Music & Concerts

Indigo Girls rejoin Lilith Fair for local stop

All-female tour is like ‘summer camp,’ Ray says

Published

15 years ago

July 29, 2010

Lilith Fair comes to the Washington, D.C., area on Tuesday as the tour finishes its revival after an 11-year hiatus featuring artists from previous years as well as some fresh faces.

Lilith Fair started in 1997, led by Sarah McLachlan because she’d become frustrated with concert promoters and radio stations that refused to feature two female musicians together. In its first year, Lilith Fair earned $16 million, making it the top-grossing touring festival at the time.

“The first time around, we had a great time,” said Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls in an interview with the Blade this week. “It’s always fun to do stuff on Lilith with a bunch of different artists.”

The Indigo Girls, who have been a part of Lilith on each tour, return to the tour for the last three dates. They were on the lineup for more, including a stop in Atlanta, but many dates were canceled.

“I don’t want to gush too much, but for us it’s like summer camp,” Ray said. “We get to go hear a bunch of music we’ve never heard and party with people we love and have a great audience. You just can’t go wrong.”

While touring with Lilith Fair, the Indigo Girls have met and collaborated with many different artists, especially while performing “Closer to Fine,” which Ray said often draws other artists to the stage to sing with them.

“Meeting Chrissy Hines was a really big deal, I was a huge Pretenders fan,” said Ray of one of her favorite Lilith moments.

Other returning acts include Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega. The members of Courtyard Hounds have also been a part of Lilith previously as members of the Dixie Chicks. Some of the newer faces on tour this year include Selena Gomez, Colbie Caillat and Janelle Monáe.

“My favorite thing is to see people that I’ve just never really heard of,” said Ray. “I go watch them and get to hear new music.”

Coming off the release of a live two-CD set, “Staring Down the Brilliant Dream,” the girls are excited to perform again according to Ray.

“Staring Down the Brilliant Dream” is a compilation of live recordings from shows spanning from 2006 to 2009, hand picked by the Indigo Girls with the help of Brian Speiser.

“We didn’t start out thinking, ‘hey, we need to put these specific songs on the record,’” said Ray. “We just said, let’s listen to everything we have and see what sounds good.”

The set has 31 tracks including “The Wood Song,” “Got Out the Map,” a cover of “Wild Horses,” and probably the best known Indigo Girls’ song, “Closer to Fine.”

“We tried to make it a balance between me and Emily’s songs,” said Ray about the final song choices, “and a balance of playing with the band and playing acoustically.”

There is even one song, “Ozilline,” that was recorded in D.C., at Wolf Trap with Brandi Carlile.

“Wolf Trap’s one of our favorite places to play historically,” said Ray. “So it was good to be able to get something from that.”

There are a few songs Ray would have liked to include on the album, but they just did not have a good live recording.

“One song that I really wanted to get a good recording of was ‘Fleet of Hope,’ a song by Emily,” said Ray.

The song is on their most recent studio album, “Poseidon and the Bitter Bug,” which was released in 2009.

“Our newest record, we haven’t toured it for as long, obviously, as the other stuff,” Ray said. “We didn’t have as many recordings of it.”

The Indigo Girls have another studio album coming out soon — a holiday record.

“There are a few original songs on it and the rest of them are different holiday songs. There’s a Hanukkah song, Christmas songs, and some, just kind of, secular, winter songs,” said Ray.

The record was recorded back in May in Nashville with a bluegrass band, giving it more of a country feel.

“It’s got that totally down home acoustic vibe,” said Ray.

The Indigo Girls are currently writing songs while on tour for another album.

Music & Concerts

Kylie brings ‘Tension’ tour to D.C.

Performance on Tuesday at Capital One Arena

Published

2 weeks ago

April 5, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Kylie Minogue visits D.C. on Tuesday.

Aussie pop icon Kylie Minogue brings her acclaimed “Tension” world tour to D.C. next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Capital One Arena. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.

The show features songs spanning her long career, from 1987 debut single, “The Loco-Motion,” to “Padam, Padam” from her album, “Tension.”

Music & Concerts

Busy season for live music in D.C.

Erivo, Kylie, Sivan, and more headed our way this spring

Published

1 month ago

March 14, 2025

Joe Reberkenny

Cynthia Erivo plays WorldPride in D.C. on June 7. (Photo courtesy of World Pride)

One sure sign of spring’s arrival is the fresh wave of live music coming to Washington. With more than 10 venues and a diverse lineup of artists, the city offers no shortage of live performances for the new season.

In addition to this impressive list, don’t forget the many artists coming to town for WorldPride, May 17-June 8. In addition to headliner Cynthia Erivo performing on Saturday, June 7 at the two-day street festival and concert, many other performers will be in town. Jennifer Lopez, Troye Sivan, and RuPaul are among the featured performers at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds, June 6-7. Visit WorldPrideDC.org for a list of other performers.

