Metro Weekly - 06-23-16 - Post-Pride

CONTENTS
JUNE 23, 2016
21
Volume 23 Issue 8
GUN CONTROLLED
Should the LGBT community arm its members, or ally

itself with organizations pushing for
greater gun restrictions?
by John Riley
TAKING PRIDE
32
An assortment of photographs from the 2016 Capital Pride

Parade and Festival
Photography by Ward Morrison and Todd Franson
Additional photography by Randy Shulman and Julian Vankim
50
FALSETTOLAND
With the bland and unappealing Last Year Was

Complicated, Nick Jonas proves eye-candy doesnt
equal ear-candy
by Gordon Lamont Ashenhurst
OVERTURE p.7 SPOTLIGHT: EVITA p.9 OUT ON THE TOWN p.12

OPERA: FIDELIO AT THE INSERIES p.13 THE FEED: GUN CONTROLLED p.21
NEXT TO NORMAL p.24 SCENE: NIGHT OUT AT THE NATIONALS p.26
COMMUNITY p.29 FEATURE: TAKING PRIDE p.32 GALLERY p.49
MUSIC: FALSETTOLAND p.50 STAGE: REDISTRICTING p.51
MUSIC: TRUE TO FORM p.52 NIGHTLIFE p.55
SCENE: TOWNS PRIDE NIGHT p.57 LISTINGS p.57 LAST WORD p.62
The bitches who make this shit... #masthead
Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Managing Editor Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editor Doug Rule
Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Gordon Ashenhurst,
Sean Bugg, Frank Carber, Fallon Forbush, Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim
Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla
Patron Saint Chris Nelson Cover Photography Ward Morrison
Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830
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2016 Jansi LLC.
JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY
Overture
WAITING TO EXHALE
T
HIS IS THE ISSUE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOLDING LAST WEEK. OUR TRADITIONAL POST-PRIDE ISSUE
depicting on the cover a massive, exuberant crowd in front of the Capital Pride mainstage, and featuring pages upon
pages of photographs from Pride weekends parade and festival. It captures a spirit that words cannot truly convey,
showing the breadth of our community and its supporters, as they take a moment to show D.C. and the world that we
matter more than ever, that were going to fight for every right, that were going to grind our (high) heels until we fully stamp
out homophobia, that we are no longer in the shadows, meeting up in dank, secretive makeshift bars, that we are out in force,
bringing a touch of quality, a note of class, and a lot of love to every persons life we touch.
This is the issue you should have been holding last week.
And then, Orlando.
To have been at Capital Prides festival on Sunday, June 12,
and attempting to process the devastating, painfully raw news
of what transpired mere hours earlier at Pulse Nightclub in
a Floridian city known for magic and joy in its purest form
was nothing short of surreal. What happened in Orlando did
not stop the celebrations (Pride has too much momentum for
that), and it was too new to fully alter the tenor of the event,
though there were moments of poignancy a minute of
silence lead by Capital Pride President Bernie Delia, dedications from event headliners Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth
to the 49 victims and 53 survivors of the horrific massacre by a
gunman with affections for ISIS and a deep-seated hatred for
gays. We struggled to make sense of it while maintaining our
right to feast on $18 corn dogs. Many of us just put it aside until
later, which is completely understandable.
Only the night before, at one of the largest parades Capital
Pride had ever produced, we celebrated with throngs of
straight allies, marching, waving, celebrating our heroes,
banging on drums, throwing batons as high as theyd go,
painting our bodies, donning our finest drag (damn the heat
and melting foundation), riding motorcycles, cavorting flamboyantly on floats blasting eardrum-shattering music, carrying
flags (mostly of the rainbow variety), brushing shoulders with
the British Ambassador and his wife, and throwing beads to
onlookers frenzied to collect as many glittery, multicolored
strands as possible.
It was fun. It was festive. It was empowering. It was amazing.
Sunday is always more sedate by comparison, a day to convene comfortably and gape in awe at our sheer numbers. For
the staff of Metro Weekly, its long been a work day as work
days go, running up to people and asking them to smile for the
camera only to frequently be met with a playful, Id better be
on the cover!, is pretty enjoyable.
But Pride that Sunday became a different kind of workday,
at least for one member of our staff. Managing editor Rhuaridh
Marr strapped himself to his computer and reported throughout the day as the horrific events unfolded, to the point where
we got so much traffic at one point, it felled the website for
about an hour.
In all, Rhuaridh filed more than 15 stories over a 24 hour
period. He then wrote our eloquent, moving cover story last

week, Tragedy in Orlando: A Special Report, which pulled
the incomprehensible events into a cohesive narrative, offering as much perspective as possible. We know more since, and
the conversation has moved past the heinous, sick actions of
Omar Mateen and into the realm of social change, where gays
often find themselves. This time its gun control and the failure of Congress to pass any sort of legislation on Monday, due
to either partisanship or deeply entrenched ties to the NRA
perhaps the most revolting, self-rationalizing (and unfortunately massively wealthy) organization to desecrate our
country. That the NRA can value the right to own a military
grade automatic weapon over over our right not to be gunned
down by them is mind-boggling. When discussing gun control, Its not expected to pass should not be a media-recited
mantra that we as a country are proud of. In fact, we should
be ashamed and appalled that action wasnt taken after Sandy
Hook or Virginia Tech or San Bernardino or too many others
to recount here. Democrats are as much to blame for this
absurd gridlock, but mostly it comes down to the unwillingness to budge by Republican lawmakers, who, after a moment
of mock remorse for the LGBT community, continued to put
their own self-interests ahead of the good of society.
On the pages within and on our website, where youll
find hundreds upon hundreds more youll see our community in celebratory mode, smiling, buoyant, freely expressing themselves in whatever means suits. Perhaps the most
surprising photo of the thousands taken by Ward Morrison,
Todd Franson, Julian Vankim and myself, was one in which
a rainbow spontaneously appeared in a cooling water spray
from a parked fire engine. Alongside the rainbow, the Capitol.
If thats not a sign of support from a gay-friendly God, I dont
know what is.
This is the issue you should have been holding last week.
But youre holding it now. So relax for a moment and smile. Be
among strangers and friends who share the very thing thats
special about you. Exhale.
Youve earned it.
Randy Shulman
Editor
COURTESY OF OLNEY THEATRE CENTER
Spotlight
All About Eva
Rebecca Zampelli takes on an iconic figure at Olney that is, when shes not busy with her chickens
E JUST HAD OUR FIRST RUN-THROUGH, SAYS

Rebecca Zampelli, breathless from chasing chickens
around her West Virginia yard. Wait, what? The star
of Olneys Evita raises chickens? For the eggs, she laughs.
Theyre like having little pets. Theyre way more entertaining
than we ever thought theyd be when we first got them. They run
up to you when you come out of the house and ask for treats.
Poultry aside, Zampelli is eager to see how audiences will
respond to Wade Davis non-traditional staging of the Andrew
Lloyd Webber musical about Argentinas political firebrand, Eva
Peron. Im sure it will please some people a lot, and probably
piss off some people a lot. I think that means its good theater.
The classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which also stars

Robert Ariza as Che and features choreography by Christopher
DAmboise, opens Saturday on Olneys Mainstage. Playing the
role has offered Zampelli better insight to another polarizing
blonde in modern politics.
The big thing about Eva Peron is that people either fucking hated her or shes depicted next to the Virgin Mary in
Argentinian homes, she says. There are very few people who
are wishy-washy about Hillary Clinton. They either love her and
want to send her right to the top, or they would rather vote for
fucking Donald Trump to keep her out of the White House.

Randy Shulman
To July 24 at the Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road in Olney, Md. Tickets are $38 to $75.
Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.
Spotlight
ABOVE AND BEYOND
Club Glow presents an IndepenDANCE weekend with

one of the biggest and longest-lasting sensations in contemporary dance music. Founded in 2000, the London-based
trio of DJs/producers Jono Grant, Tony McGuinnes and
Paavo Siljamaki run the influential progressive house label
Anjunabeats and produce trance-influenced, pop-oriented
original tracks with a roster of regular vocalists, many of
whom join for a full-scale live touring production that goes,
well, above and beyond the typical DJ night out, whether
at a warehouse club or an outdoor festival. Friday, July 1,
and Sunday, July 3. Doors at 9 p.m. Echostage, 2135 Queens
Chapel Rd. NE. Tickets are $40 to $50. Call 202-503-2330
or visit echostage.com. (Doug Rule)
GARRISON STARR
A native of Mississippi, indie folk-rocker Garrison Starr got

her start as a recording artist two decades ago. Listen to her
sweet voice and sophisticated songs, drawing clear influences from the Beatles, Indigo Girls and Shawn Colvin, and you
realize she should be a bigger deal than she is. Sometimes
I do wonder why I havent found more of a mainstay place
in the music industry, Starr told Metro Weekly a few years
back. I havent really broken through in my career, to a
level that some of my peers have. It probably has something to do with her often complicated lyrics, which convey
the pain of growing up in conservative Mississippi and
coming out while a student at the University of Mississippi.
Starr performs a solo acoustic set as opener on tour for folk
singer-songwriter Joe Purdy. Tuesday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m.
at The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $14.75 to
$22.25. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com. (DR)
PATTI LABELLE
Strathmore presents a rescheduled run of dates by the

