of feedback, it’s dirty, gritty and raw, which is exactly how they play in concert, only amplified. For a two piece band, it’s extremely loud. Auerbach’s vocals are bluesy enough to make you a believer, there aren’t many white guys out there who can sing the blues and not sound contrived. Auerbach is the real deal.

They followed up their opening song with two of their favorites, an extended version of “The Girl Is On My Mind” and “The Breaks” The fourth song was “Stack Shot Billy” which happens to be one of my favorites so I was really excited that I got to hear them play it live. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay longer, I had to get back to the outdoor field for DeadMau5.

It was just announced that The Black Keys will be headlining a tour of Europe to start 2012, and no US dates have been announced. But the good news is that their 7th album should be released by the end of 2011.

DeadMau5: DeadMau5 didn’t have a photo pit due to an expansive stage setup, so there wasn’t a place to take photos from. However, I received an email along with my confirmation saying that I was selected to shoot part of DeadMau5’s set from the sound booth, along with a few of the other photographers. I was gracious for the special treatment and the opportunity and made sure to be at the assigned meeting place on time.

We were walked into the soundbooth and were instructed to wait for a certain part of DeadMaus’s show to when we could start taking photos. So we waited..and waited…and waited…and hey, I could have been in there rocking out to the Black Keys, still! Finally, it came time to snap some photos and there was a lot of fog from the stage, which added to my frustration. Being so far away from the stage, it was hard to get anything good.

I’m not a fan of techno music so I don’t know how DeadMau5 really stacks up to other DJs out there. It’s obvious that he has a huge following, there were a ton of people in the field and throughout the day I saw a ton of tshirts and fake mouse heads that people were wearing. The light/laser show was really awesome, the best I’ve ever seen at any show, anywhere.***

DeadMau5 just announced two surprise shows at the new Fillmore Silver Spring for September 21st and 22nd.

Overall Experience:

Virgin Mobile Free Fest was a great time. Thankfully the wet weather we had all week leading up to it held off and the weather was excellent. There was a lot of mud in the outdoor stage, but other than that, the conditions couldn’t have been any better.

I didn’t get a chance to explore a lot of the booths due to walking back and forth between the stages, making sure I was on time for the sets and trying to take notes to write the review. However you couldn’t look anywhere without seeing people carrying around posters, tshirts, and other free swag that was being given away. Face paint and body paint was everywhere. I walked through the forest where the booths were and there also tents set up where people could cool off and relax on wicker lawn chairs.

Some of the performers artists and performers were Albus Cavus, a community of public artists who are dedicated to having citizens in urban areas participate in workshops and school programs in order to raise social awareness and clean up inner city areas. At their interactive booth, you could create a signature Virgin Mobile Free Fest piece.

The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and the Flippenout Extreme Trampoline Show were also on hand to entertain concertgoers. I saw some of their acts and they were pretty incredible, particularly the trampoline show.

The Skatepark of Baltimore had set up a mini-half pipe and this is where I spent most of my time between sets as it as on my walk between the Pavilion stage and the outdoor stage. Skatepark of Baltimore’s goal is to facilitate the construction of a public custom skatepark in the city of Baltimore.

I think it’s probably the best way to spend a late summer afternoon as there was always something to do and lots of great music to be heard. I was really happy to go and cover this event for WLDC, so I’m not complaining when I say I wish I had more time to spend checking out the booths and shops. This was my first Virgin Mobile Free Fest show, but it certainly won’t be my last.

* Check out our coverage of Virgin Mobile Free Fest 2010.

** Our less than impressed coverage of Cut Copy’s last visit.

*** Andrew may have had a tough time shooting Deadmau5 at Free Fest, but we got AMAZING shots from his shows at 9:30 Club.

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If the above doesn’t work for you here’s a direct link to the District 1.5 : HDR Time-lapse from Drew Geraci.

Via the power of the interwebs, I stumbled across this awesome HDR time-lapse by Drew Geraci. The shots were taken over a 3 day period, during which Geraci was stopped 9 times by the National Parks Service and 3 times by DC Metro police;  post-production (rendering, editing, etc.) took Geraci only 1 day. This is the photogs first full scale production time-lapse using the new HDR technique that he’s developed from his own personal photography experience.

Personally, I’m loving the locations selected; they really capture the heart of this city. Whoever said that DC is a sleepy town clearly needs to see this as the locations selected, be they thoroughfares, monuments or sites, are packed with pedestrian and vehicular activity. In the 3 plus minute long video, we’re taken on a whirlwind trip around DC through saturated hi-def quality of the shots and kickass crescendoing musical accompaniment. Tre cool.

