Leisure

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

Leisure

‘Douglas Gordon’ exhibit explores identity

A walk through Scottish artist Douglas Gordon’s exhibit at the Hirshhorn is an exploration of the complexities of the human psyche. Using photography, text, mirrors and video installations, Gordon invites you to be a voyeur of his intimate self-exploration and to examine the contradictions, double meanings and intricacies of all human experience.

By the February 19, 2004

Leisure

‘Boy in da Corner,’ Dizzee Rascal, Matador

Born Dylan Mills, Dizzee Rascal is a brilliant 19-year-old MC whose debut Boy In da Corner is an aurally harsh documentary of urban Brit life. Dizzee’s cockney raps are the center of attention, there are no rhythms to grab on to, and the rough-around-the-edges production only adds to the discomfort.

By the February 19, 2004

Leisure

‘Waves,’ Ride, The First Time

Besides the Beatles, Ride was the band that Oasis always wishes they could have been. Ride was the most dynamic live act of musicians characterized by their tendency to perform with their backs to the audience and staring down at their feet while playing effects-laden electric guitars and dreamy, psychedelic melodies.

By the February 19, 2004

Leisure

Mo’Rocca

Most of us subsist on snacking at Vittles, giving in to Leo’s and calling Domino’s. Without extra time or money, food is just a matter of convenience, not entertainment. With great ambiance, seven courses and a belly dancer, Marrakesh, the District’s premiere Moroccan restaurant, has been proving for decades that the key to great eating is making a meal an event.

By the February 19, 2004

Leisure

‘Crimson Gold’ delivers

LEISURE BY PHIL MARCELLO There is controversy surrounding “Crimson Gold,” and that, more than anything, has generated critical acclaim and curiosity. Based on a true story, it was banned in Iran for its criticism of Iranian society. This criticism is not the focus of the film, nor is the crime that occurs.

By the February 12, 2004

Leisure

Diamond-encrusted, golden sardine, anyone?

For those of you who have wondered what would happen if King Midas played simultaneous games of Monopoly and dominoes while chatting on his cell-phone, fly-fishing and nibbling the occasional sardine, look no further than the Museum of Natural History. Featuring gold-plated and jewel-encrusted common objects, “Everyday Fantasies: The Jeweled Art of Sidney Mobell” places the ordinary in the world of the extraordinary.

By the February 12, 2004

Leisure

The Intricacies of Scarf-Tying

Ready to help dress up a basic shirt, accessorize for an evening out, or stay warm in winter with an array of scarves and versatile tying methods, fit for him and her?

1. The Pull-Through

This basic scarf tying method flatters a variety of scarves and necks, and is easy to master.

By the February 12, 2004

Leisure

Monsoon, Preston School of Industry, Matador

Since the release of the masterpiece Slanted and Enchanted in 1992, Pavement has been the indie rock standard for comparison. The five records the band released represented, in many cases, the best the genre had to offer. When Pavement split in 1999, second songwriter/rhythm guitarist Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg formed Preston School of Industry.

By the February 12, 2004

Leisure

Everyone Deserves Music, Spearhead, BMG

Although Michael Franti and his band Spearhead have played with U2, Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio and Ani di Franco, not many people outside of Northern Calif. even know their name. With their latest album, Everyone Deserves Music, and an international tour with Ziggy Marley, this may all change.

By the February 12, 2004

Leisure

Kitsch

If, like me, you find it increasingly difficult to enjoy a movie for anything other than its kitsch value, you appreciate the need for a movie that straddles the fine line between unbearable pacing and refreshing unevenness. Fortunately, Video Americain, located in Takoma Park, Md.

By the February 12, 2004

Leisure

Talkie Walkie, Air, Astralwerks

Lounge music ain’t dead yet. Just ask Air, the French-duo (Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin) that composes atmospheric landscapes using quirky synths, string ensembles and pulsating yet subtle electronic beats in a style akin to musician Brian Eno. Their debut Moon Safari showcased the duo’s ability to carefully teeter on the line between kitsch and cool and was released just at the right time when martinis and late-1960s lounge cool had their cachet with the yuppies.

By the February 5, 2004

Leisure

Breast assured

didn’t even watch the Super Bowl. Though an Alabama Crimson Tide fan by birthright, pro-football is of no interest to me. And since this isn’t the sports section, I’ll address a SuperBowl issue more pertinent to the mandate of my leisure column—-Janet Jackson’s breast.

By the February 5, 2004

Leisure

Touring ‘The Colored Museum’

LEISURE BY KATHRYN BRAND “Keep your shackles on at all times,” chimes a beaming stewardess, Miss Pat, played by Dionne Young (CAS ‘04). She welcomes you to Celebrity Slave Ships, departing the Gold Coast for Savannah, Ga. When the ship enters a thunderstorm Miss Pat calmly explains, “Don’t worry; we’ve just entered a time warp.

By the February 5, 2004

Leisure

Get kicked in The Shins

If you haven’t heard of the Shins by now, you clearly haven’t been reading Voice Leisure. With every move they make, The Shins gain more and more attention for their brilliant songwriting, tight musicianship and irresistible melodies. Their 2001 debut album, Oh, Inverted World, propelled them into the hearts and minds of independent critics with its endearing guitar hooks and delicately arranged atmosphere.

By the February 5, 2004

Leisure

Being there: ‘America on the Move’

This is an exhibit for that part of you that always wanted to get off the bolted-down bikes on the E.T. ride in Universal Studios and stand next to the animatronics and stage props. Chronicling the development of the automotive and railroad industries, roads and highways, “America on the Move” creates unique interactive and multimedia environments.

By the February 5, 2004

Leisure

The Champion Sound, Jaylib, Stones Throw

The potential for this album is almost infinite. Jaylib brings together the two acclaimed rappers/producers Jay Dee and Madlib for a project in which they alternate rapping over each others beats. The result is Champion Sound, an album that, while certainly ingenious, disappoints on many levels.

By the February 5, 2004

Leisure

‘Beyond Therapy’ digs deeper

LEISURE BY JENNY MATTHEWS Beyond Therapy is a cynical comedy that tells the story of a man and a woman who meet through a personal ad. Playwright Christopher Durang uses the relationship between Bruce and Prudence and their respective therapists to offer a mean but comedic perspective on the limited usefulness of therapy.

By the January 29, 2004

Leisure

The Unicorns are people too

February and March are shaping up to be a couple of excellent months for concerts in D.C. The Shins are playing two shows at the Black Cat, Super Furry Animals have an evening at the 9:30 Club, Atmosphere is coming back and there are a few band-packed weekends in March that will make indie-rock fans go crazy.

By the January 29, 2004

Leisure

Daniel Wallace–catch of the day

Daniel Wallace, author of the New York Times best-seller Big Fish, the inspiration for the recent film starring Ewan McGregor, is neither a Southern writer nor a Playboy bunny: “the two titles are similar in that they are more limiting than anything-automatically as a Southern writer, and as a Playboy bunny, there are certain expectations of you,” said Wallace.

By the January 29, 2004

Leisure

Travel ‘Through the Lens’

It’s never easy to summarize one hundred years. For National Geographic, a magazine translated into 20 languages and read by over 40 million yearly, this task involved paring down the 10.5 million published and unpublished images in the society’s archive-a priceless record of world history-into 250 images.

By the January 29, 2004