Wolf Trap: From the Inside Out

My Virgin Mobile Fest 2008 Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:44:00 +0000

Given the nature of my job here at Wolf Trap, I am constantly immersed in a world that orbits the production of live music. On the short list, professional responsibilities include daily talks with artist's publicists, radio personalities, music journalists, the artist (rare occasion but it does happen), writing promotional materials, and facilitating media interviews on-site backstage at the Filene Center. You could make the argument for me, or several Wolf Trap employees for that matter, that since we're surrounded by live performance related tasks 365 days a year, the last thing on our social agenda is to proactively attend concerts. Not exactly true. In fact, it’s pretty far from the truth. Most of us are music nuts, and attending concerts either at Wolf Trap or a surrounding venue tends to occupy a decent percentage of our free time. This past weekend, I attended the 2nd annual Virgin Mobile Festival at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, MD., and if you'll indulge me, I'd love to share with you an abbreviated version of my 20 hr. experience.

Day 1

We arrived around 11:30, paid heed to KT Tunstall for about a song and a half, and moved along to catch Cat Power, fronted by Chan Marshall, who in my opinion, is currently vying for the title of queen of indie rock, maybe just a close second to Jenny Lewis and Neko Case. Marshall's enchanting voice wrapped into highly poetic ballads are clearly the driving force behind the success of this band, but it just didn't seem the ideal fit for a festival setting. But, I suppose that was Seth Hurwitz's thought process when programming the lineup...diversity, even if certain acts inspire a bit of depression.

Next up, The Swell Season, comprised of Glen Hansard of the Frames, and Marketa Irglova, a previously unknown pianist/singer until Hansard hand picked her for the co-starring role in the 2007 film Once. Solid set from the duo, highlighted by the Academy Award winning number "Falling Slowly" but similar to Cat Power, their tunes seemed underwhelming for a crowd of thousands. I caught them in Baltimore a few months back with a full backing band, which left me wondering why they didn't ADD musicians for a festival gig rather than subtracting.

Remained at the South Stage for Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings for a couple songs before stopping off for a beer and a location change to catch Bloc Party's set, and after re-hashing the decision in my mind for a few days, I think I made a poor choice. Jones' live show is a thing to behold...aside from the soul-funk persuasion inherent in her dynamic vocals and ultra-tight grooves laid down by the Dap Kings, the woman has got some serious dance moves. She seems absolutely consumed by the music, which was confirmed after she exclaimed, "When I get the mike in my hand, I lose my mind sometimes!" Bloc Party delivered their signature brand of emo brit rock, but the highlight for me was not a song, rather front man's Kere Okereke’s attire, consisting of a vintage Bowser t-shirt (super mario bros.) and cut off jean shorts.

After applauding Bloc Party's final tune "Helicopter", we turned our attention to possibly the most important task of the weekend, which was getting as close as possible for my personal fave, and recent media darlings, Wilco. Just to be clear...I'm not jumping on the Wilco bandwagon, my love for this band stems from my college days when I became hopelessly addicted to the prog/gloom indie masterpiece Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the band's fourth studio LP. With exceptional ease, we slithered our way up to about 10 feet from the stage, sipped our beers, and waited for Tweedy and co. to appear. As they strolled on stage grinning from ear to ear, I couldn't help be a little disappointed in the fact that they weren't sporting custom designed nudie suits, which helped define their presence at last week's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. Ah well, no biggie. Their set was pretty standard for a festival setting...I think it was a bit unfortunate that they were slotted in between Citizen Cope and Jack Johnson, two acts that are almost polar opposites of Wilco. Highlights from the set included "War on War", "Impossible Germany" (I really cannot get enough of that three part guitar solo with Nels, Jeff and Pat), "Handshake Drugs", and "Monday". Generally, they just played their big rockers, but who am I to argue with what I think to be the best band in America...I had an absolute blast.

To beat the crowd, we headed out a bit early, opting to skip out on our choice of Jack Johnson or Foo Fighters.

Day 2

I just want to pause for a second and express my delight with the total ease we found in driving from downtown Baltimore to Pimlico. I mean we were headed to a music festival, with a projected attendance of 200,000 people, and at no point did we encounter a sliver of traffic congestion. Remarkable. I'm just not used to this living in the D.C. metro area, where it takes 45 to drive ANYWHERE.

We kicked off Day 2 with the tail end of The GO! Team's set on the South Stage, which allowed me to hear their hit "Ladyflash" off of 2004's Thunder, Lightning, Strike, and a new song off 2007's Proof of Youth. A lot of people I've encountered don't buy into The GO! Team's quasi gimmicky blend of hip-hop, '70s funk, action TV show theme song styled songs, complimented by a free-styling front woman named Ninja who wears cheerleader outfits, two drummers, and high energy backing music which I think relies predominantly on sampled beats...but I for one, am a total sucker. I first saw this sextet of Brits at The Black Cat in 2004, and I still view it as one of the most exhilarating concert experiences in recent memory.

