March 2024: The Rhapsody Issue

MIDNIGHT MUSIC TURNS IT UP

PHOTOS

04 Haute Online

08

12 Editor’s Note

13 Masthead

20 Runway Realway:

Pharrell Williams

22 Runway Realway:

Beyoncé & Ivy Park

24 Celeb Style: Dolly Parton

26 Celeb Style: Queen

28 Tuning Out the World

32 Stomp and Shout!

34 Rare Beauty: Blushin’ the Day Away

36 Lights, Camera, Makeup!

38 MUNA

40 John Williams: The Magic of Music in Film

20 Runway Realway: Pharrell Williams

54

MIDDLE OF THE BOOK

58 Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

70 Disco Fever

82 All That Jazz

94 Post-Concert Glow

106 Six Looks: Music Artists From Around the World

CAMPUS CASUAL

114 March Horoscopes

116 Quiz: Which Obscure Instrument Are You?

118 Fashion Showdown

BACK OF THE CLOSET

122 Nonbinary Artists: Taking the Music Industry Beyond the Binary

126 Separating Art From the Artist

130 27 Club: Tragedy Turned Hyperfixation

134 Trauma Through Music

136 Midnight Music Turns it Up

140 Concert Etiquette

142 Industry Plants

144 IGF: Hot topic Foundation

146 Rant/Rave: Grunge Aesthetic Resurgence

94 Post-Concert Glow

50 Plastic Lemonade

136 Midnight Music Turns it Up

HAUTE ONLINE

Looking for a new internet obsession? Whether you want to listen to podcasts or watch some videos, we’ve got you covered virtually.

DJ MANDY (@DJ__MANDY)

Most of the time, when you go viral on TikTok, you’re either really funny, really good at something, or really bad at something. Amanda Shultz, aka DJ Mandy, has found her fame on TikTok by being possibly one of the worst DJs on the internet. From combining WAP with Hallelujah to famously adding fire alarms to any song she can get her hands on, DJ Mandy has gained a substantial following for making tracks that are, simply, bad.

DJ Mandy has a very specific persona and intentional branding for herself, which has led to her success as an online celebrity. She maintains

an expressionless face and moves her body to the beat while making her intentionally horrible mashups on both TikToks and live streams. Occasionally, a mashup will be so bad that she will break character and lean off screen to laugh—and the audience will eat it up.

Through a brilliant marketing strategy of just being horrible as a DJ, Mandy has been featured by Paper Magazine and other publications. Performing for crowds, most notably at a party at UCLA in October, has also become a habit for her, all thanks to the power of TikTok.

- HADLEY FAIN

I am a chronic Spotify user. Walk to class? Spotify. In the car? Spotify. In my room? Spotify. Their latest feature, the Spotify “daylist,” seemed confusing and pointless at first, but now I couldn’t be more obsessed. The “daylist” is a playlist customized to the typical microgenres and niche music the user listens to at certain times and days of the week. The playlist changes three or four times every day, usually in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night. The continuous changing catered to the user is innovative and engaging. Plus, each playlist has a personalized title made from a mash of descriptive words

that establishes a mood alongside a subhead of creative (and sometimes silly) adjectives.

I check my daylist as if it’s a social media post. I love seeing how Spotify perceives and categorizes my listening habits at a given time and day. The curiosity about what songs the playlist will hold and excitement about what name combination you’ll get is a little something to look forward to in your day and spice up your Spotify listening. If I’m tired of my playlists, the daylist is always a fun go-to. You never know what mood the music aesthetic will put you in!

- JULIANA COLANT

We all know and love Korean skin care for its effectiveness and trends. Skin care from this East Asian country usually focuses on attaining bouncy, glowy, youthful skin so it is no surprise snail mucin has been gaining popularity. Though its popularity is rising now, people have been using this little secret since as early as 400 BC.

Snail mucin is the mucous produced by snails to help them move, but for us it decreases

wrinkles, sagging, stimulates collagen production, and fixes discoloration. In other words, it is perfect for the protection and healing of our skin. Once most people get past the fact that the product comes from a slimy snail, they are left with a hydrated, evenly toned complexion. I’ve started using a snail mucin cream and I can already see a new glow to my face!

- ALEXIS KY

Fashion can be used to make a statement — to showcase who you are to the world and gain confidence. However, let us recognize that we are only human and can prioritize comfort in fashion, too. As of recently, sweat sets are my new obsession. For once, I believe it is a sustainable fashion trend. In the past, I have taken raggedy, lounge, and lazy clothing pieces, and when I leave the house, feel like a total slob. As a result, I don’t wear pieces I don’t feel confident

in and feel obligated to donate (or, for some, dispose of). Owning a quality matching sweat set makes you comfortable and put-together. In terms of sustainability, a sweat set lasts a while and extends its time in the closet. While staying comfortable, nobody can look bad in a sweat set. Not only will you feel put-together outside of your home, but your closet neatness and organization will present itself with a matching sweat set.

- SOPHIA NEILSEN

Find out the top five things that our exec board is inspired by right now.

“SATURN” BY SZA

After the incredible “SOS” album release in 2022, we get a glimpse of a softer SZA with her new single “Saturn.”

Listeners are so used to hearing beautiful melodies profess anger or tragedy in SZA’s music, Perfect examples include “Kill Bill,” “F2F,” and “Low.” “Saturn” takes a little spin and uses the melody as a storyteller for the listener.

The song describes how her repeating cycle in her love life has not fully satisfied her. In the lyrics “Repeating pain//It’s all the same//I hate this place,” she admits that she wants more to life than this vicious cycle.

SZA referring to a better life on “Saturn” is almost a nod to the “the grass is greener on the other side” metaphor. Her imaginary vision of “Saturn” keeps her balanced and centered as she goes through her personal life.

While fans are still waiting on her next album, this beautiful work keeps us preoccupied for a little longer.

- HANNAH CAMPBELL

AMRAP (AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE)

“AMRAP,” or “As many reps as possible,” refers to when weight trainers lift any amount of weight repeatedly until they physically cannot anymore. This term coincides with another popular term in the lifting community called “progressive overload.” This term refers to slightly upping the conditions of a “rep” (one motion of movement such as one full lunge or one full squat) with each “set” (a designated number of reps to achieve before a rest).

As someone who uses the gym as a way to ease my anxiety as well as a way to maintain my health, I have become accustomed to hearing these terms. These phrases have become my daily mantra, filling in the blank, “as many _______ as possible.” I add the “progressive overload” mentality as a way to keep pushing myself slightly everytime I achieve a goal. Whether these goals are something as small as drinking enough water in a day or as big as getting accepted into law school, these mentalities have greatly affected my outlook on challenges and I highly recommend their adoption into others’ lives.

- KAELYN WALTHER

J-POP GROUP “PSYCHIC FEVER”

A new boy group has been taking over TikTok and the Asian music scene. PSYCHIC FEVER is a seven-member boy group from Exile Tribe, a collective name of the group of artists under LDH talent management company. Their song, “Just Like Dat” blew up on social media for its mix of the hip-hop, rap, and Japanese pop genres.

The members were born between 1997 and 2004, and they’re known for having some diverse ethnicities, as rapper Jimmy is NigerianJapanese and vocalist Weesa is KoreanMoroccan. While the group was formed in 2019, it made its official debut in 2022. If you’re interested in expanding your music taste, definitely give PSYCHIC FEVER a listen.

- MIMI CALHOUN

“UNWRITTEN” BY NATASHA BEDINGFIELD

Honestly, the beginning of the second semester can always be kind of tough. January and February always feel way too long, it’s cold outside, and spring break does not seem like it could arrive fast enough. However, with the resurgence of the song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, walks to class in the cold have not seemed as dreary. The song really came back into the public’s eyes after the movie “Anyone But You” hit the big screen in Dec. 2023, 20 years after the song originally came out.

If I’m being completely honest, I have not seen the movie. Mere TikTok edits and videos of fans

dancing around to this song have brought this song to my go-to playlist. Something about the upbeat tune and just general vibe of the song makes me so happy and reminds me that everything is going to be ok. Sometimes it really does feel good to hear a song you haven’t listened to in a while. All that to say that whether it’s listening to “Unwritten” or any other song that brings you some joy, it’s important to prioritize yourself and know that it’s normal to feel a little down when the temperature drops. We will all get through this one together.

- GABRIELLE CABANES

For the music themed issue, it seemed very fitting to talk about just that. Ariana Grande has finally returned to music with her long awaited seventh studio album, “Eternal Sunshine.” It has been nearly four years since Grande has released an album, let alone any music at all. This album is definitely one of her best, and it had my jaw on the floor from the start to finish upon first listening to it.

The album is intensely cohesive and it was very clear that she was telling a story from start to finish. The album itself is surprisingly different from the direction we thought it was going with her lead single, “Yes, And?” The lead single led fans to think this album was going to be more experimental with a super upbeat and dance mood but it actually ended up being more reminiscent of her albums “Sweetener” and “Thank U, Next.” The emotional and dreamy

aspect of “Sweetener” mixed with the darkness and moodiness of “Thank U, Next” makes this an album I cannot get out of my head.

The way Grande is able to channel her emotions through music is absolutely breathtaking on this record and I think it says a lot without saying too much. I couldn’t imagine being in the public eye 24/7 with every decision, relationship, and moment in my life being completely aired out to the public to make judgements and assumptions about me, but Grande takes this all and is able to turn it into something truly magical. She somehow finds a way to turn her stories into something that fans and listeners can make their own and have their own experience with.

I feel that this album is an instant classic and I can’t wait to live in the world that is this album eternally.

- HUNTER GIBSON

“ETERNAL SUNSHINE” BY ARIANA GRANDE

Editor’s Note

Hello, Threadies! I’m thrilled to share our third issue of the year with all of you. This year, we’ve explored the complex worlds of food and politics. Our staff is now highlighting something so integral and unique to our lives: music.

Our new creative director, Kaelyn Walther, pitched the concept to explore how fashion and culture are related to music. She emphasized how music heals the soul, which affects every part of our lives. She, along with the rest of the creative staff, took a broad concept and translated it into beautiful artistry. New to her position, she has done an excellent job at capturing the essence of the theme through all of our creative departments.

We decided to title the issue “Rhapsody” because of its direct correlation to sound. The definition of rhapsody is an effusively enthusiastic or ecstatic expression of feeling. The feeling of enthusiasm is clear throughout our staff’s work, and I’m so proud of how far we have come this year.

We highlighted iconic artists Dolly Parton (P. 24) and Queen (P. 26) in our Celeb Style section. Both artists are great examples of how musicians directly impact pop culture and the fashion industry. We also feature MUNA (P.38) and John Williams (P. 40), two underrated artists who represent different spectrums of sound.

In our Who What Wear section, Thread wanted to highlight local musicians and their relationship with the community. These artists range from indie alternative to hard-core rock. Our amazing multimedia directors, Logan Jeffries and Jenna Skidmore, also worked with their team to produce exclusive music videos. We are so excited to partner with Roman Candle (P. 44), DJ Barticus (P. 48), Plastic Lemonade (P. 50), the Bob Stewart Band (P. 52), and Coralilly (P. 54).

Our Middle of the Book shoots are able to convey something intangible like sound into a physical, vibrant masterpiece. “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons” shows music in extravagant motion. Get boogie on the dance floor with “Disco Fever.” Swing into the songs with “All that Jazz.” Finally, end the crazy night with “Post-Concert Glow.”

I’m forever grateful to have such an amazing staff. The “Rhapsody” issue would not be complete without each and every Threadie. From our talented creative team who translates ideas into brilliance to our skilled sales team that allows us to produce content, every member is essential to the magazine.

I want to thank our new executive board members, who were able to transition in their positions with ease

and poise. I want to officially welcome Disha Hoque, Jackson McCoy, Jenna Skidmore, Joe Hallquist, Jori Husted, Maggie Musto, Maria Del Mar Segui, Veronica Savitski and Sophie Nielsen. Thank you for your continuous hard work for Thread.

I want to especially thank our art director Hadley Fain, business manager Hunter Gibson, creative director Kaelyn Walther, and managing editor Tate Raub. Hadley was also promoted to her position this semester, and she has done an incredible job. These four people are the backbone of all of our departments. I’m so lucky to work with such talented individuals.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but my goal for Thread was to break the typical stereotype and feature new and exciting themes. I’m happy to say we did just that, which is music to my ears. Now, introducing the “Rhapsody” issue.

