District Fray Magazine // Winter 2020

WINTER 2020 A LIFESTYLE + ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE

supportthe district Co m m u n i ty Voic e s A Voi c e for Venue s I.M.P. ’s Audrey Fix S cha e fe r

L o c a l N o n p rof it s So c i a l Im pa c t Sm a l l B u s i ne sse s

TIME TO PUT ON YOUR BEST

GAME FACE WINTER LEAGUES ARE NOW OPEN REGISTER AT: DCFRAY.COM/WINTER2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RADAR

4 D.C.’s King of Cannabis 8 NPR’s Esther Ciammachilli 10 Calendar

EAT

14 Immigrant Food 16 D.C. Battles Food Insecurity

DRINK

CULTURE 30 34 36 50

Kennedy Center’s Impact Transformer’s FlatFile Women in the Arts Dave Tarnowski

LIFE

38 Local Gift Guide 42 The Season of Giving

PLAY

19 Zero-Proof in the City 22 St. Vincent Wine

45 Working Out in Winter

ROBERT KINSLER Publisher

MONICA ALFORD Editor-in-Chief

M.K. KOSZYCKI Assistant Editor

JULIA GOLDBERG Editorial Designer

TOM ROTH

Key Account Manager

MUSIC

24 A Voice for Venues 27 The Year in Review 49 Save Our Stages Illustration I.M.P.’s Audrey Fix Schaefer. Photo by Tony Powell.

KAYLA MARSH

Contributing Editor

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kelsey Cochran, Ingrid Harbo, Trent Johnson, Natalia Kolenko, David Ross, Courtney Sexton, Laura Silverman, Catherine Trifiletti, Amanda Weisbrod CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS + PHOTOGRAPHERS James Coreas, Eric Dolgas, Kimchi Photography COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Tony Powell ON THE COVER I.M.P.’s Audrey Fix Schaefer COVER LOCATION The Anthem at The Wharf

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

SUPPORT THE DISTRICT. 2020 has been a year of many surprises for our magazine, chief among them rebranding at the start of a pandemic and transforming a lifestyle and entertainment publication previewing happenings around D.C. into an outlet for supporting our community during such a tumultuous time. We feel an immense amount of gratitude toward the local voices who’ve shared their stories with us, and to our readers for trusting us and the content we create.

Because we’re living in unprecedented times in so many ways this year, we’ve had the opportunity to feature some of the talented District denizens who often stay behind the scenes and offer the spotlight to others. The perfect example of this is our cover subject for the winter issue, Audrey Fix Schaefer. A dear friend of the magazine and someone who has been on our bucket list to interview, she finally agreed to being on our cover because of the importance of the current issues she is shedding light on.

Fix Schaefer, who runs communications for I.M.P. venues (9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion and Lincoln Theatre) and NIVA (the National Independent Venue Association), has worked tirelessly since April to get legislation passed to save independent music venues. She’s a local hero, and we delve into her impact on the music industry, both in D.C. and nationally, in our cover story.

Our final issue of 2020 is meant to highlight so much of the good our community is doing, from the Kennedy Center’s social impact initiatives to the myriad of nonprofits doing unique work to the local artists, makers and business owners striving to stay connected while restructuring their creative approaches.

Thank you to our community and our readers for giving us the gift of content we never imagined we’d be able to create this year. We look forward to returning in 2021 to continue telling your stories.

With gratitude,

MONICA ALFORD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Behind the scenes of our cover shoot at The Anthem with Audrey Fix Schaefer, Julia Goldberg + Tony Powell. Photos by Monica Alford.

DISTRICT FRAY |

3

D.C.’S KING OF CANNABIS

STREET LAWYER SERVICES’ LONNY BRAMZON WORDS BY DAVID ROSS PHOTOS BY BEN FREY

It’s a Thursday night in October, and I’m seated on the second floor of an H Street building in a smokefilled room that has been converted into a photo studio and office space. Below me is cannabis gift shop Street Lawyer Services.

“Here’s how you take a f--king photo,” says Lonny Bramzon, owner of Street Lawyer Services, as he stares pointedly at the camera and slows down his speech for emphasis. “This is how you take a f--king photo.”

He’d been on about this for a little bit, professorially reducing photography to two poses: “a kill face and a f--k face.” Bramzon makes multiple attempts at both. I weep for Ben, the photographer.

It’s getting late. There’s a flat screen mounted to the wall, which appears to play an ongoing list of music videos, largely rap and R&B, with colorful backdrops.

Dressed in a turtleneck accompanied by a gold chain with a marijuana leaf, which I imagine draped over him during an elaborate ceremony, Bramzon launches into an oratorical performance with no particular audience in mind, just a willing listener. Then he looks directly at me.

“Bro, do you know the meaning of life?” he asks.

DISTRICT DENIZENS | RADAR

THE BACKSTORY Lonny Bramzon is the owner of the Law Office of Lonny Bramzon in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he practices as a criminal defense attorney. Street Lawyer Services in Northeast D.C. is a marketing office for his legal practice. They sell “discounted coupons redeemable for legal services,” it reads on their website, and “all coupons come with an optional free cannabis gift of your choice.”

Bramzon graduated from Columbia Law School in 2003 after attending Stanford University, where he received a B.A. in sociology in 2000. It’s easy to get distracted by this information.

“How did this guy become this guy?” one might ask themselves.

But in order to find answers to such questions, one must abandon the cold and head south to the state of Florida, where Bramzon is from – more specifically, Miami.

“I don’t know if you could have Lonny coming out of Ohio,” says Daniel Bramzon, Lonny’s older brother. “I don’t think a ‘Lonny’ could come out of Ohio. Lonny has to come out of Miami. He epitomizes some degree of Miami.”

The Bramzons are of Mexican and Jewish descent, raised by parents they describe as disciplinarians. When I ask Daniel whether or not his brother attended Stanford to follow in his footsteps, as that’s also his alma mater, he quickly laughs.

“I think Lonny went to Stanford because our dad told us to,” he says.

While their post-secondary schooling was prestigious, I gather their high school wasn’t necessarily the Andover of Miami.

“My high school was pretty rough,” Lonny says.

“It looked like a prison,” Daniel adds. “Maybe because it looked like a prison, it felt like one inside.”

Lonny indicates that some of the roughness he witnessed in high school helped him when he was a public defender in Baltimore, which is another nugget of information about Bramzon that adds to his character. He admits always doing what he had to do to get by.

“I did what I had to do to figure it out,” he says, reflecting on law school. “Okay, what’s this outline? What’s the final look like? An essay? Okay, what kind of essay? What kind of questions? That’s what I was more f--king worried about and concerned with and strategized for than f--king learning the shit. That’s just how I did things.”

Even though he walked away with a Columbia Law degree, he says because he was “at the bottom third of the class or some shit,” he didn’t get any offers. He didn’t appear to be a fit for the big law firm life, and after an associateship in Miami, he phoned his father looking for some direction. He recommended Bramzon become a public defender, so he interned for Rockville, Maryland-based criminal defense attorney Samuel Delgado, whose story is separately so interesting it may be the inspiration for my crime novel.

“He was my mentor,” Bramzon says. “I was just an intern with him for six months and bro, it was like f--king training with Mike Tyson for six months.”

Delgado, who has been an attorney for 40 years, has handled over 200 homicide cases. At the time, he was working on a lot of MS-13 murders.

“I was kind of like the consigliere for MS-13 for a while,” Delgado says.

When Delgado found out Bramzon spoke Spanish, which was a necessity for some of his clients and witnesses, Lonny was instantly thrown into the mix. He’d go to crime scenes, take photographs, make calls, research and write.

“He’d go to the courtroom with me and pretty much do what I do, except stand up in front of the judge,” Delgado says. “He was my

right-hand man, my sounding board.”

So what the hell are we doing in a dispensary on H Street?

Lonny will be the first to tell you that as a criminal defense attorney, most of the violent cases he dealt with involved alcohol.

“It wasn’t even crack,” he says. “It was alcohol.”

This realization, along with a unique moment in life, forced him to reroute.

“An opportunity presented itself at a time in my life when I was looking for a new direction,” he says. “I was going through some personal stuff and I said, ‘F--k man, I’m going to go for it.’ And then I thought about the idea. I already had the brand, Lonny The Street Lawyer, because that brand has been around for a while, so I parlayed that into a marketing office.”

The Street Lawyer brand had indeed been around for a while because “Lonny the Street Lawyer” was a regular program on WLVS Radio years ago, and is now a weekly hour-long segment on DC101’s Klinger Show.

THE BUSINESS MODEL Upon entry to Street Lawyer Services, someone at the door immediately asks you for your ID. You are asked to use the hand sanitizer to your right, and then you’re directed to one of the many markers along the carpet to stand in line. It’s no different than an average retail experience. There’s a glass counter with an assortment of products that patrons are eager to purchase: cannabis flower, edibles (Sour Patch Kids, Nerds Rope, lollipops), etc. There’s even a fridge with lemonades.

And business is booming. There’s often a line out the door. The employees behind the counter, or brand ambassadors, are referred to as the SLS Women. Each has their own following as a creative in the region.

“It’s not just a cannabis store,” says Ariana Fleishman, who runs creative studio The YANA Cast with Beth Cormack. YANA represents Street Lawyer Services.

“Street Lawyer Services is a brand that’s very much trying to bring to light the culture of cannabis, media and news,” she adds, “working with people in the cannabis culture to talk more about and proliferate cannabis.”

Bramzon adds, “When you go to Street Lawyer Services, it’s a vibe. It ain’t like the assembly line shit. We know the people, and the people come from every walk of life. People from North Carolina and deep in Virginia come here. Republican, Democrat, old, young – nobody gives a shit when you come in here. There’s music playing and the girls are so cool. It’s a family.”

What’s always been a wonder is: How is this legal? Great question.

Initiative 71, passed in November 2014 and put into effect in February 2015, was a voter-approved ballot initiative in D.C. that legalized the recreational use of cannabis. The initiative allowed for the following terms. It is legal for adults 21 years of age or older to: • Possess 2 ounces or less of marijuana • Grow within their primary residence up to six marijuana plants, no more than three of which are mature • Transfer 1 ounce or less of marijuana to another person as long as 1) no money, goods or services are exchanged; and 2) the recipient is 21 years of age or older • Consume marijuana on private property • Lawfully transfer to another person 21 years of age or older, without remuneration, marijuana weighing 1 ounce or less I spoke with an attorney for the D.C. government who is familiar with the District’s marijuana laws, but only agreed to provide information on background and asked to remain anonymous.

DISTRICT FRAY |

5

RADAR | DISTRICT DENIZENS

The attorney said that in 2015, there was a rider attached to the congressional budget spending plan that prohibited D.C. from regulating the sale of marijuana. That rider has remained in the budget each year since the bill was passed.

As a result, an economy of gifting cannabis hasn’t just formed. It’s flourished. And here’s the best part: The D.C. government, including the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., seem to have accepted this economy of gifting. Pop-ups and storefronts have been shut down as a result of improper gifting, selling an individual an amount over 1 ounce, and/or suspicions surrounding the store owner and staff. But new shops keep popping up all over the city, and the initiative has innovatively shifted the way marijuana can be purchased in D.C. without a medical card.

A law against gifting doesn’t presently exist, and this is because the politics of marijuana are changing. They continue to change around the country, witnessed by our most recent election, and they continue to change in the city we live in.

THE POLITICS OF MARIJUANA At-Large Councilmember David Grosso, who is currently departing, authored the Marijuana Legalization Act, Bill B-23 -0072 in 2019. If you are a “gift” shop owner, run a pop-up or are just a regular marijuana user who either smokes or purchases in the District, including all of y’all driving from down South, I highly recommend giving it a read. This impressive document details what recreational usage in D.C. will look like if we move forward with legalization via Congress, and appears to cover nearly every angle while creating a progressive strategy to address those who have been previously incarcerated or are currently serving time for a marijuana-related conviction.

The House of Representatives just passed the MORE Act (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019) by a vote of 228 to 164 on December 4. The act “removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled 6

| WINTER 2020

Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes or possesses marijuana.”

While the act still needs to make it through the Senate, this is historic. And if Congress continues to play nice, what happens to the Lonny Bramzons of the world?

“There are a lot of [marijuana users] who are very well-established and function professionally, and bend over backwards to do it legally,” Bramzon says. “They say when the recreational market opens up, I should have a seat at the table.”

And he should. A gentleman like Lonny Bramzon may expose your biases early, but this inclination can be such a Washington feature. He stands out wherever he goes, but I imagine he’d stand out less in Miami, L.A. or New York than he does in D.C. His journey up until this point, as head-scratching and fascinating as it is, only gives things more bass.

“Lonny is larger than life,” says a friend from Columbia Law School who agreed to speak only on background because of his firm’s restrictions. “He always has been. He’s so many unusual things in one package. If Lonny were a character in a book, you wouldn’t believe it. You’d find the book to be incredible. This is too ridiculous.

This person is too fantastic. He is the real person who exists despite reality.”

There have been so many phases of Lonny Bramzon that I find myself questioning whether or not he is an intentional individual or not – or if his entire persona was an invented character.

“I think he’s his real self,” Daniel says of his brother. “He’s not doing it with an intended goal in mind. This is Lonny.”

Learn more about Street Lawyer Services here and the Law Office of Lonny Bramzon here. Follow Street Lawyer Services on Instagram @streetlawyerservicesgifts_.

Street Lawyer Services: 409 H St. NE, DC; 202-839-4200; www.streetlawyerservicesdc.com

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Same Voice, Different Stage

DISTRICT DENIZENS | RADAR

Esther Ciammachilli, the the new host of WAMU’s “Morning Edition,” reflects on her transition from actor to journalist.

WORDS BY CATHERINE TRIFILETTI | PHOTO BY KIMCHI PHOTOGRAPHY

A

decade ago, Esther Ciammachilli was piloting passengers down a makeshift canal running through Las Vegas’ kitschy Venetian hotel. In between belting out Italian classics like “‘O sole mio,” she riffed on her alter ego, Francesca the gondolier, striking up conversation with guests and listening to their stories.

Fast-forward to October 2020 and Ciammachilli has ditched the faux Italian accent and accepted a new position as host of NPR member station WAMU 88.5’s “Morning Edition.”

Although her stage has changed, the goal of engaging people remains.

“Whether you’re asking very poignant questions or being casual and getting to know someone, it’s really just about connection,” she says of her role at NPR. I caught up with the half-Italian, half-Samoan journalist to discuss reporting in the age of Covid, adding flair to her new role and, of course, the acting journey that led her to radio. It’s slightly disarming to put a face to the euphonious voice that has provided such reliable ambience in the region over the last few years. Before her current position, Ciammachilli was reporting and subbing in for hosts of “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” as needed.

“As a fill-in host, you have this substitute teacher mentality where you do everything how you’re supposed to do it,” she explains. “Now that I’m in a permanent role, I can start making little tweaks here and there.”

Before WAMU, she spent time at NPR stations WBHM 90.3 in Birmingham and KUNR in Reno. Besides adding a personal touch to the drive time show, Ciammachilli hopes to make time for in-depth reporting outside of being on air, a goal that’s shared by the greater WAMU team.

“Going forward, what you’ll see and hear more of is hosts taking an active role in helping shape content and bring their own original stories to the airwaves,” she says.

Where would she start? A deep dive into the nation’s antidemocratic groups driving polarity.

It doesn’t take long to notice Ciammachilli’s positivity and team-driven approach. When asked how she’s managed reporting in such a tumultuous year, she quickly skims over her own experience to give ultimate credit and thanks to colleagues who have been boots on the ground throughout it all.

“I can’t imagine what our coverage would have been like without them,” she says of her fellow journalists. “I am blessed to work with a lot of talented, hardworking people who make me better on a regular basis.”

