Category Archives: The Features

These are our features. They come back either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

The Features
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We Give Thanks for DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Thanksgiving Table With Food’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

It has become a We Love DC Thanksgiving tradition to tell you what we’re thankful for in and around DC. Imagine us all around a candlelit table, counting our blessings over wine and turkey. Please join us in the comments. And remember, We Love DC isn’t a cult, we’re just fanatically close-knit, okay?

Tiff: This year has brought a lot to renew my perspective on DC. I’m so thankful for my new neighborhood, the welcome we’ve gotten from our neighbors, and the new regular haunts that have come with our move, like Ray’s River East and Rustik. I’m grateful for people who share their culture and passion through dance and the new friends I’ve made that way. But most of all, I’m thankful each day for the We Love DC community- my fellow writers, of course, but also the readers, the Twitterers, the other DC bloggers, the reporters who welcome bloggers into their community, and yes, even the anonymous comment trolls. Some of you have become valued colleagues, some have become cherished friends, but you all inspire, challenge, and energize me.

Katie:

  • The passionate, interesting, savvy group of people that I follow on Twitter. They keep me informed of DC’s great food, good deals, and breaking news.
  • Great workouts at locally-run places like Mind The Mat and Yoga District.
  • Our area’s farmer’s markets, full of crisp, flavorful produce, that never fail challenge me to be a better cook.
  • Dupont Circle at dusk.
  • Food splurges that are worth it, like The Source, Poste, and Bourbon Steak.
  • Deals and steals on some of my favorite DC food: The unlimited “fat kid” brunch at Masa 14, the slice and pint happy hour at Radius, the beat-the-clock happy hour at Firefly and SEI‘s $6 sushi at happy hour.
  • Drinking wine on the patio at Willow at night in the summer, or a huge cup of Ginger Rose iced tea at Pound Coffee.
  • The breakfast taco from District Taco.
  • Vintage/Thrift shops like Treasury, Secondi, Junction and  Oliver’s in Annapolis.

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Entertainment, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Laramie Project Ten Years Later

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘rejohnson71’

This past weekend Tectonic Theater Project performed its play cycle on the murder of Matthew Shepard and its effect on the town of Laramie, Wyoming – The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. I was only able to attend the latter on its final night, which deals with the murder’s aftermath through interviews with town residents. It was a moving evening of documentary theater. Though Tectonic does not as yet list future tour performances, the plays are widely produced and I’m sure you will have a chance to see them if you missed this round at Arena Stage.

If not, watch clips online. Maybe while you’re waiting at the airport this week, fire it up. Start a dialogue with the person next to you. Who knows what may happen? You may learn something about the human capacity to alleviate discomfort by forgetting or distorting the past – “the nature of rumor,” as it’s described by a folklorist interviewed in the course of the play.

Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998. I remember it not only as a murder whose horror was shocking in itself, but as an incident that catapulted hate crime and homophobia to the national news. It’s hard for me to stomach that there are college students in Laramie now who have absolutely no idea it happened, but that’s the truth as documented by Tectonic’s actors as they interviewed on campus while creating The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. Continue reading →

Talkin' Transit
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Talkin’ Transit: Metro Roundup

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

There’s some changes coming to SmartBenefits in the new year, and you might want know about them now for your long term planning health.

Metro tells us that starting January 1, 2011, there will be two changes to some benefit programs mandated by the government. The first change is a limit on how much money a person can get for transit. The new limit is $120, a full $110 less than it is this year.

The agency says that of about 285,000 people that receive a transit benefit, about 90,000 will be affected by this. This change comes about as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expires at the end of the year.
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We Love Music
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We Love Music: Reel Big Fish (and Aquabats!) at 9:30 Club

Reel Big Fish

You can tell a lot about a show by the way people leave after it’s over. The lights come up, the house music kicks in, and people filter through the door, clinging a little bit to the last two hours. Or, in the case of Reel Big Fish at the 9:30 Club on Monday night, they hum along a little to that house music before breaking into a spontaneous group singalong of “Sweet Caroline.”

Which, really, tells you everything you need to know about that show: a little corny, a whole lot catchy, and, deep down, something you probably enjoy despite yourself.
Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Wizards Beats 76ers In Overtime… Again!

