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D.C.’s hottest new LGBTQ nightclub is — Bunker

‘A real playground with energy that’s unlike anything else’

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Bunker takes over the space vacated by Tropicalia at the busy corner of 14th and U streets, N.W.

D.C.’s hottest new nightclub is — Bunker. Opening within the next month, Bunker takes over the space vacated by Tropicalia at the busy corner of 14th and U streets, N.W.  And filling a need for a dedicated dance club, Bunker is set to take D.C. LGBTQ nightlife to the next level.

Owned by the producers of KINETIC Presents, Zach Renovatés and Jesus Quispe, Bunker will be open Thursday-Sunday, each night featuring a distinct theme.

Bunker takes up the mantle of celebrated nightlife spots that have closed in recent years: Cobalt, Town Danceboutique, Secrets, and DC Eagle.

“As a longtime DC resident, it was devastating,” says Renovatés. “ There was no guaranteed space to have that night out for dancing, just for our community.”

Running KINETIC Presents, Renovatés has been producing events for the LGBTQ community for nearly a decade. He works with business partner Quispe to host rotating parties at various venues, like Echostage and Bliss.

KINETIC, however, has become not just a company that throws parties, but a safe space. For example, KINETIC partners with Capital Pride Alliance in June and throughout the year, and produced the official nighttime parties during this year’s Mid-Atlantic Leather in partnership with Centaur MC. During the monkeypox outbreak, KINETIC provided attendees with health information and guidance. With its own space, Renovatés can leverage a physical location as a more substantive platform to gather and share.

Yet as KINETIC grew, so did the need for a dedicated, LGBTQ-owned-and-operated location for guests to get together.

Bunker presented itself as that location.

“This is a space that’s 100% for the LGBTQ community and by the LGBTQ community,” he says.

“Our goal,” he says, “is to grow nightlife, to bring more talent and more tourists. We want to support the economic growth of the city, and know that LGBTQ patrons can help do that with Bunker.”

What also sets Bunker apart is the live DJ sets that spin every night it’s open. “You can expect production levels similar to venues that KINETIC was in,” he says. “What is important to me is that it has unique music every night.”

Bunker will source local, national, and international DJs representing various genres. Pop, house, circuit, and disco will all be featured. In the works is also Sunday “disco daddy” tea day-to-night party. Other events include a nightly 7-9 p.m. happy hour as a social lubricant for the rest of the evening, whether that’s at Bunker or another location. Renovatés notes that he has strong relations with other gay bars in the city, and looks forward to being located within walking distance of many of them.

Renovatés says that drag and other entertainment are also in the works.

As for the actual space itself, “when I descended those stairs since I saw it as Tropicalia, the first thing I saw was beautiful concrete walls – that’s why we went with the name. We embraced that.”

“With Bunker, we’ve taken the interior down to its essentials and are rebuilding it  exactly for what our community needs.” He shied away from leaning in too hard on the underground aesthetic. While plenty of concrete delivers the bunker vibe, “where Bunker shines is bringing in murals, lighting, sound, and more. It represents the color and vibrance of community.” The 11-foot ceilings certainly helped.

A custom-built, 600-pound steel door that “looks like it was blasted into the side of a mountain” welcomes partygoers. While inside is lots of steel and rock, it still has character. “It’s like a ‘60s Cold War shelter made fabulous,” he says. Lively murals by various artists are splashed across the space, with relaxed seating meant to be used earlier in the evening.

“Our goal is that every single night, someone local or visiting can get an incredible DJ and lighting experience in a safe space that’s so important today,” says Renovatés. Bunker is not only a place to dance, he notes, it is the embodiment of the community space that was so lacking.

As Bunker’s website teases few details on the club, Renovatés hints that Instagram may be the platform for more information as the grand opening gets closer.

As soon as that concrete door lets guests in, Renovatés wants people to expect “a real playground with energy that’s unlike anything else in D.C.”

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Nightlife

Bye-bye Brat summer, hello fall nightlife

D.C.’s queer bars keeping us busy this season

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Crush hosts a Halloween party on Oct. 31 where one lucky costumed customer will win $1,000. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Pumpkin spice is back on the menu, the mercury in the thermometer is dropping, and Washington’s trees are starting to (slowly) fade into lighter hues of yellow and orange. This, along with a slew of new LGBTQ events across the District indicates that fall has un-officially begun. 

