Category Archives: The Features

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

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Spectrum @ Velvet Lounge 5/13/10

spectrum at velvet lounge
courtesy of Spectrum.

It was a psychedelic throw-down at the Velvet Lounge on Thursday night when Spectrum dropped in to kick-off their current U.S. tour. In what is easily the best live set I have personally seen performed at the Velvet Lounge, the equipment heavy 4-man unit turned the tiny stage into their own personal sound laboratory and dazzled the small but dedicated crowd with an explosive evening of controlled feedback and groovy repetition.

For the uninitiated Spectrum is the most traditional of the many music projects led by Peter Kember aka Sonic Boom. Sonic Boom was one of the members of the hypnotically brilliant Spacemen 3, a legendary UK guitar band from the 80’s underground. Since Spacemen 3’s demise in the early 90’s, Sonic Boom has been pushing the envelope with experimental projects like Experimental Audio Research and Spectrum. The material Sonic Boom records as Spectrum began with a sound very similar to his former band but quickly evolved away from guitars and for many years became based around vintage keyboards and organs. His music has always maintained a ‘head’ music atmosphere even with the move away from guitars and feedback into tone drones and synth symphonies. On Spectrum’s latest EP, “War Sucks“, the band’s sound seems to be cycling back into guitar freak-out territory. I first saw Spectum at All Tomorrow’s Parties NY in 2008. The set was an equal mix of keyboard and guitar manipulations that also featured a nice dose of Spacemen 3 songs. The whole 2008 set was a laid-back fuzz-fest. So it was with the new EP and the 2008 show in mind that I went into Thursday night figuring the concert could go either way. In other words I didn’t really know what to expect.
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The Features
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United Fall to Colorado, Continue Skid


Photo by Max Cook 

If you’ve read any of my, or anyone’s, postgame reports for D.C. United, you can see that the team comes out strong, plays hard, runs a solid defense, but then falls apart sometime after the 60 minute mark and loses the game.  In every game after the opener against Kansas City, United got hit with late goals and deflated in the face of deficit.  Against New England, it was the 80th minute; Against Chicago, it was the 80th minute; Against New York, it was the 51st minute; Against Dallas, it was the 68th minute; and last night against Colorado, it was the 67th that saw Ballouchy fake out Bill Hamid and screen himself with defender Peña to sweep a goal into the near corner.

United had numerous chances in the first half to make their mark, but just couldn’t commit that final shot, or follow the bead on a cross, or make a set piece into a goal. Defense was strong in the first half, as Peña made Casey Clark his personal mission, and Hamid was able shut down the Rapids. The second half, however, was a different story. As United began to feel the strain and the frustration, they just stopped hustling. I saw both forwards, Allsopp and Cristman, dial back in frustration as they didn’t get calls, or just missed plays. Watching them yell out in frustration at the officiating was difficult for many, as you can’t ever control the officiation in a game, all you can do is make the plays to the best of your ability. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, We Love Drinks
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Friday Happy Hour: Cool Hand Cuke

Photo courtesy of
‘Cucumber Cocktail’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’ 

Welcome to the Friday Happy Hour, your single drink primer for the weekend.

Last month Samer and I were treated to a sneak peek of the incredibly refreshing cocktail Owen Thomson would mix up to inaugurate the “Farm to Glass” program in his new role at Cafe Atlantico. Beginning tonight, you can try it too. Called the Cool Hand Cuke, it has a beautiful green hue quirkily topped by a baby cucumber blossom. Perfectly balanced between vegetal and spice flavors, it features SubRosa Tarragon Infused Vodka, Black Rock Farms Baby Persian Cucumber Juice, black pepper and thyme juice and “Dr. Thomson’s” spiced liquor #2.

The “Farm to Glass” program is part of Cafe Atlantico’s Farmers’ Market Dinners, a three-course menu (priced at $45) sourced from the Penn Quarter FRESHFARM market by newly appointed head chef Richard Brandenburg and served every Friday evening during market season. The “Farm to Glass” cocktail program will complement the dinners and their seasonal ingredients.

