The Unblinking Eye

At least that's what I always think of when I think of documentary filmmaking. The American Film Institute (AFI) is hosting their annual Silver Docs film festival at the AFI Theatre in Silver Spring (with support from their new neighbor, the Discovery Channel) June 13 - 18.

Martin Scorcese is a featured panelist, but unfortunately his session is sold out (and before coquette cutie and I could grab tickets). We are planning to see Air Guitar Nation about the international air guitar championship (yes, you read that correctly). I missed it at Tribeca Film Festival and it's been getting some interesting buzz. Last year, we saw The Aristocrats (you know, a guy walks into a talent agent and says, "Have I got an act for you"). I was also thinking of Soweto Blues.

It looks like they have a good lineup, and it's defintely worth a visit to Silver Spring if you haven't been lately. It's not like you remember it. Mayorga Coffee is a terrific, locally-owned coffee shop - an offshoot of the local importers and roasters.

Now if only Ray's the Classics (the second location of Ray's the Steaks) would finally open....

Strawberries!

There's still time to pick strawberries during the ever so short season. That's really the only time to eat strawberries - when they are red all the way through (instead of that nasty white inside) and still warm from the sun as you pick them.

My favorite places to pick are Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD and Great Country Farms in Bluemont, VA. This week and next weekend are probably the last of the season, so try and get out this week if you can.

I'll be picking this weekend and making my first attempt at strawberry-rhubarb jam.

If you go by Butler's, don't miss the caramels at the checkout counters.

Upcoming Shows That Tempt Me

I’m looking at a refrigerator door devoid of tickets and wondering how I’ll spend my summer. There are a few shows that are tempting, some merely interesting, and a few downright scary (I’m looking at you Ashlee Simpson).

Dave Matthews Band on June 24 except that it’s at Nissan Pavilion and the same weekend as the Wine & Food Festival.

Echo & The Bunnymen on June 26th at the Black Cat.

There are others that make me think about going (ABC, English Beat, Jello Biafra from the Dead Kennedys) but not enough to make me pull the trigger.

I’d say something snide about the Def Leopard / Journey matchup, but they're at least raising money for Music Rising, so I can’t really say anything.

And of course, Nickelback at Merriwether, which brings to mind the comedian who said, “It’s not violent music that makes people violent; it’s bad music that makes people violent. For example, Nickelback makes me want to kill Nickelback.”

Pop Tarts American Idol Tour?

Pop Tarts is sponsoring this summer's round of the American Idol tour.

Enough said.

Free Movies at Library of Congress

After some renovations and funding, there is a new series of movies and television planned for the Pickford Theatre in the Library of Congress. The current schedule runs through September and includes series paired with Library of Congress exhibits including one on Bob Hope. So expect to be "On the Road to..." somewhere. They also have an impressive line-up of classic television including the first episode of Laugh-In and the first episode of Soap. I'm sure it'll be fun to see now what we all thought was so scandalous then.

Movies are free but the theatre is small so you have to reserve in advance (up to a week ahead) by calling 202.707.5677. Even if you don't get in, it's worth heading over if there's something you really want to see. Ten minutes before showtime, any unclaimed seats are released.

Capital South is the closest Metro and give yourself time to get through security.

Don't Come Knocking

Saw a preview of the new Wim Wenders film Don't Come Knocking at Landmark Bethesda followed by a Q&A with the director himself. The film is the first time star and story writer Sam Shepard has been in a movie with his wife, Jessica Lange, in over twenty years. Filmed in the west, the movie is visually stunning and you just have to let the story unfold. It seems like it's going to be like Broken Flowers, but it's not. I loved Tim Roth as the insurance rep sent to track down the AWOL aging movie star.

I also like Wim Wender's title of "52 Miles to Wisdom" better, but that will only make sense once you've seen it.

It will be released on April 14, but in the meantime, you can see the trailer or hopefully soon buy the soundtrack soon on iTunes.

Chappelle Shutout

In a rare defeat, the Happy Funtime Friend Service was unable to procure tickets for Dave Chappelle's show at the Kennedy Center to raise money for the Duke Ellington School of the Arts which he attended. We're guessing it's going to be a rollicking show so if you have an extra ticket or two, please let us know.

