Dan Mineart’s mother has watched his musical talent develop from the time he was in diapers. Now, that talent has brought the Burke native back home to compete in front of his family and friends.
“He’s been playing instruments since he could barely walk,” said Janis Mineart. “It’s so fun to see them [the band] be in the top 12 because I’ve seen them work so hard."
The top 12 Janis Mineart is referring to is the DC 101 Last Band Standing competition. A graduate of Lake Braddock Secondary, Dan Mineart plays the bass guitar for the alternative rock band Adelyn. Thanks to the band’s placement in this contest, they now have the opportunity to perform as the opening act at the 2006 Chili Cook-Off on May 20, in Washington, D.C. The event benefits the National Kidney Foundation.
“It was really strange,” said Dan Mineart. “We actually didn’t know we were entered [in the competition].”
From goofing around with instruments as a child, to his days as a high school student, Dan Mineart said he’s always been interested in music.
“Lake Braddock was awesome,” he said. “Everyone who does music at that school is really great.”
While Dan Mineart was never involved in a specific music program at the school, he said something was always going on, and people at Lake Braddock were always welcoming and friendly toward artistic creativity. Now, with Mineart and bandmates either out of college or preparing to graduate soon, they are looking toward their careers as musicians.
Adelyn has to make it through two elimination rounds to win a spot on the Chili Cook-Off’s main stage. According to the band’s manager, Gabriela Revilla, this chance would be huge for the band's exposure in the Washington music scene.
“DC101 is the major alternative station in that market right now,” said Revilla. “This is an excellent opportunity for the band.”
ADELYN IS NO stranger to the regional music scene, however. Despite a low-key start, Dan Mineart said that he and his bandmates have been much more serious the last two or three years.
"We were kind of just messing around, until a couple of years ago," he said.
They played select East Coast cities in 2004 and 2005 on the Vans Warped Tour, an annual alternative rock and punk show featuring multiple stages of small, local and big-name bands. Revilla said the tour has invited Adelyn back this summer to play more East Coast dates. They’re planning on playing about five dates right now, she said.
The 12 remaining bands in the Last Band Standing competition perform at the Clarendon Grill, 1101 N. Highland St., in Arlington, over the course of three Sundays leading up to a final elimination show. The first show featuring four of the 12 bands took place Easter Sunday. Two bands, Cobbler and Minus One, won that show and now await their May 7 opponents to win their elimination rounds. The next four bands to play Clarendon Grill, including Adelyn, will perform Sunday, April 23. The third Sunday of competition featuring the last four bands is April 30. Then, the winners from each of the Sunday performances will face off one last time on May 7, to determine which will be the Last Band Standing. Since the Easter show ended in a tie, at least four bands will now be competing in the final round.
Revilla and Dan Mineart both said the crowd will impact Adelyn's performance dramatically. Adelyn needs fans to come out and show their support because judges will be looking at attendance and enthusiasm, among other things. Mineart said the crowd would also pump up the band mentally and physically.
“This show really involves the community,” said Revilla. “People get pretty excited.”
Even if Adelyn isn’t the Last Band Standing, Mineart said they have already won so much already.
“We’re blown away by it,” said Dan Mineart. “DC101 has been unbelievably cool to us. They’ve been giving us the opportunity to be heard and break into the [Washington] scene.”