2019: The Year in Scene Pictures (Metro Weekly, Jan. 2, 2020)

THE YEAR IN REVIEW p.20 • THE BEST FILMS OF 2019 p.37

D.C.'S BEST LGBTQ MAGAZINE FOR 25 YEARS

JANUARY 2, 2020

The

Year in Scene

Our favorite photographs from 2019 Photography by Ward Morrison

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January 2, 2020

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CONTENTS

THE YEAR IN REVIEW In unsettled times, progress for the LGBTQ community is often measured by a string of triumphs and pitfalls. Such was the story of 2019.

By John Riley

THE YEAR IN SCENE

An assortment of some of our favorite Scene photographs from 2019, taken at various D.C. bars, venues, and community events.

Photography by Ward Morrison Additional photography by Todd Franson and Randy Shulman

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Volume 26 Issue 33

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CINEMA FILE

From the best to the worst, we look at the films in 2019 that both amazed us and bored us to tears.

By André Hereford

SPOTLIGHT: ONE-MAN STRANGER THINGS p.7 OUT ON THE TOWN p.10 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p.17 NIGHTLIFE: MORE YEAR IN SCENE p.39 NIGHTLIFE LISTINGS p.40 NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHT: SHEA VAN HORN GETS BENT p.41 LAST KISS p.46 Washington, D.C.’s Best LGBTQ Magazine for 25 Years 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 Illustrators David Amoroso, Scott G. Brooks Contributing Writers Sean Maunier, Troy Petenbrink, 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 Matt Irwin Cover Photography Ward Morrison, Todd Franson, Randy Shulman Metro Weekly 1775 I St. NW, Suite 1150 Washington, DC 20006 202-638-6830 All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject to editing and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Metro Weekly is supported by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility for materials provided by advertisers or their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organization.

© 2019 Jansi LLC.

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Spotlight

Charles Ross: One-Man Stranger Things

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HEN CHARLES ROSS CAME UP WITH HIS IDEA to create the One-Man Star Wars Trilogy, a show that condenses the original three films into a 90-minute comedic reenactment, he was “combating the condition of being unemployed when you're an actor.”

The Canadian native “just wanted to start working, and I started to write my own stuff. When I started doing this, it was just sort of for shits and giggles. I didn't really think it would work.”

It worked. So well, in fact, he’s created a one-man industry out of it for over 18 years, racking up more than 1,000 performances of the hit. Over time, he’s added other “One-Man” shows to his repertoire, including Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, and The Dark Knight. And now, he’s venturing into the world of series television with One-Man Stranger Things: A Parody.

“Retelling the narrative of Star Wars, that's a straight-up

homage,” he says. “Whereas Stranger Things is more of a parody. I can actually poke fun at the story itself, but also immerse myself into the music, and enjoy being in the early ’80s again.

“All the references, all the movies that were out, the music that's even in the show, those are things from when I was a kid,” continues the 45-year-old. “I find it interesting that I can lampoon that stuff and it feels a lot closer to my childhood. Whereas Star Wars had nothing to do with my childhood, specifically. I just enjoyed it.”

One-Man Stranger Things only encompasses the first two seasons of the series, and audiences don’t need to have watched the Netflix hit to enjoy Ross’s take. “It’s a parody,” he says. “It's intended to make people laugh, regardless of whether you’ve even seen the shows. My goal is to keep you entertained.”

—Randy Shulman

Charles Ross performs One-Man Stranger Things: A Parody on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave. Tickets are $35. Call 703-549-7500 or visit www.birchmere.com.

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Spotlight DIANA ROSS WITH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

PEGGY ORENSTEIN: BOYS & SEX

TIA & CLAIRE STUDIO

ALBERT WATSON

Maestro Emil de Cou helps give 2020 a Supreme boost in its second week with an NSO Pops program featuring Diana Ross. Ross performs from her hit-packed, decades-spanning career accompanied by the orchestra in concerts also featuring as special guest the Joyce Garrett Singers, the D.C. gospel choir that also performed in tribute to the living legend in 2007 at the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors.

Thursday, Jan. 9, through Saturday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m.

Concert Hall. Tickets are $39 to $199. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

The bestelling author and contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine was a provocative pioneer with the book Girls & Sex, which launched conversations about young women’s right to pleasure and agency in sexual encounters. Now she returns to explore how our culture’s binary gender norms and sterotypes impact those born male in Boys & Sex, with the subtitle Young Men on Hookups, Love Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity. Orenstein will be in conversation with Debra Hauser of Advocates for Youth. Thursday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. Solid State Books, 600 H St. NE. Call 897-4201 or visit www.solidstatebooksdc.com.

JERSEY BOYS

JOAN MARCUS

One of the most successful jukebox musicals in history won four Tonys in 2006, including Best Musical. Far more style than substance, and stronger in song than in story, Jersey Boys nonetheless offers a parade of ’60s-era hits popularized by Franki Valli and the Four Seasons — including “Sherry,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and “December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night).” Closes Jan. 5. 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $54 to $114, plus fees. Call 202-628-6161 or visit www.thenationaldc.org.

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STEREOVISION

Out On The Town

ELVIS’ BIRTHDAY FIGHTCLUB

Elvis Presley hosts an underground fight club in what is billed as a comically lowbrow theater event from Astro Pop Events (Countdown to Yuri’s Night). Now in its 10th year, the production features the King accompanied by sardonic sidekick Kittie Glitter, plus “a little more conversation” in the form of hilarious color commentary during seven comical, choreographed matchups full of cartoon-like violence and below-the-belt comedy, as burlesque dancers keep the audience “all shook up” between fights. Friday, Jan. 3, at 7:30 and 10 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 and 10 p.m.GALA Theatre at Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $28 to $38 plus fees. Call 202-234-7174 or visit www.astropopevents.com. Also Friday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 and 10 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. Baltimore. Tickets are $28. Call 410-276-1651 or visit www.creativealliance.org.

Compiled by Doug Rule

FILM INVISIBLE LIFE

A melodrama in the vein of Douglas Sirk. Karim Aïnouz’s Invisible Life won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes and is Brazil’s official submission for Best Foreign Film at the upcoming 92nd Academy Awards.

The focus is on two close-knit sisters cruelly separated at a young age by their conservative father and repressed in pursuing their dreams by patriarchal norms of Brazilian society. Opens Friday, Jan. 3. Opens Friday, Jan. 3. Area theaters. Visit www.fandango.com.

MYSTIFY: MICHAEL HUTCHENCE

Richard Lowenstein offers a through-the-looking-glass examination of the life, times, music, and mystery of the INXS frontman. The charming and charismatic Australian, an international superstar, died far too young, and Hutchence struggled with success and the creative limits of

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pop stardom even before a violent event fractured his sense of self and robbed him of his connection to life. Mystify weaves together rich images from an extraordinary archive of private home movies to delve beneath the public persona to give a full, intimate portrait of a complex sensation. Fathom Events screens the documentary onenight-only at cinemas across the country on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. Area theaters including Regal venues at Gallery Place (701 7th St. NW), Potomac Yards Stadium (3575 Jefferson Davis Highway), and Majestic Stadium (900 Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring). Visit www.fathomevents.com.

SMITHSONIAN THEATER’S OSCARS SPOTLIGHT: DOCUMENTARIES

The Warner Bros. Theater in the National Museum of American History continues to screen 15 documentary features that have been shortlisted for the 92nd annual Academy Awards. Up next in the series: The Edge of Democracy on

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Saturday, Jan. 4, at 1:35 p.m., For Sama on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 3:45 p.m., The Great Hack on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 1:50 p.m., Honeyland on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 3:55 p.m., Knock Down the House on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 2:20 p.m., Maiden on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 3:55 p.m., Midnight Family on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 2:20 p.m., and One Child Nation on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 3:55 p.m. 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 per film, or $75 for a Film Festival Package.

Call 202-633-1000 or visit www. si.edu/theaters.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Landmark's E Street Cinema presents its monthly run of Richard O’Brien’s camp classic, billed as the longest-running midnight movie in history. Landmark's showings come with a live shadow cast from the Sonic Transducers, meaning it's even more interactive than usual. Friday, Jan 10, and Saturday, Jan. 11, at midnight. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit landmarktheatres.com.

THE SONG OF NAMES

An adaptation of Norman Lebrecht’s novel, François Girard’s drama stars Tim Roth as Martin and Clive Owen as Dovidl, childhood friends from London whose lives are totally upended during World War II. The Song of Names follows as Martin goes on intercontinental search to find Dovidl, the one-time-budding virtuoso violinist, 35 years after becoming estranged. Opens Friday, Jan. 3. Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visit www.landmarktheatres. com. Also Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave. Call 301-652-7273 or visit www. landmarktheatres.com.

STAGE EUREKA DAY

“How do you find consensus when you can’t agree on the facts? A comedy for our moment,” is how Mosaic Theater Company bills Jonathan Spector’s new play, set in a California private school

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whose progressive-minded, vaccine-flexible values are put to the test by a mumps outbreak. Serge Seiden directs Regina Aquino, Lise Bruneau, Erica Chamblee, Sam Lunay, and Elan Zafir. To Jan. 5. Lang Theatre in the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20 to $65. Call 202-399-7993 or visit www.atlasarts.org.

JAMES JOYCE’S THE DEAD

SCENA Theatre presents Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey’s Tonywinning musical adaptation of the classic short story by James Joyce that wrestles with themes of lost love and the search for meaning in life. Robert McNamara directs a production full of “drama, dance, and song,” and featuring a 13-member cast including Danielle Davy, Andrea Hatfield, Buck O’Leary, and Rosemary Reagan. To Jan. 12. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $15 to $50. Call 202399-7993 or visit www.atlasarts.org.

MY FAIR LADY

MERCE FIRST

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In immersive 3D, Alla Kovgan’s dance-filled documentary Cunningham explores “how Merce became Merce.”

LLA KOVGAN IS ON A MISSION. "[I WANT] TO BRING PHYSICALITY BACK TO CINema,” she proclaims. “I feel like with all the effects and stuff, there's this basic physical language that’s been disappearing, because you can pretty much make anything. People don't need to know how to kick, they can be just sort of kicking, and then the technology can do everything for them. That's why everything starts looking the same. Technology makes it all look the same. And so I feel like we're missing humanity.”

