subculture magazine (dec/jan)

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013CELEBRATING SELF-EXPRESSION

Adam Levine

The Walking Dead

Ronda Rousey

Kendrick Lamar

The Dark Knight Rises

And More!

2012YEAR INREVIEW*

MEET OUR INSTAGRAM FRIENDS

+

EXCLUSIVE | 2 013 S U B C U LT U R E P U L L OUT P O ST E R

READY FOR WHATEVER

WILLIE MONROE JR.

December 2012/January 2013 SUBCULTURE | 3

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

106

CONTENTS

SUBCULTURE

19

20 / Willie Monroe Jr. Is Ready for Whatever Rochester boxer is ready to take a swing at anything thrown his way.

24 / Year in Review Subculture takes a look back at our favorite things, people and places of 2012.

DECEMBER/JANUARY FEATURES

DROP US A LINE We want to hear from you. Send your comments or suggestions to troy@ subcultureny.com. Please include your name and city/town.

DEPARTMENTS4 / OUR CULTURE

6 / POP CULTURE

8 / WEB CULTURE

10 / TATTOO CULTURE

12 / INDIVIDUAL CULTURE

28 / ASKED & ANSWERED

30 / LAST WORD

SUBCULTURE

CELEBRATING SELF-EXPRESSION

December 2012/January 2013 Volume 1 Number 6

›› ��EDITOR-IN-CHIEFTroy L. [email protected]/troylsmith

›› CREATIVE DIRECTORVictor [email protected]/VGbranded

›› ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNERChristina [email protected]

›› PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORChristopher “GoodKnews” [email protected]/GoodKnews

›› CONTRIBUTING EDITORSEnid Arbelo Bryant

›› CONTRIBUTING WRITERSTanvi Asher, Peter German, Erica Hastings, Kaitlin Mesmer, Sheila Livingston

›› CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS SeanDell Boose, Deanna Johnson, Malik Sales

›› ASSOCIATE DESIGNERAlex Steiner

ADVERTISINGIf you are interested in advertising in Subculture Magazine please call (585) 202-7266 or email [email protected].

SUBMISSIONSIf you wish to write or photograph for Subculture Magazine, please contact [email protected].

FIND US ON THE WEB www.subcultureny.com

� ›› LIKE US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/SubcultureMag

� ›› FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SubcultureMag

ON THE COVERWillie Monroe Jr., shot in Rochester in November 2012 by Christopher Cardwell.

CORRECTIONSThe correct website for Rochester hip-hop artist Anthony “Tugboat” Hayward is tugboatny.bandcamp.com

Our “Last Word” feature wrongly credited tattoo artist Anthony Filo for the subject’s arm tattoo.

© 2012 by Subculture Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction by photocopy or other means is strictly prohibited. Contact publisher for reprint information.

Printed in China.

20 24

4 | SUBCULTURE December 2012/January 2013

CELEBRATING ONE YEAR OF SUBCULTUREWhere do I even begin? I’m so damn proud. The words to explain my gratitude escape me.

2012 was such an amazing and chaotic year, wasn’t it? Seems like at every turn there was another photo shoot, another release party, exciting interviews, new friends, major panic, endless anxiety coupled with laughs and a year full of memories documented in this cool new publication that came out of nowhere. What a rush.

And now here we are, still standing and chomping at the bit for 2013. There’s blood in the water and we’re onto it.

Rochester and beyond, I owe you so many thanks. From the people I’ve never met who support Subculture Magazine, to the amazing advertisers that, without question, supported the movement from day one. Without that loving combination there would be no Subculture.

Only a year ago the mag was a dream obnoxiously bouncing around my head, with a cover designed and two mouths to feed and nurture it. But as with a child, the job is always easiest when the community helps raise it. Everyone take a minute to pat yourself on the back. WE DID IT!!

I wish my arms were long enough... I’d hug you all. Since that is humanly impossible to achieve I’ve asked a few friends to join me on my

journey through this next 365 days. You’ll know more later, but trust me. We’ll begin to form a chain around our city. Hand in hand we will surround and protect our city. We will support our city every chance we get. We will continue to dig and find more interesting characters to weave into our production. But first, I’d like to thank a few people specifically.

Troy Smith: You are a brilliant man. I am so, so proud to have you as my partner on this. Your friendship means a lot to me. Don’t change.

GoodKnews: Your vision, your art, your love for what you do will bring you endless happiness because you provide what we all want and need more of – beautifully captured memories. Thank you.

Fam x Team: These next few words mean the world to me. I love you all individually. To God, I give thanks every day for the support, patience, love and loyalty we share.

