This video doesn’t make the day any warmer, but at least we can remember what warm sunshine is like. It’s on the way, for sure, but in the meantime, enjoy this video shot at Meridian Hill Park by Giganova. This is the type of thing that makes DC great.
If you love Pearl Jam, and were going to buy tickets for their DC show on June 22nd at Verizon Center, you might consider getting them for a donation to Steve Novick’s campaign for US Senate, instead.
Of course, I know squat about Novick’s politics, but this way you get to meet Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, and hang out with him before the show. Of course, maybe this is the best way to get influence in the Senate, as DC’s currently boned on the whole representation deal. Maybe this is a great way to make known the struggle of all District residents when it comes to representation in Congress. You can let Steve Novick just what you think about the royal screwjob that DC residents get.
Or, it’s just a way to get a cool set of tickets to Pearl Jam. $250 for a pair, though, that’s kinda ouchie to my wallet.
The Golden Triangle BID announced their summer lineup for their popular “Sounds in the Square” concert series. The concerts are free at the Farragut Square Park on Thursday evenings in May and June from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Rain dates will be held in September.
This year’s series will feature concerts by some of the area’s most popular bands like No Second Troy, and local favorites including Everyone but Pete and JunkFood. So if you’re looking for some great local music fused with warm summer evenings in the middle of downtown DC, this might be your thing.
The current schedule is:
May 8 No Second Troy
May 15 Justin Jones & The Driving Rain
May 22 Everyone But Pete
June 5 JunkFood
June 12 The Kelly Bell Band
June 19 Crowded Streets
June 26 Reflex
You can check for any updates at the Golden Triangle’s website and if you’re myspace-savvy, add them as a friend.
For those who do keep their finger on the world pulse, tomorrow is World Malaria Day (April 25th), sponsored by the World Health Organization. While Spring is here, and the standing water from the heavy rains a few days ago will sure spawn our favorite Summer pest, the mosquito, it’s good to remember, that here, in the US, we’re lucky enough not to have the scourge of malaria, one of the largest killers of people, young and old, worldwide. So, as a reminder, since we do get other mosquito borne illness here, notably the West Nile Virus, if you have standing water pooling on your property, in buckets, plastic sheeting, or other places that seem innocuous, tip it out and drain it. (Remember, D.C. used to be a swamp, so it makes sense…)
On the upside, Senegalese singer, Youssou N’Dour is performing at the World Bank in the atrium at 2pm. I’m not sure if it’s fully open to the public, but you can try, given that it’s supposed to raise awareness…it’d be dumb to restrict access.
I’ve heard the Star-Spangled Banner so many ways that it takes something really quite unique to surprise me. I’ve heard six part male harmony, I’ve heard it performed by a tuba quartet. I’ve heard it sung by little kids, I’ve heard it played on an expensive and rare violin. I’ve heard renditions so good that the hairs on the back of my neck prickled with emotion, and I’ve heard renditions so bad that they offended me personally.
To say that I’m a bit of a connoisseur of the National Anthem is a bit of an understatement. But, Tom, you say, can you really complain until you’ve tried out yourself?
No. Despite my music degree, despite my years of choral and solo voice, I’ve never performed it for a live audience, save those within the sound of my voice when I sing along at baseball games and other sporting events. It’s a nerve-wracking experience standing down on the field and singing into the giant expanse of a stadium, I’m sure. But I decided it was time to buck up and give the audition a try.
If there was a house band at the gates of hell, The Pogues would probably be who you’d hear playing…. and you’d like it! I have to say, I wasn’t a big Pogues fan, but I do have a musicological interest in the origins of modern music. To that avail, I had the pleasure of taking in the Pogues on Monday front row center at the 9:30 Club to a knock down drag out drunken musical joyfest which DC has yet to equal. If the opener, the macabre Urban Voodoo Machine didn’t get the place started, Shane and Co. put the place into over drive in a frenzied selection of 25 songs (albeit, the setlist was repeated from Sunday). While few of the members (Shane included) looked a bit worse for wear, they delivered what the audience so needed to hear. I was wondering if I’d leave with a boot impression to the chest or head, but the crowd was into it, and the fans, given the shows have been sold out for months, held true to their desire to see, what according to Q Magazine, is one of the “50 Bands to See Before You Die”… the entire evening did not disappoint. Lets hope they come ’round again for an encore or two!
Shaaaaaaane!
Originally uploaded by webjedi
If you missed the final Pogues show this evening at the 9:30 Club, their astounding gypsy-surf-punk-rock opener, The Urban Voodoo Machine is playing at The Red & The Black at 9pm tonight ($8). This was one high energy act, and everybody in the place got into it. So if you think the opener gets the 9:30 “a rockin’”, catch them in a more intimate venue this evening, its truly something to behold. Just let you mind go and the rest will follow!
