Arts & Entertainment
‘Closer’ to the mainstream
Tegan and Sara play Merriweather this weekend with fun.
Tegan and Sarah say their decision to go in a more pop-friendly direction on their latest album was a conscious move. It paid-off with their highest selling album to date. (Photo by Lindsey Byrnes; courtesy Warner Bros.)
fun.
‘Most Nights Summer Tour’
With Tegan and Sara
Saturday
6:30 p.m.
Merriweather Post Pavilion
10475 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD
$35-45
ournameisfun.com
teganandsara.com
This year has been undoubtedly the biggest of Tegan and Sara’s career.
Their album “Heartthrob” dropped in January and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 more than doubling the group’s previous peak for first-week sales. It went gold earlier this month in their native Canada. The Quin twins have been on a media blitz that included Ellen, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel and even had their hit single “Closer” featured on “Glee.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etq2vdLieTM
Just before their HRC concert in New York next week (July 25), the lesbian sisters (now 33) are scheduled to play Merriweather Post Pavilion this weekend on the fun. “Most Nights Summer Tour,” which kicked off earlier this month in Toronto and runs through the end of September. We caught up with Tegan last week. Her comments have been slightly edited for length.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How’s the tour going?
TEGAN: It’s mostly been awesome, though we’ve only had one weekend so far.
BLADE: How do the crowds feel compared to your own headlining shows? Obviously there are a lot of people there psyched up for fun.’s set right?
TEGAN: Yeah, but it’s kind of hard to generalize. They have a real awesome music-loving audience. It’s more mainstream, yet still pretty awesome. You get up there and work your ass off to win them over but there’s been a lot of recognition when we play, especially the new stuff, the stuff that’s been on radio, so it’s been really good. They’re great allies and good friends of ours so we really enjoy doing it and it’s a really awesome opportunity for us.
BLADE: Do you have much interaction with them backstage?
TEGAN: We’ve known the guys for years and we even toured with Jack (Antonoff) on our last record for about three months, so we’re quite friendly and hang out with them but it’s a busy time for both bands. In the down time we’re trying to squeeze in a million things like radio stuff and meet and greets. But Sara and I watch the show every night. We have a courtesy mix set up at the side of the stage so we can hear the front-of-the-house mix there for us on a monitor. It feels like summer camp. It’s great.
BLADE: How long is your set?
TEGAN: We play 60 minutes. They play about 90.
BLADE: Any collaborations so far?
TEGAN: Not yet, but we’ve talked about it some. Our labels were pushing for some acoustic versions of each other’s songs but all of us have been busy so far, so we’ll see what happens.
BLADE: Other acts say U.S. pop radio is an especially tough nut to crack. “Closer” was a No. 1 dance hit here but didn’t quite crack the Hot 100. Do you think it’s harder to break a song here? If so, why?
TEGAN: It’s definitely really different in the U.S. It’s very unique. The life cycle of a single in the U.K. is six weeks and in Canada it’s three months. … It’s different too at different formats. We started mostly at college formats but have moved over to pop, which is great, it allows us to have a long life and good reach at radio. Sometimes we think as a band, “I can’t believe they’re still working that song.” But as a band, we don’t make singles, we make records so we’re very old school in that way, it’s just our instinct. Sometimes, yeah, we wish they could work another song but that said, each time we get added at another station, we see our fan base grow in that market and that’s really why we took things in that direction this time. We really wanted to change the face of mainstream radio. We’re queer and alternative but we also love pop songs and we felt it was time to see someone like ourselves represented in the mainstream. We’re reaching young audiences, these kind of queer, fringe, alternative kids and it’s really exciting. But it’s an expensive nut to crack. But I think it’s a cool time in pop music where you’re seeing more bands like fun. and f(x) who have broken into mainstream pop. I think it’s reflecting a lot more integrity than there’s been in years.
BLADE: You and Sara have talked a lot about consciously wanting to broaden your reach with this latest album. How much of the more pop-friendly sound is inherent in the songs themselves versus what the producer brings to the table?
