Metro Weekly - 01-09-14 - Robert Priore

4 JANUARY 9, 2014 METROWEEKLY.
COM
Supreme Court
Blocks Utah Marriages
States married same-sex couples in legal limbo with appeal pending in 10th Circuit
Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court
by Justin Snow
T
HE U.S. SUPREME COURT
Monday ordered a halt to
same-sex marriages in Utah
while the case is appealed,
leaving same-sex couples in the heavily
Mormon state in a plight of legal limbo.
In a brief order that offered no
explanation for the decision, all nine
Supreme Court justices approved a
stay application by Utah government
ofcials requesting same-sex marriages
be blocked pending an appeal to the 10th
Circuit Court of Appeals.
The decision by the high court comes
after Utahs attorney general led a Dec.
31 request with Justice Sonia Sotomayor,
who oversees the 10th Circuit Court
of Appeals, to bring a halt to same-sex
marriages in the heavily Mormon state.
Same-sex marriages began in Utah
shortly before Christmas after U.S District
Court Judge Robert J. Shelby declared
Utahs ban on same-sex marriage
unconstitutional in a 53-page Dec. 20
ruling that found Utahs prohibition
on same-sex marriage conicts with the
United States Constitutions guarantees
of equal protection and due process under
the law. Shelby, who was appointed by
President Barack Obama and supported
during his conrmation process by Utahs
two Republican senators, marked the
rst federal judge to rule state bans on
same-sex marriage are unconstitutional
in light of the Supreme Courts June
decision striking down Section 3 of the
Defense of Marriage Act.
Shelby denied a request on Dec. 23
to issue a stay on his decision during
the appeals process. Hours later, all but
one Utah county began issuing marriage
licenses to same-sex couples. On
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Christmas Eve, the 10th Circuit Court of
Appeals also denied a request for a stay,
allowing same-sex marriages to continue
in the state while the case is appealed.
That unexpected advancement of
marriage equality in one of the most
conservative states in the nation came
screeching to a halt following the Supreme
Courts Jan. 6 decision. More than 1,000
same-sex couples are estimated to have
been married since Shelbys decision, and
what legal status those couples now stand
in remains unclear.
There is not clear legal precedence
for this particular situation, said Utah
Attorney General Sean Reyes (R) in a
statement. This is the uncertainty that
we were trying to avoid by asking the
District Court for a stay immediately after
its decision. It is very unfortunate that so
many Utah citizens have been put into
this legal limbo.
In Utahs request to Justice Sotomayor
to stay the District Courts decision, Utah
ofcials listed a variety of reasons for the
stay, including the argument that the state
and its citizens will suffer irreparable
injury from halting the enforcement of
Utahs denition of marriage, which was
dened as between a man and a woman in
the states Constitution by voters in 2004.
Every marriage performed uniting
person of the same sex is an affront to
the sovereignty of the State and to the
democratically expressed will of the
people of Utah, the application stated,
while also noting Utah could face ever-
increasing administrative and nancial
costs before the case is resolved and that
same-sex couples may be irreparably
harmed in their dignitary and nancial
interests if their marital status is
retroactively voided.
According to Reyes, Utahs Ofce of
Attorney General is carefully evaluating
the legal status of the marriages that
L
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News
Now online at MetroWeekly.com
Soundwaves: Remembering Bowie on his birthday
Nation: Advocate ranks D.C. as gayest city
5 METROWEEKLY.COM JANUARY 9, 2014
Supreme Court
Blocks Utah Marriages
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LGBTNews
6
positive pro-LGBT positions.
We havent had a candidate run a
truly anti-gay campaign in more than 30
years, says Rosendall. Its a proven loser
in the District.
In coming months, the race most like-
ly to draw the attention of LGBT Wash-
ingtonians is the race for mayor, which
features incumbent and longtime ally
Vincent Gray facing eight challengers in
the Democratic primary, including Coun-
cilmembers Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Mu-
riel Bowser (D-Ward 4), Tommy Wells
(D-Ward 6) and Vincent Orange (D-At
Large), all of whom have voting records
considered favorable to the LGBT com-
munity though Orange used opposition
to marriage equality as part of his unsuc-
cessful 2006 mayoral-campaign platform.
Others running in the primary generally
regarded as the de facto election in heav-
ily Democratic D.C., ahead of the Nov. 4
general election are State Department
ofcial Reta Jo Lewis, restaurant en-
trepreneur Andy Shallal, businessman
Christian Carter and local rap artist and
music promoter Carlos Allen.
But the elephant in the room is likely
to be Councilmember David Catania (I-
At Large), a Republican-turned-Indepen-
dent who has formed an exploratory com-
mittee and told The Washington Posts
Robert McCartney that he would run for
mayor if Gray, who is being investigated
by federal prosecutors for allegedly run-
ning a shadow campaign effort during
his 2010 run for mayor, were to win the
April 1 Democratic primary.
by John Riley
2
014 PROMISES TO BE ANOTH-
er banner year for the Districts
LGBT community, which enjoys
at least on paper almost full
equality with the Districts heterosexual
citizenry. And, as it does every two years,
this bloc will exert its inuence over can-
didates seeking public ofce, whether
running for mayor, D.C. Council or fed-
eral ofce.
The clout of the Districts sizeable,
diverse and diffuse LGBT community is
not something any candidate can ignore.
Covering every ward in the city, many of
the LGBT communitys most prominent
residents are unafraid to raise conten-
tious issues or grill candidates about their
platforms.
Its been clear for a long time that we
could not have made progress on policies
such as marriage equality if we had just re-
lied on openly gay candidates, says Rich-
ard J. Rosendall, president of the Gay and
Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington,
D.C. (GLAA), though speaking solely as a
longtime local political observer. Rosen-
dall emphasizes that all D.C. politicians
understand LGBT political clout, noting
that even during the marriage-equality
push in 2009, the two dissenting votes,
Councilmembers Marion Barry (D-Ward
8) and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), took
to the D.C. Council dais to explain their
no votes and tout their contrastingly
Catania, one of D.C.s two openly gay
councilmembers, did not tell the Post
whether he would run if another candi-
date won the primary, but if he does jump
into the mayors race, he would be forced
to give up his Council seat.
Rosendall says that, barring a federal
indictment, Gray is likely favored to win
the primary because the city is doing well
and his competitors will likely split the
anti-Gray vote. On LGBT issues, Rosen-
dall says, Gray has been a strong support-
er of the community, so his Democratic
opponents will not gain much leverage
with their own supportive records on
LGBT rights.
However, says Rosendall, facing
Catania in a general election could be
a more difcult task, as Catania would
seek to pick up the support of Demo-
crats who backed other candidates in
the primary. In addition, he notes, Cata-
nia has been in the underdog position
before, when he was elected as the rst
openly gay councilmember in a 1997
low-turnout special election in which
he ousted appointed At-Large Council-
member Arrington Dixon (D) by turning
out his base and capitalizing on voter
discontent throughout the city.
Should he choose to run, Catania will
not be alone in challenging Gray or any
other Democratic nominee. Libertarian
Bruce Majors, who is also gay man, might
be able to rally conservative votes that
would otherwise go to Catania.
Meanwhile, an announced Republi-
can candidate, James Caviness, a public-
JANUARY 9, 2014 METROWEEKLY.COM
D.C. Gay Candidates
Gearing Up for 2014
A possible Catania mayoral run and divided primaries could provide openings
for more gay candidates to break through
were performed since the District Courts
decision and will not rush to a decision
that impacts Utah citizens so personally.
The Department of Justice has not yet
indicated whether same-sex couples who
were legally married in Utah over the past
few weeks will be recognized for benets
purposed by the federal government.
Despite the abrupt hold put on same-
sex marriages in Utah, advocates remain
condent that the District Courts decision
will prevail when arguments are heard by
the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
While every days denial of the
freedom to marry hurts, [the] decision
by the Supreme Court to grant a stay in
Utah is just a temporary pause in the
work to win marriage for all loving and
committed same-sex couples in the
state, said Freedom to Marry president
and founder Evan Wolfson in a statement.
Its crucial to use the momentum we
gained in 2013 for the freedom to marry
in the new year to show that allowing
same-sex couples to share in the joy of
marriage in Utah and everywhere is
the right thing to do. l
marketplace
LGBTNews
8
cause any anti-Graham vote will be split
between three challengers, including for-
mer At-Large Council candidate Bryan
Weaver, and Brianne Nadeau, a former
ANC commissioner and a former staffer
for U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.).
Morgan agrees with Rosendalls odds on
a Graham win even in a one-on-one
race, due to his constant visibility at com-
munity events and a record of effective
constituent service.
Of the three challengers, Nadeau has
been the most vocal in calling for Gra-
hams ouster, attempting to foster rela-
tionships with LGBT voters, clubs and ac-
tivists who have provided the bulwark of
support for Graham since rst elected to
the Council in 1998 and peel their votes
away from the veteran lawmaker.
Majors, the most high-prole member
of D.C.s 170-member Libertarian Party,
has been seeking to grow his party and
put forth candidates for almost every of-
ce since successfully gaining ballot ac-
cess for the Libertarians following his un-
successful bid to oust congressional Del.
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) in 2012.
Majors says he wants to recruit more
candidates to run in D.C. as Libertarians.
So far, he says, his efforts have succeeded
access television political-talk-show host,
failed to submit enough signatures of reg-
istered party voters by the Dec. 2 deadline
to qualify for the ballot. Another candi-
date, Faith, did submit enough signa-
tures to qualify for the mayoral ballot rep-
resenting the D.C. Statehood-Green Party.
If Catania does decide to run for
mayor, his departure from the D.C. Coun-
cil could open the door for another gay
hopeful, Republican Marc Morgan. Mor-
gan, who previously ran against incum-
bent gay Councilmember Jim Graham
(D-Ward 1) in a heavily Democratic ward,
stands a chance due to a provision requir-
ing two of the Councils At-Large seats
be reserved for non-Democrats. Morgan
would face the winner of the Democratic
primary most likely incumbent Anita
Bonds (D) one of two Statehood-Green
candidates, and Libertarian Party candi-
date Frederick Steiner, and could claim
victory by being among the top two non-
Democrat vote-getters.
It should be an interesting campaign
season, says Morgan, keeping a lid on his
campaign strategy. Well see what hap-
pens.
Rosendall adds that it is likely Graham
will win his re-election bid, largely be-
in building the current slate of Libertar-
ian candidates for mayor; congressional
delegate; Ward 3, Ward 6 and At-Large
councilmembers; shadow U.S. senator
and shadow U.S. representative which
he bills as D.C.s most diverse.
One of those candidates, Martin
Moulton, is a gay man who serves on the
public safety committee for his local Ad-
visory Neighborhood Committee (ANC)
and previously served as alternate dele-
gate for Ron Pauls 2012 GOP presidential
primary campaign.
I think we need honest, corruption-
free candidates dedicated to serving the
people, Moulton says, telling Metro
Weekly his frustration with the status
quo led him to say yes to Majorss over-
tures and enter the race for shadow U.S.
representative. He says he also appreci-
ates the Libertarian position on decrimi-
nalizing recreational drug use, citing the
particularly disproportionate incarcera-
tion rates for young, African-American
males, convicted of nonviolent crimes in
the so-called War on Drugs.
These are nonviolent crimes,
Moulton said. In a free society, we need
to make our own choices without the gov-
ernment regulating our behavior. l
DC Center Elects Ofcers
LGBT community center begins the new year with both veteran
leadership and newcomers
by John Riley
T
HE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
for The DC Center, the Dis-
tricts LGBT community cen-
ter, on Jan. 3 announced the
centers new board members and ofcers
for 2014, naming three new board mem-
bers and four new ofcers taking on lead-
ership roles.
New board members are elected by a
vote of the existing board members and
serve three-year terms. The three new-
est members are: Julie Enszer, a visit-
ing professor and Ph.D. student at the
University of Marylands Department
of Womens Studies and a former em-
ployee the Gill Foundation, the Human
Rights Campaign and the Nuclear Poli-
cy Research Institute; Louis Lopez, the
deputy chief in the employment litiga-
tion section of the Civil Rights Division
at the U.S. Department of Justice and a
former counsel to the chairwoman of
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportu-
nity commission; and Mindy Michels,
the program director of Dignity for All:
LGBT Assistance Program at Freedom
House, who worked to implement pro-
LGBT legislation in Albania, and a for-
mer director of American Universitys
GLBTA Resource Center.
Returning to the board of directors
are: Eddy Ameen, Matthew Corso, John
Crow, Martin Espinoza, Michael Fowler,
Holly Goldmann, Patricia Hawkins, Ja-
son Laney, Michelle Ross, Michael Sessa,
Ashley Smith, Kelly Zimmerman and Pat-
rick Zorrow.
Sessa, who has been serving as the
boards president, is stepping down and
will be replaced by Fowler, who becomes
board chair. Hawkins will replace Ross as
vice chair, Ameen will become the new
secretary, and Corso will become the new
chief communications ofcer, a newly
created position. Crow will return as the
boards treasurer.
In a statement, Sessa and DC Cen-
ter Executive Director David Mariner
praised the newly elected board mem-
bers and ofcers, saying: We are thrilled
to welcome such distinguished members
of D.C.s LGBT community to the Board
of Directors and are excited to see a new
leadership team take the helm in 2014.
The breadth and depth of experience on
the board comes at an opportune time
as the DC Center continues to grow and
serve the diverse interests of the local
LGBT community. l
marketplace
12 JANUARY 9, 2014 METROWEEKLY.COM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11
CHRYSALIS arts & culture group visits Baltimores
American Museum of Visionary Arts and Museum
of Industry. Carpool 9:30 a.m., return early evening.
About $30, plus lunch in AMVS cafe. Larry, 301-
728-7687, xlarry384@gmail.com.
