Summer in the City

Yeah, we know: "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life." That's why we try to set low expectations!

REMEMBER, if you will, that last year I stated that once concert season begins in DC, there are literally great acts to see every night, from Memorial Day until Labor Day, at any of a dozen or more venues?

Well, this year is no exception, and there may in fact be an even greater challenge than ever in trying to see all of the world-class artists who will visit here over the next few months. Fasten your seatbelt, here's just a few of the highlights!

For example, last month started out gangbusters. Even as we were getting covered in mud for your viewing pleasure at Celebrate Fairfax, Lowen & Navarro played a farewell show at the Birchmere (and our best wishes to Eric and his family with hopes he's the guy who will beat ALS), while John Prine and guest Steve Earle treated the crowd at Wolf Trap to a fine evening in the rain, even as Atlanta sax demon Will Scruggs and his band played 2 solid sets at Twins Lounge in DC. The following night, the Will Scruggs Jazz Fellowship lit up Twins again, Manchester's Doves gave a terrific 2 hour performance at the 9:30 Club, and David Byrne performed a wide- ranging set featuring much of his eclectic repertoire at Wolf Trap.
See what I mean?

On the horizon, more live events worthy of note (and perhaps some not so worthy) will be happening soon at venues throughout the DC metro area.


Thursday July 23rd, at the National Harbor, Oxon Hill, MD: a Jon Anderson-less YES, with special guests Asia -here's hoping Carl Palmer jabs Wetton in the eye with a drumstick, but "Only Time Will Tell" (retch)

And this Friday, July 24th at the Ram's Head On Stage in Annapolis MD: and on Saturday, July 25th, at the Birchmere, Alexandria, VA: DAVE ALVIN & THE GUILTY WOMEN!


Thursday July 30th, at the National Harbor, Oxon Hill, MD; Gov't Mule; and the very same night at the George Mason Univ. Patriot Center in scenic Fairfax, VA: TOOL!


Also, at the 9:30 Club, Washington, DC: renowned indie artist M. WARD, also appearing there for a second show on Fri. July 31st!

Thursday, August 6th, at the National Harbor, Oxon Hill, MD: THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND!

(thanks and a tip of the 1600 hat to our new friends at www.backstagegallery.com (or www.flickr.com/BackstageGallery) for their permission to borrow this great photo- see many more classic and current rock and blues icons on their sites!)

Sunday August 9th, at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA: New Orleans' first family THE NEVILLE BROS.!

Monday, August 17th at Jammin' Java, Vienna, VA: Eddie Jobson "The Ultimate Zero Project"- The band's FIRST US date, featuring (among others) Michael Bernier (from Tony Levin's Stickmen) on stick, and Simon Philips on drums!


Just up the road an hour or so, on Tuesday Aug. 18th at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, MD: Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith bring you the greasy boogie of CHICKENFOOT!

Weds. August 25th at Jammin' Java, Vienna VA: the ADRIAN BELEW POWER TRIO, featuring the indomitable rhythm section of Philly whiz kids Julie and Eric Slick, and of course, friend of 1600, the mighty Adrian Belew!

They also appear Mon. August 30th at the fabulous Ram's Head Tavern, in beautiful downtown Annapolis MD. DON'T MISS IT!!!

Fri., August 28th: Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD welcomes FLAMING LIPS!


And when the leaves start falling and the Autumnal Equinox is upon us...

Tuesday, September 1, at the Birchmere in ALexandria, VA: Vernon Reid, Will Calhoun, Corey Glover and Muzz Skillings, the original LIVING COLOUR!


Weds. September 9th, coming to Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD: JOURNEY, with special guests NIGHT RANGER (Steve may get to hear a live Sister Christian this year!) - So, are you motorin' yet? OK, okay- you can stop believing now.....

September 15th: PHISH at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD!

Friday September 25th, at The Ram's Head Tavern, Baltimore MD: PORCUPINE TREE!

Monday and Tuesday, October 5th and 6th, at the Birchmere: LOS LONELY BOYS, with the legendary ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO!

Saturday October 17th, at the State Theater, Falls Church, VA: get ready to boogie with southern rock legends, The MARSHALL TUCKER BAND!


And finally, on Monday, November 2nd, at the Verizon Center, Washington DC: The return of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND!! Tickets on sale SOON!

Thanks to again to Steve Galli and the folks at Backstage Gallery for their permission to use the photo above- visit them at www.backstagegallery.com to purchase some excellent photos from a wide selection of great artists!

