The Wake, Issue 5, Fall 2012

-Q & A: Wiping Out Thousands -Bastard Dance Contest Results!

-A Defense Of The Liberal Arts Degree -Red Scare Round 2

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Editorial

Production

Editor-in-Chief Alex Lauer

Production Manager Sean Quinn

Managing Editor Alyssa Bluhm Cities Editor Alicia Johnson Voices Editor Justin Miller Sound & Vision Editor Zach McCormick Obituaries Editor Kelsey Schwartz

This Issue Cover Artists Sam Lindsay and Steve Sitek Photographers Kara Hakanson, Jared Martin, Zach McCormick, Sarah Mevissen, Sam Schaust Illustrators Dan Forke, Parker Hoffman, Sam Lindsay, Robert Schoen, Justin Sengly, Steve Sitek Contributing Writers Katie Askew, Courtney Bade, Paul Erling, Herbert B. Ferguson-Augustus, Tommy Finney, Sara Glesne, Kara Hakanson, Jack Hanisch, Kohlman Harshbarger, Elizabeth Ireland, Evan Johnson, Arnav Joshi, Alex Lauer, Tyler Lauer, Zach McCormick, Kelcie McKenney, Sarah Mevissen, Justin Miller, Alanna Norton, Brian Pricco, Juan P. Ramirez, David Schaefer, Sam Schaust, Robert Schoen, Logan Wroge

©2009 The Wake Student Magazine. All rights reserved.

Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for the students of the University of Minnesota.

Graphic Designers Sean Quinn, Katie Schalow, Sondra Vine, Taylor Wichrowski Art Director Sam Lindsay

The more I’m exposed to the Minneapolis media scene, the more I hate it— especially the music scene. Most of the writers/bloggers/reviewers/“tastemakers” are friends and they all like the same bands, write the same comments, and have nothing interesting to say EVER. Case in point: The Crystal Castles show I went to on November 1st at First Ave.

Social Media Manager Tara Mrachek Web Editor Sam Gordon Staff Writers Tommy Finney, Tyler Lauer, Logan Wroge

The front half of the floor was going nuts the entire time and Alice Glass spit whiskey in my girlfriend’s face. It was everything I could have asked for. But when I went to look at what people were saying about the show, none of the popular writers were actually a part of the craziness that was happening on the floor. These writers were live-tweeting from the side and the back of the venue, and they wrote articles that didn’t say anything I haven’t heard a million times before. They experienced the show from the perspective of all the locally-crafted-beer-sipping old people standing still in the back.

So maybe if you’re old and want to see what the “cool kids” are listening to nowadays you’d be interested in what these people have to say, but that doesn’t include any of the young people in this city and on this campus.

Business Business Manager Chee Xiong

Then there’s the fact that no one in this city wants to hate on a local artist. It’s all Minnesota Nice around here. If a rapper has absolutely no flow during his shows he still “has some of the best wordplay in town” and if a band plays a lackluster, unenthused set, they “experimented with the feeling of the songs off their critically acclaimed album.” Jordan Gatesmith had it right.

Advertising Manager Steve Sitek Advisory Board James DeLong, Kevin Dunn, Courtney Lewis, Eric Price, Morgan Mae Schultz, Kay Steiger, Mark Wisser

Can’t get enough of THE WAKE ?

Tweetz: @THE_WAKE Fakebook: /TheWakeMagazine Wake-Mag.tumblr.com

12:5

Now I’m not going to drive people away by writing about how a certain writer/publication/blog sucks—because there is no point in alienating people from this magazine. On the other hand, I challenge you to not give in to the mediocrity. If a publication keeps writing the same uninspired pieces, don't read it! If blogs keep promoting the same bands over and over, actually go to shows and find a new favorite band for yourself! If you think a popular local band sucks, say they suck!

And feel free to be more eloquent than “This band sucks.” That’s just a solid go-to.

In the end, just read The Wake. If you like what we're doing, please tell your friends about us, give a copy of the magazine to someone in class, tweet at us and let us know what's up—get at us! We may have more typos and less money than some other publications, but these students are willing to write all this for nothing so you know you’re not getting some b.s.

The Wake Student Magazine 1313 5th St. SE #331 Minneapolis, MN 55414

Alex Lauer

(612) 379-5952 • www.wakemag.org

Editor-in-Chief

The Wake was founded by Chris Ruen and James DeLong.

The Wake is published with support from Campus Progress/Center for American Progress (online at www.campusprogress.org).

YOU CAN DO IT. I BELIEVE IN YOU.

disclaimer The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email mfoucault@wakemag.org.

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Fear Your Pancreas No More

Minnelide: a new drug attempting to defeat the most lethal cancer

By Logan Wroge A year and a half ago, I sat in a waiting room at the Fairview hospital on campus. While taking a break from my chemistry homework, I peered out the window and thought about how this was going to be my college in only four months. It was going to be a good change. The thought was interrupted by a surgeon with news that would alter my life, but not for the better. Due to complications, the tumor could not be removed. My dad wasn’t going to beat it. Pancreatic cancer would become the death of my father as it had been for my grandfather. Almost a year after his passing, news surfaced about a drug in development that could potentially be a cure for the most lethal form of cancer.

affect humans now. As Dr. Saluja expressed, “It frustrates me when we can’t do things faster.”

I wouldn’t lie; I had mixed feelings of elation and frustration upon hearing this news. I kept asking myself how different life would be if this whole process was happening two years earlier. What would happen if my dad had been accepted into a trial? But life throws unexpected circumstances at you, good and bad. A day of the nine to five routine can be followed by a life evaluating day. Even though Minnelide allows us to ask questions about how life could be, its impact will be on how life will be, who we get to share it with, and how long we get to enjoy our time on this rock. This positive outlook can act as a shield, protecting you against those unfortunate surprises, inspiring hope.

Minnelide did not appear with the wave of a wand, but the calculation of time, money, and effort brought it to where we are today. Dr. Saluja stressed that the work done in creating this drug was not the sole effort of an individual, but the collective work of multiple people devoted to finding a cure to this deadly disease. There are many people and organizations who have offered a lot to this project. Selwyn Vickers, M.D., the chairman of the Department of Surgery, Gunda Georg, Ph.D., the director of the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, and Bruce Blazer, M.D., the director of the Center for Translational Medicine, all contributed to discov-

ering and producing Minnelide. Robert Goodale, a surgeon for the University, has donated a tremendous amount of personal money and time to get to this point. Dr. Saluja also noted that work such as this could not be done without the help of the federal government and the grants that are provided to research projects such as this. The credit to this discovery isn’t exclusive to the University of Minnesota as others from around the country have contributed to finding a cure to the most lethal cancer. To put it plainly, my hand would cramp if I tried to write thank you notes to everyone.

Nobody likes to talk about cancer. But when advances such as Minnelide occur, we begin to see a hopeful future, one where 44,000 less Americans hear the worst news of their lives. With Minnelide only months from human testing, we may reflect on former events, thinking of all those we have lost. But now is the time to imagine a world where the pains of the past will instead become more grill outs, late night conversations, beers shared with those we love. Those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer may be given a saving grace soon, no longer counting the day gone by but the years. As Dr. Saluja worked on this project, he mentioned how there was one song that exemplified his feelings. The lyrics of Imagine,

by John Lennon, speak about hope, something we all need to defeat cancer. “You, you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.”

Minnelide is a chemotherapy that has its roots here at the University of Minnesota. Its potential makes it one of the most exciting medical breakthroughs in recent history. Each year, 44,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Of those, half of them will die within six months. My dad was fortunate enough to make it seven. After speaking with one of the researchers involved, Ashok Saluja, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of research in the University’s Department of Surgery, I was filled in with the technical insight that lead to this discovery.

Pancreatic tumor cells have an excess amount of a protein known as HSP 70. This protein protects the cancerous cells during their growth. Minnelide reduces the levels of HSP 70, ceasing the cancer’s development, and allowing it to eventually die. The results from tests conducted on mice are phenomenal. Those who did not receive the drug tended to live only 45 days, but the mice that were given Minnelide had an average life span of over a year. Compare this to a healthy mouse’s life of about a year and a half to two years, and the importance of this project becomes blindingly clear, not only to those who suffer from pancreatic cancer but to a whole host of other cancers. When speaking to Dr. Saluja, he mentioned how Minnelide has been tested for its effectiveness against colon and ovarian cancer with positive outcomes. It could lay the foundation to saving millions of lives, but it all depends on the next step in the long process of drug development: human testing.

Experimenting on mice provides a good model, but the true ability of a drug isn’t realized until humans become the subjects. Beginning in the spring of 2013, we will see how Minnelide translates to people when the trials are set to begin.

While testing may not seem long off, the whole process to get to this point has spanned years. Back in 2007 is when it was discovered pancreatic tumor cells contain too much HSP 70.

This work was preceded by even more time and effort in understanding the protein. We’re just starting to see how it will Jared Martin

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What Are You Going To Do With That?

I’m going to write well, and often. I’m going to be an informed and educated member of society.

Maybe society as a whole doesn’t find value in that, but I do. I’ve never been thrilled with the idea of learning one skill and applying that to one job for my entire life. I don’t want to live to make money. I want to live to explore and create and think and enjoy life. I want to be able to try different jobs in different areas and, with a Liberal Arts degree, I’ll be able to do that.

Cue the cynic: “Yeah, like making lattes and folding sweaters.”

A Defense of the Liberal Arts Degree If you Google “Liberal Arts Degree,” the first page of results will be filled with headlines like “What is a Liberal Arts Degree Worth These Days?”, “So You Have a Liberal Arts Degree and Expect a Job?”, “Is It Time to Kill the Liberal Arts Degree?”, and so on. A certain on-campus newspaper recently published a letter from a University alumnus with this message for students of the College of Liberal Arts: “Please, I beg you, drop out.”

Liberal arts degrees are valuable because they shape dynamic, thoughtful, inquisitive citizens of the world.

The overwhelming pressure to attend college, even without a clear end goal, drives many people to work toward degrees without any real interest. Many of those end up majoring in the liberal arts, categorizing CLA as the catchall school. You don’t know what you’re doing, so you’re in CLA. In some cases that’s probably true, but not always.

I know what kind of job I want, and my liberal arts degree will help me get it.

These types of questions and comments are pervasive, debasing, and capitalistic. They operate on the assumption that everyone seeking higher education is actually just seeking higher income. They imply that a liberal education is worthless. The author of the previously mentioned letter to the editor wrote that his argument was purely economic, and not just in terms of tuition. “[Liberal Arts] College is four years of lost work history, opportunities for advancement and experience,” he wrote.

