Category Archives: The Features

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

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Storm Takes Out US Players


Xavier Malisse by Max Cook

AUGUST 5, by Paula Schumann

The skies broke open and the rain came lashing down just as the third round
matches were about to get under way on Thursday afternoon at the Legg Mason
Tennis Classic.  Despite the severe storm, play was able to proceed with the use of
large blowers to dry off the courts.  By around 8 pm, the action got started on
the Stadium Court with John Isner (USA) facing Xavier Mallise (BEL).  Shortly
after, the side courts were dry and it was a night that made choosing where to
be quite difficult.  I took the opportunity to spend some time on the side courts.
Because the rain had thinned out the crowds a bit, it was easy to get up close
and personal.  If you’ve always thought that the only way to see a match is on a
center stadium court, I highly recommend the smaller side courts for witnessing
the intensity and level of exertion of the pros.  I ran into a fellow tennis enthusiast
at one point who said she only likes to sit in the aptly named “sweaty seats”.

Continue reading →

Alexandria, The Great Outdoors, Where We Live, WTF?!
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Nature’s Fury: Braddock Road Edition

IMG_1158
photo by author.

Alexandria got hit hard by yesterday’s freak storm.The worst hit area seemed to be the North/South stretch of Braddock Road between Old Town and Route 7. That stretch looked like it had been hit by a mini-tornado; trees down, roads closed, cars and homes struck. In the several hours it took me to drive home from DC last night, I got a tour of some pretty spectacular storm damage. Here are some shots I took that I think give a pretty good impression of how strong this storm was.

Stare in awe at the aftermath of nature’s fury.

Continue reading →

The Features
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Silence in the City: Where To Go To Get Away

Photo courtesy of
‘Have A Seat’
courtesy of ‘Paul Frederiksen’

A lot happens in our great town: art shows, meetups, happy hours, plays, lectures, new exhibits opening, old exhibits closing, book signings, breakfast meetings, brunches, power lunches, fundraisers, forums, playdates, baseball games, midnight movies, networking, tweetups, talks, tours—heck, even our skeeball and kickball games are organized nearly to death. And then you’ve got e-mails, Twitter feeds, friends, half the blogs in the city, Groupon, Goldstar, the Going Out Gurus, and mailing lists from every nonprofit, theater company and neighborhood book store whose website you ever even thought about visiting, all telling you about this Great, Exciting Can’t-Miss Event! going on. So you fill your iCal, shut down your office computer at 6:00, and trudge onto a packed Metro platform, elbowing your way onto a four-car train that’s 20 minutes late and already loaded 1,000 other worker bees and 1,000 tourists and their 1,000 screaming kids, most of whom are way too big for that stroller that just ran over your toe, and you head out to that event, determined to fill your evening hours with something interesting and important. And then you do it again the next night.

DC: Stop. Take a breath. Calm. Down. Put away the smartphone. We’re here to help. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
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Wrapping Up the Rickey

Alex Bookless wins the Rickey Contest. Photo: Scott Wolfson.

The Third Annual Rickey Month Celebration was Monday night, and I’m only now getting around to recap it after being honored to participate in the final judging. That should give you a better idea of what kind of wild fun party it was than anything I could possibly write, but…

The five final contestants presented a quintet of Rickey riffs highlighting the enormous talent we have on hand here in DC mixology. None were derivative, all were inventive, and it was a very tough call. That’s the sign of an excellent field of contestants – congratulations to the DC Craft Bartenders Guild!

But there has to be a winner, and it was Alex Bookless (The Passenger) with her The Root of All Rickey, a complex mix of both event sponsors Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Hendrick’s Gin. Continue reading →

The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Small Works on Paper

Vonn Sumner, 'Totem', 13.5"x11", watercolor on paper

The art galleries I love most are inviting and unintimidating, highlighting a thoughtful curator’s focus and giving you a intimate view into the artist’s world. Stepping into Morton Fine Art’s new space on Florida Avenue off U Street felt instantly relaxing as curator Amy Morton welcomed me with a warm smile. I was eager to take a look.

