Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend 2019 by Metro Weekly

JANUARY 24, 2019

CONTENTS

TOUCHING LIVES

Acclaimed artist Tania El Khoury brings a singular interactive performance to Woolly Mammoth. By André Hereford

MAL 2019

Highlights from the Mr. MAL Contest, Leather Cocktails, the Puppy Mosh Pit, SigMa’s Demo, the Leather Marketplace, the Highwaymen TNT Dance Party, the ONYX Gear Show, and the Lobby. Photographs by Todd Franson and Ward Morrison

Volume 25 Issue 37

LONG LIVE THE PRESENT Deerhunter returns to put the past in a grave, while Sharon Van Etten meditates on everyday realities. By Sean Maunier

SPOTLIGHT: LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.10 TOUCHING LIVES: AS FAR AS MY FINGERTIPS TAKE ME p.12 THE FEED p.19 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p.21 COVER STORY: MAL 2019 p.25 MEET MR. MAL p.29 STAGE: ADMISSIONS p.33 STAGE: JEFFREY p.34 MUSIC: DEERHUNTER AND SHARON VAN ETTEN p.35 NIGHTLIFE p.37 SCENE: MAL CLOSING NIGHT PARTY — A TRIBUTE TO FRANKIE KNUCKLES p.37 LISTINGS p.38 NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS p.39 SCENE: FURBALL p.45 LAST WORD p.46 Real LGBTQ News and Entertainment since 1994 Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Bailey Vogt, 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 Jason Hall, Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2015 Cover Photography Todd Franson 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.

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Spotlight

Lucia Di Lammermoor N ICK OLCOTT DIRECTS Donizetti’s seductively beautiful, tragic tale of love fraught with power and deception, which becomes the first fully staged production from the Maryland Lyric Opera, a five-year-old, singer-focused company founded by Brad Clark. Maeve Höglund and Nayoung Ban

alternate in the title role, with Yi Li and Yongxi Chen alternating as Edgardo and Wei Wu and Hunter Epoch alternating as Raimondo, all leading a cast also featuring SeungHyeon Baek, Antonio Chase, Daiyao Zhong, and Yang Chen, accompanied by the MDLO Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Louis Salemno.

Performed in Italian with English surtitles. Thursday, Jan. 24, and Friday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. Kay Theatre in the Clarice at the University of Maryland, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are $25 to $60. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit www.theclarice.umd.edu. JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Spotlight THE BALTIMORE WALTZ

CAMERON WHITMAN.

Pulitzer Prize-winning lesbian playwright Paula Vogel’s wry fantastical farce about a brother and sister on a European odyssey gets the Keegan treatment in a production directed by the company’s Artistic Director Susan Marie Rhea. When it premiered in 1992, the New York Times called the show “a crazy-quilt patchwork of hyperventilating language, erotic jokes, movie kitsch that spins before the audience in Viennese waltz time, replete with a dizzying fall.” With Michael Innocenti, Brianna Letourneau, and Ray Ficca. To Feb. 9. 1742 Church St. NW. Call 202265-3767 or visit www.keegantheatre.com.

ORANGE GROVE DANCE: WAKING DARKNESS. WAITING LIGHT

C. STANLEY

Colette Krogol and Matt Reeves lead this troupe, known for its virtuosic athleticism and evocative multimedia design, in a production based on research into personal dreams and stories of one family’s migration from Cuba in 1980. Waking Darkness. Waiting Light employs sophisticated sensor technology and digital-media interaction to explore the nature of recurring dreams in relation to timely themes of migration, exodus, and transformation. Featuring an original score and sound design by Dylan Glatthorn and Jeff Dorfman. Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 27, at 4 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Call 202-269-1600 or visit www.danceplace.org.

JULIA NIXON SINGS BURT BACHARACH AND HAL DAVID

Veteran stage powerhouse Julia Nixon appeared on Broadway in the lead role of Dreamgirls and earned a Helen Hayes Award in Studio Theatre’s production of Caroline, Or Change. Nixon is also an R&B artist, and the recipient of multiple Wammies. “Julia Nixon Sings Burt Bacharach and Hal David” is a concert with accompaniment from longtime collaborator David Ylvisaker, a pianist leading his 12-person band. Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. Dumbarton United Methodist Church, 31311 Dumbarton St. NW. Tickets are $39 to $42. Call 202-333-7212 or visit www.dumbartonconcerts.org. 8

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Spotlight AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE: HARLEQUINADE

ROSALIE O’CONNOR

For its annual run of shows at the Kennedy Center, the New York company offers the D.C. premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s retelling of Marius Petipa’s 19th century comic ballet. In this “lost” classic, inspired by Petipa’s archival notes and set to original music by Riccardo Drigo, here brought to life by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Harlequin fights for his true love, Columbine. Playful costumes and vivid sets create a charming tribute to the Italian commedia dell’arte style, known for its slapstick humor and rollicking characters. Performances begin Tuesday, Jan. 29. Runs to Feb. 3. Opera House. Tickets are $39 to $199. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

MOMIX: OPUS CACTUS

EDDY FERNANDEZ

One of the most innovative and imaginative modern dance companies returns to the George Mason Center for the Arts to perform another work melding dance and illusion along with spellbinding music and elaborate costumes. Opus Cactus offers a wildly inventive stage excursion to the American Southwest landscape, abounding with towering cacti and slithering lizards as brought to surreal and wondrous life by the minds and bodies of the MOMIX team. Friday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax. Tickets are $30 to $50. Call 888-945-2468 or visit www.cfa.gmu.edu.

SCOTT SUCHMAN

TWELVE ANGRY MEN

Tensions run high as a lone juror argues the innocence of a teenager accused of murder in Reginald Rose’s sizzling drama. The play ignites a conversation about how prejudice obstructs the quest for justice. Sheldon Epps directs Erik King, Christopher Bloch, Michael Russotto, Craig Wallace, Elan Zafir, and Paz López. To Feb. 17. 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $17 to $64; those ages 35 and under can use code UNDER3519 for discounted tickets to select weeknight performances. Call 800-982-2787 or visit www.fords.org.

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Out On The Town

The Green Bird

THE ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS

Baltimore’s Creative Alliance presents the 20th annual program in this thought-provoking, eclectic, and international series of 15 animated shorts. Films included in past incarnations have gone on to win Oscars, so you could say curator Ron Diamond, a veteran animation producer, knows how to pick ’em. Four of the 15 films this year have merited Academy Award consideration including Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas’ One Small Step, about a Chinese-American girl’s dream of being an astronaut and centered on her evolving relationship with her father; John Kahrs’ Age of Sail, the latest in Google’s series of Spotlight Stories about an old sailor’s rescue of a teenage girl after she falls overboard; Trevor Jimenez’s beautifully designed Weekends, about the complex emotional landscape of a young boy and his recently divorced parents; and The Green Bird, a mordantly funny work of computer animation harkening back to classic mid-20th century cartoons with a slapstick-rich depiction of a female bird’s efforts to keep its egg safe. Sunday, Jan. 27, at 4:30 p.m. Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. Baltimore. Tickets are $10. Call 410-276-1651 or visit www.creativealliance.com.

Compiled by Doug Rule

FILM THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara star in this acclaimed 1939 version of the Victor Hugo classic. Rarely shown on the big screen, the film screens as part of Landmark’s weekly Capital Classics series, which is starting 2019 with a especially strong slate. Screenings are at Landmark’s West End Cinema, 2301 M St. NW, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. Happy hour from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.50. Call 202-534-1907 or visit www.landmarktheatres.com.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Fathom Events kicks off the 2019 TCM Big Screen Classics series with Victor Fleming’s timeless 1939 adap-

tation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel. Reportedly the most-watched motion picture in history, the film stars Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, and Margaret Hamilton, and features a world-class score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. The 80th anniversary presentation includes special recorded commentary before and after the screening by TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz. Sunday, Jan. 27,, at 2 and 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 29, and Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. Area theaters including Regal venues at Gallery Place (701 7th St. NW), Potomac Yards Stadium (3575 Jefferson Davis Highway), and Ballston Common (671 N. Glebe Road). Visit www.fathomevents.com.

STAGE AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’

Joe Calarco directs Signature Theatre’s production of Ain’t

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical Show, for which he converted the Shirlington complex’s large Max Theatre into a 1930s-era Harlem nightclub in tribute. Iyona Blake, Kevin McAllister, and Nova Y. Payton lead an all-star cast performing the Waller-penned hits from the Tony-winning musical, including “The Joint Is Jumpin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “Handful of Keys.” Mark G. Meadows serves as musical director and onstage pianist, with choreography by Jared Grimes. In previews. To March 10. 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-820-9771 or visit www.sigtheatre.org.

AMERICAN MOOR

Keith Hamilton Cobb’s passionate and poetic exploration of Shakespeare, race, and America examines implicit bias in American theater and culture through the experience and perspective of black

men and the metaphor of William Shakespeare’s character Othello. The play focuses on the audition of a seasoned African-American actor (Cobb) for a young white director (Josh Tyson) who presumes to know better than he how to maximize the iconic black character for believability. Weekends to Feb. 3. Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. Tickets are $40 plus applicable charges. Call 202290-2328 or visit www.anacostiaplayhouse.org.

