Arts & Entertainment
Gladys at the Strathmore: brief but magical
Soul legend delights with all-too-short 75-minute set
Soul legend Gladys Knight played two nights at the Strathmore last week. I caught the Friday night show which found the singer in fine voice running through a vigorous hit-heavy set with a smoking tight band.
She was also in a chatty, jovial mood. Her sassy, tell-it-like-it-is stories had the sold out crowd — probably 75 percent African-American — in the palm of her hand.
Gladys Knight at the Strathmore Friday night. (Photo courtesy Brian Walmer)
Looking 25 years younger than she is (68) and with vocals that sounded as rich and solid as they did in 1967, it was an almost magical night. The only downside — and with many tickets soaring past the $100 mark, it was an issue — was the overall brevity of the evening. Knight was on stage only about 75 minutes, with nearly 15 of that being eaten up by her joined-at-the-hip brother Bubba. Yeah, he’s an original Pip and deserves respect, but it was painful after awhile realizing his heavily stage-crafted schtick was taking up so much time.
Of course the Knight siblings — true to their old school show biz roots — pretended all this heavily worked out banter was spontaneous. And while much of it was cute, a little less of that and a few more songs would have made for an almost perfect evening. The lack of an encore — she sometimes comes back out for “The Way We Were” — added to the “bare minimum” feel.
To Knight’s credit however, she doesn’t phone in her show — it was substantially different from the set list she played at Wolf Trap in 2009.
The Strathmore is truly one of Washington’s finest concert venues. I was there two weeks ago for a classical concert (organist Cameron Carpenter) yet it works just as well for a “pop” show such as Knight’s. Friends in the top balcony said the sound was muddy up there — hard to know if that’s a venue thing or something with Knight’s crew — but the sound mix was pristine on the floor.
SET LIST
Soldier of Love
Just Fine
If I Were Your Woman
You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
Feelin’ Good (Vacilon)
I’ve Got To Use My Imagination
End of the Road Medley:
-If You Don’t Know Me By Now
-Love Don’t Love Nobody
-End of the Road
Before Me Medley:
-The Man I Love
-Stormy Weather
-Someone To Watch Over Me
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Neither One of Us
Bubba Knight Segment:
-Yesterday (Duet w/Gladys)
-Love & Happiness
-Funky Good Time
-Dance To The Music
-Love & Happiness (Reprise)
Midnight Train To Georgia
Cupid’s Undie Run, an annual fundraiser for neurofibromatosis (NF) research, was held at Union Stage and at The Wharf DC on Saturday, Feb. 21.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Sweat DC is officially expanding to Shaw, opening a new location at 1818 7th St., N.W., on Saturday, March 28 — and they’re kicking things off with a high-energy, community-first launch event.
To celebrate, Sweat DC is hosting Sweat Fest, a free community workout and social on Saturday, March 14, at 10 a.m. at the historic Howard Theatre. The event features a group fitness class, live DJ, local food and wellness partners, and a mission-driven partnership with the Open Goal Project, which works to expand access to youth soccer for players from marginalized communities.
For more details, visit Sweat DC’s website and reserve a spot on Eventbrite.
Friday, Feb. 20
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon with Yoga will be at noon at the D.C. LGBTQ+ Community Center. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the D.C. Center. This will be a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome! We’ll have card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Go Gay DC will host “First Friday LGBTQ+ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, Feb. 21
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 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 judgement free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Queer Talk DC will host “The Black Gay Flea Market” at 1 p.m. at Doubles in Petworth. There will be more than 15 Black queer vendors from all over the DMV in one spot. The event’s organizers have reserved the large back patio for all vendors, and the speak easy for bar service, which will be serving curated cocktails made just for the event (cash bar.) DJ Fay and DJ Jam 2x will be spinning the entire event. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, Feb. 23
“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 information, contact Adam at [email protected].
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. 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 percent cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. 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.
Asexual and Aromantic Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, Feb. 26
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center. To be more 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 Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
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