Arcade Fire: Burning Down the House

Well, I went to see the Arcade Fire last night at the 9:30 Club, and they rocked. Really, they rocked hard. They spent a good hour and a half pumping out high energy tunes and bouncing on stage in a truly entertaining show. For all the details, I suggest catching the DCist review , I'll give you a hint though, they really loved it over there:

During the 90-minute spectacle, the eight members switched instruments, mimicked fistfights, raced around stage and managed to balance tremulous vocals (singers
are married couple Win Butler, a mournful vocalist from Texas and Regine
Chassagne, who can affect near-Bjorkian theatrics with her lilting voice) with
bombastic, driven melodies. And the crowd ate it up.

The guy over at information leafblower ate it up even more: "I walked out of the venue wondering why all concerts aren't like theirs." And on and on.

I don't know though. Now I'm not pretending to be the arbiter of indie rock taste, but the concert was only so good. Admittedly, I was under the weather (sorry for all the nasal drip balcony crew) but based on the commentary that I had read and heard about their album, I went in expecting to be underwhelmed by the music. And I was. There was a lot of art/noise rock kicking out of the stage. And it was good. However, at a certain point I just want to hear a good song. More than just noise. The stage antics were entertaining to the point of being overwhelming, but the hopping around and drumming on stuff makes for Stomp not an amazing rock experience. Not to sell Arcade Fire short, but I was almost more entertained by their opening act Final Fantasy, which consisted of what appeared to be an 18 year old with his violin digitally layering his tunes to lay out some catchy beats.

As for Win Butler's commentary that we might be the politest crowd he's played to all tour, I mean welcome to DC. You grow up here getting put in your place by Ian MacKaye, then you settle down and listen to the music. There was an electricity going through the crowd last night, but all the energy was focused on the music. Which is where it should be.

Caffeinated Beer? The end of the world?

Well, the Post reports it, and I bring it to you. Anheuser-Busch has released a caffeinated beer, with the caffeine of about half a cup of coffee. Ignoring anything of great importance, the article really gets right right down to the nitty-gritty of this grave social issue:

"Obviously, this is a monumental cultural milestone and it raises important questions that we as a society must answer. For instance: Is adding America's favorite stimulant to America's favorite alcoholic beverage the greatest scientific breakthrough of the 21st century? Or the beginning of the end of civilization as we know it? Or what?"

Personally, I am not all that concerned about the collapse of society. Reasonably intelligent people have found way to mix caffeine and alcohol without civilization ending prior to this kitschy mass market beverage. Red-Bull and Vodka anyone? How about an Irish Coffee?

More importantly for its success is how this new alcoholic beer tastes. And apparently "It has an aroma of blackberry and a little bit of cherry, which is unexpected," says Nathaniel Davis, the brew master who created B{+E}. "It has typical beer flavors, like hops and malt, and it finishes with what we're calling the wow factor." Although an actual bartender from DC very own Brickskeller thought it tasted more like an orange soda.

Quite frankly, all this hubub over caffeinated beer kind of reminds me of another beer with something extra that caused a little stir. Tequiza anyone? And we all know how that turned out.

Bloggies!

Well, the 2005 Bloggies are there awaiting for the voting public to pass judgment. A few of the sites I frequent with varying regularity (Gothamist, Bookslut), some hold no interest for me (Wonkette), but there are a number of sites that seemed to offer up interesting material. I dare say that I will have to add La Coquette andDooce to my daily/weekly round through the blogosphere. Still, the Bloggies could probably use a little tweaking in the categories. Not to offer up a complete listing, but segregating blogs by region really doesn't do the individual blogs any justice. If you are going to break them up in this fashion, you would be better suited having categories for English-language blogs and foreign-language blogs, regardless of location.

I won't release my votes to the world, but I definitely encourage you to go and check out some of the sites. A few of the Best Design sites make me very jealous.

