Fashion Meets Music Festival Magazine vol. 2

Fashion Meets Music Festival September 5th & 6th, 20151

LOOK OUT!

HERE WE COMEAGAIN

Vol.2


AD INSIDE COVER

1/2 OffHappy Hour

MON - FRI | 4PM-6PM. DRAFT BEER . HOUSE COCKTAILS . WINE BY THE GLASS

. ALL BAR SNACKS. SHARED ITEMS. PIZZAS

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE SHORT NORTH 721 N. High Street | Columbus, Ohio 43215 | 614.469.0053 | fornoshortnorth.com

Fashion Meets Music Festival September 5th & 6th, 2015 3

The Team Whats Happening Whats InsideThe FMMF Magazine Team RiaGreiff Co-Publisher

Editor in Chief Art Director

Journalist Kathy Gill Co-Publisher Zak Perry Design, Layout Guru ScottGreiff Web Editor

Photographer Jaclyn Miller Chief Journalist Luke Toney Journalist Keith Tracy Photographer Tiera Suggs Photographer Jim Robson Photographer Rachel Barbash Photographer

FMMF Team Melissa Dickson Co-Founder Bret Adams Co-Founder Chase Clymer Art Director Nici Arsenault Talent Liaison Leslie Ungerott Accounts Executive Joey Kasouf Accounts

Assistant Executive

Contributors in Vol. 2 Matthew Roharik Cover Nick Fancher Pop Scott Cunningham Unorthodox Will Shively Indie Rainer Ziehm Country and Blues

Incredible to be a part of a festival other than being an avid festival-go-er. The camaraderie, the way an item you lost at the beginning of a festival makes its way back to you by the end, the ground scores, the bubble of humanity that is created during that time was always something that fascinated me.I was bitten by the festival bug in 1999 when I attended the Memorial Day Ekoositc Hookah three day fes-tival and camping at Fronteir Ranch. I was never the same. Since then, I have attended count-less others, the biggest of them being Coachella, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, Nelsonville, Austin City Limits, Decibel and Movement. When I heard that a festival was go-ing to be in my backyard, it was a dream come true. And so, I bring the dream, the festi-val, to you in FMMF Magazine. Enjoy the show.

POPFashion Centerfold 4ZZ WardNick D and the BelieversKidrunner

INDIEFashion Centerfold 10Taking Back SundayMike Main and the BranchesOARPlaying to Vapors

UNORTHODOXFashion Centerfold 16The Nearly DeadsThe OutervibeCaptivaCaptain Kidd

COUNTRY AND BLUESFashion Centerfold 22Allen StoneCastle Creek

RHYTHMICFashion Centerfold 27AwolnationReptile Fiction

FMMF Info 32FMMF Schedule 33

On the CoverWhen contemplating what the cover was to be, the three elements of Fashion Meet Music Festival were clearly to be respresented. Here, Fashion is being represented by Celeste Malvar Stewart = STEWART, couture garment made specifically for this shoot with the music of Benji Robinson, also pictured here, from his Local Sound project, lasered into the dress, worn by model Bethany. In the center is the quintessential representation of our fair city of Columbus, Mayor Mike Coleman. We watched from the Leveque Tower observation deck as he crossed the street from City Hall, to the building to join us on the tower. It was very windy and cloudy and the sun stayed hidden except for the magical hour when all the elements converged on the rug lent to us by Bob Meyers the owner of iconic LeVeque Tower. Nationally renowned photographer, Matthew Roharik and I spent many days scouting the building. We went to all the observation decks, took countless shots, lunched, discussed and fretted about angles and the weather. It turned out to be magical, just as I am sure your experience will be at Fashion Meets Music Festival.


Appeals to the MassesPopular music is the music that we identify as being the music that appeals to the masses. Contrary to popular opinion, Pop music actually evolves much like earworms do. Recently a study by Matthias Mauch, indicated that Pop music underwent three radical stylistic changes around 1964, 1983 and 1991 from rock with soul roots to new wave to hip hop. No one knows when the next revolution is coming. It might even be underway; in the meantime, Pop music is rich in diversity and makes constant evolutionary changes. It is the appeal of certain harmonies and chords that shape the next writer and producers choices. We have a rich selection of Pop musicians to present for your pleasure who embody these natural trends.


Words: Ria Greiff Image: Press Here Publicity

It isnt everyday that you hear someone respond to the question over phone, Are you there?, with a very enthusiastic I am. That is in a nutshell what ZZ Ward is all about. She has a strong presence and is incredibly connected to the moment. Her voice was friendly and alluring all at once and I felt as if I was just chatting with a friend.

I took a look at your tour schedule for your, Love And War tour and got anxious just looking at it. How do you do it?

A lot of alcohol (laughs), just joking. Actually a lit-tle to none is how I can handle it. I actually do three on and one off because of vocals because after three shows or anything else my voice will get crunchy sounding. I also surround myself with really good people. I get to choose my band, I am pretty lucky about that. I make sure that I enjoy the people that I am around and that goes a long way. And I pick positive people to be around me as much as I can and that motivates me. But what really motivates me is the fans (she says this with much affection). They always surprise me with the coolest stuff and what the music means to them. Ive seen people get tattoos before of my lyrics on their body which is amazing and the energy that they bring to the show (pauses), that makes it easy.

It seems you have experience with being in bands since you were much younger, starting with your dads band at the age of twelve.

Yeah, I have been playing since I was a kid. I learned early on how to play with other musicians and balance and how to deal with things on stage. You never know what is going to happen on stage and you know it is all on you at the end of that day that everything goes smoothly and everybody is having a good time. Doing it since I was a little kid is what really helped shape me.

You grew up with your dads blues records. There is also mention of your brothers hip hop records. What affect did these have on your sound?

I would say that I was really inspired by a lot of blues and hip hop when I was growing up. The

authenticity of the blues and hip hop absolutely inspired me and the rhythms and the way it made me feel empowered. In my music, I really try to incorporate those values and those ideas with keeping it really rhythmic and keeping the stories authentic and me and my artistry.

What music do you listen to in your off time?

I like to listen to a variety of things. Basically, music that inspires me. Like I have been listening to a lot of African fiesta music lately, old blues, really old blues and some jazz.

You also write much of you music and have lent a hand in some other productions like with Robben Ford, Kendrick Lamar, Fitz. How do you get inspira-tion or what is your writing process?

I try to come up with some kind of concept or a melody usually I kinda go off of whatever I come up with that has an emotion behind it. So if I have a concept that I am connected to, then I will definite-ly use that as inspiration or if I have a great melody then I will definitely use it.

So you toured with a legend Eric Clapton. Was that intimidating at all?

He brought me on tour with him I got to open up for him. A really amazing experience. He is actually a humble and such a nice person. He is a legend and it was amazing to be able to watch him on stage and get to play with him. He watched me play harmonica and that was pretty intimidating.

For a young woman your titles are pretty heavy. Criminal, Til the Casket Drops, Put the Gun Down, This Means War. Can you tell me about these titles and the whole Love and War theme?

As a songwriter and someone who grew up lis-tening to the Blues, I am not trying to sugar coat it at all and Im really telling it like it is and what it feels like to me so I am not afraid of that intensity. I am actually inspired by that intensity. I like to share things like that and I like to make more out of less, whatever situation I am going through. As a song-writer, I am a sensitive person and I over think a lot of stuff and it really serves me well as a songwriter because I can really capture a moment in time.

How would you describe your music? Blues meets hip hop meets pop.

Reading some fan comments I see that many kind of happened upon your music either through American Idol or Pretty Little Liars and the senti-ment echoed is that once they heard your voice and your music, they were hooked and down-loaded your album. I would have to agree. Your voice is amazing and super rich and solid, but you also play guitar and piano what else? Thank you. I play the harmonica, but I wouldnt say that I play those other instruments, especially now that I am around such great musicians. I dabble in a lot of instruments but really I am a creator at heart. I use a guitar, piano, harmonica whatever it is, drums. I use things to get inspiration from for what is my gift, which is songwriting and creating. So even if I hit a basic chord on a guitar, it helps me to express myself and that is how I use instruments.

