20 Watts: Spring 2016 by 20 Watts Magazine

COVER

what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re listening to 2

closing argument into it. over it.

if you want me to stay sly and the family stone

orator baths

jellyfish laura stevenson

church bj the chicago kid

slacks st. south

floated in frankie cosmos

dancing on glass st. lucia

a beautiful exit miguel

punk rawk show mxpx

water ms. lauryn hill

punk rock princess something corporate

brickwork milk teeth

we own the night dance gavin dance

the moon is disgusting that 1 guy

dapper domo genesis

ultra light beam kanye west

panda desiigner

desperado rihanna

they looked like strong hands bayside

masthead smirnoff ice jim coleman editor in chief

fluoridation mikey light managing editor

fetty wap’s “other” eye sam henken web editor

dancing lobsters adam gendler multimedia director

zbt after hours shawna rabbas creative director

ncaa sanctions kyle driscoll asst. web editor

20 watts asked: what 4

contributers: brie light, phoebe smith special thanks to theo cateforis, melanie stopyra

new fall out boy carolyn saxton features editor

cream cheese frosting sam sarno marketing director

georgetown lauren cover front of book editor

sunburn katie canete publisher

first day of school joe bloss staff writer

a rogue pony tiffany gomez photo director

ruined your birthday? 5

contents 08

letter from the editor

review: twenty88

q&a with allen chiu

drop the mic: tidal

music gives back

â&#x20AC;&#x153;and, hast thou slain the jabberwock?â&#x20AC;?

i miss the old

run dnc

scarier dome

#support your local scene

you just got jinglepunkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d

flat retina theory

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fear the reaper

for those who used to rock...

spicy abe

darkchart

the ballad of john & may

back of book letter

letter from the editor I’ve seen a lot in my four years at Syracuse University. Two Chancellors, two presidential elections, two Final Fours, the death of Cosmo’s Diner, Ke$ha, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, the Dalai Lama and so much more. I’ve been in the bell tower in Crouse. I’ve been under ground in the Belfer Audio Archive. I’ve interviewed the likes of artists such as 8

The Chainsmokers and Trey Songz. I’ve interned for major corporations. I’ve seen friends make it big, I’ve seen others crash and burn. I’ve experienced crime and violence, death and disease. I’ve watched people fall in love and lifelong friendships form. While all of this seems to constitute an exciting and adventurous college experi-

ence, strangely I would not define my career at SU by anything I have just listed. Rather, I think it was the few things I poured my heart and soul into that made my education worthwhile. Obviously, 20 Watts is one of them. Ever since I was a freshman, I’ve had the pleasure of watching this magazine consistently grow and change. What many of you don’t know is that 20 Watts was very much alive and thriving even 10 years ago. We have in our possession ancient copies of the book dating as far back as Fall 2006. In these issues you’ll find reviews of Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree, age-old Bonnaroo lineups and historic photos of shows in the Westcott Community Center. Unfortunately, the magazine went under for a few years and faced a seemingly impending doom. Thankfully there was a small group of music lovers five or so years ago that was able to bring it back (shoutout to EVB and all the rest of the 20 Watts gods), and in Fall of 2012 we had our first print issue in several years. I am proud to say that since then, 20 Watts Magazine has grown to become much more than a single issue printed once a semester. With the help of my highly dedicated staff, it has become an outlet for music, media and culture. I’m happy to proclaim that I have now been a part of seven print issues, an entire website and brand redesign (20wattsmag. com), three 20 Watts house shows, some dope sweatshirts, credentials for legendary shows and festivals, 360º video integra-

tion, successful ad campaigns, industry panels and way more. Examples of our growth are visible in everything we do. Our credibility can be found in high-profile interviews like you’ll read in “The Ballad of John and May” on page 48. You’ll witness our increasing scope and size with features such as “You Just Got Jinglepunk’d” on page 40 where we get a look inside the brain-trust of a major music company. Though, you will come to realize that we have always remained true to our roots in the Syracuse music scene, as you’ll see in “Don’t Fear the Reaper” on page 32 and “Scarier Dome” on page 24. Although I’ll be graduating in just a few short weeks, I am more than satisfied with the condition of our organization and am confident I am leaving it in good hands. These young guns have undying potential and there is no doubt in my mind that they will do amazing things. This is already visible in the fact that for the first time ever, next semester 20 Watts will be printing two issues. Anyway, I’m going to miss this place. I’ll forever bleed orange and will never forget the organization that taught me leadership, the true value of hard work and dedication and passion for all things music. Thank you, Syracuse, for the best four years of my life. 20 Watts Magazine, forever.

DROP THE MIC: TIDAL by mikey light pro Tidal You really don’t need to hate Jay Z’s Tidal. It doesn’t deserve that. I don’t even use it, but I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with it as a service. I’m going to go out on a serious limb here and say that Tidal is perfectly fine and that all of the main arguments about it are absolutely petty. If you’re reading this, you probably hate Tidal. Lemme lay it out for you real quick why you hate Tidal and why you’re a total fucking squid because of it. Oh no it’s not free! Wow fuck musicians for trying to actually make money. You like music, right? You want musicians to continue to make good shit, right? Then cut the bull and actually pay for something for once and stop squatting in literally all aspects of your life. Also, it offers the exact same student discount as Spotify. The basic “Tidal Premium” package which includes everything but the lossless FLAC files costs the same as Spotify, which you probably pay for. Exclusives are lame. Why? What is wrong with exclusives? Exclusives are what you get for paying for Tidal. They’re just part 10

of the product. I understand that you would have liked to have been able to stream The Life of Pablo the day it came out for free. However, you do not get the fries without ordering the burger. Nobody is complaining about not being able to play Candy Crush because they don’t have a smartphone. I like to complain about new things. I can’t help you here. It’s okay that you don’t like it. Just please stop complaining about a service that you don’t even use. If you actually pay for Tidal and have issues with it, then that’s completely understandable. But let’s at least look at the facts before we pass judgement. Tidal actually has more music than Spotify, or just about any other licensed music service, with approximately 40,000,000 tracks compared to the 30,000,000 of both Spotify and Google Play Music. So for the same $10 base price as the other two main streaming services, Tidal actually offers more. Bet ya didn’t see that one coming, huh? It’s easy to bash any new or competing products in this industry, but Tidal has been out for about a year now and deserves a fair shot. Let’s not make Tidal the Zune of streaming services. Let’s actually promote healthy competition within the industry for once.

