Classiques Modernes Spring-Summer 2016 by Classiques Modernes

CLASSIQUES MODERNES SPRING/SUMMER 2016

God OnlyKnows

BY DAVID CONRAD

Laure de Sagazanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

ROCKING WEDDINGS

CITY WITH AN INSATIABLE APPETITE

Romona Keveza, Roots of Canada

FASHION, STYLE and many more ...

NEW ORLEANS PLUS Oneohtrix Point Never

TEEN SUICIDE

Classique MODERNES .

LOY BERNAL CARLOS

Editor in Chief/Creative Director KENNETH J. MOORE Senior Editor, Real Estate Principal Broker MARIA ANNELI BORBECK Managing Editor

NICOLE T. MCGLONE Senior Design Editor PAUL EVAN GLENN Senior Editor, Fine Arts

RYAN OBERMEIER Senior Editor, Arts & Entertainment DAVID CONRAD Editor at Large, Features

KATHRYN RESURRECCION Editor, Trends

CHRISTOPHER MCKEAN Editor, Style CHEF OKIMA WILCOX Editor, Culinary Arts

COLIN MCGLONE Contributing Editor, Fitness

PAUL AUGUSTIN BONTE Senior Editor, Europe

CHASE PETERS Associate Editor, Travel

CODY RZEZNIK Contributing Editor, Fitness WILL T. MAY Senior Editor, Asia

KENNETH KERN Senior Associate General Editor CHARLES SOMERVILLE Senior Editorial Cartoonist

JIM LAVERY Senior Editorial Cartoonist

CONTRIBUTORS HERBERT KOEHLER Senior Contributor, Finance ANDREW L. JALOZA Senior Contributor, Law JASON GARELICK, Senior Contributor, Op-Ed & Literary Arts JEREMY BURKE Senior Contributor, Music LEV RASLIN, Senior Contributor, Features JUSTIN SARET Contributor, General Features

ART PHOENIX DELOESTE TIPAWAN Hair & Make-up LOY CARLOS, KEN MOORE Art Direction, Lighting & Photography

CLASSIQUES MODERNES COLIN MCGLONE Director, Business Development WILL HUNT, BRIAN PINK Editorial Assistants

PUBLISHERS KENNETH J. MOORE President

PUBLISHED BY

LOY BERNAL CARLOS Chief Executive Officer

CLASSIQUES MODERNES LIFESTYLE & ESTATES

Manhattan Bureau: 251 Fifth Avenue - 6 Fl | New York, NY 10016

Williamsburg Studio: 2 Northside Piers | Brooklyn, NY 11249

Â© Classsiques Modernes 2015

Passion A WORLD OF

by CLASSIQUES MODERNES

Spring/Summer 2016

Wedding Ruminations THE LAST MINUTES

A NEW COLLECTION BY LAURE DE SAGAZAN

Laure de Sagazan THE NEW 2016 COLLECTION | PARIS

ROCK YOUR WORLD

lauredesagazan.fr

G od Only Knows What I’d Be Without... BY DAVID CONRAD

God only knows what I’d do without it? I’m holding it in my hand. I hold it every day. Without fail. I work it every day. I overuse it, even when it starts to show some wear and tear. The pleasure it brings, I can’t begin to tell you. I’m using it right now to say, “I can’t let go.” And it, of course, would be my phone. My mobile. My smartness. The extended cellular system connecting me to my friends and facts and lovers and to the endless literal and figurative maps of the world, as if we and it and all were nerve endings within the same celestial body. But we are not. We are not. We are now the medium for Apple’s message. Or Samsung’s. Or whatever global superpower now makes your days impossible without them. I was born before cable tv but I’ll admit it- my brain has been rewired. When my phone doesn’t work or can’t tell me where I am or where I need to be and what for, I shut down. I am lost in the present. Overwhelmed by the sense that there isn’t some great plan for me. The day has lost its narrative, its divining rod, its portal leading me from one necessary station to the next.