Grammy-winning soul singer, who had to cancel the original April dates on doctors orders. Labelle has been an
influence to everyone from Mary J. Blige to Alicia Keys to
Christina Aguilera whom she advised on the recent season
of NBCs The Voice and Rolling Stone has called her one of
the Greatest Singers of All Time. Thursday, June 30, and
Friday, July 1, at 8 p.m. The Music Center at Strathmore,
10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are $65 to $150.
Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org. (DR)
10
AUSTIN CRITTENDON
Out On The Town
Shark Week
CAPITAL FRINGE MUSIC FESTIVAL
This first-ever music festival is a precursor to the mammoth anything-goes theater festival, which will run for three weeks in
July. Pop act Shark Week is the best-known act to play the Baldacchino Tent at Old City Farm and Guild on Saturday, June
25. Also performing are Juanita Cash, Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta, Kino Musica, 178 Product featuring Sal P. of Liquid
Liquid, and Rufus Da BMore Brass Factory. Sunday, June 26, sees sets by Naga Champa, Daniel Bachman, Big Lazy, Future
Generations, Ed Hamell, Beninghoves Hangmen, Sitali, and Underground System. Festival runs from noon to 10:30 p.m. both
days. Old City Farm and Guild, 925 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Free. Call 202-737-7230 or visit capitalfringe.org.
FILM
IN DEFENSE OF FOOD
Focus-In Film Series presents a

screening of a documentary based
on Michael Pollans bestselling
book investigating food in America,
what we buy and eat, and arguing for a more plant-based diet.
The screening, at the Hyattsville
Busboys & Poets, is followed by a
Q&A with local activists and politicians. Wednesday, June 29, at 6:30
p.m. The Zinn Room at Busboys
& Poets, 5331 Baltimore Ave.,
Hyattsville, Md. Suggested donation of $5. Call 301-779-2787 or visit
busboysandpoets.com.
INDEPENDENCE DAY:
RESURGENCE
Eugh. No. Nobody needs this. While

the first film released 20 years
ago was fun, theres absolutely
no reason to warrant this sequel,
which also lacks Will Smith. Smart
man. Opens Friday, June 24. Area
theaters. Visit fandango.com.
(Rhuaridh Marr)
THE SHALLOWS
Billed as a shark survival thriller,

Blake Lively is stranded on a buoy
while surfing and forced to survive
as a great white shark considers her
for lunch. Probably best not to see
it before heading off to your beach
vacation. Opens Wednesday, June
29. Area theaters. Visit fandango.
com. (RM)
STAGE
ANOTHER WAY HOME
Anna Zieglers wry, uplifting drama

closes the season at Theater J,
offering a production directed by
Shirley Serotsky and starring Rick
Foucheux and Naomi Jacobson as
parents visiting a summer camp
where their son has gone missing.
The cast also includes Shayna Blass,
Thony Mena and Chris Stinson.
Now in previews with official opening Monday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Pride Night is Thursday, July 7.
To July 17. The Aaron and Cecile
Goldman Theater, Washington,
D.C.s Jewish Community Center,
1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $37
to $67. Call 202-777-3210 or visit
theaterj.org.
EL PASO BLUE
Jose Carrasquillo directs a GALA

Hispanic Theatre production of
Octavio Solis riff on the Oedipus
Rex classic, a wild and comic tale
of lust, revenge, identity and the
blues. Closes Sunday, June 26. GALA
Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th
St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $38. Call
202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.
GET USED TO IT!

A MUSICAL REVUE
The LGBT-focused company

Rainbow Theatre Project presents
a run of composer/lyricist Tom
Wilson Weinbergs musical revue,
written in 1992 during a low point
for the gay rights movement. But
Get Used To It! remains funny,
touching and timely, with a focus
on the communitys struggles with
politics, religion, love and acceptance, as relayed through 18 original
songs. H. Lee Gable directs. Now
to July 10. Mead Theatre Lab at
Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW. Tickets
are $35. Call 202-315-1310 or visit
rainbowtheatreproject.org.
GRAVEDIGGERS TALE
Comedic actor Louis Butelli performs in a kid-friendly, one-man

interactive play devised by director
Robert Richmond. Arriving with a
trunk and a book, Butelli plays the
Gravedigger, who responds to questions from the audience about court
life in Elsinore using the text from
Hamlet. Remaining performances
are Friday, June 24, and Saturday,
June 25, at 10:30 a.m., and Sunday,
June 26, at 12 p.m. in the Elizabethan
Garden. Folger Theatre, 201 East
Capitol St. SE. Free. Call 202-5447077 or visit folger.edu.
KINKY BOOTS
Cyndi Lauper produced Tony gold

with songs about a showgirl named
Lola, in a story about the power of
drag queens and shoes. The production stops at the Kennedy Center
as part of its first national touring
production. Directed by Jerry
Mitchell, adapted from the British
film by Harvey Fierstein. To July
10. Kennedy Center Opera House.
Tickets are $25 to $199. Call 202-4674600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
13
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
(HHHHH)
Good-natured
and
cheerful,
Signatures La Cage aux Folles
works hard to please its crowd.
There will be no surprises in
the story of longtime gay couple
Georges and Albin and the comic
conundrum of how to entertain the
homophobic parents of their sons
fiance without revealing their
identities. Put simply, if you are a
devotee, it delivers: you will hear
the songs, enjoy the jokes, and share
the moments. Director Matthew
Gardiner delivers a show thats fastpaced and punchy, moving seamlessly between the La Cage nightclub and the behind-the-scenes
dramas of Georges and Albin. Lee
Savages sets and Frank Labovitzs
costumes keep it bold with an
eye-popping palette of garishly gorgeous color. To July 10. Signature
Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., in
Arlington. Tickets are $40 to $95.
Call 703-820-9771 or visit signature-theatre.org. (Kate Wingfield)
RX LOFT PHOTOGRAPHY
MOXIE: A HAPPENSTANCE
VAUDEVILLE
LONE OPERA
Nick Olcott brings Fidelio, Beethovens only opera, to the InSeries
HERE IS CROSS-DRESSING, SAYS NICK OLCOTT. ITS A VERY INTERESTing piece from that standpoint. But gender-bending isnt necessarily notable feature of Beethovens opera, Fidelio, in which as woman impersonates a man to rescue
her husband from political imprisonment. In opera, women playing men is accepted and
standard, and its a part of the art form. It never was considered unusual, says Olcott, who
directed the show for The InSeries, setting it in the 20th Century, in an unnamed South
American dictatorship.
Its Beethoven, so the music is absolutely magnificent, he says, adding, but dramaturgically, its problematic. Beethoven referred to the work as his shipwreck and his
problem child, and his lack of experience in opera is apparent. The German classical giant
revised the piece repeatedly during his lifetime.
Its very much a tale about love but with a happy ending, says Olcott. And its not a
deeply political piece as it has been portrayed over the years.
Still, Olcott calls the music very powerful, noting that it is certainly fascinating to see
Beethovens mind at work. Doug Rule
Fidelio plays Saturday, June 25, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, June 26, at 4 p.m., at the
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $23 to $46.
Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
14
Helen Hayes Award-winning

Happenstance Theater presents
another devised work, a theatrical
collage inspired by the Great Age
of Vaudeville, infused with the joys
and struggles of the lives of the performers who will perform the work.
As directed by Sabrina Mandell and
Mark Jaster, Moxie offers hijinks,
live music, period costumes, nostalgic beauty and physical comedy in
its homage to popular late 19th century theatrical style. Opens in previews Friday, June 24, at 8 p.m. To
July 17. Round House Theatre, 4545
East-West Highway, Bethesda. Call
240-644-1100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.
NEXT TO NORMAL
Keegan Theatre serves up Tom

Kitt and Brian Yorkeys moving and modern Pulitzer Prizewinning show, that deals with the
devastating toll that mental illness
can have on a relationship and a
family. Mark A. Rhea and Colin
Smith direct a cast featuring Kari
Ginsburg, Chad Wheeler, David
Landstrom, Caroline Dubberly,
Christian Montgomery and Scott
Ward Abernethy. To July 10.
Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St.
NW. Tickets are $45 to $55. Call
202-265-3768 or visit keegantheatre.com.
THE BRIDGES OF
MADISON COUNTY
Robert James Wallers best-selling novel about an Iowa housewife

and her life-changing, whirlwind
romance with a traveling photographer gets the musical treatment,
in this Tony Award-winning production by composer Jason Robert
Brown and Pulitzer Prize-winning
writer Marsha Norman (night,
Mother). Bartlett Sher directs. Opens
Oral
Fixation
you can listen
to any story at
MetroWeekly.com
just look for the
speak button
15
a long wait. But the Dixie Chicks

have regrouped for the DCX World
Tour MMXVI, which also features
Anderson East and Josh Herbert.
Saturday, June 25, at 7 p.m. Jiffy
Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive,
Bristow, Va. Tickets are $42 to
$350. Call 703-754-6400 or visit
thejiffylubelive.com.
GAY MENS CHORUS OF

WASHINGTON: ONE WORLD
Potomac Fever and Rock Creek

Singers, both select groups of the
Gay Mens Chorus of Washington,
host an international choral event
also featuring Schola Cantorosa
from Hamburg, Germany, and the
Homonics from Dublin, Ireland.
Saturday, June 25, at 8 p.m. Atlas
Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St.
NE. Tickets are $20 to $25. Call
202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
JUDITH HILL
DEL SHORES: SINGULARLY SORDID
Baltimores Spotlighters Theatre presents this stand-up comedy show by the creator of the
Sordid Lives franchise, who has also served as a writer/director in TV (Queer as Folk) and
stage (Southern Baptist Sissies). Singularly Sordid focuses on Shores experience returning to
singledom as a 50-something divorcee, as well as dishing on Dolly Parton, Leslie Jordan and
his own encounters as a minor gay celebrity. Friday, June 24, at 8 p.m. Spotlighters Theatre,
817 Saint Paul St., Baltimore. Tickets are $25. Call 410-752-1225 or visit spotlighters.org.
Tuesday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m. Runs
to July 17 in the Kennedy Center
Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are
$49 to $129. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org.
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
After a ravishing production last

fall of Cole Porters musical take
on Shakespeares classic, the
Shakespeare Theatre Company
ends its season with Ed Sylvanus
Iskandars provocative, new, allmale production that features the
pop music of Tony- and Grammywinning composer Duncan Sheik
(Broadways Spring Awakening),
including a 30-minute musical
intermezzo. Stage and screen actors
Maulik Pancholy (Weeds, 30 Rock)
and Peter Gadiot (Once Upon A Time
in Wonderland) play Katherina and
Petruchio, respectively, in a cast
that also includes Andre De Shields,
Telly Leung, Gregory Linington,
Matthew Russell, Tom Story, Oliver
Thornton and Bernard White in
featured performances. Closes
Sunday, June 26. Sidney Harman
Hall, Harman Center for the Arts,
610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or
visit shakespearetheatre.org.
MUSIC
A CAPITOL FOURTH: SMOKEY
ROBINSON, KENNY LOGGINS,
AMBER RILEY
Its not something youll want to do
16
every year theres far too many

