Rest in Peace, Chuck Brown. Brown, commonly said to be the Godfather of Go-Go music, passed away today at the age of 75. Brown’s #1 single from 1979, “Bustin’ Loose,” is one of the best known examples of DC’s unique style of music.

Brown was a masterful entertainer. He will be sorely missed.

Spiritualized, all photos by Matthew Carroll

 British space-rockers Spiritualized delivered a soulful 2-hour long set to a packed house at DC’s 930 Club Thursday night. Nashville-based country songstress Nikki Lane opened. Spiritualized is on tour of the US now in support of their seventh studio album, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, released in April on Double Six Records.

Nikki Lane

Spiritualized

Courtesy of Megan Bailey

There is nothing more wonderful to see than when creativity and mission intersect. Case in point: the Mobile Market. The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture, a nonprofit founded by the partners and chefs of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, is dedicated to growing an equitable and sustainable food system in DC. The group has come up with an innovative solution to overcome the challenges of food access: use the food truck model. The Mobile market will serve “food desert” neighborhoods around the area with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat from Arcadia farms and other sustainable producers, at below market rates for those who need it most, bringing it to areas that do not have a bounty of fresh options.

A converted school bus, now bright green and adorned with art by local students,  serves as a visual representation of everything the Mobile Market aims to do, as Michael Babin, owner of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group explained, “Our hope is that the Mobile Market will not only serve as a physical link between farmers and the areas that lack food access, but as a visual representation of the better food and nutrition movement.”

Beyond that, the converted school bus is a moving educational market on wheels, providing information and cooking demonstrations, one-on-one engagement opportunities with the local community, nutritional information and recipes, and resources for how to get fresh, local produce elsewhere in the District. The moving Market is already up and running and will continue through October, with scheduled visits to a senior wellness center, low-income housing site, metro stop, health care provider, and city park and during the school year will also visit schools in DC.

The Mobile Market, the first of its kind in the city, is pioneering change, one stop at a time…

Last time I went off my beat and wrote about food truck District Taco, a lot of comments complained about the fact the taco totin’ food cart wasn’t actually located in The District. There was also a random accusation that I was a secret spokesperson for the local establishment. Sorry to say they don’t pay me, I’m just a fan.

Even though it would be wicked awesome if they did pay me to eat their tacos- that would be a great gig.

I’m happy to report that District Taco can now fully embrace their namesake. This week DT founders Osiris Hoil and Marc Wallace opened a new District Taco location near Metro Center near 13th & F St NW. The new store is the latest step of a remarkable story for Hoil, who was laid off from his construction job in 2008 and decided to start a Taco business with his best friend and neighbor Wallace.

I took some photos at a sneak peek of the restaurant last week check them out past the cut.

The restaurant will be open 7 AM – 9 PM Monday – Friday. Weekend hours are in the works for the near future. I personally enjoy grabbing a breakfast taco with the works (bacon, chorizo, and guac), however there’s also a wide selection of burritos and quesadillas if you aren’t a fattie like me.

District Taco
1309 F St NW
Washington, DC 20004

The world is your oyster! And by world, I mean the five block radius around your office. And by oyster, I actually mean a slab of lasagna, slice of pizza, an empanada or maybe a lobster roll from a truck. Go get it.

The Nationals may be finding themselves in a bit of quandary: which is worse for your luck, not doing some sort of ritual sacrifice to the baseball gods, or doing the sacrifice wrong? While yesterday’s 6-1 loss to the Padres was the sort that makes you wonder if the latter is more likely the case. A day after newly-minted National Sandy Leon was sent to the DL with a high ankle strain suffered at the plate – becoming the Nats’ second catcher to go on the DL in as many games – the Nationals looked listless and deflated in the field, making several mistakes early that cost runs on the board.

The offense was similarly moribund on Tuesday afternoon, collecting just five hits, and scoring just the one run on a long drive to the center field stands by Bryce Harper for his second home run.  The Padres’ Anthony Bass was stellar against the Nats and often used his pitch-to-contact style to work over the NL East leaders.  Ryan Zimmerman continues to battle against opposing pitching, hitting just .230 since his return, and neither Rick Ankiel nor Jesus Flores could find themselves aboard as the lineup turned over.