When the battery dies, the personal assistant behind the curtain stops calling to tell us, “Go, sort, move, delete, like, answer, answer, answer.” And that my friends is truly fucked up. We lead a life sorting data. Controlled by our mini 2001 Space Oddity Obelisks. We huddle before them in awe. We happily pummel our fellow sapiens into submission in order to upgrade. We’re the people of the pad. The stick. The screen. The platform. I write to you from a cafe in a museum in Toronto. I’m one of 4 men in the room looking at no one else, sipping some beverage that’s bought us a seat for a few hours, alone, unattached, “at work”. There’s an entire nation of men sitting solo in restaurant and hotel bars, heads bowed before the tiny screen, one hand shoveling in the food, an occasional nod to the help. Catching up. Using the time. What image could be a finer example of who truly needs the “help”? What’s a clearer portrait of the malaise of the age, call it “The Ballad of Cellular Dependency” then this array of men plumped down at 5:20 pm at staggered seats across the bars of all the hotels in the nation. Hopper’s “Nighthawks”, unashamed to see the light of day. Or unaware of their addiction. I just walked out of a museum show called “American Rebels”- photos from the mid Fifties thru the mid Eighties. Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, Danny Lyon, Gordon Parks, pictorial essays on alternative takes on the American Way of life.

Danny Lyons lived with the Chicago Outlaw bikers for 5 years in the early ‘60s. His shots are unglamorous and epic all at once. He was called the first visual voice of the New Journalism.

“And see?” She said to her companion, “not a phone to be found.”

I walked past the last of his images in the gallery: Members of the gang, men and women, his friends, hanging out in a bar, playing pool.

“Thank God huh?”, he nodded to her. “Lucky bastards.”

Deep darks, no attempt to centralize their faces, neither heroes or anti heroes present, just a group of kids in their twenties with thick hair and glowing eyes, sporting around in the lower east side of NYC in 1963. Undoubtably half of them or more are dead. The rest now in their late 70s. There was a young couple in the museum. Asian woman. Caucasian guy. College age probably. Maybe older. They folded in behind as I looked at the last shot in the show.

He leaned in. I eavesdropped.

I smiled. And then I reached for my phone to go and tell this tale. God only knows what we’ll do next.

Naturally Bold.

Summer Roots

HER LOOK BY ROMONA KEVEZA

By Robert James

SIMPLE, HONEST,

HANDSOME

E. HIS LOOK

By Robert James is the brainchild of Robert James, a rural Ohio native whose menswear brand is founded on timeless handsome classics with a modern twist. After graduating from The Ohio State University and FIT, James pursued a design career in apparel design, with the purpose of honing his skills for his own brand. That day has arrived and James now works to bring his passion for men’s fashion to life by designing, a head to toe line of jackets, coats, jeans, trousers, and craft knitwear. Based in New York City’s Lower East Side, James strives to maintain a brand that balances innovation and inspiration, while honoring the tradition of honest, hard work. Inspired by music and historic men’s garments and themes, and guided by the spirit of his humble beginnings, James’s designs appeal to high-end men’s fashion books as well as the average guy. James aims to make every man who wears his clothing feel as handsome as the clothes themselves. The brand also uses local goods and manufacturing, insuring that every product is not only great for the consumer, but has a deeper environmental conscience while supporting local businesses in the community.

Christina Johnson Healthy Haircare Collection is formulated to restore or reinvent the integrity of healthy hair. A Collection of healthy botanical Extracts, Oils, Pro vitamins and other healthy ingredients. Promotes Growth, stimulate or contractions to your follicles, Moisturize, nourishes smoothes, as well as shines healthy hair. The products are Paraben & Sulfate free. Products Featured in the line: Peppermint Dream Shampoo and Conditioner ......... which is formulated with tea tree oil and Peppermint oil . Leaves the hair and scalp with a cool sensation as well as nourished with nutrients. Restoration Shampoo and Conditioner. Adds strength, shine and restores the hairs elasticity..... formulated with proteins, 10 amino acids, seaweed, algae, sea kelp , lavender and orange oil Rejuvenate Leave in Conditioner It increases flexibility to decrease damage during styling. Great with flat irons, creates shine, without weight. Also detangle while it strengthen and smoothes. It's Formulated with: Horsetail Extracts - For Shine & Strength Aloe Extracts- For Smoothing hair & soothing scalp Green Tea Extracts - For security and protects hair from environmental assault. Styling Ads *Sparkle Finishing Shine * Revive Hair Serum * Restore Argan Oil *Shape & Hold Finishing Spritz *Structure Texture Hair spray All products can be purchased online at: www.restorationdiva.com.

