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e are very proud to be introducing a

new publication to the Emerson stu-dent body this month. About mid July, it came to our attention that student writers are tired of having their work rewritten for them, not being promoted because of the poli-tics of an organization, or simply not being given the opportunity to show people what they can do.

We decided it was time to speak louder so that your ideas can be heard. It is our honor to be the edi-tors of a publication created with the intent, not to be the next Cosmopolitan, but to be a specialized collection of articles, photographs, and suggestions compiled by you, for you.

Asthefirstpageofthefirstissue,wewouldliketoletitbeknownthatweareopen to all ideas of all forms.

Your editors,

Letter from the Editors

Olivia Moravec Kilian WebsterEditor-in-Chief Assistant Editor-in-Chief

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RUSSIAN THROUGH BOSTON

NOT JUST ‘MAkING dO’ AfTER COLLEGE

SEpTEMBER dATE IdEAS

An exclusive interview with Boston fashion designer, Zoya Derevyannich.

Shake things up with your special someone while you can! The weather’s changing and so are relationships.

Exclusive interview with interview with guitarist Mike O’Toole, of Make Do And

Mend.

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By Olivia Moravec

By Emily Tannenbaum

By Stephanie Miceli

By Brian Chabrow

Cover Stories

RENEGAdES Of fASHION16

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Editor-in-Chief/founderAssistant EditorManaging EditorCopy EditorCreative director

Olivia Moraveckilian Websterkrista firkinsJacqueline frascapete Ivanecky

Romance EditorRomance Columnist

fashion Editorfashion Writer

A&E EditorA&E WriterA&E WriterA&E Writer

Stephanie MiceliVincent Scarpa

Emily TannenbaumAlexandra fonseca

Elle O’BrienAmelia VinerTaryn Blachunaskendall Aiguier

features Editorfeatures Writerfeatures Writerfeatures Writer

photographerphotographer

Marketing directorMarketing StaffMarketing StaffMarketing StaffMarketing Staff

Jamie ReysenBrian ChabrowRyan TunickMadeleine Andrews

Hope kauffmanAlex Clarke

Callina pattersonTheresa BraunRoxi fernandez Hannah WallaceEan Williams

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RomanceYou’re (acting like) an Idiot by Vincent ScarpaSeptember date Ideas by Stephanie Miceli

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FashionMixing, Matching, and Maximizing by Aleks fonsecaItem of the MonthThrift find of the Month by Olivia Moravec and kilian WebsterRussian Through Boston by Emily TannenbaumRenegades of fashion by Olivia Moravec

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Arts and EntertainmentMusic, Tv, and Movies by Amelia VinerIt’s Britney #@$*%!! by Elle O’brienArtist and designer Erin ShawSeptember playlist by kendall AiguierNewport folk festival by kendall AiguierSeptember Events Calender

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FeaturesOpenings by Madeleine AndrewsNot Just ‘Making Do’ After College by Brian ChabrowNext Stop: Copley by Jamie ReysenIN A BLiNK of the Summer by Ryan TunickAu Courant: Aquainting You With Boston’s New by Madeleine AndrewsThings We Love: SoWa by Taryn Balchunas

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TIpS fOR fRESHMAN YEARLeave your high school love. Coming into college already coupled up is like reading the spoiler alerts for the movie you’re about to see: sure, you might still enjoy it, but you won’t be surprised.

You should surprise yourself. Often. And you will, in your freshman year. When you are wak-ing up from a night you don’t remember, in a bed

that isn’t yours, and you look out the window and can’t recognize anything, not a single familiar landmark in sight, think: well, this is surprising. Be in awe of what you can get yourself into, because the novelty of your recklessness will wear off.

Don’t call a cab to take you home— get yourself home, no matter the distance or the weather. The walk of shame will teach you things you never knew about yourself. Don’t worry, the novelty of your newly found freedom will wear off the night you realize that you’re solely responsible for your actions. Smile to yourself when things start to look familiar again, when you know the names of the buildings you’re passing. You will do this again many times in your college years - but for now, revel in the freedom to make bad decisions. Your neighbors are probably making worse ones.

After one too many times awaiting the T at Harvard Avenue/Packard’s Corner with all the other girls sport-ingthevestigesoflastnight,you’llstartcraving“stability.”Inanefforttobeexperimental,thefirstwillbeastudentfromtheSouth,afilmmajorperhaps.He’llbepoliteandfunny,andsofuckingnicethatit’llmakeyousick. You’ll cringe every time he says something sweet, because you’re an idiot.

When he curls into you one night while his roommate is away for the weekend to tell you that he’s falling for you, you will think: Run. Break his heart, and fast. Three weeks later, you will. You will break his heart and run, and it won’t be until months later, after you’ve been through a revolving door of loser after loser, that you’ll realize your mistake. By then, of course, it will be too late. Good, you deserve it. You were an asshole, and you had it coming. Feel sorry for yourself if it gets you through the night, but don’t expect anyone else to. Don’t expect him to. They won’t and he won’t. Trust me.

Somewhereinyourfirstyear,therewillbeamomentwhenyousuddenlyrealize:whereyou’refromisn’thome anymore, where you are now is temporary, and where you’re going is indeterminate. Don’t think on this too much, or you’ll start bleeding from your ears.

Most importantly, learn as much as you can. Learn about other places, other ways of life. Learn about your-self, about what you want and what you don’t, what you’re capable of handling and what’s beyond you. When you can’t fall asleep, laugh at the ways in which you’re both vastly different and remarkably the same as everyone else. Make that the benediction of your year.

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September date Ideas

kayak on the Charles. You’ve probably seen all the essential hub hotspots by foot and by T, but you’ll appreciate Boston that much more by water. Charles River Canoe and Kayak offers rentals through mid-October at its Allston/Brighton and Kendall Square locations. Take in the views of the Esplanade, Hancock and Prudential Buildings, Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, Museum of Science, M.I.T., B.U., and more. Work your way to Michelle Obama biceps while “testing the waters” to see if your date’s a team player. It takes two to paddle... (http://www.paddleboston.com/main.php)

Walk and talk. Want to get to know your date? As pretty as large urban parks are, they’re a magnet for tourists and screaming toddlers. For an outdoorsy, wallet-friendly date, try the

Somerville Community Path. The hidden gem runs from the Davis Square T station to the Ale-wife T station. Take a detour onto the Minuteman Bikeway or the Fitchburg Cutoff Path near

Alewife to the west, or, heading east, go all the way to Cedar Street in Somerville. And who says you have to walk? Try biking or skating to mix things up. (http://www.pathfriends.org/scp/)

Go for a drink. But not at a bar, or a restaurant, or a club. For you 21+ folks, don’t just consume: impress your date by becoming a connoisseur at a local winery. Every Saturday, Boston Winery hosts tastings and winery tours for $10 between 1-4 p.m. (http://www.bostonwinery.net/index.html) If beer is more your style, check out Harpoon Brewery, one of New England’s premier craft brewers. The site offers weekday tastings and weekend tours followed by a tasting of its freshly brewed Harpoon and UFO beers. Owners suggest arriving early in the day and booking a later tour (http://www.harpoonbrewery.com)

Reap the harvest. In Boston, you ask? Why, of course! Apple and pumpkin pick-ing are made possible by Brookline’s Allendale Farm, dubbed “Boston’s last working farm.”

