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FILM

PEAK APU

ON THE VISUAL POETRY OF THE APU TRILOGY

NEWS

WRECKSN-EFFECT

SMASHED AT THE

BROCKTON DEMO DERBY

FEATURE

MUSIC

BOSTON ZINE FEST

PUNK KARAOKE NIGHT FUNDRAISER

HOW TO

SURVIVE SCHOOL IN THE HUB

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VOL 17 + ISSUE 35

SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 - SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 EDITORIAL

DEAR READER

EDITOR Dan McCarthy

A few notes to incoming students: 1. Welcome.

ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR Nina Corcoran

2. Not everyone hates you, but a lot do to some degree. Keep that in mind if you’re a transplant.

ASSOCIATE FILM EDITOR Jake Mulligan CONTRIBUTORS Nate Boroyan, Mitchell Dewar Christopher Ehlers, Renan Fontes, Bill Hayduke, Emily Hopkins, Micaela Kimball, Dave Wedge

3. There’s a lot to know about Greater Boston.

What you’re holding in your hands is the best way to get to know the city you’ve just been adopted by.

4. Avoid Storrow Drive if driving a rental van or truck this week for last-minute move-in stuff.

INTERNS Oliver Bok, Emily Tiberio

DESIGN

5. Be sure to grab a couple of extra print copies of this week’s issue, our annual Student Guide, and keep it handy at all your friend’s places. You’ll soon find out why.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tak Toyoshima DESIGNER Brittany Grabowski INTERNS Amy Bouchard, Stephanie Buonopane, Kelsey Cole

6. Finally, if anyone from this paper overhears you calling Boston “Beantown” to friends back home as if any local actually calls it that, we will find you and correct your error in whatever way we see fit.

COMICS Tim Chamberlain Pat Falco Patt Kelley Tak Toyoshima

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Nate Andrews Jesse Weiss FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION sales@digpublishing.com

BUSINESS PUBLISHER Jeff Lawrence ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Marc Shepard OPERATIONS MANAGER John Loftus ADVISOR Joseph B. Darby III DigBoston, 242 East Berkeley St. 5th Floor Boston, MA 02118 Fax 617.849.5990 Phone 617.426.8942 digboston.com

ON THE COVER

Set your clocks and earn your smocks. It’s the largest land migration in New England and it’s headed to Boston. And we love it. Welcome back students! Cover illustration by fellow student Amy Bouchard. ©2015 DIGBOSTON IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY DIG PUBLISHING LLC. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION CAN BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT. DIG PUBLISHING LLC CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. ONE COPY OF DIGBOSTON IS AVAILABLE FREE TO MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS EACH WEEK. ANYONE REMOVING PAPERS IN BULK WILL BE PROSECUTED ON THEFT CHARGES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

Now hit the books, party hard, and remember everything you just read above.

Happy semester-ing.

DAN MCCARTHY - EDITOR, DIGBOSTON

DIGTIONARY

BASEMENTAL adj

bāsˈmen(t)l 1. A delusional condition suffered by the old-school discount retailers at Filene’s Basement, who are launching an online store while trying to survive in a new-school economy already bloated with online discount retailers.

OH, CRUEL WORLD Dear People Who Detest New Students, I am sick of hearing all your bullshit every year.

If you don’t like young people, then Boston is a pretty silly place to live, no? Where do you get off?

Probably while thinking about all of the new co-ed tail in town, you hypocrite degenerate. You tell kids to be respectful, well I say the same to you. Sure, they can get loud and dumb and throw up on the Green Line, but at least they still know how to have a damn good time. Now get on that commuter rail and head back to the ‘burbs before I spill beer on you, geek!

ILLUSTRATION BY AMY BOUCHARD

NEWS, FEATURES + MEDIA FARM EDITOR Chris Faraone

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NEWS US

IF THEY EYES ARE THE WINDOW TO THE SOUL, THE SOUL IS SAYING “WTF HAVE I AGREED TO?”

DERBY WINNER DAVE MUSTO CELEBRATING

DEMOLITION MAN NEWS TO US

I got smashed up at the Brockton State Fair and all I have to show for it is this article

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

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afternoon a couple of weeks before the event, when I met with Woodbooger co-founder Jim Mann and derby MC and court jester Steve Bucknam in the center of the Brockton track. The purpose of the trip, if for no other, was to see the very ground where I would meet my doom. And to maybe sign the waiver one has to before such events, which tends to be a sign of painful things to come.

On that initial visit to the fairgrounds I arrived too early, so I ducked into a old-school haunt promising KENO and cold beer down the street. After pausing to watch someone get arrested near the parking lot by three undercover cops, one of whom pulled a gun out of the perp’s car, I made my way into the dive and took a stool under a cascade of old drop ceiling tiles interlaced with exposed beams. The walls, slapped-together slabs of diagonal plywood, were covered with an expected but nevertheless impressive photo spread of local sports legends, with the pride of Brockton boxing, Rocky Marciano, claiming the most real estate.

After some townies shot me wayward glances, I finished up my beer and went to meet with Mann and Bucknam for my orientation. Call me what you want, but for a moment I was nervous about getting beaten in the KENO bar. That fear ended—or rather was replaced— when I got to the fair, though. From that point on, and for the two weeks leading up to my Brockton burial, the only

things that I could think about were climbing behind the derby wheel and whatever masochistic vehicular pugilism the Woodbooger had in store for yours truly.

----Mann has salt and pepper hair, a weathered but cherubic smile, and wide oil-stained hands that know their way around an engine. He and his wife (and Woodbooger co-founder), Eileen, met in 1996 at the Brockton State Fair, where she was driving in her first demo derby. They married in 2001, and have been racing together ever since; Eileen won the Hopkinton State Fair demolition derby in 2006, vanquishing Jim, while another year they took home the Northeast Championships as a pair.

As hosts, the Manns say they want to create a show that is inclusive and available to anyone who wants to enter, and where everybody has a shot at the top prize.

With this year being the biggest payout to date (by contrast, the Hopkinton course has a mere $7,000 purse), the excitement brings an invigorated charge for players old and new, including the humiliatingly titled “powder puff” heat in which I have been lumped.

“We started doing those a few years ago after my DEMOLITION MAN continued on pg. 6

CLOCKWISE: PHOTOS BY SUE MERLINO | DAN MCCARTHY | COURTESY TKO RACING

My story begins in a parking lot outside of the Brockton RMV, where I’m watching a man in a chicken suit wave at cars for a local auto insurance company. I take it as a sign of what’s to come.

I drove down to the City of Champions to meet with the organizers behind the Woodbooger Demolition Derby, the main festivity for 15 years and running at the Brockton State Fair. As one of the largest paying derbies on the East Coast—the 2015 Woodbooger had a whopping $10,000 prize that anyone from seasoned combat drivers to your aunt Ethel could take home—it’s already quite the annual attraction. This year, however, packed some extra cachet, as there’s speculation that it could be the last, since Brockton Fair owner George Carney is reportedly working to bring a $650 million casino to the 45-acre fairgrounds. (There’s also an annual Woodbooger derby at the Hopkinton State Fair, which starts this Friday).

As slots and parlors loom since locals voted for a casino in May, I’m about to make the worst decision imaginable short of betting all my rent money on black.

Under the shadow of a beautiful if not condemned brick belltower, as six days of smash-up qualifying events heat up in the gladiatorial 20,000 square foot arena, I join the qualifying derby among a gaggle of female contestants and assorted randoms like me.

But first the backstory. This all began on a blistering

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DEMOLITION MAN continued from pg. 4

----Bucknam lets me know I’m not the first hot-shit reporter to give his track a whirl. A journalist from Chronicle did a segment a few derbies back and got more banged up than anticipated. “She got hauled out by the meat wagon,” Bucknam says.

That pleasant historical nugget bangs about my mind when I arrive on the day of the race. As I pull into the fairgrounds, a fire engine roars past with its sirens blaring—another sign that I may need one, and soon.

This isn’t going well already, as I learn that it is critically important to control one’s nerves in this sport; there is a major risk of injury for novices as well as veterans, and that’s only exacerbated when you tense up.

“I’ve been driving for 30 years, and I put my teeth through my lip twice,” Jim says. “I was out in New York a couple years ago, and I got hit so hard that if I didn’t have a seat belt I’d have been laying out on the hood.”

War stories aside, safety is the primary concern, and Mann says his events typically go smoothly. Some people, however, are stupid. “We had one guy out here from Ohio, and he didn’t attach his seatbelt on purpose—said he doesn’t like to drive with it,” Steve says. “He got hit in the passenger side and it knocked him clear out of the seat, and he basically landed on the floor and hit the shifter.

Bruised his knee and cracked a rib … But it was his own goddamned fault.”

The people are important, but so is the machinery.

WOODBOOGER OVERLORD JIM MANN 6

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FIRST TIMER PAM FAR MORE AT EASE THAN SHE SHOULD BE

Cars are subject to a serious rogering before the race, with bumpers and plastic pieces torn off, along with anything that could dislodge in action and become a projectile. Take, for example, one of the little wheel weights that balance your steering; when spinning at 7,000 RPMs in mud, said otherwise innocent auto part can essentially become a bullet if knocked loose.

Officials in orange shirts inspect the cars from top to bottom, making sure the vehicles are safe to smash.

Among other things, that means they aren’t artificially reinforced (added steel beams can turn a car into a tank) and that the hood has been wired shut. All participating hoopties also need a hole cut in the hood, so that the firefighters on hand can extinguish engine flames when necessary, therefore allowing cars to quickly resume wrecking.

