Volume 1, Issue 1 of LaG Mag

Volume I. Issue 1
Volume I. Issue 1
Cover Art by Jaime Sunwoo
Issue 1 2007
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FASHION
22 Do’s & Don’ts
BLAST FROM THE PAST
s
ART/EXHIBITS
T
4
Outlook on the Lower East Side:
Clayton Patterson
6
Satsumatic
8
Getting to the Point (Georges
Seurat: The Drawings)
23 Halloween 07’ Collage
24 The Greenwich Village Parade
10 Featured: Zoe Burke
13 Making a Home:
Japanese Contemporary
Artists in New York
To See is to Know (BODIES...The
16 Exhibition)
THEATER
14 A Classic Challenge (Pygmalion)
15 Double Review (The Phantom of
the Opera, Aida)
FOOD
Restaurant Spotlight: Manna
or
17 Kitchen
IN THE LIFE OF
18 Where I Live: Coney Island
26
Concert Review: Say Anything
27
Album Reviews
33 Subway Stories: Just Another
28
Featured: Weechos
One
MUSIC
COMICS
30
Rajani
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A R T
GALLERIES
OUTLOOK ON THE
LOWER EAST SIDE:
CLAYTON PATTERSON
by Victoria Kam
There are some
things that seem to easily
withstand the test of time.
The distinct neighborhood
of the Lower East Side in
Manhattan is one of them.
The Lower East Side has
battled with dark episodes
in its history such as riots and
excessive drug abuse that
have since died down. The
Lower East Side is a patchwork of many memorable
locations with vibrant history and deep meaning.
Clayton Patterson’s photography of the Lower
East Side preserves and
captures these ideas best.
The day-to-day lives of the
drug addicts, prostitutes,
homeless and punk rockers that have resided in the
Lower East Side for the last
twenty years are displayed
vividly in his collection.
Patterson’s photography
invokes
an
aura of hostility that corresponds to the struggles
and problems within the
community. Whenever he
sees a person who represents destituteness or pain
he makes sure to capture
the lifestyle of that person
in his images. Patterson’s
work demonstrates the
insecurity of some of Manhattan’s toughest times.
Untitled (I know
where you live) [1990]
shows two homeless people under a bus stop that
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UPPER LEFT: Clayton Patterson, Untitled (drag queen- Mr. Fashion), C-print,
1987/2007. Courtesy of the artist.
UPPER RIGHT: Clayton Patterson,
Untitled (Micheal Wilson), C-print
1990/2007. Courtesy of the artist.
BOTTOM: Clayton Patterson, Untitled
(Cochise), C-print, 1992/2007. Courtesy
of the artist.
was twenty years ago and how it
developed into the diverse and vibrant neighborhood it is today.
Clayton Patterson, Untitled (we know where you live), Cprint, 1990/2007. Courtesy of the artist.
has an advertisement from
New York Newsday claiming “We Know Where You
Live.” This piece creates
an ironic link between the
subject and the background. The piece Untitled
(Cochise) [1992/2007] is
just as vivid when it comes
to describing everyday
life in the Lower East Side.
Patterson
acknowledges those people
who most others will neglect, giving an up-close
and personal view of the
neighborhood. He depicts a place that is not
pure or utopian in order
to remind us that there
are issues and problems
in the world that need to
be resolved. Through his
photography,
Patterson
paints an image of how
life in the Lower East Side
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A R T
GALLERIES
SATSUMATIC
by Rio Nosé
From October 18 to
the 27th, HPGRP Gallery
New York and Denen
Shuzo proudly presented
an exhibit featuring three
native Satsuma illustrators:
Satoshi Ohtera, Chinatsu,
and Shoichiro Takei. They
used their artistic skills in
computer media, fashion,
and picture book drawing to compose artwork
inspired by the natural
beauty and cultural history of Satsuma. This exhibit presented a new art
movement -”Satsumatic.”
Japan is composed of
many different regions,
each having different ideas
that form a unique regional identity. Satsuma, now
known as Kagoshima Prefecture, is located on the
southernmost tip of mainland Japan. The Satsuma
movement was an important time period during
which the people of this region adopted new cultural
elements. Christianity, for
example, was introduced
into Japan by Saint Francisco Xavier in the 1600’s.
Also, the feudal system was
destroyed and Satsuma
accepted Western culture
due to political and social
changes at the end of the
Edo period, the time when
the Meiji Restoration of
1868 took place. Because
of these changes, imperial Japan became very
powerful and many new,
talented artists emerged.
SATOSHI
OHTERA
His theme was “the fusion
of plants observed in the
garden with a SciFi sense.”
Ohtera evinced both nature and technology in his
computer graphic illustrations. I think that Ohtera
successfully demonstrated
the
complex
relationship between nature and
technology; the idea that
since so many people use
technological instruments,
they are becoming part
of nature as we know it.
In one of his pieces, there
is a large robot standing in
the middle of a forest with
branches and leaves sticking out of his body. When
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you look closely, you can
see that there are people
standing inside, looking out
of the window. I think that
this piece is very clever.
Humans are beginning to
overuse technology; it is
now part of everyday life.
1 Shoichiro Takei,
HPGRP Gallery
2 Satoshi Ohtera,
HPGRP Gallery
3 Chinatsu,
HPGRP Gallery
4 Chinatsu,
HPGRP Gallery
5 Chinatsu,
HPGRP Gallery
CHINATSU
Chinatsu only used four
colors; black, to represent
the dark side of Kagoshima; red, to represent passion and the feminine; blue,
to represent the sea and
the masculine; and white,
to connect the world. Her
theme centered around
showing the “boldness of a
woman who finds strength,
beauty and an emphasis
on tradition while living in
the new age of Satsuma
culture”. I have seen her
artwork before, as it is used
in different kinds of fashion
media. Chinatsu’s artwork
was my personal favorite,
because it looked very
simple and yet showed a
deep understanding of
Satsuma cuture. Also, the
boldness of her illustrations
seemed very powerful.
2
people dancing, with the
large and glittering night
sky hovering over them.
The sky seems a little melancholy, but the two people
dancing at the bottom of
the sky appear very merry.
