CITYPAPER Washington
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Free Volume 35, no. 31 WashingtonCityPaPer.Com July 31–august 6, 2015
Club DreaD The feuds, money, and violence behind D.C.’s most notorious megaclub 12 By Will Sommer
PhotograPhS By DarroW MontgoMery
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SUGAR RAY BETTER THAN EZRA UNCLE KRACKER EVE 6
FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS AUG 19
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JULY 31
JULY 30
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1.877.WOLFTRAP
INSIDE
12 Club dread
The story behind the fast rise and hard fall of megaclub Ibiza
m i D C i t y D o g D a y s
by Will sommer photographs by darroW montgomery
4 Chatter
City list
Loose Lips: Jeff Thompson’s mysterious loans 9 City Desk: The movements of D.C.’s Hispanic population 10 Savage Love 11 Gear Prudence 19 Buy D.C.
33 City Lights: SNL’s most underutilized comic comes to the Black Cat. 33 Music 38 Books 38 Galleries 39 Dance 39 Theater 41 Film
d.C. Feed
42 ClassiFieds
distriCt line 7
21 Young & Hungry: When your dining partner is severe allergies 23 Grazer: D.C.’s best cigar menus 23 Underserved: Compass Rose’s Kazbegi Sunrise 23 Are You Gonna Eat That? Worm salt at El Camino
arts
25 Books: Capps on Philip Brookman’s Redlands 26 Arts Desk: Kickstart the Smithsonian! 26 One Track Mind: Matt McGhee’s “Lexus Music” 28 Curtain Calls: Paarlberg on This Lime Tree Bower and Walker on Oliver! 30 Short Subjects: Olszewski on The LEGO Brickumentary and Gittell on The Stanford Prison Experiment 31 Sketches: Capps on “Saturated with the Subconscious” at Flashpoint
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CHATTER
In aid-in-dying In which which readers readersdebate start a war of words and public library overpraise wherethe you can and can’t bike
DeathYa Fuck With Dignity Fuckin’ Bike Bills under consideration in D.C. and Maryland that would allow terminally ill pa“PASS THE POPCORN... tients to obtain an aid-in-dying prescription
were theTHREAD’S subjects of last week’s two cover THIS GONNA BE
stories. “Please continue to advocate and support the cause of terminal patients FUN,� WROTE EXTRA to have the choicecorrectly to end their lives,� butter, please, anticipatnancy sansom on the ing the nature of commented reader response to Maryland piece. District “It is cruel and unWill Sommer’s Line colhuman to forceControl.� these patients to enumn “Ground “Riding a dureon thisthe terrible pain, whensense. their bike sidewalk makes end isthe obvious. to our Why hate?�We wasare thekinder basic prempetsItand allowasthem diecould with tell, digise. wasn’t, far astowe Typical DC nity, why notrant people?� an unhinged against reasonable the D.C.ItarBS, who commented sidewalk use or bikingonetiquette. ticle, agreed: “This vibarely promoted anylegislation sectarian is strife. tal. Glad are taking time to Sure, “to they sidewalk or notthe to sidethoughtfully thebut implications walk� was theconsider question, neither of this and And hopefully craft side waslegislation put on blast. yet! Oh, the procedures used successfully other hate. The torrents of Biblical,inbloodstates. We treat suffering better red, blinding hate spewedanimals upon Sommer thanall dying Having helped careusfor and thosepeople. who would dare suggest a dying grandfather whose last days were a ing a bicycle on the sidewalk. painful (albeit he was unconscious dueofSomehell readers swallowed their vitriol and to high levels of morphine at times), his wishfered some constructive commentary: “Solues forremove an endatolane hisfrom suffering expressed numerous tion: M Street to expand the times wasand heartbreaking. Notsuggested being ableone to anonlegally sidewalk add bike lanes,� grant his wishes was frustrating.� ymous commenter. Most let the vitriol spew, howevBSfavorite Indeed, oncomments-section the other hand, took issue er. Typical PerennialDC staff and darling with the D.C. piece, commenting that it sounded like an ednoodlez, practically an artist with the caps lock key, neatitorial. (While the article extensively featured the bill’s inly summarized the stance of Sommer’s opposition: “HOW Mary Cheh, it also highlighted comments from troducer, ABOUT GETTING YOUR ASS IN THE STREET AND people on both sides of the debate.) MikenotIke raised his RIDE LAWFULLY WITH THE TRAFFIC. SIDEWALKS ARE NOT BIKE EXPRESS LANES!� Translation: kindly
objections, “Dear Cheh, Thank for taking of bikers in the street.Commissar noodlez helpfully shoutedyou a clarification the eliminate whoLEGALLY make our lives burdentheinitiative rules. “IFtoYOU AREthose RIDING IN STREET some. Please ahead on DESIGNATED other valiant initiatives ensure WITH ANDpress WITH OUT LANEStoTHEN order in the People’s Republic of DC.� ITS INCUMBENT ON DRIVER TO GIVE YOU RIGHT OF WAY. IM ESPECIALLY POINTING AT THOSE Make Plastic Trees. hope readers took theDEMO time VA DRIVERS WHOWe MAKES ME WANNA Rowan’s feature on the D.C. Pub- We toDERBY finish Lisa THEIR ASSES.� Inside voices, please. lic Library’s Studiosuspicious_ labs, which actually haveFabrication a hard timeand believing feature 3-Dhas printers, a laser and reever been on acutter, District sidepackage cording equipment, outyou walk, though. “Howbefore manyrunning times have D_Rez tobeen try the tools foron themselves. ruun down the sidewalk exactly? I summed up the reaction in the walk on the sidewalks a lot andcomI’ve nevments: have to to sayme. thisNor is absolutely er had “I it happen do I know amazing. Goodhad job,itDCPL.� anyone who’s happen to them.� the piece highlighted themuch IsWhile that because you don’t get out labs’ positives, it alsohave noted that the or because cyclists been shamed challenges, including studio off the sidewalk and,limited uh, aren’t there space musicians. percussionto runforyou over? NoOne one’s happy here, ist in we thecan article acbut lookquestioned to Europe,who contendtually uses the“In recording equipment. boy. the countries where ed big replied, Librarian they have@juliagertrud the greatest numbers of cy“Teens do!least Studio consistently booked clists and accidentscountries solid only open to 13-19 suchwhen as Holland, Germany andyr-olds. Den Can’t wait for adults to discover too!� mark, most of the bicycle tracksitare on The Martin Luther King Jr. Memosidewalks or bumped out portions of the rial Library, where the labs areroad housed, roadalmost NEVER in the or out isside set to undergo a major renovation in the
of parked cars as we do here. Basical coming years, and its collections willto beenly as a society we have done ZERO
housed incyclistsinterim spaces during construc courage except for those foolhardy robottion. D.C. librarian and Reddit user Lance Armstrong guys in lycra and spandex made the case for visiting ASAP: nique who are all into racing or looking sleek.“There These are sixare 3d often printers and it is and shockingly be
guys aggressive seldom cheap go slow or use cause you only have to pay for the material. That be warning signals for pedestrians. We need to change ing myoutlook favorite towards is the laser cutter. on a oursaid entire cycling in My thiscolleague country and whim it etch a map of ontooriented.� the outsideGavel, of his makehad it more inclusive andWesteros less athletic —Sarah Annethe Hughes coffee Great, greatany detail.� gavel:thermos. City Paper endorses policy that reduces preva-
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—Emily Q. Hazzard lence of spandex worn in public. Want to see your name in bold on this page? Send letters, gripes, clarifications, or praise to editor@washingtoncitypaper.com. Want to see your name in bold on this page? Send letters, gripes, clarifications, or praise to editor@washingtoncitypaper.com.
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DISTRICTLINE Loose Lips
Borrow Time
Jeff Thompson made a big loan to a Fenty pal ahead of the 2010 primary.
Darrow Montgomery/File
Omar Karim’s company has been sued over a mystery loan.
By Will Sommer For years, District Medicaid contractor Jeff Thompson held his wallet open to connected Washingtonians. As the ongoing federal investigation into Thompson’s illicit funding of Vince Gray’s 2010 mayoral campaign shows, he didn’t care if the law got in the way. But there’s one problem with taking money from the man who was once one of the big-
gest crooks in local District politics: When Thompson is hard up for cash himself, he’s going to come back and collect. That’s what Omar Karim, who once starred in a Wilson Building scandal of his own as a politically wired frat brother of ex-Mayor Adrian Fenty, found out last week. One of Thompson’s companies sued Karim’s company, revealing a mysterious loan that Thompson made to Karim and his firm just a week before the 2010
Democratic mayoral primary that Fenty lost to Gray. Karim isn’t talking about the mystery loan. Neither is Thompson’s attorney, who filed a motion last Friday to drop the case four days after the complaint was filed. Still, the lawsuit shows again how well connected Thompson was with District officials and the people who orbit around them. Even before taking a loan from Thompson, Karim was no stranger to the concept of pow-
A proposed ballot initiative would require regular drug tests of the mayor, councilmembers, and top District employees. washingtoncitypaper.com/ go/smokingonthejob
erful friends. When Fenty occupied the mayoral suite, Karim flaunted his ties to the mayor by referring to him in conversations as “God.” Those connections led to Karim and his company, Banneker Ventures, playing starring roles in the Fenty administration’s contracting scandal. According to an 18-month D.C. Council investigation released in 2011, Banneker steered some of the $87 million in park contracts it controlled to firms with ties to Karim, including a company owned by fellow Fenty frat brother Sinclair Skinner. Some of the firms that received city contracts had paid consulting fees to another Karim-owned company, a bit of shadiness that helped convince the Council’s investigator to refer the investigation to then-U.S. Attorney Ron Machen. Thompson and Karim weren’t strangers at the time of the 2010 primary. In 2013, the Washington Post reported that Thompson hired Karim and Skinner in 2008 to do “community relations work” on his behalf. In 2010, Thompson and Karim did business again. Thompson’s D.C. Healthcare Systems Inc. holding company, which controlled Thompson’s lucrative Chartered Health Plan Inc. Medicaid contractor, lent Karim’s Banneker a combined $75,000 in equal installments on July 8, Aug. 8, and Sept. 8 of 2010. The loans were backed by promissory notes guaranteed personally by Karim at a rate of 7.5 percent. Unfortunately for DCHSI and Thompson, Karim and Banneker don’t seem to have been in a rush to pay back the money. Banneker made some payments in January 2012, according to court records, two months before FBI agents raided Thompson’s house and office while investigating the “shadow campaign” he funded for Gray. Since those raids, Thompson and DCHSI have found a lot of need for a spare $75,000. Thompson, who pleaded guilty in March 2014 to his role in Gray’s shadow campaign, hired Brendan Sullivan, one of the top defense attorneys in the country. Meanwhile, DCHSI has been sued by Chartered—now under District control—for money Thompson supposedly helped pilfer from the Medicaid contractor. For his cooperation with prosecutors, Thompson has secured a plea deal that could result in a sentence as light as six months under house arrest. A cash-strapped Thompson has had to start selling off his assets, including an office building close to the White House. To put it bluntly: If Thompson is coughing up money, Karim has to do the same.
washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 7
DISTRICTLINE When Jeff Thompson is hard up for cash, he’s going to come back to collect.
Thompson’s lawsuit last week wanted $91,266 from Karim, a figure that included $8,558 in late payment fees and $9,708 in accrued interest. There’s nothing in court records that suggests the loan was intended to be used illegally. While Thompson was a prolific straw donor to District pols, there’s no evidence that this money was used that way. It certainly didn’t go to contributions from Fenty superfan Karim or his company, which both maxed out to Fenty’s re-election campaign nearly two years before the loan were made. Thompson’s guilty plea, meanwhile, mentions several corrupted elections’ worth of schemes, but doesn’t include any reference to loans related to the 2010 election. Thompson also had every reason to hope voters would show Fenty the door in 2010. Peter Nickles, Fenty’s attorney general, sued Chartered in 2008, a move that helped convince Thompson to surreptitiously back Gray’s mayoral ambition. With neither Thompson or Karim appar-
ALLEN A. FLOOD, M.D. DERMATOLOGY
ently willing to reveal more about their financial arrangement, the loan may be most interesting for how it reveals Thompson’s use of DCHSI as a political piggy bank. District watchers will remember that much, if not all, of DCHSI’s money came from Chartered, which was supposed to use its Medicaid contract, worth hundreds of millions in taxpayer
money, to help low-income Washingtonians. Instead, according to a lawsuit filed on Chartered’s behalf in 2013, DCHSI and Thompson looted Chartered through bogus contracts to other Thompson subsidiaries and a line of credit for DCHSI that used Chartered as collateral. That lawsuit suggests there’s a good chance the money Thompson
was using to make loans to politically juiced people like Karim originally came from the District’s treasury. (Thompson countersued the District earlier this year for allegedly scheming to take Chartered away from him.) Karim isn’t the only recipient of DCHSI money to get his or her number called up by Thompson. In January, LL wrote about Dawn Kum, a school operator and the former wife of a District Department of Health official who helped Chartered score its Medicaid contract. Kum’s school received more than $1 million from DCHSI. In December, DCHSI sued Kum and her school last December in an attempt to recover the money. Kum claims Thompson’s money was meant as a gift; he says it was an investment that can be withdrawn. Either way, both Karim and Kum are learning that Thompson’s generosCP ity doesn’t last forever. Got a tip for LL? Send suggestions to lips@washingtoncitypaper.com. Or call (202) 650-6925.
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DISTRICTLINE
Tomorrow’s history today: This was the week we renewed the debate over whether the Olympics should come to D.C.
City Desk
N ic ho la sJ oh n H er re ra ,a nd M ar ro qu in ,E lv is By ro n
For decades, Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, and Mount Pleasant have formed the heart of the District’s Hispanic population. Salvadoran pupuserias and Mexican bakeries have long occupied major thoroughfares like 14th and Mt. Pleasant streets NW. But as these localities and D.C. as a whole change, will Hispanic Washingtonians stay put? New research compiled by students at the University of Maryland and highlighted by Hola Cultura—a nonprofit focused on Latino culture in D.C.—shows that over the past 50 years, the District’s Hispanic population has gradually shifted northward towards D.C.’s suburbs. Whereas the highest concentration of Hispanics lived in Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant in 1970, that population now resides mostly in 16th Street Heights, Park View, and northern Petworth, as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Hispanics comprise anywhere between a quarter to half of all residents in those neighborhoods, as maps created by the researchers show. According to George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, D.C.’s Hispanic population grew 28 percent from 2007 to 2012. The researchers also identified the top five subgroups of Hispanics in the District: Salvadorians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans, and Dominicans. “These groups tend to be distributed in different ways,” explains Byron Marroquin, the lead researcher on the project. “For example, Mexicans appear to be evenly distributed across D.C. Dominicans and Guatemalans are concentrated.” So what’s behind Hispanic Washingtonians’ northward movement? The researchers say they haven’t reached a firm conclusion yet, but a likely explanation is the huge jump in housing costs D.C. has experienced in the past two decades. According to their data, the median gross rent for Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, and Mount Pleasant ranged from $271 to $1,200 in 2000; by 2010, that range had increased to $750 to $1650. Marroquin adds that a diminishing supply of public housing may be another culprit: in the next five years, many subsidy contracts will expire. —Andrew Giambrone
2010
M ap sb y
TilTed NorTherN
1970
1100 BLOCK OF 15TH STREET NW, JULY 27. BY DARROW MONTGOMERY washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 9
SAVAGELOVE I have always wanted to have a girls-only sex party, but I’m not sure how I feel about actually organizing one. What’s the etiquette if I do organize one myself? Do I need to provide the dildos for people’s harnesses? Or just the condoms and lube? And how do I find people who want to attend? Do I just tweet out an invite? Is there a better way that makes me —No Snappy Acronym seem less sketchy?
I’m an early-30s gay man who’s never had much
success with relationships. However, I’m writing about a female friend of mine. We’ve known each other since college, and she’s generally wonderful but frequently pesters me with some variant of “So, when are you gonna settle down with a nice fella?” I try to deflect these comments without being too confrontational because I realize she wants me to be happy, but she never seems to get how annoying this is. I’d like some way to indicate, “You know relationships are not my forte and you’re hurting my feelings,” without having to risk hurting hers.—Friend’s Annoying Question So you’ve allowed a friend to hurt your feelings over and over again because you’re worried that telling her to knock it the fuck off might hurt her feelings? Speak the fuck up already, FAQ: “I have no idea if I’m ever going to settle down with a fella, nice or otherwise, and it hurts my feelings when you ask about it. So stop asking.” If she persists, then either your friend doesn’t care that she’s hurting your feelings (malice!) or she’s too dense to realize this question hurts your feelings de-
Speak the fuck up already, FAQ. spite having been told it hurts your feelings (stupidity!). Then you’ll have to ask yourself why you’re wasting your time on someone —Dan who’s malicious, stupid, or both. I’ve been my boyfriend’s girlfriend for two years. We recently graduated high school and are heading off to different colleges in the fall. Is it stupid for us to stay together? We’re in love, he’s my best friend, and he’s my family. But we haven’t had sex yet. We’ve made some progress (oral, hand
stuff, etc.), but we’ve never had penis-in-vagina sex. I asked for it once, and he informed me that he had a moral conflict with sex. That hardly seems plausible: We’ve done so much else, and he’s not religious at all. Is he just not attracted to me? Is he gay? Sometimes I wonder if the difference we have libido-wise is a deal-breaker. I can picture a sexless yet emotionally happy marriage with him, but I’m not sure how to feel about that. —Confused, Unsexed, Naive Teen First things first: Sometimes I create a signoff that, once abbreviated, spells out something cute or funny or relevant. This is not one of those times: I did not come up with this letter writer’s sign-off. Okay, CUNT, it’s entirely possible that your boyfriend is gay. Speaking from experience: It’s easier for a closeted gay boy to pretend his girlfriend is his boyfriend during (non-recip) oral and hand stuff than it is during vaginal intercourse. He could be claiming to have a moral conflict with PIV (penis-in-vagina intercourse) when what he actually has is a strong preference for PIG (penis-in-guy intercourse). It’s also possible that your boyfriend isn’t that into you, or he’s terrified by the thought of impregnating you, or he actually does have some sort of moral qualm about vaginal penetration. Only your boyfriend knows what’s up with him, but here’s what we know for sure about you: You’re 18 years old, you’re headed to college, and you and your boyfriend don’t click sexually. Break up. You can get back together in a few years if you’re both still single, you’re both still straight, and you’re both still into each other. But don’t settle for someone whose libido and/or sexual interests don’t come close to matching your own, CUNT, because a sexless marriage is only happy when sexless works —Dan for both spouses. Send your Savage Love questions to mail@savagelove.net.
