#VPDebate Stats [INFOGRAPHIC]

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Virgin Mobile FreeFest Review

This past week at the Merriweather Post Pavillion, Virgin Mobile hosted its annual Freefest. The tickets to the festival are free and the proceeds of donating at the event go straight to a worthy cause. This year they have raised over $600,000 for the Re Generation Virgin Mobile initiative to combat youth homelessness. The festival draws over 50,000 visitors and a host of top notch performers with acts playing on three separate stages simultaneously (the stages are named Pavillion Stage, West Stage and Dance Forest). Even Richard Branson, the Chairman of Virgin Group, served as a guest bartender.

Branson guest bartending at Virgin FreeFest

Given the crowd and high caliber lineup this is definitely one of the premier music festivals in the DC area and it is hosted for a great cause. Notable names that performed at this years Freefest, included ZZ Top, Jack White, Nas, M83, Santigold and EDM producer Skrillex. Aside from Skrillex, electronic music was well represented by many other artists.

Immediately upon entering the grounds, I walked into Alvin Risk getting the crowd pumped up with his set on the Dance Forest Stage. Risk is known mainly as a dubstep producer from his remixes of Kaskade’s Eyes and Ali Loves Diminishing Returns which the untrained ear could describe as “insane robot music” however, he has also collaborated with the Districts own Tittsworth on “Pendejas” which is one of the cardinal songs which helped kick-start the music genre of Moombahton native to D.C.

After Risk pumped up the crowd, the high energy (and very sexy) twin DJ duo of Nervo took to the stage dropping house banger after banger. An interesting political moment happened towards the end of their set. A few Romney staffers or supporters must have had a little too much fun during the day and began to chant “Romney/Ryan 2012” to the beat of the music as it would drop.

Photo By Paul Morigi/Associated Press

Later in the afternoon, on the West Stage Santigold came out wearing a catwoman-like suit covered in mirrors and accompanied by dancers dressed similarly. Despite the weird factor, which at one point included two guys in a white horse suit on stage, she delivered a great vibe with crowd favorites Big Mouth and Shove It as well as tracks from her new album.

Back on the Dance Forest Stage German DJ Thomas Gold brought his unique style of fanfare which kept the crowd jumping non-stop. A consistent heavy baseline was truncated by certified hits such as Gesaffelstein’s Control Movement and Axwell’s In My Mind.

Thomas Gold was followed by a tag team set by Porter Robinson and Zedd, who are 20 and 23 respectively. The two put on an extremely high energy set showcasing their unique production talents. The two are extremely gifted producers, however I must say that the highlight of their set was Zedd playing his remix of the theme song from the old video game The Legend of Zelda which was a moment for all of us gamers in attendance to bask in the union of two amazing worlds.

Photo by Sitthixay Ditthavong/Invision/AP)

After cutting out of Porter and Zedd early I walked to the Pavillion Stage to see the Alabama Shakes. I had never heard of the band and judging by the name alone I expected to be disappointed, but they were possibly one of the best acts of the night. The unique soul-rock of The Alabama Shakes put on a truly deep and inspiring show that was perfectly timed as the sun set. Despite lead singer Brittany Howard’s uncanny resemblance to a schoolteacher, her performance was heartfelt and sincere, and reminiscent of Janis Joplin. Her passionate performance of their song “You Ain’t Alone” as the sun began to set was one of the most beautiful and relaxing moments I have ever experienced at a show.

After a quick jaunt to the West Stage I arrived perfectly in time to see Nas take the stage. As a veteran in the rap game it was hard to expect anything different from him than an absolute stunning performance. Every aspect of Nas’ performance was on point. Along with an incredible stage presence he started it off by kicking it old school with several throwbacks from Illmatic, as well as New York State of Mind, Nas is Like, and If I Ruled The World.

To close out my night I saw the British trance Trio Above & Beyond. They describe their sets as ‘Group Therapy’ and that moniker is perfectly fitting. A deep, deep trance performance interspersed with messages typed by them on the big screen relating to love, friendship, and including a very special tribute to Neil Armstrong were all very moving to the crowd. After the performance I legitimately did feel happier and more at peace as if I had really undergone group therapy.

This event is definitely something to mark on your calendars for next year. The festival crowd was extremely energetic and positive and I found myself dancing, screaming with excitement, and high fiving complete strangers all day long. There is music for everyone and if you keep an open mind you will find some unexpected gems.

Let us know what you thought of the Virgin Mobile FreeFest and who your favorite act was of the festival in our comments section below.

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Cloture Girl’s Weekend Review – October 12

Playball

Friday, Oct. 12, 8:30 p.m.

Nationals Park

Thanks to Jayson Werth’s walk-off home run last night, the Nationals will face the St. Louis Cardinals for game five of the post-season playoff series. Tickets may be hard to come by at Nats Park, but there are plenty of great bars in the city to sport your red and catch the game: 51^st State Tavern, District 2 Bar and Grille, Molly Malone’s, Redline Pub, Ventnor Sports Café, Hill Country BBQ, and Iron Horse Taproom.

Oktoberfest in the City

Saturday, Oct. 13, Noon – 5 p.m.

The Yards Park

Third and Water Streets, SE

$25 – $50 ($5 donation to get you in the door, plus drink and food tickets)

150 craft beers to tantalize your taste buds, good food, live music and more. If this sounds like the perfect way to spend your weekend, then head on over to Yards Park for Snallygaster. Named for the fearsome and mythical dragon-like creature said to have terrorized the region at the turn of the century, this craft beer festival will delight the beer enthusiast in you. Expect the best in Oktoberfest beers – German style, autumn seasonal, with international rarities. Also prepare for some of the best food D.C. has to offer from Rustico, ChurchKey, Birch & Barley, plus sweets from Buzz Bakery and Dolcezza. You’ll also be treated to live music, corn hole, bocce, and a kid-friendly area. Autumn fun for the whole family!

