The Upstate Life

The Top 10 Albums of 2010, Because You Really Care!

2010-12-20T10:24:00.002-05:00

10) Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid: While this year was stuffed with releases from some of our favorite bands, Janelle Monae brought something indescribably fresh to 2010 with her breakthrough album, The ArchAndroid. She delivers a level of soul we haven't seen since Motown's heyday while singing about robots, space, and time travel.

9) Arcade Fire – The Suburbs: Let's face it - nothing will ever hold a candle to Funeral. That album made the band, and since then, they have been trying to escape from its gorgeous shadow (i.e. - just watch an audience's reaction when the band performs a track from Funeral as opposed to other material). Following the deep but disappointing Neon Bible, The Suburbs might be the band's most straightforward approach yet. And it works quite well. While David Byrne's fingerprints are all over this record, potent songs like "We Used to Wait" and "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" clearly demonstrates that, despite 2005's masterpiece, they are still fully capable of crafting exquisite music.

8) Robyn – Body Talk, Part I: Now this is how pop should sound like. Robyn puts insufferable "talents" like Katy Perry and Ke$ha to shame with an album chockfull of delightful gems. The one-two punch of "Dancing on my Own" and "Cry When You Get Older" is the highlight of the first LP in Robyn's planned Body Talk trilogy. While the acoustic version of "Hang With Me" is not nearly as good as the one found on Body Talk Part II, closer "The Girl and the Robot" more than makes up for the lack of electronic beats. One of my favorite live acts this year, too.

7) Free Energy – Stuck on Nothing: KISS –Keep it simple, stupid. The Philadelphia-based band achieves this with great success on their debut release. With sounds that are heavily influenced by the 70s rock bands of yore, most notably Thin Lizzy, Stuck on Nothing takes the listener on a 45 minute trip back to a time where big hair, tight t-shirts, and catchy guitar hooks were all the rage. I guess not that much has changed since then, except replace the big hair with mustaches perhaps. At any rate, this is how a garage band should sound.

6) Hot Chip – One Life Stand: It's amazing to hear how far Hot Chip has come since 2003's debut Coming on Strong. The progression of their sound from then until now is pretty extraordinary. Alexis Taylor's vocals carry more weight and confidence while the band's production values have reached new highs. From jarring synthesized strings found in "I Feel Better" to the layers of harmonies in the album closer "Take It In", Hot Chip has gradually climbed the ladder and has yet to reach their zenith. I think the best is still to come.

5) The New Pornographers – Together: After the misstep of Challengers, the Canadian supergroup gives us their best album since the epic Twin Cinema. The harmonies are so lush it nearly brings a tear to your eye. And even if Destroyer comes off as a dick onstage, the dude can write some catchy-as-hell pop songs. Dan Bejar's "Silver Jenny Dollar" is one of his strongest TNP tracks to date.

4) MGMT – Congratulations: Yeah, I know I'm going to get a lot of shit for this, but you know what, for one reason or another I really, really enjoyed this album. Sure, it might be Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden's way of saying "fuck you if you only liked us because of ‘Kids'", but the versatility of this band shines through on the record's nine tracks (for the exception of "Lady Dada's Nightmare", that song is rather unlistenable). The heavy use of echo and reverb come off rather well and gives a complimentary nod to the 70s influences found throughout the album. The apex of "Someone's Missing" is a thing of beauty.

3) Kanye West – My Beautify Dark Twisted Fantasy: Just before the year had concluded, Yeezy brings us his most cohesive effort yet. After the muddled 808s and Heartbreak, Mr. West, whose production standards were already on another level, takes it one step further and creates a record that shines brightest in his already impressive catalogue. Dealing with topics such as self-doubt, fame, and reevaluation, My Beautify Dark Twisted Fantasy is Kanye's most introspective recording to date. He invites the listener into the life of 'Ye where one can practically watch him self-destruct then recollect himself all while sitting on his Versace sofa. I dare you to find another artist that would record let alone release a single as reflective as "Runaway."

2) Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record: Probably their best album yet, it somehow got lost in the shuffle amidst all the heavyweight releases this year. Known for noodling around at times in earlier releases, Kevin Drew and company keep the jamming to a minimum (sans 'Highway Slipper Jam', I suppose) with 14 focused yet diverse numbers. From the toe-tapping "Texico Bitches" to the sweeping instrumental "Meet Me in the Basement", Broken Social Scene has released a prolific collection of music that is one of the year's very best.

1) LCD Soundsytem – This is Happening: If this is in fact James Murphy's swan song, he couldn't have closed out his LCD career with a bigger bang. Following 2007's tremendous Sound of Silver, LCD's latest effort is even better. Just listen to "All I Want" for all the evidence you need. One of Murphy's most haunting tracks, the guitar riff alone takes you back, and then the lyrics kick in: "And all I want is your pity, oh all I want are your bitter tears". Please don't leave us, James.

