Washington City Paper (May 11, 2018)

CITYPAPER Washington

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politics: pols spending loads of money 6 arts: The works of a creepy spider sculpTor 19 Music: is This song abouT morphine or love? 22

TIP OFF

Fear and anger are buIldIng wIThIn d.C.’s resTauranT IndusTry as IT PrePares FOr voters to decide on the TIPPed mInImum wage. P. 10 by laura hayes

photographs by darrow montgomery

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INSIDE on tHe CoVer: tIP oFF

10 Voters will decide whether to eliminate the tipped minimum wage for D.C.’s restaurant workers in June. Many argue it isn’t a fit for the city.

DIStrICt LIne 5 digital Marketing: When it comes to surveillance contracting, the Metropolitan Police Department is chronically incompetent.

6 loose lips: Ethical issues with constituent service funds 8 unobstructed view 9 gear prudence

artS

19 galleries: Capps on Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment at Glenstone 20 curtain calls: Ritzel on Studio Theatre’s Vietgone and Klimek on Scena Theatre’s 1984 21 short subjects: Olszewski on Godard Mon Amour and Gittell on Measure of a Man 22 one song: Gillian Welch’s “My Morphine” 23 the crate digger: A new column about forgotten tunes recorded in D.C.

Darrow MontgoMery

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Music Dance Theater Film

DIVerSIonS 33 Savage Love 34 Classifieds 35 Crossword on the cover: Illustration

by Stephanie Rudig

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Residents who want to weigh in on big data policing in D.C. should study up on contracting and procurement.

Sherlock holmeS famouSly solved a case by listening for the dog that didn’t bark.

So it has been fascinating to listen to the utter silence from the D.C. police department as the Facebook privacy scandal has unfolded—especially as it’s unfolded around Palantir, a defense contractor cum cop spying agency founded by Peter Thiel, Donald Trump’s favorite Silicon Valley baron.

Palantir’s role in the Facebook scandal— scraping Facebook data for Cambridge Analytica—has raised all sorts of embarrassing questions for police chiefs around the country. Palantir has been aggressive at selling its wares to local cops and has won contracts in Los Angeles, New York, the suburbs of Chicago, and with the Virginia State Police and dozens of departments in Utah. Even before the latest Facebook scandal, Palantir was radioactive: The company was chased out of New Orleans in February when it emerged that the cops didn’t tell anybody in City Hall that Palantir was spying on their citizens.

D.C., then, has been a bit of mongrel among big-city police departments in that it hasn’t made use of Palantir’s snooping technology, which includes using cop cameras, social media profiles, and all sorts of advanced analytics to come up with “crime maps.” But it turns out that it’s not for lack of trying: Records obtained by City Paper show that D.C. officials did their level best to bring Palantir to town. It may be that the District’s long history of contracting incompetence and corruption saved it from the latest unpleasantness.

The money was earmarked—twice. In fiscal year 2014, the D.C. police department obtained $2.5 million for Palantir. In its budget request, the department said, “Palantir combines a back-end database and server architecture with an intuitive front-end user interface, which will enable the MPD to store, search, and share knowledge. Palantir was designed for environments where the fragments of data that an analyst combines to tell the larger story are spread across a vast set of starting material. Palantir provides flexible tools to import and model data, intuitive constructs to search

Darrow Montgomery/File

By Bill Myers

against this data, and powerful techniques to iteratively define and test hypotheses.”

That same year, the department pushed through a sole-source contract for Palantir, an officially elaborate ritual in which city officials have to demonstrate that no other company can provide a similar service. In fiscal year 2017, the department sought and obtained another $3.6 million for Palantir, city records show.

The Contract That Wasn’t Yet, having gone through all that trouble, the Palantir contract was never executed. Nearly $2.4 million went out under the Palantir contract, but city records show that the money went instead to Microsoft for its Aware program, a data management system. Aware had been given separate earmarks and sole-source contract status, so it’s unclear why and how the money earmarked for Palantir ended up going to Microsoft. D.C. police department spokeswoman Karimah Bilal declined to comment for this story.

If D.C. police aren’t currently using Palantir’s technology to snoop through your Twitter profiles and family records, you may have rank-and-file cops in the department to thank for that. Palantir made its pitch several years ago, but when mid-level officers around the city were asked for comment, they balked,

one police veteran who sat in on one of Palantir’s pitch meetings tells City Paper.

Officers were worried about the legal implications of Palantir’s product, and some were also put off by the cloak-and-dagger style of the pitch, the veteran says. Palantir officials leaned heavily on their relationship with the CIA. (Many Palantir officials claim to be former spooks.)

A Palantir spokesperson acknowledged that the company pitched the District on its products but declined further comment.

D.C. has since scrapped the Aware system, and is now using yet another bubble gum-andbailing-wire hodgepodge for its intelligence functions. The Starlight system—most irksome to rank-and-file—sends out real-time emails it culls from 911 calls, the police veteran says.

Starlight is a micro-manager’s dream, the police veteran tells us. When Amtrak police arrested a man for wielding a knife at Union Station in late March, for instance, D.C. police executives began bombarding rank-and-file officers for updates even as they raced to the scene. The bosses were responding to emails sent by Starlight’s 911 eavesdropping, the police veteran says.

An Essential Conversation The ongoing Facebook/Palantir scandal, meanwhile, offers a great opportunity for

D.C.’s leaders to get a handle on police intelligence before it becomes a problem, says Andrew Ferguson, a professor at the University of the District of Columbia law school who has literally written the book about modern police spying. (The title is The Rise of Big Data Policing: Surveillance, Race, and the Future of Law Enforcement, and it came out last fall.)

“The Palantir story shows that the battle over big data policing is sometimes a battle over arcane procurement decisions, and traditionally citizens have not cared much about police procurement issues,” Ferguson says.

“But that should change because the technologies will impact civil liberties, constitutional rights, and the balance of power between citizens and police.”

Ferguson can see cops’ attraction to companies like Palantir. Hard pressed to lower crime on low budgets, police departments are certainly in the market for slick, “data-driven” solutions. Companies such as Palantir offer gadgetry at a reasonable cost. (In New Orleans, Palantir was offering its services for free. Ferguson and others believe Palantir is looking for a laboratory for their technologies.)

“Palantir has the potential to offer incredibly powerful investigatory data tools. That is something that is both frightening to those who fear that there are not enough checks or balances on the system, but it’s also very encouraging for investigators,” Ferguson says.

Other cities are already waist-deep in big data policing. Since 2012, Chicago Police have been using advanced algorithms to generate what it calls the “Strategic Subject List,” a list of people who are at risk for violence (either as perpetrator or victim); Pittsburgh started testing its “predictive policing” in 2016; the good people of Baltimore County are still arguing about the efficacy of a private spy plane the police used to photograph the city.

Ferguson, among others, is worried that all this technology, while new, already suffers from an age-old tech problem: Garbage in, garbage out. The companies still have to rely on police data for their analyses, and Ferguson says it’s easy for cops’ bad habits—including racial profiling—to get locked into a technology solution that masks the the underlying problems.

In any event, Ferguson argues, the time to sort these questions out is now.

“It may be the case that the police can explain why this kind of thing is useful,” Ferguson says. “To me, that’s a conversation that should happen at the local level.”

CP Bill Myers lives and works in D.C. Email him at myers101@outlook.com. He tweets from @billcaphill.

washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 5

DistrictLinE Slush Machines

Constituent service funds remain an ethically fraught source of money for D.C. pols like Jack Evans, who quietly achieved a $20,000 increase in the spending limits on them two years ago.

By Andrew Giambrone and Tom Sherwood Last month, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White came under the microscope over a $500 donation he gave to the Nation of Islam for an event the controversial group held in Chicago, where its inflammatory leader Louis Farrakhan made anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ remarks.

White used money from his constituent service fund account. These accounts let elected officials in the District raise money from private donors and spend it on the residents they represent for needs including funeral costs, late utilities payments, refreshments, rental assistance, and community events. D.C. politicians can also shift leftover money from their campaign committee accounts into their constituent service fund accounts without any limits on those transfers. Many of the same people and entities that contribute to political campaigns contribute to constituent funds.

Five councilmembers do not have constituent services funds—some of them abstaining for ethical reasons related to “pay-to-play” politics—while a majority of the D.C. Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser do use them.

Critics (including the Washington Post editorial board) have for years panned the accounts as little more than legal slush funds that elected officials can use to curry favors and influence—often involving groups who want to do business with the District. Proponents say the accounts benefit residents by providing additional services and helping to build community bonds.

In the course of reporting this story, City Paper learned that two years ago, the Council quietly approved a dramatic increase in the amount of money politicians can spend using these accounts, but did not hold a usual public hearing before the change was enacted.

The increase raised the annual expenditure limit from $40,000 to $60,000—a change so little broadcast that even this week D.C.’s Office of Campaign Finance, which is supposed to monitor the funds for proper use, said it had not publicly disclosed the higher limit. The office’s website still list-

Jack Evans

Darrow Montgomery

loose lips

Bowser, for one, spent more than $5,200 last year to host her birthday party at The Salt Line, a riverfront seafood restaurant near Nats Park. The party doubled as a fundraiser for her constituent service fund account, which garnered more than $6,000 that day.

In several instances, the mayor and three legislators donated to a group whose founder lodged anti-gay and sexist comments outside the Wilson Building at a 2014 memorial for Marion Barry. The group, Cease Fire: Don’t Smoke the Brothers & Sisters, has advocated against youth gang violence since the 1990s and was recognized by the Council in a 2017 ceremonial resolution. Evans, Ward 4’s Todd, and Ward 5’s McDuffie gave to the organization.

Many of the other expenditures in the financial reports are listed as “supplies” from vendors like Amazon and Costco, while some are listed as “catering/refreshments” for occasions that are not always immediately discernible. (Among those that are: At-Large Councilmember Bonds held multiple “ice cream socials” at senior buildings throughout summer 2017.)

A few expenses are listed as “travel,” including four that White recorded during the dates of a Bowser-Council trip to Las Vegas in 2017.

One of those expenditures is for Desert Cab, a business that has a Vegas address.

Last year, Evans spent more than $58,000— the most among his peers and roughly twice what Todd doled out as the second-highest spender at about $29,000. Bowser and McDuffie ranked third and fourth at $26,000 and $18,000, respectively.

Evans spends big on sports, a practice for which he has previously turned heads and defended as a legal way to help residents attend games. His 2017 expenditures include $7,850 in Nationals tickets, $7,231 in Capitals tickets, and $9,775 in Wizards tickets, the reports show. This year, he has spent $8,288.50 on Nationals tickets and $11,050 on Wizards tickets.

Other disbursements Evans registered were for Wall Street Journal and Washington Business Journal subscriptions ($445.15 and $298.74); membership dues for the Sierra Club ($225), the ACLU ($150), and the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. ($2,050); various event sponsorships for community groups; and apparent meals at Old Ebbitt Grill, Cafe Milano, and the now-closed Boss Shepherd’s.

Evans also refunded several hundred dollars worth of contributions to his fund from e-billboard company Digi Media and its affiliates. (District ethics officials are reported-

ed the lower $40,000 figure as of Wednesday. Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans requested the increase.

But deeper changes to constituent service fund accounts and OCF could be coming soon. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, who chairs the Council’s judiciary committee, says he is considering legislation to tighten restrictions on the accounts, or even prohibit them, as part of a comprehensive campaign finance bill he hopes to introduce later this month. “The fundraising aspect is what troubles me,” he says. “It’s fraught with conflicts.”

City PaPer revieWed dozens of pages of 2017 and 2018 financial reports published by OCF that describe politicians’ use of constituent service fund accounts.

In addition to White, Evans, and Bowser, Councilmembers Mary Cheh, Brandon Todd, Kenyan McDuffie, Vince Gray, Anita Bonds, and Phil Mendelson keep such funds. As of April, the latest month for which the reports are available, the amount of money that D.C. politicians had in their constituent service fund accounts ranged from as little as $350 in that of Ward 3’s Cheh to about $163,000 in that of Evans.

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The five councilmembers who do not have constituent service fund accounts, according to public records, are Brianne Nadeau, Robert White, Elissa Silverman, David Grosso, and Allen. Ward 1’s Nadeau, who once criticized her predecessor Jim Graham for operating a constituent service fund account, questioned the propriety of the funds after White’s donation came to light. “This is just the latest episode that underscores the historic problems with Constituent Services Funds being used for things that undermine the public trust,” Nadeau said in a statement in April.

The reports show that Bowser and most of the legislators who maintain these accounts raise money from well-connected residents, business executives, developers, attorneys, lobbyists, unions, and utilities companies.

After the 2016 elections, four of the councilmembers transferred surplus campaign funds to the accounts.

The reports also show that while all of the officials did use their accounts to pay for expenditures like flowers for funerals, constituents’ water bills, and holiday gift cards, many spent their money on niche groups and things that arguably fall at the limits of what the rules governing the accounts allow.

ly investigating Evans’ ties to the enterprise.)

In 2017, Evans spent about $2,000 for Capital Pride and $157 on his office holiday tree, per the reports.

As for White’s $500 donation to the Nation of Islam, OCF asked the councilmember for more information about the expenditure than what his account’s treasurer had disclosed to the office in a required April 1 financial report.

Wesley Williams, a spokesperson for the office, says it is reviewing a response the councilmember provided before a May 3 deadline.

White could be fined if OCF finds that the donation violated District regulations.

Tendered last January, White’s donation raised eyebrows because by the time it made headlines, he had already faced scrutiny for propagating anti-Semitic conspiracy theories earlier in the year—actions for which he has since apologized. White has represented D.C.’s poorest ward since 2017.

Craig hoLman, a lobbyist at D.C.-based think tank Public Citizen, has analyzed these kinds of accounts in the District, New York, and California. “Often it gets spent as a means

Evans explained that politicians could “spend more money” under the amendment, and said his own account had far more than $40,000 in it. “I would like to be able to spend more money because I have it,” Evans said.

The Council voted on the entire budget days later, legalizing the higher amount. Although the limit on annual expenditures for constituent service fund accounts went up, the limit on annual fundraising stayed at $40,000 (not including any leftover campaign funds that are transferred).

In an interview this week, Evans confirmed that he requested the change. It benefited him last year, when he spent about $58,000 from his account, or 45 percent more than formerly allowed. “I’ve used the fund for 27 years to benefit my constituents, and I’ll continue to do that,” he says. With $22,635 spent as of the April 1 financial report, Evans is more than a third of the way to the limit.

OCF, which was still listing the former spending cap of $40,000 as of this week, points to the D.C. Code as the place where the update was actually published. “We are in the process of a comprehensive overhaul of our

“Often it gets spent as a means to endear a class or a group of constituents to the office-holder. It’s political in nature. It’s not social welfare.” to endear a class or a group of constituents to the office-holder,” he says. “It’s political in nature. It’s not social welfare.” He adds that the “best solution” for any abuses of the funds would be to ban them outright.

D.C. councilmembers voted to increase the funds’ spending cap in spring 2016. The new $60,000 amount was inserted into the fiscal year 2017 District budget following a brief, three-minute discussion among councilmembers that was part of the legislature’s yearly budget process.

The change, in other words, came about through a below-the-radar budget provision discussed during a seven-hour budget meeting in May 2016. Twenty minutes into the session, Evans gave an overview of budget recommendations from his committee on finance and revenue, according to a video recording of the meeting viewed by City Paper.

Evans did not mention the proposed spending limit until Ward 6 Councilmember Allen asked him about it. Ward 2 Councilmember

regulations (i.e., brochures and campaign finance guide) due to recent significant reform of the Campaign Finance law this year,” says Williams, the office’s spokesperson, in a statement. “Since the revision of the expenditure cap, no [Constituent Service Program] committee has exceeded the cap.”

Allen says OCF “needs to be a more aggressive watchdog” and that he is weighing a shake-up in the office’s management.

The legislation he is considering to tighten or even prohibit the accounts could also ban “pay-to-play” political contributions from those who contract with the District, require more disclosures from independent political action committees, and mandate candidates to retire campaign debts that now linger for years.

“OCF has been sleeping at the wheel lately,” says Holman of Public Citizen. “We need an elections agency that’s on the ball. I’m hoping that OCF will soon wake up and smell the coffee.”

CP

FROM THE ISLAND TO THE WORLD Teatro El Público’s The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant Havana Lyceum Orchestra, photo

Malpaso Dance Theater in 24 Hours and a Dog, photo by Bill Hebert

by Alex Hoerner

Compañía Irene Rodrígu ez, photo by Christopher Jon es

Now thru May 20 An unprecedented Kennedy Center-wide celebration of Cuban arts and culture

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Revelation: The NFL Draft is the best sporting event of the year.

By Matt Terl It’s been days since the NFL Draft ended.

In that time there’s been playoff hockey, playoff basketball, and mediocre earlyseason baseball. And despite—or because of—all of that going on, I’ve realized something: The Draft is quite possibly my favorite event on the entire sporting calendar.

