Metro Weekly - 08-06-15 - Jazz Jennings

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFRandy Shulman

ART DIRECTORTodd Franson

MANAGING EDITORRhuaridh Marr

SENIOR EDITORJohn Riley

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDoug Rule

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERSWard Morrison, Julian Vankim

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORScott G. Brooks

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSean Bugg, Chris Heller, Connor J. Hogan,

Troy Petenbrink, Kate Wingfield

WEBMASTERDavid Uy

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTJulian Vankim

SALES & MARKETING

PUBLISHERRandy Shulman

BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETINGChristopher Cunetto

Cunetto Creative

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Rivendell Media Co.212-242-6863

DISTRIBUTION MANAGERDennis Havrilla

PATRON SAINTSylvia Rivera

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYMark DeLong / TLC

METRO WEEKLY1425 K St. NW, Suite 350Washington, DC 20005

202-638-6830

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All material appearing in Metro Weekly is protected by federal copyright law and may not be

reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publishers. Metro Weekly assumes noresponsibility for unsolicited materials submitted for publication. All such submissions are subject

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their agents. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles oradvertising in Metro Weekly is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of

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© 2015 Jansi LLC.

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AUGUST 6, 2015Volume 22 / Issue 14

NEWS 6 SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TEMPERED

BY “R ELIGIOUS FREEDOM” LAWS

by John Riley

11 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FEATURE 14 JAZZ JENNINGS

Interview by Doug Rule

OUT ON THE TOWN 20 GREEN SCREEN

by Connor J. Hogan

22 CRAFT WORK

by Doug Rule

FILM 27 T HE E ND OF THE T OUR ,

R IKKI AND THE F LASH

by Chris Heller

TRAVEL 29 FESTIVAL CAMPING

by Kate Wingfield

TECH 31 WINDOWS 10

by Rhuaridh Marr

BOOKS 33 PUSSY POSTULATIONS

by Kate Wingfield

SCENE 35 8TH ANNUAL SUMMER GAMES

photography by Ward Morrison

NIGHTLIFE 37 DJ MADSCIENCE AT COBALT

photography by Ward Morrison

CLUBLIFE 44 KENNEDY DAVENPORT AT TOWN

by Connor J. Hogan

46 LAST WORD


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Same-sex marriage tempered by “Religious Freedom” laws Republican-led attempts to legalize religious discrimination against the LGBT

community are a “political blunder”

Anti-gay Marriage Rally, Chicago

NO MATTER WHAT ONE’S BELIEFS ON MAR-

riage are, it’s becoming clear that the SupremeCourt will not have the final word on the issue.

With marriage equality nationwide, same-sex

couples are now able to be recognized as legal spouses. But somestates are pushing back, seeking ways to allow people who oppose

same-sex nuptials to refuse to provide services or take any actionsthat could be viewed as supporting same-sex weddings.

The pushback began with North Carolina in June, prior tothe Supreme Court’s decision. That month, the North Carolina

J O H N W . I W A N S K I

legislature voted to override a veto by Gov. Pat McCrory, there-by allowing state officials to recuse themselves from perform-

ing or issuing licenses for marriages that they feel violate theirreligious beliefs.

Under North Carolina’s bill, a magistrate or register of deeds

can cite their religious beliefs as justification for recusing them-selves. But the bill also allows alternative arrangements to be

made in order for couples to obtain a marriage license withoutviolating the magistrate or register’s personal beliefs.

A similar conflict has already come to a head in Kentucky,

L G B TNews Now online at MetroWeekly.comCapital Tennis Association wins Atlantic Cup – again!First gay couple married at West Point attacked in Soho

by John Riley


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LGBTNews

8

where three separate counties have stopped issuing marriage

licenses to anyone, gay or straight, in order to avoid running

afoul of the Supreme Court’s decision. Instead, officials in thosecounties are referring prospective spouses to travel elsewhere

within the state to obtain a license. One of those clerks, RowanCounty’s Kim Davis, has now been sued by two straight couples

and two gay couples for her refusal to issue them marriagelicenses in the county where they live, work and pay taxes.

Davis, an Apostolic Christian, previously argued in court that

she should be protected by the First Amendment from havingto issue licenses to same-sex couples. However, she also argued

that even allowing licenses to be issued in her name also violatesher religious beliefs — even if another employee actually grants

the licenses.“If I say they are authorized, I’m saying, ‘I agree with it.’ And

I can’t,” Davis was quoted by USA Today as saying during hertestimony in court.

The lawsuit against Davis has attracted a great deal of atten-

tion and has already become an issue in the 2015 governor’srace, with opponents of same-sex marriage using the issue to

attack Attorney General Jack Conway (D) for his refusal todefend the state’s ban on same-sex marriage after it was found

unconstitutional. Additionally, Republicans in the state legis-lature have introduced legislation for the 2016 session that is

aimed at protecting county clerks like Davis from legal action ifthey refuse to issue licenses by citing their religious beliefs. That

bill would also clarify existing First Amendment protections for

clergy who want to refuse to perform same-sex marriages, eventhough no such conflict has arisen in the Bluegrass State.

The issue has divided many Kentucky voters as to what

should be done. According to a Bluegrass Poll, 38 percent of

Kentucky voters say county clerks who refuse to issue marriagelicenses should be removed from office. Thirty-six percent said

clerks should be allowed to refuse to issue licenses, and another16 percent said the power to issue marriage licenses should be

transferred to a state agency.But that debate is precisely what should be happening when

there are conflicts between LGBT rights and religious beliefs,

says Ryan T. Anderson, a senior research fellow specializing

in issues related to marriage and religious freedom for theHeritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Anderson distinguishes between two types of laws to protect

religious freedom: religious freedom restoration acts, or RFRAs,and First Amendment Defense Acts.

“So RFRA says ‘a sincere religiously-held belief,’ if the gov-

ernment burdens it, it has to be for a compelling governmentinterest, in the least restrictive way possible,’ Anderson says.

“Then there’s the First Amendment Defense Act, which sayswe’re going to have a very specific belief — in this case, the belief

that marriage is between a man and a woman — and we’re goingto say that the government can never burden that belief,” he

continues. “For the first 225 years of our nation’s history, people

have been free to run their schools and charities and businessesin accordance with that belief.... We don’t need to force civil

society...into violating those beliefs.”With regards the Kentucky conflict, Anderson notes that

Title VII provides explicit protections for government employ-ees based on their religious beliefs, and requires the government

to try to accommodate those beliefs as best it can.“The idea here is that every citizen has a right to get from

the government whatever the benefit is,” Anderson says. “So

the benefit in question is a same-sex marriage license. Marriagenow includes same-sex couples. They now have a right to go

to the government and get a marriage license. That doesn’t saythat each and every county clerk needs to be the one providing

the license.”That is exactly how the situation was resolved in North

Carolina, with the ‘opt-out’ bill protecting magistrates and reg-isters of deeds by allowing them to notify their superiors that

they will no longer be performing or issuing licenses for any

marriages.“What Title VII protects, and what these bills protect is

a reasonable accommodation that ensures that every citizenreceives what they’re guaranteed by the state, but that also

accommodates employees,” he says. “But if it’s a county clerk’soffice of 20 clerks, and two of them say ‘We can’t do this,’ then

I see no reason why the state shouldn’t say, ‘Fine. You guys are

going to be doing something else, and the other 18 are going tobe doing the marriage licenses.’ And I think that’s a way that we

can sort of move past some of the culture wars on this.... Whenwe can work those things out, I feel we should. When it’s impos-

sible to do, then the government interest prevails.”But Sarah McBride, a research associate for LGBT progress

at the Center for American Progress, says resolving the issueis not as simple as supporters of RFRA-style laws claim. For

instance, the federal RFRA law — on which most of these bills

are allegedly based — needs to be clarified.“One of the things we heard from advocates on the state level

who were trying to push these RFRAs was that they were identi-cal to the federal RFRA,” McBride says. “But at this point, after

the corrupting decision in Hobby Lobby, in terms of religiousfreedom, the federal RFRA really needs to be addressed. Because

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based on the current court’s interpretation… [it] is way too broad

and grants too many for-profit companies religious rights.”Another problem, McBride says, is that even if the federal

RFRA is clarified, many of the bills purporting to be “identical”

to the federal law actually aren’t.“A number of these bills, what we’re calling Super-RFRAs,

not only took the federal RFRA, but expanded its scope andremoved a lot of important words that restrained the ability of

people to impose harm on others,” she says. “In some states, the

burden [on a person’s religion] just needs to be hypothetical, notactually real.”One such state where so-called “religious freedom” legisla-

tion is expected is Virginia. There, Republicans have signaled

that passing protections for individuals and businesses whoobject to same-sex marriage or LGBT rights will be an impor-

tant priority during next year’s legislative session.Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) and Senate Majority Leader

Tommy Norment (R-James City) last month asked the VirginiaCode Commission to review the Code of Virginia and see what

updates or changes need to be made to bring the language

commonwealth’s various statutes into compliance with theSupreme Court’s ruling. Requests for comment from Gilbert’s

office on what an ideal religious freedom law might look like

were not returned.Earlier this year, Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas) intro-

duced two bills dealing with religious freedom that would

have provided protections for government contractors, such asadoption agencies, and for businesses or any person licensed by

the state from a teacher to a doctor, to deny services to LGBT

people. Some LGBT advocates have hypothesized that any such“religious freedom” legislation may mirror Marshall’s bills,

which were both defeated by Republican-led House subcom-mittees.