by sam henken against Tidal A couple years ago, there was a quiz on NPR’s website: “Can you guess which audio clip is the highest quality?” I sat there listening to the same 10 second clips three times in a row. After getting the first one right and believing that I was a true audiophile, I proceeded to get the rest wrong. That was not a story about how bad my headphones are, or how damaged my hearing is. That was a story about how an average dude cannot differentiate the sound quality that Tidal prides itself on. I’m sure to many this is a huge selling point of Tidal, listening to the music in the utmost quality. But if you’re like me and do not have a $10,000 stereo set-up designed to listen to Rihanna at a cool 44.1 kHz (whatever that means), then another service can probably do the trick. They claim it’s better for the artists, but in the world of streaming services where everyone is getting shafted, the extra fractions of cents don’t move the needle much. And it doesn’t help that Tidal’s announcement was a lineup of some of the most successful (and wealthy) artists in the world talking about how they needed to take streaming

services back for the little guy. Except the little guy was Chris Martin and Jay Z (actually 6’1” and 6’2” respectively, unsure if measured in sneakers). They keep adding co-owners when artists have some exclusive. A couple months ago, T.I. was named a co-owner of Tidal. Making T.I. the co-owner of something would have been really cool in 2008 (although a potentially irresponsible move due to his criminal record), but today it’s meaningless. It’s exploitation to get people to rep your service. Now this all-star lineup of Tidal owners is withholding music from people unless they drop everything and sign up. The Life of Pablo made millions of peoplehappy with their current streaming service (or just trying to buy a Kanye album) to start their Tidal trial and wait for Kanye to finish that album. In the end, Pablo is on Spotify and Apple Music— and finished. This is all not to say that Tidal doesn’t have benefits. Artist playlists are a cool feature and live streaming concerts is a nice one as well. But to think Tidal will win the streaming war or change the industry is ridiculous. It’s just another a place I can listen to College Dropout for the millionth time.

When the bandwagon ruins your favorite band. by kyle driscoll 12

Just about every music fan has that band or artist that they consider their own. Be it through a house show, a discovery app or random circumstance, we find these middling musicians and grow attached to them. It’s really a special feeling, knowing that you’re one of just a handful of people that appreciates this band’s art. Our love for the band makes us unique. As they grow, we seem to grow with them. And then, just like that, they break out. Maybe their fourth or fifth album finally gets them atop the Billboard charts. Maybe their new single is suddenly playing everywhere from frat house speakers to soccer mom radios. Either way, the band that only you seemed to hold near and dear is now being blasted by almost everyone you know. At first, you’re happy for the band. They’ve been making such amazing music for so many years and they deserve more recognition for their talents. You loudly profess your love for their earlier deep tracks (while denying your hipster status), and promise that you’ll always be a bigger fan than all these bandwagoners. But as the band continues to climb the charts, you can no longer deny that your connection is not as deep. What was once a group that you adored, decorated your bedroom walls with and heralded as the best band that no one had ever heard of, is now something that thousands of people feel the same way about. Even worse, to the public at large, there is no difference between you or any of those late-comers.

“Without that special connection, your passion for their music can never be the same.” One of the few times I’ve experienced this was with Foster the People. On a recommendation from a friend, I checked out their debut album, Torches, and loved it—until “Pumped Up Kicks,” one of my least favorite tracks from the record, suddenly rose up to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hearing my friends gush over their “new favorite song” was truly painful, not to mention the radio beating the song over my head every half hour. Inevitably, my love for the band declined. It’s unavoidable, really. Without that special connection, your passion for their music can never be the same. The band could be some local 3-chord barroom loungers or the second coming of The Beatles; it really doesn’t matter. Once that feeling of intimacy is lost, the emotional impact they had on you will never be as strong. Popularity can be a blessing, but to those early fans, it is only a curse.

REVIEW:

TWENTY88 Lauren Cover reviews Twenty88’s self-titled album

Twenty88, the collaborative effort of Big Sean and Jhene Aiko, was under wraps for most of production and has been released exclusively to Tidal— but don’t give JayZ your money just yet. In the past, the two have found success with tracks like “Beware” off of Big Sean’s Hall of Fame and “I Know” from Dark Sky Paradise. Stylistically, Big Sean and Jhene Aiko complement each other incredibly well. Sean’s deep flow and Aiko’s ethereal vocals should make a perfect match, in theory. And for the most part the album accomplishes what it set out to do, which is attempt to replicate the magic of “Beware.” But in the end, it feels like too much of a good thing. Twenty88 seeks to build a story around

a rocky yet sensual relationship. Each song explores regrets, bedlam and the pillar of the album: sex. On the song “Push It,” Aiko indiscreetly asks the Detroit rapper to “bring your outside inside.” Poetry, right? Although sex is a dominant theme on the album, it’s not overwhelming. It’s mostly contained to the middle of the album, with the height of the relationship at the core. For fans of “I Don’t Fuck With You” and Sean’s clap-back tracks, “Talk Show” might be the favorite off Twenty88. While the first half of the song is dedicated to Sean expressing his feelings about true love, Aiko then calls him out, which gets the rapper going over an undulating bass complemented by a sweet flute run. “Never call you a bitch, but who you barking to,” says Sean. Boom, roasted. But the best part of the track is the setup. It quite literally takes the shape of a Steve Harvey-esque talk show segment complete with claps and gasps from the audience, which naturally accentuate the drama between the couple. Overall, the album lacks instrumental diversity. Aside from “Selfish,” which features a D’Angelo “Sugah Daddy” vibe, most of the tracks would be indiscernible without vocals from Aiko and verses by Sean. I suppose you could say that about a lot of albums, but when you’re used to Big Sean albums with defining songs like “Blessings” and “Dance (A$$),” it’s hard not to compare. Twenty88 feels generic, and ultimately gets kind of boring.

"Yes, they found success when they linked up on tracks in the past, but do we really need a whole album?"

The collaboration between Sean and Aiko also becomes boring. Yes, they succeeded when they linked up on tracks in the past, but do we really need a whole album? In its entirety, it feels more like it belongs to Aiko. The two artists share lyrics fairly equally, but the overall tone of the album matches Aiko’s style more so than Sean’s. Fans of Aiko’s Souled Out will likely appreciate Twenty88 more than people expecting something like Dark Sky Paradise. Perhaps the biggest disappointment on the album is “Two-Minute Warning.” At a glance, the track promises us a feature from JoJo, who is low-key making a comeback. But the vocalist is barely noticeable. If you listen closely, you can hear the “Too Little, Too Late” singer’s muffled voice, but I wanted to hear some power vocals, dammit! The album thrives with tracks like “Déjà Vu” and the story at the heart of the album is one most of us can relate to, but Twenty88 isn’t worth getting Tidal for. It’s no Pablo.

music gives back Using music to bring about positive change. by carolyn saxton To Write Love On Her Arms

Music For Relief

TWLOHA is a non-profit organization that aims to provide hope and help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. It began when founder Jamie Tworkowski shared his friend Renee Yohe’s story of mental affliction online and sold t-shirts to help with the cost of her treatment. It soon blew up into something much bigger. Active since 2006, the organization is well known in the alternative music scene, especially with teens. TWLOHA annually hosts a concert called HEAVY AND LIGHT, “an evening of songs, conversation, and hope.” Past performers include Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Christina Perri, Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional and more.

Founded in 2004 by Linkin Park, Music For Relief has one mission; to respond to natural disasters and aid survivors. Music For Relief organizes concerts to raise money for natural disaster relief. In January 2014, the organization put together Concert for the Philippines to provide aid in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. Linkin Park, The Offspring, Bad Religion, Heart and The Filharmonic were part of the lineup. Artist partners span the entire musical spectrum including Jay Z, Taking Back Sunday, Steve Aoki, Alanis Morissette, Slash, AFI and many more.