An experienced editor and cinematographer who immigrated from Russia, Kovgan set out to create the cinema she wanted to see with her feature film, Cunningham, a 3D portrait of the pioneering work and life of late choreographer Merce Cunningham. Filmed in 3D, as opposed to being converted from 2D in a post-production process like most Hollywood studio releases in the format, Cunningham presents dancers performing several of the choreographer’s groundbreaking modern pieces in settings both stylized and straightforward. Inside a bare studio under a single spotlight, or on a rooftop in Cologne set to music by Oscar-nominated composer Volker Bertelmann, the film vividly captures the physicality and fluidity of motion up close.

Also featuring music composed by Cunningham’s longtime romantic and creative partner, avant-garde icon John Cage, the performances onscreen express Cunningham’s belief, stated via archival audio, that “the dancing does not refer. It is what it is. It’s that whole visual experience.”

In brilliant color and clarity, the film captures that whole visual experience, but, says Kovgan, “the idea was never to capture Merce's dances, but to translate his ideas into cinema with a big ‘C.’ Because I think, first of all, I don't believe you can capture dance, or film it on stage, because we just can’t. Cinema and dance are in constant conflict, with use of time. Second, there's just 18 movies on Merce, or more. And then there's some that he made himself. So there was no point in preserving him, because he's very well preserved. But I don't think he's ever actually engaged with cinema. Nobody's ever actually made big-screen cinema with or out of his work. So it all came from the work.”

And so it all comes back to Kovgan’s mission, to bring more dancers and physical performers back to the cinema landscape. “I think they should be on screen,” she says. “They are quite talented and have a lot to offer.” —André Hereford Cunningham is rated PG, and opens Friday, January 3 at Landmark’s E Street Cinemas.

Visit www.landmarktheatres.com/washington-d-c.

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The classic musical about a young Cockney lass who becomes a “proper lady” for an older, wellto-do man comes to new life in a Lincoln Center Theater production helmed by Bartlett Sher. Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady features several gems that have become American Songbook standards, including “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.” Now to Jan. 19. Kennedy Center Opera House. Tickets are $39 to $159. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

COMMUNITY STAGE QUADRILLE

Greenbelt Arts Center offers the East Coast premiere of Quadrille: A Romantic Play by San Franciscobased writer Melynda Kiring.

Stephen Foreman directs a community cast bringing to life a “romantic fairy tale,” set in 1835, further described as “featuring romance, secret plots, good food, more secret plots, bad food, heroic duels, and plenty of perfectly prepared corn muffins.” Opens Friday, Jan.3.

Talkback with the playwright after the Sunday, Jan. 5, show. Weekends to Jan. 19. Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway. Greenbelt, Md. Tickets are $22 to $24. Call 301441-8770 or visit www.greenbeltartscenter.org.

THE FOREIGNER

Larry Shue’s 1984 comedy is set at a rural fishing lodge in Georgia, where two guests from England uncover some scandals among residents while also incurring the ire of white supremacists who seek their removal. Sherrionne Brown directs

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ation of Presley’s stage presence.

Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 7:30 p.m. The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $25.

Call 703-549-7500 or visit www. birchmere.com.

NSO POPS, THE WASHINGTON CHORUS: GAME ON!

DUBRASKA VALE

Hardly the typical night at the symphony, the focus is on the music of video games at this program featuring two of Washington’s leading classical music organizations conducted by game music legend Andy Brick. Hear concert premieres of symphonic arrangements of scores from a dozen blockbuster games, including The Witcher 3, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Bioshock, and Sid Meier’s Civilization series. Stunning in-game HD videos and never-before-seen concept art will accompany the performance. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 8 p.m. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Tickets are $29 to $89. Call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.

THREE KINGS DAY CELEBRATION AT GALA

For more than 42 years, GALA Hispanic Theatre has wrapped up the holiday season and launched a new year with Fiesta de los Reyes Magos. The timeless tale of the Magi is presented in a bilingual presentation of song, dance, and storytelling and featuring Eduardo Perdomo as Balthasar, Héctor Diaz as Caspar, and Quique Avilés as Melchior. Additional performers include Honduran singer Maria Isolina, the Mexican youth dance company Los Quetzalitos, and the Afro-Peruvian youth music group Grupo Rompe Cajón. Pedro Biaggi serves as Master of Ceremonies. Sunday, Jan. 5, at 2 p.m., preceded at 1:30 p.m. by a posada, or procession, with the Three Kings and live animals — donkeys, goats, and sheep — on the corner of Park Road and 14th Street NW. Tivoli Square, 3333 14th St. NW. Free. Call 202-234-7174 or visit www.galatheatre.org.

a community cast in a production from Baltimore’s Spotlights Theatre that tackles the xenophobia and racism still present today. Weekends to Jan. 12, with a talkback with director and cast after the performance on Sunday, Jan. 5. 817 St. Paul St. Tickets are $18 to $24. Call 410-7521225 or visit www.spotlighters.org.

MUSIC AUDACITY BRASS BAND

The Wharf’s charmingly intimate Pearl Street Warehouse welcomes back a 10-piece powerhouse brass band from Richmond focused on merging the sounds of a New Orleans jazz ensemble with a rocking jam band for a modern funk-fusion twist. In the midst of working on new material and a followup to 2019’s The Chemically Imbalanced album, the Audacity Brass Band will perform its new single “Serenity” at this free D.C. concert. Saturday, Jan. 4. Doors at 7 p.m. 33 Pearl St. SW. Free. Call 202-380-9620 or visit www.pearlstreetwarehouse.com.

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BLUE DOT JAZZ TROUPE

to George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog,” Sade’s “Smooth Operator” to Janet Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun).” The result, as anyone with even passing familiarity with Ndegeocello’s prior output would expect, is a collection of imaginatively recreated songs often drastically different than their originals — and as far removed as it gets from the act that gives the album its title. The visionary vocalist and bassist will be joined

by Federico Pena, Gene Lake, and Tarus Mateen. Thursday, Jan. 9, at 10 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Jan. 12, at 8 and 10 p.m., Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $56, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call 202-337-4141 or visit www.bluesalley.com.

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO

MICHAEL HOOVER: MEMORIES OF ELVIS

Rooted in the music of New Orleans, this modern rhythmic jazz ensemble mixes in blues, funk, Afro-Cuban, and pop to bring the signature American music genre to life in new and dynamic ways, with the intention of getting audiences moving and dancing. And since this past summer, they’ve been doing it three nights a week, performing live at Kramerbooks’ Afterwords Café, in the back of the venue, where patrons can enjoy late-night food as well as a host of literary-inspired cocktails and over 20 craft beers on tap. Thursdays from 9 to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to midnight. 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-387-3825 or visit www.kramers.com.

The bisexual iconoclastic singer-songwriter returns to D.C. to perform in her hometown. Titled an “Exploration Through Geographical Memories,” the concert draws from Ndegeocello’s Ventriloquism, the 2018 Grammy-nominated set featuring covers of R&B and pop hits from the 1980s and 1990s — everything from Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s “I Wonder If I Take You Home”

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On the day when Elvis Presley would have turned 85, the Birchmere presents a birthday tribute show from a D.C.-born, Virginia-based man who actually won a singing competition held over 40 years ago in Memphis that proclaimed him “The Best Elvis Tribute Artist In The World.” Hoover and his band are said to offer an expert re-cre-

PASSPORT TO THE WORLD OF MUSIC 2020

Curated by Lynn Veronneau and Ken Avis of Wammie-winning jazz samba group Veronneau, the annual festival presented by Virginia’s Creative Cauldron celebrates the music and dance of cultures around the world, with performances by artists representing a broad spectrum of genres: folk to Latin, opera to bluegrass. The 2020 series kicks off the first weekend in January with a cabaret featuring local singing actor and pianist Mark G. Meadows and jazz vocalist Danielle Wertz on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 7:30 p.m., followed by a concert featuring the eight-member folk ensemble Shenandoah Run on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. The showcase picks up the next weekend with: the Ken & Brad Kolodner Trio, an old-time instrumental bluegrass father-and-son act plus guitarist Luke Chohany, on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m.; The Kennedys, the legendary folk-pop duo of Pete and Maura Kennedy that originated in D.C. but is now based in New York, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m., and Raymi, a D.C.-based band, led by Juan Cayrampoma, that performs traditional music from the Andes in South America, on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. The series continues to Feb. 1. ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Ave. Tickets are $20 to $25, or $70 for tables of two with wine, $140 for tables of four with wine. Call 703-436-9948 or visit www.creativecauldron.org.

SCYTHIAN

A headliner on the US Celtic Festival Circuit, the D.C.-based ensemble, known for its high-energy folk music, was founded by brothers Alexander and Danylo

Fedoryka, first-generation sons of Ukranian immigrants. Scythian plays “old time, good time music” of many cultures. They next perform a hometown show courtesy of All Good Presents. Saturday, Jan. 4.

Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. Tickets are $25 to $30. Call 202-787-1000 or visit www.thehamiltondc.com.

THE INSERIES: LE CABARET DE CARMEN

Bizet’s famed opera Carmen comes to life in a unique and intimate tango-cabaret experience led by the In Series’ young and innovative new director Timothy Nelson. Cara Gonzalez performs as the intoxicating and immortal titular chanteuse accompanied by the More Tango Quartet and with musical direction from Emily Baltzer. The cast, performing in French with English super-titles, also features Brian Arreola as Don Jose, Kelly Curtin as Micaela, Alex Albequerque as Escamillo, Kyle Dunn as Host, and Lydia Gladstone as Madame Pastia.

The concert comes with a warning, “Parental Advisory: Explicit Content.” Opens Saturday, Jan. 4.

Post-Show Q&A is Sunday, Jan. 5.

Runs to Jan. 19. Source, 1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $21 to $46, or $31 to $56 for Opening Night & Celebration. Call 202-204-7763 or visit www.inseries.org.

DANCE STEP AFRIKA!: STEP XPLOSION, DRUMFOLK

Strathmore welcomes back the professional dance troupe founded by C. Brian Wiliams and focused on stepping, the high-energy, percussive style of dance that originated with African-American fraternities and sororities. This year’s program begins with performances by six of the finest step squads around, ranging from Dem Raider Boyz of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., to the Cook Hall Step Team from Howard University.

