live music

Sean Lennon to Perform at Iota Club Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Encountering musician Sean Lennon is a bit like encountering Jesus. He performs miracles, like dating smoking hot model Charlotte Kemp Muhl, and his gentle mannerisms and humble outward appearance belie the fact that he’s the son of a deity.

(It goes without saying, of course, that John Lennon and the Beatles were considerably more popular than Jesus.)

Lennon and Kemp Muhl will be performing at Iota Club in Clarendon (2832 Wilson Blvd) tonight with their band, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger.

The GOASTT, as the group is known, has been touring Europe and the U.S. They performed on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last Wednesday.

The band’s latest CD, Acoustic Sessions, was released in October.

Tickets for tonight’s show are $15. Brooklyn-based experimental vocalist Julianna Barwick is the opening act.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Uncompensated Care Costs Local Hospitals $102 Million — While discussing health care on a local TV interview show earlier this week, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) cited a figure that seemed unbelievable. Moran said that in our congressional district alone, hospitals spend more than $100 million per year paying for those who don’t have insurance or can’t pay the bills. That figure appears to be accurate, says TBD’s Facts Machine.

Lawmakers Outline Priorities — Arlington’s state lawmakers discussed their priorities for the 2011 legislative session earlier this week. Proposals include eliminating the sales tax on food and replacing it with a higher income tax for the wealthy, increasing the state’s low cigarette tax and setting more stringent requirements on petition drives. More from the Sun Gazette.

Leaf Bag Collection Enters Final Week — If you still have bags of leaves lying around, now is the time to get rid of them. Arlington County’s final leaf bag collection will begin Monday. See the collection schedule here.

Non-Stop Bhangra at Artisphere — Organizers describe it as a non-stop party that feels like a scene from a Bollywood movie. San Francisco-based Non-Stop Bhangra will be rocking the house at Artisphere’s Saturday Night Dance Party this weekend. The party starts at 11:01 p.m. and features dance lessons, dance performances, live music sets and “DJs spinning an eclectic mix of bhangra, hip hop, reggae and electronica.” More from Arlington Arts.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

Pentagon Row to Hold Ice Skating Gala

By ARLnow.com

Pentagon Row is planning a special skating event to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The event will feature a music performance by local band Fools & Horses, photo booth, stilt walker, magician, juggler, ice princess and refreshments.

Pentagon Row stores will be offering specials and conducting giveaways during the event.

The gala will be held on Saturday, Jan. 29 between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. The event itself is free, but ice skating is subject to the normal skating rates. Anyone who spends $50 or more at Pentagon Row during the event will be able to get a free loop scarf by showing their receipts at a booth near the Bally Total Fitness.

Holiday Music, Movies and More

By ARLnow.com

If you’re looking to get in the Christmas spirit, good news: there are holiday events aplenty around Arlington. There are so many events, in fact, that one is bound to bring a smile to the face of even the most ardent Grinch.

A few of the entries in our recently-updated Events Calendar:

  • Screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to benefit the Children’s National Medical Center (at Arlington Cinema Drafthouse)
  • Holiday Concert by the Potomac Harmony Chorus, Arlington’s award-winning women’s barbership chorus (at Thomas Jefferson Community Theater)
  • Holiday Mayhem at Signature Theater, featuring four nights of holiday merrymaking
  • Rasberry Brothers present “Home Alone” — Everybody’s favorite 90s Christmas movie, mocked Mystery Science Theater 3000-style by comedian Jerm Pollet (at Arlington Cinema Drafthouse)

Profile: Arlington-Born Singer/Songwriter Margot MacDonald

By ARLnow.com

For now, Margot MacDonald is a 19-year-old with an incredible voice and undeniable songwriting talent who lives with her parents in Lyon Park. Given her steady ascent in the world of music, however, it’s hard to see how that last part is going to last long.