A footnote to the loss yesterday became the story, when beat reporters discovered that Strasburg had been suffering some discomfort due to some Hot Stuff ointment that relocated from Strasburg’s shoulder, where it was applied, to an area that was undisclosed by implied to be south of the belt.  Rob Dibble, proving there’s no pitching event he won’t insert himself in, has criticized Strasburg for assigning blame to the oleoresin capsicum instead of his pitch command. 

To date, Strasburg has requested to not discuss the incident – saying only “I’m going to keep that in the clubhouse,” and talked only about his pitching performance before the media. It’s not exactly clear how Dibble drew the erroneous conclusion, but then again, Dibble wasn’t exactly known for his rocket scientist reasoning in his short tenure in the MASN Broadcast Booth.

Perhaps we could arrange for a jar of the ointment to arrive at his radio studio for some demonstration tests.

If there’s one thing I love about DC, it’s the way that the people rally around their bars and bartenders. Last year when there was a fire at The Tune Inn that nearly claimed the business’ future, residents rallied around their people and held a benefit to help their bartenders. Tonight, Hill East does the same for Trusty’s Full Serve Bar bartender Mike Boone, who was stabbed six times trying to stop a purse snatching outside the Potomac Avenue bar on May 1st.

Boone was med-evaced, had several surgeries to save his life, and is now facing some hefty medical bills and a recovery process that will keep him off his feet for a bit. C’mon out to Trusty’s and do a good turn for a bartender who just wanted to protect his patrons.

Trusty’s Full Serve Bar
1420 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003
Metro: Potomac Ave (Blue/Orange)

Just because you live in a major metropolitan city, doesn’t mean that you can’t bring a little countryside in every now and then. Bridging the two worlds is Smucker Farms of Lancaster Co. over on 14th street NW.

The store, founded by Lancaster-native/long-time DC resident Eric Smucker, brings in fresh produce from Southeast Pennsylvania, along with other goods from local farmers and purveyors in the DC area. You’ll find everything from fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy to herbs and spices and jars of pickled vegetables or jams. Hard-core locavores can rejoice–the store carries favorites such as Gordy’s Pickle Jar, Capital Kombucha, Souper Girl and more. Plus, Smucker Farms offers a pick-up CSA option (that’s “community supported agriculture,” if you didn’t already know) with organic produce from a co-op of Amish and Mennonite farmers in Lancaster County, Pa. When We Love DC stopped by last week, almost all of the spaces in the CSA were full, so hurry up to get in on that.

Check out the photos of the Smucker Farms of Lancaster Co. after the jump.

Smucker Farms of Lancaster Co.
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Sign at Smucker Farms
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Pickled vegetables at Smucker Farms
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Gordy’s Pickles at Smucker Farms
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Strawberries at Smucker Farms
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Herbs at Smucker Farms
courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

Got the hangers? Easy there, chief. Back away from your desk, take a walk and get some food truckerrific lunch. Maybe bring a cupcake back for that coworker you just barked at.

Joan Miró - The Farm, 1921-1922 - oil on canvas / National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Mary Hemingway / © 2012 Successió Miró/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

Whatever your preconceived notions of Miró might be, put them on hold and head to the National Gallery of Art.

The NGA is the sole U.S. venue for Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape. A massive exhibit, it highlights the artist’s political side and undying loyalty to Catalonia throughout a lifetime of hardship under two world wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Franco dictatorship. I had the chance to visit when it opened on Sunday.

Entering the exhibit, quaint gently slips into surreal. Surrounding The Farm – one of Miró’s most celebrated pieces – we see the painter mature from a sentimental youth into the experimental adult artist Andre Bretón called “the most ‘surrealist’ of us all.”

