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For Christmas I got Nancy tickets to a comedy show at the DC Improv, but the show got canceled.  Not to be disappointed she finds out 311 is playing locally and wants to see them instead.  She has wanted to see them for a while, last year we missed the show at Jiffy Lube because we were in San Francisco for the weekend.  In hind sight the trip to California was worth missing 311.  This turned out to be the perfect gift for Nancy.  Later we found out Saundra is a big fan and her birthday was on the same day as the show, so we invited her up for the weekend and bought her ticket as a gift.

We got an early start to the venue as Sublime with Rome was opening and Nancy wanted to see them.  We already know that tailgating was not an option after hearing Jiffy Lube killed the idea for Buffett.  Even with plenty of time before the show, getting past security was a trip.  We read online we could bring water, snakes, blankets, and chairs into the venue.  Halfway to the gate we found out no blankets or chairs allowed in, there went our comfortable seat on the lawn.  When we finally made it to the entrance there were 6-7 lines, each stretching 200 feet.  Security was methodical in patting everyone down and searching all bags making getting in extremely slow going.  Give me a break.

By the time we got through security with a beer in hand Sublime with Rome was already on stage.  We found ourselves a spot on the lawn and enjoyed the rest of their set.  Little did we know it would be hotter than last Friday’s Sweeney Todd show if that was even possible.  7:30 and it was well over 90 degrees and humidity around 60%.  The beer was cold so it made it a little bearable.  The weather would have been more bearable if Sublime with Rome was better.  I remember listening to Sublime in the ’90′s before Bradley Nowell over dosed on heroin and they rocked.  The new incarnation of the band lacks the spark that made the original lineup so great.  The playing seemed force with no creativity.  I also felt their take on the songs just sucked, much to slow and melodic.  I was hoping for more energy which the band just didn’t delivery.

Fortunately after Sublime with Rome left the stage security personnel were handing out tickets.  Upon further investigation they were giving out pavilion seats to people on the lawn.  The 300 section, especially the far wings, where undersold for the show.  To make the pavilion look full they upgraded people from the lawn.  After a quick discussion we decided to pack up our gear and head in for a closer perspective and actual seats sense we couldn’t bring out own in.  The only down side was the tin roof trapped the heat and humidity, raising the temperature by several degrees under the pavilion.  Even after the sun went down and well into the 311 set it was hot.

By show time the pavilion finally started to fill in.  The pit and the lower sections were full, however even with free upgrades the 300 sections remained rather empty.  The lawn was pretty full, but only in the center.  In all it was over half full but I am sure much fewer tickets were sold than anticipated.

Nancy and Saundra loved the show and I was impressed.  I have heard a few of their songs over the years and recognized them when played.  I am not much of a rock fan but it was still a good show.  They would change the tempo often from fast to slow and back again keeping the audience engaged.  A couple of things struck me during the show, one was the drum solo Chad had.  Everyone left the stage and he kicked the shit out of the drums.  Slowly the roadies started wheeling out covered drums that the rest of the band played with Chad, forming a giant drum circle.  Really cool.  Later P-Nut had his own solo, sitting on the stage lip whaling on his bass.  Again, I was very impressed with his performance.  I know I don’t have much detail, it was a good show and I enjoyed it.  Most of my enjoyment came from watching Nancy and Saundra who are true 311 fans.

After the show ended we headed to the car and got out of the venue rather quickly which was unusual for the place.  On the way home I got pulled over for the usual sobriety check point, stupid and un-necessary.  For Buffett they even check you on the way into the show.  This past year this venue has gone down hill and I personally don’t want to see a show there again.  All forms of tailgating are banned, security is a bitch, they hassle you all the time, and getting into and out of the venue still sucks after 16 years.  Every show I have seen at Jiffy Lube, previously Nissan Pavilion, has been great.  Over the last few years the venue has killed the experience.  Way to go Live Nation.

Start time 8:58pm
01. Hive
02. All Mixed Up
03. You Wouldn’t Believe
04. Sunset In July
05. Jackpot
06. Champagne
07. Wild Nights
08. Beautiful Disaster
09. Don’t Let Me Down*
10. Applied Science
11. Weightless
12. Do You Right
13. Freak Out
14. Amber
BASS SOLO
15. Nutsymtom
16. Come Original
17. Beyond The Gray Sky
18. Time Bomb
19. What Was I Thinking
20. Creatures (For a While)
Set ends 10:26pm

encore:
starts 10:29pm
21. Omaha Stylee
22. Down
house lights 10:38

* Last played 3/11/2008

copyright John Hagarty

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My dad turned 65 over the weekend so we helped him celebrate another year on earth by going to Foti’s in Culpeper, VA.  Pat got a room at a B&B in Remington with dinner at Foti’s to complete the celebration.  Pat coordinated with the family to get as many of us as possible to show up for dinner and it turned out wonderful.  We have done this in the past so it was not a big surprise when he saw everyone there to help him celebrate.  Matt, Tracy, Bobby, Nancy and myself all made the trip out for the evening.

