Holiday-themed romantic comedies are a dime a dozen these days. So when Amazon Prime posted “The People We Hate At The Wedding” to their app during this timeframe, the cynic inside of me jumped for absolute joy. As a single person, I was over the sticky-sweet, predictable cuteness of the regular winter release. As someone who works pretty heavily in the wedding industry? I was ready to see the jaded side of celebration season.
Based on the book by Grant Ginder and directed by Claire Scanlon, the movie follows a brother and sister as their half-sister gets married in an extravagant ceremony overseas. The three siblings, played by Kristen Bell (Alice), Ben Platt (Paul), and Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Eloise) have a strained relationship, with Eloise being particularly estranged from the other two. The trio has a special type of chemistry in the way they choose to fight and play nice throughout the film.
The incomparable Allison Janney plays their mother Donna effortlessly, echoing the “can’t you all just get along?” sentiments that generations of parents have screamed into the abyss.
1. It Humanizes Parents
So many romantic comedies keep the plotline basic and don’t spend time on characters that have, in theory, shaped the protagonists. I can’t speak to the book, but the movie spends considerable time elaborating on Donna’s story. Yes, she is portrayed as a bit of a tightwad and incredibly frustrating for the kids in the beginning. But for once, you get a glimpse into the matriarch’s past, present, and future. You can see her heartache, notice how she supports and protects her children, and view her as an entirely independent character from the three true protagonists.
2. It Is Inclusive
“The People We Hate At The Wedding” focuses on blended families and the pain of comparison in a way that we are not familiar with in modern cinema. It isn’t afraid to vocalize both the beauties and the difficulties of a layered family.
The movie is inclusive of same-sex relationships – like that between Paul and his boyfriend – and engages in the discussion of what emotions come up when trying something like an open relationship.
3. It Examines Self-Worth Through Many Lenses
“The People We Hate At The Wedding” emphasizes a discussion around self-worth as it stands for each character. While Donna explores what makes her truly happy – and begins to find it in an old flame – Paul also has self-reflection time to explore what he wants in a romantic partner. His confidence in both himself and his familial relationships becomes clearer by the end of the movie.
Noticing true character progression in such palpable ways leaves the viewer inspired and excited for self-discovery in their own lives.
4. British Accents Abound
Love a good British accent? This film is largely based in the UK, so you’ll get your fix every so often. Does anyone really need another reason to melt into a new flick?
5. The Misadventures Will Make You Feel Good About Yourself
While the 3-star rating on IMDB might not exactly indicate it, there are moments of pure hilarity in this film that make it truly enjoyable. Like when Eloise absolutely burns Paul’s ex-boyfriend out of absolutely nowhere. Or when drunk Paul can’t stop talking about his breakup at the rehearsal dinner.
Plus, 3 family members end up in jail the week of the wedding. Can you guess who they might be? You’ve got to watch to find out!
On a mid-summer night at the beginning August of 2022, The Goo Goo Dolls took the stage to an (almost) sold-out crowd at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. A show that had been postponed from a previously scheduled date, there was heightened energy around the event.
The Goo Goo Dolls riveted the audience with a 23-song setlist. They brought the heat starting with the first lines of opener “Yeah, I Like You,” an effervescent track from this year’s self-reflective Chaos in Bloom. Along with their new work, they played the audience through a multitude of hits and favorites. “Slide,” “Here Is Gone,” “Black Balloon,” and “Lucky Star” were all performed within the first ten songs. And there was no room for slowing down there.
Bassist/vocalist Robby Takac brought his quintessential “ball of fun” energy to the stage all night long–this time around, notably wearing shoes, which isn’t necessarily his MO–dazzling the crowd with some deep-cut tracks in moments you can only classify as magic. As many post-pandemic shows have gone along to prove, The Goo Goo Dolls’ influence spans generations, as people of all ages and demographics came out to enjoy the show despite the blistering midwest heat. (I wore a neck fan I borrowed from my parents, and have no shame around that fact.)
