I’ll admit, I struggled a bit trying to figure out what to write a “Best of…” article around for this week. Sports? Covered. Food? Taken. I had to look deeper than the usual fare: what was it about DC—and about WeLoveDC in particular—that I really enjoyed over the past year? I realized that one of the perks we have is the slew of interview opportunities we’re given for the site. So why not look at some of the more interesting interviews we’ve done over the course of 2011?

Often, I find that through the glimpse of someone else’s eyes and perspectives, we’re given a mirror to gaze into our own lives and see where we are, what we’re missing, and what we can hope to achieve. We wrote quite a few interviews and features on people who live, work, and/or visit the DC area this year and I wanted to take a moment and point out some of the ones that really stand out. I hope you take a moment to dive into these great features and either revisit some old friends, or find your own inspiration to make a better 2012.

Chef Allison Sosna of DC Central Kitchen. Photo by Marissa Bialecki.

First off, there’s Capital Chefs: Allison Sosna of DC Central Kitchens. I admit, I love reading about people who do inspiring things and help others in our community. I completely forgot about Marissa’s interview of Chef Sosna until I was looking through our past articles and remembered that she was also on a November episode of Chopped on Food Network.

Dedicated to helping kids form a better relationship with food and healthy eating, her mentoring of the DCCK chef staff and commitment to the organization’s mission is something of note.

Michael Darpino had a chance to get a few words from the tight-lipped Henry Rollins back in February, scoring an interview that was very lively to read. Not one for a lot of words, Rollins spoke volumes about himself and his views of life with his clipped answers. Through that, we were treated with a glimpse into his mind and methods.

Probably the more odder interviews I’ve had in quite a while came from Annie Jacobsen, author of a new book on Area 51. The assertions and “revelations” in her latest work (Russian midgets in a saucer!) were definitely eyebrow raising. And of course, the discussion of secret programs and other projects at the classified area in Groom Lake, Nevada is always fodder for the water cooler.

"Standing with Japan"; courtesy NCBF

My interview with National Cherry Blossom Festival President Diana Mayhew back in March revealed just how complex planning for the DC’s annual tradition can be. The Festival heavily relies on volunteers to make things happen and the upcoming 100 year anniversary is no exception.

The NCBF battles weather and bloom forecasts each year but found itself facing a different challenge in 2011 because of the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan. Mayhew and her team went into overdrive to collect donations of all kinds for the affected people and still managed to present our area’s beautiful blooms to visitors and locals alike.

Back in August, Chris caught up with Jason Mendelson, the “Metro Music Man.” Around here, Metro usually invokes images of packed platforms, late trains, and constant misery. But for this Alexandria resident, our transit system was the inspiration for a series of songs, a musical mission to encapsulate the flavor of every station on the circuit. Fascinating stuff.

Rachel’s self-interview about the National Mall is also worth a mention. Written more as an introspective into her own memories of the Mall and the Lincoln Memorial, it causes us to pause and reflect on our own pathways to the present. How many of us have places in this city that gives us similar pause? And how much have we changed since we first laid eyes on them?

‘Metro Blogger Roundtable’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

As I mentioned earlier, Metro is one of this area’s most confounding organizations. A necessity for many and convienence for others, it is most identified as a source of commuter headache. Back in February, WMATA named Richard Sarles their new CEO, and Samer had a chance to sit in on a “blogger roundtable” with the new chief. Their discussions gave a semblance of hope to all of us at a time when the agency was embroiled in fare hikes, route changes, and other issues. It’s a very interesting look at the man who inherited a mess of a transit system, and what his game plan would be moving forward.

Probably one of my most interesting and fun interviews this year was one with Emil Her Many Horses of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Conducted during a preview of the museum’s newest exhibit (A Song for the Horse Nation), it was both educational and personal. To discover a thread that weaves not just an individual life, but that of community and society, is an epic journey we should all strive to undertake. Our lives are more colorful and vibrant for it.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the many glimpses we’ve given in these and other people’s lives over the last year. We look forward to new faces, new voices, and new opportunities to share, educate, and inspire in 2012. Have a great New Year!

photo by Graham Tolbert

Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs is the brainchild of Adam Granduciel- singer, guitarist, writer, Kurt Vile-collaborator. Their first full-length album, Wagonwheel Blues was released on Secretly Canadian in 2008, and they have toured extensively since then. Over the years the band’s members have changed, but Granduciel remains front and center. Their latest LP is Slave Ambient, released on August 16th, 2011. After a short break in their US tour they are continuing for most of December, and will be making a stop at DC’s Rock & Roll Hotel on Sunday, December 4th. During the break in their busy tour schedule Adam Granduciel took a few minutes to chat with WLDC’s Alexia Kauffman.

Alexia Kauffman: I’ve read that your influences include Bob Dylan, Sonic Youth, Neil Young, – can you tell me what were some of the most influencial albums for you growing up- what made you first love music?

Adam Granduciel: Growing up I was really into Harvest by Neil Young, and actually the Neil Young Unplugged was something I really liked when I was a kid. Led Zeppelin II, III and IV, then eventually got into In Through the Out Door, later Zeppelin. Uh, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young Weld, which is like a live record that my brother had, a really weird one, but it was just kinda what I was exposed to. Some early R.E.M. records that my brother also had that I got really into. That was kinda the stuff that I really liked when I started out playing guitar, when I was like thirteen. I didn’t really get into like Petty or Dylan until later in high school.

Alexia: I see that the lineup has changed a lot since your first album. How was making the new album different from the first, and would you say the sound is different?

Adam: Um, I don’t think it’s different because of anything in particular…I mean none of the records have been made really with any sort of live band in place, so it wasn’t like the first one was like a full band and then I lost a band or something. They’ve all kind of been made in the same sort of way. Myself and then friends and people I play with have played on them. But yeah, I think the main thing is just that in the time from when the songs on the first record were recorded up until the new record it was like I’d kind of progressed so much as a songwriter but also mostly as like a guy who does a lot of recording at home, and like a ton of like weird kinda techniques and methods of arriving at certain things. So I kind of spent so much time working at home and just learning how to do things the way I wanted to do them, and that’s kind of why the new record sounds the way it does.

Alexia: Do you have a favorite place to play and or see shows in Philly?

Adam: Well the new place that just opened called Union Transfer, which I’ve played there once already, and it’s a super amazing, super pro kind of venue. Johnny Brenda’s is in my neighborhood, and I’ve been going to shows there ever since they opened four or five years ago. It’s an awesome venue- we were actually the first band to ever play on the stage there when they opened it, back in like 2007 or something. But yeah, that’s a great place to go. And then over the years there were a lot of places that we used to go, I used to really enjoy  playing the Khyber….. but that has since closed down and turned into like a restaurant or something. That’s no longer, but I used to love going to shows there, it was kinda like your classic gritty kind of rock club, you know, obviously not the most beautiful place, but it had a lot of character. But yeah, Union transfer is a new place, and I’ve only played there once, but they have a washer and dryer, which is awesome.

Alexia: That’s always nice for touring bands…

Adam: Yeah, and I don’t have one at my house, so I’ll probably end up going down there like once every two weeks and pretend I’m playing… bring my guitar and dirty laundry. <laughs>

Alexia: If you could pick an artist or band to collaborate with, who would it be?

Adam: The Waterboys, from Ireland, or I’d like to play guitar on like the next Wooden Ships record or something. If they’d have me.

Alexia: What artists are you really into these days?

Adam: Richard Swift, of Oregon makes some awesome records and produces records for other bands. He’s actually on Secretly Canadian as well, and he’s super good. I hope to do some recordings with him at one point. Carter Tanton, he’s actually originally from Baltimore. Um, Puerto Rico Flowers, from Philadelphia.

Alexia: Do you feel like The War On Drugs is a part of a scene right now either in Philly or nationally?

Adam: I don’t think so, it’s weird- I don’t think we are really. Which is cool, which I like. I mean there are a lot of awesome bands, but I don’t really know bands that we kinda fit well with, or who’s doing what we’re doing. It’s a strange thing with us, we’re kind of a little bit more insulated than other bands.  I think when we started we were part of a scene that was like making like this new crop of rock, like this new crop of kids doing weird rock music. But in the last couple of years I feel like we’ve just been traveling a ton. When we come back and play in Philly we feel definitely welcomed back into the city, and people come out.

Alexia: What’s on the horizon for you?

Adam: Some more touring, work on some new recordings, take it easy, and just doing the same thing we’ve been doing. Just keep at it, keep getting better, and keep collecting guitar amps, my current obsession. And just keep making cool music.

Check out the track Best Night from The War on Drugs’ latest album Slave Ambient. You can see The War on Drugs live this Sunday, December 4th at the Rock & Roll Hotel.

Title : Zoé, John, Target Picture credit : Matt Beard Costume credit : Dominique Lemieux ©2011 Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil’s travelling show Quidam is coming to the Verizon Center this week (November 16 to 20). This particular show’s premise is: “A young girl’s escape into a world of imagination.” That leaves room for some provoking theater combined with acrobatics, live music, and a killer light show (among other things).

Skip Roper Adrienn Banhegyi, 28, took the time to talk about Quidam over the phone, giving We Love DC the 411 about what makes this Cirque du Soleil show special.

Here’s what she had to say:

Title : Skipping Ropes (Right: Adrienn Banhegyi) Picture credit : Al Seib Costume credit : Dominique Lemieux ©Cirque du Soleil

Quidam is really connected to the real world, Banhegyi said.

“It takes you to a magical place because of all the lights and the music and all the action that you can see. It looks like a magical adventure, but it’s performed by real people, and it really strongly connects to reality […] the story line is about reality.”

Banhegyi describes Quidam as a very colorful, high energy level act.

Besides her featured skipping rope performance, Banhegyi’s favorite part of the evening is the “hand to hand” act when part of the troupe dresses up as penguins. It’s Banhegyi’s favorite scene because of the performer’s proximity to the audience.

“[We] have a chance to look at the audience and see how people react to everything that moves. It’s a really nice experience.”

You can see what Banhegyi is talking about live at the Verizon Center this week, November 16 to 20. Tickets are available at www.cirquedusoleil.com/quidam or by calling 1-202-397-SEAT.

The Wombats are performing at the 9:30 Club tonight, so we enlisted our music correspondent Mickey McCarter to have a chat with their drummer Dan Haggis about the group’s strong sophomore album and their biggest US tour to date.

Post-punk dancesmiths The Wombats, consisting of Matthew Murphy, Dan Haggis, and Tord Øverland-Knudsen, have mounted their first major tour of the United States and they are coming to the 9:30 Club for an early show on Friday. After inviting us to dance to Joy Division on their first album, “A Guide to Love Loss & Desperation”, The Wombats want us to dance some more on their second album, “This Modern Glitch”. The strong second album demonstrates that The Wombats are here to stay; they have grown their sound while staying true to the goal of making a great dance album.

We Love DC had a chat with drummer Dan Haggis to discuss the making of the new album, what it’s like to be a band from Liverpool, and a guilty pleasures on the dancefloor.

Mickey McCarter: You are about to embark on a major tour! Three weeks in the United States and Canada. How do you feel about it? Is must be exciting.

Dan Haggis: It’s the biggest US tour we have done to date. It’s every UK band’s dream to get on the road in America and to play as many different places as possible. So we are excited to get out there and see the US in all of its splendor and also to do shows for a lot of people who haven’t heard our music before and hopefully to convince a few people to come back and see us again.

MM: Well, I think the new album is going to sell them on you! I think it’s really good. Your second album sounds to me like you’ve matured as a band but you’ve still maintained a sense of fun.

DH: We wanted to move on from the first album. We didn’t want repeat the album and play drums, bass, and guitar in the same vein. So we pushed ourselves in every sense, trying to think things through from a slightly different angle and maybe be deeper and more personal. So the music just kind of grew out of that. We introduced lots of synths on the album. We tried to think it out and not restrain ourselves in any way. We wanted to keep some of the fun and excitement that we naturally have from playing live. I think we managed to get a good balance of the natural energy of the band along with a new, more interesting sound.

