The Chicago to DC POV ©

Watercolor Painting - #5 - 9/9/11

2011-09-10T01:21:00.002-04:00

From start to finish:

Watercolor Painting - #4 - 9/7/11

2011-09-07T22:41:00.001-04:00

So far, so good ...

Watercolor Painting - #3 - 9/6/11

2011-09-07T22:01:00.002-04:00

Watercolor Painting - #2 - 9/6/11

2011-09-07T19:36:00.003-04:00

Watercolor Painting - #1 - 9/5/11

2011-09-05T22:28:00.002-04:00

Behind The Music: Writing "The Recession Blues"

2011-07-28T23:55:00.008-04:00

Couldn't sleep tonight so I got started on a new song. Wrote this one on my ukulele after playing around with the chord progression for weeks. The music started out a bit faster-paced but I slowed it down. Once I got it to a tempo I liked, I realized that it - for whatever reason - reminded me of an old black and white film. From there, I got to thinking about The Great Depression which then reminded me of the news recently about the debt ceiling and all of the financial turmoil America seems to be in these days. So I wrote the following song (audio posted below the lyrics):

Money’s tight and times are tough
But we’ve got a roof over our heads
Working hard from nine to five
Induces some stress
But at the end of the day
We’ll come home to rest

What’s the use in complaining
Things could always be worse
There are people without the means we’ve got
Let’s make do with this here lot

So Uncle Sam’s got you down
What else is new, that’s the standard fare in this town
The news is depressin’
Especially in this here recession
But dust it off, don’t wear a frown

What’s the use in complaining
Things could always be worse
There are people without the means we’ve got
Let’s make do with this here lot

[Whistle solo goes here]

We’ve made it through wars
And other manic attacks
We’ve made it through the worst
We always make a comeback
There are people without the means we’ve got

Let’s make do with this here lot

Nationals Buzz Post Round-Up: April through the All-Star Break

2011-07-09T17:27:00.006-04:00

The 2011 MLB All-Star break is approaching and it got me thinking that this is a perfect time to round-up my freelance work from my guest blogging for MASNSports.com's Nationals Buzz this season.

My work for Nationals Buzz is part of a season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to MASN Sports' "little corner of cyberspace," as managing editor Pete Kerzel likes to say.

I have to say that I am truly thankful for the opportunity I've had to write for MASN and being able share my thoughts on baseball in the District. I look forward to the rest of the season and can't wait to continue improving my baseball writing.

Once the second half of the season starts, the rotation of guest bloggers will change a bit and the format will switch to one post per week, per blogger as opposed to five posts in a week per blogger. So be on the lookout for posts from me on Wednesdays and definitely check out my colleagues on the other days! They're both insightful and entertaining.

Week 1

Growing up with the Nats, new extended family

As Ramos takes root, Nationals catch good fortune

Where's the help from Nats' leadoff hitters?

Root, root, root at your own risk

Nats need to put Phils in rear-view mirror

Week 2

Fans often forget that baseball's still a difficult job

Giving thanks for endearing features at Nationals Park

Learning to cope without Zimmerman's impact

Would Veeck's wacky promotion play at Nationals Park?

Horning in on an unsound change of plans

Week 3

Zimmerman inches back toward D.C.

Uniform alteration could fashion change for Nats

Recalling poise, power and hype surpassing expectation

Electric Harper challenging short attention spans

Hair-raising growth of hirsute Twitter accounts

Week 4

Creating a sense of baseball community

Could patriotic Nats become America's Team?
Johnson holds Nats accountable with levity, pride
Unprompted responses create hopeful stadium buzz
Winning three of four vs. Cubs shows progress

Coming Soon: The Song Book

2011-04-24T11:30:00.005-04:00

Pictured top to bottom: My grandfather, me, and my bubbe in 2006.

My grandfather once told me that he was surprised at how thoughtful my lyrics appeared to be after he stumbled upon the CD jacket inside my first album's debut cover art.

He hadn't realized "the kinds of effort" I had put into crafting my words on top of composing an entire song.

Here's a little something for the masses: I am very proud of my lyrics. Sure -- I love zoning out with a guitar in hand and letting my emotions flow through the rhythms I play. I also love singing, on a stage or in my apartment ... or anywhere really, because that is my emotional release and adrenaline rush. But, my lyrics are the brain child behind the thrills of the stage or performing live.

My next project shouldn't be too daunting but it will take some time. Soon enough, I will have each and every one of my songs (that I feel are worthy) listed on my music site. This project is, of course, called "The Song Book".

Stay tuned for more details.

In the mean time, here's an "oldie" song from high school. I wrote it at the age of 16:

Saturday Songwriting Session: "What Am I To You"

2011-04-23T22:56:00.003-04:00

In case you can't read my scribblings -- which I don't expect you to be able to do since they are quite reminiscent of a doctor writing a prescription -- here's a translation:

He had been living

Rent free in my head

He hadn't paid a cent

And took me for all that I had

Unfocused and confused

I'm sick of playing by his rules

Big brown eyes that smile

Don't count as an excuse

There was a time

He'd make me weak in my knees

Rosie cheeks and a quick heart beat

He'd make it so damn hard to speak

Unfocused and confused

I'm sick of playing by his rules

Big brown eyes that smile

Don't count as an excuse

There's just one question

We've yet to review

What am I to you

You think I can't see

The way you look at me

If only I had a mirror installed

For every time that we continue to meet

Unfocused and confused

I'm sick of playing by your rules

Big brown eyes that smile

Don't count as an excuse

There's just one question

We've yet to review

What am I to you

Sunday Night Demo - "Hold My Hand"

2011-04-10T21:20:00.005-04:00

...it's not Hootie & the Blowfish. I promise. Although, "Hold My Hand" by Hootie & the Blowfish is a quality song. Hat tip to Darius Rucker.

I’m sick of being alone
But I pay my own rent
I'm painfully independent
But I’d like to take your hand

I’m reaching out now just to see
If your hand can just reach me
I’ll hold out just as long as I can
Won’t you hold my hand

Late night conversations
Are what I miss the most
I’ve still got the same couch
It feels like I’m sitting with ghosts

I’m reaching out now just to see
If your hand can just reach me
I’ll hold out just as long as I can
Won’t you hold my hand

A Chicago to DC Exclusive: Behind the Scenes at Trauma2Art

2011-04-10T08:25:00.012-04:00

Sometime in the fall of 2010 I was approached via e-mail to see if I was interested in joining a couple of my fellow American University alumni in a writing project.The request for my contributions couldn't have come at a better time, really. This project was Trauma2Art.

Trauma2Art started out as the initial brain child of freelance writer Lauren Muscarella and has ballooned into a creative outlet for many individuals seeking solace due to the loss of a loved one.

Trauma2Art's message is simple: "Encourage creative expression from those who have experienced grief."

Thanks to Ms. Muscarella, Trauma2Art has enabled those who were crippled and confused after experiencing the immense grief that comes with loss to seek what they're feeling deep inside and expressing it in a forum full of people who truly understand.

On April 20, Trauma2Art will be hosting its first (of what we hope will be many) fundraisers in Washington, D.C. The event will be held at Coppi's Organic Restaurant on U St. starting at 6 p.m. and more details are available on the event's Facebook page.

The following question and answer session is an exclusive interview conducted by the Chicago to DC POV with Trauma2Art founder Lauren Muscarella (pictured on the left) and Trauma2Art contributor Tara Shlimowitz (pictured on the right) via e-mail.

Chi2DC: What prompted you to start the site? I know that your work on your personal blog MamaQuest had a a major influence on your work with grief and helping others dealing with grief.

Lauren: After I started MamaQuest.org, I had an overwhelming number of people reach out to tell me that the blog inspired them to start a journal. Another thing that happened was people started telling me about their own experiences. Everyone has such a unique perspective and it was obvious that there needed to be an outlet and forum to encourage this type of discussion.

Chi2DC: What prompted you (Tara) to join the site as a contributing writer? I know that you had known Lauren from school but what other factors aligned and enabled you to start working on this project?

Tara: Each time Lauren updated her blog, she would post a new link to her gchat status. I'd click through and read her posts, always thinking that it was so bold of her to openly talk about her feelings to the world. I've never been the type to just offer up such personal information. My outlet has always been writing, but I keep it to myself. I told Lauren how much I admired what she was doing, and then told her about my own experience with losing my father. She encouraged me to share my writing on her blog, and I always nicely declined, though deep down I wanted to but just didn't have the courage. Her strength was so inspiring that it led me to publish my first story about my father since a poem I wrote shortly after his death (it was published in a student anthology when I was 10).

Chi2DC: What is it about Trauma to Art that you feel helps bereaved individuals find a community? Or is the "end result" not a community but rather something else entirely?

L: Community development is a huge part of Trauma to Art. I think community development should be a part of everyone's business plan whether it's a non-profit or for-profit business. At its very core, Trauma to Art gives people who have experienced loss a forum to share their story. What I found from writing MamaQuest, which is true of Trauma to Art as well, is that the act of expressing yourself is equally as helpful as reading someone else's story. In one single act you help yourself and others. As far as community development goes, the start of our in-person meet-up groups will bring people together who normally would never have connected. The construct that brings people together essentially is grief but the bigger picture is advocating for expression as a powerful tool to cope with any hardship. Like Joan Didion said, "I write so I can learn what I think."

T: I agree with Lauren. It's very powerful to express yourself artistically and then have the courage and strength to share it with someone, anyone. T2A creates a forum where it's ok to express how you're feeling. Society doesn't really encourage grief. Immediately after trauma there is a "grieving period," but after that, that's what therapists are for. People feel awkward to be around someone who is grieving or talking about their loss after the nebulous grieving period is "over." You're supposed to hold it all in so that others don't feel uncomfortable. Heaven forbid you continue to express yourself in the most human way possible. But T2A is helping to diminish that taboo by providing a safe space for continued self-expression. There's something very human and also illuminating in sharing your feelings with others. The more people who realize that, the more acceptable it will be, and T2A is leading the way.

Chi2DC: (Lauren) Talk to me about this fundraiser. It's the organization's first fundraiser ever. It is a joint event. What gave you the idea for the fundraiser and why did you pick D.C. for its location?

L: Instinct. Even though I live in Massachusetts now many of the site's contributors and supporters live in D.C. After seven years of working and living in DC as well as going to American University, I amassed quite the family. There are so many people whom I love in D.C. So after I received my incorporation papers for Trauma to Art I naturally wanted to down to D.C. to have an event. Carlos, the owner of Coppi's, seemed like a good person to call because his restaurant has an amazing energy and he has experienced a great loss himself. In November 2009 his sister Nori Amaya was murdered in her apartment in NW D.C. When I called he told me her story would be on America's Most Wanted the following week. It just seemed like the perfect time to combine our causes. Getting the word out about Nori's case and having as many people as possible see her AMW is very important to me. Like you mentioned it's a joint event with half of the funds going to Trauma to Art and half of the funds going to The Nori Amaya Foundation, which supports women's self-defense.

Chi2DC: Many Trauma to Art contributors, myself and Tara included, live in D.C. How many are there? Next to D.C., what other cities are involved in the project?

L: Trauma to Art just started in November so it's growing every month. There is one other contributor in D.C., Amanda Heptinstall. She wrote an amazing piece about losing her best friend to suicide as a teen. Her story is so powerful. I feel honored to have worked with her on it. You can read it here In addition to what you see on the site, there are several other people in the D.C., throughout the U.S. and even in the U.K. who are currently working on pieces for Trauma to Art. A lot of people contact me about participating. I encourage everyone who contacts me, but I don't put deadlines on them. They come when they come. Everyone has their own individual creative process.

Chi2DC: Have you met any interesting people or heard any particular stories since joining up with Trauma to Art?

L: Yes! You! Since starting Trauma to Art I have become this available listeners. People approach me, email me, call me and share their stories. I feel so honored and grateful to play this role whenever I can. I don't feel its my place to tell those stories. I'm not sure I could do them justice. I encourage anyone who is curious to go onto http://trauma2art.com to read what is currently there. Tara's writing is great. Your writing is great. I'm inspired by everyone who has submitted a piece. The people who connect with me provide me with the fuel and inspiration to build Trauma to Art.

Chi2DC: If you could share any words of encouragement with someone going through a state of grief, whether that's the loss of a friend, family member, pet, etc., what's the one sentiment you would want to share with them the most?

L: I don't know if this is considered encouragement but I usually tell people the following: Accept that you'll make mistakes, commit to figuring out how to cope, love and respect the people who love you, be patient and over time you'll gain clarity. I tell people that writing and creating worked for me but I don't and will not push my ideas on anyone. People need to find out what works for them and if it happens to be Trauma to Art than I will be supportive and encouraging. The site and its writers, me included, are simply available resources.

T: My experience made me such a pessimist. I stopped believing in a lot of things. I was young, so I guess it just made me realize the harsh realities of life sooner than most people do. It's very difficult to lose someone close to you. Very difficult. But a loss should awaken you to those you still have around you. Kurt Vonnegut wrote that the "purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved." Take a step back and look at the people in your life who are most important to you. Love them. Appreciate them. And tell them that. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Chi2DC: Trauma to Art has received a lot of attention in the grief community. Do you have any plans to take the site "up a notch" or to keep expanding its content?

L: The grief community has certainly made me feel welcome. The people in this industry are positive, supportive and inspiring for sure. As far as the site goes, like anything anyone works one, it needs to be evolving and updated constantly. I will be making some improvements to the site in the next few months. My biggest priority is making the information easy to find and the site easy to use. There is no need to overcomplicate it. It's a work in progress. As far as expanding the content, I will continue to work to raise awareness for the site. Like I mentioned, many people are currently working on projects and I don't push anyone to meet a specific deadline. I like to let nature takes its course.

Chi2DC: What is your ultimate goal for Trauma to Art as an organization?

T: I'd really like to see T2A take off. Where are the angel investors out there? I'd love for Lauren to get some funds to promote the organization, attract more contributors and eventually start community outreach/projects/programs. I'm helping Lauren in any way she asks -- editing, researching -- since this type of start-up requires lots of volunteer manpower. T2A has already done a lot for me, by showing me that I have the strength to be open about my experience. Since T2A unlocked that inside of me, I am happy to help in any way I can.