So in all your photos, even those where you are just hanging out playing Ms. Pac-Man, you wear your hat. How did it happen?

I wear a fedora because I grew up watching blues musicians that embody this kind of confidence that I was allured by and so wanted to hold myself. So for me, when I started singing, I would wear the fedora and it made me feel like I had started to become who I had grown up admiring. Now it has become a part of me and now if I go onstage, I dont feel complete.

Dirty Shine is the name of your blog. So you say on your blog, LOVE3X isnt about a perfect love. Its about a REAL one that makes you scream and cry sometimes. I think that is a great message for peo-ple to have realistic expectations from a relation-ship. What inspired this philosophy?

For me it is a true story. It is not always perfect, if you are with someone you drive each other nuts sometimes. Thats how it goes. My parents have been married for 35 years they drive each other nuts but at the end of the day the reason that they make it is because of love. Love is the thing that keeps us all together.

ZZ WARD


Becoming a BelieverWords: Jaclyn Miller Images: Jim RobsonDont let their metallic gold jackets and scream-face expressions fool you- soulful alternative pop trio, Nick D & the Believers, are just a bunch of quirky, lovable guys with music in their veins and an exceptional amount of energy. I had the pleasure of hanging out with band members Nick, Joseph, and Kerry, before their set at Park St. Saloon back in May. In between several witty jokes and passion-ate discussions about bacon and Netflix, it was no obstacle getting the three chatting about their love for making music.

Although the boys have roots all over the Midwest, the Nick D & The Believers was born here in Co-lumbus. The group originated as a solo video proj-ect that Nick DAndrea, lead vocalist, was creating with the help of his friend, drummer and producer, Joseph Barker. Nick explains that it wasnt until he was at a Dr. Dog concert a few years back that he felt truly compelled to pursue his longtime dream of music. The following day, he dropped out of the night school he was attending and called Joseph up to ask if he wanted to start a band. The story goes that Nick and Joseph began rehearsing in the garage of a house where their future guitarist, Kerry Henderson, was living. Reminiscing on their early days, the guys laugh as Kerry recalls sitting in on

Nick and Josephs first few practices: I just kept comin back. The boys booked their first show as Nick D & The Believers in January of 2013.

The Believers sound is unique and fun in that it masterfully delivers the crisp, bouncy energy of groups like Matt & Kim combined with gritty, soul-ful grooves characteristic of bands like Spoon and The Black Keys. The boys explain that in the early stages of constructing their sound, a great deal of inspiration was drawn from Fleetwood Macs legendary Rumors album. They wanted their songs to similarly reflect those classic, catchy grooves while simultaneously communicating a meaningful message.

Metallic jackets and extremely high energy have become staples of The Believers live performanc-es. The boys are known for leaving it all out on stage as they consistently deliver a lively and spir-ited show that not only compliments their catchy jams, but also creates an entertaining and memo-rable experience for their audience.

Nick, Joseph and Kerry spoke warmly about the Columbus local music scene, referring to it as a homey sort of network that serves as an incubator for growth, support, and opportunity. Its still kind of finding its voice explains Joseph, It can still

be whatever it wants to be which is the cool thing about being a part of it.

Were not just in a music scene that already exists; were given

the opportunity to shape it.After joking about their plans to participate in the Mars mission- the boys all agreed their biggest goal for the future is to put out an entire album. Although they have already released three killer EPs and had three songs debuted on national TV shows, they continue creating new material that they hope to showcase in a full-length al-bum in the next few years. In the meantime, the boys will continue to tour and expand their Be-liever fan base. Equipped with humble attitudes, authentic talent, and pure hearts, I, for one, look forward to not only seeing Nick D & The Be-lievers turn heads at Fashion Meets Music Fes-tival, but also inevitably and rapidly climb the ladder of stardom.

NICK D & THE BELIEVERS

7


Tacos and Cookies DeliveryWords: Ria Greiff Image: Rachael Barbash

Meeting up with the band Kid Runner was tricky. They had a show at the A&R Bar and Fran told me she would meet me at the doors at 7 when they opened. I arrived and there was a line down to the street. I began to worry that the band, made up of Drew, Fran, Scott, Kurt and Bobby might get mobbed. Actually, they kinda did. Kid Runner seems to have mass appeal to their fans. Even in their own press, they specifically dont use their surnames. This is what makes them so approach-able and popular. After they made it through the throngs of admirers, we headed down the street to chat and hang from some bars.

You recently did the Instagram takeover for FMMF. What did you do that day?

It was really fun; we got to talk about tonights show and how we prepare for shows and took pictures of us eating donuts. Eating junk food is part of the pre-show routine. We also posted an acoustic clip. We were posting about when we were on WCBE this morning too. It was fun. We tend to post a lot on social media. We believe that reaching out through social media is a way to get to our fans. We all trust Fran to run that and take care of that for us.

Your fans are really unabashed about their adora-tion for you, some comments from fans that I read were that Kid Runner was,The Real Deal, they state how they are counting down the days until they see you, another posting how they waited since December to see these guys. How does it feel to have such commitment from the audience members?

It is incredible! It never gets lost on us. Tonight we walked through a crowd of people to meet with you that were there to see our band. We work really hard to make that happen. We come from central Ohio humble beginnings and to be in that position is really incredible. It makes it worth it. Ev-eryday for the past two weeks we have been up

rehearsing until 3. We are a little sleep deprived and we are throwing a lot of new stuff into our show but it makes it all worth it for the five minutes that we spend with the people that appreciate us.

You have some new merch out. What inspired these designs and who does them?

Kurt is the guy who works out a lot of the creative stuff. He also uses Amanda Lake who is working on the designs of the new tshirts. Fun fact is that these are our favorite Kid Runner shirts. I wish I could wear one but it is against the rules for per-formers to wear their own merch (says Drew). The best thing about having sunglasses as your merch, is when you are driving to NYC at 7 in the morning and you forgot your sunglasses we have no less that 300 sunglasses to go around.

You did the Breakaway Festival, and Bunbury be-fore and Comfest and now FMMF. How does it feel to be around such a diversity of talent going into FMMF?

It feels awesome to be around so many great art-ists and we are really doing it just to see Ludac-ris. He is one of our favorites and Young the Giant are some of our heroes. It is very different to do small and larger venues. In the festival setting there are so much support there from techs and stage hands but you lose some of the intimacy that you get at the smaller venues. Of course it is great to have people that wouldnt normally hear us be ex-posed to our music.

Your first single was picked up and put in an X-Games commercial. Was that the moment you decided that you had gotten big?

Yes when that happened that was literally the mo-ment. We actually said that. We had a weeknight show at Skullys we were not ready to headline. We got two parking tickets and we actually lost money on the show. Then Kurt got an email and he said, All our problems are solved. The email

said that their song was on ESPN and ABC during the Winter X games. We ran and jumped on each other in slo-mo it felt like. The lesson is that as an artist you really have to be okay with the ups and downs.

What can your fans expect to hear at FMMF? Are there any surprises coming up in your perfor-mance?

We have a couple of surprises for our fans. Some new things that we are working on. We always try to make each show unique in some way whether it is new instruments or new people to play with us and we also will be doing some fun covers and playing some new songs that we have not played yet.

Do you use humor a lot to get you through all of your grueling tours?

I have encountered many bands who do. Yes we have a great rapport and we know how important it is not to take yourself too seriously (and the band says some inside joke about a sub and they start to laugh amongst themselves).

Kid Runner works hard and they bring a real-ly tight performance while having fun doing it. It isnt just about their affable presence that makes people swoon. The greatest compliment that we received as musicians was that someone came all the way from Indiana although they did not even have a ride but managed to get to the show and brought us cookies and tacos, bandmem-ber Drew adds as a final note. That is part of their amazing approachable allure. As proof of that, when we concluded our interview in the parking lot next to the Clippers stadium, people had spotted them and started gathering for an opportunity to get autographs from Kid Runner. Of course, they gleefully obliged.

