Free NYE in Clarendon

Here's a list of all the places in Clarendon that offer 2018 New Year's Eve celebrations without a cover or ticket:

Citizen Burger offers food and drink specials, free champagne toast and $5 snacks. They are also doing a New Year's day brunch with $5 bloody Mary's.

G.O.A.T. is throwing their first New Year's party for free with no dress codes at their "No Rookies NYE" night.

Rhodeside Grill will have DJ Welvin all night, champagne toast at midnight and free party favors.

Ms Peacock's Lounge, the back room at the brand new Board Room, has their full menu offered from 6 pm to 2 am with a wide variety of champagnes and sparkling cocktails with no cover charge. 50% off all Dom Perignon bottles. Reservations welcome but you can also just walk in.

Hunan Number One also has no cover charge. Starting 9pm, their usual giant beer specials and juke box.

Spider Kelly's has no cover and music by DJ Beneficial and DJ Storm.

Clarendon NYE parties with a cover

Continuing with Clarendon New Year's Eve parties, here is a list of venues where you will need to purchase a ticket ahead of time or pay cover at the door. See the previous post for free NYE events.

Whitlows party starts at 8pm and features music by Back To Zero. $34 ticket includes buffet, party favors and champagne toast.

Clarendon Ballroom will have Liquid A on stage and DJ Hurley providing music in the downstairs lounge. Tickets are about $100 and include full dinner buffet, 4 drink tickets, and champagne.  Cocktail attire required. Bring cash. Ballroom also offers a $2 coat check for the frigid NYE night.

Clarendon Grill will host live music by Turtle Recall for $55 currently, going up to $65 soon. Party starts at 8pm and includes 3 drinks, food buffet and champagne toast.

Mister Days general admission tickets are up to $45 per person now, and will go up to $55. That includes 3 drink tickets, a VIP entrance and you have to be in the door before 11pm. Also available are $300 and $500 tables for 4 to 8 people with champagne, drink tickets and red bulls. DJ Mario will be playing hits from the 1980s up to today before they show the live New York City ball drop on all 20 of their TV screens.

Green Pig Bistro offers $75 dinner menu which includes two appetizers, entrée, desert and either two glasses of either Malbec or Gruner Vetliner wine.

BaBa features NYE party packages in the swanky basement of Ambar. Their dinner party prices range from $55, $65 or $75 depending on table or bar seats and timing. Or you can choose to pay $20 cover at the door that includes passed canapés and a cash bar. The DJ starts after 9pm.

Barley Mac in Rosslyn has a $50 package starting at 9pm with bourbon and whiskey pours, passed hors d’oeuvres and a midnight champagne toast in the bar area only.

Ireland's Four Courts in Courthouse has no cover before 9pm, and $10 after that. Live music with Eddie Pasa. Free party favors and champagne toast.

GOAT Ugly Sweater Party

G.O.A.T is having an ugly sweater party starting at 9pm this Wednesday, December 19 featuring holiday drink specials and prizes for the best dressed.

Mister Days Customer Appreciation Holidy Party

From 5-8pm on Wednesday December 19, Mister Days is throwing their annual Customer Appreciation Holiday Party. They will be having holly jolly holiday specials, a DJ playing your favorite festive tracks, and more.

Don Tito Taco Eating Contest

Don Tito is hosting its second annual taco eating contest on Monday, December 4 upstairs on the 2nd floor at 7:00pm. The cost to enter the contest is $20 and includes all of your tacos. This is a sell-out event and you must purchase tickets in advance to be a part of it. Contest will be limited to 100 contestants.

Preliminary Round: The first round will be a speed round as each contestant will eat as many tacos as they can in one minute. These will be pure chicken and beef tacos.

Championship Round: The championship round will include one winner from each of the first 10 rounds. This round will be the first person to eat 10 tacos. These will be all types of tacos with varying levels of spiciness. The first person to eat all 10 is the new Taco King or Queen of Arlington.