At home in Hyattsville, Maryland, Ciammachilli lives with her wife and partner of 15 years, Jennifer, a trio of pets (pup Delilah and cats Dear Prudence and A Boy Named Sue), and her in-laws.

The couple has laid very low since March as Ciammachilli has asthma and Jennifer’s parents fall in the high-risk category.

In non-Covid times, the couple reveled in dining at local restaurants and hiking as much as possible.

Early on in the pandemic, stay-at-home orders forced Ciammachilli to set up a remote studio in her basement. The unique circumstances spurred the actress-turned-journalist to do what she does best and make the most out of an odd situation. She delighted social media followers with mini-tours of the “random crap” in her temporary office – the toolshed.

These funny little bits, featuring pencil sharpeners and citrus juicers, were especially entertaining to listeners who’ve likely had similar cabin fever-esque exploits. Though Ciammachilli has since upgraded her studio to a light-filled room on the second floor of her home, she admits to missing broadcasts from the “Dexter kill room,” as she endearingly calls it.

The real-world experience that predated Ciammachilli’s journalism track seems to have given her the hard-to-teach humanism required by the profession – a precise balance of empathy, sheer curiosity and humor when needed. Those traits are what led her to report on a story about a co-ed wrestling league in the area, which won her a regional Edward R. Murrow Award last year.

As our conversation wraps, Ciammachilli sums up the impact acting has had on her career. In another Vegas gig, she played a range of characters in the improv show “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding.” From caterer to bridesmaid, the experience required her to be spry and versatile – dynamism she has since carried to her broadcasts. Radio definitely has a “performance aspect to it,” she says.

“The only difference is everything I say now is coming from me.”

Follow Ciammachilli on Twitter @EstherCinDC and listen to her host “Morning Edition” on WAMU 88.5, Monday through Friday.

Go to www.wamu.org to livestream NPR’s radio shows and to donate to public service radio.

DISTRICT FRAY |

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RADAR | CALENDAR COMPILED BY INGRID HARBO

We’re rounding out a year where events and how we consume them has changed exponentially.

One thing that’s constant, though, is the amount of wonderful things to do in D.C. has not wavered despite the pandemic. Head into the new year with a mix of virtual and socially distanced in-person events from holiday attractions to virtual concerts, cooking classes to movie screenings, and many things in between.

NOTE: All descriptions courtesy of hosts of events and edited for clarity.

THROUGH 1.3

12.17

Told through the intimacy of a video call, with humor and humanity Amir Nizar Zuabi’s new play explores the unpredictable nature of grief and the delicacy of family connection across geographical and generational divides. Separated by continents, an estranged father and son reunite over Zoom. From their respective kitchens in Ramallah and New York City, they recreate a cherished family recipe and struggle to bridge the gap between them, one ingredient at a time. This play is performed and broadcast live. 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. $15.99-$30.99. www.woollymammoth.net // @woollymammothtc

Join staff of the National Museum of Women in the Arts for a virtual happy hour to celebrate Louise Bourgeois ahead of her December 25 birthday. Join in and make a specialty cocktail in her honor, share artworks and stories and explore the museum’s collection and archives for all things Louise. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free; registration required. www.nmwa.org // @womeninthearts

This Is Who I Am

12.14-12.20

K-Cinema at Home: “The Divine Fury”

K-Cinema at Home brings great Korean films straight to your home and into your comfort zone. All screenings are free, but advance registration is required and the number of virtual tickets is limited.

This week’s movie is director Kim Joo-hwan’s 2019 horror thriller with a supernatural-hero action twist, “The Divine Fury,” which excited fans of the genre with a fresh take that combines elements of classics like “The Exorcist,” “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Hellboy.” Free. http://washingtondc.korean-culture.org/en // @koreaculturedc

12.15

Kontrolled Khaos Live from DC9

This will be a live, five-camera produced show shot at DC9 Nightclub in front of a tiny, masked audience. DMV-based The Kontrolled Khaos Band (KK) is a powerhouse super-group consisting of vocalists, emcees, musicians and producers.

Kontrolled Khaos was established in January 2017 by leader, drummer and visionary Jonathan “Footz” Livas. Kontrolled Khaos categorizes themselves with a sound known as ‘garage soul’ and it has propelled the band to work with numerous artists such as Goldlink, Lightshow and more. 7 p.m. $12. www.dc9.club // @dc9club

12.16

Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show

As the world’s first holiday show highlighting the African American tradition of stepping, the Magical Musical Holiday Step Show is a feast for the eyes and ears. Fabulous and furry friends from the Arctic Kingdom, Popper the Penguin along with polar bear twins, Pinky and Polo, ensure a fun and exciting experience for the entire family. 7:30 p.m. Free. www.stepafrika.org // @stepafrika 10 | WINTER 2020

Virtual Happy Hour: Louise Bourgeois Birthday

12.18

A Candlelight Christmas

The Washington Chorus’ beloved annual holiday tradition returns in a series of livestreamed performances that celebrate the spirit of the Christmas season with joy, reflection and plenty of holiday cheer. Re-imagined as a socially distanced chamber chorus concert led by TWC Artistic Director Eugene Rogers, members of The Washington Chorus are joined by organ, bells and other instruments of the season for a beautifully intimate and unique Christmas concert. This concert is recorded live at the spacious and beautiful Music Center at Strathmore, with additional virtual performances featuring TWC and singers around the world, as well as the Duke Ellington School for the Arts chorus led by Dr. Monique Holmes-Spells. 7:30 p.m. $15. www.thewashingtonchorus.org // @twchorus

12.18-31

Holiday Movies at the Wharf

Watch all the holiday classics on Transit Pier’s outdoor 20-foot LED screen. Gather around your own personal fire pit, with seating for up to four people. Enjoy drinks and snacks from Cantina Bambina as you settle into your Adirondack chair to watch some of Hollywood’s best holiday flicks such as “A Christmas Story,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” and more. Each seating will include a special stocking stuffed full of great offers and treats from Wharf restaurants, merchants and partners.

Various dates throughout December. 2 p.m. $60. Transit Pier at The Wharf: 970 Wharf St. SW, DC; www.wharfdc.com // @thewharfdc

12.19

Claws Out: A Holiday Drag Musical

Christmas will never be the same after this world premiere holiday drag musical hits the screen. After attempting to give the north a new look, Mrs. Rachel Claus (Shua Potter) finds herself

face-to-face with a contract clause allowing her to be replaced by newcomer Roberta (Monteze Freeland). With her crown in jeopardy, the stage is set for an epic showdown — and the North Pole has never been so icy. This show can be purchased for streaming, or you can attend an interactive virtual event. $15-$50.

7:30 p.m. www.citytheatrecompany.org // @city_theatre

Live Stream from Union Stage: Sirius Company

Watch D.C. GoGo, pop and hip-hop group Sirius Company perform live from Union Stage. Grab a ticket and watch the big show from the comfort of your home. Via the venue’s state-of-the-art streaming partner, Mandolin, you can stream the concert to any screen in your house, plus chat with other fans. 8 p.m. $5. www.unionstage.com // @unionstage; www.siriusmusic.net // @siriuscompany

12.20

12 Days of CapRiv: Jolly Jog

Throw on your best ugly sweater and join VIDA and Pacers at Yards Park for a holiday-themed fun run along the riverfront.

After the jog, guests will be able to pick up a complimentary cocktail to-go from participating restaurants. Fun run groups will be limited to a max of 25 people to help maintain social distance. 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $20. Yards Park: 355 Water St. SE, DC; www.capitolriverfront.org // @capitolroverfront

12.21

A Very Lonely Solstice Livestream

Since touring in person remains a far distant star, join Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold on the Winter Solstice for a ‘A Very Lonely Solstice Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show. Photo from www.atlasarts.org.

Livestream,’ a solo acoustic performance from St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, NY. The stream will also feature a song performed with the amazing Resistance Revival Chorus. 9 p.m. $20. www.noonchorus.com // @noonchorus; www.fleetfoxes.co // @fleetfoxes

12.22

Christmas with The King’s Singers

Throughout 2020, The King’s Singers’ Finding Harmony program, its album and charitable mission have all focused on the power music has to unite people. This message could not be more evident than at Christmastime. For centuries people of all different races, ages, faiths and nationalities have celebrated during the holiday season with their own songs that give thanks for the last year and their time together. At the end of one of the most difficult years imaginable, this program brings warmth and comfort, through a selection of Christmas music which takes in some of the world’s best-loved songs alongside lesser known carols. 1 p.m. $9.90. app.idagio.com // @idagioofficial; www.kingssingers.com // @kingssingers

U.S. Botanic Garden Online Concert: Seasonal Music Singer-songwriter, pianist and producer Chris Urquiaga, known as JChris, is lauded for his exciting performance energy and smooth voice. Hailed as “…the next big thing” by Metro Weekly magazine, this Latin pop virtuoso performs music in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Chris is the recipient of the Kennedy Center Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts and the Montgomery County Hispanic Heritage Month Award in Maryland for his achievements in the performing arts. He is a former Artist in Residence at Strathmore. 5:30 p.m. Free. www.usbg.gov // @usbotanicgarden

DISTRICT FRAY | 11

RADAR | CALENDAR

12.23

families, community economics and faith. This show will lift your spirits and warm your hearts. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. www.danceplace.org // @danceplacedc

This livestream holiday concert features Glass Animals, Wallows, Cold War Kids and more special guests. This year’s event benefits Project SHINE! One dollar of every ticket will be donated to VolunteerMatch.org. It will be an evening of exclusive performances and holiday merriment. 9 p.m. $17.50. www.nocapshows.com // @nocapshows

1.3

The Night We Stole Christmas

12.25

A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play

In time for the holiday season and in partnership with WAMU 88.5 FM, Ford’s Theatre presents a one-hour radio play adaptation of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” featuring acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge. This adaptation of the popular Ford’s Theatre holiday tradition captures the magic of Dickens’ Yuletide classic. Tune in to WAMU 88.5 to join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption.

12 p.m. Free. www.fords.org // @fordstheatre

12.26-12.28 Winter Glow at Mount Vernon

See George Washington’s Mansion lit in beautiful amber light as you hear classic holiday music and patriotic quotes. View the upper garden and greenhouse aglow in blue and lavender lights and watch as wintery light patterns move throughout the space.

During the event, you can chat with soldiers at an 18th-century winter encampment, shop for artisan-made goods crafted using 18th-century techniques, purchase warm food and holiday drinks from the Mount Vernon Inn food truck and more. 5:30-8:30 p.m. $45. www.mountvernon.org // @mount_vernon

12.27

Virtual Salute to Vienna

This year, Salute to Vienna is streaming directly into your living room. Celebrate the New Year with this never-before-seen performance, filmed in Europe. Filled with the same joyful singing, dancing and full orchestra that audiences have celebrated with since 1995, this concert will come to you in the comfort of your home.

Ring in the New Year with the Blue Danube Waltz and excerpts from beloved operettas. 8 p.m. $20-$60. www.strathmore.org // @strathmorearts

12.29

Coyaba Dance Theater: In Spirit of Kwanzaa

Come join Coyaba Dance Theater West African Dance Company in celebrating 15 years. This high-energy virtual presentation is based on the 7 Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa: Umoja, Kuchjichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, Imani. Kwanzaa is an African American holiday from December 26 – January 1.

This gathering commemorates and recommits believers to their 12 | WINTER 2020

National Philharmonic Presents Music That Brings Wonder

From time to time, everyone can benefit from an emotional and mental trip to a world of fantasy and magic. Inspired by the classic “Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll, this concert creates a sense of wonder and joy in the audience. Let go of the here and now and get carried away in a ‘frabjous’ experience guaranteed to reset the senses. 2 p.m. Free. www.nationalphilharmonic.org // @natphilharmonic

1.4

Sanjay Mishra: “Blue” Incantation

This week’s Monday Night Jazz Series at Blues Alley features guitarist/composer Sanjay Mishra. He has been described as a brilliant and innovative musician, playing with an eclecticism well suited to his multicultural background. After completing his studies at The Peabody Conservatory of Music, he began composing music that combined Eastern and Western influences. Sanjay first came to public acclaim for his album “Blue Incantation” with guitarist Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead. 8 p.m. $15. www.bluesalley.com // @bluesalleydc

1.6

Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Suspense

Over a career that spanned six decades, Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s films never failed in bringing audiences to the edge of their seats. Join playwright and screenwriter Marc Lapadula for a livestream where he peels back the layers of meaning beneath this grandmaster’s bold intentions and dazzling techniques that made him one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of world cinema. 6:30-8:15 p.m. $20-$25. www.smithsonianassociates.org // @smithsonianassociates

1.7

Cooking with Koshiki: New Year, New Skill - Sushi Making

Join Koshiki Smith to learn sushi-making basics. In this class, she will be using ingredients from Seward Co-op to make healthy and sustainable sushi. Basic sushi includes inside-out rolls, traditional rolls and Nigiri/Mari sushi. Vegetarian options will be shown as well. 7-9 p.m. Free. www.thejapanesekitchen.com // @koshikismith

1.15-1.17

Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella

Enjoy an on-demand film screening of celebrated British choreographer Matthew Bourne’s acclaimed “Cinderella,” which charmed Kennedy Center audiences in 2019. This performance is a thrilling and evocative love story set in London during the Second

World War. The internationally acclaimed choreographer’s interpretation of the classic fairytale has, at its heart, a true wartime romance. A chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young RAF pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz. $10. www.kennedy-center.org // @kennedycenter

1.16

Improvised Tarot Readings: A Hilarious Evening

Improvised Tarot is an interactive series full of hilarity and clarity.

A panel of NYC’s funniest comedians look into your future and help you make sense of your problems, and at the end of each round, psychic and astrologer Clarisse Monahan swoops in with the answers. The show needs YOU to participate, and nothing is off the table. 8-9 p.m. Free. www.thetinycupboard.com // @ thetinycupboard

1.17

Gaelynn Lea’s Quarantine Concerts: Live with Jeffy Tweedy and Spencer Tweedy Join Gaelynn Lea for a weekly concert on YouTube featuring improvisational live-looped violin, original tunes and remote special guests. This week, Gaelynn is over-the-moon delighted to welcome two special guests: father/son, Chicago-based rock heroes Jeff (Wilco) and Spencer Tweedy. Captions will be provided for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members. The hope is to create some chill ambiance for your Sunday afternoon.

Audience members are encouraged to ask questions, comment and share life updates. It’s like a fun little Sunday music club that everyone is welcome to join. 3 p.m. Free. violinscratches.com // @ gaelynnlea

1.18

Not Just Another Day Off

This reading on Martin Luther King Jr. Day combines poetry with historical speeches from Dr. King, Gandhi, Frederick Douglass, Mary McLeod Bethune and others. 10 a.m. Free. www.folger.edu // @folgerlibrary

1.28 The Rise of the Miniskirt: Norah Noh

Join Textile Museum curator Lee Talbot for a conversation about “The Rise of the Miniskirt: Nora Noh,” a film about the legendary Korean designer who brought stylish and pragmatic women’s wear to a country redefining itself after WWII. To participate, sign up and then watch the film at your leisure before the virtual discussion. 6 p.m. Free. www.museum.gwu.edu // @gwmuseum

1.29

A Brief and Modern History of the Étude

One of today’s foremost champions of the étude — a work balancing artistic expression with technical instruction — pianist and 2021 Hayes Artist Jenny Lin takes a fascinating and revealing look at the form. The Headline Artist program will be divided into several brief, all-new performance sets from the stage of the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, each devoted to a specific composer. Lin will introduce each set with a prerecorded video story or composer interview before performing a selection of études. The repertoire will include classic works by Chopin and Liszt, George Gershwin standards arranged by Earl Wild, and études by two of America’s greatest living composers, both National Medal of Arts honorees: Philip Glass and William Bolcom. 8 p.m. $20. www.washingtonperformingarts.org // @washingtonperformingarts

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1.21

Poulenc Trio

Lauded by The Washington Post for their “elegance, near effortless lightness, and grace,” Poulenc Trio redefines and expands oboe, bassoon, and piano repertoire in the realms of both classical and contemporary chamber music. With a commitment to commissioning, performing and recording new works from contemporary composers, the trio has had more than 20 new works written or arranged for them. They’ll perform a program of works by their namesake Francis Poulenc, Shostakovich, and pieces by contemporary composers Viet Cuong and Octavio Vazquez. 7:30 p.m. $30. The Mansion at Strathmore: 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD; www.strathmore.org // @strathmorearts

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DISTRICT FRAY | 13

EAT

TWO BEATING HEARTS

Local restaurant Immigrant Food combines gastronomy and advocacy to support immigrant causes while serving up delicious fusion cuisine. WORDS BY AMANDA WEISBROD

The concept for Immigrant Food was a long time coming. Peter Schechter, co-founder of the restaurant, had been working in politics, enterprises and startups for 25 years, while also serving on the board of José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup, which is a collective of more than 30 restaurants located throughout the country ranging in a variety of culinary experiences. It only makes sense that Schechter’s expertise in these areas would one day coalesce into a hub for what he calls “gastroadvocacy.”