KID RUNNER


FMMF TEAM Bret Adams Founder Melissa Dickson Co-Founder Dave Weitzel Operations Director Nici Arsenault Digital Communications

& Administrative Asst. Leslie Ungerott Sponsorship Relations Director Horacio Nieto Fashion Director Chase Clymer Creative Director Aaron Sweatt Asst Music Buyer Betsy Selover Volunteer Coordinator Christina Christian Fusion Foundation Director Greg Leader National Sponsorships Director Heather Hattaway Fashion & Model Director Rian Howells Operations Assistant AlexiaWinfield Fashion Intern Colin Wendt Graphic Design Intern Liz Hackett Communications

& Social Media Intern Emily Bowman Communications

& Music Intern Joey Kasouf Communications

& Sponsorship Intern Lexie Lyons Marketing Intern Matt Kolena Communications

& Operations Intern Nicole Smith Communications

& Promotions Intern


Brave Enough to Offer a Piece of ThemselvesBeing Independent is what the Genre of Indie is all about. Indie artists are those who have chucked major labels, prescriptions to sound, and in general are brave enough to offer a piece of themselves to their sound production. Indie artists play for their fans, which is why streaming is the main modus operandum of delivery of their music. Already a major player and massive influencer in the music space, Indie artists allow transformations and will continue to be bigger, stronger and more influential than ever before. This musical brand is on a journey into a digital future. Join those artists here and at the festival where you can see them in the flesh and rock out in their physical proximity.


Happiness IsWords: Ria Greiff Image: Ryan Russell

Taking Back Sunday are the ultimate band, offering up classics that you may have grown up listening to, as well as some tracks from the likes of Happi-ness Is. Energetic frontman Adam Lazzara, moves around the stage with unabashed sass and hams it up for the audience in every sway as he sings. If you didnt know who this band is, seeing them performing live will leave permanent impression. Taking Back Sundays John Nolan was gracious enough to talk to me on a Friday afternoon. He had a very easy going attitude which lent to a very insightful interview.

Taking Back Sunday is known for its electrifying performances. Your most recent performance at Slam Dunk Festival comes to mind. How do you go about choosing your presentation?

As far as what we do on stage, that really is an in the moment thing and a lot of the excitement comes from the lead singer Adam and what he feels in the moment. That can vary from show to show depending on the setup of the stage. The only thing that is really planned is the lighting and the setup but most of this is organic depending on the lead that is provided by Adam.

What does it mean to your band to be associated with your hometown of Long Island?

The roots of the band are pretty firmly planted in the music scene that came about during the time that the band was starting. That was a huge thing for us. There was a sound that was developing around that time on Long Island, before we were a band. There were a lot of like-minded bands that were coming up around the time that we were. We would get together and have a show and one of us would bring 30 or 40 folks but together we would have hundreds of people and that was piv-otal for us. That is the main thing that connects us to Long Island. Some of them were Brand New,

a band that is still going, The Reunion Show, The Waiting Process, On the Might of Princes. This was around 1999 and we were all coming up to-gether at that time. 99 is when we really started playing shows. The band officially formed then but the lineup that we have now didnt come together until 2001. We had a different singer and a differ-ent drummer, and five different base players.

Your band talks about balance being key to suc-cess and happiness. How do you find balance on the road?

I am not sure that we do a very good job of find-ing balance on the road (we laughed at that). We try and we aim for that but we generally miss that aim, especially three or four weeks into the tour. We always have these great goals in the begin-ning, drink less, eat better, work out, but at the one month mark all that goes out the window. Basically in a storm any port will do. I think we can do better about that but family is what really helps to keep us anchored. Staying connected to our families is what gives us balance and if it werent for that con-nection our lives would feel out of control.

You left the band Taking Back Sunday and then re-turned? Did you want to say anything about that?

It was interesting, that whole process. I started my own band and TBS was doing their thing. When I ended up coming back it was a crazy thing. I nev-er expected to do this or for this to work out and suddenly it happened organically. Not like we were ready or even thinking about it. When I finally got back it was great to reconnect. There was a cer-tain amount that we had experienced that no one else outside of the band could understand. There was a real connection that we had formed in the early days that we had lost and it was really a great thing to be able to connect again. Serendipity. It felt a lot like a family reunion. Like you havent see

family for years and years and then you get back together again.

I love the fact that you played your album in its en-tirety in the Tell All Your Friends Tour. What inspired that choice?

It was something we were pretty aware that peo-ple wanted. So that was what really got us talking about it. So many people asking as to whether that was something that we would do. It went real-ly well with timing and the schedule with the album that we had just released. We had done a lot of touring off an album and it went perfectly with the timing of TAYFT. If the new album had come out too close to the anniversary we would have want-ed to focus on that.

You have a new album out, Happiness Is, is it your plan to play that exclusively at FMMF much like you TAYF10 tour?

No no of course not. We have so many albums at this point and so many songs to choose from we try to give the audience a good blend of songs. So that is what people can expect to see at FMMF.

Tell us about your another genius musician choice to release the all acoustic Bside to your Happiness Is release? That is something that we just like to do is to present another side of the song. A lot of our songs get worked on in that kind of setting with an acoustic guitar especially with Adam working out lyrics if I am working on a song with him and fig-uring stuff out in the writing process. Alot of times that is happening on an acoustic guitar and just vocals. We get pretty familiar with songs in that format and what everyone hears is totally different so we wanted to share that other side of the song with people. So it is like presenting the song in its pure form.

Continued on page 21

TAKING BACK SUNDAY


Branching OutWords: Luke Toney Image: Scott Greiff

Mike Mains is no stranger to Columbus. He es-timates, by now, he and his band the Branches have been to Columbus 6 or 7 times over the last several years, most recently playing to a sold out crowd at Rumba Cafe and a packed house at Skullys. They should be familiar with Colum-bus though, as the Branches hail from that other state to the north. When we first sat down, we exchanged a few insults, maybe a threat or two, but we quickly put our differences to rest.

Apologies were made, and we moved on to how, after a spell in Texas, the Branches found them-selves living back in Michigan yet again, this time just outside Detroit. Mike explained that, on tour, upon learning of their homebase, people would apologize to them. He says, theres no apolo-gy needed, you know? For me, necessity is the mother of inventionand its driven so many musi-cians, artists and young entrepreneurs to go there and start these amazing bands and businesses. Asked what they think of Detroits reputation, and the changes its undergoing, Mike says, I see De-troit as being on the five yard line, and its exciting. It just needs that one good final push.

When asked about lineup changes, Mike laments that the streets is cold, the streets is cold. Shan-non, Mike and Nate have made up the core of the band for the better part of its existence, but some others have come and gone, including a co founder. In that time, with the exception of one four month stint, the band has been fiercely inde-

pendent. Raising money from supportive friends and fans, funding and releasing all their own ma-terial.

Recording and touring havent been without their challenges, but between the common unsigned band pitfalls, something special blossomed be-tween Mike and Shannon, and a few years back, the two were wed. The two discussed the difficulty of being side by side, but unable to necessarily ex-press their love whenever they want out of respect for fellow bandmates. Well be sitting in the van and say I miss you, says Mike. Meanwhile, he goes on, Nate wont have seen his girl for three months, and surely this is better than that!

Of course, we had to turn the conversation to fashion at some point. We discussed Beyonce and her team of stylists. We had a fun talk about Beyonce and the bed of cash we imagine shes-leeps on as the equivalent of Smaug and his mountain of gold in the Hobbit. But seriously, all musicians have to think about fashion, whatever level of notoriety they have attained. We asked, specifically, have you ever had to say hey dude, you cant wear that. A resounding YES came from all corners of the table. A drummer once wore an offensive plaid shirt and beanie com-bo. The natural follow up? What month was it? I mena, if it were winter... Turns out it was spring, so certainly questionable, but Shannon insisted it doesnt matter.

Mike says fashion is more about consistency for him. Hes real into his hat right now (its flat billed and says Take A Hike) and has been since walk-ing around the street, feeling empowered and say-ing Im gonna wear this every day! Asked about bands who adhere to a certain style or wardrobe, like the Hives, and whether that eventually traps you in, the band declares that when they start-ed, they did all dress in matching outfits. But that sort of wardrobe cant be maintained for long on a shoestring budget. Now theyre much more casu-al, and the style suits them.