The winner will win a $150 Don Tito gift card, as well as a championship belt so that all will know who is the true Taco King of Arlington! The second place contestant will win a $100 Don Tito gift card, and third place will receive a $50 Don Tito gift card.

Piano Fight Club at Clarendon Grill

Clarendon Grill is starting a new weekly event on Thursdays featuring dueling pianos. The Piano Fight Club starts on November 30 around 9pm.

The Giving Gathering at Jammin Java

Every year The Giving Gathering gives the opportunity to hit five birds with one stone for the holidays: support The Miracle Foundation charity, a chance to win a raffle prize, support local artisans, find unique gifts for the holidays, and enjoy a Hot Toddy while you shop! From 2-9pm Sunday, November 26, Jammin Java will be transformed from a music venue into a cozy and unique Christmas market that will spike your coffee and raffle off unique gifts!

Each artisan is hand-picked by Sonia Coonen, bar manager of Jammin Java, for variety and spunk, that sets the event apart from the typical holiday craft fair. The Giving Gathering began five years ago with the vision to gather the community, inspire and support one another, and come together to raise money for a charitable cause. This year, DJ couple, Pat and Kellie, are volunteering to set a melodic atmosphere. Last, but certainty not least, a charity is selected, and each artist makes a generous donation to the raffle table to entice the community to purchase raffle tickets. 100% of the proceeds made will be going directly to The Miracle Foundation, a transparent and non-profit charity that ensures orphans around the world are educated, fed, loved, and safe through a measurable and systematic method. Raffle ends and winners will be announced at 8pm sharp, with the option of receiving text messages if absent.

JMU Sunday Funday at A-Town

Calling all JMU grads! On Sunday, November 19th, A-Town will be hosting a special purple and gold version of their famed (or infamous) Sunday Funday brunch party. They will welcome all Duke Dogs to come for a day of football and fun. All JMU grads will receive 25% off  brunch buffet or any other food all day. As always, you can expect champagne and beverage specials, live entertainment, NFL action on 40 TVs and 2 big screens, and a great chance to celebrate with your fellow JMU grads!

Mister Days celebrates 40 years

It's hard to believe a long time favorite Clarendon bar Mister Days will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! Starting Monday November 13, Mister Days will be having a week long birthday celebration with "blast form the past" drink specials, giveaways and plenty of nostalgia.

For the first 24 years, Mister Days resided in Washington DC starting out in Dupont circle and moving locations several times. In 2001 the DC locations closed but its spirit lived on across the river to its current home at Highland Street and Washington Blvd.

Clarendon Halloween Crawl

The annual Halloween bar crawl returns the Saturday after the Tuesday holiday on November 4th in Clarendon. Use promo code LASTCALL until Tuesday night to save 20% off the tickets, now at $20 a person before the discount. Tickets get you a souvenir haunted mug, party favors, excusive drink and food specials, free pictures of the event and a raffle entry to win great prizes. Although you don't need a ticket to get entry to any of the participating bars, you need to be in some sort of costume to have fun and fit in with the expected large crowd. So far the bars celebrating are Clarendon Grill, Pamplona, Bar Bao, Mister Days, Whitlow’s, Hunan Number One and Oz.

Open Mic night at Rhodeside Grill

Just because Clarendon has lost Iota doesn't mean saying goodbye to our open mic nights on Wednesdays. Alex Parez is continuing the traditional at Rhodeside Grill basement starting October 18th at 7:30pm.

Alex said he is "happy and excited to announce that I'll be hosting a brand new open mic night Wednesday night's at Rhodeside Grill, not too far from our old "home" at IOTA Club & Cafe, starting October 18th. We'll be in their lower level downstairs and I'm sticking with the same format, 2 signups at 7:30pm and 10:00pm and a featured artist/act at 10:00pm to play a 30 minute set. Our new "home" holds a very special memory for me and is therefore very near and dear to my heart as many years ago I was asked to play a cover song in my friends' band for their album release show. That friends' band was Amateur Hour, their album is AWESOME as our all of the band members and the song I chose to sing with them was none other than "Running Down a Dream" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was a wonderful time, several other friends came up to play songs and I tell you it was just a magical bit of music, friends, family, community and fellowship. "

Hurricane Fundraiser on Oct 8

This Sunday October 8 three Clarendon locations are contributing to hurricane disaster relief fundraisers. Lyon Hall, Citizen Burger and Whitlows will be donating money for every beer sold, with local brewery matching donations.