tourists but everyone should
experience the National Symphony
Orchestras A Capitol Fourth concert at least once. Jack Everly
leads the NSO in a performance
of American favorites and classical
masterworks, while several military
bands will add to the patriotic spirit. Additional performances come
from a selection of musical greats,
including Smokey Robinson, Kenny
Loggins, Gavin DeGraw, Amber
Riley and Sutton Foster, while the
cast of the Gloria Estefan-themed
Broadway musical On Your Feet
will also perform. The festivities
conclude with what organizers tout
as the biggest, most distinctive
fireworks display in the nation, all
set to Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture.
Monday, July 4, at 8 p.m. West
Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building.
Free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org/nso for more
information.
BE STEADWELL
Strathmore Artist-in-Residence
and live-looping artist Be Steadwell
offers a blend of soul, folk, hiphop and jazz she calls queer-pop,
drawing inspiration from her experiences as a queer, black woman. In
addition to using a loop pedal for
vocal layering, Steadwell sings, raps
and beatboxes in her intriguing,
memorable compositions, including
the sweet love letter to her D.C.
hometown, Not Gonna Move to
New York. One of her latest works

is the Strathmore-commissioned
Home featuring a choral arrangement of voices with a folk/soul vibe.
Wednesday, June 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand
Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets
are $17. Call 301-581-5100 or visit
strathmore.org.
BLUE NOTE 75
Thelonious Monk and Herbie

Hancock are among an impressive
roster of jazz artists who debuted
with the storied label Blue Note
Records, and Blue Note 75 aims to
carry on that tradition by presenting
some of the best young voices in the
genre. Billed as a supergroup, the
evening features keyboardist Robert
Glasper, guitarist Lionel Loueke,
bassist Derrick Hodge, drummer
Kendrick Scott, tenor saxophonist
Marcus Strickland, and trumpeter
Ambrose Akinmusire. The group
will play from each artists own repertoire as well as put spins on Blue
Note classics. Thursday, June 30,
at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701
Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria.
Tickets are $65. Call 703-549-7500
or visit birchmere.com.
DIXIE CHICKS
We still havent heard new music

from Natalie Maines, Emily
Robison and Martie Maguire since
the trio last joined forces to release
the Grammy-winning Taking the
Long Way a decade ago. Talk about
If you saw either the 2009 Michael

Jackson tour documentary This Is
It or the 2013 film 20 Feet From
Stardom, youll no doubt recall
powerhouse vocalist Judith Hill
either as Jacksons backup vocalist
and moving duet partner on I Just
Cant Stop Loving You, or as an
unheralded background singer, one
who has worked with the likes of
John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Elton
John and Ringo Starr. But the L.A.
native was also a contestant on the
fourth season of The Voice in 2013.
Hill headlines a tour in support of
last years debut solo album Back
in Time, co-produced by Prince.
Friday, June 24, at 8 p.m. Bethesda
Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 7719
Wisconsin Ave. Tickets are $40
to $45. Call 240-330-4500 or visit
bethesdabluesjazz.com.
KATHY SLEDGE
The Grammy-nominated Kathy

Sledge, former lead singer of Sister
Sledge (We Are Family), is now
touring a jazz-steeped tribute to
Billie Holiday. Saturday, June 25,
and Sunday, June 26, at 8 p.m. and
10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin
Ave. NW. Tickets are $40 to $45,
plus $12 minimum purchase. Call
202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER
Having got her start in bars and

coffeehouses in the D.C. area in the
early 80s, Mary Chapin Carpenter
is a Hometown Girl par excellence.
The country singer-songwriter, who
now lives in Charlottesville, Va.,
told Metro Weekly a few years ago
that Wolf Trap, where she performs
almost every year, is one of my
most treasured and favorite places.
She returns in support of The Things
That We Are Made of, her 14th studio album focused on thriving in
middle age despite hardships in
her case divorce and a near-death
experience. The Milk Carton Kids
open. Saturday, July 2, at 8 p.m. The
Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551
17
COMEDY
THE KENNEDY CENTERS
DISTRICT OF COMEDY FESTIVAL
A milestone in the recognition of

comedy as a true performing art, the
Kennedy Center presents its first
comedy festival. Among the onenight-only highlights remaining
are: A Stand-up Showcase on the
Millennium Stage featuring emerging New York comedians Jared
Freid, Anthony DeVito and Greg
Stone from Americas Got Talent,
on Friday, June 24, at 6 p.m.; Glees
Jane Lynch in her one-woman variety show See Jane Sing on Friday,
June 24, at 7 p.m.; and American
film producer and director Judd
Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin,
Trainwreck) with special guests
Michael Che and Pete Holmes,
on Saturday, June 25, at 7 p.m.
Kennedy Center. Call 202-4674600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
THE SECOND CITYS ALMOST

ACCURATE GUIDE TO AMERICA
PAUL SIMON
Considered one of the greatest American songwriters, Paul Simon makes his
long-overdue Wolf Trap debut. Simon will sing from his amazing repertoire of classic
pop standards, some of them from his time with Art Garfunkel, as well as songs from
his new studio album Stranger to Stranger. Monday, June 27, and Tuesday, June 28,
at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $48 to
$130 and include a copy of the new CD. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.
What if the history of America were

written by some of the countrys
most revered contemporary comedians? Thats the premise behind
The Second Citys Almost Accurate
Guide to America, which the
Kennedy Center co-commissioned
from the leading improv comedy
troupe as part of the District of
Comedy Festival. The show will
even uproot the stalwart Shear
Madness for a six-week run in the
Theater Lab. To July 31. Kennedy
Center Theater Lab. Tickets are $49
to $64. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
READINGS
FREDA KELLY
Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25

to $50. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
NATIONAL SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
Dreamworks
Animation
in
Concert is the latest movie-focused NSO program at Wolf Trap,
featuring visually stunning footage
from recent animated blockbusters everything from Shrek to
Madagascar to Kung Fu Panda
accompanied by live performances
of their scores. Justin Freer conducts the NSO in a performance
of works by Hans Zimmer, John
Powell, Alexandre Desplat, Alan
Silvestri, and Danny Elfman.
Thursday, June 30, at 8:30 p.m. The
Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551
to $45. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or
visit wolftrap.org.
WOLF TRAP OPERAS ARIA

JUKEBOX
Aria Jukebox features popular

opera tunes selected by the audience
and performed by soloists from Wolf
18
Trap Opera Companys 2016 Filene

Young Artists program, accompanied by company director Kim
Witman on piano. Tickets include a
wine and cheese reception. Sunday,
June 26, at 3 p.m., reception starts at
2 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635
to $48. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
DANCE
CHAMBER DANCE PROJECT
Former New York-based ballet

company ushers in its third season
in D.C. by presenting three world
premieres two New Orleansthemed works by guest choreographers Victor Adebusola, a D.C. hiphop artist, and Jennifer Archibald
of New York, as well as one by artistic director Diane Coburn Bruning
with original music by Bryce
Dessner of the band The National.
This years Ballets & Brass season
also features music performed by
D.C.s street band Brass Connection
and Chamber Dance Project prin-
cipal musician Claudia Chudacoff.

Now to June 26. Lansburgh
Theatre, 450 7th St. NW. Tickets
are $20 to $50. Call 202-547-1122 or
visit chamberdance.org.
LIGHT SWITCH DANCE THEATRE
A site-specific, project-based
company dedicated to multidisciplinary performances in nontraditional spaces, Sandra C. Atkinsons
Light Switch Dance Theatre creates socially conscious art driven
by the human condition. Its latest work, Nest, uses contemporary
dance, visual art, music and film to
investigate the concepts of home
for those without one. The company is joined by special guests Next
Reflex Dance Collective, presenting
a new work, Jump In, inspired by
Maya Angelous childrens poetry
book Life Doesnt Frighten Me and
featuring original music composed
by Nate Masters. Saturday, June 25,
at 8 p.m., and Sunday, June 26, at 2
p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE.
Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at
the door. Call 202-269-1600 or visit
danceplace.org.
The Beatles devoted secretary and

friend tells her behind-the-scenes
story in the 2013 documentary Good
Ol Freda, which Amp by Strathmore
presents followed by a post-screening Q&A hosted by WAMUs Ally
Schweitzer. Saturday, June 25, at
8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810
Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda.
Tickets are $25 to $40. Call 301-5815100 or visit strathmore.org.
KIM HALL
Othello Was My Grandfather:

