Arts & Entertainment
Calendar through August 29
DJ Escape, drag cabaret, LGBT hip-hop and a Rehoboth 5k on tap this week
DJ Escape is at Town tonight (Friday). (Photo courtesy DJ Escape)
Friday, August 23
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts Bear Happy Hour tonight from 6-11 p.m. There is no cover charge and admission is limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit towndc.com.
Remington’s Nightclub (639 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.) hosts “The A-List Show” tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. The drag show, featuring Ladi Lenore and The Empire, starts at 11:30. Admission is $10.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) hosts a reception to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March On Washington tonight from 6-10 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. For more information, visit uhupil.org.
DJ Escape, a New York-based deejay who has spun at some of the world’s largest nightclubs and made remixes for stars like Beyoncé and Gwen Stefani, spins tonight at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.). Doors open at 10 p.m. and the drag show starts at 10:30. Cover is $8 from 10-11, and $12 after 11. For details, visit towndc.com.
The Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) hosts “GAY/BASH,” an alternative LGBT dance party and drag show, tonight at 9:30 p.m. DJs Joshua Vogelsong and Dean Sullivan blend electro and bass pop with punk and rock and roll all night. The party features two drag performances, one at 11:30 and the other at 1 a.m. Admission is $10 and open to guests 18 and over. For details and to purchase tickets, visit blackcatdc.com.
Olivia & the Mates, fronted by lesbian singer-songwriter Olivia Mancini, perform tonight with Matthew Sweet at the Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $29.50. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit birchmere.com or oliviamancini.com.
Saturday, Aug. 24
Phase 1 of Dupont (1415 22nd St., N.W.) hosts its weekly “Booty Beach Ladies Dance Party.” The winner of the party’s bikini and board shorts contest will receive cash and prizes. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $5. Visit phase1dc.com for more information.
Maryland Trans*Unity hosts a picnic and potluck for all transgender, genderqueer and gender non-conforming individuals from 2-6 p.m. at Open Door MCC (15817 Barnesville Rd., Boyds, Md.). For details, visit thedccenter.org.
Layla Lounge (501 Morse St., N.E.) hosts an “Elite Boyz” dance party tonight from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Admission is limited to guests 21 and over and is free before midnight and $10 afterward. For details, visit layladc.com.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts “Beats and the City,” a laser light show and dance party with DJs Eddie Elias and Luis Perez, from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Admission is $10 and open to guests 18 and over. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit cobaltdc.com.
Club Hippo (1 West Eager St., Baltimore, M.D.) hosts “Vogue,” a Madonna birthday tribute party, tonight from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. DJ Jason Royce spins Madonna classics all night, and $2 rail drinks and draft specials will be served. Cover is $8 and is free those with military or college IDs and those who share Madonna’s Zodiac sign. For more information, visit clubhippo.com.
The Latino Queer Bilingual Writing Group hosts a creative writing workshop at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) today from 12:30-2:30 p.m. The workshop is open to writers of all genres and levels of experience who wish to write in Spanish or English. Visit thedccenter.org for more information.
Sunday, Aug. 25
Perry’s (1811 Columbia Rd., N.W.) hosts its weekly Sunday Drag Brunch today from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The cost is $24.95 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. For details, visit perrysadamsmorgan.com.
The Bachelor’s Mill (1104 8th St., S.E.) hosts karaoke tonight from 9 p.m.-midnight. Cover is $3, and there will also be pool, video gaming systems and cards. For more information, visit bachelorsmill.com.
Nellie’s Sports Bar (900 U St., N.W.) hosts its weekly “Guil-Tea Dance Party” today from 3-8 p.m. DJ Shea Van Horn spins pop guilty pleasures all afternoon. Admission is free and limited to guests 21 and over. For more details, visit nelliessportsbar.com.
K&C Productions hosts its weekly “Sizzling Hot Sundays,” an LGBT hip-hop and house music dance party, at Club Muse (717 6th St., N.W.) from 11 p.m.-2 a.m. For details, visit clubmuse.com.
