E-Streeter Lofgren Pursues New Chapter in D.C.; Talks 60s/70s Music Scene

By: Jesse Regis

Click here for the full length interview

Click here for the transcript

After nearly two years of non-stop touring as a guitarist with Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band, Nils Lofgren is excited about the next chapter in his life: refining and performing his work as a solo artist.

“We had a great run, put out a couple great albums. I’m totally shifting gears now trying to get back to my own music,” Lofgren, who will play September 3, 4, and 5th at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, said in an interview with Jesse Regis and Pat Baranowski on WRGW Radio.

Lofgren said that while it’s not time to hang up his rock and roll shoes with E-Street, he wouldn’t say whether the band is expected to come back within the year and a half that many have expected.

“[Expected is] not really the word. It’s a great band. Bruce knows it. He’s the one who has to kind of decide when to fire it up again. This is another chapter. Right now there is no plan so we’re jumping back to our own thing. I wish I had an answer for you. It was honestly vague.”

The break is giving Lofgren a chance to pursue solo work.

In addition to his shows at the Birchmere, three vintage performances were just released on a DVD called “Cry Tough.” His 1977 album “I Came to Dance” was reissued August 24^th.

“No disrespect but I’m probably more excited about another chapter than anyone else. I was a fan buying tickets in the 70s so obviously I’ve got a better seat now then I did then.”

Flubber Hips:

The E-Street Band, formed in the early-70s, has had its share of health problems in recent years. Lofgren joined in the mid-80s, but nevertheless many question how long the band can continue. Lofgren, 59, is a former gymnast, known for his flips, and twirls on the stage, sometimes with a trampoline. He underwent hip surgery before the last tour but said he has a sense of humor about his health and that he doesn’t like to dwell on it. Instead he focuses his energy on delivering come show time.

“I had to put the trampoline back in the closet,” he said. “I had asked the doctor for some bionic hips with the flubber, so I can jump and they said we don’t have those.”

As for saxaphonist Clarence Clemons, who recently underwent back surgery, Lofgren said, “The last few times I’ve spoken with him he’s in good spirits and he’s on the mend.”

34 & M - That Pivotal Corner

More than 40 years have passed since Nils Lofgren snuck back stage at The Cellar Door in Georgetown, and somehow, in what seems like the unlikeliest of scenarios but nothing out of the ordinary in 1969 D.C., ended up playing with Neil Young – a path that led to a spot in the E-Street Band and a successful solo career.

He wasn’t LinkedIn. He didn’t use Facebook or connections his parent’s had. All he was doing was seeking advice on how to be a better front man with his band Grin.

As the story goes Logfren sung for Neil, the two stayed in touch, Loftren moved to Los Angeles, lived with Young’s producer David Briggs, and played piano, guitar, and contributed vocals on “After the Gold Rush,” what Rolling Stone listed in 2003 as the 71^st greatest album of all time.

It didn’t matter that Lofgren didn’t even play piano when Young asked him. He learned.

“That was a huge experience for an 18-year old rookie,” Lofgren said.

In an age of security guards, metal detectors, and lunatic fans willing to have artists put sharpie to cleavage is it even possible to have those experiences now?

“It’s a different time now,” he said. “Back then even though it was Neil Young from the Buffalo Springfield...there was very rarely security and music was more of an underground thing back then and it was a little easier to access people.”

The Cellar Door, a 163-seat venue located at 34^th and M Street in Georgetown, was among the places to go for D.C. area musicians. It was what punk and the CBGB in New York City was to rock and roll in D.C.

“The 60s was an amazing scene of playing music. Right across from the Cellar Door was The Apple Pie. Had some great owners. It was kind of a gathering place for all the local musicians because we could play originals – we jammed a lot. A lot of jam sessions. We didn’t have to do the normal top 40 thing and it was a good hang out. I would regularly buy tickets and down to the Cellar Door across the street and see whoever I could I got to see Muddy Waters there a couple times. B.B. King many times. Tim Harden.”

