Leisure

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



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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Critical Voices: Twenty One Pilots, Trench

It was never really “cool” to like Twenty One Pilots. Consisting of singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun, Twenty One Pilots has always been associated with wannabe edgy, cringe-worthy... Read more

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Critical Voices: alt-J, Reduxer

Alt-J is an indie-rock band that hails from Leeds, England, with an appetite for experimentation and a great capacity for individuality. Typically known for their ethereal vocals and eccentric beats,... Read more

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Concert Preview: Hippo Campus and The Districts, Oct. 24, 9:30 Club

Indie rock band Hippo Campus, currently on the Bambi Tour, will be make a stop at 9:30 Club on Oct. 24. From St. Paul, Minnesota, the band was founded by... Read more

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Tense and Intimate, First Man Takes You to the Moon and Back

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is by all means an American hero. He was a family man whose ordinary life was turned upside down when... Read more

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Troye Sivan Colors the Anthem In The Bloom Tour

“The lights!” my friend shouted at me, only minutes into the opening act. “What?” I shouted back. “The lights!” she pointed frantically. “They are a rainbow!” That was something unforgettable... Read more

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Concert Preview: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds with Cigarettes After Sex, Oct. 25, The Anthem

Nick Cave is probably best known as the frontman of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, a post-punk group formed by three musicians in 1983, which now includes him and... Read more

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JPEGMAFIA Storms Songbyrd

From the moment JPEGMAFIA took the stage at Songbyrd Record Cafe and Music House last Saturday, Sept. 15, shirtless and wearing a blue bandana, the energy soared. The crowd rushed... Read more

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Concert Preview: Goo Goo Dolls, Oct. 13, The Anthem

This Saturday, Oct. 13, The Goo Goo Dolls will bring their Dizzy Up the Girl 20th anniversary tour to The Anthem. Formed in Buffalo, New York in 1986, the Goo... Read more

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Hanging by a Finger: Free Solo Boldly Tackles Fate, Death, and Fear

In the opening shot of Free Solo, we hear Alex Honnold before we see him. As the camera ominously pans over the top of El Capitan, the 3,000 foot rock... Read more