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Archive: Inauguration
Your Screen on the Green Line-up
Four classics will be screened on the green, starting later this month. (Tyler Mallory) As all of you alert readers already know, Screen on the Green has been saved and will return to the National Mall on July 20....
By Jen Chaney | July 8, 2009; 11:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Last Words
On my way home, I went through Adams Morgan. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive, with all the pre-inaugural talk about late-night debauchery, traffic snarls and lines at the Jumbo Slice merchants that could potentially rival Ben's...
By Fritz Hahn | January 21, 2009; 04:52 AM ET | Comments (0)
Surreal Soiree at City Hall
1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW -- 1:36 a.m.: In retrospect, it was probably a good thing I was about an hour late for the 51st State Ball at the John A. Wilson Building tonight. This party is both an unofficial inaugural...
By Julia Beizer | January 21, 2009; 02:12 AM ET | Comments (0)
At Rock the Vote: Dirty Hands on Deck
707 G St. NW -- 12:32 p.m.: Veteran hip-hop DJ Dirty Hands is capping off his inauguration week by spinning at the Rock the Vote party at Indebleu, and it sounds like he's had a busy couple of days. "Man,...
By Fritz Hahn | January 21, 2009; 02:01 AM ET | Comments (1)
Aloha From the Inaugural Luau
555 Eighth St. NW -- Hawaiian prints outnumbered tuxes at the Inaugural Luau, an unofficial party held in a ballroom at the Hotel Monaco. Luau was an appropriate name: The vibe here is as relaxed as some of the ukelele-led...
By Fritz Hahn | January 20, 2009; 11:54 PM ET | Comments (0)
Bohemian Caverns, a Bargain of the Night
U and 13th streets -- 10:30 p.m.: I get off at the U Street Metro with some out-of-towners. "We're still in the ghetto," one of them informs someone on a cell phone. "Maybe 20 years ago, but not anymore," I...
By Anne | January 20, 2009; 11:45 PM ET | Comments (1)
Playing with Fire at the Warehouse
Maybe it's a residual high from the day's festivities, but the mood at the Art of Change party, hosted by Artomatic and Playa del Fuego at the Warehouse, is especially jovial. Attendees are striking up conversations with any stranger standing...
By Stephanie Merry | January 20, 2009; 11:36 PM ET | Comments (0)
Celebrating the Inauguration With Sword-Swallowers
Being in a bar when the sun is shining? Not so unusual. Watching sword swallowers and belly dancers perform in the middle of the afternoon? Not something you get to do every day. The Lucky Daredevil Thrillshow is on stage...
By Anne | January 20, 2009; 05:29 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Thrill (Without the Chill) of the Moment
It used to be that if you saw a black president, you were watching the movies. But today, the black president on the screen in a SIlver Spring movie theater wasn't a figment of Hollywood's imagination. At the AFI Silver...
By Anne | January 20, 2009; 04:30 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Scene on H Street NE
H and 13th streets NE -- A corner store here is already selling copies of Obama's address on CD and DVD. A boombox outside is playing the speech on repeat. -- Fritz Hahn...
By Anne | January 20, 2009; 03:15 PM ET | Comments (0)
Warning: Palace of Wonders Party Not Open Yet
One of the parties we were excited about this week was today's Inauguration Feast of Flesh Fest at the Palace of Wonders, which was supposed to start at noon. But I'm outside the bar right now, and it's shut up...
By Anne | January 20, 2009; 03:03 PM ET | Comments (0)
Inaugural Morning Toasts
12:27 p.m.: "Can I get a shot of absinthe?" is not the sort of question you expect to hear before noon, but the Brightest Young Things Inauguration Spectacular at Bohemian Caverns is not your average inauguration party. Champagne glasses filled...
By Anne | January 20, 2009; 01:24 PM ET | Comments (0)
Denzel Washington, the Lone Star at Black Tie & Boots
201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, MD -- 12:30 a.m.: When I first drove in to National Harbor for the Texas State Society's Black Tie and Boots Ball, the SUV right in front of me had a Bush/Cheney '04 bumper sticker...
By Anne | January 20, 2009; 02:51 AM ET | Comments (0)
Where Art and Music Meet
3333 M St. NW -- Moby managed to fly under the radar somewhat during the early hours of the Manifest Hope: DC Inauguration Party. He wandered around, taking a look at the political (and mostly Obama-centric) art on display in...
By Stephanie Merry | January 20, 2009; 02:48 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Rookery's Inaugural Party
2519 Pennsylvania Ave. NW -- 1:42 a.m.: The Rookery's inauguration party had problems from the beginning, when host Luke Russert was forced by NBC to remove his name from the invitation. Gawker and other blogs had a field day with...
