LOADED ISSUE 11 by The Manifold Magazine

summer/fall

loaded

manifold

the

a magazine for the independent age. art. music. fashion. profiles.

letter from the editor loaded To Whom This May Console, I feel smarter in my 30’s. I’m just making better decisions. I hold back on that fourth shot of tequila and I try to at least stagger my drunk texts now. See? Better choices, amirite? I choose my mistakes with a little less heart and a little more head. I’m saving the money I make instead of blowing it on booze and solitude. I’ve saved my drinking to social situations and I try to hold my reactions to myself until I’m sober. But ask my ex beau and he’ll definitely say I’m not perfect. I’ll always find bliss in the retrospect. My 20’s were unassuming, unfiltered, and uncontrollable. I was loaded for a decade. And in American culture it’s common...people don’t talk about the night you were well behaved, they gossip about how you had to be dragged out of the bar looking like a hot mess, or who you made out with at Zippys. So we all got wasted and evened the playing field for each other. We all moved at warp speed. We all drank and did drugs. And some of us discovered that we couldn’t do that without getting out of control. Rehabs are reaping the benefits of overly loaded souls on what may feel like an aimless search. And perhaps the idea of getting loaded meant one thing in my 20’s means an entirely different thing in my 30’s in an attempt for me to feel “smarter”. Do you feel consoled yet? If you don’t, let time work it’s magic and you’ll realize that it’s perfectly awesome to make those deliciously devious decisions that make for anecdotes for the youngins and g-kids. In this new span of time “loaded” takes on a new meaning, and this issue became a space to explore that. Let’s talk about sex, lies, and drug usage. Let’s load our burgers with extra cheese and Barbie look a-likes. Let’s load up on confessions, a bunch of near death experiences, cocktails, and road trip moments because life is a gamble worth playing even if you don’t always win.

---Napua Camarillo Napua@TheManifoldMag.com

We are an open submission magazine. Join the fuckin’ team. Submit@TheManifoldMag.com

masthead Europe

West Coast

Asia Jeremy Strength (Japan)

Lucia Appell (OR) Garrett Lee Marks(CA) Casey Liu (CA) Rachel Petrovich (OR) Rick Wilson (CA)

Yolanda Oreiro (Spain)

East Coast Stowell Watters (ME) Matt Miller (NC) Melaney Wolf (NY) Midwest Tien Austin (IL) Luke Sciberras (MI)

Napua Camarillo-- Editor-in-Chief Nicole Jones-- In-House Graphic Designer Jasmine Mancos-- Copy Editor

Africa

Hawaii

Tokoni Uta (Nigeria)

Jarold Webb Rance China Hazel Brown Momi Lee Jen Bradbury Adam Funari Lauren Roth Sergio Garzon James Charisma Andy Catanzariti Charlie Myers Reeda Martin Adele Balderston Pamela Nakamura Nick Ayakawa Stephanie Hu Christian Self

All Issues Available At themani f o ldmag . c o m The Manifold Magazine is an open submission publication steeped in artistic passion and excited collaboration. We stand as a platform for the underexposed, timeless, and creative uniques that grace the world. Join our team. SUBMIT@THEMANIFOLDMAG.COM

contents

Skip To My Liu Adventurist and photographer Casey Liu tells about life after Hawaii Page 46

LowBros German street artist duo talk paint, travel, and the 90’s Page 20

The Scenic Route A yelp-like review of the road trip of a lifetime Page 44

Golden Ticket Aaron Gold’s had an interesting year. What’s a couple of bumps in the road when you’re living with that Golden Ticket? Page 30

Speedy Ortiz Singing songs and breaking hearts Page 42

XOXO Milkshakes, french fries, and fashion. It girl Julia Smirnova channels Barbie Page 24 Not So Bland North Carolina skater and cover boy gives the deets to fellow North Carolina skater, Matt Miller Page 32

Versus 4 bartenders tell us what’s what Page 50

Float On Jade Alexis makes us want to jump into the cool blue. Page 88

Atomic Erotica Aussie tattoo artist talks dirty with us Page 58

Color Me In We asked a few homies with skills to give us a page for the past few years hottest trend: adult-ish coloring books Page 74

Double Vision Photo duo, and winner of our 1st annual photo contest, give us a 10 page spread to satisfy #filmisnotdead Page 64

Maikaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i Tubbs Hawaiian artist makes treasures from trash. Page 100

Come To Find Out Blues legend John Hammond tells us about his life in retrospect Page 96

Women in Weed Are you a pot smoking, bong toting lil lady? Well then step right up Page 84

No Plastics Left Behind A world without litter, imagine that Page 104

contributors

Stephanie HU Honolulu, Hawaii Artist Steph is a digital artist who g rew up all over but is now spending her sunny days on the beach and her nights in Chinatown slanging drinks to the thirsty. See her work on page 102.

ADAM FUNARI Honolulu, Hawaii Artist

Tien Austin Chicago, Illinois Artist Tien Austin is a 21-year-old photographer and avid doodler who is obsessed with capturing the magical moments in our everyday lives. You can check out her work at tienaustin.com Tien’s art is on page 75.

After snagging a degree in fine art and photography, lead him down a road of playing drums in punk bands and a string of really bad jobs. Moving to Hawaii 11 years go by way of Japan he went back to school for New Media Arts and currently works as a Creative Service Director while also co-owning a lifestyle brand called Ditch Life. He currently plays drums for a band called THANKS, and surfs and rides skateboards as much as possible. Check out Adam’s art on page 80.

TOKONI UTI Lagos, Nigeria Poet

R ACHEL PETROVICH Portland, OR Illustrator

YOLANDA OREIRO Barcelona, Spain Illustrator

Yolanda Oreiro, aka Mitucami Mituca, is a freelance Spanish illustrator currently based in Barcelona. You can find her work and contact her at: https://www.behance. net/mitucamimituca Yolanda’s art is on the inside cover!

Rachel Petrovich is a draw-er and painter living in the Pacif ic Northwest. Whether recording images of dumplings and teapots in her sketchbook at a local noodle house, taking visual notes in watercolor of slugs and spores on the Clatskanie River, or covering a canvas with the likeness of a dear friend’s dog, Rachel considers herself, above all, a portraitist. This piece for Manifold the is her f irst public foray into working purely from the mind, not observing the external world. You can see more of her work at rpetrovich.org. Rachek’’s work is on page 83

STOWELL WATTERS Limington, Maine Writer Stowell farms and writes in Maine. He drinks one cup of mountain water a day and chews plenty of Mint Weed to keep his teeth straight and sharp. Stowell’s biting wit is on page 18

Tonkoni was born in 1997 and began writing when she was 10. She is a poet and novelist and has written for S magazine, The Los Angeles Post-Examiner, Surf Girl Magazine, I-X daily, The San Diego Free Press, The Los Angeles Free Press, The Portsmouth Daily Times and others. Tokoni is a student of Bowen University and blogs at insanitybeautiful.wordpress.com Tokoni’s poem is on page 17

NICHOLAS KURCH Mililani, Hawaii Writer

Nick is a dude from Hawaii. He loves all things awesome, but specif ically hanging out and binge watching stuff on Netf lix. He loves arts, music and entertainment. Nicholas’s interview is on page 42

Word

― --Jack Kerouac

WOR D

“As I grew older I became a drunk. Why? Because I like ecstasy of the mind.”

13 bullets

13 B u l l e t s

What’s the biggest LOAD of shit you’ve ever told?

One night at Zippys’ my brother kept calling San Fransico “Frisco”. It made my mom really mad because she’s from SF so I told them him there is an actual place called “Frisco City” in Montana and that’s where they manufactuer Ovaltine. For years afterwards, they would tell everyone that “Frisco City” was the Ovaltine capital of Montana. --B.R

On an OK Cupid date in New York, I told the person my name was Cecilia and faked a Welsh accent all night claiming that I’m from Wales, half Himalayan, half Thai, and that my parents owned heirloom tea estates in the Orient. And he caught me in the lie when I had to present my Hawaii ID at the bar. He left after two drinks. --G.C.

I used to tell cab drivers in NYC elaborate lies about my glamourous lifestyle. Once when the Lakers were in town I told them that my boyfriend was Kobe Bryant’s brother. They ate that shit up. Kobe doesn’t even have a brother! -- C.N.

Hmm, maybe that good things happen to good people. That’s complete bullshit! Good shit happens and bad shit happens no matter what. I’m just hoping karma has a hand in things for later. -- N.D.

I’m not high-- I’ve just been crying all day. --H.I.

During my college years, when you have to do first week introductions of yourself to the class, I’d always tell them I work at Sea Life Park as a dolphin trainer and not at The Republik so they wouldn’t ask me for tickets. --Y.K.

13 Democracy is the best political solution -- S.M

I totally came. I always come when I’m with you. --L.A.

I used to tell lies all the time. I once told my coworkers that I saw a midget fight on my way to work. --R.B.

After a college friend threw gum out the window of a car, I told her that turtles eat it and die because they can’t spit. She felt awful for the next year, mostly because I always reminded her, until the last month or so of school when I told her the truth - turtles LOVE gum. --I.S.

“In elementary school the other children would ask how I got this scar on my stomach. I told them that me and my brother were playing hide and go seek in the tall grass and I saw a rustling in the bushes, and assuming it was my brother, I lunged to meet the machete blade of my neighbor cutting the grass spilling my intenstines into my hand.. I ran away in fear and passed out to wake in a hospital. I really just had surgery on my stomach when I was really little. -- J.P.

13 B u l l e t s

Once I said I was planning a surprise birthday party when my ex-wife caught me clearing my iphone history to cover porn tracks. -- J.M.

Don’t worry, it’s much more important to be smart than it is to be pretty. --S.V.

5 questions with... Do you have an artistic process? If so tell us about it. I try to not follow any rigorous process, I appreciate flexibility and fluidity and I try to leave space for life poems to flood through the cracks. That said, I write every day and draw as well, and try to share things with the public each day, so there’s a bit of a process there, a daily practice. I like my work to be thematic and start from universally relatable ideas - love, loss, gratitude, dreams, parts of life that everyone has experienced regardless of age, race, culture, sex, or location, this makes it easy to avoid the trappings of process because you can let the theme guide you down its own river, if you pick a theme big enough it will allow you to get lost in it and in doing so, I feel like it will mostly write itself. I’m just the conduit. That’s best case scenario. I read that after the birth of your son you were inspired to start writing and creating. Can you tell us more about that? Was there a specific moment that sparked that? Or did you feel like you wanted to make your own statement to him? When he was quite young he would have dreams of doing things he’d never done in real life. Say he’d dreamt of being on a sailboat without ever having been on a sailboat, or really even seeing that many in pictures or videos. What did a sailboat look like in his dreams? How did it operate? How

do the things in your life operate that you’ve never experienced before? You’ve never been the President, what would you dream that to be like? I started thinking a lot about my son’s dreams, in contrast to the dreams or aspirations of the masses. Who had big dreams and what had people done with their dreams, what had dreamers accomplished, etc. And I thought marrying those ideas would be a good concept for a book. That was the first book I wrote, An Awesome Book! We are pretty dosed with skate related stuff and I see that you did some work with Spike Jonze. Can you tell us firsthand how that came about? Spike is a friend and we’ve worked on a few projects together, I helped him run an arts and culture site for Where The Wild Things Are when it came out, and similarly with HER and a short film he made called I’m Here. He’s a great human. The world needs more like him. Kids can be so honest is there something that they’ve said to YOU that sticks with you? I take many lessons from kids, my own, and the ones I interact with on tour and in life. My favorite kid lesson is one I learned when trying to teach my son about retaliation. When he was quite young and in the stage when little kids are constantly fumbling over each other, grabbing things from each others hands - learning the rules

of social interaction - one of the guidelines I’d try to teach him was “Don’t hurt someone’s feelings on purpose because they hurt yours on accident.” Meaning, don’t punch a kid in the stomach because he accidentally stepped on your shoe. And further down the line as an adult, recognize that most people aren’t trying to hurt you on purpose, most are just trying to be themselves, and are clumsy, or scared, or made some silly mistake and to be able to forgive them for that is bold and noble. However, if they continue to, or knowingly hurt your feelings, consider distancing yourself from them because it will likely end in a playground brawl. Is there a certain area of the world where you’d like to tour? If so, where and why? I’d like to tour everywhere twice. I think that sounds like I could get a fair read on the world after that. I love that your messages are always positive and enlightening. You talk a lot about dreams. Tell us a big dream of yours that you hope comes true very soon! I’d like to see people moving closer together, being more inclusive, celebrating life and death and love in more new and interesting ways.