FUN HOME

Baltimore’s Center Stage offers a chance to see the stunning, heartfelt show based on the work of lesbian cartoonist Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For). Hana Sharif directs the company’s production of this Tony-winning coming-of-age and coming-out musical with a cast that includes Andrea Prestinario, Medium Alison, Molly Lyons, Jeffry

Denman, and Michelle Dawson. In previews. To Feb. 24. 700 North Calvert St., Baltimore. Tickets are $20 to $74. Call 410-332-0033 or visit www.centerstage.org.

ANDRÉ HEREFORD

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

TOUCHING LIVES

Acclaimed artist Tania El Khoury brings a singular interactive performance to Woolly Mammoth.

HE LONDON-BASED, LIVE ARTIST TANIA EL KHOURY HAS DEVISED A brilliant means of connecting a worldwide audience to a true refugee story, one audience member at a time. Her interactive performance, As Far As My Fingertips Take Me, now at Woolly Mammoth, invites the public to sit down, one-on-one, with spoken word artist and musician Basel Zaraa, and experience via art, song, text, and touch the humanity of this Palestinian man who was born inside the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria. Zaraa remains unseen, hidden behind a plain white wall that each visitor is asked to pass their hand through, allowing him to ink on their forearm a visual representation of his sisters’ escape from the destruction of the Yarmouk camp to the safety of Sweden. The interaction demands a measure of trust and curiosity, and lasts less than fifteen minutes, but produces a powerful effect of empathy and understanding. That potential for making the political personal has inspired much of El Khoury’s work. “Like many artists, I start with a political motivation,” says El Khoury. “Which is about me sharing my own political views, but also not trying to propose a balanced report of two sides or anything. [I’m] very clearly coming in solidarity with certain people; [I’m] very obviously for open borders, for example. Or believing in the need to listen to people who are discriminated against with all of the border policies that are around the world, and the fact that the world is shutting down and more closed off nowadays.” While the performance has toured the globe for the past three years, its themes of displacement and resistance, and the physical manifestation of walls and borders, are especially fraught with meaning right here, right now. El Khoury could not have foreseen the timing of specific U.S. policies, but she definitely intended to make a statement about putting up walls. “I mean, it's just obviously like what Basel says at the end of the introduction [to the performance]: ‘We do cross borders.’ No matter how policies were forced on us, we are used to crossing borders. We will continue to cross borders. All borders that are made to us — not just the actual apartheid walls, for example — but also barriers and limitations that are put on marginalized groups in a society. In that sense, it is a kind of affirmation that we will find ways to penetrate these walls that are made and put everywhere for us.” —André Hereford As Far As My Fingertips Take Me runs through February 3 in the lobby of Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are Free, via a digital lottery. Call 202-393-3939, or visit www.woollymammoth.net. 12

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg, Va., presents the 1983 Tony-winning Broadway musical by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein, an adaptation of Jean Poiret’s 1973 uproarious French farce. The plot focuses on gay couple Georges and Albin, who pretend to be straight while entertaining the homophobic parents of their son’s fiancée. The Riverside production features a large, 17-person cast led by Christopher Sanders as George and Gabe Belyeu as Albin. And because Riverside is styled as a dinner theater, patrons partake in a three-course, prix-fixe meal prior to every performance. To March 3. 95 Riverside Parkway, Fredericksburg, Va. Tickets are $69 for dinner and show, or $50 for show only. Call 540-370-4300 or visit www.riversidedt.com.

THREE SISTAHS

Chekhov meets gospel, rhythm & blues, bebop, and funk in a musical set at the height of the civil rights and anti-war movements 50 years ago. MetroStage presents its fourth revival of a show it calls an “iconic favorite” across its 35 seasons, this time with Roz White, Kara-Tameika Watkins, and Ayana Reed as the three strong women reflecting on their lives. Thomas W. Jones II returns to direct his own book and lyrics, with a story by Janet Pryce inspired by Chekhov. Music by William Hubbard. In previews. Opens Sunday, Jan. 27. To Feb. 24. To Nov. 9. 1201 North Royal St., Alexandria. Tickets are $55. Call 800494-8497 or visit metrostage.org.

VISIONS OF LOVE

Pointless Theatre Company’s latest spectacle blurs the lines of puppetry, theater, dance, music, and the visual arts in a “nostalgic valentine” to Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights. Considered the highest accomplishment of Chaplin’s career and also featuring his first-ever film score, the 1931 silent classic follows the misadventures of The Tramp, who falls in love with The Blind Woman and develops a turbulent friendship with an alcoholic millionaire. Kerry McGee and Sharalys Silva lead a seven-member acting ensemble. Weekends to Feb. 9. Dance Loft on 14, 4618 14th St. NW, 2nd Floor. Tickets are $32, or $20 in previews. Call 202-621-3670 or visit www. danceloft14.org.

MUSIC ARETHA FRANKLIN TRIBUTE: RESPECT THE QUEEN

Young, local musical theater powerhouses Ines Nassara, Crystal Freeman, and Shayna Blass team up

Call 443-283-1200 or visit www. thesoundry.com.

BRANDY WITH THE NSO POPS

Two years after she performed as Roxie Hart in the touring production of Chicago, Grammy-winning R&B singer Brandy returns to the Kennedy Center for a tour through hits from her career and others of those who inspired her. The difference, of course, is that these will be dazzling orchestral versions of the hits, with Steven Reineke leading the National Symphony in accompanying Brandy. Friday, Jan. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall Tickets are $39 to $139. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

DANTE’ POPE

FINK, MARXER & GLEAVES

At last year’s Old Time Banjo Festival at the Birchmere, the gay bluegrass musician Sam Gleaves performed with his mentor Cathy Fink and her wife Marcy Marxer. In addition to organizing that acclaimed annual festival, the Grammywinning couple and female folk pioneers also co-produced and played on Gleaves’ 2015 debut album Ain’t We Brothers. As it turns out, that festival appearance helped launch their debut as a cross-generational roots music trio offering tight vocal harmonies, wide-ranging string-based instrumental virtuosity, and lyrics with messages of social justice activism and empowerment. They’ll showcase their debut set, Shout and Shine on Thursday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. at Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. in North Bethesda. Chao Tian, an alumna of the Strathmore Artist In Residence program and a master of the Chinese hammered dulcimer, opens Tickets are $15 to $20. Call 301-5815100 or visit www.ampbystrathmore.com.

to celebrate the monumental career of the recently, dearly departed Queen of Soul. The three will sing through the rich Franklin songbook, everything from “A Natural Woman” to “Son of A Preacher Man” to the ultimate “Respect,” with accompaniment by Deonte Haggerty-Willis on guitar, Andrew Musselman on bass, Joey Antico on drums, and Roderick Demmings, Jr., on keys. Friday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are $18 to $35. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.ampbystrathmore.com.

BLACK MASALA

D.C.’s nine-piece Balkan and funk brass band is focused on having a

whole lot of fun in a whole lot of different ways — as evidence, there are the three separately released, widely varying collections of remixes drawing from the 2015 set I Love You Madly. Black Masala also puts on one heck of a live show, which comes as no surprise given that the group consists of members of the incredibly lively Thievery Corporation. A regular at venues all around the region, Black Masala next performs an intimate show at the 180-seat Soundry, which the Clyde’s Restaurant Group opened this past summer in Columbia to be a sibling to the local chain’s downtown Hamilton Live. Friday, Feb. 1. Doors at 7 p.m. 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia. Tickets are $15.

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

A few years ago the singing multi-instrumentalist performed as part of a trio with Dom Flemons, a founder of the Grammy-winning black bluegrass Carolina Chocolate Drops. Now Pope kicks off a series of concerts featuring the 2019 class of Artists in Residence at Strathmore, hoping to follow in the footsteps of AIR alumni, including Grammy-nominated Christylez Bacon, The Voice contestant Owen Danoff, and Prince- and Stevie Wonder-collaborator Frédéric Yonnet, to name three of the 80-plus young musicians mentored through the program since 2005. Pope showcases his soulful sound, infused with elements of gospel, jazz, and R&B and incorporating vocals, piano, guitar, and drums, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. The Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Tickets are $17. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www. strathmore.org.

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS

Diehard fans, known as the Campers, travel far and wide to catch the fiery live performances, complete with full light show, of this progressive bluegrass band from Kalamazoo, Michigan, which aptly describes its sound as “mixing the acoustic stomp of a stringband with the rule-breaking spirit of rock & roll.” After more than living up to expectations with its debut last year at the Anthem, the quintet returns for two more shows to warm up your winter and kick-start another February. Opening is Michigander Billy Strings, chosen as one of “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone in 2017. Friday, Feb. 1, and Saturday, Feb. 2. Doors at 6 p.m. The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. Tickets are $40 to $75. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.theanthemdc.com.

