On their Beginnings

Mikel Jollett formed Airborne in 2006. Spurred by personal catastrophic events in his life Jollet turned from writing about music and started to make his own.

“I realized I was composing an album instead of a novel,” he told the Los Angeles Times in August of 2007.

He recruited some of his friends: Steven Chen on guitar, Noah Harmon on bass, Daren Taylor on drums, and Anna Bulbrook on viola keyboards and tambourine.

Less than a month later the band played its first show in Echo Park. Jollett had been keeping busy contacting bloggers and getting word out their about the band and their first concert. Jollett sent MP3s to blogs, and the bloggers started writing. “When it came to that first show, they were all there,” Chen said. Jollett remembers about 200 showing up, which is impressive for a first show.

October 5 is the anniversary of their first show Chen remembers, “and we completely forgot about it this year,” he said. Before that first show Chen had only met Harmon one or two times. “He was still on the fence (about joining the band) at that point,” Chen said.

“I’m still on the fence now three years later,” Harmon interrupted laughing.

On the Band

“We all bring something different, something new to the mix,” Chen said. Before turning to writing Jollett was a freelancer for National Public Radio and the Los Angeles Times and worked on a few novels. Bulbrook is a classically trained violinist and upon joining the band taught herself to play the viola and the keyboard. Harmon holds a jazz degree in upright bass and worked as a music teacher in LA for a few years. Chen was asked to join as a keyboardist, but petitioned to be lead guitarist.

“Anna and her viola bring something different,” Harmon agreed. String instruments are rare and few between in rock bands, and when they do appear it’s nine times out of ten a violin.

“It’s a rock and roll viola,” Harmon said, “The poor thing never knew what it was getting into.”

“Our goal, whether it be a slower song like ‘Midnight’ or a more upbeat song like ‘Gasoline’ is to write a good song and strike some chord,” Chen said. “That was the whole idea for the album.”

As for the name, it was all Jollett’s idea. Taken from Don DeLillo’s novel ‘White Noise,’ an airborne toxic event was a term coined by the military to reference a poisonous cloud emitted from a chemical spill.

“I had read the book for three classes and wrote two essays on it,” Chen said, “as the title it makes a lot of sense.”

“It doesn’t matter at all what you call yourself,” Chen said. “It’s what you do with it.”

On the Tour

“We’re just a new band,” Jollett said to the audience, “the world’s coming by us at 100 miles a minute and I don’t think any of us can make heads or tails of it.”

Airborne has played more than 250 shows this year, and the year is far from over. The band members cannot remember the last time they were home for more than a month.

“When I go home I don’t even bother putting things away,” Chen laughed. Instead he just lives easily out of a suitcase. Harmon sold his car when he realized it was doing little more than gathering dust.

“Your idea of home becomes a bit skewed,” Harmon added, “now home is a tour bus.”

Chen cannot even picture home anymore: “I can’t imagine not being in a new place every night.”

Airborne will take a nice long break around the holiday time and then jet off to the UK and beyond.

It will be their sixth time in UK this year.

“I’ve landed in London as many times as I’ve landed in Los Angeles,” Harmon laughed.

For Harmon, the UK is one of their favorite destinations, and they’ve been there six times this year. “But in the UK the fridges don’t work,” Chen butted in, “but it’s really ok because they know their fridges don’t work. They’re not trying to convince anyone that the refrigerator works.”

On “Sometime Around Midnight”

The viola starts and the crowd screams at its loudest. Everyone knows what songs coming before one bow stroke is over. It may only be 10:58 by my clock, but for Airborne Toxic Event it’s “Sometime Around Midnight.”

An acoustic version of the song was released as a free Starbucks song of the week, and from there it grew popularity on both iTunes and the music charts.

It’s not that big of a deal when your friends know who you are, when your friends-friends know who you are Chen said. “It’s when your parents friends start to notice, it’s like whoa.”

People relate to the emotions in it, Harmon comments. The record became an instant hit. Not only a top radio and music video track, iTunes also named it the “Number 1 Alternative Song of 2008.”

