Leisure

Reviews and think pieces on music, movies, art, and theater.

Leisure

It’s alive … and it’s really bad

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I’m convinced the zombie apocalypse has already happened.

By March 4, 2010

Leisure

Critical Voices: Titus Andronicus, The Monitor

Sounding like Bright Eyes after an eight ball of speed, New Jersey’s own Titus Andronicus return on March 9 with its sophomore effort, The Monitor.

By March 4, 2010

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Critical Voices: Joanna Newsom, Have One on Me

Joanna Newsom’s 2006 album, Ys, is one of my favorite releases of all-time.

By March 4, 2010

Leisure

Rub Some Dirt On It: Bag the jet lag

Spring break will find many of us waiting in crowded airports, toting luggage around and eagerly boarding planes bound for destinations a world away from the Hilltop.

By March 4, 2010

Leisure

Bottoms Up: Tropical drunk

Spring break is not typically a time for learning about other cultures. At least, it shouldn’t be.

By March 4, 2010

Leisure

Ranch not included: life after Philly’s pizza

This past week, the dark cloud of mortality descended upon Georgetown. Left in a state of shock and mourning, the community pondered the cruelty and fleeting nature of life. Yes, Hoyas, it’s true. Philly Pizza has been shut down.

By February 25, 2010

Leisure

Scorsese’s noir Island

I thought Martin Scorsese lost his edge in old age. His last film, The Departed, was great the first time around, but lost its luster after multiple viewings. (I blame Jack Nicholson’s terrible Baahsten accent and that incredibly weird cocaine and prostitute scene.) Where was the suspense? At age 67, could it be that Scorsese lost his flair for well-crafted, shocking films?

By February 25, 2010

Leisure

One Act Festival celebrates campus theater

Georgetown’s theater scene can be a little insular. Even the theater kids admit it—the different performance groups tend be exclusive, all the plays feature the same actors, and a lot of the theater kids hang out with each other. And so the average Hoya could be forgiven for not realizing that Georgetown theater is blowing up.

By February 25, 2010

Leisure

BDMT shows a soul-ful spring

Black Movements Dance Theatre transitions to the spring season with leaps and turns, as the company welcomes the new season on February 26 and 27 with Mind, Body, and Soul in the Davis Performing Arts Center’s Gonda Theatre.

By February 25, 2010

Leisure

Critical Voices: DJ Mathematics, Return of the Wu and Friends

Don’t get too excited—although the cover features guys in kung-fu robes kicking each other and a steely W logo, DJ Mathematics’s Return of the Wu and Friends isn’t a new Wu-Tang album.

By February 25, 2010

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Critical Voices: Shout Out Louds, Work

While mixing easy-going pop rock with heartfelt lyrics Sweden’s own Shout Out Louds have been attracting buzz since their last release, 2007’s Our Ill Wills, broke into the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

By February 25, 2010

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Suffer for Fashion: Costume chaos in Canada

I’ll admit it’s been a glorious two weeks of Olympic activities.

By February 25, 2010

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Yr Blues: Help wanted for GU’s music scene

ven now, over four years later, it’s hard to say exactly what I expected of the so-called “Georgetown Music Scene” when I first arrived on campus in 2006.

By February 25, 2010

Leisure

The Wolfman cometh, maketh a bad movie

Much like the titular monster, the arrival of The Wolfman was heralded by bad omens and concerned whispers. And whether you are a Victorian country dweller or a contemporary moviegoer, the proper course of action remains the same—stay away.

By February 18, 2010

Leisure

Ris-oundingly bad

Ris Lacoste is a culinary legend around here. Her decade-long reign as executive chef at 1789 was exceptional, bringing critical acclaim, not to mention “Restaurant of the Year” awards, to the corner of Prospect and 36th Street NW. In December, after a four-year absence, she re-emerged on D.C.’s restaurant scene with a place of her own: Ris.

By February 18, 2010

Leisure

Leh’zur Ledger: A vinyl-laden Valentine’s

I spent my Valentine’s Day in a dimly lit concert hall filled with dusty milk crates. What better way to spend this Hallmark holiday than by participating in a form of consumerism a little more genuine than one made of cheesy greeting cards and freshly cut roses?

By February 18, 2010

Leisure

Photography exhibit shed light on the Darkroom

In the Darkroom: Photography Before the Digital Age is not art for art’s sake. Rather, it’s art for the sake of education—an appreciation for the history and scientific complexity of the method that has been lost at today’s world of Wal-Mart printout stations and Facebook album

By February 18, 2010

Leisure

Critical Voices: Toro y Moi, Causers of This

Plenty of words have been written about chillwave, but for Toro y Moi, I don’t mind adding some more. The band’s newest album, Causers of This, stands out in the midst of a chillwave hangover—or, given the saccharine hooks of Neon Indian, perhaps “despite all of my chillwave cavities” is a better metaphor.

By February 18, 2010

Leisure

Critical Voices: Local Natives, Gorilla Manor

The first instinct upon listening to a new band is to draw comparisons to established artists on the scene—to see if it fits into your canon, justify your love or indifference, or even just satisfy the nagging suspicion that you’ve heard the arrangement before. Indie newcomers Local Natives make that practice frustrating, if not impossible, with their first full release, Gorilla Manor.

By February 18, 2010

Leisure

Rub Some Dirt On It: Alternative energy sources

Years ago, the most unwholesome beverage a kid could buy at a convenience store counter was a sugar-laden can of Coke, and the only option available to sleep-deprived college students was an extra large cup of coffee.

By February 18, 2010