"Her Power"

Tori Meglio next to Baron Batch grenade in Big Dog Coffee - photograph by Alex Young

Tori Meglio, a 22-year-old from Pittsburgh, is the brand manager for artist Baron Batch and creative collective Studio A.M. She introduces local communities to Batch's artwork and the encouraging atmospheres that Studio A.M. provides, like Sunday brunch. Meglio is mindful of her interactions with amazing women and men throughout the city. Though her work is cool, it's also professional. Curating display spaces for Batch's artwork in the Heinz History Center or collaborating with local businesses like Threads On Carson to celebrate "Her Power," Meglio is prideful of her presence in the city. Her confident personality allows her to navigate business waters that men think they own. In a brief interview below, learn how Meglio impacts equality, puts men in check and still enjoys the workplace because she could meet Mr. Right on the job.

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Meglio: First, let me explain where I've been with politics in the past nine months. I have successfully never watched a video of Donald Trump. None of my social media feeds have that. I plug my ears. That's not my battle to fight. So, I have come to this realization that it's the one-on-one interactions you have with people every day that will change the perception of what women are. By me holding myself as the kind of woman that I am and how I interact with men will change the perception of all men in the future. The way that I interact with women will change that perception. Be kind, and that's how I am going to make change. Every day, every woman I talk to I'm engaged. 'What project are you working on? How are you doing? What are you into?' It's about going deeper, making people think about themselves and respect themselves because they are accomplished in some sort of way and are proud of what they're doing. There's an impact I can make by doing that. 

ITR: Why is it difficult for women and men to collaborate with mutual respect and an appropriate professional relationship?

Meglio: I think there's two scenarios, there's the mature man and there's the immature man. The mature man probably approached me to do business with him, or the way we have come to collaborate we have mutual respect for each other. So he is respectful because he understands what's going on. Also, I'm never afraid to say what the boundaries are. Some people never say that out loud and if you don't say it out loud before it's a problem the immature man could flip it on you, 'wow, why would you ever say that?!' Like, yo, it's just for the record. This is more about me than him.

I've also found that, I'm 22-years-old right, it's time to date people, work is a great place to find a special person. Think about all of our parents who met at work or these people you find out they met at work. That's totally cool. That means you have the same interests. I hope it just didn't affect your work, or if you met them at work you then had other jobs. I would hate for you to have to put your feelings with your significant other into your work unless you really wanted to.

ITR: How does Baron Batch represent women fairly?

He's doing a wonderful job because for Baron it's not about saying 'make a woman your business and project manager.' He's like, 'My business is thriving and I have a woman doing it and she is doing a bomb-ass job.' It's much more about leading by example than verbalizing. I think he would just hire the best person of any race or any orientation for the job with the right timing. Beyond Baron, people who can work with all types of people have welcoming work environments.

Discover more about Tori and her involvement with Baron Batch and Studio A.M. here. May we absorb their legendary movements as a creative collective more thoroughly soon.

CMPVTR CLVB presents: CTRL Space CMD

Image produced by CMPVTR CLVB and St.Clair Castro

Last Thursday, CMPVTR CLVB--a collective of musicians, visual artists, and futurists--hosted the first night of their four part event titled CTRL Space CMD at Logan Fringe Arts Space in Northeast DC.  The exhibition, which will be running every Thursday during the month of April, is a "series of conceptual performance pieces dissecting mankind's intrinsic connection to space, time, and The Creator."  Night 1, or "Ritual," focused on contemporary and ancient ideas of idolatry, religion, cults and more.

The event space is part of Capital Fringe's arts bar.  It's reminiscent of Wynwood Walls in the art district of Wynwood, Miami due to its open-air entrance and colorful murals that highlight the side walls.  A few cafe tables and chairs fill out the space, doubling the exterior as a performance space when the weather permits.  As I walked inside the venue, I wasn't sure that I was in the correct location.  It was quiet in the sense that I heard no music and there were only two or three people in the room--a woman tending to the bar and another making fresh popcorn for $1.  The venue is actually separated into a bar/reception area and a theater space by a large wooden door. 

Mr. Daywalker photographed by Lanie Edwards

I opened the door to a black box-style theater where people sat in a sensual immersion.  Mr. Daywalker, a percussionist, and vocalist from Northern Virginia, was tracing a metal bowl with a wooden stick.  As it emitted a melodic ringing noise, video modulation and projection mapping of psychedelic patterns and images of ritual (e.g., African tribes and obelisks) were simultaneously projected onto video screens by Quannum Throw, Anti-Hero and St.Clair Castro.

