Category Archives: Entertainment

All Politics is Local, Entertainment, Media, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Creators of “Texts From Hillary” Meet Clinton, Receive Special “Text”

In an interesting turn for The Internet’s Latest Meme: Texts From Hillary,  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invited the Meme’s creators to meet with her and receive her own submission for the site.

The tumblr, which collects and produces fictional text conversations between celebrities and Secretary Clinton, has been burning up the web ever since it was created last Wednesday. Adam Smith, the Communications Director of campaign-finance nonprofit Public Campaign, says that it’s been a crazy week ever since.

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Entertainment, Interviews, Music, Night Life, People, The Features, We Love Music
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Q&A with Plants and Animals

 

photo credit: Laura Totten

Plants and Animals are a post-rock trio from Canada, currently based in Montreal. Their energetic, guitar-driven indie sound has garnered them acclaim and recognition from the likes of Paste, Filter, and Nylon, among others. They are currently on tour of the US and Canada, and are making a stop at DC’s Red Palace this Friday, April 6th. WeLoveDC’s Alexia Kauffman got a chance to chat with guitarist Nic Basque, and here’s what he had to say.

Alexia Kauffman: How’s your tour going?

Nic Basque: Oh, it’s going well! We’ve done a few shows where we’re from, in Montreal, Quebec, and we went to South by Southwest, and now we’re on the West Coast, driving to Portland.

Alexia: How did South by Southwest go for you?

Nic: It was great! A bit insane, but we got lucky. Our label and management company organized a showcase in a church, so it was pretty calm, and we had good sound. That was great. And we did a couple of bar shows, and those were fun too. I think it was the first time we traveled there with a sound engineer, and that made a huge difference. We were a bit more in control, so that was great. But it was insane!

Alexia: I’ve heard it’s like totally nuts! Did you have any favorite moments while you were there?

Nic: Well the show was fun, and we went to a Mexican place we go every time where they have avocado margaritas- that was fun. We saw some friends too…In terms of shows we didn’t see much except for the showcase. It’s so weird the conditions that bands are playing, that it’s tough to really enjoy bands there. Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Taming of the Shrew

Irina Tsikurishvili as Katherine, Ryan Sellers as Petruchio, Alex Mills as Grumio in Synetic Theater's Taming of the Shrew. Photo credit: Johnny Shyrock.

Synetic Theater takes Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and beautifully reinvents it – not as a “problem play” about women being subjugated to men, but as a love story between two people desperately trying to cast off their masks and rise above the damage of broken trust. It’s effectively rescued from the misogynist dustbin in a rollicking ninety minutes, performed with all the sexy aplomb of an Italian fashion show on acid.

The production also sees the apex of choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili’s skill, where movement is flawlessly integrated to characterization and plot. Allowing not only for the usual expected moments of Synetic athleticism, but also for quiet beauty that’s truly human, this is dance theater at its finest.

Opening with a funeral to pinpoint the heartbreak of two motherless women, director Paata Tsikurishvili frames the story in a helpful way that provides motivation for both sisters’ acting out. While older Katherine (Irina Tsikurishvili) explodes in caustic rage at paparazzi, the younger Bianca (Irina Kavsadze) struts and pouts for the tabloids. Into their hollow lives come two men completely outside the flash – earnest Lucentio (Scott Brown) and rebellious Petruchio (Ryan Sellers).

Oh, there’s also a wink to Victoria’s Secret catwalk shows, a hair-raising motorcycle ride, nude modeling, body paint, and a rubber chicken. Irreverent? Definitely. But always in service to the story.
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Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: iMusical Time Machine

Washington Improv Theatre’s “iMusical” has been a long-standing staple to the theatre’s slate of rotating productions. For several years the improvised musical has taken on new formats and wrinkles and the latest includes a trip back in time.

Last weekend I visited The Source on 14th street to see what happens when a group not only has to create comedic material on the fly but also add a little song and dance as well.

