Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: May 11
Parties, concerts, exhibits and more through May 17
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs with the National Symphony Orchestra tonight at the Kennedy Center. (Photo courtesy Big Voodoo Daddy)
TODAY (Friday)
The HIV Working Group will be doing outreach tonight at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) during Bear Happy Hour starting at 7 p.m. and continuing throughout the night until midnight. Volunteers are needed. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
The National Symphony Orchestra presents Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Steven Reineke tonight at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) at 8 p.m. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will be performing its brand of retro-swing with the NSO Pops and principal conductor, Reineke. Tickets range from $20 to $85 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org. There will also be a performance on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) is hosting the welcome and registration event for Police Week 2012 today from 2 to 6 p.m.
Busboys & Poets presents “The 11th Hour” poetry slam hosted by “2Deep” the Poetess, tonight at 11 p.m. in the Langston room at its 14th and V streets location (2021 14th St., N.W.). There is a $5 admission at the door.
Comedian Will Durst is at Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E St., N.W.) tonight at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $18 and are available online at riotactcomedy.com. Durst will also be performing on Saturday at 8 and 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 12
Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) and 495 Bears presents “Bears Can Dance” tonight at 9 p.m. There is no cover for this event.
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) presents Funkytown, a retro dance party on the main floor with DJ Ed Bailey playing music from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Doors open at 10 p.m. There is an $8 cover before 11 p.m. and $12 afterward. All attendees must be 21 or older.
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) Superhero Pub Crawl is tonight at 10 p.m.
Busboys & Poets is hosting a Zumba block party with Vida Fitness tonight at its 5th and K location (1025 5th St., N.W.) from 5 to 7 p.m.
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.
The Washington Ballet presents “¡Noche Latina!” today at 2:30 and 8 p.m. The show celebrates Latina American music, dance and culture. It includes two world premieres by Edwaard Liang and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and the company premiere of Trey McIntyre’s “Like a Samba.” The tickets range from $20 and $125 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
Sunday, May 13
D.C.’s LGBT anti-violence task force GLOV (Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence) is hosting a two hour introduction to self-defense class at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) today at 5 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $10. For more information and to register for the class, visit thedccenter.org.
Nellie’s (900 U St., N.W.) is having its first Guil-Tea dance party of the season today at 3 p.m.
LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror group Lambda Sci-Fi is having its monthly meeting today 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, email to [email protected], or visit the group’s website at lambdascifi.org.
Monday, May 14
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. They are also available for purchase online at busboysandpoets.com starting at midnight before the event.
Tuesday, May 15
The Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) is hosting a launch party for “The New Professional: Issue Three” tonight at 8 p.m. The event will feature live performances from Tray Chaney of HBO’s “The Wire” and more special guests. Admission is $12. For more information, visit blackcatdc.com.
Busboys & Poets presents “Louder Than a Bomb” fundraiser and film screening tonight at its Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104) at 7:30 p.m. hosted by the D.C. Youth Slam Team. “Louder Than a Bomb” is a documentary about the poets of Chicago’s city-wide youth slam. There is a suggested $10 donation. For more information, visit busboysandpoets.com.
Wednesday, May 16
The D.C. Crystal Meth Working Group meets tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. The group, which has been dormant for about a year, is dedicated to education and treatment advocacy around methamphetamine. For more information, visit thedccenter.org or letstalkaboutmeth.org.
Studio Theatre (1501 14th St., N.W.) presents “The Big Meal” by Dan LeFranc tonight. The show follows a young couple through their life, from their first date to having kids and more at a single restaurant table. Tickets range from $46 to $59. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit studiotheatre.org.
Thursday, May 17
Professionals in the City and the D.C. Center are hosting a speed dating event for gay men in their 30s and 40s at Chi-Cha Lounge (1624 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight. Attendees will date for about an hour and then be able to mingle with everyone. After the event, matches can be made online. Tickets are $30. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra SuperPops presents “The Beat Goes On!: The Music of the Baby Boomers” tonight at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckermane Lane, North Bethesda) at 8 p.m. featuring music from television, movie themes and popular hits including music by Burt Bacharach and Frankie Valli.
Celebrity News
My evening with Madonna
Gay icon headlined the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in the Netherlands through Aug. 10. They will be covering World Pride in Amsterdam.
AMSTERDAM — Madonna and 6,000 of her closest friends celebrated World Pride at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall early Sunday morning. I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
Madonna last Wednesday nearly broke the internet when she said on social media in Dutch that “I got somethin’ I wanna talk about,” referring to an opening line in “Danceteria,” one of the tracks on her “Confessions II” album that has received rave reviews since its July 2 release. The track has been on near constant replay on my playlist since I first heard it.