Melodic Visions photos x jarold webb poem x tokoni uti

My hands are off the steering Barely visible dot in the clearing Going through my lies Driving to places I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognise Drinking in what we used to be Sleeping visions sing a melody Odd bangers in the air We think the coast is clear Pumped up thrusts under the Glitter ball Then one by one we fall Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find our feet again Lost ourselves in a summer rain

written x stowell watters

19 eaks have taken fr e m so : n o ti a tu i Here is the s le they will go. the jung ho knows to what ends of

our women.W . All I know is: oy pl em r ei th in e ar s ur Who knows what dinosa ,and our father in tw d re ai -h ue bl y m , ac I am Joe and this is M nothing. didn’t feed us blood for

First, we put our hair up. Then we gather the usual implements of war: bones, boomerangs, potter’s wheels, clubs, fucking arrowheads or something, axes. We tuck these things into our loincloths because our father didn’t stand in the rain for nothing. We never want for food; the jungle is ripe with fat red fruits and smoked hams tumbling in the rough or hidden behind bullish Stegosauri. We leap chasms, bouncing on ferns. We swing from ropes and breathe through masks of animal blood. Always we stay hard – hunting the horde, pushing through the architecture of the void, because our father didn’t sew his own mouth shut for nothing. We hear music coming from the black trees

and singing from the gray trees. We sniff the breeze – orchids like sheets of snow and sex. We eat pink lizards and wrestle in the starry moss because our father didn’t grow Bog Cherries and milk a Pterodactyl for nothing. We fight in the shadow of a monster – Mac hacking at the kneecaps. I jump off his shoulders and do three flips in the air, the club screaming over my shoulders, and I bring it all down on this bitch trucking the monster into the dirt – eyes wide in death. We stare back because our father didn’t invent fire for nothing. About a half mile out of Bug-Belly Gorge we see the campfire with Mac’s binoculars which are just his hands held over his eyes. He gives me an elaborate jungle-sign and then we go, padding through a yellow fog and a spider’s

nest, padding through the root systems of hell, padding through streams and over rocks until we are there, crouched behind a stone. We breathe steadily, smell the jungle floor, and then come out fully-fucking-loaded, exploding from the trees, throwing everything we have at the cavemen. Mac bangs some brains sizzling into the campfire while I bite a face off. A dinosaur comes hollering out of a tent, ripping around, unaware of what it is killing. Our women are there too, writhing and bound by rope. I kill and kill and kill, hammering bones into bones, blood into soil. The cavemen keep coming, but we are death itself, we are reckless and loose. And then I see Mac buckle for just a second, someone else coming in from his side. And it’s enough, and he doesn’t get back up. And I see my hands shoot out and pull a head apart, and then another and another, popping them like tomatoes. I fly around the camp until there is no one left. I murder everyone, even the women, and then I am alone. The wind whistles through my skull. All because our father didn’t make us sleep in the same bed for nothing. Because our father didn’t walk into a volcano to prove something.

L O W

R O B S

he Low Bros are a German street artist duo who are making this 80’s baby flush with nostaligia. Their playful color palate, geometric layering and skate/hip hop vibes will legit make you feel like you grew up on the salty sidewalks of Venice Beach. They got mad street cred, hitting up walls in the U.S., Portugal, China, and the U.K. Ch-ch-ch-check it out.

Names: Christoph & Florin Schmidt Graff Names: Low Bros Age: 31 & 33 Biggest Inspiration TODAY: Daily chaos Favorite Medium: Spray paint on wall Hometown: Hamburg You grew up in Hamburg. Can you tell us about what kind of place that is? (For those of us who know nothing about Germany.) Hamburg is a harbour city in the north of Germany. It’s the second biggest and also the richest city of Germany. But compared to Munich, which is a very conservative and clean city in the south, Hamburg is a mixture of posh and

alternative ways of living with vibrant subcultural scenes. So on the one hand Hamburg is famous for the “Reeperbahn”, a party and redlight district at the harbour, St.Pauli, a soccer team with a pirate flag as a logo, the “Flora” and the “Gängeviertel”, occupied houses in the inner city that serve as cultural places for the alternative scene. On the other hand you have the harbour city with the „Elbphilharmony“ and the exclusive residential area „Blankenese“. When you travel back to your hometown, is there one place you have to go to, food or drink-wise?

Two years ago we discovered a nice Vietnamese restaurant. We were painting a mural in the inner city at that time and needed to find something for lunch. The restaurant is called Xe Ôm and is run by a really nice family, with the mom taking care in the kitchen and the kids doing the service. Our favourite dish is the „sweet & beefy“, a meal their mom invented and cooked for them, when the kids were young. What have you enjoyed about other places that you’ve traveled in the world? Is there one place that stands out that you’d want to revisit? What we really like about traveling is that you get away from the conventional living you grew up with. New people, other mentalities, other surroundings, other tastes, other smells… We also like to see how people live in their city and love to discover the different kinds of nature. One city we’ve been twice at and would like to visit again is Portland. A really cosy city with nice people and great nature. I read that you were self-taught artists and then you went to art school. What would you say was the most important thing you learned while you were there? We guess other people got more benefit from art school than we did. The best thing was, that you got more freedom, because you pay less for insurance and get your monthly train ticket. So we could experiment and do our own stuff. For us, school wasn’t always the best way of learning. I read something that said “If it takes longer than 5 minutes then it’s not graffiti any

23 more.” Do you have a comment about that? Haha… somehow that’s funny and sad in the same way. That’s the problem about graffiti. It always restricts itself by putting up stupid rules. The only good thing about this rule is, that you can break it. And was there a turning point in your art, where it became less about graffiti and more about street art? Actually we just did our thing and just the label changed. Yesterday we painted graffiti, today it’s called street art or whatever. Nowadays we don’t feel that we’re completely belonging to the one or the other. You both have a very clean style, do you think that can be attributed to one certain thing, or has your style morphed over the years? It morphed more to that. We always loved to try new things in graffiti and got influences elsewhere. Like graphic design. We left away the classic outline, so there was just shape next to shape and we wanted them to look clean. Guess we always had a high claim to have a quality “product“. Where did art come into your lives and what would you draw as a kid? As kids we drew a lot of Indians and war scenes. We were also obsessed with animals. From there it went to comics and graffiti. We got in touch with art quite late, in our twenties and opened up our minds. You’ve mentioned before that skate and

graffiti culture are about reclaiming the streets. I really love that statement. Do you have any crazy/funny stories about street lurking while tagging? We’ve been at a festival in Manchester to paint and got our fee on the first night. We spend a lot on drinks and ended up in one of these movie like bars, where you need to knock at the back door and a small window opens. We got out in the morning, it was already light and we were pretty slushed. We found two cans in our backpack and start bombing in this really clean neighborhood. A miracle we didn’t get caught. So we ran around and tried to do some throw up’s. But we were too wasted. One of us started one and stopped cause he was too ashamed of what he did, so the other tried to fix it and it became even worse. In the end we lost orientation. So we grabbed a cab to make it back to the hotel. The ride took about 30 seconds, as the hotel was just around the corner. Maybe not the best example of reclaiming the streets, haha. You use a lot of animals in your work. Are they chosen for a specific reason/color/ aesthetic? We started with painting more human characters, but this was too limiting. Animals gave us a better variety of shapes and colors and we still could show human behaviors in our characters. Sometimes even better. Is there anything that really gets you in the mood to paint? Music and good weather :) What sort of music do you listen to while

working? Depends on our mood. From hip hop to electronic and way more. At the moment we listen a lot to the mixes of our friend Skor72. You both have mentioned before that you used to skate? Do you still? And who is your favorite skater (growing up/today)? One of us is still skating, but sadly not that often anymore. Favorite skater back then was Rodney Mullen. Saw him the first time on “The Bones Brigade Video Show“, one of the first video tapes we owened Nowadays we really like Richie Jackson’s way of skating. Do you have a dream commission? To build a big sculpture with a James Turrell room inside would be something! If you could take over someone else’s job today, who’s would it be? We would take over Mark Zuckerberg’s job and save Instagram, after we’ve changed the Facebook guidelines into something good. So people can see all the content they want to and no one needs to pay to spread the word. Lastly, do you have anything coming up? Exhibitions? Projects? And do you have any specific goals over the next few years? We’ll have a solo exhibition at the Golden Hands Gallery in Hamburg this September, and also one at the StolenSpace Gallery in London, next year. There are also a couple of walls to paint. We got some more projects and ideas in mind and we’ll see where this will lead us.

o x o x photography x simone komine hair & makeup x jasmine mullens styled x rance china modeled x julia smirnova

Inspiration: Urban eclectic rocker Barbie. Local vintage, trendy boutiques, and mixing and matching fashion in ways that will leave has the Kate Spade hoarding fashion junkie spinning on her head. xoxo

L: RiRi Pearl Chocker x Bamboo Sky ($44), Bubblegum Dress x Barrio Vintage, Mid Heel Leather Shoes with Ankle Strap x Zara ($69.90), Naughty Makeup Bag x Victoria Secret M: Promise Crop Top x Bamboo Sky ($36), Crop Vest x Barrio Vintage, Vesper Sunglasses x Bamboo Sky ($50), Leather Quilted Skirt x Barrio Vintage ($18) R: Galactic Birkin Starlight Dress x Bamboo Sky ($297), Sequined Floral Top x Barrio Vintage ($12)

L: Patent Rain Coat x Barrio Vintage ($22), Flapper Top x Barrio Vintage ($8), High Heel Strappy Sandals x Zara ($39.90) R: Oceanside Fuzzy Sweater Cream x Bamboo Sky ($66), Striped Collared Dress x Barrio Vintage ($16)

t i c ke t golden interview x john ridgeway image x tracy leboe

f you follow surfing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll feel like Aaron Gold is a name that perhaps you missed in recent years. Big mistake. Big monstrous, wave winning mistake. Originally from Big Island, this family man slides down giant monsters at Jaws, where he won this year's title for Biggest Paddle In and set a Guinness Book Of World Records. He survived reef biting head slams that required staples and stitches on Easter Sunday. Rise up, Gold. And then he does just that after a two wave hold down at Cloudbreak with the revival squad and expert waterman Mark Healy performing CPR bringing him back to life. *emoji prayer hands. Aaron Gold's got luck on his side and had a helluva year thus far. This is... the year of the GOLD.

John Ridgeway: Let’s talk about the most recent thing that has happened to you… looked like you had a pretty rough injury at Pipe - you basically were scalped. Aaron Gold: Yeah, happened a few weeks back. It’s just one of those things that happens. Just part of it, you surf and that stuff comes with it, periodically you get one that is worse than [an]other. It was good timing, I’ve just been going and going and it gave a lot of time to lay back, it was freeing actually.