Matthew Moran, a spokesman for Howell’s office, says it isvery early in the process and that nothing concrete has been

proposed. He also adds that Howell wishes to take a “measured

approach and do all due diligence before we take action,” whilealso ensuring that individuals’ religious freedoms as guaranteed

by the First Amendment continue to be protected.However, Senate Minority Leader Dick Saslaw

(D-Springfield) rejects the idea of Republicans campaigning onthe issue of religious exemptions for those who oppose same-

sex marriage.“Forty-eight years ago, I heard all this crap when the

Supreme Court said you couldn’t ban interracial couples,”

Saslaw says, referencing the decision in Loving v. Virginia. “Iused to hear this all the time. And many of them couched it in

religious terms.“There were people, after the vote on the public accommo-

dations law, the Civil Rights Act, that said, ‘This is my right, notto serve people I don’t want.’ Well, you hold yourself out for a

public business,,” Saslaw continues. “Do you honestly think that

anybody is going to go to somebody who they know is hostileto who they are and say, ‘Do you want to participate in or cater

my wedding?’ That’s absurd. Think about the common sensebehind that.”

Saslaw adds that he thinks campaigning for the right to dis-criminate against LGBT people would be “a political blunder of

massive proportions,” but will let Republicans decide for them-selves if they want to make that their main priority.

“If you want to campaign on bigotry, go ahead,” Saslaw says.

“The public’s too smart for that. They’re going to see you forwhat you are.” l



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SATURDAY, AUGUST 8ADVENTURING outdoors grouphikes 7 miles on the AppalachianTrail between Gathland State Parkand Weverton, Md., with a sometimessteep and rocky descent of 700 feeton the final leg of the hike. Bring

plenty of beverages, lunch, bug spray,sunscreen, and about $10 for fees.Carpool at 9 a.m. from the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station. Craig,202-462-0535. adventuring.org.

The DC Center offers confidential

FREE HIV TESTING to members ofthe public who want to know theirstatus. 4-7 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

The DC Center offers an LGBTQ ASLCLASS for those interested in learn-ing how to sign and communicatein ASL. All welcome. 1:30-3:30 p.m.2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. For moreinformation, visit thedccenter.org.

THE SPOTLIGHT PROJECT, aneducational nonprofit for LGBTQpeople and allies, offers a class as partof a series focusing on Life Skills and Art at The DC Center. 11 a.m.-1:30p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105. Formore information, email spotlightpro- [email protected] or visit spotlight-project.us.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURAL

HEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707 or andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

BET MISHPACHAH, founded bymembers of the LGBT community,holds Saturday morning Shabbatservices, 10 a.m., followed by Kiddushluncheon. Services in DCJCCCommunity Room, 1529 16th St. NW. betmish.org.

BRAZILIAN GLBT GROUP, includ-ing others interested in Brazilian cul-ture, meets. For location/time, email [email protected].

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7LGB PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP foradults in Montgomery County offersa safe space to explore coming outand issues of identity. 10-11:30 a.m.16220 S. Frederick Rd., Suite 512,Gaithersburg, Md. For more informa-

tion, visit thedccenter.org.

The DC Center’s TRANS SUPPORTGROUP holds its monthly meetingfor transgender and gender noncon-forming people. 7-9 p.m. 2000 14thSt. NW, Suite 105. For more informa-tion, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 6:30-8 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

GAY DISTRICT holds facilitated

discussion for GBTQ men, 18-35, firstand third Fridays. 8:30 p.m. The DCCenter, 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.202-682-2245, gaydistrict.org.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.

202-638-0750.

PROJECT STRIPES hosts LGBT-affirming social group for ages 11-24.4-6 p.m. 1419 Columbia Road NW.Contact Tamara, 202-319-0422,layc-dc.org.

SMYAL’S REC NIGHT providesa social atmosphere for GLBT andquestioning youth, featuring danceparties, vogue nights, movies andgames. More info, [email protected].

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma AquaticCenter, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC LAMBDA SQUARES gay and les- bian square-dancing group featuresmainstream through advanced squaredancing at the National City ChristianChurch, 5 Thomas Circle NW, 7-9:30p.m. Casual dress. 301-257-0517,dclambdasquares.org.

The DULLES TRIANGLES Northern Virginia social group meets for happyhour at Sheraton in Reston, 11810Sunrise Valley Drive, second-floor bar, 7-9 p.m. All welcome. dullestri-angles.com.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg,414 East Diamond Ave., and inTakoma Park, 7676 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 2-6 p.m.For appointments other hours, callGaithersburg, 301-300-9978, or

Takoma Park, 301-422-2398.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. 202-567-3155

or [email protected].

US HELPING US hosts a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.,3636 Georgia Ave. NW. The group isindependent of UHU. 202-446-1100.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPINSTITUTE for young LBTQ women,13-21, interested in leadership devel-opment. 5-6:30 p.m. SMYAL YouthCenter, 410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3163,[email protected].

Metro Weekly’s Community Calendar highlights important events in the D.C.-area

LGBT community, from alternative social events to volunteer opportunities.

Event information should be sent by email to [email protected].

Deadline for inclusion is noon of the Friday before Thursday’s publication.

Questions about the calendar may be directed to the

Metro Weekly office at 202-638-6830 or

the calendar email address.

LGBTCommunityCalendarDC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 8:30-10 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club welcomes all levels forexercise in a fun and supportive envi-ronment, socializing afterward. Meet9:30 a.m., 23rd & P Streets NW, for awalk; or 10 a.m. for fun run. dcfront-

runners.org.

DC SENTINELS basketball teammeets at Turkey Thicket RecreationCenter, 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, 2-4p.m. For players of all levels, gay orstraight. teamdcbasketball.org.

DIGNITYUSA sponsors Mass forLGBT community, family and friends.6:30 p.m., Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. All welcome. For more info, visit dig-nitynova.org.

GAY LANGUAGE CLUB discussescritical languages and foreign lan-guages. 7 p.m. Nellie’s, 900 U St. NW.RVSP preferred. [email protected].

IDENTITY offers free and confidentialHIV testing in Takoma Park, 7676New Hampshire Ave., Suite 411. Walk-ins 12-3 p.m. For appointments otherhours, call 301-422-2398.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9BURGUNDY CRESCENT, a gay vol-unteer organization, volunteers todayfor DC Central Kitchen. To partici-

pate, visit burgundycrescent.org.

CHRYSALIS arts & culture group visits National Gallery of Art to seeexhibits on French Impressionistpainter Gustave Caillebotte andone of the Dutch Masters. Free, allwelcome. Meet at noon in the 6th& Constitution Avenue NW lobby.Lunch in the Gallery’s Cascades Café between shows. Craig, [email protected].

WEEKLY EVENTS

LGBT-inclusive ALL SOULS

MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH celebrates Low Mass at 8:30 a.m., HighMass at 11 a.m. 2300 Cathedral Ave.NW. 202-232-4244, allsoulsdc.org.

BETHEL CHURCH-DC progressiveand radically inclusive church holdsservices at 11:30 a.m. 2217 Minnesota Ave. SE. 202-248-1895, betheldc.org.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 972 Ohio Dr.,SW. 9:30-11 a.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DIGNITYUSA offers Roman CatholicMass for the LGBT community. 6p.m., St. Margaret’s Church, 1820


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ST. STEPHEN AND THEINCARNATION, an “interracial,multi-ethnic Christian Community”offers services in English, 8 a.m. and10:30 a.m., and in Spanish at 5:15 p.m.1525 Newton St. NW. 202-232-0900,saintstephensdc.org.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OFARLINGTON, an LGBTQ welcoming-and-affirming congregation, offersservices at 10 a.m. Virginia RainbowUU Ministry. 4444 Arlington Blvd.uucava.org.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTCHURCH OF SILVER SPRING invites LGBTQ families and individu-als of all creeds and cultures to jointhe church. Services 9:15 and 11:15a.m. 10309 New Hampshire Ave.uucss.org.

UNIVERSALIST NATIONALMEMORIAL CHURCH, a welcom-ing and inclusive church. GLBTInterweave social/service group

meets monthly. Services at 11 a.m.,Romanesque sanctuary. 1810 16th St.NW. 202-387-3411, universalist.org.

MONDAY, AUGUST 10The YOUTH WORKING GROUP of The DC Center meets to discussinitiatives to better serve, and posi-tively impact the lives of, D.C. area youth on the second Monday of everymonth. 6-7:30 p.m. 2000 14th St. NW,Suite 105. For more information, visitthedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) prac-tice session at Hains Point, 927 OhioDr. SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-

dals.wordpress.com.

GETEQUAL meets 6:30-8 p.m. atQuaker House, 2111 Florida Ave. [email protected].

HIV Testing at WHITMAN-WALKER HEALTH. At the ElizabethTaylor Medical Center, 1701 14thSt. NW, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the MaxRobinson Center, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave.SE, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appoint-ment call 202-745-7000. Visit whit-man-walker.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) Services, 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

703-823-4401.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV test-ing. 5-7 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite

200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155 or [email protected].

THE DC CENTER hosts Coffee Drop-In for the Senior LGBT Community.10 a.m.-noon. 2000 14th St. NW. 202-682-2245, thedccenter.org.

