a&e features
Barbra’s No. 1 D.C. fan
Streisand archivist says singer ‘spoke to me very deeply’
Barbra Streisand with megafan Matt Howe. (Photo courtesy Howe)
When he was 15, Matt Howe saw a screening of “Yentl” and immediately became hooked on Barbra Streisand.
“I bought the soundtrack album and I saw it several times, and it just moved me and spoke to me very deeply,” the 49-year-old says. “I immediately became a fan and started collecting albums and reading everything I could about her.”
Over the years, the D.C. native did research on her films, albums and history and came across numerous underground and bootleg recordings. He accumulated so much information, he knew he had to do something with it.
“I wanted to put it down somewhere and keep it organized, because that’s the sort of obsessive mind I have,” he says. “When I’m passionate about something and enjoy it, I just like to learn everything I can about it and she has such a huge career, there was a lot to learn.”
Today, the “super fan” runs an online archive of all things Streisand, at barbra-archives.com, and the 13-year-old site is not only great for aficionados, but the legendary singer herself recently told the New York Times that she was grateful for Howe’s work, as she is using it to remind her of some “Memories” from her past for a memoir she is researching.
In fact, last week, Streisand invited Howe to her dress rehearsal and concert for her Aug. 2 opening night performance in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, and he and his partner also attended her San Jose show two days later.
“This is a show where she is looking back on her career and the show has a lot of projections from her past, and her team had a lot of questions and they reached out to me and my site,” he says. “I guess because I was nice enough to help out, they invited me and it was a complete thrill.”
Howe has now seen the legendary performer a dozen times in concert and feels this was the best of all he has seen.
“It’s a great combination of oldies and new material, and especially songs that a lot of fans never expected her to sing live,” Howe says. “It was really fun to see and the audience really went crazy. It was very exciting.”
One song she didn’t play was Howe’s personal favorite, the deep cut, “I Never Have Seen Snow.” He hopes to one day hear her sing it live.
Surprisingly, Howe won’t be able to see Babs when she’s in concert in his hometown of D.C., on Thursday, Aug. 18 when she visits the Verizon Center, as he already had a vacation booked prior to the tour’s announcement. During his vacation, though, he’ll hear her sing in Boston and has tickets to one of her New York dates shortly thereafter. Tickets were still available as of Blade press time this week. Nosebleeds can be had for just over $100. Floor seats go north of $1,100 at Ticketmaster.
A highlight of Howe’s life was meeting Streisand during her last tour.
“I was able to go to Amsterdam to see her European tour and went backstage to meet her and it was really amazing,” he says. “It was a little room and a group of about eight of us were waiting and she came walking in and came over to me and took me by my hand, looked me in my eyes and thanked me for creating the archives.”
Barbra-archives.com goes into depth about all of Streisand’s albums, radio and TV appearances, live performances and films. There’s also a magazine section where he scans and posts any noteworthy mentions of Babs over time.
In the early years of the site, Howe would spend a great deal of time updating and adding to it, but now that he’s no longer single, he’s mostly just doing maintenance to it now.
“Maybe I’ll see something rare on eBay and I’ll think, ‘That fills in the blank of that point in her career’ or if she’s touring or putting out an album, I may spend more time than usual,” he says. “For instance, with the tour right now, I like to post the set list for the fans so they know what she’s singing or not singing.”
While his own collection has dwindled over time due to space constraints — he’s given a lot away to fellow Streisand enthusiasts — Howe still has special memorabilia he holds on to.
“She did this concert in the ’80s at her house in Malibu in her backyard to raise money for Democrats and she sent these paisley tin boxes and when you opened it up, there was a tape cassette that she personalized for each guest,” he says. “That’s probably the rarest thing I have.”
Through the years, Howe has met and conversed with numerous Streisand fans and describes the community as being “very passionate and as detailed-oriented as Barbra herself.”
“They notice everything, which is fun. Barbra puts little details into everything she does and we all notice,” he says. “It’s a very welcoming community. For instance, at the Los Angeles show, there was an outside patio filled with 75 fans who had arranged to meet one another and just have fun.”
Outside of his life as a Barbra fan, Howe works in D.C. for a trade association. He’s not shy about his love for the singer, and doesn’t consider himself a crazy fan.
“I’m pretty normal. I just happen to have this hobby that I’m passionate about,” he says. “It’s something I really enjoy and when she goes on tour, it’s really my time.”
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
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.
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