RESTORATION DIVA

Spa Affordability

Cheryl Reid’s Remedies for Relaxation “Living in New York is not always as easy or glamorous as it sounds. I guess that’s why they say, ‘If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,’” explained Cheryl Reid, founder of Spa Week, when reminiscing on how she first stumbled upon the idea to offer discounted spa treatments to those weary New Yorkers looking for relief in an ever-changing, hectic world. Reid launched her firm in response to that constant hustle and bustle of the Big Apple metropolis where, as she puts it, “On some days, a one mile commute can take 45 minutes.” Enough said. While brainstorming one night for an idea on how to create an event to educate New Yorkers about the benefits of a spa and wellness lifestyle, coupled with a cost-effective way to do so, Spa Week was born. While many perceive spa treatments to be a luxury, wellness experts would completely dispute that philosophy, as would Reid. As it were, those who receive regular massage and spa treatments are more wellrounded, peaceful and rested when it comes to tackling the tasks of every day life. The goal for Spa Week built on that mantra was quite simple. Reid wanted to bring the spa and wellness experience to the masses by offering full service treatments (normally costing hundreds of dollars) for just $50 dollars each. “No longer would a trip to the spa be considered an indulgence and something relegated to the wealthy few. Spa Week was the vehicle that was destined to change an industry and make a spa visit part of an affordable healthy lifestyle,” explained Reid. Today, the program is run biannually throughout the country, with the first week taking place this year last April 11-17, the other slated for Fall. Even though the program launched in 2004, Reid believes it’s more timely than ever, as a staggering number of people are working increasingly on computers and mobile devices, only exacerbating issues and injuries such as carpal tunnel, muscle fatigue, back and neck pain, stress and countless others.

BY KRISTEN OLIVERI

To combat these issues, many spas offer specific treatments such as the De-Stress Body Treatment at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salons across their 28 locations. The treatment offers a full body scrub, detoxifying and aroma therapeutic wrap and a minimassage focusing on troubled areas like back and neck, lower back or feet. And while treatments might not be at extravagant prices, it certainly doesn’t mean you’ll be missing an opulent experience. Aside from the Red Door Salon, other sumptuous spas participate in the program including Natural Body, the spas at the Hyatt and Hilton Hotels, the Spa at Virgin Hotels and Eau Spa Palm Beach. The treatments go well beyond the standard massage or facial, where some spas offer decadent treatments like hot stone massages, caviar facials, Botox, eyelash extensions and 24-K gold facials.

How one woman’s passion and devotion brought remedies for a healthy lifestyle, to those busy individuals around her, which led to a robust business that reminds us all that sometimes, we just need to relax. It is with her steadfast belief that wellness should be center stage when it comes to fighting against stress and anxiety that Reid has expanded the business and continues to do so with great vigor. “Spa Week continues to be the vehicle that was destined to change an industry and make a spa visit part of an affordable healthy lifestyle,” added Reid.

LA VIE

CLASSIQUES MODERNES INTERNATIONAL REALTY 251 FIFTH AVENUE - 6 FL | NEW YORK, NY 10016

Licensed New York Real Estate Broker | Equal Housing Opportunity

HEY, NEW YORK Who’s the new kid in Real Estate?

Actually we’ve been around, busy checking out the many other worlds to bring to you so we can offer not ‘lifestyle’ in quotes, but

LIFE.

ClassiqueS MODERNE

Fresh. Smart. Genuine. And way cool.

lavieclassique.com

LIVE WILLIAMSBURG

Le Grand Strip

197 Grand Street | Brooklyn, NY 11211| 718.599.3525

Looking for something with pizazz, character and total fabulousness? Then you simply have to check out Le Grand Strip in Williamsburg. French proprietaire, CC McGurr, curates some of the most amazing designer vintage clothing and accessories and just loves to help out anyone with an impeccable sense of style. CC and her team have worked with people from all walks of life including Broadway stars, artists, models, celebrities and fashion editors. But whoever you are and whatever you do, this charming and corky fireball is certain to turn your styling dilemma into a whole lot of fun. From Lacroix to Charles Jourdan, to Chanel, Dior, Ferragamo, Dior and Gucci, 1950s delicate french lace dresses to 1970s disco leather, she has it all and more!

