BLACK LIVES STILL MATTER
ZOMBIE PUB CRAWL PG. 13 //
// PG. 5
DRUGS AT MUSIC FESTIVALS
SUMMER FIRSTS
PG. 20 //
// PG. 9
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1 // OCT 5–OCT 18
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VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1 BLACK LIVES STILL MATTER // PG. 5
ZOMBIE PUB CRAWL // PG. 13
SUMMER FIRSTS // PG. 9
ALLEN PAGE RETIRES // PG. 16
OUTLAWING ABORTION // PG. 10
DRUGS AT MUSIC FESTIVALS // PG. 20
EDITORIAL: Sound & Vision Editors Peter Diamond Shawnna Stennes
Editor-in-Chief Grace Birnstengel Managing Editor Lauren Cutshall
Art Directors Lizzie Goncharova, Max Smith
Cities Editor Kevin Beckman
Copy Editors Alex Van Abbema Joe Rush
Voices Editor Kayla McCombs
Editorial Interns Emma Klingler Sally Samaha Olivia Heusinkveld Sally Samaha Carson Kaskel Faculty Advisor Chelsea Reynolds
PRODUCTION: Executive Director Kelcie McKenney Head Designer Becca Sugden Graphic Designers Caleb Vanden Boom Kate Doyle Olivia Novotny Web Manager Carter Gruss
Public Relations/ Advertising Manager Sara Erickson
PR Interns Jenna Ogle Jake Merritt
Social Media Manager Abby Richardson
Photography Interns Jenna Pimental Juliet Laske Kellen Renstrom
Finance Manager Nels Haugen Distributors Abigail Rommel Sam Gunderson
Illustration Interns Breanna Vick Aaron Musickant
Welcome to another glorious year at The Wake Magazine. We’re excited to be back and give you what you want— a healthy mix of silly, introspective, and analytical content.
THIS ISSUE: Photographers Emily Deuker, Sara Erickson, Olivia Novotny
Interest and membership at The Wake is higher than ever, which proves our continued necessity on campus, and inflates our egos. (Sometimes we need it, okay? Have you tried running a biweekly magazine with very limited funds?)
Illustrators Emily Deuker, Lizzie Goncharova, Aaron Musickant, Max Smith, Erin Stevenson, Breanna Vick Contributing Writers Sammy Brown, Logan Carroll, Lauren Cutshall, Emily Deuker, Peter Diamond, Sara Erickson, Hannah Fox, Annalise Gall, Olivia Heusinkveld, Aaron Job, Carson Kaskel, Emma Klingler, Lianna Matt, Colin Miller, Aaron Musickant, Olivia Novotny, Abby Richardson, Joseph Rush, Erin Stevenson, Chelsea Visser, Alex Van Abbema ©2015 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 students at the University of Minnesota. The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong. 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 gbirnstengel@wakemag.org.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 www.wakemag.org facebook.com/ thewakemagazine @the_wake wake-mag.tumblr.com
On page 5, writer Logan Carroll gives us a look at the Black Lives Matter Minneapolis movement from the perspective of Rev. Danny Givens Jr., a leader for BLM who spent 12 years in prison. Annalise Gall debriefs us on another layer of the abortion debate on page 10: Is it ethical to terminate a pregnancy because your child has Down syndrome? One of our editors, Peter Diamond, had the chance to speak with buzzy bedroom pop artist Eskimeaux all about her much-loved 2015 release “O.K.” on page 13. If you’re planning on participating in this year’s Zombie Pub Crawl, read our feature on page 16 first for a behind-the-scenes preview. Special first issue bonus: Check out this lovely complete redesign by our design team! Give a designer a hug today.They work hard and have to put up with our editorial nonsense. Grace Birnstengel Editor-in-Chief
BACK 2 SKOOL BOOZE BY SARA ERICKSON
Feeling fancier than a can of Keystone Light and Fireball shots? Enjoy two original festive fall-themed beverages on The Wake.
ANGRY B ALLS
ICYMI: Albums I Spun This Summer BY ALEX VAN ABBEMA “Blurryface” - Twenty One Pilots It’s hard to describe the genre that Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun’s band fits under, but alternative rap seems to describe them pretty well. The group’s follow up to “Vessel” expertly melds rap, alternative, and piano ballads into 14 incredible tracks. “Tear In My Heart” and “Ride” were both perfect summer jams. “Currents” - Tame Impala Tame Impala’s third album yet again showcased Kevin Parker’s top notch production. Parker mixed, performed, and produced every instrument on the album, which focused on personal transformation. “Eventually” and “Cause I’m a Man” highlight this psychedelic masterpiece.
-12 oz bottle of Angry Orchard hard cider -1 shot of your favorite whiskey -Cheer up
MORNING GLORY
C OPY BY ABB Y RICH ARD SON ART BY L IZZIE G ONC HAROVA
“Beauty Behind the Madness” - The Weeknd No Top-40 artist hit the mainstream harder this summer than Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) who found success with his summer hits “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills.” Tesfaye brings a fresh new style in a Top-40 era mostly devoid of R&B influence. Non-hits “Tell Your Friends” (produced by Kanye West) and “In The Night” also warrant a listen.
RVEY SURVE WHICH FALL FLAVOR IS BETTER THAN PUMPKIN SPICE?
Cinnamon
Blood
40%
21%
Hazelnut
-8 oz strong coffee -2 oz RumChata -Splash of Hazelnut creamer
4 // OCT 5–OCT 18
21%
Rhubarb
18%
THE WAKE // CITIES
Standing at the Intersection
As a teenager, the clergy liaison for Black Lives Matter Minneapolis was
convicted of the attempted murder of a police officer
BY LOGAN CARROLL
According to the Pioneer Press, on Saturday April 13, 1996, Givens took part in the armed robbery of a VFW post. Lt. Art Blakey of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department happened to be visiting his niece, the bartender, that night. When the off-duty officer sneaked two women out the back door, Givens followed and shot him in the alley. Givens, 18 years old at the time, was also shot during the robbery. Givens knew Blakey—the black police officer lived around the corner from his mother.
AARON MU SICKANT
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a coalition whose membership spans the gamut from conservative Christian to transgender. The Rev. Danny Givens Jr. is one member who stands at the intersection of tradition and radicalism, of religion and politics, and of violence and reconciliation. Givens, the clergy liaison for BLM Minneapolis, was ordained in prison while serving 12 years for shooting an off-duty police officer.
Givens was released in 2008, shortly after being ordained, and was welcomed back to his community. He publicly reconciled with Blakey in 2011. “I want to prove that his investment in forgiving me was worth the fight,” he said. “I aspire to make him proud.”
“I committed a great injustice,” Givens said. Givens now considers Blakey a friend. Originally incarcerated in a medium security prison, Givens was moved to the high security Stillwater Correctional Facility for taking part in a riot. Eight months later, just before he was returned to medium security, two prisoners who knew his story sat him down. “I think that between them they had something like 500 years,” he said. They flashed hand-made knives at Givens and told him that if he ever came back to Stillwater they would kill him. Givens calls it an act of love. “I shot a cop and got 12 years. I knew a guy who shot at a cop and got 25 [years],” Givens said. “They were showing me I was like this Faberge egg playing in the mud. I still had time to make something of myself.” When a ministry from his community did outreach in the prison, Givens decided to give his life to God.
His focus then was on getting through parole, but it was not always easy. He was married and divorced, founded a ministry, and had a son out of wedlock. He says that through everything, he ministered to those who, like himself, had been marginalized by society. “I had a plan for the first year, the third year, the fifth year,” he said. “I didn’t have a plan for when I got off parole.” Givens was off parole just a few months when BLM staged a “die in” on Interstate 35. Shortly after, Givens led prayer at a “healing ceremony” for people who had been impacted by violence. Also speaking at the event was Lena Gardner, who works for BLM Minneapolis. The two exchanged phone numbers. While planning for the Mall of America demonstration, Gardner asked Givens to be a part of the clergy presence. Later, when he testified before the Bloomington City Council about the incident, he did so as a representative of BLM.
