Metro Weekly, Febrary 16, 2017 by Metro Weekly

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

CONTENTS

NOTES OF RESISTANCE Wynton Marsalis’s breathtaking and epic symphonic masterwork makes its Strathmore debut By Randy Shulman

RIGHT TURN

To be young, black, gay and Republican isn’t easy, especially in the era of Trump. Just ask Anthony “Rek” LeCounte. Interview by John Riley Photography by Julian Vankim

Volume 23 Issue 39

CLOSE SHAVES

Olney’s exceptional Sweeney Todd features an inspired cast led by the magnificent E. Faye Butler By Doug Rule

SPOTLIGHT: DIRTY BRASS BAND p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.11 JULIETA EGURROLA: PERSPECTIVES p.12 WYNTON MARSALIS: NOTES OF RESISTANCE p.14 THE FEED: UNDER SEXED p.17 COMMUNITY: MODEL BEHAVIOR p.19 SCENE: SCARLET’S BAKE SALE p.21 COVER STORY: ANTHONY “REK” LECOUNTE’S RIGHT TURN p.22 GALLERY: DAVID HOCKNEY p.29 STAGE: BABY SCREAMS MIRACLE p.30 MUSIC: MOTHER MOTHER p.31 STAGE: SWEENEY TODD p.33 STAGE: WATCH ON THE RHINE p.34 NIGHTLIFE p.37 SCENE: DSTRKTC AT DC EAGLE p.37 CLUBLIFE: STEVEN REDANT p.45 LAST WORD p.46 Real LGBT News and Entertainment since 1994

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Managing Editor Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editor Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers André Hereford, Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla Patron Saint Peter J. Gomes Cover Photography Julian Vankim Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

Spotlight

Dirty Dozen Brass Band PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HAMILTON

STABLISHED 40 YEARS AGO IN NEW ORLEANS AND TAKING its name from a popular social club for African-American musicians, this seven-member ensemble has helped revitalize the brass tradition in New Orleans as well as export it around the world. A music machine that has guested on albums for David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse and the Dave Matthews Band, the Dirty Dozen offers genre-bending romps and high-octane performances. North Carolina up-and-coming funk act the Get Right Band opens. —Doug Rule

Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $30. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com. FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM TRANSFER FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS PHOTOGRAPH © VAN VECHTEN TRUST

A.J.GUBAN

Spotlight

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

Kathryn Chase Bryer directs a Rick Elice’s prequel to Peter Pan, complete with swordfights, shipwrecks and mermaids, but also clever wordplay, daring ensemble movement and live music. Dallas Tolentino plays the Boy Who Never Grew Up, alongside Megan Graves as the plucky and precocious Molly and Michael John Casey as the Black Stache, determined to become the world’s most feared one-handed villain. To March 12. Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $45. Call 202-204-7741 or visit constellationtheatre.org.

CARL VAN VECHTEN: HARLEM HEROES

Many central figures in the Harlem Renaissance were captured by photographer Carl Van Vechten, some when they were young and on the cusp of achieving international fame, from James Baldwin and Langston Hughes to Bessie Smith and Ella Fitzgerald. There are 39 images spanning over 30 years, all drawn from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection, but never before presented as a set since they were acquired in 1983. Through March 19. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and F Streets NW. Free. Call 202-633-1000 or visit americanart.si.edu.

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Spotlight HILARY HAHN WITH THE NSO

PATRICK OLEARY

The Grammy-winning soloist, considered one of the greatest of her generation, performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor in a program conducted by Cornelius Meister that also includes fantasy-influenced works by Dvorak, Janacek and Richard Strauss. Hahn will sign CDs afterwards in the Grand Foyer. Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

MARY WILSON

One of the original Supremes alongside Diana Ross, Wilson has long channeled her passion and celebrity into promoting humanitarian efforts to end hunger, fight HIV/AIDS, encourage world peace, and condemn the use of hidden landmines. Thursday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 19, at 8 and 10 p.m. Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $40 to $45, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

RA XTRA: JEWEL’S CATCH ONE

As the Black History Month screening in its monthly film series, Reel Affirmations presents C. Fitz’s documentary about Jewel Thais-Williams, proprietor of one of the nation’s first black discos. Known as “the unofficial Studio 54 of the West Coast,” Jewel’s Catch One became a safe haven for Los Angeles’ black LGBTQ community for four decades before closing in 2015. Rayceen Pendarvis of The Ask Rayceen Show hosts the screening Friday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. HRC Equality Center, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Tickets are $12, or $25 for VIP seating as well one complimentary cocktail, beer or wine and popcorn. Call 800-777-4723 or visit reelaffirmations.org. FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

KEVIN BERNE

Out On The Town

KING CHARLES III

Three years after giving us Cock, British playwright Mike Bartlett returns with his latest theatrical effort. An Olivierwinning play that nods to Shakespeare, King Charles II explores how Prince Charles might rule were he to finally ascend to the British throne. The New York Times called it “an intellectually and emotionally gripping study of the strangely enduring anachronism that is the British monarchy.” Directed by David Muse. In previews. To March 12. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW. Call 202-547-1122 or visit shakespearetheatre.org.

Compiled by Doug Rule

FILM FIST FIGHT

Richie Keen’s loose remake of the 1987 teen comedy Three O’Clock High focuses on a high school English teacher (Charlie Day) trying to keep it together on the last day of the school year amidst senior pranks, a dysfunctional administration, and budget cuts threatening jobs. And that’s all before Ice Cube challenges him to an old-fashioned throwdown after school. With Dennis Haysbert and Tracy Morgan. Opens Friday, Feb. 17. Area theaters. Visit fandango.com.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS 2017: ANIMATION

While Disney’s Zootopia is the blockbuster to beat in the Animated Feature category, it’s a more wide open and unknown lot in the

Animated Shorts category. Close Oscar-watchers think the winner is likely to be either Alan Barillaro’s Piper, a film produced by Pixar, or Patrick Osborne’s Pearl, produced by Google Spotlight Stories. Both screen in a package of eight films and include the other three Oscar nominees: Borrowed Time by Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj, Blind Vaysha by Theodore Ushev, and Robert Valley’s Pear Brandy and Cigarettes, which features depictions of violence, sex and drug use, making it the only film in this collection unsuitable for children. Now playing. E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS 2017: DOCUMENTARY

With no documentary nominees this year clocking in at under 20 minutes and two running nearly 40 minutes, Landmark split the films into two programs. Program A includes Joe’s

Violin, Kahane Cooperman’s tale connecting a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and a 12-year-old American girl, Extremis, Dan Krauss’s examination of harrowing end-of-life decisions, and Daphne Matziaraki’s 4.1 Miles, a profile of a coast guard captain credited with saving thousands of lives during the European migrant crisis. Program B offers two timely views of a woeful world, both from the still ongoing Syrian Civil War. There’s The White Helmets by Orlando von Einsiedel, focused on the work of volunteer rescue workers in Syria, and Watani: My Homeland by Marcel Mettelsiefen, which follows a Syrian refugee family attempting a new life in Germany. Now playing. West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW. Call 202-534-1907 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS 2017: LIVE ACTION

It’s an all-international affair among the five live action nominees

at this year’s Oscars. They include Kristof Deak’s Sing (Hungary), Aske Bang’s Silent Nights (Denmark), Juanjo Gimenez Pena’s Timecode (Spain), Selim Aazzazi’s Ennemis Interieurs (France) and Timo von Gunten’s La Femme et la TGV (Switzerland). Now playing. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

THE LAST LAUGH, MR. PREDICTABLE

As part of its year-round programming, the Washington Jewish Film Festival screens two recent films on succeeding Tuesday nights. Ferne Pearlstein’s documentary The Last Laugh, co-presented with the Washington Improv Theater, screens Tuesday, Feb. 21, and features interviews with top comedians and prominent Jewish leaders — including Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, Abraham Foxman and Shalom Auslander

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STAGE AS YOU LIKE IT

ROSE CAMPIGLIA

Rosalind, banished to the Forest of Arden, disguises herself as a rustic shepherd and discovers Orlando in one of Shakespeare’s best comedies. Gaye Taylor Upchurch directs a production starring Lindsay Alexandra Carter, Lorenzo Roberts, Dani Stoller, Michael Glenn, and Tom Story. To March 5. Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 202544-7077 or visit folger.edu.

BLUES IN THE NIGHT

PERSPECTIVES

Mexican actress Julieta Egurrola is only scared of one thing in D.C. — and it’s not Trump

ULIETA EGURROLA FEELS “A LITTLE AWKWARD.” AND NOT JUST AWKward, but unsettled. “Everybody is anxious to see what’s going to happen with all this,” says one of Mexico’s leading actresses. All of this, of course, is Trump and his belligerence toward our southern neighbors, as well as intolerance toward immigrants, both illegal and otherwise. “I’m not scared,” says Egurrola, currently starring in I Too Speak of the Rose at GALA Theatre. “I don’t think I, as a Mexican, have to be scared.... We have a different point of view of what’s going on here: ‘Why did you elect who is now in charge?’ But we’re not scared. Just aware. Paying attention.” The current political climate mirrors, somewhat, the action of Rose, which focuses on two Mexican teenagers who accidentally derail a train, resulting in a media frenzy and socio-political examinations into “the truth.” Written by the late, gay Mexican playwright Emilio Carballido, the drama offers multiple perspectives on the event. Egurrola plays a character who tries to help people understand the event’s different realities. “We can see in the world right now, everyone is looking at one thing [from] different perspectives,” she says. “Economical, political, social, sexual, whatever. So I look in one way, you do another way. It’s not just mine that’s the truth. You will have yours and the psychologist in the play, or the teacher, or the other professors, they have their own way of looking at this incident these two teenagers provoke.... I like that it gives different points of view.” A member of Compania Nacional de Teatro, Mexico’s national theater company, Egurrola calls it ironic that she’s only now starring in her first Carballido play — and while away from home. She loves the beauty of Washington, but for one thing. “The cold — that’s the only thing that scares me here,” she laughs. “I don’t want to catch a real cold here.” —Doug Rule I Too Speak of the Rose, performed in Spanish with English surtitles, runs to Feb. 26 at GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Call 202-234-7174 or visit galatheatre.org. — asking: Can humor be found in the Holocaust? On Tuesday, Feb. 28, comes Roee Florentin’s Mr. Predictable, a rom-com from Israel focused on a perfectly devoted family man who learns how to live life to its fullest when he falls in love after a chance encounter with a free-spirited dogwalker. Both films screen at 7:30 p.m. The Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $13.50 each. Call 202-777-3247 or visit wjff.org.

UNDER THE RAINBOW, BUNDLE OF JOY

Throughout February, the Library of Congress screens films featuring either Debbie Reynolds or Carrie Fisher as part of a tribute to the recently departed mother-daughter duo. The series concludes next week with Under The Rainbow, a poorly reviewed, largely fictional account from 1981 about backstage hijinks during the filming of The Wizard of Oz in which Fisher plays a much-put-upon studio employee

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

opposite Chevy Chase as a spy, set for Thursday, Feb. 23. The following night offers Bundle of Joy, a comedy farce from 1956 about a recently fired employee and an abandoned baby and co-starring her then-husband Eddie Fisher, Carrie’s fatherto-be. Both films screen at 7:30 p.m. Packard Campus Theater, 19053 Mount Pony Rd. Culpeper, Va. Free. Call 202-707-9994 or visit loc.gov/ avconservation.

Virginia’s Creative Cauldron presents a scorching, Tony-nominated musical revue interweaving classic blues and American Songbook standards by Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and more. Matt Conner directs a show originally conceived by Sheldon Epps. To March 5. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave., Falls Church. Tickets are $50. Call 703-436-9948 or visit creativecauldron.org.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE

The largest musical in Round House’s history is part of a season celebrating playwright Tony Kushner. The Tony-nominated musical concerns an AfricanAmerican maid who works for a Jewish family in Louisiana during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The 17-person cast includes Nova Y. Payton, Will Gartshore, Felicia Curry, Naomi Jacobson, Dorea Schmidt, and Kara-Tameika Watkins. Matthew Gardner directs. To Feb. 26. Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Call 240-6441100 or visit roundhousetheatre.org.

