Music & Concerts
Pet Shop Boys revisit recent albums with three-disc deluxe reissues
‘Nightlife,’ ‘Release’ & ‘Fundamental’ are first three in a series that will eventually include their entire oeuvre


The Pet Shop Boys’ underappreciated 2006 album ‘Fundamental’ is one of three being re-released in a deluxe expanded edition. (Photo courtesy the Karpel Group)
Reservoir wells for popular acts vary greatly in quality and quantity. There are almost always some little gems nestled in the outtakes, B-sides and deep album cuts the casual fans miss out on, but longtime fans know that Pet Shop Boys’ B-sides are often as essential as their singles and album cuts.
Sixteen years after a 2001 series of double-disc expanded editions, the veteran synthpop duo is once again mining their back catalog and this time they’re presenting fans with even more ear candy than before.
The first batch in a series that will eventually include all of their albums up through 2009’s “Yes” covers arguably the Pet Shop Boys’ three most underappreciated albums: “Nightlife” (1999), “Release” (2002) and “Fundamental” (2006). Once again Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe put the time and effort into carefully curated collections that other artists should emulate with their own archival releases. The first two are presented as three-CD sets including two full discs of “Further Listening” material, while “Fundamental” is two discs.
“Nightlife” (1999) is a glossy collection of well-crafted electronic dance pop, atmospheric and vast in sound but instilled with heart and genuine emotion. First single “I Don’t Know What You Want But I Can’t Give It Anymore” is one of their greatest studio triumphs, a true pop masterpiece of repressed rage simmering below an icy sheen of detachment as Tennant delivers barbed swipes at a cheating lover over Chris Lowe’s slow-building, immaculately arranged layers of string synths.
Other singles include “New York City Boy” and “You Only Tell Me You Love Me When I’m Drunk,” and there is a wealth of high quality bonus material like the excellent B-sides “Lies” and “The Ghost of Myself.” Studio outtakes like the tight disco-funk “Nightlife,” a track left off the album despite providing its title, are finally dusted off and getting a must-deserved moment in the sun.
Even more undervalued is the band’s next album, “Release” (2002). Johnny Marr of the Smiths’ fame contributes on guitar on an album that has a mellower vibe than typical for the duo, but the songwriting and arrangements are superb throughout. First single “Home and Dry” exudes the same kind of effusive love that flowed out of the speakers in palpable waves on their buoyant 1993 single “Liberation.”
The haunting allegory “Birthday Boy” is among the very finest recordings the duo has ever produced. Several highly commercial pop-oriented songs were dropped from the album to preserve its singular atmosphere, so the “Further Listening” discs will be sure to please fans who prefer the Pet Shop Boys higher-energy material. Highlights among the extras include “Sexy Northerner” and “I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today,” a song that easily could have been a Top 10 single (in the U.K., that is — pop radio in the U.S. has basically ignored the duo since their last Top 40 hit “Domino Dancing” in 1988) if given the opportunity.
The third in the first batch of reissues is “Fundamental” (2006), produced by the great Trevor Horn. The duo returns to a more electronic sound but the album is still diverse, ranging from dance-floor bangers to poignant ballads. “Minimal” is the absolute highlight, a gleaming masterpiece of pop songcraft. The sharply political “Integral” could not have been more suited for our times today than if it had been specifically written about the last six months in America.
The album’s biggest hit, “I’m With Stupid,” is an artifact of the George W. Bush years, although the duo (and anyone else, for that matter) surely would have scoffed if told that a decade later a president would be elected that makes George W. Bush seem like a towering intellect. There are again plenty of extras to explore on the “Further Listening” discs, highlighted by outstanding non-album cuts like “The Resurrectionist” and “After the Event.”
The new Pet Shop Boys reissues should be cause for celebration among die-hard and casual fans alike, as they allow those who missed these great albums the first time around to discover them now, and the expanded “Further Listening” discs offer enough extra material to keep listeners well occupied until the next batch of arrives. They are a reminder of the seemingly limitless reservoir of amazing pop songs the Pet Shop Boys have relentlessly churned out over their remarkable 30-plus year career, with even more to come. Time to build that ultimate Pet Shop Boys playlist; one could hardly ask for a better soundtrack for summer.
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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