As my chariot is drilled and soldered, I chat with a few fellow participants in the powder puff heat. First there’s Shari, a police dispatcher and 911 operator from Avon; her husband drives in the derby every year, but like me, she’s a first-timer. Another newbie, a hair stylist from Beverly named Pam, says racing in the derby is a check off of her bucket list, and that she was partially coerced by Eileen Mann, with whom she exercises at the gym.

Having sized up a few of my adversaries, I finally strap into my car, the Saturn rattling and humming and ready for battle. As if I have a plan or any kind of strategy, I position myself in the center of the track, with two opposing lines of cars queuing up on both sides of

me. From there, we do the “Woodbooger Handshake,” in which all of the cars slowly creep backwards until bumpers touch, and we are given the green light to slam on the gas.

Though few would categorize me as much of a macho man, I suspect that I—as the only man on the track— possess some kind of genetic upper hand, and can perhaps be more aggressive, somehow. Surely, I say to myself as the Saturn rips across the dirt, I will be the man among the last women standing.

Nope. After getting in a few good hits, one crushing direct bump in my blind spot jolted my entire body, spun my helmet 90 degrees around like Daffy Duck getting his bill twisted, and essentially did me in. To no one’s big surprise, my Saturn simply died. As Bucknam told me in our first encounter: “It’s the ones you don’t see coming that rock you the hardest.”

The whole thing lasted roughly six minutes, and I spent the remainder of the race sitting in the mud like a crippled toad as others flew past me, some narrowly missing me and my wheels. My athletic shortcomings were on full display, high school all over again, but the car was actually fine. After pulling me out of the driver’s side, the Woodbooger people nursed her back to life in five minutes, and even reworked the whip for another reporter, from the Brockton Enterprise, to try his hand in a qualifier the next night. The fucking guy actually won.

----Aside from some sore joints and a week-long neck ache, I survived—even if my ego took some lumps. In any case, I wanted to meet the eventual winner, my superior in the art of vehicular pugilism, and so I reached out to 28-year old electrician Dave Musto of the Raynham-based TKO Racing. Turns out it’s an egalitarian death match after all: Musto has entered the Brockton derby before, but this was his first time ever qualifying for the main event.

Whipping a 1997 Grand Marquis that he spent only three months getting demo-ready, he took first place and used the prize money to throw his family a barbecue and pay off his girlfriend’s car.

“She’s the one that [allowed] me do it,” says Musto, who has two children. “With all the time and effort that goes into [prepping] cars, it’s almost impossible to do it with kids and a full-time job. She gave me as much time as I needed for it. I owed her. As soon as I had the money, I paid off her Jeep.”

This weekend, Musto will defend his title on Labor Day at the Hopkinton State Fair. Win or lose, he’ll be back for more in 2016. “As I’ve been saying for years,” claims Musto, “it’s the most fun you can have with your pants on.”

In a car, anyway.

PHOTOS BY DAN MCCARTHY

sister said she wanted to give the derby a go,” said Eileen about the women’s competition. “We had never done it before. Now this year has taken on a life of its own, with 10 to 12 women drivers, all rookies for the most part.”

And me.

Overall, men, women, and reporters included, there are more than 300 cars competing, with the grand prize as well as various other victor packages provided by local sponsors. Unlike pro or even college sports, all parts of the derby seem to be by and for the people.

“The average Joe who knocked the glass out of his Buick in the backyard can come here and really has a chance to win it,” says Jim. Adds Bucknam: “And we keep it that way … Our rules are set up so you could literally find a car on Craigslist, go put a 20-day plate on it, drive it here, smash the glass out of it, run it in the derby, and walk away, catch a ride home.”

Or, if you aren’t so inclined, Mann and his team work with a local junkyard so that people can obtain and even decorate a beater on the spot for $100. After the race, the same junkers will salvage whatever’s left, or send the remnants to a graveyard for good. It’s through this particular perks program that I am provided with a brainmatter gray 1995 Saturn for my forthcoming race. It all comes down to this.

New England’s Largest MMJ & Cannabis Industry Expo Series Returns to Boston Sept. 12th & 13 at The Castle @ Park Plaza

SATURDAY SEPT.NOON-6PM 12TH SUNDAY SEPT: 11AM-5PM 13TH At the Castle @ Park Plaza, Downtown Boston Tickets now on sale at: www.necann.com $25 per day, or save $10 with a $40 2-day pass!

The New England Cannabis Convention will bring together over 60 vendors from every aspect

of the MMJ & Cannabis industries; Doctors, caregivers, counselors, soil, lighting, and growing specialists, consultants, investors, entrepreneurs, and advocates. And of course, a wide assortment of the latest and greatest smoking, vaping, and storage accessories will be available for purchase. Admission includes access to a full line-up of educational speakers, panels, and workshops!

Programming highlights include:

Hardship Cultivation Options | Growsite Construction Analysis & Testing Legislation & Legalization | MMJ Patient Services Cooking with Cannabis | Extract & Concentrates | Glassblowing Investing/Valuation | Packaging/Storage | Security

Presented by:

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BLUNT TRUTH

MAD DABS ONE CUP

Dispatch from the Beast Coast Secret Cup in Maine

Most people come for the smoke, music, and vibes, while some go for the first hand medical knowledge, politics, and activism. A bunch go for the camping atmosphere and weekend escape from the daily grind of life, while for me, it’s always been a combination of these elements that makes for a phenomenal festival and atmosphere.

Of course I’m talking about the second annual Beast Coast Secret Cup, recently held on the property of a little farm house just outside of Portland, Maine. In short: the strains were impressive, the vendors were energetic and informative, and the edibles were damn good.

The organizers of this year’s cup had a lot on their plate with planning and logistical issues. Their original venue location fell through, which meant some ticket holders wouldn’t get the electrical accommodations they came to expect for their trailers and tents. The event ultimately found a home on some quiet farmland that is usually used for frisbee golf, and like the others who threw caution and ominous weather forecasts to the wind, my friends and I decided to camp out.

The next obvious hurdle for organizers was the weather, with rain looking heavy and constant. The setup on Friday was slow, with a light drizzle persisting all night, but muscling through adversity, organizers scrambled to secure generators after their original rental place dropped the ball. You can’t ruin perfect though, so once they were situated, contestants, vendors, volunteers, and VIPs were treated to a lobster dinner with ice cream for dessert.

Waking up on Saturday morning to anticipated rain, nobody knew what to expect. The gods smiled on us, however, and the day begat moderate if not ideal temperatures. Meanwhile, tent life at the cup was laid back; you couldn’t make it past a neighbor’s area without being offered a dab, water, or food, and it took us almost until 1 pm to leave the camping area and venture into the event.

Inside the main space, vendors showed off merchandise, glass, and dab accessories. The cup is after all a competition, and attendees got some face time with competitors and other extract artists, with whom they were free to discuss product questions, to inquire about techniques, and to rap about everything from strain preferences to anything else you can imagine. There were also plenty of samples to go around, with my personal favorite oil being the Triple X from Dabonair Extracts. Once you’ve reached a certain point though, other than taste, who can really tell the difference?

It was also refreshing to see the inclusion of flower entries, something I hope organizers will continue. Sometimes the situation calls for a nicely rolled joint to be shared between friends, rather than the whole (sometimes) intimidating dab setup and heavy high. I suppose you can call me “old school,” but I digress …

Watching the glassblowers was cool, as always, while the music had its highest moments in performances by Jaz Marley, Northern Lights Nation, Dubbest, and a few others. The consensus at the campsite was that entertainment was lacking compared to the prior year, though it should be noted that Immortal Technique set the bar pretty high in 2014. Most of all, people were miffed about the lack of seating for attendees in the actual event area, which seemed to keep campers at their sites and day pass attendees lounging near their vehicles.

Overall, my take on the 2015 Secret Cup is that medicated Beast Coast Bacon is amazing, Mohawk Glass is on their game, and organizers did a phenomenal job considering the hurdles. As we move towards legalization in New England, the kinks will work themselves out, and their festival and competition blueprint can take off.

The lack of seating killed part of the mojo, sure, but camping was the way to go. I’ll be back next year, prepared and ready to enjoy the weekend. I’ll float around, see the sites, do a pass at the dab bar, chill out at the campsite, and repeat every few hours as needed. Just like I did this year.

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PHOTO BY JENUINE VISION

BY CHRIS FOYE

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2015

STUDENT GUIDE Each year the Hub sees a massive bodily sea change, with large portions of the population moving into town for the first time as well as others moving out for the last. And as the surge of students is sure to bring fresh-faced cherubs to town, it’s just as sure to be the catalyst for our annual Student Guide, which you’re now holding. So keep a few extra copies around through the school year, and, in the words of the patron saint of getting wild, Andrew W.K.: “Party till you puke.”

A GREATER BOSTON PRIMER ON CAMPUS CONTROVERSIES

BY DIG STAFF @DIGBOSTON

As a non-native and noob in these parts, there will be times when you hear conversations about sensational campus happenings of years past. You can either pretend that you know what people are talking about, like you do in class with your professors, or you can participate, like a learned individual. The choice is yours—though this isn’t exactly boring university lore, and we included a few life tips, so you should probably pay close attention.

THOSE TIMES THE COPS KILLED COLLEGE STUDENTS

Some might not consider these to be campus scandals per se, since they happened in the area of Fenway Park, but they’re scandalous regardless, and should serve as severe warnings for anyone who plans to celebrate sports wins in public. In 2004, Emerson College student Victoria Snelgrove was with friends near Kenmore Square after that Red Sox season’s historic ALCS win over the New York Yankees when a Boston police officer fired a pepper spray projectile into her eye, causing her to bleed out and subsequently die. Just a couple blocks away from where that incident took place, in June 2008, 22-year-old Emmanuel College student David Woodman got into a verbal confrontation with police while celebrating the Boston Celtics NBA Championship win in Los Angeles.

