View Online - RVA Magazine

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View Online - RVA Magazine
The Toast
of Richmond
WRIR 97.3 FM
richmond independent radio
radio for the rest of us
online at WRIR.ORG
VO LU M E 4 I S S U E 1 2 W I TH B LOODS HOT E Y ES
cover by G enevieve C astree
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illu strat ion s
Adrian Buckm as ter
Chris M o r an
I an M . G r aham
Justin Lussier
Mag gie Walker
Paul G alipeau
Ry an Ro m an
ph ot ography
ART
14 Dr. Sketchy
18 Klutch
24 Geneviève Castrée
MUSIC
28 Young Widows
32 Rob Huddleston
36 Jonathan Vassar
38 Pulp Tones
42 Reviews
OPINION
44 This Is How We Do It
46 Identity: Richmond
Fashion
54 Model Behavior
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Our apologies to Jason Lefton who was not credited for his photo of Travis Robertson in the Year in Review issue. Check out his work at GYLO.com
RVA 1 9
Dr. Sketchy’s
Anti-Art School is in Session
Model: Atilla | Photo: Ma g gie Winter
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Runar ound Sue
In 2005, Molly Cr abapple star ted up a Br ooklyn dr awing c lub named Dr. Sketc hy’s Anti-Ar t Sc hool
dedicated to a ne w type of ar tistic endeavor. With
Dr. Sketc hy’s the ar tist is taken out of the c lassr oom, the model is dr essed in thematic costumes,
and ever ybody is amped up with libations and contests. Since it’s inception, Dr. Sketc hy’s has mar c hed
acr oss the globe. With communities now in Bogata,
Rome, London and Tokyo (just to name a fe w), Molly
has been able to expand her vision consider ably. I
am pr oud to say that I have had a small par t in that
expansion by bringing Dr.Sketc hy’s to my hometown,
Ric hmond, Vir ginia. On the second Wednesday of
eac h month, fr om 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., I have the pleasur e of playing headmistr ess to Dr. Sketc hy’s at
Galler y5 (www.galler y5ar ts.or g). Our fir st session
br ought in near ly 60 ar tists hungr y for this ne w type
of dr awing session.
When I decided it w as time to expand Sugar Shac k
Bur lesque down South, I thought of Dr. Sketc hy’s for
two r easons. Fir st in a communal ef for t to continue
the good and inspir ational endeavor s of other s,
and secondly as an ar tist looking for a r ole model.
Dr.Sketc hy’s cr eates a special atmospher e w her e all
ar e welcomed and anything is possible. Molly has
shown the power and ac hievement that can come
fr om tr usting your vision in the hands of likeminded
individuals. Dr. Sketc hy’s pr oves that we ar e not
limited to one town, one venue, one countr y. We can
nestle our ar t into the bosom of any town we fancy!
I of fer you now Miss Cr abapple’s wor ds of wisdom.
Runaround Sue : Who is Dr. Sketchy?
Molly Crabapple : When I initially conceived
him, Dr. Sketchy was our mascot, a per ver se Viennese shrink kicked out of Freud’s inner circle.
He’s also John Leavitt after a few drinks. (Writer’s
note: John Leavitt, along with Molly, leads the NYC
drawing sessions.)
RS : What has been your biggest challenge as an
entrepreneur?
MC : While I love creating and promoting content,
organizing it has never been my strong point.
Luckily, I now have a bunch of folks to help me
with that.
RS : How do you stay motivated?
MC : I am absolutely unemployable at this point
– too mouthy and impudent. It’s either entrepreneur ship or the gutter.
RS :
How do you ensure the integrity of Dr.
Sketchy as the franchise spreads?
M o l ly C ra ba p p l e
25
Cu r rently Resi di ng : Bro o kly n
Currently Listening to: Johnny Cash
Pho to : Ad rian Buc kmaster
MC : I choose great people to bring the Dr.
Sketchy’s brand to their cities, provide them detailed outlines of how to do it and check in a
lot. However, I realize that no tr uly inter national
movement can (or should!) be the same in ever y place. Our Dr. Sketchy’s branch in Bogotá
is quite different from our branch in Rome, and
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(Editor’s note: Dr. Sketchy’s Official Rainy Day
Colouring Book )
that’s the way it should be.
RS :
What advice would you give to another
ar tist delving into the wor ld of organized
business?
MC : Me and my par tner in crime, John Leavitt, are
cur rently wor king on Scarlett Takes Manhattan , a tale
of love and cor r uption in the 1880s NYC vaudeville
wor ld. Fugu Press is releasing it in July.
MC : I’d tell them that mar keting is more
similar to sticking to a fitness plan than
creating a painting. You have to commit to
doing a series of boring tasks ever y day.
Think consistency and attention to minutia.
RS :
What are your goals for the future both as a
businesswoman and an ar tist?
MC : I would love to bring my ar t to a more inter national audience. One of my proudest moments last
year was lecturing and perfor ming in the Kiasma Museum of Contemporar y Ar t in Helsinki. I’d also love
to do more theatrical design. And, as I say in ever y
inter view, my finger s are crossed that someday Dr.
Sketchy’s will hit Antarctica.
RS : What essential qualities to you think an
ar tist needs to possess?
MC : Hmm...I’d say the biggest one is motivation. If you can’t make your self create
ever y day for hour s on end, you’re a hobbyist, not an ar tist
RS : What have been some of
RS :
What is your impression of the Richmond ar ts community compared to other
cities (based off of your experiences on
tour)?
MC : George Orwell. Queen Elizabeth, Bettie Page.
Meta-Dr. Sketchy’s.
RS :
Dr. Sketchy’s is ver y respectful of the model.
How did your experience as an ar tist model infor m
the str ucture of Dr. Sketchy’s?
MC :
Well, I was only in Richmond for a day
and a half, but I absolutely love Ward at Chop
Suey, and I’m thrilled to see you’re star ting
to get a bur lesque community there.
MC : When I modeled, I felt that the classes, while
educational, treated the models more as anatomical demos than whole humans. While one of cour se
needs to lear n anatomy, I felt that it was a waste to
treat models in such a clinical way. I star ted Dr.
RS :
Do you have any plans for more publications in addition to the coloring book?
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your favorite themes?
I llustr atio n: Mo lly Cr a b a p p le
Model: Delerium Trememens | Photographer : Justin Lussier
Sketchy’s both to celebrate the models’ per sonalities
and pay a much higher than average wage.
RS : Many people have a difficult time relinquishing control of
a project they created. How difficult is it to allow other s to lead Dr. Sketchy’s in other cities across
the globe?
MC : It wasn’t difficult for me. It’s impossible to maintain complete control of any
project that you want to be huge.
RS :
Dr. Sketchy’s exists in many countries. Have you experienced any language
bar rier s and how did you transcend them?
MC :
Yes, in France. While our Parisian organizer, Sorrel, is originally from California, building a Parisian audience was originally hindered by the fact that most
of our promo materials were in English. Luckily, we’ve been getting increasing
amounts of French language press, and that’s really helped cross the barrier. The
organizer of our Tokyo branch, Lady Elle, has also done an amazing job translating our materials into Japanese and reaching over the gaijin-native divide.
RS : Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share?
MC : I would say anything is possible if
you wor k hard and
believe in your self. Tacky but tr ue. Also, high school is
NOT the best time in your life.
RS :
us?
Do you have a favorite joke? Can you share it with
MC : I do have a favorite joke, but I think it might get me
Find her here, ladies and gentlemen:
www.mollycrabapple.com
Gibson Gir ls Gone Bad
Cabaret Life Drawing
www.dr sketchy.com
Dr Sketchy’s Official Rainy Day Colouring Book!
www.dr sketchy.com/book.php
in trouble.
Mo d e l: Am b e r R ay | P hoto gr a pher : Ryan Roman
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MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS:
K lut c h - B e y on d V in y l an d V als p ar
S. P r e s t o n Dunc a n | P ho tos c our tesy of the ar tist
If you’ ve e ver cur sed loudly e no ug h t o b e he a r d f r o m t he s id e w a lk o r by a n und e r c ov e r
cop dri ving next to you w hile yo u’ r e s t uc k b e hind a bus w it h t he “ U s e a s p r ay c a n, go
to jail” ad on the bac k, the s t y li z e d uni v e r s e o f K lut c h’ s a r t m i g ht p r ov id e ins p ir a t io n
to par k your car and buy a r a t t le c a n a ny w ay.
Klutc h is a stencil ar tist, but t o p ige o n ho le him a s s uc h p la c e s his w o r k int o a f a ls e
hier ar c hy, ine vita bly c lassif i e d a s a lo w e r ex p r e s s io n t ha n t ha t of B a nk s y a nd She p a r d
Fa ir ey. T his is ar gua bly unt r ue . A c o nc e p t ua l a r t is t a nd t he m ind b e hind t he Viny l
Killer s pr oject, as well as a s c ulp t ur a l p a int e r w ho ha s m a na ge d t o e m p loy s k a t e b o a r d
d e c k pa inting in thr ee dime ns io na l w o r k s, e s c a p ing t he c lic hé o f t he m e d ium , he
ca nnot be le gitim ately m ea s ur e d a g a ins t t ho s e c o ns id e r e d his c o nt e m p o r a r ie s. T his
outside of quantitati ve po p ula r it y, in w hic h c a s e t h o s e c o nt e m p o r a r ie s m ig ht ha v e
ca use for c onc er n.