US HELPING US hosts a black gaymen’s evening affinity group. 3636Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

WASHINGTON WETSKINS WaterPolo Team practices 7-9 p.m. Takoma Aquatic Center, 300 Van Buren St.NW. Newcomers with at least basicswimming ability always welcome.Tom, 703-299-0504, [email protected], wetskins.org.

Whitman-Walker Health HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP for newlydiagnosed individuals, meets 7 p.m.Registration required. 202-939-7671,[email protected].

TUESDAY, AUGUST 11DC BI WOMEN, a group of The DCCenter, meets on the second Tuesdayof each month in the upstairs room atDupont Italian Kitchen restaurant. 7-9p.m. 1637 17th St. NW. For more infor-mation, visit thedccenter.org.

The DC Center hosts a meeting of

its COMING OUT DISCUSSIONGROUP. 7-8:30 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.

WEEKLY EVENTS

ANDROMEDA TRANSCULTURALHEALTH offers free HIV testing, 9-5p.m., and HIV services (by appoint-ment). 202-291-4707, andromeda-transculturalhealth.org.

ASIANS AND FRIENDS weekly din-ner in Dupont/Logan Circle area, 6:30p.m. [email protected], afwashington.net.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC)practice session at Takoma Aquatic

Center, 300 Van Buren St. NW. 7:30-9p.m. swimdcac.org.

DC FRONT RUNNERS running/walk-ing/social club serving greater D.C.’sLGBT community and allies hosts anevening run/walk. dcfrontrunners.org.

THE GAY MEN’S HEALTHCOLLABORATIVE offers free HIVtesting and STI screening and treat-ment every Tuesday. 5-6:30 p.m.Rainbow Tuesday LGBT Clinic, Alexandria Health Department, 4480King St. 703-746-4986 or text 571-214-9617. [email protected].

LGBT people for 25 years. 212 EastCapitol St. NE. reformationdc.org.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITYCHURCH OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA services at 11 a.m., led by Rev. OnettaBrooks. Children’s Sunday School, 11a.m. 10383 Democracy Lane, Fairfax.703-691-0930, mccnova.com.

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY

CHURCH OF WASHINGTON, D.C. services at 9 a.m. (ASL interpreted)and 11 a.m. Children’s Sunday Schoolat 11 a.m. 474 Ridge St. NW. 202-638-7373, mccdc.com.

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIANCHURCH, inclusive church withGLBT fellowship, offers gospel wor-ship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional wor-ship, 11 a.m. 5 Thomas Circle NW.202-232-0323, nationalcitycc.org.

NEW HSV-2 SOCIAL ANDSUPPORT GROUP for gay men livingin the DC metro area. This group will

be meeting once a month. For infor-mation on location and time, email [email protected].

RIVERSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH,a Christ-centered, interracial, wel-coming-and-affirming church, offersservice at 10 a.m. 680 I St. SW. 202-554-4330, riversidedc.org.

Connecticut Ave. NW. All welcome.Sign interpreted. For more info, visitdignitynova.org.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UNITEDCHURCH OF CHRIST welcomes allto 10:30 a.m. service, 945 G St. NW.firstuccdc.org or 202-628-4317.

FRIENDS MEETING OFWASHINGTON meets for worship,10:30 a.m., 2111 Florida Ave. NW,Quaker House Living Room (next toMeeting House on Decatur Place),2nd floor. Special welcome to lesbiansand gays. Handicapped accessiblefrom Phelps Place gate. Hearing assis-tance. quakersdc.org.

INSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUALDEVELOPMENT, God-centered newage church & learning center. SundayServices and Workshops event. 5419Sherier Place NW. isd-dc.org.

Join LINCOLN CONGREGATIONALTEMPLE – UNITED CHURCH OF

CHRIST for an inclusive, loving andprogressive faith community everySunday. 11 a.m. 1701 11th Street NW,near R in Shaw/Logan neighborhood.lincolntemple.org.

LUTHERAN CHURCH OFREFORMATION invites all to Sundayworship at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Childcare isavailable at both services. Welcoming


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FEATURED

PARTNER Urbane OutfitterAvenue Jack offers “upscale casual” clothes, accessories and gifts

RAINBOW RESPONSE, a coalitionof individuals and organizations dedi-cated to combating LGBTQ intimatepartner violence, holds its monthlymeeting on the second Wednesday ofeach month. 6-8 p.m. 2000 14th St.NW, Suite 105. For more information, visit rainbowresponse.org.

THE LAMBDA BRIDGE CLUB

meets for Duplicate Bridge. 7:30 p.m.Dignity Center, 721 8th St. SE, acrossfrom the Marine Barracks. No reser- vation needed. 703-407-6540 if youneed a partner.

WEEKLY EVENTS

AD LIB, a group for freestyle con- versation, meets about 6:30-6 p.m.,Steam, 17th and R NW. All welcome.For more information, call FaustoFernandez, 703-732-5174.

DC AQUATICS CLUB (DCAC) practicesession at Hains Point, 927 Ohio Dr.SW. 7-8:30 p.m. Visit swimdcac.org.

DC SCANDALS RUGBY holdspractice, 6:30-8:30 p.m. GarrisonElementary, 1200 S St. NW. dcscan-dals.wordpress.com.

SMYAL offers free HIV Testing, 3-5p.m., by appointment and walk-in, for youth 21 and younger. Youth Center,410 7th St. SE. 202-567-3155, [email protected].

SUPPORT GROUP FOR LGBTQ YOUTH ages 13-21 meets at SMYAL,410 7th St. SE, 5-6:30 p.m. CathyChu, 202-567-3163, catherine.chu@

smyal.org.

US HELPING US hosts a supportgroup for black gay men 40 and older.7-9 p.m., 3636 Georgia Ave. NW. 202-446-1100.

Whitman-Walker Health’s GAYMEN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS/STD CLINIC opens at 6 p.m., 170114th St. NW. Patients are seen onwalk-in basis. No-cost screening forHIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chla-mydia. Hepatitis and herpes testingavailable for fee. whitman-walker.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12BIG GAY BOOK GROUP meet to dis-cuss “It’s Not Over: Getting BeyondTolerance, Defeating Homophobia& Winning True Equality” byMichelangelo Signorile. 7 p.m. 1144 FSt NW, Suite 200 near Metro Center. All welcome. biggaybookgroup.com.

HIV TESTING at Whitman-WalkerHealth. At the Elizabeth TaylorMedical Center, 1701 14th St. NW,9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the Max RobinsonCenter, 2301 MLK Jr. Ave. SE, 9a.m.-4:30 p.m. For an appointmentcall 202-745-7000. Visit whitman-walker.org.

THE HIV WORKING GROUP of THE

DC CENTER hosts “Packing Party,”where volunteers assemble safe-sexkits of condoms and lube. 7 p.m.,Green Lantern, 1335 Green CourtNW. thedccenter.org.

KARING WITH INDIVIDUALITY(K.I.) SERVICES, at 3333 Duke St., Alexandria, offers free “rapid” HIVtesting and counseling, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.703-823-4401.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. Appointmentneeded. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 700.202-638-0750.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS—LGBT focused meeting everyTuesday, 7 p.m. St. George’sEpiscopal Church, 915 Oakland Ave., Arlington, just steps from VirginiaSquare Metro. For more info. callDick, 703-521-1999. Handicappedaccessible. Newcomers [email protected].

13

LGBTCommunityCalendar

METROWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 6, 2015

HISTORIC CHRIST CHURCH offers Wednesday worship 7:15 a.m.and 12:05 p.m. All welcome. 118 N.Washington St., Alexandria. 703-549-1450, historicchristchurch.org.

IDENTITY offers free and confiden-tial HIV testing in Gaithersburg, 414East Diamond Ave. Walk-ins 2-7 p.m.For appointments other hours, call

Gaithersburg at 301-300-9978.

JOB CLUB, a weekly support pro-gram for job entrants and seekers,meets at The DC Center. 6 p.m.-7:30p.m. 2000 14th St. NW, Suite 105.More info, www.centercareers.org.

METROHEALTH CENTER offersfree, rapid HIV testing. No appoint-ment needed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1012 14thSt. NW, Suite 700. 202-638-0750.

NOVASALUD offers free HIV testing.11 a.m.-2 p.m. 2049 N. 15th St., Suite200, Arlington. Appointments: 703-789-4467.

PRIME TIMERS OF DC, socialclub for mature gay men, hostsweekly happy hour/dinner. 6:30 p.m.,Windows Bar above Dupont ItalianKitchen, 1637 17th St. NW. Carl, 703-573-8316.l

WE DON’T HAVE JOCKSTRAPS, WE DON’T HAVE ASS-LESS

underwear. You won’t see guys in Speedos in our front win-

dow,” Scott Wallis says about his new men’s store Avenue

Jack. “But you know,” he adds with a laugh, “we like all that stuff.”

Wallis is best known from his work co-hosting Swish Edition, thelocally produced gay comedy podcast series that ran from 2010 to 2013.

After a year of planning, he opened Avenue Jack in spring 2015 with

a team that includes his partner Dennis Black and his podcast co-host

Dale Blades, who serves as manager of the store, located a block south of

Dupont Circle on Connecticut Avenue.

“I would describe it generally as upscale casual,” he says, “with a very

tightly curated line of products.” In addition to popular apparel brands

such as Original Penguin, Diesel, Levi’s, Ben Sherman and 7 for AllMankind, many products Avenue Jack carries are local, such as Trashed

and Conscious, a Georgetown-based manufacturer of clothing made

completely out of recycled plastic bottles. And many brands carried by

the store can’t be found elsewhere in the area, including Timbuk2, a line

of messenger bags and backpacks, and Bluebuck, men’s underwear made

out of soft, organic cotton that Wallis says “was the first thing I decided

I wanted to carry in the store.”

