Arts Desk » bob dylan

Don’t Be Bored: Mystery Train

Jonathan L. Fischer — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:30:46 +0000

The twin exhibitions now on view at Flashpoint don’t limit themselves to appearing in the gallery; they become part of it, toying with the architectural features not just of the exhibition space, but also the facility’s accompanying cubicles, conference rooms, and bathroom areas. In"Trace," Nicole Herbert adds a series of supernumerary fixtures to the office in ways that echo the surroundings, such as windows with taped outlines that abstract the view outside, or fake water pipes that go from nowhere to nowhere. The works are hard to locate, even with motion-sensored lights to illuminate them, and their conceptual impact is equally subtle. More successful are the works of Janell Olah (pictured), curated by Amanda Jirón-Murphy. Olah hijacks the building’s air vents and HVAC system with a network of translucent plastic coverings that inflate and deflate depending on how the air is flowing. The appearance of Olah’s works is frustratingly indifferent—the visual vibe of her materials might be described as “IKEA-shower-curtain”—but the notion of giving a star turn to something as fleeting as airflow is clever. Plus, there’s something unexpectedly thrilling about a row of cloud-shaped plastic forms spontaneously inflating in unison whenever the AC kicks on. (Louis Jacobson) On view noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Fridays to August 27 at Flashpoint. Free.

MUSIC

Bob Dylan brings his never-ending mystery train to the leafy Columbia, Md. With Drive-By Truckers and Leon Russell at 6 p.m. at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $40-$77.50.

I like Six Organs of Admittance's lush, folky mode, and I like the band's drone stuff too. I really like it when the Ben Chasny-led group goes all long-form and combines the two. With Donovan Quinn and Lithia Corsica at DC9. $12.

It's the one-year anniversary of Rock Creek Social Club's Goodlife parties at Recess. More on this later today!

BOOKS

D.C. novelist Jennifer Close's book Girls in White Dresses—which, according to the Post, "follows three women and peripheral friends as they alternately flounder and flourish through their 20s. Weddings provide the backdrop as the women feel their way in and out of inert relationships and crappy jobs, trying to figure out who they want to be—sounds exhausting. Maybe it's your thing though! Close reads at Politics & Prose, where she also works, tonight at 7 p.m. Free.

THEATER

Everybody wants to hang out in a room with Cate Blanchett. Today's "Theater Look-in" event with the cast of Uncle Vanya is sold out.

Tonight: I’m Not There at AFI Silver Theatre

Matt Siblo — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:00:46 +0000

In the mid-aughts, it felt like every Tom, Dick, or Harriet who had ever picked up a guitar had a biopic bestowed upon them— Ray Charles (Ray), Joy Division's Ian Curtis (Control), and even California punk band The Germs (What We Do is Secret). That Bob Dylan’s story would make it to the big screen was inevitable; that it would be as mercurial as its subject was unlikely. Yet, Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There managed to be just that: a non-linear, engaging spectacle as taciturn and delightfully pretentious as Zimmerman himself. Screening within a career retrospective of Mr. Haynes—whose subversive first attempt at film biography came in 1987 with the Barbie-inspired Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story—I’m Not There eschews the formulaic rise and fall template for moody set pieces, nameless characters and intentionally jarring casting. It doesn’t all work, but the same can be said for Dylan’s discography. When done right—see Cate Blanchett’s bloody turn at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival—it captures the same indescribable cool that transcends genre.

The film shows at 9:10 p.m. tonight, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and 8:45 p.m. Tuesday at the AFI Silver Theatre, 8663 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $11. www.afi.com/silver.

The Pragmatist: Three Songs for Feeding Your Paranoia

Ryan Little — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:46:48 +0000

Too many X-Files episodes, that's what you should blame. All those conspiracy theories swirling around can't be good for your psyche. It probably started long before that—hippie revolutions, refusing to trust anyone over 30—but you've only gotten older and bought more locks for your door. You're terrified that everyone is out to get you; the world is falling apart, and you want to hide out as best you can. Well, there's no sense in trying to convince yourself otherwise, so here are a few songs to heighten all your concerns.

Having lived such a strange life, Bob Dylan has always been hard to pin down. He provoked a certain anti-authoritarian sentiment in both his words and his mannerisms, and he penned the all-too-accurate lyrics, "Don’t follow leaders/Watch the parkin’ meters." That just about sums up life around here.

