CONTENTS

JUNE 21, 2018 Volume 25 Issue 8

14 ADULT FOCUS
A Kid Like Jake has an interesting conceit:
Its titular youth is seldom seen on-screen.

By André Hereford

POT, POPS, AND POLITICS

On the eve of her NSO debut, Melissa Etheridge wants you to
know that everything is going to be okay. Eventually.

Interview by Randy Shulman

26
33 BONE TIRED
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trades theme park thrills
for gothic chills, but it’s still not enough.

By Rhuaridh Marr

SPOTLIGHT: IDEAL HOME p.9 OUT ON THE TOWN p.12

ADULT FOCUS: SILAS HOWARD p.14 UNCERTAIN OUTCOMES: MONA MANSOUR p.17
PUNK SHOWCASE: SASHA LORD p.18 COMMUNITY: TEST DRIVE p.19
COMMUNITY CALENDAR p. 19 SCENE: BALTIMORE PRIDE p.23
COVER STORY: MELISSA ETHERIDGE p.26 FILM: JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM p.33
STAGE: HAMILTON p.35 STAGE: OTHER LIFE FORMS p.37 NIGHTLIFE p.39
SCENE: BALTIMORE EAGLE’S PRIDE CELEBRATION p.39
LISTINGS p.40 LAST WORD p.46
Real LGBTQ News and Entertainment since 1994
Editorial Editor-in-Chief Randy Shulman Art Director Todd Franson Online Editor at metroweekly.com Rhuaridh Marr Senior Editor John Riley
Contributing Editors André Hereford, Doug Rule Senior Photographers Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim Contributing Illustrator Scott G. Brooks
Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, Bailey Vogt, Kate Wingfield Webmaster David Uy Production Assistant Julian Vankim
Sales & Marketing Publisher Randy Shulman National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media Co. 212-242-6863 Distribution Manager Dennis Havrilla
Patron Saint Janis Joplin Cover Photography John Tsiavis

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JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 7

 Spotlight

Ideal Home
I
T’S A STRANGE MOVIE STRUCTURALLY,” SAYS DIREC-
tor Andrew Fleming. “The characters are the plot.” He’s
discussing his new comedy, Ideal Home, which stars Steve
Coogan and Paul Rudd as a couple whose already strained rela-
tionship is put to a further test when Coogan’s young grandson
shows up after the boy’s father is jailed. The film is based in part
on Fleming’s own experiences helping to raise the son of a man
with whom he’d had a 23-year relationship.
“I wasn’t a parent, do you know what I mean?” says Fleming,
known for Hamlet 2, The Craft, and Threesome, a 1994 romantic
comedy that featured a gay central character. “I went into it say-
ing, ‘I’m not going to be your father, I’m not going to be a parent,
I’m just like, the person living in the house. But I realized over
time that I helped raise him, that I was parental in some way.
“The big lessons are just being around, and being yourself,
and imparting whatever you can, in whatever way you can, with
a good heart. They learn by seeing what you do. I was also a
really good cook, and he learned how to cook. He learned to be
a food snob.”
Fleming has nothing but praise for his two stars, who play
off each other magnificently throughout. “As actors, they are
unafraid. They were not hesitant in any way. The relationship in
that movie is not that hot and bothered beginning of a relation-
ship where it’s all sexy and everybody is seducing everybody.
It’s when things run aground. So there wasn’t really that much
sexuality. But,” he laughs, “there is some butt fucking.”
Early drafts of the script contained “a bit of preachiness,”
but Fleming ultimately removed the film’s political overtones.
“Why do we need to try to make a point? If you’ve made it
through the movie, you’re already on the right side.” Still,
when the film was completed, he created a touching end cred-
its sequence designed to drive the comedy’s greater point of
same-sex parenthood home.
“I feel like the idea of the gay family, it’s always looked on
as, ‘Well, isn’t that admirable?’” he says. “There’s this kind of
patronizing attitude towards gay families.... But maybe it’s pos-
sible that those kids are the absolute luckiest kids in the world,
that it’s the best possible place for them to be, in that home.
Because my partner’s son is just like a masterpiece of a kid. He’s
the least neurotic person I know. He’s really smart. He’s really
happy and well-adjusted. And he was brought up by two gay
men.” —Randy Shulman

Ideal Home screens Friday, June 22, at 7 p.m. at the Human Rights Campaign, 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW,
as part of the Reel Affirmations Xtra series. Tickets are $12, or $25 for VIP seating, which also includes one complimentary
cocktail, beer, or wine, and movie candy or popcorn. Visit thedccenter.org/events/idealhome.

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 9

 Spotlight
WEST SIDE STORY
It’s been nearly 60 years since director
Robert Wise adapted this modernized
take on Romeo and Juliet by Leonard
Bernstein. The film, starring Natalie
Wood, Richard Beymer, George Chakiris,
and Rita Moreno. The Oscar-winning
musical is presented in its original wide-
screen format with a mid-film intermis-
sion, plus an introduction and post-show
commentary by TCM Primetime Host
Ben Mankiewicz. Sunday, June 24, and
Wednesday, June 27, at 2 and 7 p.m.
Area theaters including Regal Gallery
Place (701 7th St. NW), Potomac Yards
Stadium (3575 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Alexandria), and Regal Ballston Common
(671 N. Glebe Road, Arlington). Tickets
are $12.50. Visit fathomevents.com.

HARRY STYLES
AND KACEY MUSGRAVES
The former One Directioner offers an in-the-round stage
setup on an international stadium tour supporting his sur-
prising and strong self-titled solo debut, which conjures
the Beatles, old-school, high-quality folk-rock, even a little
Beck — and nary a trace of manufactured boy-band pop. As
an added incentive, North American dates feature Kacey
Musgraves, country’s coolest and classiest star-on-the-rise.
With her early CMA-winning LGBTQ-affirming hit “Follow
Your Arrow,” the progressive Millennial had queer fans from
the get-go, yet still more are joining the fold on account of
her stellar third album Golden Hour and the discofied singles
“Strange Cowboy” and especially “High Horse.” Sunday,
June 24, at 8 p.m. Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. Call 202-
628-3200 or visit capitalonearena.com.

THE EMPEROR OF ATLANTIS

A rarely heard, visionary opera from 1943 that satiriz-
es dictatorship and militarism with commedia dell’ar-
te-type characters, as written by Czech composer Viktor
Ullmann, a victim of the Nazis at Auschwitz, in col-
laboration with his fellow camp inmate Peter Kien,
a poet and visual artist. Stanley Thurston conducts a
chamber orchestra for the one-act opera, presented
in a new English translation by Nick Olcott and star-
ring Andrew Thomas Pardini, Andrew Adelsberger,
and Adam Caughey. Performed as part of a double-bill
with Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale. Presented by The
InSeries. Remaining performances are Saturday, June
23, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, June 24, at 2:30 p.m. Sprenger
Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St.
NE. Tickets are $23 to $47. Call 202-399-7993 or visit
inseries.org.

10 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Spotlight
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL
This hit Broadway jukebox show tells the story of the Motown founder
Berry Gordy and his success in creating an enduring style of American
popular music, launching the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and
Smokey Robinson, to name just three. There was also The Temptations,
the subject of a new jukebox show aiming for Broadway, Ain’t Too Proud.
Tuesday, June 26, Wednesday, June 27, and Thursday, June 28, at 8 p.m.
The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $30
to $85. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

SARAH MCLACHLAN
A year after stopping at Merriweather
Post Pavilion on tour with Paul Simon,
the founder of Lilith Fair returns
for a summer gig in Maryland. The
Canadian crooner will fill Strathmore’s
acoustically rich Music Center with
the sounds of her quiet-storm bal-
lads, performed as part of a solo piano
show. Friday, June 29, at 8 p.m. 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Tickets are $66 to $146. Call 301-581-
5100 or visit strathmore.org.

REBOLLARDANCE:
VARIATIONS
Powerhouse local choreographer Erica
Rebollar celebrates her company’s 10th
anniversary in D.C. by premiering a new
work meditating on the artistic method of
“theme and variation.” Driving the work
are four main themes — a “walking” theme,
an algorithmic duet, a “gesture” theme, and
solos revisited in a final climactic group
phrase. Saturday, June 23, at 8 p.m., and
Sunday, June 24, at 7 p.m. Dance Place, 3225
8th St. NE. Tickets are $30. Call 202-269-
1600 or visit danceplace.org.

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 11

 Out On The Town

DC SHORTS: LAUGHS
Two different programs of comedic shorts, standouts from past festivals, in between live stand-up routines from local
comedians. Show A, on Friday, June 22, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, June 23, at 10 p.m., features Ryan Neser, Kandace Saunders,
and Andy Kline, plus the screening of Ruby Full of Shit, Curse Words, Sans Response (Without Answers), The Importance of
Sex Education, Next Is The One, and Fanny Pack. Show B, on Friday, June 22, at 10 p.m., and Saturday, June 23, at 8 p.m.
features Natalie McGill, Eddie Morrison, and Denise Taylor, plus the shorts Rufus, I Love New, Eulogilia, Ticket Like a Man,
and The Final Show. The Miracle Theatre, 535 8th St. SE. Tickets are $20 for one show, or $30 for two. Call 202-400-3210
or visit laughs.dcshorts.com.

Compiled by Doug Rule
FILM
MCKELLEN: PLAYING THE PART
The story of legendary and knighted
actor Sir Ian McKellen, who came
out a remarkable 30 years ago this
year. Joe A. Stephenson’s documen-
tary traces his journey from West
End theater star to Hollywood’s
Magneto and Gandalf. Stephenson
was granted access to private photo
albums, never-before-seen archive
material, exclusive behind-the-
scenes footage, and the 79-year-old
himself, who regaled the director
with details and reflections on his
life during a reported 14-hour inter-
view. Saturday, June 23, at 5 p.m. at
the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol
St. SE. Tickets are $20. Call 202-
544-7077 or visit folger.edu.
STAGE
AIN’T TOO PROUD
The Kennedy Center pres-
ents this new musical about The
Temptations, a group that churned
out 42 Top 10 hits, including 14
No. 1’s. Des McAnuff (Jersey
Boys) directs and Sergio Trujillo
(Memphis the Musical) choreo-
graphs a production featuring clas-
sics everyone knows — from “My
Girl” to “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”
to “Just My Imagination.” To July
22. Eisenhower Theater. Tickets are
$59 to $159. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org.
BOTTICELLI IN THE FIRE
While painting “The Birth of
Venus,” the famed artist Sandro
Botticelli is put to the test by the
arrival of a conservative priest lead-
ing a populist revolution in Lorenzo
de’ Medici’s Florence. Heralded by
the Montreal Gazette as “the hottest
name in Canadian theater,” Jordan
Tannahill offers an ambitious, mod-
ern story that sounds custom-made
for Woolly Mammoth Theatre
Company. Marti Lyons directs a
production with company members
Cody Nickell, Jon Hudson Odom,
and Dawn Ursula. To June 24. 641
D St. NW. Call 202-393-3939 or visit
woollymammoth.net.
CAMELOT
Alan Paul, Shakespeare Theatre
Company’s resident musical direc-
tor, takes on Lerner and Loewe’s
classic about the powerful love tri-
angle in King Arthur’s court. Ken
Clark plays the King, while Nick
Fitzer is Lancelot du Lac, both in
love with Queen Guinevere, played
by Broadway star Alexandra Silber.
Legends Ted van Griethuysen
and Floyd King are also featured
in a show with choreography by
Michele Lynch, who won a Helen
Hayes Award for her work on STC’s
Kiss Me, Kate. Extended to July
8. Sidney Harman Hall, Harman
Center for the Arts, 610 F St. NW.
Call 202-547-1122 or visit shake-
spearetheatre.org.
DANCING IN MY
COCKROACH KILLERS
GALA Theatre closes its 42nd sea-
son with the D.C. premiere of play-
wright Magdalena Gómez’s sassy
bilingual musical featuring music
and musical direction by Desmar
Guevara. Conceived and directed by
Rosalba Rolón and a co-production
with Rolón’s Pregones Theater/
PRTT of New York, Dancing In
My Cockroach Killers is a rollicking
show with characters inspired by
family, friends, and Latino icons as
varied as Lolita Lebrón, Joe Cuba,
and Iris Chacón. To July 1. Tivoli
Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets
are $30 to $45. Call 202-234-7174 or
visit galatheatre.org.
NOBODY DIES ON FRIDAY
The D.C. premiere of an ironic and
rueful play by Robert Brustein,
founding Dean of the Yale School
of Drama. Nobody Dies on Friday
focuses on the relationship between
Marilyn Monroe and the Strasberg
family, headed up by her acting
coach Lee Strasberg, the longtime
Actors Studio director considered
the father of “method acting.”
Brustein’s examination into the
unhealthy obsession with Monroe
and Hollywood in mid-20th century
America draws upon biographies of
Monroe and Strasberg as well as the
playwright’s own recollections as a
rising New York theater critic at the
time. Mollie Goff portrays Monroe
in a cast including Bill Hurlbutt,
Susan Schulman, Emily Sucher, and

12 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

 Joe Savattieri. Now to July 1. Lab
I Theatre in the Atlas Performing
Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets
are $15 to $25. Call 202-399-7993 or
visit atlasarts.org.

