34th Street Magazine

Thinkpiece Why soccer never caught on in the United States—until now. Aside from the Olympics, there’s no global event that brings people together in the world of sports quite like the FIFA World Cup. With male and female divisions (since 1991) uniting the globe’s top soccer players, FIFA is where legends are born and champions are forged in the hottest furnace: the world stage.

Arts Professionally recorded theatre and concerts are on the rise. But why? While walking on the streets of New York, tourists (and locals too) can pass dozens of Broadway marquees—from Hamilton to Hadestown, pedestrians can experience centuries of music, history, and art in a matter of seconds. As easy as it is to see hundreds of billboards, though, it’s nearly impossible to see the same amount of shows live in a theatre due to high ticket prices and finite show runs. Enter stage right: proshots.

Review While not completely a rock album, Charli XCX’s second album of the year departs from the ‘Brat’ sound to deliver guitar–heavy tracks with even heavier lyrics. Fresh off the Wuthering Heights soundtrack in February, Charli XCX released her album Music, Fashion, Film on July 24. The album is short, with a modest 30–minute run time and 11 tracks in total. If fans are in need of more content, the album also has a companion film available on Youtube.

Who doesn’t love Spider–Man? Some find Batman too dark, others think Superman is too powerful (a strange complaint for a superhero, but okay). But Spider–Man? He’s one of the only fictional icons who somehow belongs to everyone. That helps explain why excitement surrounding Spider–Man: Brand New Day reached such a fever pitch.

Review Christopher Nolan’s new film is a fantastic showcase of what he does best. Christopher Nolan is undeniably one of the best filmmakers of all time, with a catalog that ranges from Inception to The Dark Knight to his last hit, Oppenheimer, which netted him seven Oscars at the 2024 Academy Awards. His newest project, The Odyssey, which came to theaters on July 17th, is another success, thanks in part to its star–studded cast, including Zendaya, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway.

There’s a plausible theory that moths fly into light because they mistake it for the moon. The thinking goes that, being nocturnal, they evolved to orient themselves around the singular large, bright thing in the night sky. Some use celestial pathways to navigate their migrations, but this fails to explain the short–range attraction.

Review ‘The Sound of America’ is brimming with heart, history, and electric guitar. I never thought I’d hear “Benjamin Franklin” and “rock–and–roll” in the same sentence, let alone in the same show. But as Friday night rolled around, I found myself in the cool air conditioning of Old City’s FringeArts Theatre, a welcome reprieve from Philly’s record–breaking heatwave.

Style When it came to kits for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, designers kept a clean sheet. From stadiums across North America to watch parties in restaurants, city squares, and homes around the world, World Cup fans have rejoiced in donning the jerseys that their favored teams sport on the pitch. Some kits, like the “Stars” and “Stripes” of the United States Men’s National Team, make clear nods to the flags that their respective federations unite under.

Television As ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 comes to a close, islanders squeeze in one last bit of drama. These last two weeks of Love Island USA have been a whirlwind, and just as quickly as the summer began, it has now come to an end. If you’ve relied on these articles to get your scoop, catch up on episodes you missed, or just enjoyed the brief recaps to keep in the loop, gear up, because this one is wild.

Review At Johnny Brenda’s, the Big Thief guitarist brings ‘The Mirror’ to Philly, adding a few new tricks to a sound that has never strayed far from home. Johnny Brenda’s is, in the shortest possible description, a bar with a disco ball. In the haze, it has never seemed particularly interested in disguising itself as anything grander than that.