The Wake, Issue 1, Fall 2013

Humans of Dinkytown

p. 11 - 13

A Day in the Life of Dinkytown’s Homeless p. 8

vol. 13 | issue 1 September 30 - October 13

Š2013 The Wake Student Magazine.

All rights reserved.

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

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

Production

www.wakemag.org The Wake was founded by Chris Ruen and James DeLong.

Editorial

Whats Inside?

Sondra Vine

Alyssa Bluhm

Graphic Designers

Could You Survive a Weekend at Mesa? p. 4 17th Ave. Residence Hall p. 4

Managing Editor

Production Manager

Sondra Vine, Eric Berry, Kelsey Schwartz, Brittany Long

Art Director

Editor-in-Chief

Justin Miller

A Day in the Life of Dinkytown's Homeless p. 5

Cities Editor

Smart is Sexy p. 6

Grace Birnstengel

Sam Lindsay

Social Media Manager

Voices Editor

Web Editor Sam Gordon

Sound & Vision Editor Sara Glesne Courtney Bade

Web Assistant Brittany Long

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 alauer@ wakemag.org.

Humans of Dinkytown p. 11 - 13 In the Educational Trenches p. 15 Q&A: PiĂąa Cloud p. 16 - 17 Zine Quest p. 18

Hard Times, Hardier People p. 7 Minnesota Nice Takes on Refugees p. 7

Bruce Ferguson

Kelcie McKenney

DISCLAIMER

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

A Guide to Dodging Turf Wars p. 8 Grand Theft Auto 5 p.8 Love and Enlightenment Rolled into One p. 9 The Problem With a Shirtless Politician p. 9 Debacle is the New Double Homicide p. 10

Har Mar Sweats Charisma p. 19 Theater, Delivered to a Garage Near You p. 19 More Than Just Beats and Rhymes p. 20 Artopia p. 21 3 Reviews p. 22 Events Calendar p. 23

Staff Writers Nathaniel Kitzman, Ethan Lauer

Videographer Tyler Lauer

Business Manager Cooper Henckel

This Issue

Can't get enough of The Wake?

Cover Artist Emily Chang

Photographers/Illustrators Courtney Bade, Emily Chang, Mackenzie Cress, Dan Forke, Collet Forsyth, Nicholette Forsyth, Peter Mariutto, Lianna Matt, Haley McCullum, Sean McSteen, Zach Simon, Natalie Ward, Jie Yin

Contributing Writers Justine Akbari, Courtney Bade, Greg Dzurickso, Kirsten Erickson, Herbert B. Ferguson - Augustus, Sammi Frohwirth, Sarah Johnson, Nathaniel Kitzmann, Ethan Lauer, Tyler Lauer, Destanie Martin - Johnson, Lianna Matt, Peter Mariutto, Kayla McCombs, Haley McCullum, Adam McFarlane, Emma McGinn, Sean McSteen, Luke Michaels, Francis Pineda - Fischer, Carissa Polo, Abby Richardson, Zach Simon, Christian Sobek, Catherine Vaught, Sarah Valli

Twitter: @the_wake Facebook: /TheWakeMagazine Wake-Mag.tumblr.com

13:1

Cities

Could you survive a weekend at Mesa?

A look at the hard workers underneath all the toppings

by Catherine Vaught

of studying and test taking. One type of pizza in particular, however, stretches the line twice as long.

Some people might say there isn’t anything much better in the world than a big ole’ cheesy slice of pizza. This holds especially true if those people are college students making late-night trips to indulge in the ever-popular goodness at Mesa Pizza in Dinkytown. But underneath all those delicious toppings are some hardworking folks who ensure your midnight craving is cured.

“The Macaroni and Cheese pizza is our most popular, not just on the weekends, but every day,” says Amber. “The downside to working a late night is that people get mad and start yelling when we run out of [Macaroni and Cheese].”

Yelling over a sold-out pizza? Though it may seem like the appropriate reaction when you’re in the heat of the moment, let’s remember to keep the manners our mothers taught us in check. After all, it’s not like there aren’t 30 other delicious topping choices to choose from.

A pizza-making veteran of four years, Amber has experienced her fair share of busy nights at Mesa. According to her, they’re “crazy and insane, but also awesome.”

From the Spicy Chicken Quesadilla to the Tortellini Pesto, it’s no surprise that lines form out the door after a long week

17th Avenue Residence Hall or Luxurious Hotel?

By Destanie Martin-Johnson

Reputations within the U’s residence halls have gone past the stereotypes of the people who live in them and what they’re notorious for doing. Territorial Hall is known as the “party hall,” and Middlebrook is known as the hall for snobby nerds. And now, the rich, glorious 17th Avenue Residence Hall presents itself this year as a brand new place of living for incoming first year students, incoming transfer students, and all returning students.

On the University of Minnesota website under “17th Avenue Hall,” a short summary states that “17th Avenue Hall is a six-story coeducational hall housing 600 residents. The new residence hall has been intentionally designed and developed

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To deal with the occasional unruly customer, Amber has developed some survival methods to get her through the hungry line of weekenders. The first item on the list is, believe it

COLLETE FORSYTH

or not, sunglasses. “I wear them so no one knows where I’m looking and they have to focus on the order they’re placing,” she says.

With the bright lights and sounds of customers, Amber also mentions the importance of concentrating on the task at hand.

“It may sound weird, but it helps me to ignore everything else except the order being placed in front of me,” she says.

But don’t get her wrong, working a weekend at Mesa isn’t all bad.

“Late night shifts go by quickly. Also, we have great teamwork within our group, we read each other, and know how to cope with the business,” she says. “Joking around with co-workers makes it all worth it.”

to foster community among residents. 17th Avenue houses a new concept Residential Restaurant featuring a Fresh Food Market and a main floor Technology Center.”

most of the other halls, which were built 50-60 years ago, that students who were lucky enough to be placed in the $65 million 17th Ave. Residence Hall get the better deal.

If someone who didn’t know that 17th was a residence hall walked into the lobby, one could easily think that they just walked into a luxurious hotel, seeing the sophisticated design and the neat, and clean furniture in perfect order and condition, wondering how the students in the expensivelooking dining hall across the way could afford such a style.

The whole ordeal of this brand new residence hall versus all the old ones seems pretty unjust. Students who live in 17th pay about $100 more per semester than students pay to live in places like Centennial, Pioneer, and Comstock. However, regardless of the price difference, the living conditions aren’t exactly balanced on the scale. Which would you choose: bathrooms with brand new, spic and span utilities, or a dingy one with beaten up stalls? Rooms with fluffed carpet and fancy artwork covering the walls, or rooms with worn down carpet with a somewhat funky smell?

The 17th Avenue Hall, also known as the 17th Avenue hotel, is known for its fancy food and divine interior and exterior design filled with a bunch of brand new everything.

A current freshman at the University of Minnesota, Erika Voeller brings perspective from her living situation in Pioneer Hall. “During Welcome Week, we had to suffer a hot and humid week with no air conditioning, while kids in 17th were living the life,” says Voeller. It’s easy to say that compared to

All of the residence halls at the U are fairly decent, with conditions that are definitely livable, but when compared to the grand 17th, they sort of lose their appeal. All we can do as freshman is hope that maybe one day, the U will work to make all of the residence halls more equal, and that future generations will no longer have to worry about that funny smell, or if the air or heat won’t work one night.

Their only worry would be which to eat for dinner: the gourmet pasta carbonara or the filet mignon?

Cities

A Day in the Life

Taking a walk in the shoes of Dinkytown’s Homeless

EMILY CHANG

By Francis Pineda-Fischer and Christian Sobek

We at the University of Minnesota tend to live very sheltered lives; we have everything we need and more. But what happens when you have less than the very basic necessities?

Poverty is rampant and life is a daily battle for many Americans and this socio-economic gap is becoming unavoidably apparent. It’s a poignant issue across the country, and one that can be seen even on the streets surrounding the campus sprawl. We spoke to some of Dinkytown’s homeless population in search of a better understanding as to why these situations are prevalent for many Americans today.

The exploration began right before the bridge over 35W exiting Dinkytown. We had first seen Jen* signing, a term referring to a personal billboard-style request for charity, weeks earlier in the exact same location. Jen is a struggling mother and grandmother who has been supporting herself and her family since she was young.

Jen’s mother had her eight children come back and forth between their home in Leech Lake and the cities, in support of Jen’s brother. Now near the age of 60, Jen continues to provide the best she can for her family.