The Catalan peasant paintings that follow in the next room display Miró’s fierce love for his homeland even and especially as it was threatened. Because this is a Miró exhibit visitors can expect a good deal of whimsy, and even with a political theme it doesn’t disappoint. The rich Dog Barking at the Moon gives us a glimpse into the “ladder of escape” we will see reappear again and again throughout the exhibit, connecting earth and heaven with an element of playfulness uniquely Miró.

Of course as any artist living in a world of turmoil, Miró had an angry side, too. The second floor of the exhibit delves a good deal into art expressing that anger. During the early to mid 1930s, his paintings became more crass and despairing, including the crude Still Life with Old Shoe, Man and Woman In Front of a Pile of Excrement and a series he simply titles “Paintings.”

Joan Miró - Still Life with Old Shoe, 24 Jan - 29 May 1937 - oil on canvas / The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of James Thrall Soby, 1970 / © 2012 Successió Miró/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

After the Spanish Civil War broke out, Miró’s work became more violent. In a room of dark paintings wholly different from the quaint landscapes on the first floor, I felt the artist’s frustrations build. In Woman Fleeing from a Fire, for example, the ladder connecting us to the celestial realm reappears; but a fire blocks access to the ladder and thus, presumably, to salvation.

At the same time, though, Miró wanted and needed an escape. Constellations – the series that secured Miró’s fame in the US – provided that escape. Containing the show’s title piece, this collection of paintings hangs clustered together on the second floor. It’s a stunning must-see.

When you go (that’s when, not if), make sure to leave time for the 17-minute film, and take breaks when needed. The show is so comprehensive it can be overwhelming, so pace yourself.

Hopefully that strategy will help prepare you for the last leg of the exhibit, which shows the artist’s experimentation, as well as frustrations, late in his life through paintings like Fireworks I-III and his Burnt Canvas phase.

Joan Miró - Toward the Rainbow, 11 March 1941 - gouache and oil wash on paper / Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, 1998

As a whole, this show is an incredible treat for art lovers and newbies alike. Walking from room to room…to room…to room…, I realized it would probably be the only chance in my life to see a collection of Miró pieces this extensive and to observe, from start to finish, how the painter evolved through hardship to become a fanciful political icon.

It left me with a sudden urge to fight for something, or play on a playground, or maybe do both.

__
Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape runs through August 12, 2012 in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art at 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Hours: Monday-Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Nearest Metro: Judiciary Square (Red), Archives (Yellow/Green), and Smithsonian (Blue/Orange).

This past Friday, DC was treated to a fascinating public performance called bound(less), put on by the group Project Bandaloop and sponsored by the Kennedy Center. Bound(less) is an aerial dance performed on the face of the Old Post Office Pavilion on Pennsylvania Ave, and it provide a number of wonderfully unique photographs for our contributors, like Pablo’s above. The dancers suspended in mid-air, the horn player in the window, and the blue light, all give the image an other-worldly feel. It’s almost as if the photo is from a dream.

The reason I’m pointing this out is to show how blessed DC is with public art. Almost every week there’s something going on for people to see. And starting this weekend is the big public art festival of Artomatic. Eleven floors of art; some very good, some very bad, but all up to the viewer to decide. I’m going to be there Friday night; I hope to see you all there.

The Nationals might have won 8-5 Monday night in the first of a short two game series against the Padres but it didn’t come without a price. Watching this Nats season feels like watching baseball in the ER waiting for the next player to be helped off the field. In the space of eight days the Nats have lost right fielder Jayson Werth, starting catcher Wilson Ramos, and making his major league debut back-up catcher Sand Leon.

In the top of the fourth inning with Yonder Alonso on third and Chase Headley on second Orlando Hudson would hit a single into the outfield. With Headley rounding third Leon got in the position to field the throw from Danny Espinosa. Espinosa fired it in and Leon couldn’t handle it, but for Headley it was too late. He had already made up his mind that he was running Leon over. Leon had blocked off most of the plate and didn’t give Headley much to slide for but if he had tried to slide in under Leon it is just as likely that he would have been safe. Instead he went for the takeout, and afterwards Leon laid crumbled on the ground until he was helped off the field by trainers.