L: I have so many aspirations for Trauma to Art. To explain I have to back up about 13 years. This story was always in the back of my mind when I was working to bring the idea of Trauma to Art into fruition. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 5 so the idea was pretty commonplace to me. As a kid I almost assumed everyone had a mum with cancer. When I was about 13, the mother of a girl I knew passed away from cancer. The girl was a few years older than me and she got into a lot of trouble after it happened. She started using drugs and hanging around with a bad crowd. I can't even explain how much this worried my mother. She talked to me about it at the time and made me promise her this would never be me no matter what happened. I was lucky enough to have an amazing support system of people around me and so that never was me but if the Trauma to Art community can prevent that from happening by providing an outlet than I think we would all feel very proud and accomplished. That story is one of the reasons Trauma to Art will publish an annual yearbook to distribute to schools for free. Everyone is welcome at Trauma to Art because I think a well-rounded age disparity is essential for any learning environment but young people are the ones to focus on, in my opinion.

For more information regarding Trauma2Art and how to get involved, please visit www.trauma2art.com.

"Hallelujah" live & How it Felt to Sing it

2011-03-30T20:38:00.007-04:00

"American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, inspired by Cale's earlier cover, recorded one of the best-known^[10] versions of "Hallelujah" for his debut album Grace in 1994.
In 2004, Buckley's version was ranked number 259 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".^[1] The same year Time called Buckley's version "exquisitely sung," observing "Cohen murmured the original like a dirge, but ... Buckley treated the ... song like a tiny capsule of humanity, using his voice to careen between glory and sadness, beauty and pain... It's one of the great songs."^[11]
In September 2007, a poll of fifty songwriters conducted by the magazine Q listed "Hallelujah" among the all-time "Top 10 Greatest Tracks" with John Legend calling Buckley's version "as near perfect as you can get. The lyrics to Hallelujah are just incredible and the melody's gorgeous and then there's Jeff's interpretation of it. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of recorded music I’ve ever heard."^[12] In July 2009, the Buckley track was ranked number three on the 2009 Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, a listener poll held every decade by the Australian radio station Triple J."[13]" - via Wikipedia

I agree. Completely. With all those quotes listed above this very sentence.

With that said, I performed at Arlene's Grocery in New York City this past February. It was my NYC debut ... and I played it on the same stage Jeff Buckley once played on back in 1997. He had a tremendous influence on the music community with his career that was cut far too short.

Earlier this month I had a little spill, leaving my right (dominant) arm with a severely sprained ligament hindering my arm pretty stiff and sore. As a result, I knew the show must go on. I had a performance to play. Producer Paul Derlunas joined me for the ocassion, which allowed me to focus on my singing.

My performance this past Tuesday was the first time I ever sang solo live, on-stage in front of an audience without playing guitar at the same time.

It was exhilarating. I felt like Rachel Berry for a minute. That was fun.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wrigley Field - Summer 2010 vs the Atlanta Braves, August 15

2011-02-23T18:00:00.006-05:00

Ron Santo: A Picture of Courage

2010-12-05T18:28:00.012-05:00

Pictured: Ron Santo (on the left) at Nationals Park, August 2010.

What can someone who never saw Ron Santo play third base actually say about his playing? The truth is I can't speak true justice of the man's time spent around the horn of Wrigley Field and America's other Major League ballparks. What I can shed some light on is the effect Santo had on Chicago, Cubs fans, the Cubs, and Major League Baseball.

When Santo's passing was announced on Friday morning it came as a shock to all. Santo, of course, has not been in the best of health over the past few years (this past year especially) due to complications with bladder cancer and diabetes. But here's the thing about Ron Santo -- he might have been sick but nothing ever stood in between him and his beloved Cubbies.

Wrigley Field die-hards know that stand-fan Ronnie Woo-Woo may make a run for the number one spot on the Cubs Fan list but Santo was different. Santo saw the Cubs from all possible angles. Santo was and still is the ultimate Cubs fan.

The last broadcast I ever heard Santo make was Lou Pinella's final game as Cubs manager against Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field on August 21, 2010. My family friends shared their tickets with me for that day but I was forced to leave after the seventh inning (against my will ... I have never left a Cubs game early before then and never will again ... that's just something Cubs fans do not do ... we do NOT leave baseball games early whether our team is winning, losing, or playing ... that's just a fact). Since I left early in order to take the 1.5 hour trip to Michigan City, In. to visit my grandpa, my mom and I turned on WGN Radio in the car.

The Cubs went on to win the game (I think) and Ron Santo gave his usual commentary. At times it sounded as if he was losing hope, at other's he was as positive as ever. One thing was obvious -- his emotional ups and downs were defined by the Cubs play at any given moment.

The morning Santo passed away, floods of Twitter messages and memory-filled editorials consumed the online newspapers of Chicago and blog streams of Major League Baseball. Sports writers of every American quadrant shed a tear for baseball's loss. Why? Because Ron Santo was a unique character whose personality has yet to be matched by any player of the modern era.

Photo from Chicago Now

It's impossible to count how many articles since Santo's passing have referenced the infamous "heel click" that turned into the Cubs' "victory dance" that the Mets seemed to hate so much.

That heel click always reminded me of Bert Lahr's interpretation of the Cowardly Lion in the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz.

Ronnie had all the courage in the world even in the face of impending death and medical difficulties. The Cubs and baseball is what kept him alive all these years. His devotion was as undying and immortal as any incarnation of an all mighty religious god.

Friday night I found it necessary to commemorate this man's memory with drinks along side the only other Cubs fan of a friend I have in Washington, D.C. We sipped scotch in his honor all while talking about how Jim Hendry needs to go if the Cubs want to start at a shot for a World Series and how the Rickett's asking the Illinois government for money to "improve Wrigley" is a shameful act of greed.

[Side Note: Dear Rickett's family, If you can't pay for the work you want done then you shouldn't have bought the team in the first place. Maybe if you paid more attention to the product on the field as opposed to adding macaroni art to the streets of Chicago the people buying tickets might fill their seats instead of leaving them empty.]

There has been some talk of whether or not Santo should have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. While the fan inside me wants to say, "Send the man to the Hall," the baseball writer in me says:

"He's right where he belongs -- he's got a retired number by the Cubs at Wrigley Field and will always be remembered as the perfect combination of Harry Caray, Ernie Banks, and Ronnie Woo-Woo. He's got the announcer's spirit and antics like Caray, the player's devotion and understanding like Banks, and the fan's perspective like Woo-Woo. He doesn't need the Hall. He's already in a Hall class all his own."

Santo didn't want to be inducted into the Hall after passing away if he wasn't "good enough" to be inducted while he was alive. As weird as it sounds, I hope his wishes are held as sacred.

On a personal note, I was only ever in the same place as Ron Santo within a few feet of each other one time in my entire life (as far as I know). This past summer was my first on the Major League Baseball beat as the Nats writer for WeLoveDC.com. The Cubs came to town for a three-game series in August and Ron Santo was there with them.

I made it a point to be on the field for batting practice just to catch a glimpse of the Cubs legend in passing. The final game of the series he stood on the warning track during batting practice at Nationals Park chatting to buddies he's made throughout the years including the Cubs beat writers, Cubs players, Cubs players turned Nats players, and Nats coaching staff he knew from back in the day. He walked slowly atop his two prosthetic legs but what I saw was a man who never let himself be defeated. Instead, he defeated the odds by staying alive all these years.

So here's to the Chicago Cubs for keeping a legend's heart strong enough through the good and the bad because of a little unconditional love.

Rest in Peace, Ron Santo. May Cubs fans and players for decades to come know the passion you felt for this team and the wonderful feeling baseball can create in the hearts of the average person. Your courage is and always will be an inspiration.

Rachel Levitin Music: A Rock Star Moment

2010-11-21T21:37:00.010-05:00

There are very few moments in my life that I've felt like a true rock star ... even if just for a little while.

Those moments include: the first time I ever played a song I wrote in front of an audience of people my own age (at age 14), when I recorded my first album of original music (at age 18), when I played a VIP reception for a D.C. film festival in which Rider Strong aka Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World was an attendee (at age 21), when I opened for my high school friends Filligar at a D.C. rock club (at age 22), when I played on stage with Big Sam's Funky Nation live on trumpet (at age 23), when I auditioned for American Idol (at age 23), and then tonight ... at age 23.

What happened tonight? Well earlier today I was working on my review of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's concert last Thursday at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. at a Starbucks near my apartment. When I was placing my coffee order I perused the limited C.D.'s for sale at the counter and found the new compilation record of Norah Jones' top collaborations between the years of 2001 and 2010.

Now me and Norah, we go way back. I was once a skeptic of her talents. I didn't like her much. I thought "Don't Know Why" was a boring version of "Yellow" by Coldplay but with a girl singing instead of a guy. Then I wised up and listened to the Grammy's. Jones earned five Grammy Awards in 2003 including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist.

Needless to say, I bought her debut album "Come Away With Me." Upon further review I deemed it worthy of all of the Grammy's love and adoration.

Later that summer I spent eight weeks at the world-renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts studying Jazz Trumpet. Interlochen also hosted multiple touring concert series' throughout the summer with big-name acts like Hootie and the Blow Fish, Josh Groban (an Interlochen summer alumni) and fellow Interlochen summer alumni Ms. Norah Jones.

The summer of 2003 was Jones' stopped at her music alma mater -- she was also a Jazz student there -- to perform during her summer tour. Since she was an alumni, Jones offered to do a question and answer session with a select group of interested students before the evening's public ticketed event (which meant outsiders, not just students and summer faculty could attend).

I, being the big fan and music nerd I was (...by the way, I still am, but that's besides the point), drafted a thoughtful and insightful question asking what it was like as a woman songwriter and performer in a male-dominated genre of the music industry. My question was selected and I got to ask it at the Q&A.

Just hours before that Q&A, I ran into Jones after my rehearsal and her sound check. Lucky for me I had my guitar strap with me. She signed it after answering a question about being a songwriter and making music theory jokes that including talk about mixolydian mode.

Rachel Levitin and Norah Jones - 2003

Long story short -- my appreciation for Norah Jones was born in 2003 and still exists today. When I bought the "...Featuring Norah Jones" compilation album today I did the first thing I always do when I buy a physical C.D. -- open the C.D. jacket and read the song details.

I love knowing who wrote the song, when it was first performed if it's not an original, who's playing what instrument, how many vocalists are there, what sort of instrumentation is being played, and any other detail that's provided. So I read through the listing on this album (see picture below).

Rachel Levitin and Big Sammie Williams of Big Sam's Funky Nation - 2010

That's when I saw Big Sam's name on track six "Ruler Of My Heart." He was the trombone player for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band before starting his own band. He's performed with Norah Jones. I've performed with him. Therefore -- thanks to the transitive property -- I just had a mini-rock star moment.

...Not a bad way to end the weekend.

A Little Laughter Makes Everything Better: The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

2010-10-31T17:05:00.009-04:00

When I decided to attend American University for college over six years ago, one of the first things my dad said to me was, "You'll get to see a Presidential Inauguration! How cool!"

As an individual who has never been too into politics and sees our democracy more as something that tears people apart than brings them together, the whole "seeing a Presidential Inauguration" didn't seem too cool at the time. The history nerd dwelling deep inside my cerebral cortex, however, was running rampant with eager excitement.

"A chance to see living history," my inner-self proclaimed, "sign me up!"

Unfortunately, my father passed away days before President Obama's inauguration during my senior year of college and his funeral was on Inauguration Day. I never saw the inauguration live like my dad said I would. Instead, I spent that special day in Chicago with the man who told me how cool my first presidential inauguration in DC was going to be -- while at his funeral.

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was my first foray into attending a major event on the National Mall. For several of my friends, this was far more fun than the historic inauguration due to miserably frigid winter temperatures during Obama's speech. For me, it was the perfect introduction to how many people in this country actually know how to chill out and have a good time.

And to think I almost didn't go because I was tired. That seems so silly in retrospect:

It took nearly an hour and a half to commute from Tenleytown in NW DC to reach the site of the rally. After three packed-to-capacity rail cars passed the hundreds of people impatiently waiting to step foot onto a train, my friends and I hopped on a train headed toward Maryland, got off four stops later, and then waited about another 20 minutes for a train back into the city. Along the way, we made a few “friends” from out of town. One even over heard me asking my friends for a piece of gum and a complete stranger asked me if I would like a piece. Everyone was in such high spirits. I think Jon Stewart’s goal of getting America to chill out a little was the tone set for all in attendance. I’ve never seen more people in one place in my entire life. The National Mall was a sea of people that felt like a never-ending mosh pit. There was an overall jolly atmosphere surrounding Washington. Everyone, as far as I could tell, was having fun. I think that’s the most important thing to take away from the rally itself — that we really can all get along sometimes if we just take a minute to chill out and have a good laugh.

-- Excerpt from "We Love Rallies: We Love DC Reactions to the Rally To Restore Sanity" on We Love DC.

After trying to push our way through the crowd for over an hour, my friends and I fled the mall and walked through the streets of Washington with wonder while people-watching for the rest of the day.

Thanks Comedy Central for entertaining District residents and the country this weekend, it was a nice reminder to relax and enjoy the fact that we can even host such rallies. The fact that our country and government allows for such a farce of a rally to even occur is living proof that we're pretty awesome here in America.

On Idina Menzel...

2010-10-30T20:07:00.010-04:00

I had the privaledge of attending Tony award winner Idina Menzel's opening show of a three-day set worth of Pops performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall Thursday night.

For both Menzel and myself, it was our second time ever setting foot in the Kennedy Center ... well my second time as a patron and Menzel's second time as a performer. Her first time was to pay homage to her idol Barbra Stresisand when she was honored for her for lifetime achievement in the performing arts. My first time was for an opera during college as part of my music minor.

I've taken the liberty of reveiwing the evening on We Love DC and my full column can be found there, however, I wanted to take a moment to mention Ms. Menzel's greatest attribute -- her gratitude.