Jerry Seinfeld at the Kennedy Center remains the best stand up we have ever seen.

Aloha ee

To anyone who knows me, it will come as no surprise that I'd decided to attend what was supposed to be the last night of U2's Vertigo Tour at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii. Circumstances have changed for the band and they've delayed their last ten dates - probably until November. But who am I to whine about a trip to Hawaii? I've been dutifully TiVo-ing "Girl Meets Hawaii" on the travel channel and my travel compatriot has secured a travel guide, but we're looking for on-the-ground suggestions. We're staying on Oahu but definitely want to get out of the Waikiki-Diamond Head area and see more interesting things. Any suggestions on where to stay, what not to miss, best drinks in town?

S-A-T-U-R-DAY...NIGHT!

A newly single co-worker and I set out on the town on Saturday night, starting at Lush in Georgetown for a party to try their "dirty" (mud-based) products. Well, we really go for the samples, but I bought one of the honey-bunny soaps and the charcoal toothpaste.

From there we walked to Dean & DeLuca for my fancy granola that they suckered me into with free samples the last time I was there plus these amazing cookies from Amy that are like Oreos but if oreos were made from Valrhona chocolate and Kalhua Creme. At $26/lb they are a rare indulgence but oh so worth it. And as always we marveled at those fortunate few you always see at Dean & DeLuca doing their regular grocery shopping for the week there.

We walked back down to 28th & M to our favorite King of Falafel to join up with Coquette Cutie and revel in the falafel goodness. Sit at the counter and get the falafel platter - you won't regret it. Though next time I think I might go for the veggie platter since it's falafel, hummous plus baba ganoush. And dinner for less than $8 - what a bargain! (Actually I think that was the least expensive part of the evening.)

We walked back to pick up the car and head over to Cafe St. Ex for drinks. We moved downstairs and found it suprisingly easy to get a table. Oh, and if you have untapped DJ desires, you can bring your iPod and playlist to the downstairs lounge on the second Wednesday of every month and see if you have what it takes.

After that we found more friends who'd been searching for parking and headed to the Black Cat for the combined Mousetrap + Right Round dance party. Okay, so I never left the back stage to check out Mousetrap but by all accounts DJ Lil 'e had the better music mix going on. She had the Friend Service up on the stage and dancing 'til the wee small hours.

A final stop at Silver Diner for breakfast completed the night. I did remember to drink my Urban Detox before I went to bed which seems to have saved me from the combined effects of the smoke-filled bars and the Stoli Vanil + diet cokes I was drinking all night.

And then I slept until 1:00 p.m. and watched DVDs all day on Sunday, completely ignoring my laundry which is why I'm not at Pub Quiz at Four Courts tonight.

St. Patrick's Day Delight

This year I did my St. Patrick's Day celebrating the night before at the American Ireland Fund dinner at the National Building Museum. It's a beautiful event full of the most fun people you can imagine. This year, the Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern attended along with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. Senator Joe Biden was surprisingly touching, particularly when recounting the support his mother gave him and the family growing up.

But the real Happy Funtime came during the pub after dinner when Scythian played. Fresh from their award winning performance in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, they were ready to have fun. And accompanied by Irish step dancers, they had everyone clapping and dancing along. We'll be seeing them again at Fado in a couple of weeks.

And one day I'll have to go back to the Building Museum when it's not for an event. It's a beautiful space and I'd love to take the time to look around.

You Caught the Tater

In a week of sold out shows (how do I get so lucky), Coquette Cutie and I caught Ron White at the Improv ahead of his performance over the weekend at the Warner as part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. I was glad to get the chance to see him alone instead of having to buy tickets and try to time it so I'd miss the others. Plus, as much as they pack you in at the Improv, it's still nice to see good people in a small venue.

Ron White is definitely vulgar but he is funny. Apparently his new special is "You Can't Fix Stupid" but that bit didn't come up for us.

The opening comedian was Eric Meyers and he surprised me - it's a tough job to be between packed in drunks and the headliner and he had us laughing, so keep an eye out for him so you can say "I saw him before anyone knew who he was."

If I Should Fall From Grace With God...