1-4pm Lyon Hall donates $1 per beer
3-7pm Citizen Burgers donates $1 per beer
6-9pm Whitlows donates .50 per beer

Last Show at Iota

Some of the big names that have graced Iota's stage

Saturday Sept 30 is the last day Iota will be open for live music and they are going out with a day long celebration of live music forever with more than a dozen acts. Starting at  noon, a $10 cover will get you in to see all these musicians and more:

Justin Jones
El Quatro
Alex Parez
Two Ton Twig
No Second Troy
Mike Ferrio
Lauren Calve
Jumpin Jupiter
The Cowards Choir
Mary Battiata and Little Pink
Delarcos
Gist
Metrosongs
Fuzz Queen
Margot MacDonald
Jose Miguel Contreras

Then on Sunday from noon to 8pm, a final closing and sale will happen on premises with beer and wine sales. Your last chance to take home a piece of Iota!

Last Train Home at Iota

Iota is playing its last song this Saturday Sept 30, and Last Train Home is returning to the stage to help say goodbye to the loved Clarendon venue with back to back shows. They are playing tonight Thursday Sept 28 as well as Friday with Karl Staub and The Graverobbers. Cover is $15 and music starts at 7:30pm

Clarendon Day this Saturday

The annual neighborhood party Clarendon Day returns this Saturday Sept 23. This huge festival shuts down the streets around Clarendon Metro for pedestrian only traffic to access dozens of tents for food and drink vendors, arts and crafts, and local businesses. A large number of live performances will occur over two stages:

Main Stage
10:30am 1519
11:00am Christie Lenee Solo
11:30am Giants and Thieves
12:00pm Crooked Angel
12:30pm Pleasure Train
1:15pm Flashback
2:00pm Hayley Fahey Band
2:45pm Fellowcraft
3:30pm FUZZQUEEN
4:40pm Harry J Smith and the Bling
5:50pm GJ4P Peace Anthem

Performers Stage
10:30am Wandering Lies
11:15am  Caroline Ferrante and the Whole Magilla
12:00pm  SASA Beautiful Day Song Circle - MC Caroline Ferrante, Erin Frisby, Crys Matthews, Jacqueline Pie Francis
3:00pm  Saffron Dance
3:30pm  Addagio Ballet
4:00pm  O'Neill-James Irish Dance

Goodbye Iota

Such a sad day to acknowledge that my favorite live music venue of all time Iota Club and Café will be closing for good on Sept 30 2017. As reported in detail by ArlNow, the owners have decided to pack it up after their lease ends as the building is being remodeled and ending Iota's unique place in Arlington culture for 23 years. Their final lineup so far is Last Train Home on the 28th and 29th.

While nothing can replace Iota, similar spots like Galaxy Hut down the street and Gypsy Sally's in Georgetown will continue to host bands that would have played here.

I have such fond memories of this place and all the wonderful people I've met there, like Justin Trawick, Derek Evry, Alex Parez, Margot MacDonald and Rae Williamson just to name a few. ArlNow has an extensive list of performances that have graced Iota's small stage. Here is a quick list of my favorite shows at the quirky place that kept Clarendon strange:

My first recorded Iota night almost 10 years ago with the fun local band Boxcar Collision.

Matthew Good's oddly quiet show in 2008

The super catchy pop punk Exit Clov bursting with style and cow bells







My first show with Juniper Lane and witnessing Vivion Smith's killer vocals

Ending 2008 on an amazing festive night with Ten Out of Tenn. Might have been the best concert experience ever.

That time Tristan Prettyman sold out her show and the first time I saw a line down the block for Iota. Luckily she came back in 2011.

