Leisure

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



Leisure

Concert Review: Adult Mom, Feb. 13, Songbyrd

On Feb. 13, Adult Mom played the final show of their two-week long tour at The Songbyrd Record Cafe and Music House. With opening acts by Field Medic and Chris... Read more

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Concert Preview: Kelela, March 1, 9:30 Club

Fresh from her critically-acclaimed debut studio album Take Me Apart, Kelela—a D.C. native—will grace the 9:30 Club with her silky vocals and pop-flavored R&B on Thursday, Mar. 1. A second-generation... Read more

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Concert Preview: Little Big Town, March 3, The Anthem

Hot off their widely-praised performance at the 60th Grammy Awards, Little Big Town will be playing at The Anthem on Saturday, March 3rd. The buzz around this country music group... Read more

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Concert Preview: Portugal. the Man, Feb. 24, The Anthem

This Saturday, Portugal. The Man brings their pop-flavored psych rock to DC’s latest venue, The Anthem. They vaulted the alternative charts last summer with their unapologetically retro single, “Feel It... Read more

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Historic Presidential Portraits Offer Comfort, Inspiration

By now, the stunning portraits of President Barack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama are all over the internet. We’ve seen the President’s pensive gaze framed with striking green... Read more

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Concert Preview: The Oh Hellos, Feb. 21, 9:30 Club

Folksy, simple, and sincere, The Oh Hellos make music that feels as warm as it is melancholy. The band began with siblings Maggie and Tyler Health, who enlisted the help... Read more

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Joe Biden at the Anthem

In modern America, political discussion has become taboo among friends and family. The country is engulfed in a sense of division that’s unprecedented in modern political history. The US finds... Read more

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How I Got Over: A Journey from the Depths of Trauma

Trauma cuts through lives, tearing them apart and leaving individuals struggling to put the pieces back together. For Washington-based artist Adrienne Gaither, recovery from trauma is like art: both are... Read more

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Deep Dive into Parallel Universe

Parallel Universe, ARTECHOUSE’s most recent exhibit presented in partnership with the Turkish art group Ouchhh, is a hypnotic fusion of art and technology defined by its endless dichotomies. Black and... Read more

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COIN has Spark, But Misses Brilliance at the 9:30 Club

Modern indie rock has graced American airwaves for years and taken a distinct sound since the proliferation of groups like the Lumineers, Vampire Weekend, and Imagine Dragons. In many ways,... Read more

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Something Rotten! is Infectious, Breezy Fluff

For much of the first act of Something Rotten!—the Tony-nominated musical comedy about two Renaissance-era brothers who can’t seem to escape William Shakespeare’s long shadow—our playwright protagonist Nick Bottom (Rob... Read more

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Preview: Pod Save the People, Feb. 18, Lincoln Theater

Hosted by civil rights activist and organizer DeRay McKesson, Pod Save the People provides sanity and direction for those of us who feel lost in the immensity of current events... Read more

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Concert Preview: STRFKR, Feb. 17, 9:30 Club

Despite their best attempts in choosing a name that is both anti-fame and unfit for radio broadcast, STRFKR’s unique brand of dark, indie-pop dance music has earned them a wide... Read more

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Beauty and Empathy in A Fantastic Woman

From Sebastian Lelio, the director of Gloria (2013), comes a highly anticipated movie nominated for this year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Featuring Daniela Vega, Chile’s first openly... Read more

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Black Movements Dance Theatre and The Power of Expressive Motion

At the end of her reaching arm, a single outstretched finger points up to the sky, demanding an undelivered promise. The dancer’s ascension is no solitary feat—supported by arms and... Read more

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Concert Preview: BØRNS, Feb. 13, The Anthem

BØRNS is from another world. The Michigan-born singer-songwriter has such an enchanting, lofty, unrealistically beautiful voice that hearing his music feels like a dream in another dimension. His most recent... Read more

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Concert Preview: Umphrey’s McGee, Feb. 15, The Anthem

Umphrey’s McGee has come a long way in their prolific, genre-defying career as a rock band. Despite releasing a total of nine studio albums in their twenty-year career, the band... Read more

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Concert Preview: COIN, Feb. 10, 9:30 Club

Following the release of their sophomore album How Will You Know If You Never Try (2017), COIN has built a reputation as an energetic and memorable live act, and taken... Read more

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Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Sovereignty Teaches What You Should Have Learned in American History Class

Cue the opening scene of Georgetown alumnus Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Sovereignty: A drunken white man wearing a “Make America Great Again” shirt stumbles into a Casino and hurls racial slurs... Read more

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Critical Voices: Migos, Culture II

Back in 2015, Quavo, leader and migos-est member of Migos, alerted the world “Gangsta rap is back.” This came off of Yung Rich Nation, the middle release of the YRN... Read more