a&e features
Checking in with Adam Lambert
Three albums in, singer finds musical maturity


Adam Lambert says his D.C. show this weekend will be a roller-coaster musical ride. (Photo courtesy 42 West)
Adam Lambert
Lincoln Theatre
1215 U St., N.W.
thelincolndc.com
Saturday, March 5
Doors: 6:30 p.m.
Flashy. Theatrical. Glam rocker. These are just a few of the descriptions people placed on Adam Lambert in 2007, when he became something of a household name appearing on the eighth season of “American Idol,” finishing as runner-up to Kris Allen.
In the seven years since, Lambert has released three acclaimed albums, and sold about 2.5 million records and more than 5 million singles worldwide. He’s also served as lead singer for Queen the past few years and did a stint on “Glee,” combining his acting and musical chops.
Lambert’s latest release, “The Original High,” debuted at no. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the artist is currently on tour to support the album, stopping at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, March 5.
The singer has never been shy about his sexual orientation, and has long been active in LGBT rights. Recently, Lambert took time to talk with the Blade about his music, sexual orientation and what it’s like to replace a legend.
WASHINGTON BLADE: What can those coming out to the Lincoln Theatre on March 5 expect from you that night? What defines an Adam Lambert concert?
ADAM LAMBERT: This show is definitely kind of a product of my evolution. I’m exploring new ideas and new sounds. It’s been seven years since “Idol” and I’ve definitely grown up a bit. I approach things in different ways now and have learned a lot about my fans and myself as an artist, and musically, I’ve grown and broadened my palate, so to speak.
BLADE: Looking at your latest recording, “The Original High,” what inspired your songwriting?
LAMBERT: With this third album, which I feel is my strongest so far, I sort of have found a song for everything that I want to talk about. Some of the songs on this album are reflections of where I think we are at as a society, both good and bad. The lead single, “Ghost Town” is sort of saying, “Hey, we’re all sitting here trying to figure out who and what we want to be but it’s difficult.” The way in which we communicate has become sort of disconnected and disenchanted and sometimes I am left with that feeling of hopelessness of numbness for a period of time. But then again, we set that song to a crazy, sexy house beat and it makes you want to dance, and maybe that’s part of the medicine we should be looking for — getting together and dancing.
BLADE: You just turned 34, pretty much at the edge of being a Millennial, which probably helps you appeal to generations young and old. Do you think about how to appeal to different generations when coming up with new music and designing your show?
LAMBERT: I don’t think it’s that premeditated. I have a very diverse circle of friends as far as age goes and background. I think the people who I know inspire me a lot and kind of inform what I do. I have thought about it at times. If you’re 22, this is where you’re at in life, vs. what are the 37-year-olds feeling? It’s a part of it.
BLADE: When you first started in the business, were there boxes you wanted to check off? If so, what boxes remain unchecked?
LAMBERT: You can’t really control it. I sort of take it one day at a time. I got my sales up and I’m on the ride. I have an amazing team of people I work with. There are definitely things I want to try — some more acting opportunities would be cool — and I want to keep putting out music. I love the idea of putting out a song that connects with people worldwide.
BLADE: Speaking of acting, you’re slated to appear as Eddie in Fox’s upcoming revival of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” this fall.
LAMBERT: I love it. I think it’s going to be a pretty amazing production. They’ve been doing these musicals on TV, but this is the first one that’s going to be filmed, it’s not a live presentation. It will have a lot of integrity to the original because they have Lou Adler on board (the original producer) and his son is producing the music. Kenny Ortega (the director) is no stranger to musicals on film and the cast they put together, I am honored to be a part of. I’m very excited.
BLADE: I know David Bowie was a big influence on you and your music and it was a sad loss for the music industry when he passed away. Tell me a little about what he meant to you.
LAMBERT: He was ahead of his time and not afraid to be an outsider and push ideas that weren’t necessarily popular, and I love that. I think he was willing to be weird, which I also admire. Sonically, physically, I think he was an icon. David Bowie’s voice sounds like no one else, he looks like no one else. He was one of a kind.
BLADE: Is that what you set out to do? How would you define your philosophy of who you want Adam Lambert to be?
LAMBERT: It’s interesting, because if you look at (Bowie’s) career over 30 years, what he did was reinvented and evolved and as an artist, it looks like he was trying on new colors when he felt like it. I am inspired by that. In today’s media and music world, it’s very easy to become a brand and to get trapped in that brand. I think it’s exciting to be creative and explore new sounds and new looks and new colors and new ideas, and that’s what I want to continue to do — keep it fresh and continue to evolve.
BLADE: One of the things that impressed me about you is you’re not defined by your sexuality, you’re just you. Has this come easier to you as the years go by?
LAMBERT: Yeah. I think society is coming around as years go by. Seven years ago is not that long ago, but things were in a much different place. The exciting thing about being out in today’s entertainment world is that it’s less of a surprise, less of an issue and no longer a scary, unknown thing for the public. Acceptance, tolerance and visibility have made their way into the arts — as they always should have — and things are better now, focused on what they should be focused on, which is the arts themselves.
BLADE: You’ve done a great deal for the LGBT community, and I know it’s something that remains important to you.
LAMBERT: Of course. I spent years in L.A. going to gay bars and gay clubs, and that’s where I socialized and listened to music, and that’s where I fell in love with dance music. That’s part of my culture. Obviously, I have had a lot of other opportunities that mixed me with other types of people as well. I like the idea of saying, “Let’s not segregate ourselves, let’s throw it all together.” My involvement with the theater was great for that because you have every race and religion and gender — that’s the utopian fantasy I’ve always had.