This was an excellent exhibit to visit in order to learn
about the Satsuma movement and its impact on the
culture of the region and
the country of Japan as
a whole. The three artists
successfully interpreted the
culture and behavior of
the people of Satsuma.
ture books for little children.
The drawings and stories he
composed for the Satsuma
exhibit display the love
of Satsuma’s people for
their natural surroundings.
SHOICHIRO
TAKEI
Takei was like any other
boy when he was a child;
he enjoyed drawing small
illustrations and comics. His
hobby as a child became
a profession, and he began making illustrated pic4
3
On the wall of the exhibit stretched one of his
picture books. This was
a story about a little dog
who falls in love with a
stuffed animal dog, and
goes on a journey to save
her from a hectic festival.
Takei’s largest piece was
my favorite; he drew two
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A R T
EXHIBITS
GETTING TO THE POINT
by Amanda Hayley Sonnenschein
The
Museum
of
Modern Art’s current exhibit, “Georges Seurat:
The Drawings,” is a show
worth exploring. Georges Seurat, (1859-1951),
is most popularly known
for his neo-impressionistic
style of pointillism, an art
form which requires both
intense attention to detail
and incredible patience to
execute. It involves the application of miniscule points
of color and light to create
a pixilated perspective of
the scene being depicted.
The exhibit at the MOMA,
however, features Seurat’s
drawings and sketchbooks,
and provides a unique window into the journey of
this painter and his transformation from conformist to revolutionary rebel.
In the first room of
this show, the drawings on
view capture the rudimentary output of a young artist. Demonstrating good
form, these pictures mark
Seurat’s early experimentation with an array of media
ranging from crayon to colored pencil. Although the
works often yield a sketchy
quality, they hold to correct
and realistic proportions.
In this same space
one can easily detect the
artist’s initial foray into impressionism. He captures
nudes with a realistic rendition but has them emerge
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from a sea of graphite
darkness.
These pieces
are simple yet captivating
for their focus on shadow
and movement. Seurat
experimented with conté
crayon, charcoal, black
chalk, and graphite on
paper. He played with
the results of uneven hand
pressure and he was just
beginning to discover how
he could utilize the materials together and separately to varying effects.
The pieces exhibited
in the second room of this
show are rather dark and
gloomy, with an emphasis
on either figures as a whole
or on their faces. A rather
intriguing work is that of the
artist’s mother. Produced
from 1882-1883, the portrait
is drawn with conté crayon
on paper. What is so captivating about this piece is
that it is deceptively simple.
The mother’s face is light
around the nose, cheeks,
(continued on page 36)
your
Georges
Seurat, At
the Concert
Européen,
conté crayon
and gouache
on paper,
1886–88.
Courtesy of
The Museum
of Modern
Art, New York.
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A R T
featured
Zoe
Burke
done much for bands
that aren’t really close
personal friends of mine
Earlier this year I was supposed to make something
for The Casualties. They are
probably the biggest punk
band in the world right
now, and I was going to do
a t-shirt graphic for them
cause the guitarist’s girlfriend found me somehow,
saying how she really liked
my stuff and I thought it
was great because they’re
the biggest punk band in
the world but they never
got back to me because
they’re basically all alcoholics, haha.
Zoe Burke,
Fast Food
Die Young,
pen
Zoe Burke,
Casualties
Flyer, pen
LGM: Where do you see
yourself in ten years?
Are you planning to
pursue an art career?
ZB: Well I mean, that’s
what I think I do best, so
yeah, probably. I don’t really know what kind of art,
but I work in pen and ink.
Photograph by Benny Lam
Interviewed by
Jaime Sunwoo
LGM: What art
are you taking
Guardia
right
LaG Mag: What kind
of artwork do you do?
Zoe Burke: Basically I do
punk show flyers and punk
band art. I like having a
voice in my community My
friends keep asking me to
do art for their bands and
they pay me, so why not?
LGM: Music seems to inspire you. Are there any
specific bands that do?
ZB: In I Am Me, I wrote
down lyrics from CRASS,
an anarchist punk band
from
the
early
80’s
who really inspire me.
I’ve had people tell me
that they like my artwork
because it brings back an
old school sense. I don’t
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Zoe Burke,
I Am Me,
mixed media
really agree with that,
because I put a lot of
crazy stuff in my artwork like band aids,
and little hearts where
they
shouldn’t
be
around dirty looking
kids who are drinking
and getting messed
up and I think that
adds a little personal
touch to the old school
things people say I do.
LGM: Do you have any
interesting experiences
with bands you did art
for?
ZB:
I
haven’t
really
classes
in Lanow?
ZB: Right now I’m just doing advanced print because they don’t offer
pen and ink classes. They
offer illustration but I hear
that’s a pretty BS class.
LGM: A lot of artists try to
incorporate their political
opinions in their artwork.
How do you feel about
that?
ZB: Well you know, the thing
about punks is that they all
get into being so political. I
think I just make fun of that
a little bit. In Fast Food Die
Young, I’m just like, hey, I
love fast food and I don’t
care if it makes me fat.
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Photograph by Benny Lam
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A R T
EXHIBITS
The Japan Society presents
Making a Home:
Japanese Contemporary
Artists in New York
by Harlie Brindak
Zoe Burke, Rich->Punx, pen/
marker
I don’t care, if they say
there are huge corporations destroying the world.
I like to be funny in my art.
LGM: You try to make fun
of punk stereotypes. Do
people ever judge you?
ZB: People can stereotype if they want but it’s
their choice. If they want
to stereotype me, I’m going to stereotype them.
My art is just about being
stupid and completely
enforcing the stereotype
cause it’s funny. People
actually think that people
are like this and it’s not
really true. I don’t know,
I think it’s kind of ironic.
Zoe Burke, Post
Stickers, mixed
media
For all you art lovers out there
who are looking for something a little
different from the well-known museums
such as the MoMA, Whitney, Met, or
Guggenheim, you must check out one
of the lesser-known galleries located
at the Japan Society on 333 East 47th
Street in Manhattan. Here you will find
a unique collection of art from contemporary Japanese artists that call New
York home, including Yoko Ono, Ushio
Shinohara, Kunie Sugiura, Yuken Teruya,
and Aya Uekawa.