Happy Friday everyone! In celebration of the end of the week, BLT Steak and WeLoveDC are giving away two seats for this Saturday’s (aka tomorrow’s) South American Asado cooking class. The two hour plus class will be held at BLT Steak, starts at 12:30pm and features in-depth instruction from Executive Chef Victor Albisu on how to prepare exotic and delicious barbecue from South America. Oh, did I mention you also get a filling four-course lunch of the dishes demonstrated during the class? Well, yeah, you do.

BLT holds these executive cooking classes six times a year and seats generally go for $100. So for all you aspiring chefs, this is the perfect opportunity to glean some 5 star tips, tricks and creative methods of preparing foods AND fill your belly with yummy goodness.

To enter for the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address (one entry per email address, please) between 11am and 1pm today. Entrants must be able to attend the class in person, so check your schedules. If you aren’t declared the winner, you can always make your own reservations with Erica Frank at 202-689-8989 or erica@bltrestaurants.com.

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Huzzah! DC’s very own Dolcezza will be on ABC’s “The View” today at 11am and we’ll get to see owners Robb and Violeta Duncan chumming it up with Whoopi, Sherri, Joy, Elizabeth and Babs. I can only assume they’ll be talking about: 1) Gelato–in particular their seasonal summer flavors (Peach, Pineapple Cilantro, Mojito…) and 2) Dolcezza’s focus on locally produce ingredients and their collaboration with local area farmers.

If you’re not familiar with Dolcezza, you can read about how They Make DC or visit them at their three area shops in Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Bethesda.

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Photo Courtesy Katherine S.

Starting today, the Washington Capitals will be hosting their annual prospect development camp at Kettler Iceplex in Arlington. Many of the Capitals’ recent draft selections, along with a number of free agent invitees, will be making their way to DC for the chance to impress the coaching staff and maybe secure a call-up to the Capitals’ AHL affiliate Hershey Bears or even the Caps. All sessions are free and open to the public (and in light of the opressive heat forecast for this week, the air conditioning is fantastic).

Schedule:

Monday, July 11
9:45 a.m.: Group A on ice, 2:00 p.m.: Group B on ice

Tuesday, July 12
9:30 a.m.: Group B on ice, 11:45 a.m.: Group A on ice

Wednesday, July 13
9:00 a.m.: Group A on ice, 10:20 a.m.: Group B on ice, 3:00 p.m.: Intrasquad scrimmage

Thursday, July 14
9 a.m.: Intrasquad scrimmage

Friday, July 15
9:30 a.m.: Group A on ice, 11:15 a.m.: Group B on ice

Saturday, July 16
Capitals Fan Fest, 10 a.m.: Intrasquad scrimmage

Getting there: Kettler Capitals Iceplex is located at 627 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, on top of the Ballston Common Mall, just a short walk from the Ballston-MU station on the Metro Orange Line. The Iceplex is also served by ART bus routes 41 and 75 and Metro route 38B. The is also ample parking in the Ballston Common Mall garage for a nominal fee.

‘IMG_4336.jpg’
courtesy of ‘bridgetds’

What to watch for: For the most part, Development Camp is not all that exciting. Off-ice (and away from public view) the prospects go through a number of tests, such as bench press and timed sprints. On-ice, there are a lot of drills, designed to test the shooting and skating abilities of the prospects. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of stoppages in the action while the prospects run a set play, get feedback, and run it a number of times after that. The most exciting things to watch will be the scrimmages on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday when the two squads of prospects play each other in actual hockey games.

Becca H over at Japer’s Rink has put together a remarkably thorough guide to Development Camp that I have no chance at matching, so please, check that out here.

Players to watch:
Goalie: The off-season, which has only just begun, has already resulted in a huge controversy regarding goalies for the Capitals at the upper levels of the organization. Within the lower levels, however, things are a little more clear. One of the top prospects in the Caps’ system is German Philipp Grubauer. The German prospect posted a record of 22-13-3 with 2 shutouts last year in the OHL. Grubauer, who plays for Kingston in the OHL and is making his second appearance at Development Camp, also represented Germany in the World Junior Championships, and is easily identified by his brightly-colored mask featuring the German federal eagle.

Defenseman: While most of the attention will be focused on more polished and offensive defensive prospects such as Samuel Carrier, Brett Flemming, and Dmitri Orlov, the Caps have also invited big, stay-at-home defenseman Dustin Stevenson. Although Stevenson failed to put up spectacular numbers for the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, going 3-9-12, he is (literally) head and shoulders above many of the other prospects at 6′ 5″ and 220 pounds.