Music Saves Lives Music Saves Lives began 10 years ago with the goal of educating people on the importance of blood donation and bone marrow registry using all forms of music and entertainment to spread their message. Music Saves Lives teamed up with Vans Warped Tour by offering free tickets to the tour and automatic backstage access when you commit to organizing a blood drive in your community. In addition, all donors receive a free voucher to the Music Saves Lives meet & greets at their VWT date as well as a chance to get backstage.

Bread & Roses Presents Bread & Roses Presents provides free live music and other music-related events for people living in institutions or who are otherwise isolated from society, and aims to create social awareness regarding these situations. Bread & Roses Presents hosts performances in a variety of places, such as assisted living for the elderly and developmentally disabled, detention centers, homeless shelters and shelters for battered women and mental health facilities. They rely on volunteers to provide music, and Neil Young, Tom Waits, Pete Seeger and Carlos Santana are some of the artists who’ve donated their time and talent to the organization.

RUN DNC by lauren cover Hillary’s Pregame Playlist: Diva - Beyonce

Hill-dog is definitely a female version of a hustla. And as an unabashed feminist, you can bet she’s part of the Beyhive.

The presidential race is heating up and on the Democratic side it’s down to the female phenom Hillary Clinton and uber liberal underdog Bernie Sanders. I don’t think music is allowed in Ted Cruz’ house, and in lieu of boring you with Trump tracks, let’s just focus on the Democrats. We can assume that whoever wins is going to do what any reasonable person who becomes leader of the free world would do: get lit. So whether you want to turn up with Hillary or blaze with Bernie we’ve got the playlists for it.

Bernie Smokes the Inaugural Blunt: REVOFEV - Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi’s “REVOFEV” is an obvious choice. It’s all about revolution, seeking change, and of course, sparking up.

Early - Run the Jewels

Killer Mike has been an avid supportBrick House - The Commodores er of Bernie since the beginning of That lady’s stacked and that’s a fact. his campaign. The two have become $188 million raised for her campaign, buddies and it wouldn’t surprise me if Bernie invited Killer Mike to the talk about a brick house. If you listen closely, “Brick House” is basical- White House to share in the spoils of presidential war a.k.a fat blunts. ly an ode to Hillary.

Miss Independent Kelly Clarkson

Hills don’t need no man. Does Bill even count at this point? She might need her backers and cash money, but Hillary is all about independence and female empowerment. So sing it from the rooftops and get turnt Hillary, because it’s time to feel what’s real.

The Hills - The Weeknd

This one’s a no brainer, right?

Bernin Up - Jonas Brothers

I just like the idea of a freshly elected Bernie, giddily dancing to the JoBros while he’s literally burnin’ up in the Oval Office. It would be a magical collision of my eighth grade fantasies featuring my dream President and dat kush.

Next Episode - Dr. Dre Feat. Snoop Dogg

Once Bernie legalizes it, we can all rejoice and #smokeweedeveryday. 17

q&a with allen chiu by sam henken Allen Chiu is co-founder and designer for Qual Agency (@qualagency on Instagram), a design company that recently has done a lot of work for Young Thug. Chiu describes the agency and how they teamed up with Young Thug in his own words. What is the Qual Agency? It used to be Qual Squad, a rap group my friends and I started, but our merchandise sold better than our music since we were pretty bad. So we kind of dropped music and transitioned into a design studio as Qual Agency which is the company we’ve been doing all the stuff with Thug under. What is your role in the agency? I’m one of four members which include Simon Abranowicz, Elia Fornari and Jen Yuan. We’re all graphic designers and art directors. And I guess we’re all co-founders too. But if I was gonna pick a specialty, I’d say I’m the photography and retouching guy, like Photoshop work because no one else really does that. Simon does illustration, Elia [Fornari] does back-end and Jen [Yuan] does frontend coding. We like to pretend to 18

our clients we’re a lot bigger but it’s just the four of us. How did you get linked up with 300 Entertainment (Young Thug’s label)? I was getting coffee with my high school friend in California and he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and was smoking. He’s real reserved and calm and levelheaded, so it didn’t make sense to me that he was smoking, so I asked him why. He said that everyone in Taiwan smokes and when he moved there it was real difficult to meet people because he doesn’t speak Chinese. He realized smoking outside of bars was a good way to meet people, especially if the bar is real noisy. Since I was thinking of moving to Taiwan after school, I thought maybe I should learn how to smoke. So I bought a pack of cigarettes and the first time I pulled them out in a public place, which was outside a bar in NYC, I ended up meeting Travis Scott’s creative director (Marc Kalman) because he asked for a light and he put us on to the Young Thug stuff. When did you start working with 300?

I met Marc in December and we started doing stuff like a week after I met him. Elia already knew Marc and was integral to getting in with 300. He introduced me to Marc and got me invited to the party. It’s largely thanks to him that we were able to get put on this. It started with small stuff for smaller artists here and there, but Thug has definitely been our biggest, dopest thing.

A$AP Rocky and 2 Chainz and everything.

So that’s all I thought it was at first but Thug really liked the design and so did Lyor [Cohen, founder of 300 Entertainment], they ended up using it for more and eventually they used it for his Hy!£UN35 (HiTunes) Tour poster. “Year of the Thug” is basically like an umbrella term for shit that’s happening for Thug this year, sort of like Yeezy Season when it is What did Qual Agency do for Thug? the season of Yeezy. On YearOfTheThug.com, we ended up doing the At first I didn’t even know what I “Slime Season Eulogy,” which is the was designing for. They were like explanation for why they’re killing “we need some designs for the ‘Year the Slime series, which was gonna of the Thug’ campaign.” And they go onto a fourth one. So that’s anwanted to give, like, an Asian Zodiac other thing we worked on. Simon twist to it. So I made this neon sign [Abranowicz, Qual Agency member] thing with Thug’s face on it and Chidid all the illustrations, he spent like nese letters that my mom helped me two days working on non-stop on translate on the bottom. They really them because it was a rush job they liked it and Thug really liked it and told us at the beginning of the week so they printed it on some jackets that we needed to have it done by and gave it to Thug and his whole the end of the week. crew to wear to the Yeezy Season 3 MSG event. There’s this picture of Lil Duke wearing it at the show with What’s next for the agency? Honestly, we have no idea since a lot of things are constantly changing up until the final seconds before the drop. We worked on these covers for Fetty Wap’s EP that came out last year and he changed the name last minute so that didn’t work out, but then again sometimes we’ll make type layout in a few minutes thinking it’s nothing and next thing you know you see it in XXL mag. You can follow us on Instagram for the latest updates though (@qualsquad)!

