Arts & Entertainment

Calendar through April 25

D.C. LGBT events, parties, concerts, meetings and more

Published

11 years ago

April 18, 2013

‘CHAWbaret 10: Take a Chance on Me,’ a musical show dedicated to risk taking and gambling, runs on Saturday evening. Most of the cast members are LGBT. (Photo courtesy Megan Cheek)

Friday, April 19

The D.C. Center (1318 U St., NW) hosts a “silent lunch” in honor of Day of Silence today at noon. Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT harassment in schools and those who participate in the day take their vow of silence in hopes that their comrades will address the problem. The lunch provides a space for those who are participating and need a silent place for lunch. The Center will also be putting together a “Wall of Silence,” made of different quotes and pictures sent in from the community. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

The Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce honors exceptional business leaders in the area at the Mayflower Renaissance (1127 Connecticut Ave., NW) this evening at 6:30 p.m. The awards dinner was created to showcase the impact of LGBT business and community leaders in the Washington region. Tickets range from $175-$465. Visit caglcc.org for more information.

The Northern Virginia Jewish Film Festival screens the film “Life In Stills” by Tamar Tal tonight at 7:15 p.m. at the Angelika Film Center and Café (2911 District Avenue, Fairfax, Va.). The film tells the story of Miriam Weissenstein and her grandson Ben Peter as they try to defend their family’s Tel Aviv photo studio from demolition. Weissenstein’s late husband was the unofficial photographer for Israel and documented the country’s political and daily life from the 1930s until he died in 1992. Tickets for this particular screening is $11. Attendees can also buy a festival pass for $60. Visit jccnv.org for more information

Life In Stills trailer

The noon-time pipe organ series “Magical, Mystical, Musical Machine” resumes today at National City Christian Church after going on hiatus in November. The church had to provide restoration to its sanctuary and famed pipe organ as a result of the August 2011 earthquake. This concert will feature organist Kristine Adamaite and saxophonist Artis Semanis from Latvia. This performance is free. For more information, visit nationalcitycc.org.

Saturday, April 20

Burgundy Crescent, a gay volunteer organization, volunteers today at Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation at Falls Church PetSmart (6100 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, Va.) starting at 11:45 a.m. For more information, visit burgundycrescent.org.

The AFI Silver Silent Cinema Showcase (8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md.) begins today at 2 p.m. and features silent film actors Mary Pickford, Harold Lloyd, Janet Gaynor, Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy. Tonight’s showcase is “Sparrows,” with Pickford starring as the oldest girl of a group of orphans held as slaves in a “child farm” in a Southern swamp. Tickets for this screening are $7-$11.50. For more screenings and their tickets, visit afi.com.

Trailer for Mary Pickford in Sparrows

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop presents “CHAWbaret 10: Take a Chance on Me,” an evening performance featuring pop songs, standards and show tunes that celebrate gambling, taking chances and the risks we face tonight at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 and 8 p.m. at CHAW (545 7^th St., SE). The performance features members of the D.C. Cabaret Network, including Amy Conley, Tim Gavagan, Maris Wicker and Dean Reichard. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Visit chaw.org for more information.

Filmfest D.C. continues this evening with the screening of the “The Parade” at the Avalon Theatre (5612 Connecticut Ave., NW) at 4:30 p.m. The film follows a gay rights march organizer and the prejudiced former soldier he hires to provide security for one of the events. The film recently won the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Tickets for this individual screening are $12. Following it is a screening of “Laurence Anyways” at Landmark E Street Cinema (555 11^th St., NW) at 6 p.m. The film follows Laurence after he tells his girlfriend he wants to become a woman. Tickets are $12. Attendees of the festival can buy individual tickets at each location’s box office or may purchase the director’s package, which is 10 tickets for $95, or the weekday package, which is four tickets for $39. For show times, locations and more information about the films, visit filmfestdc.org.

Laurence Anyways trailer

Sunday, April 21

Special Agent Galactica hosts her show “Across the River!” at Freddie’s Beach Bar (555 S. 23^rd St., Crystal City) from 7-9:30 p.m. tonight. The show begins in the era of gin and juke joints, Vaudeville and Sinatra, and ends with rock and pop acts. Admission is free. For more information, visit pinkharedone.com.

Monday, April 22

The D.C. Center (1318 U St., NW) holds coffee drop-in for the senior LGBT community today at 10 a.m.-noon. The Center will provide complimentary coffee and a community to chat with. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Bears do Yoga is this evening 6:30 p.m. as part of a series at the Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, NW). This is part of a basic yoga series that takes place every Monday and is open to people of varying body types and experience. There is no charge. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Tuesday, April 23

Capital Pride and the D.C. Center host “A Toast to Pride Happy Hour” at Lost Society (2001 14^th St., NW) this evening at 6 p.m. The venue evokes an underground, Victorian atmosphere. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) hosts its Safer Sex Kit-packing program tonight from 7-10:30. The packing program is looking for more volunteers to help produce the kits because they say they are barely keeping up with demand. Admission is free and volunteers can just show up. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

Wednesday, April 24

Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14^th St., NW) holds its HIV+ Newly Diagnosed Support Group tonight at 7. It’s a confidential support group for anyone recently diagnosed with HIV and the group welcomes all genders and sexual orientations. Registration is required and attendees must call 202-797-3580 or email [email protected]. For details, visit whitman-walker.org.

