Stars and Bars: Welcome to U Street Music Hall

Posted on 03/31/2020 by Mickey McCarter in Local Spotlight, Stars and Bars and tagged concert hall, DC, music venue, nightclub, U Street Music Hall.

The entrance to U Street Music Hall (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

You could learn a lot from DJ Will Eastman. One of the many things: Should you decide on a career change, put your whole heart into it.

That’s what Will did when he opened U Street Music Hall in 2010. You see, he previously worked full-time for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Meanwhile, DJ’ed all around town and beyond at 9:30 Club, Black Cat, and more, and he saw the need for a club wholly dedicated to hot dance nights with big beats.

Enter U Hall, a club for DJs by DJs.

Stars and Bars: Welcome to the Lincoln Theatre

Posted on 03/30/2020 by Mickey McCarter in Local Spotlight, Stars and Bars and tagged concert hall, DC, Lincoln Theatre, music venue.

The Lincoln Theatre (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

The Lincoln Theatre in DC is a grand old facility first opened in 1922. It was shuttered after the 1968 race riots and reopened in 1994.

It’s owned by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which awarded a contract to IMP, the promotions company that operates 9:30 Club and The Anthem, to book its concert schedule in recent years.

Stars and Bars: Welcome to DC9

Posted on 03/26/2020 by Mickey McCarter in Local Spotlight, Stars and Bars and tagged concert hall, DC, DC9, music venue, nightclub.

DC9 Nightclub (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

When you Google “DC9 Nightclub,” the search engine giant helpfully informs you that “the live music venue” is a “Tri-level hipster hangout with snug basement bar, music stage with dance parties and rooftop deck.”

What that doesn’t fully tell you, however, is that DC9 is perhaps the most chill spot to discover the best rising bands, find the best affordable cocktail to put you in the zone, and altogether check your troubles at the door.

Stars and Bars: Welcome to The Birchmere

Posted on 03/25/2020 by Mark Engleson in Stars and Bars and tagged concert hall, music venue, The Birchmere, Virginia.

The Birchmere (Photo by dontdothisathome)

With a history going back more than 50 years, The Birchmere enjoys an unparalleled prestige with both artists and fans among DMV venues. Known as the region’s center for roots music, the venue has hosted a staggering number of legendary artists.

Stars and Bars: Welcome to the Black Cat

Posted on 03/24/2020 by Mickey McCarter in Local Spotlight, Stars and Bars and tagged Black Cat, concert hall, DC, music venue, nightclub.

The Black Cat (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

The Black Cat is regarded as home to DC’s punk music scene. It hosts the likes of Discord bands like Hammered Hulls and traveling skate punk bands like FIDLAR, for sure, but there’s much more to the Black Cat.

With its 700-person capacity, the Black Cat is the touring home to indie rockers of all stripes, whether climbing their way up the charts or legacy bands that have won a consistent and loyal following.

Around Town: Wine Tours @ City Winery Washington DC

Posted on 01/09/2019 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town, Stars and Bars and tagged Adam Drici, City Winery, Ivy City, Justin Harrison, wine, wine tour.

City Winery DC Winemaker Adam Drici (Photos by Ari Strauss)

Editor’s note: Parklife DC reviews many shows at City Winery, so we recently took a wine tour to learn more about our friends and partners in Ivy City (1350 Okie St. NE, Washington, DC 20002). Read our Parklife DC concert coverage at City Winery.

In April, DC’s City Winery will celebrate its first year, and it’s planning some celebrations for that month. As regular concert attendees at City Winery Washington DC, Parklife DC meanwhile visited the winery on a team tour. We heartily recommend you book your own tour after reading these notes on our experience!

Interview: Chef Adam Dulye of the Brewers Association (@ SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience 6/1-6/2/18)

Posted on 05/28/2018 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town, Food Talk, Interview, Stars and Bars and tagged Adam Dulye, beer festival, Brewers Association, Craft Beer, Interview, National Building Museum, SAVOR, SAVOR 2018.

Adam Dulye (Photo courtesy the Brewers Association)

The Brewers Association will present the 11th edition of SAVOR as the premier craft food and pairing event in the United States at the National Building Musuem, Friday, June 1, and Saturday, June 2. With each brewery offering at least two beers, SAVOR 2018 will feature more than 180 beers from across the country. (VIP tickets have sold out, but general admission tickets remain for both nights.)

And each of those beers is accompanied by a food pairing, devised by Chef Adam Dulye and his team. SAVOR recently published the list of food and beer pairings, and Parklife DC caught up with Adam to get more insights into how food and beer come together to make SAVOR such an exciting experience.

Around Town: No Mike Isabella @ RAMMY Awards, 6/10/18

Posted on 03/30/2018 by Parklifer in Food Talk, Stars and Bars and tagged Arroz, G by Mike Isabella, Mike Isabella, RAMMY Awards, RAMW, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, Washington Convention Center.

The reception at RAMMY Awards in 2017 (Photo courtesy RAMW)

The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) announced yesterday the revocation of two nominations for restaurants owned by Chef Mike Isabella for the RAMMY Awards on June 10 at the Washington Convention Center in the wake of recent sexual harassment charges against him and other members of his leadership team.

Don’t Miss: SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience @ National Building Museum, 6/1-6/2/18

Posted on 03/21/2018 by Mickey McCarter in Around Town, Food Talk, Stars and Bars and tagged beer festival, Brewers Association, Craft Beer, National Building Museum, SAVOR, SAVOR 2018.

Beer aficionados gather for Savor 2017 at the National Building Museum.

Ninety small and independent craft brewery converge at the National Building Museum (401 F St. NW, DC) in DC on Friday, June 1, and Saturday, June 2, for the return of SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience. Tickets for the event are on sale as of today, March 21!

Don’t Miss: RAMMY Awards @ Washington Convention Center — 6/10/18

Posted on 03/13/2018 by Mickey McCarter in Food Talk, Live Review, Stars and Bars and tagged beer program, RAMMY Awards, RAMW, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, Washington Convention Center, wine program.

Rose Previte, owner of Compass Rose, accepts the award for Best Casual Restaurant of the Year with her team at the 2017 RAMMY Awards on July 30, 2017. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Restaurant industry professionals gathered Monday at The Hamilton Live to hear the list of finalists for the 2018 RAMMY Awards, announced by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). The winners will ultimately receive recognition at the black-tie RAMMY Awards Gala at the Washington Convention Center on Sunday, June 10.