Kindred, the Family Soul Come to Southeast DC for Park Concert Series

Last year, on the hush, word circulated among those of us connected to the east of the river area that soul singer Raheem Devaughn was coming to southeast DC to perform in an impromptu concert. Last year was a re-election year for many of the city's councilmembers, so we looked at this as a re-election gimmick for the sponsoring councilmembers Kwame Brown and Yvette Alexander who were putting on the concert.

Those of us who attended the concert didn't really care though if it was a gimmick. We were so happy to have a high-quality act like Devaughn to be performing in the area for FREE that we lapped it up happily. The concert last year, which took place in Fort Dupont Park, off of Minnesota Ave., SE, was actually part of the summer concert series National Park Services puts on each summer.

However, the concert last year was the last of the series and actually different because the appearance of Raheem Devaughn was a deviation from the acts that typically are part of the Fort Dupont summer concert series. Most of the acts who appear at Fort Dupont are older acts that appeal to an older demographic between the ages of 45 and up. Raheem Devaughn, with his Marvin Gaye-esque vocal style has fans as young as the teens to the 40-somethings.

So, how happy we were to find out at the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest that just passed on July 25 that Kindred, the Family Soul was the surprise guest for the final day of the Fort Dupont Summer Concert series. Councilmember Yvette Alexander of Ward 7 let the cat of the bag happily and we spread the word immediately on Facebook. Kindred, the wife and husband music duo are a perfect end to a summer of soul! Make sure you bring your lawn chairs, blankets and plenty of H20 because this one is sure to be packed! Listen to some of their music HERE and Get details for today's event HERE.

A Tickler: A Sneak Peek At Some of the Featured Performers @ the 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest

The 2009 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest will announce next week all of the main acts to grace the stage at the premiere outdoors summer festival which will take place on Saturday, July 25 in Washington DC's Marvin Gaye Park. Here is a sneak peek at some of the slated acts:

Substantial


Substantial is back again this year after rocking the mic in 2008. This MC is top notch talent and is currently on tour in Europe.

The 5th L



Socially-conscious and lyrically gifted, this group, a staple of Baltimore culture will grace the stage representing the unity of artists up and the down the beltway.

The Infinite Soul Music Family


Last year, Infinite Soul Music first lady Anonamas graced the stage at the debut of the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest. She is back, this time with her boys, representing true hip hop of DC.

Teisha Marie

Bringing all of her loveliness to the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest, Teisha Marie is a DC Princess amassing fans to claim her Queendom. This is one of our favorite videos. Period.

Stay tuned for the full roster...

Inaugaration Tickets ARE NOT on Sale-- Don't Get Scammed

Tickets to the swearing-in ceremony are free — but you have to request them from your U.S. representative or senator. Best to call his or her Washington office if you haven’t already. THEY DO NOT EXIST YET.

“Any website or ticket broker claiming that they have inaugural tickets is simply not telling the truth,” Howard Gantman, staff director for the the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said in a release. “Tickets for the swearing-in of President-elect are all provided through members of Congress, and the President-elect and Vice President-elect through the Presidential Inaugural Committee. We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism.”

Anyone selling a ticket to, say, the swearing-in ceremony, simply doesn’t have the goods. The 240,000 tickets that have been printed for this event “are in a secure location,” according to the committee.

If you are one of the lucky few to get a ticket when they become available, it’s not illegal to resell your ticket, but it is, well, discouraged. “We can’t stop people from turning around and selling those tickets, but it goes against the spirit of an open public inauguration,” said media spokeswoman Carole Florman. But constituents won’t be able to pick up their tickets until the day before the event — leaving little time for an EBay bidding war.

After all that, even if you are one of the lucky 240,000 who gets a ticket held on the west front of the Capitol building, you may get shut out if the weather tanks. Inclement weather could force the ceremony inside (as it did in 1985 when President Reagan’s inauguration was held inside the Rotunda), dropping the number of spectators from hundreds of thousands to a few hundred.

Everything else: The parade and balls are organized by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which is just being formed. This committee determines the type of inaugural events to hold, raises private money to fund them and decides how to distribute the tickets

People, there is always television. All the better to watch it with.