Science! Psuedo-science! Nature! Art! Nonsense!
March 23, 2025
art aer, banksy, basquiat, dc, hirshhorn, kandinsky, washington, washington dc Leave a comment
Honestly it is way more fun to see art with Romey. While she was slaving away in class, I went to see art. Please don’t tell.
I am still super pleased by the lift the Hirshhorn has experienced under its new leadership. Yes please. Keep it up.
From the permanent collection.
Kandinsky
Detail
Before Basquiat
Three dimensions
Our old pal Laurie in permanence.
And then a special treat in the basement…
September 26, 2024
concert, music 8, anthem, art, concert, dc, hoppipolla, iceland, live music, music, original music, photography, sigur ros, stralafur, untitled 1, untitled 5, video, washington dc 2 Comments
Ethereal. Scandanavian. As deep as the ocean. You can get all of those things without seeing Sigur Ros live, but when you do. Just wow.
We started our evening this time at The Grill on the wharf. Of the three restaurants we’ve been too lately, it is the best. That’s not saying that much though. Hanks Oyster bar needs work. La Vida is workaday. And The Grill? One notch over workaday. This is what happens when good restaurants are “suburbanized” for new development. Alas.
But really who cares when there is a band in from Iceland? With an orchestra.
The anthem was dressed for a concert with seating everywhere.
The show was out of this world. Well more like it was of this world in a different cultural context. We need more feels like this in the modern American experience.
It started with 8.
And it didn’t pick up from there as much as settle in. Even the tech bro in the row behind us shut up and ate his words.
There were some crowdpleasers (songs that we love too), but the songs from () were excellent.
And the song you’ve all been waiting for…
An evening to remember.
September 23, 2024
animals, concert, fashion anthem, concert, dc, mi vida, original music, restaurant, st vincent, the wharf, washington dc Leave a comment
It started with corn-shaped cornbread and slightly-too-sweet cocktails, so what do you expect? It ended earlier than planned due to some virus from Ohio.
St Vincent put on a hella show at the Anthem, GA was non-optimal but we went way up high in the stands and that was a good call. So much more produced and click-tracky than the other shows we have seen this summer. St Vincent is almost ready for arena rock.
Was it Spinal Tap??
Sadly, we opted to head home before New York. But it was a good thing we did. That virus from Ohio was a doozy.
September 14, 2024
art, concert, music backstreets, born to run, bruce springsteen, dancing in the dark, darkness at the edge of town, dc, hungry heart, i'll see you in my dreams, live music, lonesome day, long walk home, nationals park, photography, Rock and Roll, springsteen, stadium show, tenth avenue freeze-out, the rising, video, washington dc 1 Comment
Lots of pictures and videos from our recent visit to Nationals stadium to hear some rock and roll. Springsteen does not disappoint (especially if you happen to be a long time fan). This show was originally scheduled for 2023 but was postponed a year. Our original plan was scrapped, and we went to the show with Julia and Porter (down from Boston).
Bruce started playing just as I made it to the front of the cocktail line. Yeah, there were “cocktails” of sort.
Our seats were excellent.
Springsteen has so many hits.
Clippy…
The crowd was pleased.
And the 37th encore…
And then we walked part way back with 40,000 of our best buddies.
March 24, 2024
art art, artomatic, cyn, dc, emily, emily shepardson, mercy me, painting, prints, romey, washington dc Leave a comment
Of course we’re biased! I mean, that’s why we came. Here’s the acquisition:
Emily Shepardson’s work stands out in the Artomatic chaos, for sure.
This year, Artomatic was spread over 8 floors in the old social security administration building. (Our previous Artomatic run was twelve years earlier in crystal city. We were all so innocent then.)
We found ourselves starting in Emily’s pod on four in the blue quadrant, down a hallway.
But we’re here for the art—well, Emily’s art. We’re here for Emily’s art.
(Cyn bits.)
Look, its the artist.
Buy some Emily for yourself. No really. You think art supports itself?
So anyway, we had to wander the halls for hours. The mix is very mixy. Like a platypus. Who put a duck bill on what?! It lays eggs and has milk? Electric sensory organs?!
The Barbie compass led the way.
There were installations.
There was after before before.
Ant knew immediately that this guy is a real artist. By instinct alone.
There was before after after.
There was too much day-glo. We failed to capture any of it in bits.
You can dance if you want to. Like its the ’20s.
The cookie cutters.
Romey found fabric and lines.
Disco sucks.
It all started melting together.
Sometimes funny.
Sometimes boozy.
Sometimes in need of a good Spring cleaning.
Escape velocity was eventually achieved.
P.S. Mercy Me should be named “Lord Have Mercy Me” or maybe “Just Take It”. Too many hipsters per square inch makes it more of a scene than a restaurant. Gonna flash in that pan. Poof!
