What to Wear to HARD Summer
It's time! Ah yes. The trap & bass runs vigorously through your veins. The pulse of the music beats through your body. The crowd is jumping up & down from the start of the set to the finish. Hey chica, I'm Carmen! You must be wondering what to wear to HARD Summer. Don't worry, I've got you covered!
 |
| What I'd Wear to a Rave (HARD Summer) |
I'd wear this. I would rock this look from head to toe. I'm heading to HARD Summer in August. I went last year with the boyfriend, so I have a good idea of what to expect. Let me do some explaining.
It's going to be hot
The festival doors open at 11 a.m & end at 11 p.m., so you'll be spending many hours in the sun. With that said I always load up on sunscreen as well as some lip balm to stay as safe as can be. Sunglasses are a must! The sweltering heat is caused by the hot California summer sun, but it's also due to the crowd. A light kimono helps as well.There are masses of people
This is another reason to dress less. Everyone is heaped together. Walking. Dancing. Moving. Twerking. A light, flowy crop top is the way to go. It's not tight or sticking to my body. Pair it with Bart Simpson shirt or shorts or hat (my favorite television character).Party, party, party
Since the stages are absolutely packed & kids are moving about frantically, I commit to wearing close-toed shoes. No cute white ASOS platforms for me unless I want a broken toe & a rolled ankle. I wanna dance. I wanna get to the front row, so sneakers are necessary. Plus, I'm on my feet for 12 hours give or take. I don't want to carry a purse.I'll opt for a small wristlet to keep my phone, ID, tickets, & money in. I want to be able to stash it in my pocket or put it on my wrist without the risk of losing my valuables. I'll go for dainty jewelry to accessorize my look. I'll wear a few light rings paired with a simple necklace.
Check out my interviews with some of the previous HARD Summer performers:
Are you heading to any music festivals? What's your must-have item? :]
Follow me on social media for more style, music, & California happenings:
Add me on Snapchat: carmenvarner
Q&A with ETC! ETC!
ETC! ETC! Who is the man behind the music? Well, from what I can gather via our interview, ETC! ETC!, is a father first then a musician. Although his life revolves around music & touring, it's crystal clear that he adores his two children, Olive, 4, & Isaac, 1. On Father's Day Sunday, he posted the classic fridge photo of he & the kids. Cue the ooh's & aw's.
ETC! ETC! also known by his real name, Jose Guerrero, has a large following throughout his social media presence as well as in real life. His music is energetic, fast-paced, & bass-heavy. I mean, that's what you would expect from a trap & bass, moombahton artist. What is moombahton? It's a beautiful mixture of house music & reggaeton.
Who is he? What's he like? Who is he rooting for in the World Cup? Most importantly, does ETC! ETC! prefer tea or coffee? You'll see.
ETC! ETC! also known by his real name, Jose Guerrero, has a large following throughout his social media presence as well as in real life. His music is energetic, fast-paced, & bass-heavy. I mean, that's what you would expect from a trap & bass, moombahton artist. What is moombahton? It's a beautiful mixture of house music & reggaeton.
Who is he? What's he like? Who is he rooting for in the World Cup? Most importantly, does ETC! ETC! prefer tea or coffee? You'll see.
Name: Jose Guerrero
Age: 30
Hometown: Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles
Where do you find inspiration for music? In everything. Other people's songs, vibes, my city. Just depends on the day and how I'm feeling that day I guess.
Do you have any pre-performance rituals? I like to go to the club early to feel it out, see how the night is going, and prepare myself mentally.
What's it like to be on tour? Going on tour is amazing, but it is stressful. It's fun because you get to be in different cities, meet tons of amazing people, see everyone's cultures, and try things you normally wouldn't in your city. Stressful because you miss your fam, it's hard to work on music on the road, and if you are alone it gets lonely.
How do you define success? Man, success is what you make of it. What you want to accomplish in your mind, heart, and soul. I feel like the only way to feel true success is to be happy with what you have accomplished, in your goals, etc.
