VegFest for All
p. 7
Georgia on My Mind
p. 14
Why We Need To Teach Eastern Philosophy p. 10
Q&A: Kazyak
p. 16
The History of Radio K on Campus
Existential Threat No. 1
p. 18
p. 11
2
Shoes Art by Morgan Wittmers-Graves
VOLUME 19, ISSUE 1 EDITORIAL: Editor-in-Chief
Tala Alfoqaha
Managing Editor
Emma Chekroun
Cities Editor
Sylvia Rani
Voices Editor
Esther Chan
Music Editor
Tosin Faseemo
Online editor
Sammi Divito
Copy editors
Autumn Sanders Hannah Haakenson
BMM EBZ
Multimedia Editor
Sebastian Alfonso
Multimedia Producer
Courtenay Parker
PRODUCTION: Executive Director
Macie Rasmussen
Creative Director
Kiley Nelson
Finance Manager
Nikhil Saxena
PR/Ad Manager
Claire Redell
Social Media Manager
Madison Amland
Art Director
Morgan Wittmers-Graves
Designers
Kelsey Hanscom Samantha Fischer Ellie Kestner
Web Manager
Juan Rujana
Distribution Manager
Cassie Varrige
Art Intern
Selena Philaphandeth
THIS ISSUE:
Emily Jablonski
Writers
Katelyn Anderson, Isabella Azzaro, Mars Baker, Sammi Boring, Camilla Breen, Kate Doyle, Elizabeth Dwenger, Tosin Faseemo, Evan Ferstl, Jemma Keleher, Ian Knoll, Alia Kuzmina, Emma Niemaszyk, Peter Nomeland, Kathryn Richner, Prahlad Sankrti, Š2019 The Wake Student Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
Miranda Shapiro, Sophie Tiahnybik, Ijeoma Ugboajah, Madeleine Ware, Abigail Watson, Elizabeth Zanmiller
Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota.
Art
The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong.
5 Eva Berezovsky, 6 Luciana Divito, 7 Laura Kuchar,
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 eic@wakemag.org
Q&A photos courtesy of Kazyak
The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455
1 Morgan Wittmers-Graves, 2 Lauren Bastian, 3 Isabelle Snyder, 4 Mary Ellen,
III, Norman F***ing Rockwell, I, I, and The Cars art from original sources Cover art by Emily Jablonski, Feature art by Selena Philaphandeth
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wink! one page magazine
Kids believe the strangest things. We asked our staff what weird things they believed as children. and the asnwers are, well...
weird. My sister convinced me that we had long-lost siblings who my parents had left on the side of the highway one day. I lived in fear of them doing the same to me. -Tala As a young lad, I believed the world would come to an end on 2012. -Sebastian
Eating gushers would actually make my head explode like in the commercials. -Emma
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I thought that a tiny person played music in CD players, and I always wondered how they didn’t get tired. -Esther
Whenever I had a really big poop I thought I was giving birth so sometimes I would cry thinking I am not ready to be a mother. -Morgan I used to think that in the song ‘Hey Jealousy’ by Gin Blossoms they were singing ‘Hey Kelsey’ so I always thought they were singing about me -Kelsey
I thought that side burns were called hashbrowns -Samantha OCTOBER 7-21
INSIDE
UPCOMING EVENTS
6
Letter from the Editor
10/9—10/11
10/10, 10/17
7
VegFest for All
8
I’m Missin’ It
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You Too Tour A
Target Free Thursday Nights
9
Art for Rent
10
Why We Need To Teach Eastern Philosophy
11
The History of Radio K on Campus
w/ Ari Lennox The Armory
The Walker Art Center
10/11
10/21
Tom Segura
Big Thief
Carlson Family Stage, Northrop
14
Georgia on My Mind Bloeppedo
10/12
16
Q&A: Kazyak
Zombie Pub Crawl
18
Existential Threat No. 1
19
Being the Only One
Featuring world class live entertainment, dozens of food trucks, tons of great live music, carnival rides and games, and so much more.
20
21 22
Meditating on Death Five Times a Day—It’s Morbidly Delicious Hot Girl Semester Six Reviews
Gallery admission is free from 5 to 9 pm every Thursday night.
C
w/ Palehouse First Avenue & 7th St Entry
B
Minneapolis Warehouse District
A
10/13 Minneapolis Vintage Machine Shop
10/17
B
Whitney w/ Lala Lala First Avenue & 7th St Entry
THE WAKE
C
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Letter from the Editor Acknowledging the Quarter-Life-Crisis You’re twenty, give or take a few years. You’re at a concert joined by your friends and a nagging sense of exhaustion that you don’t remember inviting, or sitting in your bed at 3am scrolling through the Instagram profile of a stranger who lives in Omaha and is followed by the friend of a friend of a friend of a friend you follow, or mentally constructing constellations out of the un-erased scraps of whiteboard marker that you deeply wish your professor would just erase already, or talking to a friend who you’ve known, or thought you’ve known, for years. And inexplicably, the questions that have sat dormantly in the base of your mind begin to well up: Am I employable? Am I likeable? Lovable? Did I pick the right major? Will I regret this in ten years? Where will I be in ten years? How am I already in college? How am I almost done with college? Will any of this matter if climate change dooms us all first? (Answer to the last question: no.) If the odd specificity hasn’t made it obvious, I’m writing this letter from a personal place. Sometimes I feel like I’m growing up at a break-neck speed, and whenever I choose to look down or up or anywhere other than my embarrassingly un-white Nikes beneath me, I’m overwhelmed with the uncertainty. And know that I’m not the only one who has felt that way, who has asked themselves those questions. Maybe a wiser editor would invoke the comforting procession of you’re not alone’s now, but I am not a wiser editor. And I believe that, in a way, you are alone. And it is precisely this fact--that no one will be able to fully answer those questions for you, that no one will be as impacted by the answers you give and choices you make than yourself--that makes this doubt, this uncertainty, this quarter-life crisis so uniquely terrifying. So, I don’t have a good answer. For anything. But I do want to end the inaugural Letter From the Editor of this year’s first issue of The Wake on an invitation: lean into the discomfort of not knowing. Someday, you probably will have the answers. But, in the meantime, build a community, see a therapist, learn how to knit, register to vote (if you can), and, if you’re interested, write: The Wake happens to have 8PM Monday pitch meetings in Folwell 104. Consider this your formal invitation. With love, Tala Alfoqaha Editor-in-Chief (No seriously, pitch meetings are open to all UMN students. Reach out to eic@wakemag.org with questions.)
