Leisure

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

Leisure

Best of 2016: Music

1.) Coloring Book, Chance the Rapper In five short years, Chance has released three mixtapes, a collaborative album, and has been featured in the work of various musicians. Even within this impressive... Read more

By the December 2, 2016

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Best of 2016: Movies

1.) Zootopia Zootopia includes effective humor, impactful themes, and introduces a beautiful, immersive environment to boot. The film follows Judy Hopps’s move to the city of Zootopia where she attempts to... Read more

By , , , , , , , and December 2, 2016

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An Energetic Return: Good Charlotte at Echostage, 11/16

After breaking their four-year hiatus with a four show mini-tour earlier this year, Good Charlotte performed at Echostage on Nov. 16. The Youth Authority tour featured both Good Charlotte and... Read more

By November 28, 2016

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We Can Love: The Paper Kites at U Street Music Hall, 11/17

The Paper Kites, a folk-rock band from Melbourne, Australia, did not disappoint in the second show of their current month-long tour. Playing to a small yet spirited crowd at the... Read more

By November 28, 2016

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Critical Voices: Metallica, Hardwired…To Self Destruct

Metallica has taken teenage angst and made it a lifestyle choice as the band members, all around 50 years old, continue to create heavy metal music with no clear intentions... Read more

By November 26, 2016

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We got it from Here: Hip-hop’s First Response to Trump’s America

It had been 18 years since hip-hop pioneers A Tribe Called Quest released their last album. But last week, just three days after the election, Tribe gave us the first... Read more

By November 24, 2016

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In with the Old: Fantastic Beasts a Welcome Addition to Rowling’s Wizarding World

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a sort of prequel to the Harry Potter mega-franchise that is home to eight films that grossed a collective $7.7 billion, but... Read more

By November 23, 2016

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Suitcase Paintings: Unpacking Nature on Canvas

Suitcase Paintings, a collection by artist Kate McConnell on display at the Touchstone Gallery, is a vibrant, dream-like expression of nature and travel, consisting of works that McConnell painted outdoors... Read more

By November 18, 2016

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Critical Voices: OG Maco, For Scott

OG Maco, a prolific underground MC who shot to the spotlight with his 2014 track, “U Guessed It,” has an unexpected pair of role models: Black Sabbath and Kid Cudi.... Read more

By November 18, 2016

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Nocturnal Animals Weaves a Tangled, Stunning Web

The women — corpulent, naked, and defiantly at ease — gyrate in slow-motion to haunting strings from composer Abel Korzeniowski, waving sparklers as the opening credits for Tom Ford’s Nocturnal... Read more

By November 18, 2016

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Critical Voices: DNCE, DNCE

DNCE’s self-titled debut album, set to be released on Nov. 18, is an upbeat expression of shameless individuality and optimism, fitting for the emergence of a band comprised of Joe... Read more

By November 18, 2016

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Wind Me Up, Maria! Surprises and Delights at The Gonda Theater

A combination of talented actors, live music, and a witty script, Wind Me Up, Maria! A Go-Go Musical is an amusing modern day take on The Sound of Music. The... Read more

By November 14, 2016

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Need Not Apply: Beatty’s Rules is Strange Fun

Billionaire Howard Hughes’ eccentricity was known to be legendary, stranger than fiction even, and capturing it on screen has led to mixed but mostly entertaining results. With the arrival of... Read more

By November 14, 2016

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Concert Preview: Two Door Cinema Club, Nov. 17 Echostage

Irish indie-pop trio Two Door Cinema Club is back with the release of their latest album, Gameshow, which premiered last month. Gameshow is the band’s third album to date and... Read more

By November 11, 2016

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An Irishman, Hip-Hop, and a Folky Soul: James Vincent McMorrow at 9:30 Club

James Vincent McMorrow delivered a performance nothing short of spiritual at the 9:30 Club on Nov. 9. Although the audience did not fill the entire venue, his set was both... Read more

By November 11, 2016

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Concert Preview: Good Charlotte, Nov. 17, Echostage

Although they’ve gone through a couple of roster changes since, forming in 1996. Good Charlotte began as four high school friends from Waldorf, Maryland, fronted by twin brothers Benji and... Read more

By November 10, 2016

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Critical Voices: A$AP Mob, The Cozy Tapes Vol. 1

The death of A$AP Yams in early 2015 continues to play a defining role in rap collective, A$AP Mob’s artistic expression, and the coziest crew in the rap game has... Read more

By November 9, 2016

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Moana, an Exciting Change in the Disney Formula

Three years after the cultural phenomenon that was Frozen, Disney’s newest “princess” movie isn’t about a princess at all. It’s about a chief, perhaps the first female in her village... Read more

By November 8, 2016

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Doctor Strange Has Dimensionality

The trope of the arrogant, assholish genius is one familiar to both Benedict Cumberbatch and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Both actor and movie empire have thrived because of the archetype,... Read more

By November 7, 2016

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Hacksaw Ridge Looks for God in Hell

Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson, tells the story of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Private Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield). Doss, a conscientious objector to violence, heroically saves the lives... Read more

By November 7, 2016