culture

Kamili - Sustainable Art Exhibition by Amani Davis and Hannibal Hopson /  by Alex Young

"People from Pittsburgh love to talk about how they are from Pittsburgh," says any non-native who has interacted with the prideful bunch. Calling Pittsburgh home is acknowledging the city's importance; Pittsburghers point to steel production, Heinz Ketchup, popular figures, sport culture, its key position as Gateway to the West, and neighborhoods. This pride carries local artists Amani Davis and Hannibal Hopson in their sustainable art exhibition titled Kamili.

Both Amani and Hannibal hail from Pittsburgh's Highland Park-Point Breeze-Squirrel Hill region and have seen the area go through changes over a sixteen-year period of growing up there. The pair notes how gentrification results in new housing developments, new businesses, and new families who are unaware or forget the history and culture already instilled in the neighborhood. Kamili counteracts the process as Amani and Hannibal's exhibition celebrates past memories and attachment to their community. Using wood as their medium, the artists paint and draw on pieces people threw out on the street and scrap from demolition projects, repurposing their forgotten world. Amani voiced, "This is about my street," evoking a sense of empathy with his neighbors who have come and gone. Change is what inspires Kamili--Swahili for concrete, complete, or perfect. With city life change of landscape and people is constant, to which Amani appropriately states, "When neighborhoods flip people forget shit." Kamili pays homage to remembrance, while acknowledging nothing ever stays the same.

On June 11, 2015 InTheRough met with Amani Davis and Hannibal Hopson at their studio to talk about their upcoming exhibition. The conversation, and accompanying visuals, dealing with art, Pittsburgh society, hip hop, and their movement will be available here July 3. See Kamili for yourself July 2-3, 2015 at PointBreezeway, 6 to 9pm EST.

PointBreezeway

7113 Reynolds St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15208

 

Inside Sweetlife Music Festival feat. VibeRotation 20 /  by Alex Hersh

The only thing as unique as the wide assortment of food options at the Sweetlife music festival this year was its set list. For the first time, Sweetgreen booked the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD for two days as opposed to the one of past beats. As a volunteer with the production team, I was lucky enough to cop a general admission ticket and attend the festival for free as long as I put in my hours volunteering as Artist Concierge, toting some dank munchies backstage for the performers.  With this write-up I hope I can capture the view of the cogs in the machine I witnessed, and show you all how I felt about one of the youngest and criticized festivals of our day.

Lineup

Many critics were left with a bitter taste in their mouth that the rise in ticket price from the event last year didn’t correlate to a better, more relevant lineup. While I got my ticket for the price of a few sweltering hours running between D.C.’s gourmet food trucks, I was more than happy with who I was going to see. As an altogether hip hop fan, XXL Freshmen of the 2015 class Raury and Goldlink, along with Vic Mensa, Bishop Nehru, Kendrick, and D.C. native Lightshow are standout, fitting acts that found a comfortable niche among the non hip hop talent of the lineup, of which there was plenty. That being said, this experience brought me to the forefront of indie and pop music culture, giving me the opportunity to see wonderful and energetic performances from artists I hadn’t heard of such as Allen Stone, Sinkane, and San Fermin.   

Food and Activities

Between bites of lobster rolls and pork belly Vietnamese tacos, festivites meandered through the grounds during set downtime, experimenting with all the different flavors of Sweetlife. While no less expensive than the classic hot dog from concessions to hold you over, the variety of options gives concert-goers a different form of art to appreciate and indulge in. This is an example of the dedication Sweetlife has for the holistic nature of the experience, in providing the customer with a memory that is much greater than just a destination for live music. Along those lines were tents from Alex and Ani, Flashtat, an arcade, and even a charging station where you can plug your phone into a bicycle which chargers your tech as you pedal. I don’t hold these peripherals against Sweetlife, and I don’t believe that it takes away from the musical experience at all, but rather innovates it in a way that other music festivals have yet to really do on the same scale.