OCTOBER 7-21
6
CITIES
VegFest for All In the past few years, VegFest has worked to make the festival accessible to people of all abilities BY ELIZABETH ZANMILLER Veganism has grown exponentially in the past few years, with thousands of people making the switch each year. Often, an argument arises that veganism is not accessible. In some ways, this is true. Veganism can be difficult for those living in food deserts or with little money. But VegFest, a vegan festival held in the Twin Cities every year, is starting to change the narrative around accessibility and veganism. I first attended in 2014 when it was held in TCF Bank Stadium, which was tight and non wheelchair accessible. It was extremely crowded and hard to get around with an abled body, let alone for someone in a wheelchair. The stadium was loud and could easily be overwhelming for someone with sensory issues. Veganism is hard to do, and events organized like this only make the switch look less appealing. Five years later, the coordinator, Compassion for Animals, has made huge strides towards making their festival accessible, starting with a better venue, Harriet Island. The number of vendors was huge, and foods from mac and cheese to ice cream were available, showing people that their favorite foods could be vegan. More importantly, people with both mental and physical limitations got a much warmer welcome than in 2014. Sign language interpreters were available at the demos, and there was a quiet area for those with sensory issues. Areas for service dogs to rest, a private breastfeeding area, and wheelchair ramps were also provided. Volunteers were readily available to wait in lines for those unable to spend long amounts of time standing. On VegFest’s website, they note that accessibility is prioritized, and this was proven to be true. As more people are able to attend and be comfortable at these events and therefore be exposed to veganism, the movement will grow stronger. I applaud VegFest for working hard to expose people of all backgrounds to veganism.
Cosmic Bean Dispensary Sells Coffee with a CBD Twist A glance into the Dinkytown store and the medical and legal uncertainty around its namesake BY IAN KNOLL Be it Starbucks or Caribou, Dunn Brothers or Wise Owl, HardTimes or Bordertown, UMN students are no strangers to coffee. Yet ask one if they’d prefer a shot of creamer or a drop of CBD in their joe, and most will probably look at you in confusion. Cosmic Bean Dispensary aims to change that. 2 For the unaware, CBD (or Cannabidiol) is a chemical extract of cannabis devoid of the effects of the more well-known THC. Anecdotes tout it as a treatment for chronic pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia, and more; although research is sparse, preclinical evidence may support these first three claims—albeit in doses far higher than common commercial products (anywhere from 250 to 600 milligrams a day). Though generally considered legal to use, it’s important to note that CBD has not yet been FDA tested or approved for any products (an epilepsy drug being the sole exception), and the FDA are still considering what proper use, safety, and regulation of the compound should look like.
Despite these issues, Cosmic Bean Dispensary has proven a viable business for the Dinkytown community. Customers can purchase coffee in styles ranging from mochas to french press before electing to add ten, twenty-five, or fifty-milligrams of in-house produced CBD for an additional cost. The intent seems to be for the CBD to counteract the jitters of coffee and to make the store a place where “you can truly leave stress, anxiety, and restlessness at the door.” I’ll admit my CBD infused cold brew tasted and felt like bog-standard coffee, but the atmosphere was inviting and by no means felt illicit or suspicious. If CBD coffee isn’t your thing, the menu also includes teas, kombucha, and smoothies along with a variety of baked goods. Regardless of your stance on coffee or CBD, one thing is clear: both are here to stay.
THE WAKE 1
7
CITIES
I’m Missin’ It
The end of a McEra, and the start of a new apartment complex BY KATE DOYLE To my sweetest hello, to my hardest farewell, to my local Mcdonalds... I feel so incredibly lucky to have had you in my life. But it’s not just your unreasonably low costs that make me feel lucky—it’s every time I see a gaggle of students on a late night fry binge or a post football game pow-wow. I feel lucky when I walk through your doors and receive an unenthusiastic welcome from a sea of employees paid minimum wage. I feel lucky when I sit in your booths, surrounded by friends and quarter pounders. And I felt especially lucky when I first came to the University of Minnesota, thinking you would be there for me all four years. I want this feeling to last forever, to remember that good times aren’t dictated by how much money I spend or how fancy a place is. It is merely this feeling of fun and completeness that you have always provided me alongside your great prices. It is difficult for me to express everything I am feeling, especially with the prospect of your expulsion from Dinkytown looming ominously overhead. You are a diamond in the rough, a needle in a haystack, the beating heart of Dinkytown. I am typing this letter with my tears—tears so fat that they fall with the strength of a finger. The possibility of your removal will not only affect me but thousands of others who shall be forced to take their hungry bellies and empty wallets elsewhere. These words are only a small measure of my love for you. During these next few months, I shall pound back every Big Mac as if it will be my last—because it might be. Yours Forever, Lucci
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Our Fair City Minneapolis from the eyes of a newcomer BY ISABELLA AZZARO Minneapolis is an interesting city, and all it’s natives know that. But what do out of state students think? One freshman coming in from Pennsylvania, Catherine Perakslis, shared her thoughts. Having lived in a grand total of five other cities in Texas, Indiana, South Dakota, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, she has a wide range of cities to compare to Minneapolis, and thankfully, she has nothing but good comments for us! Catherine noticed the variety of green spaces. She has access to so many of them, and they are all relatively close by. Her favorite space so far is the park off of Pleasant St. SE, but she is excited to explore all of them. She mentioned that in Dallas, Texas, there was nothing like that. Sure, there were parks, but Dallas is so big, and there was so much traffic that she felt isolated in her own community. There, she had a regular park she would visit, but she was never able to go anywhere but that one place on a regular basis. Catherine then started talking about the restaurants in the city and around campus. At one point, she admitted that there was a greater diversity of food options in Dinkytown alone than in the entirety of Columbus, Georgia. I was doubtful, but she assured me it was true. As of right now, her favorite is Annie’s Parlour. Another thing she mentioned was that a positive relationship between the city and the campus community is more rare than we might think. Catherine said that in some cities she’s lived in, the two hardly acknowledged each other at best, and other cities had an outright bias against the students. We got to talking about opportunities for involvement in the local community, and she added that she is already involved as a tutor in a local school as part of a volunteer program. The fact that it was so easy to get involved in the city as a college student is valuable to her. However, she also said, “I can always find things to do in a city, but it’s the vibe that sells me. It just feels right.” Overall, she rates Minneapolis as a solid 4.75 stars out of five, only detracting points because of the weather. In comparison with the many other cities she’s lived in, that is an impressive score, and one we can be proud of! .
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OCTOBER 7-21 3
Art for Rent
CITIES
The Weisman Art Museum kicks off their revitalized art rental program with a tasteful coffee study event
A Memory From a Happier Time: Hot Girl Homecoming is upon Us
BY KATHRYN RICHNER If you’re anything like me, your college living space must be arranged and decorated in just the right way in order for you to truly live comfortably in. As a freshman, I was intimidated by all my neighbors’ dorm rooms that seemed to be personally designed by the Property Brothers themselves. Inevitably, I would return to my room to see my lame attempt to create something half as palatable.
