Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: March 9
Parties, support groups, concerts and more through March 15
Singer/songwriter Paula Cole performs at Wolf Trap on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Wolf Trap)
TODAY (Friday)
Kaiser Chiefs play 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight with Walk the Moon and Transfer. Tickets are $30 and available online at 930.com. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Women in Their Twenties, a social discussion and dinner group, meets tonight from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.).
Siren presents “The Say-Something Hat Rave” tonight at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) featuring DJs Majr and Shea Van Horn. Doors open at 10 p.m. with an open vodka bar until 11 p.m. There will be a hat contest by Brightest Young Gays.
The Lodge (21614 National Pike, Boonsboro) presents “Glamour Girls: Miss Michaels’ Quest for Miss Gay Maryland” starring Stephanie Michaels tonight. There’s a $3 cover before 11:30 p.m. with no cover after.
Nana Projects and ellen cheery presents “Alonzo’s Lullaby,” a shadow puppet show based on the 1918 Hagenback-Wallace Circus train wreck at Theatre Project (45 W. Preston St., Baltimore) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $20 and can be purchased online at theatreproject.org.
The Maryland Shakespeare Festival presents its “Bare Bard” series opening tonight with “Merchant of Venice” at All Saint’s Episcopal Church (21 North Court St., Frederick) at 8 p.m. The series features a cast of professional actors that meets and rehearses for only three days before performing. There will also be performances of “All’s Well That Ends Well” on Saturday at 8 p.m. and “Much Ado About Nothing” on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $18 to $22 and can be purchased online at mdshakes.com.
Saturday, March 10
Freddie’s Beach Bar (555 South 23rd St., Arlington) presents Miss Freddie’s 2012 tonight at 8 p.m. Categories include Greek goddesses, beach attire, self expression, talent and Q&A. There is a $10 cover. For more information, visit freddiesbeachbar.com.
Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Paula Cole plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd., Vienna) tonight at 7:30 p.m.
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S.h.e. productions presents ReHab, a monthly alternative dance party, featuring DJ Katrina tonight at Grand Central Disco and Sapphos (1001 N. Charles St.) in Baltimore. Doors open at 9 p.m. and there is a $5 cover for this 21-and-older event.
Mixtape D.C. is tonight at the Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.), a dance party for queer music lovers and their pals that features DJs Shea Van Horn and Matt Bailer playing an eclectic mix of electro, alt-pop, indie rock, house, disco, new wave and anything else danceable. There is a $10 cover for this event. Doors open at 9:30 p.m.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) and 495 Bears presents “Bears Can Dance: The St. Patrick’s Day Edition” tonight at 9 p.m. with DJ Bobby T. There is no cover for this event.
Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) presents Hunter Valentine with Glitterlust tonight at 8:30 p.m. The crew of “The Real L World” will also be filming one of the newest editions to the cast tonight. There’s a $10 cover.
William Belli from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performs at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight. Doors open at 10 p.m. There’s an $8 cover before 11 p.m. that goes up to $12 afterward.
The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore is having a camera training session today at 1 p.m. for those interested in helping with a project to document and archive Baltimore’s LGBT stories. If interested, contact Marlene at [email protected] or 702-655-2146.
Sunday, March 11
The D.C. Kings are celebrating their 12th anniversary tonight with a benefit for the Deaf Abused Women’s Network at Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) hosted by Rocky and Ken Vegas with performances by Mason Tunite, Randy Ryder and more. For more information on DAWN, visit deafdawn.org. This show will be ASL interpreted. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The Washington Area Theatre Community Honors are tonight at the Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria) at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available online at ticketmaster.com.
LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror group Lambda Sci-Fi is having its monthly meeting today, including election of officers and social with annual blind book exchange at 1425 S St., N.W., at 1:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a snack or a non-alcoholic drink to share. For more information contact James at 202-232-3141 or Peter and Rob at 202-483-6369, e-mail to [email protected], or visit the group’s website at lambdascifi.org.
Monday, March 12
The Washington National Opera presents “Così fan tutte” tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. The show, a modern-dress production, follows two friends as they make a bet about their fiancées fidelity. The opera is performed in Italian with English supertitles. Tickets range from $25 to $300 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
Busboys & Poets presents Monday Night Open Mic Poetry hosted by Beny Blaq in the Robeson Room of its Shirlington location (4251 S. Campbell Ave., Arlington) at 8 p.m. Wristbands are $4 and will be sold in the Global Exchange store beginning at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, March 13
D.C. Bi Women will have its monthly dinner at Dupont Italian Kitchen (1637 17th St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.
GLAA is having a membership meeting tonight in the second floor community room at the Reeves Center (2000 14th St., N.W.) from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 14
Uncle Kracker plays 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight with Sonia Leigh and Ty Stone. Tickets are $25 and available online at 930.com. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Rainbow Response is holding its monthly meeting tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 8 p.m.
Busboys & Poets’s Beltway Drama Series presents “The Accidental Activist” by Rebecca Gingrich-Jones at its Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104) at 6 p.m. The play takes a look at the relationship between Newt Gingrich and his lesbian sister featuring Candace Gingrich-Jones as herself. There is a $10 suggested donation at the door.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., SE — across from Marine Barracks) for duplicate bridge. No reservations needed; newcomers welcome. Visit lambdabridge.com if you need a partner.
Thursday, March 15
Jenny Owen Young plays the Red Palace (1212 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8 p.m. with Beach Week and Marian McLaughlin. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 day of the show. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit redpalacedc.com.
Cal State Pride Happy Hour is tonight at Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) from 6 to 9 p.m.
Comedian Barry Rothbart performs at Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E St., N.W.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17 and available online at riotactcomedy.com.
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, fuck them and 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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