JR.’s is transforming into East High from Disney Channel’s “High School Musical” for a special live drag show: HIGHBALL MUSICAL! Local drag queens, including Citrine, Baphomette, NuNu Paris, and more will take over the legendary bar from Sept. 8-14. Showtimes are at 9 p.m. on Sept. 13, with two performances on Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $10. The show is for adults 21 and up. For more information visit JR.’s instagram at jrs_bar_dc. 

Local Drag star Cake Pop! is opening a pop-up bar of her own. The queen will take over the top floor of LGBTQ sports bar Pitchers, creating her own POP! BAR. The opening party on Sept. 12 will include drink specials, music, and live performances from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” queen Denali, local drag queens Venetian, Aquarius Moon, You’neek Nu’york, and many more. Doors open at 7 p.m. and performances start at 10 p.m. For tickets and more details on the pop-up experience visit popbardc.com. 

Do you think you have the hairiest chest in D.C.? Or are you a fan of a man with some fur? Then head to Uproar Lounge on Sept. 13 to compete in their Hairiest Chest Competition. The competition starts at 8 p.m. and goes until 1 a.m. with drinks and music pumping. For more information, visit uproarloungedc on Instagram.  

On Sept. 15, Kiki is holding a Glitter and Grades: Drag, Dance, and Donate fundraiser. The LGBTQ bar will collect funds to purchase supplies for local LGBTQ teachers as drag queens, strong drinks, and dancing will be had. The fundraiser is from 4-8 p.m. with a suggested entry donation of $5.  

Brat summer may be ending, but that doesn’t mean the brat attitude (and parties) must end. Bunker is hosting a cya brat party on Sept. 20 from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. The night will have Charli XCX-themed performances by drag artists trevHER and Venetian with DJ Miscalculated playing all your favorite Charli tracks. There is a $10 cover after 11 p.m. with $5 drink specials all night.  

Do polka music and beer steins fill you with glee? Then put on your lederhosen and get ready for some traditional Oktoberfest festivities. Red Bear Brewery is hosting OktoBEARfest on Sept. 21 from 11 a.m.-12 a.m. The festivities include a stein holding competition, live polka music, and a Lederhosen & Dirndl contest. For more information, visit Red Bear Brewery’s website at redbear.beer

On Saturday, Sept. 21 Shakers is hosting Drag Queen Tara Hoot’s Family Fun Story Time for kids of all ages. Tara Hoot will bring “tales, twirls, and fun.” Doors open at 12 p.m. and will last until 2 p.m. Free snacks and drinks for children will be given out. For more information visit Shakers’s Instagram page at shakersdc. 

DC Rawhides, a local organization dedicated to creating inclusive dance spaces for same-sex couples and the LGBTQ community, is hosting its bi-monthly country-western dance event. All are welcome to attend, learn to do-si-do and line dance—no experience necessary. A valid ID and a $10 donation will get you in the door. The last dance of September is on Saturday, the 21st, and the first October event is on the 5th, from 7-11 p.m. at the North Hall in Eastern Market. For more details, visit dcrawhides.com. 

On Sept. 24, Crush dance bar will hold a local politics Meet and Greet night, offering a chance to talk to candidates and nominees for the DC Council, DC State Board of Education, and other positions on the ballot. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is sponsored by the Blade and Team Rayceen.

Do you want to learn how to dance? Do you like ballet but have never felt like you belong in a dance class? Robert “Bambi” Woofter is calling all to come to their monthly Party & Prance dance class at Trade bar on Sept. 24. Come learn how to dance from an inaugural member of The Kennedy Center’s Dance Council, and teacher of dance at American University, George Washington University, and Dance Place for free. The class starts at 6:30 and goes until 7:30 p.m. For more information visit hausofbambi.com

Starting Wednesday, Sept. 25, Shakers will host its second annual MX Shakers Competition Drag Show. Eleven new drag queens will compete for the crown of MX Shakers with host Tatianna (from season 2 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and season 2 of “Drag Race All Stars.”) Every Wednesday for eight weeks, queens will perform to stay on the stage with the ultimate prize of hosting a gig of their own.  

The D.C. Drag Awards 2024 winner for best party DEEP CVNT is hosting its first collaboration with Xunt to put on DEEP XUNT! Xunt, a trans DJ collective in the District is working with party host GirliePop to host a trans celebratory mini-ball. The party starts at 9 p.m. at Trade on Sept. 26 with trans DJs, trans-inspired categories, and trans-centered vibe. All are encouraged to dress up and walk in the ball. For more information visit deepcvntparty on Instagram.  

