Arts & Events

Divorce is a messy procedure in the United States, not only for its ramifications for the separating couple but also for their families. Add Iran’s highly codified Islamic law, conflicts of gender and class, and the alienation and frustrations of a law that cannot account for human emotion, and we begin to approach a situation akin to the tragedy depicted in Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation. The film opens with a shot of Nader (Peyman Moaadi) and his wife Simin (Leila Hatami) petitioning an off-camera judge for divorce. The factors that...

When the A.V. Club asked Sharon Van Etten to describe her reasoning for writing so many depressing songs, she replied, “I guess I usually write when I’m in a really intense headspace, because it’s my form of self-therapy.” Van Etten’s third album Tramp is so lyrically poignant that it is easy to believe that every song she sings is a snapshot into her tumultuous personal life. Be warned that every track on this album will instantly revive memories of bad breakups and accidental ex-sex, but listening to Tramp in its...

Today is National Banana Bread Day! Are you celebrating? If you say no, because you don’t have a recipe, well, I have the solution! If you don’t have a kitchen but still want to celebrate, your other option is to buy a slice from Oppenheimer or Diversions and I highly encourage you do just that. This recipe is one I adapted from allrecipes.com during winter break. I chose to bump up the nutritional value of this recipe and subbed part of the flour for wheat germ. You can also use...

Schneebeck Concert Hall rang with laughter this weekend with the performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance.  The School of Music-produced opera was a joyous romp with a band of very jovial pirates and lovely ladies. Directed by Director of Vocal Studies Dr. Dawn Padula with music direction by staff accompanist Denes Van Parys, the double-cast opera was a hysterical hit playing to packed audiences throughout its four-night run. Padula’s stage direction was subtle but extremely effective.  From the nuanced pirate actions to the full-fledged chorus choreography, Padula captured...

For those of you who couldn’t get enough of Wilco’s latest LP, The Whole Love, you’re in for a treat. This month, the Chicago superstars have dropped a special EP aptly titled iTunes Session. This eight-track record features Wilco songs that span across the decades; dedicated fans will be pleased to note the inclusion of an A.M. track—whoa, old school! Though the EP takes a trip down musical memory lane, a certain element is missing. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This album showcases Wilco’s country-alt roots with light,...