LET'S GET IT OUT of the way. Jukebox the Ghost, a band of local boys that has relocated to Philly but still plays D.C. often, sounds kind of like Ben Folds. But that's not bad! You like Ben Folds, right?
If you can wade through the high schoolers who like the band's pop sensibilities and the pianist's dreamy eyes, and if you're not in the mood to be depressed, this is the band for you.
(Want to know what the band's life on tour is like? They discussed it with Express contributor Christopher Correa earlier this year.)
» Fort Reno, Chesapeake St. and Nebraska Ave. NW; Mon., Aug 11, 7:15 p.m., free; 202-673-7647. (Tenleytown-AU)
Photo by Davey Wilson
IF A BAND named after a Beckett character isn't too pretentious for you, congratulations. You're a hipster. Also, you should speed to Fort Reno — don't actually speed. Driving is a privilege, not a right — and see Exit Clov, an indie pop-rock quintet that's rising fast.
Twin lead singers Susan and Emily Hsu will give other famous musical siblings — Tegan and Sarah, the Watson Twins, maybe even Donny and Marie — reason to suit up for battle.
But, you know. Indie battle. With irony.
» Fort Reno, Chesapeake St. and Nebraska Ave. NW; Mon., Aug 4, 7:15 p.m., free; 202-673-7647. (Tenleytown-AU)
Photo by Dave Vann
ANOTHER MONDAY, another concert at the newly arsenic-free Fort Reno. This week, it's all about Pup Tent, an oddball local band with a rock base and an experimental vibe. You're never sure what's going to come out of this group from one track to the next — listen to the songs on their MySpace page for proof.
Pup Tent is joined by another D.C. staple, RaRa Rasputin. These folks know how to pump an audience up. Finally, North of Canada is also on the bill. And as Fort Reno's Web site explicitly says, you can bring friends, babies and dogs, but leave the booze, glass bottles and drugs at home.
» Fort Reno, Chesapeake St. and Nebraska Ave. NW; Mon., July 21, 7:15 p.m., free; 202-673-7647. (Tenleytown-AU)
Photo courtesy of Pup Tent
THOSE OF YOU who are new to the area might not be familiar with the grand summer tradition of free concerts at Fort Reno. On a hill somewhere in Tenleytown, funky local bands ... perform. For free. In the summer. Anyway, this was disrupted a month or two ago by the discovery of ARSENIC in the soil at Fort Reno. What is this, I screamed, a park or a lowbrow detective paperback?
But I digress. The venue has been cleared for takeoff and is holding concerts every Monday night. This week, you can catch local garage rockers Death by Sexy (now THAT'S how to leave this world), who'll be rocking out, arsenic-free. Have a listen here and then grab your picnic blanket and hop on the Red Line.
» Fort Reno Park, Chesapeake St. and Nebraska Ave. NW; Mon., 7:15 p.m., free; 703-318-2197. (Tenleytown)
Photo courtesy of Death by Sexy
I REALLY WONDER about people sometimes. From the Tenleytown Yahoo! Group:
Stolen Little Tykes Toddler Slide: Someone took a toddler-sized slide from the small patch of grass behind our apartment on Harrison street this afternoon and my baby is quite disappointed. If you have seen it please return it no questions asked. It has a little bit of yellow paint near the top on the blue part.Seriously, taking a baby's slide? That's kinda hard to justify.
Image courtesy Little Tykes
RESIDENTS NEAR TENLEYTOWN can't seem to catch a break. Just last week, officials closed Fort Reno Park over worries about high levels of arsenic in the soil.
Now, there's another terror from below to fear: rats.
NBC4 had this to say about the apparently worsening problem near the intersection of Wisconsin and Nebraska avenues NW. Be prepared to shudder:
The infestation can be seen day or night, residents said. Rats can be seen in bushes, holes and scurrying alongside homes.There's also video of said rats to go with the NBC4 story. Excessive? Maybe. Creepy? Definitely.Neighbors said the rat problem has been multiplying for months. The health department said the deep and complex maze of boroughs is proof that the small patch of city-owned land has become a big problem.
Continue Reading "Rat Problem Worsens in Northwest D.C. Neighborhood" »
FRIENDSHIP 'TURTLE' PARK in Northwest D.C. will not be closed indefinitely, despite initial reports last night that it would be shut down due to concerns about arsenic levels in the soil. Karen Harris, chairperson of May Fair, an annual fundraising event for the park, says the park will be open, and the family friendly event is continuing as planned on Saturday.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Ward 3 councilmember Mary Cheh and George S. Hawkins, director of the D.C. Department of Environment confirmed at a press conference Thursday that initial reports of the park's closure were premature, according to Harris.
"When they said the park might be closed last night, it's because they had not been made aware of the Army Corps of Engineers testing in 2002," Harris said. "Extensive arsenic testing was done [then], that showed no significant levels of arsenic."
May Fair takes place Saturday at Turtle Park, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SPENDING TIME in one of the many parks in the District can be good for your head. Unless that park is Fort Reno. Then, not so much — it's been closed by the National Park Service due to levels of arsenic in the soil that exceed federal safety standards.
In a statement released Wednesday, the park service said it closed Fort Reno, located on Nebraska Avenue NW near Tenleytown, at 6 a.m. after it received word from the U.S. Geological Survey that satellite imaging reports "that the Fort Reno Park grounds contain arsenic levels in the soil and that the levels revealed in the USGS report exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) safety threshold."
The imaging took place, the statement said, as part of the USGS's "on-going work in the Spring Valley section of upper Northwest Washington with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers."
The statement went on to indicate that the findings were a little unexpected.
"The only time the NPS would conduct field soil sampling or soil testing on national park lands is when it knows of or suspects there has been a release into the environment. The NPS had no prior reason to suspect anything other than safe conditions existed in Fort Reno Park."
» Fort Reno [NPS.gov]
SO YOU THINK your life is peachy?
Try Josh Farro's on for size.
Three years ago, he was a high school senior, kicking around suburban Tennessee. Today, the 20-year-old is the songwriter and lead guitarist for rising "It" band Paramore. He's toured the world, appeared on magazine covers and even been nominated for a Grammy.
Not bad for a guy not even old enough to drink.
Did the Paramore-mania of 2007 take Farro by surprise?
"It definitely did," he admits. "Our first album ["All We Know Is Falling"] did pretty good for an independent release. We didn't know what to expect from this second album. But we didn't think we'd be here, that's for sure."
LOCAL HISTORIANS REJOICE: The Tenleytown Heritage Trail is set to become a reality.
The Washington D.C. Neighborhood Heritage Trails Advisory Committee on Tuesday OK'd a plan to create the trail. Jane Waldmann, a member of the heritage trail working group and board member at the Tenleytown Historical Society, said it should be completed in about a year.
Cultural Tourism DC, a nonprofit coalition that specializes in urban projects, will do additional research and will handle the writing portion for the tour's numbered signs. The group has coordinated heritage trails for a variety of D.C. neighborhoods, including U Street, Barracks Row and Mount Pleasant.
Waldmann said that working with Cultural Tourism DC and the District Department of Transportation to coordinate proper sign placement was a breeze. She said the group's already conducted a smooth test walk.
Addison Road