Metro Weekly - 07-09-15 - 4th Summer Music Issue

8/20/2019 Metro Weekly - 07-09-15 - 4th Summer Music Issue

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Randy Shulman

ART DIRECTOR

Todd Franson

NEWS & BUSINESS EDITOR

John Riley

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Rhuaridh Marr

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Doug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Scott G. Brooks

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sean Bugg, Christian Gerard, Connor J. Hogan,Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Julian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHER

Randy Shulman

BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETING

Christopher CunettoCunetto Creative

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Rivendell Media Co.212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Dennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTS

Tony Thompson and Bernard Edwards

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Jeffrey Everett

METRO WEEKLY

1425 K St. NW, Suite 350Washington, DC 20005

202-638-6830

MetroWeekly.com

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 noresponsibility 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 oradvertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of

such person or organization.

© 2015 Jansi LLC.

4

July 9, 2015Volume 22 / Issue 10

NEWS 6

BAYOU BIGOTRY by Rhuaridh Marr

10 HOME FRONT FEARS

by John Riley

13 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FEATURES 19 2015 SUMMER MUSIC ISSUE

20 MELISSA ETHERIDGE

by Doug Rule

22

MAGGIE R OSE by Connor J. Hogan

23 EMIL DE COU

by Randy Shulman

24 WHO IS FANCY ?

by Doug Rule

26 SUMMER CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS

27 THE MUSIC OF R UPAUL’S

DRAG R ACE QUEENS

by CONNOR

J. HOGAN

27 CONCERT V ENUES

OUT ON THE TOWN 28 GRILL MASTER

by Doug Rule

FILM 35 OILED UP, STRIPPED DOWN

by Chris Heller

TECH 37 STREAMERS

by Rhuaridh Marr

MUSIC 39 EIGHTIES NIGHT

by Chris Gerard

NIGHTLIFE 43 WTF AT TOWN

photography by Ward Morrison

SCENE 52 R UMBA LATINA

BOYZ IN HEELS VI

ANNIVERSARY PARTY

AT COBALT

photography by Ward Morrison

54 LAST WORD


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Bayou Bigotry Bobby Jindal intends to be President, despite a hatred for gay rights

and a desire to appeal to far-right voters

Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland.

BOBBY JINDAL’S POLITICAL AMBITIONS ARE

vastly outstripping reality. Louisiana’s Republicangovernor is determined to make a bid for the White

House in 2016, but if recent polling is anything to goby he may struggle to even make it to the Fox News debates.

Consistently at or near the bottom of a large field of candidates,

G A G E S K I D M

O R E

Jindal needs to stand out in a crowded field of me-too Clinton-

bashers and immigrant-aggravators. Unfortunately, he’s all tookeen to toe the party line on the vast majority of issues — par-

ticularly LGBT matters.Jindal has a long history of opposing gay equality. He con-

verted to Christianity at a young age, eventually becoming a self-

L G B T

News Now online at MetroWeekly.comCherry Fund raises $17,000 for local orgsJimmy Carter says Jesus would approve of gay marriage

by Rhuaridh Marr


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LGBTNews

8

described evangelical Catholic. To quote the man himself, whenhe was introduced to the Bible by a friend in high school, he

“was struck, and struck hard.” Factor in his politics — Jindal is a

fiscal and social conservative, and Governor of one of America’smost conservative states — and it’s hardly an ideal recipe for

breeding tolerance.Certainly not helping matters is a scathing editorial

this week by Jindal’s former New Media Director, Taylor

Huckaby. Writing for the New Orleans Advocate, Huckabyoffers an insight into the right-wing, religious extremism

Jindal surrounds himself with — and that ultimately influ-ences his policymaking. Huckaby notes that, during his time

working for Jindal, he witnessed the birth of the “fire-and-brimstone Jindal,” who clamored to “stand in the church

house door and refuse Americans their individual right tomarry the one they love.”

Jindal’s extremism is “equal parts religion and politics,” aproduct of the “virulently anti-gay company he keeps [that] has

come to define him in the same way chameleons take on the

color of their surroundings.” It should come as no surprise thatJindal includes the homophobic stars of A&E’s Duck Dynasty in

his various social circles. Religious and conservative extremismis “surrounding, insulating and shrouding the current occupant

of the Governor’s Mansion,” according to Huckaby.“I regret nothing more than my complicity in the state’s

relentless attacks against my fellow LGBTQ citizens,” he writes.

“Being anti-gay was (and is) a system requirement for workingin Louisiana conservative politics, and it bred a powerful self-

hatred.”Jindal’s “signature strategy of rallying bigotry” is diminish-

ing, however, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recentruling on same-sex marriage. The governor’s attempts to block

or limit the advancement of equality will be “fruitless, petty andultimately unsuccessful.” In a devastating final blow, Huckaby

anticipates the day “Jindal fades into irrelevance,” taking his

“dishonest, destructive administration” with him and pavingthe way for leadership that embraces “fairness, charity, dignity,

prudence and kindness above all.”Unfortunately, for Louisiana’s LGBT citizens, Jindal won’t

leave office until next year. If his actions so far are anything togo by, he’ll do everything he can to prevent further advance-

ments for equality.

In May, despite protests from gay rights groups and busi-nesses that have operations in the state, Jindal signed an execu-

tive order granting business owners the right to discriminateagainst LGBT customers. Adapted from “religious freedom”

laws, it had originally been proposed by the state legislature,though they sensibly killed it once objections were raised.

Jindal, “disappointed” that bigotry had failed, promptly appro-priated it.

Despite tech giant IBM telling Jindal that the bill “will

create a hostile environment for our current and prospectiveemployees” and asking him to “ensure this legislation is not dis-

criminatory,” Jindal signed his order. IBM promptly cancelled aribbon-cutting at a new headquarters in Baton Rouge. Fearing a

backlash in tourism, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu issuedhis own executive order proclaiming “[New Orleans] welcomes

people from all walks of life with open arms.” Gay rights groups,

both in-state and nationally, decried Jindal’s attempts to dis-criminate against his state’s LGBT residents. The ACLU was so

incensed that their Louisiana branch last week sued the gover-

nor, challenging the validity of his order.Jindal was unmoved. “This is even bigger than marriage,” he

said, The Times-Picayune reports. “It’s the right to live your lives

24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to your sincerelyheld religious beliefs.”

It was the latest in a long line of anti-gay, anti-marriageequality statements from the governor. He told MSNBC

that his order was “not about discriminating against anyone

or about judging people,” despite it allowing for discrimi-nation and judgement. He told the Washington Examiner

last year that “marriage is between a man and a woman….I’m not a weather vane on this issue and I’m not going to

change my position.”In the wake of the last month’s marriage equality ruling,

Jindal proclaimed, “Marriage between a man and a woman wasestablished by God, and no earthly court can alter that. I will

never stop fighting for religious liberty and I hope our leadersin D.C. join me.” In a failed attempt to fight the ruling, Jindal

searched for ways to block the issuance of marriage licences in

his state. It was for naught — two days later, he told NBC News“We don’t have a choice. Our agencies will comply with the

court order.”Jindal’s religious fervor extends to the company he keeps.

He is an ally of Tony Perkins, president of the notoriouslyhomophobic Family Research Council. Jindal has appeared

on Perkins’ radio show to denounce marriage equality and

espouse the value of protecting “religious liberty.” When Jindalannounced appointments to the Louisiana Commission on

Marriage and Family, Perkins was included due to his “exper-tise in community programs and assistance.” Right Wing Watch

also reports that Jindal has courted religious activist DavidLane — who is funded by the homophobic American Family

Association. Lane organized Jindal’s prayer rally, held in BatonRouge earlier this year, which utilized promotional materials

that proclaimed gay marriage and abortions to be the cause of

Hurricane Katrina.Jindal’s descent into the more extreme folds of the Republican

Party is astounding for a man who just two years ago stated thatthe GOP “must stop being the stupid party.”

“We had a number of Republicans damage the brand thisyear with offensive and bizarre comments,” he told the attend-

ees of 2013’s Republican National Committee Winter Meeting.

“[We need to] stop insulting the intelligence of voters.”Since then, Jindal has presided over a staggering implosion

in Louisiana’s finances, while reaching further into the GOP’sfar right for votes. If his Presidential campaign — which has

never reached above 5% in polls, according to Real Clear Politics— is anything to go by, the Jindal who once reformed his state’s

Medicare, who graduated a Rhodes scholar, who once espousedresponsible conservatism, is long gone.

