Review: Acre121 and Amanda Badze

Hi. My name is Jessie Spielvogel and I love food and free entertainment. Since I am currently dwelling in Washington, D.C. and have been out here for about two months now after relocating from Texas, I will start finding the best places to be fed and entertained in the city…and, of course, I will give my thoughts on these places and people…because I’m opinionated n stuff.

I pride myself on the fact that I am a pro at finding cheap food and events, so consider me a resource for nights when you are broke and bored, or nights when you have a date and don’t want to appear broke and bored. And, remember: it’s not being cheap. It’s being economically reasonable. 

My fellow live music loving homies - Benny, Acsa and me at Acre 121

Acre 121 (Country BBQ/Bar/Music Venue) with Amanda Badze (Indie Rock and awesomeness)

The Talent

A friend of mine from high school has a sister that lives in D.C. and she is a singer/songwriter/actress/poet. Her name is Amanda Badze, from Gweru, Zimbabwe, and her voice is a gorgeous combination of Adele, Rhianna, and a unique Indie/African flare of her own. She performed a four-hour set at Acre 121 on Friday night, and the crowd loved her charisma, vocals, and choice of covers. Her song choices ranged from favorites by Bob Marley, to Cage the Elephant, and all the way to the good ol Temptations. All of her songs were crowd pleasers, and there wasn’t a time in the night when the audience was not singing and/or dancing along with the music.

Amanda is currently a student at Howard University, but she performs as much as she has time for while she completes her studies. Her brother, Ishmael Badze (currently living the life out in LA while studying public relations), is her booking agent and manager. Amanda says he’s been a lifesaver as she begins her career, and that he is amazing at helping her to keep her world organized (for all you young, up-and-coming managementless talent out there – he’s clearly your man).

The Venue

Acre 121 is a fairly new restaurant right off the metro in Columbia Heights (across from the IHOP). It’s considered a country BBQ restaurant/live music venue. The management is great, the bartenders are friendly, and the staff was smiling and upbeat. It is so rare to find such awesome service in D.C., but these people definitely had it together. The manager even brought over a small sample of a potential menu item for us to try, and later came back to ask what we thought, and if there was anything we would do to improve it. With the option to sit outside on the patio or inside with the AC and bar, this place is a great venue for any type of weather, occasion, or craving!

Mixed drinks were a little pricey, but for this city it was pretty average. However, beers weren’t ridiculously overpriced…Abita Light was $5.00 for a pint, which may seem crazy to my college town of San Marcos, Texas, but out here, it’s a blessing.

Contact

For information about Amanda’s upcoming shows, please visit her Facebook music page. For booking information, email Ishmael Badze at IshmaelBadze@hotmail.com.

To check out fun events and great food/drinks at Acre 121, visit their website!

Oh! And for the social media nerds like myself out there, make sure to follow Amanda and Acre 121 on Twitter!

 

Operation Oprah – An ambitious soul on a mission

A good friend of mine, and former Discovery intern, has embarked on a new project to land her dream job. It may seem crazy, but sane never reeaallyyy got anyone anywhere, right?

Kelsey Howell is one of Oprah’s biggest fans. She would argue that I am not being truthful in that statement. She would correct me by stating, “No, Jessie. Get it right. I am Oprah’s biggest fan.”

She is writing Oprah one piece of fan mail every day for 30 days. In each letter, she is explaining why she would be the perfect employee on Oprah’s team. Which, might I add, she definitely is the most perfect candidate for Oprah’s entourage.

In three words, I would describe Kelsey as creative, hardworking, and charismatic.

Creative:

By a show of hands, or, comments, how many of you have ever come up with the idea to write to Oprah every day for 30 days in hopes of getting a job in the next year? Well, if you say you have, you’re lying! Kelsey has an amazing ability to come up with creative ways to get noticed. She knows what she wants, she has a goal, and she is thinking outside the box to get a step ahead in her career. When I asked Kelsey what she would want to do for Oprah, she jokingly said, (I hope), “I will be her dog’s chew toy if she wants.” Not only is that creative, that’s some severe dedication and loyalty if you ask me.