Their easygoing, mellow demeanor seems to bet-ter embody the bands feel as a whole. Even on stage, everything felt effortless. Watching Mike Mains perform, it was evident why Rumba had sold out six months ago and why hundreds of people lined up around the block at Skullys on a hot June night. He is a frontman. Sticking the mic out over the crowd, his fans singing along to every word, he was left with no choice but to do what front men do jump in the crowd. He sang along until he was hoisted up and returned to the stage atop the crowd. Shannon played the keys with a furry that revealed how a man sharing her stage might come to propose. While my first exposure to Mike Mains and the Branches had only occurred a week prior, their set, which held a young crowd mesmerized on a Friday night, told me what fans from here to Texas already knew this was a group to keep an eye on.

MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES


OAR Returns HomeWords: Jaclyn Miller Images: Rachael Barbash For longtime members of jazz-rock jam band, OAR, the city of Columbus is by no means foreign. OAR, short for Of a Revolution, was originally formed in 1996 in Rockville, Maryland, by lead vocalist, Marc Roberge, drummer Chris Culos, guitarist Richard On, and bassist Benj Gershman. Howev-er, the musicians have pledged their allegiance to the Buckeye state since each attending The Ohio State University where they met and added final member, Youngstown-raised saxophone player, Jerry DePizzo. Jerry set aside some time to an-swer a few questions about his revolutionary ex-perience over the past two decades.

As a mid-nineties college band, OARs earliest obstacle was undoubtedly their youth. Starting off between the ages of 18-20, Jerry explains that, in the beginning, the band mainly played week-end shows on campus since many venues didnt want to deal with the headache of underage col-lege kids. To work around that, Jerry explains, we either rented the venue ourselves or found unconventional spaces to hold our concerts. OAR is also one of the only bands known to rely on word-of-mouth marketing tactics alone to gain their tremendous following.

After leaving Columbus in 2001, OARs popularity grew faster than the band was, in some ways, pre-pared for. We grew so quickly, so early, that it took time for our abilities to catch up to our success, Jerry recalls, but what we lacked in experience, we made up for in tenacity. Once the members graduated, they gained the ability to stay on the road for extended periods of time which, in turn, allowed them to extend their fanbase, attracting new crowds in cities across the country. The band has released a total of eight studio albums in ad-dition to five records of live performances nation-wide. Jerry attributes the bands longstanding suc-cess to remaining nimble and unafraid to adapt.

Inspired by classic bands like Pearl Jam, U2, and Dave Matthews Band, OAR prides themselves on maintaining a fan-first focus, honest writing, and memorable concert experiences. When it comes to songwriting, the bands creative process varies from song to song. Generally, Marc starts with a title- a title sets the theme and direction of a song- and once we have that, we know where to go. As far as concerts go, OAR maintains a solid rep-utation for delivering vivacious and care-free live performances. When someone comes to one of our concerts, we want them to leave feeling bet-

ter than they did when they first came through the door, Jerry explains. Its as simple as that- we are here to make people feel good. Concerts are a release valve on the pressure of day to day life. Come out to a show, get a smile on your face, leave happy and ready for what comes tomorrow.

Returning to this years Fashion Meets Music Fes-tival, OAR is guaranteed to have another glorious homecoming. Columbus has shaped and mold-ed my life in so many ways, says Jerry. I met my wife here, I joined my band here, its where I chose to raise my family. When the band performs in town, I feel an obligation to give back as much as the city has given me.

OAR

14


Playing to Much More than VaporsWords: Jaclyn Miller Images: Keith TracyOn a remarkably blustery April after-noon as the clouds hung dark and low, I stepped out of my car and headed toward Columbus alterna-tive public radio station (WCBE) to meet the enigmatic local band Play-ing to Vapors following their on-air performance. Spotting five gentle-men fighting the aggressive wind to pack up their equipment, I ran over to introduce myself, and we agreed to retreat inside for our interview. In the stations secluded media room packed with ceiling-high shelves of classic albums, we found the perfect spot to chat.

On the date of the release of their newest EP, A Glitch in A Void, The boys had no reservations sharing their evolution as a band over the past decade. Starting out as an ad-olescent endeavor roughly ten years ago, Playing to Vapors was formed by Josiah DePaso, Daron DiSaba-to, Luke Harris, and Mike Stokes as freshmen attending Worthington

Kilbourne High School. Four years later, in 2009, Zack Cramp added bass to the mix after meeting lead vocalist, Luke Harris at The Ohio State University. Once united, the five spent years of late nights toying around with ideas and perfecting their sound.

It was a lot of experimentation, explains Harris, In the years weve known each other weve just been writing and making new stuff- always creating. I think with our EP Identi-ties and our current EP weve finally found a sound and a direction, and were confident about who we are and what were doing.

That newfound confidence has driven the authenticity of this alterna-tive rock band in the two years theyve officially been Playing to Vapors. They are genuinely and wholly unique in aspects of production, lyrics, and overall sound. PTV Guitarist, Daron DiSabato, armed with an audio pro-duction degree from Ohio Universi-

ty, has taken the bands production process entirely into his own hands in a home studio where the boys re-hearse regularly.

I think thats what makes [our sound] unique, guitarist Mike Stokes throws in, being in a band on a budget, we do everything completely DIY...in a bedroom. With that in mind, the sound that PTV has constructed over the past few years is no less than in-spiring. They have skillfully achieved an ominous yet melodic tone that reflects both 70s psychedelic and modern alternative rock elements. Harris effortlessly delivers the al-ready emotion-drenched lyrics with wisdom much older than his years. The music draws both rock and indie lovers alike, and has an undeniably soulful resonance among listeners.

The name Playing to Vapors was born of the idea that, like many artists first entering the music scene, the group initially felt as though they were performing to nearly empty crowds.

However, as PTVs fan base contin-ues to grow exponentially, this notion holds more irony than truth.

The group has covered an impres-sive amount of ground in the past two years extending their touring radius into the northeast. With last fall marking the bands first tour venture, they jumped at the oppor-tunity to play major cities like Phila-delphia, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. As far as local performances, the Columbus-natives listed their most memorable as Worst Kept Secret Fest and last years Fashion Meets Music Fest.

Fashion Meets Music Festival anx-iously awaits PTVs return this year. After generating a considerable local buzz and attracting a widespread following, the boys are guaranteed to bring their talent, energy, and just about anything but vapors.

PLAYING TO VAPORS

16

There are many musicians who will not be pegged Mixing and matching genres is an avant guarde way to fashion their sound and the only way they care to know how. When you hear the sound of the Unorthodox you are dizzily arrayed with genres and their multiple unions. Coupling never sounded so good. The artists here are brave and zany and dare to machete their way to create a path out of the jungle of convention; more brazen that the path less traveled.

16


The Nearly Deads Bring Punk Back to LifeWords: Jaclyn Miller Image: Tierra SuggsFlorida-originated alternative punk rock band, The Nearly Deads isnt nearly as lifeless as their name suggests. I had the opportunity to catch a show of theirs at the National Convention Centre in In-dianapolis, and, half-expecting a clan of hardcore, intimidating rockers, was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a group of five humble, laid-back in-dividuals with a collective passion for punk music. The diverse musicians may have come together unconventionally, but their chemistry both on and off-stage says otherwise.

Leading lady and killer vocalist, Theresa Jeane (TJ), kicked off her music career as a student at the University of Southern Florida, where she performed in a band called Blonde Not Bombs. Steve Tobi, a native of Florida, was meanwhile playing bass in a band of his own called Dan-gerFlight, and the two met through mutual friends and involvement in the music scene. Not long after becoming acquainted, they mutually decid-ed to move their talents from Florida to Nashville. Everybody kind of migrates to Nashville to meet other musicians, and I guess it just worked out, TJ reminisced, We all wanted to be in the music industry separately- different paths- and then we ended up meeting each other. TJ and Steve ac-

tually linked up with bassist, Kevin Koelsch, and drummer, Josh Perrone, on Craigslist and later met guitarist, Javier Garza through mutual friends. Over the years, the band has weeded through a few different instrumentalists, but they claim that their current members make up the final lineup.

