This past Sunday evening, we had dinner and drinks with my family at the Jetty Dock Bar in Grasonville, MD — just over the Bay Bridge. I had to share this photo — because look how beautiful the sunset was!! We listened to all the oldies by my dad’s friends’ band while the sun went down, just until it got too cold to stay outside any longer. I love live music. Ahhh, goodbye summer…
Last night we saw Langhorne Slim and The Law at the Rock and Roll Hotel. I love that place. It’s just so cozy. The show was awesome – he sang a few solo songs, but most of the time the band was up there on stage with him, including the guy pickin’ the banjo, my favorite part. Now it’s just a rainy Friday afternoon, so I’m listening to all the songs again on repeat. They’re always that much better after seeing them live.
i like this one
We FINALLY made it to the new H Street NE location of HR-57 last weekend. It was long one of our favorite DC spots for live jazz music when it was formerly located on 14th St, and since it was super-nice enough to move along with us into our new neighborhood — well, yeah, we really have no excuse for not getting there earlier.
It’s still got a “new” vibe to it with the white-painted side walls (I definitely prefer the exposed brick at the former location), but the music was just as enjoyable during our evening there… so I’m not complaining. These places take time to settle into and find their real character. And if you judge by these pictures, doesn’t it look just as moody and comfortable and awesome as ever?
One other note of interest! It looks like they are now equipped with crepe-makers up front in the windows where you come inside. Though I didn’t smell any of the fresh doughy treats or see anyone order them, I’m going to have to look into it on our next visit. Wine, jazz, and crepes. Match made in heaven.
The show was great too — lots of long numbers in their set, hilarious commentary by the band members in between jams, and also a few spontaneous breakouts into the theme song from Sesame Street. This song is brought to you by the letters “H” and “R.” Love it!
I just asked Matt, “What should I write about the bluegrass festival yesterday?”
Silence for a few seconds… then:
Matt: “It was sweltering hot. The shade was sparse. The food trucks were rolling. The bikes were plenty. The beer was cold. The island was beautiful, attendees were happy, and the pickin’ was fast. The second annual Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival was a smashing success, or something like that, and I look forward to attending next year.”
Just a guy riding the metro, going somewhere to jam. Wouldn’t want to have to carry that case around during rush hour…
Who doesn’t love the sound of a banjo being plucked? I was lucky enough to catch the end of our neighbor’s front stoop banjo serenade yesterday on my way in from walking Bowser. Made me want to have a good ol’ hoedown right there on the street, but I did somehow refrain.
It put me in such a good mood though, that I’m going to give away an 8×10 print in honor of loving banjos. All you have to do is leave a comment, and we’ll pick someone at random to win a copy of this pic in the mail. It was taken almost a year ago at the end of the Tweed Ride in DC. You have until the end of this week to leave a message!
Yesterday evening we went to see Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Tom Petty at the venue formerly known as Nissan, but now awkwardly named Jiffy Lube Live. It was mostly a crowd of younger people such as ourselves, probably still in diapers during the 70s or even yet to be born, but still with an appreciation for some classics that our parents probably played on the radio during long car rides. Or perhaps, like me, had Petty’s Greatest Hits album get stuck in the CD player in my first car in high school (the same CD player that my older brother “sold” to me for $100 bucks with the car even though it was my parents, ugh) but anyways causing me to forever associate “American Girl” with those awesome first drives around Howard County during the summer when I got my license, windows rolled down, singing at the top of my lungs, and… anyways, you get the picture. So, all-in-all, a great show and a great singalong event on what turned out to be a lovely evening on a hillside in Virginia.
annnd the eagle flies with the dove….
I haven’t posted any music in awhile on here, because, well it’s supposed to be a photo blog. But, this song just came on my iTunes rotation as I’m sitting here working, and it’s been awhile since I’d last heard it. Though Bob Dylan wrote it, I think I first heard either the Garth Brooks or Billy Joel version forever ago when it came out on the Hope Floats soundtrack. Then, Adele recorded her version a few years ago. I think it’s the best one.
Is it just me, or can you can almost hear the sounds of jazz coming from this silhouette near 14th and U St?