The persistently dark Radiohead might be at their most fearful in "Wolf at the Door." The always-paranoid Thom York doesn't just riff on some mythical social monster,;here he actually gives a semi-autobiographical account of a mugging he experienced a few years prior. It's enough to make you want to avoid walking through alleyways and maybe stop leaving the house altogether.

Local crooner Benjy Ferree brings it all together with "Fear," a somewhat apocalyptic track about so many bad things. Of course, with such a sweet voice it's hard to believe he's singing about anything so heavy, but that's the charm of it all. Be sure to catch him perform with Danielson on Saturday at Red Palace.

Tradition Is Tradition: The IMT’s 30th Anniversary Season

Tamara El Waylly — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:55:15 +0000

The Institute of Musical Traditions turns 30 this year, but it isn't celebrating with many grand innovations. That wouldn't make sense. Tonight, and at concerts through the spring, you'll hear exactly what you'd expect: a hodgepodge of folk artists, performing a wide array of traditional styles from bluegrass to American Gypsy jazz.

With outposts in Rockville and Takoma Park, the IMT is dedicated to upholding traditional folk music and supporting new hybrid forms. According to David Eisner, the organization's founder, this season will continue the concert series' tradition of “live music and outreach and workshops,” bringing “the acoustic music community” to D.C.

The series frequently pairs well-known and lesser-known artists, as is the case with tonight's concert, where the bluegrass pioneer Mike Auldridge—profiled over the weekend in The Washington Post—will perform with two younger artists he's collaborated with in the studio, Eric Brace and Peter Cooper. Another scheduled event is a Bob Dylan tribute, which Eisner described as “a great opportunity to hear the local D.C. groups doing something they don’t normally do.”

Some of the season's programming, Eisner admits, runs the "risk of falling flat": At the very least, the highland/lowland blend of Scottish music from the Tannahill Weavers and the French-Algerian guitar of Pierre Bensusan are tailored to a very small audience. But regardless, the series promises “good music,” Eisner says.

“They’re so good at what they do,” said Eisner. “And that’s the common denominator.”

For the full calendar of events, visit the Institue for Musical Traditions' website. Eric Brace, Peter Cooper, and Mike Auldridge at the Institute for Musical Traditions Takoma Park at the Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park. $20; standing room only.

Arts Roundup: Dancing For Our Freedom Edition

Benjamin R. Freed — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:51:55 +0000

Previously on Arts Desk: Bossman Jonathan L. Fischer introduced his new "Fare Assessment" feature, in which he analyzes The Washington Post Style Section's assignments that send its critics out of town and rates them on a scale from hitchhiking to Acela. First up was Anne Midgette's trip to Carnegie Hall for a performance by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. (Worth a drive up the New Jersey Turnpike.)

But perhaps Fischer should have included a transatlantic steamship or something, because today the WaPo tastemakers are all over the big story that OMG! HOLY SHIT! EVERYONE IN ENGLAND IS GETTING MARRIED! The Post is agog over the announcement that Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally engaged to be married. There's a page on washingtonpost.com with a word cloud and roundup about the nuptials. In the dead-tree edition Robin Ghivan is already choosing Kate's wedding dress. And Monica Hesse's story in the A Section calls the big day—which will need to be scheduled around the Queen's birthday, the Queen's jubilee, the premiere of the next season of Doctor Who and possibly the 2012 Summer Olympics—"a rebirth for Britain." By the way, what the fuck is the Queen's jubilee? I only ask because read aloud the term sounds like a Long Island City sex party.

Also today in WaPo London: An interview with Hogwarts' resident nogoodnik Tom Felton.

Over at TBD, Sarah Godfrey was going to review Bob Dylan's show at GWU last weekend, but "Dylan's people" don't like show reviews. Or reporters and critics in general. Or cell phones that feature cameras. Godfrey nearly lost her phone to an I.M.P. usher (acting on Dylan's orders), but considering the revelation that "Dylan's people" attempt to deny ticket sales to self-identified reporters, she might be lucky she got in at all.

Meanwhile, Godfrey's fellow Albrittonite Allbrittonite Maura Judkis reports that Stomp is headed back to Washington in January to make up for the cancellation of its sister show Pandemonium last month.

Also from the London desk yesterday came Apple's announcement that you must buy The Beatles' entire catalog again or Steve Jobs will sit on a puppy. But the new iTunes selection of The Beatles does include their first American performance at the old Washington Coliseum, DCist notes. Yeah, the Coliseum was first. Take that, Shea Stadium.