Sounding Off,

Hannah Campbell Editor-in-Chief

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hannah Campbell

MANAGING EDITOR Tate Raub

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kaelyn Walther

BUSINESS MANAGER Hunter Gibson

ART DIRECTOR Hadley Fain

EDITORIAL

COPY CHIEF Ryan Maxin

SEAMS EDITOR Gabrielle Cabanes

WWW & CC EDITOR Mimi Calhoun

FEATURES & BOC EDITOR Alex Imwale

EDITORIAL STAFF Emma Erion, Avery Tyla, Arielle Teppert, Lucy Riley, Catalina Litts, Sabine Obermoller, Avery St. George, Abby Joyner, Kitty Crino, Sophia Anness, Riley Clark, Megan Diehl, Natalie Jonson, Payton Daugherty, Emme Bowe

DESIGN

DESIGN DIRECTOR Kim Langhirt

ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR Emma McAdams

WEB EDITOR Carly Hart

DESIGN STAFF Zoe Cranfill, Gwyneth Shoemaker, Maris Cordial, Meredith Viox, Ella Huelskamp. Cassidy Woods, Maddie James, Tanner Vance, Ally Parker, Avery Callison, Ryan Gee, Gretchen Stoner, Sophia Ciancola

ILLUSTRATION STAFF Emma Hews, Lauren Hines, Sophia Cianciola, Alaina Dackermann, Alaina Pellett, Ally Parker, Maris Cordial, Cassidy Woods, Maddie James, Mia Pishotti, Nicole Reese

PHOTO

PHOTO CHIEF Disha Hoque

PHOTO EDITORS Naima Wolfe, Jori Husted, Joe Hallquist

PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF Nicole Bell, Hannah Campbell, Morgan Clark, Nate Conklin, Zoe Cranfill, Kitty Crino, Hadley Fain, Maddie James, Hannah Kirkpatrick, Zennia Lam, Ella Spremulli

MULTIMEDIA

CO-MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Logan Jefferies

CO-MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Jenna Skidmore

VIDEO EDITOR Maggie Musto

PODCAST EDITOR Jackson McCoy

MULTIMEDIA STAFF Ella Huelskamp, Emma Henry, Sean Terrell, Nicole Bell, Lauren Key

FASHION

FASHION DIRECTOR Kendall Bergeron

ASSISTANT FASHION DIRECTOR Natalie Schoolcraft

MAKEUP DIRECTOR Alexis Ky

CO-ASSISTANT MAKEUP DIRECTOR Maria Segui Irizarry

CO-ASSISTANT MAKEUP DIRECTOR Veronica Savitski

FASHION STAFF Ray Henderson, Zoe Duncan, Dani Bell, Leah Ziegler, Ella Franks, Reese Thompson, Katie Morrison, Wil Bullock, Elizabeth (Biz) Savitski, Lauren Grisoni, Carmin Barcus, Jordan Tabasky, Sofia Baer, Kadance Shepherd, Morgan Clark, Morgan Beck, Ava Hutchison, Aurora Mullis, Carmen Szukaitis, Tanner Smith, Alexia Ashley, Abbey Kates, Avery St. George, Erin McEwen , Alex Cunningham, Makenzie Price, Jayla Neal, Olivia Urlage, Bella Bolin, Gabbie Buhay, Allison Winland, Avery Callison, Presley McCoy, Nina Pietrzak, Christine Blay, Kaycee Cook, Georgia Moniaga, Amalia Feliciano, Daniel Neal, Emma Odson

BUSINESS

PUBLIC RELATIONS CREATIVE Sophia Neilsen

PUBLIC RELATIONS SALES Molly Wilson

EVENT PLANNER Samantha Kruse

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Juliana Colant

BUSINESS STAFF Alex Cunningham, Andrew Ryan, Bailey Boring, Camden Campbell, Emma Hedges, Tess Altier, Natalie Jonson, Lila Newman, , Morgan Robinson, Ryan Kennedy, Tommy Dwyer

THE PIGSKIN

The Pigskin has deals all week long!

MONDAY

Happy Hour – half-off appetizers

$5 Busch Light pitchers after 9 p.m.

TUESDAY

Happy Hour – all burgers are $8 with a side

$3 Modelos, $5 Cowboy & Cowgirl drinks after 9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Happy Hour – half-off all wings

$3 Long Islands after 9 p.m.

THURSDAY

Happy Hour – buy two entrees, get a free appetizer

$5 Black Widow pitchers after 9 p.m.

Or take it easy on yourself and let The Pigskin care your event here or by bringing the food to you with various meat, vegetarian and side options.

38 N. Court St | Athens, OH |@the_pigskin

JORI HUSTED PHOTO EDITOR

TATE RAUB MANAGING EDITOR

JENNA CO-MULTIMEDIASKIDMOREDIRECTOR

SAMANTHA KRUSE HEAD OF EVENT PLANNING

NATALIE SCHOOLCRAFT ASSISTANT FASHION DIRECTOR

HUNTER GIBSON BUSINESS MANAGER

KIM LANGHIRT DESIGN DIRECTOR DISHA HOQUE PHOTO CHIEF

JACKSON MCCOY PODCAST EDITOR

EMMA MCADAMS ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR

ALEX IMWALLE BOC/FEATURES EDITOR

CARLY HART WEB EDITOR

HANNAH CAMPBELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HADLEY FAIN ART DIRECTOR

THREAD MAGAZINE 2023–2024

MAGGIE MUSTO VIDEO EDITOR

SOPHIA NEILSEN DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE STRATEGY

ALEXIS KY MAKEUP DIRECTOR

VERONICA SAVITSKI CO-ASSISTANT MAKEUP DIRECTOR

RYAN MAXIN COPY CHIEF

NAIMA WOLFE PHOTO EDITOR

LOGAN JEFFRIES CO-MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

MARIA SEGUI IRIZARRY CO-ASSISTANT MAKEUP DIRECTOR

JULIANA COLANT SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

MIMI CALHOUN WWW/CAMPUS CASUAL

MOLLY WILSON DIRECTOR OF SALES STRATEGY

KAELYN WALTHER CREATIVE DIRECTOR JOE HALLQUIST PHOTO EDITOR

KENDALL BERGERON FASHION DIRECTOR GABRIELLE CABANES SEAMS EDITOR

SEAMS

From the runway to the streets, and everywhere in between, here are this seasons’s most soughtafter trends.

RARE BEAUTY: BLUSHIN’ THE DAY AWAY P. 34

runway realway PHARRELL WILLIAMS

BY EMMA ERION PHOTOS BY KITTY CRINO DESIGN BY ZOE CRANFILL

Pharrell Williams is a household name. Whether it is because of his 2014 earworm “Happy,” his ‘90s hip-hop band N.E.R.D., or the sheer amount of pop hits he produced, nearly everyone has heard of him. However, his contributions to the music industry aren’t the only exemplary thing about him.

Williams made some of his most notable waves in the fashion world in 2014, donning his nownotorious “Big Hat” at the Grammys. It inspired memes, heaps of articles, and even a Twitter account dedicated to the garment. NPR journalist Linda Holmes said the hat was so “newsmaking” that Williams, “managed to not look pedestrian on stage with Daft Punk, and they wear helmets.”

Williams became the men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton following the death of Virgil Abloh in 2021, making him the second Black American designer to hold an executive position at Louis

Vuitton. His latest collection for the fashion house debuted at Paris Fashion Week, and its Western theme made waves. Nearly every model donned a cowboy hat, which was no surprise considering Williams’ penchant for exciting headgear.

The Guardian reported that Williams wanted to showcase a different portrayal of cowboys, thus the runway sported a projected desert backdrop and all of the clothing had clear influences from a cowboy-type aesthetic.

“You never really get to see what some of the original cowboys looked like,” he told The Guardian at the time. “They looked like us. They looked like me. They were Black and were Native American.”

Williams’ time with Louis Vuitton is just beginning, and it is exciting to anticipate how he will tie his creativity and culture into future collections.

RUNWAY REALWAY

Beyoncé & Ivy Park

BY AVERY TYLA

PHOTOS BY JORI HUSTED DESIGN BY GWYNETH SHOEMAKER

It’s no secret famous singer Beyoncé has successfully rocked the music industry; however, she has recently been rocking the fashion industry.

In 2016, Beyoncé kicked off her new brand, titled “Ivy Park,” named after her daughter, Blue Ivy, and the fitness center she often visited, Parkwood Park, in Houston, Texas.

The activewear brand started with British fashion retailer Topshop, which Beyoncé eventually purchased in 2018. The next year, Ivy Park joined Adidas in a collaboration that was, “strong and successful,” said a brand spokesperson in an interview with Forbes.

The companies’ first collection released, “gender-neutral apparel, accessories, and four footwear styles,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. All apparel came in sizes ranging from XS to XL.

Beyoncé’s first shoe from this collection, entitled “Super Sleek 72,” featured a maroon, orange, and white design. A hoop was sewn onto the back along with a strap so the shoe could be hung on a gym bag.

After being nominated for a Golden Globe for “The Lion King,” Beyoncé explained to Elle her reasoning for creating Ivy Park for all genders.

“The way [men] have embraced the brand is an unexpected gift. I appreciate the beauty of gender-neutral clothing and breaking the socalled fashion rules,” Beyoncé said at the time.

Beyoncé and Adidas’ partnership continued as they dropped their second collection alongside the “This Is My Park” campaign in October 2020.

As a result of the backlash Beyoncé received from her previous drop, she ensured the size range was accessible to all consumers. Her designs were more plus-size friendly, and as a result, sizes were available up to 4XL.

The collaboration introduced 10 total assortments during its time, such as, “Icy Park,”

along with the mantra, “Where is My Park,” which dropped Feb. 5, 2021, and “Halls of Ivy,” which was released Nov. 3 the same year.

However, Beyoncé and Adidas announced in March 2023 they would no longer be working together. This occurred because the companies experienced a decrease in sales. According to Forbes, in 2022, Ivy Park sales dropped more than 50% to $40 million.

Though they parted ways, Beyoncé and Adidas moved forward with their last and most recent collection, “Ivy Park Noir,” which was released in the fall of 2023.

DOLLY PARTON

DOLLY PARTON

BY ARIELLE TEPPERT PHOTOS BY MORGAN CLARK DESIGN BY MARIS CORDIAL

Dolly Parton is not only known for her impressive country songs but for her show-stopping style. Over the years, she has built her style around bleach-blonde wigs, tight clothes, rhinestones, and high heels. Parton was born into a low-income family in Pittman Center, Tennessee, but that didn’t diminish her longing to wear glamorous pieces.

In a recent interview with Vogue, Parton said, “I was always a little bit flamboyant, even before I could afford to buy clothes. When I got to where I could pick and choose [what I wore], I was drawn to color and tight clothes—anything just a little bit different than everybody else. I always [toed] the line, and sometimes I was willing to cross it to look like I wanted to look.”

Even though Parton knows her style is not everyone’s style, she urges people to unapologetically be themselves. Parton explained it does not matter to her if people don’t like her outfits because she feels confident in them, and that’s all that matters.

“I never cared what other people did, and I never cared what other people said about what I wore. “

DOLLY PARTON

“I never cared what other people did, and I never cared what other people said about what I wore. It was more important that I be comfortable in my clothes and myself. I couldn’t afford to be fashionable, and I wasn’t smart enough to follow those trends—nor did I have the time to do it. I was more interested in my music and in my work.” Parton said in the interview.

Although every performance piece was stunning in its own way, Parton has her favorite. The outfit that holds the most meaning for her is the dress she wore to sing “He’s Alive” at the 1989 Country Music Association Awards. An interview by Business Insider sheds light on why this outfit was so memorable.

“It was beautiful, white-beaded, pearls all over the dress, and when you raised your arms, it looked like wings underneath,” Parton told the outlet. “That night was so emotional to me. I was just overcome with a strong spiritual high. So, it left a memory in my mind, and every time I see that dress in a picture, I think of that night and singing that song,” Parton said.

Styles and trends continue to evolve, but Dolly Parton’s outfits and confidence will certainly remain a part of history for years to come.

BY LUCY RILEY PHOTOS BY ELLA SPREMULLI DESIGN BY ZOE CRANFILL

The band Queen forever changed the face of rock and roll for the world. It was composed of four members: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon. Their most famous songs continue to be played all around the world, and their reputations as singers and performers outlive them. Together, they formed a band that changed the rock world through both music and fashion.

All four members strongly embraced and pioneered the 1970s and 1980s androgynous style, especially Mercury. The style embraced all forms of fashion to create a cohesive yet eclectic look. The members of Queen embodied a very strong androgynous aesthetic as a band, with each member having their own look while still following the ’70s “rockstar” brand of long hair and tight pants. Queen, and more specifically

Mercury, paved the way for that glam-rock style. Mercury is one of the first defining musicians who embraced the style in the industry alongside other musicians such as David Bowie, Prince, and Mick Jagger.

Along with the gender-neutral style, Queen took on the over-the-top colors and prints in the fashion of the time, creating an extensive style that is still present today. The fashion choices of artists like Harry Styles are obviously drawn from Mercury’s. Styles’ sequined jumpsuit from his Coachella performance in 2022 is incredibly reminiscent of the silver-sequined catsuit Mercury wore on the band’s “News of the World” tour in 1977.

Each member of Queen has been a part of some of the most iconic aesthetics, from their album cover looks to the binary-breaking looks in the “I Want to Break Free” music video. However, the looks that have had the most influence and stood the

test of time belong to Mercury. His looks have become timeless through the decades and continue to make reappearances. The one that stands out the most is his white outfit with his yellow and white military jacket. That outfit was worn at the Knebworth Park concert, his last performance.

The band brought forth a variety of looks, four different outfits encompassing the band’s four members while still creating a cohesive look.

QUEEN CELEB STYLE:

BY CATALINA LITTS

Tuning Out the World

PHOTOS BY ZOE CRANFILL

DESIGN BY CARLY HART

Since the creation of headphones, the phrase “music to my ears” has been taken to another level. With their sleek design and amusing technology, headphones are becoming fashion’s next functional accessory. Beginning in the 1970s with the creation of the “Walkman,” the first form

of headphones became trendy but later lost their popularity because of newer technological advancements. However, due to their revival amongst pop culture icons, it has become common to see people wearing them as part of their outfits. They have been pictured being worn

by celebrities such as Jacob Elordi to elevate his airport look and Bella Hadid as a form of street style.

From options such as Sony, Apple’s AirPod Max, Bose, and more, there are limitless ways to enhance your music quality and style. Headphones are becoming essential in everyday looks, so they are a perfect way to display your interests. With that said, here are a few ideas to turn your basic pair of headphones into an interesting and personalized accessory.

To begin, an interesting way to upgrade a plain pair of headphones could be to add stickers. Stickers can be found in several designs, so they can match any aesthetic. And because deciding on which stickers to choose from can be daunting, some ideas to start with include characters from your favorite TV shows, funny quotes, or even places to which you have traveled. Whatever stickers you decide on will definitely add character to your style.

