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SnowGlobe Winter Fashion Guide

By california, festivals, laketahoe, Millennials, music, musicfestivals, reno, snowglobe, winterNo Comments

Most of us have seen popular fashion choices for festival wear. Guys wear tank tops and bandanas while girls sport jean shorts and flower crowns. These are perfect options for a warm, sunny afternoon in April. But for those who have attended or plan on attending South Lake Tahoe’s SnowGlobe Music Festival this winter, cute and warm may not always mean the same thing. This year’s festival weather includes high percentages of humidity, snow and rain showers, and temperatures with lows bellow 20 degrees. Don’t fret. There are plenty of ways to dress up and accessorize without sacrificing your toes to frostbite. 

1. Feet First In between all of the weird dancing you’ll be doing and waiting in line for the bathroom and food trucks you’ll be on your feet all night. Don’t chance it with a pair of Vans or your roommate’s old snow boots that leak. It’s worth every penny to buy yourself a nice pair of snow boots. Yes, they are pricy, but it’s going to be worth it when you don’t have to leave your friends to go warm your feet up in the car. Festival grounds are going to be covered in ice and snow, so waterproof shoes are a must have. I’d recommend Sorel or Moon Boots if you’re looking for particular brands. Plus, they’re available on popular sites like Amazon or Zappos at a discounted price. It’s also smart to buy a pair of long socks normally used for skiing to add an additional layer of warmth. 

2.Leg Up A great way to add some color to your outfit while also staying warm is to layer up with colorful leggings. Melting Pot World Emporium has a great selection of leggings. It’s best to wear 2-3 layers with your favorite color on top, of course. Popular prints and designs this year are vibrant colors with galaxy prints. It’s probably best not to go with jeans because they’re going to be hard to get on and off for layering where as leggings are comfy and easy to pack. 

3.Don’t Be Shady, Or Do For those of you who’ve been up to Tahoe skiing or snowboarding, you know that the snow harshly reflects sunshine onto your face and eyes. During the day a pair of fun sunglasses is a great way to add a customizable look to your outfit. Popular costume stores in Reno such as Junkee offer a great selection of reflective sunglasses or even cool, clear lenses. Melting Pot also has fun glasses if you want to rock the peace sign, too.

4.Get Cozy SnowGlobe is the perfect opportunity to dress as crazy as you want to. It’s a smart idea to bring your warmest coat, but you can always throw random fuzzy vests or faux fur jackets over it to add to the festival look. If you’re not into the fur look other ideas include flannel shirts or a Mexican poncho. Bright scarves are also a fun way to add some fun. Pro Tip: Bring hand warmers as well. Swing by Walmart or another convenience store on your way to Tahoe. They’re small, light, and easy to use. Every bit of warmth is going to make a difference. 

5.Pack It Up You’re going to be hauling water bottles, cash, car keys, your wallet, snacks, and extra pairs of socks in your backpack at a minimum. Melting Pot has hilarious backpacks and fanny packs that make for great photos. Depending on your style you could go for a flashy silver fanny pack or an alien backpack. 

6.Hats Off To You The last thing you want to forget is a warm hat. Beanies come in practically every color. You could go simple and wear a regular hat, or if you’re feeling fancy wear something with a giant pom pom. Many costume specialty stores in Reno have those fuzzy wolf hats too if you really want to get into the spirit. 

 

Have other tips or ideas on how to stay warm at #SG17? We want to hear from you! Tag us on social media or email us at insighteditor@asun.unr.edu 

lady with face paint and flowers in her hair

Artown Reno Presents Día de los Muertos

By culture, musicNo Comments

Día de los Muertos is an ancient Mexican tradition that originated in the Aztec culture. According to tradition, the Aztecs celebrated Mictēcacihuātlon this day, who was the Aztec’s goddess, or “lady of the dead,” and ruled the afterlife.

Throughout the centuries, this sacred day evolved with modern Mexican culture and society. Now, Día de los Muertos continues to be observed all over Mexico and by the Mexican communities in the United States. This traditional event celebrates the lives of the dead, rather than mourning or grieving for them.

As a part of this celebration, bright and colorful altars are set up in people’s homes with different personalized offerings for the deceased, including: hot meals, pan dulce, marigolds, any trinkets that may have belonged to the deceased, and their photos. Cemeteries across Mexico fill up with the deceased’s friends and family members who decorate their gravestones and musicians who gather to play music for the dead and their visitors.

