What I like About You by Will Eastman

September 6, 2007 by Svetlana  Send to a Friend

Continuing our local hero recommendations column is Will Eastman whom I asked to write this the second I thought of doing it. And why? A dj and a historian, Will is the hardest working man at having you have fun in DC these days. And one with great taste too. After all, he is the man that brought you Rosebuds, Girl Talk, The Presets, Purple Crush AND The Boggs before you even knew who they were. From Bliss to Infamy to last month’s Heist and this weekends Hirshhorn AND 930 club parties, he does not stop. And he has not stopped for years now which means that he has some scoop to give.
So here it is, for DC, about to be shouted from the roof tops:

What I Like About You

Yes you, D.C., with your navy suits and white tennis shoes-clad hordes. Your southern efficiency and northern charm. Your stand-on-the-left legions of tourons. I don’t just like you, I think I love you. But there are things beyond your most compelling charms: your parks, your museums, and, most devastatingly, your nightlife. Like…

Congressional Cemetery (http://www.cemeterydogs.org)

Before Union General Montgomery C. Meigs proposed burial of Union war dead on the grounds of Robert E. Lee’s Arlington House, Congressional Cemetery was the real estate of choice for Washington elite checking in for eternity. In the mid-90’s, this place was scary. Not crime-ridden scary. Gothic horror film set scary. Crypts stood open and, even more frightening, empty. Grass and brush 6 feet high covered grounds dotted with fallen trees lodged atop 19th-century mortuary art. Picture the house of Usher falling and add about 30 years.

Then around ten years ago something happened: canines. The place became home to a dog-walking club and the cemetery grounds underwent a remarkable transformation. Today dogs and their owners frolic (respectfully) among the final resting place of Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, the only signer of the Declaration of Independence interred in the District, Elbridge Gerry, (of “Gerrymandering” infamy) and J. Edgar Hoover. Where else in America can you let Fido socialize in a historically significant locale?

Temple of the Scottish Rite on 16th between S and R Streets

This writer happily admits knowing nothing about conspiracy theories, Free Masonry, or masonry of any variety. That said, this is a spectacular building of great beauty in a city littered with significant structures. Its architect, John Russell Pope, scored a few other hits with the National Archives and Jefferson Memorial. The building turns a mere 100 in 2015—a pup in the vast expanse of the constructed environment—but it’s not difficult to imagine this awe-inspiring stack of bricks getting its 38th grout replacement in a couple hundred years. That notion shouldn’t come as a surprise since it’s modeled after one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

External lights on Washington National Cathedral (http://www.cathedral.org)

Find a roof deck with a clear view of the Cathedral, preferably from a distance. Go there with someone you love and a bottle of wine around 11:00 p.m. Start looking toward the direction of the Cathedral around midnight. When the lights go dark, first on the west side then the east, it’s breathtaking and unexpectedly beautiful.

DJ Hut 2010 P Street NW (djhut.com)

You can’t chat with D.C. DJ legend Sam “the man” Burns or score a forgotten classic disco 12” on iTunes. (If you don’t recognize why those things might be important, you might want to stop reading right about now.) DJ Hut’s weekly picks list is part of my essential research. Even the flyer rack in the hall is a great place to take the pulse of what’s going down in town.

DJ Hut is currently closed due to a second fire in as many years to emanate from the greasy kitchen of its downstairs neighbor, Alberto’s Pizza. My thoughts and best wishes for a speedy return go out to the staff and management of DJ Hut. In the meantime, visit them at their virtual store, djhut.com (currently unavailable as managers deal with disruption in business caused by the fire, but you can sign up for email notification when they’re back online.)

CD Warehouse, 3001 M St, NW

It remains unconfirmed, but I’m willing to bet that CD Warehouse sells more product by German electronic music uber-label Kompakt than any other single source in North America. And the reason for this? Are there that many enlightened Michael Mayer fans in D.C.? As much as I’d like to think so, no, there aren’t. It’s because the folks who order records for CD Warehouse know how to build interest in music the old fashioned way: by building relationships over time with music lovers through great recommendations, and not bothering with shitty music, no matter how much it sells. There’s a reason this shop is still in business folks (see above about what you can’t get out of iTunes.)