Now, he’s desperately campaigning for relevancy in a party

filled with similarly bigoted candidates. In a bitterly ironic twist,Jindal’s mismanagement of Louisiana’s fiscal priorities has

led to a $1.6 billion hole in its budget. As the Washington Post reported in May, the state is now so poor that it can’t afford to

budget for the primaries Jindal hopes to compete in as a can-didate.

Stephen Handwerk, executive director of the state’s

Democratic Party, perhaps best summarized Jindal’s leadershipskills in the wake of his anti-gay executive order: “It’s foolish-

ness our families cannot afford.” l

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WE LIVE IN A VERY POLARIZED SOCIETY

politically, and you never know someone untilyou interact with them,” says Jeff Berger.

“There’s a fear of being treated poorly, of not

being accepted.”Berger, founder of the National Association of Gay and

Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP), is referenc-ing statistics from a recent survey. It determined that nearly

three-quarters of LGBT consumers are concerned about beingdiscriminated against when purchasing new real estate.

Commissioned by NAGLREP and Better Homes and Gardens

Real Estate, the LGBT Home Buyer and Seller Survey is the firstof its kind to poll more than 1,700 LGBT homeowners and rent-

ers on their attitudes towards home ownership. “The dream tobuy a home it there,” says Sherry Chris, CEO of Better Homes

and Gardens. “It’s our job to reach out to these young profes-sionals and help them become more knowledgeable about home

ownership.”The recent Supreme Court decision legalizing marriage may

have provided some buyers with a shot of confidence. After

all, 81 percent of survey respondents said that the court sup-

porting same-sex marriage would make them feel more fiscallyprotected. But most of those questioned also expressed concern

over some aspect of housing discrimination.

It’s this seeming contradiction that can have a significantimpact. Chris says even the possibility of discrimination can

have a “psychological effect” on people’s decisions to rent orbuy property. And considering the potential buying power of

the LGBT community — estimated at $840 billion — that’s asignificant flow of cash that could be turned off or tapered with

a negative buying experience.

“We definitely need legal protections in housing for sexualorientation and gender identity,” says Morgan Barker, from

Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) of Virginia.HOME found that a same-sex couple seeking a rental apart-

ment in the Richmond area was 31 percent more likely to expe-rience some form of discrimination than an opposite-sex couple.

Moreover, other studies by the U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development, the Fair Housing Center of Detroit, the

National Transgender Discrimination Survey, and the Equal


Home Front FearsSurvey shows LGBT consumers support home ownership,

but concerned about housing discrimination

by John Riley

Rainbow Flag hangs from front window of house in Logan Circle.

E L V E R T

B A R N E S


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LGBTNews

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bring up in the campaign.”

Durso says that nondiscrimination advocates should takea page from the marriage equality movement’s book when it

comes to humanizing the issue.“I think what the benefit of the very long discussion that

we’ve been having on marriage equality is that people havecome to learn who LGBT Americans are,” she says. “I think

something we’ve learned very strongly from the marriage equal-

ity movement is that people telling their stories makes a huge

difference. And that’s not only LGBT Americans telling theirstories, but friends, and families, and bosses telling the story ofhow it’s important that LGBT Americans be included and pro-

tected in the public square, in every facet of their lives.”But Chris, of Better Homes and Gardens, also points out

that societal attitudes are becoming more tolerant. People are

becoming more comfortable with same-sex couples and LGBTfamilies once they move away from segregated LGBT neighbor-

hoods and interact regularly with the wider population.Berger, of NAGLREF, has seen similar anecdotal evidence

to that effect. Particularly after the Supreme Court decision,he expects the percentage of LGBT people concerned about

discrimination to wane as obstacles to equality become fewer.

Berger also notes that while 7 in 10 survey respondents saidliving in a progressive community was an important consider-

ation in buying a home, the term “progressive” does not neces-sarily refer to a leftward political slant.

“Clients don’t necessarily want to live where everyone is thesame, but a place that’s progressive in terms of being an accept-

ing community,” he says. “It’s more about a general feeling ofcomfort.” l

Rights Center have found similarly disproportionate levels of

discrimination against either same-sex couples or LGBT indi-viduals.

“This is a national, pertinent problem,” says Barker.Laura Durso, director of the LGBT Research and

Communications Project at the Center for American Progress,

believes part of the remedy requires educating the larger publicabout it.

“If you look at public opinion polling, there is some evidence

that most Americans believe that LGBT people are covered

under federal nondiscrimination laws, and we know that’s not

the case,” she says, adding that there need to be more studies,

as governments often require substantial amounts of statistics

before they can be compelled to act.

That inertia is something familiar to Virginia Del. AlfonsoLopez (D-Arlington). Lopez has previously tried to add protec-

tions for sexual orientation and gender identity to the VirginiaFair Housing Act. However, any bills seeking to combat housing

discrimination have been killed by the Republican-led legisla-ture.

“The fact that both the federal Fair Housing Act and the Virginia Fair Housing Act do not provide protections for LGBT

Virginians on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identityis just wrong,” Lopez says.

“Equal rights, civil rights, LGBT rights, they’re all the

same. And these are basics,” he continues. “And if we have thestatistics to prove that there is discrimination, then it’s some-

thing I will be talking about in my platform. We’ve alreadymentioned it to Democratic candidates in the House running

against incumbents or for open seats as something they should



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GAY MARRIED MEN’SASSOCIATION (GAMMA) is a con-fidential support group for men whoare gay, bisexual, questioning andwho are married or involved witha woman, that meets regularly inDupont Circle at 7:30 PM and alsoNorthern Virginia and Maryland. Formore information: GAMMAinDC.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT andquestioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-6p.m., by appointment and walk-in, foryouth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SATURDAY, JULY 11

ADVENTURING outdoors grouphikes 11 strenuous miles on the BillyGoat Trails near Great Falls, Md.Carpool at 8:30 a.m. from the top ofthe escalators at the eastern entranceto the Tenleytown Metro Station,Wisconsin Avenue & AlbemarleStreet NW. Bring plenty of beverages,lunch, bug spray, sunscreen, and afew bucks for fees. Jeff, 301-775-9660.adventuring.org.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, foryouth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155or [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a NarcoticsAnonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPINSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL YouthCenter, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].

FRIDAY, JULY 10

LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP foradults in Montgomery County offersa safe space to explore coming outand issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,Gaithersburg, Md. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES, asocial discussion and activity groupfor LBT women, meets on the secondand fourth Fridays of each month.Social event to follow meeting. 8-9:30p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Formore information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

GAY DISTRICT holds facilitateddiscussion for GBTQ men, 18-35, firstand third Fridays. 8:30 p.m. The DCCenter, 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.202-682-2245, gaydistrict.org.

THURSDAY, JULY 9

BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay vol-unteer organization, volunteers todayfor Food and Friends. To participate,visit burgundycrescent.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). Call 202-291-4707, or visitandromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and les-bian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City Christian

Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floorbar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment

call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New HampshireAve., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or

Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.


Metro Weekly’s Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area

LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.

Event information should be sent by email to [email protected].

Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.

Questions about the calendar may be directed to the

Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or

the calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendarCENTER GLOBAL holds a monthlymeeting to discuss resources avail-able to LGBT asylum seekers in thearea, how to raise the visibility ofglobal LGBT issues locally, and to planevents to help raise money to assistasylum seekers. 12-2 p.m. 2000 14thSt. NW, Suite 105. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

CHRYSALIS arts & culture groupheads to the National Archives to seeits exhibition: “Spirited Republic:Alcohol in American History.” Free,all welcome. Meet at 11 a.m. pastsecurity inside the ground floor lobbyat 9th & Constitution Avenue NW.Lunch follows. Craig, [email protected]. Caution:The Red Line will potentially beclosed between Farragut North &NOMA.

THE DC CENTER hosts confidential FREE HIV TESTING. Know your sta-tus. 4-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite105. For more information, visit thedc-

center.org.

THE DC CENTER hosts aVOLUNTEER ORIENTATION forthose interested in helping around theCenter. 12-3 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbat ser-vices, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW.betmish.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includingothers interested in Brazilian culture,meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 972 OhioDr., SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club welcomes all levels forexercise in a fun and supportive envi-ronment, socializing afterward. Meet9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for awalk; or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfront-runners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket RecreationCenter, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org.