Hardworking:

Kelsey has never stopped working. She has worked all throughout college and high school because she has her priorities in line. Many of her jobs have been less than ideal, but she kept a smile on her face the entire length of employment because she knows the importance of professionalism and keeping her chin up. Whether they be part time positions of full time internships, she is constantly on the move to gain experience, contacts, and, well, money.

Charismatic:

I am going to let these photographs speak for themselves to describe Kelsey’s charisma. If I were Oprah, I would hire her. Not to be my dog’s chew toy, but I’d AT LEAST start her out full time as my assistant’s assistant’s assistant’s assistant.  Hey, you have to start somewhere…and in this scenario, I’m Oprah – so I get four assistants.

Cute, educated, and great shoes

Check out that firm handshake and smile! Kelsey is shaking the hand of Jackie Hernandez, CEO of Telemundo Communications at an awards gala in NYC.

Kelsey was one of the Shark Week mascots last summer. Intern duties sometimes require things such as this. But, she’s smiling…see?

See those cords? That screams “I’m SMART!”

At the end of the 30 days, I hope that Kelsey has adequately marketed herself to get a response from Oprah’s assistant’s assistant’s assistant. After all, she is Kelsey friggin Howell.

Pondering what’s next – DC life post Houston life

Finding a job in this economy completely suc….completely drains my life. I moved out to the East Coast in hopes of exploring parts of the country I feel I could live in to start a career. I love DC. I think it’s a great city with lots of enthusiastic and passionate professional-minded individuals. But, the job search is not going as well as I had hoped. Moving out here was a decision I made because I was ready for a change and sick of sitting still.

I am a pro at getting to the third phase of interviews with amazing companies, but when every job has “three to four really good candidates” at this step in the interview process, it’s cutting my odds down to 25 – 33.333333333333333333333333%.

That being said, and incredibly mathematically accurate might I add, I’m still exploring my options. I don’t know much about what the future will hold, but here is what I do know:

1. I want to work in media. I want to work for an agency doing PR and communications for lifestyle, entertainment, or non-profits. I like to eat. And I like to talk. So, finding a job in which I can utilize both of those passions would be ideal.
2. I want to travel. People say this all the time. But, rarely, as I have come to notice, do people ever get to do so until retirement age. I am 22 years old, unemployed, little money in my savings from my previous job, and a lot of energy. As much as I would love to save the little amount of money I have, I would like to spend it in Southeast Asia eating and exploring much more.
3. I want to help others in my position. While I have met a lot of amazing people out here in D.C. this past month, many people seem to have forgotten what it’s like to be unemployed and running around with your head cut off in a new city. While lots of people I have met have been eager to help and super friendly, majority just wont give you the time of day. And that’s the way it goes. But, when I am in a position of employment and have the experience needed under my belt, I am going to help young people find the right connections and ultimately a good fitting job.

So, what’s next? I’m applying for jobs every day, and meeting new people from networking events and previous connections. If a full-time position comes my way in the next month, I would be ecstatic and be the best employee I could possibly be for that company! If not, I’ll take it as a sign to get on a plane to Southeast Asia.

I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for reading!

Witnessed! DC Random Act of Kindness

Today, as I was walking toward my favorite Washington, D.C. coffee shop on Pennsylvania Avenue, I witnessed a homeless woman chasing after someone down the sidewalk. She was shouting, “Ma’am! Ma’am!” When the woman turned around after realizing someone was trying to reach her, she had that look on her face that any innocent bystander would take as “who the eff is yelling at me right now?”

When the homeless woman caught up to her, out of breath and sweating (it’s DC…everyone is sweating), she handed the woman a 20-dollar bill. “You dropped this back there,” the homeless woman told her. The woman smiled, thanked her for being so honest, and they went on their separate ways.

I can’t speak for the others on the street who witnessed this random act of kindness, but good deeds such as this one give hope to humanity!

I’m in need of Summer reading suggestions!

Last summer in D.C., my reading list consisted of:

11 Minutes – Paulo Coelho

Harold and Maude – Colin Higgins

Chasing Harry Winston – Lauren Weisberger

The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom

Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

I need some ideas for books to read this summer! Any suggestions?