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What I know about hosting girls-only sex parties could fit inside what I know about the Marvel universe with room left over for what I know about the Higgs boson—and all of that could fit inside Lindsey Graham’s chances of being president with room left over for Donald Trump’s humanity. But luckily for you, NSA, I know someone who knows quite a lot about both girl sex and sex parties. “Hosting a play party is much like hosting any other party,” said Allison Moon, a San Francisco–based writer and sex educator. “You want guests to feel welcome and comfortable—this means you provide lube, safer sex supplies, refreshments, and towels and/or puppy pads.” Moon is the author of two popular lesbian werewolf novels—more are hopefully on their way—and the really terrific memoir Bad Dyke: Salacious Stories from a Queer Life. Her most recent book is Girl Sex 101, a terrific sex-ed book “for ladies and lady-lovers of all genders and identities” that features girlsex wisdom from an array of sex-positive superstars. Moon has also hosted numerous sex parties, and says hosting a girls-only sex party does not obligate you to break open a piñata full of dildos as your guests arrive. “Toys are the responsibility of guests,” said Moon. “If NSA has a few sparkling-clean vibes and dildos that she doesn’t mind using as party favors, by all means put them out. I have a couple of Magic Wands that are great for getting the party started, because there’s
always someone who’s wanted to try one. But she doesn’t have to spend a ton of cash outfitting her friends’ crotches.” As for finding people who might want to attend your sex party, Moon and I both agree that putting an invite on Twitter—or Facebook or Instagram or Farmers Only or Yik Yak—is a very, very bad idea. “NSA should stay away from social media to start,” said Moon. “Instead, she should make a list of friends who might be down and give them a call to see if they have friends they’d want to bring. Bonus points if she has friends who are up for being used as ‘ringers.’ Lady parties are notorious for taking hours to warm up—someone has to be the first one in the pool, and a ringer can help get the party started. Or she could consider some ice-breaking games, like spin the bottle, as a goofy way to get the girls ready to grind on each other.” But let’s say you don’t have any friends who might want to come to your girls-only sex party—or you’re too chicken to ask your friends—is there another way? “If her slutty-friend pool is small, she could look at sites devoted to sex-positive folks, like FetLife or her local chapter of a leather women’s group. But she should be super explicit about her women-only policy if she does post anywhere online, and she should also consider screening guests with a phone call. And I strongly recommend a closed-door policy, i.e., folks must arrive by a certain time or they can’t come in. This keeps you from having to monitor the door all night so you can enjoy your own damn party.” You can follow Moon on Twitter @TheAllisonMoon—and you should listen to a really moving story she shared recently on RISK!, Kevin Allison’s amazing podcast, about her friend Hans (“Four Orgies and a Funeral”). You can find RISK! on iTunes or at Risk—Dan Savage Show.com.
10 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
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Gear Prudence: I ride my bike every month of the year to commute and for exercise. This past weekend I was out on the trail and noticed even more obnoxious behavior from my fellow cyclists than usual. In fact, it’s been getting worse all of July. I wondered if I was just imagining it, but I mentioned my observation to my friend and he identified the culprit: the Tour de France. He claims that every July the bike riding gets appreciably ruder because area cyclists, inundated with coverage of bike racing, can’t help but to imagine themselves as pros in the peloton, and these delusions of grandeur translate to much worse behavior on local roads and trails. Could this possibly —Wants Answer Now, Not be true? Affronting Bicycling Efforts Dear WANNABE: This is an interesting theory, and there are elements of it that sound plausible. Within the niche sport of road cycling, few events garner as much mainstream coverage as Le Tour. Faced with few exemplars of proper cycling behavior in other contexts, amateur riders might seek to emulate the bike racing heroes they see each day undertaking profound feats of athleticism. But whereas the athleticism doesn’t translate, what might is the underlying mentality of racing and the profound desire to “win the time trial” to work or become King of the Mountain by cresting some minor roller in north Arlington marginally faster than usual. Deeply enthralled, the attempts at mimicry become akin to a sickness. They have developed maillot jaundice. But there’s much to be skeptical about as well. When someone in a Chevy tailgates you on the Beltway, is that behavior chalked up to Dale Jr.’s performance at the Daytona 500? Additionally, GP questions the power that watching something has to directly influencing behavior. Mad Men had a niche and fervent audience but that didn’t translate into any more office day drinking. Immersion and fandom don’t necessarily mean the inability to disambiguate what you see from how you act. The explanation could be much more obvious. Within a set of bicyclists, some will act poorly. July is one of the more popular months for bicycling, and since the overall number of cyclists is larger, the overall number of jerks is too. It’s not the popularity of a bike race that’s causing the uptick in bad actors—it’s the popularity of bicycling overall (which, admittedly, might be impacted by the popularity of the bike race). But at best, it’s an indirect connection, and while your friend’s idea is pithy and shouldn’t be dismissed outright, it’s likely much more nuanced than a —GP peloton of poseurs. Gear Prudence is Brian McEntee, who tweets @sharrowsDC. Got a question about bicycling? Email gearprudence@washcp.com.
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Please contact Rural Dog Rescue www.ruraldogrescue.com to complete an application or visit Cush at the adoption event this Saturday from 12 - 3 at Howl To The Chief 733 8th Street SE DC.
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washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 11
Club
DreaD
The feuds, money, and violence behind D.C.’s most notorious megaclub
By Will Sommer 12 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
Michael Kurlancheek crouched between two cars, blood running down his face, and waited for his moment. He was hoping his pursuers—bouncers from Ibiza, the District’s hottest megaclub—wouldn’t find him. They had already caught him once after he tried to escape their custody, a move that earned him a “stomping,” according to a police report. Kurlancheek had managed to escape during that beating, but club security was still after him. Earlier that night, Nov. 23, 2008, Kurlancheek had just been one of hundreds of patrons enjoying Ibiza. The NoMa club had only been open for a year, but it was already drawing top-tier celebrities and DJs. Kurlancheek’s night soured when he lost his friends. While he was looking for them, Kurlancheek felt club security grab him. Some security guards started punching him, while others dragged him to the club’s “detox” room. Kurlancheek was trapped. He even had Ibiza’s equivalent of a cellmate—a 20year-old guy, too scared of being caught underage in a club to call the police. Kurlancheek declined to comment because of a settlement with Ibiza, but a police report lays out his plan: When a bouncer
opened the door, Kurlancheek bolted—only to find himself in a headlock. Cue the stomping. Outside the club, Kurlancheek burst from his hiding spot and flagged down a passing car, trying to get as far from Ibiza as he could. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with facial contusions and a sprained ankle. Kurlancheek’s escape didn’t persuade Ibiza security to stop trapping people in the detox room, even for a night. Later that same evening, Ibiza reveler Carlos Raba’s girlfriend told him a man had groped her. When Raba complained to club security, one guard put him in a chokehold, while another punched him in the head. Bouncers dumped Raba in the detox room. An Ibiza manager refused to call 911. By the time police eventually sprung Raba, he’d suffered orbital and nasal fractures. As bizarre as it sounds, the night could have been worse for them both. Unlike other Ibiza patrons trapped in the detox room, they didn’t have to pay the club to get out.
When would-be nightlife mogul Jon Han first dreamed up Ibiza, he wasn’t thinking of the beatdowns its bouncers would deliver, or that he’d eventually be threatened at gunpoint over his share. In 2001, Han was just another pleasureseeking tourist in Ibiza, Spain, one of the most prominent stops on the drug-andsun-soaked electronic music circuit. “I didn’t want to come back,” Han says, “So I said, ‘You know what? I’m taking Ibiza to D.C.’” By 2005, Han was the co-owner of a struggling Annandale, Va. banquet hall that catered to the area’s Korean community. Han faced unpaid rent, uncertain future business, and an overbearing landlord who had nicknamed Han the Korean term for a dog’s vagina. Who wouldn’t prefer Ibiza to that? To attract (and pay for) the kind of star electronic music performers who normally congregate in Goa or Las Vegas, Han needed a club that could fit both thousands of people and a light and sound setup that would keep them satisfied. Then, the District only had two megaclubs, Fur and Love, both run by nightlife mogul Marc Barnes. Han wanted to unseat Barnes, and he announced
his outsized ambitions with the club’s legal name: Superclub Ibiza. Finding that the city’s downtown was already saturated with clubs, Han and Samantha Lee, his partner in the banquet hall and now the nightclub, settled on 1222 First St. NE. The location in the District’s then-desolate NoMa neighborhood north of Union Station put Han less than a block away from Fur. Han and Lee needed millions of dollars to build the kind of club that could compete with Barnes’ operations. That forced Han to assemble what eventually became a cast of more than a dozen investors, an unusually fractured ownership structure that would haunt Ibiza for the duration of its run. To manage the club, Han brought in investors Eric Clay, the son of troubled former Washington football team player Ozzie Clay; Adam Needham, a flooring contractor; and Allah Tung, whom Han had met at another club. Then Han met Aldo Truong—a young George Mason University grad who would be his business partner and eventually his most inveterate opponent. One night at downtown’s Eyebar, Han spied an elderly couple and a young man who looked to be their son. That unlikely trio could only be
PhotograPhS By DarroW montgomery washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 13
at a nightclub, Han figured, if they were planning to invest in one. Han followed them outside Eyebar to see the young man mooning over Han’s vehicle, an Acura sportscar that could cost as much as $90,000. “You want me to teach you how to own that?” Han said. Truong joined up, and the club’s group of five owner-operators was complete. Over eight years, Ibiza would make enough money to buy Han’s car dozens of times over—if not always legally, according to some involved in the club. Ibiza would become perhaps the District’s most prominent megaclub, attracting thousands of people each weekend and earning millions. Along the way, Ibiza’s patrons and staff left behind head wounds, more than 30 lawsuits, and at least one collapsed lung. At the same time, the superclub’s personnel earned a bizarre reputation for trapping customers inside the club. “It pretty much ruined my life,” Needham says. July 6, 2007. Celebrity performer D.J. AM—the kind of mega-artist who would usually play the other Ibiza—spun tracks while Ibiza’s first customers sipped from an ice luge. Outside, the sizable red carpet crowd snaked around itself four times. “I’ve been to the real Ibiza in Spain, and this is just like it!” declared Kim Kardashian, the celebrity “hostess” for opening night. It might not have been Spain, but between its sunken dance floor, the second-floor mezzanine, and its rooftop bar, the Washington Post declared Ibiza “one of the most impressive club spaces in the city.” The New York Times wondered whether the new megaclub had made Fur and Love obsolete. All that buzz came at a cost, and while Ibiza’s patrons danced on opening night, business was already souring in the club’s backrooms. Ibiza was more than $1.5 million in debt due to construction overruns, according to Han. The check for D.J. AM’s opening night performance, along with tens of thousands of dollars in checks written to the club’s vendors, would bounce. “It was mismanaged from the get-go,” Needham says. The club’s money problems only got worse. Two months after opening, Ibiza stopped hiring police security on slow weekends in a bid to save money. Han started asking his family and friends for loans at exorbitant interest rates to cover the bounced checks, then just to buy liquor for the weekend. It only took a few months for Han and his investors to begin turning on each other, even as the club remained popular. Han claims his partners would start a Friday or Saturday night by complaining that they didn’t have any cash. At the bleary end of the night, though, Han says he would reach into their pockets to find thousands in pilfered money. Han’s relationships with his investors became so bad that he began to suspect the investors of shorting the club on a returned or-
“I’ve been to the real Ibiza in Spain, and this is just like it!” declared Kim Kardashian on the club’s opening night. der of toilets. (Tung and Clay didn’t respond to requests for comment for this story). While Han forced his fellow owner-operators to turn out their pockets, most of the club’s investors had decided that the problem was Han himself. After a night of heavy business, Han would leave Ibiza in the early morning with a security escort and a duffel bag stuffed with the night’s returns. Han claims he took the money home for his wife to count while he slept, but his investors suspected the money was being siphoned off. According to other investors, Han hired an armed detail for his “personal security.” “That’s just crazy the way he was running it,” Truong says. Jon Han stormed out of Ibiza one day in November 2007, taking with him $8,000 in petty cash and two pieces of sound and lighting equipment, worth a combined total of $50,000. He knew the court hearing would not go his way. A week before, Ibiza’s four other operators and most of its investors sued Han and Lee in a bid to kick Han out of Ibiza’s management. Their lawsuit blamed Han for punching holes in the club’s walls, trashing equipment, bouncing checks, and forging Truong’s
14 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
signature. The day after Han took the equipment, a judge granted the disgruntled investors a restraining order that removed Han from the leadership and forced him to hand over the club’s financial records. “We knew money was missing because he was hiding records from us,” Truong says. The judge’s order marked the start of what became Han’s years-long war of attrition to retake his dream club. There would be lawsuits, guns, and a bogus attempt to backdate the club’s lease to give Han control of the land, a scheme that not even his lawyer could pretend to believe. But first, Han would take whatever he could get his hands on. Han says he took the equipment and cash to pay back one of the club’s vendors. But for Truong, taking the equipment was sabotage—and a clear violation of the court order that forbid Han from interfering with Ibiza. “If he wasn’t going to be in management, he didn’t want the club to survive,” Truong says. Han eventually returned the equipment, but he wasn’t done. A liquor board inspector complained to the remaining operators that Han was blowing up his phone with attempts to get Ibiza shut down for violations. Around the same time, Han told the investors that the mezzanine he’d helped construct
was at risk of collapsing. In exchange for a $1 million payoff, Han told them, he’d drop his legal fight and stop raising concerns about the construction. In truth, according to Han, the mezzanine was fine. “I wanted to mess with them and shut them down,” Han says. The judge appointed Clay as Ibiza’s new managing partner, while Tung, Needham, and Truong continued as managers in charge of different parts of the club’s operation. According to Needham, though, Han’s departure didn’t result in a new style of fiscal management at the club. “[Clay] used to just abuse our checkbook,” Needham says. “He would write checks just for everything.” Han, meanwhile, was failing spectacularly at an attempt to operate two Ibiza sister clubs in Baltimore. A splashy debut in 2008 prompted the Baltimore Sun to ask whether Han was the city’s “ace of clubs.” Then-Sun nightlife reporter Sam Sessa warned Han that his upscale clubs would flop in Baltimore’s more casual scene. Han responded that Sessa’s concerns didn’t make any sense. This was the man who founded Ibiza, after all. “‘That makes me special,’” Sessa recalls Han saying. Han’s foray into Baltimore was even more disastrous than his business in the District: Within months, both Baltimore clubs closed. One nightlife wag picking over the remains compared Han’s failed multimillion-dollar clubs to the Titanic; another likened him to the huckster who sells Springfield a monorail on The Simpsons. Back in the District, Han’s one-time partners were learning just how deep in debt he had left them. By December 2007, Ibiza owed almost $1 million to a slate of increasingly irate lenders and vendors, a list that ranged from Crate & Barrel and Ikea to DJ A.M. and celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson. “It was just too hard to overcome,” Truong says. “I’m actually surprised it lasted as long as it did.” A customer waiting to get into Ibiza when it was the District’s hottest megaclub wouldn’t have known how perilously close to collapse the club regularly came. Han designed Ibiza for Club Glow, a popular weekly electronic dance party. But Ibiza lost Glow and with it, its most reliable event. Truong blames Han for squandering the club’s relationship with the promoters; Han says his fellow investors thought black customers who preferred hip-hop clubs would spend more money. After losing Glow, Clay and the other members focused the club on radio events for hiphop and rap stations. Han’s dream of making Ibiza a stop on the global electronic dance music circuit was over. “We had to do what we had to do to make ends meet,” Truong says. Despite the genre change, the line to get into the club—and the pre-gaming revelers