TEGAN: I think it’s absolutely there in the foundation of the songs. Like with “Closer,” that was rebuilt about six times before we even got to the studio … which is where the song really takes flight, but the foundation and architecture, all that happens at home. But before we’d even hired a producer, we knew we were moving more in that direction. It’s still pretty emotional and dark but we knew we definitely wanted more pop instrumentation and really liked the idea of juxtaposing these dark scenes with more pop music. A lot of that comes from our background. We grew up listening to all this pop stuff from the ‘80s and ‘90s music.
BLADE: It’s easy to get you two mixed up — you’re the one with slightly more body in your hair, right?
TEGAN: Yes. I’m not quite sure how that happens but it’s interesting to see the slight differences in identical twins. My hair is a little curlier. Sara needed a retainer when she was 12, I didn’t.
BLADE: How much of your look — which appears pretty planned out to play on the whole twin visual — is discussed? Like if one of you wanted to grow your hair out or bleach it blonde, would you talk about it and discuss what kind of image you’re projecting as a band?
TEGAN: A lot of it just happens naturally without any big discussion. I actually did grow my hair out after the last album. Down to about my shoulders. And then when we were recording and filming and I started seeing photos I was like, “Ugh — too much hair” and I cut it short again. We have lots of jokes about the hair. Rihanna’s had this haircut at different times. Robyn. They used to say all lesbians had the haircut of Justin Beiber but we had this haircut way before anybody had even heard of him. … It’s definitely a different world then when we started. Even around, like, 2000, it was different. Now you get on stage and everybody pulls out their phones so we care more how we look than ever before. I mean, we’re still tomboys at heart, but we don’t want to look like bums. We care about fashion but also want to be comfortable on stage. I’m fine with short hair but I want something that’s low maintenance.
BLADE: What’s your discard song pile like? Is it full of stuff where you felt the hooks just weren’t quite tight enough to make the album or is part of making the song work tightening up the hooks as you go?
TEGAN: Honest truth, we wrote like 50 songs for this record. We were going through the pile just the other day thinking about maybe submitting some to some other artists and there were several we were like, “Wow, this is so good, how did we not choose this?” But there were others, like “Now I’m All Messed Up,” that were just such standouts even in demo form. Like everybody who heard “Closer,” it was just so obvious they were picking the same ones out as their favorites over and over. So a lot do get passed over but we also spend a lot of time perfecting and working it over, especially Sara. She’s really got the patience for it and she might spend 80 hours working on one song. I might do more like 20, it really just depends. Sometimes the song itself is a tough nut to crack. That’s why “Heartthrob” is such a different record for us. I tended to get to a point where I would struggle and Sara would come in and take a look at it and finish it. It just depends. The song to a large degree dictates where it’s going to go.
BLADE: So many great musical acts have been from Canada. Is there any sense of pride in that any more than if you’d all been from, say, Florida or Colorado or wherever?
TEGAN: I think so. When we were coming up, though, we were on the west coast and a lot of the up-and-coming acts, like Arcade Fire and Feist, they were all from Toronto and Montreal and we were out of Vancouver. But there’s definitely something really special there and I think a lot of the talent that comes out of Canada is really because the government helps so much with funding your records. We got a lot of grants along the way, really hundreds of thousands over the years, that allowed us to make videos and travel abroad. Even our managers were able to get grants. I think that’s part of why Canadian artists do so well is they feel so supported.
Sports
Trans cyclist’s victory sparks outrage in conservative media
Katheryn Phillips is originally from DC
On the heels of UPenn erasing the record of the first openly transgender NCAA Division I All-American swimmer and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to tackle bans on trans student-athletes, right wing media is now all hot and bothered about the latest trans woman who won a cycling championship — even though she competed according to the rules.
On Tuesday, 58-year-old Katheryn Phillips finished first in USA Cycling’s Lyons Masters National Championship race for women aged 55-59, with a time of 1:42:10, according to the official results posted by the organization. The record shows her gender as “F” for female.
One second behind Phillips was Julie Peterson, with a time of 1:42:11 — as were three other cyclists: Mary Beth Grier, Andrea Cherniak-Tyson, and Carolyn Maddox.
Peterson, 57, was so outraged, she told Fox News she refused to stand on the podium in second place next to Phillips. Her story was swiftly shared by the New York Post (also owned by Fox’s parent company News Corp.), the Daily Mail, Breitbart, and other conservative media.
Both Peterson and another competitor are accusing USA Cycling of “hiding” that a transgender woman had registered to race.