Now a Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory, the building’s change represents fond memories in Lofgren’s life (it was, after all, where it all stared for him) but symbolizes the motivation for pursing new chapters.

“I get to DC to see my mom, my brothers, my family. We often drive through Georgetown. I’ll point out the Exorcist steps and the old Apple Pie, which is gone, and the old Cellar Door, which is gone. But it’s a very pivotal little corner there for me.”

The Performance

In addition to accessibility to artists, Lofgren said that live music and intimate venues were so important to his generation because these venues taught artists to perform.

“We’re the last generation that grew up with no computer, no video, no choreography,” he said. “Basically, there was nothing you could want that you could have as a young musician in the 60s unless you learned how to play in front of people."

Lofgren, who said he wishes he could have performed with Sam Cooke or Ray Charles, said he often speaks with band mate Stevie Van Zandt about rising young artists and how they must be taught how to perform.

“You can talk to them, share it. A lot of great young musicians get it and there’s a way you can seek that out – it’s just that in the 60s there was no other way. That’s what you had to do was learn how to play in front of people.”

He credits his early experience with being able to find the comfort zone on stage that allows him to be confident in improvisation as when he plays with Springsteen who comes up with new ideas during the show.

"It's just as important that you know that whatever surprises you're hit with that day that you have the goods to deal with it, roll with the punches, and by the time you walk out there be ready to do a great show for somebody." he said.

The Birchmere

September 3, 4 and 5 Lofgren will play along side his three brothers, friend Greg Varlotta, and on the first two nights soul singer Maryanne Redman. The show will focus on Lofgren’s acoustic work but he said he’ll bring his Fender Stratocaster electric guitar.

Comfortable in sold out stadiums and intimate clubs, Lofgren said he doesn’t prefer one over the other.

“It’s just the idea that you’ve got the goods, now the challenge is can you present them in their best light tonight because there’s a few hundred people, tens of thousands of people that are coming that are expecting something special and it’s a nice challenge if you have the right team – the band and the crew,” he said.

Those challenges continue to drive Lofgren, the once anxious 18-year old kid who turned raw drive into a legendary career that continues to unveil new chapters.

Find out how Lofgren prepares for a show, more about the night be met Neil Young, and how record deals stifle creativity, by listening to the full interview, which is linked above.

Tickets to the performances at the Birchmere are available at www.birchmere.com, and www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.NilsLofgren.com for more information, the latest news, free music, or to view his online guitar lessons. Photo credit: Joseph Quever.

Travie McCoy and Wale to Headline Fall Fest

Program Board has announced that hip-hop artists Wale and Travie McCoy will be headlining this year's Fall Fest, to be held on September 4th. This announcement comes after Interscope Records announced a Wale performance at GW.

Travie McCoy, a rapper based in New York, is famously known as the frontman of the band Gym Class Heroes, and has also put out hit singles from his solo debut album, "Lazarus." His single, Billionaire (featuring Bruno Mars) hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. While with Gym Class Heroes, the band's single, Cupid's Chokehold, reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Pop 100.

Wale, a D.C.-native, has hosted Fall Fest before in 2008, after Program Board canceled its booking with Girl Talk. The acclaimed rapper's debut album, Attention Deficit, was released on November 10, 2009, hitting #2 on the U.S. Top Rap Albums.

Interscope Records Announces Wale Performance at GW

Interscope Records has published official tour dates for one of its signed artists, Wale, on its website. Included in these tour dates is a performance at GW on September 4th. Program Board is scheduled to be hosting Fall Fest on this day. However, no official announcement has been made by Program Board.

Wale, a D.C.-native, has hosted Fall Fest before in 2008, after Program Board canceled its booking with Girl Talk. The acclaimed rapper's debut album, Attention Deficit, was released on November 10, 2009, hitting #2 on the U.S. Top Rap Albums.

Jimmy Fallon to Headline Colonials Weekend

Jimmy Fallon, an alumnus of Saturday Night Live and host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, will give two performances Saturday, Oct. 6, as part of this coming year's Colonials Weekend, a celebration for GW students and their families.

