2B — Thursday, December 3, 2015
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
As I watched The Mox-
ies grace the main stage of the
Cleveland Agora on Nov. 20, I
realized that nothing else in that
moment mattered. I was watch-
ing one of the most genuine rock
‘n’ roll bands of our generation
captivate an audience and hold
them under a spell for the dura-
tion of their fleeting set. For the
40-some minutes that The Mox-
ies took over the Agora, I was
entranced by the way Marco Cio-
fani managed to make his guitar
growl, releasing a thunderstorm
of beautifully belted lyrics, all
while dancing on stage and gal-
vanizing the crowd. And I was
struck by the way Tyler Adams
played the bass like it’s just sec-
ond nature. The way Adams
and Ciofani relate on stage is an
entirely different phenomenon
that is fascinating to watch.
“Marco brings the energy to the
rest of us. He’s dangerous on stage.
Watch your back,” Adams said.
I can attest to Ciofani’s fero-
ciousness on stage, but I don’t
think Adams needs to watch
his back. He and Ciofani play
together like they’re brothers, like
they’re yin and yang. I’ve been to
several of their shows and each
time it’s the exact same scenario.
They’ll walk on stage, start play-
ing and Ciofani will get worked
up. Once Ciofani starts moving
around, Adams will follow in pur-
suit. With the two of them electri-
fying the stage, it’s only a matter
of time before their contagious
energy takes over the crowd.
“All it takes is one person,” Cio-
fani said. “All it takes is one spark
— people just don’t want to be the
first one.”
With that mentality, Ciofani
dances until the crowd gives in.
The crowd will dance all night
until Ciofani sacrifices himself to
them. At their last show, the set
ended when Ciofani played the
guitar atop the mass of people
pushing against the barrier to the
stage; other shows have ended
with Ciofani simply snapping the
strings on his guitar.
The Moxies are such a cohesive
unit that calling them by their
instrumental designations seems
odd. Most bands are known by
their vocalist, their guitarist,
their bassist and their drummer,
but for this trio it doesn’t seem to
matter who plays what. They all
jam together on stage just as loud-
ly and just as hard as the other.
There’s no instrument that over-
powers and there’s no person that
shines the brightest.
To break the trio down for you,
let’s start with the most essential
member of any band: the drum-
mer. When Ciofani formed The
Moxies in 2011, he asked his friend
Kevin Werfield to learn how to
play the drums — because a band
isn’t a band without a drummer. In
2014, Werfield quit the band, leav-
ing The Moxies drummer-less.
When things didn’t work out with
Landon Hall, A.J. Wilder stepped
in as the third and current drum-
mer for The Moxies. Wilder, other
than having an ideal stage name,
hails from Iowa and played in
another band down in Nashville
before lending his hands to The
Moxies. Judging from his per-
formance at the Agora on Nov.
20, I would say Wilder knows
exactly what he’s doing. Though
he hasn’t been with the band for
long, it feels like he grew up with
Ciofani and Adams. The vibe on
stage seemed completely natural;
Wilder’s ability to slay his drum
kit doesn’t hurt either.
The second member of this
power trio is Tyler Adams. When
Ciofani wanted to start a band, he
promptly recruited Adams and
told him to learn the bass. With-
in a matter of months, Adams
learned the bass, dropped out of
Kent State University and joined
The Moxies full time. Five years
and a move to Nashville later, and
I would say it was worth it. Like
Wilder with his drums, Adams
has complete control over the
bass. Not many people appreciate
the power of the bass guitar, but
it’s hard not to appreciate it in The
Moxies’s case. First of all, Adams
counters Ciofani’s actions on stage
so it’s literally impossible not to
notice his dirty blond hair mov-
ing along with the music. Musi-
cally, Adams is hard to ignore as
well. With each strum of his bass
guitar, Adams lays the foundation
for Ciofani while simultaneously
adding a layer of complexity to
each song. With a standout bassist
and drummer commanding both
the stage and the recording stu-
dio, it becomes easy for Ciofani’s
sound to pop.
I asked the guys what they
are listening to now, and Cio-
fani responded to the question
enthusiastically.
“I love that question. Did I tell
you to ask that question? I tell
interviewers to always ask an art-
ist what they’re listening to lately.
As a fan of other bands, that’s
what I want to know. What is
Jerry Lee Lewis listening to in his
car? I’ve been listening to a lot of
Queens of the Stone Age. They’re
just an awesome rock band. No
one ever showed me them when
I lived up here (in Cleveland). No
one was like check these guys out.