A green cocktail for a green program. Sip up what Samer called “summer in a glass,” and don’t forget to eat the baby cucumber garnish too – it’s part of the fun!

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Public Image Ltd. @ 9:30 Club 5/12/10

Public Image Ltd. at 9:30 Club 5/12/10
courtesy of PiL.

“Somoza may be a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch.” – rumored FDR quote about Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza García.*

I couldn’t help but think of this quote as John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten aka “Uncle John” took the stage at the 9:30 Club on Wednesday night. Lydon is one of the ultimate love/hate figures in music history. For every brilliant stroke like the Sex Pistol’s ‘Bodies’ or PiL’s ‘Rise’ there is an equally hypocritical public statement or ticket price outrage to offend anew. So I was not very surprised when a lot of professed fans of Public Image Ltd balked at attending Wednesday night’s concert. After all it was over-priced and the quality of a reformed (not reunited) PiL was a huge question mark. Lydon has a lot of audacity expecting sold-out crowds 18 years after the band’s last performance or album, especially after the radically mixed reviews received for the Sex Pistols reunion tours of the late-90’s and mid-00’s. And yet there I stood with a club full of people anxiously waiting for Lydon to challenge us with his noisy, confrontational, anti-pop onslaught. As I stared at the giant PiL banner behind the stage and the growing crowd I thought, John Lydon is a son of a bitch, but (if you love his music) he’s our son of a bitch.

For me, with regard to bands, front-men, legends, and their egos, it boils down to music first, personality second. I worship the Sex Pistols and think that Public Image Ltd. was one of the most inspired and brilliant career/style shifts in music history. Lydon’s ego aside, I was on-board for this show from the get-go. My two-song preview of PiL at the Coachella Music Festival left me confident that Public Image Ltd.’s 9:30 Club show was going to be something special. I had no clue just how special this show would turn out to be.

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Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Night Life, The Features, The Great Outdoors, The Hill, The Mall
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Katie’s Guide to Summer

Photo courtesy of
‘Every Food Fits: Don’t Bother Us, We’re Crabby!’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

Summer is my favorite season, I’ve made no secret of that on this here blog over the years. DC comes alive in the summer, with events galore. And if you’re new to DC, or new to We Love DC, or even an old faithful reader (and we love you for that, truly) I just wanted to take some time to point out that we’ve got you covered for summer.

So here is my short list of things I love about summer in DC and links to articles that we’ve written in the past to help you get the most out of it. (We call this unabashedly re-purposing content.)

So without futher ado:   Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Buzzcocks @ The Black Cat 5/11/10

Buzzcocks at The Black Cat 5/11/10
courtesy of Buzzcocks.

Woo-hoo!!!*

Buzzcocks launched the U.S. leg of their “Another…Bites Tour” at the Black Cat on Tuesday night with an exuberant set of their classic, reverb-drenched, pop/punk, sing-a-longs. Since their early-90’s revival, original members Shelley and Diggle have been performing non-stop in the US and UK. Right up there with Stiff Little Fingers, Buzzcocks are one of the longest running and quality-consistent graduates of the original UK Punk class. To mix it up on this tour the band are performing their brilliant first and second albums back-to-back (both released in 1978) along with “other hits”. While album-entirety shows are becoming quite trendy of late (not that I mind), for Buzzcocks I think this dual-album attack is a great move. As their legacy becomes tied more and more to their ability to write amazing singles (as collected on the essential “Singles Going Steady“) this dual album tour is here to remind us that Buzzcocks were also responsible for crafting some brilliant albums; each with an energy flow, sonic imprint, and lyrical themes that deserve their place in rock history as well. Actually Tuesday night’s show did much more than gently remind us of this fact; in typical Buzzcocks pop-roar fashion the show served as a blaring klaxon alarm that made the relevance of “Another Music in a Different Kitchen” and “Love Bites” impossible to ignore.

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Interviews, People, The Features
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A We Love DC Interview: ArchitectDesign

Image Credit: National City, Stefan Hurray of ArchitectDesign

D.C. is home to its share of blogs and bloggers, and our passions cover a wide range of topics.  Residential architect, Stefan Hurray of ArchitectDesign focuses his writing on architecture, design, and travel – often times, sharing with loyal readers some of the inspiration he finds in his very own backyard (i.e. Logan Circle).