Shakespeare in the African
Diaspora is a lecture, part of the
Shakespeare Anniversary Lecture
Series presented by the Folger
Institute, by the Barnard College
professor, whose groundbreaking
work on racial discourses in 16th
and 17th century Britain has helped
generate a new wave of scholarship on race in Shakespeare and
Renaissance literature. Monday,
June 27, at 7 p.m. Folger Theatre,
201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are
$15. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu. l
19
RANDY SHULMAN
theFeed
Code Pink Vigil, June 12
GUN CONTROLLED
Should the LGBT community arm its members, or ally itself with
organizations pushing for greater gun restrictions? By John Riley
N THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 10, 2012, WAYNE MCNEIL SAT ON

his front porch in Mobile, Ala., listening to music at the end of a long, hard
day. As midnight neared, he stood up to go indoors. A sudden noise a firecracker? caused him to spin around. He saw two young men standing in the street,
one brandishing a gun. McNeil desperately tried to get into his house. Instead, he
stumbled and collapsed on the stoop, two slugs lodged deep in his chest.
One of the men held his gun in my face and asked if I liked it, says McNeil. And
I said, No. When McNeil held his arm up to defend himself, he was shot a third
time at point-blank range, through the armpit. The bullet lodged in my back, he
says. Somehow, miraculously, Im still alive.
After life-saving surgery, McNeil gave no thought to becoming an advocate for
greater restrictions on firearms. But the May 2014 shooting that killed six and injured
14 others near the University of California, Santa Barbara convinced him he needed
to take some type of action.
Turning to the Internet, McNeil found an organization called Everytown for Gun
Safety. He wrote to them about his own ordeal and was invited to become part of the
groups Survivor Network, which connects people who have survived violent crimes
and helps them become public advocates for sensible gun restrictions. The Survivor
Network also provides a support system for victims, which was activated as soon as
news broke of the mass shooting that killed 49 people and injured 53 others at a gay
nightclub in Orlando, Fla., during

the early hours of June 12.
After people started to emerge
from the shock of what we were
seeing, everybody started reaching
out to each other, he says. I personally dont know how I would
have made it through Sunday without having people who truly understand what it feels like to see that
news and to know what bullets are
like, or to know what its like to lose
a loved one.
Cable news broadcast wall-towall coverage of the shootings, the
focus largely placed on gunman
Omar Mateens stated allegiance to
ISIS and the anti-LGBT sentiments
that purportedly fueled his rage. The
focus quickly shifted to the availability of weapons designed to quickly kill
large amounts of people. How was
Mateen able to obtain a gun, despite
having previously been placed on an
FBI terrorist watch list? The fires for
debate were fully fueled.
The Human Rights Campaign
immediately endorsed several gun
21
control measures, including limiting access to assault-style nightclub and expect them to respond to a mass shooter
rifles, expanding background checks, and preventing peo- with a semi-automatic rifle, and not shoot and kill people,
ple with a history of domestic abuse from purchasing guns. is ridiculous.
On Monday, the Senate heard four gun-related measures,
Watts, a Denver-based mother of five, is the founder
including two supported by Democrats. One would have of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She
expanded background checks for all licensed and private utterly rejects arguments put forth by groups like the Pink
gun sales. The other would prevent people on government Pistols, calling them NRA talking points.
watch lists from accessing guns, and deny the sale of a gun
Look at the states in America that have passed stronger
to anyone who might seem likely to
gun laws, she says. Those states have
engage in terrorist activities. All four
seen their rates of domestic homicide
measures failed, casualties of partisanby gun, police shootings by civilians
ship (and NRA donor dollars).
with guns, mass shootings, gun trafSupporters
of
the
Second
ficking all of these gun crimes cut
Amendment reject the idea that restrictin half. But when you look at a state like
ing firearm use is the right course of
Missouri, that had strong gun laws and
action in the wake of serious gun-rereversed them, you see a spike in gun
lated tragedies, instead preferring to
homicides and suicides.
deadliest mass shootings in
arm themselves. Following the Orlando
Watts argues that the NRA is not
recent history
attack, the Pink Pistols, an LGBT group
about saving lives at all they just
that seeks to educate and train LGBT
want to sell more guns. The key to
people in firearm use for self-protecsaving lives is stronger gun regulations.
tion, saw a significant boost in interest.
Its just like climate change. You
Pulse nightclub, Orlando
The total number of chapters increased
can decide you dont want to believe it,
to 40 and membership on the groups
but credible scientists agree, on climate
June 2016
public Facebook page surged.
change and on gun violence. The best
49 killed, 53 injured
A gun was used, so its got to be the
way to prevent gun violence is to have
guns fault, says Gwendolyn Patton,
stronger national gun laws, she says.
First Speaker of the Pink Pistols. But
She also points out that federal laws
Virginia Tech
that doesnt address the issue that it
are much more likely to effect change
April 2007
wasnt a gun that did this. A person did
than a state-by-state patchwork.
this using a gun. It sounds like a differThe Chicago area has strong gun
ence about a distinction, but its not. Its
laws, Watts points out. But guess
very important, because the attitude
what? You can go 20 minutes over the
that the gun did it is largely projection.
border into Indiana, you can be a crimiSandy Hook Elementary
And we cant afford to be engaging in
nal, and still buy a truckload of guns at a
December 2012
emotional projection when were dealgun show, take them back over the bor27 killed, 2 injured
ing with such a critical issue.
der, and sell them out of the back of your
Patton, who lives in the suburbs
truck to kids. It happens every day.
of Philadelphia, says the Pink Pistols
As the mother of a gay teenager, the
dont necessarily object to background
Orlando shootings hit close to home
Lubys Cafeteria, Texas
checks, as long as the data is not
for Watts. Arguments by pro-gun
October 1991
retained and used to create a national
groups that the death toll could have
registry. Such registries, she points out,
been lower had people been armed is
have resulted in firearm confiscation in
victim-blaming, Watts says.
New York, Washington, and post-KaIts almost like saying these people
trina New Orleans. She notes that a
at the Orlando nightclub were responSan Ysidro McDonalds, San Diego
background check is only good as the
sible for their own murders. Theyre
data put into it, emphasizing the need
not, she says. They were not in the
July 1984
for up-to-date, accurate information.
wrong place at the wrong time. They
A person who mistakenly ends up on a
were in the right place in a nation with
restricted list must be able to petition to
the wrong gun laws.
(Deaths dont include perpetrators)
have themselves removed, she asserts.
With each shooting, affected comIn the wake of Orlando, Patton has
munities whether LGBT people
suggested lifting prohibitions like those in Florida that after Orlando, womens groups after a Planned Parenthood
prevent patrons from taking their guns into clubs and bars, shooting in November, or African-Americans and religious
which she nicknames victim disarmament zones. Shes groups after a shooting at a church in Charleston, S.C.
also floated the idea of designated defenders, people per- have begun to foster relationships with gun violence premitted to carry firearms into nightspots and use them in the vention organizations like Everytown and Moms Demand
event of an attack.
Action. In turn, those organizations have borrowed a page
Its asinine, says Shannon Watts. The idea that were from the LGBT movements push for marriage equality,
going to arm people who are dancing and drinking in a choosing to work on a state-by-state basis to reform gun
5
1
2
3
4
5
22
23
laws, rather than looking to the U.S. Congress for solutions.

Much like marriage equality, its not going to happen
unless people use their voices and their votes, Watts says.
She also notes that the political landscape for those who
support tougher firearm restrictions is more favorable than
it was before President Obama took office.
Eight years ago, no Democrats wanted to talk about
this issue. Flash forward to 2016, guns was the wedge issue
among Democrats, when they were fighting to be the strongest on the issue, she says. And now, going into the general
election, Secretary Clinton is calling this the most important
issue to vote on in 2016.
Its an issue that, for Watts, supplants all others.
I personally have a hard time focusing on the economy,
and healthcare, and education, if I dont know my 15-yearold is going to make it home from school. l
NEXT TO NORMAL
Two weeks after Orlando, the LGBT community is finding its focus, politicians are returning to
normal, and the investigation into Omar Mateen deepens By Rhuaridh Marr
E STAND WITH YOU TODAY AS WE GRIEVE

together, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said
at a press conference in Orlando this week. And
long after the cameras are gone, we will continue to stand
with you as we grow together in commitment, solidarity and
in equality.
Lynch was speaking directly to the local community,
after announcing that $1 million in emergency funding
would be provided to the area. The funds will be used to
help the investigation into the murder of 49 people at the
hands of Omar Mateen in the early hours of June 12, as well
as pay for the overtime accrued by the first responders and
police officers who ensured that death toll wasnt many
magnitudes higher.
Almost two weeks since the worst mass shooting in
recent history, a lot has happened. Weve learned about the
49 victims, most of whom hailed from the Latin community.
Their friends and families have filled newsfeeds, television
screens and print media with details of lives cut tragically
short. The Human Rights Campaign turned the front of
their D.C. headquarters into a giant memorial, while vigils
across the world mourned those lost, celebrated their lives,
and looked to the future of the LGBT rights movement.
LGBT organizations have banded together to tackle
rampant gun violence, with HRC president Chad Griffin
blaming the Orlando massacre on a toxic combination of
two things: a deranged, unstable individual who had been
conditioned to hate [LGBT] people, and easy access to
military-style guns. Activists, celebrities and thousands of
others flocked to social media to demand tighter gun legislation, with Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black
writing in an editorial for Entertainment Weekly that it was
time to disarm hate. The community that forced Reagans
government to take AIDS seriously in the 80s has now
turned its attention to guns.
Weve also watched as politicians reacted to the shooting and then returned to their everyday routine. President
Obama called it an attack on the LGBT community,
Clinton told LGBT people she had their back, and Trump
watched his favorability ratings plummet after several
inflammatory speeches. In Congress, Republicans not only
voted down stronger gun regulations, but also ignored
protections for LGBT people. The House Rules Committee
24
blocked a vote on preventing federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT people, a mere three days after
the Orlando shootings. It was hardly surprising, given the
chair of the committee, Rep. Pete Sessions (R), had insisted
that Pulse wasnt an LGBT nightclub, but rather a young
persons nightclub with mostly Latinos present.
Above all else, weve had some startling revelations
about Omar Mateen, the 29-year-old American citizen who
bought a handgun and a rifle and opened fire in a nightclub
full of people. His ex-wife called him mentally unstable and
mentally ill, the FBI confirmed theyd twice investigated
him but lacked the evidence to go further, while colleagues,
classmates and Pulse regulars told news media that Mateen
was struggling with his sexuality. Then the announcement
that Mateens wife, Noor Salman, knew he was planning
some sort of attack and apparently texted with Mateen
during his rampage. She now faces prosecution for not alerting law enforcement to her husband.
Mateens actions during his three hour stand-off with
police inside Pulse are also under intense scrutiny and
as Lynch stood in Orlando and pledged to help a community heal, she found herself and the Department of Justice
under fire for redacting the names of ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, from transcripts of Mateens
conversations with 911 operators. Mateen had allegedly
pledged allegiance to both during a 50-second call to 911
after he began shooting. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R)
called the decision to redact the names preposterous,
though the DoJ claimed it had done so to avoid giving
Mateen a platform for hateful propaganda.
But as investigations focus on Mateen, his actions, and
the immediate aftermath, life in Orlando is returning to
some degree of normalcy. The streets surrounding Pulse
nightclub have mostly reopened, and Orlando Police and
the FBI have completed their investigation work inside the
club itself. A tweet by Orlando Police perhaps best summarized the sentiments of many in the wake of the tragedy:
As investigation at Pulse scene wraps up and activity has
ceased, whats left is profound sadness.
As for Pulse, owner Barbara Poma told Today that she
would reopen the club as a tribute to the victims.
Were not going to let someone take this away from us,
she said. I will not let hate win. l
Scene
26
Team DCs Night OUT at the Nationals - Tuesday, June 14

Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene
27
28
Community
p.m. For an appointment call
202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
IDENTITY offers free and

confidential HIV testing
in Gaithersburg, 414 East
Diamond Ave., and in Takoma
Park, 7676 New Hampshire
Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6
p.m. For appointments other
hours, call Gaithersburg, 301300-9978, or Takoma Park,
301-422-2398.
METROHEALTH CENTER
Vickii Vox (Photo: Ty Nolan, via Facebook) and Vincent Hill (Photo via Facebook).
A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR

VINCENT HILL
Memorial service, complete with live performances, will honor the life of
beloved Arena employee, also known for his drag persona Vicki Voxx
rena Stage is bidding a final goodbye to one of its most beloved employees:
former wig, hair and makeup supervisor Vincent Hill, who passed away on
Sunday, May 1. In addition to his work at various local theaters, and as a touring makeup artist for performers such as Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills, Hill was
known to many as drag legend Vicki Voxx, a former performer at Ziegfelds and the
winner of multiple drag titles during the 80s and 90s.
Various Arena Stage staffers will offer remarks at the memorial, to also feature live
performances by Alyson Williams, Eleasha Gamble, Nehal Joshi and Bobby Smith,
who will perform an excerpt from La Cage Aux Folles, and a drag performance medley by local drag personalities Ella Fitzgerald, Tula and Monet Dupree. Vicki Voxxs
dresses, outfits, crowns and trophies will also be displayed during the service.
There will be moments that are heartfelt, touching, and there will be moments
that are uplifting, says Steven Simon, one of the scheduled speakers. One of the
things I want to see is people smiling and clapping and on their feet at the end, as we
remember the joy he brought and the fun he had. He wanted to make people smile and
laugh and have a good time. John Riley
THURSDAY, June 23
The DC ANTI-VIOLENCE
PROJECT (DC AVP), the group
dedicated to combating antiLGBT hate crimes, holds its

monthly meeting at The DC
Center. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
The DC Center, in conjunction
with the Mayors Office on
AAPI Affairs and the Mayors
Office of LGBTQ Affairs, hosts
LIFE AS AAPI LGBT, a meeting
and panel discussion focusing
on issues that affect LGBT
Asian/Pacific Islander youth.
6-7 p.m. 601 New Jersey Ave.
NW, 4th Floor Conference
Room. For more information,
visit thedccenter.org.
The LATINO LGBT TASK

FORCE holds its monthly
meeting at The DC Center. 6-7
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information, call
202-682-2245 or visit thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
ANDROMEDA
TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing, 9-5

p.m., and HIV services (by
appointment). Call 202-2914707, or visit andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)
practice session at Takoma

Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St.
NW. 7:30-9 p.m. swimdcac.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay

and lesbian square-dancing
group features mainstream
through advanced square
dancing at the National City
Christian Church, 5 Thomas
Circle NW, 7-9:30 p.m. Casual
dress. 301-257-0517, dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES
Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour
at Sheraton in Reston, 11810
Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-
Walker Health. At the Elizabeth

Taylor Medical Center, 1701
14th St. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At
the Max Robinson Center, 2301
MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30
offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700.
202-638-0750.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing,

3-5 p.m., by appointment and
walk-in, for youth 21 and
younger. 202-567-3155 or testing@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a
Narcotics Anonymous Meeting,

6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia
Ave. NW. The group is independent of UHU.
202-446-1100.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ
women, 13-21, interested in

leadership development. 5-6:30
p.m. SMYAL Youth Center, 410
7th St. SE. 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
FRIDAY, June 24
CHRYSALIS arts & culture
group goes to E Street Theater,

between 10th & 11th Streets
NW, to view LGBT-themed
documentary Southwest of
Salem, as part of AFI Docs Film
Festival. Film begins at 8:45.
Tickets must be ordered in
advance from American Film
Institute, via afi.com/afidocs.
For more information, Craig,
202-462-0535. craighowell1@
verizon.net.
GAMMA, a confidential sup-
port group for men who are

gay, bisexual, questioning and
who are married or involved
with a woman, meets on the
second and fourth Fridays of
the month. GAMMA also offers
additional meeting times and
places for men in Northern
Virginia and Maryland. 7:309:30 p.m. St. Thomas Parish
Episcopal Church, 1772 Church
St. NW. For more information,
visit GAMMAinDC.org.
LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY
GROUP for adults in
Montgomery County offers a

safe space to explore coming
29
out and issues of identity. 10-11:30

a.m. 16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite
512, Gaithersburg, Md. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.
The DC Center holds its CENTER
AGING MONTHLY LUNCH social
for members of D.C.s senior community. 12-2 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org or call
202-682-2245.
The DC Center starts a biweekly
SURVIVOR SUPPORT GROUP
for LGBT people facing obstacles

in healing from intimate partner
violence, hate crimes, assault, bullying, or other forms of physical or
emotional trauma. The group aims
to provide survivors with therapeutic techniques and tools that
empower them to heal from violence, but stop cycles of violence in
their communities. 6-7 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, contact Sam Shinberg,
LGSW, at survivorsupport@thedccenter.org.
WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES, a
social discussion and activity group

for LBT women, meets at The DC
Center on the second and fourth
Fridays of each month. Group
social activity to follow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. For more information,
visit thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
practice session at Hains Point,

927 Ohio Dr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker
Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor

Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
METROHEALTH CENTER
offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th St.
NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-
affirming social group for ages

11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road
NW. Contact Tamara, 202-3190422, layc-dc.org.
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides a

social atmosphere for GLBT and
questioning youth, featuring dance
parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. More info, catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-6
p.m., by appointment and walk-in,
for youth 21 and younger. Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-5673155, testing@smyal.org.
30
SATURDAY, June 25
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
members of the LGBT community,

holds Saturday morning Shabbat
services, 10 a.m., followed by
Kiddush luncheon. Services in
DCJCC Community Room, 1529
16th St. NW. betmish.org.
DIGNITYUSA offers Roman

Catholic Mass for the LGBT
community. 6 p.m., St. Margarets
Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave.
NW. All welcome. Sign interpreted.
Visit dignitynova.org.
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at

Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave.
NW. getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includ-
FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON meets for worship,
Weekly Events
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by
ing others interested in Brazilian

culture, meets. For location/time,
email braziliangaygroup@yahoo.
com.
practice session at Hains Point, 972

Ohio Dr., SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club welcomes all

levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, socializing
afterward. Meet 9:30 a.m., 23rd &
P Streets NW, for a walk; or 10 a.m.
for fun run. dcfrontrunners.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball

972 Ohio Dr., SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,

Quaker House Living Room (next
to Meeting House on Decatur
Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome
to lesbians and gays. Handicapped
accessible from Phelps Place gate.
Hearing assistance. Quakersdc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT

GROUP for gay men living in the
DC metro area. This group will be

meeting once a month. For information on location and time, visit
H2gether.com.
Join LINCOLN
CONGREGATIONAL TEMPLE
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST for
team meets at Turkey Thicket

Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan
Ave. NE, 2-4 p.m. For players of all
levels, gay or straight. teamdcbasketball.org.
an inclusive, loving and progressive

faith community every Sunday.
11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW, near
R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.
Lincolntemple.org.
DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF NORTHERN
VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led
LGBT community, family and

friends. 6:30 p.m., Immanuel
Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary
Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For
more info, visit dignitynova.org.
GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses

critical languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies, 900 U St.
NW. RVSP preferred. brendandarcy@gmail.com.
IDENTITY offers free and confidential HIV testing in Takoma
Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave.,
Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For
appointments other hours, call 301422-2398.
SUNDAY, June 26
ADVENTURING outdoors group
hikes 7.1 moderate miles in Prince

William Forest Park near Quantico,
Va. Bring beverages, lunch, bug
spray, sunscreen and about $8 for
fees. Carpool at 9 a.m. from parking lot on Army-Navy Drive near
Pentagon City Metro Station. Jerry,
703-920-6871. Adventuring.org.
Weekly Events
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
celebrates Low Mass at 8:30

a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300
Cathedral Ave. NW. 202-232-4244,
allsoulsdc.org.
by Rev. Emma Chattin. Childrens

Sunday School, 11 a.m. 10383
Democracy Lane, Fairfax. 703-6910930, mccnova.com.
NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN

CHURCH, inclusive church with
GLBT fellowship, offers gospel

worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional
worship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle
NW. 202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.
org.
ST. STEPHEN AND THE

INCARNATION, an interra-
cial, multi-ethnic Christian

Community offers services in
English, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and
in Spanish at 5:15 p.m. 1525 Newton
St. NW. 202-232-0900, saintstephensdc.org.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING
invites LGBTQ families and individuals of all creeds and cultures to

join the church. Services 9:15 and
11:15 a.m. 10309 New Hampshire
Ave. Uucss.org.
MONDAY, June 27
Weekly Events

927 Ohio Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. Visit
dcscandals.wordpress.com.
HIV Testing at WHITMANWALKER HEALTH. At the

Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center,
1701 14th St. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At
the Max Robinson Center, 2301
MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
For an appointment call 202-7457000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY

(K.I.) SERVICES, 3333 Duke St.,
Alexandria, offers free rapid HIV

testing and counseling, 9 a.m.-4
p.m. 703-823-4401.
METROHEALTH CENTER offers

free, rapid HIV testing. No
appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. 202638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-
ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite

200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467.

Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-5673155 or testing@smyal.org.
THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee

Drop-In for the Senior LGBT
Community. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000
14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay
mens evening affinity group. 3636
Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS
WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9
p.m. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300

Van Buren St. NW. Newcomers
with at least basic swimming ability
always welcome. Tom, 703-2990504, secretary@wetskins.org,
wetskins.org.
WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH
HIV/AIDS Support Group for

newly diagnosed individuals,
meets 7 p.m. Registration required.
202-939-7671, hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.
TUESDAY, June 28
The DC Centers GENDERQUEER
DC support and discussion group
for people who identify outside the
gender binary, meets on the fourth
Tuesday of every month. 7-8:30
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.
For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly
dinner in Dupont/Logan Circle

area, 6:30 p.m. afwash@aol.com,
afwashington.net.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club serving greater D.C.s LGBT community and

allies hosts an evening run/walk.
dcfrontrunners.org.
THE GAY MENS HEALTH

COLLABORATIVE offers free
HIV testing and STI screening

and treatment every Tuesday.
5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday
LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health
Department, 4480 King St. 703746-4986 or text 571-214-9617.
james.leslie@inova.org.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor
Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
THE HIV WORKING GROUP of
THE DC CENTER hosts Packing
Party, where volunteers assemble

safe-sex kits of condoms and lube.
7 p.m., Green Lantern, 1335 Green
Court NW. thedccenter.org.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
LGBT focused meeting every

Tuesday, 7 p.m. St. Georges
Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland
Ave., Arlington, just steps from
Virginia Square Metro. For
more info. call Dick, 703-5211999. Handicapped accessible.
Newcomers welcome. liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.

Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-5673155, testing@smyal.org.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ

YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at
WEDNESDAY, June 29
The DC Center hosts a monthly
meeting of its HIV PREVENTION
WORKING GROUP. 6-8 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.
THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB
JOB CLUB, a weekly support program for job entrants and seekers,
meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m.
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
more info, www.centercareers.org.
Weekly Events
METROHEALTH CENTER offers
AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-
versation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,

Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome. For more information, call
Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.
US HELPING US hosts a support
Whitman-Walker Healths GAY

MENS HEALTH AND WELLNESS/
STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 1701
14th St. NW. Patients are seen on

walk-in basis. No-cost screening
for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and
chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes
testing available for fee. whitman-walker.org.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH
offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.

and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.
Washington St., Alexandria. 703549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.
meets for Duplicate Bridge. 7:30

p.m. Dignity Center, 721 8th St SE
(across from Marine Barracks). No
reservations needed. All welcome.
202-841-0279 if you need a partner.
SMYAL, 410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m.

Cathy Chu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
group for black gay men 40 and

older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.
NW. 202-446-1100.
St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

927 Ohio Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
free, rapid HIV testing. No

appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. 202638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV

testing. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N.
15th St., Suite 200, Arlington.
Appointments: 703-789-4467.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW.
Dcscandals.wordpress.com.
PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social club

for mature gay men, hosts weekly
happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,
Windows Bar above Dupont Italian
Kitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl,
703-573-8316.
FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a

group for LGBT people looking
to quit cigarettes and tobacco use,
holds a weekly support meeting at
The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
Submit your community event for

consideration at least 10 days prior
to the Thursday publication you
would prefer it to appear. Email to
calendar@metroweekly.com. l
31
TAKIN
32
NG PRIDE
An assortment of photographs
from the 2016 Capital Pride Parade
and Festival, June 11 & 12
By Ward Morrison and Todd Franson
Additional photography by
Randy Shulman and Julian Vankim
More photos at MetroWeekly.com
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ALL IMAGES SUSAN KRAVITZ
Gallery
From the forthcoming
Mascara, Mirth & Mayhem: Independence Day on Fire Island

photographs by Susan Kravitz.
Releasing on July 4, 2016. Available for pre-order at
www.mascaramirthmayhem.com or www.susankravitz.com
49
YU TSAI
Music + Stage
Falsettoland
With the bland and unappealing Last Year Was Complicated,

Nick Jonas proves eye-candy doesnt equal
ear-candy By Gordon Lamont Ashenhurst
OR MANY, THE JONAS BROTHERS ARE BEST REMEMBERED AS A POP

culture punchline, due in part to their squeaky clean image and purity ring publicity. They did not do much in the way of providing a memorable soundtrack to
the teen pop mania they inspired in the trail of similar acts such as Hanson and, well,
Hanson. Yes, they had hits (of sorts), but arguably nothing that wormed its way into
ones ears as much as other boy band teen-idols, such as the Backstreet Boys, Brother
Beyond and One Direction.
Now that brother Nick has grown up and gone solo, all this leans in his favor, as
he arguably has no songs as huge as mainstream radio staples I Want It That Way
or Backstreets Back to redefine himself against. On 2014s Nick Jonas, his first
post- purity ring album that, unsurprisingly, carved out much more edgy style than
before, he was savvy enough to work with hip producers such as Jason Evigan (Maroon
5, Jason Derulo) and Sir Nolan (Selena Gomez, Jason Derulo). However, his latest
release, Last Year Was Complicated (HHHHH), fails to make the same bold strokes.
The albums biggest problem is that Jonas doesnt stretch himself at all, preferring to
let his producers do all the heavy lifting. Despite various contemporary, polished production surfaces, high profile duets (global superstar Tove Lo, anyone?), and even some
swearing, the record is curiously self-conscious and flat. Not that this need be a problem
50
for a singer who can sell on celebrity alone,

but previous single Jealous, his biggest
international hit to date, was as much
ear-candy as Jonas is eye-candy. Opening
with a smattering of skittery club-centric
songs successfully showcases his knack
for an easy listening experience, but the
sheer lyrical and melodic predictability of
songs such as Voodoo and Champagne
Problems undermine the glassy synths
that do their best to camouflage their
lack of identity. Ultimately, pleasant soon
becomes plodding, making Complicated
difficult to take in the one sitting.
Despite the reflective album title, the
album isnt entirely bogged down by anxiety and confusion, with several productions elevating the mood by moving things
to the club. Indeed, he fares slightly better where the album finds more sprightly
form, such as on the thick 80s electro
pulse of Champagne Problems, a song
that pops its cork production-wise and yet
goes slightly flat with the actual song the
grooves are cushioning.
However, most songs slavishly follow
the Justin Timberlake next-door formula,
a setback in itself, such as on

the slightly patronizing Good
Girls. He is an unconvincing
lover on Touch, perhaps
because much of his stance
here seems borrowed blatantly from Michael Jackson and
sounds like an Invincible outtake. His already questionable
taste level is further questioned
on Bacon, a lukewarm slice
of smut so overcooked it would
embarrass Robin Thicke.
The sappy RnB ballads
could easily be any one of his
many peers (from Jason Derulo
to the latest solo whichever One
Direction member is up at bat);
they tend to blend together. Yet
he does shine on limited bursts
of uptempo dance-geared pop
songs that are sadly few and far
between. Chains is an exception, but may as well simply
be Beyoncs Halo with added profanity. It is telling that the
albums true gem, the ambiguously titled Under You, is

in the same spirit as Jealous.
Its proof that when given more
emphatic material, the results
are much more assured and
impressive.
Although he is a passable vocalist, rather than a
truly skilled one, Jonas often
lacks expression, adding to
the albums sense of being all
smouldering technique and
glassy surface, without much
soulful or melodic substance.
His falsetto is as good as the
current crop of tattooed teeny-bop heartthrobs, but as with
Justin Timberlakes hellishly
determined upper range before
him, is utterly without character, which is something that
can too often be said about the
songs themselves. Last Year
Was Complicated is simply smooth and unequivocally bland. l
TERESA WOOD
Last Year Was Complicated is now available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
REDISTRICTING
District Merchants contemplates race, religion and

reality without the preacher
UST BY VIRTUE OF STUPID FUCKING BIRD, AARON

Posners reinvention of Chekhovs The Seagull, anything
issuing from his pen should be given the benefit of the
doubt. The reason being that Posner writes for an underserved
audience: neurotics who like their humor fast and sharp and
their hearts and minds challenged by an irreverent but secretly
optimistic view of the human condition.
Its all present and accounted for in his new play, District
Merchants (HHHHH), a clever and literarily-imaginative rendering of Shakespeares Merchant of Venice, set in a post-Civil
War Washington D.C. in which Shylocks rivals Antoine and
Bassanio are African-American. Though it tracks the original
plot, for Posner it is an opportunity to jet off into race and gender
issues that have contemporary urgency and relevance: the experience of post-slavery Blacks; Jews in America; the relationship
between Jews and Blacks; and what it means to be an outsider.
Posner works hard to understand and capture what he has
not lived, and it shows. To all his loaded issues, Posner injects not
only his usual brand of irreverent humor, but also a powerfully
intelligent ambiguity. We dont necessarily know there will be
happy endings for the lovers and we dont get any pat answers to
its many moral questions. Posners characters and conundrums
are just too complex.
This complexity, with all its moving parts, makes for a challenge the Folger production never quite conquers. It is partly
in director Michael John Garces slightly ponderous execution,
which allows pauses to drag and monologues to sound bookish.
It is also that the play may be more readable than it is performable. Whatever it is, there is an absence of necessary oomph
and only a few players buck the mood. Top of the list is Akeem
Davis as manservant Lancelot. Arriving like hes been sent to
the rescue, Lancelot buzzes with the authentic agitation of life
and eyes that betray worry for a world he can hustle, but never
quite get. Next is Celeste Jones giving her Nessa, the rather
stock wiser-than-her-boss servant, a compellingly peeved and
expressive investment. As the two young women, heiress Portia
and Shylocks daughter Jessica, Maren Bush and Dani Stoller
bring convincingly bright energies, but they have too little to play
against in their less than convincing lovers. Finally, although
Matthew Bostons Shylock is nuanced and interestingly scary in
his anger and ambivalence, his encounters with Craig Wallaces
impassive Antoine never sing.
Even if this production cant quite drive Posners complex
train, its a chance to think about race, religion and reality without the preacher. Kate Wingfield
District Merchants runs to July 3 at Folger Theatre, 201 E. Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 202-544-7077 or visit folger.edu.
51
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
Music
True to Form
The Avett Brothers ninth release strives for growth, but falls back on
some well-worn tropes By Sean Maunier
HAT BEGAN IN 2000 AS THE MODEST PROJECT OF BROTHERS SETH