JR: Now that your name is getting out there, with the XXL nomination, hopefully those trips become more and more available. You are based in Hale’iwa and training on the North Shore…. (Aaron puts me on hold while he says goodbye to kids and wife as they head off to school).

JR: That’s a great outlook to have, that injury looked pretty bad. What do you think about what’s being said about the wave you paddled into at Pe’ahi, the biggest one ever paddled into?

JR: What’s the next step now that you’ve built the footing?

AG: Yeah, that’s what they’re saying and in about a week or so we are going to have the XXL Awards where they will actually put a size to it, and a number, and tell us what’s what. That day, the way it happened, it was an amazing day, you only come across those days… it may never happen again. To get that wave, it was super cool, I waited to go out and saw a big set, and then a bigger wave… I was out 15 or 20 minutes and I got that wave. First one. God gave me the wave. It came right to me. Paddling back I realized why that wave felt different... like that wave was the biggest one I’ve ever rode.

AG: I just want to see wha’ts next for the sport and inspiring kids in surfing. To keep them out of trouble and creative. Now big wave surfing is making it’s way, and now it’s getting the money behind it with a tour and it’s growing, and ten years from now, a kid can make a career out of that and make money at it. Then we did our job and we made it grow. JR: Big wave surfing seems to be a new animal for surfing. Do you see big wave surfing becoming a new direction for the sport?

JR: Right on. I surf much smaller waves but I get the feeling, when it feels [like] one wave is meant for you. Being from Big Island and surfing throughout the islands, where else have you surfed big waves or are eyeing up to surf XXL waves? AG: Yeah, this year was the first year I have had the support to travel, I hadn’t had a support of a major sponsor, or anything, I’ve always had to work hard and plan things out, spending money would take it away from my family. But I was able to go to surf Portugal and Mavericks, and around Mexico. I really want to get back to Mavericks, and places in France. Just being able to get out at these places with potential, when it’s on. The more you travel and surf different waves [is how] you become a more well rounded surfer. So hopefully I can be on the XXL Tour and travel [and] maybe make a little money.

and have a long term marketing. So you get a lot of industry in California, [a lot of] kids [who] get the recognition, and [here in Hawaii] there is a lot of talent that falls through the cracks because the talent is so condensed here, where in the lineup most of the guys or girls are above average surfers. In California, only 5 or 6 are good out of 100. There are a lot of young kids that get left behind, this is where you have to work to get back and make decisions along the way to put food on the table and have a place to stay, and you have to survive. It makes it a lot harder but it builds character and it makes reaching goals much more thankful and shows you have more drive. That’s why guys that surf in Hawaii who do shine, they are really exceptional because they’ve had to have that drive.

photo via @therealaarongold

North Shore is the most competitive place to surf, with the world’s best surfers up there - amateur and pro. How hard is it for a surfer to shine and try to be noticed up there? AG: It’s kinda lopsided surf, the money in our sport kinda goes towards the young kids so they can groom them and make the next KS [Kelly Slater]

AG: Yeah, because you can look at a guy making a beautiful turn and say, “Hey that’s a nice turn,” but someone that doesn’t know much about surfing will see a person on a XXL wave and will be blown away from it. It never seemed to get the credit it deserved... people in the industry and surfers can understand, but [non-industry] people can relate to small wave events. Plus small wave events are easier to plan, predicting the swells. But I think it’s going that direction. For example, Jaws this year, and people all over world watched it this year and they were blown away by the event. Other events you can watch and be entertained, but you can peel away and walk away, but when it is carnage and everybody can see what we do in big waves, you can walk away.

Not So Bland interview & images x matt miller

an interview with North Carolina heart throb, Nick Bland

o how does Nick Bland fit into the “Loaded” theme? Well for one, he’s a fucking maniac. He’s usually got a beer in his hand and a skateboard nearby. That’s loaded, right? He’s loaded with laughs. He’s loaded with stories. He’ll try something until he gets broke off or soaks through a whole shirt. He paints houses all day and is the bad-boy heartthrob of every girl on the beach. Sometimes he looks like he’s playing baseball in “The Sandlot” and sometimes he looks like he’s going to hop a train with some crusty punks but he always just looks like Nick Bland. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, fuckers. Nick will buy a case of beer for the crew, but will probably finish it by himself and will still skate better and harder and longer than anyone else. I’m lucky to get to watch it all happen and call the guy my friend. I’m glad he puts up with my shit talk and answers my shitty questions with gusto.

“I don’t thInk It’s lame to follow trends either, If you are truly Into somethIng then be Into It”

Judo Tail - Carolina Beach NC

Why did you retire from the DJ-ing scene? I got too old, couldn’t keep up with today’s hip hop, but for real just got a little burned out on it and I’m not so much in the late night mood anymore. I really just want to learn a lot of hands-on trades and work on my art. What’s the craziest thing you saw while DJing? I don’t know where to start. I’ve DJ’d so much ridiculous shit, from raves, to weddings, to sorority mixers. Everything has it’s category of craziness: the raunchy stuff is gross. The underages trying to sneak in alcohol is usually the funniest to me these days though. This sorority girl tried to fill up a restaurant ketchup bottle with tequila. I heard you did some graffiti too. Please enlighten the readers.

Why the hell did you major in Creative Writing? Are you using it? I love writing, really enjoy it and have such a respect for the craft. I’m not really using my degree at the moment but I definitely plan on pursuing some sort of career in it. I’m more in the grind of working odd jobs and bartending right now though. Trying to travel as much as possible and not be too tied down. Really pumped on documenting my travels and good times, like shooting photos a lot too, just documentation in general I guess. I’m starting to read a lot again which I haven’t done since graduating and reading always leads to writing. Right now I’m reading If This Isn’t Nice, What Is? it’s a collection of Vonnegut’s graduation speeches I highly suggest it. Do you even surf, brah?

I love graff, always will. Went hard at it for a while, got arrested a couple times, can’t afford that anymore not that I could then-but still try to catch a couple tags here and there. Also, I suck at it.

Yeah haha. I like single fin tube rides.

How many beers do you average per day?

Couldnt afford it haha, but for real... I don’t know, I just got way more into skating honestly. I’m trying to tread lightly here but for me personally, the skate scene is just more what I’m about right now, especially here in the backyards. I’m out of shape and I smoke a lot of cigarettes so skating is just plain easier.

9. Drink of choice? Rye Whiskey.

Why’d you give up on the surf circuit? You were the grommiest grom in high school.

What’s better, your best day in the water or your best day of skating? Skating, bc my best day of skating would involve more homies. Which came first, the waves or the skateboard? Skated before I surfed. Think I started when I was eight or nine. Always wanted to surf though. I grew up just around the corner from Jonathan Mincher and he pretty much got me into surfing along with a lot of the other OG’s in the neighborhood. Learned to stand up on a boogie board first. What’s a badass, tatted up, skater punk like you doing living at your parents house? Hahaha got ‘em dog. I applied to a school in Portland while I was living at Church Bowl and moved back with my parents to save money... but then I didnt get into the program. I quit my bartending job at the time, then broke my ankle the next weekend at SPOTR and spent all my savings sitting on my ass eating Cheetohs. Worst bartending story? All frat dudes with daddy’s money that can somehow never tip a dang dollar. You’ve got some of the most tricked-out grip jobs in the game right now. How many hours do you spend

gripping each board? What’s the longest job you’ve ever done? So, I usually get new boards before I break my current one, or at least I used to before I was broke. I would get so stoked about the new stick but I obviously didn’t want to put it on yet, so I would just grip them. I’ve come up with some pretty silly ones, its true, and sometimes end up spray painting over them. Longest one was probably the “more peace, less police” one took me like two hours haha. How many noogies did you give your brother, also known as “Twain” as a kid? Twain is one tough kid and we never fight anymore but we def got into it a few times when we were younger. He was a little hellion when he was real young, I think he was banned from every shop on Wrightsville Beach haha. I don’t think I was ever really that hard on him though, I never had to be, he pretty much figured it out on his own. Best skate spot in Wilmington? That’s pretty tough for me because I’m pretty much a noob in the streets. I guess Coke Bank would be my go to but in the backyards I’m most proud of the Church Bowl. What is your dream trip and what’s the lineup in the van (or plane)? Nosepick Stalefish - The Skate Barn , Hampstead NC

frontside air --church bowl

I want to go to Japan for various reasons. I love Japanese culture and the terrain looks insane. It’s impossible for me to choose the crew, there is just so many good homies, not just here in Wilm but all over North Carolina. It would take me days to narrow it down. Europe would be sick too, especially like a backpack trip. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen (Jonathan) Mincher do on a skateboard? On a wave? In life? Front invert over the channel at Drakes is up there ,but everytime he skates it blows my mind, he eludes death like no other. On a surfboard, I didn’t see it in person but that f**king hoss he straightened out on at Pipe and got annihilated. The dude is an Eagle Scout a true legend all around. Who’s killing the skate game right now? Chris Cope, Eric Winkowski, Ronnie, Sage, Aidan, Rowan, Andrew Allen (always has though) Jimmy Wilkins, Brian Drake, Twain, Zackbox, Coley Martin, Jonathan Mincher, Marky Clements, I don’t know everybody is killing it, and in their own way too, gets me so hyped.

What exactly is a Pink Darko? Lol. Favorite color is pink, Favorite movie is Donnie Darko. What’s in the Netflix queue? Any recommendations for the readers?

Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Ando is my man. Read books. What happens if you don’t bring beer? You are off to a really bad start. Any last words before signing off? Shout out to everyone in Sunset Park, everyone who helped at Church Bowl, and Yonks for making it happen. Shout out to BJ Tarr for giving me work and finding us a warehouse. Shout out to my parents for letting me live rent free the past couple months and all the rest of the Wilmington skate rats for holding down a good scene. Skate and surf because it’s fun. Whatever makes you happiest, do it, I don’t think either one is cooler than the other. I don’t think it’s lame to follow trends either, if you are truly into something then be into it. Go see this country also it has a lot to offer. Don’t get stuck.

Skip to my Liu

41 Casey Liu better known as @CaseyKaui is steeped in adventure hunting. Whether it be road tripping cross country or exploring foreign lands, this local girl is ticking off latitudes and skipping along to the music. Hometown: Mililani, Hawaii Age: 23 Passions: I love traveling, taking photographs of people and places along the way, thrifting (all too much) and making music. Occupation: I’d say I’m a photographer first and foremost. Another good chunk of my time goes to my vintage shop but it feels too weird to call myself “shop owner.”

pooled together and surprised me with one. I was in heaven. I used to take ridiculous photos of my friends and I in Pricebusters with props and then import them onto my generic brand of Photoshop and apply all these quirky effects to them. They’re such strange photos now that I look back at them but I loved them so much. The whole process of it mesmerized me and I think that’s where it started.

I discovered you on Tumblr or Etsy, I can’t remember which! Where did you get your official start on social followings?

You’ve traveled all over the place. Tell us some places that standout and why.

