Category Archives: The Features

These are our features. They come back either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Sports Fix
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Nationals stumble in home playoff opener, trail series 2-1, in 8-0 loss

Nats Park for the Playoffs

There was a fan I talked to on the concourse before the first ball was thrown today. He looked at me, grinning, and told me the story of how his wife would always turn to him and say on Opening Day, “Don’t fall in love, they’ll just break your heart.” He said now, he couldn’t say that any more, that he was looking forward to October plans at Nationals Park for years to come. This was a team that he had loved, and that hadn’t let him down.

As the players ran out the red carpet from the dugout to the field, it was hard not to agree with him. The crowd’s excitement and ferocity was like watching a lit fuse. The excitement was thick in the air, replacing the humidity of DC’s brilliant August evenings, but like so many games of previous Nationals teams, there was so little to cheer for.

The 1924 Washington Senators hold DC’s only World Series title. In a 12-inning victory over the Giants, the Senators put a cap on the best season that DC has in its baseball history books. The team, lead by Hall of Fame fireballer Walter Johnson and Hall of Fame slugger Goose Goslin was a triumph of wills. 88 years later, on the anniversary of that win, the Washington Nationals faced off with the St. Louis Cardinals in the first postseason game in 79 years.

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Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Public Image Ltd. @ 9:30 Club — 10/8/12

PiL p_a_h

“This is a fucking amazing band,” says John Lydon of his bandmates in Public Image Ltd., or PiL, toward the end of Monday’s show.

Well, yes, they are actually, so let’s take a quick look at them before we talk about Lydon himself and the Monday night concert.

Drawn largely from a PiL lineup in the late 1980s, the modern incarnation of the band plays funky post-punk. They are well coordinated as a unit in a way few bands are and they sound great. Drummer Bruce Smith thunders and snaps through the show. New guy Scott Firth on bass is a key ingredient in the consistency of the post-punk sound. And guitarist Lu Edmonds? On one song, the man is playing a saz, a kind of long-necked lute. The next, he’s on a big guitar. Before you know it, he’s fiddling (literally) with a banjo.

And the three bandmates provide a key part of a pattern to many PiL songs vocally — if PiL can be said to have any sort of pattern. They occasionally sing a repeating chant, usually consisting of a song’s title or subtitle, building a harmonious chorus as a backdrop to Lydon’s wails, yelps and croaks.

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Entertainment, Special Events, The Features
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Speakeasy Costume Ball

Partygoers at the 2010 Speakeasy Costume Ball at the Woodrow Wilson House. Photo courtesy of the Woodrow Wilson House.

Costume parties are fun, but costume parties in authentic mansions filled with Prohibiton-era history? Positively scandalous fun. Join the bootleggers and flappers at DC’s only presidential museum on Thursday, October 25 for a special evening benefitting the Woodrow Wilson House. Sponsored in part by DC’s first legal distillery in over a century, New Columbia Distillers, this party will definitely swing. Dance to the authentic tunes of jazz quartet Laissez Foure in your best 1920’s attire. If you’re gussied up enough you might just win the costume contest, judged by Alexandra Bookless and Alexandra Nichols of DC’s own cocktail society, LUPEC; Anastasia R. Simes, artist and costume designer for Synetic Theater; and myself.

Also on hand will be DC historian Garrett Peck, author of Prohibition in DC: How Dry We Weren’t and leader of the popular Temperance Tour, and Fred Cassiday, son of legendary Congressional bootlegger George Cassiday. Cassiday was known as “the man in the green hat,” inspiring New Columbia Distillers to name their signature liquor, Green Hat Gin.

We Love DC is proud to help sponsor this party dedicated to raising awareness of Wilson’s years in Washington, where he retired post-presidency to the elegant Georgian Revival mansion in Kalorama. Wilson lived at 2340 S Street NW from 1921 until his death in 1924 – the only president to be buried in DC proper, at the Washington National Cathedral. Who knows, since it’s so close to Halloween perhaps you’ll meet the man himself in his wine cellar that night after a few too many Green Hat Gin cocktails!

Prizes for best costume include:
– A bottling party for 8 at New Columbia Distillers
– A bicycle tour of DC’s craft brewers and New Columbia Distillers through BicycleSPACE
– A private tour of Woodrow Wilson House
– And more!

The party runs from 7-9pm, with a special cocktail class hosted by New Columbia Distillers at 6:30pm. Tickets are $45 for the main event, and $75 to add the class. Members of the National Trust and Woodrow Wilson House friends get a $5 discount.