The year was 2018 – the 10th year after the death of Schechter’s mother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany. At this time, Schechter also observed that the political landscape of immigration issues was tense. Combined with his past experience, the reminder of his mother’s death and the worsening state of xenophobia in the U.S., Schechter formed the idea for Immigrant Food.

“It wasn’t a big jump to the idea of combining policy communications and food,” he says. “My idea was to go a step beyond that: not only to be a voice, but to have the whole restaurant be a platform to celebrate how immigrants have changed and improved this country, and to advocate for them.”

Immigrant Food serves this purpose in downtown D.C., where anyone can walk in and peruse the restaurant’s two menus: one for delicious meals concocted from a combination of immigrant cuisine, and the other for engagement opportunities.

Schechter describes their food menu, cultivated by chef and cofounder Enrique Limardo, as “the fusion between the gastronomies of different immigrant foods that have come to America.” To give an idea of what this tastes like, Schechter says Limardo describes the inspiration behind Indian-Mexican dish Mumbai Mariachi as “a Mexican guy parachuting into the middle of India who didn’t have any Mexican spices when cooking a meal, so he used Indian ones instead.”

Meanwhile, Immigrant Food’s engagement menu lists various ways to advocate for immigrant causes. Some include donating money to various NGOs, attending events, and signing up for volunteering opportunities such as offering legal advice or teaching English. Immigrant Food Director of Communications and Outreach Téa Ivanovic says their NGO partners are key to advancing their cause.

“When we talked about creating Immigrant Food, what was important to us was that the cause of immigrants and the social justice issue were embedded in the restaurant’s business model,” she says. “It wasn’t just a corporate afterthought. We decided to partner with five immigrant service NGOs, and we’re lucky they wanted to partner with us.”

Ivanovic says she and Schechter think of these core purposes as the lifeblood of their restaurant. While their mission was first centered around bringing people together to talk advocacy at the table, they’ve had to pivot to a virtual environment that is less conducive to their cause due to the pandemic.

“When Covid hit, we had to get creative about how we were going to continue our mission,” she says. “We first asked, ‘How are we going to stay open?’ The next question was, ‘What about our mission?’ There are two hearts to Immigrant Food, and both had to keep beating.”

The restaurant now hosts virtual events, sends out a weekly e-newsletter and produces a monthly digital publication called “The Think Tank,” which focuses on parts of complex immigration issues to make them more digestible to the general public. Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, Immigrant Food’s hearts have kept on beating in the spirit of gastronomy and advocacy.

“Restaurants have always been the place immigrants have showed off their culture when they come to America,” Schechter says. “We wanted to respect that. But most of all, at a time when certain parts of America weren’t respecting the contributions of immigrants, we think a restaurant can do more than actually just show the culture. It can be a platform. For us, gastroadvocacy is an opportunity to fight against xenophobia and anti-immigrant feelings, and to advocate for real solutions for immigrants today.”

Learn more about Immigrant Food at www.immigrantfood.com and follow them on Instagram @immigrantfood.

Immigrant Food: 1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; 202-681-3848; www.immigrantfood.com

FIRST PAGE. Immigrant Food team (L to R): Head of kitchen Mile Montezuma, Peter Schechter, Enrique Limardo + Téa Ivanovic. Photos courtesy of Immigrant Food.

DISTRICT FRAY | 15

D.C. Battles Growing Food Insecurity WORDS BY TRENT JOHNSON In a time when resources are seemingly exhausted, problems that existed pre-Covid have become more apparent and visible.

When a virus alters everyday life for an entire population, an already uphill battle can begin to feel like an impossible climb up a vertical wall while wearing slippers.

But this doesn’t mean you pack it up and go home. You cannot afford to do so, as people’s livelihoods and health and wellness are on the line. One glaring issue in the District is food disparity. With a wealth of organizations and the city’s own Food Policy Council (FPC) working hard to feed people in need during the time of social distancing, D.C. as a whole has continued its attempts to improve these conditions for its citizens.

16 | WINTER 2020

“We’re very much focused on access, equity, security [and] jobs in the food sector, [now] more than ever,” says Ona Balkus, food policy director at the DC Office of Planning. “Our focus certainly shifted in the first few months [of the pandemic] toward emergency response. We’ve helped [with] emergency food programs and coordinated with a number of nonprofits that all really stepped up.”

The FPC is a coalition of food leaders and government representatives appointed by the mayor, according to its website.

Since its 2014 inception, the council has set out to collect data, monitor regulation in the food economy, and promote food access and sustainability in the District.

Photo courtesy of Bread for the City.

EAT Balkus says the beginning of 2020 was challenging for those in the city who already struggled with food insecurity, and those problems have only gotten more severe. According to a report from the mayor’s office from October, the food insecurity rate in D.C. has risen during 2020’s public health emergency from 10.6% to 16%.

The report notes higher rates among vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, undocumented individuals and homeless people, and states that the national rate of food insecurity has jumped from 11.1% to 21.9%.

“We have to think long-term as we come up with emergency programs,” Balkus adds. “When the District sets up programs, we really think about how we can support local businesses. We thought about the racial inequities [and] the urban agriculture space, and how we can use structures we’ve created to help in both long-term change and for emergency responses.”

Organizations have also noticed an uptick in customer support. FRESHFARM, a nonprofit promoting sustainable agriculture, food access and equity in the DMV, saw its Pop-Up Food Hub ramp up its operation by 600%. This included the move from providing food packages for pickup at select locations to incorporating home delivery.

“Right off the bat, you’re dealing with a persistent lack of transportation as a factor in food insecurity,” says Sebastian Muenchrath, Pop-Up Food Hub’s operations manager. “Living in a food desert, you need to have transportation to get to where the food is.”

Before the pandemic, Muenchrath says people were able to pick up food at hubs throughout the region. Because of closures, social distancing and other safety measures taken by both their own employees and people throughout the city, FRESHFARM partnered with transportation services like Lyft to ensure people would receive items. The organization went from not offering deliveries in 2019 to doing about 900 per week, he says.

“We were lucky to have support from longtime funders,” he says. “With the increase in operations, it forced us to really retool how we’re using a big operation. We have the resources, access to food and ability to provide nutrient-dense local produce, and we didn’t want to wait for things to blow over.”

Sitting still isn’t an option for the farmers who rely on the payment for these goods, or the citizens in need for healthy choices. As 2020 comes to a close, FRESHFARM is considering how to use both pickup and delivery options going forward.

With or without a pandemic, food insecurity is a problem that will persist, so the effort to combat it must remain unwavering.

“Food insecurity is going in the wrong direction at the moment, and that will inform the work we do over the next few years,” Muenchrath explains. “I think it’s intersectional. There’s so many factors that play into food security and insecurity.”

Another local organization on the frontlines is Bread for the City, which provides low-income residents with food, clothing, medical care and legal services to reduce the effects of poverty.

Similar to FRESHFARM, efforts to deliver goods were developed because of the virus limiting their physical presence.

“At our food pantry, the largest in D.C., clients would normally come to our Northwest or Southeast center to get a bag of groceries,” says Kenrick Thomas, communications and events manager. “They can save money by staying home, and we can just bring [food] to them. In Ward 8, [the residents] don’t have access to food or a grocery store. We’re who they rely on. Being able to deliver has been a huge benefit to them.”

Thomas says that during the pandemic, Bread for the City has served as many as 1,000 families in a day. As the year has progressed, the need for food has only escalated.

“Services are needed more than ever,” he says. “Our services have more than tripled since the pandemic.”

Luckily, with an increase in need, Bread for the City has also received an increase in donations.

“We’ve seen it from the community, because they understand [now] more than ever,” Thomas says. “We’re in the middle of distributing our Holiday Helpings, and this year, what we’ve decided to do instead of giving them a turkey or ham with fixings is to give them $50 gift cards. We’re able to help in that way because of the increase in donations.”

Gift cards provide flexibility, and Thomas says there’s a possibility the organization distributes more than 20,000 throughout the month. Though figuring out how to get food to community members in need has represented an area of focus, sources of food have also changed.

The Food Recovery Network (FRN), which originated at the University of Maryland, is known for its student-led initiatives in gathering food for distribution to pantries and food banks that would have otherwise gone to waste from cafeterias and other eateries on college campuses. With colleges around the country either switching to online or cutting back on their in-person offerings, FRN and its participating chapters have had to shift to different options.

“Our students are on the frontlines everyday navigating different issues,” says Regina Anderson, FRN’s executive director. “When the pandemic hit, we were already pretty flexible. We were able to form a partnership with Farmlink Project to recover unharvested food for distribution.”

The Farmlink Project collaboration allows students to source the unsold produce and then transport it to places like food banks. Anderson says this has allowed the FRN to recover 600,000 pounds of food.

Despite organizations involved in helping with the food disparity issue in the DMV and across the country, Covid has only made an existing problem worse. Balkus says that as FPC looks forward and prepares future solutions, understanding the causation and scope of these problems is imperative to fixing them.

“We think about the racial inequalities,” Balkus says. “We found that Black residents are more likely to experience food insecurity than white residents. A lot of that is the result of the racial wealth gap, which we already deal with as a city. As a council, the members have prioritized learning more about racism in the food system and how to use our influence to drive toward a more equitable system.”

For more information on these organizations and how to support them, visit their respective websites and follow them on Instagram.

Bread for the City: www.breadforthecity.org; @breadforthecity D.C. Food Policy Council: www.dcfoodpolicy.org; @dcfoodpolicy The Food Recovery Network: www.foodrecoverynetwork.org; @foodrecovery FRESHFARM: www.freshfarm.org; @freshfarmdc DISTRICT FRAY | 17

From our family to yours,

Feliz Navidad

ďż˝ ďż˝ Relax responsibly . Corona Hard Seltzer Spiked Sparking Water with Natural Flavors. Imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL

DRINK

WORDS BY LAURA SILVERMAN

DRINK Whether you’ve been in the DMV for 15 years or are brand new to town, one thing is certain: D.C. has become a wellspring of booze-free sips. But it wasn’t always this way.

I started my time in Washington fresh out of college in 2005, bar-hopping, rabble-rousing and getting lit regularly. But two years into my time here, I faced a stark reality: My life was spiraling down the drain. After getting hospitalized for alcohol poisoning twice in 18 months, I checked myself into an intensive outpatient program for substance use disorder.

Starting out as a 24-year-old Sober Sally in 2007 wasn’t a walk in the park. With no social media for connection or unique zeroproof sips, my options were limited. But as time passed and I got more comfortable in my sobriety, I knew I wanted to be a catalyst for change. So I launched Booze Free in DC, a way people could explore the DMV through a wellness and booze-free lens.

As we head into 2021, #dryjanuary gives us all the opportunity to take a quick, or long, break from booze. Whether you’re looking to stock your bar cart with #madeindc, ready-to-drink craft beverages sans booze or wanting to sip on zero-proof cocktails, here’s a few of our top five lists for what to drink when you’re not drinking.

Just Ask Ralph “Lapsang souchong Chinese black tea, Giffard Aperitif, Stirrings Blood Orange bitters and seltzer bring a soft, bitter complexity to your palate,” says Topside in Baltimore’s Anna Zelker. Available for pickup and limited dine-in reservations via OpenTable.

Topside at Hotel Revival: 101 W Monument St. Baltimore, MD; http://topsidebmore.square.site // @topsidebmore

#MADEINDC, READY-TO-DRINK, BOOZE-FREE BEVERAGES For those who want to stock their booze-free bar at home.

Element Shrub Charlie Berkinshaw’s Arlington, Virginia-based creative shrub biz (can we call it a shrubbery?) offers up winning flavor combos like chai pear and peach tamarind. This is literally one of my favorite things ever. www.elementshrub.com // @elementshrub

Mocktail Club

For those who want to get their sip on via takeout, delivery or outdoor dining.

Pauline Idogho started experimenting with recipes for her apple cider vinegar (ACV), craft, nonalcoholic cocktail company when she was pregnant. My top picks from this D.C.-based company: Havana twist and Manhattan berry. www.mocktailclub.com // @mocktailclub

Spirit-Free LIT

Sunōmi

#ZEROPROOF COCKTAILS IN THE DMV

“Imagine the subtle spice and vegetal-ness of green pepper, the bite of pine and the unctuousness of coconut set against the background of cinnamon and orange-driven cola,” says Paul Taylor, mixologist extraordinaire at Columbia Room. Available for pickup and delivery within D.C.; limited dine-in reservations via Tock. Your Only Friend pop-up at Columbia Room: 124 Blagden Alley NW, DC; www.columbiaroomdc.com // @youronlyfriendDC

The Cheery Night Refreshingly hydrating, the tartness of lemon and cranberry meets the earthiness of rosemary syrup in this concoction. It’s a summer night in a glass. Available for pickup and delivery within D.C. Bay Leaf Bitters Co.: 3607 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; www.bayleafbittersco.com // @bayleafbittersco

Master and Margarita This zero-proof cocktail is made with squeezed orange, lime essence, fresh lime, tajin, urfa, agave nectar and salt, and it’s all you need for to create those “day at the beach” vibes at home. Available for pickup and delivery via Neighborhood Provisions. Multiple locations in the DMV; www.neighborhoodprovisions.menu // @nrgprovisions

Them Apples Will Hunting called, and he wants ‘dem apples back. With J.T. Copper’s Amber Caramel syrup and apple juice with a lemon-lime base, this tasty pint is garnished with a Gala apple wedge. Available for indoor/ outdoor dine-in and pickup. Crossroads Tabletop Tavern: 9412 Main St. Manassas, VA; www.ttoptav.com // @crossroads_tabletoptavern NOTE: All social media handles listed are for the Instagram accounts of featured businesses.

What was once a staple in colonial times, Nikki Blank’s hip D.C. company is a modern-day take on the old-timey apple cider vinegar, ginger and molasses-based beverage. www.drinksunomi.com // @drinksunomi

Everyday Kombucha With flavors like lime mint, lemon ginger and wildberry, this District gem started by Chris Williamson serves up the (fermented) tea. www.drinkeverydaykombucha.com // @drink.everydaykombucha

Jícara Remedies D.C.-based Jícara Remedies preserves ancestral practices in their small-batch product lines: cacao, Puerto Rican Mavi and kombucha. www.jicararemedies.com // @jicararemedies

I invite you to discover or rediscover D.C., whether in your travels or as a local, from a healthier lens. Check out District Fray’s Dry January guide online, and stay tuned for a virtual booze-free cocktail class and more Dry January content after the holidays. In the meantime, happy zero-proof sipping.

