MALLORY2019
Since 2016, a rag-tag collection of party people have banded together to showcase unofficial and atypical events that happen during DC’s Leather Weekend through a handy guide and schedule known as MALLORY. Now in her 4th installment, #MALLORY2019 features its largest, most diverse, and most ambitious offerings yet.
There’s no right way or wrong way to do MALlory, but my advice is always the same: venture out from the official hotel/circuit offerings, buy advanced tickets for the events with big names coming to town, treat TRADE like your go-to neighborhood bar all weekend long, and be kind to others and yourself. It’s a long and draining weekend.
So without further ado, here’s a non-exhaustive rundown of events that hopefully puts a spotlight on DC’s impressive queer community and what they’re up to this weekend. Hit me up if you notice any oversights.
WEDNESDAY — JANUARY 16TH
MALx Güashington at TRADE
We’re awfully lucky to have Leeon (Video Club, Bogota) back again in DC to kick off MALLORY weekend, all thanks to Alex DB (Millenial Pink) and their Leather Güikend Latinx party at TRADE, featuring performances by Ace Cultura, Div0id and Santx Domingx starting at 9:30pm.
Market Crash at The Big Board
Since it is Awards Season, let me allow myself to both nominate and announce that the winner of DC’s Best New DJ is Diyanna Monet! Make sure you catch one of her sets this MALLORY, beginning with Market Crash, a rare weekday, non-NW party that happens at The Big Board on H Street NE. Market Crash also features drag performances, and for MALLORY they’ve got Cobalt’s DC Drag Wars Season 3 winner, Vagenesis and Christi Ana Tea (Tea Party).
THURSDAY — JANUARY 17th
SLEAZE XXXL ft. Mark O’Brien (Polyglamorous, SF) at The Dew Drop Inn
In order to maximize the appropriate impact for MALLORY’s Thursday night, Sleaze (Keenan Orr, Lemz, and host Jane Saw) are upsizing to The Dew Drop Inn, and they’re bringing in Mark O’Brien (of legendary SF party Polyglamorous fame) for his DC debut, Donna Slash is performing live, and they’ve surrendered the 2nd floor to Alex DB and GET FACE!
Otter Happy Hour w/ Dean Sullivan & FAM NIGHT w/ Tommy Cornelis @ TRADE
Since TRADE now schedules a DJ every Thursday night AND Otter Den Happy Hour has also moved there in observance of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season, we get a double feature at TRADE on Thursdays! Once a month I host FAM NIGHT there, which just happens to fall here for MALLORY. (HH starts at 5PM, Dean Sullivan at 7PM, and Yours Truly at 11PM).
Petworth Social Club w/ Jacq Jill
Petworth Social Club is there for ya every Thursday from 7-10pm, providing one of Uptown’s only queer hops. Outputmessage, Jacq Jill, and Alex DB rotate music duties at this chill, food-forward, neighborhood happy hour event.
Schadenfreude Neubauten at Studio Ga Ga
DC’s signature night for “minimal synth // post-punk // wave // ebm // industrial // and whatever else”, Schadenfreude Neubauten is hosted monthly by DJs Wolfblister and Dianamatic at Studio Ga Ga, often featuring angsty guests.
FRIDAY— JANUARY 18TH
Honcho w/ Josey Rebelle @ U Street Music Hall
Co-conspirators in MALLORY’s upbringing, Honcho escapes Pittsburgh and returns to U Street Music Hall to showcase the DC debut of Josey Rebelle (London) this year. Josey’s set at Sustain Release was a thing of legends. DO NOT MISS THIS. I heard there’s already a low-ticket warning for this.
RPDR All-Stars Watch Party w/ westhedj, then Trevor Sigler & Diyanna Monet at TRADE
As previously mentioned, human-caused activities have placed RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars on Friday nights this year. It’s a long season, but wessthedj and the GAY/BASH roster host the shit out of it week after week starting at 8pm.
At 11pm, the TV screen will lower to welcome the DC debut of Trevor Sigler (Mixed Forms/Romper Room, SF) alongside DC’s Diyanna Monet for the honest-to-gahd cutest pairing of the weekend.
