I Do Stuff…

sun dial from the Carlyle House

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So after years of trying to get Nancy to travel the short distance to Old Town Alexandria for a day of fun it finally happened.  But not because of my doing, a couple she knows was going to the Torpedo Factory, one of the reasons I have been trying to get her to go, and invited us along.  I couldn’t believe it when she agreed to travel to the “city”.  Finally!  We were headed to the Torpedo Factory for a day of culture and fun.

Saturday when we went couldn’t have been better to be outside in this historic district.  The sun was shining and them temperatures were very comfortable.  I decided to take Metro and just meet everyone there at 4 o’clock.  Since i wanted to walk around a take a bunch of pictures this afforded me ample time to get there early and enjoy the city.  While walking down from the Metro stop they had an Armenian festival at City Hall.  They had all sorts of craft vendors and when I was passing through a group of dancers were on stage doing traditional dance, you wont see this stuff on MTV.

I was able to spend a good hour walking around the city, mostly along the waterfront, and got some good shots.  Nancy and the troops were running a little late which allowed me the extra shooting time at the Carlyle House (picture).  A historic site with a fantastic garden in the back yard that is being restored.  Unfortunately their delay would limit our time at the Torpedo Factory.  It normally closes at 6 on Saturdays, but tonight they had a special engagement and were closing at 5.  So we only had about 30 minutes of time to walk around.  Every type of art medium you could think of is represented here, most of which was for sale.  I was really impressed with the place and would love to come back when I can spend a few hours walking around.  With three levels and all these little cubbyholes hiding different artists, many of who are happy to talk about their work, there is a lot to see.

Eventually when we got kicked out we walked around downtown and did a little shopping.  The first place we went to was Conrad’s Furniture Gallery because of their pitch.  When we walked by they offered us free drinks and hors d’oeuvres.  Who can refuse free alcohol and food?  The place was very trendy and offered a wide variety of things for sale.  Nancy walked away with a hand blown green glass blow from Turkey, or maybe Morocco.  I wanted to use it as a cereal bowl but that idea got shot down quickly.  Nancy doesn’t know yet what she will do with it, but she knows it will be the bases for furnishing her house.  I fail to see how you can base the whole decoration of a house, or even a room, on one single bowl, but if anyone can do it it would be Nancy.

row houses

We still needed to kill time as our dinner reservations at The Wharf, was not till 6:30.  The hors d’oeuvres wet our appetite so we tried to get seated early for our reservations.  When we arrived at the restaurant it was completely empty on Saturday night.  Once we got seated we checked out the menu and it was limited and expensive.  Plus Nancy doesn’t eat seafood and the selection of chicken/beef was only two items.  So we decided to dine and dash, well more just the dash.  We didn’t order anything, not even drinks.

Fortunately for us just down the block we found another restaurant that looked more appealing, the Fish Market.  It was still a seafood place, but the menu had more options of non-seafood items.  When we walked in the atmosphere was much more relaxed compared to the other place.  Even the drink selection was better, the crazy sizes and names made it a done deal.  I must saw that I was impressed with the food as well.  I had the Admiral’s platter, basically a little of everything.  With the exception of the crab imperial that tasted awful, everything was good.  And the hushpuppies, it had been so long since I tasted such good hushpuppies.

After dinner we decided on some bar hoping and this is how we ended our night in Old Town.  Our first stop was at the Tap Room which was right next to the car.  Definitely a locals bar, very quaint with cool architecture.  Next it was off to O’Connell’s, you might have quested it, an Irish pub.  Here we lucked out and got a table outside on the sidewalk.  On such a beautiful night we could not have asked for a better location.  Plus I love to people watch and it was great to see the diverse crowd of people walking around that evening.  It was so good we had two rounds of drinks before we did a little shopping at Le Tache.  I won’t go into what this place is, but I saved the night when I found it only one block up from O’Connell’s bar.  A very interesting place, very upscale with a helpful staff, I can’t wait to go back.

For a night cap it was Bugsy’s and their sports bar located atop their pizza parlor.  I was amazed by the amount of crap, I mean memorabilia, on the walls.  In the middle of looking around we noticed it was almost midnight and that the garage would be closing soon.  We were not ready to finish our evening, but we were forced to leave.  After getting back to the car I hitched a ride to Metro and that ended a great day in Old Town Alexandria.  We are all hoping to get back soon and do an official bar crawl.

Friday was the second straight show of Medeski, Martin and Wood I was going to see.  Of the two this was definitely the one I was most looking forward to.  Yeah the Lewis Ginter was a new venue for me, but the last time I saw MMW at Rams Head Live it totally kicked ass.  Plus it was a Friday in Baltimore so that was it’s own fun right there.  For this show I planned on doing a little drinking and there is always Sabatino’s for some after show dessert and coffee.