First "Five Guys" Experience

I have to give Five Guys a two thumbs up, despite my being under the weather. A straight-forward burger and fries joint. It wasn't as fast as your traditional McD's or BK, but the quality of the burger and fries was well worth the wait. The menu very much reminded me of In-and-Out Burger, simple and straight-forward: four basic burgers (Ham/Cheese/Bacon/Bacon-Cheese), with your choice of ten or fifteen toppings, and fries (Boardwalk or Cajun), one size drink. If your not looking for a burger, go somewhere else. I know that I will return.

A little bit country, a little bit sick.

When I woke up this morning, I was instantly taken with that feeling of "I don't feel so good, but I'm not really sick either." It is a feeling that can only be described as sucky. My head feels foggy, and my throat has just a hint of swelling. I am not actually miserable, but the fear of impending sickness has put a damper on my morning.

As I have continued through a fairly routine day, I wonder what the best way to approach this feeling is. Should I rest up, drink a lot of liquids/vitamin C, and go to bed early? Or is this little itch of illness something that will go away regardless of what I do to my body? This is a very difficult conflict for me because there is a social event that I would very much like to attend, but I know that I will only enjoy it if I can put on my rock star cap for the night. Usually, there is no question that I would just take it easy. However, on a Friday night I find it very difficult to be a sissy.

May enlightenment (and health) find me.

Obvio, but...

I know that this post is a no brainer, but I feel that I really just need to express the thought that has been bouncing around my head for the past few days.

Vacation is among the greatest things in a working person's life.

I'd say who knew, but somewhere in the back of my mind I still remembered this fact from after the last vacation I took. Nine months ago.

After a brutally stressful fall, it felt amazingly good to get out of this city and just do nothing. No deadlines, no dates, and best of all, no alarms. It really took a week away from life to get my head back on track. Maybe the stress of the holidays wasn't the best balm to soothe my brain after orgo ended, but I figured that after a month, I should be able to let the stress slip away. Perhaps time doesn't heal all wounds. At least not as quickly as I would prefer.

Now that I have a brain again, it feels good to use it on activities like reading. (I am considering picking up Jared Diamond's new book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, but maybe I should read his trite Guns, Germs and Steel first?) And music. I have to give the Washington Social Club album Catching Looks a huge two thumbs up. I just picked up their album, and I have to say that they have a very DC sound which I love to reconnect with every once in a while.

Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to spending many chilly nights with a good book and some good tunes. If you have suggestions for either, you should know that I was at one point a European history major, and I am making the transition to being an indie rock bitch as I progress into my mid-twenties.

Movie Time!

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Well, The Animation Show is opening at the almighty E Street Theater on March 5th. This should be a great time to fill up on some of the great animated shorts out there. I don't really have too much to say, but I always enjoyed Spike and Mike when they came to town, so I'll probably find my way down to see these. I mean, its not like there have been too many other films released in the past year that I could praise.

Just looking over the Oscar nominations I have seen _zero_ movies nominated for the best picture, director, or actor awards. Granted I haven't exactly been racing to the movies every night, but there were some very good movies released this year (Closer, Eternal Sunshine, Very Long Engagement) that hardly received any nods at all. Admittedly, there are a few on the list that I would like to see, namely "Vera Drake" and "Million Dollar Baby", but frankly it was a disappointing year in cinema, documentaries aside (Super Size Me, Born into Brothels).

I guess it shouldn't bother me too much, seeing how I am going to be reading more...

Why Baseball Will Succeed in DC

15,000 applicants for front office jobs.(washingtonpost.com) You really can't buy this type of enthusiasm. Oh, yeah, there are only 45 job openings. Let's see, thats over 300 applicants for every position. Seriously though, 15,000 people is about 10,000 more than the Expos were drawing to games in Montreal. Of course once it is apparent that the team is going to be trash for a few years, some of those happy feelings will drop off, but for now.....

Restaurant Week Part 3: TenPenh

Well, they always say that the third time is the charm, and it could not have been more true last night. TenPenh fully lived up to its hype. While the space is not as stunning as its sister restaurant, DC Coast, the food was much better. All five diners were very happy with their selections of appetizers and entrees.

