Tag Archives: She/He Loves DC

Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Ed Cunningham

Photo Courtesy of ESPN

Photo Courtesy of ESPN

Ed Cunningham grew up playing football at Mount Vernon High School in DC’s backyard. His ability to play the game and play it well enabled a successful career as a professional football player and on-air sports analyst. The athleticism he exhibited on the field led Cunningham to a Rose Bowl Championship — that he won — in college before he continued on to spend time in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in the 90’s.

Most recently, Cunningham finds himself working as a college football analyst for ESPN. And this weekend, ESPN is bringing Cunningham back home to call the Clemson at Maryland football game which is scheduled to air at 3:30 p.m. ET this afternoon.

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

Now that I have lived away for so long, I think it is the accents of the people. There is such a unique way of speaking here, and it always reminds me of being a kid in such a great place.

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Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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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, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Jonny Grave

Photo by Rachel Levitin

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

It’s no easy feat pulling off a performance in honor of late Blues guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn but that’s exactly what Jonny Grave and his band The Tombstones did this past Saturday night at Iota Club in Arlington, VA. The performance was part of the 1983 Classic Albums Concert featuring three other DC area acts and Jonny’s job was to close out the night.

Despite being a bundle of nerves, Jonny executed the performance with precision and passion. He went into the project knowing what musical challenges lied ahead and came out victorious on the other side by the night’s end.

Jonny was first introduced to American folk music at an early age by his very musical family while growing up in the DC area. By fifteen, he started learning slide guitar techniques by listening to old Blues records. By seventeen he was performing them live. Since then, he’s become a staple of the DC Blues scene.

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

Well, for starters, I’ve lived in the area my whole life. I was born in Silver Spring, very close to Sligo Creek. I spent a lot of time going downtown, seeing museums and galleries. When I was a teenager, I started venturing on my own into DC, away from the large attractions, and into the neighborhoods. Adams Morgan fascinated me. Eastern Market was like a dream. Michael Jantz got me to start playing at Wonderland, and the folks at Nanny O’Briens finally got me on their stage. When I was 21, I moved to 10th and S st., and that’s when I really fell in love with the city. I made friends with a lot of musicians, artists, bohemians, Hill staffers, and bartenders. I started playing more. The city kind of opened up for me. They say that home is where the heart is, and mine is right here.

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Entertainment, Interviews, Music, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Don Kim

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

If you need a reason to smile then Don Kim is a guy who can help get the job done. Whether he’s on stage cracking a joke, at home playing music with his friends, or out at a bar playing a game of darts with a beer in hand, Don’s the kind of guy you want to be around.

Most recently, the ukulele toting singer-songwriter released an animated music video for his song “Beaver + Duck = Love.” Go ahead and try to watch that video without cracking a smile. I triple dog dare ya.

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

For a long time, I didn’t love DC (gasp!). I went to college at the University of Maryland (Go Terps!) thinking that I was hitting the road as soon as I was done. I tried to leave but I was immediately drawn back. Over time, I realized that all my complaints about this area were because I wasn’t looking for the right things. Sure it’s stuffy, there’s lots of politics, and jumbo slice tastes horrible (except when drunk), but it’s also full of highly under-appreciated art, culture, and music. It’s home to me because whatever I’m in the mood for, I can find it and I’ve been spending the last 5 years looking for all the gems that this area has to offer. It’s been an amazing adventure and I learn something new about this place everyday.

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Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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She Loves DC: Andrea Rodgers

Photo Courtesy of Andrea Rodgers // Pictured: Andy Cohen (left), Andrea Rodgers (center), Wolf Biltzer (right).

Photo Courtesy of Andrea Rodgers / Pictured: Andy Cohen (left), Rodgers (center), Wolf Biltzer (right).

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

Andrea Rodgers is an inspired and busy woman. After tragedy struck on September 11, 2001, Rodgers became heavily involved in the DC charity circuit in order to give back to her community as best as she could. She joined the Junior League of Washington in 2003 and came in 2nd in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man & Woman of the Year fundraising competition in 2004 — and those are just a couple of items that have kept her busy the past few years.

When she’s not lending a hand on a host committee or at a gala, Rodgers serves on several alumni groups near and dear to her heart as well as acting as President and CEO of a non-profit, Courage for Kids. Somewhere in between all of her activities, she still finds the time to act as the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of her blog Miss A, which covers a variety of topics referencing charity and style in 21 major U.S. cities.

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

The relationships that I have made over the past 15 years in the DC area are what make DC feel like home to me. Having grown up in a small town in North Carolina, I love the small town feel of Washington — running into people I know unexpectedly, discovering that my acquaintances know each other and no skyscrapers.

