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" »
DONATE CALORIES to the Gold's Gym Burnathon for diabetes awareness this Saturday. Ballston (3910 Wilson Blvd.) is holding special Spinning classes, and all gyms are open to the public as they attempt to burn 180 million calories in one day.
Photo by Pete Martin for the Washington Post
Paul, 26, is a systems administrator. Virginia, 23, is a recruitment manager. They live in Arlington.
» The Main Event: A Nov. 21 wedding at an old Masonic temple in Baltimore. Their pastor will officiate in front of 150 guests.
» Honeymoon: A Caribbean cruise. "We're excited to go scuba diving in the different islands," Virginia says.
» How They Met: On move-in day at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He was a junior and she was a freshman.
» First Impressions: "I was afraid she wouldn't like me." "I thought he was annoyed by freshman girls following him around."
DAVE MASON MAY BE one of classic rock's unsung heroes. As a teenager in the 1960s, he co-founded Traffic with Steve Winwood and recorded with Jimi Hendrix, the Stones and George Harrison. In the '70s, he scored a handful of hits as a solo artist, and two decades later, he joined Fleetwood Mac.
"I was fortunate to be around and get next to some significant people," the guitarist says of his career. "It was a learning experience."
Despite an impressive resume, Mason says it has become difficult for older musicians to get material out to new fans. "In the media, they're not exactly clambering for 63-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guys, no matter how good the music is," he explains.
Continue Reading "Classics, Straight Ahead: Traffic Co-Founder Dave Mason Tunes Up for a New Tour" »
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" »
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)
SATURDAY: Sure, we'd all love to go to Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest the authentic way, but Capitol City Brewing Company is here to tame those autumn woes with avenues paved with beer and schnitzel.
Shirlington will be closing down its streets to make room for beer tents and food vendors for the 10th annual beer festival — the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the Northern Virginia area.
The $25 cover charge gets you a souvenir mug and 10 tickets for 4 oz. samples of beer from an array of more than 30 breweries. If you're not interested in the beer, admission is free to enjoy the food and an authentic German band.
So get out your lederhosen and say it with us now: O'zapft is!
» Capitol City Brewing Company, 2700 S. Quincy St., Shirlington; Sat., Oct. 3, 12 p.m.-7 p.m., $25; 703-578-3888.
Written by Express' Janice Leary
Photo by Gregg Wiggins
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.
"THE WAY WE GET BY" is a bracing film documentary following three volunteer greeters who welcome soldiers returning home from war. It evolves quickly, though, into a mortality play about loss, aging and feeling forgotten. Director Aron Gaudet spoke with Express about his struggle and how he summoned the resilience to tell their story, in the midst of an unpopular war, before a politically polarized nation.
» EXPRESS: What inspired you?
» GAUDET: My mother got us interested in it. She had retired a few years before. When we started making movies, she was 70 years old. I was working in television and trying to bridge over to documentary filmmaking. But that's hard to do because news on TV is so over and done with in a matter of hours.
These great stories would come in but to do them right, you'd need days or even weeks. I was inspired back then from that. This is the opposite.
Continue Reading "Hitting Home: Aron Gaudet on 'The Way We Get By'" »
Addison Road