The location near 35W is Jen’s typical signing spot. She and others

who sign have formed a small communal group in this area, making the signing life a simpler feat. “I’ll drive from the north side to come here. I know all the guys that sign here, usually there about five or six that sign, but we share about a half an hour each. We know each other on the corner,” Jen explained. This organized signing is a far better solution than competing in other areas where some homeless are eager to get money for alcohol, according to Jen. As we saw traveling a little further into the heart of Dinkytown, drinking is definitely part of the picture.

river, a popular place to pass the winter. “You’ll still find me out here [during the winter]; this will be the first year I’ve camped out on the river,” explained Bryan*, another common face in Dinkytown.

JJ* has been living in Dinkytown for two months. Originally from St. Paul, he would attend frat parties in the cities as a teen. Now 28, JJ is able to purchase his own alcohol with the help of the $670 monthly Social Security check he receives and $35-40 a day he earns when panhandling, which is a slightly different tactic than signing as it is less subtle and involves actively asking people for money.

He had been to massage therapy school three separate times and the student loans had piled up, creating too much debt.

While not all of his money goes to alcohol, it is a large portion of his budget.

When we first met JJ, he asked us to wait while he went into McDonalds to clean out his water bottle. He then returned with that bottle, filled with liquor. However, alcohol is not the only prevalent addiction on the streets—hard drug use is evident as well. These addictions can be a pathway into becoming homeless, or can become habits developed after one is on the streets for some time.

Even though JJ was alone and on the streets when we met him, he did mention that he lived with others near the

We first saw Bryan selling homemade jewelry made out of hemp outside of the Post Office near Mesa Pizza. Shortly after introducing ourselves, he insisted we call him Lion, as many of his friends do. He was wearing a tie-dye shirt and a big smile. We asked a little about his past and he told us,

As was the reason that he resided in his mother’s trailer park, before he got kicked out. “I was hanging out with a bunch of my friends at a neighbor’s shed. The neighbors had told us we could be in there, but they moved out, so it became property of the trailer court. We didn’t know that, so the trailer park trespassed me. I can spend nights but it can’t be for more than two or three days.” He now lives on the street.

While we were only given a glimpse into the lives of these individuals, we do not know what will happen to them from here. Life on the streets is a challenge, but through the determination and willingness to live with so little, it is safe to say that these people will power through and likely remain a presence in Dinkytown. *All names have been altered to protect the confidentiality of the interviewees

www.wakemag.org

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Cities

Smart is Sexy How having and attractive TA can boost or bust your GPA Part I: With Good Looks Come Good Grades

By Kayla McCombs

Even if the TA under observation gives off a nerdy physics department vibe, you begin to develop this gorgeous creature’s life of barhopping and multiple girlfriends or boyfriends. You envision his or her life with you in it, clothed or not clothed, all while you’re completely missing a valuable educational experience.

Waking up in the morning sucks. Barely staying conscious through an 8 a.m. lab in St. Paul sucks. Practicing a new language when you feel like you can’t even speak English half the time really sucks. Yet every day, thousands of students make their way into these traps motivated by a seemingly irresistible force: attractive teaching assistants. Rare but certainly worth the wait, a scalding-hot TA enhances the learning experiences of his students in numerous ways, each of which we are all more than happy to explore.

MACKENZIE CRESS

Rare but certainly worth the wait, a scalding-hot TA enhances the learning experiences of his students in numerous ways Let’s be real here for a second. We’ve all had at least one cute TA, and if you haven’t yet, you’ve definitely meditated on the concept of how much better life would be if one fell into your lap tomorrow. This daydreaming is, of course, completely justified. An attractive TA not only clearly possesses dominant and healthy genes that make him or her more fit for, uh, teaching, but he or she is also a commanding presence who exerts confidence and keeps the attention of his or her students. You may end up with a puddle of drool on your notebook, but make no mistake—you didn’t miss a word that passed through those lips.

In the extremely probable event that you don’t understand some of the material in one of your classes, going to your teaching assistant’s office hours for help can be an intimidating experience. Imagine, however, arriving at the designated room to find a rugged James Franco look-alike with his feet up on the desk, waving you in. Not so shady anymore, eh?

A young, fresh-faced TA gives you a fantastic advantage by being approachable and relatable, two key characteristics that the most seasoned of professors often lack. You may be repelled by the white-hair-and-plaid-suit combination of the guy talking in front of your philosophy class, but let’s reduce his age by about 45 years and put him in a pair of fitted jeans and a V-neck. When you can see your instructor’s six-pack

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through their shirt, you’re much more likely to seek help when you need it.

We all understand the importance of a quality education, and we all know from experience that not every class comes with motivation built into it. It is for this reason that we are blessed with good-looking teaching assistants. Armed with charm, flowing hair, and tons of random knowledge, hot TAs are here to make learning much less of a chore.

Part II: A Fantastical Distraction

By Haley McCullum

To many, having a fiercely attractive teaching assistant may be incentive to go to class, participate in discussions to prove their astonishing academic capabilities, or maybe even wear jeans instead of those favorite sweatpants of theirs. But to some, a downfall to having a TA with dashing good looks is the level of distraction they create by merely being in the room. It is easy to look at beautiful people, to imagine the glamorous life they must inevitably lead.

You go to class, open your notebook, get out your favorite pen, fully intending to be studious and fill your mind with potentially useful information, then in walks Hipster McHandsome. Immediately you develop a profile of his life.

You know how he got to class, via 10-speed racing bike. You know that inside his worn out messenger bag covered in buttons promoting causes in countries you didn’t even know existed sits his iPod full of music from obscure ‘80s bands and books written by local struggling poets.

For lunch he most definitely had organic Greek yogurt sprinkled with strange and exotic organic berries, and organic gluten-free pita bread with fresh, homemade roasted red pepper hummus.

He sneezes; this is probably because before class, he was petting kittens at the local animal shelter. He spends his afternoons in quaint parks with his typewriter, writing the next great controversial American novel in diary format.

Tonight he will be basking in the glow of the city lights in some unknown gratified bar, slamming back PBRs like it’s going out of style. Later that same evening, his posse will meets up with him for further city adventures. They, like all extra-unique individuals, will happen to stumble upon the city’s only Norwegian electronic dance club, “Isen Huset.”

There are people everywhere, dancing, drinking and indulging in hookah in the designated hookah corner. You know that, even in the ambiance of the black light, all the girls are digging his flannel. One girl walks over to ask him to dance, or was it to hand in the assignment… oh, God! The assignment. What assignment? What is she handing in? How could I have missed the whole lecture again?

Cities

Hardier People A close reading of this West Bank landmark

By Nathaniel Kitzmann

I suffered a minor identity crisis on behalf of the Hard Times Cafe last week. The breakfast burrito has long struck a chord with me, but I hadn’t actually tried it in the context of conventional breakfast time. I figured with the sun rising and normal people being awake, the dining experience might somehow be altered. All I noticed was the absence of indifference and fury.

Hard Times is a very different place in the morning, still generally malevolent and alive, but the barista grits a half-smile through his teeth and the whole operation just seems far too eager to please. The two bike racks out back fill up faster than parking spaces. By 9 a.m., cyclists are reduced to hitching to signposts and cars are more or less screwed.

It was fascinating but mostly uncomfortable to see Hard Times try, apparently an idea that gets abandoned over the course of every day and attempted again each morning.

For those brave and willing enough to really experience it, evening Hard Times offers much more than it can sell. The grimacing workers may not be much for Minnesota Niceties like “thanks for stopping in” or even “hello” during the evening rushes, but they redeem themselves through a thorough compost program, locally sourced vegetarian ingredients, and generally offering the building as a sanctuary for the homeless, disenfranchised, and merely curious on an almost completely (and formerly - but that’s another story) 24/7 basis. Hard Times may not always be kind, but it is good. It is also impossible to define.

Even regulars have a hard time placing their finger on the specific essence of Hard Times. For every adjective that comes to mind, the antonym is just as applicable.

NICOLETTE FORSYTH

Even regulars have a hard time placing their finger on the specific essence of Hard Times. For every adjective that comes to mind, the antonym is just as applicable. It’s a social puzzle box: humble yet smugly elitist, pretentiously vegan or recklessly greasy, depending who you ask. First-timers tend to mention something about “customer service” or otherwise indicate they expected to be serviced with a mile-wide Applebee’s smile; travelers are usually happy to forgo the “kind” for the “good.” It’s an atmosphere, an idea, capitalism in the service of anarchy, a venue for conversation as performance art and chess as theatre. In the best of times or the worst of times, Hard Times.