So Yeah, I Have a New Blog

2010-10-05T11:33:00.003-04:00

So you're probably wondering why not much has transpired on The Upstate Life in the last few months, or dare I say, even the last year? Well, apathy would be the easy way out, but we all know that's not productive marketing.

Anyway, the majority of my blogging exploits can now be found over at DMV Dining. Yes, it's another food blog. But it's MY food blog (along with my wife). Yeah, I also got married. That probably should have warranted a post on this site in itself, but that's what Twitter is for, right?

Nonetheless, be sure to point your browsers over there as we'll be tackling reviews of the latest restaurants in the DC area as well as bring you some news on the latest happenings in the dining world, and even some rad photos to boot.

Meanwhile, The Upstate Life will carry on with its infrequent, music-related postings while still generating the majority of its hits from people Googleing "Brent DiCrescenzo". C'est la vie!

Dismemberment Plan to Reunite in 2011 for Mini-Tour

2010-09-13T11:56:00.002-04:00

According to the Washington Post's Click Track blog, DC's own Dismemberment Plan will be reuniting for an abbreviated four-city jaunt in commemoration of the vinyl rerelease of their 1999 classic, Emergency and I.

The band hasn't formally gone on tour since 2003, the very same year they announced they were officially breaking up.

Dismemberment Plan has only performed one reunion show since then, and this author was fortunate enough to have attended what turned out to be a very special evening.

No ticket information is available as of yet, but get excited, DC. We're going back (and forth).

Dates via Click Track:

1/21/11: Black Cat ($20)
1/22/11: 9:30 Club ($20)
1/27/11: Philadelphia, PA at the Starlight Ballroom ($20)
1/28/11: Boston, MA at Paradise ($20)
1/29/11: New York, NY at Webster Hall ($25)

UPDATE - Tickets are scheduled to go onsale at noon this Friday via their respective venues. NYC show will have a separate Bowery Presents/Amex Presale this Wednesday. Thanks to Pinna Strom for the tip!

Die Antwoord No Longer on FreeFest Bill

2010-09-01T18:35:00.001-04:00

In a bit of rather disappointing news this evening, we’ve learned that the South African hip-hop sensation otherwise known as Die Antwoord is no longer part of the Virgin Mobile FreeFest.

The homepage for the festival indicates as such as the band’s name is notably absent from the lineup.

Sharam and Wolfgang Gartner have been added to the list of Dance Forest artists, but honestly, I don’t know who they are nor do they help numbing the pain of what has transpired.

Sorry FreeFest goers, but there will be no repping of the Zef Side come September 25.

Virgin Mobile FreeFest Lineup to Be Announced Tomorrow

2010-07-19T10:45:00.001-04:00

While it seems like every other music festival lineup through October has already been announced, finally (and I mean, FINALLY) we'll hear what this year's rendition of the Virgin Mobile FreeFest has to offer.

There will be a live announcement of the scheduled artists to perform delivered by Sir Richard Branson himself via Virgin Mobile Live, the company's brand new Internet music station, tomorrow at 11am. The station kicks off its inaugural broadcast with the lineup announcement and is accessible by heading over to the festival's website.

We already know that Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be the one artists to perform, while Pavement and LCD Soundsystem appear to be heavy favorites as well. All I can say is that by this time tomorrow, the speculation on who will be performing (and numerous blog entries accompanying them) finally ends. And that my friends, is a good thing.

Joan Jett: First Confirmed Artist for Virgin Mobile FreeFest

2010-06-14T12:01:00.002-04:00

Thanks to a tipster over at the 9:30 Forum, we have ourselves our first official artist slated for this year’s rendition of the Virgin Mobile FreeFest.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be one of the many artists to perform at the free music festival as confirmed by the artist’s website as well as Pollstar.

I still think Pavement is one of your headliners, alongside LCD Soundsystem (no tour date in the DC area in sight despite releasing a killer new record), but with FreeFest being three-plus months away, more artist announcements should trickle out between now and then.

UPDATE - Both Pollstar and Joan Jett's website have taken down the date from their respective websites. I'm assuming that they Virgin/IMP want to keep this on the DL until the festival makes a formal announcement on the entire lineup, whenever that will be.

Pavement to Headline Virgin Mobile FreeFest?

2010-05-26T11:38:00.002-04:00

Let me first say that this is entirely speculation on my part, but if you look closely at Pavement's touring schedule, this really does add up:

In case you didn’t notice by now, the reunited band has a day off on the very same day FreeFest takes place. Logistically it makes sense since they cap off their four-day Central Park stint on the 24th before heading south to Atlanta on the 26th:

This would be one hell of a coup by Seth and IMP, and then when you throw in the fact that tickets will be free again this year, you’d have yourselves one hell of a collective head explosion in the DMV if this turns out to be true.