On Boston and the House of Blues

Now that the Red Sox season is officially over, the gem of Landsdowne has moved across the street to House of Blues. And here the players are musicians and they wear red basketball shorts and converse instead of cleats and baseball tights. “We just played the most intense game of basketball ever,” bassist Noah Harmon said, pulling his hair back. “I don’t remember the last time I was so winded.”

Two opening bands, and two hours into the night Airborne finally hits the stage. And they hit it running. For a impressive few minutes they all go a bit crazy and show off their raw talent. No vocals, no lights, just Airborne and their respective instruments. Before you know it the first song has started, and you are transfixed in a daze.

On stage they show undeniable togetherness and energy, even as the set pushes upon two hours. They bounce off each other’s backs, Bulbrook wields her viola, Harmon sporadically strokes a bow on his bass strings, Taylor hacks away with his drum sticks, Jollett spasms, and Chen stands tall and unmoving. But somehow it all works.

One of the most impressive parts of the set was an acoustic set. Jollett sat down on the stage and sang to the audience more personally, Chen went to an upright piano, and Harmon picked up a jazz bass. “I feel like we’re getting to know you now,” Jollett told the crowd.

“You were the audience, Boston, and we were the band,” Jollett ended after a four song encore. “One day, when your dead you’re one wish is gonna be for this hour and a half back, but thank you for it.”

But Jollett’s words were wrong, as the crowd’s one wish was that the night never ended.

The show, Dark Wave Disco, was a collection of cocktail dresses. As the models walked around two levels of balconies, spectators lined the balconies with drinks in hand. The crowd loved Mendoza’s collection of dresses that moved, flowed right past you.

“Everyone’s ready for something a little different,” commented Fashion Boston editor Alexandara Hall. “Boston fashion is more than Uggs and umbrellas.”

Macy’s celebrated fashion week Tuesday night by hosting Fashion Group International of Boston and the Launch Designers. Spectators sipped on cocktails as models stood on platforms and a DJ blasted top 40 remixes over the speakers.

“It’s a really nice way to experience fashion,” commented spectator Karen English, an Emerson College student. “Usually at a show you cant get that up and personal to the pieces. The model walks past you and bam they’re done, that’s all you get to see.”

Guests had a chance to walk up to the models, ask them to turn, actually touch the clothing. The designers were also standing close-by and available for any discussion of their collection.

The Launch Designers was a group of five up and coming designers in Boston, handpicked by FGI.

Millie Bautista of the Dominican Republic showcased a line inspired by everyday upscale fashion with tiny details to make you drool.

Paulina Gilson drew her inspiration for her impressive silhouette of jackets from a castle in her native Czech Republic. “The architecture, and how everything works together. I feel like it just clicks,” she said. For Gilson fashion is about a balance. “It’s not overpowering. It’s wearable.”

Eddie Phillips of Southbridge had designed a more simple collection of cocktail wear. “I like things simple,” said the former accountant. With clean lines, and astounding texture, his collection is far from ordinary.

Nara Paz started out as a bathing suit designer in Brazil. After moving to America she had different hopes and dreams, “I want to move to the high end of the market. I want it to be more than a dress, to me fashion is a piece of art.” With her dramatic use of colors, sharp attention to detail, and innovative shapes, Paz has definitely created her own pieces of art for the human form.

Elena Sanders of Watertown showcased her line of “steampunk.” Sanders was inspired by Victorian-era steam powered technology, and the coal-stained faces of the workers. WIth a variety of different textures and materials, lots of metal and gears, her pieces look like a bit like costumes. “But it’s a lot more than your Halloween costume,” Sanders defends. It’s the kind of costume you’d be intrigued by for hours, and takes a creative ingenious mind to create.

“This provides a great opportunity for new talent to be featured and kick-start their businesses,” commented Jay Calderin, Executive Director of Boston Fashion Week.

In Saturday’s final round, hosted by MTV Real World Alum Randy Barry and Miss Boston 2008, Alida D’Angona, five Boston natives competed for the tiara.

Miss Boston was put on by FELT in an effort to find the ultimate local model and the pretty face of Boston for the year. The three-week competition gave some beautiful and talented Bostonians an opportunity for exciting exposure, said FELT Marketing director Shannon Finks. Now in its second year, Finks called it one of the “sexiest events of the summer.”

