SAAM and NPG, G Street

Help! I Need a New New Year's Gig

Dear You,

Help! Save your generation! Or at least save me.... What should I do for New Year's?

I've been obsessed about it lately. I want to do something big this year. Last two years I've spent the critical hour at house parties in Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant. Here's a song summing up what happened at the last one--


--Ok, moving on....

Before that a show at Wonderland. And here's a photo snapshot of that night.

Year before that, a dance party on H Street NE --yes, pause for photo--
















And before that, spent over a campfire in McLean (don't ask). Prior to that, I don't remember. So, I've stayed über local, but low key and not crazy. I believe I was in bed at pretty much normal partying hour each time. And nary a hangover.

Don't get me wrong, I love staying close to home and doing it small time. It's cheaper, and I generally want to remember what I did and savior the memories outside of un-facebookable party photos. And I am a little accident prone.

I've never traveled outside of my home city to celebrate New Year's. Never. But something about this year makes me want to break out of the routine and do something different. If I do stay in DC, which for different reasons is looking more and more likely, I need to decide what to do. Staying home with a glass of wine and the TV is probably the only option I'm ruling out.

What are the epic yearly parties? Any clubs or bars actually throw a great party? (I've heard Peaches O'Dell at the Black Cat is worth it) And ANY chance there is something cool happening right here in good ole' Mount Pleasant? Hmmm, I guess I could make something happen here... but I digress. Back to other O.P.P. (other people's parties).

So... keep on the look out. And pass the good ones my way please. I have a feeling it'll be a last minute decision, but I want to have all the options, good and bad, at my feet.

Thx a million in advance,

Me

ps, i tell you this because as an artist, i think you'll understand

7-11's Private Label and Return of the Black Rooster

***The Black Rooster has a following as strong as any small time pub I can think of. The well known and well worn locally owned bar on L Street closed recently when the owner of the building decided not to renew the lease agreement. But all you BR fans should keep you heads up. The bar is being saved. The Current Papers have the full scoop, but essentially DC council member Jack Evens intervened and worked some personal magic. He's partnering with the federal government, who operates the building, to keep the BR in its place. The Black Rooster website acknowledges as much and should be open again soon. Pretty cool.

***7-11 now has it's own private label wine. Virginians and Marylanders have been able to buy semi-no-name cheap alcohol from 7-11 for years. Now they can buy semi-named cheap alcohol from the 24 hour convenience store; under their new Yosemite Road label. The 7-11 store in Mount Pleasant and other DC stores don't sell alcohol and likely won't anytime soon. H/T to WBJ.

Cool Parkour Video

Year's ago, at the end of MTVs heyday I saw a "news" story on what was then knows as "freestyle walking." This was maybe, 10 years ago? Little did I know that it has grown into a full blown genre of activity called parkour, or freerunning. Essentially, its the free and efficient movement of humans over around under, and through obstacles the built environment. Using the world around you and changing it's purpose by how you interact with it.

Parkour is sort of hard to explain in words, but luckily there are lots of videos like the one below that show off people doing it. It mostly happens in urban settings. I've seen people engaging in it at Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park and other places, but I don't know if there is a dedicated group here in DC. Probably so, as there is a dedicated group for almost every societal sub culture somewhere in the DC area, however small. The video is a preview of the movie, My Playground, by Danish film maker Kaspar Astrup Schröder. Enjoy.

MY PLAYGROUND - PREVIEW from KASPARWORKS on Vimeo.

10th and G May Be Back on Track

Special tip o' the hat to SWDC Blog for this news. The corner of 10th and G Streets NW had been occupied by the First Congregational United Church of Christ. In November of 2007 the church came to an agreement with developer PN Hoffman to raze and replace the church with a new worshiping space as well as an office building, totaling over 150,000 square feet. The site is in the middle of downtown, next to the city's main library and two blocks from the Verizon Center.

For financial reasons, including the lack of a main tenant for the office space, the development of the land has stalled. It has literally been a hole in the ground for quite some time, now two years after the original deal was made. Recently a new company has stepped up and taken over PN Hoffman's stake in the project, worth $85 million. That will free up PN Hoffman to pursue it's endeavors in Southwest DC. The new developer, Skanska USA will complete the building project without securing a main tenant before hand.

Good news for the corner and the church, which has been worshiping at another city church since their original building was torn down. First Congregational United Church of Christ will occupy about two floors of the new building and have dedicated parking in the underground lot.

Judiciary Square

Lunch Fever: More Street Food Please

Due diligence update: I went to Moaz Vegetarian after work yesterday an no, they weren't open. Looks close though, although that's a relative term. I don't know enough about opening restaurants, but I do know that if there aren't tables and chairs you can't serve food. Unless you run a pizza joint in AM. Anyway, as soon as I know, you'll know.

As for lunch in general, I'm obsessed. I work downtown an I'm always looking for new lunch options. I've tried upscale (Rasika), downscale (Safeway) and everything in between.

Three different veggie burritos choices, Chipotle, Qdoba and California Tortilla.

There are more places downtown to get good pad thai tofu than there are places to get a good coffee. Royal Thai, Absolute, Kanlaya, Thai Chili, and that's just on a two block stretch.

DC isn't known for great delis, but there are some deli-like establishments like Phillips and 1791.

I've even gotten a little creative and picked up lunch at a museum; National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Art, Newseum, etc.

Tried all food courts; Reagan Trade Center, National Eat Place, Union Station.

And all the places that defy description; Camille's, Market 2 Market, Clyde's on the Walk (RIP).

We have heaps of options.

Then there are the carts, the street food establishments. Last year, I went a little bananas over the cart options in Penn Quarter. There were several carts, all of which offered a vegan option and set up pretty close to each other. Now, not so much.

So here's the deal. I've never had food from the Fojol Brothers. But I want to. The offer vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and I hear good things. I really want them to come to Penn Quarter, Chinatown, Metro Center, where ever, as long as its downtown, say, east of the White House. I'll travel for good food.

If you haven't seen these guys, they drive around a silver van playing themed music and sporting mustaches. That's not a fair representation, but it's close. You can go to their website and request that they visit your neighborhood, so I did that. You should do the same, where ever you are. But especially if you work downtown. Then tell me if they make an appearance. Here's to making great lunch a priority.

Video: Zombie Walk in Mount Pleasant

The Lamont Street Halloween Festival was well attended this year, but not quite at the levels of the last two or three years. The rain and a Saturday holiday kept those away who on a weekday may have seen this as the "main event." Many came early and there was still a decent crowd into the night. A puppet-shadowbox show with live music accompaniment was awesome. Both players and the audience of young and old paid no attention to the smattering of drizzle. Good time had by all.

About halfway through the night a gaggle of zombie walkers came through; a yearly tradition at this point. This year they departed from the usual moaning and groaning to perform a choreographed piece, to Micheal Jackson's Thriller, natürlich. You may have to use your imagination on the video; the sounds of Thriller wane in and out as the only speaker provided was from a small boombox being carried around. I think you know the words.

This is one of the funnest yearly events in the neighborhood and here's to next year. Cheers.

Zombie March on Lamont Street from The 42 Bus on Vimeo.

Friday Fun Post: Help Computer

Not the funniest one out there, but the funniest one that is safe for work. Apparently there are dozens of these. Mindless fun for an attention-span-less nation. Population me.

Inside the Real World DC House

DC flags, Lincoln Room, potty jokes, cast mates, dirty kitchens, deep thoughts, confessions, reading books, instant DC natives and more. Can't wait for the season to air. ? It's in Dupont at 20th an S Streets NW. The show finished taping a couple of weeks ago. Care of the Washington Post.