ON THE TOWN
Three sailors romp around New
York in 1944. Olney Theatre
Company revives this early musical
that features an exuberant score
by Leonard Bernstein. The origi-
nal show grew out of a ballet that
Jerome Robbins had worked on
with Bernstein, further developed
by the writing and lyricist team of
Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Olney’s cast includes Evan Casey,
Rhett Guter, Sam Ludwig, Donna
Migliaccio, Tracy Lynn Olivera,
Bobby Smith, and Rachel Zampelli,
with Robbins-inspired choreogra-
phy by Tara Jeanne Vallee. Jason
Loewith directs. Opens Saturday,
June 23. To July 20. Mainstage,
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road,
Olney, Md. Call 301-924-3400 or
visit olneytheatre.org.

ADULT FOCUS
A Kid Like Jake has an interesting conceit: Its titular youth
OTHER LIFE FORMS
D.C. playwright Brandon McCoy
wrote this romantic comedy about
two very different roommates
and their attempts at finding love
is seldom seen on-screen. online. Starring John Loughney,
Josh Sticklin, Aidan Quartana,

A
Brianna Letourneau, and Shanta
SENSITIVE DRAMA ABOUT A GENDER-NONCONFORMING NEW YORK CITY KID, Parasuraman. To July 7. 1742
A Kid Like Jake features Claire Danes and Jim Parsons as the well-meaning but over- Church St. NW. Tickets are $35
to $45. Call 202-265-3768 or visit
whelmed parents of “gender-expansive” 4-year-old. Like Daniel Pearle’s Off-Broadway keegantheatre.com.
play, Silas Howard’s film focuses on the adults’ response to raising their child. Hence, Jake appears
mostly in the background, beyond the glare of audience (mis)perceptions. It was a decision star SWIMMING WITH WHALES
Parsons had a hand in making. Owen, an urban 14-year-old, clash-
es with his fisherman father while
“Jim Parsons, with his husband, producer Todd [Spiewak], and producer Eric Norsoph, visiting the family’s secluded cot-
optioned the play and did the first adaptation,” says Howard. “They toyed with different ways of tage on the Outer Banks of North
seeing or not seeing Jake. I knew that would be a very strong decision in terms of frustrating peo- Carolina. Cue a beached whale
to help save the relationship and
ple. I wanted them to be frustrated because I felt like, especially at age four, to have that kid bear awaken Owen’s sense of wonder
the weight of that scrutiny — Are they this? Are they that? — I just felt like that’s not the point.” and connection with the sea. Bob
Instead, A Kid Like Jake, which also features Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer as the caring (and Bartlett’s drama gets a world pre-
lesbian) director of Jake’s preschool, hones in on the strain placed on the marriage of two seem- miere in a production directed by
Alex Levy. To June 24. 1st Stage,
ingly liberal, Brooklynite parents, who struggle to reconcile a plan of action for addressing Jake’s 1524 Spring Hill Rd. Tysons, Va.
unique identity. Tickets are $15 to $33. Call 703-854-
“What we’re trying to do is show that it can be very difficult just to support and allow kids to be 1856 or visit 1ststage.org.
themselves,” says Howard, who identifies as transgender. “It felt very human to [show], we can all THE NIGHT
talk a good talk, but it’s hard to actually put that into your everyday practice.” MICHAEL JACKSON DIED
No stranger to directing challenging or queer narratives, Howard has established an adventur- Set at a club in Miami’s Little
ous career that’s seen him helm award-winning indie features like Sunset Stories, episodes of This Havana on the fateful night of June
25, 2009, Kymone Freeman’s play
Is Us and Transparent, and even a pair of club kid-fabulous videos for underground dance music focuses on five strangers who bond
artist AB Soto. over music. Five actors present a
Having moved on from what he calls the “painful” experience of the harassment scandal that staged reading of the show a year
before a full production is expect-
rocked the cast and crew of Amazon’s Transparent — “I know Trace Lysette and Van Barnes, ed to run at the Atlas Performing
they’re very near and dear to my heart. I support them wholeheartedly.” — he’s excited about his Arts Center. DJ Lance Reynolds
role as a co-executive producer on Ryan Murphy’s FX musical drama Pose, which boasts landmark from WPFW 89.3 FM will enhance
levels of trans representation for a cable or network series. the reading with classics from
Jackson’s hit repertoire. Monday,
“To see it at this level, at this budget, with this talent is phenomenal,” he says. “With Janet Mock June 25, at 7:30 p.m. The Hamilton,
and Steven Canals, and those voices in the writers’ room, it definitely feels like a historic moment.” 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to
—André Hereford $39.75. Call 202-787-1000 or visit
thehamiltondc.com.

A Kid Like Jake is not rated, and is playing at the Angelika Pop-Up
at Union Market, 550 E. Penn St. NE. Visit fandango.com.