No farm date is complete without a hayride and hot cider, of course. But the fun doesn’t stop there--get in the competitive spirit with your date by having an apple pie bake-off, or see who

can decorate the most outlandish pumpkin. (http://www.allandalefarm.com)

Go on a scavenger hunt. In relationships, and in life, you always have to expect the unexpected. Get your friends to design a scavenger hunt for you and your date. No peeking until your date--and don’t discourage your friends from getting crazy!

The summer before my freshman year of college, my mom picked up this book at a garage sale called “A Girl’s Guide to College: Making the Most of the Best Four Years of Your Life.” Did I plan on reading it? Nope. Despite that, “don’t judge a book by its cover” spiel we’ve all received at some point, I assumed this book was the goody-two-shoes, abstinence-only guide to college. And I was correct: the author wrote, “students are typically on tight budgets, so a date might consist of going to the movies, the dining hall, or Walmart.” (I practically gouged my eyes out, it’s fine). Try some of these date ideas instead: they appeal to every budget, and don’t involve push-ing through hoards of people wearing camo.

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by Stephanie Miceli

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By Aleks Fonseca Whether working hard for your extra cash, or get-ting your monthly allowance from your parents the money is still limited for clothes, and well, every sort of fun expense. It is expected that college students will spend $10.5 billion this year on back to school essentials, with only 6.7% spent on apparel and services. The aver-age cost of one textbook in the 2008-2009 school year was $57 dollars, so it is no surprise then that 19% of our budget goes to-ward tuition and fees. The most fashion-forward items may be out of our back-to-school “wardrobe” budget, but we must learn to balance our spontaneous buys with ways on how to appropriately maximizing our budgets with a few simple tips and tricks of the trade.

Boston’s demographic is mostly college students, so our collective style is ques-tionable. At Emerson we, of course, want to be part of the “young & hip” crowd and will do anything to stand out of the thousands of students who roam the city. Being trendy in such a youthful city could be tricky as we strive hard to not blend in with every other “jersey-wearing” college student in Boston. Recently, Boston was named the number one worst dressed city by GQ. Do we really want to be part of this statistic? We talked to fellow Northeastern graduate Sarah McManus, from Sarah McMa-nus Styling here in our very own city of Boston; she has also appeared on NECN’s StyleBos-ton and Channel 7 News. Her styling career started when she was acting as a fashion assis-tant for four years, where she continued with freelance styling and writing for various Boston publications. “My passion comes from a true love of what I do. It’s not a job for me but a lifestyle. I am so happy being able to do what I do,” she says. We can count on her genuine passion and her wise-words to help us handle a budget and still branching out fashionably without going broke.

So how can a college student maximize their wardrobe on a strict back-to-school budget while still look-ing stylish, you ask? Start of by looking for sales “both online and in stores, many times there are deals like 50% off the sale price and you can get some really great staples...” When the clothes are on sale it doesn’t mean you should buy them all because they are cheap, “Buy pieces [that] you can mix and match to wear on several occasionswithoutanyoneknowing,”shesays.“It’sallaboutputtingdifferentoutfitstogetherwhileusingthesame basics you already have in your closet.” For example, take a dress and dress it down with a jean or crocheted vest, and to dress it up add a skinny belt and a boyfriend blazer that will really turn heads without letting anyone know it’s the same staple. “T-shirts and tanks are great...you can pair them with jeans, skirts, shorts,” she says. Even the tank tops you rarely wear will go far when they are paired up with a great bottom and an accessory. Colors are also important when shopping on a budget, “Basic colors like white and black are such a great investment.” Staples could also include that one great coat that “...is always worth the money, and a pair of shoes that are stylish yet comfortable!”

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Cre-ativ-

ity is one of the things Emersonians are

great at, so try some DIY to save some money and add a per-

sonal touch to your style. Try beadwork, or sewing on crazy or cute buttons to your dresses or

button downs and everyone loves self-made friendship bracelets of various color patterns--whether it’s school pride or

your favorite Hogwarts house--DIY is a simple way of maximizing your budget and feeling limitless with the amount of crafts you can create. “If you

see a trend you like such as cut-outs on a shirt, take some scissors and go for it,” she says. That’s where staples come in as well, Fruit of the Loom shirts and shorts are perfect to

experiment with and won’t be a real loss if you end up messing up or regretting your decision to cut it up into pieces.

Confidenceisalwayskeywhenwearinganysortofnewtrend,butstayingtruetoyourselfisalso important because then you’ll just be like everyone else. “Realizing what trend to buy can bedifficultbutyouhavetoremaintruetoyourownpersonalstyleandnotgooutsidetheboxifyouarenotcomfortable,”shesays.Ifyoufindyourselfcontemplatingbuyingapiecebecauseyou think “I can’t pull that off” then it’s best to not buy it unless you are absolutely certain that it won’t sit unused in your closet forever. Sarah suggests trying H&M where the clothes are trendy but you are not “...investing in too much money.” Always be wary when shopping on a strict

budget: “Be weary of certain sales that really are not a deal just a promotion to get you into the store. Don’t go crazy with things you do not need. Stick to the staples,” she says.

Keeping all these things in mind should let you maximize your wardrobe while saving money and looking effortlessly chic. Your main concern should be learning how to balance and prioritize a set budget throughout the school year, keeping in mind that school books and supplies are a large part of it. This shouldn’t stop you from “saving a certain amount [of money] each month and purchasing

one new piece you need to add to your growing wardrobe. By the end of the year, it will be com-plete!” she says. The only thing stopping you from achieving this new budget perspective is yourself.

Challenge yourself to wear one item for a week in different ways, you’ll notice how easy it gets as time goesonandhowyourcreativitywillstrengthenwithyournewlyfound,budget-friendly,confidence.The easiest to start this challenge is with a scarf: day one could be the normal scarf wearing procedure. Day two, the scarf can be transformed into a head wrap by twirling it a couple of times and tying it

right above the nape of your neck. Sometimes it can be stubborn so you can adjust it with a colorful rubber band or bobby pins to hold it in place. Day three the scarf can be used as an accessory and can betiedtoyourpurseorbagtogiveitsomeflare,whiledayfourandfiveintheschoolweekthescarf

can be used from a belt to a tightly knit bracelet. Eventually, you can use this challenge to branch out with a v-neck or a jacket. It doesn’t have to be limited to clothing either, try wearing your hair differently everyday: a ponytail, straight & sleek, with an accessory or a hat. Taking really pigmented pink blush and applying it on the tips of your hair with hair spray will give you a days-worth of the dip-dye trend! Also,

make-up is also limitless when it comes to switching it up everyday, a bold red or coral lip one day and then a 60’s mod look the other with winged eye-liner and lip balm.

Takethisschoolyearastheyearofinnovation:findingwaystobetrendywhile being knowledgable and crafty about how your money will be spent. Hopefully, this will not only carry on this school year but also as a good habit to adopt once we are full-

time working adults in the future.

