The Morning: Revisiting music that made us

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View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 23, 2024 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. What happens when we re-encounter cultural artifacts that were deeply important to us and they've changed, or we have, or both? María Jesús Contreras Happy returns There's a scene in Andrew Haigh's recent film "All of Us Strangers" where we see Adam, played by the Irish actor Andrew Scott, working on a screenplay to the strains of Fine Young Cannibals's 1985 ska track "Johnny Come Home." He types the scene heading: "EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE 1987." An establishing shot. We're going back in time. Adam rises from his desk and goes to the next room, where he drags a bin of memories out from under the bed. Cassette tapes, ragged toys, an album of faded photos. "Johnny Come Home" is one of those songs that evokes the '80s so acutely for me that I was already experiencing flashbacks to my own adolescence before Adam began to excavate his. I hear it and I'm returned to my childhood bedroom: the boombox with dual tape players, pink wall-to-wall carpet, a diary with a lock. I hadn't listened to Fine Young Cannibals in many years, but returning to their self-titled album now, I was curious to see if it would arouse the same emotions (anticipation mixed with melancholy). It didn't do exactly that. I still loved the album, still felt moved to bop along and croon the lyrics, but I felt distant from it, as if a pane of glass had been erected between me and my younger self. Each of us has these signal cultural artifacts. They are Those Albums — the records and CDs and playlists we listened to so deeply and constantly that we fused with them, skin and guts and heart. What happens when we re-encounter them later, when we've certainly changed, and perhaps they have too? I jumped into the deepest ocean of such a scenario recently when I went to see "Illinoise," Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury's stage interpretation of Sufjan Stevens's 2005 concept album "Illinois," at the Park Avenue Armory. (It opens on Broadway on April 24.) When "Illinois" came out, I was a ripe target for its indie-rock Americana and majestic storytelling. I played it for what felt like a year straight. Even if I couldn't quite sing along with its elaborate orchestrations, refrains from that album lodged in me. Lyrical scraps would flash unbidden, like hallucinations, in the decades to follow. ("Are you writing from the heart?"; "I fell in love again / All things go.") And so, meeting "Illinois" again, all these years later, I was a little nervous. The work had been transformed, from an intimate album I'd listened to on an iPod with corded earbuds that didn't stay put into a lavish stage production with sets, actors, choreography. The stakes felt curiously high: Would someone else's reinterpretation of the album land for me? Would the public spectacle cheapen my private affection for it? When I mentioned to my friend Tom that I was going to see the show, he was apprehensive: "That album is of monumental importance in my life," he said, adding, "If it's not perfect, it would ruin me." "Illinoise" at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. Sara Krulwich/The New York Times My experience of the performance didn't ruin me or the sacredness of the album, thankfully. I was delighted by the delicate interpretation, the way the show's creators had created a coherent narrative from the collection of songs, agreeing with the Times theater critic Jesse Green that, with "the verbal dials turned way down, and the physical and musical ones way up, the calibration of information, from dreamy to piercing, is pretty much perfect." One risk of reacquainting ourselves with an album we've loved is coming face to face with who we were when we identified so closely with the work: our younger selves and their (sometimes embarrassing) tastes. I was sharply aware in the early aughts of the criticism that Sufjan Stevens's work was too precious and twee, and when I remember how susceptible I was to its wiles, I feel bashful, like I'm seeing myself lampooned in a "Portlandia" sketch. That mix of nostalgia and novelty in meeting our old favorites again, when they've changed and we've changed too — it's a complicated compound! Sometimes, we're surprised. I was transported by my reunion with "Illinois," excited to go home and listen to the album again, to add this new encounter to my archival experiences. I'd hoped for a similar renewal when, last fall, I went to see Liz Phair's 30th-anniversary performance of the album "Exile in Guyville," another of Those Albums for me. I had expected an audience as excited to dance deliriously and sing along to every lyric as I was. But instead I was met with a crowd that felt cool and quiet, and a performance that, perhaps because of my vertiginous expectations, I didn't connect with. I left sort of bummed out, still longing for the cathartic homecoming. I got it, eventually, from the original source: at home, volume on high, singing my heart out in a long, scalding shower, that reliable theater of connection and rebirth. For more "'All of Us Strangers' acts as a prism through which loneliness and its manifestations are refracted, like colorful light onto a wall," writes Alissa Wilkinson. "It feels like the album wants you to live your life to it," the playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury, who worked on the story of "Illinoise," told Melena Ryzik. In her dance review, the critic Gia Kourlas wrote that "Illinoise" is "drowning in sentimentality." Why live concerts make us so nostalgic. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Atlanta, 1997. Jean Shifrin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via Associated Press "Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told," an HBO documentary, delves into an event that defined spring break for Black college students in the 1980s and 1990s. The characters in "3 Body Problem," a new show from the makers of "Game of Thrones," lack dimension, but the series' scale "may leave you too starry-eyed to notice," James Poniewozik writes in his review. A third — and final — "Downton Abbey" movie is on the way, the actress Imelda Staunton told the BBC. A documentary detailed accounts of a problematic working environment at Nickelodeon. Dan Schneider, a former longtime producer accused of inappropriate behavior, apologized. Art An investigation by The Guardian found that three Damien Hirst sculptures, which his company had dated to the 1990s, were actually made in 2017 by Hirst's employees. Last year, a professor's 30-year dream of assembling