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FEATURED

PARTNER Solaris Laser & Skin Care: A Welcoming SpaWarmth and happiness is the mainstay of this

friendly state-of-the-art spa in Vienna

14

LGBTCommunityCalendar


SHIRIN NARIMAN WAS INSPIRED TO OPEN

Solaris Laser & Skin Care after years of searching invain for a state-of-the-art spa — one using the bestequipment that wasn’t a cold, calculating, high-pressure

business venture.“We try to give positive energy to our clients, to make them feel

good about whatever they do here,” says Nariman, who was inspiredby the sun for her spa’s name and decor. “The sun gives warmth and

happiness. It is the mother of earth and the whole world.”

Everyone is welcome at Solaris, from the novice — “we offerfree consultations for all of our services [and] take our time to

explain and address all concerns” — to those in the LGBT com-munity. A lifelong supporter of human rights, Nariman rebukes

the anti-LGBT attitudes — even violence — of leaders in the

country of her birth. “I hope that one day we can help my peoplein Iran, the many gay and transgendered people who are being

persecuted. I see it as a violation of human rights. God createdeveryone for a reason.”

Solaris also aims to be a welcoming environment for menas well as women. “We have a lot of male clients for all of our

services, from fixing their eyebrows to getting laser hair treat-ment or botox and facials.” Some spas use multipurpose laser

equipment — removing varicose veins or wrinkles as well as hair— which is not as strong or effective as the all-skin-type, hair-

specific laser that Solaris uses. “We’re seeing very good results,”

says Nariman. “I can’t recall any of my clients telling me that itdidn’t work for them.”

The price is right, too: Rather than more typical prices of

$4,000 or $5,000, Solaris offers a six-session laser hair removal

on special for only $1,800. They also offer an introductory botoxspecial of $11 per unit — which contrasts with a more typicalprice of $12 to $14

elsewhere. It gener-ally takes a minimum

of 25 to 30 units persession, for a total

cost of $275 to $330.

“We go conserva-tively,” Nariman says.

“We don’t want toput too much botox

that the face is com-

pletely changed.”A d d i t i o n a l l y ,

Solaris offers mas-sage in its aim to be a

“refuge — for peoplewho need a place just

to relax.”For Nariman, her business philosophy is pretty simple. “It’s

about health, it’s about beauty and it’s about making people feelgood about themselves.”

Solaris Laser & Skin Care is located at 513 Maple Ave. West inVienna. For more information, call 703-255-0300 or visit solaris-

lasercare.coml

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria.All welcome. For more info, visit dig-nitynova.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.RVSP preferred. [email protected].

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.

SUNDAY, JULY 12ADVENTURING outdoors group hostsannual Summer Picnic in Grove # 1 inRock Creek Park across from PeirceMill, Beach Drive & Tilden Street NW.Picnic opens at 11:30 a.m., grilling

begins at noon. All welcome. Bring

a salad or dessert to share and $5 tooffset expenses. Activities include vol-leyball, fun hike, and an “AdventuringJeopardy!” contest. For more info,contact Brett or John, 703-914-1439.adventuring.org.

BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay vol-unteer organization, volunteers todayfor DC Central Kitchen. To partici-pate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

THE UNITED SOLDIERS AND

SAILORS OF AMERICA and the

MILITARY PARTNERS AND

FAMILIES COALITION co-host amonthly Sunday Brunch at BoundaryRoad for LGBT military members, vet-erans, their families and allies. 11:30-1:30 414 H St. NE. For more informa-tion, contact Eric Perez, 202-682-2245or [email protected].

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 972 OhioDr., SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman CatholicMass for the LGBT community. 6p.m., St. Margaret’s Church, 1820Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.Sign interpreted. For more info, visitdignitynova.org.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF

CHRIST welcomes GLBT communityfor worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old

Telegraph Road, Alexandria. hopeucc.org.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL

DEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF

REFORMATION invites all to Sundayworship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare isavailable at both services. WelcomingLGBT people for 25 years. 212 EastCapitol St. NE. reformationdc.org..

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY

CHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. OnettaBrooks. Children’s Sunday School, 11a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.703-691-0930, mccnova.com.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY

CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)

and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday Schoolat 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373, mccdc.com.

ST. STEPHEN AND THE

INCARNATION, an “interracial,multi-ethnic Christian Community”offers services in English, 8 a.m. and10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,saintstephensdc.org.

MONDAY, JULY 13FUNDACION ANGIE, a group of D.C.

residents concerned about HIV ratesand other health disparities amongthe Latino and LGBTQ communities,


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holds three separate trainings for HIVprevention counselors. Training willbe in Spanish. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 2000 14thSt. NW, Suite 105. For more informa-tion, contact Angie Ruiz, [email protected].

THE DC CENTER’S YOUTHWORKING GROUP holds a monthlymeeting to discuss upcoming initia-tives and ways to positively impact

LGBTQ youth. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14thSt. NW, Suite 105. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-

dals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. [email protected].

HIV Testing at WHITMAN-WALKERHEALTH. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) Services, 3333 Duke St.,Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200,Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-

4467.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, foryouth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or test-

[email protected].

THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee Drop-In for the Senior LGBT Community.10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black gaymen’s evening affinity group. 3636Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WaterPolo Team practices 7-9 p.m. TakomaAquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St.NW. Newcomers with at least basicswimming ability always welcome.Tom, 703-299-0504, secretary@

wetskins.org, wetskins.org.

Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, JULY 14

DC BI WOMEN meets on the second

Tuesday of each month at DupontItalian Kitchen Restaurant in theupstairs room. 7-9 p.m. 1637 17thSt. NW. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

FUNDACION ANGIE, a group of D.C.residents concerned about HIV ratesand other health disparities amongthe Latino and LGBTQ communities,a training for HIV prevention coun-selors. Training will be in Spanish. 9a.m.-4 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite105. For more information, contactAngie Ruiz, [email protected].

THE DC CENTER hosts a COMINGOUT DISCUSSION GROUP for thoseexploring issues related to their iden-

tity. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS


ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly din-

ner in Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30p.m. [email protected], afwashington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club serving greater D.C.’sLGBT community and allies hosts anevening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-

ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic,Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.


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THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THEDC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.thedccenter.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414 EastDiamond Ave., and in Takoma Park,7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411.

Walk-ins 2-6 p.m. For appointmentsother hours, call Gaithersburg at301-300-9978 or Takoma Park at 301-

422-2398.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St.,Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.


OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting every Tuesday,7 p.m. St. George’s Episcopal Church,915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, juststeps from Virginia Square Metro. Formore info. call Dick, 703-521-1999.Handicapped accessible. Newcomerswelcome. [email protected].

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, foryouth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,

410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy Chu,202-567-3163, [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 and older.7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 1701 14thSt. NW. Patients are seen on walk-inbasis. No-cost screening for HIV,syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.Hepatitis and herpes testing availablefor fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15

BOOKMEN DC, an informal men’sgay-literature group, discusses select-ed essays from “Love, ChristopherStreet: Reflections of New York City,”edited by Thomas Keith. 7:30 p.m.at the DC Center, 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. All are welcome. book-mendc.blogspot.com.

FLYHIGH MINISTRIES offers ascreening of the documentary “TheAbominable Crime,” about homopho-

bia in Jamaica, as part of theGeopolitics of LGBT Rights ForumSeries being held by the Center forTransatlantic Relations at JohnsHopkins SAIS. Q&A session with film-maker Micah Fink and film subjectMaurice Tomlinson to follow. 5:30-7p.m. Rome Auditorium, Benjamin T.Rome Building, 1619 MassachusettsAve. NW. RSVP via eventbrite.com.For more information, visit transatlan-

ticrelations.org/human-and-lgbt-rights.

FUNDACION ANGIE, a group of D.C.residents concerned about HIV ratesand other health disparities among theLatino and LGBTQ communities, holdsa training for HIV prevention counsel-ors. Training will be in Spanish. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Formore information, contact Angie Ruiz,[email protected].

THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIALBRIDGE CLUB meets for SocialBridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center, 7218th St. SE, across from the MarineBarracks. No reservation and partner

needed. Call 301-345-1571 for moreinfo.

WOMAN TO WOMAN: A SUPPORTGROUP FOR HIV-POSITIVEWOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN, holdsa monthly meeting at The Women’sCollective on the third Wednesdayof each month. Light refreshmentsserved. 5:30-7 p.m. 1331 Rhode IslandAve. NE. For more information, con-tact June Pollydore, 202-483-7003.