ADVENTURING outdoors group hikes 11 strenuous
miles, 2,500 feet elevation gain, to Marys Rock,
Shenandoah National Park. Bring beverages, lunch,
sturdy boots, about $13. Dinner follows. Carpool
8:15 a.m., East Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride lot.
David, 240-938-0375. adventuring.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing, 9-5 p.m., and HIV
services (by appointment). 202-291-4707 or
andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by 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.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including others
interested in Brazilian culture, meets. For location/
time, email braziliangaygroup@yahoo.com.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at
Marie Reed Aquatic Center, 2200 Champlain St.
NW. 8-9:30 a.m. 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.
DIGNITY NORTHERN VIRGINIA sponsors Mass
for LGBT community, family and friends. 6:30 p.m.,
Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary
Road, Alexandria. All welcome. dignitynova.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball 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.
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 condential HIV testing
in Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite
411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments other
hours, call 301-422-2398.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
CHRYSALIS arts & culture group visits Marine
Corps Museum, Quantico. Free admission. Lunch in
museum caf. Carpool 10 a.m., King Street Metro.
Craig, 202-462-0535, craighowell1@verizon.net.
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.
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.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10
WEEKLY EVENTS
METROHEALTH CENTER offers free, rapid HIV
testing. Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW,
Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
services (by appointment). 202-291-4707,
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by members of the
GLBT community, holds Friday night Shabbat
services followed by oneg social hour. 8-9:30 p.m.
Services in DCJCC Community Room, 1529 16th St.
NW. betmish.org.
GAY DISTRICT holds facilitated discussion for
GBTQ men, 18-35, rst and third Fridays. 8:30 p.m.
The DC Center, 1318 U St. NW. 202-682-2245,
gaydistrict.org.
GAY MARRIED MENS ASSOCIATION (GAMMA)
is a peer-support group that meets in Dupont Circle
every second and fourth Friday at 7:30 p.m. gay-
married.com or GAMMAinDC1@yahoo.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health,
Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. 202-745-7000, whitman-walker.org.
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-afrming social
group for ages 11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road
NW. Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides a social
atmosphere for GLBT and questioning youth,
featuring dance parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. 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. 202-567-3155,
testing@smyal.org.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9
THE DC CENTER holds Mentor Information Night
for those interested in joining community-based
mentoring program. 6:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.
LGBT FAITH AND ASYLUM NETWORK (LGBT-
FAN) holds inaugural reception. 7-9 p.m. The DC
Center, 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. 202-682-2245,
thedccenter.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
offers free HIV testing, 9-5 p.m., and HIV services
(by appointment). Call 202-291-4707, or visit
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session
at the Takoma Aquatic Center, 7:30-9 p.m. Visit
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-oor bar, 7-9
p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health. The
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson Center, 2301
MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call 202-745-
7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.
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, 301-300-9978, or Takoma Park,
301-422-2398.
202-567-3155 or testing@smyal.org.
Metro Weeklys Community Calendar highlights important events in
the D.C.-area LGBT community, from alternative social events to
volunteer opportunities. Event information should be sent by email to
calendar@MetroWeekly.com. Deadline for inclusion is noon
of the Friday before Thursdays publication. Questions about
the calendar may be directed to the Metro Weekly ofce at
202-638-6830 or the calendar email address.
LGBTCommunityCalendar
marketplace
WEEKLY EVENTS
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW.
9-10:30 a.m. swimdcac.org.
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.
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive and radically
inclusive church holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217
Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.
DIGNITY WASHINGTON offers Roman Catholic
Mass for the LGBT community. 6 p.m., St.
Margarets Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave. NW. All
welcome. Sign interpreted. dignitynova.org.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF
CHRIST welcomes all to 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G
St. NW. rstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.
FRIENDS MEETING OF WASHINGTON meets for
worship, 10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW, Quaker
House Living Room (next to Meeting House on
Decatur Place), 2nd oor. Special welcome to
lesbians and gays. Handicapped accessible from
Phelps Place gate. Hearing assistance.
quakersdc.org.
HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes
GLBT community for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old
Telegraph Road, Alexandria. hopeucc.org.
INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT,
God-centered new age church & learning center.
Sunday Services and Workshops event. 5419 Sherier
Place NW. isd-dc.org.
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF REFORMATION invites
all to Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is
available at both services. Welcoming LGBT people
for 25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE.
reformationdc.org
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF
NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led by
Rev. Onetta Brooks. Childrens Sunday School, 11
a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax. 703-691-0930,
mccnova.com.
16
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF
WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL
interpreted) and 11 a.m. Childrens Sunday School at
11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373,
mccdc.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.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH, a Christ-centered,
interracial, welcoming-and-afrming church, offers
service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330,
riverside-dc.org.
ST. STEPHEN AND THE INCARNATION, an
interracial, 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 CHURCH OF ARLINGTON, an
LGBTQ welcoming-and-afrming congregation,
offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow UU
Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd. uucava.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.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL MEMORIAL
CHURCH, a welcoming and inclusive church. GLBT
Interweave social/service group meets monthly.
Services at 11 a.m., Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th
St. NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.
MONDAY, JANUARY 13
WEEKLY EVENTS
testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012
14th St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
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.
Michael Brazell teaches BEARS DO YOGA, a
program of The DC Center. 6:30 p.m., Green
Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW. No cost,
newcomers welcome. 202-682-2245,
thedccenter.org.
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at Quaker House,
2111 Florida Ave. NW. getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
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.
Youth Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or
testing@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay mens evening
afnity 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, 703-299-
0504, 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.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker Health. D.C.:
Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St.
NW, 9 a.m.-6 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.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14
GAY & LESBIAN ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE (GLAA)
holds monthly Policy Discussion Roundtable. All
welcome. 7 p.m. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW, Room 120. 202-667-5139, glaa.org.
CENTER GLOBAL holds its 2nd Annual Reception.
5:30-8 p.m. $10 donation. Mova, 2204 14th St. NW.
202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
A COMPANY OF STRANGERS, a theater chorus,
meets 7:30-9:30 p.m. A GLBTA and SATB looking
for actors, singers, crew. Open Hearth Foundation,
1502 Massachusetts Ave. SE. Charles, 240-764-
5748. ecumenicon.org.
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly dinner in Dupont/
Logan Circle area, 6:30 p.m. afwash@aol.com,
afwashington.net.
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW.
7:30-9 p.m. swimdcac.org.
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/STI screening every 2nd and 4th
Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday LGBT
Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King
St. 703-321-2511, james.leslie@inova.org.
17
METROWEEKLY.COM JANUARY 9, 2014
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21
meets at SMYAL, 410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy
Chu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
US HELPING US hosts a support group for black
gay men 40 and older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave.
NW. 202-446-1100.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15

BIG GAY BOOK GROUP meets to discuss Dreadful:
The Short Life and Gay Times of John Horne Burns
by David Margolick and The Gallery by John Horne
Burns. 7 p.m. 1155 F St. NW, Suite 200. All welcome.
biggaybookgroup@hotmail.com.
THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL BRIDGE CLUB
meets for Social Bridge. No reservations or partners
needed, newcomers welcome. 7:30 pm, Dignity
Center, 721 8th St. SE. 301-345-1571.
WEEKLY EVENTS
testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012
14th St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
AD LIB, a group for freestyle conversation, meets
about 7:45 p.m., covered-patio area of Cosi, 1647
20th St. NW. All welcome. Jamie, 703-892-8567.
Marie Reed Aquatic Center, 2200 Champlain St.
NW. 8-9:30 p.m. swimdcac.org.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday
worship 7:15 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. All welcome.
118 N. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450,
historicchristchurch.org.
in Gaithersburg, 414 East Diamond Ave. Walk-
ins 2-7 p.m. For appointments other hours, call
Gaithersburg at 301-300-9978.
9 a.m.-6 p.m. At the Max Robinson Center, 2301
MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 202-745-7000,
whitman-walker.org.
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; or Bill,
703-671-2454. l
Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW. thedccenter.org.
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 at 301-300-9978 or Takoma Park
at 301-422-2398.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES,
at 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free rapid HIV
testing and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 703-823-4401.
Youth Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155,
testing@smyal.org.
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.
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
18
FOR MORE CALENDAR LISTINGS
PLEASE VISIT
WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM
JANUARY 9, 2014
VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 37
PUBLISHER
Randy Shulman
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Randy Shulman
ART DIRECTOR
Todd Franson
MANAGING EDITOR
Will OBryan
POLITICAL EDITOR
Justin Snow
STAFF WRITER
John Riley
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Rhuaridh Marr, Doug Rule
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Ward Morrison
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Christopher Cunetto, Julian Vankim
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS
Scott G. Brooks, Christopher Cunetto
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Daniel Burnett, Christian Gerard,
Brandon Harrison, Chris Heller, Troy Petenbrink,
Richard Rosendall, Kate Wingeld
EDITOR EMERITUS
Sean Bugg
WEBMASTER
David Uy
MULTIMEDIA
Aram Vartian
ADMINISTRATIVE / PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Julian Vankim
ADVERTISING & SALES
DIRECTOR OF SALES
Randy Shulman
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Rivendell Media Co.
212-242-6863
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Dennis Havrilla
PATRON SAINT
Merce Cunningham
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Julian Vankim
METRO WEEKLY
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2014 Jansi LLC.
19
ITS FAIR ENOUGH
to say that Ive been
fucked up a few
times in my life.
I point that
out because, with
the legalization of
marijuana in Colo-
rado, it has become
de rigueur for some
pundits to suddenly announce that they
smoke, or have smoked, a bit of weed.
Of course they have. Theyre American
human beings living in the 21st century.
Pretty much everyone has at least gotten
a contact buzz by this point.
And I point that out using crude lan-
guage because the whole thing seems
rather too proper, relying on either
vague stories of youthful indiscretions
or soothing proclamations that the
occasional after-work toke is just the
equivalent of a glass of good red wine
after a long day. Few mainstream writ-
ers aside from Andrew Sullivan seem
willing to admit that weed legal or not
is also a great tool for thinking deep
stoner thoughts, giggling madly with
friends and bingeing on Froot Loops.
And bless Sullivan for it, since theres
nothing wrong with any of those things,
the same as theres nothing wrong with
tossing back a few cocktails and live-
tweeting cable news talk shows.
Unfortunately, Im not much of a
marijuana person myself. First, its just
never been my thing. Second, Im terribly
awkward at it and always manage to eat
too much of the cookie and launch myself
into an hour of stratospheric paranoia.
Now, none of this is surprising to
anyone who knows me or anyone whos
read me for more than a couple of years.
Ive always been pretty open about my
past drug use, which in my younger days
included more than weed. Thats partly
because I got some really hilarious sto-
ries out of it. Its also because I never
really faced any consequences for it.
To be clear, when I say conse-
quences Im not talking addiction, Im
talking the law. I knew a couple of
dealers who went to jail for a bit cops
were certainly following dealers, but
the customers had little to worry about
when privately popping some ecstasy. I
was politely asked to leave a gay night-
club once, I politely complied, and I just
as politely showed up again the next
Friday night, no problems.
We were young, gay, mostly profes-
sional and largely white. We did our busi-
ness in Dupont Circle where if we fol-
lowed the unspoken rules we were ne.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the
city there were a lot of black people liv-
ing in a completely different story. Its
not hard to look at conviction and arrest
data and see that if youre well-off and
white even if youre gay youve
enjoyed de facto decriminalization for a
long time, whether you took advantage
of it or not. Something to remember the
next time youre chatting with a rela-
tive, co-worker or airplane seatmate
going on about racism being over and
white privilege being a myth.
This drug war went on still goes
on for so long and at such great cost
because too many people simply refuse
to speak the truth about themselves
and what they see going on in the world
around them. Bully for those colum-
nists and thought leaders who have
greeted one signicant victory in ending
the drug war by nally admitting that
theyve been toking all along. Perhaps
it will speed up some needed next vic-
tories. Perhaps if more people had done
that earlier, rather than silently sitting
by as the media dismissed decriminal-
ization with jokes about stoners and
the government built a policy on the
propaganda of lies, that rst victory
would come earlier. And fewer people
would be in jail and fewer lives would
have been ruined.
I dont mean to be a buzzkill. But
one thing we should already know as
gay people: Closets dont just hurt the
people inside them. They also hurt the
people we refuse to see. More honesty,
especially from those of us who can
afford it, can only help. l
Big Buzz
Its almost a fad to admit to smoking marijuana; too bad
honesty had to come so late
LGBTOpinion
by Sean Bugg
WITH MY LAST
column of 2013
dedicated to my
holiday wishes, the
rst column of 2014
should obviously be
dedicated to predic-
tions.
First up in my
crystal ball is a fore-
seen blend of entertainment and tech-
nology. Janelle Mone has been telling
us for years shes an android. In 2014,
shell come out as a lesbian, to boot. A
perfect blending of taste and technol-
ogy. You may remember that Family Guy
tried to tell the world in 2009s episode
Hannah Banana that Miley Cyrus is
also an android but more an alpha-
testing model, relative to Mones super-
cozy bedfellows in 2014 as buff Rep.
Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) opens a high-end
retailer, HetroMetro. Amid the cute
socks and skinny jeans, Schock will cash
in on all that coy Is he or isnt he? cache,
with dressing rooms dubbed changing
closets, complete with gag glory holes.
Speaking of skinny jeans, the Kar-
dashians will bypass politics to mix
money with health. In their case, the
family that mastered the art of arti-
ce will brand an engineered variant
of HIV to deliver guaranteed weight
loss under the tagline, Get wasted!