Medeski, Martin and Wood

Unlike last nights show, this one started at a more reasonable hour.  The doors didn’t open until 7 where as with the Lewis Ginter show, by 7 MMW was getting ready to take the stage.  The extra time allowed me to put in a full day of work with plenty of travel time before the show started.  I couldn’t leave work till 6pm but even at this late hour traffic was not an issue and I was in Baltimore just after 8.  When I got into the venue The Wood Brothers were already on stage, but only a couple of songs into their set.   Not my favorite band.  They play really well and it was certainly different just having a due on stage.  I like to call it hard core bluegrass, it was mostly time to get drinks and mingle with the other fans.

Trying to find other fans turned into a little bit of an issue as NO ONE showed up!  That is not entirely true, probably 400-500 people showed up for the show.  The last time I saw them at the Rams Head Live back in 2005 the placed was packed and I was hoping for the same amount of people.  Baltimore has got a great scene when it comes to live music and I was expecting the hoards of people to flood into the inner harbor and support the band.  Even on a Friday night and still no one showed up.  So as showtime approached I was a little apprehensive on how good the show was going to be.

Another beer and it was time to find my permanent spot on the floor to enjoy the show.  Because of the low turnout the upstairs area was closed off, so I took  a spot dead center about 20′ away.  There I meet two really cool people from Annapolis, Gretchen and Michal.  A couple of young people who were well traveled when it came to seeing concerts.  We all reminisced about various concerts we had been to and the upcoming Phish shows we were going to see.  When the lights went down the fun was about to begin.

Rams Head Live!

The quick and dirty is that the show was 10,000 times better than last nights.  Having such a small crowd did not diminish the vibe.  The boys were on fire this night performing many of their new songs from Radiolarians II.  They also threw in some new new stuff that should appear on the third installment of this series.  The energy during the entire show was well maintained throughout.  Reliquary starts off the first set and had this building quality to it.  It sounds as if at any moment they are just going to breakout into this crazy bizarre jam without limits.  Riffin’ Ed continued in the same way.  When they got to the third song, a new one, they changed direction into something a little mellower that flowed right into Junkyard and back into an uptempo beat.  For the set closer it was all energy with two more songs from their recent album, ijiji > Flat Tires.  This left the crowd on a high and me wanting more, that second set couldn’t get here fast enough.

One last run to the bar for beer, I am responsible you know so no more drinking once the second set starts, and then to procure more real estate.  This time I was able to get within a few feet of the stage, everyone else was not as quick at getting the last beer like I was.  While waiting for the second set I meet Jennifer, now what I am about to say sounds straight out of a porno, but it is not.  She is a airline stewardess out of Detroit who was in Baltimore for the night just to see the show.  A real lovely woman to talk to and a true music fan like myself.  I don’t know many people that will travel such a great distance just to see a band.  When the lights went out and MMW stepped onto the stage it was time for my attention to shift.

copyright Tim

The second set was a little more adventurous in it’s tone and arrangement.  Set highlights included three new songs, including one for the encore and another great version of Amber Gris which I have been really digging from their new album.  Right in the middle of the set they change temp and pull out Baby Let Me Follow You Down.  Not sure why when they were rocking hard they felt the need to slow things waaaaay down.  Fortunately once it was over it was time to get back to the funk and boogie.  When the set ended the crowd was pretty tired and I doubted they would be able to pull the guys out for an encore.  Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long for them to bust out a new funky jam to leave us all on a high.

At the close of the show it was not exactly time for me to drive home.  I was hungry for some dessert and besides, I needed to sober up a little.  On my way to Sabatino’s I ran across this woman throwing an orange around and I just had to ask what she was doing.  Being the gentleman I am I couldn’t just let her walk alone in the city this late at night.  When we reached Sabatino’s however we parted ways, she headed home and I was headed for tiramisu and a cappuccino.  I don’t know what it is about this combination, but it totally kicks ass and is but one reason I like coming to Baltimore for concerts.

Sober from the evenings concerts and still jamming to the tunes in my head it was time for the long drive home to my nice comfortable bed.

Set 1 9:38
Reliquary
Riffin’ Ed
unknown >
Junkyard >
ijiji > Flat Tires

set ends at 10:41

Set 2 11:13
Sweet Pea Dreams
unknown
Amber Gris
Baby Let Me Follow You Down
Amish Pintxos
unknown

encore 12:03
unknown

show ends at 12:11

Last night I saw Medeski, Martin and Wood at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA and I must say I am impressed.  The venue completely blew me away, the music not so much.