14 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

THE REMAINS
A comedy about the tragedy of lov-
ing starring Maulik Pancholy (30
Rock, Weeds) as one half of a gay
couple celebrating a 10th anniver-
sary and revealing the truth of their
seemingly perfect relationship.
David Muse directs a world pre-
miere by Ken Urban. Extended to
June 24. Studio Theatre, 14th & P
Streets NW. Call 202-332-3300 or
visit studiotheatre.org.
THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS
Joe Calarco directs Signature
Theatre’s take on Kander & Ebb’s
final musical collaboration, a
breathtaking critique of a true story
of racism and injustice from 1931.
Eight years after The Scottsboro
Boys debuted on Broadway, the D.C.
premiere features an ensemble cast
including Jonathan Adriel, Malik
Akil, Christopher Bloch, Chaz
Alexander Coffin, Felicia Curry,
C.K. Edwards, DeWitt Fleming
Jr., Andre Hinds, Darrell Wayne
Purcell, Aramie Payton, Lamont
Walker II, Joseph Monroe Webb,
and Stephen Scott Wormley, with
choreography by Jared Grimes.
To July 1. MAX Theatre, 4200
Campbell Ave., Arlington. Call 703-
820-9771 or visit sigtheatre.org.
TRAYF
Theater J presents a world pre-
miere of Lindsay Joelle’s play set
in 1990’s New York, named for the
Yiddish word for “non-kosher”
or “forbidden.” Trayf predomi-
nantly focuses on the double life
of 19-year-old Zalmy: a loyal foot
soldier for his rabbi and Orthodox
Jewish community by day, a free-
wheeling, roller-skating, secular
club kid at night. Derek Goldman
directs Josh Adams, Madeline Joey
Rose, Tyler Herman, and Drew
Kopas. To June 24. The Aaron and
Cecile Goldman Theater, Edlavitch
DCJCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets
are $39 to $69. Call 202-777-3210 or
visit theaterj.org.
MUSIC
BEAUTY PILL
A decade ago, the experimental,
cinematic-sounding electronic/
rock band was touted as a harbin-
ger of a new era of homegrown
D.C. music. And then its lead
producer, singer-songwriter and
guitarist Chad Clark fell ill to a
rare virus that infected his heart.
After two open-heart surgeries and
several years recuperating, Clark
revived the group in part to record
and perform scores for theatrical
productions by Taffety Punk and
Woolly Mammoth, as well as cre-
ate novel sound art installations
at the Arlington Arts Center and
the former Artisphere complex.
The latter included an “Immersive
Ideal” exhibition in which the
group recorded live its most recent
album, Beauty Pill Describes Things
As They Are, named to Best Albums
lists by NPR Music and Rolling
Stone in 2015. Beauty Pill mem-
bers Basla Andolsun, Jean Cook,
Drew Doucette, and Devin Ocampo
join Clark in a rare live concert,
the second this year, this time a
free offering in collaboration with
Hometown Sounds and as a part of
By the People. Sunday, June 24, at
6 p.m. Kennedy Center Millennium
Stage. Free. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org.
JAZZMEIA HORN
A jazz vocalist originally from
Dallas, Horn is quickly emerging
as one of the genre’s best new tal-
ents, winning prestigious titles in
the process, including the 2013
Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition and the
2015 Thelonious Monk Institute
International Jazz Competition.
After headlining concerts at the
Kennedy Center and Blues Alley
in the past year, Horn returns to
the area to perform at the city’s
newest music venue. Sunday, June
24. Doors at 6 p.m. City Winery DC,
1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $25
to $35. Call 202-250-2531 or visit
citywinery.com.
JAZZ IN THE GARDEN:
MICHAEL THOMAS QUINTET
A summertime staple, the National
Gallery of Art offers free outdoor
concerts immediately after work
every Friday through late August.
Bands offering a range of jazz styles,
from swing to Latin to ska, per-
form amidst the museum’s collec-
tion of large-scale sculptural works
while patrons enjoy food and drink,
including beer, wine, and sangria, as
sold by the Pavilion Cafe and out-
door grill. The 2018 series continues
with the Hendrik Meurkens Quartet
on June 22, followed by by the Josh
Bayer Jazz swinging ensemble on
June 29. Evenings from 5 to 8:30
p.m. Sculpture Garden, between 7th
and 9th Streets NW. Call 202-289-
3360 or visit nga.gov.
JOSANNE FRANCIS
The nationally renowned Francis
was the first steelpan soloist in
history invited to give a recital at
Carnegie Hall in 2014, the same
year she also appeared as a guest
musician on — of all things —
Bravo’s Top Chef. The artistic direc-
tor of the Cultural Academy for
Excellence, a music-based enrich-
ment program in Prince George’s
County, Francis is also currently
serving as an Artist-in-Residence at
Strathmore this season. Next week,
she performs a solo concert as part
of a series showcasing the pro-
gram’s sonically diverse 2018 class.
Wednesday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m.
The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701
Rockville Pike, North Bethesda.
Tickets are $17. Call 301-581-5100
or visit strathmore.org.
PAPERHAUS
The popular D.C. band, consist-
ing of founder Alex Tebeleff, Matt
Dowling, and Rick Irby, makes
rhythmically oriented, psychedelic
rock with a mournful edge, recall-
ing everything from Joy Division
and the Doors to experimental con-
temporaries Deerhunter and Lower
Dens. Any fans of melodic electri-
fied rock will be hooked by the hazy,
moody rocker “Told You What To
Say,” from last year’s Are These The
Questions That We Need to Ask?
Fellow D.C. acts Park Snakes and
Bacchae open, with between-sets
music from DJ Hipsterwoods.
Saturday, June 30. Doors at 7 p.m.
Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE.
Tickets are $15. Call 202-388-ROCK
or visit rockandrollhoteldc.com.
SERENADE! 8TH ANNUAL
CHORAL FESTIVAL
Co-presented by Classical
Movements, the Kennedy Center
offers a free week-long festival of
choral music featuring 12 profes-
sional ensembles from 14 coun-
tries, this year built on a theme of
celebrating South Africa’s Nelson
Mandela. Serenade! kicks off
with the first of five Millennium
Stage concerts Tuesday, June 26,
featuring the Central Australian
Aboriginal Women’s Choir plus
the Indonesian Children and Youth
Choir – Cordana. The next evening
(Wednesday, June 27) features Olga
Vocal Ensemble, an all-male a cap-
pella quintet from the Netherlands,
and the Chennai Children’s Choir,
an inspirational ensemble consist-
ing of orphaned, blind, and differ-
ently abled Tamil children from
India. The Thursday, June 28, show
pairs the Ensemble Tyva Kyzy,
the only all-female throat-sing-
ing group from southern Siberia,
with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale,
Canada’s first professional group
dedicated to Afrocentric music of
all styles. The festival draws to a
close on Sunday, July 1, with per-
formances from all 12 ensembles
in the Concert Hall. “Mandela
at 100: Songs of Hope, Justice &
Unity,” includes the world premiere
of a commissioned work by South
Africa’s Qinisela Sibisi featuring
the entire Serenade! mass choir
conducted by Scott Tucker of the
Choral Arts Society of Washington.
All shows at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kenne-
dy-center.org.
WICKED JEZABEL
Pauline Anson-Dross’ popular lesbian
all-covers party-rock band Wicked
Jezabel has been rocking — as well as
raising money for various good caus-
es — all over the region for a decade
now, originally under the name The
Outskirts of Town. The ladies return
to their main stomping grounds in
Virginia on Friday, June 29, at 9
p.m. JV’s Restaurant, 6666 Arlington
Blvd., Falls Church. Call 703-241-
9504 or visit jvsrestaurant.com.
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
DANCE
CHAMBER DANCE PROJECT:
BALLET, CHANT & SONG
The fifth seasonal offering from this
New York-birthed, D.C.-based con-
temporary dance company focuses
on the premiere of a work in col-
laboration with National Cathedral
music director Michael McCarthy
and featuring live Gregorian chant.
Seven dancers, five singers, a djem-
be drummer, and a string quartet all
factor into Chant, choreographed
by the Project’s founder and artis-
tic director Diane Coburn Bruning
with company dancer Andile
Ndlovu. The program also includes
the Washington premiere of
Vespers, choreographed by former
Paul Taylor dancer David Grenke,
Wild Swans by New York choreog-
rapher Darrell Grand Moultrie, plus
highlights from Time Has Come,
Bruning’s first ballet in Washington
as a toast to the company’s anni-
versary. Opening Night, including
Summer Solstice Party with the art-
ists after the performance at the
Hotel Monaco, is Thursday, June
21, starting at 7:30 p.m. Additional
performances Friday, June 22, and
Saturday, June 23, at 2 and 8 p.m.
Lansburgh Theater, 450 7th St. NW.
Tickets are $30 to $50, or $150
for Opening Night performance and
party. Call 202-547-1122 or visit
chamberdance.org.
COMEDY
MICHAEL CHE
The Saturday Night Live Weekend
Update co-host returns to the area
for another night of appealing,
provocatively unassuming stand-
up, or “blunt, insightful” humor
mixed with a “reflective laid-back
stage presence,” to quote the New
York Times. Thursday, June 28, at
8 p.m. Warner Theatre, 513 13th St.
NW. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call
202-783-4000 or visit warnerthe-
atredc.com.
THE SECOND CITY:
GENERATION GAP
The full title of the latest show from
Chicago’s famed troupe created
especially for the Kennedy Center
is Generation Gap...Or, How Many
Millennials Does It Take to Teach a
Baby Boomer to Text Generation X?
Expect a satirical crash course span-
ning miscommunications, careers,
dating, and more in a two-act, inter-
active spin on what the troupe calls
“the age-old battle of the ages.” To
Aug. 12. Theater Lab. Tickets are $49
to $59. Call 202-467-4600 or visit
kennedy-center.org.
READINGS
ALLEN GANNETT
In The Creative Curve: How to
Develop the Right Idea at the Right
Time, data entrepreneur Gannett
15
 American Writers from Francis Scott
Key to Zora Neale Hurston. See also:
queer giants Walt Whitman and
Langston Hughes. Saturday, June
30, at 3:30 p.m. Politics and Prose,
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call
202-364-1919 or visit politics-prose.
com.
STEPHEN TANKEL:
WITH US OR AGAINST US
A professor at American University
and senior fellow at the Center for
a New American Security, Tankel
offers what is billed as a “theo-
retically rich and policy-relevant
toolkit for assessing and improv-
ing counterterrorism cooperation...
and getting the most out of diffi-
cult partnerships.” Since President
George W. Bush’s famous black-
or-white declaration that gives
this book its title, there’s really no
such thing as a pure ally or a pure
foe, and the U.S. is forced to col-
laborate with unreliable partners
in the ongoing War on Terror.
Tankel will be in conversation with
Schmitt, senior correspondent for
the New York Times and co-au-
SERPENTWITHFEET thor of Counterstrike: The Untold
Story of America’s Secret Campaign
Josiah Wise, who records and performs as serpentwith- Against Al Qaeda. Monday, June
feet, is a Baltimore-born, New York-based gay artist 25, at 6:30 p.m. Kramerbooks, 1517
who makes music — gospel-inflected, classically rooted Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-
387-1400 or visit kramers.com.
electronica — that is as sonically exploratory and hard
to classify as Grizzly Bear, the gay-led experimental VALERIE BOYD:
indie-rock band Wise opened for at the Anthem last fall. BARRACOON DISCUSSION
He returns for an intimate headline show and a stronger Valerie Boyd, a former arts editor
at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
focus on his dramatic, stirring, and compelling tunes, as and current University of Georgia
showcased on his debut album soil, released earlier this journalism professor, garnered
month, which explicitly aims “to provide black, queer several awards and much critical
acclaim for her 2003 biography
people with a heartfelt, futurist folk,” as an official note
Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of
puts it. Monday, June 25. Doors at 7:30 p.m. DC9, 1940 Zora Neale Hurston. Who better
9th St. NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $14 day of to lead a discussion focused on
show. Call 202-483-5000 or visit dcnine.com. Hurston’s Barracoon, which was
just published this year, 58 years
after her death? Boyd will be joined
by poet E. Ethelbert Miller, longtime
director of Howard University’s
reveals the four laws of creativi- ing parents face, Quart tells stories African-American Resource Center.
ty. In generating new ideas there’s of people struggling to negotiate Monday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m. The
a sweet spot between what feels the unstable job market, high child- Cullen Room at Busboys & Poets,
familiar and what is truly innova- care costs, limited parental leave, 1025 5th St. NW. Call 202-789-2227
tive. It’s a point of optimal tension and a lower standard of living than or visit busboysandpoets.com.
between safety and surprise, sim- what they grew up with. Quart will
ilarity and difference — and ulti- be in conversation with Barbara
mately, finding this sweet spot is the
key to developing a successful cre-
Ehrenreich, author of the clas-
sic Nickel and Dimed, with whom
MUSEUMS
ative breakthrough. From Mozart
to the creators of the musical Dear
Quart co-founded the Economic
Hardship Reporting Project, a non- & GALLERIES
Evan Hansen, and from Netflix profit for reporting on inequality.
to Reddit, The Creative Curve is Friday, June 29, at 7 p.m. Politics BASELITZ: SIX DECADES
packed with case studies to help and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. The Hirshhorn presents the first
the reader understand how to con- NW. Call 202-364-1919 or visit poli- major U.S. retrospective since 1996
ceive ideas that can lead to success. tics-prose.com. of one of Germany’s greatest liv-
Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m. Solid ing artists, featuring more than
State Books, 600 H St. NE. Call 202- KIM ROBERTS: A LITERARY 100 works, from iconic paintings
854-0118 or visit solidstatebooksdc. GUIDE TO WASHINGTON, D.C. to wood and bronze sculptures,
com. National Geographic Traveler placed highlighting every phase of Georg
Washington at No. 8 in its Top 10 Baselitz’s career. The occasion is
ALISSA QUART list of the world’s most literary cit- the 80th birthday of the figurative
The “Outclassed” columnist for ies. Roberts, a D.C.-based freelance artist, who came of age in post-war
The Guardian offers an eye-open- historian and writer, aims to help East Germany and is best known for
ing report on the middle class in the everyday resident uncover some large-scale, expressive paintings,
Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t of the literati in our midst through often with subjects painted upside
Afford America. Drawing on her this walking tour and anthology, down. Through Sept. 16. Second
reporting of the challenges work- subtitled Walking in the Footsteps of
16 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Floor Galleries, Independence
Avenue and Seventh Street SW.
Call 202-633-1000 or visit hirsh-
horn.si.edu.
NONOTAK: NAKED EYES
The latest immersive show at
ArTecHouse, D.C.’s innovative sci-
ence-meets-art gallery, is billed as
a “celebration of light” and pre-
sented in partnership with the
Optical Society, the American
Physical Society, and the American
Institute of Physics. Developed
by illustrator Noemi Schipfer and
musician Takami Nakamoto work-
ing together as Nonotak, the Paris-
based duo’s first solo exhibition in
the U.S. transports viewers into
a dreamlike environment where
they’re encouraged to follow the
lights as they see them — exploring
the medium in three-dimensional
fashion across four sculptural light
and sound installations. During eve-
ning hours, the gallery once again
offers specially made, technolo-
gy-enhanced cocktails from what
is touted as “the first Augmented
Reality Cocktail Bar in the United
States.” To June 30. ArTecHouse,
1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets for
60-minute, timed-entry sessions are
$12 for daytime or $15 for evening
admission, not including drinks.
Visit artechouse.com.
SURREALISM
A juried 40th Anniversary Exhibit
featuring works by members of
The Washington Calligrapher’s
Guild, an organization devoted to
artistic writing and textual design.
This year’s theme takes inspira-
tion from the famous 20th century
movement known as surrealism,
in which writers, poets, and artists
sought to express themselves free
from conscious control of reason
and convention. Many of the cho-
sen entrees are for sale through
the Strathmore Mansion Gift Shop.
Opening Reception is Thursday,
June 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. On display
to July 29. 10701 Rockville Pike,
North Bethesda. Call 301-581-5100
or visit strathmore.org.
ABOVE
AND BEYOND
BY THE PEOPLE: ARTS AND
DIALOGUE FESTIVAL
Dozens of installations, pop-up per-
formances, and discussions — many
of them free — will take place at
various venues around town all next
weekend as part of an inaugural arts
and innovation festival organized by
Georgetown’s Halcyon House. The
key ticketed events are: renowned
jazz pianist JASON MORAN, on
Thursday, June 21, at 8 p.m., at
the Washington National Cathedral
($35); Philadelphia’s avant-garde
company BALLETX, in two distinct
performances — one, Friday, June
22, at 8 p.m., with works inspired
by the Latin and Afro-Caribbean
music of Spanish Harlem, the other
on Saturday, June 23, at 2 p.m.,
with works inspired by by Motown,
both at Union Market’s Dock 5, 1309
5th St. NE ($45 each); an exclusive
partnership between WOLF TRAP
OPERA with the HONG KONG
BALLET performing The Seven
Deadly Sins, including projections
of visual artwork and a guest perfor-
mance from the new TERRA FIRMA
DANCE COMPANY, on Saturday,
June 23, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, June
24, at 1 p.m., at Dock 5 ($45); the
“PUNK LATITUDES” showcase of
legendary punk bands from D.C.
and LA including performances and
video screenings, on Sunday, June
24, at 5:30 p.m., at Dock 5 ($35);
and a closing concert featuring leg-
endary go-go band RARE ESSENCE
with SMALL UPSETTERS, on
Sunday, June 24, at 7 p.m. U Street

STAN BAROUH
Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW ($15).

Additional, free events include: per-

formances by BRIDGMAN|PACKER
DANCE on Thursday, June 21, at

UNCERTAIN OUTCOMES
5:30, 6:15, and 7 p.m. at the National
Cathedral; a screening and panel
discussion of the documentary
Becoming Free about post-pris-
on reintegration on Thursday, June
21, at 6 p.m., at the Miracle Theatre, Mona Mansour’s The Vagrant Trilogy explores
535 8th St. SE; the public art-mak- how our choices impact the rest of our lives.
ing event Crochet Jam led by San

Francisco-based artist RAMEKON
O’ARWISTERS and presented
by the gallery TRANSFORMER,
Friday, June 22, at 11 a.m., in
Farragut Square Park; performanc-
es as part of an installation from
queer Argentinian/American art-
ist ESTEFANI MERCEDES every
day at the Smithsonian’s Arts &
Industries Building, 900 Jefferson
Dr. SW; a pop-up performance by
the WASHINGTON PERFORMING
ARTS MEN, WOMEN AND
CHILDREN OF THE GOSPEL
CHOIR on Sunday, June 24, at 12
p.m., at Union Market; and pop-
ups throughout the festival by the
DUPONT BRASS.
DAVID BLAINE
The cute death-defying magician
is taking his stunts on the road in a
36-date North American tour spon-
sored by Live Nation and including
a stop at Maryland’s MGM resort.
Sunday, June 24, at 8 p.m. Theater
at MGM National Harbor, 7100
Harborview Ave., Oxon Hill, Md.,
Oxon Hill, Md. Call 844-346-4664
Or visit mgmnationalharbor.com.
GNO:
GAY NIGHT OUT VARIETY SHOW
A night of local tendsetting LGBTQ
musicians and performers is on tap
at this new show kicking off during
Pride month. Drag performer Jane
Saw (Gay/Bash, Sleaze) will host
performances the first go-round by
show creator Bryce Sulecki (Capital
Fringe’s Hydrogen Blonde), known
I
N MONA MANSOUR’S THE VAGRANT TRILOGY, A PROMISING
23-year old Palestinian grad student must choose whether to return
to his family in a war zone — or leap into a more secure life alone
as a refugee. An impressive undertaking for director Mark Wing-Davey
and his six-person cast at Mosaic Theater Company, the haunting odys-
sey ponders home and family through the lens of a forced migration.
Comprised of three one-hour plays that have been performed individually
but never before as a unit, the evening offers up two alternate outcomes
for the lead character.
“It’s been described as a conditional trilogy,” says Mansour, raised
in southern California by an American mother and Lebanese immigrant
father. “It’s not so much this is the first part of his life, this is the middle
part of his life, and this is the later part of his life. It’s really like, here’s this
moment — he might go one way or another, and you’re going to see both.”
The play’s central character, Adham, speaks of finding a place, for him-
self and his family “where we are wanted.”
Mansour recalls that the house she grew up in became just such a place
for refugees in her own family during the Lebanese civil war, which began
in 1975 and ended fifteen years later. “A lot of our cousins — particularly
the male ones — started to come live with us,” she says. “When my mother
passed away last February, one of the cousins said — it was very beautiful
— ‘I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her.’”
Mansour discovered just how accepting her mother was when she
came out to her. “I was on the way to San Francisco with this woman,
and I told my mom. She’s like, ‘Wait, are you going with a boyfriend?’ I
was like, ‘No, mom, it’s a woman.’ Literally, in the blink of an eye she was
like, ‘Whatever you do, I love you.’ That’s who she was.” —André Hereford
The Vagrant Trilogy runs through July 1 at Atlas Performing Arts Center,
1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $65. Call 202-399-7993, ext. 2 or visit
MosaicTheater.org.

