Parklife DC

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June 15, 2016

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Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches sings at Rams Head Live on Sunday, June 12, 2016.

Spritely Lauren Mayberry bounds onto the stage at Rams Head Live! on Sunday night, and she looks as buoyant as her music sounds.

As Lauren dashes from side to side of the stage, she seems like she has an urgent message to deliver to the very full house. And the message is a good one! It’s like Lauren has discovered a truth about being yourself, and about being happy, and she is bursting to the edges of the stage to share that message.

Lauren and her bandmates in Chvrches open the show with “Never Ending Circles,” a song about finding freedom through escaping cycles from Chvrches’ album, Every Open Eye, their self-produced second record released last year via Virgin EMI Records and Goodbye Records.

Around Town: Annual Biscuit Bash @ Art and Soul, 6/16/16

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June 14, 2016

Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.

Biscuits are good.

So we approve of the 3rd Annual Biscuit Bash contest at Art and Soul Restaurant on Thursday, June 16th.

One place that has excellent biscuits, Mason Dixie Biscuit Co., is missing from the list. And I hear Meats & Foods’ biscuits are good as well.

So the contest winner may need an asterisk next to it, but I’m sure all of these will be worth your time.

2016 Contenders:

Matt Baker/Gravitas
Brandon Byrd/Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats
Louis Goral/Rural Society
Jerome Grant/Mitsitam Café at the National Museum of the American Indian
Hamilton Johnson/Honeysuckle
Tiffany MacIsaac/Butttercream Bakeshop
Drew Market/Beuchert’s Saloon
Alex McCoy/Alfie’s/Crisp Kitchen & Bar
George Rodrigues/Tico
Tadd Ruddell-Tabisola/BBQ Bus
Evan Scarlatelli/Southern Efficiency
DC Central Kitchen’s culinary job training program

A share of the proceeds will go to DC Central Kitchen.

Biscuit Bash 2016
Art and Soul Restaurant (415 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001)
Thursday, June 16
6-8pm
$40

Music Park: Casket Girls @ Songbyrd Music House — 6/11/16

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June 14, 2016

Phaedra and Elsa Greene of the Casket Girls perform at Songbyrd Music House on Saturday, June 11, 2016.

If the ’60s television incarnation of the Addams Family were to have a favorite pop band, the Casket Girls would likely fit the bill.

Cloaked in campy cemetery trappings without actually being scary, sisters Phaedra and Elsa Greene sing some rather winning dreampop. Clad in black outfits and shades, they harmonize sweetly with occasionally synchronized moves that could have been lifted directly from ’60s girl groups.

Music Park: Yumi Zouma @ DC9 — 6/8/16

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June 13, 2016

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Yumi Zouma (Photo Courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR)

Yumi Zouma, by way of New Zealand, captivated the DC9 crowd on Wednesday, June 8th with a fine mix of dreamy pop, synth hooks and Christie Simpson’s exuberantly clear voice.

With their name etched in cursive, hovering in the stage background in bright lights, Yumi Zouma played 14 fun, breezy songs from their new album and two previous EPs.

Music Park: Dolly Parton @ Wolf Trap — 6/8/16

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June 13, 2016

Dolly Parton performs at Wolf Trap National Park on Wednesday, June 8, 2016.

Dolly Parton famously grew up poor in the Tennessee Smokey Mountains, and her late father worked hard to provide for her large family.

At one point, her father traveled to Detroit for work in an effort to improve their finances. After missing his home and family, he returned.

In tribute to his dedication, Dolly wrote a song “Smokey Mountain Memories,” which appeared on a live album Heartsongs: Live from Home, recorded at Dollywood in 1994.

Stars and Bars: The Ivy Room @ Republic Restoratives Distillery

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June 10, 2016

The 800-square-foot Ivy Room is a collaboration between lobbyist Vinoda Basnayake and Republic Restoratives Distillery’s Pia Carusone and Rachel Gardner. (Photo Credit: John Robinson)

Nestled next to the Republic Restoratives Distillery like a fancy sun room, a new cocktail bar opened in Ivy City.

The Ivy Room, a well-appointed and airy tasting room, will serve cocktails made with Civic Vodka. Civic is made in the distillery mere steps away. You can easily see the tanks reflecting light through the giant windows. Those windows open, giving it the perfect atmosphere on a sunny day or evening.

Cocktails featuring Civic, like the Blackberry Sour and the Moscow Mule, are refreshingly good. Republic is also distilling a batch of bourbon, which will be ready in the next few weeks. I’ll need to venture back.

There will not be a kitchen on-site, but they will plan to arrange for food trucks to park nearby.

Ivy City is a burgeoning neighborhood, with multiple distilleries and a brewery (Atlas Brew Works). Yet it is not Metro accessible. Luckily there is a parking garage next door, along with some free parking nearby. You can also find a Capitol Bikeshare station only one block away.

Ivy Room hours
Thursday/Friday: 5pm to 11pm
Saturday: Noon to 11pm
Sunday: Noon to 5pm

Ivy Room Cocktail Menu

Blackberry Sour with Civic Vodka

Music Park: Bayonne @ Black Cat — 6/7/16

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June 10, 2016

Bayonne performs at the Black Cat on Tuesday, June 7, 2016.

Austin-based electronic musician Bayonne stopped by the Black Cat Tuesday to open for Two Door Cinema Club. With vocals, synths, and drums, he proved really quite absorbing and well worth seeing!

A good deal of the crowd showed up to see Bayonne in the sold-out show. And Bayonne (born Roger Sellers) did not disappoint. He threw himself across his synthesizers, bounded around his drums, and sang intensely into his mic while performing some songs from his debut album, Primitives (released in March via Mom+Pop), and improvising some affecting synth and drum numbers.

Sports Park: The Nationals’ Homestand vs. the Phillies & Cubs, 6/10-6/15/16

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June 10, 2016

11 things to look forward to on the Nationals’ homestand from June 10-15.

Get your tickets here!

1) Da Cubs. After getting swept by the Cubs in four games (May 5-8), the Nationals are ready to show the world (June 13-15) what they are made of. Against the team that has best record in baseball.

2) NatsPass! Get a ticket to every home game in June for just $50! Do it!

3) Bryce Harper. May wasn’t a great month for Bryce. He also sat out a few games after getting hit by a pitch. June will be the month he gets hot.

4) 80’s Night. With the all important free fanny pack on Friday, June 10th.

5) Legwarmers. See a pregame concert (5:00-6:30pm) on Friday, June 10th.

6) Get on the field. Both a Seniors Stroll the Bases (June 11) and a Kids Run the Bases (June 12).

7) Steven Strasburg. Tied for 1st in wins (9) and 4th in strikeouts (100), Steven’s NL Cy Young chances are not out of the question. Although, beating out Kershaw and Arrieta will be tough.

8) Nats love dogs. Keep bringing your Pups to the Park #4 on Monday, June 13th.

9) $1 Good Humor ice cream on Tuesday, June 14th.

10) Fanny pack not enough? Come back on Wednesday, June 15th and get a free Tote Bag.

11) Seriously, the NatsPass. 10 home games in June for $50.

Music Park: Bands Performing at Firefly Music Festival Playing Nearby, June 2016

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June 9, 2016