a&e features

Holiday-themed 2017 albums a mixed bag

Sia, Hanson, Fantasia among pop acts tackling Xmas standards

Published

9 years ago

December 23, 2017

Christmas albums, gay news, Washington Blade

This year’s holiday-themed albums are a mixed bag. Kaskade has one of the best; many others will have limited appeal beyond the various acts’ core fan base.

Every holiday season, shoppers are inundated with a seemingly endless choice of festive new musical offerings to add to the family’s traditional repertoire. This year is no exception with multiple new releases that cater to just about every style imaginable. We’ve examined 10 of the most prominent new holiday offerings and ranked them in descending order as most to least essential new additions to your holiday music library. (Christmas albums 2017)

No. 1. Kaskade ‘Kaskade Christmas’

The Chicago-based EDM titan Kaskade might seen an odd choice to create a Christmas album, but he delivered a surefire winner, easily the must-own holiday album of the 2017 season. “Kaskade Christmas” is made for adding to that holiday party mix, elegant, festive and uber-cool. Kaskade’s electronic rhythms are stripped-down and painted with Christmasy touches throughout and the vocalists he brings in keep with the chilly minimalism that is a nice contrast to the often over-the-top boisterousness of a typical holiday album. Two particular standouts are classic ballads: “Silent Night” features a sweet vocal performance by Ilsey, and “Holy Night” is Christmas cool, a seamless blend of the traditional and modern. This album was obviously a labor of love for Kaskade and he’s created the essential holiday soundtrack for those classier and elegant gatherings where you want holiday, but not anything close to the crap that blares over department store speakers.

2. Gwen Stefani ‘You Make it Feel Like Christmas’

Gwen Stefani has managed energetic ska/rock during her earlier days with No Doubt and then managed the transition to Top 40 dance/pop solo star. For her first holiday album, “You Make it Feel Like Christmas,” Stefani takes on the role that she’s always managed to fill no matter what style she’s singing: entertainer. “You Make it Feel Like Christmas” is a a glossy frivolity, all smiles and cheer, with an engaging old-school vibe and sparkling vocals. The songs are mostly standards: “Silent Night,” “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Baby” (well, duh), and “the modern standard, Wham’s “Last Christmas.” Naturally, there’s a duet with her hunky beau Blake Shelton, the upbeat and jubilant “You Make it Feel Like Christmas.” Stefani delivers a knockout of a Christmas album, fun and classy, elegant and bursting with holiday cheer. If you add one Christmas album to your library this year, you could do far worse than “You Make it Feel Like Christmas.”

3. Leslie Odom, Jr. ‘Simply Christmas’

Tony Award-winning star of “Hamilton,” Leslie Odom, Jr. delivers the sweetly soulful “Simply Christmas.” Odom is obviously going for a classic vibe and he achieves this down to the black and white album photo that could have been lifted straight from an earlier generation. Odom’s supple voice shines as he runs through mostly familiar classics, with a few lesser-known gems thrown in for variety. Odom’s take on “The Christmas Song,” a carol that’s been performed and recorded countless times, is particularly reverent and sublime. “Simply Christmas” is heavy on the ballads, so if you’re going for upbeat holiday party music this might not be the best choice, but for a romantic evening in front of the fireplace it couldn’t be more perfect.

4. Cheap Trick ‘Christmas Christmas’

Legendary power-rockers Cheap Trick are the latest rockers to put their stamp on the holidays and they turn in a solid effort on “Christmas Christmas.” The songs are mostly lesser-known tracks, although they do tackle a couple ballads: “Silent Night” doesn’t quite work, but their bluesy take on “Please Come Home for Christmas” is a delight. The rockers are best, though, especially “Run Rudolph Run,” “Merry Christmas Darlings” and the epic “Merry Xmas Everybody.” Cheap Trick’s “Christmas Christmas” will likely never be considered a classic holiday album, but it’s certainly a worthy effort by a venerable band still going strong.

5. Fantasia ‘Christmas After Midnight’

“American Idol” favorite Fantasia goes for the elegant romantic side of the holiday with a sophisticated set of classics and lesser-known tunes that’s pleasant enough, but doesn’t really live up to its full potential given the dynamic power of Fantasia’s voice. It’s a little too smooth and over-produced. Still, it’s far from a disaster and there are moments of pure joy. Fantasia’s jazzy saunter on “The Snow is Falling” is great, and “Merry Christmas, Baby” is the song on which her sparkling personality shines through the brightest. Yeah, we get another dose of “The Christmas Song,” “Silent Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Fantasia’s renditions are pretty if unmemorable. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is performed as a duet with Cee-Lo Green, and while Fantasia nails the pert attitude in her vocal, the song itself never quite gets beyond its usual creepiness. “Christmas After Midnight” feels like it could have been more impactful, but it’s not awful by any means. Fantasia fans will love it; appeal beyond that is limited.