Minnesota Nice takes on the World’s Refugees Since 1979, Minnesota has welcomed more than 90,000 refugees

by Justine Akbari The notion of “Minnesota Nice” is one that transcends borders—that’s what has helped turn Minnesota into a refugee haven over the past decade. Since 2002 the North Star state stepped up and took in nearly 30,000 refugees from all over the world, making it one of the top refugee destinations in the United States. To this day, refugees continue to flow in from around the world, including the former Soviet Union, Laos, Iraq, Mexico, Liberia, and Somalia. Furthermore, the Karen group from Burma makes up the second largest refugee population in Minnesota, with St. Paul being the fastest growing “refuge for refugees” from Burma in the nation.

In the Twin Cities alone, there are a number of agencies that deal with the expanding influx of these impoverished, displaced peoples. Organizations like World Relief Minnesota and the International Institute of Minnesota, along with

more religious-based organizations, help refugees connect to social services, health and housing accommodations, and other means to integrate into American society.

So, go Minnesotans! With all these services it’s no wonder greater amounts of people want to come here. With the available resources, open space, and the Midwest mentality, we are doing something remarkable here by helping integrate displaced people back into the life they were born to be given. Nobody should be kicked out of their country, subjected to repeated human rights violations, and confined to refugee camps nowhere near their homes.

Life is hard enough without being relocated far from home, your family and friends, and the place and culture that identifies you. It’s no coincidence that mental health services in

the U.S. have been expanding due to the number of refugees suffering from life-impairing mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, adjustment, and post-traumatic stress disorder are among the top challenges they face on a day-to-day basis, not to mention the language and cultural barriers they face.

Life as a refugee... can you even imagine? Challenge yourself to think about the various people whose reality is this and to appreciate what you and many other people take for granted.

Depression, anxiety, adjustment, and post-traumatic stress disorder are among the top challenges they face.

www.wakemag.org

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Voices

A Guide to Dodging Turf Wars Here goes the infamous roommate mantra

Froomie Advice 1. Vocalize what infuriates you! Don’t internalize it because you will spontaneously combust and die.

2. Have regular gatherings to touch base.

By Justine Akbari

3. Limit the back talking as much as possible or risk World War III in the form of competing alliances and uncivil rivalries.

Did you ever think that living with friends might be a bad idea? Or rather, they changed into people that you would have preferred to live a few apartments over? When you share the same space, friends quickly become enemies.

I feel cornered every time I come and leave the house. In a dormitory, it was okay to inquire what everyone did that day, or ask them about how something is going. Now, it’s like an FBI investigation every time I leave my apartment at an unscheduled time. Worse still, as soon as a person leaves, a bitching fit ensues behind their back. Roommates become like the most annoying song ever—always stuck in your thoughts. You keep talking about it and mentioning it because, heck, these things never go away easily. Eventually, they are you more reason to want to leave.

4. Try your best to gauge people’s moods so you don’t anger them! Also, make your mood known so people aren’t bitch slapped when your temper spikes. Hell, how are they supposed to know what’s up?

5. It’s okay to have other friends that you do things with and not feel like you have to invite your roommates/friends.

6. Communication boards do wonders. Find a spot to write/ rant/put rent checks/grocery run times—Bulletin Boards bitches.

7. Don’t eat food that’s not yours, but always buy food to share.

Maybe it’s just me, but being a roommate requires a lot of sacrifice and acceptance—two of the hardest things to give. Therefore, here is some advice for easy living. Though not foolproof and by no means entirely effective, it should help aid the transition from friends to friends-who-live-together-and-can-still-be-friends.

GTA V: Chaos and Order in equal measures Rockstar North captures the human spirit in its most recent game

By Herbert B. Ferguson-Augustus

The light turns red; you come to a complete stop. Pedestrians cross, prostitutes, gangsters and pimps among them.

You check your review mirror; there is a cop car behind you—but so what? You are carrying an AK-47, a berretta, a katana, and dawning a bulletproof vest; taking out a few cops would be easy. You think for a second but then you wait until the pedestrians cross and the light turns green. You drive off, not a single star appearing in the top right corner of the screen.

Despite all the criticism pointed towards the Grand Theft Auto’s graphic content, whether it be the sex mini game in San Andreas or the torture scene in GTA V, rarely do we consider what the player chooses not to do. I mean, the series works hard to empower players to commit all matter of

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8. When a door is shut that means the door is shut. Do not pry.

People will tell you when they feel like talking.

9. In the end, it is nice to tell people when you don’t plan on returning for the night, will be gone for a while, or that you’re going on a grocery run. Informing others is not the worst thing you have to do.

atrocity but more often then not, as I am driving along in my stolen Bravado Buffalo, I avoid more crimes then I start.

Grand Theft Auto may capture some of humanity’s most twisted fantasies but it also captures humanity’s most productive and innovative tendencies.

GTA has always been an escape from reality for players, an opportunity to live out their wildest fantasies. Endangering the public, harassing the police and stealing a few cars along the way has always had a soothing effect but that effect wears off in favor of something better.

Eventually, every player either abandons the game or adopts some degree of normalcy. Sure they may go on a killing spree every once and while in an effort to see how long they can last with a maximum number of stars but every player gives up on these juvenile acts in the hopes of completing the games story, collecting various vehicles, making bank or achieving some abstract goal.

Take me for example: Since San Andreas, I have always been obsessed with building up a gang, taking over territory and wiping out the competition. It was never easy. Sometimes, getting chased by hordes of gang members and the police can result in some pretty awkward shoot outs. At first, you might scoff, but it drove me to discard the simple pleasure associated with harassing cops and robbing prostitutes.

If the games primary appeal was its anti-social tendencies, why have the developers added so much other content, legal and illegal? They do this because perpetration of atrocities does not attract gamers; the game’s wealth of opportunity the game provides that lure them by the millions.

You could run over pedestrians, shoot a cop, and escape the police but now that you are 10 hours in, that seems rather trite. Besides, why would you jeopardize your arms trafficking business for a little reckless fun?

Voices

Love and Enlightenment Rolled Into One

Tinder gives the gift of selfindulgence

By Greg Dzurickso

Hey everyone who’s not a gay man, meet Grindr’s sexy sequel: Tinder. If you have not heard already, Tinder is an app that displays the users of your preferred gender for you to anonymously “like” or “pass” on. If the user on the other end likes your picture back, than you two get the opportunity to chat online! With a wink and a nudge, where you go from there is up to you.

Really, I bet Siddhartha Gautama would make a Tinder, too.

Let’s be honest, good sex might be hard to come by even with the app if you have what the business world would call “standards”. As far as looking for a lasting relationship, Tinder may have been attributed to at least eight marriage proposals, according to its founder. But with between 500,000 and 1,000,000 installations on Android alone, the odds of finding love are not really there yet. In addition, students I talked to rarely even meet with their Tinder matches outside of the app.

Then again, Tinder offers another kind of fun.

Not everyone is pretty enough to sit at the same table as you.

Tinder highlights another aspect of human psychology: the Regina George complex. Not everyone is pretty enough to sit at the same table as you. Swipe to the left to reject as many people as time allows, even if they sent you a candy cane. Even if it is a bit evil, it feels pretty good to know you’re better than someone else? Rejecting others is so easy, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it before! If only we could reject people in real life in the same numbers we can reject them through Tinder.

The converse is a bit gentler: swipe to the right enough time and you experience no consequence of being rejected. That is to say, if you like enough potential matches, then you won’t notice when one or two don’t return the favor. If anything, it’s worth installing Tinder for the guilt-free emotional journey.

Self-enlightenment is another one of tinder’s perks. “After using this app I have learned that I’m a really shallow human being that laughs at people for their appearance,” one recent transfer student confessed. Really, I bet Siddhartha Gautama would make a Tinder, too. The effect is something similar to browsing the internet: each picture and each person is never quite perfect; the prospect of a new picture is almost more exciting than the picture itself. Tinder feeds this human desire for novelty in the same way that cheating on a significant other or traveling the world does. It’s a world of selfdiscovery: how far will you go to get that rush of dopamine?

How will this monumental relationship app satisfy your needs?

MACKENZIE CRESS

The Problem with a Shirtless Politician How a stupid ad unveils a misinformed population

By Lianna Matt and Kirsten Erickson

“Wake the f**k up.” Such is the elegant way Minneapolis mayoral candidate Jeffrey Wagner highlighted the ludicrous campaign spending trends that seem to rule politics. Wagner released an advertisement that included him emerging from a lake in a tight swimsuit, promising that, unlike other politicians, he wouldn’t take bribes or go to strip clubs anymore, showing the high standards we hold our politicians to today.