But just a little. The follow-up, life-
long maintenance cocktail will arrive
monthly in coordinated clutches, every-
thing from faux leopard to genuine baby
seal (Kims choice, not Khloes), to go
with that bikini-ready HIVixen look. As
a result, the Kardashians will turn HIV
stigma on its head, leaving only those
plus-sizes not committed to an HIV
infection and body dysmporphia feeling
the prick of stigma. But there will still
be no stigma pricking at those famous
for nothing more than being famous.
When it comes to religion in 2014,
Pope Francis will have to take a back-
seat to a new sect spinning off from the
Vatican. Socially and scally conser-
vative right-wing Catholics will jump
from the popes ship in droves despite
Franciss relative dedication to dogma.
Maintaining Catholic womens second-
class status just isnt good enough when
you keep reminding everyone that Cath-
olic tenets are more Marx than Neiman
Marcus. And what upstanding conser-
vative can stomach a pope who reacts
to homosexuality with not much more
than a superior shrug, compared to
some of his predecessors. Pat Buchanan
will serve as the new religions rst pon-
tiff, costumed in extremes of silk robes
and jeweled accessories. The new sect
will dub itself the Reformed Church of
Patriarchy and Prot.
Finally, with luck, there may also be
some good international crime news in
2014. Irans Green Movement includ-
ing a substantial gay bloc will win the
day in 2014. The countrys former Presi-
dent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of In Iran
we dont have homosexuals (because we
execute them) fame will be sentenced
to 30 years for anti-LGBT blasphemy.
Hell serve those years in one of his
countrys gay teahouses, a phenomenon
to follow the 2014 revolution, where hell
spend his days tea-bagging and priming
patrons hookah pipes. l
sophisticated ArchAndroid/Cindi May-
weather. So, when Mone comes out as
a Covergirl for the ladies, Cyrus will try
to again reprogram herself to keep up,
announcing a new career direction that
moves from just feels black to just
feels lesbian-y, spending the remainder
of 2014 back in jeans and hi-tops and
doing Indigo Girls covers at Olivia events.
Sports will blend with politics as all
eyes turn to Sochi and the Winter Olym-
pics. As a visiting U.S. delegate, Billie
Jean King will challenge Vladimir Putin
to a judo match, his favored combat
sport. In 1973 Battle of the Sexes style,
she will clean his clock. Putins televised
tears will leave his macho persona in
shambles. Kings shout to the crowd as
she stands over the weeping president
Youre next, skater boy! will land
Johnny I dont pretend to get Russian
politics Weir in protective custody.
Politics and economics will also make
20
LGBTOpinion
Hello, 2014
From Sochi to Schock, heres a ippant attempt at reading
the years tea leaves
by Will OBryan
marketplace
I
N 2012, ROBERT J. PRIORE MADE A SPLASH ON
these very pages.
That was kind of when I was single, and just
trying to put my face out there, get some recognition,
says Priore, who made it clear in his 2012 Metro
Weekly Nightlife Coverboy prole that he was a
dancer and choreographer. And that was very much
the point of the exercise. Ever since Priore moved
to the D.C. area in 2010 for a job with CityDance, the Buffalo,
N.Y., native has made it his mission to increase exposure to local
dance and dancers, especially among the gay community. The
LGBT community plays a large part in contemporary dance, he
says. I want to get people more knowledgeable and involved in
the really budding talent that we have here.
Next weekend, Priore will debut a new work, Emergence,
as part of a full program celebrating his choreography and the
many dancers hes taught and worked with at CityDance, both
current students and alumni. The show, at the CityDance Studio
Theater at Strathmore, also features professional dancers from
Ohios Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, where Priore
worked before moving to D.C. The son of a theater costume
designer and an accountant for a large food company, Priore has
always had great support as a dancer from his family. Case in
point: I have 15 relatives coming from Buffalo to see the show.
In recent years, dance pieces by Priore have been performed
by students hes taught at CityDance as well as at annual events
such as VelocityDC Dance Festival and the MetroDC Dance
Awards. The 27-year-old is also a member of the modern dance
group Company E.
You might also recognize Priore if youve ever eaten at B Too,
the 14th Street restaurant started by former Top Chef contestant
Bart Vandaele. Priore serves as a host. Clearly, Priore has plenty
of energy. So much so, even a recent root canal couldnt slow him
down. Ive always had bad teeth, since I was a little kid, so Im
used to having work done, says Priore, who was feeling ne and
ready for an interview a mere hour after the dental procedure.
Need a break, Mr. Priore? Oh, no, I like to talk too much.
METRO WEEKLY: Lets start by getting personal. Youre originally
from Buffalo?
ROBERT J. PRIORE: Im from Buffalo, New York. Western New
York. Its a very interesting place to grow up and a really
good place to go back and visit, because so much continues to
change. Every time I go back, its amazing. It just seems like its
becoming such a more vibrant place from what I remember as a
kid. Theater is going really well. Theres a dance company now
in Buffalo thats doing really well. I have a couple friends that
dance there.
MW: Did you play sports growing up or were you set on dance from
the get-go?
PRIORE: Oh, my God, my poor father. He tried every sport. I
played soccer, I played baseball, I played basketball, I played
tennis. I swam. I did everything until I was about 12, and then
I was like, I really dont like this. And my dad was like, You
know what, youve been a trouper, youve tried it all. So you
can go dance. And now my mom and dad are my biggest fans.
But its funny. They denitely tried me in everything before
they let me really start to dance. Sports-wise, I think I played
everything but hockey and football. I was in Little League for
baseball. I played tee ball before that. I played indoor soccer, I
played outdoor soccer. I skied for a year. I tried ice-skating and
speed-skating.
It was important for my parents for me and my sister to be
active. And my sister was a dancer and she was a cheerleader.
In school, I played instruments. Both of my parents wanted us
to play instruments. So I played the clarinet, then I played the
saxophone, then I played the bassoon, then I played the bass
clarinet. I tried each one for a year and I sucked at all of them
equally. So by the time I got into eighth grade, when I got into
high school, I was like, Im not playing an instrument anymore,
Im not good at it. When I say I tried a little bit of everything
growing up, I really did. I think it was my parents trying to make
me to be well-rounded.
MW: It sounds like you were also just curious enough to be willing
to try a little bit of everything.
Interview by Doug Rule // Photography by Julian Vankim
LEARNING TO FLY
FROM LEAPING OFF A CLIFF TO
CHOREOGRAPHING A NEW SHOW,
ROBERT J. PRIORE IS STRETCHING
HIS WINGS
LEARNING TO FLY
PRIORE: Yeah, even as an adult I really like to try everything.
Like, I dont eat seafood, but I usually will try it if Im out with
people. And its not just with food. When I was in Peru, I went
parasailing or paragliding? I dont remember, Im sorry. Its
where you have the parachute strapped to your back, and then
someones in it with you, so theres a professional with you. I
went with my co-workers in Company E, and they all were like,
Lets go parasailing. Of course, Im the last one to pay and
somehow the rst person that they make jump off the cliff. So
you put this backpack on, basically, and you have a Peruvian
man standing behind you in the same harness. Basically sitting
on top of you. And he goes, Okay, run. Just take a couple steps
and you jump off one of these cliffs on the seaside, and you just
oat, and its crazy. Im so happy I did it, because it was denitely
something thats going to stick with me forever.
I was with my two best friends in the company in Israel, and
we said, We want to go to the Dead Sea. None of us spoke
Hebrew. A lot of people spoke English there, but we had no idea
where we were going. We just got in one of the public buses and
started asking people how to get there and we ended up like in
the middle of nowhere, like a very secluded part of the Dead Sea.
No tourists, it was way off the beaten path. We met this young
Israeli couple and they showed us how to dig through the mud
and we covered ourselves in this really black Dead Sea mud and
then just oated for four hours. It was amazing. But ve years
ago I would have never just left somewhere with no idea where
Im going, and just tried to nd the Dead Sea, which seems so
crazy now that I look back on it.
MW: Would you call yourself an adventure-seeker?
PRIORE: Im a very anxious person. Being a choreographer, you
are often in control of the situation. Its your job to take control.
So I feel like Im a control freak. When things are out of my
hands, I start to freak out.
Honestly, if I wasnt working with the people I was working
with, who basically forced me to [paraglide], I probably would
have never done it, because its just not my personality. Im way
too stressed out for that. Finally, they said, No, do it, do it! And
I went for it. That broke a couple walls for me, really pushed me
to try new things and let go a little bit.
MW: Has that informed your choreography?
PRIORE: Yeah. As a choreographer, its about trust. So the hardest
part of the work is with a group of people you dont know or you
dont trust. Thats why Im lucky because everyone Im working
with I can really trust. I think that putting myself in a situation
like skydiving has really helped me kind of let go a little bit and
learn that I dont have to be so demanding and can be a little bit
more collaborative. Because, really, as a choreographer you feed
off your dancers, and they should feed off of you.
But that whole diving off a cliff, its really opened me up to
not being so anxious about things and really trying new things.
And its denitely helped my choreography, because you get
set in ways. You get really set in the things you like. And even
in dance, there are so many different genres. Two years ago we
were working with the Israeli Embassy, and all these Israeli
choreographers, and theres this Israeli form of dance called
Gaga, which is not Lady Gaga. [Laughs.] It was created by this
man, Ohad Naharin, and it was so foreign to me. I hated it. I
didnt want to do it. And now a year later, when Im not really
practicing it as much, Im saying to myself, Wow, that changed
my life. And I didnt even know it while I was doing it. I think
because it was being forced down my throat. And now that its
had some time to resonate, its really changed me. Of course
I was resistant, didnt want to try it, didnt want to do it. But
I wouldnt be the dancer or the choreographer I am today if I
didnt have the cerebral experience with Gaga.
MW: So it sounds like it takes some sort of push to get you to do new
things or see new ways of doing things.
PRIORE: Denitely. I rely heavily on my peers and my family and
my loved ones. I think its just realistic to say that, sometimes it
takes someone else, putting a mirror up or shining a light back at
you to make you see, Okay, I need to do this, I need to try this.
I was really pushed into this show.
It really took both of my bosses here at
CityDance to say, We want to give you
this opportunity. We know that you know
youre ready, but youre scared. Were just
going to push you off the ledge. So thats
kind of what happened. Im so nervous,
but exponentially excited. Its going to be,
hopefully, everything that I wished and
dreamed it would be. But, again, it wouldnt
have happened without this push from
both of my bosses and mentors here at
CityDance. They really just said, This is your year, this is your
shot. And they pushed me to do it.
MW: How do you nd the dance scene in D.C.?
PRIORE: I think theres a huge lack of support in the dance
community here. We have the Washington Ballet, which is
thriving. But there are quite a few really great dancers and dance
companies that are here in D.C. and its really difcult to get an
audience thats going to continue to support and watch art. Its
not as accessible here.
I guess what Id like to see happen is someone really succeed
in contemporary dance in the D.C. area really push the
envelope. I mean thats what it all comes down to for me.
Because D.C. could become a really huge dance city. There are
a lot of artists here who do amazing things, and I dont feel like
theyre getting the amount of exposure they should.
The hard part is sustaining a career based solely in the arts. I
work three jobs. I am a choreographer in residence and an artist
in residence at City Dance, I dance with Company E and I work
at a restaurant, because I want to be able to live. [Laughs.] And
its really difcult to do that here, honestly it is. There are very
few companies that allow you to do that. There are a handful.
But wouldnt it be amazing to have more than a handful? To
have 10? To have 12? To have a city full of thriving art as well
as politics? I just really want to help push us to become an arts
capital, because I think D.C. has all the potential. There are so
many beautiful theaters. There are so many people here that are
just willing to get started and work and make this their home in
dance. Its just really difcult right now because I dont think we
get the right amount of support especially nancially, but just
in general to thrive. Were not getting enough young people
into the audiences, people my age, people early 30s, people late
Just take a couple steps and
YOU JUMP OFF ONE OF THESE
CLIFFS ON THE SEASIDE,
and you just foat, and its crazy.
Im so happy I did it.
30s, enjoying dance as a night
out just as they enjoy going
to a movie or going to see a
show at Arena Stage. We dont
have enough people wanting
to go out just to see a night
of dance. I think its because
we havent found what the
niche is that D.C. wants. And
I think people are afraid to try
because a lot of times people
arent successful.
I can only hope that this
show propels me into a place
where people are going to say,
Oh, I want to see more of
that.
I want to see something
presented downtown in D.C.
I want to do something in a
smaller venue. I want to do
something that is maybe a
show that talks about LGBT-
community issues. There are
endless possibilities, but what
it all comes back to is that
the arts community really
needs to come together and
help each other out to put
D.C. on the map as a dance
headquarters. We denitely
have the talent and we have
the drive and the desire, its just a whole bunch of other things
that are not really allowing that to happen.
MW: The theater scene in D.C. has certainly come into its own. Do
you ever work in theater, choreographing shows and such?
PRIORE: Yeah, when I was in college, I got my Equity Card. I did
an [Actors] Equity [Association] show. I did West Side Story at
the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. But I havent gone back to that.
I think its amazing, I love going to the theater, but its not really
what I want to do. Im really into contemporary dance, and more
that side of dance as opposed to musical theater and theater. Im
not saying I would never go back to it, but right now Im not
driven to make that happen.
MW: Do you think TV talent shows, such as So You Think You Can
Dance, are stirring up more general interest in dance?
PRIORE: Yeah. Shows like So You Think You Can Dance and
Dancing with the Stars theyre not quite what I do, nor do
I really like either show. But its at least making dance more
accessible to the average American. I feel like before it was so
inaccessible, but now at least some people have some interest.
So maybe if they like So You Think You Can Dance, they go see a
contemporary show. They may not love it, but they go, Its kind
of interesting, and they want to see more. And it sparks more
and more and more.
Last year, Kennedy Center did this Nordic Cool festival.
They brought in six companies from the Nordic region and
every show was sold out. I went to every show. Its like, why
cant we get people that excited about people who are living and
breathing in D.C.? Why cant we get them that excited to see
people who are doing the same kind of work here? Thats where
Im at right now.