and Scott Avett has since ballooned into a seven-member folk juggernaut.
Since 2009s breakout hit I and Love and You, the band has successfully
turned a small, loyal following into a large, devoted fanbase by riding folk rocks surge
in popularity over the past few years. Many bands have found success following the
lead of Mumford and Sons in marrying indie rock with elements of bluegrass and
Americana, but few have achieved the popularity and commercial success of the Avett
Brothers, currently playing a series of sold-out live shows across the United States.
All that baggage makes it a little hard to know what to do with True Sadness
(HHHHH). The bands ninth studio album is certainly upbeat and celebratory, but
it lacks some of the punch of their earlier work. Here, the Avett Brothers seem to
be flirting with a greater variety of instrumentation and stylistic borrowings, but
they largely forego experimentation and stick to a style of simple folk rock melodies
wrapped around familiar topics. This is not necessarily a weakness maintaining a
tight and consistent style allows them to keep the album focused on a single sound and
set of themes. Still, the experimentation is often muted, and between the twangy banjo,
acoustic guitar and rollicking fiddle, its hard not to get the impression that we have
heard this done before.
The album begins with Aint No Man, a boisterous anthem that seems readymade for festival crowds to stomp and clap along to. Its a solid opener, and thematically, it sets the tone for the rest of the album, which explores themes of longing,
52
faith, disappointment, and human frailty. True Sadness maintains a fun, upbeat
tone despite its title, but the energy
of Aint No Man doesnt quite carry
through the rest of it. Where the bands
approach falters somewhat is in the lack
of cohesion, both between the songs and
internally. The Avett Brothers go from
theme to theme, barely touching on each
one before moving along to the next. Set
against the cheery, toe-tapping backdrop
of banjos and fiddles, potentially vulnerable songs like Divorce Separation Blues
feel stripped of the emotional weight they
might otherwise have had and instead
come across as a bit hollow.
Other tracks simply fall flat.
Smithsonian, a song heavy on banjo and
fiddle that bounces along but never quite
seems to go anywhere, also rings hollow
the lyrics, claiming to have made the
discovery that life isnt easy and lunch
isnt free, are presumably meant to be
tongue and cheek, but become grating the
more they are repeated. This discontinuity is strange for a band that has delivered a rawer, more organic sound on past
releases. The genuine emotion that came
through so strongly on I and Love and You
is still there, but now it feels as though it is
being sung with a grin, a wink

and a nudge.
Despite these shortcomings, the Avett Brothers have
a strong foundation to work
from, and there are many things
they get right on True Sadness.
The banjo on Satan Pulls the
Strings gives this song a rollicking, tearing-through-themidwest-in-a-pickup
vibe,
while No Hard Feelings and
Fisher Road to Hollywood
feature soft vocals against
gentle, acoustic instrumentation an approach that works
well in spite of its simplicity.
Beyond their more traditional
folk rock stylings, the Brothers
also show a certain willingness
to experiment with other elements, which allows them to
explore some interesting avenues. The song You are Mine
is a particular highlight, starting with a bouncing banjo that
moves into a thumping bassline, and quickly brings in a cascading piano and even a synthesizer. All of these elements could easily have clashed, but instead somehow work beautifully together,
the acoustic sounds keeping the

song grounded while the synths
lend it a nostalgic quality. May
it Last is a swelling, almost
cinematic closing track with
an orchestral hook that brings
home the idea of facing past
mistakes and future hardships
with faith, confidence and a
sense of humour.
Most of the tracks on True
Sadness are listenable enough,
and its possible that hearing
them through headphones or
a car stereo simply doesnt
do them justice. A song like
Victims of Life might come
across as banal on its own, but
its repetitiveness and its swelling chorus line make it thoroughly stadium-friendly. The
Avett Brothers will no doubt
have many more chances to
play them in front of crowded
arenas and amphitheatres as they continue to tour the country
this summer. While True Sadness is held back by its timidity and
formulaic approach, an infectious optimism and some genuinely
enjoyable moments ultimately redeem it. l
True Sadness will be available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify on Friday, June 24.
53
NightLife
Photography by
Ward Morrison
55
Scene
DrinksDragDJsEtc...
Thursday
June 23
Prize Doors open

10pm, 21+ $5 Cover or
free with college ID
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1
on any drink, 5-9pm
Multiple TVs showing
movies, shows, sports
Expanded craft beer
selection Music videos
featuring DJ Wess
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 5pm
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
$2 Bud and Bud Light
Draughts, $3 Domestic
Bottles, $4 Rail and
Import Bottle Beer,
$6 Call Strip Down
Thursdays Happy
Hour starts with shirtless
men drink free rail and
domestic, 5-8pm Men
down to their underwear drink $1 rail and
domestic, 10pm-12am
DJ Kudjo Onyx starts
spinning, 9pm-1am
Best Undressed Contest
at 11:30pm $250 in
event tickets and prizes
No Cover 21+
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $6 Call
Martini, $3 Miller
Lite, $4 Rail, $5 Call,
4-9pm $3 Rail Drinks,
10pm-midnight, $5
Red Bull, Gatorade and
Frozen Virgin Drinks
Locker Room Thursday
Nights DJs Sean
Morris and MadScience
Best Package Contest
at midnight, hosted by
BaNaka $200 Cash
Towns Pride Night - Saturday, June 11

Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene
FREDDIES BEACH
BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Ladies Drink Free Power
Hour, 4-5pm Shirtless
Thursday, 10-11pm
DJs BacK2bACk
JR.S
All You Can Drink for
$15, 5-8pm $3 Rail
Vodka Highballs, $2
JR.s drafts, 8pm-close
Flashback: Music videos
from 1975-2005 with DJ
Jason Royce, 8pm-12am
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 5-9pm No
Cover Pride Cherry
Pop, with Justin Morse,
8pm
SHAWS TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue
Moon, $5 Rails and
House Wines & HalfPriced Pizzas Lobster
Thursdays, 5pm-close
Paint Nite, Second Floor,
7:30pm
THROBBING
THURSDAYS
@THE HOUSE
NIGHTCLUB
3530 Georgia Ave. NW
Diverse group of all
male, all nude dancers
Doors open 9pm
Shows all night until
close, starting at 9pm
$5 Domestic Beer, $6
Imports $12 cover

For Table Reservations,
202-487-6646 rockharddc.com
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm Happy Hour
all night, $4 drinks and
draughts 21+
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 5pm Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a
cocktail glass served in a
huge glass for the same
price, 5-10pm Beer and
wine only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
9pm Cover 21+
Friday
June 24
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Friday
Night Videos with
resident DJ Shea Van
Horn VJ Expanded
craft beer selection
No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink
Happy Hour $15
Rail and Domestic,
$21 Call & Imports,
6-9pm Guys Night
Out Free Belvedere
Vodka, 11pm-Midnight,
$6 Belvedere Vodka
Drinks all night DJ
MadScience presents
Frigid Bitch DJ Keenan
Orr downstairs $10
cover 10pm-1am, $5
after 1am 21+
57
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 5pm
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
Import Bottle Beer,
$6 Call Centaur
Motorcycle Club on Club
Bar $2 Draughts and
Jello Shots, 9pm-2am
Fetish Friday Shibari/
Kinbaku (rope) demo by
Pup Cooper, 9pm-midnight No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH
BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm $5
Smirnoff, all flavors, all
night long
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm $2 Skyy
Highballs and $2 Drafts,
10pm-midnight Pop
and Dance Music Videos
with DJ Darryl Strickland
$5 Coronas, $8 Vodka
Red Bulls, 9pm-close
58
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

DJ Matt Bailer Videos,
Dancing Beat the
Clock Happy Hour $2
(5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4
(7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink,
5-9pm No Cover
Friday Night Videos with
Jack Rayburn, 9:30pm
SHAWS TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm
Moon, $5 Rails and
House Wines & HalfPriced Pizzas
TOWN
Patio open 6pm DC
Bear Crue Happy Hour,
6-11pm $3 Rail, $3
Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm No
cover before 9:30pm
21+ Drag Show starts
at 10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Miss Tatianna, ShiQueeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk
downstairs following the
show GoGo Boys after

11pm Doors open at
10pm For those 21 and
over, $12 For those
18-20, $15 Club: 18+
Patio: 21+
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 5pm Huge
wine only $4 DJ Jeff
Prior, 10pm
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers,
hosted by LaTroya Nicole
Ladies of Ziegfelds,
9pm Rotating Hosts
DJ in Secrets VJ Tre in
Ziegfelds Cover 21+
Saturday
June 25
9 1/2
any drink, 3-9pm $5
Absolut & Titos, $3
Miller Lite after 9pm
Expanded craft beer

selection No Cover
Music videos featuring
various DJs
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Drag Yourself to Brunch
at Level One, 11am-2pm
and 2-4pm Featuring
Kristina Kelly and the
Ladies of Illusion
Bottomless Mimosas and
Bloody Marys Happy
Hour: $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm
AFTERGLOW Dance
Party, 10pm-close The
Ladies of LURe present
BARE, the Ladies Night
Party, 10pm-close $5
Rail Drinks all night
Doors open 10pm $5
Cover 21+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 8pm
Happy Hour, 8-10pm
Import Bottle Beer, $6
Call No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH
BAR
Drag Queen Broadway
Brunch, 10am-3pm
Starring Freddies
Broadway Babes Crazy
Hour, 4-7pm Freddies
Follies Drag Show,
8-10pm, hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs No
Cover
SHAWS TAVERN
Bottomless Mimosas,
10am-3pm Happy
Hour, 5-7pm $3 Miller
Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5
Rails and House Wines
& Half-Priced Pizzas
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long
TOWN
Patio open 2pm DC
Rawhides host Town
& Country: Two-Step,
Line Dancing, Waltz and
West Coast Swing, $5
Cover to stay all night
Doors open 6:30pm,
Lessons 7-8pm, Open
dance 8-10:50pm
CTRL presents: Proud,
11pm-close Featuring
DJs Adam Koussari-Amin
and Devon Trotter DJ
Wess spins downstairs
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Miss Tatianna, ShiQueeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and BaNaka Doors
open 10pm $12 Cover
21+
JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka
Highballs, $7 Vodka
Red Bulls
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer, House Rail Drinks
and Mimosas, $4,
11am-5pm Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1
on any drink, 3-9pm
Jawbreakers 2nd
Year Anniversary Party,
9:30pm Featuring DJ
Chord and DJ Kelly $5
Absolut and $5 Bulleit
Bourbon No Cover
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 2pm Huge
wine only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion with host Ella
Fitzgerald Doors at 9
p.m., first show at 11:30
p.m. DJs Doors open
8pm Cover 21+
Sunday
June 26
hosted by Robert Bise,