Learn more about Laura Silverman and Booze Free in DC at www.boozefreeindc.com and follow her on Instagram at @boozefreeindc.

FIRST PAGE. Spirit-Free LIT. Photo courtesy of Your Only Friend’s Paul Taylor.

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DRINK

St. Vincent Wine Creates Covid-Conscious Experience WORDS BY NATALIA KOLENKO

Opening a business under normal circumstances can be a daunting venture, but doing so during Covid is a challenge unlike any other. Despite the obstacles, a pandemic was not going to keep Frederick Uku and Peyton Sherwood from opening their dream wine bar: St. Vincent Wine.

Located in the District’s Park View neighborhood, St. Vincent Wine opened its doors in late November, offering patrons the chance to enjoy their wine in a variety of Covid-conscious ways.

Guests who want to take their wine to-go can order online at their website and will receive 25% off as a bonus.

Locals who choose to visit can make reservations online and will be seated outside at St. Vincent’s sizable backyard patio or on their deck, with mood lighting and heaters included. What’s more, a tall fence surrounds the outdoor space to keep the setting somewhat private and cozy, a place for people to kick back, relax and forget there’s a bustling city a few blocks away.

Uku and Sherwood actually got the idea for St. Vincent from a similar experience. On a trip to New Orleans three years ago, a friend encouraged them to visit a local wine spot called Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits. What seemed like an unassuming brick building from the outside proved to be a unique wine shop where guests could pick out bottles and charcuterie to enjoy in their large outdoor space.

“We walked through a door that leads out to the back, and then all of a sudden, this little walkway opened up into this big backyard,” Sherwood says.

A band was playing on a stage in the back, he continues, with Christmas lights all around and a massive tree anchored in the center of the festivities.

“There was so much soul, and the vibe there was so relaxed,” he adds. “Being in the restaurant industry for so long, we were like, ‘We can do this.’ We wanted to bring it back to D.C. because it was such an incredible experience that it had to be shared.”

The co-owners strive to have a similar atmosphere in their own wine bar, especially since D.C. is a city filled with people always on the go. They even have a sign over the garden entrance that says, “Slow down.”

“It’s not about seeing and being seen,” Uku says. “It’s not about how much money you can spend or how showy you can be. It’s about reconnecting. Get off your phone. There are no TVs in here. Show up with some friends, drink some good wine, listen to some good music and just relax.”

While St. Vincent was inspired by Bacchanal, it's still uniquely its own. The wine bar’s name is drawn from Saint Vincent of 22 | WINTER 2020

Saragossa, the patron saint of wine, and the décor relies heavily on brick, wood and Edison bulbs to give the space a warm glow. The building dates back to the 1930s or 1940s, according to the owners, and they were able to repurpose some of the old materials into the railings leading to the second floor. Old books, typewriters and phones are also incorporated throughout to give the bar a longestablished feel.

“We wanted this place to feel like it’s always been here,” Sherwood says.

As for wine offerings, there’s a little something for everyone, including a growing list of about 189 labels that range from $20 bottles to a few “splurge” items, as Uku puts it. He adds there will also be a few Easter eggs, which are wines that can be found at St. Vincent for a uniquely low price.

Not a wine drinker? Not a problem. St. Vincent’s drink offerings also include hard cider, mead, hard seltzer and over 20 different beers. Eventually, they will also add a cocktail bar upstairs.

As for food, their menu mainly consists of cheese and charcuterie boards. When Covid restrictions lift, Uku and Sherwood say they will finally be able to open up the kitchen and expand their dinner menu, adding that some of the wine and food offerings will likely change with the seasons.

Like most businesses, St. Vincent has had its fair share of quarantine difficulties. Originally on track to open its doors this spring, they pushed back their start date to late fall. According to Uku, what normally takes a day to get a certificate of occupancy took them a month-and-a-half. They also hoped St. Vincent would be a place where strangers could mingle, share tables and relax as long as they like. For the time being, that has been put on hold.

Despite these difficulties, they are confident that eventually, they will get back to their original vision for the wine bar. Until then, they say their current system is working.

“I’ve never been part of a restaurant opening that just worked,” Sherwood says with a laugh. “It’s a testament to our 50 years of restaurant experience between the two of us, plus the other people who are involved here. We’re doing what we want to do, and we just want to get better at it.”

For reservations and more information about St. Vincent Wine, visit their website at www.stvincentwine.com and follow them on Instagram @stvincentwine.

St. Vincent Wine: 3212 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; 202-413-9763; www.stvincentwine.com RIGHT PAGE. Photos courtesy of St. Vincent.

  DISTRICT FRAY | 23

A VOICE FOR VENUES THE FIGHT TO SAVE OUR STAGES WORDS BY MONICA ALFORD PHOTO BY TONY POWELL

Audrey Fix Schaefer was sitting in the dentist’s chair on the morning of March 11 when she received a text saying Mayor Bowser was about to declare a state of emergency in the District.

She skipped her afternoon plans and went straight to meet with her team at I.M.P., the independent concert promotion and production company behind 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion and Lincoln Theatre.

MUSIC Fix Schaefer, who is I.M.P.’s communications director, and her colleagues sat around a small table in their offices near the 9:30 Club and tried to wrap their heads around what it would mean for their venues now that gatherings in D.C. were limited to 1,000 people.

“The very difficult decision was made to start postponing shows,” she says. “We thought it was going to be for three weeks.”

That night, iconic punk band Dead Kennedys took the stage at the 9:30 Club, marking the last show of 2020 at any I.M.P. venue.

Fix Schaefer says the three-week closure turned into an eight-week shutdown, and then it became apparent that there would be no concerts until the nation had a readily available vaccine to address the pandemic that has rocked our economy and tested every ounce of our livelihood.

“We realized we were going to have to think differently. It’s not just about rescheduling 40 shows that were going to be that month. It was figuring out: How do we survive? How does the business survive?”

She says I.M.P.’s first set of concerns was about their employees.

Her team established the I.M.P. Family Fund to raise money and give grants to employees who were furloughed.

“Unfortunately, like every other music venue in the U.S., we had to furlough about 95% of our employees. We’re not allowed to bring people in for work. There really wasn’t a choice.”

In addition to the family fund, I.M.P. employees have been able to benefit from Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), but Fix Schaefer says the key move her team made was becoming a charter member of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to help try to lobby Congress for emergency relief.

“It’s been a driving force since the second week of April when it was formed.”

THE DRIVING FORCE

Fix Schaefer received a text this spring from Dayna Frank, owner of renowned Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue and current president of the board at NIVA. She needed help finding a federal lobbyist to fight for independent music venues around the country in need of financial support during Covid and was relying on her connections in the nation’s capital. Fix Schaefer joined a committee who selected lobbying firm Akin Gump, who she describes as phenomenal and unreal, and then the real work began.

NIVA put out a call for membership and within a week, they’d reached 500 members. Today, the association is at 3,000 members from every single state in the U.S. As the head of communications at NIVA, Fix Schaefer has been instrumental in the development of its Save Our Stages campaign, a national movement encouraging legislators to help keep independent venues from closing permanently via the Save Our Stages Act. “We went from not existing to having legislation on the floor that’s already passed [in] the House of Representatives,” she says.

“The Save Our Stages Act is in proposals in both houses [and] both parties. I don’t know what else has got that kind of bipartisan agreement, and it’s something we worked really hard for because nobody on Capitol Hill understood our business because we never bothered to explain it to them. Why should we? We’ve always just been able to do it ourselves.”

The NIVA team has worked tirelessly to inform legislators about why they should care about the music industry surviving.

“We are a magnet for economic activity for our communities across the country,” Fix Schaefer explains. “There was a study out of Chicago last year that showed for every dollar spent at a small music venue, $12 of economic activity was realized for area businesses.”

Photo of Audrey Fix Schaefer.

She says this resonated with legislators on both sides of the aisle, because they understood that if venues can survive the pandemic and fully reopen when possible, then they will be part of economic renewal.

“When that time comes, that’s not a red issue or a blue issue – it’s a green issue.”

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (RTX) co-authored and introduced the Save Our Stages Act on July 22 as a relief bill that would provide six months’ worth of Small Business Administration grants to independent music venues.

Cornyn’s Texas roots were the impetus for his involvement, given his investment in Austin as the live music capital of the world. And Klobuchar hails from Minnesota, home to the aforementioned First Avenue where Prince famously got his start.

“Both of them quickly [realized] this was very important to their constituents. There’s enormous pride for these venues, and they also understood the economic realities and the impact that it could have if things go south. They have been fighting for this.”

THE WAITING GAME

More than 2 million emails have been sent to Congress by music lovers around the country in support of the Save Our Stages Act, and NIVA now has 220 cosponsors for this piece of legislation.

Fix Schaefer says NIVA is also pushing Congress to step up and extend PUA as part of the next Covid relief package. At the beginning of December, two proposals were released that she says are very reassuring because financial aid for independent music venues was included in both.

“One was from the Problem Solvers Caucus, which is a group of senators that’s bipartisan, and before that, the Dems had a proposal that was $2 trillion. The Senate Republicans put out a bill [on December 1] that we’re mentioned in as well. We are top of mind in Congress and on all sides of [this issue].”

As of the writing of this article, lawmakers passed a oneweek government funding extension through December 18 until the next deadline for the continuing resolution to keep the government operating. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pushed back on the bipartisan Covid relief bill on December 10, Fix Schaefer, along with the rest of the country, is anxiously awaiting to see if both parties will reach an agreement on a pandemic rescue package and spending plan by the holidays.

In the meantime, she says NIVA is continuing to support venues through fundraising efforts like their three-day Save Our Stages virtual music festival in October, which raised $1.8 million. They also established the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, a program where independent venues on the verge of going under can apply for a grant that will act as a bridge until federal funding comes through.

Fix Schaefer says it’s hard to predict what the future holds beyond federal assistance because so much is incumbent upon the vaccine being available to the masses and bands deciding when they are ready to get out on the road again. There has to be some type of uniformity and consistency across the nation with how venues are being reopened, and partial openings don’t help.

“The only thing worse than being fully shuttered as a venue is to be partially open, because then you end up losing money. In some parts of the country, [venues can be at] 25% capacity. Well, your mortgage doesn’t go [down] to 25% and neither do your utilities and taxes and all of that. The other thing is, you can’t charge the customer four times as much and bands aren’t going to tour for 25% as much because it’s too expensive for them.”

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MUSIC She anticipates at least three to four months will be needed to get the music industry back up and running because of the sheer amount of logistics and planning that goes into scheduling tours, booking venues and marketing shows.

“It’s not like a restaurant that can just order the eggs and spinach and bacon and toast, and be able to serve you breakfast tomorrow morning. This is going to be much longer.”

This was another crucial element that NIVA had to explain to Congress about the difference between the music industry and the hospitality industry. Fix Schaefer says restaurants can do takeout and delivery or be at partial capacity, but you can’t do that with the live concert experience. She also notes the amount of time, money and training that will need to go into establishing CDC-compliant guidelines and protocols for reopening.

THE LOCAL IMPACT

While hopeful, the gravity of the situation is at the forefront of Fix Schaefer’s mind. She notes the hundreds of venues across the country that have permanently closed, and the five D.C. institutions we’ve lost thus far including U Street Music Hall, Twins Jazz and Eighteenth Street Lounge.

Farid Nouri closed Eighteenth Street Lounge in June after deciding he couldn’t justify the exorbitant cost of renting the 10,000-squarefoot space in Dupont Circle while it stood empty. He was also in the process of negotiating a lease renewal with his landlord, so the timing to ditch the brick-and-mortar and hit pause on his 25-year-old nightlife spot made sense. And most importantly, he didn’t want to create unnecessary risk for locals.

“I didn’t want to be the owner that would have had to open in order to make ends meet while the pandemic was still ongoing,” he says. “I hate to say it, but this wild surge we’re currently dealing with has its roots in restaurants, bars and other social gatherings. I totally understand the struggle though, hence the immediate need for federal government assistance.”

Nouri was moved by the D.C. community’s overwhelming response to the lounge’s closure and has continued to stay connected to them with virtual DJ sets. As for what the future holds, he says he wants to wait a bit and see how the next year plays out. He may even consider reopening in a new space in 2022, when businesses are back to some semblance of normalcy.

Black Cat co-owners Dante and Catherine Ferrando are in the opposite boat, riding out the storm at their 14th Street location and losing money in the interim. Catherine says they did receive $17,000 total in small, local grants as well as some PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) funding. They also held a fundraiser at the start of Covid specifically to support their employees, raising $30,000 total.

Similar to Nouri, Catherine isn’t comfortable with opening Black Cat’s doors to audiences in the short-term.

“We’re waiting for it to be both legal and safe to have at least a couple hundred people [in the venue],” she says. “I honestly think that’s going to be post-vaccine because I just don’t see it being safe, and we don’t want to pose any risk to the public [or] put our staff at risk.”

She encourages locals to keep their eyes peeled for virtual events, like Black Cat’s annual Rock-n-Shop holiday event this month, and to stay connected to the music community via recordings of past shows on their website.

Union Stage and Jammin Java co-owner Daniel Brindley has navigated Covid restrictions a bit differently. Union Stage at The Wharf was one of a select few D.C. venues approved for the mayor’s Phase Two Live Entertainment Pilot in October, which approved up to 50 audience members for shows. He says after extending the pilot 26 | WINTER 2020

through the end of the year, city officials reversed the extension a week later after he’d booked five concerts that of course then needed to be canceled.

“The other major frustration is the guidelines [the District has] put out are honestly nonsensical, and in my opinion, sort of irrational,” Brindley says. “The worst one is that the first row of people needs to be 30 feet from the stage. That makes absolutely no sense. I don’t know why having a performer onstage standing there singing necessitates being 30 feet away. And mind you, they’re actually deep into the stage when they’re singing. Shit, we would’ve put them at the back of the stage if it would have helped. [City officials] don’t get it, so that’s a problem.”

He’s also frustrated by what he views as the city’s lack of understanding that not all music venues involve uncontrollable, rowdy crowds. Both Union Stage and Jammin Java offer restaurant experiences with live music, and therefore might have succeeded under the city’s guidelines for the hospitality industry. Still, he says he thinks the city is trying.

Across the river, Jammin Java in Vienna, Virginia is currently open at a 55-person capacity, but some shows are canceling based on the latest headlines surrounding Covid spikes in the DMV. Brindley is in the process of setting up GoFundMe campaigns for his venues and seems resolved to dig his heels in and wait it out like so many of his peers.

THE COMMUNITY

Whether it’s writing a note to your elected officials in support of the Save Our Stages Act or buying merch from your favorite D.C. area venue, Fix Schaefer says there’s still much to be done to help our music venues. She’s been particularly heartened to see high engagement from the I.M.P. newsletter’s readership.

“It’s good because it tells us that when we are able to open up, people are going to want to come back. There’s going to be this pentup desire to get back amongst other brethren who adore music and have that sense of community, and that sanctuary with that escape.”

She speaks affectionately of the District’s “crazy great music community,” and the city’s strong history of underground go-go, punk and indie music.

“9:30 Club is the number one most-attended club of its size in the world, and it’s been like that for probably nearly two decades. [The District] has been one of the most sophisticated music towns for so long. People in D.C. have always found a way to have their ear to the ground and know about things before everybody else does. Because we’re like that, we’ve been able to bring acts here that get nurtured, really take off and grow into bigger acts.”

Artist loyalty is high on her list as well: More than 1,000 artists have signed a letter to Congress, posted about Save Our Stages to their social media accounts or held fundraisers to support independent music venues since April.

“It means a lot to us. We’re part of an ecosystem. They need us.

We need them. We’re part of what has helped nurture their career.