Reno celebrated a little differently this year.

For the first time ever, Artown Reno presented a live performance to honor the Mexican celebration. La Santa Cecilia, Mexrrissey, and Mariachi Flor de Toloache all performed at the Cargo Concert Hall on November 1.

Cargo was filled with the local Latino community and many others who came out to join in the celebration. Many of these people were dressed in the traditional Día de los Muertos attire: bright flowers, rich colors, and skulls.

The first performance was Mariachi Flor de Toloache, an all-female mariachi band. This band is known for breaking gender barriers in the mariachi world because it is a largely male-dominated world. The Latin Grammy-nominated band members walked on stage wearing traditional mariachi attire and had half of their faces painted by makeup to represent skulls. To top it all off, they wore the classic bright, big flowers on their heads.

Mariachi Flor de Toloache energized the crowd with their twist on the regional Mexican genre of mariachi music. The people in the crowd sang along with their famous covers, screamed the “mariachi grito,” or the mariachi call, and danced along while honoring their culture.

The music continued with performers Mexrrissey and La Santa Cecilia. They followed the ladies of Toloache by sustaining the crowd’s energy and finally culminating that energy at the very end of the night. The night ended with all three performers hopping on stage and performing together. The small stage was packed with the performers and the vibrant energy of Día de los Muertos.

As the show ended and the Cargo concert hall closed it’s doors on the night’s event, Downtown Reno’s streets led the celebrators and their colorful skull attire back to their homes.

The Día de los Muertos event at the Cargo created a space for the Latino community to celebrate a traditionally important and cultural holiday. As joyful and celebratory as the energy at the event felt, I noticed a woman who wept as she sang and swayed along to the performer’s music.

This moment reminded me of the reality behind Día de los Muertos. While it is a rich and colorful holiday, it is only human to miss our loved ones after they’ve passed. But, traditions like Día de los Muertos gives us the opportunity to miss our loved ones while su

rrounded by music,  community, and marigolds.

Two guys in brightly colored clothes playing their guitars

Off Beat Music Festival, On Beat and On Point

By culture, music, renoOne Comment

 SWIGS performs at the 2017 Reno Offbeat Music Festival Friday night at Shea’s Tavern.

RENO – Pink Awful kicked off day two of the 2017 Reno Offbeat Music Festival this Friday at Shea’s Tavern. The line-up included bands Bloody Waters, SWIGS, and Apache. 

Pink Awful vocalist, Ashley Costelloe, led the band with exceptional stage presence, intelligible lyrics, and looks reminiscent of Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction.” The five-piece noise pop band played a set full of dream pop melodic style and cut-throat drum beats. 

The mellow yet electric sound waves pierced the air and soothed the bar at the same time. Costelloe engaged the crowd which gathered around the stage in enthusiastic response. 

Bloody Waters brought the energy, channeling western surf rock grooves in their Hawaiian shirts and beachy hair waves. The bass made itself heard through the high-pitched guitar, in an excellent balance of frequencies. 

Guitarist Brian and bassist Bryan utilized a wide assortment of effects pedals while the drummer accentuated hits and riffs on his four-piece kit. Bloody Waters’ songs were mostly instrumental, something not often performed with such success. 

Not many bands have more than one singer, but both Brian and Bryan sang with dignity. Bloody Waters displayed effective use of dynamics and time changes, things many garage bands struggle with. 

Local surf rock band SWIGS entertained the masses with their witty banter in between upbeat nerd rock songs about Mario and The Fresh Prince. Adorned in bright colors, the trio lit up the stage as they celebrated the release of their new EP “Dumb Fun.” 

SWIGS stands out not only for their catchy tunes, but their appearance. In addition to their colorful attire, they don sunglasses and sing into colored microphones. The band is named for taking swigs of alcohol, so Shea’s Tavern was the right venue to play.

The crowd was in full-force as San Francisco band Apache took the stage. Apache had more of a classic rock feel that nearly everyone seemed to appreciate. Lead singer Apache repeatedly invited the audience to enjoy the hot tub in his hotel room after the show. 

Wooden four-piece drum kits were the theme of the night. Drummers are a dime a dozen; good drummers not so much. Every drummer of the night played well-placed fills in addition to keeping precise time. 

Day two of the three-day city-wide Offbeat Music Festival ended with thunderous applause and a lively crowd at Shea’s Tavern. Day three promises to be something local music aficionados will not want to miss. The last day is Saturday, November 4.