Hot girl homecoming is advancing, and I expect everyone to be on their best (baddest) behavior
And since college students are all sleep-deprived workaholics faced with rising tuition costs and shrinking bank accounts, it can be hard to maintain that ideal aesthetic living space when we often lack the money to do so. Yet since the 1930s, the Weisman Art Museum has offered a solution through their student-only art rental program. According to Stewart, a member of the Weisman’s official student group WAM Collective, the program’s intent is to make art accessible to students. They recognize original art tends to be expensive (and oftentimes, rightfully so) and can be difficult for students to afford. Last year, the program was revitalized. Deemed the “Homework Collection,” the art collection features original student-made art by emerging artists from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Members of WAM collective choose the works to be featured based on what they think would be most popular among college students. Every Wednesday, the Weisman Art Museum’s Riverview Gallery transforms into a studious pop-up: part lounge / coffee shop / mixer, according to its Facebook event page, treating students to Misfit Coffee and an ideal place to study. September 18th marked the launch of the Homework Collection during their weekly Wednesday event, in which the art in the collection could be rented for $15 a piece per semester. So if cheap posters, string lights and those “Saturdays Are for the Boys” flags are starting to get a little old—consider renting quality art from the WAM. You just might end up supporting young up-and-coming artists in the process.
THE WAKE
BY MIRANDA SHAPIRO **Editor’s note: This article was written before SUA announced that Megan Thee Stallion would no longer be performing. We decided to include it because we are all still collectively mourning.
5
I had been pestering my friend Julien for days now. He’s on the board of students who help organize the homecoming events, and his job is to secure the homecoming artist. A few weeks back, he posted an instagram story asking people for their suggestions, and to no one’s surprise, many people said Megan 6 Thee Stallion. I first started listening to her around March, but Megan really burst onto the scene this summer as her term “hot girl summer” went viral and created a movement all over social media. Megan is a proud “Houston Hottie,” and she attributes her love of rap to her mom who was a rapper back in the day. She has a style that makes people feel empowered— whenever her song “Cocky AF” would play, my friends and I would yell out the lyrics, “Look in the mirror I’m madly in love!” Her freestyles are astounding and paired with her amazing songs that earned her a spot on the 2019 XXL Freshmen List. Needless to say, I did not expect the U of M to get her for homecoming—I mean, she’s everywhere. I’m only a sophomore, but from my impressions of last years’ homecoming and spring jam artist picks, I wasn’t getting my hopes up for this year. So I went to class, sat down next to Julien, and he told me to check his instagram story. I jumped out of my chair in disbelief when his story had the announcement of the homecoming artist: Megan Thee Stallion. I had to sit through my lecture when all I wanted to do was blast “Big Ole Freak” through my headphones. As soon as my class was over, I texted all my friends one simple phrase: “Hot Girl Homecoming.”
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Why We Need to Teach Eastern Philosophy Philosophy’s narrow-minded focus on the Anglo-American tradition deprives students of exposure to different ideas and a true liberal arts education. BY PRAHLAD SANKRTI The term “philosophy” comes to us from the Greek roots philos (“a friend,” or “lover”) and sophia (“wisdom”) and can be literally translated as “the love or pursuit of wisdom.” But is this wisdom limited only to the philosophical traditions of the West? According to philosophy departments at universities across the nation (including the University of Minnesota’s), the answer is a resounding yes. There are no classes on Eastern philosophy (including Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Jainism, Samkhya-Yoga, or Vedanta, to name a few key traditions) offered through the University’s philosophy department, or any classes covering other nonWestern traditions for that matter (such as the rich traditions of Africa and the indigenous peoples of the Americas). To find courses on these topics, one has to comb through a variety of “area studies” departments, such as the Department of East Asian Studies, Asian Languages and Literatures, American Indian Studies, and so forth. Even after doing this, students wishing to study the greatest thinkers from other cultures find their offerings fairly limited. This is a shame for a whole host of reasons which will be discussed below, and one senses a fundamental injustice in so profoundly limiting the scope of what philosophy is. Defenders of the status quo have made various arguments in the past for why Eastern philosophy is excluded. Some say that philosophy is a uniquely Western discipline since it is based on reason and logic, and is not tied to religion and culture the way it is in the East. Others say that there is already so much to study in Western philosophy that it would be impractical to broaden the scope of the subject. And still there are others who claim that it is not wrong to focus on Western philosophy since it is only natural for each culture to concentrate on the teaching of its own intellectual history (“In Japan, they can teach Japanese philosophy, but in the West, we want you to know Descartes first”).
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The first of these arguments is quite ignorant of the nuances within Eastern philosophy. To say there is no “logic” or “reason” in Eastern thought is to forget the rigor of the Indian school of Vaisheshika, the rational arguments found in many early Buddhist texts, or the consequentialist appeals in Mohist thought. While there is an element of truth in saying that Eastern philosophy is generally tied to religion, the same could be said of much of Western philosophy (think Aquinas or Saint Augustine). Philosophy does not have to be antithetical to religion; this is a dichotomy that is sharper in the West but certainly not in all cultures. To those who say that Western philosophy is already complicated enough without adding in the philosophies of other cultures, I would ask whether teaching the Western canon should be such a priority to the extent that it excludes others. A more comparative approach to philosophy would only help in understanding the similarities and differences between Western and Eastern philosophy, and further our understanding of both through distinctions and comparisons. At the very least, if classes are not to be taught on non-Western philosophy, I would suggest we rename philosophy departments. The label “Department of European and American Philosophy” would at least be honest about what they claim to teach. Finally, to those who argue that focusing on Western traditions is perfectly natural, I would remind them of the words of Socrates, the ultimate martyr for Western philosophy, as he is quoted in Plutarch’s “On Exile:” “I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.” Limiting the ideas we introduce students to deprives them of the benefits of being exposed to diverse viewpoints, and is ultimately too narrowminded of an approach to teaching philosophy. It doesn’t recognize the beauty of learning different ways of thinking and knowing, perhaps ones that are more subtle, yet filled with insight and truth nonetheless! It also doesn’t allow students to make deep cross-cultural connections, and move towards being “citizens of the world” themselves. All this can only be fostered and realized if academic philosophy rejects provincialism and recognizes the value of Eastern thought.