Intimacy

When I tried to grade Sweetlife as a music festival, my review felt flawed, incomplete. I was looking at each arm of the festival separately, leaving me only with seemingly unrelated fragments. When I saw the full scope, understanding what I believe are Sweetgreen’s goals with the event, it reshaped the significance and impact on me. In every possible way, Sweetlife commands its patrons to challenge themselves and what they’re comfortable with. The fried chicken BLT sandwich with a donut for a bun feels like an unholy compromise between rule makers and breakers, but I’ve never before seen anything like it. More than half the acts were unrecognizable to my mental music collection. The spectacular and almost enchanting part of the weekend was that at all times I was comfortable and uncomfortable, satisfied and hungry, lost and found. But so was everyone else there. We were all on this journey of discovery together, and it connected me to everyone else there in a way I haven’t felt since I was a curious kid with my classmates on a field trip. There were no scene kids or hipsters, because there was no definitive “scene”, but rather a Pollock inspired hodge-podge of genre and culture that wriggles out from underneath the thumb of anyone who tries to pin it down to one category.

It wasn’t flawless. Because the concert didn’t sell out as predicted, the tickets were too pricey for the target demographic. Along with food and transportation, it’s incredible to me that college and high school kids were able to scrounge up enough scratch to get to the pavilion and stay well fed. In my opinion, however, that was the only design flaw that actually hurt the company, and took away from our experience as guests. Intermittent but obligatory (place was low-key designed for profile picture backgrounds) social media interruptions slightly tainted this new, organic form of art consumption we were all experiencing, but that doesn’t reflect on Sweetgreen but rather our own generational vice. Having no prior background in music festival culture, I’ll never forget my time at Sweetlife, and I’m pleasantly surprised and thankful at the in depth thought and procedure that went into planning the event. Hopefully I’ll be there for lucky number 7 next year. Check out the gallery with different pictures from the festival, and also the corresponding VibeRotation (#20) made up of a bunch of songs from the artists who performed.

Tell Your Story One Picture at a Time: @electricneel Talks Instagram /  by Alex Young

Marc Riboud, renowned French photographer once said, "Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second." What Instagram allows its users to do is instantly share those savored moments captured in photos and videos with the world. The social networking giant also offers an intimate documentary of people's daily lives: see what they had for dinner yesterday, how frequently they workout, the people they spend time with, and the places they have gone. An intriguing and reflective self-expression is the product of an Instagram feed from somebody like Neely Wood. The Chattanooga, TN native considers her whole life an adventure and wants people to know about it. Neely, better known as @electricneel, updates her IG religiously, posting stunning sceneries, portraits, and hobbies that narrate her journey. One scroll down her page and it is evident Neely is a storyteller, so InTheRough spoke with the photographer on how she utilizes the app to fulfill her creative expression. Enjoy the conversation below!

InTheRough: When did you download Instagram?

Neely Wood: I remember downloading Instagram the second I found out it was available on Android devices in April 2011. A pretty vivid memory for me actually... I was on a trip in Philadelphia and used whatever little 3G data I had left for the month to download the app!

ITR: How did you hear about it?

NW: It was all the rage when everyone started getting iPhones when I was in high school. I was behind on the 'Gram Train since I had an Android, but I was super stoked about having an app that I could edit my photos and post on without having to deal with Facebook statuses, "Become a Fan" pages, and ads.

ITR: Have you gone through periods of heavy use and periods of dormancy?

NW: I can definitely say I've never been through Instagram dormancy... I've always been a huge fan. But as Instagram etiquette has made its way into our understanding of how to use social media, I've been trying to keep my posts to one a day. It's so hard to do, though, when you're constantly taking photos like I am!

ITR: How does Instagram fit into your daily life?

NW: Like I've said, I post on Instagram about once a day. I'm a photographer, and I see just about everything as a photograph, so finding photos to take has never been a challenge for me. It's always been more of having to choose which photo to post that's harder! I like to go on "adventures" (as I call them) to new places in or out of town, either with friends or alone, and I'm always snapping photos when I do that. Not to mention, the classic latte art photo while you study at the coffee shop is always a great option!

ITR: What has VSCO offered for your photography?

NW: VSCO has really provided me with inspiration over the last year or so. For a while, I became super obsessive with having the exactly correct angles, point-of-view, quality, and lighting for my Instagram posts once I edited with VSCO, but recently I've tried to let go some. I really do love following VSCO-savvy accounts that do a lot with minimalistic and portraiture photography. That's definitely my style!