...I hope I can hold my whiskey like Shane McGowan. I've always loved the Pogues and was lucky enough, through the auspices of the coolest person I know, to get tickets to see them at the 930 (and even end up in VIP). It was my second show of the week at the 930 and the second that was sold out, but I swear there were at least 500 more people at the Pogues show.

And I could say a lot about how hard it is to watch Shane go through a bottle of whiskey in the course of a two hour show and how there is definitely a voyeuristic aspect to going to see them now. And clearly a lot of people in the audience felt it was going to be their last chance to see them. And all that is true.

But it's also true that Shane can still sing, the band is full of solid musicians, and the songs are great. It's also wonderful to see big tough guys with tatoos going all misty at Fairytale of New York.

It was my first and I can only hope not my last Pogues show. If you get the chance, go. You won't regret it unless you hate fun.

Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah

Or say if David Byrne and Bob Dylan had a baby, this is what it would sound like when it sang.

Saw them at the 930 on April 8. Sold out show, but I gotta tell you, I just don't get it. Coquette Cutie is a fan and seemed to have a good time, but all I could think was:

Me: They're no Arctic Monkeys

Evil Me: You don't like Arctic Monkeys

Me: Exactly

Long Story Short...

First, I apologize that the Happy Funtime Friend Service went MIA over the holidays, just when I was trying to plan all my secular advent activities. Work + personal travel combined with a bout of consumption that had me on antibiotics for a total of 45 out of 60 days meant that the holidays passed in a Nyquil induced haze.

Highlights included:

My first trip with Habitat for Humanity over Thanksgiving. I went to a small town near Actopan in Hidalgo (outside Mexico City) and learned to lay bricks and helped on two houses. A terrific group of people were on the trip and another in the town. We cooked Thanksgiving dinner for everyone (50 people) in a convection oven.

Jazz Piano Christmas at the Kennedy Center - Dr. Billy Taylor, Slide Hamilton and all recorded for NPR. It definitely puts me in the Christmas spirit.

Holiday Pops at the Kennedy Center - Marvin Hamlisch + Santa = Holiday Fun

Messiah at the Kennedy Center - Yes, I know it's about Jesus. And yes, I know it's really written for Easter. But I love it every year.

Christmas with my parents - even on antibiotics, Florida is fun.

The Happy Funtime Friend Service is still searching for a good New Year's Eve, so any and all suggestions are welcome for 2006.

And lest I forget, my Happy Funtime cohort, coquette cutie, gave me the best Christmas present ever - tickets to see Bono speak at ASAE's Center for Leadership in February. Yes, he's a good speaker. No, the rest of them weren't there.

But now it's spring and despite a random bout of allergies, the Happy Funtime Friend Service is out of winter hibernation and back to having fun, so come on along...

DJ Lil E Spins

I know this is super last minute, but Lil E was on vacation and I didn't realize Right Round is tonight.

From Lil E's mailing list:

Right Round - THIS Friday, October 21. Black Cat - backstage. You know the deal. It's 80s. It's alt-pop. It's at the Black Cat. 10pm - 2am. Werd. This month's Right Round is dedicated to my dear friend, Phil O'Donnell - Mr. Phil to his pals. He was one of my favorite humans on this rock of ours. He died Tuesday in a motorcycle accident, and I believe I can speak for all of his friends when I say that we are heartbroken. So if you hear some music with an Irish flavor on Friday, shake your money makers with me, wouldya? He'd be mad if we did anything else.
 
- Saturday, October 22. Yippee, I get to be the guest dj for Will Eastman's <> dance party (www.blisspop.com)!!! <> is a monthly dance party dedicated to attractively alarming new music, indie dance, disco punk, tech-funk, and the occasional disturbingly alluring pop classic. And guess what? It's also at the Black Cat. Backstage. 9:30pm - 2am.

U2 @ MCI v2

I was lucky enough to acquire a floor ticket for the second U2 show, and it was definitely worth it. We found a good spot on the right side, up against the fence that separates the path into the ellipse (still not lucky enough to get inside), and ever so slightly elevated by the metal grating. This allowed us to be awesomely close when they were on the ellipse but not get trampled and still able to see when they were on stage.

Among the guests at tonight's show: Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Rick Santorum, and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (and a number of accompanying security).