The Urban Voodoo Machine
Originally uploaded by webjedi
I flung wide the windows yesterday when the rain started to fall, and let the damp, warm air into my condo, and it felt marvelous. Hearing the staccato beat of the rain drops against the hedgerow was just delightful. The drops fell harder and more frequent until my screen was soaked through. The house smelled like first rain this morning, and it made me smile.
City Council Takes Strong Stance on Shock Therapy
Did you know that DC Special Ed students sometimes still get shock therapy? Yeah, I thought that went out in the 70s as a viable treatment for anything. Except, that DC’s been paying for it as part of tuition for Special Education students. So, yesterday, the City Council decried the practice during council hearings, and said No More! Good on them. Bad on them for not knowing it was happening.
Open Primaries?
Councilman David Catania says bring open primaries to DC! I know we’ve weighed in on this before (unfortunately our archives are still coming back as part of the migration, or I’d link to it) and we agree with the councilman. Catania said, “I, along with 63,000 other Independents, were foreclosed from an opportunity.” Couldn’t agree more.
No Tornadoes, but No Power, either
The Tornado Watch from last night was, fortunately, just a watch and not a warning, but 20,000 houses lost power as part of the thunderstorm that whipped through town last night. 4,000 or so are still without power now.
Two months in and I’m just now hitting my first show of ‘08 due to a lack of interesting show choices and a mammoth research project I’m working on.
Last night I caught a terrific triple-bill at the Rock and Roll Hotel. (Who by the way have recently installed a new, wider stage and a totally sick new sound system that makes RNR a venue to die for).
First up was Young Widows a noise-rock trio in the tradition of Jesus Lizard, Helmet, and Big Black. Imagine any one of those bands with a Fugazi-esque shared vocal set-up and you are pretty close to what the Young Widows sound like. Young Widows brought the fury last night, demonstrating a straight-forward, passionate racket that felt vital and necessary in the face of today’s genre-crossing indie climate. It was great to see this new band shred through a set of angst-shouted vocals set to noisey rhythmic rock, minus any pretention or posing. After their admirable set I am now praying for them to come back around on a tour with These Arms Are Snakes (man that would rule).
Ultra-heavy beat, hip-hop duo Dalek were up next. I’ve seen Dalek about five times over the last eight years. I’ve always considered these guys to be the perfect fusion of Hip-Hop and Digital Hardcore, but Digital Hardcore is a genre long-dead so I don’t really know how to describe them in a way that makes current sense. Dalek are much more than a relic of the late 90’s though, putting on suprising sets everytime they come to DC. Last night I was shocked to see that the duo had expanded into a quartet (adding an a live guitar player and a second DJ-type guy). Hip-hop alone is not a descriptor that does these guys justice. Sure the lead singer is one of the best MCs going, but the music to which he raps is such an intense wall of noise and beats that they really drift into controlled noise territory. The addition of the live guitarist took last night’s set to a whole new level. Adding a thrash/shoegazer element to Dalek’s traditonal noise barrage was a stroke of genius and put Dalek on top for best set of the night.
That isn’t to say headliners Russian Circles were slacking, not in the slightest. Falling somewhere between Post-Rock and Metal, Russian Circles tore into a set that for the most part abandoned their quiet-loud formula in favor of laying down some seriously epic head-bangers. I often consider Post-rock/metal shows to be art installations because of the way they inhabit an enviroment and make it their own (unlike any other genre except maybe traditional noise: ie. Whitehouse). Last night Russian Circles didn’t inhabit the RNR Hotel so much as they reenacted the World War II tank battle at Kursk with guitars and drums. It was a power performance that set heads banging and fists pumping, and left ears ringing (for what feels like will be days).
If you’re jonesin’ for some live music tonight, check out Jeremy Fisher (Warning. Plays Music. Loudly.) at DC9. Doors are at 7. Make sure to bring a little extra emo with you, as the pictures on his website indicate that you may wish to cut yourself after the show because no one understands you, man! It’s cool, though, his acoustic sounds are generally poppy and uplifting, so it seems to be that Jeremy’s going for more of a “misunderstood in the vein of Bob Dylan, on he can hold a tune in a bucket and doesn’t sound like he needs sinus surgery.”
Oh, and thanks to the generosity of Cornerstone Promotion, we have two spots open on the guest list! Email tom at metroblogging dot com if you’d like to see Jeremy rock out with his bad self tonight at DC9. First to email me gets those two slots. Second gets to cry in their beer. Third? Well, you get the satisfaction of knowing how to hit Send.