That’s due in part to cowardly avoidance on my part. The NHL Playoffs are impossible to watch casually, and it’s rare that I want to add extra tension into my life, especially when it is frequently followed by crushing disappointment. And the NBA playoffs were pretty clearly a doomed endeavor for the Wizards this year, and I can’t bring myself to care about the remaining teams.

It’s more than that, though. The NFL Draft is the only sporting event—and, in fact, maybe the only major entertainment event— where it is entirely possible to assume that everyone has won, all the time.

There’s no scoreboard on the Draft.

When pundits try to impose a scoreboard, the results are so wildly disparate as to be meaningless. Washington’s 2018 Draft class earned a B+ or a C- (a really low C-, given that there were only two teams graded lower), or an A, depending on which outlet you went to. It’s scoring by human centipede: Analysts give grades to the drafts, but because there are no true results yet, all they’re doing is grading against their own scale.

Not only is there no scoreboard, there’s no real outcome for weeks, or even longer. Immediately following the draft, nothing happens. Then the players remain completely blank slates for as long as they have to. If a guy doesn’t excel in minicamp, maybe he’ll come around once the pads are on. Doesn’t look good in preseason? He’ll look better once the full offense is installed.

Doesn’t look good as a rookie? Probably a

late bloomer. Even the draft pick who truly, unequivocally busts—the guy who gets cut before his rookie season—is interesting in the way that dramatic failures always are.

Full-on busts seem less frequent now, probably as a result of improved scouting, better metrics, and more widely available film. All three of those things improve the experience for the casual viewer, too.

I spent a very pleasant few minutes recently watching highlight clips of Washington’s new seventh-round receiver destroy guys in college. Cherry-picking the good plays, it’s easy to say, “This guy looks great! How’d he fall to the seventh?” It’s fun to imagine that every lottery ticket is a winner.

Everyone who is drafted is, by definition, one of the very best at what they do in the entire world, so even the worst of them tend to seem very promising on the surface. Here, for example, is an excerpt of the pre-draft analysis from NFL.com on one of the new Washington players: “Four year starter and interception king … Plays with the instincts and awareness teams covet … Finished with 17 career [interceptions] and he earned most of them with ball skills and positioning.”

That player, Danny Johnson, is an undrafted free agent out of Southern University, part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Despite all those compliments, his NFL future is still, at best, a longshot.

Which, honestly, is awesome.

After all these years watching D.C. sports, this is where I am now: My favorite sporting event of the year is the one where no one can really lose, where there’s a leisurely gap afterward instead of a gut-punch, and where unheralded, longshot prospects can be unironically described as “coveted.”

Really, who wouldn’t want to watch that instead of the Wizards washing out of the playoffs again?

CP

Gear Prudence Gear Prudence: I’m sick of inconsiderate people walking their dogs on trails and then yelling at me for biking even remotely near their precious pups.

First of all, if they cared that much, they wouldn’t let the dog out on a 10-foot leash. Secondly, it’s a mixed-use trail. If your dog can’t handle bikes nearby without getting freaked out, maybe you shouldn’t walk it there. What is the best way to bike on a trail near dogs to avoid these kerfuffles?

—Watch Out! Oblivious Fellow Enrages Rider Dear WOOFER: For every story about an inconsiderate dog walker, there’s an equally valid story about a jerk bicyclist, so let’s skip the recriminations, accept that some members of both groups sometimes fail to live up to expectations, and tackle this problem in a way that acknowledges that neither dogs nor bicyclists are going away anytime soon. Let’s also posit that the dogs themselves are blameless and that any misunderstanding or bad feelings derive from the actions and reactions of human beings, a far inferior species.

As for avoiding these situations, as a bicyclist you have a limited suite of options, but more than enough to resolve most issues. Warn early and loudly enough to give the walker enough time to reel in the dog. Pass with extra space, and always rate the dog as you pass with a score higher than 10, even though that’s mathematically nonsensical. If you have to slow down to get by safely, then slow down. Sure, this is “unfair” to you, but since the alternative could be an unfortunate interaction with a startled animal, cope. After all, mixed-use goes both ways.

—GP

K A

E R B THE

RUL ES

Gear Prudence: Biking in flip-flops: bad idea or the worst idea?

—Shoes Always. Never Deny A Loafer Dear SANDAL: A mostly OK idea, actually! But highly dependent on context and with some potential drawbacks. Exposed toes in the summer are far better for heat regulation than sweaty soles in socks and sneakers, and if you’re already walking around the city in flip-flops, it’s not like you’re going to accumulate more road dirt and grime on your feet by biking. Obvious downsides include potential difficulty with pedaling, due both to the floppy material—providing an unsteady surface for maximum power against the pedal—and the slipperiness. Flipflops tend to have less grip, so you might find yourself sliding around a little, or even worse, with one (or both) sliding off your foot (or feet) at an inopportune time. Of course, the biggest downside is the lack of material between your foot and the asphalt should you fall off the bike or should your foot otherwise make contact with the ground. Other shoes are probably better for biking, but if you find yourself in flipflops and a bike trip beckons, don’t skip it due to insufficient footwear.

—GP

JOSÉ ANDRÉS & FRIENDS PRESENT

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tip Off

10 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

One side predicts peril fOr the d.c. restaurant industry. the Other is fighting fOr justice fOr marginalized wOrkers.

By laura hayes PhotograPhs by Darrow MontgoMery

for all of our employees,” says chef and owner Sam Adkins. He sought to level the playing field, as cooks don’t typically share in tips. He also wanted to minimize reliance on guests’ whims. “We wanted people to treat it like it’s a profession instead of a gift,” he says. “So often tipping is biased, especially against women and people of color.”

After a year they scrapped the system. “When it came down to it, as far as us surviving as a business, it didn’t work,” Adkins says. “It ended up costing too much. It was ‘continue to do this, or not be a restaurant anymore.’”

A February 2018 New Yorker article, “The Limitations of American Restaurants’ No-Tipping Experiment,” points to other restaurants that tried a servicecharge model but subsequently went back to tipping. They range from from upscale restaurants like David Chang’s Momofuku Nishi to 18 locations of the casual Joe’s Crab Shack.

Trend-setting restaurateur Danny Meyer of Union Square Hospitality Group implemented no-tipping at his full-service restaurants and is sticking with it even though he initially lost 40 percent of his staff.

Jackie Greenbaum, who co-owns Little Coco’s, Bar Charley, and El Chucho, isn’t likely to institute a service charge.

“You’re giving ‘the house’ a lot more power to redistribute the income,” she says. “I’m not sure I trust restaurant owners to do what’s best.” She fears backlash from guests too. “I’d love to put a 20 percent service charge on, but I don’t have the nerve for it. Even at 15 percent, they’ll be pissed if they don’t get to choose.”

Nor does she want to raise prices. “People already feel things are really expensive,” she says. While prices for appetizers and craft cocktails have crept up, entree prices have plateaued. “You’re either under $30 or over. The sweet spot is $18 to $29. You can’t charge over $30 at a neighborhood place … My customers will revolt.”

Greenbaum anticipates another consequence. “It’s going to make restaurants compete against each other in a unique way ...

You’ll suddenly be judged not on the quality of the restaurant, but what you charge.”

“We have a pile of bad options,” Neighborhood Restaurant Group founder Michael Babin echoes. He owns nine restaurants in D.C. and is weighing the different models in case 77 passes. Like Greenbaum, he thinks mandatory service charges don’t sit well with guests. “As far as raising prices, we want to have great value for our guests and we want guests to be in charge with what they do with their server.”

The ballot initiative comes at a time Babin calls “the golden age of restaurants” in D.C. “Never have people had better access to amazing ingredients locally and from all over the world,” he says. “Guests have benefitted and realized that on some level, it’s all very fragile.”

Diana Ramirez

There’s a war going on and Peter Bayne has the propaganda to prove it. He’s carrying around two copies of the food and drink menu at Franklin Hall. One is today’s menu, the other is a mirror image, but with prices that are 40 percent higher. The bar owner says he’d have to up his prices that dramatically to cover increased labor costs should ballot Initiative 77 pass. Imagine paying $11 for a jumbo pretzel and $8.50 for a pint of Port City Optimal Wit. He’s not the only bar owner bracing for the worst. “Businesses will shutter, the face of dining in the District will be forever changed,” says Tune Inn owner Lisa Nardelli. “It will be the end of the industry as we know it.”

On June 19, voters will decide whether the city should eliminate its two-tiered wage system. Tipped employees currently earn $3.33 an hour compared to the standard minimum wage of $12.50. All but seven states in the U.S. have this so-called “tip credit” that restaurateurs rely on to staff a robust team of employees and tame prices for customers.

Even with this tip credit, all workers in D.C. are entitled to the standard minimum wage.

If a worker fails to reach $12.50 per hour with their base wage plus tips, the employer is required to make up the difference.

If 77 passes, the tipped minimum wage will go up eight increments until it equals the standard minimum wage in 2026. The standard minimum wage will reach $15 in 2020.

Increases after that would be tied to inflation.

If 77 doesn’t pass, the tipped minimum wage

will still increase to $3.89 in July, $4.45 in 2019, and $5 in 2020.

Diners may have noticed servers and bartenders sporting “Save Our Tips” buttons that ask D.C. residents to vote no on 77. The initiative committee by the same name is one of several being bankrolled by industry leaders, operators, employees, and trade associations. National groups like Restaurant Workers of America (RWA) have also joined the local fight against 77.

Restaurant Opportunities Center United (ROC) is the national nonprofit that’s bringing 77 to the table. They advocate for workers rights and the elimination of the tip credit in favor of “One Fair Wage.” ROC tried and failed to do away with the tip credit when the D.C. Council approved increasing the standard minimum wage to $15 in June 2016, but after jumping a few more hurdles, including gathering enough signatures from voters, ROC succeeded in getting 77 on the ballot two years later. Now this monumental decision is in the hands of the voters, and early local and national polling suggests D.C. residents will vote yes on 77.

Nearly 40 interviews of industry professionals reveal a battle that’s both high stakes and highly emotional. Restaurants and hospitality is the third largest private sector employer in D.C. according to 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The $3.8 billion industry has sparked growth, employed thousands, attracted visitors, and arguably formed the commercial backbone of changing neighborhoods.

Tipped workers and their employers have called 77 “a solution in search of a problem” that could devastate the industry that already operates on thin margins. City Paper reported in January that Baan Thai only makes 71 cents per serving off of its most popular Thai noodle dish after paying for ingredients and fixed costs like labor and rent.

Meanwhile, proponents of 77 want to elevate a sector of workers they say earn poverty wages, adding that tipping and a two-tier wage system disadvantages women and people of color and is a prime cause of sexual harassment. while employers wouldn’T have to pay tipped workers $15 immediately if 77 passes, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington CEO Kathy Hollinger believes restaurants will start feeling the effects sooner than 2026. “When it goes to $7.50 in 2020, that will be the tipping point for a restaurant operation,” she says. “That’s when they would have to rethink their business model.” New model options include instituting a mandatory service charge, raising prices, or switching from full-service to counter service.

Sally’s Middle Name experimented with a service charge in lieu of tipping when they opened in 2015. Because the charge was mandatory for guests, the money was no longer considered gratuity and became property of the owners, who chose how to distribute it amongst staff.

“We wanted to create a steady living wage

washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 11

Some restaurateurs argue that a yes vote on 77 could disrupt the farm-to-table movement.

“We’d have to go back to frozen stuff just to be able to not have outrageous prices,” Bayne says. Currently they source their sausage meat from a farm in Maryland.

The director of ROC-DC, Diana Ramirez, is more confident restaurateurs will find a system that works. “They think if workers do better, the restaurant will do worse, but there’s a win-win for everyone in this scenario,” she says. She calls the idea that diners will stop tipping once they know their servers make a higher hourly wage “unfathomable.”

While 77 doesn’t de facto outlaw tips, many servers and bartenders argue patrons won’t be as generous if they’re seeing price hikes on menus or a service charge on checks.

Rekik Tesfaye is a D.C.-area native who has been working as a bartender and server in D.C. for two years. She now bartends at Franklin Hall and sister bar Church Hall and opposes 77. She predicts she’d only see a dollar or two on the tip line if it passes. “The most comparable thing would be when you go to a coffee shop and tip a barista a couple of dollars or some change,” she predicts.

Tipped workers on both sides are using the battle over this ballot initiative as a bullhorn to tell the community that waiting tables and tending bar is no longer a temporary gig or a second choice. It can be a career. Opponents of 77 say they are quick-witted salespeople with strong social skills who enjoy the potential working for tips carries.

Supporters counter that $3.33 is a laughable wage to pay a professional.

Michael Haresign, who bartends at Kitty O’Sheas in Tenleytown, opposes 77. He pulls in about $30 an hour even though he mostly sells $3 beers. “When people think about a 20 percent tip, that’s generally not how a lot of us get tipped,” he says. “We get tipped for the fact that we have a skilled job.” He doesn’t want to be reduced to a minimum wage worker. “If you pay us minimum wage, you take away the social aspect of being in this industry.”

Bartender Stephanie Hulbert, who works four shifts a week at Tune Inn, agrees. “I call myself a therapist with alcohol involved,” she says. “People go out to bars and restaurants to relax and relieve stress and we’re there to help them do that.” Hulbert and others say that if 77 passes, employees will know what they’re making going into their shifts and won’t have the same incentive to provide top service. They might do “just enough.”

“Every single table we have is a new boss,” says Karim Soumah. The D.C.-area native has been in the hospitality industry for 17 years and is currently a server at RIS. After he rose through the ranks to reach the management level, he opted to go back to being a server because he likes interacting with guests—and the tips.

Experience has taught him what constitutes a 15, 20, and 30 percent tip. “If I choose to do nothing and follow a script, I’ll get 15 percent,” he says. “If I sell you a glass of

Kathy Hollinger

wine you’ve never had before and you think it’s great, that leads to a decent tip. A 25 percent tip means you show up to the table and command their confidence.” And a tip can increase to 30 or 50 percent once customers become regulars.

He believes servers shape and are held accountable for diners’ overall experiences. “The back of the house is critical, but guess what? If the food comes out cold, late, or underdone, we have to protect that,” he says. “The front of the house has to protect the image of the restaurant and that is of value.”

The relationship between front-of-house employees and back-of-house employees is often strained. Line cooks and other back-ofhouse employees typically make minimum wage or slightly more.

“If ownership is forced to give a raise to the people who already make the most money, how long do you think a prep cook or line cook will have to wait for their raise?” asks Joshua Chaisson. He’s one of the leaders of

12 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

RWA and has worked in restaurants for almost two decades. “Their wages will completely stagnate.”

Some question why no tipping works in most of Europe. “What you experience in other countries is order-taking,” Chaisson says. “The U.S. is revered as the best service in the world. I would strongly argue that is a direct result of our tipped system.”

Hollinger and others say there are far fewer servers and bartenders working at one time in European restaurants and generally, they’re hawking food and drink instead of experiences.

“I view servers as a professional class of commissioned sales people,” Greenbaum says.

She reasons that servers at IHOP shouldn’t make the same amount as upscale restaurant workers. “They don’t take home wine books to study. They don’t know where their products are from.”

Operators fear that this class of professional tipped workers would potentially flee D.C. or

exit the industry if they’re staring down job cuts, reduced shifts, and closures on top of what they perceive to be capped earning potential.

“We have always prided ourselves with being one of the most affordable places on the Hill for 70 years,” says Nardelli from Tune Inn. “Tipped employees will look elsewhere and migrate to other industries because they’re not able to survive on minimum wage.”

Though she owns a dive bar, she continues, “I cannot imagine how white-linen establishments will keep their highly tipped, front-ofhouse staff from looking to other careers or driving over the District line to Maryland or Virginia to have tipped positions.”

D.C. is unique in that it has two neighboring states with no plans to eliminate the tip credit.

According to Andrew Kline, an attorney who has represented D.C. restaurants and the restaurant industry for more than 30 years, city government has been mindful in the past in helping D.C. retain its competitive advantage.

He says the District worked in tandem with Montgomery County and Prince George’s County in 2013 to raise the minimum wage at the same rate, for example. That’s not the case this time.

After studying the impact of minimum wage changes in other cities and states, Hollinger concludes labor opportunities will shrink.

“The very people they want to help are going to get cut,” she says. “Restaurants are going to have to do more with less. They’ll absolutely need to reduce shifts.”

Trupti Patel, who has been a server and bartender for seven years in D.C., offers a different view. She is in favor of 77 and does not want her employer named. While Patel predicts there will be labor cuts since a restaurant can’t afford to keep 10 servers on the clock if they’re paid $15 instead of $3.33, she doesn’t think service will suffer. “The consumer is going to want better service,” she says. “If they realize the server is being paid $15, they’re going to expect $15-an-hour service.”

Patel is one of the supporters who believes that, as a professional, she deserves 100 percent of a wage. She’s a ROC member. The organization says it has 1,200 local members.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to get paid where you’re not worried if you’re having a slow day?” she asks. “You have one bad week in the industry and everyone is freaking out over how to pay the bills.” The public presumes servers make $100 to $300 per shift. “If this were the case, this wouldn’t have come up,” she says.