Photo by Patrick Pho

The last time the Sixers came into the Verizon Center the story was all about the top two picks in the 2010 draft facing head-to-head. Turner ended up playing 27 minutes off the bench while Wall started and scored 29 points the night.

Tonight the tables have turned, Turner ran out of the tunnel as a starter while Wall sat on the bench- active but still recovering from a left foot sprain. He entered the game in the first quarter to cheers but didn’t look like himself as he passed the ball around to shooters that put up bricks early in the game. The one thing that did stay the same for the Wizards this time around was the result: a Victory in overtime. Thanks to a game clinching shot by Nick Young and another strong performance from JaVale McGee, the Wiz eek out past the Sixers 116-114.

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Entertainment, Penn Quarter, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Master and Margarita

Paata Tsikurishvili, Irina Tsikurishvili, Sara Taurchini and Katherine Frattini in Synetic Theater's "The Master and Margarita." Photo credit: Graeme B. Shaw.

Synetic Theater is following up on their muscular rendition of King Arthur with something a bit more cerebral. Actually, a lot more cerebral, with not one but two men losing their heads onstage. Joking aside, it’s hard for me to know how to judge The Master and Margarita, playing through December 12 at the Lansburgh Theatre. As the company revisits its 2004 production of the Mikhail Bulgakov novel with a new adaptation by Roland Reed, all the usual elements we’ve come to expect and love from Synetic are in full force – extremely beautiful design, powerful physical visuals, and dramatic intensity. Putting these talents at the service of a densely intellectual story, mostly unfamiliar to American audiences, is the kind of risky undertaking I certainly admire. Yet somehow, I felt like I was watching a diamond – exquisite, but cold.

In his director’s notes, Paata Tsikurishvili says “we have chosen to embrace the absurdist elements of his story and highlight the Master’s (and Bulgakov’s) own artistic and religious struggle.” Esoteric struggles work in literary terms – but do they translate well to physical action and is the audience able to connect?

On the surface we have ninety minutes of stunning production visuals, especially the work of Anastasia Rurikov Simes, whose set and costumes are an eerie evocation of a surreal Soviet Union – like watching propaganda posters come to life through the prism of The Red Shoes. Continue reading →

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: Pierre L’Enfant Planned DC

Photo courtesy of
‘L’Enfant’s Plan at Freedom Plaza’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’

Ask just about any Washingtonian who planned the city, and they’ll know it was some French guy, or maybe they’ll even come up with his name, Pierre L’Enfant.  But that wasn’t always the case– for years, Pierre L’Enfant never got credit for designing the city.  So while we all know this ‘myth’ is true, for decades it was just that: a myth. Wondering how this all came to be? Read on for the sad story (spoiler alert: there’s a happy ending!).

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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Cannibal Corpse @ Rock & Roll Hotel 11/21/10

IMG_5974
all photos by author.

As soon as this show ended and my friend and I found each other amidst the human debris of the mosh pit, I asked him, “Why do we always under-estimate these metal shows? We always have a great time!” to which he replied, “Because we want to be intellectual metal snobs but deep down inside we just love fucking metal.”

Fair enough.

Cannibal Corpse are intensity personified. Cannibal Corpse are ridiculous, grotesque, and beyond offensive. Cannibal Corpse are a big, bloated, sack of swollen body parts; or rather they sing about such things on a regular basis. Cannibal Corpse are one of the longest running and most prolific Death Metal outfits in America. You could call them kings of their corner of the music underground; sporting titles well-fought with halberd and mace, guitar and kick-drum. Their subject matter is absurd and their music is brutal. For me their show on Sunday night at Rock & Roll Hotel started out as a lark; a trip down teen nostalgia lane. At its end I found myself drenched in sweat with a big bloody smile on my face as my innards slowly settled back into place after the aural pounding that Cannibal Corpse had delivered unto them.

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Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of
‘Steppin’ Out’
courtesy of ‘ameschen’

Patterns broken up by a subject or other feature tend to make a photo stand out. In this case, the patterns are the stairs — the many, many stairs — of the Lincoln Memorial. You can’t really tell it’s at the memorial, and that makes it a more interesting picture than one which might have attempted to have the jogger framed with Abe in the background.

Flickr contributor ameschen used the tilt of the camera to create the appearance of an even more difficult slope for the jogger to climb.