legrandstrip.com

CLASSIQUES MODERNES

REAL

LIFESTYLE

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HOME MANAGEMENT LIFESTYLE SERVICE CONNECTIONCONCIERGE

REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SALES & LEASING CO-OPS * CONDOS TOWNHOUSES ESTATES INVESTMENTS

REAL

MAGAZINE

SUBSTANCE, NOT CONTENT

54 BOND LIVE NOHO

54 BOND STREET At once sophisticated and alluring, this full floor loft unit is one of three residences in arguably one of the city’s most beautiful true cast-iron boutique condominiums, not just in Noho but anywhere in New York City. Comprising 2200 square feet of luxurious space, the home features two bedrooms plus an office/third bedroom, two marble baths a powder room, corner living room, dining and a gourmet breakfast kitchen. The 13 ft. ceiling throughout is simply stunning, especially when framed all around by oversized 10 ft. windows, immaculate plaster moldings, and natural wide-plank herringbone floors. Central air conditioning, state-of-the-art audio-video system, laundry room with washer and dryer, alarm system and ample storage add to the unit’s efficiency, security and comfort level. Additional storage space is allocated to the unit in the building’s cellar. A lobby attendant is available 24-hours a day in addition to a biometric unlocked elevator. This is a home that speaks for itself. Call now for a private preview. For a private preview, please email: Kenneth J. Moore: ken@classiquesmodernes.com Loy Carlos: loy@classiquesmodernes.com

All information is from sources deemed reliable. No representation is made or is implied as to absolute accuracy and is subject to errors, omissions, change in price, prior lease and/or withdrawal without notice.. Square footage and dimensions are approximate.

HearthCabinet™ Ventless Fireplaces is a world-class ventless fireplace brand that designs and manufactures the only ventless fireplaces that use the finest, safe, clean-burning, gel fuel cartridge system. All of our models are designed by an architect-led design team and evolved from a solution for a client who wanted a safe and beautiful fireplace for a luxury highrise apartment. HearthCabinet™ Ventless Fireplaces have been used in high-end residential, hospitality, and commercial spaces across North America by top trade professionals. HearthCabinet™ Ventless Fireplaces are the ONLY ventless fireplaces approved for use in New York City because of their unique safety features. HearthCabinet™ Ventless Fireplaces are designed and handcrafted in New York City by NY craftsmen, ensuring high quality, bespoke products with short lead times. HearthCabinet™ has been the leader in custom, luxury, ventless fireplaces since 2005.

hearthcabinet.com

#1: ROARING FLAME

Innovative fuel cartridges provide a unique, beautiful, real flame that dances like a wood fire but without the smoke or mess. #2: VENTLESS HearthCabinet™ Ventless Fireplaces do not require a chimney, flue, gas line, or electricity, allowing you to put them virtually anywhere. #3: SAFE Patented safety and design features unique to HearthCabinet™ Ventless Fireplaces ensure the safest fireplace experience possible. They are the ONLY ventless fireplaces approved for use in NYC. #4: CUSTOM-TAILORED Every fireplace is handcrafted in NYC and can be completely custom-designed to project needs. #5: PERSONAL SERVICE & PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE HearthCabinet staff of architects and designers will work directly with you on your project, start to finish. SHOWROOM BY APPOINTMENT: 250 W. 26th Street, New York, NY 10001 212.242.1485

35 MERCER O

FT VE

LIVE SOHO

Set at the corner of Grand and Mercer Street above legendary Alexander Wang, the unit expresses artistry, sensibility and spatial philosophy that is very much reflective of Soho's cultural history. Soaring twelve and a half foot ceilings provide a sense of height and volume. Nine enormous windows with deep sill, allow much light to illuminate an interior replete with original details. Exposed brick, well maintained but left in its natural state, together with original maple floors and corinthian cast iron columns frame an image that's a snapshot of a longed-for time and culture. A working wood burning stove remains, previously featured in 1975 in The New York Times, now framed by a sculptural mantel. Owned by the same architect since its conversion in the 1970s, the constructed loft is geometry in practice, from its undulating, circular kitchen and bath to its cubic bedrooms juxtaposed by a scattering of triangles, rectangles, squares. Currently, two bedrooms are split on opposite sides, though the space can accommodate three or even four bedrooms. A sleeping mezzanine floor takes advantage of the height, simultaneously giving a complete vista of the open layout as well as providing ample storage underneath it. The unit also comes with 75 ft. of storage space in the building as well as shares a common hallway with one rear unit on the floor. Maintenance is a mere $750 per month. The building consists of only seven units and has a roof deck with lovely Downtown views. The building has also already performed major updates and capital improvements from new elevator, redone roof deck, to new windows, sprinkler system, central air conditioning for each unit, exhaust fans, etc.

Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 2 Ownership: Cooperative Built: 1867 Units: 7 Amenities: Roof Deck Elevator: Yes, keyed Price: $3,600,000 Mainenance: $750 per month For a private preview, please email: Kenneth J. Moore ken@classiquesmodernes.com Loy Carlos loy@classiquesmodernes.com

MIDTOWN INVESTMENT

COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NYC 2 BEDROOMS | 2.5 BATHS US $2,800,000 All information is from sources deemed reliable. No representation is made or is implied as to absolute accuracy and is subject to errors, omissions, change in price, prior lease and/or withdrawal without notice.. Square footage and dimensions are approximate.

For more information, please email: Loy Carlos Kenneth J. Moore ken@classiquesmodernes.com loy@classiquesmodernes.com

HOUSES OF STYLE by Daun Curry

DAUN CURRY DESIGN STUDIO 35 Great Jones Street, 3rd Floor | New York, NY 10012 Tel: 212.480.2593

dauncurry.com

Putting Retirement Assets to Work BY ANDREW L. JALOZA, ESQ. Abraham Lincoln once said, “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Consequently, many parents and grandparents value higher education and want to help pay for the college costs of their children and grandchildren. Is funding higher education a top priority in your family? 529 College Savings Plan What do you know about Qualified Tuition Plans (aka 529 College Savings Plans)? Did you know they are a popular and tax-savvy approach to college savings? Here are the basics: the grantor (you – the parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend) make contributions in the form of gifts that qualify for the annual gift tax exclusion (i.e., $14,000 per beneficiary), but with an interesting wrinkle. You may gift up to five years’ worth of annual gifts (i.e., $70,000) to a 529 plan and “front-load” your contribution in one year. Not only are these gifted funds and the future growth on them outside your estate, but the contributed funds are not subject to federal (and some state) income taxes. In addition, the funds paid out for qualifying educational expenses are not subject to federal (and some state) income taxes when withdrawn. Flexibility One of the best things about 529 plans is their flexibility for the account holders (i.e., you). The owner – who need not be a parent – is still in control of the account when the beneficiary (student) becomes an adult. This means you can transfer it to another beneficiary if need be. For example, if a college savings account is not needed by a grandchild who is awarded multiple scholarships or decided not to attend college, then the 529 account can be designated to a younger child, grandchild or even a parent who wants to go back to school.

Types of Plans There are two basic 529 plan “flavors” – prepaid tuition and college savings plans – and more than 100 options regarding requirements and eligibility. Pre-paid tuition plans typically allow those saving for college to purchase credits at a participating college or university for future tuition, as well as room and board in some situations. These prepaid tuition plans are sponsored by state governments and also have residency requirements. The state will generally guarantee investments in its sponsored pre-paid tuition plans. College savings plans generally allow the account holder to establish an account for the beneficiary to pay his or her eligible college expenses. You can select from numerous investment options, which the college savings plan invests on your behalf. The funds from college savings plans are generally used at any college or university, but these plans may invest in mutual funds, which are neither guaranteed by state governments, nor are they federally insured. Qualified Expenses Only The funds in any 529 plan may only be used for “qualified” expenses. The IRS says these are things like the “cost of attendance” room and board (not a new house!), tuition, books and other required materials. As far as a purchasing a laptop, tablet or other computer, make sure that you hang on to your paperwork and print out the rules from the university website that says students are required to own one. And, no, spring break expenses do not count.

ANDREW L. JALOZA ASSOCIATES Phone: 718-303-0156 Email: info@aljlaw.com

SHIRT - GUCCI SUIT - RALPH LAUREN BELT - TODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

CLASSIC SPRING

CASUAL SUMMER

audiodoctor.com

NATIONAL SAWDUST

LIVE WILLIAMSBURG

BY JEREMY BURKE

Oneohtrix Point Never

When listening to Oneohtrix Point Never’s new album, Garden of Delete, one is eminently aware of the degree to which borders are and are not important for the music he creates. The borders between noise and melody, between tone and percussion, between human and synthesized sound are all explored and exploited throughout the album, in addition to the abrupt changes mid-song that he used so effectively on his last full length, R Plus Seven. Perhaps the most noteworthy of these is the way in which OPN uses synth sounds to create a rhythm, even when there are no discernible drum synths on a track. Album opener “Ezra,” for example, uses airy sounds, which one expects to linger, echo, delay, last, that instead abruptly start and stop to slowly create a sense of rhythm. “I Bite Through It” achieves this as well, synths twitching glitchy under a consistent lead sawtooth line, giving the opening rhythm before the song pulls back. There’s a percussiveness to these sounds—more marimba than maraca—but because the percussion is a part of the notes themselves rather than in addition to it, it lends itself to more slips into arhythm, such as mid-way through “I Bite Through It” when the notes go wonkily discordant, yielding no discernible pattern and instead leaving the listener nauseatingly disoriented.

