Read the AUG ISSUE #80 of Athleisure Mag and see ROCK THIS WHEN MAKING ERRANDS DURING THE SUMMER in mag.
ELECTRIC ZOO
Labor Day Weekend is the "last dance" of the summer and is celebrated when Electric Zoo 3.0 will takeover Randalls Island Park in NY from Sept 2nd - 4th. We're excited for DJ Diesel, Cheat Codes, Afrojack, Carl Cox, Martin Garrix and more who will have sets across multiple stages! This year's 3.0 theme encourages attendees to “plug into the Matrix” for their 13th edition by enjoying their tech driven, electronic dance music paradise. Guests will enjoy more VIP areas, increased free water stations, interactive installations and more.
This year, there are new stage designs! The new stages are integrated together by AI technology. The Landing replaced the Hilltop Arena and will be surrounded by lush greenery for EZoo's first fully-immersive experience. Because of where it's placed in the festival, sound bleeding is no longer a concern for festival attendees. The Grove is also being retired and Morphosis will be the stage where house music evolves. That means pyrotechnics, fireworks, LED walls and more surprises.
In addition to a number of large acts such as those mentioned above, there will also be an inclusion of emerging artists and local ones from NY for attendees to get to know.
We've always been a fan of EZoo's Golden Hour for sunset performances. Diplo will perform on Fri, DJ Snake on Sat and Sun will have Subtronics. Each night, there are a number of after parties across the city from Webster Hall, Marquee and Lavo to name a few.
There's nothing like a festival to bring the love of dance music, artistry, fun sponsors, immersive experiences and outfits that add a whole other color to the festival experience which are perfect for Instagrammable moments!
IG @electriczoo
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Alive Coverage
Read the AUG ISSUE #80 of Athleisure Mag and see ELECTRIC ZOO in mag.
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.8 | LAST HOMETOWN + MEN TELL ALL
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We pick up where we left off on ABC’s The Bachelorette for Aven and Rachel Recchia’s Hometown which took place in Salem! The two had a great time learning about love spells and finding out about the town’s history. Rachel met his family and even with their questions, she knew that they enjoyed meeting her and she felt much better than she did with some of her dates! Interestingly enough, we didn’t get to see who received roses but we heard that everyone minus Tyler (who was sent home).
We see Rachel, Gabby Windey, Jesse Palmer and the remainder of the men at the Men Tell All special. We heard about all the drama that we’ve been hearing all season long. Jacob apologized for his behavior with Gabby and Hayden wasn’t even there to talk about how inappropriate he was. It seems like the next few weeks are definitely going to take us into some twists and turns!
GABBY’S HOMETOWN DATES | Erich, Jason, Johnny
RACHEL’S REMAINING HOMETOWN DATES | Aven, Tino, Zach
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO IS AT HOMETOWNS
![AVEN [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588601108-J205D6OAU8O43BE34YSL/AVEN_28_San+Diego+CA.jpg)
![ERICH [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657589521787-HE4QWFJRS909FS7317ZQ/ERICH_29_Bedminster+NJ.jpg)
![JASON [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1659401469296-SZ3XBQ6EYJ9UB61A0B2P/162684_3598_V1.jpg)
![JOHNNY [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1661224620739-3L9K4IM01CQQSIS12YV4/JOHHNY_25_Palm+Beach+Gardens+FL.jpg)
![TINO [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588780832-OYABQ16HOWK8MYX9VA0N/TINO_27_Playa+Del+Rey+CA.jpg)
![ZACH [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1658796978812-WMW0AEYS62JGDUT9IWDE/ZACH_25_Anaheim+Hills+CA.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
BURBERRY FW22 CAMPAIGN
Burberry released their newest campaign for FW22 showcasing menswear that has contemporary traditions used in its collection that includes hooded duffle coats, leather straps, high-waisted pants and more. In addition to a number of the pieces, they partnered with the Black-owned LA-based non-profit, The Compton Cowboys.
PHOTO CREDIT | Burberry
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PLEIN SPORT SS23
During MFW SS23 presentations, Plein Sport unveiled their collection of men’s and women’s pieces that take you from studio to street. In addition, they dropped a digital presentation as well.
Featured
RALPH LAUREN UNVEILS US OPEN OUTFITS
Here in NY, the qualifying rounds for the US Open are currently underway! Starting Aug 29th - Sep 11th, the tennis tournament is bound to give us a number of major moments that we will be talking about! Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter for this tournament since 2005. The Ralph Lauren U.S. Open Collection includes the ball crew and courtside official uniforms as well as a limited edition tennis-inspired collection. This campaign was shot at the USTA Billie King Jean National Tennis Center and featured 5 of the U.S. Open Ball Crew members as well as Ralph Lauren models.
As is the case when Ralph Lauren creates uniforms for a sporting event, you can also purchase these items as well to be part of the festivities while watching on-site, at home or when you’re out and about going about your day!
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.7 | IT'S HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back watching tonight’s ABC’s The Bachelorette and it’s Hometowns! Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey are separating and packing as they will go to their men’s hometowns! Jesse Palmer checks up on both of them to figure out how they are doing as they prepare to leave the ship.
Gabby heads to New Orleans for the first time to meet up with Jason! She will only visit 3 men! He takes her around New Orleans to wear and throw beads and she gets to meet his family and connects with them.
Now Rachel is with Zach in his hometown where they get to watch planes taking off.
Back to Gabby, we go to Johnny and his hometown. As soon as he meets her, he lets them now that they will hang with his family first so she can meet them. Gabby was very nervous - but we can’t fault her since she didn’t really get any alone time with her. Although she wins his family over, Johnny tells his mom that he doesn’t know if he is ready yet for that.
Rachel is at the Jersey Shore with Tyler. She’s excited to be with him, but feels that they are the most behind in terms of their relationships. They hang out on the board walk and she realizes even more that she isn’t in the same place with him as she met a number of his friends. She doesn’t want to continue the date. He heads home where he has to tell his family that she broke up with him. This was definitely a rough date.
Gabby’s final hometown is with Erich in New Jersey. He lets her know that they will go to his parents first before their date. She meets his family and they receive her well, but they tell her how important it is to have and keep your commitments. Later on, during their date they both share how they are falling in love with one another.
Now Rachel is with Tino in Santa Clarita, CA. His parents have a lot of questions and it doesn’t feel like they are on board with this process. His father is very doubtful about whether their relationship is sustainable. While Rachel talks to his mom, she sees that even if Tino wishes to go forward, his family will not be behind this and has heavy skepticism. When you look book at when Tino talked to her before meeting the parents, when she voiced concern over whether his parents would like her or not, he shut it down quickly saying they would. After meeting his parents, he shared that he wished that he had been more upfront with her.
Although Gabby has completed all of her dates, Rachel still has one more Hometown date with Aven. It will be interesting to see how that one goes and to see who the ladies will continue to move forward with next week!