Chicago native Andrew Bird and his three piece backing band from Minnesota occupied the South Stage next for a 45 minute set that was my highlight of the entire weekend. Best known for his prowess on the violin, I personally think he is one of the most talented all around musicians I have ever seen, and perhaps even the best whistler alive...but since I can't whistle, I'm impressed by anyone who excels in creating pitch through wind without the use of a physical instrument. Aside from a masterful display on the violin and lip pursing, Bird expertly played the guitar, the glockenspiel (!), and his voice soars brilliantly bringing remarkable clarity and structure to indie folk tunes that otherwise may have come off as a little scattered and indulgent. His set drew heavily from 2007's Armchair Apocrypha with "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left", "Fiery Crash", "Plasticities", and "Imitosis".

I had no idea what to expect from the newly paired duo of M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel who make up the alt-folk/alt-country band She & Him, but after taking in Deschanel's lilting stage presence and beautifully arranged original songs, supported by her angelic voice and M. Ward's scorching guitar solos, I'm definitely on board. Plus, it definitely helped that Deschanel looked absolutely stunning in her full length blue dress, and blue rose in her right ear. You'll recognize Zooey Deschanel from the films Elf, Almost Famous, and The Happening, and M. Ward as a ridiculously in demand session musician, studio collaborator, and producer who has worked with Jenny Lewis, Cat Power, My Morning Jacket, and most notably, Bright Eyes.

Iggy and the Stooges - the man is crazy...but I give this 61 year old massive respect for banging through an hour and ten minutes of crazy intense punk rock/metal complete with stage diving, at least 50 curse words, 20 bottles of water dumped over his head, and security guard verbal bashing. Not really my thing, but man it was fun to watch.

The last high pressure situation of the weekend was to get very VERY close for the recently reunited Stone Temple Pilots, featuring all four original members including Scott Weiland, their controversial front man. In true rock God form, they of course came on 25 minutes late, and ended 10 minutes early, but not before they plowed through an earth shattering, nostalgia-filled 10 song set of mega hits from the height of their popularity in the '90s. We wedged ourselves in between thousands of people about 20 feet from the stage, and did our best to keep our eyes on the wiry Weiland, who continuously slinked across the stage while belting out incendiary choruses from "Plush", "Wicked Garden", "Big Empty", "Interstate Love Song", and the opener "Vasoline", to name a few. It was an intense experience. I was actually a bit afraid for my life at times given the non stop moshing, crowd surfing, shoving, yelling, cursing, scuffling, etc., but after about 15 minutes I just stopped caring and lost myself in the infectious energy of the well-oiled Stone Temple Pilots machine. The entire 50 minute experience was flat out awesome, and I can't wait till the next time I can see this band perform live.Once again, the headliners for the evening did not overly excite us, so after catching Nine Inch Nails perform "Closer", we decided to beat the crowds and head home. Overall, the weekend was a top-notch experience. The variety inherent from one act to the next kept the festival fresh and exciting, even though we never shook things up too dramatically by heading to the dance tent to take in some trance, and shirtless dudes twirling sticks and hoola hoops around their bodies. Maybe next year :)

Photos below!

Talk soon,

Graham

Joni Would be Proud

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:27:00 +0000

Flanked by bassist Dave Holland, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, guitarist Lionel Loueke, saxophonist Chris Potter (taking Wayne Shorter’s place on the tour), and featured vocalists Amy Keys and Sonya Kitchell, Herbie Hancock put on a wonderful performance last night during his Wolf Trap debut.

I was particularly blown away by Keys and Kitchell who are charged with the difficult task of re-creating vocal contributions from Tina Turner, Joss Stone, and Christina Aguilera (to name a few) on Hancock's album of the year winning River: The Joni Letters, and his prior release titled Possibilities. On Possibilities, Joss Stone handles vocal duties for B.B. King's "When Love Came to Town," and while I'll absolutely admit that Stone's raw, soulful vocal prowess is a perfect commercially viable fit for this tune, Amy Keys absolutely CRUSHED it live. I was sitting in the press office during this song catching up on my email, and I almost fell out of my chair when she hit the first chorus. Roughly 24 hours after B.B. King left the Filene Center on Sunday, I wouldn't be surprised if he felt the reverberations of Key's vibrato from hundreds of miles away.

Keep an eye on Amy Keys, she has quite a career in front of her...not to say that it hasn't been impressive already, having been crowned Ms. Maryland, and touring the world with Phil Collins and Herbie Hancock.

The set was heavy with numbers from Possibilities and River, highlighted by the latter's title track, and "Edith and the Kingpin." I wasn't around for the very end, but I heard Herbie closed with one of his classics, the jazz-standard tune titled Chameleon, which probably resonated very well with his old-school fan base. In summation, the 90 minutes that I heard was exactly what you'd expect from one of history's great jazz pioneers - close to perfection.

I plan to post extensively tomorrow about my Virgin Mobile Festival experience this past weekend, complete with photos and brief (some more than others) reviews of acts I caught. So check back in with me tomorrow in the p.m.

Cheers,

Graham

Jethro Tull and Hippiefest Slideshows

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:18:00 +0000

Hello all,

As promised, I've posted two slideshows below, one of Ian Anderson's interview with Greta Van Susteren plus live performance shots, and backstage photos of Joey Molland, Godfrey Townsend, and Hilton Valentine who performed at last week's Hippiefest. Hippiefest photos can be credited to Wolf Trap's good friend Michael G. Stewart. And as always, our house photographer Eleena came through with wonderful candid photos of Ian Anderson, Greta Van Susteren, Jethro Tull, and the Young Dubliners.