Her voice and stage presence speak for themselves. She is a musical force to be reckoned with and is one talented fire-cracker of a woman. She's funny. She seems slightly scattered brained but in a good way. And even with all of her professional success and good family life, she still manages to not only stay grounded but express her gratitude with sheer sincerity.

Musical performance aside, one memory I will always associate with the evening is her extending her deepest gratitude for showing up and supporting a girl whose life long dream was to sing.

She thanked her mom for playing babysitter for her while on this trip to D.C. Menzel and husband Taye Diggs have a 13-month-old son named Walker who accompanied mommy and grandma to the District this week. She even dedicated her encore performance of "Tomorrow" from Annie to dear old mom. If that's not saying "Thanks" then I don't know what else could.

She sang some of the songs written with Diggs while taking care of the baby as an "I love you" to Walker.

She credited her successful career to the late Jonathan Larson who wrote Rent (which was Menzel's professional debut on Broadway).

She spoke more than highly of her husband. It sounds like those two have something really special and she knows how lucky she is to have him in her life.

And she sang a rendition of "For Good" (from Wicked) that brought tears to my eyes:

The evening’s finest moment wasn’t an expected show-ending rendition of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” or an encore performance of Annie’s “Tomorrow.” Both were fantastic routines with a genuine voice backing up the song’s sentiments, but Menzel took it upon herself to garnish the night with a spine-tingling surprise gift for her audience.

Before the orchestra started “Defying Gravity,” Menzel removed her in-ear monitors. “I think I can do this without these in,” she mumbled. Then she put her microphone down.

No one knew what she was trying to do. Conductor Marvin Hamlisch looked confused. Menzel appeared to be nervous. It looked like she was ready to exit the stage. Then, she opened her mouth and started singing.

“I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason,” she began. Those are the opening lines to a song from Wicked titled “For Good.” It is a heart-wrenching song describing the relationship between the witches of Oz.

Never in my life have I heard such an organic performance from a singer of her caliber. Menzel, in that moment, was mesmerizing. Her voice filled the room without any assistance from a microphone. She’s that powerful of a musical force.

Some people say “Thank You” by filling out generic cards they bought at a CVS Pharmacy. Idina Menzel says “Thank You” by singing a song that means the world to her a Capaella at the Kennedy Center.

For that, Ms. Menzel, this singer/writer would like to say just one word: thanks.

-- Excerpt from "We Love Music: A Date with Idina Menzel & The NSO Pops" seen on We Love DC.

Idina Menzel strikes me as the kind of person I have always striven to be. Grateful, happy, stressed by work but all the better for it because hard work is always worth it, in love with what I do for a living, singing, surrounded by music, and always working on making myself a better person.

Based on her presence at the Kennedy Center Thursday I feel confident in saying Idina Menzel is a treasure in the musical community because she means every word she sings and is a model human being. I'm sure she's flawed, as are we all, but there's really just something special about Idina Menzel.

Solace - Rachel Levitin - Ebenezers Coffeehouse - Washington, D.C.

2010-10-22T20:38:00.001-04:00

NEW SHOW ANNOUNCED: Rachel Levitin Live at Ebenezers Coffeehouse

2010-10-16T17:28:00.003-04:00

Rachel Levitin Live

Ebenezers Coffeehouse, Thurs. 10/21

201 F Street NE, Washington D.C.

A couple blocks from the Union Station Red Line Metro Station

The Singer-Songwriter-Showdown

4 acts, 1 stage, 1 winner, all ages

Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.

No iPod, No Problem: In Honor of Rich Cronin

2010-09-09T21:14:00.000-04:00

The desk in my bedroom from High School. I wrote my of my songs from 2001-2005 that seat.

Last week I missed the 90s so much that I bought a portable Compact Disc player online. I fielded a few comments from friends about my choice. “Don’t you have an iPod?” they asked, “What’s a CD?” some joked, but hard-knocks aside I stand firmly beside my decision.

What music consumers aka the public-at-large forget is if you buy a physical CD and not the digital iTunes version of the album, then that CD is meant to be listened to on a CD player. That’s the only way to gain the optimal listening experience, since the CD was made for a CD player and not an MP3 player.

I haven’t wanted to grow up, hence my desperate attempts to rekindle what once made me tick a decade ago. At the age of 13, I was going into my final year at the Anshe Emet Day School, I was in the 8th grade, and had just told the other kids in my class that I started writing songs. That’s how I spent the summer of 2000.

They looked at me with prodding eyes. I felt defaced and demoralized. My mental strength was weakened by their disapproval, but that didn’t stop me. I kept writing, I kept singing, I took the stage and belted my heart out for all of them to hear. They’re disapproval shattered. They were embarrassed. I rested my case.

Fast-forward a decade later, I’ve recorded three albums with new music in the works. I’ve received a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in music theory and history. What are those kids from my 8th grade class doing? Well, I can’t say for sure. I know a lot of them are looking for jobs, have jobs, are in law school, or still trying to get a B.A. from a city college somewhere around Chicago.

Washington, D.C. has treated my lyrical soul well enough. In fact, after the horrible nightmare that was 2009 for myself and my family, 2010 is shaping up to be that of a whirlwind fantasy come to life.

It’s times like these, when I know how lucky I am to be where I am in life, that we must remember where we came from and why we’re here.

A decade ago I would bop my head to whatever pop track MTV’s Total Request Live shoved in my face. Quite frankly, they didn’t have to shove it in my face though. I loved it. I breathed it. 90s pop was my lifeline. After all, it was a weekend spent watching a Backstreet Boys special on Fox Family Channel that spawned my love for songwriting. That was twelve years ago.

In honor of 90s pop music and those who fed my creative mind with material to take and improve upon, this post is dedicated to Rich Cronin of LFO who passed away overnight due to complications with Leukemia.

To commemorate Rich and my childhood, I’m going to use my Compact Disc player every day for a week. No iPod.

Lou Pinella's Final Victory As A Manager: August 21, 2010 - Wrigley Field, Chicago

2010-09-08T21:32:00.002-04:00

Ron Santo at Nationals Park (8/24/2010)

2010-08-24T23:44:00.005-04:00

Pictured (left to right): Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, WGN 720 AM sportscaster and former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, Nationals left fielder Josh Willingham, Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein, and Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo.

The Cubs Come to Washington: August 2010 Edition (in pictures)

2010-08-24T21:30:00.000-04:00

The team gets ready for batting practice.

3B Aramis Ramirez loosens up before hitting the cage.

Former battery-mate's Jason Marquis and Geovany Soto catch-up before game time.

Ramirez prepping for BP.

Pre-game w/ coverage of Lou Pinella.

Former Nat and current Cub Alfonso Soriano speaks with Nats broadcaster Charlie Slowes.

Team prepping for game time.

Rookie SS Starlin Castro mentally preparing for BP.

Cubs catchers Geovany Soto and Koyie Hill stretching.

Soto and Marquis part ways after a pleasant catch-up session.

Google Makes My Day: Wizard of Oz Edition

2010-08-12T21:24:00.000-04:00

This morning I received a text from a friend of mine telling me to go to Google.com as soon as possible. I didn't understand why she was so specific. Usually when people tell me to "google" something, I go to the search engine and type in some text. Not this time.

My friend was specific. She said go to Google.com, not "google (insert random mundane word here).

Much to my pleasant surprise the following photo appeared:

Today in 1939, "The Wizard of Oz" premiered in Oconomowoc, WI. -- the same town in which my dad attended camp as a kid.

For those of you who don't know why the Wizard of Oz has a special place in my heart, let me explain. My dad was one of the biggest Oz collectors around. He restored all of L. Frank Baum's first edition books in the Oz series and was known throughout the Oz collecting world by many.

After his passing in January 2009, he received high praise not only from those who bought his "Oz Artifacts" off Ebay but from fellow collectors in general.

Our house is filled with first edition children's books, Oz memorabilia and more copies of the Wizard of Oz on VHS or DVD then anyone should really have. My mom also made sure to have the canter sing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" at my dad's funeral -- which he ended up singing at the graveside service as the lowered him to eternal rest at Chicago's Rosehill Cemetery.

I could get sad and upset, allowing the sight of this photo to numb my senses all day long but instead I'll relish it and smile and whistle "If I Only Had Brain" to myself.

Sounds like a good day to me.

Now THAT'S Funny: How I'd Like To Commemorate My Summer As A Cub Reporter Following The Nats

2010-08-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

As you might have noticed, I'm in my rookie season as a cub reporter on the Nats beat for We Love DC. It's pretty much the baseball equivalent of being the kid in Almost Famous, at least in my eyes. So I thought I'd have a little fun.

No -- I'm not actually going to BUY the jersey or t-shirt, but I did find it quite ironic that my attempt to commemorate my season as a cub reporter with the Nationals could make for quite a funny screen shot:

In either case, this Cubs fan turned MLB beat writer for the Nats has certainly enjoyed the humor produced from the pictures above.

What I Did This Summer

2010-08-02T23:45:00.000-04:00

The Glover Park Co-Ed Softball League has been a mainstay of fun times, social activity, and athletic prowess for longer than I've been alive. Some of the players on my team might not enjoy that fact since, at the age of 23, I was by far the baby of the team by quite a few years.

What started out as the brain child of the Michael "Crash" Crescenzo, quickly solidified itself as the Summer spot in people's lives on Sunday.

I signed up after the season already started up not knowing what I was getting myself into. At the time, I was looking for an excuse to get out of my studio apartment on Sunday and an excuse to get in a little athletic time while I'm at it.

It didn't take long to learn that no matter how competative you are, this league is about one thing -- fun. I assure you, it is more than fun.

The characters I met on the sidelines and in the dugout are a treasured bunch thrown together all looking to make memories based around one of their favorite past-times. Yeah it does suck when your team loses, because nobody really LIKES to lose, but winning and losing isn't the point.

I might sound like a kindergarden teacher trying to moviate kids after a big championship loss, which is pretty close to what happened to my team the Near Misses yesterday, but it's true nontheless.

Baseball -- or softball in this case -- is supposed to be fun. The punch of a loss can be quickly masked by a few cold beers, a round of corn hole with your league-mates, and watching a couple other teams square off on the diamond.

Glover Park Softball is that place and I'm lucky to have just completed my rookie season. Was I skeptical of how I would fit in at first? You bet I was. Like I said, some players on my team have been playing on this team longer than I've been alive. The league started in 1982 and I'm pretty sure that since my team's "owner" started that league that we've been around since then. I was born in 1987. I rest my case.

It wasn't until our season celebratory party a night before the final day of the season that I knew I'd found new summer family, even if we do only see each other once a week. My rookie hazing included singing a song in front of the team and their families. Lucky for me, I can sing. It's been said I sang the best song in Near Misses history, so I'll take the compliment ... since my playing is as you might say a bit not so good? Ha. I was better in high school, but it's of no consequence.

2010 was a great rookie season with a fantastic team of ragtag characters and beyond memorable moments. Here's to next year!

Adam Dunn Stays with the Washington Nationals After Crazy Trade Rumors

2010-08-02T21:27:00.000-04:00

This had to be shared somewhere on the internet. Credit to WLDC Author & Photographer Max Cook for this lovely shot from the Saturday July, 31 Nationals-Phillies game (click photo to enlarge it):

Check out that gum action. Seriously. Either way, Washington is happy to have Dunn on their side.

Rachel Levitin live - Saturday 7/24 - Tonic Lounge DC

2010-07-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

Please note: This show is 18+.

The drought is over. New music, new merch, new performances:

Join Rachel for her second Jam Sessions performance live from the Tonic Lounge (in the heart of GW's campus) along side R&B vocalist Shelita Vaughns and other rockin' local DC acts on Saturday 7/24!

Need more info as to why you should come?

A new compilation album/EP entitled "The Bourbon Taster EP" will be on sale in limited quantities (for the time being). The taster features a sampling of brand-new songs produced by Paul Derlunas and four tracks from previous recording sessions, including two from my 2005 debut album "Come As You Are".

Prices of the albums range between $5-$15 and the proceeds made off the taster and "Come As You Are" will be donating in my late-father's memory to support organ donation awareness.

Also -- if you are currently a DC, Maryland, or Virginia resident and are NOT an organ donor, you will be able to sign up to become one at all of my upcoming performances.

So come out and be a part of something good with Rachel Levitin live at the Tonic Lounge Jam Session!

Again -- A portion of all album proceeds will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation and the Donate Life campaign.

Rachel gets a Canjo at Dollywood

2010-07-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

American Idol: Making Dreams Come True For Those Who Never Thought It Was Possible

2010-07-19T21:03:00.000-04:00

One of the last things the American Idol producers tell their prospective contestants before auditioning in a collective group of 10,000+ in a giant arena nearly filled to capacity is to not get yourselves down if you're not selected. It doesn't mean you can't sing, it just means you're not what the show is looking for -- that's it.

The hardest part is shoving all your hopes and dreams into a once-in-a-lifetime, seat-of-your-pants, whirlwind weekend of fulfilling your loftiest personal goals and then being shot down.

It took me until 26 hours after the fact to realize why being denied a spot on American Idol was quite easily the biggest compliment the show's producers could have ever issued me upon being cut from the first round of auditions. Sure, the initial blow stung my body, brain, and heart with the force of a million knives prodding every orifice of my being, but the pain subsided. The numb feeling led to a few shed tears while listening to one of many Glee tracks off the CD's my friend had created for our 11-13 hour road trip from DC to Nashville as we drove off in the sunset toward Sonic to drown our sorrows in greasy, heartburn inducing comfort food.

For whatever reason, I left Bridgestone Arena after being in or around it from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. heartbroken and pained. I shouldn't have, but at least I knew I cared.

I could choose to go on tirade and trash everything American Idol stands for, but that wouldn't be doing the show justice. At first, I almost went as far as to say that the show's place in popular culture could be a detrimental to the hopes and dreams of the individuals the show seeks as contestants. That isn't the case.

I now believe I know the truth -- American Idol is the best makeover show that isn't marketed as such -- or at least, not in an obvious fashion.

Think about the faces you've seen over the past nine season of American Idol. Often times, if not every time, the final two contestants are people no one would have ever imagined being on the cover of a magazine or staring in their own music video, let alone end up with a major record deal. That's the point of the show.

