Get your vinyl on @ the DC Record Fair!: Q&A with Neal Becton, Owner of Som Records

Here's what DC's Czar of Vinyl, Neal Becton, had to say about Som Records, Brazil, crabcakes and the upcoming DC Record Fair!

SOM RECORDS

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Q: You mentioned that vinyl record shopping has become a "special trip" now.  What do you mean by that?  

A: Well its not like the old days where everyone got their music from the local record store. You can buy online, copy CD's from friends, whatever. You can stock your whole music library without leaving your apartment so a trip to a local music store is more of a planned event these days.

Q: We are already excited to hit the next DC Record Fair, set for Sunday, Sept. 26th.  Where and what can vinyl enthusiasts expect to find?

A: This show is going to be at the U STREET MUSIC HALL . We hold record shows about three times a year and we've had them at the Black Cat, Comet Ping Pong, Civilian Arts Project and the Warehouse Next Door. For each show we invite record dealers from all over the East Coast and have a mix of DJ's.  The dealers (who we change every show) bring records in a mix of styles and price ranges. You can find rare Blue Note jazz records (and pay accordingly) or stock up on dollar bin classic rock. Its a little bit of everything but its all vinyl.

Q: You've been booking Brazilian Nights at Cafe Saint Ex for two years now.  For those who've never been what are they like?  

 A: My "Brazilian Rhythms" nights are basically a musical trip to Brazil. I play everything from classic bossa nova and samba to current baile funk and hip-hop and everything in between. Its definitely a dance night as opposed to a see and be seen night. We get more and more Brazilians coming out each month so we must be doing something right!

Q: Who are the local DJ's that you book for Marvin's and Cafe Saint Ex and what are their styles?  

A: There are loads I like and their styles vary. Depending on the night they might play hip-hop, or indie rock or reggae, it just depends. Some of my favorites are DJ DK who is an awesome on the turntables, DJ Nitekrawler who has the best funk collection around, and DJ D-Mac who can really rock the party (pardon the cliche).

Q: With out giving away too many secrets, how do you find your stock for Som Records? 

A: I go out looking for records almost every day. Thrift stores, flea markets, estate sales, yard sales, relatives' garages, you name it. The longer my store stays where it is the more records walk into the shop which is the ideal (saves on gas!). Whenever I go out of state (to see my parents in Florida for example) I turn the trip into a record finding mission. If anyone reading this wants to sell (or give or trade) me any records please call.

Q: What is the rarest record you've ever come across and did you put it up for sale or did you keep it for your personal collection?

 A: Last year my wife and I drove from LA to Monterey. We stopped one night in Pismo Beach. At breakfast I checked the local craigslist and found a yard sale, actually it said "free records," and it was only five minutes from the hotel. I went and checked it out and an came back with 25-30 interesting looking Christian rock records. Most turned out to be pretty worthless but one was a sealed copy of The Search Party - MONTGOMERY CHAPEL , I sold it for $1200. I was tempted to keep it but not at that price!

Q: What's your favorite Thing to Do in DC? 

 A: So many fun things to do around here, but probably spending a Saturday morning shopping at Eastern Market and having crab cakes at the counter inside after is my favorite.

 Photo Credit: Sam Vasfi

Photo Credit: Jennifer Vinson

Georgetown CVS Elevator

Cozy on the corner: Q&A with Ben Gilligan, Chef/Partner of Room 11

   Photo Credit: Julianne Brienza

Ben Gilligan is the Chef / Partner at ROOM 11 , he is a musician, artist and often dubious philosopher. When he is not in the kitchen he can be found trawling the suburbs in search of the country's best international strip-mall food. 

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Q: Congratulations on just celebrating Room 11's first year anniversary!  How was it getting through your first year of business?

A: Thank you very much. It's been a very exciting, sometimes exhausting and ultimately fulfilling experience. We love the neighborhood and our neighbors, who've been really supportive of us from the start. Thanks all! You know who you are. 

Q: We heard that Room 11 is considering starting a Brunch Menu on Saturdays and Sundays can you tell us more?

A: This has always been something we've wanted to do and is definitely in our future. We've needed some time to figure out how to work with the space we have. It's certainly a "cozy" spot and the kitchen is even "cozier." That said I do have a deep affection for eggs and drinking early on the weekend. 

Q: You must take pride in the fact that your patrons have mentioned how much they love the vibe of the place and often comment on the floor and the bathroom or "batroom" wallpaper.