— Madonna (@Madonna) July 28, 2026
MISTR — a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term care that has organized Madonna’s Club Confessions shows in the U.S. and the U.K. — later confirmed the rampant speculation. I woke up on July 30 to an email in my inbox from MISTR and the World Pride Music Festival PR team that said I was on the press list.
Madonna was indeed going to headline the World Pride Music Festival that Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced, and I was going to be there. OMFG!!!!
The gay icon had one more surprise in store.
The Dutch internet on Saturday once again broke over speculation that Kylie Minogue was going to appear alongside Madonna. I was getting ready to leave our hotel in Amsterdam on Saturday night when I saw a video of the two of them together.
“Madonna is now teasing Kylie Minogue on her social media … she may be one of her ‘special guests’ tonight,” I wrote in a text to Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff at 8:46 p.m.
“Have fun! This is turning into the gayest concert ever,” he responded.
I arrived at AFAS Live shortly before 11 p.m. My press contact walked me and two other Dutch journalists into the venue’s cavernous main room known as the Black Box. We made small talk for a few minutes before I started to walk around and listen to Josh Harrison who was on the decks.
Madonna was scheduled to take the stage at 1:30 a.m., but she is known for being late — she is Madonna and she does what she wants. Hayla, a British singer, and Bebe Rexha are among those who performed ahead of Madonna. Thousands of sweaty men — including a group of Australians next to me who were eagerly awaiting Kylie’s anticipated appearance — packed the Black Box and were dancing, anticipating what was to come.
MISTR CEO Tristan Schukraft at one point came on stage and declared Madonna was indeed in the building. The moment for which we were all eagerly waiting finally came shortly before 2:30 a.m.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage.
Stuart Price, who produced her “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album in 2005, manned the decks during Madonna’s set.
She opened it with “I Feel So Free” from “Confessions II.” Madonna then sang “Bring Your Love” and “Danceteria” to which this reporter — and everyone else — sang along.
Madonna then teased a surprise before she began to perform “Love Sensation.” Kylie soon appeared on stage. It was nearly too much for my fellow partygoers from Australia. It was indeed the gayest concert ever!
Madonna and Kylie performed “Love Sensation” together. They then sang “Hung Up” and “Sorry” from “Confessions on a Dance Floor” to round out the set that ended shortly after 3 a.m.
Madonna and I share the same birthday — Aug. 16 — and I would like to think she and Kylie gave me an early birthday present. In all seriousness though, it was an amazing night for me and for everyone else who was fortunate enough to be there.
“On the dance floor I feel so free,” says Madonna in the opening of “I Feel So Free.”
For those few precious hours at AFAS Live I did not think about the Trump-Vance administration and the myriad ways it is destroying the U.S. I did not think about the National Guard troops deployed to D.C. I did not think about the pointless wars that continue to ravage Ukraine and other countries around the world. I simply lost myself on the dance floor and celebrated an icon who has always stood with my community.
Thank you, Madonna.
The Petal Release Party and Drag Show was held at Spark Social on Friday, July 31. Performers included Tiara-Missou, Labianna and Darcy de la Cuadra.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Celebrity News
Madonna headlines World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Kylie Minogue made surprise appearance alongside gay icon
AMSTERDAM — Madonna on Sunday headlined the final night of the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam.
The gay icon took the stage shortly before 2:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday) during Club Confessions, a set that MISTR, a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term HIV care, organized.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage inside Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall that can hold up to 6,000 people.
Stuart Price, who produced Madonna’s 2005 “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album and “Confessions II,” which debuted on July 2, DJed the set.
Kylie Minogue made a surprise appearance. She and Madonna performed a new remix of “Love Sensation” from “Confessions II.”
(Washington Blade video by Michael K. Lavers)
“Throughout my career, I’ve always supported efforts to fight HIV and AIDS, and that fight begins with education and access,” said Madonna in a MISTR press release. “With MISTR, (CEO) Tristan (Schukraft) is expanding access to HIV prevention and sexual healthcare for everyone. Through this work, he’s helping preserve and strengthen LGBTQ+ spaces while investing in the communities and culture that have long sustained us.”
Minogue in an Instagram post thanked Madonna, Price, Schukraft, and MISTR.
Madonna appeared at The Abbey in West Hollywood, Calif., in April. Madonna in June celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York’s Times Square.
Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced the World Pride Music Festival that also featured Bebe Rexha and Paris Hilton, among others.
“Pride has always been about bringing our community together,” said Resnicow. “At a moment when too many people are being told to hide or make themselves smaller, gathering openly, joyfully, and without apology matters more than ever. I couldn’t be prouder of what this festival brought to life in Amsterdam — one dance floor, completely free.”
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