Clocked, a new trans-centered comedy show, is coming to As You Are bar on Friday, Sept. 27. Headliners include New York City comic Charlie Girard, founder of Queers Can’t Take a Joke (an LGBTQ stand-up comedy class); local comic Bixby, a graduate of the first Queers Can’t Take a Joke cohort; and Grace Wynter, a writer’s assistant for FX’s English Teacher. Other queer comics will also take the stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at the door.   

Thomas Circle’s Green Lantern will host its monthly District Underwear Party on Oct. 4 from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Dance in a jock, thong, or whatever you feel hot and comfortable in as DJ Zyon plays music to get you moving. There is a $10 cover that includes a clothes check.   

Join Flashy for a celebration of Indigenous People’s Day and the 11th anniversary of Flashy, Flash’s iconic holiday party on Oct. 13. Dance the night away with music from TWiN and Sean Morris on the first floor, while a soon to be announced Grammy-nominated DJ/Producer spins on the rooftop. The party kicks off at 10 p.m. and goes until 4 a.m. Tickets are $40 online ahead of time and $50 at the door. This is a 21 and up event. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

The Washington Blade’s annual Best Of LGBTQ DC party returns on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. at Crush. Come out to celebrate our Local Hero and winners in 70 categories. Some winners will perform at the party. 

Have you picked your Halloween costume yet? If not, start thinking now. Crush is hosting a special exorcism-themed Altar Call partyon Oct. 31. The dance bar will host a night of spooky queer fun, culminating with a costume contest where one lucky (and best dressed) patron will win $1,000. 

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D.C.’s queer nightlife scene thriving, bucking national trends

Deep Cvnt, Crush, other bars and events keep city venues bustling

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Deep Cvnt is a ‘mini ball deluxe-inspired party.’ (Washington Blade photo by Joe Reberkenny)

John Etienne is familiar with the drifting sounds from vodka-fueled conversations and the tapping of feet against the floorboards of Trade, a gay bar in D.C.’s Logan Circle. On any other Thursday night, Etienne — a party host, judge, and queer nightlife socialite — would be up on the dance floor, sipping a gin and ginger ale, dancing to the new Beyonce song with friends.

But this is not just any Thursday.

Tonight he is sitting directly beneath the dance floor in a salon chair, adjusting his sparkly green dress and white go-go boots, flipping between checking his phone and looking at the clock, waiting for the other judges to arrive. It is just after 9 p.m. and Deep Cvnt is about to begin. 

Deep Cvnt is a “mini ball deluxe-inspired party.” Etienne hosts the event once a month at Trade where queer people from across the city come to walk down a runway in categories, show off their best outfits to an established theme, and ‘vogue the house down’ making the “dive bar with a dance floor” feel like the set of a 2024 Paris is Burning. The party’s name is based on a slur, reclaimed into a symbol of feminine and queer empowerment.  

During the day, the 25-year-old works as a Digital Fundraising Director for the House Majority PAC. To him, gay bars that host events are instrumental in fostering a feeling of welcome and belonging for those who identify as LGBTQ.

“[For me] It’s the sense of community,” Etienne said. “ I think that being able to go to a spot where there are people who are like me, in some shape or form being that they’re queer or from a marginalized community, and can find refuge in these spots is something that’s incredibly important. And then, too, I think that these [queer] spaces are just a lot more fun.” 

Historically gay bars have acted as places for the LGBTQ community to gather, celebrate, and mobilize for political causes when the general attitude was more hostile to the community. D.C.’s unique queer nightlife scene sets it apart from other major gay hubs, like New York or San Francisco, due to the city’s number of welcoming spaces, its business appeal, and the strong presence of the federal government in its culture, allowing for the country’s capital city to be a statistical anomaly. 

Nationwide, gay bars have been on the decline since the 1980s. Damron’s Travel Guide, a database that has been recording the locations and ratings of queer/gay bars since the 1960s, found that in the year 1980 there were approximately 1,432 gay bars across the United States. A recent study published in the National Library of Medicine found that the number of gay bars in the U.S. has nearly been cut in half, with only 803 queer-identified bars in existence despite increasing numbers of public support for the LGBTQ community.

