Charm City Rollergirls v. DC Rollergirls – Dulles Sportsplex, 9/27/08

I went to Dulles on Saturday afternoon and fell in love with my childhood all over again. I knew I was in the right place when my “Some girl’s mothers are bigger than other girl’s mothers,” 2K Gingham, Smiths inspired t-shirt was immediately noted by a DC Rollergirls volunteer. Cool chicks are always a win in my book, indeed!

To backtrack, as you probably know if you’ve ever come by the blog, I spend most of my weekends engaging in the carny enterprise of pro wrestling. I’m a manager, and, given that I tend to do this all the time, from as far north and west as Pittsburgh, and as far south as the Carolinas over the past six years, I’m apparently good at what I do. Not endangering Wrestlemania awesome, but good enough to make you want to pay a pretty good amount of money to watch someone take my head clear off my shoulders. Point being, I’ve been a fan of carny stuff all my life. Be it circuses, magicians, wrestling, and, one of my personal favorites, Roller Derby. I was introduced to this wild and crazy world at about the age of 7 or 8, as, on the NBC affiliate here in DC, at 6 AM in the morning for two years, they showed the Famous Los Angeles T-Birds, with my favorite, “Rockin'” Ralphie Valladares, a pint-sized spark plug of a Puerto Rican man, and a whole cast of big haired bouffant women, black men with Jheri curls that Rick James and Michael Jackson would kill for, and wow could they fight. The scrapped and punched and kicked and skated and somehow points were scored, and at the end of the hour, “Rockin'” Ralphie always had to come through on a jam to win the game and save the day. As I got older, the carny nature of most activities were explained to me by my mother, who was all for crushing my hopes of ever wanting to get involved in any of that “garbage,” but, it’s always held a place in my heart.

My heart was smashed to pieces with the latter Rollergames and Roller Jam, the early and late 90s attempts at recussitating roller derby on national television. Roller Jam’s predecessor in it’s time slot on TNN was cult hit Extreme Championship Wrestling which always had a tongue in cheek way with everything, and heel –bad guy — manager Cyrus, a ‘network rep,’ always got massive heat with the crowd by proclaiming that RRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLERRRRRRRRRJAAAAAAAAMMMMM was forthcoming, a none too slight shot at the quality of the program.

Roller derby in premise is fantastic. Take people, put them on skates, and have them skate around an oval, using hockey-esque fore and back checking to prevent one lone person from getting to the head of the pack in a set area of space, that given the speed of the action and size of the people seems almost unfair. Roller derby gets a bad name because of the carny aspects of the fighting, violence, wacky characters and silliness that often plagues pro wrestling.

However, much in the same way that pro wrestling is failing and UFC is rising, I watched a very much non carny, shoot (as in non-predetermined) women’s roller derby match. Know how I know it was real?!?! Well, the final score was Charm City All Stars 215, DC All Stars 20. No, I didn’t write a typo. DC lost by 195 points. Did it make it any less entertaining? No. The DC team was clearly outmatched by the more established and more polished Baltimore side, but, DC fought. And, never physically gave up. One of their more entertaining jammers (the only person that can score points on the oval for each team is a designated “jammer,” who works their way through the phalanx of both teams) Camilla the Hun, was knocked seemingly unconscious by an errant elbow thrown by Baltimore enforcers Mibbs Breaking Ribs and Coach Ballbreaker. Yes. I didn’t make anything in that sentence up. It added a air of gravitas to the proceedings, but certainly didn’t make them any less entertaining. it was like watching Rocky or Hoosiers, except on skates.

The mere idea of this event excited me. As you are likely aware, I have a particular predilection for being ahead of the curve on societal shifts. I think that Women’s Short Track Roller Derby is the next big awesome TV sport. No, never to the level of the NFL, NBA, or hell, even Arena football, but, I do present you with this idea. Switch the way the seasons are run, and show a sixteen team national summer playoff on Spike TV say, for some kind of trophy. Between the women, violence, fun and sheer speed of the game, I think it’d be a winner. The crowds are likely, young, hip and fun. It appeals to an alternative demographic that is DEFINITELY real in this country, and I think it’d have legs and could grow into something.