"AND, HAST THOU SLAIN THE JABBERWOCK?" The rise and fall of one of Syracuse Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most iconic music venues. by katie canete 21

"A young James Taylor is a perfect example of the type of artist that played the venue in 1970." The Jabberwocky Café, located in the basement of Schine, has a misleading title. Mainly because it’s not a café at all. In fact, the only coffee and food available is dispensed from finicky vending machines. The Jabberwocky Café, often referred to as “The Jab,” previously occupied the current home of the MakerSpace in Kimmel Hall. In its heyday, which spanned from 1969 - 1985, The Jab was a small yet popular concert venue and hosted acts like Talking Heads, Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Allman Brothers Band, Jackson Browne and more. Director of the Bandier Program, Professor David Rezak, describes The Jab as “everything you’d want an on-campus venue to be.” Students didn’t have to go far to hear live music, and parking was abundant on Waverly. The music blasted through two mounted speakers that Rezak calls “The Altec Lansings of theater speakers,” and blames them for his hearing loss. The bar was behind the stage, and a key part of the concert experience was double fisting a beer and a cup of fries. The Jab was con22

stantly filled with smoke, and even if you didn’t partake you definitely smelled like you did upon leaving. The stage backdrop was an Alice in Wonderland mural—reinforcing the venue name which references the seminal literature by Lewis Carroll. The stage was behind two columns, and was only 10-12 feet long. Larger bands had trouble fitting on the stage and sometimes had to expand to the floor space in front. While it was challenging to maneuver at times, it allowed for a more intimate concert experience. Because space was limited overall, there was only one green room available for artists and a single office for those working the show. Folk musicians Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee joined forces for a show at The Jab. The crowd applauded and cheered as they finished, and they peculiarly walked off the stage in separate directions. One strolled off to the office and one took the green room. Rezak noted this and asked why. Apparently, they hated each other and only agreed to coexist while performing—they hadn’t spoken

offstage in years. The Jab had a notable partnership with campus radio station WAER. The best way to get a live stream of the show was to run a wire from Watson Theater to the fourth floor of Newhouse 2. The connection wasn’t perfect and cars would often run over the cable, but it made it possible to broadcast shows. The media partnership was strong and conducive to marketing shows. Up-and-coming artists knew that they had to play The Jab if they wanted airplay on WAER, and the venue was a great space to build a fanbase. The Jab was a great spot to find talent to feature in other venues. A young James Taylor was a perfect example of the type of artist that played the venue in 1970. He was an Apple Records artist at the time and played three Beatles covers in his set. His sweet and youthful voice was a treat for the audience and the experience attracted new fans. Rezak recalls Paula Lockheart’s performance at The Jab and how he was blown away after listening to just a few songs. He scrambled to find quarters to make a call to his friend Jeff Springut, who owned the Red Creek Inn in Rochester. He held the payphone toward the stage so Springut could hear. He agreed with Rezak’s assessment of Lockheart and booked her for a show at Red Creek Inn on the spot. One Friday night, Rezak was listening to a show on the radio with his roommate, and they were amazed

by the sounds coming from their speakers. A supergroup of musicians under the name Mahavishnu Orchestra was oozing crazy sounds of fusion jazz and acid rock. Enthralled by what they heard, they raced down the street to get to the show. The group was slotted for two sets, so they had to flip the house in between. Rezak and his buddy wanted to stick around for more, but they ran out of money. The band’s guitar player, John McLaughlin, was smoking a cigarette when he saw the two moping outside. He asked them why they looked so glum. They explained the story and McLaughlin grabbed them under his arms and walked them back inside to hear the rest of the concert. Not all great venues can stick around forever, and The Jabberwocky Café closed its doors after 16 years. “It became obvious that it was coming to an end…they put on a run of amazing stuff,” Rezak says. On closing night in 1985, James Brown headlined and Roger McGuinn came out to perform with him. Rezak laments not going to the show, but feels it was a great act to close the venue. There may never be a space on campus that comes close to matching the vibes of the old school Jab, but it was certainly great while it lasted. The Jabberwock(y), with eyes of flame, dominated Syracuse University’s music scene and will be remembered as a grand venue where legends once rocked. 23

scarier dome

You’ve been to the Loud House. What if we told you there’s a louder one? by carolyn saxton | photos by joey marion The first time I saw Super Defense play live was on October 3rd, 2015. Evan, my friend and Super Defense’s guitarist, told me they’d be playing a basement off campus and I excitedly assured him I’d be there. I knew the night would be fun, but I had no idea the blue house on the corner would eventually become a cultural hub and the 24

base of a community that has become my home. There are innumerable basement venues in college towns across the country, some even situated in Syracuse’s own off-campus terrain, but this one is far more than a room for bands to play in. This unassuming, worn-down rental referred to as Scarier Dome is something magical.

Scarier Dome, known sometimes as simply “Scarier,” is home to eight graduating seniors who share at least one defining passion: live music. “We had this idea to bring in touring bands, like small indie bands that aren’t huge but are rising up, and that was the plan last summer when we were all moving in together,” Kevin McCallum explains. “We had the whole first semester booked right from the beginning, and over winter break we booked all the other acts for second semester.” With websites like Facebook and Bandcamp, it’s not difficult to contact bands to play a venue they may not have otherwise known about. Scarier Dome kicked off the 2015-2016 school year with Massachusetts-based trio Palehound, and recently Pinegrove graced the basement playing to a tightly-packed crowd. Scarier has hosted a huge variety of musicians originating from all corners of the globe, from right here in Syracuse all the way to Iceland. Conor Emerson says that one of the best parts of the whole experience has been meeting and talking to different people every weekend. “There’s always an interesting crowd of people and it varies from show to show, so there’s always something new to talk about.” Scarier Dome’s reality as a house for eight people comes with some added stress and responsibility.

“We do a sweep of the entire second floor, put all of our stuff away, and so people don’t go in our rooms, we lock everything up. Forrest preps food, and then we just kind of wait. After every show our entire house is screwed up and we have to mop everything; there’s trash everywhere. Basically every show I have to get a new toothbrush if I don’t put it in my room,” says Henry Schoonmaker, eyes widening as he realizes, “Oh, fuck, I didn’t put it in my room yet!” Shows are mutually beneficial events. The bands get to do something they love and the attendees get to hear something they love. Scarier Dome, though, offers a totally unique experience to the bands that pass through. Along with a place to crash and food to eat, McCallum and housemate Adam Greenberg offer bands the opportunity to record a song for their series, VHS Sessions. “I saw a session that Deerhoof did in the ‘90s,” Greenberg recalls. “It was on VHS but I thought the aesthetic fit really well, so I tried to recreate that.” During high school, Greenberg did tape conversions to make extra cash, so with the equipment and experience already at his disposal, he teamed up with McCallum for the audio aspect. The band chooses any room in the house to record a song, allowing each session to be completely new for everyone involved. Palm, who played the first show following winter break, did their session in a stairwell. McCallum remem25

this unassuming, worn-down rental is something magical

bers it as difficult to set up, but as one of the most fun sessions they’ve done. “It’s funny, because a lot of those dudes are audio engineers for their day jobs and they’ll come over here and we don’t really know what we’re doing audio-wise. Kevin kills it, but he’s not an audio engineer. We learn a lot from them so it’s a two-way street,” Greenberg says. McCallum’s role with technology doesn’t end with audio for the VHS Sessions. One of the first things I noticed when I began frequenting Scarier were the dynamic lights that adorn the basement ceiling and stage. The ambiance of each set is precise and satisfying as the lights change in color and intensity thanks to a lighting rig that McCallum constructed last summer. He says it’s especially fun when he’s familiar with the band’s music and can create a specific vibe with the lights. The rig, which is a small box with three sliding controls, is placed so that the operator (usually McCallum, although he says that anyone who wants to give it a whirl is welcome to) can enjoy the show without being obtrusive or being too far away. It’s amazing how huge a difference such a compact contraption makes in the overall Scarier Dome experience. Scarier Dome provides another special feature high in demand by visitors (who may or may not have the drunchies at any given show). “I spread the cheese and I live here,” says Forrest Florsheim, who runs the kitchen every weekend boasting an ever-changing, ever-delicious menu. Scarier Dome attendees walk up a couple flights of stairs and are miraculously transported from a concert to a makeshift restaurant/kickback where they can purchase a plate of food for usually $2-$5 and mingle with friends between sets. Florsheim, who created the catering business

