May Day Virginia May Day

Getting lost in the wilds of Northern Virginia is a given if you are from Maryland or D.C. Navigation tools just lead to a quiet sensation of panic.  Compasses naturally point South to Richmond, the former capital. The Bermuda triangle? Just a day at the beach compared to words like North Glebe, Gallows Road and Dixie (or is it Lee ?) Highway.

That being said, Westover Market and Beer Garden in what is loosely called Arlington is truly worth finding even though the last time I went I thought I had made a way wrong turn when I saw a sign for the Italian Store...
But I digress.Where else can you find a goofy little bar attached to a market with an absurdly large selection of beers? But wait, there's more. An outdoor patio-not your upscale Bethesda type patio-but more like a friend's over the top back yard party with fire pits and live music.  This Friday's May Day line up is nothing short of stellar: David Kitchen's band which this time includes Johnny Coombs on bass, Andy "the axe" Rutherford,  and "Big Beat" himself, Ben Holmes on drums.

Westover Market is roughly only 15 minutes from DC with a trusted guide and only an hour and a half without.

Earth Day Stuff

It's Earth Day, and I am reminded of how far Washington has come since I was a kid growing up here. A couple of weeks ago a bald eagle flew overhead, and my kids thought I was loopy for yelling my head off. Look! An eagle! A bald eagle!  In the 1960s, the only eagle I knew that was still alive and kicking was living the low life in the National Zoo. In a cage. Now I see them flying by and caught this one outstanding in his field (haha) on the way to the beach a few years  ago.

 In the 1990s recycling in the District was suspended. We had to hire our own contractors block by block, but now The District has imposed mandatory recycling on businesses, and we have super sized cans to hold all our output.

( Little bin courtesy of Sharon Pratt Kelly way back when)

We recycle glass, paper and plastic. Even those big hideous yard toys and chairs. And yet why is there still so much stuff in my house? I spend at least a half hour a day just moving crap around. I spent last week filling a dumpster with a friend's lifetime achievement of clutter. In honor of  Earth Day, I'm putting up a link to a little movie my forward thinking friend Karen Simpson turned me onto years ago. Check out the The Story of Stuff. If you have already seen it, poke around the web site for new ideas and solutions. I heard on the news the other day that some environmental laws aren't worth the cost. So that got me wondering. Just what planet are we going to live on? Mars?
I kind of like this one.

Weekends Are For Wusses

Mondays are not for the feeble. This first day of the work n school week can be rough, but that is why hard core music fans need to get out and show they will NOT be daunted by Mondays nor the Man. For your convenience- this Monday three bands will be cranking at the Galaxy Hut. Sometimes I am at a loss for words to describe a group's musical  style, but fortunately for me the Delarcos' guitar man Jon Hamblin summed this show up quite nicely :

"We,the Delarcos(kinda punkish)open at 9,followed by Denizens of Washington (I'm told they are post-prog prog), with the Godz ('66 ESP recording artists, psychedelic proto-punk, song "Radar Eyes") headlining. (NOT the '78 proto hair metal band from Columbus, Ohio)

By the by the Hut is my favorite haunt for beer and ambiance West of the River any day of the week. 

April 15th in the Nation's Capital

Greetings fellow colonists of the District of Columbia. On this discouraging day, when we sign away monies to those people on the Hill,  you might want to check out the grassroots camp of  Not Your District where folks are determined to be self- determining.

The Mathematics of Rock

Eight dollars is what it will cost to see the show this Friday night with Marshall Keith, Ubangis, the Silver Screams and History Repeated at the rock hole that is the Velvet Lounge. 

Eight bucks. 

Yes, eight dollars buys you four musical acts consisting of let's say at least 13-14 people who will split those eight bills and apply that cashola to the costs of a vehicle and gas money to get to the gig, musical instruments and gear, not to mention the time spent loading in, loading out, years and years of practice, rehearsals and writing original lyrics and music.  I am not a math major, but I'm thinking each band member stands to lose about $880 dollars and 65 cents each here.

WHY DO THEY DO THIS????

For you. and you and you there with the glasses. 

(God knows they don't do it for the money.)

Saturday Night rumor has it that more icons of the DC music scene may be sitting in with the Vi-Kings at Clyde's Chevy Chase. 

No cover here so I'll let you do the math. 

MSY to DCA

I just returned from a long and beautiful weekend in one of the most magical cities I know. And I know I know I know what it means to miss New Orleans even though my closest friend there is someone I met here in DC when she bartended at the 9:30 Club back on F Street. 

She was instrumental (hah) in my attending  a very musical wedding this weekend with so many DC-New Orleans connections/friends/musicians  that I can't even begin to count them all.

And the relationships are more convoluted the Springfield Mixing bowl. 

Thus imagine my surprise to see Galactic -a jam band "from" New Orleans playing the 9:30 this very Friday and Saturday nights. Galactic began here in the Washington area in the 1990s before it morphed into another one of those commingled affairs from New Orleans. Friday DC's own Chopteeth -where Afro funk party beat meets James Brown- will be opening.