Metro Weekly - 07-30-15 - Joel McHale

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JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Randy Shulman
ART DIRECTOR
Todd Franson
NEWS & BUSINESS EDITOR
John Riley
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Rhuaridh Marr
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Doug Rule
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ward Morrison, Julian Vankim
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR
Scott G. Brooks
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sean Bugg, Christian Gerard, Connor J. Hogan,
Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield
JULY 30, 2015

Volume 22 / Issue 13

NEWS
6

Trumping the Competition
Let Science Decide

OPINION
10

Court Sense
by John Riley
by John Riley
by Sean Bugg

SCENE
11
Baltimore Pride
photography by Ward Morrison
14
Community Calendar
WEBMASTER
David Uy
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Julian Vankim

FEATURE
18
Joel McHale
Interview by Randy Shulman
SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHER
Randy Shulman
BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETING
Christopher Cunetto
Cunetto Creative
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Rivendell Media Co.
212-242-6863
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Dennis Havrilla
PATRON SAINT
Dean Pelton
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Timothy White / E!
METRO WEEKLY
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JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
OUT ON THE TOWN

24

Tig

26

Romeo & Juliet: Love Knows No Age
by Rhuaridh Marr
by Doug Rule
The Beach at
The National Building Museum
by Connor J. Hogan

FILM
31

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

GAMES
33

Elite: Dangerous

TECH
35

Moto X
NIGHTLIFE
37

Club Hippo
46
Last Word
28
by Chris Heller
by Rhuaridh Marr
by Rhuaridh Marr
photography by Ward Morrison
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
Boy Scouts Fully Lift Gay Ban

Gay Mens Chorus Explores Cubas LGBT Community
GAGE SKIDMORE
LGBT
News
Now online at MetroWeekly.com
Trump at CPAC 2011
Trumping the Competition

Donald Trump is keeping the GOP contest lively and interesting
by John Riley
ONALD TRUMP IS ON A ROLL, AT LEAST WHEN

it comes to his performance in polls and his ability to
keep the media spotlight on his candidacy.
The billionaire business mogul and former reality
TV star surged to the front of the pack for the Republican nomination for the presidency almost as soon as he announced his
campaign. And the political press have been seemingly unable
to comprehend his meteoric rise in spite of controversial statements hes made along the campaign trail. But those who dismiss Trump as merely a sideshow act are missing a larger point
about the voters who currently say theyre supporting Trump.
Trumps most inflammatory comments came during his
announcement, when he disparaged illegal immigrants, saying,
When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending the best.
Theyre not sending you, theyre sending people that have lots of
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JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
problems and theyre bringing those problems. Theyre bringing

drugs, theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists.
But despite some backlash from non-Republicans, including corporations and Latino groups, Trump largely emerged
from the controversy unscathed. And no wonder: according to
a recent CNN/ORC International poll, a majority of Republican
voters support not only taking measures to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States, but deporting those who
are already living here without documentation.
While some have quibbled that the CNN poll appears to
overstate Republican opposition to immigration, a Washington
Post/ABC News poll that asked whether undocumented immigrants should be allowed to remain in the country if they pay
a fine and meet other requirements still found a majority of
Republicans favoring deportation. Meanwhile, 60 percent of
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JULY 30, 2015
LGBTNews
Americans in general favored legalization for those already living in the United States. In either case, Trumps rhetoric, while
blunt and sometimes controversial, is resonating with a certain
segment of the Republican primary electorate.
The CNN/ORC poll points to who might be supporting
Trump: disaffected and frustrated conservative voters who feel
that the government doesnt represent their views. According
to the poll, only 30 percent of registered voters feel the government in Washington represents their views very or somewhat well. That number falls to 16 percent among registered
Republicans. According to the CNN poll, Republican voters who
say their views are not represented at all by the government are
far more likely to back a Trump candidacy, with 24 percent supporting him versus 13 percent for the next highest contender,
former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Media attention has been focused on Trump from the time
he announced, and hes been attracting fairly large crowds to
his campaign rallies. Trump has also been unafraid to take on
establishment figures within the party, such as 2008 Republican
nominee Sen. John McCain, who disparaged McCains status as
a hero during the Vietnam War.
Hes a war hero because he was captured, Trump scoffed.
I like people that werent captured.
Many in the media speculated that Trump would experience
a decrease in the polls for making comments that were insensitive not only to McCain but other veterans and prisoners of war,
but the decline has yet to materialize. Trump actually shows a
6-point increase from a similar poll in June. And according to
two NBC/Marist polls of Iowa and New Hampshire, Trump
has improved his standing in both states. In Iowa, he comes in
a close second among likely caucus-goers with 17 percent, to
Walkers 19 percent. And Trump leads among New Hampshire
Republicans with 21 percent of the vote, compared to Bushs 14
percent and Walkers 12 percent.
Professional commentators, pundits and media figures seem
stunned and befuddled by Trumps staying power.
Hes not even doing that well, in the sense that hes not performing that well, said political analyst Mark Halperin during
a Monday appearance on MSNBCs Morning Joe. Hes clearly
making some mistakes that, to some extent, are setting him
back. Hes not organizing in Iowa as intensely as he might. And
yet, as long as hes at the top of the polls, as long as Republicans
fail to identify why it is hes doing well, rather than just railing
against him, hes going to be a huge factor in this race.
Thats not to say that Trump doesnt have his own political
problems. According to the NBC/Marist poll, Donald Trump
does worst among all presidential candidates Democratic and
Republican with a net approval rating of -28 in Iowa, where
only 32 percent of registered voters have a favorable opinion of
him, compared to 60 percent who have an unfavorable opinion.
Similarly, in New Hampshire, Trump has a net approval rating
of -40, with only 27 percent of registered voters thinking of him
favorably and 67 percent viewing him unfavorably. But Halperin
also pointed out that, given the wide field of candidates running
for the GOP nomination 17 major candidates in total Trump
doesnt have to be popular across the board.
In a crowded Republican field, somebody can win a contest
with 18 percent of the vote. Thats why people are underestimating Trump, Halperin said. If they think a lot of people
dont like him, he doesnt need everybody to like him to win.
Geoffrey Skelley, media relations coordinator and associate editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia
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JULY 30, 2015
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Center for Politics, says Trumps celebrity status and the

amount of attention lavished on his campaign make it difficult to
compare the race for the 2016 Republican nomination to previous fights in 2008 or 2012, as Trump is sucking up all the oxygen
in the primary.
Hes gotten much more intense media coverage, even after
announcing his presidential bid, than most people do, say
Skelley. Usually, they announce, get a lot of coverage, and drop
off. Trump hasnt seen that drop-off. Hes in the news constantly. And if hes the only one that people are talking about, that
keeps other candidates names from popping up.
Trump appears to be attracting voters from the conservative
wing of the party, as opposed to moderates, social conservatives,
or libertarians. Says Skelly, Trumps support is kind of broad, in
terms of where its coming from, ideologically speaking. But if
you look in terms of approval among Republicans, its not actually good, its worse than the other candidates, except maybe Chris
Christie. So his support isnt actually that broad, but it looks that
way, because its coming from all over the place in the party.
Trump has previously held positions that are generally
anathema to Republican primary voters. As a result, many of the
leading candidates will aim their attacks at Trump during the
first presidential debate, which may cause Trumps numbers to
fall as Republican primary voters find someone else to back that
meets criteria for an ideal candidate.
As far as LGBT issues go, Trumps views on same-sex marriage are largely indistinguishable from those of his 16 primary
opponents. As far back as 2011, in an interview with FOX News
Bill OReilly, Trump implied he felt uncomfortable with gay
marriage, saying that it just didnt feel good or right.
Former Star Trek actor George Takei met with Trump in
2013 to discuss same-sex marriage, telling MSNBCs Lawrence
ODonnell that they agreed to disagree on the issue. But Takei
also said that, during that lunch meeting, Trump had told him
he had recently attended the wedding of Jordan Roth, the president and owner of Broadways Jujamcyn Theaters.
So far, Trump has largely shied away from social issues, even
when pressed by CNNs Jake Tapper to give a response to a
hypothetical gay and lesbian person who would criticize Trump
for opposing gay marriage while being married three separate
times. Trump simply reiterated his support for traditional marriage without elaborating on his position.
But Trump has also not appeared to be explicitly courting
voters from the socially conservative wing of the party. Several
other candidates, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Louisiana Gov.
Bobby Jindal, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, and
former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, are expected to make a
play for the evangelical voters who often make up a substantial
portion of caucus-goers in the key state of Iowa. And with the
exception of Walker, who is more known for his union-busting
tactics in Wisconsin, those candidates have largely crafted their
respective public images as social issues crusaders. So it stands
to reason that Trump would seek out another bloc of voters
within the party where he has less competition and can grab a
larger share of votes.
Gregory T. Angelo, executive director of Log Cabin
Republicans, says that it is far too early to predict voter behavior
in the upcoming presidential primary process.
Its important to point out that we havent had the first
presidential debate in either party, Angelo says. And if you
were talking to me at this time back in the 2008 election cycle,
everybody would be talking about the inevitable matchup
LGBTNews
between Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton.
If the 2012 election cycle taught us anything, its that the
full array of candidates in either party have their peaks and their
valleys and their surges, Angelo says. Its way too early at this
stage of the game to predict whos going to come out on top in
the GOP field. I think its also unfair to say that people are consolidating or coalescing around specific candidates. I think a lot
of people are waiting to see how the candidates theyre watching perform in the debates, myself included. l
Let Science Decide

Both sides of the gay blood ban debate say science
should have the final word
by John Riley
N JULY 14, THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINistration (FDA) closed its period for members of the
public to weigh in on its proposal to change the current
lifetime ban on men who have sex with men. That proposal
would change the lifetime deferral to a one-year deferral period
from the time of the last sexual encounter before such men are
allowed to donate blood, tissue or other biological products such
as bone marrow.
Under the current policy, first adopted in 1983, men who
have engaged in sex with another man even once since 1977
have been indefinitely deferred from donating blood, even if
decades have passed since the sexual encounter, for fear of HIV
transmission. But some LGBT rights groups, and many within
the medical community, say that what essentially constitutes a
lifetime ban on some groups, including gay and bisexual men, is
medically and scientifically unwarranted. They argue the lifetime ban should be changed to a much shorter deferral period,
given the advances in technology that can be used to detect if
HIV antibodies or antigens are present in the bloodstream.
We appreciate the fact that the FDA is willing to take another look at this, says Daniel Bruner, the senior director of policy
at Whitman-Walker Health, which specializes in HIV treatment
and care. We appreciate that they want to reduce the deferral
period, but we dont think theyve gone nearly far enough. Once
you donate blood, of course, the donated blood is tested for HIV
right away. So the only concern would be the window period,
the period of time between exposure to the virus and when
todays reliable tests would find a positive result.
Under draft guidance issued in May, the FDA is recommending the lifetime ban be changed to a one-year deferral
period after the last sexual encounter. This proposed timeline is consistent with recommendations previously made by
the American Red Cross, Americas Blood Centers, and the
American Association of Blood Banks dating back to 2006, as
well as by the federal Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue
Safety Availability, which advises the U.S. Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services.
The one-year deferral period would also apply to other
groups besides MSM, including females who have had sex with
gay or bisexual men; anyone who has been treated for gonorrhea or syphilis; anyone who has received a blood transfusion in
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
LGBTNews
the past year; and anyone who has had any sexual contact with a
person who is HIV-positive or has ever engaged in risky behaviors such as exchanging sex for money or drugs, or engaged in
non-prescription drug use.
Indefinite referrals would remain in place for HIV-positive
people, sex workers and non-prescription IV drug users.
The open public comment period regarding the proposed
deferral period attracted 48 different comments, with many
coming from members of the medical or scientific community,
others from pro-LGBT organizations, and others from social
conservatives opposed to changing the current policy. In all
cases, commenters pleaded with the FDA to make its decision
based on science, not on public pressure.
In its own comments, Whitman-Walker Health suggested that
the FDA adopt a much shorter deferral period for MSM, women
who have had sex with MSM, former sex workers and former IV
drug users. Whitman-Walker also suggested that the FDA stop
discriminating against transgender people and treat them according to the guidelines followed for cisgender individuals of the same
gender. Currently, the FDAs draft guidance states that blood bank
directors can use discretion when determining whether to allow
transgender individuals to donate blood.
According to Bruner, currently available technology has
reduced the window period in which HIV can be detected to
fewer than 30 days. As a result there are two options for MSM
or other members of high-risk groups to donate blood. The first
would require the person donating to submit to an HIV test
when the blood is drawn. The blood donation center would then
hold onto that blood until the person came back 30 days later for
a second HIV test. If that second test was negative, the blood
could then be used safely.
The second option would be a 30-day deferral period based
on behavioral reporting. For example, an MSM who had sexual
contact within the past 30 days would be deferred from donating blood or other biological products.
Currently, there is no timeline as to when the FDA is expected to revise its policy if it does so at all. According to a spokeswoman for the FDA, the agency has the option of bringing draft
guidance before an advisory committee to seek recommendations, but is not required to do so, as the FDA makes the final
decision on whether draft guidance is adopted. l
OPINION Sean Bugg
Court Sense
For a sport historically open to lesbians, professional

tennis is behind the times when it comes to
gay male athletes
HEN THE GAY FORMER NBA PLAYER JASON

Collins recently let it be known that he had been
talking with a retired mens professional tennis
player who was considering coming out of the closet, I have to
admit my reaction was mixed. Initially, it was an all-purpose
Yay! to anyone who comes out of the closet by their own
choice. Its good to remember that all the worlds closets didnt
blow open on their own (or with the help of Gawker) after the
arrival of marriage.
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JULY 30, 2015
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But my second reaction was a weary, Really? Now?

