Articulating ‘Mexican Heaven’: Poet José Olivarez illuminates both bruises and bliss in Citizen Illegal

Most people avert their eyes when the world gets messy: they scrunch uncooperative hair into the safety of ballcaps, kick dust bunnies conveniently under couches, and dunk ugly memories into their mental trashbins. It’s unusual to meet someone who sits down with disorder, shakes its hand, and engages it in honest conversation. José Olivarez is […]

ARTS Pick: Midsummer 90

Bite-sized Shakespeare: An abridged version of the iconic Shakespeare comedy, Midsummer 90 drops the Night’s Dream and retains all the humor and wonder of the original script without sacrificing its spellbinding storytelling. By packing the fairies, magic, and fantastical animals into a performance that clocks in under two hours, the play is perfect for children […]

ARTS Pick: Interpol

Rounding the corners: In the run-up to recording Interpol’s latest release, Marauder, drummer Sam Fogarino repeatedly asked himself: “How can I make shit swing?” The post-punk veterans were six albums and more than 15 years into their careers, yet had never strayed from the rock influences of their home turf in New York City. Consulting […]

What we do is secret: Private symbologies emerge at Second Street Gallery

Brooklyn multimedia artist Tamara Santibañez, one of the seven featured in Second Street Gallery’s group show “Subculture Shock: Death, Punk, & the Occult in Contemporary Art,” was recently quoted in The New York Times about Latinx artists’ use of family history and heritage. She explained that though her art represents her interests in aggressive underground […]

ARTS Pick: Filmore

Fan favorite: He may be labeled a country singer, but Filmore’s music doesn’t fit neatly into one category. Whether he’s adding electronic beats or R&B elements, or picking up the occasional banjo, the young Missourian puts a fresh twist on country music traditions, and it’s garnered him millions of streams. The musician is also known […]

Galleries: September 2019

These are a few of Ryan Trott’s favorite things Cups, mugs, hands, feet, flowers, water drops—these are just some of the everyday objects that inspire Ryan Trott.  Simplified shapes repeat throughout “Things,” the artist’s exhibition now on view through the month of September at the New City Arts Welcome Gallery. The paintings, drawings, screen prints, […]

Album reviews: Heron & Crane, Vivian Girls, G Flip, Ikebe Shakedown, and Sleater-Kinney

Heron & Crane Firesides (Hibernator Gigs) Denizens of Charlottesville’s indie scene know Dave Gibson from power-pop exponents Borrowed Beams of Light and Weird Mob, plus synth soundscapers Personal Bandana. Here, Gibson and Columbus, Ohio, buddy Travis Kokas split the difference, with sweet results. The mostly instrumental Firesides is a fetching mélange of melody and texture, […]

ARTS Pick: Lynn Trefzger

Talking hands: Self-taught ventriloquist and comedian Lynn Trefzger brings more than four decades of experience to a routine that’s polished but unpredictable. Her cast of characters includes a recently potty-trained toddler excited to share, a confrontational drunk camel, and an old man who keeps things fresh in the bedroom with Saran Wrap. Trefzger’s performances, which […]