What are you most excited about for HARD Summer? Playing on home turf. I was fortunate to be added to HARD Summer last year last minute and it was beyond amazing. Best festival I played. So this year now that I know what to expect I'm going all out.
How many languages can you speak? Two. English and Spanish.
What's one of your favorite family traditions? Hmm really don't have any. I should start some I guess.
If you were immortal for a day, what would you do? Make fun of everyone who was mortal, and do tons of stunts.
Are you a coffee or a tea person? 100 percent coffee. Tea is for old people. Coffee is my addiction. Makes me feel good.
What do you do when you're not making music? Spending time with my two kids.
Tell me something I don't know about you. I have a collection of soccer jerseys that I've never worn but one day I will.
Perhaps he'll get some use out of his soccer jerseys as he watches the World Cup. Who's he rooting for? "Obviously I'm rooting for USA. It's our team. Come on." Well I had to ask. When I informed him that I preferred tea myself, he quipped with, "Stop being old and drink coffee."
Find ETC! ETC! on:
*photographer unknown. please tell me if you do.
Q&A with Cut Snake
CUT SNAKE. They're tan & blonde & good looking, pretty much what you'd imagine a stereotypical Australian/San Diegan hybrid to be. But the boys are also funny & friendly. Let's just say these two gentlemen are not to be taken seriously. They've got a very rampant sense of humor, more so Paul, what with his dick surfboard and all. But one thing is perfectly clear: Australia has the best waves. Sorry California, you just don't cut it for these lads from the Land Down Under.
Cut Snake's music can be best described as chill wave techno. Their jams are the kind of thing you tap your toes to, nodding your head & swaying slightly to the beat. The duo will be playing at HARD Summer on August 2 + 3, their first festival in Los Angeles.
Cut Snake's music can be best described as chill wave techno. Their jams are the kind of thing you tap your toes to, nodding your head & swaying slightly to the beat. The duo will be playing at HARD Summer on August 2 + 3, their first festival in Los Angeles.
 |
| Paul (left) & Leigh (right) |
Names:
Leigh Sedley & Paul Fisher
Age:
Leigh: 30
Paul: 28
Hometown:
Leigh: Sunshine Coast (Australia)
Paul: Fuck knows
Location:
Both: Los Angeles
What do you think the other person brings to the duo?
Leigh: Fish brings nudity, bad breath, and A LOT of noise.
Paul: Music, picks his nose a lot, always scratching his ass too. He also brings a shit smell with him.
Where do you find inspiration?
Leigh: I find a lot of inspiration in old music, I try to be open and listen to everything. I dig almost all styles of music, and so listening to a wide range helps me bring different elements into whatever we're working on.
Paul: The beach.
What's the music-making process like?
Leigh: Normally just us sitting in the studio for 10 hours with a carton of beer. By the end we emerge thinking we have made THE BIGGEST TUNE EVER.
Paul: Fun. Loud. Repetitive. Slow. Fast. Grooving. Dancing.
How did you two meet?
Leigh: We met when we were 12. We had to stay together for 3 days to film a small TV surf documentary. He was an absolute animal. To this day, I don't think I'll ever see a looser 12 year old than Fisher!
Paul: We met at the beach competing against each other. From there we travelled the world, surfing, and partying having the hell time.
What are you most psyched about for HARD Summer?
Leigh: This is our first festival in LA, so I guess just getting to play such a big festival amongst so many of the artists we look up to.
Paul: Just to play in front of a crowd that loves house music and is there to go crazy and have fun. Also watching other amazing artists from everywhere going mad! I also just wanna get right amongst it and have a boogie.
What's the best television show ever created?
Leigh: The Simpsons.
Paul: Breaking Bad.
How would you describe your perfect day?
Leigh: Wake up to a big healthy breakfast in bed, followed by a long surf with good mates in perfect waves, a few beers in the afternoon watching the sunset, then hit a Jimmy Buffet concert in Hawaii.