Apart from stickers, another way to make your headphones more fashionable could be

to tie bows around them. It’s no secret that the resurgence of bows in the past months has had a chokehold on music icons such as Lana Del Ray and Sabrina Carpenter. Coming in a variety of different patterns, textures, and colors, these chic accessories are an essential part of the coquette style. There is nothing a bow can’t fix, so once you find the ribbon that is right for you, be sure to tie it around your headphones.

After hearing these suggestions, we hope you feel inspired to start decorating your headphones to match your style. Because of their rise in popularity, headphones are steadily becoming fashion statements. Since music is a gateway to one’s personality, what is playing on the inside deserves to be shown on the outside as well. Any pair of headphones will make your outfit stand out and give insight to others as to what you could possibly be listening to. But despite all of that, if you take the time to personalize your headphones, then you will have a new accessory that is unapologetically yourself.

Stomp and Shout!

Platform shoes have been around for centuries. They have evolved from being used by actors in ancient Greece to be taller on stage to the present-day “stompers.” They have gone through various transformations when it comes to both fashion and functionality. In the 1970s, platforms were a statement piece for music legends such as David Bowie and Elton John, who implemented them as part of their avant-garde styles. These stars are just two examples of celebrities who helped with more widespread adoption of the shoe.

Platforms were a staple of the disco era, adding style and flair to outfits that made them more eye-catching on the dance floor. While vintage platform boots and shoes dating back to the ‘70s

BY SABINE OBERMOLLER ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN BY HADLEY FAIN

are still sought out by many, the platform shoe has also evolved into a modern-day style and continues to be a relevant fashion statement

Chunky footwear can be more than an extension of an outfit. It can elevate your look and even be the main focal point of the outfit, as well as a safer, more comfortable way to add some height. A platform heel, for instance, can offer a more comfortable option of wearing heels for formal events due to commonly having a lower arch than other heels, while a chunky sneaker can provide more stability and boldness to an everyday look. It’s 2024, there is no need to wear painful shoes to be in style. It’s the year of dressing to feel happy and in control, and that’s exactly what fun, colorful platform shoes can do.

Brands such as Converse, Nike, and Dolls Kill, among many others, have come out with chunky platform sneakers and shoes. Even brands like

Whether embracing the ‘70s disco style or adding some more personality to everyday sneakers, platforms have had a big appeal through the ages. They have continued to combine comfort and style and are a fashion statement that will hopefully be around for years to come, allowing people to embrace both nostalgia and self-expression without

Blushin’ the Day Away

AVERY ST.

When you hear Selena Gomez’s name, you may think of some of her popular work on Disney Channel or her successful singing career. Recently, though, Gomez decided to try her luck in the makeup and beauty industry, and it’s been going very well for her. Gomez, as a child star, grew up in the spotlight and has been very open on social media about

her struggles with body image and finding herself in the public eye. Her mission for her beauty brand, Rare Beauty, is to encourage its customers to embrace their individuality, promote mental health awareness, and provide resources to help young people. Gomez wants her makeup and skincare products to create a more positive self-image for its customers, and

BY

GEORGE PHOTOS BY KITTY CRINO DESIGN BY MEREDITH VIOX

she wants them to feel good wearing them.

Many celebrities or influencers have tried to break into the billion-dollar beauty industry, but most of them have not found much success. One of the products that sets Gomez’s Rare Beauty apart from the multitude of celebrity makeup brands is her liquid blush line. This blush blew up on social media because of its highly pigmented formula, and it transformed Rare Beauty into a hot commodity in the makeup world.

The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush has become so popular that it has its own collection of dupes. The original blush is priced at $23, but there are many cheaper alternatives for those who don’t want to spend the money. Makeup Revolution’s Blush Bomb at $9 and Elf Cosmetics Camo Liquid Blush at $7 are both decent substitutes, but Elf’s blush has more shades than the Makeup Revolution blush, which gives it the potential to be the best alternative to Rare Beauty.

Another one of Rare Beauty’s top-selling products is the Liquid Luminizer highlighter. The highlighter has a shimmery look and, like the blush, is very pigmented, so a little goes a long way. If you’re looking for a similar liquid highlighter, Elf Cosmetics has the Halo Glow highlight for $9, but with only three shades, this

might not work for everyone. Wet n Wild also makes a liquid highlight called the MegaGlo highlighter for $5.99 with five shades, so definitely try that out if you don’t want to spend $25 on the Rare Beauty version.

Rare Beauty also boasts its Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, which applies glossy and then fades into a simple tint that doesn’t stick or rub off. This product has satisfied reviews from customers, and at $20 it’s almost half the price of another popular lip oil—the Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil. As far as the drug store versions go, Elf Cosmetics has the Glow Reviver Lip Oil for $8, and NYX has the Fat Oil Lip Drip for $9. The only issue with these products is that cheaper lip oils tend to be more similar to a gloss with a stickier formula. If you’re looking for the real lip oil effect with a smoother application, you may just want to consider dishing out the money for this one.

Rare Beauty’s rise to fame over the past few years into a high-end makeup brand shows that celebrity make-up brands can be successful. Gomez is truly a force to be reckoned with as she has managed to have success in acting, singing, and now the beauty industry. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here and what new products Rare Beauty will bring in the future.

BY MIMI CALHOUN

PHOTOS BY ZENNIA LAM

DESIGN BY ELLA HUELSKAMP

Makeup!

When becoming a musical artist, the creation of a persona and forming an identity has intertwined both the art of music and the art of performance. Whether it be through costumes, hair or makeup, many singers, dancers, and actors have taken on the task of stepping into a new role of who they want to be.

In the 2010s, there were many pop stars who took their art to another level by pursuing elaborate and distinct images for themselves.

Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Nicki Minaj are just a few of the notable singers who were known for their in-depth and borderline outrageous looks. From alien special effects in Perry’s “E.T.” music video, to Gaga’s “Artpop” album with “Applause,” and Minaj’s bright colored “Super Bass,” these three have become icons in pop culture.

The use of stage makeup has allowed artists to set themselves apart from the crowd and give them an edge in a sometimes overly saturated market. Even in the past, infamous musicians like KISS, David Bowie, and the Insane Clown Posse have shown that makeup transcends music genre and gender normality.

An example of an artist completely taking on a new look through makeup is Melanie Martinez. Martinez had risen to fame through the singing competition “The Voice” before gaining traction for her song “Dollhouse” and album “Crybaby.” Her concept and lore heavily involved childlike imagery, pastels, and coquette aesthetics.

Now, Martinez has entered a different era of her music with the album “Portals.” She has created a creature like alter ego to go along with the concept and has even committed to wearing full face and body prosthetics during performances. She has fully allowed fans and audiences to be a part of her world and music experience by taking the direction of becoming one with her new persona.

Although singers don’t have to go as far as Martinez or the other previously named artists to create an original and interesting concept, makeup has become a way to keep artists fresh, imaginative, and new through a different creative process

MUNA

BY JACKSON MCCOY ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN BY CASSIDY WOODS

Indie-pop trio MUNA has elevated the art of unabashedly queer music for years, yet is not incredibly well-known among LGBTQ+ audiences outside of the hit song “Silk Chiffon.” However, the band’s impact on all things queer culture and beyond can not be understated.

Hailing from Los Angeles, MUNA members Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson were all undergraduate students at the University of Southern California when they met in 2013. Though Maskin and McPherson had both been playing ska music together for some time, their collaboration with Gavin produced a pop song,

leading them to switch to the genre they have crafted their music in ever since.

The following years were a whirlwind for the band. MUNA released its debut EP “More Perfect” in 2014, leading to a deal with the highly influential record label RCA Records. The trio would go on to release its major label debut EP “Loudspeaker” in 2016, followed shortly by the full-length debut album “About U” in 2017.

Of course, these music releases coincided with an impressive set of performances. MUNA performed at Lollapalooza in the summer of 2016, toured across the U.S. in 2016, and joined

Harry Styles as an opener on his North American and European tour dates. The group made latenight show appearances, contributed to multiple soundtracks, and released another album titled “Saves The World” — all things a major up-andcomer in the indie music scene can do to be considered successful.

However, MUNA’s incredible shows and music were apparently not performing as well as RCA Records was hoping they would. After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Gavin, Maski, and McPherson were dropped from RCA for reportedly “not making enough money,” a fact that was revealed in a 2022 interview with

For some, this would be the end. But for MUNA, the show wasn’t over.

Shortly after being dropped from RCA, MUNA was signed to the Phoebe Bridgers-owned label Saddest Factory, where the trio has been delivering its signature gay anthems ever since. In 2021, MUNA released the popular song “Silk Chiffon” featuring Bridgers, as well as a “But I’m A Cheerleader”-inspired music video alongside it.

Following the release of “Silk Chiffon,” MUNA has stayed incredibly active. Appearances on more late-night shows, touring with Kacey Musgraves, and even opening for Taylor Swift on select dates of her massive Eras Tour are all on MUNA’s resume.

MUNA’s electronic, synth-pop energy alone should be enough to solidify the band’s place as indie royalty; McPherson and Maskin’s masterful guitar work on top of Gavin’s ethereal vocals create lush songs about queer love for queer people. The group’s earnest, longing songwriting, combined with the individual members’ queer identities further emphasizes the need to bring MUNA into the spotlight.

The Magic of Music in Film John Williams:

STORY BY GABRIELLE CABANES ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE REESE DESIGN BY MADDIE JAMES

What would “Star Wars” be without “The Imperial March?” What would “Harry Potter” be without “Hedwig’s Theme?”

Through the power of music, one can recognize these timeless pieces no matter the occasion.

John Williams has built his fame and talent around scoring numerous successful films known and loved by many people around the world. In addition to the compositions he created for nine “Star Wars” films and the first three films in the “Harry Potter” franchise, Williams has also composed scores for classics such as “Jaws,” “Home Alone,” and “Jurassic Park.”

At the age of 91, Williams continues to produce music. In an interview with Classic FM, Williams explained that if a new and exciting project were to appear on his radar and the project allowed him to work at his own pace, he would not want to rule it out completely.

work. Without the popular pieces embedded throughout these well-known movies, the films would not be able to capture the intensity of the moments Williams’ music accompanied.

According to Brittanica, Williams has scored more than 100 films, many of which were directed by famous director Stephen Spielberg. Williams was exposed to music at a young age as his father was a percussionist for the CBS Radio orchestra. He studied composition at the University of California in Los Angeles and was later drafted into the U.S. Army in 1948. After coming back from the Army in 1954, he briefly attended Julliard in New York City, where he studied piano. When he returned to California, Williams started working in Hollywood studios and went on to compose some of the most famous pieces heard today.

“Everything is possible,” he said in the interview. “All is before us. Only our limitations are holding us back. Or, to put it simply: I like to keep an open mind.”

In a media landscape almost obsessed with famous artists, composers can often be put on the back burner due to the difference in popularity between a classical piece and music considered more modern. However, Williams’ dedication to the art of composing and creating beautiful pieces for notable movies illustrates the importance of recognizing composers for their

Williams also worked in music beyond the world of film. According to Brittanica, Williams conducted for the Boston Pops and guest conducted for both the London Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Williams also composed a song for President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009.

Williams’ dedication to the art of composing and his natural talent of leaving audiences in childlike wonder is unlike any other composer. The power of music in film and the art of evoking emotion can sometimes be a tedious process, but for Williams, the art of bringing an audience to its feet brings him joy.

WHO, WHAT, WEAR

A glimpse into some of Athens’ most captivating people, places, and events.

Roman Candle Insider

BY KENDALL BERGERON PHOTOS BY DISHA HOQUE DESIGN BY MARIS CORDIAL

If you told someone outside of Athens, Ohio, about the hottest new band in the area, you would probably be met with “What’s a roman candle?” But those who have been to even just one of their venue-filled shows understand the electrifying spell that the band casts upon its audience.

Roman Candle transports its audience to a time in which no human has gone before with each note they play. One stroke of the guitar and their audience has found themselves in the dazed soulfulness of a Led Zeppelin concert. Then, a reverberating growl from the lead singer catapults them to the “Crimson and Clover” stained edge of a Joan Jett and the Blackhearts show. The audience’s hearts pulse with the drummer’s Smashing Pumpkins saturated beats, their heads bewitched to follow. The bass slithers in, immersing fans in the sultry melodies of Fleetwood Mac. The best part of it all is that the audience finds themselves dancing in some twilight zone where each of these allconsuming musical energies meet in one place. Roman Candle is a local music phenomenon that will, undoubtedly, entrance the world with the charm it has shown the Athens community.

The five person band traces its earliest roots to Cincinnati where guitarist David Green and lead singer Samantha Kruse went to grade school together. Later, Green met guitarist Joey Garascia in their Cincinnati highschool where they became friends and played guitar together. Green added that they’d always wanted to start a band.

The two went on to attend Ohio University together in 2020, where Green reconnected with Kruse one Tuesday night in The Red Brick Tavern bar. From there, they played sets together at Donkey Coffee and The Front Room Coffeehouse.

“From the first practice, we all seemed to work together really well.”

EMMA MCGOWAN

“I knew we had two guitars and a singer, says Green. “Then, me and Joey put posters up in Ellis Hall and Joe [Krafft, drummer for Roman Candle] found it.”

Bassist Emma McGowan was accidentally scouted by the other three when Green found her Instagram profile. Her profile picture was her playing the bass, prompting the band to reach out to her about joining.

The first time the band played together was around August 10, 2023 in Green’s empty house.