At once tr a gically human and ex ub e r a nt ly r e p r e s e nt a t i v e o f na tur a l a nd ur b a n d e c ay,
Klutc h’s paintings cr eate a n im a ge o f t he f a nt a s t ic im a g ina t io n a nd i t ’ s s o f t - e d ge d
conte mplations of beauty, int e r a c t ing a nd c o m p r o m is ing it s e lf w it h t he ins e ns it i v e
consciousness of c em ent and p o llut io n. T he w o r k s a r e w him s ic a l ye t p r e c is e in t he ir
e vident pr edeter mined laye r ing. And t h e s ubv e r t e d in d us t r i a l p r o c e s s o f t he s t e nc ile d
ima ge is m ade som ething m o r e t ha n a nt i- ind us t r ia l w he n ut iliz e d a s a f a c e t , r a t he r
than the center piece, of a s ho w.
Klutch has been battling the ar tistic void of society since the beginning of the punk, hardcore and skater scene explosion. While the lingering debilitations of a hear t attack, and a
full docket of commission wor k keep him from traveling to all his shows, his ar t has not lost
any of the poignant vitality that defines it, nor has it stumbled upon the pitfalls of for mulaic
reproduction that have ended many a long career.
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S. Preston Duncan: What were your fir st
creative inclinations?
in the scene and not just a spectator. With skateboarding I lear ned how to make my own fun and to
ignore what other s think about it.
Klutch: My ear liest memor y of this was in the
1st grade. Ever yone was supposed to draw what
their dad liked to do for fun. I drew my dad’s hot
rod par ked out front of a bar. Several year s ago
he gave me the drawing, and it’s now a cherished
par t of my collection.
SPD: Is there a par ticular community of ar tists
you think of your self as a par t of ? A movement?
SPD: How do your fir st paintings differ from
your cur rent wor k?
Klutch: My fir st real wor ks were mostly flyer s and shir t designs for hardcore punk bands
in the ear ly ‘80s. Those were all black and
white and heavily influenced by hor ror movies.
My more recent wor ks are more about color
and motion and are more sur real and abstract.
I’ ve also spent a bit of time lear ning to let
my hand go free and have moved towards a
more raw and dir ty aesthetic. Now they are
less about technical skill and more about embracing my flaws as what makes me unique
and human.
Klutch: Not really. Sor r y for the lame answer,
but I don’t really fit into any scenes. Graffiti and
street ar t are pretty much lone wolf activities.
Plus most par ticipants are half my age, and I am
really not tr ying to be the old kook still tr ying to
act like I am 20.
SPD: Is stencil ar t punk? Is punk dead?
Klutch: Stencil ar t is little more than a tool or
method. Although my fir st exposure to stencil ar t
was via punk.
The punk that I knew is dead, but in it’s wake a thousand new variations have spawned from its ashes.
SPD: Is graffiti political?
SPD: What influence did the punk and skater
scene have on you as an ar tist? A per son?
Klutch: No insight on this one.
Klutch: As mentioned, hardcore punk inspired me to get involved with ar t. Back then
it was impor tant to be an active par ticipant
SPD: Is galler y wor k that echoes street ar t something that validates graffiti ar t or commodifies it?
Or both?
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Klutch: I suppose both. In one regard it’s nice
to get some recognition, but at the same time I
feel like the ar t for m is far too impor tant to just
be decorations for a hipster par ty. However, my
only income comes from painting, and if I can’t
sell enough to make my bills then my energy is
diver ted and I do less street wor k. The galler y
and cor porate wor k help fund my street wor k. It’s
like the old saying, “romance without finance has
no chance”.
SPD: Is your wor k the expression of a message,
or the representation of a vision?
Klutch: Honestly I am not too intellectual about
my ar t making. It’s just something I am compelled
to do. I feel like my job is to create the wor k and
after that it’s over for me. Whether they are any
good or have any meaning is up to the viewer.
SPD: Can you talk briefly about the Vinyl Killer s
project and why you have moved on from it?
Klutch: Vinyl Killer s was just a one off show that
took on a life of its own. Originally it was just a
means to showcase ever yone who was doing work
on old records, which exploded in 2003. As time
went on, more shows popped up, and soon folks
around the wor ld were painting vinyl and putting on
shows. Per sonally I am more interested in exploring
new paths as an ar tist, so I passed the show on to
folks who were more passionate about it and could
give it the love and attention it deser ves.
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SPD: You had a hear t attack a few year s ago. How has this affected your per spective? And, how are you doing?
Klutch: The hear t attack was big sur prise and really kicked my ass for about a
year. The upside is that when I was broke, alone and thought I was dying, spending
time in the studio was the thing that saved me. It didn’t seem like I had shit going
for me but doing ar t.
It has helped me to discover and be more appreciative of all the great things in
my life. And, rather than feeling vulnerable it has actually made me feel somewhat
immor tal, as I have been through some gnar ly shit in my life, and I always walk
away smelling like a rose.
These days I am doing better although I have to take TONS of medications, and if I
forget or can’t afford them then I can get pretty bad in just a few days.
----Somehow genuinely old school and aesthetically innovative, his wor k continues to
evolve not only along with, but also outside of the per vasive iconography of the
cur rent ar tistic movement. It is a visual signature that is recognizable in all of
it’s varied incar nations, regardless of medium. Though he has achieved substantial commercial success, his ar t has resisted the diluted spirit of commercialism.
Though the movements that bir thed his career have succumbed to the mor talities
of popular culture and reincar nated, raised by the sensibilities of a new generation, Klutch has ridden the waxed curb on the edge of transient style and never
fallen into the time specificity of any par ticular scene. And like the strange phoenix
of the punk movement, he doesn’t seem to bur n out or fade away.
Klutch’s wor k will be on display through April at Ghostprint Galler y, 220 W. Broad
St., with an opening reception on April 3rd for Fir st Friday. You can go to ghostprintgaller y.com or contact the galler y 804.344.1557 for more infor mation.
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' Ta l ks Shit
Ge n e v i E' v e C astrEe
A native of Québec, Geneviève Castrée now makes ar t
and music and delicious food in Anacor tes, Washington. She has written and illustr ated sever al wonderful books with the Montreal-based publishing house
L’Oie de Cr avan, and her wor k has been featur ed in a
volume of the Dr awn and Quar ter ly Showcase Series.
Perfor ming music as Woelv, her most r ecent album,
Tout Seul dans la Forêt en Plein Jour, Avez-Vous
Peur?, was released on K Records in 2007. Castrée
will have a show titled “Some Shit” at T hanky (407
Brook Rd.) opening on Friday, April 3rd, and she will
be playing there on the same weekend under the title
of her new musical project, Ô Paon.
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I nt e r vie w by Vict or ia L ong a nd Andy Je nk ins
How has the weather been in Anacortes this winter?
I was bouncing off the walls at fir st because we got
A WHOLE WEEK of snowy weather in December, but
for the most par t this winter has been a little rough
and gr ey. I keep a weird schedule, and I like to get
out fir st thing after br eakfast. It has been hard to
gather the str ength to do it, because you wake up
and it’s never sunny. Snow makes the winter bright.
Clouds make it impossible to tell what time it is.
Tell us about the work for “Some Shit”. What
ideas or concepts are you working with?
I think it can be humorous if not embar r assing when
people like me, people who speak English as a second language, embr ace abstr act for ms of foul language for lack of a better vocabular y. I am conscious
of the fact that it sounds a little cute if someone
asks, ‘Hey, Geneviève, what ar e you going to show
at T hanky?’ and I answer, ‘Oh, you know, some shit.’
Québécois accent and all. It makes one sound like
the bad kid at school. T hat is par tly why the show is
called that. T he bigger par t is that I have taken this
title quite liter ally in some of the pieces.
“Some Shit” will be something in between humor, ugliness and
public ser vice announcements. I tend to have many things to
say and there are str ange remar ks to be made.
I am also going through this deep black and white with maybe
some brown and or ange phase at the moment.
A lot of your work reminds us of children’ s books,
the ones where the ar t is really tr anscendent and the
stories are strange and beautiful. Do you ever think
of your work as par t of that tr adition? Did you read
Tommy dePaola or Maurice Sendak as a kid?
I have a special relationship with Maurice Sendak’s wor k. I
believe he was a great inspir ation without me knowing it for
a long time. When I was about four year s old, my father gave
me Outside Over There , which isn’t his most famous book.
The book is eerie; it featur es babies wearing cloaks among
eggshells, they kidnap another baby and r eplace him with a
dummy made of snow. The snow baby melts in the ar ms of his
loving big sister. It’s beautiful. I lost that book at some point.
I didn’t know who had made it. When I was twenty year s old
someone pointed out similarities between Maurice Sendak’s
wor k and my own. Growing up in Québec I wasn’t awar e of
most American illustr ator s. Québec can be isolated.
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How did the publishing of your first book come about?
I met Benoît from L’Oie de Cr av an when I was seventeen. I gave him some candy in the subway. I was
moving away from home at the time, to British Columbia. We became pen pals. Remember the nineties?
When people mailed things to each other? Anyway, I
sent him excer pts of what became Lait Fr appé , and
he decided to publish it.
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What cur rent ar tists do you like or feel have
influenced you?
Gee Vaucher is probably the ar tist whose wor k has
made me star e the most. She has done many photor ealistic black and white paintings. She has invented
a whole aesthetic that has influenced many people
out ther e. She is skilled in a way that I am not skilled.
I can’t dr aw what I am looking at. I need to dr aw from
memor y. You would have to be in the other room for
me to dr aw a por tr ait of you.
Julie Doucet was also a major influence when I was a
teenager. It was exciting to see so many details in a
comic, so much black on the page. She doesn’t dr aw
comics anymor e, but she is still an influence. There
is this fear less weird humor in the ar t she has been
making lately. It is difficult to explain, but somehow she manages to get a
smile out of people from ver y abstr act things. Her and this other friend, Dominique Pétrin, they make the str angest objects. Really bright colour s, papier
mâché animals that don’t look like animals anymor e once you get up close.
Réjean Duchar me is also an influence. He is a writer who is ver y popular
where I am from. No one knows what he looks like. He does not do interviews, and his books make me happy for the same r easons Dominique and
Julie’s wor k make me happy. It is so tr uly and deeply a Québec thing; tr ying
to explain it to another cultur e becomes alienating. It’s like an inside joke for
an entire nation, except the nation itself is the joke.