For more info locally, the DC Rollergirls are at the DC Armory for their season opener on October 4th, and more info is available at http://www.dcrollergirls.com. Insofar as Charm City, their info can be located at http://www.myspace.com/charmcityrollergirls. Tickets are inexpensive, it’s a less than three hour event, and it’s fun for a laid back date, or for a family outing. Either way, it’s a winner.

– Me.

Mid Atlantic Social Club – Rock and Roll Hotel – 9/26/08

So, Rock and Roll Hotel hosted a most unique and novel event this past Friday night when three of the stalwart DJs of the Baltimore area, Scottie B, King Tutt and Shawn Caesar mixed with DCs finest, Gavin Holland (host of DC9s fabulous Nouveau Riche), Will Eastman (host of Bliss) and Stereofaith to wreak havoc on what is rapidly becoming my favorite DC DJ venue, The Rock and Roll Hotel on 13th and H, NE.

The Hotel is great because it has a 1970 Bitter End meets 1978 CBGB meets 1966 Hotel Chelsea vibe. Given DCs recent penchant for stealing things awesomely NYC, this club/bar apes like every scumsucking thing from all of the great palaces of filth and genius in NYC, and pays homage. Putting DJs in there is cool because the duplex building is so old and rickety that the fucking walls and floors shake almost violently. LOVE IT!

Also, any event that takes it’s name from Buena Vista Social Club, one of my favorite films and albums of the past decade, gets MAD love from me. To juxtapose the type of four on the floor spastic action all six of these men provide against a backdrop (in name only) of the seade yet SMOKIN’ Ibrahim Ferrer and crew is witty. I dig wit.

I’ll say foremost that there were many issues out to completely hinder the evening. September 26th was by far the most miserable day of all of 2008 in the DMV. Just was. Chilly, windy, driving rain, a terrible combination. Add that to the concept that folks would have to come over the Hopscotch Bridge into the Atlas District and have to find parking three-five blocks from the venue, and, well, you certainly have a recipe for disaster. But, that ended up adding to the charm of the event. Mid Atlantic Social Club was a winner because everybody who needed to be there was there, and folks who wouldn’t’ve enjoyed themselves, or stared at the whole spectacle of the event as something completely ridiculous were not there. My only issue was that it seemed as if the promoters and acts themselves seemed to anticipate a MUCH larger showing, as the ambitious nature of the event seemingly proved to me. You were taking six DJs and giving each of them a one hour set on both floors from 9 PM – 2 AM. Had you hosted this event at the former Club Five or 1223 downtown, the turnout would’ve been better, but the artistic freedom would’ve been foraged and ransacked given the mainstream nature of the likely patrons. This crowd loved house, loved BMore, loved dancing, wanted the groove. And, if you wanted large tracts of floor space with which to do so, you had it. DCs a perpetually late arrivnig crowd for everything from Nats games to parades, so, this event would be no different, as, by the time Gavin Holland and Will Eastman had hit the main stage on the first floor, from 12-2, the crowd had significantly improved.

The highlight of the event had to be Gavin Holland’s set. Spanning everything from house to disco to 80s R & B, the mix was seamless and a surefire crowd pleaser. No funnier moment occurred than seeing Gavin seeing rising Baltimore artist Rye Rye IN THE CLUB and hitting her electric B-More tinged single “Shake It to the Ground” upon noting the unmistakable platinum blonde mane. Great times. And with a larger crowd, that couldn’t’ve happened. So great.

I hate on DC a lot. It has no vibe, but, there are people out there trying. Gavin, Will and Stereofaith really tried hard and on some level succeded to step up to the challenge of being on a level with the trio from BMore’s LEGENDARY Unruly Records, and did well. Scottie B’s sets and King Tutt’s in particular were so professional, and bespoke their styles that they have taken years to carve. But, all things considered, it was a great night out..

– Me.

Lived the blog title this weekend. Reviews forthcoming.

So I had a weekend off from pro wrasslin, and went batshit ballistic. I did literally everything in the span of four days, from being stung five times by bees at my company’s picnic on Friday, hitting up Rock and Roll Hotel for some great DJing, bento box and green tea at Teaism in Penn Quarter, to checking out Roller Derby in Dulles, to Nouveau Riche on U Street to complete my Saturday, Crafty Bastards Fair in Adams Morgan on Sunday, ‘rasslin show in York, PA where I was involved in a fans bring the weapons match, to last night’s Juan McLean show at Black Cat on 14th. My body feels like it’s been through a war. Sometimes I lead a life of excess just to see what it feels like to do so, my everlasting desire to be a rockstar when I grow up driving my absurd need to devour nightlife voraciously. But, it was ALL pretty great, some parts greater than others, and, I will, hopefully, ove rthe next two days compile written worth fro the experiences. That’s why I’m doing this. To create some sort of worth for it, as, well, I enjoy the insanity that life has brought me, and enjoy reveling in it.