MM: Is the songwriting process among the three of you pretty collaborative? Do you work up ideas together or does somebody really own that process?

DH: The songs are really written by Murph. Some of the songs start with jams or one of us will send an idea over or Murph will come up with an idea. One song we did in the studio took us a while to finish. We realized that probably wasn’t the best way to do it. It took us about three months to finish off. We rewrote the chorus in the studio, but it turned out really well. That was “1996.” Every song is different really.

MM: You guys come from Liverpool, which is a city with a great musical heritage. When I think of bands from Liverpool, I think of the Beatles and Echo and the Bunnymen. Do you feel any pressure to live up to the great bands from Liverpool before you?

DH: We’re living in the shadow! But no, those bands helped put Liverpool on the map musically. We all studied at one time or another at this music college that was founded by Sir Paul McCartney. He and his fellow Beatles have done a huge amount for the city. It’s a positive thing. The Beatles became so big that everyone is musically influenced by them in some way. They influence so many artists over the years that it’s hard to separate it really. So coming from Liverpool is a very positive thing.

MM: Who are the bands influences? Outside of the Beatles, who do you look to?

DH: It’s kind of hard to form a list of what influences you. You can be influenced by someone who doesn’t sound anything like you. On this album, the influences that seem to come out were probably more Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode. But you listen to the end of “Schumacher the Champagne,” the last song on the album, and it sounds like something Crazy Horse could have done. It is a proper Neal Young-style rockout. So we just let whatever comes out come out really without trying to be too influenced by any one type of music.

MM: So you’re going to come to the 9:30 Club and play a show on Friday, but then you are going down the block to play a DJ set afterward at DC9. What sort of stuff do you like to spin on the dancefloor?

DH: Sometimes it depends on what mood we are in. But usually, the dancier the better. We will play anything from classic Fleetwood Mac right through to the Cure and Depeche Mode. And then for some 90s stuff, we will put on some Weezer and Blur and Nirvana. Then, we could play some Strokes and some guilty pleasures like Katy Perry and Rihanna or something to spice things up if the crowd is into pop music. And we’ll play electro things like Phoenix and Justice–whatever we are feeling. We end up having an iPod battle really!

MM: It sounds like you have a similar philosophy in everything you do in that you want to make people dance.

DH: Totally, especially in our DJ sets. One of the nicest things, isn’t it, to have a few drinks, lose your inhibitions and get onto the dance floor.

MM: Are you looking forward to anything in particular while you are in the United States?

DH: We have never played or been to Washington. I think we are really looking forward to going there. It’s a really important city so hopefully we will get to walk around and look at some of the landmarks. Some of our crew have been to the 9:30 Club, but we haven’t.

MM: It’s a really great club. For a first show in DC, you guys really landed in a great place.

DH: All of our friends who have been there say it’s one of the best club gigs they ever have done. They love it. So we are really looking forward to playing there. We also have some friends there that we studied with, including one guy whose nickname, funny enough, is DC. He used to live in Liverpool and hopefully we are going to meet up with him and his family. Apart from that, we are really looking forward to the road trip!

MM: After you finish this tour, do you go back to Europe and tour there? What’s next?

DH: We’ve got a European tour straight after this. We fly from Seattle to Brussels to start a three-week tour. We finish the year in Liverpool with three homecoming gigs at the Academy there. We have Christmas off to see our families and our girlfriends a bit! We are off January as well and we might go on holiday or something.

Then next year we will have to start thinking about the third album really. We haven’t really done anything on it so far. We have been working on making our shows as good as possible, so we haven’t had much time. So after January, there will be one eye on the future.

The Wombats
w/ The Postelles and Static Jacks
@ 9:30 Club
Tonight!! – 5PM
$15

photo courtesy of Hanson

In the midst of their US “Musical Ride” tour, Hanson’s lead singer/keyboardist Taylor Hanson took some time to talk with WLDC’s Alexia Kauffman. You can read the first half of the interview here. In the second half of the interview Taylor talks about being in Katy Perry’s video for “Last Friday Night,” playing music with Adam Schlesinger (songwriter and bassist for Fountains of Wayne and Ivy) and how that led to forming the supergroup Tinted Windows, as well as Hanson’s charitable work and more.

Alexia Kauffman: You all appeared in Katy Perry’s video for “Last Friday Night“- how did that come about? What was that experience like?

Taylor Hanson: I wish there was some crazy, ecclectic story behind it! I mean essentially the timing worked out really well, because we were running around doing promotion for this record and so there were not a lot of times where we were gonna be in LA doing stuff ’cause we were all over the country doing radio promotion, and they (Katy Perry’s people) called us and basically said “Hey- we’re shooting this video” and said that she had asked about us being in the video. It was a no brainer. They weren’t asking us to do something extreme, they were asking us to play ourselves in her video. It seemed like fun, and obviously she’s doing really well, so it’s a great thing to be asked. The one thing we did do, I wanted to talk to her before we actually did the video, ’cause I just kinda wanted it to be coming from her, versus it just being like “Hey, ‘X band’, please come do our video.” So it was cool, I talked to her a little bit before the video shoot, and she told us about the idea, and we were on. I will say it was pretty complicated to get into character as ourselves[laughs]. The set was fun, it was a big production, and a lot of people just doing a great job, and we just had fun! Set up the band on the lawn, and rocked out for a little while, you know, no complaints. I think it was much like what you see onscreen- everybody was having a good time!

AK: So I have a question about Tinted Windows- how did that project come together?

TH: The way it started was Adam Schlesinger and I had met years ago- right after he’d written the song “That Thing You Do”- he wrote that song and he’d also written a bunch of other songs for other bands- he got put with us to try and write for our first record, and he was about twenty-five/twenty-six, and I was about fourteen I guess. So we all got together then and we tried to write, and you know nothing ended up happening on that first record- it didn’t produce a song.  We just over the years had stayed in touch, and had a lot of mutual friends in bands, and really just one day Adam called me and we started talking about the idea of actually doing a band, instead of just writing something or you know jamming around. I was pretty reluctant at first, just because it takes so much time, and being very much in-house with everything Hanson does it’s hard to leave that- you know physically leave that, and creatively leave it. But the timing worked out really well. Over the period of about three years whenever I got a little window I would go fly to New York or Adam came to our songwriting retreat that we do, and we wrote a song for Tinted Windows during that thing, in fact that was really the first song we wrote together for it, I guess in 2006. Eventually, after a couple years of little sessions here and there we finally had a record. In fact, originally our first drummer was Jason Schwartzman. 

photo credit Damien Neva

AK: Oh wow!

TH: He was the original drummer. I knew Jason from Phantom Planet, and I guess the other guys were various friend-of-friendships. We finished a lot of the record, you know- demoed it- with Jason, and when he wasn’t able to continue doing it we all said well, you know the drummer we were always talking about, or sort of thinking of in style and attitude was Bun E. Carlos [drummer for Cheap Trick], the power-pop drumming of him. So Adam just gave him a call, we called [his] management and said “Hey- this is a long-shot, but is there any way that Bun E. would want to join a side-project that we’re doing?” It was kind of an inside joke, you know, we didn’t expect that Bun E. was going to want to do the band, but he heard the stuff that we’d already written, and he loved it. So he said “I’m in!” So that was the formation of the whole thing, and of course I didn’t mention James [Iha]. James is a friend of Adam’s, they’ve been partners for a while so he was always into it, and he’s an amazing guitarist and great musician, and there you go, that’s the band!

AK: Are you all still playing/have plans to record/play more live shows?

TH: The jury’s out a little bit on it, but the response around it was really, really positive, and I would imagine there will be another project at some point. I have a stack of songs that are sort of like, you put them over on the side…to think about at the next project. But it doesn’t have the same pressure as a full-time deal, I think. Everybody really enjoyed doing it, and so I would imagine something else will happen, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

AK: I read that you live in New York now?

TH: We did live in New York, we’re actually back in Tulsa. We’ve never really left- we’ve always had houses in Tulsa. We have lived in New York, and love New York, but don’t live there full-time. We’ve just always worked out of there with the label a lot.

AK: So, in Tulsa- do you feel like you’re a part of any kind of scene there? I mean I know you all are larger-than-life there probably, but do you feel like there’s any kind of music or artistic scene there that you’re a part of?

TH: You know there’ve been waves of scenes there, there have been bands and groups of bands, and in fact Tulsa does have a creative class of people, and there’s definitely bands that have come out of Tulsa. I don’t know if it’s in its most thriving moment right now, but there’s definitely the ability to have a scene there, and great artists have come from there. I think our dream over time is definitely to, anywhere that you are you want to help cultivate good music, and stories and people having a vibrant, creative community. We have a lot of friends who are musicians, and quite a few that are there.

photo courtesy of Hanson

AK: How do you find new music that you listen to, and do you have any favorite artists right now?

TH: Oh gosh, I’m a little bit out of touch creatively as far as a bunch of new music. There are great bands out there- probably the first few things that come to mind are the people that are with us on the road, because we’ve brought both of them out because we’re fans of them. Meiko, who’s a solo female artist, she’s just great, she’s got her second sort of album coming out, she’s made an EP. She’s a singer/songwriter, and she’s just got, I don’t know, her own style, her own sort of quirky character. So she’s somebody that should definitely be checked out. And then Charlie Mars- a solo guy, he’s coming out with us on the second half of the tour. He’s a little bit more established, but one of those guys again that’s just hard to describe, it’s sort of like somewhere between Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz and you know, something else a little bit hipper. [laughs] So he’s really great. Those are the two things that come to my mind at first. I guest mostly the way I hear music is…is everywhere. I mean sometimes you’ll hear…rarely you’ll hear stuff on the radio, you know, because it’s very rare to hear something new on the radio, but through references that people give you, music you hear through other channels- commercials, movies, people recommending it. It’s just like anything, you kind of keep your ears open, and it’s always exciting when you find a new artist or band where you just get really into it.

AK: You all have done some charity work- specifically focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. Can you tell me a little about that, and how you became involved in that cause, what you all have done, and are you still continuing your work with that?

TH: Yeah, we’re in a little bit of a crossroads at the moment trying to continue to create some new tools for people that have supported our effort, and it has been an amazing thing. We are continuing to be a part of that for sure. Essentially there was a certain kind of crossing of events that happened, six or seven years ago, and we just had sort of a desire to make a trip to Africa, and we went there with a few different friends that had been a part of donating some technology they had to a research hospital. They were donating it- they developed a new sort of platform that doctors could use to communicate with patients, and we were just inspired to go. We went during the making of “The Walk” album, and what we saw was, well what particularly resonated with me was, you know, you’ve got HIV, and you’ve got extreme poverty in this part of the world, and people talked about it for a long time.

There was a myriad of issues, but in so many cases the issues come down to…you know we’re not talking about curing cancer, where people don’t know the answer, and there are doctors that are working on cures. We’re talking about clean water; people having access to educate themselves; having access to shoes so they don’t get infections just from walking from point A to point B; HIV and AIDS are something that in many cases are preventable and at least treatable for people to maintain a lifestyle. And so with all those things we walked away and went- you know there are real things that can be done, and there are real things that can be done by regular people. And that became our mission- not to preach to people about having to change the world on their own, but to realize there really genuinely are people just like us, especially young people that you as an individual can actually touch.

That inspired a lot of different ideas, the main idea being these one-mile barefoot walks that we started doing in 2007. Since we started off we’ve partnered with different great people, like Toms shoes. We started working with them really early on in their process. At the time we met them they had sold about 10,000 shoes, and we helped them reach their next goal of 50,000 shoes, and now they’ve sold millions. And for each one [pair] of their shoes [sold] they donate a pair of shoes to a child that has none. Anyway, our mission is essentially to not only raise money for those causes, whether it’s clean water, or shoes, or HIV antiretroviral drugs, but to really engage as many people on this side as possible. Part of the way we judge our ability to have done something, not only how much money we raised to support the cause, but how many actual individuals decided to do something, and how many people we touched on this side, and inspired hopefully to put themselves in the middle of a situation, and do something.

