Local musician Ricky Parrell plans to celebrate the debut of his first album in August at Jammin’ Java.  

Inspired by a prompt that asks creative writers to craft short stories about items on their keychains, Parrell decided to shift the idea toward another medium — an album he ended up calling “Keys to My Life.” 

Parrell said that his talents as a musician with the United States Air Force Band and experience as an adjunct professor for the Northern Virginia Community College allow him to transcend different musical genres. Listeners can expect to hear six to eight tracks on the album each featuring a different genre or style of jazz.

Despite the variance, Parrell said the album is still meant to flow cohesively. 

“It has been the most challenging thing I’ve done musically, to get everything together and off the ground,” Parrell said.  

One of the largest roadblocks during the creation of his album was a problem with the licensing for one of his tracks when he wanted to cover a song from a Canadian artist. “Getting to that point was like six months of frustration because I couldn’t find the right person to talk to,” he said.

Once he was able to track down the artist, they were excited about the idea of his cover, he said, adding that most artists are excited to get their work out into the world.

Before the big album release, fans can expect two singles accompanied by music videos. Parrell said “My Bike Lock” should appear on his Facebook page before the end of July, while “Man Like You” will be released in early August.

“Keys to My Life” features well-known musicians such as Justin Stanton of Snarky Puppy and Grammy Award Winning trumpet player, Randy Brecker. Stanton and Parrell attended school together and will both perform at the album debut event on Aug. 25. 

Parrell considered hosting the debut in New York City, but decided to keep it local, since he grew up in Vienna. He hopes to help put the city on the map while helping local businesses and foster the music scene.

“Places like Jammin’ Java are rare,” he said. “Big names go through there and you wouldn’t even know it.”

Tickets start at $10 for the debut performance of his album. For an extra $10, attendees can walk away with an album CD. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Second photo courtesy Ricky Parrell

Next week, the 1st Stage theatre will host the Logan Festival for Solo Performance for a third consecutive year.

From July 11-21, national names in talent will perform live plays, give talks and host workshops at 1524 Spring Hill Road.

Headlining performances for this season include: “The Things They Carried,” “Joy Rebel,” and “The Happiest Place on Earth.”  Each play touches on dynamic topics including societal views of race, family tragedy and the legacy of the Vietnam War.

“The Things They Carried” is an adaptation from the classic novel which tells a story of a Vietnam soldier who reflects on his life journey.

Meanwhile, “The Happiest Place on Earth” takes a more lighthearted tone when a man reflects on the women in his family while at Disneyland and what “true happiness” means.

“Joy Rebel” tells a story about a little girl who must face her beloved grandmother’s racism and disapproval of her own parents’ interracial marriage.

Before and after each show, community members are invited to take part in discussions about the productions and various other works of art. Though these forums are free, anyone planning to attend a performance must buy a ticket beforehand.

General admission ticket prices are $20 per show for adults and $10 for students with a valid ID. A festival pass includes tickets for all three performances and is available at a discounted rate of  $50. Tickets are available online or by calling 703-854-1856.

Photo via 1st Stage

Independence Day is right around the corner, and events all over the Tysons area invite community members to partake in family fun.

Regarding the logistics of transportation to events, local authorities warn of overcrowded parking and suggest that attendees either carpool to events, use public transit or take advantage of ride-sharing apps.

Several companies, including Lyft, offer a promotion to curtail drunk driving on busy holidays. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program announced its SoberRide campaign, which gives users a $15 Lyft promotional code to be used within the D.C. Metro area. The code will be released at 6 p.m on July 4 and will be valid for the first 1,500 users of legal drinking age. It can be found on SoberRide’s website.

Tysons 

Tysons Biergarten is set to celebrate America’s Independence Day on July 3 from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m on the Fourth. The beer hall will offer both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, traditional American food and live music for all to enjoy. Registration is free.

Falls Church 

Before the lighthearted celebrations begin in the evening, the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VIPS) invites everyone to a reading of the nation’s founding documents. The readings begin at 12 p.m. in the Falls Church Episcopal Church (115 E. Fairfax Street). The group hopes it will help people recall the pillars of democracy and freedom.

Entry for the evening’s celebration at George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike) starts at 6 p.m. While guests enjoy music from The Excellent Drivers, locally operated food trucks will also be selling a variety of fare. Fireworks begin at 9:20 p.m., but this time may be updated on the Falls Church social media accounts. All events are free.

On holidays, parking is free at the West Falls Church Metro Parking Garage.

McLean

Doors for the annual community center fireworks display open after 6 p.m. at Langley High School (6520 Georgetown Pike). Guests can expect to be greeted with food trucks and a DJ. This is a family-friendly event. Smoking, pets, fireworks, glass containers, weapons, sparklers, vaping and alcohol will not be allowed.

Entry is free for this event but there is limited parking at the venue. More parking spots are available at McLean Community Center, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and St. Luke Catholic School, where shuttle buses will ferry guests back forth.

Vienna

During the day, Vienna’s Sprinklers & Sparklers event features water slides, snow cones, and food trucks. It takes place at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) and runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

In the picnic style, Vienna also opens up Yeonas Park (1319 Ross Drive SW) for an evening of family-friendly fun. Fireworks are expected to start at sunset, or roughly 9:30 p.m. The Little League concession stand will serve food as people pile onto the lawn and listen to a live performance from The Josh Christina Band.

Photos courtesy Town of Vienna