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 17

 simply as Bryce when performing
his left-field, queer-explicit dance-
pop songs; stage actor and pop artist
Hilary Morrow (Pointless Theatre’s
Imogen); and Alanis Morissette-
influenced folk-pop singer-song-
writer Jordan Genovese. Saturday,
June 23, at 7:30 and 10 p.m. District
of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC),
2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are
$20. Call 202-462-7833 or visit
dcartscenter.org.

SMITHSONIAN SUMMER
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
This Saturday, June 23, you can
spend the evening at your favorite
Smithsonian museum, as most of
them will stay open until midnight.
The occasion is an institution-wide,
all-day celebration of the summer
solstice, in association with the
inaugural By The People Festival.
It will certainly be the longest day
of the year at the various muse-
ums, whose cafes and gift shops
will also stay open well into the
evening hours. Among the only-on-
the-solstice daytime offerings, an
obvious highlight is Dolcezza’s out-
door pop-up shop at the Hirshhorn,
where samples of new summer
gelato flavor Orange Sunshine, a
blend of alishan oolong tea with
pixie tangerine juice, will be avail-
able while supplies last, starting at
10 a.m.

The best way to kick off the eve-

ning is by taking advantage of the
fourth annual after-hours festival

PUNK CELEBRATION
of Americana. The festivities start
at 5:30 p.m. with an art and history
happy hour at the National Museum
of American History (14th Street
Sasha Lord is helping to celebrate D.C.’s connection to punk and Constitution Avenue NW). At
7:30 p.m., things move — via “pedi-
with a showcase in this year’s By The People festival. cab procession” — to the complex at

I
8th and F Streets NW that houses
both the Smithsonian American Art
T’S IN MY BLOOD TO BE AN IMPRESARIO,” SAYS SASHA LORD, THE LOCAL LIVE
Museum and the National Portrait
music producer. Her maternal grandfather was an opera singer and her grandmother a well- Gallery. There, you’ll first encoun-
known radio personality in their native Russia. “Essentially, music saved their lives, because ter the outdoor Community Block
that’s how they were able to escape the war. They came to this country [in the 1930s] due to an Party with food trucks, lawn games,
and craft-making stations featuring
invitation letter for him to be in the Don Cossack Choir.” local artists in collaboration with
Lord’s latest endeavor is “Punk Latitudes,” part of the By the People Festival, produced by Made in DC — plus representatives
Septime Weber, the former Artistic Director of the Washington Ballet. The event features local from the Downtown BID, the nearby
Woolly Mammoth and Shakespeare
punk musicians along with screenings of music videos from L.A.-based director Bradley Friedman,
theatre companies, and the Fresh
“including never-been-seen-before footage of the Sex Pistols and the Ramones.” Farm Farmers Market. Once inside,
“The lineup is diverse and all ages,” she says. “and the artists are emerging to legendary.” check out the boutique-designed
They include D.C. bands Sneaks, Loud Boyz, and the Messthetics (featuring former members of Beer Garden that will be set up in
the covered Kogod Courtyard con-
Fugazi), plus a DJ set from local punk veteran Alec MacKaye. There will also be a panel discussion necting the two institutions, where
about punk-inspired art featuring Friedman and fellow visual artists Cynthia Connolly and Lely a Washington-based caricature
Constantinople. artist will be offering portraits of
patrons, who can also peruse the
“I’ve found that my best role is being a promoter and supporter of bands, in creating oppor-
exhibitions open throughout the
tunities for artists,” Lord says. She happily plays the role of de facto ambassador for her home- complex’s first floor. At 9:30 p.m.
town — which is not always an easy sell. “Especially during some [presidential] administrations comes a closing concert featuring
— including the current administration — some bands don’t even want to come to D.C. Sometimes Atlanta’s neo-soul group Ruby Velle
and the Soulphonics and D.C.’s ris-
you have to take a band under your wing, to book them and show them just how great it is.... It’s ing rap star Oddisee, plus additional
such a warm community.” —Doug Rule tunes spun by DJ Ayes Cold. Free.
Visit si.edu/SolsticeSaturday. l

Punk Latitudes is Sunday, June 24, at 5:30 p.m., at Dock 5 in Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE.
Tickets are $35. Call 800-680-9095 or visit halcyonhouse.org/punk-latitudes.

18 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY


THURSDAY, June 21
CULTUREBLAST: DC ZINES
— UPLIFTING QUEER VOICES
is a meet-and-greet with the
teams behind some of D.C.’s
most innovative magazines
showcasing voices from queer
communities of color. Connect
with editors from DIRT, Homie
House Press, MelaNation, and
Vănguard to hear about the
themes that drive their work,
learn about upcoming issues,
and find opportunities to sub-
mit. 6:30-8 p.m. Hillyer Art
Gallery, 9 Hillyer Ct. NW. For
more information or to register,
visit bit.ly/dczines.
The DC Center holds a meet-
ing of its POLY DISCUSSION
GROUP, for people interested
in polyamory, non-monogamy
or other non-traditional rela-
tionships. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. Visit thedc-
center.org.
The Residences at Thomas
Circle invites you to a
ROOFTOP PRIDE PARTY
for LGBTQ older adults.
Socialize with others from the
LGBTQ community, and talk
with volunteers from Center
Aging about The DC Center’s
offerings. 5:30-9 p.m. 1330
Massachusetts Ave. NW. For
more information and to RSVP,
call 202-628-3844.
Weekly Events
ANDROMEDA
TRANSCULTURAL HEALTH
offers free HIV testing and HIV
services (by appointment). 9
a.m.-5 p.m. Decatur Center,
1400 Decatur St. NW. To
arrange an appointment, call
202-291-4707, or visit androm-
edatransculturalhealth.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB practice
session at Takoma Aquatic
Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van
Buren St. NW. For more infor-
mation, visit swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS run-
ning/walking/social club
welcomes runners of all ability
levels for exercise in a fun and
supportive environment, with
socializing afterward. Route
distance is 3-6 miles. Meet at
7 p.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW.
For more information, visit
dcfrontrunners.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s
gay and lesbian square-dancing
group, features mainstream
through advanced square
dancing at the National City
Christian Church. Please dress
Community
casually. 7-9:30 p.m. 5 Thomas
Circle NW. 202-930-1058,
dclambdasquares.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
practice. The team is always
looking for new members.
All welcome. 7-9 p.m. Harry
Thomas Recreation Center,
1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For more
information, visit scandalsrfc.
org or dcscandals@gmail.com.
THE DULLES TRIANGLES
Northern Virginia social
group meets for happy hour at
Sheraton in Reston. All wel-
come. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise
Valley Drive, second-floor bar.
TEST DRIVE
For more information, visit
dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-
Alexandria is experimenting with creative ways Walker Health. 9 a.m.-12:30
p.m. and from 2-5 p.m. at 1525
to encourage people to get tested for HIV. 14th St. NW, and 9 a.m-12
p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the Max
I
Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr.
T’S HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT TO Ave. SE. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000 or visit whit-
a serious event about HIV/AIDS,” says Nechelle
man-walker.org.
Terrell, an HIV/AIDS prevention coordinator for
the Alexandria Health Department. “So what I try to IDENTITY offers free and
do is have a fun event, and throw some information on confidential HIV testing at
two separate locations. Walk-
HIV/AIDS into it. It’s a way to get people to come who ins accepted from 2-6 p.m.,
wouldn’t normally come out.” by appointment for all other
In past years, those events — which commemorates hours. 414 East Diamond Ave.,
Gaithersburg, Md. or 7676
National HIV Testing Day on June 27 — took the form
New Hampshire Ave., Suite
of basketball tournaments. This year, Terrell has man- 411, Takoma Park, Md. To set
aged to get local comedian Schewitz Whichard to per- up an appointment or for more
form at Alexandria’s Alley Cat Restaurant. Whichard, information, call Gaithersburg,
301-300-9978, or Takoma Park,
in turn, has promised to recruit some of his fellow 301-422-2398.
comedians to perform their own routines as well.
The next day, the Health Department will hold METROHEALTH CENTER
offers free, rapid HIV testing.
“Sketch and Play” at the Parc Meridian at Eisenhower,
Appointment needed. 1012 14th
featuring half-naked or shirtless models for the public St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange
to draw. Art supplies will be provided, and instructors an appointment, call 202-638-
will offer tips to participants. Both the comedy show 0750.
and the Sketch and Play event will have health pro- SMYAL offers free HIV Testing,
fessionals on hand offering HIV testing free of charge. 3-5 p.m., by appointment and
“We’ll have free food, music, it’s a rooftop loca- walk-in, for youth 21 and
younger. Youth Center, 410 7th
tion,” says Raashi Rastogi, communications officer for
St. SE. 202-567-3155 or test-
the Department, of Sketch and Play. “We’re hoping ing@smyal.org.
it’s just a relaxing event, and maybe an opportunity for
someone to do something they’ve never done before, STI TESTING at Whitman-
Walker Health. 10 a.m.-12:30
meet new people, and get tested.” —John Riley p.m. and 2-3 p.m. at both 1525
14th St. NW and the Max
The Alexandria Health Department’s “Comedy Robinson Center, 2301 Martin
Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE.
Explosion,” featuring comedian Schewitz Whichard,
Testing is intended for those
is Wednesday, June 27, from 7-9 p.m. at Alley Cat without symptoms. For an
Restaurant, 2 South Whiting St., Alexandria, Va. appointment call 202-745-7000
or visit whitman-walker.org.
“Sketch and Play” is Thursday, June 28, from 6:30-9:30 US HELPING US hosts a
p.m. at the Parc Meridian at Eisenhower, 750 Port St., Narcotics Anonymous Meeting.
Alexandria, Va. To RSVP, or for more information, The group is independent of
UHU. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636
visit alexandriava.gov/health.
Georgia Ave. NW. For more
information, call 202-446-1100.
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 19
 WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ
women, 13-21, interested in lead-
ership development. 5-6:30 p.m.
SMYAL Youth Center, 410 7th St.
SE. For more information, call 202-
567-3163, or email catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
FRIDAY, June 22
GAMMA is a confidential, volun-
tary, peer-support group for men
who are gay, bisexual, questioning
and who are now or who have been
in a relationship with a woman.
7:30-9:30 p.m. Luther Place
Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont
Ave NW. GAMMA meetings are
also held in Vienna, Va., and in
Frederick, Md. For more informa-
tion, visit gammaindc.org.
The DC Center holds its CENTER
AGING MONTHLY LUNCH social
for members of D.C.’s senior com-
munity. Lunch is potluck — bring
your own dish to share. 12-2 p.m.
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
more information, visit thedccen-
ter.org or call 202-682-2245.
WOMEN IN THEIR TWENTIES
(AND THIRTIES), a social discus-
sion and activity group for queer
women, meets at The DC Center
on the second and fourth Friday of
each month. Group social activity
to follow the meeting. 8-9:30 p.m.
2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
more information, visit thedccen-
ter.org.
SATURDAY, June 23
ADVENTURING outdoors group
hikes 7 moderately strenuous miles
with 1200 feet of elevation gain
through scenic Big Run watershed
in southern Shenandoah National
Park. Bring 2-3 liters of water,
lunch, sturdy boots, bug spray,
sunscreen, about $20 for fees, and
money for dinner on the way home.
Carpool at 9 a.m. from the East
Falls Church Metro Kiss & Ride lot.
Return by dark. For more informa-
tion, call Craig, 202-462-0535, or
visit adventuring.org.
Join The DC Center as it vol-
unteers for FOOD & FRIENDS,
packing meals and groceries for
people living with serious ailments.
10 a.m.-noon. 219 Riggs Rd. NE.
Near the Fort Totten Metro. For a
ride from the Metro, call the Food
& Friends shuttle at 202-669-6437.
For more information, visit thedc-
center.org or foodandfriends.org.
Partners in Peace present STRIKE
A POSE, a free yoga demonstration
on the National Mall Lawn. 9 a.m.-
12 p.m. Lawn accessible from 14th
St. and Jefferson Dr. SW. For more
information and to reserve a seat,
visit strikaposedc.org.
20 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
The DC Center holds a
VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION to
train new Support Desk staffers.
Sessions are capped at 25 people.
12-3 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information and
to register, visit thedccenter.org/
events/volunteerorientation.
Weekly Events
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a prac-
tice session at Montgomery College
Aquatics Club. 8:30-10 a.m. 7600
Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more
information, visit swimdcac.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club welcomes run-
ners of all ability levels for exercise
in a fun and supportive environ-
ment, with socializing afterward.
Route distance will be 3-6 miles.
Walker meet at 9:30 a.m. and run-
ners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets
NW. For more information, visit
dcfrontrunners.org.
DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for
LGBT community, family and
friends. 6:30 p.m., Immanuel
Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary
Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For
more info, visit dignitynova.org.
SUNDAY, June 24
Weekly Events
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive
and radically inclusive church
holds services at 11:30 a.m. 2217
Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895,
betheldc.org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/
walking/social club welcomes run-
ners of all ability levels for exercise
in a fun and supportive environ-
ment, with socializing afterward.
Route will be a distance run of 8, 10
or 12 miles. Meet at 9 a.m. at 23rd
& P Streets NW. For more informa-
tion, visit dcfrontrunners.org.
FAIRLINGTON UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH is an open,
inclusive church. All welcome,
including the LGBTQ commu-
nity. Member of the Reconciling
Ministries Network. Services at
9:30 and 11:00 a.m. 3900 King
Street, Alexandria, Va. 703-671-
8557. For more info, visit fairling-
tonumc.org.
FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON meets for worship,
10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,
Quaker House Living Room (next
to Meeting House on Decatur
Place), 2nd floor. Special welcome
to lesbians and gays. Handicapped
accessible from Phelps Place gate.
Hearing assistance. quakersdc.org.
HSV-2 SOCIAL AND SUPPORT
GROUP for gay men living in the
DC metro area. This group will be
meeting once a month. For infor-
mation on location and time, visit
H2gether.com.
Join LINCOLN
CONGREGATIONAL TEMPLE –
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST for
an inclusive, loving and progressive
faith community every Sunday. 11
a.m. 1701 11th Street NW, near R in
Shaw/Logan neighborhood. lincol-
ntemple.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF NORTHERN
VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led
by Rev. Emma Chattin. Children’s
Sunday School, 11 a.m. 10383
Democracy Lane, Fairfax. 703-691-
0930, mccnova.com.
NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN
CHURCH, inclusive church with
GLBT fellowship, offers gospel wor-
ship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional wor-
ship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.
202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.
ST. STEPHEN AND THE
INCARNATION, an “interra-
cial, multi-ethnic Christian
Community” offers services in
English, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and
in Spanish at 5:15 p.m. 1525 Newton
St. NW. 202-232-0900, saintste-
phensdc.org.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING
invites LGBTQ families and indi-
viduals of all creeds and cultures to
join the church. Services 9:15 and
11:15 a.m. 10309 New Hampshire
Ave. uucss.org.
MONDAY, June 25
Weekly Events
DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a
practice session at Dunbar Aquatic
Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW.
For more information, visit swim-
dcac.org.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-
ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite
200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-
789-4467.
The DC Center hosts COFFEE
DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT
COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-noon. 2000
14th St. NW. For more information,
call 202-682-2245 or visit thedc-
center.org.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS
WATER POLO TEAM practices 7-9
p.m. Newcomers with at least basic
swimming ability always welcome.
Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van
Buren St. NW. For more informa-
tion, contact Tom, 703-299-0504
or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit
wetskins.org.
TUESDAY, June 26
GENDERQUEER DC, a support and
discussion group for people who
identify outside the gender binary,
meets at The DC Center on the
fourth Tuesday of every month.
7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite
105. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
Weekly Events
DC AQUATICS CLUB practice
session at Takoma Aquatic Center.
7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW.
For more information, visit swim-
dcac.org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds prac-
tice. The team is always looking
for new members. All welcome.
7-9 p.m. Harry Thomas Recreation
Center, 1743 Lincoln Rd. NE. For
more information, visit scandalsrfc.
org or dcscandals@gmail.com.
THE GAY MEN’S HEALTH
COLLABORATIVE offers free
HIV testing and STI screening
and treatment every Tuesday.
5-6:30 p.m. Rainbow Tuesday
LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health
Department, 4480 King St. 703-
746-4986 or text 571-214-9617.
james.leslie@inova.org.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
holds an LGBT-focused meet-
ing every Tuesday, 7 p.m. at St.
George’s Episcopal Church, 915
Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps
from Virginia Square Metro. For
more info. call Dick, 703-521-
1999. Handicapped accessible.
Newcomers welcome. liveandletli-
veoa@gmail.com.
Whitman-Walker Health holds its
weekly GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND
WELLNESS/STD CLINIC. Patients
are seen on walk-in basis. No-cost
screening for HIV, syphilis, gon-
orrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis
and herpes testing available for fee.
Testing starts at 6 p.m, but should
arrive early to ensure a spot. 1525
14th St. NW. For more information,
visit whitman-walker.org.
WEDNESDAY, June 27
The DC Center hosts a monthly
meeting of its HIV PREVENTION
WORKING GROUP. 6-8 p.m. 2000
14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org.
The TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL
BRIDGE CLUB meets for Social
Bridge at the Dignity Center, across
from the Marine Barracks. No
partner needed. 7:30 p.m. 721 8th
St. SE. Call 301-345-1571 for more
information. l
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 21
Scene
Baltimore Pride - Saturday, June 16
Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 23