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annoying the club’s handful of neighbors— stayed diverse. “We didn’t just hit one demographic of customers,” Truong says. Complex put it less optimistically in a story that ranked Ibiza as one of the District’s “douchiest” clubs. Ibiza was a place for “equal opportunity douchery,” a club that “douches of various creeds and colors will love.” The newly hip-hop-centric club was a hit with Nu’ the Mayor, a D.C. area rapper and friend of Clay’s who says the club made him feel like Jay-Z every Friday. Ibiza’s rising profile moved Nu’ to take a cue from rapper Rick Ross, who once rap-boasted that he knows former Panamanian strongman “Pablo Noriega/the real Noriega.” “I know Eric Clay/the real Eric Clay/Ibiza every Friday,” rapped Nu’. After paying a cover charge that could go as high as $60 (or $100 for underage revelers, according to a police report), Ibiza customers entered the club’s cavernous main room, “Space.” They could take LED-lit stairs to the mezzanine or find bathrooms decorated with continuously running waterfalls (as it turned out, a novelty too expensive to last). At one point, Ibiza featured a bedroomthemed lounge, where couches were replaced with beds. But don’t get any ideas. “I don’t think nothing ever went down,” Nu’ says. Han lost control of the club in November 2007, but financial troubles continued to plague the club. To stanch the flow of money every weekend, Needham says that bartenders were trained to “marry” empty bottles of high-priced brands with full bottles of rail liquor, then sell the expensive bottle (now filled with cut-rate booze) to customers who wanted Ibiza’s pricey bottle service. The astronomical mark-ups on bottles at nightclubs would mean the refilled, fraudulent bottles brought high profit margins—an $8 bottle of rail vodka, for example, could be transformed into a $275 bottle of Grey Goose with the customers none the wiser. “It got so ridiculous that the barbacks didn’t know any better,” Needham says. “They just thought it was regular business.” Truong denies knowing about the liquor scheme. If it did occur at Ibiza, he says, it’s on Needham, the club’s bar manager. There’s one thing everyone involved in Ibiza’s management agrees on: In a single successful night, the club could bring in enormous amounts of money. With tables going for between $1,500 and $3,000 on big nights and roughly 2,000 people each paying at minimum $20—and in some cases, as much as $100 to skip the line—Ibiza could easily bring in nearly $100,000 in a single night, not counting alcohol sales. But, for some reason, Ibiza still didn’t make enough money to pay its investors. Needham blames the club’s money woes on leading investors, including himself. After Han’s ouster, Needham says, he and his partners stole tens of thousands of dollars from the club after each major event. In an affidavit, Needham detailed how he would go out to dinners before a big night with Tung
If the club made $200,000 on a big night, Needham estimates, managers would lift $70,000 of it. and Truong to decide how best to steal money from the club. If the club made $200,000 on a big night, Needham estimates, managers would lift $70,000 of it. “A lot of it was just being stolen every which way,” Needham says. On a big night—with a famous artist like rapper Waka Flocka Flame in the house— the top investors aimed to score a combined $30,000 skimmed off the top. (By this point, Clay had been pushed to the side in the club’s management, according to Needham.) The most tempting money came in the form of untraceable cash cover charges. Even on a quieter Friday, 700 people could be expected to pay between $20 and $40 for a cover— translating to as much as $28,000 that was hard for both the other investors and the District’s Office of Tax and Revenue to spot. In another scheme, Needham and Han say the other operating investors would sell tables for thousands of dollars each, then close them on the club’s system and pocket the money personally. Ibiza investor Steve Han, Jon Han’s nephew, remembers the four leading investors bragging to him that Shaquille O’Neal was coming to the club and would likely spend as much as $100,000. By the end of the night, though, Han couldn’t find any evidence of
16 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
that windfall in the night’s receipts, leading him to believe that the investors had each pocketed the money themselves. Truong denies any knowledge of illegal club management practices. Ibiza’s management already had enough trouble with the District’s government, which received more complaints about noise and violence at Ibiza as NoMa slowly became more residential. By 2012, the Metropolitan Police Department had started bracing for an early morning rush of 1,400 partygoers around NoMa when Ibiza and other nearby clubs finally closed for the night. “They tried to keep the noise down as best they could,” says Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tony Goodman. “But people did not show up to Ibiza sober.” The extra police attention didn’t stop the bouncers, according to Needham—drugs abounded in the club. When staffers confiscated customers’ drugs, he says they wouldn’t report the contraband to police. Instead, staff would pocket the drugs themselves. Needham says he bought drugs at the club from other employees. Ibiza staffers, though, had even an even more unorthodox way of making money. Michael Kurlancheek and Carlos Raba
were both taken to Ibiza’s detox room, a place that was theoretically for drinking water and calling for rides home. Truong says the detox room—officially, the “Customer Care Room”—was created to control drunk or rowdy patrons. But even that benign description doesn’t make sense to Fred Del Marva, a nightlife security consultant who was identified as an expert witness in Kurlancheek’s lawsuit before it was settled. “I had never heard anything like that in my life,” Del Marva tells City Paper. “It was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard.” According to Del Marva, a nightclub dealing with a drunk customer should try to get them a cab or call the police. One thing they definitely shouldn’t do? Charge patrons money to get out. When Han still ran Ibiza, he says he refused when the four other owner-operators proposed instituting a $250 “processing fee” to get out of the detox room. Needham says Tung controlled the detox room. “He would basically shake people down in there,” Needham says. Three months before Kurlancheek and Raba were introduced to Ibiza’s detox room, Ibiza bouncers caught an underage girl drinking Champagne in the club. They tossed her in the detox room and told her to pay $400 if she didn’t want them to call the police. The girl managed to collect $370 from her friends—not what the bouncers asked for, but enough to get her out. Ibiza’s customers created enough trouble without employees’ help. A knife fight between two men and a group of about 20 other club-goers left one member of the duo with a collapsed lung. In one memorable incident, an underage patron with black Xs still markered on his hands jumped the bar, grabbed a bottle, and insisted he was an undercover FBI agent when security caught up with him. Records show that bottleservice champagne and a fire extinguisher were both employed in Ibiza brawls. But if Ibiza’s customers were inventive in their troublemaking, the club’s security seemed just as ready to match wits when it came to their counter-measures. In a September 2008 incident that borders on the torturous, one Ibiza bouncer caught a man smoking in the club and responded by putting the customer in a headlock and extinguishing the cigarette on his arm, according to a police report. As the smoker was kicked to the curb, he realized that his 16-year-old brother had just managed to sneak into the club. The bouncers had the same realization, much to both brothers’ chagrin. They tossed the younger brother into a back room, turned off the lights, and started beating him while the older brother begged bouncers to let his sibling go. “How much is your brother worth to you?” said one. The answer they were looking for, it turned out, was $400. After the Kurlancheek and Raba night, MPD Chief Cathy Lanier shut down Ibiza for four days. Following an Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration investigation, Clay fired around ten security employ-
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ees and took security responsibilities away from Tung. “I consider it the most egregious breakdown of responsibilities of a license holder that I’ve ever seen,” ABC Board Chairman Charles Brodsky said. Two years later, Brodsky would compliment Ibiza’s operators for turning around their “trainwreck” of an operation. Still, there’s evidence that Ibiza staff continued to hold customers against their will. In a pending lawsuit, six friends who went to the club in December 2009 accuse Ibiza staff of holding them in a back room until one of them could visit enough ATMs— with an escort from Ibiza bouncers, naturally—to come up with $400. In October 2010, Jerome Messam, a Howard University student and freelance videographer, filmed Ibiza staff brawling with customers. The catch earned him an involuntary trip to a club bathroom, where security threw him headfirst into a wall and deleted the footage on his camera. Messam, who came away with an eye gash, won a $175,000 decision against the club, which is still fighting the judgment. In 2011, Jon Han was back on top. After spending more hours over the past four years in courtrooms than on the dance floor, the aspiring nightlife mogul won a trial victory that preserved his stake in Ibiza. His dream of running the District’s hottest megaclub had been delayed, it seemed, but not forever. Even the warning shots that he says were fired at him one night by an unknown assailant as he left Ibiza couldn’t scare him off. Then, Han says, he came face to face with a handgun. Walking out of his Alexandria apartment building one May evening, Han heard someone call his name. He turned to see a weapon pointed at him. “Hey, let’s take a walk,” the man with the gun said, Han recalls. The gunman gestured Han into his own car. Then, other men Han had never met before flashed their lights at them from another car and walked over. In Han’s telling, they gave him a choice: drop his ongoing lawsuit against his Ibiza co-founders, or another man with a gun would be back. This time, he’d pull the trigger. “The message was very clear,” Han says, “‘Walk away from the Ibiza case and we’ll let you live.” After Han’s encounter with the gunman, David Lee, whose wife had invested in the club, had his own run-in with hired muscle. According to an affidavit from Lee, he was approached by investor Anthony Vuong as he took a smoke break on the club’s roof. In Lee’s version of the story, Vuong, Truong’s father, said he had sent 10 men from New York to threaten Han. “He pee in his pants,” Vuong said, according to Lee. “You don’t want that to happen to you or your family, right?” In an email, Truong denies the conversation on his father’s behalf.
One Ibiza bouncer caught a man smoking in the club and responded by extinguishing the cigarette on his arm, according to a police report. “Jon and David are in the mood of making up stories that you would likely see in a movie,” Truong writes. The fight to control Ibiza took yet another twist before Han won at trial. In 2008, Han convinced many of investors who sued him the year before with Needham, Tung, Clay, and Truong to switch and side with him. It wasn’t hard to win the investors over—according to Han, the investors still hadn’t made a penny from their investments. By 2012, Needham had defected from Clay, Tung, and Truong over the club’s money woes, spilling details to angry investors about the operators’ alleged theft. In 2013, six years after the club opened in debt, Ibiza was still besieged by angry lenders who had made loans to Ibiza when Han ran the club. In May, one investor who lent the club $48,000 won a $528,348.94 judgement in Fairfax County against the club, based on a whopping 48 percent annual interest rate to which Han had agreed. Ibiza filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy two months later. The club’s debts ran to $1.7 million, including $40,000 in unpaid taxes. “That was when we said enough is enough,” Truong says.
18 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
Potential buyers headed to Ibiza this week to inspect the club’s remains, now up for auction. They saw bottle service ice buckets, what’s left of the club’s vaunted sound and light system, and, inexplicably but perhaps fittingly, a straitjacket. Also left behind, but presumably not for sale: stacks of seized IDs and abandoned handbags, plus a pair of used condoms. A spreadsheet in the abandoned back office lists who was ready, in October 2014, to drop as much as $3,600 on table service. This party has been over for a while. What’s left of Superclub Ibiza has to be out by the end of the month. Ibiza staggered through Chapter 11 protection for two years, theoretically shielded from its creditors. But the club’s history— and a propensity for the outrageous that angered both regulators and police—caught up with it. Since Ibiza filed for bankruptcy, the area immediately around the club saw one murder, six assaults with a deadly weapon, and 15 robberies. In one night, four people were shot after Ibiza let out. Making matters worse, Ibiza finally lost a long-running feud with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs over whether it needed a public hall license to operate.
On Oct. 18, 2014, MPD officers responded to a noise complaint at an Ibiza concert by rapper Future. Marijuana smoke was so thick over the crowd, according to an ABRA report, that the agency’s investigator reported feeling dizzy. Asked about the smoke, according to the report, Truong blamed it on the fog machine and complained that he couldn’t stop customers from smuggling marijuana in their “butts.” Five months later, last March, Ibiza’s trustee used the report as evidence that Ibiza should be put into permanent bankruptcy. In May of this year, the ABC Board took away Ibiza’s last significant asset by revoking its liquor license. The District’s nightlife scene doesn’t have much room anymore for megaclubs, according to promoter Mitch Mathis. With the exception of Echostage, founded by Club Glow organizers, District clubgoers have moved away from megaclubs: Nightlife habitués now want daytime parties and smaller—and more exclusive—lounges. “It’s more things to do, but it’s not that big, exciting thing anymore,” Mathis says. NoMa has changed, too. While the onceempty neighborhood offered relative freedom for the club’s rowdy patrons and management, people who pay for luxury condos and access to the nearby Harris Teeter aren’t as willing to wake up to news of another early morning Ibiza shooting. “It was a moment in time,” Nu’ the Mayor says. Now there’s nothing left of Ibiza but a handful of lawsuits still making their way through the courts. At a July status conference on one lawsuit amongst the investors, attorney Robert N. Levin, who represents some Ibiza investors, effectively admitted to the judge that there’s no point in still fighting over the club. “Ibiza is gone as an entity,” Levin said. “It hasn’t been finally shot.” Han isn’t done, though. After Truong announced to the club’s investors this May that the club would be closing for good, Han fired back. “Hell no, you stole my money from me,” Han wrote in an email to Truong. “See you in court.” Truong considers Ibiza an expensive business education, although he concedes that Han seems set on seeing the legal cases through to the end—if either side can still afford the lawyers at this point. As of this writing, Ibiza has inspired more than 30 lawsuits, with a new lawsuit about a stabbing at the club filed this month. “To me, it’s a zombie lawsuit,” Truong says. Ibiza leaves behind some good times, some bloody faces, and a lot of people who wish they had never gotten involved. Investor Steve Han’s girlfriend dumped him over Ibiza, but not before telling him that he had wasted his life on the club. “My whole life just became ruined and now I’m working front desk at a hotel,” Han CP says.
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YOUNG & HUNGRY
Can’t Touch This
What it’s like dining out with extreme allergies and dietary restrictions “Just so you know, I have an allergy to milk,” Sandra Beasley tells the Thip Khao server when she arrives to take our order. “OK.” “I have an allergy to chicken egg,” Beasley adds. “Chicken egg,” the server recites back. “Beef, shrimp…” At this point the smiley young woman taking our order realizes this is no ordinary list and pulls out a little notepad to write everything down. She re-recites the ingredients. “That’s it?” she asks. “Cucumber and mango,” Beasley says. Beasley, a 35-year-old author and poet, has already scoped out the menu online in advance, as she always does. (Thip Khao was her suggestion for our dinner.) She sees it as a good sign that the Columbia Heights Laotian restaurant makes a point to say “vegetarian” means no fish sauce or shrimp paste. It signifies someone is paying attention to the ingredients. But this is just the starting point. Beasley will need to ask the kitchen some questions before she can decide what to order: What makes the pork “sour pork”? Does the coconut curry use shrimp paste? Can it be made without shrimp paste? Are those egg noodles or rice noodles? Is the catfish fried in an egg batter? Beasley thanks the server, who heads back to the kitchen to check on some answers. Although she didn’t mention it, many of her allergies are potentially fatal— something she’s written about in her memoir Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl. Even a slight exposure to dairy could result in swollen eyelids and lips, shortness of breath, itchy throat, and vomiting. At Italian restaurants, she might ask her dining companions to skip the Parmesan cheese sprinkled on their dish tableside. “When you have that much free-floating cheese to your immediate right and left, it creates a scenario that is unnecessarily stressful. Literally if any of that lands on my plate, we have to start over,” she explains. Beasley carries an EpiPen, Benadryl, and an inhaler with her at all times. While her allergies are extreme, Beasley is part of a growing group of people who dine out in spite of dietary restrictions. Allergies in general are on the rise: The number of children with them increased 50 percent between 1997 and 2011, according to a 2013 study from the Centers for Dis-
selves. Restaurants, for their part, are doing far more to accommodate them. “Maybe 20 years ago it was a much stricter, rigid system in which the chef is always right,” says chef Haidar Karoum of Proof, Estadio, and Doi Moi. That’s less so the case today. He says he’s personally become more accommodating as he’s gotten older. “When you’re young, you have this thing in your head that there’s a certain integrity to a dish and you can’t change this… As you mature, you start to realize that you’re a cook, and I’m here to feed people. If somebody came to my house and had dinner and asked for something, I would certainly do anything.” Estadio and Doi Moi now offer special vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free menus. For people with severe allergies, their restrictions are not only printed on a ticket but also brought directly to the attention of chef, who will then evaluate every possible contamination point. The kitchen will then use all new utensils, cutting boards, and saucepans to prepare the food. When reasonable, Karoum will make a dish that’s not on the menu to accommodate restrictions. Some people with extreme allergies will hand their server a card—sometimes with their photo on it—that lists ingredients that will make them ill or could kill them. These days, Karoum says he gets a card like this at least once a week. Beasley doesn’t use such a card unless she’s traveling abroad, in which case she’ll have it translated into the native language. “For me personally, I’ve had a better experience where you’re working with the kitchen,” she says. The cards are a “borderline aggressive gesture, which some people will welcome and some people will not.” Elizabeth Parker, manager at Crane & Turtle, recalls one woman who gave her a card with a long list of deadly allergies at a previous job at Kapnos. “It’s scary,” she admits. “It’s a lot of pressure on the kitchen. It’s a lot of pressure on everyone to make sure nothing goes wrong.” Crane & Turtle asks diners about allergies three times: when the reservation is made, when the reservation is confirmed, and when the diner sits down at the table. Parker says sometimes people don’t volunteer the information without being asked directly.
Sandra Beasley can’t eat dairy, beef, shrimp, mango, cucumbers, and much more.