American Idol takes the underdog, the unlikely candidate, and allows them the opportunity to seek a future greater than their wildest dreams could have ever imagined. They let thousands of people audition in order to have them feel like they have a place in all of the pomp and circumstance of it all, but it's really just a show allotting a dream to someone who wouldn't have been offered a chance by modern social and entertainment standards.

Try to remember all the faces the on the American Idol stage since 2000 -- Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo, Fantasia Barrino, Bo Bice, Carrie Underwood, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Blake Lewis, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, David Cook, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Crystal Bowersox, and Lee DeWyze. These aren't your everyday pop stars. Each individual grew immensely during the process and were by no means the "text book" definition of a pop star when they started out, no matter how much talent (or lack thereof) they portrayed.

That's why singers who took the time out of their busy and routine driven lives can't get too down on themselves for having auditioned and not making it past the preliminary round of American Idol auditions. Those young performers with years of practice, natural talent, or anywhere in between have to know it's not that they can't sing. It's just the opposite. You have what it takes to pursue the music industry on your own, unassisted by FOX or American Idol. That's why the producer's cut you. You can make your dream come true on your own, it's just about the timing and execution.

If you want your dream bad enough, you can achieve it. American Idol isn't for people who know they have exactly what it takes to make it big. American Idol is for the people who never thought being a musical superstar could ever happen. American Idol is an outlet to keep what's good about America alive, it keeps that hard-work ethic and the whole "happy endings DO come true" ideal alive in our imaginations.

So if you've ever been cut from the show like I have and feel like you weren't given your fair shot at fulfilling your dreams, know that it's the opposite. American Idol just handed you your dreams and said, "Take your talent, stage presence, and passion and use it the way you know how. Carve your own path. You know how to do it. Why are you here? You don't need us to write your story, you can do it on your own."

For those of you who have made it through to the additional rounds of auditions and will be on the tenth season of American Idol, I hope all your wildest dreams come true. You deserve it. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad bit jealous.

I hope to cross paths with you one day. If we both keep it up, I'm sure we will.

So thanks American Idol, for proving to me that I have what it takes to make my dreams come true and thanks for giving those who never thought they had a chance an opportunity to succeed. That's pretty gosh darn nice if you ask me.

***

A personal aside: I really have to take a moment to say how grateful I am for the amazing and incredibly touching amount of support you all shared with me since announcing my decision to audition for American Idol. It's something I honestly never thought I would do and if it weren't for this experience I wouldn't have found this additional source of inspiration to continue doing what I love to do (all of you really showed me that my love for music does more than inspire myself but it inspires all of you as well, so thank you) plus a new found confidence in performing. If I can belt out the best performance of my life in a 60 second period in front of the American Idol producers then nothing can stop me. You all know who you are so I don't need to name names, just know you've all touched me more than you could have thought possible. So for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Much Love,

Rachel Levitin

***

There are also two photo albums of my journey /// one /// two

The Road to Nashville

2010-07-15T21:33:00.000-04:00

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This time last year I was sitting on my couch, staring at Craig's List on the daily, unemployed, bored out of my mind, and border-line broke.

What a difference 12 months makes.

Tonight my friend Shea and I will depart from the Nation's capital for a close to 11 hour drive toward Nashville to audition for the tenth season of American Idol. The show's changed a lot in a decade but so have I. My dad's heart transplant was still something my family was getting used to back in 2000. Grammy award winner Kelly Clarkson would go on to become American Idol's first winner. I hadn't even entered high school yet.

My younger self had a bedroom plastered with Justin Timberlake and Drew Lachey posters (most of which still lay in pile on a bookshelf). I had more CD's then I knew what to do with. A strong obsession with pop music and a desire to fit in encouraged this shy young'n to start pursuing what really made her tick -- music.

I still remember the day I was home alone with my dog watching a Backstreet Boys special on what was then called ABC Family Channel. That's what inspired me to take my love for music, teeny bopper tuneage, and pop culture and apply it to my life. My goal in life quickly transformed into being a pop star.

Hell, when I was 12 I wrote a short story for English class about how Will Smith would present the Grammy for Best New Artist to me by the age of 16. A girl can dream, right?

Well here I am on the cusp of a life changing event. Will the producers at American Idol find me marketable and talented enough to receive the illusive yellow sheet of paper sending me to Hollywood or will I be shot down for "not having what it takes?"

If I get shot down, that's their loss. I've been at this for far too long and I happen to know the show would be lucky to have me, if not for my "talent" and hard work put in to maintain that talent then for the wonderful story behind my inspiration.

You see, the doctors told my parents I would be lucky to survive being born back in the day. I was premature by five weeks, 3 pounds 5.5 ounces at birth, and in dire need of immediate surgery upon being born a blue baby.

This has really been a long time coming and let me tell you, the timing is everything. I can almost guarantee the producers will ask me why I haven't auditioned before if I have all this musical background. The answer is simple: the timing wasn't right yet. Sure, dreams are great and all but if I hadn't gotten a college degree those dreams wouldn't have meant much to me.

My love for music started early and undoubtedly stem from my dad and my Uncle Tim. My Uncle Tim was a music teacher and bought me my first coronet (a smaller version of a trumpet). My grandma (my mom's mom) on the other hand bought me my first "guitar" before the age of five. It was a red ukulele that I legitimately thought WAS a guitar. My dad and I proceed to start writing songs shortly after, the only title I remember is "Pink Flamingo" but it was a good time for what I remember of the experience.

Dad was a singer throughout high school and college, often landing lead roles in musicals like Guys and Dolls (he played Nathan Detroit) and Fiddler on the Roof (he played Perchick). He was a singer/songwriter/guitar player himself ... guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

What got me through my dad's heart transplant? Music. What kept my hopes up during middle school and high school for feeling out of place in a social scene that revolved around who was invited to so-and-so's party on the weekend? Music. What makes me smile when I'm having a bad day? Music.

Music got me through three funerals in one summer (last summer that is) -- my dad's, my grandma's, and my bubbe's. I played "You've Got a Friend" in honor of dad because he absolutely LOVED James Taylor. I played "New York, New York" for bubbe because nobody loved old Blue Eyes more (plus she was from Brooklyn). I played taps on my coronet at my grandma's funeral at Fort Snelling in Minnesota. Music is the light in the darkness shed from life's curve balls.

Lord knows my family has had horrendous and occasionally uplifting curve balls thrown at us throughout the years. That's why this trip to Nashville is more than something to make me happy about my own life. This trip is about my family and all that we stand for. What do we stand for? I'm not entirely sure I have an answer to that. What I do know is nothing would make them happier than to see me doing what I love, sharing it with others, and telling our family's uplifting story that it is possible to overcome even the harshest of blows.

So thank you to all who have supported me in this adventure. I hope to make you proud.

Filligar: The Voice of Rock's Next Generation

2010-07-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

Filligar's Stray Dogs Tour, live from The Red &The Black Bar in Washington, D.C., October 2009.
Pictured (left to right): Teddy Mathias, Johnny Mathias, Pete Mathias, Rachel Levitin, Casey Gibson.

It's nice to know I wasn't alone in having to contain myself upon receiving an advanced copy of Filligar's 2010 release "The Nerve." I popped the record into my television/DVD combo (it has stellar speakers, I kid you not) and blasted the volume to a decibel that wouldn't get me kicked out of my apartment complex. It was then it dawned on me -- Filligar has the potential to be the Rolling Stones and Beatles of our generation just as long as people start to take notice of their evolving sound after nearly a decade of song-crafting.

Instead of rambling on about why I love these guys (we did go to high school together and have shared a stage together more times than we can count), I'll share my initial takes on some of the standout tracks of their new album.

Please note, these are all simply my opinion. You're left to your own devices if you disagree:

Guilty Good Intentions – Gentlemen, I present you with your break-out single. If it’s not then please feel free to call my bluff at our Five Year High School Reunion. Can’t you hear it now? “Would you believe me if I say the boy who cried is innocent,” being sung by every down and low fella out with the guys to get back from a soured romance at the top of his lungs? How about those mid-20’s dudes out at Happy Hour after a long day at the office busting a tune to this latest jam on The Mix and Kiss FM. And those high school girls who are looking for the next young man on the charts to obsess over? Oh they’re ALL over this. Can you blame them? 3 brothers and a pianist who sings with a keyboard? You better believe there’s a Teen People cover story spread in Filligar's future. This song gets everyone on their side. It convinces the listener that they couldn’t possibly NOT like all of you. You’re the good guys.

Robbery (Shocking Love) – Catchy, happy, great way to start off a record. Seal of approval granted in this case. Which reminds me, Slow Night at the Red Sea end’s this baby right where it should, on an uplifting note that highlights more is to come from the fine lovable goofs that comprise Filligar at its best.

Mumbling Girl – Catchy, has the potential to be heard as one of those “songs of summer” guys get excited about when rocking out with friends in the car. I can totally see a guy hearing the opening lick and be like “Sweet, Filligar’s on the radio dial” and then start serenading his buddies piano bar style.

Early Riser - Johnny's vocals and acoustic playing on this track are beautiful, haunting, and pure. I could see this being used in a film, can't you? I see it set to black and white, completely classic in every way.

New & Old – Who thought of adding harmonica to this? Whoever it is, can I have your babies? But no really, awesome touch that I wasn’t expecting AT ALL. It makes me feel like I’m the female version of whatever a combination of Bob Dylan and Jack Keroac would be if the main character in a song. Definitely a nod to that slight cowboy, folk mentality of hitting the road by foot with the sole intention of just moving on. Love it. Well said.

Ticket Line - Won’t lie. Love this track. It goes way back to our high school days. The melody is memorable, the heavy guitar is a tribute to rock, which differs from the rest of this album (in a good way). Which leads to my next point …

Why I Love This Album - The reason this album works is two-fold: Filligar knows how to craft an undeniably good song after years and years of practice (it shows) and they continue to highlight one of their band’s greatest strengths – Casey’s classical piano training (boy, you’ve got mad chops, never stop playing). Filligar goes from college rock to classic rock, from grunged out to classy in what feels like a zero to sixty fashion giving fans what they want to hear while leaving them unable to guess what’s coming next. Each record, but this one in particular, is a musical riddle waiting to be solved and is worth every moment spent trying to figure it out.

All in all, my summary is simple: If I could request who would be the next memorable name in Rock History text books, I would pray on bended knee that Filligar become The Rolling Stones of the next generation.

Filligar is now on a U.S. summer tour to support "The Nerve" and has numerous stops in all sorts of major cities and small towns across the country. For the latest Filligar updates visit their website.

"The Nerve" is available on iTunes and in hard-copy form.

Life Lessons From Matt Capps

2010-07-11T23:45:00.000-04:00

[Portions of this post were mentioned in "Matt Capps: An All-Around All-Star" for We Love DC.]

Photo by Cheryl Nichols/Nationals News Network

It's easy to forget that professional athletes are regular people in disguise. In some ways, they get to have all the fun all for signing a contract stating: "You are now the best of the best in a particular crop of others who we've deemed worthy. For this we will provide you with a hefty salary. In return, all we ask is that you accept the fact that you are now, and forever, a public figure no matter if that is what you want or not."

Until this week, Lebron James was among the crop of individuals American's have deemed worthy of calling "the best" and worth spotlighting via every news outlet imaginable. Others before him include Michael Jordan, Ernie Banks, Nolan Ryan, Michael Phelps, Reggie Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Brett Favre, Walter Peyton, and many more.

There are lessons to be learned from the laundry list of professional athletes who make more money than most of us will ever accumulate in our lifetime all for being really really good at a sport that for the majority of American's remains something we did with our time after school as a kid. Extra curricular activities aside, the men (and women for that matter) who put themselves out there into the public sphere for the love of the game are still just as human as any one of us.

Matt Capps is a man we could all learn a lesson from.

And to think, just one year ago Capps was regarded by his team at the time as being on the outs of his favorite game to play.

Adam Kilgore's article in the Washington Post regarding Capps and his father.

There was a revealing piece, compliments of Nationals beat writer Adam Kilgore, in Sunday's Washington Post shedding light on the importance of Capps making his first All-Star Game appearance of his career this Tuesday.

Before this piece, it was a known fact that Capps lost his father whom he was very close with last October. To gloss over this part of Capps' life when thinking about the context in which it lies would be a mistake.

Capps continues to post stellar numbers as the Washington Nationals' closer, but it's the rough outings in which the game's outcome doesn't go his way where fans could easily get upset and begin raining on his parade.

A professional athlete's career depends on performance, but what happens when occurrences in one's personal life begin to take a slight toll on a players performance level.

For Matt Capps this is not the case. His personal life is at the core of his personal motivation no matter the outcome of the game on a daily basis.

This is why there are lessons to be learned from Capps.

So what's the lesson? As someone who lost their father a year and a half ago I can attest to the fact that all you want to do is break down. Your life feels stunted. To continue living your life without your go-to person available on the other end of a phone call leaves a hole in your heart. But no matter how big that hole is, you don't let it defeat you. In essence, you have to do that person's work for them now that they're no longer with you.

My father and myself, June 2005 at RFK Staidum for my first Nationals game.

I still hear my father's voice in my head on the daily even though we haven't had an actual conversation since about January 15, 2009. I didn't let his death defeat me, I utilized it as a tool and source of further motivation. So does Matt Capps.

Capps spoke to his father every day over the phone, often times more than once according to Kilgore's article "All that's missing is his father". His father's absence hits him the most at his most joyful moments Kilgore wrote. All Capps wanted to do after being named to the the first All-Star team in his professional career was call his dad, but he couldn't.

Capps will join baseballs biggest names of the modern era Tuesday for the mid-summer classic in Anaheim, California.

"You learn a lot about yourself as a person, as an athlete, through your failures," Capps told Kilgore. "It's easy to play this game when you're good, you're pitching well, you're playing well. You really learn about how much you love the game, how much it means to you, when you're fighting through those hard times."

"It's part of life," Capps said. "I'm moving forward and doing what I want to do. That would make him proud to know. By going out and playing and working hard off the field, preparing every day, that's the best way of remembering and representing the name that I carry."