Yet the showcase is on a portion of a new work commissioned by Strathmore that honors the heritage of step and puts the vibrant art form in historical context. Drumfolk reflects on the harsh realities of the American South while celebrating the fortitude of enslaved Africans who practiced percussive traditions such as patting juba, hambone, ring shout, and tap — all antecedents of step. Sunday, Jan. 12, at 5 p.m.

Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 to $75. Call 301-581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

DEAN FORD AND THE BEAUTIFUL ONES

Virginia’s historic State Theatre presents a concert by a band from Maine that has spent the past decade performing in tribute to Prince in a way that is touted “as close as you will ever get to the real thing.” Dean Ford and company perform from the hit repertoire of the Purple One, including the Purple Rain album in its entirety. Saturday, Jan. 4, at 9 p.m.

220 North Washington St., Falls Church. Tickets are $15 to $18. Call 703-237-0300 or visit www.thestatetheatre.com.

COMEDY 50 FIRST JOKES

Underground Comedy presents the 5th annual D.C. edition of a multicity comedy event, a showcase with the descriptive tagline: “50 Comics.

One Mega Show. 1st New Joke of the New Year.” The fun, fast, and loose show features a mixture of established comedians along with promising up-and-comers, all of whom will share a new joke they’ve written since the ball dropped on 2020. Wednesday, Jan. 8. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Drafthouse Comedy, 1100 13th St. NW. Tickets are $5. Call 202-750-6411 or visit www.drafthousecomedy.com.

THE SECOND CITY: SHE THE PEOPLE: THE RESISTANCE CONTINUES!

An all-female team from Chicago’s sketch comedy troupe once again roasts the patriarchy, modern politics, and pop culture in a new show building on last year’s blockbuster success at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Directed by Carly Heffernan, She The People: The Resistance Continues! satirizes today’s world, exploding myths and misrepresentations surrounding body positivity, bachelorettes, Beyoncé, and the 2020 elections.

To Jan. 5. 641 D St. NW. Call 202393-3939 or visit www.woollymammoth.net.

MURDER MYSTERY COMEDY SHOW: THE NEWLY DEAD GAME

The audience is asked to solve a murder in a new show from Die Laughing Productions. The setup: The audience is part of a taping of the popular game show Clash of the Couples, where one couple will win it all and one contestant will lose the game — and his “life.” 98 Rock morning show host Justin Schegel and Comedy Central’s Rob Maher will lead this interactive whodunit in which willing volunteers will fill some roles in the show and all audience members will guess who the murderer is, with correct guesses rewarded with “something new and shiny.” Saturday, Jan. 4. Doors at 6:30 p.m. The Wine Garden at City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $22. Call 202-250-2531 or visit www.citywinery.com.

WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER: ROAD SHOW

D.C.’s leading troupe for longform improv offers its annual “wintry mix” of vignettes featuring different ensembles, with each plot developed on-the-fly, spurred by a single audience suggestion. Each show is different, but all offer a grab bag of spontaneous comedy and longform improv, including the all-female-identifying group Hellcat, the slyly named all-African-American group Lena Dunham, the improvising playwrights of iMusical, and the improvised rockers in Heavy Rotation. Now to Feb. 2. District

of Columbia Arts Center (DCAC), 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets are $15 to $18. Call 202-462-7833 or visit www.witdc.org.

READINGS & DISCUSSIONS DANIEL J. LEVITIN: SUCCESSFUL AGING

The celebrated neuroscientist behind insightful bestsellers including This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind returns with an examination of what happens in our brains as we age. Drawing from neuroscience as well as cognitive psychology, Successful Aging shares scientific lessons about how to age joyously — with a particular focus on what we all can do today to help make the most of our senior years — as well as how our culture should adapt to take full advantage of older people’s wisdom and experience. Thursday, Jan. 9, at 6:30 p.m.

Kramerbooks, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-387-1400 or visit www.kramers.com.

ART & EXHIBITS 10X10 INVITATIONAL

A hand-picked group of roughly 100 regional and national artists have donated nearly 200 works for the fifth annual exhibition at Maryland’s Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. Every artwork is different, ranging in

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polymathic, combining traditional hand-made practices with automated systems and machine-rendered designs, all intended “to express the complex ideas of fetishism, transhumanism, and the design of self.” Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 1617 14th St. NW. Call 202-387-6180 or visit www.facebook.com/CBRBDupont.

LEE STALSWORTH

THE TOUCH OF COLOR: PASTELS AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

MANIFESTO: ART X AGENCY

More than 100 works of art and ephemera created over the past century are currently on display in this group exhibition at the Hirshhorn. The specific focus is on artist manifestos and their impact, exploring how artists have used these statements of principles or theories to engage with the political and social issues of their time, including the present day.

Manifesto: Art X Agency (pictured) is named after a multichannel film by German artist Julian Rosefeldt that features actress Cate Blanchett performing excerpts from some of the great manifestos of the past century. Rosefeldt’s 2015 film makes its Hirshhorn debut as part of the exhibition, which is mostly comprised of seminal works from the museum’s permanent collection made by Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Jackson Pollock, Guerrilla Girls, Adrian Piper, Nam June Paik, and Glenn Ligon. To Jan. 5. Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Call 202-633-1000 or visit www.hirshhorn.si.edu. styles from prints to paintings to mixed-media, but all are the same size — 10 x 10 inches — and all are available at the same price: $50. The invitational is billed as a great opportunity for collectors of all levels to get interesting pieces by talented artists at a remarkable price, or at least serve as original holiday gifts. It’s also a constantly rotating stock, with new pieces put on display as works sell from the second-floor gallery in Pyramid, the nonprofit contemporary art center located in the historic Arcade building in Hyattsville’s Gateway Arts District. Through Jan. 5. 4318 Gallatin Street. Call 301-6089101 or visit www.pyramidatlanticartcenter.org.

6 @ 35: CELEBRATING WASHINGTON SCULPTORS GROUP’S 35TH ANNIVERSARY

The Zenith Gallery toasts the 35th anniversary of an organization that supports area sculptors by collaborating with other arts organizations, helping develop careers and exhibiting artwork. The latest exhibition in Zenith’s downtown Sculpture Space highlights six member artists of the Washington Sculptors Group, selected by a jury comprised

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of Sandy Bellamy, the official art curator for D.C.’s public buildings, art critic and curator Nancy Nesvet, and Zenith’s Margery Goldberg.

The six artists with works on display are Luc Fiedler, Allen Linder, Mitra Lore, Vienne Rea, Gil Ugiansky, and Wilfredo Valladares.

To Jan. 4. 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Call 202-783-2963 or visit www.zenithgallery.com.

A MONUMENT TO SHAKESPEARE

A temporary exhibition highlighting how Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Folger set out to create their shrine to the Bard as a gift, in 1932, to the American people — examining the Folger Shakespeare Library’s architecture and looking to its future. To Jan. 5. 201 East Capitol St. SE. Call 202-544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu.

EXHIBITION OF FINE ARTS IN MINIATURE

Strathmore hosts the 86th annual show featuring more than 700 intricately detailed works of art, painstakingly produced in miniature. The exhibition, presented by the Miniature Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers Society of Washington,

JANUARY 2, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

D.C., draws viewers into a concentrated universe that traces it roots to the 7th century. To Jan. 5. The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda.

Call 301-581-5100 or visit www. strathmore.org.

RIGHTFULLY HERS: AMERICAN WOMEN AND THE VOTE

The National Archives Museum highlights the hard-won victories that stemmed from the Women’s Suffrage movement, chief among these the passage 100 years ago of the 19th Amendment. The temporary exhibition also explores the story of the diversity of American women’s experiences and their impact on history. To Jan. 3. The Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, Constitution Avenue and 9th Streets NW. Call 202-357-5000 or visit www.archivesfoundation.org.

STEPHEN BENEDICTO

Works by the D.C.-based abstract fine artist are next up to be featured at Art14, the seasonal art series at the Coldwell Banker Dupont/Logan office on 14th Street NW. Benedicto creates works that are unique, dynamic, multidisciplinary, and

Known for its brilliant colors and its delicate, velvety texture, pastel is one of the most colorful and versatile materials in the history of art. The medium’s history, from the Renaissance to today, is on display via 64 exquisite examples drawn entirely from the National Gallery of Art’s permanent collection, yet they are rarely exhibited due to the fragility of pastel as a medium.

Featured in the exhibition are works

by Rosalba Carriera, Edgar Degas, James McNeill Whistler, Henri Matisse, and Roy Lichtenstein. Now to Jan. 26. Ground Floor, East Outer Tier in the West Building, 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free.

Call or visit www.nga.gov.

ABOVE & BEYOND KLEZMER BRUNCH WITH SETH KIBEL

The Washington Jewish Music Festival reprises its popular bi-monthly event of klezmer music and a kosher buffet at the newly renovated Edlavitch Jewish Community Center on 16th Street.

Seth Kibel and fellow musicians perform new arrangements of traditional Eastern European/Jewish melodies as well as original songs drawing upon jazz, classical, world beat, rock and other genres for an entertaining blend of music. Sunday, Jan. 5, at 11 am. Community Hall at 1529 16th St. NW. Tickets are $15 for the concert only, $30 for concert and brunch, or $35 for Mimosa brunch and concert. Call 202-777-3247 or visit www.jxjdc.org.

THE DC BIG FLEA & ANTIQUES MARKET

The Dulles Expo Center once again plays host to what is billed as the Mid-Atlantic’s largest indoor antique and collectibles flea market, with booths offering unique, quality antiques for home and office. This is not the flea market of yore, but one where you can find sophisticated, sleek, and sturdy furniture and designs, from fine antiques to vintage clothing and handbags to mid-century modern artworks.

Saturday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $10 for both days. Call 757-430-4735 or visit www.thebigfleamarket.com. l

Community FRIDAY, January 3 GAY DISTRICT, a group for

GBTQQI men between the ages of 18-35, meets on the first and third Fridays of each month.

8:30-9:30 p.m. The DC Center.