We were told to meet at the only pub in town by 7pm for drinks before heading to the restaurant.  Pubs have always been a “go to” place when we get together for drinks.  Usually the beer selection is good and the atmosphere is relaxed.  This place was anything but, in fact it was a dump.  Our caravan of merry people arrived right on time to find the place not officially open, the staff was getting ready for some beach party that night.  We grabbed a drink and headed to the upstairs balcony to relax where we meet the folks.

At the appointed time we headed down the block to the restaurant for our reservations.  Walking into the place it was well appointed with just enough light to see things but dim enough for perfect ambiance.  The restaurant was full but not crowded which was nice.  Looking over the menu it was not extensive but the selection looked amazing.  Chef, Frank Maragos, worked at the Inn at Little Washington before opening Foti’s and put together an good menu of diverse dishes.  He obviously has talent if he worked at the Inn and put this menu together.

a good turn out for dinner

We sampled several of the appetizers and they all where amazing.  I got the special appetizer for the night, shaved lamb on toasted bread and what looked like bruschetta topping.  This was a cold dish with the meat tender and the flavor pairings worked nicely.  Nancy wanted to try the escargot, I know they are snails but I have never eaten them before.  On Nancy’s recommendation I tried it and was impressed, they were tender and flavorful.  The last appetizer for the table was vanilla roasted Maine lobster and it was huge.  It must have been a 1/2 pound of tail and call with a hint of vanilla flavor, tender and not rubbery.  So far things are off to a good start, I have quelled my hunger paints a little yet still wanting more.

For the main course I got the black pepper corn encrusted salmon and it was amazing like everything else.  It came with roasted local vegetables and couscous as the sides.  Everyone’s food was amazing and for about 15 minutes there was silence at the table as we all ate our meals and drank our wine.  Nancy got the chicken, Matt the rib eye, Pat and Bobby the beef tenderloin, my dad the duck (he’s a sucker for duck), Tracy scallops.  Everyone raved about their choice and some even licked their plates clean it was so good.

After such a great meal it would be a shame to not have some dessert so we ordered that to finish the night off.  I got the hazel nut ice cream with cookies and because it was my dad’s birthday they gave him a special “Happy Birthday” dessert which he at least sampled.  We even got a visit from the chef which was really cool.

Happy Birthday Dad

By now we could do little more than just sit there and enjoy the last few sips of wine and marvel at the exceptional dinner we just completed.  I can’t stress enough how good the food was that night.  It was certainly not cheap but for a nice evening out it is a real winner.  Being Culpeper we closed the restaurant down just after 10pm but the night was not complete yet.  We headed back to the pub which was in full swing as a night club, complete with trashy woman and pumping music.  We instead went to the only other open place that night the Smoking House just down the street.  It is a real country bar with country music, I saw a guy with spurs on his boots and several pin ball machines.  Here we had a few drinks before closing this bar down as well around midnight.  I was not to thrilled with this after party and was looking forward to get back home.

We said our goodbyes and piled into Bobby’s 4Runner for the hour drive back to there house.  It was past 1:30 when we arrived but the party was still going.  We sat on the deck to enjoy another round of drinks and I was enjoying the mostly full moon on a clear night.  By the time 3am rolled around it was finally time for bed.  All we can hope for it to wake up the next morning and enjoy another day.  My dad has been saying these words for years now and I am inspired by this simple outlook on life.  He doesn’t require much, just wants to get up each morning.

Mamma Mia at Wolf Trap

Last night we trekked out to Wolf Trap to see the opening night of Mamma Mia.  We got half price lawn tickets about 6 months ago so we of course had not idea what the weather was going to be like.  Fortunately the weather ended up being perfect unlike last years were it was incredibly hot and humid.  Because of the nicer weather we didn’t drink nearly as much wine to cool off.  I could actually remember more of the show this year, but it certainly was just as fun.  There was zero humidity and the temps stayed in the low 70′s all evening.

