Arts & Entertainment
Studio revival
Gay favorites outnumber LGBT acts on fall album release schedule
Original Blondie members (from left) Chris Stein, Debbie Harry and Clem Burke have reunited and have a new album ready, one of fall’s most anticipated U.S. releases. (Photo courtesy EMI)
Several singers and bands that have been out of the studio for eons have albums slated for fall. Buzz is highest for new releases from long-absent acts Blondie, the Bangles and Gloria Estefan. A few openly gay acts also have projects on the horizon.
Lesbian folk rocker Catie Curtis just released her 11th album, “Stretch Limousine on Fire.” Curtis made headlines in 1997 when she won the Best Album Award from the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards for “Catie Curtis CD.” Curtis is married to Liz Marshall and has two daughters. Curtis became ordained to officiate weddings in 2010, inspired by her commitment to marriage equality. Some of her songs are written to reflect this commitment.
On Sept. 13, Blondie will release “Panic of Girls,” the band’s first album since 2003 and ninth album overall, but only the second album to be recorded outside of Manhattan. A whopping 35 songs were recorded during the sessions, but only 12 will make it onto the album. Front woman Debbie Harry is a long-time gay fave whose pop culture cred was cemented with her own Barbie doll a couple years ago.
Grammy-winning Lady Antebellum will release a third album “Own the Night.” One song, “Just a Kiss,” was released from this 12-track album on May 2, and quickly shot to the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. This hit helped build fans’ anticipation for the release.
Tori Amos is set to release “Night of Hunters,” on Sept. 20. The album is sure to break music barriers with its genre blending. Amos calls the album a “21st century song cycle inspired by classical music themes spanning over 400 years. I have used the structure of a song cycle to tell an ongoing, modern story. The protagonist is a woman who finds herself in the dying embers of a relationship. In the course of one night she goes through an initiation of sorts that leads her to reinvent herself allowing the listener to follow her on a journey to explore complex musical and emotional subject matter. One of the main themes explored on this album is the hunter and the hunted and how both exist within us.”
The Bangles, an all female American band, are set to release “Sweetheart of the Sun” on Sept. 27, a 12-track album. They’ve been working on their highly anticipated album since spring of 2009. When The Bangles started out, they were opening for Cyndi Lauper on her “Fun Tour.” Their performance caught the attention of Prince, who later wrote their famous song “Manic Monday,” which catapulted them into superstar status.
Also out Sept. 27 is LeAnn Rimes’s 13th album, “Lady & Gentlemen,” a 12-track album with two bonus cuts.
Also out that day is “Miss Little Havana” from long-dormant Gloria Estefan. First single “Wepa” premiered in May.
Grammy-winning Mary J. Blige is scheduled to release “My Life II: The Journey Continues” on Oct. 4, her 10th studio album. It’s a sequel to Blige’s 1994 classic album “My Life.” The album is designed to be a reflection of the time and lives of the people around her.
Monica is scheduled to release her seventh album “New Life” on Oct. 18. She’s getting buzz for “Anything (To Find You),” the first single, which is on the Hot 100 now.
On Oct. 25, Kelly Clarkson releases “Stronger.” Anticipation is high as she’s taken some artistic detours, not always successfully, on her last few albums.
Also on Oct. 25, Coldplay will release its fifth album “Mylo Xyloto.” Oddly enough, the album was influenced by HBO’s “The Wire.” Lyrically, this album will have more acoustics and more intimate feel than their previous album. “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” the first single, dropped in June. “Paradise,” the second, goes to radio this weekend.
Bi neo-soul goddess Meshell Ndegeocello releases “Weather” on Nov. 8. Listen for sparse, orchestral melodies and her usual thoughtful lyrics. She plays the highly intimate Birchmere in Alexandria on Nov. 15.
Adam Lambert has an as-yet-untitled set ready for November.
Music & Concerts
Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’
Singer Tom Goss will bring his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to D.C. on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing Co.
Among the songs he will perform will be “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology series. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence, and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture.
For more details, visit Tom Goss’s website.
Friday, May 2
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.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].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at P.F. Chang’s. 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, May 3
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community 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.
LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events for LGBTQ People of Color, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, May 4
“The Chateau Drag Brunch” will be at 12 p.m. at Chicatana. Enjoy fabulous Mexican food and cocktails while being entertained by a rotating cast of the DMV’s best drag performers. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
“The Bubble: Queer Brooklyn Comics in DC” will be at 5 p.m. at As You Are. Queer comedians Charlie Flynn, Evan Lazarus and Keara Sullivan are coming down from NYC for a night of fun as they split an hour of standup comedy. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, May 5
“Center Aging Monday Coffee & Conversation” 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].
Tuesday, May 6
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more details, email [email protected].
Wednesday, May 7
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.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older queer women can meet and socialize with one another. We will have discussion, activities, and a chance for you to share what you want future events to include. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, May 8
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
South Asian Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The peer support group is an outlet for South Asian-identified LGBTQ individuals to come and talk about anything affecting them. It’s a secure, judgment-free environment to discuss relationships, sexuality, health, well-being, identity, culture, religion, or anything that is on your mind. For more details, email [email protected].
Sports
English soccer bans transgender women from women’s teams
British Supreme Court last month ruled legal definition of woman limited to ‘biological women’
The organization that governs English soccer on Thursday announced it will no longer allow transgender women to play on women’s teams.
The British Supreme Court on April 16 ruled the legal definition of a woman is limited to “biological women” and does not include trans women. The Football Association’s announcement, which cites the ruling, notes its new policy will take effect on June 1.
“As the governing body of the national sport, our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) and FIFA,” said the Football Association in a statement that announced the policy change. “Our current policy, which allows transgender women to participate in the women’s game, was based on this principle and supported by expert legal advice.”
“This is a complex subject, and our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or the operation of the policy in grassroots football then we would review it and change it if necessary,” added the Football Association.
The Football Association also acknowledged the new policy “will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify.”
“We are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game,” it said.
The Football Association told the BBC there were “fewer than 30 transgender women registered among millions of amateur players” and there are “no registered transgender women in the professional game” in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The Scottish Football Association, which governs soccer in Scotland, is expected to also ban trans women from women’s teams.
Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’
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