Each year, one of my friends sends out one of those questionnaires and it always includes "What's your favorite sound?" I always answer "the opening notes of Where The Streets Have No Name live." And tonight I realized that's completely true - it makes me unreasonably happy.

As I mentioned yesterday, it's a different show every night. Tonight we were treated to Wild Horses and Walk On. Unfortunately, they didn't end with 40, but considering that the trade-off was Bad, I'll take it.

U2 @ MCI

In case you've been wondering where I've been this week, the short answer is I've been at a U2 concert - three or (with luck) four times this week, that's where you'll find me.

Every concert is different, with different songs and a different flavor. Tonight was no exception with For the First Time and an acoustic Stuck in a Moment as differences from the last show. I'm still waiting for Gloria and Bad - I seem to miss those nights.

But knowing your audience is always important, and Bono knows that here in DC, he has the attention of the policy wonks who work on issues like AIDs, debt relief and fair trade. Not one to pass up an opportunity, Bono convinced Larry to "put down his drumsticks and not interrupt" while he ran on, but Larry did time him and let him know that One ran 15 minutes tonight.

What I've found most amusing is that Bono has taken to begging water from the audience rather than waiting for someone to bring him a drink when he's out on the ellipse. The fans on the floor are always happy enough to oblige but it still makes me laugh.

I was on the Club level tonight (section 217) with an end seat and a great view. Interesting though that the club level was full of people who sat through the entire concert (some even tried to convince people in front of them to sit down) and wore ear plugs (just the red foamy ones, not even good ones). The vibe up there was a far cry from the true believers on the floor and inside the ellipse.

I'm still looking for a ticket for tomorrow night, if you have an extra...

Jamming...

I tricked a couple of friends into joining me at Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD this afternoon. After a week of gloom and rain, everyone seemed happy to be out in the country air, enjoying the sunshine, right up until I handed them quart baskets and made them pick six containers of raspberries (yes, those are thorns).

Half the fun was watching everyone heading to the pumpkin festival, complete with pumpkin train. Everyone in a 50 mile radius with an SUV and a kid was trying to get to the pumpkin festival or park at the farm market. After picking all our raspberries (and explaining to about 20 people that you get containers at the market and then go back there to pay), we headed back to the market and bought apples and concord grapes.

Eight hours later, I have 27 jars of raspberry jam. (Act suprised at Christmas when you get jam.) Tomorrow I have to buy more jars so I can make grape jelly for the first time.

Butler's is my favorite place for pick your own fruit - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. When you're checking out , be sure to grab a couple of homemade caramels.

The pumpkin festival runs through the end of the month, and later in the year, they have cut your own Christmas trees.

$40 a day? Luxury!

Even though Washington, DC is full of very nice, expensive restaurants, there are some deals and steals to be had. A few of my favorites:

Pho 75 - A perenial favorite in everyone's Cheap Eats category, Pho 75 is simply the best noodle soup ever. A large bowl of soup with all the trimmings (peppers, bean sprouts, thai basil, lime) and a soda or lemonade will set you back $8.15 ($10 if you want to be generous and toss something in the tip jar). At these prices, don't expect a lot in the way of ambiance or service. But you can't beat the soup - a cure for all ills. Take out is available for an additional $0.50. Oh, and they open at 8 a.m. because apparently pho is a traditional Vietnamese breakfast.

Teatro Goldoni - The great Italian restaurant perfect for celebratory occasions also has a secret - the bar menu. Lunch is $12.50 and includes a glass of wine (or a soft drink). I think my all-time favorite is still the hamburger - it comes with eggplant and a fried egg and garlic french fries. But you can't ignore the chicken or any of the other very delicious choices. It's one of our favorite places to take clients or for a nice break away from the office.


Pollo Rico - Where else can you get a quarter chicken, coleslaw, french fries and a soda for under $5? Sometimes I'm grocery shopping and realize I'd be better off just heading to Pollo Rico (and depending on the wind, you can smell the wood fires when you get off the Metro at Virginia Square). It's also great for company - a whole chicken with accompaniments runs around $12. Drop the bones into a pot for soup - the seasonings make an amazing chicken broth. And then your $12 chicken turns into a couple of meals - how economical is that?