Allonsy mag

Y

ALLONS

WINTER/SPRING

VOL. 1

BEARDS WITH STORIES

SAILING WITH SAILOUR LOW INCOME WATCH LOVE

ACROSS AMERICA 19 AND ART-ING

ELEGY FOR A FRIEND

ART • STYLE •ADVENTURE• CULTURE •MUSIC •LIFESTYLE

ALLONS-Y MAGAZINE

ART • STYLE •ADVENTURE• CULTURE •MUSIC •LIFESTYLE

are you?

TABLE

CONT 5 17 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

7 13

A small welcome to ALLONS-Y from our editor and founder, David Mancao.

ROAD TO WYOMING

A first in a 10-part series called Across America with Dillan Forsey.

LOW INCOME WATCH LOVE

Derek Hass shares his fascition with an essential accessory every man should have, while keeping budget.

19 AND ART-ING

19 23 29

Featured Artist, Ben Mixon, gives us a look at what it is like to be a young artist.

SAILING WITH SAILOUR Kayla Dalusong spent some time with an up-and-coming band: Sailour.

BEARDS WITH STORIES

Anytime she sees a facial hair, Suzanne Ocsai searches for the story behind the beard.

ELEGY FOR A FRIEND

“There is a darkness, a cold darkness, that has awakened in your sleep.”

E OF

TENTS ALLONS-Y MAGAZINE

ART • STYLE •ADVENTURE• CULTURE •MUSIC •LIFESTYLE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

W

hen you ask most kids what they want to be, they might say they want to be an astronaut, or a firefighter, or a doctor. If you had asked me at the age of seven, I would have said that I wanted to be a grown up. I wanted to be an adult, a man.

Now I’ve reached that point, and it’s not what I thought it would be at all. Society painted an image of what manhood should be —I should be strong and muscular, with a beard or mustache, making huge paychecks, and have a hot model wife. I am not that. I’m a scrawny guy who struggles to grow facial hair, figuring out how to pay off loans and live, and I’ve never had a girlfriend.

I realized I grew up to be a different kind of man who isn’t interested in being all bronze and winning mario kart. I am man molded by this millennium and its philosophy, enchanted by its art, culture, and style.

We are not MEN’S HEALTH. We are not GQ. We are not PLAYBOY. We are ALLONS-Y MAGAZINE — a men’s lifestyle magazine designed for the metropolitan millennials.

Between the covers of this biannual, we dive into the worlds of art, style, adventure, and culture, appealing to the metropolitan men of the millennial generation who are seeking out to experience a full life.

The etymology of the word Allons-y comes from French. It means “Let’s Go”, used by adventurers before they would embark on a journey. By cultivating this magazine, we want to inspire this generation of men to go out and explore the world and all that it has to offer.

Y is the defining chromosome of a man. It is the biological structure that makes a man a man. It does not judge upon your sexuality or masculinity. It does not represent the societal pressures and presupposed thoughts of what I should be as a boy. It’s just a chromosome, but a chromosome that represents you.

We hope that you find yourself within the pages, relating to the stories, images, and thoughts printed.

Y Allons-Y!

David Mancao Editor in Cheif

ALLONS-Y MAGAZINE PUBLISHER

Kendra Staton-Lee

EDITOR IN CHEIF David Mancao

PHOTOGRAPHERS David Mancao Daniel Berry Dillan Forsey Kayla Dalusong

CONTRIBUTORS Dillan Forsey Derek Haas Ben Mixon Suzanne Oscai Kayla Dalusong

I’m not sure if I was just being stubborn or if I was trying to live out the spirit of the trip, but I decided to sleep in my car about half way between Milwaukee WI and Worland WY. It didn’t go very well. About 4AM, I sucked it up and made my way west on I-90. What a great road. On this particular morning, there was a thick fog over the sunflower fields and grasslands of South Dakota. Highlight of the morning was a much needed cappucino at Essence of Coffee in Rapid City, an Australian Artisan roaster. They were legit Australian, to my surprise.

