#VandalismNYC

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[vandalismnyc]

Seiko // SKX007K w/ Bond Nato Strap

A very affordable watch that has a great sturdy construction and amazing  weight to it. It doesn’t weigh down your arm, but you never forget that you’re wearing a watch. 

The watch comes with either a rubber strap, or a really low-quality “metal” clasp but both are absolutely useless so just know if you’re going to pick one of these up, that you will be needing a new strap. I usually wear it with a Nato strap, but the Super Oyster Clasp makes it look really classy, and love to wear it when I’m in a suit.

Watch; $140 on Amazon

Super Oyster clasp; $56 on Amazon

Nato straps on Amazon

[vandalismnyc]

We're a full week away from Black Friday but Amazon is kicking off the sale an entire week early and has a great collection of men's apparel, shoes, jewelry, watches, & much more for up to 65% off!

It's a great time and place to do your Holiday shopping. Whether you're shopping for yourself, or for a family member, Amazon is the one stop shop for all your holiday shopping needs!

Do yourself a favor and check out this sale!

[vandalismnyc]

Pier of Fear @ Pier 94 10/31/14

This year's Halloween was set to be a boring one. I was ready to go to Insomniac's Boo! at the Barclays center when they announced (the week of) that they were going to abruptly move the event to Pier 94. They made the decision to combine their show with RPM/Pacha's show Pier of Fear. In my opinion this was a terrible, money driven, decision made by Insomniac but I won't go into too much detail about that. Pier 94 is a god awful venue and I had vowed to never pay for an event at this venue after last years terrible shows. I made the decision to opt for a refund and forget about attending a show all together; however, the day of Halloween a friend came through to save the day. She managed to get me and a few other friends onto DJ Snake's VIP guest list for the night. So not only was I able to watch the show from possibly the best seat in the house, I was able to do so for free courtesy of DJ Snake. Below is my review of the night.

Venue: Terrible

As I previously stated, Pier 94 is quite possibly my least favorite venue in all of NYC. My main issue with the venue is the sound system, which is the most important element to any live show. Its incredibly low to the point where you can easily hear others talking around you. Thats unacceptable. The first time I attended a show at Pier 94 was back in 2012 which, just so happened to be for Pier of Fear as well. The sound back then was not an issue; however, since then the venue has apparently received numerous noise complaints from the surrounding neighborhood. As a result the sound will never be as loud as it use to be and Pier 94 is well aware of the issue. RPM and Pacha are also aware of the issue but could care less. Pier 94 is a large venue where they can pack fans in like sardines to maximize profit. On this particular night I can't comment on the sound system because I was lucky enough to stand directly in front of a speaker stack so it sounded amazing; however, after talking to people in general admission they had the same complaints I had about previous shows, music was too low.

On this particular night, it was very clear that production was handled by Insomniac. The lights and visuals of the stage were of a higher quality than what RPM is known to offer. 

Crowd: Boring

It was a unique experience being slightly elevated and able to look down onto the general admission crowd but what I saw was actually disheartening. Instead of seeing a crowd full of people dancing, excited, and having a good time I saw a crowd full of people standing around. In a sea of people I couldn't see a single person dancing. People stood around on their cell phones looking bored. It was a shame because the DJs were delivering high energy sets. All I could think was "I'm so glad I'm not in that crowd"

Performance: Good

I arrived late to Pier 94 towards the end of Tchami's set so I was only able to see Tommy Trash, DJ Snake, Adventure Club, Knife Party, and Borgeous. Tommy Trash delivered exactly what I expected to hear, a high energy set packed with classics, new tracks, and mashups only Tommy Trash can deliver. Tonight was my first time seeing DJ Snake. The first 20 minutes of his set were intense and then for the remaining 40 minutes he switched back and forth between trap/hip hop and electro. Adventure Club were the apparent headliners of the night, playing 15 minutes longer than everyone else, were tolerable. Their set was well balanced and had little of everything for both their fans and people seeing them for the first time. Knife Party was amazing as always. Only Gareth McGrillen played the show which was weird since I'm use to seeing him and Rob Swire play together. Gareth played the typical heaviness you expect from Knife Party but he snuck in some serious groove tracks such Tom Staar's "Totem" and Junior Sanchez's "Deeper Love" These tracks worked surprisingly well with the rest of the set. Borgeous opened with 3 different versions of Tsunami and that's when I tuned him out. 20 minutes in as we were debating whether to stay or go home he played Krewella's "Alive" and that was when we decided it was time to leave.