So, liberal arts students: the next time someone asks you what your major is, answer proudly. Tell them why it interests you. Tell them why it’s valuable to you. Non-liberal arts students: respect us. You’ve heard the stereotypes, but you also have a good friend who is really enthusiastic about her archaeology major. Why should she ignore her passion just because it doesn’t spell out M-O-N-E-Y? If I have debt after college and can’t immediately pay it down, why does it matter to you?

I’ve never been thrilled with the idea of learning one skill and applying that to one job for my entire life. I don’t want to live to make money.

I think that these unfortunate and unfunny jokes are really just expressions of deep-seated self-doubt.

This mindset is frustrating and disappointing. Whatever happened to the enlightened scholar? The classics believed that a comprehensive knowledge of the liberal arts was what distinguished a free person from a slave. I’d say that’s still true today.

More pragmatically, I’m going to think critically about the messages that I receive on a day-to-day basis. I’m going to follow my curiosity and explore things that interest me. I’m going to communicate effectively, in many different mediums.

That’s just it: passion. Enthusiasm is the real key to gaining respect for our English, Philosophy, and Religious Studies degrees. If you choose to study philosophy because it seems like the easiest way to a degree, then it should be unsurprising when you have difficulty finding a job. Laziness speaks for itself. Passion, knowledge, and dedication should be how we answer unfair stereotypes.

And really, if you aren’t truly interested in your liberal education, what are you doing here? What are you getting out of your university experience? Contrary to what we’re fed in high school, college isn’t for everyone. The world would be a much better place if teachers and parents encouraged their kids to follow their dreams and meant it – even if that meant a dream without a B.S. or B.A.

By Elizabeth Ireland

Nearly every time I tell someone that I’m majoring in English, they respond with raised eyebrows and that repulsive query: “What are you going to do with that?” What am I going to do with a comprehensive education? To be completely melodramatic, I’m going to escape from the shackles of society. I’m going to break away from the attitude that if an education doesn’t make you rich, it’s not worth anything.

sure of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it; but somewhere deep down they must be jealous of the people following their passions.

robert shoen

I think that these unfortunate and unfunny jokes are really just expressions of deep-seated self-doubt. Why else would people feel the need to put down other people’s dreams and aspirations? I have no problem with a business student who is really interested in economics, or an engineering student who truly loves math. Passion doesn’t discriminate between subjects. But I do have a problem with pursuing a degree without any real interest in the material, only in the monetary upshot. Students of the School of Money are probably very

William Butler Yeats once wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Liberal arts degrees are valuable because they shape dynamic, thoughtful, inquisitive citizens of the world. Learning is never worthless, especially when it’s in a field that interests you. I’m not interested in a degree that will qualify me to be a bored, boring, money-making drone for the rest of my life. I reject the idea that education is only worthwhile if it makes you money. I choose to respect myself, and demand the respect of others. Sorry, but I will not drop out.

www.wakemag.org

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Courserror: Regulation of Free Online Education

BY Alanna Norton If any of you take classes on the free online education website called Coursera, you may have noticed a recent change on the terms page (or not, no one actually reads those things). It states that Minnesota residents will no longer be allowed to take courses on the website, or if they do, that the majority of work will have to be done outside Minnesota borders.

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education recently released a statement claiming websites offering online college courses without their permission are technically illegal. Minnesota officials are enforcing an old law originally written to protect students from receiving degrees at substandard institutions.

It applies to both online and traditional universities, but free online education was only targeted recently.

Why make it expensive and difficult for high quality colleges to give free classes to those interested in learning for fun? Or to someone who is able to receive credit for the class at their college? The answer is that a lack of regulation in classes that COULD fill a requirement for a college degree. Originally, the law was meant to protect students from wasting money on a useless or poor education. The concern of the Office was that websites could charge fees for classes that had no academic value. And while Coursera partners with high quality schools such as Stanford, Brown, Duke, and Princeton, they are operating against state law by not paying the fees required for institutions in Minnesota.

Websites such as OpenCulture post links to free video and audio of lectures from top universities without the option of

receiving credits. YouTube has housed MIT lectures about high-level math and science for years. There are countless instructional or philosophical speeches on the website as well without any problems. OpenCulture and YouTube were not targeted by those enforcing the law because they do not claim to offer actual courses and do not require any specific amount of work or contributions.

Coursera is different. Not only are you able to view lectures and text, but you actually have assignments, readings, and discussion forums as a student. If you do the work, listen to the lectures and take the tests, you can receive credit for that class for a fee or two. The formula for the “classroom” is almost identical to online classes in registered institutions, hence the problem. You wouldn’t want some random person creating a website with fake college courses and handing out credit, right?

I thought it was ridiculous to try and stop free learning for those who want it, or try and cease all possibilities of a cheaper education.

I originally began my research siding completely with those in favor of continuing Coursera and other websites like it. I thought it was ridiculous to try to stop free learning for those who want it, or try to cease all possibilities of a cheaper edu-

cation. The more I looked into the actual law and the reasoning behind it, the more I began to agree with those in favor of regulation. Free education is amazing, especially if it gets you college credit during a time when tuition prices are completely insane, but I don’t know if it is right. Personally, if I’m actually putting in time and trying to learn, I want to be sure that I know enough to continue onto higher levels in that field, rather than learning whatever random topics a professor decides to put together. These courses aren’t videos of actual lecture like the YouTube MIT videos. These video lectures are a professor sitting at his or her desk, discussing the topic. Don’t you, as a student and consumer, want to be sure the class you are taking is complete, even if it is mostly free?

Perhaps the easiest way to rectify all this would be to make the online college regulation process easier and cheaper. No website is going to pay the current cost of being regulated because they barely make enough money to stay afloat as it is. If it cost only a couple thousand, then a few more reputable sites may pop up with a larger variety of classes. Or we could only require the website to register and be cleared once since the internet isn’t tied to any state or country.

So far Minnesota is the only state to try to regulate free online college courses. Another could possibly try to follow suit, but considering the amount of backlash the Minnesota Office of Education received, it isn’t likely. On October 19th the director of MOHE released a statement announcing the government’s change of heart. They will be making changes to the twenty-something year-old law, and in the meantime have no plans to condemn or investigate free courses offered online to Minnesota residents.

Luckily, we escaped possible border-hopping to receive a free online credit or two, but the legal future of free online education remains uncertain.

Luckily, we escaped possible border-hopping to receive a free online credit or two, but the legal future of free online education remains uncertain. The Office claimed they were making changes to the law to incorporate businesses like Coursera, but how much of the law they will change is still unknown.

Will it be required for them to only partner with specific universities? Will they have to regulate the cost of registering the credit to count towards a degree? According to Larry Pogemiller, the director of MOHE, government officials seem inclined to allow free online classes as long as they do not count for credit towards a registered college. He said, “When the legislature convenes in January, my intent is to work with the Governor and Legislature to appropriately update the statute to meet modern-day circumstances. Until that time, I see no reason for our office to require registration of free, not-forcredit offerings.”

SAM LINDSAY

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Try it! You might like it!

Find a new place to study or chill, get out of your comfort zone.

By Kara Hakanson I like to think that some of you made the trek over to Lind Hall’s Starbucks. (Reference the last Wake issue if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Did you like it?

Did Hermione tell you to be quiet? I hope your answer to all of those above questions is yes. This week I’m taking you off campus (gasp!) to another coffee shop that because of its location, the baristas working there, the folks that go there, and the fun atmosphere, is totally worth getting out of U territory.

LOCATION: DUNN BROS If you’re already confused, wondering what the heck Dunn Bros is, we have a problem. You are missing out my friend, so please let me show you into the marvelous world of Dunn Bros coffee and life.

Located on University Ave and 6th Street SE, Dunn Bros is the perfect place to get away from things emblazed with a giant maroon and gold ‘M’ on it. If you’re living off campus in the Marcy Holmes area or even on the edge of Dinkytown, it’s a quick bike or walk down the street. If public transportation is how you get around, there is a convenient bus stop right out front. The baristas are friendly, ready to advise you on their favorite fall drink, and you can actually buy your own pounds of coffee. (Or just lift the lids and take a big whiff like I do…)

over to the Dunn Bros on University, there’s a pretty good chance you will meet someone that will start an interesting conversation with you. But you have to be open to it. Don’t expect anyone to talk to you if you’re sulking in the corner, afraid to make eye contact. And who says it has to be someone that comes up to you? See someone with a cool sticker on their laptop or reading a book you just read? Go over and talk to them about it. It’s the simple concept of being friendly; something that this Dunn Bros radiates. It’s amazing how good you feel after you’ve had a completely random conversation with a complete stranger. Maybe it’s just me, but I always leave a situation like that smiling.

homework out of the way, like study for a midterm or write a paper. Who knows if this is actually what they intended for the layout of the building, but from my observations, overall, that’s what it has become.

So after you get your special fall drink (or just a regular tea or coffee), you have lots of options of where to sit your behind down. This Dunn Bros is an intriguing spot because you can go there for different reasons, to study or to socialize, and it can offer you both thanks to its size. I have deemed the front of Dunn Bros the “social” spot, where friends meet up to chat over a hot drink. Then there is the back section that I designated the “Do work” section. That’s where I go to get my big

For me, I find comfort in the white noise of a hot caffeinated drink being made but I know some don’t exactly find the whir of the espresso maker appealing when trying to focus on their studies. For those that do though, please come on over!

This Dunn Bros is an intriguing spot because you can go there for different reasons, to study or to socialize, and it can offer you both thanks to its size.

Whether you’ll be in the front or back of this coffee shop, hopefully you’ll start a random conversation with a complete stranger that will leave you smiling. (Because Dunn Bros does that to you. It just makes you smile. It’s magical, really.)

The perfect place to get away from things emblazed with a giant maroon and gold ‘M’ on it.

It’s also a fantastic place to interact with complete strangers who say they’ve been alive long enough to see the dinosaurs.

(Of course, not all strangers will say this. But the one I met did and I wasn’t quite sure if I should laugh or not…) Every time I’ve gone to this Dunn Bros, I’ve had a funny experience that keeps me going back. My first experience happened as I was locking up my bike. An older man said, “My! That is a nice bike!” Then what he said next really made my day: “It’s not one of those hipster bikes or…or…racin’ bikes it’s just a great gettin’ from here to there bike!” From complimenting me on my bike (her name is Lucy by the way), he then noticed my camera strapped around my neck, asked me what kind it was, and pulled out his fantastic old film Nikon. We got into talking about the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which I had just been to that day to check out the photography exhibit, and the differences between film and digital and which one was better for certain situations.

I don’t want to get your hopes completely up, but if you head KARA HAKANSON

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The Power of Facebook How is it still here?