I heard the name but never inves-
tigated it. I couldn’t find out that
they were one of the flag leaders of
modern day rock ‘n’ roll. They’re a
guitar band.”
In addition to appreciating
bands with a larger reach, The
Moxies are avid supporters of
local bands and urge others to
support their local bands as well.
“We listen to a lot of Jeff the
Brotherhood — get that.” (Marco
then proceeds to lean forward
and shout into my phone, “Jeff the
Brotherhood!”) “They’re a two-
piece brother band from Nash-
ville. They’re like hillbilly Black
Sabbath, it’s so fucking sweet.
We saw them on Halloween night
and they came out in these dark
wizard outfits. He’s like standing
there with his guitar and this wiz-
ard hat and cloak. That was my
favorite live show in Nashville.”
As for other great shows they
went to, Dick Dale and Cage the
Elephant were high up on their
lists. Worst shows? The band
remains nameless, but anything
pop-punk is usually not on their
list of favorites.
Marco Ciofani’s appreciation
for great guitar music is partly
what makes him not only the cre-
ator and lead vocalist of The Mox-
ies, but above all else, the band’s
guitarist. I love Ciofani’s gritty,
raw voice; it’s fantastic and it can
undeniably carry the complex lyr-
ics that he pens, but when he plays
the guitar, he does so much more
than just play it.
“When I was 13 years old I said
fuck sitting down playing the gui-
tar. I love to dance. I was just in
my little basement in my mom’s
fiancé’s house and I quit sitting
down. It brings energy to what
you do,” Ciofani said.
Clearly Ciofani was a genius
at the ripe old age of 13, because
at this point, he has mastered
the art of not sitting down. The
amount of passion and energy
Ciofani pours into his guitar
when he rips it to shreds on
stage is enough to bring this
inanimate object to life. This
intensity became all the more
obvious at their most recent
show at the Agora. Aside from
a few songs, the remainder of
their set was comprised of new
songs that they’ve been working
on in Nashville for the past year.
These songs, the songs The Mox-
ies played on Nov. 20, the same
songs that will appear on their
debut album, are songs unlike
anything released this past year,
arguably this past decade.
It’s been almost three years
since The Moxies released their
last EP, so when they previewed
some of their new music at the
Agora, it only made me hungrier
for what’s to come this spring.
This album will no doubt be a
catalyst for The Moxies; made in
Nashville, this album has been
touched by tenured pros. Jared
Champion, drummer for Cage the
Elephant, played drums on three
tracks while long-time guitarist
for Cage the Elephant, Lincoln
Parish, produced and collaborat-
ed on the album as a whole. Cio-
fani and Parish did most of the
songwriting, usually with Light-
nin’ Hopkins playing in the back-
ground (though when I asked if
Hopkins’s sound translated onto
the album, they said it didn’t).
Unlike a lot of music produced
today, this album wasn’t made in
a hurry. Parish aptly called the
songwriting process “an organic
experience — that’s usually when
the best stuff comes out.”
When I asked Ciofani what
influenced him this time around,
his response was very fitting to
who he is as a musician: His influ-
ence is “Just guitar … Literally
just playing the guitar. If there’s
one thing I really want to do it’s to
bring back guitar. Because I think
there’s a space for it. It’s not that
cool anymore. You don’t hear shit
like Santana anymore, whether
you like him or not … I think this
generation and the next can really
dig it because there’s been a gap in
guitar music.”
As far as major differences in
this album versus their last EP,
both Adams and Ciofani chimed
“the groove” in unison. Part of
the groove they might be refer-
ring to comes by way of the song-
writing process.
“Whenever I’m writing a
song, if I can’t see some, like,
22-year-old college chick danc-
ing her ass off to it then I’m not
doing it right,” Ciofani said. “We
want to write a record that is a
dance record, you put it on at a
party, when you’re driving or
when you’re with your friends.”
If their performance at the
Agora is any indicator of their
album, which of course it is, then
I would say they nailed it. With
the crowd vivaciously dancing
to songs about vampire love and
their famed “Black Shadow,” I
can only imagine what will hap-
pen when people get their hands
on their entire album.
MOXIES
From Page 1B
I
t happens around mid-
November: holiday food
comes out. Recipes for
sweet potato casseroles slide
innocently into our Facebook
feeds; tan-
talizing
pies pop
up in the
corners
of Trader
Joe’s.
Fresh
greens
and but-
ternut
squash are
suddenly
overwhelmed by french-fried
onions and candied yams, their
packages covered in recipes for
butter-laden dishes.