Can you share a recipe?
Lemon and egg soup for winter : T hinly chop the white par ts of two medium leeks.
Do the same with one small onion. Fr y leeks and onion at medium heat in two
tablespoons of olive oil. Add thr ee diced car rots. Cook for seven minutes while
stir ring r egular ly. Add six cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Add half a cup
of orzo. Simmer for ten minutes.
In a separ ate bowl, squeeze the juice of one lemon. Cr ack two eggs and stir them
into the lemon juice. Whisk the eggs while slowly adding about two ladles of the
broth in the bowl. Whisk the egg and lemon mixtur e back into the soup and whisk,
whisk, whisk, because you don’t want your eggs to cook in chunks. The soup will
become thick and cr eamy. Stir the soup and add a bunch of fresh par sley, a little
Tell us about your music projects. Is Ô Paon dif ferent from Woelv or bit or fr esh mint and a little bit of fr esh or egano.
did you just want to change the name?
Woelv was a great excuse for me to figur e out how to make music and tour. I Are there any beliefs that shape how you look at the world or go about
went from being a complete unknown to all of a sudden expecting things. It li ving?
was dangerous and a bit of a headache at times. I don’t like having to say I want to communicate things that will make other s ask a question. I want to make
‘I am a musician’ or ‘I am an car toonist’. I wanted a fr esh star t at the place and eat wholesome food. I want to sleep enough. I want ever yone to drink more
where I felt the most comfor table, fewer expectations. Ô Paon means “Ô Pea- tap water from a glass or cer amic cup.
cock”. It pokes fun at many things, one of them being alone on a stage and
getting people to pay attention to you. I feel comfor table wher e I am now.
What is next for you? What projects are on the horizon?
I am wor king on a book. I have an Ô Paon r ecord called Cour ses that I am hoping
to r elease (by myself) sometime in May or June, and I am helping organize the
eighth edition of a festiv al called “What the Heck?” her e in Anacor tes. It’s in
July, you should come.
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Opening Old Wounds
with Young Widows
Cur tis Grimstead | Gr o up p ho to co ur tesy o f the b and
Ar t wor k by D a v id C ook
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Last fall, Louisville, Kentucky’s
Yo u n g Wi d o w s r e l e a s e d O l d Wo u n d s ,
and the r ecord was immediately
h a i l e d by c r i t i c s a n d f a n s a s o n e o f
t h e b e s t r e c o r d s o f t h e y e a r, b e f o r e i t
h a d e v e n e n d e d . O l d Wo u n d s a n d Yo u n g
Wi d o w s f i t p e r f e c t l y i n t h e l i n e a g e o f
L o u i s v i l l e b a n d s. T h e y h a v e t h e a g gressiveness of peer s Coliseum and
L o r d s , y e t t h e y s t i l l h a v e m a t hy e l e ments of ear lier bands, such as June
o f 4 4 , Ro d a n a n d S h i p p i n g N e w s. I n t h e
next couple of months they ar e r eleasing a split 7” series with a set of dignified bands and v ar ying genr es, from Japanese
grindcore to singer/songwriter material. Guitarist and vocalist, Ev an Patter son, was awesome enough to answer a couple questions about
the band befor e they went out on tour :
Curtis Grimstead: You guys just released
O l d Wo u n d s a n d a r e a l r e a d y f o l l o w i n g i t u p
with a split 7” series with Melt Banana, Pel ican, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and one more.
How did this come to be? Was this something always planned or did it just kinda of
f all in place? Also, how wer e you guys a ble
to get all these amazing musicians able to
do this?
Evan Patterson : T h e s p l i t s e r i e s c a m e
about because we had four extr a recorded
songs that we felt needed to be released.
I t ’ s a l w a y s s a d t o l e t s o n g s t h a t d o n’ t m a k e
it on album lie around and not see the light
o f d a y. B o n n i e ‘ P r i n c e ’ B i l l y w a s t h e f i r s t
to agree to be a par t of the series and the
fir st to r ecor d his song. He’s an amazi n g s o n g w r i t e r, a n d h e r e s i d e s i n L o u i s v i l l e .
Just having him be a small par t of our
place in histor y is r e w ar ding. Pelican ar e
great friends of our s, and it was exciting
to share a release with them. Melt Banana
took our old band on tour year s a go, and
we’ve kept in touch since then. Agata is
one of the most innovative guitar player s, and they’re some of the
kindest people I have
had the pleasure
to join on
t o u r. We ’ r e s t i l l s e a r c h i n g o u t t h e f i n a l
ar tist for the series. (Note: Since this inter view took place, My Disco was added as
the 4th band.)
CG :
I h a v e h e a r d t h a t O l d Wo u n d s w a s r e corded half live and half tracked, which
created the unique sound that it car ries.
How did this recording process go?
EP :
The recording process was enjoyable but tedious. It’s rewarding to set out to achieve
something and have it come
out
better
than
you hoped.
H o n e s t l y, I ’ v e b e e n t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e r e cording of this album too much, and I’m
r eady to star t wor king on new concepts.
CG : T h e r e s p o n s e t o O l d Wo u n d s h a s b e e n
really good for you guys, it seems to be
album that ever yone – no matter what they
gener ally listen to – can agree was one
o f t h e b e s t a l b u m s o f l a s t y e a r. H a v e y o u
noticed a change in your shows and the
attitude toward the band before and
after the record coming out?
EP : T h e a t t e n d a n c e a t o u r s h o w s
has been better and the suppor t of
our music does seem to be growing, but I tr y to live in my own
little wor ld and not focus
on these kind of things. I
tr uly appreciate all interest and suppor t, and
it does fuel
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29
and inspire the creativity of the band.
CG :
I might be wrong about this, but I believe
you guys were all in Breather Resist, which
w a s m o r e o f a h a r d c o r e b a n d . I f e e l l i k e Yo u n g
Widows fits more in the Louisville bands like
Slint and Rodan than bands like Lords and
Coliseum, yet it still has some of the edge of
the newer bands. How would explain the progression from your previous wor ks to where
you are now?
EP : A t t h e t i m e – i n m y m i n d – I t h o u g h t B r e a t h er was more just full tilt progressive punk.
Looking back, I was really exploring a lot more
with tr ying to make music that was an assaulting experience r ather than considering dynamics and mood. Now I still have the desires to
make music that shares those same thoughts,
but instead of making a record of all songs
t h a t h a v e t h a t e x a c t s a m e s o u n d a n d i n t e n s i t y,
I want to create new sounds and patter ns that
I’ ve never created before and have words that
are just as – if not more – compelling than the
music. I would hope that one could listen to
any song that I’ ve written and take completely
dif fer ent things fr om ever y song.
CG :
30
A s i d e f r o m t h e m u s i c o n O l d Wo u n d s , t h e
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ar t is pretty cr ucial and interactive on the CD
ver sion. What is the background on the ar twor k?
EP : D a v i d C o o k i s t h e a r t i s t t h a t d r e w t h e
skulls. The concept initially star ted with the
cover fold of the CD inser t and grew with the
h e l p o f J e r e m y D e v i n e f r o m Te m p o r a r y R e s i dence Limited’s idea to have three different
cover s for the vinyl ver sion of the album.
CG :
Te m p o r a r y R e s i d e n c e i s p r o b a b l y o n e o f
the best independent labels you can be on at
the moment. How did you guys get hooked up
with them?
EP : J e r e m y a n d I h a v e v e r y s i m i l a r m u s i c b a c k grounds and it seems we were destined to find
e a c h o t h e r.
CG :
W h a t w o u l d y o u l i k e t o s e e Yo u n g W i d o w s
d o t h a t y o u h a v e n’ t d o n e y e t ? W h a t i s t h e f u t u r e o f Yo u n g W i d o w s l o o k i n g l i k e ?
EP : T h e f u t u r e i s n’ t a l w a y s c r y s t a l c l e a r f o r u s .
In Fe br uar y we go to Eur ope and the United
Kingdom for three weeks, then shor tly after
that we get to take out the band My Disco,
from Austr alia, for about three weeks. There
P ho t o : Paul G a l ip e a u
p a ulg a lip e a u. c om
will probably be a headlining west coast tour in summ e r. To u r s a r e a l w a y s s u s t a i n i n g a n d e x c i t i n g . O u r
n e x t r e l e a s e c o n c e p t i s a 1 2 - i n c h E P. We w a n t t o
release it maybe the end of the year or maybe the
b e g i n n i n g o f n e x t y e a r. I t w i l l h a v e a u n i q u e m u sical and lyrical theme that will appear throughout
the songs, and the recording process will also be a
u n i q u e e x p e r i e n c e a s w e l l . We d o n’ t a i m h i g h , w e j u s t
nar row things down a bit.
CG : L a s t l y, y o u g u y s h a v e p l a y e d R i c h m o n d n u m e r o u s
t i m e s n o w. H o w w o u l d y o u s u m u p h o w R i c h m o n d h a s
been to you?
EP : R i c h m o n d i s a n d h a s a l w a y s b e e n o n e o f o u r f a vorite cities to visit. It’s ver y similar to Louisville.
We ’ v e p l a y e d a h a l f - f l o o d e d b a s e m e n t i n a n a p a r t ment complex, to Alley K atz, to Nanci Raygun, to a
s u s h i b a r. A l l t h e v e n u e s h a v e b e e n t i m e l e s s i n t h e i r
own ways, and for some reason we always tend to end
o u r t o u r s i n R i c h m o n d . N o t s u r e w h y, i t j u s t s e e m s
like a good place to stop and head home.
