Fifteen years ago, at age 24, the ever-affable Tommy McFly rose to local stardom as host of The Tommy Show on 94.7 Fresh FM. Four years later, the Washington Post called him the “local Ryan Seacrest.” McFly later transitioned to TV—where he’s now NBC4’s Scene reporter. Here he reflects on a time during his radio days when he “almost came out” to singer Sara Bareilles after hearing her perform her song “Brave,” and how it all eventually came full circle.

“On April 23, 2013, ‘Brave’ debuted. Two days later, Sara Bareilles performed for my radio show at the Hamilton. It was the first time she played it live. And in that moment, I’ve got all this stuff stirring inside me.

“That decision to come out, it’s weird—like, people don’t come out as straight. It could ruin some relationsh

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