Still more to follow, as new shows are announced. Stay tuned, and drink one for us, OK?

Gone PHISHIN'!

There are few more delightful phrases in the English language than: "ROAD TRIP!" It immediately summons to mind madcap adventure, drinking to excess, coming of age, loud music, and a wild ride from the frat house to a roadhouse where much mischief ensues...and perhaps driven by such nostalgia, your stalwart 1600 team converged upon Pittsburgh, PA for the latest leg of the Phish reunion world tour!

Jerry voluntarily took the wheel, probably because he had the most comfortable car (or was it so he could control the stereo? hmmmmmmm) The weather was mostly on our side except for a couple of mercifully short-term rain squalls that were over almost as soon as the wipers were turned on. Still, he made good time and didn't get lost, and we arrived well before the appointed hour to check in at our initial destination, the only smoking room at a nearby hotel (Day's Inn? Comfort Inn? I wasn't paying attention). Of course, as the third wheel, I was stuck with the cot, but by the time I needed it, I probably could have slept on a bed of nails! And we were just a stone's throw from the venue, where we absorbed a couple of drinks and headed back down the highway to the Post- Gazette Pavilion in nearby Burgettstown, PA.


It's a nice park, with a good-sized lawn and good acoustics, probably about the size of Merriweather Post with easier parking. And the parking lot nearest to the gate had various attractions, from t shirts and hats to toasted cheese sandwiches, toys, jewelry, facepainting, and of course, gourmet gooballs, just like Steve described on the show! It was deja vu all over again! There were also bountiful food and beverage options once inside the park, and lots of picnic tables to accommodate visitors in comfort. The weather was perfect: mid-70's and a nice breeze, low humidity, and no bugs. The only impediment I could foresee was seating: while Steve and Jerry's tickets put them stage left-center about 6 rows back, I was about 20 rows back and not looking forward to the prospects of hanging out solo. If I was going to get sweated and barfed on, I preferred to know the source!

Fortunately, I managed to "float" down to their seats with Jerry's stub after he was in. Security was already preoccupied with stopping people from lighting up- mostly people smoking cigarettes! (ultimately giving up once the lights went down, from the sheer volume of the task of enforcing any rules with 30,000 people steadfastly ignoring them!)-even though the sun hadn't yet set. When it did, all hell really broke loose. And the security folk stayed behind their fences and we left them alone.



And the show? Excellent! Having seen these guys only once, back during their 90's heyday, I wasn't entirely sure of what to expect. Surprisingly, I was actually familiar enough with much of their set to know the words to a few songs, and soon joined in the revelry. The band opened with "Golgi Apparatus," from Junta. "Chalkdust Torture" followed, and then two favorites I'd seen at my only prior Phish show- "Bouncing Around the Room," and "Wolfman's Brother." The crowd went wild, and we all bounced and howled along with them. Of the rest of the first set, "The Divided Sky" was solid, Steve went on a beer run during "Heavy Things"(from Farmhouse), an excellent cover of the James Gang's classic "Walk Away," followed in short order by "Wilson," "Tube," "Alaska" (hysterical tune, the first time I'd ever heard it!), and finally ended the first set on another high note with "David Bowie."

Somewhere through the first set, a family (the parents perhaps a couple of years younger than ourselves) made it to their seats in the row just in front of us. Between Mom and Dad were 4 girls, I'd guess from about 6 to 12 or 13, watching closely and sometimes singing along, the smaller ones waving glow in the dark toys being sold at the park. I think a lot of people kind of reined it in out of respect for the kids, and many of us directed the beach balls and balloons that were getting passed around the audience toward the kids so they could bat them into the air. They left predictably early, but looking very happy to have been there, a good time had by all.

The second set kicked off with "Down With Disease", another good tune tune off Hoist, followed by an hour- plus long, practically non-stop medley that included "Free," "Guyute" (from The Story of the Ghost), "Piper," "When The Circus Comes To Town," and Harry Hood," finishing up with "The Squirming Coil" from Lawn Boy, and "You Enjoy Myself."

After a short break for the boys to catch their breath, they delivered a mostly a capella encore: "Grind," then into "Hello My Baby," the theme song for Michigan J. Frog, the hero of Looney Tunes' hilarious "One Froggy Evening." Next came "Hold Your Head Up," Pink Floyd's "Bike" (Jon Fishman singing it after apparently losing a bet), and finally "Loving Cup," with everybody back on their instruments, at which point the lights inevitably began to come back up....

