Monday, April 30, 2012

Take a Trip Around the World ... in Silver Spring at the 2nd Annual Taste the World in Fenton Village!

Sample foods from 24 international restaurants – all within a few blocks! Come to Taste the World in Fenton Village, Sunday, May 6, from 1pm to 5pm. Call 240-832-3078 or go to www.tastetheworldfentonvillage.org. Event attendees will pick up their special Taste the World “passports” at Parking Lot 3 on Fenton Street between Thayer and Silver Spring avenues beginning at 1pm. Restaurants will offer appetizers and small tasting plates at $2 to $5 a piece. Hosted by the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, with help from Silver Spring Town Center Inc., the Taste the World in Fenton Village stage will feature a wide array of music from around the globe, including jazz, rock, and blues as well as Eastern Standard Time headlining with a festive Caribbean beat!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Fenton Street Market Returns to Veterans Plaza, Saturday, April 28, 2012!

FSM has been out measuring and re-measuring the plaza, getting ready for the sold out Opening Day market on April 28th! To kick off in style, they will have more than 60 vendors selling everything from unique artwork to bonsai trees to handmade jewelry and everything in between.
They are looking forward to starting a new tradition this year: ringing in the start of the market. Stop by right at 10:00am to help ring the new market bell! Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett will be there to ring in the new market season and make the first purchase of the year. Please join us in this celebration of local entrepreneurship!
Then, stay at the market to see local talent perform: Israel Dempsey will play her guitar from 10:00am – noon and FSM favorites Snakehead Run go on at 2:00pm. And our friends at Pyramid Atlantic will be teaching us how to do screen printing from noon – 2:00 pm.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

SSTCi Events Helping to Boost Business in Downtown Silver Spring!


"The Twilight Tuesdays concert series is a great idea---and great for area business! I have seen an increase of inside sales from last year, including a 10% increase on the first night of the Twilight Tuesdays performance series. Hopefully with the nicer weather, we will see an even stronger turn-out." - Eric Rose, General Manager

About ZPizza: zpizza was founded in the art colony of Laguna Beach, California, where creativity and craftsmanship have flourished for almost a century. So it comes as no surprise that our critically acclaimed pizza is a true Laguna original. A passion for great food is why we start with dough made from 100% organic wheat flour prepared fresh every day, hand-thrown and fire-baked until uniquely crisp. Our zest for quality continues when the toppings go on. We combine select ingredients using award-winning skim mozzarella from Wisconsin, certified organic tomato sauce, MSG-free pepperoni, additive-free sausage, and fresh produce. Our gourmet salads and sandwiches are just as delicious. We hope you enjoy our authentic and unique recipes as much as we enjoy making them for you.

ZPizza is located in Downtown Silver Spring on Fenton just across from Veterans Plaza. For more info: www.zpizza.com.

Monday, April 16, 2012

TWILIGHT TUESDAYS: Alternative rock band SHOCK HOLIDAY Tuesday, April 17, 7p-9p!


Shock Holiday is an ultra modern progressive rock band out of suburban Maryland. Originality is the only musical formula, staying true to influences, with a fresh hard rock sound like no other. The end result is a modern rock story that can take you to the darkest corner of your imagination and paint a beautiful melodic picture on the way.

Shock Holiday's debut album is mixed with great radio hits, dark ballads and in-your-face dirty rock. Founding members Chris (vocals) and Steve (guitars) have worked hard for many years to craft and perfect this project in hopes of sharing it with new fans. The current lineup was completed in early 2011, with the addition of Zo on bass and Alli on drums. Members came from previous bands such as Project 13, Krazy 8s, and Luvrayzr, bringing many different musical backgrounds and influences.

Check out Shock Holiday's groundbreaking self-titled debut album as well as the epic music video for "A Stranger Among Us." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bEY7r5CZRk

For more info, visit: http://www.reverbnation.com/shockholiday#

TWILIGHT TUESDAYS: 13 year-old Electric Guitarist Isaiah "Izzy" Lemons Tuesday, April 17, 7p-9p!


An astoundingly gifted 13-year-old prodigy, Isaiah "Izzy" Lemons is a self-taught electric guitarist who plays Blues, Rock and R&B. Inspired by Slash, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, KISS, Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Orianthi, BB King and Ozzy Osbourne, Izzy has been described as "an old soul who plays like an aged guitarist."