This disillusionment with politics’ talking heads is nothing new.

People believe that politicians are made up of nothing but rhetoric and that any good bill or idea will be warped by all of the hoops it has to squeeze through. This lack of interest means

that people vote for whichever candidate has the most screen time or has the prettiest face on a billboard or not at all.

That means for the 35 mayoral candidates, the only way to get noticed is to spend over $1 million on campaigning. For the candidates who do not have the extra pocket change, what is the other way to get the media’s attention? Do what many cats do: star in a YouTube video.

If candidates are dumbing it down to get noticed, it’s our fault.

However, where do we draw the line between standing out and losing all credibility? While his advertisement made him viral, Wagner never reveals his platform. Wagner and (actual, sincere) candidates use unorthodox methods to be candid, but by resorting to bells and whistles without a stated platform they get nowhere.

If candidates are dumbing it down to get noticed, it’s our fault. We as voters need to take the time to research and make soundly informed voting decisions if the political landscape has any chance of changing. We may scoff at Wagner’s silly advertisement, but the fact that we’re even watching it proves that the strategy worked.

If we want to experience real candidates running real campaigns, we need to raise the standards of our own involvement. That means tuning into debates, going to campaign event, even using the good ole’ Internet to look up their policy views as well as to learn our current policies. Even if it means sifting through the rhetoric bull crap, ultimately it is our responsibility who we put into our government.

The end result – an effective government – is worth it. If we can become more informed, who knows––maybe we could even get Wagner to put his pants back on.

DAN FORKE

www.wakemag.org

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Voices

Debacle is The New Double Homicide Naval Yard Shooting Keeps the Flag at Perpetual Half-Mast

By Tyler Lauer

If you, like me, get confused as to what national tragedy had us lowering the flag this past week, here is what you need to know. On Monday September 16 an armed gunman entered a Washington Navy Yard and opened fire on co-workers with a shotgun, eventually making use of a pistol he took off a murdered security officer when he ran out of shotgun shells.

Police killed him within an hour. Twelve people were killed and four more were injured.

These details beg the question: Why do we care?

This may seem like an insensitive statement and it would be if it was directed at the victims’ families, who suffer in the wake of this tragedy. What I want to understand is why there is such a rapt national attention on this subject—is it the highly concentrated body count, the supposedly secure location, bringing into question the security of anyone at a workplace, or maybe the public’s seemingly endless and voracious bloodlust in the form of gun violence?

Moments after the attack, reputable (and disreputable) news outlets flooded the airways with details concerning

the perpetrator’s back-story. A former Navy Reservist, the shooter worked at the Navy Yard doing contract work on the computer system. Sources confirmed he had a history of violence and possibly some form of mental illness. In 2004, he shot out the tires of a construction worker’s car during an apparent rage-blackout over a parking dispute; in 2008 he spent two nights in jail after trashing a club; in 2010 he purportedly sent a bullet through his roof into a neighboring apartment “on accident.”

The last official national tragedies, codified in the form of declarations for half-mast flags, have been in recognition of the Newtown shooting, the Boston bombings, a Memorial Day call for peace, and the annual September 11 remembrance. The most recent is this Navy Yard shooting. On the U.S. Office of Administration website, the posting for the shooting reads: “As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on September 16, 2013...I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff.”

The use of the word “senseless” seems to be a mandatory phrasing, for it comes with the declarations for the Boston bombings and Newtown shooting as well. If this qualification, “a senseless act of violence,” is the major one needed to support a flag at half-mast, you would think our flags would

be continually flying the invisible flag of death out of respect for those dying every day on the streets of Chicago from gun violence. I say every day because in 2012 there were over 400 gun-related deaths in Chicago. The national media definitely isn’t feeding us the daily reports of the youth slayings there, though it most assuredly meets the requirement of “senseless” proposed by the government. Of course there is the mini-documentary by VICE and the shout-out in Kanye’s “Black Skinhead,” but “Chiraq”–Chicago’s self-dubbed nickname, making reference to their death count as equivalent to the war in Iraq–has not evoked much national sympathy.

Apparently our national craving for information on gun violence comes with some prejudices.

In 2012 there were over 400 gun-related deaths in Chicago.

The national media definitely isn’t feeding us the daily reports of the youth slayings there...

Back to the list of questions then: What makes this Naval Yard shooting so sensational? If we say it’s the high body count, that’s not the whole story; it’s because of the high kill-to-time ratio. It’s also sensational because we didn’t expect it. With Chicago, now the murder capital of the U.S., we expect violence but when it occurs at a Naval Yard In the workplace, at a school or at a harmless foot race, we are left surprised. These are everyday places to some – safe zones – and when these specified zones are disrupted, that must be how we qualify “senseless.”

The unpredictability of these crimes, the sheer mystery of Alexis’ actions drives people to the point of obsession. Who can solve the case of the disturbed shooter first? Reddit, the unfiltered billboard of the internet, even had to ban a “Find Navy Yard Shooters” subreddit in order to avoid a repeat of the “Find Boston Bombers” incident, which led to the false accusations of multiple innocents.

LIANNA MATT

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Before we judge, we should reflect. Consider these questions: Why am I seeking out this information? Why do I want to know all the gory details or the shooter’s personal history? If it has simply to be well-informed then we must understand what makes this national tragedy worthy of our time and attention when other less savory injustices are occurring all around us, in our own country.

Featured

HUMANS OF DINKYTOWN

HALEY MCCULLUM

The Wake took the idea of Humans of New York and brought it close to home. Check out www.humansofnewyork.com for the real deal and check out our Facebook page for more exclusive photos!

By Haley McCullum, Sarah Valli, and Peter Mariutto

www.wakemag.org

11.

Feature

HUMANS OF DINKYTOWN "What worries you most about the future?"

"I won't be able to keep up with technology. I graduated from the U without ever touching a computer. Everything I know about computers, I know from the kids that work with me."

PETER MARIUTTO

PETER MARIUTTO

"Do you have any regrets?"

"Not believing I could follow my dreams.

When I was younger, I really wanted to be an actress and I was told that it wasn't going to happen, acting wasn't a real career.

I really would have done it anyway."

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Feature

HUMANS OF DINKYTOWN “What do you think truth is?”

“I don’t think that truth is knowable.”

HALEY MCCULLUM

The future of aerospace engineering.

PETER MARIUTTO

www.wakemag.org

13.

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STUDENT GROUPS LOCAL BUSINESSES MISSED CONNECTIONS WHATEVER ELSE!

Voices

In the Educational Trenches:

Teachers need to lead the charge against bullying

By Adam McFarlane

I wish I could forget the Pythagorean Theorem. I wish I could forget getting punched in the face. It was middle school, in the locker room, after gym class. My newly tightened braces had loosened my teeth, so the bully’s punch left my teeth disfigured. Nobody saw, nobody heard. I was a school age bully, too, in a different time, but I am too ashamed to tell you what I did.

Schools need to stop bullying. However, government action will amount to nothing unless teachers and faculty enforce it. I know this because I was a teacher.

The government action in question was an anti-bullying bill passed in the State House of Representatives earlier this year but State Senate has yet to pass it. The bill establishes a state office centered on “school climate” relating to bullying issues, requires development of a model for bullying policies, and mandates all schools to investigate bullying incidents and report them. A bullying taskforce created by Governor Mark Dayton recommended these requirements.

“No matter how many times I tell an adult, no one seems to care,” said Christina Wagner, an Edina High school student who testified before the state legislature. She claimed bullying caused her eating disorder and her cutting. “I want and deserve to be safe in my school, and you have the power to make everyone safe in their schools.”

However, do they have that power? The bill passed through the House of Representatives. It never passed in the State Senate. According to the Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL- Minneapolis), the bill’s author, Republicans threatened a filibuster if the bill was taken to the floor. Consequently, Dibble withdrew the bill. When the legislative session starts this February, Dibble hopes the bill will be passed.

While legislators have the power to make law, only school employees have the power to make kids safe. Moreover, they should not wait for a law to tell them what to do. A topdown government fiat should only be a last resort. I know we on a grassroots level can make progress on enormous, complex social problems. Juvenile arrests are at a 30-year low. Teen births are at a 60-year low. If we gather data and implement policy, bullying will drop, too.

“Part of this is about kids’ emotional maturity. That’s why we have adults who give guidance,” Dibble said.

There needs to be a movement on the ground, in the schools themselves. I wish there were a sufficient grassroots foundation to prompt more teachers and administrators to handle bullying better to be the adults and give guidance.

Instead, politicians have to force change.

