Outside the Nissan Pavilion at Saturday’s Dave Matthews Band show

For this week’s S&T, I spoke to Bill Duggan, owner of Adams Morgan anagram bar Madam’s Organ. Since 2000, Duggan’s been sparring with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration over the issue of occupancy in his bar: ABRA said he was limited to 99 patrons, the number of seats on his restaurant license’s certificate of occupancy; Duggan contested that he could pack up to 393 patrons in, his fire marshall approved capacity. Earlier this month, the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled in Duggan’s favor.

This isn’t the first time that Duggan has dealt with issues of occupancy. For the past decade, Duggan and Madam’s Organ have organized a beach trip for area kids to Dewey Beach, Delaware. Each year, Duggan takes 20 to 40 District kiddies, along with 10 to 15 adult volunteers, for a weekend of bonfiring, crab-hunting, and beach-housing.

Dewey Beach didn’t always like that. “The second year of the trip, I was arrested for disorderly conduct,” says Duggan. “I made sure to tell the local [authorities] that the kids were coming, and they said it would be fine. They said ‘Hey, this is 1999, not 1969.’”

But Duggan says the beach cops were ready and waiting to kill the party. “Sure enough, there they were, hiding in the bushes, waiting for us,” he says. “They didn’t like having a bunch of black kids on the beach … The beach cop, he was like the leader of the Aryan nation: starched shirt, blonde hair, white eyebrows. He kicked us off the beach.”

That’s where Duggan’s pint-sized occupancy issue comes in: “Technically, the permit said only 25 kids at the bonfire at one time. And we had 35. But they were coming and going! Some were playing on the beach, others were at the house; they weren’t all at the bonfire at one time.”

But unlike the D.C. Court of Appeals, the beach cops didn’t buy Duggan’s maneuvering. “They put me in the paddywaggon,” says Duggan. “I said, ‘Fine, but the kids are coming with me.’”

After a brief lock-up and some negotiation, Duggan was released to continue spearheading the kiddie beach adventure. According to Duggan, the experience didn’t put a damper on the kids’ summer trip. “Oh, they loved it,” he says. “They kept shouting, ‘Mr. Duggan! You got locked up!’”

Photo by Charles Steck

Last week, we reported that D.C.’s Best Dance Night would be moving on up to Club Five this Saturday. Now, it looks like the event will by moving across the street to MCCXXIII, at 1223 Connecticut Ave. NW. Club Five had its license suspended earlier this month after a stabbing occured in the club. Five was set to open again June 18th; according to ABRA, that suspension has now been extended indefinitely.

Miami Horror and Gameboy/Gamegirl are still set to play on the Nouveau Riche bill, but the move to MCCXXIII brings some changes in the event’s time, cover charges, and dress code, says DJ Gavin Holland. The details: The show starts at 10 p.m. Entry begins at $10 and jumps to $20 at midnight. The dress code, while relaxed to include sneakers, does stipulate some no-no’s. Writes Holland:

They have relaxed their normal dress code for us, sneakers are okay. However, no shorts, no sandals, and sadly no totally wacky shit. Basically, dress well by your own standards, but you don’t need to wear fancy shoes or any of that silly ‘club’ attire. You should be lookin’ snazzy for Nouveau Riche anyway, so this should be no different. My heart goes out to Life Preserver Dude from the 9:30 Club, you will not be able to wear your life preserver.

One of beer’s holy grails has arrived in D.C.

The coveted beer is Mikkeller, the brainchild of two Danish homebrewers who joined forces in 2006 and within a few short years were producing some of the best tipples in the world. On Ratebeer, the Internet’s largest beer site, all of the brewery’s current batches rank in the 93rd percentile or higher – an almost unequalled feat.

Just a sample of the wares: Mikkeller beers seen around town include Beer Geek Breakfast, a sturdy, black-as-night oatmeal stout with notes of milk chocolate and espresso. Newcomers might enjoy the more accessible Jackie Brown, a brown ale that goes down like Nutella on toast. And for heavyweights there’s Big Worse, a sweet, powerful barleywine whose name is a higher level of “big bad.”

But as of now, Mikkeller is only available in two D.C. stores. And it’s your fault.

Well, at least partially. For vendors, high-end brews like Mikkeller are a risk: Individual bottles retail between $10 and $17, meaning stores have to spend $90 or more on a case that could take weeks to empty. Buying a more popular brand guarantees a much quicker turnover.

Your role in all this (and mine, and anyone who buys beer) comes with purchasing power. Epicurean movements like organics and local food rely on customer demand to drive the market toward better products. If your dollars leaving the supermarket for the farmers market, in time those grocery chains will take notice.

The same happens with beer, but even faster. The population of microbrew drinkers is a fraction of the population in the produce aisle, and D.C. has far fewer good beer stores than groceries, or even farmers markets.

