THIS FRIENDLY, folk art-style marmalade cat may appear larger on the page. That's because Natasha Beshenkovsky's sculpture and every other work in Strathmore's 75th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature is a tiny slice of heaven.
» The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, Bethesda; through Jan. 3; 301-581-5200. (Grosvenor-Strathmore)
Photo courtesy The Mansion at Strathmore
FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, Arlo Guthrie has been far from soft-spoken about his thoughts on social activism. After all, who could forget "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", an 18-minute track from the folk singer's 1967 debut album in which he asked young listeners to stand up to authority, dodge the draft and skip out on the Vietnam War.
Since Guthrie is an outspoken Ron Paul supporter, he just might be a little disappointed with the current state of political affairs in America. But if history is any indicator, the 61-year-old should still have plenty to say when he brings his social musings and vintage bluesy style to Strathmore Hall on Friday night, including songs from his latest album (and first in 12 years), "Lost World."
» Strathmore Hall, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda; Fri., Nov. 7, 8 p.m., $25-$55; 301-581-5200. (Grosvenor-Strathmore)
Written by Thomas Floyd/Express
Photo by Peter Hayes
ONCE UPON A Thursday dreary, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra decided to throw a killer birthday party for Edgar Allan Poe. John Astin, right, recites while the BSO plays Leonard Slatkin's musical setting of five Poe poems.
» The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane; Thu., Nov. 6, 8 p.m., $25-$80; 301- 581-5100. (Grosvenor-Strathmore)
Written by Express' Nathan Martin
Photo by David Colwell
ALL OF RAY LAMONTAGNE'S tracks sound like they were produced one rainy afternoon after he wandered into a studio with a guitar and poured his soul into a microphone.
Based on his first two albums, it would seem that the unvarnished intimacy of his songs is at its best in a solo setting, but then he decided to make his lineup distinctly more colorful: the result is the surprisingly brilliant "Gossip in the Grain" (RCA).
In fact, "Gossip" is to LaMontagne what "The Shepherd's Dog" was to Iron and Wine in terms of musical diversification, proving that "man with guitar" is great, but "man with guitar plus extremely talented backup" can be, if not an improvement, at least a viable contrasting outlet for musical brilliance.
Continue Reading "CD Review: Ray LaMontagne, 'Gossip in the Grain'" »
AMERICA HAS EMBRACED only one Afghan writer: Khald Hosseini, author of, most notably, "The Kite Runner." This wildly popular book was turned into the one and only movie America embraced about Afghanistan. Hey, if there's only room for one in our hearts, "Kite Runner" is deserving on both counts.
The story centers on the friendship between two boys pre-Soviet invasion Kabul. Their journey leads to an exploration of war, love, ethnic conflict and immigration. Meaning, you're going to weep, and weep hard.
Strathmore is screening it outside this evening — maybe you'll be able to sit far enough away from others that your sobbing will go unnoticed.
» Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda; Mon., Aug. 18, 8:30 p.m., free; 301-581-5100. (Grosvenor-Strathmore)
Photo by Phil Bray/Paramount Vantage
EVERY YEAR, the Music Center at Strathmore chooses a musical figure to salute. Last year it was Bob Dylan, and this year they've chosen a similarly influential '70s songwriter: Joni Mitchell.
Not only is she responsible for the greatest confessional album ever written, and not only is she (with Carole King and Carly Simon) one of most important musical figures of her generation, but this whole music thing was just something she did while waiting for her painting career to take off.
Anyway, myriad local artists will be singing her songs — and no, sorry, the real Joni won't be making an appearance.
» The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda; Thu., Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m., $15; 301-581-5100. (Grosvenor)
Photo by James O'Mara
YOU KNOW HOW "Epic Movie" is the antithesis of entertaining? Well, parody movies like that actually started out funny, and you can see the best of them this Sunday at the Comcast Outdoor Film Festival.
"Airplane!" is the story of a commercial airline trip during which an epidemic of food poisoning forces an ex-army pilot to take matters into his own hands. Too bad about his drinking problem.
» Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda; Sun., Aug. 17, free; 301-581-5100. (Grosvenor)
Photo courtesy Paramount Pictures
Major Weekend Track Work to Slow Red Line
Map It:
Bethesda Friendship Heights Grosvenor Medical Center
A SWITCH REPLACEMENT near the Medical Center station will slow Red Line trips over four upcoming weekends. Although trains will service the entire length of the Red Line, single tracking between the Friendship Heights and Grosvenor-Strathmore stations will lead to the following changes, starting on Friday night:
» During the work periods, trains will run every 18 minutes through the work zone and on to the Red Line's Shady Grove terminal.
» During the day, alternating trains running from Glenmont and downtown D.C. will terminate at the Friendship Heights station before returning to Glenmont. During that time, trains will run at nine-minute intervals between Friendship Heights and Glenmont.
» After 9 p.m., all Red Line trains will run at 18-minute intervals, meaning that weekend warriors on Fridays and Saturdays, and those out on Sunday nights, will likely experience longer wait times for the Red Line.
The work periods will be in effect for the following weekends:
» Friday, Jan. 11, 9 p.m. through midnight closing on Sunday, Jan. 13.
» Friday, Jan. 25, 9 p.m. through midnight closing on Sunday, Jan. 27.
» Friday, Feb. 1, 9 p.m. through midnight closing on Sunday, Feb. 3.
» Friday, Feb. 8, 9 p.m. through midnight closing on Sunday, Feb. 10.
Image courtesy WMATA
"OH, DO YOU REMEMBER sweet Betsey from Pike? Who crossed the wide prairie with her lover, Ike?"
As the 19th century folk song "Sweet Betsey From Pike" continues, for the next 15 verses Betsey and Ike traverse the country to California to take part in the fabled Gold Rush.
For musician Eric Brace, the tune is more than a middle school history lesson — it served as the muse for his folk opera, "Hangtown Dancehall."
Continue Reading "After the Gold Rush: Eric Brace's 'Hangtown Dancehall'" »
WINNER OF THE 1998 Pulitzer Prize for music for his second string quartet, "Musica instrumentalis," Aaron Jay Kernis writes ardent, inspiring lyrical lines in works that explore spiritual quests, make political statements, and riff on pop music.
On Saturday, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and its music director Marin Alsop will play his newest orchestral work, 2005's "Newly Drawn Sky," contrasting its atmospheric beauty with the terrestrial inspiration of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Pastoral" symphony. Violinist Timothy Fain will also join the BSO to play Kernis' "Lament and Prayer."
» EXPRESS: You've written pieces in very different styles throughout your career.
» KERNIS: Within the small culture that is contemporary music, I feel often there's been too much emphasis on doing one thing, having one voice. I've just followed my instincts, done whatever I thought I needed to do, and at times I've thought, "Where is this going?"
At the same time, a lot of my works tend to have similar construction, to return to a home key. There are certain things that tend to happen at the end of pieces, an arrival point or a revelation somewhere in the piece.
» EXPRESS: Has your music been performed in the D.C. area?
» KERNIS: Not much. But Marin has been doing my work at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and some other places for a while. I'm absolutely thrilled to be included in [her] first season. It's a great season.
Addison Road