Turning back the clock half a century to the year of the Cigar’s founding, and what entertainment looked like then. Photo from vectorstock.com. To celebrate The Good Five Cent Cigar’s 50th anniversary, let’s take a trip back 50 years, to the week of Feb. 25, 1971. During this time, the United States was heavily involved…
Some adaptations of songs are simply better than their original versions. Many artists work to improve their sound and influence the popularity of their music through remixes and rerecordings, or even covering another artist’s work. Here are some of my favorites. All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan 1967 vs. Jimi Hendrix 1968) The fourth song…
The 2015 movie “Dope,” starring Shameik Moore. Photo from imbd.com. It’s important to honor history and educate ourselves through our media consumption as we near the end of Black History Month. Still, it’s also about celebration, so why don’t we look at some Black films and television shows that feature more than just the brutalization…
A closer look at the American rock group Greta Van Fleet. Photo from npr.org. Greta Van Fleet. Three words that either spark feelings of happiness and appreciation or intense hatred. For those who don’t know, Greta Van Fleet is an American rock band from Frankenmuth, Michigan. Formed in 2012 by twin brothers Josh and Jake…
A closer examination of the movie “Music,” the controversial directorial debut of singer Sia. Photo from firstshowing.com. “Music,” the directorial debut of singer-turned-filmmaker Sia, has received backlash for its offensive and insensitive portrayal of a character on the autism spectrum. The film follows a newly-sober drug dealer Zu, played by Kate Hudson, as she becomes…
Currently on display in the URI Fine Arts Center, the works of artist and photographer Albert Chong represent the history of his Chinese, Afro-Jamaican family. Photos by James McIntosh.
From theatre to theater, how does the Netflix adaptation of “Prom” hold up? Photo from nerdsandbeyond.com. When I sat down in my seat at the Longacre Theatre, I had no idea what to expect with “The Prom.” By the end of the night, I was on my feet clapping and in tears. Two years later,…
The students of the University of Rhode Island’s music department, which often relies on performing live music, have been some of those hit the hardest by COVID-19 changes and regulations. Last week, professor David Neves wrote a letter to the editor in The Providence Journal, in which he criticized the state of Rhode Island for…
The first Hollywood-produced Black film was released in 1898, and since then the media has struggled to grasp how to produce a Black film that does not perpetuate stereotypes, tokenize diverse characters and reduce the work of historic Black figures by placing them within the lens of a white narrative. There is a huge difference…
With “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” Swift is working to release new versions of her older albums, after losing her masters to record executive Scooter Braun. Photo from pitchfork.com. Just when you think Taylor Swift has reached her peak, the renowned artist made her first step towards reclamation on Friday with the release of “Love Story…