ITR: It's no secret you love facades, where have you been in the last few months that features great building-scapes?

NW: Ahhhh, architecture, my newest love! Recently I've been taking trips to bigger cities (I live in Greenville, South Carolina, which is relatively quaint) like Atlanta and Asheville. Atlanta's skyline is totally killer! And Asheville's elaborately muralled walls never get old. Any place that mixes older buildings with mod city life is right down my alley (no pun intended).

ITR: Do you find yourself using a DSLR camera or your mobile camera more often?

NW: When I travel, I'm definitely more into using my DSLR simply because I'm guaranteed that crisp quality that you have to work harder for with a mobile camera (I have a Galaxy s4). But, I do send all of my DSLR (Nikon d5000, in my case) photos to my email to be edited by VSCO on my phone if I intend on posting them. I wouldn't choose any other method... unless, of course, the simple VSCO app was accessible on the computer!

ITR: How has your Instagram evolved?

NW: When I first started 'gramming, I posted literally anything and everything... no joke. If I drank coffee in the same mug every day, I would post it every time. I was so ridiculous! But also, there was no such thing as post-limiting back in 2010! Now, I'm much more selective. If I do nothing cool on a particular day, I like to post older photos I took that week. It's a lot less poor-quality selfies and a lot more landscapes and portraits.

ITR: Describe your Instagram's content in your own words.

NW: My bio provides a pretty sound description of my account (and it rhymes!): "mainly just adventures, friends, coffee, the gym, ukulele, and @[my boyfriend's handle]". I post what I do... I hike, travel, spend lots of time at coffee shops, post loads of cheesy couple pictures, and share both my gym progress and when I learn a new song on my ukulele. It's mostly about photography, though.

ITR: You obviously value fitness, tell us how you keep active.

NW: Being a full-time college student that keeps academics number one, I've made it my mission this past semester to make the gym a regular part of my week. After the winter holidays, I started making a habit of going 5 times per week to the gym, even if it was for less than an hour. Being let's face it -- you're gonna waste the hour watching endless YouTube videos after class anyway. I also used Instagram to motivate myself because there are so many fitness accounts to follow, and I was sure to keep my followers updated on my progress. It's a great motivator to bring your booty to the weight room.

ITR: How is the ukulele coming?

NW: I started playing last year during my winter break of 2014. I've always wanted to pick up another instrument that you could sing and play with, and the guitar seemed way too big for me to tackle. My friend had a spare ukulele, and I haven't stopped since! Instagram video definitely gave me an outlet for it.

ITR: Is your feed cohesive or is there a collage effect?

NW: I wish I had some more cohesiveness, actually. My feed is totally random. But, I do notice when I've only been posting pictures of people or myself... then I'll just take a trip downtown and find something new!

ITR: Do you have the perfect caption?

NW: Definitely some sort of pun. I'm really bad at captions... I get so excited to post the photo most of the time that my caption comes out super straight-forward. And then I usually change it later (shhhhh)!

ITR: What posts stick out and why?

NW: Posts that aren't square-cropped! It's so rare that I'll post something with a border to make it fit in the Instagram square because it totally interrupts the flow. Switching back and forth between squares and rectangles is a huge pet peeve of mine, I'll admit.

ITR: Best coffee spot you've 'grammed?

NW: That is really, really difficult to answer. I loved this shop that has a few locations in Atlanta called Octane Coffee Bar. It's simple design gave me so much inspiration. Plus, the latte art was on another level!

ITR: Your posts definitely feature PDA, why is that?

NW: My Instagram is a very accurate reflection of what's important to me in my day-to-day life. Recently, most of my adventures have been with my boyfriend since we live a few hours apart. Photos are moments turned into memories, so I find myself taking a lot of photos of us when we are together, and I can never resist posting a cheese/cute/romantic picture. To me, displays of affection are art! If I see a couple walking down the street or sitting in the park far enough away not to notice me, I always snap a photo of them.

ITR: Did you have a favorite adventure this year?