Darrow Montgomery
By Jessica Sidman
ease Control and Prevention. Plus, people are now more comfortable bringing their dietary restrictions to the attention of the restaurant rather than silently navigating the menus them-
washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 21
DCFEED(cont.) It’s a relatively new phenomenon that servers automatically even ask about allergies. Parker says it wasn’t until she began working at Cleveland Park’s Ripple in 2011 that it became a habit for her. “Knowing that it wasn’t a nuisance for that kitchen for me to come tell them about allergies, that they didn’t always roll their eyes at me, that they wanted to hear about it… that’s when I started always asking people about allergies.” Now, she says, that’s the norm at many restaurants. Within the past month or so, Crane & Turtle has gone a step beyond with seven specialty menus printed out each day for various restrictions: gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, no pork, no shellfish, no dairy. If someone can’t eat shellfish or dairy, for example, sometimes Parker will print out a special menu just for them with enough advance notice. “It reduces a lot of the margin for error for everybody,” she says. The menus have become particularly important to Parker because she recently developed her own seafood allergy, which she discovered after a seafood platter sent her to the hospital a couple months ago. Now, she’s “coming out” to restaurant industry friends. Their responses? “It’s been somewhere on the range of death in the family to terminal disease or just pointing and laughing,” Parker says. She also finds herself apologizing profusely to servers when she mentions her allergy. “I definitely have the allergy shame, I won’t lie.” Cate Elmore, a pastry cook for America Eats Tavern, has likewise been on both sides of the equation. She was diagnosed with allergies to wheat, corn, barley, rye, peanuts, and melons less than a year ago. She had previously been feeling crummy and making excuses for it until a birthday dinner at The Inn at Little Washington. The meal began with popcorn with truffle shavings, and by the fourth course, Elmore was so sick she had to stop eating. Now that Elmore has cut her allergens out of her diet, her reactions have intensified. If she’s working with flour in the kitchen, she has to wear sleeves and gloves to avoid hives and a mask to prevent an asthma attack. She relies on her colleagues to taste test her cooking. While Elmore used to find diners like herself a pain to deal with, she’s become much more understanding. And as a diner, she’s been pleasantly surprised to find how accommodating restaurant staff are. Kimberly Galeone, a bookkeeper for Sligo Cafe in Silver Spring and other small businesses, says the gluten-free movement in particular has made restaurants more aware of special diets. As a vegan with bovine dairy, soy, and gluten allergies, Galeone says about a quarter of the time she eats out, the kitchen will go out of its way for her. Half the time, the staff wants to help but isn’t sure what to do, and the remaining quarter of the time, she gets a negative response like an eye roll or annoyed look. Sometimes, the response is somewhat hostile: For New Year’s Eve, Galeone says she and her husband made reservations for a $70 tasting menu at one local restaurant, which she didn’t want to name. She called two weeks in advance to make sure the restaurant could accommodate her. “For my appetizer, I got a salad with cold beets. And for my dinner, I got a salad with warm beets,” Galeone says. She claims the meal took more than an hour to arrive. “The owner actually came over and said, ‘If your wife wasn’t so difficult to feed, we would have had better service.’” There’s certainly a camp that asks why someone with extreme dietary restrictions would even bother to dine out. Aside from any potential strain on the restaurant, diners could be risking their lives. To that, Beasley has a straight-forward answer: “I am probably there primarily because I am celebrating something with a 22 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
loved one, and I am not out to make your life hard. I am out to honor this larger purpose, and I just want to work with you to have something safe.” At Thip Khao, just being safe means a lot to consider. Beasley is not allergic to pork, but she’s wary that pig’s ear could be brushed with egg or breaded. Similarly, she won’t order pork sausage because the casing is a wild card. Anything with tofu is out of the question because she’s also allergic to soy. Then there are foods that Beasley isn’t 100 percent sure she can eat, like quail or papaya. If she’s going to try a new food, she’ll sample it at home first to see how she reacts. Often, she has to
use a shaker, so I always have to weigh the risk and whether what I want to try is worth the risk.” Beasley and I ultimately order red coconut curry with chicken, salmon head soup, and crispy rice salad with sour pork to share. When the rice salad arrives, Beasley examines it closely for any colors or textures that she might be unsure of. “If there’s a nut in it, I always want to look to make sure it’s recognizably the nut that I thought it was.” She’s allergic to cashews, macadamias, and pistachios, but not peanuts. Later the curry arrives with a white cream on top. Beasley asks the server what it is. “Coconut.” At this point, Beasley
“I guess in a way I will always think of it somewhat as a joyful luxury experience because it represents a small victory,” Beasley says of dining out.
must make a mental calculation. She’s already made it clear that she has a severe dairy allergy, and canned cream of coconut can sometimes contain dairy. At the same time, we’re both drinking out of whole coconuts, so she knows the kitchen uses fresh ingredients. “My instinct is to trust,” she says. With each dish, Beasley will take one bite then sip her drink or wait for a few minutes before moving on to the next thing. Eating out can be stressful to a certain degree, but “it’s just the reality of how I live. I’ve never known anything different,” she says. “I guess in a way I will always think of it somewhat as a joyful luxury experience because it represents a small victory.” And just because she can’t eat more than half of the menu doesn’t mean she’s not an adventurous eater. “Am I going to really gross you out if I eat this eyeball?” Beasley asks as she spoons through the salmon head soup and slurps up the odd bit. “How is it?” I ask. “Good. You have this really tasty goo, but the very center is as if the eyeball had an eyeball bone in it. The center is hard,” CP she says. “You can’t eat that part.”
try something a few times to know if she’s truly allergic. People with food allergies might not always get sick the first couple of times they try something. Depending on the place, even ordering a cocktail can be a risk for Beasley. Just because a restaurant is allergy-aware in the kitchen, doesn’t mean it is at the bar. If Beasley were at a restaurant that served martinis with blue cheese-stuffed olives, even a trace contamination could make her ill. “Someone knows not to reuse a spoon, but people don’t know not to re-
Eatery tips? Food pursuits? Send suggestions to jsidman@washingtoncitypaper.com.
DCFEED
what we ate last week: Wide rice noodles with fermented bean sauce, $10, Kaho Poon at Union Market. Satisfaction level: 4 out of 5 what we’ll eat next week:
Mama’s green chili chicken tacos with avocado and queso fresco, $5, Pepita. Excitement level: 4 out of 5
Grazer
Smoke SignalS
Chef Nick Stefanelli loves a good cigar, so at his new upscale Italian restaurant, Masseria, smoking will be on par with the eating and drinking. “For me, it’s just another piece of gastronomy, a really nice cigar after a beautiful meal,” he says. “You have tobaccos that are aged for years and years. There’s really a true art form to it.” Looking for other bars and restaurants with cigar menus as serious as their food and drink menus? Here are some of the city’s top places to light up—or if you can’t stand the smoke, to avoid altogether. —Jessica Sidman
Masseria
1340 4th St. NE The Union Market-area restaurant will offer a rotation of about 10 cigars, which can be enjoyed on the California-esque patio lounge with fire pits and sofas. W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist is curating the menu, which will include some limited releases and other special offerings as well as cigars for beginners.
2007 18th St. NW Jack Rose has more than 2,000 whiskies to pair with a smoke on its rooftop bar. W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist provides nearly a dozen cigars, which are categorized simply by mild, medium, and full-bodied.
5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW One of the top cigar bars in the city—from the same people behind W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist— opened in 2013. Guests can
Are you gonnA eAt that? The Dish: Worm salt Where to Get It: El Camino; 108 Rhode Island Ave. NW; (202) 847-0419; elcaminodc.com Price: $2 with any mezcal What It Is: The worm salt—also known as sal de gusano—is served here with orange
choose from more than 150 cigars paired with cocktails, wine, spirits, and small plates from Bryan Voltaggio’s Range next door.
slices as a traditional Oaxacan accompaniment to mezcal. You dip the orange slices in the salt, take a sip of mezcal, then take a bite of salty orange slice. Beverage Director Paul Challan, who was born in Mexico, uses the Gran Mitla brand of worm salts, one of just a few available in the U.S. For the concoction, agave worms (technically a caterpillar called aegiale hesperiaris) are toasted and ground, then blended with sea salt and costeño chiles, a mild dried pepper that adds more depth than heat. What It Tastes Like: I’d love to report that this doesn’t taste half as bad as it sounds, but that’s not quite the case. The saltiness level is turned up to 11, perhaps thanks to Gran Mitla’s choice of using sea salt, and the worms add an overwhelming smokiness that intensify rather than balance the smokiness of the
What: Kazbegi Sunrise with chacha, Perun pear brandy, St. Germain, peach puree, lemon, and a Pirosmani wine float Where: Compass Rose, 1346 T St. NW
Shelly’s Back Room
What You Should Be Drinking Forget tchotchkes—the best souvenir from a trip around the world is inspiration. That’s what the Compass Rose team brought home with them from a June trip to Georgia (the country, not the Peach State). Beverage Director Janelle Whisenant was particularly moved by a visit to a small town in the Caucasus mountains because of the view of Mt. Kazbek. The area is officially called Stepantsminda today, though most still refer to it by its original name, Kazbegi, now the namesake of one of her cocktails. “The drink is pretty much an ode to Georgia,” Whisenant explains. That’s why it contains the country’s chief spirit, chacha, a grape-based pomace brandy that sips like grappa. She combines it with a Serbian pear brandy for a kick, St. Germaine liqueur for sweetness, housemade peach puree, lemon, and a float of Georgian Pirosmani red wine. It looks similar to a Tequila Sunrise—another source of inspiration.
Price: $12
Quill
Civil Cigar Lounge
The best cocktail you’re not ordering
There’s also a retail area and 125 humidified cigar lockers for lease.
1331 F St. NW The dim-lit, leather-chaired downtown bar underwent a $700,000 renovation and expansion in 2010. But the old-school spot still has one of the most extensive inventories of cigars in the city plus 200 humidors for rent. The smokes are matched by an extensive bourbon and Scotch list plus an American food menu with burgers and chicken tenders.
Jack Rose Dining Saloon
Underserved
1200 16th St. NW The upscale bar and lounge at the Jefferson hotel offers cigars and cognac on its 25-seat outdoor terrace. The brands rotate based on demand from customers and requests from cigar-savvy bartenders. At any given time, there are usually eight types of cigars on the menu.
mezcal. I agree with Challan’s descriptor of “earthy fruitiness,” but not in a good way. Curious to see what others thought, I shared our pile of caterpillar-spiked salt with some adventurous drinkers at the bar. One taste was enough for each of them. The Story: Gran Mitla claims that it was “considered a delicacy consumed only by Aztec emperors.” Challan says about one in 10 mezcal drinkers order it at El Camino, and many of them know enough about the spirit that they’re familiar with the tradition. But he admits that the brand he buys is more intense than versions he’s sampled in Oaxaca. Unfortunately, there just aren’t a lot of companies exporting worm salt, so his choice in purveyors is limited. Like me, he prefers his mezcal neat—at least whenever he’s north of the border. —Rina Rapuano
Why You Should Be Drinking It Whisenant says patrons are skipping over the drink not only because they’re unfamiliar with chacha and Pirosmani, but also because they’re nervous about potentially mispronouncing Kazbegi when ordering. Our advice? Use that pointer finger when your waiter comes around. “We work with lesser-known spirits, lesser-known wine regions here, so this drink really embodies what we’re trying to do,” says owner Rose Previte. Though there are many flavors competing for your taste buds’ attention in the Kazbegi Sunrise, the chacha’s intriguing flavor doesn’t have anywhere to hide. The slight viscosity resulting from the inclusion of peach puree gives the cocktail a smoothie-like feel, and the Pirosmani float balances out the sweet components of the drink. You’re obviously pairing it with khachapuri, a Georgian bread, butter, and egg dish that has become the restaurant’s calling card. —Laura Hayes
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AUGUST H 2015 1 SAT H Washington International Piano Festival The seventh annual festival offers a night of its Young Pianist Showcase featuring award-winning local talent.
FREE PERFORMANCES
2 SUN H Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra
365 DAYS A
YEAR
EVERY DAY AT 6 P.M. NO TICKETS REQUIRED *Unless noted otherwise
DAILY FOOD AND DRINK SPECIALS. 5–6 P.M. NIGHTLY H GRAND FOYER BARS
Live Internet broadcast, video archive, artist information, and more at kennedy-center.org/millennium For more information call: (202) 467-4600
SAT H Essence of Vietnam*
The orchestra presents a concert by some of the best high school and college jazz musicians in the Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey regions.
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SUN H Miraculous Transformation
MON H The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington The varied performance features presenter Raymond Bokhour, from Broadway’s Chicago; singer/songwriter/actor/photographer Jussie Smollett, from TV’s Empire; Gospel award-winning artist Maurette Brown Clark; jazz/classical violinist Chelsey Green; Ukrainian duo Solomia Gorokhivska and Andrei Pidkivka; and The Boys & Girls Club children’s choir.
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TUE H DuPont Brass
A fixture at local Metro stations, the brass band aims to uplift spirits through interpretations ranging from classical to pop.
5 WED H George Washington University Summer Piano & Chamber Music Institute
Through traditional music and dances showcasing the cultural heritages of Vietnam, this performance features music performed on Vietnamese bamboo musical instruments.
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TUE H Night of Lotus
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THU H Remembrance
In honor of the 100th anniversary of The Great War, an ensemble of actors, musicians, and dancers take on the roles of soldiers and sweethearts, bringing to life the era’s rich legacy of poetry, letters, and music. Presented in collaboration with WINGS Performing Arts program.
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FRI H 30th International Young Artist Piano Competition
Six talented young first prize winners, ages 7 to 29, perform masterworks from Berkovich, Liszt, Ravel, and others. Gallery starting at approximately 5:30 p.m., up to two tickets per person.
ALL PERFORMERS AND PROGRAMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
WED H National Flute Association’s Flute Jamboree
Flutists from around the world unite to share their cultures and celebrate a common passion. Bring your flute or voice to join in music from around the globe!
I N T H E T E R R A C E T H E AT E R
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THU H Comedy at the Kennedy Center: Owen Benjamin*
The standup comedian was a regular on the TBS series Sullivan & Son, recurred on Nick Swardsons’ Pretend Time, and has appeared in multiple comedy shows. Jamel Johnson opens. This program contains mature themes and strong language.
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FRI H Duo Drumartica
Musicians and educators Simon Klavžar and Jože Bogolin form one of the most active percussion ensembles in Europe today. Presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Slovenia.
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SAT H D.C. Charles Covington Jazz Organ Trio
The celebrated jazz pianist, who has performed with such legendary artists as Herbie Hancock, the late Clark Terry and B.B. King, and others, returns.
TUE 4 H DuPont Brass
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SUN H Humming House
The Nashville acoustic quintet performs tunes from their most recent album, Revelries, a pleasing tension between rousing energy and nuanced arrangements.
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Additional funding for the Millennium Stage is provided by The Isadore and Bertha Gudelsky Family Foundation, Inc., The Meredith Foundation, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A.J. Stolwijk, U.S. Department of Education, and the Millennium Stage Endowment Fund.
MON H Secret Sisters
Direct from Alabama, Laura and Lydia Rogers deliver traditional American country music as well as mesmerizing arrangements of classic and original pop tunes.
The Millennium Stage Endowment Fund was made possible by James A. Johnson and Maxine Isaacs, Fannie Mae Foundation, James V. Kimsey, Gilbert† and Jaylee† Mead, Mortgage Bankers Association of America and other anonymous gifts to secure the future of the Millennium Stage.
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MON H Ethnic Colors of Vietnam
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The Millennium Stage was created and underwritten by James A. Johnson and Maxine Isaacs to make the performing arts accessible to everyone in fulfillment of the Kennedy Center's mission to its community and the nation.
Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is also made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.
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Students from the institute play a selection of piano and chamber pieces.
FREE TOURS are given daily by the Friends of the Kennedy Center tour guides. Tour hours: Monday thru Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. For information, call (202) 416-8340. The Kennedy Center welcomes persons with disabilities.
In this fashion show, designers Lan Huong, Quang Nhat, Chula, and Minh Hanh are introducing special collections made from Vietnamese ethnic fabric. Miss Vietnam Ngoc Han and Super Model Winner Hoang Yen join the model team to present the collections.
The national flower of Vietnam, the Lotus symbolizes the simplicity and nobility of its people. This performance presents traditional music and dances, celebrating the beauty of the Lotus flower as the soul of the country.
Become a fan of Millennium Stage on Facebook and check out artist photos, upcoming events, and more!
There is no free parking for free performances.
I N T H E T E R R A C E T H E AT E R This performance showcases the colorful cultural diversity of Vietnam through traditional musical instruments, graceful dances, and traditional costumes by the National Art Troupe of Viet Nam.
GET CONNECTED!
PLEASE NOTE:
Presented in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism of Vietnam, the Embassy of Vietnam in the US, the Permanent Mission of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the US, and Embassy of the US in Vietnam.
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*Free general admission tickets will be distributed in the States
TAKE METRO to the Foggy Bottom/GWU station and ride the free Kennedy Center shuttle departing every 15 minutes until midnight.
VIETNAMESE CULTURAL DAYS IN THE U.S.
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SUN 23 H Brady Rymer
TUE H Lee Boys
Hailed as one of America’s finest African American sacred steel ensembles, they perform a unique form of Gospel music with a hard-driving, bluesbased beat.
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WED H The Bumper Jacksons
The six-member band folds sounds of jazz, early blues, old-time music, and country swing into an exhilarating repertoire of modern American roots music.
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THU H The Reginald Cyntje Group
The trombonist and his band—Christie Dashiell (voice), Brian Settles (tenor saxophone), Allyn Johnson (piano), Herman Burney (bass), and Carroll Dashiell III (drums)—blend jazz, Caribbean rhythms, and Afro beats to convey cultural heritage and social justice.
21 FRI H Freddie Dunn and Friends Enjoy an evening of bluesy jazz and soulful improvisations with East and West of the Blues, featuring the trumpeter and some of his talented musician friends. Part of the East River Jazz Festival.
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SAT H U.S. Navy Band Brass Quartet
Formed in 1999, the quartet performs diverse styles that represent patriotic and folkloric musical traditions, as well as traditional light classics.
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SUN H Family Night: Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
The band has released six acclaimed albums and brought energetic live music to kids and families across the country.
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MON H #Yoga4all
D.C. yoga studio Yoga Heights hosts a free introduction to yoga for all ages and abilities with instructor Jess Pierno and other experienced practitioners demonstrating how yoga helps them achieve balance, strength, and flexibility of the mind, body, and spirit.
25 TUE H The D.C. Legendary Musicians Band This local band, whose members have performed with Elvis Presley, Dizzy Gillespie, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Chuck Brown, and many others, plays R&B and jazz.