Forward: Another returnee to camp is forward Cody Eakin. Eakin, who almost made the team last year as a 19-year-old, had 36 goals and 47 assists in the regular season in the WHL (and was traded for FIVE players in a swap between Swift Current and Kootenay) and followed that campaign up with 11 goals and 16 assists in the playoffs en route to a championship. With the Caps extremely close to the NHL salary cap after their off-season spending spree, having almost-NHL-ready prospects such as Eakin and first-year invitee Mattias Sjogren who can be called up very cheaply means that these players could see the Verizon Center Ice sooner rather than later.

Photo courtesy of Katherine S.

Since I will be covering Development Camp in person on Friday, July 15th, I’m posing a question to you readers: what would you ask a Capitals prospect? I will try to get a least a few of your questions answered, so post them below!

Society6, an organization that connects artists with unique opportunities and empowers them to make their artwork available for sale without giving up control of their rights, recently completed an innovative project titled “50 And 50.” The idea behind this endeavor was to recruit 50 designers, one per each state, and have them illustrate their state motto using the same color-scheme. The results are modern, yet historical grounded, designs that would make any wall fit for oversized art proud.

Fortunately for us, although not part of 50 states, DC was included in the project and represented by Oliver Munday, whose  illustrations and designs have graced bookcovers, TIME, The New York Times, Wired, etc. And for those of us completely naive to DC’s “state” motto, it’s “Justice For All” or as the Romans prefer “Justia Omnibus.”While the DC motto is definitely on the design, it takes a huge back seat to the neon sign inspired “Cash for Gold,” which I can only assume is Munday’s cunning and subtle commentary that DC’s motto may as well be ‘Cash For Gold” because it’s impossible to have “Justice For All” when citizens lack full government representation. I also think the usage of “Cash For Gold” and the small campaign button-esque DC state flag are a commentary on the DC political scene; more specifically how the money and power of the federal government overshadow DC on both a local and national level.

Love or hate Munday’s execution, there is no doubt that he put some thought into the piece and that he’s definitely trying to make it more than just a pretty piece of wall art.

On a lighter note, as DC was included in the project, we’ve come up with a few alternative project names:

50 And 50, +1

51* And 51*

Any others out there?

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Sports Illustrated has a solid collection of famous athletes, namely former Wizards player Gilbert Arenas and Dwight Howard, who apparently have PLENTY of free time and nothing better to do than take pictures of themselves planking all over their expensive cars, pool tables, exercise equipment, etc. There’s also a planking example courtesy of Redskins rookie receiver Niles Paul.

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Travel + Leisure readers have spoken and our nation’s capital is not one of the top ten dirtiest cities in America. In the publication’s annual America’s Favorite Cities survey, participants gauged “dirty” in a variety of ways: litter, air pollution, even the taste of local tap water and the publication found New Orleans, Philadelphia, Memphis, New York City, and our neighbor to the north Baltimore, wanting for cleanliness.  That’s not to say that DC didn’t appear on the more comprehensive list; in fact, it was ranked 15th on the list.

The America’s Dirtiest Cities list is only one of the many compiled from reader’s responses about 35 U.S. urban destinations. The publication breaks down responses by those according to visitors and those according to residents. DC ranked well in the historical sites/monuments (duh!), museums/galleries (duh again!), business hotels, public transportation/pedestrian friendliness, etc. We didn’t do so well when it comes to all-in-one retreats, affordable hotels and relaxing retreats.

What I find most insightful and funny about the survey’s results is where visitor and resident opinions align. For instance, both groups give DC high marks when it comes to culture, but pan the city on local food specialities (coffee, barbecue, micro brews, etc.) and new year’s eve celebrations. Things get funny when it comes to ranking DC inhabitants; while we get high marks for intelligence and diversity, both groups ranked us below 25 when it comes to stylishness, friendliness and attractiveness.

This little cutie was found Sunday afternoon in an alley near 16th NE. His rescuers describe him as “ridiculously sweet, trusting, quiet, and well-behaved” and as much as they’re enjoying his companionship, they’re hoping to reunite the pup with his family ASAP. If you recognize him, please email founddogdc@gmail.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In their search to find Sass, the owners have uncovered both the positive and negative facts of recovering their dog, including:

1) The city department charged with disposing of dead animals, does not notify pet owners even if the dead animal has tags and other easy identification.

2) While many area shelters post pictures of animals brought to their shelters online, the DC shelter does not, even though they have the capability.3) There are good people at the animal shelters.

4) There are trackers across the country that can be brought into help. Sassafras’ owners have had two in, one from Georgia and one from Baltimore, and others have provided advice.

5) There are many people willing to help out and complete strangers have done great things. Many of the volunteers who’ve helped are searching for their own lost animals or are just simply compelled by the story.

6) Social media really is active in DC – in addition to rescues and other dog groups that have posted, tweeted, and facebooked, there are many local neighborhood listservs and blogs that have responded. The above video, created to help with the search, now has more than 1100 views and the blog has more than 5200 page views.