AK: So if someone wants to get involved with this, they can go to your website?

TH: Yeah, go to takethewalk.net, and you can do several things. There’s not currently a bunch of official walks announced, but you can organize your own walk event, you can organize it anywhere, and what we do is we sort of sponsor you on your first walk- the campaign will give a dollar for everybody that shows up at your walk that you register. You can also directly donate to any of the causes that you’re supporting- there are several different avenues to support the different causes, whether it’s through purchasing the “Take the Walk” book, or t-shirts, or you know, traditional things you can do to help raise money, and then spread the word about the story.

AK: Thank you so much for your time! I really appreciate it, and I can’t wait to see your show at the State Theater in Falls Church!

TH: I’m looking forward to it! Thank you for your time, and good conversation!

You can see Hanson perform live tonight, Wednesday, October 19th, at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA, or catch one of their upcoming shows on the rest of their “Musical Ride” tour!

Hanson

w/Charlie Mars

doors 7pm/show 8pm

Wednesday, October 19th

18+, $35

State Theater

photos courtesy of Hanson

Most of you out there remember the band Hanson  (brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac) as the cheerful trio of kid pop stars responsible for the infectiously catchy song ”MmmBop” in the late nineties. What you may not know is that they were more than one-hit wonders. Their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere earned them three Grammy nominations, and produced six top 40 singles in the US. After that album the group split from their major label, formed their own label and has since released five studio albums. They have maintained a loyal fanbase, and are dedicated to giving their fans unique and personal experiences through their live shows. While Isaac, Taylor and Zac are still young (30, 28 and 25 respectively) they have the kind of  musical career that so many work for their whole lives to attain. They are successfully maintaining their own label, touring, and continue to produce albums that chart high on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. Their latest album, Shout It Out returns to their roots, bringing back a more pop sound, with some nods to Motown and old-school Rock & Roll.

Hanson is currently on tour, and will be playing Wednesday, October 19th at the State Theater in Falls Church. Lead singer/keyboardist Taylor Hanson took a break out of his busy tour schedule to talk with We Love DC’s Alexia Kauffman (and make one of her teenage dreams come true) about tour, becoming famous as a kid, the music industry, and even Katy Perry. (Full disclosure: Alexia was a big fan back in the 90s, and knows all the lyrics to every song on Middle of Nowhere.) 

Alexia Kauffman: How’s your tour going?

Taylor Hanson: Tour’s going really good. You know we’ve definitely focused a lot on touring the last several years, being a live band that continues to change things up and make things interesting, so this tour, kind of the whole mission was just to make sure that every time fans came out to see a show that they were, you know, catching something new.

AK: How did you come up with the idea of having fans vote for what album they will hear on your “Musical Ride Tour”?

TH: Well it was actually kind of inspired by the series of shows we did called “Five of Five.” The first one we did was in New York last year, and you know this album is our fifth album, kind of like a landmark, and so we put together this series where we played each of our albums top to bottom and in a row, for a period of five days. And so we did that in London a second time, we just thought it was one of those things that was unique and fun, and it was something that was only available as far as the actual shows to a pretty small group of people, and it seemed like it’d be great to take it on the road. You know there’s something different about hearing a full album, you know actually hearing a lot of songs from one period which is kind of special, so we threw around different ideas and eventually ‘poof’, the “Musical Ride Tour” arrived.

AK: Did you have to relearn any of your songs?

TH: No, there’s definitely a bit of a hurdle to sharpen ourselves, you know sharpen up the band on everything. I mean we do play a wide range of songs, and have always played songs from every record but there’s also always songs from albums that just …you don’t play them that often. You know, a random ballad or quirky song…or just some songs that don’t make it into the set. So by doing this it definitely has forced us to step up our game a little bit, and it’s been really great.

AK: So you all started out with the band at such a young age, but you really seem to have your heads on straight, and seem to have kept it focused on music all these years. Do you have any thoughts about how you think it is that you avoided some of the pitfalls other young artists (and lots of artists in general) fall into, getting sidetracked?

TH: Well, so much of being a great artist or having a great career, to some degree just involves endurance. And I think you can’t endure time and stress and work without knowing why you’re there, knowing what it’s about. I think for us, we always have been able to just remain grateful for what we get to do. And like what you just said, essentially the answer is in the question in a way- keeping your focus on the music itself and kind of being reminded that that is why you’re there, that’s the thing that helps keep things together. By doing that and staying focused on the music you’re also trying to stay excited about it, and that helps keep you on track. Continuing to do things each time that genuinely make you feel proud of what you’re doing, and you’re not just going on autopilot; that keeps it exciting for you, and hopefully keeps it exciting for fans. I think that this is a really hard business from the point of sustainablity, because it kind of thrives, so much of the industry thrives on all the things that tear people apart. And that’s why, you know, you often see things come and go, but I think just staying centered on where you started off, that’s always a good idea.

AK: Did you ever feel like it was a challenge to move forward musically after having such a huge success with Middle of Nowhere, and becoming so huge at a young age?

TH: Well it’s definitely a double-edged sword. You get the incredible benefit of reaching millions of people, and essentially being a household name, and then also having to continue that and to grow people’s perception. It’s definitely…a mixed bag. But knowing that no matter what you end up with some kind of a challenge, I mean every band, everybody has their thing that they have to do. I would still take the challenge of having something that is really a strong impression that lasts on a lot of people and then build on that, than the other way.

AK: I know you all own your own label- how did that come about, and what has that been like? Do you all have help with that?

TH: Well, yeah we have a team- we don’t physically do every single thing, though we do a lot. We’re pretty hands-on. Essentially starting a label was driven by necessity. We didn’t start out in the business saying ‘What we really want to do is to be our own record label, and you know, run all the marketing top to bottom.’ But when we came up on our third record [we were] just being caught in record label mergers like a lot of bands, and our one label was swallowed up by another label. You know, in many ways we would have been better off if we were dropped in those days, because you find yourself with a new label that just comes from a totally different place. So we kind of survived a long, drawn-out process trying to make that record and eventually just said to the label ‘Hey, this is the record we want to make, and actually I think we’d rather leave now.’  It was really not a matter of anything except for the problem of the corporate kind of environment, where they’re not necessarily focused on the product they’re putting out, they’re really more focused on kind of towing the line for the corporate system. Anyway, the one thing that’s unique about what we did is I think a lot of artists, for good reason, would probably have opted not to go ahead and start their own thing, because there’s so much different kind of risk in that. We’ve never had another partnership as far as financing. We’ve never turned around and handed over what we want to somebody else after the fact. I mean we basically looked at all the labels that were out there, and we had a ton of other majors that were interested when we left our label in 2002, and we just said ‘You know, they’re kind of all the same.’ And so we set up shop. We began hiring a few key people, got distribution for the label, and now here we are, eight years later, and we’ve put out more records as an indie than we did as a major. So we’re proud of it, and we feel like we’re beating the odds as a young label. Every major record we’ve put out has been number one or number two as an independent release on Billboard, and we’ve continued to keep a strong fan-base and do things that we’re excited about, and work with people based on their merit instead of based on more convoluted politics within the label. It’s not that necessarily the whole process is easier, it’s just that you get to wake up every morning and go to sleep each night knowing what the challenges are, and knowing what you’re going to have to do to resolve them, and get your music out there.

AK: Do you have any interest in or plans to add any artists to your label?

TH: We definitely do have interest in working with other bands. I think we just felt like the process of signing bands feels like it’s not the future; but at the same time many bands starting off need somebody to help finance them or help get them off the ground. So that idea of a label coming in and helping makes sense, but I think what we would like to do is to be more of a service provider- to kind of come in and partner. So you’ll see us doing that in the next couple years. We finally reached that point where we feel like as a team we’ve been the guinea pigs for our own ideas enough times that we know what we feel is effective, and what we feel isn’t effective.  And that’s what you really want to do…you want to be a good partner for somebody. You don’t wanna just kinda go ‘Hey, let’s sign bands!’ because we can.

AK: Right, it doesn’t make sense exactly.

TH: Yeah, but it happens a lot.

AK: Your latest album Shout It Out sounds different from your past few albums- more electric, more pop, with some moments of Motown vibes.How did you decide/land on the sound for the album? Were there any specific influences for this album?

TH: Well we grew up listening to Motown records and classic Rock & Roll, I mean that’s where we came from and that’s where our soul sort of lives, you know? I mean we love other stuff but that’s really the strongest musical inspiration for our band. So on this record I think we were just kind of reminded of those things a little bit more. The last two albums had been a little bit more layered, and a little bit more pop rock, a little less the R&B thing. I mean obviously R&B in the old-school sense, the Motown kinda sense. And I think we just kinda got a fresh look and started listening to those records a little bit more, and just felt a fresh inspiration. It felt like we really needed to make a record that was old and loud, and kinda celebrating …”Hey this is who we are, this is what we do” and having it be as unapologetic as possible. Also Shout It Out is the first record in all respects to be uninterrupted by outside forces… we really didn’t have any co-writing on the record, we produced the record ourselves, we really recorded it, a lot of it just off the grid. We worked in our studio space in Oklahoma, we worked in a space in El Paso which is really secluded. We knew what record we were making, we went in there, we made it, and we tried to reflect that kind of clarity in all the things around the record- from the artwork to the videos. It’s bright, you know it’s definitely pop, and it’s also really, really organic, and polished in the style, but not polished in the production, it’s just very true. 

Part two of this interview will appear on Wednesday! Coming up in part two: Taylor talks Katy Perry, Tinted Windows, and more! Catch Hanson live at the State Theater this Wednesday, October 19th!

The Bangles are performing at the 9:30 Club tonight so we asked our 80’s/New Wave correspondent Mickey McCarter if he’d like to have a little chat with Debbi Peterson about the band’s past, present, and future.

The Bangles, founded by sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson along with Susanna Hoffs, have returned with a new album, ‘Sweetheart of the Sun’. To borrow a phrase from their previous album, they perhaps started a “doll revolution” with a tide of girl bands that began in the early 1980s and that really took hold in the 1990s. Hitmaker Prince liked the The Bangles so much that he gave them the song “Manic Monday,” which became one of their most memorable hits in 1986.

The Bangles have been touring a lot in the past decade and now they are back at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, October 6. We Love DC chatted with the lovely drummer Debbi, who is so refreshingly bubbly and modest, about breaking up and reforming the band, making an album without bassist Michael Steele, and what’s next for The Bangles.

Mickey McCarter: The new album hangs together so well and really snaps in my opinion. Do you have any reflections on how it came together?

Debbie Peterson: It’s great that you say that! It took about two years to make it. After ‘Doll Revolution’, we were touring for a while and trying to find another bass player because Michael left. We were going out and doing shows and not really focusing on another record yet. All of the sudden, we woke up and said let’s make another record! C’mon let’s do it!

We pulled together a lot of songs. Some were brand-spanking new and some were from the early ‘90s and some from the early 2000s. We had a whole collection of songs and we went through them all and recorded them. Oddly enough, we did this record a different way. We worked at Matthew Sweet’s studio and did all of the basic tracks there. It was just drums and Vicki’s guitar for the most part. So that was interesting. It was kind of like the White Stripes.

We weren’t sure how it was going to come together. It was very disjointed for a while. We moved to different places. Susanna has a studio at her house and Vicki has one at hers now. We weren’t even sure about it but the more we worked on it, the more it fell into place. We found that there is this theme that runs through the whole record of southern California and sunshine and all of the things we were brought out.

MM: When I was listening to the album again just before you called and I thought there was a lot of visualization. There is a lot of the listener being asked to see something. It comes together so easily that I was wondering if that were on purpose.

DP: That’s something that just happened. We had so many different songs at different periods of time. So maybe it is kind of introspective. It does make you look and feel because we have so many different eras of songs. For example, “Ball and Chain” was written in 1993. “Mesmerized” was from the early 2000s or the late 1990s.