Full Tang Food, says Greenberg encouraged him to make grilled cheese for the very first show. “I did, and it was a huge success. I got this high-on-life moment where I was like I can keep doing this and use it as a platform to really expand. It’s been a lot of fun.” He uses fish tacos to explain the joy in the whole process of cooking for a crowd. “Fish tacos are, bar none, my favorite food. To start from scratch with the tortillas up to beer battering the fish and deep-frying it, to pickling the cabbage and putting it together was super rewarding.” He’s only gotten to see one full set, Pinegrove, but seems very content as king of the kitchen. Chili cheese fries, gnocchi, baked macaroni and cheese and drunk dumplings are some of the foods that have found their way into the stomachs of hungry concert goers at the hands of Florsheim. Lorenzo Gillis Cook and Henry Schoonmaker play in Petite League together, which sort of makes them the house band. Schoonmaker says their own basement is his favorite venue to perform in, and dreads the day that Scarier Dome will be a thing of the past (as we

all undeniably do). Gillis Cook is responsible for many of the concert posters, which are printed and available at each show, and speaks on the unexpected outcomes of the Scarier Dome operation. “Lots of press and local attention. There are a lot of photoshoots here, student projects. Meeting people we wouldn’t meet otherwise is the coolest part, I think. We’ve become friends with the bands.” The eight Scarier dudes, Kevin McCallum, Quinn Donnell, Adam Greenberg, Johnny Pflieger, Conor Emerson, Lorenzo Gillis Cook, Henry Schoonmaker and Forrest Florsheim created something much more profound than they ever expected. Scarier Dome is first and foremost a venue. Its pure existence has cultivated a social scene anchored in the basement of that blue house, but the augmentation of the many talents and passions exercised by its residents each weekend is what makes Scarier Dome absolutely extraordinary and untouchable. I say with confidence that while others will try to replicate it all, none will truly encapsulate the glory of the OG – the vanguard Scarier Dome.

#SUPPORT YOURLOCAL 28

The Westcott Theatre, The OnCenter and The F Shed are all well-known and loved venues in Syracuse. Here we have compiled a list of lesser known venues that showcase up and coming artists. Enjoy. photos by tiffany gomez 29

prev. page: BIG RED Somewhere on Euclid lies a red house branded with ‘historic’ in bright red letters. This edifice has been home to band students and live music for decades, earning its moniker as “Historic Big Red.” Visit to witness not only live music but a piece of Syracuse history as seen via the murals that live on the walls of this location. 1. SPARK CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE Feast your eyes and ears on a smorgasbord of art at this unique local spot. Spark serves as a blank canvas that has allowed many a Syracuse student to paint their vision of art by providing a space to curate art and music acts. 2. FUNK-N-WAFFLES Do you like bomb-diggity waffles? Live tunes? Newsflash: Your dreams are a reality. At the downtown location, you can expose your taste buds and ear drums to euphoria, daily. 3. THE LOST HORIZON This seemingly compact house-turnedmusic venue is the rabbit hole of concert halls. Although the outside gives the passersby an illusion of cramped space, this venue includes a bar, an intimate stage and generous stand around room. 4. SCARIER DOME You didn’t know until now that a basement you don’t want to miss out on exists. Although the idea of watching a band perform in a basement is underwhelming at best, Scarier Dome provides a unique atmosphere complete with ambient lighting, indie bands and homemade munchies.

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fear the reaper 32

How Reaper Records became the heart of Syracuse’s hardcore scene. by joe bloss Since its launch in 2004, Reaper Records has put out more than 80 releases from 60 different bands, but not once in those 12 years has the Syracuse-based hardcore label signed a recording contract with a band. Co-founder and owner Patrick Kitzel said that’s because he’s always believed a band should own its creations. “From the beginning we were like, O.K. you’re the band, you’re creating this. We’re basically your toolkit to get this out to people,” Kitzel said. Is that an unconventional way to do business? Sure. Is it surprising? Not if you know what Reaper stands for. Take a look at Reaper Records’ mission statement, and you’ll find that they intend to do one thing: “promote bands who follow the true spirit of hardcore.” But what exactly does that mean? Kitzel said that hardcore was founded on the idea that it would spread a message, whether it be political, social, environmental or anything else. However, at the tail end of the ‘90s, this spirit began to decline. This downward trend was especially noticeable in Syracuse, a city known as one of the world’s hotbeds of hardcore. Syracuse’s scene had built up a reputation that was known even in other countries, and Kitzel went as far as to say that the city was at one point “the Mecca” of hardcore. The Lost Horizon would host sold out hardcore shows nearly every weekend. Kitzel credits the genre’s decline to its youth-based nature. He remembers first discovering hardcore around 12 or 13-years-old. As a teenager in Essen, Germany, skateboarding and a rebellious spirit attracted him to bands like Bad Brains. Just like any subculture such as graffiti or skateboarding, hardcore music offers a community where people can come together and support one another.

As a hardcore lifer, that spirit has encompassed Kitzel’s hardcore experience. For decades, he’s been involved in the scene in one way or another. He’s toured internationally with two bands: Spawn and True Blue. He’s tour managed, and started a fanzine that grew into a magazine. Throughout all of these different experiences, Kitzel always believed that no single person in the hardcore scene mattered more than anyone else. “Just because you were on stage didn’t mean you were better than the person taking pictures or even better than the person paying to get in,” he said. “The bands were just always kind of like the glue of everybody coming together.” With so many adventures in hardcore under his belt, Kitzel still had yet to conquer one part of the scene: actually putting out music. So he and longtime friend DJ Rose started Reaper Records. They aimed to resuscitate that spirit of belonging and progress with the label. 34

They started as a very small-scale operation. It was just the two of them, so things were small-scale at first. AWOL, local to Syracuse, was their first band. They sold vinyl at shows. There wasn’t much else to it. Then in 2006, they put out an EP by Baltimore’s Trapped Under Ice. Kitzel caught them at a show in Auburn, New York and liked what he saw. The EP, Stay Cold, blew up unexpectedly and Reaper was suddenly thrust onto a national stage. Things snowballed as the success led to more exposure and new bands joining the label. So what was it about Trapped Under Ice that catapulted Reaper into the spotlight? Authenticity. That’s what Kitzel looks for when he brings a new band onto the label. He wants the band to stand for something. “Trapped Under Ice definitely couldn’t play the instruments when I saw them the first time,” he said. “But they were an authentic band and they kind of

syracuse was at one point "the mecca" of hardcore brought something to the table that was missing at the time.” 10 years later, Reaper is still looking for genuine bands with a message. One of Reaper’s 2016 releases is an EP by New York City’s The Wilding Incident. The band derives its name from a 1989 rape case in Central Park in which four black men and one Hispanic man were wrongfully convicted, serving years in prison before the actual criminal confessed in 2002. Surely, if that’s where the name of your band comes from, you have something to say. Another recent Reaper release is Turnstile’s Nonstop Feeling. This is the label’s biggest release to date, and Kitzel again credits its success to the band’s authenticity.