OCTOBER 7-21
The History Of radio k on campus
FEATURE
25 years and 77 haircuts later... By: Sammi Boring
THE WAKE
11
FEATURE
After working through the night on snippets to play in-between songs, the new--and first ever--production director of Radio K, Steve Nelson, quickly got on his bike headed for Coffman Memorial Union. It was almost 6 a.m. on October 1st, 1993—the day that Radio K would officially go live. After procrastinating on clips for the broadcast, Nelson was ready to hear the first airing of Radio K right from Coffman. “I was riding my bike as fast as I could, had my Walkman radio turned on,” Nelson said. “As I got the end of the Washington Ave. Bridge [ . . . ] I heard, ‘The oldest station in the state is now the newest, you’re listening to Radio K.’” During his time as a student, Nelson worked tirelessly over a two year period to finally bring Radio K into production. It was one of his “greatest memories” to hear Radio K for the first time on the Washington Ave. Bridge. On the day of the first broadcast, RadioK celebrated the milestone on 7.70AM radio with an unusually specific stunt: lining up 77 Aveda stylists to give 77 simultaneous hair cuts in the mall by Northrop. “I don’t know why they chose haircuts, and still to this day, I have not asked, but they were just doing haircuts and celebrating this new thing,” Sarah Lemanczyk said, Radio K’s current program director who had been dating one of the founders of Radio K at the time. Nelson explained that after thinking of “goofy and wild ideas” to celebrate the start of Radio K, student Mary Beth Foss came up with the idea for 77 haircuts. “I remember walking through the mall after that day back to Coffman and just tons of hair being in my mouth,” Nelson said. Twenty-five years later and Radio K still stands--but now in the Rarig Center, a deceptively brutalist building in the heart of West Bank. The walls of the station are covered with musicians’ posters: Neko Case, Metz, and Bill Callahan to name a few. Many are names that students may have never heard of.
“As I got the end of the Washington Ave. Bridge [ . . . ] I heard, ‘The oldest station in the state is now the newest, you’re listening to Radio K.” According to the Radio K archives, the first radio transmission at the University of Minnesota dates back to 1912 after a professor began experimenting with broadcasts. As the years went on, Women’s and Men’s Minnesota Radio (WMMR) was created in Coffman Memorial Union in 1948 and mainly focused on serving the student body. KUOM (University Of Minnesota), another University station that made programs similar to those of Minnesota Public Radio, was simultaneously on the rise. As KUOM and WMMR grew and changed throughout the 60s into the late 80s, KUOM began to lose money and eventually went up for sale. Many were looking to buy the station until one student, Jim Musil suggested that students should take it over. He then began his tireless work with Dan Thorn, Steve Nelson, and Mary Beth Foss to acquire the station. “It was a heady time. It was 1993, the 80’s were over, we had taken the safety pins out of our jeans, Nirvana was breaking—, it was an incredible time,” said Radio K’s current program director, Sarah Lemanczyk, who had been dating one of the founders of Radio K at the time. The students presented to the Board of Regents that rather than selling the station, they should give it to the students. Musil remembers the difficulty of their pursuit. “The J school [the University of Minnesota’s journalism program] was concerned about students being on it,” Musil said, but “The President at the time, Neil Hasselmo, was a big supporter.” The process took about two years, yet in the end, their efforts paid off. “In miracles of miracles, they gave it to the students,” Lemanczyk said At the time, Lemanczyk was not interested. “I was busy with theater,”she explained. Now, Lemanczyk is the program advisor for Radio K and is one of the only full-time workers at the station. The rest of the station is student run. With over 10 years of working at Radio K, Lemanczyk has witnessed students come and go, the station grow, and Rarig stay the same.
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OCTOBER 7-21
FEATURE
“I am proud to say that this is student-run, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a major market,” Lemanczyk said. There is a staff of 25 students, 70 DJs, and over 700 students on the email list. Minneapolis, with its historic music past, makes this a prime spot to have a college run radio station. Radio K has music, brings in live bands as well as on-air talent, and centers students in all its operations while being overseen by Lemanczyk. Radio K is one of the few stations in the country to be fully run by students. While the amount of college radio stations is tough to track, out of approximately 4,000 colleges in the United States, there were only at least 600 college stations in the United States in 2018 (according to National Center for Education Statistics and RadioSurvivor, respectively). “The fact that my students, who might have seven months ago been driving a tractor in the Hutch, are now on the air in a major market is phenomenal,” Lemanczyk stated. Started by students and perpetuated by students, Radio K has given many the opportunity to learn something new or pursue their post graduation goals.The visions of students are brought to life on air under the guidance of Lemanczyk. Listening in to the station is easy, but the work that goes into it is intense. Student volunteers need 10 hours of volunteering at the station and then go through training to become a DJ before actually going on air. Like any other station, Radio K follows strict Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) standards. The FCC overlooks all radio and television programs and strictly forbids crude language. Breaking FCC standards, say, by swearing on air, could result in a shut down by the FCC. “We want to make sure they [the students] want to do it because if something were to happen, the 27 years that we worked so hard to build would be gone,” Lemanczyk said.
THE WAKE
“Radio K gives variety, Students really have a say in what happens here.” For students, the station can be a way to find a community, a new array of music, a unique opportunity for their resume, or simply a place to play their favorite music. One student, Marina Lundell, has been a part of Radio K since her freshman year. She works at the front desk, DJ’s one shift, and helps with a specialty show, “Those Meddling Kids,” which is hosted by Marina and different high school students each week. This show is like many specialty shows at Radio K that involve more interviews and information besides music. “Radio K gives variety,” Lundell said. “Students really have a say in what happens here.” As for Musil, being one of the first students to work for Radio K, he reflects fondly on his time at Radio K. “I owe a lot to the station,” he said, while also mentioning, “It did delay my graduation.” From those that started it all to students now, a community has been created that both allows students the opportunity to get on air and offers listeners at UMN a station catered to them.
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CREATIVE WRITING
Georgia on My Mind BY ALISA KUZMINA For some reason I thought writing about my friends would be as easy as fooling around (i.e.‘here we are in Georgia, here is a picture of a donkey, here we are eating khachapuri’, etc.) but for some reason, I couldn’t do that. We’ve been friends for ages, and our friendship is the purest extract of team spirit (but instead of keeping it in a test tube, we captured it in pictures). Looking at those photographs now, I find myself sitting in my dorm, all alone. My friends and I used to spend lots of time together: we went all the way from attending the same dance company in our hometown to giggling and holding hands together while we graduated. It’s just that nothing could divide us, you know? Not even our actual future apart. We went to the universities in different cities, wrote letters and exchanged photos, and told ourselves that long distance relationships didn’t suck (and yet we weren’t even a couple). Now our team of five is spread all over the country (like flowers in spring! not like cheese on pizza). I thought that writing about our summer vacation together would cheer me up, and it probably could, but as time went by, the team spirit somehow evaporated. Not to say we don’t talk anymore or laugh at old jokes, it’s just that we changed, and so did our special bond.
