Archive for the ‘Festivals’ Category

Saturday: A Benefit for WPFW DJ The Gator

For years, WPFW DJ Rick “Da Gator” Bolling has brought to his Saturday afternoon listeners the latest in Southern soul and blues.  Not Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings—that’s R&B for rock fans—and not guitar solo-filled blues rock either. We’re talking artists with church-rooted voices and lyrics about lust like Miss Jody and Carl Sims, [...]

Baaba Maal Discusses His “Tales from the Sahel” Tour

Senegalese singer Baaba Maal’s “Tales from the Sahel” show tonight at the Birchmere should prove to be very different from his last local appearance a year and half ago.   That gig offered his 13-piece band Daande Lenol adapting songs from his 2009 album Television, which featured programmed beats and guest vocals from members of New York band [...]

Photos: Virgin FreeFest 2011

The sun shone bright Saturday at this year's Virgin FreeFest at Merriweather Post Pavilion, and while the grounds were a bit muddier than last year, at least the Dance Forest wasn't as dusty. It was the first nice afternoon in weeks—as well as the day before the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and the start of [...]

DC Shorts: Maybe You Should See a Professional

The people highlighted in Showcase 12 have problems. Some are as trivial as a scheduling conflict; others are pathological or criminal. The shorts themselves are a fragmented bunch, with a few standing strong but many in need of a little doctoring.
My Friend Peter: A Beaver-esque tale about a disturbed (but amusingly so!) guy who connects [...]

Virgin Mobile FreeFest: Winners, Losers, and John Walker Lindh

On Saturday, the Virgin Mobile FreeFest dodged rainy forecasts and generally moved forward on the Merriweather Post Pavilion grounds with the efficiency and grace of a Tony Romo drive, at least for the first three quarters. The Ferris wheel was steady; burritos in the press tent were easy to smuggle; no one in the dance [...]

Arts Desk’s Virgin Mobile FreeFest Coverage: An Intro

On a scale between "click on a link" and "volunteer for at-risk youth," this year's Virgin Mobile FreeFest lineup is worth, say, assembling toiletry kits at a drop-in center for the homeless. What the cornerstone back-to-school party lacks in area talent and a discernible, reliable musical identity, it compensates for with exhausting marketing.
While the gimmicky stylings [...]

DC Shorts: Films for Shedding a Tear

Sad sacks and victims dominate DC Shorts' Showcase 1. I’d advise you to bring your tissues, but none of these films are strong enough to warrant tears.
Long Story Short: A little person falls for his tall improv partner; the awkwardness is palpable, their connection is not.
The Man in 813: This three-minute film about 24 hours [...]

David Wax at Newport: Folk Festivals, Thunk About

Over the last couple of years, Boston roots-folk act The David Wax Museum has been a mainstay at group houses across Northwest. These house concerts afforded lodging and modest merch sales for Wax and Suz Slezak, his fiddle- and jawbone-playing compatriot. The parties, here and elsewhere, also consolidated a growing fan base that would elect the [...]

Silverdocs: Talking The Interrupters With Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz

It took over 300 hours of video filmed over the course of a year to produce The Interrupters, Steve James' latest documentary study of urban America. While James' celebrated Hoop Dreams captures the rise of inner-city kids to college basketball fame, his latest flick studies the pervasive violence that plagues Chicago. Together with journalist and [...]

Silverdocs: A Chat With Bob & The Monster Director Keirda Bahruth

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know who Bob Forrest is, or recognize his alt-rock band Thelonious Monster. His is the story of '80s and '90s rock in America. Silverdocs selection Bob & The Monster is a throwback to that time, including both the sublime and the ugly, and it’s all due to a [...]