MMW

Every Thursday the garden has a series they call Groovin’ in the Garden right on the grounds of the garden.  They have this great little pavilion along side a lake where the stage is setup.  The seating for the venue is all along a gradually sloping hill that leads up towards the conservatory and the other buildings on the ground.  They allow you to bring chairs in so the hill is perfect for setting up a chair and enjoying the garden.  If you want to dance you can get in close to the stage and dance around on a small stone patio.

Just getting to the venue was a bit of a challenge.  Doors open at 5:30 and the show started at 6, with MMW going on at 7.  This is rather early for concerts that I usually attend.  Add to that driving south on 95 at the height of rush hour IN THE RAIN and it was a mess getting there.  Luckily leaving work at 5 I was able to get there just before 7.  Enough time to catch one song from the Wood Brothers and see them walk off the stage.

With 30 minutes to kill before MMW took the stage I took a walk around the gardens for a quick tour.  I was thoroughly impressed with the grounds.  Two of the areas I got to see were the Japanese and, don’t laugh, the kids area.  The Japanese section of course had all sorts of plants from Japan, but also tried to mimic the atmosphere of a garden located in Japan.  There were several creaks with small bridges crossing over them and bamboo everywhere I looked.  This area also has the Tea Garden, a small cafe open for lunch that I would like to check out one time.  I sat at one of the benches and marveled in the visual and audible sounds around me.  Even though it was raining there were a ton of birds signing and the sounds of cascading water added a feeling of peace to the place.  Very zen like.

copyright Paul H. Barkely

Further back on the grounds I found kids section designed with hands on activities in mind.  Everything was closed but there were still a lot of plants to look at.  They also have a small water park and a large covered deck that over looks the lake.  By the time I finished walking around this area it was time to head back to catch the show.  The band was scheduled for a 7:30 start and I figured they would keep to that exactly.

When I got back I picked a spot dead center to the stage just in front of the sound board.  I was kicking myself for not bringing a chair, but then I didn’t know you could bring them in till after I arrived.  Right on cue the band walks on stage to start their performance.  The show as a whole was so-so.  They played a few older songs which definitely got the crowd moving, I certainly was.  They also included several songs from their new album, Radiolarians 2, including Amber Girls, Dollar Pants, Flat Tires.  These being the ones I could pick out.  Again the crowded was jumping when they played.

The show had this ebb and flow feel about it.  There would be points of great excitement and energy interspersed with moments of peace and tranquility.  Maybe it was the rain that was present for the entire concert that caused the melon collie feel, or maybe it was the venue.  The venue does have the peacefulness about it that makes you forget about your troubles and just want to relax.

copyright Scott Crittenden, looking across the lake towards the "venue"

Needless to say I was not amazed by this show like I have in the past when seeing MMW, Bonnaroo 2003 or Rams Head Live May 15th 2005 are two that come to my mind first.  The weather and venue played a key part in the concert and it was great, certainly had a great vibe about it. Everyone in attendance didn’t care about the rain and simply enjoyed the concert.   I even got out at a reasonable hour and got home about 10:45, again very unusual when I see a show.  Only issue was the rain that got progressively heavier the closer I got home.

With this review done it is time to head to Baltimore for another MMW performance, this time at the Rams Head Live.  This should be a rockin’ show and I am really excited about this one.

Setlist 7:25pm start

encore 8:56pm:
Crosstown Traffic (Jimi Hendrix cover)
9:01 they walk off stage

Lewis Ginter conservatory

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With the traditional start of summer comes the traditional trip to the beach.  This year the beach house in Rehoboth was not rented over the long weekend, or for the next one actually.  So we decided to take a family trip to the beach and join the hordes of people enjoying the great weekend.

Rehoboth Beach

My Dad was flying into BWI from a week long business trip and when he got to his house we were hitting the road.  For better or worse we didn’t leave his house till just after 4.  When I was driving north on 95 traffic was stacked going south.  Not only were people trying to head home early from work but you had all sorts of people heading to the beaching in southern Virginia and North/South Carolina.  I could only hope that fewer people were heading towards the Delaware coast like we were.  I must say that getting to Rehoboth Beach, even at 4pm on the Friday before Memorial Day, was easy.  It took just over three hours, about 20 minutes longer than a trip during the off season.

As is tradition on Friday night we went out to dinner.  The last time we were here we had drinks at the Cultured Pearl and absolutely loved the place when we walked around.  It is a Japanese restaurant with a huge sushi bar and an enormous deck outside.  The deck is one of the coolest things I have seen around.  As for the food the sushi was great, even if it was not made by a Japanese man.