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC: INFAMOUS BRAHMS

Strathmore’s resident orchestra continues its season-long Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration

to focus on two of the late, great American legend’s favorite romantic composers: the namesake German and his Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, but also the great Russian romantic Tchaikovsky with his Symphony No. 5 in E minor. Internationally renowned pianist Haochen Zhang, who won the Van Cliburn Competition in 2009 when he was only 19, will perform Brahms with the philharmonic as part of a 60th birthday nod to to its music director and Bernstein protege Piotr Gajewski. Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m. Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $34 to $88. Call 301-5815100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

NSO: BEETHOVEN’S “EMPEROR”

Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov, Musical America’s 2019 Artist of the Year, marks his first collaboration with NSO Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and the NSO performing Beethoven’s most famous piano concerto, the triumphant Fifth, known as “Emperor.” The program also features the symphony performing Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6. Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 1, and Saturday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

NILE RODGERS & CHIC

After successfully whipping up crowds into a frenzy opening for Duran Duran and Earth Wind & Fire in recent years, pioneering pop music legend Nile Rodgers brings his original disco/funk band back to the area for a headlining show at the Theater at MGM National Harbor. Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. 7100 Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. Tickets are $69 to $89. Call 844-346-4664 or visit www.mgmnationalharbor.com.

PASSPORT TO THE WORLD 2019

Curated by Lynn Veronneau and Ken Avis of Wammie-winning jazz samba group Veronneau, this annual festival presented by Virginia’s Creative Cauldron celebrates the music and dance of cultures around the world, with performances by artists representing a broad spectrum of genres: folk to Latin, opera to bluegrass. The 2019 series continues with: a night of music of migration from South America with the guitarist-led Cristian Perez Quintet featuring Argentinian bandoneon player Emmanuel Trifilio, on Friday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m.; the French gypsy jazz and swing the Bitter Dose Combo, on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m.; the progressive bluegrass quartet the Big Howdy Band, on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m.; and “Jazz Homage to the Beatles” by sultry Italian-American

Francisco

LA-TI-DO’S 7TH ANNIVERSARY: LUCKY

Seven years ago, Regie Cabico and Don Mike Mendoza teamed up to launch a variety show featuring local musical theater actors performing on their night off, and including spoken-word poetry and comedy. The next La-Ti-Do, on Monday, Jan. 28, is a toast to all those who have helped make the event such a thriving success that it has expanded to New York and Los Angeles. The evening will also honor Russwin Francisco, owner of Bite The Fruit, who’s billed as La-Ti-Do’s “honorary co-founder” since he gave Cabico and Mendoza the space to start the event in his former venue, the Black Fox Lounge. Francisco will be presented with the Joel Markowitz Audience Award. The evening starts with a VIP Reception at 7 p.m., followed by the show at 8 p.m. with guest performers from the upcoming roster of 2019 Musical Features. It will climax with an afterparty hosted by DJ JDVBBS at 10 p.m. Dress code is cocktail attire. St Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $30 for VIP reserved seating and admission to reception and afterparty, or $20 general admission for show and afterparty. All ticket revenue goes toward 2019 programming. Call 202-328-1640 or visit www.latidoproductions.com. chanteuse Irene Jalenti and her band, on Friday, Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m. The series concludes with a performance by Veronneau, featuring special guests violinist Dave Kline and Brazilian percussionist Bruno Lucini, on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. in Falls Church. Tickets are $18 to $22, or $60 for tables of two with wine, $120 for tables of four with wine. Call 703436-9948 or visit www.creativecauldron.org.

Carolina, Steep Canyon Rangers is going on two decades in the business. On a break from its decade-long work collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin, the group tours in support of last year’s Out In The Open, produced by the famous Grammywinning folk producer Joe Henry. Kaia Kater opens. Friday, Jan. 25. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25.75 to $40.75. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

STEEP CANYON RANGERS

Things have hardly gone as anyone expected or hoped for the eldest of the singing Braxtons from Maryland’s Anne Arundel

A Grammy-winning progressive bluegrass/rock sextet based in the liberal oasis of Asheville, North

TONI BRAXTON W/SWV

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

County since she exploded on the music scene a quarter century ago. Honored as Best New Artist in 1994, Braxton scooped up six Grammy Awards in her first decade for her sauntering and sultry R&B hits “Another Sad Love Song,” “Breathe Again,” “Un-Break My Heart,” “You’re Makin’ Me High,” and “He Wasn’t Man Enough.” This year marks Braxton’s best showing at the Grammys in more than two decades, with three nods for last year’s Sex & Cigarettes. The album offers plenty of comfort soul food for any longtime fan, crowned by its two singles, the moving, Grammynominated ballad “Long As I Live” and the rousing mid-tempo jam “Coping.” Braxton will be ably supported by the reunited R&B trio SWV to properly mark the occasion. The concert will focus on hits from Braxton as well as SWV, the latter responsible for “Weak,” “Right Here (Human Nature Remix),” and “You’re The One.” Friday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m. Theater at MGM National Harbor, 7100 Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. Call 844-346-4664 or visit www.mgmnationalharbor.com.

DANCE 36TH ANNUAL CHOREOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE

A co-presentation with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the annual showcase at the Clarice features some of the region’s most talented established as well as emerging artists. In addition to free post-performance Q&As with the showcased choreographers, the program also features voting for the Audience Choice Award, a special trophy awarded by the presenting host organization at the University of Maryland. This year’s selected choreographers and their respective works are: Victoria Fink, Jen Stone, and Megan Thompson with Incorporeal; Sean McGinty’s Blue Night; Sarah Beth Oppenheim’s Of Oft Off Set; Sandra Lacy’s Giving Up The Ghost; Lola North’s Matthew 20:16 and Strange Fruit; Gabriel Mata-Ortega’s Dreaming, and Stephanie Dorrycott’s Turning Point. Saturday, Jan. 26, at 3 and 8 p.m. The Dance Theatre in the Clarice, University Boulevard and Stadium Drive. College Park. Tickets are $25. Call 301-405-ARTS or visit www.theclarice.umd.edu.

JANE FRANKLIN DANCE: MOUSE IN HOUSE

A gust of wind blows one of reclusive 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson’s poems in the way of a mouse in this dance-theater piece adapted from Elizabeth Spires’ book The Mouse of Amherst. Moved by Dickinson’s evocative words, the mouse is determined to become a poet herself. Set to the music of Mark Sylvester and

Paul Musso, with animation by media artist Bryan Leister developed from images of Dickinson’s actual home furnishings, Mouse in House is a family-friendly performance for the young and young-atheart and features company dancers Emily Crews, Andie deVaulx, Amy Scaringe, and Kelsey Rohr. A brief performance by students from Perfect Pointe Dance Studio opens the show on Saturday, Jan. 26, and those from Melina’s Dancing Garden will follow suit on Saturday, Feb. 2. All shows at 4 p.m. Theatre on the Run, 3700 South Four Mile Run Dr. Arlington. Tickets are $10 to $15. Call 703-933-1111 or visit www.janefranklin.com.

COMEDY REESE WATERS: SAY WHAT?! FRIDAY NIGHT COMEDY

The host of Get Up DC! On WUSA 9 curates a new comedy series in the KC Jazz Club on the fourth Friday of every month, leading a night of stand-up and also engaging in conversations with friends from the comedic community, kicking off with Yamaneika Saunders, a former correspondent on The Tonight Show. Friday, Jan. 25, at 9 p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery. Tickets are $20 to $35. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE

Like the funniest extroverts at the party, the improv troupe Upright Citizens Brigade riffs on D.C. and audience-members alike. The brigade has many famous alumni, including Amy Poehler and Ed Helms. They return for a biannual performance at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. Saturday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. 600 I St. NW. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 day-of show. Call 202-408-3100 or visit www.sixthandi.org

READINGS AND LECTURES CAPITAL Q QUEER OPEN MIC NIGHT

Once a month, the local liberal bookstore and cafe chain Busboys & Poets presents a monthly gender and sexuality series specifically geared to those committed to the LGBTQ and feminist causes. Known as ZAMI, the next iteration is this Capital Q event, during which patrons who identify on the LGBTQ spectrum are welcome to sign up for stage time for whatever their queer voices happen to carry, from singing and speaking poetry, to telling stories and cracking jokes, to airing grievances and sharing opinions. Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. 2021 14th St. NW. Tickets are $5. Call 202-387-POET or visit www.busboysandpoets.com.

ART & EXHIBITS BIG AL CARTER: A RETROSPECTIVE

Allen “Big Al” Carter was a multi-talented, multimedia visual artist — painter, printmaker, sculptor, and muralist — whose work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian and the Corcoran. And yet, the D.C.-born, Arlingtonbased Carter chose to keep a low profile as a teacher throughout his lifetime, so much so that he’s only now getting the full retrospective treatment as an artist, 11 years after his death. Paintings and original artwork rarely seen from the private collection of his daughters, Flora O. Stone and Cecilia Carter, will be on display, with several pieces available for sale, as a way to kick off Black History Month at the year-old Fred Schnider Gallery of Art, part of the same-named, family-owned investment group in Arlington. Opening Reception is Friday, Jan. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. On display through March 3. 888 N. Quincy St. Call 703-841-9404 or visit www.fredschnider.com.

