The Weekender #1: Your Must Hear, Watch, & Read Guide
New exhibit! Your weekend culture itinerary is here.
New exhibit alert here at The Wax Museum! Say hello to The Weekender, a curated listening, watching, and reading experience to give your weekend a sensory upgrade. Subscribe to get The Weekender in your inbox free every Friday.
What to Listen to This Weekend
Sade - Promise in Tokyo 1986
I spend too much time scouring the web for new, interesting vinyl and one caught my eye this week: a bootleg vinyl pressing of a live Sade show in Tokyo, during her world tour promoting Promise.
I searched YouTube to see if the performance was available and, to my delight, not only did I find it, but I'm thrilled to report it’s an absolute high-quality banger! Whether you're using headphones or playing it through your TV, it feels like you're right there in the midst of the action.
The Magician Magic Tapes
If you're still somehow active on SoundCloud, you're likely aware of this, but for those who aren't, Belgian DJ The Magician drops a new hour-ish “Magic Tape” every few months on the platform and it rocks. Humblebrag incoming: I try to run 100 miles outside every month, which gives me ample opportunity to indulge in music. For my last few runs, I’ve been deeply immersed in the Magic Tapes. Specifically #118 from July 2023 has been on repeat, where I did the most pausing and replaying random segments to sustain that dopamine rush.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Soundtrack
The indie video game Bomb Rush Cyberfunk pays a striking homage to the 2000 Sega Dreamcast classic, Jet Set Radio, with its clear influences evident right from the first glance. This tribute extends through every aspect of the game, from the gameplay and visuals to the soundtrack.
The soundtrack even features Hideki Naganuma, who previously created the Jet Set Radio soundtrack. The 30+ song collection is filled with certified funky-ass fresh beats; I’ll give you three favs if you’re in a hurry: 2 Mello's "I Wanna Kno," Proux's "Funk Express," and GRRL's "Operator.”
Tokyo Police Club Greatest Hits
Canadian rockers Tokyo Police Club called it quits after 18 years: early this week, I curated a playlist featuring what I believe to be their 15 greatest tracks.
The Wax Museum Playlists
Still need more music? Check out our constantly updated new music playlists!
What to Watch This Weekend
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb is back for its 12th and final season Sundays on HBO Max or whatever its called now. Larry David is on quite the media tour; yesterday he brutally assaulted Elmo on the set of The Today Show.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Childish Gambino hot as a flamin’ cheeto and PEN15’s Maya Erskine are Mr. and Mrs Smith in the reboot television show for Amazon Prime based on the 2005 Brangelina film. I’m optimistic for this one, as Donald Glover usually picks the right projects. All eight episodes are available to binge right meow.
The Safdie Brothers Films
The Safdie Brothers, the filmmaking duo behind one of my all-time favs, 2019’s Uncut Gems, have split up and will stop making movies together. This has long been rumored, with Benny Safdie recently going solo to continue his acting career and boy did he have one hell of a 2023: he was the sunscreen-drenched scene stealer in Oppenheimer, the kind-hearted dad in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., and the instantly classic Dougie in the wildest TV show in recent memory, The Curse.
But before all that, the brothers were indie directing darlings, creating four edge-of-your-seat films before Gems: Daddy Longlegs (2009), Lenny Cooke (2013), Heaven Knows What (2014), and Good Time (2017). Starting today, all films are available to stream on the Criterion Channel; if you don’t have Criterion, get yourself a free 7-day trial.
What to Read This Weekend
“The Moon Shot: Inside the Making of the Apple Vision Pro“ by Nick Bilton for Vanity Fair
Apple has been running a full court media press on their upcoming Apple Vision Pro, which hits stores today. Nick Bilton in Vanity Fair posits that the technology is perhaps too good:
When I take [the Apple Vision Pro] off, every other device feels flat and boring: My 75-inch OLED TV feels like a CRT from the ’90s; my iPhone feels like a flip phone from yesteryear, and even the real world around me feels surprisingly flat. And this is the problem. […] In the same way I can’t imagine trying to work without a computer, I can see a day when we all can’t imagine living without an augmented reality. When we’re enveloped more and more by technology, to the point that we crave these glasses like a drug, like we crave our iPhones today but with more desire for the dopamine hit this resolution of AR can deliver. I know deep down that the Apple Vision Pro is too immersive, and yet all I want to do is see the world through it.
Dun dun dun! Personally, I want to love it. Here’s a demo on how cool NBA League Pass looks on the device. But I can’t get over the ridiculous scuba diving mask, especially when they cost $3500.
“4 Days To Bury A Film” by Marc Godin for Techikart
I love stories of behind-the-scenes movie meltdowns, and we were treated to a doozy this week. “4 Days to Bury a Film” is a hilarious day-by-day portrayal of a film imploding.
Let’s set the scene: Production was set to begin on Suddenly, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Vanessa Kirby as lovers stranded on a frigid island and directed by Thomas Bidegain. With the script completed and an expensive set constructed in Iceland, things were progressing smoothly, until Gyllenhaal, who was also producer of the $26M movie, arrived. Here’s just a few things the director claimed Gyllenhaal did:
Stripped to his underwear and dove into the freezing Iceland Sea, saying “when I see the sea, I swim in the sea.” Absolute classic line.
Recorded serious scenes in a Pepe Le Pew-like accent.
Demanded constant script rewrites.
Told crew members to sleep in their cars to prevent COVID spread.
Jake was either trying to get fired, or we were robbed one of the greatest performances of all time.
David Bowie’s Station by Station Wikipedia Page
Thanks to Chapo Trap House’s Will Menaker for reminding me of the fascinating stories behind the creation of David Bowie’s classic Station to Station. The album may go down as the definitive document of ’70s cocaine paranoia. Bowie later admitted to having no memory of the album's production.
Here’s Bowie around the same time on The Dick Cavett Show, seemingly in the midst of his peppers, milk, and cocaine diet, in desperate need of a fidget spinner, but still coming off quick-witted and charming.
Hey thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts on the new exhibit. We’ll be back early next week with new vinyl releases and some special announcements! Until then, rock on!
We love what you do, Sir!
I need to catch up on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, love that show!