Life in transition – constantly changing and moving

All throughout high school, and right before college, my dream was to become a medical doctor. I spent my first two semesters as a biology student, and quickly switched to Journalism for my third semester after realizing I suck at both math and science. During my transition, I imagined myself as a world-class journalist working undercover in a foreign country with hopes of exposing the deepest, darkest stories of our lifetime. I still get wrapped up in marathons of Law and Order on occasion, but I never wanted to be a detective. I just like the investigation part.

During the summer between my junior and senior year, I interned with Discovery Channel in the Communications department. My career then seemed to veer in the direction of a life living in a ritzy city, becoming a successful publicist, and dominating the entertainment industry with my cunning charm and wit…. Okay, fine — working in the entertainment industry and hoping to survive.

After my last semester of college, the real world came knocking on my door, and the job search began.

December…

January…

February….

March….

Nothing. I had hundreds of resumes out all over the nation and had not one little inkling of interest. Apparently the real world came knocking with depression and rejection as uninvited guests.

Then I ran into my scuba instructor from a few years back, and his company happened to have an opening that was a perfect fit for me.

It’s weird – the directions our lives take! I guess my point is, when you step back and look at the bigger picture, our lives are constantly changing. Whenever some negativity starts creeping up on me about the direction my life is going, I always think about how much my “plan” has changed.

“One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.” – William Feather

Poseidon Discovery MkVI Recreational Rebreather tour

Here are our finalized tour destinations for the East part of the country! This Google Map makes it a little bit more visually appealing than a bunch of cities and dates written on a sheet of paper

I can’t wait to be on the road demoing the Poseidon Discovery MkVI recreational rebreather!

Fantasy Lake, Raleigh, NC	12-May	16-May
Rawlings Lake, Petersburg, VA	19-May	23-May
Dutch Springs, Bethlehem, PA	26-May	30-May
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH	2-Jun	6-Jun
Whitestar Quarry, Gibsonburg, OH	19-Jun	13-Jun
Gilboa Quarry, Findlay, OH	16-Jun	20-Jun
Crosby, MN	23-Jun	27-Jun
Lake Wazee, Black River Hills, WI	30-Jun	4-Jul
Haigh Quarry, Kankakee, IL	7-Jul	11-Jul
Clear Springs, Terrell, TX	14-Jul	18-Jul

 

View Larger Map

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Life lesson from the sauna

When I was sitting in the sauna yesterday, sweating profusely, I met a woman from Gambia, Africa. I told her I wanted to go to Africa some day and she asked me what I wanted to do there. I explained that I had a goal to step foot on all seven continents before I die (yes…even Antarctica).

Unexpectedly, she protested my idea of setting a goal like this. Not expecting to ever get into this conversation with a woman I met in a sauna, we began to chat.

She told me that I shouldn’t live my life like this. Confused, I asked her why it is a bad idea to have a goal such as mine. She said that too many people live for the future, and not enough live for the moment.

Still a little skeptical, I asked her how she thought people would ever get anything accomplished without setting life goals or having ambitions. She believes that the most simple things in life have the power to make someone the happiest person alive. But, the people who live only through plans and thinking of the future miss out on the present.

While I may not agree with all of her life views, I have to admit that she made me think about my life and how I live it. She is right when it comes to the idea that many people live for the future and miss out on some of the greatest moments in the present. I still believe I need to have my bucket list to help me accomplish my goals, but I also need to  keep balance between my planning and my doing.

A little deep for sauna-talk? Probably. But, then again, I tend to meet the coolest people in the strangest places.

 

The world’s dumbest pedestrian

I was driving along the road this morning, admittedly speeding at a whopping 37 in a 35 mph zone. I turn on my right blinker to turn onto my next road as three middle-aged, clearly single, men crossed the road. The wormiest of the three men decide that I am going too fast for his liking, so he decides to stop in the middle of the road to motion for me to slow down.

