Columbia Heights 1968 riots featured in the film "The Butler"

A reader tipped me off to an interesting historical nugget: Columbia Heights is featured in the new movie The Butler starring Forest Whitaker. The movie focuses on a White House butler who served many presidents and witnesses a lot of historical events throughout the 20th century.

Specifically, the neighborhood is briefly shown in a segment on the 1968 riots in the city that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The riots decimated 14th Street, U Street NW, 7th Street NW, H Street NE, 8th Street SE and other major commercial corridors in the city.

Some of those streets have only recently recovered, though some, like 14th, U and H Street, are bustling again.

The scene is pictured in this trailer for the movie near the 1:30 mark. I haven't seen it, have you? Can you tell us more about the scenes in the comments?



And this isn't the first time that our neighborhood has been on TV or in movies: Bones, Lie to Me, and Cupcake Wars all featured our neighborhood, as did In the Line of Fire, the movie with Clint Eastwood as a Secret Service Agent, Syriana (Jeffrey Wright's character runs on the 13th Street hill). And of course, D.C. Cab with Mr. T, Adam Baldwin, Gary Busey and Bill Maher had a number of scenes, including a food fight, at the Florida Avenue Grill.

Map from Greater Greater Washington

Kangaroo Boxing Club planning second floor space, aiming at Spring 2014

Kangaroo Boxing Club, the barbeque spot and bar on 11th just north of Park, is looking to expand by building a second floor. PoP included a flyer on the addition, which will allow the folks to serve ribs. Full plans, like number of seats, hours, if there's an outdoor area will be announced at the Sept 11th ANC 1A meeting at Tubman Elementary School, which is at 7 pm. You can also email info@kangaroodc.com for more info.

PoP reports construction will begin in February 2014 and they hope to open the space in spring 2014.

I think this is a good thing, as often KBC is often pretty packed. I also hope, from a personal standpoint, that they'll use one of the spaces (either upstairs or downstairs) for Michigan games, as the bar is a University of Michigan fan hub. I've been a couple of times when it converts from normal restaurant to Michigan gameday bar, which is kind of frustrating when you just want to enjoy a meal with some friends and not have a ton of rowdy people. Then again, I guess the other option is to be aware that during game times it's going to be busy. (And the games are certainly popular, so they should continue them.)

Redskins shut down free Meridian Pint/DC Brau tailgate planned for Sept. 9

Well, this stinks for Redskins fans. Last week, local bar and restaurant Meridian Pint and sister spot Smoke and Barrel joined with local brewery DC Brau to host a free tailgate at the Redskins' opener on Monday, September 9th. Turns out, the Redskins weren't happy with the idea, calling it a commercial tailgate and a violation of the team's intellectual property rights.

The flyer for the tailgate, which was completely free, with no entry fee and free food and beer for a limited number of people, apparently used team colors and the team and FedEx Field logo -- which makes sense, considering it's at a Redskins game at FedEx Field. The DC Sports Bog reports that the organizers tried to rework the flyer but the team rejected them again, and they gave up.

Here's some excerpts from the Redskins' lawyers's letter to the organizers:

The Redskins appreciate your support and enthusiasm but have a strict policy against unauthorized commercial tailgating in our parking lots. In addition, the flyer Meridian Pint has distributed and posted online includes Redskins colors, the FedExField logo, and an image of a Green lot parking pass. This unauthorized use unfairly capitalizes on the goodwill and reputation embodied in the Redskins trademarks and intellectual property. The public will mistakenly believe that the Redskins are affiliated with Meridian Pint, DC Brau, and Smoke & Barrel and/or have sponsored or authorized this tailgate party. Please confirm your agreement to immediately take down and stop distributing this flyer.

Sounds like a pretty weak reason to me: they're basically saying you can only have an event (a free one, in this case) if you pay the team to be an official sponsor. Plus the part about the fans mistakenly believe that the team is affiliated with them is pretty silly, for a number of reasons. For one, does the public think every bar that advertises Redskins games or specials during them is "affiliated" with the team? No, that's ridiculous. And secondly, would it actually change anything if people thought the team was affiliated with them? "Well, I don't like their food, but they are the official American craft beer bar of the Washington Redskins, so we had better go there often."