"No Texting On The Dancefloor" – Clipped from Turntable Lab, I am soooo guilty. Feel terrible ;)

http://blog.turntablelab.com/2008/09/no_texting_on_the_dancefloor.html

NO TEXTING ON THE DANCEFLOOR!

Somebody’s gotta re-make Midnight Star’s “No Parking On The Dancefloor” with a modern version – “NO TEXTING ON THE DANCEFLOOR!” Seriously, how many times have you gone a party and seen all these wallflowers chillin’ and texting. You can be spinning the most bad-ass jam and the biggest response you can get is people looking up from their phones and going, “That’s my jam!” before going quickly back to perfecting their wpm with their thumbs. Talk about lame. When most of our parents were young and going out to clubs, they were drinking, doing stimulants, screaming their heads off, sporting fashion that we can only try to “bring back,” and most of all…they were dancing. I know if my old skool NY neighbors who partied at the house clubs in the 80’s saw this generation’s parties, they would think we’re pathetic. Going home before 4, talking to only people that you know, and texting in the club can all be filed under BORING. If you can’t out-party your parents, what does that say about us? Just food for thought the next time you see that certain guy or girl busting out her phone in the middle of the jam. Real sexy right?

Sticky Rice DC Restaurant Review…

This will not be a review of Sticky Rice’s awesome bar nights including Karaoke and BLINGO!! I’ll get to that some other time.

So yeah. I’m going to cover food a lot on this thing. I absolutely adore new flavor experiences (direct quote from my friend Manda’s Myspace, but true about me as well), and, when I found that chic hipster sushi was making it’s way up 95 from Richmond, I was DOWN. However, DC fails tragically as a hipster locale because it has no vibe. It’s not trendy, it’s not stuffy, it’s not urban, it’s not suburban, it’s not laid back, it’s not black, it’s not white. DC’s great if you’re looking for a boring initial burst of everything, but not a great place to find anything really, truly indicative of a particular sort of anything. It comes close, but it’s faux, and generic, and a codified, MTV sort of veneer of cool.

Sticky Rice, located on the newly renovated 12th and 13th and H Street NE Atlas District, formerly known as a home of black people, 1968 MLK riots, and violent crime and grime, is in an AGGRESSIVE image overhaul. I’d call it gentrification, but gentrification requires ACTUAL white people milling about the streets, and black people retreating gracefully until we just don’t exist, and look over our gated projects at what the white folks and “civilized” black folk are doing. But, H Street’s a tough nut to crack in that regard, as, a mish mash of pre-existing African-American tenants who refuse to leave their commercial and residential properties (or just haven’t been forced out yet) knock up against white hipster music venues like the Red and the Black and Rock and Roll Hotel, and, my new favorite restaurant, Sticky Rice.

Sticky Rice is in a beautifully restored pillbox commercial property, with the expected exposed brick walls and vibrant paint job, along with opened Japanese umbrellas hanging from the ceiling under the second floor staircase. The property’s veneer of beauty comes off to me, a fan of hipster dive eateries, as a necessity for DC and a necessity for hipsters as well, and while stereotypical and trite, doesn’t really agitate me all that much.

What does though is the flippant attitude of the staff, off putting to someone who hasn’t dealt with people that see food as beauty, but, every single time I’ve taken someone who is well, totally fucking hungry, the wait to dine, between being paged by your cell phone (which is genius to me instead of those infernal little plastic UFO discs) after an hour and a half, or, a 20-30 minute lag between appetizer and main course has turned them off to the concept of eating the food.

Also, it’s a hipster dive turned casual enclave, so, you have to put up with us and our wacky music. At various times, I’ve dined to Lily Allen, A Tribe Called Quest, Bad Brains, etc. If you’re only okay with calming sea breezes, Zamfir, Master of the Pan Flute, or elevator tunes accompanying your Japanese inspired meal, then yeah. Go somewhere else. THIS IS NOT YOUR DESTINATION.