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Sunglasses in SeptemberPhotos by Alex Clarke

Even if the sun doesn’t shine through September, when are Emerson students NOT wear-ing shades? After a long sum-mer of sunglass abuse on the beach or in the car, it might be time to pick up a pair of new sunnyz. The summer season is ending, but the end of summer

sailes are on!

Right:Junior Heather Hoglund stays shady with her Chubavera sunglasses. Below: Sophomore Ben Nadeau wears his 21Men glasses proudly on Boyleston St.

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What we found:

Black crew neck, sleevless maxi dress with side slit at Buffalo Ex-change for $11 and a Vintage, brown leather envelop messenger bag from GoodWill for $20

Why we chose them:

One word: simplicity. For fall, solid colored pieces of clothing often work best as transitional pieces. This black maxi dress alone is obviously a sum-mer item. By putting a shirt under or over it, the dress becomes a complete-ly different item. We “transitioned” it by putting a crisp, white button-up blouse and some textured tights underneath.

This dress’s slit up the side is barely noticeable with the tights underneath, so by using a small trick, the visible slit makes the dress more appealing. To raise the hem in a really simple way, tie a section closest to the dress’s slit with a hair elastic and then tuck it under... anyone can do it!

To use a maxi dress as fall apparel there is one element that needs to be defined:thewaistline(thiscanbedonewithabelt,croptoporsweater).Because this dress is especially plain, heeled booties minimized the frump tomaximizetheflair.

Our vintage back to school bag is one of a kind (we think- who knows how many survived from grandma’s closet?), therefore it is extremely unlikely that someone will pass you on Boylston wearing the same one. It is just large enough to hold a computer, but is still small enough to take to dinner.

Don’t be afraid to go black and brown. Just make sure to have two accents of each. The brown bag is lined with black, but we also used a brown skinny belt to extenuate the waist, and a brown leather jacket for the especially chilly fall days. The blackstockings,shoes,anddressmakethisoutfittheperfectcombinationofbothcolors.

photos by Hope kauffmanBy Olivia Moravec & kilian Webster

Modeled by Alexa krakowiak

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Local designer Zoya Derevyannich, of Zoya Designs, is a passionate and beautiful designer truly living out the American dream. She grew up in a small part of Central Siberia, Russia. Although Novosibirsk wasn’t the biggest city, Zoya claims that fashion was a big part of the town’s identity. “Fash-ion sense was strongly present, almost to the ridicu-lous level,” she explains. “There was a lot of pres-sure for a young girl to have the latest style shoes, the latest style shirt, dress, etc.” Luckily for her and her little sister, their mother had a real talent for sewing and made all of their clothing while keeping them up to date on all the latest trends.

That passion seemed to run in the fam-ily and at age 11, Zoya stole her mother’s sewing machine to make clothing for her dolls. “She never took the machine back. So here I am now, with about 6 different sewing machines of my own taking over my house, and a great love and pas-sion for the craft that my mom quietly allowed me to develop.”

Zoya and her family moved to the states in 1997 in pursuit of a new life, but findingitprovedtobeemorechallengingthan they had thought. Even so, Zoya knew that everything she was going through and all the work she was doing wouldn’t go to waste. She and her mother worked for a home decor company in North Carolina where their sewing skills were extremely useful. “Even back then I thought of having my own little boutique or studio where everyone can come in, feel welcome, and enjoy the crafts I would make, be it home arrangements, dresses or whatever other sewing proj-ects,” says Zoya.

However, when she moved to South Caro-lina to go to college, she developed new interests and ideas for the future. Even though she was working full time as a tailor for a men’s clothing store, sewing became more of a hobby. It wasn’t until she moved to Boston in 2009 that she real-ized it could be more. She began developing Zoya Designs in September of 2010.

Nature and little things she sees around her are big inspirations for Zoya’s designs and her

dresses incorporate bold prints while still hav-inga light,flowyair to them.Most im-portantly though, Zoya wants her cloth-

ing to provoke positive feelings for the wearer. “For example, a long flowy skirt

instantly transforms a woman into the sort of a romantic state of mind, and it shines

through in the way she moves and feels,” she gushes. “Or an open

back makes a woman feel sexy andflirty…or so I’ve

noticed.”

Exploring these kinds of observations fascinates Zoya. She hopes her next project will allow her to study more men’s clothing in that same way. What makes her so special is the unwavering passion and dedication she has for her craft. She wants you to look and feel good in her clothing.

“I do what I love doing, and I consider myself very lucky.”

by Emily Tannenbaum

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Fashionof

photographer//Olivia MoravecModel//Theresa Braun

Stylist//Hannah RosenbaunAll clothing from Lit Boutique on

Newbury Street.

Renegades

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September 2011

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What You’reListening to...

What are you listening to when you’ve just gotten home from a par-ty? When you’re walking to class? Screaming at the top of your lungs in the shower? We decided to wander through Emerson’s stomping groundsandambushstudentswearingheadphonestofindoutwhatsongs, artists, and albums you’re listening to.

Tim O’Brien, senior Film Production major, can’t stop listening to the new Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi album, “Rome”. Tim’s eyes widen. “Have you heard ‘Two Against One’ featuring Jack White? Someone has to put this album in a movie--it’s so cinematic!” I’d have to agree with Tim’s enthusiasm for this one. I can’t get away from Danger Mouse’s mysterious melodic vibes--the artists are pretty much dripping with sexiness.

Senior BFA Acting major, Iman Artwell-Freeman, has been vibing on another level. She’s been listening to a lot of Erykah Badu, Joss Stone, Adele, and Alicia Keys. These women can best be grouped together as soulful bombshells. “I love them because they all are soo talented and have very soulful, goddess-like voices,” Iman says.

To shift into another gear, senior Marketing major Ben Hicks digs Deerhunter’s fresh and relaxing songs on their 2010 “Halcyon Digest. His view on their sound is carefully thought through: “I like Deer-hunter because I love artists that bend genres. They bring an ambient influencetopunkrockandformaveryuniquesoundintheprocess.They also do a great job of capturing moods...like they can make you melancholy one moment then build into a sound that makes you want to take over the world the next. They’re a noise band!” Check out “Re-vival” and “Basement Scene”on Deerhunter’s unique album.

Ariana Basseri, senior Marketing major, just discovered an artist named Buck 65 from rural Canada. He’s a turn-table artist and rapper with a raspy but flowing voice, andhe collaborateswith indie art-ists in both Canada and the U.S., like Leslie Feist and Sufjan Stevens. Ariana says that the song “Paper Aeroplanes” makes her cry for its sentimental lyrics and transcendental melody.

So next time you would like musical accompaniment to your breakfast ritual, no matter the juxtaposition of the monotony to the epic sounds, listen to Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi’s “Rome”. Is your body telling you to bust out those pipes in the nice acoustics of the shower? Vibe on Erykah Badu’s soulful, crooning voice. Want the tunes you’re listening to to match your mood? Deerhunter or Buck 65 are your best bet for some brooding music appreciation.

