CONCERT REVIEW Built to Spill Dig Further Down
Built to Spill, just days after the release of their seventh LP <i>There Is No Enemy</i>, stopped by Cambridge for a three night run at The Middle East Downstairs last weekend. After seventeen years and a handful of different lineups, songwriter Doug Martsch is still at the helm, looking aged but adjusted. The “well-groomed” five-piece took the stage on Sunday, warmed up after two nights in the same venue, opening with a powerful version of “You Were Right,” a tune from 1999’s <i>Keep it Like a Secret</i>. The song pulled the audience back and forth through a dynamic maze, always climaxing with Martsch’s accusation, “you were wrong/when you said/everything’s gonna be alright.” The song benefited from the controlled layering of three guitars. Most notably, guitarist Brett Netson’s overdriven leads cut through the mix at times to reveal a deeper counterpoint against Martsch’s riffing.
BOOK REVIEW Byrne, Bikes, Buenos Aires, Oh My!
At the core of <i>Bicycle Diaries</i>, David Byrne’s foray into cycling fan-(non)-fiction, is the notion that being on a bike provides a unique viewpoint of the world. Through offerings that are captivating and thought provoking, Byrne dispenses his insights from eyes perched above the cars and pedestrians. Being on a bike probably helps, but the real trick is being David Byrne. How else could you explain diary entries from Buenos Aires bike rides that devolve into meditations on canine hierarchy and lewd dog behaviors?
MOVIE REVIEW When Science Attacks!
Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) lives with his dad on an island whose inhabitants’ sole source of food and income comes from the sardine business. Flint has always had a passion in science and inventing things since childhood. So when the sardine supply vanishes one day and the town is left to go hungry, he comes up with the perfect invention: a machine that will turn water into food.
CD REVIEW Pearl Jam Heads Back to Familiar Space
Of the all the bands that came out of Seattle and popularized the grunge movement in the early 90s, Pearl Jam is essentially the only surviving group that has consistently released albums and amassed a following of devoted fans. In the beginning, it was <i>Ten</i> that launched the group onto the map.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ A Tale of the Haves and the Have-Nots
It’s not every day that I get to see Michael Moore in the flesh. Granted, he’s too much of a liberal firebrand for me to stomach at times, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see the Republican Party’s Public Enemy Number 1 in all of his pudgy glory last Wednesday night when I screened his film, <i>Capitalism: A Love Story</i>.
BALLET REVIEW All Eyes on Giselle
G<i>iselle</i> was a fine choice as the season opener for the Boston Ballet, in the terms of the company’s new goals of enticing and capturing a younger audience by placing ballet in a trendier and more accessible spotlight. What could been better than the timeless tale of love to win over the hearts of young and old?
CONCERT REVIEW Philharmonia’s First Concert of Season Is a Hit
From the outside, the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall is deceptively plain. Construction lines the street and scaffolding hides the entire face of the building, making it easy to pass by without a second glance. Inside, however, is a different story altogether. An ambience of grandeur and excellence penetrates every corner of the 1013-seat concert hall, whose rich mahogany paneled walls and gold-plated detailing creates an aesthetically, as well as acoustically, perfect space.
CONCERT REVIEW Too Too Too Long Since the Last Album
Sawing out the same old tunes for ticket-buying fans would be the undoing of any average rock band — thankfully, Ra Ra Riot is far from average. A tight performance and real musical skill enthralled the Paradise Rock Club, and even the sawing — as delivered by beautiful string players Alexandra Lawn and Rebecca Zeller — urged the Saturday night audience to break into en masse hipster shuffling.
MOVIE REVIEW Coco, Coco, Where Is Chanel?
The mere title of <i>Coco Before Chanel</i> may intimidate moviegoers with no interest in fashion. But even the least fashion-aware recognize the name as the face of haute couture. Perhaps these moviegoers will be happier to know that <i>Coco Before Chanel</i> is an almost biographical portrayal of Gabriel Chanel (‘Coco’ was her pet name), played by the adorable French actress Audrey Tautou, before Chanel became the legendary fashion icon and businesswoman.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Highway-Side Food at Highway-Side Prices
Inman Square in Cambridge is packed with pricey bars and Portuguese/Brazilian cuisine that will give you a classy dining experience provided you give them most of your money. Instead, wander into the small, unassuming Indian restaurant at the center of the Square: Punjabi Dhaba, a little restaurant that Harvard students swear by but MIT students seem to have largely left unexplored.