Anything from bad weather to a bad mood can impact a tipped worker’s earnings. Yet, when point-of-sale company Upserve conducted a survey in 2018, they found that 97 percent of servers ranked tipping as their preferred payment method. They surveyed 1,000 front-of-house and back-of-house employees at their 8,000 restaurant clients nationwide.

While 91.2 percent of tipped workers said their income fluctuates, it’s only by $500 between their best and worst month.

Patel disagrees with operators who think dining will stagnate. “People will not stop going out to eat,” she says. “We don’t live in a

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town where people don’t go out to eat. They might not go out as often in the beginning, but people will adjust.” Some compare 77 to the debate surrounding the smoking ban that passed in 2006. Operators thought it would put bars out of business. It didn’t.

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh was an early supporter of eliminating the tipped minimum wage. Back when the D.C. Council was drafting legislation related to raising the standard minimum wage incrementally to $15, Cheh says she offered an amendment to make it one wage. Her support hasn’t wavered. She welcomed the news that 77 was on the ballot, though she thought it was scheduled for November, not June. “I’ve done my homework,” she says. “My instinct about having one wage is borne out of a notion of fairness. Tipped wage workers are entitled to the same minimum wage.”

Her office supplied her with data from the Economic Policy Institute, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Harvard Business School, and the UC Berkeley Labor Center. She sympathizes with business owners who don’t want to pay more, but says fairness must prevail. Restaurant owners are letting her hear it. “When they call me, sometimes I have to hold the phone out at a distance because they’re irate,” she says.

Cheh doesn’t think diners will stop tipping.

“We have a tipping culture; we’ll remain a tipping culture,” she says. Nor does she think restaurants will need to raise their prices by 30 to 40 percent because the roll-out is gradual.

“In terms of restaurants closing, there is some indication that for those who were about to make an exit anyway, this could be the last straw,” she says. Indeed, a 2017 Harvard Business School working paper found those shuttering and blaming it on minimum wage increases were already rated poorly on Yelp. The paper reads, “a one dollar increase in the minimum wage leads to a 14 percent increase in the likelihood of exit for a 3.5-star restaurant, but has no discernable impact for a 5-star restaurant.”

Woong Chang came to D.C. in 2009 and blanketed the city with his resume. In one interview, he told a restaurant owner that he expected to make $10 to $12, plus tips. That’s what he made in California where he worked in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco. He says the owner laughed in his face and told him they pay $2.77 (the tipped minimum wage at the time) plus tips. “I thought he was joking,” Chang says.

The experience inspired Chang, who works part-time at Maketto, to get involved with ROC and lead the local fight for One Fair Wage. He’s also on ROC’s national board of directors. He says every time there’s an effort to increase the minimum wage, a doomsday scenario surfaces. “It’s been done in seven states,” he says.

“I’ve worked where this is thriving,” he says. in addiTion To arguing that tipping won’t cease if 77 passes, ROC makes two social arguments against tipping. “It’s a racial justice issue for us,” Ramirez says. “The practices of tipping are a legacy of slavery. And the most important

Jackie Greenbaum and her business partner Gordon Banks

issue is that the two-tiered wage system is the highest source of sexual harassment.”

ROC co-founder Saru Jayaraman’s 2016 book, Forked: A New Standard for American Dining, has a section on the history of tipping.

She points to the late 19th century when many former slaves took up employment in the hospitality and railway industries but were only paid in tips. She says the “deeply rooted racial subjugation” continues today.

According to ROC, 69 percent of tipped workers in D.C. are people of color, and tipped workers experience poverty at nearly twice the rate of all workers. The organization cites the Census Bureau’s “American Community Survey” that merges data from 2010 to 2014.

Imar Hutchins owns the Florida Avenue Grill, one of the oldest surviving, continuously operating African-American-owned restaurant in the U.S. “We should have something to say about issues like these,” he says, calling tipping a vestige of slavery. Like Jayaraman, Hutchins points to train car company employees. “They supported themselves off of goodwill and charity, and that essentially continues today.”

Hutchins supports 77, but hasn’t thought about how his restaurant would manage the increased labor costs. “I don’t have all of the answers,” he says. “I don’t know what we would do here yet, but I know there are several states that have laws like this and they keep spinning.”

Several African-American tipped workers disagree that tipping puts them in an inferior position. “They say that minorities aren’t ben-

14 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

efiting from the pay structure at restaurants,” Soumah says. “That’s a naked statement. Are they saying African-Americans have no shot?

Are underpaid? Are underrepresented? I will say as an African-American, I found no barriers to my success.”

Tesfaye denies that tipping evolved from slavery and says proponents of 77 are using “trigger phrases” to get votes. “Tipping is not racist at all,” she says. “It has nothing to do with slavery. It started in the 1800s in Europe.”

A New York Times article about tipping states that after the Civil War, wealthy Americans began traveling to Europe where they picked up on tipping and brought it home.

“I know they slant this to say it will benefit people of color and women—it’s sort of a tearjerker for people,” Tesfaye says. “If you don’t want to work in the service industry, you don’t have to … People stay in it because they make good money and enjoy it. You can’t look at me and think, ‘She’s a single mother.

She’s bartending because she has to.’ That’s not my story.”

As for sexual harassment, ROC and Forward Together, an organization that wants all families to be able to thrive, conducted a survey that revealed tipped female restaurant workers in states where the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 an hour are twice as likely to experience sexual harassment as their female cohorts in states that pay one minimum wage to all workers. ($2.13 is the federal tipped minimum wage.) They surveyed 688 current and former restaurant workers across 39 states for their 2014 report,

“The Glass Floor: Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry.” Of the 688 workers surveyed, 77.4 percent were women.

ROC also says that 90 percent of restaurant workers in D.C. report sexually harassing behavior in the workplace. To obtain this figure, ROC gathered 25 surveys from local tipped restaurant workers for its May 2016 report, “The Case for Eliminating The Tipped Minimum Wage in Washington, D.C.” Instead of using the words “sexual harassment” explicitly, the survey asked about behaviors such as sexual teasing, pressure for dates, and comments about sexual orientation. They combined these surveys with 26 more that were completed for the “Glass Floor” report for a data set of 51 tipped workers.

The idea is that when workers depend on tips for income, they’re more likely to put up with perverse behavior from patrons. “It’s not just the patrons, but the managers who have power over the shifts you get scheduled for,” Ramirez adds. “It’s about power dynamics.

Everyone in restaurants has power over the tipped worker. My sister worked in Hooters for many years. The women who got the better shifts were the ones who went on dates with the manager.”

Greenbaum calls the stance that tipping encourages sexual harassment insulting because it perpetuates a stereotype that servers are still cocktail waitresses in slinky black dresses serving customers a meal and a show. “We have uniforms,” she says.

“If anyone came dressed inappropriately,

they’d be sent home.”

She continues, “It suggests that my incredibly skilled bartenders who can make 18-ingredient cocktails also have time and an inclination to flirt and a wear a low-cut V-neck and bendover. It’s not how bartenders and servers make money.”

If a customer touched one of her employees, Greenbaum says she would eject them, but she hasn’t had to do that. “The suggestion that they’re butt-pinching older dudes is not true.”

Hulbert also has a perspective. “When I’m behind the bar, I’m more concerned about my patrons,” she says. “I would never take what a customer is throwing at me just to make higher tips,” she says. “Tune Inn is a woman-owned bar—we are treated with the utmost respect.”

Sexual harassment is pervasive in society and especially in places where there’s a power dynamic. That includes all industries and all sectors, but particularly restaurants. Restaurant workers file more sexual harassment claims than any other industry, according to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission data first reported by Buzzfeed. More than 10,000 claims were filed by full-service

restaurant employees from 1995 to 2016. The study does not say if and how increasing the tipped minimum wage stanches the flood of unwanted sexual advances.

D.C. voters must ask themselves whether “One Fair Wage” is a fit for the District. Some argue it’s not because of the city’s size and restaurant portfolio. Others point out that there are two D.C.’s—neighborhoods with upscale restaurants may not have much in common with the areas dotted with mom-and-pop eateries and the occasional casual national chain.

“When they talk about the kind of worker they’re trying to help, they talk about Denny’s, IHOP, and Applebee’s,” Hollinger says. “We have more than 2,000 restaurants in D.C. and maybe five of the establishments they’re referring to. I don’t think they understand this market.” There are four of these full-service chains—two Denny’s and two IHOP’s.

Based on U.S. Economic Census data, Hollinger says 96 percent of District restaurants are independently owned small businesses. “I know our operators,” Hollinger says. “We’re small enough that if employees weren’t being taken care of, or they felt there were unjust cir-

cumstances, we would be hearing about it.”

The RAMW CEO believes D.C. servers make an average of $25 to $50 an hour. “It’s probably far more than that, but we’re looking at the entire range of establishments,” she says. “If you’re talking about fine dining, it’s closer to $65 or $70.” Industry veteran Nadine Brown told Afro that as a lead server at Charlie Palmer Steak she earned $70,000 annually.

Soumah feels ROC is painting with too broad a brush. “They’re looking at the nation as a whole and they’re considering the inequalities on a very basic level for those who are in suburbia and small towns,” he says.

“The demographics and the numbers in D.C. are so conflicting with what they’re trying to accomplish.”

Tesfaye worries that if 77 passes, it will pave the way for big chains to plant roots in the District because they’re better equipped to absorb increased labor costs. “Rents are already hiking and restaurants are already closing down and corporate chains are coming in like the new Yard House in Chinatown,” she says.

For many D.C. operators, rent is partial-

ly based off of a percentage of their sales. For example, a lease could require an owner to pay $200,000 in base rent plus 6 percent of their gross sales once they cross a natural breakpoint. Jared Meier, a vice president of CBRE Retail Services, explains how this works.

“Take $200,000 and divide by .06 and that would lead to a 3.333 million gross sales figure—the natural breakpoint,” he says. “Every dollar over 3.3 million in gross sales, the tenant would pay six cents in additional rent to the landlord.” Industry leaders like Bayne fear that if they’re achieving higher sales as a result of significantly increasing their prices, landlords may not be willing to come to the table to renegotiate lease terms.

Operators like The Pub & The People coowner Jeremy Gifford worry that D.C. is being used as an experiment. “Let’s not be a training ground for new policy to roll across the country. We’re not California,” he says. “We’re a tiny little city that will never become a state.”

ProPonents of 77 argue having One Fair Wage will level the playing field between the two D.C.’s. “There’s this golden city full of young white millennials that are working in Karim Soumah

washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 15

Attorneys Justin Zelikovitz and Jonathan Tucker

technology and politics, and there’s a forgotten D.C.,” says Justin Zelikovitz, a wage theft attorney at DCWageLaw. He’s represented almost 1,000 low-wage workers in D.C. and Maryland over the past five years. “Old D.C. understands that people of color and socioeconomically disadvantaged people that work in restaurants get screwed.”

According to May 2017 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 8,440 servers in D.C. Their hourly mean wage is $17.48 ($36,370 annually). By contrast, their median wage is $11.86. That means half of servers earn less than $12. The numbers increase for bartenders, of which there are 4,290 in D.C. Their mean hourly wage is $18.29 ($38,050 annually), while their median hourly wage is $15.05.

These figures include tips, though restaurants don’t always report their employees’ tips accurately, especially if they’re in cash form.

Zelikovitz points to a category of tipped workers that the typical diner may not consider. “Employers will fudge the numbers most commonly with positions like busboys,” he explains. “They’ll say, ‘He got a bunch of tips and that brought him over minimum wage, but just didn’t report them.’”

Juan, who asked to be identified by his first name, worked as a busboy for a large D.C. restaurant for two-and-a-half years. He says he was paid $2.50 an hour and $380 in tips every two weeks. These figures do not add up to the minimum wage, but Juan didn’t bring the disparity to his boss because he feels busboys are replaceable.

Now Juan works in construction and makes $15 an hour. “There’s more opportunities, the pay is better, and they respect the minimum wage,” he says through a translator. The 32year-old doesn’t have to work two jobs for the first time since he was 16. He suspects more workers will leave restaurants for industries that guarantee minimum wage. “Change is necessary,” he says.

Zelikovitz says some workers aren’t being paid a base wage at all, they’re living solely off tips. “These are the workers getting hosed— not servers at Le Diplomate or Del Mar where they clean up.”

On May 3, more than 100 restaurant owners signed an open letter asking Washingtonians to vote no on 77. Though the letter includes some neighborhood bars and casual restaurants, the list of signatories is mostly a who’s

16 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

who in D.C.’s elite restaurant scene—Pineapple & Pearls’ Aaron Silverman, The Dabney’s Jeremiah Langhorne, Sushi Taro’s Jin Yamazaki, and Tail Up Goat’s Jill Tyler.

Zelikovitz suspects the higher-end restaurants and constituents of RAMW do things by the book. “But they have to compete with restaurants that don’t,” he says. “This increase in the tipped minimum wage will remove a common way that lower-end restaurants skirt the hourly laws. This will make it so clear who is doing it right and who is doing it wrong. It’s my intention to sue every restaurant that’s doing it wrong.”

Chang cites a U.S. Department of Labor study conducted from 2010 to 2012 that looked at nearly 9,000 investigations at full-service restaurants nationwide and found an 84 percent noncompliance rate with wage laws.

“Those are the tipped employees that work at the not-so-popular restaurants where making $100 in tips is unfathomable,” he says. “You’re damn right it’s an enforcement issue.”

ROC calls the current system, where employers are required to make up the difference should a worker not make minimum wage with their base wage plus tips, “complex” and

“largely unenforceable.” It puts the responsibility on the employee to report low wages to the employer and requires extensive tracking and accounting. Patel and other 77 supporters feel that if there was One Fair Wage, the law would be easier to enforce.

Andrew Kline, the chief counsel for RAMW, has a different take. “I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as they say it is—there would be a lot more lawsuits,” he says. “We see some cases because we represent restaurants. We don’t see zillions of them, but we see them. They get settled and the people get paid.”

According to D.C. law, a worker who wins a wage lawsuit is entitled to their wages, plus three times that in liquidated damages. So if someone works ten hours and gets paid $10 an hour (instead of $12.50), they’re owed $25 plus $75 for a total of $100. And the defendant would have to pay the attorney’s fees.

The DC Department of Employment Services sheds light on how many complaints they see annually. According to Dr. Unique MorrisHughes, DOES audited 593 hospitality industry businesses in fiscal year 2017. These bars and restaurants had 7,383 employees. She received fewer than five complaints.

Morris-Hughes says her office monitors for irregularities when businesses have tipped workers. The input system isn’t perfect. “I call it a fat finger issue because they’re keying manual entries,” she says. “A lot of businesses contract out the work and miss-transpose the data.”

DOES aims to ensure residents are informed of their rights by providing materials in different languages and by signing memoranda of understanding with organizations that serve specific communities, according to Morris-Hughes.

Anyone can file a complaint, and complaints can be anonymous. “We don’t care where it comes from, we’re committed to ensuring people’s rights are protected,” she says.

Greenbaum, who says an average-performing server at one of her restaurants earns more than $27 an hour, believes there are other incentives for obeying the law. In D.C., the industry is staring down a major staffing crisis due to the explosion of new dining neighborhoods like The Wharf. “Servers are free agents, especially today with the skill sets they’re required to possess,” she says.

RWA’s Chaisson would like to focus on enforcement instead of nixing the tip credit.

“If ROC or any organization wanted to create legislation to make stiffer penalties for people who fail to meet the obligation, I would stand beside them and fight that fight,” he says. seven sTaTes do not have a two-tiered wage system: Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. How tipped restaurants and their employees are faring there depends on who you ask.

The East Bay Times published an article in January 2017 that says 60 restaurants around the Bay Area had closed since September 2016.

The executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association said that full-service restaurants “are being pushed to the brink.”

Find Simone Barron further north in Seattle. She’s been a server for more than three decades and currently works for a well known restaurateur. She’s also sits on the RWA board.

Seattle was the first metropolis in the U.S. to begin scaling up to $15 an hour. Businesses with 500 or more employees already hit $15 in January 2018.

Barron’s restaurant instituted a 20 percent service charge to cope with the changes.

There is no line for additional tips on checks.

Since Barron is a senior server she makes 14 percent commission. More junior employees make 10 percent. “I’m losing about $30 a day,” she says. “There’s no way to maximize a tip on anything.”

If Barron sells $100 worth of food, she gets $14. To get to a $100 commission in a shift, a tip goal that many servers set, she has to sell about $750 worth of food. Before she only had to sell $500. “Service doesn’t matter—it’s about pushing the most expensive things on the menu.” Because of the pay cut, Barron now works six shifts in five days and picked up a second job. “For someone like me who’s been in the business for 32 years, I’m older and this is hard,” she says.

ROC says the restaurant industry is healthy and growing in the states that have no tip cred-

it. Specifically it says Seattle, San Francisco, and SeaTac restaurants are thriving. One of the sources it cites in a report is a March 2016 Seattle Times article, “A Year in, ‘The Sky Is Not Falling’ From Seattle’s Minimum-Wage Hike.” In it, a professor of public policy and governance concludes that it’s too early to predict the long-term impacts of incremental wage increases. over The nexT five-and-a-half weeks, Washingtonians can expect to hear more from both sides. ROC members and tipped workers who oppose 77 have been participating in town hall meetings and joining Facebook groups.

