a&e features
Kristine W.’s triumphant return
Dance diva readies new album, Distrkt C appearance
Kristine W. (Photo by Bobby Black)
Distrkt C Pride
An indoor/outdoor music festival and concert
Saturday, June 10
10 p.m.
Official men’s party of Capital Pride
DJs Jared Conner and Joe Gauthreaux
Grind
Inaya Day
Sunday, June 11
5 p.m.
Outside: disco and classics with Billy Carroll
Concert starts at 8:30 p.m.
Crystal Waters
Kristine W
Kim English
Inside: T dance at 6 p.m. with Roland Belmares
10 p.m.
X Gonzalez
Twisted Dee
Morabito
Amuka
D.C. Eagle
3701 Benning Rd., N.E.
distrktc.com
Many artists who are lucky to chart hits on the Billboard charts at all often see the law of diminishing returns kick in gradually over time, even with consistently good material.
Somehow, though, Kristine W. has managed to maintain a staggeringly impressive record on the U.S. Dance charts. She’s had 14 no. 1 singles over a nearly 20-year period. Of the 19 singles she’s charted there, the lowest she ever peaked at was no. 4. She had another smash last summer with “Out There,” which made it to No. 3.
She’s in D.C. this weekend to headline at the Distrkt C Pride Indoor/Outdoor Festival & Concert. She spoke by phone with the Blade, her first interview with us since 2012, last week, from her home in Las Vegas. Her comments have been slightly edited for length.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How’ve you been?
KRISTINE W.: It’s been a challenging year. It just seems like a lot of people around me are going through some transition. It’s a time of change. It could be life, jobs or relationships. Last year I wrote the song “Out There” which is really strange because now I’m going through a divorce. It’s really strange how I keep writing this music and it ends up being real life. “Land of the Living” was one of those albums. It was like I wrote it then I had to live it.
BLADE: Are the songs more universal than you originally realized or do you have a sixth sense?
KRISTINE W.: I think they’re more universal than I really thought, although my grandfather had this gift of kind of seeing into the future and so did his mother, my grandmother, Elizabeth who I’m named after. I don’t know if I didn’t get some of that too. Sometimes I get certain signs in dreams or I’ll get this really weird epiphany. I fight it all the time but sometimes it just kind of overtakes me.
BLADE: What was your favorite remix of “Out There,” your latest hit?
KRISTINE W: I think the Moto Blanco mix. But I also like the original mix that’s going to be on the album because it takes you on a journey. That album mix as far as watching a crowd having a good time but … at a Pride event, the Moto Blanco mix is so uplifting, you can just see everybody get lifted up from it. It’s a very happy production.
BLADE: Do you collaborate on the remixes at all?
KRISTINE W.: Oh yeah. So many of them have known me enough years that we kind of know each other’s audiences, we play a lot of big events, we know what kind of works, we have personal relationships and it’s very cool. … I try to use the remixes to cover as big of a territory as possible. The Loop Soop version is like a tropical, Miami kind of vibe so that’s kind of like sipping cocktails and chilling at your house. If you pick ‘em right, they can afford you a chance of reaching a wider audience than if you just put out a couple versions.
BLADE: Tell us about your upcoming single “Stars.”
KRISTINE W.: “Stars” is really special. It’s a song I wrote a couple yars ago and kind of sat on but in a strange way, it’s kind of mirroring my life right now and what I’m going through. But not just for me, it’s universal. … Everybody who listens to it it’s like there’s a piece of them in it. You can just see it in their reaction. … We’re working on some really cool remixes of it right now.
BLADE: When will it be out?
KRISTINE W.: We’re shooing for Independence Day but it’s a little crazy right now. We have to get it in the queue. It’s gonna come down to how soon I can get pushed through the line.
BLADE: You were talking about a new album last summer when “Out There” came out. What’s the status on that?
KRISTINE W.: The album is finished. We’re probably going to put out a couple singles, then drop the album or maybe put it on pre-order. We’re looking into that right now. But it’s gonna be amazing.
BLADE: What’s it like? When did you make it and how long did it take?
KRISTINE W.: We started about six months after “New & Number Ones” so like mid-2012 we were working on it. We’ve written a lot of songs. I’m thinking it’s actually going to be like two back-to-back albums and not wait as long to put another one out because we have like 15 or 16 tracks total. Then we’re recording naked versions, you know, stripped-down versions of the songs because people really enjoy those. I’ve worked with a lot of songwriters from all over the place. I just finished a song with Chris Cox and Lee Jagger called “Found a Home.” “Next to You” is being produced right now. I think it’s gonna be a little bit different the way we release this next batch of music.