Come Saturday it was time to start working.  As much as I wanted the weekend to be about relaxing at the beach, that was not going to happen.  We had a laundry list of chores that needed to be complete before the first tenants occupied the house.  First on the list was that stupid deck.  Over the entire off season we completely broke down and rebuilt the deck.  There is now a composite floor, new railing, and a hand rail down the stairs that looks all jacked up.  My dad and I didn’t have any ideas how to get it installed properly, so with a lot of trial and error we got it installed.  As long as you don’t look to closely, it looks fantastic!

a crowded boardwalk

The other major project was getting a more secure cover over the hole leading under the house.  It was completely paved over in an earlier project and the 1″ board of plywood was not holding up to well to the heavy weight.  So we had to undo all the bricks and jury rig a support structure.  Fortunately I had the brilliant idea of number all the pavers in order making the process of putting it all back together much easier.  It even came in handy on Tuesday when a plumber had to get under the house.

Other projects including painting the ceiling in the family room, mulching the new flower beds, planting two dozen plants, sanding the bench, then painting the bench black, and a half dozen other minor tasks.  Both Saturday and Sunday were filled with work, starting early and not finishing till 7:30 and 7 respectfully.

Not everything about the weekend involved work, I ate very well while I was there.  Not only did I get to eat sushi at the Cultured pearl on Friday, but we had NY strip steaks Saturday and BBQ chick on Sunday with all the trimmings.  Sunday we even took a long lunch and walked down to Whiskey Jacks.  It overs looks the beach and provides the perfect setting for beer and pizza.  I was even able to finish watching the Indy 500 while there.  My dad and I saw the start of the race, I made sure we took a break to catch “the most exciting start in racing.”  Speaking of racing, I was able to catch the Formula 1 race from Monaco at a reasonable hour with an 8am start.  Jenson Button again took the victory, win number 5 for the driver who’s team was in doubt one month before the start of the season.

This little trip to the boardwalk offered my only opportunity to get down to the beach.  The day was a little over cast but that did not stop the hordes of people from enjoying the beach and the boardwalk.  Every were I looked everyone had smiles on their faces.  Plenty of people were walking down the boardwalk and darting in and out of the various shops and restaurants.  The main drag, Rehoboth Avenue, was packed with more revelers as well.  One crazy thing was that even though the water was about 60 degrees and technically closed by the lifeguards, that didn’t stop people from having fun.  I found a group of kids playing baseball, others throwing frisbees, people flying kits, and one old guy doing some surf fishing.

bumper car fun

A great location for people watching was Fun Land right on the boardwalk.  This little amusement park offers all sorts of rides and carnival games, was so packed I could hardly walk around.  The swinging machine of death, as I like to call it, had everyone smiling and loosing their pocket change.  The bumper cars offered a great opportunity to get some pictures smiling and enjoying the afternoon.  Everyone down at the beach had not a care in the world, even if was only for a short time.  I doesn’t matter that we are fighting two wars, we have the worst economy in a generation, the possible bankruptcy of GM and other problems.  People at Rehoboth put all those problems aside for the weekend and were just having fun.

Come Monday morning it was time for me to leave.  After all the hard work and only a little relaxing I had to drive back to northern Virginia and join the throngs of others headed home from the long weekend.  The last time I did this it took Nancy and I five hours to get home, mostly from traffic on 404.  So after a good breakfast I packed my stuff and prepared myself for the long drive home.  I stopped by Starbucks and got some coffee, I figured it would help ease the pain of sitting not going any where.  Surprisingly it only took 4 hours to get back to Springfield.

Once there I got in my truck and did some more driving, yippie!  This time it was out to Nancy’s house.  She was having a BBQ with friends to celebrate the holiday.  I arrived a little later than planned, thanks traffic, and immediately was put to work.  I was in charge of making and subsequently grilling the burgers.  Nancy already procured the ingredients, so I simply had to put it all together and form burgers.  About the time I finished up the heavens opened up and dumped rain on our parade.  For the short run we munched on some excellent guacamole dip that Nichole made and chicken buffalo dip made by Nancy.

swing batter

No matter what rain dance we did the rain never stopped so I had to grill in the rain.  This is how you know I am a hardcore griller, or it could be we were just really hungry.  But I dawned a rain jacked and braved the elements to cook burgers, hot dogs, and sausage for everyone.  When we finally sat down to eat, it was totally worth it getting rained on for the great food.

As much work and driving as I did over the weekend it was still spectacular.  I still got away from home for the weekend and got to spend lots of quality time with my friends and family.  And isn’t that why I work so hard, so I can spend time with the ones I love?  I sure think so.