May 28, 2017 – Padres 5, Nats 3 – Nationals Park

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/233021108/ryan-schimpf-homers-in-padres-win-vs-nats/

 

Attendance: 30,243

Game Time: 3:19

Weather: 65 degrees, cloudy

Wind: 7 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Dan Bellino, First Base - Jerry Layne, Second Base - Roberto Ortiz, Third Base - Mike Estabrook

 

Highlights – Nats scored a run in the first after loading the bases with nobody out (Trea Turner single, Goodwin double, Rendon walk), another in the second (singles by Difo, Turner, and Goodwin), and one in the fifth on an Adam Lind RBI double after a Zimmerman single … Jacob Turner, Treinen, and Romero combined for 5 scoreless innings out of the pen

 

Other – Joe Ross gave up two runs in the top of the first on a two-out Ryan Schimpf homer after Will Myers worked a walk … things didn’t improve from there, as Ross gave up 3 more runs and a total of 12 hits without retiring a batter in the 5^th … while we were prepared for possible rain late afternoon or early evening, we didn’t expect the drizzle (and eventual rain) we got before the game when waiting for autographs … were also a bit surprised when the put the tarp on about 15 minutes before the game was scheduled to start, as they were obviously warned of the rain that started shortly thereafter and delayed the start of the game for 80 minutes … cool throughout, also in contrast to the earlier forecast … tried the Italian sausage sandwich for the first time, which wasn’t bad

#148 (Don't Go Back To) Rockville – R.E.M. (1984)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fXCjSgItgw

 

Since I’ve been living in Rockville for almost 40 years, this is pretty much a no-brainer. (I’ve left for vacations, but have always gone back.) And, unlike many early R.E.M. songs, the lyrics are actually intelligible.

#147 Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things) – Martha & The Vandellas (1965)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1-mqP0W8Hc

 

Martha & The Vandellas made a name for themselves with upbeat, danceable tracks such as “Heat Wave”, “Nowhere To Run”, and “Dancing In the Street”. This one, although one of the finest ballads in the history of Motown, was buried as a B-side (to “You’ve Been In Love Too Long”). Fortunately, although it only reached #70 on the national charts, it did get quite a bit of airplay on some stations (including WFEC in my birthplace of Harrisburg).

#146 Tears Dry On Their Own – Amy Winehouse (2006)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojdbDYahiCQ

 

Song-wise, the late Amy Winehouse is best known for the unfortunately-appropriate “Rehab”, but there’s a lot of other great material on her excellent breakthrough album Back To Black. This one tops them all, with Winehouse’s melody and lyrics over the backing track from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. While a successful single in the UK, it never really made it to radio on this side of the pond, which was definitely our loss.

May 24, 2017 – Nats 5, Mariners 1 – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/232265970/anthony-rendon-homers-nationals-beat-mariners/?topicId=27118414

 

Attendance: 29,223

Game Time: 2:28

Weather: 64 degrees, overcast

Wind: 3 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Todd Tichenor, First Base - Adam Hamari, Second Base - Bill Miller, Third Base - Kerwin Danley

 

Highlights – Nats scored all the runs they needed off rookie Sam Gaviglio in the bottom of the first … Trea reached on an error, stole second, and scored on long flies by Harper and Zim … Rendon followed later in the inning with a 3-run homer that scored Werth (who had walked earlier) and Murphy (double) … added their final run in the second on Taylor’s bunt hit, Roark’s sacrifice, and Turner’s RBI single … Tanner gave up a run in the top of the first and was over 40 pitches at the end of the second, but prevented any further damage through the 7^th … Romero and Kelley held off Seattle in the 8^th, while newly-anointed closer Koda Glover added a 1-2-3 9^th

 

Other – due to our early start and an uneventful ride down on Metro, we were first in the LF gate season pass holder line for the Max Scherzer Snow Globe giveaway … on a relatively chilly May evening, the wind gusts in our seats for much of the game were much higher than the “3 mph” gametime reading from the ESPN box score, although we were fortunate not to get any rain … Nats played their second straight game in less than 2½ hours

Shuffle #96 (May 20, 2017)

Come As You Are – Nirvana

I’ve Got To Use My Imagination – Gladys Knight & The Pips

Anyone Who Had A Heart – Dionne Warwick

North Side Gal – JD McPherson

Mirror In The Bathroom – The English Beat

Can’t Get You Out Of My Head – Kylie Minogue

Over And Over – The Dave Clark Five

Greasy Heart – Jefferson Airplane

Just Another Day – John Mellancamp

Da Doo Ron Ron – The Crystals

Dream Dancing – Scott Hamilton

Serendipity #67

Bad Bad World – Guster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukdZMtzgb1c