Givens is 38 now. He lives and works in St. Paul where he is a Ministerial Resident at Unity Church. “BLM was started by three queer women. In some circles of my faith, that’s seen as wrong,” he said. BLM includes Christians, Muslims, and members of the LGBT community. “We have a great range of people at the table, but more importantly the presence is around black culture,” Givens said. “We’re all doing this work called justice.” Police brutality is currently at the forefront of that work, but BLM is looking beyond that. Givens said that BLM will become a long-term movement “by taking on the systemic issues that are relevant to the liberation of all black people.” Those issues include violence against black transgender people, mass incarceration, the militarization of the police, and “the healing of black people as a whole—taking time out to invest in one another and bringing that solidarity and equity amongst our own community.” “We’re not out here seeking to be murdered and marginalized,” Givens said. “What needs to happen is for the system to realize that they need to come and reconcile with us.”
“I didn’t even know what that meant,” Givens said. “Think about the statistics of mass incarceration of people of color in “I’m not here to represent my opinions. I’m here to represent Minnesota…a lot of my friends saw my transformation first hand.” love,” Givens said. “That’s my dogma. That’s my religion.”
WAKEMAG.ORG // 5
A Final Goodbye
M AX S M ITH
THE WAKE // CITIES
Former Viking Alan Page retires from the Minnesota Supreme Court BY JOSEPH RUSH After reaching the mandatory age for retirement,Alan Page is once again stepping out of the public eye in the state of Minnesota. The legendary Vikings player retired from the NFL in the early 1980s and followed up a stellar football career with an even more extraordinary career in law. Alan Page played in 218 consecutive games. He was selected to nine Pro-Bowls, and he had four Super Bowl appearances. Ironically enough, the NFL Hall of Fame inductee even graduated high school in Canton, Ohio— the very city where his bronze bust will be showcased until football as we know it ceases to exist. As part of the dynamic and dominant “Purple People Eaters” for the Vikings in the 1970s, Page gained notoriety and respect all over the Land of 10,000 Lakes.After being drafted out of Notre Dame in the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft, Page quickly made his presence felt on the field. Page and his teammates terrorized backfields around the league en route to becoming football legends. In 1971, he became the first ever Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year and was honored as the most valuable player in the same season. Page had a remarkable 14-year NFL career as a member of the Vikings and a stint with the Chicago Bears. Fortunately, Page’s contributions to the great state of Minnesota didn’t end there.
bestowed numerous awards for his excellence on the bench. A few of his many accomplishments include the Equal Justice Award from the Council on Crime and Justice, the Legacy Award from The Pan African Community Endowment, the Making a Difference by Breaking Barriers Award from the American Bar Association, and the Excellence in Diversity Award from the Ramsey County Bar Association. Protecting civil liberties is something Page is passionate about, however, much of his work has been done in the area of education. In 1988 Page and his wife started the Page Education Foundation. The foundation’s website states that “Page Grants are awarded to Minnesota students of color who attend Minnesota post-secondary schools and agree to complete annual service projects with young children.”
//In 1992 Alan Page became the
Prior to his football retirement, Page was planning for a future in law and philanthropy. According to the American Bar Association, he enrolled in law school at the University of Minnesota in 1975 and passed the Minnesota bar exam in 1978. Page wasted no time beginning his second career as a lawyer, joining a Minneapolis law firm in 1979 where he worked largely with labor disputes. Throughout his career, Page has been a member of the American Law Institute, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, National Bar Association, and American Bar Association.
first African-American to serve as an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court.
In 1992 Alan Page became the first African-American to serve as an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. He was reelected in 1998, 2004, and 2010. According to the Minnesota Judicial Branch, Page has been
6 // OCT 5–OCT 18
//
The grants are available to students with varying levels of academic accomplishment in an attempt to reach more children. There is more focus on a student’s attitude towards education and their financial need. According to the Pioneer Press, the Page Education Foundation has assisted more than 6,000 students and awarded more than $12 million in scholarships in their 27 years of operation. With Alan Page’s prowess and prestige leaving the bench, along with his specifications in equality and education, there is some legitimate concern about decreased emphasis on
those areas with the arrival of a new Minnesota Supreme Court Member. Judge Natalie Hudson, a 13-year veteran of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, was tapped by Gov. Mark Dayton to fill the void left by Page’s retirement. Hudson wasn’t a professional athlete prior to her appointment, however, there are several parallels that one can draw vbetween the two. According to MinnPost, Hudson spent significant time during her professional career working on employment and housing law, similar to Page’s early work in labor law. In addition, being a woman of color adds to the ethnic and gender diversity of the Minnesota Supreme Court, following in the footsteps of the trail blazing judge that proceeded her. Page’s work with civil liberties and equality, along with his commitment to our education systems, has set a standard that Hudson is more than capable of meeting. Alan Page was difficult to replace as a defensive lineman decades ago, and he will likely be difficult to replace as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. However, Minnesotans can rest assured that he has made, and will continue to make, many positive impacts throughout our state that will echo for a long time.
THE WAKE // CITIES
A Hub for Equality
U of M Women’s Center introduces new study lounge BY OLIVIA NOVOTNY The transformation into a relaxing haven was finally complete for room 65 of Appleby Hall on Sept. 17. Tree decals now adorn the walls and sky. Cloud stickers cover the fluorescent lights, casting a soft glow on this sanctuary complete with bowl chairs and a small fountain. The new study lounge area is for students to unwind, hang out, do homework, and interact with Women’s Center staff.
way we do metaphorically to ideas,” said Bronwyn Miller, program coordinator at the Women’s Center. “We want to increase presence among all students, and not just have a good space for particular students, but everyone,” said Miller. “Everyone is welcome to come and learn about gender equity and women’s centers in general.”
Walking on Art in St. Paul
O L I V I A NOVOT NY
The Women’s Center has been around since 1960—it The lounge is meant for a safe place to study, but it is also a was the first Women’s Center on a university campus. good place for students to ask questions and get informal The Women’s Center works to advance gender equity coaching and advising. for students, staff, faculty, and alumni. They host events, facilitate volunteer programs and workshops, and have “There are some people that think that we don’t need women’s their own scholarship program where they give away centers anymore because we have Hillary and Oprah and Beyoncé, but there are still many barriers facing women, $60,000 in awards. particularly women of color and women in STEM fields,” said Peg Lonnquist, the director of the Women’s Center. Before its move to Appleby Hall five years ago, the Women’s Center was located in a now demolished building It is these barriers that the Women’s Center strives to educate on campus. There, they had more space and a lounge. Staff students about.With a lounge, doing this is even more possible. feels a lounge is an essential part of the effect and purpose of a Women’s Center. “We worked really diligently to consider each piece of that lounge.” Miller said. “I’m really proud of how it’s “This is a really exciting progression for us. Just the fact come together.” that we are able to physically open our doors in the same
Annual sidewalk poetry contest lets art communicate with community
E MILY DU EK ER
BY EMILY DUEKER Every year in St. Paul, as part of the routine maintenance for the city, 10 miles of sidewalk are hauled up and restored anew. Beginning in 2008, these repairs began to include an infusion of art in the form of poetry. The poems that appear are the result of an ongoing project called “Everyday Poems for City Sidewalk,” which is coordinated by Public Art St. Paul. This organization, which has been working since 1987 to foster a relationship between art and the communities of St. Paul, has already pressed into stone 46 poems all around the parameters of the city. The artist behind the project, Marcus Young, got the idea from the stamped signatures of cement companies in the corner of sidewalk panels. Young combined this practice with anyone’s natural desire to leave their mark in wet cement and created an enduring art project for the city of St. Paul. Eventually, all sidewalk surfaces in the city could be covered with the artistic offerings of its inhabitants.