Let me explain my premature churlishness. Tennis is a very
important sport to me. While I was a passable third baseman in
Little League, tennis was the first (okay, only) sport I excelled
at. I could hit a ball against my grandparents garage for seemingly hours. My sister and I both travelled around Kentucky
playing tournaments and winning some trophies. I made the
tennis team my freshman year of high school and went on to be
the captain.
Unsurprisingly, I followed professional tennis the way my
peers followed basketball. I had my idols (Bjorn Borg, Mats
Wilander) and my villains (Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe,
both of whom remain villains to me). Tennis was a vital and
important part of my young and closeted life.
While there were obviously no openly gay male players at that
time, I did grow up in the age of pioneering transgender player
Renee Richards, the outing of Billie Jean King, and the legendary
Martina Navratilova, all of whom were paving the way for the
future LGBT pros to come out, both male and female.
Id always thought that mens tennis would be on the forefront of openly gay male athletes. As pro sports go, its one of
the most egalitarian and progressive. The biggest tournaments
in tennis are dual-gender events, with men and women sharing
courts, television time, and equal prize money try finding
another major sport that does the same year in and year out.
(Hint: You wont.)
The presence of lesbian players on the womens tour has
become a simple matter of fact outside of the rare player from
a country like Ukraine giving a boorish interview about all the
lesbians, its pretty unremarkable. Demonstrably heterosexual
male players like Andy Roddick and James Blake have worked
with Athlete Ally to help open sports to young LGBT players.
In fact, the trailblazing for gay inclusion among the men
has really been about allies. A good example recently is Andy
Murray, the world number three player who last year hired
Amelie Mauresmo the former No. 1 womens player who
came out publicly at 19 years old as his coach. That raised
eyebrows (and exposed some lingering sexism in both the media
and locker room) but it left no doubt about Murrays thoughts
on how tennis should be open to everyone.
So despite being a sport with a history of (hard fought
for) equality and top athletes who are publicly supportive of
LGBT athletes, tennis has yet to see an openly gay male player.
Even pro football and basketball have seen players, such as
Collins and Michael Sam, come out. Where Id expected the
individual nature of tennis no coaches or owners to decide
who plays and who doesnt to encourage a gay pioneer, it
still hasnt happened.
We cant dismiss the pressure that comes with coming out
while pro young players crumble all the time under new
found fame, so it may be that the idea of being first is too much
of a distraction for a player considering coming out. Still, its
dispiriting that with so much progress at so rapid a pace, male
sports even the relatively progressive ones remain stubborn
to change.
As for the possibly-soon-to-come-out former player, Ive
seen plenty of speculation as to the identity. Lord knows gay
tennis fans have had a long time to ponder the question of who
may be. I have a couple of somewhat educated guesses, one of
whom would be a very big deal but also not likely. Until the
news finally breaks, well just have to keep playing the guessing
and waiting game on court. l
scene
Baltimore Pride
Saturday, July 25
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
Photography by
Ward Morrison
SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
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LGBTCommunityCalendar
Metro Weeklys Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area
LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.
Event information should be sent by email to calendar@MetroWeekly.com.
Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursdays publication.
Questions about the calendar may be directed to the
Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or
the calendar email address.
WEEKLY EVENTS
BET MISHPACHAH, founded by
members of the LGBT community,
holds Saturday morning Shabbat services, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddush
luncheon. Services in DCJCC
Community Room, 1529 16th St. NW.
betmish.org.
BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, including
others interested in Brazilian culture,
meets. For location/time, email braziliangaygroup@yahoo.com.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-
THURSDAY, JULY 30
FRIDAY, JULY 31
WEEKLY EVENTS
LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP for

adults in Montgomery County offers
a safe space to explore coming out
and issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.
16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,
Gaithersburg, Md. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group features

mainstream through advanced square
dancing at the National City Christian
Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30
p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,
dclambdasquares.org.
The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern
Virginia social group meets for happy
hour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810
Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor
bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestriangles.com.
HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

Health. At the Elizabeth Taylor
Medical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max Robinson
Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment
call 202-745-7000. Visit whitmanwalker.org.
IDENTITY offers free and confiden-
tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,

414 East Diamond Ave., and in
Takoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire
Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.
For appointments other hours, call
Gaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or
Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.
METROHEALTH CENTER offers
free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

needed. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.
202-638-0750.
SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5
p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for

youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155
or testing@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics

Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,
3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group is
independent of UHU. 202-446-1100.
WOMENS LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,
13-21, interested in leadership development. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL Youth
Center, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,
catherine.chu@smyal.org.
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JULY 30, 2015
The DC Center kicks off the opening

session and keynote event of the 2015
OUTWRITE BOOK FESTIVAL. The
keynote event includes a 20th anniversary celebration of B-Boy Blues,
featuring a speech by author James
Earl Handy, with a reception to follow. 6-9:15 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,
Suite 105. For more information, visit
thedccenter.org.
SOCIAL ANXIETY WORKSHOP


202-638-0750.
PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-
affirming social group for ages 11-24.

4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.
Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422,
layc-dc.org.
SMYALS REC NIGHT provides

a social atmosphere for GLBT and
questioning youth, featuring dance
parties, vogue nights, movies and
games. More info, catherine.chu@
smyal.org.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
seeks to teach people about what

causes social anxiety, its effects on
LGBT people, and the cognitivebehavioral therapy approach to
overcoming it. Free. 7-9 p.m. Near
Tenleytown Metro (address provided
upon registration). To register, visit
socialanxietyhelp.com.
BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay

volunteer organization, volunteers
today for Food and Friends and Lost
Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation at Falls
Church PetSmart. To participate, visit
burgundycrescent.org.
THE SPOTLIGHT PROJECT, an
CHRYSALIS arts & culture group
educational nonprofits for LGBTQ

people and allies, offers a series of
classes focusing on Life Skills and Art
at The DC Center. 6-8 p.m. 2000 14th
St. NW, Suite 105. For more information, email spotlightprojectdc@gmail.
com or visit spotlightproject.us.
WEEKLY EVENTS
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL
HEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5
p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatransculturalhealth.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at Hains Point,

927 Ohio Dr. SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.

METROWEEKLY.COM
attends screening of classic 1943

film based on Ernest Hemingways
novel For Whom The Bell Tolls, starring Gary Cooper & Ingrid Bergman.
Tickets $12 adults, $10 seniors. Nonmembers welcome. Meet at 12:45
p.m. in lobby of AFI Silver Theater,
8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring,
MD, a short walk from Metro station.
Refreshments in area follow around 4
p.m. Craig, 202-462-0535. craighowell1@verizon.net.
The DC Center plays host to the
2015 OUTWRITE BOOK FESTIVAL,
featuring workshops, readings,

spoken word performances and a
book fair featuring LGBT works of
literature, LGBT authors and LGBTfriendly book vendors throughout
the day. 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reeves
Center, 2000 14th St. NW. For more
information, visit thedccenter.org/
outwritedc.
tice session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio

Dr., SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.
org.
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club welcomes all levels for

exercise in a fun and supportive environment, socializing afterward. Meet
9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for a
walk; or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfrontrunners.org.
DC SENTINELS basketball team
meets at Turkey Thicket Recreation

Center, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4
p.m. For players of all levels, gay or
straight. teamdcbasketball.org.
DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass for
LGBT community, family and friends.

6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-theHill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria.
All welcome. For more info, visit dignitynova.org.
GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discusses

critical languages and foreign languages. 7 p.m. Nellies, 900 U St. NW.
RVSP preferred. brendandarcy@
gmail.com.
IDENTITY offers free and confidential
HIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676

New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walkins 12-3 p.m. For appointments other
hours, call 301-422-2398.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
Prince Riot, the International
Waackfest champion, hosts a
WAACKING DANCE LESSON at The
DC Center. Learn arm techniques,

musicality, creating character and
posing to be able to show people how
to use your body to express music. 8-9
p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For
more information, visit thedccenter.
org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS
MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m.,
High Mass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral
Ave. NW. 202-232-4244,
allsoulsdc.org.
BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressive

and radically inclusive church holds
services at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota
Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio
Dr., SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
DIGNITYUSA offers Roman Catholic

Mass for the LGBT community. 6
p.m., St. Margarets Church, 1820
Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.
Sign interpreted. For more info, visit
dignitynova.org.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITED

CHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes all
to 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.
firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.
FRIENDS MEETING OF
WASHINGTON meets for worship,
10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,

Quaker House Living Room (next to
Meeting House on Decatur Place),
2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbians
and gays. Handicapped accessible
from Phelps Place gate. Hearing
assistance. quakersdc.org.
HOPE UNITED CHURCH OF

CHRIST welcomes GLBT commu-
nity for worship. 10:30 a.m., 6130

Old Telegraph Road, Alexandria.
hopeucc.org.
INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL

DEVELOPMENT, God-centered new
age church & learning center. Sunday

Services and Workshops event. 5419
Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.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.
lincolntemple.org.
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF
REFORMATION invites all to Sunday
worship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare is

available at both services. Welcoming
LGBT people for 25 years. 212 East
Capitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. Onetta
Brooks. Childrens Sunday School, 11
a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.
703-691-0930, mccnova.com.
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY
CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
NEW HSV-2 SOCIAL AND

SUPPORT GROUP for gay men living
in the DC metro area. This group will

be meeting once a month. For information on location and time, email to
not.the.only.one.dc@gmail.com.
RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,

a Christ-centered, interracial, welcoming-and-affirming church, offers
service at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202554-4330, riverside-dc.org.
ST. STEPHEN AND THE
INCARNATION, an interracial,
multi-ethnic Christian Community

offers services in English, 8 a.m. and
10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.
1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,
saintstephensdc.org.
UNITARIAN CHURCH OF
ARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-
and-affirming congregation, offers

services at 10 a.m. Virginia Rainbow
UU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.
uucava.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. uucss.org.
UNIVERSALIST NATIONAL
MEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-
ing and inclusive church. GLBT

Interweave social/service group
meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,
Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.
NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.
MONDAY, AUGUST 3
BOOK READING UPLIFTS HIS
SPIRIT (BRUHS), a book and movie
discussion group for black GBT men,

hosts Tales from the Script, a discussion with cast members of the
webseries Anacostia and Triangle. 6-9
p.m. MLK Library, 901 G St. NW. For
more information, visit facebook.com/
BRUHSDC.
The DC Center hosts a VOLUNTEER
NIGHT for those interested in helping out around D.C.s only LGBT
community center. Duties include
cleaning, safe-sex inventory, and sorting through book donations. Pizza
provided. 6:30-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. For more information,
visit thedccenter.org.
WEEKLY EVENTS
services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)

and 11 a.m. Childrens Sunday School
at 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-6387373, mccdc.com.

Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit
swimdcac.org.
NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN

CHURCH, inclusive church with
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
GLBT fellowship, offers gospel worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional worship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.
202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.
practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
15
GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. at

Quaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. NW.
getequal.wdc@gmail.com.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY
(K.I.) Services, 3333 Duke St.,
Alexandria, offers free rapid HIV

testing and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
703-823-4401.

free, rapid HIV testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-
ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite

200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467.

youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,
410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or testing@smyal.org.
THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee DropIn for the Senior LGBT Community.
10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202682-2245, thedccenter.org.
US HELPING US hosts a black gay
mens evening affinity group. 3636

Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.
WASHINGTON WETSKINS Water

Polo Team practices 7-9 p.m. Takoma
Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St.
NW. Newcomers with at least basic
swimming ability always welcome.
Tom, 703-299-0504, secretary@
wetskins.org, wetskins.org.
Whitman-Walker Health HIV/
AIDS SUPPORT GROUP for newly
diagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.
Registration required. 202-939-7671,
hivsupport@whitman-walker.org.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
WEEKLY EVENTS
ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly
dinner in Dupont/Logan Circle area,
6:30 p.m. afwash@aol.com, afwashington.net.
DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)
practice session at Takoma Aquatic

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:309 p.m. swimdcac.org.
16
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walking/social club serving greater D.C.s

LGBT community and allies hosts an
evening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.
GAY MENS HEALTH

COLLABORATIVE offers free HIV
testing and STI screening and treatment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.
Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic,
Alexandria Health Department, 4480
King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-2149617. james.leslie@inova.org.

Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9 a.m.4:30 p.m. For an appointment call
202-745-7000. Visit
whitman-walker.org.
HIV WORKING GROUP of THE
DC CENTER hosts Packing Party,
where volunteers assemble safe-sex

kits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,
Green Lantern, 1335 Green Court NW.
thedccenter.org.
IDENTITY offers free and confidential

HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414 East
Diamond Ave., and in Takoma Park,
7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411.
Walk-ins 2-6 p.m. For appointments
other hours, call Gaithersburg at
301-300-9978 or Takoma Park at
301-422-2398.
KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY

(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St.,
Alexandria, offers free rapid HIV

testing and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
703-823-4401.

202-638-0750.
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUSLGBT
focused meeting every Tuesday, 7
p.m. St. Georges Episcopal Church,
915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just
steps from Virginia Square Metro. For
more info. call Dick, 703-521-1999.
Handicapped accessible. Newcomers
welcome. liveandletliveoa@gmail.com.

youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,
410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, testing@
smyal.org.
SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ
YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL, 410
7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. Cathy Chu, 202567-3163, catherine.chu@smyal.org.
US HELPING US hosts a support

group for black gay men 40 and older.
7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202446-1100.
LGBTCommunityCalendar
Whitman-Walker Healths GAY
MENS HEALTH AND WELLNESS/

STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 1701
14th St. NW. Patients are seen on

walk-in basis. No-cost screening for
HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Hepatitis and herpes testing
available for fee. whitman-walker.org.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5
BOOKMEN DC, an informal mens
gay-literature group, discusses The

Carnivorous Lamb, by Agustin
Gomez-Arcos. 7:30 p.m. Cleveland
Park Library, 3310 Connecticut
Ave NW. All welcome. bookmendc.
blogspot.com
THE ASK RAYCEEN SHOW, hosted

by Rayceen Pendarvis, interviews
Nicole Cutts of WPFWs Inside Out
about her new book. Singer Nia
Simmons performs, and the audience
will decide who wins the $100 prize
in the #AskRayceen Annual Poetry
Slam. Music by DJ Honey. 6-8:30
FEATURED
PARTNER
p.m. Liv Nightclub, 2001 11th St. NW.