After the play was over a somber silence fell over Nats Park and it was like the crowd didn’t even care when Hudson tied the game when he scored on a suicide squeeze by pitcher Tim Stauffer, or when the Padres took the lead an inning later on Headley’s single up the middle. The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse. In the bottom of the third inning after three straight singles and Bernadina scoring on an error Bryce Harper hit his first major league homerun. A no doubt bomb up onto the batters eye in centerfield.

The joy and elation of witnessing such an event was soon replaced as the Nats Park crowd watched Leon being helped off the field, but this night was far from over. With the Padres enjoying the lead into the bottom of the sixth, after Ross Detwiler had a rare bad appearance for Nationals starters giving up five runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk, Ian Desmond would put the Nationals on top for good with a ringing opposite field double off of the right field wall that scored Ankiel and Flores.

The Nats bats weren’t done as they would get a pinch hit homerun from Tracy and a homer from Nady in the bottom of the eighth to take a three run lead into the top of the ninth. Davey who was adamant earlier in the day that Henry Rodriguez was his closer would allow H-Rod to pitch for the third consecutive day and after blowing the save Sunday against the Reds on a Joey Votto walk-off.

Rodriguez would walk to the mound his shoulders slumped and head down. Showing none of the confidence he had after mowing through the Reds on Saturday evening on 10 pitches. The thoughts of Votto’s grand-slam and doubt were all that appeared to occupy Rodriguez’s mind. His first two pitches were balls and his second pitch bounced high off the screen. It was clear he didn’t have it.

Rodriguez would walk the first batter he faced before overpowering Darnell on a fastball to get him to pop-up to Flores. Rodriguez would then walk both the light hitting Maybin and Denorfia to load the bases and force Davey to bring in Burnett. Burnett started last season sharing closer duties with Drew Storen, but soon lost the job and went through a bit of what Henry Rodriguez is going through now.

This time it was different for Burnett as he was able to get Jesus Guzman to bounce into a 1-2-3 double play to end the game and help the Nats reclaim first place in the NL East as the Braves dropped their series opener against the Reds 3-1. With Storen and Lidge both on the DL and Rodriguez struggling the depth of the Nats bullpen will now be tested even further.

The same people who put together the WalkScore for rating walkable communities have now turned their attention to the bicycle, and boy did DC do well. DC finished 6th, with an average BikeScore of 65, about 14 points back of leader Minneapolis and 5 points back of #2 Portland.

The score is a calculation based on hills, bike commuters, bike infrastructure (bike routes, bike lanes, cycle tracks, bikesharing and destinations for cyclists. DC does pretty well on the hills front, Rock Creek Park and the Palisades notwithstanding, and scores pretty high on the Destinations and Infrastructure scores.  With more cyclist commuters, DC could easily move up toward San Francisco and Portland, tied at 70.

And it looks as if ultimate samurai coach Dale Hunter has fallen on his sword for the now-ousted Washington Capitals. According to various sources, Hunter stepped down from his stint as bench boss this morning.

GM George McPhee indicated at a brief press conference that the team will be taking its time selecting a new coach. If the Caps are smart, they’ll have someone signed on before the NHL Entry Draft on June 21. (McPhee did hint to WaPo that this was indeed a possibility.)

ProHockeyTalk has a (questionable) list of possible replacements from the NHL coach recycling bin. Of all of those listed, I would think Bob Hartley’s the best option.

Who would you like to see helm the pine bench next season?

As someone with family along the left-coast, I always dread travel there a bit, mostly because it means flying out of far-flung IAD or painful-to-park BWI, instead super-convenient-and-right-on-the-metro DCA. The Department of Transportation announced today four new long-haul routes for National, with a DCA-SFO from Virgin America as the most interesting, followed by JetBlue’s new San Juan route, Alaska Airlines’ new Portland route and Southwest’s direct to Austin route. 

This adds to United’s direct route to SFO, Delta’s direct route to Salt Lake City, American’s direct route to LAX and US Airways’ direct route to San Diego.

