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.
Each year the Windy City’s largest music festival brings together young, trendy artists and old favorites to flood the grounds of Grant Park.
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.
![From "The Office" to "A Quiet Place," John Krasinski is a recent example of someone who has achieved success in multiple genres [and mediums].](https://snworksceo.imgix.net/car/89a01b4e-a6a4-449f-a2ba-c9daf3489815.sized-1000x1000.jpg?w=1500&ar=4%3A3&fit=crop&crop=faces&facepad=3&auto=format)
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.
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.
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. The festival’s lineup spans across genre spectrums, from indie folk to 90s-influenced hip-swaying pop, yet works superbly all together, the best combination of spices to a dish.
“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.
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.
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.
Foster Farms lies just outside the city limits of Eau Claire, Wisconsin on the north bank of the Chippewa River.
If you’re like me and see summer as an opportunity to watch as much television as you want, I’ve got you covered.
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 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. For those who aspire to work in the industry, UW-Madison’s Game Design and Development club gives students the opportunity to make games of their own.
When audiences were first introduced to the character of Han Solo back in 1977, his past was a mystery. All Han had was his ship, the Millennium Falcon, his co-pilot, Chewbacca, and a series of claims about himself and his ship that may or may not be true. This all changed when the Star Wars franchise released its 10th film: “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which tells the history of everyone’s favorite smuggler.
You’re perched atop Vilas Hall on an edge of the rooftop. The campus sprawls out beneath you, stray pedestrians going about their day. A perceptive woman notices you. The two of you wave, and then the woman returns to her business. It takes a while, but when classes end you’re still up there. The doors open and the sidewalks start to fill. Give it about 30 seconds. Then, after the crowds of people make it difficult to see the sidewalk below you, take the pebble you brought with you and throw it.
Poetry can be an acquired taste for some people, a type of love-hate relationship. I’m sure we all can recall those times in English class when we had to come up with haikus and other short poems that made no sense: You either got it or you didn’t.
Janelle Monae has always been on the fringe of breaking into the mainstream. She sang with the band Fun. on “We Are Young” — which topped the Billboard 100 for six weeks in 2012 — and she acted in not one, but two Best Picture nominees in 2016.
On the heels of countless outdoor concerts and festivals, summer is a great time for artists to release new music. While many artists may announce and release albums within a matter of days, and other artists may tease new music without a certain release date for months, there are a number of albums we can expect before summer’s end.
Less than two weeks ago, 680,000 concurrent viewers watched Richard “Ninja” Blevins play “Fortnite: Battle Royale” on Twitch, a new record for the video platform. It was a record Blevins had already broken back in March, when 628,000 watched him play the same game with rap mogul Drake.
Mere days after announcing its inception, J. Cole dropped the unexpected album, KOD (an initialism for Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed and Kill Our Demons). After his hotly anticipated — though largely disappointing — 4 Your Eyez Only record dropped last year, many have been critical of both the rapper’s fanbase and his legitimacy as “one of the greats.”
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Solutions by The State News