One of my personal favorite artists in the exhibit, Noriko Ambe, uses her
meticulous skills to create masterpieces
made of hand-cut paper layered on
top of each other in order to construct
beautiful, amorphic, and 3-dimensional
sculptures. Besides the sheer beauty of
the work, you can spend hours mesmerized by the level of craftsmanship and
detail invested in her pieces. Another
artist showing in this gallery is painter
Aya Uekawa. Her work is so spectacular that I even mistook her paintings as
computer generated art. These are just
two of the many artists in this exhibition.
Overall, walking through the halls
of this gallery was just a wonderful experience. From the modern Japanese
architecture of the Japan Society itself
to looking at the artwork, you will leave
truly invigorated. I highly suggest a visit
Noriko Ambe, Sculpaper 2, cuts on yupo, 2006.
Courtesy of the artist.
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Aya Uekawa, A Safety Crown, acrylic on
wood panel, 2007. Courtesy of the artist.
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THEATER
THEATER
A CLASSIC
CHALLENGE
DOUBLE REVIEW by Valerie Wang
Review by
Amanda Hayley Sonnenschein
The art of drama has had a long
and venerable history dating back to
the Greeks. Over the centuries, it has
evolved and given rise to many permutations. It is unfortunate that in our pop
culture there is no great demand to
view many of the classic examples of
dramatic literature. Broadway willingly
bankrolls musicals of movies, Disney cartoons, and special effects extravaganzas, but as for the classics, revivals are
relegated to limited engagements, and
usually only if they can be headlined by
a famous movie star. It is within this context that the Roundabout Theatre presented Pygmalion by George Bernard
Shaw at the American Airlines Theater.
Courtesy of tecfa.unige.ch
Courtesy of roundabouttheatre.org
Pygmalion is probably
best known as the play
that was adapted into
the stage and film musical
My Fair Lady. The Roundabout Theatre version,
which opened on October 18th, features the film
actress Claire Danes in her
Broadway debut as Liza
Doolittle and actor Jefferson Mays as Henry Higgins. The production is directed by David Grindley.
The curtain rises on a
crowd of Londoners waiting out a torrential downpour under a majestic awning. There are a number
of scenarios occurring simultaneously. This should
have been an exciting
montage of different walks
of life and language being
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observed and recorded
by the linguistic expert
Henry Higgins. However,
the scene, though visually
arresting, was presented
statically. There was no
ebb and flow of groupings. The actors stood on
an equal plane declaiming their situations straight
to the audience with little
thought to verisimilitude or
dramatic focus. We should
have made note of Mr. Higgins making note of others.
Instead, he was hidden
behind a column, his pen
and pad surreptitiously discreet. Similarly, Liza burst
onto the scene in shadow
and confusion. Without
the crowd’s recognition
and obligatory applause
for the movie star, her entrance might not have
registered as significant.
The opening scene was
indicative of the balance
of the production. The sets,
designed by Jonathan Fensom, were beautifully rendered interiors rotated into
play on a turntable. The
angles were interesting but
the usable space was limited. The cramped feeling
was only enhanced by the
actors’ lack of physicality.
Mr. Mays was somewhat
more adept at utilizing
the space, but his petulant stomping and childish
posing came across as an
actor’s arbitrary blocking
choices instead of a director’s thematic visualization.
(continued on page 34)
The Phantom of the Opera is
a musical about an ashamed, hideous
man who sets his eye on Christine, a
young dancer with a great voice. He uses
her as a vessel for his music and forces
the opera to let her sing the lead role in
their productions, contributing to her rise
to fame. The phantom’s dilemma is that
he is in love with Christine, who already
has another love interest. The theater
company is constantly trying to come up
with ways to destroy the phantom. As for
the rest, you’ll have to see it for yourself!
There is a reason why The Phantom of the Opera is the longest running
show on Broadway. The majority of the
cast is very talented in both acting and
singing. The elaborate costumes and
eye-catching sets added to the musical’s brilliance. The lake on the way to
the phantom’s lair is particularly impressive. A thick smoke is released onto the
stage to create an eerie effect, covering
what would be the surface of the lake.
Then, elaborate candles rise out of the
stage. This set is exceptionally memorable. The orchestra is also breathtaking
and dramatic. The music and score contribute to the enchantment of the show.
Courtesy of welcomebooks.com
Set in Ancient Egypt, Aida is
a classic story about forbidden lovers. Aida is the Ethiopian slave of Amneris, a powerful Egyptian princess. Aida
and Amneris are both deeply in love
with Radames, a mighty general who
commands the Egyptian army when
it goes to war with Ethiopia. Radames
loves Aida and hopes to win the war,
making him able to free and wed her.
This opera is breathtaking. The
score for Aida can be called an example of Italian Romanticism with an
exotic twist. The voices of the actors are
brilliant and rich and the choreography
is beautiful. The scenery is complex, absolutely stunning and at times even surprising, with real horses galloping onto
the stage! Aida is performed at the Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Center and
on weekdays tickets sell for as low as
$15. You will not regret going to see this!
Volume I. Issue 1
(continued on page 35)
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TO SEE IS
Manna Kitchen
TO KNOW
RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT:
by Ariana King
by Katrina Cortes
Walking through a museum of dead bodies may make
some people queasy, but not me. Kept open by
popular demand in spite of the controversy, “BODIES… The Exhibition” is a museum that shows the visitor how the human body looks and how it works.
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entire room dedicated
to showing how smoking, alcohol consumption, cancer, and strokes
affect the lungs, liver,
larynx,
and
brain.
The presentation of the
bodies is excellent. Every room starts off with a
body and a general description. Everything is
narrowed down as you
continue on through the
room. Each body part is
shown with information
next to it, allowing the
visitor to learn in-depth
about all the body parts.
for all, providing everyone with an opportunity
to see real human bodies
and how they function.