Come kick up your heels and kick back a few cocktails with us!

Tickets for the Speakeasy Costume Ball at the Woodrow Wilson House are available from EventBrite. Join the Facebook event page. The Woodrow Wilson House is located at 2340 S Street NW, Washington, DC. For more information call 202-387-4062 ext. 41222.

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Dying City

Rachel Zampelli and Thomas Keegan in Signature Theatre’s production of Dying City. Photo credit: Scott Suchman.

A month ago the nation paused to remember the 11th anniversary of 9/11. Even though the day was a sobering and emotional one for many, it was more low-key than the previous ten. Fewer families were on hand at public ceremonies and many events were smaller affairs than previous years. The day has not lost any significance; the level of mourning has simply evolved to more personal moments of reflection.

It is in this new era that Signature Theatre presents a more intimate view of the war on terror with Christopher Shinn’s Dying City. We have seen many takes of the war in film and on stage. From films such as Jarhead and The Hurt Locker to plays like Black Watch, the whole gamut from the horrors of war in the trenches to the lasting damage of those returning to the homefront has been covered. Here Shinn keeps the Iraq war in the background, focusing instead on comparing the complexities of war to the psychological struggles that plague one’s failing relationships.

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Entertainment, Music, Special Events, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Virgin Free Fest, or The Festival of Lines, 10/6/2012

photo by Alexia

Since festivals offer so much to see in so little time, and everyone may have a different experience, we decided to get a few perspectives on Saturday’s Virgin Free Fest. We Love DC’s music writers Alexia and Jonathan write about their experiences, and guest writer Sarah Jackson shares her thoughts too.

Alexia: Who knew that the drive to Saturday’s Virgin Free Fest at Merriweather Post Pavilion would be a portend of the dreary, largely agonizing day that would follow. What should have been a breezy, 1-hour drive from DC to Columbia, Maryland, where Merriweather is located turned into a three-and-a-half hour punishment- two hours of which were spent in an almost complete standstill after taking the exit to Merriweather.
At three o’clock, when I had imagined myself jumping and dancing along to The Dismemberment Plan on the West Stage I was instead sitting in my car on Brokenland Parkway, a mere stone’s throw from the venue, so close, but yet so far. At one point we could see the field and the side of the stage, and even hear the din of the music, but that was only depressing/enraging, as we were stuck in the hell of festival traffic. The only entertainment we experienced was watching people get out of their cars to pee on the side of the road. Eventually, after passing all of the full parking lots, we located parking approximately (not exaggerating) a mile away from the venue. I think there were supposed to be shuttles, but none passed us as we walked in the herd of festival-goers to the venue.

Ben Folds Five, photo courtesy of Virgin Free Fest

By the time I got in to Merriweather I was, not too surprisingly, in a foul mood. Thankfully I didn’t miss too much of Ben Folds Five’s set, and got to watch them do their thing from the sunny lawn. Their set was, for the most part, upbeat and energetic. Somehow hearing “Brick” in a festival setting, as popular as it was for the band, seemed inappropriate. The introspective, heartfelt song was a little too personal and quiet for the atmosphere of constant gabbing and partying going on all around as the band performed. They were at their best for the setting with bouncier numbers like “Kate” and “Army” which had the audience singing along and getting into the groove.

Much of the rest of the day was an overcrowded, dirty, cold blur. I fought my way through the hordes to catch Santigold’s set, which I was looking forward to. Unfortunately as much as I like her music, and appreciated her fun dancers, it was so crowded that it was hard to see much, and I didn’t really connect with the performance onstage.

I managed to make it back to the Pavilion stage for a good portion of Alabama Shakes’ set, which was actually great. I’d never heard the band before, and the singer’s vocals were powerful, soulful, engaging.