Wallis opted against carrying risque clothing in part because “we

didn’t want to scare away the straight guys,” particularly those working

in Avenue Jack’s downtown neighborhood. Certainly, the store is an

attractive place to shop no matter gender or orientation. It was designed

to resemble a kind of urban lodge, with rustic touches, including floors

of stained hardwood and “faux-leather concrete,” a faux-tin ceiling,

reclaimed wood accents from a 150-year-old barn in southwest Virginia

and wood furnishings from Miss Pixie’s on 14th Street. Hanging high up

front is that centerpiece of any good lodge, a mounted moose head — in

this case another “faux” accent: A sculpture made from re-purposed

weathered steel by the small

Pennsylvania-based Gatski Metal.

In its months since opening,

Avenue Jack has expanded its

offerings to include non-appar-

el goods such as Burly Stone

soaps and grooming products,

Moleskine notebooks, whimsi-

cal, handmade greeting cards

from the local BrandDave, anda few bar-ware essentials, most

notably a bottle opener made by

a man in D.C. out of 100-year-old

railroad spikes.

“We didn’t anticipate as

many gift-y type things being

wanted by people,” Wallis says.

But now, Avenue Jack is the per-

fect place to buy a gift for any

trendy, urbane man.

Avenue Jack is at 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW and is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.Tuesdays through Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays; closed on

Mondays during the summer. Call 202-887-5225 or visit avenuejack.com. l


14/48


BEFORE CAITLYN JENNER, BEFORE LAVERNE

Cox, before Chaz Bono, there was Jazz Jennings.

Back in 2007, Jennings and her parents sat down

with Barbara Walters for a 20/20 interview where

the seven-year-old revealed to the world that she is

transgender.

By that point Jennings had already been pre-

senting as a girl for a few years. In fact, she started

expressing gender dysphoria from the moment she

could speak, and as a toddler played with feminine

toys and only wanted to wear her older sister’s

clothes and costumes. “I have a girl brain in a boy’s

body,” she used to say, as documented in a new TLC

reality series about her and her family, I Am Jazz .The title of the show is strikingly similar to

Jenner’s new E! channel series, I Am Cait — althoughonce again Jazz was out first, debuting almost two

weeks earlier. Certainly, both shows tread similarground, providing unprecedented access into trans-

gender life today. Naturally, Jazz Jennings’ life is

very different from Caitlyn Jenner’s. For one thing,

Jennings is not a household name — it’s not even her

real name. Her parents, Greg and Jeanette, adopted

the name Jennings for the Walters interview, to add

a layer of privacy. Even now, we only know the bare

minimum about the family’s background, occupa-

tions and even whereabouts, identified simply as

South Florida.

The Jennings family, which also includes 19-year-old Ari and 16-year-old twin boys Sander and Griffen,

displays a genuine, tight bond in I Am Jazz . It’s asensitive, engaging snapshot of family life and every-

one conveys a remarkable degree of unconditional

love and support for one another. That’s especially

true when it comes to Jazz.

“I just love hanging out with her,” says mother

Jeanette, who is understandably leery of her baby

starting high school this fall. High school is a big

step down the path of Jazz becoming an adult —

The


15/48


Jazz Jennings has been an inspira-tion for transgender individuals for

many years — and at age 14, she’s only just begun

Interview by Doug Rule Photography by Mark DeLong / TLC


16/48


METRO WEEKLY: Jazz, let me start by asking if you’re happy with

the new series?

JAZZ JENNINGS: Yeah, I’m definitely happy with the way it’s turn-

ing out. It definitely captures the essence of our life and how

we’re just a normal family, just doing our thing.MW: Jeanette, I know this has been several years in the making.What motivated you to go public in the first place, with the 2007

Barbara Walters interview?

JEANETTE JENNINGS: They reached out to us — we really were notinterested in being in the media at all. It took them 10 months

of wooing us to even convince us to do it. We were not ready toshare something so personal. We didn’t know any other people

who had a transgender kid so young. We weren’t ready to go inthe national spotlight originally, but we worked with them, we

talked with them. [Eventually, we said,] “Okay we’ll do it, but

we don’t want to show our faces. And we certainly don’t want togive our first names or our last name. And you can do this and

can’t do that.” In the end, we compromised and said we wouldshow our faces. You know, you really have to see Jazz to get

the whole situation. To see her in her environment, with herfriends and family — to know and see that she truly is a girl. A

lot of people, if they didn’t see her face, would probably envisionsomebody who looks like a little boy in a dress.

MW: What was the first memory you have that suggested some-

thing was different with Jazz?

JEANETTE: Some of the earliest memories I have of Jazz not act-

ing like a stereotypical boy were before she was even two yearsold. She was just always acting feminine. She gravitated toward

all the feminine toys and only wanted to dress up in clothes fromher big sister’s chest, with all her little costumes and everything.

She used to love to wear plastic high heels. And as soon as she

could verbalize it, she would tell me that she was a girl. It wasn’t just like a little boy that liked to play with girly things. She insist-

ed consistently, persistently, that she was a little girl. Which tome was a red flag that this was not a phase.JAZZ: When I was two years old, I remember there was this pinkcassette tape that had the word Barbie on it. And I really loved

that tape. I looked around the whole house for that tape. I reallywanted to play with Barbie! I don’t know, that’s just some weird

fragmented memory that I have.MW: We can see through the show that you are very much a typicalteenager, yet you also seem very mature for your age and a bit more

enlightened than most 14-year-olds are. Is that a fair assumption?

JAZZ: My family says that I was born with this natural confi-

dence, but really I feel that it

wouldn’t have been discoveredand embraced without their love

and support. Because they justencouraged me to be myself.

Along this whole journey I was

able to become a confident andhappy person and therefore use

my story of happiness and love,and spread that towards other

people. If you think of me asmature, I guess maybe sometimes

I am mature, but other times I’mreally immature and crazy.

JEANETTE: The public persona of

Jazz is very mature. When shegives a speech and she’s doing

her advocacy work, she’s alwaysbeen very, very articulate and

wise beyond her years since she was little. But of course, still,she can act like your typical teenager. Which also comes across

in the show.MW: Certainly — and she’s also a very funny teenager too.

JEANETTE: She is hysterical. She keeps us laughing all the time.MW: Jazz, what is it like for you to be an activist and role model?

JAZZ: Well, I don’t know if I would consider myself a role model.

But really, in sharing my story for many years, I’ve seen a lotof positive feedback and people who I’ve impacted, it’s just so

encouraging. And it really motivates me to continue sharing mystory. I’m proud to be a representation of transgender kids for

people to see, but I feel that I’m just doing my part in trying to

achieve equality for all.MW: Who would you identify as role models?

JAZZ: Right now, transgender rights are at the forefront of thecivil rights movement and there’s a lot of visibility on the topic

of being transgender. I thank huge role models like Laverne Coxand Janet Mock and Chaz Bono and Caitlyn Jenner — all those

amazing people willing to share their stories and make a differ-

ence in the world.I definitely think with all this visibility, people are finally

starting to open up their minds and times are changing. It’s allhappened so fast with Caitlyn Jenner coming out and sharing

her story. I’m glad to see that many transgender people outthere aren’t afraid to step out of the shadows and live their lives

authentically, because there are these inspirations out therewho really guide the way for many other transgender kids or

individuals.MW: You basically came out before all of them. Has their comingout helped you in any way?

JAZZ: I’ve already transitioned. And I’ve been able to present

as a girl, the way I identify as. But now, it’s time for society totransition along with me, and accept me for who I am. And I feelthat with the visibility of Caitlyn Jenner sharing her story, and

Laverne Cox — all these inspirations — people are finally becom-

ing more accepting of transgender individuals, and in that wayit does help me. Now, in telling someone that I’m transgender, I

can say I’m a mini-Caitlyn Jenner and they’ll understand imme-diately. It makes it easier to explain when people ask. They’re

educated and understand what it means to be transgender. Soyeah, it’s definitely made a difference for me.

MW: Have you met Caitlyn?

JAZZ: No, I haven’t.

JEANETTE: Jazz actually sat at the ESPYS, right behind Brody

and a woman. Jazz’s doctor has put her on hormone blockers to prevent

development of male traits, as well as given her doses of estrogen to help

develop breasts and suppress testosterone levels. “Jazz is developing

nicely, like a young lady, like she should be,” Jeanette tells Jazz’s wonder-

fully open-minded grandparents after a visit with the doctor on the show.

But she quickly adds, “This is scary! This is experimental stuff. Like I am

messing with my kid’s body!”

Every indication suggests the Jennings are doing the right thing by Jazz.

She seems every bit as happy as a typical 14-year-old girl. Maybe even moreso: As a result of the support and feedback she’s received, particularly in

response to the children’s book (also titled I Am Jazz ) she co-wrote in 2013

with Jessica Herthel, Jazz has more than just her family behind her. As she

puts it, “I feel like the whole community is really there to support me and

make sure that I find my happiness in life.”


17/48


Jenner, and the rest of the clan. But it was directly behind Brody.

So she was close to Caitlyn, but didn’t quite get there.MW: What did you think of Caitlyn’s speech?