I enjoy all the green spaces we have in Washington and how quick and easy it is to get to a great park for a walk or run, to hike along the Potomac on the Billy Goat Trail, or to book a tennis court at Haines Point or Rock Creek. I love seeing the beautiful Potomac and the opportunity to go boating with friends. It’s no surprise that it helps make our fair city one of the healthiest in the country! I was born in the Netherlands – my mother is Dutch and my father is American ­– so I traveled often to Europe growing up. This being my background, I love the international aspect and sophistication of Washington. We have people here from every country in the world.

Walking around the city I enjoy overhearing someone speaking a foreign language. If it’s Dutch, I always surprise the foreign traveler by starting a conversation in my native language. We are blessed with so much in terms of art and culture in DC through the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian and other theaters and museums. As someone who double-majored in Economics and Politics at Wake Forest University, I love being so close to all the political action. Continue reading →

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He Loves DC: Jody Avirgan

Photo Courtesy of Jody Avirgan and Ask Roulette

Photo Courtesy of Jody Avirgan and Ask Roulette

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

Jody Avirgan likes questions more than answers. As a result of that, he is now the host of a unique conversation series called Ask Roulette. The live show encourages strangers to ask each others questions on stage. And, for the first time, the New York based show is coming to DC. The show is scheduled for Friday, August 9 at Politics and Prose with special guests Clinton Yates on The Washington Post, Dave Weigel  of Slate, and Linda Holmes of NPR’s Monkey See.

According to Avirgan, “Ask Roulette is a little hard to envision but the crux of it is that audience members show up with a question they want to ask a stranger. All the questions get put in a box then randomly selected. When you come on stage, you answer a question from a stranger, then turn around and ask a stranger your question. There are also special guests at each event. Questions are long, short, serious, silly, whatever. Any question goes. And of course you can just watch.”

When Avirgan’s not spending time on Ask Roulette, he works as a producer for NPR’s New York station WNYC radio. But not so long ago, Avirgan grew up in DC.

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

Well, my parents are there, still living in the same house, so there are inherent memories of home tied up with any time I come back. But I really do like the fact that, to most Americans, DC is an abstraction — a company town filled with hired political guns. The disconnect between that vision and the DC I know – one full of real people and everyday pleasures, makes it that much more special. It’s like we’re all in on a secret together.

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Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Jason Mendelson

Photo Courtesy of Jason Mendelson

Photo Courtesy of Jason Mendelson

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

Jason Mendelson is an explorer. Mendelson first made his way from Tampa, Florida to DC with his wife nearly three years ago. Since then, Mendelson’s embarked upon a unique and time-consuming project — writing a song for each and every Metro station in the WMATA system. Along side his band, The Open Doors, Mendelson has released four volumes worth of what he calls “Metro Songs.”

When he’s not working on Metro Songs, Mendelson is an avid supporter and member of the DC-area music community. Whether he’s playing bass in a band one night, singing lead for The Open Doors on another, organizing (and executing) a “Classic Albums” concert, recording in his home studio, or out on the town catching a show, Mendelson’s devotion to making and listening to music is a physical display of genuine passion.

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

The things that brought my wife and I here are not necessarily the same things that make it home for us now. After living our whole lives through 2010 in and around Tampa, Florida, we wanted a change and narrowed the selections down to D.C. for its superior job market and Alexandria specifically for safety and accessibility. The things that make it home to us now are all the wonderful friends and connections we’ve made, and all the great things to do in the area. We frequently visit museums and parks and attend arts events here that eclipse their sunshine state counterparts.

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Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Chris Cicatelli

Photo Courtesy of Chris Cicatelli

Photo Courtesy of Chris Cicatelli (pictured, center)

Whether he’s surrounded by a cloud of diamond dirt on the sandlot, getting creative inside the television studio, or recording the latest in a string of podcast episodes at his home studio, Chris Cicatelli is known throughout the DC area — especially among a couple different softball leagues. His charismatic personality coupled with his love for being around people are attributes that people flock to, particularly when he’s acting as his infamous alter ego: Coco Caray, sports announcer.

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

I moved to DC in 1983, my dad got a job with CNN as a political and we made the move to DC/MD. After being here for so long, I have to say, what makes DC home to me is the spring and summer seasons. The cherry blossoms, the monuments in the spring. It is truly a beautiful city in the warm weather months.

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Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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She Loves DC: Kristine Thomas

Photo Courtesy of Kristine Thomas (Pictured: center)

Photo Courtesy of Kristine Thomas (Pictured: center)

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

Kristine Thomas is a goal-oriented woman. Her goal is to live as eco-friendly of a life as possible all while encouraging others in her own community to do the same. And now — as a happily married mother of one living in hometown of Washington, DC — she’s doing exactly that.

Thomas was born and raised in the District before moving to New York City where she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology. While there, Thomas gained the skills necessary to survive in the world of fashion by working jobs in public relations and event planning. The next chapter of her life moved her west to San Francisco where she embraced a green lifestyle while continuing her career in marketing and advertising.