Paul: Getting barrelled all day, coming in with all ya mates and just having beers, listening to good tunes while the sun goes down.
What's the San Diego surf culture like compared to Australia's?
Leigh: It is very similar but the waves in Australia are way better.
Paul: SD waves break once a year. Australia breaks everyday.
Do you dream in color or black & white?
Leigh: Colour of course!
Paul: Colour. I love colour.
What do you do when you're not making sweet sweet music?
Leigh: Surf, eat good food, and travel. It's a tough life.
Paul: Surfing my brains out. Hanging with my girl, friends, and family!!!
Leigh & Paul's personalities & tunes showcase their style effectively. You don't have to be best friends with them to know that they're cool kids. From Oz to U.S., from The Simpsons to Breaking Bad, from the Sunshine Coast to "fuck knows," Mr. Fisher & Mr. Sedley are good guys, good vibes. Stay updated. Stay cool. Stay positive.
Find the boys on:
Facebook
SoundCloud
Twitter
Website
Read more of my Q&A interviews. :]
Bloglovin // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter
Find the boys on:
SoundCloud
Website
Read more of my Q&A interviews. :]
Bloglovin // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter
Q&A with Shiba San
SHIBA SAN. This French native is making waves globally, taking house music from his home to yours. Paired with his background in hip hop, Shiba San's music style contains bits of deep house and ghetto funk. The artist is scheduled to play his premier U.S. festival at HARD Summer 2014. The electronic dance music festival takes place on August 2 + 3 at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in Los Angeles. "Okay," one of Shiba San's latest songs, has garnered quite a bit of attention throughout the EDM realm. Bust out your speakers, take a listen, and let it soak in. Okay? Okay. Shiba San is very chill and bassy, perfect for summer.
Name: Shiba San
Age: Changing all the time
Hometown: Paris
Location: Paris
Where do you gather inspiration? It's coming from everywhere. I'm listening to a lot of stuff coming from a lot of countries. Sometimes when I'm riding my scooter--that's a very Parisian thing to do, riding a scooter--I have an idea for a melody, I stop and I record it on my iPhone. Thank you Steve.
Why the name "Shiba San?" It's a Japanese dog, which I like a lot, with a similar personality as mine. Moody.
How do you define success? Berthillon on a sunny Sunday afternoon in June. You have to be Parisian to understand.
What is your favorite thing to see in the audience while you're on stage? I obviously like to see people reacting to my music, jumping up and down, booties & boobs, you know what I mean.
What are you most excited about for HARD Summer? That's going to be my first festival in the US. I saw the videos, so I'm very impatient to be there.
What's the best film of all time? Se7en.
What do you do when you're not making music? I listen to music.... a lot. I like to play tennis too and I like spending time with my friends and not with my manager.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? The one from Sangoku.
Find Shiba San on:
How to Tie Dye a Shirt with Bleach
If you've heard of tie-dying with bleach, you might be wondering how on earth do you do it. Is it complex? Nope, dyeing with bleach is pretty simple and you can switch up the results.
Supplies you'll need:
+ An old t-shirt (must be cotton!)
+ Bleach
+ Water
+ Rubberbands
+ Spray bottle
+ Spray bottle
+ A well-ventilated area outdoors
Other optional items to bleach:
+ Sweatpants+ Sweatshirt
Hello, my dear friends! It's been a long time coming, but I'm proud to bring you a super easy DIY project. This is an easy bleach tie dye DIY project to do with any old t-shirt that leaves you uninspired. We all have some old tees that we never wear anymore. Once you learn how to tie dye with bleach, it gets easier to create patterns.
Of course, you could do this do-it-yourself project with anything you have, sweatshirt, sweatpants, an old towel. It doesn't have to be a t-shirt but this is a great starting point. Go through your closet to look for items that need to be upscaled or tossed out.
Of course, you could do this do-it-yourself project with anything you have, sweatshirt, sweatpants, an old towel. It doesn't have to be a t-shirt but this is a great starting point. Go through your closet to look for items that need to be upscaled or tossed out.