A: We wanted to create something unique. I love little bars and that corner had always interested me. The space itself needed a lot of work, but I think we produced something fairly organic and true to the bones of the building. The floor is end-grain wood cut from old two by sixes, and yes it was as laborious and back-breaking as it looks. The "Batroom" is our take on Twall wallpaper, albeit a slightly twisted take on it. 

Q: When Room 11 initially opened you were slated as a wine bar, but your cocktails have also become quite popular. Can you tell us who is responsible for that?

A: Our Bar Manager/Partner Daniel Searing. His love and knowledge of cocktails is infectious. You may come to Room 11 for a glass of wine but it's very easy to find something else in your hand. 

Q: You mentioned that you maybe introducing a new menu sometime around the 3rd week of September.  What can Room 11 fans expect?

A: The menu changes with the seasons as much as possible. We tried a bunch of dishes out in our first year and we're hoping to refine and expand on them in our second. That includes bringing back some of the more popular items and introducing a few new things we've been working on. It's hard to be too specific until you see what the seasons bounty looks like. 

Q: What's your favorite Thing to do in DC?

A: As a musician I try to get out to shows whenever the kitchen allows it. We're really fortunate in DC to have a bunch of world class venues of different sizes that showcase bands at various stages of their careers. It's fun to watch them graduate from venue to venue as they return to the District. From the more established spots like the 9:30 CLUB and the BLACK CAT, to the ROCK-N-ROLL HOTEL, VELVET LOUNGE and an ever present basement scene. My new favorite spot is THE FRIDGE , which is as much an Art Gallery as it is a music venue. If you keep your ear to the ground there's plenty keep you busy.

Photo Credit: Squidpants

Shades of Green: Q&A with Jonathan Neman, Founder of Sweetgreen

We recently caught up with Jonathan Neman, Founder of Sweetgreen & former Georgetown Grad, to discuss happiness, success and the Sweetlife.

SWEET GREEN

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Q: Virginia is stoked!  We heard that Sweetgreen will be opening new locations in both Reston and Ballston.  When and where exactly will this happen? 

A: We are super excited to be opening in Virginia! I really think that there has been a void in healthy food in both Reston and Ballston and we are thrilled to be a part of that community. Reston is set to open in mid-September (11935 Democracy Drive, Reston, VA). Ballston will open sometime in October (4075 Wilson Blvd, Ballston, VA)

Q: Congratulations on the mention Sweetgreen received in the August issue of SPIN Magazine!  How did that happen?

A: Thanks! All being avid music fans and readers of SPIN this was a big deal for us. They heard about our festival and all of the cool musical acts we had there and wanted to do a little feature. Definitely felt good to have all of the hard work put into the festival validated by a publication such as SPIN. It got us even more excited about Sweetlife Festival 2011. Expect big things.

Q: We recently read a study that says that company's that make people happy, are more successful.  We think Sweetgreen falls into this category.  Do you feel the Sweetgreen culture you are trying to create makes people happy and as a result directly effects your success? 

A: Yes! We believe that our success is directly related to the happiness of our team. There is a quote that we use a lot internally - "Happiness is the new productivity". We truly believe this and encourage the "sweetlife" at all levels of the company. The reality is that more than anything we are in the PEOPLE business. If we take care of our people they will take care of our customers and help promote the sweetlife brand. We encourage this in a number of ways, including a yearly company picnic at an organic farm, a cool "Shades of Green" program where associates get cool things like Bikes, green chucks and awesome gear depending on their tenure, full health insurance for salaried employees, among other things. Most importantly, we treat our team members with respect and work really hard to have a fun (yet productive) company culture. Ping pong table and 5PM dance parties definitely help.

Q: Most everything in your restaurants is compostable. In fact, we just planted one of your menus in a pot in our office! Can you talk about your commitment to sustainability?

A: Sustainability is at the foundation of our brand and is a product of the most important aspect of the Sweetlife: Balance. It's all about finding win-win-win sustainability solutions that make sense economically, make sense for the environment and make sense for the brand. The sustainability platform that we have now is just a base, as we go forward we are looking to innovate in this field from the way we build our stores to the way we run our operations.

Q: A little bird told us that you have the Friday before Cochella (a music festival in Palm Springs, CA), sanctioned as an actual company holiday, is that true? 