The Save Our Tips and One Fair Wage campaigns are also getting some company.

John Guggenmos, the owner of Town, Trade, and Number Nine, created a “NO2DC77” initiative committee. He says tipped workers at his gay nightclubs currently earn between $25 and $50 per hour. “Once we go to a 20 percent service-included model, they will make less than they’re making now as tipping will stop altogether.”

He calls 77 a dangerous experiment and says he’s hired media consultants to spread the word. They’re going to print cards for bartenders to hand to patrons and will be producing 30-second videos with tipped worker testimonials.

Peter Bayne has a plan for June 19. “We should close down all of our spots during this election and have our staff go out to polling places,” he says. In addition to Franklin Hall and Church Hall, Bayne co-owns Penn Social and Big Chief. “I think every restaurant should close on Tuesday to say ‘We care so much about this, don’t destroy this beautiful industry.’”

Initial polling suggests opponents of 77 are facing an uphill battle. A leaked survey obtained by The Intercept conducted by GOP pollster Frank Luntz on behalf of the National Restaurant Association found that seven in 10 Americans want to see a higher minimum wage, even if that means paying more for meals.

Here at home, Ed Lazere, who is running for Council chairman, conducted a 12-question phone survey in early April. He’s on leave as the director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. The results showed 70 percent of respondents support raising the tipped minimum wage so that tipped workers earn the same rate as every other minimum wage worker. Fifteen percent said they oppose the idea, another 15 percent were unsure.

Tipped workers like Soumah remain optimistic that he and his colleagues can convince D.C. that, though counterintuitive, giving tipped workers a raise would do more harm than good. He’s helping organize informational happy hours at area restaurants.

“We will prevail,” he says. “I think this is an opportunity for us to highlight exactly what we provide for the city.” His advice to his colleagues? “Get educated, take pride in your job, and let everyone know this is on the ballot. Let people know what you do is of value. The entire city will support us if they know what’s going on.”

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Along Came a Spider

A new survey of Surrealist artist Louise Bourgeois, best known for her creepy spider statues, reveals dark truths and existential dread.

Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment At Glenstone through January 2020

By Kriston Capps Louise Bourgeois sometimes disappears behind her work. She is known best for her spindly spider sculptures, long-legged daddies that thrive in sculpture gardens. One such spider stalks the fountain at the National Gallery of Art. She has earned icon status, and fairly recently, for artworks that perform both as reliable commodities in fine art auctions and witchy totems in feminist pop culture.

Bourgeois’ iconic turn can obscure the alarming proposition behind her work. The artist tended a fire that burned white hot at a time when the post-war art world was cooling, the radiance of the Abstract Expressionist era gradually dissipating and giving way to crystal-cool Minimalism. Bourgeois made work to the side of all that. While her spiders found their place in the post-war contemporary ecosystem, Bourgeois’ larger body still stands apart as emotive and pure.

Louise Bourgeois: To Unravel a Torment, a show of the artist’s drawing, painting, installation, and even textiles now on view at Glenstone, shines a light on nearly half a century of artistic production. There are a couple of spiders on view: a 1947 drawing from a book of engravings and a frightful installation from 2003. The show also features two of Bourgeois’ “Cell” installations, which have inspired their own surveys. Where the exhibit excels is in showing how Bourgeois sustained such an intense investigation across so many media forms for so long—an inferno that still burns righteously.

Curated by Emily Wei Rales, who is the director and cofounder of Glenstone, a collector-owned museum, To Unravel a Torment proceeds chronologically. After the early elongated Surrealist figures of the late ’40s and early ’50s, Bourgeois began to explore the themes she would turn to over and over again.

“Noir Veine” (1968), a marble sculpture of a bouquet of embryonic polyps, features the bulbous abscesses that she more often poured in latex or plaster. (She usually gave these forms one title, “Avenza.”) Erotic ideas that surfaced in her earliest drawings swell to a crescendo in “Fillette (Sweeter Version)” (1968– 99), a rubber sculpture of a pair of testicles with a shaft that ends in a clitoral hood. Bourgeois had a dirty mind: Sex is a constant source of sweet revulsion in her work.

Family is another magnetic pole. The showstopper in this survey is “The Destruction of the Father” (1974), a pivotal installation that reconciled her interest in form with her experiments in theatricality. The piece is arranged like a stage, with a fourth wall open to the viewer; it is lit with red bulbs that bathe her

museums

embryonic avenza in magma-colored light. Pieces the shape of butchered sheep leg quarters cover a table. Bourgeois never disguised her lifelong rage at her controlling father, although there’s another (possibly apocryphal) story behind this one: One evening, she surprised her children by preparing a rare homecooked meal, in this case a hearty French provincial dinner.

They were so stunned to find her actually cooking they offender her, and in her fury, she dumped all the lamb out the window to the pavement below.

The smoldering anger in Bourgeois’ heart reaches its sulfurous pitch in “Lady in Waiting” (2003), a late sculpture that deserves a warning label. The piece is a phonebooth-sized installation, another stage of sorts, with a window frame that faces the viewer; through the glass can be seen a vintage upholstered

chair. A minor horror makes its nest there: a featureless doll with eight mechanical spider legs. Thread joins the doll’s mouth to points of articulation in its legs. Bourgeois’s installations, more dramatic than sculptural, aim to confront the viewer, and it’s difficult at times to be confronted so aggressively.

Bourgeois’ installations are the anti-spectacle: She invites the audience in to see the bedrock of her soul, and viewers will find no passive delight in looking. “Cell (Choisy)” (1990–93) features a marble reproduction of the tapestry workshop in Choisy-le-Roi, outside Paris, that was also her childhood home; it is enclosed in a steel cage whose door is a guillotine. No less subtle are “Cell I” and “Cell III” (both 1991): the former a studio-like space with a mysterious leg-form sculpture, the latter another studio with a steel-spring bed over which she has draped earnest quotes in fabric (“Pain is the ransom of formalism”).

If Bourgeois felt trapped by life, she also sometimes found its escapes. “Ode à la Bièvre” (2002), an unbound book rendered in cloth, is so pure in its peaceful austerity that it’s searing; the pages are fabric landscapes of scenes along the Bièvre near Antony, where she once lived. Each landscape page could fly as a flag. It’s a piece that a viewer might want to inhabit. But danger and dismay are never far off in Bourgeois’ work, as in “Untitled” (1996), a sculpture of dirty linen blouses and nighties hanging off giant bones— the literal skeletons in her closet.

The uncertainty of Bourgeois’ lifelong existential investigation into daughterhood and womanhood shows in this modest survey. Sometimes that’s not so apparent in her spider sculptures, which are so finely balanced, a taut metaphor for the delicate and beautiful yet fearless and predatory nature of motherhood.

As the spiders arrived late in the artist’s life— in the ’90s, when the artist was in her 80s—and quickly captured both the art world and the art market, they can seem like the culmination of a life’s triumphant work. But that balance was hard fought and rare. “I Give Everything Away” (2010), a set of mixed-media drawings produced by the artist in the year of her death, gives a sense of the fear and trembling that Bourgeois examined without trepidation—and without resolution. There’s another balance point with Bourgeois’ art: It’s hard to look, and it’s hard to turn away.

CP

“Untitled” by Louise Bourgeois (1996)

12002 Glen Rd, Potomac, Md. Free. (301) 9835001. glenstone.org. washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 19

TheaTerCurtain Calls

SONGS OF THE SOUTH Vietgone

By Qui Nguyen Directed by Natsu Onoda Power At Studio Theatre to May 20 For nearly three decades, the theatrical symbol for the Vietnam War has been a whirling monster of a prop helicopter, hovering over the stage in the blockbuster musical Miss Saigon.

No one who sees playwright Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone at Studio Theatre will ever again think of that whirlybird without also remembering a broken black umbrella, twirled above the heads of actors as their characters are airlifted out of South Vietnam’s capital. With the

ilar vein as a seminal Asian-American play that Power directed for Theater J a few years back; just as an actor portrays playwright David Henry Hwang in Yellow Face, actor Jacob Yeh introduces himself as Qui Nguyen at the opening of Vietgone. “Any resemblance to real life characters is purely coincidental,” he says.

Which is a joke, because he also says the play may be about his parents.

The action quickly careens back to 1975, when Quang (Marc delaCruz), a pilot for South Vietnam, and Tong (Regina Aquino), an embassy worker, are both attempting to get their families out of Saigon. The chronology of these rapid-fire scenes is slightly tough to follow, so do NOT drink too many Ho Chi Minnie Mouse cocktails from the onstage bar or you’ll miss the helicopter andend up at the Hanoi Hilton.

Both main characters touch down at a refugee camp in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Quang Vietgone

casually tosses her underwear on a bunk bed.

Minutes later she belts out a line that directly contrasts her character with Kim, the virginal prostitute in Miss Saigon.

“Love is a bullshit story,” Aquino sings in one of six musical numbers written for the Studio production. “Call me a whore and I’ll show you the door.”

Composer Jeff Song, in collaboration with members of his onstage band, reworked the play’s original hip-hop passages into songs inspired by pop music from the ’70s. Nguyen may have approved the concept, but the execution comes up short. Most lyrics are more banal than the dialogue and the vocal arrangements hardly flatter the actors onstage.

Far more successful is the underscoring music and clever interactions Power devised for her performers, like when Song provides a cowbell to jolt Tong from an after-sex nap, or when percussionist Keith Butler Jr. punctuates an elaborate martial arts battle with cymbals.

Great fight scenes were also crucial to Rorschach Theatre’s 2014 staging of She Kills Monsters, the only other Nyugen play to get an airing in D.C. He’s now penning CGI battles for Marvel Studios, and presumably spending less time on plays. Poor Yella Rednecks, a sequel to Vietgone, just got a reading at South Coast Rep last month, and although a spokesman for Studio confirmed that the theater has commissioned a new play from Nguyen, it’s not on the docket for the 2018–2019 season.

Hopefully that script is still is still in the works. Nguyen deserves all the money he can get from writing about superheroes.

But he’s also a hero for theatergoers, for rescuing us from the dreck of Miss Saigon.

—Rebecca J. Ritzel 1501 14th St. NW. $20–$76. (202) 332-3300. studiotheatre.org.

help of director Natsu Onada Power, Nyugen is making theatergoers rethink every melodramatic rumble-in-the-jungle take on Vietnam that they’ve ever seen.

Vietgone initially lifted off at California’s South Coast Repertory, and was deemed the best new play of 2015 by the American Theatre Critics Association. A 2016 staging at Manhattan Theatre Club was well received, but when a possible Broadway transfer didn’t pan out, regional performances began in April 2017. It’s slightly surprising that it took a year for the show to arrive in D.C., and that Studio snagged the D.C. premiere. This is a Woolly Mammoth sort of show, full of sex, profanity, and metanarratives. (Leave the kids—and your parents—at home.) But with one notable exception, Studio Theatre has done very, very well by Vietgone.

Power, a Japanese director who is among D.C.’s best, is also among the best directors in the country to pair with Nguyen’s pop culture aesthetic. The set is surrounded by honkytonk Americana, and the story begins in a sim-

with his neurotic best friend Nhan (Joe Ngo) and Tong accompanied by her busybody mother (Eileen Rivera). All the actors are funny, and obviously having fun, but it’s Yeh who rounds out the cast by playing a series of supporting characters, and makes a case for himself as the best comic actor in Washington.

“You love princess awesome happy?” Yeh says, when portraying a GI stricken with puppy love for Tong. To replicate the confusion refugees feel, Americans speak in waves of amusing gibberish, while the Vietnamese characters banter at Gilmore Girl pace, and, in the case of Tong and her mother, with a similar frenemy spirit.

“You are not at death’s door, Mother,” Tong says when Rivera’s character grouses about conditions at the camp. “You’re not even at death’s driveway.”

Although Quang provides a welcome distraction from her homesick mother, Tong is no delicate flower in love, singing sappy songs about solo saxophones. “You wanna do it?” she asks, moments after meeting the pilot, and she

20 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

TOTALITARIAN RECALL 1984

By Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan Directed by Robert McNamara At Atlas Performing Arts Center to May 27 the British theater company Headlong brought their sleek, harrowing adaptation of George Orwell’s towering 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre two years ago. When it opened on Broadway last summer, there were scattered reports of patrons fainting or even vomiting, whether from the high-tech production’s abrasive lighting and sound effects, or from the climax, wherein its poor protagonist, lowly Ministry of Truth history rewriter Winston Smith, is, as in every worthwhile version of this oft-told tale, tortured.

Scena Theatre’s more modest staging of the Headlong script, by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan, is unlikely to give anyone the vapors. The design team has done their best to represent Orwell’s nightmarish prediction of Big Brother’s omnipresent two-way telescreens, enabling random and possibly constant surveillance and force-feeding war propaganda into every public place and home, on a visibly thin budget. The penny-pinching results in a few unfortunately risibile moments, particularly a scene change to Winston and his lover Julia’s forbidden antique shop love nest that consists of someone shoving a bed onstage, not quietly, from the wings.

The best reason to seek out this production is Ron Litman, who channels the manic energy that has powered his various Capital Fringe Festival solo plays (with musician Tom Pile) into his serpentine performance as O’Brien, the party official who becomes Smith’s torturer and confessor. Not all of Litman’s fellows can match his command of his role, but if ever there were a piece of material that can forgive some shaky performances, it’s this one.

As Winston and Julia, the woman who abruptly initiates an illegal love affair with him, Scena founder Robert McNamara has cast, respectively, Panamanian actor Oscar Ceville and Austrian actor Karoline Troger. While both are experienced performers, English is neither artist’s first language. Their occasionally wooden line readings are less a hindrance in a story set in a world where even demonstrative facial expressions are outlawed than they might be in a gabbier evening. And of course, for me to complain that the actors in a play that is in part about how language itself is being shrunk and weaponized to control thought don’t speak the language I’m most comfortable hearing in the way most comfortable to me would be to risk death by irony.

One of the smartest things Icke and Macmillan have done to update Orwell’s warning is to put a metatextual frame around the tale, wherein a group of intellectuals discuss the book in the middle of the 21st century. We initially believe them to be talking about the manifesto penned by Goldstein, the official enemy of Big Brother and the subject of the ritualistic Two Minutes’ Hate—another key element of the book that doesn’t quite raise the alarm that it should in this version. In a note reminiscent of the many-decades-later epilogue of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (and more recent futurepocalypse novels, like Omar El Akkad’s American War) these chin-scratchers seem to be living in a better world that has overthrown the authoritarian regime Winston and Julia lived under and now regards Winston’s diary as a historical artifact. One of them says they have no way of knowing whether Winston ever existed at all. You wish you could disagree.

— Chris Klimek 1333 H St. NE. $25–$45. (202) 399-7993. scenatheatre.org.

FilmShort SubjectS

Depthless Godard Mon Amour

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius According to Michel hAzAnAvicius, Jean-Luc Godard is a pompous ass. In Godard Mon Amour, the Oscar-winning director of The Artist seemingly came not to praise the legendary auteur but to bury him; what should have been an homage ends up being parody, which is perhaps not surprising considering some of Hazanavicius’ previous work (in addition to The Artist, the OSS: 117 films). And if anyone goes looking for a cinematic education in the ways of Godard or New Wave here—or just wants to stoke their excitement about cinema in general—they will leave disappointed and likely a little pissed.

Hazanavicius based Godard Mon Amour on a book by Anne Wiazemsky, Godard’s bride who was nearly 20 years his junior. The story is about their relationship, which is passionate at the opening of the film (“This man … had shaken up my life”) and not so much at the end, with Jean-Luc (Louis Garrel) having been fundamentally changed by the May 1968 protests in France. He believed that no one should be focusing on art while the revolution is going on, and was instrumental in canceling much of the Cannes Film Festival that year, even though a friend of his was to screen his first film there.

Jean-Luc, always insecure, became even more so but increasingly expressed it as venom. And Anne (Stacy Martin, Nymphomaniac: Vol. I and Vol. II) increasingly became his figu-

a crank to his fans as well, having little patience for their gushing words. When a young woman at a demonstration asks when he’s going to make funny films again and he offers his argument, the woman’s boyfriend points out, “OK, but you make movies, you’re not secretary of state.” For all intents and purposes, Jean-Luc feels otherwise.

Hazanavicius works hard to employ Godard’s penchant for playfulness. But it’s tiresome. After Anne accuses Jean-Luc of “changing the rules” during a game, for example, he then breaks the fourth wall. A debate about the necessity of nudity in films is shot, yes, while both Martin and Garrel are naked. There’s an extended sequence with inverse lighting that’s especially irritating.

The only gimmick that garners a smile is real-meaning subtitles underneath the actual dialogue. It takes a second to get it, but it genuinely adds a little depth to a film sorely lacking it.

