WHERE ARE THE HARMONIES, sweet harmonies?
Turns out they're on "Under the Covers Vol. 2," the second collection of classic rock covers by the mock duo Sid 'n' Susie, aka power-pop maven Matthew Sweet and former/current Bangle Susanna Hoffs. While "Volume 1" mixed '60s pop staples with obscurities such as baroque-poppers the Left Banke, "Volume 2" "leans more toward the well-known," according to Sweet.
Indeed, the 16 songs on "Volume 2" almost make up a best-of-'70s-radio compendium, if that's not an oxymoron. Sweet does a nice Tom Petty cadence on "Here Comes My Girl" with some gorgeous harmonies from Hoffs on the line "She is all I need tonight." Hoffs' vocals have always been more suited to harmony/duets (check out Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News"), but she takes a suitably raspy gender-bending lead on Rod Stewart's "Maggie May."
"Plus, we've got the girl singing 'Go All the Way,' which is awesome because that's what the lyrics are doing," Sweet beams, noting that the Raspberries' Eric Carmen told Hoffs he'd always wanted to hear a girl sing that.
The only real misfire here is John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth"; the sensitive Sid 'n' Susie just aren't cut out for angry anti-authority rants.
Continue Reading "A Harmonic Convergence: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs Are Sid 'n' Susie" »
THIS WEEKEND: The father of the modern detective story and author of timelessly unsettling short fiction is claimed by his hometown of Baltimore. But Edgar Allan Poe visited Virginia in 1849.
Actor David Keltz re-creates Poe's visit with a reading of stories and poems on Friday and Saturday. As it's the 200th anniversary of the author's birth this year, expect an enthusiastic crowd ready to get spooked by the great man himself — and perhaps his ghost will drop by as well.
» Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria; Fri. and Sat., Oct. 30 and 31, 8 p.m., $15, 703-838-4994, Alexandriahistory.org.
Photo courtesy Tom Radcliffe
THAT COLLEGE TRIP to San Juan may have convinced you that Puerto Rican cuisine consists mainly of flan washed down with umbrella-laden pina coladas. But there's more to the cooking of the U.S. territory than just rum drinks (more about those later) and fried plantains.
Indeed, when you drive around Puerto Rico, you'll see signs for "cocina criolla," which literally translates as "Creole kitchen" (but has nothing to do with the Creole cuisine of Louisiana). Rather, it refers to typical Puerto Rican fare, with its influences from both Spanish colonizers and Caribbean Indian natives: the prevalence of plantains and rice; the rich flavor base called sofrito; and adobo, a combination of spices used to perk up meats and add tang to sauces.
Continue Reading "A Taste of San Juan: Cook a Puerto Rican Feast" »
TUESDAY: Keb' Mo' (who was born Kevin Moore, in case you were confused) is a blues guitarist. Well, sort of. His music combines blues, jazz, calypso — in short, everything but the kitchen sink. And he could probably get some sweet sounds out of a kitchen sink if you provided one.
Check out his show at the Birchmere — if you like it, pick up his new album, "Live and Mo'," a just-released collection of live recordings and studio tracks.
» Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria; Tue., Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., $60; 703-549-7500.
Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post
FRIDAY: This time of year, creepiness lurks around every shadowy corner and in every swirl of dead leaves. But there's no horror like Belly Horror, the bellydance/Halloween variety revue at the Birchmere on Friday. Part theater, part horror show, part sexy entertainment, Belly Horror is not the only way to do the holiday right while wearing black lipstick and a skirt covered in gold coins, but it's the most fun.
» Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria; Fri., Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m., $29.50; 703-549-7500.
Photo courtesy Stero Vision Photography
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" »
BREWMASTER GARRETT OLIVER and Brasserie Beck chef de cuisine David Ashwell team up to bring beer lovers a diabolically delicious food-and-drink event. A special beer-based dinner features not only a menu of Ashwell's rich, autumnal dishes, but also such magical-sounding suds as the bacon-infused Brooklyn Reinschweinsgebot and a cocktail-mimicking Manhattan Project brew.
» 1101 K St. NW; Tue., 7 p.m., $85 per person; reservations at 202-408-1717.
ON THE NIGHT Bryan Yeary planned to propose to DeAnna Bumstead, he realized he'd forgotten something: her folks' blessing.
They were at dinner, celebrating DeAnna's recent promotion, and he had the ring sneakily concealed on his pinky. DeAnna — whose interest was piqued in Bryan five years ago when the Georgetown students talked cars ("He had me at, 'My first car was a '67 Mustang,'" she says) — didn't suspect a thing until dessert. That's when Bryan excused himself to go call her parents. Did DeAnna realize something was up? No, "she thought I wasn't feeling well, since I was gone for so long," Bryan says. After dinner, he wordlessly popped the question and she, of course, accepted.
DeAnna, 30, is an attorney recruiting coordinator. Bryan, 30, works for the D.C. government. Their wedding is Oct. 31 (no costumes allowed) in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. They live in Alexandria.
Written by Express contributor Rachel Kaufman
Mario, 33, is a director of premier services. Kandace, 28, is a business operations manager. They live in Alexandria.
» The Main Event: A Florida Keys wedding with just 26 guests on Oct. 23. The reception will be on a Victorian-style veranda overlooking the beach.
» How They Met: He hosted a barbecue in his D.C. condo; his cousin Korey invited some co-workers, one of whom was Kandace.
» First Date: At Mario's house; they grabbed takeout and went to his place to watch a movie. "I ended up falling asleep on his shoulder and snoring. Extremely embarrassing."
IN THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS since Dr. Ian Smith helped kick off the 50 Million Pound Challenge on the National Mall, 1.4 million folks across the country have signed up to tackle their weight-loss goals at 50millionpounds.com. And, collectively, they've managed to drop nearly 5 million pounds.
While that's a solid start, it's not enough for New York-based Smith, who has made a career out of fighting obesity -- from taking part in VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" to his books, including "The Fat Smash Diet" and "The 4 Day Diet." To keep momentum building, he's spearheading the Challenge Walk Off this Saturday. Mayors in cities nationwide are leading the treks, and Smith will be headed to Alexandria to join Mayor William Euille (and Rep. Jim Moran) during a day of free family fitness fun at the Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 N. Wythe St., 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Alexandriava.gov/recreation).
» EXPRESS: What is this Challenge Walk Off?
» SMITH: The idea is no one has had an organized walk for health and against obesity. There are walks for breast cancer and MS, but there's never been one for another big killer: obesity. It's not just walking for awareness, but helping solve the problem. So many people are deconditioned, and small steps can make a huge difference. They think they need to start running, and train for a marathon or triathlon to make a difference. Too many people try to do too much too fast.
Continue Reading "Pound for Pounds: Dr. Ian Smith and the Challenge Walk Off" »
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