Yo u c a n c h e c k o u t Yo u n g W i d o w s ( w i t h H a i l H y d r a , M o u t h b r e a t h e r, B r a i n w o r m s , a n d H e x M a c h i n e ) o n Tu e s . A p r i l
7 t h a t G a l l e r y 5 ( 2 0 0 W. M a r s h a l l S t . ) . 7 p m - $ 5 - A l l a g e s .
To l i s t e n t o Yo u n g W i d o w s g o t o w w w. m y s p a c e . c o m /
youngwidows
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R o b H u d d l e st o n :
L ay i n g D ow n t h e Fo u n dat i o n
Laur en Vincelli | Pho to s by Chris Mo r an | Po r tr ait by Me g an Kim be r
Ro b H ud d le s t o n is no s t r a nge r t o R i c hm o nd ’ s m us ic scene. Since 1991
H ud d le s t o n ha s b e e n e nt r e nc he d in t he p unk s c e ne , fir st, with political
p o s t - ha r d c o r e ic o ns I nq uis it io n a nd s ub s e q ue nt ly a s t he s inger/s ongw r it e r fo r Ann B e r e t t a . H ud d le s t o n c o nv inc e d b o t h I nquisition and Ann
B e r e t t a t o d o a c o us t ic s e t s, a nd d ur ing his s t int w it h Ann B er et t a, Hudd le s t o n hit t he s t a ge a s a s o lo p e r fo r m e r t o c o nt inue his acous t ic act in
his ne w p r o je c t , Fo und a t io n.
Fo und a t io n s t a r t e d a s a n a c o us t ic Ann B e r e t t a p r o je ct . Af t er t heir f ir s t
r e c o r d a nd s o m e c o nv inc ing f r o m H ud d le s t o n, Ann Ber etta r ushed out
a n a c o us t ic r e c o r d in a b o ut t w o d ay s. T h ey w e r e n’ t par ticular ly ha ppy
w it h t he a lbum , but t he ir a ud ie nc e s e e m e d t o c o nn e ct to it. T heir next
p la n w a s t o r e c o r d b o t h a n e le c t r ic a nd a c o us t ic ver s ion of t he fol lo w ing a lbum (w it h a f e w ex t r a s o ng s o n e a c h), a nd r elease them at
t he s a m e t im e o n F ue le d by R a m e n. T hey p la nne d to title the r elease
Fo un d a t io n. T his w a s a b o l d m ov e fo r a p unk b a nd in the mid 90s.
“At t he t im e no o ne w a s r e c o r d i ng a c o us t ic p unk r ecor ds, ” s aid Hudd le s t o n. “ T he r e w e r e b a nd s lik e T he Ala r m , w ho w e w er e alw ays get 32
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ting compar ed to. I had he a r d T he Ala r m w h e n
they w er e popular in the la t e 8 0 s but ne v e r
r e a lly paid that m uc h att e nt io n t o t he m . ”
Hud dleston c ontends tha t t he t r ue t e s t o f a
gr eat song is that it will b e a ble t o t r a n s c e n d
genr es. A song should ha v e e q ua l w e ig ht p laye d
loud and f ast with a full e le c t r ic s e t up a s i t
should stripped down to a n a c o us t ic g uit a r a n d
a single voice.
F ue le d by R am en liked Ann B e r e t t a ’ s a c o us t ic r e lease but didn’ t feel it w a s in d ic a t i v e o f t he ir us u a l
so und. T heir m ar keting t e a m go t a ho ld o f it a nd
a ne w plan came into
play. T hey stripped Ann
Be r e tta’s nam e of f of it
a nd , w ith Huddleston’s
consent, r eleased the
r e cor d as his solo r ecor d, under the name
Found ation.
Ann Ber etta has since
gone on hiatus and
Hud dleston spent year s
writing and r ecor ding
music as a solo ar tist.
Now he has signed to
a ne w la bel with an old
fr ie nd , Pa per + P lastik.
“ Wit h [ Pa p e r + P la s t ik ] I ’ v e c o m e f ull c ir c le , ” s a id H ud d le s t o n. “ I t is a ne w la bel that
w a s s t a r t e d by my f r ie nd Vinni e [ F io r e l lo ] w ho s t a r t e d F ue le d by R amen. He actually
s o ld his p a r t o f F ue le d by R a m e n, w hic h is a c t ua lly no w p a r t o f a m ajor la bel, and t ook
t ha t m o ney t o s t a r t up t his ne w p r o je c t , t his ne w la b e l, w hic h is a c t ually a multi-media
la b e l. I t ’ s b a c k t o t he r o o t s. ”
Pa p e r + P la s t ik p la ns t o r e le a s e e v e r y t hing o n v iny l p a c k a ge d with a fr ee digital
d o w nlo a d a nd k ille r a lbum a r t w o r k . T he ir go a l is t o r e le a s e m us ic suppor t by visual
a r t a nd v ic e v e r s a . T his ne w la b e l ha s line d up a r o s t e r o f a r t is t s inc luding Landm ine s a nd T he Ex p lo s io n, a m o ng o t he r s, a nd r e c r uit e d v is ua l a r t is t s, D ave Quig gle,
L a ur ie Ship ley a nd H o r s e b it e s, w ho d id t he a lbum a r t w o r k fo r t he upcoming Foundat io n r e le a s e , Chimbor azo . Pa p e r + P la s t ik a ls o p l a ns t o v e nt ur e into collectible toys
a n d lim it e d e d it io n f ine a r t p r int s.
D r a w ing f r o m m us ic a l i nf lue nc e s lik e Elv is, To m Wa it s, J a m e s Tay lor, Cr edence Clear w a t e r Re v i v a l a nd t h e D o o b i e B r o t he r s, Ro b H ud d le s t o n s e t o ut to r efine twelve
s o ng s fo r Chimbor azo .
I n R ic hm o nd , c o unt r y a nd p unk m us ic o f t e n go ha nd in ha nd and Chimbor azo is
no ex c e p t io n. H ud d le s t o n’ s a r c he t y p a l c o unt r y ly r ic s a nd t e no r vocals ar e pair ed
w it h t he t w a ng o f c o unt r y s t y le g uit a r s, w a r bling f id d le s, p ia nos and s t eady r oll ing d r um line s. M a ny s o ng s c o nj ur e up s o m e nic e t e a r- in- my - beer moments that
inv it e t he a ud ie n c e t o s ing a lo ng. A f e w s o ng s e v e n f e a t ur e t he accompaniment
o f a f e m a le v o c a lis t .
T his r e le a s e is a d e p a r t ur e f r o m H ud d le s t o n’ s p e r v io u s b a nd s’ typical har d, f ast
a n d lo ud r e le a s e s. I t d o e s, ho w e v e r, r e m a in t r ue t o his p unk r oc k principles, and
H ud d le s t o n ex p la ins he w a s ne v e r o ne fo r c o nfo r m it y.
“ I ne v e r w a s o ne o f t ho s e g uy s t ha t t ho ug ht t he r e w e r e r ules for punk r oc k,
34
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lik e yo u c o uld n’ t ha v e a m a jo r la b e l d e a l or w hat e ver, ” ex p la ine d H ud d le s t o n . “ I ’ v e a lw ay s t ho ug ht the idea of punk
w a s no t ha v ing a ny r u le s. W he n s o m e o ne comes out and
s ay s ‘ t his is t he c he c k lis t , if yo u’ r e not this, you’ r e not
p unk , ’ t ha t k ind o f go e s a g a ins t t he w hole principle. ”
H ud d le s t o n is t a k ing a d v a nt a ge o f t he cur r ent ly low airf a r e s a nd f ly ing o ut a r o und t he U nit e d St ates for mini tour s.
H e s a id t his s t y le o f t o ur ing s uit s him bet t er, becaus e he
is a ble t o s p e nd t im e w it h h is 8 - m o nt h-old son and wife.
H ud d le s t o n a ls o w ill b e a ble t o c a ll o n friends in dif fer ent
c it i e s t o f i ll o ut hi s b a nd a t c e r t a in venues, cr eating a
r e v o lv ing r o s t e r o f b a nd m e m b e r s s o to speak.
I n t his w ay t he r o s t e r w ill r e m a in t r ue to Huddleston’s
t he o r y t h a t m us ic t r a ns c e nd s ge nr e . Foundat ion’ s r os t e r w il l c ha nge o f t e n. So m e t im e s t hey will perfor m as
a f ull b a nd , s o m e t im e s a s a n a c o us t ic t hr ee-piece and
s o m e t im e s a s jus t Ro b H ud d le s t o n s t ripped dow n t o his
fo und a t io n.
H ud d le s t o n’ s ne w r e c o r d , Chimbor azo , w ill be r eleas ed
o n Pa p e r + P la s t ic o n M a r c h 2 4 t h. T he CD r eleas e
s ho w w ill b e M a r c h 2 7 t h a t t he C a nal Club with special
g ue s t s D a v e H o us e (T h e L ov e d O nes), Cr uiserweight
a n d B r e t Ad a m s (R i o t B e fo r e ). T ic kets ar e on sale
no w a t P la n 9 a nd w w w. t he c a na lc lub.com. All tic ket
buye r s ge t a f r e e d ig it a l EP a t t he show. For mor e
info r m a t io n c he c k o ut w w w. fo undationbandr v a. com
a nd w w w. p a p e r a nd p la s t ic k . c o m .
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The Hours and The D ays:
T h e Me tamor p hos i s of J onathan Vassar
Sha nno n C le a r y | P hoto by Le slie Ed w ar ds
Jona tha n Vassar pulled quit e t he d is a p p e a r ing a c t fo r t he b e t t e r p a r t o f t his
d e ca d e . After the r elease of t w o w e ll- r e c e i v e d f ull- le ng t hs, t he R ic hm o nd m u sica l com m unity w as c urious t o s e e w ha t w o uld c o m e next . It t o ok a lit t le lo n ge r tha n anyone c ould hav e im a g ine d (Jo na t ha n inc lud e d ). Af t e r a f e w ye a r s
o f co ntem plation and the a s s is t a nc e o f Tr ip le St a m p Re c o r d s, T he Hour s and
T he Days would see the light o f d ay.
