Despite what VH1 might suggest, there is more to queer music than Lady Gaga. In fact, some LGBTQ artists are motivated by their own less-than-mainstream status to push their music into some unusual places. The Triangle Artist Group in the Washington-Baltimore area knows this and celebrates it annually with a gay-friendly, avant-garde fest called Queering Sound. Musical contributors range from the drone-heavy BLK w/ BEAR, whose noisy extended sonic explorations will be presented alongside a live visual manipulation, to the jazz-focused Michelle Webb, who champions the acoustic oud in her Turkish-inflected improvisations. This year’s theme is String Theory, which may or may not actually provide any coherent framework for the performances. With about 13 different contributors covering a broad range of styles, the fest provides an intensely creative alternative to this month’s more mainstream Pride celebrations—and of course, it’s open to straights and queers alike.

Queering Sound costs $10 and takes place at 7:00 PM on Saturday June 5th at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center.