Anything that means I can fly out of DCA instead of the burbclaves is just fine with me, thanks.

What’s that in the distance? Right over yonder. Is it a food truck? Why yes, yes it is! Run thither as fast as your legs will carry you.

photo courtesy of the artist

We Love DC guest writer Jonathan Druy had the chance to interview Kelley Deal. Read his account of it all here!

Breeders guitarist Kelley Deal is touring with her beautiful new acoustic project R.Ring, and they’re stopping by DC9 on Tuesday night, in what may prove to be a truly talent-rich night of acoustic-based indie-folk-rock-thingies, with Mike Ganancias and Mean Season. A new release from Misra Records is on its way.

From Dayton, Ohio, R.Ring is Deal and Mike Montgomery of the band Ampline, performing acoustic, spare, melodic explorations led by Deal’s unique and sometimes distorted vocals, her voice familiar to those who remember the once-ubiquitous Breeders. If you were sentient 20 years ago, you probably owned “Last Splash”, with it’s beautiful singles “Cannonball” and “Divine Hammer”, and its surfy instrumentals, and the sweet chick-rock vocals led by twin sister and Pixie Kim, and harmonized sweetly by Kelley. You probably also loved the “Cannonball” video on early-90s MTV, an unimaginable pre-WWW/Youtube/Smartphone era when the cable network stumbled into post-Cobain indie-land, and played these things called music videos, because it was the only place you could see them, kiddies.

The lead-up to our interview lead me to revisit “Last Splash” and “Pod” and “Safari EP”, and well-up all nostalgic-like with my memories of seeing the Breeders ’92 show at the old 9:30 Club, which almost made me forget that Deal has had plenty to do since then; first with Kelley Deal 6000, then with the reformed and rejuvenated Breeders, first in ’02 then in ’08. And while I did just see a friend of mine sing “Cannonball” at karaoke, fear not, middle-aged geezers, the Breeders haven’t gone away, but the other day Kelley talked to me about her new project and about being among the current crop of veterans that are still doing it and doing it well.

She also got curious about the Ethiopian food I told her about on 9^th St. You haven’t lived until you’ve explained Injera to a Breeder…

Jonathan Druy: Are there any memories or feelings about DC you have from past tours?

Kelley Deal: I do remember our ’92 show at the old 9:30 club – DC at the time was considered really hip and really happening, and I just remember being a rube from Dayton, and I didn’t know about any of this stuff and I remember thinking “wow, this is really cool!”.

R. Ring

JD: What is your idea for your new project? Your new songs “Fall Out and Fire” and “Hundred Dollar Heat” have a very nice sense of melody, as well as a spare, haunting quality; what are you conjuring?

KD: Well, since we both have other bands that we can do full band ideas with, it’s really important to me to do something that was just different; one of the songs we do is a cover of “Ghosts” by Shellac – we do it on acoustic guitar, which cracks me up! I love the idea of taking that song, deconstructing whatever song it is, and finding what is it that makes that song move, what is it that makes that song sing, what are the sweet spots, what are not, and understanding it – I don’t know, I just find music fascinating.

I’m not talking theory, because I don’t know theory, but it’s all very selfish, when I hear a piece of music. What is its relationship to me, what is it doing to me, what’s it talking to me about? And I like exploring that, and what we’re doing now is just a different way of using different tools of exploring.

It’s weird because another song we do, there’s a song by [sister Kim's band] The Amps called “Mom’s Drunk”, and it has this lovely chord progression deep inside this fuzzy droney stuff, but it’s an absolutely lovely chord progression, and what we’ve kind of done is kind of taken it apart and rebuilt it back with a lot of tension in it between what one guitar does and what the other guitar does, just to find out where are the tension points. I just find it really fascinating.

JD: Your website also features your cover of another Ohio band, Devo, and their song “Mr. DNA”. Are there any other covers you’re interested in doing?