I should have hit him and paid my debt to society, but since I was turning anyways, I decided to save myself the trouble and criminal record. However, I cannot help but wonder, what kind of human in his or her sane state of mind would intentionally stop in front of a seemingly speeding car to tell them that they may be driving at a dangerous speed? If I were in fact driving at a dangerous speed, would a sane person stop in the middle of the street, in front of my speeding car, to tell me to slow down? I don’t see it as plausible.

I gave him a funny face, as all immature college graduates would do, and continued on my merry way. After all, 8 am is far too early to make a fuss about something so silly.

For the rest of the day, I went over so many scenarios in my head that would have made my day so much better, and I am almost certain that would have made his day worse. But, me being such a sweet girl, I kept them in my head and did not act upon them. Okay, maybe it wasn’t because I was being my usual sweet self; it’s possible that it was because I didn’t think quickly enough to come up with such smarty-pants-jessie-isms at the time of the scene.

Here’s what I would have liked to have done:

Step 1: Pull my speeding car over.

Step 2: Step out of said car. Approach middle aged crazy skinny man and his friends.

Step 3: Assume conversation…

Me: Excuse me, sir? Do you believe I was going too fast for this street?

Psycho: Yes, you were driving at a ridiculous speed! You could have hit us!

Me: Yes. How fast do you believe I was going, sir? If you don’t mind me asking…

Psycho: You were going 45 to 50 at least! You should really slow down, young lady!

Me: I see. Okay, well let’s pretend for a second that I was in fact driving 45 to 50 mph, as you say. I have to wonder, then, why would you step in front of my car to tell me to slow down? Why not keep walking as you tell me to slow down? Do you not think that would have been a safer decision?

Psycho: Well I needed to get your attention. You shouldn’t be driving so quickly and I wasn’t going to let you continue going that fast! Ohhh no, not in my town!

Me: Ohh, okay, thanks for clearing that up for me. One more question, though. Now that you’ve said it out loud…you know, the fact that you intentionally tried to stop a 50 mph moving vehicle in the middle of the street with your body, do you think it sounds as logical as when you actually did it?

Psycho: You’re a child! You’re a child with Daddy’s money. Grow up and slow down!

Me: So, you agree, then? Just wondering…

Step 4: Yell goodbye as they walk away from my arguments.

Step 5: Continue on my path toward Starbucks to start my day off right.

Maybe this whole scenario isn’t the most mature thing in the world, but come on…I was only going two miles over the speed limit. I know what you’re thinking. I know, I know…he was right. Speeding is speeding.

Life is Good company and why it’s awesome

I went to REI over Christmas break and found a book that intrigued me. I now call it my happy book, for this reason and this reason only: REI paid ME to buy it. How does that make sense, you wonder? Oh, I’ll tell you.

Apparently, I shop there so frequently that I had stacked up some points with my membership card. When I went up to the counter to buy my happy book, the lady asked me if I wanted to use my dividend. I had no idea what a dividend was, but I said yes anyways. She then handed me two dollars, my receipt, and my book. I didn’t have to pay for a thing! She paid me two dollars. THAT’S EIGHT QUARTERS!!! (Laundry money). I had 22 dollars worth of dividend on my account, the book was 20 dollars, therefore I got paid to buy my book. Epic.

Now, about this happy book. The free-ness of this book is not actually the only reason I call it my happy book. I call it my happy book because it makes me happy. It’s the Life is Good: simple words from Jake and Rocket book.

Everything about this company puts a smile on my face. The story of how it was founded, the cute little outgoing cartoon characters (although seemingly schizophrenic with all of the hobbies displayed on their apparel), and the overall messages conveyed with such simple phrases.

Jake is awesome. He hikes, skates, fishes, bikes, climbs, jogs, camps, drinks coffee, uses tools, cooks, reads, skis, surfs, kayaks…you get the picture. A lot of stuff. And all with his trusty companion, Rocket. This cartoon character has the life I want. If you have never seen or heard of this company, you should check out their website. It just screams, “Visit me, I’ll make your day better.”

And, from the man Jake himself, I leave you with these simple words of wisdom:

Optimism can take you anywhere.