The Ridgesnew sounds

old place

Pulse

3Cheap Flicks

Entertainment Athens Style

Alien Invasion

Winter 2013 Premiere Issue

contents

features8 Man Behind

The Music

12 The RidgesRedefined

17 Game Changer

Tim Peacock keeps music flowing through Athens County by bringing touring acts to Stuart Opera House and spearheading the Nelsonville Music Festival.

With their own brand of orchestral folk rock, The Ridges are giving new meaning to the name of an Athens landmark.

Bailee Moore makes waves with her fast rapping skills, and drive to reach the top.

20 Open for BusinessDespite the popularity of digital music, Haffa’s Records keeps the physical prod-uct alive and thriving.

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departments

2 Editor’s Letter

3 Athens Scene

6 Cut Loose

24 Lights, Camera

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4 Film IQ

4 Open Mics

5 East Meets West

5 Budget Box Office

Athens, Ohio, may not be synonymous with entertainment throughout the U.S., but anyone who has spent time in this charming Appalachian town knows there’s something special about the cultural offerings in the area. From shy college students trying their hands at an open mic for the first time to seasoned veterans who have been rocking these stages for most of their lives, the music scene in Athens has something for everyone. And although a top-notch live music atmosphere is what Athens entertainment is most known for, there’s another aspect that is impossible to ignore: films. Students and citizens alike take part in the movie-based entertainment in Athens, and although the area’s offerings in film haven’t quite reached the mythical level that its small town music scene has, it deserves some celebration, too.

That’s where Pulse comes in. This magazine was created as a way to high-light the latest developments and goings on in Athens based entertain-ment. From the latest bands to stars on the rise, Pulse is here to bring attention back to the people who spend their days working to bring their art to the rest of us.

The first issue of Pulse has been created as a part of my thesis project for the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University. As such, I created the writing and design work in the issue, and shot many of the pho-tos. I would like to thank HTC, the Scripps School of Journalism, Dr. Bernhard Debatin and Ellen Gerl for all of their help in completing this project.

So take a look around and spend some time reading about the countless entertainment options that Athens has to offer. Who knows, you might just discover your new favorite band, or the motivation to spend more time out in the scene yourself.

Rock on, Athenians,

Bridget MallonPulse Creator and Editor in Chief

editor’s letter

Bridget Mal lon

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scene

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1. Hunabee and the Sandy Tar Boys perform at Casa Nueva. Pictured are members Aaron Smith, Benjamin Kain and Hannah Simonetti.

2. Jean P. Johnson takes the stage at 9Fest. Johnson is one of the best known rappers in the Athens area.

3. Dean Tartaglia, of the Athens-based band Mind Fish, performs a set at The Union.

4. Southeast Engine performs in the Nelsonville town square, outside of Stuart’s Opera House during Nelsonville’s Final Fridays.

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Athens may be known more for its breathtaking landscapes then its place in entertainment history, but it has had its fair share of time in the spot-light. See how much you know about the county’s ties to the film industry.

Q: What teen flick set in the ‘50s was filmed in the Nelsonville Public Square?a. Bamboozledb. Mischiefc. Ruckusd. Up to No Good

Q: What A-lister was born in Nelsonville?a. Kristen Stewartb. Julianne Moorec. Katie Holmesd. Sarah Jessica Parker

Q: Which film and TV actress learned her craft at Ohio University in Athens?a. Piper Perabo b. Hayden Pannetierrec. Megan Foxd. Lea Michele

Q: A documentary centered on which environmentalist was created in Athens?a. John Muirb. Aldo Leopoldc. Ora E. Andersond. Rachel Carson

Test your Film IQ

A Week of Open MicsWant to check out the best amateur performers Athens has to offer, or perhaps grab the spotlight for a few songs yourself? Open mic nights abound in the area. Bars and coffee shops open their stages weekly for courageous musicians to test their chops. Check out when and where to find these musical showcases—take advantage of these free shows Monday through Friday because with the weekend’s arrival, come covers.

MONDAYJackie O’s 10 p.m.Amateur musicians are invited to take the stage at this Athens favorite every Mon-day and Wednesday. For performers feeling a little jittery beforehand, trying one of the pub’s home brews is sure to calm those nerves. Audience members can also treat themselves to a craft beer while getting a feel for the talent in the area.

TUESDAYThe Smiling Skull 9 p.m.One of the more eclectic Open Mic Nights takes place every Tuesday at Athens’ very own biker bar. Hosted by local musician Joe Walla, this event boasts cheap beer, en-tertaining performers and a crowd full of locals, bikers and college kids.

WEDNESDAYJackie O’s 10 p.m.Jackie O’s gives local musicians double the chances to grab a spot on stage, hosting an Open Mic Night on Monday and Wednesday nights.

Casa Cantina 10 p.m.On Wednesday nights, Casa clears the tables and chairs off its elevated stage and opens it up to a slew of musical newcomers and eager performers. Patrons can sip one of the Cantina’s signature drinks while enjoying the acoustic jams that reign supreme at this Open Mic.