Trey, Mike, Page and Jon appeared to be in good humor, signaling each other for chord and direction changes during songs, laughing audibly, and just generally looking like they were happy to be back out together and in front of an appreciative crowd. Taking bows at the end, Jon asked "how do you like my band?" earning another roar of approval from the many thousands who stayed 'til the very end. Sure, I would have liked to have heard "Sample In A Jar," or "Poor Heart," or maybe even a Talking Heads cover (they have been doing a few off the Remain In Light album on this tour), but I think everyone there was more than satisfied. In any case, this was one of the biggest tours of the summer, and they're sure to get out on the road again.

But after that three hours and change marathon, we were nearly as exhausted as the band, and yearned for the peace of the hotel. Somehow, we summoned our remaining energy and bolted for the car, getting out before the crush of fans all trying to leave the parking lot at once, and were back at the hotel and drinking again in under half an hour.


Big thanks to Steve Z for access to the great pics, and our recommendation to check out his site, http://welcometonow.wordpress.com, for more pictures, vids, and info on many of your favorite artists!

Cabaret of Souls

Not the State Theater in Falls Church, but a clever forgery!

Imagine, if you will: "American Idol," set in Hell. (Wait, am I being redundant?) And the Keeper of the Underworld, and his two Assistants, were there to judge and then mock each unwilling "contestant" after hearing their tales of woe. Like a dour, snarky Greek chorus, teasing them with their own pitiful words. You'd almost feel sorry for them, if it wasn't so funny!

Sound familiar?

No, there's no "yo, dawg" here awaiting successful performers, no slurred words from prescription medications, and that harsh review you hear wasn't from Simon, but his Master. And these performers were not prone to bad haircuts and off key notes, so I guess that's where the similarity ends.

This was the the basic premise- a talent show among the many lost souls consigned to eternal torture, that made for a darkly humorous and entertaining midsummer's evening. Leave it to Richard Thompson, and his hyper-creative mind to write a piece to honor the mastery of his old friend and colleague Danny Thompson on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The event was held at the State Theater in scenic State College, PA, for the International Society of Bassists 2009 convention.


The ISB's Madeleine Crouch, with guest of honor Danny Thompson, and conductor Peter Askim

The rest of the stellar cast included veteran RT collaborators Judith Owen, who, along with Richard, sang the songs of the damned, reluctantly trying to appease or amuse their captors, but to no avail. Percussionist extraordinaire Debra Dobkin, and multi-instrumentalist Pete Zorn capably assisted the Keeper, Harry Shearer, in further abasing and toying with the forlorn souls. Big Danny, of course, gently massaged and stroked his sturdy acoustic bass, while conductor Peter Askim led an 11 piece string orchestra, creating an eerily palpable musical tapestry on which each scenario unfolded: tales of heartbroken lovers, cosmetic surgery addicts, murderers, religious hypocrites, war profiteers, and other denizens of the dark realm, each protesting their fate and hoping in vain for redemption that never comes...

This much-anticipated event went off virtually without a hitch, in spite of a truncated rehearsal schedule (Pete Zorn hadn't even seen the score until three days before the show!) and a last minute change of venue. As per usual, Simon (Tassano, not the permanently perturbed Cowell!) provided outstanding sound quality so that every word, aside, and note carried to every seat in the auditorium. And as the show progressed, we laughed harder and harder as each tale was told.

I never knew that Richard Thompson's fan base overlapped with Slayer! Can a folk/metal tour be far behind?

It was a very unique and intimate performance, and the performers were kind enough to oblige us some friendly words and greetings after the show. At about this point, Lisa wryly observed "there's a thin line between fan and stalker," easily ranking among the best lines of the evening! But everyone seemed to be pleased with the show, and welcomed the fans after. Harry Shearer, in particular, appeared as much the awestruck fan as the rest of us; when I asked him whether he'd picked up any bass techniques from Danny, he grinned, replying "DUH! Why else do you think I'd be doing this?"

As the audience congratulated and chatted up the talented cast, another member of the Virginia contingent presented Richard, Danny and Judith with some beautiful pictures, signed by many of the fans who gathered outside the theater before the doors opened.
All seemed genuinely relieved that it was over, the strain of putting on such an ambitious project mixing theatrics, song, spoken word, and no less than 16 musicians clearly having taken their most heroic efforts.