With T he Hour s and T he Days , Va s s a r ’ s c r a f t is f ully r e a liz e d . In t he p a s t , his
lyrical focus r elied heavily o n c r e a t ing s c e n e s. M uc h lik e ho w a r t is t s s uc h a s
Br uce Springsteen will tak e a s lic e o f lif e o r c ine m a t i c m o m e nt s a nd fo c us
the d e pth of the song on exa m ining t his. As Va s s a r p ut s it , “ Wit h my s o ng s
I tried to consider the idea o f t he s ho r t s t o r y a nd ho w a m I a ble t o ex p r e s s
so me thing in a c ondensed w ay. ” Wit h s o ng s lik e “ T he Ro s e s o f Sha r o n” a nd
“A Ma tc h Made in Heav en” o f f o f 9 Songs, t he s e s c e ne s w e r e e ng r a ine d m o r e
fr om per sonal experience. So m e o f t he s e s o ng s e v e n la c k e d a t r a d i t io n a l
songwriting for m in the sens e t ha t t he r e w a s n o c ho r us a ny w he r e in s ig ht .
With a m or e r ealized sens e o f s o ng w r it ing, Va s s a r b e g a n t a k in g no t e o f
se ve r a l t hings. For him thes e t hing s w e r e , “ Fo lk exp r e s s io ns, o ld fo lk s o ng s,
ver ses fr om the Bible and e s s e nt ia lly a ny t hing I w a nt e d t o t ur n up s id e d o w n
on its head to get the listene r t o t hink . ” B y d o ing s o, he ha s d e v e lo p e d a w ay
of moving past just cr eating a s c e ne a nd le a v ing m o r e o f a n im p r e s s io n in
his songs. With this ne w ba t c h o f s o ng s, he ha s s e t a t o ne in his s o ng w r it ing tha t has put him f ar a bov e t he g a m e in r e g a r d s t o t he R ic hm o nd s inge r /
so ngwr iter c om m unity.
Va s s a r f a c e d ye t a no t he r o b s t a c l e w it h t his ne w int uit io n for songwriting. His
s o ng s d e m a nd e d m o r e in s t r um e nt a t i o n. T ha nk f ully, h e w a s a ble to r ecr uit a
b a c k ing b a nd by t he na m e o f T he Sp e c k le d B ir d . T hey consist of his wife,
Ant o nia F is he r- D uk e , p lay ing a c c o r d io n a nd his f r ie nd , C hris Ed w ar ds, playing e le c t r ic g uit a r, m a nd o lin a nd b a njo. N o t t o m e nt io n that on his EP T he
Hour s and T he Days , he ha d t he he lp o f lo c a l f a v o r it e s Jo s h Small, Homemade
K ni v e s s inge r / Tr ip le St a m p Re c o r d s o w ne r Wil L oy a l, Ano us heh K halili, as w ell
a s D a v id Shult z a nd T he Sk y line . Wit h t his a s s is t a nc e , h is songs feel lar ger
t ha n lif e . W he t he r it is “ C a t c h M e I f Yo u C a n” o r “ Fle s h a nd Bone”, the slight
a d d e d t o uc he s o f s lid e g uit a r o r m inim a l d r um s m a k e t he songs feel muc h
m o r e c o m p le t e .
T he f ut ur e fo r Va s s a r a nd T he Sp e c k le d B ir d lo o k s p r o m ising. T hey ar e put t ing t he ir f inis hing t o uc he s o n ye t a no t he r EP e nt it le d T he Fir e Next Time .
Va s s a r d e s c r ib e s t he a p p r o a c h t o t his r e c o r d a s b e ing a bit dif f er ent comp a r e d t o T he Hour s and the Days . “ W he n I o r ig ina lly w e nt into the studio for
t ha t f ir s t EP, ” Va s s a r s a id , “ it w a s r e a l ly o nly s up p o s e d t o be just me, Antonia
a n d C hr is. Af t e r a s ug ge s t io n by Wil (L oy a l), w e a d d e d all of these guest
p laye r s. I r e a lly d ug ho w t ha t t ur ne d o ut , but t ha t ’ s no t w hat I had originally
c o nc e i v e d fo r t ha t EP. S o w it h t his ne w o ne , I t hink w e a r e all going to tr y
a n d k e e p it a s jus t t he t hr e e o f us a s m u c h a s w e c a n. ” T he songs for this
ne w EP w e r e w r it t e n s ho r t ly a f t e r t he p r o d uc t io n o f T he Hour s and T he Days .
I t c o uld b e ex p e c t e d fo r t he r e t o b e a line a ge b e t w e e n t he t w o EP s. Vas s ar
p r o m is e s t ha t fo r his nex t f ull- le ng t h, t he r e w ill b e no t ic ea ble dif f er ences in
t o ne a nd s o ng w r it ing. H e no t e s, “ Wit h t he f ull- le ng t h, t he tone may be a tad
m o r e a p o c a ly p t i c a nd s t r a nge , but I k no w t he c o lle c t io n o f songs I’m saving
fo r t ha t a r e d e f ini t e ly a m uc h d if f e r e n t t a k e t ha n w ha t I have been doing with
T h e Sp e c k le d B ir d . ” T he ne w f ull- le ng t h s ho uld b e o ut la t er t his year.
I n his s o ng “Ar m a nd H a m m e r ” , Va s s a r e nd s t he s o ng w it h the r efr ain “I’ ll be
f a r a w ay f r o m he r e . ” Af t e r a lo ng hia t us a n d t he ex p e c t e d r eleas es of T he Fir e
Next Time a s w e ll a s a n e w f ull - le ng t h, I c a n o nly ho p e h e does n’ t r emain t oo
f a r a w ay f r o m R ic hm o nd . We lc o m e b a c k , Jo na t ha n. MUS IC
37
As I’ ve been watching the American economy circle the drain over the
past several months, I keep har king back to the alt-countr y troubadour s that littered the landscape of the nineties and ear ly naughts, and
wonder if they’re kicking themselves for missing the boat. With only a
minor bit of tweaking, their reflective Dust Bowl songs could have easily
reflected the cur rent housing crisis and economic woes with all sor ts of
romantic details.
T hese ideas ar e continually for ced to the for e of my mind by the Silver
Lining section of the media that constantly reminds me that recessions
a r e a g r e a t t i m e f o r t h e a r t s . D o n’ t b e l i e v e t h e m ? Ta k e a l o o k a t t h e
massive amounts of records produced during the Great Depression and
the impact they had on post-Depression culture well into the sixties and
s e v e n t i e s . O r w h a t a b o u t N e w Yo r k i n t h e l a t e s e v e n t i e s ? A l m o s t e v e r y one is familiar with the apocalyptic vibe in the city that helped spawn
punk, no-wave, mutant disco and hip-hop that was captured in the class i c p e r i o d p i e c e , C . H . U. D.
So, with those two shining examples, we should be shuf f ling into a golden
age of musical r einvention and egalitarian songwriting, right? Not quite.
Because, you see, the difference in those periods and this one is that
t h e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e o f t h e e n t i r e i n d u s t r y w a s n’ t c o l l a p s i n g s i m u l t a n e o u s l y. P e o p l e i n e a c h o f t h e s e e r a s k n e w h o w t o m a k e m o n e y o f f o f a
mar ket full of people looking for cheap enter tainment. The problem now
is they’re looking for free enter tainment. If I was four teen, it would
make muc h mor e sense for me to na g my par ents for an iPod and then
download all the free music my hear t desired as opposed to begging for
fifteen bucks ever y week to go buy records. As social networ king continu e s t o e n g u l f t h e l i v e s o f p e o p l e w h o c a n’ t a f f o r d t o g o o u t ( a n d t h o s e
who can, because ther e’s less showering involved), it becomes mor e and
more natural for people to search for rare albums and either download
t h e m o r o r d e r t h e m o n l i n e . T h i s d o e s n’ t q u i t e e q u a t e t o a n e n v i r o n m e n t
the industr y has seen in the past. Of cour se, there’s always the likelihood that reasonably priced live enter tainment will blossom, and within
that sphere there’s plenty of room for an audience shift. Bringing people
away from big ticket acts in arenas means bigger audiences for DIY touring bands in dives and basements. Then, as the recession (hopefully)
winds down, the economy – combined with the new blood created in the
underground – will create some sor t of sustainable legacy for those
w i l l i n g t o t r u d g e t h r o u g h t h e c l i m a t e . H o w e v e r, i t s e e m s h i g h l y u n l i k e l y
that we’ ll see any of the politically inspired diatribes that other such
periods fed on, as bands/ar tists are now caught up in the clash between
sustaining hope and optimism in our new president and experiencing
p o v e r t y a n d j o b l o s s t h a t h a s n’ t b e e n s e e n i n d e c a d e s . I t ’ s a c u r i o u s l i n e
to walk, and I’d be ver y interested to hear the sor t of singer/songwriter
who could manage such a ground intelligently without resor ting to the
FUCK BUSH slogans that we’ve been hearing ad nauseum over the past
eight year s.
