Music, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: The Naked and the Famous @ 9:30 Club — 10/7/13

When I first heard “Punching in a Dream” by The Naked and the Famous, I thought, “Well, what a catchy dreampop song!” The ethereal voice of Alisa Xayalith over the layered electronics struck me as a sonically aggressive take on the genre but I was comfortable with that categorization nonetheless.

Coming to know the band quite a bit better recently, I’ve come to appreciate the bite in their music that lends their sound to the more rock-and-roll bent of post-punk. Yet I’m not entirely comfortable fully placing them there myself—and this is what makes the band an exciting listen. The Naked and the Famous are different. They play outside of boundaries, and they are surprisingly versatile while doing so. This was evident in two sold out shows at the 9:30 Club this past Sunday and Monday, where the crowd fully embraced the duality of the band, dancing and singing along with great enthusiasm.

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Featured Photo

Featured Photo

If you’ve missed it, the last few days have produced some amazing sunsets. I believe (and if someone with a atmospheric science background could confirm this) that it has to do with the angle the sun is setting at this time of year and the heavy clouds/atmosphere with the storms moving through the area. Whatever the how is, the end product is great to look at, and Erin came away with an amazing shot. Those deep oranges are hard to catch, and she was able to do it while not completely blacking out the foreground. The subtle orange reflections along the ground accent the silhouetted cityscape perfectly. She even was able to capture some reds, pinks, and blues a few minutes later. Simply mesmerizing.

A number of other contributors got shots of the sunset over the last two evenings. Those too are well worth a few minutes to check out.

Music, The Features, We Love Music

The Winning Ticket: Lee Fields & The Expressions @ 9:30 Club, 10/17/13

LeeFieldsFAs a way to say thanks to our loyal readers, We Love DC will be giving away a pair of tickets to a 9:30 Club concert to one lucky reader periodically. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to find out what tickets we’re giving away, and leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner!

Today, we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Lee Fields and the Expressions at the 9:30 Club on Thursday, Oct. 17.

Mr. Fields, a southern soul singer, has been on a resurgence lately, putting out several well-regarded albums with The Expressions in the past decade. It seems he’s drawn quite a few comparisons to James Brown over the years, so this has got to be quite a fun and funky show!

For your chance to win these tickets, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 10am and 4pm today. Feel free to leave any comment, but perhaps share your favorite song by Lee Fields! One entry per email address, please. Tickets for this show are also available through Ticketfly.

For the rules of this giveaway…

Comments will be closed at 4pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if he/she is under 18 years old.

Lee Fields & The Expressions
9:30 Club
Thursday, Oct. 17
doors @7pm
$25
All ages

Weekend Flashback

Weekend Flashback: 10/4-10/6

The continuing government shutdown didn’t stop some of our amazing photographic contributors from visiting DC’s major tourist sites but the gates, barriers, and armed guards meant they, and the other visitors, couldn’t get as close as they usually do. Although in the case of the road closures on the Mall that just meant that cyclists had free reign over the lovely leaf-covered streets. It turned out okay in the end (at least as far as the Weekend Flashback goes) as there were plenty of other interesting sights to see and things to do in our fair city this weekend.

As always if you’d like to see your name in lights, or at least your photos on our site, then please take the time to add them to our pool. It’ll be worth the effort I promise! I’ll even pay you. In compliments. I know, you were hoping for cash but who doesn’t like compliments? Sure they won’t pay the rent but you’ll feel good on the inside. Continue reading

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts

We Love Arts: The Laramie Project

01h_LaramieProject

Photo: Carol Rosegg

In the performing arts world it is almost canon law that the show must go on. For the cast and crew of Ford’s Theatre’s The Laramie Project that meant finding a performance space for their production after Tuesday’s Government Shutdown resulted in the National Parks Service forcing the closure the famed theatre.

I learned about the events of that faithful day in an interview with Paul R. Tetreault, the Theatre Director for Ford’s Theatre. The staff arrived to work at 8:30 unsure on how the Shutdown would affect their production. In past government closures the theatre has been allowed to produce theatrical productions. This production of The Laramie Project doesn’t use any federal employees or funds, however the theatre facility is funded by both the Ford’s Theatre Society, a nonprofit entity, and the National Parks Service.