Each of the members reflects their own unique musical upbringing and taste, but a common denominator among them is the discovery of punk rock and metal in their adolescence. The five grew up with music tastes ranging from boy bands to 90s grunge to The Beatles, but they can all agree that bands like Blink 182 and Brand New were, undoubtedly, their gateway into punk rock. They each knew, early on, that this was the type of music they wanted to pur-sue, which is what essentially links the band together at their core, driving their charismatic, gritty-grunge sound.

The Nearly Deads popularity sparked in 2012 after their Never Look Back video hit a million views. This zombie apocalypse-inspired video got the ball rolling as they were, thereafter, asked to perform at both Journeys Backyard BBQ in Nash-ville and Vans Warped Tour, with the added bonus of Journeys airing their video in stores nationwide. After brief stints with Indie Go-Go and Standby Records, the group decided they preferred to go the Independent route. When their Kickstarter Campaign, a pre-order for their 2014 album, In-visible Tonight, reached over $10,000 within the first week, the band was shocked to discover their fan base was much larger than they had realized.

After chatting with the down-to-earth artists that compose TND and later observing their infectious energy and passion on stage, I was instantly able to make sense of their growing success. This talented group can enthusiastically provide phe-nomenal vocals and killer instrumentals all while effortlessly creating a fun and rambunctious at-mosphere. Although the rockers will continue to claim they are nearly-dead, their music and per-formance style has flawlessly demonstrated that the punk-rock movement is still very much alive.

TNDs name, while also inspiring a zombie-themed following, references

the bands origination in Florida described in an old saying as home of the newlyweds and the nearly-deads.

THE NEARLY DEADS


Full Circle VibesWords: Ria Greiff Images: Tiera Suggs

This band is really a great bunch of personalities. I wont even get into their Transylvanian accent thing. They seem like they are all fun and games and yes they are really good at that but when I sat down to talk to them about their music, a seriousness overcame them that had as much gravity as they had levity during the photo shoot at the Ohio State University Golf Course.

Outer Vibe came out with their fifth album Full Circle and they worked for the first time with venerable producer Brad Dollar of Grateful Dead fame. The band felt that it allowed them to be more creative having an outside guy. He was steering the ship in the engineers chair and all the band had to focus on was their sound. Brad Dollar helped them capture the energy and create the right mix of spices for their sound. It allowed them to focus on their synergy

Full Circle of course is the bands way of saying that this was their journey and their search for what they wanted to find out what was us, realizing they naturally came back to their roots.

The band plans to play some of their tunes from Hoka Hey for their fans but they also plan on doing a lot of their new stuff and some more work they have been with Brad Dollar, they are

trying to get him to come with them to FMMF as well.

The band states that they are on, Full on Musical Vacation Recording Mode. Full on vaga-bonds, tour around, meet people, making music and collecting stories along the way.

The Outer Vibe also utilizes the pay as you go business model with their new album. We just want the music to make it into peoples houses, because we know that when they hear it theyll fall in love with it and they wont say no. The old model doesnt work. No one gets their music the archaic way anymore, including this band.

This band also has an enormous sense of style. The secret with that is that they created a mood board. They did the same with their music. The belief is that the limitation can at times set them free. They had some really hip threads on and they kept those same outfits on after golfing with me all they way to their stage.

Before we were done, Outer Vibe wanted their fans to know to expect, A slice of paradise and a musical vacation when they hear us. We will take you to an alternate reality when you see us. Sounds like heaven.

THE OUTER VIBE


Capturing Raw SoundWords: Ria Greiff Image: Pat Sullivan

Captiva is one of our favorite fun-time Summertime bands. A little bit of the Smiths, a little bit of Sugar Ray and a little bit of 311. They hail from Kansas City. A town that is churning out talent recently.

Hanging out with the guys is a recipe for per-masmile. They are a young band that has come out swinging, playing some big festivals such as SXSW and now FMMF. Their goal they say is to reach as many people as possible. Agreed, once you hear them you are captivated.

Their musical aspirations come from their claimed life experiences. Their writing comes from the heart, blended with honesty and courage, they say. Essentially, tapping into emotions and push-ing those boundaries so you can connect with your audience.

Mainly, their rise to stardom has been through simply getting their music into the right ears. Here are FMMF Magazine, we were hooked upon first listen.

One of their favorite moments was playing at SXSW this past March. The band states that they felt that they pushed themselves as performers and have gained even more confidence. It seems hard to believe that they dont already possess ri-

diculous amounts of it. Now having this fest giant under their belts, they are ready to take over Cbus at Fashion Meets Music Festival.

Some of their newer work is a single called, Smooth Interrogation and our personal favorite the haunting, Illusions, a song about the dis-connection of fading affections. A relationship that is only going through the motions and has lost its authenticity and is now merely an illusion. Goose bumps!

The band Captiva has also opened up a music stu-dio to accommodate their needs and to provide a space for all the emerging artists to create their art. Their studio is in downtown Kansas City and they named it Temple Sounds. They take full advantage of the open rooms for their live recordings. The space lends to more raw, genuine sound in their music. Their producer Tim and engineer Jeremy have helped them create new possibilities in their sound. One of the songs that has emerged from this is, Smooth Interrogation, a peppy upbeat

tune that the band has been performing but only recently recorded.

Captiva is adding more festivals to their touring schedule along with a tour of their own, the Always On Vacation Tour with Brian Lockwood. Their party mantra is #StayBuzzed. Dont mind if I do.

These guys are doing it right, and they are tenacious as to their drive

for that brass ring of success.

CAPTIVA


Captain KiddWords: Ria Greiff Images by Jim Robson

Sitting with Captain Kidd on the rooftop, I get to hang out with talent that is more mature than you would think at first glance. These guys, hailing from Bay Village, Cleveland, lived in Siebert Hall and are still campus based. Not having even fin-ished college, they are just launching their musical careers while trying to wrap up their academic ca-reers. They have a quaint pre-show ritual of lis-tening to James Blunts, Life is Beautiful and in believing this they hope to still be doin it as long as possible. These guys were too modest to say they would see a Grammy in their future someday.

Cbus has been good to Captain Kidd as they feel as if Cbus is a great music town. People love go-ing to shows and they pour a lot of love and time into the local scene. FMMF and FMMF Magazine are testaments to that. And of course they get lots of Clevo love as hometown boys. Where I sit on the rooftop, it seems as if these guys are in it to win it.

One of the reviews that I had read of their mu-sic was a mention to the band Captain Kidd was, Your Freaky Song and I are in a serious relation-ship. Although it may seem strange to you and me that that kind of adoration happens, it is not weird for the group to have that adoration; they love it.

But they added that it, May be weird for the singer since it is his voice that they are listening to.

Their have a trademark which is their artwork. It is black pink, purple and red; the mainstays of their artwork and they purposefully want a psychedelic look that Josiah is putting together for them.

The have a new EP coming out and they actually played it for the first time at Park Street Patio when FMMF Magazine saw their show and it was a blast. You will be in for a special treat at FMMF be-cause they always bring a new element to songs when they play live.

Their influences are Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala and Foster the People. Arctic Monkeys being the most because they are fast and have great lyrics, bar codes; TI and MGMT is about the psychedel-ic aspect of the sound and the fun loving stuff of Foster the People.

In the new EP they experimented with the produc-tions and they listened to a lot of psychedelic stuff to influence.

This band started in high school but they have evolved to college students who are professional musicians and they are here and ready give you are really great trip. Yeah man!

Taking Back Sunday...continued.

How does being with an independent record label after a decade affect you and your band and the sound?

I am not sure how it affects the sound. We always want to make the music we want to make regard-less of the music label. With this particular album and with Hopeless we definitely felt more support-ed. I missed out with the Warner Brothers years when I went away. It was pretty clear though lean-ing toward our time with them when I was there, that they had other priorities. Going to Hopeless and seeing how much faith they had in the band and how supportive they were of what we were doing and how much time and energy they were willing to put into our record, it was a breath of fresh air and we felt more supported than we had in a while.

Speaking of tours, I read about how you do many shows for servicemen to show your thanks. Is this something personal or just a philosophy about giv-ing back or is it about patriotism?

It is something that was on opportunity that came up and we felt it would be a good experience and we thought it would be something that we felt would be a good thing to do and we just kept go-ing with it. Certainly very rewarding.

