Music & Concerts

Sandi Patty’s farewell

Legendary gospel diva says goodbye with new album

Published

10 years ago

March 10, 2016

Gospel diva Sandi Patty says new album ‘Forever Grateful’ and its current tour are her swan songs. (Photo by Angela Talley; courtesy Stylos Records)

It’s a pretty easy case to make that Sandi Patty is the finest contemporary gospel singer of her generation.

Only one other female singer outsold her — Amy Grant, but she was more singer/songwriter-oriented and couldn’t hold a candle to Patty vocally. The only artistic rivals she ever remotely had — Karla Worley and Cynthia Clawson — are pretty much forgotten footnotes. She easily outsang all the men too and often outsold them. So far-reaching was her ’80s heyday that even a kids’ album she released in 1989 spent a whopping 24 weeks as the top-selling gospel album in the country.

With Patty currently on her final tour (no D.C.-area dates announced as yet) and her farewell album “Forever Grateful” just out, it’s the beginning of the end of an era. The singer, a 59-year-old five-time Grammy winner and Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame inductee, is going out with a bang and while this is certainly preferable to so many contemporary gospel acts who seem to just fall off the face of the earth, it’s a bittersweet season.

The good news is that after years of mediocre covers-heavy albums like “Everlasting” (2013) and “Songs for the Journey” (2008), with “Grateful” she finally tackles mostly new material. It pales compared to her classic ‘80s work on albums like “Morning Like This” (1986) and “Make His Praise Glorious” (1988), but it’s easily her finest such effort since 2003’s “Take Hold of Christ.” Long-time producer Greg Nelson is back and with writing credits on four tracks, it’s Patty’s most self-penned effort ever.

It’s also Patty’s most stylistically diverse effort in years. “Anthem of Praise” is a sturdy church number by Patty, Michael W. Smith and David Hamilton that features a soaring melody and the kind of worshipful lyrics Patty has long been known for.

“Alleluia (Glory, Honor, Majesty)” is a classically flavored worship aria. “All I Got to Do” is black gospel and the family effort “Farther Along” is a Southern Gospel standard Patty has known all her life. She performed it years ago on her “Le Voyage” tour, but had never recorded it til now.

Three simple acoustic ballads — “In the In Between,” “Song of the Redeemed” and the title cut — are just so-so. They’re lovingly sung and suit Patty’s low register fairly well. Despite their sincerity, though, none are especially memorable. The title track is the strongest of the three. A simple prayer, it becomes something of a sonic bookend to the title cut of her first major label effort “Sandi’s Song” 37 years ago.

“It was not the symphonies or sold-out stages/I always found you in the quiet spaces/this is my song for you/this is the one thing I can bring/you’ve taken all that’s broken, every bruise/and handed me a song to sing.”

Another three cuts are remakes of earlier material. An impressive lineup of fellow singers such as Kristin Chenoweth, Natalie Grant, Nicole C. Mullen, her old touring singers First Call and Russ Taff join her “We Are the World”-style on the old warhorse “Love in Any Language.” The arrangement is faithful — it’s the vocal colors that give it punch. It’s the material of a thousand church choir renditions and holds up well.

“Praise Medley” features Patty classics like “Let There Be Praise” and “Hosanna” in a medley she’s been using in practically every concert she’s given in the last 15 years. With such heavy live use, it feels a bit worn into the ground but the Jay Rouse arrangement featuring a delightful new orchestration by Phillip Keveren is still an efficient way to cover a lot of classic ground quickly.

Patty’s husband Don Peslis and several of their highly talented adult children join her on the Steven Curtis Chapman-penned “Love Will Be Our Home,” a song that hasn’t been sung live since her 1989 tour. Perhaps it was too much of a reminder of strained times to sing it for a long time — Patty was married to someone else when she originally recorded it. But enough time has passed that we’re able to take it again at face value and the harmonies are rich and varied here.

There are a few disappointments. Overall, the whole affair feels just a bit slight, especially for a farewell album. Ten all-new songs with the remakes used as bonus cuts would have given the album a more robust overall feel. A new duet with long-time partner Larnelle Harris is a noticeable absence, especially since their last collaboration (“Then Came the Morning” from his 2013 album) didn’t light the world on fire the same way their classic ‘80s material did. One more barn-burner for the ages would have been nice. And where are all the classic cuts like “Via Dolorosa” and “More Than Wonderful” she’s recorded with fans on cruises over the last couple years?

While Patty delivers convincingly on the aforementioned low-key ballads, why so much of that? Though she’s almost always stayed in the pop vein stylistically, Patty’s voice is capable of operatic thunder and it’s held up well. Though the bell-like effortlessness of her early years has matured, the range and oomph are all still there (they were on fabulous display last November at her D.C. concert, the closing night of her “Everlasting Tour”). Why waste time on quiet, tender little ballads like “Song of the Redeemed” when you could be raising the roof? It’s a head scratcher that has plagued many of Patty’s choices and was especially chronic in the ‘90s.

It will never happen, especially now, but I would have loved to have heard Patty do something truly classical like the fabulous “Divine Redeemer” album soprano Christine Brewer just released with organist Paul Jacobs (who’ll be at the Kennedy Center March 16, by the way). Patty only ever flirted with the classics on occasional Christmas-type efforts but she could have pulled off these works by Bach, Handel, Puccini and Gounod magnificently and it’s a shame she never really sunk her teeth into the classical canon.

On some level, I get it. That was just never her thing (she famously lampooned classical-style singing on her live 1983 album). A 2011 richly orchestrated album of Broadway standards — not particularly my thing — was one of her strongest efforts of recent years. But when you have a voice that could blow all the Celine Dions, Lady Gagas, Barbra Streisands and even (in her prime) Julie Andrewses of the world out of the water without breaking a sweat, one sort of yearns to have had heard her take on more substantive material at least once — sort of like when Katharine Hepburn played Shakespeare in the ‘50s. The few times she dabbled in it — Handel passages on her ’83 Christmas album and “The New Young Messiah” or her a cappella rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer” at her D.C. show last November — left me salivating for more.

Ultimately, though, the album is something for which to be “Grateful.”

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FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

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.

Published

3 months ago

September 9, 2025

Joe Reberkenny

Doechii performing at WorldPride 2025's closing concert in June earlier this year. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

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

Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas

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

Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride

Starring Kate Lindsey, Theo Hoffman, John Moore, and Fran Daniel Laucerica

Nov. 23, 6 p.m.

Lisner Auditorium

Washington Master Chorale

Sacred Jewel Box

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

Music & Concerts

Cyndi Lauper ready to have fun in Virginia

Superstar to bring final leg of farewell tour to Jiffy Lube Live

Published

4 months ago

July 18, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Pop icon Cyndi Lauper brings her farewell tour to Jiffy Lube Live on July 24. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

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.

Published

5 months ago

July 9, 2025

Joe Reberkenny

Beyoncé performs on July 7. (Washington Blade photo by Joe Reberkenny)

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.