“We thought we’d be beneath the radar… the Federal government has bigger issues than little ol’ Fords Theatre.” Tetreault explained.

At 10:30 that morning Tetreault was hand-delivered a letter from the Director of the National Parks Service informing them that the facility will be closed for the duration of the shutdown. Suddenly The Laramie Project was out on the street without a home.

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Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts

We Love Arts: Red Speedo

Frank Boyd (Ray) and Laura C. Harris (Lydia) in Studio Theatre's production of Red Speedo. Photo: Teddy Wolff

Frank Boyd (Ray) and Laura C. Harris (Lydia) in Studio Theatre’s production of Red Speedo. Photo: Teddy Wolff

Chlorine. It’s an unmistakable, pervasive odor that greets audience members climbing the stairwell up to the Studio Lab’s production of Red Speedo. It’s one of those scents that taps instantly into memory, permeating everything. For some it brings to mind the leisure of a summer swimming pool, for others the heady competition of swim meets. Here it’s the latter that’s being evoked, and with it, a dose of ethics. There’s a queasy sensation that rises up when your sense of what is right is pitted against your sense of what is wrong. In the heat of competition, moral and physical fiber can be in opposition.

Red Speedo dives into a pretty deep pool of complex arguments, and in doing so owes a great deal to Greek drama, both in its format and in its unabashed way of piling on those arguments ever higher. From the first segment, when a lengthy monologue gives way to a staccato two-character exchange, to the final striking betrayals, it has a Sophoclean air. Lucas Hnath’s play is having its world premiere at Studio Theatre’s Studio Lab, and with all tickets at twenty dollars it’s well worth the eighty minutes of heavy moral quicksand. For the most part, Hnath sticks to scenes between two characters as they continually delude themselves and each other through dilemmas that warp the moral compass. Over it all, that whiff of chlorine heightens the queasy feeling right to the end.

Unless you love the smell of chlorine. In which case, the ends may justify the means. Who can say? It’s that kind of play.  Continue reading

We Love Weekends

We Love Weekends: Oct 4-6

Jenn: If there’s one thing I’m going to urge you to do over the weekend in defiance of the shutdown, it’s to go see Ford’s Theatre‘s production of The Laramie Project. Only, it’s not at Ford’s Theatre. Ford’s Theatre Society’s director Paul R. Tetreault was notified this Tuesday that they cannot perform in the theater during the government shutdown, even though FTS is a private non-profit organization that uses no federal funding. That night was press opening, which was then moved last minute to Woolly Mammoth. It looked like the run might have to be scrapped, but in a spirited move that reminds me of other great theatrical moments, The Laramie Project will have two free performances at the nearby First Congregational United Church of Christ, on Friday, October 4 and again on Tuesday, October 8, both at 7:30pm with tickets available on site on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please consider supporting them. As Tetreault notes, “This weekend will mark 15 years since Matthew Shepard’s beating. That milestone will arrive regardless of what happens in Congress. We felt it was vital to find a way to continue telling this story now.” Bravo.

Tom: We’ve got a brand new baby (Welcome, Charlie Bridge!) we want to take out on the town and show off the majesty of the Nation’s Capital. We figured we’d start at The National Zoo, then head down to the DC World War I Memorial, then over to the Air & Space Museum, then off to the Library of Congress, and finish up at the Capitol and the Supreme Court. Sadly, because of 30 Tea Party Whackjobs, representing a tiny fraction of all Americans, the whole lot are closed. Sorry kid.

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Music, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: Daryl Hall and John Oates @ Warner Theatre — 10/2/13

Daryl Hall and John Oates sailed into DC on Wednesday night, wowing a robust crowd at the Warner Theatre with so much soul that we all couldn’t help but leave feeling very spiritual.

These two talented gentlemen came to croon, and boy did they ever. They made me a happy man opening with “Maneater” and closing the last song of their second (!) encore with “Private Eyes,” satisfying my inner MTV child. Their hypnotizing blend of soul, funk, rock and electronics made for a pleasing musical cocktail.

