D.C.’s State of the Arts
You might think that after three years I’d be bored with our biannual arts guides. Haven’t we seen and done it all, you might ask? After all this time steeped in the arts in D.C., am I not immune to her charms? The reality is that each and every time I start sifting through events, assigning shows to preview and artists to profile, I fall in love with this city all over again. What our arts scene offers is vast, welcoming, born of countless cultures, a little (or a lot) queer, and it’s constantly spinning out new ideas, new talents, new icons, new legends, and new ways of seeing the world.
When I interviewed Sleater–Kinney’s Corin Tucker for this guide, I was chuffed but not surprised that D.C. remains one of their favorite cities to play. When editing Hannah Grieco’s piece on Kathleen Hanna’s upcoming D.C. event, I was reminded that Bikini Kill once considered D.C. a second home. It’s no wonder up-and-coming local bands such as Birthday Girl and Argo and the Violet Queens (also featured in this guide) are inspired to make music here.
And that’s just one faction of our thriving arts scene. This spring will also see the introduction of Lovail Long’s latest go-go musical, Chocolate City Records, and the 50th birthday celebration for Ms. Kim, the “Queen of Go-Go.” Duke Ellington’s music will once again reign courtesy of jazz pianist Ellington Carthan, while a new concert production of Fire Shut Up In My Bones offers a new take on the consequential Black opera.
When I talk about new legends, I can point to Dance Place’s Anastasia Johnson, Filipino collective the WRIZZARDS, and theater-maker Shanara Gabrielle. Honestly I could talk ad nauseam about everyone and everything included in this guide, but I’ll stop myself here. Instead I invite you to dive in and then head out. —Sarah Marloff
Table of Contents
Music
Project GLOW’s Secret Garden Offers a Return to Electronic Music’s LGBTQIA Roots
When festival organizers approached D.C. nightclub icon Ed Bailey about imagining a new space at Project GLOW to represent the LGBTQIA community in 2023, he dreamed up the Secret Garden. Having DJed and operated legendary gay nightclubs for decades, from the now-shuttered Town to modern staple Trade, Bailey wanted to pull homegrown talent that harks…
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WRIZZARDS on the Rise
It’s hard to believe that the WRIZZARDS only recently began making music. Their single, “Ms. Barista,” was nominated for the 2024 Wammie Music Awards’ Best World/Global Song just two months after its release, but the suave acoustic hit marked the first time the Filipino multi-genre collective collaborated. (Independently, the collective’s members dabble in indie pop,…
You’re Invited Into Argo and the Violet Queens’ Immersive Live Shows
Arav Goswami always wanted to be a performer. As a kid, he felt more drawn to his favorite artists’ live shows than their recorded music—he’d watch videos of Queen, David Bowie, and Talking Heads concerts on YouTube all day long. He was enamored with the intricate details these artists put into their imagery: the clothes…
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Standing on the Shoulders of D.C. Giants: Birthday Girl Forge a New Path
Alt-rock band Birthday Girl are young in every sense of the word. The trio are made up of 16-year-old singer-songwriter Mabel Canty, 17-year-old bassist Isabella MacKaye, and 18-year-old drummer Tess Kontarinis, all of whom only started performing live together in the summer of 2023. Although they’re new to the scene, the band are quickly gaining…
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Theater
Meet Shanara Gabrielle, the Incoming Producing Artistic Director at Theater Alliance
For Shanara Gabrielle, the newly announced producing artistic director of Theater Alliance, the performing arts serve a civic duty: creating communities of artists and informed citizens, sharing stories about social justice and opportunities for effective change, and opening up dialogues about contemporary topics. “Along with justice comes joy,” she says about socially engaged theater, “No…
Books
Film
Dance and Performance
Diana Movius Uses Dance to Inspire New Climate Activists
Climate change has been a key part of Diana Movius’ life ever since the fourth grade. She distinctly remembers that day in elementary school when a scientist came to talk to her class about deforestation and climate change. “I was just absolutely devastated. Because before that, I had no idea that climate change was a…
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Anastasia Johnson Takes the Helm as Dance Place’s Next Education Director
In February, Dance Place hosted a “hair show,” billed as a journey about Black hair and its symbolism of Black resilience, art, culture, and pride. City Paper receives at least 100 inquiries about upcoming dance performances a year—and this one, “Color Me (Curly) Hair,” is one of the most original we’ve seen. The event brought…
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Comedy
It’s Time: D.C. Is Finally Getting Its Own Sketch Comedy Festival
In the centuries-old history of sketch comedy, it’s hard to say how often tater tots have been involved in making massive comedic and business decisions. But there is no doubt that the oh-so-delicious, yet highly processed excuse for a potato item was present at the formation of Bad Medicine, a D.C. sketch comedy team that…
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