Any way you spin it, us Emerson students, simply put, have impec-cable taste in music.

By Amelia Viner

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On the CW, a new series entitled Ringer stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, a womanwhodecidestofleetoNewYorkCitytolive with her twin sister and her husband after she witnesses a murder. After Siobhan, Brigid’s twin sister, suddenly disappears, Brigid takes on her twin’s identity to protect herself from the murder-ers and police. When someone tries to kill her in her sister’s penthouse apartment, Brigid discovers that she is no more safe as Siobhan than she is as Brigid, the identity she is trying to escape from. Bound to be keep you at the edge of your seat and kill you with sexiness at the same time, Ringer premieres Tuesday, September 13 at 9pm on the CW.

Watch the highly anticipated Free Agents (originally a U.K. romantic black comedy series which began in February of 2009) on NBC, and you will most likelyfindcomfortinhowrelatablethesecharacterswill be. How does this show’s original creator, Chris Niel, differentiate the show from the usual work-place comedies? He adds a sexual, dark twist while glorifying (or further debasing depending on your personal experience) the ever-familiar walk o’ shame. The new series will most likely resemble something alongthelinesofTheOffice,withlessdryhumorconsidering the two main starts are Kathryn Hahn (Stepbrothers, Anchorman) and Hank Azaria (Love and Other Drugs, The Smurfs). Usually of slapstick, Judd Apatow-esque nature, these actors resemble this vein of comedy, contrasting the subtle humor of the original British version. Free Agents is set to premiere on NBC on September14, 2011 at 8:30pm.

Breaking Bad is a series on AMC that has been around since 2008, and this July marked the beginning of their fourth season. Winner of six Emmy Awards including three consecutive wins for Lead Actor in a Drama Se-ries, the show focuses on Walter White (Bryan Crans-ton), a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series. He turns to a life of crime, producing and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in order to secure his family’s

financialfuturebeforehedies.BreakingBadairs Sundays at 10pm on AMC.

When a liberal arts college student sets out to watch a new movie in theatres, the process is usually pretty simple. Are there a decent amount of sexually-driven scenes? Gun fightsandexplosions?Nuancesofsuspensewithanun-dertone of comedy? The thought process for an Emerson student, however, is a bit more complicated. Let’s face it--we can never make a sound decision about a movie (both before and after it’s seen) until we’ve weighed the pros and cons from the “Rotten Tomatoes” ratings, and who the director/producer/writer is. If the movie has been producedbyarenownedfilmmaker,heusuallycan’tbetoo renowned, because that would make him or her less mysterious and alluring and more of a sell out. For this upcoming fall, there’s a healthy mix between Hollywood blockbustersandtastefulfilmsslightlyundertheradar. Everyone loves a love story. Like Crazy, starring An-ton Yelchin (Alpha Dog, Charlie Bartlett), Felicity Jones (Brideshead Revisited), and Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), explores two students about to graduate from col-lege whose infatuation with one another is a force that seems to be beyond their control. It was the winner of the Grand Jury Dramatic Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and seems to include many original, subjective perspec-tives on love. Like Crazy’s unlimited U.S. release date is October 28, 2011. Forthoseplot-driven,action-filledmovielovers,Drive,starring Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Carey Mulligan (An Education), and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), centers around a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman. He then discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong. Although there was notrailerforthishighlyanticipatedfilmwithexcellentactors until a few days ago, clips can be seen on youtube and themoviebox.net. Drive is set to be released Septem-ber 16, 2011.

Anewhorror,sci-fithrillershotinamockumentarystylecalledApollo18centersaroundafictionalpremiseofanactual Apollo 18 mission that was launched in December 1974. The mission supposedly never returned, and as a re-sultsignifiedtherealreasonwhytheUnitedStatesneverreturnedtothemoon.ThefilmisSpanishdirectorGon-zalo Lopez-Gallego’s (El ray de la montana & Thumbs Up) firstEnglishlanguageproject,anditissettobereleasedon September 2, 2011.

With Emerson’s repertoire of appreciating quality mov-ies, the fall brings promise to these thrillers and romances. And if you get tired of the serious temperaments of the talented actors, there’s always the lighthearted romantic comedies to fall back on to cleanse our visual palette.

By Amelia VinerMust See’s

Fall Movie ReleasesFall television Shows

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On the surface, there’s not much to Britney Spears – at least, not as an artist. Her blonde extensions and rhinestone-spangled jumpsuits have the nearly-fossilized saccharine hallmark of the 90s pop phenomenon: a scene wholly constructed by corporate monoliths like Disney and Nickelodeon, packaged and sealed by pappa-razzi, sweethearted by the syrup–eyed tweens of the dot-com advent. The lyrics in her songs seem to follow the same type of factory- made narrative continuum that keeps dimestore Harlequins in print: girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl reunites with boy. Except in Britney’s case, the meeting place is The archetypal Dance Floor– al-ways The Dance Floor, capitalized – where the dancer (Britney Spears) locks eyes with the dancee (Anonymous Sexy Person), uses body language to invite him over, and then she, in some rhythmic bridge, remarks on how everyone else seems to fade away, removed from the singular incantation of their two bodies. (If you don’t be-lieve me, listen closely to the following songs: “Toxic,” “Slave 4 U,” “Gimme More,” “Radar,” “Circus,” “Boys,” “Outrageous,” “Boom Boom,” “Hold it Against Me,” “If U Seek Amy,” “’Til the World Ends,” “Me Against the Music,” “What U See is What U Get,” “Get Naked (I Got a Plan),” “Kill the Lights,” “Womanizer,” “Mm Papi,” “Lace and Leather,” “Big Fat Bass,” “(Drop Dead) Beautiful.” Shall I continue?) Even Britney’sfirstalbum,“BabyOneMoreTime,”whilenotfollowingtheDanceFloortheme, has a canned attitude of its own: “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart,” “Email My Heart,” “Deep in My Heart,” “I Will Still Love You,” “I Will BeThere” – hell, the whole album – reeks of the manic adolescent adoration that drove a certain Montague and a certain Capulet to kill themselves in a Veronese mausoleum.

Regardless of the seeming lack of artistic originality, no one can say that Spears isn’t fun – and furthermore, no one can argue with the fact that her fame paved the way for female pop artists after the Madonna generation grew up. While I may not nec-essarily be a regular listener these days, it would have been an act of sacrilege not to see her live (and thus reclaim the dignity I lost in 2000 when she, then an idol of mine, performed in my hometown and I missed it). However, when Britney Spears took her Femme Fatale tour to Boston this August, I have to admit – while excited to realize one of my childhood fantasies – my worries were concentrated into one nag-ging nucleus of speculation. Was she going to play only new stuff, editing out the cornerstones of Britneymania like “Baby One More Time” and “Stronger?” Had she grown beyond it all? And why did I care so much?