7) Unexpectedly, and disgustingly, there are many crank callers who have made this painful situation much worse for Sassafras’ family.

Should you have any information about Sassafras, please contact Jeff and Beth at findsassafras@gmail.com or  call (202) 664-2301. Also visit the  “Find Lost Beagle Sassafras” blog to spread the word about Sassafras, and help this story have a happy ending.

courtesy of @pottenhoff

Nuff said.

Despite yesterday’s fears, the 9pm high tide came and went without the Georgetown waterfront breach reaching K Street. As of 8:30am this morning, the Georgetown Waterfront is still completely shutdown with very, very limited access. The K Street side of the Waterfront is filled with emergency flood repair vehicles, workmen, Pepco vans, etc., all awaiting instructions from site surveyors. Local buildings continue to monitor their basements and lower level garages for flooding and seepage.

I managed to gain access to the 31st Street walkway that leads to the waterfront, and saw a heavily pumping Potomac river and the front side flooding. While the flood barricades along 31st street were all in tact, I could see where the waterfront walls leading into the fountain area had been breached. At that time the river was below fountain area level, and I could see some evidence of water being pumped out of the fountain pool back into the river.

‘Bethesda Lane’ courtesy of ‘Payton Chung’

Bethesda Row’s Spring Restaurant Week kicks off this Monday, April 11 and runs through Sunday, April 17. Participating restaurants include: American Tap Room, Café Deluxe, Jaleo, Lebanese Taverna, Mamma Lucia, Mon Ami Gabi, Parker’s American Bistro, Raku, and Redwood Restaurant and Bar, who will offer two course lunches for $15 and three course dinners for $30.

Standouts in these pre-fixes include American Tap Room’s Open Faced Meatloaf Sandwich, Raku’s Green Tea Crème Brulée, Redwood’s Crispy Salt Cod Croquette and Jaleo’s Ensalada Verde con Queso Idiazábal (mixed greens with Idiazábal cheese, spanish anchovies and garlic anchovy dressing). Diners can preview the restaurant week menus before making reservations at the Bethesda Row website.

Based on a successful charitable model, BabyLove DC provides clothing, products, gear and other necessities to pregnant mothers and their children in DC’s inner city. The group hosts monthly drives to collect new and gently used items, such as baby monitors, crib bedding, bottles, clothing, toys, diaper carriers, etc. All donations must have been purchased within the last 3 years, with certain items (diapers, breast pumps, bottles, cribs and feeding supplies) accepted as new only.

BabyLove’s next drive takes place this Saturday, April 9th from 9am-1pm at Hardy Middle School (34th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, NW) just across from the Social Safeway.

In addition to donations, BabyLove needs volunteers to help sort and repair clothing, and help coordinate and run their drives and charity events. If you’re interested in volunteering or donating, you can contact BabyLove DC at info@babylovedc.org

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Nestled in Northeast, you’ll find a time capsule from the past, where the remnants of Washington’s natural history of wetlands and rivers flourish. Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens is the hidden gem of the DC area National Park System and a excellent spot for DCers to escape to for a serene and educational respite.

In the late 1800s, Walter Shaw bought a piece of land along the marshland flats of the Anacostia River. Shaw, a Maine native, planted a few wild water lilies in a pond of this strip of land. The lilies took on like gangbusters and Shaw planted other lilies and varieties of flowers. When Shaw died in 1921, his daughter, Helen Shaw Fowler, expanded the gardens and made the location where U.S. presidents, their families, and neighbors would take day trips to.

‘IMG_4986b’
courtesy of ‘Allee574′

In 1938, with the tireless support of Helen Fowler Shaw, Congress authorized payment of $15,000 to buy the 8 acres of land with aquatic gardens, and the grounds were annexed to the Anacostia Park and the larger National Capital Parks-East. By way of saving this land, Congress created a park that filters the Anacostia River, reduces flood damage, and preserves the biological and cultural resources for present and future generations.

What makes Kenilworth is the symbiosis between the  aquatic garden and the marshlands. The flow between the sculpture ponds filled with water lilies and lotuses, and the wild grasses and reeds of the river is indistinguishable. Like the dragonflies that fly from one area to the other, the garden is one giant wetland oasis.

For photographers, and I’m an amateur, Kenilworth offers a rich palette. Wildlife abounds with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and beavers. The flora is diverse, colorful and vibrant. And the wetland and ebbing rivers provides shimmery and reflective  surfaces.

If you’re thinking Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens is a trek, you’re wrong. It’s as easy to get to as RFK Stadium or Nationals Park. You can drive (they have parking,) or Metro (Deanwood Station) or canoe (FYI: check the tides) to get there.