“It was hidden from us. Katheryn Phillips, KJ’s name, was not on that list. And I checked it up all the way to the point of closure when we couldn’t register online anymore,” Debbie Milne told Fox.
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have spent thousands of dollars in travel and time off work to come and do a race,” Peterson said. Fox welcomed Milne, 56, who finished seventh on Tuesday, to Fox & Friends Thursday morning.
(Video courtesy of Fox News)
Peterson told Fox she did complain to USA Cycling officials prior to the race. Both Milne and Peterson referred to Phillips as a male, and with “he/him” pronouns.
“To be fair to all humans, if we want to say ‘him’ or ‘her,’ he was born a biological male, that is a fact,” Milne said. “And that is the thing that makes it an unfair advantage. Whatever has happened after that is a whole different topic.”
“I said, ‘I don’t want to race against a man,’ and they quickly scolded me and said ‘Oh, you can’t call him a man,’ and I’m like ‘Well, he is a man,’ so I was quickly scolded and corrected that it is a woman and I don’t even know what to say.”
USA Cycling did not respond to the Washington Blade’s emails requesting comment.
Phillips, who goes by Kate and by “KJ,” is a former rugby player with the D.C. Furries, who stated in the comments of a 2024 article published by Zwift Insider that she was the first out trans athlete in the U.S. to compete under the 2004 International Olympic Committee’s guidelines on trans participation.
“When USA Rugby told me about the IOC decision in 2004, I raised my hand to be included. I experience nothing but joy when I play, ride, and race,” Phillips said.
As the Blade has reported, the International Olympic Committee drastically revised those rules in 2021, and in March, Republican lawmakers in D.C. demanded the IOC ban trans female athletes from women’s sporting events altogether.
The Blade also reached out to Phillips for comment but as of press time we have not received a response. She told Zwift Insider in March 2024 she does not let those who disapprove or spread hate impact her performance or her attitude.
“I am unaffected by dissent. I love, I share joy, I am me, and I have been my authentic self for decades,” she said. It’s been reported Phillips came out in 1999, and told Zwift Insider she considers herself a lifelong cyclist.
“I’ve been on a bike for as long as I can remember,” said Phillips. “As kids, my friends and I rode all over town, we were feral kids; no cell phones, no trackers … we just roamed, and nobody got in trouble or hurt bad enough not to ride home … Scrapes/bruises/cuts were not an issue for us. In my teens, I worked for myself as a court/legal messenger, doing all of the work via my bike until I got a car. Raced BMX as a kiddo (when I mowed lawns to cover the race entry fees), I did MTB stuff (non-racing) and Sprint/Olympic Triathlons in my 30’s, and now I’m racing on Zwift, Road/Gravel, and CX in my 50s.”
In the comments section, Phillips made clear she’s not competing to win.
“I don’t do sports for victory, I do it because like many other women, I am an athlete to my core,” she said. “Unlike some, I am not there to WIN, I am there to do my best with the competitors and teammates I have around me trying to do the same…we are in it for the experience. I rejoice in their wins, and a lot of joy is reflected back to me when I have a good day.”
Celebrity News
Nina West’s ‘Sugar in the Tank’ tour comes to Rehoboth Beach
Drag Race’ contestant will be at Clear Space Theater Company on July 6
Nina West, a drag queen known for competing on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” is currently on her ‘Sugar in the Tank’ tour around U.S. cities.
With previous shows in Key West, Fla., New York, and hometown of Columbus, Ohio, the tour is staying put in Provincetown, Mass., from late July to early September. It will make a stop at Clear Space Theater Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as part of a summer cabaret series on July 6.
Andrew Levitt has been performing as Nina West for 25 years, who got her rise from starring in “Drag Race” Season 11, where she placed sixth and won Miss Congeniality, a title awarded to the contestant who is regarded as the kindest and most helpful one of that season.
West has toured “Hairspray” on Broadway as Edna Turnblad, starred in a couple of feature films and published a children’s book titled ‘The You Kind of Kind.’
Levitt said he wrote this show in response to attacks from the government towards the LGBTQ community.
“‘Sugar in the Tank’ is a big old gay fabulous summer musical,” Levitt told the Washington Blade. “The show is a response to the darkness that I think has fallen over a lot of people in the country and it’s hopefully trying to bring a little bit of light and a little bit of joy.”