2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

Visit www.gaydistrict.org.

Join LGBTQ people all over the D.C. area for GoGayDC’s monthly FIRST FRIDAYS HAPPY HOUR SOCIAL at Pinzimini Lounge in the Westin Arlington Gateway. Ballston Metro is two blocks away. Free to attend. Everyone welcome.

7-9 p.m. 801 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www.gogaydc.org.

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 www.andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded

by members of the LGBT community, holds Friday evening Shabbat services in the DC Jewish Community Center’s Community Room. 8 p.m. 1529 16th St. NW. For more information, visit www.betmish.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds

a practice session at Howard University. 6:30-8 p.m. Burr Gymnasium, 2400 6th St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-

Walker Health. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW. For an appointment, call 202-7457000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va., offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and counseling by appointment only. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special appointment if seeking testing after 2 p.m. Call 703823-4401. www.kiservices.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER

offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an appointment, call 202-8498029. www.metrohealthdc.org.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts

LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24. 4-6 p.m. 1419

Columbia Road NW. Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422, www. layc-dc.org.

2300 Cathedral Ave. NW. 202232-4244, www.allsoulsdc.org.

SATURDAY, January 4

a practice session at Wilson Aquatic Center. 9:30-11 a.m. 4551 Fort Dr. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

ADVENTURING outdoors

group hikes 8.4 moderately strenuous miles with 1370 feet of elevation gain on Catoctin Mountain, near Camp David, Md. Bring sturdy, winter-worthy boots, layered clothing, lunch, beverages, and about $12 for fees. Carpool at 9 a.m. from the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station. For more information, contact Jeff, 301775-9660, or visit www.adventuring.org.

FCPS PRIDE, a professional,

advocacy and social group for FCPS employees, both LGBTQ and allied, as well as LGBTQ students and parents, holds a coffee house social. All ages welcome. Look for the people with rainbow stickers upstairs! 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Breeze Bakery Cafe, 4125 Hummer Rd., Annandale, Va. For more information, visit www.fcpspride.org.

Weekly Events DC AQUATICS CLUB holds a

practice session at Montgomery College Aquatics Club. 8:3010 a.m. 7600 Takoma Ave., Takoma, Md. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/ walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards. Route distance will be 3-6 miles. Walkers meet at 9:30 a.m. and runners at 10 a.m. at 23rd & P Streets NW. For more information, visit www. dcfrontrunners.org.

SUNDAY, January 5 The AGLA WOMEN’S GROUP holds a monthly potluck and social at a Metro-accessible private residence in Crystal City.

Bring a dish or drink to share, and games to play. 5-7 p.m.

For more information and the exact address, RSVP to Julie Alexandrin at Julie@agla.org.

Weekly Events LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS

MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass

at 8:30 a.m., High Mass at 11 a.m.

DC AQUATICS CLUB holds

DC FRONT RUNNERS run-

ning/walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards. Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman

Catholic Mass for the LGBT community. All welcome.

Sign interpreted. 6 p.m. St. Margaret’s Church, 1820 Connecticut Ave. NW. For more information, visit www. dignitywashington.org.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes all to 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW. For more info, visit www.firstuccdc.org or call 202-628-4317.

HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes GLBT community for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130 Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.

Visit www.hopeucc.org.

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. Visit www.lincolntemple.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA ser-

vices at 11 a.m., led by Rev. Emma Chattin. Children’s Sunday School, 11 a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax. For more info, call 703-691-0930 or visit www.mccnova.com.

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH, inclusive church

with GLBT fellowship, offers gospel worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional worship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW. For more info, call 202-232-0323 or visit www.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. For more info, call 202-232-0900 or visit www.saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF SILVER SPRING

invites LGBTQ families and individuals of all creeds and cultures to join the church.

Services 9:15 and 11:15 a.m.

10309 New Hampshire Ave. For more info, visit www. uucss.org.

MONDAY, January 6 Join LGBTQ people from around the D.C. area for a biweekly BOARD GAME NIGHT, hosted by a local Board Gamers Meetup group. 6-9 p.m.

Panera Bread, 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, basement level. For more information, visit www. meetup.com/DC-LGBT-BoardGamers.

The DC Center holds a monthly VOLUNTEER NIGHT for those interested in giving back to the local LGBTQ community. Activities include sorting through book donations, taking inventory, or assembling safesex packets. 6:30-8:30 p.m.

2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

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 www.swimdcac.org.

DC’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS welcomes musicians of all abilities to join its Monday night rehearsals. The group hosts marching/color guard, concert, and jazz ensembles, with performances year round. Please contact Membership@DCDD. org to inquire about joining one of the ensembles or visit www.

DCDD.org.

The DC Center hosts COFFEE

DROP-IN FOR THE SENIOR LGBT COMMUNITY. 10 a.m.-

noon. 2000 14th St. NW. For more information, call 202682-2245 or visit www.thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black

gay men’s evening affinity group for GBT black men. Light refreshments provided. 7-9 p.m. 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100. Visit www.ushelpingus.org.

JANUARY 2, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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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 information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit www.wetskins.org.

TUESDAY, January 7 The DC Anti-Violence Project will be hosting a SURVIVOR ART NIGHT, led by Christina Cappelletti, an artist and therapist with The DC Center. All those who have been survivors of or impacted by violence are welcome to join for a healing gathering of expressive arts. You will also have the opportunity to talk to other survivors of violence and learn about individual and group counseling options.

Space is limited to 15 participants.

6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. To RSVP, or for more information, email ChristinaC@ thedccenter.org.

Weekly Events DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards.

Route distances vary. For meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

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. 703746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. www.inova.org/gmhc

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW, and 9 a.m-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m. at the Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE. For an appointment, call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS

holds an LGBT-focused meeting every Tuesday, 7 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from Virginia Square Metro. Handicapped accessible.

Newcomers welcome. For more info, call Dick, 703-521-1999 or email liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.

STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and the Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for those without symptoms. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

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JANUARY 2, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Support group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 meets at SMYAL. 4-7 p.m. 410 7th St. SE. For more information, contact Dana White, 202567-3156, or visit www.smyal.org.

Whitman-Walker Health holds its weekly GAY MEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC. Patients are seen on a walk-in basis. No-cost screening for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing available for a fee.

Testing starts at 6 p.m, but should arrive early to ensure a spot. 1525 14th St. NW. For more information, visit www.whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, January 8 DC LAMBDA SQUARES, the

LGBTQ line-dancing group, hosts a class for new dancers on Wednesdays. Students will be taught and learn the basics of modern Western square dance. Cost is $90. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Calvary Baptist Church, 755 8th St. NW. For more information, call 202-930-1058 or visit www.dclambdasquares.org.

The LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB meets for Duplicate Bridge at the Dignity Center. No reservations needed.

Newcomers welcome. 7:30 p.m. 721 8th St. SE (across from the Marine Barracks). Call 202-841-0279 if you need a partner.

Weekly Events AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-

versation, meets about 6-6:30 p.m., Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome. For more information, call Fausto Fernandez, 703-732-5174.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)

holds a practice session at Dunbar Aquatic Center. 7:30-9 p.m. 101 N St. NW. For more information, visit www.swimdcac.org.

FREEDOM FROM SMOKING, a

group for LGBT people looking to quit cigarettes and tobacco use, holds a weekly support meeting at The DC Center. 7-8 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit www.thedccenter.org.

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH

offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. All welcome.

118 N. Washington St., Alexandria.

703-549-1450, www.historicchristchurch.org.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support program for job entrants and seekers, meets at The DC Center. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.

For more info, email centercareers@thedccenter.org or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va.,

offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and counseling by appointment only. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special appointment if seeking testing after 2 p.m. Call 703-823-4401 or visit www.kiservices.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

free, rapid HIV testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. For more information, call 202-849-8029 or visit www.metrohealthdc.org.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV

testing. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite 200, Arlington.

Appointments: 703-789-4467. Visit www.novasaludinc.org.

STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and the Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for those without symptoms. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.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 information, contact Tom, 703-299-0504 or secretary@wetskins.org, or visit www.wetskins.org.

THURSDAY, January 9 The EQUALITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, an affiliate of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, holds its signature networking event on the second Thursday of each month. Take the time to network, meet D.C.-area LGBTQ and allied business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals, and make connections. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Moxy Washington, D.C., 1011 K St. NW. Pre-registration required. For more information, visit business.eccdc.biz/events.

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 www.andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB practice

session at Takoma Aquatic Center.

7:30-9 p.m. 300 Van Buren St. NW. For more information, visit www. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/

walking/social club welcomes runners of all ability levels for exercise in a fun and supportive environment, with socializing afterwards.

Route distances vary. 7 p.m. For

meeting places and more information, visit www.dcfrontrunners.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES, D.C.’s

LGBTQ square-dancing group, features an opportunity to learn about and practice various forms of modern square dancing. No partner required. Please dress casually. 7:30-9:30 p.m. National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW. For more info, call 202930-1058 or visit www.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 www.scandalsrfc.org.

THE DULLES TRIANGLES

Northern Virginia social group meets for happy hour at the Cosmopolitan Lounge inside the Sheraton Hotel in Reston. All welcome. 7-9 p.m. 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Second Floor. For more info, visit www.dullestriangles.com.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:305 p.m. at 1525 14th St. NW, and 9 a.m-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. at the Max Robinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE. For an appointment, call 202-745-7000 or visit www.whitman-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY (K.I.) SERVICES, 20 S. Quaker

Lane, Suite 210, Alexandria, Va., offers $30 “rapid” HIV testing and counseling by appointment only. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Must schedule special appointment if seeking testing after 2 p.m. Call 703-823-4401. www. kiservices.org

METROHEALTH CENTER

offers free, rapid HIV testing.

Appointment needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700. To arrange an appointment, call 202-849-8029. www.metrohealthdc.org

STI TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. at both 1525 14th St. NW and the Max Robinson Center, 2301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE. Testing is intended for those without symptoms. For an appointment call 202-745-7000 or visit www. whitman-walker.org.

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting. The group is independent of UHU. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. For more information, call 202-4461100. www.ushelpingus.com. l

For more events, visit metroweekly. com/community/calendar.