Ian Anderson Interview with Greta Van Susteren

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:09:00 +0000

This afternoon, Greta Van Susteren, host of the primetime news and interview program, "On the Record" which broadcasts on Fox News 10-11 p.m. ET/PT Mondays through Fridays came out to Wolf Trap to film an interview with Ian Anderson, front man and flautist for the legendary Jethro Tull. I wasn't within earshot for the majority of the interview, but my understanding is that most of the conversation revolved around Anderson's friendship with Tony Snow, former White House press secretary and colleague of Greta's as a former Fox News anchor. Snow was a long time Jethro Tull fan who at one point shared the stage with the band as a fellow flautist! Snow was no amateur, the man had some serious skills. See for yourself by hopping onto youtube.

We hope to have Greta and her crew out here again a few more times this summer for interviews, as her show is wonderful national exposure for Wolf Trap and our schedule of perfomers. Our house photographer Eleena took some great shots of the interview, which I will post tomorrow, along with some backstage shots of Hippiefest touring members I acquired from professional photographer Michael Stewart.

Enjoy tonight's show!

Graham

Peace, Love and Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:18:00 +0000

How many of you were able to attend Hippiefest on Wednesday? This is by far one of my favorite shows of the year, primarily because of the top notch people watching. You'll see a video below of my new friends, Diane, Alison, and Michael who I totally blindsided on the lawn for an off the cuff interview, but if there was a costume contest for best hippiewear, I would have to put these three in the running, so I couldn't help but approach them for an interview. Also, I don't think it's mentioned in the dialogue, but just to show the regional draw of this festival...Diane, Alison and Michael mentioned to me that they are from Philly, and chose to see the show at Wolf Trap, despite the fact that the tour stopped in Philly on Tuesday. Talk about patron loyalty!

I also recorded some footage of the stage set up for the evening, just minutes before Jonathan Edwards took the stage as the first of six acts.
Sorry for the brevity of this entry, but today's a busy one!

Talk next week,

Graham

Crosby, Stills & Nash

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Greetings all,

For those of you in attendance at last night's Crosby, Stills & Nash performance, I thought I'd share some photos and a set list which, surprisingly, I believe did not sustain any impromptu changes. However, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Incidentally, Crosby, Stills & Nash was my first concert ever which I attended with my father in 1989. My lasting memory from that concert experience was seeing a lot of motorcycles. I wish I could remember hearing "Our House," "Helplessly Hoping," or "Teach Your Children," but nope, just motorcycles. Last night's show left a completely different impression, however. I heard the first set from the press office, and caught the first five songs of the 2nd set from the lawn, and was most impressed with their ability to seamlessly change instruments from one song to the next. Stephen Stills is probably the most accomplished guitarist of the three, but David Crosby and Graham Nash are quite adept at finger-picking, which was mostly evident during "This is My Country" and "Delta."

For additional perspective on last night's show, I'll refer you to a blogger colleague Bill, who publishes Shine Silently.

Talk soon,

Graham

Not the Messiah!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:32:00 +0000

After receiving many requests to shoot video of a Wolf Trap lawn rush from the loge, I captured some video prior to last night's performance of Not the Messiah! (He's a Very Naughty Boy,) which as a side note, was phenomenal. Clearly, you have to be a Monty Python fan to appreciate Eric Idle's wildly eccentric sense of humor, meaning that this was no ORDINARY evening with the NSO, but the 5000 plus people in attendance last night ranging from ages 10 - 80 proved that the Python style of humor truly transcends generations. It's still, somehow, so incredibly relevant. Some choice highlights from the show:

1) A flock of multi-racial sheep, one of which was named Shiniqua.
2) Idle channeling Bob Dylan through a 3 minute solo song complete with acoustic guitar and harmonica
3) Idle playing a leafblower (I'm totally serious.) He actually got down on his knees and wailed like a rockstar.
4) 5000 people singing along and rocking back and forth during the show closing number "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

I hope some of you were able to attend this special performance, as it's only been performed 3 times in the U.S., and is scheduled for only a small handful of dates throughout the remainder of 2008.

Check out lawn rush footage below from the upper level of the loge. Also, I've posted another video of some Wolf Trap interns being just basically, ridiculous.

Enjoy the weekend!

Graham

A Day in the Life…

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:43:00 +0000

Wed. 9:30 a.m. - My intern and I get picked up by a Wolf Trap driver at the Center for Education

10:15 a.m. - Arrive at the Melrose Hotel in NW D.C. to pick up Eric Idle.

10:30 a.m. – Accidentally drive to 635 Massachusetts Ave. NE instead of NW, which is the location of National Public Radio studios.

10:33 a.m. - Place a borderline frantic call over to Wolf Trap to double check NPR's address. Now we're still on pace to arrive at NPR by 10:50, but given that I'm in charge of delivering Monty Python troupe member/internationally recognizable celebrity Eric Idle to Robert Siegel at NPR for his 11 a.m. "All Things Considered" interview, combined with that fact that he's sitting right next to me, I imagine it's only natural to feel an inkling of panic...

10:43 a.m. - Back on track and headed to the CORRECT address.

10:50 a.m. - Mr. Idle is comfortably sitting in a leather office chair in the "All Things Considered" studio, sipping a tall cup of tea. NPR staff members quickly catch on to his presence, and about 15 people gather in the control room to listen to his 25 minute discussion with Robert Siegel.

