Leisure

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

Leisure

Lichtenstein: A Retrospective redefines pop art at the NGA

In 1964, Life Magazine inquired of pop art icon Roy Lichtenstein, “Is he the worst artist in the U.S.?” While this question might seem both ironic and a moot point in the face of Lichtenstein: A Retrospective, the 15,000-square-foot exhibition now on display at the National Gallery, this query illuminates an important characteristic of Lichtenstein’s work: his uncanny ability to simultaneously “delight and outrage” in his mastery and innovation in the pop art genre.

By October 25, 2012

Leisure

Cloud Atlas passes by audiences without a silver lining

It seems Hollywood has taken the concept of past and future lives beyond the context of New Age spiritual beliefs and transferred it onto the big screen. In the overly ambitious Cloud Atlas, an epic conglomerate of stories spans 500 years and involves more characters than any reasonable person would care to count. Based on the acclaimed novel by David Mitchell, the genre-bending film involves six different plot lines that intertwine over centuries, which include a post-apocalyptic era and an Orwellian future-scape.

By October 25, 2012

Leisure

The Coupe is the perfect place to coop up with coffee

D.C.’s restaurant scene appears to have just about everything, ranging from free-range beef and specialty veggie burgers to cruelly prepared foie gras and cannibalistically raised chicken. Apart from the occasional IHOP or Denny’s, the city’s one overlooked attribute has been the dearth of 24-hour service in the area. Luckily, the creators of the Diner in Adams Morgan—one of the few non-chain restaurants of its kind—have provided a Columbia Heights-based sister restaurant that fills this terrible void.

By October 25, 2012

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Critical Voices: Titus Andronicus, Local Business

Titus Andronicus derives its name from a lesser-known Shakespeare play about bloodlust and revenge set in the final years of the Roman Empire. In keeping with this namesake, the indie-punk band never shies away from the themes of violence or aggression in their songwriting or production. Local Business, the outfit’s third album, is no different—it’s wonderfully frenetic.

By October 25, 2012

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Critical Voices: Taylor Swift, Red

Musicologists can at last sleep soundly knowing that the simmering debate over Taylor Swift’s genre has indisputably ended. Red, Swift’s fourth studio album, boasts powerful dubstep pulses, refreshingly mature themes, and a timid but not unwelcome push into instrumental experimentation, pointing to one unavoidable conclusion: the former teen country-pop star is growing up.

By October 25, 2012

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Plate of the Union: Pumpkins: Spiked and Spiced

“Life starts all over again when Starbucks starts selling pumpkin spice lattes in the fall and doesn’t fill the cup all the way to the brim on account of all that God-damned whipped cream, Daisy.”

By October 25, 2012

Leisure

You’ve got issues: Dear Emlyn, Put a sock in it

Dear Emlyn, So there’s this guy. I really like him, and he’s established in multiple ways that he likes me, but he’s failing to take our attracted-friends relationship any further. This weekend, he’s going to be dressing up for Halloween as a really slutty Scarecrow, with some of his friends going as slutty Tin Man and Lion. They also have a Dorothy, which is some other girl--a.k.a. not me. I feel really jealous that he’s not mine, and he’s going to be going around strutting his stuff and I can’t even be a part of their group. What do I do? —Unsexy Dorothy :(

By October 24, 2012

Leisure

Don’t be smashed while watching Ponsoldt’s Smashed

Heartbreak and alcoholism are placed in front of a crystal-clear lens in James Ponsoldt’s Smashed. All too real, Smashed follows Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s increasingly sober Kate as she comes to terms with her alcoholism at a pace that mirrors the arduous 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program in which she enlists. Weaving together elements of a rom-com with those of a serious drama, the film operates on the wave of recent years’ sadcore comedies like 50/50 and Funny People. This fresh, composed film will have viewers reconvening with their own lives as they amble out of the cinema, saying, “Damn, I’m glad that’s not me.”

By October 18, 2012

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Mask & Bauble makes history with The History Boys

The most effective litmus test for a fantastic play is often the most basic. Every audience member responds differently, and many will walk away with few lasting impressions of the couple of hours they just spent in a darkened room, watching actors flit across the stage for their entertainment. It’s rare that someone walks away with anything more enduring from that experience - it’s only the greatest plays that have this effect, the ones worth remembering.

By October 18, 2012

Leisure

Bronx emulates N.Y. pizza in D.C.