As someone who has had the honor of seeing this storied band perform live multiple times during their time in the limelight, I can firmly say that their performance felt different this time around. Though there were kaleidoscope lighting features and the same level of excitement coming from the band members as in previous shows, there was an extra layer of sheer joy emanating from the stage. You could sense Johnny Rzeznik’s (guitarist, vocalist) weightlessness as he beamed at the audience, appreciating the moment much more, perhaps, than anyone could have pre-pandemic.
If you stayed through to the end, you had the benefit of singing along to “Name,” “Broadway,” “Iris,” and more, and may have even had the privilege of singing along to a beautiful, showstopping cover of Petty‘s “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” It felt like glitter was falling over the crowd if you took the chance to gaze up at the starry night sky at that moment.
Until you remembered that, with the end of the show comes the end of the beautiful distraction. And you’re actually outside. Sweating from every pore. And the band is gone.
But–if you’re one of the lucky few–the black balloons that were passed around the audience might not be gone. (And we treasure a show souvenir.)
When you hear me say I’m about to talk about the television show “Maggie,” there is a chance some of you might have flashbacks to reruns of the 1998 single-season series starring Ann Cusack, John Getz, and John Slattery. In that, a middle-aged Maggie returns to veterinarian school and approaches life from a different perspective.
But HULU just released the first season of “MAGGIE” — a sitcom about a young woman with psychic abilities (Rebecca Rittenhouse) and the obstacles that crop up after she thinks she has seen a vision into her own future. She grapples with her idea of what ethics a psychic needs to live by and how she thinks society views psychics. She also wonders what leverage she has over the ability to adjust her visions, and struggles with curiosity over that impact.
Everything is all the more complicated as a one-time hookup – and a man from that vision – moves into the lower level of a property her parents own with his long-term girlfriend while she occupies the upstairs apartment.
Sound silly and weird? Surprisingly, it has more depth to it than you might think. Here are four things we can all learn from watching a show like MAGGIE, below.
*SMALL SPOILER ALERT*
What Watching Maggie Can Teach Us
1. To Recognize and Appreciate All Of Yourself
The first half of the season focuses on how Maggie sees the world as a psychic and intuitive. It throws acute observance onto the fact that she is hesitant to fully embrace who she is. The second half of the season sees Maggie unable to cope when her intuition falters and she is no longer able to see visions. Her sense of self was more wrapped in her abilities, than in herself.
Just like Maggie, we all need to see that just because other people may not see all of our unique, wonderful sides doesn’t mean they are not valuable. We need to put time and attention into all of the things that we love, all of the people we adore and all of the hobbies we have. This will allow you to have other interests and fallbacks if something doesn’t work out, or if one interest burn outs.
2. To Be Honest When Establishing Relationships
The entire first season, Maggie is grappling with the guilt of sleeping with a man who is now her neighbor. For reasons we won’t spoil, Maggie finds herself feeling bad, as an empath often can. And that feeling discourages her from being open with her new friend Jessie about her dating history.
One big thought I had while watching this entire season was that Maggie could have avoided a lot of her strife with an open and honest conversation. If anyone wants to establish a lasting relationship, it should start with an open and honest dialogue that sets you up right.
3. To Know That You Create Your Own Destiny
After Maggie sees herself in someone else’s future, she begins to heavily rely on her psychic abilities to inform her decision-making.
When Maggie’s powers to see into the future abandon her mid-season, she is thrown into an identity crisis, though. First of all, who is she without this insane and unique ability to tap into the future? Does she have other talents and hobbies that can lead her into another career or pastime? The second part of her crisis is that she feels like she has no control over how she maneuvers her new relationship.
Like Maggie, we can all benefit from learning that we do have the power to create our own destinies, even if it’s not how we imagined it to unfold. And that’s okay.
4. To Stop Stressing About The Future
All of this brings me to my last point. As a habitual worry-wort, I have never had the luxury of a stress-free life. But, examining everything from the perspective of having the ability to see into the future seems heavy and stressful as well.