Fun & Games, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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National Geographic Live: December 2010

Ben Folds, by Ben Folds, courtesy National Geographic

Ben Folds, by Ben Folds, courtesy National Geographic

National Geographic concludes their 2010 NatGeo Live season with eight more programs to ring in the holidays. Because all of their events wrap up before mid-December, we’re giving you a chance to win one of two pairs of tickets to any of the programs below (except the sold-out Irish Christmas Celebration). To enter, simply comment below (using your first name and a legit email address) with which two events you’d most like to attend, using your first name and a legit email address; we’ll randomly draw two winners sometime after 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24.

We at WeLoveDC would like to thank National Geographic for bringing our readers the opportunity to attend these events all year long. It’s been quite the diverse line-up this year and we can only look forward to another great year in 2011!

If you’re interested in attending one of these events, visit NatGeo’s website or their box office, located at 17th and M Street, NW. Keep in mind that parking in NatGeo’s underground lot is free for all programs beginning after 6 p.m.

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Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: The Fog of November edition

Photo courtesy of
‘00209054’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

Wizards
Record: 4-8
Last Two Weeks: 3-4
Place: Fifth in the Southeast

It’s amazing that the Wizards managed to win three games considering John Wall didn’t play in two of them. The franchise player has been out four straight games with a left foot sprain. Wizards fan can breathe a sigh of relief however, Wall is expected to return to the court for Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia. In Wall’s stead, Gilbert Arenas has retaken the reigns but is still trying to find that 3-point shot that he’s known for. Including last night’s loss to Detroit, he’s 5-21 (23.8%) in 3-point shots in the past three games- a bit off from his career 35.9%.

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Sports Fix, The Features
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Week 10 Recap – Skins vs. Titans

Photo courtesy of
‘39322-14’
courtesy of ‘furcafe’

Everything seemed hopeless after the Redskins’ Monday night debacle against the Eagles. Then, they took their gold pants to Nashville and beat the Titans 19-16 in overtime. I guess this proves that the Eagle game was an anomaly. The Skins were scrappy against the Titans, the defense forced a couple of turnovers, and Donovan McNabb looked great with 376 yards and a touchdown passing. Better yet, McNabb ran the two-minute offense exactly how Mike Shanahan wanted him to run it. Only Graham Gano’s missed 47-yard field goal at the end of regulation prevented total confirmation. Gano did connect on a 48-yarder in overtime, thanks in part to the Titans’ penalties, to seal the victory. The Skins are back at .500 and all five wins have come when they’ve scored less than 20 points. Continue reading →

Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 11/19 – 11/21/10

Photo courtesy of
‘Kodak Bullet Camera 1936’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Short work week for most of us this week! In fact, I’m betting most of us at work are already finding ways to not work just to get through these three days before food, football, and yet more food. So to give you yet more excuses to avoid the workweek, here’s our Monday photo fix.

Next week’s flashback will encompass the four-day weekend, so if you take photos around the area, don’t forget to drop them into our Flickr pool for consideration!

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Entertainment, Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Winter Tour 2010


Photo by Rachel Levitin

The Washington Post once compared watching Trans-Siberian Orchestra to watching the spacecraft at the end of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” touchdown for 2.5 hours.

The Independent of London pointed out that TSO concerts unleash enough pyrotechnics to barbecue an entire school of blue whales.

The Chicago Tribune, then, gracefully reminded us that deep down inside the hard rocking, laser-light extravaganza of a show TSO performs during their annual Winter Tour is to celebrate the holiday season – and more specifically Christmas.

“Why a Christmas concert that revels in the excess of the ’90s and sports the hair of the ’80s while overdosing on the musical pretensions of the ’70s?,” the Tribune asked TSO creator and composer Paul O’Neill.

“Because the rest of the year, there’s blood in the streets,” O’Neill said, “and Christmas is the one time when you pick up a phone and call someone who hasn’t seen you in years and even if that person has caller ID, they will pick up.”

All Christmas sentiments aside, TSO is one of those bands that is good any time of year due to the fact that they are – in a word – awesome.

Why are they awesome? Three reasons: production quality, fan base, and musicianship. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Interviews, Music, We Love Music
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Q&A with Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold
photo courtesy of MSOPR.

Paul Oakenfold is arguably the biggest dance music DJ and producer in the world. The closest thing to a household name that the hardcore dance world is likely to ever produce, Oakenfold has been a major force in electronic dance music for twenty years. Rising from a basement bar in Covent Garden at the end of the 80’s with an arsenal of Acid House and cross-genre Ibiza DJ stylings he went on to conquer the London nightclub scene and then the world. They simply do not make DJs bigger than Paul Oakenfold.

