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(09/05/18 12:00pm)
I feel it’s necessary to preface all this by admitting that, as a man who plays a lot of games, I’m not the type of person to anticipate new releases. Games are just too expensive of a hobby, and getting caught up in hype trains all the time is a quick and reliable way to lose your shirt. If I didn’t write this column, I’d never pick up a game the first day it was out. With the exception of Nintendo and a few particularly smart indie game developers, every company drops the price of their games drastically a few months after release.
(09/04/18 12:00pm)
Imagine, if you will, that the year is 2001. You sit in the theater and watch the credits roll following a showing of the new hit animated film “Shrek.” Tears are streaming down your face. You wish to yourself that the film was real, that you could meet Shrek and Donkey and live in their world. You are insane. However, you’re not the only one.
(08/18/18 8:49pm)
Lollapalooza may have been a little over a week ago, but I’m still reflecting on the impressive, hot weekend. However, the heightened security and extreme heat didn’t stop the over 100,000 concert-goers, including myself, that gathered for four days on the dusty grounds of Grant Park.
(08/13/18 12:30pm)
Travis Scott, hip-hop’s most popular AutoTune crooner, returns with ASTROWORLD, and he’s locked and loaded with dark beats and bars. Scott has seen glimmers of genius spread throughout his two studio albums and wide catalogue of guest features on other artists’ work, but both Rodeo and Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight had forgettable low points that dragged their respective albums’ quality down. He hit a recent low this past December with Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho, a collaborative project with Migos’ Quavo, which felt like a creative dud after stretching his wings (literally) across his own albums and guest features.
(08/13/18 1:00pm)
Following a stereotypical summer of big-budget blockbusters that satisfy the masses and empty our wallets, it’s time to shift our gaze toward a few of the more audacious stories that hope to impress during this upcoming fall semester. These five films have potential to be the perfect escape to the theater for all students struggling to readjust to college life.
(08/09/18 3:01am)
The Academy Awards is something near and dear to my heart. I watch it every year, eagerly consuming articles, talk shows and general awards buzz to help make my predictions for who will take home Hollywood’s most prestigious prize. It’s my Super Bowl, and I love every second of it.
(08/07/18 4:52am)
After three years, LANY returned to Lollapalooza — only this time they were bigger and better than ever. With a larger stage and a larger crowd, the indie pop band exuded confidence and charisma, much more than their 2015 set. Matching their stage presence, energy and enthusiasm, the crowd wasted no time shouting and cheering the second the band set foot on stage. Grins set into place on everyone around me. LANY is a somewhat lesser-known band, but considering Lollapalooza’s roots as an alternative music festival, LANY’s place in the lineup felt more than right.
(08/05/18 10:04pm)
I typically listen to The National while writing, like right now, letting lead vocalist Matt Berninger’s baritone lull me into focus in the background. At their performance last Tuesday, though, Berninger pulled me into his show, his intensity tangible as he sang like he was sharing the song with the person it’s about for the first time.
(08/01/18 4:14pm)
Each year the Windy City’s largest music festival brings together young, trendy artists and old favorites to flood the grounds of Grant Park. While ticket sales were lower than normal this year, the hype regarding the lineup and artists coming to Lollapalooza is still as strong as ever.
(07/27/18 8:59pm)
Pitchfork Music Festival goers expected the worst, their eyes watching gray clouds roll in as they flocked to Chicago’s Union Park, armed with rain ponchos and umbrellas. But something was looking out for us this weekend — only small spurts of rain dropped on the crowd of thousands and artists played as though sparked by the adrenaline rush of risking electrocution.
(07/24/18 1:00pm)
Earlier this month, John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” was released on home media. Its basic premise — a family living in taciturn paranoia among creatures who hunt via sound — was enough to pique my interest during its initial run in theaters. The film received immense critical and commercial success, reaping its budget tenfold and numerous voices calling it one of the best horror movies in years.
(07/23/18 1:00pm)
When we discuss the coming-of-age style of storytelling, a dominant preconception of what that entails enters our minds: typically, a vision of young adults — perhaps 18 to 21 years old — as they cross the threshold of adolescence into the larger world beyond the formulaic suburbia. Dwindling friendships, sporadic emotions and an intense pressure from the unknown are common components these stories use to empathize with us viewers, who have experienced some or all of these emotions at one point. In the American education system, the 18-21 range is prime real estate for the subgenre, as the shift from secondary to higher education is inducive to these anxieties.
(07/17/18 8:00pm)
Three days and three stages are required to make the time and space needed for the big names and massive spectacle expected at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival.
(07/11/18 12:12am)
“IV is the sum of the I, II, and III.” That was the driving thought behind the fourth installment of the Eaux Claires music festival, according to the festival’s homepage. In years past, co-creators Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner have used the weekend in the woods to shine a light on emerging artists and give fans the opportunity to see influential artists of a massive scale.
(07/07/18 1:00pm)
The topic of familial estrangement is hardly new to the impetus of the narrative arc. In particular recency, plenty of wonderfully made films have explored this idea with a fluid blend of dramatic tension and character development: “Lady Bird,” “I, Tonya,” “Birdman” and perhaps even “Swiss Army Man,” to a degree. The respective character internalizes that emotional severance as a means of either reconciliation or maturation, offering a relatable and believable drive.
(07/06/18 4:00pm)
Wondering what new movies to watch? Looking for a good date night? Bored out of your mind? Don’t waste your ticket money on less-than-stellar films — here’s a list of this summer’s must-see movies.
(07/02/18 5:26pm)
Foster Farms lies just outside the city limits of Eau Claire, Wisconsin on the north bank of the Chippewa River. For the past three years, the open field surrounded by woods navigable by rugged paths has served as the grounds for Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s art festival, Eaux Claires. This weekend, the festival begins its fourth iteration, and this time, it is one filled with mystery.
(07/02/18 5:00pm)
If you’re like me and see summer as an opportunity to watch as much television as you want, I’ve got you covered. I’ve listed the four shows I’m most anxiously waiting for so you don’t miss out.
(07/02/18 1:00am)
The ideal way to listen to indie pop band Men I Trust involves lying in the grass looking up at the sky as it shifts from blue to pink to purple during the sultry golden hour and then getting up and dancing, just you and your headphones. The band took me, and it appeared the entire High Noon audience, to this euphoric place at their Thursday night show.
(06/12/18 1:00pm)
The city of Madison is home to many successful video game studios. Raven Software has helped develop entries in the “Call of Duty” series, while PerBlue signed a deal with Disney to make mobile games for the media juggernaut.