“No one was moved into the first floor of our house and we just put all our gear in there,” says Green. “There was no furniture or anything. It was just a blank room with guitars. I remember just sitting on the floor playing stuff and trying to come up with names.”

“It flowed really well, too,” says Krafft. “We just kind of did it. There weren’t really any problems that we had with practicing.”

McGowan agreed, saying, “From the first practice, we all seemed to work together really well.”

“And we had a set in like three days,” says Green.

The band had a difficult time with deciding on a band name in the beginning, though. Krafft had suggested Roman Candle to the

band but the other members didn’t like it. So, they were unnamed at their first concert, which was at the Scripps Hall Amphitheater at Ohio University. This was until the coordinator of the event told Krafft he needed a band name from them for the event. So, Krafft took it upon himself to reply with “Roman Candle.” This all worked out, as the rest of the band members grew fond of the name and decided not to change it.

Kraft said the name comes from the Roman Candle firework, “I thought it explained our explosive sound pretty well.”

Sadie Awbrey, a junior at Ohio U studying anthropology and marine biology, is a long time Roman Candle fan. Awbrey said she likes Roman Candle because of their ability to mix different genres of music together and the way they interact with their audience.

“They have a wide variety of different sounds in their music,” says Awbrey. “One is flowy and dark, and others are hyped-up, super fast and energized.

The band commented that they like the Athens music scene because it makes it easy to “get your music out there.” They also added that they appreciate that everyone “is in it for the fun.”

Kruse said that this year there are more women coming to The Union for shows because more

women are performing in bands, “It’s really fun. It makes other women want to come out and see you.”

Zoe Duncan, a sophomore at Ohio University studying art history, said she likes Roman Candle because they feel “feminine lead.”

“That appeals to me because the music space is very dominated by men,” says Duncan.

One aspect that is distinctive about Roman Candle is their original songs. They play original songs that their fans memorize and enjoy just as much as their covers of songs, such as their fan favorite “The Riddler.” This is a hard feat for a local band because many audience members are typically more interested in song covers they can dance and sing along to. Because of this, fans will undoubtedly be excited to hear that they are currently in the process of making more. Krafft said he is working on a song for the band, which will be the first song he’s written for the group.

The band revealed that they’ve also discussed recording a live album. They said they do not feel that they are a studio album band but that they would be open to recording “The Riddler” in-studio and live.

To find more information about Roman Candle and their future shows, follow their Instagram: @romancandleband.

DJ BARTICUS

The Quintessential Athens Experience

BY ABBY JOYNER PHOTOS BY HANNAH CAMPBELL DESIGN BY TANNER VANCE

Walking around Ohio University’s campus, it is difficult to miss the colorful, camp, and meticulously designed posters advertising a themed dance party with DJ Barticus at The Union bar or Casa Nueva Mexican restaurant. It is difficult to capture the exact essence of a DJ Barticus set; the atmosphere is constantly changing, though the common denominator at each event will always be good music, flashing lights, and a painter’s jumpsuit.

Michael Bart, better known in Athens as DJ Barticus, is a DJ, Twitch streamer, and local icon. Students flock to his ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, and most recently, ’90s vs. disco nights in droves. They don period-accurate attire to match the theme and prepare to experience a genre-bending night of dancing and community.

Kristen Griffith, a freshman studying forensic chemistry, said her experience was “crazy,” and “you have to go to experience it.” After attending DJ Barticus’ ’80s nights at Casa Nueva and early 2000s nights at The Union, Griffith said of Barticus: “You can tell he’s very passionate with what he’s doing… he’s having a

great time.” She complemented the detail and care taken into Barticus’ marketing, calling his posters “eccentric” to match his out-of-theordinary vibe.

This eccentric atmosphere remains a consistent experience for students across Ohio U’s campus. In a student-made documentary from 2019 about DJ Barticus, people from the Athens community added their perspective on the iconic DJ Barticus experience. “He’s like the dad of Athens,” one person said. “Sometimes you just need to get drunk in a Mexican restaurant and dance to Peter Gabriel, and if it wasn’t for Barticus, I don’t think we’d have that.”

Barticus himself said of his unique style: “I’m not afraid to talk in the mic and just make it an experience.” It is his goal to help people “make future memories” and “transport [them] into something higher than” just a Spotify playlist.

There is a uniqueness in the passion and excitement students feel when Barticus announces a new dance party. Across campus and uptown Athens these decorative posters feature superimposed and photoshopped images of musicians, animals, and other wacky

designs. They refashion any expectation of what a normal advertisement might look like, drawing students in with intrigue. These curious students gather at either Casa Nueva or The Union, sometimes waiting in line for up to an hour just to get in.

The unparalleled vibe cultivated at DJ Barticus events compels students to return. His events create a space quintessentially Athens. DJ Barticus explained why the Athens community is such a special place to work in

“There’s a lot of special things about Athens,” says Barticus. “One of them I think is just how walkable it is.” This makes going out to different events, like his own, much easier and more of a community-driven experience.

“The fact that everyone can walk and be together,” says Barticus, makes Athens a special workplace. You cannot find that many other places.

Besides the Athens community, the other factor into making a show a special experience is DJ Barticus himself. Utterly unique, his sets incorporate hit classics, like Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” while also weaving in some lesser known favorites from popular artists, such as David Bowie

or Depeche Mode. His inspirations extend across a wide breadth of genres, from DJs like DJ Cash Money, Sandwich, or Cosmo Baker, and musicians like Prince or ’90s hip hop artists. He cited the 1990s as his biggest inspirational period because of “how the music was made and all the music that was sampled.”

The DJ’s most iconic addition to his show, his signature jumpsuit, has an interesting history. When he was beginning his career, the “normcore” trend was prevalent, codified by an insistent desire for anonymity and to blend in with the crowd. DJ Barticus wanted the exact opposite. “I wanted to stand out as a DJ,” says Barticus. “I need to stand out and be easily identifiable because that’s just good business.”

Outside of his shows in Athens, Barticus also regularly plays his mixes on the streaming platform, Twitch, and hosts a few dance parties in the Columbus area. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barticus said he “really got into Twitch” because it was the only avenue to continue DJing. He said streaming helped him become a better DJ because he was able to become more comfortable with the microphone and addressing his audiences.

Post-pandemic, Barticus said “there was a bit of training the audiences” to dance at his shows again. Now, he said “we are on our way” to returning to the pre-pandemic environment.

Plastic Lemonade

Looking for the coolest sound you’ve never known? Looking for a band that makes you feel like you are the star of the show? Founded by Nathan Cain and Kyle Willison when they both embarked on a journey to learn bass guitar, Plastic Lemonade came to fruition in the year 2020. As Willison and Cain began experimenting with their sound, Cain recounts, “We uploaded a stupid little jazz demo online and a band from Columbus reached out asking for us to open for them. We had no members and no music at the time.” So, they did what it took to establish themselves.

“We wrote a whole set for the show in about a month,” says Willison. “We wrote some songs on the day of the show; we added one song in the car on the way to the show,” adds Cain.

Present day, Plastic Lemonade has grown to become a nine member band that possesses an eccentric, experimental sound that cannot be confined to a single genre. “We realized we like having a lot of talented people around us,” says Cain.

Alongside Cain (lead vocalist and guitarist), and Willison (bass guitarist), the band includes John Fisher (drums), Sophia Butler (vocals/ electric guitar), Mariana Stockman (cello/ piano), Damon Bonar (electric guitar), Caden Primmer (keys), Gwyn Crites (vocals), and Jenelle Fauber (vocals/djembe).

Besides the extra brain power, these young adults have busy schedules to navigate and having a large group of reliable individuals to select from has made way for consistent gigs and unreplicable experiences.

“It makes all of our shows different,” says Cain.” It makes them fun and unique. It builds a sort of level of interest. I think the only drawback that could be seen is if you were looking for consistency, but I feel like consistency in music

BY KITTY CRINO PHOTOS BY ZENNIA LAM DESIGN BY ALLY PARKER

can be a little boring. You can go to a live set, maybe you know the songs and you can sing along to them but everything else around you is a new experience.”

Plastic Lemonade commonly plays at The Union bar in Athens. “All the Union shows are wonderful,” says Cain.

Richard Linscott, current manager at The Union says, “Plastic Lemonade shows are great because they have a range of styles in their catalog. That, plus guest appearances by some rarer stage instruments.” Plastic Lemonade draws in a crowd consisting of a wide range of individuals. “[They] bring the dancy crowd; [the show] starts strong and stays lively–let’s call it a jumpy energy,” says Linscott. From brainstorming to writing to performing and beyond, Plastic Lemonade’s audience is always at the forefront of everything they do.

Ella Atfield, a senior in graphic design at Ohio University, is the best friend and roommate of Mariana Stockman, Plastic Lemonade’s pianist, and has attended nearly every Plastic Lemonade show. When asked to describe a show she says, “I feel like the energy is super upbeat and the band themselves totally engage with the audience. They love performing for the audience, seeing them play is always a good time.” In an attempt to put a name to their sound, Atfield says Plastic Lemonade is “Folky, groovy, and fun.”

“They can cover stuff that’s none of those [styles] and they are good at it,” says Atfield. “They can literally do anything. They fit into Athens culture perfectly, OU culture too. They can blend into any surrounding. They get their audience, they know how to talk to people and get them feeling good.”

With the innovative ways Plastic Lemonade plays to their crowd, it would be difficult not to be. Band members blur the line between fan and

friend in the way they connect with their audience. One of two current drummers, John Fisher is an exceptional example

“I came to one of their shows and there wasn’t a drummer present, so I was like ‘hey if you ever need a fill in, I’m more than happy to help out,’” says Fisher. And now, after playing with the band for about a year he proves to be “quite the fill-in,” as Cain says.

Plastic Lemonade shows exude a sense of harmonious positivity and are known to curate their sound and stage presence to their audience, making it a personalized experience each time. “I’ll bring a backpack full of instruments: cowbells, shakers, and invite the crowd onstage. I’ll start off by asking ‘have you seen us before?’ and if people say they haven’t seen us before those are the ones that I’m calling up on stage to play instruments,” says Cain. The band connects with their audience unifying the spirit present both on and off of the stage.

Atfield recounts her experiences with live music in Athens and with Plastic Lemonade in particular.

“Most of my time being here, I’ve loved going to see live music,” says Atfield. “I’ve gone to see a lot of bands and I have never seen another band pull people up on stage. I once went up on stage to play the cowbell and it was so fun! They brought up about six other people and even though there was so much going on, it worked.”

Plastic Lemonade currently has a second album in the works, and a plethora of creative projects on the rise. They have a creative team consisting of about 40 individuals–80% of artists being local to Athens, and the remaining members residing in nearby parts of Ohio. This team includes videographers, animators, painters, puppet makers, and ceramicists aiding in translating Plastic Lemonade’s complex music ideas into visual mediums.

Be on the lookout for new tunes, music videos, vinyls, and other merchandise from your new favorite band, Plastic Lemonade.

BOB STEWART BAND

BY SAMANTHA KRUSE PHOTOS BY PROVIDED DESIGN BY CARLY HART

Athens has a diverse band scene with an array of musicians and music genres. The Bob Stewart Band stands out amongst local musicians as they have been practicing their craft since the ’60s. The influences of James Taylor with his folk revolution guitar-picking, John Prine’s humorous song writing with his deep connotations, and Bruce Cockburn for his melodies and lyricism, Bob Stewart became inspired to create his own rhythm.

“I would call it acoustic blues, but with a heavy dose of Americana,” says Stewart about the band’s unique sound.

The Bob Stewart band got started in 2002, but this five-piece band has had their own unique music journeys before they united. The band is comprised of five talented musicians: Elliot

Abrams, lead guitar and vocals; Ned Ashbaugh, drums and backup vocals; Bob Stewart, guitar, keyboards, accordion, guitalele, and vocals; Greg Bikowski, bass, guitar, and vocals; John Ortman, harmonica and backup vocals.

Stewart was the previous director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, and has spent a collective of 33 years in the Ohio University community. Even when he was the director of the program, his passion for music thrived, a way to feel peace in his busy life. Stewart began his music journey early in life, playing guitar at age nine. He continued his love for music throughout highschool and college, playing in different bands and writing music. Stewart’s solo work includes two albums, with his 2004 album release, “Don’t Think You Know,” and his 2006

album release, “A Million Miles Away from Home.”

The Bob Stewart Band started creating their first and only album, Mended Bones, during a time when they couldn’t play live, the pandemic. They started creating this album as a “COVID era project,” allowing them to channel their creativity and talent into something when they were very restricted with where they could play music. Incorporating songs that Bikowski, Abrams, and Stewart wrote; the album is made up of 12 songs equally written by the whole group. The album required an unconventional setup because of the pandemic restrictions, the band would play in Ashbaugh’s driveway with 15 feet between them; they would sit outside and jam as the neighbors walked by. The warm summer air allowed them to pick a catalog of songs to play for the album, but as the fall came with its crisp autumn air, the group transitioned into a garage band.

As the pandemic advanced, the band had to take a break and isolate in their respective homes, practicing the songs on their own. When the vaccine came out in 2021, the band had hopes of coming together again to finish the album. Masked up and vaxed up, the band worked on their 12 songs and got into the studio. The cherry on top of this album was Stewart’s idea to collaborate on a title track that would serve as the 13th song on the album, something they had never done before. Stewart came up with the base that “nothing is stronger than a mended bone,” and Bikowski wrote a couple of verses, while Abrams came up with some of the chord changes.

“The title song fits where we are in our lives as older people … going through a lot of challenges and experiences,” says Stewart.