FACES

Virginia’s Del Ray Artisans Gallery offers a group show of portraits, depicting faces and bodies as the artists portray them, whether realistic, impressionistic, surreal, or abstract. Curated by Rita Schooley

and Kathy Turner, the exhibit features works celebrating faces spanning the ages, from a toddler, to a new mother, to an octogenarian. On display to Jan. 27. 2704 Mount Vernon Ave. Alexandria. Call 703-731-8802 or visit thedelrayartisans.org.

Center Arts Gallery in the DC Center for the LGBT Community has set up this powerful installation as part of an ongoing campaign to protest the inaction of the Bangladeshi government to investigate the murders. 2000 14th St. NW. Call 202-6822245 or visit www.thedccenter.org.

JASON MECIER: COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS

NIGHT: STRATHMORE JURIED EXHIBITION

What We Are Made Of is an exhibition by CIS featuring the work of this renowned pop artist, who specializes in mosaic portraiture. Here, images of objects from the everyday lives of seven students from across the country are assembled to create portraits that showcase their journeys through school as well as highlight the communities of support that have played a role in their success. Now to Jan. 31. Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW Call 202-347-2787 or visit www. touchstonegallery.com.

ROOPKOTHA PHOTO EXHIBIT

Vibrant images captured by various photographers, along with historical artifacts and personal memorabilia, tell the story of Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, two Bangladeshi LGBTQ activists and artists who were savagely murdered in their home two years ago. The

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Strathmore’s 28th annual juried exhibition called on artists to submit works exploring the beauty, mystery, and phobic qualities of the hours from dusk to dawn. The resulting works include representational and abstract approaches, from literal depictions in the dark of night, to subconscious meanderings about night as metaphor and symbol. Among the 79 nocturnally inspired artists represented — selected via a blind process overseen by Adah Rose Bitterbaum of the Adah Rose Gallery and Erwin Timmers of the Washington Glass Studio and School — the lineup includes: Winifred Anthony, Michaela Borghese, Christopher Buoscio, Tory Cowles, Arnold d’Epagnier, CinCin Fang, Bill Firestone, Richard Foa, Julie Gross, Rebecca Hirsh, Glen Kessler, Lara Knutson, Robert LeMar, Larry Marc Levine, Timothy Lynch, Bruce Morgan, Irina Parshikova, Rawligh Sybrant, Nahid Tootoonchi, Carol Ward, Andrew Wodzianski, and Alexey Zoob. On

display through Feb. 17. First Floor Galleries in the Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

TORY COWLES: HARD WIRED

Spread out in two galleries at downtown’s Touchstone Gallery are sculptures and installations celebrating the fierce joys of life. Cowles’ body sculptures can be worn and viewers are encouraged to dance — the installation is meant to be interacted with. On display to Jan. 31. Galleries B and C, 901 New York Ave. NW Call 202-347-2787 or visit www.touchstonegallery.com.

VAULTE X-XII

With the goal of initiating a conversation around socially driven consumption in a late-capitalist era, this project features works by the co-founders of the D.C. design studio Composite Co., multidisciplinary artist/designer/musician Christian Dutilh and artist/graphic designer Jacob Weinzettel. Vaulte X-XII sheds light on how branding acts as a veneer for otherwise mundane products. Opening Reception is Thursday, Jan. 25, from 7 to 9 p.m. On display to March 24. Washington Project for the Arts, 2124 8th St. NW. Call 202-234-7103 or visit www.wpadc.org. l

theFeed

Unjust Decision

The Supreme Court allows Trump administration to carry out its transgender military ban. By John Riley

N TUESDAY, THE U.S. SUPREME COURT ruled that President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Defense will be allowed to ban certain transgender people from joining or staying in the military. The decision came even as lower courts remain skeptical about the ban’s constitutionality. The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of a ban, instead opting to lift various injunctions that had blocked the Trump administration from implementing its ban. Lower court judges had previously determined that the plaintiffs — which include a number of transgender recruits and active-duty military members — would suffer irreversible harm through the loss of their livelihoods and military benefits if the Trump administration were to begin discharging them. The decision allows the Pentagon to begin moving to discharge transgender-identifying people who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or who have undergone a gender transition by receiving hormones or gender confirmation surgery. Under the so-called “Mattis Plan,” proposed last year by former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, such people are classified as being unable to be deployed at a moment’s notice and thus viewed as an obstacle to military readiness. However, lower courts could still rule the policy unconstitutional, which would send the case back to the Supreme Court to make a definitive decision on the ban’s merits. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to issue such a ruling in the coming months. Many observers had initially thought the Supreme Court would defer to lower-level rulings and not allow the Trump administration to leapfrog the lower courts. But all five Republican-appointed justices on the court voted to lift the injunctions, while the four Democratic-appointed justices said they would have kept the injunctions in place. The Trump administration was dealt a small loss, however, after the high court refused a separate order to grant its request to immediately hear the challenges to the transgender ban. Both GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) — which are representing plaintiffs in Washington, D.C., and California — expressed disappointment with the court’s ruling, though they noted the Trump administration did not get everything it wanted. “In declining to hear these cases, the Supreme Court saw through the administration’s contrived efforts to gin up a national crisis,” Jennifer Levi, the director of GLAD’s Transgender Rights Project, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Court’s stay of the lower courts’ preliminary order means that courageous transgender service members will face discharges while

challenges to the ban go forward.” But Levi also expressed skepticism that the president would eventually succeed in instituting a permanent ban, adding: “The Trump administration’s cruel obsession with ridding our military of dedicated and capable service members because they happen to be transgender defies reason and cannot survive legal review.” Both organizations have argued that even the “Mattis Plan” — which the government has attempted to cast as different from a broad-based ban — discriminates against a certain group of people based solely on their identity, and not their individual abilities. “Our country owes a debt of gratitude to the thousands of transgender people serving in our armed forces,” said NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter. “Multiple federal courts have recognized that excluding qualified individuals simply because they are transgender is contrary to basic constitutional principles of equality and fairness. We are confident the courts will ultimately protect the integrity of our nation’s military and hold that transgender service members must be evaluated based on the same standards applied to all others, not barred from service based on a characteristic that has no relevance to their fitness to serve.” Lambda Legal, which is representing transgender plaintiffs in Washington State, called the Supreme Court’s two rulings “perplexing to say the least” — on the one hand refusing to hear legal challenges before all lower court options have been exhausted, and on the other, allowing the ban to move forward despite the risk of being overturned, which would create a number of legal and logistical headaches for the military in future years. “For more than 30 months, transgender troops have been serving our country openly with valor and distinction, but now the rug has been ripped out from under them, once again,” Lambda Legal Counsel Peter Renn said in a statement. “We will redouble our efforts to send this discriminatory ban to the trash heap of history where it belongs.” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis argued that allowing the ban to go into effect while it’s being challenged in court will only place more transgender service members at risk of discrimination or harassment. “Not only is the Trump administration creating a dangerous environment for transgender service members, but they are also weakening the strength of our military and setting a dangerous precedent that puts the safety of our soldiers and nation’s military readiness in jeopardy,” Ellis said in a statement. “The American people believe that all qualified patriots willing to serve their country in uniform should be able to do so without intimidation or discrimination, and while the court’s decision today is a setback, fairness and equality must prevail in the end.” l JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

theFeed

Diversity Wins Over half of all Academy Awards Best Picture nominees are LGBTQ-inclusive films. By John Riley

GBTQ ORGANIZATIONS ARE CHEERING AFTER it was revealed that over half of this year’s Academy Awards nominees are LGBTQ-inclusive films. LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD — which has in the past criticized studios for their reticence to embrace characters or tackle storylines involving LGBTQ individuals — noted that 5 of the 8 films nominated for Best Picture this year — A Star is Born, Green Book, The Favourite, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Vice — involve LGBTQ characters, storylines, or nominees. It’s a new record for Best Picture nominees, and comes after the two most recent winners of the award — Moonlight in 2017, and The Shape of Water in 2018 — also contained LGBTQ characters and storylines. Another LGBTQ-related film is If Beale Street Could Talk, which has been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film, by director, producer and screenwriter Barry Jenkins — who also directed Moonlight — was adapted from the novel of the same name by gay author and activist James Baldwin. Other nominees include Jeff Whitty, co-writer of Can You Ever Forgive Me?, about lesbian author and forger Lee Israel; the Live Action Short film Marguerite, about an aging woman and her lesbian nurse who develop a friendship that inspires the woman to acknowledge a same-sex love she experienced in her past; filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, nominated for their Netflix Documentary Short End Game; composer and lyricist team Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman for Original Song for “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from Mary Poppins Returns; and another nomination for Shaiman for Best Original Score. The Best Actor and Best Actress category included multiple nominations for LGBTQ characters, with Rami Malek nominated for his portrayal of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, Melissa McCarthy nominat20