JANUARY 2, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

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theFeed

YEAR IN REVIEW: THE AGE OF PUSH-AND-PULL

In unsettled times, progress for the LGBTQ community is often measured by a string of triumphs and pitfalls. Such was the story of 2019. By John Riley

F

OR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, 2019 WAS THE year of rockiness and instability, of starts and stops, of success and losses in almost every aspect of our lives.

Caught between the push-and-pull of progress and backlash towards our community, we often find ourselves treading water amid the riptide, careening from drama and disaster on one hand to elation and celebration on the other, like we’re trapped in our own version of The Perils of Pauline.

In many ways, 2019 was simply setting the stage for what shapes up to be a volatile election year in a fiercely divided country. It can often be unclear where our non-LGBTQ neighbors’ sympathies lie: Is the country angry over transgender restrooms, or have they decided to “live and let live”?

Are we supported by more allies than ever before, or are we simply ignoring the millions who will always see us as a collection of “perverts” and sinners? Is it safe for a trans woman of color to come out of the closet, or does she risk ending up in a body bag just for walking down the street?

Each victory, each defeat, each triumph and each setback sparks more questions and more uncertainty about where we stand, and what is in store for us in the future. And, just when there’s some hint of progress, an action, a tweet, a statement, or a new attack drags us backward again.

As we bid goodbye to 2019, and 2020 lays out before us, it is clear that vigilance is required. While we do not know what lies ahead, we cannot afford to be caught unaware or unprepared. Despite the differences between the component parts of the LGBTQ community, we are, fifty years after the “birth” of our movement at Stonewall, strong, determined, and resilient, proving time and again that we can comfort one another, lift our fellow rainbow family members up, and organize ourselves to fight back against outside attacks.

While the pace of progress may be frustratingly slow, members of the LGBTQ community can wake up each day and promise themselves to keep fighting, keep reaching, keep persisting to achieve their goals. Eventually, we will get there. And when times get rough, we would do well to remember the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

nationwide and from the Trump administration, by flying a transgender flag outside her office. Speaking of which, the Trump administration started its year as it intended to go on. A report by LAMBDA LEGAL analyzing President Donald Trump’s nominees to the federal bench found that 1 in 3 have a recorded bias against or hostility towards LGBTQ individuals or same-sex couples, based on their rulings or statements.

In a rare occurrence, KAREN PENCE, the wife of Vice President Mike Pence, was criticized after it was revealed that the private school she was working at, IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, requires employees and parents to sign pledges agreeing to “live a personal life of moral purity” and refrain from “homosexual or lesbian activity” and “transgender activity.” In response to the controversy, THE TREVOR PROJECT, an organization that seeks to prevent suicide and provide mental and emotional support for LGBTQ youth, donated copies of children’s book A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, featuring a gay version of the Vice President’s pet rabbit, to Immanuel Christian.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, the nation was transfixed by reports of an attack on Empire actor JUSSIE SMOLLETT, who claimed that two men had confronted him, beat him up, poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him, and tied a rope around his neck while yelling homophobic and racial slurs at him. In March, Chicago Police alleged he had hired two men to stage the attack and indicted on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for falsifying a police report. Later that month, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped all the charges against Smollett, who continues to profess his innocence.

In California, progressive activists called for an investigation into prominent Democratic fundraiser ED BUCK after a gay black man was found dead from an overdose in Buck’s West Hollywood home for the second time in an 18-month time frame. They also called for any person or group that received money from Buck to donate an identical amount to organizations serving LGBTQ youth of color. In October, Buck was indicted by a grand jury for distributing methamphetamine, and faces 30 years in prison.

JANUARY

February saw the continuation of the Trump administration’s attempts to ban transgender people from open military service. In response, many Democratic members of Congress invited out trans military members who were currently serving to be their guests at the president’s State of the Union speech. But while Trump was pushing to limit

In Washington, a historic number of LGBTQ people — 10 in total — were sworn in as members of Congress following the Democrats’ wins in the 2018 midterm elections. And newly sworn in U.S. Rep. JENNIFER WEXTON offered a bold message of support to the trans community, under attack

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JANUARY 2, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

FEBRUARY

theFeed trans troops from serving, his administration was launching plans for a new initiative, headed by openly gay U.S. Ambassador to Germany RICHARD GRENELL, to call on the nearly 70 countries that criminalize homosexuality and same-sex relations to change their laws. However, it didn’t have the smoothest launch — a few days after it was announced, President Trump was asked about the campaign and appeared to be unaware of it.

Outside of the trans military ban, most other court decisions in February were positive developments for the LGBTQ community. A federal judge ordered a halt to the discharges of HIVpositive service members. Another judge granted citizenship to the twin sons of a binational gay couple, ANDREW AND ELAD DVASH-BANKS, whose marriage — and subsequently, American citizen Andrew’s parental relationship with their son Ethan, who is not biologically related to him — had not been acknowledged by the State Department. And in a historic first, a third judge ordered the State Department to issue a passport reflecting the nonbinary gender of U.S. Navy veteran DANA ZZYYM. Some good news came when local LGBTQ landmark ANNIE’S PARAMOUNT STEAKHOUSE was named one of five winners of the prestigious James Beard “America’s Classics” award, being honored for its quality “comfort food” menu options and its historic and longstanding ties to the Dupont Circle area, including the LGBTQ community.

MARCH

Dating app GRINDR hit headlines after the U.S. government declared it a national security risk. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) told Grindr’s Chinese owners, Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd, to sell the app by June 2020. No explanation was given, though the presence of U.S. military and intelligence personnel — and the storage of their personal information and location data — is speculated to be to blame.

The Democratic-led Congress made headway on several pro-LGBTQ initiatives, blocking harmful anti-transgender amendments that Republicans had attempted to introduce to the VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT, and making preparations for a vote later in the year on the EQUALITY ACT, a comprehensive bill prohibiting discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community. The latter bill gained a prominent endorsement from the NAACP, but was slammed by GREGORY T. ANGELO, the former head of the national Log Cabin Republicans, who argued it did not contain enough protections for religious conservatives who object to same-sex marriage or homosexuality.

Patrons of D.C. gay nightclub COBALT were shocked after the establishment suddenly closed its doors without fanfare or notice. Owner Eric Little said that the club was forced to close due to the high price tag of needed infrastructure repairs, combined with a decline in sales.

And local gay singer-songwriter JEREMIAH LLOYD HARMON went viral after his AMERICAN IDOL audition, performing “Almost Heaven,” an original song, inspired by his baptist upbringing, about whether gay people get into heaven. Idol documented his emotional coming out story, which, combined with his soaring vocals in subsequent performances, helped propel Harmon to the live shows, where he eventually finished sixth.

APRIL

On the national level, April could best be described as “PETE BUTTIGIEG Month,” with the South Bend Mayor officially announcing his candidacy for the White House, making him the first openly LGBTQ person to seek the Democratic Party’s

presidential nomination.

Former Republican Congressman AARON SCHOCK was allegedly spotted making out with a man — and putting his hand in said man’s pants — at music festival Coachella. It ignited a firestorm of controversy on social media, as Schock had racked up an anti-gay voting record in office — something he has refused to publicly apologize for. Two months later, Schock was filmed putting cash in a go-go boy’s underwear in a Mexico City gay bar.

In health news, researchers at the UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH introduced a new immunotherapy method that they claim is able to detect latent HIV, reactivate it, and then “kill” the virus in infected cells. If successful in clinical trials, the research could eventually lead to a cure for HIV. April marked a negative month for the transgender community, beginning with a decision by Iowa lawmakers to introduce an amendment prohibiting Medicaid from covering the costs of gender confirmation surgery for low-income transgender residents. The amendment, signed into law after Gov. KIM REYNOLDS refused to veto it, was in direct defiance of an Iowa Supreme Court ruling a month earlier.

In Texas, MUHLAYSIA BOOKER, a transgender woman, was attacked by a mob of people in Dallas who kicked her and yelled anti-trans and anti-gay slurs at her, eventually knocking her unconscious. Video of the attack went viral on social media, horrifying many in the LGBTQ community, who called on Dallas Police to dole out swift justice. Booker spoke out against the incident as an example of the violence that transgender women often face because of their identity. A month later, she would be shot to death. Locally, members of D.C.’s transgender community were grieving after ASHANTI CARMON, a transgender woman, was killed in the nearby suburb of Fairmount Heights. Police were unable to identify any suspects.

MAY

To coincide with the National Day of Prayer, President Trump announced a finalized rule to grant religious exemptions to health care providers, preventing hospitals from disciplining any health care provider who refuses to assist in any procedure that conflicts with their personal religious beliefs. That exemption was then challenged by two lawsuits, one brought by a coalition of LGBTQ and secular groups and another by Califronia Attorney General XAVIER BECERRA, arguing that it is discriminatory, will only harm vulnerable populations, and will embolden workers to refuse other procedures out of animus towards certain groups. At the same time, the Trump administration announced a proposal that would allow shelters that receive federal funds to discriminate against transgender homeless individuals by requiring them to be housed in shelters that match their biological sex at birth.

Against this backdrop, congressional Democrats, led by House Speaker NANCY PELOSI, lobbied on behalf of and ultimately passed the Equality Act, a bill prohibiting various forms of anti-LGBTQ dscrimination. The bill was a lightning rod for social conservatives, with televangelist PAT ROBERTSON declaring that the bill’s passage would be as devastating to the United States as “atomic war.”

Fast food restaurant CHICK-FIL-A continued to defy calls to stop donating to anti-LGBTQ organizations, arguing its donations were part of a “higher calling.” That same month, Texas Gov. GREG ABBOTT signed the so-called “Save Chick-fil-A” bill, which prohibits localities from barring Chick-fil-A or other businesses with socially conservative values from relocating to an area.

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theFeed JUNE

LGBTQ Pride Month — which President Trump finally recognized in his third year in office — started with yet another Trump-fueled controversy after the State Department ordered U.S. embassies not to fly LGBTQ Pride flags on their flagpoles, although the flags could be displayed elsewhere on embassy grounds.