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Last weekend I made a quick getaway to Miami to attend the Ultra Music Festival, otherwise known as the biggest electronic music festival in the world. This was the thirteenth installment of this Miami institution and the first time that it was expanded to a three day event. I along with 150,000 devoted dance music fans* sampled some of the world’s best DJs, producers, and electronic-leaning bands at what amounted to a three-day orgy of drugs, sweat, booze, bikinis, concrete, and ultra-heavy bass. I have been to some huge festivals in my day and some mighty big parties, but I don’t think I have ever been to something that combined the two quite like Ultra Music Festival did.

I thought that the readers who follow my musical adventures on We Love DC might like to hear about my field trip down south. The organizers are already planning UMF 2012 and if you dig what you see and read about here, you might want to consider making the trip yourself next year.

Ultra had three outdoor stages (Main, Live, Radio), an air conditioned Heineken Dome, three tent stages, and a massive semi-enclosed structure named after Carl Cox. That’s a whole lot of stages and for the most part each one of them had it’s own vibe and remained steadily packed with an audience.

DAY ONE (Friday, 3/25):

Mustard Pimp & Designer Drugs (Live Stage): I started off day one on the Live Stage to catch a few buzz DJ duos. Mustard Pimp melted faces with some hard electro and tag-team live remixing. Their set was extended by about a half an hour as Designer Drugs couldn’t get their laptop online. Mustard Pimp impressed during the unexpected set extension by keeping their cool and the party going. When Designer Drugs finally took the stage to perform, only half of the duo showed up to DJ and what he was spinning wasn’t that impressive. Too bad because I really like the sound DD is cranking out together. Hopefully their set will feature both of them when they play U Street Music Hall next month.

Mustard Pimp & Designer Drugs

Feede Le Grand (Main Stage): The great thing about festivals is the ease of sampling different acts. With Designer Drugs not really working for me, I wandered over to the main stage to catch Dutch house music master Feede Le Grand. He laid down a set of dreamy house that warmed us up for the big guns to come out later.

Feede Le Grand

Benny Benassi (Main Stage): By the time Benny Benassi took the stage Feede Le Grande had the now swollen crowd ready to party. It was during Benassi’s set that I really felt like I had arrived at the biggest electronic festival on earth. The main stage crowd was humongous and Benassi won them over with his gigantic Italian electro sound and a winning smile you could see from miles away. In the middle of his set however, the maestro made what I felt was a misstep when he dropped some James Blake into the mix. Blake’s slow worble did not fit into Benassi’s high energy set at all and most of the audience including myself were a bit confused by its inclusion.

Benny Benassi

CSS (Live Stage): A short walk over to the Live Stage again to catch the first real band of the weekend. These Brazilian dance-punks gave it the gusto and their lead singer Lovefoxxx looked great bouncing around on stage.

CSS

Erasure (Main Stage): A gay friend of mine recently told me that I am anomaly because I am a straight man who loves Erasure.** When I looked around at the diminutive, nearly insultingly small crowd that showed up for these synth-pop legends at Ultra, I began to think maybe he was right. I think the small crowd for Erasure was the perfect illustration that dance music culture has a short memory and that Ultra is a festival for predominantly very young fans. Erasure took the stage like the kings (queens?) they are though and tore through a greatest hits set like they were playing for tens of thousands. Andy Bell’s singing sounded terrific and Vince Clarke was a tower of concentration. This set was a blast and made “Chains of Love” the official theme song for my friends and me as we drove to and from the fest the rest of the weekend.

Erasure

Duran Duran (Main Stage): I didn’t stay for all of Duran Duran’s set but what I did stay for was on point.*** I think the boys are back (yet again) with something to prove this time around. Simon Le Bon looked kind of evil with his beard barely disguising his determined scowl. They kicked off their set with “A View To A Kill”, my favorite song of theirs since childhood. After watching Duran Duran perform that song from the photo pit, what more could their set deliver to me? Their performance of that song standing that close was a musical high point of my life.

Duran Duran

Royksopp (Live Stage): After a few Duran Duran songs, I booked over to catch Royksopp on the Live Stage. I got there in time to watch about 40 minutes of their set. Bizarre costumes combined with massive, weird sounding electronic bangers and a loving audience made this one of the best performances of the weekend.

Royksopp


Trentemoller (Live Stage): With all of the superstar DJs, buzz-worthy producers, and legendary party throwers on display at Ultra, I felt at times like one of the only people there to appreciate the music rather than to party. Don’t get me wrong, I was there to have a good time and to dance til death – but I also was excited about all of the interesting and unusual acts Ultra had lined up. Unlike most other festivals, there weren’t a lot of music geeks in the audience mix. This was apparent during Trentemoller’s set. Trentemoller was up against Tiesto, the biggest name in mainstream dance DJs, performing on the main stage and Carl Cox laying down the law on his personalized mega-stage; tough competition for an obscure and extremely artistic producer of dark-edged electronica. The crowd wasn’t very large to start for this mystery man and his secretive live band.