GIN GAME

Roz White and Doug Brown take on D.L. Coburn’s play, which the New York Times called a “thoroughly entertaining lesson in the fine art of theatrical finesse.” Thomas W. Jones II directs. To March 12. MetroStage, 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55 to $60. Call 800-494-8497 or visit metrostage.org.

HOODED, OR BEING BLACK FOR DUMMIES

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm’s irreverent play follows a book-smart prep-schooler and a street-savvy drop-out from inner-city Baltimore, as the two spend the night in a holding cell. Serge Seiden directs a world-premiere Mosaic Theater production of the final play in the threepart series Clamorous Encounters: Coming of Age in America, billed as “likely the most urgent and pressing play in Season Two.” Closes Feb. 19. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $60. Call

202-399-7993 or visit mosaictheater. org.

LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC

Arlene Hutton’s charming World War II-era play focuses on a fated couple who meet on a train carrying F. Scott Fitzgerald’s coffin across the country. Closes Sunday, Feb. 19. Produced by the Washington Stage Guild. Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Call 240-582-0050 or visit stageguild.org. Originally commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, playwright Lisa Loomer’s drama focuses on the two women at the heart of the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion: Sarah Weddington, the young, brilliant attorney who argued the case, and Norma McCorvey, the complex, single woman seeking an end to an unwanted pregnancy. Bill Rauch directs a large cast including Jim Abele, Sarah Jane Agnew, Kenya Alexander, Mark Bedard, Zoe Bishop, Sara Bruner, Catherine Castellanos, Gina Daniels, Pamela Dunlap, Richard Elmore, Susan Lynskey, and Amy Newman. Closes Sunday, Feb. 19. Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

THE HARD PROBLEM

Tom Stoppard’s latest explores the complexities of defining consciousness, the nature of belief, and how to reconcile hard science with lived experience. Matt Torney directs Studio’s 10-member cast, including Tessa Klein, Nancy Robinette, Martin Giles, Kyle Cameron, and Joy Jones. Extended to Feb. 26. Studio Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org.

THE RIVER

A man and woman find love and mystery at a secluded fishing cabin in Jez Butterworth’s drama. Jeff Allin, Emma Jackson and Karen Novack star in a Spooky Action Theater production directed by Rebecca Holderness. To Feb. 26. Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St. NW. Tickets are $30 to $40. Call 202-248-0301 or visit spookyaction.org.

WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Holly Twyford takes on the towering role of Martha in Edward Albee’s acid-laced masterpiece about a warring couple who bare their fangs during cocktails with a younger version of themselves. Gregory Linington, Maggie Wilder and Danny Gavigan round out the strong, all-local cast of this admittedly long play — the runtime is over three hours with two inter-

COURTESY HILLWOOD ESTATE, MUSEUM & GARDENS

ROE

AN AMERICAN DIPLOMAT IN 1820S RUSSIA

Friends and Fashion paints a captivating picture of diplomatic life in early 19th century St. Petersburg, based on an album of watercolors assembled by the family of politician and statesman Henry Middleton. The collection was acquired by Hillwood in 2004 and conserved in 2015, but this marks the first time the fascinating set is presented in its entirety. Opens Saturday, Feb. 18. Runs to June 11. Hillwood Estate, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $12. Call 202-686-5807 or visit HillwoodMuseum.org.

missions — that chances are you’ll find ultimately worth every minute for the wildly funny, heart-wrenching and insightful things Albee says and reveals about the human condition and relationships. Aaron Posner directs. Closes Sunday, Feb. 19. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $62. Call 800982-2787 or visit fords.org.

Antico is a music student. Antico custom builds his own instruments, reworking and refinishing old or damaged drums, fine tuning them to emit the exact sounds he desires. Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are $17. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

MUSIC

LISA HANNIGAN

BRIAN GANZ WITH NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

The renowned pianist continues his journey through the complete works of Fryderyk Chopin with a celebration of the composer’s youthful creations, including masterful gems in his 12 Etudes, Op. 10, three nocturnes and several youthful polonaises and mazurkas. Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $34 to $88. Call 301-5815100 or visit strathmore.org.

JOEY ANTICO

As part of its 2017 Artist in Residence mentoring program, Strathmore offers solo concerts of its up-and-coming artists. Next up is a percussionist and sought-after support player who performs with the Jazz Lab Band, Jazz Ensemble and other jazz combos at the University of Maryland, where

Damien Rice’s former sultry vocal partner, Irish singer-songwriter Hannigan makes a long-awaited return to D.C. to promote her third solo album, 2016’s At Swim. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. U Street Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. Tickets are $10. Call 202-588-1880 or visit ustreetmusichall.com.

LIVING THE DREAM...SINGING THE DREAM

Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and federal holiday may have already passed, but you can sing his praises at any time. This Sunday, Feb. 19, Washington Performing Arts will do just that with this 29th annual choral tribute. Men, women and children of the WPA Gospel Choirs team up with the Choral Arts Society of Washington — 300 voices strong — to perform in honor of King. Sunday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $25 to $70. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

OFF BOOK/OUT OF BOUNDS

A concert inspired by The Hills Are Alive, a reinterpretation of The Sound of Music by the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata as masterminded by Peter Kiesewalter, also known for his work in the Grammy-nominated East Village Opera Company. Broadway star Tony Vincent (Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar) leads a cast of four vocalists in classic Broadway hits, some of them from more than a century ago, reimagined as electric rock ditties. Friday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. The Concert Hall in George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $29 to $48. Call 888-945-2468 or visit cfa.gmu.edu.

OPERA LAFAYETTE: LEONORE

Beethoven modeled his Fidelio on Pierre Gaveaux and Jean-Nicolas Bouilly’s Léonore, ou l’amour conjugal, an 18th century comic opera about a political prisoner — awaiting death in his cell — and his wife, who risks her life to seek justice. Ryan Brown conducts the Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus and Oriol Tomas directs Kimy McLaren as Leonore and Jean-Michel Richer as Florestan in a production sung in French with English supertitles. Sunday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m. GW Lisner, The George Washington University, 730 21st St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $130. Call 202-994-6851 or visit lisner.org.

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

JOE MARTINEZ

NOTES OF RESISTANCE

Wynton Marsalis’s breathtaking and epic symphonic masterwork makes its Strathmore debut

HE FIRST PERFORMANCE OF “ALL RISE,” WYNTON Marsalis’s epic and extraordinary jazz symphony, didn’t quite go as planned. “It sounded so bad that first night,” Marsalis sighs, recalling the December 1999 premiere at Lincoln Center. “It was like I was in the middle of a bunch of noise. I felt like I had inflicted a crime on about two hundred people in public.” Luckily, things got better. “We were scheduled to play it the next October in Czechoslovakia,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and legendary jazz trumpeter says. “I was trying to get out of that performance. But in the first rehearsal, it was like another piece of music. It sounded like music all of a sudden. Then we played. The people went crazy. They loved it. Ever since, it’s always gotten a tremendous response.” Marsalis is bringing “All Rise” to Strathmore for two performances next weekend, a highlight of the venue’s season-long series, “Shades of Blues.” “I put a lot into the piece,” he says. “It took me about six months of writing around the clock. The last month my ears were so hot, they were actually hurting. I’ve never written music where I actually had my inner ear hurt because I was hearing so much music.” The 12-movement piece, fusing blues, jazz, spiritual, and classical music and incorporating a choir of 150 gospel singers, was originally commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and its then-conductor Kurt Masur. “He wanted me to write a piece that celebrated bringing jazz and classical music and black and

white people together in America,” says Marsalis. “But I started to think much broader than just people in America. What does it take to integrate with other people? That’s the subject of ‘All Rise.’ What does it take for us to come together, and what do we do when we come together? “It’s very relevant to this moment,” he adds. “Times have been troubling for a long time. The 1960s were troubling. The 1970s were troubling. The movement away from integration that took place in the late ‘70s was troubling. The reasserting of Confederate principles that took place in the 1980s by Ronald Reagan were troubling. The financial crisis that took place in the early ‘90s was troubling. A lot of what’s happened in the last years have been troubling — mass incarcerations, privatization of jails, redistricting. We could go on and on and on. “These days, it’s like we’re swinging back in the other direction. Yes, it’s troubling that we made the decisions we made, but we had the opportunity to vote, we showed up at the polls, and that’s what we decided. Those of us who don’t like the direction we’re going in, we have to protest illegal actions. Fight. Exercise our rights for citizens to create the country we want to create. It will not be easy. To think that centuries of tribalism and injustice just go away — they don’t. “Kurt Masur told me when I was writing ‘All Rise’ — and I keep this quote on my phone — ‘The line between civilization and barbarism is much thinner than you think. That’s why with everything that you do, you have to decry barbarism and the reduction of people.’ —Randy Shulman

“All Rise” will be performed on Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. in the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md. Tickets are $65 to $175. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org/blues. 14

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

REGINA CARTER

Simply Ella kicks off a series at the Kennedy Center celebrating the 100th birthday of Ella Fitzgerald, First Lady of Song. One of the leading instrumentalists of her generation, jazz violinist Carter pays tribute to her idol and inspiration accompanied by Marvin Sewell on guitar, Brandon McCune on piano, Hammond B-3, and Rhodes, Chris Lightcap on bass, and Alvester Garnett on drums. Friday, Feb. 17, at 7 and 9 p.m. Kennedy Center Family Theater. Tickets are $50 to $65. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

VOCAL ARTS DC: SANDRINE PIAU, SUSAN MANOFF

Renowned in the world of Baroque music, French soprano Piau performs French melodies and German lieder. The thoughtfully curated program explores the theme of dreams and includes songs by Chausson, Poulenc, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Berg and Strauss. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. University of the District of Columbia Theatre of the Arts, 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $50. Call 202-785-9727 or visit vocalartsdc.org.

DANCE TAJ EXPRESS: THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL

A cast of five dancers perform a showcase of Indian classical and contemporary dance genres as seen in Bollywood blockbusters and set to high-energy Indian pop songs written by composers A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), the brother duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, and Monty Sharma. The colorful, dazzling spectacle, which includes excerpts from Bollywood films, is on its first tour of the states. Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 19, at 4 p.m. Concert Hall in the George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $30 to $50. Call 888-945-2468 or visit gmu.edu/cfa.

COMEDY WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: ROAD SHOW!

D.C.’s leading company for longform improv offers a “Wintry Mix,” a series of vignettes featuring different ensembles, with each plot developed on-the-fly, spurred by a single audience suggestion. Weekends to Feb. 26. District of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC), 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door. Call 202-462-7833 or visit witdc.org.

READINGS JANET MOCK

George Mason University presents the New York transgender advocate, TV host and author of Redefining Realness for an annual lecture given by a black woman who exemplifies a commitment to the principles embodied by legendary activist and scholar Sojourner Truth. Sunday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. Concert Hall, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $5 to $15. Call 888-945-2468 or visit gmu. edu/cfa.

EXHIBITS BLACK ARTISTS OF DC: TRANSITIONS

In honor of Black History Month, the Carlyle Hotel presents a collection of works from a local collective curated by Julie Ratner of Directions in Art. Twelve works by Russell Simmons, Daniel Brooking, Michael Platt, and Gloria Kirk will be on display in the hotel’s living room in addition to permanent works by Michele Oka Doner. The temporary gallery opens in a neighborhood open house Thursday, Feb. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. with live entertainment plus bites and drinks from the hotel’s restaurant Riggsby by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schlow. Also open during the party is the hotel’s newly redesigned meeting space, the Ellington Room, featuring selected works by Chef Schlow’s wife and mixed-media artist Adrienne Schlow. Runs to April 16. Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle, 1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Call 202-234-3200 or visit carlylehoteldc.com.

LA VIE EN BLEU

The 26th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition tasked artists to interpret the concept of the “blues” however they like, using their medium of choice. Out of more than 1,000 submissions, an exceptionally diverse collection of 146 artworks by 101 artists is now on display as a complement to the art center’s season-long exploration of blues music, “Shades of Blues.” Closes Sunday, Feb. 19. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.