Another five hours down the road and I had my first view of my home for the next week, Worland WY. There’s a lot that could be said of this town (the residents in particular have strong opinions). To me, the big sky and space between houses was a welcome relief to the seemingly claustrophobic environments of the Southeast. So then what? Well, I’ve been doing a mix of riding and spending time with relatives. A few highlights include chatting over coffee with my Aunt as she threw together drinks at the local coffee spot. A particularly humorous catholic priest stopped by and offered us some Holy water (I bet that’d make a heavenly pour over).

WYO

ROAD TO

OMING

ACROSS AMERICA PART 1 DILLAN FORSEY

Visiting the Tetons, while visitng family.

Taking a moment, Dillan looks at the clouds as he prepares his campsite.

Dillan’s bike, muddied, after a ride outside of Seattle.

LOW INCOME WATCH LOVE

DEREK HAAS

CONTRIBUTOR

M

y love for watches began when I moved to Collonges, a small French town near Geneva, Switzerland. In France, I so rarely carried a cell phone that wearing a watch became a part of my everyday life.

From my small town, I frequently took day trips to Geneva and grew to admire the beauty of haute horlogerie. I walked past boutiques for Patek Philippe, F.P. Journe, and countless others, ogling timepieces from the outside window. As a poor university student, most often wearing a Citizen Eco-Drive, I didn’t bother trying to get past the ever-present doorman even once over the course of a year.

I returned to the U.S., but watch lust had become a part of my life. Fortunately, there was something to slake my thirst. As a belated Christmas present, I received my first automatic, a Hamilton QNE H76655723.

I was enthralled. I spent countless hours looking through the open caseback, becoming so accustomed to the leather band on my wrist, I felt naked on the rare day I forgot to wear it. Even still, I wanted more. Only a few months after receiving my Hamilton, I was on the hunt.

As a student, budget was the enemy. My minimum wage job left little to no space for frivolous watch purchases. Every watch from Switzerland seemed so far out of reach, but I wanted something to remind me of the favored city that had been a gateway to Europe. Each new adventure had started in Geneva and a watch seemed an appropriate way to commemorate such an eventful time in my life.

I was finally able to settle on Mondaine, a company known for its impeccable legibility.

Mondaine successfully leveraged this quality until it gained its title as the official clock and watch of the Swiss Railway. With such a clean look, a perfect throw to nostalgia, and a reasonable price, the decision was almost made for me.

I thought I was set, at least for a while, but then I started shooting looks at diving watches. The rough and ready aspect appealed to my tendencies to run around outside. Originally, I used my Citizen when I was roughing it, but the spring bars were starting to wear out, causing the watch to spontaneously fall off my wrist. A small fault, like a spring bar, was all the justification I needed to buy a new watch.

Only a few months after purchasing my Mondaine, I discovered the Seiko Monster, a tough, almost-but-not-at-all automatic movement diver. It was the perfect combination of what I needed for an outdoor watch.

The Monster was the last watch I bought that was actually justifiable. The truth is that I didn’t even care about justification anymore.

Some days I would spend hours looking at new watches. I made it well over a year without buying a watch, soothing my needs by buying NATO straps online. At one point I did buy a Seiko Bullhead 6138, only to quickly return it due to a broken chronograph.

“The Monster was the last watch I bought that was actually justifiable. The truth is that I didn’t even care about justification anymore.”

My most recent watch purchase was a Steinhart Ocean 1 Red. I couldn’t resist the spot on homage to the Submariner for only a fraction of the cost. This particular model even came with a NATO designed after the original James Bond Sub from Dr. No. In truth, the Steinhart doesn’t have anything on the real Submariner, but for a poor college student, it was perfect.

Every enthusiast has a “grail watch”, aka their epitome— the watch to end all watches. Like them, I have a list of beautiful handmade watches that cost more than I can even imagine.

