Arts & Entertainment

Calendar: Jan. 28

Evens through Feb. 4

Published

14 years ago

January 27, 2011

'Common Ground' by Michele Cormier is part of the 'Color of Love' exhibition that will be on display from Feb. 4-27 at Touchstone Gallery on New York Ave. in Washington. (Image courtesy of Touchstone)

Friday, Jan. 28

The John Scofield and Joe Lovana Quartet will perform tonight at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane) in North Bethesda. Guitarist Scofield and saxophonist Lovano will be joined by drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Matt Penman. Tickets range from $35 to $65 and can be purchased online at strathmore.org.

The Lodge (21614 National Pike) in Boonsboro presents “Return of the Divas” starring drag queens Stephanie Michaels, Ashley Bannks and Nicole James tonight at 10:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and cover is $5 from 8 to 11 p.m. and $8 after.

The Best of D.C. Shorts film festival “Rewind,” starts today at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) with events going on in two theaters. Theater one will open with a wine reception at 6 p.m. to welcome the filmmakers, a showing of the festival directors’ favorites at 7 p.m., another wine reception at 8:30 p.m. and end with Best of D.C. Shorts 2010, part one at 9:30 p.m. Theater two will start with a showing of films from the past seven years which celebrate diversity at 7:30 and Best of D.C. Shorts part two at 10 p.m. The festival continues through Saturday. For more information, visit rewind.dcshorts.com.

Jens Praet’s first solo U.S. exhibition, “Fossilized,” is on display at Industry Gallery (1358 Florida Ave., N.E.). Praet’s work is created from shredded magazines and documents. He used shredded and recycled copies of Art in America, Capitol File, Details, Fast Company and Robb Report mixed with clear resin to create his art. The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. For more information, visit industrygallerydc.com.

Lace Lounge (2214 Rhode Island Ave., N.E.) presents Social Climax from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. with free drinks before 11:30 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older and there is a $10 cover. For more information, visit lacedc.com.

DJ Lil’ E hosts Lady Gaga vs. Madonna vs. M.I.A. with Lems at Rams Head Live (20 Market Place) in Baltimore tonight at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ramsheadlive.com.

Saturday, Jan. 29

Special Agent Galactica returns with an all sung, live show, “The Only Gal in Town” tonight at 8 p.m. at Noi’s Nook in go mama go! (1809 14th St., N.W.). Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at ganymedearts.org or at the door. The show debuted on New Year’s Eve but is returning for an encore performance.

Suzanne Westenhoefer will be performing tonight at 8 p.m. at the Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.) in Alexandria. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased online at birchmere.com.

Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.) presents “VIP (Video Interactive Playground)” tonight featuring DJ 45Z Music videos will e playing in the main room all night. Drag queen Kristina Kelly and her “Girls of Glamour” will perform at 11 p.m. Cover is $10 and attendees must be 18 or older.

Mautner Project presents its first meeting of SHE Circle, a wellness community by and for African-American lesbian and bisexual women, today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Metropolitan Community Church-D.C. (474 Ridge St., N.W.). For more information and to RSVP, e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].

Shift, a gay-themed indie rock/electro/pop dance party, presents the Winter Blue Ball tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.). DJ vAnniety Kills will be spinning all night upstairs while DJ Shea Van Horn spins from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. down stairs and DJ Majr spins after him.

Merrifield Garden Center continues its series of free seminars today with three new topics. Mary Kirk Menefee, a landscape designer, will be at the Merrifield location (8104 Lee Highway) with a seminar on color and interest in winter gardens. Chuck Croft from the Northern Virginia Bonsai Society will be at the Fair Oaks location (12101 Lee Highway) in Fairfax, with a seminar on growing bonsai, and Regina Lanctot, a plant specialist, will be at the Gainesville location (6895 Wellington Rd.) talking about cacti, succulents and easy care houseplants.

Gross National Product returns with “The Sound of Palin” at Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $20 and can be purchased at atlas arts.org.

The 15th anniversary Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge is today at 8 a.m. at Sandy Point Beach (1100 E. College Parkway) in Annapolis. Many different events will be going on throughout the day, including DJ Pauly D of MTV’s Jersey Shore as the featured performing inside the Rams Head Ice Lounge from 12:30 to 4 p.m. For more information and the complete schedule of events, visit plungemd.com.

Sunday, Jan. 30

Buddha-Bar D.C. (455 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) begins its weekly “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Sundays” tonight from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Drink specials will include $6 signature cocktails and $5 mixed drinks.