QUEER INTERIORS

Through an initiative commissioning installations and public programs related to its broad Imagining Home exhibit, the Baltimore Museum of Art brought together video and film artist Rahne Alexander and interdisciplinary artist/organizer Jaimes Mayhew with Chase Brexton Health Care’s LGBT Health Resource

Center. Queer Interiors features a larger-than-life bed and furnishings, personal artifacts and a multimedia wall display known as the Baltimore LGBTQI+ Home Movie Quilt, which pays homage to Baltimore album quilts and the AIDS Memorial Quilt by presenting a growing, crowdsourced portrait of the city’s queer communities. Through Aug. 31, 2017. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Baltimore. Call 443573-1700 or visit artbma.org.

THESE FLOWERS ARE LIKE THE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD

Suburban Maryland’s Adah Rose Gallery offers its second show featuring artists from the D.C.-based collective Studio 155. One way or another, all the paintings and drawings on display glorify and honor a love and reverence for the earth, from detailed depictions of flowers and trees to sweeping illustrations of landscapes and natural monuments such as the Grand Canyon. Ten artists are represented, including Ellen Tuttle, Don Myer, Roberta Bernstein, July Weihe and Jill Hodgsoni. To Feb. 25. 3766 Howard Ave. in Kensington, Md. Call 301-922-0162 or visit adahrosegallery.com.

FOOD BAYOU BAKERY POP-UP SHOP IN UNION MARKET

In addition to his two permanent restaurants in D.C.’s Hill Center and Arlington, celebrity chef David Guas offers a Mardi Gras-themed pop-up in Union Market now until Fat Tuesday. The focus, naturally, is on “BB” King Cake, the classic ring-shaped brioche-style cake piped with signature Creole Cream Cheese filling. Bayou Bakery serves the cakes in a gift box with carnival beads, a traditional plastic baby hidden inside, and a postcard sharing the treat’s history. Also on offer are “Graslines,” a buttery sugar praline cookie topped with purple, green and gold sugar-flecked sprinkles, and “GrasNola,” gluten-free crunchy oats sweetened with honey and tossed in burnt-brown butter. Through Feb. 28. Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery Opens Pop-Up Shop in Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Call 800-680-9095 or visit unionmarketdc.com.

RAMEN WORLD 3

Food incubator Mess Hall in the Northeast Edgewood neighborhood once again gives D.C. gourmands their first tastes of the city’s hottest new restaurants. The third Ramen World, raising funds for Miriam’s Kitchen, features Thip Khao and Bantam King, along with “#RamenMasters” from Sushi Taro, Haikan, Alfie’s, and Paper Horse, the newest concept from Erik

Bruner Yang of Toki Underground and Maketto fame. It also introduces Cassava Bubble Tea, Conbini Cafe by UZU, and Bird’s Eye Sandwich Shop by Doi Moi. Beverages on tap include Kirin Ichiban, Suntory Whiskey and Silencio Mezcal. And remember: “Unlimited food does not give you permission to be a #ramenwaster.” Ticketed in twohour rounds, at noon and 3 p.m., on Sunday, Feb. 26. Mess Hall, 703 Edgewood St. NE. Tickets are $70 (plus nearly $5 in fees) for general admission and unlimited food, beer and cocktails, or $105 (plus nearly $7 in fees) for VIP priority access with swag bag with t-shirt.

ABOVE & BEYOND BRADLEY STEVENS AT CESCO OSTERIA SUNDAY SALON SERIES

The Bethesda restaurant kicks off a year-long 20th anniversary celebration with the first in a Sunday Salon series of monthly discussions, highlighting the cuisine and culture of Italy. Stevens will discuss “The Fine Art of Commissions: From Michelangelo to the Present,” focused on how patrons can inspire artists to produce their greatest works. Stevens is a former professor of fine arts at the George Washington and Georgetown universities and now a painter on commission for clients including the Smithsonian Institution, the federal government and area law firms and hospitals. Sunday, Feb. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. Cesco Osteria, 7401 Woodmont Ave. Bethesda. Call 301654-8333 or visit cesco-osteria.com.

LA-TI-DO

“Parts You’d Never Play” features songs from roles guest performers think they’ll never get cast in. Started by Regie Cabico and DonMike Mendoza and now held every other Monday, La-Ti-Do is a variety show chiefly focused on music and singing, enlisting professionals from the theater or opera worlds performing on their night off, but also including spoken-word poets, storytellers and comedians. Some of the performers at the next round: Dwayne Allen, Courtney LeBlanc, Nicole Riding, Camryn Shegogue, Kylie Smith, and Rachel Weisenthal, plus Aaron Reeder, Keith Alexander, and poet Angelique Palmer with organizational partner DC Opera on Tap. Pianist Taylor Rambo provides accompaniment and Mendoza and Anya Randall Nebel co-host. Monday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $15, or only $10 if you eat dinner at the restaurant beforehand. Call 202-328-1640 or visit latidodc.wix.com/latidodc. l

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

theFeed

UNDER SEXED

LGBTQ students must often look elsewhere to find information lacking from traditional sex ed classes By John Riley

SHAE CARDENAS / SHUTTERSTOCK, INC.

HEN I WAS YOUNGER, THERE WAS NO sexual health education — or very limited sexual health education — taught in school,” says Adalphie Johnson. “We had one unit for the week on sexual health, and it was more a scare tactic than anything else. We were shown a bunch of pictures of extreme cases of various STIs, and told, ‘This is why you shouldn’t have sex.’ And that was it. So it wasn’t a sex-positive experience, and it didn’t even touch on relationships.” Johnson, a former sexual health educator and now program director for Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders, also found that as a queer woman, there were virtually no places where she could seek relevant information on sexual health. Unfortunately, while sex education is more prevalent now than it was during Johnson’s Washington, D.C. childhood, it still skews sexual health and behavior towards a heteronormative perspective. “Most kids that come into our youth center, come in with a limited background, most of the time because the schools they attend don’t offer a comprehensive sexual health program,” she says. “And if they do offer one, it is not inclusive of those that are within the LGBTQ community.” Some school systems that serve SMYAL youth, particularly in the District and Maryland, have improved their curriculum to touch on LGBTQ issues. But many school-age youth, burdened with questions, still must seek out external resources like SMYAL to learn about sexual health. In Virginia the situation is worse, with sex ed classes far more rigid and not sex-positive — a situation that further complicates a teen’s ability to access information. Experiences like Johnson’s aren’t altogether uncommon for LGBTQ youth says Ericka Hart, director of education and youth programs at GLSEN. “According to the 2015 National School Climate Survey, less than 6 percent of LGBTQ middle and high school students in the United States learned positive representations of LGBTQ issues in

health class,” she says. “Most of the curriculum that’s used is heterosexist, or based in heterosexism. So maybe there will be one module toward LGBTQ youth, or LGBTQ identities, period. And it’s usually based in adversity, like, ‘How to protect yourself if you get HIV.’ It’s never sex-positive. It’s all based in scarcity [of information] and fear.” Another complicating factor is the lack of standardized teaching in sex education. Because curriculums are decided at the local level, rather than statewide or national, the quality and tone of sex education often depends on a community’s own values or priorities. That inherent bias can lead to a large degree of variance when it comes to what information is shared. Hart notes that in GLSEN’s report From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited, which looked at student responses to the 2015 National School Climate Survey, 46.5 percent of LGBTQ students said their instruction in sex education was not useful, compared to 29 percent of nonLGBTQ students. As a result, students — regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity — may resort to the Internet to get the information they need. “Both society and the gay community as a whole are highly sexualized. We talk about sex a lot, but we don’t actually talk about sex and health as much,” says Dan Wohlfeiler, director of Building Healthy Online Communities, a project of the National Coalition of STD Directors. “So sex education in this country it typically very minimal, and if you’re not a straight person, you’re going to get even less that’s relevant to you. “For a lot of kids — and gay kids in particular — if you want sex ed and you’re not getting it in school, and you want to learn how it works, you go on to porn sites. And those aren’t necessarily the best places to get good education.” In order to make up for a lack of sexual health education, Building Healthy Online Communities has tried to reach at-risk communities — such as men who have sex with men — through popular dating or hookup websites

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

theFeed and phone apps. In 2013, the organization brought together app owners, users and public health professionals to find common ground on strategies that could be used to provide users with comprehensive information about sexual health practices. Subsequently, several website and apps have added additional features like expanded profile options detailing HIV status and sexual practices, a glossary of terms defining everything from “safe sex” to “undetectable,” regular HIV/STI testing reminders, and even public service announcement videos that touch on issues like the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Other people feel the best way to reach LGBTQ people is through intimate, peer-led discussion groups. Emmett Patterson, one of the co-founders of Not Your Average Sex Talk, says that even though he received comprehensive instruction in sex education while attending high school in Washington, Pa., it wasn’t sufficient to suit his needs. “Whenever I was in sex ed, it became apparent that I needed things that other people in my class didn’t, related to my sexual orientation at that time, and then my gender identity, when I came out as tran,” he says. “I think the biggest gap [for queer people] is around things that aren’t related to pregnancy and STI prevention. I don’t see a lot of safe spaces for people to talk about navigating power dynamics with their partner, or talking about STI risk maintenance in a harm-reductive way. So everyone talks about ‘use a condom,’ but the reality is not everybody is going to use a condom every time, so how do we prepare people and give them the information if they don’t choose to use a condom, or condoms don’t work for them? How do we let them make informed decisions about their health?” Patterson, who previously served as a peer educator, and his co-founder, Lex Loro, started Not Your Average Sex Talk by accident, after they attempted to hold an information session for queer students at American University. “We had invited some people from local clinics who deal with queer people to come lead this exercise. And they didn’t show,” says Patterson. “We have a room of seventy people, so Lex and I said, ‘Why don’t we just lead a conversation?’” Patterson and Loro emphasized open, honest discussions of information that queer people were lacking. It was so successful that after the session they decided to provide resources to other groups, allowing them to facilitate their own discussions. “It really comes back to that piece of letting peers lead that conversation, and you, as an adult person, are really just there as a facilitator,” says Patterson. “We don’t like to take a prescriptive approach, where we fly in and we’re going to take care of this for you. We really do want to get people the tools to build on what they already do well.” A similar approach is being used by REALTalk, a pro-

gram of Whitman-Walker Health’s Youth Services division. It hopes to provide comprehensive sex education to youth in D.C. Genoa Rucker, the education and leadership coordinator of REALTalk, says one of the most effective channels for communicating relevant sexual health information is through REALTalk’s network of peer educators. They can serve as a conduit between youth and the adult educators or health professionals. “If our peer educators don’t know the answer to a question, they’ll come and ask us, and then take it back to their peers,” says Rucker. “Young people are more likely to listen to other young people, so that’s one way we are succeeding.” Rucker noticed that LGBTQ youth may censor themselves in larger groups or traditional classroom settings for fear of being outed or bullied. However, those same youth will generally be more forthcoming when REALTalk holds smaller classes or sessions at its peer education center, which acts as a “safe space” for LGBTQ-identified people. Recalling her own experience being taught “abstinence-only” sex education by a seemingly reticent gym teacher in Dayton, Ohio, Rucker believes the comfort level of parents and teachers may also pose a barrier when it comes to helping young people access relevant sexual health information. Jennafer Kwait, the LGBT Research Manager at Whitman-Walker Health, says that even well-informed parents and adults can struggle with how to broach LGBTQrelated topics. “I can speak to my own son, who was going through some sex ed programming at an independent school. I asked about it, and said, ‘Well, there are many ways that people have sex.’ And he said, ‘Well, can you tell me about that?’” Kwait recalls. “And I, who have been doing this work, stumbled about where to even begin and how to explain. For a cisgender, heterosexual woman, thinking about how to have these conversations was hard, even for someone immersed in this work.” Kwait has held a series of focus groups of youth aged 16-24 on the subject of sexual health education. Feedback from participants shows young people desire as much information as possible when it comes to sex. They also seek an approach that’s sex-positive and doesn’t focus solely on risks, such as transmission of STIs and HIV. “One of the things that came out loud and clear in the focus groups was that LGBTQ young people want to know how things work for non-heterosexual sex,” she says. “They want educators who are comfortable and knowledgeable and able to talk about this. They were really eager for more specific information, and felt that you really do learn it from peers or ‘as you go,’ and that there was no road map. Someone even said, ‘How awesome would it be if there were a “Bottoming for Beginners” guidebook?’” l

“How do we prepare people and give them the information if they don’t choose to use a condom? How do we let them make informed decisions about their health?”

