Leisure

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

Leisure

Putnam’s Spelling Bee will change your weltanschauung

A story about six pre-pubescent spelling bee contestants is not exactly an intuitive subject for a musical. But it is precisely the quirky idiosyncrasies of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee that make it such an appealing success. Satirizing the pressure-filled childhoods of middle school overachievers, it tells the simple tale of a county spelling bee while simultaneously capturing the growth of all its individual contestants. Filled with sharp comedy, much of which is improvised, Spelling Bee will have its audiences both falling off their chairs and pondering how to spell the names of obscure South American rodents.

By February 16, 2012

Leisure

Strathmore pays tribute to Ellington, and all that jazz

“I’m not going to do justice to Duke Ellington tonight in just one lecture,” speaker Rusty Hassan said to the audience on Monday evening. This two-hour session was just one part of a series taking place at the Mansion at Strathmore Hall in celebration of the life and music of the world-renowned jazz composer, arranger, pianist, and Washingtonian. The series, entitled the Discover Ellington Festival, runs from the Feb. 3 to 20 and focuses on the “African-American Aesthetic,” making this praiseworthy celebration all the more appropriate during Black History Month.

By February 16, 2012

Leisure

To beef or not to beef?

After the carnivorous barbeque overload of D.C.’s Meat Week, the District’s all-veggie alternative, Meat-Free Week, began its third annual celebration this Monday. The festival challenges meat-eaters to try new diets, and record crowds show up to trade their bacon for Boca Burgers.

By February 16, 2012

Leisure

God Mode: This money’s Double Fine

There is a rare class of entertainers who could ask their fans for cash and raise over $1 million in less than 24 hours. It would take a gravity-shifting megastar to generate that kind of outpouring of support, someone with a cultish following like Oprah or Justin Bieber—or, apparently, Tim Schafer.

By February 16, 2012

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Blast that Box: Decent lyrics? That shit cray.

Detractors say rap is the bane of the music industry, inciting youth to worship talentless frauds that can neither sing nor craft lyrical greatness. I have one response to this criticism—really, who cares? Hip-hop can be hilarious. Delving into the shittiest lyrics on the market gives us a tragic and comical look at the failures and successes of some of the most popular artists’ attempts at lyrical ingenuity. The amusement listeners get from dissecting the lines of their favorite goofy rapper is a perfectly legitimate reason for listening.

By February 16, 2012

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Critical Voices: Yuksek, Living on the Edge of Time

Frenchman Pierre-Alexandre Busson, Yuksek’s sole member, admitted that the majority of songs on his romantic Living on the Edge of Time, released on Valentine’s Day, were written all alone in between the wings of a plane or above winding train tracks. As such, the album often comes off a little solemn. The opening lines of “On a Train,” sung out in a Wombats-style Britpop accent, are sad a self-deprecating: “Thanks, I’m fine, but I’ve nothing to give.” With a tone like this, Yuksek’s sophomore official release brings the new era of dance-pop music a darker, TV on the Radio-esqe twist.

By February 16, 2012

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Critical Voices: Tennis, Young and Old

For today’s indie bands, the risk of drowning in a sea of synthesizers and hipster criticism is all too real. Any wrong move results in uncompromising irrelevance, which is followed by the immediate rise of another, similar band to fill the void. Luckily, Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, the husband/wife duo that makes up Tennis, have not succumbed to this fate. A career that began on a seven-month sailing expedition along the eastern coast of the United States has begun to blossom into a powerful act which attracted the likes of the Black Keys’ Patrick Carney, who produced the more professional Young and Old.

By February 16, 2012

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Denzel brings down the Safe House

Even when chased by big men with big guns and big cars, Denzel Washington keeps his cool. The actor characteristically brings depth to Daniel Espinosa’s Safe House, the director’s first English-language blockbuster. Starring Ryan Reynolds as a new-to-the-game CIA safe house monitor, and Washington as a rogue agent who ends up under Reynolds’ surveillance, the film sets itself up for sufficiently clever dialogue and often compelling dynamics. By refusing to stick to one genre, Safe House proves a through-and-through action film with the taste of a thriller and the insight of movies that would otherwise hold themselves to a higher artistic standard.

By February 9, 2012

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Pina dances to life in 3D

3D film seems an odd choice of medium for a tribute to a choreographer. But for director Wim Wender’s tribute to choreographer and dancer Pina Bausch, this effect proves a stunning, effective tool. The ode to the late German choreographer features exquisitely beautiful modern dance numbers and the talent of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch dancers. Both a celebration of Bausch’s life and an experimentation in 3D film, dance and cinema enthusiasts alike are sure to enjoy Wender’s Pina.

