Roam Boulder is CU Boulder’s first life and style publication. Roam aims to represent a diverse compilation of voices in order to cultivate a platform that engages and inspires dialogue surrounding fashion. Roam provides quality insight on Fashion, Lifestyle, Culture, and Art. Through its journalistic integrity, Roam seeks to deliver a variety of perspectives to engage with the Boulder community through our issues in both print and online.
A craft honed from cartoon doodles and the aspiration of contributing to the graffiti scene in the streets of Westwood, Denver, Julio Mendoza, artistically recognized as Jwlç, is turning the streets of Colorado into vibrant canvases of cultural representation. “It’s just about starting a conversation, just knowing we [people of Latin or Hispanic backgrounds] are here now,” the Denver-based street muralist said, with an earnest smirk. His murals stretch across the state’s landscape from Colorado Springs, Boulder, and Fort Collins; reaching the corners of communities that lack equality of visual delineation. Street art is a routine feature of large cities across the United States, however just outside the bounds of the city limits, smaller communities often reference this creative art form as vandalism, aiding in the misinterpretation of what graffiti has come to be. As Jwlç sits in his studio, the sunlight peers through the transparent curtains illuminating the walls layered with vibrant paintings, “You might not like what I paint, or what I do, but at least it’s going to make you think,” he says with an assertive tone.
New to the game of street art, Jwlç has had an accelerated four-year career in the industry. The impulse to create had been instilled in him at a young age, fortified by his older brother who was a graffiti painter in their hometown of Juárez, Mexico. “He gave me the inspiration to draw. I would sell his drawings at school and then when I learned, I would sell some of my drawings as well,” he said while he grinned. However, as life progresses so do the fears of the unknown and the initial jump into making decisions for your own personalized life. “It [art] was never encouraged to do it as a career unless you come from a background of big painters or artists, it’s not that common growing up in a Mexican family to push your kid to do art as a career, a lot of people just see it as a hobby,” Jwlç said. After earning his degree in criminal justice, and the path of idealized success for his parents, Jwlç used that degree to realize his true
passion for art, becoming a full-time street muralist after three years in the criminal justice field. He currently has murals plastered on the city walls of numerous Colorado and Mexican cities. His mission is founded on his style of “Surrealismo Cultural” focusing on cultural identity, community, and social justice, while tying in his Mexican heritage and Latino culture. The Hispanic/Latino population of Colorado makes up 22.3% of the state’s total population, however, the representation of this historically marginalized group is minimal and plays into stereotypical constructs of culture. Many individuals outside of the minority tend to walk the line between cultural appreciation and appropriation. Appropriation minimizes culture into what people stereotypically associate with underrepresented groups. In her book, Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida, Ilenia Colón Mendoza explains that many Latino artists use the iconography of culture in their work, taking back the power from the majority, and defining culture through their own expressions and narratives. “Most of my piece’s inspiration comes from my background,” Jwlç said. He continued, “We [people of Hispanic/ Latino background] are not known or represented in the right way, there’s been a lot of murals that I have done that people don’t understand what I am painting, or why I am painting it in a specific area.”
In September 2020, located in Boulder, Colorado Jwlç painted a mural titled “My Future My Education.” It depicts a young Hispanic boy reading while laying on a stack of books. The boy’s face is covered with an electric blue mask, the mask of the Aztec rain god Tlaloc, an adopted signature in Jwlç’s murals. “Tlaloc has always been important to Hispanic and Indigenous culture, it’s a part of them. It feels right, and I paint it where it makes sense,” Jwlç said. The books are labeled with various social change topics/ issues, including racial injustice, climate change, and LGBTQ rights. Accompanied are the statements: Families have no borders labeled on the book the boy
Abigail Wiegmann
is reading, and Immigrant Power written on the boy’s sock.
The vibrancy of the piece juxtaposed with the intentional script serves a purpose aside from it being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. With such an impactful statement through the illustrations of cultural identity, why is this piece located in a city where only 14% of the population is Hispanic or Latino? The books are labeled with various social change topics/issues, including racial injustice, climate change, and LGBTQ rights. Accompanied are the statements: Families have no borders labeled on the book the boy is reading, and Immigrant Power written on the boy’s sock. The vibrancy of the piece juxtaposed with the intentional script serves a purpose aside from it being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. With such an impactful statement through the illustrations of cultural identity, why is this piece located in a city where only 14% of the population is Hispanic or Latino?