Mijail Tumanov, 22, will be performing piano works by Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov today at 3:30 p.m. at the Church of the Holy City as part of its Music with Angels concert series. This is a free event.

Monday, Jan. 31

The Helen Hayes Awards presents “Showtunes and Cocktails” tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Jefferson’s Quill Bar (1200 16th St., N.W.) featuring pianist Glenn Pearson and guests from Washington stages. Admission is free and 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to support the Awards.

Professionals in the City will be hosting a seated speed dating for bisexual and lesbian women tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. at Chi-Cha Lounge (1624 U St., N.W.) The event is $20 if purchased by 5 p.m. on Friday. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit prosinthecity.com.

Tuesday, Feb. 1

The Shakespeare Theatre Company presents “Cymbeline,” directed by Rebecca Bayla Taichman, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th St., N.W.). Tickets range from $37 to $70 and can be purchased online at shakespearetheatre.org.

Robyn will be performing tonight with Diamond Rings and Natalia Kills at 8 p.m. at Rams Head Live (20 Market Place) in Baltimore. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by visiting ramsheadlive.com.

Wednesday, Feb. 2

The Tom Davaron Social Bridge Club will meet at 7:30 tonight at the Dignity Center, 721 8th St., S.E., (across from Marine Barracks) for social bridge. No partner is needed. Visit lambdabridge.com and click on “Social Bridge in Washington” for more information.

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival will be screening “Out in the Silence” tonight at 7 p.m. at the West End Cinema (2301 M St., N.W.) as part of the traveling festival. The filmmakers and LGBT Festival acting director Boris Dittrich will be present to answer questions. Tickets can be purchased at westendcinema.com and are $11 for adults, $9 for seniors and students and $8 for military.

Thursday, Feb. 3

“The Face of Illusion,” a drag show, will be performed tonight at 10 p.m. at Alero Restaurant Columbia Heights (3345 14th St., N.W.).

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference features a queer reading, “3 Dollar Bill” tonight from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Human Rights Campaign Equality Forum (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). Some of the readers include Monica Carter, Reginald Harris, Charles Jensen, Eileen Myles and Justin Torres. Books will be available for purchase during intermission and after the event.

Friday, Feb. 4

Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) is hosting an opening reception tonight from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for its newest exhibit, “Color of Love” featuring 50 artists. The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 27.

Books

Celebrate Pride month by reading these books

History, pop culture, and more

Published

2 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Photo courtesy of Terri Schlichenmeyer)

You’ve done your share of marching.

You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.

You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.

Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.

You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.

Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.

If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.

Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.

Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.

Music & Concerts

Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall

Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Published

2 days ago

June 12, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

The Indigo Girls are back in the area next week. (Photo courtesy of Vanguard Records)

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.

The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.

Calendar

Calendar: June 13-19

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

2 days ago

June 12, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, June 13

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].

Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. at Wundergarten. An update will be posted the night of the event on where to find WiTT’s table. There’ll be a Pride flag to help people find the group. For more details, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group.

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach bar and Restaurant. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, June 14

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including Allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Rainbow History Project will host “Behind the Scenes With the Senior Curator of ‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’” at 7:30p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This behind-the-scenes experience offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking showcase of DC’s LGBTQ+ history. Learn about the bold design decisions that shaped the Quote Wall and Hero Cubes and the powerful stories that almost made the cut. Tickets cost $82 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Monday, June 16

“Center Aging Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more information, visit their website at www.genderqueerdc.org or check us out on Facebook.

Tuesday, June 17

Bi+ Roundtable and Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Check out Facebook or Meetup for more information.

Wednesday, June 18

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

“Legends Live Loud: A Queer Karaoke Experience” will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a dynamic, Center-wide karaoke event celebrating the brilliance and cultural impact of some of our most colorful queer icons. The Center will honor legends through music, pop culture, dance, and inextinguishable liberation. For more details and to sign up, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, June 19

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Book Club” at 7:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. This book club is co-hosted by EQUALITY NoVa and is another opportunity to engage in a fun and rewarding activity. The group doesn’t discriminate when it comes to genres it reads – from classic literature to best selling novels to biographies to histories to gay fiction. For more details, visit Eventbrite.

Cultivating Change Foundation will host “Cultivating Pride Happy Hour” at 5:30 p.m. at Dacha Beer Garden. This Pride month, the organization is inviting LGBTQ+ people and allies in food and agriculture to come together in communities nationwide. These informal gatherings are a chance to connect, celebrate, and build community, whether it’s over coffee, a cocktail, or a conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.