By February 9, 2012

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Weeping for the next generation of art

At first glance, the Contemporary Wing’s venue for its “Next Generation” exhibit appears to be a lone warehouse, surrounded by a gritty combination of chain link fences and forgotten furniture. Boasting a compilation of work by 12 upcoming artists selected by the seasoned masters of the Corcoran’s “30 Americans” collection, this offbeat setting was clearly chosen with edgy content in mind. The pairing of “Next Gen” artists and chain link fences, however, falls flat given the lack of substance in the exhibit itself.

By February 9, 2012

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Trash Talk: America ain’t got talent

On Sunday night, American TV viewers witnessed a clash of titans, as NBC brought together the best of the best in a test of raw talent and unbridled passion. Oh yeah, and the Super Bowl was great too.

By February 9, 2012

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Box Office, Baby! Kindergarten commentary

“This scene is unbelievable because my frustration about this taxi cab does not understand where I want to go.” These words were mangled together by two-term governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, who evolved from iron-pumper into action star before he started signing bills. And, if more than 20 people had watched the DVD commentary of his film Total Recall before his election bid, lines like this one could have single-handedly sabotaged his run for office. If only the people of California had known that they were casting their ballots for a man wholly incapable of making a routine DVD commentary track.

By February 9, 2012

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Critical Voices: The Fray, Scars & Stories

Isaac Slade, the lead singer of the Fray, claims that Scars & Stories, the group’s latest release, embodies a “more aggressive” lyrical approach to their music. This might seem strange, given that the group is known for its roots in Christian rock. And while the lyrics do sound more emotionally charged than those in albums past, the band’s continued use of piano as the lead instrument diminishes the potential effect of their newly powerful verses. In spite of this loss of lyrical potential, this new album is the Fray’s most successful LP to date.

By February 9, 2012

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Critical Voices: Dierks Bentley, Home

Amid Dierks Bentley’s newest tracks, the country star’s daughter makes an unexpected yet heartwarming appearance on his latest album, Home. Taken from a voicemail left by his three-year-old daughter for her touring father, the clip features her singing a verse of “Thinking of You” along with an acoustic guitar. Well known for his party songs, Bentley’s inclusion of his daughter in this album points to a turn toward family life in the artist’s career.

By February 9, 2012

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Sparking Infatuation with The Bi(g) Life

“A Wilde man once said, ‘A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.’” Spoken with sincerity, this line guides The Bi(g) Life, featuring two dreamers who share with the audience their identities and individual visions of the world as they grapple with the heavy social issues of sexuality and body image.

By February 2, 2012

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Kabombing fine dining

If you were to try one of Red Fire Grill Kabob’s signature dishes at an event, or somewhere outside of their M St. shop, you might enjoy it. Sure, it is not a gourmet kabob, but for a chain restaurant, the food is decent, and maybe even enjoyable. The basmati rice is well seasoned, and the fresh baked bread complements the chicken, beef and lamb kabobs—which sadly give the impression of being overcooked and reheated—nicely.

By February 2, 2012

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Caught defenseless against the dark arts

Although Daniel Radcliffe’s brooding face graces posters for The Woman in Black, viewers hoping to find Harry Potter magic in the film are setting themselves up for sore disappointment—the only essence of Hogwarts to be gotten from this film is its foggy intro and outro. But if you’ve been hankering for a creepy, British haunted house film that will give you more than two jumps, then The Woman in Black will deliver. Like Paranormal Activity, it is the kind of film to see with an easily frightened friend and a bag of well-buttered popcorn. And although its trailer sells the movie as a nuanced, psychological thriller, the film is simple, spooky, and fun. Going in with horror movie expectations rather than high hopes for Radcliffe’s budding career will leave you satisfied instead of disgruntled.

By February 2, 2012

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Picasso masterfully maneuvers his pencil

According to his mother, Pablo Picasso’s first word was “piz,” a shortening of the Spanish word for “pencil.” And although his legacy is as the co-founder of cubism and creator of such groundbreaking paintings as “Guernica,” a new exhibit of his work at the National Gallery of Art demonstrates his power with that most basic of artistic tools. “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition,” on display through May 6, explores the evolution of the artist’s style as he instigated the rise of a revolutionary movement.

By February 2, 2012

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Blast that Box: The old me’s dead and gone

Every rapper’s favorite tagline seems to be that the game is always changing. However, I doubt 1988 Ice Cube, having just released the massively influential album Straight Outta Compton, would ever have believed that he would go on to create family fodder like the 2005 kiddie roadtrip film Are We There Yet? In the 24 years since his N.W.A. classic, Ice Cube underwent the amazing development from gangsta rapper to cuddly movie father figure.

By February 2, 2012

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God Mode: Doppel-gamers

Ever since arcade games first started sucking down people’s quarters, video games have allowed players to create alternate identities. But we’ve come a long way since Pac-Man limited your digital persona to three letters on a scoreboard.

By February 2, 2012