Mom x Dad: I do this because of you, for you, through you, with you. I am you. My only hope is that if I haven’t already made you proud, I will. I love you both with all my heart.

Perhaps if you see my work, you will know my heart. I love you, Rochester.

VICTOR SAYS

OUR//CULTURE

MUST OWN: JOHNNY CASH – THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA COLLECTION FEATURES 63 CDS FROM ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREATS.

The songs that got us through the making of this issue…

�“ROSE TATTOO” The Dropkick Murphys Because sometimes you gotta just let your ink do the talking.

��“ BREAKERS” Local Natives Because sometimes genius lies in between the tension and the release.

��“SORRY” T.I. featuring Andre 3000 Because nobody’s perfect.

��“KILLING IN THE NAME” Rage Against the Machine Because Rage’s first album just turned 20, and still sounds better with age.

HIT LIST

LINDSAY JEWETT, ROCHESTERTattoo by Jamie Cole of Upstate Tattoo

READERTATTOO

SHOW & TELL

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POP//CULTURE

MOVIESDjango Unchained

There’s only one real question to be asked when a Quen-tin Tarantino film hits the theaters. Where does it rank among the other entries on the director’s impeccable resume? It’s likely Django Unchained will rate pretty high. Jamie Foxx plays a slave out for re-venge and Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic as a slave owner who borders on crazy. How can it fail?

(In theaters Dec. 25)

MUSICSmashing PumpkinsMellon Collie & the

Infinite Sadness (Deluxe Edition)

Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness isn’t quiet The Smashing Pumpkins’ greatest album (see: Siamese Dream). But it may be the band’s most grandiose achievement, given that it fully realizes Billy Corgan’s ultra-ambitious vision of pop-rock opera that bleeds from the heart. The new deluxe-edition comes loaded with ambition, and whole lot more.

($73.99, at Amazon.com)

VIDEO GAMEGod of War: Ascension

One of the most impressive moments at the E3 2012 video game conference was the showcase of God of War: Ascension’s new eye-popping graphics. The game also features a wider variety of vi-cious combat styles and battle formats. Finally, we get all the mythological oomph that was lacking from the latest Wrath of the Titans film

(Available March 12; $59.99 at Best Buy)

PLAYLIST BY TROY L. SMITH

FRYE VERA SHORTIE BOOTS

Handsome, hand-distressed leather with adjustable buckles at the top and bottom of the shaft for a perfect fit. $298; available at A Step Apart (235 Park Ave.)

CHEVRON NECKLACE

Hand sawn, sanded and painted, these necklaces are a refreshing complement to any outfit. $38; available at theknottyowlshop.etsy.com

MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION SCARF

For all you hipsters smitten by the mustache bug; a long and lightweight, sheer polyester/rayon blend scarf featuring an all-over mustache print. $22; available at Peppermint

RED FOLDOVER NECKLINE DRESS

Stylish touches such as an ascot-style collar, pewter buttons, and front pockets make this sleeveless red frock a stellar wardrobe must-have. $58; available at Peppermint (121 Park Ave)

THE FASHION FOURFASHION BY TANVI ASHER

Tanvi Asher, owner of Peppermint boutique (peppermint.storenvy.com) on Park Avenue, details a handful of stylish items you can wear now.

››LISTEN UPI’m a soulful house DJ, audiophile, music elitist and the H.B.I.C of Dorje Adornments piercing and jewelry shop in Rochester, and music makes my world go around. Each issue I’m gonna dip into my current rotation and share some of my favorites with you. —DJ Nickl

1 Flight Facilities “Foreign Language”

(Drop Out Orchestra remix) Drop Out Orchestra does it again with a funky disco-infused house track that will have you shaking your hips and looking for your short shorts and roller skates. Fresh!

2 Blu Mar Ten vs. Erykah Badu “You Got Me”

The Roots can do no wrong and here’s a remix one of my favorite tracks. London-based producers Blue Mar Ten brilliantly stripped out all the rhymes leaving only Erykah’s silky smooth vocals coming in and out, highlighting the ecstatic bass drops.

3 Monica “Make Things Right”

(Steed Lord Diva Edit) This track was my jam back in the day. Steed Lord Diva takes Monica’s sultry, heartbroken vocals and twists them up with a slow, synth heavy, 80s influenced remix of this incredible track.