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WED H Rafiya
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THU H Ustad Shafaat Khan
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FRI H Ramy Adly
Born in Los Angeles to Congolese parents, she sings of the human experience in Lingala, French, and English, offering an electrifying blend of contemporary African rhythms and modern pop. The world-renowned Indian classical musician performs classical and folk styles in a concert that features the sitar, tabla, and vocals. An Egyptian oud player and composer, he makes his Kennedy Center debut on the Millennium Stage. Presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Egypt.
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SAT H Nrityalaya
The D.C. area school of Odissi dance presents a performance of the traditional Indian dance form preceded by a fun and interactive intro to Odissi for all ages and abilities.
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SUN H Ship’s Company Chanteymen Sing-Along!
Looking dashing in their 19th century naval uniforms, the group has shared old salts’ songs with audiences up and down the East coast.
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MON H Spread Love
The newly formed five-piece band performs in the folk-street music style. Presented in collaboration with Listen Local First DC.
CPARTS Books
Is the National Building Museum’s giant ball pit as clean as advertised? A visitor who came down with pink eye doubts it. washingtoncitypaper.com/go/pinkeye
Photo Voce
book, traces Kip’s path from Southern California to New York and back again. He discovers photography and learns that what he knows about his mother’s life isn’t true. The other story is told through photos and paintings—Brookman’s own—from some of the same places where Kip’s life takes him. In some ways, the book is more like an exhibition or catalog than a novel. It’s primarily a work of portraiture, a diary of Brookman’s photographs, sketches, and collages spanning years, maybe decades. It’s curated: The enjambment between the street preacher and Mategna can’t be accidental. Sometimes the text-story intersects with the photo-story in tantalizing ways. The waitress who serves Kip at the beachside diner is named Judy; a photo that looks like it dates from the 1970s pictures a waitress wearing a nametag that reads “Judy.” Bookman’s own Yet Redlands isn’t an illustrated novel—far from it. photos intersect The places where text and art connect are more satisfywith a coming-ofing than that. While Kip is working stocking shelves at age narrative. a Woolworth’s in Santa Cruz, he meets a Swedish photographer who is traveling across the U.S.—“the Deep South, Detroit, St. Louis, Arkansas, the Dakotas, Arizona, Albuquerque, Indian reservations, California, everywhere”—to capture real life in America, in all its grime and resplendence. Maybe this alludes to Jacob Holdt, the Danish photographer who made the seminal 1977 photobook American Pictures, a project so raw and unsparing that Soviet authorities tried to use it as propaganda against the U.S. (Holdt delayed the book’s release for years to thwart the Communist bloc.) It might take another curator of photography to tease out all the allusions in Redlands, but it doesn’t take any expertise to appreciate the book. One photo spread captures a woman lying on a bare mattress, staring out a window, a piece of luggage the only ornament in the room. It could be a portrait of Addie, whose life takes some dark turns. But it could be the photo, the sentiment, that inspired the work. Both the story and Brookman’s photos reveal an aching love for labor. His book admires the migrant farmworkers in California and is amused by the working-class punks in New York. Brookman’s art pays homage to the work of Jim Goldberg, a photographer who has documented California’s class divide through portraiture. (Brookman edited Goldberg’s 1995 photo book on runaways, Raised by Wolves.) It also brings to mind author W.G. Sebald, who coupled historical photos with literary accounts in his haunting near-fiction about post-war Germany. But Brookman’s project is decidedly more poetic and atmospheric than either. One of my favorite spreads in Redlands is one of Brookman’s paintings, a diptych landscape of two sailstill struggling to understand his mother’s death—the reader is boats. Below them is a sequence of fast, gestural sketches in treated to a pair of photos. One is a two-page spread: a black- paint that resembles one of Eadweard Muybridge’s studies of and-white picture of an itinerant street preacher, dressed in motion. The Muybridge exhibition that Brookman organized denim, sneakers, and a necktie that is too wide, too short, and for the Corcoran five years ago was one of the most important too loud; on the next page, another black-and-white picture shows the museum ever mounted. It’s tempting to look for auof coal smoldering in a park grill. tobiography in any writer’s work of fiction—but in Redlands, CP Redlands unfolds in two ways. One narrative, the text of the it’s more satisfying to find the mark of the curator.
With original paintings and pictures, a curator’s piece of fiction becomes poetry. Redlands By Philip Brookman Steidl, 208 pps. By Kriston Capps Early in Redlands, a novel by Philip Brook man, protagonist Kip and his sister Addie are sitting in an all-night diner somewhere near Redondo Beach. A trucker has given the kids a lift to the ocean from Redlands, the sleepiest corner of California’s Inland Empire and maybe the entire world, if Kip is to be believed. They’re waiting for their worried father to pick them up, though they aren’t running away, exactly. At 15, Addie is on the verge of discovering a larger world, while Kip is just clinging to his older sister. As they pick over their fries, Kip asks about their mother’s death. He’s grown up with his father, a failed writer, in Mexico City, while Addie has taken care of their sick mom in Marin County. Kip wants to know whether she blamed them for the fact that she never realized her dreams as a scientist. Almost as an aside, he tells Addie a story about a painting their mother loved. I remember how she used to show me picture books of famous paintings and she always went back to one, “The Agony in the Garden” by Mantegna, or something like that. Jesus is there in a blue robe, kneeling on this funky rock, and he’s praying with a bunch of very serious little naked babies, only they’re angels, standing there on a cloud looking down at him. He’s checking them out like he could reach right out and touch them, they are that solid. It’s like a dream and they’re showing him how he’s going to die. It’s so sad, I wonder why she loved that painting so much. But it’s no stray detail, coming from Brookman. As a consulting curator at the National Gallery of Art (and before that, the longtime chief curator of the Corcoran Gallery of Art), Brookman can only pretend to have casual opinions about paintings. Redlands is a coming-of-age novella about Southern California, but it’s also something of a meditation on images and how they form our memories. The café scene bookends the part of the narrative that takes place in 1965. But before the text leaps ahead 10 years—to find Kip mired in factory work and other odd jobs in Santa Cruz,
washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 25
CPARTS Arts Desk
One trAck MinD
Matt McGhee
Shy Glizzy was arrested in Silver Spring: washingtoncitypaper.com/go/shyglizzy
Dimes from Dozens In an age of online crowdfunding for Veronica Mars films and expensive Uber rides alike, D.C. museums have expanded their fundraising tactics beyond the snail-mail solicitations of yore. Following the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery’s successful crowdfunding of a yoga-history exhibition in 2013, the Smithsonian launched a Kickstarter last week for the National Air and Space Museum to fund the restoration and display of Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk spacesuit. In less than five days, it topped its goal of $500,000. Platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which are familiar in form and concept to younger donors, offer a frictionless, transparent means of making and collecting donations. It’s easier to get potential donors excited about making a gift when there’s a goal in sight and perks involved—
even if they’re just the promise of email updates and a logo decal. But the spacesuit fundraiser has far surpassed any other local museum’s attempt to raise money online—in part, no doubt, because the Americans feel more ownership over the outfit that first touched the moon than any collection or exhibition of lesser-known art. At least one local museum has gotten high-profile assistance on its supposedly populist funding endeavor: For its yoga exhibit, the Sackler got help from Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria, a yoga instructor, and Whole Foods matched all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $70,000. Without big-name supporters or sexy project goals, other museums’ crowdfunding bids have suffered the fate of failing in the public eye. Here, we line up their stats. —Christina Cauterucci
“Lexus Music”/ “Beamer Music” Standout Track: “Lexus Music,” from a new pair of singles by Maryland rapper Matt McGhee. Over a signature smooth bassline, he spits in double time about his pursuit of a young woman named Alexus. As his flow falls back into a groove over production by 30 Below, McGhee takes listeners on a cruise through his journey with the finest girl this 21-year-old has known. Before a hook wraps up the song, McGhee lets loose his favorite line from the cut: “Alexus dropping a Mercedes Benz, looking better than all of my previous lady friends.”
Project: The National Air and Space Museum’s restoration of Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit Raised so far: Launched: July 20, 2015 $561,000+ Ends: Aug. 19, 2015 Donors so far: 7,300+ Goal: $500,000, reached on Platform: Kickstarter July 24, 2015
Musical Motivation: McGhee recorded the song back in March and released it old-school, as an A-Side/B-side, with a longer freestyle on the back end. “The A-side/B-side thing is just a cool way to release the music that I have, just to build up anticipation for the EP,” he says. The EP will drop in roughly six weeks, after he releases two more joint tracks. The B-Side: The B-Side song, “Beamer,” is five-plus minutes of straight rap with robust production from McGhee’s frequent partner Jaylen! and guest rapper GrandeMarshall. For the first time since 2011, McGhee and GrandeMarshall linked up after the latter, a Philly resident, was in D.C. for a concert last month. McGhee is even stronger here than on the ASide: He varies his approach to fit the beat. “I can go do a bunch of different styles of music, but I can also still remain me at the end of the day,” he says. “There’s always something in it that lets you know it’s me.”—Josh Solomon Listen to “Lexus Music” and “Beamer Music” at washingtoncitypaper.com/go/lexus.
Project: “Yoga: The Art of Transformation,” a temporary exhibit at the Sackler Gallery Launched: May 29, 2013 Ended: July 8, 2013 Goal: $125,000, reached on on July 1, 2013 Final take: $176,000 Donors: 616 Platform: Razoo
Project: “According to What?”, the HirshProject: The Phillips Collection’s permanent Project: A microsite exploring the Phillips horn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s exhiWolfgang Laib installation, a room lined Collection’s “Migration Series” paintings by bition of works from Ai Weiwei entirely in beeswax Jacob Lawrence Launched: April 2012 Launched: Jan. 30, 2013 Launched: Nov. 10, 2014 Ended: a few months later Ended: Feb. 28, 2013 Ended: Dec. 10, 2014 Goal: $35,000 Goal: $15,000, reached on Feb. 27, 2013 Goal: $45,000 Final take: $555 Final take: $16,185 Final take: $2,988 Donors: 14 Donors: 119 Donors: 41 Platform: causes.com Platform: Indiegogo Platform: Indiegogo Read more about the Smithsonian’s spacesuit Kickstarter at washingtoncitypaper.com/go/kickstarter.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
AN EVENING
HUMOROUS
READINGS Monday, 8/3 at 8:00pm An Evening of Humorous Readings Wednesday, 8/5 at 6:30pm The Summertime Girls Laura Hankin Monday, 8/10 at 6:30pm Brick Walls Saadia Faruqi Tuesday, 8/11 at 6:30pm The Sex Myth Rachel Hills in conversation with Latoya Peterson Wednesday, 8/12 at 6:30pm Into the Valley Ruth Galm Monday, 8/17 at 6:30pm Year of the Dunk Asher Price Tuesday, 8/18 at 6:30pm Landfalls Naomi J. Williams
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TheaTerCurtain Calls lime chipper This Lime Tree Bower By Conor McPherson Directed by Jack Sbarbori At Quotidian Theatre Company to Aug. 9 In the closing line of This Lime Tree Bower, one of the protagonists, Joe, offers a plot summary: “Things started out good and ended up better. Is that cheating?” It’s a commentary on the conduct of the other two rascally
ly functional alcoholic and university lecturer who likes to sleep with his students, is an acquaintance of theirs, because one of those students is Joe and Frank’s sister (also unseen). The tale eventually takes a criminal turn, with Joe being implicated in a crime he didn’t commit, and Frank and Ray not being implicated in one that they did. There isn’t much suspense regarding the outcome, but that’s not really what concerns McPherson. It’s the telling of the tale itself, through the varied viewpoints of the three characters. This is not a Rashomon-type mystery, and it’s not like
This Lime Tree Bower, named for a Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, is one of McPherson’s earlier plays, before he hit it big with 1997’s The Weir. The play’s extended monologue structure is a relatively common one in Irish theater, based on the tradition of the Irish shanachie, or storyteller. Like this one, The Weir was told as a series of monologues, but one with more magical folkloric elements. (The only folklore in This Lime Tree Bower is a passing reference to the IRA.) McPherson has since gone on to write plays in which the characters actually do stuff and talk to each other,
Handout photo by St.Johnn Blondell
If you find endless monologues entertaining, you might be a fan of Irish theater.
characters in Conor McPherson’s 1995 work, a kind of perverse morality play with a striking lack of any moral consequence. The question denotes a growing sense of self-awareness for Joe, the youngest and least reprehensible of the lot. But this might as well be a question directed by McPherson at the audience, who could, in turn, ask “then what the hell did we sit here for two hours for?” It’s true, not much happens in This Lime Tree Bower—in terms of stage action, nothing at all happens, in fact. The entire play contains no dialogue or interaction between the three characters Joe, Frank, and Ray. Instead, it consists of a series of monologues in which the three take turns telling a single long, meandering story that doesn’t have a point other than being “the two weirdest days of [Joe’s] life.” And it takes a while to get to the weird stuff. Joe is a sexually frustrated and confused high school student with a crush on an unseen classmate, Damian. Frank is Joe’s older brother, who runs a fish-and-chip restaurant in a coastal town in Ireland, where the play is set, and is preoccupied with debts owed by their father to a local bookie. And Ray, a bare-
the wordplay is particularly florid or deep: McPherson writes in a plain vernacular with understated humor. It’s ostensibly a comedy, but the only real gag is Joe’s repeatedly asserted (heterosexual) crush on “Deborah… something.” The plot exists to flesh out the personalities of the three characters, none of them particularly original: a naïve boy coming of age, a desperate man pushed to action, and a shameless lothario. The play’s true climax concerns neither of the crimes but rather one of Ray’s vomit-soaked benders. The three actors in Quotidian Theatre’s production give convincing portrayals of their characters’ idiosyncrasies: A wide-eyed Chris Stinson draws easy sympathy for Joe and his earnest struggle with adolescent identity. David Mavricos plays Frank as the world-weary everyman, doing what anyone might do with thousands of pounds of debt and easy access to northern guns (this is pre-euro, pre-Good Friday Agreement Ireland). And Michael Avolio has the most fun role of the degenerate Ray, though he resists making him a cartoon drunk, remarking on his vices quite matterof-factly, as if discussing the weather.
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which are likely more fun for American audiences not versed in the shanachie tradition. But in this era of live storytelling open mics and podcasts, it’s not as strange as it might be. It’s like The Moth, with a lot more “gob—Mike Paarlberg shites.” 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. $15–$30. (301) 816-1023. quotidiantheatre.org.
Gruel and unusual Oliver! By Lionel Bart Directed by Joseph Ritsch At Round House Theatre to Aug. 16 On first impression, the pre-show glimpses of the set for Adventure Theatre’s Oliver! reveal a design that seems oddly ominous for a show that claims to be for audiences of all ages. The imposing, industrial set sits in a grim shadow. The back scrim projects an image of swirling fog. The lights rise and the mu-
sical numbers begin, but it is hard to shake the sense that something truly horrible is about to happen. Enter the chorus of children. The dark atmosphere is not unearned by this adaptation of Charles Dickens’ bleak portrait of Victorian London workhouses, Oliver Twist. Our musical follows poor, sweet Oliver Twist (Franco Cabanas) from a workhouse to indentured servitude to a delightful band of pickpockets. Along the way, he makes eclectic underworld friends including the paterfamilias of the pickpockets (Rick Hammerly), the kind lover of a frightening gangster (Felicia Curry), and the ever-popular Artful Dodger (Jake Foster). While the show purports to be steampunk, it’s not terribly (apart from a few costumes; most notably on Curry). But the look of the show is altogether darkly eccentric and feels fully realized, thanks to props designer Andrea “Dre” Moore, who fills the pickpockets’ den with handkerchiefs, trinkets, and doodads. Director Joseph Ritsch, too, takes notes from the lightning-quick stage exits of French farce to keep the cast rocketing on and off Douglas Clarke’s set. Speaking of the cast: Ritsch artfully manages the ensemble so that even the youngest members are a blast to watch. The group as a whole is pretty strong, but the standout performances come from Hammerly and Curry. As Fagin, the father figure to the young pickpockets, Hammerly nicely balances sweet and sour. The “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” sequence would not win Fagin any parenting awards, but Hammerly commands the stage completely. Curry, a District favorite, delivers a crowd-pleaser with her rendition of Nancy’s “As Long as He Needs Me.” Audience members could be heard speculating about when she would be performing at the Tonys. As Adventure Theatre’s first two-act production ever, Oliver! has its fair share of missteps for all its successes. The Cockney accents are a serious challenge for most of the actors. Hearing young actors say “Fagin” in the accent, without enunciation, occasionally produces a certain slur. Props are occasionally dropped. But it seems the theater has established a nice precedent for future two-act musicals away from its home base in Glen Echo Park. Eyebrows will more likely raise at Adventure’s advisory that this performance is for all ages. Of course, parents should use their own discretion when bringing their kids to the theater, but Oliver! is truly dark and disturbing at moments. After one character is bludgeoned to death onstage, a young girl at Saturday night’s performance exclaimed, “That’s not nice, mama! Why did he do that?” The show is fun, but if you plan to bring the kiddos, prepare to explain to them on the way home why the bad man wants to hurt Oliver. —Jonelle Walker 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. $35–$45. adventuretheatre-mtc.org. (240) 644-1100.
