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As another election cycle comes to a close, we wanted to share this quote from D.C.’s new shadow senator, Ankit Jain, in our People Issue:
“If you’re a young Indian boy or a Latina girl, you don’t have to look like everyone else in the majority population in the city to run for office and get elected. D.C. is Chocolate City, and everyone knows that, but what people don’t talk about as much is that we have a large immigrant population. It’s important for that community to have representation and people who understand that perspective. My parents had to work really hard to get citizenship in this country and get on a pathway to vote. Then when I moved across the border from NoVa to D.C., I lost the voting rights that they worked really hard to get for themselves and for me. Having that background and perspective will be important.”
This moment, captured by Alex Koma, reminds us of the importance of our work.
We’re already navigating the outcomes of Tuesday’s results and what it all means for you. To help us do this, we’re aiming to raise $22,025 by the end of 2024.
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By the time I got the call, I had lived in D.C. for 2,146 days. I’ve received invitations to exclusive events, swanky galas, and a boat party or two. But none quite as cool as the show this summer at NPR’s headquarters.
The Baylor Project felt the same way about their own Tiny Desk Concert.
“I purposely stayed after [the show] for a while and took my time like I did when I was first coming on the music scene,” says Marcus Baylor, one half of the jazz duo. “[I] broke down my drums, and that gave me that moment of really just embracing the space and I just absorbed the whole environment.”
“It was a bucket list thing,” Jean Baylor adds. “It’s such a unique space and such a unique experience.”
The husband-and-wife duo (he plays drums, she sings) and their backing band have had their eyes on the Tiny Desk since 2017 after they released their Grammy-nominated debut album, The Journey. The timing never quite worked out until earlier this year.
“Jean mentioned this yesterday, the timing for when it was supposed to happen is right now just based off where we are as a band, how we have evolved as a band, and the comfort level,” Marcus says the day after their set.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh, so glad we didn’t get it two, three years ago,’ because it’s not like a venue. It’s actually an office. People work there. It’s not a soundstage, not a studio,” Jean adds. “There’s so much going on in real time, and you’re excited but you’re trying to squish everything you do into a 15-, 20-minute set, and then make it feel natural. And the best thing you can hope for is that you’re experienced enough when you get to Tiny Desk. If you are not, it can be a fast-moving train wreck.”
The Baylor Project’s performance went off without much of a hitch (save a minor wardrobe malfunction). Now that it’s behind them (and me), we came up with nine things to know about the intimate and exclusive concert series.
No. 1 on the list: How do you attend a Tiny Desk Concert? Basically, you have to know someone.
For the other eight tips, read the full story on our website.
—Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Credit: Darrow Montgomery
The Elevators in the Marion S. Barry Jr. Building Keep Breaking
One D.C. government employee was injured after an elevator dropped multiple stories. Others are routinely trapped, and elevator doors must be pried open, according to dozens of internal email threads.
Credit: Darrow Mongtomery
Post Publisher Will Lewis Orders All Staff Back to the Office Five Days Per Week
“We know for some people this shift from three to five days in the office will be welcomed and a straightforward transition,” the embattled Post publisher proclaims in his obviously unpopular directive.
The U.S. Park Police officer who shot 17-year-old Dalaneo Martin in the back and killed him will not face criminal charges, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. The officer, who has not been publicly identified, was in the back seat of what he believed was a stolen vehicle and shot and killed Martin while the teenager was driving. The vehicle then crashed into a house on 36th Street NE. [WJLA, Post]
The day after Donald Trump was elected president, some people in the D.C. area received a text with fake instructions to report to a plantation to pick cotton. Some of the messages reference a “slave house at Abingdon Plantation” and are signed “Sincerely, Trump Administration.” D.C. police are investigating the origins of the texts. [NBC Washington]
By City Paper Staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Patrick Mara, former D.C. Council candidate and head of the D.C. Republican Party, is trying to downplay fears about how President-elect Trump will interfere with the District’s governance. Still, he allows that Trump and congressional Republicans would consider federalizing the police department and overturning the law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections. [NBC Washington, WTOP]
The D.C. Courts are warning that Congress needs to act quickly in its lame-duck session to confirm additional D.C. judges. Otherwise, the judicial nomination process gets reset with a new Congress, creating further delays and exacerbating staffing challenges for D.C. judges. [WJLA]
The new rideshare service Empower is trying to “out-Uber Uber,” according to a group of researchers who have written extensively about these companies. Essentially, Empower has embraced many of the same tactics that Uber used to muscle its way into D.C. a decade ago: flouting regulations, pressuring lawmakers, and flooding social media with supportive posts. [Jacobin]
By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Whether you’re looking to dine in or take out, there are plenty of local restaurants ready to serve you a delightful Thanksgiving meal. [Washingtonian]
Here are some of the best places to find sushi in the D.C. area. [Eater]
By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)
Credit: Chris DeFlitch
Beats Me: GLOSSER Find a Darker, More Danceable Underbelly and New Projects From Familiar Faces
Fall’s local music releases run the gamut from Braxton Cook and Pickaxe; there’s also new New Impressionz, and a whole lot more.
“Everyone could be in the riff together,” says Jenny Toomey looking back at the “proto-indie” band she started with Kristin Thomson in 1990. Formed in Arlington, Tsunami was indefinable, but three and a half decades later, they’re getting a chance to put a label on it. [Post]
Normally, I’d say it’s too soon to be talking about the holiday season, and our unseasonal weather certainly doesn’t make me think of snow. But let’s take joy where we can get it. Here’s a guide to all things winter wonderland in D.C. this December. [Axios]
By Sarah Marloff (tips? smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com)
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