Keep up with me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr @dorjeadornments


{ MEET OUR }

Our recent activity on Instagram has given us the opportunity to meet some inter-esting people we’ve chosen to highlight in each issue of the magazine. First up are paratrooper William Clay and crossfit enthusiast Jillian Brennan. —Victor Gomez

‹‹�WILLIAM “CLAY” NELSON (@TATTED_UCE) Age: 22From: Joint Base Lewis-McChord (near Tacoma, Washington) Occupation: I’m an airborne 25c field radio operator in the US army for special operations. I can’t really get to in-depth into the specifics of my job, but I can say I establish and main-tain communications between those who need it, and I love what I do!Favorite quote: “The

Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt on top of the world, working my ass off to what seems to be a promising and fulfilling goal. And before you know it, poof, stripped from everything. The Lord decided that I have to go another route in life. I don’t sweat it though. I know God’s got a plan and Imma be straight.IG Shoutout: I wanna s/o my homie, my Or-lando tat-man Robby (@robbytats) of Body Image Custom Ink

and ‘muh uso’ Fano (@hi_elite_tatau) in Spanaway, Wash. Both taught me a lot about myself. Not just my artists, but I can actually call them close friends.

››�JILLIAN BRENNAN (@LOVE_IN_DISGUISE) Age: 20From: Buffalo, NYOccupation: I got my first waitressing job in April of this year and I absolutely loved it. You get to leave with cash in your pocket and with

your dignity. Favorite Quote: “Your attitude towards life determines life’s at-titude towards you.” I’m a firm believer in manifest destiny, and in the law of attraction. You abso-lutely cannot live a positive life without a positive mind. IG Shoutout: Has to go to @kmaecags, for being a badass tattooed biotch who seems to have over-come and conquered it all; and for being a huge inspiration on my health and fitness journey.

INSTA-FRIENDS

WEB//CULTURE

SUBCULTURE EXCLUSIVE

In 2008, Rochester-native James Niche started ACT LIVE, a local music blog that has since become a national movement. Through ACT LIVE, Niche has launched events, exposed artists, connected musicians and helped put Rochester on the map. Now, he has taken the movement to the Big Apple. Before leaving he penned a farewell letter. We have the privilege of publishing it.

“Being a man who grew up an only child in a very small family and had changed schools so often, I spent my teenager years and early twenties seeking myself and my true friends. When I founded ACT LIVE in Rochester, NY, I discovered them waiting for me. This is for you, fam.

It hasn’t always been so easy putting myself in the public eye and exposing my heart to the community for what I believe

in, especially when it’s so easy to do what’s popular because that’s what I think people will want. Turns out, people want something different.

I’ve used my platform and experi-ence to help expose the Western New York area to great new music, create exciting events and help young artists. I’ve also used it to unite these artists and fans; acting as a catalyst for many positive re-lationships across the country that

are still alive and well to this day.

I’ve never been much of a reli-gious man, but if I was to compare music to my Catholic upbring-ing, I would have to say that the Dub Land Underground was my church and its patrons the ACT LIVE parishioners.

I wouldn’t have been able to make any of this happen if it wasn’t for the extended family I developed along the way. Guys like Mike Hanlon, Josh Currier, Nicholas Baish, Pat Gaffney, Drew Nye, Alex Ng, Reece Q, Frank DeBlase, Tim Tones, Fresh Fingaz, Moses

Rockwell, Jeff Seils and DJ Naps (just to name a few) have sup-ported me along the way and have become the closest I have to brothers.

To the great artists and musi-cians reading this, let your art or business be a direct reflection of who you are, your values and tastes – not what you think will be popular. I will forever carry on the brand in that manner, also repre-senting the great city of Rochester along the way.

My work will continue in New York City as ACT LIVE grows, digging a deeper channel for all the inspiring musicians and art-ists I have worked with over the years, with my Red Wings fitted always close.” This piece is dedi-cated to the memory of Bryan

‘Biz-R’ Rivoli. —James Niche

GOODBYE, FAREWELL

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10 | SUBCULTURE December 2012/January 2013 Photo of Erickson by Troy L. Smith

CHRISTINE ERICKSONHORNS & TAILS TATTOO PARLOR

ARTIST PROFILE

TATTOO //CULTURE

IT’S NOT SHOCKING to find out that Christine Erickson, owner of Horns & Tails Tattoo Parlor, is a Southern California native.

Her friendly nature, laid-back demeanor and carefree style is a dead giveaway. But it does make you wonder how she

wound up in Rochester, N.Y. Erickson, 28, came to the area after high school to visit some relatives. And like many people who visit upstate New York, she never left. One thing that stayed with Erickson as she moved from one coast to the other was her love of art. Growing up with a single mom, Erickson says she was fortunate to have cool babysitters who were fans of fine art. Erickson followed their lead and by her late teens already had her career mapped out.

