My aim is to make sure you're happy. And by happy I mean well fed, well imbibed and ready to make some horrible decision that will make a great story later on, after the pain fades away. And there WILL BE pain, trust me.
So, here is our handy guide to the weekend's finest chaos on hand.
Other options available on the calendar, which I really recommend you use. And use often.
(suggestions also welcome)
Thursday
As is the grand Thursday tradition, kick off with some free snacks and culture/design: Sugar is Hosting its Fall Bash and the Corcoran is having an exhibit party. And the All Roads Festival is Opening.
Not to mention that the millitant kickball hater in you can attend the First DieYuppieKickball.com Initiation Meeting. Now, we've eaten crabs with these people, they're nowhere near as scary, and way more loud than you think. Hop to it.
Then for music two good choices, hard to pick one, but you may have to:
The Blow takes the Cat and Matthew Dear is at RNR. I'd hate to be you and have to choose.
And if you choose not to choose, just run over to the land of gold wallpaper and champagne cocktails and dance to whatever Chris Burns is spinning at Discotheque at Napoleon. Last time he played Imagination we had to tie Cale to a chair he was so ready to spin out of control.
Friday
Sort of classy.
In the right hand corner we have Jenna Bush lip-syncs to a book tape at Politics & Prose and Goethe institut is showing "Jesus Camp" (aka scariest movie EVER, mainly because its real) and over more left at Hirshhorn CRAP kids take over After Hours. Considering that Crap always sells out, and that Hirshhorn after hours always sells out-good luck. And be there early.
Alternatively: Brunettes and Fairland Parkway are playing RNR and we still have some tickets to give away. You know you want them.
AND FINALLY AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY:
Gypsy Eyes records is hosting a DC Public library fund raiser at 930. All local hero line up, all good cause. Be there.
Saturday
Wake up to the Arena Stage Costume sale for those hard to find girdle dresses and embroidered slippers and then at night go to:
1. The double whammy of Voxtrot/The Little Ones upstairs and The Wag downstairs at the Cat.
or
2. Transatlantic at DC9 featuring every awesome person in the tri-state area (DJ People's champion/Cory is spinning, Glamour and Lismore, both of whom look AMAZING are playing live and DURKL boys are hosting).
I heard rumors of freeze pops. And I want to beleive them.
Also Iceland is in town
Sunday
as slow and certain death sets in remember...Iceland is still in town
as are the Two Gallants and Blitzen Trapper at the Hotel and the always entertaining Big Business at The Cat.
also, it has JUST NOW come to my attention that Monday is Columbus day which apparently some people have off (I don't, because I am a winner) which technically makes this a 4 day weekend and as such that means that on Sunday there is Taint at DC9
and that on
Monday
you should go and see some shows.
namely the local band bonanza (Bellman Barker, Len Bias...) at DC9 to benefit Dedric Helger or go see Klaxons and Washington Social Club at 930. Just don't be blinded by all the nu rave, promise?
now go, and preemptively apologize to your liver.
and this week's inspiration image comes courtesy of some crunch:
feeling is believing.
God loves a cheerful giver.
omg! what a fab weekend for me to be coming home!!!
don't forget about the Columbia Heights Day Festival on Saturday afternoon, free swing dance performance at 2 pm on the Harriet Tubman Elementary School playground across from the Wonderland Ballroom, with free social dancing from 1-3 pm: http://www.columbiaheightsday.org/
see you at 80's tonight and Crap Friday
I'll be up in Philly until Sunday and then the British Classic Car and Bike show in Leesburg on Sunday.
And none of my friends better die while I'm gone.
Am I the only girl that hasn't felt up Rebekah on camera? Oh wait, I'm not a girl.
I lasted less at the Blow than your interview with Rilo Kiley
That was about as bad as Girl Talk. No, it was worse than Girl Talk.
I felt embarrassed on behalf of her parents.
I wanted my money back and I don't even pay for shows there.
What is with these no talent nothings filling up the Cat (GT, this Blow crap) with people while genuinely good bands (Telograph even?) can't get 100 people?
I thought Kayla from The Blow was refreshing. It was goofy, it was spunky, and it was a nice change of pace from the typical dudes with guitars singing to an empty room. It was an actual "showy show" with a mildly polished script and jokes because she knows her karaoke style can be boring. I think the concept is simple and great. Not that I don't love bands like Telegraph (and wish they could fill venues too), but sometimes people just want a gimmick and a pretty face.
Oh that's fine. I just didn't get it.
But I do fail to understand why "artists?" (oh, tangent - it pissed me off when she mentioned her "career" Get real.) like The Blow are 3/4 filling the Cat instead of barely filling Velvet, and Telograph (and others) are playing to a handful.
And if it's true that people have sex like they dance I feel sorry for her partners.
Michael - I assume one reason is how often someone plays, unsigned/local bands play all the time, it's not every week that you can see The Blow. Their record from last year (or was it this year) is great. Didn't the dude from Yacht quit the band? I felt that Matthew Dear would be better live, so I was planning on going to that instead but then something came up. This comment is kinda of rambling, sorry.
If she didn't come back for fifty years I still wouldn't go.
attendance at local bands' shows is directly proportional to the amount of promotion they put into the show. if a local band cant fill the Cat it's because they aren't big enough yet or they didn't promo enough. it doesn't matter how good they are. the fact is the average music listener in the DC area has no idea an indie music scene even exists.
acts with label and national blog support rely on the internet and other national publications to do the promo for them. their names are recognizable, and someone, often of questionable credibility, told readers on the internet that it was cool to like them. If your band is pitchfork and stereogum approved, of course you're gonna bring out a crowd.
One show I would be curious to see how it ends up this weekend is the Voxtrot/Little Ones at the Cat this Saturday.
Both bands had A CAVALCADE of blog/press approval a few months/a year back but I have not seen anything on them in the local press for this weekend AND all that goodwill sometimes turns into backlash. As we all know.
Should be a fun show though.
I saw Voxtrot back when they played some student dorm lounge or something at Georgetown - it was pretty fun.
Discotheque didnt actually happened. Actually every party on thursday nights at Napolean was cancelled in favor of "International Night." You can form your opinions about that move...