But they really grabbed my attention and that of the room with the sheer power of their 70s ballads. Forty years ago, the duo released the platinum album “Abandoned Luncheonette,” their second album and two of three on Atlantic Records (for which Hall was surprisingly nostalgic Wednesday night). That album included the super smooth “She’s Gone,” a heartfelt ode to lost love so powerful that it eventually catapulted the two young musicians from Philadelphia to stardom and a permanent place in the American pop culture psyche, where they have continued to sit comfortably for four decades now.

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Entertainment, We Love Arts

In the House with Paata Tsikurishvili

Paata Tsikurishvili of Synetic Theater

Paata Tsikurishvili of Synetic Theater

In the House is a feature interview series about the theater-makers that keep our most precious institutions up and running. We want to know what artistic and executive directors love about their jobs, how they see their work affecting the city’s theater culture, and what they hope for the future of the craft.

Paata Tsikurishvili is the founding artistic director and CEO of the acclaimed Synetic Theater, a physical theater fusing dynamic art forms — such as text, drama, movement, acrobatics, dance and music.

Joanna Castle Miller: What does it mean for you to be Synetic Theater’s artistic director? 

Paata Tsikurishvili: Let me just back up a little bit: I used to dream about becoming an artistic director, many many years ago back in my country (Georgia), and especially to somehow get to the USA and open a company, because I had my own vision from the very beginning. I believed that synthesis of the different arts is the way to go. And I’m living my dream. It’s just a blessing. It’s my life. I love it, every second of it.

JCM: What all does your job involve?

PT: Being founder of the company involves the Board of Directors, organizational things, management things, the budget – it’s all there. But what really excites me is the artistic side. I do manage artists, so it’s one of my skills to make sure I recognize talents and then manage the talents and use them in the right direction.

We audition actors and then we teach them expressions: internal, external, psychological, movement, theatrical dance, you name it. Next, I’m researching all the time, nonstop, to find out what my season is going to look like.

Then I start working with a dramaturg and playwright. Most of our work is based on world literature and classics. To take it from literature to a staged play is quite challenging, and especially for Synetic, because our vocabulary of storytelling is not just verbal. It’s visual, movement, sound. It’s synthesis. So I probably spend 6-9 months preparing things.

JCM: For each piece?

PT: Yes.

JCM: How do you decide what shows to include in your season? What’s that process like?

PT: Sometimes I find themes for the season; sometimes I want to change and do something very different. It depends on the year. And life is dictating me. For example, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I chose that production because of Alex Mills’ Puck.

JCM: So sometimes the actors inspire the decisions?

PT: Yes. A lot of actors – I don’t want to leave anybody out. And 50% of me is my wife Irina. We brainstorm together and argue all the time, and I have to keep in mind what works for her. Sometimes I want to have dance style productions because I know it’s the best use of her.

JCM: What’s the biggest obstacle you face in attracting DC area audiences?

PT: I think the biggest challenge is that no one can really define what we do with one word. People say, “Oh, this is not really a theater; it’s dance.” Sometimes we do shows on the water – that doesn’t mean we’re a swimming company, right? So if we dance, it doesn’t make us dancers.

The 21st century definition of theater can mean many different things for different artists. Every artistic director has their own approach, their own vision.

The challenge is also to get someone into the theater who has never seen a show here. Because if I say, “Shakespeare without words,” you go, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Right? It’s hard to imagine, but once you come and see it becomes addictive.

JCM: How have you seen Synetic evolve over the last few years?

PT: Synetic is really blessed to have actors almost like a repertory. Some of our actors have been here more than 10 years. And every time we put on a show, they become better and better and better. So it gives me the opportunity to find hidden talents that they carry and the buttons to push it. And it’s a blessing to know each other so long, for such a long time. Every time we do something new, or better, or mastered differently, we all grow together.

It was 2003 when I first produced Hamlet… the rest is silence. That’s why I’m bringing back Hamlet this year. In the next ten years, my goal is to get national and international, which means I will get some agencies and start pushing for touring. We’ve trained more than 160-180 actors, so everyone is ready, and they love it.

JCM: What’s one show would you likely never, ever produce at Synetic? 

PT: I don’t know! I have no answer for that.