Virgin Mobile FreeFest Date Announced

2010-05-25T14:10:00.002-04:00

Mark it down now: Saturday, September 25 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Thanks to Kyle for the tip.

Looks like I was wrong about the August 7 date with Erykah Badu. Oh well. I’ll take a less humid September date over a muggy August one any day of the week.

As for the lineup, from today's press release:

The line up of the 2010 Virgin Mobile FreeFest will be announced soon. “At this point, we're just narrowing it down to finalists we consider to be the most relevant acts out there,” said chairman of I.M.P. and concert producer Seth Hurwitz. “This is not your typical format, with a big headliner closing after smaller acts leading up. It will be A-List from opening to closing. It has to be that good. The culture of the Virgin brand expects nothing less."

Let the speculation commence!

MGMT to Perform at Merriweather, but NOT for Virgin Mobile FreeFest

2010-04-28T12:55:00.001-04:00

MGMT, who just released their new album "Congratualtions" (which I really, really enjoy), has expanded their summer tour dates and will perform at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Saturday, August 14.

Now you might be thinking, "Sweet! MGMT is going to be a huge addition for Virgin Mobile FreeFest!" Unfortunately, this is a paid show as IMP just announced that tickets will go on-sale this Friday at 10am. Pit and orchestra seats will be $35, while lawn will cost $25.

One thing is for certain, you can scratch off 8/14 from your calendar of potential FreeFest dates. With Erykah Badu’s tour date of 8/7 still listed as TBA in Columbia, MD, that Saturday is starting to look more likely as when FreeFest will go down. Only time will tell....

Virgin FreeFest Date AND First Artist Revealed?

2010-04-21T11:32:00.001-04:00

So I couldn't help but notice that when Pitchfork posted Erykah Badu's tour dates yesterday that something seemed rather peculiar:

08-07 Columbia, MD – TBA

Of course, we all know that the unnamed venue has to be Merriweather Post Pavilion. But the more important question is why Badu is returning to the area when she's headlining her own show at Constitution Hall just a few months prior?

Perhaps it's because she's also a part of the revived Lilith Fair and they're making a stop at Merriweather that Saturday? WRONG. They'll be in Nashville that day.

But wait, the very next day, Badu travels to Chicago to perform at Lollapalooza. Perhaps she's working some festival dates that weekend?

As we all know, the Virgin FreeFest will be returning to Merriweather this summer, though we haven't heard a peep as to when it will be held or who will be performing.

Badu's stop in Columbia might be the very first piece of the puzzle.

Or it could just be a standalone date, but that's dubious given the DAR show in May. Something is afoot here, folks. Stay tuned.

TUL's Take: Julian Casablancas @ 9:30 Club

2010-01-13T11:38:00.001-05:00

Having never seen The Strokes live since living in the area for the last decade, this was making up for lost time even though it was just Julian, who was on tour supporting his first solo album Phrazes for the Young. I liked this record so much I placed it in this past year’s Top 10, however, the show last night didn’t come anywhere close to receiving such a merit

Things kicked off slowly with “Tourist”, one of the stronger tracks off of Phrazes, but things suddenly came to a standstill when the drummer’s bass pedal broke. Filling in time during the repair, Julian blurted to the crowd that the Maryland state flag was the best flag in the entire United States. That’s real talk, ladies and gentlemen.

After the drums were fixed, Julian and Co. went into “River of Breaklights.” Maybe it was where I was standing, but the mix last night at the club was rather poor as it was much too bassy with not enough emphasis on vocals. “11th Dimension” was up next and it was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night. It’s disheartening when one of the best songs off of Phrazes was performed so haphazardly. The energy realized on the record was nowhere to be found in the 9:30 Club last night during this performance, and given how danceable the song is, it was quite a letdown.

The best part of the night by far was when Julian closed the first set with “Left & Right in the Dark”. Probably one of my favorite songs off his LP, the band performed this number flawlessly and I was actually able to get myself moving, something I couldn’t really do earlier in the night because of how lackluster the show was. Julian then closed the evening out with a solo rendition of “You Only Live Once” which was a nice touch.

Overall, the entire show was just so-so and didn’t really meet my expectations, which was a shame. I also can’t believe that this was the first time I’ve been to the 9:30 since TV on the Radio. That’s just depressing. Setlist via Setlist.fm:

1. Tourist
2. Washington D. C Freestyle
3. River of Brakelights
4. 11th Dimension
5. 30 Minute Boyfriend
6. new song
7. Glass
8. Out of the Blue
9. Left & Right in the Dark

Encore:

10. You Only Live Once (The Strokes cover)
11. 4 Chords of the Apocalypse

The Top 10 Albums of 2009, Because You Really Care!