And having very successfully performed this most unusual show, my thoughts immediately went to staging and recording the Cabaret of Souls with full dress, props, and backgrounds, a sentiment echoed by Richard's longtime friend and manager, Tim Bernett. He stated that it was certainly worth pursuing, if they can get sufficient backing. For my money, if record companies can pay millions to lobby over recording rights, or hyping hack "flavor of the day" cookie cutter pop stars, the least they can do is to support some worthy artists at the top of their game performing a clever, funny and engaging piece that will endure and entertain for years to come.

My thanks to Madeleine Crouch for her kind assistance in securing tickets, t shirts, and programs. And as always a tip of the hat and my compliments to master shutterbug Gus for providing these shots from the show, as our unofficial roving photographer!

DAMNED DAMNED DAMNED

A beautifully summery Tuesday night at DC's Black Cat, and a chance to meet with old friends, catch up a bit, and revisit a favorite musical holdover from the seminal days of punk.

We totally missed Electric Frankenstein; I heard they were pretty good, and call me sentimental, but I love that name! The Bellrays were already on by the time we climbed the stairs with our beverages in hand. But we heard some fresh, raw metal/punk tinged with old school R & B, courtesy of vocalist Lisa Kekuala, somewhat reminiscent of Tina Turner fronting Rockpile, or maybe the Stranglers, after a few beers. The result was an unexpectedly pleasant amalgam one might consider almost contradictory, which instead came off as a hearty, raucous blend of disparate but complementary styles.

It was a great warm-up for the high energy performance that followed. The Damned arrived with all the confidence and poise you'd expect from their 30+ year run as one of the first (and best) punk bands ever to cross the Atlantic. Captain Sensible, clad in his ever-present red beret, welcomed an enthusiastic crowd, as Monty Oxy Moron (keyboards), and more recent members Stu West (bass) and Pinch (drums) settled in. Singer Dave Vanian, growling with authority, sprang onto the stage as the band kicked off with Love Song, still looking like an undead matinee idol, his otherwise jet black hair now accented by a shock of gray (one can only assume was natural) in the front, but fresh faced and full of gleeful energy. Soon a solid rendition of Love's Alone Again Or followed (which I never dreamed they'd play!), Vanian, Sensible and Monty substituting for the missing trumpet with a chorus of "bah-bah-bah's," which only added to the intimacy of the performance. More favorites, including Eloise, Antipope, New Rose, Neat Neat Neat (which segued nicely into a jam with the Doors' Break On Through, another rare treat for the faithful. Another highlight was a great rendition of Disco Man (with a great intro from the Captain discussing the 70's London disco scene that spawned them and the punk sound it inspired, a visceral pearl in a leisure-suited oyster choking on hot sand), Eloise, Ignite, Stretcher Case, and Curtain Call were all done in damn fine Damned tradition.

Playing a tasteful selection of some of their best songs from a long and well- documented career, the band kept a pretty frenetic pace throughout the evening. Captain Sensible warned us when songs featured on their most recent release "So, Who's Paranoid?" were coming, emphasizing that it was not an excuse to wander out for a smoke, or use the head, and he was absolutely right. The new material stacks up favorably with classic Damned, darkly moody and marked by the psychedelic nuances that they have displayed in every iteration of the band. Dr. Woofenstein was enjoyable, as were some of the longer (and more spacy) compositions, and featured a percussion jam with Dave holding up a drum for Monty. Of course, the encore ended with a spirited, manic Smash It Up, and we were out the door, and on our way back to the car.



E2 had skillfully copped the set list, which Vanian noticed missing much later, remarking that it was gone at least fifteen minutes after she had returned to our table, her prize proudly in hand! The crowd remained predictably appreciative but benign during the set, with the exception of some flashing boobs, which we missed from our perch in the back...And, somewhat surprisingly, I learned that the bar was admonished by the band not to allow any glass bottles on the second floor (apparently, some moe-rons still haven't figured out that musicians generally do not appreciate being hit with flying glass and don't find it enhances their performances) to prevent any untoward incidents. Do people still do that stuff to bands they expect will come back? Well, not last night, at least. So maybe we won't have to wait for years before their next visit!

UPDATE: 1600 Mach IV

Greetings, Culture Lovers!


It's your audio-obsessed friends at 1600, not heard from since the early days of January, checking in once again! How have you been? What have you been up to? Have you been taking care of yourselves? You never write, we haven't gotten a post card in ages, your mother is very worried, and hopes you're not hanging around with those shows with the delinquent kids from the other side of the tracks!



