Results tagged “thisdcist”

Tonight. D.C.'s last on-air theater critic bows down from his duties. Arch Campbell, latest victim of NBC News' restructuring, signs off tonight after 32 with Channel 4. Campbell's departure is the latest step step in the dismantling of a news team that many locals grew up with.

You have to give the D.C. theater community props for organizing something to keep us poor souls stuck in the city for Labor Day Weekend occupied. The annual Page-To-Stage festival, held each year at the Kennedy Center, gives sneak peeks at a number of new works currently in development. The best part? No tickets are required, and all the events are free (first come, first served, of course). Here are just a few buzzworthy offerings...

Located in a sort-of no man’s land of office buildings and hotels, the Maine Avenue Fish Market is tucked away in a bizarre little pocket of waterfront activity in Southwest. We were there to grab a few fish steaks before the evening rush hour for a Friday night grillfest. And we were hungry.

Starting this week, the District's school-children and their teachers will take an extended break from each other. And just as much as we fondly remember that joyous feeling of not having to face a day of schooling for two full months, we now dread that very prospect. Why? Kids out late on weeknights spell trouble.

Last week may have been a prelude to summer humidity, but this week will offer a bit of a respite. According to Capital Weather, we're going to be blessed with weather that doesn't rise far beyond the 70s, though we may have a few showers here and there. Prisoners Escape, Caught Over Weekend: This DCist wasn't terribly happy with the news that two prisoners accused of murder had escaped from the D.C. jail over the...

Editor's Note: Last year, law student extraordinaire and DCist intern Judy Coleman explored some important U.S. Supreme Court cases and their impact on the District in a feature known as Stare DCisis. This year we're happy to have her back as something of a legal correspondent and, hopefully, pro bono lawyer. Over the summer she'll be reporting on important legal issues and, consequently, making the rest of us look like dunces. This DCist keeps some...

For a region that often runs in terror at the mere sight of snow, Washington and its environs managed the weekend's snow-dump with a relatively calm and mature demeanor. This DCist was shocked to awake yesterday to cleared roadways and open businesses, though power outages were reported in some areas and local airports struggled to get air traffic in and out. Today should proceed regularly -- an unfortunate truth for those of us whose employers...

Classical music listeners in Washington are going to be busy this month, since we are tracking an imposing number of must-see concerts and performances in February. We will pick the best of the best for you every Sunday here at DCist. If you want more information, go to our Classical Week in Washington feature at Ionarts. THE BIG NAMES: >> Without a doubt, the main event this week is the recital by legendary pianist Alfred...

Mayor Returns Smoking Ban Unsigned: An unsigned-by-Mayor-Williams smoking ban now heads to the U.S. Congress, which has 30 days to review the legislation. Read: he didn't veto it, but he's allowing it to be enacted sans his signature. Williams stated in a Post article that he fears the ban would go "too far in restricting the freedom for individuals to dine and work where they please." Actually, we think it's smoking that does that, not...

In yesterday's first installment of January Three Stars, you met Hello Tokyo. Today we're covering local guitarist/singer Mike Holden, and tomorrow we'll round things out with Ris Paul Ric (aka Chris Richards). Mike Holden We saw Mike Holden play this past Friday at Revolution Records, where he was promoting his EP, Level, alongside Sara Kryscio. His music is equal parts rock and folk. The guitar playing is mostly in the folk sphere, and his vocals...

Driving up Massachusetts Avenue beyond Dupont Circle and Sheridan Circle one quickly comes across Embassy Row -- the expanse of real estate stretching up towards the National Cathedral occupied primarily by the embassies and residences of the many countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the U.S. And while the houses and buildings speak of stately tradition, what happens within may not. Law students at American University's Washington College of Law are taking to the courts...

FRIDAY

This DCist loves opera, but we understand that it is not for everyone and that the cost can be prohibitive. If your mood turns operatic, however, it's a good month for you. This is the final week for Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, with sold-out performances on Tuesday (November 15, 7:30 p.m.), Friday (November 18, 7:30 p.m.), and Saturday (November 19, 7 p.m.). If you still want to...