Providing a portal through which art can spring seems to be a major theme in Young’s ongoing work as an Artist in Residence for St. Paul. Another project developed and enacted by Young, entitled “Don’t You Feel It Too,” encourages the public to gather in the streets and let loose, dancing to the music they personally connect with most. Other projects like “The Lullaby Experiment,” in which 35 people were lulled to sleep in the Walker Art Museum, and “With Nothing to Give, I Give Myself,” during which Young lived in the Walker for 10 days, are further examples of his focus on behavioral art—one that explores humans as art and art as innately human. Poetry for the project is gathered at different times of year, capturing the seasonality of poetic expression.This year the contest runs from September 14th through October 16th with the opportunity for submission open to all St. Paul residents with a poem 10 lines long and 250 characters or less. At the end of the contest, all the poems will be reviewed by a panel. Up to five poets’ work will be chosen to add to the collection of poetry that currently graces the footpaths of St. Paul.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 7
E M I LY D U E K E R
THE WAKE // CITIES
Gender and Grade School St. Paul school district institutes gender inclusion policy BY CHELSEA VISSER Take just a minute and imagine the following: you’re 8 years old, and your class is having a spelling bee.Your teacher has the boys line up on one wall and the girls on another. You go and stand by all the other girls, between two of your friends, but suddenly your teacher frowns at you. “You’re in the wrong line,” she says. “Go stand with the boys.” You’re shepherded across the room, and you stand there uncomfortably. This isn’t right, you think to yourself. Your hair is short, and your mom doesn’t let you wear dresses like your little sister, but you know you aren’t a boy. You’re a girl, and your body is all wrong. A phrase that’s heard pretty commonly to describe the difference between sex and gender is that sex is what’s between your legs, and gender is what’s in your mind. For a lot of people, those two things match. Sometimes, they’re completely different—on opposite ends of a spectrum. For others, the difference isn’t quite so stark. For people whose perception of gender matches their body, the term is “cisgender.” Cis comes from Latin, and it means “on the same side.” The natural opposite—people whose gender doesn’t match their body—is transgender.
inclusion policy, granting public school students of all ages to be officially recognized for how they choose to identify. The SPPS Gender Inclusion Policy looks to alleviate some of the problems reported by transgender and gender nonconforming students such as fears of harassment, violation of privacy, and lack of access to facilities (such as restrooms and locker rooms). Although the State of Minnesota requires school districts to record students’ genders as either “male” or “female,” students can now select which option they would like recorded on a new form. Additionally, within the school district, students can choose an alternate gender that best describes their identity. Male and female checkboxes are provided, but there is a space for a student to write in their gender, be it genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, etc. Critically, the form entitled “Name/Gender Change Request Form” allows for students to specify the name they would like to be called by school staff.
Allowing students to be themselves at school gives them a safe space to learn and grow as individuals, instead of forcing them to spend all their time and energy on pretending to be something they’re not. Another GLSEN Even as the United States celebrates the passing of study shows that LGBT students are more likely to have marriage equality by the Supreme Court this summer, the a lower GPA and lower self-esteem due to the high levels “T” in LGBTQ acronym tends to be forgotten. A national survey run by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education of victimization they face. A cursory Google search of Network (GLSEN) reports that 75 percent of transgender “transgender teen death” will show articles of over half a dozen transgender teens who have been murdered or students feel unsafe at school. Fifty-nine percent of trans committed suicide in the last year. Leelah Alcorn, Mercedes students have been denied access to use the facilities that Williamson, Kyler Prescott, Blake Brockington, and Taylor align with their gender identity. Alesena are just a few names from the first page, and that’s certainly not all of them. Those are the ones that made the Changing these trends is slow and difficult work. Cultural understanding of being transgender is still limited at best— news. There are surely many more that occur unnoticed. Caitlyn Jenner’s transition has brought a lot of awareness to the subject, but many people are still convinced trans Three students have already submitted requests for a people are mentally ill at best and criminals at worst. name change in St. Paul.This is a big step for SPPS, and their Out for Equity website shows that they are committed Without policies set in place to protect this group from harassment and violence, it is difficult—and dangerous— to equality for students regardless of sexuality or gender identity. Change is coming slowly, both at a national level for them to go about their daily lives. and within our schools. This policy is one more marker on the long road that our society must travel before students In March, the St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Board of Education unanimously passed a groundbreaking gender will be able to fully express who they are without fear.
8 // OCT 5–OCT 18
THE WAKE // VOICES
Summer Firsts: Living Independently BY HANNAH FOX Growing up in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, it was a rite of passage as a self-deemed city girl to sneak into the TV room and watch the endless marathons of “Sex and the City” on the E! Network. It was then that I swore one day I would walk in Carrie Bradshaw’s Manolo Blahnikclad footsteps and live luxuriously, and completely independently, in the heart of New York City.
The first week or so of freedom went exactly as I had hoped. Granted, St. Paul, Minnesota is not exactly Manhattan, but I’ll take what I can get. I had my own car, a kitchen full of food, and an empty house. I could walk naked through the house and eat whenever and whatever I pleased. It was just me, myself, and I living my Carrie Bradshaw dream, college girl style. What they don’t tell you in shows like “Sex and the City” is that in order to live like a millionaire, you actually have to be a millionaire. My once-stocked kitchen was becoming emptier by the day, and eating out every meal is not as fun when you don’t have a doting parent treating. I dreaded driving anywhere because I had to pay for my own gas anddidn’t want to spend all my money. In a cozy New York City apartment, it might be nice having the place to yourself every night, but in real life, it’s kind of scary to be on your own! I slept most nights with every light on just to
//Maybe there is a reason Carrie Bradshaw is a fictional character; most people, especially someone on a college budget like myself, do not get to frolic through the city and shop everyday without actually earning it. make sure burglars knew someone was home. Another thing about living alone, at least at this age, is that the news spreads like wildfi re. It’s one thing when I trash my house, but it’s another when other people do it. I gave in a few times because the socialite in me loves to host. Maybe it gets better as we get older, but it should just be a rule of thumb that people generally do not respect what is not theirs. I decided this was a real rule as I was sweeping up my kitchen one morning, because at some point the night before, someone decided the macaroni they helped themselves to was better fi t on the fl oor than in their mouth. I learned another lifelong lesson: it’s all fun and games until you bring out your parents’ Tiffany and Co. champagne fl utes and take shots out of them. Maybe in fi fty years I’ll let my mom know what really happened
//
LIZ ZIE G ON CHAROVA
Fast-forward ten years to the summer after my freshman year in college. I’m a little taller and my makeup is applied a hell of a lot better, but there’s still that yearning to be an independent woman who brunches and walks a yorkie-poo or any other sillynamed little dog that fi ts in my designer tote. In June, my parents declared they were leaving for Europe. A few weeks in Italy, a few in France, and a few more wherever the European wind might blow them. Although jealous of my parents’ endeavors, I perhaps did not get the short end of the stick. Them being gone meant it was time for me to step up to the plate and shine like the fabulous grown-up I had been waiting to become.
to that “missing” fl ute. Finally, the summer began to wind down and my parents’ return date was coming close. I did my best to return the house to how they had left it, despite a few dishes that didn’t make it and the unfortunate looking peonies that I may have forgotten to water more than once. The summer was as its end, which meant back to reality. As I reflected on my time solo, I came to the conclusion that living completely on my own was not all it was cracked up to be (at least for now). Maybe there is a reason Carrie Bradshaw is a fictional character; most people, especially someone on a college budget like myself, do not get to frolic through the city and shop everyday without actually earning it. The kitchen was empty, the gas tank was empty, and my wallet was certainly empty. Even though I would never admit it to my parents, it was a relief to have them back. The dream of expensive apartments and fine dining
WAKEMAG.ORG // 9
THE WAKE // VOICES
Not just when, BUT WHY. A survey of legislation that limits not only how far into term a woman can have an abortion, but the reasons she can have one
We are all familiar with the time limits placed on abortions (generally 24 weeks), with lateterm abortions being illegal in nearly all states unless the mother’s life is in danger. However, a recently proposed law in Ohio is one of the first to detail not just when an abortion can be performed, but why it can; namely, you cannot have an abortion solely because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. A similar law was passed in North Dakota in 2013, which made it illegal to abort based on the diagnosis of any genetic defects, including Down syndrome. Under these laws, the motives behind the termination are exposed and scrutinized. If abortion is to be seen as a woman’s choice, it is oppressing to restrict the conditions under which she is allowed to make that choice. Prenatal screening tests are a tool to be used in that decision, not one to limit options. If a woman is carrying a perfectly healthy fetus but believes that she does not possess the time, money, or means to raise a child in a nurturing manner, we allow her to terminate the pregnancy. It is no secret that there is incredible strain, financial and emotional, for families with a disabled child. With few government programs and support offered to those with Down syndrome and other genetic defects, the burden is placed heavily on the family, with role of caretaker often passing on from parent to sibling with time. In some ways, this causes lives to be put on hold. Even mothers that wanted a
10 // OCT 5–OCT 18
M A X SM I T H
BY ANNALISE GALL through the traits we find desirable and those we do not. In countries such as India and China, this could mean aborting babies based on gender, with males being the clear preference over females. It could also mean selecting for superficial traits such as eye or hair color, with the intent of creating the “perfect baby.” This all not only lessens the diversity of life, but also is a deliberate slap in the face to those currently living within those demographics.