Courtesy of Bodies...The Exhibition
The most fascinating
part
about the museum is that the
bodies are of
actual human
beings
who
have been preserved through
special
methods. Though the
various
body
parts are kept in
glass cases, the
bodies
themselves are not;
but don’t worry,
they don’t smell.
The exhibition allows one to learn
about the human body with
incredible visuals, creating the
opportunity for
an examination
of the body from
many different perspectives.
Some parts of the body- certain muscles rather than whole
arms or legs- are exposed in
order to show others, like veins
or bones. The exhibition also
has bodies that have been cut
in half in order to illustrate the
body’s symmetry, or the relationship between the body’s
major organs. There is also a
body that has been divided
into four sections in order to illustrate the distribution of fat
in different body segments.
The exhibition also shows the
effects of various diseases on
the human body. There is an
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In addition, on the walls, there
are small fun facts and blown
up projections that show
how blood vessels, veins, and
other parts of the body work.
One may argue
that this exhibition is unethical because it
uses bodies from
China that have
been unclaimed.
In China, if a body
is unclaimed, it is
donated to science. The knowledge that the
deceased had
no choice in the
matter of having
their body donated to science disturbs many people. There may
even be relatives
of the deceased
still searching for
them.
Nevertheless, this exhibition
provides
an educational
Courtesy of Bodies...The Exhibition e x p e r i e n c e
The first restaurant I reviewed for the Lag Mag had
to be Korean because too
large an amount of people
have never consumed it.
Sure, you’ve had Chinese
and Japanese before, but
Korean cuisine is totally different. Manna Kitchen is on
18th street between Park and
Broadway, by Union Square.
It’s actually really small and
hard to find and completely
closed on Sundays, but it’s
a fairly cool place and the
food is rather tasty. I’ve been
there a few times already so
I’ve grew a special admiration for the restaurant , but I
will be as harsh as necessary.
Taste:
Often, the people who enjoy Korean food like Bulgogi,
which is basically barbecued
beef with a really delicious
sweet sauce. They have the
dish here, but I’ve never tried
it so I can’t give my opinion.
The Korean rice cakes are
particularly tasty. They are really chewy and I found that
the Spicy Rice Cake appetizer
is particularly good. Although
it is an appetizer, the portion is
really large, and it may be too
spicy for everyone to handle,
so I suggest ordering a bowl
of rice with it, or in the case
of a weak ability to eat spicy
foods, avoid it completely.
On the Noodle Soups section
of the menu are Ra-Myun, UDong, and So-Myun, which
are basically Ramen, Udon,
and Somen, respectively.
I’ve tried the Ra-Myun and
So-Myun, and found both
fairly good. The Ra-Myun
Art by Ariana King
noodles were actually
memorable and I found
them first-rate.
There
are broth choices to suit
personal preferences,
so I can say there might
just be some noodles
to suit you. Jap-Chae is
generally a flavorsome
plate of noodles with
vegetables and traditionally beef (it can be
substituted at Manna
Kitchen) but I don’t recommend it from this particular place because,
to be honest, I’ve had
better elsewhere. Some
meal choices come
with the traditional sidedishes that Korean food
tends to be famous for,
including the famous
Kimchi. The Asian Pear
Salad is also good because I’m not a fan of
pears, but I like Asian
pears, which taste different from regular ones.
The Chicken Teriyaki is
pretty good; it was really rich and sweet.
The tofu dishes are also
not bad and have
good flavors. Many,
but not all of the dishes
tended to be bland,
but have a very home-
cooked
kind
of
taste.
Price: $ $ $ $
Most students are not awash
in money, and all dishes are
under $16. Only the beef or
other meat dishes are over
$10. The prices are usually
around $8 per dish, but the
portions are large and filling.
They have a lunch special
from Monday- Friday where
you can get a meal and side
dishes for a reasonable price.
Environment:
The environment is actually
nice. It’s a small quaint place
that always smells fragrant
and is exceptionally warm during the winter. Order a soup
and eat when it’s cold outside for maximum comfort.
They also have a snack stand.
Overall:
The food is good, the prices are good, and the environment is nice. There are
quite a few tofu dishes and
other
vegetarian
options.
Although there are many
great
Korean
restaurants
scattered throughout NYC,
Manna Kitchen is certainly
a great place to start.
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Where
I Live:
by Maria Plotkina
The Q train clatters
to a halt at the Ocean
Parkway stop at the
border of Coney Island
and Brighton Beach.
The first thing you'll notice is scaffolding, which
hides some of the overgrown train tracks and
also the beautiful view
of the ocean. The name
Coney Island has traditionally been used to
describe the amusement parks and the
boardwalk, but it is also
the name of a vibrant
and historical neighborhood. People from
diverse cultural backgrounds call this place
home, and each region
of Coney Island represents a different group.
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Photography by Maria Plotkina
Upon descending the
steps from the elevated
train station, you will find
yourself in the center of an
area that is home to mainly Jewish immigrants and
their families from countries
of the former Soviet Union.
They do their shopping and
eating in nearby Brighton
Beach, but many live in the
cluster of tall apartment
buildings to the right of the
train tracks known simply as
'Trump' and 'Warbasse.' Every
“Every building has a park or lawn neaby, and these are usually filled with small
children screaming in Russian and their
grandmothers gossiping on lawn chairs
nearby.”
building has a park or lawn
nearby, and these are usually filled with small children
screaming in Russian and
their grandmothers gossiping on lawn chairs nearby.
To the right of Brighton Beach Avenue and
the Q train is a relatively
small park known as
Asher Levy. The park's
crowning glory is the
large, canopied stage
located in its center. You
can usually find groups
of local teenagers sit-
ting around on the benches or playing soccer or
football on the large field,
but every week during the
summer there are concerts
held on the stage. Some
are small, local affairs, but
well-known artists like ABBA
have also performed there.
If you continue walking down Brighton Beach
Avenue, you'll soon find
yourself at a dead-end
intersection with West 5th
Street. The ocean is to your
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left, but if you turn right
you're in for a scenic walk
between even more tall
apartment buildings and
well-kept green lawns.