They understand that for artists who want to continue to break out and emerge, they’re going to need places to be. But we get huge artists playing smaller venues, too, because they love to come and do an underplay.”

Support the Save Our Stages Act by writing to legislators at www.saveourstages.com and donate to NIVA at www.nivassoc.org. Go to www.930.com to donate to the I.M.P. Family Fund. Follow NIVA on Instagram @nivassoc and I.M.P. venues at @930club, @theanthemdc, @merriweatherpp and @thelincolndc. Follow Audrey Fix Schaefer on Twitter @audreyschaefer. Support Black Cat, Jammin Java and Union Stage at www.blackcatdc.com, www.jamminjava.com and www.unionstage.com.

The Year in Review

MUSIC

Voices in D.C.’s Music Scene Share 2020 Favorites COMPILED BY M.K. KOSZYCKI As we reflect on the passing year and all the challenges it’s brought – especially in the realm of music – District Fray turned to D.C.based musicians, venue owners and industry professionals to share their year in music. Read on for their personal best-ofs celebrating their own accomplishments in an especially tough year, and the things keeping them looking forward to 2021.

AUDREY FIX SCHAEFER TOP 2020 SONGS “Boomer” by Bartees Strange | “Watch Your Step” by Disclosure w/ Kelis | “A Hero’s Death” by Fontaines D.C. | “And It’s Still Alright”

by Nathaniel Rateliff | “Time Moves On” by Phantom Planet TOP 2020 TV SHOWS “Ozark” | “Fargo” | “The Queen’s Gambit” | “Next in Fashion” | “30 Rock” MOST ANTICIPATED 2021 RELEASES I should be paying attention to upcoming albums, but I’m not there yet. I’m more excited to see the outcome of the Georgia Senate runoff races and the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

LIFE WITHOUT LIVE MUSIC I’ve been completely consumed with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)’s efforts to get the Save Our Stages Act passed so venues can hold on until it’s safe to reopen. When not doing that, I’m reminding myself how lucky I am that my family and I are healthy, and that tequila is very delicious.

UP NEXT IN 2021 I’ve ached to see family and friends, so traveling to them will be number one on my list. I can’t wait to hug my people as we greet, and of course be in a sweaty room filled with the electricity that only the live concert experience can bring.

Follow I.M.P. and NIVA’s communications director on Twitter @audreyschaefer. Learn more about I.M.P. at www.impconcerts.com and NIVA at www.nivassoc.org.

BACCHAE TOP 2020 RECORDS “There is No Year” by Algiers | “Untenable” by Bad Moves | “Live Forever” by Bartees Strange | “Petals for Armor” by Hayley Williams | “Things I Never Said” by Oceanator TOP 2020 DISCOVERY Rena Hagins: Baltimore-based band Pinkshift Eileen O’Grady: Gloomy, post-punk band Molchat Doma Andrew Breiner: Blondie Katie McD: Italian house music group Black Box MOST ANTICIPATED 2021 RELEASES Hagins: Potential albums from Quinton Brock and Pinkshift, and every release coming out on Get Better Records

McD: “Heretics and the People That Made Them” by Backxwash | the physical release of “Things I Never Said” by Oceanator | any local, unannounced surprise releases LIFE WITHOUT LIVE MUSIC Hagins: We got to play a sold-out record release show at Songbyrd [Record Cafe and Music House] on March 6, which was our only show of the year before everything shut down. It was one of the most incredible shows we have ever played. After tours were canceled, lots of artists embraced livestreams and continued pushing out new music, so it has been great to still support the artists we love and discover new ones along the way.

UP NEXT IN 2021 O’Grady: I am hellbent on going to as many shows as possible when it’s possible, supporting small venues and DIY spaces, and having touring bands sleep on my couch and then becoming friends with them.

Breiner: We want to transplant our band plans from 2020 to 2021: touring farther away from home for longer stretches of time than before and finally [getting] to play in front of people.

For more on Bacchae and to listen to their latest album “Pleasure Vision,” visit www.bacchae.bandcamp.com and follow them on Instagram and Twitter @bacchaeband.

BARTEES STRANGE TOP 2020 RECORDS “BRAT” by NNAMDÏ | “Heaven to a Tortured Mind” by Yves Tumor | “Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa | “After Hours” by The Weeknd | “songs / instrumentals” by Adrianne Lenker TOP 2020 DISCOVERY A buddy asked me recently if there were any big jazz records that have come out in the last five years that I felt cut through and actually became popular, and [Jeff Parker’s] record did that in my opinion. Jeff did an incredible thing making it deep enough for jazz heads, but also keeping it recognizable and fun for people who love R&B or hip-hop. I’m excited for more people to find jazz through people like him and [American jazz drummer] Makaya McCraven.

MOST ANTICIPATED 2021 RELEASES [I’m] curious to see if The National has another record coming, [or] Lucy Dacus. [I’m] looking forward to more house and dance music, specifically Jai Paul, who teased some new music a year ago.

LIFE WITHOUT LIVE MUSIC I’m producing a lot more than normal, which is paying the bills.

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MUSIC I’m really thankful for that. I’ve been promoting [my] record “Live Forever” and doing a lot of live videos. It’s been a trip.

UP NEXT IN 2021 I told myself going into the pandemic that when it’s over, I’ll be in a different direction artistically and professionally. Up until a couple months ago, I was working a very full-time day job and trying to piece music together on the side. But this year, music really took over, so I’m hoping to keep building this thing. In 2021, I want to have tours booked and production gigs lined up so I can continue to focus on music as my main thing. That feels very realistic right now.

LIFE WITHOUT LIVE MUSIC 2020 has been a tough year for live music. As a replacement, I’ve delved back into some of my favorite artists’ back catalogues.

Watching music-related documentaries has also been a way to make up for the lack of live shows, albeit not as fulfilling as being in a venue.

For more on Bartees Strange and to listen to his latest album “Live Forever,” visit www.barteesstrange.bandcamp.com and follow on Instagram and Twitter @bartees_strange.

UP NEXT IN 2021 I’d been thinking about taking some time off prior to the pandemic, so in a way, that kind of worked out in 2020. For 2021, I’m looking forward to continuing [to] expand on my real estate development portfolio, all the while keeping an eye on the hospitality industry as the mitigation measures will gradually improve for an eventual full reopening. The viability of nightclubs as a business model remains to be seen.

AZAM “DJ OZ” MIRZA

Nouri's Eighteenth Street Lounge is currently shuttered, but stay tuned for his future plans at www.18thstlounge.com and on Instagram and Twitter @18thstlounge.

TOP 2020 RECORDS “Burden of Proof” by Benny the Butcher | “King’s Disease” by Nas | “After Hours” by The Weeknd | “It Is What It Is” by Thundercat | “We’re New Again - A Reimagining” by Makaya McCraven TOP 2020 DISCOVERY Guordan Banks is making the kind of R&B [and] soul that is making me fall in love with it again. It’s a new kind of soul that just feels right.

MOST ANTICIPATED 2021 RELEASES Untitled album by H.E.R. | “Dangerous Thoughts” by Black Thought and Danger Mouse | “Medicine at Midnight”

by Foo Fighters LIFE WITHOUT LIVE MUSIC I’ve been trying to discover new music and different sounds. By not performing, I have more time to discover new artists and work on other creative projects like a documentary short [and] a new restaurant endeavor.

UP NEXT IN 2021 After 21 years of DJing, I am going to be spending more time with and focusing on my family.

For more on DJ Oz, visit www.DJOZlive.com and follow on Instagram and Twitter @djoz713.

FARID NOURI TOP 2020 RECORDS “Low Season” by Poolside | “Sickla” by OPOLOPO | “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In)” by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings | “Motown State of Mind” by Lord Finesse | “Automatic Remixes” by Mildlife TOP 2020 DISCOVERY “Harmonies” by Lord Echo MOST ANTICIPATED 2021 RELEASES “Sea Sons” by Thomas Blondet & Steven Rubin | “Losing Myself”

by Bill Speakman | “Revisions” by Farid

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ROSIE CIMA & WHAT SHE DREAMED TOP 2020 RECORDS Rosie Cima: “Temple” by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down | “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” by Fiona Apple | “Wokey Dokey” by Pancho Morris | “New Truth” by Jenny O. | "Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers Bandmates Mashaal Ahmed, Barrett Browne + Steve Burch: “Saint Cloud” by Waxahatchee | “Wasted Youth” by Diana Gordon | “Ultra Mono” by IDLES | “Swimmer” by Tennis | “Have You Lost Your Mind Yet” by Fantastic Negrito TOP 2020 DISCOVERY Cima: Rosie Tucker Bandmates: Khruangbin, and their world music playlist generator MOST ANTICIPATED 2021 RELEASES Cima: “Two Saviors” by Buck Meek | “Realm of the Warring Gods” by Rosie Cima & What She Dreamed | forthcoming album by Lightmare Bandmates: “For The First Time” by New Road, Black Country | potential album by Frank Ocean | forthcoming album by Lightmare LIFE WITHOUT LIVE MUSIC Cima: We’ve kept having band practice by moving it to my backyard, and I feel so grateful to my neighbors and roommates for letting us invade their ears on a weekly basis. Sometimes, I look up and the little girls next door are watching between the slats of their back porch, which is honestly the best audience I could ask for.

UP NEXT IN 2021 Cima: I want to get better at recording my own stuff at home. It might be our only option to keep collaborating through the winter.

Bandmates: Getting vaccinated and then hitting up the clubs for a late 2021 East Coast tour to belatedly promote our album.

Preorder the band’s new album “Realm of the Warring Gods” at www.rosiecima.bandcamp.com. Proceeds will go toward a fund offering guarantees to artists playing livestream shows to help them get paid during an especially hard year for performing artists.

Follow them on Instagram @whatshedreamed.

CLOCKWISE (from top left). Azam “DJ Oz” Mirza. Photo by Kimchi Photography. Audrey Fix Schaefer. Photo by Tony Powell. Rosie Cima & What She Dreamed. Photo by Kimchi Photography.

Farid Nouri. Photo by John Shore Photography. Bacchae (from top to bottom): Katie McD. Andrew Breiner. Eileen O’Grady. Rena Hagins. Photos courtesy of the band.

CULTURE

Reverberate

Cultural Leadership as a Creative Enterprise

The Kennedy Center’s Social Impact Initiatives Resonate + Reverberate

WORDS BY MONICA ALFORD “Like an orchid, I felt myself slowly bending my body in half. The top of my head was like an antenna that pointed toward the drums. I realized how much I missed that feeling of someone getting free in front of you, and what that does.”

Marc Bamuthi Joseph is waxing poetic about how fiercely he misses live music, and the visceral impact of seeing jazz pianist and producer Robert Glasper perform in front of several dozen audience members this fall at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House. It was the drum solo during Glasper’s show that transported Joseph to another time and place, when live performances were the very fabric of the Kennedy Center’s connection to the local community.

“Live performance isn’t just about your ability to execute on or with your instrument,” he says.

“It’s about the orchestration of energy. It’s what happens to the molecules in the room when an amazing performer breaks through physics and biology and creates something almost alien. Not only is that the kind of magic of live performance that we’re attracted to, but it’s also a core place for a lot of artists who do this for a living.”

As the Kennedy Center’s vice president and artistic director of social impact, Joseph has spent the past nine months rethinking how to cultivate a sense of community based on the impact-driven principles and ideals behind the center’s cultural leadership. While he had laid the groundwork pre-Covid for robust social impact programming, alongside Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter and other likeminded colleagues, everything changed course, and in many ways, picked up momentum in 2020.

From late July to early December, the center offered free digital programming through the Arts Across America program on an almost daily basis that acted as a virtual stand-in for its popular Millennium Stage performances. The program was specifically created to “uplift artists and showcase art from communities and regions across the country in this extraordinary time of uncertainty, due to a global pandemic, and unrest, as the nation also faces its history of systemic racism and oppression.”

This summer, the center also launched the Culture Caucus, a curated group of 20-30 individuals and organizations in the D.C. area operating essentially as a community artistsin-residence program, and Office Hours, miniresidencies offering artists a six-day opportunity to develop work and perform at the national cultural center. Both initiatives give artists access to the REACH, the Kennedy Center’s year-old campus expansion designed to facilitate shared artistic experiences for the community.

Rutter says that while these programs are not mainstage or big platform activities, they’re actually getting more of the spotlight this year because the center’s larger-scale productions and big Broadway touring projects have been put on hold due to the pandemic.

“We’ve been focusing really intensively on our local community here in D.C., which, frankly, the Kennedy Center has not always done a really great job of,” she says candidly. “We have been working really, really hard to celebrate and support local artists, local grassroots artists, and local and grassroots arts organizations to be a good partner.

Members of the Kennedy Center Culture Caucus during a meeting in early 2020. Photo by D. Lee.

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CULTURE When you take [away] that which garners a lot of attention, it reminds you there is an ongoing level of activity bubbling along that is now getting more attention.”

She says her and Joseph’s dedication to the issues of equity and diverse programming has propelled the social impact initiatives launched earlier this year, but this work has been deeply rooted in the center’s DNA for a long time.

“This is work we have been doing and caring about. You’re talking to a girl who as a volunteer in the ‘80s was taking music to low-income neighborhoods, and helping to keep girls from getting pregnant by learning how to play the violin. This is something I’ve cared about my entire professional career. It’s just that now, we have reached that tipping point where people are really paying attention.”

The tipping point Rutter is referring to is the unconscionable murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many others, forcing systemic racism to the forefront of our nation’s collective consciousness this summer. That, coupled with the crushing effects of the pandemic, gave a stronger sense of purpose to the Kennedy Center’s impactdriven programming.

“The entire country experiencing this dual crisis – one virological and one cultural – opened up space within the Kennedy Center to go from poetry to prose to something more urgent than either of those things,” Joseph says. “How do we begin to embody the kind of place that combats a cultural landscape and philosophical environment in which that kind of hatred could exist and survive? How do we move beyond words?”

He says the center calling itself an anti-racist organization wasn’t enough.

“We’re so far from [achieving] that because of how deeply layered and scaffolded racism is in the fabric of America.”

He’s encouraged Kennedy Center leaders to think about anti-Blackness as something they are consistently, proudly and actively combating.

“If we do think racism is structural [and] systemic, then our goal has to be to build systems that counteract or serve as some kind of cultural counterbalance to a landscape of defensiveness and prejudice. These are the things that we had to integrate into the organization in a more profound and urgent way. That is where you find us today.”

Rutter says the center’s social impact initiatives are about supporting storytelling that hasn’t always been told, and artists who haven’t always been center stage, by weaving thematic concepts through every facet of their programming.

“These are really important ways you can change behavior,” she notes. “If we’re looking to eradicate racism, then [we have to take] this systemic approach to incorporating [these messages] throughout all of our work. I’m really proud of the way my team has embraced this.”

While Rutter did put an impetus on in-person opportunities for the community this summer and fall, all complying with Covid guidelines, of course, those have been temporarily put on hold due to the mayor’s new restrictions for the city. But she’s confident in the center’s ability to reintroduce these activities to the public in a safe way when the numbers stop spiking.

“Our operations team has been having conversations at the highest level across the country about how to have safe buildings and safe activities, and establish protocols,” she says. “[We] have been in consultation with physicians, 32 | WINTER 2020

epidemiologists and scientists, and we contracted with the Cleveland Clinic to help us establish specific guidelines.

We have been able to benefit from extraordinary expertise that gives us confidence about the events and gatherings we can host.”

In the meantime, Joseph says the center has been offering a very healthy slate of programming. He notes a recent hybrid meeting of the Culture Caucus where some artists joined digitally, and some joined in person at the REACH after the center arranged for rapid Covid testing.

“They were very clear that they wanted to have more of a say in terms of certain directions the Kennedy Center was taking.

They assumed a different level of agency far beyond what I would have thought or hoped for, so that’s dope.”