For more information, visit facebook.
com/AskRayceen.
THE TOM DAVOREN SOCIAL

BRIDGE CLUB meets for Social
Bridge. 7:30 p.m. Dignity Center, 721

8th St. SE, across from the Marine
Barracks. No reservation and partner
needed. 301-345-1571 for more information.
WEEKLY EVENTS
AD LIB, a group for freestyle con-
versation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,

Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.
For more information, call Fausto
Fernandez, 703-732-5174.
ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL
HEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5
p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

Dr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.
org.
DC SCANDALS RUGBY holds
IDENTITY offers free and confiden-
tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414

East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.
For appointments other hours, call
Gaithersburg at 301-300-9978.
JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-
practice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Garrison

Elementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscandals.wordpress.com.
gram for job entrants and seekers,

meets at The DC Center. 2000 14th St.
NW, Suite 105. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. More
info, www.centercareers.org.
HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH
offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.

and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.
Washington St., Alexandria. 703-5491450, historicchristchurch.org.

free, rapid HIV testing. No appointment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14th
St. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.
NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite
200, Arlington. Appointments: 703789-4467.
PRIME TIMERS OF DC, social

club for mature gay men, hosts
weekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,
Windows Bar above Dupont Italian
Kitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl, 703573-8316. l
Ray Gernhart: Show Man

Award-winning realtors lighthearted approach to homebuying is as much
entertainment as it is education
HAT I DO EVERY DAY IS LARGELY PUT OUT FIRES

and make sure everybodys happy, says Ray Gernhart.
If its a dramatic settlement, Ive failed. I want my
settlements to be a glorified notary session. A bunch of kiss-kissbottle of champagne, look forward to the housewarming party, and
everybody goes home smiling.
Gernhart, an associate broker for RE/MAX Allegiance licensed
in D.C., Virginia and Maryland, is anything but solemn when dealing with real estate. Quick-witted, funny and full of joie de vivre,
Gernhart brings with him a dramatic flair and larger-than-life stage
presence that lends itself more to the Great White Way than Great
Falls. But thats not shocking, considering Gernhart holds a degree
from the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Its that creative persona that has allowed Gernhart to market
himself to potential clients.
When I became an agent, it was a time when younger people
werent doing real estate, says Gernhart. I was 23. I had leather
pants and Adam Lambert eyeshadow. I thought, I can stand out
from the blue-haired women in this business by driving a Jeep
Cherokee and wearing wife-beater t-shirts, and hanging out at
clubs, handing out matchbooks reading, For a good time and a great
deal, talk to Ray, he says. I used to put my picture in the newspaper upside down, and say, For a unique perspective on real estate,
talk to Ray. Just something different. And it got peoples attention.
That attention garnered a lot of business for Gernhart, who
became the top producer in the office his first year. Fast forward
30 years, and Gernhart has his own company, Ray Gernhart and
Associates, and is currently ranked as RE/MAXs number 1 agent in
Virginia, number three in the Mid-Atlantic region, and among the
top 25 in the country.
Theres very few agents who have the experience I have, he
says. I sell about 150 homes a year, so thats two or three a week.
Theres no problem that can come about during a deal that I have not
experienced and taken care of,
many times over in the past. Im
a good negotiator and my clients
are happy.
For Gernhart, an important
part of the real estate business
involves empathy the ability to place himself in his clients shoes, to understand their
thoughts, their individual tastes
and their reasons for buying.
Usually, when I first meet
with a buyer or seller, Ill bring
the forms, but I dont make anybody sign anything, he says. My
job is to do a needs assessment,
seeing the world through their
eyes. I want my clients to know
what theyre getting into, what
the deal is. And to think about
their part of the real estate pie.
And I want to entertain them,
because theyre kind of stuck in my car and the spotlights on me for
quite some time, and it relieves the stress. l
Ray Gernhart and Associates have offices at 911 U St NW in
Washington, D.C. and at 5100 Leesburg Pike in Alexandria, Va. Call
703-824-4731 or email ray@talktoray.com. For more information,
visit talktoray.com.
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
17
Soup
Nuts
from
to
Joel McHale weighs in on everything from Caitlyn to gay marriage to the absolute,
utter worst shows on television
Interview by Randy Shulman Photography by Timothy White / E!
Im getting older, so I hope Im still a gay sex symbol!

says Joel McHale. If someones finding me attractive, Ill
take it!
The boyish 43-year-old with the mischievous smirk has
little to worry about when it comes to sex appeal. Though
he does admit that keeping fit is important to him.
I go to the gayest gym in Hollywood, he says over the
course of an hour-long phone conversation from the L.A.based offices of The Soup. I go in there thinking Im in
shape, and then I go in and Im like, Ooh, I am not in shape.
I need to work harder.
Since 2004, McHale has hosted The Soup, E!
Entertainment Televisions popular weekly round-up of all
things wrong on TV, particularly of the reality sort.
We have the greatest staff of all time, he crows of his
18
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
Soup associates. A lot of them have been here a long time

and watch tons of television. I dont know how they do it.
I used to do it and I thought I was going to blow my brains
out. Cause when we started, there were like just 5 of us and
we had to watch everything. So now we have 14 and its a lot
more manageable. But we have great writers and great producers and they make me look fantastic every week.
McHales snarky, sarcastic delivery suits The Soups
format perfectly. But his star truly went supernova in
2009 after he was cast as the vain, sardonic Jeff Winger
in Dan Harmans NBC-sitcom, Community. Set in a fictitious Colorado community college, McHale helmed a
perfect ensemble cast, and the decidedly offbeat show
which lampooned pop culture in hilariously inventive
ways earned a devoted cult following. Enough so, that

after the network cancelled it, Yahoo stepped in and
produced a sixth and final season, increasing the shows
budget in the process.
In 2014, McHale was handed the cherished keys to the
comic monologue at the White House Correspondents
Dinner, where he was both pointed and prescient (Will
Donald Trump run again? And the answer is, Does that
thing on his head crap in the woods?) and recently
hosted the ESPY awards, which honored Caitlyn Jenner,
garnering record ratings as a result. At the time of the
interview, Jenners show, I Am Cait, had not yet premiered. But McHale promised it would very much be on
The Soups menu. Were going to obviously pay very close
attention to the show, he says.
Very little is off-limits for this master at scorching pop
culture figures who will perform a night of stand-up at

The Warner Theatre on Saturday, August 8 including
Bill Cosby. Calling out UFC champion Ronda Rousey at
the ESPYs, McHale raised a few eyebrows when he joked,
Shes knocked out more women than Bill Cosby.
Recently, McHales acting career has taken a turn into
dramatic movies, something he acknowledges has been
harder to break into since Hollywood views him as a comedic actor. His most notable turn was as a cop in the supernatural horror film, Deliver Us From Evil and hes part of the
main cast for the as yet to be titled X-Files revival, a miniseries scheduled to air on Fox in January 2016. (IMDB has
McHale listed as appearing in all six episodes.) Not bad for
a man whose first acting gig was in a first grade adaptation
of Disneys theme-park ride, Its a Small World (After All).
I played most of the parts, he says. My parents said I
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
19
just kind of lit up on stage. I was having a very good time.

Clearly, he still is.
METRO WEEKLY: Its an honor to meet you.
JOEL MCHALE: Its an honor to meet you, electronically.
MW: Have they told you anything about the magazine?
MCHALE: No. I assume its made of paper?
MW: That, and were an LGBT publication in Washington, D.C.
MCHALE: Yes! Im gay, so this works out great! Just let the Caitlyn
questions roll, my friend.

MW: Well get to that.
MCHALE: You bet you will!
MW: It was interesting to find out you were born in Rome.
MCHALE: Yes, my father was a Roman soldier. He guarded St.
Paul. He is very old.

MW: But you were raised in Seattle mainly.
MCHALE: Yes. The definite formative years were in Seattle.
MW: What got you interested in the performing arts?
MCHALE: I was only good at two things sports and performing
and I just felt a need to do both of them. I dont know why. Its
just a thing that God put in my brain to do. It sounds strange but
I was comfortable doing it. I remember thinking even in high
school, Im going to keep doing this until someone tells me to
stop.
MW: And no one told you to stop.
MCHALE: Oh, shitloads of people have, but no one important.
MW: Were the parents supportive of the choice?
MCHALE: My parents are practical people and so they were like,
You should have a backup plan. Like be a real estate agent on
the side. I never had a backup plan. It was more like, This is
what Im going to do. I know I can do it and this is the plan.
I treated it like I was a Japanese general. If I lost the battle I
would just stick a small Samurai sword in my stomach and do
the honorable thing.
MW: When we interview a person who isnt gay...
MCHALE: Yes I was gay.
MW: You were gay.
MCHALE: I was gay the whole time.
MW: The whole time.
MCHALE: But my partner has a vagina, so Im not as gay as you
think.
MW: Do you have a story about the first time someone came out
to you?
MCHALE: Hmmm. Boy. I had a cousin come out to me. I guess it
was surprising because he had only dated women. I grew up in
Seattle where everyone is pretty cool, so when he told me, I was
kind of like Uh, oh great. Cool. I think for a moment I was like,
Well, you only dated women, so I guess you didnt like that.
[Laughs.] I didnt have that big a reaction. I was like, Okay, cool.
I look forward to meet who youre dating. So my cousin is much
happier. He has been for years.
There was never one where someone was like, Im gay.
Most of the time when people have said it, I was like, Totally,
I know. So Ive had a humdrum reaction to my friends coming
out to me: Yeah, all right, great. Now can we go try this IPA that
Ive been wanting to drink? Not a great answer, I know, but I
think in this day and age, its kind of great now that its not a
shocking thing, which is how it should be. When gay marriage
got passed it was kind of like Yeah, fuck yeah, of course! It was
like, Why didnt someone build a bridge between those islands?
Weve been using a boat the whole time. It should have always
been there.
20
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
This is a terrible analogy, but say you have a house that has a
terrible gutter system and you replace the gutter system and you
go Hey, look I replaced the gutter system! And people are like,
Yeah, you should have done that years ago! It just seemed so
ridiculous that it wasnt legal. It was more Its about time than
it was a surprise.
MW: Of course, my neurotic concern is that one day well have an
administration that forces some kind of repeal.
MCHALE: I would say the chances of it ever being repealed are
about as good as me growing a tail.
MW: That would be interesting if you grew a tail.
MCHALE: I would probably have better balance.
MW: You could have your own reality show.
MCHALE: And if it was a tail I could pick stuff up with, thatd be
great!
MW: Back to your career. The Soup happens. Community happens.
Suddenly youre a recognizable celebrity, a star. Is there a discernible feeling to that change? Can you quantify it?
MCHALE: Theres never been a feeling like that for me. I spent so
much of my life, as I think so many actors do, trying to get work.
You would live from job to job to job its in your DNA, at least
it is in mine, and constantly go, Whats next? So I still have
that insecurity of youre only kind of good as your last job, which
sounds like a very unhappy way to go through life. I try to turn it
off and go, Im so insanely blessed that God was like Im gonna
let you do something youre good at, something that you want to
do, you lucky son-of-a-bitch.
For me its little moments I call them mountaintop
moments where you take a second and go, Oh, Im at the top
of a mountain and this is such a cool moment. Like the White
House Correspondents Dinner, where Im sitting with Michelle
Obama and were just chatting and Im about to swallow my
throat Im so nervous. And then to get up there and tell those
jokes and have the President say he liked them. That was one of
those moments.
Or when I was on Sesame Street. I thought, Ive reached
some point in my career where I get to be on Sesame Street as
myself somehow. I dont know how it happened, but its so damn
cool. Or I get to be in a scene with Steve Martin and just chat
with him and I think, Damn, this is a thing that happened to me.
How did this happen? What the hells going on?
So its not a feeling. Its just more moments. I love that I get
to do multiple jobs. People are always like, You work a lot. Im
like, Yeah, because I love it. I spent so much time not working
where I thought, Just give me a chance, just hand me the ball
and I will run and you wont see me again. Ill just keep running
to the eternal end zone. I thank God every day that I can do
this. I cannot believe how lucky and blessed I am to be able to do
something that I love and somebody pays me well for it. It seems
like a crime.
MW: I feel youre one of the few actors to successfully straddle very
different styles of performing. Let me put it this way: I totally
forget its you when I watch Community. I fully believe your
character. I forget about the fact that you host this other show as a
personification of yourself.
MCHALE: Thank you Im blushing. But you know my goal, when
I came here, was to act. The Soup was just a pilot presentation.
We did three minutes of jokes and they showed them to a room
of executives who said, How much is it going to cost? Oh.
Nothing? Yes, well put it on the air.
MW: But you stuck with it even after landing Community.
MCHALE: I kept doing it because the schedule kept working out
and its all my friends and I love doing it.
MW: A lot of actors come under fire when they reach past what
theyre perceived to be good at. Society has a tendency to pigeonhole performers.
MCHALE: I agree. For whatever reason in acting, its like, Oh,
youre the funny guy, and you just be funny, so go ahead and do
that. Thats the sort of like, you can do so many more things.
And there have been so many times that has been proven. Look
at someone like Robert DeNiro, who clearly is the greatest living
American dramatic actor. If someone had said, Oh, hell make
all his money being hilarious, youd have been like, I dont
think so. And thats what happened.
It took a lot of convincing to let me play a cop that beats
people up in Deliver Us From Evil. The [executives were] like,
The Soup guy? No, we dont think so. I was like, I can totally
do this. Let me do it.
MW: Lets talk about Community. It always existed on kind of the
precipice. Obviously, NBC canceled it and it moved to Yahoo and
found another life with a sixth season.
MCHALE: Yahoo paid tons of money for it because they knew that
people were watching it. NBC just never liked it. They didnt
know what it was. They were always terrified and confused
about what it was and we were always at the as [creator]
Dan Harmon called it the Vietnam of Time Slots. We were
up against the Big Bang Theory, easily the most popular show
on television. [CBS head] Les Moonves even said to me, Why
would they put you on against us? Why wouldnt it be alternative programming? And I was like, I dont know. It doesnt
make any sense to me, either. But what drew me to the show
was the uniqueness of Dans voice. Every week was like a whole
different world.
Our budget was decreased every year we were at NBC and
Yahoo significantly increased it and gave us basically no notes,
according to Dan. The weird part is that NBC would send an
executive to listen to the table reads when we would have them
and Id be like, What are you doing here? What do you care?
You canceled us. I wasnt mad. I just always joked. I was like,
What are you doing? What do you care?
MW: Is it getting another season on Yahoo?
MCHALE: No. They wanted to. But all of our contracts were up
after six years. All the actors on the show, almost without exception their stock has risen significantly and its out of the pay
rate that is affordable to make the show. So youre not going to
be able to get Alison Brie or Gillian Jacobs at a normal television
salary anymore. There is just not enough money to be able to pay
for the show.
MW: Its interesting because so much has changed with how we
watch television in the past decade. I find this whole new landscape
of DVRs and streaming-on-demand remarkable.
MCHALE: It has made television so much better. We are watching
the best television ever. Obviously I host The Soup, so some of
the television is also the worst ever.
MW: What is the worst television show out there right now?
MCHALE: Well, its rotating. Since we started The Soup, theres been
horrifying shows you cant believe it. Theres also inane shows. But
the worst television? Like the most amoral? Jeez, its hard to say.
There was a show that was on earlier this year called Sex Box. They
would have a counselor with some people who were having either
relationship problems or marital problems, and if the counseling
went well, then they would go into this box that was on the stage
and fuck. And then they would come out. And they would go, Yup,
okay. They pulled it because mostly the counselor was being so
irresponsible. The [advice] was based on nothing that was good or
medically sound. It was a really bad show.
Shows like Big Brother