Closer to home, Joe Warminsky, still gloating from his beloved Eagles' thrashing of the Redskins, found a new gem of a local ad on Monday night in Hyattsville's Afros Cut. Hopefully it'll still make Warminsky smile after the Giants take care of those pesky Iggles this week.

If you didn't vote for Bristol Palin last night on Dancing With the Stars, then you hate freedom, grizzly bears, baked Alaskas, pregnant ladies and America.

Far Out vs. Hot Dang, Vol. 13

Joe Warminsky — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:45:56 +0000

We've said it before: Know your history. And if you don't wanna know your history, know this: Far Out vs. Hot Dang is here for you, regardless of your commitment. You can't say that about too many things, can you?


"One day in 2007, in Buenos Aires, nothing happened. It was ugly. "	Do Liberals Really Think ‘Fair Game’ Is A Good Movie?
A Grinch Land handcrafted in ice with Chinese labor	"the harder the Corcoran squeezes these kids, the better they produce"
Kate D: "There was a chicken bone on our patio this a.m. There's a chicken bone on my bus. Who's trying to put a voodoo curse on me?"	No boners allowed
"He unloaded a motherlode of techniques into his prismatic pieces, showing great mastery at sonic dynamics, spatial awareness, unerring timing and rhythmic agility."	"the fact is there is that sort of snapshot aesthetic that people can get away with — but if your photos suck, then your photos suck"
Monkeyrotica: "is watching the boy "dance" to Melt Banana. There is no emoticon for what I'm feeling."	It's OK to be totally pumped about Arena's Oklahoma! — unless you're "the Rodgers & Hammerstein people," who are cautiously enthused, or something like that. ALSO: brutal spoonerism!
"The set was largely composed of super-subdued melodic improvisations — a kind of free-form art-school elevator music with a mild debt to composer Ennio Morricone."	"So we apologize, Damien and Shearwater, that more of us didn't come see you play. We have no excuse, and we promise to do better next time."
"I always try to take Saturday and pretend to have some sanity."	"I adore my religion and how much of a role it played in shaping me into the 'good boy' I am seen as. Ultimately though, it was tearing down my spirit more than it was building it up.''
There is nothing left to say about these famous super-high dudes	"Retarded, really."
"you’ll likely feel whatever skin you’ve retained thus far crawl off into the lobby"	"Perry is assisting Hollywood in doing nothing more than projecting the evil of the world onto black men, making us look worse than we are so others can feel better about themselves."
"Roblest assembled a team with professional mountain-climbing experience—only to be told that their climbing skills didn’t matter unless they’d been certified by Metro"	"It’s all utterly stupid yet utterly gripping"
What the hell was Jonsí wearing?	You do not have to get all gangsta on seat-savers at the Dylan show

Tonight: Photographer of the (Rock) Gods Danny Clinch

Ryan Little — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:38:39 +0000

Making a living as a rock 'n' roll photographer ain't easy, but David Clinch seems to be doing alright. He's snapped shots of iconic pop legends, from Dylan and Springsteen to James Brown and Jay-Z, and he's directed films for Pearl Jam and John Mayer. Clinch's style makes the greats look even greater, and he's been documenting memorable moments since the '80s. After interning for the infamous Annie Leibovitz (whose bloody Pete Townshend photo predates Andrew W.K. in the history of badass), he's gone on to have his work appear in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker. Check out a gallery of his work here, and if you want to learn more, he's speaking tonight at National Geographic at 7:30 p.m.

Far Out vs. Hot Dang, Vol. 10

Joe Warminsky — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:04:06 +0000

This weekly assemblage is now a decagon in the aggregate, yet it retains the general shape of Week 1, in which we told you that on one side are "the deep thoughts, the innovations, the reflections, the revelations, the oddballs and the acid trips" and on the other side are "the conflicts, the punchlines, the unqualified successes, the flameouts, the big blasts and the oh-wows." If it's slightly more sarcastic in places, it's only because I love you that much more. Smooches!


