Okay, so this week… AMAZING!!!! In the post conference wake I’ve been able to relax at work. While I’m still busy working on surveys, mailings, attending meetings, and helping to get our local program reports ready, things are nowhere near as hectic as they were during Conference. Its been really, really nice.
My class this week… phenomenal and so I once again have to sincerely urge all of you to take “Politics, Power, and Poetry” with Professor Swerdlow. You know when you have a professor who makes class incredible? A professor who makes you think about things you’d never thought about before and makes class fun, exciting, and a place you actually look forward to going to? That’s what this class is like. So okay yea, it’s every Monday night from 6:30-9:30pm and that’s rough, especially after working all day and being at TWC programming, but its SO worth it.
This week we had a mock debate over the new health care bill. There were two sets of debaters. A pro and con group addressing the 1945 bill submitted by former President Truman and then a pro and con group addressing the bill currently facing Congress today. Everyone in class was assigned a role and we talked about how the bill was applicable then and now, how it’s changed, and how the need for it has changed as time has progressed. I was lucky enough to be given the role of blogger… I wonder why. ;) The entire class was involved in the discussion talking about a variety of different subjects which I soon realized are all related to health care in one way or another. This class was truly one of the greatest classes I’ve ever attended in my college career (and I’m including classes that involved field trips across London and to the London theater in that).
Now as amazing as my class was, and it was truly amazing, nothing, and I mean nothing from this week tops my Thursday night. In my first blog entry I urged you guys to check out a venue called the Black Cat. Well, I’m once again going to tell you to go check this place out. Thursday night I left work at 5:30pm, headed to the famous Ben’s Chili Bowl for some veggie chili cheese fries with my friends, stopped by the London-esque bar Cafe Saint-Ex and then saw three AMAZINGLY INCREDIBLE bands perform at Black Cat.
This Thursday Darwin Deez, Throw Me the Statue and Bishop Allen graced the stage at Black Cat and put on a phenomenal show. I’m a concert junkie. Much like good dive bars and farmer’s markets, I have a passion for concerts, especially those in smaller, slightly dingier venues where you can literally be standing up against the stage (as I fortunately was). The atmosphere at these types of concerts is other worldly. People there come together in a very unique way. When the music starts to play everyone feels it. We clap, we jump, we dance ridiculously with no shame, and we let the music take us over. If you’ve never heard of Bishop Allen, Darwin Deez, or Throw Me the Statue, go check them out…. NOW! They are phenomenal.
Darwin Deez is a quirky band that wears bright day glow colors, old man style sweaters, backwards caps and jumps off the stage into the crowd to dance along side avid listeners. They make you laugh and make you want to sing at the top of your lungs… even if you don’t know the words to any of their songs. I’d never heard them before, but let me tell you, I am now a HUGE fan! Throw Me the Statue, a Seattle-based band, takes a less crowd involved approach but still delivers an excellent performance. I’ve been a fan for many years and seeing them perform live made my weekend.
Now if you don’t know Bishop Allen…I highly suggest that you correct that as soon as is humanly possible. I’ve listened to this band for years and this Thursday was the first time I’d ever seen them perform life. They are so great and this concert was particularly wonderful because they played several of my all time favorite songs including, “South China Moon”, Middle Management”, and the awesome ukulele jam, “Butterfly Net”.
Top 2 Places to Visit This Week:
1. Saint Ex: If you want to experience a tiny taste of what it’s like to be in London, head to this bar on 14th street. Located just a few doors down from the wonderful Black Cat, Saint Ex is a bar/restaurant. Up stairs offers seating, food, and more of dining style atmosphere. Head to the back and down a flight of stairs and you find yourself at Gate 59. Now the bar is advertised as a “French-American” style bistro, but all I could think of was London while I was there. The laid back atmosphere, bartender who looked scarily like the lead singer of Bloc Party, and crazy paraphernalia littering the walls made me long for the football crazy, pint hungry, laid back neighborhood pubs of good ol’ London town.
2. Georgetown C & O Canal: This intricate canal system is a great place to go for a run, a walk, or get lost in your thoughts. The canals almost right next to the waterfront in beautiful Georgetown and provide a more quiet and peaceful setting from the bustling, crowded, streets. I’ve been only a couple of times, but I’ve developed quite a liking for going down to the canals when I’m in the area and wandering aimlessly along the paths. If you’re in the city and in need of new running route, or just looking to step outside the city for a bit, I highly suggest you check this place out.
This Week’s Top 5 Songs:
1. Bishop Allen: “Butterfly Nets”
2. Darwin Deez: “Bad Day”
3. Throw Me the Statue: “Ship”
4. Passion Pit: “Little Secrets”
5. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin: “Some Constellation”
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