Music & Concerts
Revisiting ‘Relish’
Classic ‘90s Joan Osborne album out in deluxe reissue
Joan Osborne says the moody, dreamy world of her classic album ‘Relish’ was intentional. (Photo courtesy CAMI)
Mavis Staples & Joan Osborne
Saturday, Oct. 31
8 p.m.
Lisner Auditorium
730 21st St., N.W.
$30-50
Joan Osborne’s landmark 1995 album “Relish” is being reissued on Friday, Oct. 30 in a deluxe 20th anniversary edition in three formats — a single-disc edition with bonus cuts, a 20-track digital bundle with more outtakes and a spate of live B-sides or a double-LP set.
Osborne’s “Solid Soul Tour” with Mavis Staples comes to the Lisner Auditorium on Saturday, Oct. 31. We caught up with her by phone from a tour stop at Penn State to reminisce about all things “Relish.”
On what inspired the reissue: “The record still has a lot of fans and it’s nice to just sort of give a nod to the fact that it’s been around so long.”
On first single “St. Teresa”: “I think it was one of those situations where you release a song that you feel is going to get people interested in the record as a whole and then you wait and build a little interest that way, then you bring out the song that you think might be your pop hit, so I think that was everybody’s strategy if I recall.”
On why there were two “St. Teresa” videos: “After ‘One of Us’ was such a big hit, they felt they wanted to re-release ‘St. Teresa’ as a single and I guess they weren’t completely happy with that first video. I was like, ‘Well, I have an idea for it,’ and they allowed me to direct the second video where I was a hotel maid. That was really fun.”
On mega-hit “One of Us”: “I liked the song and I thought it was interesting. I don’t think that I anticipated it becoming the sort of pop hit that it was or that it became or that it would be controversial. … I could see how people might take exception to using the word slob, as in just a slob like one of us, to refer to God because that certainly flies in the face of most cultures’ perceptions of God, but I didn’t think it was particularly sacrilegious. I felt the song was kind of like having a little kid come up to you and tug on your sleeve and ask you a very innocent question but a question you don’t really have the answer for which kind of sets you back and makes you think about things in that way that children can do because they don’t know any better.”
On the “Airplane Ride” sample that opens “One of Us”: “That came from a record I found in a little record store in SoHo. … I was just wandering around in there one day trying to write lyrics and I went down and found this compilation of Appalachian music and it looked interesting to me so I brought it home. Later I brought it into the session and Rick Chertoff, the producer, and Eric Bazillian and Rob Hyman and the guys I was collaborating with, we were all sort of charmed by it, in particular the heavenly airplane bit, we just thought … it would be a fun thing to add to the front of (‘One of Us’). A lot of people thought it was me, but it wasn’t. Her name was Nell Hampton.”
On locating the “Relish” outtakes: “I didn’t have any of it. It was all in some Universal Music Group vault. I think Rob Hyman had a couple of cassette tapes that he dug out of a box at home. I looked for stuff in my archives but I couldn’t really find anything. The only thing that wasn’t from the vault was the cassette of Rob’s original demo of ‘One of Us.’”
On “Century,” a non-album track she used to perform around the time of “Relish”: “That was one we were taking about putting on (the reissue) but … there are always things that make it on to a record and things that are left off and there are reasons for them to be left off and part of the reason is you just don’t want anybody to hear them.”
On making “Relish”: “One of the things about working with Rick Chertoff was that he was one of these guys who said it doesn’t matter how long it takes, it doesn’t matter how much work it is, none of that stuff matters as long as you get it right and you do it from the ground up and take your time.”
On follow-up “Righteous Love” and its delayed release: “‘The life of ‘Relish’ took a long, long time and was … a tough act to follow. I think there were a lot of expectations from the label and myself that I had to turn around right away and come up with something that was really smashing and I think that intimidated me to a certain extent. I did a lot of things and turned them into the record company and they rejected them, so there was that aspect as well. It was not a particularly fun part of my life.”
On touring with Mavis Staples: “Being on stage with her each night is a total inspiration. She’s just got that thing where she can reach people. She’s so full of joy and also really funny and really smart. It’s just going really great.”
Music & Concerts
Gaga, Cardi B, and more to grace D.C. stages this spring
Shake off your winter doldrums at a local concert
D.C. shakes off its winter blues this spring as the music scene pops off. We all know the big star is coming: Lady Gaga will perform at Capital One Arena on March 23. But plenty of other stars, big and small, will grace D.C. stages, including many LGBTQ and ally artists.