It’s easy to scoff as the major s str uggle to find any ground to hold while
C D s f a l l o u t o f f a v o r a n d r e v e n u e s d i p, b u t m y h e a r t l i t e r a l l y d r o p p e d
w h e n To u c h & G o a n n o u n c e d i t w a s s h u t t e r i n g i t s d i s t r i b u t i o n a r m a n d
ceasing to r elease ne w r ecor ds. For those of you not w holly f amiliar with
t h e l e g a c y o f To u c h & G o , t h e l a b e l a n d i t s f o u n d e r, C o r e y R u s k , h a v e
remained as bastions of the tr ue spirit of punk and indie rock for almost
thir ty year s. T hey have oper ated with handshake agr eements, bringing
countless incredible bands from any number of genres into the light of
day and maintaining a fucking incredible amount of goodwill while ser ving as an example to anyone interested in star ting a label. This is what
s c a r e s m e . A s d i s t a n c e d a s I c a n b e w i t h P u l p To n e s , t h i s s h i t i s u n n e r v i n g . We N E E D p l a c e s l i k e To u c h & G o , a n d j u s t a f e w y e a r s a g o , t h e y w e r e
h i t t i n g t h e i r a l l - t i m e h i g h f o r s a l e s . T h e p a r a d i g m i s s h i f t i n g . We d o n’ t
have songs for our new Depression, but I’m sure they’ ll be some great
rhymes to be made after the bottom drops out.
MUS IC
39
A n d n ow b eat i n g t h e ea r d r u m s. ..
The Prodigy
Invaders Must Die
Take Me To The Hospital
Onetime underground rave rockers and pioneers of big beat electronica, The Prodigy
shamelessly incorporate new elements on Invaders Must Die , their first album to feature all
three band members since The Fat Of The Land in 1997. Drawing influence from ar tists like
Justice and The Go! Team, The Prodigy reinject their infatuation with skull-shattering bass
and epic breakbeats into the European club scene.
Pulsing with dramatic electricity, each track will shock the studded belts at any angry dance par ty, but Invaders Must Die is
more than just a collection of potential hits; its chaotic order, flawless song transitions and unpredictable shifts in energy form
an addictive experiment in dance music. Though less groundbreaking than previous works by The Prodigy, Invaders Must Die
stays true to the beat-heavy, industrial electronic style they have been expanding for nearly twenty years. - Bryan Unger
Neko Case
Middle Cyclone
ANTIIt has been three years since Neko Case has graced the world with a studio album and this
time she’s back with a broadsword. If anything, this interim has delivered us a Neko even
more polished, shinier and even more ready to cut your head in half with her vocal skills, if
not her considerable skills at carback sword fighting. “The Pharaohs” is a jewel of scintillating guitar riffs thrown up in the dust of what used to be your hear t and is vocally strong
enough to be a for tress in the storms that are running all over this record. Throughout her
ventures in country music, Neko Case has challenged people’s conception of what a country singer can tackle lyrically, stylistically and culturally. In spirit, if not in style, she is the inheritor of the storm front named Emmylou Harris that was pushing hard
against the Nashville clone factory in the early ‘80s and winning. Middle Cyclone weaves a whirling path between stark beauty
and lavish sonic storms, dipping through your hometown and up the highway toward the lights on the horizon. - Eriq Nelson
42
MUSIC
Brainworms
Swear to Me
Rorschach Records
Compulsively schemed
from beginning to end,
Brainsworms’ second
full-length
release,
Swear To Me , insists
your full attention.
Opening strong, the persistent vocals invade the decadently melodic “Let’s Be Honest”, “Jay’s Big Date” and
“Half a Life”, then recede graciously for the first of two
instrumental intermissions.
Sandwiched between the lyricless pieces lies an epic
triumvirate. “Which Words” flays with transcendently
schizophrenic changes in tone, destroying your preconceptions in preparation for the highlight of the album,
“Ropes Course”. “Whatever That’s How You Get Famous”
follows asser tively; however, with a spoken word rant set
to increasingly convulsive chaos, the peak of the album’s
intelligent fun. The second lyrical break, “The Pinnacle
of Storytelling” gives you only a moment of feverishly
melodic relaxation.
The album ends in a fashion reminiscent of the beginning,
with “Lottery Balls” and “Take Your Medicine” rounding
out the album impeccably by barking out Brainworms’
brutal roots and intentions. Technically marvelous and
lyrically stellar, Swear To Me earns your time. Put it on,
turn it up and pay attention. - Bobby Pembleton
Morrissey
Years of Refusal
Lost Highway
Morrissey has traveled an interesting road throughout his career, dipping
into literature and dropping out of music at times. He tends to walk around
rock music loosely and freely without much regard for other people’s opinions and it shows. He’s got a big collection of organs, synths, drums and
guitars and he’s gonna use them all tonight. Years of Refusal is a backstage
pass to Morrissey’s mind. This album star ts off strong with “Something Is
Squeezing My Skull”, bringing a smattering of pure rock to the album, grabbing your attention and letting
you inside. Then the he beckons you into the back room for tracks that sound more like a progression of his
solo work since his return to the music scene in ‘03 with You Are The Quarry . For those familiar with Morrissey, you’ll notice that his lyrics have moved outward in this record, painting pictures of the world through
his eyes and letting you inside to watch. For those unfamiliar, you are about to meet a brilliant lyricist face to
face and come away smiling. - Eriq Nelson
The Whitest Boy Alive
Rules
Bubbles
The Whitest Boy Alive is the greatest elevator band you’ve ever heard. They
are dancing quietly in a light disco limbo between Belle and Sebastian and
The Postal Service, wagging their fingers to the beat. They write minimalist
electro inspired pop compositions that have nothing to prove; they are breezy
and light on their feet, smiling the entire time as they dance through your
headphones. By the time “Intentions” is playing you’ve already introduced
them to your mother and invited them to come stay the weekend. Just when you think that they can be written
off as a light handed pop band from Berlin, “Timebomb” comes along and you realize there is something
lurking under the covers of their hotel sheets. Something dangerous. Something cool and unknown that you
need more of. It’s okay, they’re not going anywhere yet, and there’s plenty more on this album that bears
repeated listening. - Eriq Nelson
Vicegrip
Demo
Swim Harder
“I’ve got this sickness, who knows
tomorrow/I’ll plant the seed, you sow
the sorrow”. Thus ends “Ill Omen”,
the first track on Vicegrip’s recent
demo. Released on Swim Harder
Cassettes, Vicegrip’s initial recordings are promising to say the least. While ostensibly paying homage to
legends in the scene – Righteous Jams, American Nightmare, Integrity
– these four tracks definitely venture into unchar ted terrain. Musically, these songs are full of a texture and a youthful energy that few
bands succeed in capturing. The brooding, uncer tainty-laden opening chords of “Ill Omen” convey the mood of the entire record. The
heaviness, the depth, and the sheer vitality of these four tracks are
enough to make anyone with a pulse want to hur t something. Lyrically,
however, vocalist Knox Colby explores exceedingly personal terrain.
Disappointment, misfor tune and doubt are all recurring themes. Tearing through mix, the vocals are marked by a sense of desperation and
urgency that reinforce the feelings of disillusionment and regret that
fuel the demo. “Iron into Steel” and “Moving On” are more uptempo
songs with a Suicide File-esque groove. The final track, entitled “Vicegrip”, is definitely the demo’s heaviest song with its thick, chugging
intro. Though well recorded, the demo fails to capture the heaviness
of these tracks heard live. Even so, Vicegrip’s demo is a testament
to the idea that angry young kids can still make amazing music. Anyone who has ever felt threatened by the prospect of having to face
adulthood, anyone who has ever been disappointed, anyone who has
ever endured the crushing burden that life becomes day after day can
cer tainly relate to these tracks. - Chandler O’Connor
MUS IC
43
99-09
presents
DJ Spooky 3/13 @ IS Venue, C’ville
Join our group
and gift application on Facebook
2 1/2 N. 18th St Richmond
(804) 644-5044
1325 W. Main St Charlottesville
(434) 244-5044
NEW HULL STREET LOC ATION OPENING SOON!!!
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
Talia Miller and Mike Rutz
T he idea for this column originated in our mutual T heorizing Gender Violence
c lass. Since then, we have had sever al in-depth conver sations r egar ding sex
and gender in a social context and how sex plays out in our lovely city. What we
quic kly r ealized is that this topic is r ar ely, if ever, discussed in an open and honest context. T hat’s w hat we strive to be with this column: completely open, honest
and as objective as possible in our sociological explor ation of sexuality. If you
would like to r espond or of fer additional insight to a column, please email us at
thisishowwedoit@r v amag.com.
Our gender r oles, r egar ding sex and otherwise, have been pr escribed to us since
bir th. Take a look at our pictur es for last month’s column – the boy is blue and
the gir l is pink. Women, specifically, gr ow up tr ying to ne gotiate the r oles of virgin and w hor e that r emain per v asive in today’s (supposedly) sexually liber ated
society.
Take this example: ther e ar e guys out ther e w ho admit they don’ t do anything
consider ed “dir ty” w hen they have sex with their gir lfriend. T he r eason is not as
str ange as you’ d think; basically, the man sees the woman as the futur e mother of
his c hildr en and nothing else. T his fur ther illustr ates the vir gin/w hor e dic hotomy,
but w hy can’t we seem to r econcile the two? It’s as if guys w ant to be sur e the gir l
they mar r y is pur e. Not that she’s an actual vir gin, but that she won’ t let her self
go too wild. And if she does, it will be only with him.
T hat’s w hy, even if you’ ve been to gether for a long time, the man may have tr ou ble seeing the woman as anything other than pur e and vir ginal. Once you’ ve taken
46
OPI N IO N
her home to your par ents you should no longer see her in a sexual light. It’s
like, I fell in love with this per son, and I w ant to be serious so I don’t w ant
her to be a w hor e w hen we ar e to gether. It’s a decision that – even if the
man isn’ t totally satisfied sexually – completes his emotional side.
So, w hen women have sex without attac hments, or decide to get a little kinky,
guys ar e cool with that as long as they don’ t feel entitled to that one per son.
You see gir ls getting undr essed for a video camer a and those ar e images
that, as a man, you str ongly associate with women you don’t w ant to end up
with. Perha ps ther e is that fear that once you open up that side, you won’t
be a ble to go bac k, and it will tur n out to be how she continues to act. Whic h
means sexually adventur ous women may alw ays be cate gorized as w hor es,
e ven after they get mar ried.
