A&E

Expressing yourself is hard. Expressing yourself to the tune of a musical cacophony is even harder. Taking someone else’s work and not completely butchering it? That might be the hardest task of all.

Perhaps the most striking performance of the night was the band’s rendition of “Pink Rabbits,” an elegy to the wistfulness and disquieting melancholy that can endure (for Berninger, at least) even within long-term relationships.

As the play unfolds, the actors’ nuanced performances shed acute light on the emotional turmoil that pervades “1984.”

The beats on Quaranta are quieter, reverbier and heavier on the low and mid-range frequencies, so even when they verge into banger territory, they still sound like they’re emanating from a wet cave.

Throughout the play, the dichotomy between the young characters and the deeply rooted, traumatic questions they face is underscored by exceptional acting and adept technical choices that push the audience to question themselves.

Offering a compelling reflection of what love is and can be, Berkeley TDPS’ “Wintertime” was as dazzling as gazing up at falling snowflakes.

While their previous albums were distinct representations of one half of their dual concept — The Red serving as their bubbly, pop-centric “red” concept and Perfect Velvet embodying their more mature, R&B “velvet” side — Chill Kill blends the two in a long-awaited album that demonstrates Red Velvet’s versatility and sophistication.

At Bill Graham, all variety of pick-me paragons in their spookiest finery were stunned by the artist’s range, especially during a tweaked rendition of fan favorite “Hillside Boys.” 

“All of that stuff just had no dialogue, and I just thought it would be a fun exploration,” Bennett said. “And it did just start to slowly evolve more and more … there's so much stuff that exists in nature on earth that has got a lot of that horror and creepiness to it”. 

Thus, “The Founding of the World” becomes a beacon into themes of masculinity, intimacy and identity, simultaneously permitting speculation into the private with the purpose of demystifying unspoken violence.