GABBY’S HOMETOWN DATES | Erich, Jason, Johnny
RACHEL’S REMAINING HOMETOWN DATES | Aven, Tino, Zach
RACHEL SENT HOME | Tyler
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO IS AT HOMETOWNS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
REMAINING FOCUSED | JULIANNA PEÑA "VENEZUELAN VIXEN"
We're very excited about this month's cover, Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña who will be fighting Amanda Nunes in the title fight in Dallas on Jul 30th for UFC277. This anticipated rematch is one we'll be glued to and just ahead of it, we took some time to catch up with the 'Venezuelan Vixen' herself! We wanted to know about her journey in the MMA, being the first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter - Season 18, joining the UFC, being a coach on Season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter, and how she trains to be Octagon ready!
ATHLEISURE MAG: What led you to MMA and when did you fall in love with the sport?
JULIANNA PEÑA: When I was 19 years old, my sister asked me to join a women’s cardio kickboxing class with her and I needed to lose some weight, so I joined the class. It came naturally to me and I wanted to explore it more. I immediately fell in love with it. And when I eventually started winning fights, the joy combined with the rush of winning solidified my obsession for MMA.
AM: You’re known as the Venezuelan Vixen. How did you get that name?
JP: I have to credit that to my coach that gave me that name early on in my career.
AM: What did you learn about competing on The Ultimate Fighter and becoming the first woman to win in Season 18?
JP: I learned that I still had so much more to learn, and that I still do. Not only is every fighter different, every FIGHT is different. Because as I’m learning and growing, so are my competitors. It taught me to never feel as though I know everything. There is always more to learn, more room to grow, more fights to win, and more fighters to challenge ahead. Always a student of the game.
AM: Last season, you and Amanda Nunes were coaches for The Ultimate Fighter. How did it feel to be there as a coach versus competing and what does it mean to you to work with those who are coming up and to give them the tools that they need to operate at their best?
JP: It was really interesting to be a 135lb woman giving advice to male MMA fighters twice my size! It was a little strange at first because I wasn’t sure how they would take my advice when we’re in very different divisions with different disciplines. But it soon became second nature. It was exciting to see them grow but it was also difficult getting to know them, their strengths/weaknesses, and then having to see them get eliminated. It was also very interesting to coach against Amanda because I was able to get a better understanding of her approach and methods, whereas before, I had only known what it was like to be fighting against her in the cage.
AM: We always like talking about workouts that athletes do that optimize their work in the sport, what are 3 workouts that you do?
JP: I love to run. All my workouts are what I do for and in camp. But running and strength/conditioning/lifting weights are others that I do. I love to swim and do yoga if I get the time.
AM: What is a typical training session/day like for you and how is it different when you are preparing for a fight?
JP: I train 2-3 times a day except on Sundays when I’m not in camp. I train MMA a few times a week but not nearly at the pace I do while I’m at camp.
AM: When it comes to training, how important is the mental aspect of it to you and how do you strengthen that area?
JP: The mental aspect of MMA training is just as important as the physical aspect of the sport. Especially as a mother, it’s very important for me to prioritize that work/life balance. I'm constantly reminding myself to remain focused and avoid unnecessary distractions while I’m training, so that I can, not only be the best fighter, but also be the best mother I can be to my daughter.
AM: In looking at your IG, we loved seeing your daughter Isa standing with you when you were doing promos for your fight last year or even when you’re training in the gym. It reminded me of being able to watch my mom work when she owned her own couture boutique. I think it’s powerful for kids to be able to see what their parents do. How is it to balance your duties as a mom, training, being a champion fighter and also building other areas of your brand/portfolio?
JP: Thank you! That’s so incredible that you have such fond memories of your mother and that you had a role model that also struck a great balance between work and parenthood. At the end of the day, my daughter comes first. She is the greatest joy in my life. And my duty to her to be a good mother is my ultimate responsibility. She will always come first. And the rest seems to fall into place as long as I continue to stay focused and motivated. Isa will forever be my biggest win in life.
AM: If we want to eat like an MMA fighter, what are the foods you eat that assist you in being an amazing champion and what are items you enjoy splurging on?
JP: My splurge is PINKBERRY or frozen yogurt of any kind. I train so much I can virtually eat what I want but I use Eat Clean Chicago to help prep me for the week and it ranges from spaghetti to baked chicken or salmon depending on the day.
AM: You have an amazing record 12-4-0. You are fighting Amanda Nunes in Dallas for a title rematch main event for UFC 277 on July 30th. When you fought her last year, you won the Bantamweight Title. Heading into Saturday’s fight, what are the days leading up to game time like when you touch down in Dallas?
JP: I’m actually already in Dallas! I got in earlier this week. Fight week is always a bit crazy – there are media interviews, press conferences, weigh-ins, and more.
And all of that is still in addition to an even more intense training schedule. Put it this way, I can’t wait to enjoy a bit of free time and sleep next week!
AM: After a fight, what do you do as you come down from all the energy and focus that you needed in the Octagon?
JP: Other than enjoying my victory?? I enjoy time with my daughter!!! That’s the easiest way to come down from that adrenaline rush that comes with months of training. Just fun and relaxation with Isa and my family.
AM: In addition to fighting, you are also a commentator for MMA fights as well. Why is this something that you wanted to add into your portfolio and what do you like about doing this?
JP: I love to talk and I love MMA. I always want MMA to be a part of my life!
AM: Earlier this summer, you threw the 1st pitch at the White Sox/Dodgers game in Chicago! How exciting was that experience for you?
JP: That was beyond exciting! The Chicago White Sox were so welcoming and truly made it an experience I will never forget. And it’s always fun to meet the players and coaches because it makes watching the game so much more fun. If they ever want me back, I’m a phone call away!
AM: When you’re not training or prepping for a fight, how do you take time for yourself?
JP: I spend my free time with my daughter. I’m so busy all the time between training and my other endeavors so any free time I have, I spend it with her. I haven’t sat on my couch in three months. I’m looking forward to putting my feet up.
AM: With all the successes that you have had, being a champion in the UFC and being able to do what you love – what do you want your legacy to be in the sport?
JP: I would love to be remembered for my ability to bring home victories even when the odds are stacked against me; being able to have opened the doors and break barriers for other working mothers. If you believe in yourself and are determined enough, there’s no reason that you can’t have it all. I dream of being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame one day.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Pillar Marketing Corporation
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see REMAINING FOCUSED | Julianna Peña “Venezuelan Vixen” in mag.
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9LIST STORI3S | LA LA ANTHONY
9PLAYLIST | YVES V
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Yves V in mag.
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9DRIP | JULIANNA "VENEZUELAN VIXEN" PEÑA
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see 9DRIP | Julianna “Venezuelan Vixen“ Peña in mag.
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OUR MUSIC OUR CULTURE | GREG HARRIS + ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME
Music has immense value, from enjoying the song, melody and instruments used, to the artists, performances and remixes there is a much larger scope in terms of what it means to the social fiber and how in many ways it serves as a mirror of who we are, where we want to be and how we are held accountable. It creates a series of feelings and memories that are enlightened and intertwined.