With future plans up in the air about the whereabouts of The Bob Stewart Band, the group looks at their album, Mended Bones, as their “swan song,” the final collaboration of music the band has to say. The members of the band have hopes of playing on a stage together at some point, showcasing their work. In the meantime, their music can be found on Spotify and YouTube, listen for a taste of acoustic blues.

Coralilly

BY AVERY TYLA PHOTOS BY DISHA HOQUE DESIGN BY MADDIE JAMES

Cora Fitch, also known as Coralilly, is a new local artist in the Athens community. She was previously seen playing at the Nelsonville Music Festival and recently dropped her first single titled, “Photo Album,” in May of 2022. Coralilly explains in an interview her upbringing in the music industry, experience as a solo artist, and plans for her future content.

Q: What prompted your love for music?

A: I grew up listening to it for one thing but also my dad used to play guitar and he would play songs for me when I was a little kid at night to go to sleep because I had a very hard time falling asleep. I was also fascinated with how he was doing that, just watching him move around on the fretboard and that was just interesting to me to watch how that worked. I used to go to this summer camp in Athens called, “Athens Rock Camp for Girls,” and they had a showcase type concert thing at the end of the week. We would always go to support them and from the first time I saw that I thought, “Wow, this is the coolest thing ever, I really want to do this.” So as soon as I was old enough to do it, I did it. Getting up on a stage and performing in front of people was the coolest thing ever at the time, and I just wanted to keep doing it.

Q: What was the background behind your first single?

A: I'm in the Honors Tutorial college and for one of my tutorials I wanted to take one of my songs that I have and put it on the internet. I worked with Eddie Ashworth [associate professor in media arts & studies at Ohio University] for that, which was awesome. I had already written the song before that started, but I was serving what I'd written so far and that one just stuck out the most to me as being the best, and the one that I would want to have be my first [song]. It was interesting to try to explore different arrangements, so I asked one of my good friends Harper Reese to play mandolin for it, but he also put down some guitar, and I kind of just let him run wild with things. It turned out a lot better than I imagined that it would in the beginning, and I’m still very proud of it, but I’m excited to put out some more things.

Q: What was your experience being in a band and how does that differ from working solo?

A: I'm still in a band, it's just a different band now. It's a really different experience from doing it by yourself because when I'm doing my thing, I'm writing everything, I'm performing everything, I'm organizing everything, so it's a lot more of a commitment. My experience has been more vulnerable because if you're in a band, and you're singing a song that means a lot to you, it's still kind of hard to do that in front of people, but you also have a bunch of other people with you so you can hide behind that. When you’re just by yourself on stage you’re like, “Wow, there’s really not much to hide behind here.” It’s scarier in that way, but I also find it really rewarding. I find it to be very good for me to have the space to be able to make what I want to make and show it to people. I feel that it’s had me learn a lot about myself and also growing my craft in a lot of ways that I wasn’t when I was in a band.

Q: Are you working on any new songs or projects?

A: My new music is also a school thing, but I use the fact that I'm in school and have a lot of these resources to make these things, so it's for my thesis because I'm graduating this year. I made a five song EP [extended play] and then I’m making an art show. I’m making pieces, mostly prints, some paintings that correspond with each track of the EP, and then it'll be a guided tour experience that if you go see it, you can listen to the music and observe the work at the same time. I'm working really hard, and I'm excited about it. They're all songs that I've played before, but you wouldn't have heard them if you haven't seen me. The arrangements are a lot bigger than they are on “Photo Album…” My great friend, Weston Nirn, played drums for me. I also got to be on guitar, and I have a bunch of background vocals, and I’ve got pedal steel. I'm really excited about it but that'll be coming out probably the second week of April.

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Light-hearted reads for the quiztaking, listicle reading spirit in all of us.

March Horoscopes

BY SOPHIA ANNESS ILLUSTRATION BY MARIS CORDIAL DESIGN BY MEREDITH VIOX

March is a time of transition from winter to spring, but it is also a transition period for people. Music helps many people get through a period of transition in their lives, so let us discover which song and artist resonates with you during the month of March based on your horoscope.

Aries (March 21 - April 20): “Late Night Talking” by Harry Styles

Throughout the month, those “late-night talks” will be important for Aries’ relationships. While there will be many emotional events this month, there will be many opportunities for prosperity. Aries will have success in their careers this month, but none of this will be possible without a partner or bestie by your side. Energy will be high, and hormones may be wild. With your people by your side, you will be sure to get through the month.

Taurus (April 21 - May 21): “You’re Gonna Go Far” by Noah Kahan

Tauruses will experience lots of change this month, but it is important to note the people who you are closest to will be with you every step of the way. This change will be for the better and will improve your selfconfidence. Tauruses must trust the process and remember everything will work out. It will be a time of self-improvement and positivity. Get ready Tauruses, you are going to go far.

Gemini (May 22 - June 21): “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last

Your love life will prosper because communication is important to you this month. You will be very communicative to your partner, friends, and family. Exciting developments will take place within relationships, so you should listen to your heart. Geminis creativity will also be at an all-time high, so if there is a project you have been wanting to do, now is the time to pursue it!

Cancer (June 22 - July 22): “Vienna” by Billy Joel

For Cancers, March will be a month of peace. Take this time to focus on your health and well-being. You may feel like you want to rush into your routine, but ideas will come to you if you slow down and wait for a while. Take this break as a planning period. Big things are on the way, but you just have to have patience.

Leo (July 23 - August 22): “…Ready For It?” By Taylor Swift

Confidence will be at an all-time high for Leos as they enter into the month of March. However, with this confidence will come high irritability, so make sure to keep your emotions and ego in check. Use this confidence to your advantage. Now is the time to solve disagreements and rebuild relationships. Be ready for this month as you will be feeling at your best. Are you ready for it?

Virgo (August 23 - Sept. 22): “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen Work hard this month Virgo, because your hard work will pay off. This month you will see a rise in productivity and a decrease in procrastination. Working hard will get you ahead in both school and your job. You will also have lots of creative ideas, and you should set those thoughts in motion because lots of good will come from them. Nothing will stop you this month.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 23): “The Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + the Machine

For Libras, change is coming fast. Though it may seem like a lot all at once, you must embrace the changes. It will bring you happiness, which may seem overwhelming. However, you cannot let these changes get in the way of your goals. Let them guide you, and everything will go according to plan. Keep running fast toward your goals, for all is looking well.

Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): “Home” by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

This month, Scorpios will have a great sense of security. They will feel safe with those whom they love. Friends and family are where you will go to find comfort and peace, and they will be by you every step of the way. This will be an emotional time for Scorpios, and you need your loved ones to stick close to your side.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): “My Future” by Billie Eilish

The future is very important to Sagittariuses this month. Many questions will begin to pop up, but this is not something you should be worried about. The future’s looking bright for you, and there is much to look forward to. Your energy will remain positive throughout this time, and you will find that you are in love with your future.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): “love is embarrassing” by Olivia Rodrigo

During this month, you may feel like your relationships are not working out. However, you have to remember there are things more important than love. Do not be discouraged by failed relationships. Your day will come as long as you are patient. It might be a good idea to invest your time into something that you will enjoy, like a new hobby. Again, do not let this hinder you from pursuing a relationship. Your day will arrive when you least expect it.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 20): “When We Were Young” by Adele

Aquariuses will spend a lot of time looking at the past this month. There will be lots of signs that will make you reminisce about simpler times. This will not make you sad. Instead, you will feel at peace with yourself and make you realize that you are doing everything right. Envision what you want for the future, and use lessons from the past to achieve that vision.

Pisces (Feb. 21 - March 20): “Grow As We Go” by Ben Platt

March will be a time of growth for Pisces. You may find there are rough patches you may have to navigate, but it is nothing that you cannot overcome. Communication is important during this time, as you may find something that causes a divide in a relationship. Have confidence to talk about it, and remember, all people have different life experiences. Growing is a part of life.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT ARE YOU? WHICH

OBSCURE

Pick a genre:

BY VERONICA SAVITSKI

ILLUSTRATION BY ALAINA PELLETT

DESIGN

BY ALLY PARKER

Imagine you are a musician about to release a new album! Design the album cover to learn what obscure musical instrument you are:

Folk Metal Classical K-pop Country Cyberpunk

What is the central image?

A symbol relating to a song lyric Me obviously

Pick a color scheme:

Earth tones

Something colorful and bold

Is this your first album?

Is the design electric?

The album cover art is... No way! My last album was nominated for a Grammy, didn’t you hear?

Eek yes

No, less is more Definitely

Who’s creating the design?

An artist An A.I. software Illustrated

Photographed

GLASS HARMONICA PIKKASO GUITAR DIDGERIDOO THEREMIN

GLASS HARMONICA

Airy and beautiful are definitely ways your album cover might be described. It takes 36 spinning glass bowls to create the delicate and harmonic sounds of this instrument. Your future album cover is an elegant piece of art, just like this unique instrument.

DIDGERIDOO

This wind instrument, which creates low and percussive rhythms, originates from Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia. The iconic drone of this instrument is made by a special breathing technique in which musicians simultaneously inhale and exhale. Your distinct and funky taste when creating your album cover reflects the digeridoo’s unique style.

THEREMIN

Ever wonder what instrument makes some of the most recognizable science fiction tunes? Look no further than the theremin! This electronic instrument produces eerily violin-esque sounds without a single hand actually touching it. The cool taste and future toward thinking of your album cover reflect this instrument’s essence.

PIKKASO GUITAR

You’re not like other artists, so you certainly aren’t like other guitars! This instrument has 42 strings, four necks, and two sound holes. Visually reminiscent of cubist and surrealist art, it’s no wonder why this instrument is named after Pablo Picasso. Your future album definitely channels the chaos and creativity of the Pikkaso guitar.

FASHION SHOWDOWN

BY JULIANA COLANT ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE REESE DESIGN BY GWYNETH SHOEMAKER

There are many reasons to love Athens, including its vibrant music scene. This transcends well-known artists and fame but highlights local bands, up-and-coming musicians, and student artists. On any weekend, there are house shows at off-campus housing, and The Union keeps a consistent line-up of student and local bands and solo artists.

With these events comes the age-old question, “What will I wear?” When selecting the perfect outfit to attend a show, there are a few different things to remember depending on where you’ll see the show, like clothing functionality, the show environment, and the genre of music you will hear.

The Union is an indoor venue on the upper floor of a bar with a stage and patio on Union Street. The venue has tables, flat ground, and space to move around, allowing for more outfit creativity.

Jenelle Fauber, a sophomore at Ohio University studying communication studies, uses the venue to experiment with fashion.

“I normally go for an outfit that is composed of a lot of elements, and I tend to gravitate toward wearing dressy garments like skirts, blouses, blazers, and dresses,” says Fauber. “I like to think about attending a show at The Union as an opportunity to wear outfits that are experimental or an occasion to wear a statement piece.”

Audrianna Wilde, a graduate student studying public administration at Ohio U, has attended shows since she first came to campus in 2021. In her experience, Wilde aligns her outfits to fit the environment of house shows and The Union.

“I definitely do have to pay attention to fashion versus function,” says Wilde. “A lot, especially as a five-four, 120-pound small girl, I might get trampled.”

So, Wilde wears things she won’t be sad about if they’re messed up, like old sneakers for moshing.

“They may or may not go with the outfit,” says Wilde. “It doesn’t matter. It’s going to be muddy.”

It may be tempting to rock a hat for house shows in cold weather, but Wilde advises against it for those looking to truly rock out.

“If you wear a hat, you won’t be able to flip your hair and headbang, and it won’t feel as gratifying,” says Wilde.

For recent Ohio U alumni Emma Ledford-Adkins, the functionality of her outfits is considered, but depending on the day, it isn’t a deciding factor.

“I have also worn heels in a mosh pit before and worn one too many layers to a crowded house

“The music scene always has and always will be a scene for creative people,”

EMMA LEDFORD-ADKINS

show, but not regretted a single thing because the look was fabulous,” says Ledford-Adkins.

Fauber draws fashion inspiration from famous musicians.

“For house shows, I am inspired by the outfits of “Riot Grrrl” icons like Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman of Bratmobile in addition to Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, and The Julie Rain, but I like to adjust the style to fit my own,” says Fauber. “My personal take of this style is upcycled graphic t-shirts, mixed patterns, bootcut or flare jeans, and miniskirts.”

Another inspiration source comes from the genre of music you’ll see.

“When I am getting ready for a show with post-

How do students dress for house shows versus The Union?

punk inspirations, I’ll wear an outfit with elements of the late ’80s and early ’90s and draw inspiration from the goth subculture,” says Fauber.

For Wilde, dressing with the genre adds to the immersive experience of live music.

“A lot of the times when I go to The Union, it’s when those rock bands and punk bands are playing, so I will dress a little grungy,” says Wilde. “I’ll tailor it to whatever; if I’m watching with my friends bands and they have a certain theme for

their show, I’ll dress to that theme.”

Whether you see a show at The Union or a house show, wearing an outfit you’ll be comfortable and confident in is essential.

“The music scene always has and always will be a scene for creative people,” says LedfordAdkins. “There has never been a more perfect place for people to dress how they want to and feel comfortable in their own skin.”

BACK OF THE CLOSET

An in-depth look at today’s most buzz-worthy topics.

NONBINARY ARTISTS:

Taking the Music Industry Beyond the Binary

With anti-LGBTQ+ legislation targeting genderqueer people across America, nonbinary musicians represent a hopeful future.

BY JACKSON MCCOY ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA HEWS DESIGN BY SOPHIA CIANCIOLA

To music listeners everywhere, the music industry has long been romanticized; the glitz and glamor, raucous partying in Beverly Hills, glowing city lights, and flashing cameras lighting your walk on the red carpet are highly attractive. Who wouldn’t want to build a legacy of songs and albums that will outlast whole generations?