And ahhh, the food. It’s to die for. Their website is at http://www.stickyricedc.com/ so YOU can take a look, but be forewarned. If you’re a sushi traditionalist, there are FAR better places to go in the area, but, if you’re a mark, as I am, for entertainment and wild flavors and, as I say, “the wacky,” this place is fantastic.

Foremost, they serve tater tots with a teriyaki mayonnaise dipping sauce. Tater tots, the ultimate nouveau, Pabst Blue Ribbon on the tap of bar, pop culture by way of “Napoleon Dynamite” lasting etch on society miscellany of 2008, have NEVER tasted so good. They also come in a tin pail, which, if you’re dating there as I have multiple times, will likely offset any belief your lovely has of you being at all classy or pretentious, so take that under advisement if you’re hoping to look cool and/or exotic with this dining choice.

The sushi is fresh and flavorful, my personal favorites being the “Godzirra” roll, which features Large crunchy shrimp, avocado, cream cheese, spicy sauce and cucumbers w/ tempura crunchies and tobiko. As well, Sticky Rice’s vegetarian fare is highlighted in my eyes by the GI Jane (sister of the yellowtail tuna GI Joe Roll) roll of cucumbers, cream cheese, scallions and sesame seeds rolled in crushed wasabi peas. Another BIG winner and their best menu item in flavor, texture, volume and execution are the Sticky Balls, a combination of tuna, crab, sriracha, rice in an inari pocket deep fried w/ scallions, wasabi dressing and eel sauce. They are SERIOUSLY grand, and if Sticky Rice had any aim of being a national chain, they could based literally off the strength of this dish. They’re THAT good.

Non sushi fare exists on the menu as well, but, if I really wanted any of that, I would’ve gone to Benihana instead, which, much like people who go to Benihana and eat the sushi, annoys the HELL out of me.

But, as a fun excursion before a concert or game in DC, or, as a great pre-game meal before a night of tail chasing, drinking and carousing, it’s a win. It’s cute, different, funny and well executed, and totally worth the wait. Plus, it’s great for conversation which sushi usually is, but the execution, taste and plating here is fucking fantabulous.

Rating: PERSONALLY – Five Stars, OBJECTIVELY – 3.5

I suppose if this were supposed to be a restaurant enjoyed by everybody, it wouldn’t a) be in the heart of a formerly firebombed ghetto, b) would not employ an army of well trained tattooed professionals, and c) get you in and get you out, and not care about your palate or your dining experience. If you want that, go to fucking Applebees or TGI Friday’s or somebody else’s Asian themed restaurant that doesn’t expand itself and aspire to a higher goal.But, if you’re fun, and like fun food, and don’t mind walking into a culture that’s not your own, and that you likely may be unsure about, then go. And enjoy.

– Me.

BAMN! Comic Event, October 2, 2008! Bethesda, MD

So I tend to have EXTREMELY few good friends. Reason being, I have no time to actually spend around people as I’m either going somewhere or coming from somewhere, and rarely ever sitting somewhere for an extended period of time. My buddy Troy Allen, who fits the “true genius requires insanity” point of the blog, is one HELLUVA great friend and an AWESOME guy who has more talent than he knows what to do with, has recently achieved a lifelong dream, and he’s holding a celebration for it next week.

He’s assisted on the creation of a new comic book called BAMN!, which combines elements of pro ‘rasslin and good storytelling, and a bunch of other stuff, etc., etc., and yadda yadda.

From site bamncan.com:

Nerds vs. Jocks! Bullies vs. Misfits! The Weak vs. The Strong! Everyone loves a good underdog story…SO LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE! BAMN gets its’ title from its’ embittered main character. Surly, washed-up former pro-wrestler Bamn has spent the dying years of his career throwing up in bars. He lives out of his car and uses stolen credit cards to pay for beer. A chance encounter with, a pair of local High Schoolers, Art and Ian, brings him to the FWF. A “Backyard Wrestling Federation” ran by the two young fans. When the local High School Wrestling Squad shows up to bully the Backyarders, Bamn steps in. In a rare moment of clarity, he promises all the Backyard kids that he’s going to teach them the most important thing they will ever learn…HOW TO FIGHT BACK AND LOOK GOOD DOING IT! Bamn is a proposed 6-issue, comic book series.

