For The Win at Clarendon Grill

It's the final weekend of music at Clarendon Grill! After 22 years in business, one of my favorite bars and music venues will be closing on Saturday October 27.

The last week of the Grill's schedule consists of Salsa dance class Monday, Trivia Kings on Tuesday, then Friday with Bryen OBoyle acoustic from 8-10pm followed by the talented Laura Lea and Tripp Fabulous at 10pm. Finally, the high energy cover and party band For The Win will rock out the Grill one last time with a Halloween themed party.

Another Loss For Live Music As Clarendon Grill Closes

Today's a sad day for Clarendon live music scene as another venue announced it is closing. Clarendon Grill, which has been a local mainstay for 22 years, confirmed that the August rumors were true and they will be closing in October.

Here is their Facebook post from today announcing their upcoming closure:
"So Long, Farewell...



It’s been an amazing ride. Our hearts are heavy as we share that the doors of the Clarendon Grill will be closing for good at the end of October. We were not ready, but sometimes things happen to change the course.

Some of you were around when the doors of the Clarendon Grill first opened back in the 1996 and some of you may not have been born yet. Either way we have truly enjoyed being the go to place for live music in Clarendon. When the Grill first opened there were few bars and fewer customers. As Clarendon grew in popularity, so did The Grill. We were extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of a community that has since blossomed into a vibrant collection of local businesses.

One of the most unique aspects of the Clarendon Grill is the staff. From our General Manager, to our bus boys, to our bartenders-the staff has remained the same for close to 20 years. That is a reflection of the unique culture and values that went well beyond a typical neighborhood bar. The Clarendon Grill was not just burgers, beers, and live music; it was a family to it’s staff and a “Night Out” for the community.
One of the many things we can be thankful for is all of the memories we have helped create, whether happy, funny, sad or forgettable (purposely or not). Thank you all for your support over the past 22 years.

It’s been a great run, but alas all good things must come to an end. There will be other bars, but none quite like the Clarendon Grill. Some things are replaceable like burgers and beers, but other things are intangible and we will argue that the staff and the experience we provided, will not be matched.

Cheers!

The Clarendon Grill Staff"

STARMAN at Clarendon Grill

On Thursday STARMAN, the Badass David Bowie Cover Band from Brooklyn is playing at Clarendon Grill at 9pm. March 8 is a special day for this blog as well, as it marks the 10 year anniversary of Clarendon Nights, which also first started at Clarendon Grill!

Seen in Bedford and Bowery and AM NY, STARMAN features an ensemble of New York’s top musicians. Combining world-class vocals, deft musicianship, Bowie-inspired costumes, and masterful stage presence, anyone who attends a STARMAN show is in for a simultaneously epic and intimate experience! STARMAN’s curated song list takes you back in time where songs were shared on the galactic playground. This is STARMAN's first stop in a multicity tour, afterwards they head to Cincinnati, Atlanta. New Orleans and Houston.

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.

Blarney Blowout Breakfast

Instead of a St. Patrick's Day bar crawl in Arlington, Project DC Events is throwing a Blarney Blowout breakfast bash on Saturday March 18 morning at multiple Arlington locations. Keep the fun going from the Friday night festivities with a little help of hair of the dog at this Irish breakfast at either A-Town, Pamplona, Clarendon Grill or Courthaus Social.

Tickets are $25 and are for one of the four venues only, so choose your adventure wisely. Tickets include an all you can eat breakfast from 8 to 11am, drink specials, DJs, raffles and outfit contests. Wearing as much green as possible is recommended.

Party Like It's... at Clarendon Grill

My favorite cover and high energy local band Party Like It's... is coming to Clarendon Grill this Thursday, July 21. This seven member group plays fun covers of 80s, 90s and 2000s popular hits as well as a few original songs of there own. You have to see their performances live to really appreciate how entertaining they are, especially with Cathy DiTiro's spot on vocals and Taylor Morden's super energetic trumpeting. Music starts at 9pm and there is no cover!

White Ford Bronco at Clarendon Grill

The best 90s cover band in the area is back at Clarendon Grill this Thursday April 28! White Ford Bronco is returning to the stage to play a variety of throwback hits. It's no surprise they were named Best Local Cover Band in Washington City Paper earlier this month, as their energetic renditions of your favorite songs and Gretchen's vocals will make you an instant fan of theirs.

Music starts at 9:30pm with a $5 cover. Many people have already RSVP'ed on Facebook so its sure to be a good sized crowd.

White Ford Bronco at Clarendon Grill

The awesome 90s cover band White Ford Bronco is playing tonight, Thursday October 9 for a free show! One of the best local cover bands I've seen is on stage at Clarendon Grill at 9:30pm without a cover charge.

Christmas Bar Crawl for Cystic Fibrosis Dec 14

Yes, it may be a little early to get into the Christmas spirit, but it's important to keep your December 14th weekend open for OnTap's Holiday Crawl for Charity. This holiday themed bar crawl hits eight great Clarendon bars and raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Tickets are only $10 and gives you access on Saturday Dec 14 from 3-9pm to specials and prizes at Clarendon Grill, Mad Rose, Mister Days, Mexicali Blues, Hunan Number One, Bracket Room and Sobe. Dress up in your finest holiday costumes and prizes will be awarded for the most creative costume, dynamic duo, and best dressed group.

