Arts & Entertainment
Katy, Gaga, Janet, Kesha, Bruno for starters
Be ready to cough up hundreds for good seats at A-lister shows
Gay broadway heartthrob Cheyenne Jackson plays the Barns at Wolf Trap on Sunday, Oct. 15. (Photo by Karl Simone; courtesy Wolf Trap)
This fall brings a massive wealth of talent to the Washington area. There are many shows to choose from with every imaginable genre represented. Here is but a small sampling.
The fall season begins with a bang as pop/R&B superstar the Weeknd brings his “Starboy Legend of the Fall 2017 World Tour” to Capital One Arena, formerly the Verizon Center (601 F Street, N.W.), on Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39-276 and up. For more information, visit capitalonearena.
MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.) has an impressive lineup of talent slated including famed Bollywood vocalist Shreya Ghoshal. She performs on Friday, Sept. 15 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets range from $80-281 and up, and details are available mgmnationalharbor.com.
Acclaimed Canadian alternative collective Arcade Fire and their “Infinite Content 2017 Tour” will play Capital One Arena on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $26-230 and up.
Popular up and coming alternative popsters Young the Giant appears with Cold War Kids at Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md.) on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $35-100. Details at merriweathermusic.com.
On Sept. 19-20, English pop heartthrob Ed Sheeran stops by the Capital One Arena for two sold-out shows.
R&B singer Brandy will appear at the Fillmore Silver Spring (8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md.) on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. The general admission tickets are priced at $45 with more information available at fillmoresilverspring.com.
Celebrating their 25th anniversary with their “Middle of Everywhere Tour,” pop trio Hanson will play at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. for a sold-out show.
Pop diva Katy Perry brings “WITNESS: the Tour” to Capital One Arena on Monday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $50-427 and up.
Veteran British popsters Saint Etienne perform at U Street Music Hall (1115 U St., N.W.) on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30. Details at ustreetmusichall.com.
As expected, the 9:30 Club (815 V Street, N.W.) has an impressive array of talent lined up for its hallowed stage this fall. The versatile electronic hip-hop visionary Thundercat plays a highly anticipated show on Friday, Sept. 29 at 9:30 p.m., with tickets at $25. More information is available at 930.com.
R&B/pop superstar Bruno Mars brings his electrifying “24K Magic World Tour” to Capital One Arena for two shows Sept. 29-30 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $188 to as much as $1,180 and higher to see one of the biggest names in music.
One of the most acclaimed electronic groups around Crystal Castles return to the 9:30 Club for a Saturday, Sept. 30 show that begins at 9:30 p.m.Tickets are $30.
DAR Constitution Hall (18th and C streets N.W.) welcomes former One Direction star Harry Styles for a show on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $57.70-97.50. For more details, visit dar.org/constitution-hall.
At the Kennedy Center (2700 F Street, N.W.) on Sunday, Oct. 1 is an intriguing show called “Orion’s Rise: A Special Performance” with Solange and the Sun Ra Arkestra. The show begins at 7 p.m. and tickets range from $49-169. More information is available at kennedy-center.org.
Mashrou’ Leila, a gay-led rock band from Lebanon, plays the Flex Stage room at the Birchmere on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35. Details at birchmere.com.
Latino stars Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull team up for a show at Capital One Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $39-309 and up.
Hot off a stellar new album, Kesha is back and better than ever with her “Rainbow Tour 2017.” She performs at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. It’s sold out.
Half of the Indigo Girls, lesbian folk-pop icon Emily Saliers brings her solo “Murmuration Nation Tour” to The Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.50. Details at birchmere.com.
Foster the People, Young Thug and Galantis headline the 2017 All Things Go Fall Classic music and food festival at Union Market Oct. 6-8. Details at allthingsgofallclassic.com.
Local favorite Dave Grohl and his powerhouse rockers Foo Fighters have the honor of opening the new venue on the Waterfront, The Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.), for a historic show on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $100 although it may take some good fortune to find one for this sold-out show. More information is available at theanthemdc.com.
The inspirational transgender vocalist Laura Jane Grace and her cohorts in Against Me! perform Friday, Oct. 13 at the 9:30 Club for a 9:30 p.m.show, with tickets at $25.
The always hilarious and thought-provoking Margaret Cho is back for a performance at Warner Theatre (513 13th Street, N.W.) on Saturday, Oct. 14 for her “Fresh Off The Bloat Tour.” Tickets are $27-58. Details at warnertheatredc.com.
