Category Archives: Essential DC

Concert Roundup, Entertainment, Essential DC, Get Out & About, Life in the Capital, Music, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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October Concert Round Up

Concert Rebecca Schley

October has shaped up to be a killer month in the DC music scene – largely delivering tried and true favorites to a wide variety of Washington-era venues for a live music fan. So Mickey (our resident music buff) and myself (avid concert goer/reviewer in training) are offering up our thoughts on the acts you should put on your schedules and get your little tucki (plural of tuckus???) out there to see.

Details on Daryl Hall and John Oates, The Naked and the Famous, Islands, Sparks and more after the jump. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Fun & Games, Music, Night Life, The Daily Feed, The District
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STRFKR @9:30 Club – 9/4/13

STRFKR rebeccaejohnson

Last night, STRFKR, the absurdly named and spelled Portland-based electronica group, put on an energy-filled show at the 9:30 Club.

You knew the night was gonna get weird – in a funny/ridiculous way – when the lead singer Joshua Hodges (aka Sexton Blake) walked out wearing what can only be described as the dress Norman Bates wore in Psycho; in fairness, Sexton’s frock was prettier. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, Opinion, S/He Loves DC, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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Why I (Still) Love DC

metro_passage Ben R

It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I wrote one of these. (Not that I’m required to this time around.) During yesterday’s festivities at a friend’s house – a place my wife and I have celebrated Independence Day for the last seven years – someone new to our gathering asked me how long I’d been writing for WeLoveDC. That’s when it dawned on me that it’s been half a decade since we unveiled the site to the world.

When we initially launched, our crew of rebels all wrote a piece on why we loved DC. The more I thought about it last night, the more I realized that I needed to revisit my own thoughts on the matter. Five years is a long time here in the District, especially at the speed of digital noise in which we traverse our daily lives. Continue reading →

Essential DC, The District, We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: July 4th and beyond!

Capitol Hill Parade (44 of 52) caroline.angelo

Happy Independence Day!

From all of us at We Love DC, we wish you a fantastic Fourth of July, and very special thanks for reading us. Our own humble founding was on July 4, 2008, and after five years we still love this city and strive to share our experiences of DC life with you. Here’s what some of us are up to this weekend, as we all celebrate the birthday of our country, and what it means to be free.

Mosley: Ah, the Fourth of July weekend that’s nearly as long as a week!  If I had a job I’d be in heaven. Anyways, I’m planning on spending the morning of the Fourth either going to the parade on Independence Ave or to the 11am Nats game. And then the fun begins with the fireworks! I’m setting up next to the Reflecting Pool on the Lincoln side of the Mall; if you see me, say hi. Friday I’m planning on continuing the patriotism by seeing Gettysburg at the AFI in Silver Spring; it’s going to be an all day event.  Saturday and Sunday will be interchangeable; one will be going back down to the Mall for the Folk Life Festival and the other will be a pool day. Which will hopefully be the hardest decision I make for the week.

sparklers philliefan99

Alexia: Friday night is a long-anticipated night for me – The Torches are finally releasing our first full-length album, “The Authority Of,” and we’re throwing a big ol’ album release party at Iota! Joining us for this celebratory occasion are The Green Boys (RVA), The Nighttime Adventure Society (NY), and locals Two Ton Twig will be providing foot-stomping musical interludes between bands! Show starts at 9pm, admission is $10. Saturday The Torches play a free show at noon at the DC Meet Market, on 15th & P as part of the summer kid-friendly rock show series Rock-n-Romp! Saturday night I’m thinking of heading to Old Town Alexandria for a chill evening. Sunday I’ll be celebrating the birthday of my favorite 2-year-old in a park in Arlington. Hoping the weather isn’t too swampy for that!

Continue reading →

Downtown, Essential DC, History, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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Celebrating 125 Years of National Geographic

Entryway to Exploration bhrome

The National Geographic Society was founded 125 years ago. Its purpose? To expand and share geographic and scientific knowledge through the spirit of exploration. That mission continues to drive National Geographic amidst more than a century of technological and scientific innovations. And for the next year, visitors to the Society’s Museum here in DC can celebrate and enjoy the most iconic moments in the organization’s history.

The exhibition opens with a colorful celebration of the Society’s iconic magazine. The entry arch is constructed entirely of hundreds of past issues in a variety of languages, a fitting tribute to the simple golden square that symbolizes the publication. As visitors walk down a short hallway, they are greeted with a colorful display that shows off the cover of every issue of National Geographic, including placeholders for the future editions to be published during the exhibition’s year-long run.