You've seen them selling t-shirts, bumper stickers, and magazines on the busy corners of Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and other areas. Their schwag carries the same bold slogan: "Stop Bitching, Start a Revolution." Perhaps you or a friend have even purchased a shirt or sticker.

Last week, we told you about the Washington National Opera production of Gershwin's classic opera Porgy and Bess. This DCist will see it this Wednesday (November 2, 7:30 p.m.), when there is a performance at the Kennedy Center Opera House. This week, you can also buy a ticket for a performance on Saturday (November 5, 7 p.m.). Although Sunday's performance (November 6, 2 p.m.) is sold out at the Kennedy Center, all DCists should be...

Is the ultra-hip, quasi exclusive and not very well marked dance club Red closing its doors for good? It seems that way. A DCist reader tipped us off to the fact that, after nine years, this is the last weekend for the late-night club. According to this flyer, hipsters with an itch to get down have one more chance to dance late into the night this weekend. Located just below the yellow Fudruckers sign at...

On Saturday DCist headed to the 9:30 club to catch the New Pornographers, who are touring in support of their excellent third album, Twin Cinema. The sold-out club seemed even more tightly packed with bodies than usual, all of them anxious to hear the band's tightly constructed pop.

The 9:30 club's recent price "adjustment" led us to spend more time than normal at our favorite pre-show watering hole. So by the time we made it into the packed club, Destroyer had nearly finished their set (we completely missed Immaculate Machine).

To be honest, we mostly know Dan Bejar's band from name-checks in articles about the New Pornographers. But the few Destroyer songs we heard were a pleasant surprise. This DCist has always found Bejar's percussive, nasal vocals to be the low point of most New Pornographers releases. But Destroyer's sound was more melodic and Bejar's singing less grating than his NP work had led us to expect.

The New Pornographers took the stage around 11:30, launching into Twin Cinema's title track. Their sound was tight and precise, particularly considering the seven band members that were contributing to it (a slightly unsteady-looking Bejar only joined the band for two songs). Our drum-playing companion thought that Kurt Dahle's kit was somewhat anemic relative to what's heard on the albums. It's true that there was more emphasis on stick-twirling than we would usually consider to be a good sign, but a propulsive bass drum kept songs like "Electric Version" surging forward.

The setlist drew fairly evenly from the band's three albums, providing a nice mix that managed to include almost all of the requests shouted from the crowd. But like the rest of the performance, this accomodation wasn't spontaneous. Frontman Carl Newman made it clear that the setlist was, well, set. We can't fault him for ignoring the sort of dopes who scream for "Freebird," but a little more ingenuity within the songs themselves would have been nice. Instead, the arrangements mirrored those on the album — which was a bit surprising considering that the band has been playing some of them for six years.

Maybe that was their author's doing. As the New Pornographers' history has unfolded, it seems like the dominant theme has been Carl Newman's increasing assertion of himself as the creative force behind what was initially billed as an indie rock supercollaboration of equal partners. You only have to read the band's bio to see that Newman has essentially claimed ownership of the group. That doesn't just result in egomaniacal press; it also means less prominent vocal parts for the rest of the band's singers. It's true that Newman is responsible for the band's impeccable pop clockwork, but let's face it — The Slow Wonder was just okay. There are reasons people come to a New Pornographers show that have nothing to do with Newman's songwriting.

Which brings us to Neko Case. Ah, Neko. It's not just that she was voted the sexiest woman in indie rock (in fact, she looked a little haggard on Saturday night). It's that voice. The one that can be described as "belting" even when it's a whisper; the one with a slight bend, like she's got a vocoder hidden in her throat; the one that nails every note. The rest of the band performed good but basically unremarkable renditions of the albums' arrangements. It was only the songs prominently featuring Case that stood out. "The Bleeding Heart Show" and "Mass Romantic" were particularly good.

The band began to get a bit sloppy near the end of their short first set, playing a messy version of "Sing Me Spanish Techno" and beginning their first encore in a somewhat disjointed fashion. But by the start of the second encore they had returned to form. The twentieth and final song was "Letter From An Occupant." With Case on vocals, the band in sync and that urgent melody ringing through the club, it was hard to wish for anything more.