are a little slice of hell,
where people are just
conspiring against each
other. ITS JUST ABOUT
STIRRING UP PEOPLES
HATRED OF EACH
OTHER.
Right now, there are like 12 shows on how to find the
Sasquatch, and thats crazy. Its great for us. Obviously theyll
never find Bigfoot. But its shows like Big Brother that drive me
out of my mind, that I think are a little slice of hell, where people
are just whispering and conspiring against each other. Its just
about stirring up peoples hatred of each other.
It gets worse with stuff like The Housewives of This and
That, where its just catty hatred. The producers want there to
be fights, and it exposes the ugly side of humanity.
I think they fill the void for soap operas that are all fading
away. These have taken their places. And I think that becomes
something much sicker because soap operas are vapid, but
theyre just play acting. With these, its supposedly real people
really getting arrested and really going to jail or like in the
Beverly Hills one, the husband committed suicide. On red carpets, people would be like, Can you comment on the suicide?
I was like, You know, maybe they shouldnt have had cameras
pointed at them six months or a year beforehand when clearly
he was not in a good place. But they still allow these cameras
into their lives and no one seems to question that at all. Thats
terrifying.
MW: What does it say about society that we enjoy watching people
rip each other apart?
MCHALE: I dont know. Its not good. I think people can be very
great and appreciate and love and all that stuff but were probably inherently not great. Were just inherently selfish just like
any other human beings on the planet. It feeds a sadism in us.
MW: Is there anything off limits to you on The Soup?
MCHALE: No, theres nothing off limits but theres a whole shit
load of stuff that isnt funny. When people bring up stuff like,
Are you going to cover that story about the baby dying? Ill be
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21
MW: Well, what do you think of everything thats happened with
Jenner in the past few months?

MCHALE: Boy, for Caitlyn its been crazy. I mean, the ratings for
IVE HAD A HUMDRUM

REACTION TO MY FRIENDS
COMING OUT TO ME: Yeah, all
right, great. Now can we go try
this IPA that Ive been wanting
to drink?
like, What? No! Are you crazy?! That sounds terrible. Its not
funny and thats not what the show is about. There are times
when we will take sad stories like when Whitney Houston or
Michael Jackson died and make fun of the coverage because
it was so insane. So even though the subject matter is touchy
and sad, you can make fun of the coverage. We are covering the
coverage, basically.
MW: Lets talk about the ESPY awards.
MCHALE: Yeah, boy that was fun.
MW: Bill Cosby wasnt off limits for you
MCHALE: No, they allowed me to tell that. And we said, Victor
Espinoza rode America Pharoah to a triple crown, but for whipping the three-year old he was suspended by the NFL for a year.
And they let that in. It was great.
MW: Do you present the jokes to them before you start?
MCHALE: Oh, yeah, you have to. They see the jokes, and they
absolutely are scrutinized and censored. And we had to fight for
the whipping joke. Amazingly the Bill Cosby joke was always in.
It came about a week before the show and ABC was very cool
about it. They did not like the whipping joke, and they basically
cut it. Then Jon Skipper who is the head of ESPN asked the ABC
President, Hey, we need that joke. Joel wants to tell it. And
they went, Okay. It showed how cool both networks were.
MW: Do you ever get backlash after a monologue like that?
MCHALE: No. Not like a real backlash. People have been upset
about jokes that Ive told. Twitter is a place of trolling hate, so
it doesnt matter what you do, people are going to be incensed
about something. Twitter is anonymous, so people can say anything they want. And when its anonymous, people become evil
or they let their evil out and its queasy: I need to type this
out. I need to go to my computer and type this and let this person know. But it really is that age-old thing where if youre not
upsetting 10 percent of your audience, youre not doing your job.
MW: So, Caitlyn.
MCHALE: Here we go!
MW: A huge moment for both the awards and for her and for everybody. What was it like meeting her?
MCHALE: I didnt meet her. Backstage its not like just me on a
stool and a guy going Hey, youre on. Its a huge backstage. On
purpose. They have these interviews all set up. Its a cluster-f of
media and equipment and people. Theres probably 200 people
backstage at any given moment and when Caitlyn was coming
off, I was going on, so there was no time.
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JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
the ESPYs were through the roof and you know that moment
was incredible. We would make so much fun of Bruce Jenner
on Keeping Up with the Kardashians because he would say
something like, Hey, Khloe, youre fat. And we would say,
Dont say that about Khloe! When Bruce became Caitlyn that
explained an awful lot about what was happening. It definitely
changed the show and it is hard to take attention away from
Kim Kardashian.
MW: Is Caitlyns show fair game?
MCHALE: Absolutely. Anybody whos getting paid to be on television is fair game. We havent seen the episodes yet but I think its
also our job, no matter what, to talk about all television, so we
have to talk about that. It would be weird if we didnt. And thats
why E! has been so great over the years. They just let us say what
we want to say and its been great. Because if we couldnt make
fun of E!, I think people would have stopped watching.
MW: Do you have to be more cautious with a show like I Am Cait?
MCHALE: Well, theres caution with so many shows. You dont
go after race, or you will be a racist. And I dont think well be
making jokes about transgender issues. I think well be making
fun of the show. Obviously transgender issues are very new in the
spotlight, so yeah, definitely were going to obviously pay very
close attention to the show.
MW: As someone who comments on society through popular culture, are you surprised at how transgender issues are suddenly the
number one topic everywhere?
MCHALE: I dont think the needle would have moved the way
it has without Caitlyn. That has made it super white hot. So
much attention has been paid to it because of how famous Bruce
Jenner has been for so many years. Theres no doubt that he
was the most popular athlete of the 70s next to Muhammed Ali
so that has pushed the subject matter and the conversation to
the forefront in a massive way. I dont think theres ever been
anyone in the transgender community this vocal or this famous.
It also took Bruce going Im gonna do this. Just like so many
issues that you were not supposed to talk about or were taboo,
they come out in art and art sort of drives that thing.
MW: Im not asking you to name anybody but do you think were
ever going to see a point where closeted gay actors will not worry
about their image and just come out?
MCHALE: Thats a good question. I dont know if there will ever be
a time. There had better. That would really be great. Maybe its a
gradual thing, like the way that gay rights have slowly and steadily gotten so much better than they were 10 years ago. Maybe its
just one of those things that itll come up and all of the sudden
people will be like, I didnt even think about it. I dont know.
MW: I think the more celebrities who do come out, it helps encourage others.
MCHALE: Yes, and it dissipates. It makes it more comfortable
for everyone in that, its like Look, clearly gay people are here.
Theres tons of them. When it becomes not such a big deal itll
be so great.
MW: So, final question, Joel. Are you ready to come out to the
world?
MCHALE: Yes, I am. Ive been totally having sex with a woman for
the last 20 years.
Joel McHale appears Saturday, August 8th, at The Warner
Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. For tickets, visit warnertheatredc.com
or call 202-783-4000. l
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JULY 30 - AUGUST 6, 2015
Compiled by Doug Rule
Dark
Comedy
Tig follows Tig Notaros battle with death, loss, and the ironic nature of her rise to stardom
compare with the success of Live? She desires a family, despite

the fact that hormone treatments could kill her. A blossoming
relationship with her straight In a World co-star ends abruptly,
despite both women admitting that they had strong feelings for
one another.
As we ride along with Notaro, the gentle nature of documentary there are no hard questions asked, merely Notaros own
reflective exposition on her state of affairs allows her comedy to
shine through the genuine misery she finds herself in. As dreams
of parenthood are quashed, as jokes fall flat, as she repeatedly
expresses her desire to share in special moments with her mother,
Notaros humor never falters.
Notaros journey scars and all is certainly inspiring. Its
far from perfect, however. The documentary teases and builds
to Notaros anniversary performance at Largo, one year after
her cancer routine. Largo lifted its no camera policy for the
documentary, but instead of an inspiring routine, we instead see
a refined version of a joke Notaro repeatedly tests during the
documentarys runtime about her small breasts trying to kill her
after her repeated jokes about them. Its somewhat jarring that in
a segment that should arguably wrap up the film with the same
humor Notaro has shown us shes capable of, it instead falls flat.
There is, mercifully, a happy ending for Notaro. She gets the
girl, the career she worked so hard for, the family she desired. Tig
might not showcase Notaros trademark deadpan stand-up, but
it excels at making us care for the comic once shes left the stage.

Rhuaridh Marr
Tig is available to stream now on Netflix.
T SEEMS ALMOST CRASS TO DESCRIBE TIG (HHHHH)

as a condensed reality series, but thats really what this
90-minute, Netflix-exclusive documentary resembles. Cut
together with slick but unfussy editing, it follows comedian
Tig Notaro over the course of a year, complete with cutaway
interviews, narration, and stylized graphics. This is classic
reality television.
What isnt reality television or, at least the glossy, scripted
reality were accustomed to is the genuine emotion that
courses through Tig. It follows Notaro during one of the toughest
years of her life, starting with her now iconic Thank you, thank
you. I have cancer, thank you, stand up routine. Notaro took to
the stage the same week she learned that she had bilateral breast
cancer. It was the same month that her mother had died. It was
just a few months after the comic had fought death after succumbing to Clostridium difficile also known as C. diff. Notaro
got up on stage and spoke frankly and humorously about a
topic that most other comics would have shied from. The recording of her performance at Largo in LA, dubbed Live, flew off the
digital shelves while articles declared her comedys newest star
a Grammy nomination cemented her status.
But in Tig, we see the troubles that came with such a rapid
ascent to notoriety (Notaro had a loyal, yet modest, fanbase prior
to her Largo performance). As she dealt with the after-effects of
a double mastectomy and receiving the all-clear, Notaro struggled
to devise fresh material to take on tour how could she possibly
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JULY 30, 2015
25
SPOTLIGHT
DAVID SEDARIS
Everybodys favorite gay social satirist

stops by Wolf Trap to present new
witty, sardonic jokes, a Q&A and a
signing of his most recent book, 2013s
Lets Explore Diabetes with Owls.
Sunday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. The Filene
Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road,
Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $55. Call
877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.
UNEXPECTED STAGE
DC BEER WEEK 2015: BEER

TASTING AT AFTERWORDS CAFE
Star-Crossed Seniors
Unexpected Stages elderly Romeo and Juliet is a bit retiring
OR ALL THE MANY VARIATIONS ON SHAKESPEARES ROMEO AND

Juliet, one thing has remained pretty constant: the two star-crossed lovers at
the heart of the play are portrayed as teenagers.
Does it have to be that way? Would it work if the story was about elderly lovebirds
instead? Unexpected Stage decided to challenge itself by pursuing this idea casting
septuagenarians in the lead roles of ROMEO & JULIET: LOVE KNOWS NO AGE (HHHHH),
and setting its adaptation in a retirement community. The companys Christopher
Goodrich argues in a Directors Note that his twist is a pushback against our youthobsessed, aging-averse culture where were all getting older, not younger, and
living longer as well as the recognition that new, passionate love can happen to
anyone at any age.
Of course just as surely, that new, passionate love can also quickly lead to an
untimely death by suicide. In some sense, its worse: As heartbreaking as it is for
a teenage couple committing suicide because society forbids their love, it becomes
downright depressing that senior citizens might feel and do the same. And really,
why do they? Goodrich only made a few tweaks for his adaptation, wanting to leave
the original play pretty much intact but this leads to confusion and worse. For
example, Goodrichs principal change was to have the Montagues and the Capulets
become the lovers adult children, not their parents. Yet Lord Capulet (Josh Adams)
is still very much a disciplinarian, barking orders, yelling insults and even slapping
Juliet his own mother! Why she allows him to treat her that way is a distressing
mystery. Also puzzling: Why does Lord Capulet remain so insistent that Juliet marry
Paris (Ken Lechter) even after her little girl-like pleas that she doesnt care for him?
As his mother, shes paid her dues and deserves more control over her own life.
A further problem is the acting, which isnt as much of a saving grace as it should
be. At least Claire Schoonover is a highlight as a refined Juliet. And you can also
understand why she falls for Elliott Baless Romeo: His impetuousness may be their
ultimate undoing, but that and his gregariousness also help draw her out. Doug Rule
Romeo and Juliet: Love Knows No Age runs to Aug. 10 at Randolph Road Theatre,
4010 Randolph Road in Wheaton. Tickets are $16 to $27.50. Call 800-838-3006 or visit
unexpectedstage.org.
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JULY 30, 2015
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As part of DC Beer Week,

Kramerbooks Afterwords Cafe hosts
a local beer tasting, An Evening
in DelMarVa Celebration of
Breweries from Delaware, Maryland
and Virginia. Representatives from
Delawares Old Dominion Brewing
Company, Marylands Eastern Shore
Brewing Company and Virginias Bold
Rock Cider Company will be on hand
to discuss their selections, answer
questions and of course pour samples in 6-oz. servings at $4 each.
Monday, Aug. 10, starting at 6 p.m.
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, 1517
Connecticut Ave. NW. Call 202-3871400 or visit kramers.com.
DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Arena Stage has recruited some all-star

talent for its world premiere musical
Dear Evan Hansen, featuring a book by
Steven Levenson (Masters of Sex) and
a score by Tony nominees Benj Pasek
and Justin Paul (A Christmas Story).
Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal)
directs this modern tale about a boy
preparing for a bright future so long
as his secret past doesnt come back
to haunt him. Ben Platt from Pitch
Perfect stars. To Aug. 23. Mead Center
for American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW.
Tickets are $51 to $66. Call 202-4883300 or visit arenastage.org.
EMILY SKINNER
Broadways Emily Skinner (Side Show,