He also mentions a 2018 collaboration with the Apollo Theater on an adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book “Between the World and Me” as an example of transforming thought leadership into curated content. The Kennedy Center produced a panel to accompany the film special, available on HBO this month, which Joseph sees as one of many opportunities to engage audiences in a new way.

“That’s the kind of impact we’re seeking to have: a little bit smaller, much more directed and certainly limited by the strictures of Covid in terms of how many people we can gather.

But, [we’re] seeking a deeper impact [and] more intimate relationship. We are doing more than programming concerts.

We’re producing, processing and developing relationships in ways we haven’t always been as successful in doing.”

He’s still quick to be honest about the deficits of working for a performing arts institution mid-pandemic.

“It’s hard, man. Our gig is to bring people together. That’s the mandate.”

Opportunities like curating a several-day series specifically for frontline workers and first responders that included movie screenings, performances and meals courtesy of the center’s beer and wine garden Victura Park might have to be put on hold, but Joseph and Rutter have both proven spry and resilient in their pivots.

In the next few months, and for the foreseeable future, Joseph says he anticipates a continuing shift for the center to the foreground of cultural leadership as a creative enterprise.

“All I want is for artists to be positioned as leaders as we collectively undergo a moment of national healing. On the far horizon, as we do feel comfortable getting back in public spaces together again, I just cannot wait to see live music and feel that feeling with others. The patience, the intelligence, the discipline and the resilience [needed] to get there – that’s what places like the Kennedy Center can do. We can be a bridge to that place of a more healed soul and psyche.”

Learn more about the Kennedy Center’s social impact initiatives, including Arts Across America, the Culture Caucus and Office Hours, at www.kennedy-center.org/our-story/social-impact. Follow the center on Instagram and Facebook @kennedycenter and on Twitter at @kencen, and check their website for regular updates on community-focused digital programming available this winter.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: 2700 F St. NW, DC; 202-467-4600; www.kennedy-center.org

CULTURE

Evoking the Senses with Transformer’s FlatFile WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI Transformer has worked tirelessly to support artists and make art accessible to all for the past 18 years. From those just beginning their own collection to established collectors from around the globe, the Logan Circle-based gallery creates a symbiotic relationship consisting of diverse, affordable art that when showcased, allows its creators to be championed.

This mission is made a reality through their FlatFile program, a fluid and innovative collection of buyable art consisting of two-dimensional works like painting, photography, zines and more. With all art priced under $500 and sized 16 by 20 inches and below, FlatFile represents a two-fold model of art accessibility: support for artists and a way for individuals to begin or add to their art collections.

“It’s been a really great and growing program [since 2007] where we can support artists we’ve exhibited,” says Victoria Reis, Transformer’s cofounder and executive and artistic director. “When we work with an artist and have a great experience presenting their work, we don’t want the relationship to end there. Also, it’s an opportunity for us to engage with new artists who we might not be ready to present in a formal full-scale exhibition, but whose work we’re interested in and want to support.”

Transformer is also home to a far-reaching exhibition of the FlatFile’s artists and artworks. This year, the theme is “Evoking the Senses,” celebrating the manners in which we engage in the world every day and the ways that art can enrich them.

Kicking off on December 12, this exhibition includes additions to FlatFile, multifaceted programming and the culminating event, Heartbreakers Ball, in February. A three-month celebration of 34 | WINTER 2020

Transformer’s art and artists, “Evoking the Senses” draws people into the District’s thriving art scene and allows participants to engage with contemporary creators in a meaningful way. “[FlatFile] evolves every year with new artists and new works by current artists, but we really wanted to do a big revamp to reenergize it,” Reis says. “We have our current artists, and we’re getting new work from them. We’ve invited around 15 new artists to be part of the program and reached out to about 10 artists who are alumni of Transformer to include work in FlatFile. It’s a really nice mix of past, present and future.”

Artists whose work is part of FlatFile are able to come to the Transformer team with additions to it at any time, but this exhibit will breathe life into the work of the gallery and artists in a new way. Reis and her team are hard at work planning thought-provoking programming for “Evoking the Senses.” Instagram takeovers, virtual talks and rotating exhibits at Adams Morgan’s LINE Hotel are all opportunities to further Transformer’s reach in the greater D.C. community.

FlatFile will include some of artist Amy Hughes Braden’s new works created during the pandemic, as well as her empty houseturned-exhibit “Smudge,” alongside partner and sound artist Alex Braden. Recently, Hughes Braden has been creating what she calls blobs: sculptures consisting of junk, debris and found items from around her home, including paper clay.

She’s created two-dimensional versions of these works for FlatFile, as well as three-dimensional works for “Smudge,” on display December 12-13 for individuals and pods at her former home.

Artwork from “Smudge” exhibit. Photo courtesy of Amy Hughes Braden.

“There’s so much content [like] my loan application paperwork or my kid’s doctor bill [that] I’m channeling into this work,” she says of her blobs. “It’s very therapeutic and tactile to use my hands in that way. [Because] we’re moving out of the house, I was sorting through even more things and going through old materials in my studio.”

Artist Adam Griffiths will be adding some of his digital prints and a few original pencil drawings to the refreshed FlatFile this winter, and like Hughes Braden, he’ll be included in “Evoking the Senses.”

“I’m launching my webcomic,” he says. “It’s called ‘American Cryo,’ and it’s about a bat taking on punk-rock chickens in an ‘80s shopping mall. I’m going to do it like a Sunday cartoon strip, but on [Transformer’s] Instagram.”

Transformer will have a pop-up exhibit in the LINE Hotel’s lobby with up to 10 artworks featured in three waves: December 12, January 12 and February 12. “Evoking the Senses” will also include robust virtual programming across a variety of mediums such as Zoom events, IGTV takeovers, playlists, reading guides and more. New art will be added to the virtual FlatFile storefront for purchase during the three-month period as well.

The sheer variety of programming offered mirrors how Transformer tangibly supports artists of many mediums and experiences, and how that approach naturally gives way to a demystification around collecting and patronizing art.

“Transformer is really great because they don’t think that art collecting should be intimidating,” Griffiths adds. “That’s what FlatFile is all about: artists who are doing experimental, interesting stuff and people who really want to consume it [having] access. Whether they’re small, original works in your home or everyday gifts, the art is something you can contemplate over time.”

EVOKING THE SENSES

While Transformer has dealt with challenges this year brought on by the pandemic, Reis and her team have continued to innovate so that art is being shared and artists are being paid and supported. “Evoking the Senses” carries on this tradition of reinvention and adaptation, even though much of its programming will be virtual.

“We’re very DIY and punk-based,” Reis says. “That’s our ethos. We’re very grassroots. It’s a niche, but [we’re] ultimately building connections. We’ve just kept the energy going and reimagined everything.”

As “Evoking the Senses” kicks off and participants are immersed in this three-month journey, at the heart of it all is art that’s available to anyone who wants it. It’s for the empty walls of your new apartment. It’s there to make a space feel individualized if you’re back living with family in the midst of a hard year. It can become the beginning of a beautiful, lifelong collection. It makes the perfect gift for a loved one to enjoy for years to come. Transformer celebrates all the meaningful things art brings to our everyday lives and gives tangible support to those who make it.

“Evoking the Senses” kicks off on December 12. Times, dates and further information on various programs can be found at www.transformer.org and on Instagram @transformerdc. The exhibit will conclude with a virtual edition of the Heartbreakers Ball on February 14. FlatFile works can be purchased by visiting http://flatfile.transformerdc.org. Learn more about Amy Hughes Braden at www.amyhughesbraden.com and on Instagram @hughesbraden, and Adam Griffiths via www.adamgriffiths.ink and on Instagram @grifftones.

Transformer: 1404 P St. NW, DC; 202-483-1102; www.transformer.org

Featuring Transformer’s FlatFile Artists & Artworks December 12, 2020 - February 20, 2021

TOUCH, TASTE, SIGHT, SMELL, & SOUND This winter, Transformer is Evoking the Senses through a multi-venue FlatFile installation & online exhibition and program series with more than 50 artists & collaborators to recharge, reconnect, and re-energize people with their senses as we head into a new year.

TUNE IN TO EVOKE YOUR SENSES FOLLOW

P @transformerdc

VISIT flatfile.transformerdc.org transformer 1404 p street nw, washington, dc 20005 | info@transformerdc.org | transformerdc.org Image Credits (Top L-R): Aphra Adkins; Andy McIntyre; Ding Ren; Eames Armstrong; Matt Hollis; Johab Silva; Jessica Cebra; MK Bailey; Rose Jaffe.

Media Sponsor

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CULTURE

Paper Routes to Reclamation Women in the Arts Mid-Pandemic WORDS BY COURTNEY SEXTON Growing up in the ‘90s, paper routes – along with hundreds of other roles and occupations – were for the boys. The ‘90s wasn’t that long ago, but we’ll chalk at least one up for 2020 because we’ve finally cracked that glass ceiling a hundred ways to Sunday. And so, “Paper Routes” is an apropos title for the first of two exhibitions at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) this winter, as it connects and showcases 22 women artists from around the world all working in paper as a primary medium.

“Paper Routes” is an installment of the NMWA’s Women to Watch series, on display through January 18. International and national outreach committees and guest curators coalesced shortlists of artists working in the chosen medium from their regions. From these lists, NMWA curators selected the artists whose work is now on view, both virtually and in-person.

By interacting with the pieces, visitors can traverse the routes the creators have taken as artists, women and the myriad of other identities they hold. At the same time, this diversity of experiences is, of course, what shapes the ways these artists have responded to traditional associations with and uses of paper.

“When you see so many works made out of the same thing, essentially, it’s really awe-inspiring to see what artists come up with,” says NMWA Associate Curator Virginia Treanor. “The level of skill involved in all of these works is astonishing.”

The floor-to-ceiling wallpaper made from hand-cut tissue paper fashioned into intricate lacy patterns by artist Elisabetta Di Maggio, for example, leaves a “resonance of the undervalued work historically associated with women – delicate, monotonous work like sewing,” Treanor notes.

Di Maggio’s work hangs in complementary contrast to her peer Angela Glajcar’s freely floating, geometric paper cubes.

With inward spiraling torn edges implying infinite chasms, these cubes – with no melodrama of interpretation intended – could easily represent a woman’s work never ending.

Installing these pieces, and others in the exhibition, without having the artists present was painstaking. But Treanor says it engendered a new kind of collaboration and participation between creator and curator. Virtual visits with the artists and a curatorial video are also new elements of the exhibition, included to enhance the visitor experience during the pandemic when many are not able to see the pieces in person.

In this way, “Paper Routes” really is traveling, building physical connections between the artists and the public. During this time of strife, the exhibition also forces the question: In what other ways are women making space, building connections, and continuing to be the carriers of culture and the guardians of tradition?

And this is exactly the question Melani Douglass had been considering five years ago when she founded the Family Arts 36 | WINTER 2020

Museum, “an institution celebrating family as fine art, home as curated space and community as gallery.” A year ago, she brought the concept to her role as NMWA’s director of public programs and began curating “RECLAMATION: Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals,” which opens at NMWA on January 18.

The interactive, multi-genre, participatory digital exhibit amplifies the idea of the home and home life as curated creations, preserving an integral space within the shared human experience. “RECLAMATION,” part of the NMWA’s Women, Arts, and Social Change initiative, was not initially conceived as a virtual show. But it quickly became apparent to Douglass that the timing of its launch was somehow very in tune with the zeitgeist.

“It was always about [the] home food community, and the social justice aspect that happens around the table and how we get to connect,” Douglass says. “For us to be able to launch it in the middle of a time [when] everyone is forced to reconnect with the home has been an interesting alignment.”

“RECLAMATION” is both performance and living archive, examining food as a creative medium for visual art and a connective tool for exploring intergenerational and intercultural experiences. Each of the nine interdisciplinary artists shares photographs, videos and stories about what the kitchen table means as an object, place and center of domestic life. Through intimate glimpses and uncovering of traditions, the exhibition seeks to recontextualize women’s roles as providers and healers.

“We’re taking tidbits about food history and all these interesting ways they connect, and amplifying them to find even deeper relationships,” Douglass adds. “We’re asking, ‘What is the art we all have in our individual families?’ and then bringing all of that together to be this digestible mirror of ourselves.”

“RECLAMATION” will also feature content submitted by the public, inviting them to upload recipes, stories and images that will be interwoven with the artists’ work. There will be a recipes archive with a searchable virtual pantry of ingredients, each one linking not only to relevant uploaded recipes but also to a series of personal histories and artwork that illuminates the origins of home remedies.

This winter, the NMWA invites us to reflect on how and who we nourish, and how we honor survival. And how do we, and our stories, travel the paper routes of the world to keep our species alive in the face of disaster, and on whose backs are those stories carried?

“Paper Routes” is on display in-person and online at the NMWA through January 18. “RECLAMATION: Recipes, Remedies, and Rituals” is active from January 18 to December 31. Learn more about these exhibits at www.nmwa.org and follow on Instagram @womeninthearts.

National Museum of Women in the Arts: 1250 New York Ave. NW, DC; 202-783-5000; www.nmwa.org “RECLAMATION” exhibit pieces. Photos by Maggie Pate.

  DISTRICT FRAY | 37

LIFE

SMALL FOR ALL A DMV GIFT GUIDE FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI

LIFE If you didn’t already look to local makers for your holiday gifting needs, 2020 is the year to make the switch. No matter who is on your list, there’s something from an amazing shop or artisan in the DMV to make their holiday merry. Shop small this winter and give a gift to your community, too.

THE CREATIVE

For the friend brimming with curiosity, here’s everything they need to keep creating and learning.

Art from Transformer’s FlatFile

Give the gift of art through this evolving collection of twodimensional works. With a variety of mediums all sized at or below 16” by 20” inches and prices no more than $500, a one-ofa-kind work of art from a myriad of amazing artists will brighten up anyone’s wall for years to come while supporting creators. http://flatfile.transformerdc.org // @transformerdc

The Comptoir Spanish Flu/Covid-19 Embroidery Kit

This embroidery kit for beginners by The Comptoir has everything you need to get started, including an informational booklet explaining different stitches alongside your supplies. The end result is the encouraging message that “We’re all in this together” atop an authentic image from 1917 during the Spanish flu. In addition to a new hobby, this gift is a great reminder of the resilience we all carry and our ability to help one another through tough times. $25. www.femme-fatale-dc.myshopify.com // @femmefataledc

Official Royal Watch Earrings

These wearable works of art will brighten up an everyday outfit or sophisticate a hardworking friend’s work-from-home ensemble. From bright colors to eye-catching metallics and classic neutrals, you’ll find a piece for every wardrobe – and probably want to treat yourself to a pair, too. Various styles and prices. www.officialroyalwatch.com // @officialroyalwatch

Paint My Life Coloring Book

This is the perfect gift for the person in your life who misses the energy of concerts. D.C. photographer Farrah Skeiky took an assortment of her concert photos and turned them into coloring pages that provide a canvas for creativity. $15. www.farrahskeiky.com // @reallyfarrah

“Tattoo a Banana: And Other Ways to Turn Anything and Everything Into Art”

We’ll still be at home more often than not in the coming months, so why not find ways to turn the common things near you into art? In this book, artist Phil Hansen teaches how to “develop everyday creativity with offbeat techniques.” Say goodbye to boredom and hello to endless entertainment. $17 from the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ gift shop. http://shop.nmwa.org // @womeninthearts

THE GOURMAND

For the one who is not only a foodie, but always one step ahead of every edible trend.

F--k the System Hot Sauce

Do you have someone on your list who puts hot sauce on everything and considers your everyday sauces a walk in the park for their taste

buds? Grab them a habanero hot sauce or a habanera mild hot sauce to spice up their holiday season. Plus, this woman-owned hot sauce brand donates their proceeds to the Stop Police Terror Project.