6. Lindsey Stirling ‘Warmer in the Winter’

Violinist Lindsey Stirling offers up her dazzling musical skills on “Warmer in the Winter,” a mostly light-hearted collection heavy on the fun. An early highlight is a cleverly arranged take on “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” featuring popular teen vocalist Sabrina Carpenter. There are also moments of breathtaking beauty, such as Stirling’s angelic instrumental renditions of “Carol of the Bells” and “What Child is This” (although technically the song was “Greensleeves” before the lyrics were written much later, so if it’s instrumental it shouldn’t really be titled “What Child is This” …. Eh, whatever. It’s beautiful). The shrillness of Stirling’s violin does kinda grate after a while, so this album might be better suited for a shuffle mix rather than listening all the way through.

7. Alabama ‘American Christmas’

Country legends Alabama released their classic “Christmas,” a 1985 collection that has become a standard, thanks in part to the smash “Christmas in Dixie.” For their latest, “American Christmas,” Alabama adds four originals to a mix of standards that also includes a new version of “Christmas in Dixie.” A mix of religious and secular tunes, “American Christmas” is an earnest collection that doesn’t really grab you, but is perfectly fine for background music or as part of a mix to play on Christmas morning. Perhaps, inevitably though, there is one maudlin ballad: “First Christmas Without Daddy.” It’s poignant, but for those of us who quickly flip through “Blue Christmas” and prefer holiday music not drenched in sadness, it’s not likely to be at the top of our holiday playlist. The album as a whole is solid if predictable, which perhaps is the point. With Alabama you know what you’re gonna get and that ain’t necessarily a bad thing.

8. Sia ‘Everyday is Christmas’

It must have seemed like a sure thing: pop phenom Sia, one of the top purveyors of pop gold these days both as a songwriter and performer, teaming up with uber-producer and songwriter Greg Kurstin on a collection of newly written Christmas songs with a modern pop sheen. A holiday album of all new originals is a bit unusual these days, as people are largely traditionalists when it comes to Christmas and like to hear their standards. It can work, though, if this songs are good enough. On “Everyday is “Christmas,” alas, they just aren’t. It’s a bit like tinsel that’s supposed to make your tree all shiny and festive but instead turns it cheap and tacky. “Puppies are Forever” (yeah, really) is about as odious a throwaway as you’ll find, “Ho Ho Ho” tries to be festive but Sia’s overly mannered vocals never convey anything other than an affinity for autotune. The ballad “Underneath the Mistletoe” is nice enough, but by and large “Everyday is Christmas” falls flat.

9. Hanson ‘Finally It’s Christmas’

Two decades ago, back when they were still a teen-pop sensation, Hanson released the now-standard holiday collection “Snowed In.” Now in their 30s, the trio delivers the long-awaiting follow-up, “Finally It’s Christmas” and it’s not quite so quite. It’s overproduced, forced and never transcends its rather bland formula. Not much personality or sincerity to be found. The song selections are uninspired as well: did the world really need another version of the already migraine-inducing “Wonderful Christmas Time”? Sir Paul still has yet to atone for unleashing that atrocity upon the world and Hanson renders it, if anything, even more annoying. Their attempt at a Christmas-rock “Til New Years Night” is limp and the obligatory cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” has all the personality of water-down eggnog (without rum). Unless you’re a Hanson aficionado (and apparently they do exist), “Finally It’s Christmas” can safely stay in its shrinkwrap. “Snowed In” is by far the better of the two, with the younger version of the trio actually managing to instill some enthusiasm and holiday spirit, unlike this leaden collection.

10. ‘The Star (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’

Sony Pictures’ critically panned animated Christmas film “The Star” has an accompanying soundtrack that is, well, as bad as the firm purportedly is (and I make no claims to having seen it, but the reviews are pretty harsh). Most of the tracks are performed by gospel or contemporary Christian artists and it’s a mixed bag. Casting Crowns perhaps owns the gem of the collection with the beautiful “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and country singer Jake Owen does a nice job on “What Child is This?” Zara Larsson doesn’t quite have the gravitas to pull off a convincing “Mary, Did You Know?” (check out Cee-Lo Green’s definitive version from a few years back instead). The big opening ballad and title song, “The Star” by Mariah Carey, is insipid and dreary. There are a few tracks worth downloaded from your favorite online retailer, but the album as a whole is spotty.