MFA is housed in an airy white room on the street level of the MINT building, billed as an “innovative arts lab.” Really several concepts rolled into one – studio, arts consulting, gallery, artist advocacy – it’s conceived as a way to serve the changing contemporary arts scene by collaborating with multiple artists as opposed to maintaining a “static stable.” In addition to shows at the studio space itself, MFA hosts the bi-annual exhibit known as *a pop-up project which “pops-up” at various temporary locations around the city.

The opening exhibit is Small Works on Paper, on display now through August 26. It’s completely manageable for an afternoon pop-in with a carefully chosen selection from three artists – Vonn Sumner, Rosemary Feit Covey, and Laurel Hausler – working in mediums ranging from watercolor, wood engravings and mixed media. Strongly dedicated to the belief that anyone can be an art collector, Morton took the time to walk me through the current exhibit and shared her enthusiasm for the artists. It works. After a few minutes I felt the itch to take home one of Rosemary Feit Covey’s subversive wood engravings. It might happen to you as well. Or you can simply linger, wondering over some quietly powerful images. Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
By

We Love Weekends, August 8-9

Photo courtesy of
‘Americana’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’

Jenn: This weekend is all about the Dog Days of August in my ‘hood, sponsored by the MidCity Business Association and taking place all along the 14th and U Street corridors. From the Studio Theatre Prop & Costume Sale, to boutique fashion sidewalk sales including Redeem, Nana, Lettie Gooch and Treasury, this is always a fun event to wander up and down featuring sales of 70-80%. Many of the local restaurants will have specials too – like Marvin’s rooftop posicles, Cork Market’s donut and lemonade stand, and ACKC’s tropical beach party. Show the love to one of DC’s most vibrant communities, and get some sweet sale action for yourself too!

John: I’m taking a much-needed break this weekend and going somewhere (really, I don’t know) with my girlfriend on a trip planned by Magical Mystery Tours. All we know is that there will be a beach and that we show up at DCA at oh dark thirty on Friday morning. If I wasn’t mystery vagabonding, I’d be heading to DJ Lil’e’s 80s Prom Night at the Black Cat Mainstage on Friday night, with a bite to eat at Bar Pilar. Sunday Brunch would probably involve Bacon at Eola or a Cowboy Breakfast with a live bluegrass band at Fireflies in Del Ray. Something awesome about bluegrass and breakfast.   Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Robyn & Kelis @ 9:30 Club 8/2/10

Robyn @ 9:30 Club 8/2/10
photo by author.

Robyn and Kelis announced their unlikely tour pairing via (a staged?) Twitter conversation back in May.

Kelis: Love to. Thinking it’d be fun 2 hit the road together?

Robyn: That’s what I’M thinking. I got my strobes ready & some new dancing shoes as well. We could do this!

Dubbing their team-up the “All Hearts” tour, the soulful, hip-hop, songstress and the Swedish, former teen pop star set out across the country to introduce America to their re-invented selves. On Monday night “All Hearts” converted the 9:30 Club into a glitter-drenched, sweaty, pop-disco as the two very different divas delivered two very different sets. Kelis, up first, provided the evening with a heavy dose of glitz, glimmer, and confetti with a set that was musically uneven but enough fun to forgive its shortfalls. Robyn ditched the glam and opted instead to kick some serious tail by hitting the stage with more energy than I’ve seen on-stage in maybe forever. Musically Robyn’s set reigned supreme over the adoring crowd by mixing electro force, positive attitude, and an awesome voice.

Continue reading →

The Features
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Nats Fans Are People Too: Mark Strattner


Photo Courtesy of MLB.com’s “Notes From NatsTown” blog

“Nats Fans Are People Too” is a new series taking you inside the minds and lives of the District’s biggest Nationals fans. Do you know somebody who should be featured? Are you one of the many die-hard Nats fans in town? Get in touch by sending a message to rachel@welovedc.com!

