THEY CALL US MILLENIALS

BY: MEGAN SNIFFIN

We live in a generation engulfed in social media, one that prohibits us from walking up to a pretty girl, or a handsome guy, and saying, “Hello.” My generation hides behind apps to buffer us from human interaction; Newtown’s third law does not apply to our social lives. We can say what we like, to whom we like, when we like,via the media we like. We spend more time taking selfies with different filters, angles, and expressions to perfectly capture our outfit of the day, than we spend appreciating the world around us, the people around us.

As a youth I was blasted with images of adults dating; going for drinks with the woman they met in the super market, waiting for a call from the man they slipped their number on a napkin. Images of courage. Expectations of courageous acts by a stranger. The first move. My expectations fell flat as my peers became so engrossed in themselves they forgot what that courage was like.

This generation seeks the help of games, dating apps, online profiles, and instant messaging to connect. Face-Time is no longER about talking to some one face-to-face but rather video chatting from across the country, staring at a screen. Teenagers search through web profiles to find their match, like a page, favorite a tweet as a meansto seek recognition. It has become far easier to swipe left to reject a profile on a dating app than to meet someone in person.

As I pry my way deeper into the idea of dating, I need to research the game. No longer is it relevant for me to expect to meet a man at the supermarket. No that would be forward. No longer can I slip my number to a guy without expecting to be called in the middle of the night for a booty call. The dating game is less about dating and more about the game; the game of getting it in. Cheating, lying, deceiving—major players of the short game. Not everyone has what it takes for a long drive—the long game. So for now I will practice my midgame.

I was always the girl that met someone, fixated on them, fell in love, and became heartbroken after I gave them my all. Sometimes it was for a short period of time and sometimes it was a lot longer. Sometimes the feelings were mutual and sometimes they were single-sided. I will admit that I have created relationships with myself

as I turn eye contact and a smile from a polite gesture to an aggressive advance. I will stalk, daydream, imagine

conversations, and convince myself that it was in fact an advance, and it was in fact mutual. Only to then be broken-hearted when I realize that he was not in fact

interested in me in the slightest.

With the plethora of social media sites and apps, interweaving our personal information interests and

time in one place, or two or three. Our generation holds nothing back making it easier to learn everything about

a person without ever talking. While this affects many aspects of our personal interactions, it is most

detrimental to our dating life. We have the need to stalk a persons profile thoroughly before we meet in person.

What is the need to meet someone or create a personallife when we can discover everything about them online?

We can screen through potential dates far before they are ever made.

There is something appealing in my adult life about dating around. Meeting different guys at different places

on different nights. With varying levels of connection and success to the dates, I feel like it’s a right of passage

almost. I want to finally live the dream that I have seen in movies and on television shows of twenty-somethings

living the single and having fun doing it.

But the image of dating has changed. We, the millennials have changed it.

If 2’s company and 3’s a crowd then 4 is most definitely a party. Upon meeting the 4 band members of Allies, Long Island’s very own kick-ass RnB/Experimental Rock band, I was in-stantly drawn to their high energy, creative ideas and tons of funny faces. Allies, consisting of Joe Villafane (Vocals/Keys), Ryan Higbie (Guitar), Sean Banicki (Bass) and Alex Kaufman (Drums/Percussion), started back in the fall of 2010 when Joe, looking for a guitarist to join a band, met Ryan at Five Towns College. About a year after inviting Ryan to come audition and adding him to the band the two found themselves in search of a drummer and bassist, which is where Alex and Sean (best friends since the age of 5) came into play. Al (Alex) was an old high school friend of Ryan’s who used to attend Joe and Ryan’s former band’s shows. Ryan introduced Joe to Al who introduced Sean and luckily just like that, all of the members of Allie’s had found each other.

I had the opportunity to listen to Allie’s new album (The Lobby) before it was released on No-vember 5th, 2014 and boy, do I consider myself lucky; the album is F-I-R-E. From the start of the first track I was instantly pulled into the rhythmic sounds building up to the main beat of the song followed by the smooth vocals from none other than Joe. Instantly you can hear every instrument harmoniously coming together to produce some awesome head bobbing, hair-shaking, body-mov-ing music. Allies describe their sound to be one that is all about mixing “dirty grooves/rhythms with experimental sounds and soulful melodies,” which I couldn’t have said better myself. They want their sound to be a continuous growth and are inspired by many different sounds and genres that they mix and match to whatever they’re

feeling: freaky, dancy, horny, groovy.

When asked who their influences they gave answers ranging from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Michael Jackson but also stated,

“Oh man, so much! - places, people, culture shock, noises, smells. Anything that really makes

you think or feel something freaky in your gut. Ever see something and just HAVE to take a pic-ture of it? We like to think that we take pictures

with different sounds. If I had to sum it up, we’re privy to the types of music that make you want to bob your head, scrunch up your face and shout

damn in a sigh of relief.”

Allies have played numerous shows throughout Long Island, Brooklyn and New York City, some of their favorite venues being The Paramount in Huntington, Mulchay’s in Wantagh and Arlene’s Grocery (which is in fact not an actualgrocery store) in New York City. Although they have played countlessshows already they are always booking new events around New York and don’t plan on stop-ping any time soon (thankfully).

All in all Allies were a great group of guys that were awesome to work with and I look forward to working with them again. If you’re looking for an excuse to dance like a freak and get really weird definitely come to their next show. You’ll probably see me in the crowd doing exactly that, just approach with caution-who know what dam-age my dance moves can do to the people around me.

ALEX KAUFMAN22, DRUMS

“I love being able to create the pockets and provide the rhythm/feel of a song. Drums are like the heartbeat of a tune.”

An ambidextrous workaholic. Enjoys riding bikes, loves frisbee and is hypoglycemic so he eats at least four full meals a day. Remembers dates like a superhuman. First passion was to be a baseball player.

Enjoys being in just his boxers.

JOE VILLAFANE21, VOCALS

“My favorite thing about being in this band is that it gives me the opportunity to express my-self in the purest way that I know how. Music has always been a constant in my life, and song-

writing has become the clearest way I know how to articulate or communicate what I’m feel-ing.”

Loves exploring outside. Puts most of his time into his songwriting.Privy to acting and speaks fluent gibberish. Super hungry for culture shock and seeing beautiful faces.

SEAN BANICKI23, BASS

“The band is my center. I love being able to make music with my boys and get a huge thrill from the live show.....the live show is where its at!”

A joker, a toker and a midnight fisher, into off-roading on trails with his jeep. Nature oriented, long boarder, BMX bike enthusiast. Can fix a BBQ in a jiffy and stop, drop and freestyle at a moments

notice.

RYAN HIGBIE22, GUITAR

“Get me a shot of Jame-o and a purple haze back and I will touch your bum”

Passionate about the technical side of sound - honing in on engineering/ recording. Gear head, loves playing with new pedals and equipment to make weird new noises. Big on nature, hikes, camping,

traveling and is a mean juggler.

BE YOUNG. BE DOPE. BE PROUD.

BE YOUNG. BE DOPE. BE PROUD.

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