With the lion of March creeping around the corner, our hearts still beating from our Valentine fever, there is no time more in need of distraction. Spring will come, and our hearts will slow, but, right now, the wind is pouring through the tunnels and over the quads, romances and friendships are tested in the bitter cold and, most importantly, our free time is nearly nonexistent.
To watch, read and listen to all that is listed below would be a 12-credit course in itself. It always seems like there’s more content being produced when we have the least time to enjoy it. To save you some trouble, here are my recommendations:
First, I would encourage you to watch Dito Montiel’s upcoming crime comedy film Riff Raff, starring Bill Murray, Pete Davidson and Jennifer Coolidge. Premiering at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, Riff Raff is about a former criminal who is confronted by his family during an impromptu reunion. The prospect of a Murray-Davidson duo sounds like Saturday Night Live (SNL) fanfiction, but this casting is as real as can be. And, if you’re skeptical about Murray’s comedic timing at his age, then you clearly haven’t watched his “Weekend Update” rankings for SNL’s recent 50th anniversary episode.
If you’re looking for something to read, I’d recommend Fundamentally, by Nussaibah Younis, releasing on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Younis’s debut novel is about an academic who is offered a role by the United Nations in the deradicalization of ISIS-affiliated women in Iraqi refugee camps. When she meets a younger refugee named Sara in the camp, though, her goals shift to getting these refugees home. Full of dark humor and commentary on the rampant corruption in intergovernmental organizations, Fundamentally is sure to be both an enlightening and wildly entertaining read.
If you’re really strapped for time and your favorite moment during the day is when you get to listen to music in between classes, then here’s something for your eardrums: emo rapper Lil Tracy’s upcoming album, Baby Vamp, is finally being released this Friday. Lil Peep’s protege is coming back with another LP — the first project, in fact, after he formed his collective, VampBoiClique. For those who feel nostalgic for the late Lil Peep, or if you’re looking for some more beats that scratch that SoundCloud itch, then Lil Tracy’s new project is a great opportunity.
As for live events, if you really have time to go out in the world, then you should consider going to An die Musik Live’s collaborative performance with Peabody Jazz students. For those of you who don’t know, An die Musik is Baltimore’s “finest listening room,” a concert hall with homey decor and some of the best jazz performances you can get.
“Hittin’ With The Youngins” is a program which aids young composers by allowing them to perform with professional musicians. This coming concert on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. will include performances by an acclaimed musician from the Peabody Jazz faculty and a student composer. Peabody students can get in free, and all other students get discounted tickets, so come and see this fantastic fusion of the old and new!
If any of these recommendations don’t seem up your alley, then by all means, take a look at our full list for what to watch and to watch for!
To watch...
Beyond the Gates, created by Michele Val Jean — Feb. 24
Toxic Town, directed by Minkie Spiro — Feb. 27
Demon City, directed by Seiji Tanaka — Feb. 27
Running Point, created by Elaine Ko, Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen — Feb. 27
Last Breath, directed by Alex Parkinson — Feb. 28
Riff Raff, directed by Dito Montiel— Feb. 28
My Dead Friend Zoe, directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes — Feb. 28
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginning, directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki — Feb. 28
To read...
Famous Last Words, by Gillian McAllister — Feb. 25
Something in the Walls, by Daisy Pearce — Feb. 25
Living in your Light, by Abdellah Taïa; Emma Ramadan (translator) — Feb. 25
Death Takes Me, by Cristina Rivera Garza; Sarah Booker and Robin Meyer (translators) — Feb. 25
Fundamentally, by Nussaibah Younis — Feb. 25
What You Make of Me, by Sophie Madeline Dess — Feb. 25
Boy, by Nicole Galland — Feb. 25
To listen...
BRAVADO + INTiMO… (continued), by IDK — Feb. 25
Tears of Injustice [reimagined version of Funeral for Justice], by Mdou Moctar — Feb. 28
Constellations For The Lonely, by Doves — Feb. 28
Baby Vamp, by Lil Tracy — Feb. 28
Club Shy Room 2, by Shygirl — Feb. 28
GRIP SEQUEL, by serpentwithfeet — Feb. 28
Live events...
Alan Stepansky, Cello and Vladimir Stoupel, Piano at Leith Symington Griswold Hall — Feb. 25, 8–10 p.m.
- This event is free, tickets are not required and the performance will be livestreamed.
By Freedom or Willpower: Artists in Early Maryland at Homewood Museum — Feb. 27, 5:30–6:30 p.m.
- Registration is required. Ticket price varies and is $5 for Hopkins affiliates with JCards.
Hittin’ With the Youngins at An die Musik Live — Feb. 27, 7:30–8:30 p.m.
- Peabody students get in free with ID. Ticket prices vary.
Music and Astronomy: New Music for Voice Inspired by Space at Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy — Feb. 27, 7:30–9:30 p.m.
- This event is free, tickets are not required.
Peabody Graduate Jazz Ensemble at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue — Feb. 28, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
- Free tickets are required and can be reserved online. The performance will be livestreamed.
Peabody Wind Ensemble at Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall — March 1, 7:30–9 p.m.
- This event is free, tickets are not required and the performance will be livestreamed.
Music at Evergreen: Tanner Menees and Kobi Malkin at Evergreen Museum and Library — March 2, 2–4 p.m.
- Registration is required. Ticket price varies.
The 97th Academy Awards on Hulu — March 2, 7–10 p.m.