With views on this law ranging from “further restrictions on a woman’s right to abortion,” and “the beginnings of designer babies and widespread eugenics,” it is quite underestimates the richness of their lives. difficult to find a comfortable foothold. child may wish to abort on the diagnosis of Down syndrome for these very reasons. “They’re amazing, wonderful kids,” former “It’s a mistake to say ‘Your baby is going to governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, who herself In fact, about 85 percent of mothers given be mentally retarded, you should have a has a son with Down syndrome, said. “They the prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome pregnancy termination,’” Dr. Allan Nadel, a teach us more than we’re ever going to be choose abortion. director of prenatal diagnoses, said. “By the able to teach them.” With more exposure same token, I don’t think it’s quite fair to say coming to those with Down syndrome, ‘These are wonderful lovely human beings, For many, that statistic is a harsh such as 18-year-old model Madeline Stuart, you can deal with all of their problems and realization of a problem that extends who just recently walked the runway at beyond the questionable breach of it’s not that big of a deal.’” New York Fashion Week, people will be Roe v. Wade. Women are, in significantly able to see that those with Down can lead disproportionate numbers, choosing to Ultimately, as with all things in life, we amazing lives. abort more children with Down syndrome need to work to find the proper balance. than those without. Whether intentional Strengthening government programs or not, this sends a clear message to the “We all want to be born perfect, but none of for the disabled, working to improve Down syndrome community at large: us are,” said Mike Gonidakis, the president public perception of the quality of life of your lives are not as valuable as ours. As a of Ohio Right to Life. “Pretty soon we’re the disabled, and making sure expectant going to find the gene for autism. Are we society, we applaud intelligence and social mothers have accurate information about going to abort for that, too?” As technology conformity, attributes that many judge to the expectations of raising a child with advances, we will have the ability to weed be lacking in those with disabilities. But that disabilities are the best places to start.
THE WAKE // VOICES
Celebrity Wars: Trump vs. Kermit Muppet star and celebrity presidential candidate square off in an online squabble (we wish) BY EMMA KLINGLER Twitter is abuzz with the latest, and easily greatest, celebrity spat of our time. Say goodbye to your Taylor vs. Katy and your Nicki vs. Miley (what’s good?). Instead, sit back and enjoy the spectacular verbal sparring between one of the most important and influential figures in recent history and a hotel owner. That’’s right, it is Kermit vs. The Donald in an epic rivalry unmatched in either the cutthroat world of the presidential primaries or in the mania that is The Muppets.
Trump, going for more of the bold, in-your-face antics that seemed to aid him in the primaries, immediately took things to the next level by showing up in front of Kermit’s place of residence.
Scholars of the dispute date its inception to the announcement of each participant’’s latest moves to take back the spotlight from the undeserving. Kermit the Frog made the first play with the announcement of the release date for his new TV show reboot of the infamous Muppet franchise. This news broke on the June 10th and promised to be the center of United States, perhaps even global, news media for the foreseeable future.
Things quickly escalated from newsworthy to iconic when Kermit leaned out his upstairs window and hollered down: “It’s not easy being green, but it’s much better than being whatever the hell you are!”
However, it wasn’’t destined to last. A mere six days later, on June 16th, bored billionaire Donald Trump decided to shake things up with a bid for the presidency. To ensure that his media takeover was complete, Trump packed the announcement speech with exclamations of his wealth, condemnations of entire groups of people, and grand plans for further Trumpbrand building projects that he would outsource to said groups of people.
His shouts of “You’re a loser green bug that’s not even an animal you weirdo!” were caught on film by reporters lingering near the frog’s address.
The full contents of the ensuing verbal smack-down have yet to be revealed due to their graphic nature. However, witnesses of the event testify that the projectile vomiting of insults and obscenities continued for an hour, with such gems thrown out as, “I’m going to rainbow connect my fist with your face!” In a world full of celebrity skirmishes, Kermit vs. Donald is one for the record books. It remains up to the discerning public to call the victor, and until they do, the glorious battle rages on.
The idea of an impending Trump presidency was enough to get even the most sober news sources' kegs flowing, and the star struck reporters all but forgot about the little green frog and his band of misfit puppet friends.This, of course, miffed the amphibian, leading him to throw the first dart in what is now being called an all-out war. In an exclusive interview about the upcoming show, Kermit was asked what he thought about Donald Trump running for president. "I think I could handle a Trump presidency,” Kermit said. “I have had a lot of experience with pigs, after all." This lash out by the normally kind and soft-spoken Muppet generated renewed attention for the show, as well as catching the notice of the super-candidate himself. Trump, with an eloquence to match the seriousness of his position, shot back at Kermit on Twitter with the tweet: "Kermit––You're a total loser!"
“It looks like Trump is trying to win Obama supporters by convincing them that ‘‘Orange is the New Black,’’ Fozzie tweeted, with the hashtag “ #wakawaka.” Trump, in response to this latest jab, took a crack at the legacy of the two legends. “Just tried watching The Muppet Movie,” Trump tweeted. “The main character is a lightweight little moron turtle. A stupid little loser with a fuzzy rug friend.” Kermit, who so far had been winning support by playing up his good-natured personality and genuineness, defended his pal in a statement made to reporters using one of his famous mottos: “With good friends, you can’t lose.” After making the comment, however, he muttered audibly, “So good thing Donald Trump is a friendless lump.”
LIZ ZI E GO NC HA ROVA
Fozzie Bear, a close friend of Kermit the Frog, backed his amphibious friend with taunts of his own toward the tycoon.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 11
THE WAKE // VOICES
Svalbard: Conservation or Catastophe?
The lives of polar bears are heavily threatened by climate change
BY ERIN STEVENSON Nestled inside a sandstone mountain in Svalbard, Norway is a massive bunker. Its stone grey exterior is a stark contrast to the otherwise snowy and desolate landscape. Here, one of the largest conservation efforts in the world finds its home 390 feet below the icy tundra. Over 860,000 meticulously preserved seeds lie protected inside the large complex, known as the Global Seed Bank. Built to withstand the test of time, as well as any natural or manmade disaster, it stands as a symbol of the preservation of the Earth’s natural species. Mostly unknown to the public, miles away on the coast of Svalbard’s many islands is a tragic situation that is the antithesis of conservation.