Various sizes and prices. www.fuckthesystemhotsauce.com // @fuckthesystemhotsauce

Mocktail Club Variety Pack

Partaking in Dry January? Don’t drink? Just want a booze-free beverage that’s exciting and unique? Give Mocktail Club a spin.

This gift-ready variety pack contains four flavors – Havana Twist, Capri Sour, Bombay Fire and Manhattan Berry –for a refreshing and lightly sparkling treat. Cheers! $16.96. www.mocktailclub.com // @mocktailclub

Pratt Standard Old Fashioned Variety Set

You know the friend, the one with the bar cart boasting every high-end booze known to man and beautiful barware to boot.

Instead of giving them another bottle of liquor, try something that will truly take their home bartending craft to the next level.

This kit from Pratt Standard will allow them to make the classics and experiment with new creations thanks to True Kola Syrup, True Rich Simple Syrup and Earl Grey Vanilla included. $45. www.prattstandard.com // @prattstandard

“Spirits Sugar Water Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World”

Columbia Room’s Derek Brown crafted this essential history of the cocktail alongside co-author Robert Yule, and it’s a must for any cocktail aficionado who loves to know the ins, outs and history of their food and drink. Once it’s been thoroughly studied and enjoyed, it’ll look great on a bar cart, ready to be referenced during Zoom happy hours – and, hopefully soon, IRL ones too. $39.95. www.rizzolibookstore.com // @columbiaroom

Yoco Confections Gift Card

Grab a gift card for the foodie with a sweet tooth in your life.

This D.C.-based sweets shop boasts a variety of delicious options like gourmet popcorn, alcohol-infused lollipops, barks, chocolates and more. Let your loved ones pick treats to brighten their day whenever the mood strikes for a sweet pick-me-up. www.yococonfections.com // @yococonfections

THE LUXE

For the lover of all things beautiful, enriching and spiritual, to keep them grounded and cared for no matter what.

Apothékary License to Chill Set

We can all use a little relaxation boost. Give the gift of calm with this set of relaxing ingredients from Apothekary, featuring 12 servings of their Chill The F* Out, Follow Your Gut and Ashwagandha Root blends, packaged with a black vegan leather pouch, gold custom dosing spoon and an on-the-go pouch with single servings of Chill the F* Out and Follow Your Gut to take your newfound chill with you. Cheers to a balanced 2021. www.apothekary.co // @apothekary

NOTE: All social media handles listed are for the Instagram accounts of featured local makers and shops.

DISTRICT FRAY | 39

LIFE

40 | WINTER 2020

FIRST PAGE. Rachel Pfeffer Designs D.C. flag necklaces. Photo courtesy of Rachel Pfeffer. THIRD PAGE. (Clockwise from top) District Batch Experience Kit. Photo from www.femmefataledc.com. Sunsoaked crystals. Photo from www.femmefataledc.com. Cathy Olivar Brand face mask. Photo courtesy of Cathy Olivar.

LIFE

District Batch Experience Kit

What’s more luxurious than treating someone to an elevated, vegan, fragrance-free, small-batch, locally made skincare routine? This gift set allows you to enter the world of District Batch with sample sizes of their OCM Ritual, Carrot Glacial Clay Mask, Charcoal + Cactus Face Bar, and Immortelle Tonic. They’ll be glowing this winter and their skin will thank you. $30 at Femme Fatale. www.femme-fatale.com // @femmefataledc

Rachel Pfeffer Jewelry D.C. Flag Necklaces

These necklaces are a fashionable way to wear your love for D.C., whether they make their way to someone who’s in the District to show their hometown pride or to an out-of-town loved one as a memento from our great city (and the person in it sending it their way). Available in brass, sterling silver, and various sizes and prices. www.rachelpfeffer.com // @rachelpfeffer

Sunsoaked Crystals

An array of crystals is a dual-purpose gift, both beautiful to look at and powerful to use. Sunsoaked features an array of high-quality crystals for all needs. Pick up lapis lazuli for selfexpression, quartz for healing, selenite to cleanse crystals and energies, and more. Various offerings and prices from Femme Fatale. www.femme-fatale.com // @femmefataledc

We L.I.T. Candles

We L.I.T. stands for “We Live In Truth,” and this one-person, Black- and queer-owned candle company encourages Black, trans and nonbinary people to live their truths as well. With a wide array of scents, organic waxes, raw materials and reusable packaging, We L.I.T.’s candles are a must-have for luxurious, everyday self-care practice. Various prices, sizes and scents. www.weliveintruth.com // @weliveintruth_welit

THE NATURAL

For the one who is always outside, off the grid and enjoying the muddier things in life.

Capitol Hill Outfitters Gift Card

Give the gift of a weekend away – like, really away – with a Capitol Hill Outfitters gift card. They’ll help plan a camping trip and also offer gear rental for the best back-to-nature experience. If anyone in your life is fatigued from all the indoors time in 2020, this gift will be a literal breath of fresh air. www.capitolhilloutfitters.com // @caphilloutfitters

Clean Hands, Can’t Lose

Even adventurers have to head back home and unwind indoors at some point. This down-to-earth kit has bergamot soap and lotion for scrubbing up, body oil for staying hydrated, incense to ground and relax, and of course, an adorable air plant to keep them connected to nature until their next great expedition. $75. www.shopsaltandsundry.com // @saltandsundry

Kinfield Golden Hour

This might not sound like the sexiest gift on the planet, but to those who are one with nature, what’s sexier than keeping bugs and toxins away while you get outdoors? From the adorable packaging to the citrus vanilla scent paired with the even more effective Indonesian citronella, this DEET-free repellent is as cute as bug spray gets. $22 from Veer & Wander. www.veerandwander.com // @veerandwander

Metallic Watering Can

Do your favorite green thumbs have every plant under the sun by their window? Help them upgrade their plant care game with this watering can from Grounded. Its unique silhouette will look picturesque among a sea of indoor greenery. $40. www.grounded-plants.com // @groun.ded

The Sun Worshiper

Bring some sunshine into someone’s home with this growyour-own prickly pear cactus kit. While your nature-loving gift receiver may already be one with the plants and have a coveted green thumb, the kit contains a copy of “The Little Book of Cacti” for all their cactus care needs and edification, plus an adorable enamel sunbeam keychain. $50 from Little Leaf Shop. www.littleleafshop.com // @littleleafshop

THE UTILITARIAN

For your most grounded and “with it” companions, featuring things they’ll actually use.

Face Mask by Cathy Olivar Brand

These double-layered face masks by D.C. area designer Cathy Olivar are pretty and practical. With multiple designs and colorways, they’re an easy way to treat the best dressed person on your shopping list, keeping them safe and stylish well into 2021. $6-$12. www.shopmadeindc.com // @shopmadeindc + www.cathyolivarbrand.com // @cathyolivarbrand

Moglea Weekly Jotter

Based on the events of 2020, a dated calendar might prove a risky investment. Enter this minimalist planner by Moglea, complete with dot grid pages on the left for listing and doodling, and a weekly grid on the right for planning what you can. It’s the perfect way to help your most organized friend take it week by week in the new year. $26 at Steadfast Supply. www.steadfastsupply.com // @steadfastsupplydc

Republic Restoratives Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is a 2020 must-have, so you might as well support a local, LGBTQ- and woman-owned business while you stock up on your sanitizers. Grab one for yourself and to give to a loved one. The elegant white bottle and 16-ounce size will keep everyone on your list elegantly clean this season. $12. www.republicrestoratives.com // @republicrestoratives

Stamptitude Stamp and Wax Seal Premium Gift Set

If you’re in need of something for a friend that loves to do things old school, look no further than this classy stamp and wax seal set. Pick your favorite stamp motif, and hopefully you’ll get to see it in action when your friend sends you a thank you note. $64. www.shoppennypost.com // @shoppennypost

Touchie No Contact Tools

Cute and useful, a no-touch tool emblazoned with the cheeky “Can’t touch this” or “2020 is just the worst” phrase of your choice is a great addition to the key ring of anyone on the go. Use it to open doors, press buttons, and generally touch less things while out and about. $17. www.shoppennypost.com // @shoppennypost

DISTRICT FRAY | 41

THE SEASON OF GIVING

28 D.C. AREA NONPROFITS TO SUPPORT WORDS BY KELSEY COCHRAN

It’s always important to remember those less fortunate, and to find ways to give back and lift up your community in need. But in light of the ongoing hardships caused by the pandemic both in D.C. and nationally, never has there been a more crucial time to donate your time, money or resources to help others. We’ve put together a list of 28 nonprofits in the D.C. area that need your aid this holiday season, and in the future.

42 | WINTER 2020

LIFE ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union has been a cornerstone in the fight to defend individual freedoms since the turn of the 20th century. Today, much of their work is focused on promoting equality for people of color, women, the LGBTQ community, prisoners, immigrants and people with disabilities. Donate and become involved at the local level at www.acludc.org.

AYUDA

Ayuda works to help low-income immigrants in the DMV by providing legal, social and language services.

Their advocacy aims to bring justice to those who have been overlooked by the legal system and change their lives for the better. Donate or find volunteer opportunities at www.ayuda.com.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area aims to develop confidence and provide the opportunity for successful futures for at-risk children in the area. Volunteers, or “Bigs,” mentor children between 7 and 18 years of age and provide meaningful and lasting relationships. This work requires volunteers and funds to keep it alive. Find more information at www.bbbsnca.org.

BLACK SWAN ACADEMY

The Black Swan Academy in D.C. provides a safe space for minority youth to learn advocacy skills and enhance their voices. The academy aims to develop a more youth-led agenda in policymaking so that minority youth are better included. Learn more at www.blackswanacademy.org.

CARPENTER’S SHELTER

Carpenter’s Shelter provides the means for independence for homeless people in the District through shelter, education and advocacy services. Community case managers stay in contact with those who have left the shelter, ensuring they remain in permanent housing. Provide an end to chronic homelessness by donating at www.carpentersshelter.org.

CASA DC

CASA DC supports at-risk youth in the foster care and juvenile justice system in the DMV. The nonprofit advocates for the youth they work with in order to provide a greater opportunity to thrive. Foster children paired with CASA volunteers spend less time in foster care and are less likely to be Community of Hope. Photo by Courageous Studios.

homeless. Donate or learn about volunteer opportunities at www.casadc.org.

CASA RUBY

Casa Ruby is the only LGBTQ-focused bilingual and multicultural organization in the D.C. metro area that provides social services and programs to transgender, genderqueer and gender-nonconforming people. Casa Ruby aims to create a world where those vulnerable groups can pursue their dreams without fear of harassment, discrimination or violence due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Learn more at www.casaruby.org.

CATALOGUE FOR PHILANTHROPY

The Catalogue for Philanthropy is the Washington region’s only locally focused guide to giving and volunteering opportunities. Through the Catalogue, smaller charities and nonprofits gain greater visibility and therefore can grow more donations. The Catalogue for Philanthropy does not charge for applications or to be featured but raises funds separately to continue their work.

Learn more at www.cfp-dc.org.

CITY BLOSSOMS

City Blossoms takes unused or underutilized land and creates urban gardens for city youth, with a particular focus on low-income communities. The organization has provided programming and/or trainings for over 100 projects throughout D.C. and the nation within neighborhoods where youth may not have easy access to green space. The access to green space is a basic right all children should have for a safe space to play in and learn about the environment.

Donate at www.cityblossoms.org.

COMMUNITY FORKLIFT

Community Forklift is a unique organization that provides low-cost building materials, appliances and furniture to low-income individuals and families by collecting unwanted and salvaged building materials throughout the D.C. metro area. This organization is committed to reducing waste, promoting reuse, providing affordable materials and creating green jobs through their efforts. Help Community Forklift by donating money or materials at www.communityforklift.org.

COMMUNITY OF HOPE

Commuity of Hope helps the District’s low-income families attain stable

homes and sustainable incomes.

The organization aims to end family homelessness and make D.C. more equitable by advocating for systemic change to address racial inequalities in society. Learn more about Community of Hope at www.communityofhopedc.org.

D.C. HUNGER SOLUTIONS

D.C. Hunger Solutions, an initiative of the Food Research & Action Center, works to create a hunger-free community in the District. By educating the public on the reality of hunger in the community and what solutions are available, DC Hunger Solutions aims to improve the health, economic security and well-being of low-income D.C. residents. Support their efforts by visiting www.dchunger.org.

HER RESILIENCY CENTER

HER supports young women in D.C. and Baltimore experiencing substance abuse, homelessness and survival sex through an individualized approach. All women who work with HER are shown compassion and respect, and are treated as peers rather than victims. HER helps young women become self-sufficient by providing job coaching and education opportunities, and teaching life skills.

Support HER by donating at www.herresiliencycenter.org.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES

The Humane Society of the United States works to end all forms of animal cruelty.

The D.C.-based nonprofit’s efforts cover, but are not limited to: ending the puppy mill industry, strengthening cruelty laws and eliminating large-scale animal abuses, reducing the suffering of animals raised for meat, eggs and dairy, and fighting to ban trophy hunting. Help the Humane Society end animal cruelty by donating at www.humanesociety.org.

THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING LEGAL CENTER

The Human Trafficking Legal Center provides closure to trafficking survivors.

Survivors are connected with skilled pro bono legal representation to hold traffickers accountable for their crimes through civil and criminal litigation. The D.C.-based center also collects data on trafficking and the failings of the justice system in trafficking cases to drive structural reform. Support their work at www.htlegalcenter.org.

DISTRICT FRAY | 43

LIFE JUBILEE JOBS

Jubilee Jobs is one of D.C.’s largest and longest-serving job preparation and placement programs. Unemployment is discouraging and isolating, but by providing a supportive community, educational and training opportunities, and employment options, Jubilee Jobs gives jobless Washingtonians hope.

Learn more at www.jubileejobs.org.

LA COCINA VA

La Cocina uplifts low-income individuals in the Washington region through the power of food. By providing access to job training, culinary certification and job placement services, La Cocina offers a path to success. The program also provides sustainable food assistance by donating meals cooked by students in the training program to low-income families and individuals in the area. Support their work by donating at www.lacocinava.org.

MID-ATLANTIC INNOCENCE PROJECT

The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project works to prevent and amend the conviction of innocent people in the DMV. The organization has helped pass 17 laws that aim to prevent future wrongful convictions, and provides free services to prisoners who cannot afford, or are no longer entitled to, an attorney.

Help their cause by donating at www.exonerate.org.

MIRIAM’S KITCHEN

Miriam’s Kitchen aims to end chronic homelessness – a substantial goal to aspire to. The organization connects with the chronically homeless by providing high-quality nutritious meals, and then connecting them with nurses, social workers, psychiatrists and lawyers onsite.

Miriam’s Kitchen also advocates for the D.C. government to make investments in housing programs most likely to end homelessness, encouraging policymakers not just to respond to homelessness – but to end it. Learn how you can help by visiting www.miriamskitchen.org.

THE MUSICIANSHIP

The MusicianShip promotes the power of music to change the lives of at-risk individuals. The organization facilitates music lessons, experiences and opportunities such as the Washington Youth Choir, serving Washingtonians from 5 years old through the age of 24.

44 | WINTER 2020

Consider supporting their efforts by visiting www.themusicianship.org.

MY SISTER’S PLACE

My Sister’s Place aims to end domestic violence in D.C. by providing the city’s first hotline and first domestic violence shelter. Victims of domestic violence receive care from the emergency shelter and are provided transitionalto-permanent housing. Case managers and residential counselors provide comprehensive services, which empower survivors to recover and thrive in addition to providing training, case consultation and advocacy in the community to prevent future violence. Keep your community safe by donating to My Sister’s Place at www.mysistersplacedc.org.

THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

The National Geographic Society in D.C. has supported critical research, exploration and education programs around the globe since the late 19th century. In light of Covid-19, the foundation has doubled their efforts to improve remote learning and assist teachers by creating the Remote Learning Emergency Fund, which will distribute monetary support to individual educators as they continue to teach in-person, remote or in hybrid learning environments during the pandemic.

Support National Geographic’s efforts by donating at www.nationalgeographic.org.

NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), headquartered in the District, ensures that our national parks are protected and enhanced for future generations to enjoy. The NPCA employs program and policy experts, staff lobbyists, community organizers, and communications specialists to influence policymakers to save our parks, and to keep people informed about what is happening in the parks. Learn more by visiting www.npca.org.

PEN/FAULKNER FOUNDATION

D.C.-based PEN/Faulkner Foundation inspires the community through their celebration of literature and connecting readers and writers. The organization provides education programming for young people that allows them to express themselves through literature by setting

up conversations with professional writers, hosting writing workshops and donating books. Learn more by visiting www.penfaulkner.org.

PFLAG

PFLAG is a national organization that provides support, education and advocacy for the LGBTQ community.

There are local chapters spread throughout the U.S., including in the District, that work together to create a world where all people of any orientation are respected, valued and affirmed.

PFLAG works toward this goal by providing peer support, educating people on the issues, and advocating for more inclusive policies and laws. Support their work by donating at www.pflag.org.

SHOUT MOUSE PRESS

Shout Mouse Press is a nonprofit writing and publishing program dedicated to amplifying minority voices through writing workshops that can lead to eventual publication. Authors from marginalized backgrounds are able to tell their own stories and act as leaders and agents of change in their communities.

The program has produced 40 books by over 320 authors from marginalized communities in D.C. and Haiti, whether they are incarcerated, immigrants, low income or minorities. Help their cause by visiting www.shoutmousepress.org.

STREET SENSE MEDIA

Street Sense Media produces multiple forms of media to provide economic opportunity to Washingtonians experiencing homelessness. Street Sense empowers homeless people by elevating their voices, as well as providing employment through their newspaper vendor program and case managers to help them find permanent housing. Learn more about their services at www.streetsensemedia.org.

UNITED WAY

United Way works to tackle issues like poverty and poor health by providing education, healthcare and economic opportunities to underserved Washingtonians. Serving 11 regions in the D.C. metro area, United Way brings hope to those in disadvantaged situations.

Support their work by visiting www.unitedwaynca.org.

PLAY

WORDS BY INGRID HARBO | ILLUSTRATIONS BY JAMES COREAS

BRAVING WINTER WEATHER FOR OUTDOOR EXERCISE When the cold winter winds start blowing, exercising outside seems like one of the worst ways to spend your morning – or any other part of your day. However, with most gyms closed or heavily restricted for in-person services due to Covid-19, outside or at-home workouts are the best options for staying fit this winter. Working out in the winter can be daunting, especially this year, but with preparation and a plan, it doesn’t have to be.

Dressing for the Weather “There is no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothes,” says Karolin Nilsson, director of Balance Functional Fitness at Balance Gym in the District.

Nilsson is a native of Sweden, so while her tolerance for cold might be higher than some, she has a point. Clothes can make or break a workout experience in any temperature, so make sure to have these winter workout essentials.

Tights or pants: Look for bottoms that are insulated and wind resistant. For really cold days, layering tights or pants can be a good option for keeping warm.

Shirt: Layering is key in the cold. Start with a tighter base layer, and depending on the temperature, add another looser long sleeve to stay warm.

Jacket: A lightweight, wind resistant jacket can serve two purposes: blocking the wind and locking in warm air close to your body.

Headband: Headbands keep your ears warm while working out and are less bulky and restrictive than a hat.

Gloves: Lightweight running gloves can keep your fingers and hands from being exposed to the wind.

Face mask: The face mask that you’re already wearing for Covid can double as a way to keep warm while working out in cold weather. Neck gaiters work especially well as running masks because they can be styled in many ways.

Three Dynamic Stretches Walking Lunge Target: Glutes, hamstring and hip flexors How: Step forward into a lunge and keep your front knee in line with your hip and behind your toes, while keeping your back knee from touching the ground. Push off with your back leg and lunge with your opposite leg.

Arm Circles Target: Shoulders How: Extend your arms horizontally to either side of your body and move them in small, forward circular motions. After about 10 circles, switch to backwards motions. Repeat with bigger circles until loose.

Leg Swings Target: Calf, quads and hamstrings How: Stand on one leg and swing the other forward and back 10 times. Then, swing the same legs from side to side 10 times. Repeat with the other leg.

Warming Up in the Cold Cold weather makes it harder for muscles to get warm and flexible, which makes our bodies more prone to injury, so a proper warmup in the cold is as important as proper clothing. Before you start a workout, you should already be sweating. Follow these tips to get your blood moving before facing the great outdoors.

Warm up for as long as it takes to get warm. In an interview for Under Armour’s MapMyRun blog, Andrea Fradkin, associate professor of exercise science at Bloomsburg University, said a warmup of less than 10 minutes can improve performance and reduce injury, but warmups in cold weather might take longer.

Warm up inside if you have the space to. It is easier to get warm inside, so warming up before you head out the door can save time.

If inside isn’t an option, wear extra layers while warming up. Any of the essentials listed in this article can be layered, and even if you don’t plan on doing your workout in a jacket and extra pair of pants, added layers will help you get warm faster.

Start with low-intensity cardio exercises. Before any stretches, get your muscles warm by doing active exercises like jogging, skips, butt kicks and high knees.

Once warm, use dynamic stretches to stretch anything that is still tight. Cold muscles don’t stretch as easily, and forcing a stretch before you’re warm could lead to injury. By waiting until your muscles have warmed up, the likelihood of injury decreases. According to Hospital for Special Surgery, an orthopedic hospital, dynamic stretches will continue to increase muscle temperature while warming up, in turn decreasing muscle stiffness.

Karolin’s Expert Corner: Safe Workouts in Winter Stay hydrated. “It’s hard to do when it’s not warm outside, so I would try to drink water in the morning and evening. In the summer, we want cold water because it tastes good because you’re so overheated, but you don’t have to drink cold water. Maybe keep the water at room temperature, because sometimes when you’re already cold, it’s hard to drink cold water.”

Know the conditions. “When it is getting snowy outside, I would skip running because it is slippery. I would do burpees or things like that instead of going out for a run.”

Use hand warmers. “Don’t forget the hand warmers! Bring hand warmers if your hands are very cold and hold on to them.”

46 | WINTER 2020

GETTING CREATIVE WITH AT-HOME WORKOUTS Outside workouts in the winter aren’t for everyone, and even with gyms cutting back on indoor services due to Covid, there are still ways to work out inside as the weather gets colder. The easiest way is to bring your workout to the comfort of your own home.

Home Essentials Your home equipment doesn’t need to be as extensive (or expensive) as the equipment as your gym. Devin Maier, co-CEO of Balance Gym, recommends having these pieces of equipment on hand for at-home workouts.

Kettlebell: This versatile weighted ball can be lifted and swung for full body workouts.

Small dumbbells: Small hand weights can be used in HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts.

Sliders: These lightweight disks are used to make bodyweight workouts more challenging. These also have easy home alternatives, like paper plates for carpeted areas or washcloths for hard floors.

Resistance bands: These stretchy bands come in many sizes and resistance levels and are great for arm, shoulder and hip strengthening exercises.

Being at Home Doesn’t Mean You’re on Your Own Join a gym. Since the pandemic started, many gyms in the area have adapted to the conditions and launched virtual workout programs. Before it gets too cold, some still have outdoor class offerings.

Here are some local favorites.

Balance Gym: This CrossFit-based D.C. gym chain has four locations in D.C. They also recently launched a virtual training program called Virdio that seeks to replicate the feeling of being in a gym. Learn more at www.balancegym.com.

HUSTLE: This studio focuses on HIIT and stationary bike workouts, and all members can sign up for live online classes. For pro and allaccess members, a library of on-demand classes is available. Learn more at www.hustle-dc.com.

Find workouts online. YouTube has countless free workouts available to anyone who is interested.

Businesses and individual content creators alike regularly upload new workout videos that are free, easy to follow and just a search away.

Orangetheory Fitness: This gym chain with D.C. locations uploads daily workout videos to their YouTube channel, complete with tutorials, timers and upbeat music. Learn more at www.orangetheory.com.

305 Fitness: This dance-based gym has a series of workout videos on their YouTube channel that give watchers a taste of their “305 at Home” virtual program. Learn more at www.305fitness.com.

Yoga with Kassandra: This YouTube channel is one of many run by an individual who uploads workouts. Kassandra specializes in yoga and makes workouts of various intensities for different levels of experience. Find them at www.youtube.com/user/yogawithkassandra.

Devin’s Expert Corner: Staying Motivated Have a plan and a backup plan.

“Pre-Covid days, you could have a goto gym or a go-to studio, but I think the tough thing now is there’s a lot of uncertainty. Your studio might have to close down briefly for Covid, so you can’t just rely on one plan when it comes to getting your workout in.”

Set up good habits. “A lot of it is just setting up good habits, which could be having equipment easily at your disposal at home, having a friend that you do this together with – kind of like an accountability buddy, check in from time to time. There are [also] a lot of groups online that can keep you on track and motivated.”

Make small lifestyle changes. “It’s not necessarily small changes in fitness but in your overall general health. You’re more likely to be motivated to exercise because you didn’t stay up too late, you’re not hungover, you’re hydrated. Then it becomes more natural to make sure you are sweating on a somewhat daily basis.”

DISTRICT FRAY | 47

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FUN

  DISTRICT FRAY | 49

IN OTHER WORDS

MEME MAKER, PODCAST HOST

+ POP CULTURE ENTHUSIAST

DAVE TARNOWSKI WORDS BY M.K. KOSZYCKI The District’s own Dave Tarnowski is the man behind one of the most honest and entertaining pages on Instagram. As @nickcaveandthebadmemes, Tarnowski tackles topics like mental health, relationships and the absurdity of everyday life with the help of music and pop culture icons including the eponymous musician Nick Cave, David Bowie, Robert Smith of The Cure, film director David Lynch and more. While Tarnowski notes he’s not a mental health professional and help from one is essential if you’re in need of it, he uses his meme page and podcast, “The Sad Bastard,” to encourage hard conversations about such tricky topics through sharing his own experiences with both mediums.

Tarnowski uses his skill and creativity, perhaps stemming in part from his background as a fiction writer, to create these virtual conversations and connections that are needed especially in a year like 2020. What started as a Facebook page now has 177,000 followers, a podcast and three other meme pages – all complete with Tarnowski’s voice, honesty and wit. We caught up with the meme maker, podcast host and pop culture enthusiast to learn more about his pages and podcasts, and to get his thoughts on some rapid-fire topics.

District Fray: Can you tell me a bit more about how @nickcaveandthebadmemes was born and eventually led to your podcast “The Sad Bastard?”

Dave Tarnowski: I started the [@nickcaveandthebadmemes] Instagram account in 2017. For the first year-and-a-half, it was just goofy. At the beginning of 2019, I started thinking about my mental health and turning the focus into that and relationships.

It was this thing going on inside me that I didn’t know how to talk about. In late 2019, I started doing the Q&A Instagram stories and that became a really big thing, helping people feel seen through sharing my stories. There are so many things that we all go through. I’m not the first person to be going through a divorce right now. Especially with Covid, people get crammed together and it’s causing a lot of breakups. I’d never wanted to do a podcast, but this one guy approached me and said, “You need a podcast.” I was like, “Alright.” He introduced me to the person who produces my podcast, and that’s become my favorite thing. @nickcaveandthebadmemes currently has 177,000 followers. When did you realize it was really taking off?

The first thing that made me feel like, “Holy shit,” was when Natasha Lyonne started following me, and shared a bunch of my memes. People were always telling me that this famous person or 50 | WINTER 2020

that famous person is following me, and it got to a point where I didn’t even see who was following me. But those things helped me grow. Suddenly, I’d get 10,000 more followers practically overnight. I had been a fiction writer and I never finished anything. I was sort of telling my 14-year-old self who started writing, and who was always like, “You’ve got to do this,” that maybe we should put this on the side for a moment and refocus our efforts. I really started changing gears from a complete niche into what it’s become, which is literally almost anything.

I started doing The Cure and David Bowie and Natasha Lyonne in “Russian Doll.” It became not necessarily universal, but it covered a lot of people that held similar interests, and that was the moment when things just went crazy.

In addition to your first page, you also run @sadpeaks, @dondrooper and @memeybridgers. How do you decide when to create a new page as opposed to posting on the original, and do you have any plans for more?

David Lynch was the first person I really started meme-ing on the Nick Cave page. I don’t know where I found that connection, but I was just like, “You know what? F--k it.” A lot of people started liking that. And eventually, @sadpeaks came along. It’s funny because on my other pages, I do the same kind of memes, just more specifically geared. On @sadpeaks, I’m never going to suddenly throw a Robert Smith meme there. But there was something about @nickcaveandthebadmemes that just has that connection, and it’s what gets noticed.

Why are people so connected to memes as a communication form, especially with hard topics like the ones you cover?

I’m talking about really serious shit, but with a wink and a nod to it. It’s not that having bipolar disorder like I do is funny. But if I put something out that is very easy to digest, so you see something and it’s this picture with words on it, it hits you in a certain way. I guess it’s sort of like an advertisement for the soul.

I’m not selling anything with it, other than helping someone feel seen. That’s a really powerful thing, and something that’s carried me through everything I’ve been doing and everything I plan to do from here. There are universal things that not everybody goes through, but that a ton of us do. And also, when it comes to mental health – and this is what I’ve really made my soapbox in a way – it doesn’t get talked about enough, unless it’s in hushed tones. I wanted to be a loud voice with it.

Memes courtesy of Dave Tarnowski.

Deserted island album? It changes. The Cure’s “Pornography” has always been my top album.

But right now, I’d say Phoebe Bridgers’ “Punisher.” It’s perfect. What was the last concert you saw before lockdown and where was it? I saw Nick Cave in New York in 2018. If you could have dinner with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why? [David] Bowie, just because I would have so many questions to ask him, and he seems like he’d be a really good dinner date. Have you made any new musical discoveries recently? Bohren & der Club of Gore. They’re German, a very dark jazz band – I would say like the bastard child of David Lynch soundtracks. They have been a pretty constant soundtrack of my quarantine life and are typically what I put on when I write a podcast. Who would you want to play you in a movie version of your life? The person I get compared to the most is David Harbour. But since I started shaving my head, it’s been Heisenberg from “Breaking Bad.” So, I’d love Bryan Cranston. What song would play in the opening credit sequence to the movie about your life? “Plainsong” from [The Cure’s] “Disintegration.” If you had to eradicate one social media platform tomorrow, what would it be? Twitter. What is your favorite movie at the moment? “What We Do in the Shadows.” It’s such a great movie, but I actually ended up loving the TV series even more. Favorite place in D.C. to get takeout? I would say The Pig. And lately, it’s been Duccini’s Pizza. What is the most overrated part of living in D.C.? The monuments. Underrated? I do love 16th Street. It has a lot of great buildings to see, especially the freemason building. I think that’s the most beautiful building in this city. If you had to pick one artist to see at any D.C. venue, who and where would you pick? Morphine. They were the best live show ever. Mark Sandman, the singer and band leader, died back in 1999. I got to Follow Tarnowski on Instagram @nickcaveandthebadmemes, see them about a dozen times when I was a @sadpeaks, @dondrooper and @memeybridgers. You can kid in all sorts of clubs in New York. I’d like listen to “The Sad Bastard” podcast wherever you get your podcasts and learn more via Instagram @thesadbastardpod. to see them at the 9:30 Club.

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