Imagine going into a work each day with thousands of people watching, coaches breathing down your neck, and media outlets digging for quotes. None of these things are necessarily bad, but it sure doesn't make life much of a cake walk.

Matt Capps continues to go into work everyday, despite his heartbreak, and hones his pitching as best as he can. That's all he can do. He, like all of us, is human after all.

In this era of human self-involvement and narcissism seen in sports (cough cough ... LeBron James ... cough cough), a lot of these "feel-good" human interest life lessons get lost in the world of sports.

Here's to Matt Capps and his touching story behind why he plays the way he does for the Washington Nationals. Here, here.

Pictured: Matt Capps, myself, and Craig Stammen at Nats FanFest 2010 at Nationals Park.

Rachel Levitin Live at Mid City Caffe

2010-07-07T08:27:00.002-04:00

My Fourth Fourth of July in Washington, D.C.

2010-07-05T00:32:00.000-04:00

Rachel Levitin Live at Civic Plaza

2010-07-03T18:12:00.001-04:00

Wristbands are in, more to come!

2010-07-03T09:12:00.002-04:00

The wristbands from Gift of Hope (Illinois) arrived in time for today's first show in the effort to raise money in honor of my father for the National Kidney Foundation and Donate Life campaign in addition to raising organ donation awareness in the DMV area.

These are the first in many donate life promotional items that will be handed out for purchasing a record or making a donation. Pretty soon, you will also be able to sign up to be an organ donor at any of my shows. So stay tuned for that!

Happy holiday weekend all! Hope to see you at the upcoming shows!

Picking Up Where Dad Left Off: Raising Organ Donation Awareness One Day At A Time

2010-07-02T20:52:00.006-04:00

The past few days have been very productive. I've made contact with Donate Life Illinois' Gift of Hope (a group my dad worked very closely with shortly after his transplant until 2009) and the Washington Regional Transplant community to get them in on this organ donation awareness musical project I'm embarking on.

"The Bourbon Taster EP" will debut tomorrow at the Columbia Heights Market Place when I hit the stage at 1 p.m. I don't have "donate life" paraphanila to hand out with the albums yet, but should have something for the rest of my gigs from here on out.

Residents of the DMV regional area will also be able to sign up to be an organ donor at my gigs as soon as I receive these materials, which I think is the most important thing besides the proceeds from album sales going to the National Kidney Foundation and Donate Life campaign.

I'm very excited to embark upon this project and can't believe that it starts in under 24 hours.

I'm picking up where dad left off. This is only the beginning.

Note: Those "Bourbon Taster EP"'s won't be limited edition for long, still gotta get the album work done at Kinkos. It should be ready by mid-month. So look forward to that!

Mission "Make Music to Raise Money for Organ Donation Awareness" Moving Right Along

2010-06-27T10:53:00.005-04:00

Some of my family members and friends were surprised that this musical project to donate money to the National Kidney Foundation and Donate Life campaign came out of nowhere, but the response has been positive and supportive.

As I type this, I'm listening to my entire music catalog dating back to 2002. Over that time I can't even count how many songs I've written. Heck, I started this whole songwriting for fun hobby back when I was 12 so that was 11 years ago.

While I've had dreams since that time of being a world-renowned top 40 Grammy award-winning rock star, I've got to do what I can while I can still do it. That's why all of my gigs in the foreseeable future will feature new recorded material for purchase. The proceeds from those sales will be donated in honor of my father (a heart transplant recipient) to the National Kidney Foundation and Donate Life Illinois.

I will continue to perform live from our Nation's capital as often as possible in order to generate as much proceeds for donation as possible. And -- I assure you -- over 50% of the proceeds made will directly go toward the donation. So please spread the word, tell your friends and co-workers, and get them in on this.

My upcoming shows include:

The Columbia Heights Market Place, 7/3 @ 1 pm
Mid City Caffe on U Street, 7/6 @ 7 pm
Tonic Lounge Jam Sessions on G Street near GWU, 7/24 @ 8 pm

As the list continues to grow, I will keep you updated.

Final prices of the albums going on sale are still being compiled but please keep in mind that the money's going to a good cause so hopefully that gets you out to the shows to not only enjoy quality live music from a soul who genuinely enjoys performing for a crowd but to donate to a life-changing cause.

Donate life!

In Sunday's Paper: 6/27/10

2010-06-27T10:38:00.002-04:00

Louisville in Photos - On The Job

2010-06-24T18:21:00.002-04:00

Louisville in Photos - Rock 'n Roll

2010-06-24T18:20:00.006-04:00

Louisville in Photos - Louisville Slugger Park

2010-06-24T18:18:00.002-04:00

Louisville in Photos - Churchill Downs

2010-06-24T18:14:00.005-04:00

Louisville in Photos - Louisville Slugger Museum

2010-06-24T18:08:00.004-04:00

D.C. as a media hub

2010-06-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

via The Washington Examiner's Local Opinion Zone

Blue Moon of Kentucky, Keep on Shinin'

2010-06-17T21:04:00.000-04:00

The first time I ever learned anything about Kentucky I was in the third grade. My teacher at the time, Mrs. Olswang, was a Kentucky native. Like me, she was short in stature, huge in personality, and I really looked up to her – both literally and metaphorically.

Back in school, I was what some might call a “brown noser” or a “teacher’s pet,” but that’s not how I saw it. My fascination with learning started at a young age. I was three when I first learned how to read. It was a steady sailing ship from there. Reading, writing, classes – learning was what I loved.

When it came time to pick what state I would write my third grade American history state report about, the choice was simple. I would do Kentucky because that’s where my teacher was from – that and … it was the only state not taken already.

Fast forward to my junior year in high school – my best friend thought he was a cowboy. Some think that’s strange. I however loved it, still love it, and it is one of my prized memories of my first 18 years of life spent in Chicago.

You see, my friend Brad’s dad was from Kentucky. Brad and I were of the “less popular” crowd. We liked loud music and were slightly “out of place.” So we confided in each other along with our friend Claire for what turned out to be a pretty solid trio of friendship for many years. During that time, I rode around in Brad’s Jeep while he wore the boots, Wranglers, the hat, spoke with a slight drawl on occasion for fun, all while blasting Charlie Daniels Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Bill Monroe throughout the downtown streets of Chicago.

Yup, we were definitely out of place. But we loved it.

Brad outside of Claire's house in 2005

Claire and me in Dublin, Ireland in 2004

Brad went on to school in Lexington, Kentucky at the state university there. Claire went on to a multitude of things, but continues to ride horses throughout the country. I am in our Nation’s capital, but tomorrow I make the trip to Kentucky.

It will be my first time there and I’m going on business (also a first for me as a young working woman).

You better believe I’ll be thinking of the good old days of high school the entire time. I always thought my first time in Kentucky would be with Brad and Claire. Oh well. I’ll just have to take a lot of pictures so I can show ‘em at our five year high school reunion in the fall.

And now – as a gift to all of you and myself – I leave you with the top five country songs our trio from high school relied on to make us smile while cruising down Lake Shore Drive:

5. "Mississippi Kid" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

4. "Long Haired Country Boy" - Charlie Daniels

3. "Simple Man" - Charlie Daniels Band

2. "That Smell" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

1. "Blue Moon of Kentucky" - Bill Monroe

Reel Journalism: "State of Play"

2010-06-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

...featuring moderator Nick Clooney with special guests Meet the Press executive producer Besty Fischer and host David Gregory.

...more to come on this story later, via The Washington Examiner. Stay tuned.

Exclusive Q & A with Nick Clooney: Reel Journalism "State of Play"

2010-06-15T21:10:00.000-04:00

I've never met a man who liked to talk more than Nick Clooney. The best part is, if he were to read that statement he'd probably laugh and say "I know there was a compliment in there somewhere." Rest assured he was one of the finest professors I've ever had the privilege of working with.

AU SOC post-graduation celebration, 2009.

In fact, he'll admit he does enjoy a good long winded answer. My favorite quote from last night the was, "You ask with a two word question and I answer with a three page answer." True enough.

Nick and I got to catch up for a few minutes and talk journalism with his wife Nina along to listen in last night before the Reel Journalism's final installment of the 2010 season with "State of Play".

Here are a few highlights from that conversation:

Rachel: This is your second year moderating the Reel Journalism series. How do you think it’s going so far under your watch?

Nick Clooney: Actually it’s not just my watch, which I should make that perfectly clear. This is a corporate effort from a lot of us. Putting it together, trying to find the proper mix, trying to find the kind of person who loves movies and loves news. Not always that easy to find. But I really feel that its holding up well as to content. As far as my performance is concerned somebody else will have to judge that ..whether I’m running out of gas or not at this age.

I must say that this year has been a remarkably interesting year and some of them have been serendipitous in the sense that we ended up with Brian Williams on the very day that the Haiti story broke.

He … I have to salute him. He stuck it out. He promised he would be here and he was here and then left immediately to head down to Haiti that very night from this very Newseum. So you know, it’s been interesting.

We’ve had a great time. And all of them have been great. We put our toe into Tabloid lastweek or last time rather and that turned out very interesting … very firey, so it was good.

R: Are there any specific one’s that stand out in your mind as being – besides the Brian Williams one because I was there for that one and I saw you know the context. Everything, it was breaking and that was the fun part about being there because you actually got to see the news side of what we were talking about in the series which is the whole point of having a series like this is to make people you know more aware of the news and what’s going on and get them excited about it again. That’s why movies are fun because you’re like “Oh yeah, journalism you know that’s fun they do it in the movies but it’s also real life.” But are there any ones that stick about besides that one.

N: Oh yes, yes so many of them .. some of them not as well known perhaps like Frank Mancowicz coming and just .. You know his uncle wrote “Citizen Kane” and his telling first person stories about the young 25-year-old Orson Welles appearing at the door of his uncle’s house, no wonder he drank. It was just a remarkable time and wonderfully told byFrank who has had such a background in news and with of course NPR he was an absolute giant in rejuvenating NPR, making it something special and so that was a very important one to me. When I first heard we were going to do "Citizen Kane" I wasn’t sure how we weregoing to do that so I think eventually those who decided how to do this, it was not I in this case, but they got Frank Mankiewicz and then they got Tom Shales. So Tom gave us the critical take on where "Citizen Kane" fits in all of the film. So it was an interesting time.

But you know, everyone of these as I look back on them … then I remember when Carl Bernstein was here for “All The President’s Men”, and I’ve just been very lucky to be able to sit across from these folks and listen to their stories, Bob Schieffer, Susan Zirinsky .. She was so funny describing with Bob … I was shocked that Bob liked "Broadcast News". I would’ve thought that would’ve been the last film he would’ve enjoyed because it’s the one that causes news, particularly anchormen to have to answer embarrassing questions, “Are you really just an automaton with somebody talking into your ear everything you’re supposed to say,” so it’s great.

And all of them have been interesting in one way or another whether Cokie Roberts or any …it’s been very instructive to me.

R: How so?

N: Because I now see how my contemporaries, my colleagues, the folks that I worked with or around all that period of time, how they really felt about it at the time contemporainiously. We didn’t.. I did not know that exactly how they viewed what their job was whether it was really vitally important at a very dangerous time or were we just voyeurs on the passing parade. And vary views of those some of those didn’t think we didn’t a very good job at what we did.

R: Are there plans to keep the Reel Journalism series with you on-tap going through the next through years or what are the plans for that?

N: That’ll be of course up to the Newseum but we are now planning for next year, but we are planning for next year if that’s your question. We are indeed. We had a planning session today.

R: Any changes to the standard set-up that we have here, you know the typical Q & A and the film and that stuff or any new additions or something like that?

N: Well I think we will look at it each time there might be a little … might address some changes both in the kinds of people we bring in and what the films might be and how else we might approach the film and news, that intersection, but I think generally speaking were pleased with the way they format has gone so far.

We have an awful lot of people interested in news coming to this as you know, you have been there and are one of the people who have asked some of these questions and we illicit some questions particularly from this community that are, I mean, very professional. These folks know what they’re talking about and so it’s great stuff.

R: Yeah, I would say the audience each time … I’m trying to keep track of the demographics of the audience and I feel like it’s been pretty steady you know there’s a whole lot of AU students and then just general news consumers from throughout the city. What would you think … are there any other people you want to try … not to target people but people you want to encourage to try and come to these kinds of events.

N: You bet. No, I can’t think of anybody I wouldn’t encourage to come to this.

R: Right because it’s our responsibility as people in this country to actually know what’s going on in the world.

N: Yes, and if we can walk around town with a town crier’s bell and go up in each neighborhood and say that loudly and clearly, you know “it is your job.”

R: As you know, I have an American University background, I was a print journalism major and I find that you know D.C. has turned into a giant convergent media hub. This place is running rampant with new blogs every day. Neighborhood blogs, D.C. blogs, community blogs – this is basically where things are going on – and D.C. is a unique spot because you know people from all over the world and this entire country kind of stakes its claim right here. Do you think that this an example of what’s next in news … what’s happening here in D.C.?

N: I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t want to pretend. I don’t want to pretend that I know what’s next in news. What you have just said to me however is very interesting bc what you’ve described is new media as being a stepping stone to a position in old media. That’s what you just described a moment ago. So what you’re saying to me is the new media quite properly is using old media as … to disseminate the information or to gather the information and their using them as their news source. Question is how do we sustain the old media so that it will be there so that you will have something on which to lean or from which to launch. So it will be very interesting to see .. maybe that’s one of the things that people will be looking at … some kind of a marriage between the old and the new and trying to sustain the old in order to nurture the new.

Chicago to DC Shout-Outs: Donate Life IL

2010-06-14T21:58:00.000-04:00

Just a few days ago I ran a post about my two new albums set to release soon and how a percentage of the proceeds made off those albums would be donated to the National Kidney Foundation and the Donate Life campaign in honor of my late father and heart transplant recipient Steven Levitin.

Little did I know that anyone would ever find the post, let alone read it, and the re-post it on Twitter.

It would make my dad so proud that my efforts were acknowledged no matter if I end up generating any revenue to send off as a donation.

My father Steven Levitin at the Transplant Olympic Games

So please help keep my dad's spirit alive and well by supporting organ donation and purchasing my albums at my upcoming shows (which will be posted soon).