The show starts with the selection of the time period, which was done by a random audience member who chose among four mystery cards. In the show I attended the ensemble was sent back… to the future!

After collecting suggestions of futuristic themes and ideas (rocket ships and really small iPods), the ensemble got to work in creating a musical about a two families who become separated from their sons. Because it was in the future it was only appropriate that one family consisted of a brazen space explorer father and a half-human, half-cylon mother.

Things certainly got interesting that night.

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Entertainment, Food and Drink, The Features
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ARTINI Week Four Feature Nights

Cocktail created by Alexandra Bookless of The Passenger for ARTINI 2012. Inspired by Rob Fischer's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" 2008. Photo by Dan Swartz

ARTINI 2012 is tomorrow night! Eleven talented bartenders have created cocktails inspired by works in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Every Friday the We Love DC drinks team wrapped up the week’s feature nights with reviews of each ARTINI entry, to culminate at the (sold-out) gala on March 31st. Check out our notes from Week One, Week Two and Week Three, and find out what we thought of the final week.

ARTINI 10: Alexandra Bookless, The Passenger
Inspiration: Rob Fischer’s “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” 2008
Reviewer: Fedward

Alexandra Bookless, bar manager at the Passenger, has gotten where she is by having an encyclopedic knowledge of classic cocktail recipes combined with an excellent palate that allows her to create new twists on just about anything based on a customer’s mood. Approaching cocktail recipes as formulas (which I have pointed out before are magic) makes it possible to see where a substitution here or an extra ingredient there will create something all-new (or at least something that hasn’t been printed in a hundred different recipe books).

All of that is a really long winded way to say that if the Dance tastes kind of like a Margarita to you, well, that’s because it takes off from the Margarita formula. Served in a tall glass, the Dance takes its inspiration from Rob Fisher’s sculpture titled They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?. Continue reading →

Cherry Blossom Festival, Entertainment, Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
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This Saturday: Samurai Cinema Triple Feature!

Photo courtesy National Geographic

Want something a little different to make this year’s cherry blossom visit truly magnificent? How about a great samurai triple feature?  The National Geographic Museum will be presenting three classics of Japanese cinema, all featuring the iconic Toshiro Mifune and presented in stunning 35mm! Presented in conjunction with the National Geographic Museum exhibition Samurai: The Warrior Transformed, the films will be introduced by Michael Jeck, veteran film programmer notable for commentary on Criterion DVD releases of Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood.

Admission to each film is $5, though you can see them for free with paid admission to the new samurai exhibit. (The offer is valid only for exhibit tickets purchased for Saturday, 3/31; there are a limited number of tickets available.) Warning—these films all have some pretty violent content. Film details after the jump. Continue reading →

Downtown, Entertainment, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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National Geographic Live: April 2012

Photo courtesy National Geographic

April looms large in front of us and so does a beautiful spring. While tourists flood the Tidal Basin, why not check out the April programming for National Geographic Live? The National Geographic Museum is offering WeLoveDC readers a chance to enjoy one of their premier events in the coming month. We’re giving away two pairs of tickets to readers this Friday; look through the great programs listed below and pick two you’d like to attend. In the comment field, simply enter your choices. (Make sure you use your first name and a valid email address!) Winners for April will be chosen at random after noon on March 30.

All programs (unless otherwise noted) take place in Grosvenor Auditorium at 1600 M Street, NW. Tickets may be purchased online at www.nglive.org, via telephone at (202) 857-7700, or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 am and 5 pm. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for all weekday programs that begin after 6 pm. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Bowerbirds @ Black Cat

photo courtesy of Bowerbirds

Welcome spring in tonight with the sweet sounds of Bowerbirds at Black Cat. The indie-folk duo, from Raleigh, North Carolina, are on tour now in support of their new album The Clearing, out now on Dead Oceans Records. Listen to their song “Tuck The Darkness In” from their latest album here.

Bowerbirds
Dry The River
$15 Mainstage/Doors at 8pm
Black Cat

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

Basil Twist's production of Petrushka at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Photo credit: Richard Termine.