Although Izzy has only just recently started performing, he has already wowed a variety of crowds throughout the area. On April 18, 2010 he first debuted playing "I Love Rock n' Roll" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" at the New Deal Café in Greenbelt, MD. In the past year, he has performed on The National Mall at the World Child Festival where he won 2nd place! He performed at the International Festival and the Afro-Caribbean Festival in downtown Silver Spring, MD. Isaiah gave a standing ovation performance at the Baltimore Apollo where the audience voted him to the finale and on September 24, 2011, he walked away with the title of "King of Guitar" and the 2011 Baltimore Apollo winner! On October 28, 2011, Isaiah had the honor of performing live, the "Redemption Song," with Junior Marvin & some of the Original Wailers at A Taste of New Orleans in DC during a benefit concert fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research & Homeless Veterans. Isaiah performed at the Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon on March 16th & 17th in Washington, DC for a crowd of over 20,000! On May 5th, Isaiah will be the show opener for Chuck Brown, "Godfather of Go-Go" at the Harlem Renaissance Festival in Landover, Md. Later this year, the unveiling of "Izzy Wear by Front Page Gear," will be revealed, which will include a variety of shirts, hoodies and T-shirts.

Check him out playing Jimi Hendrix' Purple Haze:

For more info about Izzy, visit: http://isaiahplaysguitar.webs.com/

Friday, April 13, 2012

SSTCi Executive Director Lisa Martin Provides Testimony to County Council at Budget Hearings


Testimony of
Lisa Martin, Executive Director
Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.
On the Montgomery County Executive’s
Proposed FY13 Operating Budget
April 12, 2012

Council President Berliner and Members of the Montgomery County Council, Good Evening.

My name is Lisa Martin. I am the Executive Director of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., a community based non-profit organization in Silver Spring, which provides innovative arts, entertainment and educational programming for the community in the Silver Spring Civic Building and on Veterans Plaza.

On behalf of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening.

The mission of Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. is to provide a vibrant, inclusive and engaging community gathering place that enriches the lives of residents of the Greater Silver Spring area. Embracing the racial and cultural diversity of the region, the organization seeks to educate, entertain, inspire and involve people while encouraging and supporting the building of a creative, compassionate and caring community.

The Silver Spring Town Center Inc. (SSTCi) is the result of a long process of community involvement and engagement to support the development of downtown Silver Spring. Established in 2004, SSTCi was created to infuse community spirit and involvement in the new Silver Spring Civic Building and on Veterans Plaza.

And we are pleased to report that this engagement has been very successful and very well received by our neighbors, our visitors, our partners in the County Government, and our friends throughout the business community.

SSTCi is proud to be part of the rich tapestry of cultural diversity in Silver Spring, and we have had the honor to present scores of artistic performances of music, dance, spoken word and other creative forms of expression to the County’s residents and visitors throughout the year.

I know that some of you have enjoyed many of our programs and activities—including our popular Silver Spring Blues Festival, our Tribute to America’s Veterans Concert, our Plaza Performances on the Veterans Plaza, our Evening with the Stars, as well as our monthly Arts Salon and the Jefferson Café, a collaboration with the Paul Peck Institute at Montgomery College.

In his proposed FY13 Recommended Budget, County Executive Leggett has included modest grant funds for SSTCi and its community-based programming. With these funds, we could leverage private sector resources, and continue to support programs for youth and people of all ages, as well as engage the diverse communities in our area and to showcase the array of artistic talent of Montgomery County residents.

We hope the County Council will agree that SSTCi deserves the support the County Executive has recommended for the FY13 Budget, and, in doing so, support our good works in this vibrant, exciting and important part of Montgomery County.

Our website is www.silverspringtowncenter.com

Thank you very much, and we hope to see you in our “community living room” in Downtown Silver Spring!

Monday, April 9, 2012

TWILIGHT TUESDAYS: Chakavak Persian Classical Music Ensemble, Tuesday, April 10th, 7p-9p on Veterans Plaza!

Chakavak Persian Classical Music Ensemble was formed in 1998 and has been showcased in various concerts and festivals throughout the region. It is part of the Center for for Persian Classical Music, which is managed and run by Nader Majd.

Born in Iran in 1944, Nader is an Iranian musician and scholar. He has been studying and performing music since his childhood. He learned music, both theory and practice, from his father and uncles who were dedicated musicians. Nader specializes in playing and teaching the Tar, Setar, Santur, Violin, and Vocal. He has participated in many concerts and TV shows in Iran and abroad, produced a number of audio and video tapes, and taught music in the USA for the past ten years.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

How Our Date Night Turned Into a Big Oscars Win Night. By Mike Northridge


My wife Sara had actually won tickets to the event at a charity fundraiser a few weeks earlier. She was excited when she won 'cuz she & I always love to watch the Oscar telecast together and, with our busy schedules, we rarely get to have "date nights." In our 'younger days', we used to hurry each year as the telecast approached in order to see as many of the Best Picture nominees as we could before the awards show aired. I think there were two or three years when we managed to see all of the Best Picture nominees (and that was when there were only five!). But that must have been before the kids came along, LOL!