Before coming to grad school, as I have said, I was a teacher. I was never trained on how to handle bullying; I was expected to deliver knowledge on history and civics. That was my curriculum and that is what my students’ report cards reflected.

“Look the other way,” a co-worker suggested privately before we met with the family of a student, who had been recently picked on. The kid was a freckly loudmouth with braces and his family had just moved to town, so he was an easy target. We teachers neither heard of any teasing nor heard of violence. We just heard reports from the school office, so we did not know how to address the problem.

schools (exhibit A, Teach for America), yet better test results on book-learning (exhibit B, Common Core). On top of that, schools give hot meals, psychological counseling, and recreational opportunities. Thus, adding a bullying mandate is a weighty consideration as it could just add another burden on an already stressed system. More paperwork, more administrative hoops, and more budgets items to siphon off funds only tire an already exhausted system.

Teachers need real help to fight bullying: integrated curriculum, ongoing training, and support from their communities, time, and money. Minnesotans should feel the need for change in their own school districts. If every child and teacher felt pressure and support from within their own communities to act, bullying would not be an issue. Legislators would not need to act.

“Look the other way,” a co-worker suggested...

If the boy lays a serious smack down on the bully, look the other way, the teacher had suggested. We could shrug our shoulders and feign blind ignorance. Although revenge seemed like a bad idea, we did not think of anything better.

“A lot of adults don’t know how to intervene,” Dibble said.

Maybe more training is part of the answer.

Get teachers to hear victims’ stories so they feel the urgency. Educate teachers on how to make emotional and psychological growth a deliberate part of learning. Bring together principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, and all staff as a united front against bullying. Maybe this bill, if passed, will pull schools toward positive change but turning a law into action will not be so easy.

After all, governmental action can cause as many problems as it solves. Minnesotans want more flexible, cheaper

PETER MARIUTTO

www.wakemag.org

15.

Q&A COURTNEY BADE

part of that scene. One time we took P.O.S.’s parking spot and I think that’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to Minneapolis hip-hop.

W: Why choose to do something sad like Piña Cloud, which is 100 percent different from black metal, then?

Q&A: Piña Cloud

The dude behind France Camp gets dreamy and sad

J: That’s a good question. The answer to that question is because I am starting a black metal band. Have I told you about it? It’s called The Iliad—The Iliad by Homer is the actual full name. I’m not just saying it’s by Homer, I’m saying that’s the band name. It has seven guitar players and I’m going to handpick my favorite guitar players—which I’m not included in because I can’t do it. But I am going to be the vocalist.

There’s going to be three drummers and a violin player.

But the reason I couldn’t do it this time around is that it’s a bigger project. Piña Cloud was spewed out in two weeks.

The black metal investment. I have to appoint guitar players and as a respect thing I usually have to give them an animal skull or something. So that’s why. I definitely didn’t choose to be sad. It just happened. But I’m actually not sad at all.

I’m doing great… Well that’s probably a lie. I’m whatever. I’m chill. I am always in a piña cloud, and that’s good. That’s the best thing when you look around and you can see people who are in Piña clouds. That guy that’s sleeping on a bench is definitely in a Piña Cloud.

W: So what exactly is a piña cloud?

By Courtney Bade

You may know Jay Simonson from Nice Purse and France Camp, but he’s more than that. He’s Piña Cloud. The name really does capture the aesthetic of the whole album, “Who Care,” which is more dreamy and depressed than his other projects. The Wake sat down with Jay on a sunny Saturday in Loring Park to chat about the new project, and got some interesting answers in the process. So even though the Piña Cloud album might make you cry, try to have a sense of humor when you read this.

The Wake: Why did you start the Piña Cloud project?

Jay Simonson: I had a whole bunch of songs that didn’t fit with any of the other bands I was in because they were super sad and dumb. Usually after I get out of a breakup I write a full record of really bad songs and I have to get them off my chest. So that’s what I did.

W: What was the recording process like for this album?

J: Well I recorded with Ali Jaafar from Hollow Boys—who is an amazing producer—at his attic studio, Eccstatic. It was my first time working with Ali and he is an absolute peach. I love him. We had a blast doing it. That was also when we had to

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decide if the band was going to be called Piña Cloud or Jim Tonic. But we went with the Cloud. Cole of Wolf Mountain also helped. They’re both really talented and actually played on the recordings. Cole did drums, Ali made beats off of his cell phone. It’s actually funny because the second most used instrument on that record is Ali’s cell phone. First it’s guitar, and then it’s Ali’s cell phone. That’s all I got. I love Ali. This whole interview should be about Ali. He did an amazing job on this record.

W: That’s hilarious. You actually used a cell phone?

J: Yeah dude, those beats. I mean there’s a couple that are actually drums, but definitely all the “Tunings” on the album are samples from Ali’s cell phone and me screaming into Ali’s cell phone.

W: I actually wanted to ask you about those “Tuning” tracks.

What was the decision behind them?

J: Probably because more than anything I want to be in a black metal band, and that wasn’t black metal but it was loud and ferocious and I screamed. And that’s fun. But why I put it on the record… I have no idea [laughs]. That’s what it’s like recording with Ali. It’s a f*cking experiment. It’s like, “Dude, I’m gonna put tympani on this. I can do anything.

We can do anything together.” And we did. And I love Minneapolis hip-hop (see Tuning 3). I always wanted to be a

J: It’s that awesome thing when you’re so sad that you’re in a state of just like… death. You can’t move. And you’re probably a little bit drunk too off of piña coladas. I mean it’s a fairly common thing that happens to a lot of people. They drink too many piña coladas when they have too many life issues to deal with and they go into a bad, bad place. Or they start a bad, bad band.

I used to write these songs and refuse to do anything with them because I don’t like them and they’re sad bummers.

W: So when you play shows for Piña Cloud, is it just you on stage?

J: It used to be. I’ve played a total of two or three shows, and it was just going to be me but now it’s going to be Ali, Cole, and me. But it’s not going to be a very frequent thing. We’ll probably do a CD release and I want to get a generator and do the CD release at Hidden Beach. Not that I love Hidden Beach or anything, but I think it would be fun to annoy the shit out of—it would be funny to have your CD Release get shut down. Like, “Sir, you need to STOP. The noises that you are making are defeating everybody’s day.”

Q&A W: Didn’t Ali initially get involved with Piña Cloud after seeing one of your first shows?

J: Yeah, he came to the first show and there were probably a total of 15 people at that show. I got a beer can thrown at me—from a friend; it’s all friends that do this. And yeah, so, Ali spit right on my neck. It was cool. He just walked up in the middle of the song and just spit and degraded me.

And this is all completely true. That’s all I could ask for. If I’m going to be making myself that vulnerable, someone should take advantage of it immediately. Yes. The answer to your question is yes.

J: [Laughs]. Seriously though I love REO Speedwagon. I have their greatest hits and it’s the best thing ever. I actually saw REO Speedwagon with my dad at the Target Center.

W: Oh god, really?

J: Yeah, my dad had extra tickets because the girl he wanted to come with him just bailed on him. Perfect. Let me just tell you how perfect that is for REO Speedwagon. If you have a date, and they bail on you, you better be going to see REO Speedwagon because they make it all ok. It’s just classic dad butt-rock. I love it. It was weird though they did have somebody on an acoustic guitar opening.

W: So do you think you’ll ever tour as Piña Cloud?

W: Oh, weird.

J: Probably not. But I can lie about it.

W: [laughs] Alright, go for it.

J: I’m opening for Bright Eyes.

J: Styx and Ted Nugent were actually on that bill, but then there was this guy at the beginning, and the lights were still on, playing acoustic guitar songs. So who knows, maybe everything I said before isn’t a lie and they will have me open for them someday [laughs].

W: Oh my god, yes.

J: NO, I’m opening for REO Speedwagon. “Any tours lined up?” Uh, ABSOLUTELY. I got contacted about two weeks ago by the manager of REO Speedwagon. We’re on a first name basis at this point, and he was like, “Would you like to have any of your projects open for REO Speedwagon? Take the choice of any one of your projects. I don’t care because you’re so talented.” And I said, “You know what, I’ll give you my weakest.” So, Piña Cloud and REO Speedwagon are going on a winter tour. I’m going to be visiting every country on earth. Because that’s what they do when they tour. I’m pretty excited to see all the countries. I’ll try to memorize their capitals. I think Ted Nugent is joining up in Brazil, because I guess he lives down there now.

