Leisure

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

Leisure

CV: Big Sean, Dark Sky Paradise

For as long as Big Sean has been a household name in hip hop, it has never seemed that his body of work merits his success. Indeed, the Detroit rapper... Read more

By February 26, 2015

Leisure

CV: MisterWives, Our Own House

Gloomy, devastated love songs get flipped on their head in MisterWives’ debut album Our Own House, which turns tracks about sad upbringings and emotional breakups into lively dance anthems. The... Read more

By February 26, 2015

Leisure

American Masterworks presents a flawed, yet beautiful America

An expensively dressed woman gazes sternly through a portrait at a naked Greek sex slave statute in the center of the room. A black man being chained into slavery on... Read more

By February 19, 2015

Leisure

The Duff is not ugly or fat

The Duff, directed by Ari Sandel and based on the novel by Kody Keplinger, will bring you back to familiar moments of invisibility (and worse, unasked for visibility). The film... Read more

By and February 19, 2015

Leisure

King Hedley II claims its rightful throne

The presentation of August Wilson’s King Hedley II at the Arena Stage is, much like the play itself, daring. Hedley takes place on one stage with no props—save for the... Read more

By February 19, 2015

Leisure

AdMo’s latest Asian joint is full of BUL

BUL, Korean for “fire,” is the most recent in a series of trendy—read: caters to yuppies—Asian restaurants to open in the heart of Adams Morgan. Like other joints along this... Read more

By February 19, 2015

Leisure

Out of Control: It’s dangerous to travel alone through an uncontinous story

Like any self respecting Legend of Zelda fan, my gullet spewed rainbows when Nintendo released Hyrule Historia, their compendium of all things Triforce. And like the rest of my quasi-Kokiri... Read more

By February 19, 2015

Leisure

Reel Talk: Rom-Cons are long gone

As I spent my Valentine’s Day devouring cookies and avoiding whatever it is Fifty Shades of Grey is offering, I got to thinking about the state of romantic comedies, as... Read more

By February 19, 2015

Leisure

CV: Imagine Dragons, Smoke + Mirrors

After the rapid, unexpected success of their first album, Night Visions, Imagine Dragons set expectations for a follow-up as demanding as the illustrious anthems which dominated their debut. Their highly... Read more

By February 19, 2015

Leisure

CV: José González, Vestiges and Claws

José González’s first release in seven years, Vestiges and Claws, shows that while he may not have been in the studio since the release of the first iPhone, he has... Read more

By February 19, 2015

Leisure

Black Theater Ensemble’s That Face a bold, bed-ridden journey

“Rahhh! Euuugh! Aghh! Nooooo!” Fifteen minutes before showtime, alarming shrieks and cries ring out of the Walsh Black Box Theater. Whether this is some bizarre pre-show ritual, or last-minute practice... Read more

By February 12, 2015

Leisure

After Peacock Room’s cuisine soars

Imagine Ernest Hemingway, Jay Gatsby, and a Portland hipster collaborated to create a restaurant. Mirrors fill the room to give the illusion of a grand space within an intimate café.... Read more

By February 12, 2015

Leisure

Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Servive proves worthy of crown

Much was made of director Matthew Vaughn’s departure from X-Men: Days of Future Past in late 2012. Many wondered if his issues with Fox would stall his promising career. As... Read more

By February 12, 2015

Leisure

Under the Covers: Books should start at the beginning

Sometimes, the bits that go nowhere are the most important ones. I’ve been reading Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I know, I know. I’m about seven years... Read more

By February 12, 2015

Leisure

Deadbeats: The Persistence of Sub Genres

One of the biggest rules of the internet is “never read YouTube comments.” Often bigoted and hate-filled, YouTube comments are the world’s new-age heckling, where one can find the loudest,... Read more

By February 12, 2015

Leisure

CV: Father John Misty, I Love You, Honeybear

Father John Misty—Joshua Tillman since leaving Fleet Foxes—is not your average priest. He pushes disenchantment with love rather than a higher power. In his sophomore album, Tillman confirms his gifts... Read more

By February 12, 2015

Leisure

CV: Ricky Martin, A Quien Quiera Escuchar

No matter what language you speak, Latino pop star Ricky Martin’s latest creation is sure to strike a beat. With the release of his tenth studio album, A Quien Quiera... Read more

By February 12, 2015

Leisure

Fu’s Land of Deities leaps off the page, redefines the pop-up book

Remember your first pop-up book? The three-dimensional, brightly-colored images have the incredible power to keep young children occupied and amused for hours. Yet interestingly enough, pop-up images in books were... Read more

By February 4, 2015

Leisure

DC’s El Camino not a walk to remember

El Camino has a long road to travel until it can live up to the vibrancy and flavor of great Mexican cuisine. Although it offers an imaginative and appealing array... Read more

By February 4, 2015

Leisure

Sponge out of Water serves up the secret formula for success

Since the summer of 1999, the world has watched SpongeBob SquarePants faithfully protect the coveted Krabby Patty secret formula from the ever persistent Plankton. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of... Read more

By and February 4, 2015