Trentemoller

It might not have helped their cause either, that they played their first few songs from behind a screen that probably turned off some of the curious. But once that screen lifted, Trentemoller and his band offered one of the finest and most interesting sets of the weekend. Never delving too deeply into dark atmospherics, the group kept it up tempo and hard hitting for most of their set. The light schemes employed a lot of reds and negative space between expertly place white lights to make the bayside Live Stage feel like another realm. The band played together so well, that at times I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t all pre-recorded. I don’t know if I have seen a band play live electronica so flawlessly before.****

Trentemoller

STS9 (Live Stage): I decided to stick around for this legendary electronic jam band (mainly because I can’t stand Tiesto’s live show). I was glad I did, STS9 are a tight unit of musicians who played winding, sonic journeys. I feared that STS9 live would come across as a lame Grateful Dead for the dance music set (like Disco Biscuits does), but instead they were doing their own thing entirely; playing perfectly orchestrated and controlled electronic song-scapes sans the pointless jamming of their lesser peers.

STS9

DAY TWO (Saturday, 3/26):

Eclectic Method (Tower of Ultra): I was super excited to catch this live video-remix duo from the UK perform and was the first person to enter the Tower of Ultra stage to see their set. Unfortunately, although they were performing in the video tent, the sunlight was too bright for projections to work during the day. Their noon set time forced them to work minus their trademark videos. That said, whatever they were mixing on their laptops and decks worked for them. Their music was the best and most frantic mash-up work I heard all weekend.

Eclectic Method

Shit Robot (Heineken Dome): Into the air-conditioned Heineken dome to catch DFA-ally, Shit Robot. He was older than I expected and did not perform a show like he did at SXSW. Instead he DJ’d a set of cool electro with an exotic edge that I couldn’t quite place. Perfect music for a mid-afternoon cool-off session.

Shit Robot


Bag Raiders (Live Stage): Okay, Bag Raiders from Australia are the shit. No really. Their name isn’t so hot and some of their music videos are weak. But fuck all that. These guys were great! They put similar bands like Cut Copy and Holy Ghost! to shame. I could not believe the energetic and flawless set this duo laid down to an early afternoon crowd at the live stage. Talk about talented; between the two of them they played all kinds of crazy keyboards, gadgets, and percussion and made it look easy. I don’t think I saw two musicians having more fun all weekend. The crowd grew during their set as people were roped in by their cool electro-disco revival sound. Out of all of the groups in that scene right now I would say that Bag Raiders are probably the best that I’ve seen.

Bag Raiders


Sander Kleinenberg (Main Stage): Back to the main stage for some more Dutch house music. I m not the biggest house fan but something about the way these Dutch DJs lay it down works for me. Kleinenberg picked up where Feede Le Grand left of the day before, with a mid-afternoon set that started kind of dreamy. It wasn’t long though before Kleinenberg unleashed some harder edged sounds. A live guest appearance by Dev amped up the crowd and Klienenberg as he live remixed her single “Bass Down Low”. Dev doused the crowd with her water and exited the stage leaving Kleinenberg with the challenge of drying us off with some super hot beats. A particular highlight was a robotic mix he laid down over Tron: Legacy visuals.

Sander Kleinenberg w/ Dev

Afrojack: I know nothing about Afrojack other than he had several sets spread out over the course of Ultra on different stages. I caught some of his marathon set at the Carl Cox stage and some of his Main Stage set. Both sets were awesome and had the crowd going absolutely bananas. This guy is going to be a superstar.

Afrojack

Feed Me (Tower of Ultra): A protege of Deadmau5, Feed Me was making a debut of sorts in the Tower of Ultra. His electro meets dubstep style had the kids packed into the tent and made for one of the better no nonsense dance scenes of the weekend.*****

Feed Me

Simian Mobile Disco (Live Stage): Without a doubt one of the top three things I saw at Ultra. Last year, Simian Mobile Disco brought their unusual DJ style to U Street Music Hall and blew me away. In Miami, I got to experience their Delicacies party once again. They hosted Delicacies and DJ’d a late night set at a nightclub called Eve. It was a phenomenal set and one of the most primal dance parties I have been too in years.

