Matt and Lucas talk with Arts Fuse critic Steve Provizer about one of our favorite subjects: just what is a critic for?

We base our discussion on the new Coen brothers film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and discuss violence, politics, and the virtues of the noble ferret.

Give thanks, the Fuse is back with another podcast!

In this episode, Lucas and Matt review some of the recent pieces that have gone up on the Arts Fuse about theater, music, and more. A review of the new Jane Fonda documentary leads into a discussion about celebrity culture and politics. Recently, Matt interviewed writer and New Yorker book Critic James Wood about his novel Upstate and the challenges of writing fiction. Matt coins a phrase. Lucas supplies some sound effects.

Then we read from Jeremy Ray Jewell's review of Lonnie Holley's mind-blowing new album MITH.

For the giving season consider joining our trinity of donors to help pay our writers who bring you the best in arts criticism and commentary.

Music:

"Just Blues (Meanest Kind of Blues)" - The Memphis Jazzers, 1929 (VD 71739)

"The Green Grass Grows All Around" - Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, 1941 (Decca 8605)

"Tangle Eye Blues" - Walter "Tangle Eye" Jackson, 1947

"I Snuck off the Slave Ship" - Lonnie Holley, 2018 (Jagjaguwar)

https://jagjaguwar.com/release/JAG316/

https://www.lonnieholley.com/

Lucas and Matt discuss the demise of FilmStruck, a "business decision" made in the aftermath of the ATt&T and Time Warner merger. The fat cats continue to swallow up all that sweet, premium content, limiting our imaginative and cultural possibilities. Then, we take a look at Monica Hileman's review of Michael Lewis's book The Fifth Risk, and talk about the importance and shortcomings of all that red tape. Matt then gives us a long read of Jay Atkinson's review of the thrilling documentary film Free Solo, about Alex Honnold's attempt to climb El Capitan with no ropes.

We get political AF on this one, folks. This is the AF podcast, after all. Bill Marx rejoins the crew for an in depth discussion of the Eleanor Burgess play "The Niceties" that just finished up its run at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston's South End.

Lucas looses his mind. Matt tries to be diplomatic. And Bill remains the wise dispassionate critic who sets everyone else straight about the future of theater and the political left.

Hear the extended conversation with Bill Marx from episode 1. Matt and I grill the Fuse's editor in chief about the state of arts criticism and why reading The Arts Fuse is a sure fire way of guaranteeing how young and hip you are. Then we do an in depth comparison of Spike Lee's film BlacKkKlansman and Boots Riley's film Sorry to Bother You.

We've made it to episode 2! And boy do we have a good one.

We are eternally grateful to Matt Christman (@cushbomb) from Chapo Trap House who humbled himself to talk with us about the new book The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts and Reason.

The book was co-written with other Chapo members Felix, Will, Virgil, and Brendan and has art from Eli Valley and John White.

Chapo will be live in Boston on Friday September 14 at the Wilbur and then going to Hamden, CT and Pawtucket, RI. Go check them out and buy the book.

Warning*

Something went TERRIBLY wrong with the audio at the beginning. I could do little to fix it and I'm deeply sorry. Feel free to skip ahead to the interview at the 20 minute mark.

I promise to become a better person and better podcaster.

Welcome to the first episode of the Arts Fuse Podcast. The Arts Fuse is Boston's premier arts and culture magazine. In this episode, your hosts Lucas and Matt learn how to talk, take a deep dive into Boots Riley's revolutionary film Sorry to Bother you, and sit down with Arts Fuse editor in chief Bill Marx.

Check out the magazine: http://artsfuse.org/

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theartsfuse