Then
there’s
the
snow,
justifying
us
staying
in,
swaddled
in
blankets
and
fuzzy
socks.
Friendsgiving
dinners are planned, but bike
rides are canceled due to ice
and dropping temps. We settle
into Thanksgiving mode, finals
mode, sweater-party mode.
And as much as we indulge in
the glorious food and traditions
of the season, each serving of
pumpkin pie often comes with a
dollop of guilt.
For many people, Thanksgiving
— and the holiday season in
general — is an all-or-nothing
ordeal when it comes to healthy
choices. On one hand, there’s
the guy with a devil-may-care
attitude toward the festivities,
wolfing down third servings in
sweatpants and abandoning the
gym until New Year’s Resolution
time rolls around. Then there’s
the joyless warrior who’s sticking
to her diet no matter what,
replacing every side dish with its
healthy substitute and manically
bragging about how many calories
she saved over “Thinsgiving.”
And there’s the half million
people,
myself
included,
who ran a “Turkey Trot” on
Thanksgiving
Day,
racing
distances of 5k to marathon to
offset the big meal to come. We
all want to have our cake and eat
it too, without tipping the scale
like Santa or glaring at frosting
like the Grinch. So instead of
sacrificing snickerdoodles, we
may kill ourselves in the gym,
crushing the guilt from holiday
binges to a minimum.
But in the middle of a two-
hour “Turkey Burn” spin class,
when you’re cursing the wine
and cheese from Aunt Kathy’s
house, you may ask yourself: Is
this good for me? Is exercise
healthy if it’s only in response
to guilty binges?
The problem is, if we only exer-
cise because we feel obligated to
— so we’ll really deserve that slice
of pecan pie — fitness develops a
negative connotation. To counter
this attitude, Women’s Health has
recently promoted “Guilt Free Fit-
ness,” encouraging working out
because it makes us stronger, not
because we feel that we need to
earn the bird. “Cycling is about
conquering a steep climb so you
can experience the high of flying
downhill — not working off a tur-
key dinner. Let’s change the con-
versation,” the magazine urges.
In theory, their mantra rings
true. Exercise is so much more
than a means to fitting in a party
dress. We shouldn’t run because
we’re ashamed of our bodies; we
should run because we love our
bodies and want to nourish them.
But “Guilt Free Fitness” is
harder in practice. No matter
if we live healthy lifestyles or
struggle to stay on diets, during
the holidays, we’ve probably all
had the same thought: Man, I
really need to workout. We’re
not
necessarily
punishing
ourselves, at least not in an
unhealthy way. I think about it
like this: If I have the choice of
grinding out two more miles or
beating myself up for overeating
later, I’ll choose to run — and
I’m sure others (ahem, Turkey
Trotters) agree.
But are we guilty of guilty
fitness? I asked alum Brittany
Ryann Thorpe, a 2014 School
of Kinesiology graduate who’s
pursuing
her
M.S.
degree
in
Clinical
Physiology
and
Metabolism at Virginia Tech,
for her opinion on how to stay
healthy over the holidays.
“I enjoy doing extra work
before eating the rich food,”
said Thorpe, who was a member
of the University Rowing and
Cross Country teams. “Because
then I don’t feel as guilty when
I do stuff my face with the
holiday treats. I prefer to hate
my workout a little that day
more than hate how I feel about
myself after consuming that
food and not working out.”
As a past personal trainer at
Ann Arbor’s Applied Fitness
Solutions, Thorpe is familiar
with the challenge of staving off
weight gain without sacrificing
the holiday season.
“The
holidays
can
be
a
defeating time for many people
in terms of maintaining a diet
and keeping up with their
workout routines,” she said.
“It’s best to encourage people
to maintain good habits over
the holidays, but still find
enjoyment in the festive season.
After all, if you don’t eat that
slice of pie you really want, if
later in the season you become
defeated with your diet, you
may find yourself eating the
whole pie instead!”
Thorpe continued, “Accept
that you might — and most likely
will — gain a bit more weight
on the holidays, but don’t feel
defeated in your efforts to eat
better and work out.”
Like
all
things
in
the
holidays, there’s bad news and
good news. The bad news is that
your grandma might ask about
your love life, your runs may
be in sub-zero temps and you’ll
probably gain a few pounds
from the pound cakes. The good
news? You’re surrounded by
good food, friends and family.
Just because it’s winter doesn’t
mean you have to hibernate.
Being active can simply mean
taking your little sister ice
skating, hiking out to get that
perfect tree, or going shopping
with your mom.