Adam Lambert (Photo courtesy of 42 West)
BLADE: You’ve been performing with Queen for the past few years, which you’ve said is something of a dream for you.
LAMBERT: It’s been incredible and I’m still doing more with them this summer. It’s such an honor to sing lead for one of the greatest rock bands of all time, although it’s intimidating to be compared to Freddie Mercury because I think he was amazing. I don’t think I can in any way compete with him, but for me it’s not about that. It’s about bringing these songs to life for fans of the music and the band and help everyone remember what made the band so great in the first place. These songs have been a part of people’s lives for years and years, so getting to perform those songs, the collective joy you feel in the audience, there’s something very rewarding about that.
BLADE: Any last message for those coming out to the concert?
LAMBERT: Come and be prepared to go on a roller coaster with me. There are some songs from the last two albums as well and for fans of this new album, I’m finally getting to present them. It’s going to be a great time.
a&e features
James Baldwin bio shows how much of his life is revealed in his work
‘A Love Story’ is first major book on acclaimed author’s life in 30 years

‘Baldwin: A Love Story’
By Nicholas Boggs
c.2025, FSG
$35/704 pages
“Baldwin: A Love Story” is a sympathetic biography, the first major one in 30 years, of acclaimed Black gay writer James Baldwin. Drawing on Baldwin’s fiction, essays, and letters, Nicolas Boggs, a white writer who rediscovered and co-edited a new edition of a long-lost Baldwin book, explores Baldwin’s life and work through focusing on his lovers, mentors, and inspirations.
The book begins with a quick look at Baldwin’s childhood in Harlem, and his difficult relationship with his religious, angry stepfather. Baldwin’s experience with Orilla Miller, a white teacher who encouraged the boy’s writing and took him to plays and movies, even against his father’s wishes, helped shape his life and tempered his feelings toward white people. When Baldwin later joined a church and became a child preacher, though, he felt conflicted between academic success and religious demands, even denouncing Miller at one point. In a fascinating late essay, Baldwin also described his teenage sexual relationship with a mobster, who showed him off in public.
Baldwin’s romantic life was complicated, as he preferred men who were not outwardly gay. Indeed, many would marry women and have children while also involved with Baldwin. Still, they would often remain friends and enabled Baldwin’s work. Lucien Happersberger, who met Baldwin while both were living in Paris, sent him to a Swiss village, where he wrote his first novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” as well as an essay, “Stranger in the Village,” about the oddness of being the first Black person many villagers had ever seen. Baldwin met Turkish actor Engin Cezzar in New York at the Actors’ Studio; Baldwin later spent time in Istanbul with Cezzar and his wife, finishing “Another Country” and directing a controversial play about Turkish prisoners that depicted sexuality and gender.
Baldwin collaborated with French artist Yoran Cazac on a children’s book, which later vanished. Boggs writes of his excitement about coming across this book while a student at Yale and how he later interviewed Cazac and his wife while also republishing the book. Baldwin also had many tumultuous sexual relationships with young men whom he tried to mentor and shape, most of which led to drama and despair.
The book carefully examines Baldwin’s development as a writer. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” draws heavily on his early life, giving subtle signs of the main character John’s sexuality, while “Giovanni’s Room” bravely and openly shows a homosexual relationship, highly controversial at the time. “If Beale Street Could Talk” features a woman as its main character and narrator, the first time Baldwin wrote fully through a woman’s perspective. His essays feel deeply personal, even if they do not reveal everything; Lucian is the unnamed visiting friend in one who the police briefly detained along with Baldwin. He found New York too distracting to write, spending his time there with friends and family or on business. He was close friends with modernist painter Beauford Delaney, also gay, who helped Baldwin see that a Black man could thrive as an artist. Delaney would later move to France, staying near Baldwin’s home.
An epilogue has Boggs writing about encountering Baldwin’s work as one of the few white students in a majority-Black school. It helpfully reminds us that Baldwin connects to all who feel different, no matter their race, sexuality, gender, or class. A well-written, easy-flowing biography, with many excerpts from Baldwin’s writing, it shows how much of his life is revealed in his work. Let’s hope it encourages reading the work, either again or for the first time.
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.

