Issues: Exclusive
America, Fuck Yeah! Team USA vs. Team Australia 07.25
Every year since 2004, RollerCon has been the destination for skaters all across America. Comparable to Comic Con but with 200-percent more drunken hookups, the four-day convention is packed with events from 9 a.m. to midnight, not including the late-night karaoke and nonstop party throughout the halls of the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. … read more
Let’s Talk Strategy: What RollerCon 2012 Means For Your Upcoming...
Any time leagues from all over the world come together, new strategies explode across the map, gaining prevalence until one movement comes up and defines the year. Last year, it was the no-start. This year, it’s the no-block. … read more
Halfway Through the Convention and Straight On Till August: Reflections
Three days into RollerCon and everything starts to blur together in a Hunter S. Thompson sort of haze, technicolored neon lights and heat waves a given. Everyone in their basic black scrimmage shirt, names and numbers printed on the back in all similar fonts and sizes, the difference between one derby diva and another is diminished, and we blend into a sea of sweating faces and leg tattoos. … read more
Dirty Projectors @ In the Venue 07.21
Here’s a fun fact: In The Venue opened doors a full hour before any music started, so show attendees got plenty of time to stand around looking hip or whatever. There were a lot of chicks wearing glasses and mom jean cut-offs, which made me think about how funny Portlandia is, and I was hoping that this show proved to be worth it, because I could be at home watching hilarious hipster satire. As fate had it, the evening redeemed itself and I was even able to celebrate at the end with Mexican food. … read more
Aesop Rock @ In the Venue 07.23
Before the king himself took the stage, a team of intimidating bouncers pushed people around until there was a path for him to walk through. It was hot as balls in the room and bumping with fans. Finally, the trio—Aesop, DJ Big Wiz and Rob Sonic—appeared and everyone got their hands in the fucking air. … read more
The Bouncing Souls @ In the Venue with The Menzingers...
The Bouncing Souls really did take me back to the place where music was the most important thing in my life. It was exactly what I wanted out of a Bouncing Souls show. I was stoked to see so many young kids at the show who were just getting into the band. Angst and anger are a big, important part of punk rock, but The Bouncing Souls represent the part about punk rock that’s all about enjoying your life and the people that are in that. … read more
Sisterly Love: Philly Rollergirls Defend An Undefeated Streak at RollerCon...
In an amazing show of strength, it was the Philly Roller Girls (ranked second in the East) that swept the track with the dust of so many teams’ wheels. After killing two bouts in a row against Rocky Mountain and Rose City, respectively, Philly faced off against the Minnesota RollerGirls. … read more
Wicked @ Capitol Theatre 07.20
The moment I sat down, I knew this production wasn’t going to be anything like the many low-budget plays I’ve sat through at the University of Utah. A large, animatronic dragon perched above the stage, eyes glowing and head shaking, and a map of Oz and its provinces was projected on the red velvet curtain, the Emerald City shimmering in green. The curtains opened soon after, and I became mesmerized by the beautifully constructed set, dark but colorful, like an apocalyptic sunset. I was taking in the details, mechanical cogs and cranks lining the sides, when I finally gave the characters onstage a good look, only to be completely blown away by their costumes. … read more
Sure Beats Summer Camp: Final Thoughts on My First RollerCon
I’ve never been to summer camp, but I have watched the Parent Trap (1990’s Lohan edition) enough times to know that it can be some seriously life-changing shit. Though I was participating in RollerCon only as a spectator this year, it was still amazing to experience. … read more
Hulk Alter You! @ Salt Lake City Main Library 07.26
This experimental film mash-up combines mixed and matched scenes from The Incredible Hulk, Altered States, and Youth Without Youth to demonstrate recurring themes in science fiction and horror films. Kurt Forman and Edgar Aceneaux focus on elements that they have found to be consistent in several different films, such as personal relationships and fear, societal conflict, transformation, and, lastly, reconciliation and absorption. … read more