Herndon High School’s band took part in the 75th anniversary of D-Day celebrations in Normandy — returning with enhanced appreciation of the crew members who served on the USS Herndon during the invasion.
Several students dressed in original uniforms worn by USS Herndon sailors and the band also took a flag that flew on the USS Herndon.
Band members marched through the American Cemeteries in Brittany and Omaha Beach and performed in the D-Day Musical Salute to Liberation.
Varun Natarajan, a Herndon High School junior and a member of the band, said the experience increased his appreciation for those who sacrificed their lives during the invasion, as well as the unique role the USS Herndon played.
“We heard some very impactful speeches by people who participated in D-Day. Hearing the veterans describe D-Day gave me a new sense of perspective on what the invasion was like, and how intense the fighting was. Three students from our school also got to speak about what this means to them,” Natarajan said.
Photo via Herndon Band/Facebook
Kalypso’s Sports Tavern is kicking off a live music series this week.
The business, which is located on historic Lake Anne, released its lineup of bands, which will play on a dedicated stage from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. every Friday through July 28.
The complete line up is below:
- May 10: Free Soul
- May 17: Bobby Thompson & Friends
- May 24: Full Plate
- May 31: Something’s Brewing
- June 7: The Jones
- June 14:Â The Vandelays
- June 28: Holly Montgomery Band
- July 5: Chris Timbers Band
- July 12: Sista Pat’s One Vibe
- July 19:Â Free Soul
- July 28: Run For Cover
“Spring and summer is the best time of the year on Lake Anne,” says Kalypso’s owner Vicky Hadjikyriakou. “We look forward to welcoming guests, familiar and new, to enjoy this great free music lineup and our menu of flavorful Greek and Italian food.”
The tavern already offers acoustic music on the lakefront patio on most weekend afternoons and evenings. Reston Community Center’s Take a Break Concert Series also returns on Thursdays.
File photo
Luke Frazier, a pianist and founder of the American Pops Orchestra, is set to take part in a program featuring the music of Irving Berlin tomorrow (April 11) at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road).
The program, which is part of CenterStage’s “Meet the Artists” series, will also feature other musicians. The event is made possible through a partnership between Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University and Reston Community Center.
Berlin was an American composer and lyricist who produced ballads, dance numbers, novelty tunes and love songs. His work forms a major part of the Great American Songbook.
The event, which will take place from 2:15-3:30 p.m., is free and open to all ages.
Photo via Reston Community Center
A husband and wife singer-songwriter team is set to perform at the Deepwood Sessions, a series of house concerts hosted in Reston, this Friday (April 5).
Chris and Jenna Badeker, who met and began singing together in college, formed Wild Harbors in 2017, according to their website. The duo describes their sound as alternative pop with “gutsy, lyric-driven songs laced with intricate vocal harmonies.”
They recently released their first full-length album, “Monument,” on March 15.
The 7 p.m. show asks attendees each for $10. Each concert for the Deepwood Sessions has a suggested minimum donation, which goes to directly to the artist.
According to the website, the series hosts acoustic and unplugged concerts featuring independent artists with a variety of styles and musical genres.
RSVP-ing in advance is strongly recommended.
The Reston Community Center (RCC) is planning a concert and meet-and-greet with acclaimed pianist George Fu.
The event is set for Thursday, April 4, from 2:15-3:30 p.m at the CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Rd). The concert will be free and appropriate for all ages.
A Facebook post for the event says Fu will be joined by Chelsea Wang, a classmate from the Curtis Institute of Music, for a four-hand piano recital.
The concert is part of the RCC’s ongoing Meet the Artists series. Fu was previously featured in the RCC’s Meet the Artists series in 2016.
Fu has worked with a variety of orchestras, including performing as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, and is returning to Reston following a stint at the London Conservatory of Music.
Photo via Facebook
Several restaurants around Reston regularly offer performance venues for DJs, touring artists and local bands.
Reston Now rounded up some spots offering a range of food and live music.
Lake AnneÂ
Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.)
What’s on the menu: Greek, Italian and American fare on the menu. Happy hour is from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays.