It took over an hour to get from Springfield to the venue so when we arrived the lawn was absolutely smashed with blankets.  We fortunately snuck our way into a close spot stage right as a group was headed into the pavilion for the show.  We spread our blanket and took up residency for the evening.  Quickly we got the food out and cracked open a bottle of wine just as the stage lights dimmed and the show started.

This year the entire cast changed with maybe the exception of Rosie and Tanya, everyone else was new and did a great job.  There was some debate as to weather the stage setup and even the show itself had changed from last year.  I happen to believe that neither changed.  Maybe seeing the new cast threw everyone off.  Or maybe it was the fact of seeing the show from a different perspective this year, stage right.  I know when I sit behind the stage at Phish it certainly appears to be a different show to me.

The show was fantastic as always.  The weather that night was cool, in the low 70′s all evening and perfect for spend the evening outside.  By the time the show ended it was getting a little chilly and I could have used a light jacket.  Getting out of Wolf Trap is always a pain even though we waited 30 minutes for the venue to clear out.  Everyone wants to head east on Wolf Trap Road towards the toll road so it is a bottle neck getting dumping all the lots onto a single lane road.  Eventually we made it to Springfield and stayed for a night cap before heading home to Stafford.  It was after 1am before we got home and we both crashed hard.  It has been a long week of parties and late nights which finally caught up with me.  The only consolation was that Friday’s are usually light on the work load so feeling like crap wouldn’t be that big of an impact on my ability  to work.  I will say that I was looking forward to sleep on Friday night and not having to wake up early on Saturday.

Looks like we might make this an annual tradition.  Wolf Trap is such a great place to see a show we talked about seeing other shows together over the summer.  Under the stars on the lawn with some food and uh hello BYOB, sounds like a can’t miss evening.

This local brewery from Delaware has blown up in the last 5 years or so.  I remember going to the original ale house in downtown Rehoboth Beach long before they became popular.  We would go to get some great craft beer and honestly, some ok food.  But it was the beer that set this place apart.  Over the years they have increased their distribution area and it is very easy for me to find this beer in my local super market here in Norther Virginia.  Discover Channel even had a short lived tv show featuring Sam and Dogfish called Brew Masters.

Enough with the brewery, this post is about the incredible dinner they had.  Father’s Day was a few weeks ago and I missed it because I was on Phish tour (night 1, night 2, night 3).  For the last few years Phish has played on Father’s Day, usually in Saratoga Springs (2004, 2009 and 2010) and this year in Portsmouth.  When I am getting tickets I never realize what the date is, I am just looking for some close shows to attend.  Back in 2010 I got called back home and missed the SPAC Father’s Day show, but I caught the first year at SPAC and I was making the Portsmouth show this year.  I did of course call my Dad from the road and wished him happy Father’s Day and that I would take him out for dinner on my return to celebrate.

For a few years now my Dad has always paid when just the two of us go out for dinner and I thought it should be my turn to treat him.  It had been a while since our last dinner together and we both love beer so when I saw the announcement I jumped at the chance.  Since they opened their ale house in Fairfax and Seven Corners I have gotten their emails about dinners but never had the chance to attend one.  This I was looking forward to trying.

an incredible menu, click to enlarge

My Dad and I meet Nancy at the bar before the dinner for a quick drink before dinning.  Work has been crazy for Nancy so it was good to get her mind off work and enjoy a beer.  Later she went to dinner with Pat at Madigan’s Waterfront in Occoquan.  When the dinner started my Dad and I took our beers to the table and were surprised to find a full class of Festina Peche waiting for us, this was what I ordered from the bar.  It is a tart wheat beer with a hint of peach and I love it.  It certainly is not for everyone, but I dig the tartness and the hint of peach.  Many times when a brewer add fruit to their beer all you taste is the fruit and I hate that.  This one is well balanced and extra special with the tartness.  Abita Purple Haze and Magic Hat #9 are two other “fruit” beers I think are really good.

We got put into a booth and quickly meet our dinner quests for the night, two really cool guys who’s names I can’t remember.  We talked all night about beer and life in general.  One of the guys is an Archer fan so he got mad brownie points with me.  Thankfully he informed us that as the night went on the size of the beers would get smaller, after all there were five courses.  But as the glasses got smaller the alcohol content went up so it was really just a wash.

The night started off with three large bacon wrapped scallops that I thought was for the table but in fact was for each person.  They were cooked perfectly and I thought the peach wheat beer paired nicely.  Second course was potato salad with lobster paired with Burton Baton.  The potato salad was good, nothing special and I am not a big fan of the giant insects called lobster.  Even the beer was just ok, high alcohol content and a strong taste.  I thought they should have paired a lighter beer to go with the delicate salad.  I would have also preferred a lettuce salad, but that is just me.  In fact this was the only miss of the whole night.