AARO N MU SI CK ANT
This archipelago stands halfway between the North Pole and Norway. On its website, Svalbard boasts to be a haven of “untouched arctic wilderness.” Photos show magnificent snow-capped mountains and tourists snapping shots of wildlife in its natural habitat. On the surface, this area
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seems like the epitome of environmental conservation efforts. The land may not be developed into luxury condos, but this wilderness is clearly marked with the stain of human activity. Floating in the sea between the islands are large sheets of ice. For polar bears, these are instrumental in the ability to hunt. Using the ice for access to deeper water, they are able to eat seals and incorporate fat into their diet. Having a fatty diet is extremely important for polar bears to survive in the harsh arctic temperatures. Much like if the road to the grocery store disappeared, these bears aren’t able to find enough ice to access the sustenance they need, and the effects are a daunting look into the future if things don’t change.
attempt to hunt walrus and end up being seriously injured or dying in the process. Many bears are starving to death. Recently, National Geographic wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen returned to a favorite spot of his where he would always be able to photograph polar bears. Instead, Nicklen found two snowy white bears dead on the rocky beach. Looking out into the sea, there was no ice in sight. The bears were so thin, making it obvious that they died of malnutrition. This particular photographer grew up in the arctic and has been studying and photographing wildlife for the majority of his adult life, never once finding a dead polar bear. Pictures have been circulating the web of emaciated, starved bears holding on to life in Svalbard. Populations are declining, and the situation is worsened in that the majority of animals dying are female, often getting stuck on land, scavenging. The population is not safe without a healthy amount females and cubs.
// The land may not be developed into
luxury condos, but this wilderness is clearly
marked with the stain of human activity.
Global climate change is melting the ice in the arctic. On September 15th, ice coverage in the arctic was measured at the fourth lowest in satellite history. Industry and production are pumping more chemicals into the atmosphere than ever before, and the result is higher average global temperatures. Sparse ice means polar bears are having to go to extreme measures to hunt. Some are swimming miles in search of ice, becoming fatigued and drowning. Natural carnivores, the bears turn to methods of scavenging to stay alive such as, eating bird eggs, moss, and seaweed. Some desperately
//
When climate change surfaces in the media, politicians often debate it. The tragic stories of suffering creatures are not making the front pages, but politicians bickering are. “I’m not a scientistbut...” is a ubiquitous phrase used by climate change-deniers all around the country. You do not have to be a scientist to witness the evidence of destruction taking place in the world due to human activity. The Hudson River rising a few feet is not the worst thing that is happening due to rising ocean levels. Innocent animals are suffering antagonizing deaths. In Svalbard, the juxtaposition of the Global Seed Bank’s conservation goals and the dire situation of polar bears on the coast is overwhelming.This untouched arctic wilderness is suffering under the effects of climate change, and something needs to be done about it.
THE WAKE // FEATURE
BRE ANNA VICK
“The world’s largest undead party”
BARS PARTICIPATING IN THE UNDEADLY FUN THE POURHOUSE KIERAN'S IRISH PUB
THE FINE LINE MILL CITY NIGHTS BROTHER'S BAR SNEAKY PETE'S SPADES NIGHTCLUB
PIZZA LUCE THE LOON CAFE THE 508 BAR AQUA NIGHTCLUB DREAM ULTRA
THE SHOUT HOUSE COWBOY JACK'S FIRST AVENUE 7TH ST ENTRY MASON'S
GLUE'S BAR SKYWAY THEATRE THE LOFT STUDIO B
WAKEMAG.ORG // 13
THE WAKE // FEATURE
BEYOND THE WOUND INSIDE ZOMBIE SPECIAL EFFECTS K A R E N M A R I E A RT I S T RY
WITH K AREN MARIE ARTISTRY
BY LAUREN CUTSHALL How do you want to be killed? This is the first question you’re asked by makeup artist Karen Reed. “Do you want a bullet wound? A black eye? A skewer up your nose?” At this year’s Zombie Pub Crawl, be sure to come prepared with your killing of choice, because violent death is a la carte at Karen Marie Artistry. That’s right, as a growing makeup artist with a talent for special effects, Reed will let you choose your own death. At the entrance of the crawl, located on 1st Ave. N. and N. 6th St., makeup artists tents will line the streets to help make your zombie costume really come alive— er, become more dead? At Karen Marie Artistry prices will range from $25 to $100, depending on just how detailed you want your death and resurrection to appear. Whether you come decked out in zombie-garb or you need the whole undead shebang, Reed has you covered. Going on its eleventh year in Minneapolis, the Zombie Pub Crawl draws around 30,000 zombie fanatics, setting the record for “World’s Largest Gathering of Zombies.” With expert zombies staggering everywhere, don’t expect to get away with throwing on a ragged T-shirt and smearing on some ketchup-like fake blood all over yourself. “You can’t really just have one thing,” Reed said. “If you’re going to have a bullet hole, or something through you, or a slash, you have to make the rest of your face look dead too. Don’t just focus on the wound.” But with proper special effects makeup, pub crawlers can be turned into terrifyingly disgusting zombies in just twenty minutes.
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“There’s a lot you can do with the concept of creating shadows and depth within your face,” Reed said. Hollow cheeks, shaded in eyes, and paler skin can go a long way. Even better, many of these techniques can be achieved by using the products you already have in your makeup bag, Reed said. Eye shadows make for good bruising, and if you’re desperate, a shiny lip gloss can be a good blood substitute. If you’re more experienced, the liquid latex route may be a good option, allowing you to make detailed facial pieces out of latex and cotton rounds. “The fun thing about using latex and cotton rounds is, if you know what you’re doing and if you have any sort of background in art, you can easily sculpt it and make it your own,” Reed said. Yet if you do use latex, Reed advises removing it carefully and properly— which may prove to be difficult for drunken zombies. Just like you need to be careful with your skin, make sure you’re also cautious about putting any colored contacts in your eyes.
//If you’re going to have a bullet hole, or something through you, or a slash, you have to make the rest of your
//
face look dead too. Don’t just focus on the wound. Lastly, it’s always a safe bet to plan your costume and test your makeup beforehand. Waiting until the last minute often results in lazy costumes. Important questions to ask when ‘zombifying’ yourself: Do you want to look frighteningly real, perhaps like you’ve just wandered off the set of The Walking Dead? Or do you just want to look like you’re participating just enough in order to drink? No matter your answers, be safe, be scary, be undead.
THE WAKE // FEATURE
Zombie Pub Crawl’s Strange Entertainment Offerings SUM 41, A ARON CARTER , AND SOULJA Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Largest Gathering of Zombies”, the music lineup has been an integral part of its history since 2011. With a lineup that makes little to no sense compared to previous years, Zombie Pub Crawl certainly offers a lot of variety with their music. A former teen heartthrob idol, half of a one-hit wonder, an early 2000s punk band, and a dubstep DJ are all headliners this year.
BOY AMONG OTHERS HIGHLIGHT THIS YEAR’S MUSIC LINEUP
If you’re interested in relieving the days of “Crank That” and “Kiss Me Thru The Phone”, Soulja Boy will be on hand to bring things back to 2007. Deandre Way, Soulja Boy’s real name, has kept quite busy since then, releasing two not-as-successful albums in the past year.
Remember “I Saw the Sign” from Ace of Base, a mid90s Swedish pop group? Attendees can see one of the two sisters at the event. After a mysterious and dramatic breakup, Jenny, the sister performing at the Pub Crawl, split off into her solo career.
Those interested in another comedic rapper might want to check out Lil Dicky, a rapper known for his satirical style. Lil Dicky released his first studio album this year and claims to be a “normal dude” when it comes to rap.
In one of the oddest choices, a somehow only 27 year old Aaron Carter will make an appearance. After a long day of drinking and pub crawling, it may be fun hearing a man approaching 30 singing about how he beat Shaq.
Pop Punk isn’t (entirely) dead, and neither is Sum 41. The group reached huge success in the early 2000s with their albums “All Killer No Filter” and “Does This Look Infected?”, but has fallen off the mainstream a bit since then. They do plan on releasing their fifth studio album soon, and still hold a dear place in the hearts of many formerly angst-ridden teenagers.
For those in the mood for some EDM, Seven Lions has you covered. Jeff Montalvo has grown bigger and bigger since his debut in 2012, and his music is primarily dubstep with heavy trance influences. The main headliner, Girl Talk, may be the best option for those looking for a party atmosphere with their music. Greg Gillis is one of the biggest member of the mash up genre and has been performing at music festivals since 2008.