MacDonald, who is playing IOTA Club (2832 Wilson Blvd) tonight with two fellow Strathmore Artists in Residence, seems destined for bigger things. A five-time Washington Area Music Award winner, MacDonald received “a little bit” of national recognition in the past year, when her self-funded album, Walls, made a list of possible GRAMMY nominees for Best Album of the Year.

Walls was actually the teen’s third album. Her first came out when she was 12, about three years after she started classic opera training. During her young career, MacDonald has veered from very folk-oriented to “completely hard rock” to what she now describes as “pop acoustic rock with a bit of a world influence.”

She has worked with two noted local record producers, including fellow Lyon Park resident Marco Delmar. But until now the former Long Branch Elementary and Kenmore Middle School student has shrugged off interest from labels.

“I haven’t felt particularly ready up until this point… I’ve just been trying to figure out who I want to be as an artist,” she said. But MacDonald says she now feels more comfortable than ever with her own musical style, and might be ready to make the leap to the big leagues of the music industry.

Earlier this month MacDonald, who has performed at the 9:30 Club and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage locally, played her first show in New York City. She says she’s anxious to go back.

“I’m really happy with what I’m doing… slowly but surely getting better and better gigs and gaining more fans,” she said. “I’m not really sure what the future holds, but I hope it’s good.”

Check out Margot’s YouTube channel to watch her past performances.

Photo courtesy of Margot MacDonald.

Saturday: Red Baraat Brings the Indian Funk to Artisphere

By ARLnow.com

Artisphere’s PR department says Red Baraat is the only dhol ‘n’ brass band in the U.S.

How there is only one domestic band that combines North Indian Bhangra and brass band funk is beyond us, especially considering the infectious energy that the culture-melding band brings to their shows.

New York-based Red Baraat features a rapping sousaphone player, three percussionists (counting the guy on cow bell), and a band leader whose collaborations have included performing with rapper Q-Tip and a fitness instructor known as “the Indian Jane Fonda.” That, combined with a five-piece horn section, produces a group that, in the words of the PR department, “plays fresh originals and Bollywood classics with an explosive stage performance and presence.”

Red Baraat is performing at Artisphere’s weekly Saturday night dance party this weekend. The performance will begin at 11:01 p.m. in the Artisphere ballroom. Tickets are $18 at the door, with sales starting one hour before showtime.

Sushi Rock Gets Live Entertainment Permit, At a Cost

By ARLnow.com

Sushi Rock, Arlington’s leather-clad, rock ‘n’ roll take on Japanese cuisine, got the live entertainment permit it wanted from the county board last night, but it came with a restriction the business fought to avoid.

Sushi Rock volunteered for most of the provisions sought by residents of the high-end condos above the restaurant: keeping doors and windows closed during live entertainment, using sound-dampening materials, testing decibel levels in condos, designating a “neigborhood liason,” prohibiting loitering outside the business, picking up trash outside, and so forth.

Owners did not agree, however, to restricting the use of outdoor speakers on the restaurant’s patio. But that’s exactly what happened last night. The board approved the live entertainment permit with a provision that the outdoor speakers be shut off after 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 11:00 p.m. on weekends.

Sushi Rock partner Tony Hudgins was incredulous. He said the live entertainment permit would have no bearing on what’s broadcast through the speakers.

“If I’m following the logic… we’re actually being asked to give up what we’re already allowed to do, in order to get a live entertainment license that won’t allow us to broadcast [live performances] outside,” he said.

But two residents asked the board to restrict the use of the speakers.

“If the speakers are allowed to be on outside, I wouldn’t be able to sleep,” said condo owner Marilyn Lythgoe. It’s not clear if she had already been affected by the speakers, which were in use this summer.

Phyllis Bradley lives three stories above Sushi Rock. She also argued against the speakers, even though during a recent sound test, in which the outdoor speakers were in use, she acknowledged that “we did hear a sound, not even a pin drop.”

“If that’s how it’s going to be when they get their permit, I have no objections,” she said. “But I don’t think so.”