2009-12-23T15:22:00.002-05:00

10) Brendan Benson - My Old, Familiar Friend: Benson's first release since 2005's highly entertaining Alternative to Love, My Old, Familiar Friend proved to be somewhat of a letdown compared to his earlier work. Then again, even Benson's fairest efforts still trump the works of other bands' albums released this year. His songwriting skills alone, such as those found in "Garbage Day" and "Gonowhere", propel Mr. Benson just high enough for him to make the cut into this year's list.

9) Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest: I'm not going to lie in saying that I'm not the biggest Grizzly Bear fan around these parts. Sure they receive incessant critical acclaim, but I always found them, well, boring. That was until of course their mainstream breakthrough track "Two Weeks" caught my ears. It truly is one of the best songs this year has brought us. And you know what? The rest of the album isn't too shabby either. Well played, Bear.

8) Jay Reatard – Watch Me Fall: In some ways, Jay Reatard is a lot like Brendan Benson. Both are exceptional songwriters, yet the former stuffs his formative expressions into a rather simple three minute or less track while the latter takes his time and augments his songs with layers of sound. Sorry Brendan, but Reatard wins this round.

7) Julian Casablancas – Phrazes for the Young: I was (or am? They're supposedly just taking a break I heard) big Strokes fan so I was looking forward to this release, and man, it's a fun album. The first three songs alone are gold until things come to a screeching halt with "Ludlow St." Phrazes is only comprised of eight songs, but the ones that are good, are really, really good. Hell, I might have to play "11th Dimension" at my wedding.

6) Wilco – The Album: Some have said that this is a poor man's Summerteeth but I have to disagree. This album has an identity of its own and is a step forward in the right direction after 2007's lackluster Sky Blue Sky. Memorable tracks such as "One Wing" and "You Never Know" have proven that, despite reaching their creative peak years ago, Wilco still has the ability to produce satisfying records.

5) Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca: Yes, it's yet another band that had a breakthrough album in 2009. We were fortunate enough to preview the material of Bitte Orca when the group opened for TV on the Radio at 9:30 Club back in June and they really nailed it out of the park that night. "Two Doves" is an incredibly poignant number while "No Intention" is able summarize the band's wide array of sound and rhythm in one track. One of the more diverse selections for this year's list. Sorry, Girls.

4) Matt & Kim – Grand: This duo, which you could somewhat compare to Mates of State on lots and lots of speed, delivered an excellent album in the very first month of '09 and found its way on our Top 10 because of it's collection of fast-paced yet introspective 11 tracks. Clocking in at less than half an hour, listeners of Grand are able to catch their breath during "Turn This Boat Around" before "Cinders" takes you right to the dance floor in uncontrollable style.

3) Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand: You really have to tip your hat to these Scottish lads. The group has come a long way since "Take Me Out" and have continued to release one solid album after the next while simultaneously advancing their sound each time. "Lucid Dreams" is a tour de force over your ear buds, but seeing it performed live really takes it to the next level. Bands who write songs like that deserve some much-earned praise.

2) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: This album is chockfull of pure pop bliss. "1901" might get relentless airplay, and rightfully so, but songs such as "Girlfriend" and "Lasso" are just a couple of tunes that are simply irresistibly catchy. It still pains me to this day that we had to sell our tickets to their show at the Rock and Roll Hotel because we had to go out of town that weekend with no way in making it back in time. That would've been a Top 10 show for sure.

1) Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion: This should honestly come as no surprise as to where this album falls in terms of placing in this year's list. The recordings found on Merriweather Post Pavilion took one of the most esoteric bands in recent history and made them, well, accessible. Lush harmonies, layered melodies, and a sound all their own taken to the next level, Animal Collective had a one-up on the entire industry when MPP was released in week one of '09. Their Fall Be Kind EP, which was released just a month or so ago, has already shown that they're not anywhere close to going back down the mountaintop just yet.

Review: Table 21 @ Volt (Part IV - Courses #15 through #23)

2009-12-04T13:35:00.005-05:00

Course #15: Braised Longnecker Farm Rabbit. Probably my absolute favorite dish of the night. The rabbit was incredibly succulent and the way Bryan infused the applewood smoked bacon into the meat was nearly breathtaking. I was really blown away by how good this dish tasted. Well done, chef.

Course #16: Quail, accompanied with brussel sprouts. I forgot to bring the menu with me while writing this up so unfortunately I cannot recall the other ingredients, but yet again, Bryan did not disappoint. The quail was very flavorful and proved to be another highlight of the protein courses thus served that evening.

