ARTS Pick: Shear Madness
Tight improvisation, audience participation, and sharp-tongued hair dressers deliver new twists every night in Shear Madness, the longest running nonmusical theater production in U.S. history. Set in a unisex salon right […]
Melvins’ guitarist goes acoustic
His wife answers the phone. And it takes a bit for Buzz Osborne, the Melvins’ frontman, to pick up at his California home. No rush. A dog’s sporadically barking the […]
Chris Smither looks back at a 50-year career
Chris Smither has maintained a steady presence as an underground folk icon for the past five decades. His unassuming delivery offers rustic comfort, as he sings in a relaxed, weathered […]
Antics aside, Eugene Hütz’s Gogol Bordello is no joke
Eugene Hütz is a poet in any language. Speaking in his heavily accented English, his words pop. They have weight. They hit you like distorted riffs. Ask Hütz if his […]
ARTS Pick: Sara Bareilles
Don’t ask her for a love song. Grammy-nominated piano pop superstar Sara Bareilles’ upbeat confessionals have sold out shows nationwide for over a decade. Born and raised in California, she […]
Album reviews: Old Crow Medicine Show, Ships Have Sailed, Cosmic Punch
Old Crow Medicine Show Remedy/ATO Records Remedy is the latest proof that Old Crow Medicine show is incapable of doing anything poorly. Whether it’s a raucous, hoedown-style piece of country […]
ARTS Pick: Red Wing Roots Music Festival
Every once in a while there’s reason to get out of town and enjoy the surrounding beauty. This week’s prime option is the Red Wing Roots Music Festival, a three-day […]
After a debilitating hiatus, Durham’s Bombadil regroups and rebuilds
Five years ago, Bombadil was a band with a bright future. The band was mentored by Dolph Ramseur, whose Ramseur Records is home to The Avett Brothers and The Carolina […]
ARTS Pick: The Extraordinaires
Philly’s punk-influenced rock outfit The Extraordinaires take their art seriously. From the quirky intelligent songwriting to the thoughtful limited edition packaging of albums wrapped in silkscreened artwork, accompanied by hand […]
Film review: Tammy turns things around in the end
A lack of new ideas and a surplus of sincerity are not typically good qualities in a comedy. Just think of how forced and unearned the last 20 minutes of […]