We had the pleasure of talking with the President and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Greg Harris. In addition to their noted Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony which honors a class of musicians across rock & roll, they are known for the museum which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
We wanted to know more about the museum, how they connect with music enthusiasts around the world and how artists can become eligible for the honor. Greg also shares how he came to this role and how he continues to drive the importance of impact in music.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into your work and role at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I’d love to know about your background because I know you were the owner, partner and operator of the Philadelphia Record Exchange. When did you fall in love with music and what was your focus behind opening this retail store?
GREG HARRIS: You know, I grew up, per your readers loving both sports and music! I was fortunate to be raised to play various sports depending on the season with two brothers. On the music side, it just always spoke to me. We always had music in the house and in Philadelphia, the area where I grew up, new music and old music mixed together. So oldies and FM radio were all the same. I got involved a little bit with one of the local public radio stations when I was in high school. Then we had a club near us called City Gardens and it had every live band and we went there as soon as we were old enough to get in! We were there all the time! Then, I went to college in Philadelphia, I went to Temple University and one of my off-campus jobs to help pay for school was the record department of a used bookstore. That’s where the idea came from that the other clerk and I were friends and we realized that the store owner was making a lot more money than we were as the hourly employees!
So we quit and rented out a storefront about a half a block away and we opened our own store. That business has been a great success! I was involved for a couple of years and sold my half to some other people, but my original partner still has it. The Philadelphia Record Exchange has been around for 30 years and it’s an iconic place in the city. Every musician knows it, everybody that is into music when they are in Philly, they find their way to the store and that includes current artists like Kurt Vile and other folks back in the day, like Ahmir Khalib Thompson – Questlove.
I think an important thing to note in terms of looking at my career is that I found out pretty early on that I couldn’t play very well. I could play some guitar, but I was never that great. But I was always better at helping other people market and grow. So the store became that place. We would put concerts on, we’d shut the streets down and do block parties and promotions with artists and other musicians. We just loved helping them succeed and helping our customers find excitement and joy.
AM: It’s so funny, I grew up my dad was a huge record collector and he would slap my hands every time I would try to go to the stereo to play with the records and at my campus at Indiana University, we had 3 record shops near my campus, Tracks was my favorite one. There is something about a record, I love them and when you hear the sound that comes out and the needle hitting the vinyl – it’s an experience. When I read that about you, I thought that’s really cool!
GH: Those stores back then, that was kind of the social network. It's where you met like-minded people that loved the same music or liked similar music. It’s where you learned! You couldn’t Google everything so sometimes the customers taught you and you taught them!
AM: Especially if you were able to come up with crazy imports. I think there’s something about that social fiber when you don’t have that independent local record store. The guy that I would get my music from knew so many things about various artists and had stories to tell and I appreciated it. I don’t remember if they had block parties but it would have been amazing!
GH: I really want to celebrate my original partner, who still has it Jacy Webster and he has given such a gift to Philadelphia music lovers for the last 30+ years, it’s an amazing place!
AM: Another part of your background that’s interesting is I love your focus on curation. To know that you were at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown where you focused on curation was really interesting. Can you tell us about what your role was there, what you did, and why curation was so important?
GH: My first significant museum position was at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I was originally hired to be there Broadcast Media Archivist. My job was to curate the broadcast collection and that was recordings of All-Star games, World Series games, home movies, radio pieces – all the things where that exciting history of baseball is. In museums, they have to take their collections and tell stories with them. You want to tell the stories where you have impact to your visitors and to make those connections and that’s what we did in Cooperstown. You know, it’s an amazing museum. I started in that area, I was fortunate to be able to curate some exhibits and much like the record store, I got involved in business development and fundraising and things like sponsorship and inductee relations. It really helped to grow the business and as I advanced from the collections side of the house, I got more involved in business development and the growth of the enterprise. I spent 14 terrific years there and it was really hard to leave. It’s a wonderful museum. Anyone that has ever played catch in the backyard or Little League, should go to Cooperstown to experience it.
AM: What do you think is the connective tissue between baseball and music and how were you able to move onto the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame where you’re the President and CEO currently?
GH: They’re 2 great places and they’re both so much part of our culture. People have a deep love for both subjects. They make these pilgrimages to Cooperstown or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. These music and sports evolve and they are the history of our culture – all the good and all the bad comes through and you can tell these stories. On some fronts, you can talk about exclusion and people not being included and you can tell about opportunity opening up. Sometimes it opens up in sport before it opens up to the wider society. These are really important pieces for all of us to learn from to think about and to grow from. Then on the other part from the business side, these museums operate in a very similar way. They each get hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
We have inductees that are the best of the best individuals, we have broadcast properties, we have important digital engagement with our visitors, we have retail operations and we are places that kind of mean a lot to a lot of people. So they’re very similar from a business sense and it’s just the subject that’s a little bit different. But they are magical places where people learn about their history, themselves and it helps them to better understand the present.
AM: Well can you tell us about the history of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in terms of who founded it and what it’s mission is? I know a lot of people think about it in terms of the amazing induction ceremony, but there are a lot of things that it does.
GH: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame started close to 40 years ago by a group of music industry professionals – the head of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun and the head of Rolling Stone Magazine, Jann Wenner and others. They conceived it as a special evening celebration for their industries’ best of the best. After doing that for a short period of time, the idea came up to want to build a museum. A bunch of cities looked at it New York, San Francisco, my hometown of Philadelphia – all made a play for it, but Cleveland really stepped up. Cleveland had a great story about rock & roll being important to the city and being an important place for artists who broke in – including David Bowie’s whose first shows in the US were in Cleveland, Jimi Hendrix when he came back from England – his first shows were there, Rush’s first shows were there. Also a DJ named Alan Freed was playing music in the early 50’s and inspiring young people – so they had this great story! But, they showed up and had a business plan. They said this is how we’re going to build it and how we’re going to fund it and this is what it is going to mean to the region. Long and short, 27 years ago we opened up in this I.M. Pei building on the shores of Lake Eerie in Ohio. Since opening our doors, over 13 million people have visited the museum and we’re at the height of our summer season now. We'll get thousands of people through everyday all summer long. Every one of those people who comes through the front door has a lifetime of memory connected to the subjects inside our museum. When they see it, they hear it or hear it through a band that plays on our stage, it inspires them and makes them think of the people they were with and the places that they were at, the greatest week of college, the time their heart was broken, the greatest road trip that they took and they might even hear a song that reminds them of their mom, dad or siblings.
AM: So when you say rock & roll, what genres comprise this very broad title?