Chasing the next great American record might seem like a welcoming undertaking to musicians, but it may not be as ideal to queer musicians. The most famous industry titans— Rick Rubin, Dr. Dre, Jack Anontoff—are historically cis-gendered, heterosexual men. In some cases, like that of Dr. Dre, homophobic language in their music is not a rare occurrence. In all genres of music, from mainstream hip-hop to Broadway to metal, being queer and being highly successful are often mutually exclusive.

Luckily for the music industry and LGBTQIA+ audiences, progress has been made in including queer artists on stage. However, this progress has not necessarily been extended to nonbinary artists. Even the biggest nonbinary musicians of our time, people like King Princess and Sam Smith, are failed by their own audiences who are often ignorant of these artists’ gender identities.

Jayden Rahmon, a freshman in the contemporary music and digital instruments

program, or CMDI, at Ohio University, and who is nonbinary, said they’ve witnessed larger artists’ gender identities being disregarded by fans of their music.

“I’ve seen, specifically, this with [Lil Uzi Vert’s] fanbase since they’ve come out as nonbinary,” Rahmon said. “And there’s been no kind of respect for that. They still call them ‘him.’”

Heath Benton, a sophomore in the CMDI program and Rahmon’s bandmate in the local band Plant Clones, reflects on how the way people treat nonbinary musicians parallels everyday life as a nonbinary person. Benton, who is also nonbinary, details the struggles that come with being genderqueer on and off stage.

“I’m misgendered constantly; it’s one of those things where it happens so frequently, I’m just numb to it,” Benton said. “There was a point in my life where I would have stood up and been like, ‘Oh, that’s not my pronoun.’ And at this point, I’m just so tired. I just don’t care anymore.”

Benton’s experience is not an isolated incident in a sea of validation. According to a study done in Canada published by the company Taylor & Francis, 59% of nonbinary people reported being misgendered daily.

Misgendering someone can also have serious health consequences, according to the study.

“Misgendering and other forms of invalidation

and non-affirmation can trigger dysphoria, rumination, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and body dissatisfaction,” it states. “The impact of these experiences can lead to depression, hypervigilance, impaired social functioning, suicidality, and disordered eating.”

Although the study was conducted in Canada, the same is true across borders. In an article published by Harvard Health Publishing, it is both “exhausting and demoralizing” to misgender nonbinary and genderqueer people.

This year, over 478 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed in U.S. state legislatures, according to the ACLU. Musicians across genres have utilized their stages to protest this legislation recently, with artists like boygenius and Maynard James Keenan dressing in drag at concerts where drag has been banned, either in protest or as a way to express themselves and their artistic vision.

Nonbinary artists, while often holding smaller audiences, have continued this passionate protest. Bands like Escuela Grind, fronted by nonbinary vocalist Katerina Economou, break barriers in the world of extreme metal, creating a safe space for genderqueer fans of a more exclusionary genre. Other nonbinary artists, like Dorian Electra, embrace queer aesthetics in their on-stage personas as well as their music, creating innovative songs with a unique, experimental sound.

Josh Antonuccio, associate professor and director of the School of Media Arts and Studies, says technological advances in the music world, like streaming platforms, give nonbinary artists more opportunities to create music without having to conform to gender expectations.

“The accessibility to music, the ability for people to identify how they want to build their own channels of community, to build their own brands, on their own terms, that capacity has never existed the way it does now,” Antonuccio said. “So, from one vantage point, I think it’s the most exciting time for nonbinary artists.”

Antonuccio touched on the limited progress in other aspects of the music industry, adding that there are discrepancies between the diversity of music professionals on stage and music professionals behind the scenes. Antonuccio said nonbinary and women sound engineers and producers have been historically underrepresented, even citing that the last time he checked the percentage of women and nonbinary producers currently working, it was “less than 5%.”

The updated percentage has increased slightly to 7.6%, according to the 2023 edition of an annual study on nonbinary and women producers and engineers called “Lost in the Mix.” Depending on the genre, this percentage fluctuates. Though women and nonbinary producers make up 17.6% of electronic music producers and 16.4% of Americana and folk producers, they make up just 0.7% of rap producers and 0% of metal producers.

Indeed, finding nonbinary producers is not an easy task. Finding nonbinary producers of color is even more arduous.

However, they do exist, and they are working in the music industry right now. Venezuelan electronic musician Arca claims producing

credits on Kanye West’s “Yeezus” and FKA Twigs’ “EP2” and “LP1.” Arca has also contributed music to big names like The Weeknd, Rosalía, and Lil Uzi Vert.

Other producers like I. Jordan, G-Flip, and Shamir have also blazed their own producing paths, crafting innovative electronic, hip-hop, and indie rock music, respectively.

Visibility and representation are both highly important, especially now. Oakley Aughtman, a nonbinary freshman studying musical theater at Ohio U, shared their experience of watching actor Alex Newell become the first nonbinary person to win a Tony award for acting.

“I cried,” Aughtman said. “I’m gonna be so honest. I saw that and I cried and I was like, ‘You’re kidding,’... it really solidified for me that the industry is changing and there is a place for me in the industry.”

Aughtman also discussed unfair expectations of nonbinary artists and people as a whole.

“There’s this issue that has been prevalent for many years of people wanting nonbinary to be androgynous so … it’s easier to respect their pronouns or whatever,” Aughtman said. “That’s always been hard because I feel like when you’re in the public eye, that’s a lot more present. Like ‘Oh, but you’re not androgynous.’ Nonbinary people don’t owe you androgyny.”

Seeing nonbinary artists across various stages, whether it’s Broadway, stadiums, or local venues, can be incredibly validating for genderqueer audiences. Benton shared that they often feel excited when going to shows in Athens and seeing a nonbinary performer.

“Whenever I’m at house shows, and someone’s like, ‘Oh, [they’re nonbinary],’ I’m like ‘Hell yeah, that’s awesome.’” Benton said. “Or like meeting my other friends who are in my band right now like [Rahmon], who’s nonbinary as well. It’s really cool to play with them and to see them flex and like, ‘Oh, sweet, my community is thriving.’ It’s awesome.”

Rahmon furthered this, saying it feels cool to be in a band that represents a more diverse and upcoming generation of musicians.

“I think—not to toot our own horns—Plant Clones is a very diverse band, compared to a lot of the bands in the Athens music scene,” Rahmon said. “I hope that we give a good representation.”

SEPARATING ART FROM THE ARTIST

Editor’s note: This article discusses sexual violence.

BY HANNAH CAMPBELL ILLUSTRATION BY ALAINA DACKERMANN DESIGN BY CASSIDY WOODS

Every individual has their own personal connection to a musical artist. Something attracts that artist to a fan and creates a unique relationship through sound.

For student Ashlyn Estvanko, she built a connection to artist Kanye West’s work after going through a relationship breakup.

“I was going through a really tough time when I discovered his music, and it was the only way for me to feel better about myself (by) listening to it,” said Estvanko, a junior studying finance.

Her strong connection to West as an artist was then struck by a string of offensive statements in recent years. An artist Estvanko once idolized became a different person.

As quickly as a musician can rise to the top, one accusation, offensive remark, or controversial opinion can send them falling back to the bottom. The prevalence of cancel culture and social media can destroy someone’s career and reputation in an instance.

Many artists have received major backlash from fans, such as protests against venues allowing controversial artists to perform and streaming services for still offering their works. However, some artists have still kept their careers alive despite boycotts.

The broad spectrum of consequences poses a question to listeners: should we separate art from the artist?

The #MeToo movement gained international attention after actress Alyssa Milano accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse in 2017. She wrote “if you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Soon after, celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd, and Jennifer Lawrence followed with their support of the movement. The movement gained more traction from women all over the world, with more celebrities and powerful figures called out for their actions. A major figure affected by the movement was R&B and hip hop singer Robert Sylvester Kelly, professionally known as R. Kelly.

Sexual abuse allegations against Kelly date back to the 1990s. In 1994, Kelly, aged 27, married 15-year-old singer Aaliyah at a secret ceremony in Chicago. According to the BBC, Aaliyah lied about her age on the wedding certificate, falsely stating she was 18-years-old. The marriage was annulled in February 1995.

Following the annulment, Kelly faced many accusations over the years and went to court several times. In 2002, he was charged with 21 counts of making child sexual abuse videos involving various sexual acts, according to Chicago Police Department records. Kelly was found not guilty on all charges.

More and more victims came forward and told their stories about the abuse they endured from Kelly. It was not until the rise of the #MuteRKelly campaign and the release of Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” in 2018 that new charges were brought against the singer. In 2022, Kelly was sentenced to over 30 years in prison for federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

It took years for courts to convict Kelly, but it did not stop his career beforehand. The singer won three Grammys for his song “I Believe I Can Fly” and continued to produce music despite initial allegations.

Dr. Patty Stokes, an associate professor in the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies department, acknowledged the long wait to bring Kelly to justice could have been impacted by his race. She said many Black feminists from the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary were calling on other groups to support their campaign against the singer.

“A lot of Black feminists (at the time) were wondering, ‘Where are the white women here in solidarity with us?’” Stokes said. “I and other white feminists were sort of in a bind there, because we live in a society where white women

condemning Black men for sexual acts, true or merely alleged, can contribute to a very toxic, poisonous racism.”

When it comes to rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, his controversial past follows him in his career. The Chicago raised musician became known for his production work for Roc-A-Fella Records, especially for his work on rapper Jay-Z’s 2001 album “Blueprint.”

After his release of “The College Dropout” album, Ye became a huge figure in the rap industry. He has won 24 Grammy awards over his career and produced more than a dozen studio albums.

As successful as Ye has become, his reputation precedes him. The rapper recently made remarks against the Jewish community while promoting his album “Vultures.” In a public rant, he made offensive remarks against Jewish influence and compared himself to Jesus Christ and Adolf Hitler, according to the Associated Press.

He later apologized on Instagram, but has continued to make antisemitic remarks publicly.

After hearing about Ye’s public actions against the Jewish community, Estvanko was disappointed to hear about one of her favorite artists.

“Things took a turn for me,” Estvanko said. “I stopped listening to his music, because I do not agree with those views and those values.”

Estvanko took a break for a few months before attempting to listen to Ye’s music again. Now, she said the experience is incredibly difficult and different.

“Yes, I’m listening to this for myself, but he’s talking about how amazing he is,” she said. “I just no longer have that view of him.”

In the case of Ye, his erratic behavior is believed to be a result of bipolar disorder by experts, according to The Washington Post. In his 2018 song “Yikes,” Ye describes the mental illness as his “superpower.”

benzodiazepine overdose, according to NPR.

Ye’s career continues to skyrocket despite his public outbursts. His most recent album “Vultures 1” topped the Billboard 200 chart, The Washington Post reports.

“Maybe artists feel more authorized to behave in bad ways, especially if they get to be well known,” Stokes said. “They’ve got adulation from their fans, and it might make them feel like they’re outside of normal moral structures.”

After the death of a musician, a situation can arise if listeners should still appreciate the music if accusations follow the artist’s passing. One example is the late singer Michael Jackson

Known as the “King of Pop,” Jackson is considered by many as a central figure in music.

Jackson had 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and won 15 Grammy awards, including the Lifetime Achievement award.

In 2003, Jackson was arrested on child molestation charges. He was later acquitted of all criminal charges. In June 2009, Jackson died from cardiac arrest, caused by a propofol and

After his death, more accusations of sexual abuse followed. In 2019, the “Leaving Neverland” documentary aired discussing Jackson’s life and accusations against him.

Stokes explained the decision to support artists that are officially convicted, such as Kelly, versus artists who are solely accused is not an ethical argument because of the attachment these fans can create to artists.

“Art speaks to something often very visceral, not just intellectual in us,” she said. “We can’t just root out the appreciation … I don’t think that we so easily detach ourselves from art if we really, truly love the art in the first place.”

For student Claire Klimkowski, she built a strong relationship with rapper and singer XXXTentacion’s music prior to his death in 2018.

A sophomore studying speech pathology, she said she started listening to XXXTentacion’s music, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy. Klimkowski liked how versatile his work was, ranging from hard rap to upbeat dance music. She said her favorite songs are “I don’t even speak spanish lol” and “Look at Me!”

“Maybe artists feel more authorized to behave in bad ways, especially if they get to be well known.”

DR. PATTY STOKES

“I feel like (‘Look At Me!’) is a good song to bang my head to,” she said. “It gets me really excited.”

XXXTentacion was shot and killed in 2018 while being robbed of $50,000. Prior to his death, the singer was accused of physically abusing his pregnant then-girlfriend, according to a Miami-Dade arrest report. He was later arrested and released on house arrest.

Klimkowski said she did not know about the allegations against XXXTentacion before his death. She said she is able to separate the singer both as an artist and as a person.

“I think I draw a line between the person and the things they produce,” Klimkowski said.

The question of separation of art and artist becomes difficult and personal for every listener. Some believe it is morally irresponsible to listen and support artists, such as R. Kelly and Ye after offensive actions.

According to CBS News, there are multiple petitions calling to ban Ye’s music from all streaming services and revoke his honorary degree from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. The #MuteRKelly movement continues to protest against the singer’s music being available on streaming services. However, YouTube has removed his two channels after consistent protests.

Stokes emphasized how many different artists can be called out for certain actions and the decision of separation is up to the individual. However, she said the best way to move forward is to be honest about the artist’s history.

“We basically end up embracing a lot of figures who do things that we would find reprehensible, and I think that art has an ability to short circuit our ethical judgements in some ways,” Stokes said. “That’s more just a factual observation rather than how it ought to be.”

