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JULIA BAILEY
Weekend Pass | entertainment
Singer-pianist Eden Brent has a husky voice, which she attributes to years spent smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.
Boogie-Woogie Woman Even babies get down to singer Eden Brent’s brand of the blues Music Singer-pianist Eden Brent says she’s “an inherently lazy person,” which makes her think she’d do well as a member of Congress. The three-time Blues Music Award-winner was a House of Representatives page in 1982, toiling for Congressman David Bowen from her native Mississippi. As she ran around delivering stuff, the teen was struck by how the staff
INDIES & ARTIES
Inside Track Eden Brent covers the Joan Armatrading song “Opportunity” on her just-released album “Jigsaw Heart,” which was recorded in Nashville and has a country flavor. For the tale of a down-on-her-luck woman who casts her fate with a man who has a plan and a gun, Brent sings with tart regret and plays slinky piano riffs. “That particular song tells such a great story,” Brent says. “In the Delta, sometimes the opportunity that knocks is the wrong kind of opportunity. I know plenty of people who’ve gotten in trouble trying to make a buck the wrong way.” M.S.
does so much more than the representatives. It’s something Brent can relate to as a professional musician. “The people working for me wind up
doing a lot more work than I do,” she says. “Even if I do two sets, that’s no more than three hours of work in a 24-hour period.” Then again, making music does
Hill Country DC, 410 Seventh St., NW; Thu., 8:30 p.m., free; 202-556-2050, hillcountrywdc.com. (Gallery Place)
Ongoing ‘Dark Universe’: For “Dark Universe,” the Air and Space Museum’s planetarium got a big tech update: six JVC Professional DLA-SH7NLG digital projectors and an 8K fulldome digital system, for an image that’s 16 times the resolution of HD. Long story short: The movie looks REALLY FREAKING COOL. The content, mostly about dark matter, is also really freaking cool. The 24-minute film isn’t for everyone — kids under 10, those prone to motion sickness, and people who want to believe the universe is 6,000 years old probably won’t get much out of it — but even non-science lovers will get a good jaw drop from the sights alone. KRISTEN PAGE-KIRBY (E XPRESS) National Air and Space Museum, Independence Avenue at Sixth Street SW; daily, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., $5; 202-633-2214, nasm.si.edu. (L’Enfant Plaza)
FILM RIFFS
DISNEY
burn up energy. “If I’m doing a boogie woogie, my arms are busy,” she says. “Even singing requires something similar to an aerobic-style workout. If I’m playing a ballad in a chilly room or outside, I don’t need a jacket. I get hot doing it.” Brent, who performs at Hill Country Live on Thursday, started piano lessons at 5 but didn’t find her style until she started studying with the great bluesman Abie “Boogaloo” Ames. She first met him when he played at her sister’s wedding, and, when she was 19, she asked if he’d give her lessons. “He taught me the critical use of the bass line,” she says. “A lot of people who listen to boogie woogie think they’re responding to ‘tickling the ivories’ … but what they’re really responding to is that grooving bass line.” Brent, who’s now 48 (“it’s on the damned Internet — there isn’t any point in me lying about it”) says her playing honors Ames’ art form — a style she’s thrilled that audiences still get into. “Even little babies will dance,” she says. Brent’s husky, dusky voice sounds as if it’s winking at the audience — and as if it smoked too many cigarettes and drank too much booze. “I drink just about everything you can imagine,” she says. “I come from a long line of heavy drinking. We drink when we’re sad or happy. I think a lot of river communities love to drink.” And yes, she is a smoker: “It seems so unpopular now,” she says. “It’s almost like if you say you smoke pot you would get a better response than if you say you smoked cigarettes.” MARC SILVER (FOR E XPRESS)
Now Playing Nothing says “summer” like a good baseball movie, because going to the actual game takes too long and the beer is expensive. “Million Dollar Arm,” out Friday, tries to add Indian cricket players to the list of movie baseball greats. KRISTEN PAGE-KIRBY (EXPRESS)
1 Dottie Hinson In 1992 we all learned about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, thanks to “A League of Their Own.” And thanks to Geena Davis’ character we learned that it is possible, if not advisable, to play catcher in a skirt.
2 Amanda Whurlitzer The centerpiece of the team in 1976’s “The Bad News Bears,” Amanda (Tatum O’Neal) has a wicked arm and a wickeder mouth, which fits in with Little League, a wholesome activity for kids.
3 Jackie Robinson Chadwick Boseman had to overcome a weak script to turn in a solid performance as Robinson in 2013’s “42.” Which isn’t that impressive when you see what Robinson himself had to deal with.
4 Pedro Cerrano Before Dennis Haysbert became all dignified and insurance-pitchy, he played the superstitious cleanup hitter in 1989’s “Major League,” meaning he won’t be remembered for the line “you’re in good hands” but for “F--- you, Jobu.”
5 ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh Kevin Costner’s “Crash” Davis was the focus of 1988’s “Bull Durham,” but it would be more fun to play catch with Tim Robbins’ insane pitcher. Right up until the ball hit you in the face.