By Fritz Hahn | January 20, 2009; 02:41 AM ET | Comments (0)
Jay-Z and Joy at the Warner Theater
(Read a full review of the show over at Post Rock.) 13th and E streets NW -- 10:35 p.m.: Eric Benet is sitting right next to me. Samuel L. Jackson is singing along in one of the private boxes. Mary...
By Anne | January 19, 2009; 11:55 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Greatest [Ball] of All Time
2660 Woodley Rd. NW -- 9:13 p.m.: For the first two hours of the Kentucky State Society's Bluegrass Ball, the most popular person in the room -- and most easily distinguishable -- was Maker's Mark president Bill Samuels Jr. Wearing...
By Fritz Hahn | January 19, 2009; 11:51 PM ET | Comments (0)
The Scene on the Mall
The National Mall -- The biggest show in town is currently on display on the Mall and it stars a group of teenagers from Long Island wearing matching orange scarves, a perturbed teacher reprimanding a gaggle of students and one...
By Stephanie Merry | January 19, 2009; 03:04 PM ET | Comments (0)
Moby Too Powerful for the 9:30 Club
815 V. St. NW -- Sunday's late-night Moby show was shaping up to be one of the shows of the year. The 9:30 Club was packed. DJ Will Eastman had everyone dancing to an electro-heavy warmup set. The sound, as...
By Fritz Hahn | January 19, 2009; 02:40 PM ET | Comments (2)
The Inaugural Pajama Jammy Jam
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW -- There was quite a mix of ages and fashion choices at the Obama Pajama Party. Attendees ran the gamut from American University students to the middle-aged set, but the variation in attire is what really...
By Stephanie Merry | January 19, 2009; 01:52 AM ET | Comments (0)
Stars Speak Out at Declare Yourself Party
999 Ninth St. NW -- If you were wondering who made up the alleged youth vote, one look around the ballroom at the Renaissance Washington hotel would have told you. About 90 percent of the people milling around the Declare...
By Anne | January 19, 2009; 01:39 AM ET | Comments (1)
Partying in Daylight
2003 11th St. NW -- What's the best way to get over a very late Saturday night? Spending Sunday afternoon dancing. The weekly Daylight party was in a celebratory mood today, as a few dozen people showed up at Bohemian...
By Fritz Hahn | January 18, 2009; 09:56 PM ET | Comments (0)
We Are One: Voices From the Crowd
17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW -- I was a couple minutes late walking down 14th Street to the We Are One concert on the Mall today. But it wasn't the sound of music that filled my ears once I...
By Julia Beizer | January 18, 2009; 07:00 PM ET | Comments (8)
Party's Over
411 New York Ave. NE -- I had barely made my way into Shift, the late-night party featuring house music legends Ron Trent and Danny Krivit, when a police officer told everyone to make their way outside. Krivit was apparently...
By Fritz Hahn | January 18, 2009; 04:36 AM ET | Comments (2)
Fulfillingness at the BET Honors Afterparty
1350 Okie St. NE -- Diddy's inaugural gala at Love doubles as the afterparty for the BET Honors, so it's only natural to wonder which celebs are coming over after the ceremony. But since most of the crowd lacks the...
By Fritz Hahn | January 18, 2009; 02:26 AM ET | Comments (0)
All Pro, All Star, (Almost) All Hype
50 Massachusetts Ave. NE -- It's just 12:30, so there's still plenty of time for things to pick up, but as of now the All Pro, All Star gala seems a misleading name. Those expecting to see numerous Redskins and...
By Anne | January 18, 2009; 01:17 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Cold Welcome
1211 U St. NW -- The Weather Channel says it's 23 degrees outside, but that's not putting a damper on the spirit on U Street. Under the watchful gaze of Shep Fairey's iconic Obama portrait, the line outside Marvin extends...
By Fritz Hahn | January 18, 2009; 12:44 AM ET | Comments (0)
Living the 'American Dream'
1350 Okie St. NE -- At Jay-Z's "American Dream Inaugural Gala" at Love on Friday, the only question was whether the host would make an appearance and if she would be with him. The four-level nightspot was packed to the...
By Fritz Hahn | January 17, 2009; 06:45 PM ET | Comments (0)
Quasi-Open Bar
Myopenbar.com is an eager-to-please reference site for the thriftiest drinkers among us, guiding visitors to open bars in some of the nation's biggest cities -- New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami included. So what better time than now to...
By Ellen McCarthy | January 16, 2009; 05:32 PM ET | Comments (0)
Things Every D.C. Tourist Should Know
In today's Style section, Monica Hesse writes a letter to tourists with tips on navigating the city. Since there are so many visitors descending here these days, they probably need all the help they can get. So let's play friendly...
By Anne | January 16, 2009; 03:06 AM ET | Comments (5)
Cuisine From Obama's Hometowns Comes to Town
During the election, we receivers-of-press-releases grew weary of all the Chicago- and Arizona-themed food and drink out there. The specials were designed allegedly as a tip of the hat to the home states of Obama and McCain, but the cynics...