“I would tell everyone in high school that I wanted to become a tattoo artist,” she recalls. Erickson started tattooing six years ago and eventually landed a gig at Temple Tattoo Studio on Monroe Avenue. However, when the owner of the shop abruptly decided to pack up and move, it was Erickson who took over the location and renamed it Horns & Tails in April 2011. “I remodeled everything with just two weeks’ notice,” says Erickson. “It was hard to juggle things at first. I now had to worry about bills and the other employees at the shop. I couldn’t just sit and paint anymore.”

At Horns & Tails, Erickson oversees two other artists and an apprentice, while

maintaining her own broad skillset as an artist. She says as a business owner and artist she can handle just about anything

that’s thrown at her. “I like taking the classical stuff and putting my own spin on it,” says Erickson. “All of those old tattoo styles still hold

up today. This is such a beautiful outlet. I love making

art for people putting on their skin, where it will be forever.” —Troy L. Smith

Check out Peers' early

recordings at www.youtube.

com/user/

››�TO SEE a gallery of

Erickson’s work, go to Subculture

NY.com.


TATTOO //CULTURE

PORTFOLIO

“I LIKE TAKING THE CLASSICAL STUFF AND PUTTING MY OWN SPIN ON IT. ALL OF THOSE OLD TATTOO STYLES STILL HOLD UP TODAY.” –CHRISTINE ERICKSON


TEXAS NATIVE WITH AN AWESOME LAST NAME FINDS HER NICHE DOING MAKEUP IN UPSTATE NEW YORK.BY TROY L. SMITH


INDIVIDUAL //CULTURE

Photo by Deanna Johnson

TIFFANY LOVELESS

PROFILES

REST ASSURED THAT TIFFANY LOVELESS’ LAST NAME IS REAL. AND TO HER, IT’S SPECTACULAR.“I always tell people it’s my wrestling name,” she says with

a laugh. “Growing up, I don’t think anyone I met believed that ‘Loveless’ was my real last name.”

Loveless is originally from Texas, though her parents met when they both lived in Albany. When she was a kid, Loveless’ family moved back to upstate New York, where she’s been ever since.

Loveless started getting tattooed while in college. Over the years she’s accumulated quite a few – two full sleeves, her chest and rib cage. Her next project, after she gives birth to her second child in as many years, will be a leg sleeve of her favorite horror movie icons.

The tattoos have led to a few interesting scenarios for Loveless. The first came when she interviewed for a teaching job after college.

“I remember being in the interview with the superintendent and the principal,” she recalls. “I had a turtleneck on with long sleeves. At the end of the interview I asked how they felt about tattoos… a lot of tattoos.”

The school was cool with Loveless’ ink, even letting her coach basketball. She says during road games, she would remove her jacket revealing her tattoos to the visiting team’s fans.“That’s when things would get really weird,” she says.After teaching ran its course, Loveless attended hair

school in Albany. There she got hooked on doing people’s makeup.

After working as a manager for Mac Cosmetics in Marketplace Mall, Loveless has since gone the freelance route. Things have gone pretty well. She’s typically booked a couple months in advance, mostly for weddings.

Loveless says much of her work has come from clients who remember her thanks to her unique last name. However, to be fair, Loveless is technically not her last name anymore. It’s Miller, the name she took on after marrying her husband.

The two have a 1 year-old son, with another on the way in March. Loveless may now be a Miller, but she’s managed to hang on to her cool maiden name via her professional life.“There are a lot of Tiffany Millers out there,” she says with

a smile. “Loveless is more exciting.”


FOR PROOF AS TO THE EVOLUTION OF POST-HARDCORE MUSIC, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE GIFTS OF GHOSTS.

The band from Rockland County (a suburb about 15 minutes outside of Manhattan) merges the high-energy elements of traditional post-hardcore with melodic undertones and a little electronic seasoning, for some pretty entertaining results.

It’s an intriguing mix that Rochester-resident Jordan Curran just couldn’t pass up.

Earlier this year, Curran disbanded Endyga, the Rochester-based project he started in his teens. In looking for the next stop on his musical journey, Curran began marketing his guitar skills on YouTube. That led to him finding out about The Gift of Ghosts, a band with more than 19,000 likes on Facebook that was looking for a new guitarist.

“I wanted to find a group that had already built a solid foundation,” says Curran. “I found myself extremely intrigued by The Gift of Ghosts. The sound was orchestrated and together. The production was on point and they topped it off with a professional music video that brought the visual and sonic presence to life.”