I’ve lost my heart to a clown.

It took less than an hour to be seduced by his madcap ways, his shining eyes like fiery coals, pleading for my adoration as he leapt over the stage – hovering magically, springing about with elastic grace.

Too bad he’s in love with someone else. She doesn’t deserve him. Oh, did I mention he’s a puppet? That’s probably a deal breaker too.

It’s a testament to the puppeteers’ skill that even during a post-performance demonstration of what goes on backstage, I still didn’t notice them. I tried, but they infuse the puppets themselves with so much life that it’s nearly impossible. That’s the power of Basil Twist‘s production of Petrushka. Words like joyful, exuberant, and humorous all spring about the mind like the puppets themselves, in perfect symbiosis with their masterful manipulators.

It’s inspired by the famous Ballet Russes production of Stravinsky’s score. That original clown was brought to life by the brilliant and damaged Vaslav Nijinsky, and this puppet Petrushka has enough nods to iconic images of Nijinksy’s performance and others in the Ballet Russes canon to please ardent balletomanes. Hauntingly beautiful from the beginning, it’s also a quick night of theater that enthralled the few children in the audience and took the rest of us back to those happy, pure days ruled by imagination.

Since this is a limited engagement at the Shakespeare Theatre Company (part of the Basil Twist Festival D.C.) closing on March 25, I’ll be blunt: go see it.  Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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9 Reasons to See “The 9” at Iota Tonight – March 2012 Edition

Photo courtesy of tedeytan
Number 9 Sign
courtesy of tedeytan

About a month ago, I got a first-hand look at Justin Trawick’s local songwriter series “The 9” when I performed at Iota Club and Café with eight other DC-area artists. It was a unique experience both on stage and off.

Being a part of “The 9” is a collaborative effort. That’s what makes it interesting.

Tonight, “The 9” will be back at Iota. Though it’s common for “The 9” to perform at Iota (it’s a monthly affair at the Arlington rock club and café), there is no such thing as a standard set. Each show is different because the bill changes from venue to venue, month to month.

Here are a few reasons from tonight’s “9” as to why this particular show might be worth your Tuesday night:

Zia Hassan: It’s the first day of spring.  There’s no better way to come out of hibernation than to hear 9 different musical perspectives in one performance.  A new beginning for the trees, and a new beginning for your ears.

Maureen Andary: …because I’m gonna write a song about pie just for the show! Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Ah, Wilderness!


Photo: Scott Suchman

Nostalgia has been on the minds of Americans more than ever. Pop culture junkies are writing about it, those disillusioned by our current economic times are looking back to sunnier days, and Hollywood is playing to our nostalgic tastes more than ever with remakes and reboots of shows and films of yesteryear.

This isn’t a new phenomena, in 1932 Eugene O’Neill wrote “Ah, Wilderness!” as a fond look back to the mood and world he grew up in as a teenager. It is a certainly a world viewed with rose-colored lenses, O’Neill grew up in a less than perfect home full of alcoholism and philandering yet in Arena Stage’s production we are presented with a more idyllic vision: a warm, fuzzy home where the mood is relaxed like a night sitting on the porch sipping an iced tea.

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Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Hank 3 @ 930 Club, 3/15/2012

all photos by Matthew Carroll unless otherwise noted

Hank 3  is a musical maniac. Last Thursday night at the 930 club he played over three and a half hours of music spanning four genres, with only one five-minute break. Hank 3 and his band tore the roof off of the club with their breakneck paced country and Hellbilly sets, and then he and his drummer charged on with the progressively darker and weirder sludge/doom/metal and Cattlecore sets, ending the show after midnight.

http://matthewthomascarroll.com/

With no opening act, Hank 3 and his crew of outlaws started off the night right on time, playing their rowdy, rough-and-tumble style of country music to a pretty full club. The audience was ready to get down, and band led the way on stage, beginning with the super-charged “Straight To Hell.” The song, a boot-stompin’, barroom sing-along stirred the crowd up and showcased the virtuosic playing of fiddle player Adam McOwen. The pace never really slowed down for the next hour and a half (or more), as they charged through twenty-six songs in the country set.