Jean-Luc’s complete disregard for other people quickly cools Anne’s love. And he’s so hateful that it’s hard to care about anything that happens; you only hope that Anne cuts and runs. His one-time admittance that he doesn’t like himself doesn’t go very far to change your mind. And way too late, one of his friends finally says, “You’re such an asshole!” Throughout, there’s an argument about whether movies should be an escape or if they should reflect the real world. This film does too much of the latter for the usually lighttouched Hazanavicius, with the portrayal of the disintegration of the couple’s relationship feeling painfully realistic. Regardless of this veracity, Jean-Luc’s bile keeps you from viewing Godard as sympathetic, which you’d think

Godard Mon Amour

rative punching bag. He talks down to her and once calls her a “stupid cow.” (The fact that she gives him only a look is nearly as infuriating.) Having decided that breezy films such as Breathless are dead—the better to focus on stories of import, as artists now must—Jean-Luc is

would be integral considering his name is in the title. As one character says, “I can’t stand the jerk.”

—Tricia Olszewski Godard Mon Amour opens Friday at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.

Measure of a Man

summer Grumblin’ Measure of a Man Directed by Jim Loach

Most coMing-of-Age stories are designed to tickle our nostalgia bone, to conjure up the myths we tell ourselves about our teenage years. They’re not supposed to tell the truth. Measure of a Man may be one of those false narratives, but at least it earns its lies. It spends so much time in the land of normal teenage life that its cathartic ending is the kind of sweet release that only the best coming-of-age films can provide.

Bobby Marks (Blake Cooper) is a fat kid. This is not a judgment or a slur; it’s how he is defined by all who know him.

His problem isn’t that people can’t look past his weight to see the great guy inside. Rather, he hasn’t yet developed into a great guy because he is hiding from shallow eyes. He “hates summer vacation,” we are told in painstaking voiceover, probably because he’d rather be inside reading his Archie comics than outside working, which is what his parents (Judy Greer and Luke Wilson) force him to do.

He ends up doing landscaping for an eccentric rich guy (Donald Sutherland), whose intentionally muddled accent speaks of a mysterious past. It’s a supporting role designed for a star to give the film some marketability, and his scenes are the weakest the film ever gets. He’s a Magical Fogey who dispenses wisdom and dollar

bills to Bobby in exchange for terrible lawn mowing. Meanwhile, Bobby becomes the target of some local bullies, including the dangerously violent Willie Rumson (Beau Knapp), who resents the influx of rich city folk to their once-mellow lake named after his great-grandfather. There’s also a girl, of course, his summer friend Joanie (Danielle Rose Russell), who he wishes to turn into his summer girlfriend.

Does it all sound a little trite? It is, but that’s not the worst crime for a film with such sweet, simple aims. Measure of a Man doesn’t seek to reinvent the genre, nor even to reinvigorate it. There is nothing edgy or new about it. Instead, its charm is in how little it tries to impress.

Director Jim Loach (son of British filmmaking legend Ken Loach) never tries too hard to make us laugh or cry. Instead, he presents the story with few flourishes, which somehow underlines its importance and makes it feel all the more special.

At the crux of our attention is Cooper, who had a memorable role in The Maze Runner (if, that is, you remember the movie), but acquits himself even better here as an average kid who has yet to be convinced that his life is in any way special. Bobby endures some tense, lifealtering moments during his summer by the lake, but Cooper never overplays his hand. He swallows his words and fumbles his grand gestures, yet he offers glimpses of the man he’s yet to become.

It’s a deceptively powerful performance, and although it is not enough to elevate the entire genre, it nonetheless separates Measure of a Man from its competitors. Summer vacation is about to get a lot better.

—Noah Gittell Measure of a Man opens Friday at the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market.

washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 21

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Gillian Welch’s “My Morphine” I had an encounter with Dilaudid in the hospital.

A few years ago, I had an intense emergency surgery that tore my chest open. My ribcage had to heal afterwards. Dilaudid was prescribed to me to diminish the (sometimes excruciating) pain of the recovery period. I came to find I liked the feeling it gave me.

Eventually the pain subsided as I started to heal. But I found that I kinda wanted to continue the Dilaudid thing. On Dilaudid, I got a rush sensation of safety and well-being— “everything is fine.” It was simultaneously soaring and warm. But I’m not saying anything novel here.

One morning in the hospital after I received Dilaudid, the thought hit me: Why wouldn’t I want to feel like this all the time? I remembered scaring myself with this thought.

I glimpsed how easily and quickly addiction would overtake me if I was left to my own devices.

My personal story has a happy, ordinary ending. With my doctors’ guidance, I slowly withdrew from the opiate and I was ultimately released from the hospital.

Sadly, millions of people have a different ending. And I feel for them.

There are numerous songs about opiate addiction. Neil Young’s searing heroin ballad “The Needle And The Damage Done” is the first one that springs to mind, but the song that most intrigues me is both simpler and more elliptical: Gillian Welch’s beautiful and gentle “My Morphine.”

Based around the delicate, intertwining acoustic guitar work of Welch and her partner David Rawling, “My Morphine” feels like genuine antique parlor country music. Its chord changes are so traditional and exquisitely soothing, the song could function as a lullaby.

And its slow, sleepwalking pace feels … well, drugged. But the music never feels sinister. In fact, you kind of want it to go on forever, which is precisely why it is so chilling and effective.

The very simple premise of “My Morphine” is stated in the title. Phonetically, the word

“Morphine” almost sounds like the proper (if maybe southern?) name of a woman. And in this song, it is a woman. For this reason, I’m gonna capitalize it in this essay.

People come up with all sorts of metaphors for drugs. And while “My Morphine” is probably not the first song to anthropomorphize a chemical substance, I think it does this in a uniquely convincing way. You can actually listen to the song as a simple love song about a relationship that is lovely and entrancing at the outset … and begins to go wrong. Therein lies Welch and Rawling’s innovation, I think.

Even taken as a single entendre, it’s kind of heartbreaking.

Welch appears to sing in the voice of a male soldier here. We get the sense Morphine was beautiful and flirty when the soldier met her.

Morphine was sweet to him and he was in love.

But something began to change and Morphine began to be cruel. And now he doesn’t know what he’s gonna do.

A moving and relatable narrative even without the overlay of drug addiction.

But since we know the song is about an opiate and not a woman, it feels scarier. The soldier tries to appeal to Morphine’s compassion—“Morphine, morphine/ what made you so mean?/ You never used to do me like you do”—and this maps perfectly to the pleading entreaties of an addict.

I love you, why are you being so nasty now?

Can’t we go back to the way things were before? What have I done to deserve this? Maybe I have to get away from you. I don’t wanna get away from you.

I just want that feeling again. Baby, please…

You can’t help but empathize with the desperation and bewilderment of this character. The metaphor of failing love is traced with Welch’s lilting voice and old-fashioned melody. The melody seduces you to empathize, which defeats the impulse to moralize.

Notably, “My Morphine” does not offer a conclusion to the narrative.

But it doesn’t feel promising.

—Chad Clark

CRATEDIGGER Jobs for America Take a journey into the forgotten tunes recorded in the D.C. of yesteryear with The Crate Digger.

Walk doWn 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan on a warm spring evening, and you’re likely to hear the sound of a jazz combo emerging from the windows of Columbia Station. The club has been part of the comforting texture of the neighborhood nightlife for decades. But imagine the city in a very different time, almost 40 years ago; in that same space, you might have stumbled upon a quite different soundscape. Billed as Thunderbug, the group featured a long-haired man playing electronic melodies on an ARP synthesizer, standing behind video monitors displaying abstract images, which was unusual for the time. A skinny, bespectacled vocalist ranted about Wonder Bread and threw slices of it into the audience.

It was the old, weird D.C., a place that seems far away. Today, you can find YouTube videos of Art Harrison, 62, a mildmannered gentleman singing modest versions of such old standards as “My Mammy” and the Cole Porter chestnut “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” That was him throwing bread at the audience 37 years ago.

Harrison met his longtime musical collaborator Rupert Chappelle through bassist Philip Mann, Harrison’s roommate at the University of Maryland in College Park. They were fast friends, and approached electronic music from different directions. Since he was a kid, Harrison liked to tinker with “little hobby circuits that would make unusual noises,” jerry-rigged out of spare parts from an old radio. Chappelle, on the other hand, owned an expensive ARP 2600, an early analog synthesizer. “It was a portable synthesizer of several magnitudes greater sophistication than anything I was tinkering with,” Harrison explains.

“But for all its sophistication at the time, it didn’t do everything I could do with these little circuits.” Chappelle wanted to merge the technologies, using the homemade circuits to control the high-end synth.

This collaboration led to Chappelle’s private press album Ozone Music, the master tapes entrusted to a company in Pennsylvania that subsequently ripped him off. Harrison is credited on the album with a sequencer. “That album has a very delicate light,” Harrison remembers. “It portrays a different Rupert.”

By that point, Harrison, who describes himself as “kind of an outcast … fooling around with

little circuits instead of going to ball games,” had not yet performed music onstage with Chappelle. That changed around 1977, when an impromptu recording session with their friend Philip Mann, fueled by what Harrison calls “my very bad beat-influenced poetry.” That recording became the track known as “Wonderbread.”

“It was a pivotal point,” Harrison says. Chappelle thought it was time to bring their music out into the world, and with Mann, the trio’s first performance was at American University for an audience Harrison estimates was about 10 people. The group would go on to perform at friends’ parties and venues like Madam’s Organ, d.c. space, and Columbia Station, where “Wonderbread” was performed to a crowd of 40 to 50 people who were delighted by the feeding frenzy.

Harrison doesn’t think of himself as a charming performer, but the video shows a kind of charisma. ”Maybe in a Tiny Tim kind of way,” he allows.

The late “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” singer, who championed American pop music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a good example of what inspired Harrison. “It’s why I liked people like The Shaggs,” the trio who recorded the 1969 outsider classic Philosophy of the World. “To this day I hold those kinds of odd performances in esteem.”

The group, which had changed its name to Jobs for America to reflect the nation’s economic turmoil, released its sole album in 1982 on the Berkeley, California, label Thermidor, which in its short life released records from such West Coast punk legends as Flipper, Meat Puppets, and Minutemen. The album is slated to be reissued by the Swedish Columbia label (its name, unrelated to the Sony Music imprint, reflecting the experience of Swedish expats in the District). While Jobs for America is not a private press album, which are released by the artists on vanity or one-off labels, it’s one of the finest examples of the underground, outsider mentality that crate-diggers hope for when they uncover a private press gem.

“All of these things build up a musical culture and the intricate nuances of a musical culture,” Harrison muses. “The fine granularity of what emerges into the musical personality of a city was created in these tiny venues. It’s not unique to Washington, D.C. It happens everywhere, all the time.”

—Pat Padua

SUMMER

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

JAKE OWEN

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS X AMBASSADORS

WITH CHRIS JANSON JORDAN DAVIS

MIKKY EKKO

JUN 3

JUN 7

TROMBONE SHORTY, GALACTIC, PRESERVATION HALL, AND MORE!

THE REVIVALISTS ZZ WARD

AUG 19

AUG 17

LIVE FROM HERE

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN™ - IN CONCERT

WITH CHRIS THILE FORMERLY A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

MAY 26

JUL 6 + 7

STEVEN TYLER AND THE LOVING MARY BAND

HALSEY

JUN 21

JUL 15

JESSIE REYEZ

THE SISTERHOOD BAND

HOPELESS FOUNTAIN KINGDOM

DR. DOG MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA

DAWES

(SANDY) ALEX G

AUG 23

SHOVELS & ROPE

CRITICAL EQUATION TOUR

JOSEPH

JUN 22

GAVIN DeGRAW PHILLIP PHILLIPS

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL JUN 26-28

AUG 31

BARENAKED LADIES LAST SUMMER ON EARTH TOUR

BETTER THAN EZRA KT TUNSTALL

JUL 2

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © &™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. J.K. ROWLING`S WIZARDING WORLD™ J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18)

Listen to Jobs For America at washingtoncitypaper.com/arts. washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 23

24 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

CITYLIST

thh

NEW MUSIC VENUE

NOW OPEN THE WHARF, SW DC

DINER & BAR OPEN LATE!

Music 25 Dance 30 Theater 30 Film 32

Music

CITY LIGHTS: FRIDAY

FRIDAY DJ NIghts

U Street MUSic Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 588-1889.

Bashment DC. 10:30 p.m. $5. ustreetmusichall.com.

ElEctRONIc

ten tigerS ParloUr 3813 Georgia Ave. NW. (202) 506-2080. Earthen Sea & Relaxer. 10 p.m. $15. tentigersdc.com.

FOlK

Dc9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Olden Yolk. 9 p.m. $12. dcnine.com.

hIp-hOp

MAY CONCERTS

ecHoStage 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE. (202) 503-2330. Gucci Mane. 9 p.m. $30–$50. echostage. com.

TH 10

JAzz

F 11 SA 12

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Arturo Sandoval. 8 p.m.; 10 p.m. $60–$65. bluesalley.com.

OpERA

KenneDy center oPera HoUSe 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Washington National Opera: The Barber of Seville. 7:30 p.m. $45–$150. kennedy-center.org.

ROcK

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Wye Oak. 8 p.m. $25. 930.com. rocK & roll Hotel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-7625.

Sloan. 8 p.m. $20. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

U Street MUSic Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 588-1889.

Hinds. 7 p.m. $20. ustreetmusichall.com.

Union Stage 740 Water St. SW. (877) 987-6487.

Runaway Gin. 9:30 p.m. $15–$25. unionstage.com.

WORlD

KenneDy center terrace gallery 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Zule Guerrra & Quinteto Blues de Habana. 7 p.m. $20–$25. kennedy-center.org.

WYE OAK

Wye Oak, the formerly Baltimore-based dream pop duo, have created five albums together, and their latest, The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs, is the third one they have created while living in different cities. Jenn Wasner has settled in Durham, North Carolina, and Andy Stack in Marfa, Texas. But Wasner and Stack didn’t let the distance come between them. They hopped on planes and spent a week at a time with each other, maximizing every moment together. “In the past we’ve set out to be minimal, but ended up maximal,” Wasner explained in a recent interview with The Skinny. “So with this record we were just like, ‘Fuck it! Let’s be maximal.’” Together, they created an explosive record, so cohesive and complex that it necessitated a bass player to bring their creation to life, bigger and better than ever before. Wye Oak performs with Palm at 8 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $25. (202) 265-0930. 930.com.

—Casey Embert

sAtuRDAY

ROcK

ecHoStage 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE. (202) 503-2330. Dada Life. 9 p.m. $25–$30. echostage.com

BlacK cat 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Frankie Cosmos. 8 p.m. $15. blackcatdc.com.

ElEctRONIc

U Street MUSic Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 588-1889.

Alice Glass. 7 p.m. $20. ustreetmusichall.com.

FuNK & R&B

BircHMere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.

(703) 549-7500. Gary Taylor. 7:30 p.m. $39.50. birchmere.com.

U Street MUSic Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 588-1889.

World Funk. 10:30 p.m. $5. ustreetmusichall.com.

Union Stage 740 Water St. SW. (877) 987-6487. The Funk Rumble With Aztec Sun & Black Masala. 9 p.m. $15–$30. unionstage.com.

JAzz

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Arturo Sandoval. 8 p.m.; 10 p.m. $60–$65. bluesalley.com.

SixtH & i HiStoric SynagogUe 600 I St. NW. (202) 408-3100. Chelsey Green & The Green Project. 8 p.m. $25. sixthandi.org.

tHe antHeM 901 Wharf St. SW. (202) 888-0020.

David Byrne. 8 p.m. $75–$150. theanthemdc.com.

rocK & roll Hotel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-7625.

Eli “Paperboy” Reed. 8 p.m. $18. rockandrollhoteldc. com.

suNDAY clAssIcAl

atlaS PerforMing artS center 1333 H St. NE. (202) 399-7993. Capital City Symphony: From Sea to Shining Sea. 5 p.m. $25. atlasarts.org.

FOlK

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Trampled

By Turtles. 7 p.m. $28. 930.com.

FuNK & R&B

HowarD tHeatre 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899.

Jorja Smith. 7:30 p.m. $25–$35. thehowardtheatre. com.

rocK & roll Hotel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-7625.

Har Mar Superstar. 8 p.m. $17. rockandrollhoteldc. com.

JAzz

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Arturo Sandoval. 8 p.m.; 10 p.m. $60–$65. bluesalley.com.

TU 15

CONCERT IN THE BLIND PRESENTS: DAVID WAX MUSEUM & LOWLAND HUM

TH 17

WESTERN CENTURIES

F 18 SA 19

CARSIE BLANTON w/ DEVON SPROULE CHUCK BROWN BAND w/ THREE MAN SOUL MACHINE

SU 20

A TRIBUTE TO BILLY HANCOCK FEAT. TEX RUBINOWITZ AND THE BAD BOYS

BlacK cat 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Anvil.

7:30 p.m. $20. blackcatdc.com.