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

ed for her portrayal of Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite. Mahershala Ali, who won in 2017 for his supporting role in Moonlight, has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of gay musician Don Shirley in Green Book. Richard E. Grant has been nominated for playing gay character Jack Hock in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz have both been nominated as Best Supporting Actress in The Favourite. Each year, GLAAD releases its Studio Responsibility Index, which keeps track of LGBTQ inclusion, storylines, and character portrayals in releases from the seven largest film studios and their subsidiaries. Last year, they found that only 14 of the 109 releases from major studios included LGBQ characters, and none contained transgender characters — marking the lowest percentage of LGBTQ-inclusive films since the index was first developed in 2012. “Today’s list of Oscar nominees reflect a banner year for LGBTQ inclusion in film and signal that the Academy and its members are rightfully prioritizing diverse storytelling at a time when audiences and critics alike are calling for more,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “The diversity across the full list of nominations should be celebrated and will no doubt lead to more inclusive, culture-changing films,” added Ellis. “The majority of the LGBTQ-inclusive films highlight the stories of LGBTQ people throughout history, showing that LGBTQ people and issues have always existed, and that now is the time to tell these powerful and moving stories.” l The 91st Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 24 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles at 4 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST. For more information, visit oscar.go.com.

Community THURSDAY, JAN. 24

PROJECT STRIPES hosts

The DC ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT, a group dedicated to combating anti-LGBT hate crimes, holds its monthly meeting at The DC Center. The meeting is open to all and the public is encouraged to attend. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds

The DC Center holds a monthly meeting of its COMING OUT DISCUSSION GROUP on the fourth Thursday of each month for those navigating issues associated with coming out and personal identity. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

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 www.dullestriangles.com.

Weekly Events AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION offers free walk-

in HIV testing by appointment from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. at its Blair Underwood Wellness Center, 2141 K St. NW, and its AHF Healthcare Center, 4302 St. Barnabas Rd., Suite B, Temple Hills, Md., and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at its Benning Road location, 1647 Benning Rd. NE, Suite 300. For more information, visit hivcare.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 www.andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB practice

session at Takoma Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, visit www.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 www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s

gay and lesbian square-dancing group, features mainstream through advanced square dancing at the National City Christian Church. Please dress casually. 7-9:30 p.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW. For more info, call 202-930-1058 or visit www. dclambdasquares.org.

practice. The team is always looking for new members. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more information, visit www. scandalsrfc.org or dcscandals@ gmail.com.

THE DULLES TRIANGLES

HIV TESTING at Whitman-

Walker Health. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:30-5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW, and 9 a.m-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE. For an appointment, call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker Lane,

Suite 210, Alexandria, Va., offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and counseling by appointment only. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special appointment if seeking testing after 2 p.m. Call 703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER

offers free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an appointment, call 202-849-8029.

STI TESTING at Whitman-

Walker Health. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and the Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for those without symptoms. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit www. whitman-walker.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.

FRIDAY, JAN. 25 GAMMA is a confidential, vol-

untary, peer-support group for men who are gay, bisexual, questioning and who are now or who have been in a relationship with a woman. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Ave NW. GAMMA meetings are

also held in Vienna, Va., and in Frederick, Md. For more information, visit www.gammaindc.org.

LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW. Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, www. layc-dc.org.

Join licensed social worker Larry Cohen for a

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT provides

FREE SOCIAL ANXIETY WORKSHOP at a private

residence in Northwest D.C. Shy? Unassertive? Selfconscious? Easily embarrassed? Performance anxiety? Difficulty meeting people or forming relationships? Learn all about various forms of social anxiety and how to overcome it. No one is required to speak or interact at the workshop, and it is for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity — though group discussion of LGBTQ issues will center around how they relate to social anxiety. Pre-registration required, as space is limited. 7-9 p.m. Near Tenleytown Metro, by Wisconsin Ave. and River Rd. NW (address provided upon registration). To register, visit www.socialanxietyhelp.com or call 202-244-0903. The DC Center holds its

CENTER AGING MONTHLY LUNCH AND DRAG BINGO

social for members of D.C.’s senior community. Lunch will be provided by members of the AT&T Employee Resource Group. 12-2:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org or call 202682-2245.

WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES (AND THIRTIES), a social

discussion and activity group for queer women, meets at The DC Center on the second and fourth Friday of each month. Group social activity to follow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org.

a social atmosphere for LGBT and questioning youth, featuring dance parties, vogue nights, movies and games. 4-7 p.m. For more info, email rebecca.york@ smyal.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 26 ADVENTURING outdoors

group holds winter potluck party at a private home in Alexandria. Bring something to drink, a dish to share and $5. 3-8 p.m. To RSVP and get directions, contact Elaine, 215510-6121 or visit www.adventuring.org. Join The DC Center as it volunteers for FOOD & FRIENDS, packing meals and groceries for people living with serious ailments. 10 a.m.-noon. 219 Riggs Rd. NE. Near the Fort Totten Metro. For a ride from the Metro, call the Food & Friends shuttle at 202-669-6437. For more information, visit www. thedccenter.org or www. foodandfriends.org.

LULAC LAMBDA and AQUA DC invite LGBTQ permanent

residents ready to become U.S. citizens to a workshop by immigration attorney Cameron Chong. He will discuss the application process and share common issues experienced by LGBTQ immigrants. Spanish translation available. Classes are free, but are limited to 20 individuals per class. 1-3 p.m. The DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Visit www. thedccenter.org/events/citizenship.

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

Weekly Events BET MISHPACHAH, founded

by members of the LGBT community, holds Friday evening Shabbat services in the DC Jewish Community Center’s Community Room. 8 p.m. 1529 16th St. NW. For more information, visit www.betmish.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds

a practice session at Howard University. 6:30-8 p.m. Burr Gymnasium, 2400 6th St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

practice session at Montgomery College Aquatics Club. 8:3010 a.m. 7600 Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more information, visit www.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 distance will be 3-6 miles. Walkers meet at 9:30 a.m. and runners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW. For more information, visit www. dcfrontrunners.org.

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for

LGBT community, family and friends. 6:30 p.m., Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more information, visit www.dignitynova.org.

SUNDAY, JAN. 27 CHRYSALIS arts & culture group

visits the National Museum of Health & Medicine in Forest Glen, Md. All welcome. Free admission. Carpool at 10:30 a.m. from the Forest Glen Metro Station Kiss & Ride lot. Contact Jeff, 301-775-9660 or email jeffreyhughes@me.com.

Weekly Events BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive and radically inclusive church holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, www.betheldc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

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

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

welcomes all to 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW. For more info, visit www.firstuccdc.org or call 202628-4317.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes GLBT community for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria. Visit www.hopeucc.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 www.H2gether.com. Join LINCOLN

CONGREGATIONAL TEMPLE – UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST for

an inclusive, loving and progressive faith community every Sunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW, near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood. Visit www.lincolntemple.org.

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

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. For more info, call 202-638-7373 or visit www.mccdc.com.

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,

a Christ-centered, interracial, welcoming-and-affirming church, offers service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. For more info, call 202-5544330 or visit www.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. For more info, visit www.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. For more info, call 202-3873411 or visit www.universalist.org.

MONDAY, JAN. 28 MONDAY NIGHT SKATING returns with the most fun on 8 wheels! Join members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies as they enjoy the simple kid-like joy of roller skating on the last Monday of every month. All people welcome and celebrated. 7:30-10:30 p.m. The Laurel Roller Skating Center, 9890 Brewers Ct., Laurel, Md. For more information, visit www.meetup. com/MondayNightSkating or email MondayNightSkating@gmail.com.

Weekly Events NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467. STD TESTING is available at AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Benning Road location, 1647 Benning Rd. NE, from 2-6 p.m. on Mondays. For more information, visit www. aidshealth.org. The DC Center hosts COFFEE

DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000

14th St. NW. For more information, call 202-682-2245 or visit www. thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black gay

men’s evening affinity group for GBT black men. Light refreshments provided. 7-9 p.m. 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

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 www.wetskins.org.

WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP

for newly diagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m. Registration required. 202-939-7671, hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.

TUESDAY, JAN. 29 Join The DC Center’s Health Working Group and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for a SUICIDE PREVENTION AND AWARENESS WORKSHOP, with particular focus on suicide concerns and risk factors within the LGBTQ community. 6:30-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.thedccenter.org/events/ preventiontraining.

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB practice

session at Takoma Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, visit www. 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 distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at 7 p.m. at Union Station. For more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds prac-

tice. The team is always looking for new members. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry Thomas Recreation Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more information, visit www.scandalsrfc.org or dcscandals@gmail.com.