We've been busy, taping new shows and trying to keep up with everything that's been happening in the manic music world! It's been a busy year already, so rather than waste any more time, we bravely leap into it, headlong:

Summer concert season is nearly upon us, and the clubs and the sheds have announced a number of killer shows coming through the DC/VA/MD metro area. Check our links page, for the schedules at the 9:30 Club, The Birchmere, The State Theater, Jammin' Java, The Black Cat, Wolf Trap, Jaxx, IOTA, The Warner Theater, and the Strathmore!

And don't forget local entertainment spots The Ram's Head (located in both Annapolis and Baltimore), as well as National Harbor, a recently-opened outdoor music arena just across the Wilson Bridge in Prince George's County at National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, MD! Shows already announced include The Wailers, Little Feat, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Gov't Mule, The Derek Trucks Band, and Yes with special guests Asia! For more info, see their official website: http://www.nationalharbor.com/consumer/entertainment.htm

PHIL SPECTOR UPDATE!



Well, in his latest trial for the murder of B movie starlet Lana Clarkson, the diminutive Mr. Wall of Sound didn't walk away a free man again. Yep, on April 13, a jury of his peers (assuming such a bizarre group is possible!) convicted Phil of second degree murder, punishable by a sentence of fifteen years to life in prison. Sentencing is May 29th, stay tuned for more sordid details...



This year at Celebrate Fairfax, at the Fairfax County Government Center, 1600 will be broadcasting LIVE on Friday June 5, from the Fairfax Public Access tent! We'll be giving stuff away, and hope to have some special guests, so come by and say hello! Who knows? Maybe you'll wind up live on Channel 10, too!

Later this summer, our friend in Arlington, the legendary boss of bass, BILLY HANCOCK is bringing the British invasion sensations THE BRITISH WALKERS to town! They take the stage at Winston, in Rockville, MD on July 10th and 11th and at JV's in Falls Church, VA on July 19th and 20th! These will be their only area appearances so get out and see them while they're here!



Finally, our sincere condolences to the family of the late, great Lux Interior (nee Erick Lee Purkhiser) and especially, his wife Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace) of the Cramps, who passed away on February 4th. Thanks for the great music, the wild shows, and many happy memories! You are greatly missed.

New Year's Hangover

Somewhere, Guy Lombardo is laughing at my pain.
Happy New Year to you, too- funny hat and all.

Too much cheap champagne last week, and I'm feelin' it. Ouch. Nothing says New Year's Day like blow out college bowl games, leftovers, and sweepin' up confetti, detritus, and broken glass- and that was just on the couch. D'oh!

So I stayed up to watch the Big Crystal Ball drop, fittingly enough at the hands of those wacky Clinton kids, Bill and Hill. Let's hope this is the last ball that gets dropped by the presumptive next Secretary of State- Condi's dropped enough of 'em the last 4 years to last a lifetime. And listened to Dick Clark slurring his quasi-intelligible New Year's greetings to the world, along with world class waste of oxygen, Ryan Seacrest. That very thought of that preening, tasteless ham could drive me to self-immolation after about 30 seconds.



And the Jon-ass Brothers? Fergie? The Pussycat Dolls? Taylor Swift? Fall Out Boy? Carrie Underwear? PLEASE! Their demographic won't be allowed to stay up until midnight for several years, or at least until they're fully potty trained! And Lionel Richie, for cryin' out loud! Not even a Commodores reunion! That guy hasn't made a hit record since Ford introduced the Pinto. You call that "Rockin'?" Maybe if you're in a rockin' chair, or perhaps on life support. I guess Dick couldn't get anyone more uptempo, like Perry Como or 101 Strings?? I had to turn it off quickly, before the urge to put my head in the oven overwhelmed me...

And while I truly enjoyed my all too brief and infrequent time off, this was certainly not the way to start the year off. A green Christmas followed by freezing cold, gray skies. No snowmen, snow angels, snowball fights or similar seasonal relief in sight. The tree's drying out and she3dding needles, and has to come down this weekend, before the cats can break any ornaments. 3 more long, nightmarish weeks of George W (which I finally learned stands for "What, Me Worry?") Bush, and his "legacy" (more bailouts, Medals of Freedom, and 11th hour pardons). The inauguration, just days away now, seems like an eternity and the new guy's gonna have his hands full, trying to dig us out of the hole excavated for us by our friends in Washington and their billionaire contributors over the last eight years. He's gonna need help, and lots of it. Fortunately, Obama calls in Spidey to save the day! What, you were expecting maybe Captain America? (Too late! He's pushing up daisies.) BAM! Bin Laden spits teeth. THWIPP! Spidey webs Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevitch's mouth shut! POW! Con man Bernie Madoff takes one on the chin! SLAM! The cell doors close on Henry Paulson for aiding and abetting in the biggest swindle in history. If only it were that simple.......*sigh*

And any glimmer of improvement, or something to look forward to, was brought crashing down to the depths of despair this weekend as the Giants flinched and Philadelphia overwhelmed them in a bruising, old school NFC East knuckle duster. The only ray of hope here is that the team should come back mostly intact and healthy next season. It's a long way to training camp in July...guess I'll have to console myself with a bottle of bourbon and my DVD of Super Bowl XLII and think about next year!

