Music & Concerts

Betty Who’s surprise guest wows

Kiesza performance thrills gay audience at Lincoln

Published

10 years ago

May 13, 2015

Justin Peligri

Kiesza’s performance this week in D.C. had the largely gay audience cheering for more. (Photo courtesy of Kiesza)

You can tell how good a concert is by how much energy you feel in the room.

By that logic, I was clearly at a good concert earlier this week at the Lincoln Theater, where Betty Who and Kiesza performed to a packed crowed of mostly gay men.

Everyone was on their feet in the crowded theater for the near duration of the show, with both acts lasting more than two hours combined.

Confession: I had no idea who Kiesza was before the show. I’m still not even sure I know how to pronounce her stage name. I ended up at the Lincoln Theater earlier this week after buying a last-minute ticket on Craigslist because my friend is obsessed with Betty Who and had asked me to join him.

And I wasn’t the only person there who felt that way. On our way out, someone told me that he, too, was there only for Betty Who, but that Kiesza’s performance was “10 times better.”

That might be a bit of an exaggeration: Betty Who – one of the performers at last year’s Pride Festival – killed as usual. She performed a combination of her slower numbers as well as her more campy hits many will recognize, like “High Society.”

If you’re still not sure who she is, Google “Somebody Loves You gay proposal.” A large part of the performer’s fame – and a good reason for her cult popularity within the gay community – has to do with the gay marriage proposal, gone viral via YouTube, set to her song, “Somebody Loves You.”

These days, it often goes without saying that live vocal performances are nowhere near as strong as they are on the records that buffer singers’ real pipes with heavy autotune and sound editing. But Betty Who clearly offers an anomaly to that trend: Her vocals at the show were pitch-perfect and maybe even more interesting than her records.

I had already seen Betty Who perform at Pride. But the strongest portions of her show at the Lincoln Theater had more to do with her cute commentary between songs. For instance, in one of her more somber songs, she insisted on having a “moment” with a dude in the front row. She played a game with the audience, pitting each side of the theater against the other to see which group could sing the loudest. And later on, she stole someone’s phone and took selfies with the audience.

To be honest, she’s probably too big and too talented to be someone else’s opener in D.C., a city where she regularly performs, even if she isn’t exactly a household name like other female pop stars. Or if she’s relegated to being a “special guest” instead of the name at the top of the ticket, she should perform alongside bigger names like, for example, Katy Perry, who she opened for on the Australian leg of Perry’s tour.

But as an opener, she certainly did her job: By the time she blew a kiss to the audience and bounced off stage, the vibes in the room were already palpably positive, setting the stage for a high-energy Kiesza performance.

Even if you don’t know her name, you’ll recognize her biggest hit, “Hideaway,” which recently has been both a radio hit and a gay club classic. The song is catchy at best when piped in through speakers, but seeing it performed live was a jaw-dropper. As Kiesza sung, acrobats twisted and did splits on stage – but I missed a good portion of this because I was too busy looking around the theater, lit intermittently by strobe lights. Everyone was either singing or screaming, and seemed reluctant to slowly file out of the sold-out theater after Kiesza waved goodbye.

Both artists are young – Betty Who is 23 and Kiesza is 26. Their music, performance value, and substantial vocals provide the perfect response for music snobs who insist that music is dead and today’s pop can’t compare to the likes of Madonna and others from decades ago.

We bought tickets to see Betty Who, and ended up getting more than what we paid for with both artists. I didn’t compulsively download Kiesza’s album mid-concert like my friend did, but it was definitely worth his money.

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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.