Muc h of the g a p between the two r oles r emains due to men’s jealousy. T hey
think, if I have attac hment-fr ee sex, then I won’ t get jealous about it or have
any feelings a bout this woman w hatsoe ver. Howe ver, if I star t to like her,
then I’m going to wor r y. You know, she’s like this with me, so she must be
like this with other guys, and she’s slee ping ar ound. And even though that’s
the exact same thing I’m doing, I don’ t w ant her to do that, because I’ ll get
jealous. T he c lassic double standar d.
T his dic hotomy allows men to feel safe fr om any confusion, because the only
options they r eally have ar e to bottle up or explode. Unfor tunately, jealous
anger fr om men in r elationships is still lar gely expected and excused – but
that emotion only comes with the title. When ther e ar e no strings attac hed,
ther e’s not the same kind of emotion involved, if any at all.
Guys typically don’ t get jealous until they feel like they have some sor t of
owner ship over that per son or at least a connection to them. It’s simple r eally:
guys get jealous thinking a bout their gir lfriend slee ping with some body else
– being a “w hor e”. Jealousy for females is also implicit, but it’s shr ug ged of f
because the connotations ar e dif fer ent. Women ar e taught that in or der to be
successful – to be a r eal woman – you need to find a mate and have a f amily.
T his is ver y contr ar y to the r eality we exist in, and it cr eates a lot of r oom for
jealousy. But it’s not a sexual jealousy; it’s maybe mor e of an emotional jeal ousy. As we said in the fir st column, sex and emotion ar e completely linked – as
muc h as we w ant to deny it.
And we think about c heating for men and women so dif fer ently. When women
c heat – and you can take this bac k thr ough histor y – it’s suc h a big deal, an
inexcusable crime. But so many times w hen men c heat women take them bac k,
because they see it as a physical act and not as an emotionally intimate act
with someone else, w hic h is w hat matter s to them. For men, being physically,
sexually intimate with someone else, is the wor st thing that could ha ppen. It
goes bac k to how men ar e socialized to feel entitled to women’s bodies and
their sexuality, and they ar e expected to take owner ship of that w hile women
ar e not. When women take that bac k, it’s a definite sla p in the f ace.
Inc luded in the vir gin/w hor e dic hotomy is the w hole public ver sus priv ate debate. Like, I would take you home priv ately to fuc k you, but I wouldn’ t public ly
show you ar ound as my significant other, or vice ver sa. Lately gir ls, as well
as guys, have per petuated this. With this embr acement of no strings attac hed
sexuality, ther e seems to be nothing expected beyond sex itself. But both parties have to be privy to this infor mation, and it isn’ t alw ays like that. T her e has
to be some sor t of under standing, but it’s dif ficult to r eac h an under standing
without talking to the per son, w hic h is a par adox, because if you don’ t see
anything beyond fuc king, then you pr oba bly don’ t w ant to have a sit down, seri -
ous conver sation with them. Even “friends with benefits” have to deal with eac h
other in public after their priv ate time.
If you ar e hooking up with some body and you star t to feel dif fer ently about
him or her, the w hole dynamic c hanges. Dating r aises e ver ything to the public
le vel, and you see that per son in a dif fer ent light. T his is good in many w ays,
but it also cr eates that ne w le vel of tension and emotions that guys don’t w ant
to think a bout. You can ne ver have sex a g ain with the same under standing. So
guys will likely stop alto gether, because they don’ t w ant to go into that ter ritor y since they have to sit down and talk and take a risk. Men ar e socialized to
halt their af fections anyw ay, because r omantic love makes you less of a man in
our cultur e. And you cer tainly don’ t w ant to show af fection for someone w ho’s
not the vir gin.
And so it r emains in our society that you can only have it one w ay or the other.
T hat’s w hy it w as inter esting w hen Texas pastor Ed Young ur ged his mar ried
congr e g ants to have sex for se ven str aight days. Especially in conser v ative
r eligions, most people don’ t talk a bout sex, because it isn’t supposed to be
a major par t of the r elationship. What he w as saying is that by having sex
you ar e going to have a healthier r elationship. A lot of men and women wer e
pr oba bly afr aid, because Pastor Young w as asking them to not only bridge that
dic hotomy, but to bridge it within the context of a conser v ative Christian marria ge. Couples wer e pr oba bly fine with the vir gin aspect of it, but to focus on
sex for fun – that’s ver y cool on one hand – but on the other hand it could have
cr eated a lot of emotional tension. Especially w hen other issues wer e br ought
into the pictur e, suc h as infidelity, that should pr oba bly be wor ked out fir st.
Or, allow couples to divor ce without being stigmatized if their mar riage isn’t
wor king at all, instead of r elying on sex as a solution.
OPINION
47
,
2
c h a n g e pa r t
Id enti t y: R ichm o n d
Two score and five year s ago, Mar tin Luther King Jr. had a
dream. Now, I’m not black, and I’m not Obama riding in on
a tr ain, but I too have a dream for our future. I dream of a
Richmond willing, ready and able to step back into the forefront
of American society. I dream of a city striving to make a better
future, not a better ode to the past. I dream of a fully realized metropolis, powered by 21st centur y technology, not
20th centur y excess. I dream of a near future where
crowds of pedestrians paint a vibr ant urban scene,
instead of the dull tones provided by r usting car s
and over priced toys. I dream of trolleys and
high-speed r ail integr ating the city into a stronger
society, instead of car s and buses segregating us
into haves and have-nots. I have a dream of
a greater Richmond, but I fear too many in this
city have been asleep too long for the dream to
be realized.
By Jo n He ad
le e
Im ag es by
Ad am Ju re
sk o
48
OPI N IO N
As the centr al point for not only the Mid-Atlantic,
but also the entire East Coast, Richmond has always been a hub of activity in this countr y. Richmond has a deep histor y with r ail (the fir st city
in the US to be the junction of three different r ail
lines, and the fir st city in the wor ld to have a trolley system, etc), but that histor y was buried in the
waste of the 20th centur y. We fell in love with the
illusion of freedom that car s provided, and we abandoned our infr astr ucture. Now it’s in need of serious
repair, and one can only hope that city planner s, developer s, and the urban community as a whole realize
this as they throw millions around in projects like the
Shockhoe Stadium plan and master plans to revitalize
Manchester and Jackson Ward.
So how are we going to do it? More to the point, how
are we going to pay for it, how are we going to build it,
and where are we going to put it? Well, let us begin with
the where. We must use as much of the existing space
as possible without disturbing the delicate foundation
this city is built upon – I don’t think anyone wants to
see a repeat of the Church Hill Tunnel disaster. This
means utilizing our larger roads, avenues and boulevards to their fullest. Ideally, we would want to eliminate
on-street par king on various roads, and in some cases
reduce the number of lanes. In the shor t-ter m, tr affic
will increase, but long-ter m, the city will gain a muchimproved infr astr ucture, and Richmond is going to need
a better infr astr ucture in order to finally gr aduate from
a second-tier city to a fir st-tier, global city.
Now, how are we going to pay for it? Well for star ter s,
any mass tr ansit project is going to need to multitask
and provide more ser vices than just tr anspor tation.
What if we could give ever yone free, but limited Internet and cheaper electricity? Any project that involves
digging up city streets to lay tr ack is going to be ver y
valuable to a telecommunications company looking to
lay down high-speed fiber optics. Why not put a piggyback contr act up for auction among telecommunication
companies? Force provider s to outbid each other for
the right to lay down the wire. That allows companies
like Verizon or Comcast to pump valuable and profitable
fiber optic lines into urban communities, while also paying the major constr uction costs. They’ ll make large
profits off the subsequent consumer contr acts, and our
hi-tech tr ansit system will be fully wired for monitoring and
safety pur poses.
While we’re at it, we could utilize the fiber optic systems to digitally link the
street light systems on the trolley roads – in order to coordinate the automobile
tr affic and the trolley systems. Additionally, we’d want to create limited wireless networ ks off of the fiber optic lines to allow for limited,
but free Inter net access. Yes, you still have to pay X.XX
dollar s a month to illegally download
your full HD
por n collection, but with the
increased necessity of communication, you shouldn’t
need to pay an obscene
amount just to check your
email. We could also make
these limited networ ks locally
controlled (which would allow
greater oppor tunities for appropriate local adver tising –
which would help Richmond’s
smaller businesses take off
and reach their local markets).
The other element we’re missing is the
cheaper power to city residents. Imagine
hi-tech tr ansit stations (the bus stop of the
future) that provide not only shelter, but also
solar power (by covering the roof with solar panels). This would help power the trolley system, and
if done right, it would feed power back into the grid,
thus lowering costs for businesses and residents. Rewiring par ts of the electrical grid could also provide secondar y
power routes to protect against possible outages.
The ability to cut energy costs and protect against
major outages would eventually save enough money
to pay for the project itself. It’d be easy to build the
wireless networ king equipment (WiMAX, prefer ably)
into these hi-tech shelter s, and thus, maximize our
limited spaces.
So how would we build a system that would eventually
link Shor t Pump to Innsbrook to the Fan to Jackson
Ward to the Downtown/Main Street Ter minal/Shockhoe
Stadium to Church Hill to the Richmond Inter national
Air por t to Sandston (via Broad Street to Rt. 60), Ashland to VCC to VUU to Jackson Ward to VCU to Manchester to Chester to VSU/Peter sburg (via Rt. 1/301),
Mechanicsville to Highland Par k to Downtown/Manchester to Br ander mill (via Rt. 360), Glen Allen to
Belmont to Nor thside to Ginter Par k to The Diamond/
Movieland to the Fan/Museum District to Maymont to
Forest Hill to Chesterfield/Pocahontas State Par k (via
Rt. 161 to Rt. 10). It’ ll take a commitment to cooper ation and integr ation between the city and the
counties, and we’ ll need the suppor t and leader ship
of local businesses throughout the metropolitan area
to get it done, but don’t wor r y. It can and it must be
done for the sake of Richmond’s future.