K A R E N M A R I E A RT I S T RY
BY ALEX VAN ABBEMA
Rappers Outasight and Mickey Avalon will also be performing. Local artists on hand include Tickle Torture, 4onthefloor, and Impaler. For those interested in entertainment outside of music, the “World Brain Eating Championships” will be a necessary event.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 15
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
Q&A: Eskimeaux Eskimeaux’s “O.K.” is a journey of solace and self-acceptance BY PETER DIAMOND Eskimeaux is the recording project of Gabrielle Smith, a 27-year-old from New York. She is a co-founder of The Epoch, a Brooklyn songwriting collective featuring Bellows, Told Slant, and Sharpless, among others, and has toured with Frankie Cosmos. “O.K.,” released in May, is a distillation of catharsis that swirls with quiet strength like a breeze through a forest, with wisdom soothing to the inner ear. In wry, devastating couplets (“If I had a dime for every time I’m freaking out / We could fly around the world or just get out of your parent’s house” from “I Admit I’m Scared”) that reflect inward and outward, Smith reminds the listener that today’s fears need not last forever. Tomorrow can be O.K.
: Tell me how The Epoch started.
Gabrielle Smith: Our friend Henry was releasing a record right after the release of “Two Mountains.” He was like, “It just seems really stupid that it’s not mandatory for us to post each other’s records on Facebook. We should make, like, a ‘collective.’” He said that since we were all very supportive of each other, we’d have to post everything that we make. We all felt it was kind of weird to have a mandatory rule among your friends, like we wouldn’t be friends anymore if we were in a collective with each other. That’s sort of the silly reason of how it started. The real reason was just that every one of our friends that we grew up with was making really cool art, and we thought that it would be cool to put it all under one umbrella.
ESK IMEAU X B A N DC AMP
What unites The Epoch? What do you guys have in common with each other?
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Smith: We’re all just friends. [laughs]. I mean, what we have in common is the fact that we all influence each other. We all are confessional, and almost conversational amongst ourselves with our songwriting.
C _ E M E RY F L I C KR
The Wake
How did you come up with the name Eskimeaux? It had a connection to you being adopted, and you only knowing certain information about your parents, right? Smith: Yeah. That was the origin of the “thought” of it. I also wanted a name t h a t c o u l d s o m e h ow represent the fact that my music has a ton of layers to it. So the idea was to put the “-eaux” together to create a really simple sound with a complicated looking word. You mentioned a lot of layers. I think the sound on “O.K.” definitely blends a lot of organic sounding elements with a lot of digital production. For example, on “Folly” there’s a drum machine repeated in the back with furious live drumming interspersed. What do you think the tone of the album is like? Smith: I’d say it’s like a bedroom pop album meets a full pop album.
I feel like “bedroom pop” is slowly becoming more of a dated term. Smith: Totally. It’s so interesting, the record is really “bedroompop”becauseit’sliterallywhatthatis.Itwasn’tmadein a studio, it was made completely in my bedroom, or in the room that we call the “studio,” but was just another bedroom in our apartment. It is an early, mid-‘00s term that I feel, as it gets slowly pushed into the “mainstream,” becomes more ridiculous.
C _ E M E RY F L IC K R
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
So many people are “bedroom pop” artists by that definition. I feel like ever since the early-‘00s, sites like YouTube, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud have gotten so much bigger. It’s easier to become a DIY artist and push your own material. Smith: And ever since everybody jumped on the Mac train and started using GarageBand. It’s just kind of silly as a term, almost every artist is one except for people who go into the studio to make their “studio” record. On “O.K.” it feels like your voice is more front and center than in previous albums. We mentioned that layering effect before, but a lot of reverb is taken back compared to previous releases, and you can hear the most precise details in your voice, which makes it seem almost fragile. Was the change in direction a conscious decision? Smith: Yeah! I started getting frustrated, because whenever I would be asked “What’s your songwriting process, what’s the first thing you do?” or “To you, what’s the most important part of a song?” the answer is always the lyrics. Burying them is counter-intuitive. I think it was Henry who told me about how this one Laurie Anderson record was mixed. The vocals were the first thing that were mixed, and everything else was mixed around them, because the vocals are the most important, and should be front and center and have everything support them. That was the original idea going into it. I also had Jack Greenleaf working on the record with me, who is incredible at mixing. Laurie Anderson had that song “O Superman” which is just layers of her voice, and they unravel and evolve and build upon one another, not unlike an
Eskimeaux song. What were some other influences you had on the album? Smith: Frankie Cosmos and Bellows were major influences. I’m also obsessed with Björk and Joanna Newsom. Would you say your songwriting is confessional, or based from personal experience? Smith: My lyrics are straightforward, but the crypticness of them has to do with whether or not it’s important for you, the listener, to have been there in that time. I try at the same time to edit my lyrics so they can be relatable. But yeah, they’re really confessional because they’re based on impressions of emotions that I experienced, from my perspective. And maybe I tie in a lesson that I should follow in it. [laughs]. Most of the time, I feel like I use my lyrics to talk to myself, and remind myself to do or not do something ever again.
Smith: The whole record is about not feeling like we have a place, or I have a place, or feeling excited by things that don’t matter, or not excited about things that should matter. In “That’s O.K.” it ties it together, because we’re still [Oliver (Bellows)] a unit, and part of what ties our unit together is Frankie, our dog. [laughs]. He’s this reminder that there’s a lot of levity in our situation even when it feels shitty. Frankie seems to play a huge role in the album. Smith: The jingling of his collar is all over the record. Really? That’s awesome! Smith: Yeah, it’s really subtle, but you can hear it.
Do you plan on releasing more scrappy, demostyle recordings through Bandcamp in the future? Smith: I feel like I have all these deadlines of “real releases” coming up. It’s scary to imagine not having the time to record other, scrappier songs. But I definitely want to, because that’s the way I process them, and it’s weird to change my routine now. A lot of songs on “O.K.” are remade from previous demos. Why did you choose the songs you did? What themes run through “O.K.”?
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THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
Movements in Music A look at protest music in 2015
BY COLIN MILLER The past year has afforded us plenty of change and progress, but some issues persistently plague the world in which we live, inciting conversation, debate, and social movements. History has proven protest music to be a form of commentary likely to reach a mass audience, allowing listeners to familiarize themselves with issues and empathize with the singer, whatever his or her position may be. Let’s look at three prime examples of protest songs from this 2015.
Raury, “Fly” The young but insightful artist loads his lyrics with powerful emotional appeals, beginning the song in a soft, resigned cadence, “I’m afraid I’ll die” simply for being “brown and young” and “at the wrong place, wrong time.” This sentiment may hit close to home for many Americans of color as the number of police murders continues to rise under public scrutiny. Raury’s track progresses in a hopeful direction, spreading his message of nonviolence for future generations. Accompanied by a deceptively childlike video densely packed with historical dates, images of racial conflict, and a visual tribute to many of the police murder victims, Raury provides a tender call for social improvement.
Helly Luv, “Revolution” Despite its danceable beat and poppy melody, Helly Luv’s anthemic “Revolution” represents the tough reality of life in the contentious Middle East. Luv’s Kurdish background makes the struggle against oppressive organizations like ISIS a personal cause. Amid the abundance of combat scenes and defiant lyrics, Helly Luv’s message is ultimately pacifistic, emphasizing the urgency of defeating antagonists in order to achieve peace. By combining political relevancy with pop music sensibility, Helly Luv brings an energizing tenacity to the Middle East dialogue.
Rapping in a steady, plaintive drone, Vince Staples underlines the contradictory experience of being black in the United States. He spits bitterly about the suspicion, fear, and disdain held by predominantly white society toward black people, even when they are successful and celebrated. Staples uses the image of an Uber driver resembling Jeffrey Dahmer to illustrate an non-consoling fact; a psychotic wouldn’t feel at ease pulling up to the projects.