Currently, Thomas is back in DC and has been quite active in the community since her return. In November 2011, she found inspiration in motherhood and started Dewdrop — a fashion events and fashion-forward clothing swap company. Thomas started Dewdrop in honor of her love for fashion and style but also because she’s a mom now. “I have to be creative with how I shop. Hence, the company was born,” she said.

“Not only is swapping smart shopping but is also a good way to preserve the environment for future generations.”

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

I grew up here so it’s home in a sense that I could still go to my parents’ house for dinner and that I still have friends from my childhood years I hang out with. I love how DC has changed so much. What makes it home to me now is that it has more of a stylish, urban vibe to it. Having lived in New York and San Francisco, I’m glad to see boutiques and restaurants pop up like I would see in those cities.

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Entertainment, Interviews, Night Life, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Don Michael Mendoza

Photo Courtesy of Don Michael Mendoza

Photo Courtesy of Don Michael Mendoza

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

Don Michael Mendoza is charismatic. By day Mendoza works with VIDA Fitness flexing the communications skills he obtained at DC’s American University. By night he’s an actor who performs all over the greater-DC area while working with a wide array of theater companies including brief stints in New York for various creative projects.

He’s also been able to channel that charisma into creating something he believes DC had been lacking – a musical theater cabaret and spoken word series. Mendoza co-founded and now co-hosts the award-winning weekly series La-Ti-Do at Black Fox Lounge in Dupont Circle with friend Regie Cabico. The pair established the idea in the fall of 2011 before launching the series in its official capacity in January 2012. Ever since then, the show’s audience continues to grow and the night-of talent is of the highest caliber available.

Mendoza takes immense pride in being able to provide this type of creative outlet for both audience members and performers alike. So if you find yourself at a La-Ti-Do performance, just know that what you’re seeing is most certainly a labor of love.

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

DC was where I was born and lived before my family moved to Pittsburgh when I was 4. However, we always made trips here often because we have a lot of family friends here, so it’s really an extension of my hometown. I officially made my return here in 2006 when I attended American University where I was able to get my own feet planted here and staying here after graduation was the natural choice for me.

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Interviews, Music, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Ben Tufts

Ben Tufts & Friends/Craig Tufts Scholarship Fundraiser Photo/Jason Hornick

Photo Courtesy of Ben Tufts // Photo by Jason Hornick

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

Whether he’s on the road or back home in the District, Ben Tufts is a perpetual student and dedicated teacher. If you ask just about anyone within the DC music scene if they know or have heard of Ben, it’s more than likely that they’ll say, “Yes.” He’s played over 300 shows in the past two years, with over thirty bands and artists, covering most of the continental U.S. and has become a cornerstone of the current DC scene.

His devotion to his craft is immeasurable. As a percussionist, Ben has spent countless hours over the course of his lifetime playing all styles of music from classical to hard rock and now teaches a  wide array of students throughout the greater DC area. But despite his busy schedule, Ben still finds the time to host an annual fundraiser at Jammin’ Java honoring the memory of his late father Craig Tufts, who served as Chief Naturalist for the National Wildlife Federation for 33 years, with the “Ben Tufts and Friends Concert” benefiting the Craig Tufts Memorial Fund. This year’s fundraiser is scheduled for August 17.

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

I was born in Falls Church, and lived in Reston for a few years before my family moved to the Claude Moore Farm in Sterling, VA. Until I was eight, I had a 300+ acre backyard with a bunch of lakes, ponds, and old growth Virginia forest in it. My closest neighbor was several miles away, so books and records became my best friends. We moved to the suburbs later, and as soon as my parents would let me, I was going to shows in DC. I still remember the smell in the front hall of the old 9:30 Club on F street, the scary bouncers at the Bayou, etc.

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People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Zia Hassan

IMG_1194

Photo Courtesy of Zia Hassan

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

Zia Hassan is a storyteller. He likes to ask questions and seek honest answers from (and about) a vast array of subjects. This passion of his is the catalyst for multiple creative projects including a podcast series, original music, (viral) videos, photography, insightful blog posts, and more.

He’s a guy who keeps a pen and paper on him at all times just to make sure a new idea doesn’t get away. It’s his observation skills coupled with a genuine sense of childlike wonder that brings Zia’s creative endeavors to life.

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

The duration of my stay, which is almost 25 out of 28 years (in the DMV area). Every city is a collection of people, experiences, imagery, and history. The place that I call home is a place where those stories are the deepest and the amount of time I’ve lived here has allowed for a lot of depth. Home is the place that you can leave for an indefinite amount of time, and when you come back, you pick up where you left off.  Some of the people in my life are “home” for me, in that sense.