That’s funny! Back in high school, I really liked blogging. I started off on Blogger, where I mostly ranted to an invisible audience about school days, and then eventually transitioned to Tumblr once it debuted. I had a little DSLR camera and would take it with me everywhere. I photographed my friends, my brothers, my boyfriend and I even made little short films of my life (usually of super exciting evenings spent in my backyard). Everything was worthy of a photograph and I posted it all. I think maybe that’s where the following started…my life at the time was not exactly “adventurous” and I doubt social media would approve of its simplicity now but I loved it. I would go thrifting and up cycle old grandma dresses into cute little mini dresses that I’d sell on Etsy and post on Tumblr. I posted crappy garage band recordings of my music because I thought I was soooo cool. It makes me laugh to think about it but I think back then I had no fear. I shared everything and it was really authentic and I think maybe people just liked it. Tell us how you fell in love with photography, and what is your weapon of choice and with which lens? When I was in the 7th grade, all the cool kids were getting digital point and shoot cameras, you know, for taking Myspace profile pics. I wanted one SO bad, so for Christmas one year so my grandparents and parents

A friend of mine from church invited me to Bali two summers ago and I had not been out of the country yet. Her and her boyfriend met in Bali while surfing (both from Hawaii) and have gone back the past 6 years. It was really special to them. They lived in Bali for 6 months to go to school and learn the language and my friend Emily owns a clothing business that partners with families whose lives and businesses were affected by terrorist attacks. They knew the secrets of Bali, the best places to shop, the prices to barter to, the food to eat—everything. I’m also a HUGE planner on trips and I was told to not plan anything. That I just needed to show up and everything would be taken for. It was such uncomfortable territory to step into but I grew immensely over that month in Bali and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. You do a lot of traveling.. what’s the first thing you do when you get home to Hawaii? First thing you eat? First place you go? First thing I do is sit on my couch and smother my dogs (or let them smother me, it’s pretty mutual). After an hour of that (not an exaggeration) I like to just spend time at home. I’ll sit in my backyard with a book or coffee. It sounds cliche but it’s what I do. I get really burnt out traveling, as do most people. I spend most of my time in California now so when I go back to Oahu for work, I order Korean BBQ at least three times a week.

You’re going on a road trip, what’s loaded up in your van? 4 essentials and 4 non essentials. A film camera, a pillow, toiletries (duh), my boyfriend’s guitar, a good book, a great mixtape, potato chips and a glass of wine (for when the drive is over, of course). There probably aren’t 4 “essentials” but I’m a pretty light packer! What do you hope for in 2016? 2017? I just want to be growing in all areas constantly. I never want to just get comfortable where I’m at or stagnant with my art. I hope this year I can be braver with myself and my art as well. They sound simple but its pretty hard to be brave or to try new things and be okay with failing. I also hope to continue to travel, especially for photography and music.

speedy ortiz F

text x nick kurch photo x shervin lainez

ollowing their 2013 debut album, Major

Arcana, Speedy Ortiz had a steep hill to climb

to match the critical success of their first full length album. Undoubtedly, Speedy Ortiz has done it with the release of their latest album, Foil Deer.

The music on Foil Deer is full and eclectic, reminiscent of 90’s grunge and alt rock. Singer, song writer, and guitarist, Sadie Dupuis’ lyrics are sharp and thought provoking. If Major Arcana was great, Foil Deer is certainly the next level. I chatted with members of Speedy Ortiz; Dupuis, Devin McKnight on guitar, Darl Ferm on the bass, and Mike Falcone on drums. We talked about their music and where they’ll go following the success of their acclaimed second album.

I’m chatting with you from Hawaii. There’s a bit of an underrated indie rock scene on the islands along with the calming vibes. Do you plan on coming over, whether to perform or just for a vacation? I’m chatting with you from the beach in Hull, MA! I’m telling you that because the beach has made me braindead so if this interview sucks you’ll know why. I know Screaming Females played in Hawaii because I was asking Marisa for tips about touring over there, ‘cuz we’d love to go. Gotta give some love to those noncontiguous spots. Also, my parents honeymooned in Hawaii and the pictures are pretty cute. Which is sort of my main, albeit limited, reference point for Hawaii? So I guess we’d have to sport some serious ‘80s hair if we came through. Told you this interview was gonna be braindead. Since your last album, “Foil Deer,” was released, Speedy Ortiz has become critically acclaimed and loved by fans. People that didn’t know about you before are asking themselves “Why haven’t I heard of you before now?” How does this level of success affect you? Is it a shock, or more encouraging of the work you’ve put in? Success is fleeting. French Stewart only has ~7500 Twitter followers. I saw P.O.D. at SXSW and they played to like 200 people. So I guess we’re grateful anyone has heard of us in this moment. It makes the shows fun and affirming. It’s especially exciting to hear from kids who’ve been inspired by us to make their own music. But honestly we’ll still be jamming even when no one cares about us. Which is inevitable! When you’re not rocking people’s faces off on stage, what do you do outside of music? Mike is getting his master’s degree in Library Science. Darl works in a bookstore. Devin and I just sit around watching cartoons. JK. Devin’s been doing shows with his other band Philadelphia Collins (and I think working on a rap album?). I got an MFA in poetry a few years ago and since the band’s had a few months of downtime, I started doing Poetry readings again. Which are way scarier than playing shows, somehow.

What were you doing before music? Were you nervous about taking the leap into the music industry? We’ve all played music since we were little kids and have always been in bands even when we had other fulltime jobs. I was teaching a few writing classes a semester at a university until a few years ago, but I quit it to do Speedy full time. I guess we were nervous about leaving jobs that were more traditionally secure. But the opportunities seemed too cool to pass up, and the pay was comparable--we did a couple of tours that were too amazing to turn down, like The Breeders and the Jicks, and we wouldn’t have been able to do them if we kept our 9-5s. Not everyone winds up in a position to choose music as their day job, and even though it can be stressful we generally recognize it as a really surreal luxury. Your music seems to be influenced by various genres, giving your songs a uniqueness. What were you listening to when you were growing up? We’ve been talking about Incubus all day if that’s any indication. Your sound has been compared to big names of 90’s grunge and alt rock. With the success of “Foil Deer,” do you think alt-rock genre in general is returning to a more 90’s alt rock and grunge sound?

I don’t think it’s necessary per se for music to be full of social commentary. Many people turn to music to escape from the persistent violences in our world, like police brutality and sexual assault and wage inequality and the fucking destruction of our planet. So I don’t think escapism is a wrong reaction. But I’ve found a lot of rock music in the early ‘10s to be vapid, apathetic. It just doesn’t appeal to me--there is so much about our world that makes me so angry, so complacent art from people who have nothing at stake is a total turn off. So umm... Downtown Boys is the best band. With the critical success of “Foil Deer,” where do you want Speedy Ortiz to go from here? We’re at our friend’s house on a beach writing a bunch of songs that sound like Incubus. I hope we never leave. Unless it’s to tour with Incubus. What’s next? More touring? Are you working on the follow up, or is that thought a million miles from you right now? We just wrote 10 songs this week. We’re going on tour with Hop Along and The Good Life in May-June. That’s all I’ll say for now!

We think nu metal is returning and we wanna help. The lyrics on “Foil Deer,” in particular “Raising The Skate,” seem to be an anthem for women. Do you think your music appeals to those struggling to find equal footing in the world today? Most of the songs are written as a personal narrative, and certainly much of Foil Deer reflects on gender identity and power imbalances in my own life. I wrote some of these songs as a rallying cry to stick up for myself, and when I hear that they’ve impacted other people in similar ways, that’s the best compliment. In today’s social and political climate, do you think it’s important to have your music loaded with social commentary?

Speedy Ortiz’s Album, Foil Deer

5 locals, 8 days, 3,000+ miles

A journey in reviews, maps, photographs and Texas waff les. images and text x adele balderston additional images x nick ayakawa & pamela nakamura

AMTRAK CRESCENT ROUTE

3.5 Texas Waffles Amtrak is a great way to travel if you’re short on cash and long on time. The Crescent route (daily from NYC to New Orleans) is only $125 for a coach seat and it takes around 30 hours for the full 1,300-mile journey.

Pros: • •

Cheap Comfy seats with lots of legroom that recline all the way • Fully-stocked lounge and dining cars where you can order food or drinks and meet businesspeople or ladies who collect dolls Cons:

•

The coach bathrooms are like really nasty porta pottys Other passengers in your car might

sleepwalk and create nocturnal disturbances The Crescent has no observation car, but the route is not very scenic anyway

Pro tips: •

Wifi on the Crescent is spotty at best so download movies/ music to your device ahead of time. Bring your own booze/ water/snacks (the lounge car, while convenient, is not the cheapest).

NEW ORLEANS

5 Texas Waffles New Orleans is magical. The people are some of the friendliest in the country, the drinks are stiff and you can consume them on the street, the prices are reasonable, the buildings are beautiful, and after you leave, the food will haunt you until you figure out how to make it yourself.

If you eat breakfast at Horn’s in Marigny, they will put pickle juice in your Bloody Mary and it will be delicious. Across the street you might find a treasure in a little box marked “free library”, but if you take a book be sure to leave another in its place. If you go to Fair Grounds racetrack you might see a weiner dog race and run into a bunch of old friends from Brooklyn. After the race you can go to Big Fisherman Seafood and get some beers and a few pounds of crawfish boil.

Grab a box and a bunch of napkins and eat it in a park full of trees dripping thick Pele’s Hair (or Spanish Moss) from every branch while the sun goes down. After that you can head over to Frenchmen Street and get a double shot of bourbon to go so you can sip on it while you listen to the jazz pouring out of every doorway on the walk back to your Airbnb.

TEXAS

1 Texas Waffle Austin is one of the greatest cities in the whole world. This review is not about Austin.

THE LAND BOAT

5 Texas Waffles If you dig around online, you can find a 7-day one-way rental for under $700 (before insurance). We picked up a 2016 Ford Escape (land boat) from Hertz in New Orleans and returned it in Los Angeles a week later. The land boat was the ideal road trip vehicle in terms of size, comfort and driveability.

U.S. Route 20 is the longest road in the United States stretching 3,365 miles.

This car gets 30 miles to the gallon and comes equipped with a third row seat, at least 5 USB outlets (I’m sure there were more but we didn’t look in every compartment), separate climate control and seat warmers (and coolers) in the front and back, and that camera that helps you reverse and parallel park. The thing is huge but it has a fantastic turning radius. I took a great nap in every seat (except the driver’s seat).

I’m grateful no one pulled a gun on us in Texas, but an angry man in his 70s tried to either get into or pull us out of our car at a gas station because we apparently “made him wait 5-10 minutes to pump his gas.” Sorry angry old man, that just didn’t sound like a big deal to us and we tried to move along. Unfortunately you got in our face and banged on the windows of our car, so Nick snapped your photo. Luckily the doors were all locked when that made you angry enough to try and pull them open...to do what exactly? Yell at us more? Hit a bunch of women or the only guy in our group? I hope your day went better after you failed to hold onto the side of our car, running alongside us while we peeled out of there. Other notable angry/ disagreeable individuals include: The passive aggressive woman at the Quality

Inn in Alpine who had an inordinate amount of difficulty understanding and spelling Kani’s last name, failed to find our reservation (even though it was right fucking there on the screen) and then lied and told us all the rooms were filled. The distrustful man at the Sunday House Inn across the street from the Quality Inn, though he informed us we’d been lied to by passive aggressive woman and let us have two rooms, didn’t seem very happy to have us either. Thanks for insisting we pay extra for being five instead of four and not believing us when we repeatedly assured you we wouldn’t smoke in the room. The entire town of Fredericksburg. You are a cute little tourist town, but every person in every shop and restaurant was cold, rude and talked about us under their breath. That’s right mullet lady, I heard what you said in the 99 cent store. Texas, you are full of breathtaking landscapes and your gas is the cheapest in the country, but you are also full of shitty people so you only get one Texas waffle.