The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.

The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.





a&e features
In stressful times, escape to Rehoboth Beach
Here’s what’s new in D.C.’s favorite beach town for 2025

At last, after an uncharacteristically cold and snowy winter, another Rehoboth Beach season is upon us. I have been going to Rehoboth Beach since 1984, and it was the first place I went where people only knew me as a gay man. It was the year I came out. It was a summer community back then. Today it really is an exciting year-round community. But it’s still the summer season when Rehoboth shines, and when the businesses make most of their money.
The summer brings out tens of thousands of tourists, from day-trippers, to those with second homes at the beach. Everyone comes to the beach for the sun and sand, food, and drink. Some like to relax, others to party, and you can do both in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Stop by CAMP Rehoboth, the LGBTQ community center on Baltimore Avenue, to get the latest updates on what is happening. CAMP sponsors Sunfestival each Labor Day weekend, and a huge block party on Baltimore Avenue in October. They train the Rehoboth Beach police on how to work with the LGBTQ community, and have all kinds of special and regularly scheduled events. Pick up a copy of their publication, Letters, which is distributed around town.
I asked Kim Leisey, CAMP’s executive director, for her thoughts, and she said, “CAMP Rehoboth looks forward to welcoming our friends and visitors to Rehoboth Beach. We are a safe space for our community and will be sponsoring social opportunities, art receptions, concerts, and art exhibits, throughout the summer. If you are planning a wedding, shower, reception, or business meeting, our beautiful atrium is available for rental. We look forward to a summer of solidarity and fun.” While at CAMP stop in the courtyard at a favorite place of mine, Lori’s Oy Vey! Café, and tryher famous chicken salad.
There’s something for everyone at the beach, from walking the boardwalk and eating Thrasher’s fries, to visiting Funland, or playing a game of miniature golf. Or head to some of the world-class restaurants like Drift, Eden, Blue Moon, or Back Porch.
Some random bits on the summer 2025 season. Prices are going up like everywhere else. Your parking meter will cost you $4 an hour. Meters are in effect May 15-Sept. 15. Parking permits for all the non-metered spaces in town are also expensive. Transferable permits are $365,non-transferable $295, or after Aug. 1 if you only come for the end of summer, it’s $165. Detailed information is available on the town’s website.
Rehoboth lost one of its best restaurant this off-season, JAM, but Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant is open for its fourth season. Owner Freddie Lutz told the Blade, “We are looking forward to a fabulous season. Freddie’s has a dance floor and is the only music video bar in town.” There is also live entertainment, karaoke, and Freddie’s Follies drag show Friday nights.