“When you paint something that has such a strong message, the point is to get someone to take attention, to just talk about it and know more about a topic,” Jwlç said with an intent look on his face. He continued, “There are specific points where there is not a big diverse group. It is good to put murals in these places because there are, you know, other cultures or races that are going to feel connected to the mural. At least make them feel represented, that they are not alone there,” Jwlç said shifting his eyes back and forth while formulating his statement. “A student in Boulder told me that they don’t see any of that there and that they feel represented in a way, he said. Jwlç leans in and takes a smiling pause before stating, “I don’t know, it’s a good feeling to make an impact on that community, and the people there. We are here and there are people who care about us.”
Negative connotations toward street art take form in the idea of vandalism. During the 90s a new form of graffiti emerged, known as “tagging,” which entailed the repeated use of a single symbol or series of symbols to mark territory. This detrimentally caused the art form to be put in the category of nuisance; looked upon as an illegal art form. The misinterpretations of street art derive from the illegal activity of tagging, however, tagging and graffiti murals are two very contrasting mediums. This divide in ideology is more apparent in the communities where street art fails to make an appearance, leaving the streets to their bland nature. I asked Jwlç, “Has anyone ever negatively responded to your murals or art process?”
“People can love it or hate it, and that’s okay because it is in the public. But when I was painting
in Boulder, [“My Future My Education”] I think it was my third day, and I was almost halfway done,” Jwlç said. He continued, “Someone called the police saying that ‘someone was vandalizing the building’, but it was clear I was doing it legally and I had been there a few days- like I had the windows taped and everything. Jwlç sighed stating, “Sometimes people don’t take it the right way, graffiti is different, and there are steps to take for it to be more accepted and respected.”
Jwlç has three upcoming indoor murals during the Fall and Winter seasons for a few non-profit organizations. During the break from warm weather, he works in his studio focusing on print and canvas paintings that help build the inspiration for future street murals. His multi-media talents landed him the opportunity to showcase his canvas painting at the Denver Botanical Gardens for the celebration of Día de los Muertos. The piece highlights a baby with La Calavera face paint in the womb while the umbilical cord leads to a heart, surrounded by cempasúchil, or marigold petals. The piece is titled “La semilla de la cultura es cultivada desde el vientre,” a painting that represents the gravity of instilling and cultivating culture into the next generation from the womb. It aims to both start and continue the conversation on culture, and develop an accurate community and societal understanding of who this minority group is. “The piece represents, I’m not so sure how to say in English, but it represents cultivating culture since before you are born, how important it is to show that culture to your kids, Jwlç said. He continued, “Letting them know about our traditions, our background, and where you came from. There are so many distractions like video games and technology. The older you get, you become less interested in learning about the culture.”
I asked Jwlç what his vision is for the future in terms of street art and his own personal journey. He looks up and inhales, taking a pause before responding; his face reads that he is trying to string together the right words. “Personally, I want to continue focusing on being a full-time artist because I guess it was never my dream as a kid because I didn’t know you could be a full-time artist,” he says laughing. He continued, “There are a lot of things as an artist you need to be learning, especially here in Denver. People are seeing these murals and they feel comfortable.”
Jwlç said, with a furrowed brow and a slight smile, “I want to help new artists and people feel comfortable, to just tell them it is possible to be happy doing what you love.”
Every year, New York Fashion Week sets new fashion trends that will soon start infiltrating society. Daytime glitz, sheer, cargos, fringe, front cutouts, and lots of silver and hot pink are hitting the runway this year, and we can see the comeback of grunge and punk concert looks in 2022 and 2023.
The Khaite Spring 2023 show perfectly captured many of these upcoming trends with metallics, glitz, and floor-length fring es. The designer behind Khaite, Catherine Holstein, has said, in an interview with Vogue, to get her inspiration from clothes she remembers from her childhood and vintage pieces she has owned and holds near and dear to her heart. When Holstein starts a new collection, she follows her instinct and changes it frequently, which is why her new line could be considered groundbreaking and sexy.
Seeing a lot of silver metallic resurfacing, especially following the trend of dainty gold, is one way to know that the comeback of concert looks is upon us. Naeem Khan’s is one of the most breathtaking of these looks from New York Fashion week this year. His closing look, worn by model Kate Beckinsale was an absolute show-stopper. The metalized, polished, and shiny look was sure to catch everybody’s eyes, as was the following resurfacing trend.
Visible thongs were prominent in the early 2000s, and 20 years later, they reentered the fashion world. Bella Hadid is notorious for this shooting style in many streetwear looks, Instagram posts, and even a few fashion shows. This year, we saw it take to the stage at New York Fashion Week in Dion Lee’s runway show and also in Vogue. Lee even took the style one step further by including thong masks, which will be seen very soon in influencing celebrities.