a complete set of Katsushika Hokusai's series "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" was realized. This week, the prints went up for auction. Music The cast and chorus of the Met Opera's production of Puccini's "Turandot" sang from an improvised set after a technical glitch. Shakira's latest album, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran," deals with her divorce. "If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. That's what I did with this album," she told The Times. "Wait, was that Lil Nas X?" The rapper joined the New York City half marathon at the last minute. Fashion Nadja Wohlleben/Reuters; Getty Images Kristen Stewart has embraced "naked dressing." The bare looks confront viewers with ideas of female sexuality while "undermining the whole circus of branded celebrity dressing," Vanessa Friedman writes. South Dakota's governor, Kristi Noem, has undergone a total makeover in recent years. Strategists say that her new, more glamorous look is meant to appeal to Donald Trump. The Belgian designer Dries Van Noten announced his retirement from his namesake brand. Men's wear aficionados are in mourning. More Culture The "Succession" actor Jeremy Strong stars in a Broadway revival of Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People." Our critic attended a preview. A new Banksy mural in London — painted behind a cherry tree that had its branches sawed off — was defaced, NPR reports. Jonathan Eig won a prize from the New-York Historical Society for his biography of Martin Luther King Jr. THE LATEST NEWS Russia Concert Attack A Russian National Guard soldier in front of the venue, Crocus City Hall, after the attack. Associated Press Several gunmen dressed in camouflage attacked a concert venue near Moscow, killing at least 93 people and injuring more than 100, Russian officials said. A branch of the Islamic State, ISIS-K, claimed responsibility. U.S. officials confirmed the claim, and said they had told Russia's government this month that the group was planning an attack. The Kremlin said that 11 people had been detained in connection with the attack, including four who it alleged were directly involved. Other Big Stories Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced that she has cancer. She did not specify what kind, though she said doctors discovered it after her abdominal surgery in January. Trump's social media company, which operates Truth Social, merged with a shell company. The deal could raise Trump's wealth by billions, giving him cash to pay his legal bills. China and Russia vetoed a U.S. resolution at the U.N. Security Council that called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Congress passed a bill to fund the federal government through September, sending it to President Biden. For readers of The Morning, enjoy exceptional savings for a limited time. Take advantage of the complete Times experience with our sale. Save on your first year of unlimited access to news, Games, Cooking and more. Subscribe now. CULTURE CALENDAR By Andrew LaVallee Arts & Leisure Editor 🎵 "Cowboy Carter" (Friday): Perhaps you've heard there's a new Beyoncé album coming? "Cowboy Carter," the megastar's foray into country music, drops Friday, and like virtually everything Beyoncé does, it will be An Event. While you wait, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages," two early releases, can tide you over. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECIPE OF THE WEEK Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Mushroom-Spinach Soup In New York, our stride into mild spring weather has been momentarily halted by an icy, wintry blast. That means now is a good moment to simmer up a cozy pot of soup, preferably one that's still light, bright and filled with vegetables. My mushroom-spinach soup with cinnamon, coriander and cumin is just right for a chilly weekend. It's brothy and warming, filled with plenty of leafy green spinach and anchored by savory, seared mushrooms and shallots. The spices add a heady, earthy aroma that makes this a bit different from many other vegetable soups. Make it soon, before the warm weather settles in; salad season will be here before you know it. REAL ESTATE Lindsey, Milo and Meghan Zero. Adam Amengual for The New York Times The hunt: A young family from Santa Barbara, unable to afford a single-family home near their jobs, decided to look at a mobile-home park near the beach. Which home did they choose? What you get for $1.5 million: A three-bedroom condo in San Francisco; a Craftsman bungalow in Tampa, Fl.; or a six-bedroom Victorian house in Providence, R.I. LIVING Eiko Ojala Why we age: Scientists are investigating how our biology changes as we get older — and whether there are ways to stop it. "Anti-weddings": For people who want to get married but don't want to plan a classic wedding, one planner offers a solution: "love parties." Stereotypes: Male fitness instructors have a reputation for being girlfriend stealers. How true is it? Trainers weigh in. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER A spring style staple Spring is on the march, which means it's time to shed those cocooning winter layers and lighten your wardrobe. What better way to greet the season than with the ultimate sartorial blank slate: a white T-shirt. Wirecutter's style experts spent six months testing dozens of tees to find four standouts in a range of styles and prices. My personal favorite — an ultra-soft, slightly cropped crewneck — anchors delicate cardigans, baggy jeans and bold accessories with equal aplomb. Lately I've been wearing it peeking out from behind a men's sweatshirt; as the temperatures rise, I'll be pairing it with flowy skirts and white sneakers. — Zoe Vanderweide GAME OF THE WEEK Duke and Richmond on Day 1 of the women's tournament. Kirk Irwin/Getty Images March Madness: We've reached the best weekend of the year for college basketball fans, with games running continuously over the next two days. Below are a few highlights from today's lineup (all times Eastern). Women Caitlin Clark makes her tournament debut, with her Iowa Hawkeyes 37-point favorites over Holy Cross. 3 p.m., ABC Florida Gulf Coast, a No. 12 seed, is on a 22-game winning streak. There's upset potential as they take on Oklahoma. 4 p.m., ESPN News Men Michigan State and North Carolina, which both looked excellent in the first round, meet in Charlotte. 5:30 p.m., CBS Oakland, the No. 14 seed that upset Kentucky, has a chance to extend its run against No. 11 seed N.C. State. 7 p.m., TBS NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were believing, beveling and bevelling. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. 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