JAZZ: It was incredible. I was crying.MW: It’s also interesting because she’s a sports hero, an Olympian,

and I know you’re a soccer player. So that must also inspire you.

JAZZ: Yeah, for sure.JEANETTE: There are not a lot of young people out there who are

transgender athletes. They’re kind of afraid because so manyof them, their birth certificates say their biological sex on it. So

therefore, many male-bodied people are forced to have to playon the boys team even though they don’t want to. So they just

say, might as well not play at all.MW: And that’s something that you had to fight for.

JEANETTE: Oh yeah, we fought for the right for Jazz to play soc-

cer for over two years. She was banned from playing girls soccer.MW: That must have been a trying experience.

JEANETTE: Yes, it was horrible. Jazz didn’t want to give upthough. She still wanted to play. So she practiced — she was

allowed to practice with the girls, but sit out the games. Andthen she tried playing with the boys for several months, but

she wasn’t happy doing that. She did her best, and she was very

brave, because we never knew, “Would there be an answer to

this? Would we be able to resolve the issue?”MW: Jazz, did you find there was a difference between playing withboys versus playing with other girls?

JAZZ: There was definitely a mental difference for me, becausewhen I was playing with the boys it reminded me of when I used

to live as a boy and present myself as male. It brought back thosebad memories. It was just not pretty for me and I often would

shut down on the field during the game.MW: Your friends are encouraging you to try out for varsity this

year. Have you made that decision yet?

JAZZ: I haven’t decided if I’m going to play JV or varsity yet inhigh school, but tryouts are in a few months so I guess I’ll just

have to decide then.MW: Do you feel like you’re ready for high school?

JAZZ: High school is very nerve-wrecking — a lot of people are

telling me that. Maybe people won’t become mature, and theywon’t accept you for who you are. In episode three, when I’m

with all those high school girls who play soccer, and they’retelling me how high school is like a wildfire — people don’t care

about your feelings. And, you know, that really worries me. Itmakes me feel concerned. And I’m not sure if I’m ready for this,

but I always say that as long as I have my friends and family bymy side, I know I can accomplish anything.

MW: One of the things that’s so interesting about I Am Jazz ,

Jeanette, is how supportive you are of Jazz. However, there’s alsoa sense that you don’t want her to grow up.

JEANETTE: No. So many moms don’t want to think about their

youngest child growing up, especially. I think it’s a com-mon thing for people when they become empty-nesters to bedepressed about that. Maybe some parents are dying for their

kids to go to college and be gone, but I’m not one of them!MW: Jazz, has it helped you, knowing that your parents are thissupportive?

JAZZ: Yeah, my family has always been there for me, hasexpressed unconditional love and support for who I am and has

treated me with respect and tolerance. And I appreciate that somuch, because without them, I just wouldn’t be the same person

who is here speaking to you today. I would either be a depressedperson living their life as a boy even though they knew they were

a girl, or I wouldn’t be here at all. So my family being there for

me, it’s just really shaped who I am.MW: Do you also feel a sense of responsibility, or at least a desire, tohelp other people who don’t have it quite as good as you do?

JAZZ: I really do share my story to help other transgender kidsout there who might be struggling because they don’t have that

love and support. And with my story of happiness, acceptance

and love, I’m hoping that I can somehow provide them courageto keep moving forward, so they can live their life authentically.

I don’t feel like what you said, though, how I have this obliga-tion to make a difference. It’s something that I’m just willing to

do, if it means I can help other people.MW: In one episode, you talk about the letters you got as a result

of your book. Do you still receive letters or comments from othertransgender people?

JAZZ: The emails, the comments, the messages — they definitely

keep coming in. Especially now that I Am Jazz has started airing,it’s just been an increase in the number of messages. It’s really

great to see positive feedback, because all the support just reallyencourages me and motivates me to continue sharing my story.

It’s great when people are really supportive of you. Of course,along with all of the positive feedback, there’s negative feedback

as well, in which people are bringing you down and there’s a lot

of hatred. But when I see the hateful comments, I just push them


18/48


aside. Because if they’re going to judge me without understand-

ing who I am, then their opinion isn’t worth it to me. To see thepositive impact that you’ve created is really rewarding. And I

love getting those messages and emails.MW: Have you and your family faced any danger or threat as aresult of being public?

JAZZ: Mom?JEANETTE: We have received death threats in the past. We

do receive, on YouTube or maybe a little bit on other socialmedia, some horrible, horrible comments. Really bad haters,

true bigots. I hate to use the word evil, but there are people outthere with hearts that I just don’t understand. Who would everthreaten the life of a child? There’s something very wrong with

a person who would do that.MW: Do you try to ignore it?

JEANETTE: Yeah, you block them on YouTube and move on.MW: Given you were used to making YouTube videos, how have

you adjusted to a full camera crew following the family around?.

JEANETTE: I adapted pretty quickly to it. I love having people

in my house, I love having company. For other people it’d be

disruptive, but I really enjoyed the crew. It was a lot of workat times — many hours where we were filming and we were

exhausted. But it’s all worth it in the end, now that we see thefinished product.

JAZZ: It was fine for me, too. Like my mom said, the crew was just absolutely incredible. It was definitely difficult to adjust to

at first. But we got used to it pretty quickly. And you know, when

you always have this camera following you around — it’s so dif-ferent, it keeps you on your toes.MW: When the cameras are off, what do you do for fun or to relax?

JAZZ: Well, I like to learn, so I’m always teaching myself new

things on the computer. I also like just watching TV or movies.But I don’t think me doing that is very interesting for a TV show.

[ Laughs. ] Sometimes I just like to hang out outside. I love beingoutside and exploring. I wish I had good neighborhood friends

to play outside with, but my friends don’t live nearby.MW: Do you have a favorite TV show? Other than your own of

course.

JAZZ: [ Laughs. ] One of my favorites is Game of Thrones. I love

that. And we also have this family TV show that we all watch

together, Big Brother. That’s like our family thing.MW: Have your friends seen episodes of I Am Jazz?

JAZZ: Yeah, my friends have seen it.MW: How have they reacted?

JAZZ: They’re all still my friends. We’re all super-close. Youknow, when they look back at the episodes, they feel really bad.

They ask me, “Does this mean we’re bad friends? It makes uslook like we’re such bad friends, blah blah blah.” I feel so bad.

And they were a little upset — especially Taylor.MW: That’s the friend who upset you for suggesting that you didn’t

put yourself out there enough with boys? She didn’t appreciate that

it’s harder for you than her to do that.

JAZZ: She received a lot of hate on social media. She got a little

upset, but I told her, “You know what, we’re still buddy-buddy.And nothing is going to get between that.”

MW: Do you have any speaking appearances or more book signings

planned?

JEANETTE: Jazz has a few things coming up in the future. She’s

going to be speaking at some conferences. There’s one in Augustand one in October. But every now and then — maybe once a

month or every other month — she’ll go to a special conferenceand give an inspiring speech, which I always love to hear. I

always love when she does that.MW: Do you write all your speeches, Jazz?

JAZZ: Yeah.JEANETTE: Jazz, she won’t brag, but she’s an amazing writer. Shealways has been since she was a little kid — she wrote stories.

She just blows me away with her writing.At school, when she has to write stories or assignments, her

teachers have always said she’s got a gift for writing. Sometimes,she started little books when she was younger, stories — I don’t

think you’ve ever finished any of them, Jazz, did you?JAZZ: [ Laughs. ] No.

MW: Do you enjoy the traveling and public speaking, Jazz?JAZZ: It’s a lot of fun. It’s really great to come together with thecommunity and see people becoming educated. It’s really an

opportunity for me to get my message out there and share mystory. And sometimes I get nervous before I have to deliver a

speech, but I mean, I guess that’s normal for most people.MW: Do you have a sense of what you want to do for a career

eventually?

JAZZ: I really don’t know. I love doing so many different things,but I’m going to go with the flow and see what happens. I’m not

sure which field or industry I’ll end up in. But, you know, I defi-nitely want to continue helping other people as I get older. And I

always say I want to leave this world in a better state than whenI arrived. I continue to live by that.

MW: At the top of the first episode, you identify yourself as a teen-

age girl, a soccer player and as an artist. What kind of artist are you?

JAZZ: I draw portraits, I like drawing with pencils, doodling,sketches, anything like that. And I also make silicone mermaid

tails in which I use sculpture mold-making and casting tech-niques, and airbrush silicone mermaid tails — you can swim in

them in the water. So yeah, I’m always using the creative sideof my brain.

JEANETTE: She’s a sculptress. She sculpts these tails from scratch

with her hands.MW: Is that something she got from you, Jeanette, her artistic

ability?

“I’ve alreadytransitioned. And I’vebeen able to present asa girl, the way I identify

as. But now,IT’S TIME

FOR SOCIETY TO

TRANSITION ALONG

WITH ME, AND

REALLY ACCEPT ME

FOR WHO I AM.” — Jazz Jennings


19/48


JEANETTE: No! [ Laughs. ] I can’t even draw a stick person. I don’tknow where she gets it from. Not me.

MW: What can our readers do to support your efforts, or just gener-

ally help advance the cause of kids’ transgender rights and needs?

JEANETTE: Jazz sells those mermaid tails, and the proceeds go to

our foundation, the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation. Weoften host events for transgender children and we send them

to a camp for gender-nonconforming children and transgenderchildren. And we help homeless youth. We do the best we can.