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

JULIAN VANKIM

Community

MODEL BEHAVIOR

A dozen models will strut their stuff to raise money for LGBT high school athletes

AST YEAR, ONE OF THE MODELS PASSED OUT FROM NOT EATING,” says Brent Minor. “It was kind of funny, because he just blacked out for a second, and I turned around — I’m dressed like Barbara Bush — and said, ‘Is there a doctor in the house?’ Somebody said, ‘I’m a doctor!’ and I said, ‘Oh, my God, it worked!’” The executive director of Team DC is hoping there won’t be any similar mishaps at this year’s Fashion Show and Model Search, happening on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Town Danceboutique. The event raises money for Team DC’s scholarship program, which provides financial assistance to LGBTQ student athletes who have made significant contributions to their sport. Each year, a dozen or so male models exhibit some of the trendiest threads — from swimwear to underwear to street clothes found at area stores like Bite the Fruit and TrickBox. Items are auctioned off to the highest bidder, with the models disrobing piece by piece. A panel of judges helps choose the winner. “I’m always amazed at people’s ability to get on stage and just have fun with the show,” says Minor. “Here are all these models looking fabulous, saying ‘I’m too fat,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I dream of just getting down to hefty,’” —John Riley Team DC’s annual Fashion Show and Model Search is Saturday, Feb. 25 at Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St. NW. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. Cover is $15. Tickets can be purchased in advance at bit.ly/TDCFashion. For more info, visit teamdc.org.

THURSDAY, February 16

Weekly Events

The DC Center holds a meeting of its POLY DISCUSSION GROUP, for people interested in polyamory, non-monogamy or other non-traditional relationships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedccenter.org.

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH

offers free HIV testing and HIV services (by appointment). 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center, 1400 Decatur St. NW. To arrange an appointment, call 202-291-4707, or visit andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at Takoma Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, visit swimdcac.org. DC FRONT RUNNERS run-

ning/walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with

socializing afterward. Route distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at 7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW. For more information, visit dcfrontrunners.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. DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds

practice. The team is always looking for new members. All welcome. 7:30-9:30 p.m. King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N St. SW. For more information, visit scandalsrfc.org or dcscandals@gmail.com.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happy hour at Sheraton in Reston. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar. For more information, visit dullestriangles.com.

HIV TESTING at WhitmanWalker Health. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW, and 8 a.m-5 p.m. at the Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit whitman-walker.org. IDENTITY offers free and confidential HIV testing at two separate locations. Walk-ins

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

accepted from 2-6 p.m., by appointment for all other hours. 414 East Diamond Ave., Gaithersburg, Md. or 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411, Takoma Park, Md. To set up an appointment or for more information, call Gaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.

METROHEALTH CENTER

offers free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an appointment, call 202-638-0750.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5

p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-5673155 or testing@smyal.org.

Us Helping Us hosts a NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS MEETING. The group is independent of UHU. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For more information, call 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE for young LBTQ

women, 13-21, interested in leadership development. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth Center, 410 7th St. SE. For more information, call 202567-3163, or email catherine.chu@ smyal.org.

FRIDAY, February 17 GAY DISTRICT, a group for

GBTQQI men between the ages of 18-35, meets on the first and third Fridays of each month. Dinner or social outing to follow the meeting. 8:30-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit gaydistrict.org. Volunteers are needed to help with CASA RUBY’S MONTHLY DINNER. Held on the third Friday of each month, in conjunction with The DC Center, the event provides a hot meal to those individuals being housed at Casa Ruby. Homemade or store bought meals welcome. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Casa Ruby, 3530 Georgia Ave. NW. For more information, contact lamar@ thedccenter.org.

SATURDAY, February 18 CHRYSALIS arts and culture group

visits the Folger Library on Capitol Hill to view its lavish exhibition, “500 Years of Treasures from Oxford.” Free. Lunch in the neighborhood to follow. Meet at 11 a.m. in the the library entrance near 2nd and East Capitol Streets SE. For more information, contact Craig, 202-462-0535, craighowell1@verizon.net.

The DC Center hosts a monthly LGBT ASYLEES SUPPORT MEETING AND DINNER for LGBT

refugees and asylum seekers. 5-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

SUNDAY, February 19 Weekly Events LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS

MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH

celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave. NW. 202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

holds a practice session at Wilson Aquatic Center. 9:30-11 a.m. 4551 Fort Dr. NW. For more information, visit swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterward. Route will be a distance run of 8, 10 or 12 miles. Meet at 9 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW. For more information, visit dcfrontrunners.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman Catholic Mass for the LGBT community. All welcome. Sign interpreted. 6 p.m. St. Margaret’s Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave. NW. For more info, visit dignitywashington.org. FAIRLINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH is an open, inclusive church. All welcome, including the LGBTQ community. Member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. Services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. 3900 King Street, Alexandria, Va. 703-6718557. For more info, visit fairlingtonumc.org.

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 floor. Special welcome to lesbians and gays. Handicapped accessible from Phelps Place gate. Hearing assistance. quakersdc.org.

HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT GROUP for gay men living in the

DC metro area. This group will be meeting once a month. For information on location and time, visit H2gether.com.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, God-centered

new age church & learning center. Sunday Services and Workshops event. 5419 Sherier Place NW. isddc.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF REFORMATION invites all to

Sunday worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is available at both ser-

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

vices. Welcoming LGBT people for 25 years. 212 East Capitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted) and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday School at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373, mccdc.com.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,

a Christ-centered, interracial, welcoming-and-affirming church, offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OF ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcom-

ing-and-affirming congregation, offers services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow UU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd. uucava.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-

ing 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, February 20 CENTER FAITH, a program of The

DC Center, hosts a meeting for the LGBT community and their religious allies. 7:30-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Participants are encouraged to do an intake assessment with moderator and social worker Sam Goodwin. 6-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, email Sam at samantha@ thedccenter.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THE DC CENTER hosts a “Packing

Party,” where volunteers assemble safe-sex kits of condoms and lube. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedccenter.org.

WEDNESDAY, February 22 The DC Center hosts a monthly meeting of its HIV PREVENTION WORKING GROUP. 6-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meet

for Duplicate Bridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center, 721 8th St., SE (across from Marine Barracks). No reservations needed, all welcome. Call 202841-0279 if you need a partner.

Weekly Events AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-

versation, meets about 6-6:30 p.m., Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome. For more information, call Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

holds a practice session at Dunbar Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW. For more information, visit swimdcac.org.

CHRYSALIS arts and culture group spends the Presidents Day Holiday at the National Gallery of Art West Wing to see exhibits on the 20th century jazz artist Stuart Davis and on the Florence Renaissance sculptor Luca della Robbia. Free. Lunch at Cascades Cafeteria inside NGA. Meet at 11 a.m. inside the lobby of the Old West Building at 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. For more info, contact Craig, 202-4620535, craighowell1@verizon.net.

FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a group for LGBT people looking to quit cigarettes and tobacco use, holds a weekly support meeting at The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

The Metro D.C. chapter of PFLAG, a support group for parents, family members and allies of the LGBTQ community, holds its monthly meeting at The DC Center. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social club

TUESDAY, February 21 CENTER BI, a group of The DC

Center, hosts a monthly roundtable discussion around issues of bisexuality. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedccenter.org. Queer-identifying women who have survived violent or traumatic experiences and are looking for support are invited to take part in a bi-weekly QUEER WOMEN

WORKING THROUGH TRAUMA GROUP at The DC Center.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support program for job entrants and seekers, meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more info, www.centercareers.org. for mature gay men, hosts weekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m., Windows Bar above Dupont Italian Kitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. More info, contact Carl, 703-573-8316.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9

p.m. Newcomers with at least basic swimming ability always welcome. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit wetskins.org. l Submit your community event for consideration at least 10 days prior to the Thursday publication you would like it to appear. Email to calendar@metroweekly.com.

Scene

46th Annual Scarlet’s Bake Sale at the DC Eagle - Sunday, Feb. 12 Photography by Ward Morrison

See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

Right Turn TO BE YOUNG, BLACK, GAY AND REPUBLICAN ISN’T EASY, ESPECIALLY IN THE ERA OF TRUMP. JUST ASK ANTHONY “REK” LECOUNTE. INTERVIEW BY JOHN RILEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIAN VANKIM

OMING OUT AS GAY NOW IS THE EASIEST THING IN THE world,” says Anthony “Rek” LeCounte. “No one has a problem with it, especially in D.C.” Coming out as Republican? Not so much. “I’ll often find myself trying to talk around my political views in conversations with folks in D.C. or in New York or New Haven, in ways I’m much less likely to do when it comes to my being gay,” says the 27-year old Arlington resident and board member of the D.C. Log Cabin Republicans. “It’s harder navigating the question of, ‘When do you make the reveal that you’re a Republican and how do you squeeze that in there?’” That’s not to say that coming out gay was simple for LeCounte, who was raised in a close-knit conservative military family by devout evangelical parents. His father, an Army officer, is also an ordained minister. Despite their religious beliefs, his parents eventually came to accept his sexual orientation, as well as his relationship with his boyfriend. “My parents are conservative Christians,” says LeCounte. “They’re still not going to be going to any gay pride parades or anything like that. I don’t see them joining PFLAG or anything. I don’t know how they square what their thoughts on my being 22

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

gay are with the church. I’m under the impression they think it’s a sin, but I’m not actually sure. They’re working through that their own way, and as long as our relationship continues to be warm, I’m happy to let them develop as they will.” The oldest of four children, LeCounte spent his childhood moving to various army bases: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, even Germany. The constant moving forced him to learn how to adapt to new situations and make new friends quickly. It’s a skill LeCounte has carried into adulthood, charming people with his outgoing nature, intelligence, and warm Southern drawl. Given his family’s conservative background, it’s not surprising that LeCounte eventually gravitated to the Republican Party. What’s also not surprising — particularly in our current political climate — is that people often take issue with the fact that he’s a Republican who happens to be both gay and African-American. “I’ve had a number of folks make crazy remarks at bars or on Facebook. A number of people have defriended me because of it,” he says. “I had an acquaintance who I ran into at a bar, and we chatted for a little bit. Later, he texted me and said something to the effect of ‘I’d forgotten you were a Log Cabin Republican, and like there’s nothing more disgusting to me than a Log Cabin Republican.’ And I responded, ‘Okay, well, you have a good night, too.’” LeCounte points out that Log Cabin hasn’t gotten the credit it deserves for working within the GOP to advance LGBTQ rights. “A lot of folks don’t realize, for example, that the lawsuit that led to the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ was a Log Cabin lawsuit,” he says. “Or that the Log Cabin Republicans submitted a white paper to the Trump administration about the executive order. [National Log Cabin President] Gregory Angelo has been in constant consultation with folks on the transition team, and later, in the administration, and has a bunch of them on speed dial. We’re making progress behind the scenes. We are getting folks who agree with us. We are turning the tide on a lot of LGBT rights issues from a Republican perspective.” Asked why the organization he belongs to hasn’t gotten a fair shake, LeCounte targets the staff at some national LGBTQ organizations. “There’s a saying in politics that ‘personnel is policy,’” he says. “A lot of these nonpartisan groups are staffed by aggressively left-wing progressive folks who, even if their organization say, ‘We believe X, Y,

and Z,’ have their own biases which then affect their decisions. If an LGBT candidate is pro-life, or supports gun rights, or holds a bunch of other conservative positions that run deeply counter to what the progressive movement is doing, a lot of these groups don’t want to be associated with those kind of candidates. So they’ll either endorse against or they’ll just pretend the candidate doesn’t exist.” That situation is further complicated by the “two-front war” Log Cabin must wage, not only against the Left, but from extreme social conservatives within the Republican Party, who wear hostility towards the LGBTQ community as a badge of honor. LeCounte believes that they are a dwindling minority, even within the GOP. “There’s the sense now that the mainstream of America is pro-LGBT, and therefore, the party needs to, at the very least look like it’s moving in that direction. Even if there’s still some policy disputes,” he says. “So a lot of the rankand-file Republicans find in Log Cabin a way to reach out directly to the LGBT community, or at the very least, ways to be and seem more inclusive.” Although LeCounte was not a Trump supporter in last year’s election — he felt Trump was insufficiently conservative — he is keeping an open mind when it comes to policy, preferring to score the president’s job performance on an issueby-issue basis. He is concerned, however, about the highly partisan nature of politics in Washington that threatens to keep Trump supporters and opponents in separate silos. “I think there’s a mutually reinforcing epistemic closure where President Trump isn’t talking to a lot of the folks who could probably help him policy wise,” he says. “And a lot of those people aren’t willing to help because apparently even just sitting on his economic counsel is grounds for people to boycott your company.” He points to the recent boycott of Uber, believed to be friendly to the Trump administration until it pulled away. “I think Trump would probably be more amenable to hearing some criticism and changing his mind about things, if there were a sense that it was being offered as constructive criticism,” LeCounte says. “We need folks who are Democrats or libertarian or even nonpartisan being willing to work with the administration to offer better ideas, good ideas, course corrections, and to do it from a place where they’re willing to say, ‘Yeah, I’m working with the administration to do this. I’m going to own part of this, too. This is a team effort.’”