KD: I thought it would be really funny to do a cover of Fear’s “The Mouth Don’t Stop (The Trouble With Women)”. I heard a little of it and I thought that might be funny, a punk song about women, but then it wasn’t that good of a song.

JD: Are there any other Ohio bands people should know about?

KD: There’s a band called Motel Beds, they’re really good, and of course the Buffalo Killers, and there is a band not from Ohio on Misra called Waterliars, they’re fabulous live.

You know Brainiac is making quite the resurgence right now, for awhile in Ohio it was “Breeders, Breeders, Breeders”, then it was “GBV, GBV, GBV” and now it feels like it’s “Brainiac, Brainiac, Brainiac”. That’s been kinda cool, that’s been really interesting. There’s a lot of Brainiac love going on, people have been really bringing up the idea of Brainiac, who they were, and who they are, a lot.

JD: “Last Splash” is such an important, iconic piece in its time, I’m wondering if you think that there’s anything today that would have the same impact, or if there’s anything for you personally that has an impact on you the way “Last Splash” did to people.

KD: Well there apparently is!! What is it, aren’t there a couple new boy bands coming from England? One of my nieces got tickets to see one of those boy bands for a show in June 2013. 2013 is when the show is, and it’s sold out! So I guess it kinda does happen. Will that happen with anything that I find that has merit? I don’t know, everything kinda seems very niche oriented now, so I think that’s what everybody talks about a lot.

JD: Right now you have all these indie/alternative bands from the 80s and early 90s reuniting and touring, like the Stone Roses, the Feelies, Firehose, and even Pavement a few years ago. The Breeders never went away and are still going – what’s that like to see your contemporaries doing the same thing that younger indie-bands are doing. How do you feel about having everyone still around?

KD: I think it’s really interesting. We’re playing in Pittsburgh tonight and there’s a local band there called Food, and it’s with Ed From Ohio, the guy in Firehose, it’s his band, and we’re gonna be playing with him tonight, which is really interesting because Firehose is also back at it! I think it’s awesome that this guy is still involved and people are still making music if they want to.

JD: You, along with your sister Kim, were part of the iconography of the early 90s indie explosion; What’s kept you in music after this long?

KD: I really like it! I like actually doing music, and that’s kind of something you figure out as you play; there are lots of elements to it, and you kind of decide what it is specifically that you like about it, and from there you can then decide to either continue doing it or parlay maybe the kinds of things that you like into something else, or just abandon that kind of thing altogether.

So for me the reason why I continue playing shows and actual music instead of just booking bands or writing about it or creating a blog, or going into photography – which is all very music related and has a wonderful artistry all on its own – but for me the thing I like specifically about it is the actual music portion of it, so being a photographer of music or something like that, I wouldn’t be passionate about it.

JD: Do you see a lot of older people at your shows, people who were twentysomethings back in the 90s?

KD: You know it really varies, I’ve seen some older cats there, who come up and say, “I saw you guys play at…” and then other people that come up, a couple guys last night had seen a show The Breeders played two years ago. I’m happy to help them walk down memory lane!

You can see Kelley perform with R. Ring Tuesday night at DC9.

R. Ring

w/ The Mean Season

Marc Ganancias

Tuesday, May 15th

DC9 /doors 8pm/show 8:30/18+/$10

Today we are giving away a pair of tickets to the sold-out James Morrison show at 930 Club on Wednesday, May 16th! The UK artist is on tour of the US in support of his third album, The Awakening, released in 2011 on Island Records. You can check out the video for his single “One Life” here, and follow James Morrison on twitter here.

For your chance to win these tickets simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address between 9am and 4pm today. One entry per email address, please. This show is SOLD OUT!

For the rules of this giveaway…

Comments will be closed at 4pm and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email in 24 hours or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner.

Tickets will be available to the winner at the 9:30 Club Guest List window one hour before doors open on the night of the concert. The tickets must be claimed with a valid ID. The winner must be old enough to attend the specific concert or must have a parent’s permission to enter if he/she is under 18 years old.