TenPenh offered up a limited selection of appetizers and desserts, but the full range of entrees was offered as part of the restaurant week menu (with a $7 up charge on the Asian lobster and the lamb chops). The Thai spring rolls were crisp and flaky, with three tangy dipping sauces to attend to. My wasabi encrusted tuna was grilled to a beautiful medium-rare and the soy sweet potatoes may have been the highlight of the dish (but I am a sucker for the simple things in life). Other raves were lavished upon the calamari salad and the sea scallops.

Dessert was a choice of a pana cotta (strange gelatinous yogurt), spice cake with banana ice cream, and a thai coffee tart. None were spectacular, but by the end of the meal, they could have tossed starligt mints at us, and I would have applauded.

Having blown my food budget for the next month, I don't think that I will be returning to Ten Penh anytime in the near future, but I will certainly keep it mind for the next time I treat myself to a fine dining experience. DC Coast gets above average marks, but I would only only return on my own dollar if I thought that a guest or date would be bowled over by the hip and trendy ambiance. Butterfield9, you should be ashamed.

Until next restaurant week!

Restaurant Week Part Deux: Butterfield9

Or how I learned to never go here again. Well, this one was a definite bust on Wednesday night. The hostess was pushy and made it very clear that she wanted to get our party of 6 twenty-somethings into our chairs and out of her restaurant as quickly as possible. Had it not been a large group, I would have happily left after checking out the menu for Restaurant week.

How can you in good faith put cod, pork chops, chicken breast, and a "vegetable cutlet" on a menu and charge people $30.05? I would have been outraged except that it was our own damn fault for not checking out the menu before making our reservation. I had the pork chop. It was good. But it was a pork chop. It was also by far the best of the four entrees. The shallot and apple soup was very good. The desserts were so-so. If you have a reservation for this weekend, change it to anywhere else. As always, check out DC Foodies for suggestions and menus.

Our Nation's Attic

Well, the Smithsonian has again made headline news with another Celebrity Artifact! The newest addition to our newest museum really adds some breadth to the standing collection at NMAI. Now you can go look at the gold record of "YMCA" along side the 50 foot totem pole!

Actually on a more serious note, I applaud NMAI for stepping beyond the bounds of what many more conservative-minded people might accept as part of a museum about native culture. While I don't hope to see the record on display anytime soon, it is important to realize that Native American participate in contemporary American culture as well.

Also, read the article, the picture alone may be worth it.

Restaurant Week Part 1

Well, it has officially begun in my belly. Last night I got to enjoy a sumptuous meal at DC Coast with my family and girlfriend. I arrived about a half-hour early and enjoyed a beer at the very nice bar there. The space was crowded, but I eventually managed to stake a spot on the counter overlooking the dining area, where who to my wandering eye should I spot? Our very own Michael Wilbon of Washington Post and ESPN fame. He didn't seem to be taking part in the restaurant week festivities, but then its probably not as much an indulgence for those people who are not on small budgets. Luckily before I could start to feel creepy for watching a semi-celeb, the rest of my party arrived and we were seated. One last point on Wilbon, I knew that the GF would get a huge kick out of seeing Wilbon, so I pointed him out to her. Unfortunately, her seat faced away from him, so she spent the first half of our meal twisted around trying to catch what Wilbon was doing. But on to more important things.

Overall, I was very impressed with DC Coast. The space is gorgeous and the wait-staff was very friendly and helpful. For Restaurant Week, DC Coast was offering a choice of Soups (Lobsterbisque, Butternut Squash, and Soup du Jour Creamy Tomato) or Salad (Caesar or mixed field greens), any entree (the Lobster and strip steak were a $7 upcharge), and choice of creme brulee, chocolate mousse cake, or New Orleans Bread Pudding for Dessert.

I had the Butternut Squash Soup, Pan-Fried Rockfish, and Bread Pudding. The soup was delectable. Among the best parts of the evening. The squash was accented with crawfish, sweetcorn, and porcini mushrooms, free from any of the pie spices that too often are tossed into squash dishes. The Lobster Bisque was also very good. The salads were nothing special, not bad, but why not go for something better? My rockfish was a little disappointing. It was flaky and moist, perched atop a round of polenta, surrounded by an apple-red onion relish, and sweetcorn sauce. But it was a little too bland. There just seemed to be something missing that could have easily moved it from good to great. The winners at our table were the sea scallops and BBQ short ribs. A bit of surprise on the short ribs, but my father took a chance on the waitresses advice, and he may have been the most satisfied at the table. The pork loin also looked very good, although I did not get a chance to try it, but it was certainly a massive piece of meat sitting atop its mashed yams.