That video was “I, The Architect,” a bare bones yet heart-pounding clip that breathes cinematic life into the band’s mesmerizing single. It all amounted to a perfect fit for Curran, who nailed his audition and has been getting his bearings as the final piece to The Gift of Ghosts’ puzzle.

Curran and his bandmates – singer Ray

Berly, bassist Rich Wagner, guitarist Alex Kouvatsos and drummer Mike Galgano – recently signed to The Artery Foundation Artist Management as well as The Pantheon Agency for booking.

The Gift of Ghosts is working on new music for full-length due sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, the band has surpassed the 21,000 likes mark on Facebook.

Curran says he’s excited for what lies ahead, but remains mindful of the

past that has helped get him to this point.

“When I started Endyga, I was a young teenager, immature to the worlds of life and music,” says Curran. “I

have grown so much over the years both as a musician and as

a human being. Endyga is largely to thank for that. I wouldn’t be the person

that I am today without it.”


THE GIFT OF GHOSTS PROFILES

NEW YORK CITY-AREA BAND ADDS ROCHESTER NATIVE TO THE MIX AS IT GEARS UP FOR WHAT’S NEXT. BY KAITLIN MESMER

Check out Peers' early

recordings at www.youtube.com/user/

AmandaLee Peers

�

››�FOR MORE ON THE GIFT OF

GHOSTS, go to www.Facebook.com/

TheGift ofGhosts.

Photo courtesy The Artery Foundation


MOST PEOPLE KNOW JAKE BUTLER FOR HIS MUSICAL ENDEAVORS. AND FOR GOOD REASON.

Butler, 27, has been writing and playing music for more than 10 years. His resume includes more than a dozen bands, the first of which took shape while he was teen at Spencerport High School.

“I think one of my friends I played sports with in school played guitar,” recalls Butler. “I did too. Then another kid on our team played drums. It all just started from there.”

Butler started taking music more seriously while in college. During that time, he bounced in and out of several high-profile local bands, most notably Ignite Autumn and Young Bloods. Both bands eventually split up, but Butler kept making music.

These days, he spends much of his time filling in on guitar for a number of local and national acts, as well as producing electronic music for other artists. The biggest thing music has done for Butler is that it has given him a forum to pursue his other passion – graphic design.

“Between music and graphic design, I’m probably a little more talented at graphic

design,” says Butler.That’s saying a lot. Yet, Butler has been

doing graphic design almost as long as he’s been doing music. In fact, he designed the T-shirts for one of his first bands.

Design work represents the future for Butler. His latest project is JBRD Apparel, a collaboration Streaker Records co-owner Rob DPiazza.

Butler has spent much of the past year creating designs for Streaker Records apparel. He describes JBRD has abstract designs for the kind of apparel you would find at popular retailers like Urban Outfitters and Forever 21.

JBRD is expected to launch in the spring. In the meantime, Butler says he’s been thinking about going back to college to get his formal degree in graphic design.

“When I’m sitting at the computer doing graphic design, everything just seems to come together,” he says. “I’ll always be a musician, but I really enjoy designing something, showing it to people and seeing their reaction of excitement.”

JAKE BUTLER PROFILES

MUSICIAN THRIVES WHETHER HE HAS A GUITAR IN HAND OR IS SITTING IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER. BY KAITLIN MESMER

Photo by Malik Sales and Seandell Boose




READY FOR WHATEVER

WILLIE

MONROE JR.WILLIE

MONROE JR.READY FOR

WHATEVER

T

s u b c u lt u r e p r e s e n t s

after suffering his first loss, willie monroe jr. was down, but not out. back to his winning ways, monroe’s now ready to take a swing at anything thrown his way.

STORY BY TROY L. SMITH | PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER CARDWELL

The year 2011 was a tough one for Willie Monroe Jr. He lost his first fight as a professional boxer. Both his training and promotional teams abruptly dropped him. And his

music project, R&B group Signature, called it quits.

Monroe disappeared from the public eye for over a year, fueling rumors that he had all but retired. “I sort of laugh at it now,” says Monroe.


December 2012/January 2013 SUBCULTURE | 21December 2012/January 2013 SUBCULTURE | 21

22 | SUBCULTURE December 2012/January 201322 | SUBCULTURE December 2012/January 2013


That’s because, like a true champion, Monroe bounced right back. 2012 saw him return to his winning ways with a successful fight at Rochester’s

Sahlen’s Stadium in August.Monroe also became a father,

welcoming his son Gabriel (named after Monroe’s favorite archangel in the Bible) into the world.

