Leisure

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

Leisure

Bye Wesley

If you’re like most people, you arrived at college and spent your first five minutes of high-bandwidth-induced euphoria downloading important-sounding music you had always meant to learn to appreciate, like Bob Marley’s Legend. Then your music-stealing tastes turned to novelty songs, and you spent the rest of freshman year clogging the network by downloading such tracks as King Missle’s “Detachable Penis.

By the August 28, 2003

Leisure

This just in: stamps enrich life

LEISURE BY CHRIS JAROSCH If you still think that stamp collecting is extinct, there’s an entire museum solely dedicated to the history of stamps and the postal service ready and waiting to prove it to you.

By the August 21, 2003

Leisure

Hail Radiohead redux

Over the summer, Radiohead had indie rock aficionados more excited than a sugar-happy nine-year-old on his birthday-and all they did was release another album. When the group that is often called the Earth’s most relevant rock band plays, everyone listens.

By the August 21, 2003

Leisure

Colonial misadventures

Don’t Lets Go To The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller Random House, $12.95 Although a grammar teacher would balk at the title, don’t let its wordiness fool you. In her memoir Don’t Lets Go To The Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller recounts with wonderful clarity her upbringing in Africa in the 1970s and 80s.

By the August 21, 2003

Leisure

Embellish!

Was your summer less than exciting? Maybe you sat on your fine ass watching three straight months of All My Children. If a first-year, perhaps you allowed your parents to convince you that college would entail a full summer of preparation and spent the entire time searching for the perfect shade of blue extra-long twin sheets.

By the August 21, 2003

Leisure

Sketches of strain

You know those people hanging out for peace in Red Square? Chances are nine out of 10 of their leaders will know artist/activist Seth Tobocman by the trail of his reproduced art. Political cartoonist Tobocman is coming to D.C.’s own Vertigo books to support his latest book, Portraits of Israelis and Palestinians: For My Parents, forthcoming later this month from Soft Skull Press.

By the April 24, 2003

Leisure

‘Elephant’ worth its weight in ivory

The White Stripes’ new album, Elephant, is being described by the music press as everything from this week’s album of the year, to a weaker, whiter rehash of the blues. A more accurate description of the minimalist duo’s latest release is a strong, hook-laden pop album tinged with blues and folk elements.

By the April 24, 2003

Leisure

Gypsy love

It’s that time of year again. Copley Lawn is a veritable lust den. If you can tear yourself away from the beach-towel saturated revelry, proceed to your nearest theatre and check out the D.C. International Film Fest. Now in its 17th year, the festival kicked off Wednesday night with a screening of John Malkovich’s directorial debut, The Dancer Upstairs.

By the April 24, 2003

Leisure

How to make a bad student film

Two weeks have passed since Georgetown third annual student film festival. In the interim, the Lord has risen on the third day, and we here at Voice Leisure have witnessed intrepid students dashing about with digital cameras in preparation for next year’s competition.

By the April 24, 2003

Leisure

It’s no weeping willow

Mark Barrionuevo listed several reasons for using the pseudonym Garcia Anthony for his debut novel, Raintree. “Spelling and correcting others’ spelling of my family name felt like spelling out my ethnicity,” Barrionuevo said. With this name change he also hopes to eliminate readers’ bias towards male or female authors by using an androgynous name.

By the April 24, 2003

Leisure

Pioneering, sans covered wagons

“There are two types of people in this world: those who love Neil Diamond and those who don’t. I don’t.”

Jenny Manno (CAS ‘03) is quoting What About Bob? and talking about her run in backstage with the pop songwriter one night two summers ago. Like most college students, she has about a million CDs and has rocked many concerts, keeping her ticket stubs in a small album and collecting T-shirts from her favorite bands.

By the April 10, 2003

Leisure

Coat hangers & pacifiers

Shock Value: Fairly low. We recommend a picture of a baby with a nail through its head to boost the shock factor, making your message more pointed. Comments: Nervous system?... Read more

By the April 10, 2003

Leisure

Scientology and you, minus your money and soul

Sick of the same old boring God? Communion wafers just not as tasty as they used to be? Tired of having to mutilate your genitals? Maybe it’s time for a new religion. Or maybe it’s time to give Scientology a try. With the Founding Church of Scientology located in Dupont Circle, finding an illogical credo to blindly adhere to is as easy as ceasing to question your better judgement.

By the April 10, 2003

Leisure

Sleep with the Voice

Hi, we’re the Voice. You know, a lot of people think that once you get your own campuswide newsmagazine it’s really easy to get lucky. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the only one of us who’s getting any cookie at all is Dave Stroup, and that’s just ’’cause he’s a well-hung stud.

By the April 10, 2003

Leisure

Filmy buildup

While GUTV and cohorts have yet again collaborated to host the Third Annual Student Film Festival on campus, perhaps some would rather spend their lunch money on a more culturally diverse bunch of shorts-that’s short films for you uninformed folks.

This weekend Visions Cinema and Bistro Lounge will again be showing Oscar nominated short films from around the world.

By the April 10, 2003

Leisure

‘I am mad or else this is a dream’

William Shakespeare may not have written in the language college students are accustomed to hearing in a Chris Rock routine or an Adam Sandler movie, but that doesn’t make his theater any less raunchy, witty, or entertaining. The often base humor of Shakespeare’s comedies is theatrically exposed in Mask & Bauble’s new production of Twelfth Night, as the actors deftly go from playing dirty pranks to jousting, from singing Beatles songs to lamenting a count’s broken heart.

By the April 3, 2003

Leisure

‘Hail to’ new Radiohead album

Hail to the Thief, Radiohead’s new album is a record that incorporates its earlier guitar-rock into a sound that is increasingly experimental and unconventional. Probably. Like the group’s previous albums Kid A and Amnesiac, its newest offering is available weeks before it is scheduled for release.

By the April 3, 2003

Leisure

‘Irreversible’ unforgettable

The rape scene is reported to be ten minutes long, but no one ever checks their watch. Whatever the exact time is, it’s long enough. Alex (Monica Bellucci) walks through a Parisian underpass, red-lit like the road to hell. Two minutes later, she is sprawled face down against the gritty, concrete floor while a hand muffles her screaming, her crying.

By the April 3, 2003

Leisure

Point-counterpoint: Cursive live

All year you taunt me with your Brit pop and your jam bands. Yet by bringing you to see Cursive last Thursday, March 27, I have proved once and for all that my music is better than yours.

Let’s say you judged bands on toughness like sports teams. Openers No Knife get toughness points and the spirit award for coming out and putting on a great set even though lead singer Mitch Wilson was out of commission with a stomach ulcer.

By the April 3, 2003

Leisure

Point-counterpoint: Cursive live

I can’t believe you dragged me to that place again. I hate the Black Cat. Everyone there wears weird clothes and has multiple piercings, which I personally find unsanitary. I’ve put up with your crap music all year long. Built to Spill? More like Built to Crap on Your Face.

By the April 3, 2003