According to an email sent by GW Today, tickets will go on sale Monday, Aug. 9, and ticket prices range from $35 to $75. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 202-994-7411. Students can also purchase tickets at GW Ticketmaster, which is located on the lower level of the Marvin Center. A photo ID is required to pick up tickets.

"Jimmy Fallon is one of the most creative emerging talents in the entertainment industry. Every night his fans see him host a comedy-variety-talk show that has become the launching pad for comedy, music and A-list talent,” said Robert Chernak, senior vice president for student and academic support services. “His comedic style, creativity, and energy are a great match to what we believe is of interests to students and parents in the GW community.”


Click here for more information on Colonials Weekend.

Students Push for SmarTrip on GWorld

Recently, GW began handing out new GWorld cards, which featured a larger GW logo, a spiffy hologram, and a new tap-and-enter system as opposed to the previously-used swipecard system.  This tap-and-enter approach is also used by DC metro's SmarTrip cards, leading some students to advocate putting SmarTrip access on the new GWorld cards.

"It would make it so much more convenient for GW students who have to ride the metro frequently," said Leire Ariz who, along with Tsubasa Suruga, created a Facebook group titled "We Want SmarTrip on Our GWorld Cards!" which Ariz says has amassed over 300 members within three weeks.

"It's clear that a lot of students want this," she said.  "It would just make getting around DC that much easier."

Suruga pointed out that American University has already unveiled a new student ID card that includes SmarTrip access.  The Eagle reports that 300 of these new AU ID-SmarTrip hybrid cards have been passed out already, with AU Student Government President Andy MacCracken saying that the program has "so far had a 100 percent success rate."

While no one from the GWorld Card Office could be reached for comment by press time, incoming Student Association President Jason Lifton mentioned in the WRGW-SA Debate that he had previously spoken with members of the GW administration about the possibility of putting SmarTrip on GWorld, but it did not seem possible at the time.

GW Students React To Makeup Classes

For students here at The George Washington University, this past week has been very unusual. Instead of the normal “Reading Week,” where students are supposed to catch up on their reading and prepare for finals, many have had class. As part of the makeup schedule for time missed because of the “Snow Week” in February, some students even have class on Saturday!
“It’s terrible… I wish I could have a whole week to get prepared for papers and final exams,” Peng Fan, a disappointed freshman stated. He emphasized the fact that the teachers didn’t do much teaching, but rather reviewed instead.
Erika Grohoski concurs with Peng. “It’s been hell,” she stated. “Ridiculously crazy.” She explained that she has had two papers due this week and has four finals next week, but not enough time to study for them.
Vignyanand Penumatcha feels differently though. “It hasn’t affected me much actually,” he explained. “I’ve been regularly keeping up [with my work].”
Neither has Sara Saab felt any effects; she didn’t have any makeup classes this week.
Other students, like Tanuj Joshi, Brenna Markle, and Mike Searway, however, are more ambivalent.
“It sucks,” Tanuj explained. “But you get to learn new things, so you have a reason to party.”
For Brenna Markle “it hasn’t been too bad” because she has “no makeup classes on Saturday,” but she admits that this makeup week was “not the best plan.” Though she is “a little upset,” she’s “accepted it” already and has moved on. She is going to do all her studying this weekend.
For Mike Searway the only problem has been “a lot of reading” and having “the same class three days in a row,” though he too admits it hasn’t affected him much.
Though there are mixed feelings about the makeup week, it’s clear that this week is much less popular among students than the Snowmaggedon.