Keep walking until you
reach Neptune Avenue, a
bustling street with many
cars and complicated traffic lights. Walk one block to
the right and you'll find the
excellent “Bagle Store,”
though the word 'bagel'
is misspelled in the front
window. To the left is a
small shopping plaza that
contains two pharmacies,
one bank, several discount
stores, a diner, and a pizzeria called Rocco's. If you
like thin, crunchy pizza, then
Rocco's is for you. Personally, I go there for their rolls;
five dollars will get you a
steaming, delicious chicken, spinach, or meatball roll.
As you continue
down Neptune Avenue,
you will see glimpses of a
large school through the
was set and filmed in the
immediate surroundings.
The roofs of the Luna Park
buildings are much easier
to enter than portrayed in
the movie, though, and offer beautiful, captivating
views of the neighborhood
and the ocean. There is a
small path leading off from
Neptune Avenue into Luna
Park, and you can follow it
for a shortcut into the heart
of Coney Island. Continuing down Neptune, you
will find myriads of auto repair shops, the Mark Twain
Middle School, and many
apartment buildings bordered by the polluted, but
nevertheless beloved, Coney Island Creek. Also, on
Neptune Avenue and West
16th is a famous brick-oven
pizzeria called Totonno's;
going strong since 1924.
It boasts what might be
called the best pizza and
the longest lines in Brooklyn.
After walking through Luna
Park for a block or two, you
will find yourself crossing a
small street called West 12th.
To your left you'll see glimpses of the amusement parks,
but if you keep walking forward you'll see the Coney
Island- Stillwell Ave. train
station. It serves the D, F, Q
and N trains and also happens to be the most energyefficient subway station in
the city due to it's attractive
solar-panel and glass-plated roof. Cross under and
shove your way through the
crowd, and you'll see Stillwell Avenue. The S&W café
on the corner of Stillwell and
Mermaid has good coffee
and cheap éclairs. If you
look down Mermaid Avenue, you'll spot at least ten
grocery stores with Mexican
flags on the windows. There
are many Hispanic people
in this part of the neighborhood, but Russians have
Volume I. Issue 1
20
trees to your right. Lincoln
High School is a zone school
that nevertheless has an
excellent
photography
program and is well-known
for its sports. After you cross
under the F train, you'll pass
a newly renovated McDonalds that serves mainly
teenagers and senior citizens who have nowhere
else to spend their time.
The surroundings remain
ordinary until you reach the
very short Sheepshead Bay
Road (which is, of course,
nowhere near the actual
Sheepshead Bay). There is
a perpetual smell of burnt
rubber around this area,
and to the left looms a
group of apartment buildings known as Luna Park.
Those of you who
have seen the tragic movie Requiem for a Dream
will immediately recognize
the buildings as the home
of one of the main characters. Indeed, the movie
Issue 1 2007
been moving in steadily. A relatively long time
ago, the neighborhood
used to be all Italian, and
there are several remnants of that - including
a church and Major Meats,
a store with friendly owners
and a sawdust floor - scattered throughout the area.
If you walk towards the
ocean down Stillwell, you
may find yourself in a familiar area. Here is the heart of
tourist Coney Island. There
are multiple pizzerias and
fried chicken stores nearby,
and instead of spending
four dollars on a tiny, inedible and rubbery piece of
boardwalk pizza, you can
come here and pay only
two for something much
bigger and tastier. In the
winter, this area is cold and
empty, but in the summer,
there are huge crowds
of diverse people from
all of New York City pushing and shoving their way
down the street. The wall
between the Pizza on the
Run and the fried chicken
place contains a very bizarre and very colorful mural. Many an hour can be
spent simply standing there
and trying to understand it.
Once you've finally
made it to Surf Avenue,
you have an up-close view
of the Astroland amuse(continued on page 34)
“In the winter, this area is cold and
empty, but in the summer, there are
huge crowds of diverse people from
all of New York City pushing and
shoving their way down the street.”
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21
Fashion
DOS &
DON’TS
By Rio Nose
Photography by
Benny Lam
Jeans and
black leggings... It just
doesn’t work--It’s old now, so
DON’T DO IT.
BLAST FROM THE PAST:
HALLOWEEN 07’
By Benny Lam
It’s getting
cold... Whether
it be small, soft
ones or big,
poofy ones,
scarves are a
must!
We love
colored
tights!!
Don’t wear
stripes and
spots at the
same time,
it’s painful to
look at.
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23
GREENWICH HALLOWEEN
VILLAGE
PARADE
By Jaime Sunwoo
Photography by
Harlie Brindak
People of all ages came to
participate in the parade and
some organized group dances.
A crowd favorite was a choreographed performance of Michael
Jackson’s “Thriller.” Lucky for us,
we ended up standing next to an
overly gregarious man who constantly requested hugs from passing paraders. Some of these shout
outs led to a more intimate, personal interaction with them. This
guy got a little too personal and
wiped his finger on Harlie’s face.
Some displayed
Probably due to global
warming,
Halloween
was unusually warm this
year. The leaves on the
trees were yet to brown
and flowers blossomed
to remind us of the ever-persistent
summer.
Although this weather
made it pleasant to stroll
around the city, it didn’t
feel quite like Halloween. The air became
chilly once the sun
started to set. Breathing
in crisp air and the wind
blowing though our hair,
Halloween began for
us during the Greenwich Village Parade.
their artistic talents
in the parade--- look
at the size of these
skeletons!
Sea
monsters,
perhaps?
Masqueraded crowds
screamed along costumed paraders as
the line between the
audience and performers blurred. Ghosts,
zombies, and drag
queens strutted across
Sixth Avenue. Companies such as Z100 and
Bacardi
sponsored
elaborate floats. The
Miss Horrorfest float
was particularly eyecatching with bloodied zombies squirming
in a giant barred cage.
Volume I. Issue 1
The Miss Horrorfest
Float in all its ghoulish
24
Issue 1 2007
entirety.
A clone trooper
thinks to himFlying skulls held
by face-painted
paraders.
self. Hmmm....
It was a great night. The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade did not disappoint this
year. Bring on Halloween 08’!
