a&e features
Lost River vs. Rehoboth?
Locals weigh in on popular second-home spots
Lighthouse Harry Lee Cabin is a historic home in Lost River State Park. (Photo by Justin Wilcox; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Morning person or night owl? Butch or femme? Mountain person or beach lover? Of course, life is never totally black and white, but for many D.C.-area LGBT folks, the most popular second-home spots come down to where you like to spend either your downtime or your retirement years.
Lost River, W.Va., an unincorporated community in West Virginia’s Hardy County along Route 259, is about a two-hour drive from Washington and has become a sort of unofficial rural gay area in recent years. Gay life in Rehoboth Beach, Del., of course, is well established. When D.C. gays go to the beach, more often than not, it’s to Rehoboth. Traffic can be dicey, especially on Friday and Sunday evenings in the summer, but it’s about a two-and-a-half-hour/120-mile drive from Washington.
We asked locals why they chose one or the other.
Peter Rosenstein, Blade columnist and owner of PDR and Associates, has been in Washington since 1978 and bought a home in Rehoboth Beach in 1998. He spends about 15 percent of his time at the beach.
“Life in Rehoboth Beach is relaxed and fun — great restaurants, great people, shopping and, of course, the ocean and white sandy beach.”
He says visit friends and spend time looking at different neighborhoods before making a purchase. And find a good realtor.
“I’ve been going to Rehoboth since the early ’80,” he says. “The only mistake I made was waiting so long to buy my own place. I also find that D.C. people are friendlier and more relaxed when they’re in Rehoboth Beach.”
Paul Yandura and Donald Hitchcock have been together 18 years and now split their time between Washington and Wardensville, W.Va. They bought a home in Columbia Heights in 2001 and a cabin in Lost River in 2008. In 2013, they bought a store called Lost River Trading Post. A small house next to the store houses Lost River Real Estate.
“I consider myself and I think Donald considers himself more of a mountain person than a beach person,” Yandura says. “I grew up in Detroit and all our trips outside of downtown were to the lake, so I like lakes, mountains and rivers more than oceans and beaches.”
He calls Lost River “very laid back and very welcoming.” Gay people, he says, have “been here for years.” He stays there full time and “is loving it.” Hitchcock goes back and forth.
West Virginia cabins, he says, are overall much more affordable than houses at the beach. He puts a “very nice” cabin option at about $300,000; top-of-the-line might be in the $400,000 range while something comfortable with a view can still be had for less than $200,000.
“And you can still swap houses with someone who spent $900,000 on a beach house for your $300,000 mountain cabin without the expense and upkeep and without having to go in with others,” Yandura says. “It all depends what you want. Also, out here in West Virginia, you can enjoy your cabin all year round.”
He says Wardensville and Lost River Valley are “bustling” in the spring and summer with plenty of outdoor activities. The views in the fall are “spectacular” and even winter is nice.
“Nothing beats cozying up to a large stone fireplace and taking in the mountain vistas,” he says.
Trout Pond National Park, Lost River State Park, the George Washington National Forest Trails, restaurants and shops, bars and even an art co-op add to the appeal, he says.
A. Toni Young lived in Washington most of her life but now spends half her time in Lost River. She says she always thought of herself as a beach person until she found Lost River four years ago. She runs a non-profit and a housewares business.
“Although it is primarily gay white men — until a few months ago, I was the only black lesbian here, also known as ‘the black lady,’ — but a couple lesbian couples have moved in down the road and are interracial,” Young says. “You can find gay African-Americans, great dinner parties, movie nights in the summer, biking, hiking, Kentucky Derby parties — you name it, we have it here.”
Before you buy, she says figure out if you want to be near the water or someplace “more woodsy.” Also think about whether you’re willing to put time in on a fixer-upper or if you just want to move in. Also consider how much time you want to invest in upkeep.
“I never thought this kid from Southeast D.C. would find joy in the four hours I spend on a riding mower, but I do,” she says.
The folks in Lost River “are family,” she says.
“I had my pipes freeze and burst and a neighbor, his brother and some guy I didn’t know, showed up at my house, pulled down dry wall, stopped the leak and called the plumber and made sure I wasn’t overcharged,” she says.
Last month, Bob Kabel sold the Kalorama condo he’d owned for 16 years. He’s had a house in Rehoboth Beach for 14 years. Two years ago, he bought another in Lost River with a friend.
“I like both,” he says. “They’re strikingly different experiences. There is much more to do in Rehoboth than in Lost River, but they both provide a welcome getaway from D.C.”
He says gay life “permeates” Rehoboth and says it’s a “madhouse” in the summer.
“It’s actually more enjoyable and not so crazy during the off season,” Kabel says.
He enjoys hanging out with Yandura and Hitchcock at the Trading Post and says outdoor sports and hiking are great there, if you’re into that. Going out options are limited, but that’s not the draw.
“Lost River LGBT life centers around individual homes,” he says. “Nice weather brings people there. Winter, not so much.”
He agrees Lost River is “much more affordable.”
Kabel says make sure any mortgage broker you work with has everything covered. He’d previously bought a condo in Rehoboth and learned his broker had neglected to submit his loan application. He says the mortgage process for the Lost River house was “long and almost painful.”
“Changes to mortgage lending after the 2008 debacle have made getting a loan much more paper intensive and difficult,” Kabel says.