After being tackled by BPD officer Michael McManus, Woodman’s heart stopped while he was in custody, and he passed away 11 days later.

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THE WHOLE BU RACE THING

Some of us here at the Dig attended Boston University, so we’re criticizing out of love. In any case, students of color in particular may want to check out the enormous uproar from last year involving new hire Saida Grundy, her controversial Twitter feed, less-than-supportive administrators, and white supremacist outcry. As reported

by Emily Hopkins, our Free Radical columnist who is currently on a short hiatus: Boston University President Robert Brown wrote a letter in regard to the recent controversy around tweets by incoming professor Saida Grundy, a black woman, feminist and sociologist set to start teaching African American studies in July. Brown said he supported Grundy’s right to free speech, but added that her comments could be classified as racist.

As of the end of April, the BU African Presidential Center was set to close in June for lack of funding.

Also, the school’s undergraduate student body is only about 5 percent black. In 2012, BU reported having “an extremely low percentage of African American/Black faculty” compared to other comparable institutions; approximately 2 percent of 2,000 full-timers selfidentified as Black or African American.

BC WILL SELL YOU OUT

Researchers at Boston College had the right idea when they recorded an unrestricted, bloody history of the Irish Republican Army. In doing so, they promised some of

the most controversial voices behind the Troubles, which tore Northern Ireland apart in the 1970s, that said record would remain sealed until after their deaths. When police from Northern Ireland came knocking, though, BC caved like a pathetic bunch of cowards, setting off a hellstorm far across the pond.

CULT CLASSICS

There are cults among us, and they’re not as cool as Skull and Bones.

More like perpetual and ongoing scandals, in which countless tuition dollars are diverted to trite basement preachers and old-school religious hucksters.

The first sleazy institution to avoid is the Boston Church of Christ, a seemingly innocuous order that nevertheless suckers naive undergrads into forking over thousands. On the political end of the cultural separation spectrum, run the other way if you spy sycophants who flank perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.

While you’re at it, look out for all churches and strange political parties that are lobbying a little bit too hard for you to join. This is the big city, not some podunk backcountry shitbed, and if a person invites you to their cool new church that suspiciously meets in hotel ballrooms or rock and roll clubs early on the weekends, nine times out of ten, they just want your money or virginity. Or both.

SOMERVILLE FIGHT NIGHT continued on page 12 NEWS TO US

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STUDENT GUIDE

OPEN DINING

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

Playska

BEST

VEGAN-FRIENDLY

You know the old saying: When you’re in the mood for street food from the Balkans, there just aren’t enough options. Well, no more, now that the powerhouse husband-and-wife culinary team behind the beloved house of bratwurst and beer in Somerville’s Union Square, Bronwyn, are opening a Cambridge restaurant called Playska in Inman Square in Cambridge. Expect Balkan-y burger-sausage hybrid sandwiches and house-made pickles. And fun.

243 Hampshire St., Cambridge. facebook.com/playskacambridge

Tiger Mama

Top Chef alumna and all-around kickass spitfire Tiffani Faison, she of BBQ heaven fame vis-à-vis her Sweet Cheeks Q in Fenway, is taking over the other end of her block with the forthcoming Tiger Mama restaurant. Early reports detail a penchant for Southeast Asian foodstuffs (novel takes on Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysia) and two bars for going full tiki. Full tiki is the way to go in life. Octoberish. 1363 Boylston St., Boston. Follow twitter.com/tiffanifaison for updates.

Yvonne’s

Take one fine dining institution of Boston, Locke-Ober, which was one of the oldest restaurants in the city, and combine it with the sexy tequila-fueled fun of the Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, and you have the forthcoming Yvonne’s.

The “modern supper club” will reportedly have both a secret entrance and a glamorous library bar. Just like your dorm room. 3 Winter Pl., Boston. facebook. com/yvonnesboston

Juliet

Until now, chef Josh Lewin and partner Katrina Jazayeri were hosting a series of killer pop-ups under Bread & Salt Hospitality. And that was great. But even better is the fact that these two are joining forces in their own brick-and-mortar Union Square eatery that will be both a slick European breakfast-lunch-dinner cafe and a home base for them to launch other pop-ups from their open kitchen. Be on the lookout for it by late September. 257 Washington St., Somerville. facebook.com/ julietunionsq

PIPE DREAM

Long-simmering public skate park project is finally nearing completion

Certified Beer Sniffers 9 2 H A MP S HIR E S T, CA MB R ID G E, M A | 6 1 7-2 5 0 - 8 4 5 4 | L O R D H O B O.C O M

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Attention all skaters, wheelchair athletes, BMX-ers, rollerbladers, scooter tricksters, and anyone else interested in the 40,000-square-foot skate park that’s taken over 10 years to come to light: It’s time to rejoice. Because the Lynch Family Skatepark being built underneath I-93 in the shadow of Boston Sand and Gravel is reportedly looking at completing construction in late fall or early winter. Which means the three “shotcrete” bowl areas, and all the grind ledges, handrails, ramps and quarter pipes being installed (and designed with the collective input of local skaters and an eye to Boston’s skating history) will soon be yours for the shredding. The Charles River Conservancy is posting regular Wednesday updates to Facebook and Twitter to follow progress.

Just don’t complain if you think it’s taking too long. You just got here. thecharles.org/projects-andprograms/skate-park

PHOTO BY BRODY WALSH / CHARLES RIVER CONSERVANCY

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

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GO TO YOUR ROOM!

You’re going to spend a lot of time in there, so knowing where and what the essentials are around town is key

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF

FOOD

Cuisine en Locale

Boston Public Market

For: Mass-local everything, great cheese and ramen, and a mixed-use kitchen space to learn to cook out back.

100 Hanover St., Boston. bostonpublicmarket.org

Pho Pasteur Chinatown

For: The filling, flavorful, satisfying glory that is pho.

682 Washington St., Boston. phopasteurboston.net

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For: $5 upscale apps and a growing lineup of great live local and national music.

156 Highland Ave., Somerville. cuisineenlocale.com

Spike’s Junkyard Dogs For: Hot dogs. Duh. 108 Brighton Ave., Allston. spikesjunkyarddogs.com

Yume Wo Katare

For: Cozy digs and insane authentic ramen.

1923 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. yumewokatare.com

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TICKET STUBS

Laugh Boston

For: National and local headliners, nary a bad seat in the house.

425 Summer St., Boston. laughboston.com

Improv Boston

For: Learning improv, seeing improv, improv improv.

40 Prospect St., Cambridge. improvboston.com

Boston Underground Film Festival 2016

For: The best of indie/underground film.

Brattle Theatre, Harvard Sq., Cambridge. bostonunderground.org

Comedy Studio

For: Up and comers, hyperlocal comedy, tons of yuks on the third floor above a Chinese restaurant in Harvard Square.

1238 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge. thecomedystudio.com

ILLUSTRATION BY TAK TOYOSHIMA

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WEED

Counter Culture

Green Side Up

Thinking Cup

Sugar Daddy’s

For: Great locally roasted coffee out of Union Square.

374 Somerville Ave., Somerville. counterculturecoffee.com/boston For: Homework, meet-ups, getting the jitters.

Multiple Locations. thinkingcup.com

Boston Common Coffee For: Same as Thinking Cup, really.

Multiple Locations. bostoncommoncoffee.com

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ART

Lot F Gallery

For: Awesome urban art, loft parties, killer music.

145 Pearl St., Boston. lotfgallery.com

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COMICS

Comicazi

For: All-around comic geekdom greatness.

407 Highland Ave, Somerville. comicazi.com

Comicopia

For: Great centrally located Kenmore Square store with a fantastic manga/ anime section.

464 Comm. Ave., Boston. comicopia.com

Million Year Picnic

For: Indie faves and a wall dedicated to local mini-comic artists in a venerable Harvard Square comic shop.

99 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge. themillionyearpicnic.com

6

BIKE

Somervelo

For: Local repair and slick all-season service shop in Union Square run by exbike mechanics.

361 Somerville Ave., Somerville. somervelo.com

Bikes Not Bombs

For: Nonprofit bike repair services and knowledgeable staff.

18 Bartlett Sq., Jamaica Plain. bikesnotbombs.org

Back Bay Bicycles

For: 15-step personal bike-fitting procedure and everything you could need for your wheels.

366 Comm. Ave., Boston. papa-wheelies.com

For: Artisanal hand-blown glass pipes, bubblers, jewelry, dabber sets, and art.

202 Harvard Ave., Allston. greensideupgallery.myshopify.com For: Dedicated and knowledgeable staff, vapes, pocket grinders and other paraphernalia.

472 Comm. Ave., Boston. sugardaddys-boston.com

Boston Freedom Rally 2016

For: Historic and annual 420 rally at high noon Sept. 26-27 celebrating the anti-prohibition weed movement with lectures, vendors, live music and more.

Boston Common. masscann.org/rally

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CLOTHES

Bobby from Boston

For: Vintage threads from one of the coolest local shops in the South End 19 Thayer St., Boston. bobby-from-boston.com

The Garment District

For: Insane selection and dirt-cheap vintage.

200 Broadway, Cambridge. garmentdistrict.com

Second Time Around

For: Consignment threads when you need them.

Multiple Locations. 2ndtimearound.com

Boomerangs

For: Vintage, consignment, odd finds for your closet.

Multiple Locations. shopboomerangs.org

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RECORDS

In Your Ear

For: Legendary 35-year-old local record shop beloved by students and Jimmy Page alike.

957 Comm. Ave., Boston. iye.com

Deep Thoughts

For: Oddities, rarities, ambient noise, vinyl, comics, zines, and the occasional live show in the basement.