“Sugar in the Tank” is a Southern euphemism for gay, often holding a negative connotation. Levitt said he wanted to “reclaim and embrace” queerness in times when some people want to take that away.
Levitt said he knew he would be traveling to predominantly queer destinations like Key West and Provincetown for these shows and that was always at the forefront of his mind when writing “Sugar in the Tank.”
This will be Levitt’s first time in Rehoboth Beach. Clear Space Theater is considered Delaware’s second-largest professional non-profit theater and the state’s most prolific producer of professional theater. The space seats just 170 patrons and Levitt said he loves the intimacy of a small venue and that it’s his favorite way to do a show.
“Stages like this size are the perfect size for me because it allows for me to really showcase my talents,” Levitt said.
Levitt founded the Nina West Foundation in 2015 to uplift and sustain the central Ohio LGBTQ community, which has raised more than $3 million for various organizations. He said he makes activism part of the entertainment in his career.
“That’s the nuance of what drag is. We can be ridiculous for fun and we can be serious but it’s all wrapped up into one thing,” Levitt said. “I think that can be the power of it.”
Levitt said West is so much more confident now than when he first started performing as her. He didn’t know where his voice belonged in the community in the past, but because of those who came before him in this art form, he has learned to harness the power of the stage and the power of the wig to be able to tell stories.
“I really love my community. I love queer people. I love who we are and what we represent,” Levitt said. “Knowing our history and knowing that we’ve been through a lot, I’m really thrilled that as a queen, I can use my voice and my platform to help try to better our community, not try to speak for everyone but try to lend voice to people who desperately need it.”
Levitt’s advice to young queer artists is to not give up on yourself, surround yourself with supportive people and allow yourself the opportunity and space to fail, to ask questions, and to not give up.
“Our young people have got to be told they matter,” Levitt said. “Oftentimes, people are told that they don’t matter, that their voice doesn’t matter, that they cannot make a difference and I want to remind every single person who’s doing this that they do matter, they can make a difference, their voice is intrinsic to who we are as a community.”
If Sugar in the Tank was a drink, it would be a Bahama Mama or Sex on the Beach, said Levitt, because they are delicious, juicy, and sugary, just like the show.
“I just want everyone to know that they should come to ‘Sugar in the Tank’ and experience a show that’s built on joy and levity and silliness and fun and come have some fun with me and show me the fabulous love of Rehoboth Beach,” Levitt said. “I can’t wait.”
The Rainbow History Project will host “Pickets, Protests and Parade Exhibit Tour” at 7 p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This event honors the courage, resilience and resistance of D.C.’s gay community. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ Community Social” at 7 p.m. at Hyatt Centric Arlington (1325 Wilson Blvd.). This fun event is ideal for meeting new people and community building. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Xavier Entertainment DC will host “Cowboy Carter Afterparty” at 10 p.m. at Nellie’s Sports Bar. There will be fireworks, parades, and patriotic fun. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Mezcal Amaras will host “Sha Boing Boing Showdown” at 6 p.m. at Snappy’s Small Bar (3917 Georgia Ave., N.W.). Get ready to test your hotdog eating abilities. Tickets start at $12.51 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Illusions Drag Queen Show will host “Drag Queen Dinner Show” at 7 p.m. at 2323 18th St. N.W. Guests will be treated to the very best celebrity drag impersonations in entertainment. Tickets start at $12.97 and are available on Eventbrite.
Thurst Lounge will host “A Thirsty Cowboy Afterparty” at 5 p.m. DJ Apollo will be performing. For more details, visit Thurst’s website.
9:30 Club will host “Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA” at 9 p.m. The DJ will play plenty of disco hits from the 70s and 80s. Tickets cost $45.30 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.
Trans cyclist’s victory sparks outrage in conservative media
Activist recalls experience in Tel Aviv after Israel-Iran war began
Congress passes ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ with massive cuts to health insurance coverage
Nina West’s ‘Sugar in the Tank’ tour comes to Rehoboth Beach
Supreme Court to consider bans on trans athletes in school sports
Upwards of 100K people march in Budapest Pride
Supreme Court to consider bans on trans athletes in school sports
Celebrate the Fourth of July the gay way!
Silver Spring holds annual Pride In The Plaza