After a short look at the Society’s founding members—using an interactive portrait—the exhibition opens up to encompass the three areas of the organization’s focus in exploration: land, sea, and sky. The galleries are covered in colorful images that highlight fascinating stories throughout the Society’s history. Science and exploration are the primary focus, including ancient civilizations and cultures, paleontology, wildlife, oceans, and the environment. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Food and Drink, The District
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Best Picnic Spots in DC

Lincoln Memorial Picnic Mr. T in DC

It’s getting to be the perfect weather in DC. You know, that fine balance we get maybe a few glorious weeks a year where the thermometer is perfectly positioned between chilly and OVERWHELMINGLY-HUMID-TAKE-ME-TO-ALASKA-WHAT-IS-THIS-PLACE-WE-LIVE-IN hot.

So we must embrace this time, and one of my favorite ways is by putting together a picnic and heading outdoors with the people I love. Here are some of my top picks for picnic spots, along with good places to grab picnic supplies.

Picnic spot: Yards Park. If you haven’t been by now, embrace the season and head on over and soak up the southwest waterfront.
Grab your supplies: If it’s the weekend, try and grab something from one of the vendors at Eastern Market before heading out. If not, I’d recommend either Cornercopia or Spring Mill Bread Company for fresh sandwiches.

Picnic Spot: Founders Park in Old Town, Alexandria
Grab your supplies: Perfect for a brunch picnic, Society Fair offers up plenty of baked goods (try the croissant) housemade yogurt and coffee to go.

Continue reading →

Cherry Blossom Festival, Essential DC
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The Insider’s Guide: Cherry Blossom Bliss

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All photos by the author

There are a handful of great places to seek out Washington’s cherry blossoms but my favorite by far is Kenwood. The neighborhood, just around the corner from downtown Bethesda, is the insider’s paradise for a stroll through the flowers. I’d reckon that a visit on a spring day like the one I took this week could fill any hardened urbanite with suburban dreams.

Every year, a few days after their more famous siblings at the Tidal Basin start to show off, Kenwood’s cherry blossoms explode into life. With only three hundred some odd homes the densely packed twelve hundred Yoshino cherry trees blanket the neighborhood in stunning fashion. Weekend days during peak bloom can generate a crowd, but it’s nothing compared to the tidal basin’s overwhelming swell, and this is one of the best reasons to go to Kenwood. I think the place is also aesthetically more spectacular. The cherry trees in Kenwood are inescapable and encompassing, lining nearly every street and dotting nearly every front yard. They blanket the place in color, and in the neighborhood’s most magical spots the branches on each side of the road meet above your head forming tunnels of pink and white.
Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Night Life, Special Events
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The 2013 Fashion for Paws Runway Show

Photo credit: Moshe Zusman

 

Cute critters, cupcakes, celebs and clothes, oh my! If you’re looking for something spectacular to do this weekend, then The 2013 Fashion For Paws runway show this Saturday, April 13, 2013 at the National Building Museum is your ticket.

E! News Now anchor and E! News correspondent Ashlan Gorse returns to host over 1,700 guests for a four hour open bar and runaway show to support the Washington Humane Society. Which, by-the-way, is where I got my adorbs orange tabby Archie.

At this year’s event, Congressmen Jim Moran (D-Virginia) and John Campbell (R-California) will be honored with the 2013 Humane Hero Award, which recognizes individuals in media, politics and entertainment who have displayed a passion for animal welfare.

So whether you’re an animal <3er or a fashion enthusiast, get your ticket now!!!

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Crashing Panels And Taking Names

Photo courtesy of Dan Dan The Binary Man
TGIF! From Me & Orion :)
courtesy of Dan Dan The Binary Man

This Friday just got even better since a friend of mine showed me “The Panel Crasher.”  The two day old blog documents the exploits of a former Hill staffer/Non-profit associate turned unemployed sequestration victim with a ton of time and no funds as he crashes Think Tank/Hill events, eats their food, pays no attention to their discussions and then makes fun of them on his blog.  There have only been two entries to date, but they feature a problem intern girl, Michael Jordan fashion, a Luke Perry reference and tons of other hilarity.