THE GAY MEN'S HEALTH COLLABORATIVE offers free

HIV testing and STI screening and treatment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King St. 703746-4986 or text 571-214-9617.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS

holds an LGBT-focused meeting every Tuesday, 7 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from Virginia Square Metro. Handicapped accessible. Newcomers welcome. For more info, call Dick, 703-521-1999 or email liveandletliveoa@gmail.com. Support group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL. 5-6:30 p.m. 410 7th St. SE. For more information, contact Rebecca York, 202-567-3165, or rebecca.york@ smyal.org.

US HELPING US hosts a support

group for black gay men 40 and older. 7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. Call 202-446-1100. Whitman-Walker Health holds its weekly GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC. Patients are seen on walk-in basis. No-cost screening for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing available for fee. Testing starts at 6 p.m, but should arrive early to ensure a spot. 1525 14th St. NW. For more information, visit www.whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30 The TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL BRIDGE CLUB meets for Social Bridge at the Dignity Center, across from the Marine Barracks. No partner needed. 7:30 p.m. 721 8th St. SE. Call 301-345-1571 for more information.

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.

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 www.thedccenter.org.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH

offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N. Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, www.historicchristchurch.org.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-

gram for job entrants and seekers, meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more info, visit www.centercareers.org.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV

testing. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

STD TESTING is available at AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Temple Hills location, 4302 St. Barnabas Rd., Suite B, from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesdays. For more information, visit www.aidshealth.org.

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 www.wetskins.org. l

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

MAL 2019 Highlights from Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, including the Mr. MAL Contest, Leather Cocktails, the Puppy Mosh Pit, SigMa’s Demo, the Leather Marketplace, the Highwaymen TNT Dance Party, the ONYX Gear Show, and the Lobby. Friday, Jan. 18 to Sunday, Jan. 20 Hyatt Regency at Capitol Hill

Photographs by Todd Franson and Ward Morrison Additional photographs by Randy Shulman See many more photos from this event at Metroweekly.com/Scene. To watch exclusive videos from the Puppy Mosh Pit, follow @metroweekly on Instagram.

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

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From left to right: Sir Brad (runner-up), Emërson Anicëto, David Gerard (second runner-up)

Meet Mr. MAL

Emërson Anicëto wants to use his newly won title for the greater good.

LANKED BY FRIENDS, FELLOW LEATHER ENTHUSIASTS, AND AN ENTIRE CHEERING SECTION OF HIS OWN, Emërson Anicëto handily took the title at the 2019 Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition on Sunday, January 20. “Everything was perfect, as it always is here,” the current Mr. Pittsburgh Leather Fetish said after being awarded the coveted Mr. MAL title. “I really like this event. And I saw all my friends in the audience. That’s what family and friends do — support each other in both good and bad times. So it meant a lot to me to see them there.” Appearing on stage in a leather armband and jockstrap, the 5’11”, 211-pound, profoundly bearded Anicëto attracted more than his share of attention from judges and audience members alike as he flexed his muscles and showed off his various tattoos and piercings. When it came time for the dress leather part of the competition, he was impeccably dressed from head to toe in a cap, black leather shirt with red trim, pants, and shiny black boots. But Anicëto’s charm was equally as dazzling, as he answered a tongue-in-cheek question about a fantasy involving introducing his favorite kinks to Santa Claus. Anicëto also made a significant impression when he met in private with the judges for a much longer interview session. “Emerson was just consistent the entire weekend,” said Destiny B. Childs, one of the seven judges. “He’s got a great personality, and he’s very personable and very outgoing. That’s something the Centaurs are looking for in their Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather: someone who’s going to represent them and be their ambassador. He had the entire package.” Childs was impressed by Anicëto’s pledge to use his platform as Mr. MAL — and potentially as International Mr. Leather, if he’s lucky enough to win that competition in Chicago this May — to serve as an ambassador for the leather, fetish, and kink communities both in the United States and abroad, including his native Brazil. Anicëto has promised to utilize his large number of social media followers to help raise awareness around the leather community, the LGBTQ community, and causes close to his heart. One such cause is the “Stay Pink and Blue” campaign, which raises money for organizations fighting prostate and breast cancer, both of which he’s survived. Before and after Sunday’s competition, several of Anicëto’s friends and fans were selling T-shirts bearing his face and profile to audience members, with proceeds benefiting the campaign. “I’m a three-time cancer survivor,” Anicëto said. “I’ve been given some extra time here, so I feel I need to do something for others.” —John Riley JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

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TERESA WOOD

Stage

Affirmative Actions Admissions lightly skewers white privilege, political correctness, and the race for diversity. By André Hereford

OSHUA HARMON’S BITING COMEDY ADMISSIONS (HHHHH), NOW AT Studio, bares sharp teeth, but draws surprisingly little blood as it tears into white American, progressive P.C. priggishness. Director Mike Donahue’s staging is certainly taut, tart, and well-acted, even if the play’s takedown of a self-righteous boarding school admissions administrator is only half as savage as it intends to be. Diehard liberal Sherri Rosen-Mason (Meg Gibson), dean of admissions at tiny New Hampshire academy Hillcrest, isn’t the play’s only character due for some form of comeuppance. Her politically like-minded husband, Bill (Kevin Kilner), the MLKquoting headmaster at Hillcrest, will be served a course of crow too. As with many parents, Sherri and Bill’s reckoning comes courtesy of their spoiled teenager, Charlie (Ephraim Birney). A senior at Hillcrest, Charlie’s dead set on getting into his choice Ivy League school. But he starts to feel he’s at a disadvantage as a white male trying to get ahead in the “diversity first” culture of contemporary academia. Charlie’s anger and resentment about the unfairness he feels he faces pits him at odds with Bill’s sense of ethics, and with Sherri’s carefully cultivated sense of self. Each of the Masons sweeps themselves into a corner arguing for their notion of racial justice as the family’s admissions drama winds tighter and tighter. Sherri, in particular, finds herself trapped between acting out her public mission and acting on behalf of her family. As much as she takes pride in her successful efforts to increase racial diversity among the Hillcrest student body, her quest to ensure her son’s future will reveal how much she truly prizes diversity. She might also inadvertently reveal true feelings she’d rather keep hidden from her friend, Ginnie (Marni Penning), a white woman married to one of Hillcrest’s few black

instructors, and the mother of Charlie’s biracial best friend. Ugly admissions eventually do come to light as the talk about race gets real. Yet, in a story explicitly dealing with “race, race, race,” as one exasperated character puts it, everyone gets to be some degree of wrong without anyone ever coming off as irredeemably objectionable. Gibson, Kilner, and especially Birney as ticked off and confused young Charlie, all deliver depth and dimension. There are no villains here, no stark black and white, just overlapping swaths of gray, which feels realistic but too safe. It’s great that the cast and the play score points for nuance, but maybe, in a world of starkly visible racism and emboldened white supremacists, it’s fine to admit that, occasionally, hate lacks nuance. Admissions isn’t really about hate, though, or inequality, but about people privileged enough to feel that their good intentions are all it takes to move mountains. It’s also about how a white family, or a pair of white friends or coworkers, might discuss race or skin color when not in mixed company, and how the language of social justice can sound laughably pretentious or downright phony regardless of who’s talking. Sherri’s colleague Roberta (Sarah Marshall), a plainspoken

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older New Englander, doesn’t get all this woke jargon, but that’s because “she’s so white,” according to Ginnie. Harmon chooses not to include in the conversation any characters who aren’t white. Of the people of color who get mentioned in Admissions — namely Ginnie’s husband, Don, and son, Perry — none have an audible voice in the debate. The value of exposing the behind-closed-doors attitudes of privileged, educated whites wouldn’t have been forfeit if the Masons or Ginnie

or Roberta also had been forced to confront an actual black person onstage, rather than just the mere concept of blackness. Ginnie more or less points out that, although Sherri devotes a lot of her time to talking about race, there are aspects of being black in America that Sherri’s made no attempt to understand. That might constitute an admission from the playwright that good intentions can only take any of us so far in being able to view and treat one another with total fairness. l

RCG PHOTOGRAPHY

Admissions runs through February 17, at the Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to $90. Call 202-332-3300, or visit www.StudioTheatre.org.

