Meredith Munoz of Pash
@ Fort Reno
Q:What's your song for summer?
A:"'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before' by the Smiths, hands down."
THURSDAY: Esteemed crooner Tony Bennett will be making a stop at Wolf Trap this week for an evening guaranteed to make the dolls swoon and the fellas jive. At 82, the 14-time Grammy winner is still going strong.
Just don't mistake him from Frank Sinatra. He will cut you.
» Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA; Thurs., July 2, 8 p.m.,$25-$40; 703-255-1900.
Written by Express' Topher Forhecz
Photo courtesy Sony Music Entertainment
THURSDAY: It's been almost forty years since the Doobie Brothers burst onto the national radar with soulful rock mega-hits like 1976's "Takin' it to the Streets." Now well into their third decade of touring, the legendary California-based outfit has probably taken it to every street in America that has stadium seating. Their next stop: the green lawn of Wolf Trap for a Thursday night performance.
Though the line-up of the group has changed a few times and they may not be the exact set of Doobies that were responsible for the easy going hits of yesteryear, you can still hear founding members, Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons, in the mix. Along with them is a supporting ensemble of musicians who have generally been playing as Doobies since the late 80s. You don't even need a doobie anymore, guys. Just listen to the music and flash back to the golden years of orange-tinted aviators, leather jackets, and super bushy mustaches.
» Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va.; Thu., June 25, 8 p.m., $25-45; 703-255-1900.
Written by Express' Topher Forhecz
Photo courtesy Doobie Brothers
WHEN JEFF SEVERSON revived his power pop-quartet, 4 Out of 5 Doctors, for a one-off reunion concert last year, he didn't know what to expect. The Northern Virginia-based group had made some noise locally back in the day and had college radio hits with the snappy rockers "Modern Man" and "Waiting for a Change," but they hadn't played together regularly since their heyday in the early '80s.
Severson needn't have worried. The show sold out and fans flew in from as far away as Texas. The Docs also received a review in The Washington Post that lauded their "brightly polished songs" and razor-sharp musicianship. The band was so stoked by the reception it received that it's reuniting again for two shows this weekend.
"We had some trepidation — we didn't want to go back and butcher the sound for the sake of getting our faces in front of people again," Severson says. "But it all just sort of came back. It was a treat for me to have that many people respond positively to the material."
KNOWN FOR HIS SPICY cooking — and spicy phrasing — TV chef and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse bammed onto the national foodie scene more than a decade ago. The New Orleans-based cook still shows folks how to kick up their meals a notch on Planet Green network's "Emeril Green", and he's come out with a new cookbook, "Emeril at the Grill". He'll be signing copies of it June 6 at 2 p.m. at Borders in Tysons Corner.
» EXPRESS: OK, so I have to ask: Are you grilling with gas?
» LAGASSE: No. I'm stuck on hardwood charcoal, which you can get at Home Depot. It burns hot and ignites properly. Way back when, that's how people grilled, and then we went into phoney briquettes.
» EXPRESS: How does hardwood charcoal improve the taste of grilled food?
» LAGASSE: It adds lots of flavor. I like using hickory or alder wood for seafood.
» EXPRESS: What's the biggest grilling sin people commit?
» LAGASSE: I think they don't clean their grills properly. And they also go outside, crank it up too high, and then they're surprised when meat is burnt on the outside and raw on the inside.
» EXPRESS: so, how can I grill without ruining my burger?
» LAGASSE: Whatever you are cooking, you need to let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. And the grill should be medium-high, not so high that it can't breathe.
Continue Reading "Green and Grilling: Chef and Eco-Warrior Emeril Lagasse" »
SUNDAY: SQUEEEEEE!
Sorry. We didn't mean to do that. Every time the New Kids on the Block come to town, all the hormones of junior high come flooding back. You probably had a poster of at least one of these proto-Jonas Brothers hanging up in your seventh-grade locker. They sold more than 80 million albums in the '80s and early '90s. Take that Joe, Nick and Kevin.
Just off of their New Kids on the Block Cruise that embarked last month, everyone's favorite man band (40 is the new 30, right?) will be back in town with old hits like, "Hangin' Tough" and "Step By Step." You'll be able to hear new music like, "2 In The Morning" and "Single" from their latest album, "The Block."
Go on and indulge your inner 13-year-old. We won't judge.
» Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax; with Jabbawockeez, Sun., June 7, 7 p.m., $13-$78; 202-397-7328.
Written by Express' Nicole Ocran
Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
BUMMED THAT YOU'RE staying in town to save some bucks this Memorial Day weekend? Don't be. Sure, sipping a pina colada on the beach is swell, but what's one thing sandy shores won't have this Friday? The soothing baritone of one Garrison Keillor.