ARIZONA

5 Texas Waffles Arizona has the Grand Canyon in it. The Grand Canyon makes you feel really small, it’s so immense it seems like you wandered onto a movie set and the view is just a painted backdrop, because how could that be real? But then you get a little closer to the edge and vertigo kicks in and

DIABLO FIREWORKS

5 Texas Waffles This 6,000 sq ft warehouse in New Mexico has every combustible projectile you forgot you needed since they were banned in Hawaii. From poppers and morning glories to bottle rockets and roman candles, Hello Kitty fountains to 500g aerials shaped like Satan, it’s all there. Almost everything is 2 for 1 and they even let you burn shit test products in a patch of desert right behind the store. Pro tip: USE THEM ALL! Even if you set them off in the street in front of the rental car place before you go to the airport. Also, look up firework laws before you try to set them off in California or Nevada….

you have to sit down. Yeah, it’s real. Maybe next time you’ll stay longer than a few hours and ride a mule down into the Canyon...or camp or something... On your way out of the Grand Canyon you can stop at Bedrock City, a relatively abandoned Flintstones theme park. If you don’t feel like paying $5 to get into the park itself you can peer over the fence or hang out in the gift shop and get a taste of 1980s tourist consumer culture, just make sure you have some hand sanitizer around

when you finish perusing dust-covered deadstock. Williams, AZ is a little Route 66 town near the Grand Canyon. It has lots of kitschy diners and shops, including Cruiser’s Route 66 Cafe which will help you get your BBQ fix if Texas let you down (AS TEXAS IS KNOWN TO DO). The World-Famous Sultana Bar is a wonderland of taxidermy, cheap drinks, old regulars and macabre history. You want to go to there. Arizona is better than Texas.

The Sultana Bar (est. 1912) sits atop a maze of underground passageways dug by Chinese rail workers in the late 1800’s

LAS VEGAS

sleep 3 tiny humans (especially if you’re in the middle and you push one all the way to the edge).

4 Texas Waffles

Buffalo Bill’s is the best part of Vegas, only it’s outside of Vegas. It’s like Disneyland, but all the rides are closed, there’s gambling, and you can drink and smoke inside. Creepy closed Disneyland with gambling and free drinks included with gambling might be the best thing ever.

All the casinos on Fremont are like Zippy’s with slot machines! The California and the Golden Nugget are just like the ads with Didi Ah Yo and away we go! The M has the most serious buffet, and their beds are big enough to comfortably

DISNEYLAND

4 Texas Waffles Disneyland is $100 now! Did you know that?! And there is NO BOOZE ANYWHERE in Disneyland (unless you go to Disney’s California Adventure park). Beware of strollers, they will mow you down or plow right into you. Still, it’s pretty hard not to love Disneyland. Pro tip: Bring your own plastic poncho, they’re like $1 at Walmart. When it rains, you will save $12 and be the only person not wearing the same Disneyland poncho as everyone else.

V ER SU S

51 Get loaded on these bartenders from the three coasts (East, West, & Hawaii) tell us the future of booze and their current loaded cocktails in this bartender versus bartender interview. interview x nicole jones photography x napua camarillo

HNL Squid ink… Why?

Trade show season.

Hometown: Liverpool, England

Any predictions of what we should look forward to seeing in the near future?

What’s your dream gig?

Years in the industry: 20 Currently working at: Bevy in Honolulu, HI What you’re best known for: Making good drinks. What innovations, techniques or revivals are currently inspiring you? The use of different bitter agents, and ways to add different textures to drinks. Most underrated cocktail or spirit: Arrack, a smokey vanilla sugar cane distillate. 2016 is, in your opinion, “the summer of (insert spirit/cocktail/beer)”

More in the way of caffeinated cocktails using coffee and Matcha tea. What trend do you wish people would get over already? Being a Mixologist. Where would we find you off the clock and what would you be sipping on? Probably sipping a cold beer. Do you have a bartender crush?

current

bartender-on-

Hmmm not really. Vacation guilty pleasure drink of choice?

Mescal.

Anything with a paper umbrella!

What’s the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever seen in a drink?

Industry event that you’re really looking forward too?

I pretty much have my dream gig, but if I didn’t have my own bar, then I’d say the beverage specialist for a boutique hotel group overseeing several properties worldwide.

The Primal Scream 1.5 oz sugar snap pea puree 0.5 oz Lillet Blanc 1 oz mescal 0.75 oz fresh lemon sour dash celery bitters Raw earthy flavors with the sweet pea and smoke from at the mescal, delicious!

V ER SU S

Name: Christian Self

P DX Name: Lucia Appell Hometown: Portland, OR Years in the industry: 13 Currently working at: Kelly’s Olympian in Portland, OR

V ER SU S

What you’re best known for: Kelly’s is the second-oldest bar in Portland. With such a thriving industry and new bars opening every month, we are very proud of our history. We are also known for our museum-quality collection of vintage motorcycles, neons, signs, and memorabilia adorning every wall and ceiling. Or do you mean what I’m known for?? Aw man, I dunno... ask my regulars. What innovations, techniques or revivals are currently inspiring you? I love that people have moved away from vodka and are trying spirits with more flavor and personality. People are also expecting higherquality, fresh, or house-made ingredients and are willing to pay more for them, which is great. I also love that the percentage of people who shake Martinis is constantly shrinking. Most underrated cocktail or spirit: The Sidecar. It is a perfect cocktail but I hardly ever make any. We have one on our cocktail menu and it’s usually overlooked even though it’s called the fucking Renegade. But cognac in general. Warm and velvety with a super-

approachable flavor profile, and it is more versatile than whiskey.

Any predictions of what we should look forward to seeing in the near future?

2016 is in your opinion “the summer of__ (spirit/cocktail/beer)__”

Nope. I don’t want to know. Takes the fun out of finding out.

The throwback. Really, the best cocktails have already been created. Sometimes ‘innovation’ in the industry looks more like reinventing the wheel. Throw in some strategic product placement and you’ve got a trend. I’m not saying you should order a Cosmo or anything… but admit it they’re delicious.

What trend do you wish people would get over already?

What’s the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever seen in a drink? Bacon. We do a house Mary with bacon garnish, but a Bloody Mary is robust enough to challenge such an overwhelming flavor. There’s a dive bar in Vegas that makes bacon-infused vodka. Really great novelty but pretty gross as a main ingredient. Fried meat and cold liquid do not work very well together. Not that I’m judgingat the same bar I ordered a shot served in a tiny souvenir toilet. There’s really a time and a place for anything, and if you can’t have fun behind a bar then you’re working at the wrong one. Another ingredient that isn’t really ‘weird’ but pretty cool is sal de gusano, or worm salt. The worms are actually moth larvae that live in the agave plants used to make mezcal. They are dried and ground and mixed with chile powder and served sprinkled on an orange slice with your shot. It’s a very traditional Oaxacan thing. I haven’t seen it here but it’s right up Portland’s alley. I’d order it.

Cocktail lists full of Amaro. Bitter cocktails have somehow become synonymous with sophistication and masculinity, but they are really not something everyone can do well. When a man wants something fruity and tasty he orders a “girly drink.” What’s with that?? I am pretty adventurous but who doesn’t expect some flavor balance or-god forbid-something legitimately delicious? Where would we find you off the clock and what would you be sipping on? At my bar Kelly’s Olympian, drinking something from the drink list, tasting a new product, or just drinking a diet drink (vodka & soda, BARF), which is how us booze-hounds stay so svelt. It’s my favorite bar in town (though I am biased), but I also like to check in with the customer experience we offer by experiencing it myself. I want to make sure that we are accomplishing what we are trying to-which is to accommodate your good time. Next to Kelly’s my new favorite spot is Bit House Saloon. It is very dark and very cool. In a good way. Do you have a bartender crush?

current

bartender-on-

Every bartender with steady hands and a steady gaze is a babe in my book. Bartending is not glamorous, but it is very sexy. Vacation guilty pleasure drink of choice:

Morning beer. You can’t be hungover on vacation, so sometimes you just have to let it ride. I don’t feel guilty for a second for all the Piña Coladas. Industry event that you’re really looking forward to? There’s a product launch and tasting for a Portland-made Fernet. I’d love to carry a local product if it can compete with its imported predecessor.

You’re going to hate this but I’m exactly where I want to be.

Gold Star (Named after one of the bikes in our collection, the BSA Gold Star was in production from 1938-1963) 1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon 2 dashes of Fee Bros Orange Bitters 0.5 oz simple syrup Half a fresh orange Cock and Bull ginger beer In a mixing glass of ice pour 1.5 oz bourbon, juice half an orange with a hand-juicer, add simple syrup and orange bitters, shake and strain over ice in a tall (1416 oz) glass, top with ginger beer. Garnish with orange zest.

V ER SU S

What’s your dream gig (the bigger the better)?

V ER SU S

SF Name: Garrett Lee Marks Hometown: Tacoma, WA Years in the industry: 4

What you’re best known for? Blending up banana cows at the beautifully remodeled New Mission Theater. What innovations, techniques or revivals are currently inspiring you? I love hand cut ice. It takes a bit of labor but the results are rewarding. There’s nothing like drinking an Old Fashioned with a huge boulder floating in your glass until the last drop. Most underrated cocktail or spirit? Rhum Agricole, it’s a product of France with a funky complex flavor. It’s very fun to mix. Try it in a Daiquiri. Another drink which is simple to make is the TI punch.

What’s the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever seen in a drink? Pop rocks. I worked at a restaurant in the past that served Jell-O shots with pop rocks sprinkled on top. It was entertaining watching peoples’ faces as they exploded in their mouths. Any predictions of what we should look forward to seeing in the near future? More and more younger people doing their research and know a lot more about the products they’re consuming. What trend do you wish people would get over already? People calling themselves Mixologists! Where would we find you off the clock and what would you be sipping on? I like to hang at the Buddha Lounge in Chinatown after work and I’ll usually have a “few” Tsingtao’s. I love the bartender,

he’s a loud Chinese man that has no filter. Vacation guilty pleasure drink of choice? Margaritas and Daiquiris usually get the party started. Industry event that you’re really looking forward too? Tales in New Orleans will be fun this year. It will be my first time. I’m excited to meet other bartenders from around the country and share ideas.

Oaxacan Firing Squad

One my favorite drinks to make and drink. 1.5 oz repo tequila 0.5 oz mezcal 1 lime 0.75 oz grenadine 1 bsp simple syrup Quick shake, Collins, crushed ice. Grated orange on top. Mint, cherry, BOOM!

V ER SU S

Currently working at: Alamo Draft House & Mister Jiu’s, both in San Fransisco.

(2 oz Rhum Agricole, squeeze of lime, bsp [barspoon] cane sugar, served on the rocks).

NYC Name: Melaney Wolf Hometown: New York, NY

V ER SU S

Years in the industry: 16 Currently working at: Handcraft Kitchen & Cocktails in NYC What you’re best known for: My personality. What innovations, techniques or revivals are currently inspiring you? Classic cocktails, they way they used to be made.

Someone told me that Jager and mayonnaise is an actual shot. That is really weird.

Frozen strawberry Margarita or Pina Colada. I’m THAT guy.

Any predictions of what we should look forward to seeing in the near future?

Industry event that you’re really looking forward to?

I think more simplified drinks are coming. The crazy, complex drink fad is over.

WhiskeyFest NY

What trend do you wish people would get over already? IPAs. No one even knows what they are, they just order them because they’ve become popular for some reason.

What’s your dream gig (the bigger the better)? I actually have no idea.

Where would we find you off the clock and what would you be sipping on?

Third Time’s The Charm

Old Fashioned.

Probably at home with a bottle of wine...or Jameson Caskmates.

2016 is in your opinion “the summer of __(spirit/cocktail/beer)__”:

Do you have a current bartender-on-bartender crush?

Hmmmm...maybe it’s time for rum to make a comeback.

Yes. All 6,000 Irish bartenders in NY. They’re wonderful...and that accent...