24 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 25
Pot,
Pops,
and
Politics
On the eve of her NSO debut, Melissa Etheridge wants you to k
everything is going to be okay. Eventually. Interview by Randy S
26 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
s
know that
Shulman
JOHN TSIAVIS

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 27

“I don’t care what they think,
I don’t care what they say,
What do they know about this love, anyway?”
When Melissa Etheridge penned “Come to My Window,” a
potent, heartfelt rock ballad that would become one of her sig-
nature tunes, she was on the brink of coming out to the world.
Sure, there had always been whispers and rumors about the
fierce, uncompromising female rocker, but in 1993, the same year
her album Yes I Am filled record store shelves, Etheridge finally
answered the question posed by so many fans and journalists,
confirming her sexuality at the Triangle Ball, an LGBTQ celebra-
tion of Bill Clinton’s inauguration.
Etheridge was, at the time, climbing the ladder of fame, yet
she doesn’t consider her choice brave or bold. “I felt I was keep-
ing a secret,” she says, plainly. “And I didn’t like secrets at all.”
The news made Etheridge an even bigger rock star, and she
continued to sell out arenas for years to come, eventually scaling
to more intimate settings, where her fans could be in full thrall
of her eloquent, rich, detailed songwriting. Her unmistakable,
improbably tender rasp carries within it a deep yearning and
strong emotional undertow that propels not only her soaring
rock epics, but brings expressive potency to quieter numbers like
the stirring “Please Forgive Me” from 2001’s Skin. (For music
critic Sean Maunier’s list of Etheridge’s ten most essential songs,
please turn to page 31.)
This Friday and Saturday, Etheridge, who has played every
style of venue, from massive arenas to intimate houses like The
METRO WEEKLY: You were raised in the heart of the midwest. How
did growing up in Kansas shape the person that you are now?
MELISSA ETHERIDGE: So much of what I am on the inside comes
from that Midwestern sensibility. I grew up in a comfortable
home. It was lower middle class, and it was comfortable enough.
Both my parents worked. I grew up in a place where you didn’t
much talk about your emotions. Even though there might be
things going on, big things brewing underneath, you just didn’t
talk about them. You worked hard and played fair, and that was
how you got along.
It enabled me to have huge dreams. It enabled me to real-
ly look at the television and the radio and think about music
and that entertainment world that was all sparkly and glowy
somewhere out there in New York or California. It enabled me
to dream, and dream really large dreams. I’ve always taken the
sense of “Okay, we work hard and play fair” with me. The part
where there was no emotion — I put all that emotion into my
music, and made that my craft.
MW: So many people stay rooted in the midwest and never leave.
Was knowing you were gay a deciding factor for leaving?
ETHERIDGE: I think that became a lot of fuel for what I wanted to
do and where I wanted to go. I think knowing that I couldn’t be
free, who I wanted to be, or even knowing that there was more
for me. Of course, I was the only gay person in my town. Then,
there was just the fire of wanting more, wanting the excitement
of the big city and just of life. Some people make where they are
the place they want to be. But my drive was definitely to get to a
big city and to discover everything I could.
MW: You came out publicly in 1993, but did you come out prior to
that to your parents?
ETHERIDGE: Yes. When I was about 20 or 21 and was finally
moving out to California. I came out to my father. I wasn’t quite
28 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Birchmere, will appear at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall,
making her debut with the NSO Pops, under the buoyant baton
of Steven Reineke.
“I get chills when I hear ‘Come to My Window’ with the big
brass and the strings,” she says, noting that the evening will not
only celebrate her hits. “I actually go deeper into my [repertoire]
on a set list with a symphony orchestra. Even if you’ve seen me this
year — or seen me anytime — this is a different show. It is deep.
It is drenching. And it is one of my favorite ways to perform my
music. So I would encourage everyone to come and partake in the
experience. It’s one of my favorite things I do. It’s really a blessing.”
Much has changed in the world since Etheridge, an outspo-
ken champion for human rights, the environment, and LGBTQ
equality first sat down for an in-depth interview with Metro
Weekly in 2002. Chiefly, Trumpism has reared its ugly head, and
our country has never seemed more politically — and dangerous-
ly — divided. Etheridge, however, is almost serenely optimistic
about the current political climate, feeling that a better society
will emerge from the current administration’s ruinous embers.
“I keep telling my children every day, ‘You are living a great
moment in history, because this will change forever how we
elect our officials, how we look at our elected officials, how we
understand power,’” says the 57-year-old. “I have to believe that
this will lead us to a great change in how we govern ourselves.”
talking to my mother until I was about 25, but then after that, it
was fine. I was out. I was definitely a very out person in every
way, except to the public. By the time I came out to the public,
when I was 33, I’d been out to my friends and family for over
ten years.
MW: What is it like to be a public figure, but to keep such a major
part of your life a secret?
ETHERIDGE: Well, it was from ’88 to ’93, so it was five years.
When my first album came out in ’88, I was unknown. It did
well in the rock and roll world, I sold a million records, and I
was fine. I had an underground following. I had a huge lesbian
following — that was known — and a female following. There
was very much of a don’t ask, don’t tell [vibe] over my career. I
thought for sure after my third album, someone would ask me,
and I would be able to move forward with it. By the time I was
making my fourth album, I knew I wanted to come out, because
my songs were personal. My fame was growing and I didn’t want
to have this weird thing about me that I felt I was keeping secret.
And I didn’t like secrets at all.
MW: Many of your early songs can be perceived as gender non-
specific. But often, when I listen to your work now, I feel a deeper
personal connection because I feel they speak directly from a same-
sex point of view.
ETHERIDGE: I think every listener has the capacity of making a
song what they want. I do know that my overall story definite-
ly gets transposed onto that, because it does come from that.
My hope is that a person can make that story somehow reflect
their own story, so it can be universal. A song like “Come to My
Window” reaches a universal desire in all of us, even though you
know specifically who I’m singing about.
MW: So many musicians never achieve the level of fame that you
achieved. Were you surprised by your success?
ETHERIDGE: I wouldn’t say I was surprised. I would say that mine
was a long slow burn. It was year after year of slowly starting in
bars and clubs, and going to theaters. Then, by the mid-nineties,
it was big arenas and stadiums. It has leveled out since and has
been consistent. I didn’t have that one couple months where
everything went crazy. It was the slow movement into it, and I’m
grateful for that, because I have seen artist friends around me
all of a sudden get massive success and it just blows them away,
because it’s really intense for a while.
I just made my music. I enjoyed what I was doing. I was in
the moment day after day after day. After 10 years, 20 years, 30
years you look back and go, “Oh, look what I did.” There was
never an end point to this. The end point was that it just keep
going. Success to me was that I would be able to still play my
songs and music, make new music and just keep doing what I
love. That was success.
MW: What is it like to have gone from playing massive arena
crowds to more intimate, smaller spaces?
ETHERIDGE: There’s a certain detachment you have in an arena.
You’re on a very big stage, way up high, and it’s a different sort
of mindset in how you perform to 10,000 people, as opposed to
2,000. Two thousand, in an intimate setting, is very delightful. I
can be relaxed. There’s more connection with people. Usually,
they’re closer to the stage. There’s a real comfort in it. [Laughs.]
Not that I’m going to turn down an arena if somebody wants me
to play an arena....
MW: Let’s talk about your activism. LGBTQ issues are important to
you, environmental issues are important to you. What was it that
got you involved?
ETHERIDGE: Activism really showed up at my doorstep. I did not
go looking for it. I just wanted to be a big ol’ famous rock star,
and that was it. Then, my own personal choices really put me in
that activist spotlight.
MW: Coming out.
ETHERIDGE: Yes, coming out and saying, “You know what? I
agree to answer the questions. You, as reporters, can ask me
questions and you can write the story.” Through that, I became
an activist. Through that, I became a person that young LGBT
people could see and say, “Oh, she’s like me.” That’s something
that I didn’t have when I grew up. In just making my choice to
come out and be truthful, I became an activist. And then, as I
walked the walk and continued to agree to speak about it, the
world just comes knocking at your door. Al Gore calls with An
Inconvenient Truth, and it just makes sense, and then cancer
comes and you have to deal with that, speaking truthfully about
my experience. I found that some of the greatest activism is just
actually a person being themselves. Having the courage to be
who they are and help others by speaking about their journey.
MW: What is the most important issue to you right now?
ETHERIDGE: I wouldn’t say there’s one particular thing. What
we’re going through right now is all connected. It’s all about
fear, and fear of the other — whatever you might call it, wheth-
er it’s another person with different skin, or speaks a different
language, or different love, or different ways of thinking. All of
those are fears of the other, and so to me, it all comes under that.
The most important thing for us as a society is to understand
fear and how it can make us make the choices that affect the
world. There’s a big change happening, understanding that you
can’t divide us anymore between men and women, or gay and
straight, or skin color, or American or not. Those divisions don’t
work anymore, and that’s very hard for a lot of people. I think
that’s where we’re at.
MW: How much does the current administration concern you?
ETHERIDGE: It is of great concern. Yet, I believe it is creating
the greatest change that we’ve ever seen, in that people who
have maybe been comfortable in their lives and kind of just
rolling along, it causes them to actually desire more community,
to desire more cooperation, instead of competition, instead of
division. It’s the type of administration that brings people to
the streets and brings us together. You start to feel more of a
community of humanity than we have had before — and I think
that is ultimately good. Even though what we’re going through
is incredibly painful and horrible — and I certainly wish we
weren’t going through it — I believe it will bring about the great-
est change we’ve seen in a hundred years.
MW: You genuinely think good will come out of what President
Trump and his administration is putting us through?
ETHERIDGE: I can’t think any other way.
MW: What worries me are things like the environment. They are
placing us on an irreversible course that we aren’t going to be able
to easily turn around, if at all. It’s very troubling, I think, for all
humanity.
ETHERIDGE: It’s troubling, and it’s dangerous. How far do we
have to go to learn that lesson? How far? What point will it be,
and where will be the reminder that we can never dismiss it
again, that we are the caretakers and us being on this earth is a
responsibility. I do share that with you. I do believe, though, that
there are good people that are currently thinking about how to
turn this around. How to change this.
MW: How do you feel about President Trump?
ETHERIDGE: Very uncomfortable. It was very unbelievable. I
spent all of 2016 going, “Oh don’t worry. No, that’s not who we
are.” I still believe it’s not who we are in the general sense, or
even the majority sense. I do believe that what happened was a
moment of these forces gathering together for nefarious reasons,
whether it’s Russians or some foreign force, or just some bad
mob type coming out of New York City. Whatever it was, it all
worked in that moment to stoke unbelievable fears.
Again, that fear of the other — they really went into it, dug
hard, and doubled down. I remember at the time going, “Oh my
God. No one’s ever dared to actually say that out loud. What do
you mean, build a wall?” The hidden fear and desire to “keep the
other out, or else they’re gonna get my job. They’re gonna get
my money. They’re gonna come get me.” [Trump] really stoked