Rough House w/ DJ Lemz & The Barber Streisand @ Green Lantern
DJ Lemz & The Barber Streisand are roughin’ it up at The Green Lantern Friday night.
SATURDAY— JANUARY 19TH
Women’s March 2019 @ Freedom Plaza
DC’s dance community banded together for the Women’s March directly after the mind-boggling election of Donald Fucking Trump in 2016. In a legendary moment, DC’s favorite DJ Juana threw down a ridiculous closing set at the Sequence after-party with Discwoman, which saw her added to the DJ roster soon after. Three years later, the Women’s March aligns with MAL weekend for the perfect opportunity to have a DC moment and raise some hell while breaking up all that toxic masculinity gay party weekends far too often produce. The event and march gets going at 11AM, and then the Rally is at 1PM at Freedom Plaza.
TNX ft. the T4T LUV NRG Tour: Octo Octa b2b Eris Drew @ Location TBA
TNX is mixing things up this year with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of hosting Eris Drew & Octo Octa on their inaugural T4T LUV NRG B2B Tour! If you’re new to a TNX event, we keep the location TBA until the day of the event in order to protect DC’s currently vulnerable DIY spaces. Follow the instructions on the event page and respect one another and the space. Tickets are moving fast on this one too and can be purchased on RA.
G ∆ Y / B ∆ S H : G O T H N I G H T at TRADE
Alt to no one, DC’s premier drag night G ∆ Y / B ∆ S H is giving you an extra dose of G O T H in honor of MALLORY this Saturday at TRADE. Jane Saw, Jaxknife Complex, Ana Latour, Donna Slash, & Santx Domingx are serving you not 1, but 2 shows at 11:30pm & 1:00am. And DJ Barber Streisand will be playing tunes between the mic-werk.
SUNDAY — JANUARY 20TH
The Cluck Off w/ Carlos Souffront (SF), Juana, & Jacq Jill at Jimmy Valentine’s
A definite highlight of MALLORY2018 was the addition of a Hennie’s Only, MALLORY’s Closer at Jimmy Valentine’s that focused on word-of-mouth invites over social media dependency. Last year Jacq Jill put down a nasty set that turned lots of heads, and they’ll be back on an even bigger lineup featuring Carlos Souffront (SF)’s DC debut AND Juana (Discwoman/Sequence, DC).
Leather Casual Recover Tea w/ Collin Bass & StrikeStone! at TRADE
With the closing of Town Danceboutique, Otter Den is moving its annual Sunday Tea to TRADE for a comfort-focused recovery moment, with Collin Bass (SF/PGH) and resident Strikestone in the pulpit.
Church at TRADE
After Tea, Church residents wessthedj and Jesse Jackson welcome in Dean Sullivan, Pussy Noir, & Jaxknife Complex to their every-holiday weekend Sunday services at TRADE starting at 9PM.
BEST ABOVEGROUND:
MAL Closing Night Party: A Tribute to Frankie Knuckles at 9:30 Club
While the point of MALLORY is to highlight the unofficial offerings from DC’s queer underground this weekend, I HAVE to give major props to the the Centaurs MC (MAL’s Founders) & The Saint-At-Large for coming together to push their programming forward this year for this official closing night party. None of this dance shit is possible without Frankie, so this tribute event featuring DJs Tedd Patterson and Manny Ward and a special performance by Ultra Naté is a breath of fresh air. 10% of proceeds will support the Frankie Knuckles Foundation too!
MALLORY is always looking, never hosting, so this weekend couldn’t be possible without all of the venues, and especially TRADE. All year long, they provide space and support growth for so many of DC’s queer functions like GAY/BASH, Church, Otter Den, Sissy That Tuesday, Güashington, FAM NIGHT, and its resident DJs. THANK YOU!
And thank you to all the promoters, DJs, performers, crews, dancers, artists and party people for continuing to elevate nightlife here in DC. Our collective work and collaborative nature makes things like MALLORY possible. Cluck the fuck off this weekend, you’ve earned it!
And special thanks to Linas Garsys for the awesome art.