WEEKLY EVENTS

AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-

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


DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

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

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment call 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.l


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I

L L U S T R A T I O N B

Y J E F F E V E R E T T


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Poptimist Melissa Etheridge maintains a constant positive outlook about

everything in her life and the world around her

BY DOUG R ULE

YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH COUNT ON ONE HAND THE NUMBER OF

pop stars to come out since Melissa Etheridge publicly acknowledged her

sexuality in 1993.Still, the reigning lesbian rocker is confident there will be more gay pop

stars in the near future. “It takes a special kind of strange person to wantto be a pop star anyway,” says Etheridge. Often part of the appeal, for both the artist and

the public, is a mystery about exactly who the person is, especially when it comes tosexuality. And today there’s far more room for mystery than ever before.

“My generation, we were more gay or straight — there was a big divide between thetwo,” the 54-year-old says. But progress in LGBT rights in the past two decades “allows

more fluidity to sexuality in general.... I’m sure there are some major pop stars right now

in their twenties that are kind of going, ‘I don’t know. I might be this or that. But I don’thave to label myself right now.’”

It turns out that’s not mere speculation from a woman with an optimistic disposition.In fact, Etheridge has personally given advice to some not-yet-out young musical artists.

“We have long discussions on the benefits of coming out, the benefits of being out, andwhat it might look like for them,” she says. To be sure, it might not look quite as rosy as

it did for Etheridge.

She came out in January of 1993 at an inaugural ball for Bill Clinton. She returned toWashington that April to perform at the third gay March on Washington on the National

Mall. Later that year, Etheridge broke through to the mainstream with the release of the

appropriately titled Yes I Am, which sold over six million copies. All in all, coming outwas a boost to her career.

“The only reason that we see change in the world is because we have been brave

enough to come out,” Etheridge says. “More people know more gay people because wehave come out.” More frank talk about sexual experiences will advance us further. “It’s

about sexual freedom, bottom line,” she says. “It’s not just about being gay — it’s about

not being so fearful about sex in general.”Beyond sex, there’s love — and being gay or lesbian today does not preclude getting

legally married, much less publicly proclaiming a relationship. Etheridge and her wifeLinda Wallem were among the many who expressed elation after the Supreme Court’s

breathtaking, landmark ruling last month, which effectively struck down barriers tosame-sex marriage in all 50 states. “My wife Linda and I join everyone around the world

as we celebrate...the Supreme Court in upholding the civil rights and liberty of all the

citizens of this great land,” Etheridge said in a statement. “Life is full of wonder and loveis never wrong.”

In an interview before the Supreme Court had issued its ruling, Etheridge said shehadn’t given much thought to what might happen if the court ruled against marriage

equality, because she saw it as an inevitable outcome. “You can’t roll this tide back,”she says. “I just can’t believe that for very long...you could interpret our constitution as

meaning everyone except gay people. It doesn’t work that way. That’s not the way ourforefathers built it.”

Etheridge tries “to think very positively,” an outlook she applies to pretty much

everything, from politics to the environment. Even her home state of Kansas isn’t ashopeless to Etheridge as it is so often regarded.

“I think it’s misleading to say ‘these are blue states, these are red states,’” Etheridgesays. “Because even in the red states, many of them are only 51-percent red.... I think the

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F S T R A T H M O R E


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whole country is more purple than we know. There’s a lot of just good people

trying to do their best, trying to live and let live.”Etheridge expresses optimism when reminiscing about her early life in

Leavenworth, outside Kansas City. “I remember we didn’t have liquor — we hadto cross the border to Missouri to get alcohol,” she says. “So they’re a little bit

behind. It’s okay. Everybody is getting there. They’re on a journey.”

Nearly a decade ago Etheridge won an Oscar for her song “I Need to WakeUp,” written for the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which focused

on Al Gore and his work in raising awareness about climate change. As withLGBT rights, Etheridge says environmental progress “starts individually” —

person by person. “I think we are headed in the right direction,” she says, sin-gling out the Waterkeeper Alliance, a network working to protect waterways.

Headed by Robert Kennedy Jr., it’s the one environmental organization she’s

been championing these days. Naturally, she’s troubled by the water issue —or to be more precise, lack-of-water issue — in California. It’s become “the

number one issue in the state.” But she doesn’t dwell on the negative impactsthe drought has had even on her own life. “I’m looking at my brown yard right

now,” she says. “Which is fine. We live in a desert.”Though she’s certainly had her downs, including two very public breakups

prior to Wallem, and a bout with breast cancer last decade, Etheridge focuseson the ups — many of which she could not have planned or even predicted. That

includes her relationship to Wallem. The two were born on the same day — May

29, 1961 — with just a four-hour difference between them. Whatever celestial


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cautions there are to pairing up with someone of the same sign,astrology has nothing on this Gemini’s terrestrial experience.

“I haven’t had my astrological chart read in 20 years or so,”

Etheridge says, “but believe me, I’ve had many relationshipswith many signs, and this relationship works across the board

on every level.”Etheridge also had no plans to have one kid, let alone four. “I did

not expect to be a mother,” she says, “but it’s probably the greatestexperience I’ve ever had. Just the experience of being around these

four amazing souls, and helping through the world is everything.”She laughs at her quick response to the obvious next question,

whether she’ll have more. “No. Can I answer that faster? No!”

Touring is another “up” that keeps on giving, which Etheridgehopes is true for concertgoers as well. Beyond a natural rapport

with the audience and a personable, engaging stage presence,no two shows are exactly alike. “I create a set list before every

show now,” she says. Aside from the staples — the biggest hitsand other proven crowd-pleasers in her 27-year-old repertoire

— “there are four, five, six songs that I’ll do different every night.I want people to be able to see it multiple times and have a dif-

ferent experience every time.”

Next month, Washingtonians are in for an extra treat, whenEtheridge returns to the Music Center at Strathmore. “It’s so

beautiful,” she says. “And it’s an acoustically perfect place toplay.” The Strathmore stop is part of Etheridge’s current solo

tour — solo, that is, not acoustic. She’ll play a variety of 10guitars, a keyboard, a little hand drum set and a digital looper,

recording rhythms on the spot, live.“It’s a show where I really get to show off what I can do,” says

Etheridge. “It’s very intimate, yet it’s still a major rock and roll

show. People are up and dancing and going crazy.” l

Melissa Etheridge performs Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m., atthe Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North

Bethesda. Tickets are $45 to $85. Call 301-581-5100 or visitstrathmore.org.

COUNTRY MUSIC STAR MAGGIE ROSE LOVES

a good tomato. When radio consultant Keith

Hill compared women in country music to

tomatoes in a salad, Nashville was thrown into a

controversy aptly named “Salad Gate.” According to

his research, country radio generates more revenue

from their female listeners, and women just don’t like

listening to women.

J U S T I N C L O U G H

Rose’s TomatoesMaggie Rose is coming home to the 9:30 club, andshe’s bringing some new ripe tomatoes with her

by Connor J. Hogan

Since Rose’s breakout in 2012, she’s been the

indie darling of the country music scene. “I moved to

Nashville six years ago,” she says. “And my goal was

to get a hit on country radio.”

If country radio wanted to make more money, he

posited, they should limit their playlists to mainly fea-

ture men, and never play female artists back to back.

And like tomatoes to greens in a salad, they should

be the accent, not the feature. “A lot of people were

upset,” Rose says. “But I decided to have fun with

the analogy.”

That came in May of 2012 with her single “I Ain’t

Your Mamma” which reached No. 29 on the country

airplay chart. A year later, her album Cut to Impress

made was named one of the best country records of

2013 by CountryRecordMusic.com. Now, as the sixth

most played woman on country radio, Rose wants

to use her visibility to highlight the great work that

women in music are doing.

“I started a campaign called #TomatoTuesday,”

she says. “Every Tuesday, I release a song I’ve been

working on. And I’ll do that until labor day when I’ll

drop a single.” However, not everything she releases

is specifically country. “I’m getting to create and cul-

tivate new styles,” she says. “I’m looking forward to

sharing it with my fans.”

Born in Potomac, Maryland, Rose spent a lot of

her youth in the District. “I’ve been to the 9:30 club

a lot, but never played there,” she says. “I’m excited

to finally get a chance. It was definitely on my bucket

list.” But don’t expect a twangy guitar and a down

home sound at her show on July 16th. “It’s going to

be fun to go home, and back to my growing fan base,”

she says. “I’ll be playing a lot of my new stuff there.

Hopefully, I’ll make some new fans at 9:30 club too.”