By Arnav Joshi A subject of major conflict, adoration, indifference, and a fantastic movie, Facebook has grown to become a staple of life for many, and a source of intense displeasure for others. While not yet on par with water and oxygen, the social networking site is, to some users, almost as necessary as the need to hydrate or breathe. What makes the site so compelling to use, and why has it been able to thrive for so long? The hater’s answer to this polarizing question would be that Facebook was built to advertise you, almost as a billboard would a bottle of Coca-Cola. When you first log on, you’re immediately hit with a newsfeed full of pictures showing random people posing in front of wildlife, historical sites, and Ping-Pong tables. Images aren’t the only mediums of self-expression though; numerous status updates about how much fun col-

lege is, or how someone’s about to pull an all-nighter for an 8 o’clock Calculus midterm they have the following morning, constantly litter the front page with unnecessary information. While most individuals couldn’t care less about a somewhat unfamiliar “friend”’s trip to the Grand Canyon, images of the sun setting over cascading ridges illustrates just how remarkable and exotic the uploader’s life must truly be.

process when it comes to organization and implementation.

These generic uses of Facebook illustrate the usefulness of the site. But as everyone knows, people tend to go overboard when it comes to projecting information about their lives onto the internet. Whatever type of user you are, Mark Zuckerberg sums it up best, “I think that people just have this core desire to express who they are. And I think that’s always existed.”

Managing over 1 billion peoples’ lives on one website may eventually force the business off a cliff and into a deep pit of fiscal failure.

While Facebook’s usefulness in society is undeniable, the technical/financial aspects of operating and coordinating a project as large as the third most populous country in the world can’t be overlooked. Managing over 1 billion peoples’ lives on one website may eventually force the business off a cliff and into a deep pit of fiscal failure. Facebook’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) of stocks valued one share at approximately $38. The price of Facebook stock right now is around the anemic $20 per share range, a far cry from its robust opening day valuation. While a steady number of analysts are optimistic about increases in stock prices in the long run, the social networking giant is currently in financial trouble.

Advertisements are the main source of revenue for Facebook, but their ads and stock prices are steadily losing their value.

With limited sources of revenue, only time will tell what the future holds for the current tech giant. One fact is undeniable, however, while Facebook is floundering financially, it has and will continue to thrive and grow socially in the future.

On the other side of the practicality argument are the steady users. In the olden days, e-mail was the only means by which individuals could rapidly share visual information with one another. Instead of having to e-mail pictures, and subsequently comment on those pictures back and forth, Facebook has consolidated and simplified the art of remaining in contact and up to date. Relatedly, Facebook’s integrated events app is one of its most redeeming qualities. Getting a few hundred college students together for a campus-wide charity run is now as simple as a couple of clicks, allowing for a painless

“IS FACEBOOK DOOMED?” facebook

Photo Poll

By Kelcie McKenney

Yu Zhang “I don’t think it is doomed because currently Facebook has a large market share. I’m a finance major and for a social network Facebook is an early move so it screwed all other social network sites.”

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Jackie Brown

“I don’t think it’s doomed, at least not for awhile. I only use Facebook and not Twitter or Instagram.”

05 november - 19 november 2012

Brandon Rathbun “I think it is doomed in the next ten years, but not necessarily soon.”

David Lindell “In the near future, no.

I think it has spread too vastly as a technological

Julia Balliet “Yeah. I think that eventually all social network sites will go through a cycle of

reference tool. The news, being popular and fading newspaper, and magazines out. Obviously it won’t exhave a likelihood of being ist for the rest of time.” replaced by Facebook.”

voices

Halloween Festivities

V a n i t y A f f a i r

The Inner Workings of Fright and Alcoholism

By Tommy Finney

OMG, this is my absolute favorite time of year. Crisp apples, golden leaves, and jacket weather – what could be better? I especially love living on campus because there are so many activities to partake in to celebrate this amazing season. What frustrates me, however, is how much of it is centered around alcohol. Does no one else remember the days of carving pumpkins and dressing up as Batman? It’s so weird to think about getting dressed up to go trick-or-treating as opposed to prostituting yourself out to frat boys.

Although frat boys may be hot, well ok, not really, there is so much more to celebrating a holiday than putting on a corset and drinking massive amounts of alcohol. This goes for the boys too – taking off your shirt and pants in order to portray some sort of pirate or other daft creature does NOT impress anyone. Except maybe two or three gay boys – or seven, who knows. What frustrates me the most about this part of college culture is that all other sober holiday activities get overlooked.

For instance, my roommate recently went to a haunted hayride with her boyfriend and two other couples. Of course my roommate and her boyfriend showed up sober - why wouldn’t you?

- only to find the other couples shitfaced. Let’s be frank, that’s peculiar. However, in college culture this is totally acceptable.

My question is: WHY?

Kara Hakanson

Why can’t you just enjoy the hayride with your friends soberly? I understand it’s college and people want to drink. People want to celebrate the holidays. My concern comes when I think of what

Not So Strong After All

happens after college. Do these intense drinking habits continue? When do they become socially unacceptable? As a graduating senior and recovering addict I have thought about this quite a bit. At what point does binge drinking on any given occasion become unacceptable – if ever?

Everybody is entitled to their opinion and can live their lives the way they choose to. But I want to make clear to everyone that college comes to an end whether you are ready for it or not.

I see a lot of people who have created many unusual habits that revolve around drinking and drugs that will eventually need to come to an end. Whether it be today or next year, it will eventually happen. For me personally, mental preparation was a huge help. Slowly dwindle your drinking habits. If you go out three times a week, try going out twice. Eventually, get it down to once a week. and then ask yourself what is that one night a week giving you: Happiness? Confidence? Friends?

As I said, college comes to an end. For some, it’s sooner than others. The drinking habits that we form here can stay with us for the rest of our lives. Although it’s not something most juniors and seniors want to think about, I strongly recommend doing so.

If you feel your habits are out of control and the thought of stopping or slowing down scares you – talk to someone. I don’t mean your friends or family (that’s good, but not enough). Schedule an appointment with a Boynton therapist. You and only you have the power to control how your life ends up. This may be the end of college, but your life has only begun.

hancing substances to pedal himself to fame. But still Armstrong has yet to admit to any doping during what has commonly been referred to as his “glory days”.

One thing that we have come to associate with Lance Armstrong is his charity that had us all wearing bright yellow bands around our wrists with the words “Livestrong” indented during those formative years of the 21st century. So, what will become of Armstrong, the man and the mascot?

Similar to how many of his teammates have slandered him in the press, Armstrong has also lost many of his endorsements. Nike, Trek Bicycle Company, and even Oakley have all dropped him.

The Fall of Another Dopeaholic

By Brian Pricco

Just when we all thought that athletic competition was the crowning glory of American values, another one dopes. The myth we’ve created that athletes represent the upmost concentration, drive, and perseverance for their craft, much like a writer at his typewriter punching out feverish, poetic verses, is slowly becoming exactly what a myth symbolizes: fiction. In the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal, no one can be sure of what really epitomizes fair, American competition.

Perhaps in a few years athletes will be notable by their hulklike size and demeanor, and Goliath I will be pitted against Goliath II while David sits alone on the bench in tears. Yet the question still remains, if a single syringe heaping with gradeA steroids can turn you into the most revered athlete in the history of cycling, who wouldn’t do it?

Despite all this, nothing can compare to his forced resignation from being a chairman for Livestrong, his prized charity fighting against testicular cancer. Livestrong attested to the success and promise of Armstrong’s high pedestal of athleticism. Without the viral response and publicity of the iconic, yellow Livestrong bands, Armstrong would not have represented the image of an all-around, invincible athlete; all a mirage just as real as paradise in the middle of the desert.

Time will tell if Armstrong falls back into the good graces of the public, but something tells me that at this stage, all signs point to no. The same goes for the revival of fair, athletic competition. There will always be at least one dope who wrecks the game for everyone else. Perhaps tomorrow we will find out that Michael Jordan juiced up throughout the rest of his career after he didn’t win an Oscar for his role in Space Jam. Athletes will come and go, some will dope, and others will be extremist Christians like Tim Tebow, but still will remain within the myth of American fair, athletic competition.

Armstrong did. He took the short route to the top, sacrificing his dignity and seven yellow jerseys. As of the 22nd of October, the International Cycling Federation (UCI) has stripped all seven of Armstrong’s Tour de France titles won between 1999 and 2005 and is deciding whether to ban him from competition indefinitely. What may seem more shocking though is the great amount of his own teammates and aides that have come out and revealed the truth about Lance. According to many sources, Armstrong did in fact use performance-enSteve Sitek

www.wakemag.org

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voices

Red Scare Round 2 Tales of Modern FBI Injustice: Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota

BY Sara Glesne The government is here to protect you, and protect you through whatever means it must—even if that means smashing down your door in the early hours of the morning, zip-lining your wrists and ankles together, and throwing you face down on the floor while mocking your lifestyle choices. But don’t worry, human dignity isn’t the only obstacle the federal government has successfully tackled. The FBI is also able to predict and stop bad guys from doing bad things before they even occur à la Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report.”

FBI agents in the Northwest began tracking a group of Portland, Oregon anarchists in April, a month prior to their involvement in May Day protests in Seattle. Now, five search warrants, multiple house raids, and a grand jury trial later, three witnesses sit in jail. Their silence defies federal attempts to extract incriminating information about not just their own involvement in public property destruction at the May Day demonstrations, but about their friends’ and other community members’ involvement as well.

Washington & Oregon Anarchists Face Raids, Grand Jury An October 3 affidavit signed by a member of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force released in court last month revealed the FBI’s long-term surveillance of the Portland anarchists linked to Seattle’s May Day. The protests resulted in damage to a Seattle courthouse and several storefronts.

Months after the damage was done, FBI raids on homes in Portland, Seattle, and Olympia on July 25 turned up a variety of potential evidence cited in the warrant spanning from “flag-making materials” to “anarchist literature.”

Law enforcement has turned to a frightening tool to further question suspects: a grand jury.

In this hyper-communicative world, are words to be considered weapons?

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Originally created to protect citizens from unnecessary confrontation with hot-headed judges in federal court, the contents of a grand jury are kept private. It is entirely legal for a grand jury to hold an individual in jail for up to 18 months on contempt of court, or in other words, for remaining silent. The move isn’t unexpected in a society where the term “national security” has taken on a whole new meaning since 9/11.

Recycle Your Rights With Your Reading List Some of the potential evidence garnered from the raids is frightening, specifically the literature. In a U.S. court of law, it is what a criminal does and not what they read, that could indict them.

Extracting proof from literature written by someone other than its owner is troublesome. Since when did thought, or the consumption of others’ thoughts, become incriminating? I used to clean the high rise apartment of a lawyer couple in downtown Minneapolis who had Kropotkin and Marx on their bookshelf. Are they potential domestic terrorists or did they just maybe take some political science courses in college?