So it’s our responsibility as beer drinkers to encourage stores to carry the good stuff. By buying it.

If we’re talking about Mikkeller, right now you can only do that at D’Vines, in Columbia Heights, and The Wine Specialist, south of Dupont Circle. Their respective beer managers, Pat Hayes and Tim Schliftman, are taking a risk by buying a few cases of the pricy Danish brew, even if more accessible brands could offer a higher turnover.

I spoke with other beer managers at several of the area’s largest and best-regarded stores – none of whom currently stock Mikkeller – and the universal answer was, “We can order a case for you.” That is, they’ll order you some if they can guarantee a sale.

But who can blame them? Stores are businesses, and they need to respect the bottom line if they are to continue offering their services. It’s your duty as a customer to buy responsibly. When a gift beer lands at D.C.’s feet – something exceptional or new or rare – try it.

Talk to your beer vendors. Find out what new stuff they’ve got, and tell them what you thought of the last six-pack you tried. Remember that they’re working to serve you, the loyal customer; if you let them know there’s a market for your favorite microbrew, they’ll do their best to stock it.

And if you’re new to quality beers, ask for advice. Of all the good beer stores I’ve ever visited – in D.C. or anywhere – I’ve never encountered a single staffer that wasn’t completely helpful, friendly, and eager to talk shop. Good beer drinkers are a community, and that community needs more members to thrive.

So next time you’re torn between a six-pack of fizzy yellow stuff and something new and intriguing, empower yourself. Put that buying power to good use. And don’t forget to thank your vendor.

Got a question about beer? E-mail the Beerspotter.

Photo courtesy of Mikkeller

Local artist Adrian Parsons has revealed himself as one of the stars of ANC Commissioner Frank Winstead’s now-infamous clandestine ping pong youtube video, shot outside of Comet Ping Pong. Parsons says he recognized himself and opponent Karl Southgate immediately when he saw this video of the sidewalk match-up, posted last summer on DCist:

“At first i wasn’t really thinking it was all that harmful,” Parsons says of the video. “I thought it was sort of playful, that it was Winstead’s opinion and of no legal consequence. But when it started to look like the video might be a problem for Comet, I thought, ‘Well. That sucks.’”

Adds Parsons, “I was concerned that my face was on this advert that might serve to hurt James [Alefantis, Comet owner]. It was not something that Karl or I were interested in being involved in.”

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On Tuesday, downtown D.C. nightclub Platinum surrendererd its Alcoholic Beverage Control license in a hearing in front of the ABC Board. Platinum, located at 915 F Street NW, is owned by Abdul Khanu, who also owns Southwest Waterfront club H20 Restaurant & Lounge. The decision has also put a chill on Khanu’s proposed third nightclub, The Big Chill.

According to a memo from Sgt. Joseph Massey of MPD’s 1st District, which covers the neighborhoods of both Platinum and H20:

At the end of hearing, Platinum surrendered their ABC license and officially closed for good. The ABRA board decided that Mr. Abdul Khanu can hold only one ABC license in the District of Columbia (currently H20). This action places a hold on the new establishment which Mr. Kahnu was attempting to open in the 5th District (The Big Chill).

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

H Street haunt The Palace of Wonders—D.C.’s only bar to boast a “monkey contemplating human bone skull,” a “cyclops fetal skull,” and a “living unicorn”—celebrates its second birthday this weekend.

Helping ring in the sideshow bar’s terrible twos are D.C.’s Best Sideshow Duo Tyler Fyre and Thrill Kill Jill, burlesque performer Li’l Dutch, and “Skullduggery & Skin Show” performers Albert Cadabra and Gal Friday. During the three-hour show, Jill promises sword swallowing, magic, burlesque, belly dancing, fire eating, snake charming, bag pipers, aerialists, contortionists and a flea circus. Though personally, I’m not convinced there is actually a living unicorn.

Real Palace enthusiasts can celebrate the birthday twice—first on Friday, June 27, and again on Saturday, June 28. Shows are 20 bucks a pop, and begin at 10:00 p.m. at the Palace of Wonders, 1210 H Street NE.

Flier after the jump.

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On Friday evening, Adams Morgan’s pizza and beer-fueled sinners met their match: A group of pizza and God-fueled “soul winners.”

At around 1:30 a.m., a sizeable crowd gathered outside Columbia Road watering hole Chief Ike’s. The hundred-strong mob jumped, fist-pumped, and chanted in unison. Some wildly brandished flags, possibly made of their own shirts. From my perch across the sidewalk, the driving two-syllable chant was indecipherable.

Were these revelers footballers? Kickballers? Goths? As I ventured closer to the seductive chorus, its message became clear: “JE-SUS!” the mob shouted, again and again. “JE-SUS! JE-SUS! JE-SUS!”

