Teka Thomas
@ Tattoo
Q:How do you keep your life clean?
A:"Low alcohol intake. I never smoke and I've never done drugs."
THIS WEEKEND: The exuberant Broadway classic "Ain't Misbehavin'" is coming to town to wow audiences with its musical wit and nonstop energy. A tribute to piano man Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller, the 1978 Tony Award-winning musical revisits the Harlem Renaissance and its unforgettable cultural impact with 30 striking numbers and a whole lotta shaking.
» Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md.; opens Wed., through Aug. 2, $26; 301-924-3400, olneytheatre.org.
Photo courtesy Stan Barouh
IN THE REAL world, Charlie Brown's sadness would come with antidepressants galore and an explanation of his primary trauma, but when his self-esteem issues are exposed on a stage in song, it's so much more fun to watch.
The "Peanuts" gang comes to life in Adventure Theatre's expertly directed and performed production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." From the opening lines of the title song to Snoopy's battle against the Red Baron, the cast exudes energy and precision in their portrayal of Charles Schulz's famously moody, lovelorn, quirky and philosophical cartoon-strip gang that could give Broadway a run for its money.
The story recounts just a day in the life of Charlie Brown and his friends that leads to all kinds of escapades from a friendly game of baseball to a musical daydream number by a fantasy-famous Snoopy. This children's theater takes full advantage of the close seating of little guests, with plenty of audience interaction, from dancing with kids to flying Charlie Brown's red kite high above the audience with its long tail in tow.
Continue Reading "Very Good Grief: 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'" »
WHEN SINGER/SONGWRITER Matt Duke dropped out of college, he didn't just sit back and do nothing. In fact, he picked up many books and dove into reading.
"When I did leave school it was when I started to read and when I started to teach myself things," Duke said. "Books that high school students should be reading, I went back and started reading them. Before I would have cheated, gotten CliffsNotes or something. I got to read a lot of the classics I wouldn't have appreciated had I not stayed in school. I guess I'm glad I did drop out."
The 24-year-old's love of literature permeates his work, especially on last year's "Kingdom Underground" and its new companion EP, "Acoustic Kingdom Underground." The EP features acoustic takes on six songs — five of which appear on "Kingdom Underground" — that all have literary ties.
But Duke's self-education — he also taught himself guitar — can only get him so far.
THIS WEEK: If you've never seen the documentary that preceded Gus Van Sant's "Milk," you're in luck. "The Times of Harvey Milk," a tear-jerking take on the life and murder of the ground-breaking gay politician is playing every day through Thursday at the AFI Silver Theatre. If you're not moved by the footage of the vast vigil held in San Francisco after "Milk" was shot, you're not allowed to sit next to us.
» AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring; 8:30 p.m., $6-$10; 301-495-6720, afi.com. (Silver Spring)
Photo courtesy Crawford Barton/Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California
WHEN NATASHA SMITH moved from Florida to Washington nearly two years ago, she dealt with many of the adjustments that come with a major relocation. But one change she wasn't willing to undertake was shelling out thousands of dollars for rent every year. So, Smith, 25, crashed at her older sister's house in Clinton, Md., while she embarked on a yearlong quest to buy a condo.
Her search came to an end in mid-April when she closed on a two-bedroom condo in Hyattsville near the Metro station. And it ended on an unexpected high note: The new first-time home buyer federal tax credit unveiled in February as part of the economic recovery act essentially repaid her $8,000 in cash.
"Toward the end of my search, I heard about the $8,000 tax credit, and that gave me more incentive to finally go through with something," says Smith, an advertising and sales coordinator for the American Resort Development Association. "It definitely sped up my decision."
Smith's condo is one of a projected 160,000 home sales to be stimulated by the new tax credit, according to the National Association of Home Builders. That number includes 101,000 first-time buyers eligible for the credit and another 59,000 existing homeowners who will be able to trade up because a rookie buyer purchased their home, the NAHB said.
Continue Reading "Reap New Rewards: First-Time Home Buyers Receive Tax Credit" »
THURSDAY: Emmy award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin will delight, horrify, outrage and bedazzle audiences at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Thursday, where the scabrous stand-up queen and star of her own show on HBO ("My Life on the D-List") dishes on the minutiae of a bottom-feeder living under the underbelly of American celebrity.
» Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md.; Thu., June 25,
8 p.m., $35-$75; 800-551-7328.
Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post
THE CHURCH IS 29 years old. While that's a drop in the bucket compared to many European houses of worship, it's forever in rock 'n' roll.
"I always said this is a very special chemistry which works beyond the logistics of surviving, beyond the occasional personality conflict or philosophical disagreement," said guitarist Marty Willson-Piper.
"All that is irrelevant. ... There's something that we do that you can't just hire somebody to do. So, if that's the truth, you want to be holding onto it really, really hard."
But it's been 21 years since the Australian band's "Under the Milky Way" was a mainstream hit for the former college-radio faves, and that has meant the Church has had to learn to work smart.
BOB MARLEY'S MESSAGE was a timeless one of revolution and social change that sprang from his life experiences.
Most fans receive his message through his music and brief glimpses of his life through articles, stories and lyrics. Photographer David Burnett opens another chapter of the reggae master's life with his new book of never-before-seen photographs, "Soul Rebel," some of which are also on display at Govinda Art Gallery's National Harbor location.
Burnett barely knew who Marley was when he traveled to Jamaica for Time magazine in 1976. While there, he photographed legends Peter Tosh and Lee "Scratch" Perry — those pictures are also on display — and Marley himself. Burnett ended up shooting Marley's 1977 "Exodus" tour of Europe for Rolling Stone.
Continue Reading "Reggae's Vital Heart: David Burnett's Bob Marley Photographs" »
AS "TRUE BLOOD" demonstrates, being an old vampire doesn't mean you can't be modern. Consider Count Gore De Vol, the first TV horror host to move his show online. On Saturday, the AFI celebrates Dick Dyszel's 1972-1987 tenure as the Count and kiddie emcee "Captain 20" with the premiere of the documentary "Every Other Day Is Halloween," hosted by "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" co-director Jeff Krulik.
» EXPRESS: How did you get involved?
» DYSZEL: Curtis [Prather] would show up with cameras at events, and ask for clippings and footage. About a year ago, he said he would put it together as a film. Speaking as someone who grew up with hosted kids' shows, if you grew up here and watched Channel 20, you owe it to yourself to see this film.
» EXPRESS: What horror hosts did you watch growing up in Chicago?
» DYSZEL: There was "Shock Theater" with "Marvin," a beatnik with Coke-bottle glasses. After Universal released their classic films for TV, almost every station that bought the package put on some kind of hosted showcase around these movies.
ADAM FRANKLIN HAS always sounded reserved, even when his previous band, Swervedriver, was crushing psychedelic riffs that sounded like The Stooges and Hawkwind engaged in a cosmic joy ride.
But with his new solo record, "Spent Bullets" (Second Motion), he's finally nailed his laconic post-Swervedriver voice.
Perhaps it was because Swervedriver's 2008 reunion tour went so well, or that his Magnetic Morning project with Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino was so well received, but Franklin's songwriting on "Spent Bullets" is as confident as it is consistent, presenting 10 mostly midtempo songs that capture his folky, dreamy melodies and quietly soulful voice.
"Various people have said — and I agree — that it's good that the whole album has a consistent sound," Franklin said. "But the songs are from various periods — some of the songs are quite old — but somehow it all kind of all falls into place thematically. ... But you never know quite how it's going to turn out: You start recording and there's one song you think might be the main song, then it falls by the wayside. Then another song that you think is a complete throwaway comes up at the last minute."
When Swervedriver was on hiatus, Franklin started recording and touring under the name Toshack Highway — mostly because he felt odd about being a solo artist.
"When you go out under your own name — it feels a bit strange," Franklin said. "That's partly why I went for Toshack Highway initially, but then I thought people didn't remember the name Toshack Highway. And basically when you're a band on the road, and you're at a truck stop, sitting down getting your coffee, and the waitress comes over and says, 'Hey, are you guys in a band?' And we say, 'Yeah, we're in a band.' And she says, 'What's the name of the band?' And it seems weird to say, 'It's named after him.' Now we can say, 'It's named Bolts of Melody.'
So, you named your backing band based on the fear and loathing you'd receive from truck-stop waitresses?
"I suppose so," Franklin laughed.
Express did manage to get the reserved Franklin to open up a bit with a track-by-track tour of "Bolts of Melody."
Continue Reading "Liner Notes: Adam Franklin, 'Spent Bullets'" »
Addison Road