Dating Profile T

The Rainbow Theatre Project’s Jeffrey finds love but loses its sense of purpose. By André Hereford

IME HAS PLAYED FUNNY TRICKS ON PAUL RUDNICK’S groundbreaking early-nineties hit Jeffrey (HHHHH), the self-proclaimed comedy about AIDS. A couple of eventful decades, and profound progress in HIV/ AIDS treatment, have dimmed the collective cultural memory of the searing sense of loss and terror that informed Rudnick’s defiantly upbeat story of a gay Manhattanite who swears off sex and romance. So, for Rainbow Theatre Project’s new production, it’s up to director Robert Mintz and his cast to tap into the aura of fear and gloom that should make the play’s jaunty comedy feel more than just cute but cathartic. Their efforts do produce an engaging romance, but they don’t capture the gravity of the moment that Jeffery is portraying. In the words of underemployed actor and cater-waiter Jeffrey (Rinaldo Martinez), it’s a time when “sex used to be fun.” Bearing witness to an epidemic has left him and his community racked with pain and guilt, while navigating the minefields of safe sex has left him paranoid and exhausted. Ready to cut his losses, Jeffrey declares he’s done with sex and dating, but his resolve to stay celibate is tested early once he meets a handsome guy at the gym, Steve (Reginald Richard). Jeffrey’s really tested when he learns that Steve is HIV-positive. The revelation stokes what is perhaps Jeffrey’s greatest fear: that he might fall in

love with someone he’s destined to lose to AIDS. But his supposedly crippling fear feels faint in this production. Jeffrey might be afraid of death, or he might just be afraid of dating. It’s a crucial distinction to register, or miss, in a play about overcoming the AIDS scare. Mintz and his ensemble appear more concerned with registering the banter and bits of broad comedy, which, unfortunately, are hampered by slack timing and set designer PD Carbonell’s cumbersome scenery on wheels. Still, Emily Levey and Craig Houk find moments to shine in multiple supporting roles, while Matthew Pauli contributes a poignant performance as Jeffrey’s friend, Sterling. And, in the lead, Martinez works with an admirably light touch, as he and Richard generate appealing chemistry. Jeffrey and Steve’s halting courtship, whether complicated by anxiety about life and death, or just run-of-the-mill commitment-phobia, is a tender dance that’s kept pace with the times. l

Jeffrey runs through February 10 at the D.C. Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $35. Call 202-462-7833 or visit www.rainbowtheatreproject.org. 34

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEERHUNTER/4AD

Music

Long Live the Present

Deerhunter returns to put the past in a grave, while Sharon Van Etten meditates on everyday realities. By Sean Maunier

OSTALGIA IS DEAD, AND DEERHUNTER HAS KILLED IT. OR THEY’RE doing their best, anyway. With the release of their last album, Fading Frontier, Bradford Cox swore off the dreamy, shoegazey quality that ran through much of their early work. Now, on Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?, (HHHHH) he happily proclaims it dead and buried. This time around, Deerhunter find themselves squarely in the present, fixated on upheaval and transience, themes that are reflected in its brief runtime. On songs such as “What Happens to People?” and “Futurism,” they actively reject and condemn what they see as a general cultural obsession with the past. Depending on what one wants to read into the lyrics, Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? could be described as a political album, albeit an unconventional one. Its voice hovers between resignation and distress, seemingly bewildered by a world gone mad, in which chaotic politics are both cause and consequence of a wider tumult. Where Fading Frontier was fixated on decline, this album reckons with a reality of having already passed point after point of no return. In less skilled hands, the sheer bleakness of this vision would likely come off as a teen having an existential crisis, but Cox manages to keep up a sense of humor in his narration. Including himself in the joke saves the album from veering into outright sanctimony. The pervasive cloud of thematic doom hanging over the songs sits in jarring contrast to the album’s instrumentation, which goes a long way towards making this some of Deerhunter’s most approachable work. “Death in Midsummer” is carried

along by a plodding yet gleeful piano and harpsichord, and modestly upbeat keyboard work recurs throughout the album. Unfortunately, this is also where things stumble. Even in a short, lyrically sententious album, monotonous instrumentation is a difficult thing to get right, and it is sadly uneven in its execution here. “Détournement” lands it perfectly, its distorted vocals pairing perfectly with synths and guitars that unfold slowly yet purposefully. “Element,” by contrast, loses almost any sense of movement and simply slogs along — a quality which is almost indefensible in a three-minute song. The relative simplicity of the arrangements is certainly a defensible choice from a thematic point of view. At its best, the repetition that sometimes causes the melodies to fade into the background also allows them to serve as a staging ground for the vocals, allowing some of the more visceral lyrics to land harder when they do come. But Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? is always on the edge of being overwhelmed by its own monotony, and in the end, its short runtime may be the one thing preventing it from succumbing to entropy. FIVE YEARS SINCE HER LAST release, Sharon Van Etten has returned sound-

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ing like she dropped out of a parallel universe. There’s no mistaking her distinct vocals or her incisive songwriting, but Remind Me Tomorrow (HHHHH) sounds worlds removed from the folky arrangements of Are We There. Partnering up with producer John Congleton has given Van Etten a chance to play with a more complex and interesting sound, resulting in rich textures and harmonies that immediately set the album apart from the spare and intimate instrumentation that defined her previous work. Remind Me Tomorrow is definitely a slow burn, taking shape gradually and lingering over ideas, developing each thought fully before moving on to the next. Even so, it is a highly accessible meditation on intimacy and human connection that is easy to listen to and full of enough variation to command attention. The pop-adjacent “Seventeen” is the obvious standout

of the album, but the rest of the songs are just as thoughtfully composed and they all pack an emotional punch of their own. While Van Etten may have traded guitars for analog synths, her lyrics have lost lost none of their matter-of-fact emotional depth. Her songwriting has always tended to cut to the core of relationships and neatly pick apart their inner workings, and the prosaic opener “I Told You Everything” signals that this album will be no exception. If anything, the more expansive soundscapes give her lyrics more room to breathe and allow her already powerful vocals to convey a gravitas that was impossible in intimate acoustic arrangements. Remind Me Tomorrow If her raw observations once sounded like a confession or a secret among friends, it has taken on a more assertive tone here, demanding to be heard widely and listened to intently. l

Remind Me Tomorrow and Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? are available to buy on Amazon.com and iTunes, and also on streaming services.

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife Photography by Ward Morrison & Todd Franson

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Scene

MAL Closing Dance at 9:30 Club - Sunday, Jan. 20 - Photography by Ward Morrison & Todd Franson See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

DrinksDragDJsEtc... Thursday, January 24 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • Men in Underwear Drink Free, 12-12:30am • DJs BacK2bACk

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets of Beer all night • Sports Leagues Night NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Bottles of Wine, 5pm-close • Paint Nite, Second Floor, 7:30pm

Friday, January 25

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

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm

ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers • Open Dancers Audition • Urban House Music by DJ Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+

A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 Rail and Domestic • $5 Svedka, all flavors all night long • Ottermatic: Otters, Lazers, Bass, 10pm-close • Hosted by Grant Collins • Music by The Barber Streisand and Jesse Jackson NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Open 3pm • Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer,

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$15 • Weekend Kickoff Dance Party, with Nellie’s DJs spinning bubbly pop music all night NUMBER NINE Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • Friday Night Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Rotating DJs, 9:30pm PITCHERS Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am • Visit pitchersbardc.com SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers

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 • Rotating DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s • Cover 21+

Saturday, January 26 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-3am • Video Games • Live televised sports

NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS by Doug Rule

AVALON SATURDAYS: A NIGHT AT THE CIRCUS Last fall, in the wake of Town’s closure, Dougie Meyers launched a weekly Saturday night LGBTQ party. Formerly the general manager of Town, Meyers even managed to secure another one of D.C.’s newest generation of well-designed and well-revered nightclubs for the peak-night occasion. So far, most editions of Avalon Saturdays at downtown’s Soundcheck have been slight variations on the tried-and-true theme of showcasing talent from nightlife’s usual suspects. And to an extent, that holds true this Saturday, Jan. 26, when part of the focus is on the spinning star — DJ Kris Sutton — and the slaying queens Lena Lett, Mama Angelina, Ba’Naka, and Brooklyn, who will all play party co-hosts alongside male dancer Eddie Danger. Beyond that, the party wildly departs from the script, with the promise of “Live Acts All Night” in carnival-like fashion. Step right up and see clowns, contortionists, even an electronic violinist! And what’s a gay party without a self-proclaimed sword swallower and snake charmer? You can also expect to witness a Rubber Boy and a Balloon Artist. And when was the last time you were able to devour cotton candy, popcorn, and a hotdog while out clubbing? Life is a carnival at this party, co-presented by This Free Life and starting at 10 p.m. Soundcheck, 1420 K St. NW. Tickets are $15, or $20 for VIP. Call 202-789-5429 or visit www. dougiemeyerpresents.com.