Here's the response on the Sports Bog from a commenter who says he is the Meridian Pint general manager:

I am the GM of Meridian Pint and want to clarify a few things. This was not going to be a free beer event for the entire parking lot. This was conceived by the 3 businesses as a way to say thank you to our loyal customers who are fans of the team. This was why we were requiring people to come to one of the businesses to sign up. It was meant to dissuade people from being there for only the beer figuring they wouldn't drive all the way in to town just for a few free beers. It got to Dan was because I tweeted him and Chris Kinard about it because they are both fans of craft beer and Meridian Pint.

We had limited the size of the group to 100 people per business and they would all have been appropriately ID'd, given wristbands, and then continually assessed before being served again. With no disrespect to anyone, we are professionals in this regard. We do this for a living and are widely regarded for being good at what we do. We had absolutely no intentions of getting someone so intoxicated that they would jeopardize their safety. Again, this is what we do for a living.

I would not say that we are "shocked" by this but we were dismayed. We do not see this being any different than the Dead Tree Crew or Extreme Skins tailgate (both of which we love) or the longstanding Barra Brava/Screaming Eagles tailgates at DCU games. What is the difference from the tailgate that invites 50 people and provides food and beverage and the one that invites 300?

We bowed out of this because we didn't want this to become a big headache for everyone involved. I love this team, I love the District, and I love my community. I am also blessed with the resources to do something cool for them. That really was the only reason we were going to do it. And while we have no issues about making money, this was not a money-making event. We were planning on giving away thousands of dollars of product to a core group of people who already come here, to say thanks. We just really wanted to tailgate.

Pretty silly. (Also, note that I am using the Redskins logo here. I am not affiliated with the Washington Redskins, Dan Snyder, or FedEx Field.)

Bands in the Neighborhood: 19th Street Band

This latest installment of Bands in the Neighborhood, our series on local musical acts, is on the 19th Street Band, a local Americana/country band who answered a few questions. Check them out tonight, Sept.5 at the Hamilton downtown!

And are you a band or musician in the neighborhood interested in being featured in our Bands in the Neighborhood series? Let me know!

Tell us a bit about the band.
If the 19th Street Band could be summed up in a phrase, it would be “old school.” From their folk instruments (upright bass, fiddle, banjo and acoustic guitars), to their approach to music and performance, The 19th Street Band has followed the traditions of The Carter Family and The Kingston Trio while also integrating modern elements of Americana, Country, and Rock ‘n Roll. The 19th Street Band has built its fan base the old school way, one fan at a time. They play hundreds of shows a year, from backyard BBQ’s to honky-tonks to amphitheaters. Every time they play, their music and energy connects with a new person in the crowd.

When Caolaidhe came from Northern Ireland to the United States to make music, he met the love of his life and musical partner, Meghan, in the process. Caolaidhe and Meghan started out singing old Hank Williams and John Prine songs for friends, and were soon asked to perform locally. They invited Mike, an eccentric preacher’s son, to perform with them, and a connection was made. The three of them knew that they wanted to share joyful music with the world. Joined by Tom Verratti on banjo and Richard Vega on drums, the band has an eclectic folk sound that pleases listeners of all ages. 

Since then The 19th Street Band has had the honor of sharing the stage with country music stars such as Craig Morgan, Chuck Mead and Rodney Atkins. They have opened for The Wheeler Brothers and Spirit Family Reunion at The Hamilton as well as Grammy Award-winning Western Swing icons Asleep at the Wheel at The Birchmere. They have also packed the house at such venues as the Strathmore, Jammin’ Java, Rock & Roll Hotel, The Washington Folk Festival, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville, Hill Country BBQ and Pianos in NYC.

The 19th Street Band was recently interviewed by WMZQ’s Jenni Chase on her show, “Homegrown Country”, and their song, “Don’t Give A Damn About The Money” is getting radio airplay in the DC area.

How'd you get your name?
We used to live, play, and party in a house on 19th Street N in Arlington, VA when the band formed.