For Rose, Keith Hill’s salad analogy has had the oppo-

site effect. Female-driven country music is flourishing.“I get a pretty cool look at what women are creating in

Nashville,” she says. “I’ve never seen women support

each other as much as they do now. There’s really good

material being generated, either underground or simmer-

ing at the surface. People are going to start yearning for

more women on the radio.” l

Maggie Rose plays the 9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW, on Thursday, July 16th. Tickets are $25 and

are available at the door or online at 930.com. Read more about #tomatotuesday on

Rose’s website iammaggierose.com.


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Orchestral Maneuvers As the principal conductor for the NSO at Wolf Trap, Emil de Cou often finds himself (happily) in

strange orchestral terrain

B Y R ANDY SHULMAN

IT’S NOT THE HIGH POINT OF WESTERN ART,”

admits Emil de Cou with a laugh, “but it serves a reallygood purpose of introducing the sounds of the orchestra

and the incredible colors, melodies, to young people whootherwise wouldn’t hear it.”

“It” is the music of Pokémon. And as the official NSO at WolfTrap Festival Conductor, de Cou is addressing its inclusion in

the 2015 summer lineup, one of several diverse, eclectic perfor-

mances by the NSO during their annual run at the Filene Center.A Nintendo video game may seem an odd thing to discuss with

a nationally-renowned classical conductor, but de Cou, whosefull-time post is as the director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet,

handles the subject with typical grace and aplomb.“Certainly, you’re not going to sit and listen to The Legend

of Zelda by yourself or over dinner,” he says. “It’s video gamemusic. It sounds like lighter film music — it’s not as substantive

as works by someone like John Williams. But it’s a really good

introduction to the beautiful sounds of the orchestra.”Of the remaining seven NSO appearances in the series —

including Verdi’s Aida and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, per-formed in tandem with the Wolf Trap Opera — de Cou is helm-

ing three: An evening with Rufus Wainwright (July 31), a live

accompaniment to the 2009 reboot of Star Trek (August 1), and atribute to the music of John Williams (August 8).

“Williams is probably the single most famous composer in thehistory of music,” says de Cou. “Without a doubt, he’s the most

famous living composer in the world. The majority of the world’spopulation probably know the theme to Superman or Raiders orStar Wars. And if your music is known by a billion people, that’s

important — not just for him as John Williams, but for Americanmusical culture. That’s a pretty hefty contribution.”

The Williams evening will include the composer’s usual hits— Raiders, Jaws, E.T. — but will also display the his breadth by

including movements from Lincoln, the “Harry Potter” series,and Catch Me If You Can, which de Cou personally admires for

its jaunty, jazzy feel.By far, the most challenging concerts on de Cou’s slate are

those in which the orchestra plays live to an established motion

picture. For this, a film’s musical tracks are stripped fromthe soundtrack. The NSO must then reproduce, note-for-note,

sound-for-sound, second-for-second, the entirety of the score intime to the film, projected on a massive screen that de Cou mar-

de Cou at Wolf Trap


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W HO IS WHO IS FANCY? THAT WOULDbe Jake Hagood.

“There is a little bit of Fancy inside every-one,” says Hagood, the 24-year-old budding

pop artist behind the song “Goodbye” as

well as a buzzed-about publicity campaign concocted by hislabel earlier this year. “I wanted people to hear my story — my

song — and the heart of that song,” Hagood says. Republic

Records released this sumptuous, mid-tempo breakup anthemin early February, listing the artist as “Who Is Fancy” andincluding no identifying details about Hagood. Then, the label

released three music videos, starring three very different actors

lip-syncing to the song — a white male model, a chunky blackwoman and a black transgender model shorn of female attire.

It was eventually revealed that Hagood was a cute gay cubunfearful of his feminine side.

“I started wearing makeup and doing my nails and dyeingmy hair crazy colors, pretty much immediately after I came out,”

he says. He was working at a Forever 21 store in Nashville, Tn.,and it was the first place he felt free to be himself and explore

his identity. A co-worker nicknamed him Fancy, referencing

Drake’s early hit, popular at the time. “It was the first time I hada nickname that I really identified with and that gave me a sense

of comfort,” he says. “I agreed wholeheartedly that I was fancy.”A native of Bentonville, Ark., Hagood originally moved to

Nashville to study at Trevecca Nazarene University, foundedover a century ago as the Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training

School.

“I grew up in the Nazarene Church. My parents are veryfaithful in their belief system,” Hagood says. “So coming out was

a struggle, but it was something all of us worked through and

worked at. And I think we’re all better for it.” Now, his parentsrarely miss a performance, and were present when he revealed

his true identity to the world — in April on The Tonight Showwith Jimmy Fallon. “I think that’s the best thing that’s ever hap-

pened to me,” he says. “Music has been so important to me, and

performing has been my passion since I was little. It was really just a dream come true.”

It was hard to stay quiet and maintain the mystery while his

song was on the radio, becoming a modest hit on Billboard ’s charts. His videos went viral, garnering millions of hits on

YouTube and Vevo. “Even at my song’s highest peak, I was just

chilling, watching a lot of Gilmore Girls, The Unbreakable Kimmy

Schmidt — just Netflix-ing it up. It was absolutely wild,” he says.Now comes the hardest part — parlaying that initial suc-

cess into a musical career. He’s got heavy-hitters behind him,including Big Machine, the same management company that

discovered Taylor Swift. Having recently made the move to LosAngeles to step up his game, Hagood feels the pressure — and

yet he’s reluctant to rush. His second single, for example, is morehappy and fun, “a different facet of who Fancy is.” “Very soon” is

all he will say about a release date.

“It’s not lost on me that this opportunity doesn’t come for alot of people,” he says. “I’m really wanting to take my time. I

want this to be right.... I want it to be me all the way through, andit’s not something I’m willing to rush to get out.”

Later this summer he’ll open for Meghan Trainor on a fewdates of her tour, but the focus is on releasing new music. And

yes, all of it will be released as Who Is Fancy. “Throughout my

career, I want to always be reminding people what makes themspecial, or fancy,” he says. “Everyone has something that’s differ-

ent about them, and it’s not necessarily wrong.” l

Fancy Feast His mysterious identity revealed, Jake Hagood is enjoying a slow, steady march to hopeful success

BY DOUG R ULE

Listen to “Goodbye” and watch the videos at whoisfancymusic.com.

vels is “much bigger than IMAX.” It’s a daunting task.“It’s some of the most difficult work I’ve ever done,” says

de Cou. “You have to be precise within half a second, which is

really, really, really hard. I basically have to memorize the film.I’m watching for lines. I’m watching for camera angles and cam-

era changes. In a studio if you’re recording 30 seconds at a time,it’s one thing, but if you’re playing 2 plus hours, it’s a real feat to

pull it off.”The 55-year-old conductor notes that the feat is “hardest for

the musicians furthest away from his podium. When you’re play-

ing a brass instrument — a tuba or trombone or trumpet — you’reputting out so much sound you can’t hear the violins, you can’t

hear the cellos, just because there’s just so much sound around

where you’re sitting. I have to communicate a lot in silence todifferent sections that might get a little ahead or behind.” l

Tickets to the NSO’s season at Wolf Trap start at $20 and are

available online at wolftrap.org or by calling 877-965-3817. WolfTrap is located at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Va. For the full summer

concert lineup, visit wolftrap.org.