Some District residents might recognize Mark Strattner on the Metro or in the stands on game day. He was named the Nationals’ 10 millionth fan at a Nationals-Red Sox game in 2009 at Nationals Park. By day, Strattner is the the Chief of Collection Services Division at the Law Library of Congress. After hours, it’s all about the Washington Nationals.

Mark Strattner has been a Nationals season ticket holder since 2005 and a National League baseball fan his entire life. He grew up the son of baseball fans from Dayton, Ohio, whose parents were from Cincinnati. The family’s blood runs deep with a love for the Reds, but mostly for the National League. This was a consequence of where he was raised. Young Mark was born not too far from the District in Norfolk, Va., home to a Mets triple-A team, but Mark says that didn’t count. Continue reading →

Talkin' Transit
By

Talkin’ Transit: All About Trust

Photo courtesy of
‘Empty Ride’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

“There is no more valuable currency to a transit system than the trust of its ridership. The accident at Fort Totten severely shook the faith of Washington area riders and the millions of tourists who visit this city. WMATA can win back that trust by taking our safety recommendations to heart, and, at its core, fundamentally changing its culture. This effort has begun, but there is still a long ride ahead.” — National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman, July 27, 2010

Trust. You can’t buy it. You have to earn it. Without it, you’re going to lose customers, no matter your business. When you get into your car, you trust the manufacturer to have tested all the design elements as well as the car you are in. You trust your mechanic to have kept the car in good working order. You trust yourself behind the wheel to keep you safe. The trust you have in each of these things comes from years of observation (by you, or by others you trust).

When your car fails in a way that should have been detected and was preventable, you lose some trust. Depending on the severity of the problem, you might decide to never buy a car from a certain manufacturer or you might no longer do business with your mechanic. And if it turns out that are unwilling to fix the problems or to get a reliable car or to drive in a safe manner, you wouldn’t expect people to continue to trust you to drive them around, time and again.

But that’s exactly what is going on with Metro. It took years of neglect, years of not caring about safety, for the system to get into a state where a deadly accident was all but inevitable. The NTSB report found that, in the words of chairman Deborah Hersman, “the layers of safety deficiencies uncovered during the course of this investigation are troubling and reveal a systemic breakdown of safety management at all levels.”
Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
By

Legg Mason Tennis Action


Andy Roddick by Max Cook

AUGUST 3, by Paula Schumann

Second round matches were under way on Tuesday evening at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.  The skies were cloudy but temperature tolerable, a slight reprieve from the otherwise hot and sticky weather of late. The grounds were buzzing with the crowd’s anticipation of seeing local favorite Andy Roddick.

First up on the Stadium Court were two lefties, Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs Michael Berrer (GER).  After taking the first set 6-4, Berrer continued to hold on to his lead in the second set, and at 5-3 it looked like it might be all over for Verdasco.  On what seemed like the final game, Berrer served and suddenly Verdasco came alive, taking the game to deuce.  Berrer got the next point by making a shot that clipped the net and fell onto the other side for ad in.  Verdasco won the next two points, seizing the opportunity to break Berrer’s serve.  The crowd, which was solidly behind Verdasco, went wild.  The turn around continued and Verdasco took the second set 7-5. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music, We Love Music
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The Winning Ticket: Galactic

As a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader each week. Check back here every Wednesday morning at 9am to find out what tickets we’re giving away and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

This week’s giveaway is a funky jazzy good time with two tickets to see Galactic featuring Cyril Neville and Corey Henry at 9:30 Club on Friday, August 6th.

Galactic is touring in support of their latest album “Ya-Ka-May”, a mash-up of New Orleans music styles and influences featuring a slew of vocal collaborators, who each bring their own genre’s influence to the mix. In other words Galactic are still the great, genre blending, jam band that they have become known around the world as. The most intriguing thing to me about Galactic’s new project is their inclusion of “bounce” inspired hip-hop, New Orleans’ emerging hip hop brand. Friday night’s concert will feature plenty of Galactic’s trademark funk/jazz mega-jams, hopefully some of their new album material, and the guest vocals of a living legend, Mr. Cyril Neville.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. Tickets for this show are also available through Ticketfly. If today doesn’t turn out to be your lucky day, check back here each Wednesday for a chance to win tickets to other great concerts.