We’re a little foundation, but any work we can do to help youth,we do. That’s an important part of our lives.

And also TLC has an initiative where they donate a dollar

for people who do jazz hands [selfies] and #jazzhands on socialmedia after they see the show. So that’s been really good for the

foundation as well, because a lot of people have responded to itand are doing the jazz hands.MW: Jazz, your name comes from your older sister playing Jasminein Aladdin when you were five. Have you done any acting or sing-

ing, or have any interest in pursuing it in the future?

JAZZ: I used to do acting. I used to go to this acting camp, forseven years, but then in sixth grade I stopped doing acting, sing-

ing and dancing. I don’t really like them any more.JEANETTE: She used to be really into it. Like all the time. She

would be in plays, singing, dancing, acting. And when she gaveit up I was kind of sad, because I always enjoyed watching her

in plays. She was like, “I’m not into this anymore.” And I waslike, “No! Get back into it!” I always love watching my kids up

on stage.MW: Jeanette, would you say raising Jazz has been the same asraising your other kids, or different?

JEANETTE: Pretty much the same. I’ve had an extra set of con-

cerns and worries along with her being transgender. I hovermore about little things with her. You know, I worry about her

mental well-being. I know there are high rates of suicide and sui-

cide attempts with transgender youth. Some 50 percent will tryto take their lives before they’re 21. So I’m definitely tuned into

her a lot more than I am the others. I treat them all the same. ButJazz has medical issues that the other kids don’t have to worry

about, and that kind of stuff. And in that respect it’s different.MW: Jazz, you seem to have amazing support from everyone in

your family, from your siblings and even grandparents, not just your parents?

JAZZ: Yeah, the whole family, they’ve just always been there

for me. It’s not just my parents who have really let me expressmyself for who I am but also my brothers and my sister. Right

from the start they just loved me for who I was. And if anyonesays something mean to me at school, or says something hateful

in general, they will be there to protect me. So I appreciate hav-ing that extra net of support.

I have my grandparents, I have my friends, I have the adminis-

trators at my school, and I feel like the whole community is reallythere to support me and make sure that I find my happiness in

life. And now that I’ve been able to live my life happily, I want tomake sure that everyone else can find their happiness too.

I Am Jazz airs Wednesday nights on TLC. Check cable listings or

visit tlc.com.

For more information about the Jennings’ nonprofit the Transkids

Purple Rainbow Foundation, visit transkidspurplerainbow.org.To see Jazz Jennings’s custom-sculpted mermaid-like Purple

Rainbow Tails, visit jazzmergirl.wix.com/purplerainbowtails. l


20/48

AUGUST 6 - 13, 2015

SPOTLIGHT

BUGS BUNNY CARTOONS: 75THANNIVERSARY SCREENINGIn honor of its 75th anniversary,the American Film Institute’s SilverTheatre treats fans of the cartoon BugsBunny — and who isn’t a fan? — to aselection of some of the best. The ani-mated shorts are grouped into differ-ent programs, with remaining screentimes Saturday, Aug. 8, Sunday, Aug. 9,Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday, Aug. 16,at 11:30 a.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Tickets

are $5. Call 301-495-6720 or visitafi.com/Silver.

CULTURE CLUB Yes, the hit-making British pop quartetfronted by the always out Boy Georgehas reunited. They’re currently on atour originally intended to promotethe group’s first album of new materialin 16 years. Now that set, Tribes, has been pushed back for release next year, but no matter: The appeal remains thesame for most concertgoers, eager totake a trip down memory lane and hear“Karma Chameleon,” “Do You ReallyWant To Hurt Me,” “Miss Me Blind”and so many other of the band’s great

hits from its ‘80s heyday. Monday, Aug.10, at 8 p.m. The Filene Center at WolfTrap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Ticketsare $30 to $60. Call 877-WOLFTRAPor visit wolftrap.org.

GERARD PANGAUD: CLASSICFRENCH COOKINGThe man behind the former D.C. res-taurant Gerard’s Place and now chefat Malmaison on the GeorgetownWaterfront, Gerard Pangaud was the youngest chef ever to receive a two-star Michelin rating (for his name-sake French restaurant prior to mov-ing to the U.S.). He drops by the HillCenter on Capitol Hill to offer a Classic

French Cooking Class, predicated onhis approach in the kitchen emphasiz-ing the creative and unique over therote and standard — in other words,winging it versus relying on a recipe.Pangaud will demonstrate how toprepare a tomato salad, local rockfishwith a warm salad of summer veg-etables, and a gratin of caramelizedpeaches with almonds. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. Hill Center, Old NavyHospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.Cost is $85. Call 202-549-4172 or visitHillCenterDC.org.

JULIUS CAESARFounded shortly after World War II,

the National Players has helped launchthe careers of many young stage and

20

Compiled by Doug Rule

R O C K Y A


Green ScreenA summer tradition, Screen on the Green and other outdoor

movie screenings are sweeping the district

LOOKING FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE DATE NIGHT THIS SUMMER? PACK UP

some snacks and hit up one of the many free outdoor movie screenings that dot theDC Metro Area. Across the district, people huddle together on blankets to watch clas-

sic gems, ‘90s comedies, and even recent blockbusters. And since 1999, Screen on the Green

at the National Mall has been the indisputable king of this DC summer tradition.As the sun sets on certain days this month, you’ll stumble across people hauling picnic

baskets and lawn chairs onto the greenery between Fourth and Seventh Street Northwest.The Screen on the Green Film Festival, now sponsored by HBO, brings an eclectic mix of

films for fans of fresh air cinema. From Hitchcock to Annie Hall, the festival is a whimsicalcompanion to the traditional theatre experience.

But outdoor cinema isn’t exclusively reserved for the Mall. Similar events are cropping upall over the region. Interested in ‘80s flicks? Check out Playback the Tape in Ivy City — on

August 21, they’ll be playing Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure at the Ivy City Playground Park. Living

in Virginia? Make sure you check out Summer Movies at the Arlington Mill, where they’ll beplaying last year’s Oscar darling Birdman on August 15. You can even find outdoor cinema at

the National Harbor. On August 9, they’ll air Back to the Future on the bank of the Potomac.Now that you’ve found your movie, it’s important to consider what to carry along with

you. Before you bring any alcohol, make sure you check local regulations, for instance —Screen on the Green prohibits alcohol, drugs, weapons and tall chairs, because no one wants

their view blocked by a rowdy jackass. Bug spray, umbrellas and warm clothes are also

advised, just in case, but if you want to fill your bag entirely with popcorn, we certainly won’t judge. – Connor J. Hogan

Screen on the Green will show Back to the Future on August 10 at the National Mall between

4th St and 7th St NW. To find outdoor screenings near you, visit DCOutdoorfilms.com.


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progressive house style it first startedmixing and producing in 1999. Amongother familiar names in the long line-up: Saturday’s headliner Bassnectar,Porter Robinson, Die Antwoord,Zeds Dead and Infected Mushroom.Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, at11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pimlico Race Course,5201 Park Heights Ave. Baltimore.Tickets are $109 for a single-day passor $149.50 for a two-day pass, morefor VIP options. Call 202-397-SEAT or visit moonrisefestival.com.

ONCE THERE WERE BILLIONSOnce There Were Billions: Vanished Birds of North America documentsthose species of birds we’ve lost on thiscontinent over the past two centuries,from the puffin-like great auck to theCarolina parakeet to the heath hen tothe passenger pigeon, not to be con-fused with the commonplace carrierpigeon. Through October. NationalMuseum of Natural History, 10thStreet and Constitution Avenue NW.Call 202-633-1000 or visit mnh.si.edu.

ONE DIRECTION WITH ICONA POPDon’t be surprised if you hearthe faint sound of girls screaming

Saturday night from all the way up in

M A X Y M

which features more than 180 events, frompanel discussions to beer dinners to “tap

takeovers” at participating bars. This year’sDC Beer Week officially kicks off with a

“Brewers on the Block” daytime event nearUnion Market on Sunday, Aug. 9.

Afterwords occasionally hosts beer- and

spirits-focused events that also have a clearliterary tie-in, appealing to the venue’s built-

in “literate crowd” of drinkers. But the DCBeer Week tasting is strictly about sampling

new fermented brews — from Delaware’sFordham & Dominion Brewing Company,

Maryland’s Eastern Shore Brewing and

Virginia’s Bold Rock Hard Cider, all offeredin 6-oz. servings at $4 each.

“Beer Week is a good way for us to trysome brews out,” Kutcher says. “If people

really like them we will keep some.” In yearspast, Afterwords has kept several brews on

tap for a year or more after they proved ahit at the tastings. The DC Beer Week event

also indirectly helps serve as a reminder tothose whom Kutcher jokingly calls “beergeeks” that Afterwords remains as good of

a beer spot now as it was all those years ago.“All the beer geeks are focused on beer

for the week,” he says, “so Beer Week is agood way to get some of them in the door.”— Doug Rule

The DelMarVa-focused DC Beer Week tast-

ing is Monday, Aug. 10, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.,at Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Connecticut Ave.

NW. Call 202-387-3825 or visit

kramers.com. l

Baltimore. That’s when the boy bandOne Direction, manufactured and mass-marketed by Simon Cowell, takes tothe Ravens field for a concert with onlyone saving grace if the girls in your lifehave made it mandatory: Icona Pop, last year’s Capital Pride darlings, open theshow. The duo’s appealing new singleis called “Emergency.” Coincidence?Saturday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. M&TStadium, 1101 Russell St., Baltimore.Tickets are $39.50 to $109. Call 410-261-7283 or visit livenation.com.