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S

T E P H E N S C H O F I E L D A N D S A R A H B A R L O W


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JULY

Pink Martini — The popular cocktaillounge act returns to Wolf Trap, again

with NPR’s Ari Shapiro as special guest

(7/10, Wolf Trap) • Jason D. Williamsand Dale Watson & His Lone Stars

(7/10, Birchmere) • The Heydaze (7/10,DC9) • The Persuasions (7/10, AMP byStrathmore) • Dierks Bentley with Kip

Moore, Maddie & Tae and CanaanSmith — Part of Jiffy Lube Live’s 2015Country Megaticket (7/10, Jiffy Lube

Live) • Wolf Trap Opera: The Ghosts of

Versailles (7/10, 7/12, 7/15, 7/18, Wolf

Trap) • Mint Condition (7/11, FillmoreSilver Spring) • Father — 9:30 Club pres-ents this concert (7/11, U Street Music

Hall) • NSO @ Wolf Trap — Beethoven’sSymphony No. 5 , plus Sarah Chang plays

Bruch (7/11, Wolf Trap) • Old Time Banjo

Festival — Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer,Jayme Stone, David Reed and Adam Hurt

perform at this 9th annual event (7/11,

Birchmere) • Mr Twin Sister (7/11, DC9)• R5, Jacob Whitesides — A party-pop

quintet featuring a Disney Channel star

and a Dancing With The Stars competitor

performs at Wolf Trap with a folky-pop

artist known from The X Factor (7/12, Wolf

Trap) • Southside Johnny & The AsburyJukes (7/12, Birchmere) • The Mighty

Mighty Bosstones (7/12, 9:30 Club) •SOAK. (7/12, DC9) • Mourn (7/13, DC9) •Kehlani (7/14, U Street Music Hall) • Toad

The Wet Sprocket (7/14-15, Birchmere) •Elvis Depressedly & Mitski (7/14, DC9)

• Punch Brothers with Bela Fleck &Abigail Washburn — Progressive acoustic

quintet is joined by 15-time Grammy-

winning banjo virtuoso and his singer/

banjoist wife (7/15, Wolf Trap) • TeamFamiliar — D.C.’s own go-go legend’snew band performs as part of Strathmore’s

Free Summer Outdoor Concert series

(7/15, Strathmore) • Night Kitchen(7/15, DC9) • Maggie Rose — Twenty-

something country singer originally from

Potomac, Md. (7/16, 9:30 Club) • FedericoAubele — 9:30 Club presents this concert

by this Argentinian chillout artist affiliated

with Thievery Corporation (7/16, U Street

Music Hall) • Guster — A low-boil kind of

rock band, with pop and country influences

(7/16, Wolf Trap) • Body Thief (7/16, DC9)

• The Bacon Brothers with Cleopatra

Degher — Zero degrees from Kevin Bacon(7/16-18, Birchmere) • Jake Miller (7/17,

9:30 Club) • The Weather Station (7/17,DC9) • Idina Menzel — Broadway belterand TV guest star now best known as

the voice of an emotionally frozen Disney

queen (7/18, Jiffy Lube Live) • BluesAlley’s 50th Anniversary — Strathmoretoasts the legendary Georgetown jazz and

blues club with a concert featuring Angela

Winbush, Kindred the Family Soul and

Chelsey Green (7/18, Strathmore) • ElleKing — 9:30 Club presents this concert

by young rocker (7/18, U Street Music

Hall) • NSO @ Wolf Trap — Pokemon:

Symphonic Evolutions , a toast to the popu-

lar Japanese franchise billed as “the must-

see video game concert of the year” (7/18,

Wolf Trap) • Chopteeth — Local Afrobeatcollective (7/18, AMP by Strathmore) •

Vans Warped Tour — Some 90 indie-

rock acts perform at this all-day festival,

many with crazy names such as Black Veil

Brides, I Killed the Prom Queen, the Amity

Affliction, Hands Like Houses and Koo

Koo Kanga Roo (7/18, Merriweather Post

Pavilion) • Patti LaBelle — Soul diva andEmmy-nominated actress who performs

at the Filene Center with the gospel group

the Jones Family Singers (7/19, at Wolf

Trap) • Ambrosia (7/19, Birchmere) •Neon Trees — Another year, another 9:30Club show by this appealing gay-fronted

Mormon synth-pop band (7/20, 9:30 Club)

• Son Lux (7/20, U Street Music Hall) •Eagles (7/20, Royal Farms Arena) • JonnyLang (7/20, Birchmere) • The Answer

(7/21, DC9) • Brandi Carlile — A lesbianrocker whose sharp, wide-ranging sound

blends influences from a wide range of

musical styles (7/22, Wolf Trap) • NickiMinaj — Madonna’s biggest cheerleader

and reigning female rapper (7/22, Jiffy

Lube Live) • Emily King (7/22, U StreetMusic Hall) • No BS! Brass Band — One

of Strathmore’s Free Summer Outdoor

Concert (7/22, Strathmore) • GoldLink

(7/22, 9:30 Club) • Planes Mistaken

for Stars (7/22, DC9) • Peter White &Richard Elliot (7/23, Birchmere) • Tanlines

(7/23, U Street Music Hall) • Hackensaw

Boys —Rootsy bluegrass (7/23, AMP byStrathmore) • Syklar Spence (7/23, DC9)

• Sam Smith w/Jazmine Sullivan — Thebiggest gay pop star offers one of the

main concert draws of the summer (7/24,

Merriweather Post Pavilion) • Wolf TrapOpera: Verdi’s Aida in Concert (7/24,

Wolf Trap) • Ryn Weaver (7/24, U StreetMusic Hall) • Cowboy Mouth (7/24, 9:30

Club) • Ariana Grande with Prince Royce(7/25, Verizon Center) • Little Bootswith Prinze George — 9:30 Club pres-

ents this concert by underground British

dance-pop artist and up-and-coming local

synth-pop band (7/25, U Street Music Hall)

• Billy Joel (7/25, M&T Bank Stadium)• Diana Krall (7/25, Wolf Trap) • TheDead Milkmen (7/25, 9:30 Club) • Rocky

Votolato & Dave Hause (7/25, DC9) •My Morning Jacket (7/26, Merriweather

Post Pavilion) • Memory Tapes (7/26,DC9) • Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (7/26,Birchmere) • Marriages (7/27, DC9) •Indigo Girls — The influential lesbianharmonizing folk duo returns to the Filene

Center (7/28, Wolf Trap) • Interpol (7/28,

Echostage) • Brandon Flowers — Thelead singer of The Killers (7/29, Echostage)

• Django Django — Sharp British surf-

rockers with synth-pop influence, sortof a modern-day Beach Boys (7/29, 9:30

Club) • Jill Scott — Few tickets remainfor this great neo-soul singer/songwriter

and poet making her debut in the Filene

Center (7/29, Wolf Trap) • Creole United — A free Millennium Stage concert at the

Kennedy Center from this band highlighting

Louisiana’s Creole music tradition (7/29,

Kennedy Center) • Frank Solivan andDirty Kitchen — Part of Strathmore’s FreeSummer Outdoor Concert series (7/29,

Strathmore) • Dawn of Midi (7/29, DC9)

• Los Amigos Invisibles (7/30, 9:30 Club)• The El Mansouris - A newly formed

collective of D.C.-area folk/rock musicians

performs a free Millennium Stage concert

(7/30, Kennedy Center) • Ben Harper &The Innocent Criminals (7/30, Wolf Trap)• School of Rock All Stars (7/30, DC9)

• NSO @ Wolf Trap featuring RufusWainwright — The gay singer performshis dramatic tunes with more flourish than

usual, given NSO accompaniment, led

by Emil de Cou (7/31, Wolf Trap) • LauraMarling (7/31, 9:30 Club) • Lazyeyes

(7/31, DC9) • Linda Purl and Lee Lessack — “Too Marvelous for Words: The Songs

of Johnny Mercer” (7/31-8/1, AMP by

Strathmore)

AUGUST

NSO @ Wolf Trap: Star Trek — Emil deCou conducts Michael Giacchino’s score to

the 2009 film, presented in HD on a huge

above the stage (8/1, Wolf Trap) • Marty

Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives (8/1,

Birchmere) • The Rodgers Family: ACentury of Musicals — Wolf Trap Opera

soloists join Steven Blier of the New York

Festival of Song in a recital of songs from

Broadway musicals written by Richard

Rodgers, his daughter Mary Rodgers and

his grandson Adam Guettel (8/1, Wolf

Trap) • Veruca Salt (8/1, 9:30 Club) •Loud Boyz (8/1, DC9) • Faith No More(8/2, Merriweather Post Pavilion) • BozScaggs (8/4, Strathmore) • Graham Nash (8/5, Birchmere) • Steely Dan with ElvisCostello (8/5, Jiffy Lube Live) • Cheick

Hamala Diabete — Part of Strathmore’sFree Summer Outdoor Concert series (8/5,

Strathmore) • Kasey Chambers — One ofcountry’s rising starlets (8/6, Birchmere) •

The Piano Guys — This classical crossover

quartet has become a YouTube sensation

in recent years for its mashups of classical

tunes with pop hits (8/6, Wolf Trap) • The

Gibson Brothers (8/6, AMP by Strathmore)• Emily Skinner — “Broadway Her Way”

(8/7, AMP by Strathmore) • Wolf Trap

Opera: Madama Butterfly — The NSOand Choral Arts join for a one-night-only

a new staging of Puccini’s heartbreaking

love story (8/7, Wolf Trap) • Kim Waters(8/7, Birchmere) • One Direction with

Icona Pop (8/8, M&T Bank Stadium) •Toby Keith and Friends — Part of the

2015 Country Megaticket(8/8, Jiffy Lube

Live) • 2015 Summer Spirit Festival —Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton, Floetry,