But let me tell you this: everything is changing around us, life is changing, and I love experiments. Maybe in the next few seasons, I’ll figure out how to produce a musical. I see how a Synetic-style musical could be, with a new angle, differently done of course, and for some reason it excites me. I never thought about it before, but now I think “Hmm… I’ve got to do this.” I’ve started having meetings.

Maybe one day, one show a season will be a musical, one show will be a traditional work, one show will be wordless, and one show will be a synthesis like Dorian. I want to diverse my theatrical portfolio a little further.

JCM: I hate that we’re done. Is there anything else you’d say about your work here in DC?

PT: Of course! The reason that Synetic become such a successful organization is nonstop work of myself, Irina, and of course my colleagues. I want to make sure the actors get the credit because without their dedication – the time, the execution – Synetic would never have been able to achieve what we did. That’s how Synetic became American theater.

I’m very excited to say I’m living my dream. I was able to found a company – an American dream story. I’m happy to be part of this, in one of the most diverse and unique theater towns.

I’ve been to many world theater festivals; I have seen so many things. Washington’s theater community is very unique, very diverse. We have tiny theaters taking huge risks, and we have big theaters doing unbelievable work. It’s an artistic melting pot right here. And I’m happy to be a part of it.

Synetic Theater is located in Crystal City. Their current show, The Picture of Dorian Gray, runs through November 3.

Featured Photo

Featured Photo

The government may be closed for business, and you may be forced to sit home and wait for Congress to come to it’s senses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look at cute stuff while you do it. Daniel Reidel took this squee-worthy photo of spectacled bears Billie Jean, Curt, and Nicole on Saturday. Let’s hope that the government shutdown gets figured out before these guys are also forced to stay home from work. Make sure you browse through his other amazing animal shots from the National Zoo, it will help the time pass if not quickly at least cutely.

Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts

October 2013 at National Geographic

As the Society continues its celebration, Nat Geo Live’s offerings reflect the Society’s history of connecting audiences to people and places that inspire us to care about the planet. To that end, the Museum continues our monthly drawings for a two readers to win a pair of tickets each to a program of their choice in October. To enter, just comment below with what two programs you’d most like to see; make sure you use your first name and a valid email address. On Thursday, October 3, we’ll randomly draw two names from the comment list.

Here is what’s being offered this month.

Wildest Africa ($24)
10/15, 7:30 pm
Leading wildlife photojournalist Michael “Nick” Nichols reports on the struggle to preserve Africa’s wild animals. Nichols, National Geographic’s Editor-at-Large for photography, has been working with African elephants for more than 20 years. He also talks about his coverage of the Serengeti lions from the August 2013 National Geographic, which took him two years to document. Nichols shares new video, audio, anecdotes and photographs captured with cutting-edge technology.

Beyond the Yellow Border Tour ($40)
10/16, 7 pm
Mark Collins Jenkins, former National Geographic Society archivist/historian and author of National Geographic 125 Years, takes an in-depth look at the history of the Society in the Museum’s exhibition, “A New Age of Exploration.” Cocktails and light fare are included.

A Passion for Photography ($30)
10/17, 7 pm
Meet seven extraordinary photographers whose work has influenced global change, as showcased in the October 2013 special issue of National Geographic magazine. The evening features David Guttenfelder with a look at North Korea’s closed society; portrait artist Martin Schoeller with a photo essay on how our growing diversity is changing the face of America; photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale with a report on conflict minerals; wildlife photographer Joel Sartore with a look at zoos’ role in the fight against extinction; camera obscura photographer Abelardo Morell melting boundaries between landscape and dreamscape; photojournalist James Estrin on the future of photography; and James Balog, whose Extreme Ice Survey is documenting the global loss of glacial ice.

Curating Women of Vision Tour ($35)
10/29, 7 pm
How does Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist choose from among thousands of National Geographic photos to create an exhibition showcasing the work of 11 groundbreaking female photographers? Learn about the work that goes into curating the new “Women of Vision” exhibition debuting in the National Geographic Museum’s 17th Street Gallery on Oct. 10. Cocktails and light fare are included.

