Leisure

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

Leisure

Day Tripper: Ah, she’s got a ticket to ride

Travel. Traveling. Traveler. The word and its variations conjure up images of exploration, adventure, boundless personal growth. Marco Polo—now he was a traveler! That lady who wrote Eat, Pray, Love—she... Read more

By January 23, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: Young the Giant, Mind over Matter

“It’s about time,” Sameer Gadhia screams in the lead single of Young the Giant’s new work, Mind Over Matter, reflecting my thoughts regarding the lack of new music from one... Read more

By January 23, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes

In his new LP High Hopes, Bruce Springsteen continues his role in being a recorder of the bleak and the joyous moments of life in America. Springsteen’s albums since the... Read more

By January 23, 2014

Leisure

A Mouthful of Birds gives audiences something to chew on

Dionysus conjures the image of a smiling man with a flowing black beard, passing around grapes and dancing through the forest. As the Greek god of wine, festivities, and theater,... Read more

By January 16, 2014

Leisure

Bridging the Gibraltar, Catch 15 hits DC

A sensational mix of Spanish and Moroccan, the Mediterranean wares of Catch 15 will hook the most elegant of tastes. You can find it just a block from the Farragut... Read more

By January 16, 2014

Leisure

Ralph Fiennes’s The Invisible Woman, a tale of two biddies

Some imagine Charles Dickens sitting in front of a Victorian desk, armed with quill and parchment, creating his masterpieces. A few might even envision him reciting sections of his work... Read more

By January 16, 2014

Leisure

Eating Out: Slow and steady eating

“It’s ze power of ze chocolat, no?” the French stranger asked me. I had just dropped a heavy jar of chocolate spread on the table with a massive clatter, and... Read more

By January 16, 2014

Leisure

Deadbeats: Don’t sell yourself short

I really like Brand New. No, that’s an understatement. I worship Brand New. I started listening to them in the middle of high school, and they form the basis of... Read more

By January 16, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: Burial, Rival Dealer

“This is who I am,” the first vocal sample of the EP resonates.  Six years after his album, Untrue, was crowned the best album of 2007 (based on aggregate reviews),... Read more

By January 16, 2014

Leisure

Critical Voices: Switchfoot, Fading West

It’s understandable if you don’t remember Switchfoot. After all, it has been ten years since they released that song, “Dare you to moooove!” In their newest release, Fading West, Switchfoot... Read more

By January 16, 2014

Leisure

Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? Chomsky doesn’t know

Noam Chomsky, linguist at the Massachusetts Institue of Technology and notable political activist, is often considered one of the finest thinkers alive. Michel Gondry, director of Eternal Sunshine of the... Read more

By December 5, 2013

Leisure

In/Finite Earth exhibits artistic expression

When I think of artists with disabilities, I tend to imagine Chuck Close, photorealist artist paralyzed from the waist down, or any other artist with the kind of disability I... Read more

By December 5, 2013

Leisure

New restaurant Rialto brings Venetian flare to M Street

Named after a famous Venetian bridge, Rialto is a welcoming new Georgetown restaurant, fittingly situated a short walk away from C&O Canal. The decor is eclectic, mixing simple wooden tables... Read more

By December 5, 2013

Leisure

Under the Covers: De la Pava in the buff

Just like all evocative art, really amazing books are impossible to describe. One of those novels is A Naked Singularity, the story of Casi, a 20-year old public defender who... Read more

By December 5, 2013

Leisure

Day Tripper: I won’t be home for Christmas

Spending the holidays with family is a blessing, but there is something magical about experiencing celebrations immersed in another culture. Chances are that while traveling, you’ll find yourself celebrating one... Read more

By December 5, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Boston, Life, Love & Hope

In the 11 years since Boston last released an album, the band has undergone many changes, with the death of their lead singer, Brad Delp, and the addition of new... Read more

By December 5, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones, Foreverly

It’s not every day you have Green Day’s frontman and Ravi Shankar’s daughter getting together to a record an album, but that’s exactly what happened with Foreverly. The LP is... Read more

By December 5, 2013

Leisure

Gritty and dark, Hunger Games whets audience’s appetite

The odds are no longer in Katniss Everdeen’s favor. Darker and more raw than The Hunger Games (2012), Catching Fire captures the emotional aftermath of Katniss’ Hunger Games win and the dangerous ripples of rebellion coursing through Panem.

By November 20, 2013

Leisure

Forget Lululemon, Smithsonian’s yoga exhibit makes you stretch

Sounds become muffled and a silence descends as you walk down the stairs at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery and enter Yoga: The Art of Transformation. Glowing chakras on the floor form a winding path that beckons you in to wander through the art.

By November 20, 2013

Leisure

At National Gallery, all that glitters is gold

“Do you see those eyes in the angel’s wings? I’ve looked around the rest of the pattern, and it’s only here. Do you know what it means?” a stranger asked me.

By November 20, 2013