2-STEP DANCE LESSON INCLUDED!

w/ MARTHA HULL • SWITCHBLADE • THE ECHO-BILLYS (PREVITI, CHAPPELL, SWAIM, HART, STEPHANSON) • THE ORIGINAL TENNESSEE ROCKETS • THE NIGHTHAWKS w/ JOE KOGOK • THE ROCK-A-SONICS HOSTED BY JOE LEE AND MARK SEGRAVES. 5PM DOORS!

M 21 TU 22

AN EVENING WITH NATURALLY 7 LEE ROY PARNELL w/ JANINE WILSON AND MAX EVANS

TH 24

THE 9 SONGWRITER SERIES: JUSTIN TRAWICK • VIM & VIGOR • GUY PALUMBO • CAROL ANNE BOSCO • DARYL DAVIS • RYAN JOHNSON • JUSTINA JOHNSON • DANTE POPE • ELENA LACAYO

F 25 SA 26

THE WALKAWAYS & CRAVIN’ DOGS MISS TESS AND THE TALKBACKS w/ WOODY WOODWORTH AND THE PINERS ROOSEVELT DIME & GOODNIGHT MOONSHINE

ROcK

BircHMere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.

(703) 549-7500. Renaissance: A Symphonic Journey.

7:30 p.m. $29.50. birchmere.com.

LUKE WINSLOW-KING w/ JACK GREGORI (THE VOICE SEASON 8) PRACTICALLY EINSTEIN w/ SILENT CRITICS BRENDAN JAMES w/ PETE MULLER

MONDAY

TH 31

rocK & roll Hotel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-7625.

Sunny War. 7:30 p.m. $12. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

TICKETS ON SALE!

BluEs

ElEctRONIc

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Fever Ray. 7 p.m. $40. 930.com.

pearlstreetwarehouse.com

washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 25

Take Metrobus and Metrorail to the...

#DCJAZZFEST

CITY LIGHTS: sAtuRDAY

JUNE 8 – 17, 2018 TICKETS ON SALE NOW

D C JA Z Z F E S T.O RG

DC JAZZFEST AT SIXTH & I TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON’S FEED THE FIRE:

CELEBRATING GERI ALLEN

THURSDAY, JUNE 14 • 7:30 PM • 600 I ST., NW TICKETS AT DCJAZZFEST.ORG FOR ARTISTS AND COMPLETE SCHEDULE, VISIT DCJAZZFEST.ORG PRESENTING SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSOR

spAcE AROuND us

Ira Tattelman, a D.C.-based artist and architect, points his camera at pieces of architectural debris so anonymous that they would be impossible to place geographically if wall captions didn’t specify where he found them. His exhibition, Space Around Us, showcases his intrigue with elements both temporary (yellow exhaust tubing) and permanent (a skylight that reflects fluorescent lighting). Sometimes he is fortunate enough to capture both types together, as with the image of gaudy red tape haphazardly covering a façade of carved marble. Not everything Tattelman tries works: Some images are too grainy, while pieces blending two images are often disjointed.

However, he succeeds when he toys with the viewer’s expectations about depth and dimension.

“Stain” seems to turn a skinny ladder climbing a curved, concrete silo into a virtual tombstone, “Air in a Box” plays gainfully with the rigid shadows of the cage that protects an air-conditioning unit, and “Playground” flattens a painted patch of ground—or wall—into a surface worthy of Aaron Siskind. The exhibition runs to May 20 at Photoworks at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Free. (301) 634-2274. glenechophotoworks.org.

—Louis Jacobson

JAzz

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Georgetown Day School Jazz Ensemble. 7 p.m. $15. bluesalley.com.

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Edmund Burke School Jazz Ensemble. 9 p.m. $15. bluesalley.com.

ROcK

caPital one arena 601 F St. NW. (202) 628-3200.

Bon Jovi. 7:30 p.m. $29.50–$79.50. capitalonearena. monumentalsportsnetwork.com.

tuEsDAY The DC Jazz Festival®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit service organization, and its programs are made possible, in part, with major grants from the Government of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, Mayor; with awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment; and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; and, in part, by major funding from the Anne and Ronald Abramson Family Foundation, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Gillon Family Charitable Fund, Wells Fargo Foundation, The NEA Foundation, Venable Foundation, The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, The Reva & David Logan Foundation, John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. ©2018 DC Jazz Festival. All rights reserved.

26 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

FOlK

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Shakey Graves. 7 p.m. $30. 930.com.

JAzz

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. James Brandon Lewis. 8 p.m.; 10 p.m. $25. bluesalley.com.

pOp

BlacK cat 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Y La Bamba. 7:30 p.m. $15. blackcatdc.com. rocK & roll Hotel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-7625.

GIVERS. 8 p.m. $15. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

ROcK

Dc9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. The Artisanals.

8 p.m. $10–$12. dcnine.com. fillMore Silver SPring 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. (301) 960-9999. Bunbury. 8 p.m. $39.50. fillmoresilverspring.com.

WEDNEsDAY cOuNtRY

tHe HaMilton 600 14th St. NW. (202) 787-1000.

Delta Rae. 7:30 p.m. $25–$35. thehamiltondc.com.

FOlK

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Shakey Graves. 7 p.m. $30. 930.com.

washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 27

3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA • 703-549-7500

the BUMPER

For entire schedule go to Birchmere.com Find us on Facebook/Twitter!

Tix @ Ticketmaster.com 800-745-3000

May 10

feat.

THE BEST OF

13

& JIMI HENDRIX

17

SUN, MAY 13

12

10am, 12:30pm, 3pm

MOTHER’S DAY GOSPEL BRUNCH FEATURING

THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY GOSPEL CHOIR TUES, MAY 15

MINGO FISHTRAP W/ PRESSING STRINGS

DELTA RAE W/ SAWYER FRI, MAY 18

THE WEIGHT BAND

FEAT. MEMBERS OF THE BAND, LEVON HELM BAND, & RICK DANKO GROUP SAT, MAY 19

BETTYE LAVETTE

W/ PHIL WIGGINS & ELEANOR ELLIS AN EVENING WITH

SOLD OUT

YACHT ROCK REVUE FRI, MAY 25

AN EVENING WITH CHAISE

GARY TAYLOR RENAISSANCE “A Symphonic Journey”

Trapper BoDEANS Schoepp 18 KINDRED THE FAMILY SOUL 20 KIEFER SUTHERLAND B R Monica 23 RAUL MALO Rizzio 24 MARC COHN 25 RAHSAAN PATTERSON 27 10,000 MANIACS ick Rantley

Lily JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE Hiatt Jamie 30 THE TAJ MAHAL Trio McLean 31 BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY June 1 HERE COME THE MUMMIES 2 JASON D. WILLIAMS & THE NIGHTHAWKS

29

WED, MAY 16

SUN, MAY 20

with Ratso & Johnny Castle, with Mark Wenner

12

SATURDAY MAY

NRBQ, NORTHSTAR BAND

CHARLOTTESVILLE ALL-STARS

W/ ELENA & LOS FULANOS FRIDAY MAY 11

JANIS JOPLIN

UNDER THE STREETLAMP

11 2nd Annual Desperados/Wax Museum Reunion!

JACKSONS NEWMYER FLYER PRESENTS

CITY LIGHTS: suNDAY

7

In the

!

AMADOU & MARIAM 8 KELLY WILLIS & CHRIS KNIGHT 9 CHARLES ROSS’

LOUNGE

SAT, MAY 26

DANA FUCHS WED, MAY 30

PAUL THORN’S MISSION TEMPLE FIREWORKS REVIVAL

THREE DOG NIGHT 11 RY COODER & His Band 10

SUN, JUNE 3

DAVID SANBORN 13 MATTHEW SWEET 14 DAVE ALVIN & JIMMIE DALE GILMORE

WED, JUNE 6

15

FEAT. THE McCRARY SISTERS FRI, JUNE 1

BONERAMA

JON CLEARY W/ WILL KIMBROUGH SAMANTHA FISH

12

(Backed by The Guilty Ones) w/Dead Rock West

FREDDIE JACKSON 16 PIECES OF A DREAM 17 Mike Seeger Commemorative 12th Annual

THEHAMILTONDC.COM

OLD TIME BANJO FESTIVAL 18 GORDON LIGHTFOOT

28 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

JORJA sMIth

As he’s come to dominate the pop landscape over the last few years, Drake has increasingly wielded co-signs as a way to prove his bona fides beyond his hip-hop and R&B playing fields.

He’s toyed with everything from Jamaican dancehall to Nigerian Afrobeats. But his latest cosign, Jorja Smith, is even more versatile than him. The 20-year-old British soul singer featured on his last project, More Life, and this year’s Black Panther: The Album, curated by Kendrick Lamar. She has quickly become the "It Girl" of pop, collaborating on songs with fellow up-and-comers Kali Uchis, Khalid, Stormzy, and Preditah. Smith offers a naked vulnerability reminiscent of Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse, and sounds at home singing over UK dance beats, orchestral ballads, and neo-soul grooves. As the music world awaits her debut album, Smith’s buzz builds, and before we know it, she’ll be the one wielding the co-signs. Jorja Smith performs at 8 p.m. at The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. $25–$40. (202) 803-2899. thehowardtheatre.com.

—Chris Kelly

FuNK & R&B

ROcK

U Street MUSic Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 588-1889.

BJ The Chicago Kid & Ro James. 7 p.m. $25. ustreetmusichall.com.

tHe antHeM 901 Wharf St. SW. (202) 888-0020.

JAzz

$40–$55. theanthemdc.com.

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Aaron Rhines & The Groove Unit. 8 p.m.; 10 p.m. $22. bluesalley.com.

pOp Dc9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Shane. 8 p.m. $12–$15. dcnine.com.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. 8 p.m.

rocK & roll Hotel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-7625.

King Tuff. 8 p.m. $18–$20. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

WORlD BlacK cat 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Mdou Moctar. 7:30 p.m. $15. blackcatdc.com.

Merriweather Post Pavilion • Columbia, MD

Dierks Bentley w/ Brothers Osborne & LANCO .................................... MAY 18 Jason Aldean w/ Luke Combs & Lauren A laina..................................... MAY 24 CAPITAL JAZZ FEST FEATURING

Earth, Wind & Fire • Smokey Robinson • Anita Baker and more! ..JUNE 1-3

FIRST TWO NIGHTS SOLD OUT! THIRD

NIGHT ADDED!

JUST ANNOUNCED!

The xx ............................................................................................ JULY 25 On Sale Thursday, May 10 at 10am

THIS WEEK’S SHOWS

Wye Oak w/ Palm .................................................................................... F MAY 11 THIS12FRIDA SOLDY!OUT! MAY

MAY

JUNE (cont.)

ALL GOOD PRESENTS D NIGHT ADDED! Wye Oak w/ Palm.......................F 11 FIRST NIGHT SOLD OUT! SECON Trampled ByGhost Turtles w/ Hiss Golden Messenger....................................

Su 12 13 Chromeo w/ Pomo ...................Tu Jukebox the w/ The Greeting Committee .......Th 17 Ben Harper & Andrew W.K. w/ Moluba ........Su 20 Charlie Musselwhite ...........W 13 Tune-Yards WPGC BIRTHDAY BASH FEATURING w/ My Brightest Diamond ............M 21 E.U. with Sugarbear •

Kid ’N’ Play • Big Daddy Kane.Th 14

ALL GOOD PRESENTS

Rising Appalachia w/ Be Steadwell & Arouna Diarra . F 25

Lissie w/ Van William ...............Sa 26 Japanese Breakfast w/ LVL Up & Radiator Hospital ....W 30 U STREET MUSIC HALL PRESENTS

Flight Facilities ....................Th 31 JUNE

Dirty Projectors

Early Show! 6pm Doors .......................F 1

Real Friends?:

Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rihanna, and Drake Dance Night with DJ Dredd and Video Mix

by O’s Cool Late Show! 10pm Doors ..F 1 !

D NIGHT ADDED FIRST NIGHT SOLD OUT! SECON

The Glitch Mob w/ Elohim .......Su 3 Hop Along w/ Bat Fangs & Bad Moves ...........Tu 5

Francis and the Lights ..........W 6 Parquet Courts w/ Goat Girl ...Th 7 White Ford Bronco: DC’s All-90s Band .......................F 8

MIXTAPE Pride Party

w/ DJs Matt Bailer • Keenan Orr • Tezrah ................Sa 9

MANY MORE SHOWS ON SALE!

9:30 CUPCAKES

American Aquarium w/ Cory Branan

Early Show! 6pm Doors .....................F 15

Who’s Bad: The World’s #1

Michael Jackson Tribute Band

Late Show! 10pm Doors .....................F 15

M. Ward....................................Sa 16 Houndmouth ..........................Su 17 Story District’s Out/Spoken

This is a seated show.......................Th 21

Florida Georgia Line .............................................................................. JUNE 7 Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters w/ Sheryl Crow & Seth Lakeman........................................................... JUNE 12 Luke Bryan w/ Jon Pardi & Morgan Wallen........................................... JUNE 14 Ray LaMontagne w/ Neko Case........................................................ JUNE 20 Paramore w/ Foster the People & Soccer Mommy ............................ JUNE 23 Sugarland w/ Brandy Clark & Clare Bowen ............................................. JULY 14 Dispatch w/ Nahko and Medicine for the People & Raye Zaragoza ..... JULY 21 David Byrne w/ Benjamin Clementine ..................................................... JULY 28 VANS WARPED TOUR PRESENTED BY JOURNEYS FEAT.

3OH!3 • August Burns Red • Less Than Jake and more! ....................... JULY 29

Lady Antebellum & Darius Rucker

w/ Russell Dickerson ........................................................................................AUGUST 2 CDE PRESENTS SUMMER SPIRIT FESTIVAL FEATURING

Erykah Badu • Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals • Nas • The Roots and more!..................................................................... AUGUST 4 & 5

Jason Mraz w/ Brett Dennen ................................................................AUGUST 10 AUG 11 SOLD OUT!

Phish................................................................................................................AUGUST 12 CAKE & Ben Folds w/ Tall Heights .................................................AUGUST 18 Kenny Chesney w/ Old Dominion ......................................................AUGUST 22 The National w/ Cat Power & Phoebe Bridgers ...................................SEPT 28 • For full lineups and more info, visit merriweathermusic.com • 930.com

AN EVENING WITH

The Feelies ..............................F 22

Pimlico Race Course • Baltimore, MD

STEEZ PROMO PRESENTS

Ghastly ....................................Sa 23 Old 97’s ......................................F 29 Turnpike Troubadours

PREAKNESS BUDWEISER INFIELDFEST FEATURING

Post Malone • 21 Savage • Odesza • Frank Walker and more! . SAT MAY 19 Preakness.com

w/ Charley Crocket.....................Sa 30

JULY

The Get Up Kids w/ Racquet Club & Ageist ...........Su 15

Deafheaven w/ Drab Majesty & Uniform ........Sa 21

Sleep w/ Dylan Carlson ............Su 22 AUGUST

Andrea Gibson w/ Mary Lambert

This is a seated show. ..........................F 3

930.com

The best thing you could possibly put in your mouth Cupcakes by BUZZ... your neighborhood bakery in Alexandria, VA. | www.buzzonslaters.com

THIS MONDAY!

Lincoln Theatre • 1215 U Street, NW Washington, D.C.

The Kills w/ Dream Wife .............MAY 14 Blood Orange ........................ SEPT 28 Gomez: AN EVENING WITH Bring It On 20th Anniversary Tour ....JUNE 9 The Tallest Man On Earth . NOV 9 Eels ..............................................JUNE 11 MADISON HOUSE PRESENTS Yann Tiersen..........................JUNE 17 Kamasi Washington ............ NOV 10 New date! All 12/5 tickets will be honored.

Blackmore’s Night w/ The Wizard’s Consort ................. JULY 25 • thelincolndc.com •

U Street (Green/Yellow) stop across the street!

9:30 CLUB PRESENTS AT U STREET MUSIC HALL Geographer w/ So Much Light .... Th MAY 10 Hinds w/ Made Violent ........................... F 11 Alice Glass w/ Pictureplane ............... Sa 12 BJ The Chicago Kid & Ro James ... W 16 SOB X RBE ......................................... Sa 19 070 Shake .......................................... Th 24 Jake Miller w/ Devin Hayes .................. F 25

Jussie Smollett w/ Victory Boyd ....... Sa 26 Bruno Major ................................ Tu JUN 5 Logan Henderson ................................F 8 Shwayze & Cisco:

10th Anniversary Summer Tour ........ Sa 9

Night Riots

w/ Courtship & Silent Rival .................... Su 10

• Buy advance tickets at the 9:30 Club box office • 930.com

TICKETS for 9:30 Club shows are available through TicketFly.com, by phone at 1-877-4FLY-TIX, and at the 9:30 Club box office.

9:30 CLUB BOX OFFICE HOURS are 12-7pm on weekdays & until 11pm on show nights, 6-11pm on Sat, and 6-10:30pm on Sun on show nights.

HAPPY HOUR DRINK PRICES impconcerts.com AFTER THE SHOW AT THE BACK BAR!

PARKING: THE OFFICIAL 9:30 parking lot entrance is on 9th Street, directly behind the 9:30 Club. Buy your advance parking tickets at the same time as your concert tickets!