Estelle, Junkyard Band, Toni! Toni! Tone!,

Avery’Sunshine, Phony PPL and others

perform at this annual soul highlight (8/8,

Merriweather Post Pavilion) • NSO @Wolf Trap: The Music of John Williams

(8/8, Wolf Trap) • Desaparecidos — ConorOberst of Bright Eyes leads this Husker

Du-esque pop-punk quintet from Nebraska

(8/8, 9:30 Club) • J. Cole with Big Sean,

YG and Jeremih — Several of today’sbiggest hip-hop/pop hitmakers (8/9, Jiffy

Lube Live) • Culture Club — Boy George’shitmaking pop band from the ‘80s is back

in action, with a new album in the works

led by punchy and grandiose single “More

Than Silence” (8/10, Wolf Trap) • BeachSlang (8/10, DC9) • NeedToBreathe,

Switchfoot, Drew Holcomb & TheNeighbors, and Colony House — A “Tour

De Compadres” of four catchy alt-rock

bands (8/11, Wolf Trap) • Slipknot —

Lamb of God, Bullet for My Valentine and

Motionless in White are also on this heavy

metal bill (8/11, Jiffy Lube Live) • Failure &Hum (8/11, 9:30 Club) • Preservation Hall

Jazz Band (8/13, Birchmere) • CountingCrows (8/13, Wolf Trap) • Basement

(8/13, 9:30 Club) • Zac Brown Band withthe Avett Brothers (8/14, Nationals Park)

• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band — Alt-country (8/14, Wolf Trap) • Chicago andEarth, Wind & Fire (8/14, Jiffy Lube Live)

• Jonny Grave and the Tombstones (8/14, 9:30 Club) • Little Big Town (8/15,Wolf Trap) • Tank (8/15, Birchmere) •

Poseurs — 32nd Annual Reunion (8/15,DC9) • Phish (8/15-16, Merriweather

Post Pavilion) • Uke & Guitar Summit —Strathmore’s annual Uke Fest put together

by Grammy-winning duo Cathy Fink and

Marcy Marxer (8/15-17, Strathmore) •

ABBA — The Concert — A tribute tothe influential Swedish pop quartet (8/16,

Wolf Trap) • Edwin McCain Trio (8/16,Birchmere) • Touchpants (8/16, 9:30 Club)

• ZZ Top (8/18, Wolf Trap) • Willie Nelson

and Family with Old Crow MedicineShow (8/19, Merriweather Post Pavilion)

• Uke Fest — Part of Strathmore’s FreeSummer Outdoor Concert series (8/19)

• Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

— Falsetto-singing pop quartet whose

success in the ‘60s begat the blockbuster

Broadway jukebox musical Jersey Boys

(8/19, Wolf Trap) • Sugar Ray, BetterThan Ezra, Uncle Kracker and Eve 6

— Another reunion of these ‘90s-era alt-

rock hitmakers (8/20, Wolf Trap) • WolfTrap Orchestra: Disney In Concert —

Orchestra accompanies songs sung live

along with synchronized video images

drawn from The Lion King , Beauty and

the Beast , Aladdin and Frozen (8/21, Wolf

Trap) • O.A.R. (8/21, Merriweather Post

Pavilion) • Gladys Knight and the O’Jays — “Empress of Soul” shares a bi ll at Wolf

Trap with the ‘70s-minted Philadelphia soul

group; together, they could hop on the

midnight love train to Georgia (8/22, Wolf

Trap) • Chris Brown (8/22, Jiffy Lube Live)

• Darius Rucker — Hootie without theBlowfish (8/22, Merriweather Post Pavilion)

• Jake Shimabukuro (8/22, Birchmere) •Babe’s Anniversary — A party celebratingBabe City Records featuring performances

by Young Rapids, The Sea Life, The Max

Levine Ensemble, Den-Mate and the El

Mansouris (8/22, 9:30 Club) • The Beach

Boys — The longest-lasting surf rock band,who started harmonizing a whopping 52

years ago (8/23, Wolf Trap) • John Nolan

of Taking Back Sunday (8/23, DC9) •Santana (8/25, Wolf Trap) • Gregg Allman

(8/25-26, Birchmere) • Melissa Etheridge

— “This Is M.E. Solo” (8/26, Strathmore) •

Motley Crue with Alice Cooper — “The

Final Tour” (8/26, Royal Farms Arena) •

Dean Ween Group (8/27, 9:30 Club) •The Delta Saints (8/27, DC9) • Kristin

Chenoweth — An evening of showtunes and pop songs from this “Popular”

Broadway and television star (8/28, Wolf

Trap) • Tim McGraw — Billy Curringtonand Chase Bryant are opening acts for

this country superstar, part of the 2015

Country Megaticket (8/28, Jiffy Lube Live)

• Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club —Nearly two decades after helping spark the

Latin Jazz revival, this Afro-Cuban dance

band offers a final tour to say goodbye

(8/29, Wolf Trap) • Van Halen (8/29, JiffyLube Live) • Larry Graham & Graham

Central Station (8/30, Birchmere)

SEPTEMBER

Lenny Kravitz (9/1, Wolf Trap) • Arum

Rae (9/1, DC9) • Frank Sinatra, Jr. withthe Wolf Trap Orchestra — “Sinatra Sings

Sinatra: The Centennial Celebration” (9/2,Wolf Trap) • Euge Groove (9/4, Birchmere)

• The Seldom Scene & JonathanEdwards (9/5, Birchmere) • Catch A Fire

Tour 2015 — Damian “Jr. Gong” Marleyand Stephen “Ragga” Marley, sons of

the late Bob, will perform with Morgan

Heritage and Tarrus Riley (9/5, Wolf Trap)

• Rodrigo y Gabriela — SuperchargedMexican guitar duo returns for another

year at Wolf Trap (9/6, Wolf Trap) • 5Seconds of Summer (9/6, Jiffy Lube Live)• Say Lou Lou (9/8, U Street Music Hall)• Watkins Family Hour — Featuring Sean

and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Fiona

Apple, Don Heffington, Sebastian Steinberg

and more (9/8-9, Birchmere) • Emmylou

Harris and Rodney Crowell — TheTraveling Kind Tour (9/10-11, Birchmere) •

The Gypsy Kings (9/10, Wolf Trap) • REO

Speedwagon (9/10, Warner Theatre) •Jackson Browne (9/11, Wolf Trap) • The

Nighthawks (9/11, AMP by Strathmore) •Langhorne Slim & The Law (9/11, 9:30

Club) • Madonna — Even if you’d ratherforget about her Rebel Heart , at least you

can always count on a good show (9/12,

Verizon Center) • Jason Aldean — ColeSwindell and Tyler Farr are also on the bill

for this country/pop show, part of the 2015

Country Megaticket (9/12, Jiffy Lube Live)

• A Heartless Bastards (9/12, 9:30 Club)

• Kelly Clarkson — Live Nation and WolfTrap team up to offer two nights with the

original American Idol , plus Pentatonix and

Eric Hutchinson, but not surprisingly, tick-

ets are nearly sold out (9/12-13, Wolf Trap)

• Death Cab for Cutie (9/13, Merriweather

Post Pavilion) • Jess Glynne — 9:30 Clubpresents this concert by the “Rather Be”

Clean Bandit singer (9/14, U Street Music

SUMMER CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS


27/56


Hall) • Diana Ross (9/15, Strathmore) •

Eagles of Death Metal (9/15, 9:30 Club) •

Stromae (9/16, Echostage) • Catfish and

the Bottlemen (9/16, 9:30 Club) • Ride

(9/17, 9:30 Club) • Alabama Shakes w/

Drive By Truckers — Great soul rockers

led by a modern-day Janis Joplin (9/18,

Merriweather Post Pavilion) • Years &

Years (9/19, 9:30 Club) • Brigitte (9/19,

Birchmere) • Of Monsters and Men (9/20,

Merriweather Post Pavilion) • Larry Gatlin

& The Gatlin Brothers (9/20, Birchmere)

• The Fratellis (9/21, 9:30 Club) • Charli

XCX, Bleachers (9/23, Echostage) •

Lianne La Havas — The great, young

British soul singer returns (9/23, 9:30 Club)

