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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
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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
JULY 9, 2015 METROWEEKLY.COM
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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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.
METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.
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
JULY 9, 2015 METROWEEKLY.COM
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-
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
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.
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.
METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.
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.
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. 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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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
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27METROWEEKLY.COM JULY 9, 2015
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.
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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
28 JULY 9, 2015 METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 9-16, 2015Compiled by Doug Rule
Guas
S C O T T S U C H M
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