BLADE: Are you of the opinion that the song has to work acoustically first or not necessarily?
KRISTINE W.: Well obviously like with the Chainsmokers, a lot of their songs are just a big, fat hook and then maybe a lyrical a hook. Maybe half a verse or something. They’re not making very complicated songs. They were just on “Saturday Night Live” and were with a band … and I noticed they’d added more structure. For me, it’s better to just write a song. Then if you want to do a stripped-down version, you can. I’m a songwriter, I’m a fan of songs, but I respect the fact that a lot of people have ADD.
BLADE: You were recently named the No. 8 dance artist of all time by Billboard. How did you feel?
KRISTINE W.: I thought somebody had made a mistake at first. It was so overwhelming. I just sat in my kitchen and cried. It was weird but very cool.
BLADE: Is it easier to chart a dance cut if it was a pop hit first or not necessarily?
KRISTINE W.: Everybody’s going to the dance chart now because the pop charts are so expensive to try to compete in. … To get airplay now is just so expensive. It’s like seven grand a week to get into rotation so the labels are all going to the dance club. So that geets really tough too because you have these independent artists like myself trying to compete with the Chainsmokers on the dance chart and every other pop person who’s crossed over, so it’s really crazy right now, really difficult. That’s why so many people you used to see having records, they’re not putting them out anymore because it’s so hard to get a No. 1 or even a top 5 hit now, it’s crazy.
BLADE: How have you managed to keep it going for so many years?
KRISTINE W.: I just try to keep writing good songs and try to work with the best people possible that I can afford (laughs). Just keeping my eye on the songs, focusing on the messages and hoping they connect with people. And also what I said before about the different styles. You might be able to get on a different Spotify list with a Frank Lords Miami tropical mix then you can doing a Hans Milan EDM mix. Now that everything is streaming, Spotify, Pandora, blah blah blah, that’s gonna be the future, so getting on those playlists is no small feat. So you might get on two playlists with two different mixes but the labels are freaking out because they don’t want to spend the money on a bunch of remixes either necessarily. If you’re not friends with these people, like a remix by Ralphi Rosario or whatever is like 10 grand, you know. It’s very expensive. So the labels are stepping back going, “Oh shit.” Ralphi doesn’t kow any of those guys. They’re just suits to him so he can demand whatever. On the flip side, there are a lot of great young remixers who are the future. I know a lot of them and have given a lot of them their shots, like the Perry Twins for example. They did “Be Alright” for me and then they blew up. I don’t want to call myself a major artist, but they needed a big artist to give them a shot. … I tell them if it’s crap, I won’t put it out but if it’s great, I’ll promote the crap out of you in press and everything and tell everyone to hire them. So then you can go back later and say, “Hey guys, you mind doing me something solid,” and they’re like, “Yeah sister.” It’s like a really crazy family.
BLADE: How are your two kids? What’s it like being a mom to two teens?
KRISTINE W.: They’re super cool. I’ve got two great kids. Everybody goes, “Oh, you just got lucky,” but I don’t think it’s luck. I think it’s just trying to be there, you’re annoying as heck. A very wise lady, my mother-in-law who passed away in 2013, she said you better be there because if you’re not, somebody else will be and you won’t be happy with the outcome. I never forgot that.
BLADE: Have your gay fans reached out to you at all since your divorce?
KRISTINE W.: I haven’t really talked about it much. It’s tough enough going through it, I don’t dwell on it. I have to get up there and make the world a happier place one song at a time so I haven’t talked about it too much.
BLADE: Of course a song is gonna sound great on the huge speakers in a big state-of-the-art dance club but people listen on their phones, with these crap ear buds and so on. How do you make something that’s gonna work across the board? Are you conscious of compression without losing fidelity when you record?
KRISTINE W.: It’s a huge issue and you really have to be conscious of that in mastering so the track doesn’t sound too digital. If everything sounds too teh-teh-teh (makes a thin-sounding percussion effect), you can only stand to listen to it for so long. You just want to turn it off, it’s too much for the ear. All the classic artists, that was all cut on 2-inch tape so it’s all analog which is very warm sounding to the human ear. You could listen all day and love it. But the way we’ve gone digital with everything so you have to really be conscious of that in mastering.
BLADE: What do you have planned for the Distrkt C event? You’re co-headlining with Crystal Waters and Kim English.
