Comedy Calendar
Tuesday, February 9th
- Jane Birkin in Concert @ Maison Francaise (8:00 pm)
- Film Screening: Alabama's Ghost @ The Warehouse (8:00 pm)
- Inlets/ City Folk @ DC9 (9:00 pm)
- C.U.N.T ft. Disposable Love & Ms. Money (LIVE!) w/ Gavin Holland @ Wonderland (9:00 pm)
Wednesday, February 10th
- To Haiti With Love Benefit @ Liv (5:00 pm)
- Bob Dylan / Blind Boys of Alabama @ The White House (5:15 pm)
- Structured Turbulence Exhibit Opening @ Hillyer (6:00 pm)
- NOTORIETY @ Chi Cha Lounge (6:30 pm)
- SOLD OUT - La Roux / Yes Giantess @ 9:30 Club (7:00 pm)
- Mortified DC's Annual Doomed Valentines Show @ Town (7:00 pm)
- Dr. John & The Lower 911 @ Birchmere (7:30 pm)
- BYT Year in Art: Spotlight : Call+Response Panel Discussion @ Hamiltonian (7:30 pm)
- Jane Birkin in Concert @ Maison Francaise (8:00 pm)
- ALL Gone Launch Party @ Commonwealth (8:00 pm)
- Pepi Ginsberg / PASH (Last Show EVER) @ Black Cat (9:00 pm)
- Delta Spirit/ Willowz SOLD OUT @ DC9 (9:00 pm)
- Comedy: Fresh Comics at Old Town Theater VA (9:30 pm)
Thursday, February 11th
- Int'l Wine and Food Festival Kickoff @ PS7 (6:00 pm)
- Film Screening: 3:10 To Yuma @ American Art Museum (6:30 pm)
- Goodie Mob Reunion @ 9:30 Club (7:00 pm)
- B.B. King / Buddy Guy @ Dar Constitution Hall (8:00 pm)
- Kisses and Cupid to Benefit Once Upon A Prom @ Napoleon (8:00 pm)
- 3RD Haiti Relief Benefit @ IOTA (8:00 pm)
- Title Tracks @ Black Cat (9:00 pm)
- Droppin Science @ Science Club (9:00 pm)
- Peach Pit Presents: "A 1990’s Valentine's Day Mixer" @ Dahlak (10:00 pm)
Friday, February 12th
- Int'l Wine and Food Festival Wine and Cheese Pairing @ The Washington Post (5:00 pm)
- Flavor Tripping: SweetHearts w/DJ Shea Van Horn @ EFN Lounge (5:00 pm)
- Film Screening: Niloofar @ Freer Sackler (7:00 pm)
- Al Green / The Whispers @ Dar Constitution Hall (8:00 pm)
- Hearts and Skulls Valentine's Holiday Party @ Capitol Skyline (8:00 pm)
- Hamiltonian & Fever Couture Present: Art of The Soul Exhibit Opening @ Busboys and Poets (8:00 pm)
- Wanda Jackson @ Black Cat (9:00 pm)
- Jacob's Ladder @ Green Lantern (9:00 pm)
- DC9 6 Year Anniversary – w/ Ebony Bones @ DC9 (duh) (9:00 pm)
- Int'l Wine and Food Festival Afterhours @ Poste (9:00 pm)
- LODA @ The Fridge (9:00 pm)
- She.Rex @ Chief Ike's (9:30 pm)
- Andy Kindler @ Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (9:45 pm)
Saturday, February 13th
- The Power Of Chocolate @ The National Museum of American Indian (10:30 am)
- Film Screening: Chekhovian Motifs @ National Gallery of Art (12:30 pm)
- Activation 2719 Exhibit Opening @ 2719 13th Street NW (6:00 pm)
- Stussy & Stone's Throw Present: Dilla Day @ Stussy (6:00 pm)
- The Association / Keegan Corbey @ Birchmere (7:30 pm)
- Al Green / The Whispers @ Dar Constitution Hall (8:00 pm)
- Empty Time Exhibit Opening @ The Fridge (8:00 pm)
- Suns of Guns @ Black Cat (8:00 pm)
- Pet Parade @ Velvet Lounge (9:00 pm)
- Frederico Aubele @ IOTA (9:00 pm)
- FREDRIK (Malmo) and Ben Green (of Seas) @ the Crab's Claw (9:00 pm)
- Peppermint with DJ Milk & HEJ HEJ DJs @ The Hotel (9:30 pm)
- Anniething Goes @ Jimmy Valentine's (9:30 pm)
- Andy Kindler @ Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (9:45 pm)
- Audiology @ Red Lounge (10:00 pm)
- Int'l Wine and Food Festival @ Ronald Reagan Building (all day)
- Cupcake Design Class @ Hello Cupcake (11:00 pm)
Sunday, February 14th
- The Power Of Chocolate @ The National Museum of American Indian (10:30 am)
DC Record Fair at the Black Cat!!! (12:00 pm)- Film Screening: Niloofar @ Freer Sackler (2:00 pm)
- Heartbreak Ball 2 Bboy + Bgirl Battle @ District Lounge (3:00 pm)
- Chad America's Valentine's Day Dance Party @ The Cat (9:00 pm)