THURSDAYDonkey Coffee 9 p.m.Donkey’s relaxed, homey vibe makes it the perfect setting for an Open Mic Night that frequently features pianists, acoustic rockers and even poets. Get there early to grab a coveted seat in one of the couches or plush armchairs, savor a warm espresso and suc-cumb to the relaxing sounds surrounding the back room of this coffee shop.

FRIDAYThe Front Room 9 p.m.Every Friday that Ohio University is in session, you can find free entertainment at the Front Room. Mostly students perform at the weekly showcases, but with music and voice majors frequently taking the stage, the talent is sure to please.

scene

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Answers: 1,b. 2, d. 3, a. 4, c.

With ticket prices inching ever higher, frequent movie nights are becoming a thing of the past. Long gone are the days when catching a flick cost a mere nickel or dime, but you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to see the latest shows. Check out these cheap seats.

scene

More Box Office for Your Budget

The cheapest tickets in town

1. MOVIES TEN$4 tickets for every patron at every show makes Movies Ten in Nelsonville the best choice to experience a new film. The ac-companying arcade doesn’t hurt, either.

2. THE ATHENAEvery Tuesday the Athena Cinema on Court Street gives patrons the chance to check out documentaries and indie flicks for just $4.

3. THE ATHENA GRAND The Athena’s sister theater on E. State Street also offers discount tickets for the latest movies—matinee showings from noon to 6 p.m. are just $5 each.

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Several Ohio University Media Arts and Studies students spent their winter breaks not celebrating the holidays with their families, but filming the short film Home for Hari Raya in Malaysia for their MDIA 0419 class. The film’s direc-tor, Willem Holzer, is pictured at left working with local actors.

East MeetsWest

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Everybody Cut Loose

The thumping bass, fast, hard-hitting rhythms and bright, constantly changing light effects that dance clubs are known for are hard to come by in Athens. The town is populated by bars and pubs where drinking is the main focus, not night clubs that give people the chance to dance their troubles away.

But in recent years, dance music has been slowly infiltrating the bar scene, as more bars are adding in nights where local DJs can spin the latest in pop, electronica and hip hop in the hopes of get-ting bodies onto the dance floor.

One set of Athens DJs stand out above the rest though. Dave Rave, comprised of two Ohio University alums, David Alexander also known as DJ Time Traveler, and Brandon Thompson, DJ B-Funk, has created a name for itself and amassed a cult-like fol-lowing for the rowdy dance parties they throw around town.

Their presence at one of Athens’ uptown hot spots on any given

night guarantees a packed room of gyrating bodies and even more lined up outside trying to get in. The goal of any Dave Rave event is to get people to fill the dance floor and spend their night danc-ing. DJ Time Traveler and DJ B-Funk, who headlines every Dave Rave event, spin music that keeps the audience on their feet all night long. The parties feature house, electro and techno music, among other niche dance music genres, that make it impossible for party goers to spend their evening standing around avoiding the dance floor.

Dave Rave dance parties have become famed in the Athens area, and the two men behind these parties are becoming famous in their own right as well. The group’s Facebook page has over 3,600 likes and their signature T-shirts can be seen on people all over Athens. These Dave Rave shirts feature a caricature of David Alexander’s face and are printed on vibrant, neon colors or simple black and white. At any Dave Rave party it is typical to see not only the two DJs themselves rocking these shirts, but a great deal

Dave Rave’s dance parties bring new dimension to the bar scene. Think footloose, fun and funky

ABOVE: DJ B-Funk, aka Brandon Thompson, spins music at The Union during Dave Rave’s annual pre-Halloween Party.

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of attendees as well. Especially during Ohio University’s fabled spring fest season, Dave Rave shirts are brought out when people are looking to party. One uptown T-shirt shop, Uptown Dog, sells Dave Rave T-shirts all year long so fans don’t have to wait until one of the dance parties to pick up their gear. The store has even created Dave Rave “fest jerseys,” in honor of the popularity of sports jerseys during spring fests.

DJ Time Traveler and DJ B-Funk have become mainstays in the Athens late-night scene over the past three years. Every Thursday night, B-Funk hosts his own Dave Rave sponsored dance night at Red Brick, called DJ B-Funk’s BASSment. These smaller dance parties have the same energy as a normal Dave Rave event and encourage nonstop dancing and letting loose.

Dave Rave has created quite the name for itself in the Athens area, and the crew is now branching out to other areas of Ohio as well. The two have performed at bars and clubs in Marietta, Co-lumbus and Cincinnati, bringing their hard hitting dance music to new venues in the state.

Although Athens is still devoid of any clubs or bars specifically dedicated to late-night dancing, Dave Rave’s parties and appear-ances at fests and events across OU’s campus give the people of Athens the chance to dust off their dancing shoes and hit the dance floor with their friends and the hundreds of Dave Rave fans who turn out to each and every event.