Oh, well. Back to the drawing board. The 1600 crew wish you a Happy New Year and many more. We're already hard at work, lining up that next cadre of great guests and getting the inside word on what is in store for us this year, from new recordings, to tours, to the special projects and events that will shape 2009! And Fairfax Public Access (FPA) turns 25 this year, so keep tuned in to find out about what you can do to help us celebrate a quarter century of service! See our links page to find out more. And keep those cards and letters coming in!

The piano's been drinking, not me. Belch!

SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM 1600!

Well, it's that time of year again- time to put another log on the fire, trim the tree, toe your missiles, and drop a few eggs in your nog. The Holidaze are upon us! Where, oh where, did 2008 go?

We three Wise Guys have followed the star hither and yon, to and fro, only to find ourselves back in beautiful downtown Merrifield, that steadily- growing metropolis that straddles the boundaries of Falls Church and Fairfax, and home to the mighty Fairfax Public Access Media Empire, from whence we bring you our weekly barrage of sometimes topical, occasionally entertaining and even more rarely educational musical insights, pop culture meanderings and semi-political observations, to tickle your fancy and boggle your beans.

For the last 3 years you've allowed us into your homes each week, greeted us at shows, in the stores and in the pubs, laughed at our gags, gaffes, and fanbelt moments, even joined us in Fairfax Detention Center lock-up on drunk and disorderly and public nuisance charges after one too many jello shooters! (And thanks for covering our bail- we'll pay ya back, no kiddin'! As soon as our folks raise our allowances!) All seriousness aside, the reception we've received and your friendship and support really DO make our day. Thanks for that, and for being our willing co-conspirators in all this silliness--we couldn't do it without ya, and hearing back from you mugs is always appreciated! We hope to renew acquaintances with some of the new friends we've made, and catch up with more of you when we're out and about in '09!

There's so much to be thankful for this year, even in the face of our seemingly never-ending crises: wars, financial uncertainty, Madonna's latest divorce, K-fed's battles with Britney, another Fleetwood Mac farewell tour- WILL IT EVER STOP???? The humanity, the humanity. Fortunately, we all still have our health (and quite likely, no insurance), a new administration on the way in (36 days and counting!), the pantry and liquor cabinet are stocked, gas is cheap again, the Caps are playing great hockey, the NY Giants are going back to the playoffs, and Frank Miller's The Spirit comes out on Christmas Day! Femmes fatale RULE!!!!

And we're especially thankful for the great folks we've had the privilege of spending time with this year. The Smithereens. Richard Thompson. Grace Potter. John Previti. Billy Hancock. Robin Trower. Elbow. Peter Hammill. Matt Caws of Nada Surf. The Waco Bros. Thee Maximalists. Judith Owen. Thank you one and all for sharing your insights and being yourselves with us. You're welcome to look us up anytime you're in town! And thanks to our pal John at the Birchmere, the 9:30 Club, Graham at Wolf Trap, Fritz at the Rock n' Roll Hotel, Lisner Auditorium, Jammin' Java, and John at the State Theater in fabulous Falls Church VA! We couldn't ask for more hospitable hosts!

But THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19th, we'll say thanks and adios to 2008, reflecting on the year that was, and where we're going next with another GINORMOUS, LIVE, TWO-HOUR CHRISOLSTIKWANZAKUH SPECIAL!! Once again, we'll roll tape at 9:30 pm EST until we ring the curtain down at 11:30 pm, have a call-in number to take your questions and comments, and suggestions for subjects YOU want to hear us take on! So tell your friends, drop a dime on us, and put your evening on hold to celebrate the season with your pals from 1600 for our annual holiday hoedown THIS FRIDAY NIGHT on CHANNEL 10, available through our cable partners at Cox Communications and Verizon FiOS TV! And if you can't get us where you live- picket your local carrier 'til you do, spread the word, and sponge off your friends and neighbors 'til you can! In the meantime keep those cards and letters comin' in-

We'll see ya in the funny papers!