It is interesting that you say it makes you want to look. That’s great. I like that.

MM: It’s pleasant and it manages to rock a little bit.

DP: It’s a little bit of sweet and tough there for you! Some of the sounds are a little more melancholy too. They sound sweet but they are not necessarily happy themes. So there is a little bit of darkness in there too. It runs the gauntlet with a lot of different emotions.

MM: Are you excited about the tour? What are you looking forward to?

DP: I am excited about that. We always like coming to the East Coast and the Midwest. We also are excited about doing about five songs off this record that we haven’t played live yet. So that’s a big thrill for us.

MM: Are there any songs that you particularly enjoy playing?

DP: I enjoy playing “Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun).” And also “Ball ‘n’ Chain,” which is a bit of a rocker. As for older songs, I love “Hazy Shade of Winter” and I like “September Girls.”

MM: I don’t mean to state the obvious for an all-woman band, but you are a female drummer. I still think that’s unusual. You don’t see it a lot. Do you have any reflections on being a female drummer? Do get inspiration from male drummers or do you look to other female musicians?

DP: It’s crazy that it’s still kind of rare. It really amazes me. I thought by now there would be loads more of them. There are a few all-girl bands like Antigone Rising and a band called Sick of Sarah and others. I am glad we are getting to know these other ladies that are out there rocking and there are female drummers too, so that’s great. But I’m still surprised that there are not that many.

I was influenced a lot by men growing up because there were not a lot of choices when I was young. I am still thrilled when young girls come up to me and say I really want to learn to play drums! You’ve really inspired me.

MM: Who are your favorite drummers and musicians?

DP: There are always Ringo Starr and Charlie Watts. Bruce Gary from the Knack was a very big inspiration for me. Sheila E is a big inspiration. A lot of them are men. I wanted to be a bass player at first because of Paul McCartney and his bass playing.

MM: I think The Bangles deserve a lot of credit for bringing female musicians in general to the forefront. But it’s interesting to me in the 1990s, what so many people consider to be the decade of the female singer-songwriter. And The Bangles sat that decade out, which is kind of ironic a little bit. I really think you helped inspire it. A lot of folks were inspired by the example of female bands that came out and had a powerful influence like you and the Go-Go’s in the decade before.

DP: It is ironic. It’s weird. That just happened. We broke up in 1989. We were done. We were done with each other. We were done going on the road. We needed a break. We needed to work with other people.

But yeah, it is kind of ironic how we weren’t around for that decade. We were doing other work with other people.

MM: You’ll be here in Washington, DC, Thursday. Is there anything you are looking forward to in Washington in particular? Do you take time to see the sights?

DP: Probably not so much on this tour, but I do want to share a great memory. In the 1980s one time when we were in Washington, DC — sometime around 1984 or 1985, we were out jogging, which is something normally we like to do if we have the time to go out and we get to see the sights and we get some exercise at the same time. So we were out jogging and all of the sudden this convertible drives up at a stoplight. And we hear this song and we all look at each other like, I know this song, what is this song? What is it? And then we realized it was “Manic Monday.” And we all screamed and jumped up and down right in front of the White House.

It was one of those moments in time that we still remember to this day when we knew we had broken through.

MM: So many people still remember you for “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like An Egyptian?” Do you get tired of the praise for the older songs?

DP: It’s great that we have that history. We are lucky that we got that. It’s always nice to say we are still making music and it’s not just about those hits. We are not a nostalgia band. We don’t do a Tribute to The Bangles. We are creating new music.

MM: And obviously there will be a new album in the next couple of years then?

DP: Yeah, like the time between ‘Doll Revolution’ and this record was about eight years. Yeah, we are going to get something out sooner next time. We won’t wait that long!

The Bangles
w/ Antigone Rising
@ 9:30 Club
TONIGHT – 7pm
$25

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Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

A first glance at the title “Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks” would probably invoke visions of bloody feeding frenzies, mouths full of razor-sharp teeth, and the sleek arrow-shaped bodies of deadly sharks. With, of course, the appropriate Jaws theme rolling around in our heads. And we couldn’t be more wrong with that impression.

Juliet Eilperin, a national environmental reporter for The Washington Post, has the spotlight this evening at the National Geographic Museum. And what she’ll be sharing with tonight’s audience will be somewhat removed from that first glimpse of her book. Despite its fearsome title, her work is more of a revelation of this sleek, deadly species that cruise the ocean’s depths (and shallows). Let’s face it: sharks have held a solid spot of fascination in our collective conscious, often as one of fear or as an image of ‘terrible beauty.’ Eilperin shines another light on sharks, however – conservation. Demon Fish strives to expose the intricacies and personalities of the shark-human relationship and reveals it’s not all about blood, teeth, and gore.

The idea bloomed after Eilperin began looking for something to write about. The oceans have had a long pull on Eilperin; they’re a subject she can fill conversations about, and for good reason. “It’s still unknown territory to humans, to a large extent, so that’s what intrigues me,” she confided. “So much of our world has been explored and documented, but when it comes to the sea, we’re still in a period of intense discovery. Also, it’s just so different from the environment in which we operate on a daily basis.” Casting about for the right angle, a colleague suggested the shark and it intrigued her enough to explore further.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

Rather than go the route so many authors have gone, recounting endless tales of danger and triumph, blood and fear, she looked for something different. “We’re at such a critical point with them, both in terms of how sharks are in danger of disappearing, and we’re learning so much about them through science,” she said. “So it made sense to focus on sharks at this moment. They’re also globally distributed, so it allowed me to travel the world and meet people from all sorts of places.”

Over the span of two years, Eilperin traveled the globe in search of different angles to look at the planet’s more deadly aquatic species. She discovered that sharks weren’t the one-dimensional species that exists in today’s common mindset. These were a creature entwined in many cultures for a variety of reasons—and one in danger of finding itself on the sliding slope to extinction.

She easily shared our society’s instant fascination with the shark, despite its dangerous nature. “I think we’re fascinated by their many senses—the fact that they can detect a drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and use electro-reception to spot a fish buried in sand. Plus, the fact that they can eat us is both terrifying and compelling.” But she also discovered much, much more.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

One cultural viewpoint stands out from her travels. Her inquisitiveness took her to Hawai’i, where she found a more nuanced view of sharks among the islands’ ancient culture. “I loved how the Hawaiians saw them as sort of Mafia godfathers, where if you paid proper homage, they would reward you but punish your enemies,” she explained. And yet, in other parts of the world, the shark is nothing more than a prop in a massive culinary scandal. Shark fin soup, she discovered, could be a considered more a culinary scandal than delight.

In many Asian homes, serving shark fin soup is a way of proclaiming the high status of the celebrants and honors the guests around the table. The continent’s growing wealth and population explosion has begun to outstrip the ocean’s ability to provide for the ever-increasing demand of shark fins. Eilperin says that between 1996 and 2000, nearly 73 million sharks were killed globally to supply the fin trade. And the soup? She was floored to find that the fin was nothing more than a “translucent, tasteless bit of noodle.” It added next to nothing to the delicacy; the dish proved to be less a culinary dish and more of a status icon.

That bit of discovery was an eye-opener for Eilperin and presented itself as an obvious solution to simple conservation. “Simply reject the global consumption of shark’s fin soup and the catching of sharks in kill tournaments in the U.S. and elsewhere,” she said. “More broadly, people just need to focus on what’s happening in the oceans.” Because sharks reproduce very slowly, there is no way for the species to reproduce fast enough to prevent overfishing. Sustainable shark fisheries are a pipe dream.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

One cannot go on a two-year trek to write about sharks without getting in the water with them and Eilperin was eager to join in. Shark dives varied in how they were conducted and she had a myriad of experiences. “A typical dive often involved a scientist or dive operator chumming the water with bloody fish to attract the sharks, but in the case of whale sharks, we didn’t do that,” she said. “And with the exception of my one cage diving experience with great whites in South Africa, I just went diving or snorkeling with sharks without any specific protection. And most of the time I was swimming near coral reefs, so there were other great animals and plants to see as well.”

Her first dive was also her most memorable. “The first time I got in the water with sharks in Bimini I was terrified, so that experience is still the most vivid for me. I recall them coming from all directions, and I was shocked by how beautiful they were.” The range of photographs chosen for the book showcase much of the animal’s predatory beauty—and the rawness of its coexistence with humanity.

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

By the end of her research and subsequent writing, Eilperin’s perspective on this deadly species had been altered. Her experiences encompassed many different species under the water but also hundreds of personalities across the globe. Her book recounts many of her encounters, from fishermen to shark fin traders to scientists. “I have a much closer connection to the sea now than I did before I started writing the book, which is amazing. And I would do it again in a heartbeat—through I think my family, especially my mother, is happy I’m not in the water with sharks quite as much as I used to be.”

Eilperin’s experiences are winding tale of discovery – not just of the mysterious shark but also of our human interactions with this oft-misunderstood species. More than just a Hollywood “boogeyman,” the shark has firmly planted its toothy bite into the fabric of many cultures. Eilperin shows us that it’s now up to us to return the favor; through even simple awareness and conservation, the shark will not fade as a mystery but remain as a living symbol of this planet’s terrible, graceful beauty.

Join Juliet Eilperin tonight at 7:30 pm at the National Geographic Museum. The Museum is located at 1600 M Street, NW. Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 202.857.7700. There will be a wine and dessert reception after the program. Parking is free for all program attendees who arrive after 6 pm.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is a talented duo from Detroit. Blending electronic elements with traditional rock instruments and vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys and Paul Simon, they have crafted a unique and catchy sound.  Their live shows demonstrate their flair for the dramatic- with hand-crafted marquees flashing their moniker “Jr. Jr.”, bubble machines, and fans-onstage dance parties. Riding on the high of playing Lollapalooza 2011 this summer they are touring the US, spreading good times and harmony as they go.

Co-founder Daniel Zott took some time out of his busy tour schedule to chat with WLDC’s Alexia Kauffman about the band, their roots, and living your dreams.

Alexia Kauffman: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for We Love DC! What musical projects/bands were you in before this one?

Daniel Zott: Josh is in a band called “The Silent Years” and I am in a band called “The Great Fiction”

AK: What did you listen to growing up?

DZ: We both had fathers that forced us to listen to a lot of Motown. There was also a lot of Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, John Lennon, and Paul Simon.

AK: How did you each first start playing music?

DZ: Josh was in bands since he was really young. I think he was in a band with some early twenty-year olds when he was 15. I dreamed of playing sports growing up, but had a knee injury and had to pick up a hobby at 12 years old. My dad bought me a guitar and I never played sports again.

AK: How did you two meet?

DZ: Like every long-lasting couple meets: over the phone. Actually we both knew about each other’s bands and had respect for each other’s projects.
He called me out of the blue one day, though, and asked if I’d like to make some music with him. The first day we got together we wrote “Simple Girl”.

AK: For the music nerd in me, can you tell me about the instruments you play?  I see that both of you play multiple instruments- what all do each of you play?

DZ: We both are amateurs on several instruments. I play a 1973 Fender Telecaster thinline. Josh has some sort of vintage Tele as well. My favorite pedal is my micro-synth by Electro Harmonix. It makes the distorted bass sound in “Nothing But Our Love” at the end. Josh loves to use his Kaoss pad to loop random things. In studio our favorite is the vintage Space Echo.

AK: What is the songwriting process like for you?

DZ: It’s different every time. We try to channel karaoke from the future.

AK: What are your influences?

DZ: Anything that is memorable. I think that is why we have such an affinity for Motown music. It seems as though those songs have been eternal.

AK: You all harmonize really beautifully together vocally. Did you grow up singing/sing in choruses or choirs?

DZ: I sang jackson 5 songs from a really early age. Josh didn’t make the choir cuts in high school. It’s almost like the “Michael Jordan” high school situation.

AK: Do you feel like you’re a part of a music scene in Detroit? What is the scene like there right now?

