Music & Concerts
SPRING ARTS 2018 CONCERTS: Todrick, Meshell, Lorde, k.d. oh — and Britney this summer
Region teeming with queer acts at the Anthem, Fillmore, Jiffy and more


Kylie Minogue’s new album ‘Golden’ is slated for an April release. (Photo courtesy BMG)
Washington boasts some of the best music venues in the country and there’s no shortage of fabulous concerts to see at them this spring.
DJ Snake, the French producer and DJ responsible for massive hits like “Turn Down for What” and “Let Me Love You,” spins at Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) on Saturday, March 3.
Bisexual feminist icon, Ani DiFranco, plays the 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) on Saturday, March 5. The show will be opened by chamber pop duo Gracie and Rachel.
Master pianist and Wolf Trap favorite, John Eaton, presents “Indiana On Our Minds: the Music of Cole Porter & Hoagy Carmichael” on Friday, March 9 at the Barns at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Rd., Vienna, Va.).
The original Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, returns to the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) for her “Red, Rock N’ Blues” show on Saturday, March 17.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents “Make America Gay Again” at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.) on Saturday, March 17.
Perennial pop titan and veteran gender bender, P!nk, brings her “Beautiful Trauma World Tour” to Capital One Arena (601 F St., N.W.) on Tuesday, March 17.
Justin Timberlake may have received tepid reviews for his Super Bowl performance, but his stop on the “Man of the Woods Tour” at Capital One Arena (601 F St., N.W.) on Sunday, March 18 is sure to be a spectacle.
If you’re feeling wistful for her stellar 2014 Capital Pride performance, Betty Who plays the 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) on Wednesday, March 21. Pretty Sister and Spencer Ludwig open the show.
Porches, a New York-based synth pop band, play the Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) on Thursday, March 22. The group’s lead vocalist, Aaron Maine, identifies as straight but has earned himself a queer following with his painted nails and spaghetti strap tops.
Queer-fronted Baltimore Indie band, Snail Mail, play Ottobar (2549 N. Howard St., Baltimore) with British rock group Shame on Thursday, March 22.
R&B pioneer and everyone’s favorite Cinderella, Brandy, performs at the Howard Theatre (620 T St., N.W.) on Thursday, March 22.
Vocal LGBT ally LeeAnn Womack hopes you dance at the Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) on Friday, March 23. The country crooner will perform her latest album, “All The Trouble,” as well as old hits.
Openly bisexual pop princess Demi Lovato performs alongside the ever-popular DJ Khaled at the Capital One Arena (601 F St., N.W.) on Saturday, March 24.
k.d. lang brings the 25th anniversary tour of her breakthrough album “Ingénue” to the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Ln., North Bethesda, Md.) on Sunday, March 25.
Yo La Tengo play their Indie cult classics at the 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) on Wednesday, April 4.
Meshell Ndegeocello, a Native Washingtonian and queer critical darling since the early ‘90s, is back to perform her latest album “Ventriloquism” at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) on Thursday, April 6.
Legendary soul singer and timeless gay icon Patti LaBelle performs at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) on Saturday, April 7.
Lorde brings her “Melodrama World Tour” to the Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.) on Sunday, April 8. Hip-hop duo Run the Jewels and indie rocker Mitski open the show.
The Washington Symphony Players host a spring benefit concert for the Maryland Heroin Awareness Advocates on Tuesday, April 17 at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Ln., North Bethesda, Md.).
Pritam, an Indian composer and singer famous for his Bollywood records, performs live at DAR Constitution Hall (1776 D St., N.W.) on Friday, April 20.
Todrick Hall, the multitalented singer, drag queen, Broadway star and choreographer to none other than Beyoncé, appears at the Fillmore (8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md.) on Thursday, April 26.
Nancy and Beth, featuring “Will & Grace’s” Megan Mullally and “Friday Night Lights’” Stephanie Hunt, bring their eponymous “punk show-biz” tour to the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue (600 I St., N.W.) on Sunday, April 29.
HAIM perform at the Anthem (901 Wharf St., N.W.) on May 1, opened by rising feminist rapper and singer, Lizzo.
Michael Feinstein, an openly gay singer and pianist, headlines the Strathmore Annual Spring Gala at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Ln., North Bethesda, Md.) on May 12.
Lesbian alt-country queen Brandi Carlile performs her latest album “By The Way, I Forgive You” and old favorites at the Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.) on Saturday, May 19.
Soul powerhouse, Bettye LaVette, performs her latest record, all Bob Dylan interpretations, “Things Have Changed,” at the Hamilton (600 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, May 19.
Rising pop sensation Hayley Kiyoko, whose devout fans refer to her as “Lesbian Jesus,” performs at the Fillmore (8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md.) on Friday, June 1.
Twelve-time Grammy winner, Kendrick Lamar performs with Sza and Schoolboy Q at Jiffy Lube Live (7800 Cellar Door Dr, Bristow, Va.) on Friday, June 1.
It’s a ways off, but always better to plan ahead for Britney Spears, who makes her East Coast return at MGM National Harbor (101 MGM National Ave, Oxon Hill, Md.) on Thursday, July 12. The zeitgeisty gay icon will whip out choreo to all her classics from her “Piece of Me” Vegas residency.
Music & Concerts
Cyndi Lauper ready to have fun in Virginia
Superstar to bring final leg of farewell tour to Jiffy Lube Live

Superstar Cyndi Lauper will bring the final leg of her farewell tour “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” to Bristow, Va., on Thursday, July 24 at Jiffy Lube Live.
Lauper’s international Farewell Tour – her first major headlining run in a decade – kicked off in North America last October, and included her first time ever headlining (and selling out) Madison Square Garden. Lauper’s performances have earned raves from the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and many more, and surprise guests have included Chaka Khan, Sam Smith, and Hayley Williams. The tour just visited the U.K. and Europe, and will head to Australia and Japan in April.
Tickets are available on Live Nation’s website.
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.
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