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FilmShort SubjectS Brick Flick A LEGO Brickumentary Directed by Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge If A LEGO Brickumentary succeeds, it’s because of this principle of any good documentary: Passionate people are entertaining to watch. They pull viewers into obsessive worlds where one random item, hobby, or bit of lore is so much more interesting than anything else. We marvel at their commitment. We geek out with them. Even if you’re so spatially challenged that you can’t make one Lego brick out of two Lego bricks, you’ll find this documentary moderately charming if self-aggrandizing. Let’s be real: Had The Lego Movie not come out last year to great critical acclaim, Brickumentary wouldn’t exist. No one would care about the history of the brick if Lego Batman weren’t so droll and a hundred sequels weren’t being planned. So the brick boys struck while the 1932 iron’s newly hot. Jason Bateman is the amiable narrator of the 92-minute film, sometimes popping onscreen as a Lego “minifig” with misbehaving hair. These joke-laden Lego sequences bridge the interviews with employees at Lego’s Denmark factory, who gush about what great jobs they have. Yawn. Yeah, it’s a fun gig—how many times do we have to hear it? The doc fares better when it goes outside the proprietary walls to follow hardcore fans. A Japanese startup (and now Lego partner) featured in the film posts the Lego creations of everyday people online; projects that get more than 10,000 votes earn the possibility of becoming Lego’s new set. One candidate is a space rover with incredibly realistic movements, including wheels that compensate for rough terrain. “[The rover] doesn’t have to be battling Martians or anything,” its mastermind says. “It’s doing it all for the science.” Outside of the sanctioned competition, Top Gear fans will get a kick out of a brief cameo of James May (who else?), who built a functional house out of the bricks. And then there are people like Alice Finch, who’s crafted an unbelievably expansive and intricate representation of the Lord of the Rings elven realm, Rivendell. It’s a spectacular sight, proof that Finch is a deserved recipient of a Lego convention’s prestigious People’s Choice Award. Even her young son bows before her, whispering to the camera, “You know who the best Lego builder is? My mom.” Fans of last year’s movie will perk up the few times it’s referenced, though it doesn’t happen often. It’s not a true “brick movie”—a stop-motion flick using actual Legos—we learn, because its filmmakers used CG animation. (In one of The Lego Movie’s scenes, however, a brick filmmaker’s own movie is playing on a screen. Very meta.) The doc in-
cludes a pretty hilarious montage of brick interpretations of films like Psycho, Pulp Fiction, and The Dark Knight. (This is where you go down the YouTube wormhole.) For all the goofiness and the Lego enthusiasts’ infectious, childlike enthusiasm, Brickumentary is most uplifting—even awe-inducing—when it shows Lego bricks in real-life applications. Helping autistic children interact with others is one therapeutic use; city planning is a practical one. Officials at MIT recreated a city to study issues like traffic patterns and density. One group even replicated a section of Google Maps.
on experiment. The roles of prisoner and guard were chosen at random, but it didn’t take long for the participants to settle into their new positions. On the first day, the guards started verbally abusing the prisoners; within two days, at least one prisoner was on the verge of a breakdown and had to be released. Ultimately, the proposed two-week experiment was canceled after six days to protect the subjects. That’s the plot of The Stanford Prison Experiment, but the social and political implications of the study spiral out toward infinity. It must have been tempting for the filmmakers to tease out some topical context, but they
it is difficult to name a standout since they sort of blend together. Of course, that’s the point: Their treatment by the guards breaks down their identities until each is more prisoner than person. But Zimbardo is an integral standalone character. As the atrocities unfold, the film frequently cuts to him watching on his own screen, tugging on viewers’ sympathies. A subtle, charismatic actor who never quite broke through, Crudup does important work here, creating a flawed, relatable character whose actions seem at once both reasonable and deplorable. Cinematographer Jas Shelton does won-
don’t, and their restraint pays off. The film is less an interpretation of its chilling reallife events and more of a straightforward reenactment, and the lack of overt directorial comment allows the audience to draw their own conclusions. Still, simply documenting these proceedings on film, even without comment, sets up a dizzyingly complex dynamic for the viewer. In addition to watching the young male characters play the roles of prisoner and guard, we are also watching young male actors play those characters playing those roles. This kaleidoscopic relationship between film and audience could be distracting in lesser hands, but director Kyle Patrick Alvarez seamlessly integrates it into the story as a subtle implication of guilt directed at the audience. When the first prisoner breaks down and screams at the camera (the one used by Zimbardo to record their actions), “You have no right to fuck with my head,” it’s hard to disavow yourself of the unsettling notion that he’s talking to you. The young actors are all terrific, though
ders with the enclosed space, eliciting claustrophobia without letting the film stagnate. Inside the prison, he leans on close-ups, focusing our attention on the characters’ inner anguish or (in the guards’ case) lack of feeling. When filming Zimbardo and his associates as they deal with the consequences of their actions, Shelton zooms out a little, giving us room to breathe—and think. There’s plenty to think about. The Stanford Prison Experiment could easily be read as a comment on the dehumanizing effects of prison, but there are also implications on race (would we react differently if any or all of the subjects were black?) and gender (would women behave differently under the same circumstances?). Ultimately, this is what makes it a near-perfect allegory: It’s a compelling human drama that can be read as metaphor or simply taken on its own terms. Sometimes, a filmmakers’ best choice is to get out of the way so view—Noah Gittell ers can let themselves in.
Who knew these plastic bits had such practical uses?
Don’t get me wrong: Constructing a life-size Star Wars X-Wing in Times Square is cool, as is the artist who uses Lego bricks to interpret famous works like the “Mona Lisa.” But when people brainstorm how to use the simplest toy to tackle society’s most complex problems, that’s a triumph of creative minds, not a bally—Tricia Olszewski hooed company. A LEGO Brickumentary opens Friday at the Angelika Pop-Up.
Jail, in comparison The Stanford Prison Experiment Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez Let’s start with what we know: In the summer of 1971, Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) paid two dozen students $15 a day to participate in his pris-
30 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
The Stanford Prison Experiment opens July 31 at E Street Cinema.
GalleriesSketcheS A Good NiGht’s heAp “Saturated with the Subconscious” At Flashpoint to Aug. 8 When two great artists work together, sometimes the results are dreamy. But artist collaborations can be feverish, disjointed, and wet-the-bed awful, too. Nightmare isn’t the right word for “Saturated with the Subconscious,” the team show by Erik Thor Sandberg and Megan Van Wagoner now on
view at Flashpoint, but it’s an unsettling vision for sure. Van Wagoner works in ceramics, for the most part; Sandberg is a surrealist painter. “Saturated with the Subconscious” pairs her ceramic sculptures with his paintings in 25 decorated pillows. Every pillow-painting represents a concise narrative, most of them quite vivid. There’s a 26th sculpture, too, but that part of the dream is worth forgetting. Just inside the gallery door, one untitled sculpture sets the pace for the show. (None of the works in the show have names, which seems fitting for the dream theme, except for
that 26th sculpture, “Muffled Dreams.”) Seen from the open end of the pillowcase, this premier pillow, as it were, appears to be leaking teeth. Several molars spill out from a crack in the bottom of the pillow. A bit on-the-nose, maybe, but a decent standalone collab; in another context, it might marry Jasper Johns’ “The Critic Smiles” with Robert Rauschenberg’s “Bed.” But turn the corner, and there’s a wall of 24 more pillows! In each one, the ceramic pillow sculpture serves as the infrastructure, the delivery mechanism, for a pat narrative painting. A naked woman swaps her head with the skull of a skeleton. A Rip Van Winkle–looking geezer chops his beard off with shears. These are Hans Christian Andersen’s dreams: mini– morality plays and medieval-manuscript creatures abound. A few pieces borrow a bit less from familiar fairy tales: In one, a woman pedals a simple machine that slaps her nude ass. That one might be drawn from one of Jerry Saltz’s dreams, that salty, semi-creepy dog (and New York magazine art critic). Seen from one angle, the centerpiece of “Saturated with the Subconscious” is almost cool: 24 bulbous, floating, amorphous, untitled blobs. The faux folds of ceramic look more like cement than anything, and the shapes are potentially interesting. But seen from the other angle—the one in which you can see the little allegories inside—nope, they’re all pillows. This is one of those boring, repetitive dreams. Then there’s work #26, “Muffled Dreams,” a precise sculpture of an ironing board. On it lies a pillowcase (another ceramic work) that’s been painted to appear as if it’s been burned by an iron. After exhausting the possibilities of one idea, Van Wagoner and Sandberg— who are both capable of doing so much good independently—seem to have decided to move on from dreams to the theme of linens. Thanks, but I think I’ll go back to bed. Wake —Kriston Capps me when it’s over?
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32 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
CITYLIST Music
Friday Rock
9:30 Club 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn, Marika Hackman. 8 p.m. $30. 930.com. DC9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Lazyeyes, The Teen Age. 6:30 p.m. $10. dcnine.com. HowarD THeaTre 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899. Shuggie Otis. 7:30 p.m. $35. thehowardtheatre.com. roCk & roll HoTel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-ROCK. The 9 Songwriters Series. 8 p.m. $15. rockandrollhoteldc.com. STaTe THeaTre 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church. (703) 237-0300. KMFDM, Chat, Seven Factor. 7 p.m. $28. thestatetheatre.com. wolf Trap filene CenTer 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. (703) 255-1900. Rufus Wainwright, National Symphony Orchestra. 8:15 p.m. $25–$58. wolftrap.org.
Funk & R&B birCHmere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. (703) 549-7500. Phil Perry. 7:30 p.m. $39.50. birchmere.com. Phil Perry. 7:30 p.m. $39.50. birchmere. com. HowarD THeaTre 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899. Shuggie Otis, Father Dude. 7:30 p.m. $35–$70. thehowardtheatre.com.
ElEctRonic u STreeT muSiC Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. Alle Farben, Eau Claire. 10 p.m. $10. ustreetmusichall.com.
Jazz kenneDy CenTer ConCerT Hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga. 8 p.m. (Sold out) $135–$350. kennedy-center.org.
WoRld THe HamilTon 600 14th St. NW. (202) 787-1000. Bombino, Elikeh. 8:30 p.m. $20–$30. thehamiltondc. com. paTrioT CenTer 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax. (703) 993-3000. Marco Antonio Solis, Camila. 8 p.m. $69–$205. patriotcenter.com.
classical
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8 Galleries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8 Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
SearCh LISTIngS aT waShIngTonCITYpaper.Com
CITY LIGHTS: FRIDAY
SASHEER ZAMATA Sasheer Zamata appears to have the contemporary comedy scene figured out. Before becoming Saturday Night Live’s newest (and most underutilized) comic, the Upright Citizens Brigade alumna was making a name for herself with the snarky, all-too-real, occasionally embarrassing YouTube series Pursuit of Sexiness. With real-life friend Nicole Byer (MTV’s Girl Code), Zamata muses on one-night stands, Facebook relationships, and dancing on the New York City Subway. In her “Vegan Soul Food” video, Zamata gestures wildly while both making soup and lamenting the current state of race relations. Being a woman of color with wide comedic appeal may have helped get Zamata on TV, but the everyday awkwardness she channels on the stage makes her an even more appealing performer. Without elaborate costumes and the time constraints of a web video, Zamata will deliver her charm and wit in even greater doses at the Black Cat. Sasheer Zamata performs with Kenny DeForest at 9 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $15. (202) 667-4490. —Jordan-Marie Smith blackcatdc.com.
saturday
ElEctRonic
Rock
u STreeT muSiC Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. Green Velvet, Tittsworth, Philip Goyette. 10:30 p.m. $18. ustreetmusichall.com.
9:30 Club 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Girls Rock! DC 2015 Showcase. 10:30 a.m. $10. 930.com. Veruca Salt, Charly Bliss. 8 p.m. $25. 930.com.
Jazz
blaCk CaT baCkSTage 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Hurry, Late Bloomer, Alright. 11 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com.
kenneDy CenTer ConCerT Hall 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga. 8 p.m. (Sold out) $135–$350. kennedy-center.org. mr. Henry’S 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. (202) 5468412. Tacha Coleman Parr. 8 p.m. Free. mrhenrysdc. com.
kenneDy CenTer millennium STage 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Washington International Piano Festival. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.
DC9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Loud Boyz, Bond Street District, The Seeers. 9:30 p.m. $10. dcnine.com.
dJ nights
HowarD THeaTre 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899. John Kadlecik and the D.C. Mystery Cats, the ULiners. 8 p.m. $20–$55. thehowardtheatre.com.
beTHeSDa blueS anD Jazz 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. (240) 330-4500. Golden State-Lone Star Revue. 8 p.m. $20. bethesdabluesjazz.com.
roCk & roll HoTel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-ROCK. Broke Royals, Skyline Hotel, Eastwesthwy, Keelan Donovan. 8 p.m. $12. rockandrollhoteldc.com.
birCHmere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. (703) 549-7500. Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives. 7:30 p.m. $35. birchmere.com.
blaCk CaT baCkSTage 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Dark and Stormy with DJ Shea Van Horn. 10 p.m. $5. blackcatdc.com. DC9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Discnotheque. 10 p.m. $2–$5. dcnine.com.
J U L Y
countRy
THURS JULY 30
WHUR NEIGHBORHOOD AWARDS PARTY F 31 THE SKIP CASTRO BAND
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JO DEE MESSINA
7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD (240) 330-4500 Two Blocks from Bethesda Metro/Red Line Free Parking on Weekends washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 33
THe HamilTon 600 14th St. NW. (202) 787-1000. 19th Street Band. 8:30 p.m. $9.50. thehamiltondc. com.
WoRld reSTon Town CenTer 11900 Market St., Reston. (703) 912-4062. Incendio. 7:30 p.m. Free. restontowncenter.com.
hip-hop fillmore Silver Spring 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. (301) 960-9999. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. 9 p.m. $30. fillmoresilverspring.com.
merriweaTHer poST pavilion 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. (410) 715-5550. Faith No More, Refused. 8 p.m. $40–$55. merriweathermusic. com.
Funk & R&B boSSa biSTro 2463 18th St NW. 202-667-0088. Caz, Mundy. 8 p.m. $5. bossadc.com. u STreeT muSiC Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. Sweater Beats, Hoodboi, Keylow, Tastefaker. 9 p.m. Free. ustreetmusichall.com.
classical
Jazz
kenneDy CenTer millennium STage 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Washington International Piano Festival. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.
kenneDy CenTer millennium STage 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.
wolf Trap filene CenTer 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. (703) 255-1900. National Symphony Orchestra performs music from Star Trek. 8:30 p.m. $30–$58. wolftrap.org.
Vocal
Folk blaCk CaT baCkSTage 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Dear Creek, Ampersand Stringband. 7:30 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com.
barnS aT wolf Trap 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. (703) 255-1900. Wolf Trap Opera performs music by the Rodgers Family. 3 p.m. $46. wolftrap.org.
gypSy Sally’S 3401 K St. NW. (202) 333-7700. Amy Black, Sarah Borges. 8 p.m. $10–$14. gypsysallys.com.
sunday
Jammin Java 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna. (703) 255-1566. Sam Lee. 7:30 p.m. $15. jamminjava.com.
DC9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Quincy Mumford and the Reason Why, Matt Mackelcan. 9 p.m. $10. dcnine.com.
barnS aT wolf Trap 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. (703) 255-1900. Wolf Trap Opera: The Rodgers Family. 3 p.m. $46. wolftrap.org.
Rock
Vocal
CITY LIGHTS: SATURDAY
GREY GARDENS Were they alive today, Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Edith Bouvier Beale, would undoubtedly invite extended tabloid scrutiny. They had famous family connections (Jacqueline Kennedy was their niece and cousin, respectively), yearned for careers in the arts (both wanted to be singers and actresses), and lived like eccentrics (“pet” raccoons roamed their rundown mansion). TLC audiences and Us Weekly readers would have drooled over them. The Edies have inspired pop songs, Broadway musicals, an HBO film, and plenty of other tributes, but their sustaining legacy is Grey Gardens, the 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles that chronicled the titular mansion’s squalid conditions and its residents’ sequestration from the outside world. Though a few kind souls offered the Edies aid (Kennedy and her sister, Lee Radziwill, paid to stabilize the house; Washington society doyenne Sally Quinn eventually bought the property and refurbished it), the film tells a dark story of two women left to fend for themselves. The film screens at 1 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art, 6th Street and Con—Caroline Jones stitution Avenue NW. Free. (202) 737-4215. nga.gov.
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Washington DC Tickets On Sale Now! through Lisner.org or call (202) 994-6800.
CITY LIGHTS: SUNDAY
THE LADIES OF RHYTHM & BLUES More than 50 years after the primes of their careers, Maxine Brown, Baby Washington, and the members of D.C. girl group the Jewels have held on to their talents: strong voices rooted in the gospel of African-American Baptist and Pentecostal churches. They continue to entertain folks who grew up hearing soul music as well as those who learned the style from later performers like their Sunday co-headliner, Shirleta Settles. South Carolinaborn Maxine Brown moved to New York City in her teens and was soon singing dramatic relationship tunes like the 1964 Carole King and Gerry Goffin number “Oh No, Not My Baby.” Baby Washington’s 1963 rendition of “That’s How Heartaches Are Made,” her one pop hit out of many R&B ones, found her deep voice soaring over strings and backing harmony vocals. In this show, Brown and Washington will receive vocal support from members of the Jewels, who will also perform their own set. It’s sure to include “Opportunity,” the group’s rocking 1963 track full of passionate testifying that can lift audience members out of their seats. Maxine Brown performs with Baby Washington, the Jewels, and Shirleta Settles at 7:30 p.m. at Bethesda Blues and Jazz, 7719 Wisconsin Ave. NW. $35. (240) 330—Steve Kiviat 4500. bethesdabluesjazz.com.