DZ: Of course. The scene is very hopeful. I think there are a lot of young bands that have ridiculous potential. Josh and I have produced other bands in Detroit and are continuing to try hard to stay relevant. What’s great about Detroit is that anyone can do anything. Living costs are very low and there isn’t a highly competitive scene. It is a good formula for creativity.

AK: I see that you all played Lollapalooza this summer. How was it playing for such a huge crowd?  Any favorite moments, or artists that you met?

DZ: That was the best show we’ve ever played. We felt a greater sense of energy when you have that many people to feed off of. We became one step closer to feeling what it’s like to be a professional athlete and perform on the grandest of stages. My favorite moment was being backstage for Eminem and having Shawn Marion from the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks say hi to me. He apparently is a JR JR fan.

AK: You all have been touring a lot this past year- how is that going?

DZ: Tour has always been a surprise for us. It seems to get better and better. The feeling you get when you show up to a town where you don’t know anyone and have hundreds of people wanted to see what you do is still a big thrill for us. I don’t think that will ever get old.

AK: If you could play a show or collaborate with any artist/band, who would it be?

DZ: Paul Simon

AK: What are you listening to now?

DZ: Lauryn Hill never gets old. Digesting the Danny Brown record. Um- Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (Jimmy Mack is my jam)

AK: Plans for the future?

DZ: We had a goal when we started to play Lollapalooza. Now we need some new goals. Out sell Ricky Martin in South America?

You can see Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. perform live this Thursday, September 22nd at the Red Palace.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

w/ People Get Ready

Thursday, September 22nd 

Doors 8pm

$12/advance// $14/day of show

Red Palace

Photo by Josh Sisk

Volta Bureau is the new electro/house/dance collaboration of DC’s movers & shakers of the electronic music scene Will Eastman, Micah Vellian (Miguel Lacsamana) and Outputmessage (Bernard Farley). I have known Will and Miguel for several years, initially through my old band Soft Complex. Miguel (then under the moniker Person) did a remix for our 2006 EP, and we had the pleasure of performing a live set at Will’s Bliss Pop dance party at the 930 club in 2007. I was super excited to hear they had come together to form this new group, along with Bernard Farley- they all have talent, drive and style in spades. I have a feeling this trinity is one to watch!

This week I had a chance to chat with Miguel, aka Micah Vellian, and ask him a few questions about Volta Bureau.

Alexia Kauffman: So, I know you all have been active in the DC music scene for years, but how did you decide to come together for this project?

Micah Vellian: Bernard Farley (Outputmessage) and I were living in the same house, with a shared studio space, around 2007 and worked on Dmerit.  Around that time, Will Eastman and I started working on music together for his tracks. For the next few years we wound up just bouncing ideas off each other, remix each others’ stuff and DJ together.  Initially, all three of us had vastly divergent styles, but eventually we all started moving towards the same musical direction.  The best example of that is Will’s balearic-esque remix of Dmerit’s “Stuck On You”. That was the first track where all three of us had a substantial input. The bulk of the original work was Bernard. I added a few elements. Then Will retained a lot of our ideas, but switched up the atmosphere and sequencing.  At this point, Dmerit wasn’t even sure if we were going to release a remix EP. Will had taken the initiative to promote his remix, and then the next thing we knew, Tiesto had charted it on his blog! So it kind of forced the issue of releasing an EP. But, more importantly, we realized that the sum of all our work was larger than the individual parts.

AK: Can you explain what exactly Volta Bureau is? (band? dj troupe? other?)
 
MV: Volta Bureau is a band of producers/musicians. Live performance is going to be a central part of Volta Bureau.  Sure we’ve only been DJing, thus far, but our live show will be our main mode of performance.
 

AK: How would you describe/What would you call the kind of music you all are creating?

MV: It’s often hard to define one’s style, especially when you’re involved. We definitely want the music speak for itself. Fortunately for us, Chad Clark said this, regarding our music, on Twitter the other day;  “House music made with deep love for the form. Worth your attention.”

AK: What are each of your roles in the group?

MV: There aren’t really any defined roles, per se. We play to our strengths and we all work towards a common goal. When it comes to writing music, performing, and everything else involving the band, we all strive to share the load equally.

 
AK: What has the creative process been like as far as putting songs together, recording and preparing for live shows?
 

MV: When it comes to creating songs, we all bring ideas to the table and finalize everything once we reach an enthusiastic consensus.  I can’t go into details about our live show, because we are trying to keep it under wraps until our first live performance in October at Artisphere. With that said, however, it’s not just going to be three dudes up there staring at laptops.  It will be a live performance.

 
AK:  Where did the name come from? What is the significance?
 

MV: Will got the name from Alexander Graham Bell’s laboratory, of the same name, based in Georgetown.  It’s perfect because the lab developed a lot of audio technologies. We, as a group, work in a very scientific way. It can’t really be helped, seeing as how all three of us come from academic backgrounds (Will was a former historian, Bernard has a Masters in Abstract Algebra, and I used to teach English).  All three of us also love DC and what better way than being named after an historic DC landmark?

 
AK: What are some of your main influences? (musical, literary, art, etc…)
 

MV: Collectively, we are all into Kraftwerk, Cajmere, Daft Punk, Moroder, Chic, Salsould Records, Larry Levan, Robert Hood, New Order, Prince, Zapp & Roger, Quincy Jones, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and Mark Rothko.

 
AK: Aside from influences, are there any musicians out  right now that you’re really excited by?

MV: Azari & III, Maya Jane Coles, Runaway, Maceo Plex, Art Department, Tensnake, Danny Daze, and dOP

 
AK:  How was it opening for Thievery Corporation a couple weeks ago? Was the crowd receptive? Was that the biggest crowd any of you have played for? (Pretty impressive gig!)
 

MV: It was definitely a huge crowd. We didn’t really get to dj as long as we usually do, but people seemed to dig what we were playing.

AK: What can people expect from your live show?

MV: We want people to enjoy our music as much as we do. So if anything, that’s what one can expect from our shows.

AK:  Any plans for touring/out of town shows in support of your new album?

MV: It’s too early to say, but we “Hope” to support our new single in the coming months. 

AK:  Plans to take over the world?
 
MV: Not currently, but you never know.

You can see Volta Bureau perform a DJ set this Saturday for the record release party at U Street Music Hall. Their first live performance will be at Artisphere in Arlington on October 8th. Check out the video for their first single “Hope” here, or listen here.

Volta Bureau

“Hope” Record Release Party

U Street Music Hall

Saturday, September 3rd

10pm/$10

I got the opportunity to sit down and chat with Kenny Lewis over at the Wonderland Ballroom’s lovely patio before he stepped onto the stage to play drums for the Harikaraoke Live Band Gong Show! We somehow started talking about Twitter before we got to the interview. We both shared the fact that we do not have accounts; however, after our discussion I’m sure that his band will have one, because they are so awesome! I may activate an account so that I can follow where these guys are playing.

Three years prior to our conversation,  Kenny was in New York city searching for a club that had live band karaoke going on one night. “It was on the lower east side on a Monday night and I saw this one that tended to be more rock and roll with two guitars and heavier stuff. The place was packed and the sign up sheet was full before it started.”  He came back to D.C. and found that nobody else was doing it here, so he met with his bass player Steve Sachse and told him “We’ve gotta do it. We got together, he made margaritas and we sat around trying to come up with a name and went back and forth and then all of a sudden he spewed it out ‘Harikaraoke!’” *

Notice that the word ”gong” was not part of the group name…yet. As fortune would have it a symphony gong was resting in a buddhist alter in Kenny’s attic. “I always wanted a gong and a couple years ago I bought it. Somewhere along the line I thought about using it to get my money’s worth rather than keeping it at my house.” He decided to make it a part of the show and wanted to keep the premise of the former seventies show “The Gong Show” alive. “I don’t find it’s a copy I just think that it’s appropriate to keep it going and it works with the name.” People get the gong whenever the audience starts motioning a one handed chop. The band instructs the audience to do a two armed chop motion that  means “Rock on!” When Kenny hits the golden metal and it takes over the entire show. It drowns out all sound and is incredible, but it also means that you sucked. However, the band has taken precautions to ensure that getting gonged is a good thing. ”We give them a prize now, so people don’t feel as bad. We try to be careful. I don’t want to make them cry. I bought some Japanese gifts.”
Kenny and Steve teaching the crowd to signal the gong.

Their first gig was playing at The Wonderland Ballroom’s Sundress festival in May of 2010 and Kenny told me about the most memorable singer that has ever graced their stage. “We had this one woman came in, did her thing, and disappeared and I’ve never seen her again and I wish I could see her again. She was out of hand. She rolled on the floor. She was saying crazy foul stuff that was funny and her timing was perfect. I want to say her name is Rebecca and we would love to find her again, because she was just such a star. Steve told her ‘I think you need to learn how to break out of your shell’ The people were going nuts. Then she left like it was nothing. It was beautiful.”

Click on this link to see where you can catch the Harikaraoke Band Live Gong Show! happening in your neck of the DMV. I highly recommend checking out the show if you ever want to rock out of your everyday routine . It’s a blast to watch people get into it and if you love to sing then it’s a great experience to sing with a live band. There are wigs, hats, and costumes for people to dress up with before stepping into the spotlight, which Kenny has had to start repurchasing, because people tend to take their stuff. “People steal man. Especially hats. It just cracks me up. It doesn’t put a damper on anything. I’ve been writing ‘I stole this’ on the back of the nicer hats.” When you step on stage you will have Dave Ylvisaker on the keys behind you. Steve Sachse will be beside you on the bass and he also helps guide you through the song if you get lost. I know from experience. Then you will have Robert Sullivan or John Lee on the guitar to your stage right. Kenny will be behind you with the gong and playing the drums. They have around 250 songs to choose from that range from Lady Gaga’s ”Born This Way” to the ever legendary Journey song “Don’t stop believing.” ”We have two notebooks full of songs and we keep growing.” When the song is done you get a temporary tattoo with their signature character committing harikari with a mic stand. The tattoo may only last about three weeks, but satisfaction that you sang in a rock and roll band lasts forever.

*Committing “Harikari,” or Seppuku was a samurai way of killing yourself by slicing your abdomen with a sword. Warriors were encouraged to do it to prevent enemy capture, or as a way for disgraced warriors to regain honor.

**I got gonged before. I tried to sing “Like a Prayer” and got lost in the words. They gave me a Japanese dolphin eraser. However, I did not get the gong when I sang later the night I did this interview. I sang “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling.” A guy came up to me after it was over and said “We didn’t think that you were going to be able to pull off the song, but you did.” I felt like a rock star. Now I think I’m good enough to go solo.

The set of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Old Times, directed by Michael Kahn. Photo by Scott Suchman.

If you’ve seen Shakespeare Theatre Company’s excellent production of Old Times, chances are your first impression was of a monochromatic letterbox, as the minimalist all-white set seemed to float against the black proscenium (and if you haven’t seen Old Times, you need to get hopping over to the Lansburgh this week, as closing is July 3. It’s a thought-provoking performance of Pinter’s play, as Don noted in his review). Almost every surface is white, with glass and chrome punctuations.

Not surprisingly, it was the cleanest backstage I’ve ever seen.

An all-white set presents many challenges, from design to execution to maintenance. I spoke with designer Walt Spangler and the STC run crew about their experiences with Old Times, and even learned the secret ingredients to keeping whites bright and cigarette ash in its proper place. And when a set’s this minimal, it’s not a simple process – sometimes a designer has to go through fifty different ashtrays to find the perfect one.

Steven Culp, Holly Twyford and Tracy Lynn Middendorf on the set of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Old Times, directed by Michael Kahn. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Pinter may not be the easiest playwright to delve into, but his stage directions are clear. “He describes how many doors there are and where everything is,” Spangler explained. From the beginning of the design process with director Michael Kahn, the team knew they wanted to play homage to the original 1970’s time period while updating it in a “startling” space. Accentuating the already natural letterbox feel of the Lansburgh’s proscenium stage with its wide panoramic proportions, he created a “floating box” of an all-white set surrounded by a black reveal lifted off the deck to create the “isolated, surreal landscape they are stuck in.”