Worrying about how you are influencing an outcome or your own future is a fair thought to have, but focusing on it can be so detrimental. Not only does it take you out of the here and now, but it blocks you from appreciating what you do have at this moment. It distracts you from enjoying your surroundings, accomplishments, and community.
We can all truly benefit from stopping how much we put our energy into stressing about the future.
Of the multitudes of sessions we could have attended at 2:30 on a Thursday during SXSW, we chose this one. Why? Well, with a description asking questions like: But what about our personal identity and our own long-term goals? Aren’t we more than just the companies we tag in our Instagram bios and the artists we work for? Is it even possible to separate our panelists from their music business identities?
We knew this was the session for us.
And so did, apparently, everyone else. This was a PACKED room of folks in the industry, industry-adjacent, and even students who are considering “what’s next?” The panel was made up of 4 folks who have worked in multiple roles throughout the music industry. Maria Gironias (Reddit), Sydney Lopes (Spotify), Brandon Holman (UnitedMasters), and Nick Maiale (jump.global). All of the panelists have had realizations (whether forced through layoffs, or on their own through self-reflection) that their personhood does not = their job. This goes hand-in-hand, however, with the realization that many times it’s the job title that gets you the calls, the invitations, and the clout within the industry.
If you choose this industry, then it is yours – Maria
A couple of the panelists recalled being removed from their position, and hearing crickets instead of responses/outreach from people they thought were their friends in the industry.
FOMO became a large part of the conversation at this point, because – with the detachment of a job title from your name – people stop calling, inviting you to industry events and collaborative projects. This is because there is a perceived notion that you can no longer do things for them because you are no longer [insert position here] at [insert company here].
It’s the type of “contacts-solely-for-personal-gain” nonsense that has kept me out of traditional networking spaces for the majority of my adult life. I don’t have time for that nonsense – and no one else should be making time for it either.
But, with a creative industry that has been built upon/with titles and clout, it was very refreshing to listen to these folks talk about their experiences, lessons learned, and even air their grievances. As Maria indicated, you need to allow yourself joy and reprieve from your work as well. “Eating three meals a day,” she listed as one of her big MUSTS. “Making sure I call my parents more. Not skipping out on that meal with a friend.” It was a very down-to-earth conversation, and by the end – even in a crowded room – I felt like it was a chat between friends. Myself included.
Some lessons straight from the panelists’ mouths:
“Your network is your net worth” is garbage. – Nick
Just because you have a lot of [followers, likes, etc], doesn’t mean you can get people in the room – Sydney
I AM meditation you stop identifying with your name and gender and all the things around you. I AM. you are relinquishing stories and programming. You are something so much more powerful than any of these boxes. (Deepak Chopra) – Brandon
You are not a shitty artist if you don’t have a billboard in Times Square. – Brandon
Your career is nonlinear and just because something doesn’t last forever doesn’t mean it wasn’t great – Maria
And I’m glad I didn’t. While I do not suggest going in blind to every movie or television series, this one is one to make an exception for. So, if you’d prefer to be surprised and haven’t yet seen I Love My Dad, stop reading and twiddle your thumbs until there is a wider release.
First of all, this film got rave reviews and awards from SXSW. It brought home the Narrative Feature Competition jury prize AND audience choice award, so the crowds went wild for it. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be a wide release in the coming months. If you’ve seen it – or like some spoilers like my mom does – come sit a moment!
I Love My Dad is based on a true story about a dad who catfishes his son in order to have a closer relationship with him. Yes, it’s as oddball/creepy/sweet as it sounds. And it feels just as oddball/creepy/sweet throughout the entirety of the movie, because the actors bring a really nuanced and realistic script and story to life.
But, of course they do! With the writer-director, James Morosini, also starring in the film (alongside Patton Oswalt, who plays his father), the “based on a true story” hits extremely close to home — as it is based on HIS true story! While this fact does make the viewer empathic toward Morosini – especially during a handful of crucial points in the movie – you can’t help but be grateful for what transpired in his life, because it makes for incredible material for his art.