Overall: Good

The only reason I considered this night to be a good night was 100% because it was free. Had I paid money to be in the crowd with the sound quality of Pier 94 I would've been extremely upset and let down. One of most appealing factors to Insomniac's Boo! was the fact that it was at Barclays Center, there was no way Pier 94 was a suitable replacement. Thankfully due to DJ Snake I was able to stand outside of the crowd, directly in front of a speaker stack, and with a perfect view of the stage.

[vandalismnyc]

As winter is approaching, trade in your denim for some trousers. An easy way to switch up your look without doing too much.

[vandalismnyc]

Dockers // Alpha Chinos

I know for most guys, the blue jeans are the go-to pair for everyday casual wear, but take a look at these Dockers Alpha Chinos. Not your typical work-chinos, these Alpha chinos are here to be the new denim in your wardrobe.

I usually get my chinos from Rugby but I just wanted to see what else is out there… These are my first pair of Dockers and I gotta say, the quality is pretty great. Their motto for these pants are; “Break em in like jeans. Wear em like khaki.”

They truly are built like jeans. The fabric is pretty heavy so it can be worn pretty much all year round. I think the fit is very close to a 511. I can tell because it’s just tight enough in the thighs to be socially acceptable. The best thing about these pants are the slight tapering. If you’re wearing slim chinos you don’t want the pant leg just going straight down and leaving that excess space around your ankles.

it’s almost skin tight around the thighs, so for the rest of the pant leg to come down and open up around the ankles will look so awkward, especially when I’m walking and having that flap at the bottom flailing in the wind as I take each step. The build quality on these are seriously amazing. I feel like I can go play basketball in these without a problem (they’re that comfortable too). The orange accents (although only on the inside) is a nice touch for pants on such a low price range. For anyone looking for a nice pair of pants that will go well with almost every event, whether its work, going out on a date, or chillin at the bar with your friends, I highly recommend the Dockers Alpha slim fit pants.

They come in many different fits and a plethora of colors so you're sure to find a pair that you will fall in love with!

Dockers Alpha Chinos

[brvdo1]

Sundayz

[vandalismnyc]

Accessories for the week: Hats, by: Lease on Life Society.

[vandalismnyc]

Many different ways to be cozy in the autumn, for this look I went with a more bold color for a cooler look.

Top: Lease on Life Society | Bottoms & Shoes: Nike

[vandalismnyc]

Alexander Wang x H&M

So the recent collaboration between Alexander Wang and H&M made a huge splash in the fashion world.

What do you think about the collection?

What did you love?

What did you hate?

[vandalismnyc]

Above & Beyond ABGT100 @ MSG 10/18/14

This past October saw the celebration of Above & Beyond's monumental 100th episode of their radio show Group Therapy. The show took place at the historic venue Madison Square Garden, a venue that has only been played by a select few electronic dance music DJs. Below is my review of the entire night from the perspective of a fan in General Admission: East.