This bleach tie dye DIY project only takes a few minutes & you can witness the magic as it happens. Using bleach to tie-dye shirts is fun but make sure you're safe.
I recommend you find a well-ventilated area and let's get to it and wear rubber gloves. The total time of this tie-dye technique should take no more than 20 minutes.
Other optional items to bleach:
+ Sweatpants
+ Sweatshirt
Love DIY? Try this easy DIY sugar scrub.
+ Sweatpants
+ Sweatshirt
Love DIY? Try this easy DIY sugar scrub.
Materials you'll need:
+ An old t-shirt (must be cotton!)
+ Bleach
+ Water
+ Spray bottle
Note: this is my way. I didn't do it the standard way, which required way too much bleach. I really like how it turned out. But that's usually how I roll. I like to do it my way. If you like how it turned out, here's how to do it:
Steps:
1. Grab an old shirt that you don't care for anymore. Make sure you're wearing old clothes yourself in case any bleach gets on it. Prepare your shirt for dyeing. Make sure it's clean and ready to go. Twist the shirt haphazardly and add 2 or 3 rubber bands. Locate your spray bottle. Now mix equal parts bleach & water. For this particular bleach tie dye DIY project, my mixture amounted to about 1/4 of a cup.
Protect yourself. You need to be in a well-ventilated area. Make sure you go outside for this. Bleach is extremely toxic, so get a lot of fresh air! Gloves are also recommended.
2. Twist or fold the fabric in shape to create a pattern. You can do a spiral pattern, make it random, or follow a particular design online.
3. Applying the Bleach: You're going to spray the bleach solution mixture directly on t-shirt. As you apply the bleach, the more you spray the solution (the more damp it is) the lighter it'll get. Depending on the color of your shirt or how dark it is, the bleach could potentially turn it white. You want to make sure the bleached parts are damp. On my shirt, the lighter sections had a considerable amount of bleach versus the reddish areas that had less bleach. I like the contrast and color change.
4. Spray your shirt. Now take out the rubber bands & relocate them. Essentially, you're going to do steps 1 & 2 several times until you get your desired result. Your bleach tie dye DIY is your creation. If you only do it one time, your shirt will be mostly unbleached (& incomplete). Let it sit to let the bleach continue dyeing the shirt.
I would've taken a photo to document the process, but my hands were bleachy so that was a no-go. Keep spraying to keep bleaching. Take out the rubber bands & replace until you have your desired look.
5. After it's dyed with bleach, wash and rinse your shirt in the washing machine. Rinse it separately since there's bleach on it. After the rinse and washing, you can add color to the bleached areas if you want.
How long do you let bleach tie dye sit?
Leave it for a few minutes to let the bleach continue dyeing the shirt.
This easy bleach tie dye DIY method only takes 10 minutes, a maximum 20. It only takes a few minutes to see the initial results. Of course, there are various methods, but this one is quite simple. If you're outside on a nice, sunny day you can literally see the bleach working as you spray it. Give your revamped shirt as a gift to someone else or enjoy your 'new' shirt. It made this plain, black tee so much more fresh & fun.
You can even dye the bleached areas for added color and dimension.
Before you dump those old grimy clothes, you should see if you can DIY it first! Have a great day. Stay crafty and add this to your list of craft projects. The best thing about this home project is that you can use something from your own closet, something you might not have wanted. It gives you the chance to revamp it. You can experiment with different fabrics too. Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
Dreams // A Poem
As the night turned to the day
& our bodies turned to dust,
I thought about life's purpose
& what will happen to us.
I pondered about my past.
I wondered about yours too.
Will we accomplish our dreams,
everything we wanted to?
We are dreamers, my dearest.
We've got our heads in the sky,
but I like us like that, love.
We can make it if we try.
So if we end up falling
we can land high on a cloud.
Let's do our best & do it hard.
Then we can always be proud.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.png)