A: Yes. Coachella has been a special weekend in my life growing up (as well as some other Sweetgreen peeps) and with music being such an integral part of our company culture we thought it would be cool to give everyone in the corporate office the Friday before Coachella off so everyone can enjoy this amazing festival together.

Q: Is it too early to ask what the line up is looking like for your next Sweetlife festival happening April, 2011? 

A:  I can tell you that it is going to be bigger and better than last year! We started planning just days after the first one ended and have already started talking to some awesome acts - both international and local. Look forward to some cool announcements in the coming month.

Q: What's your personal Sweetflo flavor? 

A: I like to keep it local - currently down with the watermelon, mint and agave.

Q: What is your favorite Thing to do in DC? 

A:  Ride my bike around town while listening to some good tunes.

A Loyalty to Royalty: Q&A with John Thornley, founding member of the band U.S. Royalty

John Thornley is the lead singer of U.S. Royalty, a local DC band with a loyal fan base.  He brings an energy and a passion for what he does to every show.  He spoke with us about their upcoming album MIRRORS and some of the artists who have inspired him musically. 

U.S ROYALTY / EVERY SUMMER VIDEO

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Q: So your next album, MIRRORS, is still in production.  You said it has a "desert feel" to it, what do you mean by that and when do you expect it to be released? 

A: This will be our first full-length release.  It definitely has a travel vibe to it.  We wrote the album during and after about a year and a half of traveling.  As far as the desert feel, it has a western vibe flowing through parts of it.  We enjoy alot of old cowboy flicks and I would say Ennio Morricone's soundtracks were definitely inspirational.  We are hoping to release it mid to late October, 2010.

Q: Who does most of the writing in the band and what's the process?

A: Most of the songs start out with a guitar line my brother has or a melody I have.   Then we'll work on it together until we get some sort of song out of it.  We'll take that to the rest of the guys, jam it out a bit, then start to test it out live.  A few times at our space we intend to work on a certain song but then start jamming and end up writing a new song.  That doesn't happen all the time but those songs come the fastest.  I'd say about half of the songs on the album though were recorded first, in some fashion, then were played live later.

Q: What's it been like working with producer Gus Oberg?  How did you connect with him and can you tell us a little bit about him? 

A: We met him over a year and a half ago.  Jake had reached out to him about recording, though at the time we weren't ready to do the album.  Fast forward to this past winter, we had alot of new material we were working through and were ready to have him man the helm of recording this batch of new songs.  I'm sure google can tell more particular details about his work, but we have really enjoyed working with him so far and really feel he has helped us capture the sound we were going for on this project.

Q: U.S. Royalty is set to play an upcoming fashion event in DC, Fri., Sept. 10th what are the details for those who'd like to attend?

A: It's a Fashion Night Out event on Sept. 10th at the Neiman Marcus Gallerie.  It's being sponsored by the L'Enfant Society. 

Q: You mentioned that your grandfather was a blues man, how did this inspire you artistically?  And what artists in particular have influenced you? 

A: I think just hearing that as I grew up and thinking to myself that this sounded like it had feeling and importance. You hear alot of different music growing up, alot of which you are running the other way from but can't escape because your a kid.  The blues stuck with me even today as I continue to listen and write music, as a benchmark for what I think is cool and of importance.  Some artists in particular that have influenced me...Fleetwood Mac, Mark Kozelek, Lee Hazlewood, Led Zeppelin, The Zombies. 

Q: When asked what your favorite venue is so far you mentioned both the 9:30 Club in DC and Pianos in New York, for very different reasons.  Can you tell why you liked them so much? 

A: I really enjoy the room on the stage at 930 club and the sound is incredible.  We've played there twice now and I feel I can really let go there and get lost in the music.  Pianos on the other hand is a very small stage, there's no room for your gear and the sound probably won't be that great.  But talking with people in NYC, they enjoy going to see bands at that venue. Maybe because it's easy to get to and it's familiar but I just know that I would want to play at a place that people enjoy coming to.  Makes it easier to get them to come to your show.  And our last gig there was packed and had a good mix of old friends and new faces so i really enjoyed the vibe that night.

Q: Can you tell us about your collaboration with Phil Ade and Alex Goose; and can we look forward to more in the future?

A: Alex helped write two tracks on our new album.  We collaborated over email and have had him up to our studio at Gold Leaf. The thing with Phil and Alex is more hip hop based and is separate from what we do with USR. All I can say at this point is yes, there will be more in the future.

Q: What's your favorite thing to do in DC? 