11:00 a.m. - Interview begins. Tears caused by laughter are legitimately running down the face of a NPR staffer that has situated himself almost right up against the glass between the control room and the studio. Topics range from Idle's co-creation of and starring role in Not the Messiah! (He's a Very Naughty Boy,) (which incidentally is tonight's performance at the Filene Center,) to the Python films Life of Brian and The Holy Grail, to the holy grail stage adaptation, Spamalot. Tune into NPR this afternoon at 5:50 to catch the full length interview.

11:30 a.m. - Interview concludes. Per his request, we take him down to the waterfront in Georgetown for some seafood, and despite the fact that the waiter misplaced his order, leading to a lunch of crab bisque, oysters on the half shell, and a side salad, rather than what I think was an order for a soft shell crab sandwich, we enjoyed a pleasant dining experience which, surprisingly, didn't involve any incidents from nearby Monty Python fans dining in the restaurant.

12:30 p.m. - After a brief stroll to walk off our lunch, we escort Mr. Idle back to his hotel. Mr. Idle proceeds to give us the insider's scoop on what we can expect from Thursday evening's performance, which includes over 100 musicians on stage, a flock of multi-racial sheep, snow in July, and a finale to end all finales.

1:00 p.m. - We drop Mr. Idle off at his hotel, wish him well in Thursday's performance, I give him a few last details for pending afternoon interviews with WTOP FM and Associated Press radio, and head back to Wolf Trap.

Quite a morning! And I just have to say...Mr. Idle was an absolute delight. Not a hint of pretension, rather a genuine interest in my work, my life, and a frivolous, liberal demeanor that led to refreshingly candid discussions about life as a celebrity, politics, his future projects, life as a family man, and on and on.

Head out to Wolf Trap tonight for what I think might be the best show of the summer.

Lastly, here is the link to the "All Things Considered" web-based piece. Audio becomes available at 7 p.m. this evening.

Cheers,

Graham

Earth Wind & Fire Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Anyone who has ever come out to an Earth, Wind & Fire performance at Wolf Trap knows that a major visual highlight is bassist Verdine White. I simply cannot take my eyes off of this guy. I've seen hundreds of shows while in my 20s, and in all honesty I cannot recall a performer that exhibits more energy and enthusiasm for his craft, while simultaneously infecting everyone in the audience as evidenced by HUGE smiles and uncontrollable dance moves. I was unfortunately out of town for last week's performance, but their 2007 appearance was a personal highlight of last summer. I'm sure they'll be back for many years to come...DON'T MISS THESE GUYS THEIR NEXT TIME AROUND.

If you didn't get your EW&F fill this past Wednesday, or are curious to learn more about this classic R&B, soul and pop supergroup, Lester Holt and crew from the Today Show Weekend travelled out day-of-show to film an interview with the band, which will air from 7 - 9 am this Saturday, 7/26 on NBC. We believe it will also appear online here. I'll try to repost the link when the story becomes available.

In the meantime, enjoy these photos. This slideshow contains some unbelievable shots of Verdine White's electric stage presence.

Cheers,

Graham

Some Great Covers from Hootie & the Blowfish + Video Galore from Yesterday's Event

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Afternoon everyone!

So unfortunately, I wasn't able to post any video of the Hootie & the Blowfish performance as the footage taken by Blue Land Media will take a while to cut together and produce, but I took a series of videos myself with my trusty MPEG 4 camera. I've posted three below, the first is varied footage from yesterday afternoon's green spot activities, the second is an interview between Cerphe Cowell of 94.7 The Globe, and our President/CEO Terre Jones, and the third is a view of the house crowd, just minutes before Hootie & the Blowfish take the stage. I've also posted the original set list from last night, which they 100% stuck to (pretty rare during most live performance at least in my experience.) I've written out full song titles below in case some of the one word listings are confusing.

Be the one, Time, Sister Pretty, Hannah Jane, Ford Econoline, What do you want from me now, Hey, Hey what can I do (Led Zeppelin cover!), Desert Mountain, Ride Along, Don't think I don't think about it, State your Peace, Let her cry, I go blind, Get outta my head, Losing my religion (R.E.M. cover!), Space, Oldman and Me, Wishing, Hold my hand **encore 1** Soup song (classic), Fork in the Road (great song, cannot wait to see the movie), Champagne Supernova (Oasis cover) **encore 2** Hope I don't fall in love with you, Only wanna be with you

Great show, with some amazing covers included within! I'll be out enjoying Amos Lee/Al Green at Wolf Trap tomorrow night, and will hopefully have the chance to post about that show before I head up to Massachusetts for 5 days. If you don't hear from me on Wednesday morning, check in with me Monday for a brand new week's worth of content.

Cheers,

Graham

Out Here for Hootie

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:13:00 +0000

Hey all,

Drew Davis Band just took the stage on this VERY rainy evening, and if patron's spirits had been dampened by the weather, these guys got the crowd back in the mood. My boss Chris and I were just discussing how Drew Davis Band's country sound is an interesting pairing alongside the pop-rock of Hootie & The Blowfish, but Darius Rucker is a big country fan, as evidenced by the straw cowboy hat he sometimes wears - also I THINK he recorded a solo country album. I've just never really heard country reflected in any of Hootie's music. I don't recognize much of Drew Davis Band's material, but they just finished a classic Skynyrd cover of "Gimme Three Steps," which worked the crowd into a frenzy, and had me dancing a little in my seat up at the press office. Now they are channeling a little Bob Seger...