When was that moment that you went from a band that toured in a van to being Rock Stars?

It is hard to say. It is a weird thing. I still have this mentality that we really havent made it yet. We still feel like we are trying to get somewhere, so you never quite feel like a Rock Star really that you have gotten big or whatever, because I always feel like we are striving for more. The thing I do remember though really early on in our touring, was before we even moved to a bus, we were still in a van and things had really started to go really well for our band. We were just selling out shows on tour out of nowhere kind of like this wave swept over everybody. We were doing so much better than we thought we would and we went from thinking that we would go on tour and come back and do what we would have do to normally which is like go right back to working your job until the next tour and ask for a couple of weeks off. That is what we did normally, but this time when we got back we actually split up money and it was the first time we actually had money and we split it up and we thought, Oh this is more profitable than if I had been home working. That was a huge moment for me. We had definitely crossed over into some new territory here, that was very exciting.

What is it like to play in a festival with such diversity in the musicians as is the case with FMMF?

I think it is really cool. A lot of times we end up doing festivals that are a little more of the punk rock side of things. We like that as well. But I think we all enjoy doing something like this because you get to see all types of bands and artists that are doing something different than you. St. Vincent is one of those artists that we are so excited that we are playing anywhere near her.

We agreed that this will be an amazing gathering and as we were ending our interview, I couldnt help but wonder if we could expect Adam Lazzara to bust out his microphone skills of looping it over the crowd at FMMF. I think that is pretty likely be-cause he will be feeling the crowd. We are very ex-cited to be there and to play for everyone. Indeed, we are all thinking that very same thing.


Pure Ethereal Original MusicMillions of people all over the world escape into the world of music as their own little Fortress of Solitude or use it as a vehicle through which to express a side of themselves. This is mostly true of the music that hails from Country and Blues. While blues today retains much of the integrity of its origins, country is a more modern invention that is a fusion of many earlier genres, including blues itself. Harmonically sophisticated but in its essence it is the pure, ethereal, original music originating from camaraderie only those who have struggled can understand. And only in those moments, do moments become so gripping that the music also takes hold in our hearts and on our playlists and as choices of who to see at this musical extravaganza.

22


Written in Allen StoneWords: Jaclyn Miller Image: Jeff Forney

Its not every day that a small town preachers son evolves into a critically-acclaimed, chart-topping R&B Soul singer/songwriter, but 28-year-old Allen Stone certainly beat the odds. I had the pleasure of speaking with the lovably whimsical musician while on tour in Atlanta and was able to gain some insight on his fascinating musical journey. Grow-ing up in Chewelah, Washington a town of less than 2,600 people, Stone was introduced to mu-sic at the ripe age of three when he started sing-ing in his fathers church. Being primarily exposed to Christian worship songs, his world profoundly transformed when he discovered soul music as a teen. Instantly falling in love with the stylings of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and other legend-ary 60s and 70s R&B artists, he began collecting classic soul albums and incorporating them into his musical repertoire.

It wasnt until he spent a semester at Moody Bible Institute a Christian college in Spokane, Wash-ington, that Stone experienced the trans-formative realization that Christianity no longer reflected his personal beliefs and therefore, was not the musical genre he wanted to pursue. He knew that his heart was in R&B music, and that was where he needed to channel his craft. Raised in a religious household,

this transition was initially not the easiest for his parents to accept, but Stone explains that his rela-tionship with his parents has since evolved as they have become more accepting of his choice. I told my dad at one point my music IS my ministry to put it into his terms, Stone says referring to his performances as a kind of church that isnt caught up in rules and regulations, sexism, and homophobia, but one thats about enjoying one-self, loving freely, and expression through music- but its still the same concept.

It wasnt long after Stone moved to Seattle to pursue music that his career took off. The young and talented hippie with soul has put out three remarkable full-length albums, the most recent being Radius, released this past June. Over the course of his career, he has performed on almost every late-night talk show in addition to collabo-rating with Andy Grammar, Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and several other world-renown musicians. Although his resume is exceedingly impressive, he lists his greatest accomplishment as opening for his idol, Stevie Wonder, in France last year. I love that guy, he gushes, Hes the dude of all dudes the personification of love and light and happiness.

Stones live performances have become true tes-tament to his ministry as he consistently strives to create an atmosphere of enjoyment, freedom, and acceptance. Masterfully performing lightheart-ed songs dense in socially aware ideals, Stone constantly encourages listeners to think differently. I want [the audience] to feel comfort outside of their comfort zone. He explains.

When he isnt wooing a crowd with his soulful riffs you can guarantee Stone is making good use of his free time. The Washington native enjoys fishing at his house on the lake, cooking, and just about anything involving a human connection. Just re-cently, Stone teamed up with Uber and spent the day cruising around Seattle getting to know his fans. It was a blast, he admits suddenly laughing to himself, If music doesnt work out, I know I have a career elsewhere.

I, for one, suggest Allen Stone stick with music, for his tremendous talents would be sinful to waste. With pure soul in his voice and a message in his heart, I highly anticipate this Stone rolling into Co-lumbus come September.

ALLEN STONE


Blues Rockin with Castle CreekWords: Jaclyn Miller Image: Keith TracyBlues- Rock music will unquestionably never be the same after powerhouse singer, Kim Monroe and guitar guru, Chris Eves are through with it. These two incredible talents compose the jammin dynamic duo that is Castle Creek. It was my absolute pleasure to chat with these remarkably witty and down-to-earth musicians on an April afternoon prior to their Columbus gig at Rumba Cafe.

Both natives of Syracuse, NY, the two experienced a rather serendipi-tous meeting a few years ago at the wedding of a mutual friend. Chris was playing piano with the wedding band, while Kim, best friend of the bride, was invited onstage to sing at the reception. Chris was instant-ly blown away by Kims incredible vocal range and stage presence, immediately seeing potential in the young starlet. A simple Facebook message set the duos wheels in motion.

It was not long after that Kim began to sing background vocals for the blues-rock band Chris was playing in called Wild Honey. During this time, Chris took Kim under his wing and encouraged her to work toward her full musical potential. He taught me everything musically that I know, stated Kim matter-of-factly. She ex-plained that Chris, unlike producers she had worked with in the past, act-ed as an encouraging teacher and coach all while allowing her to learn at her own pace. It wasnt until Wild Honeys guitarist left the band that

Kim truly felt the pressure to step up. Knowing only three of their songs on guitar, Kim certainly rose to the occasion. After successfully playing a few gigs as a pair, their potential became undeniable.

Castle Creek is the fascinating product of two completely contrast-ing musical backgrounds. With Chris growing up with jam bands such as Phish and The Allman Brothers, and Kim with R&B/ soul legends like Etta James and Christina Agu-ilera, the two individuals can each offer something stylistically that the other cannot. We have a common background, but then we have some diverging influences that we can bring to the table- each of us, Chris explained.

It is Kim and Chris ability to fuse rock n roll with rhythm and soul that has made them so appealing to crowds nationwide. Their modern blues-rock style is greatly influenced by the great husband-and-wife duo, Tedeschi Trucks. Kim gushed: When I saw them live it was like angels started singing [Susan Te-

deschi] is everything I aspire to be in a powerhouse singer and amaz-ing guitar player I realized this is where blues-rock is at. The pair also finds inspiration through classic rock vinyls including The Beatles and Eric Clapton as well as any-thing with light humor to aid their creative process.

Castle Creeks authentically gritty style combined with original lyrics and audio engineering make them impossible to overlook. When it comes to songwriting, their creative process is a tad less than conven-tional. Kim describes their lyrics as a stream of consciousness about whatever is currently going on in their lives. Often times their songs are actually written over the phone. Ill play a riff for her over the phone, and shell text back a novel of lyric ideas. Chris explained.

While Chris and Kim, for the most part, perform all of their produc-tion themselves, they did take their latest album, The Only Life, to be mixed and mastered by Zac Brown Band bass player, Matt Mangano, at Southern Ground studios in Nash-ville. Besides getting the rare oppor-tunity to work with a renowned pro-ducer and musician, Kim and Chris received an extra surprise.