Don’t worry. It’s not sexual or scary, this picture they paint of an estranged-ish father rekindling his father-son relationship with the son he fathered. You will laugh. You might cry. You can watch it, comfortably, with your parents OR your kids. And Oswalt’s performance? *chef’s kiss*
But, as relatable and quick as it is, it’s also cringey pretty consistently throughout. Just like real life. Only, you’ll be glad it’s based on James Morosini’s true story instead of your own.
We’ll report back on updated release information when it becomes available!
New York indie-pop artist Benjamin Lazar Davis has announced his new self-titled LP alongside a video for the first single off of the project, “Remember.”
Known for working with a diverse array of artists, ranging from Anaïs Mitchell to Okkervil River, Davis is far from a newcomer to the music industry. The collaborative efforts shine through on the LP with contributions from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros pianist Mitchell Yoshida, Lake Street Dive bassist Bridget Kearney, and Rubblebucket bandleader Alex Toth, among many others.
Girl Talk’s Sarah K Pedinotti assisted Davis with the production of “Remember,” not only by co-writing the title but also by starring in its visuals beside her cousin Desmond to represent the past and present in addition to their similarities and differences.
Davis’ directorial debut depicts the Pedinotti’s wading through a river, blowing bubbles, and running through a forest as a yellow butterfly motif periodically flashes in and out, perfectly encapsulating the song’s fusion of Sufjan Stevens’ nostalgia-ridden longing for the past and The Flaming Lips’ technicolor psychedelia.
“Remember is an old song written in London after a failed attempt to connect with a crush that had always had a boyfriend but had become single. The song foreshadowed my life on both coasts of the USA. It was recorded in my parents’ house with Lars Horntveth on the minimalist reeds and Luke Moellman (of Great Good Fine Ok) on their old Steinway upright piano. Joan As Police Woman sings some crazy effected vocals in the last verse!”
The self-titled LP will come out on November 19 and is available to pre-order now via Bandcamp.
SXSW is finally upon us, and the digital experience is absolutely wild. Montreal-based 7-piece rock collective TEKE::TEKE is set to perform at the M for Montreal/Brooklyn Vegan showcase on Thursday, March 18th between 7 and 8 pm CST. We got a quick chat in with guitarist Serge Nakauchi Pelletier ahead of their SXSW Digital performance, which curiously involved talking about hygiene standards around aliens.
What was the first song or album that you remember hearing, and does that work of art have any influence on how you approach your music today?
The first music I remember hearing was the first album by The Kinks, Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Good, the bad and the ugly’, and Nakajima Miyuki’s ‘Aishite Iru To Ittekure’ from my parents collection. That right there has everything to do with what I’m doing today with TEKE::TEKE and how I do it. It didn’t occur to me until just recently, but it makes a whole lot of sense. I owe everything that I’m doing now to my parents and the early moments of music we’ve had together.
What was the first thing you did this morning? Woke up to the sound of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s theme for the film ‘The Revenant.’
What is your morning ritual like? Some stretching, green tea, and some reading in the bathroom.
If you could perform three of your songs live for our audience right now, what would they be? They would be the exact three songs we performed for the SXSW event we took part in : those are ‘Kala Kala’, ‘Barbara’ and ‘Meikyu’. I feel they really capture the essence and energy of the band.
Clearly nothing compares to a live, in-person show, but these livestreams have fed the energy a lot of audiophiles and fans throughout the pandemic. What have you loved about performing digitally? Three things come to mind : 1- Playing with the band 2- Seeing other people (technicians, camera crew, etc.) 3- The thought of making a difference in the lives of people watching.
Any thoughts on the digital SXSW experience this year? I can only speak for myself and the experience of the event TEKE::TEKE took part in, which was extremely well-organized and fun. The whole set-up and visuals were cool and should look good online!
