Leisure

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

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

Leisure

Mid90s mixes reflection with nostalgia

For the first time in Jonah Hill’s long Hollywood career, he has taken a seat behind the camera and created one of A24’s latest coming of age stories, mid90s. The... Read more

By October 31, 2018

Leisure

Corot’s Women: Reimagining femininity and reverting the male gaze

William Morris said it first. Every design choice is political. The National Gallery of Art recently unveiled its exhibit Corot: Women, a collection of 44 paintings of females—a rare gem... Read more

By October 31, 2018

Leisure

Imagine Color: A declaration of independent art

In an age of commercialization, it is easy to see why people find comfort in the untarnished nature of indie artists. There is an underlying intimacy in their exhibitions––a camaraderie... Read more

By October 30, 2018

Leisure

The Goo Goo Dolls dizzy up the Anthem with their 20th Anniversary Tour

Dizzy Up the Girl may have been released in 1998, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by the look of the crowd that filled the venue. Standing in the... Read more

By October 29, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: Jean Deaux, Krash

It wasn’t really clear what Jean Deaux’s Krash was going to be when it arrived. Jean Deaux has been featured on Smino and Mick Jenkins songs for the last couple... Read more

By October 29, 2018

Leisure

Trust and convenience in Hunter Killer

Hunter Killer starts underwater, outside of a hulking steel submarine. Inside of it, a human crew is briefly introduced. The men controlling the monitors talk and joke back and forth,... Read more

By October 26, 2018

Leisure

On the Edge of Desolation, Wildlife’s Characters Ache to Flee

Paul Dano’s directorial debut, Wildlife, takes place in small- town Montana, where forest fires rage in the mountains to the north. The inferno’s smoke appears almost painterly against the blue... Read more

By October 26, 2018

Leisure

The Language Archive Grapples With the Hardest Words to Say

The voices of all the students involved in the making of The Language Archive, from the actors and costume designers to the producers and light directors, weave together and emanate... Read more

By October 26, 2018

Leisure

Critical Voices: Usher, A

This summer, I went to an E-40 and Bone Thugz-n-Harmony concert. Between sets, one of the MC’s was working the crowd, joking around and playing radio hits to get people... Read more

By October 22, 2018