Theconcertopenedwiththebeginningofashortfilm,onethatbackbonedtheentireperformance:interspersedbetweensongs,orprojectedduringparticularlydifficultcostumeorsetchanges,ittoldthestoryofacriminalmastermindandhisarmy of virile, bloodlusting men, all in panting pursuit of an elusive, globetrotting-spy incarnation of Britney Spears. In a room spattered with photos of Britney in all her presentations – roles she played in music videos, for instance, plus a stack of fake passports and KGB licenses, the man lapped at (ultra-phallic) lollipops and taunted her via microphone: You’ve been a bad girl, we know you’re an undercover spy, my men will get you, etcetera. As the concert continued, and Britney wasbeingflungabovethecrowdinawingedchariot,orpullingmenonstagetohandcuffthemtoamini-convertible,or

It’s

BritneyBy Elle O’BrienPhotos by Sarah Sixt#*$@%!!

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rotatingonanyformofmovingsetpieces,thefilmled us to believe that at every moment, this evil man was getting closer – and he was going to “kill” her. It was all very exciting, I guess: in the way that a Fun Quarters is to a birthday party of twenty sixth-graders:lotsofflashinglights,constantstimu-lation, the knowledge that it would all come to an end, but not before somebody puked. It was a great, mindless way to spend two hours: as we all knew, of course, that Britney would slake our fears and desires with a well-balanced set list of throwbacks andnewadditions,andthenfinallyreturntothefilm(dressedinaGeishaoutfit)tosneakuponthelollipop-aficionado-cum-villianandslithisthroat.Wonderful.

However, there did seem to be somewhat of a miss-ing lustre to it all. Yes, it was enjoyable – of course it was. Britney pulled her fans onstage, involved them in her act, let them dance with her (from a safe distance). But, as I expected, no longer was she the sweat-beaded sex goddess that pulsed her iconic midriff against a crowd of muscled, anticipatory men in the “Slave 4 U” video. Then, Spears seemed never to stop moving: her choreography was com-plicated and illustrious, with unabashedly simper-ing combinations that stroked the barrier between

innocence and bitten-apple seductivity. However, her energy was low that night. Much of her cho-reography was a series of harem-like arm move-ments; sometimes, she’d perform high-action, bum ing-bass songs while sitting – sitting – letting her team of acrobats and head-spinning B-Boys dance around her. She was not The Dance Floor Princess anymore, really; more like an exiled monarch com-ing to remind her former courtesans who was who before disappearing into At the end of her concert, she stepped onto the catwalk and offered a wave, a smile, an airy kiss. She declared, “Goodnight, Boston! I love you,” with her hands on her bedaz-zled hips. She beamed individually at each tiered section of the Garden, then disappeared beneath the stage as the televisions went black and the last vestiges of pyrotechnic smoke scrolled into question marks above our heads. The whole thing felt oddly ephemerid: there she was, there she wasn’t: the glycemic trademark of a true pop song. It wasn’t the best performance, but it was a performance she knew how to do, at least, with twelve years’ experi-ence. And how could I hold that against her?

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Artist and DesignerErin Shaw

Shows off some of her recent

work to Your Mag.Graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and design, Erin Shaw finds herself connecting to Native America culture by the means of headresses.

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Shawstudiedfibersincollegewhichexplainssomeoftheknittingshowninherwork,buttheothermaterialssheusescome from mother nature herself. These ferocious headpieces may look like taxodermic jackpots, but this art was created without animal harm. Shaw collects branches, vegetable died wool, and many other natural materials to create her feaux headdresses. To see more of Erin Shaw’s work visit her website at www.byerinshaw.com. Photos courtesy of Erin Shaw.

By Olivia Moravec

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Nineteen TEGAN ANd SARA

Modern Man THE ARCAdE fIRE

Moth’s Wings pASSION pIT

That Time REGINA SpEkTOR

Our Swords BANd Of HORSES

Brand New Colony

pOSTAL SERVICE

Paris kATE NASH

The Story I Heard

BLINd pILOT

The Modern Leper (Live)

fRIGHTENEd RABBIT

Here Comes The...

BUTCH WALkER

Fake Palindromes ANdREW BIRd

Norway BEACH HOUSE

Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise

THE AVETT BROTHERS

Flume BON IVER

Young Blood NAkEd ANd fAMOUS

Talking Bird dEATH CAB fOR CUTIE

Four Winds BRIGHT EYES

I Didn’t See It Coming

BELLE ANd SEBASTIANSOWA

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It’s September now which means shopping for school supplies, pulling sweaters out of the attic, calming down and settling back into a routine. But it isn’t that far gone so think back to the best summer weekend. How did you spend it? Were you at the beach? Picnicking in the park? Or maybe you vaca-tioned in an exotic location. Me? I didn’t do any of those things. But I did go with WERS to the 52nd An-nual Newport Folk Festival, in Newport Rhode Island. And the two days that I spent there, sitting in the grass and getting a farmer’s tan while soaking in not just the sun but the amazing live music were by far the best two days of my entire summer. The Newport Folk Festival was started by George Wein in 1959 compliment the Newport Jazz Festival. For two days every year Fort Adams park in Newport is overrun with folk musicians and their fans. Three stages—The Main Stage, The Quad Stage, and The Harbor Stage—are set up throughout the park, with the Main Stage overlooking the harbor. Fans gather at each of the stages to hear their favor-ite folk, indie, and alt. country bands play from eleven o’clock in the morning until seven o’clock at

night. Some set up blankets and lawn chairs and stay in the same spot all day long, allowing the music to come to them. Others walk from stage to stage creating their own personal

line-up for the day. Everyone is completely content and relaxed. I mean, how could they not be? The most serious issue to contemplate for the entire

weekend was that Elvis Costello, Middle Brother, and The Head and The Heart were all playing at the same time. One of my lifelong—well maybe not lifelong, but seven yearslong—dreamscametrueinthemiddleofthefirstdayofthe festival. I had seen some awesome acts perform already like The Wailin’ Jennys, The Felice Brothers, and Gogol Bordello, but 4:15 PM was when the magic happened.I had been working at the WERS tent all day. This was awesome for a few reasons:

Reason Number One: We were next to the main stage so as long as we were at the tent we got to see all of the big

names playing the festival.

Reason Number Two: It was extremeley sunny all weekend but we stayed safe from the UV rays

because, well, we had a tent.

Reason Number Three: Listeners were introduc-ing themselves to us and we were able to share our love and appreciation of the music in a way that we aren’t able to share it sitting in a studio talking into a

microphone.