What is your routine like on performance days? Just making sure that my mind isn’t too clogged with stuff, that I’m hydrated enough, I’ll do some stretching, some exercises, focus on my breathing, maybe a little warm-up on the guitar, and with the band we always do a little rallying cry that goes ‘TEKE TEKE YEAH!!!’.
What is one thing that you think is underrated? Rant about it. Non-automatic stuff, haha… or things that demand manual work. For example, I just recently bought a coffee grinder (for my occasional cup of decaf coffee). I could’ve gotten one of those electric/plastic grinders but I chose to go for an all-metal and manual grinder, the one with a handle that you need to turn over and over. I figured: when in my life do I get to do something like this?… this kind of motion, as the fresh smell of coffee grain being crushed to powder rises to my nose. Just because the technology’s there doesn’t mean you have to do it that way. Give me handles, buttons, things to pull, to push! Haha… manual work, please!
If you could order carryout from any place within 10 minutes of your home right now, where would you go tonight? What would you have there? Within 10 minutes, I would order and pick up from that Indian restaurant right on the corner of the street and have their delicious vegetarian thali. If I dared walk 20 minutes more though, I’d definitely go to this place called ‘Fleurs et Cadeaux’ here in Montreal’s Chinatown, my new favorite Japanese joint.
Aliens. The government admitted their existence and alluded to involvement, but we kind of skated past it during the pandemic. Do you think they’re enemies, or would you gladly accept an abduction to hang out with them? I know this is actually true and I’m waiting to sit with them and chat. As long as they have their masks on.
There are so many amazing places to go when you want to get inspired. Where are you headed to next? Can’t really go anywhere right now can we?… However, I’ll say this: personally my ‘place’ for inspiration has more to do with where I am in my mind than where I am physically. That has been a blessing during this pandemic as the inspiration juices just kept flowing.
What has been your favorite way to stay grounded during the pandemic? I consider myself among the very lucky ones whose lives have not been affected by the pandemic in a major way. Yes, shows were canceled, some contracts were postponed, but all in all, I’ve been able to keep the same lifestyle as before, if not even a little better so, with more time on my hands and less stress. To stay grounded (whether during a pandemic or not), I need to stay creative and keep a certain diversity in what I do. Exercise is a must, for both mind and body as they are indubitably linked. Feed my curiosity, stay aware and open, learn things, get good sleep and think of others.
Anything else you’d like to add? Check out our music videos for the songs ‘Meikyu’ and ‘Yoru Ni’ on YouTube and watch for our upcoming album ‘Shirushi’ out on May 7th with Kill Rock Stars.
Hang in there, we’ll see you live somewhere real soon! Peace!
Just ahead of Acid Tongue‘s October full-length release Babies, the highly entertaining musical duo of Guy Keltner and Ian Cunningham – who are often joined by “friends” and operate out of New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle – has been busy, busy, busy. First premiering their track “If I Really Loved Her” via All Things Go, which boasted that “the band demonstrate both instrumental prowess and respect for their musical heritage as the sons of psychedelic forebears,” and they’re not wrong. These guys have got a handle on crooning, beautiful, psych sounds that could really drive the way you see your autumn if you choose to partake in some listening pleasure.
But we don’t just have the inside scoop on the album release. (Friday October 13th, mark your calendars.) We also have a little more insight on some of the tracks, their feelings on the music industry, and snacks in this quick (and fun) interview with Guy Keltner that happened in honor of their upcoming album release. Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you? Probably my mom playing Bob Marley or the Cranberries to us as kids. We had one of those old Technics sound systems with the tall boxy speaker cabinets. I’m sure we danced like goofy little kids to that stuff.
Was there a moment that it struck you and you realized you were going to pursue music, or did it kind of slowly evolve? I used to think I was going to be an astronaut. I started playing piano at five, but I wasn’t exactly keen on scheduled lessons and the homework that came with it. I finally got a guitar when I was 11 and I think that’s when everything clicked. I mostly just banged on it for the first year or so, but my parents set me up with this great teacher, an old session musician from Seattle named Al Kaatz. He’s really into soul, classic R&B and reggae, and helped shape my taste and how I approach music to date.