Reni Lane!!!

Katie Herzig's Hologram song live along with Butterfly Boucher in the same night.

Juniper Lane and Margot MacDonald on the same night in 2012!

The week everything was free at Iota in 2014

Luckily for us the Nine Songwriter Series frequently visited Iota

Derek Evry is awesome. Middle Distance Runner is awesome. And both in the same night!

The unforgettable night with Invisible Witches debuting in summer of 2014.

When Boston based Air Traffic Controller dropped by and forever got their song Hurry Hurry stuck in my head.

Justin Trawick's birthday show in 2015. This is the most musically talented and active guy here.

Red Cross Hurricane Irma Benefit at Iota

This Friday and Saturday night Iota is hosting a concert to benefit the Red Cross Hurricane Relief effort. The $10 suggested donations goes towards people affected by the recent Hurricane Irma. If you can't make the show, you can donate online directly. Since Iota will be closing for good at the end of the month, this may be one of their last charity benefit shows. On the playlist tonight starting 8pm will be:
Plantface
David Kitchen
Wowee
PBC Vocal Band
Geff King
Chris Aaron
Jeff Smith

Wilson Hardware officially opens

Wilson Hardware officially opens to the public tonight, Friday September 8. Taking over the space RìRà previously sat in, the owners have completely revamped the interior so it is totally unrecognizable from its pervious dark Irish sports bar. Happy hour is from 5 to 7pm and reservations are on Yelp. Thanks to Arlnow.com for this great drink list:

"Many of the drinks will reference the Virginia Hardware store, which occupied the space from the early 1960s until 2005. The cocktail menu will feature signature drinks such as the Blueprint, a mix of rosé, vodka, cantaloupe, lemon, ancho chile and mint; the Adjustable Wrench made with bourbon, rum, vanilla and chocolate bitters and the Bright Idea, a shareable cocktail for two."

Plant Nite at Hunan Number One

You may have seen the Paint Nights previously hosted in Clarendon, where participates paint beginner level paintings and sip wine at a bar together, so now get ready for Plant Nite this Wednesday August 30 starting 7pm. Hunan Number One is hosting this event where you can exercise your green thumb and create your own table top garden from terrariums to herbs garden. Of course you will be able to take advantage of Hunan's great happy hour specials and $7 to $9 giant beer steins. You can buy tickets on their website for $56 per person including materials.

Summer Dress Party at Whitlows

Summer isn't over yet at Whitlows! The Clarendon late night staple is throwing a Summer Dress party on Saturday August 26. Starting at 4pm The Sports Junkies radio cast from 106.7 The Fan will host the party.
 The party continues at night as Advanced Party Solutions takes the inside stage at 10pm.

Don Tito Solar Eclipse Party

Don Tito invites you to our Solar Eclipse Viewing Party. Come view the eclipse from their rooftop and have some eclipse inspired refreshments and taco specials. Glasses will be provided with FREE Eventbrite RSVP. The party is from noon to 5pm, but the best time to view the eclipse itself is 2:47pm.  Free solar viewing glasses will be provided.

On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the continental United States from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. The last time a total eclipse crossed the United States from sea to sea was June 8, 1918.

Crooked Angels at Iota

Iota has a full night of Americana music planned for Thursday August 10 with three great acts. Local rock legend Alex Parez, who is frequent at Iota, will play with his band The Hell Rojos bringing acoustic rock and old-time country. Joining them are the alt-country and Americana band from DC area The Walkways. Headlining the night is the "bourbon infused Americana" sounds from the husband and wife band The Crooked Angels. Cover is $10 and doors open at 7:30pm with music usually starting around 9pm.

Sundresses and Sangria Day Party at Pamplona

Come and enjoy Pamplona's new brunch party Sundresses and Sangria this Sunday July 23. Expect eloquent sundresses, patio entertainment, sangria pitchers and frozen sangria specials, Pamplona’s best bites, and more!