Heard 5/12/2017 around 12:35pm, at Wegman’s (Germantown)

May 14, 2017 – Nats 6, Phillies 5 (Game 2) – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/230293680/taylor-home-run-lifts-nationals-past-phillies/

 

Attendance: 30,137

Game Time: 3:34

Weather: 78 degrees, partly cloudy

Wind: 9 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Andy Fletcher, First Base - Alan Porter, Second Base - Joe West, Third Base - Chris Segal

 

Section 416, Row F, Seats 3-5 (back in our old Section 416 stomping grounds)

 

Notes – the ultimate see-saw game, which was tied 3-3 when we left the building in the middle of the 6^th … worst moment came in the top of the 4^th, when Scherzer was hit on the left knee by a 100-MPH liner off the bat of Michael Saunders … Max stayed in the game, and after allowing two runs to score in the inning, struck out the Phils on 9 pitches in the 5^th before allowing another run in his final inning of work … Velasquez was his typical inefficient self for Philadelphia, needing 100 pitches to get through 5 innings while allowing 3 runs … Luis Garcia allowed the Nats to take the lead in the bottom of the 6^th by allowing a double to pinch-hitter Brian Goodwin after walking leadoff batter Anthony Rendon … Phils went back on top in the 8^th when Matt Grace and Jacob Turner each walked a batter and Galvis tripled them home … Nats regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on a two-run homer by Taylor (who had fanned in his previous 3 ABs) off Neshek, and Matt Albers saved the day (and game) for the Nats with a 1-2-3 ninth

May 14, 2017 – Phillies 4, Nats 3 (Game 1) – Nationals Park

http://m.phillies.mlb.com/news/article/230179460/phillies-come-from-behind-to-defeat-nationals/

 

Attendance: 31,738

Game Time: 3:02

Weather: 74 degrees, sunny

Wind: 13 mph

Umpires: Home Plate - Hunter Wendelstedt, First Base - Chris Segal, Second Base - Alan Porter, Third Base - Joe West

 

Notes – Gio struggled with high pitch counts the first couple of innings, but didn’t allow a run until Tommy Joseph took him deep in the 7^th … by that time, the Nats had built a 3-0 lead off Hellickson on a Harper solo shot in the 1^st and a 2-run blast by Turner in the 5^th … Matt Albers got the final out of the 7^th and combined with Enny Romero to keep the Phils off the board in the 8^th … Phillies finally broke through against the Nats beleaguered bullpen in the 9^th, as Aaron Altherr led off with a homer off Kelley, followed by hard-hit doubles by Franco and Rupp to tie things up … after Kelley walked Galvis, Koda Glover came in and gave up a game-deciding single to the seldom-used Ty Kelly … 3 Phils relievers held the Nats scoreless over the final 4 innings (with Neris getting the save), despite combining with Hellickson to fan only one Nationals batter the entire game

 

Other – beautiful Mother’s Day weather for what turned out to be two ballgames, as Friday’s game (to which we had tickets) featuring a Trea Turner bobblehead giveaway was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday night … we left the park after Game 1 of the split double-header and immediately got into the (then relatively short) Season Plan Holder line outside the left field gate … all of the lines got incredibly long as the 6:10 gate opening time approached, and reportedly things got somewhat cutthroat and testy

The Impressions – Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 5/11/2017

Table 25 (second row from the front, center stage)

 

The Impressions have been one of my favorite acts since childhood, but I had never previously seen them live, assuming that they had disbanded long ago. So I was delighted (and fortunate, since they are planning to retire after this tour) to hear that they were coming to town, with veterans Fred Cash and Sam Gooden (both of whom had been with the group since the late 1950s) along with “youngster” Jeremy Purifory, the latest successor to the great Curtis Mayfield.

 

They certainly didn’t disappoint, doing almost 20 songs in two sets totaling about 105 minutes. Cash and Gooden both looked and sounded much younger than their years, and Purifory is a great vocal talent, doing full credit to Mayfield’s parts without trying to sound exactly like him.

 

Highlights:

 

It’s All Right (opening the show)

Nothing Can Stop Me (Curtis Mayfield song that was a hit for Gene Chandler)

I Loved And I Lost (my personal favorite)

I’m So Proud (stunning vocals by Purifory at the end)

People Get Ready

He’s A Friend Of Mine (Eddie Kendricks hit from 1976 ending the first set)

Freddie’s Dead (instrumental by the fine 9-piece band to get the second set underway)

Gypsy Woman

Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield solo classic to end the show)

 

Setlist