Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: April 29
Concerts, exhibits, plays and more through May 5
Marcia's Coppel's 'I Have a Problem' is part of her new exhibit at Touchstone Gallery. An opening reception is schedule for May 6. (Image courtesy of Touchstone)
Today (Friday)
The D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) will be having an opening reception for an art display featuring works of Becca Kallem, tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.
Beat City, a rock ‘n’ roll lounge part for queer folks and their friends, will be tonight from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. upstairs at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room (1725 Columbia Rd., N.W.). All attendees must be 21 or older and there is no cover.
Caliente Grande: White Party is tonight at Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.) starting at 9 p.m. DJ Michael Brandon will be spinning the Latin dance party in the main hall. There is a $10 cover charge. Attendees wearing white will be let in for free until 11 p.m. Attendees must be 18 to enter, 21 to drink.
D.C. Sentinels will be having its monthly happy hour at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) from 5 to 8 p.m.
Busboys & Poets will be hosting ASL open mic poetry tonight at 11 p.m. in the Langston Room at its 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). Anyone with sign language knowledge may sign up to recite a poem or sign a song by e-mailing [email protected]. There is a $5 cover.
Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) is hosting a screening at 8 p.m. of “Break Ground,” which follows 40 teens from the D.C. Metro area that “limit themselves from experiencing relationships that could free them from their pasts.” Three additional screenings will be Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Saturday, April 30
The 15th annual Youth Pride Day will be celebrated today from noon to 5 p.m. at Dupont Circle. Following the festival will be the Infatuation Dance for those 21 and younger with DJ Keenan at U Street Music Hall (1115-A U St., N.W.) from 5 to 9:30 p.m. There is a $5 cover for the dance.
Dennis Miller will be at the Warner Theatre (1299 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $49.50 to $65 and can be purchased online at livenation.com.
Kylie Minogue brings her Aphrodite Tour to the Patriot Center (4500 Patriot Circle) in Fairfax tonight at 7 p.m. Town’s Ed Bailey will be the opening DJ on stage at the concert. Tickets range from $55 to $125 and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com. Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) is hosting a “Aphterparty” at 10 p.m. There will be an $8 cover before 11 p.m. and $12 afterward. All attendees must be 21 or older.
The Lodge (21614 National Pike) in Boonsboro is hosting “Starry Night: The Lodge Prom” tonight from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There is a $5 cover before 10:30 p.m. and $8 after. Prom royalty will be chosen at 11 p.m. The Frederick, Md., Rainbow GLBT Meetup Group will also be hosting a potluck dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. before the prom. Attendees to the dinner must RSVP to [email protected].
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Hellmouth Happy Hour where every week an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” will be screened and drink specials will be offered. This week the episode is “Nightmares.”
Irvine Contemporary is hosting an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. with the artist [dNASAb] for its newest exhibit, Dataklysmos, featuring multimedia sculptures. The exhibit will be on display through June 4.
Sunday, May 1
ZOOM Urban Lesbian Excursions presents Karaoke Idol tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at Muzette Karaoke and Restaurant (2305 18th St., N.W.). Tickets are $15 and can be bought online at zoomexcursions.com.
Brendan Conway and Mila Naumova will be performing at the Church of the Holy City (1611 16th St., N.W.) today at 3:30 p.m. This is a free event.
Girls Rock! D.C. is hosting a volunteer kickoff event today at Hole in the Sky (2110 5th St., N.E.) from 3 to 5 p.m. The organization is looking for volunteers for camp week and year-round organizing. For more information, visit girlsrockdc.org.
Monday, May 2
There will be a public hearing on Bill 19-11: “Bullying and Intimidation Prevention Act of 2011” today from 10 a.m. to noon in room 120 of the John A. Wilson building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave.).
The D.C. Center’s (1318 U St., N.W.) monthly volunteer night is tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with activities such as sorting book donations, taking inventory and more. Also at the center will be the Youth Working Group meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The Imperial Court of Washington, D.C. will be holding its meeting tonight at the Coldwell Banker building (1606 17th St., N.W.) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit imperialcourtdc.org.
Novelist Alice Walker will be discussing and signing her new book “The Chicken Chronicles, A Memoir” tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Busboys & Poets 5th and K streets location (1025 5th St., N.W.).
Tuesday, May 3
“Shear Madness,” a comedy whodunit, will be performed twice tonight at the Kennedy Center Theater Lab (2700 F St., N.W.) at 5 and 8 p.m. “Madness” takes place in present-day Georgetown, in the Shear Madness Hair Styling Salon. Tickets are $42. Visit kennedy-center.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, May 4
Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave., N.W.) has two new exhibits opening today, Marcia Coppel’s “Life Is Too Serious” featuring paintings of people talking in cafes and parks inspired by Mexico and Harvey Kupferberg’s “Infrared: The Invisible Light” featuring black and white photographs. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gallery plan b (1530 14th St., N.W.) has three exhibits featuring with paintings by Greg Minah, works on paper by Mars Tokyo and works in gold leaf by Andrew Wapinski. The gallery is open from noon to 7 p.m. and the works will be on display through May 15.
Thursday, May 5
Tonight is Team D.C. Night at the musical comedy, “National Pastime” at Keegan Theater (1742 Church St., N.W.). Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online. The theater is donating $10 from every ticket is Team D.C. For more information, visit teamdc.org.
ABBA – The Concert will be performed at Pier Six Pavilion (731 Eastern Ave.) in Baltimore, tonight at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $75 and can be purchased online at piersixpavilion.com.
E-mail calendar items to [email protected] two weeks prior to your event. Space is limited so priority is given to LGBT-specific events or those with LGBT participants. Recurring events must be re-submitted each time.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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