The Economics Review states New York Fashion Week has tremendous importance in influencing upcoming fashion and beauty trends for future seasons. This year it is clear that there is a comeback of a combination of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and early 2000s. These years blend together to create grunge and punk concert looks that are re-rising with a twist. We cannot wait to see what influencers and designers will continue to bring to the table.
Jibril Rehman (also known as TashWithLove) taught me that I had perceived music wrong this entire time. I had only been seeing it from the surface level. Music is not simply about the sounds you hear, but about the creators behind the art. What invites you and brings you back to the artists you listen to is not just their sound, but who they are as a person.
Jibril Rehman, originally from India and now a soon-to-be graduated CU student, has been engaging in the art of music for over ten years now. He started on the guitar and after that, he was unstoppable. He now produces his own music, writes his lyrics, and plays the bass and the keyboard. Learning these musical skills was the equivalent of learning a whole new language to him. Jibril said, “three years ago I reached a point in my producing career where I realized I can come up with any sound I can think of. I can conjure any sound I want to - I felt like that was an empowering thing to be able to do as an artist. I was able to exact my will in any weird or amazing sound I desired.” Jibril has four singles and one studio album, which includes seventeen tracks, out on streaming platforms such as Spotify and iTunes. When asked about the lyrics in his songs, Jibril said “I don’t write anything material. Most of what I write is very existential; the nature of being, smelling the flowers on the way up, not forgetting to savor your time…temporal stuff.”
“I romanticize everything, so I don’t have time to write about romance”
-Jibril RehmanJibril’s 2019 single “Be” speaks of universal acceptance. “Be” is about finding yourself and then being okay with who that turns out to be. Finding yourself is something everyone on this earth does, which is what makes this song so relatable to its listeners.” It’s
a way for Jibril to build a connection between himself and his listeners. Jibril said “I see having the ability to do music as a privilege. It seems so natural but at the same time it is above me - it’s as if I am simply the vessel for my music.”
Jibril’s ability to live in a state of constant gratitude is expressed through his music and can be felt if you listen close enough.
This month’s magazine RUMBLE is centered around our members exploring what music means to them. It is about freedom and self-expression. We want this issue to feel as liberating as screaming at the top of your lungs from the mountains. After hearing the meaning behind RUMBLE, I asked Jibril how it resonated with him and how it should be with other artists like himself. “Keep screaming,” he said, “It’s important that you do - and that you never stop. A lot of what holds artists back is the fear of what it means to express themselves. But that fear is not important. You’re exactly where you ought to always be.” When you’re an artist, “you’re feeding what is inherent to your being. You gotta feed the soul, and do whatever it takes to do that.”
TashWithLove can be streamed on platforms such as Spotify, Itunes, Apple Music, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
“I don’t even know how I come up with what I do, but I feel so grateful I’m the medium for it.”
-Jibril Rehman
Maria Batts
As time goes on, our society focuses more on environmental issues and animal wellbeing, which has led to the development of many amazing new products and technologies that prioritize these issues. The future of fashion is exciting and with all of the animal prints, leathers, and feathers that make up the style of Rumble, now is a great time to look at the innovations that are making these materials more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Firstly, it is worth noting that out of all the preexisting options, genuine leather isn’t always the worst. It is long lasting and durable, making it a long term use product. Leather also serves as a co-product to beef, which means that it usually doesn’t come from cows killed specifically for their leather, but rather from those killed for another industry. However, despite all of that, the environmental impacts of cattle farming, leather production, and leather disposal are still significant and are contributing heavily to climate change. Real fur, on the other hand, has few positives. The main pro is that it breaks down much quicker than treated leather or typical faux products. Though it breaks down quickly, its farming and production still release plenty of pollutants into the environment. It also, unlike leather, doesn’t last very long and the collection of fur is
rarely from the leftovers of other industries. The first thing you probably think of when I say faux leather is the common synthetic alternative made up of layers of plastic, otherwise known as pleather. This option is better for cattle’s wellbeing, as well as often being cheaper than authentic leather products. However, as you probably guessed from the mention of plastic, it isn’t always the best option environmentally. It lasts a significantly smaller amount of time compared to normal leather, however, it also takes a long time to break down in landfills and it can release toxins as it does so. Faux fur is very similar to faux leather. It is mostly made from acrylic and polyester, which also doesn’t last very long and takes a long time to break down.