GH: It’s a big title and quite frankly, our definition is a very big tent. Rock & roll is more about attitude and spirit then it is about a specific sound. We embrace in the 50’s Doo-Wop, Street Corner Harmony and RockabIlly; in the 60’s there’s Psychedelic, Soul music, Folk music; in the 70’s there’s Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop, Dance Music, Disco, Punk Rock – it’s all under the umbrella of rock & roll. Synth Pop and Industrial – we embrace it all! So for us, it’s all about attitude and spirit! There’s an attitude about Johnny Cash that he had to the music industry and when Ice Cube was inducted, a couple of years ago, In his induction speech, he said, “rock & roll is a spirit, rock & roll is an attitude.” You can find his full quote online. (Editor’s Note: When Ice Cube was inducted, he talked about whether a rap group was considered to be rock & roll. He said, “Now the question is, are we rock & roll? And I say you goddam right we rock & roll. Rock & roll is not an instrument, rock & roll is not even a style of music. Rock & roll is a spirit. It’s a spirit. It’s been going since the blues, jazz, bebop, soul R&B, rock & roll, heavy metal, punk rock and yes, hip-hop. And what connects us all is that spirit. That’s what connects us all, that spirit. Rock & roll is not conforming to the people who came before you, but creating your own path in music and in life. That is rock & roll, and that is us. So rock & roll is not conforming. Rock & roll is outside the box. And rock & roll is N.W.A. I want to thank everybody who helped induct us into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and I just want to tell the world – Damn, that shit was dope.”) That is what we embrace. It’s the voice of change, it’s always been the sound of young America and it continues to evolve and as a museum, we continue to evolve with it.
AM: So as music continues to evolve, you will always look for new forms and elements to add to what rock & roll is.
GH: We will and that’s kind of the wave right now. That’s why we have been inducting great Hip-Hop artists right alongside great Heavy Metal artists. In the last induction, it was LL Cool J, and it was Carole King, it was the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z and Tina Turner that were all inducted! To us, it’s a broad tent and everybody’s welcome!
AM: What are your 3 favorite rock genres that you love listening to?
GH: I look for stuff that’s a little harsher, a little stronger. I love old Blues, I love 60’s Soul like Memphis and I love Punk Rock! I like for it to have a little punch and a little attitude.
AM: I can see that!
GH: Yeah, that’s what I prefer.
AM: What is your day-to-day like in your role and what are the key projects that you’re focused on?
GH: My day-to-day role is 1 – to make sure that we have the greatest museum in the world, that every single visitor that comes through our doors leaves being transformed and impacted and that we have a great team that makes that happen. It’s about keeping our staff inspired and changing. We don’t believe in maintenance mode, we always want to be growing and reaching. To that end, we're working on an amazing expansion project at the museum. We’ll be breaking ground later on this year. We will be increasing the museum by about 50,000 sqft. It’s a great project and we’re very excited to be doing it. For that project, one of my biggest responsibilities is to work with a team and to raise the funds to be able to do that. We talked about how there have been 13 million visitors that have been through the museum for the past 27 years. We need to build something for the next 13 million visitors!
AM: What can guests expect when they do come to visit and then for those that aren't available to come in person, is there an online version where people can connect that way?
GH: Yeah, so I’ll back up a little bit to your question of what do we do. So, we have this great museum and then in addition to this great museum, we have this great digital outreach. So anybody in the world can connect with us and they can experience the Hall of Fame, but also if there are teachers out there, we have ready teaching materials that they can use for free. Pre COVID, we averaged 50 teachers a day using it, during COVID it was about 500 to 1,000 a day and we have reached over 1 million students last year with our online education programs. We would love it if teachers would use it and help spread the word! We’re not teaching kids how to play instruments or to write songs, we’re teaching them math, science, social justice all through the lens of rock & roll.
AM: That’s really cool! It’s a large job!
GH: Oh yeah. We have a really great team and we’re cranking through!
When someone walks onsite at the museum, the experience starts when you’re in the building. You’re going to hear music blasting from speakers, it might be a live band on stage outdoors or it might just be coming out of our PA speakers. In the museum, you can see the whole history of rock & roll – from Blues, gospel and country through the Beatles, Stones, Supremes, James Brown, Motown and all of that. On our 2nd floor, you can play on instruments and jam with your friends. If bands visit us and they want to jam with visitors – they can do that. On our 3rd floor, you can walk through our Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and see the greats of music where they are immortalized forever in our Hall of Fame and experience our immersive theater that has an amazing show that was edited with the great Jonathan Demme and it’s really the greatest moments from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions. So really, that’s some of the things you do and throughout it all, you’re reminded of times in your life that you listened to certain music, the greatest road trip, your Freshman year in college, who you hung out with and we bring all of those memories back and that’s the real power of our place.
AM: Going back to the expansion, what will that involve?
GH: We are keeping the whole I.M. Pei pyramid as is and that’s 128,000 sqft and we’re going to add another 50,000 sqft. You know the Pei Pyramid, the only other pyramid that he has done was at the Louvre which is truly the center of Europe’s great art as it’s the home of Mona Lisa. His only other pyramid is here in America at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and we’re the home of America’s great art rock and roll.
AM: That expansion is going to be huge as that’s 175,000 sqft!
GH: Pretty close give or take!
AM: That’s a lot of space.
GH: Well it’s a big subject!
AM: What are 3 of your favorite exhibits that are at the museum?
GH: I love the Garage Exhibit where visitors can come in and jam with each other it’s amazing.
We finished an exhibit that I liked a lot that I think is particularly interesting to your readers. That was an exhibit that we did about the greatest Halftime Show Performances in Super Bowl history. We had it at the museum when we hosted the NFL Draft in Cleveland. Then we worked with the NFL and we took it out to the Super Bowl in LA this year and we’re working with them again to take out to Phoenix for the next Super Bowl.
It shows performances and great moments by Prince when he did Purple Rain in the rain, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé – it’s just these iconic moments in American cultural history that happened at the Super Bowl Halftime performance it’s just a really great exhibit.
We have an exhibit which really is the legends of rock and each band has a focus area. That focus area could be David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson – they all have an area that highlights their career. And that’s an exciting area to walk through and to be reminded of these individuals and their wider impact on our culture.
AM: What’s the process for acquiring items for the museum?
GH: We work directly with the inductees and pretty much everything we have at the museum has been donated by an inductee, a family member or the artist directly. We make sure to partner with them. They donate to us and occasionally it’s a loaned item if they still need it! We’ve had artifacts that are on exhibit that an artist needs back because they're touring so a guitar goes out to them and a label says, “currently on tour.”
AM: For those that are in town, how many live shows do you have a year?
GH: We have live music probably about 100 shows a year at the museum. This summer, every Thurs and Fri, we’ll have live music and some of the bands that are still coming this summer – Guided By Voices, Adrian Belew is playing and people can go to RockHall.com to check out what we have going on. There’s all different genres and one of the things that’s important to us is that we just don’t put up a party band that plays cover songs. We want original artists playing original music and we want to mix it up between the different genres whether it’s bands that are heavy metal, classic rock sounding or if they’re Hip-Hop. We love having all of them at the museum and they will be playing outdoors on our plaza.
AM: Like many, I am a fan of music. My great uncle was Joe Henderson a tenor saxophonist, I love various genres of music and here at Athleisure Mag as well as outside projects I have styled a number of known artists or have interviewed them. I know that our readers would love to know more about what goes into the induction of artists for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What are the eligibility requirements?