If you happen to be in the Bethesda, MD area on October 2nd at 8 PM, it’s totally a good cause to come out and support. Details are as follows:

Blackfinn restaurant has agreed to host a pre-SPX release party for us fanboys. We’re not rich yet! So don’t start thinking you’re gonna be getting free drinks! We are getting our own private section our very own drink specials and appetizers. Got it?!

-The party specials are from 8pm to 10pm and ONLY for our party!

-We will have our own VIP section

-You do not have to leave after 10pm (but drinks go back to regular price)

-Appetizers are complimentary/free

-There is no line. Just tell them whose party you’re with!

-$2 “You name it.” So all drinks (mixed, beer, etc.) at our party will be 2 bucks!

-The dress code is casual but, hey, it’s a celebration…so dress decent!

-Invite as many additional people as you want.

Here’s more:

BlackFinn is the perfect place to celebrate the day’s accomplishments, toast a colleague, entertain a client or just unwind with a cold beer and some serious contemporary American fare. Whether you’re looking for a casual bite or a more dining experience, the Finn is sure to please. Are you still in your suit? Did you have a casual day? Did you spend the day at a golf outing? It doesn’t matter. The inviting atmosphere at BlackFinn makes everyone feel comfortable. The bartender is going to treat you like a regular, you’re going to hear the music that you love, and everyone will be looking for fun.You work hard. You deserve BlackFinn.

–http://www.blackfinnbethesda.com/index.php

Event Info

Start Time:
Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 8:00pm

Location:
Blackfinn Restaurant & Saloon
4901 Fairmont Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20814

(301) 951 5681

Thoughts on the 2008 Prez election…clipped from my Myspace…

Thought I’d clip this tidbit regarding the election pre recent total economic capitulation that I wrote over @ my Myspace…I feel quite strongly that it’s one of my more incite(sight)ful pieces in quite some time.

– Me.

—————-

Political discussion.

To Maria…always my favorite copy editor, and one of my favorite people I’ve ever known. You reminded me of someone I miss sometimes…

Yeah. In a former life, prior to the days that I sold my soul to the various devils of caffeine, pro wrestling, club music and general insanity, I used to be a political rebel. I was at various times an organizer, a rabble rouser, an afroed, agitated Negro, and a far, far left political columnist. My greatest fear in life was turning into Abbie Hoffman, the ex leader of the Yippies who became a suited Wall Street psycho clone, a vast cry from his days of threatening to poison the water of Chicago with LSD in ’68, one of my favorite psychedelic revolutionary moves ever. But, as time has passed, I’ve assimilated, and, for the most part care so very little about politivs, politicians, public policy and affecting positive change in the world. Not to say I didn’t try, because I did. But, eight years of a Republican regime (and I use that word on purpose) later, and I’m tired and broken by it.

I’ve seen the bastions upon which this country was built of logic, strength, intellect and freedom whored and prostituted and the rise of greed, neglect, power centralizing and irrationalism take shape. It’s incredibly hard to be an idealist, a Marxist, a left leaning Socialist who appreciates liberal democracy in this day and age, so I stopped. Quit. Tuned out, dropped out, and turned on to lethargy, general depression, aimlessness and a dedication to the preservation of a world where anything can be real and everything is possible. It broke my heart, but, it had to happen. What I thought was politics instead had become some sort of anarchist dictatorship of the right, where those like myself, driven by idealism and free thought were pariahs instead of invitees to the table of discussion.

With that being said, I urge everybody to not vote in 2008. It’s a terrible thing to say, but, I can’t really validate a vote for either nominee as a step in the right direction. I support Barack Obama. I support him for the most abjectly racist reason ever, but I do. I love Barack Obama because he represents such a wonderful step in black history, and as a black man, he recognizes and understands this, and has acquiited himself in the public eye with never before seen grace and dignity by any black person in this generation. We’ve had such terrifically bad role models as a society, and, not to say that Obama is perfect, but, he damn sure understands where we’re at as a people, and what we need to emulate. That’s appreciated.

However, from a campaign standpoint, he’s a very difficult man to get behind. America is roughly 20 years away from understanding him. We as a country are like a jilted lover, and his promises based on trust and a yearning for simple togetherness are a slick ploy to curry our favor after Dubya has been the world’s worst abusive boyfriend in every way, battering our trust in ourselves, our country, and our country’s aims, goals and ideals, to the point where this slick talking, well dressed, seemingly perfect brother with the weird name can sweep us off our feet with concepts that frankly, smack of things that I personally agree with, but in my heart of hearts know that America just can’t handle yet.