NW: I'd have to say that Asheville is always my favorite. I've been four or five times this semester for various occasions, and I never get tired of the art that seeps from its streets. I went in April this one time for a "meditation and mindfulness" seminar at the UNC Asheville, and I just remember it being so alive at night. I didn't get many pictures that time, but it was a really neat perspective.

ITR: What do you wish to convey through your Instagram?

NW: I really just wish to display who I am! I try not to do a whole lot with glitz and glam and selfies, but to instead to more of the whole here-is-my-world-why-don't-you-take-a-look thing. It's not about likes or follows at the end of the day... It's about inspiration, artistry, and the ability to instantaneously share what you're doing with the world.

Follow Neely's movement on Instagram here.

Kanye West Helps Merriam-Webster Update the Dictionary /  by Alex Young

Words like "lowkey" and "hella" are inserted in conversations everyday; our vernacular changes person by person, region by region using colloquial terms, abbreviations, and the hippest of slangs. This is a product of the ever-evolving English language. Yesterday, Merriam-Webster announced its dictionary has grown by more than 1,700 entries, as well as new senses and contextual examples to update and enhance the word catalog. "Colony collapse disorder" and "neurofeedback" provide the modernization to academia, while the internet and social media frenzy spawns the addition of words like "meme", "photobomb", and "emoji". Find more new entries Merriam-Webster Unabridged.

P.S. Yes, this is "clickbait".

C//C for ITR: London Vibes /  by Maxwell Young

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Wrapping up our conversation with Cautious Clay, we get a glimpse of what life was like across the pond and how his study abroad experience turned out to be just as much music-driven as it was academically-driven.  If anything, let his story be a testament to the power of people and connections, as emails via SoundCloud culminated in a student from D.C. being featured on several projects from emerging English artists. 

MY: You spent a lot of time in London.  What was that like?

JK: Yea, it was incredible.  I didn’t want to leave.  It was crazy because I was there for study abroad and I went with the intention of doing some music.  From the beginning I was like, ‘I’m gonna do some music, this is fucking London, I’m gonna do this shit.  I did it in D.C., why not do it in London,’ you know? So, I found a group of people at my university who were chill and then I started going on SoundCloud, finding cool producers, and emailing them.  A couple hit.  MNEK and Flako had me come over for a session and from there it was just a really inspirational city.  Not only the music scene, but also the people and the environment.

MY: What are the cultural differences in the urban environment?

JK: I think the people are a lot more open to the artistic side of things.  They’re more accepting of the artistic side of music than the US.  They have a higher threshold for hearing things that are just good.  They don’t have to be a certain amount of time or BPM, they just make shit that doesn’t have to be a certain way, and I think that’s really cool.  I also think there’s less of an emphasis on making money.  I mean, you have to make money, but over there it’s less so because they have more room for people to live.

AY: Would you say London is a better place for creative influence or collaboration?

JK: Yeah and no.  The U.S. is a great place, too.  New York is f*cking sick. There’s some crazy motherf*ckers in New York, for real.  So, I wouldn’t go as far to say that London is more creative, but I think its just more people are open to create initially.  There’s not as much politics.  The politics is a little different in London and it meshed well with how I wanted to do things.  In London they’re not gonna be like, ‘Oh you have 75 followers.  I have 500,000. I can’t talk to you,’ versus in New York you might have some sh*t like that.  In D.C. you definitely have some sh*t like that.  There’s more of camaraderie for the music.

AY: It seems real genuine in understanding.  We’re all here for the same purpose.

JK: Exactly.  There’s much more of a true love for the music, and not just the scene, you know.

MY: What’s next for Cautious Clay?

JK: I don’t know, man.  I’m working on a lot of new stuff.  I think I’m going to be a lot more casual with my page.  Cautious Clay is something that’s really important to me, but I think it’s more of an experimentation of what I want to create artistically.  I want to push the limits of my sound and what I think is great and what people will accept and what people can really get into, you know.  I want to expand people’s minds.  That’s really the purpose of Cautious Clay.  I think my more artistic side and more soulful side comes out in my instrumentation—my performance.  I want to have a project that integrates my performance.  For me that’s not a DJ, regardless if a DJ can perform.  For me it comes down to me singing, me having a band, me creating something that really speaks to people in a different way.