radio on my way to and from school. I listened to Focus on the Family with James Dobson and some other conservative talk radio, so I always had Christian conservative-style views. Then, I kind of swung hard libertarian. I read half of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I went into college as this libertarian democrat, and then swung pretty hard left because of Yale. MW: What about Yale changed your views, particularly if Atlas Shrugged appealed to you? LECOUNTE: The social aspect of college. I was surrounded all the time by people who were just incredibly far left, and left in a way that I had never really experienced before. Growing up, a Democrat was a Mark Warner-style Democrat, or a Joe Manchin, or a Bill Nelson. Liberals were not that liberal. Especially in the military. Views in the military run the gamut, but all the Democrats were much more like working-class Democrats. When I went to Yale, everyone was aggressive, Marx-reading social Democrats, quoting Europe or citing Europe for every policy. I started to realize that, on a lot of things, I was kind of out of sync. It gradually reached a crescendo by senior year when I realized that I was skeptical of a lot of the policy goals [of liberals]. The entire social justice movement made me uneasy. Identity politics has always made me uncomfortable and has always struck me as everything that’s wrong with politics, and so that was a source of friction. Then the Tea Party rose up, and I remember having conversations where I’d say, “Some of the stuff they’re saying, they have a point,” or “Some of the criticisms you’re launching are just really unfair for these folks.” While that was happening, my conservative friends were increasing in number and I was having more conversations with them. They were having me look at other sources of information. I started reading stuff like National Review, and Heritage — this was before The Daily Signal — CATO, and Reason, and I started seeing alternate points of view that started making a lot of sense. In 2012, I realized, “Holy crap. I think I’m Republican.” So I made the switch, went out and volunteered for Mitt Romney, voted for Mitt Romney, and got my job in right-leaning politics, and it was off to the races from there. MW: Do you feel your military upbringing influenced your political leanings? LECOUNTE: Certainly. The military is a very right-leaning community, but not necessarily in the ways a lot of folks think. There is a lot of the traditional “three-legged stool” Republicanism — you know, social conservatism, economic conservatism and foreign policy, obviously. But a lot of folks in the military are just libertarian. A lot of that comes down to the environment you’re in. If you’re in the military, as a service member or a dependent, your

“I AM A YOUNG, BLACK, GAY MAN WHO WAS MUGGED BY REALITY, AND I DON’T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. I’m a guy who gets a paycheck and I want to keep more of my paycheck. I’m a gun owner who wants to make sure that my gun rights are being protected.”

METRO WEEKLY: When did you first realize you were a conserva-

tive Republican?

ANTHONY “REK” LECOUNTE: When I was in high school, I was

Democrat, but I was a pretty conservative one, because I was an evangelical Christian. I actually used to listen to Christian talk 24

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

entire life is heavily regulated by the government. Your kids go to federal government schools. You go to government doctors. A lot of times, you’re doing your shopping at government stores. You see, in just about everything you do, what a command economy looks like, and it’s really inefficient and frustrating and limiting. It leaves a lot of folks thinking, “Man, free markets are awesome.” You get this sort of libertarian atmosphere where one of the most popular bumper stickers I remember seeing was “Government philosophy: If it ain’t broke, fix it till it’s broke.” You say that to anyone with military experience, whether as a dependent or a service member, and they’ll immediately relate and have stories for you. I feel that sort of experience really primes you for a more libertarian world view. MW: Have you ever experienced any pushback from the AfricanAmerican community because you are Republican? LECOUNTE: The simple answer is yes. I actually got into this heated argument at a gay bar last week. A few Black Lives Matter protesters were there, and they weren’t protesting, just having a drink. I was there with some Republicans and they realized that we were a Republican group, so they came over to talk to us. Initially, they were friendly. We were happy to talk to them. Then they brought up Black Lives Matter, and I had a mild disagreement about a tactical question and they flew off the handle. Within half-an-hour, one of them was shouting “You’re a traitor to your race. You’re a self-hating black man.” One said, “I protest so that we can have fewer people like you. So I can stop people like you.” Those incidents, fortunately, don’t happen too often now, but if I make a mistake and I’m walking down the street in D.C. with any kind of Republican paraphernalia there will be comments. Especially in 2012, I would wear my Romney/Ryan pin and more than a few times someone on the Metro would just have very choice remarks. Every so often, they would threaten violence. On four or five different occasions, I’ve almost been the victim of a hate crime for two reasons: once for being gay, and the others for being a Republican while black. MW: Have these altercations ever turned physical? LECOUNTE: They would have, but I managed to remove myself from the situation. Two of them were on the Metro. In one case, there was a Metro worker who wasn’t inciting the incident, but was very approvingly standing by the guy who was. It was an awful situation. That’s part of why I generally don’t go around with Republican paraphernalia that’s visible anymore. Nowadays, you just don’t know. It’s kind of par for the course. You’re used to it. Sen. Tim Scott got up and gave a speech a couple days ago about how he got all manner of invective for supporting Jeff Sessions’ nomination for attorney general. He read some of the tweets that folks were sending him. They were

calling him a “house negro,” which I’ve been called. I’ve also been called a “house faggot.” It’s just kind of par for the course if you’re a minority Republican. There are certain comments you know you’re going to get. MW: Why is that? LECOUNTE: Because a lot of folks take politics personally. In a way that I think conservatives, like myself, try not to. Instead of just saying, “Oh, this person disagrees with me. That’s interesting,” a lot of folks take it as a personal affront that you disagree with them, especially if you disagree with them as a black man or a gay man or a woman. MW: Do you expect more African-Americans to become Republicans as time goes on? LECOUNTE: I hope so. I’ve noticed that in the last couple of elections, young black voters, especially young black male voters, vote significantly more republican than older black voters, and obviously, more than black women. In 2012, for example, among young black men, a full one-fifth of them voted for Mitt Romney. I don’t know what the numbers were for Trump, but it’s probably higher this time around. [Editor’s note: Only 13% of African American men voted for Trump, with just 9% of African Americans 18-29 — regardless of gender — voting for him. Source: Mic.] I would expect that as a lot of those folks grow older, and as the Republican party makes more of an effort to be inclusive to black voters and actually starts to show up, you will see a lot more folks voting Republican. What that will look like and to what degree the Republican Party will capitalize on that, I have no idea. I would hope that within a few election cycles we get to a point where a Republican getting double digits of the black vote is normal and expected. And then a dam will break, because once it becomes normal to see black Republicans, it will encourage a lot of other folks to say, “Hey, I don’t have to be a Democrat.” Then things will get interesting. MW: As a group, LGBTQ people overwhelmingly identify as Democrat. Why do you think that is? LECOUNTE: A lot of it comes down to historical Republican opposition to the LGBT rights movement, which is understandable. Republicans bitterly opposed same-sex marriage. Of course, Democrats did, too, but the Republicans were a little bit more enthusiastic about it. Republicans pushed a lot of the marriage amendments that are still in the constitutions of thirty-something states. Republicans, to this day, are opposing a lot of the trans rights stuff. So I think a lot of LGBT folks see Republicans as the party of the opposition to their civil rights. There are also a lot of folks in the Republican party who are happy to take up that mantle. I think those folks are a shrinking minority of the party, but there’s a lot of them, and they’re pretty loud. For that reason, a lot of LGBT folks take Democrat versus

“WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP DOES THINGS I AGREE WITH, I’M GOING TO PRAISE HIM, and when he does things I disagree with, I’m going to oppose him. I’m just taking it issue by issue, trying to influence him to do the things I support.”

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

Republican very, very personally in a way that I find completely understandable. MW: Do you feel that more LGBTQ people would become Republican if the Party stopped its opposition to our rights? LECOUNTE: I think so. I know a lot of gay people who have conservative ideas about national defense or economic policies or various social issues that are not gay rights. I think a lot of those folks would be more willing to identify as Republican if they didn’t feel that by doing so they were running counter to their interest in terms of issues like same-sex marriage or anti-discrimination laws. MW: What do you view as the difference between being a conservative and being a Republican? LECOUNTE: To be Republican is more of a partisan tribal kind of identification. It’s “This is my team, this is my coalition, I’m invested in this Party’s agenda, this Party’s goals, this Party’s candidates.” Being a conservative is more about a philosophy. Some folks are conservatives first, and they’re Republicans because that is the closest thing to a conservative. Some folks are Republicans first, and they are conservative when the Republican Party’s conservative, and they’re not conservative when the Republican Party’s not. I’m more of a conservative first, a libertarian-leaning conservative. And to the extent that the Republican Party is the best vehicle to promote the conservative and libertarian policy goals, that’s the umbrella that I want to work within. If at some point, it somehow became the case that Democrats were much better on a lot of those issues that I care about, then I would happily support either a particular Democratic candidate or even the Democratic Party at large. For now, though, that doesn’t seem to be the case. MW: You were famously one of the “Never Trump” Republicans during the last campaign. Do you feel Donald Trump is a conservative, or is he just a Republican? LECOUNTE: Well, he’s definitely Republican. I think, more than anything, the president is a populist. He wants to do what the American people really want, and especially the things that they want that run counter to elite opinion. For example, elites love trade deals. A lot of voters don’t, so Trump wants to represent the voters who don’t like those. Similarly, with immigration or other issues. I think his goal and the way he sees himself is to represent the folks whose voices aren’t usually heard. Sometimes, that veers him towards the conservative direction. He favors tax cuts and he has appointed a conservative, libertarian-leaning Supreme Court justice. But sometimes that leans in a complete other direction, like with protectionism, for example. Conservatives are generally very anti-protectionist. We don’t like tariffs, and we’re generally very fond of trade deals. MW: Have you changed your mind about Trump from how you viewed him during last year’s campaign? LECOUNTE: I think the campaign is one thing, and the adminis-

tration is another. I sort of take a similar approach to Trump that I did to President Obama. When President Trump does things I agree with, I’m going to praise him, and when he does things I disagree with, I’m going to oppose him. I’m just taking it issue by issue, trying to influence him to do the things I support the way I would any other president. MW: Based on what you’ve seen so far, do you largely agree or disagree with his actions as president? LECOUNTE: It’s a bit of a mixed bag. I think he’s done some encouraging things. He’s done some frustrating things. Mostly, though, he hasn’t done much yet. MW: What’s the best thing you think he’s done? LECOUNTE: The Gorsuch pick, by a mile. I’m very excited about the Gorsuch pick. That is the happiest I’ve been about politics since November 2014. MW: What’s the worst thing you think he’s done? LECOUNTE: Probably the travel ban, or whatever we’re calling that. I have a very Christian perspective about refugees and taking care of the victims of horrific situations around the world, especially in a situation where we had a hand in why it’s that bad. Seeing that translators who worked with us in Iraq who finally got their visas are now being turned away at the airport is very frustrating. The administration does seem to be figuring out some of the things that work, and figuring out some of the things that they should be doing differently, and so I hope that’s one of the things where cooler heads will prevail, but I guess we’ll see. MW: Do you think the LGBTQ community has been overreacting to some of the actions taken by the Trump administration? LECOUNTE: There was an article — I think it was in The Washington Post — that said something to the effect of “Not every Trump outrage is outrageous.” I think a lot of folks are inclined to think the worst of the new administration, and so every time they hear a whiff of rumor of something awful, they’ll dial it up to 11 immediately, even if the rumor was never credible or it wasn’t clear where it was going to go, or whatever. I think a more productive approach that a lot of conservatives are taking is: “Relax, let’s wait and see what’s going to happen. Let’s actually find out if this thing is actually unprecedented or if it’s just an ordinary thing.” MW: Do you think that people should take Trump at his word when he promises to do things like signing the First Amendment Defense Act, or fulfill other promises that he’s made to social conservatives, or is that just pandering for political reasons? LECOUNTE: I think candidate Trump was trying to get those people to feel like their concerns were heard, without necessarily giving them everything they want. Because candidate Trump made a point of saying like, “I’m going to be pro-LGBT.” The quote was “You can expect forward motion on LGBT rights in this administration.” To the extent that he’s not actually done anything to under-

“They brought up Black Lives Matter, and within halfan-hour, one of them was shouting “You’re a traitor to your race. You’re a self-hating black man.” One said, “I PROTEST SO THAT WE CAN HAVE FEWER PEOPLE LIKE YOU. SO I CAN STOP PEOPLE LIKE YOU.”