Dance music has made it’s way into the bars that were formerly reserved for live bands playing rock, folk and country, and it shows no sign of leaving anytime soon. And as long as DJ B-Funk and DJ Time Traveler keep spinning their expertly mixed sets and hosting dance nights at the Athens bars, it seems that dance is here to stay in the area. So next time a Dave Rave show is an-nounced, pop on some neon and get to the bar early to beat the lines before dancing the night away, you just might find yourself a new convert to the ways of Dave Rave’s now infamous dance party nights. t

ABOVE: Dave Rave T-shirts and “fest jerseys” for sale at Uptown Dog on Union Street.

Man Behind the

Music

Just after 4 p.m. on a hot Sunday in May, a man walks onto the main stage at the Nelsonville Music Festival to an-nounce the last performer of the weekend. Although the bags under his eyes suggest exhaustion and his unruly hair and beard suggest extreme stress, his smile says it all.

This man is Tim Peacock, the brains behind the entire operation, and although his voice is hoarse, the enthusiasm he has when thanking all of the attendees and volunteers makes it clear that there is no where else he would rather be.

the

The board of directors of the historic Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio, took a chance in November of 2002 and hired a relatively inexperienced man—one who had never run a concert hall or a nonprofit before—as the executive director.

Although he had worked as a music booker for only two years in Athens County before being hired, Tim Peacock proved to be a worthwhile choice for the opera house, and he still holds the same position today, 10 years later. It is a position with many facets. “I am responsible to make sure Stuart’s Opera House is successful financially and that we make enough money to keep our doors open. I also do all the booking for the Opera House and for the [Nelsonville Music] Festival, all of the music stuff.”

During his time at the helm of Stuart’s, Peacock has created a place for Athens County residents to experience art and culture in an inspiring setting. “When I started, there weren’t many shows here,” he said. “And then I started coordinating more concerts, which attracted people from this region and farther away. We regularly get people from Columbus, and that never happened before. Our annual attendance grows a little bit every year.” The physical building plays host to a variety of musical acts, plays and even films each month, and continues to grow in popularity and notoriety in Athens County.

There’s nowhere else in the area to enjoy the sort of concert that Peacock and his team put on at the Opera House; the shows are bigger than those that take place in the uptown Athens bars, but much smaller than the large-scale concerts that Ohio University puts on. Stuart’s location itself adds another special layer to the venue’s appeal. “The fact that it’s in Nelsonville makes it unique, also, because it’s not in the predictable spot in Athens County for arts and culture, which I think is generally uptown Athens,” Pea-cock said. “So because we’re not in that predictable spot, it makes it a little more special for some reason.”

Stuart’s Opera House originally opened in 1879, and in that time period hosted everything from vaudeville performances to high school graduations. It quickly became the center of town involvement, until it closed in 1924. After closing, the venue sat empty for over 50 years, until 1976 when the Hocking Val-ley Museum of Theatrical History Inc was created to restore and sustain the opera house. A devastating fire almost wiped out those hopes in 1980, but after years of reconstruction, Stuart’s reopened

in 1997. The long storied history of the building makes seeing a show at the venue something special, Peacock said. “The room is just so cool; you can’t find something like it anywhere else in the area.”

And while the opera house gives the residents of Athens County a hub of cultural activity, it gives Peacock something even more meaningful. The former Hocking College forestry student never wanted a job where every day was the same. Working as the executive director at Stuart’s gave him the opportunity to find em-ployment that was continually stimulating and devoid of “a typical day.” Every day at work is different for Peacock, and whether he is spending it in meetings or planning an upcoming event, he is al-ways content. “I feel lucky to have a job where you don’t get stuck in some routine,” he said.

One aspect of his job that keeps his work life from becoming too monotonous is the yearly Nelsonville Music Festival, a three-day event that features dozens of bands, hundreds of volunteers and thousands of paying attendees. “We really wanted to make an event where everyone enjoyed themselves, and as cheesy as it sounds, felt like a giant family,” Peacock said.

With its tenth anniversary coming up this spring, it is evident that Peacock succeeded in his original goals. People travel from all over the country for the festival, and although attendees do num-ber in the thousands, Peacock will never go over the self-imposed cap of 6,000. “I want it to feel small and intimate,” Peacock said. “There is something so cool about seeing the old grandma stand-ing next to a hipster kid, all enjoying the same music.”

Peacock, the brain of the entire operation, keeps the lineup eclectic and full of acts that he, and his audience will enjoy. And although it gains in attendance each year, he never wants it to lose its intimate feel by getting on the same level of popularity as festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo. “There is definitely some merit to festivals like that or they wouldn’t exist,” he said. “But I can’t imagine planning an event for 40,000 people.”

That desire to keep everything low-key but positive for every-one involved is indicative of the way that Tim Peacock is wired. He took a position as executive director of an opera house with-out any preconceived notions of what that title should mean, and he created a job, a venue and a festival that fit his ideals of what entertainment should be. t

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“There is something so cool about seeing the old grandma standing next to a hipster kid, all enjoying the same music.”

