Sunday, March 30, 2014

Artist Spotlight: The New Orchestra of Washington is What's Happening NOW!

The New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) is on a musical mission to bring a new generation into the concert hall, with a fresh take on classical music. The ensemble, led by artistic director Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, featuring pianist Grace Cho, recently presented a concert of Debussy and Mahler at the First Congregational UCC in downtown Washington, DC, featuring Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" and a chamber orchestral setting of Mahler's 1st Symphony. NOW's next concert, on May 17th in Washington, DC, will highlight the music of East Asia!










Saturday, March 22, 2014

Gangstagrass Brings It's Bluegrass-Meets-Rap Party to Artisphere for a Wild Party!

If you thought that Donny and Marie Osmond blending their little bit of country with a little bit of rock and roll was subversive, then brace yourself for Gangstagrass - yes, your eyes are not deceiving you! The man behind the curtain is the creator of this mashup musical style, Rench, a California boy who grew up listening to the music of his Oklahoma-born daddy. On Friday night, the group kicked off its spring tour with a rousing performance at Arlington's Artisphere (formerly the old Newseum space that's quickly turning into a great live music venue, so take note). The crowd, clad in everything from flannel shirts and cowboy boots, to old-school hip-hop-head Adidas and dashikis, was on their feet the moment Gangstagrass took the stage. What followed was controlled, glorious, sonic mayhem as the band played back-country grooves with our MCs laying down frenetic raps. Oh, what a night! Here's a link to their website for more information and tour dates, and here are photos from their Artisphere performance:) 






Thursday, March 13, 2014

A Spring Fashion Fling

If you're like me, you're over whatever love affair you may have had with winter. Cold, blustery winds, snow, ice - enough already! So here's a little burst of spring from a recent photo shoot to warm you up, featuring all things bright and beautiful in poppy shades of blue and yellow!