April 7, 2008

World on a String

Amy Domingues’s D.C. Picks

If your grade school music teacher told you that one day you’d play that cello alongside Fugazi, you might have practiced harder. Amy Domingues did, and her amplified ax is now one of D.C.’s most sought-after sounds. What’s Domingues up to when her band, Garland of Hours, is on break?

House Party
When she isn’t touring, Domingues digs for treasures at Ruff & Ready Furnishings. Combing through the well-stocked secondhand store separates weekend warriors from the pros, but kitschy mushroom tea sets and owl creamers make it worth the trouble (1908 14th Street NW, between T and U Streets; 202-667-7833).

Music for the Masses
To soak up Capital culture on a musician’s budget, she heads to the free concerts hosted by the Library of Congress. Audiences can savor top-notch performances like the four-day Tap Dance Festival and Moravian folk songs in the historic Coolidge Auditorium (Jefferson Building, 10 1st Street SE; 202-707-5507).

Rx for a Long Day
If the D.C. music darling wants to quench her thirst, she goes for the medicinal powers of Pharmacy Bar. There she orders an icy Hoegarten and can get in on a friendly round of Big Buck Hunter Pro (2337 18th Street NW, between Kalorama and Belmont Roads; 202-483-1200).

Check out the District’s hippest cellist next Wednesday at the Velvet Lounge, 915 U Street NW, between 9th Street and Vermont Avenue (202-462-3213 or velvetloungedc.com). To hear samples of her music, go to garlandofhours.com.