138b South St., Jamaica Plain. deepthoughtsjp.com

Tres Gatos

For: Well-curated selection of classic and new vinyl, used books, Bruce Springsteen karaoke nights, and killer Spanish tapas.

470 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. tresgatosjp.com

Store 54

For: Browsing three decades of vinyl collected from the former Looney Tunes record store, antiques, and vintage stuff down an Allston alleyway.

16 Harvard Ave., Allston. facebook.com/pages/store-54

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2015

STUDENT GUIDE

NEW GROOVE

The team behind beloved local online streetwear brand-slash-headshop opening first storefront

BY DAN MCCARTHY @ACUTALPROOF Any company that describes its inception as the desire to be “an expressions brand for city stoners” is hard to not immediately become enamoured with. The fact that the crew over at Kush Groove, the eponymous online e-commerce retail portal celebrating urban lifestyle and the cannabis life just happen to hawk really awesome urban apparel, streetwear, graphic tees, hats, jackets, sweaters, and Air Jordans as well as cannabis accessories—from glass pipes to rolling papers and blunts—

makes it all the more easy.

And as it turns out, the co-founders (who met at Northeastern) are stepping up their game this fall. They’re opening a full brick-and-mortar storefront in Mission Hill, and as soon as they open up on Sept 19 they’re going to bring their energetic blend of head shop goodies and slick threads to life.

I caught up with co-founder Marcus Johnson-Smith to get the skinny on the new shop, their connection to the Boston college scene, and why local up-andcoming DJs should be very excited this place is opening.

Tell someone who is just coming into town for their first semester, or even someone who’s a returning student but has never heard of you, what you guys are all about.

Kush Groove is a lifestyle brand. What we do is create products, apparel, and fashion accessories, as well as cannabis accessories.

The ONCE Lounge is here!

Open 5-11pm every Thurs, Fri & Sat Night with a New Bar & Drink Menu 9/12 Goons & Toons: Rangoon Festival Brews, Rangoon & Rock'nRoll No Cover 9/4 Parlour Bells + The Rationales 9/25 Brian Carpenter & the Confessions

9/26 Johnny Blazes & The Pretty Boys: Album Release Party

UPCOMING: 10/23 Masked Intruder

10/24 Kinski w/ Minibeast & New Pope

10/25 Here We Go Magic

Locavore Tacos Done Right, Every Monday Night 5-10pm in the Lounge

Was Kush Groove fully formed as an idea from the start?

The vision wasn’t as clear as it is today, right? We definitely had the idea that we wanted to do something, just didn’t know what that something was.

But we wanted to do something entrepreneurial [that spoke] to our cultural and community roots as well.

Did launching first as an online store make it easier to open your first physical storefront?

Our focus [was] really about building a brand following here in our hometown. That was our focus when coming out the gate. We started with a focus on being grassroots and working within our capacity. But once MARCUS JOHNSON we figured out we had a following in the city, we decided the traction meant the retail option was the next step, in addition to the online channel.

That’s how we approached it: Assess the market, take it phase by phase, and the brand, seizing the opportunity at the right time.

How did you settle on the area where the store would open?

We’re both Northeastern grads, and we’re native to Boston and Cambridge, so figured out we’ve been here our whole lives and gone to school in this area, so [Mission Hill] felt like it was right for us.

Why should people check the store out if they can get everything online?

Well, our grand opening will have a DJ and a party and all that hype. But moving forward, every Friday we’ll have a new local DJ spinning tunes in the store.

The focus here is on the younger, up-and-coming DJs from the community.

We wanted to give them a space to showcase their talent, but also create an awesome experience [for customers] in our store. >> KUSH GROOVE. OPENS 9.19. 156 TREMONT ST., BOSTON. KUSHGROOVE.COM

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THE MUSICIAN’S CHECKLIST

2015

STUDENT GUIDE

BEST ALL AGES SHOWS Because music has no age requirments

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN

TITUS ANDRONICUS

MY MORNING JACKET

GIRLPOOL

GARBAGE

KRAFTWERK

THE ANTLERS

THE WHO

PILE

JOYCE MANOR

Waiting for that 21+ or 18+ approval? Don’t worry about it. Our city’s got a handful of great shows lined up for you this fall.

Whether you’re looking for a classic rock fix or whiny emo to cry alone to, our city’s best all-ages shows are waiting for you to be in their crowds.

THE ANTLERS W/ PORT ST. WILLOW

TITUS ANDRONICUS

PILE W/ KRILL, WAREHOUSE, PALM

GARBAGE W/ TORRES

Haunting vocals that add solemn jazz to indie rock for the bedroom.

SAT 9.12. THE SINCLAIR, 52 CHURCH ST., CAMBRIDGE. 8PM/ ALL AGES/$18. SINCLAIRCAMBRIDGE.COM

Local indie rock acts unite for a proper introduction to the DIY scene.

FRI 9.18. CUISINE EN LOCALE, 159 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE. 8PM/ALL AGES/$10.50. CUISINEENLOCALE.COM

JOYCE MANOR W/ CHEAP GIRLS, TRACKS (JASON ANDERSON)

Emo heroes with positive punches that fill the soul.

SUN 9.20. ROYALE BOSTON, 279 TREMONT ST., BOSTON. 6:30PM/ALL AGES/$16. ROYALEBOSTON.COM

KRAFTWERK

German krautrock giants bring their electronic music to life in 3D. SAT 10.3. WANG THEATRE, 270 TREMONT ST., BOSTON. 8PM/ALL AGES/$59.50. CITICENTER.ORG

GIRLPOOL W/ ESKIMEAUX, TOLD SLANT, IAN

Acoustic songs on adulthood, suburbia, and how we’re all fucked.

MON 10.5. MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS, 472 MASS AVE., CAMBRIDGE. 8PM/ALL AGES/$12. MIDEASTOFFERS.COM 18

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New Jersey’s beloved punks bring a rock opera to life with epic guitar solos.

THU 10.15. BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL, 158 BRIGHTON AVE., ALLSTON. 6PM/ALL AGES/$16. CROSSROADSPRESENTS.COM

Get your alt-rock fix with women who show no mercy.

WED 10.21. ORPHEUM THEATRE, 1 HAMILTON PL., BOSTON. 7:30PM/ALL AGES/$45. CROSSROADSPRESENTS.COM

JOANNA GRUESOME W/ AYE NAKO, KING OF CATS, BENT SHAPES Feisty punk with freshly fixed mental-ward insanity.

WED 10.28. MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS, 472 MASS AVE., CAMBRIDGE. 7PM/ALL AGES/$12. MIDEASTOFFERS.COM

THE WHO W/ JOAN JETT

Classic rock icons cross the pond for a final farewell you’ll never forget.

THU 10.29. TD GARDEN, 100 LEGENDS WAY, BOSTON. 7:30PM/ALL AGES/$59.50. TDGARDEN.COM

MY MORNING JACKET W/ WOODS

Jam bands get rowdy in a vintage velvet-adorned theatre.

SAT 11.21. ORPHEUM THEATRE, 1 HAMILTON PL., BOSTON. 7:30PM/ALL AGES/$50. CROSSROADSPRESENTS.COM

A starter guide to becoming a musician in Boston DIY-style

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN Let’s get one thing straight: You don’t have to go to Berklee to be a musician in Boston. The city is buzzing with new bands, many of whom push the envelope by building a musical collage out of instruments and members more bizarre than the street performers on Newbury. You, my friend, can be the next musician to rise to underground fame.

And sure, we occasionally swing by Guitar Center when looking to try out some brand-new sixstring, but it’s the unofficial breeding ground of horrible metal riffs, self-righteous employees, and price tags double their worth. So when it’s time to record, maybe skip Q Division Records. The indie recording studio has a laundry list of big names, but you can likely get an equally impressive sound with a cheaper bill by hitting up some of its overlooked neighbors. It’s with trap holes like these in mind that we’ve curated a starter guide to becoming a musician in Boston, DIY-style. Read on and get groovin’.

1) SHIFT GEARS

Whether you’re looking to upgrade guitars or replace cables, head to Allston for the unassuming staff of Mr. Music, Lexington for the acoustic guitar trove of the Music Emporium, Peabody for the vintage equipment of Bill’s Music, Watertown for the amp repairs of Aztech, and (of course) your local internet browser for individualized IFFT searches on Craigslist—no one sells more gear than neighbors you have yet to meet.

2) AHOY, BANDMATES

Speaking of neighbors, that’s the best place to look for bandmates. Sticking fliers up at practice spaces helps, but face-to-face conversation does wonders. The city’s music scene is bursting with outdoor festivals, college events, and basement shows, so get out and watch bands you love. Try your luck striking up conversations with those around you between sets; just don’t talk their heads off about the dream band you have yet to write music for. It sounds obnoxious, but trust us—it isn’t unless you choose to make it so.

3) PRACTICE (OUTER) SPACE

The polite knocking of a broom on the ceiling from your neighbors on the first floor won’t always be that pleasant. Let your sound loose by trying out practice spaces at any of the many facilities Boston hides in its corners. The hourly band room rentals of Sound Museum are worth pinning down, the vending machines and loading dock at Studio 52 are as Allston as it gets, and the room size variety of Jamspot is Somerville’s most comfortably lofty purchase.

4) RECORD THE RECORD

When you’re ready to record, visit several options to see what fits your sound best. Check out Q Division if you want, but look into Galaxy Park in Watertown, Sonelab in Easthampton, Cybersound in Boston, and Peerless Recording in Newton (casually one of the best mastering studios on the east coast). If you’re up for the commute, Machines With Magnets in Rhode Island is worth the trip too—as Battles would agree, given the band recorded its new album there.