“It gives it a density, a certain weight and gravitas,” Spangler said, “a black portal that falls into the void.”

The monochromatic nature of the design came about as discussions intensified about what color stage items should be – given the loaded meaning of everything in Pinter, it soon became evident removing most color except in Jane Greenwood’s costumes would allow the actors the clarity of expression the play requires. It certainly worked for me – when I saw the play, after a few minutes getting used to the all-white set in pre-show, it faded into the background as the actors themselves rightfully took command. Every eyebrow raise became all the more potent given the white surround, as faces took primary focus.

Just as Eskimos have hundreds of words for snow, so matching whites across paint and fabric was a difficult task for Spangler and the STC scene shop. At the design center where they made the furniture, “they showed us every single white leather upholstery they had,” Spangler recalled, “it was painstaking.” Even a lampshade that was slightly off the exact white pulled focus and had to be changed. When a set becomes that minimal, the process becomes more challenging.

Steven Culp, Holly Twyford and Tracy Lynn Middendorf on the set of the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Old Times, directed by Michael Kahn. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Lighting an all-white set has its challenges, and Spangler worked closely with lighting designer Scott Zielinski. There’s a lighting “trough” in the ceiling of the boxed set with the LED lights built in, so that the practical needs of the production are met with clean aesthetics. There are no unnecessary shadows in the course of the production, a testament to Zielinski’s skill. “It took some doing to get it that subtle, the finesse,” Spangler said, noting that there are hundreds of lighting cues in the show in order to keep it that simple.

Even the build was particular. “Every flaw would be noticeable,” Spangler said,” there was no fudging by the shop, they were very careful. Even in the way the room is built is sturdy.” Seams had to be perfect. Not only was the backstage the cleanest I’ve ever seen, the consideration and skill that went into the build was clear from behind the set as well. It looked like it could withstand anything. The plywood was pristine.

With all the care and attention to the design process and the build, keeping the set clean for every performance is of paramount importance. STC’s intrepid run crew for Old Times surely deserves a special Helen Hayes award for the time they spend restoring the set to its all-white glory. It’s repainted almost every night. The spike marks are in silver and gold pen so as not to distract. The crew spends at least forty minutes before each show in a four step process that includes some twenty minutes on hands and knees with Magic Eraser. During the performance they’re on high alert for any accidents. There’s a large supply of makeup wipes backstage for any emergency swipes to the couches, and aloe vera gel for the ashtrays to extinguish those pesky cigarettes smoked throughout the play.

‘Backstage at STC’s “Old Times”‘
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

“Wait,” I stop, being shown the cleaning cabinet backstage, “um, is that K-Y?”

Yes indeed. It turns out that’s the other secret ingredient besides aloe vera gel to keeping the potentially messy cigarette ash in place and off the whites. From the sublime to the mundane. That’s what it takes to create the magic of theatrical minimalism.

Many thanks to Lindsay Tolar at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, the run crew of Old Times, and Walt Spangler for the gracious interview.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is hosting a free outdoor concert to kick off their yearly Indian Summer Showcase. This year, the Indian Country/Country Indian concert will feature Victoria Blackie (Navajo), Rebecca Miller (Six Nations, Canada), and Becky Hobbs (Cherokee). The concert will take place at 5 pm outside on the Welcome Plaza in front of the museum’s main entrance.

I was fortunate enough to squeeze some time from Victoria and Becky to talk about their music, their heritage, and what inspires them in their artistry.

First, there’s Victoria Blackie. Last year’s winner of the Debut Artist of the Year at the Native American Music Awards, she also performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her voice has been described as powerful with lots of soul, hearkening back to the days of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and other female greats of the past. And don’t let her small stature fool you (she’s 5’1”); her voice is strong enough to pull you in and versatile enough to appeal to a wide range of country enthusiasts.

Victoria Blackie (photo courtesy of the artist)

“Music has always been a part of my life,” she insists. Her family has had a strong influence on her life and singing. From her mother’s Native side, “many of my immediate and extended family are well-known dancers and ceremony and powwow singers. I learned to dance many different styles, including Jingle dancing and I’ve performed at many powwows.” From her Hispanic father’s side, both grandparents were live radio singers in Mexico and her aunt¬, Martha Chavez-also Victoria’s vocal coach and manager-is a professional singer. “My father can belt out a mean song too,” she laughed.

Her heritage is a key component of her music. “It’s music that comes from the heart and soul,” she said. “When I write my music, they mostly deal with life experiences. I hope to someday write an entire CD dealing with my traditions and heritage.” She is extremely proud of who she has become, a blending of Hispanic and Navajo traditions, and is not hesitant to share who she is with her audience through her artistry. Her success comes from her talent, not her race. “I don’t think people are really looking at me because I’m Native American, I just feel I have a strong set of pipes and a strong Native community that has been very supportive,” she said. “I went to Japan at an early age because of my talent, sang at the Olympics because someone somewhere heard me sing the National Anthem.” Despite a shoestring budget, she has persevered in her career, counting on her natural talent and genuine personality to win people’s hearts. Judging by the thousands of her followers on Facebook and Myspace, she is succeeding.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But it’s more than just belting out tunes to a listening audience, hoping to sell CDs. Victoria approaches each concert as an opportunity to connect with her audience, sharing her music. “Whenever I put on a show I’m taking them on journey through time, enjoying what the greats of country music started,” she said. “I get to do what I love best—and that’s singing country music!” She doesn’t have a favorite song to perform, either. “I have so many to choose from! I love to perform songs that I can have fun with and let loose,” she replied.

A budding success in the Native American artist community, she is quick to offer advice to those young Natives looking to find their own way. Her advice should ring true to everyone, actually. “Don’t give up! If you can believe in yourself anything is possible,” she eagerly shared. “May not happen today or tomorrow but taking it step by step and pushing yourself to become a better individual is only going to take you into the right direction. Educate yourself in whatever your desire is! Carry a can do attitude and don’t put yourself down.”

Becky Hobbs (photo courtesy of the artist)

Victoria’s enthusiasm is equaled in energy and passion by fellow country singer and songwriter Becky Hobbs. A member of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, Becky is known primarily for performing in over 40 countries and writing songs that have been recorded by such popular country artists as Alabama, Conway Twitty, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, and Emmylou Harris. (Little known fact? She was also a member of the Baton Rouge southern rock band Swampfox for two years.)

Her start into music began with starting piano lessons at age nine. “Shortly after that, I started writing songs. It was a lot easier to make up my own, than to read the big notes on the paper! At 15 years of age, I started my own all-female rock band,” she laughed. “We played mostly cover songs, but also played several songs that I wrote. The older I get, the more I realize that writing songs is a God-given talent.”

Eventually she took that talent to Nashville in the 80s and her career steadily took off. But even so, she never forgot her roots. Her Cherokee heritage was the catalyst for her latest project, one she holds dear to her heart. “Three years ago, I embarked on the project of my life,” she explained. “I co-wrote a musical with Nick Sweet, called NANYEHI-BELOVED WOMAN OF THE CHEROKEE. It’s based on the life of my fifth-great grandmother, Nancy Ward, who was a war woman-turned peacemaker in the 1700’s.” This past January, Becky released a CD of 17 songs written for the musical.

Despite her heritage, she has never been pigeonholed by the music industry as a “Native American artist.” She finds it amusingly odd. “I started writing Cherokee-themed songs in the early 90’s, such as ‘Let There Be Peace’ and ‘Pale Moon,’” she smiled. “I hope that by having established myself as a country artist, I can bring more people over to appreciate Native American music.”

Attending a Becky Hobbs show isn’t a quiet and calm performance, however. She was emphatic about that when asked what people should expect. “I want to move people….either move them to tears, or to stomping their feet. Music is communication, from soul to soul,” she pointed out. Through that connection, she knows she can then communicate with audience. “With NANYEHI-BELOVED WOMAN OF THE CHEROKEE, I want people to know who this amazing woman was, and what an important role she played in American history. This will, in turn, allow people to learn more about the Cherokee people and our rich history.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

But sometimes, it’s the audience that connects with her, and not the other way around. A while back, she was deep in the middle of a nine-country African tour. “One night, before the show, my band and I were told that over half of our audience had AIDS,” she said. “Before I went out on stage, I prayed for guidance, and before the show was over, we had the whole audience up on their feet, singing and clapping along. It made me feel good to bring some joy to people who were hurting. Music is so healing.” She knew that the audience hadn’t just connected with her, they moved her with their joy for life despite their circumstances.

It’s those moments that help define Becky as an artist. While she loves a lot of her work, including performing her honky tonk and rockabilly songs, it’s the songs she wrote that touch people when she performs them, no matter how old they might be. Her most popular—and arguably most moving—song has been the 1993 hit ‘Angels Among Us,’ recorded by Alabama as a Christmas single. “’Angels’ has touched more people than any other song I’ve written,” she said. “I am honored that it has been used to raise money for numerous charities throughout the world, namely St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”

Like Victoria, Becky hopes her work inspires others to find success despite their circumstances. “Set your sight on what you would like to contribute to our world, i.e., a service, business, music, or art,” she says. “Feel the power of your ancestors behind you, and know that you are not alone. Then work your tail off to make it happen.”

The Indian Country/Country Indian concert is free to the public and will be held rain or shine at NMAI’s Welcome Plaza. The museum is located at 4th and Independence Ave, SW on the National Mall. Closest Metro access is L’Enfant Plaza, which services the Blue, Orange, Yellow, and Green Lines. For more information, call 202-633-1000 or visit the museum’s website.

Pictured: Shea "DJ ReOffender" Mulcahy // Photo by Rachel Levitin

While a lot of us were off at the beach, visiting family, or at weddings this Memorial Day Weekend, Shea “DJ ReOffender” Mulcahy was busy turning a hobby into a professional freelance career.

ReOffender is a self-proclaimed “Man of Music.” When he’s not at his day job, he finds himself singing or at the keyboard writing songs. And him and his iPod? Well forget about it! If you saw him, you’d think they were permanently attached.

“Basically, music is my life. I love that anybody could express themselves through music,” he said. That’s what got him hooked on learning to DJ.

Pictured: DJ ReOffender // Photo by Rachel Levitin

The DJ itch originally veered its head while ReOffender was in high school. He had a few friends who told him about gigs they would play. They would gush about how much freedom over the music selection there was while spinning records. As far as he heard, there were nothing but good things to be said. There was just one problem. Those friends never really talked about how they got started and he never took the time to ask.

Fast forward a decade and ReOffender has found himself the perfect way to learn to DJ while in the District: Beat Refinery.

Beat Refinery has two locations, one in Bethesda (Maryland) and one scheduled to open this month in Herndon (Virginia). The Bethesda location is where ReOffender got his start after hearing about the classes from a friend.

“In a nutshell, I’ve learned all the tools in order to take what was first just an interest of mine into a serious hobby and then into a professional career,” ReOffender said of his time with Beat Refinery.

“I’ve learned more about music theory, mixing and blending techniques, turntablism and scratching, different types of programming and software, and overall how to prepare for all types of gigs.”

ReOffender has been at it for almost a year now and spent his Memorial Day weekend driving around the greater DC area performing the entire time. For example, in a 72-hour period, ReOffender went from an in-store hip-hop gig at The Sports Zone in Greenbelt, Md.  to a top 40 dance-club night at Lupe in Dupont Circle and finally the Stars, Stripes, and Spokes bikini contest at RFK Stadium with Real Housewife of DC Michaele Salahi as a judge on Monday.

Pictured: DJ ReOffender at the Stars, Stripes and Spokes bikini contest with guest judge Michaele Salahi // Photo by Rachel Levitin

These gigs didn’t just hop onto his doorstep one day and say “Take me,” though. ReOffender attributes his success in landing professional gigs to the contacts he’s made through Beat Refinery and the online DJ community via Twitter.