Hootie has announced that they are embarking on an indefinite hiatus, so this is the last chance to see them live in the mid-atlantic region for an indeterminant amount of time. I feel a good show coming. Farewell tours seem to produce absolutely epic live performances.

I'll post tomorrow with some green spot video, Hootie video (hopefully), and some commentary on the first few tunes performed by Hootie, since I'm unable to stay for the entirety of tonight's show.

Stay dry everyone!

Cheers,

Graham

This Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:08:00 +0000

Hello all,

Wow it's been a whirlwind of a week with all the preparations leading up to our 2 day eco summit/festival taking place this Sunday and Monday. Most of our staff will be on hand this Sunday to soak in the green spot activities, including myself, as I will be trying to capture as much video as possible for posting in the early evening when I return to the press office. Cerphe from 94.7 The Globe will be arriving at 5:00 to broadcast remotely from the meadow, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that members from Hootie & the Blowfish will stroll over to The Globe's tent for a discussion with Cerphe and our President and CEO, Terre Jones. If this happens, expect some great video to emerge on Sunday evening.

I promise that concert related posts will resume this weekend!

Have a good one,

Graham

Five Days Until the Summit!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:22:00 +0000

Today we had the walk-through meeting in preparation for the first National Arts and Environment Summit on Monday. We are ready, maybe a tiny bit stressed, but ready nonetheless. Needless to say, everyone is enthusiastic and feeling positive about the experience. Green is good!

While Sunday’s events with the “Green Spot” and Hootie & the Blowfish concert will surely be engaging and lively, Monday is when the Summit leaders get down to business.

Over 20 of the nation’s foremost environmental and arts experts, along with government, community, and business leaders, will convene at Booz Allen’s headquarters to outline a list of strategies and practical solutions for fully engaging the performing arts world in environmental stewardship.

There are some heavy hitters coming in and I look forward to hearing what new ideas and solutions they have to encourage artists to green their practices. Of course throughout this process we want to hear from you. Share your ideas or simply let us know what you think. BTW, you can hear the results on Monday via webinar at 4:00 EDT. Space is limited and registration is required.

Below is the initial list of attendees...

Eric Friedenwald-Fishman, Facilitator
Creative Director/President, Metropolitan Group

Claire Alexander
VP of Operations and Interactive Media, Discovery Communications LLC, Planet Green

Brian Allenby
Manager, Operations & Education, Reverb

Sam Bower
Executive Director, greenmuseum.org

Kateri Callahan
President, Alliance to Save Energy

Rose Ann Cleveland
Executive Director, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Matthew Cooper
President, PEG Environmental Engineering

Philippe Cousteau
CEO, EarthEcho International

Ellis Finger
Director, Williams Center for the Arts

Michael Hughes
Senior VP/General Manager, CBS Radio

Terre Jones, Host
CEO/President, Wolf Trap Foundation

Sudhakar Kevasan
Chairman/CEO, ICF International

Marda Kirn
Founder/Executive Director, EcoArts

Scott Kratz
Vice President for Education, National Building Museum

Elizabeth Lowery
Vice President, Environment, Energy, & Safety Policy, General Motors Corporation

Robert Lynch, Host
CEO/President, Americans for the Arts

Kathy Mattea
Artist

Hon. Norman Mineta, Host
Chairman, Wolf Trap National Advisory Council on the Arts and Environment

Shawn Norton
Environmental Leadership Program Manager, National Park Service

Damien Pwono
Executive Director, Global Initiative on Arts, Culture, and Society, The Aspen Institute

Michael Singer
Artist

Patrick Spears
Co-Founder/President, Intertribal Council on Utility Policy (COUP)

Hon. Robert Stanton
Immediate Past Director, National Park Service

Lydia Thomas
Former President and CEO, Noblis

Chris Velasco
President, PLACE (Projects Linking Art, Community & Environment)

Jess Wendover
Director, Mayors’ Institute on City Design

Daniel Windham
Director of Arts, Wallace Foundation

Kulapat Yantrasast
Creative Director, wHY Architecture

PS – What is summer without Wolf Trap? It is a beautiful oasis that takes you miles away from the rushing around in the world. As you can see from the list above, there are many representatives committed to reducing carbon footprints and promoting environmental sustainability. I applaud Wolf Trap for bringing them all together.

Jason Alexander Came, He Saw, He Conquered

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:12:00 +0000

When I first announced that Jason Alexander would be appearing at Wolf Trap in the role of Pangloss for a concert staging of Bernstein's Candide, I, like most of the U.S. population, was mostly only familiar with his work as the short, stocky, emotionally and financially insecure inspired creation that was George Costanza (thank you Larry David). Only now, after briefly meeting him, and witnessing his performance this past Sunday, do I understand that despite his immortalization as a sitcom cast member, Alexander really prefers to be on stage. It's funny to think about how his nine seasons on Seinfeld sort of "stood in the way" of time that he otherwise could have been spending on Broadway, in Boston, or dedicating more time to his role as artistic director for the Reprise Theater Company. However, from a recognition and financial standpoint, Seinfeld is arguably one of the most successful programs of all time; and from a creative standpoint, it allowed Alexander to truly test his acting skills through his portrayal of the remarkably complex, manic personality that is George Costanza...so I'm sure he's pretty happy with his decision.