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

mine LGBT rights in any meaningful way — maintaining the order, saying that, for him, same-sex marriage is a solved issue — LGBT rights groups, as well as LGBT voters, should keep their powder dry. If he actually promoted the First Amendment Defense Act to undo the anti-discrimination laws, then that’s a reason to get up in arms, but for now he doesn’t seem to be pushing that at all. I’m not aware of any serious push within Congress. I think that last session, they didn’t even get it out of the House. It’s definitely not getting out of the Senate. So it’s never going to get to his desk to sign or veto. MW: How do you feel about Mike Pence? LECOUNTE: I would love to meet him in person. He seems like he would be a very, very Midwestern guy, in the most salt-ofthe-earth, folksy, down-home sort of way. I get the sense that he doesn’t actually want to be controversial. When the Indiana fight happened over the original Religious Freedom Rights Act, [critics] came out and they said this is awful for these reasons. Mike Pence went back and said, “All right, change the law.” And they changed the law, and he signed it. I think he doesn’t get enough credit for the fact that he did call for the law to be changed and he did sign to change the law, which he didn’t have to do. Again, that’s something folks like [North Carolina Gov.] Pat McCrory just didn’t do. That has to count for something. MW: How do you respond to people who say, “You’re young, gay, African-American, and Republican. Why are you a Republican?” Do you have an elevator speech or any explanation that you would give to them? LECOUNTE: I really should work on an elevator speech. I’ve been thinking about ways to do that. It’s really context-specific. Sometimes, to be honest, I’ll just ignore the question if I don’t

feel like answering it. But when I am in the mood to answer the question, the simple version is I am a young, black, gay man who was mugged by reality, and I don’t want that to happen again. I’m a guy who gets a paycheck and I want to keep more of my paycheck. I’m a guy whose family is in the military, and I want to know that our military’s keeping us safe and that we’re looking out for our military. I’m a guy who’s mom was a military police officer, and I want to know that our policies around law enforcement are productive and fair for both suspects and the accused, as well as safe and fair for law enforcement. I’m a gun owner who wants to make sure that my gun rights are being protected. I’m a person of faith who cares that religious liberty continues to exist in this country. I’m a person who cares deeply about education policy, and I want to know that my kids, if or when I have any, will be able to go to good schools and that we will have a serious degree of choice in terms of being able to make sure they’re well-educated. On a lot of those issues, the Republicans in general and conservatives have the right ideas about how to move forward, whereas Democrats are off in the wrong direction. Democrats are, obviously, not at all pro-gun anymore. A lot of them oppose school choice. They have various opinions about the military that I’m a little bit skeptical of. While, yes, I might disagree with where the Republican Party stands on LGBT issues right now, as far as being black and young, the Republican Party has loads to offer me that I think the Democratic Party does not. l For more information about the D.C. chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, visit dclogcabin.wordpress.com. For information on the national chapter, visit logcabin.org.

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

David Hockney, Los Angeles, 2016

MATTHIAS VRIENS-MCGRATH

Gallery

David Hockney. A Bigger Book Hardcover, 19.6” x 27.5”, 498 pages, 13 fold-outs, with an adjustable bookstand designed by Marc Newson, plus an illustrated 680-page chronology book $2,500 www.taschen.com FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

SCOTT SUCHMAN

Stage

Storm Troopers

Woolly Mammoth’s atmospheric production of Clare Barron’s stark examination of faith yields less than blessed results By André Hereford

MASSIVE, RAGING STORM BEARS DOWN ON A SMALL, EASTERN Washington state town. Devoutly Christian and pregnant mother Carol (Kate Eastwood Norris) and her equally devout husband, Gabe (Cody Nickell), give thanks to the Lord for their blessings and pray that He will protect their home and family from the ravages of the coming tempest. As becomes apparent relatively quickly, it’s with some good judgment that Carol and Gabe should put their faith and fate in God’s hands: it might take a miracle to survive the onslaught of gale force winds, biblical rains, fallen trees, storm-tossed deer, and the unexpected arrival of their adult daughter, Cynthia (Caroline Dubberly), who also happens to be very pregnant with her first child in Clare Barron’s Baby Screams Miracle (HHHHH), now at Woolly Mammoth. Since Gabe can’t seem to fix anything around the house without breaking something else — usually some part of his body — it’s a good thing Carol’s sturdy mother, Barbara (Sarah Marshall), is on hand to help batten down the hatches and keep an eye on the couple’s nine-year old daughter, Kayden (Mia Rilette). As the storm hits, bringing floods and power outages, the loving but fractured family huddles together, forced to rely on each other for safety, mostly united in their faith that the Lord will see them through any ensuing devastation. They will need more than prayer, however, when close quarters, frightening circumstances and Cynthia’s inscrutably aggressive behavior, especially towards young Kayden, all threaten to stir up more dirt and devastation than any random weather event. These are extreme times, as Grandma Barbara wisely remarks. Howard Shalwitz stages the extremely windswept action via an evocative mix of multi-layered lighting, sound and video design (crafted by, respectively, Autum 30

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

Casey, Palmer Hefferan and Jared Mezzocchi), abetted by wind machines and good, old-fashioned physical comedy. The dynamic presentation of the characters’ hostile environment adds a storybook quality of wonder and excitement to what feels like a grown-up fable about the faithful besieged by disasters both natural and familial. A centerpiece image in Shalwitz’s production is a miniature model of Carol and Gabe’s wood-frame house, which succumbs to gusty winds and, hoisted by wires, takes off like Auntie Em’s farmhouse up, up, up over the stage. Later, in its oddly timed descent back down to the stage, the model house resembles nothing so much as Spinal Tap’s tiny Stonehenge slowly, comically coming to rest at the actors’ feet. Given the effectiveness of the multi-media scene-setting, the dwarf house seems a misstep. Barron pokes at the existential angst of bringing new life into an uncertain world, as well as the ordinary perils of being a parent (“It’s hard, motherhood.”). With Cynthia’s strange behavior — particularly in an uncomfortably intimate, teasing game she introduces to Kayden — the play raises the decidedly continues on page 32

MATT BOURNE

Music

Scavenging for Brilliance

The genre blurring alt rock band Mother Mother unearths a bold and playful new confidence By Sean Maunier

N THE SURFACE, THERE’S LITTLE ABOUT MOTHER MOTHER THAT should provoke a strong reaction. The seemingly innocuous band has proved surprisingly divisive, however, inspiring both disdain and adoration. In the decade since their debut, they have been criticized for falling back on pop-rock cliches as often as they have received praise for self-aware songwriting and an idiosyncratic sound often difficult to pin down, having drifted from their quirky folk beginnings into something occupying the space between indie pop and alt rock. The band, of course, is highly aware of its schismatic reputation and play to it almost gleefully. Where other artists attempt to play down or transcend the fundamentally imitative nature of pop music, Mother Mother embraces it. At its best, their sixth studio album No Culture (HHHHH) offers expert songwriting, powerful vocal and instrumental elements, and a namesake track that functions as a playfully self-conscious nod to fans and detractors alike. As the album opens to the stomps and claps of the guitar-heavy anthem “Free,” it’s clear the acoustic sensibility of the band’s early days has given way to a sound far more brash, intense and confident than anything that came before it. “Love Stuck” and “The Drugs” drive the point home with razor sharp hooks and intense, pulsing beats.

The opening tracks have a stadium-ready grandiosity — all three tracks seem deliberately engineered to get a festival crowd stomping and clapping along. No Culture rarely returns to this level of intensity, but even at its low points, siblings Ryan and Molly Guldemond, along with Jasmin Parker, deliver vocals that drive the album and infuse it with an infectious, satisfying brightness. As precise and memorable as the songwriting is at times, Mother Mother’s tendency to fall back on well-worn pop cliches is still apparent. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — the lead single, “The Drugs,” holds up as a catchy, highly listenable song in spite of its tired comparison between love and addiction. Even the cringe-inducing, pop punk inflected lyrics of “Back in School” are propelled by a stomping beat and a powerful rhythm section. Elsewhere, however, the line between playful and serious is blurred almost beyond recognition. “Letter,” arguably the worst offender, features lyrics that waver between the eye-rolling and the nonsensical. Imagine, in the year 2017, waiting by the mailbox every day hoping that an

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

unrequited love will eventually write back. It’s an excessively maudlin track that strikes an oddly self-serious tone for a band more than capable of winking at its critics. Mother Mother’s sense of humor leaves open the possibility that “Letter” might be parody, but it is presented so sincerely that one wonders why bother at all? The middle third of the album is dragged down by a shift into a darker, more nocturnal tone. It’s interesting stylistically, but awkwardly delivered. The ambitious “Baby Boy” is full of compelling elements, but none work particularly well together, with transitions that are abrupt and jarring. Despite its hook, “Mouth of the Devil” also suffers from a flirtation with a darker tone, but doesn’t quite land. None of the middle tracks are terrible per se, but after such a strong opening, they’re a disappointment. Fortunately, No Culture closes out strong. The acerbic title track toys with the fundamentally derivative nature of pop music. Ryan Guldemond playfully exaggerates his critics’ accusations of unoriginality, comparing himself to various scavengers and predators. More surprising but no less satisfying is “Everything

is Happening,” which reprises the same ideas in a more sincere tone, setting pop music’s tendency towards imitation against themes of renewal and rebirth. If “a black star falls into the sea,” Guldemond sings, it’s only “to make room for the next prodigy.” It might be the most striking line of the album, at once subtly referencing David Bowie’s passing and gently making note of the cyclical, self-referential nature of the music industry. It makes for a thoughtful and surprisingly poignant interlude before the album returns to a soaring power ballad one last time on the sentimental closer “Family.” In all fairness, Mother Mother is experimenting here, and experiments do not always succeed. If an awkward midsection can be forgiven for the sake of a strong beginning and end, No Culture holds up as a worthwhile album despite its flaws. Tracks like “Love Stuck” and the title track stand among the band’s best work, even if their brilliance makes the album’s rough midsection that much more frustrating by comparison. No Culture may not fully live up to its potential, but its high points are signs of a talented band going in exciting directions. l

No Culture is available on Spotify and iTunes, and for sale at mothermothersite.com.

more sinister possibility that some long-past or recent sexual abuse occurred in the family. But, as darkly intriguing as that possibility and its ramifications might be, the family’s secrets and tricky relationships ultimately are hard to pin down, due in no small part to deliberate obfuscation on Cynthia’s part, and the play’s too-opaque view of other characters’ motives beyond surviving the storm. A bouncy succession of scenes, staged often as ying-yang duos (Carol and Gabe, Cynthia and Kayden, Gabe and Cynthia) pile up, as the family’s faith is tested by death, destruction and Gabe’s accident-prone attempts to secure their lives and property. Yet the underlying purpose doesn’t manifest in a particularly moving fashion, despite each cast member seizing their moment to shine. Woolly Mammoth vets Norris and Nickell bring a compellingly salt-of-the-earth quality to Carol and Gabe, rendering their faith in God

