Benjamin Button @ Courthouse AMC

I had a great spur of the moment opportunity to watch the Curious Case of Benjamin Button tonight, and Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett both had amazing performances. The storyline was superb, and the 160 minute film flew by. It reminded me of Big Fish and The Fall in different ways. Its a really amazing tale that I full heartily recommend for anyone.

On a side note, I also just found that that Listrani's in Courthouse hosts Standup Comedy nights! They have free open mic nights hosted by All Stars Comedy on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mr. Greengenes @ Clarendon Ballroom

Ballroom was packed tonight as many Arlingtoners celebrated their last non-work night out before Christmas. The cold weather kept the rooftop closed and crowded people onto the sticky dance floor and the basement which was DJed by Pat Premier.

Cover band Mr. Greengenes made another appearance to the Ballroom, after their last show for DC101's Bad Holiday Sweater party a few weeks ago. They made loud and solid covers of Oasis and Blink182, but then angered the crowd with their Eagles flag waving.

Salsa Dancing @ Lucky Bar

Got the chance tonight to catch the weekly class of salsa dancing in the second level of the Lucky Bar. The 8 to 9pm class is free and full of people with no previous experience, so its perfect for beginners. The instructor does a good job of keeping the class moving quickly without leaving anyone behind.

After the class is over the floor opened up to general dancing including salsa, maranga, and two other styles of dancing that I can't remember the names of.

As the night progressed the floor became more crowded with dancers, and you needed to watch out for the occasional flying elbow or spinning lady!

Ten Out Of Tenn @ Iota

I've been looking forward to Ten Out Of Tenn returning to Iota all week and they exceeded my expectations. They are in the middle of their Christmas tour, with half of their songs being their takes of holiday tunes ("Santa's Lost his Mojo" to "Silent Night") mixed in with their usual songs.

I'm almost speechless at how talented and enthusiastic the group is on stage. This is to date the best live show I've ever attended. Plus I was able to gush to K. S. Rhoads and Andy Davis about how awesome they are afterwords!

Buying their CD's afterwords involved getting a deal on all their current albums, as well as a free CD by Erin McCarley. They were also in the Christmas spirit with their shoes for sale. For each pair of Ten Out Of Tenn decorated shoes you buy, a pair of shoes is donated to a child in Ethiopia.

Juniper Lane @ Iota

Vivion Smith, the gorgeous vocalist and keyboardist of Juniper Lane, was stunning tonight at Iota with great stage presence and sense of humor. It surprised no one that Juniper Lane drew a crowd tonight, as the DC native band has been featured on The Hills as well as opened for Coldplay recently.

Plus the band has been featured in Washington Post's Picks as well giving them a positive album review.

Karaoke Championship @ Rock And Roll Hotel

Tonight featured a battle of amateur singers at the Rock And Roll Hotel on H street. Usually the karaoke contest is held at the nearby Sticky Rice sushi lounge. The Hotel was pretty well attended for a Tuesday night, and several of the karaoke performances featured creative props and memorable performances, for the better or worse.

Salsa Dancing @ Lucky Bar

Went down to Dupont Circle tonight for another round of salsa dancing at Lucky Bar. I missed the free 8pm class, which I hear was very popular.

This was the most crowded I've ever seen this venue. The combination of many people getting off work tomorrow for Veteran's Day and the temporary closing of another nearby salsa bar lead to a massive crowd of people packed into Lucky Bar.

Dancing isn't easy for me, but its even more challenging when the floor is completely full. We had to constantly dodge other couple's elbows flying our way and try to avoid drunkies spilling their glasses over us as they jostled past.

Salsa Dancing @ Cecilias Restaurant

Got a second dose of salsa dancing tonight at Cecilias near Arlington Cinema Drafthouse. About one third of the building is a Spanish restaurant and the rest is a large open dancefloor, bar, and stage for a live band.

Tonight was the first night of lessons for their new dance instructor, and although men outnumbered women for this class (unusual for this venue) it was alot of fun and worth the $10. Its a very reasonable price considering you get both a beginner's class and an intermediate class back to back.

No expierence needed, but of course it never hurts to stock up on some liquid confidence at the bar first.

Election Celebrations in Clarendon

I figured the election was practically over at 10pm tonight when it appeared that Ohio was going blue, and I stopped watching the political coverage.

But then I was startled by yelling and cheering from Wilson Blvd at 11pm. As soon as it was announced that Senator Obama would sweep past 270 elector votes, a loud and energy filled hoopla erupted from Liberty Tavern.

I believe Liberty was one of the gathering spots for Democrats to watch the election outcome tonight, with the GOP hanging out at Mister Days.

Celebrations are sure to continue all night long in Clarendon.

Salsa Dancing @ Lucky Bar

Lucky Bar near Dupont Circle is a dynamic multi-level little hangout tucked away on Connecticut Avenue. When entering the first level it seems like a small sports themed dive bar, but on the next level behind the bar is a narrow dance floor flanked by a pool table and a row of booths. A giant projector screen allowed me to witness the Redskins getting pumelled by the Steelers. There is also a third level tucked away between a staircase that I didn't explore.

The place really comes alive after 8pm on Mondays when the free Salsa dancing lessons begin. Unfortuately tonight the instructor called in sick, so I had to dive into the new experience of the four step dance on my first time. Still a very fun night in a relaxed bar thats an easy walk from Farraguat North metro station!