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But words can’t express the excitement that I felt upon finallybeingabletoleavethetenttogotoTheQuadStagewhereIwouldfinally,afterfiveyearsofwaiting,beabletoseeTegan and Sara. I held my breath when my favorite set of iden-tical twins took the stage. They played acoustic, which is how most of the festival is. (Fun fact! Bob Dylan was booed off stage for plugging in back in 1965.) And despite the fact that I had waited so long to see them, I was apprehensive about hearing them acoustic, but I soon realized I had nothing to be worried about. The pair kicked off their set with “Call It Off” and I was happy to hear them segue from that simple but emotion-ally charged song into the more catchy and bouncy “Back In Your Head”. Between songs they talked about what it was like for them when they were just starting out. They didn’t have a bandatfirst,itwasjustthetwoofthem,andtheywouldtravelon trains and greyhounds from one tour date to another. They said that their friends and family thought that music was just a phase for them and that eventually they would settle down and get “real jobs”. They then said how grateful they were to have so many family members and friends in the audience that day. They then played “Where Does The Good Go” and “Walking With A Ghost” off of their album So Jealous from 2004. Hearing those songs, “Walking With A Ghost” in particu-lar sent me time-traveling back to eighth grade. No longer was I twenty-year-old Kendall, rocking a WERS t-shirt and henna tattoo,groovinginafieldwithhundredsofstrangers.No.Iwas thirteen-year-old Kendall wearing and black eyeliner and awiredbraforthefirsttime,poppingtheactualhard-copydisc of So Jealous into my desktop computer. (I was trying to convince myself that I was not so jealous—pun!—that my seventh grade boyfriend did not want to date me anymore in eighthgradebecausehewantedto“playthefieldbeforehighschool”.) After the So Jealous songs they moved onto their 2008 album The Con. I thought I was going to melt right into the dead grass under my feet when they started playing “Nine-teen”. The opening lines, “I felt you in my legs/ Before I even metyou/AndwhenIlaidbesideyou/Forthefirsttime/Itoldyou/ I feel you in my heart/ And I don’t even know you” sent me into a trance. I wasn’t even close to being in the front of the crowd but they managed to make their performance so inti-mate that I felt like that was a message sent only to me. Icameoutofmytrancewhentheywerefinishedandwas thrown back into the reality of the blazing heat and the overall dirtiness of myself and the people around me, but I didn’t care about any of those things as I walked back to the WERS tent. All I could have possibly cared about in that mo-ment was that the thirteen-year-old me would have been so jealous of the twenty-year-old me. The lyrics to “Nineteen” echoed in my head for the rest of the day. I don’t think it will be possible to ever forget the power that these two women had, standingupthereonthatstageinthemiddleofafieldfilledwith hundreds of anonymous people, and connecting not only with their fans--but connecting their fans with each other.

photos by Lindsey Byrnes for teganandsara.com

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Top Right: Endlessly Repeating Twentieth Century Modernism, 2007, Josiah McElheny. Top Left:Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Confrontation, 2011, Shahzia Sikander. Courtesy of MassArt.

SEPT. 16-22: BOSTON FILM FES-

TIVAL [Stuart Street Playhouse: 200 Stuart St. 617-426-4499, www.bostonfilmfestival.org]Getbackintofilm-schoolmodeat the 27th annual Boston Film Festival.Seefeaturefilms,documentaries and shorts, and sit in on “From Script to Screen,” a panel discussion to be led by Keith Dorrington, the Oscar-nominated writer and executive producer of “The Fighter.” Tickets are on sale now; grab a pair for you and yourfavoritefilmmajor,andcatchindieflicksmonthsbeforethey hit theatres.

SEPT. 18: THE LINDE FAMILY WING

FOR CONTEMPORARY ART AT THE MFA [MFA: 465 Huntington Ave. 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org]The MFA is about to get edgy, devoting a new wing of seven gal-leries to all things contemporary art. To celebrate this new addi-tion, there will be a 24-hour celebration on Sept. 17, but admission costs up to $200 and is 21+. Wait ‘til the 18th—the MFA’s free open house. This celebration will include everything from a yoga class to musical performances to lectures at the new galleries. Looking to contemplate the nature of time and its relation to cinema? Check out the premiere of Christian Marclay’s single-channel, looped video “The Clock,” with shots of time-telling devices at every minute of a 24-hour time period. Can’t make it on the 18th? Take advantage of one of the best perks of being a student: free MFA admission whenever you want.

SEPT 19-NOV. 26: SHAHZIA SIKANDER: THE EXPLODING COMPANY MAN

AND OTHER ABSTRACTIONS [Mass Art’s Sandra & David Bakalar Gallery: 621 Huntington Ave. 617-879-7333]Pakistani artist and 2006 MacArthur Fellow Shahzia Sikander is best known for her layered paintings, but this exhibit also focuses heavily on animation. “The Exploding Company Man & Other Abstractions”exploressocietiesinfluxandthedifferencesthattranslate into distance between cultures. On Oct. 3, Sikander will speak at MassArt about her work, and a reception featuring live music will follow. It promises to be a fun way to expand your mind – for free and on someone else’s campus.

By Madeleine Andrews

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By Brian Chabrow

Punk-meets-hardcore-meets-melodic with Make Do and Mend, a New England-based band that’s been featured on MTV U and just wrapped up a European tour with Hot Wa-ter Music. Guitarist Mike O’Toole graduated from Emerson last May and immediately embarked on a summer-long tour with the band. He took the time to talk to Your Magazine in July about life after college and on the road.

Chabrow: How does it feel to be done with school? What have you been up to since you graduated?

O’Toole: Pretty much a couple of days after I graduated, we kind of hit the road. We went down to Crazyfest in Louisville, Ky., anddidalittlefive-daytouronthewaytothat.Andthatwasan awesome festival. It was all these old punk bands like Hot Water Music, and then they had the new crop of up-and-coming bands like La Dispute and Touche Amore and Title Fight.

Chabrow: You guys were recently on the Manscout Jamboree tour with Fireworks and the Wonder Years, too. How was that tour?

O’Toole: Funny story about that. That was the last tour that I had to miss because of school. I skipped some school to go downtoSXSWandsomeotherstuff,butforthemostpart,Itriednottomissschoolfortheband.SoIwouldgetafill-in to go out on tour for me. Funny enough, I had to train him via Skype doing video lessons and playing songs. So that workedout,butitdefinitelywasabummer.So,onthetopicofgraduatingschool,itfeelsgoodtobedoneandnothaveto miss any more shows and to get to feel more like I’m contributing.

Chabrow:IreadthatalotofthemembersofMakeDoandMendworkfulltimejobs.Isithardfindingtimeforevery-one to work, practice, and write?

O’Toole: It has been, but pretty much our cut-off point for becoming a full-time band was me graduating. While I was in school, the band was trying not to tour that much, but if certain things came up like [the Manscout Jamboree tour] or the trip to the UK the band made in March, they really just couldn’t pass some of these opportunities up. I understood andfeltOKwiththemleavingwithoutme.Butatthispoint,we’reallfulltimewiththeband…[Vocalist/guitaristJames Carroll] was doing outside sales for this executive or something – I don’t know even know what to call it – but he was trying to do that from the van for a little while. We’d all have to shut the music off and be quiet because he was on this telemarketing call basically. But he’s not doing that anymore.

Chabrow: What are you expecting from the shows overseas?

O’Toole: Idon’tknowactually.Itshouldbecool.IjustfoundoutthatthefirstdayoftheHotWaterMusictourissoldout already. So we’re starting the tour off with a sold-out show, which is going to be awe-some. And then we’re playing some festivals with a bunch of friends. The rest of the band said that the reception over there is awesome and people treat you really well. They feed you, they give you beer, as opposed to touring in the states, where there are so many bands and you’re just another one of them. Here, it’s hard to get promoters to treat you well, and you’re kind of on your own.

