Leisure

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

Leisure

Concert Review: Blind Pilot, Rams Head Live!, Feb. 4

Blind Pilot played to an enthusiastic crowd at their show at Rams Head Live in Baltimore on Feb. 4. The Portland-based group’s music does not fall squarely in the category... Read more

By February 16, 2017

Leisure

CV: The Radio Dept., Running Out of Love

Amid global political turmoil, relentless violence, and perpetual uncertainty, it’s tempting to avert one’s gaze, but The Radio Dept. has taken a courageous step to face these challenges head-on with... Read more

By February 15, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: Homeshake, Fresh Air

Homeshake’s new album Fresh Air uses a blend of traditional guitar, electronic sounds and everyday noises such as footsteps to produce an album fit for chilling out and clearing your... Read more

By February 15, 2017

Leisure

CV: Kehlani, SweetSexySavage

Kehlani may be best known for her prior collaborations with Chance the Rapper and BJ The Chicago Kid on her album You Should Be Here (2015); but SweetSexySavage is the... Read more

By February 13, 2017

Leisure

CV: Sampha, Process

Sampha Sisay’s debut album has been a long time coming. The South London singer-songwriter has recently collaborated with big names such as Drake, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Solange. But every... Read more

By February 13, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: Original Broadway Cast, Dear Evan Hansen

Broadway is no stranger to bringing complicated and often taboo issues into the spotlight. From RENT, an honest examination of living with AIDS in New York City, to Next to... Read more

By February 13, 2017

Leisure

Critical Voices: P.O.S, Chill, dummy

P.O.S, born Stefon Alexander, wears his punk influence on his sleeve, opening his newest album Chill, dummy with a weighty electric guitar bassline and growling vocals, as he lays claim to his bold and... Read more

By February 11, 2017

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