"Wear red, yellow, and blue, and bring a change of clothes because we’ll also need to have you set your clothes on the floor."	"Number of times I regretted not pulling my hair up: Eleven."
"What's lost is the day-to-day contact with the reality. But what's gained is an opportunity to re-create something that merges your memory with your imagination."	Duck Down anniversary show at Liv
If they weren't talking about a movie, this would be one of the weirdest press conferences of all time	"hackneyed, highly unbelievable, and ludicrously predictable"
Bob Dylan: inexhaustible resource for book-publishing	BOOK TV THROWDOWN
"a hyper-local, hyper-democratic approach to art"	The real problem with D.C.'s elaborate art fiestas? They're boring.
"I was like, ‘Tony Danza?! Wow, this is awesome!"	Ron Charles: "Every time a publicist tells me about a new Dr Seuss iPad app, a little part of my childhood dies. I do not like that, $am I Am."
D.C. awakened Agnostic Front dude's spidey-sense	D.C. + Cold War = "one reason why zombie films back then were so appealing"
Dan K. Charnley: "This may just be an Urban Legend, but I heard Lady GaGa is actually Paul from the Wonder Years…"	DJ Heat: "If any of yall heiffers are rocking zippers in yall hair cuz of Willow Smith, I'm snatching that shyt out!!!"
Jody Arlington: "Q1: Why is the sport of competitive eating dominated by thin people? Q2: Why didn't I think of book title Horsemen of the Esophagus?"	TWEET BEEF
"It seems a bit late to mount a show about skateboarding ... but this video captures just that sense of elegiac lateness."	"It was getting a little tedious, frankly. All these men kind of waving their dicks around, telling us what they'd read and hadn't read.''

Your Bob Dylan Weekend: Scholars Greil Marcus and Sean Wilentz

Steve Kiviat — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:38:33 +0000

If you've ever been curious about the America of Bob Dylan—the folk, country, blues, vaudeville, and rock music, the beat poetry, politics, religion, values, art, and Mr. Jones—there are all kinds of fascinating ways to learn about it starting this week. Unique cultural academic, rock critic, and Dylan scholar Greil Marcus speaks at the Library of Congress tomorrow, and history professor and Dylan scholar Sean Wilentz will be at the Jewish Community Center Saturday night as part of the Jewish Literary Festival. Both have new books out about Dylan, and both events should make for good primers to Dylan and his band's performance at the George Washington University Smith Center on Nov. 13. Bonus: The latest entry in Dylan's Bootleg Series, The Witmark Demos 1962-1964, was recently released.

Tomorrow, Marcus will present his lecture "Sam McGee's Railroad Blues and Other Versions of the Republic." He recently published Bob Dylan by Greil Marcus: Writings 1968-2010, a collection of the idiosyncratic, Berkeley-based scribe’s magazine and newspaper pieces. The presentation has been described by the Library of Congress as an excavation “of a few roots of the American Songbook, examining a handful of indelible and idiosyncratic country, religious, or blues songs from the 1920's, and their modern revisions.”

But this being Greil Marcus, expect the presentation to reflect some of Marcus’s distinctive canon. In Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century, using often challenging prose, he drew connections between 1920s banjo players, medieval crazies, Dadaists, Dylan, and the Sex Pistols. Marcus also leaps about and demonstrates his cultural knowledge and Dylan’s in The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes, Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes, and Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads. While some find the links he draws a stretch, they’re certainly provocative.

On Saturday, Wilentz, whose father ran a Greenwich Village bookstore in the '50s & '60s where Dylan hung out, will be talking about Bob Dylan in America. Wilentz, who was nominated for a Grammy for his liner notes to Bootleg Series, Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964—Concert at Philharmonic Hall, was given access to rare material, and the book is being hailed by some for its detailed depiction of Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde studio sessions. The book compares Dylan with Aaron Copland and focuses on Dylan’s interactions with poet Alan Ginsburg, among other aspect’s of Dylan’s life. While professor and author W. Scott Poole has praised Wilentz for writing “the most important book on American history and the most important book on American music in recent memory,” Wilentz is not without his critics. Dylan in America has received some criticism for repetition, and Wilentz is also controversial for his 2008 writings hailing Hilary Clinton and deriding Barack Obama, and for engaging in verbal battles with other historians. But his presentation should be interesting no matter your take on his approach and views.

Greil Marcus speaks on Thursday October 21 at 6:15 p.m. at the Library of Congress’ Jefferson Building’s Whittall Pavilion, 1st Street SE, between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Streets. Free, no tickets are required. (202) 707-5503.

Sean Wilentz speaks on Saturday October 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Centre's Ina and Jack Kay Community Hall, 1529 16th Street NW. (202) 518-9400. Tickets: $11, Discounted Members/Seniors/Under 25 $9.

This Week’s Greatest Hits on Arts Desk: Dirk Smiler, Bob Dylan, Door Polling

Arts Desk — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:07:15 +0000