From left: Drummer Matt Carroll, vocalist/guitarist

James Carroll, guitarist Mike O’Toole and bassist

Mike Poulin. Courtesy of Make Do and Mend.

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Chabrow: Is there anything in particular you’re looking for-ward to doing while you have some time in these foreign lands?

O’Toole: Well, when we’re in Australia we have a bunch ofdaysoff.I’dliketoseethesightsandtrysurfingorsomething. I want to pet a koala, for sure. In Europe, we’re going to some very cool cities like Budapest, Paris for the firsttime—definitelyabunchofcoolthingstobeseen.Justplaying some awesome shows and hanging with friends.

Chabrow: [MDAM’s debut LP] End Measured Mile got amazing reviews, and a lot of press outlets called it the best debut full-length of the year. What kind of effect has all of this positive feedback had? Does it feel like all this hard workyou’veputinisfinallycomingbacktoyou?

O’Toole: It does and it doesn’t. It’s awesome to have that going on. Obviously if people like the record, it’s great. We try not to get ahead of ourselves too much though. At cer-taintimes,wehavethisfour-orfive-staralbum,butit’snoteverything. You still have to put in the work, you still have to tour hard, work hard on getting your name out there. As awesome as it is to be on all those cool websites and maga-zines or what have you, that’s not the end of the line. You still have to put in your time, which we’re doing.

Chabrow: You’re doing a double LP release of the full-length and the two EPs with [record label] Holy Roar in the UK. What else are you working on?

O’Toole: We actually have probably seven new songs recorded. One song is for a compilation that’s coming out later this year. [Record label] Run for Cover is doing this compilation of I think 12 bands. It’s a bunch of awe-some bands and all original material and original songs that are only going to be on that compilation. So we have that coming up; we recorded that one in May, and I’m re-ally psyched on how it came out. Then we have an EP we haven’t really announced yet that we’re putting out. We’re trying to get that out in September.

Chabrow: While you were at Emerson and also focusing on stuff with the band, did you ever use resources or friends from Emerson to do promotional stuff or videos?

O’Toole:Definitely.Weusedthestudiosallthetime.Iwould try to as much as I could. But sometimes it’s good to have somebody else working on it, so I would have engi-neer friends come and record demos for us, and stuff like that ... We tried to do a video – must have been my sopho-more or junior year—with one of the organizations on cam-pus, and it just kind of didn’t really work out. We weren’t really too happy with it. But it was still a fun process. We really enjoyed working with everybody.

Chabrow: It’s a shame that video didn’t work out, but thenextoneyoushotwasdefinitelyabigsuccess.“OakSquare” was huge.

O’Toole: Although that wasn’t shot by anybody from Emer-son, we were able to contact somebody to do the make up fromEmerson,andtheschooldefinitelystillhaditshandin it.

Chabrow: Could you tell me about your experience with [MDAM’s label] Paper + Plastick? How did you get in-volved with them?

O’Toole: It must have been the end of 2009 or October of 2009, we did a tour with a band called Shook Ones. They’re an awesome band. I’m actually out in California right now, and I’ve been hanging with their drummer Jimmy a lot. He lives around here. Anyway, we just kind of hit it off really quickly. They were on Paper + Plastick at the time, and their record had come out on the label that previous summer. So they kind of just put in a good word to Vinnie [Fiorelli], who runs the label, and we just kind of kept in touch with Vinnie. And when it came time to do the new record, he was way into the idea of having us, and it was super easy.

Chabrow: Speaking of other bands, anything good you’ve been listening to lately that people should pick up and check out?

O’Toole: The new Touche Amore record is awesome. A lot of friends like La Dispute are putting out new records, and they’re all great.

Chabrow: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me,Mike.Anyfinalthoughtsorwordsofwisdomtoleavethe Emerson faithful with?

O’Toole: A lot of time-sensitive opportunities will come up, and it will seem like it’s a good idea to quit [school], and I can’t begin to tell you how many times I thought about dropping out. I missed the UK tour and plenty of really great chances, but at the end of the day, if you work hard enough, those opportunities are going to stay around. I’m so glad I graduated. Maybe I won’t use my degree for anything, but it’s still good to have, and I had an awesome time in college.

Watch the “Oak Square” video at

yourmagemerson.wordpress.com

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This semester, don’t let yourself fall into the Boylston-Tremont Street rut, no matter how much the MBTA map makes your head spin. You have the green line right outside your dorm room window—let us help you make the most of it! We’ll start off simple with Copley Station. Take any outbound green line train two stops, and you’ll be at the center of the city, surrounded by dining, shopping and entertainment. Here are just a few fun spots around the Copley stop.

By Jamie Reysen

Hotel Chocolat Satisfy your sweet tooth at this British chocolatier’s US flagship store; theseluxury chocolates are a far cry from anything you’ll get in the candy aisle of your local CVS. If you have some ex-tra cash, schedule a tasting experience – at $50 per person, you’ll get an hour of chocolate history and assorted sam-ples, and you’ll leave with a goody bag.

Hours: 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 12-6 p.m. Sun. 141A Newbury St., 617-391-0513,

www.hotelchocolat.com

Boston Public LibraryEven if you’ve converted to Kindle-ism, don’t rule the library out just yet. Journalists: See original Civil War prints taken by the “Father of Photojournal-ism,” Mathew B. Brady. Film buffs: Catch a Monday movie, like “Cold Mountain,” starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renée Zellweger (Sept. 19, 6 p.m.). Writers: You won’t want to miss Pulit-zer Prize-winner Daniel Yergin on Sept. 27; he’ll read from his latest book, The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remak-ing of the Modern World.

General hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Exhibit hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Free, Boston Public Library, Central Branch: 700 Boylston St., 617-536-

5400, www.bpl.org

Top: Map courtesy of MBTA. Upper right: By Stephen Sherman, courtesy of Hotel Chocolat. Lower right: Charles-ton Harbor, South Carolina. Interior view of Fort Sumner, Mathew B. Brady, 1865. Courtesty of Library of Congress.

Next Stop:COPLEY

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Skywalk ObservatoryFor those of us who wouldn’t be caught dead on a Duck Tour, get a birds-eye view of the Hub at The Prudential Center Skywalk Observa-tory – the only observatory in New England. Admission includes an audio tour, entry into the Dreams of Freedom Immigration Muse-um, access to the multimedia movie theater and 360-degree, panoramic views of the city. Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. $11 with student

ID, 800 Boylston St., 617-859-0648, www.topofthehub.net

Met Back BayMet Back Bay’s menu is an inspired blend of new American cooking and contemporary European cui-sine, but its big draw is the burger bar. Choose a burger (Met prime blend, Kobe, salmon or turkey), and then choose a “set-up,” typecast by city. Go international with the Paris set-up—brie, fried egg, caramel-ized onion and truffled mayo—or stay local with the Boston burger, topped with cheddar cheese, bacon and eggs.When to go: On a hot day, grab a table on the terrace– Met Back Bay will dole out free push- up pops during heat waves through the end of September. Their quirky flavors include whipped cappuccino and kiwi yogurt with coconut milk.For the 21+ crowd: Thursdays through Saturdays, the exclusive Townhouse is open to the public for “De-cades,” a celebration of years’ past. The themed weekends launched this summer, with 1920s-inspired menus and featured films reminiscent of the day, like “The Great Gatsby.” September’s theme: TBD.

