Clublife section: Metro Weekly magazine, Washington, DC newspaper

Pink Palace

Phase 1 of Dupont is ready to brighten up lesbian nightlife when it opens next Friday in the old Apex/Badlands space

Published on February 2, 2012, 7:20am

There's a refurbished dance floor, which will be flanked by tables and chairs. There's also an enhanced sound system and more lights. But the biggest change to the space once known as Badlands and Apex and re-opening next Friday, Feb. 10, as Phase 1 of Dupont, comes in the back area off the main dance floor. There the walls are painted a color labeled ''sexy pink.'' ''That was Allen's touch of femininity,'' quips Angela Lombardi, the longtime manager at Phase ...[more]

Chord Progression

Perhaps it took longer than it should have, but the man named Chord has finally found his musical calling as a DJ

Published on January 19, 2012, 5:01am

''When people started calling me Jonny B, I said that's enough,'' laughs Chord Bezerra. ''So I started going by Chord to avoid that.'' Of course, opting as a teenager to go by his middle name and not his too-common first name – Jon – provoked its own issue. It struck a dissonant chord, you might say. {Chord Bezerra (Photo by Todd Franson)} ''I always felt like, okay, well, Chord's a cool name, but I have nothing musical to go by,'' ...[more]

Gay Wonderland

Joey-O launches a new gay party at Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights

Published on December 15, 2011, 5:43am

''The name just kind of rolls off your tongue,'' says Joey-O with a laugh. ''It almost sounds like a cheerleader -- 'Go gay go!''' Instead of cheerleaders, though, the hosts at Joey-O's new monthly party goGAYgo at Wonderland Ballroom are drag queens Donna Dupree and Tallulah Widebody Fox. Both work to rally the crowd in the upstairs dancing space, but not by putting on a standard drag show. ''It's something different,'' he says. {Joey-O (Photo by Julian Vankim)} The party, ...[more]

Heating Up the Holidays

Morel brings his budding Hot Sauce party to Baltimore

Published on December 7, 2011, 11:39pm

Years ago, in its advertising for a December party, Blowoff featured a muscle-bound, cartoon Santa. This year Blowoff's Rich Morel will do the ho-ho-ho-ing himself, dressing the part for his party, Hot Sauce. Because, yes, Virginia, there is a Santa suit at Morel's Takoma Park house. ''Who doesn't have a Santa suit?'' Morel laughs. Turns out, Morel's Santa suit has hung unworn in his closet ever since a group Santa bar crawl that a friend once suggested, but which never ...[more]

Tribal Journey

Born in Portugal but raised in Bethesda, L.A.-based DJ Paulo is one of the gay scene's most sought-after DJs

Published on November 10, 2011, 4:37am

Someone once called DJ Paulo a ''pots and pans'' DJ. ''People who don't understand what I do and who don't understand rhythm as much, they call it 'pots and pans,''' says the gay, mono-named tribal house DJ. ''[But] even if every song doesn't have vocals, it still has melody and rhythm.'' In reality, Paulo's driving music is as powered by vocals as it is by beats. He describes his sound as ''tribal, with vocals.'' And he's become one of the ...[more]

Thriller Night

Your guide to Halloween nightlife in D.C.

Published on October 27, 2011, 3:12am

Not everyone likes to dress up for Halloween. Some people dress up enough already the rest of the year. But you certainly get more chances for treats -- maybe even more tricks -- if you do dress up. Practically every gay bar in the area has some type of a prized costume contest, most falling on Saturday, Oct. 29. Some have two, or even more -- but very few offer anything on Halloween itself, since it falls on a Monday. ...[more]

Blue Decade

Cobalt turns 10 years old this Saturday, a milestone achieved in part by ''changing with the times''

Published on October 19, 2011, 11:48pm

''Basically, they were playing all of the wrong music,'' Mark Rutstein says about Cobalt when he became the dance club's manager three years ago. ''They were stuck in the yesterday [of] big-room gay anthem music. … The younger generation doesn't want to hear all house music anymore.'' Now, most nights at Cobalt -- weekends, even -- offer pop-oriented, radio-friendly music. It's not just dance-pop but also hip-hop, indie rock and Latin. And there's only one true night of house, the ...[more]

Fully Baked

D.C.'s diva Cookie Buffet is keeping the good-cause gears turning at top speed

Published on October 6, 2011, 4:32am

Washington is a vibrant and dynamic city. For four years in recent history, however, some of D.C.'s pizzazz was muted, hidden behind a pall of propriety. ''I didn't realize how well known and well regarded Cookie was till she went into semi-retirement for four years,'' says Christopher Dyer, the man behind Cookie Buffet. He was also, in sense, the man behind Mayor Adrian Fenty during his four years heading D.C., with Dyer in charge of the Mayor's Office of GLBT ...[more]

Rock Steady

PhaseFest 2011 should prove to be as popular as 2010's, offering likely one last hurrah at Phase 1

Published on September 22, 2011, 12:53am

This year may spell the end of PhaseFest -- at least as it has come to be known during its first five years. Next year, the festival of live queer music hosted by Phase 1 is expected to move to the Southeast D.C. lesbian bar's in-the-works offshoot, Phase 1 of Dupont. That venue, known for decades as Apex/Badlands, wasn't ready in time for this year's three-night event beginning Thursday, Sept. 22. ''Allen is still sorting out some stuff,'' says Phase ...[more]

Duplex Vision

The 18th & U Duplex Diner throws a Grand Opening Party -- but don't worry, not much has changed at the institution

Published on September 15, 2011, 2:00am

Kevin Lee photographed by Todd Franson at the Duplex Diner on Friday, September 9 ''I was always shying away from the word 'change,''' says Kevin Lee regarding his philosophy as the new owner of the 18th & U Duplex Diner. A bartender and server at the venerable Adams Morgan institution for nine years, Lee probably couldn't have changed much if he had wanted to. In recent months, he relates, ''I'm not kidding when I tell you I received 100-plus emails, ...[more]

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