930.com washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 29

thuRsDAY DJ NIghts

U Street MUSic Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 588-1889.

DJ Hype b2b DJ Hazard. 10:30 p.m. $20–$27. ustreetmusichall.com.

CITY LIGHTS: MONDAY

pOstMEN OF thE sKIEs

JAzz

BlUeS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Nicole Henry. 8 p.m.; 10 p.m. $25. bluesalley. com. twinS Jazz 1344 U St. NW. (202) 234-0072. Jazz Band Masterclass. 7:30 p.m. $15. twinsjazz.com.

pOp

9:30 clUB 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Jukebox the Ghost. 7 p.m. $25–$60. 930.com.

Union Stage 740 Water St. SW. (877) 987-6487.

Lawrence. 8 p.m. $20–$55. unionstage.com.

ROcK

BircHMere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.

(703) 549-7500. BoDeans. 7:30 p.m. $29.50. birchmere.com.

BlacK cat 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Mad Caddies. 7:30 p.m. $20. blackcatdc.com.

Dc9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Mo Lowda & the Humble. 8 p.m. $12–$15. dcnine.com. rocK & roll Hotel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-7625.

The Sea and Cake. 8 p.m. $15. rockandrollhoteldc. com.

WORlD

ecHoStage 2135 Queens Chapel Road NE. (202) 503-2330. Farruko. 9 p.m. $25–$30. echostage.com.

Dance

faerie Alight Dance Theater creates a mythical contemporary dance work exploring fairy lore and the fantastical world in which fairies inhabit. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Stadium Drive and Route 193, College Park. May 11. 7 p.m. Pay what you wish. (301) 405-2787. theclarice.umd.edu.

There’s a great, madcap movie to be made about the early days of airmail in the United States. The inaugural airmail flight between D.C. and New York City was ruined when the confused pilot accidentally flew south instead, earning him the nickname “Wrong Way Boyle.” The post office initially used rickety open-cockpit wooden biplanes, in all sorts of weather, making airmail delivery a dangerous job that claimed the lives of dozens of pilots and injured many more. “Dead sticked. Flying low. Only place to land on cow. Killed cow. Wrecked airplane. Scared me,” was one mail pilot’s famous telegram after crash-landing somewhere in Iowa. (The post office replaced the dead cow at a cost of $75.) May 15th, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the first regularly scheduled airmail service, and to commemorate the centennial, the National Postal Museum is launching a year-long exhibition called Postmen of the Skies. Stop by to learn about a fascinating and obscure segment of American history, and to celebrate those dashing young pilots who braved wind, snow, sleet, rain, and cows to bring your ancestors the mail. The exhibition is on view to May 27, 2019 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Free. (202) 633-5555. postalmuseum.si.edu.

—Justin Peters

CITY LIGHTS: tuEsDAY

MalPaSo Dance coMPany Established in 2012, Cuban dance company Malpaso continues to grow its international profile with two performances at the Kennedy Center. The program will include Aszure Barton’s “Indomitable Waltz” and Osnel Delgado’s “Ocaso” and “24 Hours and a Dog.” Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. 2700 F St. NW. May 11. 8 p.m.; May 12 8 p.m. $15–$49. (202) 467-4600. kennedy-center.org. tHe waSHington Ballet gala This evening offers a cocktail hour, seated dinner, and performances from The Washington Ballet. Proceeds from the gala support the ballet’s arts and education programs. The Anthem. 901 Wharf St. SW. May 11. 7 p.m. $1,000. (202) 888-0020. theanthemdc.com.

Theater

tHe caUcaSian cHalK circle From playwright Bertolt Brechtin and with an English translation by Alistair Beaton, The Caucasian Chalk Circle presents the story of a young servant girl named Grusha who is caught in a social revolution. Soon, she must risk everything to save an abandoned baby. Constellation Theatre at Source. 1835 14th St. NW. To May 13. $25–$55. (202) 204-7741. constellationtheatre.org. tHe crUciBle This Eleanor Holdridge-directed adaptation of Arthur Miller’s classic play about the Salem witch trials features Chris Genebach from Carousel starring as John Proctor. Coming to the Olney stage for the first time, this tale focusing on an unseeable evil tearing a colonist town apart aims to speak truth to power much like the 1953 original did. Olney Theatre Center. 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney. To May 20. $49–$74. (301) 924-3400. olneytheatre.org. en el tieMPo De laS MariPoSaS (in tHe tiMe of tHe BUtterflieS) Based on the novel by Julia Álvarez, playwright Caridad Svich adapts this account of the Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic. Using

30 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

WAItREss

“She’s imperfect, but she tries. She is good, but she lies,” Jenna, the character at the center of Waitress, sings of herself in the musical’s second act. In that moment, composer and lyricist Sara Bareilles sums up the feelings of inadequacy many people encounter as they try to make sense of what their lives have become and tells us it’s OK to be two things at the same time. The assessment lands like a punch in the gut, and yet the musical is a celebration of the ability to roll with the punches and subsequently rise. Based on Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 film of the same name, the musical—Broadway’s first with an all-female creative team—follows Jenna, a big-dreaming waitress in a small-town diner coping with an emotionally abusive husband, an unplanned pregnancy, and a surprising new romance. She gets by with help from reliable and kind friends and, of course, plenty of pie. The touring production pulls into the National Theatre this week with Broadway vet Desi Oakley in the role of Jenna and two young locals, Alexa Lueck and Eva Pieja, alternating the role of her daughter, Lulu. Grab your best gals and prepare for a night as sweet as a slice of lemon meringue. The musical runs May 15 to June 3 at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. $48–$108. (202) 628-6161. thenationaldc.org.

—Caroline Jones

CITY LIGHTS: WEDNEsDAY

14th STREET CORRIDOR: 1318 14th St. NW • 202-299-9148 BUFFALOEXCHANGE.COM •

#DCJAZZFEST

Take Metrobus and Metrorail to the...

JUNE 8 – 17, 2018 TICKETS ON SALE NOW

D C JA Z Z F E S T.O RG

SATURDAY JUNE 9 , 2018

KINg tuFF

Since his 2006 debut, Mindblow, Kyle Thomas, who performs buzzy, garage-glam rock under the stage name King Tuff, has cultivated a wild, party-boy persona. But after touring for 2014’s Black Moon Spell, Thomas found himself hitting rock bottom—physically, mentally, and creatively. “At the end of it I was like, I just can’t do this. I’m essentially playing this character of King Tuff, this crazy party monster, and I don’t even drink or do drugs,” Thomas confessed to his record label, Sub Pop. “It had become a weird persona, which people seemed to want from me, but it was no longer me.” So, at the risk of abandoning over a decade’s worth of staunch supporters, Thomas shed his party-hard persona in favor of a more cosmic, existential existence on 2018’s The Other—to great results. King Tuff performs with Cut Worms and Sasami at 8 p.m. at Rock & Roll Hotel, 1353 H St.NE. $18–20. (202) 388-7625. rockandrollhoteldc.com.

—Casey Embert the code name “butterflies,” they lead the resistance against the dictatorial regime of General Rafael Trujillo—until their brutal murder. Presented in Spanish with English subtitles. GALA Hispanic Theatre. 3333 14th St. NW. To May 13. $25–$95. (202) 234-7174. galatheatre.org. girlfrienD Todd Almond and Matthew Sweet’s vibrant coming-of-age musical duet makes its D.C. premiere. In 1993 small-town Nebraska, collegebound jock Mike and aimless Will find themselves drawn to each other. What follows is a rush of firsttime love, full of excitement, confusion and passion.

Signature Theatre. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. To June 10. $40–$84. (703) 820-9771. sigtheatre.org. tHe inviSiBle HanD From Ayad Akhtar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Disgraced, comes a thriller about an American options trader and Citibank executive, whom a fringe radical group holds hostage in Pakistan. He must use his trading strategies to find a way out in the midst of violence, corruption, and inequality. Olney Theatre Center. 2001 OlneySandy Spring Road, Olney. To June 10. $49–$74. (301) 924-3400. olneytheatre.org. tHe reMainS Starring Maulik Pancholy (Weeds, 30 Rock, Star Trek: Discovery), this production centers on Kevin and Theo. Ten years after their wedding, the pair host a dinner for their families and reveal the truth of their seemingly perfect union. Studio Theatre.

1501 14th St. NW. To June 17. $20–$85. (202) 332-3300. studiotheatre.org.

THE HAMILTON LIVE

600 14th Steet NW • 8:00 PM (Doors 6:30 PM)

SHear MaDneSS A famed concert pianist who lives above the Shear Madness unisex hair salon dies in a scissor-stabbing murder. Set in modern day Georgetown, this interactive comedy whodunit lets its audience solve the crime. Kennedy Center Theater Lab. 2700 F St. NW. To June 10. $54. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org. tHe SMall rooM at tHe toP of tHe StairS The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs centers on Grace, who finds herself irresistibly drawn to a mysterious and forbidden room. From the award-winning French Canadian playwright Carole Fréchette and her acclaimed translator John Murrell. Spooky Action Theater. 1810 16th St. NW. To June 10. $20–$40. (202) 2480301. spookyaction.org.

REGINA CARTER: SIMPLY ELLA WITH ELIJAH JAMAL BALBED

PRESENTING SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSOR

titUS anDronicUS Synetic Theater’s visionary founding artistic director Paata Tsikurishvili produces the 13th addition of the “Wordless Shakespeare” series, showcasing this revenge-driven tragedy about fiery passion, energy, and vengeance. Synetic Theater at Crystal City. 1800 South Bell St. , Arlington.

To May 27. $15–$35. (866) 811-4111. synetictheater.org. trUe weSt Two estranged brothers, well-educated Austin and con man Lee, reunite in their mother’s California kitchen. There, Austin is working on his screenplay. What follows is an explosive, darkly funny American tale of sibling rivalry, Hollywood producers, and stolen toasters. Rep Stage at Howard Community College. 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. To May 13. $15–$40. (443) 518-1500. repstage.org.

The DC Jazz Festival®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit service organization, and its programs are made possible, in part, with major grants from the Government of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, Mayor; with awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment; and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; and, in part, by major funding from the Anne and Ronald Abramson Family Foundation, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Gillon Family Charitable Fund, Wells Fargo Foundation, The NEA Foundation, Venable Foundation, The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, The Reva & David Logan Foundation, John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. ©2018 DC Jazz Festival. All rights reserved.

washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 31

Fri & Sat, May 11 & 12 at Midnight!

555 11th Street NW Washington, DC 20004 • (202) 783-9494

FEATURING LIVE SHADOW CAST SONIC TRANSDUCERS!

D.C.’s awesomest events calendar. washingtoncitypaper.com

washingtoncitypaper.com/ calendar

The Undeniable SoUnd of RighT now Making its D.C. premiere, Laura Eason’s The Undeniable Sound of Right Now revolves around Hank, a struggling rock club owner in 1992. When his daughter starts dating a star DJ, he comes to realize the destructive power of the Next Big Thing. Keegan Theatre. 1742 Church St. NW. To May 27. $35–$45. (202) 265-3767. keegantheatre.com. waiTing foR godoT Director Garry Hynes brings a fresh and funny take on playwright Samuel Beckett’s absurdist exploration of time in this play about two characters waiting for the arrival of someone who never shows up. In Waiting for Godot, life is both vaudeville and tragedy, philosophy and confusion. Lansburgh Theatre. 450 7th St. NW. To May 20. $44–$118. (202) 547-1122. shakespearetheatre.org. waiTReSS Featuring original music and lyrics from Grammy-winning pop star Sara Bareilles, this uplifting musical tells the story of Jenna, a waitress dreaming of a way out of her little town and loveless marriage. Based on Adrienne Shelly’s beloved film of the same name. National Theatre. 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. To June 3. $48–$98. (202) 628-6161. thenationaldc.org.

The wiz This Tony-winning musical, famed for its soul-pop reimagining of the classic novel and movieThe Wizard of Oz, comes to Ford’s Theatre. Ford’s Theatre. 511 10th St. NW. To May 12. $27–$71. (202) 347-4833. fords.org.

Film

bReaking in Gabrielle Union stars as a mother fighting to protect her family after her home is invaded. Co-starring Billy Burke and Richard Cabral. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) life of The PaRTy Melissa McCarthy plays a newly-dumped housewife who decides to make the most of her situation by going back to college to complete her degree. Co-starring Gillian Jacobs and Debby Ryan. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) MeaSURe of a Man During one life-changing summer, a bullied teen learns to stand up for himself and develops an unlikely bond. Starring Judy Greer, Donald Sutherland, and Danielle Rose Russell. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) TUlly Charlize Theron stars as a mother of three who comes to share a special bond with her night nanny.

Co-starring Mackenzie Davis and Mark Duplass. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)

CITY LIGHTS: THURSDAY

A RIGHT TO THE CITY

No other museum in the Smithsonian’s catalog speaks to the historical legacy of life in D.C. as much as its Anacostia outpost, and its most recent exhibition continues that tradition.

A Right to the City fixes its gaze on the neighborhoods of Anacostia, Shaw, Adams Morgan, Brookland, Southwest, and Chinatown from a community organizing perspective. Curators document the history of transformation, displacement, and even white flight, presenting how these migrations, whether forced, coerced, or voluntary, helped shape the District as it stands today. Residents of the city old and new will find an exhibition chronicling the triumphs and successes of community-led movements by diverse pockets of the city fighting against some of the same inequities faced today in education, transit, and development. The Anacostia Community Museum, tucked away on a leafy hilltop, recently celebrated its 50th year, and A Right to the City is a must visit for anyone looking to understand the impact of everyday people in the communities we call home. The exhibition is on view to April 20, 2020 at the Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE. Free. (202) 633-4820. anacostia.si.edu.

—Hamzat Sani 32 may 11, 2018 washingtoncitypaper.com

SAVAGELOVE First let me say that I think you give excellent advice, even if it is a bit pedestrian at times. I have a small problem: Last fall, my penis bent up and to the left at an almost 90 degree angle. I know from Google that this is not an unusual problem.

And at 59, I am thankful that things are working as well as they are. But I fly gliders, and the relief system is a “Texas catheter” with a drain line to outside the glider. I believe that the bending on my penis may be the result of trauma caused by removing the catheter. In your many years of dealing with penis problems—I know you are not a urologist, but still—have you run across problems of a similar nature? Is there a way to remove adhesive from the penis that will not cause trauma? Gliding season will be starting soon, and I dread using the same system if it will cause more damage. My partner is an amazing woman—70, by the way, and by far the best partner I have ever had (oh, my brethren, do not look only to youth!)— but I dread further damaging my member.

—Hanging Under Nice Glider First let me say thank you for the qualified compliment—you sure know how to flatter a girl—and I’ll try to keep my trademark excellent-if-pedestrian advice coming, HUNG. Also, you’re right, I’m not a urologist. But Dr. Keith Newman is. He’s also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and my go-to guy for dick-related medical questions.

“It is not likely that HUNG’s drainage system caused the problem,” said Dr. Newman.

“His condition sounds like Peyronie’s disease, a possibly autoimmune disease thought to be related to microtrauma, though some penile fractures may result in similar deformity.”

Men with Peyronie’s disease come down with, well, bent dicks. Sometimes the bend is slight and doesn’t interfere with reasonable penile functions. Sometimes the bend is severe enough to make erections painful and intercourse impossible.

“Most sufferers will return to within 10 to 20 percent of their baseline curvature within two years without intervention,” said Dr. Newman. “Thus, it is considered best to defer therapy until such time has elapsed. Ninety degrees is quite a big bend, however, and less likely to resolve spontaneously, but it’s still worth waiting.”

If your big bend doesn’t resolve spontaneously, HUNG, there are treatment options.

“The only real therapies are Xiaflex injections and surgical repair,” said Dr. Newman. “The former is not approved for patients less than two years from diagnosis or with less than 35 degrees of curvature.

The latter is fraught with increased complication rates due to scarring so near the tip.

Both can straighten the penis, but at a cost of length in many cases. As for drainage alternatives while gliding, I suggest the fol-

lowing product: freedom.mensliberty.com.”

—Dan Savage

I’m a 37-year-old male. I’ve been with my wife for 15 years. I know that passion transitions in a longterm relationship, but I’m having a hard time finishing lately. Yes, I’m on SSRIs—antidepressants— but that has only exacerbated the issue. We all know that a lot of people who own a vagina enjoy foreplay to help the orgasms along. Will foreplay help people who own a penis get to the moment faster? I’m pretty sure I know the answer, and I figured you’re the one to ask what the best foreplay options are because your sexual knowledge is vast and you regularly deal with two penises at a time.

As someone who pleasures a penis and who has a penis that is pleasured, what is the best preparation to get guys off before the insertion happens?