CTRL Space CMD operates like a festival style format, so each week will feature a number of artists making progressive music that emotes.  After Mr. Daywalker's set, St.Clair Castro, who is one of the two curators of the month-long exhibition, set the ambiance for the remainder of the evening with a DJ mix.  At a particular moment, Castro's explorative sounds had the audience nodding their heads along to instrumentals that sounded like a derivative of Migos' "T-Shirt".

A theme that is central to mankind's connection to space and time is race.  Though it is an unfortunate truth, race is a part of man's historical context, and especially within the context of the District of Columbia.

"Gentrification.  Boy I'm about my isms," rapped Nate G x Afro Velvet, a duo of visual artists who synthesized their interests of design and fashion into a musical performance of Afro Futurism.  They will return to the CTRL Space CMD exhibition on April 27th for Night 4: Meta- The Evolution of Blackness.

Sir E.U and RobSmokesBands' collaborative performance created a juxtaposition of those who were content to sit and watch the musical performances in the audience versus those who felt the vibe change to a more participative, turn-up environment.  On songs like "Walk to Japan" where Sir E.U strutted around the stage with two microphones, the audience was encouraged to dance and jump around much like at any hip hop show.

RobSmokesBands closed out the show in another collaborative effort as jazz/blues fusion band Funk Disaster paired with the Pittsburgh drummer.  Singing similarly to Bob Dylan's nasally, high-pitched riffs, RobSmokesBands Funk Disaster played covers of Hall & Oates' 1981 single "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" and Bobby Caldwell's rendition of "What You Won't Do For Love."  Multiple people in the audience began to cheer as vintage highlight reels of the 1970s Steel Curtain dynasty played along with the sounds.  The band also brought out lineformation MILF's very own, Tedy Brewski for a surprise performance. 

Tedy Brewski and RobSmokesBands Funk Disaster (left to right: Joe Wilson, Sam Catherman, Rob Stokes and Jack Delamater) photographed by Maxwell Young

In an interview with DC Music Download, St.Clair Castro and Jamal Gray talked about how CTRL Space CMD is the culmination of three years of research and education.  Through performances at other creative venues, like Velvet Lounge, Black Cat--where Glow End Theory is held--as well as smaller gatherings at the homes of artists, such as Rob Stokes' 'HOUSEWARMING' series, CMPVTR CLVB has tinkered with how to present an amalgamtion of production and beat making with live instrumentation, dance, installation art, and video mapping.  What's more though, is that their experimentation has also cultivated a network of creative artists in the District of Columbia who are striving to define what the cultural community is going to look like in the nation's capital in the near future.

Gray says of the event, "CTRL Space CMD is just preparing everybody for what's to come from Nag Champa, St.Clair Castro, CMPVTR CLVB, and the extended family...it's a launch pad."

CTRL Space CMD will be an exhibition for the remainder of April, every Thursday, at Capital Fringe's Logan Fringe Arts Space.  RSVP here.

4/13/17- Night 2: Alter- Interstellar Escape Plan

4/20/17- Night 3: Sauvage- The Untamed Planet

4/27/17- Night 4: Meta- The Evolution of Blackness

Capital Fringe

1358 Florida Avenue Northeast

Washington, DC 20002

Jenesis Magazine Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Party and Hennessy

Jenesis Magazine covers

Jenesis Magazine, Pittsburgh's "word up" publication, will celebrate their 10th anniversary on April 1.

"How many people do you know have done something good for 10 years?" Thomas Agnew, Jenesis' publisher and managing editor, said to his Instagram story.

Encouraging a community is the fruit of Jenesis' thorough work. The magazine's commentary has supported many different artists across the country. Jenesis was present to document the ascension of Pittsburgh legends like Mac Miller, Girl Talk, and Wiz Khalifa. Agnew's curiosities, as well as those of the interviewers and photographers who have contributed to Jenesis, have generated conversations and imagery about heroes like rappers Smoke DZA, ScHoolboy Q, and photographer Cam Kirk.

Dive into years of feature articles, interview clips, and day-in-the-life videos on JenesisMagazine.com. Covet the print editions with iconic covers-- Wiz December 2009, "Deal Or No Deal."

Thomas Agnew signed copy of Issue 56 with Smoke DZA & vibe pin

10 years of documenting creative human life deserves a thank you. Jenesis has placed the spotlight on a lot of people by giving them words, stages to perform, and wall space to display. Boom Concepts, an event space under Jenesis and D.S. Kinsel's umbrella, hosts progress-makers and problem-solvers. Events like the Women's Focus Group Forum and the magazine's content detail progress-makers and problem-solvers.