  Continue reading →

Entertainment, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District
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Ringling Bros. Is Fully Charged In DC

Photo courtesy of mosley.brian
2012 Elephant Parade – Capitol Fun – 03-13-12
courtesy of mosley.brian

If you didn’t realize from the giant Elephant Parade last week, the circus is in town. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Fully Charged Tour spent the weekend in Chinatown for a slate of shows at the Verizon Center. The circus will continue in Baltimore for the rest of the month and then head to Fairfax for a run of performances.

Ringling Bros.’ return to the DC-area wasn’t welcomed by all. PETA asked Mayor Gray to investigate claims of animal abuse and protesters were out in force outside the Verizon Center urging families not to see The Greatest Show on Earth. PETA has also recently released a new video starring Alec Baldwin pleading for a boycott of animal-featured circuses.

Regardless of the controversy, the show is a spectacle beyond any other where the best moments are found sans elephants, tigers, or other animals. An overwhelming mixture of human feats will surely draw the attention of any young child.

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Downtown, Entertainment, Interviews, Music, People, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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Celtic Air: Moya Brennan

Photo courtesy of Marvin (PA)
Moya Brennan – Triskell – Trieste
courtesy of Marvin (PA)

What better way to truly celebrate the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day than to join a céilidh? Since such intimate gatherings are a bit tough to come by here in the DC area, the next best thing would be going to National Geographic and immersing yourself into the music of Moya Brennan. On her last stop of a brief U.S. tour, Moya will be filling the air with her ethereal voice and Irish and Gaelic music tradition.

Known best as the front singer for Clannad, Moya’s solo career has flourished over the last two decades. (My wife – herself of strong Irish heritage – and I have been a fan of her music since Moya’s first solo album Máire, which came out in 1992.) Bono of U2 describes her as “one of the greatest voices the human ear has ever experienced.” Her seemingly otherworldly voice mixed with her mastery of Irish and Gaelic musical traditions have made her into a master of taking traditional, cultural music and making it “new” for the modern age.

I had the extremely blessed opportunity to chat with her about her life, traditions, music, and Saturday’s sold out concert. Continue reading →

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


Photo: Scott Suchman

My favorite moment of last night’s opening of Monty Python’s Spamalot at the Warner Theatre was at the top of the show after an opening graphic in the familiar Monty Python animation style.

As King Arthur (Arthur Rowan) comes “galloping in” with his trusty porter Patsy (Michael J Berry) who is clapping two coconut halves for effect, the packed house cheered and applauded. What followed was a familiar exchange for anybody that’s seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail:

GUARD: Where did you get the coconuts?

ARTHUR: We found them.

GUARD: Found them? In Mercea. The coconut’s tropical!

ARTHUR: What do you mean?

GUARD: Well, this is a temperate zone.

ARTHUR: The swallow may fly south with the sun, or the housemartin or the plover may seek warmer lands in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land.

GUARD : Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

ARTHUR: Not at all. They could be carried.

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Entertainment, Interviews, Music, The Features, We Love Music
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Q&A with Hank 3

all photos courtesy of Hank3
Shelton Hank Williams, III, who now goes by Hank 3, is a rebel and an outlaw in the music world. The grandson of country music legend Hank Williams, and son of pop-country singer Hank Williams, Jr., Hank 3 has always gone against the grain. He refuses to conform to one style of music, or any set of rules, and tries to set himself apart, make his own name for himself. He recently broke free from the shackles of his former record label, Curb Records. In what could be seen as his declaration of independence he recorded and released four albums simultaneously on his own label- Hank 3 Records. Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown is a double LP of Hank 3’s blend of country music, Attention Deficit Domination is his tribute to sludge/stoner/doom-rock, and 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin features Hank 3’s newly created genre- Cattlecore, a blend of auctioneer vocals and hardcore metal guitar. He is on tour now supporting the four records, and will bring his ambitious production to the 930 club this Thursday, March 15th.
 