-Tim Peacock

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2013 Nelsonville Music Festival

ABOVE: The Flaming Lips perform as the Saturday Night headliners of the 2011 Nelsonville Music Festival at Robbins Crossing on the campus of Hocking College

From May 30 to June 2, the grounds of Robbins Crossing at Hocking College will once again be taken over by musi-cians, bands and fans. This year is the first time in the event’s history that there will be four full days of music, start-ing on Thursday and going until Sunday evening. Check out some highlights of what festival goers will be jamming to this year, including the headlining band Wilco.

WilcoJohn PrineGogol BordelloMavis StaplesSharon Van EttenCalexicoJonathan RichmanReigning SoundThe Coup

Wild BelleHe's My Brother, She's My SisterScreaming FemalesDavid Wax MuseumBrown BirdField ReportEndless BoogieAnais Mitchell & Jefferson HamerMichael Hurley

LuciusCotton JonesWooden Indian Burial GroundOld LightWesley Bright & The Hi-LitesNick Tolford & CompanyThe D-RaysCounty Pharaohs

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The Ridges Redefined The name may be more syn-

onymous with tales of ghosts and hauntings than with cellos and guitars, but one local band is doing its best to give the infamous Ridges a second meaning.

The Ridges have been playing in Athens and throughout Ohio for the past two years, bringing their classically influenced folk to music lovers throughout the state. Officially billed as a duo, The Ridges is made up of guitarist and vocalist Victor Rasgaitis and cellist and vocalist Talor Smith, but the group also features a rotating cast of musicians who join the two on stage and in recordings. Smith and Rasgaitis met in Athens and performed together for the first time in the city as well.

Having such a strong connection to the area led the band to choose a moniker they would have to share with an Athens land-mark. What was once the main building of the Athens Lunatic Asylum, from 1874 until 1993 now stands as a testament to the thousands of people who spent time within its walls, many of whom are fabled to still roam the halls. “You see that building and it’s just so massive but mysterious at the same time,” Smith, an international relations major at Ohio University, said. “It’s very Victorian and old and romantic but it’s also creepy and just a very weird place. You would not expect to find that building in the middle of Appala-chia.”

That dichotomy present in the building itself is also indicative of the sound that The Ridges achieves. With a strong emphasis on strings, the band evokes the classic beauty of the building’s architecture, while the folksy nature of the songs is more akin to the struc-ture’s Appalachian surroundings. “It just felt like the perfect name for us,” Smith explained over a cup of coffee at Donkey, the café where she first performed with Rasgaitis for an im-promptu song at one of his acoustic shows.

Smith had no real interest in performing as a musician for a living before joining Rasgaitis on stage for that first song. Now she said she can’t imagine doing anything else. “I just got

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really into it,” she said. “I get anxious before shows now because I want to get on stage because I love performing so much.”

The rush of excitement Smith feels before a show isn’t just adrenaline. She genuinely loves the band that she plays with—no matter which of the part-time members are on stage for a specific performance. But more importantly, she loves the self-described “loud folk” mu-sic that they are creating. The band finds it almost impossible to pick another band with a similar sound—The Ridges play a blend of acoustic folk and classi-cally inclined instrumentations—some-thing they take great pride in.

In addition to Rasgaitis and Smith’s steadfast leadership as guitarist and cel-list, The Ridges occasionally play home to a variety of other instruments includ-ing violin, viola, bass, French horn, accordion, mandolin and banjo, just to name a few. And although countless other bands utilize string instruments in their songs, The Ridges take a different approach. “Unlike other bands with strings that have the string section as the backup to guitars and drums, cello is the main part of our sound and actually more important than the guitar,” Smith said. “Strings really are the key to our sound.”

While recording their already released EP and their first full length album, due out in 2013, The Ridges took the chance to add even more elements to their songs than just their instruments could allow. Both records were recorded in the non-condemned area of The Ridges main building, in an old operating room near

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the graduate art department, and the sounds of the building itself made an appearance in the recordings. “It’s one of the instruments in a way,” Smith said. The musicians slammed windows shut, rattled chains against pipes and opened and closed creaky doors during the recording process. These sounds that were once a part of the building itself now bring life to The Ridges’ music by adding an extra layer to each song.

Being able to connect with their namesake by recording their yet to be titled album within its walls makes the project all the more special for The Ridges. “I’m so excited for people to hear it,” Smith said. “It’s kind of like our baby.”

Rasgaitis has graduated from Ohio University and currently lives in Cincin-nati and Smith’s 2014 graduation date is not far off. But they will always call Ath-ens the band’s home. “We could never betray our family here,” Smith said.

And although Athens is where the band’s roots will always remain, The Ridges are making moves across the na-tion and traveling to play high-profile shows. The band has performed at festi-

vals, showcases and bars and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Both the MidPoint Music Festival and The Clifton Heights Music Festival have played host to The Ridges and helped in-crease their popularity in the indie world.

Most recently, The Ridges hit the stage at the fabled indie music festival in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SXSW). The band hit different stages throughout its time in Austin and, in all, performed at seven

“[The building] is one of the instruments in a way,”

-Talor Smith

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ABOVE: Victor Rasgaitis sings in front of a packed house at Casa Nueva in Athens.

different showcases during SXSW. Smith and Rasgaitis were joined on stage during these performances by five of their regular sup-porting musicians, including Ian Francis LeSage on trumpet and Andrew Poulson on banjo, to round out their sound and add more complexity to the live performances.

