FRIDAY: There's more to bluegrass than twangy guitars — just check out what wafts from the speakers when The Infamous Stringdusters play.
Known for their complex arrangements and lengthy instrumental solos, the Nashville newgrass and bluegrass sextet is blowing into town on their Nor'Easter tour to play at Iota, joined by special guest the Junior League Band.
Check out some videos below.
» Iota, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; Fri., Nov. 6, 9 p.m., $15; 703-522-8340. (Clarendon)
Written by Express' Anne Polsky
Photo courtesy Infamous String Dusters
Continue Reading "Bluegrass Boys: The Infamous Stringdusters" »
CREATIVE COSTUME? CHECK. Fake cobwebs and bowls of candy? Check and check. Halloween cocktails for your big bash? You might need some help with that. Area restaurants and bars are offering Halloween and fall cocktails, and some local mixologists have advice on how to make cool Halloween drinks at home.
TenPenh has the most elaborate Halloween cocktails, as Brennan Adams has three special drinks — the Jack O'Lantern (a persimmon cocktail served in a pumpkin filled with dry ice), Candy Corn (it doesn't taste like the ubiquitous treat but is made with sake and orange, and layered to look like the waxy little bites) and Candy Apple (spiced apple cider with a stick of cotton candy). The $10 cocktails are available through Saturday.
"When you go towards fall, with heavier foods come brown liquors, like scotch, bourbon and dark rums," Adams said, adding that herbs and spices are popular for fall beverages. "I take a cooking approach to cocktails and go for balance. ... I also use blood oranges, which go well with brown liquors."
Continue Reading "Drinks Chilled, Or Chilling?: Halloween-Inspired Cocktails" »
MOST KIDS LOVE to dress up, but going door-to-door begging strangers for candy is a lot of work. There's the walking and, worse, the wait: All that sugary sweetness screaming your name, and there always seems to be a few more houses to go. (Not to mention enduring the endless Mom-dictated candy inspection.) But many local eateries offer a chance for little and big sweets fans alike to get their treats now with Halloween-themed foodie events. No trick.
The Horror: Rock Out at EatBar
At EatBar, dress as you are — unless you want to win the best costume contest — to jump to the left and step to the right at a screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." This one-night-only event features cocktails such as the "Poisoned Apple" and "The Zombie Punch," and chef Barry Koslow will be stirring up scary eats including deviled eggs, blood sausage and tongue tacos.
» 2761 Washington Blvd., Arlington; Oct. 31, 8 p.m., free; 703-778-9951. (Clarendon)
Continue Reading "Ghoulish Goods: Halloween Treats to Die For" »
SATURDAY: If this picture doesn't make you ecstatically excited for the Red Elvises gig this weekend, then either:
a) You don't realize that these leopard print-clad insane people are, in fact, the Red Elvises.
or b) We don't want to be friends with you.
These Russian rockbilly stars have an energy and a weirdness that, well, you might expect from a Russian rockabilly band. Take a listen at their Myspace page, then head out to Arlington for the concert.
» Iota, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; Sat., Oct. 17, 9 p.m., $15; 703-522-8340. (Clarendon)
THURSDAY: Negotiating the line between pop and country, sweet and stinging, Nashville and New York, singer-songwriter Mindy Smith makes little musical confections with poisoned lyrical centers.
The Long Islander brings her folky, poppy, countryish neo-troubadour songbook — and her considerable personal charm — to Iota on Thursday.
» Iota Club and Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; with Tripping Lily; Thu., Oct. 8, 9 p.m., $20; 703-522-8340, Iotaclubandcafe.com. (Clarendon)
Written by Express' Arion Begrer
Photo by Marina Chavez
CARTOONS HAVEN'T BEEN the same since ol' hand-drawn Bugs got the boot and digital computer animation took over Saturday mornings. So, nuzzle out a space at EatBar (11 a.m.) for its Saturday Brunch Cartoon Bonanza and wax nostalgic about that wascally wabbit and other old animated friends while scarfing down house-made doughnuts and other brunch favorites. Brunch continues on Sunday (11 a.m.) with screenings of new and old animated films, and Sunday night movies (at 8 p.m.) bring funny back. This week's pick: "Superbad."
» 2761 Washington Blvd., Arlington; 703-778-9951. (Clarendon)
Taste of Bethesda: 20 Years of Good Eats
Feast on two decades of memories and a sample or three from more than 50 restaurants when Taste of Bethesda celebrates its 20th anniversary. And because it's rude to eat and run, of course, stay and enjoy four stages of live entertainment and a play area for little eaters only.
» Woodmont Triangle, Norfolk and Auburn avenues, Bethesda; Sat., Oct. 3, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., free; 301-215-6660, Bethesda.org. (Bethesda)
Photo courtesy Warner Bros.
HOMEOWNERS, NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the value of being in the virtual loop. That's the lesson learned this summer by residents of the Rhapsody, a 162-unit condo building at Vermont and Florida avenues NW.
When a small fire suddenly sparked in one wing of the high-rise, it set off the sprinkler system, which, in turn, caused damage in many units. Unlucky residents in that part of the building might not normally have had much interaction with their neighbors at that point, but the community's Yahoo listserv came to the rescue.
Almost instantly, messages of good tidings flooded the listserv as neighbors offered help — and their homes — to those in need.
"It really helped create a sense of community, and it has sort of drawn us together," says the listserv's moderator Mike Dembski, 54, an information technology professional.
Continue Reading "Neighborly Networking: Web Sites Foster Friendship Among Condo Owners" »
MUSIC AND BASEBALL are tailor-made for geeks, explains former Dream Syndicate and current Baseball Project frontman Steve Wynn: "Both of them are beautiful, aesthetic things that can be reduced to numbers, history and endless arguments." Wynn's team of fellow geeks includes Peter Buck of R.E.M., Scott McCaughey of Young Fresh Fellows, and Miracle 3 drummer Linda Pitmon.
It's the first tour for the foursome, though they put out an album last year and just finished their second. There aren't many baseball songs out there, so maybe it's no surprise "Harvey Haddix" has the mock-tragic feel of Steve Goodman's classic "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request."
"Not only did we mention all 17 pitchers who'd thrown a perfect game when the song was written," says Wynn, "we manage to include Mark Buehrle for the updated tour version."
MAKING THE LONG DRIVE from Nashville to Jackson, Miss., a few years ago, Trent Dabbs and his wife, Kristen, were listening to one album after another when they made a curious realization. "We discovered that all the music we were listening to was by local friends," he recalls, "so we talked about how much fun it would be to have them all on a compilation."
From that road trip sprang Ten Out of Tenn, a series of compilations and tours spotlighting unsigned Nashville acts. The third volume features a startling diversity of local talent, from Kyle Andrews' romantic laptop pop to K.S. Rhoads' rustic rap to Sarah Siskind's shimmery folk.
The tour — which features all 10 musicians backing each other in a makeshift band — reflects that range. "We gave ourselves the challenge to make this one sound a bit more eclectic," says Dabbs, also on the tour and compilation. "It's like a live iPod shuffle."
SUNDAY: Poetic indie rocker AM — the band and the man; they both use the same two-letter moniker — are promoting the recently released album "Future Sons & Daughters," which has hints of Brazilian samba along with its signature haunting melodies. Is it Beck-goes-South-of-the-border or Gilberto-Gil-jams-with-Wilco? You decide at Iota on Sunday.
» Iota Club and Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; Sun., Aug. 30, 8:30 p.m., $15; 703-522-8340. (Clarendon)
Photo courtesy In Music We Trust
Addison Road