At the same time Phase 1 was on the verge of closing just over a year ago, the legendary lesbian bar’s longtime manager was on the verge of opening a new chapter on life.
“I loved being a part of the dyke bar and being a butch lesbian,” Archer Lombardi says. “I loved that part of me, and that was something that was really tough to know that I was leaving behind.”
The 36-year-old had known he wanted to transition from Angela to Archer and “identify as a more masculine me” for at least a decade. But it took time to get comfortable with the idea. “This is all still really new to me,” he says, adding, “I just officially came out to the world less than a month ago.”
He’s ready to rekindle some of that old Phase 1 magic next weekend by reviving the annual queer music festival he helped start at the former Capitol Hill haunt a decade ago.
“When the opportunity arose, I jumped on it,” he says. “Mainly because I’m missing Phase, and I have such a love for this event.” Now called Phazefest, the evening-long concert at the 9:30 Club features festival veterans the Coolots (“You can’t not have a good time at the Coolots show”), “the fun drag queen-fronted punk band” Homosuperior, and the incredibly talented soulful queer pop artist Be Steadwell, among others, showcasing “just how special the queer D.C. music scene is.”
Lombardi concedes the evening is “geared a little bit more towards queer women, but that’s kind of been my jam for a very long time.” This year’s festival welcomes several nascent lesbian acts Kellyn Marie Goler, Heather Mae, and Olivia & the Mates. The pioneering DC Kings will reunite for the occasion, which ends with a dance party featuring DJ Tezrah.
“I knew it had to happen, and I knew it was going to happen,” Lombardi says when asked about last year’s shuttering of Phase 1. “I was just sad that we didn’t get to really say goodbye.” Phazefest is not that goodbye, he stresses. It’s geared more as a reunion — even for Lombardi, who will return to D.C. specifically for the event. Two years ago, he moved to Chico, California, a “quaint little town” where he owns and runs the Maltese bar with his girlfriend.
“One of the reasons why I’m so excited is that I really feel like we’re going to have a huge crowd that was the Phase 1 crowd,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to that feeling again.” –Doug Rule
Phazefest is Saturday, July 1, starting at 8 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-265-0930 or visit 930.com.
The fall looks primed to be a strong season of concerts by -- and appealing to -- the LGBTQ community. Among the highlights in the category of the well-known, consider Andy Bell (Lincoln), Jane Lynch (Strathmore), Renee Rapp (Merriweather), DOECHII (Anthem), and of course All Things Go (Merriweather). In the category of merely appealing, not gay per se, consider The Queens (Capital One Arena), Deborah Cox (Bethesda Theater), and Judith Hill (The Hamilton).
That barely scratches the surface. There's a lot of new -- or perhaps new to you -- queer artists out there, just waiting for you get into them including Katie Pruitt (Union Station, Rams Head), Rio Romeo (Songbyrd), Aaron Lee Tasjan (Jammin Java), Dixon Dallas (Union Stage).
If you need relief from these stressful and angst-ridden times, you're sure to find something to salve your soul in this section. If you crave a good laugh attack, for starters, look to the "Because They're Funny Comedy Festival," or seek out specific comedians and eccentrics known to get the job done, be it John Waters or Paula Poundstone (both coming to the Birchmere), or Jessica Kirson or Margaret Cho (coming to the Warner), or Leslie Jones, who will be at The Clarice later this winter. To name only five.
Of course, if you'd prefer to get serious and really contemplate and converse about our woeful state of affairs, you'll find plenty of ways to do that, as well. Start by consulting the lineup of noted authors coming to local bookstores and even a certain historic synagogue.
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