Archute.com recently shared with me his passion for architecture, design, and of course, D.C.

We Love DC: What is ArchitectDesign?

Stefan Hurray: A visual diary of places I find inspiring. It might be something I’ve visited myself or the occasional magazine story.

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: May 15-16

Photo courtesy of
‘guitareros’
courtesy of ‘dr_kim_veis [”o ]’

Jenn: I’ve been inspired by Shannon’s latest mythbusting to finally take my bike to the streets, so I’ll be touring the bike lanes Saturday morning (don’t laugh at me, my family nickname is Crash, so there’s a reason I’ve been sticking to the trails so far!). Later it’s over to Dana Ellyn’s open studio to see a preview of her “Banned Books” series – can’t wait to see her take on soma… Sunday is an extra-long bellydance rehearsal to get ready for our next performance on June 5 (yikes). At some point I’ll take advantage of the lovely weather promised to pick up some fish to grill and just soak up the zen.

Max: My weekend starts today for the most part, kicking it off with my very own hour of One Hour Photo from 1 to 2pm at the Katzen Arts Center.  Tonight I’ll be enjoying edible art at the Cuisine des Artistes, an annual event where local artists pair up with chefs to make beautiful, delicious food.  Friday night I’ll be checking out the opening of Marc Roman: Veritas Obscura at Flashpoint as well as the opening of Kathryn Cornelius: The Feeling of What Happens at the Curator’s Office.  Saturday afternoon starts with the peformance of Mary Coble at Conner Contemporary and then switches gears to sports later as I’ll be shooting the D.C. United match (where I might actually witness a win for once).  Sunday will thankfully be pretty low key, starting out with brunch of some sort, followed by a photo shoot with one of my favorite photographers, and then capped off with drinks at Buffalo Billiards in Dupont.

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Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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Drinks Special: French Wine Tasting

Photo courtesy of
‘Bistro Lepic 01’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Last Saturday afternoon, a small group of us were lucky to attend a wine tasting at Bistrot Lepic, courtesy of managing partner Cyrille Brenac. Tucked into a cosy sun-drenched room at the back of the upstairs wine bar, far from the chaos of the crowds on Embassy Row, fellow WLDC author Max and I joined a few readers to learn more about French wine from one of the top authorities in the city. Sampling eight wines in two hours – four whites and four reds from various regions in France – we came away more comfortable on the subject and eager to learn more.

Throughout, I was amazed by the vast knowledge Cyrille shared and though I’ll try to hit the highlights, I can’t hope to replicate it. Luckily, every Tuesday evening from 6pm to 9pm, you can attend a complimentary wine tasting there yourself and I highly recommend it.

So, where to start… How about the mystery behind how you actually taste wine? What are you supposed to do when the glass is placed before you? What about that pesky cork? Continue reading →

Interviews, The Features
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They Love DC: The Guys of Matchbox & Ted’s Bulletin

PerryDrewMarkTy

You love Matchbox’s pizza, you go there religiously for brunch (hello sticky buns!) and you’re a big fan of the mini burgers. But what if I told you Matchbox isn’t the only place around town these days? The four owners behind Matchbox have teamed up to open Barrack Row’s newest hot spot, Ted’s BULLETIN. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, BULLETIN is a classic joint with a bit of style—complete with savory homemade food and a friendly, neighborhood atmosphere to provide relief from today’s time-congested lifestyle. BULLETIN offers homecookin’ with clever names, like Walk of Shame Breakfast Burrito, Nana’s Beer Biscuits and Gravy, the Green Green Salad of Home with Green Goddess Dressing, or home-style Meatloaf with Mingo County Ketchup Glaze with a “Big As Ya Head” Twice Baked Potato or Mac and Four Cheese with Andouille on the side.

I was able to chat with partners Perry Smith, Drew Kim, and Mark and Ty Neal, who took on the challenge of answering the They Love DC interview jointly.