All events take place at National Geographic’s Washington DC headquarters. Tickets may be purchased online, via telephone at (202) 857-7700 or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 20 to ensure guaranteed Early Bird Pricing. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for programs that begin after 6 p.m.

Music, The Features, We Love Music

Hot Ticket: Daryl Hall & John Oates @ The Warner Theatre, 10/2/13

Private Eyes/
They’re watching you/
They see your every move!

If hearing that song out and about makes you want to clap along (clap! clap CLAP!), you know you have to go see Daryl Hall and John Oates when they stop at the Warner Theatre in DC this Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Nominally, Hall and Oates are touring on the 40th anniversary of their platinum album, Abandoned Luncheonette, which included ’70s jams like “She’s Gone.” But reports have it that this tour includes a roundup of hits, including those like “Private Eyes” and “Maneater” — songs that caught the zeitgeist of the 1980s and put the duo in heavy rotation on MTV.

The two are still very active, touring together and recently releasing their first box set, Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates. Catching them at the Warner is a nice opportunity to see them play a career retrospective in a classic theater.

Daryl Hall & John Oates
Warner Theatre
Wednesday, Oct. 2
show @8pm
$63-$123
All ages

Weekend Flashback

Weekend Flashback: 9/27-9/29

Mondays can just make you feel like the picture above. Mondays the day before the national government shuts down with you living in the seat of that national government makes you something something. Simpsons references aside, this is already shaping up to be an annoying week, so the official We Love DC advice to weathering an unnecessary government shutdown is 1) keep cool, 2) stay away from the news websites, and 3) plenty of adult beverages.

Oh, and be sure to read We Love DC! You can start with this most excellent Flashback. Just sit back and enjoy each photo; you’ve probably got nothing better to do anyways. Continue reading

We Love Weekends

We Love Weekends: September 28-29

Tom: Well, our due date is here, so we’re giving thought to spending the weekend taking bumpy bus rides, eating spicy food, and otherwise waiting for the baby to arrive. My folks get here Sunday, so we’ll probably be spending part of that day getting them accustomed to DC life while they’re here for October (Yes, I know, stand right, walk left, fear not.). Mostly, though? I’d not be punching any journalists in the face, that’s for sad sack comedians to do.

Rachel: This weekend will be filled with lots and lots of music now that the Nats don’t have anymore home games this season (a sad fact that I’m still coming to terms with honestly). Friday night I’ll be concert hoping. My first stop will be at Ebenezers Coffehouse to see Andy Suzuki & The Method. Andy’s voice is a soothing combo of Amos Lee and James Taylor, so I’m really looking forward to finally seeing him live after following the band on Twitter for what feels like forever. Then, I’ll be off to the Hard Rock Cafe for the Pink Jams Under:40 Music Marathon for a few hours that night before getting some sleep and heading back there in the morning. The 40-hour music marathon starts Friday night at 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday. I just so happen to be playing a set at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday so please do come have lunch with us, it’ll be a grand time! Then, after my set, I’ll hang around for a bit to see Don Kim and a few others before jetting off for a photo shoot with local photog Emma B. Busy busy busy. 

Mosley: It’s really nice have Fall in the air! Saturday I’m planning on going to the DC State Fair/Barracks Row Fall Festival. I’ve been wanting to go to the Fair for the past three years but something has always come up to stop me. Then that night I have a wonderful Oktoberfest party at a friends house; German or pumpkin beer for all (I’m sticking with the German beer)! Sunday is looking free, so not sure what I’ll be doing; maybe a photo walk over to Roosevelt Island. We’ll see.

Jenn: What better way to celebrate my return to the Shaw neighborhood than spending Saturday night at Nuit Blanche DC, Art All Night 2013. From 7pm to 3am, wander the area of 7th and 9th Streets NW between K Street and Florida Avenue NW to experience the coolest overnight arts festival – painting, music, dance – all for free. Especially of interest to me will be seeing the renovation of one of my favorite DC buildings, the Wonder Bread and Hostess Cake factory on S Street at 7th Street. After staying up (almost) all night, I plan on recovering on Sunday at the Turkish Festival, snapping up silver jewelry and having my fortune told from the grinds of a cup of Turkish coffee. I’ll need every last drop, but it will have been worth it.