Do you practice in CH? How about play any gigs in the neighborhood?
We play regularly at Acre 121. We actually had the opportunity to play for their soft opening and have been gigging there ever since. We practice near Brookland where Mike and his wife live. Their new baby loves our music!

What are your band's influences?
Caolaidhe: "Jesus"
Mike: "Satan"
Meghan: "Rainbows"

Also...Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Pete Seeger, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, Patsy Cline and the Punch Brothers.

I know you've had played some big venues, what was that like?
The big venues go by in the blink of an eye. There's so many people and it's an adrenaline rush. It goes by so fast you barely remember what you did on stage.

Gone on any tours? Any crazy and terrible tour stories?
Last winter, we had to fly out of a tiny airport in Sioux City, Iowa - literally the airport code is SUX - and we had the first flight out. We arrived at 4am after playing a gig all day and night with no sleep to find the airport closed. We had to wait outside in -10 degree weather and in the dark until they unlocked the doors. And yes, it did SUX.

What’s your take on the local music scene in Columbia Heights and DC?
The DC music scene is very eclectic. You can find anything from jazz, hip hop, rockabilly, bluegrass, punk, country and folk. People just want to come out to hear good music and have fun with their friends. Every time we play at Acre 121 the crowd grows and grows, and they make it so much fun for us.

And if you had to rename your band for something in Columbia Heights, what would it be?
We originally named the band after a place we lived and the bass player once lived off Girard St, so we'll name it "The Girard Street Jumpers"

Websites:

Check out the band’s website, www.the19thstreetband.com, Facebook page at (www.facebook.com/the19thstreetband and YouTube channel www.youtube.com/the19thstreetband.

I like this video especially, and the crowd likes it too:

New car, truck and van-sharing service opens from Enterprise with locations in Petworth, Mt. Pleasant

If you're looking to rent a car for a few hours, you have another option. Enterprise has started their unimaginatively-named Enterprise CarShare service in DC.

The idea is similar to Zipcar in that there are set spaces to park. You rent by the hour, and rates are lower ($5) for an economy car on Monday-Thursday than on Friday to Sunday, which go from $10.25 to $11.25, and more for bigger cars, luxury cars, trucks and vans. You can drive up to 200 miles per day.

Sounds like the van and truck options would be good for moving, and maybe the luxury car would be good to cruise around like a bigwig.

As for locations, their map is not zoomable, but seems to show a location near the intersection of Georgia and Kansas Avenues, then another at about Mt. Pleasant and Lamont. Unfortunately I don't see any more details than that online, and strangely, they don't seem to be at the Enterprise location at Georgia and Euclid.

Normally there's a $25 application fee and $40 a year, but they're waiving those fees for now, so if you're interested, sign up!

(Hat tip to DCist)

Is the Circulator expanding up 14th Street? (UPDATE: No)

UPDATE: The Circulator folks responded on Twitter to say they aren't expanding:

Sorry, we are not. Seems like this is a case of the wrong map in the wrong shelter. We will see if we can get it removed.

I wonder if there will be more transit options coming to 14th: a friend tipped me off to a new Circulator-branded map on 14th Street. The map is at an under construction bus stop on the northbound side of 14th at Monroe.

I haven't heard anything about that, and I wonder where it would go: Monroe and back down? Farther up, like Spring? And would this be a new route, or a change to the current 14th Street route that runs to Columbia Road then over to Mt. Pleasant?

I've asked the Circulator folks, so we'll see.

Is Columbia Heights the best place in town for good bars?

We might be living in the best bar neighborhood in the city.

Well, maybe. The other day, Complex magazine posted a piece called the 25 best bars in DC right now. Of those 25, a full 5 are in our area: Wonderland, the Red Derby, Looking Glass, Meridian Pint, and Chez Billy, with a number of others on the list around U Street. So not only are a lot of city's best bars here, a big percentage of the bars in our area are among the city's best.

So are we a boomtown for bars? Are we the medieval Venice or 19th century London of DC bars? That may be a stretch, but it does seem like we are blessed with a high number of quality bars -- and this list doesn't even mention Room 11 and the Pinch, two other great spots in the neighborhood.

What do you think? Do these spots deserve to be on the list, or are any missing?