Next up was the soup course and it was clam chowder paired with Shelter Pale Ale.  First thing we all noticed was the soup was broth based and not the traditional cream based chowder I am use to.  The broth was light but you could still taste the clam/sea/salt.  The beer was light of course and didn’t overpower the subtle flavors of the soup.  Surprisingly the guy who grew up in New Jersey never had clam chowder before and ate every last drop of it.

Next up is the main course, blue cheese stuff petite filet.  By this point we are all getting full but I was determined to eat all the courses.  My jaw dropped as I cut into the filet and tasted it.  It was perfectly cooked medium-rare and the flavor combo of blue cheese and port wine reduction was incredible.  The potatoes had a great flavor of bacon and cheese, creamy yet still a little lumpy, just the way I like it.  Even the brussel sprouts had a great tang and flavor.  The Raison D’Etre was a so so beer, like the name suggests it has a raisin flavor and was heavy as crap.  This beer was hard to finish but I forced myself to drinking it all.  Now and again I kept going back to the Festina Peche to cleanse my pallet.  By the time I was half done with the main course I had already eaten and drunken a ton and was completely full.  If this was a normal meal I would have yelled uncle and taken it home with me.  I wad determined to finish everything, even if I did happen to slow down a bit.  It was just to good to not finish.

Finally dessert came out which was a waffle, ice cream, maple syrup and MORE BACON.  The desert was incredible and I was surprised my Dad actually finished his, not just sampled.  He is known for not eating desserts but on rare occasions and this was that rare occasion.  Unfortunately as good as the dessert was the beer was anything but.  It was the Sah’ Tea which is brewed with juniper berries just like gin.  Next they add all these spices and add them to the mix.  The beer is brewed in a traditional style with heated river bed rocks but I must say the smell is awful.  All you can smell is flowers and taste nothing but juniper.  This one I could barely drink, back to my Festina Peche.

Around 9:30 we finally finished, stuffed and fully satisfied we headed home.  We were thoroughly impressed with the operation and I can’t wait to go back for another beer dinner.  One of our table mates has been to several of these and says the menus have never been repeated.  The only thing I was disappointed about was my Dad and I never really talked.  We chit chatted all night of course, but usually when he and I go to dinner we have some deep discussions.  Guess I will have to take him out for another dinner here shortly.

Updated: January 17th 2012 – I have stopped trying to write a post about this and the rest of the tour.  I am just going to post a quick thought and the set list so it will be on my site.

Final show of the tour and I was psyched for this one. After hiking The Great Dismal Swamp, I was a little tired and just wanted to sit on the lawn and enjoy some good music. The trip to the venue was quick and I made it with plenty of time to spare.

I wish I had more time to get a bit to eat but I didn’t want to be late like I was for Charlotte. One thing I noticed was just like last year, there were cops all around the venue and parking lots. But also like last year they were not inside the venue, just had to get past them. House security was slow and extensive with city cops making sure things ran smoothly. All that security and people still manage to bring all sorts of stuff into the venue.

This being another Fathers Day show, the bands fathers where on stage and did some singing.  They also brought all their children on stage during Brother.  It was a great way to start a kick ass show from the band.  Being Fathers Day I did call my dad after leaving the Dismal Swamp on my way to the venue.  Unfortunately I am out traveling about half the time on Fathers Day, it is not unusually for me to be at a Phish show or some musical festival.  I do manage to call my dad and often set something up for another day when I am back in town.

After the show I headed home for a short nights rest and went back to work on Monday.  I was dog ass tired that day but I fell good after the tour.  As soon as one tour ends, I start dreaming of the next.  They never come soon enough.

Set 1:
01. Harpua (1)
02. Brother (2)
03. Down with Disease
04. Back on the Train
05. Funky Bitch
06. Timber
07. The Wedge
08. The Moma Dance
09. Thunder Road (3)
10. Tube
11. Alaska
12. David Bowie

Set 2:
01. Crosseyed and Painless
02. Walls of the Cave >
03. Slave to the Traffic Light
04. Fluffhead
05. Sand
06. Sneakin’ Sally Thru the Alley >
07. Light >
08. Backwards Down the Number Line
09. Suzy Greenberg

encore:
10. Julius

Notes:
(1) Harpua featured all of the fathers of the band members
(2) For the third year in a row, Brother featured all of the children of the band
(3) First time played