The "Prairie Home Companion" host is taking his radio broadcast on the road this summer and making a two-day pit stop at Wolf Trap. He and his lively compatriots are guaranteed to regale you with hilarious tales of the fictional Lake Wobegone, Mich., and captivate you with live folk music performances.
One small warning: As you loll on your picnic blanket, sipping your Solo cup of Yellowtail shiraz, try not to take too big a swig. The show is known for its unpredictable hilarity, and it could trigger a chuckle-induced coughing fit. Just ask anyone who's heard the performance of the song "Air on a G String."
» Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Va.; Fri., May 22, 8 p.m., Sat. May 23, 5:45 p.m., $22; 703-255-1860.
Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images
IF THE THOUGHT of edible art sends you into a culinary tizzy, then escape to Fairfax's 2941 Restaurant. From the artsy decor to the pleasingly plated dishes, 2941 is an oasis for would-be lovers trying to impress and high-end foodies alike.
Visit around the holidays, when pastry chef Anthony Chavez sprinkles a touch more beauty in the dining area with edible showpieces so gorgeous the thought of breaking off a piece almost doesn't even cross your mind.
» EXPRESS: How'd you get into pastry?
» CHAVEZ: It wasn't until half way through culinary school that I started to get into pastry. I was on my internship and the people in the bakery left, so they asked if I could help out. That's when I started baking bread and making simple desserts.
» EXPRESS: How'd you start making edible showpieces?
» CHAVEZ: There are some classes but it's really up to you to find the time. Most of the time your day is filled with so much production that you don't have time for the sugar and the chocolate work. It's really like an extracurricular activity. When I started working in Chicago, I would tell the chef I wanted to learn and she would show me, but I started practicing on my days off and after work.
Continue Reading "Sugar, Spice, Style: 2941's Anthony Chavez" »
IF IT'S NOT arty, sporty or recreational, what is it? We're calling it "random," a word used incorrectly billions of times each day. It doesn't mean odd, weird or unusual, people, it means "chosen without method or conscious decision." So we used the newsroom supercomputer to select these items in just such a manner. Kidding! We're using the word wrong, too, because we very consciously culled this list from a vast universe of possibilities. Just don't ask us how.
» 17) FOLK ROCKS: One of the highlights of summer is experiencing the Smithsonian without going into a dark museum, thanks to the folklife festival, a giant outdoor celebration of American and international culture. Started in the 1960s, the event focuses this year on Wales, Latin music and "the power of words in African-American culture" — an exploration of black oratory from the barber shop to the pulpit to the political arena. A full schedule of the two-week-long affair will be available in June.
» National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial; June 24-28 and July 1-5, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with some evening events, free; Festival.si.edu. (Smithsonian) F.Z.
» 18) PULLING FOR PORK: It's like that George Thorogood song, but with meat: 60 varieties of bourbon, 40 types of beer and a whole lotta barbecue. Booze sipping and pulled-pork slurping are the main objectives at the Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival, but barrel-rolling contests, the "World BBQ Bean Eating Championships" and a "Ms. Bar-B-Q Babe" pageant offer additional eye candy. And there's a mechanical bull! This year's new, larger location at National Harbor means it's twice the size of 2008's bash.
» 137 National Plaza, National Harbor; June 20, noon-6 p.m., $20-$40 (barbecue not included in ticket price); 800-830-3976, Beerandbourbon.com. J.B
FRIDAY: The Followill brothers have finally earned their crowns and are sitting high and mighty at the top of the music food chain. Kings of Leon is back in D.C. after selling out shows around the world. Not to mention that at this year's Grammy awards, the guys didn't go home empty handed — they beat out Radiohead, the Eagles, Coldplay and AC/DC for their award.
But to get a real taste of what these men are made of, we recommend "King of the Rodeo" from "Aha Shake Heartbreak" as well as "Arizona" from "Because of the Times."
Or, you know, their concert at George Mason. That would work, too.
» Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax; with The Walkmen, Fri., April 24, 6:30 p.m., $45; 202-397-7328.
Written by Express' Nicole Ocran
Photo by Lucas Dawson/Getty Images
THIS WEEKEND: Eat your heart out, Cirque du Soleil. There's a new cast of awe-inspiring air tumblers on the scene and we don't have to go to Vegas to see them. The National Acrobats of China put on a dazzling display of juggling, illusions and otherfeats that is guaranteed to make you wish you hadn't given up gymnastics when you were 8.
The group has won numerous awards and has toured extensively around the world. Hey, and it solves the age-old question: what do those 14-year-old Chinese gymnasts do after puberty hits?
Center for the Arts at George Mason University, Route 123 and Braddock Road; Fri. and Sat., April 17 and 18, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., $23-$46; 703-993-8888.
Written by Express' Brian Austin
Photo courtesy IAI Presentations Inc.
Addison Road