For the rules of this giveaway…
Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, The Features, We Love Music
By

We Love Music: August Music Preview

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

It’s August. It sure doesn’t feel like August, but the calendar says it is. That means summer is slowly slipping away and the days of sweater weather, sweltering lattes, and crispy leaves is inching closer.

This is quite possibly my favorite time of year. Baseball’s still being played, we’re on the cusp of a drop in daily temperatures, and as always — there’s plenty live music being played.

Here the shows for the month of August that I definitely wouldn’t miss.

Continue reading →

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: Tourist Tips

Photo courtesy of
‘Souvenir City 1086’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’

Dear DC Tourists, Interns, and Other Newbies,

Welcome to the District!  While we love to complain about you, we’re actually really glad you’re here.  Many of us were in your shoes at one point, and DC can be a little overwhelming when you first get here.  So we’ve compiled a special DC Mythbusting just for you!  Read on for the little secrets that DC residents know, including the best ways to get around the city, the real can’t-miss destinations you’ve never heard of, and the best way to see the Mall.

Love, DC Continue reading →

Featured Photo
By

Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of
‘pinhole apt’
courtesy of ‘maria jpeg’

I had to look twice to figure out what I was seeing in this photo by Maria Izaurralde. It seems that she’s turned her apartment into a camera obscura.

In order to capture the otherwise dim image, Maria used a DSLR and an exposure of about eight minutes. The hotel and Thomas Circle overlaid upside down on the walls of the room is accentuated by the pictures and umbrella. And the figurine taking a kick at one of the windows is a nice touch. It’s worth looking at large.

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Deadmau5 @ 9:30 Club 7/28 & 7/29

Photo courtesy of
‘Deadmau5’
courtesy of ‘Max Cook’

Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5 played 2.5 concerts at the 9:30 Club last week. After delivering stunning shows on Wednesday and Thursday nights, Deadmau5′ set on Friday night was cut short when he vomited and passed out on-stage. Immediately after his performance the night before, Deadmau5 posted “God damn… What’s wrong with me now? Ugh… Me no feely so good” on Twitter. Sources indicate that on Friday Zimmerman had been vomiting back-stage before the show and that he tried to tough it out before collapsing. After passing out, Zimmerman was immediately hospitalized, diagnosed with exhaustion, and the next day it was announced that the remainder of his world tour has been canceled.*

I was not at the Friday night show. I was, however, at the concerts on Wednesday and Thursday night to witness the Deadmau5 techno-spectacle road-show first hand. Since debuting his new stage show at the Coachella Music Festival back in April, Deadmau5 has been touring hard around the world with an incredible show that blends electronic music and digital visuals better than almost anything else I have seen.** His aggressive campaign to take the crown for best electro-concert experience has been relentless and I’m afraid has now taken its physical toll on him. With each show, Deadmau5 makes his case for best dance concert experience with an astonishing display of visual fireworks that envelopes and overwhelms you while his bass-heavy House/Electro beats toy with you like a sadistic cat would a dead mouse. For fans of performance spectacle, the tour is a visual feast. For dance music fans, Deadmau5′ current tour is about as close to nirvana as it gets.

Continue reading →

Sports Fix
By

Sports Fix: Weekend Hangover Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘213/365’
courtesy of ‘Danilo.Lewis|Fotography’

Redskins

It’s training camp season again here in Washington, and that means the Redskins are working out in Loudoun County. The big story so far is Albert Haynesworth, who has yet to pass his conditioning test. Thursday last week, the big defensive tackle, would fail the test for the first time. The test is fairly standard for the NFL and consists of two 300-yard shuttle runs where the runner is sprinting 25 yards, making a switchback, and repeating the 25 yard sprint. The standard is: 70 seconds the first time, 3 1/2 minutes of rest, then 73 seconds the second time. What’s controversial here is that Haynesworth did not participate in this summer’s team-run conditioning program. Since Thursday, Haynesworth has taken, and failed, the test twice, and not taken it since Friday, sitting out with a sore knee. Coach Shanahan said Sunday, “There’s no change from yesterday. He’s still sore, [his knee is] irritated. He’s getting treatment, working out. We’ll see if he’s ready to go tomorrow.” Continue reading →

Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 7/30 – 8/1

Photo courtesy of
‘Eastern Market’
courtesy of ‘ekelly80’

What a weekend. The weather was darn near perfect, and we’re just about to let Congress go home for the month. The anticipation of summer vacation is out there, you can see it and feel it and touch it. This was a weekend of dancing, music, partying, wonderful food, the slow contemplative joy of the weekend and the right kind of blackberries. Let’s hold on to that weekend moment just a little longer, shall we? Continue reading →

Adventures, Downtown, Entertainment, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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August at Smithsonian American Art Museum

American Craft Masterpieces – Kim Schmahmann, Bureau of Bureaucracy, 1993-1999, courtesy Smithsonian American Art Museum

August promises to be chock full of events at many museums around town as the summer heat continues to build. Check out what’s going on down at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) during the dog days of August; all programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. The SAAM is located over in Penn Quarter at 8th and F Streets, NW.

Conservation Clinic (Aug 4; by appointment only)
Questions about the condition of a painting, frame, drawing, print, or sculpture? American Art conservators are available by appointment for consultation about the preservation of privately-owned art. To request an appointment or to learn more, email DWRCLunder@si.edu and specify CLINIC in the subject line.

Book Talk & Signing: “Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera” (Aug 5, 6:30pm)
Many of Rockwell’s most memorable characters were friends and neighbors who served as amateur models. Author Ron Schick discusses how Rockwell acted as director — carefully orchestrating models, selecting props, and choosing locations for the photographs that served as the basis of his iconic images. Book signing follows. (This is a part of the SAAM’s comprehensive Rockwell & the Movies exhibition.)

Continue reading →

The Features
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Campaign Notebook, July 30th, 2010

Photo courtesy of
‘And….’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Another week closer to the primary and DCision 2010.  46 days until the primary election and the end of the Gray/Fenty battle.

The Big Race

Gray ekes out a win in Ward 6. The Ward 6 Democrats held their straw poll on Tuesday night, and Vince Gray came away the winner, even if he didn’t win their endorsement.  The organization required 60% of the vote in order to grant an endorsement, and neither candidate breached that margin.  Vince Gray picked up 56%, with Adrian Fenty picking up just 40%.  As usual, straw polls aren’t a great measure of anything other than the most involved partisans.

Endorsements for Gray. Three endorsements for Vince Gray this week, one from the Fraternal Order of Police, one from the Latino Caucus, and one from the Realtors.  Endorsements are a mixed bag.  They can come with institutional support (likely from the Latino Caucus) or money (likely from the Realtors and FOP) or votes.  Enough endorsements and you’ve got a rock-steady base and a motivated group of people with a lot to lose. We won’t know how much this matters until all the cards are on the table.  Still, it looks good for Gray this week. Continue reading →

The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: Rockville

Photo courtesy of
‘RV’s New Town Square & Beall Ave 6-09’
courtesy of ‘brad.rourke’

We’re heading back to Maryland this week to check out a DC suburb that has grown to become the second-largest incorporated city in Maryland: Rockville.    Read on to find out what Rockville residents like about it, and why it’s worth a visit.

History: Rockville was one of Maryland’s oldest towns and had an important role in the Revolutionary War.  It got its name in 1801 because of its proximity to Rock Creek, and developed slowly for most of the 1800s.  In 1873 the B&O Railroad came through town, and the area grew even more.  But the real surge in growth in Rockville didn’t happen until after the 1950s, when the population increased sevenfold in thirty years.  Today Rockville is home to over 60,000 residents.  For a more detailed view of Rockville’s history, check out the city’s historic preservation website.
Continue reading →