Music

On Monday, Sept. 29, Neil Diamond performed in Brooklyn for the first time since he became a star. The concert was in Flatbush, in the auditorium of Diamond’s high school, Erasmus Hall High School. Diamond attended Erasmus Hall from 1954 to 1956. The tickets to the event were free, and attendees included both curious locals and fans who had driven hundreds of miles to attend the performance. The crowd numbered approximately 800 people. Diamond initially announced the concert via Twitter and is expected to announce a new tour beginning in February 2015.

Cinema

The top-earning movie at national box offices this past weekend was “The Equalizer,” an action/thriller movie that starred Denzel Washington and earned $35 million in sales its first weekend out. Second was the sci-fi/adventure movie starring Dylan O’Brian, “The Maze Runner,” which took in $17.5 million, for a total of $58.02 million in its first two weeks in theaters. Next were “The Boxtrolls” and “This Is Where I Leave You,” which earned $17.25 million and $7.01 million this weekend respectively. Trailing this week’s box office earnings was the film “The Little Bedroom,” which earned $2,981during its first week in theatres.

Archaeology

Over 80 scholars and archaeologists have signed an open letter to the United Nations Security Council asking the U.N. to ban trade in Syrian antiquities. The reason for the antiquities ban is that scholars believe trade in Syrian artifacts is helping fund extremist groups, as well as speeding the destruction of Syria’s cultural heritage. Whereas most countries have one or two U.N. world heritage sites, Syria has six, including its capital, Damascus and the ancient city of Aleppo. In a statement at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated that “ancient treasures in Iraq and in Syria have now become the casualties of continuing warfare and looting.”

Photography

A new photography exhibit is coming to New York City’s Ellis Island. Ellis Island, which served as an immigration checkpoint during the early 20th century, hosts a hospital building that has been closed to the public since 1954. This building will become the site of a groundbreaking photographic exhibition by the French artist JR.