I’ve spent a lot of time talking about what to drink this spring, tequila, aperitivi, all the drinks at Lupo Verde, but I’ve saved the best for last. What could it be, beer gardens? Tiki drinks? All good, but no. This time of year, when I’m not drinking a Bicyclette, I’m drinking scotch.

I know, weird, it’s finally warm out and I’m suddenly in the mood for scotch, arguably the most wintery libation of them all. And usually I’m a purist; scotch, neat, maybe with a drop of water. Never with ice, and (until recently) never in a cocktail. But this season all those nice cocoa, dried fruit, and coconut flavors have been creeping their way into my spring cocktails.

The Mcqueen
2 oz blended scotch, I use Dewars
¾ oz dry vermouth, I use Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry
¼ oz white creme de cacao, Marie Brizard works fine

Build in a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a lemon zest.

Total guilty pleasure drink for me. Steve McQueen has been one of my style icons since I was a kid. Though I’ve got dark hair, so I do more of a Burt Reynolds thing, ah well. But that’s not going to stop me from coming up with a Steve Mcqueen styled drink. Nothing fancy, simply a blond rob roy, smooth as jazz but still with a bit of edge, e.g. McQueen in Bullitt. Continue reading →

So some MAJOR upsets in the Sweet Sixteen with some top seeds taking a beating. DC’s “Mayor For Life” was upstaged by Mexican food hangout Lauriol Plaza. Schneider’s took a shellacking from the usually refined and reserved National Gallery of Art. The Hill’s Top 50 and Repeal Day took things down to the final seconds with booze ultimately winning out. Zoolights just did not show up and Ben’s Half Smoke rolled on over them. Our #1 seed – The DC Music Scene – looks strong with Food Trucks and the Annual DC Sports Playoff Collapse still in major play for the Final Four. There are no easy matchups for the Elite Eight, so choose wisely and get your vote in by March 31st.

#1 The DC Music Scene: The 9:30 Club, Black Cat (mainstage and red room), DC9, Rock N’ Hotel, U Street Music Hall, Gypsy Sally’s, Patty Boom Boom, Echo Stage, Flash, DAR, The Hamilton….I could and should go on but there are just WAY too many awesome DC music venues to list. You want an intimate show? You got it. You want a sell out ~20,000 person experience? Done. You want to get your dancing sweat on in a darkish, light parade? Boom! And it’s not just that they’re great places to see music, it’s that they bring in an utterly fantastic array of acts. On any given night, there are nationally known groups, up-and-comers, awesome cover bands and true indie artists showing us their stuff. What. To. Choose?!!!! Did I mention that the venues have awesome food and drink, and that they’re staff are some of the coolest people in DC?

VS.

#8 Capital Weather Gang: This gang of weather nerds is the area’s go-to team for (mostly) accurate news and information on the region’s weather. Actually, it’s really one guy surrounded by a bunch of weather-loving people – but to us, they’re the Gang. They do their own forecasts, analyze models, insert physics, and use their own knowledge in formulating forecasts that are more often than not, right on target. They update their blog on WaPo with reader photos and comments, stay on top of updates during big weather events, and are highly interactive. They’re clear without being condescending; they answer all your questions without your even asking. They tell you what they know and what they don’t. They know they’re not perfect and aren’t afraid to admit when they’re wrong. Best of all? They show you how the science is relevant and uncover its beauty for all to enjoy.

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As we all dig out from last night’s snowstorm – the first all winter to hit the Boom side of Capital Weather Gang’s forecast – this forecast is pitch perfect given the bizarre nature of this winter. We’ve had 25-odd “snow events” this winter, and we’re up to second or third on total winter snowfall. While the numbers won’t be final for a bit, it looks like the greater DC area got 5-10″ after a prediction of 1-6″ or so, and so that means some heavy digging this morning.

All this after it was the 60s as late as Friday.

I feel much like Kate Woodsome does in this video, ready to the tear the script in half as I just can’t believe what I’m seeing.

Bravo to DC-based Goldenbear for perfectly nailing how completed boned this winter has been.

Drew Cortese stars as King Richard in Folger Theatre’s production of Richard III. At the Folger Theatre January 28 – March 9, 2014. Photo by Jeff Malet.

The Folger Theater has transformed their faux Elizabethan courtyard into a theater in the round to produce Richard III, Shakespeare’s scenery-chewing tale of a conniving back-stabbing (and front and side and…) villain who claws his way to the top of the pile only to lose everything. It’s a curious choice of staging given Folger’s unique space and probably the most adventurous choice made in the production. The result is an enjoyable and well-acted production that doesn’t really excel in any particular manner but passes the time and showcases Richard’s willingness to mow down everyone in his way.

The production staging is minimal by necessity, given the audience on all sides in seats without a lot of rise above the action. A half-dozen chairs or the occasional bier come and go quickly during scene changes and corpses get tipped, dropped, or lowered into traps in the stage. Deaths are quick and bloodless, which on the one hand tends to minimize their immediate impact, but the matter-of-factness with which they get carted off underscores the body count and Richard’s willingness to remove any obstacle.