“You look at them and you see these people that are just doing their thing,” he said. “They don’t follow any formula, nothing is calculated. They just shoot from the hip.” After all these years, Kitzel has found one thing to be the most rewarding out of all of his work with Reaper: the friendships. Whether he’s collaborating with someone that he met during his time touring or developing a relationship with a new band, Kitzel is always working with friends. When Kitzel puts it that way, everything about Reaper seems to come together. Friends breed communities of belonging, just as hardcore does. And friends, just like Reaper, don’t need a contract to validate their relationship.

darkchart One Syracuse student is revolutionizing the music discovery process. by phoebe smith 36

Alec Ellin, a Newhouse senior majoring in television, radio and film, created a music curation app called Darkchart that is set to be released in the upcoming weeks. Ellin has always been interested in music. In high school, he and a friend created now widely popular music blog, The Laidback Life. Ellin used The Laidback Life to show his friends new music, competing to find the best music first. With experience blogging and working in the music industry, Ellin felt there was a void to fill in finding music online. He realized that people who were interested in music needed more than what Soundcloud and Spotify could offer, and thus Darkchart was conceived. “These music outlets have so much content and so much to go through that it’s pretty miserable to find music,” Ellin said. The main purpose of Darkchart is to communicate with your friends about music. Ellin asked himself, “What should Soundcloud be?” and worked from there.

Essentially, Ellin wants Darkchart to be similar to the Billboard 100 charts, but personalized. It’s centered on what’s most relevant to the user based on the people around them that have similar interests. Ellin started developing his idea, and spoke with his friend, a Syracuse alum who had started his own company. This alum offered to introduce Ellin to someone who could help build the app. He met Yousef Khraibut, who runs a development and design program in Toronto. Ellin explained his vision for Darkchart, and Khraibut immediately responded, “let’s make it happen.” Khraibut took control of the design, and now that Ellin had someone who could create what he imagined, they were able to make Darkchart a reality. Figuring out how to get funding was one of the biggest challenges for Ellin along the Darkchart journey. He had connections at Sony Music Entertainment and Live Nation, who both said that he needed to perfect the app in order to move forward. “I took it upon myself to build what I

“Because of streaming, music tastes are now converging.” had envisioned,” Ellin said, “I ended up raising the money with my family to get the first version built, and that’s what’s been getting developed over the past nine months.” About two months ago, Ellin met Prodan Statev, another Newhouse student, and a friendship quickly grew. Statev was an editor for Techmeme, a technology news outlet, and Ellin explained the idea of Darkchart to him. Statev wanted to get involved and helped Darkchart acquire more funding so they had more of a cushion to develop the app. Josh Weisleder, the community developer at Darkchart, was interested in curated music and the music industry, so he got involved as well. “Curated music is the future of the music industry,” Weisleder said. “What Alec was doing really resonated with me so I decided to help.” Ellin wanted Weisleder to get involved, so he hatched the idea of a brand ambassador program. “Basically the program was made for just finding people around the world who can help spread the message,” Ellin said. “It’s all about

building communities in different areas to talk about music.” Unlike music applications such as Spotify, Soundcloud and Cymbal, Darkchart rejects the idea of a timeline. “Applications like Soundcloud make it so you only see what’s new, not what matters,” Ellin commented. “It comes off as based on time, not based on the music that you want to listen to.” With Darkchart, Ellin wants the listener to be able to click play and never have to skip a song. Going through a hundred songs to find one good one creates frustration. “There are so many unique music tastes,” said Ellin. “Because of streaming, music tastes are now converging.” When Darkchart launches, the hope for a truly personalized music experience will become a reality.

YOU JUST GOT JINGLEPUNKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D How seven Syracuse alumni helped Jingle Punks take over the world of music licensing. by sam henken

In May 2009, Bill Markt found himself in a position familiar to many postgrads: unemployed. Back home in Cleveland, OH, Markt had no idea what he was going to do for work until he got a call from Newhouse professor Michael Schoonmaker. Markt made music for Schoonmaker’s TV production capstone class, and Schoonmaker’s son was finishing an internship with a company that he thought Markt would be a natural fit for—Jingle Punks. Markt accepted the internship, headed to New York City and started working for the startup out of the CEO’s apartment while couch surfing across the city. Since its birth in 2008, Jingle Punks has grown into one of the premier music publishing and licensing companies for television shows, commercials and more. In addition

to maintaining a huge catalog of licensable music, Jingle Punks produces a massive amount of original music for their clients. As the Punks have grown, so has the influence of Syracuse alumni within the company. Including Markt, seven SU alumni currently work at Jingle Punks in various roles. For the SU Punks, it’s about giving back to the community that helped them get there. “It seems like most of us have gotten to where we are through connections that were primarily Syracuse based,” said Jeff Peters, an early Punk and classmate of Markt’s. “I think they foster a very open relationship amongst students to allow connections to happen organically. It seems like everyone I meet from Syracuse is open to chatting and seeing where things go.” 41

Markt joined Jingle Punks during a period of growth in the number of clients as well as employees. They quickly outgrew founder Jared Gustadt’s apartment and moved into their first office space. Gustadt’s previous work as an editor at MTV gave them access to their initial clients, mostly at Viacom. A few months after starting at Jingle Punks, Markt called Peters to come in and meet with Gustadt. Two weeks later, Peters moved to New York and started interning just as Markt had. When he arrived, there was very little custom music coming from Jingle Punks. They simply recorded music here and there, according to Peters. He found a role producing music using experience he gained working at WERW during his four years here at SU, and

quickly graduated from intern to the first full-time composer at Jingle Punks. Now they have more than 10 in-house composers. Today, Markt and Peters still work as songwriters and composers, producing three to five tracks per day across all genres. “They can range from a full length track with vocals to an underscore for a TV show like American Pickers or The Voice,” said Peters. “70-80% of what I do is just instrumental tracks and the remaining more song-based things, more ad briefs that need vocals.” While Jingle Punks maintains ownership over the music, composers collect royalties on their tracks. In cases where clients request a very specific style, an on-site musicol-