SCOTT SUCHMAN

continued from page 30

and commitment to each other as the pillars of a sweet, loving marriage of like-minded individuals. Longtime company member Marshall is a total delight channeling Barron’s looping, occasionally Beckettian rhythms through the persona of an amusingly with-it and folksy grandma. The subtle implication that, despite her grandmotherly appeal, Barbara might be the damaged root of an unhealthy family tree, comes through vaguely, yet powerfully enough to make the point. Far more forceful in making her points, Dubberly’s Cynthia, full of rage and pain and reproach, elevated by the actor’s often melodic delivery, supplies much of the requisite tension and danger. Cynthia is the storm that bears the most ill winds, and Dubberly captures the hail of emotions that stir her to incite trouble. Unfortunately, a few fine performances and one miniature, floating house are not enough to connect this play’s disjointed narrative. l

To Feb. 26 at Woolly Mammoth, 641 D St NW. Tickets are $20 to $64. Call 202-393-3939, or visit WoollyMammothTheatre.org. 32

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

STAN BAROUH

Stage

Close Shaves

Olney’s exceptional Sweeney Todd features an inspired cast led by the magnificent E. Faye Butler By Doug Rule

. FAYE BUTLER HAS NEVER BEEN THE SHY, RETIRING OF ACTOR TO subsume herself in a role. And no one would ever want her to. Butler is a force to be reckoned with on her own, possessing a demeanor that naturally compels our attention. She never fails to command the stage and steal most every scene she’s in, if not the whole show, even when in a minor role. So when Olney Theatre announced Butler would take on the leading role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, it sent a jolt of excitement through many avid theatergoers. It was an inspired choice. And it is. But before explaining why, I should note that Butler isn’t the only noteworthy development in Olney’s exceptional production, helmed by Jason Loewith. It’s quite likely you haven’t seen a more diverse Sweeney Todd (HHHHH), as the large 19-member cast is more than one-third minority — including six black actors — and features at least one more woman than usual. Beadle Bamford, the crooked Judge Turpin’s fawning yes-man assistant, is imaginatively played by Rachel Zampelli in drag. It’s an amusing alteration but little more than a cosmetic change: Beadle is still the dastardly accomplice offered a free shave by Sweeney — and he gets more than his whiskers cut. Murder, mayhem and pies made of human flesh — there are few musicals as dark as the one that reigns as Stephen Sondheim’s most popular. A “dark operetta,” this tale of barber turned murderous after having been wronged by a crooked judge, also sounds different from most other musicals and is often performed in opera houses

as well as theaters. At Olney, everything starts off sounding as though you’re in church. Conductor Doug Lawler pounds out the opening notes on an amped keyboard that emulates an enveloping, echoing pipe organ. The effect is in service to “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd,” a foreboding opening number that samples the Funeral Mass. It’s a solemn affair that quickly becomes eerie, as lighting designer Colin K. Bills ramps up the strobes to give fleeting glimpses of a roving Greek chorus of actors warning of the melodrama to come. Designer Milagros Ponce de Leon frames the action with a multi-story set of black metal staircases and walkways, evoking grimy, gloomy 19th Century London in the burgeoning days of the Industrial Revolution. The result is a kind of “twisted Victorian jungle gym” that is urban and dark. Amid all the doom and gloom, there are some rays of light. Gracie Jones is ravishing as the fair-haired Johanna, ward of the creepy Judge Turpin (Thomas Adrian Simpson). Another highlight is continues on page 35

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Stage

Fighting Tyrants Arena’s Watch on the Rhine struggles to master Lillian Hellman’s challenging structure By Kate Wingfield

N OUR BRAVE NEW WORLD OF TWEET-BITES, THE WORD “REFUGEE” has become synonymous with... well, just check your feed. You know the answer. But it wasn’t always so. Before the pile-driving campaigns branding refugees as either drains on society or terrorists, there was a time when the designation had a different kind of potency. In Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine (HHHHH), it is 1940 and fascism is gripping Europe. As nations equivocate, there are some — many just ordinary citizens — who have seen the writing on the wall. At tremendous risk to themselves, their families and their friends, they have joined growing resistance movements, working to sabotage fascist operations and strongholds. But their lives are in constant danger and they must stay on the move. If they land in a sympathetic country, say, the United States, they may just need safe harbor. As such, there is no doubt Watch on the Rhine puts a timely spin on the current debate. But as gratifying as it is to be reminded that refugees can sometimes be the world’s heroes (as well as innocent people unlucky enough to be born in the wrong place at the wrong time), the play offers few answers to today’s complicated questions. Hellman’s drama is centered on the moral quandaries and imperatives of World War II Europe, not the twenty-first century global dilemma of mass migration from war-torn regions and burgeoning terrorism. In any event, all this thought-provocation doesn’t count for much if Rhine’s story isn’t well told and, unfortunately, this production never quite delivers. To be fair, some of the problem rests with Hellman’s decision to switch genres midstream. Although the play begins with the drawing-room comedy life of matriarch Fanny Farrelly (Marsha 34

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

Mason) in the Washington D.C. suburbs, the mood turns permanently somber with the arrival of her daughter Sara (Lise Bruneauand) her young family after a 20-year absence. Gone — but not forgotten — are the edicts, quips and amusing family dynamics, and it’s incongruous. It’s also a shame, since Mason delivers a charismatic and convincing Fanny and there is promise here of so much more. Her chemistry with servants Anise and Joseph, played with understated humor by Helen Hedman and Addison Switzer, offers much charm and a soft-touch on her obvious co-dependence. But it all seems like something of a red herring once drama takes hold of the house. The switch also puts a true burden on the characters who must convince us of the new mood: Sara’s obviously troubled husband Kurt Muller (Andrew Long) and Fanny’s long-term house-guest, the impecunious Romanian count, Teck De Brancovis (J Anthony Crane). Tension arises with the count’s immediate suspicion of Muller, a German hailing from a mysterious existence in Europe. A series of confrontations between the two men leads to enormous revelations about both. Yet, despite plenty of energy, neither character is convincing enough to create any

true nature of her relationship with the count and her heart’s desires. She is also one of the only actors here who delivers her Hellman with convincing cadence. As Fanny’s son David, Thomas Keegan’s role also fades to gray after Sara arrives. But he works hard to inject David with a quiet realism and ends up being memorable, even if there is no detectable frisson with Marthe. Finally, kudos must be given to the three young people playing the Muller children. Ethan Miller convincingly combines Joshua’s mix of uncertainty and determination, while Tyler Bowman carries off his young Bodo with charisma and ease. Lucy Breedlove gives her Babette an extraordinarily sweet countenance and it is her charmingly played quiet expressiveness that delivers perhaps the only pathos in the production — she is the gentle love and innocence Kurt must leave behind. While this production is not quite a mastery of Hellman’s challenging structure, there are at least two reasons to see it. It’s a reminder that the next refugee in line may have risked his or her life to champion the values we share. And it is a reminder that great play writing will always trump a tweet. l C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

real danger, pathos, or all that much interest. As the count, Crane is more old-fashioned movie villain than three-dimensional character and, at times, is only missing the handle-bar mustache to twirl. There is no real menace, no sense of the man behind the soullessness of his actions. And although Long is heavily invested in the high-tension role of Kurt, he just doesn’t give it range. He yells and glowers and looks appropriately tortured, but there is no true nuance to the portrayal. Matters aren’t helped by a distractingly uneven German accent. Without more chemistry from and between Brancovis and Muller, the wind never takes the sails of the denouement. As Sara, Bruneau ticks every box, but also fails to move. She is written as the perfect wife, almost absurdly virtuous and self-sacrificing — and this is the challenge. More could and should have been offered besides the sad smiles, brave resignation and a single instant of emotional pain. If these core roles never quite take off, some smaller moments do. Natalia Payne is stellar as Marthe De Brancovis, the count’s disaffected wife, delivering a fabulous cocktail of expressions — one minute haunted, the next defiant — as we discover the

To March 5 at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $55 to $110. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org. continued from page 33

STAN BAROUH

Frank Viveros, a riot as the over-the-top flamboyant, faux-Italian charlatan Adolfo Pirelli. The evening’s breakout performance hails from Michael J. Mainwaring as Tobias, an overly excitable, guileless cheerleader for Pirelli. Mainwaring grows immensely by Act II, though, when he turns in an incredibly touching and tender take on the haunting, beautiful ballad, “Not While I’m Around.” Daniel Benoit shines in the title role, making for a Sweeney Todd as unhappy, austere, dark and vengeful as any who have come before. Benoit’s Sweeney lays out his plan to cut and kill every last customer in his diva-esque showstopper “Epiphany,” and the thrill from his performance is palpable. It’s followed by one of the finest dark-comedy tunes in the canon, “A Little Priest,” a duet in

which Mrs. Lovett proposes what Sweeney calls her “charming notion” to use the remains of his customers in baked goods. Butler raises the roof, but the joy of watching her perform is in her wordless expressions and mannerisms — put to exceptional use here, helping brighten up the dour, forbidding mood of a show with unrelenting bloodlust and complicated musicality. It’s possible Butler won’t eclipse other greats you may have had the pleasure of seeing in the role — everyone from Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone on Broadway, to Christine Baranski on tour at the Kennedy Center to Sherri L. Edelen a few years ago at Signature. But Butler — and Benoit — make Olney’s Sweeney Todd an unforgettable night, one that will stick with you long after it’s over. l

To March 5 at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md. Tickets are $38 to $75. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olneytheatre.org. FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife Photography by Ward Morrison

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ METROWEEKLY

Scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc... Thursday, February 16 9 1/2 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • Music videos featuring DJ Wess COBALT/30 DEGREES Happy Hour: Tops Down $6 Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm • Stonewall Darts AfterParty, 6-10pm • Locker Room Thursday Nights, 10pm-close • $3 Rail Drinks, 10pm-midnight, $5 Red Bull and Frozen Virgin Drinks • DJs Sean Morris and MadScience • Best Package Contest at midnight, hosted by Ba’Naka &

Kristina Kelly • $200 Cash Prize • Doors open 10pm, 21+ • $5 Cover or free with college ID DC EAGLE Doors open at 8pm • Strip Down Thursdays Happy Hour — Shirtless guys drink $2 off all drinks, 8-10pm • Jock or underwear gets $2 off all drinks, 10pm-2am • No Cover • 21+ FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • Karaoke, 8pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Ladies Drink Free Power Hour, 4-5pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • DJs BacK2bACk

DistrktC’s 1st Anniversary at the DC Eagle - Saturday, Feb. 11 Photography by Ward Morrison

See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Drag Bingo NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 Rails and House Wines & Half-Priced Pizzas • $4 Heineken and Coronas, 5pm-close TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers • DJ • 9pm • Cover 21+

Friday, February 17 9 1/2 Open at 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • Friday Night Videos with DJ Chord Bezerra, 9:30pm • Expanded craft beer selection • No Cover COBALT/30 DEGREES All You Can Drink Happy Hour • $15 Rail and Domestic, $21 Call & Imports, 6-9pm • Freaky Fridays, 10pm • $6 Grey Goose all night • Two 30-minute open bars featuring Grey Goose, 11-11:30pm and 1-1:30am • DJ MadScience upstairs • DJ Keenan Orr downstairs • $10 cover 10pm-close • 21+

DC EAGLE Doors open at 8pm • Happy Hour, 8-10pm — $2 off everything • MidAtlantic Kennel Korps on Club Bar — Trainer Social and Puppy Mosh • Daddy Day Care — Night Flight in the Exile, 10pm-4am • Tickets at door • 21+ FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • Karaoke, 8pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5 Smirnoff, all flavors, all night long • Friday Night Videos with VJ Tre, 9pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR DJ Matt Bailer • Videos, Dancing • Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15