And
if
you
want
more?
Register for the Jingle Bell Run.
Have the slice of pie. Because
when
it
comes
to
holiday
traditions, whether they be
active or indulgent, I say the
more the merrier. Stay moving
and save splurges for special
occasions, then leave the dollop
of guilt at home.
Middlebrook is pounding
down the pound cake. To ask
where to send more, email
hailharp@umich.edu.
HEALTH COLUMN
Enjoy Xmas without
turning into Santa
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW
Here is a music video
from two true originals:
Kevin Abstract, a 19-year-old
hip-hop
artist and
songwriter,
under the
direction of
the 20-year-
old Tyler
Mitchell, an
up-and-coming photographer
based in New York City,
collaborated together to create
the music video for Abstract’s
recent single, “ECHO.”
Sadness and confusion in the
face of a personal loss is the
initial outline that the moody
lyrics and instrumentation of
“ECHO” provides. The artistic
eyes of Mitchell and Abstract
heighten this emotion with
the juxtaposition of something
strange against simple action:
a motorcycle helmet-clad
Kevin riding a merry-go-
round, or a lazy, yellow-haired
and coolly-dressed Tyler
haphazardly driving a bicycle
down a park’s sidewalk.
There are the wandering
eyes of Abstract, peering
through the darkened lens
of his motorcycle helmet,
as he travels through some
undefined tunnel.
Something broke, but he’s
still moving forward. The
sand of something slipped
through his fingers, and now
he’s left on the other side,
pondering it all to excess.
Unsure of where to go, or of
how far away he can really
go, Mitchell helps Abstract
capture some strange sort of
sadness in “ECHO.”
The strange and original
visuals build upon one another
as the song travels towards its
climax. And there, at the apex,
Abstract crawls and cries in
some reddened pile of sand.
You don’t understand it, the
situation or how he got there,
but you feel the emotion. You
somehow, in some foreign
way, understand his pain.
Abstract and Mitchell are
modern reminders that age
doesn’t determine talent.
These young innovators are
meddling with the platforms
of their visual and musical
appearance. Abstract is
testing the borders of the hip-
hop in his upcoming release
with his boy-band troupe,
Brockhampton. He croons
like Kanye, and mixes beats
into something a little more
chilled. His newest release,
while shrouded in mystery,
is set to release in early 2016.
Mitchell is a photographer
and videographer who hates
Instagram. Armored by
talent, Mitchell has set out
to avoid the motivations that
modern artists of his field
find in the Tumblr re-blogs
and Instagram likes. He’s sick
of it — he is suffocated by it —
and is hoping to descend it all.
These boys aren’t demanding
attention: they are letting the
public eye naturally glide over
to their exciting originality
and individuality.
- AMELIA ZAK
FOOL’S GOLD RECORDS
A
Echo
Kevin Abstract
TRAILER REVIEW
The legend of Krampus in
Alpine folklore is a strange one.
Saint Nicholas was believed to
have a number
of “compan-
ions” that
accompanied
him around
Europe during
the Christ-
mas holiday.
Among these
was an anthro-
pomorphic
figure called Krampus, who
was thought to be, in a sense,
the anti-Santa Claus. Krampus,
with cloven hooves and goat
horns, would punish misbehav-
ing children, often in gruesome
ways. The truly troubling part of
this legend, the film adaptation
seems to argue, is that nothing
can be done to curb the wrath of
this devilish figure.
“Krampus” is being mar-
keted as a black comedy, horror
holiday film, which begs the
question: when was the last
time you saw, or even heard
about, a movie like that? Think
for a minute, what was the last
successful Christmas horror
movie? “Bad Santa?” Credit
must be given where credit
is due, and director Michael
Dougherty (“Trick ‘r Treat”)
deserves some recognition for
bringing us a unique, if not
totally strange, spin on the holi-
day film genre.
The movie appears to suf-
fer from the all-too-common
bout of jump-scares and pos-
sessed toys. Scary music cues,
dark corners and restricted
camera angles abound. While
the demonic figure itself isn’t
shown, viewers get the idea:
twisted horns, a creepy gait,
weird snarls. The true hor-
ror of the movie, as with the
legend, has nothing to do with
the monster or the surprise —
it’s the idea that children, the
innocent gems of the Christmas
holiday, cannot escape evil.
- BRIAN BURLAGE
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Pumpkin pie
comes with a
dollop of guilt.
HAILEY
MIDDLEBROOK
B-
Krampus
Universal
Pictures
Dec. 4, 2015
The sand of
something
slipped through
his fingers.