Leisure

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

Leisure

Critical Voices: DREAMERS, This Album Does Not Exist

DREAMERS embody just about everything that defines an indie band, from their bold, pop-rock sound and to their upbeat acceptance of failures. Their debut This Album Does Not Exist (2016)... Read more

By February 11, 2017

Leisure

CV: Train, a girl a bottle a boat

The title of Train’s newest album, a girl a bottle a boat, reflects the band’s excessive effort to appeal to pop trends, but hardly matches the album’s actual emotions in... Read more

By February 7, 2017

Leisure

Preview: Story District’s Sucker for Love-A Valentine’s Day Special

In theory, all you need is an audience, a mic, and a way with words to be in the business of telling stories. Formally known as SpeakeasyDC, Story District joins... Read more

By February 7, 2017

Leisure

Rings Satisfies Newcomers and Old Fans of the Cult Classic Alike

After fans of the The Ring (2002) waited for 15 years for a sequel to settle The Ring’s uneasy aftertaste, the sequel Rings succeeds in satisfying audiences. The movie opens... Read more

By February 7, 2017

Leisure

CV: Kidz Bop, Kidz Bop 34

“Kidz Bop 34” is the mind-boggling 34th offering from the children’s music brand. Created in 2001 as some sort of elaborate device for making prisoners talk, Kidz Bop has been... Read more

By and February 6, 2017

Leisure

CV: Migos, Culture

For a group that both invented the dab and subsequently declared it dead, it took Migos quite a while to get their big break. Migos’ revival of Memphis legend Lord... Read more

By February 3, 2017

Leisure

CV: Ty Segall, Ty Segall

Ty Segall has been one of the most prolific musicians in the rock scene for the last decade, but he isn’t the best at coming up with original album titles.... Read more

By February 3, 2017

Leisure

A Wonderful Reimagining: The Phantom Tollbooth Captures the Magic of a Childhood Classic

When people think of the books they loved as a child, they often imagine far away, make-believe lands with a wide array of magical characters and subtle, yet often profound,... Read more

By February 3, 2017

Leisure

Despite Its Compelling Scandal, Gold Falls Flat

Any scandal should be the perfect recipe for a compelling drama, and Gold is based on one of the greatest frauds in history, the 1993 Bre-X mining scandal. This is... Read more

By February 3, 2017

Features

Sofar, So Good: Uncovering D.C.’s Pop-Up Concert Scene

A crowd of people file into WeWork, a trendy office coworking space in DuPont Circle, on a Wednesday evening. Chattering amongst themselves and opening up their wine and beer bottles,... Read more

By February 2, 2017

Leisure

The Red Turtle is a Poignant, Artful Vignette of Life

In the beginning, you hover above the turmoil of dark, crashing waves and are thrown under the moving ocean. You watch a bearded man desperately try to claw his way... Read more

By January 30, 2017

Leisure

Split: Back to Form

M. Night Shyamalan’s movies are known for their twists. Looking at his résumé, it is not hard to see why audiences have come to expect that final, shocking revelation that... Read more

By and January 27, 2017

Leisure

Concert Preview: White Lies, Feb. 1, 9:30 Club

Formerly well-known for adhering to a distinctly post-punk style, the English trio White Lies has begun to branch out from their limited frame in their latest album, Friends Harry McVeigh,... Read more

By January 26, 2017

Leisure

Concert Preview: G. Love and Special Sauce, Jan. 29, 9:30 Club

In a music industry saturated with overproduced and unsatisfying pop tunes, G. Love and Special Sauce keeps it old school. Although the three-man combo group has come quite a way... Read more

By January 24, 2017

Leisure

Americana Dream: The Founder Details McDonald’s Cutthroat Origins

Pursuits of the American Dream — successful or otherwise — litter our nation’s films, but rarely does the success story make you cringe. With The Founder, director John Lee Hancock... Read more

By January 23, 2017

Leisure

Evenings at the Edge Offers an Exciting New Spin to the National Gallery’s Art

On Jan. 12th from 6-9 pm, the National Gallery of Art buzzed with an energy imperceptible during its regular hours. Glowing tables, thumping music, and dim lighting all added to... Read more

By January 22, 2017

Leisure

Toni Erdmann Explores the Touching, Quirky Relationship between Father and Daughter

German director Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann is one of the boldest films of the year. Built on witty dialogue, bombastic set pieces, and great performances by its lead actors, it... Read more

By January 22, 2017

Leisure

The xx Return with Bold Minimalism in I See You

The xx simultaneously developed and contradicted their established style with the release of their new album I See You. The band has been described as “minimalist” and “shy” by their... Read more

By January 20, 2017

Leisure

Immortalizing Tragedy: Patriots Day Tells the Whole Story

Director Peter Berg’s Patriots Day covers every aspect of the 2013 attack. It shows the before, during and after and follows the survivors, the police and FBI, the bombers, and... Read more

By January 19, 2017

Leisure

A First Glimpse at Ed Sheeran’s Newest Album

In the early hours of New Year’s Day the Internet was buzzing with the news that Ed Sheeran had already saved 2017. He had posted a nine second video to... Read more

By January 10, 2017