Business and Money, Downtown, Education, Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, Opinion, People, The Features
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A Conversation on Culture and Change Regarding the Washington [blank]s

Photo courtesy of BrianMKA
FedEx seats
courtesy of BrianMKA

By now, local Washington media has covered the internet with their summaries of a timely – yet still largely ignored – issue involving a particular football team located in this area. While Racial Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation in American Sports spoke to the broader issues regarding Native American culture and peoples and their use as sports logos and traditions, make no mistake: the local NFL team’s moniker was a lynchpin in the discussion. The topic was subject of one-third of the day’s symposium, and itself is well-covered elsewhere. (You can watch the recording online in its entirety.)

I couldn’t attend in person, so I settled for the live webcast. And I’ve spent time re-watching the panels as well, because there was so much information and passion involved I couldn’t catch all of it the first time around. I could probably write several blog posts about the topic, and may yet in the future.

But what I wanted to really comment here and now, since other outlets are more focused on the local team aspect, is some key comments made by Director Kevin Gover at the start of the day. Thanks to NMAI, I received a full copy of his remarks; they provide a context that is important to the background of the overall discussion. While I won’t simply copy them all here – you can listen to Dr. Gover online for that – I did want to point out some relevant comments. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Essential DC, Music, The Daily Feed
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Fort Reno schedule update

Fort Reno

Fort Reno has announced more bands to grace the stage this summer! You can see the summer schedule here! TBD seems to be really popular…

Tonight, Thursday, June 28th:

Seamonsters

Treble Lifter

The Admins

Monday, July 2nd: Give, Coup Sauvage & the Snips, Boris Milic

Thursday, July 5th: Troll Tax, Big Mouth, Atoms Apart

Monday, July 9th: Mobius Strip, Hey Arbore, East Paw

Thursday, July 12th: Nunchucks, RCRDS, Satori Trova

Monday, July 16th: Cigarbox Planetarium, Alma Tropicalia, Nox

Thursday, July 19th: Deathfix, TBD, Hen of the Woods

Monday, July 23rd: Max Levine Ensemble, Flex Matthews, TBD

Thursday, July 26th: TBD, More Humans, Grammar

Entertainment, Essential DC, Music, The Daily Feed
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Fort Reno Monday lineup announced!

The Torches, photo by Tara Welch

Ever secretive with releasing lineup/show information, Fort Reno just announced the lineup for Monday, June 25th on their website.

And it is:

The Torches (featuring yours truly!)

MusicBand

The NVs

Show starts at 7pm, over by 9:30pm. Free!

Fort Reno Park is at Chesapeake Street and Nebraska Avenue NW. All ages, dogs, and food are welcome. No glass bottles or alcohol!

Essential DC, Music, The Daily Feed, The District, We Love Music
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Fort Reno 2012 free concert series starts tonight!

The Fort Reno concert series is a DC institution. I have fond memories of the series from when I was in high school- getting to see Fugazi (and other cool acts) for free, outdoors in the summer. The threat of rain is always looming, but the reward is a unique concert experience.

The concert series is an all volunteer enterprise, which has presented free shows in the park for more than 40 years. The season goes from mid-June through August, with shows on Monday and Thursday evenings starting around 7pm and going until dark. It features only bands based in the DC/metro area. All ages are welcome.

The series is notorious for announcing their lineup last-minute, and this year is no different. So far only the first two shows have been announced, and only on the Fort Reno facebook page. Tonight, (6/18) the first night of the season, features Teen Mom, Alarms & Controls, and Upforth.

Thursday’s (6/21) lineup features Edie Sedgwick, Art Sorority for Girls, and BRENDA.

Fort Reno Park is at Chesapeake Street and Nebraska Avenue NW. All ages, dogs, and food are welcome. No glass bottles or alcohol!

Fort Reno has a weather hotline! 202-355-6356 You can also check their twitter feed, or facebook page!

*update- as of this afternoon, the weather line is not up and running, but you can still go to Fort Reno’s twitter feed or facebook for updates on the weather situation*

Downtown, Essential DC, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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And the Blossom Bloomtime Is….

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This year marks the centennial anniversary of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to Washington, DC and the enduring friendship between Japan and the United States. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrating in style this year with a five-week calendar of events. Considered the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, this year will feature diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.

Among some of the events are the Pink Tie Party on March 20 with Chefs Jose Andres and Roy Yamaguchi and the Cherry Blossom Parade on April 14, co-hosted by Katie Couric with special correspondents Alex Trebek, Leon Harris, and Alison Starling.

The biggest news, however, is the bloom prediction by NPS Chief Horticulturalist Rob DeFeo. Due to the light winter and continual warming trend, the peak bloom prediction this year is from March 24th through the 31st. In the coming weeks, watch for updates from WLDC on the exciting Cherry Blossom events and plans to come!