When I asked the twosome about the significance of the band name they shared a smirk. It just kept showing up, Chris said. I like to think of it as the nexus of our universe wherever we play. The two had toyed around with several name ideas, but after consistently seeing a Castle Creek in almost every city they toured, the name, in a way, chose itself. And it was better than Yellow Snow con-cluded Chris.

Castle Creek has effortlessly cap-tivated crowds from Maine to Tex-as with their rare soul meets rock n roll style and dynamic musical skill set. Because Blues-Rock is a rather unexplored musical territory, it just might be the one thing the Columbus music scene is lacking. This years Fashion Meets Music Festival goers should prepare to be rocked into the night as these two gems flawlessly perform the unique-ly soulful jams they never knew they needed.

CASTLE REEKWhile in the studio recording, they discovered that the Foo

Fighters were secretly recording a project in the next room over, and

if you listen close enough, you can hear the legendary rockers

in the background of Castle Creeks Saddest Love Song.


behance.net/ZakPerry

SEE WHAT

CAN DO FOR YOUR INBOXDownload Now!

mailtamerapp.com

MAILTAMER

7

S P R I N G 2 016


The Revolution of Rhythmic Soundwas driven by growing technological possibilities, machine aesthetics

and funky electronic rhythms. Young originators of this sound melded electro-funk, synth-pop influences with futuristic synths and captivating

dance beats to yield a harmonic, mechanistic and youthfully stimulating sound that sparked an electronic craze all over the world. Rhythmic

rockers are one of the countless brilliant musical thinkers out there. They entice listeners, calling them to their feet and bounce around

to the beat all night long. Get up and dance and let your bodies be snatched by these artists at the festival.


Going AWOL for a DayWords: Jaclyn Miller Image: Tiera SuggsStanding shoulder-to-shoulder in the intimate and lively Cleveland House of Blues, I silently peered around the buzzing, sold-out amphitheater digest-ing the scene. The surrounding crowd was fairly diverse, unlike many that Id seen. I observed a row of rowdy high school boys lined up behind me, a giddily intoxicated hairdresser from Pitts-burgh to my left, and a father and son duo on my right. Briefly chatting with the dad, I learned Awol-nation was his sons all-time favorite band, and this concert was a gift for his ninth birthday. As the ant-sy crowd chanted A-WOL, A-WOL in resound-ing unison, I glanced down at the child beside me sporting a newly-purchased concert t-shirt and eyes full of sincere anticipation. Although he appeared strikingly out of place compared to surrounding spectators, I knew he was more pre-pared than anyone in that room for a soon-to-be unforgettable experience.

A few hours earlier, I found myself in a panic driving in circles around downtown Cleveland in desperate search of a parking spot. After sprinting three blocks to the House of Blues and navigat-ing through winding backstage hallways, I abruptly found myself face-to-face in a dressing room with the 36-year-old lead singer of Awolnation, Aaron Bruno. Apologizing for my tardiness and lack of breath, we dove right into conversation.

His eyes looked tired- sunken in from overexer-tion, but revealing an eminent spark of excitement for tonights show. Were hitting the 6-week mark where youd usually go insane, he explained re-ferring to his current tour with Parade of Lights and Family of the Year, but theres a good family vibe, so I cant complain- its great.

Since the March 2015 release of Awolnations highly anticipated second album, Run, the LA-

born, critically-acclaimed musician has been full-speed ahead. Aaron refers to this album as his sophomore freak-out record, elaborating on the combination of freedom and pressure he felt to live up to the hype of this first and certified-Gold album, Megalithic Symphony. He tells me that he has always been fascinated by popular mu-sicians approaches to creating follow-up albums knowing that they are ultimately bound to either succeed triumphantly or flop. With Run there was this different type of anticipation- or anticipation at all- and I knew I had an audience and a home for these songs that I had written, so it gave me a different type of confidence, artistically, to push it even furtherand also a terrifying responsibility at the same time.

Run has certainly been held under the microscope of critics, triggering responses from polar ends of the spectrum. Aaron admits that, as a musician, he constantly has to be prepared for haters and negativity, but the media scrutiny and harsh re-views can, often times, be unfair and frustrating. From what I read, [Run] was either the best thing I had ever written or done in life or just someone pissed off that Im even trying to make music like this, he muses. Looking back now I feel really satisfied by the reactions, because they were ex-treme one way or the other and definitely brought out passion, and thats what Im looking to do.

As an 80s kid born in Los Angeles, Aaron grew up in the very heart of the hard-rock, punk-grun-ge music scene. Previously a member of Home Town Hero, Under the Influence of Giants, and Insurgence, its no mystery Aarons passion lies in music with a dark edge. Dark music makes me feel good, He states matter-of-factly. Often times when Im sad, Im not looking to find an uplifting, happy song, Im more misery loves company, so

Ill put on Radioheads OK Computer album, and it makes me feel good.

This dark, yet optimistic mentality is constantly present in Aarons songwriting and music in gen-eral. I just think the balance between good & evil and dark & light is what makes us tick. Aaron reflects on the writing of Sail, Awolnations most popular track to date. He describes the song as a journal entry, written in just one hour, during one of the darkest points in his life. It just kind of came out of me like this weird, weird miracleI remem-ber sitting down to write the lyrics on a piece of paper and my pen not being able to write as fast as the ideas were coming out of me. Little did he know this hauntingly powerful, chorus-less ballad would soon be his claim to fame, spending the second-longest amount of time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reaching just about every ear across the globe. Hearing Aarons story, I couldnt help but feel moved that such a dark and hopeless period of his life would ultimately inspire his most remarkable achievement.

Standing amongst Awolnations sold-out crowd that evening, I found myself gazing, wide-eyed, at the man Id just spoken to. Feeding off the pal-pable energy in the room, Aaron performed with the utmost soul and vigor- dancing and wailing as if telling a timeless story. As the crowd cheered wildly, and the show came to an end, he hum-bly took a seat center-stage with knees pulled to his chest, and stared, awe-stricken, into a sea of admirers. I instinctively looked down at the dumb-founded nine-year-old at my side and suddenly felt a pinch of envy. A few years from now, when reflecting on the memory of his very first concert, he would be fortunate enough to look back at this incredible moment, and that was nothing short of a beautiful thing.

AWOLNATION


Experimental Electronic JourneyWords: Ria Greiff Images: Tiera Suggs

Benji Robinson is a one man dynamo. He does vo-cals, keyboard and percussion for his band Rep-tile Fiction. He is a self-described electronic musi-cian from Columbus, Ohio. His music is inspired by 1980s music, pop-culture & video games. Benji will also tell you that the music that emerged on the scene in the 80s actually came from the video games and not the other way around. I re-cently sat with him and his music partners, a midi controller and a drum machine for a very pleasant interview during the monsoons of the summer of 15 in Cbus. We discussed his plans for FMMF and his music amongst a large pile of delicacies from a very popular local cafe with a pouncing fox.

You are very prolific in your music production. What is your process?

Musically, I am a drummer first and foremost. So a lot of it comes in rhythm form first. Ill usually either think of a baseline or percussion riff and Ill build the song from there. I played in a band as a drum-mer and I still have a drum set at home but this is my first foray as a frontman.

Where do you source your cover art?

I do a lot of it myself. I like to use tones and colors that I think look like that are from the 80s, really bright. I did have one that my friends designed and payed her to let me use it. Bree Manahan from Deviant Art for some of them.

How did you get started?

It was me and my friend playing drums and he was always the frontman but he moved to Denver. I still wanted to keep making music, so I decided to go ahead and start writing music, and it turned into this electronic 80s fun synth stuff, which I had

always been fond of. When I was younger, I did that instrumentally. Now I also have added vocals too. I wanted to use vocals again of that age, so I listed and got inspiration from David Bowie, Hu-man League, New Order and Pet Shop Boys.

I love the 80s inspiration. What draws you to this music?

A lot of it is probably from playing video games from the 80s. The music actually came from the video games. That was my bridge into electronic music from the era. Games influenced the music rather than vice versa. I am a bit of a retro game enthusiast. I have an original NES and 40 some games from the system. Super Mario Brothers for example. The music soundtracks from those games inspire a lot of my music.