NUMBER NINE Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • Friday Night Piano with Chris, 7:30pm SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 Rails and House Wines & Half-Priced Pizzas • Tableside Magic, 8pm TOWN Patio open 6pm • DC Bear Crue Happy Hour, 6-11pm • $3 Rail, $3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles • Free Pizza, 7pm • No cover before 9:30pm • 21+ • Drag Show starts at 10:30pm • Hosted by Lena Lett and featuring Tatianna, Shi-Queeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx and Ba’Naka • DJ Wess upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk downstairs following the show • GoGo Boys after 11pm • Doors open at 10pm • For those 21 and over, $12 • For

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

those 18-20, $15 • Club: 18+ • Patio: 21+ TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets, 9pm • Guest dancers • Ladies of Illusion Drag Show • Doors at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm and 1:30am • DJ Don T. in Secrets • Cover 21+

Saturday, February 18 9 1/2 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut & Tito’s, $3 Miller Lite after 9pm • Expanded craft beer selection • No Cover • Music videos featuring various DJs

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

COBALT/30 DEGREES Drag Yourself to Brunch at Level One, 11am-2pm and 2-4pm • Featuring Kristina Kelly and the Ladies of Illusion • Bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys • Happy Hour: Tops Down $6 Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm • Ladies of LURe DC, 10pm-close • Doors open 10pm • $5 Cover • 21+ DC EAGLE Happy Hour, $2 off all drinks, 8-10pm • DC Onyx hosts Club Bar • Daryl Wilson presents Delta 2.0, 10:30pm-5am, 3rd Floor Exile • $10 Cover • Tickets available at the door • 21+ FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Drag Queen Broadway Brunch, 10am-3pm • Starring Freddie’s Broadway Babes • Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • Freddie’s Follies Drag Show, hosted by Miss Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm • Karaoke, 10pm-close

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5 Bacardi, all flavors, all night long • Bears Can Dance, 9pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Guest DJs • Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer, House Rail Drinks and Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm • Buckets of Beer, $15 NUMBER NINE Doors open 2pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon • THIRSTY with DJ Chord Bezerra, 9:30pm-close SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 Rails and House Wines & Half-Priced Pizzas

TOWN DC Rawhides host Town & Country: Two-Step, Line Dancing, Waltz and West Coast Swing, $5 Cover to stay all night • Doors open 6:30pm, Lessons 7-8pm, Open dance 8-10:30pm • DJ Steven Redant, 11pm-close, upstairs • Music and video by DJ Wess downstairs • Shangela from RuPaul’s Drag Race returns for the drag show — Meet and Greet after the show, no tickets required • Drag Show starts at 10:30pm • Hosted by Lena Lett and featuring Tatianna, ShiQueeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx and Ba’Naka • Cover $12 • 21+ TRADE Doors open 2pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets, 9pm-4am • Guest dancers • Ladies of Illusion Drag Show with host Ella Fitzgerald • Doors at 9pm, Shows

at 11:30pm and 1:30am • DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s • DJ Steve Henderson in Secrets • Cover 21+

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Champagne Brunch Buffet, 10am-3pm • Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • Karaoke, 8pm-1am

Sunday, February 19

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Mama’s Trailer Park Karaoke downstairs, 9:30pm-close

9 1/2 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • No Cover COBALT/30 DEGREES Happy Hour: Tops Down $6 Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm • Homowood Karaoke, hosted by Robert Bise, 10pm-close • 21+ DC EAGLE Doors open at 8pm • DC Squared Premiere, featuring DJs X Gonzalez and Susan Morabito, 10pm-8am, 3rd Floor Exile • Tickets available at distrktc.com • Tickets also available at the door % $10 of each ticket sold will benefit The Cherry Fund

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted by Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am-3pm • $20 Brunch Buffet • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-close • Buckets of Beer, $15 NUMBER NINE Pop Goes the World with Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 Rails and House Wines & Half-Priced Pizzas

TOWN Doors open 8pm • HRC HER Women’s Event, 8pm-close • Featuring Emcee Jay Barber and Battle of the DJs, featuring DJs TMF, L Stackz, Vodkatrina and Honey • General admission $15 • Tickets available at eventbrite.com • 21+

Monday, February 20

TRADE Doors open 2pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $4

COBALT/30 DEGREES Happy Hour: Tops Down $6 Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm • Monday Night’s A Drag, featuring Kristina Kelly • Doors open at 10pm • Showtime at 11:30pm • $3 Skyy Cocktails, $8 Skyy and Red Bull • $8 Long Islands • No Cover, 18+

ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers • Decades of Dance • DJ Tim-e in Secrets • Doors 9pm • Cover 21+

9 1/2 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • No Cover

DC EAGLE Doors open at 8pm • Happy Hour, 8-10pm — $2 off everything • Endless Happy Hour prices to anyone in a DC Eagle T-Shirt • Monday Madness: Free Pool All Night and Day • $1 Bud and Bud Light Draughts all night • No Cover • 21+

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • Singles Night • Karaoke, 8pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour all night long • Open Mic Night Karaoke with Kevin, 9:30pm-close JR.’S Showtunes Songs & Singalongs, 9pm-close • DJ James • $3 Draft Pints, 8pm-midnight NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Texas Hold’em Poker, 8pm • Dart Boards NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Presidents’ Day Brunch with Bottomless Mimosas, 11am-3pm • Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 Rails and House Wines and HalfPriced Pizzas

TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4

Tuesday, February 21 9 1/2 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • No Cover COBALT/30 DEGREES DJ Honey Happy Hour: Tops Down $6 Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm • SIN Service Industry Night, 10pm-close • $1 Rail Drinks all night FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • Karaoke, 8pm

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour all night long, 4pm-close

Wednesday, February 22

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Karaoke and Drag Bingo

9 1/2 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • No Cover

NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • After 9pm, $3 Absolut, Bulleit & Stella SHAW’S TAVERN Bingo with Kristina Kelly, 8:30pm • Half-Priced Burgers and Pizzas • $5 House Wines and $5 Sam Adams TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

COBALT/30 DEGREES Happy Hour: Tops Down $6 Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm • $4 Stoli and Stoli Flavors and Miller Lite all night • Wednesday Night Karaoke, hosted by India Larelle Houston, 10pm • No Cover • 21+ FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • $6 Burgers • Drag Bingo Night, hosted by Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes • Karaoke, 10pm-1am GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour all night long, 4pm-close

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR SmartAss Trivia Night, 8pm and 9pm • Prizes include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30 Club • $15 Buckets of Beer for SmartAss Teams only • Bring a new team member and each get a free $10 Dinner NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 Rails and House Wines and Half-Priced Pizzas • Piano Bar with Jill, downstairs, 8pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4

Thursday, February 23 9 1/2 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • Music videos featuring DJ Wess COBALT/30 DEGREES Happy Hour: Tops Down $6 Top Shelf, Bottoms Up $3 Rail, $3 Bud Light, 4-9pm • Stonewall Darts AfterParty, 6-10pm • Locker Room Thursday Nights, 10pm-close • $3 Rail Drinks, 10pm-midnight, $5 Red Bull and Frozen Virgin Drinks • DJs Sean Morris and MadScience • Best Package Contest at midnight, hosted by Ba’Naka & Kristina Kelly • $200 Cash Prize • Doors open 10pm, 21+ • $5 Cover or free with college ID

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ METROWEEKLY

DC EAGLE Doors open at 8pm • Strip Down Thursdays Happy Hour — Shirtless guys drink $2 off all drinks, 8-10pm • Jock or underwear gets $2 off all drinks, 10pm-2am • No Cover • 21+ FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-7pm • Karaoke, 8pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Ladies Drink Free Power Hour, 4-5pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • DJs BacK2bACk NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Drag Bingo

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 Rails and House Wines & Half-Priced Pizzas • $4 Heineken and Coronas, 5pm-close TRADE 1410 14th St. NW Doors open 5pm • Huge Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass served in a huge glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $4 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers • DJ • 9pm • Cover 21+ l

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN REDANT

Clublife

HIGHLY ENERGIZED

International DJ sensation Steven Redant makes his Town debut this Saturday By Doug Rule

ORMALLY, WHEN YOU DO A REMIX, you don’t get a lot of contact with the artist,” Steven Redant says. The opposite was true when the DJ/producer was hired in 2012 to rework “White Light” for George Michael, who died unexpectedly in December. “He was really into it. He would be emailing me personally, and we were talking about stuff.” For Redant, Michael wasn’t just a great pop singer/songwriter, he was a key influence, one who helped inspire Redant’s passion for music in the first place. “I remember dancing to Wham! on the front lawn of my house,” Redant says. Growing up in “a completely non-artistic, non-musical family” in Belgium, Redant’s musical passion developed years later when his older brother took the then-underage teenager to a popular Brussels nightclub. “They let me in for some reason,” he says. “And I walked in and my life changed.... I fell in love — and I’ve never fallen out of love — with house music.”

Redant first came to fame in the late ’90s as a resident DJ at Privilege in Ibiza — the most popular club in the most popular dance resort in the world. He credits the Spanish island as well as his adopted hometown of Barcelona with influencing the style of house music he produces: alternately bouncy and breezy, tribal and tropical, brightened with occasional bursts of brass. “I like my brass, I do,” he says. “It gives a lot of energy. Even though I’m Belgian, I’m really Spanish by heart, always have been. And that comes out — I like the Spanish rhythms.” When not serving as resident DJ at La Demence in Brussels, one of Europe’s longest-running monthly gay parties, Redant is an increasing presence on the international gay circuit. This Saturday, Feb. 18, he makes his D.C. debut at Town. The set will include several original tracks, including Bent Collective productions with Danny Verde, an up-and-coming mover and shaker on today’s gay circuit scene. And

he’ll also pay tribute to Michael, something he’s always done. “I have a couple of George Michael tracks I’ve been playing for years,” including an obscure remix of “Faith” he sometimes plays as an encore. There’s also the peppy yet haunting remix of “White Light,” a song, expressing hope for a future in music, that became Michael’s final U.K. Top 40 hit in 2012. Redant will also play remixes of tunes by Clean Bandit and Years & Years, two newer electronic acts that are making it “fun these days to DJ again.” Also aiding in the cause: remixed tunes of Sia, whom he calls “a magician with words and melodies.” “I felt that EDM made everything sound extremely plastic, and everything was a little bit the same,” he says. “I’m more inspired now by the music that’s around. It’s grown up a little. It has a little bit more feeling to it. I’m actually pretty happy that the gay scene never gave into EDM, just probably because we’re adults, not kids.” l

Steven Redant plays Town on Saturday, Feb. 18. Doors open at 10 p.m. Cover is $12. 21+. Visit towndc.com.

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY

LastWord. People say the queerest things

“Traditional marriage in our society has always been between one man and one woman.” — Arkansas State SEN. JASON RAPERT, in Senate Joint Resolution 7, a measure designed to reject the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. Rapert asserts that “no other union shall be recognized” other than heterosexual marriage and called Obergefell v. Hodges “unconstitutional” in the measure, which was introduced on Valentine’s Day.

“Transgender students are not going away, and it remains the legal and moral duty of schools to support all students. ”

— MARA KEISLING, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, responding to news that the Trump administration will drop Obama-era plans to protect transgender students. “It is a frightening sign that the Trump administration is ready to discard its obligation to protect all students,” Keisling said.

“These anti-trans bathroom bills aren’t really about bathrooms. They are about whether trans people have the right to exist in public space.” — LAVERNE COX, speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert about transgender student Gavin Grimm, who is currently suing his school board for the right to use facilities that correspond with his gender identity. The Supreme Court is expected to hear his case in March. “If we lose this our rights could be set back for a really long time,” she said.

“We want all fans to feel welcomed at our events and NFL policies prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard.

”

— THE NFL, in a statement, responding to news that Texas is considering passing Senate Bill 6, which would mirror North Carolina’s HB 2 and ban transgender people from public facilities consistent with their gender identity. The NFL warned that passing the bill would risk any future Super Bowls taking place in Texas, saying “that would certainly be a factor considered when thinking about awarding future events.”

“The gay Gestapo have the same kind of tactics, the same kind of worldview, the same kind of mentality. ” — Christian radio host BRYAN FISCHER, speaking on American Family Radio. Fischer compared LGBT activists to Nazis, saying, “Homosexual supremacy is the doctrine that homosexual rights trump every other right in the world.”

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 • METROWEEKLY