Leisure

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

Leisure

Boy Erased is a quiet revelation

Gay conversion therapy has become a forgotten topic in America, but it continues to be bafflingly relevant in contemporary society. Boy Erased is a step towards addressing and tackling the... Read more

By November 16, 2018

Leisure

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an overwhelming examination of Westerns

What can be added to a genre that is already oversaturated, filled with stereotypes and clichéd movie tropes? The age of the Western has come and passed, yet directors Ethan... Read more

By November 16, 2018

Leisure

Rodarte: A Walk Through the Mulleavys’ Garden

Rodarte’s place in the National Museum of Women in the Arts is fitting; women started the fashion company of the same name, and its designs are for women. The exhibit... Read more

By November 15, 2018

Leisure

Serious and stunning, Our Class leaves viewers questioning the truth

Throughout Professor Derek Goldman’s adaptation of the acclaimed Polish play Our Class, actors turn to the audience and ask a simple question: “What was I supposed to do?” This query... Read more

By November 15, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Black Eyed Peas, Masters of the Sun Vol. 1

The Black Eyed Peas have changed quite a bit in the 20 years between their debut in 1998 and their latest release, Masters of the Sun Vol. 1. Initially defined... Read more

By November 14, 2018

Leisure

Honoring a real life hero, A Private War shows the horrors of armed conflict

Talk about an interesting life. Marie Colvin, an American war correspondent for the British newspaper The Sunday Times, travelled all around the globe to cover some of the deadliest conflicts... Read more

By November 14, 2018

Leisure

Folger Theater weaves a masterful web with King John

Shakespeare’s King John does not boast the popularity of A Midsummer’s Night Dream or Romeo and Juliet. It’s a play that few beyond circles of Shakespeare buffs have heard of,... Read more

By November 12, 2018

Leisure

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds finds a captive audience in the nostalgic and weird

On October 25 Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds performed at The Anthem to a full audience. The band, whose first iteration was formed in 1983 and now has a... Read more

By November 10, 2018

Leisure

Hippo Campus was electric and eccentric at 9:30 Club

The palpable love present in the audience for the small band on stage—a group that is quickly gaining popularity in the indie music world—was perhaps the most powerful part of... Read more

By November 9, 2018

Leisure

Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms isn’t the classic story audiences were expecting

Disney’s latest movie, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, takes an old holiday classic in a whole new direction. Following Clara Stalhbaun (Mackenzie Foy) on her quest to find a... Read more

By November 9, 2018

Leisure

Cole World in DC

KOD. Kids on Drugs. King Overdosed. Kill Our Demons. Such simple phrases we probably overlooked when Jermaine Cole—better known as J. Cole—released his fifth studio album, KOD. The beats, the... Read more

By November 9, 2018

Leisure

Following a new brick road: The Lucas Brothers’ Brick City Tour comes to Arlington

You may recognize the faces of the Lucas Brothers from their brief but show-stealing appearance in the comedy 22 Jump Street, in which they starred as the quirky twin brothers,... Read more

By November 8, 2018

Leisure

Concert Preview: Ólafur Arnalds, Nov. 14, Lincoln Theater

Icelandic producer and multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds will be showcasing his fourth official solo album re:member at Lincoln Theater on Wed., November 14th. “This is my breaking out-of-a-shell album,” Arnalds said... Read more

By November 8, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Living, Drinking From the Trough of a Tyrant’s Piss

Upon first listen, the Living’s Drinking From the Trough of a Tyrant’s Piss might not make a lot of sense. With an avant-garde style and intense experimentation, the Living takes... Read more

By November 7, 2018

Leisure

Reel Affirmations celebrates its 25th anniversary as a powerful visual platform for the District’s LGBTQ+ community

In a world of Netflix and Amazon Prime, it has become all too easy to be dismissive of film festivals. Is there still room for cinema? For Reel Affirmations, DC’s... Read more

By November 3, 2018

Leisure

Tender and tenacious, Midsummer is a must-see

In their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mask & Bauble managed not to take themselves too seriously, which is often the fatal flaw of amateur theater. However, it’s hard... Read more

By November 3, 2018

Leisure

Concert Preview: Lake Street Dive, Nov. 9, The Anthem

Brooklyn-based band Lake Street Dive will bring their soulful blend of jazzy pop to The Anthem on Friday, Nov. 9. With a retro energy that translates into irresistible concerts, the... Read more

By November 2, 2018

Leisure

Washington Magic brings the district a night of food, tricks, and inspiration

We could all use a little magic. That’s the idea behind the new show, Washington Magic, that is currently captivating sold-out audiences in the historic home of James Monroe. Led... Read more

By November 1, 2018

Leisure

With mixed results, Beautiful Boy attempts to illustrate the horrors of addiction

Beautiful Boy begins with a plea. The camera remains static on David Sheff (Steve Carell) as he painfully admits that his son is addicted to methamphetamines. But he isn’t there... Read more

By November 1, 2018

Leisure

Breakups, bedroom pop, and emo rock: pronoun is coming to the District

Singer-songwriter Alyse Vellturo, also known by her stage name, pronoun, doesn’t know what “indie-guitar-bedroom-pop” means, even though she coined the term to describe the style of her 2016 EP, There’s... Read more

By October 31, 2018