A much more environmentally friendly alternative is cactus leather, which is made out of Nopal cactus by the company Desserto. According to their website, their main goal in creating this leather was to fight climate change. Not only does cactus leather not release the harmful chemicals of plastic leather, but the mass farming of cactus also absorbs 8,100 tons of CO2 each year. This company also wants to fight against the cattle farming industry and specifically the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest for the purpose of getting more land for cattle farming.
One of their main reasons for using cactus is because it can be farmed in desolate conditions where not much else can survive, which means the farming of it won’t be intrusive to native plants and pre-existing ecosystems. Another recent winnovation in faux animal wKSENIASCHNAIDER, who are using an unlikely material. They use recycled denim to create their faux fur. On their website they list sustainability as one of their foundational values and talk about the importance of using sustainable materials. intrusive to native plants and pre-existing ecosystems. Another recent winnovation in faux animal KSENIASCHNAIDER, who are using an unlikely material. As of right now their faux fur production is limited to some pretty pricey jackets, but now that they have the process down it is only a matter of time before it expands into other products and price ranges. Branching out from clothing, Couch is a great company to look at for guitar and camera straps. Most of these products on the market right now include leather at least in their tabs, or the part that hooks onto the guitar or camera. Couch is entirely cruelty-free and they pledge to use at least 25% recycled materials in all of their products. All of their guitar tabs are made from reused upholstery vinyl. Their most
notable products are their vintage auto vinyl and their seatbelt straps which both repurpose old car parts in not only the tabs of the guitar strap, but also in the whole base and design. Unlike some of the other products previously mentioned, Couch guitar straps are not only readily accessible to the public, but it is fairly affordable, with the seatbelt guitar straps
After honing his musicianship, songwriting, and production for years, Jason Constant has finally begun to break into the CU Boulder music scene. His album, “Wigs,” is an immersive emotional experience, boasting the San Francisco artist’s talent in multiple ways. From creating to releasing the nine songs completely on his own, this project is a perfect example of what just one mind can create with pure passion, dedication, and practice.
The artist sat in the living room of his house, just a few miles south from Boulder campus and a few feet away from the music studio that is his bedroom. The whole environment gave off a subtly nostalgic feeling prominent within the college lifestyle, a shimmer of golden days combined with the DIY creative outlet of music. “My first album was just proving to myself that I could make an album and put it out,” Constant reflected in regards to his first project, “Strove,” a mostly instrumental but heavily layered ambient indie album full of pleasant experimentation. “My second album was proving that I can make a better one [Wigs] than my first [Strove], but my music under Jason Constant is really about growing up because that’s all I’ve done,” the artist
said. This response is synonymous to Constant’s work, a modest yet proud approach—all underlying the young musician’s desire to derive meaning from the things he understands. Jason Constant, or Jason Shegoleff, as his close friends know him, is an extremely unique figure within the CU Boulder and San Francisco Bay Area music scenes. Numerous collaborations with artists such as Carlítos (pop), Apollo Aura (rap), and Evan Capelle (indie) have established Constant as a local staple within these communities, building his reputation as a stellar producer and musician to work with. The artist grew up playing the drums, excelled at beatmaking and rap production in high school, then eventually turned to his own specific sound that virtually no one has matched. From an outside perspective, Jason Constant is a solo artist. His music could fall under indie as well as a number of other contemporary genres as some songs may feature specific stylistic choices familiar to psychedelic rock, ambient sound, rap, and soul. The artist has turned to various influences ranging from early Motown groups such as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas to early psychedelic pop rock bands like “Grapefruit” and “Lazy Smoke”.
