With music venues, movie theaters, and, well, anything that requires human interaction temporarily halting services, our editors give some advice on how best to stay entertained while sheltering in place.
Books
Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas by Stephen Harrigan
I’d say now is the time to tackle a 1,000-page, exhaustive narrative of our state’s history. The book reads like a few dozen mini biographies sewn together to create a tapestry that’s a warts-and-all look at our state’s troubled and triumphant history. I’d put this in the must-read category for any history buff. — Brian
Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
Being forced to stay far, far away from society will turn anyone toward the Dark Side, I think. I’m only about halfway through as I write this, but so far, the plot has kept me intrigued, and I’m curious to see how Thrawn’s story ultimately ties in with that of the Galactic Empire. — Samantha
Songs
“Inside Friend” by Leon Bridges and John Mayer
It doesn’t hold a candle to his superior recent collab with fellow Texans Khruangbin, but it’s a sweet Leon Bridges tune, nonetheless. The song was also co-written by metroplex natives Jason Burt and Keite Young of Medicine Man Revival, and it’s called “Inside Friend” (insert quip about it being the perfect shelter-in-place song here). — Brian
“You Will Be Found” from the musical, “Dear Evan Hansen”
I got serious emotions after a recent Zoom-style performance of the song “You Will Be Found.” Its lyrics couldn’t be more appropriate for the times: “So let the sun come streaming in / ‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again / Lift your head and look around / You will be found.” I can’t wait for Bass Hall to reopen so I can see this live — in person — next year. — Samantha
Shows
“Tiger King” (Netflix)
By now, you’ve surely seen the memes and heard somebody exclaim, “Carole Baskins killed her husband,” at least once. The very real and disturbing characters and the story that borders on the preposterous have made this Netflix original ripe for iconic status. If you have yet to tune into the episodic documentary that’s recently taken pop culture by storm, I can’t recommend it enough. — Brian
“Star Trek: Picard” (CBS All Access)
Yes, I’ve made my peace with being both a “Star Wars” fan and a “Star Trek” fan. In this show, Jean-Luc Picard is forced out of retirement to find an android built using the code of his beloved colleague, Data. “Picard” doesn’t quite feel like an old “Star Trek” show; instead, it’s got more of a sophistication and artful edge to it. — Samantha
Movies
“Extra Ordinary” (Grand Berry Theater, grandberrytheater.com)
Starring a wealth of unknown Irish actors (and “Saturday Night Live” veteran Will Forte), this charming horror comedy film is sure to become a cult classic, a la “Zombieland.” The flick will keep you laughing, and you’ll also be helping out a great local business in the Grand Berry Theater. The $12 price for virtual entrance might seem steep, but it’s money well spent. — Brian
“Onward” (Disney Plus)
I was super pumped Disney Plus started releasing movies earlier than originally planned, one of them being “Onward,” which I surprisingly enjoyed a lot. Now, it’s not quite the level of Pixar’s past hits, but it was pretty entertaining. And, yes, it’s sad — because if you don’t cry watching a Pixar movie, is it even a Pixar movie? — Samantha
9 Local Streams
Catch these local artists, musicians, and businesses partaking in virtual entertainment.
By Brian Kendall
Abraham Alexander: Find the Light Soulful musician Abraham Alexander strikes up deep convos with local creatives who have inspired him. The first episodes, which air on Instagram, included close friends Leon Bridges and Sunflowerman. instagram.com/abrahamalexander
Sam Anderson’s Hunker in the Bunker The Quaker City Night Hawk, who doesn’t appear worried about the temporary closure of his local barbershop, is performing new tunes and telling stories on the Main at South Side Facebook page every Friday at 8 p.m. facebook.com/massfw
The Modern: Being There The Modern’s been killing the livestream game, thanks to its prolific new YouTube series, “Being There.” For the past two weeks, it’s been providing followers with near-daily content that includes weekly art tutorials and curators slowly dissecting a single piece of art. The videos are both meditative and educational. facebook.com/themodernfw
Art Conspiracy: Art Con(cert) The Cush, Acid Carousel, and Ronnie Heart have each graced the Art Conspiracy Facebook page for a livestream concert followed by a Q&A. And there’s surely more to come. artcon.org/live
Main at South Side The music venue appears to be putting on as many shows virtually as it did in person pre-COVID-19. In addition to its partnership with Sam Anderson, you’ll see a Fort Worth mainstay on its channel almost any day of the week. facebook.com/massfw
Late Stream with Dead Vinyl The pandemic caused this up-and-coming group to cut its tour short, but it has been regularly livestreaming on Instagram and showcasing some new tunes. facebook.com/deadvinyltx
Simon Flory Talented folky has been doing some great Facebook and Instagram livestreams. Stay tuned to his social channels for updates. facebook.com/slflory
Lorena Leigh: Home Chirch Going through the plethora of this singer/songwriter’s past streams — which includes live performances, interviews, singalongs, and more — would be equivalent to re-watching all of “Game of Thrones.” facebook.com/lorenaleighmusic
Kimbell from Home Story Time The ideal livestream for those sheltering in place with kiddos. Every week, educator Alli Rogers Andreen reads a new picture book aloud in Mother Goose-like fashion. facebook.com/kimbellart
(We also recommend checking out Kimbell’s virtual collection at kimbellart.com/kimbell-at-home)
*If you’re tuning in, remember to support our local musicians by tipping them for their amazing efforts.