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2015

STUDENT GUIDE

KNOW YOUR VENUES Build the ultimate show experience

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN Ahoy, students, and welcome to the city of nonstop music. We’ve got a mega map of all the venues you will likely hit up, but instead of settling for a show at face value, amp things up by turning that show into an experience based off what you’re looking for, be it sloppy eyeliner or a romantic dinner date. Or both. Now go say hello to these spots around the Hub.

Club Passim

Plan a quiet dinner date with a reliably good show here, especially if your guest has a penchant for folk music, petite tables, and the espionage allure of an underground descent. passim.org

Elk’s Lodge

When you’re looking for a DIY scene that doesn’t involve knocking on a stranger’s door for a house show, head here. Be respectful, though it should always go without saying to observe a venue’s rules. bostonhassle.com/tag/cambridge-elks-lodge

House of Blues

Remember the first time you went to stadium concert and felt overwhelmed by it all? Hit this place up for that same feeling at a “small” size, all the more enhanced by its three-story setup. houseofblues.com/boston/

Machine

Shameless dancing has a place here. Revisit the days when you wore full-on eyeliner more than one night a week and grab your buds. Machine is for loose dancing, whether you’re gay, straight, trans, bi, or anything else. machineboston.club

The Middle East Upstairs

Don a tank top no matter what season and imagine you’re in a beautiful summer oasis, complete with pyramid paintings, colorful walls, and cheap Narragansett—the unofficial cocktail of New England. mideastoffers.com

The Paradise

The vertically challenged have a safe space after all. This rectangular layout makes for perfect views of a well-lit stage, especially if an artist with a 3D backdrop or trippy visuals is booked. crossroadspresents.com/paradise-rock-club

Royale

Welcome to the closest you can get to a NYC nightclub without its three-digit receipt. Come ready to dance to electronica or poke around their schedule for emo and indie rock outliers. royaleboston.com

The Sinclair

Drag your snobbiest audiophile friend to the main room for the best live mix they’ve ever heard in the city. From rock to dance to metal, this is the spot for meticulous, accurate, crisp audio feed that won’t leave you questioning a band’s talent. Unless they actually suck. sinclaircambridge.com 22

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2015

STUDENT GUIDE

IN MEMORIAM

Discuss the recently departed like you knew them

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN Don’t freak, but 2015 is a sad year for Boston. Nay, a depressing one. The arts scene along Mass Ave saw two major establishments wave goodbye to their longtime status previously believed to be an unbreakable tenure—T.T. the Bear’s Place and Weirdo Records—with Johnny D’s ready to hop into the grave with them. While they failed to outlive the ever-growing rental rates of our city’s greedy appetite, they will never leave the city’s history. We mourn your missed memories so much that we’ll let you in on the details so you can impress your professors with your culturally aware self. Join the discussion like a true native, even if you never stepped foot in their doors. RIP.

T.T. THE BEAR’S PLACE

10 BROOKLINE ST., CAMBRIDGE (March 1984 - July 2015) “Rock club” has no meaning until you visit a place like T.T. the Bear’s Place. The longtime Cambridge staple hid itself modestly beside the Middle East, marking its location with a rounded paw print above the doors. Inside, a pool table, U-shaped bar, and miniature stage were scattered about above a floor sticky with beer, creating some kind of dingy yet loveable appeal that never seemed to fade. The 330-person club was all about spirit. That, and a stellar roster of acts. The Pixies, Arcade Fire, the Lemonheads, Nelly Furtado, and an endless list of performers were all booked back when they were open. Shut up; we’re not crying. There’s just something in our eyes.

WEIRDO RECORDS

844 MASS. AVE., CAMBRIDGE (February 2009 - May 2015) Remember that bizarre Japanese psychpop record from 1963 that the friendliest woman you ever met suggested you buy? That secret haven of obscure wax waned for the last time. Weirdo Records was the nine-year business and six-year establishment that crammed more records and tapes into a petite square room than anyone thought possible, always allowing you a listen on the in-store record player before you dropped dough. Audiophiles still cry at the simple mention of the store. Keep your eyes peeled for owner Angela Sawyer, though. In her farewell letter, she promised to perform and do improv around the city’s edge.

JOHNNY D’S

17 HOLLAND ST., SOMERVILLE (1969 - TBA 2016) Memories last when you combine the senses. In that way, Johnny D’s will never leave your mind. The Somerville music club and restaurant is a fixture of the scene that closes its doors at the turn of 2016. It, like the others, can’t breathe under the rising rates of property. The experience of watching a band with a stacked burger in your hands is one that doesn’t come often, so scurry over to any of the upcoming shows for a chance to feel the energy before it’s pulled out of the club’s body. The whole watching a band + hearing a band + eating food + smelling food combo makes for concert memories that make you laugh when retelling to friends and bands alike.

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Thelonious Monkfish

Stingray Body Art

John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House

Brooklyn Boulders

Bella Luna Restaurant & Milkyway Lounge

I hate the greenline T-Shirt

Jacob Wirth Co.

Northeastern Institute of Cannabis

Cuisine En Locale Food Share

Kulturez

Patty Chen’s Dumpling Room

Skydive New England

Oktoberfest Boston

Huntington Theatre Company

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ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

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THU 9.3

FRI 9.4

FRI 9.4

FRI 9.4

SAT 9.5

SUN 9.6

Corita Kent and the Language of Pop

First Fridays Art Celebration at PhillipoStyle

Mass Brewers Beer Festival

Kickoff of Matt & Ben Friday at Riot Theatre

Burning Vermin Festival in NH

Final Summer Brew Ha-Ha Rock and Comedy Showcase

If all you know about former activist-nun-artist Corita Kent is her work on the iconic Dorchester National Grid gas tank off I-93, you’re going to want to check out the new exhibit at Harvard Art Museums. The kickoff is Thursday, with lectures on Kent’s screenprinting, interactions with pop art, and the influence of Vatican II on her work.

You’ll also get to see the exhibit firsthand, which runs from kickoff night Thursday all the way through January.

The South End outpost of PhillipoStyle is not just a super hip hair salon led by a proprietor with some truly rad facial hair. It’s also a day spa, as well as a budding art gallery. And while you can’t stroll in there for free neck rubs, you can hit up the gallery opening on Friday (replete with live music, dancers, DJs, and visual and folk artists) and every other art event they’ll be throwing henceforth.

Kicking off Labor Day can be done in numerous ways.

Some will BBQ. Others will go to the beach. But you can stick around in town to get face-to-face with over 30 Mass Brewers Guild producers and over 100 local beers—including special styles brewed just for this event—from the likes of Clown Shoes, Jack’s Abby, Nightshift Brewing, Notch, Lord Hobo, Trillium, Wormtown, and more. And by getting face-to-face, we mean drinking all the beer.

You may have caught wind of Matt & Ben by now, the play written by Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project) and writing partner Brenda Withers, which basically spoofs Damon and Affleck writing the screenplay for Good Will Hunting. Well, now you can see it played in the flesh by Lauren Robinson and Libby Schap on Fridays in September in Jamaica Plain. Yes, it involves a fictitious long Saturday with Affleck and Damon in Somerville.

Perennial presidential candidate, performance artist, and head-boot wearer Vermin Supreme is throwing his version of a Burning Man festival in New Hampshire from Sunday to Monday. Over three days there will be tons of live music, a screening of the Who Is Vermin Supreme documentary and other films, a Free American Pony Party (FAPP) convention, morning yoga, and Vermin reading from his unpublished novella about love in the time of ponies. One word: Madness.

Another word: Zipcar.

It’s been a good summer.

There has been beer, music, and laughs all around. So a good way to see summer out the door is to hit up Great Scott on Sunday, as there’s a blowout BBQ and comedy (Ken Reid, Dan Boulger, Tom Dustin) and music show (Doom Lover, Cask Mouse, Banana Phonetic) all happening with the Narragansett people. Ticket gets you free food and entry. Your shimmering personality will get you new friends and wondrous times.

Harvard Art Museums.

32 Quincy St., Cambridge.

5-9pm/all ages/FREE. harvardartmuseums.org

PhillipoStyle Hair and Art Collab. 485 Harrison Ave., Boston. 5-10pm/all ages/ FREE. phillipostyle.com

World Trade Center Head House Concourse.

200 Seaport Blvd, Boston.

6-9:30pm/21+/$40. weekendpick.com/drinklocal-festival-sept-4

The Riot Theatre.

146A South St., Jamaica Plain. 10pm/all ages/$10. theriottheatre.com/matt-ben

Bardo Farms. 92 Forehand Rd., Croydon, NH. Sat 9.5Mon 9.7/18+/$25-$250. facebook.com/vermin. supreme.1

Great Scott. 1222 Comm Ave., Allston. 8pm/18+/$10. greatscottboston.com

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ARTWORK BY CORITA KENT

CORITA KENT IS TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING

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MUSIC

BEAT ON THE BRAT

Zine fest throws punk karaoke night fundraiser

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN

FRENCH GAWKERS

Vundabar on silliness, European scenes, and their sophomore LP

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN Brandon Hagen of Vundabar calls me from a random Motel 6 in Connecticut. It’s early, but for him, it’s even earlier.

The night before, the band played New York City, then drove toward Boston until stopping at 4 am, exhausted, to sleep. They could have left the city early enough to make it back to Massachusetts. Instead, they hung around to catch Pile, falling victim to the contagious pull of Boston bands—a lure that they, with a sophomore LP up their sleeve, are slowly contributing to.

Vundabar is the brainchild of singer-guitarist Brandon Hagen, drummer Drew McDonald, and bassist Zack Abramo. Their music rests comfortably between surf punk and indie pop, all the more enhanced by their good humor.