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The press is finally getting around to covering the Russert Death Coverage just as the ruminations/tributes are starting to slow. But I have to admit I am still mildly obsessed with Russert as dead-media-cult-figure. I can’t stop watching/reading about Russert.

I watched his show every Sunday but I admit I sometimes dreaded it or clicked away. Any time Biden was on. Any time Russert let a Republican and Democrat play policy ping-pong. I was changing channels. Still. The memorial service was good enough to watch twice. But can the media folk stop making a big deal about drinking Rolling Rock?

You may remember ANC Commissioner Frank Winstead from his chillingly subtitled youtube video “Ping Pong in Public Space” or his chillingly subtitled youtube video “When UPS Delivers in D.C., Life Suffers.”

Last Tuesday, Winstead staged a live performance at the packed-full ANC meeting held to reassess Comet Ping Pong’s voluntary agreement with the commission. (Marc Fisher, hot on the Winstead beat, has his roundup here. DCist, too). During the course of the meeting, Winstead accused Comet owner James Alefantis of lying, cheating, stealing, spitting in a customers food, and encouraging both murderers and rapists.

“He said rape,” confirms fellow ANC3F commissioner Mital Gandhi. “R-A-P-E. Rape.”

Says Alefantis, “Frank Winstead was completely and totally unprofessional, incredibly rude, and a little wacky. He was yelling and screaming and wagging his finger at everyone.”

But don’t take their word for it: We’ve plucked the highlights of the recording, after the jump!*

* Not caught on tape: “At one point, he mouthed ‘fuck you’ to me,” says Alefantis.

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This month, D.C.’s Best Dance Night (as decreed by yours truly) will move from its station at DC9 to the bigger, badder Club 5. That means that Nouveau Riche—with DJs Gavin Holland, SteveLove, and Nacey—will now span three floors, and last from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Eight hours: Some might call that a “work day.” Gavin Holland was nice enough to field five questions about the nouveau Nouveau Riche, which debuts at Club Five on Saturday, June 28th.

CP: What have you guys got planned for those extra two hours?

GH: Well, to the public, it will appear that our friend Spiggy from Sleaze will be rocking the mainstage during that time. But secretly, I will be holding an introductory aerobics class on the main floor, while Steve and Nacey will be heading up a personal finance seminar in the bottle service area. Plus we expect all of our DJ friends to come by for the after-hours fun (or else!), and we hear that certain rockstars who shall remain anonymous may be heading to Five as well…

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On June 4, the North Columbia Heights Civic Association held a meeting regarding the park at 11th and Monroe. All were welcome, and all were heard, as evidenced by this item in the very comprehensive minutes: “Anonymous resident (self-described drunk who hangs out in the park): people in the park aren’t that bad, come on into the park, we welcome kids, we welcome the church.”–Brian Reed

Beware alcoholic energy drinks: The silent intoxicators. Time’s got the scoop on the “tall, narrow cans” with the “teen-friendly names” that are mixing a stimulant (caffeine) with a depressant (alcohol) to make a recipe for dance party disaster! Author John Cloud lays out the hard scientific facts about Sparks and its partners in energetic drunkenness: “Researchers have conducted several peer-reviewed studies into these questions since 2000. The conclusions? Caffeine won’t keep you from getting drunk.”

As a teen duped by Sparks’ youthful marketing would say: Like, duh. That’s why they love it!

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The Brookland listserv has more news on the Cardinal’s Nest, a neighborhood club owned by ex-cop Darrell Green and the subject of this week’s Show & Tell. In the column, I quote neighbor Tim Janning, who says he’s documented numerous visits to the bar from cops who don’t appear to be on official business.

Today, neighbor Dino Drudi noted some additional police presence at the Cardinal’s Nest on the listserv:

My neighbor reports yesterday evening there were FIVE MPD sport utility vehicles parked in front of Cardinal’s Nest—all the officers from these SUVs were patrons of the Cardinal’s Nest. Having observed the first vehicle arriving at 6:30PM, he noticed another hidden from his view that must have been there prior to that time. At approximately 7:10PM three more SUVs arrived. All these SUVs … were marked SOD (Special Operations Division). He reported that these officers were in the Cardinal’s Nest for approximately 1½ hours.

Later, Drudi posted this response, from Special Operations Division Commander James O. Crane:

Greetings Mr. Drudi, you may remember me from my days at 5D as a Sgt and later Captain. I’m still a Woodridge resident. The vehicles in question are under my command and I have initiated an investigated. We share AC Groomes’ and Chief Lanier’s concerns for the appearance and image such actions give the Department.

Possibly the most far-fetched Missed Connection ever:

hot blonde in the budweiser van - m4w - 28

you pulled up next to me at the light near the Exxon. We made eye contact and continued to drive next to each other up Wisconsin. At the next light, you gave me a wink and turned off before I had the chance to react. Maybe you’d like to take me for a test drive?