But, I’m a reasonable man. Maybe someday I will buy a watch that costs more than my car, but for now I’m sticking to what I like to think of as my reasonably-priced grail watch, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Black Reference 79220N. The Tudor is the perfect combination of a watch that can be dressed up or down, especially with the option of either the bracelet or the strap.

For a relatively low price, this watch comes with an awesome quality that stands up to Rolex, Omega, and even more expensive brands. As a recent college grad, the Tudor is a watch that is out of reach, but also an attainable goal in the near future.

Until then, I’ll get my watch fix from reading watch blogs, buying new NATO straps, and casually stalking people with nicer watches than me. I’ve also overcome my fear of walking into watch boutiques, which means I can actually go talk to retailers and try on new pieces. For now, I’ll stick to being an onlooker, awaiting the day that I get my reasonably-priced grail watch.

“When you first shoot your instant photo, it’s the one piece of indubitable evidence that you have been there in that time and place.”

Maximilian Zenk

19 and Art-ing I

’m Ben Mixon: 19 year old, Collegedale native, khaki & oxford wearing public relations major at Southern Adventist University. That’s when you’re awake. In the waning hours of the day, I’m Ben Mixon: musician and future established artist. The music I make is fitting for quiet hours and gentle places and provides the listener with an immersive atmosphere.

I’ve been playing instruments from an early age, and though it seems like the culmination of a long era, my project “Waters & a Necessary Surge in Loneliness” is my introduction to public works. The album has been a scattered and fickle vision for several years, and it’s final coming to fruition resulted in a turbulent and cohesive piece of ambient pop.

“Waters” dwells on the stages of grief following being left by a lover. While staying within a space of deepness and tranquility, the music’s dynamics bounce between loud and stressful to quiet and reflective.

Inspiration for the album can be traced back to my early high school and middle school years— artists ranging from Bon Iver, to Jon Hopkins, to Daughter, to Brian Eno. Another strong influence was from the music of producers during the Soundcloud/YouTube sub-genre boom of the twenty teens.

Although I had an early introduction to instruments like guitar and piano, I began making my first real compositions electronically. Sound design is a black hole that I’ve helplessly fallen into.

Being the artist with the vision AND the producer behind the sound is a tall order because it’s easy to get lost in the meticulous details of making my idea real. Narrowing down exactly what I want my music to sound like is hard when the possibilities are unlimited, so I usually think about the broadest idea of a song, format-wise, then enter the studio and produce it with whatever sounds I try/like at the time.

With this mindset, I can’t say what the music I make will sound like in 5 years! I’m just gonna keep making what I think sounds good.

“

While staying within a space of deepness and tranquility, the music’s dynamics bounce between loud and stressful to quiet and reflective.

FEATURED ARTIST

BEN MIXON

SAILING WITH SAILOUR

KAYLA DALUSONG CONTRIBUTOR

S

SAILING WITH SAILOUR

ailour is an indie rock band from Muscle Shoals, AL., composed mostly of two main musicians, Andrew Johnston and Zebulun Worlund, who I was able to meet and interview while they were doing a show in Ooltewah, Tennessee. Heavily influenced by Young the Giant, The Black Keys, Coldplay, Beach Boys, City & Colour, Hozier, Allen Stone, Alabama Shakes, and Twenty One Pilots, this up and coming band can chameleon its way into pretty much any crowd and atmosphere.

1. When and why did you start playing? Andrew - I started playing guitar when I was fifteen years old. I began playing, so that I could play at my home church in Lexington, Alabama.

Zeb - I grew up in a singing family. My mother was a music major and my father loved the Eagles. I have very fond memories of us all singing harmony together as a family. I picked up the guitar to accompany myself at the age of eleven, and I have not looked back since. I started playing with Sailour in 2014 because Andrew needed a lead guitar player (which I had never done) and back up singer. I honestly thought I was done with professional music forever at that time.