Course #17: Lamb with madras curry. Another home run. The lamb was perfectly cooked and meshed really well with the curry. Oh hell, it was probably the best lamb I've ever had.

Course #18: Wagyu beef with potato puree and garlic chip transparency. First off, the potatoes, just like the aforementioned lamb, were the best I ever ate. Words can't describe how full of flavor they were. As for the beef, well, I wish I had seconds. I'm a huge steak fan so I was looking forward to this one the most as I had never had Wagyu before. Incredibly tender and perfectly executed. This was also the last entrée course which was kind of a relief because we were so full (yes, even me).

Course #19: Cheese course featuring cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy, accompanied with a tarragon crisp and gelato. I'm not a cheese buff by any stretch of the imagination but it was still an enjoyable course. The gelato added a pleasant sweetness to the cheese and served as a nice segue to the forthcoming desserts.

Course #20: Dulce de Leche goat cheesecake with green apple sorbet. Rachel was pretty much floored by how good this dessert was and always recalls it first when looking back on our Table 21 experience. It was that amazing. The white chocolate power surrounding the cheesecake was also a very nice touch and added even more flavor to an already outstanding course.

Course #21: Three flavors of white: coconut, vanilla, and lavender. Another memorable dessert that was both creative in its composition and presentation. It was comprised of coconut ice cream, vanilla pudding, and lavender power. Really different yet really satisfying.

Course #22: Chocolate peanut butter mouse. This was probably my favorite dessert of the night. You can never go wrong with the incredible combination of chocolate and peanut butter, especially when it's prepared from a restaurant like Volt. Really rich and had a nice, crispy texture on the bottom.

Course #23: Mignardises - miniature homemade ice cream sandwiches. Volt can do wrong. It was sad to finish these bite-size desserts since it concluded what was perhaps the best meal I've ever had in my entire life.

After we received the bill, our waitress supplied us with our very own copy of the menu as well as a blueberry muffin to take home with us. The staff, from the hostess to the sommelier to the waiters and waitresses were all very friendly and made a great meal an even better one.

When we headed out after spending nearly four hours (!) at Table 21, we saw Bryan at the bar talking to a few guests while the kitchen was shutting down for the evening. Rachel asked if he could sign her menu and, if possible, take a picture with us. He couldn't have been a nicer guy about it.

I applaud both him and his staff for having such a unique restaurant in this area that only provides great food and service, but also cares so much about supporting local businesses and the community. Would Volt work in DC? Definitely. But there's a certain charm about the restaurant being situated in Frederick that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere. I can't wait to go back up again.

Review: Table 21 @ Volt (Part III - Courses #8 through #14)

2009-12-03T17:00:00.005-05:00

Course #8: Bryan came over and introduced this dish himself while shaving white truffles over the perfectly-cooked 61 degree egg. It was accompanied with salsify and caviar and proved to be another excellent course. The eggs were provided by nearby Whitmore Farm as Mr. Voltaggio ensures that all of his items are locally produced and farm fresh at Volt.

Course #9: Goat cheese ravioli and butternut squash. Yes, this was the same ravioli that was featured last night on Top Chef, and let me tell you, it was downright incredible. Perfect flavor and texture. One of the top courses of the night.

Course #10: Butter poached lobster with forbidden rice and coconut air. Another dish that was hit out of the park. Just an incredibly delicious, rich piece of meat that was cooked to perfection. I’m not sure if I’ve ever ate forbidden rice prior to Table 21, but now I definitely want to buy some and cook it with some fish the next opportunity I get.

Course #11: Seared halibut with risotto. Another solid dish. It was a bittersweet moment because I was really enjoying the fish but soon realized we were halfway through our meal. The best was yet to come though.

Course #12: Crispy veal sweetbread with flavors of picata. Delicious.

Course #13: Iberico pork trotters with a trio of beans. I was looking forward to this dish since it sounded interesting, plus the serving was a generous portion (two pieces per plate). You could somewhat compare it to pulled pork that was then breaded and deep-fried. Rachel even gave me some of hers since she’s not a huge pork fan. Score.

Course #14: Hudson Valley fois gras with vanilla brioche. Just incredible. We took our time spreading the fois gras over the homemade brioche just because we didn’t want this course to end. A favorite amongst all four of us.

Coming Up: Our final seven courses of our dinner at Table 21.

PS - This was post #1000 of The Upstate Life. Wow.

Review: Table 21 @ Volt (Part II - Courses #1 through #7)

2009-12-02T14:06:00.006-05:00

Course #1: Our first course was presented by the sommelier in what was described as a homemade cream soda made with Absolut vodka. It was actually dispensed via a seltzer bottle and then poured into a martini glass which provided a sneak preview of the creative innovations Volt would provide later that evening. It was like drinking an alcoholic Dr. Browns. I might have to start making a habit of adding vodka to my cream soda.