This is our little gang, happily reunited (one girl couldn’t join us, but let’s pretend she took this photo). I (the one with the least amount of hair) remember sitting on that warm asphalt, looking at them and thinking, whoa… we ARE different. Surprisingly, that was a lovely feeling to catch (but in a melancholic way!)
Last summer, our team of five traveled to Georgia — not the state, but the country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia (we’re all from Russia, so it makes sense). It had been two years since we finished high school and moved to different cities, so I was both a little nervous and very excited to see my friends again. The city of Batumi welcomed us with warm sunlight and delicious ice cream. Our daily routine included swimming in the Black Sea, dancing, smiling at people and singing songs in taxis. Our voices were different than two years ago, unfamiliar at times. Our smiles were different, too, which, ironically, made me upset at first, until one evening, after finishing yet another khachapuri (Georgian cheese-filled bread that was so big that we always used to split it between each other) and not wanting to look at it ever again (for at least an hour), I realized that these laughing, cheeze-chewing women will still be my friends, no matter how far away. OK, tears aside, here are some photos of us, the way we were and the way we’ll always be.
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OCTOBER 7-21 Photos by Elizaveta Buryachenko
ART
After the picture was taken, we spent hours talking and I discovered that something did actually stayed the same: the way we look at each other. One night we went to a small Georgian village up in the mountains. It was a bit chilly, but a nice woman hosted us and gave us food (if you look a bit to the right from my fresh haircut you can identify her silhouette). We listened to songs by Nino Katamadze and learned a couple of phrases in Georgian. In that leather jacket I felt like Liza’s boyfriend and invited her to dance with me.Chemi gogo (my girl) Liza!
THE WAKE
At the end of the day, I love them all so much
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Q&A
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Kazyak BY TOSIN FASEEMO Minneapolis-based indie band Kazyak is led by guitarist and songwriter Peter Frey. He’s accompanied by bassist Tyler Safraneck, guitarist Andy Wolfe, drummer Nick Grewe, with Pat Hayes on keyboards. Read on to hear more about their freeform approach to live performances and their new album, “Odyssey.”
: How did you guys meet? Peter: This band is evolutionary. We all went to St. John’s University. Andy’s my cousin; we’ve been making music together for decades, I’d say, in some form. Andy: I mean we’re four years apart, so not consistently, but yeah, for a while. Peter: Nick and I played in jazz band in college together. Pat and I, our moms, were roommates in college and our dads were best friends growing up but we never played music together until this band. And then there’s Tyler, who knows Andy from college. Tyler: We played in a band in college. So we all went to the same college but we didn’t necessarily overlap.
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: What does your band’s name mean? P: Honestly, it’s just what we decided to call ourselves. We had a friend named Paul Kazyak about a decade ago who some of us knew pretty well, and I don’t know, it was kind of just undefined at the time and I really like that idea.
: I just listened to “Odyssey” and I noticed from your Twitter bio that you guys describe yourselves as ‘alternative folk’. What does that mean? P: We really gotta update that Twitter. I think ‘alternative’ is right on and is more meant as the idea that were clearly like an electric, psychedelic rock band where there are a lot of elements of synth and guitars and electronic elements like drum machine. But I think folk is meant more around the fact that a lot of the songs could be
OCTOBER 7-21
Q&A
played on an acoustic guitar like you’d hear a folk song. We’ve just brought it alive differently.
P: Totally. We’ve tried to make up for that too with different elements. A lot of times we have live videos that are projected. I think we love the visual idea, and we want to engage the crowd.
A: And I think as the band has evolved and gotten more synth...like the first couple records were definitely more closely tied to folk but this one has space on the cover. We’ve kind of taken that to space. P: We’ve had electric instruments on other albums but this one is definitely like Andy said there is the most synth on this one. We made a country album a few years ago called “Happy Camping” and it was a little more stripped down, like there was no synth on that record. I think it’s just about trying to keep our sound fresh and hot.
: Along with that idea of changing your style over time, what is your creative process like with songwriting and collaborating? T: That’s been an evolving process. So far, Pete’s been bringing the core ideas to the group and we’ve been able to take his parts that he was dabbling with. For the most part, we’re adding our own flourishes to the songs. P: And I think we bring certain influences in when we’re hearing things and deciding where we want the sound to go, because we have similar taste but all of us dabble in different areas. And I think a lot of the things specific to “Odyssey,” it evolved, we created it over the course of six to eight months, because you can’t just learn all these songs in one sitting. There were moving parts and pieces and the guys were still writing parts, so we would just commit to rehearsing a few times a month and chipping away at the development of the songs. T: And they’re still changing. It’s kinda interesting, as we play the songs more and more, each time we come back to it, we hear something different that we like and that’s fun, to play them out after a break. P: We’re not really a jam band but I think we are all interested in improvisational elements in our music.
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T: Just with less theatrics.
: What do you guys like about the Twin Cities music scene?
: So you feel that you guys thrive when you’re performing live? T: ”Thrive” may be a strong word, but that’s when were most comfortable, I think. It’s almost more nerve-wracking to go in and try to lay down a record of these songs that have sounded different each time we’ve played them. Like how do you capture that perfect take when we don’t even know what the perfect tape would even sound like? So I think live performances are just more our thing. P: That’s where we get the ultimate sounds that we want to either record or keep trying to get to; we discover them while playing live.
: So when you guys perform, you’re less focused on engaging the crowd, but more focused on crafting that sound?
T: There’s always great music around; you can always find a great show. Tame Impala just performed at Surly, best show of my life. It’s just really inspiring to be around that kind of environment, you’ve always got great music and somewhere to go. It can be hard to break into the scene sometimes, but I think it’s still a great place to enjoy other people’s talents and get that exposure and inspiration. P: There are the greats, like Prince, and Bob Dylan, and that’s what people would think of if you asked them about minnesota music. But theres a whole new wave that connected to eau claire and there’s a lot of artists from Minneapolis that support that scene. A: It all feels very accessible too. It feels like it’s a big enough city where you have those bigger names but it feels very accessible.
Kazyak will be performing at the 7th Street Entry on October 25th.