CONCERT REVIEW The Inevitable String Tribute…
There are a lot of ways to change a song. Obsessive fans tend to covet rare gems like acoustic strip-downs, jazz renditions, or the occasional remix. For the real collector, though, there’s always another avenue: the string tribute. Often unadorned, and painfully obvious in its recapitulation of a melody, the string tribute does no more for a song than a fancy carrying case does for an iPod — you may think you’re stepping up in class, but you’re right where you began.
MOVIE REVIEW Unplugged in ‘Surrogates’
Imagine a sci-fi thriller that is original, witty, and well directed. Imagine watching a sci-fi thriller without fear of cheesy dialogue, pointless chases, and imminent apocalyptic doom. Now imagine the opposite, and that sums up <i>Surrogates</i>, a whodunit graphic novel adaptation starring Bruce Willis and directed by Jonathan Mostow (<i>U-571</i>, <i>Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines</i>).
CONCERT REVIEW Traffic Jams and Mechanical Claws
U2 is about as big as it gets when it comes to rock bands. Since the Zoo TV tour of the early ‘90s, they’ve insisted on including the most prodigious, high-tech, and sometimes outrageous — think mirror ball lemon from PopMart — gadgets on their stage sets.
CONCERT REVIEW Ryanhood Heats Up, Melts Chocolate Bar
Ryanhood, formed by Arizona natives Ryan Green and Cameron Hood, gave a free concert last week in their second home of Boston to a small but excited crowd of fans and newcomers. Defined primarily by smooth vocals and slick guitar work, the duo performed a mixed repertoire of flashy jams and deep ballads that demonstrated why, in spite of not having a Wikipedia page about them, they continue to gain new fans with every show.
CONCERT REVIEW Levine Tackles the Greats
James Levine led the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a sold-out show of spiritual awakening last Saturday at Symphony Hall, presenting Stravinsky’s <i>Symphony of Psalms</i> and Mozart’s <i>Requiem in D minor</i>.
CONCERT REVIEW Jamal: Master of Musical Space
It’s hard to put a finger on Ahmad Jamal’s music. It speaks slowly, suggestively, and delicately. He’s seen his fair share of music, and his style fits into the spectrum between breezy carelessness and angsty desperation. Perhaps its greatest quality is its use of space. Few other artists out there can tap out of melody with as much natural, composed structure as Jamal can without it sounding inevitable and rigid. Jamal’s playing is unfettered but rational, well-balanced, and smooth. Above all, it feels good.
EXHIBIT REVIEW ‘Acting Out’ Is Raw and Humanizing
Video has become a trendy form of art. For one, seemingly ridiculous YouTube productions can silently generate millions of views, transforming the meaning of “expression” and “reality” along the way. And now, five artists from around the world confront this hot new medium by using it as an apparatus to study human interactions and cultural inclinations. The product of their combined efforts is <i>Acting Out</i>, a collection of social experiments captured on video and filtered through an artistic lens. It’s now playing on the fourth floor of Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA).
CD REVIEW From Harpsichord to Piano
Of the three sets of keyboard pieces J.S. Bach published between 1715 and 1730, the <i>Partitas</i> are, by far, the weirdest.
BOOK REVIEW Our Favorite Harvard Code Breaker Is Back
The famously controversial author of <i>The Da </i><i>Vinci Code</i> has succeeded in crafting a fascinating and suspenseful adventure brimming with new secrets, new twists and turns, and a refreshingly interesting — if not far-fetched — concept. Released on Sept. 15, this newest installment, <i>The Lost Symbol</i>, takes the reader on a harrowing thrill ride to uncover secrets in ancient mysticism and Masonic tradition. Despite some small imperfections, it delivers with a true Dan Brown “can’t-put-the-book-down” style mystery.
MOVIE REVIEW Brazilian Film an Ode to the Lonely
“Wherever you are, look to the sky and your star will guide you where you need to go… whatever happens or comes your way, you have your star to thank, more than you know.”