Just to get this out of the way – yes, they live up to their name. THIS WILL DESTROY YOU is one of the loudest bands I’ve seen live – the kind of loudness where you might go deaf if you don’t wear earplugs. I caught them last year at DC9, expecting a pleasant set of their older, gentler post-rock material, with the typical soft-loud dynamic I love. Instead, what I remember best was their last track, a ten-minute blast of droning noise, where each sound caused so much tension that every changing note was a huge relief. I never really knew the feeling of stillness until the concert ended and my bones finally stopped vibrating.

The optimism of their first album “Young Mountain” has largely disappeared. Since that show last year, This Will Destroy You have moved into more experimental, darker, noisier soundscapes. Maybe they wanted to differentiate themselves as much as possible from their fellow Texan post-rockers Explosions in the Sky? If so, mission accomplished. They really hate being labeled post-rock, and prefer the term “doomgaze” now. Scared yet?

So yeah, they’re coming to destroy the Rock and Roll Hotel this Sunday . If you’re looking for a band that stretches instrumental rock into evil territory, or looking for something heavy without quite being metal, make sure you catch this show.

This Will Destroy You
w/ Nighty Nite, John LaMonica
Rock and Roll Hotel
$12 adv/$14 doors
Sunday, June 5th

‘Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats’
courtesy of ‘atomicjeep’

Tuesday night, The Washington Post’s Live program and Focus Features are hosting a screening of the new Mike Mills-directed movie Beginners, starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Mélanie Laurent, at West End Cinema.  We’ve got two tickets to the screening, which will also include a post-movie discussion with Georgetown Professor Deborah Tannen.

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.  Click through for a few more rules and to enter.

Continue reading →

‘P.E.P.Co’
courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

The power outage in the business and residential district just north of Union Station that is affecting 1,800 customers. It’s also affecting half a dozen or more DC Government agencies that make their homes in the office towers there.  The outage was caused by an “Underground Cable Fault,” which is Pepco’s fancy talk for “it done blowed up.”  The underground power cable runs overheated, which resulted in a failure of the system.  Because those lines are underground, it’s a bit of a bear to service.

Now, why it’s taken three days, well, that’s all on Pepco.  As Councilmember Yvette Alexander tweeted, starting next fiscal year, Pepco will be on the hook for $100,000 in fines for each “unreliable incident.”  It’s not exactly clear what that means yet, but this certainly sounds like it might be an unreliable incident.

Power’s expected back on at noon, but if you’re without power and getting hot today, there are cooling centers open.  Also, if you’re wondering which agencies are closed, there’s a list of that, too.

Photo by Anthony Amobi

It’s been a hard season, so far, but nights like Tuesday night are the refuge of the hard-luck fan.

I could take no joy in the lead that the Nationals amassed over the Phillies in the third inning. Given the Nationals’ ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory this season, especially over the last few weeks, it was a tough night to watch the team, despite the 10-2 win they amassed. Between the heat, the roving packs of Philly fans, and the lead-but-not-a-lead, this was definitely a night where I popped an extra omeprazole with my half smoke.

Continue reading →

‘MANITOBA 2001 —CURRENT BASEPLATE REVOCERY VEHICLE PLATE’
courtesy of ‘woody1778a’

We discussed this in depth (and what it could mean for the Caps) a few weeks back, but the Atlanta Thrashers are officially on their way to Winnipeg. It sounds like in the first season, the team-we’ll-all-want-to-call-the-Jets-no-matter-what-they-get-called will still play in the Southeast Division (even if they are in Western Canadia) before conference and division realignment takes shape a year later – with Columbus, Nashville and Detroit as your clubhouse leaders for a move to the East.

What will this mean for the Caps next season? Three road games for a divisional rival that’s 1,233 miles (1,984 km for our Canadian readers) away.

Funny side note: The announcement came at around noon this morning. As of 11 a.m., though, the Thrashers were still selling season tickets. Might want to refund those.

The Children’s National Medical Center is holding online voting to pick which of the four drawings will be the cover for their 2012 calendar. Today’s the last day to cast your vote – Lawrence, Joshua, Amanda, or Andrea. Personally I think Joshua was pandering but hey, you do what you need to for the votes, right? The pictures are adorable and a great salve to having to be back in the office after a long weekend.

‘Striped Bass Fishing Maryland’
courtesy of ‘HuntFishGuide’

Maryland’s Department of Fisheries released a number of tagged striped bass this weekend that are eligible for various bounties, starting at $500 per tagged fish.  One fished, nicknamed Diamond Jim (for Diamond Jim Brady, no not that Jim Brady, the other Jim Brady) is worth $10,000 to the lucky angler who brings him in.

Choosing the best bass fishing rod is a lot like going on a blind date. You can read reviews, listen to your buddies, and even hold it in your hands in the store but you never know what to expect until you show up and try it on the water. So, how do you make that decision? You’ve got a few different choices. One you could go to your local pro shop and play Russian Roulette with the salesman who hasn’t likely picked up a rod once in his life – or, you could let an expert offer you our honest opinions such as the best saltwater spinning reel under 100 based on experience, research, and years of trial and error.

The Striped Bass (aka Rockfish), in addition to being tasty in a lemon butter sauce, is the state fish of Maryland.  You can fish for them all through the Chesapeake Bay and out into the Atlantic.  You can get an annual fishing license through the state for $15 if you’re a Maryland resident, or $22.50 if you’re not. If you just want a week’s worth of fishing, that’s $6 or $12.  if you’re a Virginia resident with a saltwater fishing license, Maryland offers reciprocity, which means you don’t need to pay twice.

‘Lofty View’
courtesy of ‘MudflapDC’

The Nationals failed to secure a victory against Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies on Memorial Day despite a ten-hit game. Monday’s 5-4  loss is Washington’s third straight one-run loss during this homestand.

“It’s a loss. If we got six hits, it’s a loss. If we get fourteen, it’s the loss. Losses hurt and we completed very well,” manager Jim Riggleman said after the game.

“There’s no moral victories but you hope it seeps into people that we can do this. We can hit. We know we can hit. [There’s] a history of hitting and we’re going to hit.” Continue reading →