VOICES
Existential Threat No. 1 Climate change will not go away if we ignore it
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BY MARS BAKER Humanity is on the verge of extinction. All right, perhaps the situation isn’t as dire as an incoming meteorite or a new world war (which are both plausible), but it’s even worse: a slow, excruciating, and fiery demise. Climate change is not a debatable topic. An analysis published by the Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration in Australia reports, “Planetary and human systems [are] reaching a ‘point of no return’ by mid-century, in which the prospect of a largely uninhabitable Earth leads to the breakdown of nations and the international order.” Despite the immediate threat, climate change continues to be ignored or, at least, “put off” until the oceans begin to boil. In other words, an existential threat has been bestowed upon us as a problem to solve by the older generation who need not have qualms about the future. It is not their future on the line. It’s ours. You can buy yourself a shiny new hybrid or stay atop your recycling game, but this is not going to stop the ice caps from melting or prevent the increasingly severe natural disasters. As much as it hurts to admit, this is as much a political issue as it is an environmental one. The largescale, revolutionary reforms necessary to address climate change can only be implemented by those who have the power to do so. At first glance, this may seem like a pessimistic notion, yet it simply means that we need to focus our efforts on political change rather than attempting to fix it ourselves. Although several factors are causing our stagnation in climate
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rehabilitation, the primary concern amongst our politicians and leaders is that it’s too expensive. In the short-run, yes. In the long-run, the opposite is true; climate change is costing us. We have already spent hundreds of billions of dollars cleaning up weather-related disasters brought upon by climate change. A journal published in Nature, one of the most recognizable scientific journals in the world, states that if we limited warming to 1.5 °C, there would be more than a 60% chance that the accumulated global benefits would exceed $20 trillion. In spite of the evidence, we still have the misfortune of leaders failing to see past their pocketbooks and into the not-too-distant future. We could take the leader of the free world, for example, who has never acknowledged the existence of climate change, even going so far as to post a Tweet in 2012 claiming, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing noncompetitive.” The question then arises: what are we supposed to do to swap out ineffective leaders? Well, the answer is pretty simple. Vote. I admittedly could be beating a dead horse; the pressure to vote is becoming increasingly forced upon the younger generation. Political cynicism has infected young people to the point that in 2014, less than 20 percent of young people voted—the lowest rate ever—compared with roughly 40 percent of the general population, according to United States census data.
A prevalent mindset among people is that their vote doesn’t matter, whether it be because they individually are only one voice or because they believe the government is too corrupt for change. Have you ever heard the proverb, “There is strength in numbers”? It’s a popular statement because it’s true, and the situation we find ourselves in is not an exception. Perhaps you aren’t able to vote or want to steer away from the political path altogether. What are you supposed to do? Let your voice be heard. We as humans are easily caught up in the snares of daily life, which means that climate change is hardly at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts. Some may even know nothing beyond what they’ve seen in the media Artists, writers, filmmakers, economists, sociologists—we all have a platform at some level, and the issue that threatens the entirety of the human race applies to each and every one of them. This is not to imply that one must be particularly artistic or talented or unbelievably intelligent to make a change, however. Regardless of age or gender, every individual possesses the power to effect change; they need only to find the drive to act. For those of us who are aware, we must spread the truth. Your voice is important. Use it.
OCTOBER 7-21
VOICES
Being the Only One
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What does diversity really look like? BY IJEOMA UGBOAJAH I’m a freshman at the University of Minnesota, and I’m three weeks into my first year. I went from high school classes of 30 students to classrooms up to 150. As Nigerian-American girl living in Eagan Minnesota, I was already faced with various challenges. Even in my small high school classrooms, it was difficult to not feel invisible. Now I’m posed with a new challenge: I am one of the few black students in my lecture of 100 people. Pursuing a major in political science and journalism—areas of study that must address race in order to fully understand the complexities of their fields—I once again find myself in a situation where classes that should be rooted in diversity fail to actually have a diverse student population. For me, it’s always been an awkward experience when discussing race in a class when there are only one or two students of color present. While admittedly the lack of diversity may not actually be actively intentional, it still highlights the issues regarding students of color and lack of access to educational spaces. It forces me to ask the question: are classes that are supposed to be diverse or that claim to care about diversity really putting in the effort to attract a diverse student body? Being a student of color at a predominantly white institution sometimes feels frightening and intimidating. Even the classes seeking to address these issues still feel like part of the problem. Personally, I’d like to see the University of Minnesota put more emphasis on hiring teachers of color. It’s time to prioritize accessibility and give teachers and students of color a space to feel welcome in class. Diversity means nothing if our classes aren’t inclusive.
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Veganism: Easy for All? How some vegans disregard the impracticality of veganism for many individuals BY ELIZABETH DWENGER As I walk through campus, one conversation that particularly tends to catch my attention is the discussion on the ease of going vegan and the environmental savior that is veganism. Regardless of opinions on either side of this debate, it should be acknowledged that a crucial aspect is being left out of the conversation—veganism is inaccessible for most people on this planet. By definition, veganism is restrictive, and the ability to consume or avoid certain foods based on your preference is an immense privilege. Food deserts, areas where nutritious food is difficult to find, exist even in the United States. Food deserts are an area lacking a food source. This means finding affordable food that can sustain one throughout one’s day becomes crucial while considering the ethics of where that food came from is nearly unfeasible. Furthermore, considering the numerous developing nations and different cultures around the world, the feasibility of “veganism for all” lowers significantly. Becoming vegan typically implies spending more time cooking in addition to buying more expensive and perishable (and let’s face it, sometimes less appealing) food. Add to that a family, a job, and further responsibilities, this expends valuable time that many may not have. If you possess the time, money, and energy to think about where your food comes from rather than when or where your next meal is, you retain a privilege that countless individuals cannot afford. Now if any vegans are reading this, you may think that I am just looking for excuses to not be vegan. But the truth is, I have been vegan for nearly six years. I did not write this to give excuses why not to become vegan but rather to bring attention to something for others to consider, especially in regards to activism. Admittedly, the complexity of this topic cannot be given justice so simply and within the limitations of just one article. However, the insistence by some vegans that “becoming vegan is just so easy” is shortsighted, and its ignorance can ironically lead to greater harm than good.
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VOICES
Meditating on Death Five Times a Day—It’s Morbidly Delicious Hey, don’t forget you’re going to die... BY SOPHIE TIAHNYBIK “If you are constantly aware of your mortal nature, you will only do what truly matters to you.” — Sadhguru, Twitter I croak, you croak, WE CROAK. In other words, I shall die, you shall die, WE ALL ARE GOING TO DIE. Just a friendly reminder—the fate of all our hearts stopping in our own unique way is real. Very real. A concept that we far too often push deep down within ourselves. However, the reality of life is that we die at the end. So maybe it’s ok if we think about it. Five times a day is best, probably. In accordance with bhutanese practices, the concept of the app, WeCroak, revolves around the idea that one must meditate on the idea of death at least five times a day to achieve happiness. The app drops you little notifications throughout the day (from about 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., so no midnight meditations) Each alert invites you to take a look at a hand-picked quote, to take time and reflect on the impermanence of our existence. An idea so radical, it’s brilliant? While death reigns as the central theme, the idea of impermanence glimmered most. The idea that everything is fleeting—our bodies, our memories, our possessions, our thoughts. Everything we are in a moment can flutter away in an instant. As a result, we constantly change and weave our ways through life, never living the same day twice. Fatefully so, one day, all of those lived moments come to an end. WeCroak invites you to meditate on the fact that death is always with us, rather than reserved for those who are grey and grizzled. The first quote I received this week was, “You have to be real with yourself. No one is going to do that. People are too concerned with making everything look nice and calm and pretty. —Donald Glover.”