M83, photo courtesy of Virgin Free Fest

While a disproportionately large part of my day felt like it was spent either being cold (and I was a smart one who brought an extra sweatshirt along- there were plenty of people walking around in halter-tops and short-shorts), inhaling dust from the herds of people clomping around, searching for my friends (extremely crappy cell service the whole day) or waiting in lines (20-plus-minute lines for everything from getting a drink to taking a pee in a dark port-o-potty with no toilet paper) there were, thankfully, a couple redeeming high points by the end of the night. After waiting in line for probably a half-hour while listening to M83, my friends and I got to ride on the beautiful, lit-up ferris wheel which was adjacent to the stage on which M83 was performing. This was a magical moment. We had, for that brief time, a perfect view of the stage, awesome lights, perfect sound, and the scary-big crowd in front of the stage, which I was so thankful not to be in. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Features
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Robert Egger Steps Down from DCCK, Jeff Buben Wins 2012 Capital Food Fight

Robert Egger Announces L.A. Kitchen bonappetitfoodie

Another Capital Food Fight came and went last night with chef Jeff Buben of Vidalia winning the competition. But the big news from last night’s event was that Robert Egger, the founder and president of DC Central Kitchen, is stepping down after nearly 25 years of overseeing the organization. The current CEO Mike Curtin will be taking Egger’s place as president.

“Not only am I leaving DC Central Kitchen, but after 40 years, I’m also leaving DC,” said Egger to a packed house at the Ronald Reagan Building. “I’m going back to the town of my roots, to Los Angeles where I’m about to open the L.A. Kitchen.” The new nonprofit on the west coast will not only seek to replicate DCCK’s success in a new city, but will also “pioneer vegetarian and vegan meals for elders in America,” according to Egger.

Egger reflected upon how people thought his idea for taking leftover food from restaurants and grocery stores to feed the homeless in DC would never work, how some even said it was illegal. Yet two decades later, the thriving nonprofit feeds thousands per day, has graduated 90 classes from its culinary job training program and has 33 campus kitchens across the country. “Thank you for helping this young man’s dream become an old man’s reality,” Egger told the crowd. “I’ll tell you, there’s very few men who have had the honor of working with so many great people, in such an amazing city, to leave such an amazing organization at such amazing heights.”
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Sports Fix
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Nationals crushed by Cardinals in Game 2, lose 12-4

Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie

The Nats lost three games this season as badly as they lost Game 2. Their most recent came just six games ago, as they dropped a 12-2 laugher against, you guess it, the St. Louis Cardinals. Monday night, the Cards gave the Nationals a repeat performance, piling on homer after homer against the Nationals’ pitching staff. Jordan Zimmermann had a rough night, lasting just 3 innings, and surrendering 5 runs to the Cardinals offense.

Usually dependable, the Nationals’ bullpen was less than rock steady, with Craig Stammen, Michael Gonzalez and Sean Burnett combining to give up seven more earned runs, including three home runs. Carlos Beltran hit two for the Cards, combining for around 830+ feet of damage to the Nationals’ psyche. 

The Nationals got in their own way, though, leaving nine runners aboard and going just 1-7 with runners in scoring position. The only hit? Jordan Zimmermann in the second, with a deke bunt attempt turned into a raking single that brought around Ian Desmond to give the Nationals their only lead. Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche added back to back home runs in the fifth inning, and that would be it for the Nationals, but for a sacrifice fly in the seventh to score the last of their four runs.

Bryce Harper continues to struggle in the postseason, but he picked up his first hit on Monday night, a double off Mujica in the seventh, only to be picked off attempting to advance on a sacrifice fly that scored Jayson Werth. Harper is 1-10 with six strikeouts on the series so far. Danny Espinosa is also struggling, 1-6 on the series so far. 

The Nationals return home on Wednesday, with Edwin Jackson on the bump, starting at 1pm.

Food and Drink, Sports Fix, The Features
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Nats Fans Find A Home at Duffy’s

Photo courtesy of
‘Duffy’s’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

There was a sense of unity in the air Sunday afternoon at Duffy’s Irish Pub when Nats fans congregated in the closest thing they have to a baseball sanctuary next to Nats Park. Duffy’s aired the first playoff game in Nats history versus the 2011 World Championship St. Louis Cardinals with the sound on for all patrons to hear, leaving football fans in the backroom where the Packers-Colts game was on.

The sea of red didn’t hurt but what made it memorable was the community of folks gathered for a common purpose: to watch history-in-the-making. Continue reading →

Downtown, Entertainment, The Features
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Trick or Treat: Halloween 2012 Roundup

DC Pumpkin on H Street Mr. T in DC

It’s the time of year for zombies, ghoulish pranks, copious amounts of candy corn and wondering how you can be the one sporting the best costume this year. So to keep building on that spirit, we’ve rounded up some of the places and events you should be checking out to get your trick or treat on. Click through for the full list after the jump.

