OutdoorType

So this is bigger news for both Heather and Kyle, but I got to play a small part too so here’s the scoop…

Check out today’s Washington Examiner (PDF) for Heather’s column about Kyle’s awesome photo of Michael Stipe. After you read all about it you may proceed down to Adams Morgan and see the photo with your very eyes!

The lastest Ten Miles Square show, I’m With the Band, opened last Thursday at Dahlak. Go see it to “view the work of three talented, DC photographers who combine their passions for music and photography to capture the spirit and energy of local artists and headliners alike:”

Kyle Gustafson
Martin Locraft
Nestor Diaz

Dahlak
1771 U Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
(On the corner between Florida Ave and 17th Street)

Kyle Gustafson has been used in several major publications including the Washington Post, Toronto Star, the Sun (UK), Heat Magazine, Twist Magazine, as well as DCist.com, NME.com, Rollingstone.com, Pitchforkmedia.com, and Huffingtonpost.com

Martin Locraft has been featured in DC Magazine, and his work has been seen on DCist.com, OnTap, the Onion, the GW Hatchet, and Arlington Connection

Nestor Diaz has had images in SPIN.com, Rollingstone.com, RVA magazine, Pitchfork.com and DCist.com

Oh right, and so where I come in to play is the byline photo of Heather that was used in today’s article. This is a photograph that we took right after hanging DCist Exposed 2009. Flashpoint had this couch like thing in the middle of the gallery and Heather humored me when I asked that she stand up on it while I snapped a few shots. The ones from the ground up weren’t coming out like I’d imagined so I grabbed a wobbly chair, stood up on it, and grabbed a few more shots. This was one of the very last taken and worked out a lot better.

The thing about the theremin is, it is way less cool in person.

Or maybe it’s just experimental theremin that is less cool than expected.  Or perhaps it was as cool as expected, but I missed it because Echolalia/Amber was on the floor for most of her performance and it’s kind of hard to see what’s going on from the back of the room (even a small room like the Velvet Lounge) when the artist is playing from the floor (she needs those big overhead mirrors like you might see on a cooking show).

According to her MySpace page Echolalia’s music sounds like:

Basically whatever pops into my head at the time. Sometimes quiet, sometimes noisy, sometimes spooky, sometimes funny, sometimes sad or other times a mix of everything.

I can attest that this is true.  Apparently tonight she was thinking about sneezing because little voices sneezing seemed to be a leit motif in her piece.  A piece that lasted for an interminable amount of time.  A piece that caused members of the audience to switch on their cell phones to check the time so often that it was as if the last few fireflies of summer had found their way into the room.

And then it was over.  Finally it was done. And while I smiled knowingly (because I really do like the uncomfortable moments created by artists who take a hook and drive it into the ground for the shear pleasure of driving something into the ground), what I really wanted to hear was something to sooth my inner bourgeoisie suburban soul.   I wanted Act Three of This American Life’s episode 223: Classifieds.  I wanted to hear the cover of Sir Elton John’s “Rocketman” punctuated by Lev Sergeivich Termen’s famed instrument.  Instead I got ah-choo!

 Happy Brazilian Independence Day!

Who can resist the Hammer? We’re glad some of you took our advice yesterday and went to see him live for free at the Woodrow Wilson Plaza … so the rest of us could stay home and just enjoy the great photos. This close-up by Captain Easychord almost nailed it for Photo of the Day, but we couldn’t resist this black and white version (that’s Hammer in the center with the sunglasses) after photographer outdoor_type pointed out the man in the throes of hysteria on the right side. Click through to see the notes. EXIF.

Can’t Touch This, originally uploaded by outdoor_type.

Had you asked me a week ago, “Brian, what are you doing next Thursday night?” I can for sure say that watching MC Hammer “in concert” would have not made the top five list (or top ten, or maybe even entered into my consciousness). And yet, here it is a week later and I have in fact seen Mr. Stanley Kirk Burrell, aka. MC Hammer, perform several of his greatest hits and most famous of dance moves. And all for free!

More photos to see on Flickr!