Live music: Kalypso’s hosts live bands and DJs from 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m. on Fridays. Diners on Wednesdays and Saturdays can partake in karaoke from 9:30 p.m.-1:3- p.m. All of the events are free, according to Kalypso’s website.
Cafe Montmartre (1625 Washington Plaza N.)
What’s on the menu: French and Vietnamese cuisine for lunch, brunch and dinner.
Live music: Tom Saputo & Friends perform the second Friday of every month, letting diners enjoy singing and dancing from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Other upcoming shows include The Get Down Band from 5-8 p.m. on March 29 and New Blue Soul Band from 7-10 p.m. with a $10 cover charge on April 5.
Lake Anne Coffee House and Wine Bar (1612 Washington Plaza N.)
What’s on the menu: Locally sourced American fare and coffee.
Live music: The live music usually takes place upstairs by the wine bar Wednesdays-Saturdays. Until May, locals can listen to jazz with half-priced bottles of wine on Thursdays and music ranging from classical guitar to jazz on Saturdays.
Reston Town Center
Crafthouse (1888 Explorer Street)
What’s on the menu: American pub food: burgers, sandwiches, salon, steak. Happy hour is from 3-9 p.m. on weekdays.
Live music: The growing beer-centric restaurant chain usually has a live band or DJ playing at 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Karaoke starts at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays.
South Lakes Village Center
Red’s Table (11150 South Lakes Drive)
What’s on the menu: American fare with a focus on meat and seafood. Happy hour is from 3:30-7 p.m. every day, featuring $4 for the daily beer on tap and $5 cocktail of the day.
Live music: Red’s Table hosts weekly live music performances. Upcoming ones include Bad Influence Band on March 30 and singer and musician Ted Garber on April 19.
Did we miss a spot? Let us know in the comments. Check back next week for our roundup for places with live music and food in Herndon.
Photo via Ted Garber/Facebook
Ahead of her tour stop at Reston Community Center, Grammy-nominated jazz singer and songwriter Jazzmeia Horn shared with Reston Now details on her upcoming album and when Restonians can expect to see her again.
Horn told Reston Now her 2017 album “A Social Call,” which earned her a Grammy nomination in 2018, was a bold, political statement. Her next album “Love and Liberation” will explore how the act of love is a liberating choice, adding that listeners can expect some love songs.
Horn’s own self-love story came from accepting her deeper voice. Now, she wants to encourage her daughters to embrace their individuality.
The album is set to debut this summer.
Horn is also working on plans for a world tour. While she said she doesn’t think she’ll back at RCC this year, Restonians might see her next year on the second half of her tour.
She is set to perform on CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 8 p.m. on Saturday (March 30). Tickets cost $20 for Restonians and $30 for everyone else.
“I want everyone to have a great experience — to have an openness and to enjoy the music and be free,” Horn said.
Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff
Luke Brindley will bring folk rock and acoustic guitar music to the Deepwood Sessions, a series of house concerts hosted in Reston, this Friday (March 8).
Based in Virginia, Brindley is a fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter. He also runs with his brothers a music venue, bar and cafe in Vienna called Jammin Java.
He released the “Dream Songs EP” in 2018.
The 7 p.m. show asks attendees each for a $15 minimum donation. Each concert for the Deepwood Sessions has a suggested minimum donation, which goes to directly to the artist.
According to the website, the series hosts its acoustic and unplugged concerts featuring independent artists with a variety of styles and musical genres.
RSVP-ing in advance is strongly recommended.
Singer and musician Ted Garber is bringing his blues, Americana and rock music back to Reston later this week.
Garber started his career by performing covers on the streets of New Orleans before heading to the 9:30 Club, Blues Alley and the Strathmore in the D.C.-area, according to his bio.
Now, Garber is a well-known musician around the Northern Virginia area, who often stops by Reston on his tours and for community events.
Garber is set to perform on Friday (Feb. 22) at 9 p.m. at Red’s Table (11150 South Lakes Drive), an American eatery by Lake Thoreau that was started by three siblings who grew up in Reston. The event does not have a cover charge.
