Some Other Things I’ve Written Lately
Here are some other things I've written at other places: A review of a fine tribute concert for Leonard Cohen at the Kennedy Center on my Substack. Surveying an exhibition…
Other Things I’ve Written Lately
Here are some other things I've written lately: A survey of 24 museum shows to see at Smithsonian museums in 2024, for SmithsonianMagazine.com Remembering Wayne Kramer, the influential MC5 guitarist,…
Some Other Things I’ve Written Lately
Here are some other things I've written recently: A survey of recent acquisitions at the National Portrait Gallery, for Smithsonian Magazine.com. A review of Lucinda Williams' autobiographical concert at Capitol…
Laurie Anderson Flies Lou Reed Drones
More than a half century ago Lou Reed would end the sparsely attended shows by the Velvet Underground by leaning their buzzing guitars against the amps, allowing the pulsing waves…
Laurie Anderson Muses Under a Tree
On a splendid summer’s night in the shadow of Rodin’s greatest work, Laurie Anderson sat with her electric CR violin before a laptop before two invited audiences of a couple…
Antonio Banderas Becomes Picasso
Smoldering leading man Antonio Banderas takes a big turn Wednesday portraying the second 20th century giant to get the spotlight in the miniseries "Genius: Picasso" (National Geographic, 9 p.m.). Odd…
Frank Underwood Bares His Knuckles
It’s not like he threw me in front of the Metro train as he did poor Zoe Barnes. But I feel a little bit of what it’s like to be…
The Triumph of ‘The Beach’
The last official beach day of the summer is also the last day for "The Beach," the terrifically popular installation at the National Building Museum by Snarkitecture, which I'm so…
Scandinavian Art Standards: Slipping
“Art is anything you can get away with Check this out,” Marshall McLuhan once said. And I think of that quote every time I sense an artist is testing me,…
When Business Writes History
I expected another benign array of American dates, names and artifacts when the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History opened its new Innovation Wing last week. Zippier display cases, sure. A…