The creme brulee is purported to be the best in the city, but it did not live up to that reputation last night. It was a little too pudding-y for my tastes, but perhaps the quality of the product went down as the quantity produced went up. Luckily, I indulged in the bread-pudding, topped with a Banana's Foster sauce. It was lip-smacking good. The bread pudding was delicious, and the Fosters was well done, with not too much rum. By the time I had cleaned my plate, I was too stuffed to try the mousse cake, but it seemed to satisfy the chocoholics at the table.

Well, only a few more hours until I get to satisfy my urge to indulge at Butterfield9!

Well, that explains the spanish songs on HFS....

I guess that this is the end of an era. WHFS is dead. I was just flipping through the radio stations, and I noticed that HFS was playing Spanish songs instead of its usual inane crap. I thought that it was the next Shakira.

Goodbye HFS. I can't say that I have bothered to listen to you since I was in high school, but now there is nothing left to enjoy on the FM dial but NPR.

I could reminice about my favorite moments at the HFStival and all of the bands that I saw in good old RFK stadium, but the thought that is sticking with me right now as I say goodbye to this standard of DC radio is how my father told me when I was twelve years old that he had listened to WHFS when he was living in his first roach infested apartment in Dupont, back in the 1970's.

And now, I will have to change all of my presets on my car stereo. Either that, or learn to love spanish pop.

U.S. Tells D.C. to Pay Inaugural Expenses (washingtonpost.com)

In a big up yours, the Bush Administration has decided to further tax the limited resources of our nation's capital as it Tells D.C. to Pay Inaugural Expenses. I really think that its only fair for DC citizens to pay for all of the President's security, since no one who lives here voted for him.

Perhaps a much better idea would be for the District to refuse. See how the Bushies handle that one. Maybe declare martial law?

Cheap Mac?

Well, maybe I should hold-off on my upcoming purchase of a new Macintosh. If Apple really is going to start offering sub-$500 computers, that would save me a chunk of change. However, the chances are that this new product will a) not fit my needs or b) simply be too hip for my squareness. iBook here I come....

Columbia Heights making waves

A nice piece on Columbia Heights in Sunday's Washington Post, part retrospective, part contemporary reporting. Overall not bad, if I was in charge I would give Curtain Coming Up Again on Columbia Heights (washingtonpost.com) a B+. Not bad for a neighborhood that just a year ago was shaken by a series of gang-related murders.

But, the article really doesn't delve too deeply into the issues of gentrification that are at the heart of the debate in C-Heights. No one in their right mind would argue that bringing in a new grocery store, restaurants, and retail shopping is a negative (Perhaps Target aside), but does it have to come at the cost of the rapid inflation of rents and the displacement of long-time residents?

Now, I don't know if I can offer the proper voice on this issue, as I am in most respects one of the gentrifiers (with a few qualifiers). However, in a city that is racing to shoo out its lower-classes and usher in a new era of wealth, residents need to question what is best for their city. It may not necessarily be the same as what the mayor and the council envision.

For a nice look at the process of gentrification from an individuals perspective, I suggest Inshaw, she has a very interesting take on a process (and a neighborhood) that is about five to ten years behind C-Heights in the gentrifying process.

On the flip side of all of this, I am excited to see performances at the new Tivoli Theater, be much closer to a full size grocery store, and other amenities. Maybe that makes me a gentrifier, but I think that the razed buildings and abandoned lots have graced Columbia Heights long enough.

Movin' on up

Well, I guess the title should have been "Gentrification in the House", but I just couldn't do it. Looking through the construction projects on tap for Columbia Heights, courtesy of Columbia Heights DC, it really looks as if the District is serious about upgrading the neighborhood.