GH: Artists have had to have made a record 25 years ago to make them eligible for consideration. And then, it’s really impact and influence. You look at did they take the art form in a new direction, did they push the envelope and that’s what they’re recognized for more than chart placement and sales. The process is, there is a ballot made for all those that were nominated. It then goes out to our voters and the largest voting body is all the other inductees. This year, Jay-Z is going to get a ballot, Bono gets a ballot, Smokey Robinson gets a ballot, Madonna gets a ballot, Bruce Springsteen and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers – they all get ballots. So they vote and the top 5 vote getters are elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
AM: I like that the public is also allowed to join in the fun – why was this an element that has been added to the process?
GH: So the fan vote is interesting. During the year, we let fans in the museum voice who should be nominated. It’s always fun to hear that and to understand that. Then when the voting is underway with all of the inductees, we also do a public fan vote and part of it is engagement so that they can engage with us online and let us know who their favorites are. Then we take all the fan votes online and we aggregate them and they count as a composite ballot into the bigger vote. So what it is important for is to see who people are interested in and to understand what they are thinking about. Because the induction into the Hall of Fame is not a popularity contest, those that are in the industry and have made their living off of rock & roll, their votes are really what counts the most because they can judge the merits of their peers. If that wasn’t the case, whoever has the most social media followers would be elected and that doesn’t necessarily mean they they are the most impactful, it just means that they have great music and great followers. We need that impact.
AM: When the nominees are announced, I am sure there are a number of logistics to figure out from who will accept an award for the artist/group if they have passed away and who will perform if there are other artists that will do a tribute versus those that opt to play themselves. Can you tell us more about that?
GH: The show producers are amazing! It’s our Foundation President, Joel Peresman and our Foundation Chairman, John Sykes and they do an amazing job working to create a show that is dynamic and exciting and also appropriate for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They have done a super job working with the show, the production design team and sometimes at its greatest when it’s an artist from yesterday that is being honored by an artists of today and when they perform together – when you have Stevie Wonder inducting Bill Withers and then they sing together and then John Legend comes out and performs with them – it’s amazing! When LL Cool J was inducted, LL was joined by Eminem and by JLo. Just an incredible combination. It’s a desire to allow some artists to pay tribute to those that have influenced them and it’s a chance for other artists to combine that they have meant a lot to. So it’s kind of a neat looking back and looking forward and making something that is even better for that moment in time at that event.
AM: As we’re based in NY, it’s always fun when the ceremony is in our backyard, but for the upcoming 2022 induction ceremony, it will be in LA this fall. Why is it being held there and what is behind the decision of the city that you opt to do it in?
GH: Well there are rock & roll fans everywhere and let’s face it, NY is a big center for music and LA is the home of much of the industry. So those 2 cities make a ton of sense and we also do it in Cleveland which is the home of the museum and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We’re working on a sequence where it goes on between those cities and we’re really excited and honored that Cleveland is in that cadence and we’re looking at how that pans out in future years. We’re really excited and thrilled to be going to LA as it hasn’t been there since 2013!
AM: Looking at this year’s inductees, I was excited about all the names but especially pleased to see that Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Lionel Richie and Dolly Parton are in this year’s group – what are you looking forward to this year?
GH: You know, they’re all terrific and they’re all deserving! I’m looking forward to just being surprised. Every year there are super highlights and it’s amazing as this honor isn't about haing 1 hit record or having a great soundtrack song or something like that. This is a lifetime award that is emblematic of excellence and forever they will be celebrated and enshrined at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This is a really powerful moment for those artists and I can’t wait to hear their speeches and then to see them light up the room with their performances.
AM: I know we talked about the educational elements that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is involved in throughout the year. Are there other community programs that takes place throughout the year?
GH: We have a program called Toddler Rock where kids from First Start Programs come to the museum twice a week and we teach them for 15 weeks on rhyming, alliteration, and social skills with trained music therapists. It’s amazing. We have another program where anyone who lives in the city of Cleveland can come in for free admission all year long, everyday – whenever – just come on in! It’s a great community outreach for us and we love partnering with our conventions and business bureaus and other entities around town. When the city is bidding on and trying to attract the NBA All Star Game or the MLB All Star Game, we are in the mix. We are part of the hosting committee and we pledge to be a great partner and frequently they theme the event rock & roll because it is Cleveland. We love doing that and we think that if our reach can do well, then everyone can do well and we want to make that happen.
AM: In terms of the remainder of this year and looking forward to next year, what are you looking to do in terms of outreach and education on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
GH: One, we need to execute on an amazing summer season which is what we are doing. We want to keep going with all of our educational initiatives. We have a traveling exhibitions program where certain exhibits once they are in Cleveland will go out to cities around the country. We're actively working on this building expansion project which is a significant endeavor for the museum and we’re very excited. We have been ramping up our digital presence and we have been adding a lot of Spanish language to what we are doing in our digital outreach. There is a massive group of people that love rock & roll that don’t speak English and we’re very excited to reach out to those audiences as well who do speak English.
IG @rockhall
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see OUR MUSIC OUR CULTURE | Greg Harris + Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in mag.
Featured
BINGELY STREAMING
THE BRIDGE
Max Original
HBO Max
We got hooked on Max Original's The Bridge and quickly binged Season 1 and 2. We never thought that watching people come together to make a bridge from their island to a location that's at a designated spot. Along the way, they have mini challenges, have to deal with team dynamics and a set period of time to complete the build. The 1st season dropped last year and the current season dropped earlier this summer.
You'll never look at teamwork in the same way! Who knew that the power of building alliances, listening to others and keeping the course would be a reality show that we would want to know more about!
X MARKS THE SPOT: THE LEGEND OF FORREST FENN
Cavalry Audio
Spotify
Throughout the pandemic, we enjoyed listening to podcasts that talked about wealthy individuals who decided to create treasure hunts around the world. Inevitably, there are clues, it creates havoc as people go to the extreme to find them, and the results can be less than expected.
In X Marks the Spot: The Legend of Forrest Fenn, we get to hear about Forrest Fenn's backstory, a wealthy man who believes he will die soon and decides to create a treasure hunt. We get to hear about his process in creating the clues and eventually finding that he in fact is not dying as soon as thought - but he continues to allow the game to be played.
Although he doesn't give hints to those who are playing, from time to time he does clarify certain points. Although Forrest is dead now, we get a breakdown on what the clues mean, those who felt that they had found or almost found the treasure as well as hearing about those who begged for the game to stop due to safety issues! This true story is one that is a great listen and allows you to interpret what it woudl mean if you had the opportunity to go on this quest.
UNCOUPLED
Netflix Originals
Netflix
From the creators of Netflix's Emily in Paris, we meet Michael (Neil Patrick Harris), a real estate broker whose life seems like it's perfect. His longtime boyfriend moves out and breaks up with him. Now he is left to start all over again as a man in his 40s as he goes back into the dating scene. We also see how he leans on his friends and work as he navigates his life.
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.6 | CLOSER TO HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back watching tonight’s ABC’s The Bachelorette and we’ll be in Amsterdam! Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey are excited as they know that Hometowns is around the corner. It’s sure to be a big week ahead. The ladies catch up and the guys are getting ready for their dates.
The date card arrives for Rachel’s men and they find out that Zach will be on the 1-on-1 - his 2nd one. Tino definitely has thoughts on the fact that he’s not on the date.