While LGBTQ people stateside celebrated Pride Month, which marked the 50th anniversary of the STONEWALL RIOTS, two conflicting polls came out regarding attitudes towards our community. One showed that Americans claim to be more supportive of transgender rights, despite the Trump administration’s attacks against the community. The other poll showed that support has risen for business owners to be able to refuse service to LGBTQ people based on their religious beliefs.

Locally, the CAPITAL PRIDE PARADE came to a standstill on June 9, after reports of a man with a gun sparked fears of a mass shooting, leading to chaos as parade-goers around Dupont Circle attempted to flee the area and permanently halting the second half of the Pride Parade. The man, AFTABJIT SINGH and his wife, MELISSA DUFFY, were arrested and charged in the incident, with Singh ultimately agreeing to a plea deal while a charge against Duffy was dropped. Thankfully, all other Pride-themed events scheduled that weekend, including Sunday’s Festival and Concert, continued as normal.

Local LGBTQ activists found themselves mourning yet another murdered trans woman after ZOE SPEARS was found shot to death close to the same area where Ashanti Carmon had been murdered earlier in the year.

JULY

As July began, LGBTQ advocates decried the creation of a secretive “Commission on Unalienable Rights” within the State Department that purports to examine the role of human rights in America’s foreign policy. Specifically, advocates worry that the commission, put together by Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO, and being led by Harvard law professor MARY ANN GLENDON, a longtime vocal opponent of LGBTQ equality, will use its power to undermine LGBTQ rights and lessen the United States’ commitment to defending violations of LGBTQ people’s rights abroad.

After dominating the Billboard Hot 100 for three months with his crossover hip-hop/country hit “Old Town Road,” singer and rapper LIL NAS X came out as gay in a series of tweets. He had originally considered taking the secret of his sexuality “to the grave,” but ultimately chose to come out in order to help others.

AUGUST

The most controversial development of the month was the decision by the board of LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS to endorse President Trump for re-election in 2020. The announcement, given the Trump administration’s generally negative record on LGBTQ equality, led several high-profile Log Cabin members to resign, including Executive Director JERRI ANN HENRY, who criticized the group for acting more like an arm of the Republican Party than an LGBTQ group of conservatives fighting for equality.

In the courts, a federal judge in Virginia found that the Gloucester County School Board had indeed discriminated against former transgender student GAVIN GRIMM when it barred him from the boys’ restroom based on his gender identity. And a federal appeals court found that the state of Kentucky had to pay 22

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$224,000 in legal fees to four couples who were denied marriage licenses by former Rowan County Clerk KIM DAVIS. The court also ruled that two gay couples refused licenses by Davis can sue her personally for turning them away.

In local news, members of the LGBTQ community bid goodbye to DAVID MARINER, the longtime executive director of The DC Center, after he moved to Rehoboth Beach to take a new position. Elsewhere, longtime D.C. nightlife fixtures ED BAILEY, JOHN GUGGENMOS and JIM “CHACHI” BOYLE, the owners and creative forces behind the now-closed Town Danceboutique, announced that they had found a new property — the former St. Phillips Baptist Church at 1001 N. Capitol St. NE — where they hope to launch a nightclub intended to take the place of its popular predecessor.

SEPTEMBER

Transgender issues took center-stage this month, beginning with the NATIONAL TRANS VISIBILITY MARCH, which brought thousands of people to Washington, D.C., to demand more opportunities for transgender people, and to call out discrimination and violence directed at members of the transgender and nonbinary communities. That same month, GLAAD, in conjunction with One Iowa, The Gazette, and The Advocate, held a presidential forum on LGBTQ issues, hosted by Pose actress ANGELICA ROSS, featuring 10 of the Democrats seeking their party’s nomination for the Oval Office in 2020.

In contrast, Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, BEN CARSON, came under fire after calling referring to transgender women as “big, hairy men” while arguing against allowing them to stay in women’s shelters, and lamenting that “society no longer seemed to know the difference between men and women.” The comments prompted some members of Congress to call for his resignation, with others introducing a resolution to condemn the remarks.

In sports, RYAN RUSSELL, an NFL free agent who had previously played for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, came out as bisexual, making him the only LGBTQ male athlete in the major four professional sports leagues. Russell was honored for his coming out with a speaking slot at the Human Rights Campaign’s National Dinner in Washington, D.C., along with award winners DOMINIQUE JACKSON and RICKY MARTIN, and newly appointed HRC President ALPHONSO DAVID, who announced a number of new initiatives, including several that are specifically intended to promote the economic empowerment and safety of transgender people.

OCTOBER

Building on the presidential town hall held the previous month, LGBTQ people once again had a rare opportunity to hear presidential candidates weigh in on LGBTQ-specific issues when CNN hosted and aired a town hall event featuring several of the Democrats seeking the presidency. On the night of the event, it was transgender activist BLOSSOM C. BROWN who garnered headlines after she and other trans activists took issue with the event’s format and questions. Other protesters specifically called attention to the problem of transgender women of color being the victims of violent crime, and what sort of steps could be taken to combat that disturbing trend.

As if to underscore the vulnerability of transgender women, a federal judge in Texas overturned a section of the Affordable Care Act that prohibited insurers and medical providers who receive federal money from denying treatment or coverage based on sex, gender identity, or a person’s decision to terminate

theFeed a pregnancy. The judge, REED O’CONNOR, declared that the provision violated the conscience rights of medical providers with sincerely held religious beliefs opposing abortion and homosexuality.

Congress was shook up by the departure of Congresswoman KATIE HILL (D-Calif.), an out bisexual who resigned after becoming enmeshed in a scandal in which she was accused of being romantically involved with her chief of staff, an allegation she continues to deny.

NOVEMBER

The biggest headline out of November was pro-LGBTQ election successes in several states. In Virginia, Democrats flipped control of the General Assembly for the first time in more than two decades, earning majorities in the House of Delegates and the Senate, and ensuring Republicans could no longer sideline proLGBTQ legislation. Del. DANICA ROEM made history by becoming the first out transgender legislator in the United States to be re-elected. Other LGBTQ lawmakers, including Delegates DAWN ADAMS, MARK SICKLES, and MARK LEVINE, and State Sen. ADAM EBBIN, were also re-elected amid the Democratic wave.

In Louisiana, Gov. JOHN BEL EDWARDS, who previously signed an executive order protecting LGBTQ state employees from discrimination, was re-elected in another tight race, despite President Trump campaigning on his opponent’s behalf.

In Kentucky, ANDY BESHEAR, a Democrat who is an LGBTQ ally, unseated Republican Gov. MATT BEVIN, a vocal opponent of the LGBTQ community who campaigned on opposition to same-sex marriage when he was elected in 2015 and who benefitted this year from ads, run by outside groups on his behalf, decrying the presence of transgender athletes in women’s sports.

On the national level, three separate courts struck down a rule from the Trump administration seeking to allow medical providers to refuse to provide care or treatment to LGBTQ people and others based on the provider’s religious beliefs.

Unfortunately, the Trump administration published a rule that could undermine LGBTQ rights by allowing adoption and foster care agencies to use religious beliefs to justify discriminating against same-sex parents.

DECEMBER

Despite the success of LGBTQ allies in November’s elections, conservative lawmakers in various states quickly introduced bills targeting LGBTQ people, especially transgender individuals.

In South Carolina, State Rep. STEWART JONES introduced legislation to block trasngender minors from receiving gender confirmation surgery, hormones, or puberty blockers, and

to punish doctors who assist those minors in transitioning.

Similar bills have been introduced in Texas, Alaska, Illinois, and Kentucky. A nearly identical bill has been floated in Georgia by State Rep. GINNY EHRHARDT, who has proposed making it a felony for either a doctor or a parent to help transgender children transition before the age of 18.

In Kentucky, GOP lawmakers are considering a “bathroom bill” that would prohibit transgender students from using restrooms matching their gender identity. And bills to restrict transgender athletes from competing in any individual sports that do not match their assigned sex at birth have been introduced in Tennessee, Georgia, and Washington State.

When it comes to stories of social conservatives becoming unhinged, December was full of them. Early in the month, Hungary pulled out of the EUROVISION SONG CONTEST due to the right-wing government’s opposition to homosexuality and the belief that Eurovision was too LGBTQ-friendly. In Brazil, more than 2 million people demanded that Netflix remove a film by comedy troupe PORTA DOS FUNDOS called The First Temptation of Christ, featuring a gay Jesus bringing home a “friend” to meet his family. Netflix refused to remove the film, prompting a shadowy right-wing group to firebomb the offices of Porta dos Fundos.

In Zambia, President EDGAR LUNGU successfully pushed for the United States to recall U.S. Ambassador DANIEL FOOTE for comments he made expressing horror at a prison sentence handed down against a gay couple convicted of violating the country’s anti-sodomy laws, as well as past comments denouncing government corruption.

Stateside, the chief “culture war” controversy in December involved the HALLMARK CHANNEL, which came under fire from social conservatives after it aired a commercial from the wedding planning site Zola.com featuring a lesbian wedding where the two brides kiss. Conservatives, led by ONE MILLION MOMS, an arm of the American Family Association, demanded that the Hallmark Channel pull the ads or risk turning away its base viewers, who generally skew conservative on social issues.

The Hallmark Channel removed the ads featuring same-sex couples, but experienced backlash from the LGBTQ community and ZOLA.COM, which pulled all of its ads from the channel in protest. The Hallmark Channel then reversed course, and said it would restore the Zola ads and would work with GLAAD to “better represent the LGBTQ community across our portfolio of brands.” l To read an expanded version of this article, please visit www.metroweekly.com.

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The Year in Scene An assortment of some of our favorite Scene photographs from 2019, taken at various D.C. bars, venues, and community events.

Photography by Ward Morrison

Additional photography by Todd Franson and Randy Shulman

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Movies

1917

Cinema File

C

8. END OF THE CENTURY — On being constrained by a perceived lack of choices, or flying gloriously free, Lucio Castro’s time-shifting love story speaks eloquently, and with more raw sex appeal than just about any 2019 big screen release.

Carnal passions are, of course, judged on a personal scale, as are the concepts of freedom and compromise contemplated by wandering Ocho (Juan Barberini) and the seemingly more stable Javi (Ramon Pujol), who meet, then meet again, in this sublime, Barcelona-set fantasy of finding a path to abundance regardless of which path you choose.