By Julia Beizer | January 15, 2009; 04:52 PM ET | Comments (2)
Inauguration Day Update: Open and Shut
It looks like the 300,000 people watching the inaugural parade may have a harder time finding shelter than we initially reported. Since our last post about places to warm up, grab some food and use the bathroom on Inauguration Day,...
By Stephanie Merry | January 14, 2009; 04:20 PM ET | Comments (1)
Inauguration Nightlife Agenda
This week's column features some of the biggest names in hip-hop, legendary DJs from both sides of the Atlantic, all-day burlesque shows, dirt-cheap inaugural balls and many cool events. Barack Obama has Jay-Z on his iPod, so it's only natural...
By Fritz Hahn | January 14, 2009; 11:20 AM ET | Comments (5)
Best of the Baracktails
We gurus don't like to brag, but this job's got some decent perks. We took advantage of one of them last Friday when we dipped out of the office a little early to try some Barack Obama-themed cocktails: three from...
By Julia Beizer | January 13, 2009; 04:44 PM ET | Comments (1)
Inauguration Day Meals: 'To Go' Edition
There's something very End Times about the Inauguration Day transportation announcements. Bridges will be closed to car traffic. Metro, a company that's in the public transportation business, is basically saying, "Hey, Public, why don't you just walk?" Bus service is...
By Julia Beizer | January 13, 2009; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Eats Before the Inauguration
Eight days out and restaurant plans for the inauguration are still in flux. Transportation hassles are hindering both staffing and deliveries at locations near the parade route, but many nearby restaurants plan to open early for breakfast or extend lunch...
By Julia Beizer | January 12, 2009; 02:47 PM ET | Comments (4)
Where to Play Gawker
Dozens of movie stars, athletes and entertainers are expected to arrive in Washington in the next week. They'll be at the balls and parties, of course, but if you're hoping to catch a glimpse of your favorite actors -- or...
By Anne | January 12, 2009; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Thirsty at 3 a.m.?
Wondering where you'll be able to party until 4 a.m. in the days before Barack Obama's inauguration? The District's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration has released the names of bars and nightclubs that received permission (and paid $250 a night) to...
By Fritz Hahn | January 10, 2009; 03:27 PM ET | Comments (3)
Ch-Check It Out
From the growing this-just-in file of inauguration shows: the Beastie Boys and Sheryl Crow will be playing Monday, Jan. 19, at the 9:30 club. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10, and we don't know how much they'll be yet;...
By Anne | January 9, 2009; 04:54 PM ET | Comments (0)
Adams Morgan Limits Inauguration Parties
When the City Council announced last month that bars could stay open until 4 a.m. in the days leading up to the inauguration, it was a natural assumption that Adams Morgan, with its blocks of bars and restaurants, would be...
By Fritz Hahn | January 9, 2009; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (1)
Get Your History On
In an inaugural season filled with the glamour of parties and galas, there are plenty of other to-dos around town that stimulate the inquisitive soul. Here, we recommend this list of tamer -- but equally intriguing -- events that allow...
By Julia Beizer | January 7, 2009; 02:52 PM ET | Comments (0)
Inauguration Day Update: Open and Shut
Since our initial rundown of openings and closures along the inaugural parade route and beyond, there have been a few updates. The Newseum will have one of the best views of the parade, but tickets to the museum have already...
By Stephanie Merry | December 17, 2008; 01:08 PM ET | Comments (0)
A Toast to the President-Elect
We're a month away from the inauguration, and Barack Obama-related merchandise is slowly taking over the city. My favorite souvenir so far isn't sold by vendors outside Farragut North or along the Mall -- it's only available at the Capitol...
By Fritz Hahn | December 12, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Inauguration Day: Open and Shut
So the big question for Inauguration Day is: With millions of people on the Mall, where are the masses going to head to eat, warm up and use the bathroom? The natural inclination will probably be to go to the...
By Stephanie Merry | December 5, 2008; 01:44 PM ET | Comments (0)
Post-Inauguration Lunch? Make Plans Soon
Planning on getting lunch after the inauguration ceremony and parade? Don't count on it being easy. You won't be watching the Inauguration from Charlie Palmer's rooftop. The restaurant is already booked for a private event. (Jay Premack for The Washington...
By Julia Beizer | November 25, 2008; 03:07 PM ET | Comments (1)
The Inauguration: The Planning Begins
The U.S. Capitol, awash in flags and dignitaries for the 2005 inauguration. (Robert Deutsch/USA Today/Pool) The questions everyone's asking this week are about planning for January. While many of the specifics are still up in the air -- the bipartisan...
By Fritz Hahn | November 7, 2008; 03:23 PM ET | Comments (4)