Now, at the age of 25, Monroe is in the driver seat of his own career. He trains out of Rochester’s Roc Boxing and recently joined the training camp of four-time world champion Miguel Cotto.

Monroe gave us his thoughts on boxing, fatherhood and rebuilding “Team Monroe.”

IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS PRIDE COMES BEFORE THE FALL.I was very prideful on being undefeated and the way I started my career. But I got so stuck on that fight being taken away from me that I was missing the point. I had to step back. To be put in that rut and put all the way to the bottom, and to have friends and family there for me… I’ve been blessed.

WE STARTED BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP.I took the money I made from the fight, came home and made a promise to God that if he gave me another chance to fight, I would always work to perfect my craft. A friend of mine built a gym in his garage and we just started working. We came back with the fight in August and the rest is history.

THE LOSS ACTUALLY DID MORE FOR ME THAN A WIN WOULD HAVE.Because of the lineage of the Monroe name and my reputation as an amateur, it’s hard to get guys to fight you. On top of that, I’m left handed and guys don’t want to fight south paws. Now that I have an ‘L’ on my record, more people may think Willie Monroe can be beat. We’ve started getting more calls and fights coming in.

BOXING IS A TOUGH BUSINESS.People think you train, you fight and you win money. I wish it was that simple. My loss showed me the ruthlessness of this business and the way people’s minds are. In the fight world we’re nothing but race horses or gamecocks to them. They don’t realize these men have families and are putting their lives on the line. A lot of fighters get left high and dry. But because of my business savvy and the advisors that I have, we’re like the dream team and that’s not going to happen to me.

I’VE GOT A LOT OF BOXING AHEAD OF ME.Depending on your genetics, you hit your prime around 27, 28. You could stay there a good four or five years, assuming you don’t drink or smoke. I don’t do any of that. Look at Floyd Mayweather. He’s about to be 36 and is not slowing down.

I FIGHT BETTER WHEN I’M HAVING FUN.I was flamboyant in the last fight. Some people take that as arrogance or cockiness, but it’s just the way I fight. Some guys have to get mad before a fight. I don’t

have to be mad at the guy I’m fighting. When you let me have fun and I’m juking and jiving, that’s when I’m on point. I’m a performer.

WHEN I WIN A WORLD TITLE, I DON’T THINK I’LL FEEL GOOD AS I DID THE DAY MY SON WAS BORN.The first time I held him, it was amazing. I told myself I’m never going to let anything happen to my baby or my stepdaughter. They’re not going to have a tough upbringing like I did.

EACH OF MY TATTOOS MEANS SOMETHING TO ME.I got the stars and music notes tattooed behind my ears. That’s a reminder to me that I’m a star whether it’s with music or boxing. I got my son’s name tatted right on my left hand, so when I knock people out I can say my son did that, not me. I’ve got team Monroe tattooed right on my chest and over my heart. To me, Team Monroe isn’t just my team and trainers. It’s anybody that supports me and anybody that understands where I’m coming from.

WHEN YOU LET ME HAVE FUN... THAT’S WHEN I’M ON POINT. I’M A PERFORMER.WHEN YOU LET ME HAVE FUN... THAT’S

WHEN I’M ON POINT. I’M A PERFORMER.


FAVORITE THINGS

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR

*A LOOK BACK AT OUR FAVORITE PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS FROM THE YEAR 2012.

*

Instagram officially launched in 2010. But things pretty much exploded in 2012 when it reached 100 million users and got purchased by Facebook for $1 billion. The website harps back to

FAVORITE FORM OF SHARING

INSTAGRAM

Photo by Christopher Cardwell

SUBCULTURE

2012YEAR IN REVIEW


FAVORITE RENAISSANCE MAN ADAM LEVINE

It wasn’t too long ago that Adam Levine was thinking about ditch-ing Maroon 5 and reevaluating where his career was going. Then The Voice happened. Since Levine became a judge on the hit singing show, Maroon 5 has released its two biggest songs to date (“Moves Like Jagger;” “One More Night”). In 2012, Levine also made his acting debut on American Horror Story: Asylum, launched his own record label, debuted a new fra-grance and helped make The Voice the top singing show on TV. —Peter German

FAVORITE SONS THE BOYS OF SONS OF ANARCHY

When series creator Kurt Sutter created Sons of Anarchy back in 2008, there’s no way he could have anticipated this. Despite its dark and violent storylines, Sons has become one of television biggest dramas. The show rivals Hamlet for its family-driven drama and The Sopranos in terms of body count.