Also, if any of you are interested in obtaining the albums (which are currently in the process of being produced), I'm willing to negotiate shipping terms/prices.

It's simple to get in touch, just send a message to rachel@welovedc.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Stephen Strasburg's Major League Debut: June 8, 2010 at Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

2010-06-13T13:38:00.003-04:00

Midnight Spin on ESPN2 - Webgems

2010-06-13T13:07:00.005-04:00

I've seen Midnight Spin perform live in the District four times now -- twice at the bullpen, once at the Velvet Lounge, and once at The Rock & Roll Hotel. They've been great every time and they just keep getting better.

Here's a nod to a band I have high hopes for in the coming years. These guys will be big -- I've got a feeling.

One of These Things is Not Like The Others: Why I Love DC and the MLB Equally Right Now

2010-06-13T12:17:00.003-04:00

Stephen Strasburg will make his second Major League start and his road debut today. As I write this, Sports Center is taking about Strasburg live and I myself have just come back from a morning spent reading The Washington Post and USA Today with coffee in hand.

Growing up with baseball in your life, especially loving a team that is the physical definition of underdog (aka the Cubs -- and don't worry, I'm not disillusioned, I know their horrid this year. Let's not discuss it further), is what got me into the game.

That's why this morning was so much fun.

I walked into Starbucks on New Mexico Avenue near American University in a Nationals shirt (this is my first real Nats t-shirt with a player's name on the back ... I bought it on Strasmas Day, but I promise my next Nats shirt will be Josh Willingham to hand next to my new Strasburg prize). The barista and I proceeded to have a semi-lengthy dialog about how the Nats are so fun this year. She asked if I was going to the game today.

All I could do was smile.

I refrained from mentioning the fact that I follow the team daily as part of my tenure as one of two Nats beat writers for We Love DC. I stuck to the always believable and undeniable truth that I am a baseball junkie and knew they were playing in Cleveland today. The exchange was fun though. Nice to hear even the least sporty of folks talking baseball on a Sunday morning in NW DC.

Now to get to the photo that started off this post -- this is the true purpose for posting. Does that photo not scream CHICAGO TO DC? The only thing that would scream it louder would be a photo of Stephen Strasburg with Jim Riggleman and Kerry Wood at today's game in Cleveland.

That would be my best convergence off all things I now love -- Chicago, DC, the Cubs, the Nats, and Major League Baseball as a whole.

New Album Announcement: "Bourbon Taster" EP and sophomore release "Between Timid and Timbuktu" Coming Soon

2010-06-12T18:58:00.008-04:00

Motivation is consuming me. With that in mind, I've decided to embark upon an exciting and unique opportunity combined with music.

Due to some unforeseen events, my second album "Between Timid and Timbuktu" will finally be released in the coming weeks. The album was recorded in January 2008 but the original mastered copy was misplaced. My hard-drive crashed. I lost my copies of it. Lucky for me I burned a friend a copy! Now -- thanks to him not deleting it off of his iTunes -- my sophomore recording will finally see the light of day.

It is in vain of the "Between Timid and Timbuktu" (which is a nod to Kurt Vonnegut and his second novel Sirens of Titan) release that I've decided two big things:

I'll be releasing a "Bourbon Taster" EP featuring my self-decided "single of choice". The song is my latest and favorite track to play live on stage entitled "Bourbon". The "Bourbon Taster" EP will feature several recordings from earlier this year. Paul Derlunas of Springfield, Va. was kind enough to do the production for me. It's top notch in my opinion considering we had to rig together the microphone stand in his bedroom as we tried to capture the best possible sound from inside a Virginia community apartment. To make it even better -- the "Bourbon Taster" EP will be a limited edition issue and will look just like an old vinyl record ... thanks to the fine folks at Best Buy who sell CD-R's that look like vinyl records. Way to keep it classy, right?
A percentage of the profit made off of these two new albums will be going to the National Kidney Foundation and the Donate Life campaign in honor and memory of my father Steven Levitin who received a heart transplant on New Years Eve 1999. My dad passed away on January 17, 2009 while waiting for a second heart and a kidney. I attended the 2002 Transplant Olympic games with my dad at Walt Disney World, and I can say with complete confidence that organ transplantation is a gift to people all over this country and the world. And -- in my opinion -- it is not discussed nearly enough among the general populous. The conversation needs to be had. People need to know how much donating an organ can enhance the lives of families and individuals by literally donating life.

I look forward to sharing these new albums in addition to my debut album "Come As You Are" (2005) at my upcoming shows in July. For a full listing of my shows this summer, visit my MySpace Music profile.

Welcome to NatsTown, Mr. Precedent

2010-06-09T21:29:00.001-04:00

I almost didn't buy a ticket to Stephen Strasburg's Major League debut, but I sure am glad I did.

What was stopping me? As a rookie sports reporter for the Washington Nationals/We Love DC, I've been to every game this home stand and will be at tonight's game as well. The sheer saturation of baseball I've been doused with has been heavy. But that's exactly why I celebrated Strasmas last night at Nationals Park. Had I missed that singular game, I would have kicked myself in the you-know-what over missing you-know-who pitch the most stellar game in modern baseball history here in the District.

Some Nationals fans still don't understand what it means to contribute to a a club as a fan in a true baseball town. Little things like staying until the game is over is lost on a majority of folks who attended Strasmas. A flurry of folks fled the Navy Yard once Strasburg was pulled for the game. Had they stayed they would have seen a 17 K game featuring a Clip 'N Save, which is likely to be quite the dominant force in the MLB for the remainder of the season pending any unforeseen injuries or blown games.

Fans cheered for every strike -- exciting but still a bit much. It felt like Wrigley Field lite with all the flashes going off with every Strasburg pitch and at-bat.

Stars like Ryan Zimmerman reminded the over-sellout crowd of 40,315 that the face of the Nationals is still very much active among the ranks of Saint Strasburg. In fact, I think it was Strasburg's confidence and execution on the mound that boosted the adrenaline in the heart of the Nationals batting order. Zimm, Adam Dunn, and Josh Willingham went long, providing the run support needed to steal a 2-1 victory away from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez even knocked a couple hits after coming off the DL just yesterday in order to catch young Stephen for what is now in the books as his first career win with 14 K's and no walks.

That's right. He didn't walk anybody. Not a single Pirate.

My experience in the stands of this game was exceptional. As predicted by many, my jaw hit the floor with each strikeout. I was dumbfounded by how nasty Strasburg's pitches were. But then again, I wasn't alone.

Each fan in attendance, those watching on televisions nation-wide, members of the press, everyone's talking about it or writing about it. The media overload associated with this game was and is unprecedented.

Here's to many more solid games in the District. Welcome to NatsTown, Mr. Precedent.

Stephen Strasburg: The Factor That Will Unite D.C. As A Baseball Town (A Personal Story)

2010-06-07T22:26:00.000-04:00

I get excited about baseball games pretty fast. The prospect of seeing a knock-out starting pitcher or a veteran in the field gets me going. Mix that with one of the game's top sluggers and I just lose it.

Baseball -- to summarize -- makes me happy. It reminds me of summer, which reminds me of my childhood, which reminds me times were simpler once. They were good. And -- they can be again -- every year, once summer returns.

Summer is when the kid in me stakes its claim in my personality for a few month stint. Baseball does that to me. I get eager, over-enthusiastic, and somehow always end up cheering for any and every underdog.

Please blame my love for the underdog on being raised blocks from Wrigley Field.

It's no secret how much I love the Chicago Cubs. They are my life-line. I love them dearly because Wrigley Field and the team played host to many of my most treasured childhood memories.

With that said, I am pleased to announce that my love for baseball transcends my love for the Cubs. I'm proud of this fact and to prove it to all who might have doubted me in the past, myself included, I have purchased a ticket to the over-hyped and much-anticipated debut of the 21-year-old phenom Stephen Strasburg versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, June 8 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

As some of you may or may not know, I have been covering the Washington Nationals this season for We Love DC. It has been an honor and a privilege to not only attend games and watch as a team troubled with a five-year losing reputation make a run at being a successful ball club.

Stephen Strasburg coming into the mix will surely be a turning point in their season, not because of his alleged greatness but because of what he's doing for D.C. in terms of transforming a town of folks who only cheered for their home baseball teams into a town that will defend their Washington Nationals at a bar over drinks or at the airport while traveling.

Strasburg isn't the reason D.C. will become a baseball town, but he is a definite catalyst. Ever since the buzz started generating over when the young'n would make his MLB debut last year when he was a first-round draft pick, there's been a slight increase in ticket sales at Nationals Park. Not a huge uptake, but an increase for sure.

Now, once he takes the stage on Tuesday, people will want to see him -- whether he plays well or not. The numbers are in his favor but he's still young and has learning to do at the Major League level. The pressures are different, the stakes are higher, and Strasburg will learn to cope with these additional mental games as time proceeds.

What I'm excited to see is NatsTown rally around this young man, and by the fault, their team.

I will be present for his first attempt at a Major League win in his Major League debut. But quite frankly, I could care less if he wins. All I want to see is this city do what I've been hoping and wishing it would since I moved here for college five years ago -- become a baseball town.

As a kid growing up as close as I did to Wrigley Field and living the life of a die-hard baseball fan, it's hard to leave that for a town that doesn't understand your passion. Now they will. I'm looking forward to it.

Why I Think D.C. Will Be The Next "True" Baseball Town

2010-06-07T21:16:00.002-04:00

"Strasburg's arrival: Is D.C. now the next true 'baseball town'?"
via The Washington Examiner's Local Opinion Zone

Jazz Isn't A Genre, It's A Way Of Life

2010-06-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

I learned a valuable lesson last night -- Jazz is more than a genre of music, it's a way of life.

Growing up, I took every Jazz history course I possibly could. I would stare as if into oblivion when our grade school music class got to watch a video about the Big Band era. Heck, I even spent four months of my life during high school devoted to studying Jazz and playing Jazz every waking moment at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Traverse City, Michigan.

College was no different. The reason I decided to attend American University is still one of the easiest choices I've ever made -- Jazz Director William E. Smith told me I could play trumpet in his Jazz band. How could I turn down the offer? I couldn't. I didn't. And as they say, the rest is history.

While I don't remember the exact stories, I do know that young players often got their start as one of the big names in the genre by the older players asking the rookies to take the stage. It was never pre-announced. The kids had their horns ready hoping for a shot to cause musical commotion with the players creating a new genre of American music, but the kids also knew that showing up with your horn or axe was no guarantee for playing time.

It's like riding the bench of a major league sport. You suit up, bring all your equipment, and then keep your fingers crossed that you get tapped on the shoulder by the manager to take the field ... or in this case the stage.

It's a right of passage for a Jazz musician to take the stage after being called up, just like when Stephen Strasburg will take the mound for the Washington Nationals next Tuesday for his Major League debut. That's how it's been since the early days of Jazz over a century ago, and lucky for me it hasn't changed.

Jazzer's take care of their own. It's a family within a community based off a sub-culture of American music. I wrote an article for We Love DC last week about Buddy Bolden's (one of the text book originators of Jazz as a genre) great-grandson who is now the leader of a Jazz-Funk-Rock fusion band called Big Sam's Funky Nation.

I interviewed Sam over the phone and instantly felt a connection for two very music related reasons:

1) He's a trombone player. Which means he's a brass player. As a trumpet player, I can dig it.
2) His family might be rooted in Jazz history, but he is definitely the future if he keeps tootin' his horn like he knows how to. I'm all for that.

At the end of our phone conversation, Sam told me to bring my horn to the band's gig in Annapolis, Maryland (which was last night). Of course, I said yes right away but I knew getting there would be a slight problem considering I live in DC without a car and there's no easy way of getting to Annapolis by foot.

The fates were in on this one -- my sorority sister and her fiance drove me to Annapolis out of the kindness of their heart as I toted my trumpet along hoping and wishing to get a big break and jam with some truly talented musicians.

I didn't see it coming, but in the middle of Big Sam's set their manager tapped me on the shoulder. "He's calling you up," he told me as I watched Big Sam gesture at us.

I was shaking (in a good way). I didn't let the nerves get to me. This was it. My big call-up. Now I know how rookies in the bullpen feel before their first big league outing in front of a sell-out crowd.

Was it my finest performance to date? Not by a long shot. I hadn't warmed up, I didn't do a sound check, it was really hard to figure out what key the song was in, but I stepped up to the plate and you better believe I knocked it out of the park.

And yes, it felt amazing.

The following is a video from last night's performance:

It's nice to see that Jazz is a community. We're all looking out for each other. You better believe I'll pay it forward the next time I have a show and a rookie is waiting in the wings. It's my responsibility to do so. After all, we're just one big Jazz-loving family.

Wise Words, Compliments of Disney ... and Louis Armstrong

2010-06-01T22:06:00.001-04:00

Two of my favorite things: childhood and good old Sachmo.

The Night I Went Back in Time

2010-05-30T10:53:00.004-04:00

The laundry list including my likes and dislikes since as far back as I can remember was always on a tangent yet parallel path to the mainstream thoughts of the people surrounding me at any given time.

If I was around my grandparents, I took interest in their favorite things: Frank Sinatra, Golf, shopping, and family-time.

If I was around my sister, that list changed to: Disney movies, cartoon-based action movies, musicals, and pop music.

If I was around my classmates at school that list climbed the ranks in subject matter with a bit more intellectual base to it: history, classic literature, music, creative writing.

School was my mecca of all things truly fun that I learned how to do all on my own. I took it upon myself to excel at my favorite lessons issued by teachers.

My family influenced who I am a great deal like most other families often do. What I learned at school shaped me.

School enabled an on-going struggle to obtain a solid understanding of human nature and people's role in the world's history. I've found that studying history, literature, music, and participating in those sub-cultures of society is a big reward. It creates passion in people. The passion to do something for both themselves and others.

My passion for Jazz music is still very much alive. This Friday was a reminder of that.

I went back in time on Friday night when I visited the Carlyle Club for the first time in Alexandria, Va. (for DMV locals, it's not too far from the King Street Metro station on the Blue and Yellow line).