A spooky organ cuts in, erasing all the ambient pads, arpeggios moving from minor to major before completely switching rhythm, a high-pitch vocoded voice joining the mix before everything is cut off by a pure tone like a TV channel cutting out. What comes after sounds almost like straight rock ’n roll. It’s an effect that’s, again, jarring, but somehow never out of place. OPN makes you feel more like your expectations were incorrect, were too narrow, than that he is doing something unusual. For him, it seems as natural as loosening a valve to release pentup pressure. These places of tension, these places on the border of percussion/tone or noise/music or quiet/loud, are often where the album’s best moments happen. Centerpiece “160,” which begins with driving, Dirty Beaches-esque drums (or bass, or both), which is slowly overwhelmed by a wall of ambience and frantic, high pitch, detuned synths. There’s some back and forth—more punchy bass and frantic synths switching off dominance—before the song kicks into breakneck arpeggios, four or more instruments ranging from piercingly high to percussively low pounding out different rhythms. It’s almost overwhelming. It’s one of the album’s best songs.

Anyone who has listened to OPN before will also very quickly note how much noisier this album is than past efforts. The second full track on the album, “Sticky Drama,” opens with the expected bells and zither noises, but that quickly drops away, replaced by whitenoised sawtooth synths and Skrillex-esque high-pitch vocoded vocals. The song pounds with an industrial fervor in a way that only “Bullet Hell Abstraction I” (from his EP “Commissions II”) has before.

Album closer “No Good,” too, uses this tension well. It begins a bit like Bon Iver’s “Beth/Rest,” a crooning voice (albeit a vocoded one) singing over soft synth noises. Noisy, echoey, shifting vocals that sound almost insectile take over briefly, and then the song is just bass and vocals, the bass low, rumbling, earthshaking; the vocals high and wisftul. It’s the sonic opposite of Bon Iver, more or less. And it’s beautiful.

But of course, there are plenty of quieter, more melodic moments as well. “Freaky Eyes,” for example, begins pulsing and airy, percussive, low bell noises cutting through the ambient synth pads, slowly shifting towards dissonance.

Garden of Delete is a lot of things. It’s the soundtrack to your haunted warehouse party; it’s a jet taking off with a broken engine; it’s an exploration of the boundaries between rhythm and tone, music and sound, expectation and change; it’s really, really good, and you should check it out.

It’s difficult to say exactly how the night went, so

let me say it like this: it began with Taylor Swift, and it ended with the line “keep me out of your dreams/I have no place there.” It was an album release show for three albums (or one album and two EPs) that have 1) been out for over 3 years but 2) were not present at the show. It was a night of large shadows and loud music and a discussion of whether Baltimore’s rats could beat up New York’s (verdict: probably not; our rats are huge).

The first band on stage was New Paltz/New York’s Diet Cig, a pop punk duo that captured the indie world’s attention with only five songs recorded in two days. Frontwoman Alex Luciano bopped onto stage, dancing and singing along to the pre-show music (Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off ”). This largely set the tone for Diet Cig’s entire set. “Some nights you get people who are too cool to dance,” Luciano said after their first song. “This isn’t one of those nights.” She and Noah Bowman, DC’s drummer, were both full of energy, Luciano in particular jumping around the stage, singing herself out of breath, riling the crowd up; indeed, few people were too cool to dance.

TEEN SUICIDE BY JEREMY BURKE

After came Yvette, another duo, but as menacing and dark as Diet Cig was poppy and fun. Their guitarist, Noah Kardos-Fein, underlit himself with a single, harsh, white light, like a kid telling a ghost story. He and drummer Rick Daniel created forty minutes of hypnotic, pummeling noise, Kardos-Fein’s guitar distorted and looped and filtered almost beyond recognition, calling to mind Drum’s Not Dead-era Liars, if Liars were even more discordant and abstract. There was singing, too, almost chanting, but it blended into the noisy guitars and drums, to the point where I can barely remember it happening. And then Teen Suicide took the stage. (Note: If you think “Teen Suicide” is an awful band name, the members of the band would be the first to agree with you; all they want is to be able to change it.) Teen Suicide existed briefly and mostly anonymously, almost entirely in 2012. What started as the solo project of frontman Sam Ray became a band of friends who made one full-length before breaking up, and, only post-breakup, became a cult hit through Tumblr. Their full-length i will be my own hell because there is a devil inside my body and a single-disc version of two EPs, DC snuff film + waste yrself are being reissued by Run For Cover Records (but still hadn’t come out by the date of the “album release show,” nor were they ever mentioned by the band during their set; this may begin to give you an idea of TS’s carefree aesthetic). On recordings, their music ranges somewhere between lo-fi punk (most of their music was recorded with a laptop microphone) and acoustic sadcore; live, however, Teen Suicide is straight-up punk, reminding me alternately of Pinkerton-era Weezer, Wavves, and Conor Oberst’s emo band Desaparecidos. They kicked off with waste yrself cut “lonely boy goes to a rave,” fuzzy guitar and bass blaring out into the moshing crowd. Even what are quieter, stripped down songs on recording, like dc snuff film’s “oh my god,” became fuzzy, big where the recording is quiet; you felt it in your chest and in the cartilage of your nose.