Fatback Presents: Tender Loin @ Napoleon (10:00 pm)
Monday, February 15th
Kings of Convenience @ 930 Club (8:00 pm)- NO RULE (Cullen Stalin + Scottie B + Guests) @Metro Gallery (9:00 pm)
Tuesday, February 16th
- St. Jude Gourmet Gala @ National Building Museum (5:30 pm)
- Tortoise @ Black Cat (8:00 pm)
- Film Screening: Zombie vs. Mardi Gras @ The Warehouse (8:00 pm)
- The Beets @ Velvet Lounge (9:00 pm)
Wednesday, February 17th
- NOTORIETY @ Chi Cha Lounge (6:30 pm)
- The Growlers @ Black Cat (9:00 pm)
Thursday, February 18th
- Soundtrack of Our Lives @ House of Sweden (2:00 pm)
- ART BUZZ Trunk Show benefiting the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative @ Teatro Holdini (6:00 pm)
BYT PresentS: Cruisin' A Party on A Boat (Feat. Beautiful Swimmers) @ Oddyssey (7:00 pm)- Soundtrack Of Our Lives @ Black Cat (8:00 pm)
- Laura Veirs @ IOTA (8:30 pm)
- Gangland Buries Its Own @ Velvet Lounge (9:00 pm)
- Droppin Science @ Science Club (9:00 pm)
- Maison @ Napoleon (9:30 pm)
Friday, February 19th
- New Rock Church Of Fire/ Greenland @ IOTA (9:00 pm)
- Todd Barry @ Arlington Cinema And Drafthouse (9:45 pm)
Saturday, February 20th
- Ravenous/ Daddy Lion/ Arden @ the Red and the Black (9:00 pm)
- Todd Barry @ Arlington Cinema And Drafthouse (9:45 pm)
- MIXTAPE @ RNR Hotel (10:00 pm)
Monday, February 22nd
All Access Photo Pass: Bentzen Ball
October 27, 2009 by Svetlana
all words: Svetlana + Cale (and hopefully some Libby a little later on)
all photos: Dakota Fine, Mike Danko, Francis Chung, Bradley Portnoy, Chris Svetlik, Paul Goodman, Brandon Hirsch, Jane Briggs, Shauna Alexander, Yacouba Tanou, Rachel Eisley
OK, so first and foremost we promise this is the last Bentzen Ball post ever. If you want to read about it and the making of it from a non-BYT perspective Washington Post is running a big story today on it in their Style Section.
But here we’re still on BYT so we have all these miracle photos to share with you. All through the weekend we had our entire photo staff run around like a bunch of headless chickens and take photos of every comedian doing anything in sight. There are photos of performances yes, but there are ALSO photos of: THE AFTERPARTIES, The segway tours, the Cupcake receptions, the general backstageness, and a couple of adorably uncomfortable ones of Ian MacKaye hanging out in the middle of it all.
To Kick things off I’ve had Cale, Libby and Myself write up our own Highlight reels. Libby’s writing is finally here now!
Libby’s Top 10 Bentzen Ball Moments:
- 1. Natasha Leggero giving birth
- 2. Watching the comedians hit on our interns
- 3. My mom getting drunk and playing pool at black cat
- 4. Reggie Watts in a dance off
- 5. A.D. Miles
- 7. Brendon Walsh
- 8. Ben Kronberg’s Canadian tuxedo
- 9. The 70+ year old veterans confused at the Walter Reed show
Cale’s Top 14 Bentzen Ball Moments (reverse order)
- 14. Catching Chris Fairbanks in the bathroom texting with his dick out
- 13. That killer pre-show music
- 12. The classy Lizz Winstead devouring a chili dog from Ben’s in record time
- 11. Successfully keeping our promise not to yell at each other over the weekend
- 10. Ben Kronberg opting to ride in the trunk of a car when a seat was readily available
- 9. Ben Kronberg kicking a mic stand into our photog Francis Chung
- 8. Todd Barry calling our photog Bradley a cunt face
- 7. Introducing Todd Barry to Ian Mackaye after the Jesse Thorn taping
- 6. Seeing the look of discomfort on Ian Mackaye’s face at the raspberry champagne and cupcake party following the Jesse Thorn taping
- 5. Getting BYT intern Sepie to don the green man costume and chase Mary Lynn “Gail the Snail” Rajskub off stage with salt. Twice.