2. Which instruments do each of you play?

Andrew - Vocals, Guitar Zeb - Vocals, Guitar, Keys 3. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why? Andrew - I grew up admiring the metalcore band August Burns Red because of their positive and uplifting messages and their relentlessly heavy, technical musicianship, but over the past few years, I have really grown to admire singer/songwriter Josh Garrels for pretty much the same reasons (minus the heavy part).

His music is just so well pieced together, and his song writing is so

KAYLA DALUSONG CONTRIBUTOR

original and heart-felt. It is easy to admire him.

Zeb -I usually say the 2 B’s. Bach and Brian Wilson have been a main part of my inspiration. J.S. Bach is someone I admire because he made the prettiest music ever-- hands down. I have a really sappy story about discovering Bach, but it is very long.

Brian Wilson (of Beach Boy fame) because he made an album that made me stop creating music, so I could listen to it more often. ‘Pet Sounds’ is my favorite album of all time, and after I listened to it the first time, I did not stop for six months. I did not pick up a guitar, nor did I write any songs. I just listened to ‘Pet Sounds’ and learned what Brian Wilson did. I still know pretty much every word to that album, all the melodies, and most of the instrumental aspects. I have so much respect for someone who can do that to me. To me, it is a perfect album.

“

Music is not something I can turn off.

4. What are your fondest musical memories together?

Andrew - For me, some of my fondest memories came from our short acoustic tour we did in 2015. Zeb and I really did not know each other that well at the time, and we spent five or six straight days with each other. We also did that tour in a pickup truck, so we did A LOT of growing. That tour enabled us to gain a lot of experience.

Zeb -For me it is when I decided to commit to Sailour, which was on the tour that Andrew and I did together in June 2015. On the tour, we would just play acoustic gigs, and we really struggled to make it through some sets. It was truly a bonding experience.

5. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

Andrew - I make the best of them. Mistakes are going to happen.

We try our best to put the most entertaining show we could possibly do for our audiences. There is a lot of energy in our sets. Because of this, we (specifically me) get carried away and sometimes make mistakes in effort to put on an exciting show.

Most of the time, we just reflect on our shows afterwards and decide where we need to improve or what we need to change.

Zeb - I am personally a perfectionist, so if I make a mistake, I make a note and move on. I will touch on it later after the set when we are not trying to put on a great performance. Then, I will just work on it when I practice.

8. How often and for how long do you practice?

Andrew - We all lead busy lives. It is hard to get everyone together for practice. Normally, we try to practice at least once a week for about two hours. I think it is also important that we practice on our own time as well, especially since it is hard for us to all get together.

Zeb - In my personal time, I practice about three-ish hours a week either by sitting down with my guitar or in front of a piano and just messing around to keep my mind and fingers fresh. As a band, we all live very busy lives (everybody else is either planning a wedding or is already married), so we try and do an hour a week if we can. It does not always happen though

6. Do you get nervous before a performance or a competition?

Andrew - No. I get excited. LOADS of adrenaline.

Zeb - No.

9. How do you balance your music with other obligations - job, fun, etc.?

Andrew - I treat this as a second job. We want to do this for the rest of our lives, and we are not going to get there doing it as a hobby. I will work on band stuff for at least thirty minutes a day, typically more. The way I see it, if I ever want this to be my full time job, I am going to have to work for it. It is just like running your own business. If you do not invest time and money into it, it is not going to work.

Zeb - I am always thinking about music. Whether it is analyzing a pop song on the radio, composing a little song to fight the boredom, or just thinking about songs during the monotony of life. Music is not something I can turn off. I cannot imagine a life apart from music. I am either thinking about music, analyzing music, or humming/singing music. Just ask my roommates.

7. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?

Andrew - Are we really in a place where we can give out advice now? (Haha). In all seriousness, just get out there and do it. Once you get up there, own it. It is your stage and those people in front of you are there to see you. You are in charge.

Zeb - Practice makes confidence. Play it until you own it, and if you make a mistake, move on. It happened. You cannot change it. If you own it with confidence, most people will not know the difference.