From the glam-pop hook of “Chop” to the summer swagger of “Oulala,” their sophomore full-length, Gawk, sounds like the work of a band twice their age, but they pull off professionalism and positivity with uncanny confidence.

It all began when their debut, Antics, dropped in 2013. An agent reached out after a positive French review caught his eye. “That’s when we felt more of an obligation to take things a little more seriously,” says Hagen. “We thought it may have been a scam because his email and everything was in broken English, like, ‘I’m going to bring you on big tour!’ But he turned out to be a really great guy.” Soon, their music passed around France’s own local scene, and they began playing shows abroad.

“The financial structure of France’s industry is way more stable than ours,” Hagen continues. “Our agent covers our expenses, which is not common at all. The French music industry is bigger than their car industry and is subsidized by their government, which means there’s a lot of ways to make it work. This guy signs whoever he wants to sign, regardless of how big they are or what their social media following is like.”

Vundabar wrote Gawk in a similar fashion, chasing hooks purely because they like them. “Sometimes I’ll write stuff and think it’s trash, especially if I’m really excited about someone else’s music,” says Hagen. “I catch myself trying to write like them and that’s the stuff that gets thrown away. It happens with local bands a lot simply because of proximity. We were all obsessed with Pile for a bit. Drew was playing syncopated drum beats—which is a super-duper Pile thing—and I was like, ‘No. No Pile worship.’ It’s good to do that as an exercise, though, to know you can recreate and capture something.”

No matter what they’re looking to capture, the three are strengthening the allure of Boston’s sound, starting with the feel-good twang of their surf-lite pop.

>> PUNK KARAOKE NIGHT. O’BRIEN’S PUB, 3 HARVARD AVE., ALLSTON. 7PM/18+/$5-10.

BOSTONZINEFEST.TUMBLR.COM.

>> VUNDABAR + HIGH POP + MINI DRESSES + HORSE JUMPER OF LOVE. MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS, 472 MASS. AVE., CAMBRIDGE. 8PM/18+/$12. MIDEASTOFFERS.COM

MUSIC EVENTS THU 9.3

INDIE ROCK RECORD RELEASE MAGIC MAGIC. + FUNERAL ADVANTAGE + BENT SHAPES + LOST FILM

[Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave., Allston. 9pm/18+/ $9. greatscottboston.com]

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SAT 9.5

PSYCHEDELIC STONER ROCK THE NEW HIGHWAY HYMNAL + INFINITY GIRL + FIDDLEHEAD + GOLD MUSE

[Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave., Allston. 9pm/21+/$9. greatscottboston.com]

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SAT 9.5

DOOM METAL MEETS FOLK CHELSEA WOLFE + WOVENHAND

[The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge. 8pm/18+/$15. sinclaircambridge.com]

MON 9.7

ALLSTON CHRISTMAS BLOCK PARTY SKATERS + MICHAEL CHRISTMAS + DIRTY FENCES + CREATUROS + IAN

[POP Allston, 89 Brighton Ave., Allston. 12pm/all ages/free. do617.com]

TUE 9.8

DINOSAUR JR.’S JR. LOU BARLOW

[Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave., Allston. 9pm/18+/$15. greatscottboston.com]

TUE 9.8

BLUES ROCK FOR THE OLD SOUL BLUES TRAVELER + MATT JAFFE + THE DISTRACTIONS

[Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave., Boston. 7pm/18+/$28. crossroadspresents.com]

VUNDABAR PHOTO BY CAITLIN MCCANN

MUSIC

In a world full of festivals, it’s natural to get lost in the noise, but Boston Zine Fest—the two-day annual festival celebrating zines in both our local and international community—refuses to get drowned out. When it takes over Makeshift Boston and Simmons College on Oct 10 and 11 respectively, Boston Zine Fest will bring workshops, panels, and exhibitors to life. To help those words ring a little louder, the people behind the festival are throwing a punk karaoke night full of Fugazi, Elvis Costello, and everything in between.

“Zines are a vital tool socially, since they empower demographics whose voices are traditionally not otherwise given a platform,” says festival organizer Brittany Mitchell. “We took a look at our community and said, ‘For a city so large with so many zinesters, why is there no cohesive network for us all to meet and exchange ideas?’ It seemed strange that we were all floating around on our little zine islands with no arena in which to connect, so last year’s BZF organizers decided to try and fill that void.”

The proceeds of the punk karaoke night, tickets a modest $5-10 sliding scale, go straight to the festival, with extra funds going to childcare services or a sign language interpreter. “We aim to provide a safer space, one that’s mindful of all forms of intersectional social issues, in which creators can exchange ideas, network, and of course, showcase and sell their zines,” says Mitchell.

But Boston Zine Fest is still fighting the (karaoke) law. The usual tracks—Blink-182, Green Day, Talking Heads—were found with ease, but the team spent hours at their computers creating karaoke versions of songs that couldn’t be left out: Alkaline Trio’s “Clavicle”, Exploding Hearts’ “I’m A Pretender,” and the Ergs!’ “Pray For Rain.”

Did we mention by walking in the door, you’re immediately entered into a raffle for giveaways from Hub Comics, Brattle Theatre, and PM Press?

“I mean, who doesn’t want to go to karaoke where none of the songs suck—in our humble opinions— and you get presents just for being there?” Mitchell laughs. Certainly not Dig readers.

FRIDAY Sept. 4th 10PM

CLASS

ACT DJs: Dj Amero, MaddMiks, Jackie Treehorn Genres: Hip Hop, Reggae & Party Jams $5 before 11 pm, $10 after SATURDAY Sept. 5th 9:30PM

SECRET

BOSTON’S

BIG PARTY DJs: Frank White & Evaredy Genres: Hip Hop, Reggae, Party Jams, Dirty South, Love Trap, Club. $5 before 11PM $10 after (for Secret Boston members only) | 21+

Tuesday SEPTEMBER 8th 6:00 PM

WED 9/2 - LEEDZ PRESENTS:

MAYDAY

(STRANGE MUSIC) THU 9/3 - LEEDZ PRESENTS:

MICK JENKINS STWO FRI 9/4

WEMF RADIO’S LABOR DAY BASH SAT 9/5

ALANNA ROYALE BEWARE … GHOST SCORPION! THE NEW REVIEW FRI 9/11

- XMORTIS -

DJ CHRIS EWEN & DJ IAN FFORD (MOVED FROM TT’S - NEW VENUE)

WED 9/2

NEGURA BUNGET THU 9/3

DREAM INVENTUR SAT 9/5

ANNABEL LEE SEBIO, HUNTER

SUN 9/6 - ILLEGALLY BLIND PRESENTS: FREE | Downstairs 18+ until 10 PM

AJ DAVILA Y TERROR AMOR (PR) DIRTY FENCES WED 9/9

TOXIC HOLOCAUST

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FILM

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PEAK APU

Getting to know the exemplary poetry of The Apu Trilogy

BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN

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PATHER PANCHALI We refer to it as The Apu Trilogy, but that’s not an entirely honest moniker. The second film in the series, The Unvanquished, opens with a telling series of shots: First, it’s the waters of Benares in Bengal, seen from the seat of a moving train.

Then it’s a man performing a religious ritual from a rooftop. From there we watch the nearby birds bounce from perch to perch in response to his perpetually ringing bell in a series of rapid shots. From one perch we pan up to see the boat, and then a woman gazing toward it. From there we reach the shore—where the camera seems to float—all while regarding the mass of people collected there to complete their duties and rituals. Only then do we focus on one specific individual, and his name is not Apu. Instead, the man we see tentatively rising from the Ganges is Harihar Ray (Kanu Banerjee): a priest, an aspiring author, a husband to Sarbajaya (Karuna Banerjee), and a father to the namesake of the trilogy. There’s a reason there’s no actor credit after the name Apu. He’s played by numerous actors during the three films—Song of the Little Road (Pather Panchali, 1955), The Unvanquished (Aparajito, 1956), and The World of Apu (Apur Sansar, 1959)—as they track the character from birth into the depths of middle age. But it’s, again, quite telling that director Satyajit Ray waits so long after the start (a few minutes in Unvanquished and much longer in Little Road) to bring him into the frame. The real interest here is the nature of the society that he finds himself—as we do, as viewers—inexplicably born into.

That birth occurs about twenty minutes into Little Road, with the preceding time dedicated to the documentation of the family that will raise him. Sister Durga is seen winding her way through the paths of the orchards that surround her dilapidated home, scooping up mangos and guavas and bringing them to her aunt Indir, much to Sarbajaya’s chagrin. We’ll eventually come to realize that PEAK APU continued on pg. 32

FILM EVENTS WED 9.2

TUGG PRESENTS

MON 9.7

THE GREAT MAN

[Kendall Square Cinema.

One Kendall Sq., Cambridge.

7:30pm/NR/$15. Visit tugg. com/events/37803 for tickets.]

BLUE COLLAR

THE MFA PRESENTS “ NEW FRENCH CINEMA�

[Museum of Fine Arts.

465 Huntington Ave., Boston.

5pm/NR/$9-11. Plays throughout week, visit MFA. org for showtimes.]

THU 9.3

STAGE & SCREEN PRESENT INGMAR BERGMAN’S

SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT

[Coolidge Corner Theatre.

290 Harvard St., Brookline.

7pm/NR/$11.25. coolidge.org]

LOVE BETWEEN THE COVERS

SAT 9.5

FEATURING FILMS BY JOHN WOO AND JEAN-PIERRE MELVILLE

HEIST NIGHT: ALL-NIGHT MOVIE MARATHON

[Harvard Film Archive. 24 Quincy St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 7pm/PG—R/$12.