10. QUEEN & SLIM — Before they’re stopped by a police officer who assaults them, Queen and Slim had both stood up in their own ways for equal justice. But from that night forward, neither one trusts in equal justice in the eyes of the law, not for black and brown kids. So they go on the run, and their flight becomes a cause, and this folk-hero thriller, written by Lena Waithe and directed by Melina Matsoukas, shrewdly complicates matters by having the pair double-down as criminals, relying on criminals to attain their freedom and a dose of justice. Maybe the world doesn’t owe Queen and Slim further justice beyond infamy and their indelible bond, portrayed with elegance and humility by Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya. Armed and determined, the film’s photogenic twosome will be remembered for standing their ground and not just taking shots.

7. WAVES — A movie is onto something when, scene after scene, it evokes the electric, excruciating tension of glimpsing a brief, bared moment of someone else’s most private self. That tension surfaces consistently in Trey Edward Shults’ drama, starring Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Kelvin Harrison, Jr., as a suburban black family struggling towards success without compromise, and spinning out of control. In turn, Shults sends the camera spinning, from Florida beaches and bayside bonfires, to the scene of a sudden and devastating crime, amid a lush pop/ rock soundtrack and formidable performances that propel the film’s high-wire first half into the tender, reflective second half, completing the well-crafted rollercoaster ride to redemption.

From the best to the worst, here are the films in 2019 that both amazed us and bored us to tears. By André Hereford

OMPARING HER FORMER LIFE INSIDE A CONVENT TO BEING FORCED into a hastily arranged marriage, the reluctant bride in the gripping period romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire expresses a preference for the nunnery. At the convent, she argues, she had use of a library, and she could sing and hear beautiful music. Pausing, she adds, “And equality is a pleasant feeling.” No truer words were spoken on-screen in this final year of the 2010s.

The struggle is real, in movies and in every corner of the world, to understand what it means to feel equal, free, united. Everybody wants to experience some measure of liberty and happiness, whether they’re a Lady on Fire or Elton John, an Avenger or a Jellicle Cat. Let’s call it a theme, though, not a mood — because cinematic superheroes and outlaws in 2019 confronted the struggle for equality with strength and sacrifice, with song and dance, with sex and maturity, but none of them in exactly the same fashion, except memorably.

9. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE — Writer-director Céline Sciamma’s women-in-love feature wants to look like a painting, and it does so beautifully, due in part to the windswept island scenery and to the talents of cinematographer Claire Mathon (Stranger By the Lake). Set in 1760s France, this 2019 Cannes Best Screenplay winner also means to capture the shifting dynamics between painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and her subject Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), between the voyeur and the viewed. Sciamma’s spare pas de deux earns its prizes, as Marianne and Héloïse’s slow-burning romance portrays, with flush familiarity, how falling in love both pins the women down and sets them free.

6. AVENGERS: ENDGAME — In 2019, what movie was more movie than Avengers: Endgame? The culmination of over a decade’s worth of Marvel/Disney’s global

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box office-dominating mythmaking, the all-heroes-on-deck epic made a case that size does matter — although you’ve still got to nail the rhythm. As sibling directors Joe & Anthony Russo proved before (and again) orchestrating the far-flung intrigue of 2018 hit Avengers: Infinity War, they and their team have mastered pacing multiple tracks of effects-driven action and multi-verse melodrama on a massive scale. Yet, eclipsing all the spectacle — and contrary to the opinions of some Marvel detractors — the film’s characters cut through the CGI to register affecting authenticity, leading generations of fans towards a hopeful vision of peace. And the next phase of Marvel movies.

5. PAIN & GLORY — Hopefully not the endgame, but still the culmination of a lofty film franchise, Pedro Almodóvar’s cheeky, subversive, and appealingly mellow masterpiece makes excellent use of Pedro film history, while telling the fresh and compelling story of fictional cinema maestro Salvador Mallo. As Salvador finds himself getting older much faster than he’d like, Almodóvar addresses aging from fascinating angles, particularly by casting his early movie muse Antonio Banderas as the creatively blocked sexagenarian director. Banderas has never been better, and Almodóvar’s work has rarely hit more honestly on how hard it is to maintain an audience’s interest, or a superstar artist’s pace.

4. THE FAREWELL — Lulu Wang’s delightful second feature addresses aging predominantly from its Millennial heroine’s view of her elderly grandmother and aunt. Specifically rooted in the Chinese culture of lead character Billi’s often disapproving family, the laugh-out-loud funny film wields a universal power to make viewers fall in love with every one of her nutty relatives.

Crazy, Rich Asians breakout Awkwafina bridges Billi’s New York City upbringing and her sincere respect for tradition, with woke feminism and a tear-jerking devotion to the woman who forms the backbone of their family.

3. AMAZING GRACE — What a friend we had in Aretha Franklin.

Such powerful human emotion flowed through the music and voice of the Queen of Soul, captured in this breathtaking documentary film, shot in 1972, of Franklin recording the eponymous best-selling gospel album. Over two nights, the singer blew the roof off L.A.’s New Bethel Baptist Church, before an audience that included Amazing Grace co-director Sydney Pollack, a low-key Mick Jagger, and Aretha’s proud papa, the esteemed Reverend C.L. Franklin, who praises her “intangible something that’s hard to describe.” Her gifts are not so hard to describe after watching the lady bring the crowd to their feet again and again, finally taking us all to church now that this long-unfinished treat at last has graced the screen.

2. CLIMAX — Does cinema provocateur Gaspar Noé (Irreversible) fear immigrants, or cultural diversity, or maybe just black people? It’s hard to tell, and hard not to wonder, watching the filmmaker’s indescribably intense dance horror drama, set in a remote, snowbound school where a troupe of dancers rehearse and relax, until a party bowl of acid-laced punch sends the voguing, breaking ensemble beyond the edge of sanity. Noé, an immigrant himself as a native Argentinian based in France, stages a show-stopping musical number right off the top, featuring dancers of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, representing different nationalities, genders, and sexual orientations. The

film evinces a respect for queer kids, club kids, and the hip-hop generation in every beat of its thumping, house music-heavy soundtrack. But once that high drops, and the party turns sinister, the troupe divides into clear camps of villains and victims.

Whether Noé is confessing, or merely pointing out, a certain fear of globalization, he ultimately delivers a punchline clever enough to make the whole gut-wrenching journey worthwhile.

1. 1917 — Few and precious are film sequences as perfectly effective as, say, Gene Kelly dancing and singing in the rain, or Glenn Close’s defeated Marquise bitterly removing her makeup at the end of Dangerous Liaisons. Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes contributes another to the pantheon in a bravura scene from this triumphant depiction of a perilous World War I mission attempted by two British soldiers. The film, shot and edited to appear as a single, fluid plunge into the muddy trenches and over the deadly fields of war, arrives at a bombed French town through which the soldiers must pass. In the pitch darkness of night, the world falls away, the camera races forward, and bombs bursting overhead punctuate composer Thomas Newman’s stirring score. The mission rests on the shoulders and in the hearts of soldiers who fight to feel and remain free in a film that hits every target within its storytelling aim.

And five more that missed their mark, some by a bit, some by a mile...

5. HIGH LIFE — Ambitious in concept, if not in scope or production design, Claire Denis’ space opera stumbles like a wayward drunk over the line between quirky and skeevy in its depiction of a lunatic scientist (Juliette Binoche) experimenting on prisoners (Robert Pattinson and André 3000 among them), in hopes of reproducing human life in space.

4. ESCAPE ROOM — It seems not exactly fair to brand a low-budget, studio-released teen horror flick as one of the worst of the year. But even by the low, low standards of its dead zone January release date, this mean-spirited number offered scant entertainment or escape.

3. DARK PHOENIX — The X-Men film franchise’s second stab at the comics’ legendary Dark Phoenix storyline somehow blew even harder than the first much-maligned attempt, X-Men: The Last Stand.

2. SERENITY — Credit where credit’s due: they don’t really make thrillers like this Matthew McConaughey-Anne Hathaway dud anymore, those lurid post-Fatal Attraction potboilers headlined by big movie stars seducing each other into bed and murder, generally resulting in some embarrassment for nearly all involved.

So...congratulations?

1. THE BEACH BUM — Heartiest congratulations, however, are reserved for Harmony Korine, impresario of film freakshows Spring Breakers and Gummo, among others, who manages to bring McConaughey in for a second starring spot on this worst list, playing the title character, a wealthy South Florida wastoid who lazes from one dull scenario to another, without being funny, sexy, or interesting — even opposite the talented, but thoroughly misused Isla Fisher. l

André Hereford writes about movies and theater for Metro Weekly. Read his reviews at www.metroweekly.com.

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NightLife

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The Year in Scene: 2019

DrinksDragDJsEtc...