My favorite happy hour bar is Aqua Grill, which has reopened for the season. I recommend taking advantage of their great Tuesday Taco night, and Thursday burger night. Then there is The Pines and Top of the Pines. Bob Suppies of Second Block Hospitality told me, “Come, relax, and play. We are ready! I have been spending summers here since the mid-90’s, and Rehoboth Beach seems to age like a fine wine. Between the new, and favorite restaurants opening back up, the shops bursting with incredible finds, and all the great LGBTQ+ bars to entertain everyone, nowhere beats the Delaware beaches this summer.”
Head down the block on Baltimore Avenue and you get to La Fable restaurant. Go all the way to the beach and you will see the new lifeguard station, which is slated to open later this month. Also, demolition of the old hotel and north boardwalk Grotto Pizza has happened. The site will become a new four-story, 60-room hotel, with ground level retail space.
Then join me at my favorite morning place at the beach, The Coffee Mill, in the mews between Rehoboth and Baltimore Avenues, open every morning at 7 a.m. Owners Mel and Bob also have the Mill Creamery, the ice cream parlor in the mews, and Brashhh! on 1st street, where Mel sells his own clothing line, called FEARLESS! Then there is the ever-popular Purple Parrot, celebrating its 26th year, now with new owners Tyler Townsend and Drew Mitchell, who welcome you to their iconic place. It has only gotten better. If you head farther down Rehoboth Avenue you will find the Summer House with its upscale Libation Room, and a nice garden looking out on Rehoboth Avenue. Also on Rehoboth Avenue is Gidget’s Gadgets owned by the fabulous Steve Fallon. With the renewed interest in vinyl records you may want to stop in at Extended Play.
Then there is the always busy and fun, Diego’s Bar and Nightclub. Joe Zuber of Diego’s told the Blade, “Get ready for a great gay ole time in Rehoboth Beach. Plenty of entertainment, dancing and fun as we seem to be the next Stonewall generation with this newest administration. Each election brings its concerns about how our gay community will be affected. Come to Rehoboth Beach to escape this summer season!”
If you are in town for Sunday happy hour, make sure to stop there to hear the talented Pamala Stanley who is celebrating her 20th season entertaining in Rehoboth.And on Mondays, Stanley plays Broadway and other classics on the piano at Diego’s.
If you are looking for culture Rehoboth has some of that as well. There is the Clear Space Theatre on Baltimore Avenue. Rumors abound that Clear Space will move out of town. But I can’t believe the commissioners and mayor would be dumb enough to let that happen. This year’s shows include “Spring Awakening,” “Buyer + Cellar,” “Hairspray,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” and “RENT.”Tickets sell fast so I suggest you book early and they are available online. Then mark your calendars for Saturday, July 19 for Rehoboth Beach Pride 2025 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the other fine restaurants and clubs in town. Just a reminder, during season you often need dinner reservations. Come to the beach often enough, and you can try them all: Café Azafran, Dos Locos, Goolee’s Grille, Rigby’s, Frank and Louie’s, Above the Dunes, Mariachi, and Henlopen City Oyster House, and Red, White & Basil. And take a short drive to Dewey for breakfast or lunch at the Starboard; popular bartender Doug Moore (winner of the Blade’s Best Rehoboth-Area Bartender 2024 award) holds court at one of the inside bars, which has become a de facto gay bar on Saturdays.
One major development in the local dining scene last summer was the purchase of the Big Fish Restaurant Group by Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group. Nearly a year later, not much has changed at the many Big Fish restaurants, although many locals are hoping for a renovation of Obie’s along with a gay night at the ocean-front bar/restaurant.
These are only a few of the fantastic places to eat and drink at the beach. Remember, book your reservations for hotels and restaurants, early. Rehoboth is a happening place and gets very busy.
We are living in stressful times. A visit to Rehoboth is a nice way to escape them for a while. Take the time to destress, enjoy the sun and sand. Take a stroll on the boardwalk and listen to the sound of the ocean, and people having fun. Enjoy good times, good food, good friends, and remember that life can still be good. Recharge your batteries for the rest of the year, by enjoying some summer fun in Rehoboth Beach.

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