Look Here Film Buffs -- Free Movies

From January 15 - February 27, on Thursday and Friday nights, the Royal Thai Embassy will be hosting a Thai Film Festival in the Multimedia Room on the ground floor of the embassy (Georgetown area between M and K Streets). The films are free and so are the Thai snacks, but you do need to R.S.V.P. Popcorn, soda, and beer will also available. For complete information, check out their Web site, http://www.thaiembdc.org/CalturalCalendar/event.aspx

Bruce, Bono, Stevie, Garth, Beyonce, and Renee at Lincoln Memorial

The Presidential Inaugural Committee has just announced the 'initial' lineup for the WE ARE ONE: THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL on January 18. Here is the exact understated listing as it was released (in alphabetical order):

Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington. (I don't see Jimmy Buffet on this list, so the coast is clear - it should be a great show.)

What's missing here? Well, the time of the event for one, although I've heard it may be around noon. Also details about facilities, jumbo screens, entrance locations, security details, what you can bring, etc. Basically just about everything except the location and this initial list of performers.

On Sunday evening from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Eastern, HBO will broadcast the show using an open signal, meaning you can see it if you have cable or satellite TV. (Hey, that conflicts with the Ravens/Steelers game! I guess these folks aren't football fans).

More to come, we hope.

Rock the Vote concert just announced!

Here's another just-announced event on sale today. January 19 at the 9:30 Club.

Honky-tonkin at Iota, January 13

This just in from ‘our gal in Austin’ –

Next Tuesday, January 13, legendary singer/songwriter guitarist James Intveld will be at Iota. I remember years ago (that means the 80s) he played regularly around Los Angeles. It seemed like every week he was playing in one club or another. He's one of those hard-working and rare musicians who can and does play everything (guitar, bass, drums. . . ) and has a great voice. Roots rock, rockabilly, country, blues. Check ‘im out. Showtime 8:30.

http://www.jamesintveld.com/

Iota Club and Café
2832 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703-522-8340

Reality and Rumor in Obamaland

Today we're getting a little bit of reality and a lot of rumors about inaugural events taking place between January 17 - January 20. The biggest rumor is that Bruce Springsteen will open the show on the 18th at the Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Post's inaugural blog reports that Springsteen has indeed been asked to play. This one could be true - Bruce did spend a good amount of time campaigning for Obama AND he does have a new CD coming out later this month. The 90-minute (what?! - it'll take us that long to get there) event will be broadcast live on HBO - Obama and Biden will both be there. No word on the start time yet. (Hey, as long as they don't invite Jimmy Buffet, this ought to be worth checking out.)

As you've probably seen by now, every organization, neighborhood, and interest group is having some sort of inaugural ball-Obama event that weekend. If you're willing to take at least a $100 chance, you have a lot of options. Some sound cool but pricey (The Green Ball, $500 a ticket, http://www.greeninauguralball.com/about.html), but most sound, ummm, a little less cool (Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party's Inaugural Celebration, $100).

Still, you may want to get out, so here are two options to keep you busy those cold winter nights: 

Obamarama: DC Blues Society's Pre-Inaugural Party with CW Harrington 

C.W. Harrington and his six-piece band perform blues, jazz, R&B and soul music at the DC Blues Society's pre-inauguration party Obamarama at Surf Club Live in Hyattsville. Veteran musician Harrington has worked with such legends as Lou Rawls and Wilson Pickett. 

Surf Club Live (Hyattsville, MD)
Saturday, Jan. 17 @ 8:30pm

$12.00

Dance You Can Believe In
Start the party early and let Moby kick-off your inaugural week the right way. I mean, how many times do you get to dance until dawn in DC?

9:30 Club
MOBY (dj set)
January 18, doors open at midnight, dancing until dawn

$35.00

A great dinner - guess where?

Compared to meals I've had in other cities - like New Orleans and San Francisco - I haven't had a lot of memorable meals in Washington (I'm talking about the food, not the company.) So I'm happy to write that I had a wonderful dinner on Saturday night at Napa 1015, on H Street, in the up-and-finally-coming-back H Street corridor (or Atlas district). It was one of the best meals I've had in locally in a long time.

Napa 1015 is located at 1015 H Street, NE - you'll have to look hard to find it if you're driving by. Inside it's a cozy little artwork-adorned place that calls itself a "neighborhood restaurant, offering Northern California inspired cuisine with a French flair." I've been to northern California a number of times, but I don't have any idea what "Northern California-inspired cuisine" is. But I can tell you I had the Wild Boar Pork Loin with Cinnamon Crab Apple Salsa, Gingered Sweet Potatoes & Swiss Chard Gratin, which had a delicious and interesting blend of flavors and seasonings.

The rest of my party had the Tagine-style Lamb Shanks with Apricot, Butternut Stew, and Couscous and the Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Blood Orange Chipotle Cream Sauce. For vegetarians, they offer Grilled Tofu with Roasted Garlic Sauce and Winter Vegetable Stew, but otherwise their winter menu is heavy on meat and game.

My only complaint - we were there from about 7 - 9 on a Saturday and by the time we ordered desert, I had to make three selections before finding something the kitchen still had available. Since 8:30 is not exactly late to be ordering desert, to their credit the chef gave us a complimentary bowl of Mixed Berries with Crème Anglaise.

Napa 1015 has an authentic Mexican food night with homemade sauces and salsas every Thursday and a weekly wine tasting on Wednesday from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

So if you're heading to a play or show on H Street, or if you want to just check out a restaurant in a different area of town, try Napa 1015.

NAPA 1015
1015 H St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-396-NAPA
http://www.napa1015.com/

2 million people are gonna go where?

It looks like the Presidential Inaugural Committee is doing everything they can to scare the pants off people planning to come to Obama’s inauguration. First our mayor suggested we could have up to 4,000,000 people coming into town. (Never mind that the entire Mall would hold about half that.) Now the Committee has sent out a press release warning about crowding, cold temperatures, long security lines, long lines for metro, closed bridges and roads, traffic jams, and long walks from wherever in the world you're planning to park.

If you're unfortunate enough to have tickets in the standing room only area, you're being asked to be on site by 9:30, two hours before the inauguration begins. You can't take backpacks or baby strollers into the viewing area, and there may be some issues with letting you in and out to use 'the facilities.' If you live within 2 miles, better make that 3 miles, of the Mall, you’re expected to walk.

So basically if you’re young and fit – c’mon down, just don’t bring any children along. If you’re older but can walk several miles and stand in extreme cold weather for up to 6 hours, you’re welcome too. A senior citizen . . . hmmm, how’s your bladder?

Now officials have revised their estimates, and we expect up to 2,000,000 people to line the length of the mall from 4th Street (where the official ticket holder crowd ends) to the Lincoln Memorial. There will be jumbo screens set up the entire length of the mall and plenty of port ‘o’ pots. Us regular folks can bring backpacks, strollers, whatever, and show up when we want. We won't have to go through security either. So bring a blanket and some snacks to share.

Oh, one tip – stick together. We're being told cell phone systems may be overloaded that day.

I wouldn’t miss this for the world! Look for me – I may need a snack or a working cell phone.