Six films on 35mm. hcl. harvard.edu/hfa]

RICHARD PRYOR IN PAUL SCHRADER’S [Harvard Film Archive.

24 Quincy St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 7pm/R/$7-9.

35mm. hcl.harvard.edu/hfa]

LAST CALL FOR 2015

JAWS

[Coolidge Corner Theatre.

290 Harvard St., Brookline.

7pm/PG/$11.25. 35mm. coolidge.org]

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PEAK APU continued from pg. 30 Ray’s three films—all photographed by Subrata Mitra and scored by Ravi Shankar—have melded the different stages of life to varied Indian communities: in Little Road, infancy is rural; in Unvanquished, adolescence plays out in the villages; and in World, maturation occurs amidst travel between universities, workplaces, and cities. The character’s feet and the ground they walk on seem to become one.

There’s a reductive word that these movies have always been tagged with, and it’s easy to speculate why. Maybe because the narratives of all three films lead to tragedies that could have been prevented if not for the character’s poverty. Maybe it’s because so much care is paid to the documentation of daily rituals and the physical makeup of the land and its homes. Or maybe it’s simply because these films were the first introduction to Indian cinema for many Western audiences, who were seeing the visual nuances of these spaces for the first time. Whatever the reason, though, you’d be hard-pressed to find writing on The Apu Trilogy that doesn’t invoke the arguably meaningless label “realism.”

But that brings us back to Apu’s birth, and to the shot sequence that follows it. As Indir is rocking the infant boy, we APARAJITO fade to black under the sound of insects, signaling—as it will throughout the series—an unseen passage of time. Our eyes open to see Sarbajaya walking a bundle of branches to their home, calling in vain for her son to wake up. A noticeably older Durga is beside a tree, helping to milk a cow. At her mother’s behest, she walks in search of Apu, and Ray is careful to establish the geography and rhythms of the home: Cats dash through the frame, and Indir returns in a corner, their appearances timed with a meticulousness that would fit on a theater’s stage. And then Durga finds Apu. Peeling back a bedsheet, there’s a closed eye. And as Shankar’s sitar score rustles behind it, Apu’s face rushes up, leading directly into a dissolve to the next scene. He is conjured. And maybe that’s not fantasy, but it’s hardly the “realistic” life we’re living every day.

What it is, is cinema. If Ray’s trilogy is comparable to anything, it’s not to radically honest portraits of actual life, but to the melodramas of decades past—to William Wyler (The Best Years of Our Lives), the Hollywood filmmaker who often used deep focus to tell multiple stories within the same frame. Or to Kenji Mizoguchi (Sansho the Bailiff), the Japanese director who dedicated himself to finding the elemental links between the plights of our lives and the natural world that surrounds them.

Part of Ray’s brilliance, likewise, is in the transitions—between shots, between spaces, between people: from a loud sigh into a crashing wave, from a movie screen into the back window of a carriage, from Sarbajaya alone in her village to Apu, now a studied academic, slowly readying himself for a post-graduate life in Calcutta. The relationship between Apu and his mother is the spine that connects the episodic protrusions of The Unvanquished, as his relationship with Durga did in Little Road. Apu never stands alone: Each of the three films, and nearly every scene within them, concern the way his life is decided and impacted by the society that surrounds him.

And in the final film, it is Apu’s young wife, Aparna, who shares the frame with him— quite literally, as Ray, true to the philosophy being laid out, is most often concerned with the way people exist in relation to one another. As Apu is trying to understand his new bride (the marriage came as a surprise to them both, for reasons best left unrevealed), she stares directly into the frame while he rests behind her, gazing at her back. And only when he begins to comprehend her emotion does Ray allow her to reveal her face to him. When those closeups finally arrive—whether they’re looking at Apu or at the people who share and shape his life alongside him—they contain the power of any other narrative’s climax.

A postscript to this piece: More than 20 years ago, the original camera negatives for all three Apu films were irreparably burned in a fire.

The rollout of these new digital prints playing at the Brattle— they’ll be released on disc by the Criterion Collection in APUR SANSAR November—was made possible by a full reconstruction of the movie, aided by a number of institutions. The negatives housed by the Academy Film Archives were combined with film elements collected from the British Film Institute, Janus Films, and Cambridge’s own Harvard Film Archive, whose holdings were crucial to the restoration. And how beautiful it is to see the salvation of these three movies about the irreplaceable importance of community, all thanks to a global one.

>> THE APU TRILOGY. BRATTLE THEATRE. 40 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE. FILMS SCREEN FROM FRI 9.4—WEDS 9.9. SEE BRATTLEFILM.ORG FOR SHOWTIMES.

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FILM SHORTS BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN AMERICAN ULTRA Sometimes you know how a movie was pitched. Here, it’s “Bourne Identity meets Pineapple Express”: A pothead (Jesse Eisenberg) is “activated,” regaining the super-spy skills the government once trained into him. References to drones, threestrike conviction policies, and even space monkeys abound—there’s a critique of government overreach percolating. But that’s only so that we don’t feel queasy when Eisenberg dishes out faux-cool kills: bullets ricocheting off surfaces and bodies sliding perfectly into place like Looney Tunes. A movie wears a progressive badge while also trafficking in the exploding-heads-for-pleasure black market—how to react to that? If you’re an executive, you finance it.

We just call bullshit.

THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL Sexually frank films about teenage female subjects tend to draw a specific response: “Nobody would bat an eye if this were about a boy.”

That’s certainly not true of Diary, wherein Minnie starts sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend (Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård, respectively) before branching out into one-night stands and pseudosex work—there’s no male equivalent for this. Wiig’s character alternates between feminist politics and fatshaming (we’re in San Francisco circa ’76) while Minnie tries to find her own place on those sexual and political spectrums. The incidental framing may scream “Sundance darling,” but the moves this movie makes between the sheets? They’re not in any playbook.

GRANDMA Lily Tomlin fills the unisex shoes of the title character: a bombtossing take-no-prisoners feminist poet who’s accompanying her granddaughter to the abortion clinic, because the teenage girl’s mother (Marcia Gay Harden) never leaves the treadmill desk at her office. So it’s three waves of feminism—the radical, the working woman, and the millennial—letting their beliefs fight a verbal battle royale within the confines of a day-on-the-town farce.

It’s extremely agreeable, especially when Sam Elliott shows up as a literal patriarch in need of an insult-laden tearing-down. But “agreeable” isn’t why we go to the movies: These aren’t actors playing people, but people playing symbols.

MISTRESS AMERICA Being a woman of Fitzgeraldian bombast, Brooke (Greta Gerwig, who co-writes alongside director Noah Baumbach) can’t simply ask her soon-to-be-stepsister Tracy if she has a boyfriend. Instead she phrases it the way Katherine Hepburn might

have: “You got a honey?” The plot of this farce sees Tracy turning Brooke into the subject of a short story—the film’s second half leads the pair to a home filled with friends, crushes, exes, and neighbors, so the drama is easy to adapt—but the pleasure of it comes from watching those oddball turns-of-phrase spin themselves in circles. They end up earning the movie a designation rarely used since the Jazz Age: This is verbal slapstick.

LISTEN TO ME MARLON Brando’s diary-style recordings get edited against public footage of the actor in Listen—a movie born of the generation accustomed to Wikipedia deep-dives. The editing structure free-associates the way we do when clicking through links: There’s a passage on The Method, which leads to acclaimed performances, and then to backlash, then to The Godfather, and on to the end. Don’t come for revelations, because the most offcolor claims—that he thought via his penis, or that he phoned in much of his late-period work—aren’t revelations at all. But if you often lose two hours to online trivia pages, there are worse ways to lose them than this documentary.

RICKI AND THE FLASH Meryl Streep’s eponymous would-be arena rocker—she never made it, and now covers Tom Petty for regulars at a San Fernando dive—gets called home to provide emotional support for the millennial daughter she left behind decades earlier. So the script is mining laughs from the faux pas traded between 20-somethings who care about going green and a child of the ’60s who’d rather be smoking it. It’s director Jonathan Demme, so adept with building character, who makes this into more than a grounded Freaky Friday: He hangs on to each scene for moments longer than necessary, and finds explanations for even the most unreasonable plot machinations. He cares, and it plays.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON The first half of this N.W.A biopic is full of drug-fueled performances and orgies as sweaty as Eazy-E after a rough weekend—it revels in amorality. Then all the characters walk through arcs that absolve them of every sin we saw them commit, leaving them to be responsible family men who make nice headphones or star in inoffensive Hollywood comedies, and who’re now fine upstanding corporate employees who never do anything wrong, thank you very much. Putting it bluntly, that’s boring: We already knew these men went from “fuck tha police” to “buy some Beats.”