• Farao (9/23, DC9) • John Ondrasikof Five for Fighting — Performing with

his quartet (9/24, Birchmere) • Maysa &

Her Jazz Funk Soul Orchestra (9/25,

Birchmere) • Yo La Tengo featuring

Dave Schramm (9/25, Lincoln Theatre) •

Chaise Lounge (9/26, AMP by Strathmore)

• Brad Paisley — Justin Moore and

Mickey Guyton are also on the bill for this

final concert in the Jiffy Lube Live series

2015 Country Megaticket (9/26, Jiffy Lube

Live) • Loretta Lynn (9/27, Lincoln) • The

Jesus and Mary Chain (9/27, 9:30 Club)

• Buddy Guy (9/28, Birchmere) • The

Neighbourhood (9/28, 9:30 Club) • Patty

Griffin (9/29, Birchmere) • Ibeyi (9/30, 9:30

Club) • Chick Corea & Bela Fleck (9/30,

Strathmore)

CONCERT VENUES

9:30 CLUB

815 V St. NW

202-265-0930

930.com

AMP BY STRATHMORE

11810 Grand Park Ave.

North Bethesda

301-581-5100

ampbystrathmore.com

THE BIRCHMERE

3701 Mount Vernon Ave.

Alexandria703-549-7500

birchmere.com

DC9

1940 9th St. NW

202-483-5000

dcnine.com

ECHOSTAGE

2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE.

202-503-2330

echostage.com

FILLMORE SILVER SPRING

8656 Colesville Road

Silver Spring

301-960-999

fillmoresilverspring.com

JIFFY LUBE LIVE

7800 Cellar Door Drive

Bristow, Va.

703-754-6400

livenation.com

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600

kennedy-center.org

LINCOLN THEATRE

1215 U St. NW

202-328-6000

thelincolndc.com

M&T BANK STADIUM1101 Russell St.

Baltimore, Md.

410-261-7283

livenation.com

MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION

10475 Little Patuxent Parkway

Columbia, Md.

800-551-SEAT

merriweathermusic.com

NATIONALS PARK

1500 South Capitol St. NE

202-675-6287

livenation.com

ROYAL FARMS ARENA

201 West Baltimore St.

Baltimore, Md.

410-727-7811

royalfarmsarena.com

STRATHMORE

5301 Tuckerman Lane

Bethesda, Md.

301-581-5100

strathmore.org

U STREET MUSIC HALL

1115 U ST. NW

202-588-1880

ustreetmusichall.com

VERIZON CENTER

601 F St. NW

202-628-3200

verizoncenter.com

WARNER THEATRE

513 13th St. NW

202-783-4000

warnertheatredc.com

WOLF TRAP

1551 Trap Road

Vienna, Va.

877-WOLFTRAP

wolf-trap.orgl

A L A S K A T H U N D E R F U C K B Y A U S T I N

Y O U N G

Draggin’ QueensMissing RuPaul’s Drag Race? Make sure you check

out these new albums from our favorite

Drag Race Queens

By Connor J. Hogan

THIS IS LIKE THE SUMMER OF DRAG MUSIC,” SAYS ALASKA

Thunderfuck. “We’re really gaining some visibility. And every-

one is doing their own thing.”

So why all this new music? Alaska has a theory:

“Well, drag queens love money,” she says, “But

also, we want our music to appeal to as many people

as possible.”

The season six finalist of RuPaul’s Drag Race is right. Since the

premiere of the cult show, alumni have been releasing their own

songs, following in the footsteps of the queen mother herself.

However, this summer, the iTunes music store is brimming with

new singles from a number of them — and it’s unlike anything that’s

come before.

Each has developed her own unique style appealing to a wide

variety of Drag Race fans. Shartistry in Motion, Willam Belli’s debut

album, features the season four comedy queen’s own brand of

parody. Most songs are a fun and raunchy nod to Top 40 hits from

notables like Taylor Swift and Wilson Phillips. And despite First

Amendment protection, the blonde bombshell gives more than a

passing nod to the artists she parodies. In Ride for AIDS she sings

“Please don’t sue us Taylor Swift/we’re dogooders/Gave you credit

right down there in the footer.”However, not every queen aims for comedy, as this season’s

contestants are making their own mark on music. Miss Fame’s new

album, Beauty Marked , features electronic beats over pop lyrics that

are too good to get out of your head. Not into pop? Check out the

flazéda style of Pearl’s new house album Pleasure . Less for dancing,

and more for chilling, Pearl shows that she’s not just relying on pretty

with her music. With distorted vocals, and addictive drum snares,

Pleasure shows us a side of the RPDR ladies we haven’t seen before.

Last, but not least, we have current Drag Race superstar Violet

Chachki’s new album, Gagged . The young queen shows more bond-

age than beauty in her musical talents, reminding us who’s in charge

while serving a style that is a fusion of glam rock and queer punk, with

a decidedly 1950s twist.

Appropriately, the quirky queen’s debut album Anus — which

recently hit number one on the iTunes Dance chart — features a track

called Gimme All Your Money . Alaska’s Anus is an essential playlist

for any lover of drag.

“They always tell you to write what you know,” Alaska says, “I

know about drag queens, so I wrote about drag queens.” Though

silly, Anus is anything but sophomoric. Each song has a distinct sound

that ranges from the spoken-word dance vibes of This Is My Hair tothe lyrically sweet Pussy. “I love all my songs. I can’t pick a favorite,”

she laughs. “If I say one is my favorite, then the others will get jeal-

ous and I’ll have to take them out for ice cream.”

Of course, for Drag Race fans, the real fun comes when other

queens pop up as featured artists on certain tracks. Listen to

the above records and you’ll hear Courtney Act — whose own

Kaleidoscope dropped this week — Laganja Estranja, Latrice Royale,

and many more. It’s obvious that these queens are a family, dedi-

cated to supporting one another in wherever their post Drag Race

endeavors might take them. l

Find Shartistry in Motion,

Kaleidoscope, Love Slave,

Gagged, Beauty Marked,

and Anus on the iTunes or

Amazon music stores.


28/56

UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, DAVID GUASwas little more than your typical backyard

griller. “I have grilled since I was young,”Guas says, “but it was one of those things

that I would always do at home, not necessarilyprofessionally.”

That changed when the Travel Channel asked

Guas to host and serve as a judge on last summer’straveling competition series, American Grilled . A

longtime chef who owns the Bayou Bakery, Guashad already learned the basic tricks of the TV

trade from his years as a frequent cooking seg-ment contributor on NBC’s Today Show, as well as

other gigs, including as a guest expert on the Food

Network’s Chopped . But he did a deep dive intothe subject of grilling, learning about all the things

that go into the style of cooking. The research also

informs his new book, Grill Nation: 200 Surefire Recipes, Tips and Techniques to Grill Like A Pro.This Saturday, July 11, he offers a cooking class

based on the book, part of the professionally-guid-

ed “Barbecue Boot Camp” series at the Hill Centerin Capitol Hill.

“I haven’t decided what I’m cooking yet,” Guas says.“At least three different items out of the book’s 200

recipes.” He’ll prepare something sweet, as well as atype of sauce or glaze, maybe a type of meat — but not

at the expense of a vegetable. “I really want to highlightthe vegetable aspect, to kind of get away from the tra-

ditional proteins,” he says. Participants will help Guas

with a few basic sous-chef tasks, such as chopping anddicing, and will get to eat what he prepares.

If they want more, they can stop by Guas’s Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar and Eatery in the same Old Navy Hospitalcomplex. This is Guas’s second location, after opening the first in Arlington in 2010. The focus is on celebrating the

cuisines of the Deep South, in particular New Orleans. A Louisiana native, Guas moved to D.C. in 1998 to be part of theopening culinary team at DC Coast and the broader Passion Food Hospitality group of restaurants.

Calling his occasional TV work lagniappe, a New Orleans term for “something extra,” Guas intends to open more

Bayou Bakeries in the D.C. area, but vows to do it with as much careful deliberation as he took in securing the CapitolHill location, which fits the concept well. Says Guas, “This neighborhood specifically reminds me of New Orleans a

lot.” — Doug Rule

“Barbecue Boot Camp” is Saturday, July 11, at 11 a.m. Hill Center in the Old Navy Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.Tickets are $85, which includes tastings. Call 202-549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org. l


JULY 9-16, 2015Compiled by Doug Rule

Guas

S C O T T S U C H M

Documents

Metro Weekly - 07-09-15 - 4th Summer Music Issue