Kiril HadjipetkovWhile Constant’s music may not blatantly possess a Motown sound, he finds the production techniques fascinating-there’s always something to learn from older records. The artist also mentioned an influence from Phil Spector, an American producer and songwriter best known for his innovative recording practices and work with bands such as the “Ronettes,” “the Crystals,” and the “Beatles.” Jason Constant is also the drummer for “The Rocky Coasts,” an upand-coming Boulder band whose recent local success has taught him quite a bit. “The biggest inspiration is really just realizing song structure and seeing what makes people move. It’s like a direct scientific evaluation of what makes people like music,” the artist recalled. He continued, “I didn’t just rely simply off of that, I definitely took my favorite parts of our live shows and tried to incorporate them into the album.” Constant also believes that some big differences between “Strove” and “Wigs” include tempo change, lead melody, and speed—all things he picked up from drumming for “The Rocky Coasts.” Aside from this, the artist placed a large emphasis on finding his singing voice within “Wigs,” something he didn’t fully explore in the prior project. After spending months, if not years, honing his physical voice, the musician decided to integrate this within the new album as he believes it adds an edge to his work— transforming ambient instrumental songs into catchy powerhouses. One strong example of this would be “Wigs,” the second song as well as title track of the album. This song is almost a mission statement of Constant’s blood, sweat, and tears, a sonic representation of the pure love he put into this project. It’s his favorite song on the album, but also a reflection of the year he spent working on it. “I was at a point last summer where I was making so much music that I couldn’t even hear it anymore. I was working so hard that my ears were just tired. I was completely sick of sound, but I couldn’t stop. It was like an addiction,” he said. “And so you know that song is like, big, it’s explosive. It’s fast, it’s violent, and it just shows the passion that
I had at that point to simply make something good,” Constant said. Ironically, this was the first song the artist made for “Wigs,” which he initially hated for a while because “like I said, my ears were super blown out.”Another notable track on this album would be Everybody’s Kissing, a transcendent, beautiful piece with an inevitable effect that is consistent with perhaps every other song the artist has released. This phenomenon is quite literally an extension of Jason Constant’s own emotions and identity as not only a musician, but a person too. This could be heard through the artist’s soft yet fervent vocal delivery, or the delicacy in which he strums each guitar chord with. It’s hard to describe a complex track like this without simply listening, but some traits would include crystal clear yet warm production, eerily catchy melodies, impactful lyrics, and beautiful instrumentation in the forms of cutting leads, arpeggiations, and a hypnotic bassline featuring melody as well as chords. All of this combined will do nothing but invoke raw emotion, real feelings that only the purest music can simulate as the artist’s dedication and time spent creating “Wigs” can be heard on second of the album.These qualities are present throughout the entirety of “Wigs,” but Everybody’s Kissing is an absolute missile of a song, for lack of a better word. To those who wish to dwell into Jason Constant’s music and take a peek within his mind, simply go to his profile on any platform, Spotify, Apple Music, etc., and listen to his latest album “Wigs,” or his first project “Strove” and then “Wigs,” for a full look into the artist’s musical development and
“Finishing the album made me realize what every song was really about. A lot of the time I write songs, and I give them names. I write lyrics, and I feel emotions when I create them, but their real and true inspiration shows after a while; they gain meaning. It’s like holding a little piece of paper in your pocket every day that has a phrase on it. Eventually that phrase will accrue meaning within your life,” Constant
He continued, “There’s no way for it not to and I think I’m most proud of my album right now because every song makes me think about a moment in my life or a person in my life or an experience, that’s important to me.”
small, when I decided to sell my vintage collection at parties and local pop-ups. At the time I was working full time, producing events, but I wanted to keep my love of vintage and connecting with the local resale community alive. Then in late 2020, myself and my husband Jed McCabe jumped at the opportunity to open the secondhand store of our dreams when Buffalo Exchange closed. I’d previously worked for that company and was familiar with the space (1813 Pearl) and the business model - so our answer was F**K YES! We opened Apocalypse in the midst of the pandemic with the intention to keep the circular economy alive in our community. We opened in January 2021, so we are approaching our two year anniversary on Pearl.”
the planet. When I named Disco Apocalypse in 2018, I was feeling overwhelmed by the state of the environment, and was also deeply moved by fashion, dance, and finding joy in life. Disco was the joyfully exuberant cherry on the top of the impending demise of life on the planet, the Apocalypse. So the brick and mortar storefront is called Apocalypse, and you’ll still see us as Disco Apocalypse online — follow us on IG @disco.apocalypse !When we decided to open the storefront we dug into the origin of ‘Apocalypse’: the word comes from the Greek root ‘apokalypsis’, meaning ‘a prophetic revelation, especially concerning a cataclysm in which the forces of good permanently triumph over the forces of evil’. I realized that the culture had placed a destructive tone on the word, when in actuality, maybe the Apocalypse is important for us to discover a new world and the next economy, where people and planet come before profit. While the concept is still closely rooted to the environment it is also linked to just doing good in general. We are a stand for marginalized groups, being fluid to necessary changes, and fighting for equality for every person — especially the most vulnerable.”
all of my skills and experiences into my work here. Blending leadership, personal / editorial styling, customer service, fashion knowledge, event production, and creative direction together makes this my dream job (oh and I can’t forget expanding my personal wardrobe!). In short - my favorite thing about it is that I get to do all the things I love at once, with my husband and the incredible Apocalypse team.”
outright directly from the community. If you’d like to sell to us, either make an appointment through our insta/website or try for a walk-in (not guaranteed). We ask that you launder all items beforehand and bring a government issued photo ID. You have to be 18+ to sell to us.