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Saturday Breakfast Buffet, 10am-3pm • $14.99 with one glass of champagne or coffee, soda or juice • Additional champagne $2 per glass • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • 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 • JOX: The GL Underwear Party, 9pm-close • Featuring DJs C-Dubz and Chaim • $5 Cover (includes clothes check) NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie

Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-3am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs NUMBER NINE Doors open 2pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Jawbreaker: Music of the ‘90s and 2000s, featuring DJs BacK2bACk, 9:30pm PITCHERS Open Noon-3am • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am • Visit pitchersbardc.com SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $15 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks •

CTRL: QWERTY Late last summer, after four years at Town, organizers of the monthly queer dance party CTRL launched a more intimate edition at Trade incorporating favorite themes and new twists. In addition to the return of resident DJs Adam Koussari-Amin, Dvonne, and Jeff Prior — who spin “queerstep” and other harder pop/EDM-focused tunes than what’s heard at the average gay party — CTRL: QWERTY hosts queer drag shows, queer giveaways, “and as much dancing as we can fit inside.” The first party of 2019 puts an emphasis on ball culture by incorporating the strutting sounds of vogue house and flamboyant disco into the mix and as the soundtrack to a special performance by local drag act LaBellela Ziah aka Miss LaBella Mafia. Saturday, Jan. 26, starting at 10 p.m. Trade is at 1410 14th St. NW. No cover; must be 21 or older. Call 202-986-1094 or visit www.facebook.com/ tradebardc. GET ON BAD! XX+ Crostino, the designated “queer womxn’s lounge/bar” on the second floor of Shaw’s Al Crostino restaurant, presents a Caribbean-centered party whose name comes from an expression meaning “to have a good time” and “to dance wildly.” And given the name, it’s quite likely DJ Elle Groove will play “Getting on Bad,” a 2015 hit throughout the Caribbean by Trinidadian artist Machel Montano. Montano is one of the biggest names in soca, the funky tropical dance genre that merges African/ calypso music with East Indian rhythms. You certainly know at least one signature soca song that Groove might also factor into the setlist: “Who Let The Dogs Out?,” the Baha Men dance ditty that was ubiquitous everywhere at the turn of the millennium. But Get On Bad! isn’t just limited to soca, as it also celebrates other uptempo hits — both “old and new school” — from the tropical-rooted but more globally popular genres of reggae, dancehall, and Afrobeat. The party is geared to attract, per promoter AJ Anderson, “Ladies who LOVVEEE ladies in the DMV” — though only those aged 21 and over. Friday, Jan. 25, starting at 10 p.m. XX+ Crostino is at 1926 9th St. NW. No cover. Call 202-797-0523 or visit www.facebook.com/xxcrostino. OTTERMATIC Friday sees the debut of an event hyped not just as a new party, but “a whole new type of dance party at Green Lantern,” one “where the dance floor is electrified and otters shoot lasers out of their eyes.” Talk about a stunning feat — one you have to see to believe, I guess. Puffed-up patter aside, Ottermatic is shaping up to be a somewhat different critter than Otter Crossing, the wildly popular first-Friday party named after a type of hirsute gay men that Otter Den promoter David Brown produced at Green Lantern until 2017. With Ottermatic, planned as a monthly fourth-Friday party, lead promoters Bryan Smith (aka DJ The Barber Streisand) and bartender Matt Strother have developed an updated and expanded version that strives for greater diversity, dancing, and interaction. Ottermatic is “open to all people and self-identified animals,” and especially those willing to be “vibrant and expressive” in how they dress and engage. “Add some EL wire to your harness and let’s light up the town,” they suggest. DJ Jesse “MadScience” Jackson will join Streisand for the debut party featuring otter pinup Grant Collins as host. Friday, Jan. 25, starting at 10 p.m. 1335 Green Ct. NW. Cover is $5. Call 202-347-4533 or visit www.greenlanterndc.com. WIG NIGHT OUT “What if we came down here and put on wigs, threw in tip money and donated it to charity?” That was the simple notion that inspired Jack Jacobson and a group of friends, who together teased into formation this hair-raising “fun philanthropy” event, initially at Dito’s Bar below restaurant Floriana. In 2019, the frivolous-for-a-cause affair makes its biggest move yet, from its most recent home bar, JR.’s, to the newer Pitchers. Funds raised through the event will be shared between WhitmanWalker Health and Casa Ruby. “It’s the easiest fundraiser I’ve ever thrown,” Jacobson told Metro Weekly a few years back. “It’s literally as easy or as fantastic as you want to make it. Some folks grab whatever they can find in the back of their closets, some will buy special wigs that are made by wigmasters.” Of course, no one will wig out, as it were, over participants who decide not to wear a wig. After all, the ultimate priority is to raise money for two of D.C.’s most critical LGBTQ service organizations — with the goal of several thousand dollars each. Saturday, Feb. 2, from 8 to 10 p.m. Pitchers is at 2317 18th St. NW. There is a suggested minimum donation of $10. Call 202-733-2568 or visit www.pitchersbardc.com. l

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers 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 1:45am • DJ Don T. in Ziegfeld’s • DJ Steve Henderson in Secrets • Cover 21+

Sunday, January 27 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-12am • $4 Smirnoff and Domestic Cans • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Ella’s Sunday Drag Brunch, 10am-3pm • $24.99 with four glasses of champagne or mimosas, 1 Bloody Mary, or coffee, soda or juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • AGLA’s Gayborhood Dinner and Piano Night, 5-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Karaoke with Kevin downstairs, 9:30pm-close

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-1am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Multiple TVs showing movies, shows, sports • Expanded craft beer selection • Pop Goes the World with Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm • No Cover

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PITCHERS Open Noon-2am • $4 Smirnoff, includes flavored, $4 Coors Light or $4 Miller Lites, 2-9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • RENT Live Karaoke and Watch Party in association with Capital Pride Alliance • 6pm Karaoke, 7pm Watch Party • $6 Tito’s All Night

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

Monday, January 28 FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Singles Night • Half-Priced Pasta Dishes • AGLA Public Board Meeting, 7pm • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Singing with the Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke Night with the Sisters

of Perpetual Indulgence, 9:30pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Half-Priced Burgers • Paint Nite, 7pm • PokerFace Poker, 8pm • Dart Boards • Ping Pong Madness, featuring 2 PingPong Tables NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Shaw ’Nuff Trivia, with Jeremy, 7:30pm

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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, January 29 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco Tuesday • Karaoke, 9pm

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Drag Bingo with Sasha Adams and Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close NUMBER NINE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Half-Priced Burgers and Pizzas, 5-10pm • DC Bocce, Second Floor, 6:30pm 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

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY

Wednesday, January 30 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6 Burgers • Beach Blanket Drag Bingo Night, hosted by Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes • Karaoke, 10pm-1am GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm • Bear Yoga with Greg Leo, 6:30-7:30pm • $10 per class • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR SmartAss Trivia Night, 8-10pm • Prizes include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30 Club • $15 Buckets of Beer for SmartAss Teams only • Absolutely Snatched Drag Show, hosted by Brooklyn Heights, 9pm • Tickets available at nelliessportsbar.com NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Visit pitchersbardc.com

SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Piano Bar with Jill, 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 • Women’s Crush Wednesdays: A Monthly Happy Hour for LBT Women, Non-Binary and Non-Gender Conforming Folks, 5-10pm l

Scene

Furball at Rock & Roll Hotel - Friday, Jan. 18 - Photography by Ward Morrison See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

JANUARY 24, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ METROWEEKLY

LastWord. People say the queerest things

“It was only a matter of time that something this school community did would blow up to this degree.” — CHRISTIAN BALES, a gay former student of Covington Catholic High School, which became embroiled in controversy after video emerged of a group of white students from the school wearing “Make America Great Again” hats surrounding a Native American elder at the Lincoln Memorial. Speaking to NBC News, Bales said he “was not surprised at all” at the video, adding that Covington is “notorious for being a not-well-disciplined school.” Last year, Bales was denied the chance to speak at graduation, with the school calling his speech “inconsistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church.”

“The results still indicated that bisexual veterans fare more poorly in terms of mental health outcomes.” — KATE MCNAMARA, U.S. Air Force Captain and lead researcher on a study into the mental health of bisexual veterans, in a statement to Medical Xpress. McNamara — whose study is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal — found that bisexual veterans are over twice as likely to suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder than their heterosexual peers.

“I went through so much trauma being arrested in this way. It really was a horrible experience.” — LINDA DOMINGUEZ, a transgender woman, speaking in a video for the New York Civil Liberties Union. NYCLU has filed a lawsuit against the NYPD after Dominguez says she was falsely arrested in a Bronx park in April last year, with the officers mocking her and deliberately misgendering her. “In the precinct, I saw them mock me,” she said. “The policewoman looked at me as if there was something wrong with me because she looked at me so ugly. They mocked me: ‘That’s a man, that’s not a man, what’s that?’”

“The law is a gross intrusion into the fundamental rights of counselors and clients. ” — MAT STAVER, chair of anti-LGBTQ organization Liberty Counsel, which is suing Maryland over the state’s ban on conversion therapy, also known as “gay cure” therapy. The state last year banned licensed practitioners from subjecting LGBTQ minors to conversion therapy. In a statement, Staver said therapists have the right to help minors who “want to reduce or eliminate unwanted same-sex attractions or gender confusion.”

“This is the latest evidence that conversion therapy is consumer fraud and ought to be outlawed in all 50 states. ” — WAYNE BESEN, founder of Truth Wins Out, in a statement after prominent Mormon conversion therapy practitioner David Matheson came out and said he was “choosing to pursue life as a gay man.” Besen added: “If conversion therapy does not work for authors like David Matheson who write books on the discredited practice, it is naive to expect it to work for those reading such deceptive publications.”

JANUARY 24, 2019 • METROWEEKLY