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Earmark Could Save Planetarium — Rep. Jim Moran says he’s going to try to dig up $400,000 in federal funds to help renovate and save Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium. But even if he’s successful, Moran’s press secretary says the money would not be available until late next year — past the fundraising deadline the school board set for the non-profit Friends of the Planetarium group. More from the Sun Gazette.

Golf Farce Premieres at Signature Theater — Now playing at Shirlington’s Signature Theater: A Fox on the Fairway. The show, which is making its world premiere at Signature, is a “screwball comedy” and “a tribute… to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s.” Starring Jeff McCarthy, Holly Twyford and Andrew Long, A Fox on the Fairway is “about love, life, and man’s eternal love affair with… golf.” See a video promo here.

Sushi Rock Applying for Dance Hall Permit — Sushi Rock wants to become a late night party spot. But it also wants to “keep the volume to a reasonable level,” which means lots of sound-proofing material. The county board is expected to decide whether to grant Sushi Rock a live entertainment and dance hall permit at its upcoming round of meetings — either Saturday or Tuesday. More from TBD.

Relive the Music of Clarendon Day and the Rosslyn Jazz Fest

By ARLnow.com

Did you miss Clarendon Day? Out of town for the Rosslyn Jazz Fest? If so, you’re in luck. Arlington Independent Media was there filming the musical performances, and now they’ve put the videos online.

Don’t tell your boss, but the jazz in particular may be something you could listen to while whittling away the hours at work.

See the Jazz Fest video here, and the Clarendon Day video here.

Viewing tip: mouse over the video and use the arrow buttons on either side to switch between performances.

This fall, AIM also has entire high school football games available for your viewing pleasure.

Shirlington Oktoberfest Among Slew of Events This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

What are you doing tonight? Nothing? Good. That will give you plenty of time to rest up for a Saturday and Sunday chock full of events around Arlington.

From noon to 6:00 on Saturday, thousands of beer drinkers will jam Campbell Avenue in Shirlington Village for the 10th annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest. Wear your best lederhosen and bring extra cash for bratwurst. Oh, and bring a non-drinking friend who can help you get home safely AND provide a few extra sample tickets to your group (for $25, each attendee gets 10 tickets good for one 4 oz. beer sample each).

Dog lovers skipping the Oktoberfest may want to check out Dogtober Day and Barker’s Bash, a dog show and festival full of fun and games. It’s taking place at Lacey Woods Park (1200 N. George Mason Dr.)  from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

On Sunday, Arlington will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Thomas Jefferson Theater (125 S. Old Glebe Rd.). Community members of all ages and backgrounds are invited to enjoy Latin music, food and dancing from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

In addition to those events, there’s also a pair of fundraisers going on, which we wrote about earlier. See our events calendar for even more options.

Preview: Food, Music and Fun at Clarendon Day

By ARLnow.com

The start of Clarendon Day 2010 is less than 24 hours away, and already the excitement is brewing. This year’s event will include a performance by “Arlington Rap guy” Remy Munasifi, a burrito eating contest and 20 different food vendors.

Things will kick off Saturday at 8:20 a.m. with a 5K race, followed by a 10K and a Kids Dash.

Then at 11:00 a.m., the main festivities get underway.

Ten bands are set to perform on two different stages. Acts scheduled to perform on the main IOTA Club & Cafe Stage include:

  • Milkshake — Kid-oriented rock music
  • Love Canon — A “power 80’s glam bluegrass” band (perhaps an ironic selection to follow a children-oriented group)
  • Sons of Bill — Rock/alt-country
  • Honor By August — Rock/pop
  • GoRemy — The aforementioned Arlington Rap guy, whose new album includes The Metro Song and the Falafel Song

Clarendon Day also features dozens of art, retail and community booths. Among the organizations setting up shop will be WJFK (“106.7 The Fan”) and WJLA/TBD (ABC 7).

(more…)

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