From her position, zip-tied on the floor, she never had a clear view of their faces, though she did hear the officers refer to each other with pet names like “terminator” and “executioner.”

The logic behind including personal journals on a warrant is as reasonable as extracting a confession from someone’s diary entries may be cheap, but it does directly connect a perpetrator to a crime. To even fathom the presence of books on anti-capitalism, anti-globalism, and anti-urbanization as evidence of wrongdoing seems like a snippet from some dystopian nightmare. In this hyper-communicative world, are words to be considered weapons?

Already existing surveillance methods serve to chill free speech enough already without going so far as to stifle a person’s curiosity at the library. On its website, the FBI admits that it “will be judged not just on how well it protects the nation, but also on how well it protects our nation’s constitutional freedoms along the way.”

Intimidation can act as a subtle form of censorship.

Though for those people expressing their right to dissent,

being targeted directly by FBI intimidation tactics can feel like a boot in the face of their constitutional rights.

RNC 2008 Here in the Twin Cities, a slew of FBI raids preceding the Republican National Convention in 2008 were directed at the RNC Welcoming Committee, a group of anarchists who had created literature to distribute throughout the convention’s protest in St. Paul. Members of the committee were rewarded for their civil engagement by surprise visits from FBI agents and SWAT teams at the former St. Paul theater they used as a meeting space, as well as in some of their own homes.

Rachel Niehorster of Minneapolis was 18 at the time. She remembers sitting on her south Minneapolis porch with housemates the night of the space’s raid and making jokes about their house being next in line. “It seemed pretty laughable that they would actually come into our house,” Niehorster said. At the time her house was hosting out-of-town anarchists in anticipation of the RNC. Imagine Niehorster’s surprise waking to the sounds of heavy boots at 7:30 in the morning and the ensuing panic hearing men’s voices outside her door debating which room to enter first. They chose hers.

With a semiautomatic pointed at her head and barely dressed, Niehorster got on the ground. SWAT team members attempted to embarrass her by digging through her underwear drawer, overturning her mattress, and making rude comments about the way she and her roommates lived. From her position, zip-tied on the floor, she never had a clear view of their faces, though she did hear the officers refer to each other with pet names like “terminator” and “executioner.”

Following a media storm on the lawn, house members were allowed inside after about an hour of waiting. Niehorster said the place was totally destroyed.

Splitting a Community The trend of intimidating anarchist groups—whether explicitly peaceful or violent—around major events fits with assumptions made on the FBI’s site about anarchists, which fears “the threat from anarchist extremists, as well as others who are up to no good, dramatically increases” around major national and international events.

“They were successful in breaking up the anarchist community,” Niehorster said of the Minneapolis and St. Paul raids.

“All of the energy then had to go to legal support.”

The intimidation tactics they applied in both St. Paul and Seattle serve as tools to distract and create rifts in communities. It goes beyond surveillance into unwarranted invasions of personal privacy, coupled with penalizing dissidents’ free speech.

voices

The Big Gulp Ban!

Improving Your Body 16 ounces at a Time

By Kohlman Harshbarger Remember that one friend whose parents were health freaks?

They didn’t serve any “sweets” in their house, but they did have homemade, unsweetened, frozen fruit juice pops. He didn’t have pizza and cake for his birthday, but he did have a vegan, eggless, raisin loaf (trust him guys, it’s good...). His family did yoga retreats and had game nights every Sunday that conveniently kept him from watching the newest Game of Thrones with you. I never had that friend, but if I did he would certainly remind me of Michael Bloomberg, resident fun-sucker and mayor of New York City.

Recently, in late September, Mike and the gang -- the New York health board -- approved an ordinance that bans food service establishments from serving soda or other sugar saturated drinks in any size exceeding 16 ounces. This would limit institutions such as movie theaters, restaurants, and food carts from serving you your colossal carbonated killers, or at least require them to put it in more than one cup. But, before we all freak out, there is some fine print that needs to be

The Other Influence

Power Players in the Middle East

BY Herbert B. Ferguson-Augustus The Middle East is a puzzle. The U.S. government, from the Eisenhower to the Obama administration, has never quite understood it. For the past fifty years, they have tried to bargain with, buy, and sometimes bully the Arab and Iranian states into seeing things their way. Yet even now as Iran defies the west with its nuclear initiative, the U.S. faces the same obstacles it did decades ago. How the current administration confronts these limitations could be explosive, figuratively and of course literally.

That is another story, however. This is a story about why those obstacles exist and how the influence of another nation in the Middle East is and will be for the next decade, the United State’s most inconvenient cock block. This is a story about China.

Like the United States, China sees Iran as a focal point of its foreign policy. Iran supplies roughly 10 percent of China’s oil

read. Drinks containing milk, such as frappes, as well as diet sodas would be exempt from this rule. In addition, grocery stores still remain able to sell you Mountain Dew for your World of Warcraft raid nights and 7-11s everywhere are still legally allowed to blindside you with brain freezes from their Big Gulps.

Bloomberg stated, “In the case of full-sugar drinks, in moderation it’s fine, and all we’re trying to do is explain to people that if you drink a little bit less, you will live longer.” OK BloomB, I get it, I really do. Soda contains sugar, sugar contains calories, and calories contain obesity. But what happened to freedom of choice? What if I wanna get fat?

This is not an issue of soda size, but one regarding the freedom of personal choice. Dammit, I’m an American! Intrinsic in my citizenship are my inalienable rights; I’ll smoke a pack of Marlboros, eat twelve cheeseburgers, and then go vote. I don’t do this out of enjoyment, I do it ‘cause I can. Bloomey may start with banning certain soda sizes, but what’s next?

No cake for breakfast? No Nicolas Cage movies? Where do we draw the line?!

In all seriousness, I do respect Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s valiant attempt at addressing the obesity epidemic currently sweeping the nation. It’s a great first step and attempt at assisting people in making smarter, more conscientious choices about what they put into their bodies. Sadly, despite laws dictating how many cups a one hundred ounce soda dinner legally has to be delegated into, the decision remains with the individuals. At the end of the day, whether or not it’s a vegan, eggless, raisin loaf or a Big Mac, only one person is capable of making the choice as to what goes into your body: yourself.

imports. Why then would they agree to sanctioning Iran or go so far as to tolerate a military intervention, when it would adversely affect them economically. Not only is it protecting oil imports though this policy but it’s monopolizing trade with Iran by being one of the few nations not sanctioning it.

But this does not mean China and the U.S. cannot cooperate. Despite what some political pundits may say, China and the U.S. have negotiated. In 1972, despite being opponents in Vietnam, the countries opened trade relations and have since maintained them. More recently, China supported the United States in Afghanistan and worked jointly on counterterrorism initiatives. As both are superpowers, both suffer from similar problems of globalization and the vulnerabilities that come with it.

The U.S. should see China as a route to peace in the Middle East, not an obstacle.

China directly supplies Iran’s nuclear program; petitioning them to inhibit nuclear proliferation would in effect stifle Iran and any other coun-

Sam Lindsay

try’s nuclear development by limiting the number of states willing to trade missile technology. China signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1970, suggesting they would indeed adopt such a policy if persuaded to. An Iranian nuclear arsenal would be detrimental to China’s economic growth, so eventually the Chinese would indeed find non-proliferation quite attractive. Iran will become more of a target for not only Israel but Saudi Arabia and Turkey as well, who both see Iran as a regional rival. Though the former seems more likely to take military action against Iran, an international war in the Middle East would adversely affect China’s energy demand by destabilizing energy prices. Practically speaking, this gives China reason to restrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Therefore, the United States making peaceful overtures to China is pivotal. Agreeing to withdraw U.S. forces from South Asia in return for China limiting its role in developing nuclear weapons internationally is a good start.

Alternatively, the United States could continue to denounce China’s foreign policy and claim they can force them to alter it. The reality is this; the economies of the United States and China are too large and interlinked to sustain mutual conflict without mutual destruction. Neither nation can coerce the other into pursuing one policy or another.

Dan Forke

The current administration needs to recognize this reality.

If they do not, China will only further its support of Iran to avoid appearing subservient the United States. This will only escalate the conflict, which could be explosive, figuratively and literally.

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feature

Q&A: Wiping Out Thousands

By Courtney Bade and Zach McCormick By now, you’ve probably already caught some of the buzz coming off of the red-hot St. Paul-based “Electroclash” group Wiping Out Thousands. Their first EP was a surprise success, and the duo went from relative unknowns to local sensations seemingly overnight. We caught up with them at Keys Cafe to talk about their new album, the future of the music industry, and toads-in-the-hole.

FEA

I think the goal is to do what bands have been trying to do for the past four or five years, but no one’s willing to make the full shift over that way because they think that you still need to sell records to be a successful band.

The Current all the time, and Radio K was playing our album.

Once we realized that people really liked what we were doing, we were like, “Well let’s make sure that this next album sounds better and has a lot more focus behind it.”

W: Both of your records have been released online for free, why did you decide to put them out that way?

W: With This Came First, you mentioned that you wrote some of the songs when you guys were writing Reaction Machine. Did you have a particular song that you wrote for the new record or a particular moment of writing where you decided, “Oh this is the new record. This is the sound we want for this one”?

T: One of the benefits that electronic musicians have is that we don’t really need a studio. Reaction Machine, which is the first EP, we did in a basement on a laptop. [Alaine] sang all of her vocals into her laptop microphone. We didn’t pay a single cent to make that entire album, other than our time. So we don’t have to recoup any money, we weren’t in debt when we put it out there. So, when we immediately put it out there the benefit is if we give it for free, more people will hear it, chances are we’ll see more people at our shows, which means we can play more shows, hopefully keep going to get more high profile shows, and make more money.

The traditional route is that you go to a studio, you spend X number of hours, and you rank up this long bill of all this time you spent and then you pay the guy to give it to you. Then now you have to sell records to make that money back, or you play a lot of shows. If you’re not taking the time or the money to create the album, you have no debt. So you have more of a—you have less risk of putting it out there for free.

Zach McCormick

The Wake: So you two are both music school cats right? Do you guys think music school is beneficial to your musical careers, or is it just more of a side thing that you’re doing, and this band just came out regardless?

Taylor Nelson [Guitar, Production]: Yeah, so we both went to [McNally Smith College of Music]. For this particular endeavor, I would say no. The other band that I’m in, The New Monarchs, we—when I started going to McNally one of the things that they tell you is the music industry is all about networking and knowing people, and building really good relationships, and being the right kind of person because you can easily screw up by just saying the wrong thing or knowing the wrong people.

I always thought that was somewhat true and somewhat intimidating. But the label that my other band was on was someone that I met at McNally and he was the same guy that got our song on TV. So when that all happened, I went, “Ok this makes sense, McNally was right about the networking part.”