1oz tequila 1.5 oz Smirnoff Grapefruit 0.5 oz simple syrup 0.5 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice 0.5 oz Amaro Montenegro 3 slices jalapeno

What’s the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever seen in a drink?

Vacation guilty pleasure drink of choice:

Most underrated cocktail or spirit:

Created by my boss, Alex.

Served up in a martini glass

V ER SU S

c i m ato a c i t ero

59 “My work is more o f an explorati on of the emotions and exp of sex, th erience e fun messines s of it all.”

text x reeda martin

I met Onnie at a lovely tattoo shop called LTW in Barcelona, Spain. We were both using the guest apartment above the studio but hadn’t met yet. I came by the shop looking for someone to hang out with when I first laid eyes upon her: a tiny woman with infectious energy who spoke perfect English, much to my luck in a Spanish speaking country where I felt mildly alone. Within minutes she had shown me a video of a guy getting his wang sucked by a giant fish and I was divulging too much about my love life over epic Spanish coffee. I felt like The Universe had sent me a pervy soul sister and we have been pals ever since. I’m actually trying to capture her like a Pokemon and bring her to the magical islands of Hawai’i but I haven’t had any luck considering we’re on different continents and she’s really busy. So when I was asked by Napua to interview her I was only too happy to help!

Reeda Martin: Why do you do such dirty filthy sexy tattoos and how you see your style developing over the years? Onnie O’Leary: Ha! That’s just what comes out of my dirty filthy sexy mind. I think about sex pretty much constantly, but since I can’t do it all the time (societal and physical constraints, you know how it is) I just draw it a lot. A lot of my flash is inspired by my sex life. I think it’s that real sex is represented in art. Most sexual images we see are pornography, and it’s designed purely to get you off. My work is more of an exploration of the emotions and experience of sex, the fun messiness of it all. My style is influenced heavily by comics, which I’ve always loved and the narrative possibilities of a single panel. I love trying to tell stories in my work. RM: What does tattooing mean to you and how has it changed your life (what doors has it opened)? OO: Tattooing for me is the purest form of art,

it’s like art while you wait. There are a lot of physical and technical constraints and that makes it exciting, working out solutions to those and solving problems. It’s also a huge privilege to be part of an industry with so many passionate and hard working artists to inspire me. I’m surrounded by people who are always thinking about how to improve their work and that kind of dedication is infectious!

gives me sass about those I can actually call them out on it, unlike in an office setting where many women feel they won’t have the support of their employer if they speak out about it. One boss of mine gave my arse a big squeeze at the drawing desk one day and I bent him over the counter and vigourously dry humped his butt. We all had a good laugh and he never groped me again.

Tattooing has changed my life by giving it a sense of purpose and introducing me to so many awesome people like yourself! I love travelling so the fact that I can work and travel when I want to makes me so happy. I love landing in a new city, dropping my things at the shop and within minutes having a whole bunch of new friends to talk art with, drink with, see the city with. It’s the best way to do it, although this year I’m focusing on giving myself a day or two off when I’m in a new place so I can actually see some more of the cities than the insides of their tattoo studios!

Women are becoming a larger part of the industry and there’s a lot of solidarity among us, it’s always nice to meet another female tattooer because we face slightly different issues to the guys and it’s good to talk about it. I was at the Dutch Ladies Tattoo Convention a few years ago and met some rad babes I still keep in touch with.

RM: How do you deal with the boys club of tattooing, because it is such a male dominated industry, or do you find that changing and that women are becoming a much larger part of the community?

RM: How come you haven’t painted my nudes yet? (Back story: she mentioned something about painting nudes and me being the slightly vain person I am, totally sent her epic and hilarious nudes in hopes of being painted one day.)

OO: I never had brothers growing up, now I feel like I have a million of them! There’s always going to be sexism, because we live in a sexist world, but I’m always judged first and foremost on my work rather than my genitals, and if anyone

OO: Ahhhh! I’m sorry! Can I say I open them up to paint and get distracted every time by your naked form? It’s actually because I am crazy busy with tattooing and I have so little time to paint. I’m taking a week off around my

birthday and hopefully I’ll get some done then, but don’t count on it! I might just get really high and watch Tales From The Crypt. RM: Where do you hope tattooing takes you and what do you hope to accomplish through it? OO: I really want to be a great artist. I have so so far to go on that, but it’s what I want. To bring some more beauty into the world and make women feel better about their bodies. The issue of representing the nude female form in art is a whole other long discussion! To achieve that I’m trying to meet and learn from the artists I respect and admire. Maybe if I can learn something off all of them I’ll be halfway to where I want, so most of my travel plans are dictated by who I want to work with. RM: What’s an ideal client; what’s the worst client you’ve had? OO: My ideal client is five minutes late to their appointment. I love having five minutes of breathing space after everything is set up for them. Anyone who has fun ideas for me and is happy to listen to my crappy dad jokes, weird sex stories and put up with my dance breaks is a good client in my eyes. I’m pretty lucky and most of my clients are amazing. The poor dude I tattooed today had

to wait for me to draw everything up after he got there because I had the wrong key for the shop I’m guesting at so we started like three hours after his appointment time. My worst client was actually another tattooer! He came in a hundred bucks short and wore his oldest, grossest undies with a big hole in them so his balls poked out. Made it really hard to concentrate! RM: Lastly, as an Australian what does the term “getting loaded” mean to you? OO: Haha! For us getting loaded means getting super high and/ or drunk. I don’t do it much any more since tattooing hungover is pretty much the most awful thing you can do. I did it once and vowed never again! I was sweating so much I could feel it trickling down my face, and it was the day my photographer mate came around to take some pics. We didn’t get any good ones. The guys’ tattoo turned out fine, but it took way longer than I thought it would! My advice: don’t do it!! So after reading that and seeing her amazing art, I think you can understand why me and over a hundred thousand other people are madly in love with her. She’s insanely talented, charming, and will make you laugh till your eyes water. If you would like to seek out the mysterious Onnie O’Leary for epic tattoos and jokes she can be found in between guest spots at Stone Heart Tattoo in Sydney Australia, working with some of Sydney’s weirdest. Inquiries can be received at tattoosbyonnie@gmail

the manifold magazine

art. music. fashion. profiles. a lifestyle magazine for the independent age

Âˇ

Gabi Sinehara and Dru Hara teamed up to put together this photo series that shows off what loaded could possibly mean, besides the cliche.

Âˇ

illustration x hazel brown

illustration x tien austin

illustration x momi lee

illustration x jeremy strength

illustration x napua camarillo

illustration x jen bradbury

illustration x adam funari

illustration x lauren roth

illustration x sergio garzon

illustration x rachel petrovich

ith medical or recreational marijuana legal in 23 states (plus Washington D.C.) and growing, national attention in the United States has shifted from ways to ban the drug to finding ways to profit from its production. According to cannabis investment and research firm the ArcView Group, the marijuana industry has grown from $1.8 billion in 2013 to $5.4 billion in 2015. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of weed. This fast-growing industry also presents big opportunities for a powerful demographic: women.

writtten x james charisma

“The cannabis industry is so new that there are very few barriers to get in, especially for women,” New Frontier founder and CEO Giadha DeCarcer said in a February 2016 interview with CNN. DeCarcer’s company, New Frontier, was founded in 2014 and offers data analysis for the marijuana industry. As a new legal form of business, weed isn’t skewed towards men as it is in other industries like banking, technology, and defense—fields that DeCarcer formerly worked in. “Those are all heavily male dominated areas,” DeCarcer told CNN. “It made it harder to rise to the top.” While the national average for women in executive roles throughout all industries is 22% (according to Pew Research Center), the Marijuana Business Daily reports that in the weed industry, women account for 36% of all executives. Both numbers need improving, but with weed, there’s no limit to how high women can rise (no pun intended). A decade ago, the concept of a woman dominating in the marijuana industry was unusual and outrageous enough to spawn a television show, “Weeds,” which ran for eight seasons. In reality, women in the industry were able to work much quicker. Women Grow, a professional marijuana women’s networking group, started in the summer of 2014 with just 70 people. Today, their monthly meetings boast an attendance of more than a thousand women across 44 cities nationwide. Women of Weed, a private Washington social club, has grown from eight to 300.

Seattle’s Marijuana Business Association’s Women’s Alliance division has 500 members. All three examples grew to these levels in just two years. “There is nothing but opportunity for women in this industry. We need to spread the word,” Women Grow founder Jane West told CNN’s Gogo Lidz. West, who describes herself as “one part Martha Stewart and one part Walter White,” expanded Women Grow’s network to 21,000 subscribers for their weekly newsletter and 46,000 followers on Instagram. Seeing an opportunity to carve out a business in this blossoming industry, West took it. This seems to be the story for many women in the the marijuana trade, whether they work as cannabis growers, chemists, doctors, lawyers, accountants, or professors: marijuana doesn’t just represent a new source of income for women today, it means countless careers. Cannabis growers are still mostly men, but perhaps not for long. In Oregon, Jen Cavagnol works in the marijuana industry, having first gotten involved in 2013. A friend of hers got her a spot in Grass Valley, California, trimming marijuana crops for three weeks as a way to make some quick cash. The couple that she stayed with had made an incredible living off the industry. “[They were] down to Earth, cooked exceptional meals and had a beautiful home with a pool table, workout equipment, massive HD TV, foosball table, the whole nine yards,” says

Cavagnol. “And I was making $200 a pound, which isn’t a number you can find very easily anymore. I got very lucky.” Cavagnol found additional work in Redding, CA, a short time after that, and her and her boyfriend eventually moved to Oregon, where he’s been growing marijuana for the past four years. For her, the industry is interesting, but difficult at times just because of the constant change. “Weed is in a state of flux—medically legal in some states, recreationally legal in others, federally illegal, it’s a mess. Counties change the rules constantly in terms of how many plants can be grown, they go back and forth about whether they allow certain things … it’s hugely frustrating for people who have made this their main industry,” says Cavagnol. “you can make a lot of money growing apples … [but] these guys, if they do it right, can make a million in a year, without trying too hard. There’s really no barrier to entry other than gaining some knowledge and spending a bit of money on the front end.” Entrepreneurial opportunities aside, why women? What about this industry has called out to such a large female presence in such a short amount of time? Maybe it’s precisely because they’re not your stereotypical stoners. In the 1920s, New York socialite Pauline Sabin had served with the national temperance movement, who campaigned to ban alcohol and its

consumption in the United States. With the passing of the 18th Amendment and Prohibition, Sabin’s goals had been achieved, but she soon learned how useless the law was. Alcohol was now simply created in secret, giving rise to moonshiners and bootleggers, and allowing criminal empires to rise and thrive based solely on the sale of liquor. Sabin founded the Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform in 1929, lobbied political parties, testified before Congress, and fought to repeal the amendment. By 1932, her organization grew to more than a million members. Although she was once fighting to outlaw alcohol, Sabin’s work was so critical in the ultimate repeal of Prohibition that TIME magazine featured her on one of their covers. For all the drunkards, politicians, gangsters, distillers, law enforcement, and others connected to the booze industry (nearly all of them men), few had done more to make alcohol legal than a proper lady of high society. She had become the spirit of, well, spirits. Pot is perhaps now in the same situation. For all the Cheech & Chongs, all the Snoop Doggs and Willie Nelsons and Seth Rogans of weed, maybe the biggest presence that marijuana needs now to legitimize itself is the suburban mom. Because if pot is good enough for the girl-next-door or the female entrepreneur or just somebody’s grandma, it might be OK for everyone else too.

t a o l f on

Soak in that sun, y’all! Load up on those beach days, road trips, bangin’ playlists and bonfires. Stack that jewelry like it’s a winter scarf and too much is on;y a good thing. Jade Alexis is our tropical dream girl rockin’ a neck-load of jewels. Float on. photos x napua camarillo hair and makeup x isabella hashimoto styled x torie okemora and jasmine mancos

first page: crochet top x forever 21, multi strand beaded necklace x forever 21, tribal collar x topshop (nordstrom) previous page: bikini x issa deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mar, feather suede tassel necklace x Nordstrom, bolo tie x paniolo trading co, this page: bikini x mikoh, silver squash necklace x lucky brand, turquoise collar necklace/ large cuff bracelet x lucky brand, long turquoise tassel medallion x american eagle, vintage opal ring, following page: bikini top x mikoh, gold baller chain x barrio vintage, long layered gold chain, necklace x fossil, vintage fishtail sold necklace, vintage sunglasses.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall/ Can a white man play the blues at all?” -Dave Van Ronk

e m o C d n i F to Out

interview x andy catanzariti photography x charlie myers

arlier this summer, I got the rare opportunity to meet with Blues Hall of Famer John Hammond and his wife Marla. John is the recipient of a Grammy award and four nominations, and at 73, he still tours regularly and has maintained his status as a critical darling. Over his long career, he’s played or recorded with a veritable who’s who of Rock Gods: Jimi Hendrix, Howlin’ Wolf, Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman, Dr. John, Skip James. His longtime friend Tom Waits produced his 2001 album Wicked Grin, which still garners major attention nearly fifteen years later. He is one of the few true bluesmen still performing who is able to bridge the gap between the genre’s first Renaissance and it’s diverse modern state.