An Evening to Discuss Women's Rights Abuses in the Arab Gulf

On Thursday night, GW's Project Nur, a student-led initiative of the American Islamic Congress, and the Al Waref Institute hosted three women activists to discuss women's rights abuses in the Arab Gulf.
It was a time to express "the voice for the girls who are oppressed in my country," said Maliha Ahmed Alshehab, one of the night's speakers and a Saudi feminist and activist, "To educate what they see as oppressive nature onto women in our countries."
Held in the Marvin Center, young female students made up a majority of the audience along with a sprinkle of those who came, ranging one from George Mason University to the Iraq Embassy.
Each speaker spoke about her particular country's situation with its women population.
Alshehab told of women's harsh reality in Saudi Arabia. Being there is no minimum age for girls to be married in Saudi Arabia, exploitation and abuse of young women is common in these marriages. The relationship between a man and a woman is solely "guardianship." The "guardian system," which Alshehab argues, handicaps Saudi Arabian women, is "the woman needing a male shadow in all stages of her life or losing her personhood."
The societal condition of women in Oman is a "better situation than in Saudi Arabia," but women do not have the freedoms that women have in the United States. There is currently no law dealing with domestic violence, which is difficult when living in a male-dominated society such as those in the Arab Gulf.
The speakers opened up the floor for Q & A after the lecture where discussion of the politics and future of women in the Arab Gulf region took place.

Caps Sent Home Early

The top seeded Washington Capitals lost in Game 7 of the first round against the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 2-1. After a stellar season, the Caps' bid for the Stanley Cup championship has ended much earlier than most had anticipated. After being up 3 games to 1 in the series, the Caps lost 3 games in a row.

Marc-Andre Bergeron put the Canadiens on the score board first with a power play goal with seconds left in the first period. After a scoreless second period, the Canadiens extended their lead to 2-0 with a goal from Dominic Moore. The Capitals were finally able to get onto the board with a goal from Brooks Laichs with just under four minutes left in regulation. While the Caps had scoring opportunities late, they were unable to get anything going, primarily due to the efforts of Canadien goalie, Jaroslav Halak. He saved 41 shots this game.

The Capitals' offense was shut down for much of the last two games. Alex Ovechkin ended the series with 5 goals and 4 assists, but was scoreless in the last two games. Alexander Semin, who scored 40 goals during the regular season, did not score a single goal during the series.

The Montreal Canadiens will move on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Study Zone Collaborates with Sodexo

Extended study hours for finals started on Tuesday and will continue until May 11th.

In effort to raise more awareness about what space is open during exam periods and extend hours in desired study destinations, the university implemented the "Study Zone" initiative. For the first time, Study Zone has teamed up with Sodexo to hold late night hours in Wendy's, Freshens, WOW Cafe and Wingery as well as G-Dub Java on both the Mount Vernon and Foggy Bottom Campuses. The dining locations will be open till 2 a.m. on weekdays.

Late night study hours will be held in Duques Hall, the Fishbowl, the Marvin Center on the Foggy Bottom Campus and Eckles Auditorium, Eckles Library, Ames Pub and G-Dub Java Lounge on the Mount Vernon Campus.

Go to http://living.gwu.edu/studyzone for specific times and locations.

Fountain Fling Continues in the Rain

On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of students flocked to the Mount Vernon campus for the annual Fountain Fling event, despite cloudy skies and rain.

The event was moved to the Lloyd gym due to the weather, but was still a great success with student performances, giveaways and a concert by the well-known alternative rock band State Radio. Students were crowd surfing and enjoying the band that recently had three sold-out concerts at the 9:30 club and opened for Dave Matthews Band in 2008.

GW was the last of seven stops on the Save My Oceans tour, which advocates against global warming, plastic pollution and overfishing. The “bag monster” also made an appearance at the event. The Bag Monster ‘attacks’ on college campuses to educate about the importance of reusable bags and the amount of unnecessary waste created from single-use plastic bags. The costume is made up of 500 single-use plastic bags and represents the amount an average person uses in one year in the United States.

The Surfrider Foundation was also in attendance to spread awareness about the protection and enhancement of the world’s oceans. Brita water filters and reusable water bottles were given out along with free food and Fountain Fling t-shirts.

“I am very impressed with the turn-out, especially considering the rain and moving of locations,” said Alyssa Abraham, who lives on the Vern and helped plan the event with Program Board. “It shows that GW students are willing to make the trip to the Vern if there is a good reason to.”

For more information on the Save My Oceans film, book and concert tour, go to www.savemyoceans.com