Course #2: Bryan himself came over to the table and introduced himself to everyone while describing the most amazing appetizer ever, his own rendition of chips and dip. We were then served dried prosciutto “chips” accompanied with a bowl of rich potato dip. We were only into our second course but this one stood out as one of my favorites because of how unique and delicious it was.

Course #3: Up next was a bite of avocado filled with tuna tartar topped with wasabi foam. It was very good but the portion could’ve been a little bigger, but maybe that’s because I love tuna.

Course #4: Shitake with chili oil and pine nuts. Now I’m not sure how they made this dish, but it was hands-down the most “scientific” of the courses served. Volt prides itself on molecular gastronomy, but it’s utterly jaw-dropping to see shitake mushrooms in liquid, spherical form. Just an amazing sight to behold and, of course, really tasty!

Course #5: Trio of macaroons. Just the presentation alone blew me away. Three macaroons each individually placed on three different spoons. The first was a take on Caesar salad, the second was guacamole, while the last was beets. Each time you placed one in your mouth it instantly melted followed by a rich flavor of the filling. You just don’t see this sort of thing in other restaurants.

Course #6: Boneless chicken wing. Gotta love this story: Bryan asked us if we saw the episode of Top Chef when his brother concocted this dish. Turns out it was Bryan’s to begin with and he let Michael use it on the show! Anyway, it was of course incredible. Just the right amount of buffalo sauce flavor accompanied with bleu cheese crumbles that were frozen via liquid nitrogen. (Forgot to take a pic prior to consumption...)

Course #7: Clam chowder. Really rich, a little salty, but still very satisfying. I’m pretty sure that every ingredient besides the broth was in miniature cube form (including the clams).

Coming Up: The second seven courses of our dinner at Table 21.

Review: Table 21 @ Volt (Part I – A Preface)

2009-12-01T13:01:00.002-05:00

Our experience at Table 21 simply cannot be captured in one post. So instead, I'll be making this a four-part series where I'll break down our meal into three 7-course posts throughout the week. But first, I'll start off with a prologue on how this came about since the back-story deserves a post of its own.

Rachel's 30th birthday was a few weeks ago, and since this was one of those milestone birthdays and all, I had to make sure that this would be a memorable one. You see, despite Rachel's reluctance to admit that's she's 30 (which she thinks automatically labels her as "old"), she was still carded when she bought a movie ticket to Tropic Thunder last year. So, um, yeah.

Anyway, we had been meaning to go to Volt long before chef Bryan Voltaggio was slated to be a contestant on this season's Top Chef, but it wasn't until September that we had found out about the amazing 21 course menu served inside the kitchen. This sounded like quite the experience so when it came time to plan her birthday, I decided to make the reservation later that month in fear of it booking up because of Top Chef starting around the same time.

Furthermore, I wanted to keep this dinner a surprise, and since Table 21 is a communal table that sits up to four people, I called up our friends Kim and Brian to see if they wanted to be my partners in crime for this instead of being paired up with some random patrons. They went with the plan since they also had an upcoming wedding anniversary to celebrate, plus they're awesome. Our only problem was how we were going to surprise Rachel when Volt is situated all the way up in Frederick.

Well, leave it to Kim to create a fake invitation for an early holiday party her coworker was supposedly having up in Frederick the very same day of the reservation. Rachel amazingly bought it since Kim begged her go as her beau had work to do that evening. Kim had also said that they'd stop and grab a drink at Volt first so Rachel could take a peek at Mr. Voltaggio since she blatantly has a crush on him (dare I say even had a dream about him? But I digress).

Anyway, Rachel just made the MARC train up to Frederick while it took me nearly two hours to make the drive up to 270, but I was still able to arrive early enough and meet Brian before the two of them showed up. The surprised look of Rachel's face seeing Brian and I standing at the bar had already made my night.

The hostess then took our coats and guided us past the dining room which created even more confusion for Rachel until we were ultimately seated at a table inside the kitchen that was literally within arm's reach from where the chefs were working, including Mr. Bryan Voltaggio himself. Rachel could not stop gawking.

Coming Up: The first seven courses of our dinner at Table 21.

Dolphin Pride

2009-11-04T16:08:00.003-05:00

Catch it!

TUL's Take: Matt & Kim @ University of Maryland

2009-11-02T17:45:00.002-05:00

The blog is back! At least for now. I'd get into why I've been on hiatus for oh so very long but that's not why we're here today. No, instead, I'm here to discuss how we were embraced by the infectious energy of Matt & Kim inside the Stamp Student Union at the University of Maryland last Friday night.