This trend is occurring at the same time as a record number of anti-LGBTQ legislation is popping up in state legislatures across the U.S. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced so far in 2024. These laws restrict the ability of transgender Americans to get gender-affirming care, force teachers to out their students to parents, and ban First Amendment-protected actions like performing in drag, among other issues. 

Meanwhile the number of bars that cater to the LGBTQ community in the nation’s capital has increased from six in 1980 to at least 22 in 2024. 

The LGBTQ population is still large in D.C., with some estimates putting the number at just over 66,000. Historically the “gayborhood,” or primary LGBTQ neighborhood was on 17th Street and in the Dupont Circle area. That has changed as numbers have increased over the years, making the whole city feel like the gayborhood.

“Being one of the gayest cities in the world — with one of the gayest per capita populations — that is kind of baked into the fabric of the nightlife economy,” said Salah Czapary, director of the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture, when asked about how the LGBTQ community has changed the landscape of the city. “If you look at these certain neighborhoods [17th Street and Dupont], their character has really been defined by the ‘gayborhood’ in the area. That has kind of changed and now you can’t really point to one area as being the sole gayborhood.”

Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, causing the government to pause all non-essential businesses, including bars. After the pandemic, the growth in the number of gay bars accelerated.  “I think that’s kind of just generally after COVID, people are willing to take a risk on something new,” Czapary explained when discussing the impact of the pandemic on the gay bar community. 

Ed Bailey, a well-known DJ and co-owner of gay bars Trade and Number Nine, located around the corner from each other in Logan Circle, agrees about the economic opportunities COVID was able to provide but says that gay bar success boils down to the economics of real estate. 

“I have a very boring and not very sexy answer to why I think these things happen,” Bailey said when explaining the history of the prominent locations of gay bars in D.C. “At the end of the day, it’s all about real estate. Over time the gay community’s bars, restaurants, and nightclubs that catered specifically to, or were owned by, gay people were in underdeveloped neighborhoods… It wasn’t available to us to be in the high-priced areas. All the clubs and the bars were kind of on the ‘other side of town,’ whatever that meant.”

Bailey said the COVID-19 pandemic helped create a path for the current sprouting of gay bars all over D.C., especially in what are the mainstream, popular areas. “I think luckily the pandemic, at least in D.C., did open up an opportunity for a number of entrepreneurs to say ‘Hey! I have an option here.’ Some of these businesses are looking for people to buy them out or to move in, and so a bunch of people took advantage of that.”

The LGBTQ community has always had a presence in the city. It has been recorded that as early as the 1950s, Washington had become a space recognized for its ability to bring LGBTQ people together. 

“I feel like every time I take two steps, I run into another gay person,” Etienne said about living in Logan Circle and the queerness of the city. “I love it. I also think about the nature of what goes on in D.C. Historically, the government has always had a significant number of gay people working for it. Looking back to the Lavender Scare and even before then it’s always been a spot where gay men have either come professionally or personally.”

Mark Meinke, a 76-year-old self-described gay historian founded The Rainbow History Project, an organization that works to “collect, preserve and promote the history and culture of the diverse LGBTQ communities in metropolitan Washington, D.C.” His research supports exactly what Etienne described. 

“Between the [19]20s through the [19]60s, most of the gay spaces were owned by straight people,” Meinke said. A consequence of this, he explains, is that there was less of an outward recognition of these spaces as being LGBTQ friendly, keeping the community a secret. “Tolerance comes and tolerance goes,” he said as he explained why the number of accepting spaces increased and decreased during that time. 

This fluctuation of accepting bar owners began to change in the 1960s, as places that offered a safe space for LGBTQ people to meet, dance, drink, celebrate, and politically organize became more frequent and owned by more LGBTQ people. Meinke was able to track the increase of acceptance for the LGBTQ community by collecting advertisements from past issues of the Washington Blade (originally called the Gay Blade) from the ‘60s on as more gay-owned or more publicly gay-friendly establishments began to distribute the newspaper. Meinke also tracked additional gay literature in these gay bars, like that of Franklin Kameny’s Mattachine Society literature and their “Gay Is Good” buttons. The literature Kameny distributed was some of the first documented forms of LGBTQ activism in the U.S. and encouraged LGBTQ people to mobilize. 

Meinke noticed that during this time, one gay bar called JoAnna’s on Eighth Street in Southeast D.C. became a popular designation for gay people after the owner installed a dance floor. 