Volume I. Issue 1
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25
MUSIC
MUSIC
CONCERT REVIEW
ALBUM REVIEWS
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Spoon
Merge Records
BY BENNY LAM
Returning with their sixth album, this Texasbased indie rock band strikes another effortlessly rhythmic album along with lyrics that almost flow through your tongue. With the album
titled Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, much of the content
is sarcastically written, with hints of soulfulness
and intelligence emerging along the way. It
is as though a lighter version of Ok Go stole
the tambourine from the hippies of the 70’s
and collaborated with the enthusiastic handclap generator. Lead singer Daniel managed
to control the vocals while guiding the sound
towards the more relaxing walk-down-thestreet-on-a-sunny-day direction. Escaping
from the old pop shell in the previous albums,
Spoon had successfully evolved into a more
ambitious classic rock sound with a steady
drum beat. It is one album worthy of being
picked up on your next visit to the record store.
by Ren Santiago
Say Anything is an
indie rock band from LA.
They got their start in 2000,
releasing pop-punk sounding EP’s like Menora/Majora and Junior Varsity and
one LP, Baseball. Being
such an obsessive fan, I
can tell you that these are
not sold anywhere, but are
available to download all
on their fan forum for free.
All their songs are fantastic. Even the most emo of
emo, like ‘A Walk Through
Hell,’ still gets me pumped.
You might blame their
old emo moods on their
songwriter/frontman, Max
Bemis. In their song, ‘That
is Why’ off of their new
album In Defense of the
Genre, there is a line that
reads, “You can’t make
the turkey colder // or skew
me less bipolar,” actually
applies to our lovely lead,
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Issue 1 2007
who actually is diagnosed
with bipolar disorder. It’s
cool to know that even
though he’s got problems
and the band’s got problems, they’re all together
trying to make it happen
for them. They signed with
Doghouse Records in August 2004 and released ...Is
a Real Boy with an additional EP, Was a Real Boy.
It was re-released in 2005
after they signed with J Records. A proud moment, I
think. There was some mishap with their release, and
because of limited supply,
they were being sold for
up to $50 on e-bay. Both
...Is a Real Boy and In Defense of the Genre are a
bit more “hard-rock” than
their old stuff, but it still gives
me that same fine feeling.
Around September,
I’d bought tickets for their
MySpace Music Tour concert with HelloGoodbye.
The concert was on October 30th at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Costumes
were optional, but welcomed. It was a nice venue
where the guys got frisked
at the door and cameras
are prohibited, but are
easy enough to sneak in.
The Polysonics started off
the show with their upbeat
techno vibe. Then Dan
(continued on page 35)
Are Dead and Some
The Young Knives
Shifty Disco
BY Louis Peralte
Recommended tracks:
Track 1 “Don’t Make Me a Target”
Track 4 “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb”
Track 7 “The Underdog”
If you’re a fan of tweed outfits, angry English people, indie rock or some
strange combination of the three then
you should give this a serious look. Coincidentally, The Young Knives contain
all of these aspects in one. Well, three,
considering it’s a three piece band.
But, I digress. Brothers Henry Dartnall,
Thomas “House of Lords” Dartnall and
Oliver Askew make up the raw and
punk-influenced band.The Young
Knives began their road to success with
the release of their album The Young
Knives...Are Dead. Fortunately, for us
fans, it was expanded in the early summer of 2007. It has been re-dubbed
The Young Knives...Are Dead...And
Some. It contains a WHOPPING four
more tracks than the original totaling an UNBELIEVABLE eleven tracks!
The sarcasm is meant for a somewhat
positive effect. Bear with me, though.
It’s really worth a listen or two...or, you
know, it’ll last you forever. It’s music.
Volume I. Issue 1
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27
MUSIC
FEATURED
WEECHOS
I caught the Weechos in full
performance during 11th period on the third floor in front
of our school’s Phys Ed office.
From a distance, I could hear
rhythmic beat boxing and
a raw, distinct voice, rolling
over a smooth, extemporized
rap. Spotting a small, huddled crowd, I yearned to see
who the mystery rapper from
across the hall was. I peeked
over the shoulders of one of
the seven head bobbing
beat boxers to find someone I had not expected.
In the middle of the group, I
found a comparably smaller
boy with squared shoulders
wearing a royal blue silk tie
and khaki pants. The boy’s
hair was neatly combed
over to the side, and he
donned a button up shirt
that was tucked into his
pants. He spat out fresh lyrics as the crowd bounced
and swayed to each word
he rapped. Camera phones
were whipped out, recording the rare appearance
despite the risks of getting
caught. People who passed
through the halls came to a
halt in intrigue; even Mr. Everett stepped out of his office
to catch the phenomenon.
The performance ended in
cheers and playful shoving.
After they settled down, I
was lucky enough to have a
brief interview with the crew.
Question: What do you
guys call yourselves?
Beat boxers
Jullian Brown
Wesley Ramos
Rapper
Manny Ortiz
Joe Martin
Ryan Isles
Keef3 Carter
Jhonathan Padilla
Agron
28
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2007
Volume I. Issue 1
Interviewed by
Jaime Sunwoo
Answer: The Weechos.
Joe Martin is our main rapper. The rest of us beat box.
Q: How did you meet?
A: We all met randomly from
LaGuardia. We became
friends with Joe through his
rapping. He kept free styl-
ing during lunch and
he’d come to different
tables. We all ended
up collaborating and
adding on to the group.
Q: Are you all vocal
majors?
A: Actually, just one of
us. We’re all art majors. We have one
drama major but he’s
actually cool, haha.
A: Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane,
LL Cool J, Kool G Rap, Doug
E Fresh, Big C, Blackalicious.
Q: Do you guys ever perform
onstage?
A: We hope to.
Q: Where can we find the
Weechos?
A: Anywhere---4th period
lunch, in the senior lounge, in
the hallways, we’ll be there.
Volume I. Issue 1
Q: Inspirations?