And John McCain. Years ago, I was fine with this man. He was a moderate, leaned slightly to the right, but, he at least had the courage of his convictions, and was a political maverick. That’s cool and all, but, in 2008, he has chosen to represent a party that runs rife with all of the evils of American politics. Graft, absurd wealth, a lack of connection to the American middle and lower class, a lack of desire to leave a war we should have never started, a broken yo yo string of control over the oil crisis, and so so so much more. He’s a fine candidate, but, he has to stand supported by a clearly fractured foundation.

And Sarah Palin. Chosen from central casting, Palin is a very physically attractive mother of five from a very red state who believes in shooting guns, preserving the right of unborn fetuses, not teaching the youth about sex, and, on top of that, she was a beauty queen and tried out to be a Sportscenter anchor. If you’re a white man in America, you can get behind this woman. She’s the fucking wife every white man worth his weight in Ping Zings and Dockers would bust twelve nuts over. Furthermore, she is a woman, so, clearly, women will love her, instead of that nasty bulldyke Hillary, who drove her husband to fuck everything not nailed down, with her severely cut suits, short hair, and insistence upon policy knowledge and discussion instead of waving politely, cooking a steak and potato dinner and being barefoot with her legs splayed every night before the alpha male goes to bed.

Instead, she’s a mother of five and a career politician whose own child is five months pregnant. On top of that she commissioned a bridge to fucking NOWHERE, and received $27,000,000 for a town with a population of under 10,000 people. I don’t think she was spending that on condoms. Just saying. These clear and obvious flaws further elucidate the clear argument for obvious and ridiculous pandering the likes of which hasn’t been seen since that day in January 2005 when I walked through a curtain at PWU’s old Animal House facility and stated I liked cheesesteaks, the Eagles and the Philies and for the evil Canadian to get his ass beat. As much as anybody could see that was a fucking rib, anybody with two fucking eyes can see the the Republican party, the same party that I wholeheartedly believe led a communist-esque witchunt to remove Bill Clinton from elective office and destroyed Al Gore’s entire political career leaving him as a cruel afterthought instead of the brilliant advocate for social change that he is, failed miserably.

If at all possible, I hope that both parties lose. I’d advocate a guy like Ron Paul who says ALL the smart and right things, but I fear his theroetical view to governing will rub the dolts, idiots and mental midgets that are in high abundance in this nation the wrong way, so I can’t in good faith.

I want Barack to lose because I fear for what will become of black America the second they see their idol fail, which he will, if elected, as even if he gets Congress, the midterm elections will serve as judge, jury and executioner on him, as what he wants to implement is so radical that it will turn this country on it’s head. Black people don’t need to see this black man fail. We’re so close as a people on either side. Yes, Barack is a major key to gaining respect from the boardroom to the classroom to the supermarket, but oh how I wish he was an organizer and not the president. He doesn’t have an issue as racism is internal now, but, I feel he’d be a helluva guy to keep the issue on the table.

And, I want the GOP to lose in general because I hate them. I don’t hate Republicans, I just hate the people in control of their party. These smug looking idiots on my TV screen smiling through the intense, searing pain of eight years of tomfoolery and general absurdity are all on my shortlist of people who will die when I take control. I can’t imagine supporting Dubya, and I can’t imagine supporting a party that really is trying to tell me that the old POW that’s trying to channel Reagan and the hot GRAND MILF with five fucking kids who was goveror of a state that doesn’t have sunlight for half of the year and doesn’t believe in telling kids how to fuck safely is a smart choice. No. No it’s not. You are dumb and are a black mark on humanity to think that I am too.

Done.

Like Montgomery Brewster once advocated, vote “None of the above.”