The men over at Gabby’s receive news on who will get the 1-on-1 and it’s Nate.
Jesse Palmer catches up with the women to find out how they are holding up. Both are excited but we hear how Gabby is really thinking about what it would mean with Nate as he has a child and she doesn’t know how she would be as a mother.
While the remaining guys wonder why Nate got the date, we wonder if Logan really means to be there for her. Gabby and Nate walk around the city getting to know one another. We realize that she has even more misgivings then we thought that she had regarding being with Nate and her daughter. She lets him know that she feels so much for him, but she doesn’t know if she is ready to be a mom even though she knows that if she met his daughter, she would fall in love with her. Ultimately, she sends him home and they only have their first half of the date. She wonders if she made a good decision as he was so kind to her even when she let him know that she was sending him home.
Rachel’s date take place in a large tulip field where they only bloom for 2 weeks. Zach seems so excited to be on the date. They pick tulips, ride bikes, enjoy cheese, get wooden shows and bought some lemonade! They even head to a windmill which adds a quaint layer to their date and keeps it casual where they can get to know a lot about one another. They even enjoy being in a hot tub to take in the atmosphere. Their date continues at a museum where they see a number of art pieces and they continue to talk about their relationship. They connect and continue to be vulnerable with one another. She gives him the rose and we begin to see who will be at Hometowns!
While Rachel is having a great night, Gabby makes her way to the remaining men and you can see that she’s down after sending Nate home. Prior to her arrival, the guys agree that they want to be there for her as they know it’s tough. She let them know that she is there because she wanted to tell them what happened in person and she hoped that they weren’t freaked out. They let her know that they are there for her and they can understand why she feels the way that she does. After letting them know, she leaves them and lets them know that she will see them soon.
Gabby’s group date includes Logan who has yet to be with the other men in such a large setting officially. Erich, Jason, Johnny and Spencer. Their date is about being open-minded and to explore how they can communicate with her. They meet a woman who welcomes them in a room lit in red with a whip. You can definitely see the nerves on the men as they figure out their safe words. They answer some intimate questions, they get blindfolded while Gabby whips and puts whip cream on them.
The men continue to the after party of this date as there us a rose on the line which gets one of them into Hometowns. Gabby is visited by Jesse and lets her know that Logan tested positive for COVID-19. They have to cancel the cocktail party to ensure everyone’s safety. No rose is given out tonight and Jesse lets them know that the event is not taking place. That also means that Logan is no longer in the mix due to getting COVID-19.
Rachel’s group date is next with her 4 men. They get a chance to hang out while taking in the city with cheese and to get some 1-on-1 time with her as well. It’s another date where there is an element of the strong man. In this date, just like the other one, then men are asked to take off their shirts. Rachel puts sunscreen on them and they shoulder cheese wheels that are tied to wooden planks. Each time, they add an additional layer of cheese wedges. The final round had 8 wedges (4 on each side) - this is definitely not a comfortable challenge. Tino ends up winning the challenge although Ethan was pretty close in winning it. She spends some time with each one which is nice and they will continue onto their date later in the evening where they can dig deeper. That night she chats with Aven, Tyler, Ethan and Tino. Ultimately, Tyler gets the group date rose. Tino is upset because he feels that they had a connection and he didn’t get a rose that night. He feels that he needs to rethink everything at this point.
Although Logan was sent home, the ceremony continues and Gabby has 3 roses to give as she has decided that she won’t see 4 families. Rachel gives Aven and Tino a rose so we now know who will be going to Hometowns.
GABBY GAVE ROSES TO | Erich, Jason, Johnny
RACHEL GAVE ROSES TO | Aven, Tyler, Zach,
DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Ethan, Logan, Nate, Spencer
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS
![TYLER [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1658197671266-OBXA0BU091HT4WF31UZ6/TYLER_25_Wildwood+NJ.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
VACATION VIBES | LA LA ANTHONY
It's always fun to touch base with those that we have interviewed previously. La La Anthony is a woman who is always on the go, whether she's on our favorite shows The Chi, POWER and Black Mafia Family. She's always fresh off of wrapping a project and in plans for the next one. In addition, she has always been an entrepreneur and earlier this year, she launched her hair care line, INALA which focuses on strengthening and providing our follicles much needed nutrients.
We caught up with her to talk about these projects as well as as how she tries to find those moments where she can recharge! She looped us in on what we should keep an eye out for, finding balance and how she enjoys vacation vibes year around!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have always been a fan of your projects whether it’s The Chi, POWER and obviously more recently, Black Mafia Family.
LA LA ANTHONY: Oh thank you!
AM: We can’t wait to see the upcoming season. What made you decide that you wanted to be part of the show and what do you love about playing your character, Markaisha Taylor?
LLA: You know, I love Black Mafia Family because it’s a true story which just gives it a different depth and different layers! I knew about them and I had heard about them – Meech and Terry, so now being able to be part of their story is just so incredible! Obviously, 50 Cent is the producer who also produced POWER so, I always you know love working with 50 and he’s also one of my closest friends. So that was 2 of the main reasons that I wanted to be on-board and the character will really get introduced in the 2nd season and you’ll really see a lot of her and the relationships that develop over time. I think that people are really going to be into it.
AM: Is there anything that you can tell us about the upcoming season or will we need to wait until September?
LLA: You definitely have to wait! These things stay super under wraps! But we did finish filming so now things are just being edited and I think that it’s going to be an incredible season and I think that people are just going to be really excited for it.
AM: Since you are always involved in so many things, are there other TV or film projects that you have going on that we need to keep an eye out for?
LLA: I have a Netflix movie coming out with Gabrielle Union and that should be out at the top of the year. I also have a Netflix movie with Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Nia Long that’s coming out probably around the top of the year. Kenya Barris directed that one. There are some projects in the can that will start coming out and that’s always exciting when you can start off the new year with some new projects and things like that!
AM: Absolutely and with such amazing names and great casts for both of those.
Earlier this year, you launched INALA. Why did you create this line and what does the name mean?
LLA: INALA is my real name backwards – my real name is Alani so it’s a cool spin on that. It was something that was important to me because I worked on it when we were spending a lot of time at home during the pandemic. I really experimented a lot with rice water and saw amazing benefits to my hair when I was making the rice water at home. I was like, how can I bring this to people out there and really help with hair growth, hair strength, edges and all of that stuff. Especially with people who wear wigs, weaves, braids and protective styles all the time that we do to save and preserve our hair. I worked with some experts and came up with INALA and the Power Potion has been amazing and the results have been great. We have the Reset Rinse and now we’re working on just launching some new products because everything has been so great and people have been loving the results and have been really happy about everything.
AM: I think rice water is amazing and I have been a long time skincare fan of Japanese and Korean Beauty skin products that use this in it. So what is the benefit of using rice water as it pertains to hair?
LLA: It’s just known to help with strengthening hair. It’s known to help with hair growth, keeping hair to have a luscious glow to it – it’s literally like I say that rice water is just magic! The rice grain itself contains all of these nutrients that are essential for all this that I’m talking about. So what we did is put ours along with the 100% rice complex. It has biotin in it and different vitamins and minerals that really boost your hair growth and hair strength. The results have been crazy! When you see before and after pictures and people start talking about their experience with the products, it’s been really amazing.