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Sports Fix
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Falcons defeat Redskins 24-17

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison
Kirk Cousins
courtesy of Keith Allison

In sports there are times when what is expected happens, and there are other times when the team that is supposed to be blown out puts up a fight. The Redskins could have pulled this game out, but lost it in a key moment. The Redskins beleaguered defense was able to do something quite impressive. They were able to shutout Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons until the very end of the first half. It is in that moment though that they lost the game. The second Billy Cundiff’s 31 yard field goal try sailed wide right Atlanta knew they could win.

Having been given great field position and the momentum of the unlikely stop Matt Ryan lead the Falcons down the field and tied the game heading into half-time. Had the kick been good the Redskins would have maintained momentum and even if the Falcons had driven down the field and scored the Redskins would have had the half-time lead. Instead the Falcons went into the locker room with the feeling that they were in just another football game instead of fear at being upset. That missed kick was the moment of the game.

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The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback — October 5-8

IMG_3631 carlotabay

I’m still reeling from the weekend! Between Virgin Mobile Free Fest on Saturday, Taste of DC (which is still going on today!), yesterday’s incredible day of sports history in DC, and the First on First extravaganza in Bloomingdale yesterday, I feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend. With today’s high only in the 50s, Fall has set in, and cool weather appears here to stay, and I need a moment longer to wake up. So, pour another cup of coffee, grab a donut, and relive this weekend in pictures!

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Sports Fix
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Nationals recover, add Moore Power, go up 1-0 over Cardinals

Tyler Moore Keith Allison

There’s a Hungarian psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who says that there is a zen state called Flow that exists when skill level and challenge level are high. The Nationals found their flow in the eighth inning amid a day of ugly baseball when fans feared that they were headed toward the Worry octant of the chart. Tyler Moore, with two on and two out, took a 2-2 four-seam fastball into shallow right field and drove in the runners from second and third.

In a day full of gaffes, the Nationals had the last laugh.

Gio Gonzalez had a start whose line score is simultaneously baffling and astonishing: 5.0 IP, 1H, 2ER, 7BB, 5K.

The five strikeouts in five innings stays close to his 9.7 K/9 season average, and the single hit is certainly the sort of start that they’d like to see more of. The seven walks, four of which came in the second inning, tied with Gio’s single worst performance in his career.  For a time, it looked as if Gio had lost the strike zone in its entirety.

110 pitches, and just 59 strikes, Gio had an incredibly difficult first start of the playoffs, but the bullpen came to his aid, and Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen each turned in an inning of strong work. Most impressive of the day had to be Ryan Mattheus, who entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh inning. On two pitches, Mattheus turned a pair of ground balls into three outs, which set the table for their rally in the eighth.

This was not a pretty baseball game, though, and carried with it the sort of stress-induced miscues that can doom a ball club without multiple tools. Errors from usually rock-steady Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche could have cost the club more than they did.

In the end, it was rookie outfielder Tyler Moore, on to pinch-hit against the Cardinals’ Mark Rzepcyznski, that brought the took the Nationals over the top. The Nationals had put the leadoff man on five times, but had stranded the runners aboard in three of those, ahead of the eighth inning rally. Twice, they left the bases loaded, both times with Jayson Werth at the plate. Moore, in the biggest at-bat of his career, looped in a single and plated the pair of runs. After the game, he’d say: “I’ve failed a lot, too, during this thing, & it’s helped me keep my heart rate down & just come up & try to put the ball in play.” Moore found strength from failure, like the rest of the

I have four things to look at, for Nats fans:

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Downtown, Entertainment, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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NatGeo Live: October 2012 Programs

Photo courtesy of quinn.anya
Lost in the music
courtesy of quinn.anya

It’s fall in DC and another month of great National Geographic Live programming. If you’re looking for something to do in the evenings, we highly suggest you check out some of this month’s offerings. And to provide further incentive, we are providing two lucky readers with a pair of tickets to an event of their choice this coming month!

To enter the drawing, simply comment below using your first name and a legit email address, listing the two events from the following program list you’d like to attend. (Note that there is one event not eligible and we’ve noted it for you.) Sometime after noon on Tuesday (October 9) we’ll randomly select two winners to receive a pair of tickets (each) to one of their selections. You’ve got until noon on Tuesday to enter!