"The Heights of Columbia (Parcel 5) on the corner of 14th & Girard will
contain 56 for-sale housing units, 15,000 sq.ft. of retail space and 70
underground parking spaces.

Kenyon Lofts and Victory Housing (Parcel 15)
at 14th & Kenyon that will sell 147 condominiums, lease 21,000 sq.ft. of
retail space, and 75-unit senior housing facility.

Verona Parc (Parcel
19) at 1328-52 Euclid is 32,000 sq.ft. of 33 condominiums with 20% reserved for
affordable housing with 20 parking spaces.

The Dance Institute of
Washington (Parcel 24) on 14th Street between Newton & Monroe will provide a
16,000 sq. ft. dance facility and a child care center

Columbia Heights
Station (Parcel 26) at Irving & 14th plans 21,865 sq. ft. ground floor
retail, 203 rental apartments, 22 for-sale town homes, garage with 222 spaces.
DC USA (Parcel 27) on 14th between Irving & Park proposes development
of489,000 sq. ft of retail space on three floors, three levels of underground
parking (1,364 spaces), anchored by Target and other big box and smaller
retailers, restaurants, and a health
club.

The Barcelona (Parcel 32)
on 1431 Chapin includes 30 condominiums, 20% of the units will be 'affordable,'
including 11 parking spaces."

All together, these developments are bringing 500 new units online in the next couple of years. While this will certainly impact my own rent, My biggest fear is parking. There is no way that the area around the Columbia Heights Metro Station can support 500-1000 new cars.

Well, maybe it is just a sign for me to sell off the ol' Echo and buy a bike.....

Good Food, Good Times

Well, Restaurant Week is fast approaching. For those of you reading this who are new to the city, Restaurant Week opens the doors of up-scale dining to those of us on a tight budget. Three course meals are offered for $20.05 for lunch and $30.05 for dinner. There is a fairly even split between restaurants that offer their entire menus to choose from and those that restrict the prix fixe to a small selection or group of specials. For a fairly comprehensive list of what each participating restaurant is offering, I highly suggest the enlightened website of the DCfoodies.

Last summer I only got to enjoy 15Ria with its upscale American comfort food. This winter, I am taking in at least three other fine locales, DC Coast, Ten Penh, and Butterfield9. Unfortunately for my tastes, 1789 was already booked up (except for a 9:30 table that the Sig-O flatly rejected). Well, there will always be the summer restaurant week.

Viewer Sues NBC Over Rat-Eating 'Fear Factor' (washingtonpost.com)

Sometimes I am embarressed to be an American. But on the flip-side, I now have more things to prove that if Ohio can be a state, so can DC. Unfortunately, there are morons everywhere who think that they can milk the system for everything that its worth.

Viewer
Sues NBC Over Rat-Eating 'Fear Factor' (washingtonpost.com): "CLEVELAND -- A
viewer is suing NBC for $2.5 million, contending that he threw up because of a
'Fear Factor' episode in which contestants ate rats whipped in a blender.
Asked why he didn't shut off his television before the rat-eating segment,
Aitken said he couldn't do it quickly enough. "

On the plus side, I now have zero desire to watch other people consume rat puree. Wow, major life impact there.

Welcome

Well, soon I will have to come up with a better reason for this blog, but for now you and I will have to make do with the fact that I am simply interested in where a blog will take me (in that big metaphysical sense).

After growing up in DC (and yes, I do mean _in_ DC), I returned here post-college to my old stomping grounds. However, the 9-5 drag of the working life has really been getting me down recently, and I feel like I need something to revitalize my interest in this city (because we all know that Washington has a lot to offer once you break down its gray and dreary facade of khaki and blue oxfords). Maybe this will be it. Maybe it will raise your interest too. Maybe not.

I also can't pretend that this is just going to be about rockin' things in DC, or even mostly about things in DC. DCaffeinated will follow my mind where ever it takes me (hopefully I will avoid the craigslist rut that some blogs get caught up in). But there is no avoiding the fact that I live in DC, and my life revolves around things happening in this city, so come on back and I'll see if I can provide some content that'll spark you and me both.