Featured Sangrias: Sangria Pitchers: Roja, Blanca, Rosé, Sparkling Rosé, Sparkling White, and our Seasonal Watermelon Sangria

Frozen Sangrias: Frozen White and Frosé.

Ghosts of Sailors at Sea at Galaxy Hut

Tonight at Galaxy Hut in Clarendon the Boston based Ghosts of Sailors at Sea are playing! This fun band is described as post-rock/math rock/indie. I love their catchy and moody instrumentals with heavy and fast bass lines. Check out their latest album Red Sky Morning at BandCamp. Their song Mary Celeste is now stuck in my head. Also playing with them, to round out the "math rock" theme, is DC's Numbers Station.

If you are not glued to your HBO account watching the season premier of Game of Thrones tonight, make sure to catch both these great acts starting 9pm! Cover is $5.

Joshua Palace album release

The very talented and local artist Joshua Palace is releasing his first self-titled solo album soon on iTunes and Bandcamp. Performed, recorded and produced by Joshua himself and mastered by Bob Weston (Shellac, Mission of Burma), this album has been a long time in the making and is a passionate testament to the undying power of spiritual freedom through aural catharsis. Looking forward to seeing him perform soon in Arlington!

All American Bar Crawl returns to Clarendon

The fifth annual All American Bar Crawl is returning to Clarendon on Saturday, July 1. Their sister party in Dupont Circle will continue a week later on July 8. Thousands of patriotic dressed and intoxicated party goers will bar-hop through some of the Arlington's most popular bars. Many different bars, DJs, all-day drink specials, and raffles are standard fare for these types of large scale bar crawls. More info on their website such as drink specials:
-$2 Yuengling Lagers
-$3 Summer Wheats
-$3 Rail drinks
-$4 Freedom shots

So far the official list of participating locations is:

• Mister Days
• Clarendon Grill
• Bracket Room
• Whitlow’s
• Oz
• Hunan One
• Whitlow’s Rooftop

Tickets are $20 online or $30 the day of the event. Long lines tend to form at the registration bars (Mister Days and Clarendon Grill), so either get in line early or work your way backwards (such as starting at Whitlows when its less crowded). Project DC Events offers promo codes almost daily up until the event so check their Twitter feed before purchasing.

White Ford Bronco at Rosslyn Rocks Concert

Bring your friends and head to Rosslyn Rocks Concert at Central Place Plaza (1800 North Lynn Street) each Thursday evening in June to listen to live music starting 6pm. Each week will be a new cover band, and the first band in the series is the amazing 90s cover band White Ford Bronco!

Enjoy the concerts while sipping on a glass of wine or having a beer in downtown Rosslyn’s newest outdoor space. Proceeds from wine and beer purchases will go to A-SPAN, a charity organization striving to end homelessness in Arlington.

June 1 6-8pm: White Ford Bronco
June 8 6-8pm: Lloyd Dobler Effect
June 15 6-8pm: The 19th St Band
June 22 6-8pm: Jeff from Accounting
June 29 6-8pm: The Monster Band

Marymount Social at Lyon Hall

M

From 5:30 to 8:30 this Thursday, May 11 Marymount University is hosting an alumni happy hour at Lyon Hall. Join other MU grads after work to network and socialize with Marymount alumni and friends. $15 registration includes a drink ticket, heavy hors d'oeuvres, and happy hour specials.

Save Iota

This Wednesday, May 10th from 6-9pm at 2801 Clarendon Blvd, Regency Centers will be holding an open house to show off plans for the redevelopment and take input from the community. The grassroots Save IOTA group plans to tell Regency Centers directly that we want IOTA to be able to stay where they are without their building being redeveloped. They have over 600 signatures on their Change.org petition. Tell Regency Centers why it's important to have a live music venue that focuses on small acts in Clarendon. Before the meeting at 5:30pm we'll be meeting around the corner at IOTA to meet people and give out Save IOTA t-shirts to the first 50 people who show up!

Party Like It's... at Whitlows

The most energetic cover band in the area Party Like It's... will play at Whitlow's on Friday, May 5. This is sure to a lively place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at with this amazingly talented band let by Cathy DiToro's vocals.