We checked the tix for the location of the event and which organizations were sponsoring it, and saw that it was Silver Spring Town Center (which was good karma 'cuz we used to live a block away from there back when we first got married and we hadn't been back to downtown Silver Spring much over the years) and the National Center for Children and Families. We've long admired NCCF's work and value their causes, e.g., helping the homeless (I volunteer with SOME downtown in cooking breakfast for the homeless) and with foster care and adoption services.

As Oscar night approached, we saw the website's suggestion to consider dressing as a movie character. Well, as it happens, last fall I had gone shopping for a Hawaiian shirt and the salesman told me that the shirt I was eyeing was the same print as the one that George Clooney wore in a movie called The Descendants that was opening the next day. So I bought it (and Sara & I later went to see the film, which we absolutely loved). Anyway, after seeing the website's suggestion to consider dressing as a movie character, it was a no-brainer that I should wear my "George Clooney" shirt.

Finally, Oscar night arrived. As we arrived in our old Silver Spring neighborhood, we were impressed with all the changes and busy nightlife downtown. We didn't know anyone else at the party, but everyone was friendly, and we had a great time. We were thrilled when our raffle ticket proved to be the winner of the grand prize. We have great memories of our newlywed days living in downtown Silver Spring, and now, many years later, we're really looking forward to returning and enjoying a romantic weekend there.

I admit I'm no George Clooney, but maybe my wife won't mind so long as I wear his Hawaiian shirt, LOL.

Cantaloupe Island by Groove Jet on Veterans Plaza


"Groove Jet" is a 5 piece "Funky Jazz Fusion" band. The band has been playing private parties and small clubs in the greater Washington area for the better part of the last 10 years. All band members are alum of numerous musical groups and genres that have been performing in the area for the last 40 years. The band leader and founder is keyboardist Garrett Green. The rest of the members in order of joining are Mark Frawley on Trumpet, Mattias Rucht on Drums and Silver Spring residents Don Berkemeyer on Bass, and Willard Morris on Violin. They cover a wide variety tunes from the Monk to Motown. .

Groove Jet Kicks off 2012 Twilight Tuesdays on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza







Wednesday, April 4, 2012

"Lea" at the next Silver Spring Town Center Arts Salon, Thursday, April 19, 2012, 12 noon to 1 pm


Guest Artist: Lea

Topic: How can we create a better world with our art?

LEA's voice and songs have graced the stages of a variety of venues including the John F Kennedy Center, American University, Eddie's Attic, and Harmony Hall. She continues to perform in Europe, where her 5th full length CD was released. LEA's songs have been featured in TV, films and have earned her repeated recognition from the Washington Area Music Association and the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. Now, LEA is entering new territory as a co-founder of bigBEE Records, an independent label dedicated to "making the world a little sweeter, one song at a time." http://www.thisislea.com/

Who’s invited: Fine artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, photographers, graphic designers, playwrights, poets, and anyone interested in the creative process.

What to bring: Ideas, questions, stories, business cards for networking, and a brown bag lunch and/or drink, if desired.

Where to show up: Silver Spring Civic Building; Silver Spring, MD 20910. We’ll meet in the Colesville Room, 2nd floor. The Civic Building is the new building across from the Majestic Movie Theater, on Ellsworth between Fenton and Cedar. Most meters on the street are one hour only; To mapquest, I suggest you use the address for the Town Square Garage (Garage 61) 801 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, MD 20910, which is right across the Street.

How to RSPV and/or receive notices about upcoming salons: Please join the FB page: SSTC Arts Salon at http://www.facebook.com/groups/111769958927685/

HOST: Mary Amato (Host) is an author, poet, songwriter, musician, and playwright. info@maryamato.com; http://www.maryamato.com/

Monday, April 2, 2012

"Twilight Tuesdays" on the Plaza: Groove Jet (Funky Jazz Fusion) Tuesday, April 3, 7p-9p


"Groove Jet" is a 5 piece "Funky Jazz Fusion" band. The band has been playing private parties and small clubs in the greater Washington area for the better part of the last 10 years. All band members are alum of numerous musical groups and genres that have been performing in the area for the last 40 years. The band leader and founder is keyboardist Garrett Green. The rest of the members in order of joining are Mark Frawley on Trumpet, Mattias Rucht on Drums and Silver Spring residents Don Berkemeyer on Bass, and Willard Morris on Violin. They cover a wide variety tunes from the Monk to Motown. They opened the plaza concerts last year and are very pleased to be here again this year on the first night of the series.

For more info, visit:
www.reverbnation.com/GROOVΕJΕT