“In 1968, in Capitol Hill with JoAnna’s, a new social option had emerged for women, one with a dance floor,” Meinke said. In his presentation for the 2002 Washington Historical Conference titled “The Social Geography of Washington, D.C.’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Community,” Meinke said that the gay community wanted more gay dance floors.

This inspired others in the gayborhood to create more dance spaces. “Johnnie’s (across the street [from JoAnna’s]) saw the future and installed a postage stamp-sized dance floor, and began getting lots of customers…Same-sex dancing in the clubs was perhaps one of the greatest innovations on the social scene in the 1960s,” Meinke wrote.

Not only did the expanding gay bar scene impact who was visiting the city, but the presence of the federal government and the number of universities located in the area also helped attract the gay community, Meinke explained. 

As more LGBTQ people moved to D.C. to pursue careers related to the federal government, a backlash was brewing and created a time we now call the McCarthy era. This era, which extended from the early 1950s into the 60s, brought in political repression of left-leaning individuals in D.C.

This repression and eventual prosecution of people based on the fear of communism was led by Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy and became a major part of the Republican Party’s platform. This fear also heightened political tensions, eventually leading to Republicans accusing homosexuals of espionage. This period was known as the “Lavender Scare.”  

Robert Connelly, an adjunct senior professorial lecturer for American University’s Critical Race Gender and Culture Studies Department, explained that this scare was real for many LGBTQ people working in the government. “In [McCarthy’s] mind, homosexuals’ perceived duplicity and emotional instability made them susceptible to foreign espionage and blackmail, you know, which meant that the gays were giving away our secrets,” Connelly said. 

This fear prompted the 34th president to take more legal action against the LGBTQ people working in government. “When Eisenhower took office in 1953, one of his first executive orders that he signed was Executive Order 10450,” Connelly explained. “This codified the exclusion of perverts from government employment and thousands of lives were ruined because of this in the early 1950s.” This homophobia eventually led to the firing of thousands of LGBTQ people within the federal government during the ‘50s and ‘60s. 

This systematic injustice triggered many LGBTQ people to adapt techniques other marginalized communities were using, mostly inspired by the increasingly successful Civil Rights movement, to politically mobilize and reclaim their power. The homophile movement, one of the earliest precursors to the modern gay rights movement, had major players located in Washington to help push for gay rights. The activism ignited by LGBTQ people during this time endured for decades, addressing a multitude of issues, including anti-war protests and the fight for expanded civil rights.

Some, like Chadd Dowding, 35, a regular patron of gay bars across Washington said that Washington’s gay bar scene has been successful due to the high number of LGBTQ residents and their desire to feel connected to their community. 

“I think D.C. has the largest gay population per capita of any city in the country, so that draws a larger audience of queer folks here,” he said. According to the Williams Institute, D.C. still holds the highest percentage in the U.S.  “I think there’s also a need for spaces for community, mostly because a lot of people in D.C. are transplants from other parts of the country.” 

Others, Like Bombshell Monroe, a drag queen from the House of Mulan (a chosen family, that works to support and mentor queens in Balls and beyond) said that contrarian attitudes are baked into the nature of the city. 

As Bombshell slipped on her flower-adorned flared jeans and orange tank top, getting ready to make her first appearance on the dance floor of Trade for Deep Cvnt, matching the spring bling theme of the night, she explained why she felt D.C.’s gay nightlife has been able to grow.

“I feel like D.C. has always been a place of independence and where people, even if we’re not accepted, will fight to be accepted,” Bombshell said while pulling on a fuzzy white and orange bucket hat. “I’m D.C. born and raised and can attest personally. I think that it’s so crazy because it’s political, but it’s not political. I feel like once we get the pushback from other states, we’re the ones that take it and say, ‘Well, bitch! We got something for y’all. You don’t want the gay bars here, we’re gonna put another one here!’” 

And put another one they did. Within the past three years, at least six new gay bars have opened up with very different styles and goals. Some bars cater to particular groups within the LGBTQ community, like that of Thurst Lounge on 14th Street N.W., which is a predominantly Black gay space. As You Are Bar, at 500 8th St., S.E., seeks to make an accessible and comfortable space for all in the LGBTQ community, focusing on often overlooked female and non-binary members of the community. Others focus on creating unique nightlife experiences, like that of the craft cocktails in Logan Circle’s Little Gay Pub with its Instagram (and Grindr) famous selfie mirror, or like that of the freshly opened Crush bar, focusing on creating a dance bar for LGBTQ people. 