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Embracing the impossibility and foolishness of making everything appear pretty seemed perfect for embracing the idea of morbidly meditating five times a day. Maybe we should accept the things that come, without fear of what it looks like to someone else. Embracing the wickedness of our lives, and maybe learning how fearlessly, beautiful those flaws are. For me, death has never been too foreign; rather, it has been deeply rooted in my life. Not to say my favorite creature is the Grimm Reaper—it’s not. However, growing up in the Catholic Church, death came up in a lot of conversations. For example, the holy day known as Ash Wednesday, was quite the morbid holiday. Ashes from palm leaves are rubbed on one’s forehead while someone says, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” While maybe I didn’t think about death five times a day, it was evident from a young age that I wasn’t going to be living forever. Unknown territory is terrifying if we allow it to have such power. Paris Hilton wasn’t wrong in saying, “My biggest fear is to die because I have no idea what happens after, and I’m really scared it’s nothing because that would be beyond boring.” I also don’t really know, but at least I know I will probably turn to dust. This became more apparent in high school, as I had this thread of dreams where the world ended or I died. Each dream was incredibly vivid, everytime the year read, 2029. Fittingly, my insta bio now reads 1999–2029. I’ve found myself dreaming about funerals over weddings. So, the concept of death has always been intriguing rather than scary. I think it allows me to live more freely when I know that death is rooted within all of us. When I heard about the app, WeCroak, my thoughts were something like, “Hallelujah, someone thinks like me! It’s morbidly delicious!
Genius!” I was insanely stoked to have something that allowed me to channel all these morbid thoughts into something productive and positive. Sure, perhaps downloading the WeCroak app isn’t for anyone. It is 99 cents (hefty commitment). That doesn’t mean spending time meditating on death’s inevitability can bring benefits and open our eyes to beauty in our fleeting time here on earth. So please, don’t forget, you are going to die. “In a way, you’ve already won in this world because you’re the only one who can be you.” — Fred Rogers
OCTOBER 7-21
VOICES
Hot Girl Semester
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How hot girl summer changed the face of confidence BY CAMILLA BREEN The whole world bore witness to the virality of “Hot Girl Summer”: an internet meme created by rapper Megan Thee Stallion that sparked a worldwide self-love movement. The hashtag is used widely via social media as a moniker that incites an empowered state of mind in users. Arguably the most widespread phrase of summer 2019 (and arguably the best thing to happen to Twitter since dark mode), it is undoubtedly the best mentality to be in, regardless of the season. I consider myself a connoisseur of sorts on having a capital H, capital G Hot Girl summer. Beyond the multiple “Hot Girl” playlists I’ve procured over the summer, I genuinely believe in the phrase despite its internet meme status. Search up hot girl summer on Twitter and a plethora of different photos will show up—individuals from all backgrounds and in different stages of life unequivocally feeling themselves and having fun. Hot girl summer is not only about posting photos of yourself on social media. In the wise words of Megan Thee Stallion, “Being a Hot Girl is about being unapologetically YOU, having fun, being confident, living YOUR truth, being the life of the party, etc.” It inspires confidence as well as unites people together in a synergistic conglomeration of inclusivity and self-importance. Although hot girl summer found its start as a meme, it ultimately facilitates an individual’s self-love and ability to be their best self. Instead of abandoning the “real hot girl shit” in August, we should have this mentality year round. Hot girl summer can mean putting on your best bikini and strutting around the house, or it can mean working five days a week to secure the bag. For some, its both. I encourage everyone to live out their hot girl summer fantasies well into winter and hold on to the confidence that motivates you. Take that selfie. Apply for that job. Talk to that boy or girl. Everyone deserves a hot girl summer, no matter the circumstances.
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Let Your Mainstream Show In a world of haters, it’s okay to like popular things BY JEMMA KELEHER These days, people who openly express their love for mainstream things like baggy t-shirts, UGG boots, and the 1975 possess as much bravery as a soldier heading into combat. Every time these individuals open their mouths, they’re inevitably faced with the classic, “Oh, you’re one of those people?” You happen to like things that other people also like? How shocking. News flash: it’s completely okay to be “mainstream.” Enjoying something, regardless of what it is, does not make a person’s interest any less valid or their experience any less singular. You like that cool new indie band that everyone and their dog also listens to? Amazing! Your opinion isn’t suddenly less valuable simply because a bunch of other people share it. Hating on popular things has become as normal as talking about the weather. People abstain from watching certain TV shows because countless others do too. Similarly, any girl who wears scrunchies and carries a Hydroflask is now considered a walking joke. As hilarious as saying “Sksksksk and I oop–” is (and believe me, I say it too), shaming people because of something as trivial as their interests is honestly boring and hardly nuanced. Let the VSCO girls live in peace— Birkenstocks, running shorts, Sugar Bear hair, and all. Oftentimes, the people who hate on the mainstream also consider themselves somehow cooler or more unique than others because they enjoy that which no one knows about. To that, I disagree. Each person’s interests are valid, whether they’re mainstream or the most obscure things known to man. Your enjoyment should not be demeaned simply due to the number of individuals who also share your interest. Individuals should be allowed to enjoy what they enjoy, even if that means they’re fitting in with everyone else.
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SIX REVIEWS
III 1
Lookout Low Twin Peaks BY EMMA NIEMASZYK It’s eleven o’clock at Fine Line on a Friday night. The venue is small, intimate. It is all excitement at the venue tonight. Twin Peaks’ “Lookout Low” proposes a fresh take on the band’s moshing, ageless tunes. The new album had just been released seven days earlier. A refreshing take on rock ‘n’ roll, every song makes the listener want to get up and dance, hips swingin’ back and forth, or pack a bowl and lay down on the couch. Happy, happy, happy. The guys come on stage. They play all the groovy old favorites. “Walk to the One You Love” is a classic. “Wanted You” has everyone pointing their hands in the air, screaming at some non-present person. Some with rage, some with thrill, but all with an excitement so discrete it is like a happy, high fever takes over the crowd. They play the new ones, too. “Ferry Song” feels like reaching Kingdom Come in that small little venue on First Ave, even as the people pushing and shoving makes it that much less romantic. They end the night with “Oh Mama,” a new one off the album. It is paradisiacal. Connor banging on the drums for dear life; Cadien with the monumental head swings, hair going in every direction; Clay with his unique voice and goofiness; Jack, who contributes wholly to the distinct feel the band gives; Colin, who gives the band a fresher sound, holding them all together.