For those of who saw Alexander's boisterously funny portrayal of Pangloss alongside members of the Wolf Trap Opera Company, you'll be shocked to know that since he doesn't reside in DC, his schedule only allotted him two days of rehearsal time with the full cast prior to show time. As a longtime stage actor, Alexander was of course familiar with Candide's script and score, but to immerse yourself in a full scale production a mere 48 hrs. before the event itself is the mark of a true professional. Knowing this fact while observing the dress rehearsal made me appreciate that much more how gifted actors of Alexander's calibur actually are.

For a review of the show itself, I'll defer to the words of Mr. Charles Downey, whose assessment of the performance ran in Monday's edition of the Washington Post style section. Check it out here. Downey fails to mention how unflinchingly and seamlessly Alexander adopts the playful falsetto that helps to define Pangloss' personality, but that's why you have me I suppose :) And in the week leading up to our two day eco-festival, I thought it appropriate to share this The Daily Green article written by Alexander, featuring an intimate look into at home green discussions with his family.

I've also posted three photos featuring Mr. Alexander for you below. Enjoy.

Cheers,

Graham

Lyle Lovett Photos and a Guest Blogger!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Hello all,

I imagine many of you aren't in the office today and instead are gearing up for big 4th of July plans, but if you were out at Wolf Trap last night for the marathon performance from alt-country king Mr. Lyle Lovett, I've posted some photos for you in a slideshow format below.

Before I sign off for the weekend, I'd like to alert you all that a guest blogger will be in our midst for the next week, helping Wolf Trap to spread the word about our upcoming National Arts and Environment Summit on July 14. Since the summit will take place on his home turf at Booz Allen Hamilton, we're excited to have Matt's assistance in driving excitement and attendance for what is sure to be a massively influential event.

Have a great holiday weekend, and try to stay out of trouble. :)

Graham

Lyle Lovett

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:18:00 +0000

Fresh off a backstage interview with AP radio, Lyle Lovett - possibly one of the most eclectic sounding artists of the past 20 years - just stepped on stage with his 23 piece band poised for an evening billed as "Lyle Lovett and his Large Band." Large indeed.

He's about four numbers into his set, and so far it's been highly varied with a mix of an opening instrumental tune, two gospel numbers, and a more classic Lyle, alternative-country tune. I would kill to have this guy's voice. It's as if the rock gods blessed him with the best vocal elements of Levon Helm and Van Morrison. Sometimes I swear I hear Dr. John too. Regardless, its awesome, and you should come out and catch the last 2 hrs. of his set.

I'll hopefully post some photos tomorrow.

Cheers,

Graham

From July 13-14, We Hope You Can Play a Role

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:49:00 +0000

If you all don't mind, for today's entry, I'd like to broaden the topic of live performance just a bit, in an attempt to get you all on board with Wolf Trap's "Go Green" initiative, which should vastly expand its influence after our upcoming inaugural National Arts and Environment Summit scheduled to take place on July 14, highlighted by a headlining Eco-concert and live performance from Hootie & the Blowfish at 8pm on Sunday the 13th.

For three hours leading up to the Hootie performance beginning at 5:00pm on Sunday afternoon, the entire Wolf Trap staff encourages the general public (not just ticket holders!) to visit our "Green Spot" in the Meadow at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts to help celebrate our park and promote sustainability in a festival setting with a special musical performance by Todd Wright, and organizations raising awareness about environmental action. Reverb, the environmental non-profit organization started by Adam Gardner (singer, lead-guitarist for Guster) and his wife Lauren Sullivan have graciously agreed to work with Wolf Trap on this project in helping to organize and populate our Green Spot with exciting and innovative participants and exhibitions. A list of participating groups is nearing completion, so I'll post details on what types of attractions to expect throughout the next two weeks. Members of Reverb will be on hand to talk about how they are helping to green the entertainment industry.

After perusing the Green Spot, ticket holders will walk over to the Filene Center to experience an evening of music from pop-rock icons Hootie & the Blowfish performing what is to be one of a few remaining live dates before they embark on an indefinite hiatus.

To quote Flight of the Conchords, put your "business socks" on for Monday's convening. In partnership with Americans for the Arts, The Aspen Institute, Reverb, Booz Allen Hamilton, and NPS Climate Friendly Parks Program; Wolf Trap Foundation President and CEO, Terre Jones, will host an intimate gathering of environmental and arts experts, along with government, community, and business leaders at the Corporate Headquarters of Booz Allen Hamilton in McLean, VA. For over six hours, attendees will operate as a collective think tank of sorts, with the end goal of outlining a list of strategies and solutions for fully engaging performing artists and performing arts presenters in environmental stewardship. At 4:00pm on July 14, members of the public can join via videoconferencing to hear the experts recommendations, so register today to join in the webinar by accessing this link. Web attendees are encouraged to bring fresh perspective to the group through individual strategies and solutions that have been met with success in their personal or business life.

Should be an amazing and groundbreaking two days, and we hope you can play a role whether it's just browsing our Green Spot, enjoying the Hootie concert, or participating in the discussion on ways the arts can go green through the wonders of the world wide web.