We go through your items looking for clothing and accessories that are in great condition, trends that are relevant to our community, and items that are sellable. Then we make two piles - items that we are going to buy and items we are going to give back to you, the seller. Then we price the items - taking into consideration the original retail, the condition, what we have been able to sell similar items for in the past, and sometimes we check resale prices from sites like Depop, Grailed, and TheRealReal. We buy outright, and what you get is based on the resale price in store — 30% in cash or 50% in store credit. So if we price a tee shirt at $10 you get $3 in cash or $5 to use in the store. You get that cash or trade on the spot, rather than having to wait for items to sell, like at a consignment store.”
trained and practiced buyers carefully curate our inventory. This helps us to buy a wide range of styles for a spectrum of folks rather than just catering to one demographic. Our inventory is purchased directly from our community right at the storefront - rather than sourcing from thrift stores, estate sales, or flea markets.”
A: “The current model of the fashion industry over-extracts resources, incites over-consumption, creates waste, and harms the communities where the items are products. It’s a linear model because fast fashion items are considered throwaways after a single season or a few wears. In a circular economy (within the context of the fashion industry) we buy quality clothing, take excellent care of those items, and then resell them to a local secondhand store where they have a second life, and hopefully many more lives after that. After all, there’s enough clothing on the planet for us + our descendents for a few generations. When we circulate clothing, we aren’t extracting valuable resources from our beloved planet and we aren’t adding to the landfills. Together we can slow the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity by taking responsible action when it comes to consumerism.”
unexpected fabrics. Even skirts and dresses with cargo pockets! Miu Miu and Fendi both showed cargo looks in their SS23 collections and everything cargo is selling really quickly at Apocalypse. Personally, I’m really into mixing knits in shades of white, ivory, and beige all into one layered, voluminous look. What I love about living during this time, especially in our community, is that short-term trendiness is melting away and the focus is much more on individual expression. I’m seeing that the emergent youth culture is about daring to stand out and say something about yourself and your identities, while also acknowledging your influences. Most importantly the big trend is towards halting the climate crisis and choosing more ethical avenues for fashion. More Depop, less Shein!”
team! These 20 inspiring, impeccable, and energetic humans make me so proud — and the community has responded by consistently praising them. One of our missions is to make buy-sell-trade a fun experience — and our team does this by welcoming and including everyone who walks into the store. Plus, we sort through more than 2,000 items every single day to keep our community well dressed and well expressed! Each one of our buyers has unique fashion knowledge, so all of us learn from each other every day.”
If you were to walk CU Boulder’s famous neighborhood “The Hill”, or you were to glance at the marquee overhanging Fox Theatre you would happen upon The Rocky Coasts.
The Rocky Coasts is made up of Kiril Hadjipetkov (Vocalist/Guitarist), Rhys Heraghty (Vocalist/Guitarist), TJ Gembala (Bassist), Jason Shegoleff (Drummer), and Teak Biaggi (Saxophonist). These artists, who were originally from opposite sides of the country, came together to build a group that has brought an unmatched energy to Boulder.
“We made our first song in the dorms” recalls Kiril, “Tthat was a big thing freshman year, we had nowhere else to practice.” Kiril brought the band here to Boulder. Once he, TJ, and Rhys had been accepted into the university they met Jason. Jason was the one who brought The Rocky Coasts to the next level. A seasoned drummer, producer, and resident of Arnett Hall - the freshman dorm became their studio, and Jason, their
producer - but also their pioneer. When I asked the group if they had advice for other artists, Jason chimed in as if it was the most obvious answer,. “Have control over how people hear your music.”
-Jason ShegoleffTo this day still, Jason is the lead producer for The Rocky Coasts enabling them to release their EP “It Came from the Deeps” and Full-Length Album “The Rocky Coasts”. Both releases reached over 2,000+ streams on Spotify alone. But a sole producer isn’t the only ingredient in the recipe for a successful album. The lyrics are the parts of the music that speak to its listeners. Kiril and Rhys write the lyrics for all of The Rocky Coasts’ music.
(From 2022 Album “The Rocky Coasts”, Liquid Television)
“What you put out into the world should always be your best work”
“It’s just another day, all these things happen for reasons I can’t explain.”
Lyrics that are simple, relatable, and emotional to the listeners - make their music powerful.
Whether lyrics come from personal experiences, poems, or other forms of art, they are always bloomed from a spark of inspiration. Teak, formerly a part of a jazz group, shared how this chapter of his life has seeped into the music he makes with The Rocky Coastsbringing jazz influences to their work. Rhys said that The Arctic Monkeys were his role models when it came to writing songs. “That kind of music brings energy out in people, we want to create music like that, the type that makes people want to move..” (Rhys Heraghty). Kiril came to the conclusion that even though each member brought their own past experiences and influences to their music, at the end of the day their biggest inspirations were each other. “Seeing our bandmates create inspires us to create new music too. We end up making each other better,” comments Rhys.