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a&e features

Rainbows in Revolt on a mission to make LGBTQ artists’ voices heard

Published

2 days ago

July 29, 2026

Kyle Rood

Lily Erin, one of Rainbows in Revolt’s signature artists, performed at Capital Pride in June. (Photo courtesy of Rainbows in Revolt)

Last month’s Pride celebration in D.C. was so fun. Walking around my first Capital Pride with a $15 lemonade I was loving the madness and the color. Artists and small businesses battling banks you’ve never heard of collecting your personal information so you can spin a wheel to snag free merch. Great music blaring, people actually smiling and enjoying themselves, the “Great” American State Fair could never!

The Monument Stage was on Pennsylvania Avenue, directly in front of the National Gallery of Art and I can’t think of a better venue to see live music. How does someone get on the lineup for Pride? How do we accelerate the visibility of the most talented voices in our community to perform in places like this?

There is certainly not a talent gap, but there is a visibility gap. Chappell Roan went from playing for two people in a parking lot to owning the main stage at Coachella in one year. Whether it is shadowbanning or bias in AI, algorithms have been shown to suppress queer artists. In a digital age, how can queer people break through and show the world how talented they are?

Allison and Matt of Rainbows in Revolt are on a mission to make openly LGBTQ+ artists’ voices heard. Their goal is to find “musicians whose queerness is central to their identity as an artist,” and accelerate them to a place where they can actually reach fans.

The only time queer events seem to be in the spotlight is June, but this should be year round, according to Allison and Matt. Rainbows in Revolt wants to act as a “nucleus” for different sub-communities, finding common ground in the universal language of music.

Matt and Allison founded Rainbows as a way to make cheaper, higher quality merchandise for queer artists. While Rainbows has already pledged 20% of their profits to the LGBTQ+ community, with 10% to Whitman-Walker Health and 10% to LGBTQ+ organizations in need, this is just the beginning of the work that they do.

Rainbows “does the dirty work” that artists normally struggle to do on their own with limited resources. Interviews, artist profiles, social promotion, playlist discovery, radio outreach, and merch-funded support. This work is normally expensive, time consuming, and requires lots of different skills. Musicians don’t want to be editing clips to post online. Standup comedians don’t want to make graphics for their tour dates. They want to write more. They want to focus on their craft.

In addition to helping artists find their audience, Rainbows has built other digital tools to help queer people connect, including an interactive Safe Space Map for most major cities. It is hard to know which places are truly safe and supportive just from a simple Google search. Attitudes and actions change, and there should be a simple way for queer people to find other places that align with them. The Safe Spaces Maps are all up to date, and are tagged and filterable. Instead of relying on forums and word of mouth, Rainbows has created a centralized way to find authentic community quickly.

I had a chance to talk with Allison and Matt at Pride where Lily Erin, one of their signature artists, was performing on the Monument stage. Lily Erin is a folk singer who is familiar and forging her own path. Her bittersweet sound echoes through Acadia, and her garb mirrors the New England athletes I grew up with. Gorp Core meets streetwear. A graphic tee, hiking shorts, and creamsicle Jordans.

Her debut single, “Bus Stop,” tells a sad story about unconditional love, and the conditions that still seem to come with it. Graduating into lockdown, Erin needed a new way to connect with herself and others. Lily made “Bus Stop” without an intention to share it, but doing so was a liberation. People have been responding to her honesty around queer-ness, family, and the “ghosts which haunt us” even in the daytime.

Rainbows in Revolt has helped Lily Erin go from bars and backyards to The Monument Stage at Pride. This is a meteoric rise, and a testament to both Erin’s talent and the work of Rainbows to promote her. “A little encouragement goes a long way with early artists,” and by “planting a seed” Rainbows is already seeing their artist garden grow. Community is power, and Erin is a perfect example of how effective simple modern techniques of promotion can be.

A next step for Rainbows is putting on shows themselves. On Oct. 3, Rainbows in Revolt will host an Evening with Ray Boltz at the National City Christian Church. Boltz grew up in the Catholic Church and for many years was the soundtrack to many services, youth camps, and church groups. He was celebrated by millions until he came out in 2008. Allison remembers her community “never playing his music again.”

Rainbows in Revolt is helping him to return to the church, and proving that identity does not need to be exclusive. We live in a complicated world with complicated lines being drawn. Boltz proves that these lines don’t exist, and will be breaking down barriers to bring together communities. To Allison, “a trans woman standing next to a straight white man in church is a powerful teacher.”

