DNCE, Willow Pill, and Symone to Perform at 2022 Capital Pride Concert
The 2022 Pride concert marks D.C.'s first major in-person LGBTQ festival since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.
DNCE will headline the annual Capital Pride Concert, presented by HOT 99.5 FM and Pride Radio, the Capital Pride Alliance announced.
Also performing on Capital Pride’s Main Stage on Sunday, June 12, will be Willow Pill, winner of Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Symone, the show’s Season 13 titleholder.
DNCE, a Los Angeles-based trio comprised of vocalist Joe Jonas, drummer Jack Lawless, and guitarist JinJoo Lee, first broke through into popular culture in 2016 with the release of the band’s RIAA quintuple-platinum certified single “Cake By the Ocean.”
The song landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine in its 19th week on the chart. It spent 46 weeks on the Hot 100 in total.
The group’s self-titled full-length debut album, DNCE, released by Republic Records, featured hit singles including the platinum-certified “Toothbrush.” The band closed out 2016 at No. 8 on the Billboard Top Artists – Duo/Group Chart, No. 11 on the Radio Songs Chart, and No. 13 on the Pop Airplay Songs Chart.
The band won awards for Best PUSH Artist at the 2016 MTV European Music Awards and Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards.
This year, DNCE has teamed up with Kygo for the anthem “Dancing’ Feet.” The band will be releasing its latest single, “Move,” on May 6.
This year’s Capital Pride celebration, scheduled for the weekend of June 11-12, marks the first time in two years — due to the COVID-19 pandemic — that the Capital Pride Alliance will hold large-scale, in-person events, beginning with the Capital Pride Parade and Capital Pride Block Party on Saturday, June 11, and ending with the Capital Pride Festival and Concert on Sunday, June 12, with international, local, and regional performances on three distinct stages.
The Capital Pride Concert, which runs in conjunction with Sunday’s June 12 festival, will be held on the Main Stage, located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 3rd Street NW, from 1 to 8 p.m. Admission to the festival and concert is free, with tickets available for special access to the Concert Pit and the VIP concert Experience.
Following the Pride Concert, Grammy Award-winning music producer and DJ Tracy Young will host the Capitol Sunset Dance Party.
“After two years, the Capital Pride Alliance is thrilled to continue hosting a free Pride Concert and Festival and excited to begin announcing our amazing talent,” Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, said in a statement. “The wide range of talent, experience, and interest from up-and-coming artists speaks to our theme of reUNITED.”
“We are so excited to be reunited with Capital Pride to celebrate Pride in our Nation’s Capital with DNCE!” Rob Kruz, program director for HOT 99.5, said in a statement.
“PRIDE Radio is thrilled to partner with the Capital Pride Alliance and put a national spotlight on this concert,” Jerry Houston, PRIDE Radio Program Director and Capital Pride Entertainment Chair, said in a statement. “This is sure to be the biggest Pride party on Pennsylvania Ave ever with DNCE, plus more still to be announced.”
The Capital Pride Festival and Concert is Sunday, June 12. For an updated, full lineup of performers on all three stages at the festival, visit www.capitalpride.org/concert.
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