MW: Theres also the annual VelocityDC Dance Festival, which
seems like another great step
in helping build exposure,
particularly locally.
PRIORE: The Velocity dance
festival is great because it
gives audiences, who maybe
arent familiar with dance, a
chance to see a lot of different
dance thats happening here.
A cool thing about D.C. is how
much cultural dance we have
here. Thats not very common.
I work with a woman [Asanga
Domask] who is one of the
only people left who is still
recreating and working with
Sri Lankan traditional dance.
And its beautiful. And shes
one of the only people in the
world, not just in D.C., doing
that. What other city can say
they have one of the only
interpreters of traditional Sri
Lankan dance?
On top of that, at Velocity
youll have a showing from
the Washington Ballet, which
is always great. And other
bigger companies here, and
then Step Afrika and some of
the hip-hop teams. Theres
a tap company that does it
almost every year, and amenco. So were really rich with talent
here. I just would love to see a stronger community. Maybe its
up to the community of dance to combine more. Maybe part of
it is that everyones afraid to support each other because they
dont want to lose the support that theyre getting. But a lot of
times when you make a collective, when you unite together, you
become stronger as a community.
MW: You mentioned your sister was also a dancer. Did you pick
that up from her?
PRIORE: Yeah, shes four years older than me. Shes a nurse.
Once I started dancing, I kind of zzled her ame, so to speak.
[Laughs.] I really went right into the spotlight, because its
always easier for boys, because there are not as many of us. I was
good, so I think it kind of discouraged her from continuing on.
I think my parents in the past nine years since I went to
college at 18 my parents have maybe missed two shows out
of the hundreds Ive had. With the exception of ones out of the
country, theyve been to almost everything. My sisters probably
been to 75 percent of them.
MW: You talked about trying other sports and activities as a kid.
But still, it sounds like you knew dance was to be your lifelong
pursuit.
PRIORE: I think when I was a little, little kid, I probably dreamed
of being a doctor, then a hairdresser I changed my mind all
the time. But my mom always tells me, when I was like 5 I would
force my sister to learn dance and wear makeup. I remember
it was Macho Man. I had the record of Macho Man by the
Village People. My mom and dad had all these old records and
a record player, and I remember jamming out to the weirdest
songs. Michael Jackson. My mom had a ton of Etta James.
And I didnt even dance then. I started dancing when I was 13
I did gymnastics a year before that. And I
started to really train correctly when I was
18 and in college. I went to an all-boys high
school that surprisingly had a really, really
strong theater program. So I was the featured
dancer in every musical, and I always had the
star dance parts in show choir.
I probably could have done a lot of other
jobs. I loved math, I was always good in
math. I could have gone and probably done
the same thing my dad did (accounting). But
I knew, pretty much the rst year in high
school, I was like, I want to be a dancer. And
Ive never really looked back since then.
MW: Was coming out as easy as that? Or was
that a struggle?
PRIORE: I mean its not one of those things
where Ive ever really had to have that
conversation with my parents. Theyve
always just been very supportive. I remember
in high school, my mom was like, If you ever
want to talk. I was like, Mom, stop. It
just kind of goes unspoken. My grandparents,
we probably kind of sugarcoat it for them
because I only have two left. Ive never really had to feel like I
couldnt be myself. Ive been very fortunate. So for me that was
easy.
I never had to have that Im gay conversation, because I
feel like it was just always assumed. I dont know how to say this
without sounding conceited, but Ive always just been like the
little star of the family. Everyone just kind of loved me because
I was fun and crazy and they didnt really care what was going
on with me. They just loved me. You know, I dont keep my
personal love life from my family, in the sense that theyve all
met my boyfriend, they all love him. But its not something that
whether its my parents or my friends I do try to keep that
really to myself.
MW: How long have you been with your boyfriend?
PRIORE: Ive been with Vinh a year and a half.
MW: Do you want to have kids?
PRIORE: Eventually. [Laughs.] But theyre expensive. And at this
point in my life I cant even afford my own life, let alone a child.
But, yeah, Ive always had the paternal gene. But I dont know
when. Probably not for a while. If this is my career just starting
at 27, really taking off the ground, I need at least a solid ve or six
years to really make it work before I can concentrate on anything
other than myself and my work.
MW: Living in D.C. has certainly gotten more expensive in recent
years, for sure.
PRIORE: Well, luckily, I won the housing lottery. I just moved into
City Center. Im of low income, so I live in the building [but] pay
much less than the people who live there and pay market rate. I
was really fortunate to have won that lottery.
MW: Is there an LGBT angle to the show coming up?
PRIORE: Not this show in particular. Some people might look at
the show and say, Oh, well, there are LGBT topics touched on.
The whole mission statement to my work is played off of human
touch, and I love to create partnering. A lot of my work isnt just
one person dancing. Ill have one or two solos in a show. But a lot
of times its two females partnering or two men partnering, and
it gets very intimate. Dance is one of those things that is what
you make of it.
MW: When did you realize that was your mission, human touch?
PRIORE: It goes back to my control issue.
[Laughs.] Im kind of a stocky guy. Im not
very tall. Im 57. Im not the skinniest person.
My friends all say I have body dysmorphia.
As a dancer, I was relied on more as the
go-to guy to partner. Especially in Company
E, Im always, to put it lightly, throwing
bitches. [Laughs.] Picking up and throwing
them around. I really love it. I love to know
that Im making someone else do something
because of my strength and my body.
When I started to really get in touch
with my choreographer side in college
my rst piece I ever did in college was
called Positive, and it was about HIV/AIDS
awareness It was all partnering based
on some vague innuendos. Oh, the touch
could be the transmission. When the show
happened, people were crying, the audience
was on their feet. My mom lost her shit
because she was like, Ive never seen a
crowd react that way, and I cant believe
that my son created this. So that right
there, I said, Okay, I got to keep going with
this. Because the piece was almost all partnering. There was a
lot of human touch involved because, again, there were some
underlying messages there, but nothing too literal. And then
from that point forward Im like, well, this is something Im
clearly good at.
I also think its because Im a big cuddler. Im just kidding.
[Laughs.] But, no, Im a person who needs affection. I think that
is another big reason as to why I go with so much contact in my
work. I mean theres a whole bunch of subliminal things that
come through in your choreography that a lot of choreographers
dont ever care to admit or explain or wonder why, but Ive had
a lot of time to reect on why I like partnering. I think a lot of it
just comes down to the type of person that I am.
MW: So youre a social person. Do you consider yourself an
extrovert?
PRIORE: I actually think Im an introverted extrovert. It depends.
If theres a situation where I feel really comfortable, I probably
will be the most annoying, talkative person you could meet. But a
lot of times, especially if Im in a surrounding with people I dont
know or if Im feeling self-conscious about what I look like I
can be very, very shy. Especially when Im rst meeting people.
But I denitely like to go out. I love to be merry. I like to be with
friends. I like to be surrounded by people. Im very social.
MW: Early on in the conversation you mentioned that you dont eat
seafood. Is that because you just dont like it, or is there more to it?
PRIORE: I think I was scarred as a child. My family is all Italian,
so we just do this thing on Christmas Eve where they would
make like 12 different kinds of sh. And I just hate sh. So
they wouldnt make extra soup for me. I would just have plain
noodles and bread. I was also a really picky eater as a child.
Now, Ill have shrimp every once in a while. B Too is a Belgian
restaurant so we have mussels. I dont like them they taste
good, but thats not my cup of tea. Id just rather eat a piece of
chicken. Its not a dietary thing. I just cant do it.
Robert J. Priores Emergence is Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m.,
and Sunday, Jan. 19, at 4 p.m., at CityDance Studio Theater at
Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are
$25. Call 301-581-5100 or visit citydance.net. l
It wouldnt
have happened
without this push
from both of
my bosses and
mentors here at
CityDance.
They really
just said,
THIS IS
YOUR YEAR,
THIS IS
YOUR SHOT.
JANUARY 9 - 16, 2014
SPOTLIGHT
GORDON BINDER: FIGURES AND VISTAS
Gallery Plan B features paintings and drawings
from Dupont Circle-based gay artist Gordon Binder,
whose urban-themed artwork reects his training as
an architect and planner. Often based on drawings
done onsite, with some shaped by imagination,
Binders paintings offer up a rich play of shapes
and contours, textures and colors, rhythms and
contrasts. Opens Friday, Jan. 10. Opening reception
is Saturday, Jan. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. Exhibition runs
through Feb. 16. Gallery Plan B, 1530 14th St. NW.
Call 202-234-2711 or visit galleryplanb.com.
Visage
Compiled by Doug Rule
J
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EARLY EVERYONE WHOS BECOME ANY-
ONE off of the Logo show RuPauls Drag Race
will appear at the 9:30 Club next Tuesday, Jan.
14, for RuPauls Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons. Sharon
Needles, Ivy Winters, Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx, Alas-
ka Thunderfuck, Carmen Carrera, Mimi Imfurst, Phi Phi
OHara. Who are we missing?
Well, plenty of course. Needles, from season four, is the
only actual winner represented from the rst ve seasons.
Hosting the touring live show is Michelle Visage, who
has been RuPauls right-hand woman for nearly two
decades now, starting as a co-host of the drag queens
eponymous VH1 talk show and also assisting with
RuPauls morning New York radio show, both
from the 90s.
For me, its all about the bravery that
these boys go through on a daily basis, Vis-
age told Metro Weekly last year. From the
rst moment I saw a drag queen when I
moved to New York City when I was 17, it was
all about admiration. I have the utmost respect
for these people and what they go through, every
day, and their transformation. Doug Rule
RuPauls Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons is Tuesday,
Jan. 14, at the Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are
$30. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com. Also visit 930.com/
friends to sign up for the clubs Friends With Benets rewards
program offering exclusive deals and
discounts on tickets, drinks and merchandise. l
LIVING ARTFULLY: AT HOME WITH MARJORIE
MERRIWEATHER POST
Living Artfully transports visitors to Marjorie
Posts grand estates of the 1950s and 1960s through
multimedia presentations, audio tours, jewelry and
apparel displays, and decorative art and furniture
collections. Closes this Sunday, Jan. 12. Hillwood
Museum, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $15.
Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.
ONE MAN LORD OF THE RINGS
Yes, for this one-man show, which played for a
run four years ago at Woolly Mammoth, Charles
Ross spends just more than an hour playing every
character and teasing a surprising amount of the
music from the Peter Jackson lm trilogy. He only
stops periodically to grab a drink of water and joke
about the fact that doing the show might kill him.
Ross sprinkles his show with enough pop culture
references and side-jokes to keep the non-comic-con
crowd entertained, but this ones really for the Rings
fanatic. Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere,
3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are
$35. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.
SPEAKEASYDCS TOP SHELF
Now in its second year at the 9:30 Club, Top Shelf
is the annual best-of showcase featuring the most
popular tales told over the past year at this hit
storytelling organizations many events at venues
around town. Unlike other storytelling organizations,
SpeakEasyDC is focused on congenial camaraderie
not competition no judged Story Slams here. Top
Shelf is a curated group of eight storytellers. Friday,
Jan. 10. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St.
NW. Tickets are $22. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.
com and speakeasydc.com.
DRAG PARADE
Stars from RuPauls Drag Race to sashay
at the 9:30 Club
30
PHILOMENA
HHHHH
Philomena deserves all kinds of applause for its
messages about faith, resilience and forgiveness. The
subtext of this movie concerns itself with a simple,
difcult question: How, if at all, does religious
conviction help the people wronged by a religious
institution? The answer, of course, is better seen
than explained. Judi Dench stars in the title role,
once again turning in a splendid performance at
the twilight of a career thats been full of them.
Across from Dench is comic actor Steve Coogan,
who co-wrote and produced Philomena. This is
Coogans most understated performance to date,
and to his credit he slips into the modest role with
few noticeable difculties. What sours Philomena,
regrettably, is its unsure direction by Stephen Frears.
Philomena leans into the maudlin as it concludes,
undermining what had been, up to a point, a lovingly
executed, unpretentious drama. Its not enough to
spoil the movie, thankfully, but just enough to make
you wonder if Frears lost his nerve. Now playing.
Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Chris Heller)
SAVING MR. BANKS
HHHHH
This is the tale of how the great Walt Disney (a
warm, buoyant Tom Hanks), after an arduous
20-year wooing process, nally wrested the rights
to Mary Poppins from the overprotective clutches
of its author, P.L. Travers. If that doesnt sound
utterly fascinating to you, you might want to give
Saving Mr. Banks a pass and instead revisit the 1964
classic, now out in a 50th Anniversary edition on
Blu-ray. The movie is an occasionally illuminating
microcosm of the struggle that went into overcoming
the protestations of the extremely inexible Travers.
Its a good thing Disney quietly disregarded much
of the authors wishes, or the resulting product
might have been a rather glum affair indeed. There
are some lovely performances throughout, but the
lm belongs to the wondrous Emma Thompson
as Travers, allowing the authors brittle exterior
to eventually crack, revealing deep sorrow and
vulnerability. Much like Travers dominated Walt
Disney and his writers, Thompson dominates every
moment shes on screen. Shes the reason to see it.
Stay through the end credits for a glimpse of the
real Travers. Rated PG-13. Area theaters. (Randy
Shulman)
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG
HHHHH
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is about an
egomaniacal monster, hell-bent on hoarding his
treasures above all else. He surrounds himself with a
mountain of riches, all the more to remind the world
of his irrefutable supremacy. He boasts at length
about his own greatness. Hes smitten by his own
triumphs. This monster is Peter Jackson, and he is
worse than any dragon that ever roamed Middle
Earth. The Desolation of Smaug is an oppressive,
never-ending sort of punishment for anybody bold
enough to believe J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit could
be split into three movies. (I should know. I once
believed it, too.) How can the director who made The
Lord of the Rings series be responsible for such a
terrible movie? It bafes the mind. Now playing.
