Local artist and activist Rachel Burns combines composition with comedy to create a unique, theatrical experience for her audience. The DMV native is a mother of two and a cancer survivor. Her debut EP, “Living My Breast Life”, released in 2022, tells her story through a combination of humor and hope.
Her style is a “feminist, satire cabaret with a soulful twist” that highlights social and political issues with a comedic twist. “A lot of my songs have tongue in cheek lyrics to them, so they’re all a little funny, but they all have truth to them as well,” Burns said.
Burns’s second record “What a Nasty Woman” will be released on July 7 and includes new songs: “Mansplanin”, “Tiny Hands”, “All Shook Up”, “Pollyanna’s Lament” and more.
“With cancer, I reclaimed myself by making jokes about it. You can disempower an insult by claiming it for yourself; it’s satire, so yeah I am a nasty woman,” Burns said of the new EP.
Burns and her band will perform live at the Pie Shop (1339 H St. NE) on May 31. In addition to original music, the group will perform covers of “soulful songs” from artists including Chaka Khan, Alicia Keys, The Beatles, Nina Simone, Donna Summer, Earth, Wind and Fire and more.
Burns expressed excitement about the upcoming performance and said attendees should expect a fun-filled and engaging night of laughing and dancing.
“It’s a lot of joy,” Burns said of her shows. “It’s a lot of laughing, fun moments, hootin’ hollerin’, getting up and dancing and just having a blast.”
Tickets to the show are $15. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Visit pieshopdc.com more information and for a full list of upcoming events.
Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com.