Venue: Good

I've been to MSG before but never for a concert event. I wouldn't say it was as amazing as the Barclays Center but in comparison to other large scale venues such as the Izod Center & Nassau Coliseum I think MSG is a pretty good venue. The one complaint I do have is about the unnecessary barricade splitting the general admission in half. The only reason I could think of as to why they have that barricade is simply to charge higher prices for the front portion of the floor, main floor west. The sound system is fairly solid and gets the job done. For the first 20 minutes or so there was too much bass but that was quickly adjusted and fixed for the remainder of the night. The staff was professional and polite which can sometimes be hard to find at these type of events. Security was adequate while not treating attendees like convicts with unnecessary searches. They allowed empty water bottles without caps inside the venue which was a first for me. Normally they don't allow any bottles at all. The vendors inside filled your bottle up with Dasani water for free which I thought was highly considerate of the venue. Typically venues leave you no choice but to buy water from them and then they charge ridiculous prices. Overall I was happy with my experience at MSG which was similar to my past experiences.

Crowd: Great

With the exception of one annoying fan from Texas, the crowd was incredible. Which is no surprise seeing as Above & Beyond has some of the most loyal and amazing fan base around. People flew in from all over the world for this one night and they brought nothing but high spirits and positive energy with them. People were sharing their Above & Beyond stories with one another, singing together, showing their A&B tattoos, and cheering from start to finish. People had paid a lot of money to be here on this night and it was clear everyone was hoping to make it a night to remember.

Performance: Excellent

With three amazing openers, i'll give a quick review on each one.

Illan Bluestone: My first time seeing him and I had high hopes seeing as how he's such an excellent producer. The first half of his performance was a little hard to hear because the sound had too much bass it over powered the melodies. Which was unfortunate because his music is melody driven. Aside from that he had a solid hour performance filled with his hits, unique mash ups, and great flow.

Andrew Bayer: Andrew was the surprise performance of the night for me. I was familiar with his work but had never seen him live until tonight. His set was probably my favorite of the night. Not only did he have powerful trance moments in his set but he also mixed in progressive tracks such as We Come, We Rave, We Love by Axwell /\ Ingrosso and Tension by Jebu. I honestly didn't expect to hear this kind of songs on this night and I didn't expect them to work so well with the huge trance tracks Bayer also played. Pictures from the night later revealed that it was possible that Bayer had been mixing on a Traktor S4 controller instead of the Pioneer CDJ 2000s that were also set up in the booth. I personally use a Traktor S4 so I thought it was cool to see a huge name such as Bayer also using that equipment. Others found it weird that he would use a Traktor when more expensive Pioneers were available to him as well.

Mat Zo: Unfortunately I missed the first 20 minutes of Mat's set because I had to use the restroom but the last 40 minutes that I did hear were really good. In typical Mat Zo fashion, he played whatever he felt like playing. Which I think rubbed some fans the wrong way who were expecting a night full of trance. I enjoyed it because he played all the things I like outside of trance including Cirez D, Tom Staar, and Kaskade. I will admit it was a weird set to lead into Above & Beyond, it didn't quite set the right mood for them; however, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Above & Beyond: This was my fourth time seeing A&B and from my past previous I've learned to expect nothing short of amazing from these guys. Their music, their stage production, and their energy is unlike anything else. It's why they have the loyal fan base they have; however, as much it pains me to say it, I have to admit for me this night was not as special as I had hoped it would be. Their set was good, it was enjoyable, but to me it wasn't special. Instead of being packed with big emotional filled moments it felt like a 2 hour podcast simply running through songs. I was under the impression that this night would be a celebration of everything that had gotten them to this 100th episode. That couldn't be further from the truth. Their set focused on debuting new music both from them and artists from their label. I love new music as much as anyone else but its hard to connect to them when you're hearing them for the first time. I'd much rather listen to an album for a few weeks in advance then hear it live that way I can appreciate it more. A&B maybe played 2 or 3 of their older hits which I thought was a shame. They shouldn't have abandoned the very songs that got them to the 100th episode; the very songs that are the reason why MSG was sold out that night. Some people have said that they didn't play those songs because they're old but I believe there are ways to revamp and breath new life into older tracks. A&B only did that with their hit Sun & Moon, the rest of their catalogue they simply didn't play. I was upset and I know a lot of other fans were upset about it as well. The set just wasn't memorable for what was suppose to be a night we would never forget.