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MAX S MI T H
Vince Staples, “Lift Me Up”
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
You Can’t Miss This Concert Holographic concerts make live atmospheres BY LIANNA MATT than a cameo from a dead rapper…” He trails The greats of music that have haunted America’s pop culture psyche are returning one by one. Tupac swaggers, off into silence over the phone. To Dahlbreg, holograms lack the direct relationship that Michael Jackson moonwalks, and in 2016, Whitney Houston will sashay across the stage in post-mortem “gives both the artist and the audience something to feed off of.” concerts. Hologram concerts are on the business track Before a live singer yells “Hello Minneapolis!” he to become more than just a gimmick. In case you missed stops to make sure he doesn’t fumble the city name it, our own Xcel Energy Center had two holograms visit with another one on the tour. Then he begins the already: Japanese vocaloid superstar Hatsune Miku and same magic he has done every night for the past year. country singer Carrie Underwood. He croons over high-decibel bass, recites stories from the road, points at indivisible shadows in the crowd, and From a logistical standpoint, hologram concerts can has a few just-awkward-enough moments on stage to save money while being more accessible to people. The make the audience feel that their performance is quirkily technology’s $400,000 price tag could be less expensive fingerprinted and special. than shipping big-name performers to Dubai, according to ArabianBusiness. If people can yell and throw food at Here’s the thing: You can program that. Hologram a TV during football season, remote fans can get excited concerts don’t have to be footage of past performances for the chance to see one hologram superstar amid the played back with better technology. Michael Jackson’s rest of a show that is very much alive. 2014 performance was conceived, recorded, and choreographed just for that night. Putting aside ethical debates about the virtual resurrection of the dead (a profit has been made on those concerts, case closed), naysayers sometimes criticize a lack of spontaneity. “It’s a niche market,” Joel Dahlbreg, the sales director of the Varsity Theater said, “but other
On a regular basis, concert goers can pay hundreds of dollars to sit in the cheapest seats at a live show. The atmosphere is their reward for brand loyalty: the screamed sing-along, the spectacles of choreography and confetti, and—don’t forget—the famed and blurry silhouette that is their idol. Once you get over the stigma of holograms in your mind, though, can’t these earnest illusions create the same atmosphere?
// Hologram concerts don’t have to be footage of past performances played back with better technology.
Michael Jackson’s 2014 performance was conceived, recorded, and choreographed just for that night.
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THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
Hotdogs, Cocaine, and LSD There was a man in a hotdog stand. He didn’t blink, he didn’t move, he just was. Staring blankly away from the stage, he and the stand were like a rock amongst a crashing sea of psychedelic insanity. The bass rippled through the crowd, weaving and winding its way to those furthest away. The bubbles drifting by reflected exploded glowsticks on the ground. Faces of those around me melted and became their owner’s innermost darkness, ghouls of the night, demons of dance. As Kendrick stopped playing, the crowd moved like drunken cattle towards the next show. Everyone was high. “Shit,” I thought to myself as I let the second tab melt on my tongue, “Bonnaroo’s a beautiful utopia of drugs and death by dance.”
my attention. He was dancing with an unbuttoned short sleeve shirt, and short shorts from the time when short shorts were short (you know what I mean). The guy seemed to know what was coming from the steel mouth of Gary’s guitar before Gary did. Every riff, every jive, every discrete little twang made him move with the grace of a drunken ballerina. In between songs he meandered back to his friends, rifled through a backpack, and pulled out what looked like a quad of coke. One nostril, then the other, and back to the first. Then he danced away in a powdery trail of bliss giving bumps to everyone around him.
// What’s being exchanged is actually
Another argument for the music festival drug usage debate: harm reduction BY AARON JOB
a drug soup cut with the contents of Heisenburg’s trash can.
Drugs are abundantly available at all music festivals. I’ve seen dabs, acid, coke, mescaline, boomers, ketamine, whippets, and the entire works of Gonzo’s briefcase at sets. Peddlers walk by campsites like hotdog venders at a baseball game, “Get your ‘K’ here, ‘L’ here, need some bud?” It’s really that simple, and they’re not just selling your parent’s classics (LSD, cocaine, pot, boomers, and opiates). They’ve added some new baggies to their backpacks as well: drugs like molly, ecstasy, ketamine, ‘scripts, and others. When pot is fully legalized some of these guys might be in the running for salesman of the year. They’re making money which means people are buying, the problem is people don’t really know what they’re getting. A short documentary called “What’s In My Baggie?” found that almost 100 percent of what users thought was MDMA (the psychoactive ingredient of molly and ecstasy) was actually synthetic Cathinones, more commonly known as “bath salts.” What’s being exchanged is actually a drug soup cut with the contents of Heisenburg’s trash can. At the Paradiso Festival in 2013, dozens of people were hospitalized after they took what they thought was Ecstasy. In reality, according to Quincy Valley Medical Center’s chief nurse, they ingested a mixture of cocaine, LSD, and meth. Imagine you’re back at Bonnaroo with me. I was sitting in the dry matted grass at the Gary Clark Jr. show. Probably over 100 degrees. A man in front me caught
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What if his coke was cut with the same LSD and meth that hospitalized the dozens at Paradiso? Everyone around him would’ve been unknowingly falling down a Syd Barrett-like rabbit hole of harm. It’s not safe. I bet any one of them would’ve wanted that guy to test his booger-sugar before giving out any party favors. This is the problem with prohibition, it simply doesn’t work and it’s dangerous. Drugs are an innate fact woven into the very fabric of music festivals. Some festivals realize this and have started moving towards a harm reduction approach. This means making available the festival must-haves like free condoms and water as well as the more radical such as drug information, clean snorting straws, and even drug testing. By having these things available, it makes using drugs safer and people are more likely to be truthful about what they took. They will know if those five lines in front of them are actually molly or some synthetic soup of sorrow. Let’s know what we’re getting high on. Harm reduction is the answer for music festivals, and maybe this is a rhetoric for America’s approach to drugs as well.
B RE AN N A VIC K
It’s not supposed to be though, at least the drug part… officially. Recent drug-related deaths at music festivals have urged events like Bonnaroo and Electric Forest to take an approach of zero-tolerance when dealing with drug use. This means heightened security, drug-sniffing dogs, and sometimes police searches at entry points; prohibition. All bad news for someone who’s trying to enjoy some music and get high with a little help from their friends.
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THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
“superusted”
The Soap Factory hosts the 4th Midwest Biennial art exhibition BY SAMMY BROWN to omit: museum labels. With no guiding blurbs to hint at a theme, patrons are left to their own wits to find meaning. Makeup compacts wedged open with wads of hair and cornucopias overflowing with pastel-painted pears and sleeping squirrels will urge you to ponder the common denominator. While at first the lack of labels might be jarring, their absence soon sparks conversation, and eventually they aren’t so missed.
THE S OAP F AC TO RY F AC EBOOK
It’s hard to know where art ends and the building begins at The Soap Factory. The protruding pipes and creaky floors elicit that self-conscious uncertainty modern art museum goers often feel when trying to decide whether a doorknob is a metaphor for the socioeconomic crisis in America or just the entrance to the basement. This common quandary takes an interesting spin when walking through the 4th Midwest Biennial exhibition, “superusted,” curated by local artist and the St. Paul Saints art director, Cheryl Wilgren Clyne.