Billy Elliot) is no stranger to these
parts, having grown up in Richmond
and more recently making stops in D.C.
to star in local productions, including two during the Kennedy Centers
Sondheim Celebration in 2002. Now
shell visit Strathmores newest venue
AMP to perform the cabaret Emily
Skinner: Broadway Her Way, which
will include standards from Rodgers
and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe,
and Kander and Ebb as well as newer
musical theater tunes from her repertoire and beyond. Friday, Aug. 7, at 8
p.m. Amp by Strathmore, 11810 Grand
Park Ave. North Bethesda. Tickets are
$35 to $45. Call 301-581-5100 or visit
ampbystrathmore.com.
SASHEER ZAMATA
One of the newer writers and cast

members on Saturday Night Live,
Sasheer Zamata moved to New York
with a degree in drama from the
University of Virginia and got her
start with the famous improv troupe
the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
Fellow New York-based comic Kenny
DeForest opens. Friday, July 31. Doors

at 9 p.m. Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW.
Tickets are $15. Call 202-667-4490 or
visit blackcatdc.com.
playing. Landmarks E Street Cinema,

555 11th St. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or
visit landmarktheatres.com.
(Rhuaridh Marr)
STEVEN BLIER, WOLF TRAP

OPERA: RODGERS FAMILY
MUSICAL TRIBUTE
SCREEN ON THE GREEN: DESK SET
In the recital The Rodgers Family:

A Century of Musicals, Wolf Trap
Opera soloists join pianist/organizer
Steven Blier of the New York Festival
of Song to perform selections from
Broadway musicals Oklahoma, Once
Upon a Mattress and The Light in
the Piazza, among others written
by Richard Rodgers, his daughter
Mary Rodgers or his grandson Adam
Guettel. Saturday, Aug. 1, and Sunday,
Aug. 2, at 3 p.m. The Barns at Wolf
Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets
are $46. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
SUMMER SPIRIT FESTIVAL:

ERYKAH BADU, ANTHONY
HAMILTON, ESTELLE
Billed as a one-stop shop for a soulful good time, this years Summer
Spirit Festival at Merriweather Post
Pavilion is headlined by neo-soul
veterans Erykah Badu and Anthony
Hamilton, plus U.K.-bred soul/hiphop acts Floetry and Estelle. Need
more soul? Junkyard Band, Tony!
Toni! Ton!, Avery*Sunshine, and
Phony PPL are also on the bill plus
special guests. Saturday, Aug. 8, at
3 p.m. Merriweather Post Pavilion,
10475 Little Patuxent Parkway,
Columbia, Md. Tickets are $48 to
$125. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit merriweathermusic.com.
FILM
DO I SOUND GAY?
HHHHH
David Thorpes 80-minute documentary chronicles the 40-something New York residents attempts
to determine whether theres a gay
voice, and whether he can change
his own. Thorpe, who steps out from
behind the camera, uses Do I Sound
Gay? as both catharsis and therapy,
as he explores speech therapy, interviews celebrities, interacts with the
common (gay) man, and discusses
his own speech patterns with friends
and family. Do I Sound Gay? covers
a lot of ground in its short runtime.
What it doesnt do is scratch below
the surface. Why is having a gay
voice still something we look down
upon? Why is there so much selfloathing in the gay community? Why
do we shun effeminate men? Why is
machismo valued above all else? Yet
its still a worthy watch. Thorpes personal journey is inspiring. Rather than
alter his voice to remove any trace,
he instead finds a confidence that has
been sorely lacking. And its tough
not to feel inspired while watching
Thorpes various celebrities state that
their voices have been no hindrance
on their love lives, their careers, or
any other aspect of their success. Now
The 17th annual film screening series

on the National Mall continues next
Monday, Aug. 3, with a classic comedy starring Katharine Hepburn
and Spencer Tracy. 1957s Desk Set
focuses on office politics, middle-aged
romance and the advance of technology, and famously features Hepburn
singing Cole Porters Night and Day
while Tracy accompanies her on bongos. Monday, Aug. 3, at sunset (around
8:30 p.m.). National Mall, between 4th
and 7th Streets NW. Free. Visit hbo.
com/screenonthegreen.
STAGE
NEIGHBORHOOD 3:
REQUISITION OF DOOM
Focused on Grand Guignol-inspired

horror theater, the Molotov Theatre
Group is also a favorite of the Capital
Fringe Festival, and its latest production is pegged to Fringe. The focus
is on Jennifer Haleys play about a
psychologically addictive video game
that emulates players actual neighborhoods as the on-screen environment. Moving from one level to the
next means destroying armies of
zombies, but what does it mean for
the neighbors who arent playing the
game? David Dieudonne directs a cast
including Jen Bevan, Yoni Gray, Brian
Kraemer, Annette Mooney Wasno and
Alex Zavistovich. Weekends to Aug.
2. District of Columbia Arts Center
(DCAC), 2438 18th St. NW. Tickets
are $17 plus cost of a $7 Fringe button.
Call 202-462-7833 or visit molotovtheatre.org.
ONCE
HHHHH
Once is one of those quiet, understated shows that will sneak up and
surprise you. Featuring a book by celebrated Irish playwright Enda Walsh,
Once focuses on a man, Guy (Stuart
Ward), who is about to give up on
his music until a mysterious woman,
Girl (Dani De Waal), enters the picture and becomes his muse. Soon the
pair are making hauntingly beautiful
music together, which is all the more
powerful because it expresses their
love for each other in a way that they
never fully realize otherwise. Music
becomes the couples primary outlet
for conveying their feelings toward one
another. And several of Glen Hansard
and Marketa Irglovas dramatic folkinflected rock songs here would be
chart-toppers if there were any justice
in the pop music world or at least if
this were an earlier era when musicals
had that kind of mainstream sway.
Every actor in Once plays an instrument, and the ensemble becomes the
shows orchestra, sitting on the edge
of Bob Crowleys set tugging on strings
when not part of the central action.
The effect is as subtly smart and seamless as everything else about this show,
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JULY 30, 2015
27
including Steven Hoggetts graceful

choreography. To Aug. 16. Kennedy
Center Eisenhower Theater. Tickets
are $65 to $160. Call 202-467-4600 or
visit kennedy-center.org. (Doug Rule)
PSYCHO BEACH PARTY
The Richmond Triangle Players

offer the perfect summer stage show,
Charles Buschs campy ode to the
original surfer flicks imagine Gidget
crossed with Mommie Dearest. Penny
Ayn Maas directs. Weekends to Aug.
15. Richmond Triangle Players, 1300
Altamont Ave. Richmond. Call 804346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.
SILENCE! THE MUSICAL
NOAH KALINA
HHHHH
Day at the Beach
This summer at the National Building Museum, you can play at the Beach
without having to knock sand out of your shoes
EACHES COME IN ALL SHAPES, SIZES, AND TEXTURES. SOME ARE ROCKY,
or covered in shells. Some have crystal clear water. Some are lined with palm trees.
And some are in the middle of Chinatown and comprised of a million white, plastic
balls. Yes, in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum you can have your own day at
the Beach. You wont have to bring sunscreen, but you might want to bring hand sanitizer.
Weve been experimenting with large scale interactive things for the past few years,
says Brett Rodgers of the National Building Museum. Last year we had a beautifully
designed maze, the year before that we had a mini golf installation. This year, we wanted
to do something big to use our space, to activate it. Enter Snarkitecture, a Brooklyn based
firm that investigates the unknown within architecture, and operates in the territories
between art and architecture.
Its this make-believe that makes the Beach so much fun. Just check out the Building
Museums Instagram and youll find smiling faces lying on the astroturf beach, heads
bobbing up out the spherical water, and people munching on snacks provided by Union
Kitchen. People are really buying into it, says Rodgers.
You might want to visit the hand sanitizer stations after you dive in, however. Its no
secret that ball pits can retain germs, especially from children. According to the Washington
City Paper, visitors to the Beach may catch more than just waves. The day after her visit,
Piper Grosswendt noticed slight swelling and redness in her eye. She was diagnosed with
pinkeye. Another visitor who took a dip when the exhibit opened contracted a serious cold
that caused her to miss two days of work.
Snarkitecture, however, claims that the balls are clean, made from GermBlock, an
antimicrobial polythene. Further, the pit is cleaned every morning. To further combat illness, Rodgers and his team plan on installing more hand sanitizer stations throughout the
exhibit.
So, germ factory, or harmless fun? You decide. Unlike other beaches, however, the
exhibit at the National Building Museum has an expiration date. Its set to dry up before
labor day. Connor J. Hogan
The Beach runs through September 7th at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW.
Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets range from $5 to $16. Visit nbm.org.
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Perhaps youve heard the buzz about

Jon Kaplan and Alan Kaplans musical,
with a book by Hunter Bell. Yes, this is
that show, the unauthorized parody
of the 24-year-old cinematic classic The Silence of the Lambs. Silence!
strips away the films focus on horror,
replacing it with nutty, off-kilter, sexualized humor. Featuring lewd sight
gags, uproariously perverse rounds of
dialogue and gleefully vulgar songs,
its about as wild and whacked out as a
professional show ever gets. Alan Paul
directs this 90-minute, intermissionless show at Studio Theatre, set in
the companys intimate upper-level
Stage 4 space with a full bar. Laura
Jordan earns the biggest applause for
her deadpan work in the tricky role
of Clarice Starling, the aspiring FBI
agent and West Virginia hick with a
comically exaggerated lisp. And Tom
Story manages to make Buffalo Bill
a more multi-dimensional character
than the films one-note transgressive transsexual. And then theres the
ensemble adorned with white ears and
hoofs, gamboling around the stage and
into the crowd. These little lambs will
make you laugh and smile, and then
laugh some more. To Aug. 9. Studio
Theatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Tickets
are $40 to $45. Call 202-332-3300 or
visit studiotheatre.org. (Doug Rule)
SWEENEY TODD-PROG
METAL VERSION
Yes, Stephen Sondheim really did

give the quirky and risqu Landless
Theatre Company permission last
year to adapt his most commercially
successful musical as a prog-metal
piece, while leaving the lyrics and
Hugh Wheelers book intact. Progmetal is actually a very complex, a
very precise, almost classically based
metal, director Melissa Baughman
explains. Its not just, Let me rock
your face off. Landlesss Andrew
Baughman, who devised the progmetal concept, plays the title character. During its debut run last summer,
Landless repeatedly sold out performances and it also garnered the
company its first three Helen Hayes
Awards nominations, including for
Outstanding Musical and Outstanding
Director. For this years remount,
Landless stages the show at the Atlass
260-seat Lang Theatre, which is more
than twice the size of last years venue
Warehouse Theater. To Aug. 2. Atlas

Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St.
NE. Tickets are $29. Call 202-3997993 or visit atlasarts.org.
THE SECOND CITYS

LET THEM EAT CHAOS
its seventh season, runs through Aug.

2. The Castleton Festival, 7 Castleton
Meadows Land, Castleton, Va. For
tickets and details, call 866-974-0767
or visit www.castletonfestival.org.
CHEICK HAMALA DIABATE
Chicagos legendary improv troupe

returns to present a D.C.-centric production at Woolly Mammoth Theatre
Company for the sixth time, after sellout success with previous provocative, political-skewering shows, from
Barack Stars to American All Better!!
To Aug. 2. Woolly Mammoth, 641 D
St. NW. Tickets range from $35 to
$83. Call 202-393-3939 or visit woollymammoth.net.
As part of its Free Summer Outdoor

Concert series, Strathmore welcomes this Grammy-nominated artist from Mali who sings and plays
a banjo-like instrument called the
ngoni. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m.
Gudelsky Gazebo at Strathmore, 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Free. Call 301-581-5100 or visit strathmore.org.
WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER:

WIT ATTACKS!
Yes, the hit-making British pop quartet fronted by the always out Boy
George has reunited. Theyre currently on a tour originally intended
to promote the groups first album of
new material in 16 years. Now that
set, Tribes, has been pushed back
for release next year, but no matter: The appeal remains the same for
most concertgoers, eager to take a trip
down memory lane and hear Karma
Chameleon, Do You Really Want
To Hurt Me, Miss Me Blind and
so many other of the bands great hits
from its 80s heyday. Monday, Aug. 10,
at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at Wolf
Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets
are $30 to $60. Call 877-WOLFTRAP
or visit wolftrap.org.
No two performances are alike

when performed by the Washington
Improv Theater D.C.s answer to
those comedy star-making groups
such as Chicagos Second City and
L.A.s Groundlings especially since
theyre spurred on by audience suggestions. All of the companys improv
ensembles have devised new work
for this summers WIT Attacks!,
including Commonwealths public
radio-inspired That American Life,
King Bees production inspired by the
Alfred Hitchcock classic Rear Window
and a short musical by iMusical. To
Aug. 1. Source Theater, 1835 14th St.
NW. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15
at the door. Call 202-204-7770 or visit
washingtonimprovtheater.com.
MUSIC
BALTIMORE
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Dvorak premiered his fantastic

Symphony No. 9 From The New
World 120 years ago as a toast to the
past specifically the folk tunes and
gypsy music from his native Bohemia
and the future, with his impression of America. Tito Munoz conducts the BSO in a performance of this
bold, thrilling and moving work along
with Ariel Horowitz, who will perform Mendelssohns Violin Concerto.
Both performances begin with a
BSO Block Party at 5:30 p.m. with
local food trucks and other attractions. Thursday, July 30, at 8 p.m.
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301
Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.
Also Friday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m.
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall,
1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets
are $25 to $45. Call 410-783-8000 or
visit bsomusic.org.
CASTLETON FESTIVAL
Celebrated classical music maestro

Lorin Maazel, who died last year,
started this festival with his wife
Dietlinde Turban-Maazel principally
as a way to boost the careers of young
artists, pairing them with professional
mentors to produce full-scale operas
and first-rate concerts. Taking place at
the Maazels picturesque property in
Virginias Rappahannock County, the
not-exclusively classical event, now in
CULTURE CLUB
DESAPARECIDOS
Indie-rock/hipster favorite Conor

Oberst leads this Husker Du-esque
pop-punk quintet from Nebraska
whose feisty, aggressive sound is
very different from the tender and
earnest folk-rock music he makes
either as a solo artist or as part of his
better-known act Bright Eyes. The
bands name is even punky: Spanish
for the disappeared, it refers specifically to the political dissidents
who have been secretly abducted or
imprisoned by officials and are simply
reported as missing in several South
American countries. The So So Glos
and the Banddroidz are opening acts.
Saturday, Aug. 8. Doors at 7 p.m.
Nightclub 9:30, 815 V St. NW. Tickets
are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit
930.com.
GILBERT & SULLIVAN
Every summer, the Capitol Hill Arts

Workshop (CHAW) and its director Jill Strachan present a different
Gilbert and Sullivan production. This
year brings Trial by Jury and selections from Yeomen of the Guard. As
always, the production features a cast
primarily from the CHAW and LGBT
communities. Opens Thursday, July
30, at 7:30 p.m. Weekends to Aug. 8.
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th
St. SE. Tickets are $20. Call 202-5476839 or visit chaw.org.
LINDA PURL AND LEE LESSACK
Too Marvelous for Words: The Songs

of Johnny Mercer is the latest cabaret tribute presented by Strathmore at
its new North Bethesda venue Amp.