I thought I was good and loaded - with interesting questions, of course – but I took along local slide guitar guru and photographer Charley Myers for good measure. Here’s what we “come to find.” Andy: Hey, John. You seem to be one of those artists who took the solo path, stepping back from the limelight, and taking the dusty long way. Does this ring true for you? John: Yup. I started out as a solo player and, to me, the essence of the blues is the solo player who put it across by himself, or herself. And I always strove to be able to be the whole package. A: It seems like some artists stop for the devil at the crossroads. They kind of... J: ...make a deal. [For me] it’s been a long road. But it doesn’t seem that long when things go well. You know, so I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have a modicum of success, and enough to keep me going, and I’ve had a chance to work with some phenomenal players that kept things moving right along. A: How old where you when you got your start? J: I started playing professional when I was 19. So it was my trip. A: Starting off at that young age, being around some of these iconic figures, connecting dots, bringing them together on occasion, did you have any darker, or loaded moments? Struggles with the temptations of the music industry?

J: Well, I probably made every mistake you can make as an artist. There’s no real road map for being a musician, you know, you gotta figure it out. I am fortunate to do well when I need to. One thing has led to another, recording contracts… I’ve made thirty-five records. I’ve been all over the world, and had a chance to record with and play with some of the greatest artists ever, including Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon, and I could just go on… Albert King. I’ve been a really lucky guy.

survived almost all of them now, what does it feel like to be left standing?

in one take and the next day Tom came in with a stack of his own songs

J: The old guy. I don’t know. I’m just happy to be here. I’m really lucky, to be in Hawaii, and I say woah, is this my life? I think it’s great.

Marla: Handwritten!!!

A: What keeps you loaded now? What keeps you moving and wanting to continue?

J: Tom Waits? Sure. Tom is one of my great friends.

J: It’s in me. I don’t know how to explain that. I never knew how to explain myself, you know, “How can you ever be doing a black man’s music or something?” And I say it’s not color, it’s what’s in you, and you know, either you can do it or you can’t. And if you can’t, you’ll find out right away. A: Something that you feel maybe? J: After all these years, you know, in 2011 I was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, [with] Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson and all the guys who I idolized, it just took my breath away, you know, it was unbelievable. A: And in traveling around all that time, seems like you’ve already seen this, what we call “revival,” happen at least once in your lifetime? J: Oh, like two or three at least, yeah. A: Do you think the Americana roots revival that’s happening now is a true return to roots? Or, do you feel like it’s a remake of a classic movie, like we remake everything? J: I think that every generation discovers blues, and it’s never been top of the pops, it’s never gotten airplay on the radio a lot or anything. It’s the stuff, you gotta seek it out, and it’s a special person that wants to get into the depth of it, to really play it and go on the road, and make a living at it. It’s not easy, and it’s not... A: But it’s there. J: It’s there. It’s got a certain caché to it, you know. Like if you can pull that off, man, that’s something. A: So, having worked with all these legends, and having

Charley: Are you going to do any Tom Waits songs during your Storytellers Sessions?

C: That was a great album. A: Yeah, seems like it’s still gaining momentum. J: it was all thanks to Marla, Marla made that whole thing happen. A: So, we’re talking about your twenthy-eight album, 2001’s Wicked Grin, a critically acclaimed collection of songs written and produced by Tom Waits. What was your approach to picking up those heavy songs? J: Do you really want to know? A: I really want to know. Was it difficult to play your friend’s songs? J: Marla had talked Tom’s wife, Kathleen, into the concept of Tom producing an album on me. Tom’s been a fan of mine since he was in high school. We sent each other tapes and stuff, and he had three days at the end of January and two days at the end of March. That was all the time he had. So Tom takes his family up to Lake Tahoe to go skiing, and gets stuck in a blizzard. We had a falling out with a recording studio that we liked to record in, so we had to scramble, and found this heavy metal rehearsal studio. It was horrible, just unbelievable. So anyway, here’s the band, Auggie Meyers on keys, Stephen Hodges on drums and Larry Taylor on bass, and we’re sitting around, we don’t know each other really, and Tom is on his way from Lake Tahoe and he’s like eight hours late. He came in and he looked like he was going to blow the whole thing off, you know. Marla says to me, “Take him out for a coffee and talk him into it.” So we went and had a coffee and I said, listen man, whatever we do it’s going to be good. It doesn’t matter, you know. Let’s start with one of your songs. And he says, well this song here, it’s never been released in the US. So we recorded 2:19, which is the opening. We did it

J: I never had a clue that he had written that many songs. And he’s prolific. So we picked songs that the title sounded interesting to me. These songs, I had never heard him do, so I kind of made ‘em up as we went along. And we did it in three days. I don’t know what planet Tom’s from. He’s just an amazing guy. The whole band just clicked as though we’d always played together. The drummer was amazing. And the engineer, Oz, was an awesome engineer. It wasn’t planned to be that way, that’s just how it turned out. C: Sometimes you can’t plan stuff. J: Yeah. A: Is there a certain song you go back to over and over that personifies your blues style that you tend to perform regularly? J: Yeah, there’s a Robert Johnson song that I do probably, maybe not every night, but a lot. “Come On in My Kitchen” was one of my go-to songs, “Preaching Blues”… There’s some songs of mine that I do often now, “That’s Cold” and “Come to Find Out,” “Slick Crown Vic”… when I begin a show I don’t plan a set. I just go for it. C: As an acoustic player, do you have a preference for microphones? J: I like a 58 on the vocal and a 57 on the guitar. Simple. And it works, if you’re playing in a big venue, Marla knows, you tell them to turn off the subwoofers and then you can hear the guitar. Otherwise it sounds like mud. M: If the subwoofers are on, all the guitars sound the same, all acoustic guitars. You would never know. J: No depth, no range. As soon as they turn them off it’s like, oh. I don’t use any pick ups at all. I just play acoustic guitar. A: Thank you very much, John. I appreciate you taking the time [to talk with us]. J: You’re welcome. It’s a pleasure to be here.

images courtesey of maikaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i tubbs interview x napua camarillo

sk anyone in the Honolulu art scene and they’ll tell you that Maika’i Tubbs’ career is something to be jealous of with regular work bringing him back home to O’ahu and a residency spot in New York. We loaded him with some questions about his medium, future plans and his fav hot spots here and there. The Manifold: How did you get into art? Maika’i Tubbs: I went to a Catholic Elementary and since I wasn’t Catholic, I had to stay in the classroom while everyone else went to chapel. I taught myself how to draw from observation while looking at the paper decorations around the room. TM: What are your favorite materials? MT: Anything people throw away as long as there’s a lot of it. Currently I’m into plastic shopping bags, catalogs and beach plastic. TM: Is there any one big thing that you

took away from art school? MT: My student debt. It’s huge. TM: You’ve been working a lot with plastics, and I read recently somewhere that you made a rule for yourself to use 80% discarded materials. How did this come about?

got me into graduate school at Parsons The New School for Design. Ironically, once I got to Parsons, there really wasn’t a proper fume facility to continue that work, nor was there any outdoor space to use. But what I did notice was the ridiculous amount of trash that lined the streets around school. Parsons is located at Union Square, a hub bub of retail stores and restaurants. Everyday around 4:30pm, businesses would unload their garbage bags onto the sidewalk, sometimes piled up taller than myself. The bags transformed the streets into an urban landscape of waste and New Yorkers seemed to just navigate around them like it was no big deal. I decided to devote the rest of my time in graduate school to figuring out ways to use trash in my work. So I came up with the 80/20 rule. The work I would make from then on would consist of at least 80% found material and no more

“...w things e imported plasti like col the isl c flatwar ored most o and, knowi e onto n up getf that woulg that d end ting e x o p f o f MT: I worked with the isl rted disposable plastic and...” goods like utensils and plates for a few years when I still lived in Hawai‘i. I used to find it rather ridiculous that we imported things like colored plastic flatware onto the island, knowing that most of that would end up getting exported off the island since we didn’t have enough landfill space. I made sculptures with these materials to talk about how invasive I felt plastic had become and the type of blind consumerism that comes with plastic in general. That work

than 20% new material. It allows me to clean up the streets and beaches and find creative ways to use it. TM: Tell us about the things you love and how they translate into your art? MT: For a long time, I was a compulsive shopper. I had to buy something everyday. I would go to Waikele or Ala Moana and use birthdays, Christmas and other holidays to buy something for someone or myself. And if I couldn’t find anything, I would go to Cookie Corner and buy a cup of chocolate chip walnut cookie bites. This is what used to fuel my previous work; a need to purchase and collect useless things. It crept into my work, making me buy ridiculous amounts of things like plastic spoons, pushpins, packing tape and glue. It was largely influenced by growing up with hoarders and finding satisfaction in being surrounded by an abundance of things. I think all of that is still present in the work I make today. You can see the accumulation of stuff that makes up the production of each piece. The only thing that’s changed is that I go out and

gather most of it now or use my own consumer waste instead of purchasing it. I also grew up with comic books and cartoons that gave me somewhat of a do-gooder complex. It’s probably where I get my “let’s save the planet” mentality. Awww, that just reminded me of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. I wanted to be Gi so bad...

with later. The shuttle took us back to the Education Station at Turtle Bay where I set up my paper and started to print some of the plastic items using the plastic ink I made. It was nice to interact with the public while making work. It was also exhausting. I was a little burnt and lugging all that trash was a solid workout.

TM: When I met you, you said that you were flown back home to Oahu to work on a piece with Sustainable Coastlines? (I hope that’s right? I was drinking when we met. haha) Tell us about that work.

TM: Tell us about your process if there is one? For example do you start with a goal, an idea, or do you just let things form organically with a certain medium?