Shit I’m Digging Right Now…

1. Roxy Cottontail – NYC Club Promoter/DJ, y’all may know her better as the host of the second stage at this year’s Rock the Bells. She’s pretty awesome, and pretty clued in as to what’s really going down. Fingerbangin’ by Sweatheart (the AMAZING Amanda Blank’s rock side project) was discovered by me through her, so she gets an enormous debt of gratitude from me. Her mixes are logical, sensical and fun. She doesn’t stray into being TOO hipster, so she has the sort of broad based appeal that would make her, say, a GREAT DJ for some sort of MTV gimmick. She definitely deserves the praise. A total star. All class. Hellz Bellz Mixtape…her latest: http://www.sendspace.com/file/5tmywv

2. Bonde do Role – Brazillian baile funk/hip hop act, they got rid of sole female Marina from their act, added two tarty, slutty, sweat drenched Brazillians (one black, one Portuguese – the best of both worlds) and just got crazier. Marina definitely overshadowed the group with her diva mentality, as, well, she WAS sort of the lead singer, but, replacing her places a larger shine on the skills of DJ Gorky, a large teddy bear of a man with enormous DJ chops and the real power behind the group. ex. Marina Gasolina – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QHt3WCHUGc

3. NOT the Gym Class Heroes “The Quilt.” Sure, I’m scheduled to see them on October 4 in Baltimore, but, they’re on the bill with Estelle and The Roots, so, the wrong people are clearly headlining. Travis McCoy’s TRULY introspective and emo ramblings don’t turn me on as much as his personal reflections on things his fanbase can understand, like, say, romance and cocaine, so, this whole album sounds like when your favorite band fills 40 minutes of a concert with “some new material” and you either copulate with the one you brought with you, take the world’s longest piss, or, if you so choose, get drunk or stoned. NOT a good look.

4. Jazmine Sullivan’s “Need U Bad.” – Jazmine sounds like Lauryn Hill. The song has that reggae meets hip hop feel that L-Boogie ALWAYS had, and that music has sorely lacked ove rthe last decade. Lauryn, before going plum fucking crazy was THE woman. Jazmine is a Lauryn cover band, so, as long as the actual is STILL alive, she’s NOT a star. Just saying. In homage, to the song need you bad makes me DIRECTLY tihnk of, Layrn Hill f/ Bob Marley “Turn Your Lights Down Low” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7Hv0Mrzxwc

5. Crooks and Castles t-shirts – The designer t-shirt thing has hit hip hop hard, and, as much as I love cross pollination of genre species, the cauliflower that is “thug niggas in Affliction shirts” really isn’t cool. It’s sorta strange, too strange for anybody’s own good. Crooks and Castles TOTALLY gets it right. They’ve got this Mobb Deep related shirt that just rules the roost. And, it’s available for DC folk at Pharrell Williams supported Commonwealth, which is JUST ’round the corner from the AdMo strip: http://www.cmonwealth.com/item.php?id=3475

6. Rice Paddies Grill, Bethesda, MD – In every town, there’s the little Asian place that charges the perfect price for the perfect food. When I was in college at Providence, and working for AmeriCorps in 1999, there was this Vietnamese place that made this chicken, beef and mixed vegetable plate that was “the bomb.” The P”-Funk, uncut funk, the bomb” the bomb. Well, Rice Paddies Grill in Bethesda.ust off of the Wisconsin Avenue Strip across from BD’s Mongolian and behind Starbucks is REALLY quite something. and is the best Asain food of any sort I’ve had since that summer. For less than $10, you get great pho, or, even better, a beef noodle bowl with fish sauce flavored dressing that isn’t just healthy, it’s GREAT.

7. The Death Set – If punk rock was still cool, this is it’s logical evolution. These guys are straight punk, but are influenced by hip hop in such a way that they’re NOT like Travis Barker in that they go whole hog into mixing genres, but, they get the whole grimy aspect of hip hop, the braggadocio aspect, and mix it with that punk “us against the world” mentality, and it’s a sonic blast of power that kicks the tail of rock and roll these days. Saw them in Baltimore before Bonde do Role at Taxlo, and they STOLE THE SHOW. They also have these great Ghostbuster II inspired t-shirts as well. ex. Around the World – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqxYEj_zhyg

8. Asher Roth – 2008’s great white hope of hip hop, he’s better than John Brown was last year, and lyrically and vocally closer to Eminem than many wish he would be. I like him because he’s really clever in his wordplay, and has definite swagger. John Brown failed because his swagger was invented by a TV show and it wasn’t genuine, but Asher sounds like a white kid from the burbs who discovered the he could flow at a kegger, and then put his shit up on Myspace. “I Love College” is a GREAT radio single, I don’t care what anybody says, and his Greenhouse Effect mixtape is the one MUST DOWNLOAD mixtape in “mainstream style” hip hop all year, plus, like everybody else, he MURDERS “A Milli” in a freestyle.