it — man, from that first speech when he came down the escala-
tor, he was playing his cards that way: “I’m just gonna stoke the
fire of that fear.” And then the whole Twitter and social media
manipulation just turned it up even further. This was the time in
America that fear won. Let’s go back and listen to all our great
Presidents and what they’ve said about fear and the American
choice.
I think it’s an incredible learning experience. I keep telling
my children every day, “You are living a great moment in history,
because this will change forever how we elect our officials, how
we look at our elected officials, how we understand power. This
will change that forever.” I have to, because I just can’t go hide
under a rock, I have to believe that this will lead us to a great
change in how we govern ourselves, because that’s the whole
game here — self government. That’s the American dream, the
American experiment.
MW: You’re a huge proponent for the legalization of marijuana —
medicinal marijuana, in particular. The woman who runs Herbal
Alternatives, a dispensary we have in D.C., showed me a chart
detailing all the ailments pot is reportedly able to treat. It was
eye-opening. Why do you think so many still see pot as an evil?
ETHERIDGE: Because we were taught that. It was hammered in
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 29
our heads in the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s even. For a long
time, our forefathers grew hemp, which means they were also
growing pot — because hemp is just a male version of cannabis,
and you have both all the time. They were using it as medicine.
You could go to a pharmacy and Cannabis Indigo was on many,
many pharmacy shelves.
It’s an ancient, ancient remedy for so many things, and it was
used in a time in the ’30s when, once again, people were stoking
people’s fears of the other. It was used for racial purposes. It
was seen that the southern Latino culture was using it, and they
named it marijuana to make it sound more Mexican, and just
started locking people up for it. It’s been a long, dark road that
they’ve taken.
Finally, we started saying, “No, this is medicine,” if you
can get out of the allopathic medicinal thought, which is,
“Something’s wrong with me, I need a pill and it’s gonna
make me better.” That belief started at the same time they
were making plant medicine illegal, prohibiting it. Allopathic
medicine is a fairly new thought — we can make chemicals and
we can put this together and then you can take this pill and
it’s gonna make you better. That belief is hard to get out of,
because generations now have been raised with it — the doctor
knows best and that’s that.
Going through cancer for me really shone a light on what
modern medicine had to offer. Modern medicine is great at so
many things, and I’m grateful for it. But this discounting what
plant medicine could do is dangerous, and I’ve slowly seen over
the last few years more medical practitioners start to embrace
the thought of health through plant medicine. I’m very grateful
for that.
MW: You’ve actually started your own business, growing medicinal
30 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
marijuana in California.
ETHERIDGE: It’s called Etheridge Farms. We are focused on the
medicinal, because I believe so deeply in the properties of plant
medicine. I want Etheridge Farms to be a product and a brand
and a place that people can go to for specific medicinal needs.
MW: How is it doing?
ETHERIDGE: Because California went from medicinal to rec-
reational, everything medicinal had to stop in January of this
year, so right now we are in the process of re-licensing. It’s a
big shift that’s going on in California — they’re trying to close
down the illegal ones. The legal ones have to wait a little bit, so
it’s gonna be a few more months until we get the product selling
in California. Because of federal laws, we can only make it in
California. We might be able to take the brand to other states
eventually, but we’re gonna get it perfected in California.
MW: To conclude, I have to ask this: do you ever get tired of singing
“Come to My Window”?
ETHERIDGE: No. I don’t sit down by myself and play it anymore,
I don’t need to do that. But as long as there’s someone who it
means something to, and the singing of it brings them joy, then
I partake in that joy and have no problem playing that song over
and over and over.
MW: What brings you joy?
ETHERIDGE: Joy is my family. Joy is playing music. Joy is cre-
ating. Joy is opening my eyes and having a whole nother day to
create in. Joy is the search for joy. That’s what it’s all about. l
Melissa Etheridge appears with the NSO Pops, conducted by
Steven Reineke, on Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23, at 8
p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $24 to $99.
Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.
Melissa Etheridge:
Ten Essentials
By Sean Maunier
Proud, fierce, and passionately earnest, Melissa Etheridge is a rocker in a class of her
own. Throughout a 30-year career she has maintained a defiant sense of self, never
afraid to channel her longing, heartbreak and rage into powerful, captivating songs.
We’ve ranked her ten best.
10. Bring Me Some Water (1988)
Etheridge’s first major hit, “Bring Me Some Water” is the
centerpiece of her self-titled debut album. With its brash
treatment of infidelity and heartbreak, themes that became
staples of her songwriting, her debut single introduced her
to the world.
9. I Want To Come Over (1995)
Wavering back and forth between the thrills of pursuit and
the devastation of betrayal, Etheridge’s fifth album, Your
Little Secret, remains within the wheelhouse she adopted
early in her career. “I Want To Come Over” captures her
preoccupation with desire better than any other track. This
song has Etheridge, heart on her sleeve, in desperate,
full-throated pursuit of romantic love.
8. I Need To Wake Up (2006)
Notwithstanding her 1990 Juno Award, “I Need To Wake
Up” delivered perhaps the biggest red carpet moment of
Melissa Etheridge’s career. Written for Al Gore’s flawed
yet prescient documentary An Inconvenient Truth, the track
netted her an Oscar for Best Original Song. Never shy about
baring her environmental and social conscious, Etheridge
was the logical choice to deliver this earnest call to action.
7. Piece of my Heart (2005)
Etheridge’s 2005 tribute to Janis Joplin is most notable for
marking her return to recording after a battle with breast can-
cer. Although Etheridge performed the song alongside Joss
Stone, everything from the vocals to her presence on stage
at the Grammy Awards that year indicated that this was her
moment, and signalled a glorious return to the spotlight.
6. Any Other Way (2016)
Etheridge shows us a more laid-back side of herself on this
cover of William Bell’s 1967 slow burn, easily the stand-
out track of her covers album Memphis Rock and Soul.
Intense, yet easy and unforced, “Any Other Way” shows us
a version of the veteran rocker that is more deliberate and
restrained than what we saw on her early work.
5. Take My Number (2014)
Much of Etheridge’s work has an autobiographical quality
to it, and it’s tempting to read “Take My Number” as the
steely-eyed coda to “I Want To Come Over.” The song
presents an old flame with a choice: take my number, or
come home with me. On this track, her voice is still as full
of longing as it was almost two decades ago, but is now
possessed of a new confidence.
4. Shout Now (2012)
Etheridge’s evolution as a songwriter over the trajectory of
her career might be seen most clearly on the underrated 4th
Street Feeling. “Shout Now” is an infectious half-growled
anthem to shaking off past insecurities, trading the raw, vul-
nerable songwriting of her early career for something more
measured and self-assured, but every bit as passionate and
energetic.
3. I’m the Only One (1993)
Etheridge cuts deep in this single off her breakthrough
album Yes I Am, released just months after she publicly
came out. “I’m the Only One” picks up where “Bring Me
Some Water” leaves off, returning to the familiar pain of
seeing a loved one with someone else, this time with an
angry note of defiance that has made this track continue to
resonate.
2. Like the Way I Do (1988)
The second single from her debut album is a timeless break-
up song that remains an Etheridge essential. Like the rest
of the album, “Like the Way I Do” draws directly from her
relationship struggles at the time, but stands out for the
sheer power, agony, and highly relatable tone of resentment
in her voice.
1. Come To My Window (1993)
Along with its unmistakable melody, “Come To My
Window” is a confession of deeply felt self-destructive love
that also nods towards her sexuality and sense of social
justice. Easily the standout track of Yes I Am, Etheridge’s
seminal hit perfectly distills her hopelessly romantic lesbian
hippie rocker ethos.
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 31
UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Movies

tsunami scene from 2012’s The Impossible,

Bone Tired
but it’s hard not to marvel at the spectacle
as the island turns to liquid fire and dino-
saurs rampage in a desperate, and sadly
futile, bid to save themselves from pyro-
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trades theme park thrills clastic flow. There’s even a pretty power-
for gothic chills, but it’s still not enough. By Rhuaridh Marr ful emotional coda, as the ship sails away.
What’s perhaps more surprising is

I
that, after offering big scale thrills, Fallen
T’S QUITE A THING TO SIT IN A CINEMA AND WATCH A FILM WORK Kingdom pivots into tense, tight horror,
through its own identity crisis. That’s perhaps the best way to describe the 128 bringing the cast and their dinosaurs to
minutes of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (HHHHH), a film that wants to be all Lockwood’s gothic mansion. Here, it holds
things to all people without ever really knowing what to settle on. It’s a sequel to 2015’s closer to the original Jurassic Park films,
billion-dollar theme park romp, an homage to the 1993 Steven Spielberg original, a putting the dinosaurs into tight focus, mak-
serious film about ethics, a lighthearted action comedy, and a tense thriller. And if that ing the peril more immediate, and turning
wasn’t enough, it needs to lay the groundwork for another sequel, set to hit theatres in the whole thing into one giant slaugh-
June 2021. It’s a tall order for any film to meet. terhouse as various species run rampant
What’s surprising about Fallen Kingdom is that, despite its many disparate elements, — none more so than this film’s version
it manages to be more enjoyable than the scattered and gratuitous film that came before of Indominus rex, a genetically modified
it. And that’s despite turning the dino-meddling up to eleven. In this new iteration, con- monster that wrecked the last film’s theme
fidently directed by J. A. Bayona (A Monster Calls), the former Jurassic World theme park. Indoraptor, as it’s known, is tougher,
park on Isla Nublar is facing imminent destruction, as the island’s long dormant volca- smarter, more trainable. It will viciously
no suddenly reawakens. Humanity is thus faced with an interesting dilemma: invest the hunt its prey until they are safely tucked
funds to rescue the remaining dinosaurs that roam the remnants of the park, or leave inside its stomach. The plan, we learn, is to
the animals to return to their former extinction. sell it to the highest bidders as a weapon.
In the three years since their former place of work was overrun by a Tyrannosaurus, The problem is that, while Indoraptor
Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) has started an activist group dedicated to saving the makes for a fearsome enemy, the film falls
dinos and Owen (Chris Pratt) has retreated into the woods. When Claire is contacted into the exact same pitfall that brought
by Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) — former partner of the original films’ John down the theme park in the first film.
Hammond, who developed the cloning technology — and his assistant Eli (Rafe Spall) There, Indominus was created to satiate
to retrieve some of the dinosaurs for a new sanctuary, it’s back to the island we go, with an audience’s desire for bigger, badder
Owen tagging along to find Blue, the trained Velociraptor from the first film. dinosaurs. Here, Indoraptor serves the
Naturally, everything quickly goes to hell — something that will come as no surprise same purpose, but in fourth-wall breaking
to anyone who has seen the movie’s trailer. Isla Nublar quickly turns volcanic and, fashion. When a dinosaur all but winks to
shock of shocks, the people Owen and Claire are working for aren’t really the good the camera before killing someone, some-
guys. What follows is Fallen Kingdom’s most bombastic, and arguably most gripping thing’s not quite right. Watching what is
set piece, as everyone runs for the boat to escape imminent death. It’s no surprise that being billed as the second most intelli-
Bayona maintains tight control over this sequence, given he handled the incredible gent creature on the planet (after humans,