The following performance left me wishing I had been born in 1925:

Happy Memorial Day - Chicago to DC Updates

2010-05-28T21:42:00.000-04:00

Some of you who consider yourself to be Chicago to DC faithful might have noticed the increase in video posts this month. It's true -- music is more than important to me. It's probably the most important thing to me, only to be followed by writing, baseball, and ...breathing.

Some of you might be asking, "Rachel, where has all the writing gone?" Well, the answer is simple. The writing has "gone" to We Love DC. Local and National music coverage, Nationals baseball beat, random news around the District -- if you're looking for it, I've got it covered.

That's why I'm writing this post.

If it's news related to something I'm passionate about, I'm all for it. Problem is I feel I'm lacking that "personal touch" I know I have the ability to bring to any piece of writing. I had been filling that void in my life through Chicago to DC before starting with We Love DC. While I don't feel I've "lost" the personal touch, I do think I need a reality check -- hence the increase in video posts this month.

My music is my lifeline. It brought me up when I was down, gave me solace at my loneliest, and has never left my side since I first picked up a trumpet and guitar at the age of 9.

If you're a fan of anything I've ever written, I beg you give a listen to my recent video uploads either here on this blog or on my YouTube Channel.

Enjoy your holiday weekend. Use it to relax. Maybe listen to a couple tracks while you're at it? Let me know what you think!

Best,

Rachel Levitin

Blues Jam 5/18/10 - Rachel Levitin

2010-05-18T23:08:00.001-04:00

Chicago to DC Shout-Outs: Greg Pincus

2010-05-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

I have to take a moment to mention how awesome it felt the morning I woke up on April 4 to find that the writer of the children's baseball movie Little Big League gave me a shout out on his personal blog. Greg Pincus allowed me to live out a very strange yet much appreciated childhood fantasy of somehow becoming involved with Billy Heywood and this classic staple of my movie collection.

And it's all thanks to my little brain conjuring up the thought that Billy and his grandpa Thomas (both fictional characters, but that is of no consequence) sure did have some solid gems of wisdom to share for any baseball team to ever storm the diamond. In this particular case, I issued the advice to this year's Washington Nationals (who at this moment are tied for second place in the NL East and are definite contenders for the Wild Card ... if the Wild Card were to be decided in May).

I like to think the Nats Manager Jim Riggleman caught wind of my blog entry and took it into consideration when planning his management strategies for the regular season. Sure -- it's quite the day dream -- but that doesn't mean there's no chance that it's true.

Want to read the original post entitled "Five Baseball Lessons From Thomas & Billy Heywood"? Click here.

Want to read the shout-out from Pincus? Click here.

Come On, Baby Don't You Wanna Go?

2010-05-12T21:27:00.000-04:00

I do ... and I will ... back to that same old place, sweet home Chicago.

Friday, you'll be able to find me in section 123 at Wrigley Field to watch the struggling Cubbies at home for the first time since August 2008.

A lot has changed since that August game where Rich Harden pitched a gem, Marmol set up the save, and Kerry Wood closed it out for a rousing bout of "Go Cubs Go" the entire stumble of a walk back to my Lakeview home.

My company that night included my high school friends Darienne and my parents, who showed up after game time. Little did my parents know (and now my mother will if she reads this entry ... sorry mom), Darienne and I were three beers into the night by the time they showed up for the game in our bleacher seats.

Let me explain why so many so fast:

We got to the game at about 3:45 (for a 7:05 start) and waited in line to get into the bleachers for a good seat, which we got.
It was my first time being 21 at a baseball game.
It was my first time being 21 at a Cubs game.
It was my first time being 21 at a Cubs game sitting in the bleachers.
Therefore, we had no choice.

Then, upon my father's arrival, he continued to hand out beers to the two of us just as fast as the Cubs continue to lose this season. I, of course, did not turn them down. I also do not remember the walk home. What I do remember is that I will never forget that game.

It was the last one I ever went to with my dad and definitely ranks among the top three Cubs games I saw with him. Between the two of us, we sure have seen a bunch of awesome games: the Red Sox first series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in May 2005 (where then Cubs starter Greg Maddux hit a homer run), Cubs Spring Training at Hohokam in 2006, Kerry Woods first releif appearance in August 2005, Ryne Sandberg's (second) last game before retirement in 1997, and that's just to name a few.

This will be my first Cubs game attended with my pseudo-daddy Peter. It will be full of Old Style, Chicago hot dogs, and a great deal of yelling directed toward our Cubs. It'll be just like Lou from inside the dugout only better because we have beer and Lou doesn't.

I do however look forward to the game because I can only imagine what a kick my dad is gonna get out of watching Peter and I rant on and on about how the Nationals (for once) are way better than the Cubs.

Face it Cubs fans, the Nats have a way better bullpen despite Brian Bruney's miserable numbers. But then again, things could be worse for the Cubs ... they could still be paying Jason Marquis. Then again, Zambrano's still in the pen. In any case, my bet's on the Nats finishing better than the Cubs this season in the overall standings.

Rachel Levitin Live - Tonic Lounge, DC

2010-05-08T17:25:00.002-04:00

Tonight's set list:

Hope to see you there!

Just for Fun: What I Whistle When I Get the Blues

2010-04-26T21:28:00.001-04:00

Just for Fun: "Oo-De-Lally" - Robin Hood

2010-04-26T21:26:00.002-04:00

A true classic in American cinema.

The Battle of the Backwards Videos: Mutemath - "Typical" vs Coldplay - "The Scientist"

2010-04-24T14:05:00.009-04:00

A friend of mine works for American University and was able to hook me up with a ticket to the 30 Seconds to Mars show from Bender Arena on campus last night. Since it was a last minute decision, we showed up for the tail-end of the second opening act's set. I wish we had gotten there sooner, Mutemath (pictured above) was disgustingly awesome.

Frontman Paul Meany's acrobatics on stage included some Rockstar Olympic Gold performances, hurdling over keyboards, band members, and the like. The big boom sound hit by drummer Darren King behind the set also dominated the Bender airwaves.

The percussion drumline break down sequence to close the set was spectacular and a musical force to be reckoned with. Not even Jared Leto's pretty face and pink mohawk could come close to toping Mutemath's memorizing stunt of a musical production.

[Writer's side note: Paul Meany has the James Dean of keytars. It's red, which signifies it's rebellious nature. Mix that with the sheer fact that it's quite the vintage piece of rock music instrumentation makes it equivalent to that of the likes of James Dean's red jacket from "Rebel Without A Cause" -- pure classic.]

So here's a battle (easily won by Mutemath, but I figured it was worth the watch for humor's sake) between "Typical" and "The Scientist" prompted by my friend showing me the "Typical" video in between Mutemath and 30 Seconds to Mars' sets.

You can choose for yourself, but I'm just gonna go ahead and call it here and now -- "Typical" wins.

Click here for "Typical" (Mutemath disabled the the embedding feature for the video, lo siento.)

And, for the "The Scientist", click here (embedding disabled).

Six Months At "We Love DC"

2010-04-24T11:51:00.015-04:00

April 13 marked the official six month "anniversary" of my joining the crew at We Love DC to start producing some qulaity, personality driven pieces of writing. So far so good. I've had quite an experience thus far, dabbling in everything ranging from special events around town, theater reviews, behind-the-music interviews with local/touring bands, and (my first love) Major League Baseball.

If I hadn't stumbled upon We Love DC, there's no telling what my next route would have been when it comes to penning words to a page. So, as a token of my thanks for everyone who's been involved with my We Love DC experience, here is a compilation of my favorite posts from the past six months:

Eats & Drinks

On the Funny Side

Culture Features

Lifestyle Features

Music Features

Baseball Features

The Cubs Have Some To-Do Work

2010-04-10T09:09:00.014-04:00

Randy Wells Warming Up At Nationals Park, Summer 2009. Photo by Rachel Levitin.

I can't even remember the last time I trusted a Cubs bullpen. It might have been 2003, but even then I can't be so sure. The Cubs had a killer starting rotation in 2003 just as they've continued to try a recreate since then. Before that, I was either too young or too caught up with staring at Mark Prior's calves or Ryne Sandberg's face to notice.

This season is proving to be no different, only now it's Randy Wells and Ryan Theriot's faces that keep me pleasantly distracted from the horrific truth -- the Cubs bullpen is rotten.

With the exception of Carlos Zambrano's embarassing start to the 2010 season, starting pitchers Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells and Carlos Silva have a combined 1.00 earned-run average in their first starts.

That's beautiful but also heroic when you look at the past three games that the Cubs could have won and were winning, only to be blown by an array of characters from the sideshow that has become the bullpen.

Carlos Marmol seems get it though. As a relief pitcher, the job criteria reads pretty easy -- go and get some outs. Throw strikes. Don't allow earned runs. Done.

The Cubs stranded 13 base-runners throughout the game, three of which were after Derek Lee's solo homer that pulled the Cubs within one run of the Reds.

Lou's Cubs have got some work to do if they want to be a strong contender for post-season play in 2010. It's safe to say the NL Central will be locked up but not by the Cubs. That's why it's crucial to get the win count up, cultivate the youngsters in the bullpen so that they get outs instead of grand slams upsetting potential wins, and awaken those bats so they don't have to watch their teammates standing on the bases instead of high-fiving them in the dugout after scoring a run if they want to consider a run for the Wild Card.

Throwback Photo: Greg Maddux in the Pen

2010-04-09T18:19:00.000-04:00

Photo by R.H. Levitin (2005).

Happy Opening Day!

2010-04-05T07:17:00.000-04:00

Dear Baseball Lovers of America,

We join today in holy matrimony as the impending 2010 season is now in full-swing (pun intended). The Red Sox started the Opening Day festivities well with a beating of the Yankees at the hollowed grounds of Fenway Park, proving once more that baseball CAN be exciting when you've got two teams passionate enough to make the game a battle.

As we go forth, know that there are 162 games in which we cannot predict any of the outcomes. Come together, root ... root ... roooot for those home teams, if they don't win it's a shame.

But it's one ... two ... three strikes, they're out, god how I love this darn ball game.

The following is a gift to you, from me, on this Opening Day 2010: Marla Lerner Tanenbaum provides an insider's look at the Nationals Dream Foundation Classic vs the Boston Red Sox held at Nationals Park on April 3 & some words of advice from Thomas and Billy Heywood (of Little Big League), much thanks to Gregory K. Pincus and his writing ability.

Play Ball,

Rachel Levitin

A Day at the Ballpark: Pictures from the Nationals-Red Sox Exhibition Game

2010-04-03T20:25:00.003-04:00

There are a few photographic highlights of today's exhibition game at Nationals Park between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Redsox.

For the rest of the game day photos, click here.

Exclusive Photos From Midnight Spin At The Rock & Roll Hotel

2010-04-03T02:47:00.003-04:00

For more live photos and an exclusive live video clip of a brand new song from Midnight Spin, visit my Flickr Photostream.

Exclusive NEW SONG by Midnight Spin, Live from the Rock & Roll Hotel

2010-04-03T02:42:00.004-04:00

My Own Two Feet Will Take Me To The Coffee

2010-03-28T18:40:00.006-04:00

Let me tell you something you don't already know. I hate to lose. That's the one situation I hate more than change not in my favor. Not being in control of a situation makes me cringe. To lose means a situation that was in your hands got away. I despise feeling that way and I can't imagine too many other people do for that matter.

Competition forces me to out-do myself. To strive for greatness as a constant, not rare, activity. That, in itself, creates a daily struggle to meet one's expectations. Being critical of yourself isn't bad. It requires self-motivation.

I've lacked self-motivation as of late.

My attempt to flip the situation in my favor is to start taking walks. Long walks. 50 plus minute walks to nowhere. The two feet hoisting my mind to the clouds is the navigator on this magic carpet ride.

Enter the cliche: I've been killing multiple birds with one sword thanks to the walks. Long walks count as exercise. I hate to exercise unless there's something at stake. A win-loss count has always been a motivator of mine. The walks count as a win here because that provide with the exercise I would not have gotten otherwise.

The walks are also a necessary literary tool. Case and point -- this blog entry, for starters. Granting your own two feet complete navigational control makes for an adventure you would not have otherwise taken, therefore leaving you nothing to write about. Think about it: does sitting all day in your apartment vegging out in front of the television make for interesting blog fodder or conversation starters? Not a chance.

A good coffee shop was the one destination my feet could not find. Tenleytown doesn't have one. A Starbucks filled with high school students making noise doesn't count. All I wanted was a place to cozy up with Mr. Vonnegut and some sort of latte. That's it. But no -- that dream was not fulfilled -- there was only walking and the purchasing of Abbey Road (Remastered) as a reward for a week of hard work.

It is because of this lack of a coffee shop I propose the following: my feet will take me there and I will keep you posted on my findings. The way I figure it, there's no possible way that I'm the sole individual searching for such a place.

Coffee -- that's what I, that's what I want. And coffee -- that's what I will go out and find. Hi ho.

Playing Tourist For A Day

2010-03-27T20:22:00.005-04:00

My inability to plan anything more than 24 hours in advanced in my day-to-day life anymore has proven to be a positive trait.

The National Mall is a place I don't visit often enough. Thanks to a childhood friend of mine, I attended a Shabbos lunch on the grass field below the Washington Monument only to be greated by an abbundance of kites in the sky and a therapeutic walk around the tidal basin.

Here are some of the highlights of playing tourist in my own town:

For more, visit my Flickr Photostream.

Chicago to DC Channels "Daily Puppy"

2010-03-23T21:05:00.003-04:00

A One-Liner For February

2010-02-15T08:46:00.001-05:00

"It's easy to feel lonely. It takes effort to love."

Exclusive Clips of The Racing Presidents 40-Yard Dash

2010-02-14T17:16:00.001-05:00

Happy Single's Awareness Day

2010-02-14T14:06:00.005-05:00

I spent my Saturday at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. It was awesome. Why? It was covered in snow and I got to walk on the field. This is the third ball park field whose hollowed ground I've graced with my presence.

The snow crunched from beneath my boots and I savored the moment for what it was -- yet another pristine, once-in-a-lifetime, baseball moment in the Nation's Capital.

Today is Valentine's Day. There are a lot of different variants on this "holiday". They all depend on the eye of beholder (as do most cases involving love). I could choose the self-depcricating route but what's the point? That's no fun!