Area theaters. Visit fandango.com. (Chris Heller)
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Landmarks E Street Cinema screens the biggest
cult classic of them all once a month as part of
its regular midnight screenings of classics. The
screening comes with a live cast, meaning its even
more interactive than usual. Friday, Jan. 10, and
Saturday, Jan. 11, at midnight. Landmarks E Street
Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit
landmarktheatres.com.
SKATETOWN, U.S.A.
The Washington Psychotronic Film Society,
dedicated to independent, experimental, low-
budget, off-the-beaten-path lmmaking, presents
a weekly Monday night screening series, hosted
by The Incorrigible Dr. Schlock. Next up is the
forgotten lm in which the late Patrick Swayze
made his cinematic debut, William A. Leveys 1979
Skatetown. Billed as The Rock and Roller Disco
Movie of the Year! Skatetown predated Xanadu by
a year and also starred others you may remember
and wish you could forget from the 70s, including
Maureen Marcia Marcia Marcia McCormick, Scott
Baio, Flip Wilson and Ron Palillo. You have to
believe, to paraphrase a misappropriated song lyric
from the era, this is tragic. Monday, Jan. 13, at
8 p.m. McFaddens, 2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
Screenings are free but donations of $5 or more are
suggested. Call 202-462-3356 or visit wpfs.org.
TEMPTATION PARTY AT HOWARD THEATRE
Kurt Graves, aka DJ TWiN, offers another edition
of his gay dance party at the refurbished Howard
Theatre he calls TempTation obviously he has
a little thing for offbeat capitalization. This time
around the theme is Double Trouble, playing off
the fact that Graves became known as Twin when
he and his brother went to Howard University.
Naturally, patrons are encouraged to come in pairs
and dress alike, which shouldnt be too hard to pull
off. Up-and-coming local DJ Mike Reimer offers an
opening set. Friday, Jan. 10, at 11 p.m., at the Howard
Theatre, 620 T St. NW. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-
588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.
THE INSERIES: LA VIE EN ROSE
For its latest cabaret-style show, one focused on
French chansons and art songs by the varied likes
of Berlioz, Brel, Debussy and Piaf, the InSeries
collaborated with dancers from the Washington
Ballets Studio Company, even tapping the companys
leader Septime Webre to co-choreograph and
co-direct the proceedings with David Palmer. Byron
Jones and Fleta Hylton are just two performers to be
featured, accompanied by Frank Conlon and Carla
Hubner. Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8
p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 19, at 3 p.m. GALA Theatre
at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $40.
Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org.
FILM
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts team up in this
adaptation of Tracy Lettss Pulitzer-winning play
about the conicts sparked within an Oklahoma
family after its alcoholic patriarch disappears. Letts
wrote the screenplay for this version, so expect the
story to be as deliciously dark as it was onstage.
Ewan McGregor, Margo Martindale and Juliette
Lewis co-star. Opens Friday, Jan. 10. Area theaters.
Visit fandango.com.
KING: A FILMED RECORD
MONTGOMERY TO MEMPHIS
The American Film Institutes Silver Theatre
celebrates MLK Day by screening a free documentary
featuring footage of the civil rights legend. King: A
Filmed RecordMontgomery to Memphis includes
his stirring I Have A Dream speech at the
Lincoln Memorial, and also features narration and
commentary from Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones,
Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Harry Belafonte and
Ruby Dee, among others. Sidney Lumet and Joseph L.
Mankiewicz co-directed and produced this 1970 lm.
Monday, Jan. 20, at 11:30 a.m. AFI Silver Theatre,
8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are free.
Call 301-495-6720 or visit a.com/Silver.
STAGE
BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY
The American Century Theater offers a stage
version, dating to 1992, of a baseball tale best known
from the screen either through the live TV version
starring a young Paul Newman in 1956 or the 1973
lm version that was Robert De Niros rst major
movie role. The story is about the terminal illness of
a star player and a strong bond that forms between
teammates. Ellen Dempsey directs the show starring
TACT regulars Evan Crump and Richie Montgomery
as part of a large ensemble cast. Opens Friday, Jan.
10, at 8 p.m. To Feb. 1. Gunston Theater Two, 2700
South Lang St., Arlington. Tickets are $32 to $40.
Call 703-998-4555 or visit americancentury.org.
EDGAR AND ANNABEL
Holly Twyford directs an experimental 2nd Stage
production at Studio Theatre of this bracing thriller
in which a woman comes home to nd that the
government has replaced her husband with a new
man. Emily Kester, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh and Lisa
Hodsoll lead a seven-person cast of this play by Sam
Holcroft, whom British newspaper The Independent
has called one of Britains most promising young
playwrights. Closes this Sunday, Jan. 12. Studio
Theatres 2nd Stage, 1501 14th St. NW. Call 202-332-
3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.
FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL
A steel mill welder dreams of becoming a
professional dancer talk about a maniac. Yes, 30
years after the bad movie phenomenon, Flashdance
is now a musical, staged at the august Kennedy
Center no less. In addition to the hit songs from the
movie, Robbie Roth wrote new music and co-wrote
lyrics with Robert Cary, who also co-wrote the
book with the original screenplays co-writer Tom
Hedley. Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis)
directs and choreographs the touring production.
To Jan. 19. Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.
Tickets are $45 to $150. Call 202-342-6221 or visit
thewashingtonchorus.org.
GYPSY
HHHHH
The quintessential American musical, Arthur
Laurents-Jule Stynes Gypsy is chiey inspired by
the life of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, with a
special focus on her overbearing mother, Mama
Rose, who pushed her two daughters June and
Louise to be the stars she never was. For the role
of domineering Rose in Signature Theatres new
production of the classic, director Joe Calarco
tapped Sherri L. Edelen, who remains the companys
greatest performing arsenal. Edelen, really and truly,
puts her own stamp on the role. Its hard to nd
aws in this musical, which offers something for
everyone from silly and sexy entertainment to
a touching family drama. Certainly Signature has
done everything right here, from James Kronzers
adaptable stage to Frank Labovitzs all-over-the-map
costumes to Karma Camps showy choreography.
And through it all Jon Kalbeisch leads a 10-piece
Signature orchestra, which at times sounds twice its
size swinging through Stynes sharp, brassy score.
To Jan. 26. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave.,
Arlington. Tickets are $47 to $80. Call 703-820-9771
or visit signature-theatre.org. (Doug Rule)
MEENAS DREAM
Forum Theatre presents the world premiere of Anu
Yadavs fantastical play about a young Hindu girl
whose dreams may just save the world. Yadav shape-
shifts between characters performing this show,
which also features live music ranging from South
Indian classical to indie folk. Now to Jan. 18. Round
31
House Theatre Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets are $20.
Call 240-644-1100 or visit forum-theatre.com.
MORMON BOY TRILOGY
The LGBT-focused theater company Richmond Triangle Players presents a pre-
New York run of plays in repertory written and performed by Mormon-reared
gay playwright Steven Fales. The three plays Confessions of a Mormon Boy,
Missionary Position and Prodigal Dad are presented as part of the Richmond-
wide The Acts of Faith Festival, putting spirituality onstage. Fales also performs
Mormon American Princess: A Cabaret on Monday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m., for
$20. Opens Thursday, Jan. 16, at 8 p.m. To Feb. 9. Richmond Triangle Players,
1300 Altamont Ave., Richmond. Tickets are $30 each, or $60 for all three plays
performed in a marathon every Saturday. Call 804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.
OUR SUBURB
Billed as a whimsical, innovative update of the American classic Our Town,
Theater J presents this world premiere directed by Tony Award-winning actress
Judith Ivey and featuring a cast including Joshua Dick, Jim Jorgensen, Barbara
Rappaport and Michael Willis. The setting is suburban Illinois in 1977, as the
Nazis improbably prepare to march on Skokie and an interfaith romance blossoms
during Christmas and Hanukkah. Closes this Sunday, Jan. 12. The Aaron & Cecile
Goldman Theater, Washington, D.C.s Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St.
NW. Tickets are $30 to $55. Call 202-518-9400 or visit washingtonddjcc.org.
THE KING AND I
Mark Waldrop directs this classic musical about a despotic king, played by Paolo
Montalban, who learns the meaning of love through his childrens tutor Anna,
played by Eileen Ward. And whats not to love about this great Rodgers and
Hammerstein musical featuring classics including Shall We Dance? and Getting
to Know You? Closes Sunday, Jan. 12. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy
Spring Road, Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org.
MUSIC
ATLANTIC BRASS QUINTET
As part of its Discovery Series, Wolf Trap presents the resident brass quintet
of Boston University and the Boston Conservatory, considered one of the
32
MIXTAPE
A week before the 9:30 Club becomes the dance
home to leather daddies and dandies for two nights in
a row, the storied nightclub welcomes, surprisingly
for the rst time, Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer
to spin their popular roving-venue Mixtape party
of electro, alt-dance and indie-rock. Saturday, Jan.
11. Doors at 11 p.m. Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW.
Tickets are $12. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com
and mixtapedc.com.
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Sir Mark Elder conducts the NSO in a program
of Liszts Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring Stephen
Hough, plus R. Strausss Don Quixote showcasing
NSO principals cellist David Hardy and viola player
Daniel Foster. Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m.; and
Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m.
Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $10 to
$85. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
DANCE
JANE FRANKLIN DANCE
The Trickster is a multidisciplinary work from the
Jane Franklin Dance company in collaboration
with Helen Hayes Award-winning theatrical
percussionist Tom Teasley. Saturday, Jan. 18 and 25,
at 7 p.m. Theatre on the Run, 3700 South Four Mile
Run Drive, Arlington. Tickets are $20. Call 703-933-
1111 or visit janefranklin.com.
COMEDY
PAUL MOONEY
Paul Mooney got his start in comedy as a writer
for Richard Pryor and went on to write for Redd
Foxxs Sanford and Son, Good Times and In Living
Color he created the character Homey D. Clown.
Ultimately, though, hes probably best remembered
for his work writing and acting on Chappelles Show.
Who could forget his sketches as Negrodamus?
Certainly Wayne Brady cant. Saturday, Jan. 18,
at 7:30 p.m. The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW.
Tickets are $37.50 in advance or $42 day of. Call 202-
588-5595 or visit thehowardtheatre.com.
ROB SCHNEIDER
The former Saturday Night Live comic and Deuce
Bigalow star recently returned to standup comedy
after a nearly 20-year break. Thursday, Jan. 9,
through Sunday, Jan. 12, at 8 p.m. Also Friday, Jan.
10, and Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10:30 p.m. DC Improv,
1140 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $35. Call
202-296-7008 or visit dcimprov.com.
GALLERIES
CREATING THE IDEAL HOME, 1800-1939
Housed in the same building as Constitution Hall, the
D.A.R. Museum offers a new exhibit exploring the
evolution of household comfort and conveniences,
and how American inventors patented all sorts of
laborsaving and leisure-providing home devices,
from the vacuum and the washing machine to the
telephone and television. Through Aug. 30. D.A.R.
Museum, 1776 D St. NW. Admission is free. Call 202-
879-3241 or visit dar.org/museum.
HUMAN, SOUL & MACHINE:
THE COMING SINGULARITY!
Baltimores American Visionary Art Museum opens
its 19th original thematic yearlong exhibition this
weekend. Human, Soul & Machine is a playful
examination of the serious impact of technology on
worlds nest brass ensembles and one committed
to advancing the next generation of brass musicians.
Friday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. The Barns at Wolf Trap,
1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $35. Call
877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.
AYREHEART
Ronn McFarlane started this quartet as part of his
desire to write new music for and increase familiarity
of the lute, the most popular instrument of the
Renaissance. Will Morris, Brian Kay and Mattias
Rucht join McFarlane in his effort. Saturday, Jan. 11,
at 8 p.m. Corner Store Arts, 900 South Carolina Ave.
SE. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 walk-in. Call
202-544-5807 or visit cornerstorearts.org.
CHRISTIE DASHIELL
As seen on TV! This local jazz vocalist was a nalist
on NBCs The Sing-Off as a member of the a cappella
ensemble group Afro Blue Vocal Band. Now Christie
Dashiell kicks off a new season of artist-in-residence
concerts at Strathmore singing jazz favorites old
and new and her second of two shows this month
features a Strathmore-commissioned work.
Wednesday, Jan. 15, and Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 7:30
p.m. Mansion at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,
North Bethesda. Tickets are $17. Call 301-581-5100
or visit strathmore.org.
DAVID GREILSAMMER
Pianist David Greilsammer plays two pianos a
standard A-440 concert grand and a prepared piano
at this concert presented by the Washington
Performing Arts Society at the Kennedy Center.
Greilsammer will mix pieces by Scarlatti and Cage
hence the prepared piano to connect these
composers from very different eras. Saturday, Jan.
11, at 2 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.
Tickets are $35. Call 202-342-6221 or visit wpas.org
or kennedy-center.org.
DEPECHE MODE DANCE PARTY
Electro-pop songs of faith and devotion, for the
faithful and devoted fans of Dave Gahan, Martin
Gore and Andy Fletcher, as spun by local DJs Steve
EP, Missguided, Killa K and Krasty McNasty. Talk
about a black celebration. Friday, Jan. 10. Doors
at 9:30 p.m. Black Cat Mainstage, 1811 14th St.
NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-667-4490 or visit
blackcatdc.com.