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 33


UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
though that’s not a universal truth) slowly open a window and
stalk a child should be terrifying, but instead it feels almost car-
toonish, because we know this isn’t how dinosaurs work. It’s all
for our pleasure.
Fallen Kingdom has other problems. For one, its screenplay
continues to take itself far too seriously, while failing to back
it up with meaningful writing. There’s ruminations about the
ethics and morals of bringing these animals back, or letting
them die out again, or meddling in genetics to create variations
of variations, but it’s all hampered by clunky dialogue. That
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is rated PG-13 and opens Friday, June 22, in area theatres. Visit fandango.com.
34 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
said, Pratt and Howard shine in their
lead roles, Pratt especially so. Howard
once again finds herself perilously
close to damsel in distress, though the
film at least makes a pointed note of
showing that she isn’t running around
in high heels this time, and gives her a
ludicrous — but deserved — moment
to be the hero. Justice Smith and
Daniella Pineda as tech wiz Franklin
and dinosaur vet Zia, Claire’s activist
colleagues who end up at Lockwood’s
estate, add some fun into the mix,
while Isabella Sermon powers
through a hammy accent to shine as
Maisie Lockwood, Benjamin’s grand-
daughter, who Indoraptor really
wants to turn into dinner.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is above all else a popcorn
movie, a big, summer blockbuster to get lost in for a couple of
hours. Its main problems occur when it tries to reach beyond its
means and tackle serious, difficult questions. Instead, it works
best when it stops trying to be all things to all people — when
the characters shut up, the lights go out, the camera pans in tight
on a sweaty, shaking face, and the sound of a nearby dinosaur
trembles in their ears. There, it brings the audience roaring back
to the wonder, the horror and the thrill of Spielberg’s original.
That’s worth the ticket price alone. l
JOAN MARCUS
Stage

de Lafayette (Bryson Bruce), and other

period heroes and giants.

Making History
Of course, though the show captures
voices of history, it famously does not
recreate the likeness of many of these fig-
ures. The casting of predominantly non-
The Kennedy Center plays host to a brilliant, breathtaking tour of white actors to portray the colonial pow-
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking Hamilton. By André Hereford dered-wig figures diverts Hamilton from
the staid track of period reenactment into

T
a sharper trajectory of vital commentary
HE NATION’S FOUNDING FATHERS HAVE RETURNED VICTORIOUS TO on communities of resistance, both then
the capital in Hamilton (HHHHH). And the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical’s and now.
own founding father was in the Opera House to witness the long-awaited Depicting the boldness and courage of
Kennedy Center debut of this phenomenal Broadway production that’s made history rebels seizing their independence sets a
of its own. pretty high standard of commitment, yet
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote Hamilton’s book, music, and lyrics, appeared to the production locates a common thread
be first to his feet to lead the standing ovation following an electrifying opening night between that revolutionary spirit and the
performance. It was high praise duly earned by the cast and production of a touring tenacity of these performers. In the signa-
company that seemed perfectly at home, and perfectly in sync. ture song “My Shot,” Hamilton, Lafayette,
Led by Austin Scott’s commanding but corruptible Alexander Hamilton and and their comrades sing of a new nation
Nicholas Christopher’s silken interpretation of Aaron Burr, the man who killed that’s “young, scrappy, and hungry” —
Hamilton in a duel, the show raps and rhymes American history with an uncanny flair much like the cast themselves. Bruce is a
for mining gold from the tremendous life story of one “bastard orphan.” leaping light as Lafayette, the Revolution’s
Inspired by Ron Chernow’s 2005 best-selling book Alexander Hamilton, Miranda’s “hard rock like Lancelot,” and he’s no less
musical infuses emotion and insight throughout a score that’s as efficient in delivering amusing as Thomas Jefferson, breaking
story as it is a delight to hear sung and played live. Director Thomas Kail has construct- open the second act with the fabulous
ed a smartly executed succession of set-pieces that showcases each song for individual “What’d I Miss?”
impact, and it adds up to an impactful epic. Harriman, her dulcet voice alternately
On their own, the songs are singable, danceable, and memorable. Together, how- soaring and subdued, presents an Eliza
ever, they capture with profound clarity and humor the disparate voices of Hamilton, who loves Alexander utterly but doesn’t
Burr, Hamilton’s wife Eliza (Julia K. Harriman) and her sister Angelica (Sabrina Sloan), sacrifice herself to his failings. Cascading
George Washington (Carvens Lissaint), King George (Peter Matthew Smith), Marquis through the joyful girl-group harmonies

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 35

 Miranda has tapped into willfully and quite successfully. The
compositions reflect a practically unerring ear for synthesizing
pop, hip-hop, R&B, Broadway, and dexterous narrative into a
stirring, cohesive blend.
And in this touring iteration, orchestra conductor Julian
Reeve leads a musical ensemble that relays that remarkable
sound beautifully. The music paves the way forward for an
entire production that feels classic and iconoclastic, historical
and hip. Even scenic designer David Korins’ lofty, bare-brick
set seems to place the cast somewhere between the 18th-cen-
JOAN MARCUS

tury past and backstage anywhere right now. Paul Tazewell’s

of “Helpless,” or the hurt and anger in “Burn,” Harriman centers
the show’s bittersweet romance.
Meanwhile, Christopher’s fire sets ablaze the scintillating
tale of Burr’s Salieri-like presence in Hamilton’s life, and at the
dawn of our nation. With an arch inflection, he can convey the
politician at his worst. Leading the gorgeous choruses of “Wait
for It,” he reveals the man at his most vulnerable.
Burr’s songs, and the entire score, reveal more than just
character, but also Miranda’s deeply felt admiration for, and
fascination with, his subject. The artist feels powerfully present
in lyrics like “How do you write like you’re running out of time?
Write day and night like you’re running out of time?”
Alexander Hamilton bore a restless, relentless energy that
Revolutionary-era costumes pop like the lushest finery, yet fit
like current fashion, as Hamilton, Jefferson, Washington and
company march with millennial swagger into war, cabinet skir-
mishes, and rap battles alike. They embody radiant new versions
of the old guard.
Alexander Hamilton’s story is a uniquely American tale of
a freedom fighter’s fervor to prove that any one person with a
dream can make a huge difference. Hamilton the musical proves
that one artist can make a huge difference simply by reminding
us that the American dream of liberty and self-determination
exists for everyone to share, not just rich white guys.
“America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me,”
Hamilton raps near the show’s end. “You let me make a differ-
ence, a place where even orphan immigrants can leave their
fingerprints.” l

Hamilton runs through September 16, at Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $99 to $625. Tickets are being released daily for
upcoming performances. There is a four-ticket limit per household. Standing room may be available on a performance by performance
basis, beginning two hours prior to curtain. When available, standing room may only be purchased in person at the Kennedy Center
Box Office. Tickets are $49 each, limit 2 per person. Call 202-467-4600, or visit kennedy-center.org.

36 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY
Stage

or might not serve the script, but certainly

doesn’t serve the aesthetics of the play.

Semi-Intelligent Life
Ben and Molly’s date, despite being the
most disastrous, or rather because it is,
proves to be the most fun for the audience.
The two, who met online, quickly reveal to
Like a randy, late-night cable rom-com offering, Keegan’s Other Life one another their skepticism about online
Forms amuses mildly. By André Hereford dating, and from there escalate to a con-
trived misunderstanding about sex that

B
Sticklin and Parasuraman nevertheless
Randon McCoy’s Other Life Forms ( ) is a small-scale comedy with build into a winning set-piece.
large ambitions of tackling conundrums like sex, love, and human relationship. Parasuraman, a delight in Studio’s
It’s staking its shot in Keegan Theatre’s world premiere production, directed recent hit The Wolves, has the makings of
by Shirley Serotsky, and unfortunately lands off the bullseye. The prevailing sense is a fine screwball comedienne. Her Molly
that the paint’s still fresh on this one, although the vibrant cast is headed in the right could have carried more of this story, but
direction. alas does not. The spinning restaurant
First among them, John Loughney has a tight handle on the role of sociologist Jeff, booth instead serves up Jeff and Leslie
one of two bachelor roommates whose hapless dating lives will intersect in what are skipping past first-date weirdness to third-
intended to be hilarious and illuminating ways. Josh Sticklin’s performance as journal- date familiarity. They hit a roadblock,
ist Ben, the other half of this odd couple, registers as less defined. though, trying to navigate around fifth-
But Jeff and Ben, and Loughney and Sticklin, do have chemistry that’s abetted by date intimacy — and likewise, Loughney
their yin-yang appearance and energy, one unflappable, the other much more excitable. and Letourneau don’t float these scenes
Working in different styles, and in separate space for most of the first act, they’re intro- too far off the ground.
duced as Jeff and Ben both go on dates, on the same night, at different restaurants. They Then comes the story’s twist, and with
pair up for laughs and a few surprises with respective partners Brianna Letourneau as that, Other Life Forms diverts from its
Leslie, and Shanta Parasuraman as Molly. lighthearted path of awkward dates and
Matthew J. Keenan’s purple-toned slabs of wall, and checkerboard floor disguise examining the mores of modern court-
a rotating set designed to accommodate swift switches between the two dates. When ship, to pondering deeper questions about
the actors, and sound and stage crew nail these transitions, they work like quick cuts how humans connect, and why some con-
in a movie to fuel comedy and tweak meaning. However, the timing doesn’t always nections click and others fail.
serve the script. And worse, Paul Callahan’s lighting design casts a daunting hue over An extraterrestrial might be involved,
the entire set. It appears these dates are going down in bad restaurants, which might but the drama never takes on the tone of

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 37

 Quartana, doing a lot with
a few lines), but the feel-
ing doesn’t quite fit farce.
McCoy does make
the giant leap of send-
ing one of the char-
acters over the fourth
wall and into the audi-
ence, a flourish that the
director and performer
carry off skillfully. The
jarring reflexivity forc-
es a remove that aids in
probing the play’s mean-
ing. The problem is that
McCoy doesn’t uncover
much meaning, beyond
the insight that fear
holds people back.
C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Armed with all the

cosmic possibilities of its
characters and premise,
Other Life Forms ulti-
mately goes where many
men and rom-coms have
gone before, delivering
science fiction. There’s a mild frenzy of folks showing up to Ben lessons we might already have seen Sandra Bullock or Matthew
and Jeff’s unexpectedly, including the restaurant waiter (Aidan McConaughey or Kate Hudson learn a dozen times. l

Other Life Forms runs through April 7 at The Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW.
Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 202-265-3767, or visit keegantheatre.com.