“We try to deliver the best show for the audience wherever we are,” Smith said. “And we also try to have a lot of fun ourselves.”

After making their mark at such a high-profile music industry event, The Ridges are poised to continue taking over the indie world with their personal brand of orchestral folk rock.

For the time being, Smith and Rasgaitis are enjoying the ride of seeing their band gain momentum and popularity across the coun-try, but they are constantly keeping one eye on the next steps on the road to success.

“Hopefully, the future holds success for us,” Smith said. “We’ve had a couple of agencies talk to us and we hope to get signed soon. I’m pretty confident that we’re going to be.”

As The Ridges continue to build their fan base and garner at-tention for their intricate, interesting sound, Athens will always be waiting for their return with open arms. The last show they played at Casa was packed wall to wall, and of course their infamous namesake will always be here to tie them back to the town where it all began. t

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ABOVE: The main building of The Athens Lunatic Asylum, or The Ridges. BELOW: Taylor Smith and Victor Rasgaitis perform in The Ridges (top) and at Casa Nueva (bottom).

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Game Changer

P erfectly coifed blond hair, expertly applied makeup and thoughtfully styled outfits all tied up with a megawatt smile are rarely the first things that come to mind when picturing fast-rapping female artists. But one Athenian is proving that the unexpected has a place in the rap game.

At first glance, Bailee Moore’s looks may align more with her status as a retail merchandising and fashion prod-uct development major at Ohio University, than with her title as a quickly rising star in the hip hop world, but that doesn’t stop her from doing whatever it takes to make her mark.

Moore has been steadily gaining attention for her music career ever since a YouTube video of her showing off her skills became an instant viral hit. The video, titled “White Girl Raps Fast,” which came out in December 2011, was an impromptu project that shows Moore spitting a few verses at a microphone during a recording for one of her friend’s songs.

Erik Paul, another Athens-based musician, originally asked Moore to work as a stylist on one of his music videos but was later inspired to feature a female rapper on the track and asked Moore to try it out.

“Since we were already working on that project together, he

Bailee Moore brings a new look to Athens hip hop

ABOVE:Bailee Moore wearing a hat with her signature hashtag, #bemoore.

asked me to do it,” Moore said. “And I said I would but I didn’t tell anyone about it because I was scared that I would get made fun of. I always sang my whole life, I was always in choir and loved sing-ing, but I had never rapped before.”

After she agreed to try her hand at a new form of music she had never tried before, Paul wrote Moore a song, and the two flew down to Florida where his manager was.

“We recorded the song and filmed it there, then we flew back and that night we released it on YouTube,” Moore said. “And within less than 24 hours it had over 125,000 views, and we had calls from Ryan Seacrest productions, Universal Studios and a bunch of blog write-ups.”

The speedy rate at which Moore’s song gained attention and thousands of views on YouTube helped solidify her decision to start seriously pursuing a career in music.

Moore started writing songs with Paul and other musicians and released an EP, entitled Game Changer, on November 27, 2012, less than a year after her video first hit the web. Now, her music is available on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon, and the viral hit that started it all has over 1.1 million views, and 10,00 likes, on YouTube.

And although she has been gaining momentum, tons of fans and even national media attention, Moore has kept her status as a full-time student at OU. She will officially graduate after fall semester of the 2013-2014 school year, so for now she is busy figuring out how to keep all the parts of her life in check.

“It’s hard to balance everything, but I know it has to happen so I just make sure I stay up with my schoolwork and my grades and make sure I get that done first,” she said.

The experience she’s gained majoring in a fashion-related pro-gram is also coming into play in her music career, as she is trying to create a concrete image for her public persona.

“I’ve always been a little bit of everything, especially when it comes to style. One day I can wear red lipstick and heels and the next day I can wear flowers in my hair and a maxidress,” Moore said. “So that’s one thing I really need to figure out is when it comes to music and the industry is what will my image be.”

Her physical image is not the only part of the Bailee Moore persona that is still not one hundred percent set in stone. She is

still trying to figure out exactly what kind of music she wants to be known for. With the opportunities she currently has in the music industry rooted in her foray into rap, Moore doesn’t plan to drop that part of her performance style any time soon. She would, however, like to integrate more original vocals into her music. With her first EP, most of the songs were predominantly rap, with singing incorporated in the choruses, something she hopes to expand on with the next music she records.

“I would love to have a little bit more singing in my songs, but the rapping thing is obviously what got it started so that will be still be in my music,” she said. “I definitely want to keep going in the direction I am, but with more singing added in.”

As she comes closer to leaving Athens behind and having to decide whether or not to fully embark on a career as a musician, Moore is not only focusing on taking control of her image, but also the content of her songs.

Although she co-wrote all of the music she has out right now, she is starting to work more on writing songs on her own and put-ting a personal spin on what she is rapping about.