But when I started going there, I started in 2005, one of the things that I quickly learned was that—that was right around the time when the music industry was finally starting to shift away from selling records—and not the industry itself, but the people, the bands themselves, were trying to make that push because, you know, just three or four year earlier is when the whole piracy thing just blew up. That’s what influenced this project because we aren’t going about it the traditional way where you sell records or sign to a label or do anything like that.

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With the new album we did the pay what you want model.

Anybody who wanted it for free could have it, but those who wanted to pay did. We found that the people that tended to pay would pay more than we would’ve asked for. So, you know that album was eight tracks long, we probably would’ve asked for eight dollars. Most of the people were at least ten, some of them going up way higher than that. So yes, it’s not as much as if everybody paid five or eight dollars for the album. But I’m sure that if it was eight dollars we wouldn’t have “sold” quite as many albums as we did. So I think people need to give up on the whole “we need to make money on every single CD that we manufacture” and rather, just if people want to pay for it, they will.

T: It actually started with the Yacht show. “Feed,” “Creation,” and “As We Sink” were done. Because what we learned with Reaction Machine when we started playing our first shows was, since it was written on just a laptop and we didn’t really have foresight on how to play live, it ended up being just me with a laptop and a guitar, and her and a keyboard. When we realized we were opening for Yacht, we kind of needed to have it be a more interactive live show than just [pushing a button] and playing guitar. That was around the time where we started working on “Feed” and “Creation” and since we knew we were playing shows now, we figured out a way to do it so that it’s more interactive.

The recording and writing process for This Came First just kind exploded at that point because we understood now— this is how we’re gonna do it. This is how it works. Alaine does a lot of stuff with vocals that she can explain better than I can. That was something that we kind of realized, if we’re gonna do it like this in recording, we’re going to have to be able to have her do it live.

A: It took me a while to find the balance between—I didn’t

W: You went into a studio, Signaturetone Recordings, with Adam Tucker, but then you did all the electronic production yourself, right? Why did you decide to enlist his help halfway and then do the production yourself?

Alaine Dickman [Vocals, Synths]: Well one of the things that’s different from Reaction Machine is that it’s obvious that we did it ourselves. This had to be different. This had to be better. So vocals had to be clearer. That’s the main thing.

T: Alaine is such a good vocalist I didn’t want to have her always be stuck behind a laptop microphone. Or, I mean, we could go out and buy a really nice microphone and do it ourselves, but as much as I don’t think record labels and that part of the industry is relevant, I still feel like studios and engineers and people who spend all that time learning how to perfect recording a voice should still be in business and should be getting that business. And vocals are the one thing with electronic music that, especially for a band like us where I want her voice—because she’s such a good singer—to be up front. I wanted to make that next step up.

With Reaction Machine we had no intention of this going this far. We weren’t like, “We’re gonna make this five song EP and put it out there and get on the radio and play West Bank Music Festival!” It was like, “Well let’s put it out there and see if our friends like it.” And then it turned into “Closer” is on

Zach McCormick

TURE want to be hiding behind effects. Because, I mean, effects are really fun and cool, so it’s hard not to get carried away. But I took advice from Shawn, [Taylor’s] other bandmate from the New Monarchs—use both mics, use the dry [vocal without effects], use the wet [vocal with effects], and don’t go overboard. I still think about that at every show. Even our live show has changed so much since, especially since Nick and Eddie. But yeah, even that, I think the balance is starting to level out and become really accessible.

W: Do you feel like a part of the Twin Cities EDM scene? Is that something you’ve courted or attempted to avoid? It seems like you’ve been embraced more enthusiastically by the Indie community.

T: [laughs] I think we’re like electronic music for hipsters, that’s where we fit. I think it more or less comes from our influences outside, because our favorite bands are not electronic bands. When I first started working with Alaine, I sent her a message that said, “Do you like Portishead, Nine Inch Nails, and Radiohead? And do you want to do music like that and sing over it?” and she said, “Those are my favorite bands!”

And none of those bands are EDM, none of those bands are Dubstep, none of those bands are club-banging bands.

There are parts of our album that are dance-y, but that gets abruptly interrupted by noise and abstractness and different ideas. So would it be fun to write a club-banging track that’s just pounding all the way though? Yes, but I don’t think I’d be able to do it without getting distracted.

A: [laughs] Yeah, it would go somewhere else entirely.

T: I haven’t heard specifically from anyone in that scene. I’m unfortunately not really close to anybody in that scene.

W: We heard you guys mention the “D-Word” a minute ago, and we’re sure you got hit with that a lot when you came out.

Has that been difficult for you? It seems like that genre is quickly becoming the “Emo” of the late aughts.

T: Ugh...oh god, the Dubstep thing....

A: [quoting an early review] “Minneapolis Dubstep...”

T: I don’t really mind it, because the song they were referencing was the most “Dubstep” on the record. But the problem with Dubstep is—and I listen to it and I like it, you can call it a guilty pleasure, but for production’s sake it’s really cool. Problem is, the second you put a wobbly bass note in your music you’re automatically considered Dubstep, just because there’s a “wubWUBwub.” I use it because that sound is awesome.

I was never a fan of Screamo or Emo, but when Emo was popular, it was because people really liked hearing someone scream into a microphone. I wasn’t a fan of it, but I can understand why people latched onto that, because you hear something that you like, and if someone else can do it too then you like what they do. If Skrillex came to town, I would go to that concert.

A: We saw Bassnectar! That was painfully awesome, it hurt my stomach. [laughs]

T: So I have a huge appreciation for people who can do that, but I feel like when people call us “Dubstep” they’re just making a really narrow—they’re cheating a little. But it’s cool that they have to go to that, that they don’t have any other words to use. So hopefully that’s us digging our way into a new niche sound that people have to find a name for. I’ve stuck with

“Electroclash,” I don’t know if that was a genre before, but Reed Fischer [City Pages Editor] called us that and I said, “That makes sense,” because it sounds like a punk rock electro band.

A: I’ve been asked by co-workers, you know, “What genre do you guys play?” And I have to go “uh...er..umm...” I would never bring up Dubstep because I don’t listen to it or think I look like a Dubstep person.

W: Where do you see Wiping Out Thousands going over the next year? It might be a little while until we get to talk to you again.

feature

through I would see that and go “WHOA! Cool!” So the more I looked at it, the more I thought it would be cool to do a tongue-in-cheek album title. It’s kind of like a big middle finger to you, “This is what we think,” but I thought it was kind of neat. It does have kind of a double-meaning, because “More Than 5 Million” was the first Wiping Out Thousands song, but it’s definitely a jab at the chicken-and-the-egg thing.

W: Since we’re in a diner, we’ll wrap up with this then: how do you like your eggs?

T: A friend of ours said they had eggs in celebration of our release!

A: I think we should go to Europe!

A: Hmmm...sunny side up?

T: France would love it! [laughs] There’s been a lot of blog posts from Japan about our stuff right when the new album came out.

T: What’s that thing you make with toast?

A: Oh, Toad-in-the-hole? Do you guys know about toad-inthe-hole? [google it, they’re delicious!]

A: You can’t understand what they’re saying though until you see “Wiping Out Thousands” and then a picture. Oh wait! That’s us! [laughs]

T: There’s a fine line when you’re trying to put an album out and expecting it to last you for the next couple years, but you also don’t want to be oversaturating things by putting too much out. Electronic music is at fault for artists putting out singles every month rather than albums. Which I’m fine with, but if I wanna go get a Skrillex album on iTunes, it’s his single and like12 remixes and that’s his album. I want to listen to an album of his music and see how his mind travels over the course of 10 songs.

Wiping Out Thousands can be heard on their bandcamp page:

wipingoutthousands.bandcamp.com

This Came First is a complete nod to that because it’s an album. Other than “Feed” and maybe “Hips” you can’t really take one of those songs out. It has to be in context.

We kept it at 8 songs so it still feels like an EP, so it gives us room to put something out soon.

W: Your album cover’s a little controversial, why did you decide to go with that imagery?

T: I don’t think Kent [WOT Manager] and Alaine took me seriously when I first suggested that four or five months ago...

A: No, I knew you were serious about it, I just didn’t believe you. [laughs] T: Avie, who’s a friend of ours who I follow on instagram, a year ago she did picture of her holding a really weird egg...

A: Like, a pointy egg.

T: It was just so weird looking, and I thought that if I were to throw that into an iTunes library and scroll

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voices

Data Mining Yo’ Ass

The Presidential Corporations Come After Your Vote

By Justin Miller As if the 2012 presidential elections didn’t already make us cringe with regret that we don’t live in Canada or Europe, we get hit with this; Obama and Romney are using highly sophisticated and, frankly, quite shady technology practices to personalize their campaign messages down to each individual citizen.

While it’s no secret that our online lives have never been all that private, it’s usually just been confined to the realms of private enterprise. Websites like Facebook have been selling your profile information to companies so they can better target their advertising toward you. But now that disturbing line of online personal information invasion has disintegrated and our morally upstanding politicians are getting in on the game.

Both Romney and Obama have been prone to using online data analysis, better known as data mining, throughout their 2012 presidential campaigns in many ways. Should they even bother coming after your vote? How should they personalize their e-mails to you? What is your past voting record? Are you more likely to visit ChristianityToday or PornHub? These are all questions that the campaigns want to know. And even more creepily, they are all questions that they now know exactly how to answer.

The presidential campaigns are conglomerating information and building what is essentially a voter profile. In the past, campaigns scoured over political party files and contribution information from the FEC in order to better target their messages. But now we have the undeniable prevalence of the internet, and even more importantly, easily accessible personal information from online shopping and the plethora of social media sites. Politicians just can’t keep their greasy mitts (no pun intended) off this goldmine of possible campaign treasure. In an election that has been predicted to be the closest in history, political analysts say that data mining could be the key to an Obama reelection or the donning of a Romney empire.

Say goodbye to the old-fashioned days of phone calls from enthusiastic supporters asking your thoughts on the elections.

Obama’s “data technology” team consists of IT geniuses, exhackers, and market researchers working tirelessly to track down more money, more volunteers, and ultimately more votes. While building off of his 2008 campaign which heavily relied on technology and social media, he has formed a highly sophisticated data mining team with the goal of precisely homing in on likely voters.

Obama has managed to keep his data mining practices in-house.

But our Republican hero Mitt Romney is not as tech-savvy. He

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has resorted to outsourcing his campaign data mining to private companies. But he’s not worried about those lowly voters. He’s after the big dogs. According to numerous reports, he uses data mining to specifically target wealthy donors in areas that previously would have slipped through the cracks. To nobody’s surprise, Romney’s all about the Benjamins.