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“
”
Just Another One
by Paul Vergara
I stood on the uptown 1 train. I was going
home after school trying
to read Hamlet, knowing
that I would likely end up
reading the Sparknotes for
it later that day. As I stood
there listening to my iPod,
I heard the sound of the
door between the subway
cars open and abruptly
shut with that clinkety-clank
in which it always closes. I
turned, expecting to see a
homeless person. Lo and
behold, it was indeed a
homeless man. He was
most likely somewhere in his
late twenties. His dirty blue
sweater was inside out and
he wore his hair in some
sort of messy ponytail. He
was wearing far too many
layers for the weather.
He had already begun talking once I paused
what I was listening to. I
had a tendency to try to listen to the poor people on
the train. Their speeches
were always quite similar. Though I paid him a
smidgeon of my attention,
I doubted that anybody
else did. Most people were
looking at their shoes or the
shoes of the person standing in front of them. The rest
were trying their hardest to
avoid looking at the homeless guy by feigning interest in the advertisements
about learning English or
the warning about having
to be on one of the first five
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Issue 1 2007
Art by Gwendolyn Kehrig-Darton
cars to get off at South Ferry. I chose to look out the
train car window into the
dark abyss of the subway
tunnel to avoid seeming as
if I were actually taking interest in the man’s speech.
I tried not to listen too
intently as the man spoke
of terrible experiences in
shelters and hostels and
how he had to sleep in
Riverside Park the previous night. Anyone can
make up maudlin little stories and recite them like a
Shakespearean soliloquy,
so what makes this man
different from the rest of
the people who beg for
money on the subway? If
I were to dress up in raggedy clothes and tell a sad
story, I could collect a few
coins in an old coffee cup
from a few unsuspecting
straphangers. What makes
this man deserve the eight
cents I received in change
from the deli earlier?
He finished telling of
his horrifying experience in
the park and I thought that
he would move along and
collect money from several generous New Yorkers, but as the train pulled
into the 116th Street station, he said, “I would like
to recite a poem I wrote.”
“Oh no he didn’t,”
I thought in my head. I
sounded like valley girl
in my own mind. Despite my hasty reaction,
a little bit of me wanted
to hear this guy’s poetry.
“Oh no, not again,”
he began, trying to project
his voice over the herd of
passengers pushing their
way on board. The line
grasped my attention and
the attention of the rest of
Volume I. Issue 1
(continued on page 35)
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33
CONTINUATIONS
Where I Live: Coney Island
ment park. A little to the
right is the Keyspan Park
baseball stadium, home of
the Brooklyn Cyclones and
ablaze with neon lights every evening. Close to it is
Peggy O'Neill's, a bar that
holds many small concerts.
To the left there is a multitude of cotton candy and
ice cream shops, as well
as various shady-looking
souvenir shacks. The street
is also home to the annual
Mermaid Parade, as well as
the popular Siren Festival.
The three tallest rides in
the park are: the Cyclone,
an antique wooden rollercoaster that is both amazing and terrifying; the Wonder Wheel, a ferris wheel
that offers one of the most
beautiful views of the area;
and the observation tower,
a slow ride excellent for
those who wish to take everything in while snapping
pictures. In between these
three rides there are dozens of others, ranging from
virtual reality space rides
to kiddy helicopter rides
to small rollercoasters that
splash you with water. There
is also a multitude of photo
booths and candy stores
scattered
throughout.
Go down any number
of small streets that lead
towards the ocean, and
you'll find yourself ascending wooden steps that lead
to the boardwalk. From
here, you will finally see
the beach up close and
personal. There is a huge
expanse of sand, dotted
by orange life guard chairs
and piles of rocks that stick
out into the water. A little to
the right is a relatively new
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Issue 1 2007
fishing pier where you can
find many middle-aged
men with fishing poles and
buckets. In the summer, on
weekends especially, the
beach is packed with people and the water is packed
with garbage. However, if
you go in the morning on
a weekday, away from the
crowd, you're in for a pleasant experience with warm
water and great waves.
Strolling down the boardwalk you'll find more souvenirs shops, a McDonald's,
and many joggers and
people simply taking walks.
After passing the Cyclone,
you'll find that the crowd
has thinned out and that
there is a large wall with a
mural on it to your left. They
repaint the wall with various ocean-themed characters, such as Poseidon
and random sharks and
jellyfish, every few years.
If you come to this part of
the boardwalk on a Friday
night during the summer,
you'll find a crowd of people waiting for a truly spectacular display of fireworks.
Keep walking, and to your
left you'll see the entrance
to the famous New York
Aquarium. You'll find every kind of marine animal
there, from fish to sharks, to
dolphins to stingrays, and
there is always a special
demonstration or display
happening. It's definitely
worth a visit or two. As you
continue on, the mood
becomes distinctly more
Russian until finally, you'll
be able to see Asser Levy
park, where we started
out, through the trees. Walk
down the steps from the
boardwalk and keep go-
ing down Ocean Parkway
until you reach the Q train
once again. Alternatively,
you can head back down
Surf Avenue towards the
Coney Island train station.
Though the famous area
of Coney Island will soon
be torn down and renovated, the distinct atmosphere of the neighborhood will most likely remain
the same. Drop by for a
visit; whether you go in the
summer or winter, you'll
be sure to find something
that catches your interest.
Theater Review: A Classic
Challenge
Perhaps the greatest
disappointment came with
the lack of chemistry between the two main characters. In this interpretation, Henry Higgins seemed
to be a closeted gay or
asexual man who was only
excited by the prospect
of creating a believable
lady out of the lowly Liza.
This could have been an
interesting choice if the
character was indeed excited and interested by
the act of his creation. Unfortunately, there was no
such spark. Similarly, Liza,
as played by Ms. Danes,
was uninvolved. A pawn
to the end, she showed
no spunk, no delight in her
accomplishments and no
understanding of her growing predicament as a lady
with no society to which
she could retreat. The actress had little command of
the stage and although a
dialect coach appears in
the credits, her accents,
both Cockney and the
perfected proper English, seemed inconsistent.
The supporting characters fared a lot better.
Boyd Gaines was a con-
fident Colonel Pickering
and Helen Carey gave a
solid and assured portrayal of Henry’s mother, Mrs.