So, in light of taking the positive stance on a day about couples while being single, this is what I have to say:

If you're single go out and do something you want to do. Or even better, DON'T go out and do something you want to do. The couch and a movie option is just as good as anything else you'd choose to do outside. Good cup of hot cocoa makes it even better.

If you're coupled off enjoy it. It's as simple as that.

I myself already watched the best scenes from Titanic on DVD, caught a viewing of The Truman Show, and am now enjoying The Family Stone. All good things.

Who knows -- perhaps there is some wine and chocolate in my future!

Bourbon - Rachel Levitin featuring Paul Derlunas @ Chief Ike's Mambo Room

2010-02-07T14:18:00.010-05:00

Solace - Rachel Levitin featuring Paul Derlunas @ Chief Ike's Mambo Room

2010-02-07T14:18:00.009-05:00

Nats Fans Are People Too

2010-01-31T17:13:00.015-05:00

No matter how much change occurs in my life or around me at any given moment, there's one thing that will never cease to exist -- the fact that I am a Cubs fan.

The Chicago Cubs have been there for me since the day I was born (maybe not directly, but my dad was a Cubs fan so I'm going to go ahead and make that claim that "the Cubs" run through my veins ... Creepy? Maybe. True in the metaphorical sense? You betcha.)

It is because of my love for baseball's most beloved losing franchise that I posses nothing but the utmost respect for each and every baseball organization (the exception being the White Sox -- I just can't like them, sorry...) and the game itself. I've walked the warning track at Fenway, watched boats in lake Michigan from the Wrigley Field press box, sat in the grand stand at the original Yankee Stadium, welcomed the Washington Nationals into their inaugural season at RFK stadium, looked on as the Cubs cultivate new talent at Hohokam Park during Spring Training, witnessed Randy Johnson's 300th win at Nationals Park, caught a game in the Twins last season at the Metrodome, and sat first row behind home plate at Wrigley Field for Kerry Wood's first relief appearance, but today I did something entirely new -- interviewed a Major League Baseball player who plays for a losing team in one of the most expensive ball parks in the country at the team's fan fest...during the off-season...within the confines of a snow covered ball park.

If that's not living the dream, I don't know what is.

There's nothing I love more than a day full of baseball. In fact, when asked my favorite season, I never respond with Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall. To do so would be a lie! What's my favorite season? BASEBALL SEASON! Makes sense, doesn't it?

NatsFest 2010 is the closest I've ever been to any big leaguer (the exceptions being the time I met Ryne Sandberg in Nike Town on Michigan Avenue while he was shopping with his wife and when I was six and met Ernie Banks in my mother's office building). Most of the players attending the event were the new guys, which makes sense for obvious reasons.

The line to get an autograph from Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez was insane! I did have the opportunity to be first in line to meet the future Hall of Famer (which now I wish I had done but you win some, you lose some) but I opted to be second in line to meet ex-Cubs Jason Marquis and the Nats new manager, Jim Riggleman.

There were two highlights of the day, the first being Nationals Park covered in snow. Yes. That's right. Snow. In DC. And a few hundred people getting a special treat as they file into Nationals Park. The snow came on Saturday, allowing for Sunday to be a sunny (but still FREEZING) baseball filled day.

What made this baseball winter wonderland even better is that there was no NHL Winter Classic to disturb this pristine, once in a life time, baseball moment.

Well, ... that and the fact that this here journalist (yes, I'm talking about myself for the moment) had her FIRST interview with a Major League Baseball player. RHP Craig Stamman was the victim. What did he have to say? You'll have to check it out at We Love DC.

All in all, I think Sunday was a solid day of Nationals Baseball lovin' ... especially from this die-hard Cub fan.

I did learn something today though. It's not easy playing for a team who is known for their ability to lose games on a regular basis. But -- no matter what team you're playing for -- it's nice to know that there will always be those fans who stand for over 30 minutes in the freezing cold on the side of town just to see their sports hero's in person ... even if it's just for a few seconds. I mean hell ... I'm used to the Cubs losing, so I guess that means Nats Fans really are people too. I mean, I do understand what it feels like to have your team lose a lot. We both believe that NEXT year is here.

Too bad only one of us can go to the World Series. We'll just have to wait and see what happens come October.

Happy New Year from the Chicago to DC POV

2009-12-31T13:51:00.003-05:00

I never understood why New Year's Eve is such a big deal. It's another day of a week of a month of a year of a decade of a century, etc. What's so special about it?

The sequin dresses, over-the-top partying, and ball drop never did much for me. I'm more of a "seeing the symbolism" behind the holiday rather than a "let's get wasted and forget the year" type of person.

It is with this thought that I urge you all to enjoy your New Year's Eve. Get wasted if you have to. Kiss someone had midnight if you feel so inclined. Get down witcho bad self. Do whatever it is you've gotta do to get through the night. But -- at the end of it -- remember what New Year's Eve means.

A dictionary definition won't provide any insight. You've got to do a little detective work of your own. Pick that brain apart. It might do you some good!

Cheers! I wish you a happy and healthy 2010.

Here's to hoping the next year is better than the last.

I Don't Know A Lot, But I've Learned A Little -- 2009 in Review

2009-12-30T08:56:00.006-05:00

History has proven that life is full of on-going struggles. Great battles between mind and spirit take place daily. The movies during the holiday season are proof of this. I most recently saw Sherlock Holmes. Granted -- the story didn't have much of a plot but it kept you on a mental journey that goes as close to full-circle as it can.

As a child, most of my lessons were learned from Disney movies, the (original) Power Rangers, the Disney Channel, or books read in literature class. While I'm not sure whether or not they were the cause for my mental preparedness in life, I must give these muses much credit for helping me get to where I am today.

My life's greatest struggle to date was the year of 2009. Never before had there been such a lengthy time span that's sole purpose was to beat me to the ground the second I got back up again.

The first punch was a sucker punch. Circa 12 a.m., I do believe I may have been drinking the night before. I had finished writing a speech I had wanted to give for over three years for one of my sorority's functions. Then I got a call telling me my dog was dead. Tears of sorrow ensued. Gasps for air followed. The life was being sucked out of me.

This isn't to say Coco was my "best friend" -- but she came pretty damn close. There were times when I was growing up that I would sit atop the staircase leading to the second floor in our house. There's a huge skylight there and it makes for quite the echo, so I would sit there with her while playing guitar and singing songs. I'll never forget doing that. She always seemed so happy to just be sitting with me. It's as if I never had to say anything, she just knew what I was thinking.

Then there was the shot straight to my gut followed by a quick rip to my heart. It was around 6 p.m. when my Bubbe (may she too rest in peace) called. I was babysitting. She told me I'd need to call her right back as soon as I was finished. But I couldn't. I knew something was wrong. So -- for the first time in my ENTIRE life -- she yelled at me, telling me I needed to sit down and to also get out of my babysitting engagement for the night. My dad had passed away.

This was on January 17th, not even 12 months ago.

Today, however, is another occasion all on its own. 10 years ago tonight, my dad got the call that changed my family's life forever.

If my memory is correct, I was rocking out to a VHS recorded version of 'N SYNC's visit to the Rosie show earlier that day. My cousin Hannah and sister Hilary were upstairs doing something. My parents were sitting around, watching TV I assume. And then the flood of frenzied hysterics. He got the call, he tried leaving, I was a bawling mess. All I can still remember is bawling my eyes out and then racing to our basement fax machine to use the phone line. I called three people: 1 - my ex-boyfriend/close friend at the time Luke, my best friend Lily, and my other close friend Keegan (may she too rest in peace). I'm no longer close with any of those people but there role in my life that night will never be forgotten.

The rest of that night feels like a blur. I was so convinced that Y2K was going to become a reality that the thought of my dad having a heart transplant on New Years Eve 1999 felt like a joke.

It's hard to believe that 10 years have passed. An entire decade is now history. I was standing by the bus stop on my way home from work last night when I realized, "I am 22. I am a woman. And -- between the years of 1999 and now, I grew up."

The past 10 years have been the some of the most memorable of my entire life. I will never forget them. They are the years in which I graduated 8th grade, record 2 CDs of original music, walked the warning track at Fenway Park, sat in the Cubs dugout at Wrigley Field, played lead trumpet in jazz band, studied at one of the most world-renowned music camps, studied songwriting with John Mayer's old professors at Berklee, saw every tour 'N SYNC ever did, met Good Charlotte three times, saw Christina Aguilera live, experienced what it was like to be at a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Concert, got into my first choice college (and 10 others), pledged a sorority, traveled to three countries, lettered in a varsity high school sport, boycotted watching the White Sox in the 2005 world series, went to all four parks at Disney World in one day, learned to drive/got into a car accident, saw the Cubs at Spring Training, became buddies with George Clooney's dad, graduated college ON TIME and -- finally -- survived the biggest amount of any pain/suffering I've ever had to endure.

So as this decade and year come to a close, I ask you to take a moment for yourself. Sit there. Pause whatever it is you're doing. And think: how have I changed in the past decade? Who was there for it? Who's still here? Then ... I beg you savor all of the bad and realize that without it, the good wouldn't have felt nearly as good.

I don't know much, but I know this -- If I can survive this year, then anyone can survive anything.

Merry Christmas From The Chicago to DC POV

2009-12-24T09:18:00.007-05:00

This is my first Christmas not spent with my family. Sure -- we're Jewish -- but that doesn't mean this feels right.

I'm used to a "White Christmas" even though we don't have a tree. My mother grew up Irish Catholic (and later converted to Judaism before marrying my dad), so we always had stockings by the fire with a few gifts. There were even two years spent in Phoenix, Az. with my Christmas-celebrating Grandma Irene (may she RIP) where there WAS a tree AND presents AND cookies left out for Santa Claus.

I guess you could say my sister and I grew up with the best of both worlds -- Hannukah for eight days and some sort of celebration for Christmas.

Now -- that's not to say we celebrated the birth of Christ. We didn't. Not by a long shot. And no -- watching Midnight Mass with our mom on TV while we played with our laptops or dogs in the background does not count as celebrating the birth of our non-savior. Christmas to our family was a time to enjoy family.

My most recent Christmas memory includes the 45 minute drives to a near-by suburb to have a Lobster-pasta sauce dinner complete with cocktails, Apples to Apples, baked clams, and crazy antics.

Last year was our first Christmas without my dad. He was sitting alone, in Northwestern University hospital, waiting for a new heart and kidney. It had just snowed a pretty massive snow in Chicago and my mom wasn't exactly used to driving the mean streets after a vicious holiday storm, let alone the Edens Expressway.

I manned the iPod with my festive holiday my playlist including all the classics (Bing, Frank, Dean, The Andrews Sisters) and some recent newbies ('N SYNC, Christina Aguilera, Natalie Merchant, Mariah Carey). We even played Adam Sandler's "Channukah Song" -- that was always a Christmas Eve tradition in our Volvo on the way to the 'burbs.

But the ride didn't feel right. Dad wasn't there. And to think -- just a year before -- my sister and I were buzzed off champagne, embarrassed at how loud our dad's laugh was while playing Apples to Apples. We had no idea that he wouldn't be around for the next Christmas, let alone the next year.

This year, I have no idea what my family is doing. I'm in DC and they're in Chicago (or least, I'm assuming they are).

For the first time in my life, I don't have to call my Grandma Irene to wish her a Merry Christmas. It always felt like a chore back in the day, but now I wish I could call her ... if only to hear her festive chuckle.

I'll be spending my Christmas Eve and Christmas day in Alexandria, Va. But my heart will still always be in Chicago.

A DC Snow Day

2009-12-21T18:33:00.005-05:00

DC never gets "snow days". This angered me a bit upon moving to the District for four years of college. But due to this weekend's thundersnow experience, I got what I always wanted -- a day to do absolutely nothing because it snowed.

You see -- it's rare to get a snow day in Chicago. They are elusive and exclusive, so when they happen ... you count your lucky stars. This weekend in DC was no different.

The clock hadn't even struck 4:56 p.m. on Friday when my boss told me I could leave for the day. No one could believe the forecasts, but I being the "Snow Hopeful" was happy for the news. I fled this office with one song on my mind -- "Let it Snow" by Dean Martin was on repeat the whole bus ride home.

I, along with my closest friends, were part of the lone members of the DC-bar-district paying customers during the greatest storm in DC history consumed the city in white, powdery dust.

It was my best friend's birthday. So who cares if it was snowing? We braved the storm, had our fill of debaucherours fun a-la our undergrad Greek Life days, and were surrounded by maybe less than 500 others in the entire Adams Morgan area.

Adams Morgan was never a favorite of mine. I find it to be a disgusting hell-hole of vile human activity and copious amounts of drinking. This Friday night was special though. We hopped between two bars -- Bourbon (where we spent my 22nd Birthday) and Tom Toms. These bars are notorious (as are all Adams Morgan bars) for being sweaty, crowded late-night party spots for those looking to drink their work week away. It was not that place once the snow started.

Friday night's Adams Morgan was full of folks in snow boots, ugly Christmas sweaters, scarves, and hats. It was like being in Chicago without having to pay the $400 seasonal airline ticket. I felt home for the first time in 4.5 years. It was wonderful.

That wasn't the end of it. In the words of the most cliched story tellers, 'twas only the beginning!

2 inches of snow (give or take) fell in the District every hour until late Saturday night.

Monday, I got my snow day from work. Granted, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. in a frenzy about whether or not the snow day would mean a day off from work only to find an e-mail in my inbox saying I could stay home.

A few Gilmore Girls episodes and some Chinese food later, I took a nap only to wake up and realize: "2009 is almost over."

It was in that moment that I felt like Dorothy in the poppy fields overlooking the Emerald City. The snow woke me up and rekindled my fire. I've had the same dreams since I was 9-years-old. The snow reminded me that I've got to get to work if I want to make those happen.

The Greatest Snow Fall in DC History

2009-12-21T15:27:00.002-05:00

Dear Chicago to DC Faithful:

The following features photos from this weekend's historic THUNDERSNOW storm in the Nation's Capital. A write-up on the experience is coming shortly. Stay tuned. And in the meantime ... enjoy!