CLUB

Tragedy Turned Hyper fixation

Editor’s note: this story touches on heavy topics and may be upsetting to some readers. Mentions of death, addiction, suicide and opioids. Discretion is advised.

BY RILEY CLARK ILLUSTRATIONS BY MIA PISHOTTI DESIGN BY EMMA MCADAMS

As a society we have an interesting perversion surrounding tragedy. According to the DC Public Library, the 27 Club is, “A collective of celebrities, mostly musicians, who died at the age of 27.” The collective of stars happening to pass away at the age of 27 has morphed into a strange fascination with the machinations surrounding their untimely deaths. It is likely you have heard of at least a few of its musical members: Brian Jones, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and nearly Mac Miller, who passed just shy of 27. Many more artistic souls have been lumped into the club, immortalized as a moment in time, martyred by the continual emphasis on their deaths. Yet, according to research done by Dianna Theadora Kennedy, a professor of music and psychology with the University of Sydney, the most populous age of death for musicians is not 27, but 56. So why the obsession with the 27 Club?

Theorists speculate dealings with the devil in a trade for fame, that participants were rewarded talent for their 27th year. As legend has it, blues artist Robert Johnson was the first member of the infamous club. According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he is said to have met the devil at a crossroads and exchanged his soul, that is why his life ended so abruptly. Speculations have never let up as selling one’s soul to the devil is not an unfamiliar thing in the music industry today. In the end, whatever sealed Johnson’s fate should not become more ornaments to the 27 Club.

Speculations are merely speculations, and often pull attention away from more pressing issues at hand.

Now, what is widely understood is the coincidental alignment that most 27 Club members died as a result drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and suicide. Ohio University’s history of rock professor, Dr. Kelli Smith-Biwer, feels the coincidence of the club has more to do with, “the arc of an artist’s life and the ways the industry treats them.” She puts emphasis on the club’s proximity to the age 30, aligning their struggles with a big transition point in their lives. Dr. Berkeley Franz, a published professional on the opioid epidemic, also seeks to remove the stigma around substance abuse, saying it can be a result of “underlying mental illness, people are trying

to self-medicate or other kinds of experiences people have had.”

When rock star Kurt Cobain died at 27, people speculated that he intended to join the club. It is not to say that Cobain was not struggling. In fact, the public knew he had clinical depression and used heroin, but people based their assumptions on Cobain’s own mother’s public statement.

“Watching somebody beautiful die is something that will always make a headline”

DR. KELLI SMITH-BIWER

“Now he’s gone and joined that stupid club,” Wendy Cobain said in the statement. “I told him not to join that stupid club.”

The theorists of the time—the ones not claiming Kurt Cobain had been murdered by Courtney Love — prove today’s fanfare surrounding the club. Whether or not Cobain was furthered to death by the 27 Club, he needed help.

In the peak of her addiction, when Amy Winehouse needed help the most, tabloids and paparazzi were only standing by to document, according to NPR. Videos of Amy’s final several performances are very wellknown for their jarring factor: the slurring of her speech, forgetting song lyrics, and even breaking into tears. The videos blatantly show her struggling to perform in her final few weeks alive. How much more obvious could these musicians’ cries for help get? Many shake their heads looking back to her relapse in 2006. This came just after her hit song ‘Rehab’ where she pronounced she would not go back to get help. Her songwriting may make

it seem that her fate was sealed, but like many young artists, she was let down.

Most publicity of the club is not in regret but is of the constant decoration of it. From true crime to musical mentions and even coffee spots, modern day media has really saturated the 27 Club.

“Watching somebody beautiful die is something that will always make a headline,” Dr. Smith-Biwer says is the unfortunate but undeniable truth. It seems society has become desensitized to the phenomenon. People have stretched the club so far as to seemingly make a mockery of it.

Located in Cleveland, Ohio, 27 Club Coffee is a coffee shop owned by artist Machine Gun Kelly. His coffee spot has likely introduced people to the 27 Club who knew nothing about the group prior. In turn, possibly spreading public knowledge of the phenomenon.

Modern-day artists have paid tribute to the late singers in their own ways. Frank Ocean’s “Nights,” Juice Wrld’s “Legends,” Fall Out Boy’s “27,” and a plethora of other songs include mentions of the 27 Club. Not to mention video games, movie, and comic references to the club. Some artists, Machine Gun Kelly included, have opened up about their own struggles with addiction, justifying their use of the club in their work. Late artist Mac Miller’s 2015 song titled “Brand Name” has the lyrics “to everyone who sell me drugs: / don’t mix it with that bullsh---; I’m hoping not to join the 27 Club”. Miller then died at 26 after consuming pills laced with fentanyl.

“When we overplay this relationship between creativity and tragedy, we miss the stories of joyful creation,”

DR. KELLI SMITH-BIWER

Dr. Berkeley Franz, an associate professor of community-based health at Ohio University, said the kind of drugs people are being exposed to happen to be more dangerous.

“The vast majority of overdoses in the United

States are a result of opioids,” Dr. Franz said. “In that time period we saw a vast increase in a particular synthetic opioid, (fentanyl).”

According to the DEA, drug dealers traffic fentanyl because of its “extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous.”

With the mainstreaming of fentanyl, the exacerbation of the opioid epidemic has significantly ramped up within recent years. According to the CDC, there has been a 1,000% increase since 2018 in opioid overdoses in people under 24. Access to fentanyl testing strips and Narcan, a medicine that reverses an opioid overdose, has spread across Ohio U’s campus.

With this oversaturation of tragedy, young people begin to consume horribly dire stories as a pastime. They face violent content in a 60-second TikTok snippet, in a true crime makeup “get ready with me,” or in bingeable shows like “Euphoria.”

Media often portrays substance use as a symbol of sophistication and rebellion—feelings the growing mind craves. For example, television and movie characters who use drugs or alcohol are likely to be depicted as edgy, beguiling even.

The same can go for rock stars. These musicians easily morph into idols. They seem otherworldly and intangible while they live salacious lives in the limelight. Fame and risky behavior fit comfortably hand-in-hand, as portrayed by rock-n-rollers since the dawn of rock. However, young people may not be able to separate the fun from the danger when they attach themselves to the edge of these characters and people. They recognize the risky behaviors, such as substance use, as iconic. It is known how easily children and adolescents are influenced. Therefore, it is good to be wary of media influence in discussion of the 27 Club as the wall between recreational and risky can easily blur.

A takeaway, Dr. Smith-Biwer feels, is “understanding what made them revolutionary.” She mentioned Jimi Hendrix and his devotion to developing an entire new sound through guitar and how Kurt Cobain was more than just beautifully tragic, he revolutionized the punk genre.

“When we overplay this relationship between creativity and tragedy, we miss the stories of joyful creation,” Dr. Smith-Biwer said.

Trauma Through Music

BY MEGAN DIEHL ILLUSTRATION BY MADDIE JAMES DESIGN BY MEREDITH VIOX

It’s easy to live hard—and die harder—as a musician. So many artists are high-velocity individuals surrounded by countless other highvelocity individuals and people who would do anything to gain their approval, their friendship, and their trust. An endless supply of enablers is just a call away, which can leave a person feeling lonelier than ever.

It’s no surprise many musicians have experienced a great deal of trauma, typically as a catalyst of their art or a byproduct of their fame. Though plenty of attention is given to those who have passed and their respective vices, few consider those left behind to pick up the pieces.

Former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has experienced this twice. The first instance was in 1994 when Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain took a large amount of heroin and then took his own life in the attic of his garage. The second time was when Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died in 2022 with ten substances in his system.

Beyond the obvious trauma of losing someone he was so deeply connected to, Grohl and the rest of Cobain’s loved ones were also forced to watch Cobain spiral, becoming volatile and falling deeper and deeper into heroin addiction and apathy.

Musician and journalist Michael Azerrad, who developed a friendship with Cobain in 1992 after interviewing him for Rolling Stone, received rare access into Cobain’s spiral. In a 2021 article from the New Yorker, Azerrad described an instance in which Cobain started yelling about wanting to fire Grohl in his hotel room. Grohl, staying in the next room over, undoubtedly heard every word.

Azerrad said many people close to Cobain, including Grohl, his wife and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, and even his mother all sensed Cobain would die young, another psychologically grating experience for Grohl. Azerrad described one night when he got a panicked call from Love during which he could hear Cobain yelling in the background. He had locked himself in a room with a gun and was threatening to use it on himself.

According to “Bereavement in the Aftermath of Suicide, Overdose, and Sudden-Natural Death” by Jamison S. Bottomley, when someone experiences the sudden death of a loved one, such as suicide overdose, they are at a greater risk of prolonged grief and trauma, including prolonged grief, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even mortality.

Following the sudden disbandment of Nirvana, Grohl formed the Foo Fighters in 1997. Very quickly, heroin was back in the picture.

Hawkins admittedly placed a great deal of pressure on himself while playing for the Foo Fighters. According to “The Effect of Stress on

Opioid Addiction-Related Behaviors: A Review of Preclinical Literature”

by

Helen Kamens and others, stress and pressure are associated with an increase in opioid use, and both Cobain and Hawkins were being torn to bits to a microscopic degree given their level of fame and notoriety. They are legends but paid with their lives as a consequence.

Hawkins and Grohl had been best friends for 25 years, and their combined fire was unmatched yet snuffed out far too soon when Hawkins overdosed in Columbia in 2022 while on tour with the Foo Fighters. Hawkins had ten substances in his system including THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids.

Grohl and Hawkins will go down as one of the greatest pairs in music history, just as much a result of the closeness they shared in private as their chemistry on stage.

“Upon first meeting, our bond was immediate, and we grew closer every day, every song, every note that we played together. I am not afraid to say that our chance meeting was a kind of love at first sight, igniting a musical ‘twin flame’ that still burns to this day,” Grohl wrote in his memoir, “The Storyteller.” “Together, we have become an unstoppable duo, onstage and off, in pursuit of any and all adventure we can find.”

It’s difficult to imagine the toll that Hawkins’s death took on Grohl given the pain of losing Cobain and Hawkins. However, the tragedy that seems to have followed Grohl through his musical career leaves a sense of hope.

On Sept. 3, 2022, the first of two tribute concerts was held in Hawkins’ honor. Its setlist spanned

50 songs featuring Kesha to Paul McCartney. More importantly, the concert made room for the future of music, featuring 12-year-old Nandi Bushell playing in Hawkins’ place in “Learn To Fly” and Hawkins’ son, Shane Hawkins, playing on his father’s drum stool for “My Hero.”

Perhaps this next generation of artists will learn from the diatribes of their musical ancestors and the cycle of abuse, addiction, and suicide will one day be broken.

MIDNIGHT MUSIC TURNS IT UP

On a summer night in 2022, Ohio University student Luke Calder approached fellow student Nick Thompson with a pitch for an organization that would take the Athens music scene to the next level. Thompson was taken aback.

“The reason I was so down to do it is because, that same night … I literally had that idea in my head,” Thompson said.

On that day, Midnight Music was born.

Midnight Music is an artist collective that

specializes in throwing house shows to promote primarily rap- and hip-hop-focused artists from Ohio U and across the Midwest.

“The goal is essentially to let artists have an avenue to perform their music and let them walk away with people hearing their music and hopefully … gaining a larger following,” said Thompson, co-founder of Midnight Music. “We want to give a platform to people who don’t have one.”

BY ALEX IMWALLE PHOTOS BY HANNAH CAMPBELL

On the night Calder and Thompson had the idea for the organization, they were both on their way to a show for local artists at Kent State University. Unfortunately, after driving to the venue, they said the show was a scam, as it requested $20 per entry, had a much smaller turnout than advertised, and did not pay the artists at the end of the night.

After the poor experience, the two sought to create a concert environment full of young

artists who actually delivered on their promises of entertainment. In their eyes, Ohio U was the perfect home for the idea.

In addition to his role as co-founder, Calder, a senior studying music production and recording industry, takes the Midnight Music stage under the moniker “Auburn Hill.”

“The idea formed in my head because, as an artist during my freshman and sophomore year at [Ohio U], it was a struggle to get shows as a

DESIGN

person who loves to perform,” Calder said. “So what can we do to make that happen?”

Aside from his work on stage, Calder said his role in Midnight Music is to be wherever the company needs him—whether that is booking artists, event management, or concert preparation.

Thompson, a senior studying media arts and production, takes on the duties of CEO and media head of the company. He said his role entails taking on the brunt work of marketing and advertisement for Midnight Music.

Despite their distinctive roles in the organization, Thompson and Calder said they both spearhead the scheduling and logistics that come with the concert planning and the Midnight Music brand.

However, the two co-founders are not alone. Midnight Music has a team of eight executive members, made up of current and former students, who are assigned various jobs and roles at the beginning of each semester. Between merchandise design, event promotion, public relations, and sponsorship acquisition, the team

“I’ve never met a more focused group of individuals trying to get to the same end goal.”

LUKE CALDER

is busy throughout the semester, preparing for each event.

“Right now it’s a lot of cross-collaborations,” Thompson said. “That’s the thing that I think is super incredible; everyone is just down to do whatever because everyone believes in what we’re doing. I’ve never met a more focused group of individuals trying to get to the same end goal.”

Despite the large amount of planning that goes into each event, Calder said Midnight Music house shows still foster a “house-party” environment. As an artist, the audience interactions born from

that environment are his favorite part of Midnight Music, Calder added.

“It’s not like the artists are backstage, they’re in the crowd with you while other artists are performing,” Calder said.

The standard Midnight Music show includes four to five artist performances accompanied by a DJ to engage the crowd between sets. Though the shows began mostly in houses on campus, they have branched out to different venues including The Union, a bar featuring an upstairs performance venue at 16 W. Union St.