Patrick: It’s been a long week for me. Which on the surface means I should go #ragelikepho when I meet up with one of my favorites on Friday but instead I’ll be keeping things normal so I’ll be in good shape for the Clarendon Day 5K. Saturday night I’d like to stay in and catch-up on work but I have a feeling the urge to go out will overcome me. Sunday I’ll be trekking out to check out the newly formed NextStop Theatre, who is kicking off their Inaugural season with a production of Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.

Fedward: Since “nothing, glorious nothing,” isn’t so helpful in the links department, I will hereby list a few things that worth leaving the house for. First, the Social Chair and I have already seen the Shakespeare Theatre’s Measure for Measure but it is uniformly excellent and you should go. Just leave the kids at home, because some of the moral quandaries in the play are made, well, explicit. And make sure you get there in time for the pre-show Cabaret. We’re also excited for the official opening of the new Petworth Citizen, and for a chance to return to 2 Birds 1 Stone. We’ll round out our weekend with our usual Passenger brunch, which is always worth leaving the house for.

Entertainment, Music, People, The Daily Feed, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: Pink Jams Under:40 Music Marathon at the Hard Rock Cafe DC 9/27-9/29

Photo Courtesy of Pink Jams

When Pink Jams! Founder and President Christa Floresca lost a 35-year-old friend to breast cancer in 2007, she learned the hard way that the disease does not discriminate based on gender, race, or age.  That realization is what inspired Floresca to find a creative way to raise money and awareness of breast cancer’s effects on people under age 40.

“Jen was the first person I had ever met that was around my age that had been diagnosed with breast cancer,” Floresca said, “I always thought that was something that you worried about as you got older.”

Founded in 2009, just two years after Jen’s passing, Pink Jams is currently doing all it can as an organization to raise funds and engage in community discussion about breast cancer affecting people under age 40. “It’s not really about the money,” Floresca said. “It’s about the awareness. It’s about reaching thousands and thousands of people,” and that’s what the 2nd Annual Under:40 Music Marathon at the Hard Rock Café this coming weekend will help to do.

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Featured Photo

Featured Photo

Well positioned sunrise photos are always good, but when you can get that big ball of orange light in your shot it takes on a whole new life. In addition, you’ll get super-bonus points for getting a building, any building, in the shot. But when you can do it with the buildings being the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, you deserve special recognition, like Kevin’s photo above. It has it all: the sun directly behind the dome; a uniform orange dawn sky; the sun as a perfect circle; and even a perfect silhouette, with no atmosphere distortion, of the Statue of Freedom. Pretty amazing.

As I mentioned in last week’s Week In Review, the Fall Equinox was on Sunday. That meant that the full moon last week rose almost perfectly from the east. What I didn’t mention is that the sun rises perfectly from the east on both Equinoxes (Spring and Fall). Since the timings and placements of these celestial bodies have been known for centuries, with the right tools it’s very easy to plan out a photo shoot to get your own well placed shots. I use the Photographer’s Ephemeris which provides a map and lines showing the movement of the sun and the moon for a given location; it’s very intuitive to use (plus the desktop version is free). So get planing, as the Spring Equinox is March 20th and I hope to see people out taking some sunrise shots.

Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features

He Loves DC: Geoff Grubbs

Photo Courtesy of Geoff Grubbs

Photo Courtesy of Geoff Grubbs

She/He Loves DC is a series highlighting the people who love this city just as much as we do.

When he first moved to D.C. in 1972, Geoff Grubbs knew a different town than the one we know today. People were moving out of the city and into to the suburbs and the first section of the Metro was being built. It was — simply put — a different time for the city and for Grubbs himself.

Fast-forward to present day and Grubbs lives and works in D.C. as the owner of a small independent environmental consulting firm but now finds himself on a mission. That mission is to help fund the research that will bring about the next generation of drugs not yet invented to help treat his form of lymphoma. It’s this circumstance, he said, that reignited his love for the city in which he lives. Why? The unfortunate circumstances have provided a new perspective, reminding him why he loves living in here and how lucky he is to do so.

What is it about DC that makes it home to you?