Katie: How long have you lived in the DC area?
Them: All four partners moved to DC in the summer of 2002. Partner Perry Smith grew up in the area and attended B-CC High School.

What is the best thing about DC, in your opinion?
First, we all agree–the people–so many different people come to DC year in and year out and it’s great to see so many new faces. The energy is awesome, and you don’t see a lot of folks sitting still, they are always doing things!

What would you change about DC if you could?
Find some money to improve snow removal! We always get hit hard every few years but then get lulled by a couple of mild winters and forget how bad it can be! Continue reading →

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Michael DeAngelis || mdeangelis.net’

Featured Photo is a day late this week, mostly so we could get you our Metro round table wrap up in a timely fashion. That reflects in no way upon this week’s Featured Photo.

The color red is very eye catching. So much so that many people in photography point out that if you see something red, you should stop and take the shot. I think that’s a pretty good rule, often better than most other photographic rules. It often works, but not solely because of the inclusion of the color red.

The photo above by Michael DeAngelis is more than about that red wall. The composition of the shot tells a story. Or, rather, several stories — like a pick your own ending adventure book. Even in black and white, the composition is strong enough to carry the day.

Just because there is an established photographic rule, doesn’t mean that blind obedience to it will result in a good picture. Composition, story telling, those thousand words, they need to be present to make a good shot.

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Ramayana

Andreu Honeycutt and Heather Haney in Constellation Theatre Company's "The Ramayana." Photo credit: Daniel Schwartz

Which would you rather be – a god, a demon, or a monkey? In Constellation Theatre Company’s production of Indian epic The Ramayana, the answer is definitely a monkey. I haven’t seen actors having so much fun on stage in ages. At times, maybe too much fun. Mounting a multi-character multi-location multi-verse is daunting, and I admire director Allison Arkell Stockman for attacking something so challenging even larger companies might balk. Constellation’s mission is to produce “epic, ensemble theatre” with “heightened physicality” – and The Ramayana is definitely all that. When it wavers, it’s the fault of being too generous, of allowing too many focal points and not streamlining enough. But it’s still an enjoyable night out, playing now thru June 6 at Source Theater.

The Ramayana is one of two of the most beloved and sacred texts of India (the other, The Mahabharata, was also put to stage in Peter Brook’s famous version some twenty years ago, see the film sometime to get a taste of how fantastic that theatrical experience was). It details the trials of Lord Rama as he endures exile and the kidnapping of his wife Sita by the demon Ravana. Rama is the incarnation of Vishnu and represents the ideal king on earth, his wife Sita is the incarnation of Vishnu’s wife Lakshmi and therefore the ideal queenly wife. Actually, every character in The Ramayana is an archetype of the ideal way to behave – from loyal brother Lakshman to devoted monkey Hanuman.

With so many characters travelling through many worlds, it’s vital to have a backbone and here Stockman has picked the best – live music composed and performed by percussionist Tom Teasley. From playing the doumbek to scat singing, he pulls the audience along as a kind of musical narrator, and it’s easily the second most riveting performance of the evening, grounding time and place far more effectively than any set design.

The actors are clearly envigorated by Teasley’s musical support, and no where is that more obvious than with those delightfully crazy monkeys, highlighted by a stellar standout performance by Joe Brack. If Brack doesn’t get a Helen Hayes nomination for his work as Hanuman, there is no theatrical justice in this town.

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Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: Bike Myths

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_8622’
courtesy of ‘busybee’

If you didn’t know it from Bike DC or Bike-to-Work Day or the other bike-related events in the city, May is National Bike Month.  And in honor of National Bike Month, we’ve got some bicycling myths to bust.  I’m a recent convert to commuting by bike, and now I love cycling around the city.  But there are lots of myths out there about the safety and legality of cycling in the city.  Is DC a bike-friendly city?  Is it legal to ride on sidewalks in the District?  And how does one go about starting to bike to work?

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Talkin' Transit, The Features, WMATA
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Talkin’ Transit: Back to Basics with Richard Sarles

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Last night’s blogger roundtable with interim WMATA General Manager Richard Sarles was instructive for where the organization’s focus is right now: it’s all about “back to basics” for the interim GM, who is intent upon shoring up his priorities of Safety, Reliability and Fiscal Stability.  The system has, in his view, suffered massively in the last few years, and as long as it took to get there, it will take that long to get it back.  That starts, according to Sarles, with a return to the basics.