Teen Suicide is one of the bands most willing to interact with the audience that I’ve ever seen. “There are way more people here than when we played in Baltimore last,” lead guitarist John Toohey said at one point. “It’s the best city in the world, but . . . “ When people cheered, Sam Ray clarified “Baltimore is, not New York.” When the crowd called for the song “skate witches,” the members of the band took a moment to figure out if they could actually play it or not (they hadn’t practiced it, and ended up not). There was no kind of posturing, no sense that the band was above the audience (apart from literally being higher up); it was just a bunch of people hanging out and listening to music, much like (I imagine) the early days of Teen Suicide shows. The most affecting moment of the night, for me, was towards the end when, having abandoned “skate witches,” the band began to play a new song called “alex.” It began with Ray playing and singing, alone, “alex is the best/when she wants to die/the whole world sits and waits/till she doesn’t want to die.” That was as far as he got before he had to stop. “I fucking hate this song,” he said, “it fucking scares me.” He took a deep breath, looked at his bandmates, and began again. This time they finished. I don’t know who Alex is, or why the song affected Ray so much. But it was a perfect distillation of the personalness, the closeness that makes Teen Suicide as popular as they are. They’re dark, Halloween-tinged in a way (song titles contain “spooky,” “witches,” “goblin,” “graveyard,” etc.); some of them were even written as jokes (i will be my own hell standout “grim reaper,” a fan favorite, was apparently written about a joke on Twitter). And yet Ray’s lyrics and music are so strong that it cuts through all of the performative aspects, the gothic jokiness of it fades and we are left with songs that are deeply sad and beautifully so. “Keep me out of your dreams/I have no place there,” Ray cried on “give me back to the sky,” the night’s closing song. He’s in a bit of an odd place, never having intended to be a rock star, never expecting the songs people now love to ever reach them. But he promised this wouldn’t be Teen Suicide’s last show, even if it was the last one for a while.

We bring you same-day, in-home massages with the best licensed therapists. TRUST Each and every one of our Zeel Massage Therapists is vetted by the Zeel team. They are top professionals with extensive training and experience at great massage schools, spas, and salons. They are fully licensed and background-checked. We meet all our therapists in person, check their credentials, and continuously train them to meet the highest standards of Zeel customer service. You can count on Zeel to deliver an expert massage in a safe environment. CONVENIENCE Getting a massage should be easy. With Zeel Massage On Demand, it is. No more booking ahead, no more calling around. Enjoy your Zeel Massage delivery to your home, hotel, or workplace, in as little as an hour, or up to a month in advance. Your choice. JOY We know your me-time is valuable, and we’re here to make sure you have a wonderful Zeel Massage experience. If you ever have any questions, special needs, or comments, don’t hesitate to contact us.

FAIRNESS Massage therapists work hard to ease your pain and stress. That’s why, at Zeel, we take care of our Zeel Massage Therapists. We pay them more than comparable spas and salons, allow them to set their own schedules, and provide other benefits. A happy massage therapist means a better massage for you.