The Black Fox Lounge (1723) hosts “Tula’s Cabaret,” a classic lip-sync drag show, from 8-11 p.m. tonight. Admission is free. For more information, visit blackfoxlounge.com.
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts a “Celebration of Bayard Rustin’s Life” today from 2-5 p.m. The event includes a “Meeting for Worship” at 2, light refreshments at 3 and a screening of the biopic film, “Brother Outsider,” at 3:30. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Heart to Hand, a non-profit devoted to assisting people with HIV and AIDS, is having a benefit called Skate Away HIV Day today at the Temple Hills Skating Palace (3132 Branch Ave., Temple Hills, Md.) from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission is free and the first 500 who get tested at the event will get free skate rentals.
The fourth annual Sundance Land & Sea event is today at 8 a.m. (7:30 check-in) at the Rehoboth Bandstand in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Participants can do either a 5k run, half-mile swim, one-mile walk or biathlon. Participants are encouraged to pick up their packets on Saturday. The event is a benefit for CAMP Rehoboth. Visit seashorestriders.com for details.
Monday, Aug. 26
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hosts its weekly “Monday’s a Total Drag [Show]” party tonight from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. An episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” screens at 9, and then a live drag show will be featured. Admission is 18 and up and is free. For details, visit cobaltdc.com.
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts coffee drop-in hours this morning from 10 a.m.-noon for the senior LGBT community. Older LGBT adults can come and enjoy complimentary coffee and conversation with other community members. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
The Capital Area Rainbowlers Association (CARA) hosts a social tonight at the AMF Annandale Lanes (4245 Markham St., Annandale, Va.) from 8-10 p.m. All local LGBT groups are invited to attend. Bowling is $1 per game and shoe rental is $1. For more information, visit carabowling.org.
Tuesday, Aug. 27
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) hosts a genderqueer discussion group from 7-8 p.m. tonight for people who identify outside of the gender binary. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hosts its weekly FUK!T Packing Party tonight from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit thedccenter.org or greenlanterndc.com.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
The Dupont Drawing Group meets tonight at 7 p.m. at The Church of the Pilgrims (2201 P St., N.W.) to draw from a live model. The session is self-directed with no formal instruction and no materials are provided. Drawing spots and easels are available on a first-come-first-serve basis, so guests should arrive anytime after 6:45. No reservations are required, and a modest fee to pay the model will be collected. For more information, visit paulreuther.com.
Us Helping Us (3636 Georgia Ave., N.W.) hosts a support group for black gay men living with HIV from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit uhupil.org.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge. Reservations are not necessary and newcomers are welcome. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Thursday, Aug. 29
SMYAL (410 7th St., S.E.) hosts “Chat it Up,” a support group for LGBT youth, from 5-7 p.m. tonight. For more information, visit smyal.org.
Rude Boi Entertainment hosts “Tempted 2 Touch,” a ladies dance party, at the Fab Lounge (2022 Florida Ave., N.W.). Doors open at 5 p.m. for happy hour until 9, and the club closes at 1 a.m. Admission is $5 all night and limited to guests 21 and over. For details, visit rudeboientertainment.wordpress.com.
Whitman-Walker Health provides free HIV testing at Miriam’s Kitchen (2401 Virginia Ave., N.W.) tonight from 4-6 p.m. For more information, visit whitman-walker.org.
a&e features
Eastern Shore chef named James Beard Finalist
Harley Peet creates inventive food in an inclusive space
In a small Eastern Shore town filled with boutiques, galleries, and the occasional cry of waterfowl from the Chesapeake, Chef Harley Peet is most at home. In his Viennese-inflected, Maryland-sourced fine-dining destination Bas Rouge, Peet draws from his Northern Michigan upbringing, Culinary Institute of America education, and identity as a gay man, for inspiration.
And recently, Peet was named a James Beard Finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic – the first “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” finalist representing the Eastern Shore.