Openly gay singer/actor Cheyenne Jackson will be at the Barns at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Va.) on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45-55. Details at wolftrap.org.
The return of LCD Soundsystem is one of the big musical stories of 2017, and they perform two nights at the Anthem Oct. 17-18 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $61.75-81.75.
Queens of the Stone Age and British rockers Royal Blood team up for an exciting show at the Anthem on Friday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $49.50-75.
The popular DJ and electronic producer Zedd is slated for a show at the Anthem on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $41-76.
One of the most important bands currently recording is undoubtedly the War on Drugs, and they return to D.C. for a show at the Anthem on Monday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $75-125.
Out comedian Suzanne Westenhoeffer plays the Birchmere on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45.
Shawn Colvin is celebrating her classic album “A Few Small Repairs” with a 20th Anniversary Tour that will stop at the Birchmere for two highly anticipated shows Oct. 30-31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $62.50.
Maynard James Keenan and A Perfect Circle bring their dark and heavy rock to EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Cir., Fairfax, Va.) on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $40-276 and up with more information available at eaglebankarena.com.
The following night Fall Out Boy will also rock out EagleBank Arena. The emo rockers bring their “MANIA Tour” for Thursday, Nov. 2 show that begins at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $30-245 and up.
A cappella wonders Straight No Chaser bring their dynamic harmonies to DAR Constitution Hall for a Thursday, Nov. 2 show that begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $62 and up.
Legendary singer/songwriter/pianist Tori Amos is always spectacular live and her latest tour in support of new album “Native Invader” should be no different. She’s playing at MGM National Harbor on Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m., with tickets ranging from $54-216 and up.
Popular ‘90s-era alternative rockers the Breeders are back, and will play Lincoln Theatre (1215 U Street, N.W.) on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35. Details at thelincolndc.com.
One of the more intriguing shows of the season promises to be the eclectic and uber-talented Flying Lotus in 3D at Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45 and more information is available at echostage.com.
Seattle-based rapper Macklemore, known for his smash “Thrift Shop” and his touching “Same Love” with Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert is appearing solo on “The Gemini Tour” at the Fillmore Silver Spring. The Saturday, Nov. 11 show begins at 8 p.m. and is sold out.
The always entertaining duo of openly gay sisters Tegan and Sara bring their “10th Anniversary Acoustic Tour” celebrating their album “The Con” to the Anthem on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets are in the $50.50-76 range.
Legendary dance/pop/R&B icon Janet Jackson is back after delaying her previously scheduled show to have her baby. The new mother brings her “State of the World Tour” to Capital One Arena on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m., with tickets ranging from $37-337 and higher. She plays Baltimore on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The musically gifted St. Vincent is a must-see when she appears at the Anthem on Monday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $44-60.
R&B songstress Erykah Badu brings her chill groove to the Anthem on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $76-126.
One of the most anticipated shows of the fall is undoubtedly the one and only Lady Gaga, who brings her “Joanne World Tour” to Capital One Arena on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $74-587 or more.
Diva extraordinaire Chaka Khan graces the stage of Warner Theatre on Friday, Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $69-130.
Electro-wizard Diplo is at Echostage for a Saturday, Nov. 25 for a 9 p.m. show. Tickets are in the $40-50 range for what is certain to be an electrifying performance.
St. Vincent, who eschews labels but believes in gender and sexual “fluidity,” plays Anthem on Monday, Nov. 27. Tickets are $44-149.
Rap mogul JAY-Z is set to rock the Capital One Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. on his “4:44 Tour.” Tickets range from $50-356 and higher.
The influential duo of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione, the Dresden Dolls, are back for a show at the 9:30 Club on Tuesday, Nov. 31 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.
Longtime favorite pop-folk troubadour Dar Williams is back at the Birchmere Dec. 8-9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for a concert that will also include readings and discussions from her new book, “What I Found in a Thousand Towns.”
As fall winds to an end, there are worse ways to get into the holiday mood than by seeing the A Pentatonix Christmas Tour at the Anthem on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $59.50-149.50 for a chance to see the a cappella supergroup.
And as has become an annual event, gay shock- and schlockmeister John Waters returns to the Birchmere for his Christmas show on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55.
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Uncloseted Media published this interview on July 7.
By SPENCER MACNAUGHTON, ISABEL STOKES, and BELLA SAYEGH | After appearing on the 11th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the first season of “Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World,” the sixth season of “RuPaul’s All Stars” and now the 11th season of “All Stars,” Silky Nutmeg Ganache, known by many as the Reverend, is undoubtedly a legend.