KRISTINE W.: Those girls are super cool. I don’t think I’ve ever met Kim English so that will be a thrill. Crystal and I are good buddies so I’m really excited to be spending time with her and getting to meet Kim English because I’ve heard her name for many years now. It’s gonna be great energy, the three of us. It will be fun and celebratory and just making it another great summer. We’re all here and kicking and in the land of the living. We’ll just get out there and make a joyful noise.
a&e features
Award-winning D.C. chef reaching new culinary heights
Anthony Jones of Marcus DC competing on ‘Top Chef’
In Anthony Jones’s kitchen, all sorts of flags fly, including his own. Executive chef at award-winning restaurant Marcus DC, Jones has reached culinary heights (James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef, anyone?), yet he’s just getting started.
Briefly stepping away from his award-winning station, Jones took a moment under a different set of lights. Recently, he temporarily gave up his post at the restaurant for a starring small-screen slot on the latest season of “Top Chef,” which debuted in March. (The show airs weekly on Bravo and Peacock).
Before his strategic slice-and-dice competition, however, Jones, who identifies as gay, draws from his deep DMV roots. In the years before “Top Chef” and the top chef spot at Marcus, he was born and raised in Sunderland, Md., in southern Maryland, near the Chesapeake.
Early memories were steeped in afternoons on boats with his dad bonding over fishing, and wandering the garden of his great-grandparents spread with fresh vegetables and a few hogs. “It was Southern, old-school ethics and upbringing,” he said. “Family and food went hand in hand.” Weekends meant grabbing bushels of crabs, dad and grandma would cook and crack them. Family members would host fish fries for extra cash. In this seafood-heavy youth, Jones managed time to sneak in episodes of the “OG” Japanese “Iron Chef” show, which helped inspire him to pursue a career in the kitchen.
Jones moved to D.C. after graduating from college, ending up at lauded Restaurant Eve, and met famed chef Marcus Samuelson, who brought him to Miami to be part of the opening team for Red Rooster Overtown. After three years, Jones moved back to D.C., where he ran Dirty Habit, reinventing and reimagining the menu, integrating West African flavors and ingredients.
Samuelson, however, wouldn’t let a talent like Jones stay away for too long. Pulling Jones back into his orbit, Samuelson elevated Jones to help him open his namesake restaurant Marcus DC, which has been named a top-five restaurant by the Washington Post. Since then, Jones has been nominated as a semifinalist for the RAMMYs Rising Culinary Star in 2026 and won the Eater DC’s Rising Chef award in 2025.
Samuelson’s Marcus is a tour de force interpreting the Black Diaspora on the plate, from the American South to West Africa, along with his signature “Swedopian” touches. Yet it’s Jones who has deeply informed the plate, elevating his own story to date. Marcus DC is primarily a seafood restaurant, which serves Jones well.
“Where I’m from is seafood heavy, and as I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve moved away from meat.” Veggies and fish are hero dishes. His own dish, Mel’s Crab Rice, was not only lauded by the Washington Post, but is framed by his youth carrying home the crustaceans from Mel’s crab truck. It’s a bowl of Carolina rice, layered with pickled okra, uni béarnaise, and crab. Jones also points to a dish on the opening menu, rockfish and brassica, paying respect to a landmark D.C. institution, Ben’s Chili Bowl. Jones reverse engineered a favorite bowl of chili that’s seafood instead of meat forward, leveraging octopus and rockfish along with different riffs of cauliflower: showing his intellectual, creative, and cultural sides.
While “Top Chef” is showing Jones’s spotlight side, he also lets his identity show at work. “In the kitchen, I make sure we’re inclusive. We don’t tolerate discrimination. Everyone that’s here should feel confident to express themselves. There are so many different flags in the kitchen.”
Jones says that he didn’t fully express his gay identity until fairly recently. He felt reluctant coming out to certain family members, “you’re scared to tell them about being different,” he says, and while that anxiety ate at him, “I’m lucky and fortunate to have unconditional love and that weight off my shoulders.”
Today, “I’m me all the time, Monday to Sunday. I’m honest with people, and my staff is honest with me.”
“Being a chef is hard,” he says, “and being a chef of color is even more difficult.”
Yet his LGBTQ identity is a juggling act, he says. “I need to keep that balance, because once someone finds out something about you, their opinion can change, whether you want it or not.”
Being on a whole season of TV cooking competition, however, might mean millions more might have an opinion of him (Jones has appeared on TV already, on an episode of “Chopped”). To prepare, he says, “I’ve just kept a level head. It’s just an honor to be on top chef with amazing people happy to be there.”
Plus, this season is set in the Carolinas, and Jones attended Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C. “It’s a full story of my life, now a monumental moment for me.”
Jones also recently was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award. “JBF has been a north star, a dream for so long. I always had this goal on my wall.”
Being at the top spot at Marcus DC, making waves through his accolades, and cooking on Bravo means that Jones is highly visible. “I think that if someone has a similar background to me, and can see our story, trajectory, and success, they can have more ability to be themselves. This is my goal.”