Political data firms have been purchasing information from consumer data companies since the 2000 election.

But both campaigns, regardless of preferred methods, are mining your personal information via the internet to better cater to your beliefs. Basically they are engineering their platforms to your views. Forget what all the debates, TV ads, and cable news networks say. Romney and Obama just want you to know that you’re special; they’ve taken the time to look at what you’ve been up to online in order to better lie to you. Successful data mining will make a prolife, pro-gun, trickle down Republican seem like the reincarnation of Jesus to a pro-choice, tree-hugging Democrat.

Charming, eh?

To be fair, this extremely unsettling practice of data collection is not entirely new to the political game. Political data firms have been purchasing information from consumer data companies since the 2000 election. But it’s only just now that it’s become a focal point for how presidential campaigns garner votes, and it’s only just now been made aware to the public.

Say goodbye to the old-fashioned days of phone calls from enthusiastic supporters asking your thoughts on the elections or getting that annoying yet slightly comforting campaign literature in your mail on a daily basis. Why would these campaigns, which are bursting at the seams with money, bother wasting their time making phone calls and sending literature when the chances that they will be effective are slim? Now all they need to do is get a team of tech gurus in a room with unlimited supplies of Red Bull, high-grade methamphetamines, unlimited cash flow, and a blind eye to the inconveniences of privacy and ethics.

The line between big business and politics has always supposed to be bold. Now I’m no ignoramus and I know that over the years, they have become one in the same. The Citizens United ruling reaffirmed that mentality by making Corporation the newest ethnicity in the definition of a person. They can use Super PACS as surrogate campaigns to do the dirty work. And now we have actual presidential campaigns acting as motherfuckin’ corporations. No, that’s wrong; they aren’t even acting now. They aren’t even trying to hide the fact that their campaigns are businesses in the truest sense. Their official campaign names end

with an eerie “Inc.”. They have business plans and models.

They employ thousands. And now, they continue to follow in the footsteps of their corporate big brothers by using these Orwellian practices of watching over potential voter’s every move on the internet.

But maybe I’m just a highly cynical, slightly paranoid guy that has read one too many political articles alone in the dark at two in the morning. Maybe this is just the new norm. Maybe politics are just moving along with the times. I mean, it makes sense. These guys are just trying to make the most out of their billions and find the most effective means of advertising to their possible voters.

No matter how you try to rationalize it, it just makes you sick to your stomach. It is political pandering to the most offensive degree. The presidential primaries may pander to the far left and far right. The general elections may pander to the centrists and independents. But political data mining panders to whatever you want them to. Data mining will be the future of vote gathering. It will become the win or lose component to the success of a campaign. All campaigning will be based on the hyper-personal political pandering.

Successful data mining will make a prolife, pro-gun, trickle down Republican seem like the reincarnation of Jesus to a pro-choice, tree-hugging Democrat.

It’s one thing when some company looks at your private information so they know if you would be interested in their product. But apply that same concept to politics and you have a problem. The U.S. vote has officially become a commodity. Look forward to it getting an IPO and going public on the Stock Exchange.

sound & vision

UPCOMING SHOWS Tuesday 11/6

Thursday 11/15

Coloring Time @ Icehouse, 9PM, 21+

France Camp with Quiet Loudly, Pow Wow, and Tramps Like Us @ Turf Club, 9PM, 21+ Gallows with Barn Burner, Brain Tumors, and The Gillespie Killings @ 7th Street Entry, 7PM, 18+

Wednesday 11/7 The Passion of Joan of Arc (live score by Zoo Animal) @ Cedar Cultural Center, 7PM, All Ages

Friday 11/16

Supersuckers with Blue Ruin @ 7th Street Entry, 8PM, 18+

Teenage Moods with Crimes, Nice Purse, and Farms @ Hexagon Bar, 9PM, 21+

Thursday 11/8

Other Lives with Indians @ Cedar Cultural Center, 7PM, All Ages

The Passion of Joan of Arc (live score by Zoo Animal) @Cedar Cultural Center, 7PM, All Ages Craig Owens @ Triple Rock Social Club, 5PM, All Ages

Saturday 11/17 With a Gun for a Face with City on the Make, Strange, and Fury Things @ Mill City Nights, 8PM, 18+

Friday 11/9 Guante and Big Cats (CD release) with Mankwe, Chantz x Julian x 80H@) of Audio Perm, and the New Heist B-Boy Crew @ Hell’s Kitchen, 10PM, 18+

Sunday 11/18 Gwar with Devildriver, Cancer Bats, and Legacy of Disorder @ First Ave Mainroom, 5PM, All Ages

Big Boi with Get Cryphy @ Epic, 8:30PM, 18+

Saturday 11/10 Red Daughters with The Sex Rays @ 331 Club, 10PM, 21+ Communist Daughter with American Youth and Quiet Corral @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall, 8PM, 21+

Monday 11/12 Aster Cafe Open Mic @ Aster Cafe, sign-up 6:30PM, All Ages

Tuesday 11/13 The Magnetic Fields with Gal Musette @ First Ave Mainroom, 7PM, 18+

Wednesday 11/14 Molly Maher and Erik Koskinen @ Aster Cafe, 9PM, All Ages

www.wakemag.org

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sound & vision

State of the Scene P.O.S. Album Release Show

By Tyler Lauer With the release of We Don’t Even Live Here, P.O.S. made listener involvement a crucial part of judging the success of his album. His dissatisfaction mixes with danceability so well that you are forced to reevaluate your lifestyle, move your body, or both. “Fuck Your Stuff” and “Get Down,” with their raw power, beg to be played live, so upon heading to the album release show I was ready to throw down, whether that be in a mosh pit or on the dance floor. I just wanted to get down.

Opening up for him were The Tribe & Big Cats!, Audio Perm, Mike Mictlan, and Marijuana Deathsquads. Big Cats started off with some new tracks from For My Mother, easing the too-hip-to-dance-right-away crowd into the show.

Once Chris Hooks came out to complete TTxBC, Chris had little time and wasn’t going to hold back. While the crowd’s participation was lacking, the earnestness of TTxBC at least grabbed everyone’s attention.

It was as if the crowd’s passivity was acting as Rogue’s mutant abilities from X-Men. While waiting for Audio Perm, the room started to fill up. It was a weird mix of bros, girls sippin’ rum and cokes and actin’ like they walked awkwardly out of tumblr like The Ring, indie kids, fauxpunks, couples, and shady guys getting wasted way too fast and scammin’ on girls. I felt as if everyone was trying to keep to themselves. The passivity of the crowd had me worried. Being one of the most anticipated album release shows of the year, you would think the room would be buzzing. For an album calling for a new kind of community, a new reflection on family, I wasn’t seeing any bonding.

My fears were realized during Audio Perm’s set. Now I’m not a big fan of bro-rap, or whatever they are, but their excitement was infectious. Seeing a bunch of crazy dudes jumping around onstage, rapping their throats to shit, I just wanted to party with them! Unfortunately, the crowd’s reaction was like being at the Zombie Pub Crawl, if all the zombies were the ones like in Night Of The Living Dead, standing around with their mouths open. There was no love for Audio Perm. Whether these P.O.S. fans weren’t digging the vibe or everyone just wanted to sip their drinks till he came on, I’ll never know.

Next time though, if you don’t like being crazy, stay home

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and watch the concert on your computer. It would be the same thing for you, except the drinks would be cheaper.

At this point I was debating whether or not I ever wanted to go to a hip-hop show again. Half-hearted hand bobbing and whole-hearted passivity from a crowd isn’t my idea of a good time. But all hope was not lost! Mike Mictlan was up next. Coming out blasting tracks like “Spicy Peen,” calling up Spyder Baybie Raw Dog, and bringing to life the ridiculousness of his new SNAXXX mixtape, Mictlan looked to be better than ever. Then out of nowhere he gave a quick but heartfelt speech about P.O.S.’s need for a new kidney, how he had been emotional all day, and how much he appreciates everyone’s support in spite of him being no good at rapping. This last bit seemed ridiculous considering how he just spit fire on all his new tracks, but then he went into an unnervingly mellow rendition of

“Prizefight.” In the song he raps, “I don’t know what I’m doin’, I keep my eyes on the prize,” but in this version he only rapped the first part, letting the crowd take the second. For what seemed like eternity, he kept repeating “I don’t know what I’m doin’, I don’t know what I’m doin’, I don’t know what I’m doin’...” until it seemed like I was witnessing an existential crisis first hand in front of a packed house.

What was happening? It was as if the crowd’s passivity was acting as Rogue’s mutant abilities from X-Men. Mike Mictlan came on strong but slowly the crowd started to suck his physical strength and super-human abilities until he could barely continue. Luckily he was able to get offstage before the absorption was complete. As he left, the crowd couldn’t be bothered to give much in the way of applause and the girl next to me had already begun tweeting about how much fun she was having before he finished his last song.

Next time though, if you don’t like being crazy, stay home and watch the concert on your computer.

I was officially scared now. Could P.O.S. redeem this night? Was he going to be able to put aside his ailing health and instead sacrifice himself in an effort to revitalize a crowd itself on the verge of needing a transplant, not of a kidney, but of their barely beating hearts?

As the Marijuana Deathsqauds crew assembled, the ultimate super team, they were adamant on defeating the crowd’s Rogue-like abilities through the powers of Professor X: sneaking inside everyones minds and controlling them through sheer awesomeness.

Once P.O.S. eased himself into it with M. Deathsquads, he blasted into his set, turning the crowd into a mass of sweat and raw vocal chords. Hearing everyone yell every lyric of “Fuck You Stuff” while freaking the fuck out turned the whole show around. Apparently everyone had been waiting for this moment. From beginning to end the crowd gave it all they had, and so did P.O.S. From the indie kids to the couples to the punks, the idea of not living in this modern society, but creating your own, was beginning to be realized.

From such a bleak beginning, P.O.S. proved it is possible to unite and pump up even the most passive of people. But it can’t be all on him. We have to let go of our reservations and learn to get down, even if the group performing isn’t the one we’re there to see. There’s something to be learned from everyone, something to be gained, and standing there sipping your drink in your bubble that you paid $15+ to stay in isn’t helping anything.

sound & vision

Gary White Breathes Art

The Wake and The Walker wave farewell to a veteran of the Twin Cities art scene

BY Juan P. Ramirez Art is a term that is not easy to define. People have been questioning themselves and others for many years trying to figure out the exact meaning of art. Right now I don’t have the answer to that question, but what I do have is a person that has been studying art for more than thirty years and is willing to share all of his experiences with us.

Gary White, 66, is the Director of Human Resources at the Walker Center, one of the most important and historic museums in the Twin Cities. White, who is from Marshall, Minnesota, has been working for this magical place for twenty years, and next year will be retiring from his work.