I'm a little sad about Hootie temporarily parting ways, so for today's video, I've put up their ESPN themed video "Only Wanna Be with You" off their album Cracked Rear View, which incidentally sold a staggering 13 million copies. I think this is one of the greatest videos of all time, but I'm partial because it features golf, Keith Olberman, Dan Patrick, Dan Marino, Fred Couples and other major sports figures and personalities from the mid 90s. It's a guy video :)

Have a great weekend everyone.

Cheers,

Graham

Backstage with Bruce Hornsby

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:58:00 +0000

Just got into the press office after observing a Bob Edwards (XM and formerly of NPR) interview with Bruce Hornsby, who, along with Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder, comprises tonight's performance lineup. After what is sure to be a stellar opening set from Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet (featuring Bela Fleck,) Hornsby and Skaggs will take the stage to share selections from their 2007 self-titled release.

The interview lasted about an hour, but typical of Bob's laid-back approach, the dialogue manifested into more of a loose, free-form conversation, rather than a structured Q+A. The diverse array of discussion topics, ranging from Hornsby's beginnings as a musician at the surprising age of 17, to his multiple live performances at the NBA finals, to his dream team collaboration (which incidentally happens to be Mark Knopfler,) was pretty enthralling, but I particularly came alive when Bob began inquiring about Hornsby's 20 months as a full time member of the Grateful Dead. I don't want to give too much away since all you XM subscribers can tune into the full-length interview in the weeks to come, but it was fascinating to hear how much of an influence Garcia, Lesh and company had on Hornsby's songwriting, especially when members of the band were never given proper due for their songwriting prowess.

I've posted a pair of photos below (Edwards on left, Hornsby on right in blue shirt.) I would have taken more, but I felt a bit intrusive with the flash.

Talk soon,

Graham

James Taylor Lawn Rush Video!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:22:00 +0000

Got it all straightened out :) It just needed a simple down convert in size. Gimme a break, I'm still learning :)

Anyways, enjoy this footage of about 3000 people rushing the lawn in anticipation of James Taylor's debut performance at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. I provide some occasional commentary...ignore if you wish :)

More video to come as the summer progresses. Stay tuned.

Cheers,

Graham

Out Here at Emmylou

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:05:00 +0000

Wow, she sounds great.

The silver-haired beauty opened up with a track from her new album, All I Intended to Be, followed up by a cover of the classic tune "Orphan Girl," penned by the incomparable Gillian Welch. After a brief intro, and a funny little anecdote about how at the age of 61, her mother still makes her wear a bike helmet when she goes out for a ride, Emmylou surprisingly launched into "Love and Happiness, a track from All the Road Running, her 2006 collaboration with guitar God Mark Knopfler. This is sure to be a special show. For those of you who braved the ominous skies and headed out to the park for tonight's show, chime in tomorrow with your review. I can't wait to get out there and hear more.

Talk soon,

Graham

Emmylou Harris and Joshua James

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:23:00 +0000

Hey all,

My apologies for the lack of pre-James Taylor show video as promised, it is still uploading to blogger! Yeesh. I'll get it up hopefully before I leave here today. If not, definitely early next week.

In the meantime, for all your Emmylou ticketholders out there, or for those of you who are on the fence about attending her Wolf Trap date on Sunday, I want to draw your attention to today's "Stages" feature in the Washington Examiner written by Chris Klimek. It gives good a preview of what to expect from her show which begins at 8, and carries only a $22 lawn price. Plus it's one of the most stripped down interviews I've read in a while. Emmylou bears quite a bit. Some interesting factoids about her are included as well. Anyone out there attend Woodbridge high school in the early 1960s? If so, perhaps you were competing with her for the coveted title of valedictorian in 1965, which she locked up in her days prior to immersing herself in the Georgetown music club scene. If you haven't had a chance to pick up today's copy of the Examiner, let me know and I'm happy to send you an electronic version of the article. Not to over saturate Emmylou, but you can read the Post's recent review of her latest record All I Intended to Be, by accessing this link.

Today's video of the week is inspired by our programming director's recent booking sheet distribution of some of our Barns acts for the fall (some great stuff coming by the way, but of course, I cannot share just yet.) I recently witnessed singer/songwriter Joshua James open for Glen Hansard's side project, The Swell Season at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, and I was absolutely floored by this guy. I wrote an email to Peter, our programming director this afternoon, declaring that James's musical style combines the very best elements of artrock/folk-rock hero Bright Eyes front man Conor Oberst, and wistful, ethereal singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne. Maybe coming to a Barns near you? Who knows, time will tell.

Check out this exclusive youtube video of Joshua performing a cover of Modest Mouse's "Custom Concern." Let me know if you agree with my previous artist comparison, and assessment of his talent.

Have a great weekend,

Graham

Yes Indeed - James Taylor Under the Stars at Wolf Trap!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:28:00 +0000

Wow - it's a pretty out of body experience to be within close proximity to James Taylor. I mean, the man is a complete legend. He just finished playing "Country Roads," and I think is now playing a cover called "Cry Baby Cry." "Cry Baby Cry," is over...and he just busted into a jazzy rendition of "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," from Oklahoma! Haha, gotta love it!