Recording artist Linda Purl teams up
with pianist Lee Lessack, who culled
Johnny Mercers prolific songbook
to weave together stories about the
man along with his music, including
the standards Moon River, Autumn
Leaves, Black Magic, and Come
Rain or Come Shine. Friday, July 31,
and Saturday, Aug. 1, at 8 p.m. Amp
by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave.
North Bethesda. Tickets are $35 to
$45. Call 301-581-5100 or visit ampbystrathmore.com.
MOONRISE FESTIVAL
Steez Promo and Glow DC once again

team up for this second annual twoday EDM festival on the same grounds
of the former Virgin Mobile Festival
and the Infield Fest thats right, the
historic Pimlico Race Course where
the Preakness is run. Moonrise is still
pretty skewed toward DJs and producers working in the noisily dubstep style that Skrillex made famous,
although theres more diversity this
year. Sundays headliner is proof of
that Above & Beyond, the influential
U.K.-based trio, has never strayed too
far from the trance-y progressive house
style it first started mixing and producing in 1999. Among other familiar
names in the long lineup: Saturdays
headliner Bassnectar, Porter Robinson,
Die Antwoord, Zeds Dead and
Infected Mushroom. Saturday, Aug. 8,
and Sunday, Aug. 9, at 11 a.m. to 11
p.m. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park
Heights Ave. Baltimore. Tickets are
$109 for a single-day pass or $149.50
for a two-day pass, more for VIP
options. Call 202-397-SEAT or visit
moonrisefestival.com.
SARA CURTIN
One-half of the D.C.-based folk-pop

duo The Sweater Set, Sara Curtin produces a more sultry, haunting dreamrock sound as a solo artist, as evidenced on her just released second
set Michigan Lilium. She drops by the
Rock and Roll Hotel next week for a
hometown show and album release
party. Thursday, Aug. 6, at 8 p.m. Rock
and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. Tickets
are $12. Call 202-388-ROCK or visit
rockandrollhoteldc.com.
WOLF TRAP OPERA WITH NSO

AND CHORAL ARTS:
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
LA Operas Grant Gershon conducts

a one-night-only performance from
the Filene Centers stage of one of the
most heart-breaking love stories of
all time, Puccinis Madama Butterfly.
Tara Faircloth directs a new, staged
and costumed production with custom video projections, a collaboration among the Wolf Trap Opera
Company, the National Symphony
Orchestra and Choral Arts. Sung in
Italian with English supertitles inhouse. Friday, Aug. 7, at 8:15 p.m.
The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551
Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25
to $75. Call 877-WOLFTRAP or visit
wolftrap.org.
DANCE
FURIA FLAMENCA
Estela Velez de Paredez founded this

local flamenco company 12 years ago
with a focus on combining flamencos
gypsy heritage with modern flamenco
choreography to create an elegant balance of motion and energy. At Dance
Place the company offers an expanded
version of a sold-out show at last years
Intersections Festival at the Atlas, a
collaboration with composer/musician
Guillermo-Juan Christie and special
guest appearance by Middle Eastern
dancer Yillah Natalie. A string and
percussion ensemble will accompany.
Saturday, Aug. 1, at 8 p.m., and Sunday,
Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. Dance Place, 3225 8th
St. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance, or
$30 at the door. Call 202-269-1600 or
visit danceplace.org.
COMEDY
SARAH COLONNA
Known from her years as a Chelsea

Lately regular - a staff writer as well
as roundtable guest, not to mention
After Lately - Sarah Colonna returns
for a night of standup at the Arlington
Drafthouse. Shes also touring to promote her latest joke-filled memoir, Has
Anyone Seen My Pants? Friday, Aug.
7, at 10 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 8, at
7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Arlington Cinema
N Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike,
Arlington. Tickets are $22. Call 703486-2345 or visit arlingtondrafthouse.
com.
TAMMY PESCATELLI
A finalist on NBCs Last Comic

Standing as well as a familiar standup
presence on Comedy Central, Tammy
Pescatelli developed her hilarious,
tough-girl comedy act by growing up
in an Italian-American household with
a gang of brothers in Cleveland. Shes
pretty darn bad ass. Thursday, Aug. 6,
at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. and
10:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, at 8 p.m.
and 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 9, at
8 p.m. DC Improv, 1140 Connecticut
Ave. NW. Tickets are $17 to $20. Call
202-296-7008 or visit dcimprov.com.
GALLERIES
BEYOND BOLLYWOOD: INDIAN
AMERICANS SHAPE THE NATION
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American

Center presents this ambitious and
colorful exhibition on the second floor
of the National Museum of Natural
History, exploring the heritage, daily
experiences and diverse contributions of Indians and Indian Americans.
Through Aug. 16. National Museum
of Natural History, 10th Street and
Constitution Avenue NW. Call 202633-1000 or visit mnh.si.edu.
INGENUE TO ICON: HILLWOODS

FASHION EXHIBITION
Subtitled 70 Years of Fashion from the

Collection of Marjorie Merriweather
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JULY 30, 2015
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Post, the Hillwood Museum offers

a special exhibition focused on the
elegant fashions and sumptuous fabrics documenting the evolution of 20th
Century fashion and all drawn, naturally, from the late Hillwood owner
who gave the place so much style.
To Dec. 31. Hillwood Estate, 4155
Linnean Ave. NW. Suggested donation is $12. Call 202-686-5807 or visit
HillwoodMuseum.org.
JONATHAN WEINER: A JOURNEY

DOWN THE POTOMAC
The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop presents a selection of photographs from

local artist Jonathan Weiners threeyear endeavor tracing the Potomac
River, from its humble origin in the
Appalachian Mountains to its grand
joining with the Cheseapeake Bay
with stops along the way, naturally
including its run through the nations
capital. Through Aug. 15. The Gallery
at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545
7th St. SE. Call 202-547-6839 or visit
chaw.org.
ONE LIFE: DOLORES HUERTA
The National Portrait Gallery offers

its first exhibition devoted to a Latino
figure. Dolores Heurta co-founded the
National Farm Workers Association
with Cesar Chavez in 1962 and fought
for the passage of the California
Agricultural Labor Relations Act of
1975. Taina Caragol curated an exhibition that vividly traces the 13 years
between those two actions. Through
May 15. National Portrait Gallery, 8th
and F Streets. NW. Call 202-633-8300
or visit npg.si.edu.
UNDER A SUMMER SUN
Del Ray Artisans offers this summerthemed art exhibit as part of its Gallery
Without Walls program and presented
at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter.
Participating artists donate 40 percent of each sale to be shared equally
by the nonprofit arts group and the
Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.
Through Sept. 27. Vola Lawson
Animal Shelter, 4101 Eisenhower Ave.,
Alexandria.
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ABOVE AND BEYOND

THE GLASS HOUSE: A VARIETY
SHOW TRIBUTE TO GEEK LOVE
Years before the musical Side Show

and decades before American Horror
Story: Freak Show, Katherine Dunns
1989 Geek Love was a novel about a
traveling carnival run by a husbandand-wife duo, who end up altering
the genes of their own children to
create a freak show to boost business. Next weekend, the Bier Baron
hosts another burlesque/variety show,
this time in tribute to Dunns book,
which organizers say has inspired
and awakened many a carny-hearted
performer. Among those performing:
Kay Sera of Bawdy Shop Burlesque,
former Ringling clown Jim Dandy,
local sideshow acts Mab Just Mab and
Charlie Artful and Chris Griffin aka
pervpunk performer/musical comedienne Lucrezia Blozia. The evening
will be narrated by actor Susie Richard
as Olympia Binewski McGurk, the
albino humpback dwarf who narrates
the novel. Sunday, Aug. 9, at 8 p.m.
Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St. NW.
Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at
the door. Call 202-293-1887 or visit
inlovewithbier.com.
LEGACY OF FANNIE LOU HAMER:

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING,
DISCUSSION
The Hill Center partners with the

Library of Congress American
Folklife Center for a discussion about
an impoverished sharecropper who
became a powerhouse in the battle
for the right to vote in Mississippi
during the Civil Rights Movement.
At a program next week, Robin
Hamiltons new short documentary
This Little Light of Mine: The Legacy
of Fannie Lou Hamer will be screened
and discussed with NPR host Michel
Martin. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m.
Hill Center, Old Navy Hospital, 921
Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Free. Call 202549-4172 or visit HillCenterDC.org. l
film
Cruise Controlled
The latest Mission: Impossible is
proof that its star is Hollywoods
most incredible showman
by CHRIS HELLER
ission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (HHHHH),

the ludicrously punctuated fifth installment
of Tom Cruises spy series, is built like a
shark. The movie opens in the midst of a mission in Belarus, where Ethan Hunt chases down a taxiing cargo
plane, climbs onto the side of its fuselage, then holds on for dear
life as it takes off into the sky. The movie ends with Hunt sprinting through the streets of London, chased by a madman carrying
a gun. It never, ever stops. He never, ever stops.
Somewhere in the middle of Rogue Nation maybe when
Hunt free dives, holding his breath for six minutes, or when he
races motorcycles on the outskirts of Casablanca, or when he
escapes police custody by rappelling down the roof of the Vienna
State Opera the truth of Tom Cruises renaissance act becomes
obvious. Hes no longer an actor. His appeal isnt his charm,

though he deploys it cannily, or the manic focus he brings to his
roles, which can demand an equal, unattainable commitment
from his co-stars. No, hes a consummate entertainer.
Tom Cruise, at age 53, is Hollywoods most incredible showman.
Rogue Nation was written and directed by Christopher
McQuarrie. Cruise, who has produced every Mission:
Impossible movie, hand-picked him. This is the fourth time
McQuarrie has written dialogue for a Cruise project he
previously did so with Valkyrie, Jack Reacher, and Edge of
Tomorrow so its clear that the two men are simpatico. They
work together well. Still, the series is Cruises playground,
a place where he can retreat to avoid creative risks, while
impressing the world with physical ones.
In that regard, Rogue Nation is impressive. Heists blend
seamlessly into chases, with a requisite fist fight or two thrown
into the mix for flavor. Cruise is game for all of it, rarely seeming
long in the tooth, and will presumably undertake even wilder
stunts when he makes the next Mission: Impossible movie,
then the next, then the next. If theres a way to make Mission:
Impossible - Assisted Living into an action caper, Im sure a geriatric Cruise will figure it out.
To McQuarries credit, Rogue Nation weaves together its set
pieces with a coherent story its plenty irrational, but so is
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the idea of dangling one of the worlds most famous actors on

the side of a plane, so whatever that introduces new threats
to Hunt and the Impossible Mission Force. After the Senate
Intelligence Committee votes to shut down the I.M.F., Hunt
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strikes off on his own to track down Solomon Lane (Sean Harris),
the shadowy leader of an anti-I.M.F. terrorist group known as
The Syndicate. In short order, he recruits the old gang of Benji
(Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Brandt (Jeremy
Renner), along with newcomer Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a
two-faced Syndicate agent secretly working for MI6.
Unfortunately, the movie strains to make Lane a true foil.
Harris is a good actor, but hes no match for Cruise when it
comes to spectacle. He gives Lane a high-pitched voice, spoken
in a whisper, as if hes some kind of discarded James Bond villain. Lane often talks about The Syndicates impeccable control
of global events, about the inevitability of his master plan. This
casts Hunt as a reckless gambler, a risk-taker who succeeds not
on merit, but merely due to luck.
Its an interesting turn for the series, this idea that the I.M.F.
causes more harm than it prevents, and it reflects plenty of anxieties about the role our own intelligence agencies play in shaping the
world. By the third act, though, McQuarrie loses that thread. Hunt
is right, Lane is wrong, and the I.M.F. can only be a force for good.
Nonetheless, Rogue Nation is best when it leans into those
suspicions, when Cruise unleashes his inner mania. In a late
scene, after Brandt challenges Hunts last-ditch effort to stop
the Syndicate, his eyes go wild. This is how we beat Lane! he
shouts. This is how we make everything right. Can you see?
Cant you see it? It seemed like the moment when Hunt would
lose it, when his team would double back in fear of what hed
committed to do. He doesnt, and they dont. In the world of
Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise is always in control.
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation runs 125 minutes and is
Rated PG-13. Opens Friday at area theatres. l
games
Galaxy Quest
Overwhelming and intoxicating, Elite:
Dangerous gives you an entire galaxy to
explore with little restriction or guidance
by RHUARIDH MARR
HAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE

dropped into the captains chair of a spacecraft,
handed the keys and told you had an entire galaxy at your disposal? No, really what the hell
would you do? Thats the basic premise of Elite: Dangerous, an
incredible space simulator from Frontier Developments.
After a very basic set of tutorials to get you acclimated with your
ships controls, ship-to-ship combat, and the intricacies of navigating between spaceports, Elite drops you into the aforementioned
chair of the games most basic spacecraft and then promptly buggers off. This is your game, this is your galaxy, and Frontier will be
damned if theyre going to try and place limits on what you intend
to do with the vast expanses of gameplay awaiting you.
And I really do mean vast. Set in the year 3301, Elite runs in
sync with Coordinated Universal Time (albeit with almost 1300
years added on), meaning that time really does have meaning
planets, stars, constellations, all will move in sync with one
another, as they would in our own galaxy. Speaking of which,
technically this is our own galaxy. Elite features an almost oneto-one recreation of the Milky Way. Thats 400 billion star systems to explore, each with their own planets, asteroids and randomly generated mysteries to uncover. Humanity has colonized
a mere sliver of this vast expanse its up to you, and the millions of other players who populate this Massively Multiplayer
Online (MMO) game, to explore the rest.