New Yorkers take pizza seriously. Aware of this, Mike Cordero, a Bronx native, aims to introduce the D.C. area to the classic pizza he grew up with with his new restaurant, Bronx Pizza and Subs. Though part of an overcrowded pizza market in Clarendon, Bronx Pizza clings to its New York roots in everything it does, from the décor to the dough, proving to DMV residents why Domino’s just doesn’t cut it for the prize of a premium pie.

By October 18, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: ZZ Ward, Til The Casket Drops

“I wear a fedora to pay homage to those artists that inspired me,” explains L.A.-based singer-songwriter Zsuzsanna Ward. Growing up in the tranquil town of Roseburg, Ore., Ward was influenced by influenced by an eclectic group of artists, ranging from blues legends Big Mama Thornton and Muddy Waters to Jay-Z. As a result, Til The Casket Drops is a funky amalgamation of hip-hop-laced blues and soul that borders on perfection.

By October 18, 2012

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Critical Voices: K’naan, Country, God, Or The Girl

Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar rap of the struggle in Compton, Nas and Jay-Z speak of their incredible journeys growing up with nothing in the streets of New York, and Rick Ross illustrates his rough life as a modern-day hustling gangster. But not one of these prolific artists can touch rapper K’naan’s intriguing past. The creator of Country, God, or the Girl hails from Mogadishu, Somalia, where he lived through a bloody civil war.

By October 18, 2012

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Idiot Box: Politics: Only okay if it’s on TV

For the past few months, I have been systematically hiding the posts of certain Facebook friends from my newsfeed for one reason—it’s an election year, and slews of college students from all sides of the political spectrum with access to HuffPo or Fox News think they’re top political analysts. I can’t stand it. So, when I was scrolling through my feed the other day and saw that a libertarian acquaintance of mine had posted a picture of a campaign poster, I almost hit the “hide” button immediately. But I chuckled audibly once I read the actual text on the blue-and-red picture: Ron Swanson 2012.

By October 18, 2012

Leisure

Haute Mess: “Haute Mess” knows best

Dear Neha and Julian, The other day I was walking down M Street wearing my salmon chinos, a white button-down, and green loafers. Everyone stared me down and I felt like Dorothy in the land of Oz. Even though it’s already fall, can I still wear my pastels and brights? Is this a faux pas? - Anonymous

By October 18, 2012

Leisure

Talking tough with Wire writer George Pelecanos

While working at his father’s D.C. diner as a teenager during the ‘70s, writer George Pelecanos had already identified a physical line of segregation between urban city dwellers. Referring to the diner’s counter as a tangible barrier between the working class—the immigrants and minorities—and the paying customers who were mostly white professionals, Pelecanos could see a microcosm of society within the confines of an unassuming small business.

By October 11, 2012

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Artists retell history at National Gallery’s Shock of the News

“Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray / South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio.”

By October 11, 2012

Leisure

Taste of DC: The battle for the culinary crown

On Columbus Day, I ventured to Pennsylvania Avenue and scouted out some of D.C.’s best culinary offerings at the 2012 “Taste of DC” festival. More than 50 of the District’s top restaurants opened small stands and sold specialty items from their menus. The plethora of options made it difficult to choose between all the enticing flavors. Not surprisingly, I was “that guy” who walked back and forth in search of the most appetizing entrees, surveying unique food that expanded both my palate and my cultural horizons.

By October 11, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Script, #3

As a judge on The Voice UK, The Script front man Danny O’Donoghue ought to fully understand the difference between passable music and efforts that don’t quite measure up. Unfortunately, this logical assumption does not hold; the London-based outfit swung for the fences and grounded into third on its arrogantly entitled LP #3.

By October 11, 2012

Leisure

Critical Voices: Ellie Goulding, Halcyon

If Ke$ha embodies the crass and gaudy character of American electropop, singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding brings a British sensibility and sensitivity to the genre, asserting that, in the words of Downton Abbey’s Lady Grantham, “vulgarity is no substitute for wit.” In her sophomore release, Halcyon, Ellie Goulding showcases her strength as a subdued vocalist, building upon her recognizable brand of synthetic, high-energy folktronica. Lyrically, however, the album lacks originality and fails to channel Goulding’s voice into anything more than sweet, medium-paced dance records—a style she’s already perfected.

By October 11, 2012

Leisure

You’ve got issues: Breakfast at Tombs

Dear Emlyn, I’m a sophomore and it’s housing selection time for me. I live in Southwest Quad with one of my friends from freshman year, but this semester we haven’t been that close and even disagree pretty frequently. I don’t want to live with him next year, but I don’t really know how to break the news. Advice? -Gloomy Roomie

By October 11, 2012