(For ticket information, visit online or call the box office at (800) 647-5463.) Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Week 5 Preview: Falcons at Redskins

Photo courtesy of BrianMKA
283/365
courtesy of BrianMKA

The Redskins secondary has struggled to stop every passing offense they have faced this season, and Sunday they are in for their toughest test by far. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez are all elite level players and difference makers on the offensive side of the football. They will get their yards and they will put up points against a Redskins secondary that has allowed the second most yards in the NFL. This is the first game the Redskins are playing this season where it looks to be over before it even begins. If the Redskins offense doesn’t control the clock and the ball then this one could get out of hand.

The good news for the Redskins is that because of Alfred Morris and RGIII they have the best rushing offense in the NFL having rushed for 702 yards on the season. The Redskins have to hope to keep possession of the football as long as possible and come away with the scores at the end of drives in order to keep Matt Ryan and the rest of the Falcons offense on the sidelines. The Atlanta punter could very well have a week off against the Redskins as it is doubtful that the Redskins will manage very man stops against the Falcons.

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: Oct 5-7

looking like fall ekelly80

October? How did that happen? This calendar is broke, someone call IT!

Well, whatever. We give up. Less sweating and in a month we can stop seeing all those damned political ads targeted at Virginia voters. What’s the point of living in solid state Maryland or all-DNC-all-the-time DC if you still have to watch this endless back and forth before every presidential election?

We’re planning on ignoring the ads best we can and have some diversions planned. Want to hear about them? Here you go.

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Food and Drink, The Features
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Fashion Plate: Greg Engert of Neighborhood Restaurant Group


Courtesy of Neighborhood Restaurant Group

Chances are you look to the restaurant industry to tell you what to put on your plate, not what you ought to be wearing. After all, how interesting can another iteration of an apron be? But for managers and bartenders, the dress code gets more creative. In this new feature, we’re chatting with some of the stylish characters in the DC restaurant scene. This week, we talk to Greg Engert, Beer Director at Neighborhood Restaurant Group about what he’s wearing. Check out the edited interview after the jump.

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Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Gotye @ Merriweather, 9/30/2012

 

photos courtesy of Gotye

Chart-topping Australian artist Gotye* and his band played an outstanding show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday, September 30th. They are in the midst of a world tour, and joining them for this leg were openers Jonti and Missy Higgins. Gotye and his group of super-talented multi-instrumentalists radiated enthusiasm, talent and boundless energy onstage. The weather may have been cold and drizzly, but their exuberant performance was enough to lift the audience up.

Most of you readers may have only heard Gotye’s number one hit “Somebody That I Used To Know”, and I will admit, I hadn’t heard much more than that myself before Sunday night. Back in April I caught part of Gotye’s impressive set at the Coachella Music & Arts festival, which was so packed the crowd was sprawled densely well beyond the borders of the tent he was performing in. What I did catch was super, and enough to know I wanted to see more. Sunday night Gotye and his band owned the stage, showcasing their talents on a host of instruments- organic and electronic, from lap-steel guitar to midi pads, synth-drums to two full drum-kits, and Gotye never seemed to stop moving the entire time.

They started out the night with the hypnotic, groovy “The Only Way” from Gotye’s 2006 album Drawing Blood, and it was instantly apparent that we the audience were in for an exciting ride. The band’s energy was high, Gotye especially- partway through the song running to one of the drum kits and having two-kit drum freak-out, ending the song full tilt. Most of the music was from Gotye’s most recent album Making Mirrors, and the energy level never really dropped for the entire night. In addition to the amazing musicianship of all the players, the audience was treated to beautiful, weird, trippy and even hilarious videos and visuals playing on a huge screen behind the band along with almost every song. The combination was a completely entertaining multimedia extravaganza. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Teddy, Nationals notch win in regular season finale

Teddy Wins!

The Nationals locked up the best record in baseball on Wednesday afternoon before a crowd of 35,000+ on a day that felt nothing like October. The warm weather and sunshine felt more like a day out of July or August than a part of the Fall, a confusion not lost on the team or its fans. The Nationals finished off the Phillies’ hopes for a winning season with a 5-1 victory, lead by Edwin Jackson (10-11, 4.03 ERA) and the bats of Michael Morse, Tyler Moore and Ryan Zimmerman.

Bigger than that, though, Teddy Roosevelt picked up his first win in the Presidents Race, to the cheers of the assembled. The long-suffering racing President, Roosevelt had lost more than 500 races in the years since the Presidents’ Race began, becoming a national joke in the process. Roosevelt, famous for his extensive manly accomplishments, finally drew a win with the help of the Phauxnatic – a faux Philly mascot – and drew a standing ovation from the crowd for his efforts.