zeel.com

PAUL EVAN GLENN.COM

NEW NOW &

ASTORIA CRAFT BAR & KITCHEN

LIVE ASTORIA

ART AFTER DARK GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, NYC

AFTER WORK

A CITY WITH AN INSATIABLE APPETITE: NEW ORLEANS BY KRISTEN OLIVERI There’s an alternative New Orleans that exists today— one that was unintentionally born out of the resilience of the city’s loyal constituents after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Now almost eight years after the horrific natural disaster, the city has seen a beautiful culmination of old and new restaurant and bar establishments existing side by side, breathing a different and unique life into the city. New Orleans native Paul Artigues opened up his health conscious restaurant Green Goddess right after Katrina in an effort to stimulate the city and add to its already existing vibrant restaurant culture. Many of the families he grew up with, and those who he didn’t even know, lost loved ones during the horrific hurricane and fled the city in search of literal greener pastures. But those who stayed wanted to make an impact; they wanted to help to make the city great again. Because he spent his early years working at a health food store in the city, instilling a deep appreciation for clean eating within a city that offers such decadent cuisine, he made sure his concept involved vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free offerings (among many gluten-filled and meat inclusive dishes). While in search of a place to hang his hat, he settled on an extremely small space located in Pirate’s Alley on Exchange Place. The kitchen often poses day to day challenges, Artigues admits. “The space we’re in is limited. There’s no hood vent and no gas. It’s kind of like I’m a farmer,” he added. But the cuisine hardly suffers from the lack of gas. The menu is extensive, offering everything from salads to sandwiches to meat and cheese plates, and ethnic-dishes such as lemongrass tofu that he gets particularly from Vietnamese farmers in the city. He also supports the local community by purchasing his boudin and duck sausage from his favorite local purveyors.

What’s also refreshing about Chef Artigues’s attitude is that he’s sensitive to dietary restrictions of his customers quite unlike many other classic restaurateurs in the city. “I’ve always been the person cooking and I’ve always had to pay attention to someone’s allergy when a ticket came into the kitchen,” he said. “Everything on the menu is labeled accordingly because of this. If someone has a specific need, it’s there and understood. It makes it easier for everyone.” Across town in the Garden District is another postKatrina establishment that opened shortly thereafter by the name of Patois, an upscale restaurant serving locally sourced French and New American cuisine by lauded chef Aaron Burgau. Perhaps what’s most wonderful about this spot is that its quaint, quiet and on the exact opposite part of town from the all-night lights that seem to always beckon its guests to the French Quarter. Burgaru has serious cooking chops, having worked for New Orleans culinary royalty, including chefs like James Beard Award Winning chef Susan Spicer of Bayona and Mondo and Gerard Maras of Gerard’s downtown. In 2006, he became executive chef at Bank Café before partnering with longtime friend Leon Touzet to open Patois. Burgau’s easy going attitude and dedication to customer service is what keeps many locals coming back for more. He offers a variety of specials daily and some old faithful’s like his grilled octopus with roasted turnips and radishes topped with an orange vinaigrette or his grilled lamb ribs served on the bone with a green tomato relish. Locals also rave about Patois’ brunch that has a mixture of the dinner menu dishes as well as omelets, egg dishes and sandwiches with a twist— like the pulled pork and biscuits with poached eggs, smoked tomato hollandaise and bacon braised greens.

California-transplant turned diehard New Orleanian, Justin Devillier chose New Orleans to begin his cooking career, unlike Chef Antigues and Burgaru who were born and raised there. After having a childhood filled with fishing, hunting and enjoying the bounty of fresh seafood, he set his sights on working his way up in the kitchens of the Big Easy, having cooked for the likes of Bacco, Peristyle and Stella, learning the fine art of French cooking from Chef Anne Kearny-Sands. With that knowledge under his belt, he then went to work for La Petite Grocery as a line cook, then as a sous chef. After Katrina, the restaurant was hit hard and he pitched in to bring it back to life and rebuild the restaurant that had become his home. After years of hard work and an unwavering dedication to his city, he and his wife Mia took over La Petite Grocery in 2010, reinventing the cuisine and putting his own stamp on a traditional restaurant.

Having become a bonafide restaurateur, he opened his second place Balise in 2015 in the up- and-coming Warehouse District of New Orleans. In an attempt to breathe new life into the area, Balise pays homage to New Orleans as a port city and showcases items like broiled oysters, a Gulf shrimp boil and PEI mussels. It also offers a variety of heartier meat dishes like the lamb and spring onion stew and the grilled hanger steak with roasted mushrooms, celeriac puree, sage honey and chicken jus. His efforts have not gone unnoticed in the culinary world. This past May, Devillier, was named Best Chef: South at the annual James Beard Awards gala. The Big Easy’s commitment to excellence when it comes to food and beverage rang out quite loudly after Katrina, but continues to reverberate around each nook and cranny, no matter where you are or who you’re speaking with. It’s an entity with soul---and soul food alike.

SUMMER

SPOTLIGHT

KENNETH MOORE