BEARDS WITH STORIES SUZANNE OCSAI

CONTRIBUTOR

A I found out that my beard was red, and I never knew that until I grew it out. And I thought, “Hey, I’m not just some average white guy, I have a red beard,” and I can channel my Irish side or something interesting like that. So I went and grew it out. Some people even asked me if I dyed it. And I tell them, “No, that’s just how it is.”

lot of the bearded men I’ve met have referenced being inspired by another bearded man. Usually, it is their father. Some men will even grow beards specifically to honor their dads.

However, by far the most significant reason I’ve found for men to grow their beards is to appear more manly.

Beards have certainly gained more acceptance in recent years with the rise of Hipster culture. There is also an increased emphasis on either growing a mustache as part of Movember or not shaving entirely as part of No Shave November to promote prostate cancer awareness.

Some men will get sponsors as they grow their beards or

mustaches during November in order to raise money for cancer research or to donate to a cancer charity in honor of a friend who has died of prostate cancer.

Despite the recent popularity and acceptance, many men still claim that growing out their beard is a way to stand out and be different—a way to stick it to the man and be their own person.

I could grow a beard since freshman year of high school, so it’s kinda always been my thing. But it makes grooming easier; life, I don’t know, I like it. I do trim it a lot. This isn’t trimmed, obviously, but I just like having it. It makes the mornings easier. I like the beard community. I play music so it’s a little more acceptable and I’m able to do it. But yeah, I enjoy it.

I decided to start growing a beard at the end of high school just because I didn’t want to take the time to shave, to maintain it, and I was single so I had no one that really minded if I had a beard. Now I’m married, and my wife loves my beard, and so that’s one of the main reasons I keep it as well.

I grew a beard because, you know, there’s nothing keeping me from not having a beard. My mother wants to hold me down and tie me down and chain me down and cut it. But she can’t. She never will.

She wants to though. Just like my father. He has a beard. He’s had a beard for 40 years. So she’s been trying to get him to shave forever.

But he won’t do it, he won’t do it. No way. That’s kinda what he feeds off of in a sense. I don’t know, it just keeps me warm.

I have an ugly face and I hate shaving. That’s the main reason.

“I grew out a beard probably just because I could. I came out of graduating high school and the administration did not allow that kind of thing, so it was just your typical, you know, folly of youth thing—exploring boundaries as you could. Then I just kept it. As I grew it out and then would occasionally shave it off, I realized that I ended up looking like a little boy without it. So yeah, here I am now. It’s good in the winter.”

My hair grows really fast on this part of my beard [where the braid is] and not so much on the other part. And I also grew up on karate movies, and the masters always have a long beard.

ELEGY FOR A FRIEND There is a darkness, a cold darkness that has awakened in your sleep.

It is as if there is a space that can not be filled, but we know this space to have been filled before.

There are moments when I remember the dirt hitting the box that you were sleeping in, and the cry of your mother as you were laid into the ground.

Ticking like a time bomb, your damnation was within you the whole time.

And like the second advent of Christ, when no one will know the day, or time when he should return, neither did you know that: When Death’s sickle should strike your heart, your lungs, your blood.

But with bravery and courage, with a smile, facing Death as your adversary, you marched on, in tune with the beat of your heart.

And though your body lay under the earth, we truly are the ones who remain below.

You feel no more pain, no more suffering, no more.

Poem by David Mancao

Your spirit waits among the stars, as we work for our bread and our keep.

We go to school, get jobs, get money, save, so when we become old and decrepit we might follow your path, but in comfort.

It is tiresome.

You left us before the world could get to you.

Before bombs and billionaires ruled the world, you found a way to escape.

The world has become dimmer in the wake of your absence.

If only you could sprout a flower from the ground in which you lay, perhaps the aroma of your love and joy could make this bitter world bearable again.

ALLONS-Y MAGAZINE