Agnew and his team are Pittsburgh historians who have seen the city grow and nurture ambitious individuals, such as local business owners like Daniel Childs of Chromos Eyewear or rising musicians Choo Jackson and Tairey.

So when Jenesis Magazine celebrates their 10th anniversary on Saturday, a lot of people should attend their party at Boom Concepts. Not showing up is like not attending your grandma's 100th birthday party. People should want to express their gratitude for Jenesis taking responsibility to appreciate other artists' work and showcasing it to larger audiences.

The anniversary party kicks off at 10 p.m., and DJs iB Rease of Ohio and Wave Matthews of New York will offer hip-hop selections. Free Hennessy, a staple at Boom, spills from 11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Show up for Jenesis, support their culture.

Boom Concepts

5139 Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Changing Pace in Atlanta

Lyon - photograph by Alex Young

"Atlanta, the city of the trap." 'Trap' references drug trafficking and a sub-genre of hip-hop.

Lyon a 23-year-old Atlanta native, and musician describes the city to me this way because he represents one of the alternate sounds that resonates from the A's music community. Lyon's rap is intentional poetry that offers soul and a change of pace to a city where there is more to talk about than fast drug lifestyles and strippers.

Listen, though, there is a sexy and luxurious coolness to urban life in the Southern city. When you hear and watch "Bad and Boujee" by Migos, a rap group from Gwinnett county north of Atlanta, understand new money is in the hands of thousands of people who worked hard to establish their success. Childish Gambino's hit show "Atlanta" theatrically displays the vibrancy and regularity of the city's cultures.

Still, Lyon is not sold on the glamor. He describes Atlanta's progressivity as "bittersweet" because black excellence runs rampant and so does the disenfranchisement of Atlanta's black people. Issues like gentrification take advantage of black people and have taken precedence since the construction of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

But, what makes Atlanta rich are the opportunities available to people of color. Black people encourage each other in Atlanta and the communities support a diverse group of inhabitants.

"It's a melting pot here now. You get different tastes from everywhere," Lyon says.

People are able to thrive and make Atlanta a place where both white people and people of color coexist fairly. Southern hospitality welcomes everybody and keeps the Georgia city humming.

Additionally, the rising success in Atlanta is an inspiration, and music is a definite area that ATLiens find success in.

Atlanta's musical heritage has roots in the church, Civil Rights movements, and the streets that run the clubs. ATLiens and Rappers Outkast, Gucci Mane, and T.I. speak to the different lifestyles that reflect through songs in hip-hop. Likewise Lyon represents the breadth of tastes amongst the new talents in the city.

Lyon's personification precedes him when we talk on a Sunday afternoon at Ponce City Market, an ex-department store built in 1926 that now functions with restaurants and commercial shops. I understand his style upon the previous discovery of Lyon's SoundCloud bio, "Just tryna bring soul back to the city," it reads. The stark contrast to tone that Lyon's rap presents against people trying to "turn the club up," as he says, creates a conversation.

Lyon at Ponce City Market, Atlanta

Soul has affected Lyon all his life. If not for the drums in church or his involvement in the school band, Lyon says his mom is a big reason why warmth and musical instrumentation influences his music. She chose the stylings of George Benson, Al Green, and Marvin Sease to play for her son Brandon, who listeners and readers know as Lyon.  

However, in the city of the trap, it's been a challenge for Lyon to trust his soul in the rap scene.

"I was doing trap music for awhile. I was doing the whole auto-tune vibe, all of it," he says. "That was high school, though, early high school. People wanted me to do that. Friends would hear me play around on a beat and say, 'Yo record that!' It was bad."

Besides, mainstream media has a fascination for trap music and how it occurs in the Atlanta neighborhoods. The trap is a real lifestyle and occupation that disenfranchised people support to better their livelihood. Rappers from the trap make it cool. But, the exposé and promotion of the drugs and violence that coincide with the trap can be damaging to the reputation of African American culture. Atlanta rappers like Future or 21 Savage, as exciting as their music sounds, sensationalize gangster ways of shooting people, selling drugs, and counting stacks of money.

ITR: If you as an artist talk about doing drugs or gunning people down, how do you feel responsible for what happens in the communities?

Lyon: I feel responsible. Essentially, kids are supposed to idolize their parents. But that's not the way it is. We love celebrities. I'm not 'gonna tell a kid to go do something. You see what drug abuse has done to all of us and in black music period. Look at all the greats, we are strung out.