I got the opportunity to meet White. I didn’t only have the pleasure to interview him, but also to walk around the Walker looking at some of the most impressive pieces of art I have ever seen in my entire life.

The Wake: Gary, give us a little bit of background about yourself and who you are.

Gary White: I started art classes in high school. There I noticed I was good at it and I wanted to create things. I started as an undergrad at Moorhead State University without knowing what I was going to major in. I took painting and ceramics classes, but it wasn’t until I took my first art history class that I realized I was good at thinking about art. I graduated as an art historian in 1969 and became an art teacher. Then I started a degree in modern contemporary art at Wayne Sate University. I graduate in 1973 without knowing what to do with that degree. However, at Wayne State I discovered I didn’t like to read write or do research. I discovered I was good at talking and interacting with people. After knowing myself a little bit more, I began to study Psychology and did a degree in Counseling Psychology at Oakland University Michigan in 1976. That is how got into human resources and have been working in the field for almost 40 years, enjoying art and psychology at the Walker.

W: That is really impressive, but why art?

G: Art classes in high school showed me the art-side of the world, which I felt familiar with. I could see my self in the big world but didn’t know how to get there. That was exiting and scaring at the same time.

W: How would you describe yourself as an artist?

G: Talking about other artists’ work. Being able to communicate in common terms what artists of today are doing and thinking. Finding people who work in the world of art and have a passion for art. I can identify those people. I can make it happen.

W: People that are not very familiar with art might want to know how should they look at abstract art, can you help with that?

When a person sees art they don’t understand the best thing to do is smile.

G: What a wonderful question. When a person sees art they don’t understand the best thing to do is smile. Then move closer, think, and reflect upon their own experiences and relate them to the things or ideas that they are looking at. Then decide if you want to move on or see more of it.

W: Who has influenced your work and how?

G: Artists like Sol LeWitt and Frida Vega Salomonsson are two of my favorite artists. I really like their mystery of process. On the other hand, Todd Norsten from Minneapolis is also a very good artist. I feel they are all very simple and clean artists. When I look at my production in work is very related to what they do. But I have to say they biggest influence I have is from Lyubov Popova. She is a Russian woman who designed clothing for the soldiers after the Russian revolution.

Not a lot of people know this, but I only paint stripes and that is because that of that girl.

W: What could you imagine doing if you didn’t do what you do?

G: If I could do anything, I would be a graphic designer. To move images and manipulate color and form, and to utilize symbols and letters in a 2D space is amazing to me. To be able to manipulate images, that blows my mind. When I see graphic designers working it just makes me go into another world.

W: Let’s talk a little bit about your experience at the Walker.

First tell us, what is the Walker?

G: The Walker is a twenty-first century center for arts, visual arts, media arts, and performing arts.

W: How long have you been working at the Walker?

G: I started as a tour guide at the Walker in 1982. Since then I have not stopped learning about contemporary art.

W: What are the 3 best moments you had while working at the Walker?

G: I don’t know how to answer that question [laughs]. There have been plenty of special moments. But,what I can tell you is that when you come to the Walker you can see outdoor galleries, sculpture galleries, and you can see indoor galleries.

You can see giants and you can see petites.

W: Something people should now about the Walker that they might not know?

G: We started in the eighteen hundreds and we are still going strong into the 21st century.

W: We know that you are planning to retire from the Walker sometime next year, why?

G: I am planning to retire sometime next summer. I just feel its time; there is no other explanation [laughs].

W:Any recommendations you want to give for art students at the University of Minnesota?

G: The only thing that you have to do starting your university career is you have to look at art around you. Students have to take time and effort to visit galleries and see artists and their place of production. Feel and use your senses.

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sound & vision

Metz: Massive Sounds for Negative Space

So Loud it Blew a Beer Can Away

BY Paul Erling Let’s get one thing straight, Metz create totally loud ear candy, and you’ll respect yourself for acquiring that nifty pair of headphones (scrap the ear buds, bud). The Toronto based, post-hardcore three-piece dropped their eponymous debut on October 9th via Sub Pop, a long awaited return to form for the Seattle label majoring in grunge. The record revolves around the driving drums of Hayden Menzies, kicking through layers of feedback and total thrash from lead singer and sole guitarist Alex Edkins, while bassist Chris Slorach provides cues for shifts along the way, as well as waving boundaries within each note, providing just the right set of tension and timing to the band’s recordings. The three create one massive sound, incorporating math-like cohesiveness, while still leaving plenty of room for distortion and divergence.

Four years of inward tonal innovation has allowed Metz to develop a unique offering, standing out and stepping up from many associated hardcore act’s downfalls (ie. scream vocals, sloppy drumming, afterthought lyrics). What remains is a rethought vocal take notable in its heaviness, crunch, reverberation and layering, playing more like a fourth instrument than a forced substitute for creativity. Among the band’s strengths is their ability to utilize negative space and downtime; the pauses within a record that consider other elements than just “Go,” while the omission of break downs composites a thriving pace.

There was no cue after a period of silence, and in the darkness, noise began rolling from the stage Opening track, “Headache,” embodies this sound, starting the record straight with drums, then a subtle vocal play panning around the stereo, rejoining with full guitar, bass, and vocals to kick everything over into the realm of Metz. The single manages to set the tone (The drum beat becomes a notable theme), while maintaining anticipation for chaos to ensue. Songs clock in roughly in the two minute range but manage to capture a broad sound declining to look back or continue with “the same,” warranting repeat play to feel it all sink in. Following opener tracks (“Get Off,” “Sad Pricks,” and “Rats”) act as a release; lyrics bounding in aggression, swimming in full sound.

The drums are still very much the forefront and control here, but space is allocated to swirling solos of distortion and drops, as well as the slapstick reverb of Edkins’ vocals.

Halfway marker, “Knife in the Water,” makes a similar return to the opening drum pattern while managing to bring new concepts to the table; the album becomes noticeably heavier at this point, with the band building upon themselves through feedback loops and sparse, repeated lyrics adding to

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Robby Reis

the point. Transition piece, “Nausea,” serves as an overarching negative space for the album; vocals drop off, trading-in for some of the more distorted, borderline low-fi moments encountered on the album. Sound collages of bells layer above the band’s stoned riff. Even the drums take a back seat in the mix, aware and complementary to the surrounding.

Notable release, “Wet Blanket,” reads like a page out of post punk heaven, offering an imaginative contribution to the radio waves, complete with a slow, pounding beat, drummer drop-off, swirling guitar, soundscape. Standouts are left for last, effectively disoriented in the guitar work of the album.

“Wasted” and “Mule” are pulled out in the final moments in case any head-bangers missed the party. These in particular manage to convey themes from the 90’s grunge movement, to which Metz thoroughly pays attention, even buddying up with Mudhoney frontman, Mark Arm. Their sound comes across as an expansion on most things right with the past.

Album closer, “Negative Space,” exposes the band’s point: attention to the details, aware of tone and interest, emphasis, clarity, rephrasing, and going all out.

Metz - 7th Street Entry October 29th There was no cue after a period of silence, and in the darkness, noise began rolling from the stage. The drum beat from album single, “Knife in the Water,” pounded above the distorting tones, slowly enveloping into the song’s melody. The variance from the album version is an expansion of parts; drawn out indulgence in tones, and a complete absorption of sound. The energy was high right from the start, following

local invites Animal Lovers and Buildings, playing out much like underground house shows; skinnies, hoods, and PBRs in hand. Following tracks (“Negative Space” and “Get Off”) insured the audience’s interest, offering heavy riffs and effective vocals, both digital and physical.

New 7” release, “Dirty Shirt,” made a well-received appearance, with more to love along the vein of the band’s self-titled debut. Bounding ahead smoothly in regards to the next track, “Wasted,” Edkins made it very clear by saying, “This song’s about getting drunk.” Just as on the album, the song has a standout nature; the kind of guitar work and tones your body can’t resist vibing to. The lights went out again following the final hit, and I even made a joke in my memo about them having to cool down. Sound and vision returned with the band playing, “Headache.” Bassist Chris Slorach contributed backing vocals to the mix, managing to produce the tripped tones from their album. Album track, “Mule,” saw the band take on even more crunched-out tones from the grunge era, further paying homage to early 90’s innovators. Set-closer, “Wet Blanket,” was drawn out into something along the lines of Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick / Bonzo’s Montreux,” serving as a drum feature, though swirling layers of looping, guitar distortion remained present above the mix. The lights went out again, and for a second the crowd thought it was like the previous (more songs in store). Metz took this time to head off stage, while the audience showed their appreciation in hopes of an encore. Unfortunately, it just couldn’t happen.

Edkins taking the stage again to offer, “Sorry guys, our shit’s broken.” It didn’t matter, the set was perfectly executed; an expansion of ideas from the album, to the point, everything that needs to be stated, stated, and loud as hell.

sound & vision

Food, Wine, and Film, Bringing People Together St. Anthony Main Theatre hosts its food and wine film festival, “Feast for the Eyes,” to celebrate the delectable world of wining and dining on the big screen.

BY Sarah Mevissen October 25th to October 28th, The Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul held its food and wine film festival, “Feast for the Eyes,” “celebrating the Culture and Experience, Art and Science of Food and Beverage from Around the Globe” at Minneapolis’ own St. Anthony Main Theatre.

would have a similar atmosphere of the rivaling restaurant.

One side desires to share knowledge and spread appreciation about craftsmanship while the other desires to indulge in pleasures, namely booze.

A balance of the two, having exceptional expertise along with an infectious, joyful spirit, is what made Primo and Secondo’s big night so phenomenal.

Saturday, I went to the festival a second time and saw Now, Forager. Lucien and Regina forage the woods of New Jersey, looking for wild mushrooms to sell to New York restaurants.

But the lifestyle of a mushroom forager is dangerously unstable. So the couple, both searching for different things in life, slowly diverges down different paths.

There was a complete change of energy this night compared to the energy of Thursday. Although the age range still averaged around sixty-five, the theater was more than half way full.

After the film, a wonderful display of Italian chocolates and Surdyk’s cheeses was waiting just outside the theater doors.

The food elevated the energy even more: people were talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. It reminded me of the dinner scene in Big Night. And that’s exactly what I imagined from this festival: “celebrating the Culture and Experience,” celebrating “Art and Science of Food and Beverage.” It was a wonderful food and wine film festival, truly a “Feast for the Eyes.”

Sarah Mevissen

In addition to the films, the festival’s attendants delighted in a selection of food and drink, provided by local restaurants, bakeries, wineries, and breweries.