Regardless of the specific reason people visit gay bars, It is clear that they offer platforms to authentically express queer identity in a world that does not always deem this acceptable. 

“If we get to a point where we have to start sacrificing more physical spaces for online ones, these spaces could be easily invaded by people who may not have the best intentions,” Etienne said, preparing to head up the scuffed stairs to Beyonce’s Jolene.  “There is something very valuable about having a physical space with a physical location because, at the end of the day, that’s what we have fought for.”

As the lights dimmed the Trade dance floor began to hush. A path opened up in front of the stage as the crowd of floral wearing ballroom fans stepped back, accommodating Etienne’s entrance. With the glittery green dress, knee-high go-go boots, and oversized sunglasses it is clear he is in charge of the night. 

“Since this is Deep Cvnt I need everyone to raise their hand up,” Etienne said with a smile. “And now put it below your waist. Check how deep your motherfucking cunt is.” The crowd roared with laughter and cheers. “Alright let’s get into it!” Deep Cvnt has begun.

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Nightlife

Mixtape returns with Pride party

June 8 event promises ‘joy on the dance floor’

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Shea van Horn and Matt Bailer are back with Mixtape. (Photo by David Claypool/Kalorama Photography)

From a chance 2008 dance floor meeting at legendary bar DC9 to the Pride Party in 2024 at the 9:30 Club, gay DJs Shea van Horn and Matt Bailer have spun together for more than a dozen years. As the D.C. nightlife scene has changed, their partnership has endured under the moniker of Mixtape.

Mixtape started in 2008 soon after the two met each other spinning at DC9. “We had so much fun playing their mix of music for folks, we decided to start a monthly party together,” they said. Four months later, they hosted their first Mixtape party at the Ethiopian restaurant Dahlak in Adams Morgan. From there, over the next decade, the party grew. They held Mixtape across the city at diverse venues: the Warehouse Theater, DC9, EFN Lounge, the Rock and Roll Hotel, Black Cat, Howard Theatre, U Street Music Hall, and ultimately the 9:30 Club. 

Notably, these were not explicitly gay spaces, yet they were explicitly for gay crowds. In 2018, the DJ duo decided to retire their regular rotating monthly event, having reached the heights of the D.C. party scene. They did, however, keep the party alive, hosting an annual Pride Party at the 9:30 Club for a couple years. They paused during the pandemic. This year, they’re back. “It’s crazy that it was 16 years ago,” says Van Horn.

Inspired by parties like Taint and Homo/Sonic, Mixtape was part of a movement in the late 2000s that saw a proliferation of DIY dance parties in D.C., including SHIFT, RAW, CTRL, WTF, Pink Sock, Bearzerk, and others.  

Given this setting, the duo place Mixtape as part of the “alternative” queer dance scene in D.C., giving LGBTQ audiences the dance party that spoke to them. Contemporary Top 40 jams have their place – just not at Mixtape. Their audiences wanted more, from old-school Robyn to electronica to their own underground favorites. 

“Mixtape always aspired to create a safe space for the LGBTQ community to come together and dance to its signature mix of music that often featured queer artists,” they say. “There’s joy on the dance floor.”

Bailer (a D.C. area native) has been heavily involved in the city’s LGBTQ nightlife scene for two decades after overcoming a drug addiction early in his career. Each month at DC9, he hosts his long-running ‘90s dance party, Peach Pit. Bailer also helmed the DJ booth at Nellie’s for many years, running hugely popular parties there on weekends, like Kickoff. These days, he’s spinning all over D.C., including at Trade and Pitchers, plus bar newcomers like Kiki and Crush. Van Horn took a hiatus from DJing after the pandemic but is back on the scene—both as himself and his drag alter-ego, Summer Camp. 

With Van Horn back behind the booth, he notes that “we always look[ed] forward to our annual Pride Party, but this one is extra special. It sees the original lineup of Matt & Shea DJing together for the first time in six years.” Queer DJ duo, JUGS will provide the opening set.

Van Horn is enthusiastic about the future of his partnership with Bailer after the semi-self-imposed hiatus. They will be joined in the refreshed queer party space by gay DJ collective CTRL, which re-debuted recently at Trade, and is now back with monthly dance parties. For their part, Van Horn and Bailer spoke about resurrecting Mixtape parties on a more regular basis, perhaps even to pre-2018 frequency. The due are working with collaborator DJ Tom Hausman, promising to host a party together in time for next year’s World Pride events.

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