Clarendon Cinco de Mayo block party

Next Sunday May 5, several local bars are participating in the a Cinco de Mayo block party. The party includes food and drink specials, 8 various DJs, a Mariachi marching band, and prize raffles for a $12 ticket.

The festivities start at Mad Rose and Darna between noon and 3pm for registration. Other bars like Clarendon Grill, Mister Days, and Sobe keep the party going until 8pm.

Click here to buy tickets from Eventbrite.

Clarendon Grill Trivia Wednesdays

Every Wednesday is trivia night at Clarendon Grill starting at 8pm. The night includes music, prizes and half price burgers. Since their renovation two years ago, the Grill's food has really improved and is actually very tasty.

Other local venues that have weekly trivia are:
Monday - Union Jack's
Tuesday - O'Sullivan's and RiRa
Wednesday - Hard Times and Clarendon Grill
Thursday - Mister Day's
Sunday - Whitlow's

You can find more trivia nights in the DC area from bardc.com.

Liquid A at Clarendon Grill Friday

Liquid A is returning to Clarendon Grill this Friday, January 11. They are a great cover band who recently played at the Clarendon Ballroom on New Year's Eve. Last time they frequented the Grill they put on a great show.

Leadership Institute happy hour at Clarendon Grill

This Thursday Dec 6 Clarendon Grill is hosting a happy hour and networking event for the Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute is a political conservative think tank that resides directly above the Grill in the same building. Also in attendance will be the Center for Shared Services and America's Future Foundation. The event lasts 5:30 - 7pm, and afterwards DJ Pat Premier takes the stage.

Liquid A and White Ford Bronco at Clarendon Grill

Liquid A playing for a full crowd in DC in
February via Facebook

Two great bands are coming to Clarendon Grill this week to start out your summer weekend with energetic music. First White Ford Bronco returns on Thursday to rock the Grill with all-90's cover music. I saw them play at Truckeroo on Friday and was impressed with Gretchen's lead vocals. Then Liquid A comes to the Clarendon on Friday night to what I expect to be a packed crowd.

Charity Benefit Date Auction Tuesday May 15

Image via arlingtonyoungdems.org

The Clarendon Grill is hosting a charity date auction tonight to benifit Doorways for Women and Families. Eleven years running, this event starts at 7pm and is thrown by the Arlington Young Democrats. Check out all the available men and women up for grabs here. Arrive early and win a chance at a $75 gift certificate to Fireworks Pizza in Courthouse.  In addition, if you come to the auction with an item donation for Doorways, you will receive two free raffle tickets.

Requested donation items:

-          Water bottles

-          Saran wrap

-          Aluminum foil

-          Tupperware (new)

-          Baby monitors

Or if you are interested in donating other items, you can check out Doorways wish list.

Doorways for Women and Families creates pathways out of domestic violence and homelessness toward safe and stable lives.

Half off Clarendon Grill via Whats The Deal

Photo via sowhatsthedeal.com

Local coupon site What's The Deal is currently offering up a half price deal for a meal at our local Clarendon Grill. For $10 you get a $20 coupon for lunch or dinner at the Grill, which has some tasty sandwiches since they remodeled and unveiled a new menu last year.

Also, if you use the code CLARENDON1258 at checkout you will get another $1 off!

Follow What's The Deal on Twitter for more local deals.

KleptoRadio at Clarendon Grill Friday

I'm going to check out KleptoRadio as they return to Clarendon Grill tonight, Friday July 8. The band lives up to their name with a style that mixes together a variety of music genres. They describe their sound as ranging from "AC/DC to Stevie Wonder, hip hop to hard rock, saxaphones to samples."

Concert for Japan at Clarendon Grill tonight

The Lupus happy hour at Frontpage has a competitor in the nightlifte fundraiser arena tonight: a Concert 4 Japan at the Clarendon Grill. The event will include a raffle for DC101 concert tickets, Hilton Hotel weekend getaways, and Restaurant 3 gift cards. $5 cover gets you in after 5pm, with local band Burnt Sienna going on stage at 8pm. All proceeds will be going directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

KleptoRadio at Clarendon Grill Friday

Local band KleptoRadio is coming to Clarendon Grill this Friday, March 11. They should put on an interesting show, because they promise to live up to their name with a style that mixes together a variety of music genres. They describe their sound as ranging from "AC/DC to Stevie Wonder, hip hop to hard rock, saxaphones to samples."

Valentine's Day destroys Crumbs

Hope everyone in Clarendon had as a nice Valentine's Day as owners of Crumbs Bake Shop must have had. The bakery that just recently opened was packed all day with people bringing their dates there for a V-Day treat or after dinner desert. When I dropped by around 8pm-ish the shelves were shockingly bare with only a few cupcakes and cookies left.

Another venue that looked popular tonight was the Clarendon Grill's salsa dancing night. Occurring every Monday evening, this one just happened to fall on V-Day and seemed like a great place to bring a date for fast paced dancing.