- 4. AD Miles rapping
- 3. Getting the sold out crowd @ 9:30 Club to cheer the BYT staff as I brought them up on stage
- 2. Tig’s magical 9:30 Club finale set
- 1. Reggie Watts (see pic)
Svetlana’s Top 15.5 Bentzen Ball Moments (no order in particular)
1. Seth Herzog doing the “Wonder Woman” dance in the theatre in the round at Studio. No tights. 2. Nick Offerman’s “this song goes out to both jesus and…..carrie underwood” moment 3. Killing Todd Barry with kindness. 4. Me getting a text message that says “Studio just ejected one of the volunteers for assault. You’re needed at box-office” 5. The assault turning out to be just some poorly aimed drunk shoe tossing to the stage 6. Tig doing 90% of her set at Studio to the 7 people in the back of the house who got only to see people’s backs the whole night 7. My mother, who has never seen stand up before calling to tell me she really enjoyed “the little one” (Natasha Leggero) and “the smart, tall one that came right after her” (Lizz Winstead) 7a. All the comedians loving all the other comedians for real. 8. Brandon Walsh’s hijacking of a shopping cart full of hangers that were just hanging out backstage 9. Hugh Moore, who was just supposed to be hanging out backstage, totally stepping up and MCing a late show at Studio while we tried to retrieve our missing MC. 10. Ian MacKaye talking about CASTLES during the Sound of Young America taping 11. Colin, our Studio bartender-being amazing all weekend. 12. ALL THE AMAZING DANCING THEY ALL DID AT THE AFTERPARTIES. Never have I ever felt so unspecial about my moves. EVER. 13. Unzipping Sepie the intern out of his Green Man outfit. Surviving. 14. My walking pneumonia. It was a gift for you all. You’re welcome. 15. Reggie Watts 4EVER. and now: THE SEGWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY TOUR.
HELMETS, COMEDIANS, DC-what’s not to love
mark seman of xm, talks to reggie watts, wearing an NPR t-shirt
pizza party!!!!!
Ben’s chilli bowl-FOR EVERYONE
Afterparty @ The Gibson Guitar showroom where we had Brian from Animal Collective, Ian Svenonius and Kid Congo Powers DJ and Benjy Ferree perform live. Free burritos for everyone from the California Tortilla and free Flying Dog ale and Bulleit Bourbon made me mostly forget what went on:
Cakelove cupcake party @ Rennaissance Mariott on 9th street.
Tig and Warren Brown get cozy with soem buttercream:
Steve Agee is in heaven.
A.D. Miles is finally here. THANK GOD.
did we mention we really love A.D. Miles?
Peter Spruyt in “No rain on our parade” moment
Funny people on a rooftop!
The wrap afterparty @ Gold Leaf. Fatback DJed. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME Dancing ALL NIGHT LONG.
everyone signing that gibson guitar one of you will win one day
Sean peoples KILLING it and then KILLING it some MORE
Dan Zak, on duty. Svetlana Legetic, barefoot, risking tetanus.
DANCING.
Where is the passion Megan, WHERE IS THE PASSION!?!
you guys are ruining my life…
October 27, 2009 at 1:18 pmFugayzi reunion tour co-sponsored by BYT and Durkle.
October 27, 2009 at 1:48 pmMorgan Murphy has a super sweet photo blog of this too: http://anokaything.tumblr.com/post/225059129/a-bentzen-ball-photo-blog-yep-point-n-shoot-iphone
October 27, 2009 at 2:22 pmok now I’m jello like Donatello for real finally
My home is the best place
October 27, 2009 at 2:43 pmby the way, this is semi unrelated but when i was sitting at the hotel some girl came up and was like, “oh my god! how did you get the disney writing!” like it was the most magical illusion she’d ever seen. i felt like exploiting the situation to tell her that i in fact attended hogwarts and concentrated on generating fonts magically, but instead i told her the truth. to which she replied, “does disney know that you guys are doing this?” in a tone that implied she was pretty certain we were going to be sued for copyright infringement. and then i punched her in the face.
October 27, 2009 at 3:28 pm@Libby
Your list better include Danko confessing his love for Ruby Wendell and him adding that he’d ask her out for some ice cream sundaes.
October 27, 2009 at 5:21 pmDave Hill blogging about Bentzen Ball too…
http://davehillonline.com/blog/2009/10/27/the-past-few-days-or-so-in-review-6/
Did you guys make any money on this?
November 2, 2009 at 12:22 pm






























































































































































































Megan IS my passion.
October 27, 2009 at 10:49 am