Despite their hit song "Daylight" being the soundtrack of a Bacardi advertisement, Matt & Kim have rode the wave of success following the release of their first proper full-length, Grand. They had already played a sold-out show at the Black Cat a few months ago, but their popularity has even soared higher since then.

Let's put it this way: the band was slated to open for Weezer at a sold-out Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City the very next night. Something tells me that they felt a hell of a lot more comfortable in College Park performing in front of a few hundred students whom were for the most part decked out in Halloween regalia.

Matt & Kim came on-stage around 9pm sporting fake black eyes and immediately began into their set, kicking off (from what I can recall) with "Cutdown". Honestly, it's hard to remember their entire setlist because the two of them were so into each song (and each other) that you were simply captivated by how much energy and happiness they were exuding while they were respectively bashing their drums and keyboards.

One could tell how much fun the both of them were having by not only their nonstop smiles at one another, but also from performing in front of a lively crowd in a somewhat intimate setting complete with bopping heads, dancing, and even some crowd-surfing. When Kim's snare drum broke, Matt initiated a hip-hop beat on his synthesizer and told his bandmate to get down while her instrument was being attended to which elicited a roar from the crowd.

Not to be outdone, Matt claimed that in the spirit of Halloween, he would remove an article of clothing before each song. Let's just say by the time the band closed the evening with "Daylight", Matt was left singing in just his underwear. Don't think they could've pulled that off at Hammerstein.

All and all it was a very enjoyable show and their hour-long set seemed to fly by due to their nonstop dynamism. Excellent concert and instantly made up for the fact that I was unable to attend their Black Cat outing. Dare I say this show was probably better given the atmosphere and antics? Well done.

TUL's Take: Virgin FreeFest @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

2009-09-01T16:00:00.000-04:00

Let me start out by saying that this was the easiest, most convenient music festival experience I have ever been apart of. We barely hit any traffic while driving up to Columbia and easily found parking in the Columbia Mall parking lot which equated to a five minute walk to the festival grounds. This was already much better than getting to Pimlico and we hadn't even stepped inside yet.

Once we did, we were instantly enamored with the layout as it brought out a more homey feel than that of the Baltimore racetrack where previous Virgin Festivals had been held. Between the hills, trails, and shade it kind of reminded us of Bumbershoot as that was probably one of our favorite festival venues prior to this weekend.

While heading over to the pavilion to see Mates of State, we stopped at the Dance Tent and checked out a bit of Holy Fuck and kind of regret not spending more time over there as they sounded like they were putting on a good set. Once we found some seats inside the pavilion, we quickly realized we were perhaps the only MoS fans within a five foot radius as everyone around us seemed to be waiting for Taking Back Sunday. I mean, come on: rocking married couple with baby > well, whatever TBS is. It's science.

We then made our way towards the West Stage which was where we would eventually spend the majority of the day at. Up first was DC-native Wale, who, compared to when I saw him at Bohemian Caverns back on Inauguration Day, had an entire band (local go-go group UCB) backing up instead of a DJ. This was a good idea since it translated well to the festival audience. Wale is quite the showman and his banter between songs was rather entertaining, especially when tossing water bottles to the crowd "Check it, I'm Jason Campbell. Oh wait, I got sacked."

Up next was none other than The Hold Steady, a band I have seen over a handful of times. Their set on Sunday, however, didn't really do it for me. Maybe because I was already getting drained from standing in the hot August sun for too long, but despite sounding great, I just couldn't get into it as much as if I were at some small bar in Albany where they're relentlessly rocking out in a crowded, dank space. They still wear their heart on their sleeve when performing regardless of venue though.

Public Enemy was up next after their DJ did 15 minutes of scratching. The crowd was the largest of the day thus far as Chuck D, Flava Flav, and the entire Terror Squad brought us back to the Terrordome. I was never a big Public Enemy fan but these guys, despite their age, put on a tremendous effort and really got the crowd going during their hour long set. Halfway through the show, we decided to check out the various tents and vendors before coming back for The National.

Ah yes, The National. While their records have been solid, I was never rally captivated by the times I've seen them perform live. Sunday, however, was different. It's been roughly two or so years since I saw them in concert, but since then, they have improved by leaps and bounds and it visibly showed onstage. Lead singer Matt Berringer was a force to be reckoned especially during "Mr. November" and "Squalor Victoria". The added horn section was a nice bonus and added a new dynamic to the band, especially for a setting as large as a music festival. What can I say, they won me back over during their powerful hour-long set and I think I'll have to go to their next show at the 930, whenever that may be.

