Ethan Iverson

6 days ago | iverson.substack.com | Ethan Iverson

Hello from the Pepperland tour with the Mark Morris Dance Group. We are in Berkeley, CA tomorrow through Sunday matinee, Las Vegas next Tuesday, and Beverley Hills for three performances next weekend. While billed as a tribute to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts ClubBand, it is really simply an excuse for amazing dance from one of the great choreographers of all time.

1 week ago | iverson.substack.com | Ethan Iverson

There’s been a lot of buzz about Sinners. I loved the movie generally and was notably impressed with how the blues was treated. Hollywood usually tramples musical subtlety into the ground, but Ryan Coogler (who wrote, directed, and co-produced) shows a truly sympathetic approach to an esoteric topic. This is a blues movie done right. (Who knew such a thing was possible?) If you’ve seen the film already, read Harmony Holiday’s intimate take.

1 week ago | iverson.substack.com | Ethan Iverson

Tonight! offers the American premiere of Escalator Over the Hill, the landmark epic by Carla Bley. Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim has a good overview of this unique work in the New York Times. Arturo O’Farrill (who worked with Bley) has been teaching the work to his New School students; tonight he is one of the ringers along with Steve Cardenas and Matt Wilson. Concert is free with reservation, also live-streamed.

1 week ago | iverson.substack.com | Ethan Iverson

“The Group Chats that Changed America” by Ben Smith. This is a significant puzzle piece, because I just couldn’t understand why so many “smart” power players joined the 2nd Trump train and pushed to elect him again. “How the Radical Right Captured the Culture” by Ana Marie Cox. A sobering read. However, pop culture has only so many good points. If the era of pop culture ends, high art will survive. “Hollywood and China's Toxic Romance Is Over” by Alex Rollins Berg.

2 weeks ago | iverson.substack.com | Ethan Iverson

This was a surprise. July 28, 1991. An NBC pilot that never went anywhere. 22 minutes of comedy gold. Lookwell is perhaps a bit like Police Squad! starring Leslie Nielsen. The writers are Conan O’Brien and Robert Smigel; Smigel wrote the legendary SNL skit where William Shatner tells Star Trek fans to “get a life.” Shatner is a cue here, for Lookwell’s Adam West was also typecast from a hit ‘60s TV show, Batman, although West had far fewer opportunities to break out of his mold than Shatner.