Higgins. Also notable was
Jay O. Sanders who exploded onto the set as the
irrepressible Doolittle and
sustained his refreshing energy throughout his scenes.
Classical theatre can
be vibrant and relevant to
modern audiences. With
a director’s strong vision
guiding actors adept at
handling the language,
the grand gestures, and
the emotional context of
their characters with grace
and ease, the public would
embrace the genres of the
past, and Broadway could
thrive with an eclectic array of theatrical history.
This production of Pygmalion, unfortunately, is not the
vehicle to accomplish this.
Theater Review: The
Phantom of the Opera
Overall, the musical is
touching, tear jerking and
all-around
wonderful.
The only thing I would criticize about The Phantom
of the Opera is that Julie
Hanson, who plays Christine Daae on Monday and
Thursday, has a mediocre
voice and she doesn’t
seem to fit the part. However, I expect the main actress, who plays Christine,
Jennifer Hope Willis, is better.
However, Howard McGillin,
who plays the phantom,
has an excellent voice
and is a great actor. Marilyn Caskey, who plays Madame Giry, is also flawless.
Despite its minor frailties,
The Phantom of the Opera
is undoubtedly a must-see.
Subway Stories: Just Another One
the subway riders. He recited a very simple poem
about trudging between
the train doors. He told us
about what we were all
thinking. He knew that we
thought that he was a fake
and that he should get a job
and he needs to stop bothering us after a long day.
He talked about us bowing
our heads, trying to not to
look at him, trying to ignore
that he was even there.
He read all of our minds.
He referred to himself as “just another one.”
He was just another one
of those homeless people begging for money.
We’ve all encountered so
many of them on subway
platforms, on street corners, on the train. He was
just another one of those
dirty, poor, homeless men
that we pay no mind to.
His poem was truthful. It
wasn’t a work of art; it
wasn’t Shakespeare. It was
the voice of a real person.
I dug into my pocket.
The eight cents in change
didn’t suffice. I reached for
a dollar from the wallet in
my bag as he passed by me
once he finished his poem.
I handed it to him right as
the train came out of the
tunnel and approached
125th Street.
Sunlight
poured into the train car
as it continued onto the
elevated track. He said a
simple “Thank You” and
kept walking. The only other person I saw hand him
some spare change was
a brown-haired Hispanic
girl with blonde bangs that
were gelled onto her forehead as if they were some
kind of cranial armor. He
continued onto his trek
through the crowd and
once I heard the clinketyclank of the door between
the train cars, I pressed
play on my iPod and the
music flooded my ears.
Concert Review: Say
Anything
(frontman of Young Love)
danced around while they
played ‘Find a New Way’
before leaving the stage.
After twenty teasing
minutes of sound check
and old radio tunes, Jacob
Linder walked on with his
bearded face and huge
smile and sat himself behind the drums. Alex Kent
walked his skinny bum to
the right of the stage, bass
in hand. Jacob set the
beat and Alex kept the
rhythm and the crowd was
losing it already. The most
hyperactive of the fans
started pushing people left
and right seeing how far
their domino effect would
go. Then came the Turners, Jake and Jeff, who
took their skinny pant-clad
selves to their guitars. Parker Case followed and finally, Max Bemis stood before
us in the Jesus-like manner
in which he wished for. He
went right up and began to
belt the first single off In Defense of the Genre, entitled
‘Baby Girl, I’m a Blur.’ The
ground shook. Everyone
was jumping and thrashing
around and singing with
him in a glorified manner.
The band as tight and
Max’s vocals ‘Bemified’
me. The floor was packed.
Personal space forgotten, I was cramped into
the front with three legs
between my own, an elbow jamming into my side,
and an armpit at my ear.
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Volume I. Issue 1
They played ‘Skinny, Mean
Man’ and Max requested we form that sweet
little circle called a mosh
pit. We humbly obliged.
They played songs off
of their last album like ‘Yellow Cat/Red Cat,’ and a
favorite of many, ‘Wow, I
Can Get Sexual, Too.’ They
even closed with ‘Alive
With the Glory of Love,’
an inspiring old favorite of
mine. Everyone was- even
before Say Anything came
on- sweating like crazy,
dancing, moshing and
crowd-surfing. Jake Turner
was nice enough to throw
cold water on us. Bless him.
Their show was amazing;
they were hyped and had
fun playing for us. We had
fun being played to. Sadly,
Say Anything soon left. It
was inevitable. As if scripted, half the crowd left,
also. HelloGoodbye closed
up the concert and everyone danced to his banjo in
a grand welcome to Halloween. It was a phenomenal night. I didn’t even
care that I was soaked
in other people’s sweat.
Exhibit Review: Getting to
the Point
and mouth, but fades into
darkness so that it is hard
to distinguish her neck,
hair, and even her ears
from the background. Her
eyes are closed but they
are so faded that it makes
you question the validity
of that simple assumption.
The grim feel of this portrait
elicits the viewer’s curiosity,
causing her to ponder over
the nature of the artist’s relationship with his mother.
The pieces hung on
the opposing wall of this
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room seem less about the
shapes and physiognomies of the people and
more about what they
are doing and where
they are located. Seurat
produces detailed landscapes of the countryside;
however, the artist still cannot escape conveying
the gloomy, desolate side
of his subject matter. Perhaps that was the intent.
My favorite in this
last grouping of artwork is
entitled “Plowing.” It was
drawn from 1882-1883,
the same time period as
“The Artist’s Mother,” and
like that piece it was composed with conté crayon on paper. This work,
though to my mind oddly
titled, is a love scene set
against a placid background. The left side of the
composition is almost entirely black, yet the shape
of a house and a horse
can be vaguely discerned.
The figures themselves are
nothing more than silhouettes placed against a
contrasting, light sunrise.
There is clear evidence
of the origins of pointillism
in this work. The sky, and
especially the clouds, are
rendered with the emerging style that would make
this artist famous. I particularly appreciated how, by
using yellow paper, Seurat
captures an uncanny resemblance to an actual
sunrise merely by leaving
areas of his sheet blank.
“Georges Seurat: The
Drawings,” will be on display
at The Museum of Modern
Art until January 7, 2008.