The path Wilgren Clyne took to find the name “superusted” is true to the exhibition’s theme of creating Having interned at The Soap Factory in the early 2000s, meaning. She explained to me that after considering her favorite (and admittedly overused) words “super,” Wilgren Clyne understood the challenges the industrial a love for Neil Young’s album “Rust Never Sleeps,” space would present. The small building is almost eerie and the “constant flux” of rust, a friend suggested the with its cold brick walls and metallic bolts polka-dotting portmanteau “superusted.” Later she learned of its the floor. Regardless, she loved The Soap Factory’s strong Spanish translation, “super you,” further enhancing the personality and deemed it fitting for the hodgepodge of texture and meaning of the name. pieces that make up “superusted.” The space’s dim and dingy atmosphere enhances the exhibition’s play with Showcasing the pieces of seventeen Midwestern artists light and shadow, calling attention to pieces like an exposed, unlit light bulb with the word “FIX” written and (including University of Minnesota students and alumni), Wilgren Clyne hopes that visitors will bring an open mind crossed out in chalk. to freshly experience the local talent our community With media ranging from watercolor to a wall of electrical offers. The exhibition runs through Nov. 8, 2015. outlets, there is one pivotal thing Wilgren Clyne decided
Everybody Hurts: R.E.M. Slams Trump, Cruz for Using Song at Rally Once again, a politician is asked to pull the plug by musicians
ERIN STEV EN SON
BY CARSON KASKEL
Many candidates enjoy using “patriotic” American rock “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” and R.E.M. anthems to get their crowds riled up. A “patriotic” rock does not feel fine, especially after finding out that anthem popular among the campaigns of politicians such Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump used as Mitt Romney and Ronald Reagan is Bruce Springsteen’s the band’s 1987 hit alongside fellow candidate,Sen. Ted Cruz. The two teamed up to campaign against President “Born in the USA.” A politician or your average listener might hear the song as patriotic, but listen closer and Obama’s Iran Nuclear Deal on Sept. 9. you’ll hear a song full of anti-war sentiments, painting a much darker yet realistic portrayal of the United States. Lead singer Michael Stipe quickly took to Twitter, calling Trump and Cruz “attention-grabbing, power hungry And how about Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan? He couldn’t resist blasting Rage Against the Machine at little men,” and warned them: “Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.” his rallies, even though “The Machine” represents the government. Following Stipe’s statements, which the band thought attracted too much attention, the band collectively posted to Facebook, saying: “There are things of greater Most music-stealing offenders are Republicans. But have any Democrats been asked to turn down the music? The importance at stake here,” and encouraged American voters and the media to “focus on the bigger picture.” answer is yes. President Barack Obama was asked to stop playing Sam and Dave’s “Hold on I’m Comin” during his (The Wake did not listen to this statement, clearly). 2008 campaign. To avoid politicians making more music choice missteps, maybe they could pick songs without This isn’t the first example of a politician being asked lyrics, like a groovy jazz number. As for Trump, I suggest to pull the plug on their music choice by the musicians themselves. Just earlier this summer, legendary folk- he hire Weird Al Yankovic to write songs for him. Songs about money, walls, his towers, and toupees. rocker Neil Young asked Trump to stop playing his hit “Rockin in the Free World.” But we can sympathize with Donald, everything is free for him with a net worth of $8.74 billion.
WAKEMAG.ORG // 21
THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
Bedlam is Hoping for a Call Back
Beloved performance venue, Bedlam Lowertown hoping to stay in St. Paul BY EMILY DUEKER
According to their website, Bedlam has been a source of radical theater since they began in 1993. Originally, Bedlam began as a theater company with just 10 people putting on performances that were varied enough to get noticed. Since then, Bedlam has morphed to become a multi-faceted production company that maintains a commitment to the peculiar. Their first stationary endeavor took place on West Bank in 1996 in what was called Bedlam Studio. In addition to being the base for Bedlam Theater, Bedlam Studio began to provide a space in which other experimental performers could try out their craft on a stage with a welcoming audience. After ten years spent amassing a following, Bedlam Theater moved its epicenter of operations to a much larger space which became Bedlam Social. The move allowed for an even greater confluence of minds and imaginations but ultimately did not last. After a quick stint in the Seward neighborhood, Bedlam Theater now has new roots in St. Paul at the new Bedlam Lowertown. What is uncertain is whether the new location will last. Even with generous donations from ArtPlace and Cultural
22 // OCT 5–OCT 18
Star grants, major renovations to the Lowertown space have left Bedlam struggling to pay employees. E M I LY D U E KE R
While currently a center for fringe performance, the Bedlam Lowertown location is currently facing substantial financial troubles that could lead to a permanent close.
Bedlam is hoping to raise the needed money through two different mediums. First, they were hoping to receive $75,000 through an Indiegogo campaign but reached only $23,659. Second, Bedlam Lowertown will be continuing to host 21 Beer Nights for Bedlam every Tuesday through the end of the year. On these nights, a collection of performers will make their way to the stage to display the weird and wonderful talents Bedlam wants to keep showcasing. Every drink purchased is a donation, so gather some friends, hop on the Green Line, and check out the intimate theatrical experience of Bedlam.
// Even with generous donations from ArtPlace and Cultural Star grants, major renovations to the Lowertown space have left Bedlam struggling to pay employees.
//
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THE WAKE // SOUND & VISION
The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness BY JOE RUSH When Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, released his third official studio album in late August, he also cemented himself as an R&B icon and musical innovator. After bursting on the scene in 2011 with a trifecta of mixtape gold (“House of Balloons,” “Thursday” and “Echoes of Silence”), Tesfaye has seen his career take flight. Working with the likes of Drake, Wiz Khalifa, and Juicy J to name a few, The Weeknd has become a household name for hip-hop, pop, and R&B enthusiasts. The album is unique in its versatility. The Weeknd’s music has become a staple for every party scene and dorm room in America. However, “Beauty Behind the Madness” adds a different range of aesthetics. The often sensual and soothing nature of The Weeknd’s voice allows him to appear on playlists for everything from a dance party to your morning walk to class.
Defeater’s Abandoned BY AARON MUSICKANT Defeater, the five piece post-hardcore outfit from Boston, Massachusetts is back after two years with their latest album release “Abandoned.” Listeners immediately get a taste of the band’s signature war-themed anger told in the form of their conceptual story, which has been developing since their start. The story revolves around various characters and their horrifying experiences during World War II. It seems as though “Abandoned,” however, does much less than previous releases to develop the world and feel of that story. The first aspect that becomes quickly apparent in the album is repetitious lyrics. Although Defeater does this often throughout their collection of music, these songs blatantly use the same chunks of lyrics multiple times, probably for a few too many songs. It gives the feeling of stagnation, as if the songs are never really going as deep as the tracks on previous albums.
Although their gritty sense of anger is still present in “Abandoned,” the familiar aspect of the World War II pain doesn’t come through. Personally, I don’t feel quite as thrust into a world of pain and darkness as I have before. It Although its versatility is a strong suit, there are several songs from this track list that simply outdo the rest. is more of a surface level experience, never taking me into scenes of hopelessness, bloodshed, and the sensations “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Earned It,” “Often,” and “The Hills” particularly showcase The Weeknd’s mesmerizing of truly feeling as though you’re in hell. Perhaps this conceptual narrative could use some form of refreshing falsettos. Overall, “Beauty Behind the Madness” will be an iconic album for Tesfaye, and will catapult his career or a break in the form of a new character or narrator. further into stardom. As long as the repetitive drug use “Abandoned” is the weakest release by Defeater so far. he sings about doesn’t deteriorate his precious vocal Although it is a good listen, I think most fans would agree that it doesn’t bring the same hellfire they’re known for. chords, expect this man to be relevant for a long time.
Mindy Kaling’s Why Not Me? BY OLIVIA HEUSINKVELD Through the essays in her new book “Why Not Me?,” comedian and actress Mindy Kaling paints a world that pulls away the curtain of the ruse of glamour in Hollywood. With a sort of “Wizard of Oz” flair, Kaling tells stories about exhaustion and hours spent with an acne-zapping blue light, all while whispering “Pay attention to the dysfunction behind the curtain. It’s funny!” In her first essay, Kaling describes being a child and luring people with candy to be her friends, but with her second book, Kaling has made the conscious decision to just be herself. And boy, will you be glad for it. Her words will make you laugh, make you reflect on Hollywood and its value, and even make you feel like Kaling is your BFF just filling you in on the daily gossip. It is important to know before reading Kaling’s book that it is not a traditional memoir. Kaling already covered those bases in 2011 when she released “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).” Rather than detailing her rise to success, Kaling fills “Why Not Me?” with anecdotes that range from her mixed feelings about sororities to her affair with a White House staffer. The book occasionally suffers from a lack of central narrative or thesis, but if you are a big fan of Kaling, you will hardly mind. After all, who wouldn’t want to spend an afternoon hearing the random ins-and-outs of the life of a comedy superstar?
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