D.C. Blues Battle of the Bands

Saturday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

American Legion Post 268

11225 Fern St.

Wheaton, MD

$13 in advance, $15 at the door

If you’re a blues fan, this is the event for you. Head on up to Maryland for the annual D.C. Blues Society Battle of the Bands. You’ll be treated to a mix of well known songs and originals from up-and-coming blues bands that are competing for a spot at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis next year.

Fun on the Farm

Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Summers Farm

5614 Butterfly Lane

Frederick, MD

$10 for adults, $6 for seniors, free for kids 2 and under

Corn Maze at Summers Farm

One of my favorite fall activities is getting lost in a corn maze, and since there are only 25 days until the election, it shouldn’t surprise you that even our corn mazes can’t escape the grips of the election. If you head out to Summers Farm in Frederick, MD, kids of all ages can navigate through rows of corn stalks that make up an image of both candidates holding the American flag.

French Underground

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12 & 13, 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Embassy of France

4101 Reservoir Rd. NW

$20 in advance, $25 at the door, $35 for both nights

Maybe it’s because I’m half French, but the French Embassy has some of the best events in D.C. This weekend take advantage of this and head on over to the House of France for two nights of music, art, short films, French cuisine and beer.

POTUS Among Us

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12 and 13, 8 p.m.

Washington Improv Theater

1835 14th St. NW

$15 – $30

After last night’s Vice Presidential debate, you might be ready to hit snooze until November 6. But spend the evening with five new candidates vying for the presidency in Washington Improv Theater’s POTUS Among Us, and you might just perk up a bit. The candidates will let theatergoers decide which issues are the most important, which contenders make the primary, and in the end which candidate wins the whole shebang. Prepare for shenanigans and some creative improve that will make Joe Biden jealous.

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K Street glass ceiling, the Occupy movement, and more!

Good morning, readers! This week, Lady K conquers the K Street glass ceiling, the Occupy movement, and something even more important–footwear.

Do Occupiers have any influence over people on K Street?

Yeah, they can really mess up my commute.

I understand the Occupy movement’s motives but not its vision. I question whether it’s helpful for these guys to camp out in tents like Duke basketball fans looking for tickets, when it’s more effective to make change internally. Why aren’t Occupiers supporting a candidate that shares their beliefs, canvassing and fundraising for someone that can represent them once elected? Or, why aren’t they targeting the Hill, attempting to pass regulation that makes it more difficult for businesses to control the purse strings of government?

If the goal is for people to know who and what the Occupy movement is, it’s definitely worked. But if the goal is to make substantial, lasting policy change, this movement has much more work to do. At the moment, it’s more en vogue to listen to the needs of the 47 percent than those of the full 99.

Occupiers, help me out here–what do you see for the future of the group?

Occupy DC movement | AP Photo

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Lady K, is there a glass ceiling on K Street?

The short answer: yes, but it’s fracturing.

A generation ago, you’d be hard pressed to find a woman at senior-level meetings, if she wasn’t the secretary pouring coffee. Today, you may find find a handful of ladies among company execs, with many women starting firms of their own. The lobbying industry is far from gender-blind, but even a few women in the boardroom is progress.

In the last ten years especially, more women have been leaving the Hill and heading to K Street. Maybe it’s the fatigue of the Hill, the chance to join in an industry that’s got the swagger of a business career without the 16-hour days of a Goldman analyst, but there’s more of us coming. Even more noticeable is the number of entry-level employees that are women. The culture itself hasn’t really changed–it’s rare to see family members at the office, dudes plan unofficial no-girls-allowed golf outings, and a work-life balance remains virtually nonexistent–but the faces in the office sure have.

I’m eager to see whether this culture evolves further as the women of the Millennial generation have children and reach middle age; if we’ll see a changing of values to better support working mothers when a larger percentage of senior staff are women. While I realize that’s assuming that the gender dichotomy of senior management will become more balanced (and that those entry-level women won’t leave the industry in 20 years), the fact that women are (very slowly) breaking into what used to be an old boy’s club is notable. And I’m humbled to be part of that.

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I think flip-flop season is ending…what are your tips for a good commuter shoe?

Ah, and this is something dudes rarely have to ponder: work-appropriate fashion. Unless you are hitting up the New York Avenue Beach Bar after you leave the office, there is never a reason to wear flip-flops to work. And don’t get me started on the sneaker-wearing crowd. Don’t try to kid anyone–we know you’re not going to be running a marathon in that big necklace and pencil skirt, so what’s with your pumped-up kicks?

Your ideal pair of shoes should be the type that if you get to work and immediately have to meet with the president of the firm, you don’t have to scrounge around in your office shoe drawer first. At the same time, given DC’s walk-ability, you’re stuck trudging at least a mile or two a day for your commute. (That apartment that was “a 15 minute walk to the Metro” seemed reasonably close when you started renting, didn’t it?) I can’t help but grimace every time I see some fresh-faced DC darling trying to navigate the street grates on a pair of heels so tall they could step over a small puppy and still have a couple of inches of clearance.

My choice? Flats in the summer, ankle boots in the winter. These really shouldn’t be that expensive. You’ll wear through them in a year or two, but at that price point you can afford to buy a few pairs. Just make sure they’re comfortable first. The plus side of getting a pair of work-appropriate shoes that you actually like and feel comfortable in is that you’ll spend much less money on cabs when you head to the bars later in the evening. You’ll walk instead.

Need more inspiration? Check out Cloture Girl’s tips on work-friendly footwear.

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