Brynn, Devon, and Emily share what they’re enjoying and looking forward to in arts and entertainment this week.
Brynn:
Although I rarely have time to watch full television shows, I can usually spare an hour every now and then to watch a stand-up comedy special. In the event of some free time, my go-to comedian is Bo Burnham. He is an introspective lyrical genius who can make me laugh wholeheartedly until I inevitably feel the bitter aftertaste of the darkness behind his jokes. My favorite Bo Burnham special is what. because the soundtrack is incredible and includes comedic takes on the existence of God, battling depression, and navigating love in the era of social media. Unfortunately, a good friend of mine disagrees with me and thinks that Burnham’s most recent special, Make Happy, is truly the best one. I decided to rewatch Make Happy this week to see if maybe my friend was right. Although what. is still my favorite special, Make Happy is a genuine work of art. Burnham includes some easier to swallow jokes about country music or making a peanut butter sandwich drunk versus high, but he also gets #deep with the audience. In his final song on stage, “Can’t Handle This,” amidst an electrifying display of lights and surround-sound heavy beats, he includes a monologue about his struggle to please his fans while also remaining true to himself. He ends the special off stage with a song asking viewers a simple question: are you happy? So, I leave you with the same question. Are you happy? No matter what the answer is, I would prescribe some comedy for that.
Devon:
The Mahogany Sessions is an incredible YouTube channel that regularly posts live, primarily acoustic, sessions with a variety of artists. One of my all time favorite videos from their channel is this heart wrenchingly beautiful cover of alt-J’s “Tessellate” by Leo Stannard and the Intermission Project, a band that has since renamed themselves Mosa Wild. Alt-j is no doubt a challenging band to cover, but this quartet nails it through flawlessly controlled fragility in beautiful fingerpicking at the beginning of the song that slowly builds until its triumphant climax.
Emily:
I first stumbled across Kawehi a few weeks ago while I was scrolling through DC concert listings. One concert in particular caught my attention: an artist described as “a new breed of musician, a one-woman-band from Lawrence, Kansas who uses technology to carry the weight of a full band on her own” on Ticketfly. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to her concert, but I quickly found myself enveloped in Kawehi’s youtube channel, absorbing her mesmerizing electronic sound. Not only does she sing while playing her synthesizer, but she makes her technology central to her aesthetic. In her music video for “(Not Another Lame) Fight Song,” Kawehi wears her technology around her waist and forearm, autotuning her own vocals as she parades down the street like the most artistic, talented, and confident cyborg I’ve ever had the privilege to witness. In fact, the song is all about finding strength and positivity, as she explains in her caption, “I hope you can use it for yourself – no matter what gender or race or how much money you have in your bank account – be your own fucking hurricane!!!” So, whether you’re looking for a confidence boost or some new, incredible music to listen to, be sure to check out her original songs and her phenomenal covers — you’ll be on Kawehi’s channel for hours.