SMD

That was SMD DJing. At Ultra, they were set to perform live. I had always heard good things, but nothing prepared me for what they did. Basically SMD brought their entire studio onto the stage and recreated their Delicacies album and other tunes live. It was a knob-twisting, plug-swapping, keyboard pounding, sequence programming bonanza of concentration. Utterly captivating to witness. Not only was SMD live one of the craziest and most deft live electronic performances I have ever seen, it was also one of the hardest. With each release SMD gets colder and closer to original techno. Their live set was a techno-fetishist’s wet dream. They simply annihilated the audience. I was left standing in awe of their set. It was music nirvana in the middle of the afternoon. I need to see them perform live again ASAP!

SMD

Boyz Noise (Live Stage): I know he’s got a following right now, but Boyz Noise’s jagged electro DJ-ing just left me cold.

Moby (Carl Cox Stage): I have a love hate thing going on with Moby. It has lasted years. I guess since Lollapalooza ‘95 when I thought I was going to see one of underground techno’s brightest and instead got a set of limp punk rock covers. Anyway, I have always wanted to see Moby do his DJ thing and never have. So when I saw that he was going to be spinning at Ultra in the famed Carl Cox structure, I knew I had to at least check it out.

Moby

I am happy to report that Moby killed it. I mean he brought the house down hard. Right from the get go, he entered the flying saucer DJ booth with attitude. From his Minor Threat t-shirt to his screaming to his climbing onto the lip of the DJ booth and hyping the crowd up; Moby slayed us with hard as nails electronic music that sort of left me speechless. This was the Moby I wanted to see back in the day. Where had this Moby been all these years? Wherever he’s been, I am glad he is back!

Moby

Armin Van Buuren (Main Stage): The #1 ranked DJ in the world and the mastermind of State of Trance took the main stage and delivered an awesome set of hard trance with stunning visuals. I didn’t watch the whole set but I was really digging it for the 30 minutes or so that I witnessed. For some reason I expected to be annoyed by Van Buuren like I get annoyed at Tiesto sets; but Van Buuren kept it real in a way I appreciated. He’s coming to Fur in a month and I think I might go catch him again.

Underworld (Main Stage): Last year, Underworld took the crown for best electronic show I saw at 9:30 Club. They edged out Deadmau5 last year, who at Ultra was now set to close the main stage after them on Saturday night. I have to say, that the Underworld boys did it again. Underworld put on a stunning set on the main stage that for the first time all weekend really utilized the size of the crowd, the size of the stage, and the ridiculous lights and video screens surrounding it. No one does festival performances quite like Underworld. They really specialize in making their sets mass-experiences in which the entire audience and the band become one giant organism of happiness. During one of their many sight and sound maelstroms, I thought for a few seconds that the entire festival was going to time-warp into the future.

Underworld

Deadmau5 (Main Stage): Deadmau5 closed out the main stage with a set that was frankly boring. His set included his trademark video cube and while he had more screen real estate around it at Ultra than he did at 9:30 Club, he made little original use of it. His set was essentially the same visuals and beats as his shows at the 9:30 Club last year. Shows which I felt were far more entertaining than he was at Ultra. I was disappointed that Deadmau5’s set offered nothing new. Here he was headlining the main stage at the biggest dance music festival in the world and he basically offered us up a re-run of his last tour. I left half-way through out of boredom.

Deadmau5

Sasha as Vortek Live (Live Stage): To close out the night I went to the live stage to check out Sasha’s mystery project Vortek (live). Sasha has had a long and varied career with highs and lows. I would say that Vortek is a high. Playing sort of hard but meditative trance and techno from within a custom-built visual DJ-booth, Sasha delivered a surprisingly soulful electronic performance that closed out Saturday night in style. While his visual gear looked a lot cheaper than Deadmau5, Sasha sold us on it with music that was infinitely deeper than the Mau5keteer’s.

Sasha as Vortek (live)

DAY THREE (Sunday, 3/27):

Miss Nine (Live Stage): One of the most enjoyable DJs that I saw all weekend was Miss Nine. She was one of the several go-to DJs that Ultra would employ to spin during set changes. I saw Miss Nine probably about nine times over the weekend and each time she was smiling and having a great time behind the decks. Her model good-looks, infectious smile, and killer grooves made the wait between acts a pleasure.

Miss Nine

Fake Blood (Live Stage): Theo Keating, one half of The Wiseguys (who we will never forgive for “Start The Commotion”), performed solo as Fake Blood on the live stage. Of all the DJs I saw on the live stage at Ultra, his set was probably the best. I think the hundreds of people on the cruise ship that pulled up alongside of the stage would probably agree.

Fake Blood

Ferry Corsten (Carl Cox Stage): The string of Dutch house and Trance dominance continued when I took in most of Ferry Corsten’s set as part of the State of Trance marathon in the Carl Cox structure. Corsten laid down a commanding set of warm trance that eventually morphed into harder edged material. I’ve been noticing a return of the hard edge to Trance lately and I like it.