Vicki Johnson bought her circa 1830s log cabin less than a year ago and moved to Wardensville full time. She worked in law, politics and government for nearly 20 years and craved more time to write, more time with her child and “freedom from a desk job.”
“When I finally visited, I was completely hooked,” she says.
She now runs Lucky Johnson General Store.
“I spend my days surrounded by historical objects and antiques, drinking organic coffee and offering natural products for cabins, people and pets,” she says. “I also host live music events and author talks. It’s pretty dreamy.”
If you think you might be interested, she advises visiting with a local realtor and see what interests you.
“You might fall in love with a valley view of cows grazing, river frontage, a farmhouse, a historic cabin, private access to a national forest, an old barn to restore or something else,” she says. “You will definitely know it when you see it. I never thought I’d live in a 200-year-old cabin, but the view sealed the deal.”
Rehoboth Beach, Del. (Washington Blade file photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
a&e features
New book celebrates 1970s dance music icons
‘A Night at the Disco’ features interviews with Donna Summer, Debbie Harry, more
If you’re a fan of 1970s-era dance music, don’t miss the irresistible new book by Christian John Wikane and Alice Harris, “A Night at the Disco,” which revisits more than 90 interviews conducted with some of the biggest names in pop culture.
“A Night at the Disco” (ACC Art Books) was published on March 24, and distributed by Simon & Schuster. It celebrates more than 100 artists who sparked a phenomenon in dance music from 1970-1979 and features excerpts from interviews with everyone from Donna Summer to Debbie Harry.
Lost City Books (2467 18th St., N.W.) will welcome author Christian John Wikane for a book signing and conversation about “A Night at the Disco” on Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m. Details at lostcitybookstore.com. Bird in Hand Coffee & Books in Baltimore (11 E. 33rd St.) )will also host a Q&A with the author on Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Details at theivybookshop.com.
Below is an excerpt from “A Night at the Disco.”
“I’ll let in anyone who looks like they’ll make things fun.” Steve Rubell is guiding a New York Times reporter through Studio 54 as resident DJ Richie Kaczor dazzles the crowd with records by CHIC, Odyssey, and T-Connection. “Disco, that’s where the happy people go,” The Trammps sing as dancers spin and twirl underneath tubes of flashing lights. Seven months since Rubell and co-owner Ian Schrager opened Studio 54 in April 1977, it’s welcomed untold numbers of “happy people” … at least those lucky enough to pass through the doors.
“We were part of the chosen few,” says André De Shields, who immortalized the title role in The Wiz on Broadway at the time. “We could show up at Studio 54 and the doorman at the velvet stanchion would look over everyone and point to us from The Wiz to come in, that kind of thing.” As the lead vocalist in the GRAMMY-nominated Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, whose debut modernized big band sophistication for the discothèques, Cory Daye had carte blanche in the club. “The energy was like a New Year’s Eve party every night,” she says. “I would go up to the mezzanine and watch the mechanical light pillars go up and down, metallic confetti falling from the ceiling, the spoon and the moon. I was so fascinated and enamored by it.
“When a certain song came on, the people would just rush to the dance floor. There was no contact dancing — the hustle was pretty much on its way out — but it was just an amazing experience to see all the cultures together. It was a fusion of cultures, which described my life and my band, so I was right at home there.”
“Studio 54 was the place,” adds Linda Clifford. “Crazy parties. If you could think it, you would see it. It was like a circus. Just an amazing place to be. I worked 54 so many times. It was like a second home to me. The people there treated me so well. The crowd always seemed to enjoy my show. I always had a good time with them. That was the most important thing: making sure that they had fun.”
Well before Studio 54 opened, disco had become a business juggernaut. “A four billion dollar market and still growing,” Billboard announced in February 1977, with dance music offering more variety than ever. “There is no longer a single, readily identifiable disco beat, but a kaleidoscope of sounds that are melodic and danceable,” Tom Moulton told the magazine. In the clubs, records by veteran artists like Stevie Wonder and the Bee Gees were mixed in with a range of new acts like Grace Jones, Boney M., and The Ritchie Family, while everyone from ABBA to Marvin Gaye scored number one pop hits with songs that had club-centric storylines.
Beyond the charts, disco itself remained as idiosyncratic as ever, especially on several productions by Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis, whose studio creations, El Coco (“Let’s Get It Together,” “Cocomotion”) and Le Pamplemousse (“Le Spank”), joined their own “Lust” from Seven Deadly Sins (1977) among the most tantalizing releases on AVI Records. Rinder & Lewis also produced acts for the newly hatched Butterfly Records in Los Angeles, where Saint Tropez (“On a Rien à Perdre”) and Tuxedo Junction (“Moonlight Serenade”) reflected the duo’s high gloss sound, spanning everything from European sophistication to a more literal translation of the ’40s sensibilities popularized by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band.
12-inch singles had also grown as the preferred format to approximate the club music experience at home. Nearly a year after Atlantic Records introduced its series of promotional 12-inch singles for DJs, New York-based Salsoul Records released the industry’s first commercially available 12-inch single, “Ten Percent” by Double Exposure, in May 1976. A year later, T.K. Records was the first label to certify a gold record for a 12-inch single when Peter Brown’s “Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me” tallied one million sales.— Christian John Wikane
(From “A Night at the Disco” by Alice Harris & Christian John Wikane. Published by ACC Art Books.)
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