“I pretty much just focus on what I’m doing in my life right now and what I want to hear in a song, and then I put that into my songs,” she said. “So right now I’m a student in college and I work at a bar and I’m hanging out with my friends, so I talk about partying, drinking, hanging out with friends, love, relationships, that kind of thing.”

Moore is currently branching out of her home state and starting to make contacts across the country that could help her career grow even more.

“She’s traveling constantly between LA, Athens and touring for shows, too,” said her manager Matt Crumpton.

But even with national attention, and her own passion for mu-sic, Moore is trying to remain levelheaded about her fame.

“My favorite part about all of this is definitely performing live. It’s such a crazy adrenaline rush, and once you get on stage it’s amazing and so great,” she said. “But right now I’m just seeing where everything takes me, so if music happens then that’s abso-lutely amazing and I will keep doing it and will work so hard at it. And if it doesn’t happen that’s okay and I’ll be able to bring myself back to reality.” t

“Within less than 24 hours it had over 125,000 views, and we had calls from Ryan Seacrest Productions, Universal Studios and a bunch of blog write-ups.”

-Bailee Moore

for Business

The thrashing drums and frantic guitar riffs from Cavalier Conspiracy’s latest heavy metal album pound from the stereo and into Haffa’s Records as sev-eral customers peruse the

extensive album collection. A musty smell like that of old attic boxes fills the room. It immediately reminds me of the two crates of vintage records my parents have kept through the years. Stark gray walls serve as a backdrop to a small collection of band tees and posters. The speckled gray carpet that covers the floor is imperfect, and slices of distressed wood floor peek up in several places. Haffa’s does not need extensive decorations, though. The store is not there to be aesthetically pleasing; it is

there to give music fanatics a place to find and share what they love.

Though the heavy metal playing over the store stereo on this quiet spring Mon-day may seem aggressive, the customers are undeterred. Regardless of how hostile the album the owners choose to play may seem, Haffa’s is a welcoming place for its regulars and the newcomers who wander in wondering what the store has to offer. As the only record store left in Athens, its role has become one of a sanctuary for music lovers. A sense of belonging envelops me every time I push open Haffa’s creaky metal door. I grew up spending time in my neighborhood record store, so upon entering college I searched out a new venue to purchase music. Haffa’s instantly became that place. In a time when most

music is purchased and downloaded online, Haffa’s gives its patrons a personal touch by providing face-to-face service as well as the opportunity to hold the music they are buying.

A small chalkboard sits in the window of Haffa’s humble storefront on Union Street, announcing to Athens the newest releases and what records the patrons can expect in the coming weeks. Ohio Univer-sity students walking by the store on their way to class often hurry past it, but those who glance in the doorway, or actually enter the store, are instantly transported into a music fan’s paradise.

Haffa’s first opened in 1975 and has since survived under four different owner-ships. The current owners were drawn to the record store business by their personal,

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OPEN

for Business

Haffa’s Records keeps all hands on deck, even during the digital age

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undying love for music. Eric Gunn has owned Haffa’s for over eight years and An-drew Lampela joined him as a co-owner three years ago. Gunn is an approachable man in his mid-thirties who lives in a uniform of T-shirts and jeans. Rectangular glasses with thin black rims frame his eyes. He lights up every time he talks about mu-sic and a smile forms under the stubble cov-ering his cheeks. Gunn describes himself as a music junkie, a trait that has defined him since his pre-teen years. Working in record stores has given him an outlet to express his appreciation for various artists, from the Metallica that caught his pre-teen attention, to the Supremes, whose album artwork hangs on the wall at Haffa’s.

“I’ve worked in record stores for 22 years and I worked here before I bought the place,” he explained to me. “I came to school down in Athens and I wasn’t ready to leave, so I found a reason to stay.” An undeniable love for music was his reason to stay in Athens and with Haffa’s. That same love for music brings customers like me into Haffa’s everyday. A collage of classic record covers hangs on my base-ment wall and countless other albums sit in unorganized piles along the floor. Music has always been a part of my life, and I have never been satisfied with download-ing music online. For me, and other music lovers, nothing can beat purchasing new music at a small, local record store.

Though the stresses of running a small business catch up to him sometimes, Gunn does not regret his decision to stay in Athens and set up shop at Haffa’s. Working at a record store gives him the chance to come to work in casual clothes everyday and avoid cubicles at all costs.

“I can hang out and listen to music and talk to people all day, and I haven’t needed a resume my entire adult life,” he sighed.

Sitting behind the counter surrounded by teetering piles of CDs, DVDs and vinyls waiting to be priced, Gunn is within his element. He understands music and appre-ciates it in any form. Though to him, the physical product is especially important.

Since he purchased Haffa’s eight years ago, the music industry has undergone a drastic change. People no longer race out to buy new albums when they come out every Tuesday; instead, they download music online whenever they please. The digital boom made it difficult for indepen-dent record stores to survive. The three other record stores that were in Athens when Gunn bought the store all folded, but Haffa’s made it through, though Gunn told me he is not quite sure how. “I don’t know whether it’s just because we’re too dumb to do anything else or if it was just dogged determination,” Gunn said. “I do think most college towns can support at least one record store, and Athens is a pretty musi-cal place, so there were people interested enough to keep us alive.”

