a&e features
Haus of Stone savors joys and trials of breaking into D.C. drag scene
New venues, new faces, shade from established performers affects new generation of queens
April drag events:
Birds of Prey Drag Show
Friday, April 12
10 p.m.
The D.C. Eagle
3701 Benning Rd., N.W.
Brooklyn Heights, Sasha Adams Sanchez and Iyana Deschanel.
with special guest “Drag Race” alum Roxxxy Andrews
Hosted by Ba’Naka
Pitchers Drag Picnic
Saturday, April 13
1 p.m.
Pitchers D.C.
2317 18th St., N.W.
Hosted by Brooklyn Heights
Glass House
Sunday, April 14
7 p.m.
Variety show with movie night theme
Ten Tigers Parlour
3813 Georgia Ave., N.W.
Haus of Stone Drag Show
Wednesday, April 17
8 p.m.
Denizens Brewing Co.
1115 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Md.
City Tap Dupont
1250 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sunday performances (same hours) start April 28
Ba’Naka hostesses
Avalon Saturdays
Saturday, April 13
Soundcheck
1420 K St., N.W.
Hosted by Carson Kressley and Ba’Naka
Special guest Todrick Hall
Performances by Iyana Deschanel, Judas Elliot, Crystal Edge
dougiemeyerpresents.com
As people attend drag brunches and shows at bars and restaurants throughout the D.C. area, they may be focused on ordering bottomless mimosas or snapping pictures of the soon-to-come drag performances. But the amount of blood, sweat and sequins it takes for new, local queens to make a name for themselves, especially in a post-Town/Cobalt D.C. drag scene, is something that isn’t readily apparent.
It’s a situation that DMV-based drag group Haus of Stone knows all too well. Comprised of five queens, the house was birthed from a group of college friends who simply loved the art of drag.
Citrine (AJ Williamson), 27; Logan Stone (William Burlew), 25; Drew Thatcher, 26; and Vagenesis (Anderson Wells), 28, began putting drag looks together while attending University of Maryland, Baltimore County. After performing a few times, Citrine, Logan and Vagenesis decided it would be easier to brand themselves as a drag house while performing together.
“Most drag houses take the matriarch’s last name but since we didn’t have a matriarch or a mother, we thought we should just come up with our own group name,” Citrine says. “Logan was the only one out of the three of us that had a last name. So we were like, Haus of Stone, that has a nice ring to it. Logan didn’t mind, we didn’t mind. We just ran with it.”
Haus of Stone was officially born in spring 2018. Citrine, Logan and Vagenesis dipped their toes in the water at attempting more professional drag by performing private talent shows in their living room. The evening included playing instruments, a spoken word performance and lip-syncing, backed by speakers hooked up in their apartment blaring music, all with the intention of asking their friends to pose as judges. Even though the event was fun, the trio asked their friends to sincerely give them critiques.
The girls were taking this seriously.
Shortly after, Venus Valhalla and Kittney Stone joined the group rounding out Haus of Stone.
Thatcher, who originally began performing drag with the group at University of Maryland Baltimore County, realized that he wanted to be a part of the house in a different capacity. Instead of taking on a drag persona he decided to become a self-proclaimed “drag sidekick” to the group. Among his Jack-of all-trades assistance to Haus of Stone, is to serve as a soundboard for the queens’ looks.
“One of the things that I really like about being part of the Haus of Stone is just how amazing all these queens are in the house and how much I appreciate their sisterhood and the family we’ve built,” Thatcher says. “And also just being there to help them execute the vision that they have for their drag is an awesome honor. I know there are a lot of times when they have some grand visions, as any artist often does, and I like to be there for them as a resource to help them execute their visions.”
The group started to become more active in taking their show from the living room with friends to a public audience. As new queens trying to establish themselves locally, they say they’ve encountered plenty of support.
“When we first started, the drag community was extremely welcoming,” Logan says. “We met one drag performer and they told us to go to this event and go talk to this queen named Desiree Dik because Desiree had a show at Uproar and she did nothing but support new girls coming up. We went to that show and we got the booking and through that we made so many friends that we still talk to today and have harbored relationships that are going to last forever. Now is that true of everybody in the community? No, but through that we got to meet other people like Kristina Kelly who has done nothing but support us. While personalities don’t always mesh up, there has been a support of new girls in this city ever since we started.”
For Citrine, the drag community is helpful to new girls but there’s an edge of competition in the mix.