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THEATER

PERFORMANCE BANK

Thur 9/3 7PM

Reap the cultural bounty in town without spending a lot

JIM LAUDERDALE

(Americana/Bluegrass/Reggae)

BY CHRISTOPHER EHLERS @_CHRISEHLERS

Fri 9/4 7PM

THE RACKY THOMAS BAND & FRIENDS Sat 9/5 7:30PM

ERIN HARPE & THE DELTA SWINGERS + LIZ FRAME + LOVEWHIP (Blues) Fri 9/11 7PM

(Rock) Sat 9/12 9:30PM

BEATLEJUICE (Beatles Covers) Wed 9/16 7:30PM

YOUNG DUBLINERS (Celtic Rock) Thur 9/17 8PM

WorldMusic/Crasharts: RICARDO LEMVO & MAKINA LOCA (World Music) Fri 9/18 7PM

HONKY TONK MASQUERADE (Honky Tonk) Fri 9/18 10PM

We Dig Free Friday: GHOST PEPPER + SOULPAX (Rock/Funk/Blues)

17 Holland St., Davis Sq. Somerville (617) 776-2004 Directly on T Red Line at Davis

Sat 9/5 7:30PM

ERIN HARPE

& THE DELTA SWINGERS + LIZ FRAME + LOVEWHIP (Blues)

Fri 9/11 7PM MIKE PETERS PRESENTS:

THE ALARM

STRENGTH 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR (Rock)

Wed 9/16 7:30PM

YOUNG DUBLINERS

RARE ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE

+ THE GOBSHITES (Celtic Rock)

17 Holland St., Davis Sq. Somerville (617) 776-2004 Directly on T Red Line at Davis

Whether you’re new to Boston or you’ve just returned for another semester, students—and young people in general—are eligible for some of the best deals in the city. Therefore, there’s really no excuse for you not to up your art, theatre, and general culture game while you’re here. Keep the below of few cultural mainstays on hand when you want to do just that and not have to break the bank.

ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM If your school participates in the University Membership program, you get in for free all year long. A list of participating schools can be found on the museum’s website. If not, admission is only $5 with your college ID. If you want to take things to the next level, the Gardner has an amazing Young Patrons program. You’ll be able to mix and mingle with people like you and enjoy a slew of incredible benefits. 25 Evans Way, Boston. gardnermuseum.org BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA One of the biggest challenges that orchestras around the country face is trying to tap into a younger market.

The BSO, one of the best in the world, wants to make sure cost is never an obstacle to enjoying classical music.

All patrons under the age of 40 get $20 tickets to most concerts. Tickets can be purchased in advance by entering code 20UNDER40 at checkout. 301 Mass Ave., Boston. bso.org HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY If you’re a student and under the age of 25, you are eligible for $20 tickets to all performances. For those below 35 years of age, tickets are just $30. Join the 35 Below club for free online, and get invited to a great after-party with live music and drinks. The party for A Little Night Music will be Sept 11; Nov 13 for A Confederacy of Dunces. 264 Huntington Ave. & 527 Tremont St., Boston. huntingtontheatre.org

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AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER ART regularly produces some of the best theater in the country, so there’s no reason for you to miss a performance. Purchase a student membership for only $10, and you get advance access to $15 seats for all performances.

64 Brattle St., Cambridge. americanrepertorytheater.org COMPANY ONE THEATRE Thoughtful, compelling, diverse and always original. Purchase a Company Card for $60 and get one free ticket to every production during the season.

There are no blackout dates, you can book your seats before tickets go on sale to the public, and they offer a great monthly payment option. 539 Tremont St., Boston. companyone.org SPEAKEASY STAGE COMPANY Their forte is staging Boston premieres, and their upcoming season is a knockout. For everyone under 25, tickets are just $25. 539 Tremont St., Boston. speakeasystage.com THE LYRIC STAGE COMPANY OF BOSTON The Lyric produces some of the most consistently solid work in Boston, and their season is a thrilling mix of classics and new plays. For just $72, students can purchase a bundle of six tickets that can be used however they want. That’s only $12 a ticket. 140 Clarendon St., Boston. lyricstage.com THE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART With a regular array of fascinating exhibits and million-dollar views, this is one of the best ways to spend a rainy day in Boston. The gift shop is great, too. Admission for students is only $10. 100 Northern Ave., Boston. icaboston.org

JENNIFER ELLIS PHOTO BY NILE HAWVER

MIKE PETERS PRESENTS: THE ALARM - STRENGTH 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

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ARTS

ENSO, THE MAKERS

Local artists competing for commissioned work and living space in forthcoming Brockton artist haven

BY RENAN FONTES

Last month, Boston-based urban development company Trinity Financial invited artists, designers, writers, musicians, and all other maestros of the arts to submit their qualifications by July 31, 2015, in order to seize the opportunity of having their artwork featured in Enso Flats, a forthcoming Brockton artist haven With a budget of $15,000, the prospective piece is set to be placed in the gallery lobby, having the honor of being one of the very first art pieces people will see upon entering the building.

Located at 50 Centre Street in downtown Brockton, Enso Flats is currently in its first phase of the revitalization of Enterprise Center, a $100 million project with the goal of reinventing 3.2 acres of buildings and underutilized land as a mixed-use neighborhood in order to promote artistry in Brockton.

A sculpture, a painting, an interpretive piece, or something else entirely—all kinds of artwork were viable to win, with creativity encouraged.

The finalists for the art installation include muralist Sophia Ainslie of Arlington, painter Resa Blatman of Somerville, painter and graphic designer Alene Cope of New Hampshire, photographer Pat Corlin of New Hampshire, mixed media artist Jeanee Redmond of Somerville, and sculptor Antoinette Schultze of Maine.

Among the finalists, twenty-seven artists were featured (including 15 from Brockton itself) during the Downtown Brockton Arts & Musical Festival (DBAMFEST), which takes place annually on the last Saturday in August.

The month-long exhibition will allow visitors to view the proposals of the six finalists competing to design the lobby piece in the gallery entrance space.

During the week of Aug 3, the client/art selection committee review of the applicant pool formally began in early August, followed by six finalists being chosen from the pool and announced to the public on Aug 10. These finalists received a $500 honorarium to develop their own unique proposals for the public exhibition for the fifth annual DBAMFEST last weekend.

For the second round, Somerville artist Resa Blatman submitted two versions of her wall installation, “Gaia,” consisting of various materials, including fake flowers and painted, laser-cut surfaces, layered to create a threedimensional painting.

“My work speaks to issues related to climate change,” says Blatman, “but for this project, I wanted to create something that would be a reflection of the local landscape. The wall installation mock-up includes shapes of fauna and flora that exist at the DW Field Park in Brockton, MA. The goal is to engage the community by incorporating the local landscape into the work and paying respect to the green spaces in the Brockton area.”

On the subject of the process, Blatman said, “I spent a lot of time designing what I thought [was] thoughtful, exciting, and engaging artwork for the space.

The process was a satisfying challenge, and I spent a great deal of time on the mock-ups and the layout of the posters.”

Along with the contest, Enso Flats aims to have 42 modern flat-style rental apartments rented to artists in order to expand the Brockton artist community with an environment designed for artists and their families can live and properly while working their crafts. A quarter of Enso Flats are already inhabited by Brockton artists.

The competition winner will be announced Sept 7, with fabrication of artwork commencing in the fall of 2015 and installation being completed in early spring 2016.

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ARTWORK BY RESA BLATMAN | COURTESY TRINITY FINANCIAL

GAIA, PART 2, 2015 BY RESA BLATMAN

Is looking for

YOU

This fall semester.

Interns

hips fo r:

Design & Ill ustra

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CONTACT: tak@digpublishing.com and please include your school name, area of interest, and samples of/ links to your work.

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NOTHING MATTRESS

BY BRIAN CONNOLLY @NOTHINGMATTRESS

THE STRANGERER

BY PAT FALCO ILLFALCO.COM

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST

BY PATT KELLEY WHATS4BREAKFAST.COM

OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS

BY TIM CHAMBERLAIN OURVC.NET

SAVAGE LOVE

THE ASEXUAL DOM

BY DAN SAVAGE @FAKEDANSAVAGE I’m confused about my sexuality. For many years, I thought I preferred hetero-romantic asexual relationships. Exposure to select reading material—thanks to my gender-studies classes—has me convinced I’m an asexual t-type (i.e., “top,” but I prefer not to use such connotative terms) female who is attracted to slight and feminine men. I do not want to take off my clothes or engage in oral, anal, digital, or vaginal sex.

Instead, I want to design sexual situations that comely young gentlemen will consensually enter: restraints, CBT, whippings, play piercings, fisting. To make matters worse, I’ve never been in a sexual situation or romantic relationship. I am 23 years old. Dressing up in PVC and playing Mistress is not my thing.

Do you have any recommended how-to guides or communities for t-type females?

Beyond Envisioning Any Solutions T-type P.S. I’m trapped in the closet.

You should go to munches and put yourself out there on the internet, BEAST, because in both those places/spaces you’ll meet—I promise—other t-type/Dominant women and the men who want to worship them and suffer at their hands.

Your knowledge of the BDSM/kink/fetish community seems pretty distorted—it sounds like your exposure has been limited to reading materials distributed in your gender-studies 38

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classes—but I can assure you that there are men out there, some of them slight and feminine, who not only don’t doubt the existence of exclusively t-type/Dominant females but are actively seeking them. But you’re not going to find them under the rocks in your garden or at the back of your fridge. You’re going to have to enter kinky places/spaces to meet kinky guys.

There’s another type of person in those kinky places/spaces you need to meet: Mentors. It’s particularly important for someone with your interests—CBT, whippings, piercings, and fisting are not JV kinks—to meet, speak with, and be mentored by knowledgeable players. These are varsity-level kinks—they are skill sets that take time to acquire. You’re going to need instruction from people with experience before you start torturing a guy’s balls or sticking (clean and sterile) needles through the head of his cock or his nipples, BEAST, as you could do serious and lasting damage to someone if you’re winging it. Munches are your best bet for meeting the players and educators in your area who take mentorship seriously. Be open about who you are, your ideal partners, and your experience level. Ask about classes, don’t do anyone/anything that makes you uncomfortable, and do the reading.

And give yourself permission to grow—or to continue growing. You used to think you were one thing (a heteroromantic asexual), and now you realize you may be another thing entirely (an asexual t-type/Dominant female who is attracted to slight and feminine men). Who knows what you’ll learn about yourself once you actually start having IRL experiences?

P.S. You’re not trapped in the closet—that door locks from the inside. You can open it whenever you’re ready.

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