Monday
WoRld
Rock
birCHmere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. (703) 549-7500. Jorge Drexler. 7:30 p.m. $35. birchmere.com.
DC9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. The Velvet Teen, Collider, Boom. 8:30 p.m. $10. dcnine.com.
Vocal
roCk & roll HoTel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-ROCK. Cayucas, Hibou. 8 p.m. $13. rockandrollhoteldc.com.
kenneDy CenTer millennium STage 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.
u STreeT muSiC Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. Young Rising Sons, Hunter Hunted, Cruisr. 7 p.m. $15. ustreetmusichall.com.
Folk Jammin Java 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna. (703) 255-1566. Robbie Schaefer. 7:30 p.m. $15. jamminjava.com.
tuesday Rock
blaCk CaT baCkSTage 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Flesh World, Young Trynas, Hothead. 7:30 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com.
THe HamilTon 600 14th St. NW. (202) 787-1000. Steve Kimock, Bobby Vega, Jay Lane, Jeff Chimenti, Lebo. 7:30 p.m. $35–$50. thehamiltondc.com. HowarD THeaTre 620 T St. NW. (202) 803-2899. Rickie Lee Jones. 8 p.m. $39.50–$75. thehowardtheatre.com. muSiC CenTer aT STraTHmore 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda. (301) 581-5100. Boz Scaggs. 8 p.m. $34.20–$88. strathmore.org.
Jazz kenneDy CenTer millennium STage 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Dupont Brass. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.
Wednesday Rock
9:30 Club 815 V St. NW. (202) 265-0930. Glass Animals, Gabriel Garzon-Montano. 7 p.m. (Sold out) 930.com.
countRy maDam’S organ 2461 18th St. NW. (202) 6675370. The Human Country Jukebox Band. 9 p.m. Free. madamsorgan.com.
classical kenneDy CenTer millennium STage 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. George Washington University Summer Music Institute. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center. org.
thursday Rock
blaCk CaT baCkSTage 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. Koshari, the Insect Factory. 7:30 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com. DC9 1940 9th St. NW. (202) 483-5000. Ezra Furman, J. Fernandez. 9 p.m. $12. dcnine.com.
birCHmere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. (703) 549-7500. Graham Nash. 7:30 p.m. $90.50. birchmere.com.
roCk & roll HoTel 1353 H St. NE. (202) 388-ROCK. Sara Curtin, Stranger in the Alps, The North Country. 8 p.m. $12. rockandrollhoteldc.com.
blaCk CaT baCkSTage 1811 14th St. NW. (202) 667-4490. The Effects, Savak, Joy Buttons. 7:30 p.m. $10. blackcatdc.com.
wolf Trap filene CenTer 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. (703) 255-1900. The Piano Guys. 8 p.m. $30–$125. wolftrap.org.
Jammin Java 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna. (703) 255-1566. Dan Navarro. 7:30 p.m. $20. jamminjava. com.
wolf Trap THeaTre-in-THe-wooDS 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. (703) 255-1900. Mil’s Trills. 10:30 a.m. $10. wolftrap.org.
Jiffy lube live 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow. (703) 754-6400. Steely Dan, Elvis Costello. 7 p.m. $32–$129.50. livenation.com.
ElEctRonic
wolf Trap THeaTre-in-THe-wooDS 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. (703) 255-1900. Sugar Free Allstars. 10:30 a.m. $8. wolftrap.org.
u STreeT muSiC Hall 1115 U St. NW. (202) 5881880. JayCeeOh, Riot Ten, Tripnotic. 10 p.m. $12. ustreetmusichall.com.
Funk & R&B
Jazz
boSSa biSTro 2463 18th St NW. 202-667-0088. Betsy and the Bicycles, Lennon English, the New Soul Republic. 9:30 p.m. $5. bossadc.com.
blueS alley 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 3374141. Freddy Cole Quartet. 8 p.m. & 10 p.m. $25. bluesalley.com.
CITY LIGHTS: MONDAY
JORGE DREXLER
Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler is best known to American audiences for “Al Otro Lado del Río,” a strummed and quietly sung Oscar-winning serenade from the 2004 movie The Motorcycle Diaries. A decade later, he dazzled fans of Spanish-language guitar pop with his well-received album Bailar en la Cueva. Drexler, who trained as a doctor, found musical inspiration when he took a break from medical school and hitchhiked through Brazil. His music reflects that visit, often combining pretty bossa nova melodies with Uruguayan ones. Drexler usually emphasizes acoustic folk sounds, but he’s also delicately covered Radiohead and added programmed electronic accents to some tracks. Recorded in Colombia, Bailar en la Cueva’s “Universos paralelos” features samba horn lines that dance over cumbia percussion and guest verses from Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux. On “Bolivia,” Drexler employs busy tango rhythms as he sings praise to the country that took his family in after they fled the Nazis. The deep emotions of his work will be on full display when he reaches the Birchmere. Jorge Drexler performs at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $35. (703) 549-7500. birchmere.com. —Steve Kiviat
washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 37
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birCHmere 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. (703) 549-7500. Kasey Chambers. 7:30 p.m. $35. birchmere.com. mr. Henry’S 601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. (202) 5468412. Jessica Stiles, Rickey Simpkins. 8 p.m. Free. mrhenrysdc.com.
Folk THe HamilTon 600 14th St. NW. (202) 787-1000. Loudon Wainwright III, Dean Fields. 7:30 p.m. $20–$28. thehamiltondc.com.
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boSSa biSTro 2463 18th St NW. 202-667-0088. Feedel Band. 8 p.m. $10. bossadc.com.
Vocal kenneDy CenTer millennium STage 2700 F St. NW. (202) 467-4600. Remembrance. 6 p.m. Free. kennedy-center.org.
Books
kimberly burge The author and journalist reads from her latest book, The Born Frees: Writing with the Girls of Gugulethu. Busboys & Poets 14th and V. 2021 14th St. NW. Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m. Free. (202) 387-7638. DaviD SeDariS The author and storyteller brings his comedic tales of growing up gay in North Carolina to Wolf Trap. Wolf Trap Filene Center. 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Aug. 2, 7 p.m. $25-$45. (703) 255-1900. miCHael DirDa The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and critic discusses his love of books in Browsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living With Books. Politics & Prose. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Aug. 5, 7 p.m. Free. (202) 364-1919.
SUN, AUGUST 2ND
an evening of HumorouS reaDingS Alexandria Petri of the Washington Post joins Washington Improv Theatre’s Richie Pepio and New Yorker contributor Carmen Machado for this night of giggle-enducing work. Brian Agler, who’s published in the New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and Splitsider, acts as the host. Kramerbooks and Afterwords Cafe. 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Aug. 3, 8 p.m. (202) 387-3825.
SHOW STARTS AT 730PM
Samuel fromarTz The author, an award winning amateur baker, explores his passion for homemade bread in In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker’s Odyssey. Busboys and Poets Takoma. 234 Carroll St. NW. Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m. Free. (202) 726-9525.
DOORS AT 8PM SHOW AT 9PM $15 COVER
ALEXX STARR COMEDY
MON, AUGUST 3RD
DISTRICT TRIVIA STARTS AT 730PM
TUES, AUGUST 4TH
LAST RESORT COMEDY
DOORS AT 630PM SHOW AT 7PM WEDS, AUGUST 5TH
DISTRICT TRIVIA
Carolyn iveS gilman The author reads from her latest science fiction volume, Dark Orbit. Politics & Prose. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Aug. 6, 7 p.m. Free. (202) 364-1919. laura Hankin In Hankin’s latest book, The Summertime Girls, two best friends, who have become estranged over the years, are forced to reconcile and confront their pasts during a family crisis. Kramerbooks and Afterwords Cafe. 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m. (202) 387-3825. Jeff HobbS Hobbs, a celebrated fiction writer, investigates the life and death of his Yale roommate in his latest nonfiction work, The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League. Politics & Prose. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. July 31, 7 p.m. Free. (202) 364-1919.
THURS, AUGUST 6TH
marione ingram The author, a Holocaust survivor, chronicles her involvement in the civil rights movement in her new book, The Hands of Peace. Busboys and Poets Takoma. 234 Carroll St. NW. Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m. Free. (202) 726-9525.
DOORS AT 730PM SHOW AT 830PM
naomi klein The syndicated columnist asks readers to reconsider their approach to the environment in her new book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate. Busboys and Poets Brookland. 625 Monroe St. NE. Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m. Free.
STARTS AT 730PM
UNDERGROUND COMEDY
1523 22nd St NW – Washington, DC 20037 (202) 293-1887 - www.bierbarondc.com @bierbarondc.com for news and events
Jennifer STeil The author, a former journalist, reads from her first novel, The Ambassador’s Wife, which chronicles the life of an artist who finds her opportunities limited when she marries a British ambassador.
38 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
CITY LIGHTS: TUESDAY
“DIHISCENT” With wall space at a premium in D.C. these days, you’re not going to see the entirety of a gallery’s holdings if you just walk through its storefront. The creative minds at Addison/ Ripley Fine Art remedied that problem by creating a new show from the stuff in their storage unit, the artistic equivalent of rediscovering an outfit buried in the back of your closet. For this exhibition, the gallery has uncovered a colorful and sculptural piece by local treasure Sam Gilliam (pictured), a bold 1960s floral print by Alex Katz, and some recent images by D.C.-based photographer E. Brady Robinson. The works in the show don’t have much in common besides their gallery ownership; some were traded, some were gifted, and some were bought. The organizers hope to provide visitors with a history of the gallery and some insight into how collectors acquire and display art, while allowing guests to make connections and discoveries of their own. The exhibition is on view Tuesdays through Fridays 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., to Aug. 21, at Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 1670 Wisconsin Ave. NW. —Caroline Jones Free. (202) 338-5180. addisonripleyfineart.com. Politics & Prose. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Aug. 3, 7 p.m. Free. (202) 364-1919. aaTiSH TaSeer The author chronicles four decades of Indian and Pakistani history in his latest novel, The Way Things Were. Politics & Prose. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Aug. 4, 7 p.m. Free. (202) 364-1919.
Galleries
aDDiSon/ripley fine arT 1670 Wisconsin Ave. NW. (202) 338-5180. addisonripleyfineart.com. OngOing: “dihiscent: out of the closet & off the walls.” The gallery pulls some beloved and well-known works out of storage and showcases them on the walls for this new group exhibition. July 15–Aug. 21. arlingTon arTS CenTer 3550 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. (703) 248-6800. arlingtonartscenter.org. OngOing: “Play.” Games and toys are examined through the lens of contemporary art in this group show that aims to engage viewers of all ages. July 11–Oct. 10. arTiSpHere 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. (703) 875-1100. artisphere.com. ClOsing: “Bruised.” Local animator Safwat Saleem and WAMU’s Rebecca Sheir curate this new participatory art project that invites visitors to share their stories of defeat. Saleem will then animate the stories and display them on screens throughout the building. April 15–July 31.
aTHenaeum 201 Prince St., Alexandria. (703) 548-0035. nvfaa.org. OngOing: “Fields of Energy.” Abstract works by David Carlson and Pat Goslee, painters who are very concerned with spiritual exploration. July 23–Sept. 6. brenTwooD arTS exCHange 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood. (301) 277-2863. arts.pgparks. com. Opening: “Ellen Cornett.” After winning Project America’s Next Top Master Artist contest, Cheverlybased artist Cornett presents a variety of work in this solo show. Aug. 3–Sept. 26. DC arTS CenTer 2438 18th St. NW. (202) 462-7833. dcartscenter.org. OngOing: DCAC members and amateur artists display their own work at this annual celebration of experimental and inventive art. July 10–Aug. 30. HempHill fine arTS 1515 14th St. NW. (202) 2345601. hemphillfinearts.com. ClOsing: “William Christenberry.” Images of rural Alabama by the American photographer. June 10–Aug. 1. Honfleur gallery 1241 Good Hope Road SE. (202) 365-8392. honfleurgallery.com. OngOing: “8th Annual East of the River Exhibition.” Works by artists living and working in Wards 7 and 8 are selected by a panel of jurors and displayed at this annual exhibition. July 10–Aug. 28. viviD SoluTionS gallery 1231 Good Hope Road SE. (202) 365-8392. vividsolutionsdc.com. OngOing:
“Innocent Eyes of Tierra Bomba.” Photographs of the remote Colombian island by Jonathan French, winner of the 2014 East of the River Distinguished Artist Award. July 10–Aug. 28.
dance furia flamenCa The company expands Recordando La Alhambra, a piece first presented at the 2014 Intersections Festival, that explores how Islamic culture intersected with the Spanish world in Granada. Dance Place. 3225 8th St. NE. Aug. 2, 7 p.m.; Aug. 1, 8 p.m. $15-$30. (202) 269-1600. danceplace.org. kankouran weST afriCan DanCe Company The company tells stories from West Africa through movement, music, and colorful costumes. Wolf Trap Theatre-in-the-Woods. 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Aug. 4, 10:30 a.m. $8. (703) 255-1900. wolftrap.org.
theater aliCe in wonDerlanD The classic story comes to life in this abbreviated adaptation presented by the Pushcart Players. Wolf Trap Theatre-in-the-Woods. 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. To Aug. 1. $10. (703) 2551900. wolftrap.org. ameriCan moor In this one-man show, acclaimed actor Keith Hamilton Cobb explores race in America by using Shakespeare’s famous moor, Othello, as a metaphor. Cobb’s play also examines diversity, the state of American theater, and unadulterated love. Anacostia Playhouse. 2020 Shannon Place SE. To Aug. 16. $15-$25. (202) 544-0703. anacostiaplayhouse.com. THe book of mormon The Broadway musical about two missionaries and their misadventures in Africa arrives at the Kennedy Center for an extended summer stay. Kennedy Center Opera House. 2700 F St.
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CITY LIGHTS: WEDNESDAY
BETSY AND THE BICYCLES
The big question in early August is whether to seek an opportunity to cool down or to embrace the inevitable sweat. This Wednesday, Bossa offers a fine compromise—the chance to boogie to a lineup of D.C. funk and soul outfits while sipping on a refreshing caipirinha. The night includes sets from Betsy and the Bicycles, a District-formed funk band with original tunes that recently played a sold-out July show on a barge at the Gangplank Marina. Also on the docket: singer-songwriter Lennon English, who’ll play with the New Soul Republic. English creates the kind of rhythmic, percussive music that might play in a movie as someone walks with purpose down a metropolitan street, lost in intent thought. Need a perfect pick-up line to practice for the evening’s festivities? Here’s a free one: “Is that sweat on your shirt or did you just slosh a drink all over yourself?” Betsy and the Bicycles perform with Katie McD and Lennon English and the New Soul Republic at 9:30 p.m. at —Rachel Kurzius Bossa Bistro, 2463 18th St. NW. $5. (202) 667-0088. bossadc.com.
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washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 39
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NW. To Aug. 16. $43-$250. 202-467-4600. kennedycenter.org. Dear evan HanSen In this moving musical, Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect) stars as a man who appears to have a perfect life—a beautiful girlfriend, a happy family, and a chance to finally fit in—but his secrets threaten the life he’s built. Tony Award nominee Michael Greif directs this new piece about how we survive in a modern world. Arena Stage. 1101 6th St. SW. To Aug. 23. $40-$100. (202) 488-3300. arenastage.org. THe iSlanD This South African play, devised by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona, explores the physical and psychological torture suffered by black political prisoners during Apartheid through the guide of a performance of Antigone. MetroStage honors the play’s 30th anniversary with this production directed by Thomas W. Jones II. MetroStage. 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria. To Aug. 2. $50-$55. (703) 548-9044. metrostage.org.
a miDSummer nigHT’S Dream Synetic revives its acclaimed, acrobatic adaptation of the Shakespearean comedy featuring a stubborn donkey, confused lovers, and a tyrannical fairy. Synetic Theater at Crystal City. 1800 South Bell St., Arlington. To Aug. 9. $10-$50. (800) 494-8497. synetictheater.org. onCe An Irish musician meets a young piano player in this romantic, Tony Award-winning musical based on the film by John Carney. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. 2700 F St. NW. To Aug. 16. $65-$135. (202) 467-4600. kennedy-center.org. SHear maDneSS Enjoy the record-breaking comedy whodunit that lets the audience spot the clues, question the suspects and solve the funniest murder mystery in the annals of crime, now celebrating 25 years at the Kennedy Center. Kennedy Center Theater Lab. 2700 F St. NW. To December 31. $48. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org.
leT THem eaT CHaoS Chicago’s legendary Second City comedy company presents another lively satire of American culture and politics in a subversive manner. Woolly Mammoth Theatre. 641 D St. NW. To Aug. 2. $35-$68. (202) 393-3939. woollymammoth.net.
SilenCe! THe muSiCal The cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling, and Buffalo Bill sing and dance in this musical adaptation of the Academy Award-winning film. Studio Theatre. 1501 14th St. NW. To Aug. 9. $20-$40. (202) 332-3300. studiotheatre.org.
leTo legenD Charlie works as a writer and a mother, while managing some work as a superhero on the side. Find out how she manages to do it all and whether she’ll find a way to control her work in this comedy by Kristen LePine. The Hub Theatre at John Swayze Theatre. 9431 Silver King Court, Fairfax. To Aug. 2. $20-$30. (703) 674-3177. thehubtheatre.org.