Ugh…another Monday. And with the weather finally staying nice, it makes going back to work all the more difficult. And, of course, right afte typing that, I check the weather report and there’s a 100% chance of rain for Monday. We just can’t win on Mondays, can we? Well, let’s be happy the weather was excellent for our time off and bad for the time we spend in the office. And fear not, only two more weeks till Memorial Day weekend.  Let’s get to these awesome pictures and then start our week!

Read a book
courtesy of Chris Wieland

Gravelly Point Picnic-1523
courtesy of MudflapDC

Look Up!
courtesy of pablo.raw

Two Doors
courtesy of Noe Todorovich

family outing
courtesy of philliefan99

Bound(less) dancers
courtesy of ekelly80

A gorilla and his ball
courtesy of JasonianPhotography

Before I Die…
courtesy of dcscorpio

Rainbow over Thomas Circle
courtesy of ampenagos

Dale Hunter doesn’t talk much. But the Washington Capitals head coach is quietly leading his team into a Game 7 showdown in Madison Square Garden tomorrow night against the top-ranked New York Rangers.

The quiet but unflappable Hunter seems to exude confidence in his players, and they have responded in kind. Hunter has taken a team troubled by past playoff collapses and turned them into believers in his system and in themselves. The biggest difference between this post-season and the past four playoff failures is the man behind the bench.

There is only one possible explanation: Dale Hunter is actually a Samurai warrior.

Samurai Warriors
courtesy of Nationaal Archief

It is no coincidence that Hunter honed his skills for the NHL as part-owner and coach of the London Knights. The Samurai were, or course, a noble class of knights in Japan for nearly 1000 years.

The Samurai had a value system – or bushido – made up of seven principles: integrity, courage, compassion, respect, honesty, honor and responsibility. In a few short months, Hunter has instilled these virtues into his warriors, whose steel blades are on their feet instead of in scabbards.

Captain Alex Ovechkin has emerged as a responsible leader, doing whatever is asked of him by the new coach. Winger Alexander Semin, once known only as a talented sniper, has recently been seen back-checking.

In these playoffs, the Caps have displayed a growing mutual respect for each other. “You see guys doing all the little things it takes to win hockey games,” said Matt Hendricks after Game 6. “It almost like a wave. It just keeps getting bigger and we’re feeling better and playing harder.”

These Caps are playing with the composure of Stanley Cup veterans. To a man, they are resilient, tenacious and poised. That the Caps lead the league in blocked shots in the playoffs is a testament to the courage of every player. “Everyone is just paying the price and sacrificing for each other,” says John Carlson.

And they have honored the best of the game of hockey. When the Rangers started to get chippy in Game 6, Hunter’s players remained disciplined. “We stay away from it,” said Troy Brouwer. “It’s not part of our game.”

Capitals Coaches Confer
courtesy of clydeorama

Close observation during a game reveals that Hunter rarely moves his lips, letting assistant coaches Dean Evason and Jim Johnson talk to the players. Another Samurai tradition helps us to understand Hunter’s method of communication. It is the practice of haragei which literally translates from the Japanese as “belly art.” We would call it intuition or gut feeling. But it also connotes unspoken leadership. It is undoubtedly Hunter’s character that is the driving force during the game. Instead of issuing verbal commands, haragei enables the Samurai to emanate his will to his subordinates.

Hunter has used his very few words judiciously, with indelible affect. In early March, when the Caps were trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 after two periods, the coach had some choice words for the team. No reporters were present, but several players shared their impressions. “The message was to man-up, play hard, and play as a team,” said Karl Alzner. Brooks Laich put it a little more poetically: “He said just quit trying to use your skill and use your will a little bit more.” The Caps went on to win the game in overtime.

Once again, before overtime in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins, Hunter chose to speak. “He simply said, ‘This is the best thing in the world when it comes to playoff hockey,’ Matt Hendricks told the Washington Post. “I think it was just his demeanor.”

Whether they win or lose on Saturday night, the Caps can carry their heads high knowing that they have brought honor to their warrior coach and to their fans. There will be no need for seppuku.