Leisure

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

Leisure

Concert Preview: BADBADNOTGOOD, September 17, 9:30 Club

Jazz has a long history of persevering as other genres eclipse its popularity and adapting itself to fit alongside the dominant cultural trend. With rap’s recent move to be the... Read more

By September 11, 2017

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Concert Preview: Nick Murphy, September 11, 9:30 Club

Under the moniker of Chet Faker, Nick Murphy forged a bold path in indie pop with his EP Thinking In Textures (2012) and debut album Built on Glass (2014). Balancing... Read more

By September 5, 2017

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Critical Voices: Pinact, The Part That No One Knows

Marking their first work as a newly minted trio, The Part That No One Knows is Pinact’s second album under the Brooklyn-based record company Kanine Records. With the addition of... Read more

By September 4, 2017

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REVIVAL: A Spectacle of the Unsettling

What does it mean to bring to life the suppressed truths of human nature and force them to the forefront of perception? The effect is unsettling, inspiring. The 16 female... Read more

By August 30, 2017

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Despite Strong Lead, Patti Cake$ is Nothing New

Fluorescent green light cuts through billowing smoke as producer O-Z (Sahr Ngaujah) introduces Patti (Danielle MacDonald) — Killa P — onstage. The crowd roars with approval as Patti ambles onstage.... Read more

By August 30, 2017

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Concert Preview: The Districts, August 18, 9:30 Club

Fresh off the release of their third studio album, Popular Manipulations, the Districts are headed to the 9:30 club for a show on Friday, August 18. The Philadelphia-based rock band’s... Read more

By August 16, 2017

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Critical Voices: Arcade Fire, Everything Now

During the past few months, there were indications that Arcade Fire was nearing the brink of a 2007-Britney-Spears style meltdown. In addition to developing a tendency to refer to their... Read more

By August 14, 2017

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Despite Big Names, The Dark Tower Lacks Development and Excitement

Films with child leads don’t always do well at gaining adult audiences. Director Nikolaj Arcel’s The Dark Tower hit theaters on August 4 and has already attracted large audiences, likely... Read more

By August 12, 2017

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Concert Review: Tank and The Bangas, July 21, Songbyrd Music House

The must-watch video that won Tank and The Bangas NPR’s 2017 Tiny Desk Contest offers just a fraction of the contagious energy they brought to their concert at Adams Morgan’s... Read more

By August 5, 2017

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Concert Preview: Petit Biscuit, August 2, 9:30 Club

With his first EP out last year, 17-year old French Moroccan DJ Petit Biscuit continues his international tour at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on August 2. Petit Biscuit’s... Read more

By July 31, 2017

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Dunkirk is a Tense, Beautifully Rendered Struggle to Survive

Five young men roam the empty, eerily quiet streets of Dunkirk, catching flyers slowing falling from the sky that read “We surround you.” One young man carefully reaches through the... Read more

By July 31, 2017

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Concert Preview: John Legend, July 25, Merriweather Post Pavilion

In celebration of his latest album, Darkness and Light, John Legend continues his international tour at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Camden, MD on July 25. The album, released in December of... Read more

By July 25, 2017

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Born from Quirky Comedy, Brigsby Bear is Warm and Fuzzy

Brigsby Bear Adventures — an off-kilter mishmash of Teletubbies and Barney — is such a constant in the life of 25-year-old James (Kyle Mooney) it borders on a religion. Day... Read more

By July 24, 2017

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Concert Preview: Belle & Sebastian, Spoon, Andrew Bird, July 30, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Belle & Sebastian, Spoon, and Andrew Bird will co-headline a show at Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 30. Belle & Sebastian and Spoon may seem like unlikely co-headliners; one hails... Read more

By July 24, 2017

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Concert Preview: alt-J, July 27, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Cambridge-based pop band alt-J rose to meteoric success in 2012 with their debut album, An Awesome Wave. The album claimed its place on the UK’s Top 20 and the band... Read more

By July 24, 2017

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Spider-Man: Homecoming Gets Caught in Its Own Web

When a film gets a character as right as Spider-Man: Homecoming gets Peter Parker, it can go a long way towards making a great movie. There’s no doubt that Homecoming’s... Read more

By July 19, 2017

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Concert Preview: Amadou & Mariam, July 20, 9:30 Club

With new music expected later this year, Malian musical duo Amadou & Mariam continue their international tour at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on July 20. The album, titled... Read more

By July 17, 2017

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Concert Preview: Hans Zimmer Live, July 21, Merriweather Post Pavilion

With Christopher Nolan’s new film Dunkirk hitting theaters, there may not be a better time to experience “Hans Zimmer Live,” a live performance of the eponymous film composer’s various film... Read more

By July 17, 2017

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Critical Voices: HAIM, Something To Tell You

There is an unabashed air of hurt throughout Something To Tell You. It weaves its way through each song, going deep in some places, while rising to the surface in... Read more

By July 14, 2017

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Peter Frampton and Steve Miller Band Made the Crowd “Dance, Dance, Dance” All Night Long at Merriweather Post Pavilion

The crowd ranged from sixty-something year old queens dancing without a care in the world to edgy teenagers who felt like they should have been born in the ‘60s; it varied... Read more

By July 10, 2017