Not only does this guy have a never ending catalogue of hits, but he honestly sounds better live than on studio recordings. I can't wait to get down to the lawn and listen.

I now have a functional MPEG 4 video camera, so you'll start seeing some more footage of pre-show Wolf Trap activity which I'll post on youtube and here on the blog. Check in here tomorrow for a pair of pre-James Taylor performance videos, the best of which features a riotus 2000 person lawn rush from the main gates. I've been to sold out Wolf Trap shows, but this one just feels MORE sold out than the others, which is indicative by the sea of people rushing the lawn, many of whom have been waiting for this event to occur at Wolf Trap for the last 30 years. It's a very cool experience to be part of this evening's show, and it certainly shows in our patrons faces.

In addition to the promised video, I'll hopefully have some still photos and a set list from tonight's performance.

Talk soon,

Graham

Anita Baker, and the Queen of Country-rock, Emmylou Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:37:00 +0000

Evening all!

Up here at the press office, and Anita Baker just stopped by the WMMJ tent during their remote broadcast near the main gates for a quick on-the-fly interview! It was taped, and they are actually airing the interview as I write this. She sounds like she's had a fascinating life based on her 90 second discussion with Alvin John Waples. Our President and CEO Terre jumped on the air after Anita to discuss the remainder of our R&B schedule, which features The Temptations/Four Tops, Donna Summer, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, Al Green, Lalah Hathaway and Smokey Robinson.

Anita takes the stage tonight at 8:50, so come on out and grab your ticket!

Anyone pick up Emmylou's newest record titled All I Intended to Be? Great, great stuff. Generally, I have a really hard time getting behind studio recordings of covers, especially in the country arena, but her ability to add crystalline layers to tracks like Patty Griffin's "Moon Song", Merle Haggard's "Kern River," and Billy Joe Shaver's "Old Five and Dimers Like Me," consistently blows me away. The album dropped on June 10 - pick it up ASAP. A review written by my pal Chris Klimek will run in the Washington Post weekend section in the days leading up to her Wolf Trap show on June 22. I'll make sure to post it on here once it hits the shelves.

For today's video, I've posted a 1977 live performance of Emmylou covering Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty," one of my favorite tunes of all time. I know her show is over a week away, but I absolutely cannot wait to see that beautiful head of silver hair perform...ok I might have a little star crush on her :)

In case folks are curious about Kenny G's performance from last night, I've posted his setlist below Emmylou's video.

Have a great weekend - I'll be watching the U.S. Open and headed out to the park in the evenings for Gordon Lightfoot and Boz Scaggs.

Cheers,

Graham

Lori McKenna Now; Trisha Yearwood at 9

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:06:00 +0000

It's a beautiful night - come out and see some country music at Wolf Trap! In all honesty, the only real options for country in the area are Wolf Trap, and Nissan, and after the Radiohead fiasco, I think we've learned that a Nissan excursion can be a frustrating experience, unless it presents something like, well...Radiohead, and other shows that are blatant must-sees. In addition to Trisha, Wolf Trap's summer country lineup features Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby performing selections from their self-titled collaborative 2007 release, Emmylou Harris (new album dropped yesterday!,) Lyle Lovett, Kenny Rogers & The Oak Ridge Boys, and renegade country gal Gretchen Wilson. Solid lineup. I had hoped for some crowd and performance video during Trisha's set tonight, but the two batteries I have for our Mpeg4 camera are totally shot, so upon purchasing new ones, the video content will begin.

In the meantime, I've posted some photos of our Swamp Romp this past Sunday. If you were there, these colorful photos should help you relive your Louisiana experience.

Jessica Cash with WFLS just introduced Lori McKenna, and she's now about halfway into her first song so we'll see how she does in her Wolf Trap debut. Should be a great night. Talk soon.

Graham

Hot - but Who Cares?

noreply@blogger.com (Graham Binder) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:27:00 +0000

I've lived in D.C. for four years, and Nashville for 8 months, both of which offer pretty intense humidity from June - September. In all honesty, I cannot remember a hotter two days than what we experienced this weekend. You'd think that working this past Saturday during the Rusted Root/moe. show would have been miserable, but given the rare onstage and pit access to Rusted Root for photos during their sound check and 60 minute set, I was having so much fun the heat was barely noticeable. My intentions for video did not materialize unfortunately, due to a faulty battery in my camera, but I promise the issue will be remedied for future shows.

Once Eleena pops into the office, I will upload a moe. slide show as well, but wanted to follow up with a portion of my promised content from Friday. Below is a Rusted Root slideshow, complete with sound check and performance shots, followed by a complete set list from both Rusted Root and moe. I heard the majority of the Rusted Root set, which included their big three "Martyr," "Ecstasy," and "Send Me on my Way." They played 2-3 new songs off their upcoming record, all of which sounded very solid, but seemed a bit of a departure from their world sound, with more of a focus on Glabicki as a singer/songwriter. Vocalist, percussionist and guitarist Jenn Wertz left the band back in March, so the band's excellent harmonies weren’t quite as pronounced, with backup vocal duty falling mostly to the Root's remaining female member, Liz Berlin.

moe. sounded like a seasoned jam band, with very tight instrumentation, complex vocal harmonies, and hypnotic solos including an impressive slap bass excursion during "32 things". Great crowd overall - hardly a person sitting down in-house.

Awesome day!