Currently, the future of Midnight Music is unclear. With its founders graduating, and a growing popularity on campus, the organization is at a crossroads for how it will continue in coming years.

“One idea was ‘Midnight Music in Los Angeles’ because a lot of the alumni network knows who we are and what we do,” Thompson said. “So, it’s not a far-fetched idea to carry out some shows out there.”

Despite the brand’s potential to develop into a record label in a bigger market, the presence of Midnight Music on Ohio U’s campus is undeniable.

“By taking the record label kind of route, that is us taking it elsewhere and leaving which kind of sucks, but we’ve worked with some amazing underclassmen who I definitely know have potential to carry this on,” Calder said.

Regardless of the path the organization follows, Calder and Thompson said their goal for the future of Midnight Music has been the same since day one.

“If we end up making a name for ourselves in L.A., [and there are] artists who are trying to get their names out here, of course I’m going to support that,” Calder explained. “We want to be the place where the artist who is ‘up next’ goes to perform.”

Concert Etiquette

BY NATALIE JONSON

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLY PARKER DESIGN BY TANNER VANCE

Whether you’re stepping into a formal ballroom filled with orchestral melodies or a blaring stadium of pop anthems, it is vital to understand the importance of treating those around you with respect as well as ensuring the artist is appreciated for their craft. Adhering to the dos and don’ts of concert etiquette will make all the difference in a memorable and exciting experience for everyone. Here’s a simple guide to help ensure the concert begins and ends on the right note.

NEVER THROW THINGS ON STAGE

While you may think it’s an effective way to get the artist’s attention, many times it can result in a harmful experience. Singer-songwriter Harry Styles has found himself on the receiving end of this harmful trend. According to People, one incident occurred in Los Angeles in which a fan threw a skittle that hit the singer directly in the eye. A semi-viral video shows the “Watermelon Sugar” singer seemingly in pain as he puts his hand over his eye and bends down. Other artists including Steve Lacy, Bebe Rexha, and Kelsea Ballerini have also been hit by various objects from the crowd, with some incidents resulting in hospital visits.

RESPECT PERSONAL SPACE

Imagine you’ve waited over a year to see your favorite artist live. The last few minutes of anticipation pass as the concert begins, and amidst the excitement, two people begin aggressively pushing through the crowd in an attempt to get a better view of the artist. Suddenly, you’ve missed half of your favorite song because of the distracting arguments that arose around you. Spotting the altercation, the artist stops the show and calls out the instigators. On May 31, 2023, Paramore singer Hayley Williams did just that after a couple of people in general admission began shoving audience members during their performance of the song “Figure 8,” according to Rolling Stone. “I will embarrass both of you,” Williams announced just before kicking the two out of the show. Williams continued, “How are you going to disrupt one of our favorite songs to play?” Other artists have also spoken out about this trend, including Adele and Billie Eilish.

STAY IN THE MOMENT

The temptation to record videos of a live performance is certainly strong. Who wouldn’t want to take a video of that one bridge live or that iconic choreography? Though it depends on the environment, devices are typically allowed in a venue. However, many artists aren’t the biggest fan of performing to the backs of hundreds of phones instead of faces. More often than not, enjoying the moment as it is instead of trying to capture it for later is beneficial for our brains to remember the experience and live it to the fullest. Donald Glover, known as popular artist Childish Gambino, included a “no phone” policy through Yondr, a company with the goal of “helping educators, artists, families, organizations, and businesses all around the world create phonefree spaces of their own.” The system involves phone-sized pouches for the audience to put their phones in before a performance, creating a phone-free environment. “I want to give people an experience. Telling people to put their phones away really forces a person to be present,” Glover said on the product’s website.

WATCH YOUR VOLUME

Of course, the walls of an arena will echo with screams when the artist makes their appearance, and singing along is a crucial part of the fun. However, make sure to assess when the volume is appropriate. Screaming lyrics during the iconic bridge of “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift is fine, but doing this during a soft piano ballad might not be the best idea, as those around you want to hear as well.

RESPECT THE ARTIST AND THE OPENER

There are many reasons why concerts may include an opener, such as helping a lesserknown artist gain exposure, diversifying the music experience by offering new styles and genres, or just providing more entertainment to the show. It is important to make these opening acts feel welcome and appreciated, as they put a lot of love and care into their act to appeal to an audience that might not know who they are.

Concert etiquette is not meant to be a set of rules, but a shared understanding that enhances the experience for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the crowd, remember to keep these standards in mind.

Industry Plants

BY EMMA ERION ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN BY SOPHIA CIANCIOLA

Industry plant isn’t a new term, even though the use of it seems to have gained popularity in recent years. It originated in the hiphop realm around 2009, mostly in message boards and Reddit threads, according to the Chicago Reader.

Now, the term has entered the mainstream, targeting an even wider variety of genres—

from indie to pop. The term doesn’t have one clear definition, but the most commonly accepted meaning is “an artist who presents themselves as being independent and doing things on their terms, but secretly has the industry backing and money to fund them and to artificially shape such a narrative,” according to Loud and Quiet.

Lily Manoukian, a senior studying music production and recording industry at Ohio University, is also the president of the Women in the Music Industry student organization. She thinks the term “industry plant” can confuse people both in and out of the music business

“I think industry plant is interesting as a term because it has many different origins depending on where you look,” said Manoukian. “Some of the origins pertain to artists like Clairo…and other sources talk about rap and hip hop being the origins of [industry plants], so I think it’s a bit of a convoluted term.”

Manoukian said when she thinks of an artist who is allegedly an industry plant, singersongwriter Clairo comes to mind first.

Clairo was known for her bedroom-pop songs “Flaming Hot Cheetos” and “Pretty Girl,” attracting a pretty hefty young fanbase. According to Ringer, eventually, people on the internet began to put two-and-two together and discovered that Geoff Cottrill, the current CMO of TopGolf, is her father. Accusations started flying, accusing her of being a “Nepo Baby,” an industry plant, or just plain fake.

Clairo addressed the allegations headon, telling Rolling Stone, “I am not blind to the fact that things have been easier for me.” She continues to take heat despite releasing songs that would be unfathomable for her 60-yearold father to have any hand in.

“I’m constantly coming across it on TikTok, on my feed,” said Manoukian “There’s all the advertisements for them and they’re getting on to every Spotify playlist that I ever listen to.”

The term hasn’t left the rap universe entirely either, as Ice Spice and Saweetie are two female rappers who frequently face similar accusations.

Isaac Davis, DJ and a junior at The Ohio State University studying music production, discussed his thoughts on the Saweetie situation.

“She had a few popular songs, and it went viral that she went to a writing camp. People were like, ‘Ah, she’s an industry plant.’” said Davis. “That’s where I believe that there are like real industry plants, but that’s just her trying to better herself.”

While male artists, like Chance the Rapper, also face accusations of being an industry plant, the term seems to be lobbed at femalepresenting musicians who have a quick rise

to fame. This is the unfortunate reality of the music industry, according to Julia Zinnbauer, a freshman majoring in media arts and studies at Ohio U. Zinnbauer, who has her own social media accounts on which she promotes her music, said it takes work for women who are independent artists to rise to fame.

“Women face a lot more barriers in the music industry than men, especially because, stereotypically, the music industry has been an old, white male-dominated field,” said

“Clairo gained some notoriety for starting in her bedroom, but she also had all of these other connections,”

LILY MANOUKIAN

Zinnbauer. “It is easy for women to be accused of [being an industry plant] because many people don’t want to accept that…women can get to the heights that some other artists can without the help of a big record label.”

At the end of the day, someone who might be an “industry plant” takes on a lot of different forms in people’s minds. Whether it’s someone purporting to be a self-starter who has major record-label backing or an artist with a song that goes viral seemingly out of nowhere. Zinnbauer believes potential industry plants are truly harmful to smaller artists looking to come up.

“If we don’t know everything about the artists, they’re not sharing their most genuine selves,” said Zinnbauer. “I feel like it is very understandable to think that they’re not getting their fame just by themselves, which is frustrating because there are a lot of small artists who are working their butts off trying to make it to the top.”

HOTTOPIC FOUNDATION INGOOD FASHION:

BY MEGAN DIEHL ILLUSTRATION BY CARLY HART DESIGN BY RYAN GEE

Ahallmark of any trip to the mall in the early 2000s was passing through Hot Topic. The loud music pouring out of the faux-brick exterior, the flame strike red font spelling out the name in all caps, a sea of black band t-shirts, and purple body glitter. Some avoided it like it was a disease that could be caught, and others wandered in with a strange sense of curiosity.

Hot Topic mainly markets to teens and young adults through its ability to pick up on emerging

niche pop cultural trends and fan bases and sell merchandise in its 670-plus stores across Canada and the U.S. Beyond this, Hot Topic has long been a symbol of counterculture and everything dark and atypical. It has also been a haven for those whose interests may not be represented in other stores.

Maintaining this niche allows Hot Topic, a staple of the mall experience, to remain afloat in a world in which the mall scene is rapidly dying and vacancies in the malls are rising quickly.

Although Hot Topic’s image has changed since it opened in a California garage in 1989, the general aesthetics and mission of the store have stayed the same. However, in 2004, Hot Topic broadened its footprint from being the first store to cater to hardcore music and pop culture fans to founding the Hot Topic Foundation, or HTF.

The mission of the HTF is to “change lives by increasing access to mental health programs and music education.” In order to carry out its mission, the HTF works with nonprofits to help provide these resources to those who may have a hard time accessing them.

Over the 20 years the HTF has existed, it has granted $8 million to over 100 charities, donating over $2.5 million in 2023. The donations have gone to humanitarian organizations like the Trevor Project, which focuses on suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ youth. Hot Topic’s donations alone have aided the Trevor Project in supporting over 2,800 LGBTQ+ youths in crisis.

During the 2013-14 school year, the HTF provided $125,000 to support the GRAMMY Signature Schools Community Award Program. The program provides funding to 50 economically underserved high school music programs throughout the country. The funding from the HTF allowed the program to expand significantly.

Along with the Trevor Project, Hot Topic has worked with Music Will, which focuses on providing access to music education to students. Hot Topic has helped launch 486 new modern band programs for over 84,000 new students and has donated 3,400 instruments to schools across the country.

The HTF has done a lot of work with Mental Health America, or MHA, including connecting 25,000 to mental health resources. The HTF also held a virtual fundraiser for MHA on World Mental Health Day 2021 in which it enlisted modern icons in alternative music such as former My Chemical Romance bassist Mikey Way to help raise money for the cause.

Rant & Rave

Grunge Aesthetic Resurgence: Is it “real” grunge?

When the “grunge aesthetic” first surfaced, the main appeal was that it did not require much effort. Being grunge was never about fashion and was better defined by people simply buying fewer clothes—clothes that were baggy and often worn and torn.

Grunge as a whole became popular in the early ’90s because of the popularization of grunge artists and bands with their gloomy messages of social isolation. Grunge fashion became popular for people who wanted to break the mold, and it was seen as a sense of style that was careless and cool.

2014 Tumblr and current-day TikTok sport many posts about the so-called grunge aesthetic, showing different clothes to buy, where to shop, and how to fit the look. I have seen grunge outfit inspiration videos too many times to count at this point, with all of the comments discussing how they want to wear

BY PAYTON DAUGHERTY AND EMME BOWE ILLUSTRATION BY CARLY HART DESIGN BY AVERY CALLISON

the exact outfits in the video or asking for the link to purchase the clothes.

Buying everything everyone else buys to fit an aesthetic is the exact opposite of breaking the mold with your sense of style. It is not bad to want to wear what everyone else is wearing, but it is not fair to define it as a resurgence of grunge.

I’m not the grunge police or anything, but I will put simply that today’s grunge is just not grunge—at least in the way that the term came to exist. Buying a whole new wardrobe to fit the new hot aesthetic is literally the opposite of what grunge is.

If you really want to be “grunge,” it’s simple: get off TikTok and Pinterest and think for yourself. Make outfits with clothes you already own, thrift clothes that you think look cool, and stop worrying about fitting in with what everyone else is doing.

After a year of relentless TikTok trends and fast fashion addictions, the grunge revival emerges, not as a fad but as a rejection of the current fashion climate. The movement originated in the rebellious spirit of the ‘90s, with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam rocking androgynous and disheveled styles that mirrored individualistic, defiant, and antiestablishment themes of music.

The 2024 grunge revival speaks volumes about society’s yearning to return to authenticity, signaling a collective weariness toward today’s performative fashion. In a world plagued by the overwhelming allure of fleeting aesthetics, the grunge revival is a deliberate choice to reject overconsumption and challenge the shallowness of a culture obsessed with appearance.

People often trade authenticity for aesthetics under the spell of social media sirens, but many are rediscovering freedom through the grunge movement. In raiding their grandparents’ closets and hunting the thrift store racks, they find their voice amidst clothes that scream their values. In rejecting fast fashion and transient fads, one can rediscover individuality and make a powerful statement against pressures to conform.

The grunge revival is not an imitation of the ‘90s movement; it is the dynamic rediscovery of authenticity in fashion and the rejection of trends pushed by social media. While it may not precisely mirror the original movement, it embodies a contemporary expression of a counterculture that blends past influences with present values.

Allowing the style to evolve beyond a linear, “Doc Martens and tattered flannels” aesthetic encapsulates the true essence of grunge. It refuses to be confined by one image but instead sets its parameters by what it stands for.

Focusing on its philosophies of freedom, social justice, and non-conformity rather than a stagnant “look,” the grunge revival is a timeless rebellion against the transient and disposable, illustrating that authenticity is a powerful statement that never goes out of style.