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Day: September 20, 2007

Voices

Carrying On

Let’s say you’re a freshman, eagerly awaiting the substance-induced rebellion promised you by multiple viewings of Animal House. You could binge drink like so many other freshmen, but why go the cliché route? Not to mention you’re as terrified of the new campus alcohol policies as every other student. You’ve been Just-Say-No-ed enough to stay away from hard drugs. Cigarettes might be the right rebellion statement, but you know the health risks and don’t want to end up an addict (and if, like me, you come from the land of a thousand smoking bans called California, this message has permeated your entire being.)

Then a friend invites you to a hookah bar.

By September 20, 2007

Leisure

Edward Hopper and the art of loneliness

The National Gallery’s modern art space endures perpetual remodeling. Most recently, the industrial white walls have turned a calmer, grayish blue, and visitors to the East Wing will find Jasper Johns’ dynamic targets and mechanical abstractions from last spring replaced by the composed depictions of Edward Hopper’s America.

By September 20, 2007

Leisure

A trip with The Beatles Across the Universe

That’s right, the whole gang is “all together now” (oh, stop moaning); Jude, Lucy, Prudence and a few others star in the funny and poignant Across the Universe, where the word ‘trippy’ just begins to describe these surreal re-imaginings of Beatles’ classics. I mean, what can accurately describe seeing U2’s Bono make a cameo as a Californian cowboy hippie and belt “I am the Walrus.” Some moments of the show are simply beyond words.

By September 20, 2007

Leisure

Critical Voices: Akron/Family, Love is Simple

Akron/Family burst onto the music scene in 2005 with their promising self-titled debut and a fantastic split EP with the Angels of Light. With 2006’s Meek Warrior, however, they seemed to run out of energy even as they piled on the ideas. Thankfully, Love is Simple is exciting and lively, and its fusion of straightforward rock, tribal freak-outs and dense soundscapes makes it Akron/Family’s best release yet.

By September 20, 2007

Leisure

Critical Voices: Devendra Banhart, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

Bewhiskered troubadour Devendra Banhart is a man of many hats: father of freak-folk, new-age pseudo-hippy, the witch-voiced banshee of Jack Johnson’s nightmares. It’s appropriate, then, that his fifth and latest album, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, dabbles in a variety of musical genres, ranging from glam-rock to dub to gospel. While too long like its predecessor Cripple Crow, Smokey intrigues as the most revealing glimpse into the odd and joyous world of the shape-shifting folk singer.

By September 20, 2007

Leisure

Hip to the off-beat: DC Crafts and Fairs

If M Street has left you with a hankering for off-beat creativity, look no further than Crafty Bastards. With over 100 vendors, Crafty Bastards showcases talented independent artists and crafters from around the D.C. area.

By September 20, 2007

Corrections

Improper profit; Metro mistake

In “Unpacking your tuition,” (Features, Sept. 13) the Voice reported that the Institute for the International Education of Students and the Council for International Educational Exchange are for-profit companies. In... Read more

By September 20, 2007