SUMMER SPIRIT FESTIVAL:ERYKAH BADU, ANTHONYHAMILTON, ESTELLEBilled as a “one-stop shop for a soulfulgood time,” this year’s Summer SpiritFestival at Merriweather Post Pavilionis headlined by neo-soul veteransErykah Badu and Anthony Hamilton,plus U.K.-bred soul/hip-hop actsFloetry and Estelle. Need more soul?Junkyard Band, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Avery*Sunshine, and Phony PPL arealso on the bill — “plus special guests.”Saturday, Aug. 8, at 3 p.m. MerriweatherPost Pavilion, 10475 Little PatuxentParkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets are$48 to $125. Call 800-551-SEAT or visit

merriweathermusic.com.

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS,THE CHURCHThis weekend, the Fillmore SilverSpring offers a two-fer show for fansof ‘80s New Wave/pop: There’s the“Pretty in Pink” English band thePsychedelic Furs, led by singer RobertButler and his brother, bass guitaristTim Butler, and then the “Under TheMilky Way” Australian act The Churchfronted by Steve Kilbey. Sunday, Aug.9, at 8 p.m. Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Ticketsare $37.50 Call 301-960-9999 or visit

fillmoresilverspring.com.

TOM TEASLEY: THE ADVENTURESOF PRINCE ACHMEDConstellation Theatre Company offersfour screenings of Lotte Reiniger’s1926 visually spectacular film The Adventures of Prince Achmed — the firstfull-length animated film to boot — hereenhanced with live music, an originalscore by Helen Hayes Award-winningcomposer and world music percussion-ist Tom Teasley. Based on The Arabian Nights, the film has its heroic princeriding a magical flying horse into won-drous adventures and falling in lovewith Princess Peri Banu — though he

must defeat an army of demons to win

performance artists, often giving themtheir debut in professional work outof college. This national touring com-pany offers two shows on the HistoricStage at its home base of Olney Theatre,including a production next month ofCharles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities.But first up is the Bard’s masterful,timeless examination of conspiracy andassassination, and the political falloutthat results. Colin Hovde directs this Julius Caesar. Opens Wednesday, Aug.12, at 7:30 p.m. To Aug. 16. Olney-SandySpring Road, Olney, Md. Tickets are

$15. Call 301-924-3400 or visit olney-theatre.org.

MOONRISE FESTIVALSteez Promo and Glow DC once againteam up for this second annual two-day EDM festival on the same groundsof the former Virgin Mobile Festivaland the Infield Fest — that’s right, thehistoric Pimlico Race Course where thePreakness is run. Moonrise is still pret-ty skewed toward DJs and producersworking in the noisily dubstep style thatSkrillex made famous, although there’smore diversity this year. Sunday’s head-liner is proof of that — Above & Beyond,the influential U.K.-based trio, has

never strayed too far from the trance-y

Craft WorkAfterwords Cafe to host a DC Beer Week tasting of area brews

IT WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT BEER INDUSTRY TWO DECADES AGO.

“Back then, it was hard to find things that weren’t Bud, Coors,

Heineken,” explains Mark Kutcher, a longtime manager at AfterwordsCafe. A late-night dining institution since 1976 and located in the back ofDupont Circle’s celebrated Kramerbooks, Afterwords has long been notable for

its selection of draft beers served from 18 taps — back when that kind of a setupwas considered extravagant or a novelty.

The recent craft beer boom has spurred demand for non-national, local brews,

so much so that Afterwords now more frequently rotates and switches out itsbeers. On Monday, Aug. 10, it will host a local beer tasting event, “An Evening in

DelMarVa — A Celebration of Breweries from Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.”“With all the new craft brewers out there,” Kutcher says, “we thought

DelMarVa was a good way to get a lot of variety and feature local breweries.”The tasting comes as part of DC Beer Week, the annual event started seven

years ago to celebrate and bolster D.C.’s growing beer community. Afterwords

has hosted a tasting the past two years as part of the week-long promotion,


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OLIVER! Adventure Theatre MTC offers a pro-duction at Bethesda’s Round HouseTheatre of Lionel Bart’s bittersweetclassic musical, based on the Dickensnovel, about the porridge-demand-ing orphan. Joseph Ritsch directs acast including local knockouts RickHammerly and Felicia Curry. To Aug.16. Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. Tickets are$50 to $60. Call 240-644-1100 or visit

adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

ONCE

HHHHH

Once is one of those quiet, under-stated shows that will sneak up andsurprise you. Featuring a book by cel-ebrated Irish playwright Enda Walsh,Once focuses on a man, Guy (StuartWard), who is about to give up onhis music until a mysterious woman,Girl (Dani De Waal), enters the pic-ture and becomes his muse. Soon thepair are making hauntingly beautifulmusic together, which is all the morepowerful because it expresses theirlove for each other in a way that they

never fully realize otherwise. Music becomes the couple’s primary outletfor conveying their feelings toward oneanother. And several of Glen Hansardand Marketa Irglova’s dramatic folk-inflected rock songs here would bechart-toppers if there were any justicein the pop music world — or at leastif this were an earlier era when musi-cals had that kind of mainstream sway.Every actor in Once plays an instru-ment, and the ensemble becomes theshow’s orchestra, sitting on the edgeof Bob Crowley’s set tugging on stringswhen not part of the central action.The effect is as subtly smart and seam-less as everything else about this show,

including Steven Hoggett’s gracefulchoreography. To Aug. 16. KennedyCenter Eisenhower Theater. Ticketsare $65 to $160. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org. (Doug Rule)

PSYCHO BEACH PARTYThe Richmond Triangle Playersoffer the perfect summer stage show,Charles Busch’s campy ode to theoriginal surfer flicks — imagine Gidget crossed with Mommie Dearest. Penny Ayn Maas directs. Weekends to Aug.15. Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont Ave. Richmond. Call 804-346-8113 or visit rtriangle.org.

ROMEO AND JULIET:LOVE KNOWS NO AGE

HHHHH

For all the many variations onShakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, onething has remained pretty constant:the two star-crossed lovers at the heartof the play are portrayed as teenag-ers. Not so at Maryland’s UnexpectedStage. The company’s ChristopherGoodrich decided to experiment bycasting septuagenarians in the leadroles of its Romeo & Juliet: Love Knows No Age, and setting its adaptation ina retirement community. It doesn’treally work. As heartbreaking as it isto see a teenage couple committing

her heart. Teasley will accompanythe screening in a presentation thatConstellation hopes to make an annualoffering of its theater season.Thursday, Aug. 13, through Friday, Aug. 14, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Aug.15, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Source Theatre,1835 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20 to$45. Call 202-204-7741 or visit constel-lationtheatre.org.

FILMAMY

HHHHH

A new documentary about the latesinger Amy Winehouse, Amy interro-gates the tragic side of performanceand public identity. Directed by AsifKapadia, a filmmaker known for the2010 biography Senna, the movie ear-nestly charts Winehouse’s rise fromearly adolescence in London’s suburbsto the crushing pressure of worldwideacclaim, accompanied by the drugaddictions that ultimately killed her atage 27. Amy isn’t a hagiography, veryfar from it, but it never hesitates tolaud Winehouse’s talent. The triumphof Amy is Winehouse’s wit and charmaway from the microphone. She’sshown to be whip-smart, a wily thinkerwith little patience for nonsense. Againand again, Kapadia uses Winehouse’sown words to frame the irony of hercareer. Winehouse died four years ago.Kapadia’s documentary is one of thefirst major attempts to define her leg-acy. Now playing. Area theaters. Visitfandango.com. (Chris Heller)

THE ROCKY HORRORPICTURE SHOWEvery Friday and Saturday Landmark’s

E Street Cinema shows films at mid-night that are more risqué or campythan the usual fare. And, no surprise,once a month brings screenings of acertain cult classic. Each screen-ing is accompanied by the “shadowcast” Sonic Transducers, who act outthe film in front of the screen withprops and costumes. Friday, Aug. 14,and Saturday, Aug. 15, at midnight.Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11thSt. NW. Call 202-452-7672 or visitlandmarktheatres.com.