We here at DCist have long been fans of Cultural Tourism DC, a non-profit coalition of community organizations that encourage cultural tourism and promote "economic development and hometown appreciation of the capital's rich variety of heritage and arts attractions." We have found their online event directory and weekly newsletters a useful source of information on an eclectic mix of cultural events and sites around the city. Thus, we couldn't help but agree to be an...

From DCist contributor Jeff Simmermon.

Friday, DCist went to the symphony, and we told you about the National Symphony's first concert and the schedule for the rest of their 75th anniversary season. September is also the time when our minds start to turn to thoughts of opera in Washington. Wouldn't it be great if there were some way to hear an opera and at the same time help suffering people? OPERA THIS WEEK: >> This Wednesday (September 14 at 7...

One thing we all know for certain is that you should not mess with your mom. So when moms unite, look out. Local group Moms on the Hill (MOTH) has had enough with watching people suffer in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and they have found a way that they can help directly. On Monday some refugees from Katrina will arrive in Washington where they will take shelter in the D.C. Armory, in the eastern part of Capitol Hill. The MOTHs are holding a Candlelight Prayer Vigil tomorrow evening, Saturday, Sept. 3, beginning at 5 p.m. The vigil will be held at Lincoln Park, located at E. Capitol St. between 11th and 13th St.

This DCist suggests that we just write off this week as far as classical music goes. We prefer to think about the month of September, and you can plan out your much more exciting schedule next month with our Classical Month in Washington at Ionarts. Once again, it's all free this week, but there's just not that much of it.

This DCist has managed to satisfy those persistent classical music cravings from time to time lately, but August is a slow month for concerts. In fact, we took our passport to make the trip all the way out to Wolf Trap last night, on a dangerous quest to see Rossini's La Cenerentola in a semistaged version by the Wolf Trap Opera Company (reviewed at Ionarts). The big party resumes in Washington next month, of course, when the National Symphony, Washington National Opera, and the other big guns return from vacation. Until then, the six readers of the Classical Music Agenda will just have to listen to CDs, to supplement the few concerts we have to tell you about. The good news is that, although there may not be much, it is all free.

Ah, Summerslam. Sure, it's not one of the WWE's marquee properties, but we've always found it to offer a surprising amount of bang for the buck. And this year, August's annual dose of "sports entertainment" (sorry persnickety DCist readers, we don't have an "Entertainment" category so "Sports" will have to do) holds even more interest for D.C. residents than normal. Not only will the event be taking place at MCI Center, but Washington's own Batista (pictured, sort of) will defend his title against arrogant Texas plutocrat John Bradshaw Layfield. Hmm... Who to root for, who to root for...

So, DCist saw "The Aristocrats" this weekend. Bob Saget is a dirty, dirty man. Seriously, you'll never look at Full House the same way after this flick. It's no wonder the Olsen twins ended up the way they did. Also, the guys behind South Park are geniuses. Now, to the music: Monday: We're tempted to send you guys to Fort Reno tonight. It's another Dischord smashup with songstress Mary Timony headlining, possibly or possibly not...

It's been a good summer. For DCist it has, anyway, filled with cheetah cubs and buttersticks, Nats games and Borf sightings, and lots of sweaty, booze-soaked cookouts. But fall is coming, people, and it's time to put the flip-flops aside, say goodbye to the interns, and fill out your autumn dance card. DCist humbly offers the following suggestions. Oh, they grow up so fast. One day they're lil, playing hoops and making MTV videos, the...

Today's Post reports that Warren Brown, owner and founder of U St. bakery Cakelove, will be the first D.C. area chef to have his own show on the Food Network. The show will be entitled "Sugar Rush" and is slated to take the 9:30 p.m. slot on Wednesdays starting in October.

This DCist went to listen to some of the Rostropovich Cello Competition qualifying round this past week, which we recommended to you in our last Classical Music Agenda. Although that was good listening, it's still August, and there is not that much to hear as far as classical music in Washington, but we have drummed up a few things you might want to consider.

The Redskins are back in camp this week, preparing for a second season of The Passion of The Gibbs. New faces abound and new strategies are being hatched, but there are old questions lingering from last year’s campaign and a tumultuous offseason that are never far away. Cable sports channels and the internet have bred a new type of football fan—where a decade and a half ago, local diehards might give even the preseason game...

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