We Love DC’s Alexia Kauffman got to chat with Hank 3 over the weekend, and here’s what he had to say.
 
Alexia Kauffman:  When you were growing up what music moved you; what were some formative artists for you growing up?
 
Hank 3: Heart, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, KISS, Walt Disney. Queen, Adam Ant, Gary Numan, April Wine, all kinds of stuff.
 
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Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Korallreven @ Black Cat 3/5/2012

all photos by Nathan Jurgenson

Stockholm-based electronic duo Korallreven played their first DC show Monday night, headlining the Black Cat backstage. They were joined by openers Young Magic and Stout Cortez. Korallreven are currently on their first US tour, in support of An Album by Korallreven, out on Acephale Records.

Young Magic played an enthusiastic and energizing set. The trio, currently based in New York City is comprised of Australian ex-pats Isaac Emmanuel, Michael Italia, and Indonesian-born Melati Malay. They mixed dreamy vocals and ambient guitar with tribal-sounding rhythyms and hypnotic, thumping beats. Their performance and sound was fresh, intense, and engaging.

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Entertainment, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Surprise Wizards Victory Over Lakers Leaves Kobe Speechless

Tonight was a weird night for the Washington Wizards. With a little over 7 minutes left to play in the third quarter the Lakers held a 21-point lead over the Wiz. That was the only normal (or at least expected) thing about tonight.

Then things got interesting. By the end of the third quarter the Washington closed to within two points. At the start of the fourth quarter the a three-pointer from Roger Mason Jr. put Washington ahead and after a thrilling end the Wizards shocked the Lakers with a 106-101 victory.

But it wasn’t just the result that was strange and unexpected.

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Adams Morgan, Entertainment, Music
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Well that should be good for a few more bids

YouTube Preview Image

If you were up up in the air about whether you wanted to buy that diner on ebay maybe it being the site of a music video will help tip you over. It’s set entirely at the Cap City Diner – the logo is clearly visible in a few shots as singer Flo Anito comes in and out of the door – and it’s a fun little visual story and a good song.

I’m sure some of you will hate that the car in it has a Virginia license plate but hey, without the diner to go to maybe she’s fleeing the city. If so she didn’t stay gone long – she and our own Rachel Levitin are amongst the performers tonight at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room if you’re in the market for a little live music.

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Features, We Love Drinks
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Drinks Preview: ARTINI 2012

ARTINI 2011, image courtesy of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Photo credit: Ben Droz.

A gala that combines almost all of my favorite things – parties, drinks and art – into one glamorous mix? Always fantastic. Get ready for the fifth annual love affair of cocktails and art that is ARTINI.

Presented by the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design’s 1869 Society and sponsored by Washingtonian, while the actual gala is a month away on Saturday, March 31, the competition itself starts next week. Twelve (Eleven as of 3/27, see update**) of the top mixologists in the city will showcase their talent and creativity in a unique way – by crafting cocktails inspired by works of art in the Corcoran collection. Last year it was an honor to serve as a judge on the Critic’s Choice panel; this year I’m happy to just kick back as a partygoer. Tickets are now on sale and do sell out quickly, so snap yours up – $95 for 1869 Society members, $115 for non-Society members. All proceeds benefit ArtReach, the Corcoran’s educational outreach program, celebrating its twentieth year of visual arts education for local students.

Sample the entries all March long as the twelve** participants roll out their artistic cocktails at weekly Feature Nights starting next week and continuing every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday until the event. Our dedicated team of WLDC lushes – Brittany, Fedward, Moses and myself – will attempt to report on as many of these drinks as possible throughout the month. Look for our round-ups in the weekly Friday Happy Hour!

Now that we have all the details out of the way, I wonder if I have any predictions? Continue reading →