MARCH

Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Mary J. Blige will take the stage at Capital One Arena on March 26 for her For My Fans tour. Two days later, on March 28, J Balvin will also perform at Capital One Arena for his Back to the Rayo tour.

The Lincoln Theatre will host the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington for three performances—one on March 15 and two on March 16.

If dance parties are more your vibe, you’re in luck. DC9 is hosting a series of themed dance parties this month, starting with Poker Face: 2000s + Dance Party on March 14, the ever-popular Peach Pit ’90s dance party on March 15, H.O.T.S.: A Sapphic Dance Party on March 22, and RageRiot!—a burlesque and drag revue featuring a lineup of local drag kings, queens, and everything in between on March 29.

APRIL

Australian queen of pop Kylie Minogue will bring her Tension tour to Capital One Arena on April 8, with British dance artist Romy as her special guest.

Indie singer-songwriter mxmtoon will stop in D.C. for their Liminal Space tour on April 4 at the 9:30 club, followed by indie rock band Gossip on April 5. The 9:30 club will also host two dance parties in April: Gimme Gimme Disco – a dance party inspired by ABBA on April 11 and Broadway Rave on April 18.

The Atlantis will feature Brooklyn-based indie rock band Pom Pom Squad on April 2.

Comedy duo Two Dykes and a Mic will bring their Going Hog Wild tour to the Howard Theatre on April 19.

DC9 has two dance parties lined up this month: Bimbo Night on April 4, hosted by Baltimore’s “premier red-tattooed Filipina diva” Beth Amphetamine, and Aqua Girls: A QTBIPOC Dance Party on April 5, celebrating “queer transcendence through music, movement, and community.”

The Anthem will welcome a lineup of big names in April, starting with Alessia Cara on April 8. Lucy Dacus will take the stage on April 18 and 19 for her Forever Is a Feeling tour, while funky pop artist Remi Wolf will headline on April 27, joined by special guests Dana and Alden.

MAY

Indie-pop artist Miya Folick will bring her Erotica Veronica tour to The Atlantis on May 1, followed by multi-genre musician SASAMI on May 2. Pop artist Snow Wife will close out the month at The Atlantis on May 31 as part of an official WorldPride 2025 event.

Queer rock band Lambrini Girls will perform at the Howard Theatre on May 4, while rock trio L.A. Witch will take the stage at DC9 on May 12.

Union Stage will feature Rachel Platten on May 3 for her Set Me Free tour, followed by Femme Fatale: A Queer Dance Party later that night.

The popular DJ festival Project Glow will return to RFK Stadium grounds on May 31 and June 1.

JUNE

Pride month kicks off with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Trixie Mattel, who will perform at Echostage on June 3 as part of a series of official WorldPride 2025 events.

Queer icons Grace Jones & Janelle Monáe will take over The Anthem on June 5 for a WorldPride 2025 event performance.

Perfume Genius will bring his signature sound to the 9:30 club on June 7 as part of WorldPride 2025 festivities. Later in the month, Blondshell will hit the 9:30 club for her If You Asked for a Tour on June 24.

Music & Concerts

Pride concert to take place at Strathmore after Kennedy Center rescinds invitation

International Pride Orchestra ‘heartbroken’ event ‘would no longer be welcome’ at DC venue

Published

2 months ago

February 27, 2025

Jaylon Curry-Hagler

The Kennedy Center (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The International Pride Orchestra has announced its Pride concert will take place at the Strathmore Music Center on June 5 after the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts disinvited the group.

Since President Donald Trump took over the Kennedy Center during his first month in office, LGBTQ events and performances have been banned with community allies withdrawing in solidarity.

The Kennedy Center has cancelled “A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride,” a May 21 concert that was to feature the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. The International Pride Orchestra on Monday said its concert will now take place at the Strathmore.

“We were heartbroken when we learned that our concert would no longer be welcome at the Kennedy Center,” said International Pride Orchestra Founding Artistic Director Michael Roest in a statement released by the orchestra’s media page. “The Kennedy Center has long been a symbol of artistic excellence, inclusivity, and freedom of expression. However, we are profoundly grateful to the Strathmore Music Center for opening their doors to us. Their willingness to host our Pride Celebration Concert ensures that our message of love, pride, and resilience will be heard on the doorstep of the nation’s capital.”

The Pride concert is among the events that have faced uncertainty since the Trump-Vance administration took office on Jan. 20. Many, however, are fighting back and looking for ways to push back against the bans and cancellations.

“We aim to create a powerful and positive representation of the queer community through music,” said Roest. “We want to show the world who we are, celebrate our queer identities, and amplify the work of organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community.”

WorldPride is scheduled to take place in D.C. from May 17-June 8.