STAGE

DEAR EVAN HANSEN Arena Stage has recruited some all-startalent for its world premiere musical Dear Evan Hansen, featuring a book bySteven Levenson ( Masters of Sex ) anda score by Tony nominees Benj Pasekand Justin Paul ( A Christmas Story ).Michael Greif ( Rent, Next to Normal ) directs this modern tale about a boypreparing for a bright future — so longas his secret past doesn’t come backto haunt him. Ben Platt from Pitch Perfect stars. To Aug. 23. Mead Centerfor American Theater, 1101 6th St. SW.Tickets are $51 to $66. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

suicide because society forbids theirlove, it becomes downright depressingto see senior citizens feeling and doingthe same. And really, why do they?Goodrich only made a few tweaks forhis adaptation,leaving the original playpretty much intact — but this leadsto confusion and worse. For example,Goodrich’s principal change was tohave the Montagues and the Capulets become the lovers’ adult children, nottheir parents. Yet Lord Capulet (Josh

Adams) is still very much a disciplinar-ian, barking orders, yelling insults andeven slapping Juliet — his own mother!Closes this Sunday, Aug. 9. RandolphRoad Theatre, 4010 Randolph Road.Wheaton. Tickets are $16 to $27.50.Call 800-838-3006 or visit unexpect-edstage.org. (Doug Rule)

SILENCE! THE MUSICAL

HHHHH

Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz aboutJon Kaplan and Alan Kaplan’s musical,with a book by Hunter Bell. Yes, this isthat show, “the unauthorized parody”of the 24-year-old cinematic classicThe Silence of the Lambs. Silence! strips

away the film’s focus on horror, replac-ing it with nutty, off-kilter, sexualizedhumor. Featuring lewd sight gags,uproariously perverse rounds of dia-logue and gleefully vulgar songs, it’sabout as wild and whacked out as aprofessional show ever gets. Alan Pauldirects this 90-minute, intermission-less show at Studio Theatre, set inthe company’s intimate upper-levelStage 4 space with a full bar. LauraJordan earns the biggest applause forher deadpan work in the tricky role ofClarice Starling, the aspiring FBI agentand “West Virginia hick” with a comi-cally exaggerated lisp. And Tom Storymanages to make Buffalo Bill a more

multi-dimensional character than thefilm’s one-note transgressive trans-sexual. And then there’s the ensembleadorned with white ears and hoofs,gamboling around the stage and intothe crowd. These little lambs will make you laugh and smile, and then laughsome more. Extened to Aug. 23. StudioTheatre, 14th & P Streets NW. Ticketsare $40 to $45. Call 202-332-3300 or visit studiotheatre.org. (Doug Rule)

THE BOOK OF MORMON Yes indeed, the biggest show onBroadway in the last decade returnsto the Kennedy Center after 2013’sinitial sold out run. Tickets are thank-

fully easier to come by the secondtime around, particularly since it nowruns for two months. Written by South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone,the riotously funny, audacious musi-cal, which won a whopping nine Tony Awards, is both cutting edge in shock-ing substance yet traditional in style.The Book of Mormon may weave inunexpected and provocative plot twistsand scenes as well as convey extremelymodern sensibilities about life, cultureand organized religion. Yet it still hewsto the standard musical mold, fromrepeated musical lines and lyrics, to boisterous sing-along group anthems,to sharp group choreography and a tap

number. To Aug. 16. Kennedy Center


Opera House. Tickets are $43 to $250.Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

THE SECOND CITY’SLET THEM EAT CHAOSChicago’s legendary improv troupereturns to present a D.C.-centric pro-duction at Woolly Mammoth TheatreCompany for the sixth time, after sell-out success with previous provocative,political-skewering shows, from Barack

Stars to American All Better!! Closesthis Sunday, Aug. 9. Woolly Mammoth,641 D St. NW. Tickets range from $35to $83. Call 202-393-3939 or visit wool-lymammoth.net.

TWELVE ANGRY MENIn 1994, Reginald Rose’s jury dramawas the very first show from Virginia’s American Century Theater. Now, italso serves as its very last. DirectorJack Marshall has assembled his“dream cast” among TACT veterans,including Craig Miller, Steve Ferry,Michael Replogle, Joe Cronin, EvanCrump, Michael Sherman, Bruce AlanRauscher, Steve Lebens, Lyle Blake

Smithers, David Jourdan, Brian Craneand John Tweel. Closes this Saturday, Aug. 8. Gunston Theater Two, 2700South Lang St. Arlington. Tickets are$32 to $40. Call 703-998-4555 or visitamericancentury.org.

COMMUNITY STAGE

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOTMaryland’s Port Tobacco Players offersthis musical retelling of the classicfilm Monty Python and the Holy Grail,directed by Brooke L. Howells-Weiser.Closes this Sunday, Aug. 9. Port Tobacco

Players, 508 Charles St., La Plata, Md.Tickets are $14 to $17. Call 301-932-6819or visit ptplayers.com.

MUSIC

ABBA - THE CONCERT“The best ABBA tribute band in theworld,” touts the Official ABBA FanClub. Featuring two original membersof the Swedish pop group’s rhythm sec-tion, ABBA - The Concert is about asclose as we’ll ever get to a concert bythe actual band — who have infamouslyrefused as much as $1 million to regroup.Sunday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. The Filene

Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $42. Call877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

BRAZILIAN GIRLSNo one in the New York-based bandBrazilian Girls is actually from Brazil,and there’s only one “girl” among thequartet, vocalist Sabina Sciubba. Thoseare only the most obvious mysteriesabout the internationally minded bandand its music, a chill-out blend of reg-gae, electronica and jazz. What’s not amystery is the band’s popularity aroundthese parts: Brazilian Girls has per-formed in D.C. at least once a year forthe past several years. Sunday, Aug. 9,

at 7:30 p.m. The Hamilton, 600 14th St.


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and costumed production with cus-tom video projections, a collaborationamong the Wolf Trap Opera Company,the National Symphony Orchestraand Choral Arts. Sung in Italianwith English supertitles in-house.Friday, Aug. 7, at 8:15 p.m. The FileneCenter at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $75. Call877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

ZAC BROWN BAND WITH THEAVETT BROTHERS

An eight-piece band from Georgiastraddling the Southern rock/countrydivide, the Zac Brown Band is led byits namesake vocalist/guitarist but alsoincludes Jimmy De Martini, who dou- bles as a violinist/fiddler, John DriskellHopkins, a bassist/ukulele player, andtwo percussionists, Chris Fryar andDaniel de los Reyes. Live Nation pres-ents the band’s Jekyll + Hyde Tourat Nationals Park. It features anoth-er Southern band straddling a sonicdivide, North Carolina-based The Avett Brothers, who merge bluegrassand rock. Friday, Aug. 14, at 7 p.m.Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St.NE. Tickets are $51.50 to $108.50. Call

202-675-6287 or visit livenation.com.

COMEDY

OWEN BENJAMIN As part of its new Comedy series, theKennedy Center presents a stand-upshow by Owen Benjamin, a series regu-lar on TBS’s Sullivan & Son. JamelJohnson opens for this free MillenniumStage show. Thursday, Aug. 13, at 6p.m. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater.Tickets are free. Call 202-467-4600 or visit kennedy-center.org.

TAMMY PESCATELLI A finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing as well as a familiar standuppresence on Comedy Central, TammyPescatelli developed her hilarious,tough-girl comedy act by growing upin an Italian-American household witha gang of brothers in Cleveland. She’spretty darn bad ass. Thursday, Aug. 6,at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. and10:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, at 8 p.m.and 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 9, at8 p.m. DC Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW. Tickets are $17 to $20. Call202-296-7008 or visit dcimprov.com.

NEEDTOBREATHE, SWITCHFOOTThis South Carolina-based alt-rock out-fit digs into its down-home roots whilealso creating epic music reminiscentof U2 and The Fray. The band’s stopat Wolf Trap also features Switchfoot,the California-based Christian alt-rock band. Drew Holcomb & The Neighborsand Colony House are also on the bill.Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. The FileneCenter at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call877-WOLFTRAP or visit wolftrap.org.

PONCHO SANCHEZAND HIS LATIN JAZZ BANDThe Texas-born conga player and salsasinger got his start 40 years ago per-forming in Cal Tjader’s famed Latin jazz ensemble, but has lead his ownGrammy-winning Latin jazz band for23 years now. “Latin jazz is the world’sgreatest music,” Sanchez boasts. Withmusic this rousing, it’s hard to disagree.Friday, Aug. 14, through Sunday, Aug.16, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Blues Alley,1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are$40, plus $12 minimum purchase. Call202-337-4141 or visit bluesalley.com.

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BANDFounded over 50 years ago, thePreservation Hall Jazz Band was partof an effort to preserve and perpetu-ate traditional New Orleans jazz —the brassy and festive, big band style.In recent years it has pursued thatmission by cultivating broader atten-tion, performing alongside pop acts as varied as Arcade Fire, the Black Keysand the Foo Fighters. Currently aneight-piece led by Ben Jaffe, the groupalso keeps its style alive by regularlytouring around the world, spendingas much time on the road as at itsnamesake venue in the French Quarter.Thursday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m. The

Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Tickets are $35. Call 703-549-7500 or visit birchmere.com.

WOLF TRAP OPERA WITH NSOAND CHORAL ARTS: MADAMABUTTERFLYLA Opera’s Grant Gershon conductsa one-night-only performance fromthe Filene Center’s stage of one of themost heart-breaking love stories ofall time, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.Tara Faircloth directs a new, staged

NW. Tickets are $25 to $30. Call 202-787-1000 or visit thehamiltondc.com.

DESAPARECIDOSIndie-rock/hipster favorite ConorOberst leads this Husker Du-esquepop-punk quintet from Nebraska —whose feisty, aggressive sound is verydifferent from the tender and earnestfolk-rock music he makes either asa solo artist or as part of his better-known act Bright Eyes. The band’sname is even punky: Spanish for “the

disappeared,” it refers specificallyto the political dissidents who have been secretly abducted or imprisoned by officials and are simply reportedas missing in several South Americancountries. The So So Glos and theBanddroidz are opening acts. Saturday, Aug. 8. Doors at 7 p.m. Nightclub 9:30,815 V St. NW. Tickets are $25. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.

EMILY SKINNERBroadway’s Emily Skinner ( Side Show, Billy Elliot ) is no stranger to theseparts, having grown up in Richmondand more recently making stops in D.C.to star in local productions, includ-

ing two during the Kennedy Center’sSon

Documents

Metro Weekly - 08-06-15 - Jazz Jennings