Remember those billboards that popped up in the 1980s that counted up the national debt, dollar by dollar? Pretty scary, huh? Well, District voting rights activists want something similar for their cause. Today the D.C. Council held a hearing on legislation that would allow the city to place two large LED billboards — one outside the John A. Wilson Building and the other outside the new Washington Nationals stadium — that would display the amount…
There’s something totally undeniable about the music of Bellman Barker. From the moment they hit the stage, toes start tapping. A verse or two in, heads start bobbing. By the time they hit the chorus, you’ll find yourself wanting to jump up and down like a kid who’s had too much sugary cereal for breakfast. Their recorded output has been compared to late-period Belle & Sebastian and rightfully so—these local lads clearly worship at the same altar of 60s pop. In a live setting, however, the songs take on a life of their own, with the bouncy verses and wide-open choruses adding up to something more power pop than twee. Rest assured, there’s still no shortage of vocal harmonies, a whole lot of handclaps and more than a few “Oohs” and “Aahs”. DCist caught up with lead singer and guitarist Aaron Estes to talk about the years he spent working as a Blackjack dealer, the unsung heroes of Motown and the secrets of the handlebar mustache. Check out the full interview after the break.
Visit them online at: myspace.com/bellmanbarker
See them next at: The Velvet Lounge, October 27th (“Halloween Spectacular”)
Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. It was good that the lunch keynote didn’t last any longer; I was ready to hand Jim Abdo a check. Those of us on the academic side of the development industry aren’t used to such raw displays of enthusiasm. After following Abdo through his slide presentation on the history of his business and the mammoth project he’s begun on New York Avenue…
No Paper Crowns for the Guests The Majestic—the latest addition to Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong’s Alexandria empire—held its preview party last night, and DCist was in the house. The King Street restaurant was packed with all your various foodie types mauling the chef and owners, mugging for the roving photographers, and swilling both wine and gossip. With such a high density of gastronauts, I’m sure Majestic’s owners would have rather been serving up their food…
You might know him as, “the handsome grandson,” “the outta work superhero,” or by the name on his birth certificate, “Dathan Harbor.” But chances are you’ve never heard of Flex Mathews by any of his many monikers. You may have no idea that, since he moved to D.C. in 2002, a rising star has been right under your nose. The rest of the country seems to be noticing. In 2005, URB magazine named Flex one…
It isn’t easy being the District. While we District residents pride ourselves on living in a city that is diverse and dynamic, the rest of the country tends to lump us together with the federal government that shares our geographic space. Call it guilt by association — Congress wastes money and the president lies, and suddenly everyone who lives within the city limits has something to do with federal excesses and excuses. This couldn’t be…
Share Our Strength Benefit For Katrina Victims August 29 will mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, but clean-up, rebuilding, and resettling are still taking place. Charity group Share Our Strength will observe the date by holding Restaurants for Relief, an event in which restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to help recovery efforts and to end childhood hunger along the Gulf Coast. Almost 90 restaurants in the metro area plan to…
Before we kick off this week’s suggestions, a quick note about Sunday’s show at the Black Cat. The Lovely Feathers were good, Dr Dog was great, and The Spinto Band was freakin phenomenal. What a tremendous bunch of characters those guys are, we haven’t seen head shaking like that since That Thing You Do. TUESDAY: >> We’ll be honest — we can’t exactly picture Trent Reznor playing in an amphitheater. But it’s a plan so…
There are lots of good reasons to ride Metro when moving about the city. It’s cheaper and easier than buying and maintaining a car, it’s good for the environment, and it teaches patience. Perhaps the best reason to be a regular user of rail transport, however, is because placing oneself on or near a roadway in the metropolitan area will get you all smashed up with a probability approaching 1. The Associated Press reports today…
Supporters of President Ronald Reagan tried to name a street in the District after him. But failing at that, they’ve opted for the next best thing — dedicating a day to his legacy in Virginia. The Washington Times is reporting today that squeaky-clean Republican activist Grover Norquist submitted a request to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine’s Office of Constituent Services that February 6 — the Gipper’s birthday — be designated “Ronald Reagan Day.” Kaine politely declined,…