A: Well when I'm in town I enjoy spending time at our studio in Chinatown playing ping pong and music.  Otherwise having a drink at The Gibson, crashing pools around town, or going to house parties are some things that are sure to be a good time in DC.

BLISSPOP! Q&A with Will Eastman, DJ, Producer and Co-Owner of U Street Music Hall

Will Eastman is a DJ, music producer and remixer based in DC. He is a co-owner of U Street Music Hall with partners Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation and DJ Tittsworth. His monthly dance party "BLISS" is getting ready to celebrate its 10 year anniversary!

BLISS POP  /  U STREET MUSIC HALL

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Q: We understand you are signed with a label in New York called Plant Music. Tell us about the re-issued version of your debut single "Feelin'" they've released and your tour starting Sept. 7th.

A: The single is a disco/house/rave track that's a nod to a lot of my influences growing up. It features live bass and guitar played by myself and Micah Vellian, with whom I co-wrote the song. It originally had a vocal sample and the label opted to release it as an instrumental. In the meantime, I brought a local vocalist, Chelsea Mitchell, into the studio to re-record the vocal and Plant will release the vocal mix in September with 5 fresh remixes by locals Gavin Holland, Nacey, and Chris Burns, Dillon Francis from LA, and ARA and Kenny Summit from NYC. I'm doing a short East Coast tour Sept 8-13 to support the release, playing in Boston and Philly for the first time, as well as NYC, Baltimore and Richmond. I'll be playing Plant Music's night at Ella in NYC on Sept. 8 to celebrate the release.

Q: You are one of the owners of U Street Music Hall in DC. How did your involvement with Brian Miller and Eric Hilton come about?

A: I've known Brian (aka Brian Billion) for about 8 years. We met through a mutual friend and hit it off right away. I asked him to guest DJ my party, BLISS, without ever hearing him DJ based entirely on his knowledge of and taste in music, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. He's the only BLISS guest DJ to this day I've done that with and we've been DJing together ever since. Brian is an architect and designed The Gibson, Paddy Boom Boom and other ESL Group projects. He introduced me to Eric a few years ago and a little over a year ago I pitched an idea to Eric for a no-frills, underground dance club with a rock club atmosphere, no attitude or bottle service, but a high-quality sound system. We shook hands on it and 10 months later opened U Street Music Hall.

Q: You tweet often! Share with our readers the story of your most re-tweeted tweet and how it led to SoundCloud contacting you.

A: Hahaha, quantity on Twitter isn't necessarily quality, but I try to keep it interesting and playful. Twitter is a powerful platform because if you have a good observation and it resonates with people it can get circulated rather quickly around the world. I'm frustrated SoundCloud, which in my opinion has the best online music player, doesn't have a feature for artists to list upcoming performance dates. With this simple addition, I think they could put MySpace out of business in 6 months. I tweeted about it several months ago and DJs all over the world retweeted it. SoundCloud actually responded to me directly, saying they suggest any number of sites such as BandsInTown, ReverbNation etc. but I don't understand why they'd want to cede that segment of the market to other parties and those site just don't have great music players. SoundCloud has built an elegant player that loads quickly and allows listeners to comment on tracks. Their site is popular with DJs and I believe eventually they could gain mainstream appeal. I for one would like to kill my MySpace page. The only reason I still have a MySpace page, like many artists, is to list upcoming dates and because falls highly within search engine results.

Q: The 10 year anniversary of your legendary dance party, Blisspop is happening at U Street Music Hall on Sept. 25th. How did Blisspop start & evolve over the last 10 years?

A: Oh, man, that's a long story. I began curating events at clubs in 1997 because I wanted to pair like-minded bands and DJs. I soon started DJing and fell in love with it. After a couple years, I decided to start a party dedicated to new, forward looking indie dance music, electropop, house and "anything that makes you move." The music has evolved over the years, which is how I like it, but the basic idea has remained the same: No attitude, just fun and insane dancing. We have a crazy party planned September 25 and Brian Billion and I are holding it down all night.

Q: What cities will you be hitting on your European tour that starts in October?

A: The tour is getting pushed back a bit to accommodate the September release. Definitely going back to Berlin, London and Stockholm and hope to play two new places this time, Paris and Vienna.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do in DC?

A: My favorite things to do in DC, or anywhere, are to DJ and dance. I also like to have a good drink. A few of my favorite spots in DC are 9:30 Club, The Gibson and Old Ebbitt Grill for oysters.