Tell us about the last show you did and the first show you did.

My first show was at Rumba cafe. I had no in-tentions to play live, just put it out on the internet for people to listen to and enjoy, but this band called Laser Background from Philly emailed me and said they heard my music on BandCamp and they said, Hey would you like to open for us? I said to myself no, but of course I said yes. I wasnt ready, but I had a month to put something togeth-er and well I figured out how to put a live show together. Just figured it out really quickly. I was so nervous that I could have started a half hour earlier (laughing). I was relieved it was over when but glad I did the show. The only way to get better at this is to keep doing it. So I kept doing shows, took some time to write some new music. I worked on a movie soundtrack with a friend, doing some side

projects and stuff. Then I got back into doing live shows in the fall of 2013, and was doing a show every month, my last one being at Ruby Tues-day. Really fun venue, a gem here in Columbus. I was happy to have played in it. We played with a Canadian Band Kirby Tosh and a local band called Sweet Teeth. They are in the kind of same realm as me of being guitar driven but a little more psy-chedelic with the electronic elements in it.

Of course I want to talk about the dress that is on the cover of FMMF magazine. Can you explain that?

Local Sound is full of sampled elements from around the city and I make the sound effects part of the rhythm of the songs themselves. Trying to make them a little bit different like an experimental electronic journey. So the dress is a capture of the actual visual wave form and Celeste (Malvar Stew-art) was able to put the wave form into the laser on the dress. The wave form you see on your iPhone recorder here for example. It is the same thing. In others dresses they will be stitched on and other different mediums or methods to include the mu-sic on the clothing. Dyes perhaps.

It seems that there isnt anything Benji cant do. Reptile Fiction is just what you hear. He added, I do a lot of composing and recently created a video game soundtrack with Chris Topher and the Biscuit Brigade. He found me from my random video game songs I made on Instagram and he approached me about a project. That seems to be how it goes with him. People just keep find-ing him through the internet. Call him, he doesnt seem to need to call you. Hes too busy with his chaos pad.

REPTILE FICTION

WednesdayAugust 12th, 2015114pmGateway Film Center1550 N High St

T h e F M M F F u s i o n F o r u m

MAKE IT IN MUSIC AND FASHIONA full day of discussion and education around making it in the music & fashion business.

$15 general$10 studentScholarships available to attend for FREE

The Fusion Foundation is the charitable arm of the Fashion Meets

Music Festival. Our mission is to provide time, talent, networking,

and financial support to emerging fashion and music artists who are

working to transform their ideas into reality.

For tickets and more information visit:

fusionfoundation.us

Pop-up Fashion Marketplace featuring local designers. No item over $100. Directly following the forum | 59pm FREE

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Fusion Foundation.pdf 11 7/14/15 4:28 PM


Fashion Meets Music Festival is here to not only provide you with unforgettable entertainment from the best bands and fashion designers Columbus, the nation and the industry has to offer you, but also make sure youre entertained between sets and runway

shows. No one wants to stand around waiting for an act to soundcheck or a model to finish hair and makeup, so we brought activities for everyone to enjoy when theres a break in the main attractions. Capture your favorite festival moments on camera or tweet out your reaction to some avant-garde fashion designs, and enjoy amazing food and beverage selections from local food trucks and national breweries.

When all is said and done for the night you can even catch a ride home with our friends over at Uber. FMMF aims for a memorable festival experience, so we made sure to cover all the bases. Head over to fmmf.us for more details on all the weekend-long activities that we have to offer and upgrade to VIP for the most upscale and up-close experience Fashion Meets Music Festival provides.

GUIDELINES No drugs, weapons, fireworks, or explosives No glass containers, metal aerosol cans, outside food & drink Small backpacks and purses are permitted, however, large hiking style or

framed backpacks are not permitted Professional DSLRs and cameras with a detachable lens will not be

permitted at the outdoor festival locations After Party Showcase venues will have specific limitations for cameras,

which can be found by contacting the specific venues Check out our full list of guidelines at fmmf.us/festival-info

FESTIVAL HOURS Sat 9/5 & Sun 9/6 Noon Midnight Arena District

FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE HOURS 10:00 AM 9:30 PM *INCLUDES AFTER PARTY TICKET REDEMPTION

FMMF InformationPHOTO: KTKNILANS PHOTOGRAPHY MODEL: ARIANNA LOWERY MAKEUP: RAHELA AKASHA WILLIAMS

Outdoor Music 1:00 PM 11:00 PMStella Artois Stage iHeartRadio Stage Jagermeister Stage

Fashion Tent 12:30 PM 9:00 PM

After Party Showcases 10:00 PM 2:00 AMPark Street Complex533 Park St*AFTER PARTY TICKETS CAN BE REDEEMED AT PARK STREET BEGINNING @ 9:00 PM

FMMF Information.indd 1 7/14/15 3:24 PM


Saturday Schedule

12PM

1PM

2PM

3PM

4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

9PM

10PM

11PM

FashionTENT

STAGESTAGESTAGE

LedgesKendra ThomasKatelyn McClain

Betsy Judd

Esther Myong HallCastle Creek

Cierra Lauren BridalLydia Hopmann

The Outer Vibe

Reptile Fiction

Kahindo Mateene

Carry Me Forward

Celeste Malvar-Stewart

Linda Rowe Thomas

Michael Drummond

SOJA

Allen Stone

O.A.R.

Young The Giant

Let It Happen

Devils Lettuce

machineheart

Ludacris

Marc Scibilia

Rachel Platten

ZZ Ward

Northern Whale

Swell Tides

Narrow/Arrow

Kid Runner

Nick D & The Believers

The One & Only PPL MVR

FASHIONMEETS MUSICFESTIVAL

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT FMMF.USLINE-UP AND SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE



Sunday Schedule

12PM

1PM

2PM

3PM

4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

9PM

10PM

11PM

FashionTENT

STAGESTAGESTAGE

CCAD ActivewearBend Active

Heart Of It All

Fashion MeetsMusic Collective

Student Design Competition

Patrick T Cooper

Joshua Christensen

Competition Results

Bahamas

Milo Greene

Taking Back Sunday

St. Vincent

Chaz French

Mike Mains & The Branches

Carbon Tigers

Northern Faces

Andrew McMahonIn The Wilderness

AWOLNATION

Captiva

Our Vintage Film

Playing To Vapors

The Nearly Deads

Captain Kidd

Vacationer

Andy Grammer

Lights

Bryston WaltersCierra Lauren RTW

FASHIONMEETS MUSICFESTIVAL

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT FMMF.USLINE-UP AND SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE



LATITUDE41RESTAURANT.COM, 614.233.7541

Located in the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel, Latitude 41 offers modern American cuisine with the finest natural, fresh, local ingredients. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Latitude 41

offers a delicious menu that is updated daily to represent the best of what our local markets have to offer.

PRESENT THIS AD AND ENJOY A COMPLIMENTARY DESSERT WITH PURCHASE OF AN ADULT ENTRE!

Valid through 12/31/15. One complimentary dessert per table; cannot be combined with any other offer.

DESTINATION RESTAURANTA

CMHBR_Lat41CompDessertad_4.25x5.5.indd 1 6/8/15 12:23 PM

2855 INDIANOLA AVE | (614) 261-7128 | WWW.THECRESTGASTROPUB.COM

FOLLOW US ONLINE WITH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM!

...................................happy hour

sunday-thursday 5-closefriday & saturday 5-7pm* only on the breezeway & at the bar *

Breezeway

www.thetablecolumbus.com 21 E 5th Ave 614.291.4555


Alwa

ys Enjoy Responsibly. 20

13 Anh

euser-Bu

sch InBe

v S.A., S

tella Arto

is Beer, Im

porte

d by Im

port Brands Allia

nce, St. Louis, M

O

A cut above.

Brand: SA "Cut Above"

Item #:PSA201310537

Job/Order #:

PAADAM 264917

Trim: 8.375x10.875 Bleed: 8.875x11.375 Live: 7.875x10.375

Closing Date 7.29.14QC: SM

Publication: Fashion Meets

AECD

Documents

Fashion Meets Music Festival Magazine vol. 2