Four hands, two pianos, 176 keys, 20 fingers: On the evening of Thursday, Feb. 17, Tufts’ Department of Music highlighted two of its most gifted pianists. "Doubles: Thomas Stumpf and Edith Auner, piano" showcased spectacular feats of musical skill, precision and artistry.
One of my favorite K-groups is, hands down, PLT. PLT is unique because it is not technically considered a K-pop group. PLT is labeled a project group: a few solo artists who come together every so often to make music every so often under one record label.
Banksy has become a pop culture icon. His creations have appeared throughout England and at Paris Fashion Week and are emblazoned on T-shirts and stickers — some bootleg, others genuine. While Banksy is elusive, his presence is felt globally.
Since Tool’s 2020 tour was canceled due to the pandemic, fans have been eagerly waiting for their return to live performance. On Feb. 19, the legendary metal band made their way back to Boston’s TD Garden to put on an unforgettable show for those in attendance.
A Compendium of Actors: Lady Gaga the actress?
Dungeons and Dragons campaigns usually aren’t remembered for their stories. In a game so reliant on group charisma and improvisation, there’s usually little room for the intricate storytelling seen in more plot-driven mediums like film or television to shine. But in rare cases, like with the “nerdy-ass voice actors” behind the DnD web series “Critical Role,” there’s enough pure passion put into the characters and plot to make a campaign worth some kind of remembrance. “The Legend of Vox Machina” (2022–), the new Amazon Prime animated show based on Critical Role’s first campaign, has that passion, and though it overcomes most of the hurdles in turning a DnD plot into a competent story, some tone and plot issues remain.
A delinquent, an anti-nut guest columnist and a Cabbage Patch Kid walked into Foundry On Elm in Somerville. It was a Thursday evening. The air was frigid and the weather daunting, but they had one goal in mind — French onion soup. And they were prepared to trek in any conditions, be it snow or hail or Sharknado, to fulfill their deepest desires of warming their frosty souls with a steaming bowl of salty, cheesy, gluten-filled goodness (except for the ginger girl … she doesn’t have a soul).
To celebrate the Daily this week, the arts section’s new assistant editors explain what their experience with the Dailyhas been and what it’s meant to them.
This year, Ali Wong decided to give Netflix subscribers a unique, untraditional Valentine’s Day gift with her comedy special, “Ali Wong: Don Wong" (2022). “Don Wong”marks Wong’s third Netflix comedy special in addition to her previous work with Netflix for her film, “Always Be My Maybe” (2019), and her voiceover work for the series “Big Mouth” (2017–). As in her previous specials, Wongis still sporting her red glasses and patterned dressesthat became greatly associated with her comedic image.
Every teen drama criticized for graphic portrayals of sex is met with arguments that many teenagers do have sex lives, and that these shows’ portrayals are realistic and refreshing. Although many high schoolers are indeed sexually active, the casting of adult actors by shows like "Euphoria" (2019–) and "Riverdale" (2017–) can quickly become distasteful. While I don’t believe in pearl-clutching over teenage sexuality nor in not portraying it at all, I am disturbed by Hollywood’s tendency to cast adult actors to play minors. The fine line between a realistic portrayal of teenagers and oversexualization is found in how teenage sex is portrayed, and the current, popular teen drama "Euphoria" fails on many counts.
In the era of social media and creation platforms, it has become significantly easier to discover communities of people with common, loved interests. From niche topics like different types of soups to extremely popular Disney movies like "Encanto" (2021), platforms like TikTok and YouTube make it possible for individuals to broadcast their own thoughts and theories about their favorite media pieces and for others to build on or encourage them. A noticeable section of this shared love is shown through fan theories.
According to Cecilie Fjellhøy, “Nowadays the best way you can meet someone is on a dating app.”
In the past few years, sustainability and ethics in fashion have been frequently brought into the public eye. With the rise of brands marketing sustainable alternatives, clothing brands — including fast-fashion labels — have scrambled to acclimate to new standards of transparency. Consequently, the phenomenon of “greenwashing” has brands such as H&M marketing its fabrics and practices as environmentally friendly, but with little evidence. Green innovations in fashion now include using recycled fabrics and turning to new fabric alternatives such as recycled plastic bottles and mushroom leather. But how easily can these sustainability trends be integrated?
Although he is only in his early 20s, saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins has already risen to prominence as one of jazz’s brightest stars.His debut album, “Omega” (2020), released on the famed Blue Note record label and earned a No. 1 spot on The New York Times Best Jazz Albums of 2020 list. On his sophomore album “The 7th Hand,” which was released on Jan. 28, Wilkins brings together the same quartet featured on “Omega,” consisting of pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Daryl Johns and drummer Kweku Sumbry.
We are living through a scamming golden era. American pop culture loves a scammer, especially when an individual uses the self-improvement narrative foundational to our economic system for personal, albeit criminal, benefit. This fascination is heavily represented in the media, whether it be feature films on Tammy Faye Bakker using her televangelist audiences as cash cows or the journalistic fascination with Caroline Calloway and her steeply priced ‘creativity workshops.’Elizabeth Holmes, famed fraudster and biotech giant, has both a buzzy miniseries and film about her coming out soon. Still, none have captured this scamming fascination quite like the story of Anna Delvey. Delvey built herself a life as a fake German heiress and New York socialite and was ultimately arrested for defrauding banks, hotels and friends of thousands of dollars.Shonda Rhimes recently adapted this story into a Netflix miniseries, “Inventing Anna” (2022), which attempts to translate Anna Delvey’s crime trajectory into a television drama. Though the series fails at many of its basic entertainment goals, it is effectively able to capture the glory and downfall of scamming that so intrigues American culture.
If you’re new to the world of K-pop, chances are you've given one look at a performance or group photo and been left confused. A typical comment Western listeners have to the world of K-pop is: Why are there so many members?
Everyone loves a good superhero story. In 2021, characters like Scarlet Witch, Loki, Shang-Chi and Spider-Man captured people’s attention and dominated the entertainment conversation. What do they all have in common? They come from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Marvel continues to reign supreme, its main competitor, DC, has begun to pose a threat to Marvel’s untouchable status. After releasing two successful films last year, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” (2021) and “The Suicide Squad” (2021), DC is trying its hand at television with “Peacemaker” (2022–), a new series that’s worth a watch.
Gracie Abrams has quickly become an artist many have grown to love and admire at the young age of 22. From partying with Taylor Swift at her 32nd birthday to her music inspiring the hit song “drivers license” (2021), Abrams has shown that her music and character have impacted fellow artists and fans alike, making it come as no surprise that she was able to sell out her concert at The Sinclair in Cambridge on Feb. 12.
Steven Yeun is a rising force within the film industry. He gained his initial fame on the television hit series “The Walking Dead” (2010–2022) but soon segued that television fame into bigger film roles. “Burning” (2018) brought Yeun a big hit, gaining popularity in indie circles and expanding into some modest Oscar buzz.It wasn’t until 2021, however, that Yeun would get his Oscar nomination with his leading role in the dazzling “Minari” (2020). Yeun now continues this strong career trajectory with a recent role in the film adaptation of Stephen Karam’s “The Humans” (2021) and is soon to star in Jordan Peele’s newest project, “Nope” (2022). In sum, Yeun has successfully used his acting prowess and cult following to carve a role for himself within the industry.
Chuck Klosterman writes about society’s most prevalent topics, including pop culture, sports and music, in his many works of nonfiction and fiction. The bestselling author’s newest novel showcases his brilliant, blunt writing style. “The Nineties” (2022) tackles one of humanity’s most tumultuous decades.