March
3/15, 9:30 Club, St. Lucia – Indie electronic music project known for its synth-pop sound, which blends ‘80s influences with electronic and indie rock elements.
3/31, Lincoln Theatre, Perfume Genius – Indie/pop singer/songwriter Mike Hadreas, also known as Perfume Genius, has toured with a full band, but he is stripping things back for this tour.
April
4/8, Capital One, Cardi B. Cardi B, from New York, unapologetic and proud, is the first solo female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. This year, she’s on her Little Miss Drama Tour, in support of her second studio album, “Am I the Drama?”
4/13, Lincoln Theatre, The Naked Magicians. Australia’s The Naked Magicians are two performers who deliver live magic and laughs while wearing nothing but a top hat and a smile.
4/18, Capital One, Florence and the Machine. Longstanding indie rock back from Great Britain, much-loved for lead singer Florence’s powerful vocals. On their Everybody Scream Tour.
4/16, Capital One, Demi Lovato. Singer/songwriter from Texas, who came out as nonbinary, is traveling on her “It’s Not That Deep Tour.”
4/21, The Anthem, Calum Scott. Platinum-selling gay singer/songwriter Calum Scott released his latest project, Avenoir, last year. Scott rose to fame in 2015 after competing on Britain’s Got Talent, where he performed a cover of Robyn’s hit “Dancing on My Own“.
4/26, Atlantis, Caroline Kingsbury. American queer pop musician from Los Angeles. She released her debut album in 2021, and has two additional EPs. She’s played Lollapalooza 2025 and All Things Go 2025, as well as gone on a co-headlining U.S. tour with MARIS. Shock Treatment is her latest EP.
4/26, Anthem, Raye. This bisexual artist, known for her current chart-topping “”Where Is My Husband!” single, blends pop, jazz, R&B, and more.
4/30, Union Stage, Daya. This bisexual singer/songwriter is on her “Til Every Petal Drops Tour,” touring the album of the same name that was released last year.
May
5/1, The Anthem, Joost Klein. Eurovision comes to D.C. in Joost Klein: Originally a Youtuber, he was selected to represent the Netherlands at Eurovision in 2024 with his song “Europapa.” He released a new album on New Year’s Day.
5/1, Fillmore, MIKA. MIKA is on his Spinning Out Tour. Born in Beirut and raised in both Paris and London, MIKA sings in multiple languages and has co-hosted Eurovision.
5/7, 9:30 Club, COBRAH. Clara Christensen, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer, and club queen, making electronic dance music.
5/19, Atlantis, Grace Ives. New York-born singer/songwriter, known for her high-energy synth/electronic, bedroom-pop-style music.
June
6/2, The Anthem, James Blake. English crooner got big from his self-titled debut album in 2011. He won two Grammys and just released his 7th album,Trying Times, in March.
Music & Concerts
Washington chorale kicks off Christmas with vibrant program
‘Thine Own Sweet Light’ concerts planned
The full Washington Master Chorale will return for its annual holiday concert tradition with “Thine Own Sweet Light” on Friday, Dec. 19 and Sunday, Dec. 21 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church (D.C.) and Church of the Epiphany (D.C.).
The concert will feature the rich sounds of the 50-voice, a cappella chorus performing lush, seasonal choral music inspired by the theme of light. Highlights include Edvard Grieg’s “Ave Maris Stella,” Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque,” and Christopher Hoh’s “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts.” The program will also present a new work by Barcelona composer Josep Ollé i Sabaté, along with charming holiday folk songs and seasonal favorites.
For more details, visit the Washington Master Chorale website.
Music & Concerts
Queer mega stars (and allies) ready to take D.C. stages this fall
Watch LGBTQ icons light up stages across the DMV as they sing, dance, and drag their way through spectacular shows.
One of the best ways to welcome fall is by catching LGBTQ performers (and their allies) lighting up some of the D.C. area’s biggest stages. From country and pop to drag and rock, the season is packed with shows you won’t want to miss.
Maren Morris – The country, rock, and pop diva—known for hits like “The Bones” and for standing up against Nashville’s anti-LGBTQ voices—takes the stage at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Rd, Vienna, Va.) on Friday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $64.