J: [Laughs] No, but seriously that would be one of the greatest things ever if people cried at your show. I hear it happens at Daniel Johnston shows. If I saw Perfume Genius I would cry. And then there are some songs that can always make me cry, no matter what time of the day. Basically, Perfume Genius’s last full record can make me cry, and then the song “Baby” by Donny & Joe Emerson. Eminem can also make me cry.

Every show is a mental breakdown.

W: Do you think you’ll keep putting out Piña Cloud records even with everything going on with France Camp?

W: You used a France Camp song on this record, too, right?

J: Yeah. I’m first name basis with him too. But yeah, so I’ve got a nice tour lined up. It’s Island Records I think, that’s what they’re on, or Virgin? Something? I dunno. But they said they’d be putting out my record sometime next year. Is Slash still alive?

J: I did, yeah. I don’t really do B-sides. Songs that I write I just find a way to put out no matter what. I have songs that I haven’t put out, but they’re pretty small in number. I try to put everything out, at least on a free Bandcamp type deal.

W: I think so.

W: [Laughs]. Wow.

W: Instead everyone is just confused [laughs].

J: Yes, unfortunately. Ok, so this is the main deal with Piña Cloud: I’m going to use two songs off of that record for France Camp, but we’re going to speed it up and make it loud. I used to write these songs and refuse to do anything with them because I don’t like them and they’re sad bummers. And now I can use them in my rock band because it’s whatever. I mean, I figure with my luck, at one point I’ll get this huge record deal for Piña Cloud thrown my way. And I’ll say, “No. I can’t do that, dude. You cannot make me go on tour in this.” I just won’t do it. You can sign my other band and give me all the money you want (I still probably wouldn’t do it because it’s not my thing). People will like Piña Cloud, and not like France Camp. That’s my worst nightmare. But I am going to keep making Piña Cloud songs.

W: Really?

J: Slash is never dead. Slash is going to play some guitar on my record. I haven’t talked to Ali yet to see if he’s cool with recording Slash. It’ll probably be fine. Ali has known Slash for a while too. The roots run deep when you’re in a Minneapolis hip-hop band like me. We have all the contacts.

Entry, and at the Entry I did manage to push a few tears. But nobody could really tell. It wasn’t a vicious cry. I just thought of really, really sad things like people I love dying. I try to stay in that mind frame when I’m playing Piña Cloud shows. It’s just a full on panic attack. Every show is a mental breakdown. So, no, nobody cries.

W: Yeah, that’s probably better than hiding it away forever.

W: Has anyone cried at your shows yet, because Piña Cloud is just too sad?

J: Besides me? [Laughs] I wanted that to be one of my stage antics because I can actually make myself cry. My first show was at the Kitty Kat club, the second show was at the 7th St

J: Yeah, but that also might be a genius idea too. Releasing it after you’re dead is what will make people think you’re a genius. If you just locked yourself away and wrote all these songs and then blew your brains out and then people find all these songs, everyone will think you’re a genius.

Check out the full version of this interview online at www.wakemag.org.

www.wakemag.org

17.

Sound & Vision

Zine Quest

Twin Cities Zine Fest 2013

By Ethan Lauer

As I biked into Powderhorn Park, I immediately sensed the diversity that was sure to be inside the park pavilion building where eager independent writers and publishers were proudly displaying their brainchildren at the annual Minneapolis Zine Fest.

Walking into the building, there were young kids rocking light-up Spiderman shoes with their parents entering alongside tatted up hipsters with septum gauges. I followed the odd mix inside to what looked like a high school gym. Set up in rows was a surprisingly large amount of zine writers and publishers. Wandering around I found some cool guys and gals whose zines stood out to me. Here’s what four up-and-coming zine-writers have to say about their work:

Jonas – “CHEER THE EFF UP” This young Chicago native started “CHEER THE EFF UP” a few years back. Shortly after Jonas started figuring out exactly what the project would entail, his wife got pregnant and he developed the idea to compile some thoughts as a sort of letter to his unborn child. He just released the fifth of this six issue series that he’s aiming to have finished by the time his son is born this fall. Jonas’s “letters” to his child manifest themselves in a sort of chronicle of his daily life. This is seen through a range of forms of expression including stories of odd experiences, amusing texts to close friends, illustrations, collages, fictional writing, and poetry. I was really intrigued with the whole concept of somehow recording one’s personality, attitude, and mentality before the birth of one’s child and then being able to share this mindset with that kid when he or she is old enough to read it. I know if my parents made this type of zine before I was born, I would read the hell out of it.

Mindy Rhiger Mindy is a local, middle-aged mother who works with grade school libraries, choosing books for young folk. Although she may have not exactly fit the typical demographic of the Zine Fest, her story was unique. Mindy was born without her right forearm and as a result she has had to use a prosthetic arm ever since she was a baby. Due to this condition, she has been asked countless questions concerning her prosthetic arm, some legitimate and others completely ridiculous. Rather than passively grow jaded to the never-ending inquiries, Mindy created a zine filled with some of the most interesting and inappropriate questions she has been asked. Another one of her projects is an introspective writing about what it means to be “from” somewhere, and how moving around frequently as a child caused her to ponder the question “where am I from?” You can check out more of her stuff at propernounblog.wordpress.com.

Molly Davy – “Womanhouse” Molly is a recent St. Kate’s graduate who focused on women’s studies during her time there. That passion carried over into her appropriately named zine “Womanhouse,” whose title is in reference to a 1970s feminist art installation. The zine features various essays, art, and other writings that are sometimes collected and often created

by Molly. You don’t need to be a girl to read this. In fact, if you are a man you should especially read this. This ain’t no Rosie the Riveter, this is some really important stuff with a feminist point of view.

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Luke Rusche

NATALIE WARD

Luke is a true Minneapolis native who probably listens to a lot of Audioperm. His zines focus on urban photography, profiling the work of local graffiti artists in a variety of locations around the Twin Cities, from garbage cans to bridges. His writings include interviews with a few Minnesotan street art veterans to get their perspective on what graffiti is all about. Aside from his own zine, he helps out with various other local projects including MPLSzine, which was launched last October by the MPLS Collective who also run MPLS.TV. This zine is a submissions-based collaborative digital publication that is run by a core group of individuals but features content mostly from local submissions. In fact, they are currently accepting submissions for their newest issue, “UNDERGROUND,” so if your interest in the zine-world has been sparked, I encourage you to submit something. Head to mplszine.com/submit to learn more and read any of the archive of MPLSzine issues for free at mplszine.com.

Sound & Vision man dancing around on stage? It’s all about the confidence.

I was discussing it with a few people, and we came to the conclusion that the reason he is so popular among a wide variety of people is that, firstly, his music style is incredibly classic. His soulful lyrics bring those of the previous generation back to their roots and tantalize the newer, more hip generation with something vibrant and bold. Second, he’s just goddamn sexy. There is something that captures the mind about a middle-aged, out-of-shape man taking off all his clothes on stage.

Har Mar Sweats Charisma Making History at First Ave

by Zach Simon

Imagine being beneath what seemed like a sea of PBR cans and sweat, packed into a sold out First Ave dance floor with people you hardly know, all the while eagerly waiting through two hours of opening acts. Imagine for a second what it’s like to be taken under a spell, completely leaving yourself at the mercy of some great magician. Well, the Har Mar Superstar show was a lot like that—if you don’t include all the soaking panties.

You may be surprised to know that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak recently decreed Sept. 20 Har Mar Superstar day.

Yeah, that’s right, he’s sexy and he has his own day—and he didn’t let anyone forget it the night of his show at First Ave. There is something about Sean Tillman, aka Har Mar Superstar, that drives people nuts. He just has this charisma about him. He wrapped the entire audience around his little finger and took us for a walk with him.

Theater, Delivered to a Garage Near You Local Theater Company Thinks Outside the Auditorium

By Nathaniel Kitzmann

It seemed like such a naïve question coming from Mr. Rogers, but do you really know the people in your neighborhood? In our communication-obsessed, yet distant and lonely age, defining “neighborhood” is difficult. That’s where Off-Leash Area comes in.

Performing a variety of independently written stage plays in residential garages around the Twin Cities through the “Neighborhood Garage Tour,” Off-Leash Area is an avantgarde concept rooted in a traditional sense of community.

He has one of the most unique careers for a musician, having had small parts in both the Stiller and Owen flick “Starsky & Hutch,” and also recently in “Pitch Perfect” (I’ll let you look that one up). Not only is he a talented musician, but he truly is a performer, symbolically dressing up into character as he strips off his clothes during his shows.

ZACH SIMON

Yeah, that’s right, he’s sexy and he has his own day.

Some people wonder why exactly Har Mar is so popular.

