Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: Jan. 6
Parties, club meetings, concerts and more through Jan. 12
The D.C. Kings are at Phase 1 Sunday night. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
TODAY (Friday)
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents “The Workers’ Party,” a night featuring Black Cat staff bands, Mean Season, Booze Riot, The Red Moon Preachers and Raindeer. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online at blackcatdc.com. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Gilded Lily Burlesque presents “Anything Goes” tonight at Red Palace (1212 H St., N.E.) at 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available day of show. Doors open at 9 p.m. and attendees must be 21 or older. For more information, visit redpalacedc.com.
Busboys & Poets presents First Fridays: A Local Arts Exploration today at 5:30 p.m. in the Zinn room at its Hyattsville location (5331 Baltimore Ave., Suite 104). This event combines a reception, artist talk and the opportunity to meet local artists and see their work. This month’s presenters are Hermione Rhones, Joe’s Movement Emporium, Justin Fair, Ilana Silverstein and Lisa K. Rosenstein.
Comedian Tony Woods plays Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E St., N.W.) tonight at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for each performance and available online atriotactcomedy.com. Woods will also have two performances Saturday.
Carbon Leaf, whose live performances have been compared to Dave Matthews Band and R.E.M., play Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd.) in Vienna tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and available online at wolftrap.org. The band also plays Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 7
DJ Randy White spins at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) tonight with music and video downstairs by DJ Wess. There’s an $8 cover before 11 p.m. and $12 afterward. Doors open at 10 p.m.
Code has its monthly installment tonight at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.). Gear, rubber, skin, uniform or leather dress code will be strictly enforced. Music provided by DJ Frank Wild. Admission is $10. All attendees must be 18 or older. There will be an open bar from 9 to 10 p.m.
Black Cat’s (1811 14th St., N.W.) weekly Hellmouth Happy Hour will feature a special holiday screening of the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie starring Luke Perry and Kristen Swanson. This is a free event and doors open at 7 p.m.
Glen Echo Park (7300 MacArthur Blvd.) is having its annual holiday art show and sale today featuring glass, ceramics, jewelry and more in the Popcorn Gallery from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The show ends Sunday. For more information, visit glenechopark.org.
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) presents its production of “Billy Elliot: The Musical” directed by Stephen Daldry and featuring music by Elton John, today at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $150 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
MORE IN THE BLADE: M.A.L. WEEKEND COMING TO WASHINGTON
Sunday, Jan. 8
The D.C. Kings perform at Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) tonight at 10 p.m. This show will be ASL interpreted. There is a $10 cover. Doors open at 7 p.m. and all attendees must be 21 or older. For more information, visit dckings.com.
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers will be helping fight hunger in the D.C. area today from 9 a.m. to noon, with D.C. Central Kitchen. Volunteers will help cook, working along chefs who have graduated from the Kitchen’s job training program. No experience is required, just an interest of cooking. The Kitchen provides job skills by using rescued and donated ingredients to teach unemployed and homeless individuals how to cook, then turns this food into free meal services. E-mail [email protected] for more information.
LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror group Lambda Sci-Fi is having its monthly meeting today, including election of officers and social with annual blind book exchange at 1425 S St., N.W., at 1:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a snack or a non-alcoholic drink to share. For more information contact James at 202-232-3141 or Peter and Rob at 202-483-6369, e-mail: [email protected], or visit the group’s website at lambdascifi.org.
Monday, Jan. 9
WEAVE, a support group for LGBT survivors of intimate partner violence/abuse, meets from 7 to 8 p.m. tonight at the Lighthouse Center for Healing (5321 First Place, N.E.). For more information and to register, call 202-280-6391.
Professionals in the City and the D.C. Center are hosting a speed dating event for lesbian and bisexual women at Chi-Cha Lounge (1624 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight. Attendees will date for about an hour and then be able to mingle with everyone. After the event, matches can be made online. Tickets are $30. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Tuesday, Jan. 10
D.C. Bi Women will have its monthly dinner at Dupont Italian Kitchen (1637 17th St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 9 p.m.