AM: Because you have your hand in a number of pots, how do you take advantage of the summer and take time for yourself?
LLA: That’s something that I’m still working on. Because I am so busy and I do need to find that balance so it’s something I’m working on. You know, I have a trip coming up with my son soon and it’s just going to be him and I. It’ll be a couple of days where he and I will be able to be off the grid and to have some fun with him. I’m really looking forward to that. I did tell myself that in August and in some of September, I do want to do a bit more traveling mostly with my son and kind of just disconnect from work for a little while. You know, I was on BMF and as soon as it wrapped, I did an independent film called Water Boys and just finished that so I haven’t had so much downtime at all. So, I really feel like it’s important to have a healthy balance!
AM: You partnered again with Baileys and helped them with the National Colada day which was on July 10th. How can we continue to celebrate that and what did you do to enjoy all the amazingness that is the Colada?
LLA: Well see, I don’t take a lot of vacations! So what I love about Baileys Colada is that it gives you vacation vibes wherever you’re at. It’s just one of those things that when you taste it, in your mind, you’re on a beautiful island somewhere or laying up doing absolutely nothing. I think that that’s how we’re able to continue celebrate it no matter where you are or what you’re doing. You can bring the beach vibes and the vacation vibes to you by having it for sure!
AM: What were your inspirations behind the cocktails that you created?
LLA: I love the versatility of them and it was based on my Puerto Rican roots which I love. The Piña Colada which a lot of people don’t know this, the Piña Colada originated in Puerto Rico, so it all kind of went hand in hand, so when I came to them with the idea, they loved it and were so receptive that I definitely wanted to bring my roots into it. So we came up with the 3 cocktails and I feel like it’s a nod to my culture, my heritage and it’s just really cool to be able to bring all of that together.
IG @lala
PHOTO CREDITS | Baileys Colada
Featured
BINGELY BOOKS
FUTURE NOW: VIRTUAL SNEAKERS TO CUTTING-EDGE KICKS
Rizzoli Electa
Elizabeth Semmelhack
The coffee table book FUTURE NOW: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, looks at how shoe design pushes the boundaries of what takes place in the real and virtual world. These innovations are because of advanced technologies, ground-breaking materials and new ways of thinking about what a shoe can be!
In this book, we get to see what shoe designers are doing for futuristic shoes whether it's implementing 3-D printing or smart technologies. It also looks at sustainable materials such as "leather" from mushrooms and soles that are used from reclaimed ocean plastics.
This book also looks at the role that they play in gaming from Grand Theft Audio to Fortnite. It also looks at NFTS and how they have allowed sneakers to be collected in this new space.
There are a number of interviews from the hottest designers including: Iris van Herpen, Steven Smith, Eric Avar and more. They share the creative process, what their influences are and where the future of design is going.
They also honor footwear innovations from the past that have led to where we are now.
THE EVERYDAY ATHLETE COOKBOOK
America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen
Whether you're pre-workout, post-workout, maintaining your goals or improving your health - America's Test Kitchen's The Everyday Athlete Cookbook, is one that you should have on your bookshelves.
The recipes featured were created in conjunction with a clinical dietician. Recipes include: Pumpkin Spice Waffles with Yogurt and Blueberries, Lamb Meatballs with Lemony Wild Rice and Artichokes and One-Pan Coffee Rubbed Steak with Sweet Potatoes and Apples. We also enjoyed seeing that they have a recipe for a homemade Powerade!
This book also includes an array of dietary specifications like plant-based or dairy-free. Dishes are flavorful, easy and quick to make. We also like that these recipes can be made ahead and there is storage information that is included as well.
THE MEASURE
Deckle Edge
Nikki Erlick
In The Measure, we meet 8 everyday people who have one extraordinary choice. On any given day, they lead pretty regular lives until one day, they open their door and find a wooden box that lets you know the exact number of years that you will live! Every person on every continent receives this and everyone is in a state of hysteria over this. Ultimately, everyone wonders - do you want to know how long you will live and with this knowledge, what do you do?
We get to know more about these 8 individuals as we watch them navigate their new reality and how their choices have bigger implications than what they had before.
Read the JUL ISSUE ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Books in mag.
Featured
63MIX ROUTIN3S | NICOLE WINHOFFER
THE ART OF THE SNACK | LIMANI NY
In The Art of the Snack, we always love sharing our favorite places to get a meal and although many may be seen as splurges, there is a perfect union when you have a restaurant that focuses on clean eating and still feels like a splurge with its flavor profiles and assortment. We connected with Executive Chef/Partner, M.J. Alam of Limani New York who shared with us his culinary background, Greek-Mediterranean cuisine and a number of expansions that are taking place with his restaurant!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your culinary background and how you came to Limani NYC.
CHEF M.J. ALAM: I am from Bangladesh originally and I used to live in Canada, grew up there and my culinary base is from Canada. So I learned everything there. I started working at a restaurant chain called Au Vieux Duluth in Montreal at one of the franchises with me and my friend. From there, I took the official chef position and then I was running them all. Before then, I used to work in Estiatorio Milos in Montreal for 3 years. I also opened another restaurant briefly in Quebec and I found out that they opened another Milos in NY and the guys were calling me and I took the position here as a sous chef and after a year, I took over.
I ran Milos NY for 18 years. I opened Milos Las Vegas and Milos Miami and then I knew that if there was an opportunity in the city, I would be interested in opening something else. The owners of Limani reached out to me and they were looking to open their second location in Midtown. They wanted me to be the Executive Chef and they made me a partner as well. So, that’s how we started. I love Mediterranean cuisine as this is what I do.
AM: For those that may not be familiar with Greek-Mediterranean cuisine, what flavors and spices are indicative of foods that are cooked in this way?
CHEF MJA: It’s everything and all that I do! It’s the fish and the fresh seafood! It's all about the salt, the pepper and the oregano. It’s about the capers – it’s about the Greek style! My goal is to always search for fresh fish and seafood and to bring this to the people at the table so that they have a modern Greek style for the modern diet I would say. This is my goal to find the fresh ingredients and give it to the people in a healthy way. I don’t do much with the sauce and all that. Everything is the fresh ingredients and the fresh herbs as well as the olive oil. We try to work with everything that is seasonal here.
AM: We are long time fans of Greek-Mediterranean cuisine and it’s such a treat to be able to talk to you as we are long time fans of Estiatorio Milos here in NY as a favorite for lunch and business dinners as well!
In looking at Limani, you have a gorgeous location at Rockefeller Center. Can you tell us about the interiors of this location and set the stage for us for those that have yet to dine here? Do you also have an outdoor option as well?
CHEF MJA: Yes, yes we have an outdoor option. We have an outdoor garden with tables outside, especially with the amazing weather so that people can enjoy it. Being on top of the rock with all of the buildings around it and there is fresh air that you can enjoy on a sunny day. People really enjoy it.