It was shortly after Teddy’s first victory that the spark returned to the Nationals’ bats, with Ryan Zimmerman leading off the bottom of the fourth inning with a towering drive that landed in the Nationals’ bullpen, tying the game at 1 apiece. Michael Morse would nearly go back to back with Zimmerman, hitting a double off the very top edge of the wall. Tyler Moore would put the Nationals ahead with another double, and any talk of Teddy’s victory jinxing the Nationals went out the window.

The Nationals are now the number one seed in the National League Playoffs, which begin on Friday in Atlanta. Atlanta will face St. Louis in the Wild Card play-in game, a new feature of the playoffs this year. After that, the Nationals will travel to play games 1 and 2 of the NLDS on the road on Sunday and Monday, and with games 3-5 in DC on Wednesday through Friday of next week.

The prospect of playoff baseball in Washington is nothing short of astonishing when you consider the dismal seasons from 2006 to 2010 here in DC, which represent 478 of the team’s 704 losses. The team has spent five of its first eight seasons in DC at the bottom of the NL East, and to be at the top, you could hear it in the crowd as they belted out Michael Morse’s walk-up music in the 8th inning. 

The Nationals will work out in DC on Friday before heading out on Saturday for the first two games of the NLDS.

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Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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We Love Food: Elizabeth’s Gone Raw

Photograph by Foster Wiley

There is such a thing as art on a plate. With a few ingredients, a white ceramic dish becomes a canvas; transformed into an explosion of colors, shapes and textures. Reminiscent of the Fauvism movement, only a century later and this time motivated by flavor composition rather than artistic rebellion. These vivid strokes are raw, real, fresh, and they create a dining experience at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw that is truly unforgettable.

I first heard about Elizabeth’s Gone Raw in passing conversations, and it remained quite mysterious, under the radar. Much like the raw movement itself, you have to look for it to really understand it. But I was intrigued- new dining experiences, especially those that challenge my heavy cheese and pork norm, are worth exploring. While my curiosity was balanced with apprehension, it was lost the minute I walked into Elizabeth’s space. I knew I was in for something very special… almost as special as the woman behind it all.

Elizabeth Petty is one of those people that really add to the make-up of DC. Not because of fame or political clout, but because of her kind manner and generosity. She welcomes you into her restaurant and makes you feel like you are in her home. Her warmth and spirit are instantly apparent, and contagious. I was fortunate enough to work closely with Elizabeth through The Catering Company of Washington, the company she purchased 23 years ago. In those 23 years, she has taken the catering company, and the very concept of curated dining experiences, to the next level.

Ten years ago Elizabeth purchased a beautiful row house on L Street, which currently houses both the restaurant and the catering company. An unfortunate circumstance however, was what brought about the raw and vegan focused restaurant. Three years ago, Elizabeth was diagnosed with breast cancer; a sickness that changed her but has not defined her. As a result of her diagnosis, Elizabeth began to master the subject through various readings. Crazy Sexy Cancer by Kris Carr inspired her the most and led her to eat raw-vegan. The China Study, another comprehensive reading that examines the relationship between illness and the consumption of animal products, also explains the powerful influence a food regimen can have on health. As Elizabeth has explained to me, there is a direct relationship between what and how foods are prepared and the way in which they can manifest into illness in our bodies. How sustenance can actually become bad substance. Raw foods are always kept below 115 degrees, past this temperature they no longer contain the nutritious enzymes which define them as “living foods” – meaning those foods that have oxygen. Cancer, it has been found, cannot grow in an oxygenated environment. I do not intend to dumb down a comprehensive study or to fully understand centuries of research and summarize them in a short post, but for all intents and purposes. Raw= health. Raw= healing.

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Entertainment, Music, The Features, We Love Music
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Virgin Free Fest line-up announced

Virgin Free Fest posted the line-up with set times for Saturday’s festival on their website today.

While the free tickets disappeared almost as soon as they went “on free” back in August, a limited number of “FREEMIUM” tickets are available through Ticketfly or at the Merriweather Post Pavilion and the 9:30 Club Box Offices.  

FreeFest Freemium Package ($49.50) – includes GA ticket, a charitable donation to Virgin Mobile USA’s homeless youth shelter, FreeFest t-shirt, souvenir cup that comes with free fountain drinks throughout the festival, and early admission to festival grounds.