I could do this list for ages. For next time: Rye Rye, Uffie, T.I. (deserves a longer, career appreciation post), Wale, Sheetz, and so on, and so forth.

– Me.

Claire Hux @ Bedrock 9/24/08

So, hopped in the Yaris last night and headed up north to Baltimore. I rather like partying more in Baltimore than DC which is say, 20 minutes closer, as, well Baltimore is far less pretentious. It’s just as “scene,” as I feel like I’m walking into some private Shriner’s meeting when I go to somebody’s DJ night or something or another sometimes, but, it’s much less pretentious. Nobody’s trying to be better than anybody else, and I get this sense that the artists push each other and the crowd to appreciate their creative vibe, and somehow through that organic support, the whole industry of what these people do gets better, as, well, creativity definitely is enhanced when there’s a free and open vibe regarding the exchange of concepts. In DC, you get the feeling that the DJs are entertaining themselves and their friends, and aren’t as big personalities and rock stars as their northern companions.

The party last night was at Bedrock, which, I’ve heard is an epicenter of the underground BMore club/hip hop movement, but I’ve never been in my six+ months of following the thing. It’s an absolutely gorgeous venue, as it’s some sort of rehabbed bank or something at first view, and has great acoustics and a tremendous dance floor, etc. Drink prices are definitely “downtown” in nature, and, well, when the bartenders are tattooed, dancing, friendly and blowing fire, it’s worth it. Nothing I hate more than a barkeep at a DJ night who ISN’T a part of the scene. Kills the vibe TOTALLY.

Saw OH SNAP! there, who is a local celebrity DJ who is more hysterics than SERIOUS DJ AT THE CLUB, and is quite the study in performance art. He has this track “Bill Cosby Sweater” (which I’ve clipped from a show I saw him at…lol) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Ya49zf3yU) that is well well worth the price of watching him perform. He’s self effacing and is fully aware that he is a cherubic white guy in hipster sneakers, which, if he were NOT self aware, would definitely make him fucking suck, but, he lets you in on the joke, and that somehow makes his sets vastly more entertaining.

My real reason for attending was Claire Hux, whom I met at the K-Swift Benefit at Fletcher’s/Vice last Friday. More specifically, I met DLake, whose downstairs set was really fantastic as he strayed from the normal BMore 125 BPM of cocaine meets Biggie meets a Sid and Marty Kroft cartoon, and played this DC Waterfront club 70s/early 80s funk centric “grown and sexy” mix that was a winner. He also wore this 1993 era Phoenix Suns shootaround jacket that left me in awe. However, the REAL star of Claire Hux is Symbol, the hypeman of the duo, as, DLake is a tremendous straightman for Symbol’s manic, 1982 Prince styled ministrations and gyrations works SO SO well. I’m sure you have a similar type group in wherver you live, but, their chemistry is obvious, priceless, and makes them worth the price of admission.

For more DLake and Claire Hux including the AWESOME “Holy Ghost in the Club,” check:

http://www.thedlake.com/bohmixtape/
http://www.thedlake.com/bohmixtape2/

Also, whomever was the DJ for Claire Hux last night gets kudos A) for throwing Duffy’s “Mercy” into a mix as well, I didn’t know that those first few bars by themselves were so potent in a mix (but they ARE), but for B) trying to make people dance. This was totally a tastemaker crowd, as, well, we were ALL entertainers in that room, ALL trying to watch our fellow performers perform, and ALL trying to jack what made them them. But, Claire Hux, and their DJ, for literally aiming and shooting for every single female in the room deserve mad props. And, of course, when I left, it worked, as the “Hollywood Swingin'” horns signalling Mase’s “Feel So Good” did the trick. But only for a second. LOL. I downloaded Kool and the Gang for the iPOD last week for the EXACT same reason. They NEVER fail to start a party.

Lesson here, sampling, when done correctly, is SO great.

An introduction is in order…

So I’ve decided to toss my hat into the ring as an internet tastemaker. I think I have a pretty good handle on explaining to people what I like and why I like it, so, I figured this vehicle was definitely the best way to get that out there. Plus, I am an incredible shill in everyday life, trying to make average people a little less ordinary, and a little more EXTRAORDINARY. So, without further ado…I welcome you to this blog…