March 19, 2024
concert, music 9:30 club, concert, dc, ghetto matrix, heart's a lonely hunter, lebanese blond, live music, thievery corporation, washington dc 1 Comment
Though we arrived at 9:45, the line for the 10pm show snaked around the block. The show started well after 10:30. It was great. We were right up front, dancing and singing for most of the show.
Lebanese Blond
Thievery brought along all the singers. Sadly, David Byrne didn’t make an appearance.
The Heart’s a Lonely Hunter
Lights
Reggea
Ghetto Matrix
Random
February 23, 2024
concert, music baby let me follow you down, bob dylan, cat power, concert, dc, like a rolling stone, lincoln threater, live music, tell me momma, washington dc 2 Comments
Heading into DC for a show is always fun. This time, Romey and I headed to Lincoln Theater to see someone named Cat play a bunch of songs written and performed almost 60 years earlier by someone named Bob.
The songs, by now, have become quite famous. Rhine and I play a bunch of them together and have done for years.
Here is a snippet of Like a Rolling Stone (the last song)
But before that, we made a highly-recommended stop at Busboys and Poets for some food and drink. Delicious and socially conscious at the same time.
The cocktail was named after Langston Hughes. The pie was absolutely completely unnecessary.
The band was quite fantastic, that is really what I think. Finally, electric! Tell me, momma.
And that was after a kind of longish acoustic set. Harmonica thresholds may have been exceeded.
Baby let me follow you down.
The interlude.
All in all, a great show. Sure would be great if DC learned how to dance though.
March 9, 2023
art, photography art, art museum, chagall, kandinsky, kreeger, mondrian, monet, museum, romey, sculpture, washington, washington dc Leave a comment
On a windy but very clear crisp Spring day, we visited the Kreeger—a small but excellent collection in an interesting architectural space. Chagall, Monet, Picasso, Kandinsky (though the wrong periods), and some very interesting Mondrian are among the finds. What a stunning place to have lived. Must be nice to be an insurance plutocrat!
Ghost Romey in the jungle.
Romey’s favorite, this Picasso woman.
The architecture is 1960’s modern, but still very tasteful and beautiful.
The light on Piet.
Outside was chilly but likewise very well structured.
A series of “wrong” Kandinsky. Late and early, but no just right. Where is Goldilocks when you need her?
This gallery has the feeling of a japanese dojo.
The wind was perfect.
Still.
Motion.
The Kreeger efinitely well worth a visit.
January 9, 2023
art, museum, photography art, art museum, dc, eli, eli mcgraw, Rubell, rubell museum, washington dc Leave a comment
Eli (the resident artist at my house) and I went to the brand new Rubell Museum in DC on the solstice. It was excellent: well curated, beautifully displayed, provocative, and socially relevant. Go visit for yourself.
The sexual revolution will be YouTubed
Over the Rainbow
Goat in a pot. This one is hilarious and very surprizing.
Angel penis for the win
Yin/Yang angel/devil
Eli at the end of the rainbow.
September 11, 2022
art, film, music, photography andy mackay, avalon, bryan ferry, concert, jealous guy, live music, more than this, new york, phil manzanera, romey, roxy music, slow disco, st vincent, to turn you on, washington dc, while my heart is still beating 2 Comments
The Roxy Music show in DC was excellent and fun. St Vincent opened up (and not many of the audience members knew her stuff). We rocked out. Here are some bits.
We parked at the arena (though it cost some $$$ it was way worth it as we drove directly out in under 2 minutes). We arrived early enough to buy a very bad gin and tonic from the sports betting center on the corner before the show.
We were in the venue about 30 minutes before the show. Row 12!
St Vincent played lots of material from her new album.
New York
Only mother fucker in the city…
Slow disco.
The stage change took about 25 minutes. And it was worth the wait.
ROXY MUSIC in the house!
The show began with Avalon interstitial into Re-Make/Re-Model.
A guitar solo by Phil Manzanera.
Bryan Ferry was full of energy during this show.
Andy Mackay on woodwinds.
The guitar gets wild
While My Heart is Still Beating
Roxy gets psychedelic.
As does Romey! You go girl.
Many of the interludes were beautiful in just the right Roxy way.
One of our all time favorites To Turn You On
The Main Thing
The crowd was into it. And the visuals were just as much of the experience at the music. One guy in front of us knew every word of every song.
An all time favorite (though honestly I would rather play this than listen to it), More Than This.
Romey captures some bits.
And a very much great version of Avalon (though, don’t be the asshole who talks over this song).
The Warhol set was awesome
Jealous Guy
Congrats on 50 years of being a band, Roxy Music! You guys still rock.