Having a dream is one of those things that not everyone finds during their youth. Having others who share the same dream is even rarer. The Rocky Coasts are one of the few who get to take part in this amazing rarity, and with each other. They get to do something they love with the help of one another along the way. “It’s kind of like a dream come true, you know? We’re in a town with a bunch of kids our age. We have direct access to people who want to hear us play. We have places that want to book us. It’s all very inviting and makes us more confident people when there are others who want to hear what we have to say.” (Jason Shegoleff). Kiril agreed with Jason adding that, “it doesn’t feel like real life. I think most of us can agree that if not for the band we would all feel a little bit lost.”
-Kiril Hadjipetkov
The Rocky Coasts can be streamed on platforms such as Spotify, Itunes, Apple Music, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
“We have nothing but time right now - might as well not waste it.”
Elvis Presley’s eccentric reign lasted through the 50s up until his death, altering the fashion and music world forever. Elvis rose to fame in a period of segregation and political division and was successful in bridging divides through his music and performances. His fashion challenged fashion norms for his time, gaining him both haters and fans for his unconventional taste.
The Elvis movie, directed by Baz Lurhmann, brought to life the spirit and style of Elvis through glittering jumpsuits, head to toe leather, and his famous Jungle Room. At the beginning of his career, his style was seen as abnormal, wearing traditional African American zoot suits and with his “greasy hair, and girly makeup,” as stated in the Elvis movie. As he gained popularity, so did his style. He allowed young people to create their own unique narrative through fashion by breaking down stereotypes and revolutionizing pop culture.
The legacy left by Elvis is still seen in modern fashion and music today. Harry Styles and his “Love on Tour” has been a revival for Elvis inspired outfits and sets. His concerts have become a runway for Styles’ himself along with his concert goers. Elaborate feathered, bedazzled, and extravagant costumes are on display, allowing for the same freedom of expression Elvis revolutionized 60 years prior.
Harry Styles’ caught the attention of the press and the public in 2020 with his Vogue cover of him wearing a long flowing skirt. Both haters and fans were talking, enthralled by his boldness and disregard for society’s
opinion. This was only the beginning for Styles as he continued to push boundaries in fashion and its gendered stereotypes; including both feminine and masculine pieces in his wellknown concert outfits.
Both Styles and Presley are icons in not only the music industry but also in the fashion world for their daring creativity and push for new norms. Elvis’s influence will continue to live on as we see the comeback of boho skirts and dresses, jumpsuits, leather jackets, and wild accessories. But the impact he left on his fans will also remain as young people uphold the new standards of expression in our modern society.
The Elvis movie allowed for a rebirth of these ideas and reinspired young people to keep pushing for change in society, even if it’s only through their music and clothing. The future of fashion is among us and we can see the enduring influence of Elvis Presley even 60 years later.
Hallie Hannum
Musical theatre has always been a genre of dramatics that stood out against the conventional backdrop of theatre. Plays are generally straightforward with not much variation, although you can always make exciting and unique plays; they will always still be performed in the same way, just through acting. Musicals have the addition of not only acting but also performances of songs and dances that convey the story alongside the regular process of acting scenes. The history of musicals dates back to ancient Greek shows that would incorporate music and dance with their stories. Up until and throughout the 1700s, the two most popular musical theatre forms were the ballad and comic operas in Britain, France, and Germany. Ballad operas held lyrics that were often to the same familiar tunes of current popular songs, and comic operas were original music with often romantic plots. In New York, where a majority of musical theatre takes place, they did not see a large presence of theatre until 1752 with William Hallam. The first “long-run” Broadway musical was a 50-performance show in 1857 called “The Elves.” The first theatre on the famous Broadway district opened in 1735 and by the end of the 20th century, Broadway referred to the theatrical district of New York, including the actual street itself and its side streets. By the 21st century, Broadway was producing more new original musicals than revivals and long runs of past shows, but those more often produced more reliable profits. Today, Broadway is one of the biggest names of musical theatre in the world. You simply cannot mention musical theatre without Broadway coming to mind. It has always been a way for artists to express more
unconventional ideas, stories, songs, characters, etc. in a fun, engaging, and entertaining way. Musicals have given rise to more unique and strange stories, many of which have grown to be favorites of many. The group of musicals I will introduce are all unique and unconventional in some aspect and break free from the more traditional forms of both musicals and theatre shows as a whole.
