Melissa Auf der Maur's Rock Memoir; New Play 'Cold War Choir Practice'; New 'Project Hail Mary' Film; Clifton Chenier's Zydeco Legacy
Melissa Auf der Maur played bass for two of the biggest bands of the 90's — The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole — and witnessed firsthand the explosion of alternative rock music of that era. She discusses her new book, Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A 90's Rock Memoir which recounts her story, from her childhood in Montreal to, being hand picked to join Hole just after the death of Kurt Cobain.
In the new play "Cold War Choir Practice," a young girl finds herself spending time with her conservative Black uncle, who is into Reagan, conspiracy theories, and roller rinks. Alana Raquel Bowers, who plays "Meek," discusses the show, along with playwright Ro Reddick, who recently took home the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. "Cold War Choir Practice" runs at MCC Theater through March 29.
The new film "Project Hail Mary" is a humorous and good-hearted space epic about one man, played by Ryan Gosling, who wakes up to find himself alone on a spaceship, tasked with saving the Earth. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller discuss the film, in theaters on March 20.
A monumental Smithsonian Folkways box set celebrates a pioneering accordion player who blended African American blues, R&B, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and Louisiana Cajun and Creole music. It’s titled “Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco.” Singer and accordionist CJ Chenier, Clifton Chenier’s son, and Adam Machado, producer and director of the Arhoolie Foundation, join us to discuss Clifton’s legacy and the retrospective box set.