Photo via Ted Garber/Facebook
The musical traditions of Japan and India will combine in a performance by Yumi Kurosawa and Anubrata Chatterjee at the Reston Community Center later this week.
Kurosawa is set to play the koto, a Japanese stringed musical instrument, while Chatterjee will play the tabla — a pair of small drums common in North Indian classical music.
“This collaboration highlights their affinity and respect for one another as virtuosic performers while furthering their own timeless musical tradition,” the event description says, adding that the performance by Kurosawa and Chatterjee will focus on creating “musical tales.”
They are set to perform on CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Tickets cost $15 for Restonians and $20 for everyone else.
A Herndon house concert series that features independent artists is set to challenge a zoning violation at the Board of Zoning Appeals next week.
Chris Devine, the host of The Crib, received a violation notice taped to his front door from the Town of Herndon for a concert on Nov. 17 in his home, the Herndon Connection reported last week.
Dated Dec. 13, the citation says that 44 people were observed entering the home between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. for a Gina Venier and Lexie Hayden concert.
“[This] activity constitutes an Indoor Entertainment use and is not a permitted use on the subject property pursuant to the Town of Herndon Zoning Ordination,” the citation said. It gave Devine 15 days to resolve the violation to avoid incurring fines.
Instead, Devine decided to appeal the violation.
“We firmly believe The Crib house concert does not meet that definition, and further believe the citation arose from a lack of understanding of the house concert concept,” The Crib’s blog says.
At the public comment period during the Town Council public session last night (Jan. 15), Devine said that he met with town staff after receiving the citation.
“In that meeting, I learned that the town had very little understanding of that activity, which is house concerts, and as a result were very vague on how my activity tripped the wire as a commercial use,” he said.
Devine slammed Town of Herndon’s leadership, saying that he was denied access to basic information about the situation after he tried to ask follow-up questions after the meeting.
A Herndon town attorney told Mayor Lisa Merkel that the appeal never goes to the Town Council. Instead, it goes to the Board of Zoning Appeals and then to the circuit court.
“There is a role in the Town Council in looking at our code if there were a change to be made in the future,” Merkel said.
As Devine tackles the appeals process, a GoFundMe page created on Dec. 20 is helping to cover the fines.
The campaign says the following:
It will take a while to work through the appeals process — possibly as long as three months — and we don’t know at this point what the outcome will be.
During this time we have five fantastic artists already scheduled to perform and we will incur fines for each event we choose to hold, but we want to continue with the events in order to keep our commitments to both the artists and our guests who have made advance donations.
During normal times, each house show we hold costs The Crib between $100-$200; we do this because we have a passion for connecting incredible artists with deserving and appreciative guests.
But we can’t absorb the fines on top of the costs we already incur as part of our mission to the arts and the community.
Our fundraising goal will allow us to pay the fines over the next several months ($200 for the first event and $500 per subsequent event). We are also seeking a small amount to cover any legal fees we may incur during the appeals process.
Any residual funds will be used to create an even better experience for artists and audiences and/or donated to our non-profit partner, The Warrior Music Foundation.
The campaign has already hit its fundraising goal of $3,200. In 26 days, 32 people donated $3,335.
Since launching in 2015, The Crib has hosted nearly 50 house shows with 28 different artists, according to its website.
Each show lets the artist perform two 45-minute sets of original music. Seating is on a first-come basis with a capacity of roughly 40 people. Attendees are encouraged to make a donation in advance — all of the donations go to the artist.
A public hearing notice indicates that the Board of Zoning Appeals will take up the matter next Thursday (Jan. 24) at 7:30 p.m. at 765 Lynn Street.
Herndon town attorney tells elected council they have no zoning oversight, doubles down on House Concert ban. Public Hearing Jan 24, #StandUp #MusicMatters pic.twitter.com/0sFgNCWFpz
— DCSocial (@SocialInDC) January 16, 2019
Breaking #Herndon Zoning is trying to shutdown a wonderful house concert #freedomofspeech #righttoassembly https://t.co/Xo03rgTkdG pic.twitter.com/QX6Pmiulmn
— DCSocial (@SocialInDC) January 3, 2019
Photo via The Crib/Facebook
Toronto-based singer-songwriter Shawna Caspi is coming to Herndon for a performance next Tuesday.