Back at Marcus, Jones has plenty up his chef’s white’s sleeves. A new spring menu is in the works. He’ll be launching a new tasting menu “dining experience,” he says, and has plans to work on more events and collaborations with chefs and friends to bring in new talent and share the culinary wealth.
a&e features
Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths
The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.
This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.
This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.
Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis
Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers
ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES
- Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives - Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream - Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC - Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency - Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision - Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry - Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
— Journalist and Former Editor at New York Times Magazine - Queen Adesuyi (they/she)
— Policy Advisor & Organizer, ReFrame Health & Justice - Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives) - Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra - Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer - Vida Rangel (she/her)
— Founder, Our Trans Capital - Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space - Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Co-Founder & President, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Diana Rodriquez (she/her)
— Co-Founder & CEO, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women - Toya Matthews (she/her)
— City of San Antonio, Texas - Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader - Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation - Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle - Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle
LEGEND AWARDEES
- Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau - Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP - leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography - Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University - Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation - AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Deputy Executive Director, ACLU - RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart - Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Founder of NBJC, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign - Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group - Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame - Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction) - Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Board Chair - Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade - Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer - Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures - Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association - Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Collective - Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted - Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies - Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter - Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington - Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit - Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio - Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT - J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network
a&e features
D.C. springs back to life with new, returning events
Cherry blossoms, Rehoboth season kickoff, and more on tap
Longer and warmer days are back meaning: It’s time to get out of the house and enjoy Washington D.C.’s many events. Below are a few to check out this spring.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts will host “Making their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection” until Sunday, July 26. This exhibition illustrates women artists’ vital role in abstraction, considers historical contributions, formal and material breakthroughs and intergenerational relationships among women artists over the last eight decades. For more details, visit. NMWA’s website.
Art in the Attic will host a pop-up on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at 1012 Madison St., Alexandria, Va. There will be a variety of vendors selling products across different modes of art. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Play Play will host “Indoor Recess – The art of play” on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. This event will embody classic recess energy, including opportunities to build and experience community and connections through games, movement, art stations, and creative freedom. Tickets are $12.51 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Spark Social will host “Gay Bar Crawl on U Street” on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. This will be a fun night out in gay D.C. with other gay people, whether you’re visiting D.C., new to the area, or just looking to expand your social circle. Many crawlers have formed lasting friendships and even romantic relationships after just one night out. Tickets are $35.88 and are available on Eventbrite.
Creative Suitland Arts Center will host “EFFERVESCENT: House of Swann” on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. This will be a gay, good time where we will celebrate love, joy, wellness, and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community. Tickets start at $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
SWAG Works DC will host “Unapologetically Her” on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. at 701 E St., S.E. This event is a powerful celebration of womanhood, resilience, creativity, and self-expression in honor of Women’s History Month. This all-women exhibition highlights the diverse voices, stories, and artistic perspectives of women who create boldly, live authentically, and stand confidently in their truth. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
9:30 Club will host “Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA” on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. There will also be a “Donna Summer Power Hour – The Queen of Disco” segment during this event. It’ll be one hour of music with no skips. Tickets are available on 9:30 Club’s website.
Harder Better Faster Stronger will host “Heated Rivalry Rave” on Friday, March 20 at 9 p.m. at Howard Theatre. This event is open to all ages. Tickets are available on the theater’s website.
CAMP Rehoboth hosts its 25th annual Women’s+ FEST, April 9-12 in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Entertainers include headliner Mina Hartong, a comedian, storyteller, and founder of Lez Out Loud; and singer Yoli Mayor. There are dances, dinners, pickleball, and much more. Details and tickets at camprehoboth.org.
Also in Rehoboth Beach, the Washington Blade’s 19th annual Summer Kickoff Party is set for Friday, May 15 featuring Ashley Biden, who will accept an award on behalf of her brother Beau. State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall will also speak. More speakers and the venue to be announced soon.
The annual D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off March 21 at DAR Constitution Hall and culminates with Petalpalooza on April 4, the day-long, outdoor street party with music and art, stretching across Navy Yard, and ending with fireworks over the Anacostia River.
How Pepper the courthouse dog helps victims of abuse
Women’s FEST returns to Rehoboth Beach next week
Belarusian lawmakers approve bill to crackdown on LGBTQ rights
Calendar: April 3-9
How new barriers to health care coverage are hitting D.C.
‘Out for McDuffie’ event held at D.C. gay bar
Thousands attend ‘No Kings’ protests in D.C.
Ghanaian president welcomed to Philadelphia amid backlash over anti-LGBTQ bill
PHOTOS: ‘No Kings’ rally and march