I came to DC from west Texas in 1972 for a job I really wanted at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Despite my enthusiasm, I was used to wide open spaces and it was hard to adjust to living in the humid and seemingly crowded East.

But I adjusted fast. It took just a motorcycle and some income to figure out that DC was a far more interesting and fun place than anywhere I had ever been.

More than four decades later, I can proudly say that I still love DC. I’ve made life-long friends and never intend to live anywhere else. DC public schools were great for my kids who are both now grown and thriving. I love the shore, I love hiking in the Shenandoah, I love the people, and most of the time I love the Nationals.

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Entertainment, Interviews, Music, The Features, We Love Music

We Love Music: A Q&A with Andy Suzuki of Andy Suzuki & The Method

Photo Credit: TalismanPHOTO

Photo Credit: TalismanPHOTO

Smooth melodic vocal lines in the spirit of Amos Lee and Sara Barellies with a touch of soul and an energetic blend of folk-rock rhythms reminiscent of John Mayer — that’s what Andy Suzuki & The Method bring to the table.

The band, fronted by the songwriting trio Andy Suzuki, Jason Gorelick, and Kozza Babumba (the grandson of Grammy Award-winning Nigerian percussionist Babatunde Olatunji), is an independent New York City-based group that recently released their highly anticipated album Born Out of Mischief as a result of a crowd-funding effort.

In the fall of 2012 they played internationally with a wildly successful 3-week tour in Southeast Asia and now Andy and the guys are on a U.S. tour with a stop at Ebenezers Coffeehouse in DC this Friday night.

The band’s sound — especially on your most recent release Born Out of Mischief — has a catchy yet familiar feel to it. It’s a pop rock album with elements of folk. Who are your biggest influences and how do you pay homage to them in your music?

We feel like we have finally found our sound in Born out of Mischief. A little bit of folk. A little bit of pop-rock. With a little but of a country-bluesy vibe. As far as our influences, they are all over the map, but to pick a few. We love how Ben Howard creates bridges through builds and repetition. We love how Amos Lee makes everything sound soulfully-bluesy. And we love how Peter Bradley Adams arranges his songs to sound incredibly lush. Hopefully you can hear some of these influences in our Born out of Mischief. We also kinda like to think of ourselves as similar to Tracy Chapman. But a little more Asian. And a little more country.

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Weekend Flashback

Weekend Flashback: 9/20-9/22

Our roving band of photographic contributors were out in force this weekend documenting all the city had to offer. Many went over to the H St Festival which is always an excellent place for fun, candid shots. Others ventured outside city limits, while several ended up visiting the tallest obelisk in the world. If that’s not enough to entice you to scroll down let me just say wiener dogs. In a stroller. Get ready to squee people.

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We Love Weekends

We Love Weekends: Sep 20 – 22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4GZFbCqx18#t=2m33s

WE’RE BAAAAACK! Weekends took a long weekend. Or four. Whatever. Here we are!

The above video makes more sense if the link jumps you to 2m33s which it only seems to do once in a while… Simulate my wit by manually dragging the slider if you have to.

Patrick: My weekend is all about Sunday. First it’s The Color Run at National Harbor. Later with The Butler at E-Street cinema. Because I’m going on a 5K Fun Run the #RageLikePho will be kept pretty quiet this weekend. Options I’m pondering for some peaceful quiet time includes Old Town Alexandria and my favorite coffee haunt: Northside Social.

Tom: This weekend, I’ll be rocking out with the folks at Virgin Mobile Freefest on Saturday, but I’ll be working the show, so there’s a lot to do this week before that day. Though I might want to be at the H Street Festival or maybe the National Red Bull Flugtag.  Sunday will be a load of recovery, including a trip to Clarendon for Brunch (Boulevard Woodgrill anyone?) followed by a ride up to the College Park Disc Golf course.  And then maybe some time off? We’ll see.

Rachel: If I’m feeling better than I have the rest of this week then I’m planning to head to the National Book Fair on Saturday and then, when I’m not gallivanting about the mall, I’ll be spending as much time as I can at Nationals Park before the final homestand of the regular season comes to a close. I can’t believe baseball season is starting to come to an end.

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