The people of Athens are exactly what keeps Haffa’s alive. A diverse audience is drawn to the store each day. On this par-ticular day a recent OU graduate dressed in a light brown tweed blazer, straw fedora and light pair of straight-legged jeans skims through the new vinyls while an old-er man in a nondescript gray T-shirt and khaki cargo pants silently looks through the used DVDs. In the corner of the store a college-aged girl in a jumper with a small black bow adorning her shaggy bleach blond hair giggles after her friend whispers

a joke in her ear. The variety of people present in the store is representative of the effort Gunn and Lampela put into generat-ing a diverse array of products.

The store’s merchandise is set up logi-cally, with cheap, used music at the front of the store and the more expensive CDs and vinyls at the back to draw serious custom-ers past every piece of merchandise in the building. Used DVDs — both feature films and TV shows — sit directly across from the large glass counter in the middle of the store.

The rows of used CDs that greet customers when they first enter the store allow patrons the chance to experience something completely new, or revisit an old favorite, without breaking the bank. Various genres and artists, all priced around $3 fill up this section of the store, and what is in stock is completely deter-mined by what is brought in by customers to sell. Today, Michelle Branch teeters on the top of a pile that includes Blondie and Bruce Springsteen’s Greatest Hits. The used CDs are a draw for many customers, co-owner Andrew Lampela said.

“Some people never even make it past there,” he said gesturing to the edge of the used CD section. His grown-out goatee almost hides his disdain for the people who never travel further into the store. His faded black Skeletonwitch T-shirt and thinning hair suggest that when he was younger he would have never limited himself to the front of the store.

Those who do venture beyond the used CDs and make their way to the back of the store are presented with a wide array of musical options. There is a section for jazz music, spoken word albums, compilations,

blues-rock, soundtracks and hip hop, among others. An almost overwhelming collection of these vinyl and CD options sit ready to be purchased, the vinyl in 14 wooden cases along the walls and the CDs in five multilevel metal stands in the middle of the floor. This setup lets patrons flip through the products. They get the chance to touch the album and see its art-work before deciding whether they want to make the purchase. Haffa’s is dedicated to giving people access to physical products, something that digital music does not offer.

Some people prefer the convenience of mp3s and digital downloads, and Gunn understands that. The ease of download-ing is one reason digital music sales were up 40 percent in the last year. But, Gunn and his partner Lampela believe there will always be a group of people interested in owning the actual product. They intend to keep targeting that audience.

Steven Kapela, a student at OU who frequents Haffa’s Records, fits into that category. While Kapela does own and often uses an iPod, he said there’s nothing like having an actual album, whether it be vinyl or CD, and being able to hold it. As he sifted through the used rock albums, he said that he believes physical albums offer an improved sound quality over mp3s, which is why he buys them more frequently. Eric Miller, an audio produc-tion major at OU, explained that physical recordings often sound warmer than the

digital reproductions of the song, or mp3s, which can lose some of the richness of the original recordings.

“People are starting to realize that while mp3s are convenient, they don’t sound as good,” Gunn said. “The physical product sounds better, and having a favorite album at that quality, some people are into it.”

The idea of sifting through the countless albums Haffa’s offers and possibly discov-ering something that is not available online is intriguing to Kapela. He told me about a certain album his friend bought in Haffa’s one day. Though the album was decades old and the woman who performed on it had received no awards or true fame from it, they considered it a treasure. The lounge singer style was intriguing and something they had rarely been exposed to. Though he could not remember the singer’s name, he could remember her voice and how pure and clear it had sounded. People who purchase their music solely online lose out on the chance to discover a random, but meaningful artist, he said.

Haffa’s prides itself on selling music that is not completely mainstream. Gunn said they rarely sell what people could find at stores like WalMart.

“We don’t do too much top 40 pop or new country,” he said. “We’re really geared more toward stuff not making the top 10 on MTV.”

If a customer is looking for an album they don’t carry, Gunn and Lampela are more than happy to order it for them. This

“We don’t do too much top 40 pop or new country. We’re really geared more toward stuff not making the top 10 on MTV.”

-Eric Gunn

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ABOVE: Racks of CDs and DVDs line the walls of Haffa’s Records.

dedication to providing Athens with a wide assortment of musical styles is attrac-tive to customers like Kapela.

“It’s like a solace to come here and know people still care about it,” he said.

The owners of Haffa’s care deeply about music and about their store. Gunn and Lampela work week after week to pro-vide the people of Athens with a place to explore their musical interests. Gunn and Lampela make sure they remain person-ally connected to their patrons. Haffa’s 960 Facebook fans frequently use the store’s Facebook page to inquire about certain albums or request a specialty order.

“I love turning people on to cool music,” Lampela said. “When someone finds music they’re really into, it’s a good feeling to help.”