FOLGER CONSORT
Brave New World: Music of the Tempest
explores and celebrates the musical interpretations
of Shakespeares The Tempest featuring Matthew
Locks 1674 incidental music for orchestra and
voices, and a 2000 piece by American composer
James Primosch. This Folger Consort program
features soprano Rosa Lamoreaux, baritone William
Sharp, the baroque orchestra Tempesta di Mare and
percussionist Danny Villanueva. Friday, Jan. 10, and
Saturday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. Washington National
Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues
NW. Tickets are $30 to $50. Call 202-537-2228 or
visit folger.edu or nationalcathedral.org.
MEKLIT HADERO
A unique blend of jazz, Ethiopia, the San Francisco
art scene and visceral poetry is how the NPR
program Tell Me More described the jazzy/soul sound
of Meklit Hadero, something of a cross between Joni
Mitchell and Nina Simone. Hadero, born in Ethiopia
and raised in the U.S., is a TED Global Fellow and
founder of an Ethiopian diaspora group Arba Minch
Collective. Saturday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m. Artisphere, 1101
Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Tickets are $18. Call 703-875-
1100 or visit artisphere.com.
our lives, as seen through the eyes of more than 40
artists, futurists and inventors in a hot-wired blend
of art, science, humor and imagination. Through
August 2014. American Visionary Art Museum, 800
Key Highway, Baltimore. Call 410-244-1900 or visit
avam.org.
JESSICA CEBRA: CAVE
Transformer offers this D.C.-based artist her rst
solo exhibition, transforming the gallery space into
a fantastical constructed cave with imagery drawn
from the artists personal museum souvenir postcard
collection. Fascinated by how history and collective
memory are shaped by the ways we collect, preserve
and present cultural artifacts, Cebra explores notions
of impermanence, growth and decay. Through Jan.
25. Transformer, 1404 P St. NW. Call 202-483-1102
or visit transformerdc.org.
JOHN F. SIMON JR.:
POINTS, LINES AND COLORS IN SUCCESSION
As part of its Intersections series, the Phillips
Collection presents in its house stairwell John
F. Simon Jr.s four-part installation, which
incorporates drawing, software and computer-
generated fabrication, all inspired by the progression
of movement in the natural world. Through Feb.
9. The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW.
Tickets are $12. Call 202-387-2151, ext. 247, or visit
phillipscollection.org.
OVERDRIVE:
L.A. CONSTRUCTS THE FUTURE, 1940-1990
Organized by L.A.s J. Paul Getty Museum, this
exhibition traces the citys transformation into
an internationally recognized destination with its
own design vocabulary, canonized landmarks and
coveted way of life. Through March 10. National
Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $8. Call
202-272-2448 or visit nbm.org.
BLACK CATS MIDDLE EARTH MONDAYS
Long known for free weekly boozy screenings of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Black Cat now, in
addition to Battlestar Galactica and Dr. Who, offers
a series in ode to Peter Jackson, screening one of his
lms each Monday night through January, ending
in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Next up:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The 14th
Street venue offers the screening in its downstairs
Backstage space, complete with drink specials.
Costumes encouraged. Monday, Jan. 13. Doors at 8
p.m. Black Cat Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. Free.
Call 202-667-4490 or visit blackcatdc.com.
THE WASHINGTON ANTIQUES SHOW
Southern Celebrations: Traditions Handed Down
is the theme of this years annual antiques and ne
arts show featuring 45 premier dealers from the
United States and Europe offering a wide range
of period furnishings and decorative arts, jewelry,
porcelains, ceramics and silver. The event also
includes guided walks and dealer talks and special
events, including a Friday, Jan. 10, luncheon lecture
featuring the Lee Bros., authors of the Boiled Peanuts
Catalogue, and a Saturday, Jan. 11, lecture by Julia
Reed, author of Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and
Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life.
Thursday, Jan. 9, through Saturday, Jan. 11. The
Katzen Arts Center at American University, 4400
Massachusetts Ave. NW. General admission is $20,
special events extra. Call 202-248-7159 or visit
washingtonwintershow.org. l
FOR MORE OUT ON THE TOWN LISTINGS
PLEASE VISIT
WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM
A
MERICAN HUSTLE IS
of and about bullshit.
Director David O.
Russell soaks in it,
drenching his movie with scams
so shrewd its tough to tell the
suckers from the schemers. Is
the maa getting conned? The
feds? The crooked politicians? Or,
maybe, does Russell pull a fast
one on us?
I say its all of the above. This is
a movie about American dreams,
greased with egoism and fraud
and deception. Its not the char-
acters or the story, either. The
rst frame shown on screen is
simple, white text against a black
background: Some of this actu-
ally happened.
In other words: Do not trust
what you see. We will lie to you.
We rst meet Irving Rosenfeld
(Christian Bale), a small-time con
artist, as he prepares an elabo-
rate comb-over in front of a hotel-
room mirror. Even his hair is not
to be believed, it seems. Irving
and his girlfriend, Sydney (Amy
Adams), are forced accomplices to
a sting operation, led by an arro-
gant FBI agent named Richie Di
Maso (Bradley Cooper). Di Maso
caught the pair pulling loan rip-
offs, so he cuts a deal with them:
If they help him catch criminals,
they stay out of prison. The plot,
loosely based on the Abscam scan-
dal of the late 1970s, eventually
balloons to ensnare Irvings wife,
Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), as
well as mayors and congressmen
and maoso and Irvings stuck
in the middle of the whole mess.
This is the sort of movie where
details matter, so I wont reveal
much more. Just know that Ameri-
can Hustle boasts one of the best
acting ensembles you will ever
see on screen. Bale sheds the self-
serious style that has dened his
career, chewing scenery with deli-
cious air. Adams is sly and lewd
and downright hypnotic, while
Cooper handles his own with a
goofy sort of swagger. The true
star, though, is Jennifer Lawrence.
The 23-year-old is all but guaran-
teed another Oscar for this perfor-
mance. Theres no doubt about it
now: Lawrence is a force of nature.
American Hustle is what hap-
CHRIS HELLER
pens when a great director, work-
ing with great actors, tells a story
laced with self-aware themes and
messages. If we need reinvention
to survive, Russell suggests, isnt
deception needed too? Neces-
sity is truly the mother of inven-
tion, Irving says in the middle of
the hustle. Hes half-right. In the
world of American Hustle, deceit
abides because it is a necessity.
If American Hustle doesnt
pick you up from your post-
holiday malaise Did you see
how cold its supposed to be
this month? theres always
The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin
Scorseses three-hour biography
of Jordan Belfort, a penny-stock-
trading drug addict who made
millions of dollars scamming
Wall Street in the 1990s.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as
Belfort, and hes a terrifying joy
to behold. The Wolf of Wall Street
is easily his most debauched and
unhinged performance to date.
This movie appears to have nearly
no self-control. Despite its inter-
minable three-hour running time,
it never stops sprinting. There are
drugs, and booze, and sex, and
more drugs, stacked one on top
of the other again and again until
its difcult to remember whats
seen and whats imagined. Did
DiCaprio really just blow cocaine
into a prostitutes ass? How can a
human body withstand that many
Quaaludes before it collapses
into a heap? What kind of person
chooses to live like this?
The Wolf of Wall Street is like
Scorseses Goodfellas, except lon-
ger and sloppier. Hes interested in
the same things money, power
and societys frustrating inability
to punish those who accumulate
them illegally but this time he
uses humor, instead of horror, to
make his points. Enter Jonah Hill,
who does a remarkable job play-
ing Donnie Azoff, Belforts oash-
looking second-in-command. Hill
adds humor to ever scene hes
in including a very, very funny
choking hazard while cajoling
DiCaprio to embrace his more
absurd instincts. Together, they
FILM
Hustle and Wolf both pair great directors and Oscar-worthy acting with
captivating stories of greed and grit
1970s swagger: American Hustle
AMERICAN
HUSTLE
HHHHH
Starring
Christian Bale,
Amy Adams,
Jennifer Lawrence,
Bradley Cooper
Rated R
138 minutes
Now playing
Area theaters
THE WOLF OF
WALL STREET
HHHHH
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Jonah Hill,
Margot Robbie
Rated R
180 minutes
Now playing
Area theaters
33
All About the Money
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HERES ALWAYS ONE MAJOR CONUNDRUM WITH ANY NEW CONSOLE
launch: What games do you get? As the second wave of PS4 stock hits retail-
ers, many people will be facing this question just now as they stare at games on
store shelves. In the case of the PS4, though, its a fairly easy choice the gam-
ing giant brought relatively few titles to its own console at launch, so third-party games are
the way to go for most. If youve already shot through Battleeld and scoured every beach
in Assassins Creed, though, and are taking a look at the rst-party offerings for Sonys
console, let us help you with a quick review of four of the biggest titles.
KILLZONE SHADOW FALL
The fourth title in Guerillas rst-person shooter franchise brings a lot of changes in its
leap to the PS4. Gone are the dark locales and gloomy settings of yore. Out go the dense,
deliberate controls. And wave farewell to the series focus on war with antagonists the
Helghast a very obvious nod to the Nazis, red banners and all. Instead, inspiration has
been drawn from Call of Duty, Halo and the Cold War. This time the action takes place on
planet Vekta, which has taken in Helghan refugees, splitting the planet into two factions.
Think USSR v. the West and you can see where theyre going with this.
Its a fast-paced, tight-knit campaign, which takes place across various beautiful locales
a lush jungle, shining cities and an abandoned space station are just a few of the areas
youll gun your way through, and Killzone is denitely going to be the game you use to
show off your PS4. Sadly, Killzones seemingly trademark script deciencies are here, but
theyre countered by the stunning graphics and booming, rich sound on offer. Personally,
I missed the slow, heavy feel of prior games, but the lightened controls certainly allow for
some exciting skirmishes, and they make multiplayer which is thoroughly excellent
much easier.
Add in some great, PS4-unique ourishes like interacting with your attack drone
through the touchpad, or the controllers light ashing red when you get shot (mine
ashed often), and some fresh additions to combat, and Shadow Fall looks set to help Kill-
zone stay relevant into the next generation.
RHUARIDH MARR
KNACK
Oh, Knack. Not for a long time has
a game made me so utterly, com-
pletely livid while playing. Often,
Id nd myself clenching my sts,
punching pillows, shouting exple-
tives and plotting the grisly mur-
der of Mark Cerny, Knacks writer
and director who also happens
to be lead architect for the PS4. I
played Knack for about 12 hours,
completing it on Normal difcul-
ty, and I spent most of that time in
a blind rage.
Knack gets a lot right. It looks
great, theres some fantastic art
design and many levels showcase
great textures and particle effects.
Our hero, Knack, is an intrigu-
ing concept an entity who can
expand and contract by absorb-
ing relics or other dense mate-
rial into his body, changing his
strength, attacks and interaction
with the world. The story has
laughably clunky dialogue, but
it held my interest throughout,
and the sound from enemies
grunting as I slugged them, to
the controllers speaker tinkling
as I absorbed sunstones helped
elevate the experience.
None of this matters, however,
because Knack features some of
the most punishing, unfair, obtuse
level and AI design Ive ever wit-
nessed in a game. On Normal,
which is suitable for most gamers,
I died constantly. Knacks awful
checkpointing system meant
every time I did, I had to play
through several sections of a level,
trudging through numerous ene-
mies, retreading my steps only to
die and be thrown right back to
the start again.
Knack in his smallest state
is infuriatingly weak, and many
areas force you into this state,
though often these parts felt like
ller to pad out levels. As you
absorb relics and increase in size,
Knacks frustrating, repetitive yet
simple, combat becomes easier,
but inevitably, just as you become
accustomed to life as a powerful
giant, youre snapped right back
to weak-ass Knack. Whoever
thought that going from stomping
around a city, crushing tanks, to
GAMEFACE
Now that youre shopping for your new PS4, check out some titles that
range from addictive apocalypse to cartoon cute
Killzone
Fun Foursome
+t

u
t u
Knack
Doki Doki Universe
Resogun
being so small an oversized insect can kill
you would be fun needs to be removed
from the gaming industry. Cerny and
company have included collectibles in
levels to enhance replayability. No thanks,
Mark. Once was more than enough.
DOKI DOKI UNIVERSE
If youve ever wondered what a childs
drawing would look like were it to come
to life, look no further than Doki Doki
Universe. Bursting with fun, imagination,
buckets of cuteness and an overall feeling
of fuzzy warmth, Doki Doki Universe is a
game that will simply make you smile. I
fell more than a little in love with it.
The game follows robot QT3, aban-
doned on an asteroid by his human fam-
ily with only a balloon for company.
QT3 is informed hes to be scrapped,
unless he can discover his own human-
ity. What follows is an utterly charm-
ing journey of introspection, as QT3
journeys to various worlds and tries to
help those in need. If youve ever played
Scribblenaughts, youll be at home here.
QT3 speaks to characters, ascertains
their problems and what they need, and
then summons objects to satisfy them.
Conversations are humorous, character
designs are delightful, and the whole
game feels unique even with many
standard gaming conventions on show.
QT3 interacts with a therapist, who
will determine if he gains sufcient
understanding of humanity. Players can
complete mini quizzes, which will build
a personality prole of the player, which
in turn then impacts the game world. Its
a neat touch, and it was quite something
having such a cute game get so deep into
my psyche. Whats less neat is Dokis in-
your-face DLC y between worlds and
youll spot locked planets and asteroids
that you need to purchase in order to
visit. It ruins the immersion. Similarly,
gameplay can get repetitive when every
task follows a similar format. However,
as I ew between planets on my trusty
steed which was, at various points, a
pig with a crash helmet, a block of Swiss
cheese and a happy poo I couldnt help
but be sucked into Dokis sweet, cartoon-
ish, delightful world.
RESOGUN
If youre looking for a hardcore, time-
wasting, life-consuming, pick-up-and-
play game, this is it. I started Resogun, a
twin-analogue stick side-scrolling shoot-
er, to see what it was like and, before
I realized it, several hours had passed.