Inside, we have a nice, white Greek marble and interiors that make you feel like you’re in Santorini. We also have a small infinity pool in the middle of the dining area where you can jump in if you get too hot and cool down ha ha.
AM: Ha I’m sure that they don’t but I’m sure it’s pretty tempting!
What are 3 appetizers that you suggest they should eat after taking that metaphorical dip when they’re dining with friends and family?
CHEF MJA: We have our famous Grilled Octopus that we do sashimi style and it’s really good as it’s a Tunisian Octopus. It’s drizzled with some olive oil and a touch of red wine vinegar. Another great dish that we have that we’re famous for is our Greek Salad and our chips which is called Kolokithi which are paper thin sliced zucchini and eggplant chips served with lightly fried kefalograviera (cheese) and tzatziki.
AM: For your main meal, what are 3 dishes that we should have in mind when we’re coming in for our next visit?
CHEF MJA: We always have on display our fish and variety from all over the world from Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Greece and local. So you come here, and you choose. Your server will take you to the display and will show you the market and whatever is available, that’s what you can choose. I do have some other options for those that may not like fish. We have a Cowboy which is a 26 oz. bone-in ribeye which has been dry aged for 30 days and is served with asparagus or and potatoes or French Fries. We also have Lamb Chops from Colorado that are served with Cauliflower and broccoli. But I mean, we mostly specialize in fish! I mean, people come here –
AM: For fish!
MJA: Yes, they come here to choose from the display, then the guys scale it, gut it out, clean it and we make it!
AM: What cocktails are you excited about as we’re in the thick of the summer where we’re all looking to be refreshed?
MJA: We have a number of options. We have our Lychee Martini, VIP-TINI with vodka and infused pineapple and we have our Mediterranean Mule with Figenza Fig Vodka, pomegranate juice, fresh lime juice, topped with ginger beer and served over ice. We also have an extensive and global wine list.
AM: To end a great meal, it’s always about dessert. What are 3 that we should be thinking about?
MJA: Oh we have a beautiful dessert that is a home made walnut cake Baklava. Another one that we created is the Deconstruction Baklava – it’s an oven baked layered phyllo dough with almonds, walnuts, cinnamon with honey syrup. It’s beautiful – it’s traditional and like everything, it’s made here. We also have a Chocolatina which is a chocolate lava cake and we use our seasonal fruits and Greek yogurt.
AM: In addition to your Rockefeller Center location, you are also in Long Island with your original location in Limani Roslyn as well as Limani Taverna in Woodbury. Can you tell me about these as well? Are the menus the same or are they different?
MJA: It’s 95% the same.
AM: Is there a pool there?
MJA: No ha ha you have to jump into the sea. But in addition to those restaurants, we also have our Boston locations. One will be in South Street and the other is in Chestnut Hill.
AM: How do you navigate having all of these restaurants? Is it difficult to split your time between them?
MJA: This is what I do, yeah. I love doing this. I was in Boston going back and forth hiring people. It’s about training people and then getting service started as well.
AM: Hearing how many locations are opening or will be opened, we definitely appreciate you taking the time!
locations are opening or will be opened, we definitely appreciate you taking the time!
MJA: Well, let me tell you about another one that’s coming – we’re opening in Charlotte, NC too. This will be around August.
IG @limani_nyc
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Limani NY
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Limani NY in mag.
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ATHLEISURE LIST | BEATNIC @ MONTAUK BEACH HOUSE
We talked with Catey Mark Meyers, President of Beatnic to find out more about this vegan chain of restaurants. Beatnic first opened in the Village in 2015 and is known for its vegan menu of classic favorites. Starting July 15th through Labor Day Weekend, they have partnered with Montauk Beach House to bring their faves as well as specialty treats to the Hamptons Monday - Saturday. Guests of the MBH will be able to enjoy their meals at the restaurant, bar and poolside.
The menu includes their Quinoa Taco Salad that's topped with pea protein chorizo, a black bean and quinoa mix, fresh avocado and tomatoes, tortilla strips and a tofu cream which is a favorite from their restaurant. We enjoyed their Buffalo Cauli Poppers. Exclusive to MBH is the MBH Lobster Roll made from Hearts of Palm and served on a vegan Pretzel Bun.
We found that there are a number of items that are vegan and vegetarian that can definitely tempt your tastebuds when hanging out by the pool. From salads, burgers, sandwiches and sides.
The menu also includes desserts that are classics of the eatery. They have a fresh baked Chocolate Cookie and Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies. The Cookies N Dream bar is also is a rich chocolate option.
Throughout the summer, the menu will have items changed up as well. They collaborated with the MBH team to understand what their guests are looking for and to design a menu that suits their needs. In addition, having dishes like the MBH Lobster Roll allows
them to take a classic to the area and to add a twist that brings in Beatnic's concept.
For those who hangout at the MBH with friends with diverse dietary needs, it's good to know that there is an option that will satisfy vegans, vegetarians or those that like to introduce plant-based options into their meals.
MONTAUK BEACH HOUSE
BEATNIC
55 S Elmwood Ave
Montauk, NY 11954
IG @eatbeatnic
PHOTO CREDITS | Beatnic/Montauk Beach House
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Beatnic @ Montauk Beach House in mag.
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ATHLEISURE LIST | AZILO ULTRA POOL @ SAHARA LAS VEGAS
We all love an epic pool experience. Amber Jung, VP of Marketing at SAHARA Las Vegas talked with us about what we can expect about SAHARA Las Vegas and AZILO Ultra Pool.
SAHARA Las Vegas opened on Oct 7, 1952 and is the city's most historic hotel and casinos. This fall, it will celebrate its 70th anniversary. Guests who stay will enjoy a remodeled property as well as one that is reimagined. WIth 3 distinctive towers including the AAA Four Diamond Alexandra Tower, there are also five-star dining options, a casino, luxury spa, entertainment, bars, lounges and pools.
Guests can choose between Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres, Chickies & Pete's Crabhouse Sports Bar, The Noodle Den, Uno Mas Street Tacos + Spirits as well as Zeffer's Caffe. Balla, a new Italian concept by James Beard award-winning chef Shawn McClain will open later this year.
For entertainment, in addition to MAGIC MIKE LIVE, you can enjoy the alt-rock band Reckless which has its residency with shows on Thurday and Friday.
We're all about the ultimate in relaxation with friends and family and AZILO Ultra Pool is an immersive Ultra Pool. Visually, guests are offered an intimate, sexy Moroccan decor, lush greens and an alluring atmosphere where music engages with the senses. This summer and fall, there are live poolside performances. For an ultra-luxury experience, you can book a VIP bungalow package which includes premium food and a beverage selection.
When you opt to leave the pool but want to continue the good vibes, we also suggest the AZILO Ultra Lounge which is a seductive and spirited lounge that has music, entertainment and a personality that is all its own. Guests can expect a well-balanced and decadent libations along with an Instagrammable cocktail experience!
SAHARA Las Vegas
AZILO Ultra Pool
2535 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
PHOTO CREDITS | SAHARA Las Vegas
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | AZILO Ultra Pool @ SAHARA Las Vegas in mag.
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