“I’ve come to find once they notice that you’re working hard and getting close to their level is when that support and fellowship starts to stop,” Citrine says. “I think part of it is that now you’re starting to look like competition and these are the people that have worked just as hard as you and now are trying to build a legacy or maintain it. ‘Yeah, sure, we’ll give you a platform, you can perform at our show, you’re going to come and go.’ That’s the expectation they think when new queens come about. But once you start to build and get a little bit stronger, that to them is a sign. Some of them love it. And then there are some that are jealous or they don’t want to support that because they’re like, ‘I don’t want you to be just as successful because now you’re taking something away from me.’”
Citrine and Logan both note that they don’t often see local drag performers at their shows showing their support, which they agree could be due to a conflict in performance schedules.
“It’s this weird melting pot where we all love each other but we’re also out for ourselves but we do support each other,” Citrine says.
Haus of Stone’s breakout on the drag scene after the closing of gay nightlife venues Town and Cobalt, which drew significant patronage for drag shows, has placed the group in a transitional period in D.C. gay nightlife.
As more venues are now opening their spaces to drag performances, Logan has noticed a surge in non-LGBT specific bars and restaurants hosting drag shows.
Venus says that specifically Town’s closing has made “things easier” for local queens.
“Town was kind of a central point for the gay community in the city. You had the cast of girls who were there every Friday and Saturday. So now with Town gone, and that rigid cast gone, there’s more opportunities for all of us other girls and people are still looking for places to replace Town, which is something that’s been kind of difficult for the community over the last year. I think Town closing was actually kind of the perfect storm that’s allowed us to be so successful. If Town was still open, I don’t think any of us would have been able to perform there,” Venus says.
An influx in venues hosting drag shows and seeing the benefit of having one place to look up all things D.C. drag, inspired Logan to create D.C. Drag Digest (facebook.com/dcdragdigest).
The directory will allow people to search for drag shows near them, look up if their favorite bars or restaurants are hosting drag shows and to see where their favorite drag performers will be next.
“There had been a lot of conversation on social media about supporting and finding the shows. I had always gotten a lot of questions. When people like what they see in a show the first thing they come up and ask you is, ‘Hey, where can I see you next?’ And for a lot of performers we have 10 shows coming up and we want people at all of them. And it’s hard to just be like, ‘You can come here, here and here.’ Nobody is going to remember any of that. So one day I had decided to just make a list of everything going on,” Logan, who runs the directory with a couple friends, says.
The queens say that “RuPaul’s Drag Race” does influence the popularity of their shows especially during the times of the year that “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” and the regular season run. They say it sparks an interest in people to check out what their local drag community is doing. The support is welcomed but Haus of Stone members say the jump from “Drag Race” to a local show can lead to unfair expectations.
“Drag Race” can pack on the pressure for local talent, according to Citrine.
“They’re seeing it on TV and enjoying it and then when they go to a local show and they’re not seeing that same level matched from what they can just see on TV that’s when they start to lose that interest,” Citrine says. “‘Drag Race’ has certainly made it a little bit more difficult for local queens to keep up. When we see it on TV we’re like ‘Oh God.’ Some of us have that internal expectation of ‘How can I be better and impress this audience when I don’t have those kind of resources?”
Money is an important factor when watching an episode of “Drag Race” versus checking out a local show.
“A prime example of that is girls we get on ‘Drag Race’ end up making a lot more money than us local girls,” Venus says. “A lot of them have connections because of their following on social media and are able to work with designers and have these glorious costumes and they see those costumes on the runway. Then a drag queen comes out who is a local girl who spent $50 on a leotard that she made herself. And it’s not as exciting as the giant Victoria’s Secret wings that Plastique Tiara wore on the runway.”
Another added challenge is keeping their shows as fresh as possible.
Venus says that an advantage that queens performing at Town had is that oftentimes audiences included new people due to the larger audience numbers. As smaller venues are tackling drag shows, the audiences are smaller and a good way to drum up interest is to nab repeat patrons who have already seen certain routines and want new material.
“It has to do with a shift in the market,” Venus says.
Even with a smaller audience size, the queens still don’t always know who is attending their shows.
“Even for me I had two girls come up to me at brunch yesterday and I had never noticed them before but they both came up and were like, ‘We saw you at this show.’ You never know who is going to come back and see you and you don’t want them seeing the exact same thing over and over,” Logan says.
a&e features
Rainbows in Revolt on a mission to make LGBTQ artists’ voices heard
Rainbows in Revolt on a mission to make LGBTQ artists’ voices heard
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
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
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.
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