Drawing from classics like Defender and
much-loved PS3 stick-shooter Super Star-
dust HD, its frantic, fast-paced game-
play follows a small spaceship trying to
evacuate the last human survivors from
doomed colonies, collecting them as hun-
dreds of alien craft try to blast the humans
and their tiny rescue ship.
The devil in Resogun really is in the
detail, and its packed with thousands of
details. Particle effects, lighting, strob-
ing, explosions, gunre, visual and audi-
36
L
OSE WEIGHT. SAVE MONEY. THESE ARE THE MOST POPULAR NEW
Years resolutions. And, amusingly enough, a gym membership doesnt accom-
plish either. That doesnt stop herds of new members from ocking to the gym
in hopes of ridding themselves of the pounds they gained throughout the holi-
day season. There are, however, ve simple steps you can take to ensure you t in perfectly
ne at your new gym.
1. RE-RACK YOUR WEIGHTS. Walking into a gym on New Years Day and for several weeks
after can be an interesting experience. Its always a mess. Weights are left on bars, dumb-
bells placed in the wrong slots, bands and mats strewn around the gym oor like a childs
forgotten toys a week after Christmas. The golden rule applies fully in this situation. I, for
one, cannot stand having to take someone elses weights off the bar before I can put mine
on. Its frustrating and takes the edge of your rst set. Simply putting your weights back
in the correct place not only earns respect from fellow gymgoers, but also sets an example
for other newbies.
2. LET OTHER PEOPLE WORK IN. Youre not the only one that signed up for that killer no
money down, cheap monthly rate plan. The gym will be packed it always is and
machines will be in high demand. There is always a rest between sets, and thats the per-
fect time to show a bit of compassion. Let the next guy or gal in line work in a few reps.
Most machines change weights quickly, and working through the people quickly can help
everyone on with their days.
3. LEAN ON THE TRAINERS. Personal trainers are not something I would always recommend,
BRANDON HARRISON
granted. There is not a very rig-
orous training regimen involved
in becoming certied, and those
who dont do a lot of homework
on their own can fall behind rath-
er quickly in the health indus-
try. In the case of new members,
however, they can give you some
valuable information on how to
use certain machines and what
they target. It will also help with
your condence around the gym
later on.
4. WATCH THE OLFACTORY WAR-
FARE. This does not mean what
you think it does. There are some
people I want to hose down in the
gym, dont get me wrong, but I
expect that when moving through
a room of 30 sweaty people. The
real problem isnt any sweat stink
its those who try to mask it
with copious amounts of cologne.
I get it, I really do, and can almost
appreciate it. But none of your
fellow gym-goers wants to be
slapped in the face with the latest
Gucci or Ralph Lauren fragrances.
Switch those for basic deodorants
that simply smell clean. Youll
draw no ire for those.
5. DONT BE AFRAID TO TALK. To this
day I still struggle with this. Up
until I met some people I was
completely comfortable with
outside the gym, I couldnt stand
working out with other people or
talking to other gym-goers. Now
that I have some friends who
enjoy going just as much as I do,
Im much more motivated. I took
the long way around to this solu-
tion, but Im giving you a shortcut.
If you dont have any friends that
like the gym setting, make some
in the most obvious place: the
gym. Say hello to people you see
regularly. Ask for advice on cer-
tain things you see them doing,
or inquire about their routines.
If you really want to start div-
ing into some in-depth discussion,
ask about meals plans and supple-
ments. Do be aware of those who
dont like the socializing youll
usually see them dressed like me
(a hoodie and headphones). Dont
be afraid to say hello and get to
know others. l
HEALTH & FITNESS
When youre walking through a gyms doors the rst few times, form
good habits from the start
Ruling the Gym
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OMETIMES CHANGE OCCURS IN THE MOST INNOCUOUS MEANS. LIKE,
say, at a big gay dinner where a couple of friendly, t gay strangers extol a diet a
way of life, in fact that, after the booze has nally evaporated from your system
the next day, remains lodged in your short-term memory. Stubbornly lodged. To
the point where you cant think of anything else. (Of course, you realize that may be the
result of your undiagnosed OCD, but no matter.) So, this diet/way of life becomes some-
thing you choose to explore. It intrigues you. It makes you wonder if it can indeed be done
without serious mental turmoil. So you check it out. At rst, gingerly. Later with gusto.
Then, later still, you back away at the absurdity of it all. No, no, no, no! This cant work!
No cheese? No pickles? Who the hell can live without Tostitos?! But then you realize that
maybe its not so bad after all, and that compromises can be made, goals can be met, weight
can possible be lost. So you commit. Why not?
It happened to me about a month or so ago at the National Gay and Lesbian Cham-
ber of Commerce National Dinner, a lavish affair held annually at the opulent National
Building Museum. It so happens a few of my tablemates actually knew how to engage
in conversation. We talked movies. We talked Gaga. We talked The New Yorker, because
thats something I force on everyone I meet. Before long, we were talking food. Turns out,
theyre on this super-strict eating regimen: Paleo, or, in less frou frou terms, The Caveman
Diet. As they explained it, they could only consume what our Paleolithic ancestors would
have eaten, as our bodies are still genetically wired to respond favorably to this kind of
food. Say I went on this diet, I asked. Would I have to give up my nightly blocks of
cheddar cheese? Apparently so. Pickles are also verboten, as Paleolithic man did not yet
have access to mason jars.
Diets generally dont interest me if they did, I wouldnt have ever gotten to the
205-pound blimp stage. And yet, a funny thing happened to me two years ago when my
longtime partner and I called it quits after nearly two decades. I stopped eating bread and
cereal and pasta and grains and rice. All of it. Just stopped cold. Amazingly, a year or so
later, I was down to a relatively svelte 170 pounds, with a waistline that had decreased a
full four inches, from 38 to 34. The most dramatic change came to my face, however, as I
welcomed back an old friend: Mr.
Jawline.
Ive since started eating breads
and grains again without any
adverse weight gain. On the other
hand, I have not had any further
weight loss. Ive been stuck at 170,
and no matter what I do walk
leisurely on the treadmill, visit my
personal trainer and ask him to
show me every exercise repeat-
edly until its him whos had the
incredible workout I cant get
the scale to dip any lower. And
I really want to get to 160. And
perhaps even 155. Below that, Im
in Walking Dead territory. I dont
want to lose the weight for rea-
sons of vanity although that
certainly is a motivator but for
general health reasons. Im at
that age, you see, where people
start dying of little things that go
wrong, like clogged arteries and
brain tumors. And its freaking
me out. So bring on the lifestyle
change. Im kind of, sort of, more
or less ready for it.
At any rate, I was so taken
with my new three-hour-only
BFFs pep talk ignoring all their
hooting and hollering about the
rigorous joys of Crosst training
that the next morning I bought
two Paleo books on my iPhone:
The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet
Cookbook, both by Dr. Loren Cor-
dain, an expert in a eld that has
made him exceedingly wealthy. I
briey considered The Paleo Diet
for Athletes and then, recalling
how many tossed softballs I cow-
ered from as a teenager, came to
my senses.
I spent the next month por-
ing over the books, absorbing all
I could about Paleo its tenets,
its benets, its recipes. And you
know what I learned? That diet
books contain a lot of padding. A
lot. Once youve been informed of
the basics, there isnt all that much
to say, so Cordain keeps repeating
things. Over and over and over
agin. Its actually quite impressive
considering you can say Dont
eat cheese only so many ways.
After a while, I kind of hoped for
a murder to spice things up in the
Can modern man survive and actually thrive on a diet that cuts out
cheese, pickles and Tostitos?
37
Going Paleo
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RANDY SHULMAN
FOODWISE
Eat the meat, skip the potatoes
38
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HIS WEEK, THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IS IN FULL SWING
down in Sin City, showcasing the hottest tech and gadgetry for the upcoming
year, as well as looking into the future of where our digital world is headed.
What, though, does this have to do with the automotive industry? Well, every-
thing really. As automakers cram ever more technology into our cars, the vehicles that
hit showrooms and the concept models designed to wow us with future design directions
are increasingly becoming technological marvels. Consider that you can buy vehicles that
park themselves, feature in-car WiFi, automatically brake in an accident and massage your
buttocks as they stream music from the Internet through dozens of speakers, and its not
difcult to see the impact the tech world is having on car design. So much so, in fact, that
marques are now offering their vehicles for display at CES, so condent are they in the
forward-thinking nature of the technologies on offer.
Ford is no stranger to cramming tech into cars, with its SYNC infotainment system and
myriad of hybrid options, but its latest concept features technology that really seeks to rev-
olutionize the car world. The C-Max Solar Energi concept is a plug-in hybrid of which
there are many on our roads that adds a little extra something into the mix: It seeks to
free you, at least partially, from the plug. Spread across the roof of the compact minivan
is a solar panel, featuring special Fresnel lenses that concentrate the suns rays onto the
solar cells contained within. Ford claims that a full days worth of sunlight is equivalent
to a four-hour plug-in charge, with the roof capable of tracking the suns rays from east to
west during the day to maximize intake. A full charge nets a 21-mile electric-only range,
with the C-Maxs gas engine boosting that to 620 miles.
Its obvious that Fords solar array wont fully replace the plug, but what they and the
Georgia Institute of Technology, who helped develop the system, are doing is nding
ways to maximize the green potential of current hybrids. By boosting its range during the
day say, while its owner is working and the car is in a parking lot the C-Max could
save an estimated four metric tons of greenhouse gases simply by reducing dependency
on the plug socket and gas engine.
Ford is continuing road trials of
the technology to assess commer-
cial viability, which, if successful,
could mean cars as eager as we are
to bask in the suns rays.
Cars that debut at CES arent
always looking to change the
world. Some are there simply
to get our blood pumping. Audi
knows this all too well, which is
why its chosen the Vegas show
to debut its Sport quattro laser-
light concept car. Yes, laserlight
means exactly what you think.
Audis sexy concept utilizes
a mixture of matrix LEDs and
lasers, which combine to deliver
incredible lighting performance.
Casting their beams up to 1,640
feet in front of the car thats
four-and-a-half football elds
they have a range twice that of
standard LED headlights.
The focus on tech continues
throughout the car. Infotainment
is handled by an Nvidia Tegra
30 processor that delivers high-
resolution 3D graphics to a large
screen in the dash, controlled
through Audis MMI interface.
The Sport quattro also features a
plug-in hybrid powertrain but
this is not your normal, fuel-sav-
ing setup.
Pairing a 560hp biturbo four-
liter V8 with an electric motor
that kicks out 110 kW of power
gives the Sport quattro a total
wallop of 700hp and 590 lbs-ft
of torque, which means 0-60 in
3.7 seconds and a top speed of
189 mph. A Prius this isnt. All-
wheel drive, light materials and
short overhangs mean itll make
mincemeat of corners, and theres
a Sport mode to give the driver
every available drop of power.
That the Sport quattro can also
run for 31 miles in electric-only
mode and achieve 94 mpg makes
it even more remarkable. A green
car for those with petrol in their
veins, and an automotive love-
letter to the benets of marrying
technology and motoring.
Read more of Rhuaridh Marrs
car news and reviews at
MetroWeekly.com/auto. l
Ford takes in the sun with its C-Max Solar Energi concept car, while Audi
res up the lasers in its concept Sport
Little sunthing extra: Ford C-Max
Technological Marvels
RHUARIDH MARR GEARS
FOODWISE
continued from page 37
FILM
continued from page 33
make one hell of a comedy duo.
Of course, that comedy serves a serious purpose. By paint-
ing Belfort as an aggressively narcissistic man and not a
sociopath, for instance The Wolf of Wall Street turns his story
into a scathing parable about greed and ego. Make no mistake:
Scorsese thinks Jordan Belfort is a villain. He just understands
that some villains never face the punishment they deserve. l
GAMEFACE continued from page 35
+t

u
t u
tory cues, pulsing music and crashing sound effects. Resogun
is a sensual assault. The sheer amount of things occurring on
screen are testament to the raw power of the PS4 even in this
download-only title.
The real draw is in its leaderboards, though. Smashing
through waves of ships, eradicating whole eets in a chained
shot, eliminating hordes with a well-timed bomb, chaining shots
together to build your counter, grabbing power-ups to increase
weapon output all are in effort to boost overall score, which
is posted online to compare with friends and strangers. Trying
to save every human, minimize personal damage and maximize
enemy losses is addictive, and lends a replayability factor that
many games can only dream of. Theres no punishment for dying
your combo meter is wiped, but you can keep on playing and
building score, which only makes the experience better.
To top it all off, at the end of a level, players can sit back and
watch as the colony they ew around reaches apocalypse and
detonates in spectacular fashion, consuming the screen in par-
ticles and light and re. Its an intense, satisfying conclusion that
only adds to a bounty of reasons that make Resogun a must-play
for anyone with a PS4.
Contributing editor Rhuaridh Marr covers gaming, tech and cars
for Metro Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @rhuaridh. l
narrative. But the only things murdered in the Paleo Diet are the
foods we have been trained by modern society to love, crave and
cram our faces with until the diabetes takes hold.
So, what did I learn about Paleo?
No wheat, bread, grains of any kind.
No dairy of any kind.
No legumes, including potatoes, peanuts and, presumably,
Cracker Jacks, of any kind.
No salt, sugar or processed foods.
No pickles or vinegar or, God help me, salad dressing from
a bottle.
Limit your oils to olive, axseed and massage.
Eat nuts in moderation.
Eat all the lean meats and seafood you want.
Eat all the fruits and non-starchy vegetables you want.
Do all this and, congratulations, youre a caveperson. Do all
this rigorously, and the following things may actually occur:
You may lose weight.
You may feel better overall.
You may start to taste food differently, presumably in a bet-
ter way.
You may improve the effects of a chronic illness such as
diabetes or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
You may become better at cave paintings.