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. 279 Dartmouth St., 617-267-0451, www.metbackbay.com

Lolita Boston (21+) Lolita lives up to its name; it’s sexy, yet youthful, and there’s a chance you might get into a little mischief. While it’s a great nighttime locale, let me let you in on a little secret: Saturday brunch. “Friday night, round two,” as they call it, offers a diverse menu that’s both sweet (red velvet pan-cakes) and spicy (red-chili home fries). A meal at Lolita comes with plenty of perks: Shaven ice infused with grapefruit tequila to start, cotton candy topped with pop-rocks for dessert, and temporary tattoos for the road. Recommended drinks: Hibiscus cham-pagne or the Mojito.Hours: 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Sun. 271 Dartmouth St.,

617-369-5609, www.lolitaboston.com

Top: Courtesy of Lolita Boston. Middle: Courtesy of Top of the Hub and Sky-walk Observatory. Left: Courtesy of MET Back Bay.

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Through a haze of jungle-like heat, I made my way uptown to Grand Central Station, where I met with the boys of IN THE BLiNK Productions. Last year, Alex Foley and Dane Eckerle, of Emerson, and Sam Syrop, of NYU, merged their talents, drive, and Backstreet Boy good looks to form the New York-based production company.

So far, ITB has stayed true to its tagline – “small shop, big vision.” What the production company lacks in size, it makes up for in dedication. This summer,

they’ve been busy shooting videos that are unique, but within clients’ guidelines. I wasn’t surprised when they showed up to our interview with a Cannon 7D, ready to shoot B-roll for folk singer, Israel Nash Gripka’s video. Gripka com-missionedITBtofilmoneofhisliveshowsandtoturn50hoursofadditionalfootageintoa25-minutedocumentary.Atfirstglance,anotheroneoftheirprojectsmightcomeoffasafaux-pas–DMX’sprotégéDrag-onputthefateofhismusicvideo into the hands of a group of suburban, upper-middle class, liberal arts students. The hardcore hip-hop sensation – who has collaborated with the likes of Swizz Beats, Styles P, and Eve – hired ITB to produce “It’s Our Turn,” released in July. The video went viral on worldstarhiphop.com, with almost 15,000 views in less than a month. Drag-On must have been pleased with its outcome—ITB is slated to produce his next two music videos, and one of them is for a Styles P collaboration track.

Foley, Eckerle, and Syrop are eager to create finished products unique to our generation. Theymesh the old with the new, a trait that’s reflected in their videos through a combination of clas-sic directors’ techniques and contemporary perspective. The trio says their aim is always to make nar-rative the main focus of any gig, whether it’s a music video, a documentary, or a promotional project.

This fall, the boys of ITB will split up physically, but don’t think that means they’re putting the production com-pany on hold. Syrop will hold down the New York fort while at NYU, and Eckerle is headed west with the L.A. program, where he’ll promote ITB’s services. Foley will return to Emerson, and I’m sure his keen eye for pro-duction coupled with his musical talents will lead to a greater ITB presence in Boston. Given what they’ve accom-plished this summer, it’s easy to imagine this small shop going national in a big way, and in the blink of an eye.

By Ryan Tunick

Check out their work at

www.intheblinkproductions.com

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It may seem like the Emerson area hits a standstill during the summer, but it’s just the opposite. While you were off sunbathing, new spots have opened around town. Dine and dance your way through the fall semester at these new locales.

FOUR BURGERS134 Boylston St. 617-426 4041, www.fourburgers.com

Founded on the question, “Which one are you?” FOUR Burgers has a small yet spe-cific menu. Choose from fourburgers – beef, black bean, wild salmon, and turkey – and two types of beef hot dogs. This casual setting is great for groups of friends, and it’s conveniently located between the LB and P-Row for days when neither the DH nor the Max feels quite like ‘you’.

BIJOU NIGHTCLUB

AND LOUNGE 51 Stuart St. 617-357-4565, www.bijouboston.com

When Washington Street’s Bos-ton Bijou Theater opened in 1882, it was the first playhouse in thecountry to be lit using exciting new technology – what we now know as electricity. Fun fact: It was installed and supervised by Thomas Edison himself. Two-story nightclub Bijou, which opened in late June, brings a new meaning to the word “electric,” through featured electro-house DJ groups like the Vinyl Disciples. Dress to impress, and don’t be afraidtodominatethedancefloor.Note: You must have a valid 21 ID.

FORUM755 Boylston St. 857-991-1831, www.forum-boston.com

It’s Friday night and you’ve got that just-paid feeling, so do yourself a favor and head up Boylston Street to this new bar and res-taurant. High rollers: Try the Pappardelle —pork sugo, wild mushrooms and oregano ($23)—or another simple, yet modern dish off of chef Jared Chianciola’s menu. Over-worked and underpaid? Sit in the lounge, and order off the bar menu—it hosts a quirkyvarietyofeats, fromchickenwafflesto fish tacos, priced between $10 and $15.Forum offers alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails in a setting so swanky, you’ll mo-mentarily feel like you’ve already hit it big.

SWEET11 School St. 617-227-2253, www.sweetcupcakes.com

Cupcake guru Courtney Forrester openedherfirst cupcake eatery inBack Bay three years ago, and she has since opened another three around town—Newbury Street, Harvard Square, and, most re-cently, a downtown location. Their fall menu debuts Sept. 22, promis-ing seasonal additions, like pump-kin pie, to their ever-changing roster. Priced at $3.25 each, this chic shop is sure to hit your sweet spot, on the cheap, and without straying too far from Park Street.

LEFT: Bijou Nightclub and Lounge is

ready for another electric night. photo

courtesy of Bijou.

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Looking for a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Boston? As students, we all know that Sunday afternoons are usually reserved for recovering fromthetrialsofthepastweekendandfinishinguphomeworkbeforewestart a new week of classes.

Instead of dreading each Sunday, this day should be dedicated to an innovative and unique experience that can be provided by SoWa Open Market in Boston’s South End. This outdoor market started in May and will continue to operate until October 30, running every Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

There are new vendors every week that offer an enriching and exciting ex-perience to the Boston community. SoWa Open Market is split up into three separate markets: hand-made crafts for those that appreciate local talent, a Farmers Market for those that enjoy locally-grown food, fresh ingredients, and a vintage market for those that want a blast from the past. The vintage marketactuallyextendsuntilDecember18forshopperssetonfindingclas-sic gems to add to their already styling wardrobe.

Not all that into fashion? Come for the food. Multiple food trucks are parked in SoWa Open Market every Sunday as well, offering rich and di-verse cuisines concocted right inside the automobiles.

SoWa open

Market offers

New and engag-

ing experience

for Boston

SoWaphoto by Hope Kauffman

By taryn Balchunas

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39

Your Magazine September 2011