Of course, exploration isnt the only goal. Sure, you can point
your ship into the deepest black, crank up the hyperdrive and
blast instantly between star systems, looking for unexplored
worlds and hidden treasures. Any data collected can be sold for
credits, so it represents a lucrative method for those with the
dedication to spend a lot of time hopping between the stars. But
wheres the fun in simply navigating through uncharted seas
or, rather, skies.
If exploration isnt your thing, what about trading? Elite
features a vibrant in-game economy. Your actions will directly
impact the experiences of other players. Flood a port with a
particular type of goods and prices will drop. Discover a rare
substance being traded at a distant port and youll open up trade
routes for other players to exploit. You can control supply and
demand in Elite albeit at a microscopic level through your
actions as a trader.
Not satisfied with legitimate cargo? Become a smuggler.
Steal narcotics, or alcohol, or slaves, or arms, or any number of
blacklisted items, and sneak them into ports. Get them into the
hands of willing buyers and the profits are yours to reap but
get caught by security scanners and be prepared to lose that ship
youve so carefully upgraded.
If trade doesnt interest you, become a fighter. Combat is
a core part of Elite even though its also possible to entirely
ignore it. Head into a star system and take out illegal traders, or
rogue pirates, or those with bounties on their heads, and youll
be rewarded handsomely. Alternatively, become a rogue, and
prey on cargo ships, wandering explorers, or even other players,
reaping whatever expensive items they may have held.
Elite grants players a wide palette from which to paint their
character. That it does so with little to no handholding is an
exercise in frustration during your first hours with the game. It
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doesnt help that Elite was designed for PC. Its now available on
Xbox One as part of Microsofts Game Preview program, which
allows gamers buy a title while its still in development, helping
test and shape play before the final release. Its a superb idea,
stolen directly from Steams Greenlight system, letting passionate fans buy into a game months before it launches.
On Xbox One, however, the button deficit of a controller
becomes immediately apparent. Several buttons serve dual, or
even triple, purpose. The right stick can control your crafts
movement thrusters, but with a click of the left stick, itll control your head movement which allows the player to view the
menus hidden at either side of your crafts cockpit, for instance.
Oh yes, there are multiple menus, that are navigated through by
looking at them and using the bumpers, which normally control
your crafts speed when staring out of the main window, and the
D-pad see how this can quickly become confusing?
Maneuvering your craft isnt exactly a simple task, either.
Youll spawn at a spaceport, safely docked. Here, you can refuel
your craft, repair it, or upgrade it with a staggering number of
items and weaponry. Want to swap those lasers for auto-targeting turrets? Or swap out cargo space for a more aggressive scanner? Perhaps swap your shields (dont ever do this, I learned that
the explosive way) for a fuel scoop that lets you extract hydrogen
from stars (you can see why this was a bad idea). Elite lets you
tailor your ship to the specific tasks you wish to accomplish
and if youre not satisfied, save up credits and buy a bigger,
faster, deadlier or more capacious ship.
Youll make the majority of your money, at least in the first
few hours, by accepting the various missions at each port. These
can vary from seeking out new trade routes, delivering a treaty
to another star system, or taking out a group of rogue pirates, and
dozens more. Doing so will increase your influence with whomever controls the region of space the port drifts through which
in turn will unlock more lucrative contracts and other perks.
So, youre in your ship, contract in hand to seek out a port
that offers consumer technology for sale (as my first mission
demanded), and ready to go. Youll take off and leave your port
simple, right? Wrong. Even after the tutorials, even after getting
to grips with the controls, even after calming down from your
panic attack at the extent and complexity of the various menus
and submenus, youll then have the daunting task of threading
your ship through the postbox-style opening of your port (unless
you were lucky enough to spawn on a port with outdoors docks).
You need to get this right, because linger too long after launching and the ports security will destroy your ship. Crash into other
ships or the port itself and theyll destroy you. Activate your weapons systems and youll be destroyed. Speed and, mercifully, youll
just be fined. Elite has no time for your bumbling foolishness get
to grips with the game now, or youre doomed, commander.
Once youve got it, though, and make your way into open
space, Elite transpires to be one of the most engrossing games
youve ever played. Even in its unfinished state a specific,
player-versus-player multiplayer fighting mode will launch
soon, while end goals include making every planet and spaceport
walkable outside of your ship its an incredibly impressive
achievement. It helps that it is staggeringly beautiful. Ports,
ships, the black of space, the churning fusion of stars, the rich
beauty of habitable planets, the tense density of an asteroid field,
and everything else in between is impeccably rendered.
The sense of scale is also beyond words. Certain ports will
dwarf your ship hundreds of times over, but are positively diminutive in a galactic scale. At your ships lowest speed setting, leaving a port and aiming at the planet it orbits will take hours before
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you reach it. Not fake, in-game hours, which pass in minutes, but
actual hours. Point at the next planet out from a systems star,
and at your slowest speed it would take an entire year to reach
it leave your console on now and come back at Christmas and
youll still only be halfway there. My first Holy shit moment
came when I jumped to a star system to be greeted by a massive,
burning sun it utterly filled my view, a ginormous, burning orb,
seemingly meters from my tiny vessel. Nope. I was six days away.
It also highlights Elites demands for perfection, however. As
you approach said planet, youll have to get the balance just right
between speed and distance, gradually slowing yourself down
until your craft can safely drop down to normal speeds a few
miles from your intended target. I cant tell you how many times
Ive flown straight past a planet and had to pull a U-turn (at several thousand miles a second, no less) and try my approach again.
Balance is the something Elite constantly reinforces. During
combat, youll need to balance between your engines, your shields
and your weaponry as you dogfight over all three dimensions
with your foe or foes. Youll need to balance remaining fuel
with the distance required to reach a port that actually lets you
refill, as not all do. Youll need to balance risk versus reward when
attempting various missions, or suffer the destruction of your
craft and an expensive insurance claim (yes, theres thankfully
craft insurance, so you can recover your set-up for a nominal fee).
Theres also the issue that, for many, the games opening
hours will be a tedious turn off. Youll spend a lot of time flying
between various ports and star systems, doing menial, repetitive
tasks. Grinding your way to a better ship takes several hours at
least, while the missions youre given are all varying degrees of
tedious. Your limited ship will also impact how far you can travel
one session I spent an hour trying to go one system over, as I
had to instead loop through seven others, because that first one
was just slightly too far away to jump to.
It also doesnt help that in its current state, Elite has more
than its share of bugs. Lag spikes can occur if there are numerous
players in one area, while jumping between star systems seems
to bring animations to a grinding halt on occasion. Crashes seem
a frequent occurrence, too something a search of Frontiers
forums confirms. One session, my game crashed every time I
jumped to another star system. Switching to solo play, which
keeps other players out, but in-game events intact, helped remedy the issue. An update to fix things cant be far away, but its
definitely something to consider.
Push through that initial barrier, however, and what Elite has
to offer is utterly addictive. Carving your own little identity in
the Milky Way is intoxicating. Working your way up to a master
hunter, or trader, or explorer takes time, dedication, and skill
but the rewards are reaped on a galactic scale. The rush of
successfully taking down a gigantic cargo ship, or the immense
satisfaction in discovering untouched star systems, or the financial gains of successfully trading the rarest materials, thats what
players will take from it.
It wouldnt be fair to attribute a score to Elite as it stands,
given this is still a preview title. But if I had to? Four stars, easily even with its punishing opening hours and scattered bugs.
With the proviso that you really make the most of the one-hour
free trial available, you could find yourself spending hundreds
of hours rocketing through Elite: Dangerous. Theres a whole
galaxy out there and its yours for the taking.
Elite: Dangerous is available on Xbox One, PC and Mac. PC users
currently have a more advanced build of the game, but most features should eventually find their way to console. l
tech
Moto X Style
X Appeal
Motorolas flagship splits into two distinct
devices, while its budget champion gets
an overhaul to keep it fighting fit
by RHUARIDH MARR
MOTOROLA
OTOROLA HAS BECOMING SOMETHING

of an underdog in the mobile industry. After
dominating the segment and most pop culture in the early 00s with their all-conquering RAZR flip phone, the American smartphone maker
faded into an awkward obscurity after the launch of the iPhone.
Particularly so when Samsung launched the Galaxy S and started
mopping up the majority of Android sales.
Rather than admit defeat, Motorola instead buckled down
and decided to try something different. Rather than follow the
Android crowd into a smartphone arms race, competing on the
latest technologies and unnecessary software additions, Motorola
instead stripped back the smartphone and instead rebuilt it into
something else, something more useful. In 2013, they launched
the Moto X, a smartphone that was drastically different from
its competition. With a refined design, high-quality screen and
a myriad of useful, thoughtful features atop a stripped-back
Android build, it was clearly different to the over-specced, feature-saturated competition. Whats more, Moto Maker let buyers
customize their phone in a variety of colors or swap plastic
entirely for a real wood back, if so desired. Critics lauded it, but a
720p display and middling internals held it back from greatness.
Last years Moto X built upon the first iterations successes.
A better display, more premium build, faster internals and further refined software features transformed it into a true flagship
device. Moto Maker added real leather to its options list, while
the Moto Xs price was remarkably affordable when compared

with other flagships. Only an average camera and battery life
held it back from perfection, but it didnt stop many reviewers
from lauding it as the greatest Android device available.
This year, Motorola has to compete with a bucketload of
expectations for the 2015 Moto X. That makes it all the more
surprising that, rather than merely update the X, theyve instead
split it into two separate devices as well as launched a new
version of their all-conquering Moto G budget phone.
Yes, the Moto X is now the Moto X Style and the Moto X Play,
each with their own unique features and intended purposes.
The Style is undoubtedly the flagship device. Motorola is
touting it as a smartphone without compromise, noting that it
offers more customization than any other device on the market.
In terms of options, there are new Saffiano leathers, while the
much loved wood grains also return. For those who want a more
colorful rear, plastic has been replaced with soft touch silicone
for a warm look, apparently.
The device itself has clearly been drinking its protein shakes.
Screen size has swelled from 5.2- to 5.7-inches Motorola has
also abandoned its AMOLED tech in favor of a more traditional
LCD display, though at least resolution has been bumped up to
Quad HD (2560x1440), in line with other flagships. The Style
also weighs a beefy 6.3 ounces, while it measures 0.43 inches at
its thickest point however, Motorolas curved design tapers to
a mere 0.24 inches at the edges.
Inside, the Style is also considerably beefier. A six-core
Snapdragon 808 hums away, nestled next to 3GB of RAM
and two Motorola processors which power its voice- and
motion-activated software capabilities, the sexily titled Natural
Language and Contextual Computing processors. Storage is
16, 32 or 64 GB, but microSD support is on board for cards up
to 128 GB. An All Day battery is also in place, rated at 3,000
mAh whether that will hold up for those addicted to their
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
35
smartphones remains to be seen. On the plus side, Motorola is

touting the worlds fastest charging in a smartphone (take that,
Samsung!), promising ten hours of life in just 15 minutes.
Elsewhere, there are stereo, front-facing speakers (something
more phones need seriously), a water repellent coating which
should protect your phone against rain or accidental spills, while
Motorolas typically pared-back software runs atop the freshest
version of Android, 5.1.1 Lollipop an update to Android M will
arrive when that launches later this year. Meanwhile, something
sure to please Motorola fans, the main camera has leapt from
13 to 21 megapixels. Theres a variety of techno-schizzlewizzle
features such as Phase Detection Auto-Focus and Dual Color
Correlated Temperature flash, but in laymans terms Motorola is
claiming a camera that is among the best in the business. A bold
claim, certainly. Selfie addicts, meanwhile, can admire every
pore with a 5 megapixel front camera.
Perhaps most impressively, however, is the way in which
Motorola will sell the Moto X Style. Launching Fall 2015,
which is expected to be September, itll be known as the Moto
X Pure Edition in the states. That means itll be available from
Motorola directly as well as Best Buy and Amazon. Itll come
unlocked and work across every carrier, including super fast LTE.
The price for all of this customizable, supersized, pixel-dense
smartphone goodness? A mere $399. Thats hundreds less than
an equivalent iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. It will come to carriers
at a later date, but if youre not interested in upgrading through
your network, its an incredible deal and an incredible show of
confidence from Motorola in the desirability of its product.
The Moto X Play, meanwhile, is more of a tease. While it will
launch in 55 countries next month, America isnt on the list. Should
you feel disappointed at that fact? Well, it remains to be seen. Its
a Style-lite, with lower specs and a smaller footprint, but it still
makes a compelling case for itself as a midrange device.
Lastly, but by no means least, the Moto G. In many respects,
the G has done what the X failed to do it put Motorola back
at the top of the bestsellers list. Motorolas budget smartphone,
which has always punched above its weight in terms of specs
and features, returns for 2015 faster, more premium and yet as
affordable as ever. For just $179 and its available to buy from
today consumers are getting an absolute bargain.
A 5-inch, 720p display, battery life that lasts up to 24 hours,
a Snapdragon 410 processor that will have no trouble running
Motorolas clutter-free version of Android, all paired with 8GB
of storage and 1GB of RAM, or 16 GB and 2GB, respectively.
Whats more, its fully customizable using Moto Maker for the
first time ever. Yes, the humble G can be specced in a variety of
colours and accents, or outfitted in a swappable, colorful shell.
It comes in a variety of flavors to suit every network, while
theres a best in class (to quote Motorola) 13 megapixel camera
that was taken from last years flagship Nexus 6, tweaked slightly, and dropped into the G. Furthermore, Motorola has given the
Moto G full IPX7 waterproofing that means thirty minutes of
submersion in up to three feet of water, which should make the
G an excellent companion to the pool.
In many ways, Motorola really deserves for its new smartphones to be a success. Moto Assist, the companys voice
assistant that actually works, is an example of one of the few
changes the company has made to an otherwise stock version of
Android on all of its devices. It seems to genuinely care about its
customers marketing materials frequently espouse that smartphones should work for us, rather than against as many seem
to. Whether its latest devices will help improve the companys
market share remains to be seen, but Motorola at least can say
it tried its best. l
36
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
NIGHT
LIFE
LISTINGS
THURS., 07.30.15
9 1/2
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on any
drink, 5-9pm Multiple
TVs showing movies,
shows, sports Expanded
craft beer selection
Music videos featuring
DJ Wess
ANNIES/ANNIES
UPSTAIRS
4@4 Happy Hour, 4-7pm
$4 Small Plates, $4 Stella
Artois, $4 House Wines,
$4 Stolichnaya Cocktails,
$4 Manhattans and Vodka
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $6 Call
Martini, $3 Miller Lite,
$4 Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm
$3 Rail Drinks, 10pmmidnight, $5 Red Bull,
Gatorade and Frozen
Virgin Drinks Stonewall
Darts Games Locker
Room Thursday Nights
DJs Sean Morris and
MadScience Ripped Hot
Body Contest at midnight,
hosted by Sasha J. Adams
and BaNaka $200 Cash
Prize Doors open 10pm,
18+ $5 Cover under 21
and free with college ID
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Hot Jock Night, hosted
by Highwaymen TNT
Contest at 11:30pm
Prize package includes
$100 in prizes
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
METROWEEKLY.COM
37
38
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
scene
Club Hippo
Saturday, July 25
scan this tag
with your
smartphone
for bonus scene
pics online!
Photography by
Ward Morrison
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Ladies Drink Free Power
Hour, 4-5pm Shirtless
Thursday, 10-11pm DJs
BacK2bACk
JR.S
All You Can Drink for $15,
5-8pm $3 Rail Vodka
Highballs, $2 JR.s drafts,
8pm-close Throwback
Thursday featuring rock/
pop retro hits
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Beat the Clock Happy Hour
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
$4 (7-8pm) Buckets of
Beer $15 Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
drink, 5-9pm No Cover
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
$4 Drinks and $3 Draughts,
6-9pm
ZIEGFELDS SECRETS
All male, nude dancers
Shirtless Thursday DJ
Tim-e in Secrets 9pm
Cover 21+
FRI., 07.31.15
9 1/2
Open at 5pm Happy
Hour: 2 for 1 on any drink,
5-9pm Friday Night
Videos with resident DJ
Shea Van Horn VJ
Expanded craft beer selection No Cover
ANNIES
Martinis Upstairs open,
5-11pm
COBALT/30 DEGREES
All You Can Drink Happy
Hour $15 Rail and
Domestic, $21 Call
& Imports, 6-9pm
Guys Night Out Free
Belvedere Vodka, 11pmMidnight, $6 Belvedere
Vodka Drinks all night
DJ MadScience presents
Tribal Nights DJ Keenan
Orr downstairs $10
cover 10pm-1am, $5 after
1am 21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
Bear Nonsense Happy
Hour, 6-10pm Potomac
MC on Club Bar, 10pmclose Full Blue Moon
Night $2 Draughts/
Jello Shots
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm $5
Smirnoff, all flavors, all
night long Khush DC
presents Jalwa: Bollywood
Fantasy and Desi LGBTQ
Dance Party, 9:30-close
$10 Cover before 11pm,
$15 after 21+
JR.S
$2 Skyy Highballs and $2
Drafts, 10pm-midnight
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm Retro Friday
$5 Coronas, $8 Vodka Red
Bulls, 9pm-close
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