The Safe Space maps bridge all types of spaces, and one of the unlikely ones is, perhaps, churches. Matt said that “BYU has only nine safe spaces around their campus and seven of them are churches.” Not all churches are anti-gay, and many times they are the only place for people to find community.

Rainbows in Revolt is just getting started bridging gaps and building community.

a&e features

Summer in the City: Free exhibits, movies, more fill D.C.’s calendar

America 250 celebrations continue

Published

4 days ago

July 26, 2026

Emma LaPointe

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in ‘Wicked,’ screening Sept. 12 at Union Market. (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

From late-night museum visits and outdoor jazz concerts to free movie screenings and America250 exhibitions, Washington’s summer calendar is packed with events that don’t charge admission. Here’s a look at some of the free activities happening across the District through September and beyond.

Museum exhibitions

The Renwick Gallery is presenting State Fairs: Growing American Craft, an exhibition that looks at unique and unconventional crafts from the 19th century to the present. It will run until Sept. 7, and admission is free.

The Arts and Industries Building, located next to the Smithsonian Castle, is presenting the exhibition Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America. The exhibition features the development of American independence and what that has meant over time, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Admission to the museum is free, and the exhibition runs until Sept. 7.

The National Gallery of Art presents Dear America, an exhibit featuring more than 100 pieces of work, including letters, photographs, and drawings that depict American landscapes and depictions of freedom. The exhibition will run until Sept. 20.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts is exhibiting Burnished: Pueblo Pottery until Sept. 27. The exhibit features pottery from the Southwest, and while most of the pottery belongs to women artists, a few also reflect those who have advocated for women.

Extending past this summer, the exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa will be at the National Museum of the American Latino until July 2028. The exhibition shows how Afro-Cuban music has become a staple in the U.S. Admission is free.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will feature the exhibition District Vibes / American Pride: How DC Changed American Culture, which will highlight all of the ways D.C. has impacted American life. The exhibit will run until Sept. 27.

At the Folger Shakespeare Library, the exhibit Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era will be on view through Aug. 2. All the portraits on display come from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London.

The United States Botanic Garden will be open until 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 and Sept. 17, as part of America’s State Flowers: An America250 Celebration. The evenings will include live music, mocktails, ice cream, and snacks.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will have extended hours, staying open until 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday until Sept. 3.

Live performances

On Aug. 7, the postgame Nationals concert series will continue with Jordan Davis performing. To see the concert, guests just need to buy tickets to the Nationals game.

Jazz in the Garden will run each Friday until Aug. 14. The event has free admission, but those interested have to enter a lottery due to the high demand for the event.

From May to October, Capital Harvest Market occurs every Wednesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The market features fresh foods, crafts, and recipes for unique dishes. A full list of vendors is available on Capital Harvest’s website.

Live! Concert Series on the Plaza will feature live performances at Woodrow Wilson Plaza until Sept. 25. The performances run Monday to Friday from 12-1 p.m. Admission is free to the performances.

DowntownDC Live! at Anthem Row is running until July 30, with free performances every Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The final performance will feature HUE and a vintage flea market hosted by Get Flee Marketplace.

Located in Adams Morgan, AdMo Vibe will present live performances every Thursday at 6 p.m. in Kalorama Park. Guests are encouraged to check out Adams Morgan before and after shows, and it is an event for all ages.

Other events

Union Market is hosting drive-in movies on Aug. 8, featuring “Monsters, Inc.”, and Sept. 12, featuring “Wicked.” On Aug. 8, the parking lot will open at 7:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 8:25 p.m. On Sept. 12, the parking lot will open at 6:35 p.m., and the movie will start at 7:30 p.m.

Sunset Cinema at the Wharf will also be available one day a month. On Aug. 12, “10 Things I Hate About You” will premiere, and on Aug. 26, “Project Hail Mary.” No tickets are necessary.

The Library of Congress will also show movies. On Aug. 6, guests are invited to watch “Apollo 13.” The movie will be shown at 8 p.m., with additional live performances beginning at 7 p.m.

For fans of Asian media, the Okaton convention will be at Walter E. Washington Convention Center from July 31-Aug. 2. Festivities will include cosplay contests, skits, live music, and panel discussions.

