Our nation's capital is unquestionably populated by obsessive political observers of the highest order, among whom your Whimsy correspondent counts himself.
So it's perhaps understandable that an advertisement for a newly-opened music venue near the RTTNews Washington bureau prompted one heck of a double take when advertising an upcoming event.
The venue, The Hamilton, is named for the nation's first Treasury Secretary and is located just steps from the White House and neighboring Treasury Department.
The act? An appearance by Jim Messina, formerly a White House deputy chief of staff and now campaign manager for President Barack Obama's re-election bid?
Sign us up!
Except, well, not so much.
It's probably not unheard of for a high-profile political operative like Messina to make a public appearance in the midst of a hotly contested election. But at a bar best known for hosting musical acts?
As it turns out, the top Obama aide shares a name with a California guitarist who worked with The Doors, played with Buffalo Springfield and toured and collaborated with Kenny Loggins (releasing nine albums together, according to the musician's bio on The Hamilton's Web site www.thehamiltondc.com).
Based on that bio and a description of the show Thursday in which the musician says he's "enjoying discovering who he is, where he's been and where he's going" - promising a candor unlikely from a political operative of any stripe - your Whimsy correspondent just might check it out.
And if The Hamilton ever books "the other" Jim Messina (with or without a guitar), be assured we'll be there.
by RTT Staff Writer
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