Speaking of the 930, I don't think I learned my lesson when I stood in front of the subwoofers at the club when TV on the Radio came to town. Granted I had a great spot to see, but I couldn't hear shit. Turns out I made the same mistake when Girl Talk performed on Sunday, except dude had the bass at 11. It's become quite evident that one doesn't need to be along the barrier to watch Greg Gillis do his thing, especially when you have a bunch of clowns dancing up onstage trying to upstage one another. Rachel made the intelligent decision to head up towards the back of the field so she could actually hear all sound frequencies while I was stuck using makeshift earplugs made from the toilet paper they were shooting out by Girl Talk's accomplices.

The band I was really excited to see all afternoon was in fact the headliner of the West Stage, Franz Ferdinand. And boy, these guys delivered on all fronts. I've seen them three times prior to Sunday, and this by far was their best performance to date. Not only that, but I personally felt that they stole the show at FreeFest. Kicking off the set with "No You Girls", the band has truly perfected performing live. Between the razor-tight guitar riffs, call-and-response tactics, and collective (and ridiculous) drum solo, the boys from Scotland put on one hell of a show and closed the FreeFest out with a collective bang (minus the cymbals as they were already disassembled during the rousing finale "Lucid Dreams").

Overall, the FreeFest was a huge success and I was so glad to be a part of it. Virgin and IMP did an impressive job and I actually preferred the grounds of Merriweather over Pimlico should they decide to hold another festival. All of the vendors were friendly, getting to/from stages was easy, and the food selection was great. Here's hoping Virgin Fest returns in some sort of fashion next summer!

People don't dance no more, they just stand there like this...

2009-08-25T11:17:00.002-04:00

The Rapture, the one band I've been dying to see live since, like, forever, will be performing up in Bmore at Sonar on Saturday, September 12. Tickets are only $10 in advance ($13 at the door) and are on-sale now. The Golden Filter as well as the Taxlo DJs will be supporting the group in what is being advertised as their only area appearance. Whoo, alright!

Hold Steady to Play Virgin Fest After, err, Beforeshow

2009-08-19T11:27:00.001-04:00

The Hold Steady, who will be performing at next weekend's Virgin Fest up in Merriweather, has just announced a show at the 9:30 Club the night prior to the event on Saturday, August 29. Tickets are $25 and are already on-sale! If you don't feel like making the schlep up to Columbia on Sunday and/or missed out on tickets, this is certainly a nice alternative.

Islands Are Forever

2009-08-17T12:03:00.001-04:00

Awesome! Islands, who will be releasing their third album entitled Vapours on Tuesday, Spetember 22, will be returning to DC on Tuesday, October 6 at the 9:30 Club. They'll also be performing up in Baltimore on Monday, November 2 at the Gspot. I didn't even realize they have a new album coming out as Arm's Way was one of my favorite releases from 2008. I wonder if they'll still refuse to play "Rough Gem?"

Has it Really Been Four Years Since Brendan Benson’s Last Album?

2009-07-21T12:52:00.001-04:00

Yes, yes it has. But this morning’s email from iLike was a cause for celebration as one of my favorite singer-songwriters will finally be releasing his fourth proper release, entitled My Old Familiar Friend, on Tuesday, August 18.

Most people know Benson’s work from his time with The Raconteurs but his solo albums are pop masterpieces, at least in my opinion. Hopefully this means he’ll hit the touring circuit as his show at the Black Cat in 2005 still stands as one of my favorite concerts I’ve ever been to.

Virgin America to Offer Free Flights to Virgin Fest?

2009-06-25T13:44:00.000-04:00

That's what Richard Branson said last night on the Jimmy Fallon show. Unfortunately no other information is available about this at the moment.

Also, tickets from today's presale sold-out this morning in nearly 45 minutes. Those who missed out will have a second opportunity at 10am this Saturday when the rest of the allotment goes on-sale.

Job Well Done, Seth

2009-06-24T10:53:00.003-04:00

Seriously, mad props for not only pulling together a solid lineup for Virgin Mobile Free Fest, but having the entire cost absolutely nothing for concertgoers (inlcuding convenience charges, woot!).

The lineup was officially announced this morning and the list of artists was kept secret until the very last minute (for the exception of Weezer, Blink, and Holy F*ck of course). I'm very impressed with who they were able to book and keep it under wraps for so long (The National, Wale, Mates of State, St. Vincent, etc).

It's times like these where you really appreciate the local, homegrown businesses such as I.M.P. when corporate tyrants like LiveNation have nearly destroyed the live concert experience. Seth's company actually cares about its patrons and I was quite pleased when I heard that past Virgin Fest attendees would be rewarded with their own presale in order to acknowledge their past attendance. Everything, up to the last very detail, was well though out which seems to be rare these days.

Merriweather is an excellent venue, the Sangria is top-notch, and getting to/from there is rather painless (unlike the hellhole known as Nissan). So, again, thank you Seth and IMP, you guys have really outdone yourselves this year.