MT: I think I met you on my first trip back in February. At that point the Honolulu Museum of Art had flown me back for the opening of Plastic Fantastic? and to make a piece for the exhibition. At the opening I met Kahi Pacarro, director of Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i, an amazing guy who I basically want to be when I grow up. I had wanted to do a printmaking project with one of their beach cleanups and that’s when he told me that the Kahuku Beach cleanup was happening at the end of the month. I already had my plane ticket back to New York because I was starting my second artist residency at the Museum of Arts and Design so I flew back for a week, then booked another trip to O‘ahu for the cleanup. Back in New York, I had brought a few colored plastic bottles from the beach with me. I grinded them into powder and added them to a transparent medium to create printing ink. When I got back to O‘ahu, I drove out to Turtle Bay where Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i had set up camp for the Wanderlust Festival. They shuttled us out to Kahuku Beach for the cleanup where we spent over four hours picking up around 10,000 pounds of debris. It was crazy. I also sifted out 3 gallons of tiny debris to play around

MT: I’m mostly driven by the material. I like to play around with it and have it teach me what it wants to do. Once I figure out its capabilities, I can see what it wants to say conceptually. People who have seen me work often tell me it looks like a mad scientist lab. I would not disagree with that statement. TM: I really love your Dissection of a Seventh Grade Eating Complex, it’s brilliant and resonates with me and with Oahu’s constant construction and high rises. Being of Native Hawaiian descent can you tell us a little more about that piece and how you feel about the direction that Oahu is headed. MT: That’s funny. That piece actually has nothing to do with Oahu‘s high rise problem but I can definitely see how it

would apply. Growing up I was often rewarded for good grades or doing well in sports with a plate lunch, something I think a lot of local kids can relate to on some level. Food as a reward. Plate lunches consisted of mainly high fat, high carb combinations. At some point my body was probably made up of more mac salad and rice than anything else. So this piece served as a portrait of my intermediate self, battling with my eating habits and body issues while metaphorically constructing myself out of the food containers from my youth. A building of windows to see through the facade and ladders to escape to other levels for comfort, for the next reward. TM: You are a resident artist at The MAD Artist Studios in NYC allows you to be very interactive with your viewers. And this synergy happens on a regular basis. How do you feel about that? MT: It’s a very unique experience. When the elevator opens on the 6th floor, museum visitors see a glass wall full of work by the residents. And right behind that is me, just working on my own stuff. It’s like a fishbowl where visitors are invited to play with the fish. And in case the analogy is lost, I’m the fish. If you like talking to people about your work, this is the residency for you because half the job is talking and the other half is making. After a two year graduate fine arts program

where every reference you get is an artist, it’s nice to chat with visitors in other fields. I’ve had a lot of interesting references and met a few curators and artists with similar interests. And while the constant visitation can sometimes prove difficult when I’m in the middle of something, I’ve gotten it down to where I can work and talk at the same time. My favorite part about the residency are all the wide-eyed students that come in either on school tours or just with their parents. When I tell them my work is made of trash, they all seem to light up and it usually sparks some really great discussions. TM: As far as future plans go, do you see yourself staying in NYC for a while or do you lust after any other locations (living wise)? MT: I really like New York, so I see myself staying here for a while. When I left Hawai‘i, I told myself I’d give myself 5 years. It’ll be 3 years in August. So far, this city has been good to me and I come home often enough that my heart isn’t yearning for it daily. If I were to move in the states, it would be to California. Art scene plus weather akin to home seems ideal. But otherwise, I’ve actually really enjoyed my visits to Canada and I’ve thought about moving there a few times. TM: Do you have any ideas that you want to come to fruition in the future? MT: I’m working on a jewelry collaboration at the moment with a friend, so that’s been incentive for me since I’ve wanted to start that for a while. I still have a dream about making a clothing collection from trash. Making artwork from trash is rewarding and allows me to chat about my own environmental concerns, but I think making functional things from it would

be just as satisfying. TM: Who would commission?

your

dream

MT: I would love to brand myself as a garbage man, where businesses or even individuals would grant me access to their trash and pay me to make work from it. They get to feel good about not having their waste end up in a landfill or the ocean and I get to not be homeless. It’s pretty much a win-win for everyone. Plus I love a good challenge and trash is the ultimate challenge. Can you imagine Beyonce texting me: “Hey boo. Jay-Z’s Air Jordan collection is taking over my house and it’s ridiculous. I thought about donating them or throwing them out, but we’re trying to work out our stuff so can you make me something out of it instead? I think it would be a good compromise. I get more shoe space, we get a new art piece and he gets to stay in the house :) XOXO, Bey”. TM: So this issue’s theme is “LOADED” and we’re asking you what you’d load on your day’s to do list that’s specific to each location -- Oahu and NYC.

OAHU Breakfast: Koko Head Cafe Shop: Kailua Salvation Army Activity: Pillbox Hike Lunch: Haili’s Music: Wang Chungs Beach: Bellows Bar: Bacchus Dinner: Monkeypod Club: Scarlet Love about Oahu - beach anywhere in 10 minutes Hate about Oahu - driving NYC Breakfast: Cafe Luluc Shop: Buffalo Exchange Activity: Chelsea gallery walk and Highline Lunch: Artichoke’s Pizza Music: Central Park Concerts Beach: Rockaways Bar: Union Pool Dinner: Purple Yam Club: Vodka Soda Bottom’s Up Love about NYC - art shows Hate about NYC - dating

apple core 2 months

disposable lighter 250 years

newspapers 3-6 months

cardboard boxes 2 months

beverage straws 10 years toothbrush 150 years

No Trash Left Behind

plastic drink container 450 years

text x napua camarillo

plastic bag 10-20 years

aluminum can 80-200 years

disposable diaper 450 years glass bottle 1 million years

cigarette butts 1-5 years

rubber tire 450 years

plastic can holder 450 years

ould you imagine a world without plastics? It’s hard to. It’s so embedded in our everyday that it’s become part of our legacy. Years from now our “fossils” will be everything from detergent containers, bottle caps, and car doors. We’ve welcomed plastic with open to and it seems our breakup with them would be a pretty messy divorce. Everything, from that straw in your glass, the lighter you use, the plastic liner around that unopened gum packet, the plastic spout on the milk carton; they all add up. Each person throws away 185 pounds of plastic a year. And most of it ends up in our ocean. You can see the evidence of it on our very own beaches, most notably the very loaded Kailua beach where it seems to land in colonies. We’ve thrown away more plastic in the last ten years than in the last century. Shame on us! While researching this article, I brought up the idea to various people who’d cross my path, and for the most part people were receptive. It seemed to spark thought but from time to time there’d be a “there’s no coming back from this” or a “fuck the world” kind of feel. And I can fully relate partially because it feels hopeless. The plastics industry has become so much a part of our lives, why not just embrace it instead of making life harder for ourselves for what’s left of our time on this planet? Here are a few non preachy chunks of information to move around the ol’ upstairs noodle: • • • • • • • •

Hawaii especially sees plastic debris from around the world, from countries like Korea, China, Japan, and Thailand. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch used to be twice the size of Texas and is now more like the size of Europe. Yikes. 90% of the price you pay for a bottled water goes to the plastic bottle, while the water only makes up 10% of the costs. Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60W bulb for up to 6 hours. Recycling plastics can save up to 2/3 of the needed energy to produce plastic from raw materials. Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year. Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator. Enough plastic is thrown away each year to

It breaks my heart when my friends here in Hawaii

freely throw things away, as if we aren’t on a heavily populated, overly saturated plastic island in the middle of the Pacific; the most isolated landmass in the world. Like it’s nothing. And, well it kind of is, right? When we throw things away that’s where they go— away. Out of sight out of mind, right? No one’s dealing with what’s in a landfill besides sanitation workers. So that big plastic floatie that sprung a leak seemed to the average Joe a big crumpled, useless piece of trash. What if we changed our way of thinking on the subject? Like instead of throwing it out, how about using that rectangular mini computer you carry around to Google “floatie leak hacks” or “ways to repair a leak on my floatie”. What an idea. Buy a repair kit and fold up that floatie for next years floatilla with peace of mind that it’s not still floating around with no home and being pecked at by hangry fish (float responsibly). Maybe the real problem is how cheap plastic has become. If it costed more would we be so casual? Is money the only way to make this generation realize our effect on the environment? Perhaps. Ireland introduced a 15 cent plastic bag tax and reduced their usage by 90% in one year. It is now 22 cents. This isn’t the whole solution, but it is a start.

• •

• • •

•

I’m always appalled to see someone throwing their cigarette butts out the window of their cars or acting as if the sand is their own personal ashtray many of whom I know are locals. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said “Yes, you can smoke in my car as long as you don’t throw the butts out the windows” (No Butts Out Windows.. bumper sticker trade mark pending) and they still do. It appears as if I’m preaching, yes, but that’s because a staggering amount of cigarettes end up in our oceans each year. Over the past 25 years, cigarette butts have been the number one debris item found in our oceans and waterways during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. It seems like such an easy fix. Just, as Santa Cruzers would say,—“Pack Your Trash” or in Hawaiian terms “A’ole Opala”. Plastics are everywhere and yes, it seems like a hopeless task to reduce our plastic usage so here are few ways to get you jump started:

•

photo x rick wilson

Tell your bartender “I don’t need a straw” and go raw dog on that glass. Stop using toothpaste with microplastics—yes that’s a thing. Don’t do it. It’s probably the MOST

• •

• • •

harmful plastic of them all. Switch from that fluffy plastic loofah ball and body wash to bar soap that’s packaged in a cardboard box. BYOB—cute canvas bags are everywhere. Leave them in your trunk or on your front door so you’ll never forget them. Did you know there are alternatives to plastic toothbrushes? Try The Environmental Toothbrush made of sustainable bamboo and dissolvable nylon brush hairs. Buy a Hydroflask already! Pack your own water. Or better yet pack that flask full of ice and reload wherever you are! Invest in a good refillable pen instead of those plastic bics. Caligraphy is making a comeback. Besides has your penmanship gotten better just because of the pen you’re using? Am I alone on that one? Meh, oh well. Plastic lighter? Hell no, dawg, I got me a Zippo! Don’t like that butane taste when you’re lighting that bong? Try bees twine. Feeling really passionate? Write, email, urge your Congressman to have stricter bans on plastic. Or better yet, tell the companies you buy to consider other options. There’s power in numbers, people. We can make a change! It IS possible. Fuckin’ recycle! Less than 85% of plastics are recycled. Boycott companies who aren’t ethically responsible and reward those who are like LUSH cosmetics by becoming loyalty members. Tell that restaurant you’re getting take out from that you’ll bring your own bag and you don’t need that plastic ware. Better yet Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and REFUSE. Refuse to accept that this is “just how it is.” Be a part of your community. Go to beach clean ups! Check out Sustainable Coastlines for more info on those in Hawaii. Where ever you may be, Google “[My town/state environmental issues.]”

When it comes to plastic, prevention is better than a cure. Being “green” is really just being more conscious and more frugal with our hard earned money, and being more responsible for our actions. Think about it.

101

One in the chamber then five more on deck. All the best things come as six

poem x luke sciberras artwork x stephanie hu

103

t H E M A N I F O L D M A G .C O M

last word Book: The BFG by Roald Dahl Natalie O’Brian is beyond a budding stylist. At the age of 28, she’s already worked for a multitude of celeb clientes including Jim Carrey, Freddie Prince and our personal favorite, Jason Momoa. Seems like talent runs in the family... her sister Emily O’Brian is a 3 time Emmy winner. Natalie’s posted up in Italy, France, and various other tasty countries ,peddaling style and swagger. We asked her a few questions that reveal her “lasts” on Earth. This is her lasts

Steamy Sex: The best I’ve ever had. You know who you are.

Movie: The Fall

Album: Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morrisette Drug: Perfectly rolled joint. Possibly blunt.

Meal: My mom’s old school Persian lemon chicken and raisin carrot rice

Sunset: The sunset over Oia in Greece.

Beverage: Matcha green tea Call: Parents

follow her @hashtagnatalie on instagram

105