Artsweek

January 4, 2017

Artsweek’s Favorite Albums of 2016

By Artsweek Staff

All in all, 2016 was one hell of a year. And, as with any particularly tumultuous time, it left us with some amazing music.

January 3, 2017

A Rogue New Step into a Larger World

By Alex Wehrung

The timing of Carrie Fisher's death has caused Leia's appearance at the film's end to transform from something that, upon first viewing, just served as a nostalgia-tickling moment but turned into something more bitterswe...

January 3, 2017

‘Jackie’ Highlights the Horror of Making History

By Christian Watts

There is no way to escape Jackie’s situation, and we as an audience are stuck with her in this disturbingly surreal hell.

December 5, 2016

‘Moana’ is a Vibrant Disney Masterpiece

By Ryan Song

Moana is strong-willed and cares for her people, willing to take any risk she can when setting out on the open sea.

December 5, 2016

Get Groovy with Marc E. Bassy at Velvet Jones

By Tracy Smith

Several of us will be experiencing a different kind of pain as we endure finals week, which is why seeing Marc E. Bassy when he hits Velvet Jones next Wednesday will be the perfect remedy.

November 30, 2016

‘Beasts’ is Not So Fantastic

By Christian Watts

'Beasts' is brave enough to detach just enough from its enormously successful predecessor, however, the film relies too much on its pre-established and well-realized setting and lore.

November 30, 2016

Ten Songs for the Turkey Drop

By Ryan Hykes

If you were a victim of the Turkey Drop, the excitement of seeing your significant other back home after months away at college turned to crying by a leftover turkey sandwich when they said it wasn’t working out.

November 30, 2016

21 Savage to Hit Velvet Jones

By Tracy Smith

21 Savage is young, charismatic and will not filter himself for anyone.

November 28, 2016

Neko Case Enchants Campbell Hall

By Erica Kaplan

There was something pure of the way Case poured her heart into her own words, making them echo against the walls of Campbell hall with intention.

November 28, 2016

Poet Paul Tran Enlivens Santa Barbara

By William Emmons

“This war is not over, America. This war is not over, America,” Tran repeated as they elaborated on the adversity their mother faced in her efforts to establish a new home.

November 17, 2016

The Orwells Set to Rock Velvet Jones this Saturday

By Sean Edwards

Imperfection is The Orwells’ comfort zone, and no live performance is exactly as recorded. The Orwells are consistently off the wall, but behind the leather-clad punks, there is immense musical talent.

November 17, 2016

Art of the Black Panther Party Celebrates a Revolution

By Savanah Marshall

Douglas had constructed iconic images, that embodied the Black Panther Party’s persona of the militant and revolutionary poor, one that resonated with and began to define the insurgent minority.

November 17, 2016

‘Moonlight’ Glimmers on the Silver Screen

By Ryan Song

For African Americans and the LGBT community, 'Moonlight' is a personal and poignant representation of a queer African American male, a character not commonly portrayed in film, struggling with the harsh world surroundin...

November 17, 2016

Camp Flog Gnaw Festival Returns to L.A.

By William Emmons

Ultimately, Tyler, The Creator exceeded the expectations of many music-lovers and critics and established his illustrious carnival as a staple of the West Coast festival scene.

November 12, 2016

‘All the Way’ Captures Election Anxiety

By Molly Guillermo

Johnson became president in the worst way he could have imagined — in the wake of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

November 12, 2016

The Garden Rocks Velvet Jones

By Jasmine Rodriguez

In The Garden’s world, there is no focus on wanting to fit in with what is deemed to be cool in the punk scene. They dare to defy gender roles, genre molds and the tangents of normality.