Sweeney ToDD: THe Demon barber of fleeT STreeT prog meTal verSion The rock-infused musical theater company revives its adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical about a murderous barber who turns his customers into meat pies. Atlas Performing Arts Center. 1333 H St. NE. To Aug. 2. $29. (202) 399-7993. atlasarts.org.
august Frank's Night Out
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Sat. Aug. 8 VI-KINGS Wed. Aug. 12
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40 july 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
CITY LIGHTS: THURSDAY
DELTA SPIRIT Legend has it that Delta Spirit frontman Matt Vasquez was discovered while busking on a bench in the wee hours of the morning. Whether or not that’s pure folklore is debatable, but knowing him, it’s possible. His band is trending further away from heartland-loving Americana music à la the Kings of Leon or My Morning Jacket, leaning toward a more polished, pop-friendly sound. Still, Vasquez is one of the wiliest frontmen around, and he’s got the boundless energy of an early-’80s Bono. His pep has been significantly toned down on the band’s more recent records, especially last year’s Into the Wide. But no matter if Delta Spirit is playing a twangy track from its debut record Ode to Sunshine or one of its newer, more straightforward rock anthems, you can count on Vasquez to sing as if his life depended on it. Perhaps, years ago, if the legend is true, it actually would have. Delta Spirit performs at 8 p.m. at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. $25–$30. (202) —Dean Essner 408-3100. sixthandi.org.
THiS lime Tree bower In Conor McPherson’s play, three young men meet on the coast of Ireland to recall events that changed their lives forever. Jack Sparbori directs this dark comedy about the human condition. Quotidian Theatre Company at The Writer’s Center. 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. To Aug. 9. $15-$30. (301) 816-1023. quotidiantheatre.org. Twelve angry men For it’s last production, American Century Theater revives the first play it ever produced. The cast includes members of the 1994 production as well as performers from other American Century plays over the years. Jack Marshall returns to direct. American Century Theater at Gunston Theatre Two. 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington. To Aug. 8. $32-$40. (703) 998-4555. americancentury.org. TxT Brian Feldman presents this interactive show in which he reads anonymous online messages sent from audience members every Sunday in 2015. Anything goes in terms of subject matter and profanity, so arrive with no expectations. American Poetry Museum. 716 Monroe St. #25. To December 27. $15-$20. (800) 8383006. txtshow.brownpapertickets.com.
FilM
amy The tragically short life of singer Amy Winehouse is chronicled in this sensitive documentary from filmmaker Asif Kapadia. (See washingtoncitypaper. com for venue information) anT-man A con man in possession of a suit that allows him to shrink to the size of an ant must decide to use his power for good in order to help his mentor in this action flick based on the Marvel comic book. Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) CarTel lanD Matthew Heineman’s stirring documentary looks at the Mexican illegal drug trade, the United States’ border policies, and the complicated relationship between the nations. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) Do i SounD gay? In this lively documentary, journalist David Thorpe investigates the origins of so-called “gay voice” by talking to celebrated gay icons including Dan Savage, George Takei, and Tim Gunn. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) irraTional man In Woody Allen’s latest film, a depressed college professor seeks meaning in his life. He considers killing a corrupt judge to find some peace but instead builds a relationship with a much younger student. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) Jimmy’S Hall This British drama chronicles the life and subsequent deportation to America of Jimmy Gralton, a leader of the precursor to the Irish Communist Party. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) lego briCkumenTary Learn about the n aorigins of every kid’s favorite Danish building blocks and view some truly stunning Lego creations in this new documentary from Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson. Actor Jason Bateman narrates and celebrities, including musician Ed Sheeran and basketball star Dwight Howard, provide their own comments. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) THe look of SilenCe An optometrist whose n brother was killed in the Indonesian genocide seeks closure in this documentary from Joshua Oppenheimer. He finds it by confronting one of his patients, who was involved in his brother’s death. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) minionS The lovable yellow creatures from the Despicable Me movies are recruited by an evil villain to help her take over the world in this silly sequel featuring the voices of Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, and Sandra Bullock. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) impoSSible—rogue naTion As in n miSSion: the four previous films, Ethan Hunt and his team are tasked with ending a group of evildoers. This time, the bad guys are determined to destroy the International Monetary Fund. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)
mr. HolmeS Ian McKellan puts yet another spin on the Sherlock Holmes series in this crime drama, which finds the aged detective struggling to put together the clues of his last case. Co-starring Laura Linney and Milo Parker. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)
“
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ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF THE YEAR!”
noma Summer SCreen Free, thirteen week outdoor film series set Storey Park. This year’s theme is “Dance, Dance, Dance” and the line-up includes Dirty Dancing, Center Stage, Bride & Prejudice, Flashdance, Strictly Ballroom, Grease, Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, Singing in the Rain, Save the Last Dance, Moulin Rouge, Stomp the Yard, and Footloose. Storey Park. 1005 First Street, NE, Washington. nomabid.org/ noma-summer-screen.
“
POWERFUL! JAKE GYLLENHAAL GIVES A
VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE . RACHEL McADAMS IS EXPLOSIVELY GOOD.”
paper TownS A young man reconnects with his mysterious next door neighbor on a high-spirited late night road trip. When she disappears immediately after, it’s up to him to figure out where she went and figure out how to solve the problems he encounters. Starring Cara Delavingne and Nat Wolff. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)
-PETER TRAVERS
pixelS Aliens assume the form of classic video game characters and attack unsuspecting citizens in this comedic caper starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Peter Dinklage. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) roSSlyn ouTDoor film feSTival Every Friday night, just across the Key Bridge in Virginia, outdoor cinema takes the centerstage. This year’s LOL Fridays lineup includes Wedding Crashers, Mean Girls, Happy Gilmore, Tommy Boy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, When Harry Met Sally, Anchorman, Clueless, The Big Lebowski, Austin Powers, The Hangover, Despicable Me, and Zoolander. Gateway Park. 1300 Lee Highway, Arlington. (703) 228-6525. rosslynva.org/events. A Senegalese refuge begins to build n aSamba life in Paris, only to face deportation after a bureaucratic error. Determined to fight his sentence, he turns to an immigration officer for help. Starring Omar Sy and Charlotte Gainsbourg. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF TRAINING DAY AND THE EQUALIZER WRITTEN BY
KURT SUTTER
DIRECTED BY
ANTOINE FUQUA
FEATURING ORIGINAL NEW MUSIC FROM EMINEM
NOW PLAYING AT THEATERS EVERYWHERE CHECK DIRECTORIES FOR SHOWTIMES - NO PASSES ACCEPTED
SHaun THe SHeep The popular British animated n character comes to the big screen in this film, which finds Shaun and his friends lost in the Big City ans struggling to find their way back to the farm. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) SouTHpaw After experiencing great personal tragedy, a down on his luck boxer, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, turns to a tough coach, played by Forest Whitaker, to help turn his life around. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) STanforD priSon experienCe In this n THe dramatized version of the well known psychology experiment, 24 students assume the roles of guards and prisoners in this trial executed in the basement of the university’s psychology building. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) Tangerine A transgender prostitute and her best friend set out to take on the pimp who cheated on them in this upbeat dramedy from director Sean S. Baker. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) TrainwreCk A career-driven writer, played by Amy Schumer, swears off commitment until interviewing the one person who might make her change her mind. Judd Apatow directs this comedy that also features Bill Hader and LeBron James. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information) vaCaTion In this reboot of the classic Chevy Chase film, a family’s vacation to the Wally World theme park hits some snags along the way. Ed Helms and Christina Applegate star as the exhausted parents leading the road trip. (See washingtoncitypaper.com for venue information)
Film clips are written by Caroline Jones. washingtoncitypaper.com july 31, 2015 41
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NOTICE! to all Municipalities. Local and National Governments. STATES. U.S. Agents. Attorney’s. Corporations. Persons. Vessels. Counties. Militaries. Courts. United States of America. UNITED STATES. UNITED NATIONS. and to Territories in Possession of UNITED STATES. United States d/b/a Department of Home Land Security. United States Treasury Department. United Nations and United Nations Security Council. Vatican. Indian tribes, Associated Bands and Clans. The following election to Occupy the Offi ce of Executor for ALDRIC ANTONINO GRANDY Estate was held in the City and state of New York, County of Queens on August 27 1963. For which “I” Aldric Antonino tribe Grandy, a Native American , A man standing on the land Amexem/North America. I have now accepted the position of Institutional Executor, and General Protectorate of the divine Estate gifted and granted me by the Divine Creator. Therefore, I affirm and declare that upon occupying this offi ce, I will not be responsible for the payments of any debts or obligations of the United States of America and neither for any payments or Obligations of any debts for any United States Person/citizen. by, Aldric Antonino tribe Grandy Executor info. AAGrandy@yahoo.com
NOTICE! to all Municipalities. Local and National Governments. STATES. U.S. Agents. Attorney’s. Corporations. Persons. Vessels. Counties. Militaries. Courts. United States of America. UNITED STATES. UNITED NATIONS. and to Territories in Possession of UNITED STATES. United States d/b/a Department of Home Land Security. United States Treasury Department. United Nations and United Nations Security Council. Vatican. Indian tribes, Associated Bands and Clans. The following election to Occupy the Offi ce of Executor for CHARLES H YIM Estate was held in the City of Takoma Park, County Montgomery, State of Maryland on January 16 1975. For which “I” Charles H tribe Yim, a Native American , A man standing on the land Amexem/North America. I have now accepted the position of Institutional Executor, and General Protectorate of the divine Estate gifted and granted me by the Divine Creator. Therefore, I affirm and declare that upon occupying this offi ce, I will not be responsible for the payments of any debts or obligations of the United States of America and neither for any payments or Obligations of any http://www.washingtoncidebts for any United States Pertypaper.com/ son/citizen. by, Charles H tribe Yim EX in fo.Ch a rle shY im e s t a t e @ un seen.is
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NOTICE OF INTENT TO ENTER A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT Carahsoft Software E.L. Haynes Public Charter School intends to enter into a sole source contract with Carahsoft to provide Salesforce.com licenses to operate the school’s student information system (SIS). E.L. Haynes partnered with Acumen Solutions to build SchoolForce, a customized SIS on the SalesForce platform. During development, Acumen negotiated the content and price for the specialized licenses needed to operate the SIS. These specialized licenses are now available through only one vendor, Carahsoft. Mechanics’ Lien: 2003 Toyota VIN# 1NXBR32E93Z153994 Sale to be held: August 15, 2015 at 10a.m. On the premises of: 4700 Cremen Rd., Temple Hills, MD 20748.
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Homes for Sale
“Golden Pond” Retreat! This gorgeous, contemporary, custom-built home is the finest waterfront value in the area. Nestled among beautifully landscaped gardens and a forested double-lot on quiet and pristine Lake Lariat, Lusby, MD, it affords privacy and direct access to a private pier from the backyard. The perfect slice-of-paradise for fi shing, boating, swimming and all-around relaxation. Meticulously cared for and maintained by the original, owner/builder. Click on link for virtual tour. Offered at $424, 900. Lender pre-approval or proof-of-funds necessary for viewing. MLS# CA8691347. Call (410) 394-6533 for appointment. 641 Yosemite Lane, Lusby, MD. http://youtu.be/cbv70cMgTPQ
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Escape the hectic; retreat to “Golden Pond”! This gorgeous, contemporary, custom-built home is the finest waterfront value in the area. Nestled among beautifully landscaped gardens and a forested double-lot on quiet and clean Lake Lariat, it affords privacy and direct access to the pier from the backyard. Perfect slice-of-paradise for fi shing, boating, swimming and all-around relaxation. Meticulously cared for and maintained by the original, owner/ builder. Offered at: $424,900. Lender pre-approval or proofof-funds necessary for viewing. Call (410) 394-6533 for appointment. Click on link for virtual tour: https://picasaweb.google. http://www.washingtcom/101984504897425393518/ oncitypaper.com/ M o v i e s ? f e a t = e mail#6175622290707473650
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Education
42 July 31, 2015 washingtoncitypaper.com
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Management/ Professional Senior Manager, New Business Development (PSI in Washington, DC): Manage bus. proposal dev’t & fundraising worldwide targeting private, gov’t, bilateral & multilateral donors focused on public health for dev. countries. Provide tech assistance to the field prgms for proposal writing, budgeting, dev’t/capacity bldg; dvlp relationships & negotiate teaming agrmts. w/partner orgs.; create bus. & mktg prgms promoting public health. dvlp long-term revenue diversification strategy incl. innovative fin. mechanisms & social enterprises to launch platforms for fin. sustainability on a global scale & w/wide social impact. *** Reqs.: MBA, MPA, MPH, MIR deg or rltd field & 24 mos. exp in global public health bus. planning & dev’t or a rltd field; demonstrated exp w/ gov’t & private grants/donors; Travel to dev. countries (30%). Submit cvr/res online to PSI at recruitment2015@psi.org incl. Sr. Mgr. NBD in subj. line.
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Government Positions
826DC arts education non-profi t hiring FT Programs Assistant. Must want to work with students of all ages. See 826dc. org for more info.
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Out with the
RCM of Washington is looking for in-home supports (non-live in) to support adults with intellectual disabilities. Currently, we are seeking inhome supports for 2 people. One enthusiastic young lady who has an affections for dogs and in particular Labradors who is seeking volunteer opportunities. One young man who has an affection for the Middle East, shopping, working out and enjoys social activities. All interested applicants must provide proof of valid CPR First Aid Certifi cations. Candidates must be at least 21 and a high school graduate or GED and proof of such. All candidates will be required to pass a drug test and background check with the ability to obtain a physical. If interested in this position, please apply directly to dhernandez@rcmof washington. com. Please no phone calls.
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27 Time traveler’s destination 28 Yokel’s laugh 29 Chapter 22 30 John Green book reader, likely 31 Basic story 32 Auction units 33 Honolulu International Airport island 34 Random guess 35 Tone ___ 36 Contributions to the poor 41 Told all 42 Letters under a 0 43 Like no-tell motels and restaurants with mice in the kitchen 44 Jedi’s “skill” 48 Get up 49 Ooze, as charm 50 One of ten in bowling 51 Acidic 52 Smartphone messages that aren’t emails, IMs, tweets, or Snapchats 53 Lend, for the moment 54 Opus played one in “Bloom County” 55 Pinnacle 56 Adjusted the levels 58 Running wild 61 Based ___ T.R.U. Story (2 Chainz album)
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D R I L L T T E A A O M
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C H E F D O R E S T A T S I E T E D N I T E D J R E E B U S A P D G E T U S O T P A I S L R S E
S M U R F
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Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual’s income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being. We believe that reproductive self-determination must be voluntary and preserve the individual’s right to privacy. We further believe that such self-determination will contribute to an enhancement of the quality of life and strong family relationships. Planned Parenthood Federation of America is seeking for a Front Desk Concierge in our Washington DC location, whose main responsibility will be managing the reception desk. The candidate must be experience in security management or a related fi eld. The ideal candidate will be familiar with building evacuation plans, have local law enforcement contacts. He /she will possess certifi cation in CPR and AED, prepare incident/accident reports, and contact law enforcement on matters requiring assistance. Additionally, he/she will assist PPFA in securing confidential records, documents and communications. Planned Parenthood Federation of America is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory work environment. Planned Parenthood of America does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Planned Parenthood Federation of America is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, customer focus, and innovation. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
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Tickets for Sale FOR SALE - 2 tickets to the Aug 19 Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons show at WolfTrap @ $189.99 per ticket; located in the Front Orchestra, Row D, center section. Sold as a pair. Cash only. Please call Joe at 703-969-2724.
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Lost & Found
LOST Green-Cheek Conure (small green parrot) from New Hampshire Ave & T St. NW area of Dupont. Her name is Razzle. She is very sweet & tame. Our family is not the same without her. Please, if you have any information about her whereabouts, please contact us at: 202-210-7882
Washington, DC — The summer sizzles as Broadway at CHEC, Life Success Center, Tree Theater Works, and D.O.E.S. premiere SET IT OFF THE MUSICAL by Raquis Da’Juan Petree. A tale of survival that made us laugh, cry, and relate to the times comes to the light. This production will surely be loved by the masses. We aren’t only extremely proud to bring you this marvelous show but we are proud to showcase some amazing talent and youth right here in the DMV. Along with Hollywood actor Khalil Kain of JUICE, Girlfriends, For Colored Girls. THIS SHOW IS FREE! August 6 & 7 - youth groups at 11am August 6 & 7 - Public at 7pm August 8 - Public 2pm and 7pm
“NEW MA” Stage Play. Written by D.Dee Hunter Summer break is just 48 hours away and siblings; Trina is excited about attending her best friend’s end of the school year party. Marcus can’t wait to attend Basketball Camp, and Muffin doesn’t care about summer break, she only wants a puppy. However, when Mom can no longer tolerate the children avoiding their chores, ignoring her instructions and bickering, she takes away the kids privileges. Angered that Mom has put a halt on their summer plans, the kids agree that if they could trade in their mom for a New Ma, they would be much happier! (Staring: Jasmine Franklin, Drew Tillman, Michelle Aguilar, Syrea Brown, Saint John McFadden). NEW MA premier at the UNDERCROFT THEATRE, August 9th (3PM & 5PM Show times) $10 TICKETS: http://on-point.ticketleap.com/new-ma/details
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Musical Instruction/ Classes
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Volunteer Services Defend abortion rights. Washington Area Clinic Defense Task Force (WACDTF) needs volunteer clinic escorts Saturday mornings, weekdays. Trainings, other info:202-681-6577, http://www. wacdtf.org, wacdtf@wacdtf.org.
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washingtoncitypaper.com July 31, 2015 43
Presents
Located at The Park At CityCenter 11th & New York Ave NW
Seating begins at 7:00 PM Movies begin at dusk.
r e d n a l o o Z 6 / 8 s l ir G 7/30- Mean y r o T s G in d n e r e v 8/13- The ne *
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