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The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Mikveh

Rachel Condliffe, Carla Briscoe, Tonya Beckman Ross, Sarah Marshall in Theater J's production of "Mikveh." Photo credit: Stan Barouh

What is our personal responsibility to others in the face of repression and abuse? Do you interfere in someone else’s life when you see injustice? To act or to collude in silence… and while we argue about the need for action, what’s happening to those suffering right behind our backs?

Mikveh, playing now through June 5 in its English language world premiere at Theater J, is not really a play about religion, though it takes place in the confines of an orthodox community in Israel. Rather, it’s a play about the moral battle between action and inaction. It also highlights how women’s territorial natures cripple them – as they police themselves from within, they are being policed by others from without. Their inability to rise above petty jealousies can be detrimental, sometimes to the extreme.

Though the action centers around the mikveh itself (a ritual bath, here used mainly to purify post-menstruant women), you don’t need a background in the Talmud or Family Purity Laws to understand the play. That’s what I love about Theater J, no matter the subject, there’s a dedication to clarity and consistent storytelling, always marked by strong ensemble acting and high production values. Mikveh is no exception – though at times the play veers dangerously close to a Jewish Orthodox version of The Women (the gossipy babymachine, the uppercrust bitch, the abused wife, etc.) – it’s worth it to explore these issues with such powerful actors. They are ably helmed by director Shirley Serotsky, whose handling of Hadar Galron’s engaging script mines the truth behind stereotypes.

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Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: 2nd Place Edition

Willingham.jpg
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Nichols, Nats News Network, All Rights Reserved

Nationals
Record: 17-14
Place: Tied for 2nd in the NL East, 2 games back
Last Two Weeks: 7-5

I checked, this weekend, just to make sure I hadn’t gone through the looking glass. This Nationals team, off to the franchise’s best start in its short history, is entirely different from last year’s not-so-lovable losers. The Nationals this season are playing ball like they mean it; they’re focusing on the unglamorous but pivotal concepts of pitching and defense and eschewing the long ball in favor of small ball. The Nationals have lost just three series this season so far, two to the Phils and one to the Marlins, and have yet to lose more than twice in a row.

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Talkin' Transit, The Daily Feed
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Chris Zimmerman: Panic! On the Metro

Photo courtesy of
‘Now Panic and Freak Out!’
courtesy of ’emilydickinsonridesabmx’

Arlington County Commissioner and WMATA Board Member Chris Zimmerman has an editorial in today’s Post that begins: “You may now panic.“

Generally, that’s not a good sign.

Zimmerman’s point is clear: Metro’s current funding plans run out soon, and there are no firm commitment from any of the member jurisdictions to match the $11.4B that Metro needs to function for the next decade. Zimmerman is looking for a commitment from each of the region’s jurisdictions to fill the gap, and is also turning to the Federal Government, suggesting that their voting rights on the Board are also a responsibility to add funding for the system, and that a regional tax be enacted to provide more secure funding for Metro.

Zimmerman’s not wrong, but it’s hard to see how Northern Virginia could enact a tax to pay for Metro when they can’t do this for anything else in their budget, so it’s a hard sell for me to hear his remarks when they’re ignorant of how we get the broadest of strokes in place.

We’ll be asking Metro’s Interim GM Richard Sarles questions tonight about Zimmerman’s editorial, as well as about maintenance schedules, getting back to normal, and other topics. Got something you think we should ask? Tell us in the comments.

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Net the Fish 5-4

Nationals Park in the Sun
Nationals Park, by Tom Bridge

In front of a Saturday afternoon crowd of 21,633, the Nationals and Matt Chico held on to the team’s winning record.  The Nats, now 16-14, remain a game behind their 2005 selves for best start in team history, but it’s all about momentum for this club.  After the game, manager Jim Riggleman said that, “Sometimes you get a little lucky,” and it was luck today that prevailed for the Nationals.

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