Since forming in 2013, Party Like It's has become the go-to band for Arlington and DC events, playing the NHL Winter Classic, Best of D.C. Voting Party and Celebration, game days at Fed Ex Field and Nats park, Big Night DC, and scores of festivals and concert series.

Atoms Apart at Arlington Palooza

The first-ever Arlington Palooza, a free outdoor program for all ages with live music, art, games, and more takes place on Saturday, April 29 from 1-4 pm at Alcova Heights Park. Enjoy live music from a variety of acts:

• The Stewart Sisters band
• Sultanas Troupe belly dancing
• DJs from the Teen DJ Program
• Atoms Apart: Brothers Mike and Emil Favila are an electronic pop duo from Washington DC. They write, perform and record all their own music, lyrics and videos. Their sound has been compared to bands like Postal Service, M83 and New Order. Their debut album White Label is out now on Bandcamp, Itunes, Google Play, Amazon MP3 and all major digital outlets. 

More off-stage entertainment will be present with magicians, guitar mini-lesson, moon bounces and art activates. Several food trucks like The Big Cheese and Clarendon's own Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company.

Clarendon Art Festival

The annual Arlington Festival of the Arts returns to the heart of Clarendon this weekend, April 22 and 23rd. Every year in the spring since 2012 the intersections of Washington Blvd and Highland Street are closed to cars for a huge art show and sale. Many unique local artists display their works, including my favorite Whitney "SPOON" Summerford pictured here. You are actually encouraged to use a phone camera to view her hand painted scenes, which helps bring out the abstracted images.

One hundred and fifty national and international artists are set to display their fine works from across the globe in a prestigious show encompassing fine jewelry, exquisite works of art and hand-crafted apparel and decor. Whether your passions run to sparkling jewels and one of a kind paintings; exquisitely crafted glasswork or an art deco sculpture, you are sure to find it during the free, two-day event. Pets welcome.

Rosslyn CAFÉ April Arts and Beats



Every Friday in April, come sip and savor local flavors while taking in our local art scene in downtown Rosslyn. Rosslyn BID's April Arts and Beats series features a happy hour with new local artists each week from 6 to 8pm. You'll enjoy complimentary light bites from local restaurants while listening to the beats of DJ Stacks. Cocktails, wine and beer will be available for purchase for only $5. Entrance is free. Register online here.

Held at the Bennet Park Art Atrium (entrance on Pierce Street) this Friday April 21 and the following April 28.

Margot MacDonald at Black Cat DC

Margot MacDonald, a local songwriter, vocalist and live looper, returns to Black Cat in DC this Thursday April 20 to embody the definition of a one-woman band. Her haunting and mesmerizing solo performances have earned her multiple "Artist of the Year" from the Washington Area Music Association. Margot goes onstage at 8pm with $12 cover.

Joining her at Black Cat at 9pm is Vita and the Woolf, an electronic soul pop music group from Philadelphia.

Bonus: Black Cat features the Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball machine!

Alex Parez at Galaxy Hut

On Monday April 17 you can catch Alex The Red Parez and The Hell Rojos will be headlining at Galaxy Hut for their 4th Annual Earth Day Show. Alex Parez is one of the most active players in the local Clarendon music scene, with Alex hosting Iota's open mic night every Wed, manning the door at Iota, and playing frequently in the area. Also playing that night will be Sunchild. Music starts at 8:30pm with the usual $5 cover.

Justin Trawick at Nationals Stadium

This Friday April 14 local favorite musician Justin Trawick and his band The Common Good will be playing at Nationals Stadium. Every Friday home game, the best place to pre-game is at the Budweiser Terrace inside the ballpark.  Enjoy cold Bud and Bud Light and hot tunes from The Common Good. Justin Trawick and The Common Good is a high energy “urban Americana” band with music ranging from bluegrass to hip hop. Concert runs from 2 to 3:50 pm. First pitch is 4:05 p.m.