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Little Shop of Horrors” is a sci-fi horror comedy musical created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman that is based on the plot of the original 1960s film of the same name. The show tells the story of Seymour Krelborn, an orphan who works at a floral shop and is hopelessly in love with Audrey, one of his co-workers.
After an odd sudden solar eclipse, Seymour finds what looks like a venus flytrap plant that is much larger than normal. After his secret unrequited love, he names the plant Audrey II, and although taking good care of it, the plant appears to be dying despite his efforts. After an accident with a rose thorn where Seymour cuts his finger, he realizes that Audrey II requires blood to survive, and after that the plant flourishes and becomes an attraction for the shop. The rest of the show follows Seymour trying to keep Audrey II alive and sustain its bloodthirsty demands.
The show premiered at an Off-OffBroadway theatre (small theatres with often less than 100 seats) in 1982, then opened Off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre later in 1982 and ran for five years, becoming the third-longest running musical at the time with 2,209 performances. In 2003 it transferred over and was performed on Broadway. Although the show is based on the 1960 film, there are major differences between the two, such as the location switch from LA in the film to New York in the musical; the removal of Seymour’s mother, and changing him to an orphan in the musical; and the name change for the murderous plant to Audrey II in the show from Audrey Junior in the film.
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Urinetown: The Musical” is a satirical comedy musical by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, which premiered in 2001. The musical plays on the concepts of the legal system, capitalism, populism, privatization of natural resources, and bureaucracy. The entire show makes fun of itself and often breaks the “fourth wall” with the audience, allowing for many hilarious scenes to interrupt the regular flow that shows often hold tight. The show tells the story of a future after a water shortage and 20-year drought where the government now has a ban on private toilets and paid public toilets are operated and owned by the Urine Good Company. If the strict laws against free urination are broken then the people arrested will be sent to “Urinetown,” a dreaded place no one fully knows or understands. The plot follows Hope Cladwell, the daughter of the Urine Good Company CEO who meets Bobby Strong, one of the inhabitants of the poorest and filthiest part of town, whose father had just been arrested and sent to Urinetown. When the prices of the toilets are increased, Bobby starts a protest, igniting a “pee-for-free” rebellion. The show plays on the stories of the poor, satirizing the abuse and constant mistreatment of lowerclass groups and populations. The show is filled with humor and satire but in its comedy addresses the accurate concerns and issues of the poor populations of ours and other countries.
The musical premiered in 2001 OffBroadway after being debuted at the New York International Fringe Festival. The show ran from September 2001 through to January 2004, with a total of 965 performances. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning three of them. In June 2003 the musical was toured nationally.
“Beetlejuice,” out of all the shows discussed, is the most recent and only current run. The musical is based on the Tim Burton film of the same name. The musical was first produced in 2018 and was written and created by Anthony King, Scott Brown, and Eddie Perfect. It follows the story of Lydia Deetz, a teen girl who has just lost her mother and has moved to a new home with her neglectful father Charles. Lydia befriends Adam and Barbara Maitland, the previous owners of the house who died in an abrupt accident. Wanting to leave this new house since everyone seems to have just immediately moved on from the death of her mother, Lydia attempts to convince her father that the house is haunted but discovers that her father and his assistant Delia are engaged. Lydia then meets Beetlejuice when she flees to the roof and Beetlejuice spends the rest of the first act attempting to convince Lydia to release him from his curse by saying his name three times in a row.
The musical had a tryout pre-Broadway in Washington, D.C. in the Fall of 2018, then ran on Broadway from April 2019 to March 2020 before it was shut down due to The COVID-19 Pandemic. It had 366 performances before it had to close early. It was reopened in April 2022 and is currently set to close this January with 679 total performances. A US national tour is also scheduled, starting in December and stopping next October. The show was nominated for several awards, including Tony Awards, and won Outstanding Set Design from Outer Critics Circle Awards, Founder’s Award for Excellence in Directing from Drama League Awards, Outstanding Set Design for a Musical from Drama Desk Awards, and Outstanding New York City Stage Debut Performance from Theatre World Awards.
Musical theatre has turned the generic musical concept and format into something unique and interesting by revealing crazy plots, highlighting economic issues, or creating distinctive set designs and characters that stand out from every other show. Musical theatre has long since been a way for people to express themselves on the stage, or rather, express themselves through becoming a different identity on stage. The ingenuity of musicals has always been to step outside the usual lines of what production for the stage can be. It is ever-expanding and will never stop being experimented with and used to push against the backdrop of the mediocre and expected means of entertainment.
