Music & Concerts

Rich Morel unveils new side project

Legendary Morel back with new outfit, single

Published

9 years ago

February 25, 2016

Rich Morel, Jason Barnes, gay news, Washington Blade

Rich Morel, left, and Jason Barnes have joined forces as Sistr Mid9ight. Their first effort shows promise. (photo by Stephen Benedicto)

When last we heard new studio material from Rich Morel it was with Deathfix, hard groovin’ post-punk revivalists with more than a hint of psychedelia.

Now that Deathfix is on hiatus, Morel is unveiling a new project. Collaborating with vocalist Jason Barnes, the duo is called Sistr Mid9ight and they are firmly in the realm of electronica. Their first single “Femaphilia” is already available on the duo’s Bandcamp page, and they will be performing with Prince Rama at Comet Ping Pong in D.C. on Saturday, March 5.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that Morel is now going for a more electronic sound, given his successful career as a D.J., songwriter, musician and producer in that arena. He has 25 no. 1 singles on the Billboard Club Chart. Just let that sink in for a minute.

His partnership with Bob Mould for the Blowoff DJ series has been massively successful. His new project seems to dive back into all of those things. “Femaphilia” has a bit of a new wave vibe at first that brings to mind Soft Cell, but then it turns much more aggressive with heavy guitars until it sounds almost like glam rock meets industrial. Morel describes it as “groovy and dirty,” and that pretty much nails it. The enigmatic lyrics seem to involve the idea of being trapped inside a body that doesn’t represent who that person is.

“Pull the lid back and make me everything that you are/like a rib from Adam’s skin/I’m the latest and the greatest rock star/Am I the man you seek?/Mannish girl, boyish freak.” Barnes’ voice is supple and he knows how to project a feeling. For the sinuous electronic verses of “Femaphilia,” he seems to be going for cool, detached and sexy, but during the harder sections he shows he’s perfectly capable of rocking out.

It turns out that the seed of Sistr Mid9ight was first laid during a project for Deathfix. Morel met Jason Barnes while preparing for a video shoot.

“I was looking for a performer to appear in a Deathfix video when I saw Jason performing as Pussy Noir,” he says. “I was really struck by his presence and male/female sexuality. I was sparked by the idea of working with Jason. I always wanted to do a project that pulled stylistically from artists like Grace Jones, Bowie and Jason was the perfect collaborator.”

If you’re gonna pick artists to draw inspiration from, you can do a lot worse that David Bowie and Grace Jones. “Femaphilia” does indeed sounded indebted to those two legends and the duo’s name is derived from “Sister Midnight,” a song Bowie first wrote with Iggy Pop for his 1977 classic “The Idiot” and then re-recorded with different lyrics on his “Lodger” album as “Red Money.”

While only “Femaphila” is available now, more is on the way.

“We started working in the studio last year and are continuing to record now,” Morel says. “I love the idea of releasing singles and EPs as we record them. It’s more immediate. We’ve got a bunch ready to go now, so yes they’ll be more releases soon.”

To get a sneak preview of some of these songs, check out the Comet Ping-Pong show, as Morel has promised they will perform a selection of tracks that will eventually be available for purchase. Sistr Mid9ight may be in their infancy as a recording entity, but there is plenty of talent and promise for exciting things to come.

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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.