Adidas Originals shop, 1251 Wisconsin Ave NW

While there’s nothing inherently D.C. about the Adidas store, it’s one of only a handful of Adidas Originals shops in the United States that carries classic and classic-inspired kicks and sports wear. I once believed brand loyalty is a myth. Then someone close to me pointed out that I tend to wear a lot of Adidas gear. I responded, “No, I don’t. I have a pair of Nikes.” Which is true. I wear them hiking with my dog in the woods. Point taken, I guess.

The Adidas store has DJs most weekends to liven up your shopping experience and the staff are polite and helpful. Limited edition runs mean you don’t have to worry about seeing your shoes on a half dozen punks down the street next month, and $100 for a pair of kicks is reasonable in the grand scheme of retail shopping. (Have you shopped at Nordstrom’s recently? Exactly.) Later this month, DC’s soon-to-be number one fashion resource for dudes, The District Line, opens up across the street.

See also: D.C. company Durkl (http://www.durkl.com)

E Street Cinema, 555 11th Street NW

This posh, eight-screen movie theater complex specializes in first run indie cinema, foreign language films, and documentaries. Where else can you go to catch Der Untergang (“Downfall,” 2004) at 11:30 p.m. on a rainy Sunday evening, or “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” (2005) in a clean and affordable theater? Throw in great sound, Metro access and (my bourgeois tastes are showing) an espresso bar, and you have to be a card-carrying Blockbuster regular not to recognize a gem when you see one.

Evil Disco metal and rock dance party, Black Cat back stage, (http://www.myspace.com/evildiscodc)

Evil Disco, will you marry me? We can run away to Vegas and take our vows at 4:00 a.m. to the sounds of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” The reception will be at Burger King where I’ll pass out in kid’s playground (Later, you’ll say “So cute!”) while you get the boombox and my sister’s Van Halen tape from the Camaro. A week later, it’ll end in annulment as the courthouse clerk hums Asia’s “Heat of the Moment.” But you will always be my true love.

See also: DJ nights My Favorite Dress (“tweeish/indie pop sulkfest”,) Hej Hej (dedicated to Scandinavian pop and rock,) Taking The Piss (classic indie pop and obscure gems,) and I Fought The Big One (“moody & off-kilter post-punk and shoegaze”)

http://www.myspace.com/my_favorite_dress
http://www.myspace.com/hejhejdc
http://www.dcsoundclash.com/
http://www.myspace.com/wefoughtthebigone

Rock-N-Romp (http://rocknromp.com)

Debbie Lee’s series of kid-friendly rock shows is a D.C. institution-in-the-making. The events bring some of the area’s most talented musicians to a setting where kids (and, uh, their parents, too) can socialize and take in music with one another in a fun, safe environment. Rock-N-Romp has already inspired chapters in Baltimore, Austin and Memphis. Debbie started Rock-N-Romp because she wanted her own kids to be exposed to music beyond Barney. What riches are we in store for when the Rock-N-Romp generation starts producing music of its own?

Bob Mould’s advice column in the Washington City Paper, weekly

Having stopped by his insightful blog, Boblog, (http://modulate.blogspot.com) on occasion, when Bob Mould’s City Paper advice column debuted this summer I wasn’t surprised that the local paper had asked him to pen it. I was, however, uncertain that an advice column format would be a good fit. A few months later, it’s pretty much the first thing I read when I pick up the City Paper. Mould proves that he can write more than a great song. There’s more than one good book in Bob and I’ll be the first in line at Olsson’s to get my copy signed.

See also local blogs 5 Acts, Instrumental Analysis, and Information Leafblower

http://5acts.blogspot.com
http://instrumentalanalysis.blogspot.com
http://www.informationleafblower.com

Konstantin at Spalon, 1605 17th St NW

Last, but not least, be nice to your hair, D.C. You’ll get a great cut with Konstantin at Spalon and he’ll introduce you to some new and classic dance music in between acerbic stories about his home country, Ukraine. The shampooing is brisk, almost a work out, and will leave your scalp tingling with glee.

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catch will next at 930 Club this Saturday
and sample this Air “Once Upon a Time” remix till then.

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