Entertainment, Essential DC, Life in the Capital, Media, The District, The Features
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Breaking Down The Sh*t DC Says Video

What’s really great about a viral meme based on stereotypes is that it can be easily replicated. The problem about a viral meme based on stereotypes is that it can easily be replicated.

We roared at My New Haircut, laughed at My New Haircut: Asian Edition, groaned at My New Haircut: Irish Edition.

So when Shit Girls Say came out it was only a matter of time before a billion other versions were produced. The meme was even embraced by yoga apparel company Lululemon Athletica and Public Relations Agency Hunter PR.

If you weren’t sure if the meme has hit critical mass or jumped over the shark then hold on to your butts- the meme has gone local with Shit DC Says.

DC’s Living Social blog, SocialStudiesDC, produced the video and it made the rounds all-day yesterday.

Let’s break it down.

Continue reading →

Adventures, Business and Money, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, Technology, The Daily Feed
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ESPN Zone Arcade Game Auction

Photo courtesy of
‘ESPN Zone’
courtesy of ‘darkensiva’

Via Thrillist this morning, the now-closed ESPN Zone is auctioning off pretty much all of their arcade games and the going prices aren’t bad. Knowing the WeLoveDC audience, I figured there would be some of you out there interested in getting your gaming hands on some of these classics. Aside from the games, the auction includes lighting, furniture and industrial kitchen equipment from the Zone, so if you’re in need of an ice cream machine or a heavy duty deep fryer this is your auction.

If I lived in a group house, I would totally be ALL over my housemates to chip in and buy one of these beauties. Personally, I’m partial to the Trophy Hunting (Bear & Moose) and the Super Shot games, but I’m sure the Slapshot Hockey and Washington Redskins Football Throwing game will be big fan favorites as well.

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Ginormous Cupcake Spotted At Georgetown Waterfront

Photo courtesy of
‘The Cupcakes For The Humans ~ Yummy’
courtesy of ‘Dan Dan The Binary Man’

Georgetown Cupcake has unveiled the world’s largest cupcake for the Guinness Book of World Records at the Washington Harbour.  Post record keeping/awarding administration, the 1000 lb cupcake will be sliced up, so head on down there for a taste of the world’s largest cupcake while it lasts.

Entertainment, Essential DC, Special Events, The Features
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Harvest Moon at the Textile Museum

Harvest Moon at Otsukimi event. Photo credit: LMorris.

The Japanese traditionally enjoy Otsukimi (moon-viewing) on the night of the full moon in autumn. Centuries ago, Otsukimi was introduced to Japan from China, though as it spread throughout the land it was modified to include native Japanese products. The Japanese typically make offerings to the moon of autumn fruits and vegetables, odango (rice dumplings) and susuki (Japanese pampas grass) to give thanks for the year’s harvest.

Approximately 125 people attended this year’s event, hosted by the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC and the Textile Museum earlier this month. Perfectly clear skies, comfortably cool temperatures, and an atmosphere of serene enjoyment were to be had in the Textile Museum’s lovely moonlit garden. Contributing to the ambience were calming traditional Japanese tunes of koto (Japanese stringed musical instruments), including an homage to the “round, round moon.” Continue reading →

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District
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DC Mourns Steve Jobs At Apple Store

If you walk by the Georgetown Apple Store, you’ll find that to left of the store’s entrance, DC Apple lovers have created an impromptu memorial to Steve Jobs filled with posters, letters, flowers and many apples. Personally, I found these tributes to be the purest and most genuine expressions of how Mr. Jobs and his company have inspired so many people and how the DC community is mourning the loss, and solidarity with the Apple community and Jobs’ family and friends. Continue reading →

Business and Money, Essential DC, Fashionable DC, Life in the Capital, The District, The Features
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CB2 Fall Line: Space May Be Limited, But It Can Still Be Chic

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Continuing on the heels of my Etsy Round Up: Washington DC feature apartment decorating finds, I ventured over the CB2 in Georgetown recently to check out their Fall 2011 collection. The latest and greatest from this Create&Barrel and Land of Nod, “affordable” sister shop centers on providing innovative, space saving options for DC’s small apartment, loft and efficiency occupants.  Although that is not a revolutionary concept (see IKEA, West Elm, etc.) and was not chosen to meet the particular needs of DC urban dwellers, it is well executed. Continue reading →