Good and evil doesn’t matter here. It’s the tug or war between loyalty and betrayal that keeps us coming back. —Troy L. Smith

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGY CRAZE TABLETS

The biggest item of the 2012 shopping season was the Kindle Fire. Amazon, the world’s biggest online retailer, marked its territory in the tablet craze that also includes Apple, Google, Microsoft, Barnes & Noble, and other major players. The iPad is still the best of the best, but the competition certainly got steeper. —Sheila Livingston

FAVORITE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE THE WALKING DEAD

With the Twilight film saga coming to a close (thank God!) and The Walking Dead setting television ratings records, there’s certainly been a changing of the guard. Zombies trump vampires these days and AMC’s gripping drama is the cream of the crop. Those of us with the stomachs for it, love seeing a walker take an axe to the head; but it’s the human element that keeps us coming back for more. We’re rooting for this ragtag group of survivors, almost to the point where can’t stand any of them dying… almost. —Peter German

➋ LOOPER➊�THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

➌�MOONRISE KINGDOM

➍ SKYFALL ➎�THE AVENGERS

➽ OUR FIVE FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2012

STYLING BY DAVID GERARD

FAVORITE COVER GIRLSAMANDA CANTIE & GINA MARCELLO

When we first came up with the idea to create Subculture Magazine, we knew we were going to need an awesome cover to kick things off. Enter Amanda Cantie. Our inau-gural cover girl was brave enough to showcase more skin on the cover than anyone since and appear on Brother Wease’s radio show to promote the magazine. The one problem in having such a dynamic cover the first time around is the chal-lenge of following it up. Luckily, Gina Marcello came along. To this day, we still get emails about her and requests for copies of the issue she was featured in (sorry, we’re out of stock). Coincidentally, our first two cover girls are good friends and work together. They wound up being the perfect one-two punch to help jump-start this magazine. —Troy L. Smith

the early days of Facebook when it was all about the photos. In fact, one of the founders of Subculture (that would be @vgbranded) likes it so much that he ditched his Facebook account to focus on Instagram. We haven’t heard any complaints.

—Troy L. Smith INS

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2012YEAR IN REVIEW


➊�KENDRICK LAMAR GOOD KID, M.A.A.D. CITY

➏�MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS THE HEIST

➋�CLOUD NOTHINGS ATTACK ON MEMORY

➐�BURIAL KINDRED

➌�JAPANDROIDS CELEBRATION ROCK

➑�FUN. SOME NIGHTS

➍�FRANK OCEAN CHANNEL ORANGE

➒�NAS LIFE IS GOOD

➎�JACK WHITE BLUNDERBUSS

➓�ENTER SHIKARI A FLASH FLOOD OF COLOUR

➽ OUR TEN FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2012

FAVORITE TRUNK RATTLER “MERCY”

When Kanye West released “Mercy” in April, it instantly became the inescapable hit that should have never worked. Built on Dirty South-style production and an obscure dancehall reggae sample, “Mercy” seemed more like an album cut only true hip-hop heads traditionally go nuts for. But when you’re Keeping Up With The Kardashians-loving girlfriend was in the passenger seat bobbing her head, you knew Mr. West was on to something. Big Sean, Pusha T and Kanye deliver the goods, but their words are really just a warm up for the most memorable verse of 2012 – 2 Chainz! —Kaitlin Mesmer

FAVORITE ASS KICKER RONDA ROUSEY

With the looks of Julia Stiles, a habit of trash talking and the unquestionable ability to kick your ass, Ronda Rousey single-handedly made female mixed martial arts relevant in 2012. She spent most of the year bending

her opponents’ arms back in directions they’re not supposed to go. And of course, who could forget her photo shoot for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue? —Troy L. Smith

FAVORITE CELEBRITY TREND TATTOOS

When you get a new tattoo, you go home, show it to your significant other and maybe post a photo to Facebook. When celebrities get tatted up, it goes viral. And more of them are getting ink these days than ever before. For celebs like Miley Cyrus and Rihanna, it showcases their newfound sense of rebellion, while stars like Scarlett Johansson and Lady Gaga get them for the artistic appeal. —Kaitlin Mesmer

SUBCULTURE

2012YEAR IN REVIEW

FAVORITE GUILTY PLEASURE

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

FAVORITE COMEBACK STORY

HALO 4

Since it last made an appearance in 2007, the Halo franchise got a little lost lost in the video game shuffle with other lucrative franchises like Gears of War and Call of Duty stealing some of its shine. Yet, in 2012, the unparalleled gameplay of Halo 4 put its protagonist Master Chief right back at the top of the heap where he belongs. A gross of $220 million on the first day of its release in Novem-ber certainly helps. Microsoft plans to launch a new gen-eration of the Xbox system next year. This is the way to do it, with a state of the art video game franchise leading the way. —Peter German

