LocalTake cannot solve all the world’s ills.
But it can help you find something fantastic to do this weekend. And, I hope, make your city a bit more vibrant, connected, and creative.
Here’s a quick story about why I’m doing this.
Soon after launching LocalTake, my wife and I took (dragged) our 14-year-old son and his friend to see the musical Woody Sez in an old underground trolley station-turned arts space in Dupont Circle, Washington DC. LocalTake recommended it.
It turned out to be extraordinary — four of the most talented and magnetic musicians telling the story of Woody Guthrie’s life in song and word. I found myself toe-tapping, rocking side to side, joining in on the chorus. The last part only until I took pity on the rest of the audience and stopped my tone-deaf crooning.
What struck me most about the night was the power of being in a room full of people sharing a common experience. Doing this alone would have been fine, but being with my family, two neighbors I ran into unexpectedly, and hundreds of total strangers made it magical.
Afterward, I played it cool and asked my son what he thought. His answer was high praise from a teen: “They had some good music back then, actually.”
The show could certainly have sucked. There will be duds. But, to mix metaphors, if you don’t take a swing, there’s no chance of a hit.
That’s what LocalTake is for: making it easier for you to take those swings. To find the things that make you laugh, cry, learn, escape, sweat, and — I hope — feel connected to your friends and family, neighbors, and complete strangers who share your city.
It’s easy. You click on a few descriptions of what you like and LocalTake matches you with ideas for events near and far that should fit your interests. Every Thursday, you’ll get a short email with a handful of picks chosen just for you. Thumbs up or down on anything and the picks get smarter. No app, no password. The results combine personal opinion of me and other editors with some help from our machines that do a lot of the grunt work for us.
So, with apologies in advance if we ever steer you wrong — enjoy your city. Tell me what you think of LocalTake and if we help you find any of the shared magic that I found that night.
In case you’re wondering, LocalTake was founded by John Alderman in August of 2026. I spent a long time in publishing and a longer time wishing someone would just tell me what to do next Saturday. I live in Washington, DC with my wife, our teenage son — who, by the way, has stepped up his guitar playing since Woody Sez — and a sweet, mostly, dog, Peanut.
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