Films were selected from all over the world, exploring certain components of food and wine: the success, the failure, the business, the tradition, the sacrifice, the passion - illuminating how nourishment not only affects the body physically, but strengthens the wellness of our soul by bringing people together.

I was present opening night, along with ten others well over the age of sixty. The film was Big Night.

Originally released in 1996, Big Night is about two Italian brothers who have immigrated to America and find themselves desperate to keep their traditional Italian restaurant alive when the bank threatens to foreclose. By a stroke of luck, the successful owner of the rivaling Italian restaurant across the street (Oscar® Nominee Ian Holm) promises to help the brothers, Primo (Tony Shalhoub, Monk) and Secondo (Stanley Tucci, The Devil Wears Prada), save their restaurant by inviting his celebrity friend to dine at their place.

The result was one big night, full of delicious food, lively spirits, and good times. Not only were their guests’ tastebuds treated to the most divine cuisine, but they were surrounded by great company. That’s how I assumed the festival’s opening night would be, yet there was hardly anyone there.

I tried to decipher why the opening night was such a bust. In Big Night, the rivaling restaurant thrives because it Americanized the Italian cooking and dining experience. Think Buca di Beppo but more sensual lighting and lots more alcohol. So maybe people didn’t come to the festival because, like Primo and Secondo’s restaurant, it just wasn’t exciting enough.

While I enjoyed my time there, I’ll admit that it was a pretty mellow night for a college freshman. The atmosphere reflected that of the brothers’ restaurant, while a college party Sarah Mevissen

www.wakemag.org

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sound & vision

Guante & Big Cats You Better Weaponize

By Zach McCormick

The Belmore

Red Hot Chili Peppers

by Jack Hanisch & Robert Schoen

by Sam Schaust

The Belmore/New Skyway Lounge, located at 25 N. 4th Street downtown, is easy to miss even with an iPhone. The brand new restaurant/music venue has no sign or promotional website. However, you’re in for a pleasant surprise if you manage to find it. The dining area is in front of the establishment, with a long bar on the left side, and a pool table and small stage in back. The punk rock venue holds a crowd of about 300 people. Currently, the only upcoming show is Bow Wow Wow on November 15th and 16th. Atmospherically, this joint is bare but sleek, with warm wood floors, black leather chairs, and some in-season skulls scattered on the bar and tables. The dark lighting, or lack thereof, was strange because one half of the eatery was pitch dark.

The lights dimmed low as the Red Hot Chili Peppers took the Target Center stage only 25% shirtless – that being Flea of course – and eased into a mellow opening track off their newest album. For the first couple minutes the only visible lights were the flashing cameras before a background display erupted into a disorienting tiger stripe video montage. These out-of-place backdrop visuals ranged from a 1942 fighter plane pumping lead into the crowd to, oddly enough, a crudely drawn child mastering horseback riding. Too bad it truly distracted from the tremendous stage presence of Flea and lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis. During the break between each song, a band member would take center light and whip out some reputable solo introducing the next song, punching the dense crowd of veteran fans into a frenzy. Twenty minutes in, and RHCP are 50% shirtless; these guys still rockin’ like their 1983 genesis. Everything hit a point of silliness when drummer Chad Smith climbed aboard the chandelier lights above him, flashing the projectors throughout the crowd and superficially recreating what seemed to be the UFO interaction scene from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Soon after that, Flea started walking around on his hands. The stage was a norules playground and, in all honesty, these guys could pass as g ymnasts seeing how many spins and summersaults they performed. Roughly two hours later, after an encore and lengthy twenty song set list of more old material than new, they dismissed themselves with warm and thankful goodbyes.

Undoubtedly, the best part of this place was the delicious food. The Belmore serves a classy take on diner favorites.

We started with a tasty tomato bisque soup. Following our soup, we dined on tasty Neapolitan pizza that was topped with basil and flavorful tomatoes over a delightfully thin and flaky crust. Along with our pizza, we chomped on a turkey panuozzo sandwich, which consisted of romaine lettuce, a light layer of cherry jelly, egg whites, dijon-chive mustard, and thick slices of full flavored turkey, all held together by a delicious, crunchy pita-type bread. Upon finishing our meal, we ordered a piece of the chocolate cake that had been taunting us throughout our dinner since it was cleverly displayed on the bar. Check it out for some good eats and reasonable prices.

A hotly contested election year could be the perfect setting for a new Guante release. The Minneapolis-based spoken word phenom-turned rapper and his tag-team beatmaker Big Cats have reunited in 2012 for their strongest collaboration to this point: an incisively political album with a newfound indie backing from Strange Famous Records, home to Cecil Otter and Sage Francis.

Guante, as always, brings incredibly articulate lyrical content to You Better Weaponize, proudly showing his poetic roots with agile, $10 wordplay that will take a couple of listens to fully soak-in. Tracks like “The Invisible Backpacker of Privilege” and “Other” insightfully skewer complex racial issues within hip-hop with an eloquence that never borders on preachy. Starting his album with a shoutout to Howard Zinn, Guante establishes himself as the Twin Cities answer to East Coast lyrical gods like Pharaoe Monch, and like their releases YBW is best heard through a pair of good headphones.

In fact, therein lies the record’s greatest shortcoming: while Guante’s swashbuckling verses give him an edge over the other excellent political hip-hop albums this year, he misses some of their blunt-force-fists-in-the-air effectiveness. The opening track, featuring a sensational guest verse from Crescent Moon, is a notable exception to this rule, but “Underground Sex Party” comes off as more snobbish blog post than funny. Big Cats isn’t off the hook here either, the producer’s had a difficult and busy year producing a tribute album to his late mother, and while he certainly doesn’t let his partner down, one gets the feeling he might have sent his best ideas elsewhere.

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Sam Schaust

sound & vision

REVIEWS

The Passion of Joan of Arc (live score by Zoo Animal) at The Cedar

By Alex Lauer On November 7th and 8th Zoo Animal will be performing at The Cedar Cultural Center, but if you get a seat far enough away you may not see them at all during the show.

Holly Newsom and her Zoo Animal cohorts, Josiah Quick and Josh Caro, will be shadowy figures to the side of an immense, glowing screen playing the 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc. When I went to the preview screening of this film, lead singer Newsom wanted to make the focus perfectly clear: this show is a film screening and Zoo Animal is providing a frame through which to view it. Despite being the lead singer, Newsom will not be singing at all during the performance. “I didn’t want to act like I was the voice of Joan,” Newsom said. She felt her own distinct voice would too easily be associated with Joan’s and thus take away from the film itself.

Although you won’t be hearing the Zoo Animal Minneapolis has grown to love, this show is still 100% them. It’s intense, visceral, and although you won’t leave in the happiest mood ever, you’ll definitely leave with existential questions—so go with friends.

“The movie is already tense, and I don’t think we make you any less tense,” Newsom said. It’s true, they don’t. After the screening there was a long period of silence before someone started clapping, and the following applause was more than a little awkward. Despite the stunning score Zoo Animal has created for this masterpiece of film, applauding at the end, [spoiler alert] after Joan is burned at the stake, seems wrong. youa vang

Benjamin Gibbard at the Assembly Hall at the Women’s Club

By Katie Askew Benjamin Gibbard, the frontman of Death Cab for Cutie and former lead singer of The Postal Service, performed a soul-wrenching acoustic show on November 1st after debuting his solo album, Former Lives.

Gibbard kicked off his North American tour with the band Advance Base at the Assembly Hall at the Women’s Club, a relatively unknown venue in Minneapolis with theater style seating that was perfect for Gibbard’s soulful serenades.

style harmonies, and mariachi band (what!) found on his latest album explained his down-home look of a red plaid button-up, brown leather belt, and dark wash jeans. No tight leather pants in sight. Sigh.

I’ll let you decide whether or not to clap when you see it though, because one thing is for sure: this is an experience I know you’re not dumb enough to miss out on.

Thankfully no mariachi band joined Gibbard on stage. The night was only him standing on an oriental rug with his guitar, playing, as he put it, “an evening of gentle music.”

Gibbard played his self-titled “acoustic solo show as a greatest hits slowed down show” with songs on the piano and guitar from not only his current album, but also hits from past Death Cab albums and songs from The Postal Service.

He ended his encore with “You Remind Me of Home.” I couldn’t let him get away with his ever-modest goodbye: “My name is Ben and I’ll see you down the road.”

After making eye-contact with him all night from my front row seat, I had to thank him face-to-face. Waiting outside in the freezing weather rewarded me with an autographed, handwritten set list and a hug I’m never washing off. His sea-blue eyes looked into mine as I melted into a puddle of my former life.

He greeted the theater with a spirited “Howdy!” which only further confirmed his stylistic changes. The undeniable western undertones, south-of-the-border twang, Beatles-

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Obituaries

Bus-Stop Mind Games

Justin Sengly

By Evan Johnson

WANT YOUR CREATIVE WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY, DRAWINGS, COMICS, OR OTHER ART FEATURED IN THE WAKE?

cold Wind warm sun dancing breeze—like fairy wings that race. across the blue stir the concrete (!)

Email kschwartz@wakemag.org for more info

with my foot stone soup like a German folk tale rain or sunshine chilling fog and Chaos I hold my silent vigil bus-stop mind games and wasted philosophizing I anticipate events cautiously.

But my thoughts run recklessly,

Eocene Halloween

By David Schaefer

And find me inadequate to stop their flight.

The bus skids slowly to a juddering stop.

A dragon devouring Our waiting lines With a hunger that is overpowering.

There is an awe that softly comes, And speeds my slowly beating heart.

It searches spirit, soul, and mind, And builds them up from separate parts.

And as she slowly settles down, My held and aching breath restarts.

This trouble is keeping me inside, flying around the place looking for a bite to eat or a quick fix to this mortality.

Wolves tramped in the muck until they were whales, and theropods waisted enough time, grew wings, and became state birds and mantle piece decor

Oh, what a simple thing is joy, Dependent on our mortal whim, Our melancholy it destroys, And brings sunlight to caverns dim, Composing a melodic hymn.

This breath could be eternity.

I know the world’s as it should be.

in my father’s study.

I’m doing what I can in all the rain water puddles and tree top balconies this city has to offer with a few drinks to bide my time.

Steve Sitek

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05 november - 19 november 2012

THE BASTARD

NUN FUX GVN Congrats to the winners of our Do ‘The Bastard’ Dance Contest: Jeremy Baxter, Tyler Dardis, Andrew Grabowska, Ben Grabowska, Bridget Ireland, Maria Senkyr, and Michael Thompson of St. Clair High School!!! www.wakemag.org

23

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Writers Copy Editors Artists Web Designers R. Kelly Fans You!

LAST MEETING OF THE SEMESTER. DO IT.

Monday, November 26th 8:30 PM Nicholson Hall 125