Marciano beat out about 80 entries into the Miss Boston Contest for the title. Through a pre-screening, 12 participants were selected to compete in three categories: semi-formal wear, bikini wear and personality. Only seven advanced to the second round and five lucky ladies participated in the finals.

It was the semi-formal wear competition on Saturday night and Adelina Keshishian, Alexa O’Hara, Carly Marciano, Cyann Ribeiro and Kristin Phelps graced the stage.

“You have to stunt your stuff the best you got and pray it’s enough,” said first-runner-up Alexandra O’Hara. “It sucks that I lost by two votes, but at least I played the game. I’d rather lose by two votes than two hundred. Two votes means I gave Carly a good run for her money.”

When it came to voting, the judges — various local celebrities and personalities in Boston fashion — held 50 percent of the vote while crowd participation held the other 50.

“We all had no clue who was going to win,” said second-runner-up and Somerville native model/actress Cyann Ribeiro. “The crowd was hootin’ and hollerin’ for everybody so loud I couldn’t think up there. I just kept telling myself to smile. That was all that mattered.”

As the judges deliberated and votes were counted, the crowd kept the party going. DJ Freddy B from Las Vegas spun the latest tracks as everyone on the crowded floor took a break from cheering for their friends, tossed back their drinks and showed off their dance moves.

“You gotta show up and cheer for your girl,” said attendee Chantal Keys. Keys had grown up with contestant Kristin Phelps and came to every stage of the competition to support her “homegirl.”

“There’s no way you could get me on stage in a bikini but if anyone’s gonna do it Kristin is the girl for the job. I hate going to the beach with that girl.”

Dean Cleary, a Boston local, also attended. He doesn’t know any of the contestants personally, yet. “Maybe one day one of them will be my lady,” he said of the girls on stage. “A guy can dream. And buy the runner-up a drink. We’ll see how far tonight takes me.”

Finally the lights turned down and the Black Eyed Peas blared from the DJ booth: “I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good good night.” The contestants entered the stage again to hear who had won the title. A few more jokes were told, and the crowd almost quieted for a second as they waited to hear who had won.

“I didn’t think they called my name at first,” Marciano remembered. “But then everyone pushed me forward and I was just like ‘Oh. I won’.”

Marciano shed a few tears and shook the hands of her friends as she was on the stage at FELT. “Thank you to everyone,” she cried, “you don’t know how much this means to me.”

“The life of Miss Boston is a good life,” said D’Angona in the last hour of her title as Miss Boston. “It’s been a crazy year, of photo shoots and appearances, free Red Sox tickets, and free booze.”

As winner, Marciano won an all expenses paid trip to the Caribbean, a magazine spread in Upscale Living, the title “Face of FELT” for all 2009 campaigns and a fashion shoot with Stewart Smith.

“I don’t know which part I’m the most excited about,” Marciano said, “but I’m sure as hell going to enjoy the next year living it up in Boston. I wonder if this title will get me any free food.”

Blast’s editor was totally rooting for finalist Kristin Phelps, but says he has “nothing but love” for everyone who competed. You’d say that too.

Charles Perrault first published the traditional fairytale of Sleeping Beauty in 1697.  In 1890 Sleeping Beauty was preformed as a ballet in St. Petersburg to a score by Pytor Tchaikovsky with choreography by Marius Petipa. It would come to be known as Tchaikovsky’s first major success in ballet composition and the choreography was held as a standard for composers to come.

A cross between exquisite solos and elaborate party scenes Sleeping Beauty has every element of a fairytale ballet.  There is the evil witch with her menacing accomplices, good fairies, prince charming, and a blonde princess. Over the 100-year span it covers birth, death, marriage and everything in-between.  The ballet becomes more than just a story of love and spinning wheels, but a narrative carefully told through movement, expression and music.  With the single flick of a finger a ballerina may express what had taken a song in any cartoon version.

With updated scores by Jonathan McPhee, Boston Ballet Musical Director, and choreography by Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen The Sleeping Beauty never gets old at the Boston Ballet.  Running at the Wang Theater from April 23, 2009 to May 3, 2009, The Sleeping Beauty promises to revisit old memories and create new ones.