Beat Refinery offers small class sizes of 8-10 students for 90 minutes at a time over six weeks. Beginners start with the basics including an overview of DJ theory (yes, there is such a thing), usage of DJ software, equiptment set-up, basic beat counting, and beat matching. Classes are available to DJs of all levels, though, from the beginner to the professional.

ReOffender’s favorite class so far was beat juggling and scratching techniques. Why? He learned from DJ I-Dee, a well-known name in the world of scratch music. That’s what Beat Refinery Offers – professionals in the field are at your fingertips if you choose to utilize the opportunity. It’s like Luke finding Yoda.

“I’m a firm believer in the fact that it’s never too late to learn anything new,” ReOffender said of his time with Beat Refinery. “If you have the drive then you should go for it.”

Summer Sessions at Beat Refinery are now open for registration.

Photo by Rachel Levitin

Each year, PBS presents the National Memorial Day Concert live from the National Mall. The show features some of the top musical acts in the nation and around the world. This year’s show had special meaning to the production crew, performers, veterans, active soldiers, and all Americans due to the recent capture of Osama Bin Laden.

The 2011 program shown on Sunday evening commemorated the tenth anniversary of September 11. The show was also a “thank you” to our troops who have been serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as their families in addition to being a tribute to our World War II veterans on the 70^th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

A few of the musical acts including American Idol winner Kris Allen, word renowned classical vocalist Hayley Westenra and Grammy award winner Yolanda Adams took a few moments to speak with We Love DC in between their rehearsal sets the day before the live show. The west lawn of the Capitol played the perfect backdrop  to an event unique to the District and the performers involved were more than grateful for being an active part of this live tribute to our Armed Forces.

Photo by Rachel Levitin

Four-time Grammy award winner Yolanda Adams has been a part of the program four times now. Adams is a passionate advocate for our service men and women and knows her life would not be the same had it not been for their daily dedication to America and their time at war.

“I think that each yeah that I have done this it has been absolutely life changing for me,” Adams said. “I have always supported anything that has to do with our soldiers and our armed forces and their wives and children but I think this year is more powerful.”

Adams urged all American to remember the opportunities given to us as citizens during this Memorial Day weekend as a way to say thanks to the troops.

“I was given a chance because of the men who went to serve in the Armed Forces during all of these wars before us,” Adams said, “and although we think it doesn’t affect us here at home, it always affects us at home because one child out of ten children in our public schools, they have a mother, a father or a relative in the armed forces.”

Pictured: Hayley Westenra // Photo by Rachel Levitin

24 year-old Hayley Wetenra of New Zealand was also humbled by being able to participate in this particular program. She had previously been a performer for the Fourth of July concert also hosted on the National Mall but Westenra agreed that the 9/11 commemoration would be a little different.

“I think that this is definitely going to be a more emotional night for everyone,” Westenra said. “Everyone has sort of a connection to the troops, you know, be it a friend or a family member and so I think this concert will be touching everyone.”

Westenra’s not being American did not distract her from the task at hand. To her, the intimate nature of Washington and the seriousness of the singing task in front of her was of dire importance. “It’s just a great honor to be invited,” she said. “To sing [...] I hope that I can [...] help people connect [...] or relate some emotions with the performance [as a thank you to the soldiers].”

Pictured: Kirs Allen and his band // Photo by Rachel Levitin

American Idol winner Kris Allen was also in attendance as a performer. Allen is no stranger to Washington, either. He has been to town before and has enjoyed his time here, including doing a five mile run around town instead of a standard walking tour and hanging out at the same places Abe Lincoln did.

Allen didn’t perform on the main stage, but instead got the opportunity to sing on a smaller intimate stage with the Capitol as the backdrop. Allen’s song for the evening? Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.”

“It’s such an iconic song,” Allen said, “[…] and everybody that I know that lives in America knows the song, so I cannot wait to actually sing it. I think it’s just going to feel so powerful and really awesome.”

The National Memorial Day Concert aired live Sunday evening from the National Mall. For clips and interviews from the live show, please visit the program’s website.

Photo by Cameron Whitman // www.cameronwhitmanphotography.com

Pam Chvotkin loves sports. She loves taking pictures of live games. She loves talking or writing about a team and their efforts. There’s a glimmer in her eye when she watches a team progress, not only as a reporter, but as an on-looker.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee and spending some time in Knoxville, Tenn., Chvotkin moved and now currently resides in the greater-DC area.

For the moment, Chvotkin is freelancing for ESPN while serving as an active member of the DC sports media for several sports organizations. She also keeps a blog called Break In The Action.

Chvotkin took a few minutes to sit down and tell We Love DC what it is that gets here so enthusiastic about Washington sports. The following interview speaks to that.

Rachel: What is it about sports that got you thinking “Maybe I could write about this stuff” – was there a moment you just realized it was something you had a passion for?

Pam Chvotkin: I live in a family with sports fanatics, a father in sports broadcasting and two older brothers that were deeply involved with sports in high school, college, and professionally. At a very young age, it became a passion of mine as well, and followed suit. At some point, probably in middle school, I realized that I had something to contribute and I had a voice. Interestingly enough, people listened.

Pictured: WTOP’s Craig Heist and Pam Chovtkin. Photo courtesy of Pam Chovtkin.

R: In a field dominated by men, what has your experience been while covering professional sports?

P: It may be a male dominated environment, but I’ve had nothing but positive experiences from men who have taken a mentor-like role when I was first starting out who lead by example to show me what a true professional was. Because it was an industry that I had followed at a young I’ve had opportunities that allowed me to learn and grow. Regardless of sports, this profession is just like any other corporate business. I’m there, just like everyone else, covering a story. Even though I can be side tracked that it is an exciting event and happens to be something I’m very interested in, you still have to maintain your journalistic integrity. And Even though I might be a fan, I am aware that there is a very fine line between enthusiasm and reservation. By observing these male figures, I was able to learn how and when to draw that line.

R: Is there any advice you feel you could offer to women just as passionate as you who find it difficult to constantly feel the burden of a male dominated press corp?

P: Sure, make friends! Be friendly. It is often that journalists bounce stories between each other. It may be a competitive industry, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get help from others or offer to help yourself. Volunteer and put yourself in a position to learn. The great thing about sports is the trends are continually changing. Each season there is a different type of team, whether its a new structure with coaching, different players, or a strategic game plan.

For example, when I started out, I learned statistics, a mathematical approach to sports analyzation. On another occasion, there was someone else doing statistics, so I didn’t have much to do for the game other than just watch and observe. I was offered a gig with ESPN and learned how to keep track of television time outs. Although I had never done it before, I was more than eager to learn. The gig became available because the person couldn’t make the game, he was stuck in traffic. I offered to help and It was something I could add to the list of different things I could do during actual game operations. I kept building my resume from there.

In this industry you earn your wings one step at a time. It doesn’t happen overnight. When you do reach a level of success, pass your knowledge on to others. In a socially networked world, these will be your sources and people who are not only your peers and colleagues, but go a step beyond the casual fan.

Photo courtesy of Pam Chovtkin.

R: From boxing to basketball, hockey to horse racing and everything in between, is there a particular sport that you prefer covering over another?

P: I enjoy covering all sports, I think they each bring something new and exciting to the table because each are so different in their own way, but my preferences are football and basketball, both college and professional.

R: Go back and dig through that memory box they call the human brain – is there a singular game you remember being your favorite to cover or write about after the fact?

P: There were so many amazing moments I have had the chance to witness and watch live. But right now, two different experiences come to mind:

I remember back in college at the University of Tennessee, there was a game I had attended at Neyland Stadium with this “Super fan” group called Orange Nation. While I wasn’t working the game, I had written about it afterwards. Florida, one of Tennessee’s rivals had possession of the ball at the start of the 4th quarter, and was ahead by a point after a missed field goal by UT’s kicker, the first his first of his career. Talk about pressure! I remember, painted face and all, and being around other fans who were just as nervous and anxious as I was to get the ball back. That was the longest 4th quarter of my life up to that point. After an altercation, a penalty, and a forced punt with six seconds left we managed to get the ball back within field goal range. The 50-yard kick was good and we won by the skin of our teeth. The place erupted. It felt like an earthquake. My voice was gone, and I am sure I went partially deaf that night. But it was one of the best moments I felt as a fan and was excited to do a recap of the experience afterwards. I knew I wanted to find some way to cover this excitment for a living. Sports is so unpredictable!

Another memorable experience was this past years NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament I worked. The opening rounds and first game of the tournament was played in the regional city in Washington, DC. I was given a lot of responsibility. The excitement, the attention, the pressure. Not to mention the games, just wow! The experience inevitably would lead two of those teams to the Final Four (final game!) and one of them to win a National Championship. That experience overall as a collective, would rank as a significant one. I remember being in the tunnel ready to run stats out to media as the game just ended when Butler upset Pittsburgh with a last second shot by Matt Howard. The atmosphere was something I couldn’t explain. I remember the majority of the hall lights were off because it was a late game and there was nothing but me and videographers waiting for the teams to come back to their respective locker rooms. All I remember seeing is Matt Howard jogging back thinking “wow, that just happened”. It was an amazing moment to be apart of.

Pictured: Lebron James and Pam Chovtkin. Photo courtesy of Pam Chovtkin.

R: So here’s a biggie – why do you love D.C. sports?

P: The wonderful thing about working in sports within the DC area is it is diverse, accessible, and sociable. Every major sport is represented. In addition to the professional atmosphere, the college sports scene is alive with more than 15 local schools competing in over 20 different sports. We routinely have division, conference and national champions in our area. Growing up here, there was also highly competitive high school sports. Many of our local athletes go on to have successful college and professional careers. There’s something for everyone.

R: Do you have a favorite D.C. sport? If so, what is it and why?

P: I love too many sports to pick a favorite. Each has their loyal fan base which I am happy to be a part of, win or lose.

R: Despite heartbreak and embarrassment, the D.C. sports fan community remains vocal and proud when cheering on their teams from season to season. How would you define D.C. sports fans when compared to fans in other major sports cities like New York, Boston or Chicago?

P: Despite all of that, I find that our fans are knowledgeable, well behaved, and passionate about their teams.

R: What advice would you offer a new D.C. area resident when it comes time for them to decide whether or not they should root for a local team?

P: If you’re unsure of how you might feel, go straight to the source and find out for yourself. Buy a ticket and go to an event, you won’t regret doing so.

Photo courtesy of Flo Anito

Flo Anito’s got a step-up when compared to her fellow singer-songwriters in the District. She has an official music video for her song “Uh Oh,” which is already getting press in the LA Examiner and DC’s On Tap Magazine. The video, shot in-town at the Capital City Diner, is just one of many bragging rights this girl’s got on her musical resume.

After a live audition, Anito was selected for the 2010 Artist Roster at the world renowned Strathmore Music Hall. “Uh Oh” was also one of five finalists in Cosmo Radio’s Breaking the Band Contest, which won Anito an on-air interview and a song spin on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Her new album, “No Dustbunnies,” features Chris Keup (O.A.R., Erin McKeown), Stewart Meyers (Lifehouse), and Brian Jones (Dave Matthews Band, Mandy Moore). It is also a best seller on both CD Baby and Digstation and is getting radio play in New York, Connecticut, and the DC metro area.

Anito is an established name in a vocal community of District performance artists. She encourages her musical counterparts and took the time to share her stories and experiences with the We Love DC audience.

Photo courtesy of Flo Anito

Rachel: How long have you lived in DC and what brought you here in the first place?

Flo: I moved here pretty much right after college. I went to Wesleyan University up in Connecticut. I knew I wanted to go to a city and 2 of the girls from my college soccer team got jobs in DC so we all moved down here together.

R: I’m going to go out a limb by guessing that music isn’t the sole reason you moved to the District to begin with … now, you’re consistently booked around town and a known performer on the singer-songwriter scene along with the likes of Rene Moffatt and Alex Vans. How does it feel to be associated with such talented acts like that?

F: I actually did move down to DC with the intention of doing music full time. I’m from a very small town in upstate New York so DC looked like a land of opportunity in terms of music. My town has two bars, DC has a zillion and it’s really offered me some great chances. The local scene is great here and lots of national acts come through as well.