Friday, January 3 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Meaty Fridays Happy Hour 5-9pm • Free Hot Dogs all night and Pizza at 7:30pm • $2 off all drinks until 9pm • $5 Cover starts at 7pm, $10 after 9pm • Birds of Prey Drag Show at 10:30pm • DJ Popperz and DJ KCB on a rotating basis • Open until 3am FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 Rail and Domestic • $5 Svedka, all flavors all night long • District 1st Fridays: Jocks and Leather Party, 10pm-close • All Body Types Welcome • Underwear attire encouraged but not required • Music by DJ Tryfe • GoGo Dancers • $10 Cover • $5 Margaritas and $8 Long Islands NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Open 3pm • Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Weekend Kickoff Dance Party, with Nellie’s DJs spinning bubbly pop music all night

Destinations A LEAGUE OF HER OWN 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.facebook.com/alohodc

NUMBER NINE Open 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • Friday Night Piano with Chris, 7:30pm • Friday Night Videos, 9:30pm • Rotating DJs PITCHERS Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am 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 TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price,

ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets, 9pm • Guest dancers • Rotating DJs • Kristina Kelly’s Diva Fev-ah Drag Show • Doors at 9pm, Shows at 11:45pm • Music by DJ Jeff Eletto • Cover 21+

Saturday, January 4 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-3am • Video Games • Live televised sports AVALON SATURDAYS @Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW Open Bar Recovery Party, 10pm-close • Featuring

FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR 555 23rd St. S. Arlington, Va. 703-685-0555 www.freddiesbeachbar.com

AVALON SATURDAYS Soundcheck 1420 K St. NW 202-789-5429 www.facebook.com/ AvalonSaturdaysDC 40

5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • Otter Happy Hour with guest DJs, 5-11pm

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GREEN LANTERN 1335 Green Ct. NW 202-347-4533 www.greenlanterndc.com

DJ Matt Bailer • $10 Early Bird Tickets, $15 Cover at the Door, $20 VIP • Drag Show, 10:30-11:30pm, hosted by Ba’Naka and a rotating cast of drag queens • $4 Absolut Drinks, 10pm-midnight • 21+ DC EAGLE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour until 9pm • Saturday Kink • Serving until 3am 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 • 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 • Rewind: Request Line, an ’80s and ’90s Dance Party, 9pm-close • Music by DJ Darryl Strickland • No Cover 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-3am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs playing pop music all night NUMBER NINE Doors open 2pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 2-9pm • $5 Absolut and $5 Bulleit Bourbon, 9pm-close • Time Machine and Power Hour, featuring VJ Jack Rayburn, 9:30pm

NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR 900 U St. NW 202-332-6355 www.nelliessportsbar.com NUMBER NINE 1435 P St. NW 202-986-0999 www.numberninedc.com PITCHERS 2317 18th St. NW 202-733-2568 www.pitchersbardc.com

BENT TO THE FUTURE

Summer Camp headlines first Bent of the new year weekend, a Roaring ’20s throwback at the 9:30 Club.

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PITCHERS Open Noon-3am • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 2am SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $16 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Noche Latina, 11pm-2am • Food and Drink specials TRADE Doors open 2pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS Men of Secrets upstairs, 9pm-close • Fully nude male dancers • Ladies of Illusion Drag Show with host Ella Fitzgerald in Ziegfeld’s • Doors open at 9pm, Show at 11:45pm • Music by DJs Keith Hoffman and Don T. • Cover 21+

Sunday, January 5 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 2pm-12am • $4 Smirnoff and Domestic Cans • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Open at Noon • Happy Hour until 9pm • Food served 5-8pm, $10 a plate • Cigar Sundays and Cruisy Sundays • $3 off

SHAW’S TAVERN 520 Florida Ave. NW 202-518-4092 www.shawstavern.com TRADE 1410 14th St. NW 202-986-1094 www.tradebardc.com ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS 1824 Half St. SW 202-863-0670 www.ziegfelds.com

.C. NIGHTLIFE HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER, AND AT A WARP pace in recent years, says Shea Van Horn. “I love the speed with which the city is evolving and adding [in terms of] the number and diversity of performers,” says Van Horn, who performs under the drag alterego Summer Camp. “I see many more drag kings sharing stages with drag queens. I see trans performers onstage. There is a totally different dynamic [than] 20 years ago, when just saying you're a drag queen made people take pause.”

These days, drag and drag performers are the chief attraction at nearly every LGBTQgeared event in town. So it is with Bent, the 9:30 Club’s immensely popular, quarterly LGBTQ party.

This weekend, Bent will lean into its second year with a headline performance from Summer Camp. “It will certainly be the biggest thing I've done in years,” Van Horn says.

“I want to deliver something great.

I want to fill the stage with energy.” He’s done that on other occasions, of course, albeit as a DJ with Matt Bailer for Mixtape, the party that was a precursor to Bent.

“I'm so happy [Summer Camp is] back,” says Steve Lemmerman, the party’s lead producer and head DJ under the alias Lemz. “And to bridge the gap with Mixtape, it just feels like a natural progression to have Summer. She's so outrageous and wonderful.” Also reporting for Bent duty is drag queen Baby and drag king Majic Dyke, both from Baltimore. The show will be hosted by local drag sensation Pussy Noir.

Each Bent in 2020 will be guided by a particular theme — and a different decade. First up is “Ringing in the Raging ’20s,” which Lemmerman describes as “a celebration of both going into a new decade, and a throwback to the last ’20s [a century ago], so we're going to have some fun with retro-futurism.” There will also be nods to The Great Gatsby in terms of decor and music. The party’s DJs — Sean Morris, Lemz Vs. Tezrah, Baronhawk Poitier, and DJ L Stackz — will likely spin a few new “future” dance tracks mixed in with older “pop favorites.” Even more enticing, Lemz says to expect “bouts of electro-swing,” referring a modern jazzy electronic genre he calls “perfect for the party.”

The new year also ushers in other, largely cosmetic, changes, from removing the stage curtains to installing 32 new lighting devices to give “a bit more of a wilder light show.”

What hasn’t changed? “It’s still the same people putting it together that put together the first season.” Lemz praises his “amazing team of collaborators...a talented group that all give great input and help push this party into something new.” Of course, he’s still awed by the party’s success last year, when all four editions sold out. “I truly am floored by the love that D.C. has shown for this party. It’s such a dream to do it.” —Doug Rule Bent: Ringing in the Raging ’20s is Saturday, Jan. 4, at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Doors at 10 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 202-265-0930 or visit www.930.com.

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The Year in Scene: 2019

all Whiskeys & Bourbons, $5 Chivas Regal, $15 bottomless Bud/Bud Light, $20 Bottomless Premium Drafts FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Fabulous Sunday Champagne Brunch, 10am-3pm • $24.99 with four glasses of champagne or mimosas, 1 Bloody Mary, or coffee, soda or juice • Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Zodiac Monthly Drag Contest, hosted by Ophelia Bottoms, 8-10pm • Karaoke, 10pm-close GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Karaoke with Kevin downstairs, 9:30pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Drag Brunch, hosted

by Chanel Devereaux, 10:30am-12:30pm and 1-3pm • Tickets on sale

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at nelliessportsbar.com • House Rail Drinks, Zing Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer and Mimosas, $4, 11am-1am • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Guest DJs NUMBER NINE 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 • Pop Goes the World with Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open Noon-2am • $4 Smirnoff, includes flavored, $4 Coors Light or $4 Miller Lites, 2-9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm

SHAW’S TAVERN Brunch with $16 Bottomless Mimosas, 10am-3pm • Closes at 5pm TRADE Doors open 2pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 2-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 • GLAM BOX: A Monthly Dress-Up Dance Party, 10pm • Come in a look or find one from an in-house glam box • WalkOff Contest at 10:30pm • Music by Joann Fabrixx, featuring special guest hosts

JANUARY 2, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

Monday, January 6 DC EAGLE Manic Mondays • Happy Hour until 9pm, $2 off all drinks • Free Pool play • $2 Bud & Bud Lights, $15 bottomless premium drafts FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Singles Night • Half-Priced Pasta Dishes • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Singing with the Sisters: Open Mic Karaoke Night with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, 9:30pm-close NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour

— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer, $15 • Half-Priced Burgers • Paint Nite, 7pm • PokerFace Poker, 8pm • Dart Boards • Ping Pong Madness, featuring 2 PingPong Tables NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 5-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas and Select Appetizers • Shaw ‘Nuff Trivia, 7:30pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

Tuesday, January 7 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE 2-4-1 Tuesdays • All Drinks, Buy one, Get one free • First Drink Free for Guys in Jockstraps FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Taco Tuesday • Karaoke, 9pm GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Tito’s Tuesday: $5 Tito’s Vodka all night NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour

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— $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • Buckets of Beer $15 • Drag Bingo with Sasha Adams and Brooklyn Heights, 7-9pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close

glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

NUMBER NINE Open at 5pm • Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover

Wednesday, January 8

PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm 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 • Half-Priced Burgers and Pizzas, 5-10pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail

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A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE Happy Hour until 9pm • Karaoke by D&K Sounds from 9pm-1am • $4 Rails, Wines & Domestic Drafts FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • $6 Burgers • Beach Blanket Drag Bingo Night, hosted

by Ms. Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm • Bingo prizes • Karaoke, 10pm-1am GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4pm-9pm • Bear Yoga with Greg Leo,

6:30-7:30pm • $10 per class • $3 rail cocktails and domestic beers all night long • Karaoke, 9pm NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR SmartAss Trivia Night, 8-10pm • Prizes include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30 Club • Absolutely Snatched Drag Show, hosted by Brooklyn Heights, 9pm • $3 Bud Light, $5 Absolut, $15 Buckets of Beer NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover PITCHERS Open 5pm-12am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm SHAW’S TAVERN Happy Hour, 4-7pm • $3 Miller Lite, $4 Blue Moon, $5 House Wines, $5 Rail Drinks • Half-Priced Pizzas

JANUARY 2, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM

and Select Appetizers • Piano Bar and Karaoke, 8pm TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5

Thursday, January 9 A LEAGUE OF HER OWN Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Live televised sports DC EAGLE $4 Rail and Domestics for guys in L.U.R.E. (Leather, Uniform, Rubber, Etc.) • Lights Dimmed at 8pm FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR Crazy Hour, 4-8pm • Karaoke, 9pm-close

GREEN LANTERN Happy Hour, 4-9pm • Shirtless Thursday, 10-11pm • Men in Underwear Drink Free, 12-12:30am • DJs BacK2bACk NELLIE’S SPORTS BAR Beat the Clock Happy Hour — $2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm) • $15 Buckets of Bud Products all night • Sports Leagues Night NUMBER NINE Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm • No Cover • ThurSlay, featuring DJ Jack Rayburn, 10pm PITCHERS Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour: $2 off everything until 9pm • Video Games • Foosball • Live televised sports • Full dining menu till 9pm • Special Late Night menu till 11pm • Thirst Trap Thursdays, hosted by Venus Valhalla, 11pm-12:30am • Featuring a Rotating Cast of Drag

Performers • Dancing until 1:30am 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 • Half-Priced Bottles of Wine, 5pm-close TRADE Doors open 5pm • XL Happy Hour: Any drink normally served in a cocktail glass is served in an XL glass for the same price, 5-10pm • Beer and wine only $5 ZIEGFELD’S/SECRETS All male, nude dancers, 9pm-close • “New Meat” Open Dancers Audition • Music by DJ Don T. • Cover 21+ l For more specials not featured in print, visit www.metroweekly.com/ nightlife/drink_specials.

The Year in Scene: 2019

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