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Norman F***ing Rockwell Lana del Rey
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The Lumineers
BY PETER NOMELAND
BY KATELYN ANDERSON
Lana Del Rey has always been an enigma. In an age when most pop stars go for the next big, loud song that will explode to the top of the charts, New York-raised Del Rey has made a career out of moody, introspective ballads. While her music is clearly inspired by the sounds of the 50s and 60s Americana, she has also become a favorite collaborator of hip-hop heavyweights, including The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky. As a result, Del Rey has emerged as one of the most compelling and versatile musicians working today.
The Lumineers recently released a new album, “III,” along with a video series for the album on YouTube. The album has ten songs with three bonus tracks. The songs, excluding the bonus tracks, are separated into three discs, or chapters that follow three generations of the Sparks family and the adversities they face. On the cover of the album, each roman numeral corresponds to the person featured in each chapter. The first chapter follows Gloria Sparks and her struggle with alcoholism and depression while trying to raise a child. The second chapter is about Junior Sparks, Gloria’s grandson, and the issues he has with his father, Jimmy. The third and final chapter tells of Jimmy Sparks’s struggle with life and alcohol. The songs feature energetic drums and guitar, yet the lyrics tell a different story. Lead singer, Wesley Schultz, reveals his frustration by using his raspy voice in “Gloria.” In some songs such as “Leader of the Landslide,” the song starts slow and dismal, but the beat picks up, and Schultz expresses an accusatory tone and shows his outrage toward the people who wronged him. Schultz conveys a resentful tone toward people in his life that have hurt him or deceived him throughout the album. The Lumineers effortlessly sing about alcoholism, loneliness, and depression from the perspective of people dealing with these struggles, as well as their loved ones. “III” addresses topics that are dark, but important.
On her latest release, “Norman F***ing Rockwell,” Lana appears to have found a balance of all her musical influences. Her trademarks of heartbreak and relationships remain, with her songwriting as strong as ever. But her influences become clear on the opening title track, where she references Laurel Canyon, the old Hollywood neighborhood which was home to Leonard Cohen and Jim Morrison among others. Accompanied by some of the best production and instrumentation of her career, “Norman F***ing Rockwell” is the most realized project Del Rey has released since her 2012 debut album “Born to Die”. Whether it’s the subdued piano and acoustic guitar-backed “Mariners Apartment Complex” or the nine-minute opus “Venice Bitch”, in which she goes in-depth on her relationship with a tortured artist, it is clear that Lana is comfortable in her musical prowess and is unafraid to be herself and continue to push boundaries, which should extend to next year in her follow-up.
OCTOBER 7-21
SIX REVIEWS
I, I 1
Bon Iver
BANKS BY ABIGAIL WATSON Banks played at the Varsity Theater, a small concert venue in the heart of Dinkytown, on September 17 to promote her newest album. “III” is her third studio album, but a major theme of the record is how life comes in threes: birth, life, death or past, present, future and how not everything in life is black and white. BANKS’ music is often described as dark and moody, and the blackness in the theater, with only flashing spotlights to illuminate the stage, tied in with her music and demeanor. The majority of the songs played during the show were from her “III” album, but Banks also graced the stage with a few of her older hits, such as her most famous song, “Waiting Game” and the spooky melody of “Poltergeist,” from “The Altar.” BANKS didn’t interact with the crowd much, but she channeled her inner rebel, as she does every time she performs. In a beautiful and intimate moment, BANKS shared a poem called “Ode to the Grey Zone” which related to the themes of the “III” album. In the blink of an eye, the show was over and done with, but after much chanting, BANKS came back to play one more of her hits, a song called “Beggin for Thread,” about not apologizing for your sharp edges. With syncopated melodies and raw,emotional lyrics, BANKS had everyone in the crowd with their hands over their hearts singing along and forging in solidarity their love of her music but also shared past experiences.
BY MADELEINE WARE Indie singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, with help from musicians S. Carey, Matthew McCaughan, and others, just released his fourth studio album in August, and it’s a culmination of Bon Iver’s captivating, nostalgic sound. The album begins with “Yi”, a bombardment of disembodied noise that erupts into “iMi”, an eclectic collaboration piece featuring contributions from Camilla Staveley-Taylor, whose vocals float etherally in the mix chanting “I am, I am, I am,” and artistic talent James Blake. The album manages a perfect balance between previous albums such as the folksy and intimate “For Emma, Forever Ago” and the chaotic sound of “22, A Million.” Vernon incorporates chiming synths and heavily edited vocoder vocals while giving listeners moments of acoustic guitar combined with hushed saxophone. A few stand-outs that exemplify this effect are “Sh’Diah” and “Salem,” back-to-back tracks that mesmerize listeners with a blend of both elements. The album’s most paradigmatic track is “Hey, Ma,” a track that beautifully conveys the feeling of having nowhere to turn. Vernon reminds listeners that if they are feeling helpless, it may be “tall time to call your ma.” However, the song isn’t all warm sentiment and nostalgia. Mechanical beeps throughout the track create an isolated and aimless feel, as the song swells in intensity and emotion. As usual, Vernon perfectly captures the feeling of a soft winterscape: beautiful and comforting, yet bitingly cold. Bon Iver’s “i,i” is new and refreshing, but sticks to its folk-indie roots. Vernon gives listeners a reason to pause and just be.
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The Cars The Cars BY EVAN FERSTL The Cars’ self-titled debut album, released in 1978, marked a transition in popular music. The band combined the sound of 70s radio rock with new wave, the genre that would dominate the 80s. Frontman Ric Ocasek embodied this marriage of styles perfectly, translating his neurotic delivery into genuine rock star swagger. This album quickly propelled the Boston rockers into stardom, particularly off the strength of its most well-known songs: “Just What I Needed,” “Good Times Roll,” and “My Best Friend’s Girl,” making it worth a review 40 years later. Listening to the album, the band’s favorite topic quickly becomes evident: romance. Whether fulfilling, abusive, confusing, or broken, the band takes on all types of romantic relationships. The group combines feelings of elation and satisfaction with desperation and resignation, concocting a melting pot of electrifying grooves. The repetition of “everything will be alright” on the chorus of “All Mixed Up” comes off as both honest and ironically bittersweet, embodying this blend of emotion which makes the album excellent listening for almost any occasion. It almost feels like the appeal of pop music can be discovered through one drive with “The Cars.” If the album falls short of perfect, it’s because of two forgettable tracks: “I’m In Touch With Your World” and “Don’t Cha Stop.” However, the other seven songs more than make up for this wasted time. With one of the greatest debuts in rock history, The Cars crafted an enduring legacy while promising more greatness to come.
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