Black Cat (1811 14th St., N.W.) presents Drink and a Movie tonight featuring the films “Can’t Hardly Wait” starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and “Clueless” starring Alicia Silverstone. This is a free event. Doors open at 8 p.m.
MORE IN THE BLADE: A TASTE OF TOKLAS
Wednesday, Jan. 11
Rainbow Response is holding its monthly meeting tonight at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) from 7 to 8 p.m.
Kicking off a series of special shows featuring comedians from one state or city, Riot Act Comedy Theater (801 E St., N.W.) presents Maryland Night with Todd Rexx tonight at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available online at riotactcomedy.com.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., SE — across from Marine Barracks) for duplicate bridge. No reservations needed; newcomers welcome. Visit lambdabridge.com if you need a partner.
MORE IN THE BLADE: TASTE OF NEW YORK
Thursday, Jan. 12
Christopher Cross plays Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd.) in Vienna tonight at 8 p.m. Cross is the only artist to win Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist Grammys on the same night. Tickets are $45 and available online at wolftrap.org.
Emmy Award-winning actress Holland Taylor comes to the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) with her one-woman play “Ann” today at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. The show tells the story of Ann Richards, the second female governor of Texas. Tickets range from $54 to $95 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org.
The Washington Blade held the seventh annual Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC on Saturday, June 13.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
The 2026 Lost River Pride Festival was held on the scenic grounds of the Lost River Farmers Market in Lost City, W.Va. on Saturday, June 13. Headliner Tom Goss performed at the festival and gave a second performance at the nearby Guesthouse Lost River.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Books
David Archuleta on Mormon faith, ‘Idol,’ more in new book
Unique memoir details religious upbringing, coming out
‘Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself’
By David Archuleta
c.2026, Gallery Books
$29/290 pages
So just make up your mind already.
The decision is very much in your control – or, at least that’s how it’s supposed to be. It’ll be your future, your path, and seizing it may not just be necessary, but mandatory. It’s your life, and no one can live it for you. As in the new memoir “Devout” by David Archuleta, that goes for career and for love, too.
Born to parents who both had musical careers before they wed, David Archuleta remembers an early childhood growing up in a Hispanic Mormon community in Florida, where kin was always nearby. He was six when his parents moved the immediate family to Utah; the first thing he remembers about that is the snow, and how it was so cold, it burned.
Because music was in his blood, Archuleta grew up singing and dancing, often with his mother whom he calls “my rock.” It was his father, however, who encouraged him to perform; first, with a gentle push, then a shove toward a career Archuleta didn’t really want.
But he did want to make his father happy, so he went along with the contests, embarrassing meet-and-greets with stars, and uncomfortable introductions. Slowly, though, performing became more fun, and Archuleta made friends.
Meanwhile, back home, everything was breaking apart. A “family friend” whom Archuleta refuses to name accused his father of abuse. He was exonerated, but it affected the family’s closeness and they stopped being affectionate.
That was a painful backdrop to Archuleta’s soaring career, his appearances on Star Search, friendships with other rising stars, his runner-up spot on “American Idol,” tours, and recording contracts. His father kept pushing him.
But there was one thing missing.
Since he was a boy, Archuleta had known that he was attracted to men, but his Mormon faith taught him that that was unacceptable. Kissing, his abuelita said, was wrong. He tried hard to date girls, in the most chaste way. Anything past that was against God – and anything at all with a man was unthinkable.
Though it absolutely favors his personal life and dwells on it a bit too much, “Devout” strikes an otherwise nice balance between that, author David Archuleta’s career, his sexuality, and his faith. The latter two are loaded with controversy.
You don’t need to be Mormon to fully understand the faith part; Archuleta offers non-Mormons a brief education, so readers can see the importance of the Church’s teachings in his life and why he felt the need to abandon it as his understanding of his bisexuality grew. It’s emotionally raw and honest, but also so respectful that it almost bears re-reading. Such candor and the heart-on-his-sleeve tone you’ll sense are features in the entire book, alongside Archuleta’s family’s struggles and his learning to strike out alone.
It’s harmonious in more ways than one, and fans will be happy.
So, too, will anyone who wants a unique memoir with a dose of faith, or someone who’s an “American Idol”watcher. Find “Devout” and be sure to share. You won’t mind.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
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