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Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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She Loves DC: Jennifer Vinson

Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Vinson

Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Vinson

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

Jennifer Vinson loves music. She loves watching street performers in Dupont Circle. She loves supporting up-and-coming artists on the local level here in her hometown whether it’s at The Dunes, The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Comet Ping Pong, or elsewhere. She loves promoting live performances she’s passionate about. But most of all, she loves getting to genuinely know the people who make the music she loves listening to.

Her passion for music (and the people behind making it) led her toward creating content for DC Setlist  (a site that, ” […] exists to discover and discuss all things MUSIC in DC and around the world. So get in the mix, join the conversation & help us build a community around the DC music scene & beyond!”) and into a life working with some of DC’s finest venues including The Hamilton Live and currently The Howard Theatre.

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

Well I was born here.  I’m third generation Washingtonian.  My mother, my grandmother and I all went to the same all girls high school, Holy Cross Academy. Old friends & family are what make it home to me.

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Interviews, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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She Loves DC: Pamela Sorensen

Pam Sorensen (@pamelaspunch) and Geoff Livingston (@geoffliving)
courtesy of Geoff Livingston

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

Pamela Sorensen, much like our team of writers, is passionate about this city. So passionate in fact that she founded her own website – Pamela’s Punch – which, according to the site, has become a leading source of information for the “who, what, when, and where” of DC’s social, professional, and philanthropic scene.

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

I’ve been here since 1990 and never have I left to move to any other city as an adult. Since I’ve held various positions that required me to drive all over the DMV for years, I feel like I know the area like the back of my hand … it’s changed so much, but for the good. The spirit of a wholesome southern, large village appeals to me and at the same time, it’s sophisticated, educated, welcoming and comfortable. Even though I have my “haunts,” exploring new neighborhoods and meeting new circles keeps it fresh.

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He Loves DC: Paul Vodra

Photo Courtesy of Paul Vodra

Photo Courtesy of Paul Vodra

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

Paul Vodra’s mission is to help causal fans find the fantastic music being made in DC by DC musicians. Before starting his podcast Hometown Sounds, Vodra gigged as a DJ spinning monthly at the Argonaut on H Street NE. Instead of focusing his sets around one genre, he thought it’d be interesting to focus on one location — DC — and play music of all genres. He’d even broadcast his sets for his faraway friends via the Argonaut’s open wi-fi router.

Vodra’s time as a DJ at Argonaut came to an end when they experienced a kitchen fire in 2010 but he liked broadcasting enough to stick with it, figured out how licensing works, and launched his 24/7 music stream.

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

I was born and raised in this area, so I feel that I understand it pretty well. There’s lots of pretension and showmanship here, but there’s an inexhaustible supply of creative, talented and downright awesome people too. There’s just so much variety here, in art, music, food, and especially people.

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Music, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Chris Naoum

Photo Courtesy of Chris Naoum

Photo Courtesy of Chris Naoum

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

If you frequent any of DC’s vast array of performing arts venues then you’ve likely seen Chris Naoum’s face around town before. Since co-founding Listen Local First DC in 2011, Naoum’s spent his time fully immersed in DC’s music scene. With a law background, Naoum specializes in copyright, media and telecom law, and policy. He’s also a staunch advocate for independent musicians, artists, and businesses.

As part of his Listen Local First duties, Naoum helps coordinate, execute, and host events in conjunction with DC businesses and artists. The events range from educational sessions to live shows including the Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival which is happening this weekend.

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

The people and the feeling of community. DC is a relatively small city. Everybody knows everyone and most people are very friendly. People are also doing really neat things. Whether it’s the start-up tech scene or the people working for non-profits that are trying to better the world, I’m always amazed to find out what people do for a living. Those that do not work in those sectors and work for the government or big firms are still really engaged with their local community and cultural development.

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Entertainment, Music, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Ted Garber

Photo for Patch--Ted Garber

Photo Courtesy of Ted Garber

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

Ted Garber is a DC native. These days, he’s an award-winning “BluesAmericanaRock” singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentatlist. Ted’s also a perpetual student who frequently travels the globe in an attempt to absorb as much about the world’s cultures as he can. His curiosity is contagious.

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

That’s an easy one.  I was born in DC at Washington, DC hospital.  My late father made his living all his too-short life playing music in and around DC. I grew up in and around DC. My mother worked at the Justice Department. In spite of a few fascinating years in New Orleans, West Virginia, and L.A., DC will always be the place where both my family and I are from. I mean, my Dad sang on the now-defunct official Redskins Singers choir. It was commensurate to blasphemy to take the ‘Skins name in vain or to disparage them in any way, especially during a losing game. That particular violation usually resulted in a grounding or a night spent taking dinner alone in my room. To be fair though, I am an Orioles fan. The Nats did not exist when I was growing up here, so we drove to Memorial Stadium and later Camden Yards for games. (That’s probably going to bring me grief for admitting, I know).

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