DJ Matt Bailey Videos,
Dancing Beat the Clock
Happy Hour $2 (5-6pm),
$3 (6-7pm), $4 (7-8pm)
Buckets of Beer $15
NUMBER NINE
Open 5pm Happy Hour:
2 for 1 on any drink, 5-9pm
No Cover
TOWN
DC Bear Crue Happy
Hour, 6-11pm $3 Rail,
$3 Draft, $3 Bud Bottles
Free Pizza, 7pm No
cover before 9:30pm
21+ Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Hosted by Lena
Lett and featuring Miss
Tatianna, Shi-QueetaLee, Epiphany B. Lee
and BaNaka DJ Wess
upstairs, DJs BacK2bACk
downstairs Doors open
at 10pm For those 21
and over, $5 from 10-11pm
and $10 after pm For
those 18-20, $12 all night
18+
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
before 10pm Cover after
10pm (entry through Town)
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
All male, nude dancers,
hosted by LaTroya Nicole
Ladies of Ziegfelds,
9pm Hosted by Miss
Destiny B. Childs DJ
Darryl Strickland in Secrets
VJ Tre in Ziegfelds
Cover 21+
SAT., 08.01.15
9 1/2
drink, 3-9pm $5 Absolut
& Titos, $3 Miller Lite
after 9pm Expanded
craft beer selection No
Cover Music videos
featuring various DJs
METROWEEKLY.COM
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Drag Yourself to Brunch
at Level One, 11am-2pm
and 2-4pm Featuring
Kristina Kelly and the
Ladies of Illusion
Bottomless Mimosas and
Bloody Marys Happy
Hour: $3 Miller Lite, $4
Rail, $5 Call, 4-9pm
Rumba Latina: Latin Night
at Cobalt, 10pm-close
Drink specials all night
Doors open 10pm $7
before midnight, $10 after
21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 4-6pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
DC Eagle Poster Project
on Club Bar, 10pm-close
$2 Draughts with project
jello shots
JULY 30, 2015
39
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Diner-style Breakfast
Buffet, 10am-3pm
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Freddies Follies Drag
Show, 8-10pm, hosted by
Miss Destiny B. Childs
No Cover
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm $5
Bacardi, all flavors, all
night long
JR.S
$4 Coors, $5 Vodka
Highballs, $7 Vodka Red
Bulls
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Guest DJs Zing Zang
Bloody Marys, Nellie Beer,
House Rail Drinks and
Mimosas, $4, 11am-5pm
Buckets of Beer, $15
NUMBER NINE
40
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
TOWN
Super Party: A SuperheroThemed Party, featuring
DJ Kidd Madonny, 10pmclose Music and video
downstairs by DJ Wess
Drag Show starts at
10:30pm Featuring
special guest Billy LAmour
in the show Hosted by
Lena Lett and featuring
Miss Tatianna, ShiQueeta-Lee, Epiphany B.
Lee and BaNaka Doors
open 10pm Cover $10
from 10-11pm and $12
after 11pm 21+
TOWN PATIO
Open 2pm No Cover
before 9:30pm Cover
after 10pm (entry through
Town)
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Men of Secrets, 9pm
Guest dancers Ladies
of Illusion with host
Ella Fitzgerald, 9pm
DJ Steve Henderson in
Secrets DJ Don T. in
Ziegfelds Doors open
8pm Cover 21+
SUN., 08.02.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
COBALT/30 DEGREES
$4 Stoli, Stoli flavors
and Miller Lite all day
Homowood Karaoke,
10pm-close No Cover
21+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 2-6pm
dcnine.com
DC EAGLE
$1 Bud and Bud Light
Draughts, all day and all
night Team DC and DC
Leather Pride
FREDDIES BEACH BAR

Champagne Brunch Buffet,
10am-3pm Crazy Hour,
4-7pm Freddies Zodiac
Monthly Contest, 8pm
Karaoke, 10pm-1am
NUMBER NINE
Pop Goes the World with
Wes Della Volla at 9:30pm
Happy Hour: 2 for 1 on
any drink, 3-9pm No
Cover
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour, 4-9pm
Mamas Trailer Park
Karaoke, 9:30pm-close
ROCK HARD SUNDAYS

@THE HOUSE
NIGHTCLUB
3530 Georgia Ave. NW
All male, all nude dancers
Shows at 8 and 10pm
$5 Domestic Beer, $6
Imports Happy Hour
7-8pm $10 cover rockharddc.com
JR.S
Sunday Funday Liquid
Brunch Doors open at
1pm $2 Coors Lights and
$3 Skyy (all flavors), all
day and night
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
Drag Brunch, hosted by
Shi-Queeta-Lee, 11am3pm $20 Brunch Buffet
House Rail Drinks, Zing
Zang Bloody Marys, Nellie
Beer and Mimosas, $4,
11am-close Buckets of
Beer, $15
TOWN PATIO
Open 2pm No Cover
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Decades of Dance DJ
Tim-e in Secrets Doors
8pm Cover 21+
MON., 08.03.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
ANNIES
Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Happy Hour: $2 Rail, $3
Miller Lite, $5 Call, 4-9pm
RuPauls Drag Race
Viewing and Drag Show
hosted by Kristina Kelly
India Ferrah from RuPauls
Drag Race appears in the
drag show Doors open
at 10pm, show starts at
11pm $3 Skyy Cocktails,
$8 Skyy and Red Bull No
Cover, 18+
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long
Michaels Open Mic
Night Karaoke, 9:30pmclose
JR.S
Happy Hour: 2-for-1,
4-9pm Showtunes Songs
& Singalongs, 9pm-close
DJ James $3 Draft
Pints, 8pm-midnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Texas Holdem
Poker, 8pm Dart Boards
NUMBER NINE
TUES., 08.04.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
ANNIES
$4 Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
SIN Industry Night
Half-price Cocktails, 10pmclose
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm
Karaoke, 8pm
METROWEEKLY.COM
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close
JR.S
Birdie La Cage Show,
10:30pm Underground
(Indie Pop/Alt/Brit Rock),
9pm-close DJ Wes
Della Volla 2-for-1, 5pmmidnight
NELLIES SPORTS BAR
$2 (5-6pm), $3 (6-7pm),
Beer $15 Karaoke and
Drag Bingo
NUMBER NINE
Safe Word: A Gay Spelling
Bee, 8-11pm Prizes to
the top three spellers
After 9pm, $3 Absolut,
Bulleit & Stella
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
Yappy Hour: Happy Hour
for Dogs and their best
friends $4 Drinks and
$4 Draughts
JULY 30, 2015
41
WED., 08.05.15
9 1/2
TVs showing movies,
Cover
ANNIES
$4 Stella Artois, $4 House
Wines, $4 Stolichnaya
Cocktails, $4 Manhattans
and Vodka Martinis
COBALT/30 DEGREES
Gay Mens Chorus Open
Mic Night and Wednesday
Night Karaoke downstairs,
10pm Hosted by Miss
India Larelle Houston
$4 Stoli and Stoli Flavors
and Miller Lite No Cover
21+
42
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
DC9
1940 9th St. NW
Happy Hour, 5-8pm
dcnine.com
FREDDIES BEACH BAR
Crazy Hour, 4-7pm $6
Burgers Drag Bingo
Night, hosted by Ms.
Regina Jozet Adams, 8pm
Bingo prizes Karaoke,
10pm-1am
GREEN LANTERN
Happy Hour all night long,
4pm-close The Boys of
HUMP upstairs, 9pm
JR.S
Trivia with MC Jay Ray,
8pm The Queen Amateur
Drag Competition, hosted
by BaNaka, 10-11pm, with
a $200 prize Buy 1, Get
1 Free, 4-9pm $2 JR.s
Drafts and $4 Vodka ($2
with College ID or JR.s
Team Shirt)
NELLIES SPORTS BAR

SmartAss Trivia Night,
8pm and 9pm Prizes
include bar tabs and tickets to shows at the 9:30
Club $15 Buckets of
Beer for SmartAss Teams
only Bring a new team
members and each get a
free $10 Dinner
NUMBER NINE
TOWN PATIO
Open 6pm No Cover
Half-Price Hump Day
half-price drinks all day
ZIEGFELDS/SECRETS
Shirtless Night, 10-11pm,
12-12:30am Military
Night, no cover with
military ID DJ Don T. in
Secrets 9pm Cover
21+ l
SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
43
44
SEE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
45
couldnt have been up against more. Like, your daughter is a supermodel.

YouYoure
a celebrity. You have every type of thing, and it was still like,
Fuck everybody, this is who I am.
KANYE WEST, talking with Caitlyn Jenner in the series premiere of I Am Cait, which will follow
Jenners life after coming out as a woman.
Ive been consistent all across Africa on this

I believe in the principle of treating people
equally under the law.
President BARACK OBAMA, speaking at a joint press conference with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The President vowed
to put LGBT rights front and center of his agenda in an interview with BBC News.
I didnt know that we were sending our president halfway around the world
to promote the gay and lesbian agenda!
Evangelist FRANKLIN GRAHAM, writing on Facebook about President Obamas trip to Kenya.
Progress is never easily won.
Reform is never easily won. LGBTI Australians deserve equal treatment before the law.
PENNY WONG, a member of parliament in the Australian Senate and the highest profile LGBT politician in the country, speaking
at the Labour Partys annual conference. Wong called for Australia to enact marriage equality something
Prime Minister Tony Abbott staunchly opposes.
Its amazing to see the impact that it has on people.

The power of Connor and Judes relationship just
astonishes me.
GAVIN MACINTOSH, who plays Connor on ABC Familys The Fosters. Connors relationship with his best friend Jude has taught
MacIntosh a lot about LGBT issues, he told the Huffington Post. Connor and Jude shared TVs youngest
same-sex kiss last year, with both characters aged just 13.
46
JULY 30, 2015
METROWEEKLY.COM
METROWEEKLY.COM
JULY 30, 2015
47

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2

JULY 30, 2015

JULY 30, 2015

JULY 30, 2015

Trumping the Competition

Let Science Decide

SALES & MARKETING

2015 Jansi LLC.

JULY 30, 2015

OUT ON THE TOWN

Romeo & Juliet: Love Knows No Age

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

photography by Ward Morrison

JULY 30, 2015

Boy Scouts Fully Lift Gay Ban

Now online at MetroWeekly.com

Trump at CPAC 2011

Trumping the Competition

ONALD TRUMP IS ON A ROLL, AT LEAST WHEN

JULY 30, 2015

problems and theyre bringing those problems. Theyre bringing

JULY 30, 2015

JULY 30, 2015

Center for Politics, says Trumps celebrity status and the

Let Science Decide

JULY 30, 2015

OPINION Sean Bugg

For a sport historically open to lesbians, professional

HEN THE GAY FORMER NBA PLAYER JASON

JULY 30, 2015

But my second reaction was a weary, Really? Now?

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

SEE PHOTOS FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.METROWEEKLY.COM/SCENE

JULY 30, 2015

LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP for

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and lesbian square-dancing group features

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5

p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics

JULY 30, 2015

The DC Center kicks off the opening

SOCIAL ANXIETY WORKSHOP

a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointment

METROHEALTH CENTER offers

free, rapid HIV testing. Appointment

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-

affirming social group for ages 11-24.

SMYALS REC NIGHT provides

seeks to teach people about what

BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay

THE SPOTLIGHT PROJECT, an

CHRYSALIS arts & culture group

educational nonprofits for LGBTQ

p.m., and HIV services (by appointment). 202-291-4707, andromedatransculturalhealth.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practice session at Hains Point,

HIV TESTING at Whitman-Walker

attends screening of classic 1943

2015 OUTWRITE BOOK FESTIVAL,

featuring workshops, readings,

tice session at Hains Point, 972 Ohio