—Seeking Weapons Of Male Penile Satisfaction Foreplay isn’t just for vagina-havers, SWOMPS! Penis-havers have nerve endings all over their bodies—inside ’em, too—and while many younger men don’t require much in the way of foreplay, older men and/or men taking SSRIs often benefit from additional forms of stimulation both prior to intercourse and during intercourse. Like tit play. I know some men can’t

Today, a person with HIV is expected to live a normal life span— so long as they have access to treatment and they’re taking their meds. go there because that tit-play shit—like feelings, musicals, sit-ups, and voting for women—could turn you gay. But if you’re up for it, SWOMPS, have the wife play with or even clamp your tits, and then shove a plug in your ass that stimulates your prostate while also remembering to engage what’s often called “the largest sex organ”: your brainz. Talk dirty to each other! If you’re already proficient at JV dirty talk—telling ’em what you’re about to do (“I’m going to fuck the shit out of you”), telling ’em what you’re doing (“I’m fucking the shit out of you”), telling ’em what you did (“I fucked the shit out of you”)—move on to var-

sity dirty talk: Talk about your fantasies, awesome experiences you’ve had in the past, things you’d like to try or try again with your partner. To get your dick there—to push past those SSRIs—fire on all cylinders (tits, hole, brain, mouth, and cock) before and during insertion.

—DS I’m a 32-year-old English guy, and this morning I was diagnosed as HIV-positive. I’m in a bit of a state. I haven’t told anyone, and I needed to get it out. I’m in a long-term, mostly monogamous relationship, but my boyfriend is overseas for work at the moment, so I can’t really talk to him about it. So I’m talking to you.

—Diagnosed And Dazed And Confused I’m so sorry, DADAC. I hope you have a friend you can confide in, because you need a shoulder to cry on and I can’t provide that for you here.

What I can provide is some perspective. I’m just a little older than you—okay, I’m a whole lot older than you. I came out in the summer of 1981—and two years later, healthy, young gay men started to sicken and die. During the 1980s and most of the 1990s, learning you were HIV-positive meant you had a year or two to live. Today, a person with HIV is expected to live a normal life span—so long as they have access to treatment and they’re taking their meds. And once you’re on meds, DADAC, your viral load will fall to undetectable levels and you won’t be able to pass HIV on to anyone else (undetectable = uninfectious). Arguably, your boyfriend and your other sex partners are safer now that you know than they were before you were diagnosed. Because it’s not HIVpositive men on meds who are infecting people, it’s men who aren’t on meds because they don’t know they’re HIV-positive.

I don’t mean to minimize your distress, DADAC. The news you just received is distressing and life changing. But it’s not as distressing as it was three decades ago, and it doesn’t mean your life is over. I remember holding a boyfriend on the day he was diagnosed as HIV-positive more than 25 years ago, both of us weeping uncontrollably. His diagnosis meant he was going to die soon. Yours doesn’t. You have a lot of time left, and if you get into treatment and take your meds, DADAC, you will live a long and healthy life, a life filled with love, connection, and intimacy. Spend some time feeling sorry for yourself, feel the fuck out of those feelings, and then go live your life— live it for all the guys who didn’t get to celebrate their 33rd birthdays.

—DS P.S. Don’t wait until your boyfriend returns to tell him. He needs to get tested right away.

PRIVATE EVENT SPACE | FUNCTIONING WINERY | RESTAURANT

1350 OKIE ST NE, WASHINGTON D.C. CITYWINERY.COM/WASHINGTONDC

UPCOMING SHOWS! 5/10

JUICY SCOOP PODCAST WITH HEATHER MCDONALD LIVE RECORDING

5/11

HEATHER MCDONALD STAND-UP

5/12

SANDRA BERNHARD'S “SANDEMONIUM"

5/16

LAITH AL-SAADI

5/18-19 COWBOY MOUTH

(WITH FRED LEBLANC ACOUSTIC)

5/28

ROGER CREAGER

5/31

TRINA BROUSSARD

6/1

GARLAND JEFFREYS & THE CONEY ISLAND PLAYBOYS

6/2

THE THE BAND BAND

6/7

FREDERIC YONNET

6/8

THE PATRICIA BARBER TRIO

6/9

PHAROAH SANDERS 2 SHOWS

6/10

THE BAD PLUS

6/11

TIA FULLER

6 /12

BAYLOR PROJECT

6/13

HOMAGE TO A MASTER: KETER BETTS FEATURING BEN WILLIAMS AND SPECIAL GUESTS

6/15

GEOFF TATE’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF OPERATION: MINDCRIME

6/15

JD WILKES W/ THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS UNPLUGGED IN THE WINE GARDEN

6/16

PIERS FACCINI IN THE WINE GARDEN

6/16-18 JOAN ARMATRADING 6 /19

RED WANTING BLUE

6/20-21 JOAN ARMATRADING

6/23

GREG LASWELL

6/23

BILLY PRICE

6/29

AJ GHENT IN THE WINE GARDEN

6/30

MASTERS OF THE TELECASTER

7/8

AZTEC TWO-STEP

7/14

ANTHONY DAVID

7/15

SYLEENA JOHNSON

7/20

PAULA COLE

7/21

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD

7/22

LORI MCKENNA

7/25

THE QUEBE SISTERS

7/27-28 ERIC ROBERSON 8/4

HAYES CARLL SOLO

8/8

THE ALARM

8/18

HOWIE DAY

8/22

SHOOTER JENNINGS

9/25

JUMP, LITTLE CHILDREN

11/27

AN EVENING WITH HOT TUNA ACOUSTIC

12/6

JANE LYNCH XMAS SHOW

VINOFILE

Email your Savage Love questions to mail@savagelove.net. washingtoncitypaper.com may 11, 2018 33

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Classified Ads Print & Web Classified Packages may be placed on our Web site, by fax, mail, phone, or in person at our office: 734 15th Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20005 Commercial Ads rates start at $20 for up to 6 lines in print and online; additional print lines start at $2.50/ line (vary by section). Your print ad placement plus up to 10 photos online. Premium options available for both print and web may vary.

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359-5773 Interested parties and vendors will state Legals their credentials and qualifications provideGIVEN NOTICE ISand HEREBY appropriate licenses, THAT: references, insurances, TRAVISA OUTSOURCING, INC. (DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEcertifications, proposed PARTMENT OF CONSUMER costs, and work plan.

AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS Please include any perFILE NUMBER 271941) tinent disclosures thatHAS DISSOLVED EFFECTIVE NOVEMmay be present.

BER 27, 2017 AND HAS FILED ARTICLES OF DISSOLUTION OF SCOPE WORK DOMESTICOFFOR-PROFIT CORContractor proposals PORATION WITH THE DISTRICT should address the folOF COLUMBIA CORPORATIONS DIVISIONitems: lowing * Speech & Language AServices CLAIM AGAINST TRAVISA OUTSOURCING, INC. OcMUST * Comprehensive INCLUDE THE NAME OF THE cupational Therapy DISSOLVED CORPORATION, Services INCLUDE THE NAME OF THE * SPED Services CLAIMANT, INCLUDE A SUMMA* OT Services RYRelated OF THE FACTS SUPPORTING * InCLAIM, Service THE ANDTraining BE MAILED TO 1600 INTERNATIONAL * Physical Therapy DRIVE, SUITE 600, MCLEAN, VA 22102 Evaluation CONSIDERATION ALL WILL work BE BARRED AnyCLAIMS additional outUNLESS PROCEEDING side the Ascope of work TO ENFORCE THE CLAIM IS COMas defined above will MENCED WITH IN 3 YEARS OF be quoted separately as PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE required.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION PAYMENT 29-312.07 OF THE DISTRICT OF Please indicate proposed COLUMBIA ORGANIZATIONS ACT. payment schedule. Submission of invoices is Two Rivers PCS is soliciting required payment. proposals tofor provide project management services for a small conWASHINGTON struction project. For a LEADcopy of the RFP, please ACADEMY email procurement@ ERSHIP tworiverspcs.org. for REQUEST FOR Deadline PROPOSsubmissions is December 6, 2017.

ALS School Technology Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School, an approved 501(c)3 organization, requests proposals for the following Chromebook technology: Quantity: 130 Required Specifications: Screen: 11.6 inch screen w/ webcam (1366 x 768 resolution or better)

Print Deadline The deadline for submission and payment of classified ads for print is each Monday, 5 pm.

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Legals CPU: Intel N3060 Celeron or better DC SCHOLARS PCS REQUEST RAM: 4GB or more FOR PROPOSALS – ModuSSD/HDD: 16 GB MMC lar Contractor Services - DC or better Scholars Public Charter School OS: solicitsChrome proposalsOS for a modular contractor to provide professional Additional management Specificaand construction services to construct a modular tions: building to house four classrooms Require 1 Chromebook and one faculty offi ce suite. The Management License Request for Proposals (RFP) per device. specifi cations can be obtained on and after Monday, November 27, Please convert2017 fromexclude Emily Stone via comible or tablet models. munityschools@dcscholars.org.

All questions should be sent in Purchase Reference writing by e-mail.

No phone calls regarding Lenovo this RFP N23 will be acmodel: cepted. Bids must be received by Chromebook 5:00 PM on Thursday, December 14, 2017 atModels DC Scholars Public Current in-use: Charter School, ATTN:11 Sharonda HP Chromebook G5 Mann, 5601 E. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC 20019. Any bids Please emailallproposals not addressing areas as outto linedngould@wlapcs.org. in the RFP specifi cations will We request proposals by not be considered.

May 25, 2018.

Apartments for Rent

SOMERSET PREP DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL NOTICE OF INTENT TO ENTER A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT Student Assessment Services Somerset Prep DC Public Charter School intends to enter into a sole Must see!

Spaciouswith semi-fursource contract The nished 1 BR/1 Network BA basement Achievement apt, Deanwood, $1200. Sep. enfor student assessment trance, W/W kitchservices tocarpet, help W/D, idenen, fireplace near Blue Line/X9/ tify and close gaps in V2/V4. Shawnn 240-343-7173. student learning for the upcoming school year.

Rooms for Rent * Somerset Prep DC Public Charter Holiday Special-School Two furconstitutes theshort soleor long nished rooms for source for($900 Theand Achieveterm rental $800 per ment for to W/D, month) Network with access WiFi, Kitchen, and Den. Utilistudent assessment ties included.

Bestwill N.E.lead location services that to along H St.achievement.

Corridor. Call Eddie student 202-744-9811 for info. or visit * For further information www.TheCurryEstate.com regarding this notice contact sspdc_bids@ somersetprepdc.org no later than 4:00 pm Friday, May 18, 2018.

DC International Construction/Labor School Invitation for Bid RFP for Interior Painting: DCI requires interior painting services for the halls of our 140,000 square building.

POWER foot DESIGN NOW HIRWe approximately INGhave ELECTRICAL APPRENTICES OF ALL SKILL 40,000 square feet LEVELS! of wall space to be painted. Please include about the experience position… awards, in Do education you love working the area, with and your hands? Are you intera ested portfolio of work. Bids in construction and must includeanevidence in becoming electrician? ofThen experience in field, the electrical apprentice qualifications position could beand perfect for estimated fees.apprentices Please you! Electrical are able to earn a to paycheck send proposals RFP@ and full benefi ts while learndcinternationalschool. ing Proposals the trade through org. mustfirstbe hand experience. received no later than the close of business what we’re looking for…

Friday, May 2018.

Motivated D.C.25, residents who want to learn the electrical Superior Court of the trade and have a high school District ofGED Columbia diploma or as well as reliable transportation.

Case No. 2018 DRB 000821 a little DEITRICK, bit about us…

CHAD Power Design is one of the Plaintiff top electrical contractors in Versus the U.S., committed to our LIEN THI BICH and TRAN, values, to training to givDefendant ing back to the communities Next Event: in which we liveStatus and work.

Hearing on June 26, more at details…

2018 9:30am in Visit powerdesigninc.us/ Courtroom 102 (500 careers or email careers@ Indiana Ave. NW, Washpowerdesigninc.us! ington, DC 20001 Notice To Defendant LIEN THI BICH TRAN The object of this acFinancial Services tion is Plaintiff CHAD Denied Credit??

Work to ReDEITRICK’S Complaint pair Absolute Your Credit Report With The for Divorce TrustedDefendant Leader in Credit Repair. from LIEN Call Lexington Law for a FREE THI BICH TRAN, filed credit report summary & March 8, 2018. Uponcredit repair consultation. 855-620the OrderAttorney Grant-at 9426.Court’s John C. Heath, ing Law, Plaintiff’s PLLC, dba Motion LexingtontoLaw Authorize Service by Firm.

Publication, file April 17, 2018, it is this 23rd Home Services day of April, hereby ORDERED, that Defendant Dish Network-Satellite LIEN THI BICH TRAN,Television Services. Now Over 190 cause her appearance channels for ONLY $49.99/mo! to be entered or FREE HBO-FREE for oneonyear, before JuneFREE 25, 2018; Installation, Streaming, that the Court will FREE HD. Add Internet forhold $14.95 a status hearing on June a month.

1-800-373-6508

26, 2018 at 9:30am in Auctions Courtroom 102 at 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001 regarding Plaintiff’s request for divorce; and that if Defendant LIEN THI BICH TRAN, does not appear at the hearing or otherwise respond to Plaintiff’s complaint, the Court may issue a judgement default on Whole Foodsby Commissary Auction complaint. SO Plaintiff’s DC Metro Area ORDERED. Lynn LeiboDec.Associate 5 at 10:30AM vitz, Judge.

1000s S/S Dates: Tables, May Carts Publication & Trays, 2016 Kettles up 4, 2018, May 11, 2018, to 200 Gallons, Urschel May 18, 2018.

Cutters & Shredders including 2016 Diversacut ATTENTION: If you 2110 Dicer, 6 Chill/Freeze worked at Central Cabs, Double Rack Ovens & Ranges, (12) known Braising Fuel Co. (now asTables, Hess2016 Oil)(3+) Stephan VCMs, 30+ in Washington DCScales, in the Hobart please 80 qtcontact Mixers, 1960s, Complete Machine Shop, Asbestos Investigator and much more! View the Sherry catalogDay at at (734) 878-5236 or email or www.mdavisgroup.com Sherry@SLDinvestiga412-521-5751 tions.com.

Garage/Yard/ Rummage/Estate Sales Dupont Circle Metro Flea Market every Fri-Sat Offices!

10am-4pm. 5615 Landover Rd. The Palladium@ Cheverly, MD. 20784. Can buy 1325 St 202-355-2068 NW in bulk.18th Contact 24 Hour Secure Building or 301-772-3341 for details or if intrested in being aOffice vendor.

Open-Private Options $2500- $3500( Live -Work) Per month- (1-5yr Lease) Text 202 491 5300 to set up tour.

Email:jconnelly@summitcre.com Furnished room in the North Wing of my house for $850.00. Plenty of sun on a very nice block in Bloomingdale. Seeking a non-smoking professional. Will have access to kitchen, private bathroom, sun deck, and laundry facility. I am a single, working professional male with a quiet lifestyle. Utilities

are approximately $100 per month.Miscellaneous kekemappa@gmail.com NEW COOPERATIVE SHOP! THINGS FROM EGPYT AND BEYOND Local library seeks 240-725-6025 temporary staff to serve www.thingsfromegypt.com as book shelvers for thingsfromegypt@yahoo.com up coming week long membership convenSOUTH AFRICAN BAZAAR Craft Cooperative tion.

June 18- June 24, 202-341-0209 hourly rate $12.50 per www.southafricanbazaarcraftcoo hour.

For more inforperative.com mation www.dar.org/ southafricanba z a ar @hotmail. job-openings com Flyer Distributors WEST FARM WOODWORKS Needed Monday-Friday Custom Creative Furniture and weekends. We drop 202-316-3372 info@westfarmwoodworks.com you off to distribute the www.westfarmwoodworks.com flyers.

NW, Bethesda, Silver Spring, Wheaton.

7002 Carroll Avenue $9/hr. 240-715-7874 Takoma Park, MD 20912 Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Local nonprofit seeks Sun 10am-6pm temporary events security staff for up Motorcycles/Scooters coming week long convention, 18- for June 2016 SuzukiJune TU250X sale.

1200 hourly miles. CLEAN. Just ser24, rate $12.50 viced.hour.

ComesDay withand bike cover per and saddlebags. $3000 evening shiftsAsking available.

Cash more only. information go For Call 202-417-1870 M-F between to www.dar.org/job6-9PM, or weekends. openings

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earn a paycheck and Events full benefits while learning the trade through Christmas inexperience.

Silver Spring firsthand Saturday, December 2, 2017 what we’re looking for…

Veteran’s Plaza Motivated D.C. residents 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. who want to learn the Come celebrate Christmas in electrical and have the heart of trade Silver Spring at our a highVillage school or Vendor on diploma Veteran’s PlaGED as will wellbeasshopping, reliablearts za. There transportation. a littlewith and crafts for kids, pictures Santa, musicus… and Power entertainment bit about to spread holiday and more.

Design is onecheer of the top Proceeds the market inwill electricalfrom contractors provide a “wish” toy for children the U.S., committed to in need. Join us at your one stop our values, to training shop for everything Christmas. and to giving back to For more information, contact the communities in Futsum, which we live and work.or info@leadersinstitutemd.org more details… Visit call 301-655-9679 powerdesigninc.us/caGeneral reers or email careers@ powerdesigninc.us!

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