Born and raised in Moss Point, Miss., Ganache bears all in this episode of “UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton.” She speaks about her relationship with gender, her 100-pound weight loss, what it’s like living as a queer person of color in a red state and why she’s calling on allies to stand up for the trans community.
Patrons enjoyed a night out at the popular LGBTQ venue Crush Dance Bar on Friday, July 3.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Theater
‘My Favorite Sociopath’ debuts at Shepherdstown’s CATF
Gay playwright Aurin Squire’s take on D.C. journalism in the ‘90s
‘My Favorite Sociopath’
Contemporary American Theater Festival
July 10-Aug. 2
Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Catf.org
Discernment. It’s a thing some people have, explains playwright Aurin Squire, especially when you’re gay or Black in America (Squire is both).
“You instinctively know when the mob is teaming up for the best interests of the powers that be. You can feel it in the air.”
In his sharp new satire “My Favorite Sociopath,” Squire writes about life experiences but set in a different time and place: It’s the 1990s, early days of the 24-hour news cycle, and three ambitious journalism students are pursuing success in D.C.
And now, Squire’s play, along with other new works, are making their world premieres at the annual Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University in historic, queer-friendly Shepherdstown, W.Va. (just a 90-minute drive from D.C.).
“All of my plays are queer in some way,” says Squire, 46. “This one touches on harmless and dangerous lies. The characters are on the spectrum sexually, and it’s interesting how all that falls out.”
And he’s given it a lot of thought.
“Already as a kid, it seemed to me that the rage against rap music and sex was coming from closeted people resisting their own urges and temptations. For me, it was interesting to see a witch hunt led by witches. Queer people can always call out a lie.”
Since September, Squire has also been working with a TV show about the tech industry set in Silicon Valley. He says, “It seems the general flow of the tech industry is that humanity and civilization is finished and it’s just about accumulating as many goods as possible before everything collapses. In fact, those who are profiting actually agree. But for those who disagree, they believe the solution is to build bigger gates, but activists believe we can stop this”
Yet, he’s learned from folks associated with the show. “Many say the quickest way to divorce yourself from any responsibility or regulations — smash and grab. Otherwise, you have to stop and think and regulate your desires for greed and power”
Squire possesses a penchant for pithy titles. He laughs, explaining the first thing he wrote as a student at Juilliard was “Obama-ology,” the comedy with contemporary message. While a lot of people liked the name, it didn’t necessarily vibe with the author. He concedes that he chooses names based on “easy to remember” and titles that won’t be easy to lose as a file.
Another is “Defacing Michael Jackson,” a coming-of-age dramedy set in rural Florida in 1984, specifically Squire’s native town Opa-locka, Miami, a fantastical place famed for its fanciful Moorish revival architecture.
Living in the shadow of exotic structures, he wasn’t particularly fazed. Squire says “It wasn’t until returning to visit after my freshman year at Northwestern University in Chicago that I realized how weird it was: When you grow up in a place, you take surroundings for granted no matter how over the top.”
Now based in New York (where for two happy years, 2017-2019, he shared digs with drag king Murry Hill), Squire returns frequently to Miami to be with family, but this summer has been filled with both work and travel.
Currently, he’s in Shepherdstown with CATF shaping up “My Favorite Sociopath.” Later this summer he will travel to South Africa for research, followed by a silent writing retreat in Santa Fe, N.M.
Much of Squire’s work reflects the Latino, African, Caribbean, African-American, and Jewish cultures he grew up around in South Florida.
When asked if today’s winds of anti-multiculturalism worry him, he replies, “No, because that’s going to pass. Most people don’t like, people are seeing the negative results of it, and the young people coming up despise it. White male gamers were tricked momentarily through the algorithms into voting against their own interests and they’re now seeing how it’s not working out for them.
“Conservatives always try to stop progress and eventually they always lose. It’s just a question of where we’ll be in the middle of the end of civilization before that happens. I’d like to hope we can turn the ship around before then.”
In addition to “My Favorite Sociopath,” CATF summer season features three other world premieres (Lisa D’Amour’s comedy “The Smoker,” “Refugee Rhapsody” by Yussef El Guindi, “Best Line Wins: A Play Inspired by the Improvised Lives of Elaine May & Mike Nichols” by Beth Kander) and “¡VOS!” by Christina Pumariega.
CATF runs from July 10-Aug. 2 in three venues on the Shepherd University campus: Frank Center, Marinoff Theater, and Studio 112.
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