38 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY

NightLife Photography by
Ward Morrison

JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 39


DrinksDragDJsEtc...
Thursday,
June 21
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports • Expanded
craft beer selection •
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at 3pm •
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines up
to 50% off • $5 Pitchers
of Miller Lite all night long
• $3 Well Drinks in Nest
until 11pm, $3 in Tavern
all day • RuPaul’s Drag
Race Viewing, hosted
by Washington Heights,
Whimsy Thrift and Anita
Minute, 7-10pm, in the
Nest • Show starts at
7:30pm • Underwear
Night in the Code Bar,
9pm-2am • For men in
40 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Scene
Baltimore Eagle’s Baltimore Pride Party - Saturday, June 16
Photography by Ward Morrison
See and purchase more photos from this event at www.metroweekly.com/scene
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR TRADE BALTIMORE EAGLE PITCHERS
Beat the Clock Happy Hour Doors open 5pm • Huge Doors open at 2pm • 2317 18th St. NW
— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), Happy Hour: Any drink Bears & Bellies Friday Bear Doors open, 5pm-3am •
$4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of normally served in a cock- Night • $10 Cover • Pay facebook.com/PitchersDC
underwear in Code Bar, all
well drinks $2, 9pm-12am
Beer $15 • All Leagues tail glass served in a huge an extra $5, and get 5 free
• Best Underwear Contest
Night glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
well drinks • Elyx Vodka
and Any Red Bull Flavor for
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
at Midnight • Code
NUMBER NINE only $4 • RuPaul’s Drag $7 all day long • thebalti- Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
enforced in Code Bar
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any Race Season 10 viewing moreeagle.com $5 House Wines, $5 Rail
after 9pm • College Night
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover party, hosted by the girls Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
Thursdays, 9pm-2am •
• RuPaul’s Drag Race of Gay Bash: Donna Slash, FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR and Select Appetizers
Release, featuring DJ Jerry
Viewing Party, hosted by Jaxknife, Jane Saw, and Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Haley, 10pm-2am • Free
Ba’Naka, 8pm Salavadora Dali Karaoke, 9pm TOWN
admission to the Tavern •
Patio open 6pm • DC Bear
Admission to the Nest is
PITCHERS ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS GREEN LANTERN Crue Happy Hour, 6-11pm
free until 10:30pm • After
2317 18th St. NW All male, nude dancers • Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5 • $3 Rail, $3 Draft, $3 Bud
10:30pm, $5 Cover for
Doors open, 5pm-2am • Open Dancers Audition • Svedka, all flavors, all Bottles • Free Pizza, 7pm
21 and up, $10 Cover for
facebook.com/PitchersDC Urban House Music by DJ night long • Green Lantern • No cover before 9:30pm
18-20 • thebaltimoreea-
Tim-e • 9pm • Cover 21+ and DJ JerrBear present • 21+ • Drag Show starts
gle.com
SHAW’S TAVERN PigPen, 10pm-3am • $5 at 10:30pm • Hosted by
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Cover after 11pm Lena Lett and featuring
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, Miss Tatianna, Shi-
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Karaoke, 9pm
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
Friday, NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Open 3pm • Guest DJs •
Queeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and Ba’Naka • DJ Wess
GREEN LANTERN
and Select Appetizers June 22 Beat the Clock Happy Hour upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk
• All-You-Can-Eat Ribs, — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), downstairs following the
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
$24.95, 5-10pm • $4 9 1/2 $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of show • GoGo Boys after
• Shirtless Thursday,
Heineken and Corona all Open at 5pm • Happy Beer $15 11pm • Doors open at
10-11pm • Men in
night • Paint Nite, Second Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 10pm • For those 21 and
Underwear Drink Free,
Floor, 7pm 5-9pm • Friday Night NUMBER NINE over, $12 • For those
12-12:30am • DJs
Videos, 9:30pm • Rotating Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 18-20, $15 • Club: 18+ •
BacK2bACk
DJs • Expanded craft beer 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm Patio: 21+
selection • No Cover • No Cover • Friday Night
Piano with Chris, 7:30pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm •
Guest dancers • Rotating
DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva
Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors
at 9pm, Shows at 11:30pm
and 1:45am • DJ Don T. in
Ziegfeld’s • Cover 21+
Saturday,
June 23
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut
and $5 Bulleit Bourbon,
9pm-close • Expanded
craft beer selection •
No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at noon
• Happy Hour, 3-9pm
• Leather and Fetish
Saturdays, Code Bar,
8pm-2am • Code enforced
after 9pm in the Code
Bar • Retro Saturdays
Dance Party in the Nest,
9:30pm-2am • $5 Cover
• Drink Specials in the
Nest • Long Island Leather
Saturdays — $5 Long
Islands all day • thebalti-
moreeagle.com
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
Saturday Breakfast Buffet,
10am-3pm • $14.99 with
one glass of champagne
or coffee, soda or juice •
Additional champagne $2
per glass • World Tavern
Poker Tournament, 1-3pm
• Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
Freddie’s Follies Drag
Show, hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs, 8-10pm
• Karaoke, 10pm-close
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long • JOX: The
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 41
 GL Underwear Party,
9pm-close • Featuring
DJs C-Dubz and Chaim •
$5 Cover (includes clothes
check)
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted
by Chanel Devereaux,
10:30am-12:30pm and
1-3pm • Tickets on sale
at nelliessportsbar.com
• House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close • Buckets of
Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
Doors open 2pm • Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5
Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close
• Jawbreaker: Music of
the ‘90s, featuring DJs
BacK2bACk, 9:30pm
PITCHERS
2317 18th St. NW
Doors open, 12pm-3am •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
SHAW’S TAVERN
Brunch with $15
Bottomless Mimosas,
10am-3pm • Happy Hour,
5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Blue Moon, $5 House
42 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Wines, $5 Rail Drinks •
Half-Priced Pizzas and
Select Appetizers
TOWN
Doors open 10pm •
Hometown Heroes,
10pm-close • Featuring
DJs Chord Bezerra, Devon
Trotter, Jeff Prior, Adam
Koussari-Amin, Matt
Bailer, MadScience, Wess
and TWiN • Music and
video by DJs BacK2bACk
downstairs • Drag Show
starts at 10:30pm •
Hosted by Lena Lett and
featuring Tatianna, Shi-
Queeta-Lee, Riley Knoxx
and Ba’Naka • $15 Cover
from 10pm-midnight, $12
after midnight • 21+
TRADE
Doors open 2pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
2-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS
Dance Party, 9pm • Guest
dancers • Music by DJ
Steve Henderson • Ladies
of Illusion Drag Show,
featuring Ella Fitzgerald
• Doors at 9pm, Shows
at 11:30pm and 1:45am •
Cover 21+
Sunday,
June 24
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut
and $5 Bulleit Bourbon,
9pm-close • Multiple TVs
showing movies, shows,
sports • Expanded craft
beer selection • No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at noon •
Lizzie Beaumont and
Betty Whitecastle present
Queens Who Brunch,
12-2pm • $34 per person
includes All You Can
Eat • Free pitcher of
Mimosas per 4 admissions
• Reservations highly
suggested and can be
made online beforehand
• Sunday Fun-Day, 4-9pm
• From 2-8pm, buy a cup
for $5 and fill it with any
Absolut Flavor and Mixer
for $3 each time (excluding
energy drink mixers) •
thebaltimoreeagle.com
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR PITCHERS shows, sports • Expanded
Champagne Brunch Buffet, 2317 18th St. NW craft beer selection •
10am-3pm • $24.99 with Doors open, 12pm-2am • No Cover
four glasses of champagne facebook.com/PitchersDC
or mimosas, 1 Bloody BALTIMORE EAGLE
Mary, or coffee, soda or SHAW’S TAVERN Doors open at 3pm •
juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm
• Gayborhood Night Piano
Brunch with Bottomless
Mimosas, 10am-3pm •
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines up
Bar, 5-8pm • Karaoke, Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 to 50% off • Micro Brew
9pm-close Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, Draft/Bottle Mondays —
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail $4 all day • SIN: Service
GREEN LANTERN Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas Industry Night, 11pm-2am
Happy Hour, 4-9pm • and Select Appetizers • First Well Drink or
Karaoke with Kevin down- • Dinner-n-Drag: Pride Domestic Beer Free • 10%
stairs, 9:30pm-close Edition, with Miss Kristina off your Food Order all day
Kelly, 7pm • For reserva- • thebaltimoreeagle.com
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR tions, email shawsdinner-
Drag Brunch, hosted dragshow@gmail.com FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
by Chanel Devereaux, Crazy Hour, 4-8pm •
10:30am-12:30pm and TRADE Singles Night • Half-Priced
1-3pm • Tickets on sale Doors open 2pm • Huge Pasta Dishes • Poker Night
at nelliessportsbar.com Happy Hour: Any drink — 7pm and 9pm games •
• House Rail Drinks, Zing normally served in a cock- Karaoke, 9pm
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie tail glass served in a huge
Beer and Mimosas, $4, glass for the same price, GREEN LANTERN
11am-close • Buckets of 2-10pm • Beer and wine Happy Hour, 4-9pm •
Beer, $15 only $4 $3 rail cocktails and
domestic beers all night
NUMBER NINE long • Singing with the
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke
any drink, 2-9pm • $5
Absolut and $5 Bulleit
Monday, Night with the Sisters
of Perpetual Indulgence,
Bourbon, 9pm-close • Pop June 25 9:30pm-close
Goes the World with Wes
Della Volla at 9:30pm • 9 1/2 NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
No Cover Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any Beat the Clock Happy Hour
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
TVs showing movies, $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY 43
Beer $15 • Paint Nite, 7pm
• PokerFace Poker, 8pm •
Dart Boards • Ping Pong
Madness, featuring 2 Ping-
Pong Tables
NUMBER NINE
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
$5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers •
Shaw ’Nuff Trivia, with
Jeremy, 7:30pm
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
44 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY
Tuesday, GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm
June 26 • $3 rail cocktails and
domestic beers all night
9 1/2 long
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
TVs showing movies, Beat the Clock Happy Hour
shows, sports • Expanded — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
craft beer selection • $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of
No Cover Beer $15 • Drag Bingo
with Sasha Adams and
BALTIMORE EAGLE Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm •
Doors open at 3pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines NUMBER NINE
up to 50% off • Fibbage Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
Tuesdays, 8pm • Free to drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
play on your smartphone
• $6 Any Flavor Martinis PITCHERS
and $7 Manhattans (call 2317 18th St. NW
liquors) • thebaltimoreea- Doors open, 5pm-2am •
gle.com facebook.com/PitchersDC
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR SHAW’S TAVERN
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
Tuesday • Poker Night — Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
7pm and 9pm games • $5 House Wines, $5 Rail
Karaoke, 9pm Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
and Select Appetizers •
Half-Priced Burgers and
Pizzas all night with $5
House Wines and $5 Sam
Adams
TRADE
Doors open 5pm • Huge
Happy Hour: Any drink
normally served in a cock-
tail glass served in a huge
glass for the same price,
5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4
Wednesday,
June 27
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm • Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports • Expanded
craft beer selection •
No Cover
BALTIMORE EAGLE
Doors open at 3pm •
Happy Hour, 3-9pm, all
liquors, beers and wines
up to 50% off • Domestic
Bottles are $3 all day •
Show, hosted by Brooklyn
Heights, 9pm • Tickets
Team Trivia, 8-10pm • available at nelliessports-
thebaltimoreeagle.com bar.com
FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR NUMBER NINE
Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6 Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
Burgers • Beach Blanket drink, 5-9pm • No Cover
Drag Bingo Night, hosted
by Ms. Regina Jozet PITCHERS
Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes 2317 18th St. NW
• Karaoke, 10pm-1am Doors open, 5pm-2am •
facebook.com/PitchersDC
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm •
Bear Yoga with Greg Leo,
SHAW’S TAVERN
Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3
6:30-7:30pm • $10 per Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon,
class • $3 rail cocktails $5 House Wines, $5 Rail
and domestic beers all Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas
night long and Select Appetizers •
Piano Bar with Jill, 8pm
NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR
SmartAss Trivia Night, TRADE
8-10pm • Prizes include Doors open 5pm • Huge
bar tabs and tickets to Happy Hour: Any drink
shows at the 9:30 Club • normally served in a cock-
$15 Buckets of Beer for tail glass served in a huge
SmartAss Teams only • glass for the same price,
Absolutely Snatched Drag 5-10pm • Beer and wine
only $4l
 LastWord.
People say the queerest things

“ We know that only a few years ago

this wouldn’t have even been possible.”
— MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG, of South Bend, Ind., speaking at the city’s Pride Week block party. Buttigieg, who came out in 2015,
attended Pride immediately after his wedding to Chasten Glezman. The couple took photos and spoke to attendees, before
heading off to their reception. “Thank you for everything you’ve done to make sure this is a welcoming community,”
Buttigieg said. “And happy Pride!”

“I don’t date men, but if I did, it would be you.

It would gross me out, but I’d do it.”
— DANIELLA PINEDA, who stars in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as paleoveterinarian Dr. Zia Rodriguez, telling Yahoo!
Entertainment about a line of dialogue cut from the movie that would have revealed her character to be lesbian.

“STOP trying to shame him.

You cannot shame the shameless.”
—RUPAUL, in a tweet suggesting that attempts to shame Donald Trump into changing his ways won’t work. Instead, the drag icon
and host of RuPaul’s Drag Race suggested it was “Way past time for a different approach,” adding the hashtag #FollowTheMoney.
The tweet included a photo of a billboard which shows Trump, wearing a Russian flag lapel pin,
flanked by two dollar signs altered to look like swastikas.

“I just want to say to every kid: You can live your dreams and wear dresses. You can live your dreams and
kiss the one that you love
no matter what gender they are.”
— KEIYNAN LONSDALE, in a speech accepting the Best Kiss award at the MTV Movie Awards for a kissing scene
between him and Nick Robinson in gay rom-com Love, Simon.

“ We still have a long way to go.

But know I am bi your side.”
—J ASON MRAZ, in a poem for Billboard’s Pride series. Mraz’s spelling of “bi” has caused rampant speculation on social media as
to whether the singer-songwriter has come out as bisexual. Mraz previously caused speculation in a 2010 interview with Pride
Source, when he said that experimenting had confirmed he was “not really into facial hair.”

“They asked us to leave the place very rudely,

”
switched off the electricity and they explained nothing to us.

— An organizer for DIVERSITY HOUSE, an initiative that aimed to provide a “safe space” for LGBTQ and ethnic-minority soccer fans
in Russia for the 2018 World Cup, speaking with BBC News after they were evicted from their St Petersburg premises prior to the
start of the tournament. Football Against Racism in Europe, which created the initiative, said it was a “political attack”
by “powerful conservative political forces in Russia.” A new space has since been opened.

46 JUNE 21, 2018 • METROWEEKLY