"I’D BE LYING IF I SAID I DIDN’T THINK THAT HAVING SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ON MY RESUME PROBABLY, MAYBE DOG-EARED ME FOR SHORT LIST." 42

ogist analyzes the music to make sure there’s no copyright infringement. Another SU alumnus, Brady Clark who is the head of catalog, keeps his ears on both the in-house music and what they receive from freelance writers to make sure it doesn’t push copyright boundaries. Outside of writing music, Markt travels to different Jingle Punks locations to work with other composers. Markt and Peters have collaborated with artists such as Ashanti and Randy Bachman, among others. Peters even had the opportunity to arrange Illmatic for a 50-piece orchestra and play drums for a Nas concert in South Africa. SU alumni Sarah Aument and Samu Rast work as music supervisors. Aument started her path to Jingle Punks as a musician. After her band performed at CMJ Music Marathon, Markt, having seen the performance, called her to ask to use her band’s music for Jingle Punks. She stayed in touch with Markt and used the connection to land an internship. As supervisors, Aument and Rast work between clients and composers, and clients and the catalog to make sure they get exactly what they’re looking for. “Clients will reach out wanting a specific musical direction and we will help them find what they’re looking for in the library by putting together playlists for them,” said Rast, the most recent SU grad among the Punks. “When clients need custom cues, we will hop on a creative call with them and then

put in a brief that then goes to our studio management team that distributes that to the composers.” Rast’s story is similar to Aument’s—he worked as an intern for Jingle Punks and eventually was hired full-time. Before his current job at Jingle Punks, he worked at another music-related job for a few months but wanted to go back to work for the Punks. On the other side of the company, David Ko works in the back-end as a programmer. As an economics major at SU, Ko decided to pivot to a career in programming after finding his initial career plan unfulfilling. Jingle Punks was the first programming job he could find and he applied, all the while unaware of the strong bonds to SU. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think that having Syracuse University on my resumé probably, maybe dogeared me for short list,” said Ko. Ko now works mostly with the Jingle Player, the interface with which clients interact and search through the massive catalog of music. Syracuse’s influence at Jingle Punks is tangible. Markt is grateful that he could bring people together from his alma mater and watch Jingle Punks grow from a startup to full fledged Orange company. “For me it’s just amazing that we were able to have this cool connection with Syracuse,” he said, “because so many of us studied music and other things there and found our way into Jingle Punks.” 43

For Those Who Used ...We salute you. by kyle driscoll

When I was a child in the bustling metropolis of Hopkinton, MA, my world was filled with rock and roll. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam and Fleetwood Mac were essentially residents of my home. As I grew older, I ditched piano lessons to pick up the guitar. I scoured my parents’ massive CD collection for classic rock gems. But all this music was, well, old. The most recent release available in our house was probably a Gwen Stefani album that my dad bought “for my sister,” but that could hardly be considered rock (or good for that matter). The outdated nature of the music I listened to didn’t make me love it any less, but it still troubled me that my favorite genre wasn’t represented in new releases. I asked myself, “why is nobody making great rock music anymore? And if they are, why doesn’t anyone play it on the radio?” As a college sophomore in 2016, all I see is rap and pop

To Rock... dominating the charts, and I can only dream of a return of the glory that was rock in years past.

these features remained some of the most defining of the genre.

It is this desperate dream that led me into the office of Professor Theo Cateforis. Professor Cateforis is a music historian and musicologist here at SU, and the closest thing we have to an expert on rock. I set out to ask him why rock has declined so greatly, and what semblances, if any, we have of it today.

In the ‘60s, rock began to diversify with the growth of new movements and scenes. The British Invasion, counterculture movement and Motown all popularized and expanded the genre. Bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones pushed rock to the forefront of the musical world with their progressive, experimental releases.

Cateforis took me on a trip through the decades. In the 1950s, rock-nroll was born and the core elements of the genre took form; not just sonic elements, like being a guitar based blend of genres spanning from R&B to big band to country, but cultural elements as well. From the beginning, the American youth was the most receptive to rock. Regardless of later shifts in style,

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, rock soared and became a highly profitable spectacle, with massive arena tours and landmark LPs. Bands like Queen, Pink Floyd and Van Halen ruled record stores and concert venues. Pyrotechnics, light shows and makeup became key elements of rock shows. It was also in this era that the persona of the “rockstar,” depicted masterfully by Nickel45

"Teenagers today are less likely to grow up and identify with rock than ever before." back’s 2006 hit, was born. Many artists would aim to adopt the image of the hard rocking, hard living, international superstar in these decades. However, by the ‘90s people grew bored. Grunge bands such as Nirvana were a reaction to the extravagance of the ‘80s. They stripped down the genre and went back to basics. These bands represented simplicity and independence, two traits that were almost as important to a band’s success as its mu-

FALL OF ROCK 46

sic. This is when “alternative” music began to shape and take over rock, a trend that would continue to thrive after Y2K. So the question remains: what about the modern day? Cateforis identifies two major rock movements in the 21st Century. The first is emo. Initially I was surprised that Cateforis considered emo a major movement, but maybe it’s not as crazy as it seems. After all, who among us hasn’t wept out some teenage angst to the sullen tones of My Chemical Romance? However, emo’s glorious heyday is well behind us. The recent resurgence of Fall Out Boy is the first time the genre has been relevant since about 2006, if you could even call their new stuff “emo.” Alternatively, the second movement has represented rock much more consistently in the new millennium. Indie rock, though it suffers on the Billboard charts,

1950s the birth of rock, Elvis pelvic thrusts

1960s hippies take over rock, Woodstock happens

is the closest thing we have to mainstream rock these days. What Cateforis dubs “shopping mall groups,” indie rock bands are commonly keyboard-driven and pride themselves on their independence and DIY attitude. This brand of rock is hardly reminiscent of their predecessors in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Gone is the 5-minute guitar solo, the rockstar mentality and most of the mainstream popularity. But it may just be that lack of mainstream success that makes indie great. Similar to other rock movements over the years, like grunge and punk, their independence is what sets the subgenre apart. Cateforis refers to indie rock as “post-MGMT rock,” an excellent description of a genre that is rock like we’ve never seen it before, but is rock nonetheless. So how do we explain the decline in mass popularity? Well, Cateforis and I have a few thoughts on this. Firstly, people aren’t buying LPs anymore. Spotify playlists and Pandora shuffles have largely replaced the full-length album, which was a major aspect of many of the great rock musicians of the 20th centu-

1970s Yoko Ono breaks up the Beatles, makes John worse at music

ry. As a result, the grand, defining album has all but disappeared in today’s rock; more of these are found in rap than anything else. The decline of rock radio formats does not bode well for the genre either. DJs are no longer pushing this music into the mainstream, so it is falling away from the public eye. Not to mention that we have no idea where the rockstars have gone. While rap and pop superstars are everywhere in pop culture, pretty much the only spearheading figure in rock is Dave Grohl, carrying the torch of the old rockers the way Wynton Marsalis did for jazz in the ‘80s. One thing’s for sure, though: teenagers today are less likely to grow up and identify with rock than ever before. For a genre that, since its inception, has been founded on rebellious youth culture, this is a frightening prospect. Indie has kept rock music afloat, but we need a new and powerful movement to bring it back to where it was. Until then, rock fans, rap music really isn’t that bad. Give it a try.

