By DCist contributor Graham Hough-Cornwell When opener Chad VanGaalen first walked out on stage to prepare his one-man band setup, things looked less than promising. Donning one of those white ninja headbands tied around his head, he arranged a bass drum, hi-hat, snare, and drum machine around a short stool and his hollow body electric. I typically run from something like this, jaded by previous unfortunate experiences with openers like VanGaalen’s fellow Canadian New Buffalo…

For the final two installments of “The Ladies of the Upper Northwest Side,” we move to The Towers, one of the most fascinating apartment houses in the District. It is a true cocoon and you’ll see why if you read on to the jump. For the first two installments of the series, be sure to check out: Part One: D.C.’s Octogenarian Attitude Part Two: The Disappearing Washingtonian Accent…

DCist is introducing a new ocassional feature today called “Observing Washington,” a place where DCist contributors and others who have interesting observations on life in Washington have a little more room to write and explore all things D.C.-related. This is something a little more substantive than a typical blog post, something a little more constructed. Of course DCist doesn’t hold a monpoly on having an interesting vantage point on life in the city. So if…