Oakenfold is bringing his Facelift Tour to the 9:30 Club on Tuesday November 23. He took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with me about his career and the current landscape of dance music.

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Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Simian Mobile Disco @ U Street Music Hall 11/17/10

Simian Mobile Disco
Photo courtesy of Motormouthmedia.

I love U Street Music Hall.

and

I love Simian Mobile Disco.

The two combined for one of the most fun nights of electronic dance music that I have had in Washington DC since the heydey of 90’s techno at Trax or Capital Ballroom/Nation. It was so much fun, I can hardly believe that it took place in our city. No offense DC, but on the pure electronic party front you’ve been lacking for years.* Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘Delicatessen’ party at U Street Music Hall rivaled some of the best European dance parties and Sahara Tent raves I have experienced. I imagine that bringing real ‘experience’ dance parties like this one to DC is exactly why Jesse Tittsworth and Will Eastman built their electronic music mecca in the first place.

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Five Favorites, The Features, Where We Live
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Five Favorites: Neighborhood Elements

Photo courtesy of
‘Colors!’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

For the past year and a half I wrote the Where We Live feature for We Love DC.  Every edition would take me to another neighborhood in the city, where I’d talk to residents and find out what makes that neighborhood a great place to live. And while every neighborhood was different, and there were some unique characteristics of particular neighborhoods (like the neighborhood rooster in Takoma), there were a lot of similarities too.  After a while, I’d hear the same things over and over again as the main things that people love about their neighborhoods.  Here are some of the elements common to our favorite neighborhoods in the District.

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All Politics is Local, The Features
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A Conversation about the TSA with Eleanor Holmes Norton

Photo courtesy of
‘tsa scanner’
courtesy of ‘silas216’

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton may not have a vote on the House floor, but she does serve on several powerful committees and subcommittees where the esteemed Delegate for the District of Columbia does have a vote and a good deal of clout.  One of those committees is the Transportation committee, on which she sits, and is also a member of the Aviation Subcommittee.  In addition, she serves as a member of the Homeland Security Committee which oversees the DHS and their sub agency, the Transportation Safety Agency.

The TSA has come under heavy fire in the past two weeks over the deployment of millimeter-wave and backscatter scanners which allow the TSA to peer through a passenger’s clothing and look for harmful objects.  Many object to these new imaging solutions as they can tend to be fairly graphic, (potentially NSFW) and have lead to mockery of genital size among TSA employees and assaults.

Yesterday, we had a few minutes to spend with the Congresswoman and asked her about these new scanners, and what she thought Congress might do.  The transcript is below the cut, but I can spoil it a bit: I was hoping for better from the Congresswoman.

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: November 20-21

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Jenn: It seems like suddenly winter is here, so warm up with some hot jazz Saturday night with the Ravi Coltrane Quartet at the historic Sixth & I Synagogue. Coltrane is the son of jazz legends saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Alice Coltrane, but he’s his own man on the saxophone and is backed by one of the best rhythm sections playing today. Afterwards you could snuggle up under a furry wrap and escape with a Hot Peanut Buttered Rum at POV, now serving their warm cocktails menu on the heated roof terrace. Or hit some theater, with the Tectonic Theater Project performing this weekend only at Arena Stage. Their play cycle dealing with the murder of Matthew Shepard and its aftermath on the town, The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, is bound to be riveting. I’ll have reviews of that and Synetic Theater’s restaging of The Master & Margarita, with artistic director Paata Tsikurishvili’s return to the stage, up next week.

Patrick: I’m really bummed that I’m missing the big We Love DC staff meeting on Friday- but somebody has to cover the Wizards/Grizzlies game. So you’ll find me on the floor of the Verizon Center and around the press tables. Say hi if you catch me typing away. Saturday afternoon I have a hot date with the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. I’ll have to remember to bring my sunglasses for the CSI Experience exhibit– I’m sure it’ll be hot… perhaps too hot to handle(YEEEAAAAAA *cue The Who) Saturday night is still up in the air but now that I’m halfway through No Drink November, I could use some suggestions on a place that will whip up some non-alcoholic cocktails! Continue reading →