What exactly is the appeal of a sweaty, less-than-in-shape

Har Mar talked a bit about how psyched he was to play on his own specially designated day in Minneapolis. During an interlude between songs, he even told the crowd that “I used to come to First Ave when I was 15 and watch all these amazing performances, and now I’m up here myself with my name on the wall.” I can’t even begin to imagine what he was feeling when he walked off stage. Here’s to you Sean, it was truly an excellent show.

Jennifer Ilse and Paul Herwig started the company 15 years ago after pondering how to incorporate an under-utilized asset of their residence into their passion for dance, music and theater. “When we moved into our home in Minneapolis 10 years ago, we noticed that it has an unusually large garage,” Herwig said. And so a concept was born.

We were interested in creating something with the same color and energy as Japanese anime, something really stylized and vibrant.

Described as a “pretty even mix of dance and theater,” the garage tour is uncompromising in its determination to recreate the full experience of a normal stage production in the confines of a garage. Therefore, the garages are chosen with care. First, they must be big enough to fit the entire set. More importantly, the owner must demonstrate an active commitment to the arts and be willing to convince a community to embrace this unorthodox artistic invasion.

“It’s really the homeowner who galvanizes the community to come to this show,” Herwig said.

The performance featured in the latest round of the garage tour, which started in mid-September and runs through October, is called “The Picnic.” While not the first place that comes to mind in regards to theater, the play travels to the garages in Twin Cities suburbs like Brooklyn Park, Mendota Heights, and St. Louis Park. With years of shows under their belt and no obligations to anyone but themselves, the Off-

Leash Area team was not afraid to get a little weird this time around. “We were interested in creating something with the same color and energy as Japanese anime, something really stylized and vibrant,” Herwig said. Essentially the story of a bird and a dog who meet in a city park, “The Picnic” is a parable about identity and negotiating distance in relationships.

“We don’t dumb down the work to bring it to places. We just make it really accessible in a really unique and fun way,” Herwig said. He and the rest of the team see this ongoing project as a way to make their contribution to the constant flow of high-quality dance and theater that they largely credit for making the Twin Cities such a great place to call home. “A lot of people cite the arts and culture scene as one of the top reasons they chose Minnesota as a place to live,” he said. Now Herwig and company can take some of the credit for that, and in the process give our venerated local scene a refreshing reminder that theater doesn’t have to choose between profundity and fun.

www.wakemag.org

19.

Sound & Vision

More Than Just Beats and Rhymes: Hip-Hop Harambee and Midwest Hip-Hop Culture

By Sean McSteen

The festival, which drew a large crowd both this year and last, is designed to highlight and celebrate hip-hop music and its power to bring people of all different backgrounds together. The word Harambee—a Swahili word that translates to “pull together”—perfectly describes the style of show at the Nomad. Last year’s energized performances by headliners Talib Kweli and SIMS of Doomtree set a precedent for the second annual Hip-Hop Harambee.

With last year still in the minds of fans, the line-up for the 2013 concert was highly anticipated before its release to the public over the summer. And when the set list was finally released, the artists set to perform did not disappoint.

As I entered the parking lot at the south side of the Nomad, the first music I heard was the melodic vocals of Lady Midnight from the trio VANDAAM. With backing instrumentals that melded hip-hop with psychedelic, Lady Midnight’s voice rang across the parking lot with Bjork-like emotion that mixed very well with the energetic, yet subdued backing instrumentals.

As the summer festival season ends and neighborhood block parties have all but wrapped up, concerts and shows have begun to move inside, confining loud music to reverberate against four walls and a ceiling. Aside from smaller, independent performances outdoors the Minneapolis music scene is falling in step with the seasons, taking cues from cooler temperatures and autumn’s fast approach. But such moves toward indoor venues and smaller performances were put on hold as the second annual Hip-Hop Harambee festival blew up September 21 at the Nomad World Pub. The all-day event highlighted Minneapolis culture, Minnesota hip-hop, and the state’s connection with the larger hip-hop community in the United States.

SEAN MCSTEEN

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september 30 - october 13

As more artists came to the stage to perform for the growing crowd of supporters, genres and styles melded succinctly with one another, displaying the best of an expertly organized line-up. P.O.S. of Doomtree and Tish Jones hosted the day of music and introduced act after act. The alluring, melodic lyrics of VANDAAM moved to reggae when Dred I Dread came on to rock the crowd with lyrics containing peaceful messages and impressive guitar solos. And as the reggae ended, the hip-hop began.

Toki Wright showed intellectual and spiritual complexities that seem to be a watermark on much of Minnesota hiphop, while Devin the Dude brought his extensive repertoire of classic songs revolving around the common themes of women, work and weed.

One major difference between last year’s Hip-Hop Harambee and this year’s was making the event all-ages, and giving a spotlight to more than just great music. Areas on both sides of the Nomad were rented out to support the full day of great hip-hop music, and also to promote local artists— both street and graffiti artists and artists of a more “conventional” practice—and a crew of b-boy dancers. Scattered around the festival space were canvases being painted by local artists and three very large, wooden planks that served as canvases for street artists. The b-boy group was set up with a stage and DJ and gave performances sporadically throughout the day, often battling each other for fun. Of course, the music was the main draw to most of those in attendance.

“Harambee—a Swahili word that translates to “pull together”—perfectly describes the style of show at the Nomad last Saturday” After Devin left the stage, Shabazz Palaces set up to perform. A duo out of Seattle unknown to me before the day, Shabazz Palaces gave the crowd an enthralling performance using various kinds of drums kits and mesmerizing vocal tools that they layered together as a base for the expert flow of Ishmael Butler, who was formally “Butterfly” in the New York hip-hop group, Digable Planets. And as the psychedelic lights dimmed and Palaces’ set ended, the crowd waited.

They waited and waited until finally, the show’s headliner, Big K.R.I.T. jumped onto the stage, causing all hands in the crowd to shoot into the air and bodies to jump around as he seduced the audience with his energetic, substantial lyrics, and flow.

The visible improvements to this year’s Hip-Hop Harambee came partly as a continuation of last year’s initial success, and as Manny Levins Holden and Jake Heinitz—co-creators of Hip-Hop Harambee—worked again this year to bring everything that is connected in some way to hip-hop and its culture together in one place, the festival only improved.

With the festival’s switch to being an all-ages event mixed with the major increase in available activities and aspects of hip-hop culture aside from fantastic musical performances, this year’s Hip-Hop Harambee was not a day to miss for any rap enthusiast or lover of hip-hop culture. And as tickets were only $25 at the door, people did not have to dig too deeply into their wallets for an entire day of amazing sights, sounds, and people.

Sound & Vision

Can’t Make it to NYC for Fashion Week?

Artopia provides a local high fashion experience

By Sarah Johnson, Carissa Polo, and Sammi Frohwirth

The collaborative fashion show Artopia brought together upcoming artists, photographers, and fashion designers among other creative types from Minneapolis and St. Paul on September 20. The fashion show displayed fall and winter collections from the Twin Cities’ many local designers and boutiques. Artopia combined a silent auction, a photo booth, artwork, booths setup by sponsors, and a fashion show, along with live music by Tambuca. A pair of live DJs also spun records simultaneously on four turntables and two mixers while the sounds of Tambuca’s horns, guitar, and percussion blended with the DJs’ vinyl cuts in a sort of house music.

Artopia showcased some influential names moving up in the world of upscale fashion. Some designer and brand highlights of the show included Atmosphere, Caroline Hayden, Claire Ward, and Cliché, among others. Many of the looks seemed as if they were straight off Project Runway: alternative materials edition. There were several standout dresses showcasing intricate cutouts and non-conventional embellishments made with materials like pom poms and string.

Bright colors paired with nude colors made the audience ooh and ah in excitement. Other models sported fabrics such as wool, cotton, denim, tweed, and even plastic. The crowd reacted very positively to the entire collection. These collections highlighted lots of leather, mesh, and plaid, as well as layering of sweaters and dresses accessorized with knee-high boots. There were also quite a few looks paired with ballet flats and plain denim jeans, both somewhat uncommon phenomena on the runway for their sheer normality.

Rocco Altobelli Salon and Day Spa provided hair and makeup for the show. Each model had a sleek high ponytail with bangs down, if possible for the model. The eye make-up worn by each model was entrancing. All of the models donned heavy eyeliner and dark eye shadow, creating a smoky eye look. Blush, bronzer, highlighter, and other contouring makeup were used together to define facial features. The high

JIE YIN

Artopia showcased some influential names moving up in the world of upscale fashion. tempo and energetic sound of Tambuca’s music was perfect for the runway. It was completely improvised and unrehearsed, and it fused jazz and techno elements.

