Washington Square News

Washington Square News

Washington Square News

All content by Julia Diorio
A black-and-white photo of a stage with two rugs, a grand piano, a double bass, an amp and a drum set.

Smalls Jazz Club’s fight to keep jazz alive

Spike Wilner, a musician and the manager of Smalls Jazz Club, spoke with WSN about what sets Smalls apart and the importance of jazz music.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Apr 26, 2023

Nestled in the West Village, Smalls Jazz Club is home to a New York staple that is slowly disappearing. Spike Wilner, a professional jazz musician, has been playing piano jazz...

Two people browsing racks and tables of tee shirts in a store. A red neon sign that reads “City Fun” hangs above, and tee shirts and a skateboard hang from the back wall.

‘It’s band tee heaven’: City Fun is the East Village spot for music merch 

City Fun is a bright spot on an East Village block otherwise dedicated to bodegas. The store sells shirts from all your favorite bands, benefiting both the artist and the small local business.
Julia Diorio, Staff Writer Apr 20, 2023

Located on First Avenue between Second and Third Streets, City Fun is a vibrant explosion of color and music in the East Village shopping scene. The store exclusively sells band...

Sam MacPherson, who has curly blond hair, wearing a light gray denim shirt, white t-shirt, dark blue pants and brown chukka boots.

Sam MacPherson on new EP ‘Powerlines,’ upcoming tour

“Last Minute” went viral on TikTok and skyrocketed Sam MacPherson into fame. Now, he talks about his new EP and headlining tour.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Apr 14, 2023

Sam MacPherson was one of the many artists who had a song go viral on TikTok during the pandemic, with “Last Minute” reaching nearly 20 million streams on Spotify. He’s a...

Anna of the North poses for a photo, wearing a brown top and a black leather jacket.

Anna of the North on how her Scandinavian roots set her apart 

Singer-songwriter Anna Lotterud talks about her rise to fame, her current North American tour and what goes into her songwriting process.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Apr 7, 2023

Anna Lotterud, the singer-songwriter behind Anna of the North, makes “soft, soul-bearing electro-pop.” Her nickname was given to her after her move across the world from Norway...

Director Martin Scorsese wearing a suit and a blue tie, standing in front of a backdrop with the N.Y.U. logo and text “TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS.”

Martin Scorsese makes appearance at first Tisch Gala since 2019

NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts celebrated Hank Willis Thomas and Deborah Willis at the first post-pandemic edition of its flagship fundraising event.
Clara Spray and Julia Diorio Apr 6, 2023

The Ziegfeld Ballroom was full of stars and smiling faces for this year’s edition of NYU’s Tisch Gala. From Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese to university president Andrew...

An illustration of five figures drawn with yellow as the fill color and realistic red lips.

A love letter to ‘New Girl’ as it departs from Netflix

The iconic show is leaving the streaming service, and fans are not happy.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Apr 5, 2023

Last month, Netflix announced that “New Girl,” the cult classic TV sitcom that follows a quirky schoolteacher and her three roommates, would be leaving the platform on April...

Musician Palmyra Delran wearing a black jacket while holding a magnifying glass in her hand. She sits in front of a white backdrop.

Palmyra Delran: The trashy-pop queen of rock ‘n’ roll

The former Friggs frontwoman and current Underground Garage radio personality discusses her 30 years of experience in the music industry.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Mar 21, 2023

Palmyra Delran has seen nearly every corner of the music industry. As a former member of the Philadelphia rock bands The Friggs and Pink Slip Daddy and collaborating with LA supergroup...

A photo of the four members of the band Quarters of Change standing in a line showing the sides of their bodies. They are wearing black clothes and are standing against a blurred blue background.

Rock band Quarters of Change on its ever-evolving sound

Members of rock band Quarters of Change talk about their beginning as a group and how they used the pandemic to their advantage.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Mar 6, 2023

Composed of four tight-knit, born-and-raised New Yorkers — Ben Acker, Attila Anrather, Jasper Harris and Ben Roter — the band Quarters of Change masters a modern revival of...

An illustration of four people walking into the distance in a village. The image is tinted with a teal color.

Review: New doc on Sarah Lawrence cult tells the harrowing truth of survivors

The docuseries follows a group of nine students at Sarah Lawrence College who fell victim to manipulation. It serves as a harrowing realization that cults are not things of the past, but closer than we know.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Feb 28, 2023

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault. Sarah Lawrence College sits in the small village of Bronxville, New York, an affluent Westchester County...

An illustration of a C.D. against a dark green background. On the C.D. is an illustration of three people whose faces are pressed against a window.

Review: With ‘This Is Why,’ Paramore continues to exceed expectations  

Paramore’s long-awaited sixth album reminds us that the pop-punk band is here to stay.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Feb 22, 2023

My first interaction with Paramore was in elementary school. My older cousin was obsessed with the music group and I was obsessed with my older cousin, so Paramore became the coolest...

From left to right: Noelle Scaggs, Michael Fitzpatrick, John Wicks, Joe Karnes, Jeremy Ruzumna and James King all dressed in semi-casual outfits, posing in front of a colorfully patterned background.

