IN PRAISE OF CRASHING'S LEIF
I started binging Pete Holmes' HBO series Crashing just as the second season started in January. The comedy about an aspiring comic struggling to get started in New York after catching his wife cheating is pretty excellent, and much of the credit goes to the character of Leif (George Basil), the man we meet in the first episode, naked and destroying Pete's marriage in unmentionable ways. Little did we know then that Leif would develop into a spirit guide of sorts for Pete, leading him on drug trips, encouraging him in his comedy, even offering him a place to live. We should all be so lucky to have a Leif in our lives. (DAN NAILEN)
ON THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST
Some noteworthy new music arrives online and in stores Feb. 23. To wit:
CAROLINE ROSE, Loner. Dark comedy and retro riffs fill this 27-year-old former folkie's album that has nods to The Cramps, Le Tigre and Britney Spears (yes, really).
SCREAMING FEMALES, All At Once. The Jersey trio played Baby Bar not too long ago.
VANCE JOY, Nation of Two. Yup, that guy with the ubiquitous "Riptide" song is back, trying to avoid the so-called "sophomore slump."
ETERNAL FUN
I recently blasted my way through a fun event for the digital collectible card game Eternal. Fans of similar titles (Hearthstone, Magic: The Gathering) should get in while the game is still in its hype-building stage (it's been in open beta since late 2016). Perhaps the best thing about Eternal is its generous free-to-play model, offering many paths to build your digital collection without spending real money, through daily events and tournaments, a crafting system and regular distribution of in-game currency. Eternal is available on all the major platforms. Challenge me to a battle and hope that I don't play my favorite card, Champion of Mystery. (CHEY SCOTT)
$235 MILLION
The box office earnings of Marvel's Black Panther over the four-day weekend, making it the fifth largest opening weekend in film history. Ryan Coogler's universally lauded comic book adaptation also shattered the record for biggest February opening weekend ever, crushing the $132 million the previous champ Deadpool racked up in 2016. It's an impressive feat, but will it outgross the studio's own upcoming Avengers: Infinity War? (NATHAN WEINBENDER)
A NEW IDENTITY
Seeing a Folkinception show seems a Spokane right of passage, but if you didn't see them during the band's first seven years, you're too late. Well, sort of. Over the weekend, the co-winners of last year's Best Original Band in our annual poll changed their name to Trego, noting on their Facebook page that the now-former name "is a misnomer to our evolving sound and vibe." The announcement included that longtime fiddler Heather Montgomery is stepping away from the band, and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kristen Black is joining. Find out more at tregoband.com. (DAN NAILEN)
