Music & Concerts
SPRING ARTS: albums
Lauper plans Nashville standards for May album


Cyndi Lauper goes country on her new album ‘Detours.’ (Photo by Chapman Baehler, courtesy FlyLife)
Country legend Loretta Lynn releases “Full Circle,” her first album since 2004’s Grammy-winning “Van Lear Rose,” this week. It’s a 13-track hodgepodge that covers Appalachian folk songs and gosple songs from her childhood to country standards to re-recordings of a couple of her classic hits. John Carter Cash (son of the late Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash) co-produces with Patsy Lynn Russell, Loretta’s daughter. Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson make appearances.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” vet Adore Delano will release her sophomore album “After Party” on March 11. Her video “Dynamite” is out now.
The first big new album of spring comes from pop diva Gwen Stefani, with “This is What the Truth Feels Like” on March 18.
Veteran electronica duo Underworld will release its first album in six years, “Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future,” on the same date.
March 25 brings the eagerly anticipated new album by legendary gay alt-rocker Bob Mould, “Patch the Sky.” Also dropping on March 25 is the solo debut by former One Direction star Zayn Malik, called “Mind of Mine.” Also out that day is the latest by electro/hip-hop DJ extraordinaire RJD2 — his latest is dubbed “Dame Fortune.”
Out rocker Liz DeRoche, formerly a D.C.-area resident, releases an electronica kids’ album on March 25. “Club Called Awesome” will come packaged with an illustrated comic book she hopes will “create an inclusive and adventurous world celebrating the extraordinary joys of being a kid.”
Also out in March is “Live @ the Bevy” from Baltimore-based duo Mama’s Black Sheep.
The Pet Shop Boys release “Super” on April 1. It should be a big years for the group, as it’s the 30th anniversary of their debut album “Please.” Also coming April 1 is the latest by Japanese pop-punk legends Shonen Knife, “Adventure”; “The White Album” by alternative rockers Weezer; and “Amen & Goodbye” by experimental electronic duo Yeasayer. Superstar rapper Drake is due to unleash “Views from the 6” on April 2.
British girl-group All Saints return on April 8 with “Red Flag.” Also coming on the eighth is “Fever Dream” by Ben Watt, formerly half of Everything But the Girl with Tracey Thorn.
Iconic alternative rocker PJ Harvey is back with her follow-up to 2011’s Mercury Prize-winning “Let England Shake” — on April 15 she will release “The Hope Six Demolition Project.”
Electrifying British pop sensation Katy B returns on April 29 with “Honey.” Also hitting on the 29th is the latest by New York-based electronic pop duo Holy Ghost!, to be called “Crime Cutz.” Beyoncé will also reportedly drop her new album in April, although official details have yet to be announced.
Cyndi Lauper is back on May 6 with “Detour,” an aptly named collection of songs by country divas that Lauper loved as a child. It’s packed with guest appearances by Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Jewel and more.
Also released on that date is the new Laura Mvula, “The Dreaming Room.” Gold Panda returns on May 27 with “Good Luck and Do Your Best.”
And two you might have missed in February — gospel diva Sandi Patty released her farewell album “Forever Grateful,” featuring several self-penned songs (a rarity for her), recreations of her classic hits (“Love in Any Language,” “Love Will Be Out Home”) and a range of styles from her quasi-classical (“Alleluia”) to black gospel (“All I Got to Do”) and classic Southern gospel (“Farther Along”). With producer Greg Nelson back on board, it’s a worthy coda to an illustrious career. Kristin Chenoweth guests.
And Elton John released “Wonderful Crazy Night” on Feb. 5 to strong reviews.

Liz DeRoche releases a gay-friendly kids’ album later this month. (Photo by Darshita Mistry; courtesy Waldman Mania PR)
Music & Concerts
Red, White, and Beyoncé: Queen Bey takes Cowboy Carter to D.C. for the Fourth of July
The legendary music icon performed on July 4 and 7 to a nearly sold-out Northwest Stadium.

Just in time for Independence Day, Beyoncé lit up Landover’s Commanders Field (formerly FedEx Field) with fireworks and fiery patriotism, bringing her deeply moving and genre-defying “Cowboy Carter” tour to the Washington, D.C. area.
The tour, which takes the global icon across nine cities in support of her chart-topping and Grammy-winning country album “Cowboy Carter,” landed in Prince George’s County, Maryland, over the Fourth of July weekend. From the moment Beyoncé stepped on stage, it was clear this was more than just a concert — it was a reclamation.
Drawing from classic Americana, sharp political commentary, and a reimagined vision of country music, the show served as a powerful reminder of how Black Americans — especially Black women — have long been overlooked in spaces they helped create. “Cowboy Carter” released in March 2024, is the second act in Beyoncé’s genre-traversing trilogy. With it, she became the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Country Album and also took home the coveted Album of the Year.
The record examines the Black American experience through the lens of country music, grappling with the tension between the mythology of the American Dream and the lived realities of those historically excluded from it. That theme comes alive in the show’s opening number, “American Requiem,” where Beyoncé sings:
“Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but
If that ain’t country, tell me, what is?
Plant my bare feet on solid ground for years
They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this
When I sing my song…”
Throughout the performance, Beyoncé incorporated arresting visuals: Black cowboys on horseback, vintage American iconography, and Fox News clips criticizing her genre shift — all woven together with voiceovers from country legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. The result was a multimedia masterclass in storytelling and subversion.
The “Cowboy Carter” tour has been a social media sensation for weeks, with fans scrambling for tickets, curating elaborate “cowboy couture” outfits, and tailgating under the summer sun. At Commanders Field, thousands waited in long lines for exclusive merch and even longer ones to enter the stadium — a pilgrimage that, for many, felt more like attending church than a concert.
One group out in full force for the concert was Black queer men — some rocking “denim on denim on denim on denim,” while others opted for more polished Cowboy Couture looks. The celebration of Black identity within Americana was ever-present, making the concert feel like the world’s biggest gay country-western club.
A standout moment of the night was the appearance of Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Commanding the stage with poise and power, she matched the intensity and choreography of her mother and the professional dancers — a remarkable feat for someone her age and a clear sign that the Carter legacy continues to shine.
It’s been nearly two decades since Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child parted ways, and since then, she’s more than lived up to her title as the voice of a generation. With “Cowboy Carter,” she’s not just making music — she’s rewriting history and reclaiming the space Black artists have always deserved in the country canon.
Music & Concerts
Berkshire Choral to commemorate Matthew Shepard’s life
Concert held at Washington National Cathedral

Berkshire Choral International will present a concert performance of composer Craig Hella Johnson’s fusion oratorio “Considering Matthew Shepard” on Friday, July 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington National Cathedral.
The program will be guest conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Benson, a native of the DMV who currently serves as Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. The concert is a partial benefit for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Notably, Matthew’s remains are interred at the National Cathedral and his parents, Dennis and Judy, will give opening remarks at the performance.
Tickets are $20 – $65, and 50% of ticket proceeds will be donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Tickets are only available online at berkshirechoral.org.
Music & Concerts
Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall
Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall.
The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts.
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