RuPaul – The mother of modern drag and host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will spin a DJ set at Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE) in Northeast D.C. on Sept. 20. Before RuPaul swaps wigs for headphones, Trade and Number 9 owner Ed Bailey will warm up the decks. For tickets and details visit echostage.com.
Conan Gray – The queer pop prince, celebrated for his Gen Z anthems like “Heather” and “Maniac,” brings his Wishbone Pajama Show to EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA, (4500 Patriot Cir) on Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $113. For more info visit shop.conangray.com/pages/tour.
All Things Go Music Festival – With a lineup that includes Noah Kahan, Lucy Dacus, Kesha, Clairo, Doechii, and more, the beloved LGBTQ-friendly festival takes over Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, Md.) Sept. 26–28. For tickets and details visit allthingsgofestival.com.
BERTHA: Grateful Drag – This unique tribute brings drag artistry and the sounds of the Grateful Dead to The Atlantis (2047 9th St NW) on Sept. 27. Tickets start at $47 at theatlantis.com.
Peach PRC – Rising Australian pop star and out lesbian, whose confessional tracks like “Perfect for You” and “Forever Drunk” have made her a queer TikTok darling, performs at The Atlantis on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The show is general admission only. Additional details are on theatlantis.com.
Addison Rae – The TikTok star-turned-pop princess, who’s crossed over into music with glossy hits like “Diet Pepsi” brings her sold out show to The Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.) on Sept. 30. Tickets are sold out, but resale options start around $80. For more info visit theanthemdc.com.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary – Celebrate the cult classic that’s been a queer midnight-movie staple for decades, with Barry Bostwick (a.k.a. Brad Majors) at the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) on Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $41 via Ticketmaster.
Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight & Stephanie Mills – Four legends, one stage. Between Khan’s funk, LaBelle’s soul, Knight’s R&B, and Mills’ powerhouse vocals, this concert at Capital One Arena (601 F St NW) on Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. promises pure diva magic. Tickets start at $103. For more details visit capitalonearena.com.
Lorde – Joined by The Japanese House and Chanel Beads, the Grammy-winning New Zealand singer-songwriter behind “Royals” and “Solar Power” returns to The Anthem on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. Lorde has long been embraced by queer fans for her dreamy pop and subversive lyrics. For more info visit theanthemdc.com.
Andy Bell (of Erasure) – The British queer rock icon, best known for synth-pop classics like “A Little Respect” and “Chains of Love,” brings his Ten Crowns Tour to the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.) on Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $90.45.
Doechii – The self-described queer “Swamp Princess”—and WorldPride 2025 headliner—continues her breakout year with the Live from the Swamp Tour at The Anthem on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. Known for blending rap, R&B, and avant-garde performance art, Doechii is one to watch. Tickets start at $153.
Neon Trees – The out-and-proud Utah rockers behind “Everybody Talks” and “Animal” perform at the Lincoln Theatre on Friday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. Lead singer Tyler Glenn, who came out publicly in 2014, has become a strong queer voice in alternative rock. For tickets and info visit impconcerts.com.
Sasha Colby – The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 15 winner strips down on the Stripped II Tour at the Warner Theatre on Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets available now on Ticketmaster.
Lola Young – The bisexual indie-pop sensation, whose raw songwriting has earned her millions of TikTok fans and multiple chart soaring hits visits The Anthem on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are still available.
Opera Lafayette
Featuring Mary Elizabeth Williams as Dido
+ Elijah McCormack, Chelsea Helm
Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Sixth & I
PostClassical Ensemble
The Pale Blue Do: A Musical Voyage Inspired By Nature
Featuring National Geographic’s Enric Sala, Guest Curator
Wednesday, November 19, 7:30 p.m.
Terrace Theater
Washington Concert Opera
Starring Kate Lindsey, Theo Hoffman, John Moore, and Fran Daniel Laucerica
Nov. 23, 6 p.m.
Lisner Auditorium
Washington Master Chorale
An intimate a capella concert taking place in an architectural jewel, featuring cherished choral gems from Anglican and Catholic tradition and early American hymns. The concert will also present the world premiere of Christopher Hoh’s Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts, and hymn singing featuring Robert Church, organist and choirmaster at St David’s.
Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m.
October 19, 5 p.m.
St. David’s Episcopal Church
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Comings & Goings
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
