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Best Entertainment of 2019

MAGDALENE — FKA twigs

Arts Preview: November events to be thankful for

The Chainsmokers with 5 Seconds of Summer at the Alliant Energy Center – 11/9

Arts Preview: Prepping for October Festivities

The SpongeBob Musical — Oct. 8-13 at the Overture Center for the Arts

‘Live in London’ album mixes old and new music, elevates stand-up comedy

Near the end of the 2000s, comedy was changing: live-action TV shows “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” were replacing laugh-track driven action and loud personalities with awkward silences and bumbling characters. A mostly-hidden gem that may have passed many people up in this era was the HBO show “Flight of the Conchords.” Starring Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie as fictionalized versions of themselves, the show sees the duo’s escapades in New York City trying to find an American audience against their New Zealand background. Each episode featured a couple of songs by the group — who released 2 studio albums, an EP, a compilation of their radio show from BBC and a previous live album.

Wet, Kilo Kish perform diverse shows from different ends of indie-pop’s spectrum

Three blank screens lined Majestic’s stage last Thursday night, and what played in front of them were vastly different, unpredictable movies, like you couldn’t choose one and decided to watch all three. 

Young the Giant fills the Sylvee with energy, blending their New and Nostalgic tunes

Grown-up middle school angsters, tenured millennials and adult hipsters alike met at the Sylvee this past Saturday to jam out with Young the Giant, who kicked off their Mirror Master tour at the end of January. 

Best album nominees for Grammy Awards: Episode two

In this installment of the Grammys series, we’re looking at two more of the eight nominees for the coveted Album of the Year award. In particular, these two are the longest albums of the bunch, with Scorpion by Drake and H.E.R.’s self-titled debut album clocking in just under 90 and 72 minutes, respectively. While both albums have triumphs, their longer run times do more harm than good.

​Boygenius outsmarts expectations of collaborative trio show

Stores boast crazy sales like “Buy three, get one free!” Concerts do the same thing, in a way, giving audiences an opener along with the headliner they’re paying to see. The joint show of indie-folk singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus was the best three-for-one deal though, all three of them headlining acts worth every cent and tear.

Kamasi Washington delivers stunning jazz performance, though venue lacks magic

“We’re more similar than we are different, but the differences we do have are beautiful.”

​Julien Baker builds connections through sharing stages, personal stories

“What are you going to do with that degree?” This question plagues liberal arts majors through college and beyond. Indie-folk singer-songwriter Julien Baker answered this differently while studying literature in school before dropping out and releasing two albums and touring the world in a span of two years.

Lake Street Dive compels audience with soulful, fun music

What do you get when you combine powerhouse lead vocals, a smooth jazz vibe and a rock n’ roll beat? Two hours of unadulterated joy produced by the multi-genre, Boston-found band Lake Street Dive.

Whethan’s electrifying set spreads love at the Sylvee

EDM fans had a lot to be excited about last week, as Ethan “Whethan” Snoreck brought his “Life Of A Wallflower Tour” to the Sylvee. The Chicago-based music producer performed at the Majestic last year, making his return to Madison at a new, much larger venue all the more anticipated.

Reflecting on Pitchfork Music Festival 2018

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.

Vince Staples and Tyler, the Creator bring West Coast hip-hop to Madison

Vince Staples and Tyler, the Creator brought their North American tour to Madison this past Thursday, where each performed in front of a packed crowd at the Alliant Energy Center’s Exhibition Hall.

Company of Thieves’ Genevieve Schatz recalls humble beginnings and newfound success

Many know that Walk the Moon stopped in Madison last week as one of the final stops on their Press Restart Tour. Not many know the band that opened for them.

Hippo Campus gives mesmerizing, intimate performance

In Chicago’s Vic Theatre, the room went dark and the crowd came alive. We knew what this meant — Hippo Campus was finally ready to perform, and we were more than ready to listen. Shades of blue lighting immediately hit the stage and outlined the band. Lead vocalist Jake Luppen let his voice pervade the room that had now fallen silent with suspense. His melodic tone carried the lyrics to the song “Poems” as the other band members let their instruments slowly seep into the rhythm. The beginning of “Poems” feels like a dream — unhurried and soothing. After a minute or so, however, all of the instruments come in at once to create this burst of euphoria. Although it was not clear to me at first, it now seems obvious why the band chose this song to open with. The initial dreamy feel and the knowledge that a vibrant chorus is seconds away generates this palpable, unmistakable electricity in the crowd that sets up the rest of the night for high spirits and success.

Louis the Child puts the ‘dance’ in electronic dance music with a passionate performance

Louis the Child brought energy and positivity to their set at the Orpheum Friday night, with the end result being four hours of exceptional EDM.

Jidenna unexpectedly dropped his new EP over the weekend, but it doesn't live up to expectations.

Jidenna’s ‘Boomerang’ EP stumbles in attempt to reinvigorate past songs

Over the weekend, Jidenna dropped a surprise EP titled Boomerang. Some may remember the billboard-charting, electro R&B hit, “Classic Man” from 2015. Since then, Jidenna has pushed out some great work and performed at a slew of festivals, including this past summer’s Lollapalooza in Chicago. Fans of the Netflix show Luke Cage will likely remember Jidenna’s appearance with his stellar performance of the melodic single, “Long Live The Chief.”

Gucci Mane’s ‘Mr. Davis’ shows maturity in some areas, missteps in others

Radric Davis, better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, has dropped his 11th studio album titled Mr. Davis by GUWOP Enterprises and Atlantic Records. The Atlanta trap-rap pioneer has been in stride since his 2016 release from prison. Noteworthy albums like Everybody Looking and The Return of East Atlanta Santa marked a more mature — and thankfully sober — Gucci, and now, every aspect of the rapper's music has improved.