With people putting so much emphasis on convenience instead of quality when they shop for music, several styles of music are evaporating from public consciousness, Kapela said. He cited blues and jazz as

important styles of music that have almost disappeared from the mainstream because they are not consistently available online or played on the radio. But record stores like Haffa’s provide that music a place to be discovered by new music fanatics. Going through the rows of used vinyl records, Kapela explains that you never know what could pop up.

“You can find mysteries tucked away at record stores,” he said as he flipped to a random record in the first part of the alphabet. The vinyl he stumbled upon was by Jimmy Buffet. He chuckled and told me that he had hoped the album was going to be a more obscure artist to better illustrate his point. Nonetheless, he told me, “You can still be surprised at record stores.”

It is almost impossible to not be sur-prised while spending time in Haffa’s. You can find a copy of an old Michael Bolton CD next to Britney Spears’ first album. You can see a young preppily dressed college

kid flipping through the used rap vinyls while a middle-aged man reads the back of a local band’s CD, wondering whether it is worth his money.

No matter what else you may find in Haffa’s, the fact remains that the most prevalent thing you will find is music in its physical form. You can feel the cold clear plastic of CD cases and hear the hollow clunk as they hit one another. You can feel the worn cardboard of the vintage vinyl cases. You can hold the music you are about to buy and see the artwork and cover photos and get advice from the store owners themselves. The sense of music’s personal attributes permeates the store and makes it easy for music lovers to feel comfortable.

Being completely surrounded by music is the dream of many audiophiles, and in Athens, Haffa’s is the last place to make that dream come true when it comes to the physical product. t

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BELOW: The entrance to Haffa’s Records on Union Street. New releases are announced in window displays each week.

Lights, Camera, Aliens

For most college film and video production majors, creat-ing an original feature-length film is just a distant dream, as assignments and extracurricular activities make it difficult to set aside the time to tackle such a difficult project. But, as one Ohio University student proved over the past year, just because something is atypical, doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Justin Rogers, who graduated from the school of Media Arts and Studies in the fall of 2012, undertook the task of not only directing a full length film, but producing, funding and writing it as well during his time in school.

“I’m a fifth year senior, and I’ve been directing student films since I was a sophomore here at OU, and I’ve known since I was 10 years old that I wanted to direct feature-length films,” he said. “And I guess I got to the end of my junior year and I had pro-duced and directed several short films, and knew that I wanted to

have this project that would be something bigger and more ambi-tious than anything else I had produced.”

Rogers knew that for him, undertaking a feature while still in college would be the perfect opportunity to try out something he’d always dreamed of. Being a student gave him a cushion so that if the project failed, it wouldn’t hurt his career in any way, and he wanted to give a feature a shot while he had the resources avail-able to him as a student.

“The school has great equipment, and there are so many stu-dents who are eager to be part of something so this seemed like a great opportunity to direct a feature for the first time,” he said. “It was something I had never tried to tackle before, and I’m always trying to look for bigger things to try.”

So after putting his mind to creating a full-length feature film before he graduated from college, Rogers set about writing the script and compiling his crew. Over the summer of 2011 he wrote

An OU Student adds a little Hollywood to Appalachia with a new full-length film, The Overlords

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ABOVE: Caleb Fullen, one of the film’s featured actors, in a still from The Overlords.

and finalized the script for what would become The Overlords. And after returning to school that fall, he pitched the film to Athens Video Works productions, a student organization that produces movies and videos, and partnered with them for its production.

Even though the film was associated with AVW, and utilized some of the School of Media Arts and Studies resources, it was an independent project, with an independently produced budget.

“I produced it and directed it and wrote it, and I put the crew together myself,” Rogers said. “I actually took out extra school loans to pay for it after figuring out a budget. It was essentially paid for out of pocket.”

Undertaking several of the most time-consuming roles on the production and attempting a feature film as a student weren’t the only risks Rogers took with The Overlords. The movie itself is complex and attempts to push the boundaries of established genres.

“It’s sort of difficult to tack a genre on it per se, so it’s kind of a mystery, suspense thriller,” he said. “It examines different char-acters and their lives and how they’re affected by this secret alien invasion. The aliens aren’t in our faces the entire time; they’re more of this elusive element to the story that you never really see, but you see the impact they have on the characters.”

And although Rogers would have liked to have had the chance to film in a location that allowed him to showcase more global settings and cultural diversity, he found that the area was very ac-cepting of his independent film production.

“The Athens community is really welcoming overall,” he said. “We filmed at The Union and they were really helpful in terms of just allowing us to do what we wanted to do in there. We had this really complex set up where we had an actor performing a scene on their stage with a band set up to perform a song and they let us use their PA system and were really accommodating in how long they let us film there.”

The Overlords premiered in Athens in December 2012, and overall, Rogers was extremely happy with the film’s outcome.

“I’m definitely happy with how it turned out, especially because I went into it not even knowing if I was going to be able to pull it off. I’m amazed at how well it turned out.” t

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FROM TOP: Gretchen Kessler in a still from the movie, Justin Rogers marking down a new take, and two crew members behind the scenes of filming on set.

PulseAthens, Ohio

ABOVE: Bailee Moore, featured on page 17, started her rap career while still a student at Ohio University in Athens.