British author E.L. James’ erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey was released in in mid-2011. However, to see just how much of a force it was in 2012, all you have to do is head over to Amazon.com’s list of the best-selling books. The top three spots are oc-cupied by Fifty Shades’ three volumes (and the boxed set is No. 8). —Kaitlin Mesmer

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NICK D’ANGELOSTORY BY TROY L. SMITH | PHOTO COURTESY SPIKE TV

LOCAL INK MASTER CONTESTANT

ASKED ANDANSWERED

SUBCULTURE

“TATTOOING HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN HISTORY. EVERY CULTURE, IF YOU DIG DEEP ENOUGH, HAD TATTOOS. IT’S BEEN IN MAN’S SOUL TO DECORATE

THEIR BODIES. I DON’T THINK IT WILL EVER GO AWAY.”

You have to feel for Nick D’Angelo. A talented artist who can tattoo everything from portraits and photo realism to colorful landscapes, D’Angelo landed a spot on the second season of Spike TV’s hit competition/reality show Ink Master. He breezed through the first few challenges on the show before getting hit with the client from hell. D’Angelo, who tattoos at a pirate-themed tattoo shop in Buffalo called The Black Pearl, was eliminated from the show during the fourth episode after a seemingly bi-polar client went ape shit over a tramp stamp. D’Angelo took her ridicule in stride and eventually met his demise, leaving the remaining contestants to label D’Angelo as just too nice of a guy. However, don’t feel too bad for D’Angelo. The 23-year-old artist, who learned to tattoo in Rochester, owns his own tattoo shop and says he’s received a ton of positive feedback from the show.

Your online bio says you started out wanting to be an art teacher. How did you wind up becoming a tattoo artist?School was never one of my favorite things. I would drown out all the drama with a lot of art classes. Art has always been a way for me to escape. So instead of going to more school, I decided to tattoo instead. I was originally taught how to tattoo in Rochester. Since then I’ve just kept pushing and now own a successful tattoo shop.

Who did you learn from in Rochester?Dan Ross, owner of Art to Zen Tattoo. I learned about him from a friend of mine who was a piercer. Dan’s a cool guy and helped me out a lot at the beginning.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced early on as a business owner?My biggest challenge was my age. Most people think you have to be tattooing for years to be good at it. But truth is you just have to be a great artist. Most people didn’t trust my ability because of my age. I was picked out of over 15,000

other tattoo artists for Ink Master. After I arrived, the producers couldn’t even believe how old I was.

How did you wind up getting on the show?Originally I was cast for another Spike TV show called Tattoo Nightmares, but they didn’t want someone so young for that show. So instead they put me on Ink Master as a competitor.

What was the whole experience like?Filming the show was insane. I was trapped in a house with everyone else sharing one bathroom and dealing with a bunch of drama. As you can tell on the show, I just took the punches and attempted to not look like a drama queen like everyone else.

Have you seen an increase in bookings since the show?Generally, I have always been booked out for two to three months. I don’t book further out, just in case a fun trip comes up.

How did you wind up with a pirate-themed tattoo shop?I didn’t want your basic tattoo experience for my clients. I wanted to create an experience you can’t get anywhere else.

Your shop definitely appears to have a more intimate vibe.I want to push the tattoo world into an era of fine art, not just pick something off the wall and put it on your skin forever. I work one-on-one with my clients and design a great piece of artwork they can be proud to wear.

What’s the biggest difference between the 19-year-old Nick who opened his own tattoo shop and the 23-year-old guy we see now?At 19 I was less experienced and had never met many other artists. Every day I’m learning, but still have only ever met about four to five local tattoo artists. I’m more of a stay in and paint or draw kind of person.


+ FOR MORE ON NICK D’ANGELO›› �Check out dangeloart.com›› �See a gallery of Nick’s work

online at SubcultureNY.com


30 | SUBCULTURE December 2012/January 2013 Photo by Christopher Cardwell

LAST //WORD

TINA BLENKER

AGE: 23

ARTWORK BY: Noelle LaMonica, Velvet Grip Family Tattoo in West Hollywood

PLAYLIST: Deftones, The Gaslight Anthem, Every Time I Die, Trap Them, Rochester’s own – Tugboat.

FAVORITE QUOTE: “Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.”

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: “I’ve recently moved away from my family and now hardly see them. I plan to start spending more time with my family.”

TATTOOOWLTHE GIRL WITH THE

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