Event of the Week: Wednesday, April 6
Experience a new kind of group meditation at Swet Studio. Participants of of the class, Levitation, will be suspended from a hammock and guided through stretching and controlled breathing to a state of peace. Meditation is an amazing tool to relieve stress, but unfortunately, outside distractions and thoughts make it difficult to achieve this state. Located in the South End, Swet Studio provides a quiet space and expert teachers to help you forget about your worries and reach enlightenment. 480 Tremont St.; 12:15 – 12:45 p.m.; $28.
It is fitting that the Museum of Fine Arts’ (MFA) ambitious new exhibition titled “Megacities Asia” is also its largest contemporary art show to date. Megacities, metropolises with populations of 10 million or higher commonly found throughout Asia, are sprawling urban spaces; “Megacities Asia” occupies the entire museum, extends to its front lawn and throughout Boston.
Thursday, March 24
One of the Internet’s least-discussed contributions is the transformation of the pornography industry. In her lecture, “Playing with Sexnology,” psychiatrist and professor at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, Frances Bidga-Peyton will present the effects of online porn, which comprises 13 percent of Internet searches. She will discuss the neurochemistry of cyberporn use, sex differences, the dangers of porn and treatments for addiction. Cyberporn addicts are encouraged to come, as the lecture will also serve as a workshop to evaluate subconscious fantasies underlying porn addiction. 1581 Beacon St., Brookline; 7 – 8:30 p.m.; free.
The theatre department at Northeastern University (NU) is breaking the barriers between cast and audience in its new production of the acclaimed musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” directed by Scott Edmiston.
Six Northeastern University students stepped on the afterHOURS stage and told their funniest stories in hopes of being crowned last Husky standing – but only one stepped out victorious.
Modeling alternative outfits and philanthropic badges, audience members talked about the latest music trends and artistic ventures. The excitement lingering in the air was soon shaken by the sounds of indie rock and chiptune.
This year, hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper will be headlining Springfest, much to the approval of many Northeastern students. However, students not too familiar with alternative hip-hop may ask, “Who is Chance the Rapper?”
Often, I prefer leisurely physical activities: A scenic bike ride, yoga or a light jog. Sometimes I feel the need for a more intense workout and will willingly undergo the short-term tyranny of a Zumba instructor. Upon learning we would be hiking during our service spring break trip to Colorado, I was genuinely excited for breathtaking views. “No, you don’t need to buy hiking boots,” the trip leaders said. As an East Coast, sea-level native, I was relieved, if only for a moment.
Event of the Week: Wednesday, Mar. 23
In the Vagabond Theatre Company’s new play, “A Southern Victory,” the Confederacy has won The Civil War, and as as a result, slavery still thrives, prohibition continues and abolitionists known as John Brown’s Army have turned to violent, almost terrorist-like means to get their message across. The play, taking place at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, centers on a college student named Thomas Williams who witnesses the terrorism firsthand and must decide whether to continue his family’s legacy as slave-owners or join the abolitionists. Directed by Kevin Mullins, “A Southern Victory,” will be presented as a trilogy. 949 Commonwealth Ave.; 8 – 10 p.m.; $20.
Rap and hip-hop have, in many senses, long been genres prone to polarity and debate. Conscious songs vs. popular anthems; lyrical aces vs. commanding performers; kings of the studio vs. kings of streets; albums vs. mixtapes; East Coast club vs. West Coast gangsta; singing vs. rapping. Kendrick Lamar’s surprise eight-track, 34-minute “untitled unmastered,” released two weeks ago and composed of unpolished studio demos from 2015 Grammy award-winning album “To Pimp A Butterfly,” immediately posed many of those questions to fans. In particular, observers honed in on format – is it an EP? a compilation? a random scrap heap? – and production style – free jazz? funk? new age? – as their battlegrounds.
Rhymes, snaps and claps created an ambience of community within the walls of Haley House as performers spoke about social justice, personal struggles and general pop culture to the crowd.