Washington Spirit’s season also begins in August. The Spirit is Washington’s National Women’s League, with matchups occurring between the San Diego Wave, the North Carolina Courage, the Orlando Pride, and the Bay FC.

a&e features

Summer in D.C. brings sports, Restaurant Week, festivals, and more

Published

1 week ago

July 23, 2026

Evan Caplan

Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone hosts Pride Night OUT on Sunday, Aug. 23. (Photo courtesy of Washington Spirit)

Summer in D.C. just hits different. Congress is out, school is out, the sun is out, thighs are out. With the skies clearing from Canadian smoke, here are a few ways to stay entertained.

Dining

Summer restaurant week: The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is once again hosting Summer Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-24. This weeklong dining experience showcases the dynamic dining scene of the DMV, including 2026 RAMMY Award-winning favorites (the annual D.C. food awards show that took place June 29). Participating restaurants will offer three-course brunch and lunch selections for $25 or $35 per person, and three-course dinners for $40, $55 and $65 per person.

New Restaurants: A handful of new spots have opened, so the summer is a great time to check them out:

Oribu: A new Mediterranean-Japanese restaurant in the Grand Hyatt hotel, which just underwent a remodeling effort. The sleek restaurant brings upscale charm, with dishes like Wagyu beef tartare with potato pavé and caviar.
The Oak Room: A snazzy old-school American grill has just opened in Georgetown, alongside its sister upstairs supper club (Bernadette’s) restaurant, in the old El Centro space.
Uchi: This showy Japanese sushi-forward chain has landed in Dupont with a chef’s tasting menu of favorites like fatty tuna.
Kathmandu: Recalling the capital of Nepal, this warm, buzzy subterranean restaurant right in the heart of U Street brings spice, flair, and rare ingredients to its dishes (see: buffalo burgers) and drinks.

Sports

Washington Spirit Pride Night OUT: On Sunday, Aug. 23, head to Audi Field for a massive, high-energy game following the exciting month of World Cup. The designated Pride Night OUT game promises boisterous crowds plus pre- and post-game community engagements.
Washington Tennis Open – Now called the Mubadala DC Open, this annual tournament is only combined mens’ and womens’ 500-level tennis tournament in the world. The open is one of D.C.’s longest-standing sports traditions, and will take place at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center July 25-Aug. 2. Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and others are expected to play.

Festivals

Afro Plus Fest: This huge, three-day Afro-Caribbean Hip-Hop Festival brings together headliners Davido, Alkaline, and Wizkid, plus Tems and Ayra Starr. The event moves from RFK to the Northwest Stadium Complex for three days, Sept. 4-6.
Capital Fringe Festival: Running from July 11-21, this massive celebration features dozens of live theater, comedy, dance, and boundary-pushing nighttime performances across multiple DC neighborhoods.
The National Book Festival returns, with headliners like Cynthia Erivo, and Martin Scorsese. The one-day festival, Saturday, Aug. 22, brings together bookworms and word nerds under the theme “America 250: It’s Your Story.” There are talks, workshops, musical sessions and more.
All Things Go: A three-day festival Sept. 25-27 at Merriweather Post Pavilion featuring Mitski, Hayley Williams, Brandi Carlile, MUNA, Zara Larsson, Ethel Cain, and many, many more artists. There are single-day and three-day tickets. Featuring and highlighting female artists, the festival has turned into a must-see for many LGBTQ audience members.
Fuchsia Fest: The inaugural Fuchsia Fest is a new multi-day celebration created to celebrate LGBTQ community and expression, bringing together a mix of community gatherings, entertainment, and nightlife. The event takes place Sept. 18-20 and is hosted by Capital Pride.

Art and Music

United We Dance: A high-energy rave with house, techno, bass, and festival music, on Aug. 1 at the 9:30 Club.
The Fray. On Aug. 14, this American rock band famous for How To Save A Life is at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Kesha: Kesha’s high-energy The Freedom Tour comes to the D.C. area on Aug. 14 at Jiffy Lube Live.
ALOK: On Sept. 3 at Lincoln Theater, ALOK (they/them) performs. The poet, comedian, and actor is putting on a new comedy show.
2charm, the emerging Australian electronic club-pop duo popular with the queer community, which blends hyperpop and dance music, comes to the Atlantis.
Sapphic Dance Party: a vibrant, inclusive nightlife and social event designed specifically for queer women, lesbians, bisexuals, trans individuals, and nonbinary folks, at Atlantis on Aug. 21.
Jazz in the Garden: The most quintessential of D.C. activities returns Friday evenings through Aug. 14. This season’s theme, “American Sounds,” is a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tunes themes range from Appalachian and Americana to Creole jazz, Hill Country blues, contemporary jazz, and more. Tickets are available through a lottery system a week before each event.