10pm-close 21+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 12pm
Draughts all day and
night, $3 Domestic
Call BBQ and Beer
Bust, 2-7pm No Cover
21+
FREDDIES BEACH
BAR
Champagne Brunch
Buffet, 10am-3pm
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Mamas Trailer Park
Karaoke downstairs,
9:30pm-close
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1
on any drink, 3-9pm
Expanded craft beer
selection No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
$4 Stoli, Stoli flavors
and Miller Lite all day
Homowood Karaoke,
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights
and $3 Skyy (all flavors),
all day and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Shi-Queeta-Lee,
11am-3pm $20
Brunch Buffet House
Rail Drinks, Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Pop Goes the World
with Wes Della Volla at
9:30pm Happy Hour: 2
for 1 on any drink, 3-9pm
No Cover
ROCK HARD SUNDAYS
@THE HOUSE
NIGHTCLUB
3530 Georgia Ave. NW
Diverse group of all
male, all nude dancers
Doors open 9pm
Shows all night until
close, starting at 9pm
$5 Domestic Beer, $6
Imports $12 cover
For Table Reservations,
202-487-6646 rockharddc.com
SHAWS TAVERN
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm
Sunday Funday Karaoke,
2nd Floor, 3-7pm $5
Stoli Cocktails Happy
Hour, 5-7pm $3 Miller
59
Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5

Rails and House Wines
& Half-Priced Pizzas
TOWN PATIO
Open 2pm Cornhole,
Giant Jenga, and Flip-cup
inside Town
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 2pm Huge
wine only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
9pm Cover 21+
Monday
June 27
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1
on any drink, 5-9pm
60
Expanded craft beer

selection No Cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4
Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail,
$3 Miller Lite, $5 Call,
4-9pm Monday
Nights A Drag, hosted
by Kristina Kelly
Doors open at 10pm
Showtime at 11:30pm
$3 Skyy Cocktails,
$8 Skyy and Red Bull
$8 Long Islands No
Cover, 18+
DC EAGLE
Doors open at 5pm
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
Free Pool all day and
night Endless Happy
Hour prices to anyone
in a DC Eagle T-Shirt
Call No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH
BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night
long Puppy-Oke: Open
Mic Night Karaoke,
9:30pm-close
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm Showtunes
Songs & Singalongs,
9pm-close DJ James
$3 Draft Pints, 8pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Texas Holdem Poker,
8pm Dart Boards
NUMBER NINE
any drink, 5-9pm No
Cover
SHAWS TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm
Moon, $5 Rails and
House Wines and HalfPriced Pizzas Trivia

with Jeremy, 7:30pm
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 5pm Huge
wine only $4
Tuesday
June 28
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1
on any drink, 5-9pm
Expanded craft beer
selection No Cover
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Stella Artois,
$4 House Wines, $4
Stolichnaya Cocktails, $4
Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
DJ Honey Happy Hour:
$2 Rail, $3 Miller Lite,
$5 Call, 4-9pm SIN
Service Industry Night,
10pm-close $1 Rail
Drinks all night
FREDDIES BEACH
BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
long, 4pm-close
JR.S
Birdie LaCage Show,
10:30pm Underground
(Indie Pop/Alt/Brit Rock),
9pm-close DJ Wes
Della Volla 2-for-1,
5pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Karaoke and Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
any drink, 5-9pm No
Cover Safe Word:
A Gay Spelling Bee,

8-11pm Prizes to the
top three spellers After
9pm, $3 Absolut, Bulleit
& Stella
SHAWS TAVERN
Half Priced Burgers &
Pizzas, 5pm-close $5
House Wines & Sam
Adams Drafts, 5pm-close
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm Yappy Hour
Bring Your Dogs $4
Drinks and Draughts
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 5pm Huge
wine only $4
Wednesday
June 29
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1
on any drink, 5-9pm
Expanded craft beer
selection No Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail,
$3 Miller Lite, $5 Call,
4-9pm Wednesday
Night Karaoke, hosted
by Miss India Larelle
Houston, 10pm-2am
$4 Stoli and Stoli Flavors
and Miller Lite all night
No Cover 21+
FREDDIES BEACH
BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm $6
Burgers Drag Bingo
Night, hosted by Ms.
Regina Jozet Adams,
8pm Bingo prizes
Karaoke, 10pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
long, 4pm-close
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1 Free, 4-9pm
Trivia with MC Jay
Ray, 8pm The Feud:
Drag Trivia, hosted by
BaNaka, 10-11pm, with
a $200 prize $2 JR.s
Drafts and $4 Vodka ($2
with College ID or JR.s
Team Shirt)
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
SmartAss Trivia Night,
8pm and 9pm Prizes
include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30
Club $15 Buckets of
Beer for SmartAss Teams
only Bring a new team
member and each get a
free $10 Dinner
NUMBER NINE
any drink, 5-9pm No
Cover
SHAWS TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm
Moon, $5 Rails and
House Wines and HalfPriced Pizzas Piano Bar
Second Floor, 8pm-close
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm $4 drinks
and draughts, 6-9pm
Nashville Wednesdays:
Pop-Country music and
line dancing, with line
dancing lessons from DC
Rawhides every other
week
TRADE
1410 14th St. NW
Doors open 5pm Huge
wine only $4
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Night, 10-11pm,
12-12:30am Military
Night, no cover with military ID DJ Don T. in
Secrets 9pm Cover
21+ l
61
LastWord.
People say the queerest things
I never thought her life would be ended

right in front of my eyes.
ISAIAH HENDERSON, speaking at a memorial service for his mother, Brenda Marquez McCool, who was one of 49 people
killed at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. While trying to escape with Isaiah, McCool was shot in the back. She told Isaiah to
keep running, rather than help her, which ultimately saved his life.
Words like abomination

popped off my skin like hot grease.
FRANK OCEAN, in a post on his Tumblr reacting to the Orlando shootings, detailing the hate he would hear when he attended church. Many hate us and wish we didnt exist, he continued. Many are annoyed by our wanting to be married like
everyone else or use the correct restroom like everyone else. Many dont see anything wrong with passing down the same
old values that send thousands of kids into suicidal depression each year.
We have to
fear the sodomites more than the jihadis.
PASTOR JAMES DAVID MANNING of ATLAH Church in Harlem, in his YouTube show The Manning Report. He told his followers that gay people represented a greater threat than Islamic extremism. Show me how Muslims are stronger than the sodomites in terms of their destruction, their forces, their political power? he ranted.
I am the prime minister but

Im not the dictator.
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER MALCOLM TURNBULL , responding during a Q&A to a woman who asked why the parliament
couldnt vote to allow marriage equality, rather than submit the proposal to a plebiscite (public vote), which is expected to
cost upwards of $120 million. Turnbull is believed to be holding the public vote to appease
ultra-conservative members of his party.
Today I am finally ready, willing and able to be

my true, authentic self.
SAM JOHNSON, recognized by the Seattle Times as one of the top high school soccer players in Western Washington, in
an Instagram post. Johnson has come out in the wake of the Orlando shootings, OutSports reports, sending a letter to his
extended family saying, I have been silent for a very long time...but I decided that the time was now.
62

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CONTENTS

JUNE 23, 2016

Should the LGBT community arm its members, or ally

An assortment of photographs from the 2016 Capital Pride

With the bland and unappealing Last Year Was

OVERTURE p.7 SPOTLIGHT: EVITA p.9 OUT ON THE TOWN p.12

2016 Jansi LLC.

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

period. He then wrote our eloquent, moving cover story last

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

COURTESY OF OLNEY THEATRE CENTER

All About Eva

E JUST HAD OUR FIRST RUN-THROUGH, SAYS

The classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which also stars

Club Glow presents an IndepenDANCE weekend with

A native of Mississippi, indie folk-rocker Garrison Starr got

Strathmore presents a rescheduled run of dates by the

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

Out On The Town

CAPITAL FRINGE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Focus-In Film Series presents a

Eugh. No. Nobody needs this. While

Billed as a shark survival thriller,

Anna Zieglers wry, uplifting drama

Jose Carrasquillo directs a GALA

GET USED TO IT!

The LGBT-focused company

Comedic actor Louis Butelli performs in a kid-friendly, one-man

Cyndi Lauper produced Tony gold

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

Nick Olcott brings Fidelio, Beethovens only opera, to the InSeries

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

Helen Hayes Award-winning

Keegan Theatre serves up Tom

Robert James Wallers best-selling novel about an Iowa housewife

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

a long wait. But the Dixie Chicks

GAY MENS CHORUS OF

Potomac Fever and Rock Creek

DEL SHORES: SINGULARLY SORDID

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

After a ravishing production last

Its not something youll want to do

every year theres far too many

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

New York. One of her latest works

Thelonious Monk and Herbie

We still havent heard new music

If you saw either the 2009 Michael

The Grammy-nominated Kathy

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER

Having got her start in bars and

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

A milestone in the recognition of

THE SECOND CITYS ALMOST

What if the history of America were

Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25

WOLF TRAP OPERAS ARIA

Aria Jukebox features popular

Trap Opera Companys 2016 Filene

Former New York-based ballet

JUNE 23, 2016 METROWEEKLY

cipal musician Claudia Chudacoff.