Fitz of Fitz and the Tantrums on his musical philosophy and upcoming tour

Michael Fitzpatrick discusses success within the music industry and the resurgence of “Out of My League” on TikTok. 
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Jan 30, 2023

With over 400 million streams on “Out of My League” and 200 million on "HandClap,” Fitz and the Tantrums has everyone singing along, regardless of age. The band is composed...

From left to right: a man wearing a green hoodie, a woman wearing a black puffer jacket, a man wearing a black leather jacket and a woman wearing a red puffer jacket dancing in a room. There is a tripod with a camera in front of them.

Barbershop by day, dance club by night: Astor Place Hairstylists

Astor Place Hairstylists, a New York City institution, recently broke into the party scene with help from NYU sophomore Quincy Davis.
Julia Diorio, Staff Writer Dec 12, 2022

I walk past Astor Place Hairstylists on my way to class every week, and I have always admired their sign: “We speak Italian, Russian, Greek, Spanish, French, Polish, Uzbek, Farsi,...

A road sign that reads “the letter E 22 Street” and “Third Avenue” is hung on a wall filled with Christmas decorations.

Rolf’s NYC: Christmas sleigh or neigh?

Relatively ignored during the off-season, Rolf’s is packed until closing from November to January. Do the reviews and social media exposure live up to the hype at this German bar?
Julia Diorio, Staff Writer Dec 5, 2022

Christmas in New York is famous for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular show, its Rockefeller Center decorations and window displays galore. As a born and raised New Yorker, even...

Greyson Chance wearing a black turtleneck sweater stands at a corner of a room. There are two shadows of him on the two walls behind him. The photo is in black and white.

Q&A: Greyson Chance on his music comeback and prioritizing mental health

Singer-songwriter Greyson Chance gets candid about his new era of music and his most recent album. He is playing at Gramercy Theatre on Friday, Dec. 2.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Dec 1, 2022

If you didn’t see singer-songwriter Greyson Chance’s cover of “Paparazzi” back in 2010, you probably lived under a rock. His middle school talent show performance in Oklahoma...

An illustration of a brown-haired woman in a long-sleeve blue shirt holding a bagel with her left hand. Behind her there are floating bagels in vertical lines, against a dark blue background.

How to order an NYC bagel the right way

New York City is famous for its bagels. Here’s how to act like a pro at the counter.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Nov 30, 2022

New York City is famous for having the best bagels in the world. There’s nothing like a good bagel in the morning to jump-start that 8 a.m., but if you’re new to the city,...

An illustration of TikToker Caleb Simpson. He has brown hair and is wearing a navy Yankee hat and pink hoodie. Simpson is standing in front of two brownstone buildings.

How much is rent in New York City?

An interview with TikTok’s Caleb Simpson on the wealth disparity within New York City communities.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Nov 23, 2022

From left to right: A man with brown hair wearing a gray jacket with grid patterns and a white T-shirt. A man with dark hair wearing a blue T-shirt with an unintelligible logo, a black jacket and black pants. A man with dark hair wearing a white T-shirt, a green jacket and beige pants. They stand in front of a cyan-colored wall with a half-opened, white grid door.

Q&A: New Rules discuss TikTok fame and their boy band identity

WSN sat down with the U.K. and Irish boy band to talk about their new song, music tastes and favorite type of pasta.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Nov 21, 2022

Not to be confused with the Dua Lipa song, New Rules is everything you’d want from a United Kingdom-based boy band. Alec McGarry, Nathan Lambert and Ryan Meaney first broke...

An illustration of a vinyl record on which the image of a man with a beard and long black hair is imprinted. He is wearing black jeans, a dark green T-shirt, and a light gray long-sleeve button-up, and is standing in a grassy field with mountains in the background. A Great Dane sits next to him on the right.

Review: Noah Kahan encapsulates the beauty of heartbreak, healing and the New England fall on ‘Stick Season’

After Noah Kahan’s backyard video of his single “Stick Season” went viral on TikTok, fans waited with bated breath to see if the album would meet their expectations.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Nov 2, 2022

Indie artist Noah Kahan is a master of lyrical storytelling. Previously known for his popular collaboration with Julia Michaels in “Hurt Somebody,” Kahan can no longer be classified...

Portraits of different sizes are hung up in an art gallery. The gallery has white walls and wooden floors.

Wolfgang Tillmans shares his fearless perspective of the world in new MoMA installation

Wolfgang Tillmans’ ‘To look without fear’ blurs the line between aesthetics and politics.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Sep 26, 2022

On Sept. 12, the line for The Museum of Modern Art went around the block, even before its 10:30 a.m. opening. Many of those waiting carried cameras, notebooks and laptops in order...

An illustration depicts a blue shirt coming out of a canvas tote bag. The background is a purple and blue gradient.

NYC Versus American Suburbia: The Limitations of Self Expression

Moving from a small town to the big city, I had dreams of expressing my true self. However, I had not considered the realities of being a teenage girl in New York City. How can I express myself if I fear for my safety?
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Sep 25, 2022

A crowd of concert attendees is lit by a purple light. A male screams into the camera.

NYU Mystery Concert: Loop pedals, mosh pits and ‘Happy Birthday’

Students met performers Ethel Cain, Skaiwater and Polo Perks with an outpouring of love.
Julia Diorio, Contributing Writer Sep 23, 2022

There was a sense of contagious energy in the air as students excitedly chatted in anticipation of the three acts coming, eager to blow off steam from the beginning of the semester....