The Weekender #8: Your Must Hear, Watch, & Read Guide
The weekend itinerary includes Vampire Weekend, Rosie Tucker, Caitlin Clark, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Wager, and much more!
The Weekender is 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.
You can now buy the above Weekender bag at our Gift Shop, along with a vinyl carrying tote bag and a coffee mug! Paid subscribers to The Wax Museum get $10 off at checkout!
What to Listen to This Weekend
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Get Vinyl: Blue and Black, UV Graffiti Sleeve | Silver | Clear | Black
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Debuts #1 on the Album of the Year Leaderboard
With today’s release of Vampire Weekend’s fifth album, Only God Was Above Us, you can now pit their first five albums against any other current group outside of maybe Radiohead.
It's a rare trajectory for a band to outdo themselves with each release. Hot take alert incoming, but after a dozen or so listens to the new album, Ezra Koenig, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio have pulled off an impressive feat where each album has topped the previous one.
Their last release, 2019’s Father of the Bride is one of my favorite albums of the last five years. Underrated and not fully appreciated upon its release, it's an album I've passionately defended, most recently writing 1500 words on its references to Palestine, simply because such discussions were absent elsewhere. It’s a masterpiece that still feels like it has layers undiscovered.
There won’t be any delayed recognition with Only God Was Above Us. You get it from the first listen, and judging by the Internet response and album reviews, this is blowing people away. The album is so good it may have triggered an earthquake in New York today.
The fellas promised an album of “10 tracks, no skips,” and they've unequivocally delivered. Without hesitation, I’ve got it debuting at the top of my Album of the Year Leaderboard.
Rosie Tucker - UTOPIA NOW!
Get Vinyl: Grape + Tangerine
Stream: Spotify | Bandcamp | Apple Music | YouTube
Debuts #12 on the Album of the Year Leaderboard
Some of the most fun I’ve had listening to a new album this year was with Rosie Tucker’s UTOPIA NOW!. Their fourth album is a self-produced, home-recorded gem filled with punchy rock riffs and dreamy earworm hooks. Rosie does a good job balancing pop sensibilities with a sharp, cultural critique that’s both intellectual and accessible.
Kicking off the album with the line “The lightbulb is updating / And I sit in the dark,” Tucker navigates our technocapitalism maze with a blend of wit and wisdom that's as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. It's a listening experience that's both fun and full of substance.
The vinyl is a beautiful grape and tangerine, and there's only 12 left out of /250. Make that 11 since I just yoinked one.
What to Watch This Weekend
Vampire Weekend Solar Eclipse Show
Stream: Veeps
While it’s not technically the weekend, Monday, April 8th, the United States will experience a total solar eclipse. To coincide with this astronomical event, Vampire Weekend will be playing their first show of the tour during the eclipse at 1 PM EST, 12 Central. The eclipse is expected to reach totality around 1:30-1:40 PM CST, bringing full darkness for a couple of minutes in the middle of the day.
For those that can’t make it to Austin, the total eclipse show will be streamed live on Veeps. Digital tickets will be free. For those unable to login to watch the show in the middle of a Monday (or for those experiencing the eclipse outside), Vampire Weekend’s concert will be available to stream on Veeps for one year after.
NCAA Women’s Basketball
Stream: ESPN
At long last, women’s basketball has taken center stage, with the ladies tournament outshining its male counterpart in terms of drama and star power. Monday’s match-up between Iowa and LSU captivated 12.3 million viewers, setting a record not just as the most-watched women's basketball game in history, but also surpassing viewership of all MLB, NHL, and MLS games from last year.
There’s a chance even more people will watch tonight as Paige Bueckers and Connecticut square off against Caitlin Clark and Iowa at 9:30 PM EST on ESPN. If I was a betting man (I am), I’d take Iowa and the points.
A Gentleman in Moscow
Stream: Paramount+
For many, the Covid era was a haze, with two years seemingly evaporated from memory. Yet, the book that stuck with me most from that time was Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow, ironically about a man ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel. It’s about making the best of a restricted situation.
Now, the novel has been turned into an eight-episode series featuring IRL married couple Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I've watched the first episode and it’s promising. With seven more to go, and the next one airing tonight, I'm hopeful the series will conclude with the grace it deserves.
What to Read This Weekend
The Wager by David Grann
My favorite book of 2024 so far is The Wager by David Grann, the acclaimed author behind Killers of the Flower Moon, which was adapted to become my personal favorite film of 2023. Excitingly, The Wager will also be made by the iconic duo of Scorsese and DiCaprio, promising another blockbuster.
The Wager tells the riveting story of the HMS Wager, embroiled in the 1740s conflict known as the War of Jenkins’ Ear (indeed, that’s the actual name) between Britain and Spain. The HMS Wager’s goal was to plunder a Spanish ship filled with treasure.
Grann navigates us through this historical juncture, centering his narrative on the ship's inevitable fate. The tale rife with shipwreck, murder, and mutiny is a page-turner where you’re eager to discover who will endure the ordeal. Yet, survival is merely the beginning. Those who survive will have to contend with the scrutiny of the British Navy, society, and the history books.
Hey thanks for visiting The Wax Museum! If you like what you read, forward this newsletter to a few friends who need their weekend upgraded! 🙌
That Rosie Tucker is a gem. Great suggestions all around