Thursday, April 25

Eight-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight brings her rich soulful voice to the Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $58-$128. For details, visit strathmore.org.

Gladys Knight – Love Overboard

Martha Stewart gives a lecture on learning, teaching and inspiring others to do what they love and enjoy at the Smithsonian Craft Show today at 11 a.m. at the National Building Museum (401 F St., NW). This particular event is $50 to attend and has limited seating. The festival continues until Sunday at 5 p.m. General admission is $15, a two-day pass is $20 and special group rates are $10. For more information, visit smithsoniancraftshow.org.

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Nightlife

Ed Bailey brings Secret Garden to Project GLOW festival

An LGBTQ-inclusive dance space at RFK this weekend

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Evan Caplan

Ed Bailey's set at last year's Project Glow. (Photo courtesy Bailey)

When does a garden GLOW? When it’s run by famed local gay DJ Ed Bailey.

This weekend, music festival Project GLOW at RFK Festival Grounds will feature Bailey’s brainchild the Secret Garden, a unique space just for the LGBTQ community that he launched in 2023.

While Project GLOW, running April 27-28, is a stage for massive electronic DJ sets in a large outdoor space, Secret Garden is more intimate, though no less adrenaline-forward. He’s bringing the nightclub to the festival. The garden is a dance area that complements the larger stages, but also stands on its own as a draw for festival-goers. Its focus is on DJs that have a presence and following in the LGBTQ audience world.

“The Secret Garden is a showcase for what LGBTQ nightlife, and nightclubs in general, are all about,” he says. “True club DJs playing club music for people that want to dance in a fun environment that is high energy and low stress. It’s the cool party inside the bigger party.”

Project GLOW launched in 2022. Bailey connected with the operators after the first event, and they discussed Bailey curating his own space for 2023. “They were very clear that they wanted me to lean into the vibrant LGBTQ nightlife of D.C. and allow that community to be very visibly a part of this area.”

Last year, club icon Kevin Aviance headlined the Secret Garden. The GLOW festival organizers loved the its energy from last year, and so asked Bailey to bring it back again, with an entire year to plan.

This year, Bailey says, he is “bringing in more D.C. nightlife legends.” Among those are DJ Sedrick, “a DJ and entertainer legend. He was a pivotal part of Tracks nightclub and is such a dynamic force of entertainment,” says Bailey. “I am excited for a whole new audience to be able to experience his very special brand of DJing!”

Also, this year brings in Illustrious Blacks, a worldwide DJ duo with roots in D.C.; and “house music legends” DJs Derrick Carter and DJ Spen.

Bailey is focusing on D.C.’s local talent, with a lineup including Diyanna Monet, Strikestone!, Dvonne, Baronhawk Poitier, THABLACKGOD, Get Face, Franxx, Baby Weight, and Flower Factory DJs KS, Joann Fabrixx, and PWRPUFF.

Secret Garden also brings in performers who meld music with dance, theater, and audience interactions for a multi-sensory experience.

Bailey is an owner of Trade and Number Nine, and was previously an owner of Town Danceboutique. Over the last 35 years, Bailey owned and operated more than 10 bars and clubs in D.C. He has an impressive resume, too. Since starting in 1987, he’s DJ’d across the world for parties and nightclubs large and intimate. He says that he opened “in concert for Kylie Minogue, DJed with Junior Vasquez, played giant 10,000-person events, and small underground parties.” He’s also held residencies at clubs in Atlanta, Miami, and here in D.C. at Tracks, Nation, and Town.

With Secret Garden, Bailey and GLOW aim to bring queer performers into the space not just for LGBTQ audiences, but for the entire music community to meet, learn about, and enjoy. While they might enjoy fandom among queer nightlife, this Garden is a platform for them to meet the entirety of GLOW festival goers.

Weekend-long Project GLOW brings in headliners and artists from EDM and electronic music, with big names like ILLENIUM, Zedd, and Rezz. In all, more than 50 artists will take the three stages at the third edition of Project GLOW, presented by Insomniac (Electric Daisy Carnival) and Club Glow (Echostage, Soundcheck).

Out & About

Washington Improv Theatre hosts ‘The Queeries’

Event to celebrate queer DMV talent and pop culture camp

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Tinashe Chingarande

The Washington Improv Theatre, along with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC, will team up to host “The Queeries!” on Friday, April 26 at 9:30 p.m. at Studio Theatre.

The event will celebrate Queer DMV talent and pop culture camp. With a mixture of audience-submitted nominations and blatantly undemocratically declared winners, “The Queeries!” mimics LGBTQ life itself: unfair, but far more fun than the alternative.

The event will be co-hosted by Birdie and Butchie, who have invited some of their favorite bent winos, D.C. “D-listers,” former Senate staffers, and other stars to sashay down the lavender carpet for the selfie-strewn party of the year.

Tickets are just $15 and can be purchased on WITV’s website.