That’s just four routes right there that would link a
significant amount of the RVA metro area to the center of Richmond. It’d also allow residents throughout
those routes to receive the benefits of high-speed
telecommunications, limited free Inter net and cheaper
electricity. Smaller routes (like a Labur num express,
Monument express, and Car y/Main Street lines) could
50
OPI NIO N
be used to fur ther connect the city together
(and provide an alter native to dr unk driving).
If we utilized the local colleges (with some
cooper ation from ODU’s r ail research teams),
along with local entrepreneur ship, we could
have Richmond’s trolley system rebuilt by
2020. The improvements and innovation that
resur rect Richmond’s past to save its future
could also be used to lay down high-speed r ail
lines inside Virginia’s inter state system, which
could be used as par t of a national high-speed
r ail system. And if Richmond becomes a national leader for 21st centur y r ail development, then we can expect the city to prosper
and profit from its creation and innovation.
Now, just imagine how large of a New Year s
celebr ation we could have in 2020 if we connected the entire metro area into a networ k of
hi-tech routes. The fiber optics we lay down
could be used to link video displays across the
entire city. We could have smaller, communityoper ated celebr ations across the entire city
(instead of 20,000 people cr ammed into one
stretch of Car y Street). We could have a series of thematic celebr ations spread throughout the city (Downtown at the proposed stadium, Car ytown, Monroe Par k, Manchester, The
Diamond or whatever becomes of that space,
Joseph Br yan Par k, Maymont, the Richmond
Inter national Raceway, the Coliseum, etc.),
and all of it broadcast live over the Inter net.
Imagine being able to use the trolley system
to hop from celebr ation to celebr ation. Imag-
ine how much money and how
many visitor s we could attr act
to Richmond, and how many
people we could dr aw into the
festivities. We’d put Time Square
to shame.
Richmond
has a proud
and
storied
histor y. It is the
only city in the
countr y to have
been a capital of a
state and a nation.
It has always had an
independent spirit, the
fir st quality of being a
leader. Instead of being
a real leader, however,
the city lags behind in
many important aspects,
and this is
tied to the
r acially motivated flight to the
suburbs during the 1960s and ‘70s.
Segregation tore us apar t; much like I-95 tore
Jackson Ward apar t. Atlanta took off as many Richmond
black banks and businesses left the remains of the Ward
behind. If we don’t act soon, perhaps the rest of the city
will follow in the Ward’s footsteps. Integr ation, not segregation, will be our savior.
Richmond stands poised to see its city population triple in
all of us, not just the privileged few. Will we come together and build something
the next decade, and the metropolitan area will most likely
for ever yone of us, or will we continue to bicker, squabble and divide our selves
double in that time. We’re going to see a large influx of
among petty lines and antiquated politics? Only a unified and integr ated Richmond
people tr ying to get a piece of Virginia’s relative
will weather the coming stor m. Only a robust infr astr ucture will be able to suppor t
prosperity
(relative to the cur rent plight of
the population increases we’re going to see.
Only a Richmond committed to
the nation). We’re
going to see people
our children’s future, sustainability, innovation and progress will sur vive
coming from the
West, looking for jobs
the dar kness brewing in the
near future. It’s only going to get
and low-cost
housing. We’re going
wor se
before it gets better, but if Richmond
to see
people coming in from
takes the right steps now, it will be
the South to be close to
able to step out into the light that
Obama and the changes
follows the dar kness. The choice is
taking place in Washingyour s, but we will all bear the burden
ton. We’re going to see
people
of our collective actions – or inaccoming in from the Nor th
to discover the
tion.
last vestiges of souther n hospitality. And if we
ever get out of Ir aq, we’re going to see families come inwards
Change is in the air.
from Norfolk/Va Beach, looking to move on from the militar y life. If we preA r e YOU ready for it?
pare for it, Richmond will take off as an inter national metropolitan community. If
we do not, Richmond will sink fur ther into its obscene state of obscurity.
Will the city built as an ode to London, developed as a hub for slave tr ansit,
rebuilt from the ashes of the Civil War, and tor n apar t by the growing pains
of the ‘60s finally find peace? I am no Nostr adamus, but as a filmmaker, a
producer and a wannabe ther apist, I shall do my best to help Richmond grow
into the city it was always meant to be – a global city for culture, progress and
innovation. The only question I have for you is, who’s with me? Who will
help me tur n Richmond into a mecca for independent ar ts and media?
Who will help me convince the social, political and financial leader s
of this town? Who will help me resur rect Richmond to the forefront
of the U.S.?
I have a dream for Richmond, but the dream will be lost in the
face of our growing nightmare if we don’t stand together, side by
side, white and black, young and old, and build a future that wor ks for
R
M
B O
E D
H E
A L
V
IO
Natalie: dress by BB Dakota; shoes by Sne,'s Collection; necklaces by Garnett Jewelry; all available at Need
A rt D ir e c t io n : C a s e y Lo n gy e a r
Pho t o gr ap hy : I a n M. G r ah a m
M o d e l s : N at e Ke e y e s , Pa ul Le w i s , C a r a
B r o o ks , Natalie Patric k , Gi o i a Va r e s i , P h i l
C e c o ni, Ry a n C o o ke, Ev i e
Stylis t : C a s e y Lo n gy e a r
Stylis t a s s is ta nt: A ma n d a Po n g
Pho t o a s s is ta nt: Ji m N e l s o n e
M ake up : A e n e a s Z h ou
S tu f f
Since 2008, loc al a rt
bas ed nonprofit STUF F h a s
pr ovid ed Richm ond w ith
a community spac e f o r
creative reus e, educ at i o n ,
an d env ironm ental a war en ess. The com binatio n o f
fi n di n g value in tras h, and
cr eat i ve ly recycling mat erials in a spontaneou s wa y
brought the divers e S tu f f
team members tog e th e r
an d i n spire d the m to o r g anize a res ourceful ou tl e t
for community mem b e r s
wi th an intere st in th e envi ron ment, a rts, a nd r eus e.
Left :
Pa ul: jeans by Nudie, available at
N e e d ; shoes by Nike, C ardigan by
R VC A , both avai l abl e at D omin ion
N atali e : skirt by Moon; shoes by
J e ffrey C ambell, all available
at Nee d
Right :
C ar a: hat by Joia, shorts by
Quic ksi l ver, top by Tax i CDC, all
avai l abl e at Ne e d
FAS HION
55
The B a c k Po r c h I n i ti ati ve
Sta rt e d by a gr oup o f 2 0 - s o m e th i n g s w h o tr a ve l e d a r ou n d th e
c ountry in a ve ge tab l e o i l fu e l e d
truc k in o r d e r t o l e a r n ab ou t r e gio nal e nvir o nm e ntal co n ce r n s , o ff e r sup p o rt, a n d bu i l d a n e two rk
o f c o n c e r n e d i n di v i du al s , th e B a c k
Po r c h I nit iat ive is d e di cate d to d e ve l o p i n g a n d su s ta i n i n g s o lu t i o n s t o
lo c al e nvir o nm e ntal i s su e s . Th i s Ri ch m o nd b a s e d no np r ofi t co ll ab o r ate s
with va rious S outhe r n co m mu n i ti e s
o n th e i r e x i s t i n g r e s ou r c e s i n o r d e r
t o he lp m o dif y p r a cti cal , e co n o m i c al a n d e nv i r o n m e ntal s o lu t i o n s t o
lo c al e c o lo gic al c o n ce r n s .
Pr e vious Pa ge :
Phil: Ja c ke t by N i ke, Te e by
A m e ric a n A p p a r e l , b o th a va i l ab le at Ne e d ; J e a n s by RVC A ,
a va ilab le at D om i n i o n
Rya n: H o o di e by R VC A , Te e by
R VCA , b o th a va i l ab l e at Do m i n i o n ; J e a n s by Nu di e, a va i l ab l e
at Ne e d
G io ia : D r e s s by C o ll e cti ve
C o nc e p ts , a va i l ab l e at N e e d ;
p r e l ove d n e c k l a c e & s h o e s , b o th
a va ilab le at Ru m o r s
Evie : S k i rt by M i n kp i n k , To p by
M o nt e a u , b o th a va i l ab l e at
N e e d ; p r e l ove d s h o e s , a va i l ab l e
at Rum o r s
T H I S PAG E :
G io ia : d r e s s by I n s i ght, a va i l ab l e
at Ne e d
C a r a : d r e s s by I n s i ght, a va i l ab l e
at Ne e d
Nat e : ta nk a nd s h o rts by
I ns ight, hat by B ri xto n , all a va i l ab le at Ne e d
Pa ul: t e e by A lta m o nt, j e a n s
by R VC A , b o th a va i l ab l e at
D o m inio n
FAS HION
57
B o o ks on Wheel s:
D e di c ated to promoting
li t e r a cy and alternative
tr a n s portation, Books on
W h e e l s provides much needed
r e s ou r ces- books and fr ee bic y c le r epai r - to many di ffere nt c o mmunities, s etting up
w h e r e ver they are welcome
t o gi ve away books and fix
b ic y c les.
C a ra: t o p by C oll ecti ve Cl othi ng , jean s by Ch eap M on day , both availab le at Ne e d
Gi o i a : d r e s s by BB Dakota, avai l ab le at Ne e d
N at e : ta n k by Kr ew, j eans by R VC A , both available at D omin ion
A ll c lo the s a va i l ab l e at N e e d Sup p ly
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04.17.09
B I G N EWS FRO M RVA M A G.C O M
M AY B E T H E B I G G EST N EWS EV ER.