And did you choose the “post-menopausal” life, or did it choose you? (Referencing their “genre” categorization on Facebook.) Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a awhile, you could miss it.
“If I Really Loved Her” has such a beautiful sentiment behind it. Can we expect more of the same emotion behind the rest of Babies? The entire album is full of little easter eggs, relatable songs about daily life, but with a much deeper meaning to them. I’m not always just signing about the good stuff, either. There’s a lot of odes to life’s minutiae, thoughts on how mundane things can get. I don’t think people always want to hear about breakups and star-crossed lovers. There’s something beautiful about eating top ramen and being broke with your friends, talking about nothing and killing time.
“Talking In Your Sleep” struck our fancy with its title, and it’s one of our favorites off the release. Is this a love letter to a certain someone, or does it pull from many places? This song is about charisma. The type of people who spin webs and can turn a boring story into something compelling. We all have friends or co-workers or family that do this.
“Accidental Drug Use” threw us for a loop, one of those “well, that escalated quickly” songs when it comes to lyrics. It’s amazing. How was this one to work on in studio? That song was actually written the night Bowie died. I don’t usually get upset when one of these aging rockers passes away. They’ve lived epic lives, and lot of that generation is pretty old and has seen their best days already. Bowie’s new record was surprisingly great, though, and I felt this new excitement for his music after that. KEXP in Seattle did a Bowie day, a tribute to his tunes, right after that record dropped. A few days later, I’m hearing Bowie all day again and wondering “what the hell?”. When I heard he had passed, I was absolutely crushed and this song just spilled out.
Did you choose Friday the 13th as release date for any particular reason? Sometimes things just work out that way.
Do either of you have a favorite song off of Babies, or is that feeling applied to the entire work, since it’s your first release? I’m torn between “Humpty Dumpty” and “If I Really Loved Her”. Both of those fell into place so perfectly during the sessions, and they are such strange tunes in general. Ian is partial to “Accidental Drug Use” though. I really dig the way his drums turned out.
What has been your favorite memory together as a band so far? We did a short run in the Northwest recently, opening for De La Soul, playing Upstream Festival in Seattle, and generally having a blast with our friends when we were home visiting. Our bassist, Alessio, is from Italy and lives in Paris now. It was his first time in that part of the country and it’s such a different vibe than the rest of the US. We started laying down the tracks for our next LP, the follow-up to Babies. Just a really perfect trip.
How do you imagine people listening to this album? Everywhere. It’d be so cool to just have this be one of those LPs that synonymous with rock & roll during our era. One of those things you hear at dive bars, coffee shops, taxi cabs, wherever.
Guilty pleasure snack. Go! Chopped cheese.
What is your opinion of the modern music industry? It’s amazing that I have access to literally everything I could want to listen to in the palm of my hand. I’m a huge fan of Spotify and I think this is a cool era, we just have to slug it out and be persistent to make any money from our art.
Anything else you’d like to add? Go out and buy/steal/stream Babies as soon as you can. The vinyl looks really cool, too.
___
Babies is out October 13th. Keep up with Acid Tongue here.
Upcoming singer-songwriter and Brooklyn-bred talent Daemes released her debut single back in November, but not to worry, there is still more to look forward to. The video for the track is here and is every bit poetic and emotional as the song itself. Cleverly, the video features old clips put together of Daemes’ grandparents, an illustration of their own love story and the one being sung about. While doing so might have been a bit of a risk, it was a risk that resulted in a new life for the clips, one that hears the fullness of a synthesizer and darkness of a fall evening. What all of this goes to show is that a love story doesn’t have to be confined to only one decade.
While an initial listen to “Riptide” sounds like the present day, one watch of the visual reminds you that love and music can very much transcend time and go beyond when it was created, and what an ethereal experience that is.