1990s rock enters its teen angst phase, many flannels are purchased

July 12, 2002 rock dies

THE BALLAD OF JOHN & MAY 48

May Pang talks us through her “Lost Weekend” with John Lennon. by mikey light Any true Beatles historian or John Lennon fan has likely heard the name May Pang. Known for an 18-month affair with the “Imagine”

lyricist, which Lennon referred to as his “Lost Weekend,” Pang is rarely more than a footnote in the story that is John Lennon’s life. This, however, is simply not the case. Pang was a major player in the lives of both John Lennon and Yoko Ono from 1973 until John’s untimely death at the hands of deranged fan Mark David Chapman in 1980. Pang began working at ABKCO Records in 1970. At the time, the

"if you’re going to shoot, shoot me but don’t fuck with me ears as I need them to listen with" label represented The Beatles’ label Apple Records, in addition to John, George and Ringo. It was through her work as a “gal friday” and later as a publisher at ABKCO that Pang first met John and Yoko. By 1971 she was working full time as the intrepid couple’s assistant. Her work even brought her to our very own Syracuse that same year when she helped coordinate “This Is Not Here,” one of Yoko’s art exhibitions, which according to Pang “was a water-themed show which had a few mishaps along the way.” It wasn’t until 1973 that Pang’s relationship with John, and Yoko for that matter, manifested as anything out of the ordinary. John and Yoko began having issues with their relationship and decided to take some time off from each other. It was around this time that Yoko first approached Pang about the possibility of her being with John. “She approached me one morning saying that John was going to start dating other women,” started Pang. “She thought it would be a good idea for me to have a ‘boyfriend.’ I was dumbstruck...how does anyone react to that kind of situation?” Pang initially rejected the idea, 50

but Yoko was adamant that she start seeing John. Pang eventually relented, and thus began the infamous “Lost Weekend.” Pang has a lot of stories about her time with John, and remembers the whole episode fondly. There was, for instance, the time they saw a UFO in 1974. “John and I were in our apartment after a day in the recording studio,” began Pang. “I was on the phone ordering a pizza in the other room and John went out to smoke his French cigarette on our balcony. He then suddenly called out to me and I ignored his first calling. His calling was a bit more intense so I ran out there to find out what was the urgency. Before I could get the words out, I saw this object over our heads. I started to stutter and John said, ‘you are seeing what I’m seeing.’ I was just taken aback by this UFO which was so close I could see the underbelly. It was only about two or three stories above our heads. I watched it for a good 10 to 15 minutes as it sauntered down the East River.” Or the time that legendarily unstable producer Phil Spector fired a gun off in the studio.

“[He] pulled the gun out in the recording studio. John’s ears were ringing after he fired it and with his finger in his ear said to Phil, ‘if you’re going to shoot, shoot me but don’t fuck with me ears as I need them to listen with.’ John and I never thought there were real bullets in the gun. We now know there were.” Spector is currently serving a sentence of 19 to life for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. It has since come out that pulling guns on people was a bad habit of Spector’s, having threatened members of The Ramones among others. The way that Lennon and Pang were set up created what some would call an odd dynamic to their relationship. “Yoko called every day, in fact, several times a day to ‘check in’ on us,” said Pang. It was apparently very weird, but the lovers wanted to make sure that they didn’t “rock any boats.” Pang is not, as one might expect, commonly perceived by fans of John and The Beatles as one of the “bad parts” of John’s life. “I meet fans all the time,” began Pang. “It’s always pleasant and positive. I don’t mind answering questions about John and they seem to realize that it was a good time for John both personally and musically.”

During the “Lost Weekend” John recorded Walls and Bridges for which Pang would win a Gold Record award from the Recording Industry Association of America for her work as a production coordinator. Lennon’s only ever number one single as a solo artist “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” appeared on the album. Pang’s relationship with Lennon reportedly petered out in 1975 when he and Yoko got back together, although Pang claims that she had a sexual relationship with John as late as 1977. Pang says that she maintained contact with John until he died. Following the “Lost Weekend,” Pang worked as a producer for some of the biggest names in the business and eventually married producer Tony Visconti with whom she had two children. Pang and Visconti divorced in 2000. Pang has since written several books on her relationship with John Lennon beginning with Loving John in 1983. In 2008 she released Instamatic Karma, a book of photos that she took during her time with Lennon. She now has her own line of “feng shui” jewelry and maintains a blog at maypang.com. “My relationship with John doesn’t define me,” said Pang. “But it definitely shaped my world.” 51

flat retina theory Dear 20 Watts, My name is Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., better known by my stage name B.o.B. I’m writing you in regards to an article that you published last issue about Stevie Wonder’s blindness. I wanted to let you know that you’re on the right track. I’ve been researching this issue for a while now, and I think that it’s time that I present to the public the truth that I have discovered in regards to the pianist’s eyes. While on a journey of self-discovery in the mountains of Nepal, I came across a hidden village untouched by modern man. I was brought to the village elder, a wise and ancient shaman named Parvatamā prabhuharūkā saňga himďcha jasalē, which roughly translates to “He Who Walks With the Mountain

Lords.” He and I ambulated together in the spirit world, and it was there that he taught me the truth about Stevie Wonder. It was there that he taught me about Flat Retina Theory. The eyes of the deceiver are not of woman born. What they won’t tell you in your history books is that eons ago, the entity that is now known as Stevie Wonder made a deal with a cosmic demon of unimaginable power. In exchange for his ability to view the visible spectrum, he gained the capacity to comprehend space and time in a way completely unknown to us. I saw past, present and future in the spirit realm. I began to understand the true nature of Stevie Wonder’s

The eyes of the deceiver are not of woman born.

eyeballs. Inside, I saw the secrets he kept within and learned why the booty is bigger than it appears. Since my spiritual jaunt, I’ve done a lot of speculating on just what the implications of Stevie Wonder’s flat retinas are, and I think that I’ve figured it out. Stevie Wonder, the malevolent one, holds in his eyes the truth about our planet and continually betrays humanity. Why he does this, who can say, but let it be known that Stevie Wonder is the devil himself. What is this truth you might ask? Well, that the Earth is flat of course!

working in your best interests. He intends to obfuscate the truth and keep us, the righteous denizens of this earth, in eternal darkness. Stevie Wonder knows the truth. I know the truth. Now, 20 Watts Magazine knows the truth. I will be contacting the force projection of Carl Sagan to consult on this grave matter shortly. With love, Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. Rapper/Prince of the Spirit Realm

Beware the ocean, my friends, for eventually, like all flat objects, it drops off into the abyss of space. The “Ebony and Ivory” singer is not

SPICY ABE “I know not what World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be off the fucking chain bonkers.” - Albert Einstein. This was the quote that Dr. [REDACTED], my High School physics teacher, had hanging above his desk, and for some reason it stuck with me. I think that there’s something to be said about the general escalation of all things. We’ve gone from regular Whoppers to Angry Whoppers, Alabama Hotpockets to Large Hard-on Colliders (if you have to ask you can’t afford it) and from simple and straightforward live performances to spiders projected onto the faces of the biggest stars in pop. Escalation is synonymous with evolution, and humans love the shit out of evolution. We evolved from a bunch of stupid shit-flinging apes into glam-rock sensations in the matter of only a few million years, and that’s honestly pretty dope.

A lot of people get hung up on the whole “bigger isn’t necessarily better” thing, but that’s a bunch of nonsense. Bigger is always better, whether we’re talking sweatshirts, joints, yachts or live music performances. I firmly believe that we should continuously seek to up the ante in all aspects of life. This means bigger stages, bigger production and, most of all, bigger dicks. On the topic of bigger dicks, I’ve heard tell of the legend of Greg Oden: a man whose schlong is to a mere mortal’s as Rick Ross is to Rae Sremmurd’s Slim Jimmy. I can only presume that dick size was a factor in Oden being drafted ahead of Kevin Durant. But as Lil B once poetically said, fuck Kevin Durant. Bigger is better no matter what, and he with the golden dick deserves all the spoils of this earth. I’m not sure what this has to do with music but like...Lil B?

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