Peet, after graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, took a position as sous chef at Tilghman Island Inn, not far from Bas Rouge. Falling in love with the Eastern Shore, he continued his passion for racing sailboats, boating, gardening, and fishing, and living his somewhat pastoral life as he opened Bas Rouge in 2016 as head chef, a restaurant part of the Bluepoint Hospitality group, which runs more than a dozen concepts in and around Easton, Md.
Coming from a rural area and being gay, Peet knew he had his work cut out for him. He was always aware that the service and hospitality industry “can be down and dirty and rough.”
Now as a leader in the kitchen, he aims to “set a good example, and treat people how I want to be treated. I also want to make sure if you’re at our establishment, I’m the first to stand up and say something.”
The Bas Rouge cuisine, he says, is Contemporary European. “I’m inspired by old-world techniques of countries like Austria, Germany, and France, but I love putting a new spin on classic dishes and finding innovative ways to incorporate the bounty of local Chesapeake ingredients.”
His proudest dish: the humble-yet-elevated Wiener Schnitzel. “It is authentic to what one would expect to find in Vienna, down to the Lingonberries.” From his in-house bakery, Peet dries and grinds the housemade Kaiser-Semmel bread to use as the breadcrumbs.
Peet works to support the LGBTQ community inside and outside of the kitchen. “I love that our Bluepoint Hospitality team has created welcoming spaces where our patrons feel comfortable dining at each of our establishments. Our staff have a genuine respect for one another and work together free of judgment.”
Representing Bluepoint, Peet has participated in events like Chefs for Equality with the Human Rights Campaign, advocating for LGBTQ rights.
At Bas Rouge, Peet brings together his passion for inclusion steeped in a sustainability ethic. He sees environmental stewardship as a way of life. Peet and his husband have lived and worked on their own organic farm for several years. Through research in Europe, he learned about international marine sourcing. Witnessing the impacts of overfishing, Peet considers his own role in promoting eco-friendly practices at Bas Rouge. To that end, he ensures responsible sourcing commitments through his purveyors, relationships that have helped create significant change in how people dine in Easton.
“I have built great relationships in the community and there’s nothing better than one of our long-standing purveyors stopping in with a cooler of fresh fish from the Chesapeake Bay. This goes especially for catching and plating the invasive blue catfish species, which helps control the species’ threat to the local ecosystem.
Through his kitchen exploits, Peet expressed a unique connection to another gay icon in a rural fine-dining restaurant: Patrick O’Connell, of three Michelin starred Inn at Little Washington. In fact, Peet’s husband helped design some of O’Connell’s kitchen spaces. They’ve both been able to navigate treacherous restaurant-industry waters, and have come out triumphant and celebrated. Of O’Connell, Peet says that he “sees [his restaurants] as canvas, all artistry, he sees this as every night is a show.” But at the same time, his “judgment-free space makes him a role model.”
Being in Easton itself is not without challenges. Sourcing is a challenge, having to either fly or ship in ingredients, whereas urban restaurants have the benefit of trucking, he says. The small town “is romantic and charming,” but logistics are difficult – one of the reasons that Peet ensures his team is diverse, building in different viewpoints, and also “making things a hell of a lot more fun.”
Reflecting on challenges and finding (and creating) space on the Eastern Shore, Peet confirmed how important it was to surround himself with people who set a good example, and “if you don’t like the way something is going … move on.”
Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ-friendly sports teams and leagues in the D.C. area, held its annual Night of Champions Awards Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Hilton National Mall. The organization gave out scholarships to area LGBTQ student athletes as well as awards to the Different Drummers, Kelly Laczko of Duplex Diner, Stacy Smith of the Edmund Burke School, Bryan Frank of Triout, JC Adams of DCG Basketball and the DC Gay Flag Football League.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The 2024 National Cannabis Festival was held at the Fields at RFK Stadium on April 19-20.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering the @NatlCannaFest at RFK Stadium for @WashBlade . Stop by the LGBTQ+ booth and pick up a paper if you are here. pic.twitter.com/is7hnsaPns
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) April 20, 2024
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