The narratives are "beating a dead horse" and shows like "Noisey Atlanta" by Vice Media distort the dynamic qualities to Atlanta as people's attention focuses on the trap.

"You're happy to see brothers doing anything besides kicking in someone's door," but drugs are "not all that's here," Lyon says.

While sober, Lyon urges other rappers to "think about what we could do with the power."

Though the scene is "turn up" now, Lyon has gained confidence knowing that more empathetic music styles find audiences too. He enjoyed seeing artists like "Raury come up" in Atlanta, and naturally Kid Cudi is a major influence on Lyon as well.

Currently, Lyon becomes relatable to publics through his music because he is not afraid to be himself. "Be weird. It's 2017 and it's OK to be weird," he says after referencing how he was the only one of his friends who rode skateboards.

Thoughtfully, Lyon's songs mean "life is bigger than us," he says. "I want it to be about the music, not me. I want the music to speak for itself [and] things people are afraid to embrace."

Since learning how to make beats in the fifth grade and starting rap in high school, "Paper Planes" sits as the only mixtape on Lyon's SoundCloud page. The song "Greenlights (+peerpressure)" means the most to him because it reflects upon his trying personal moments.

With entertaining and expressive lyrics, nostalgic and passionate scenes feature in Lyon's imaginative work.

“So many coveted rhymers know that they lying to us. They dishonor their occupation, but, honestly, honesty wasn’t obligated from the jump. But, I ain’t mad at y’all because after all the whole generation was raised on Adderall and G.T.A. I wonder how many cheat codes I need to keep me safe. I wonder how many lost souls are ‘gonna see the day.”

— Lyon in "Greenlights (+peerpressure)"

Cuts like "Fxckschxxl(rest.)" set expansive themes, and Lyon's tone challenges listeners to think beyond what society sets on our plates. He wants people to feel motivated beyond "school or your job," he says.

Ultimately, Lyon's next music output will be his debut project, which fans should look for later this year. He calls his 2015 "Paper Planes" tape rushed because he had lost his job at that time two years ago, and he will "put more time into the debut's production." His newer tracks like "Wake Up" supply groove to his affectionate words.

Despite the community's attention on the "turn up" trap music, Lyon hopes to find a niche to perform in front of. "The vibe is there," and areas in Atlanta like Little Five Points, Edgewood, Cabbagetown and Midtown could support his act. "Atlanta has always been supportive of the artists. People throw mixtapes through your window. We got that pull," he says.

Glow End Theory 003

Between 1966 and 1967, Andy Warhol was the maestro of a series of multimedia shows called Exploding Plastic Inevitable.  The simultaneity of musical performances by The Velvet Underground and Nico, dance and theatrical choreography by the creative regulars of Warhol's Factory, and screenings of the Pittsburgh native's revealing films created a dynamic sensual environment new to performance art.  Glow End Theory, a series of events that empowers and shines a light on the women of color in the art/music scene around D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, is a contemporary version of the Exploding Plastic Inevitable multimedia experience. 

Founded by Jamal Gray, bandleader of DC's Nag Champa Art Ensemble, this past Thursday's Glow End Theory was organized by CMPVTR CLVB, a collective of creative acts who influence the DC and New York electronic music scenes through underground parties and shows.  Between the sixteen contributors of CMPVTR CLVB, like Robb Smokes who has done production for lineformation MILF and Quannumthrow who conducted the visual display for the night's event, there are a variety of creative identities expressed in the collective's individual performances. The third iteration of Glow End Theory, with sounds by DJ Little Bacon Bear, Jessicunt, Kryptk and Tomi Yeyo--also a member of CMPVTR CLVB--hit Black Cat on DC's 14th Street.  Meche Korrect, one of the performers from Glow End Theory 002, hosted the show as alem worldwide, Joy Postell, and Alex Vaughn shared songs from their recent projects too.

"The future is women," Vaughn said as she warmed up her vocals.

From the Women's March that unified 470,000 people in solidarity on the streets of  the U.S. capital to an event that catered to the creative expressions of African American women, we must respect and listen to the talents and voices from women's youth.

For a closer look at the female artists who have performed at Glow End Theory, follow their Facebook page or shoot them an email at glowendtheory@gmail.com to be included in their newsletter.  CMPVTR CLVB's website is also a place to explore the images and music of the collective's members.

Stay tuned for details on the next Glow End Theory.

Black Cat DC

1811 14th St. NW

Washington, DC 20009

Photograph by Maxwell Young