Before the curtain rises, there is already a contract in place. The room has paid for magic, the performer has learned how to make exhaustion look like sparkle, and every seat carries its own appetite. The front row is the most dangerous place in that exchange because it mistakes closeness for knowledge. It sees the shine on the costume, the mouth forming a smile, the...

Listening to Shadow Person’s new album, "Chronic Disappointment", feels like staring into one of those fun-house mirrors, only to realize with a slow, creeping dread that the glass isn't distorted at all. This is the new normal, a warped reality we’ve simply adjusted to. The project, the thoughtful and unnerving musical identity of Will Chatham, doesn’t just hold this mirror up to the world;...