I was able to open for Eli Mattson (America’s Got Talent) at the National Cherry Blossom Festival and I actually got to play the Virgin Mobile Fest at Merriweather which was amazing. Weezer, Blink 182, Franz Ferdinand, the Bravery were all there but I can say I was there too which is pretty darn cool.

R: You shot your first music video a few months back at the Capital City Diner. Tell us about the experiences associated with that. What was it like to shoot your first music video and what was it like to shoot at the Capital City Diner?

F: I had a great time shooting the video. So many friends and local musicians helped out! It all started when director Francisco Campos-Lopez found me via Myspace. After meeting up a few times we decided to use my song Uh Oh, which had recently been a finalist in a Cosmo Radio contest. We both loved the idea of using a diner, he for it’s association with Americana me for the vintage feel – I thought it suited my style. I actually found the Capital City Diner via a few people from my mailing list. Within 2 minutes of sending out an email to my list, 1 person had recommended it to me and another had recommended me to the diner.

Matt Ashburn, the owner of the diner, tweeted me, we all met up, and I knew as soon as I saw it that it was the PERFECT diner. The whole shoot only took a day but I think it came out really well. We released it at the Rock and Roll Hotel and it already has over 4500 views on Youtube!

R: In your opinion, what are the biggest difficulties you’ve encountered as a solo performer in DC and why?

F: Hmmm I’d say the hardest thing about being a solo performer who shares shows with a lot of bands is that you’re expected to draw as many people as a band that has 5 members. Now that I’ve been playing for a while, that’s become easier but it was really hard in the beginning. I also have a drummer, Jeff Goodwin, and a bassist, Brian Waitzman, who play with me when the gig calls for a full band so that’s great.

R: If there’s one thing, for sure, that DC has going for it it’s that the singer-songwriter community is supportive and collaborative. For example, Pass the Guitar at Asylum. As a solo act, do you find that encouraging? If so, why?

F: Of course! One thing I like about DC is that the city’s music scene is small enough that a lot of us know each other and are friends. A bunch of us host different showcases around the area. Actually, if anyone’s interested in playing, I book First Wednesdays With Flo at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room in Adams Morgan the first Wednesday of every month. Feel free to pass me an email and a tune – you can contact me via my website.

R: What is your favorite thing about living in the Nation’s Capital?

F: I like that if you have to be stuck in traffic, you can stare at world famous buildings while you wait. I love that there are trees on the city streets and that Rock Creek Park is never too far away. And I love that so many cultural things are free here – the Millennium stage at the Kennedy Center, the museums, the monuments, Eastern Market (until you find a really cool hat that you simply must have…)

R: Do you have any favorite DC memories?

F: When I first moved to DC I went to Iota for an open mic and got there too late for the sign up. I was going to listen to a few performers and then go home but a couple of strangers saw why I’d come and asked me to have a beer with them. I ended up hanging out with them for the rest of the night and at the end of the night they offered me a ride home. I’d taken the metro and I had no idea how far the drive was so I told them I’d catch the train. When I got to the metro it had already closed though. A metro worker saw me trying to figure out what to do and eventually offered me a ride home – this offer I took.

While I never saw the metro worker again, I stayed in touch with the couple. I had given them a CD and they ended up booking me for a couple of fundraisers. The night I met them was actually their first date and they’re married with a kid now! Anyway, that night is a favorite memory. There were nice people everywhere and it was a really great welcome to DC.

R: If you could change anything about DC, what would it be and why?

F: I would move some industry heavy hitters down here so that they could offer all of us struggling artists a hand.

R: What plans do you have for your music in the coming months?

F: Right now I’m working really hard to promote my new music video and my CD, No Dustbunnies. The CD is available on CDBaby and Itunes, if you want to check it out! I also have lots of great shows coming up and am writing new material for the first time in a bit so it’s exciting times!

Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt

Once a month, on Saturday nights, Christian Hunt can’t be missed. He’s the guy in the bright red suit hosting the Capital City Showcase at the DC Arts Center in Adams Morgan. Hunt is a District native. He was born at Georgetown Hospital and raised in Glover Park.

“It’s funny because there are so many transients here that I’m like a white squirrel, because I was born and raised in DC, still live in DC, and root for all the DC sports teams, though I pretend the Redskins don’t exist. As cheesy as it sounds, DC is my home and it always will be,” Hunt said.

Hunt took a few minutes to give We Love DC the low-down on why he thinks his hometown is “the most beautiful city in the world.” He might have lived in Boston during his college years but according to Hunt, the District is far from being a tourist trap.

Rachel: So tell me about this Capital City Showcase. It’s an evening that showcases a variety of local performance artists. How did the project get started?

Christian: I’ve been performing since I was 10 years old. Whether it was doing plays, playing piano, or singing in chorus, I was always on stage. At the end of college, I started dabbling in stand-up comedy, but when I started working I put it all on the shelf. So after years of not performing at all, I started to get the itch again. I remember being up late and watching infomercials for The Midnight Special, which was a variety show from the 1970’s that featured the best acts of the time. And I thought to myself “Why doesn’t something like this exist anymore?”

I also grew up watching the old DC20 channel, which featured local programming, like all of the kids shows hosted by Captain 20 (if you grew up here you know what I’m talking about). And again I thought “Why is there no real local programming anymore?” So I figured it would be really cool to fill both of those voids with a live variety show that featured all of talent that DC has to offer. And The Capital City Showcase was born.

Photo courtesy of Christian Hunt

The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off tomorrow, commemorating Japan’s gift of 3,000 Yoshino cherry trees to the city 99 years ago. The Festival is a grand two-week affair that draws over a million people annually, with a diverse range of events all across the District.

Key to the success of this yearly event for the last decade has been NCBF President Diana Mayhew, who took over the helm in 2000 as Executive Director and then in 2007 as President. When she arrived, the Festival was an all-volunteer organization (begun in 1927) and its vision was to ensure that there was year-round, consistent staffing to ensure the growth, quality, and consistency of events. “We also help show the world that Washington, DC is synonymous with spring,” Mayhew told me. “There was a need to provide consistent services to residents and visitors interested in attending Festival events and there was no central communication.” The Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) donated the salary of an Executive Director for three years until the Festival got up on its feet, implementing fundraising and sponsorships to support itself and the cost of programming, which is offered free to the public.

"Standing with Japan"; courtesy NCBF

This year, a very poignant tone underlies the usual springtime fun as Japan struggles to overcome the recent string of disasters. The NCBF quickly recognized this and added the touching “Stand With Japan” event last night, with all donations going towards the American Red Cross relief efforts in the beleaguered country. Over 1,000 people walked from the Sylvan Theater and around the Tidal Basin in a moving and heartfelt tribute to the victims of the disasters.

Visitors will have opportunities to donate to disaster relief throughout the Festival, as well as online through the NCBF website. All donations received at NCBF tents will go to the American Red Cross efforts in Japan.

Mayhew is a long-time resident of the DC area, having been here almost 40 years. “Washington DC has everything a person could ever want! It has culture, history, and the feeling of a small town in such a prominent city,” she said. “We are also close enough for great weekend trips to the mountains and beach – it’s a wonderful location.” Not to mention that during the spring, it’s one of the most beautiful spots on the East Coast, thanks to the millions of blooms that grace the area’s cherry trees.

National Cherry Blossom Festival President Diana Mayhew; courtesy NCBF

The NCBF holds a number of events every year, with so many to choose from that practically anyone can find something that appeals. Putting all of this together with a small staff and a short amount of time is a challenge, but one that Mayhew and her team relish. “We have, and are approached with, so many amazing ideas, but there is only so much time to capture and execute all that could be implemented,” she explained. “There are many opportunities for events and expansion, we would love to be able to implement them all but funding and human resources are limited.

One of the key things the Festival relies on every year is the body of volunteers that give up their time to help make it happen. Mayhew was quick to point out how important their help really is. “There are so many people who help us participate by volunteering and we move so quickly that it is a challenge to pause and thank the hundreds who make this Festival happen,” she said. And it’s never too late to volunteer, even for this year’s events. “We can always use volunteers during the Parade and our other 16 days of events. It’s a great way to form bonds and friendships, and get a behind-the-scenes-look at the Festival.”

Mayhew works hard to bring the Festival to the city every year, but also manages to take time to enjoy it as well. “There have been times I have been able to sneak away, take off my hat as President of the Festival, and just be an attendee, enjoying the events and blossoms with my family,” she remarked. Two of their favorite spots to sit and enjoy the people and the blooms? “One is sitting at the foot of the Washington Monument in front of the Sylvan Stage, viewing the beautiful blooms, listening to wonderful music and watching the people. The other is at the steps of the Jefferson Memorial taking in the entire view of the Tidal Basin.”

And there are great memories from each one, too: “The Parade and Fireworks are all-time favorites as those are usually on dates that my entire family can enjoy all together,” she said. But one memory in particular will always stand out to the Mayhew family. “In 2009 under the fireworks, my son-in-law asked my daughter to marry him, so that will always be a treasured memory.”

Making the blossoms a memory for tourists and residents alike every year is the NCBF’s specialty. “The Festival provides so many experiences, whether you’re a visitor, student group performing, participating in the neighborhood tree plantings – they all create lifetime memories,” said Mayhew. “We have had so many spectacular performances over the years. One of my favorites was the collaboration between ‘Swing Girls’ Tateshina high school jazz club (located in the Nagano prefecture) and the Howard University Jazz Band.”

Looking over the website alone, there’s a ton of great events all through the two-week celebration – not counting those going on outside the Festival but still sporting the blossom theme. This year, there are some new events and features that Mayhew wanted to point out. “For the first time, you can plant your own tree in conjunction with the Festival and Arbor Day Foundation and literally bring the beauty of the Tidal Basin to your home,” said Mayhew. “We also have a new event with the American Diabetes Association this year called the Cherry Blossom Bike Rally & Ride – families will learn about bike safety and healthy lifestyles, but it’s also a day filled with family entertainment including a moon bounce, face painting, origami, and so much more.”

The Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is also being expanded. This year, it will include over 7 hours of performances and family-friendly entertainment before the Fireworks Festival Show at 8:30 pm on April 2. The NCBF is also holding their first-ever photo contest in conjunction with FotoDC, with entries going through the NCBF website. And finally, Capital Bikeshare is placing a special location at 12th Street and Independence during the Festival’s weekend dates. And Mayhew confirmed that the bike valets will be back in conjunction with goDCgo.

With everything going on, the District can seem overwhelmed with people – especially during the peak bloom period around the Tidal Basin. Ask most locals and they’ll share their “sweet spots” to enjoy the blooms without the crushing press of humanity, and Mayhew is no different. So what does the Festival President suggest to locals? “Visit at sunrise and sunset. It is truly a beautiful time to come and see the blossoms,” she said. “For everyone, I would say to take your time and really enjoy them. It will definitely be crowded, but the blossoms are fleeting, a symbol of spring and friendship between the US and Japan – and the best time of year here in DC.” And if the Basin just isn’t for you, she recommended enjoying the blossoms at the National Arboretum, with their 600 cherry trees, or hit Fairfax County for a self-guided tour of one of the area’s spring gardens.

Next year is the centennial celebration of the cherry blossoms, and it’s going to be doubly busy for the NCBF. Already, plans are underway for a truly magnificent festival. Mayhew told us there’s going to be a 5 week celebration next year, from the first day of spring through Arbor Day. “The whole city will be in concert, with exceptional art installations, world-class performances, and a tribute to the history and Japan with a historical tree-planting re-enactment,” she said. “It will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that everyone should be a part of.”

Thanks to the efforts of people and organizations like Diana Mayhew and the NCBF, locals and visitors alike are able to truly enjoy the culture, pageantry, and magnificence of Japan and its people. Consider that the cherry blossom is oft seen as a symbol of the evanescence of human life. And here, it is celebrated year after year through a simple act of nature.

The bloom of the cherry blossom.