Caspi is set to perform on Jan. 15 as a part of The Folk Club of Reston/Herndon, a volunteer organization that meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. at Amphora’s Diner Deluxe (1151 Elden Street).
Classically trained, Caspi shifted to folk singing, which she pairs with a fingerpicking guitar style.
In September 2017, she released her fourth album, “Forest Fire,” which delves into “burning things down and building them up again” with bluegrass instrumentation.
Her song “Not So Silent” from her 2014 album “Apartments for Lovers” was selected for the Silver Award in the folk acoustic category of the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest presented by the Songwriters’ Association of Washington, she wrote on her website on Tuesday (Jan 8).
Her travels as a musician inspired Caspi to paint. “Shawna loves the landscapes of her travels, and while weaving them into her songs, she has also been portraying them on canvases, painting one-of-a-kind works of art inspired by the rich scenery she sees on tour,” according to her bio. So far, she has sold more than 100 original paintings.
The upcoming Herndon show has a suggested donation of $10 for members of the Folk Club and $11 for nonmembers.
Heading back on the road in just one week! #Teaneck NJ, #Bethesda MD, #Herndon VA, #Darlington MD pic.twitter.com/OgsSh9dS2j
— Shawna Caspi (@shawnacaspi) January 4, 2019
Image via World One Video on YouTube
Singer-songwriter Kevin Daniel will perform in January as part of the Deepwood Sessions, a series of house concerts hosted in Reston.
Based out of Brooklyn, Daniel’s music mixes Americana, country and blues. He released his second EP, “Myself Through You,” in early 2018.
The 7 p.m. show on Friday, Jan. 18, has a $10 suggested donation. Each concert for the Deepwood Sessions has a suggested minimum donation, which goes to directly to the artist.
The sessions help cultivate the Deepwood neighborhood community and provide a platform for independent artists to showcase their music.
According to the website, the series hosts its acoustic and unplugged concerts with a variety of styles and musical genres.
RSVP-ing in advance is strongly recommended since space fills on a first come first serve basis and also provides the location of each concert. The events are family-friendly and attendees may bring wine and beer.
Photo via Kevin Daniel/Facebook
Herndon High School’s band program is hosting a free concert in order to honor veterans on Nov. 7 (Wednesday).
The Tag Day Concert, which is set for 7 p.m., aims to celebrate and recognize members of the American military with patriotic songs, according to event organizers.
The concert will focus on World War II as the marching band prepares to go to Normandy, France to participate in a parade marking the 75th anniversary of D-day.
The band is raising money to offset the cost of next year’s trip.
The concert is free and concert-goers should park in front of the school and enter through door 11. The event will take place in the auditorium of Herndon High School.
Photo via Herndon High School Band/Facebook
The South Lakes High School homecoming parade is scheduled for Oct.26 (Friday), and students are taking advantage of the opportunity to fundraise for a good cause.
The school’s leadership class will fundraiser for Hungry for Music, an organization that buys instruments for children who cannot afford their own. The class aims to raise $1,000 to purchase 20 instruments for an after-school program. Collection baskets and tables at homecoming activities will be open for donation throughout the week of the parade.
The parade, which is set for 5-6 p.m., will feature student organizations, class councils, clubs, team, community groups, elementary schools, and the school’s marching band, The Spirit of Reston. Student-built boats will reflect the theme of “Tune in to South Lakes.” Each grade will select a music genre and the grand marshall this year is SLHS teacher Chris Moorhead, according to information provided by the school.
The parade begins at 5 p.m. from Hunters Woods Shopping Center. It will continue north on Colts Neck Drive, turn east onto South Lakes Drive and finish at SLHS. A small food court will be set-up in the stadium-side parking lot with food trucks from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
The football game against Yorktown High School begins at 7 p.m. shortly after the parade. Admission is $5 and the Class of 1998 will also be on-site to celebrate their 20th reunion.
Photo via Lyn Fiscus