Alex Gaudino (UMF Brasil Stage): If there was one straight-up party DJ that I was going to see at Ultra, it was Alex Gaudino. This guy is notorious for his naughty party image and over-sexed beats. Gaudino lived up to his reputation. When I walked into the Brasil stage during his set, I felt like I had left Ultra and walked into an out of control Spring Break party down in Rio. People were going buck wild, climbing all over the DJ booth, grinding, getting all sweaty and nasty. The women were going wild the whole time, but particularly went nuts when Gaudino dropped his “Destination Unknown” remix. Being a married man, I left the tent of sin after hearing his most well-known track.

Alex Gaudino

Will.i.am (Backstage): Hey, look! I ran into Will.i.am in the press tent!

Will.i.am

David Guetta (Main Stage): I original planned on skipping Guetta’s Main Stage set. He has become so huge that I feared his set would be some kind of lowest common denominator debacle ala Tiesto. I am glad that I came to my senses and stuck around for him though. It is true that Guetta has a huge following and that he sometimes panders to crowd pleasing over originality. But he does so rarely. His set at Ultra proved a few things to me about David Guetta which I will keep in mind about him from now on.

David Guetta

First, the guy is immensely talented. Of all the great DJ talent I saw all weekend, Guetta just blew them away. Second, he loves what he is doing; maybe more than all the other DJs combined. Guetta was so damn happy that it made everyone else happy. Like Miss Nine proved earlier, good cheer is infectious. Third, David Guetta owns Ultra Music Festival. Before his set Guetta rattled off all of the hit songs that he debuted at previous Ultra Music Festivals. It was an insane list that showed how prolific and successful the guy is, but also how fitting a choice he is to be the final Main Stage DJ of the largest Ultra yet. His set was so huge it bordered on absurd. From a live guest spot by Flo Rida, to giant laser beam shooting robots, to hilarious French-fried stage banter (“Tonight, we will all fuck!”), to his body bruising bass-lines; Guetta was the DJ of all DJs last weekend.

Flo Rida

The Chemical Brothers (Main Stage): Finally seeing The Chemical Brothers was one of the main draws that got me on a plane down to Miami. I have had opportunities to see them perform in the past, but they always charged way too much for stand alone performances. Besides, I had always heard that seeing The Chemical Brothers at a major festival was where it’s at. Knowing how facing that many people in an audience raises Underworld’s game to new levels, I figured big crowds had a similar effect on the Chemical Brothers.

The Chemical Brothers

In a way I was correct. But in another way, I was wholly unprepared for what they delivered. I would say out of my experience at Ultra Music Festival 2011 that Underworld, Simian Mobile Disco, and The Chemical Brothers were far and away the top three performances I saw. The Chemical Brothers closed out the entire festival with a live electronica display similar to SMD’s the day before; but with decades of showmanship experience, the festival’s biggest crowd, and a ridiculous sound system to back it up.

The Chemical Brothers

Their set was mind-bending. There is no other way to describe it. The Chemical Brothers unleashed sound odyssey that put their familiar discography through a mutation machine. The result was a non-stop stream of nearly unrecognizable versions of their most hard-hitting and powerful material. Up until The Chemical Brothers, I would say that Deadmau5 had struck the deepest and most powerful bass note all weekend.****** The Chemical Brothers took Deadmau5’s best bass moment as a starting point and pushed the boundaries of ultra heavy bass beyond anything I have experienced before. Their bass work was sick but it was the constant live production work, the endless noodling with equipment in their on-stage studio, that really won me over. I can’t fully express how insane their set sounded or how much it whipped everyone around me into a dance frenzy. All I can really say is that The Chemical Brothers were the perfect choice to close out a strong weekend of electronic music because they were the most creative and the most powerful act by a mile.

Day One Photo Album
Day Two Photo Album
Day Three Photo Album

* This is the official head count, which I believe is adding the head count of all three days together. To me it felt like there were maybe 50,000 people there each day. It was easy to move around, simple to score great spots to watch bands and DJs, and the food and bathroom lines were pretty short.

** I am seeing them again in London in May.

*** I left early because I have seen Duran Duran twice before and they conflicted with Royksopp (who I have never seen and worship).

**** Even more amazing is that for most of the Trentemoller band, this is a part time gig!

***** Feed Me also DJ’d on the main stage during the set change between Underworld an Deadmau5. I was less impressed with his second set. In fact, it felt like he choked on the big stage.

****** At one point during his set, Deadmau5 struck on a stomach churning bass note and sustained it for almost 3-minutes. It was the high point of his otherwise pedestrian set (IMO).