Several artists had work on display throughout the fifth floor ballroom. One artist, Vince Odam, had especially intricate artwork on display. In a room full of fine art, Odam’s pieces provided a stark contrast. He mixes provocative graphics with a street art vibe, often including tangible items such as razors and pills to enhance the images and add texture.

He also dabbles in body art on local musicians and anyone willing to sit still long enough and be photographed nude.

Having the chance to talk with him, we learned his love for art began when he got in trouble for drawing monsters on his school papers. “I was constantly at the principal’s office, because my teachers were concerned,” Odam said. Today, he can be found at street corners with a cardboard sign asking strangers for beer. He is currently working on a new project including youth that identify with the “skater” stereotype.

He plans to make graphic T-shirts and change his name to “Odarn” instead of “Odam” to make it more kid-friendly.

There was a great turn out of attendees at the event. Although the event was highlighting young, upcoming designers and artists, the event attracted those of all ages above the age of eighteen. Although there was no official dress code at the event, the attire was most definitely chic formal.

Men wore gray suits, often paired with bow ties rather than traditional ties. Women wore a variety of different outfits, from sleek black skinny jeans and silk shirts to sparkly cocktail dresses and tea party-esque sun hats. Women of the audience donned darker hues in their make-up with a brighter lip color to match. Overall, the event was an exhibition of cultural nightlife in Minneapolis.

www.wakemag.org

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Sound & Vision

3REVIEWS

Iron and Wine

Volcano Choir

By Emma McGinn

by Abby Richardson

Everyone in the audience was anxiously waiting throughout the slow-paced opener in anticipation of Sam Beam and his 13-piece entourage to embrace the stage for the first time in a while.

When he came out and started jammin’ with dancing brass instrumentalists to “Desert Babbler,” a tune from his latest and fifth studio album, the whole crowd was jammin’ too.

Justin Vernon’s reputation is undoubtedly “that guy who lived in a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin.” That and being “Bahn Eye-verr.” But his latest project, Volcano Choir, may have just sealed his fate as a jack-of-all-trades: he’s able to croon with just his guitar, lend his voice to a Kanye track alongside Chief Keef, and now, write power ballads that crescendo into great heights.

A collaboration between Vernon and the guys of Collections of Colonies of Bees, the sextet’s sophomore effort is the aptly titled “Repave,” showcasing a slightly different direction than 2009’s “Unmap.” The first track, “Tiderays,” sets the stage for the album, starting with soft guitar and Vernon’s trademark falsetto. It gradually builds itself up to a booming yet beautiful climax, declaring, “Don’t call me again / You’re the bitch that never ends.”

@ First Ave / Sept. 18

Iron and Wine re-imagined their music through this new Motown-funk sound rather than the hushed acoustic tone usually associated with the band. Soon after the band left the stage Beam took time to play a few oldies such as “Sixteen, maybe less” and “Such Great Heights” accompanied by his three-piece string set. Beam also took requests from the crowd in a solo set. He charmed us all with his soft, familiar voice when he played “Boy with a Coin” even after a few lyric fumbles at the beginning. He engaged the crowd in sweet small talk and poked fun at his fans for remaining loyal even when he forgets his own. After many failed attempts per the girl in the back row screaming for him to play “Trapeze Swinger” Beam played more classics. The full band came back on stage to finish up the show but, Beam’s mellow voice was still perfectly placed amidst the eclectic instrumentation.

Beam captivated a sold out audience with the whispering beauty of his haunting folk and luscious blend of harmonies, as well as Iron and Wine’s groovy new sound. Everyone in the room was feeding off each other’s energy and it made for an amazing show. The intimate and conversational atmosphere of the show felt like pure bliss. Sharing that feeling with the entire crowd is no easy feat for an artist, and is definitely not common for music lovers to encounter.

Repave

MGMT Gets Weird(er)

The Kids are Back and They’ll Never Look Back

By Luke Michaels And just like that, virtually all ties to their original “Kids”worshipping, alt-rock-devouring audience have been severed by the band that refuses to be held back by any earthly bonds.

Only loyal fans and your weird cousins remain on the same page as the unendingly curious psychedelic duo consisting of masterminds Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden.

On the follow up to 2010’s brain-scorching album “Congratulations” MGMT takes off into deeper space with a new LP, exploring regions of sound that few have the brains to even imagine. The self-titled third full-length begins with the glimmering, synth-driven “Alien Days”—a single that has gotten its fair share of attention prior to the release of the album by making regular appearances in spring and summer tour sets and accumulating over 600,000 plays online. The brilliant cover of Faine Jade’s 1968 psych-rock odyssey “Introspection” fits in like a handlebar moustache at a pot shop and, if you listen closely, you can even hear an acoustic guitar on the sticky “Plenty of Girls in the Sea.” An obvious highlight is the tastefully redundant meditation on mediocrity, “Your Life is a Lie.” The “Optimizer” online content— basically an exceptionally hallucinogenic visual to accompany the exceptionally hallucinogenic music—illustrates the fantastic imagery that must play on a loop in VanWyngarden’s head.

This album reaches the goals it sets for itself by experimenting with electronic sound and creating an otherworldly experience for the listener. With so much space, however, it can be easy to get lost. This trip is not for the faint of heart or merely for the casual listener. However, to an avid appreciator of experimentation and layered sounds, the album is worth every mind-expanding minute.

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september 30 - october 13

Half the time who knows what Vernon is trying to say or why, with lines like “With enough keef / You can really bore someone” (Chief Keef diss track, for sure) and “Sexing all your parliaments” from the first single “Byegone.” And maybe that’s okay. Vernon’s words are almost always opaque, whether they’re of an introspective or ridiculous nature. Although much of the album’s verses don’t match up with its grand overtures and almost anthemic choruses, “Repave” comes together mid-album on the delicate track “Alaskans.” Vernon, backed by nothing but a little guitar and piano, sings “Decide, decide, decide, decide / repave, repave, repave, repave…,” cementing this album as a decidedly more whole step forward from their last which felt unfocused and even unfinished.

With headphones on, the sounds of “Repave” washed over me.

It’s a fall album. It’s a driving album. It’s an “I love you” album.

It’s an “I hate you” album. Regardless of what it means to the listener, it’s a downright powerful experience.

Sound & Vision

Upcoming Events MONDAY, Sep 30 Wake Meeting Folwell Hall Room 12 / 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.

TUESDAY, Oct 1 Meet the author: Eugen Ruge Coffman Union / Free / All ages / 4:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, Oct 2 Cookie Cart: Free Cookies & Milk 1119 W. Broadway Ave / 3-6 p.m. / Donations accepted

THURSDAY, Oct 3 Bad Bad Hats and Panther Ray Bryant Lake Bowl / 9:30 p.m. / $8 door The Haunted Basement at The Soap Factory opens Soap Factory / 18+ / $25

FRIDAY, Oct 4 Saint Paul Art Crawl Saint Paul / All ages / Free / Oct. 4 - 6 Oktoberfest State fairgrounds / All ages / $5 - $25 / 4 p.m. Oct. 4 through 12 pm Oct. 5 Carrie the Musical opens New Century Theater Dessa at Northrop Northrop Plaza / Students only / Free / 7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, Oct 5 Film: Monsters University Coffman Union / All ages / Free / 7 and 10 p.m.

Saint Paul Art Crawl Saint Paul / All ages / Free / Oct. 4 - 6 Oktoberfest State fairgrounds / All ages / $5 - $25 / 4 p.m. Oct. 4 through 12 pm Oct. 5

SUNDAY, Oct 6

TUESDAY, Oct 8 Noah and the Whale Varsity Theater / 18+ / 7:00 p.m. / $20 door

FRIDAY, Oct 11 Father John Misty First Ave / 18+ / 8:00 p.m. / $25 Free Coffee and Hot Chocolate Coffman Union / All ages / Free / 8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, Oct 12 Twin Cities Book Festival State fairgrounds / All ages / 10a.m. - 5p.m. / Free Zombie Pub Crawl West Bank / 4:00 p.m. / 21+ / $25 - $40

SUNDAY, Oct 13 Islands 7th St. Entry / 18+ / 8:00 p.m. / $15 door

Saint Paul Art Crawl Saint Paul / All ages / Free / Oct. 4 - 6

www.wakemag.org

23.

Looking For: -Writers

-Pharaohs -Photographers -King Tut -Illistrators

Next Wake Meeting Monday September 30th @ 8:00 p.m.

Folwell Hall Rm 12