Richard (Drew Cortese) pleads with Lady Anne (Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan) in Richard III, at the Folger Theatre January 28 – March 9, 2014. Photo by Teresa Wood.

Drew Cortese’s Richard is therefore a much calmer and less rage-filled man than some productions might choose to present, as well as charming and charismatic as he carefully unfurls his schemes. He’s suave enough to make his wooing of the Lady Anne believable even as her husband’s corpse sits off at her elbow as a reminder of Richard’s sword-work. He’s also good looking enough that you have to assume that if he’s telling the truth that “dogs bark at me as I halt by them” then they’re likely saying “dude, you’re hot – dress up a bit better and get yourself some orthopedic shoes and you will get MAD LOVE from the ladies.”

The end result is a production where it’s entirely believable that Richard would manage to ascend to the top and the only thing that could unwind him is failing to attend to the demands of the co-conspirators who helped him get there. Or course he’d underestimate the need to hand out the favors he’s promised – when has anything stood in his way? It’s an entirely plausible arc, but the emotional punch of the end largely works out to a “yeah, okay.” It’s more an intellectual payoff than a visceral one, which left me with a sense more of “that was well done” than any sort of feeling in my gut.

Folger Shakespeare Theatre’s production of Richard III runs through March 9. Located at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. Closest Metro stop: Capitol South (Orange/Blue lines). For more information call 202-544-7077.

Happy Year of the Horse everyone!!! Last month’s concerts were amazeballz and Mickey, Rachel and I have put together a stellar round up of this month’s shows that YOU MUST SEE!!! So click on through to see what the DC music scene has cooking. Continue reading →

We’ve reached the last day of January 2014. I don’t know about you but I’m glad tomorrow is February. It’s like the 4-day work week of months. Soon it’ll be March and we’ll start getting excited about the signs of spring — flowers, warm temperatures, cherry blossoms, outdoor dining, tourists. Well, maybe not the tourists, but certainly the rest of it. Thanks for the memories, January, it’s been real.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at today’s Week in Review.  Continue reading →

On Wednesday the winners of the 2014 Exposed DC Photography Contest were announced. The show doesn’t open until March 19 but you can see all the winners listed here and check out their winning photos here. You may recognize some of the names as photographers whose work we have shown on our site. We want to congratulate all the winners and encourage the rest of you to get out and start taking some photos! Now click on through and check out the Week in Review. Continue reading →

It’s over. That is the best thing that can be said about this afternoon’s game. It was a boring, long, excruciating game to end a boring, long, excruciating season. The Mike Shanahan era looks to be at an end and now the real fun will begin. Washington will once again be looking for a new coach. That has been the Dan Snyder era in Washington. New coaches, new quarterbacks, and no stability. It has been painful to endure and its end may never come.

The terrible game against New York did end, but Kirk Cousins who was the darling of some Washington fans a couple weeks ago has done nothing but lose and throw interceptions. When it comes right down to it he isn’t that much different than Rex Grossman or John Beck. Starting him did nothing but lower his value and whereas Washington would have done good to get a second round pick for him before he started they will now be lucky to get much more than a fourth or fifth round pick.

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This was not the narrative we were promised. What happened to the Romo in December that throws interceptions and can’t win the big games? With under two minutes left and Dallas needing to convert a fourth and goal it looked like the narrative would live. Romo did have an interception on the day. Then with the Redskins pouring throw his offensive line Romo rolled right and found DeMarco Murray for the three yard touchdown. It was a moment of shock and disbelief. Tony Romo had lead Dallas not only in a come from behind victory but to a victory in December with the division on the line.

Washington is no threat to Dallas for the division, but if they had lost this game then their season finally against Philadelphia wouldn’t have been for the division. It was a year ago that Washington was finishing the 2012 season in a similar do or die fashion against Dallas and were able to pull off the victory and win the division. It is amazing the difference a year makes. Instead of being hailed as a hero RGIII is sitting on the bench and watching Kirk Cousins manage Washington’s offense.

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Washington is out of it and can no longer make the playoffs, they are sitting last season’s first round pick and rookie of the year in favor of back-up quarterback Kirk Cousins, and when they had the chance to tie the game with an extra point they choose to go for the win with a two point conversion. There has been a lot of speculation this week that the reason RGIII was shutdown was due to Mike Shanahan trying to maneuver his way out of town. That he wants to be fired by Daniel Snyder and hold onto the $7 million that is owed him.

Embarrassing the team’s quarterback was supposed to do it for him but it didn’t. There Shanahan was on the sidelines today having to coach a team that can’t do anything right on special teams, with no offensive line, and a secondary that would be picked apart in a backyard holiday pick-up game. Shanahan has no one to blame but himself for the players he has. He was given total control of the team and the draft picks and free agent signings he made to fix the secondary and the offensive line have failed. Despite all this Washington played a competitive game and seemingly scored a game tying touchdown with less than thirty seconds to go.

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