You can even cheat on the diet. In fact, its encouraged in
moderation so that you dont give up on the bigger picture. So,
go ahead, have that rasher of bacon and jar of pickles today.
Because tomorrow youre back on the raw broccoli and organ
meats.
I was going to ofcially start the diet on January 1, 2014. But I
passed by my local McDonalds, where I was tempted by a giant
sign that read, Buy a Big Mac or Filet-o-Fish, get a second Big
Mac or Filet-o-Fish for a Penny. Frankly, McDonalds should
pay us to eat their food, but thats not the point. It was just too
good a bargain to pass up. So I partook. Twice. Once on Dec. 31
and then again the morning of Jan. 1, largely because I missed
the breakfast featuring two Sausage McMufns with Egg for $3.
I then decided my last day before going full-on Paleo be lled
with comfort foods. So I ate a jar of garlic dill pickles, had two
3-ways, which, for those of you who are not aware, has nothing
to do with sex and everything to do with a delicious brand of
chili known as Cincinnati, heaped on spaghetti and piled high
with uffy, grated cheddar cheese. Its Gods way of making up
for John Boehner. But now Im launching into Paleo-world. So,
lets see if, in a month or two, Paleo actually works. Because if it
does, in a month or two, I should have the body of a caveman.
Though Im not really sure thats a good thing.
Read Randy Shulmans Paleo updates at MetroWeekly.com/food-
wise. Follow him on Twitter at @randyshulman. l
NIGHT
LIFE
41 METROWEEKLY.COM
M
THURSDAY, 01.09.14
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, games, football on
Sundays Expanded craft
beer selection No cover
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour,
4pm-7pm $4 Small
Plates, $4 Stella Artois,
$4 House Wines, $4
Stolichnaya Cocktails, $4
Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
DC EAGLE
Bring Your Buddies
when two friends buy
drinks, yours are free, rail
or domestic
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Shirtless Men Drink Free,
10-11pm
JR.S
$3 Rail Vodka Highballs,
$2 JR.s drafts, 8pm to
close Top Pop Night
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
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim E in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
LISTINGS
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1,
11pm-midnight Happy
Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm $5
Coronas, $8 Vodka Red
Bulls, 9pm-close
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
PHASE 1
DJ Styalo Dancing
$5 cover
PHASE 1 OF DUPONT
1415 22nd St. NW
For the Ladies DJ Rosie
Doors at 9pm 21+
FRIDAY, 01.10.14
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
ANNIES
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis Upstairs open
5-11pm
DC BEAR CRUE
@Town Bear Happy
Hour, 6-11pm $3 Rail,
$3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm Hosted
by Charger Stone No
cover before 9:30pm 21+
DC EAGLE
Pre-MAL SigMa Weekend
Club Bar: SigMa
Education and Training
Centre
PWS SPORTS BAR
9855 Washington Blvd. N
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Drag Show in lounge
Half-price burgers and
fries
TOWN
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Tatianna, Shi-Queeta-
Lee, Jessica Spaulding
Deverreoux and BaNaka
Doors open at 10pm For
those 21 and over, $5 from
10-11pm and $10 after
11pm For those 18-20,
$10 all night 18+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Ladies of Illusion with
host Kristina Kelly, 9pm
Cover 21+
SATURDAY, 01.11.14
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
5-9pm DILF with VJ
Dean at 9:30pm $5
Absolut & Titos, $3 Miller
Lite after 9pm Expanded
craft beer selection No
cover
DC EAGLE
$2 Off for Men with Club
Mugs, Leather Vests,
Harnesses or Chaps
Club Bar: SigMa
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Diner Brunch, 10am-3pm
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke and/or live
entertainment, 9pm
JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka
highballs, $7 Vodka Red
Bulls
NELLIES
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PHASE 1
Dancing, 9pm-close
PHASE 1 OF DUPONT
Doors at 9pm 21+

PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Karaoke in the lounge
Charity Bingo with Cash
Prizes 3rd Sat. of Every
Month
TOWN
Dirty Pop with DJ Drew
G Wess Drag Show
starts at 10:30pm
Hosted by Lena Lett
and featuring Tatianna,
Shi-Queeta-Lee, Jessica
Spaulding Deverreoux
and BaNaka For those
21 and over, $10 from
11pm 21+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All nude male dancers,
9pm Ladies of Illusion
with host Ella Fitzgerald,
9pm DJ Steve
Henderson in Secrets DJ
Spyke in Ziegfelds Doors
8pm Cover 21+
SUNDAY, 01.12.14
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
DC EAGLE
NFL Playoffs, Bar Opens
1pm New Happy Hours
Specials: $2 off rail and
domestic, 4-9pm
43
M
scene
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
Cobalt
Saturday, January 4
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WARD MORRISON
FIREPLACE
Skyy Vodka, $3 $5 cover
with $1 off coupons
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Champagne Brunch
Buffet, 10am-3pm
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Drag Show hosted by
Destiny B. Childs featuring
performances by a rotating
cast, 9pm No cover
Karaoke follows show
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights &
$3 Skyy (all favors), all
day and night
NELLIES
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
Sunday Oneday: A Onesie
Party, 4pm $1 Rail
4-5pm for Onesies
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
8pm Cover 21+
MONDAY, 01.13.14
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES
Martinis
DC EAGLE
Big Screen Monday Night
Football Open 4pm $1
Drafts - Bud and Bud Light
FREDDIES
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm
Showtunes Songs &
Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ Jamez $3 Drafts
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Poker Texas Holdem, 8pm
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Buzztime Trivia
competition 75 cents off
bottles and drafts
TUESDAY, 01.14.14
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES
Happy Hour, 4-7pm $4
Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
DC EAGLE
Open 4pm $2 Rail and
Domestic, All Day Free
Pool till 9pm
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Underground (Indie Pop/
Alt/Brit Rock), 9pm-close
DJ Wes Della Volla
2-for-1, all day and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Karaoke
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Safe Word: A
Gay Spelling Bee, 8pm
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
75 cents off bottles and
drafts Movie Night
WED., 01.15.14
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES
Happy Hour, 4-7pm $4
Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
DC EAGLE
Hot Jock Night
Highwaymen TNT host Hot
Jock Contest, Midnight
Men in Jocks Drink
Free at Club Bar, 10-11pm
Wooden Nickels
Redeemable 2 Nickels
get Rail or Domestic
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm Drag
Bingo, 8pm Karaoke,
10pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour Prices,
4pm-Close
JR.S
Trivia with MC Jay
Ray, 8pm The Queen,
10-11pm $2 JRs Drafts
& $4 Vodka ($2 with
College I.D./JRs Team
Shirt)
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Half-Price Burger Night
Buckets of Beer $15
SmartAss Trivia, 8pm
NUMBER NINE
No Cover
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Free Pool 75 cents off
Bottles and Drafts
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
New Meat Wednesday DJ
Don T 9pm Cover 21+
THURSDAY, 01.16.14
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour,
4pm-7pm $4 Small
Plates, $4 Stella Artois,
$4 House Wines, $4
Stolichnaya Cocktails, $4
Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
DC EAGLE
Centaur MC MAL Bar
Night Meet the Meat
Club Bar: Former MAL Title
Holders
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
GREEN LANTERN
Shirtless Men Drink Free,
10-11pm
JR.S
$3 Rail Vodka Highballs,
$2 JR.s drafts, 8pm to
close Top Pop Night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Hour $2 (5-6pm), $3
(6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim E in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
FRIDAY, 01.17.14
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
5-9pm Friday Night
Videos with resident
DJ Shea Van Horn VJ
Expanded craft beer
selection No cover
46 SEE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
ANNIES
Martinis Upstairs open
5-11pm
DC BEAR CRUE
@Town Bear Happy
Hour, 6-11pm $3 Rail,
$3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm Hosted
by Charger Stone No
cover before 9:30pm 21+
DC EAGLE
Club Bar: Spartan MC
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
Karaoke, 9pm
JR.S
Buy 1, Get 1,
11pm-midnight Happy
Hour: 2-for-1, 4-9pm $5
Coronas, $8 Vodka Red
Bulls, 9pm-close
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
No Cover
PHASE 1
DJ Styalo Dancing
$5 cover
PHASE 1 OF DUPONT
1415 22nd St. NW
Doors at 9pm 21+
PWS SPORTS BAR
Laurel, Md.
301-498-4840
Drag Show in lounge
Half-price burgers and
fries
TOWN
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Tatianna, Shi-Queeta-
Lee, Jessica Spaulding
Deverreoux and BaNaka
Doors open at 10pm For
those 21 and over, $5 from
11pm For those 18-20,
$10 all night 18+
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Ladies of Illusion with
host Kristina Kelly, 9pm
Cover 21+ l
48 SEE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
50 SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
scene
Shea Van Horn hosts
a lm screening of
I Am Divine
Saturday, January 4
Black Cat
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
WARD MORRISON
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
O
VER THE HOLIDAYS,
my family and I all
got onesies, says
Doug Schantz. It wasnt long
before the owner of Nellies
got the notion he wanted to
wear his one-piece cotton
outt everywhere or at
least everywhere in his U
Street venue, known for its
laidback vibe and easy eats.
When you wear a onesie
youre clearly in a comfort
zone, Schantz says. This
Thursday, Jan. 9, Nellies will
reward those who join Schantz
in comfy costume be it
traditional long underwear
or union suit, military-style
jumpsuit or something as frilly
as Schantzs sock-monkey
onesie with a menu of $5
comfort food goodies and
$1 drinks, be it $1sie Nellie
Beer or $1sie comfy shots.
But Nellies isnt the
only place encouraging
patrons to don a onesie this
weekend. Three days later
comes Sunday Oneday: A
Onesie Party at Number
Nine. We wanted to have
an event with a bunch
of people in Onesies,
who come out drinking,
listening to some music
by the replace at Number
Nine, says promoter Aaron
Riggins. Those who do
so during the partys rst
hour, starting at 4 p.m., will
be rewarded with $1 rail
cocktails.
Riggins planned the
Number Nine party to
coincide with his inaugural
Fantasy Brunch, a guerilla-
style affair that will see a
group of his friends and
anyone else who wants to
join dining in one-piece
outts at Commissary on
Sunday, Jan. 12, at 12:30
p.m.
What is it about onesies
sparking new interest?
Schantz plays up the
wintertime comfy aspect to
what is, essentially, a pair
of pajamas. Its freezing
out, youve gained 10
pounds, and theyre like
a sleeping bag, Schantz
says. You could just fall
over and fall right to sleep.
Technically, while brave
patrons can stroll right into
Nellies wearing nothing
but a onesie Thursday,
they cant sleep at the bar.
Onesie-wearers will have
to nd somewhere else for
a onesie-night stand after
Nellies closes.
I think onesies are
fun, adds Riggins. They
can be a little sexy. I think
we all like the visual of a
bunch of people standing
around in onesies. Both
Nellies and Number Nine
are intentionally leaving the
denition a little loose. If
patrons show up in onesies
deemed too skimpy,
according to Schantz, Well
cross that bridge or, if
you will, cover that body part
when we come to it.
The Onesie Party is
Thursday, Jan. 9, starting
at 5 p.m., at Nellies Sports
Bar, 900 U St. NW. Call
202-332-NELL or visit
nelliessportsbar.com.
The Sunday Oneday: A
Onesie Party is Sunday,
Jan. 12, starting at 4 p.m.,
at Number Nine, 1435 P St.
NW. Call 202-986-0999 or
visit NumberNineDC.com. l
B
Y

D
O
U
G

R
U
L
E
C
L
U
B
L
I
F
E
S
51
Nellies and Number Nine are celebrating the top-to-bottom couture of these comfy,
one-piece fashions
All for Onesies
52 SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
scene
Nellies Sports Bar
Saturday, January 4
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
CHRISTOPHER CUNETTO
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
53 PURCHASE YOUR PHOTO AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE/
The Supreme Court made the correct decision
to stay Judge Shelbys ruling in the Amendment 3 case.
Utah Gov. GARY HERBERT, in a statement, commenting on the Utah Supreme Courts decision to suspend same-sex marriage in
the state pending an appeal. Marriage equality was legalized shortly after Christmas, following a decision by U.S. District Court
Judge Robert R. Shelby which declared Utahs ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.
(Utah.gov)
Apparently, the fact that I have a same-sex partner, theyre against that. But
I also thought a teaching they were against was divorce.
MARK ZMUDA, former vice principal of a Catholic school in Washington state who was dismissed by administrators after
marrying his husband in July 2013. Zmuda stated that School President Sister Mary Tracy apparently told him he
could keep his job if he divorced from his partner.
(KING 5)
They need help.

How do you treat children who are mongrels?
Do you kill them, imprison them for life?
Ugandan Prime Minister AMAMA MBABAZI, speaking against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which is close to becoming law in the
country. Speaking at the countrys Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mbabazi still considers homosexuality to be abnormal, but does not
believe that it should be punishable by death or imprisonment, the latter of which is transcribed in the bill.
(Gay Star News)
Were against discrimination in sport, full stop.
That means we also oppose discrimination against gay and lesbian athletes.
HEATH SPENCE, captain of the Australian mens bobsled team, following an announcement that the mens and womens sled
teams are forming a partnership with the Principle 6 campaign, which opposes anti-LGBT policies and discrimination in Russia.
(BuzzFeed)
Mike Priefer, in one of the meanest voices I can ever recall hearing, said:
We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then
nuke it until it glows.
CHRIS KLUWE, former punter for the Minnesota Vikings, in an article for Deadspin that discussed his termination from the team
in May 2013. Kluwe believes his LGBT activism was one of the reasons for his dismissal from the team,
despite a statement from the Vikings saying otherwise.
(Deadspin)

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4 JANUARY 9, 2014 METROWEEKLY.

They need help.

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