Overall: I would consider the night a success. Was it worth the money? No. The openers were incredible, the crowd was amazing, the venue was just right but for me personally Above & Beyond fell short. The delivered a solid set with new music that flowed but for A&B I've come to expect so much more. So until they come back and deliver a night to remember I'll continue to relive my moments with them from EZo0 2013, the best performance I've ever seen them deliver.

[vandalismnyc]

Porter Robinson @ Terminal 5 10/11/14

After months of waiting the night finally came for Porter Robinson’s sold out Worlds tour at Terminal 5. Luckily I had heard beforehand that this show was not going to be a typical Porter Robinson show. Instead of a DJ set (which many have grown to love over the years) this was going to be a different experience; it was going to be a live show. Meaning, Porter would be playing live instruments alongside his own songs and they would necessarily be mixed as you would except from a DJ set. Below is my review of the night: from the crowd, Porter’s performance, to the venue itself…enjoy.

Venue: Fair

This was my first time at Terminal 5 and overall I would say I enjoyed my experience. The main floor is decent size floor and has 3 more floors above it that provide a balcony view. The main bar is located in the far back directly across from the stage. There’s also a mini bar off to the right side (as you’re looking at the stage) near the restrooms. The sound quality is nice but its easy to see the sound system was designed with live bands in mind, not DJs. The sound has more of a live feel to it and focuses less on the bass, which happens to be a key element to house music shows. I would be weary to see more DJs at this venue but wouldn’t hesitate to see a rock band such as Machine Head play there.

The crowd: Tolerable/Slightly Annoying

The crowd was incredibly packed but that was expected due to the fact that the show was sold out. What was not expected was the amount of drunk fools being annoying with no regard for the people around them. I was expecting a lot of Porter fans to be in the crowd but to my surprise I was surrounded by people who were there just to be there. Later on in the night I learned people were selling tickets on StubHub for $20 and thats when things made sense to me. There wasn’t a whole lot of space to move but then again this wasn’t your typical dance show so the space was enough to enjoy what Porter was bringing.

Performance: Excellent

As a music aficionado I really appreciated and enjoyed what Porter did on this night. By the end of his 90 minute set it was very clear that he poured his heart and soul into bringing his vision to life. Stunning visuals were meshed perfectly with incredible live versions of both his previous songs and songs from his latest album, Worlds. The show had more of a concert feel to it meaning the songs didn’t necessarily mix into one another; the song finished and the next one started. It was cool to see Porter play piano, drums, and sing occasional vocals throughout the show. His talent has impossible to deny as he controlled different musical elements all at once. Since this was his Worlds tour a lot of the songs played were from the album but he didn’t abandon the classics that got him to this point in his career. Instead he made “World edits” of classics such as Easy, Say My Name, Unison, and Language. Meaning reworked them and incorporated elements from his Worlds album into the older songs so they fit better with the new material.

Overall

I would say this was one of the best shows I’ve gone to in 2014. Easily in my top 5. From the production value to Porter’s energy I would say I definitely got my money worth and then some.

[vandalismnyc]

Poler x RAEN // Sunglasses

Southern California’s RAEN looks to the Pacific Northwest for styling help on the brand’s latest collection of sunglasses, linking up with Poler Outdoor Stuff on a trio of vintage-inspired frames. The handmade silhouettes take the form of the two-tone Wayfarer-esque Garwood, squared-off angular Myer and ultra-lightweight Remmy, each built with high-quality acetate in a matte granite finish and fitted with smoky Carl Zeiss lenses. Poler branding on each completes the look. See the individual frames below, and shop the collection now at the online stores of both RAEN and Poler Outdoor Stuff.

Click through for more photos

[vandalismnyc]

Fall's cooler temperatures have officially set in, and with the turning of the leaves comes the need to swap out lighter layers for warm, fleecy pieces. Unless you've been living life out on a tropical island, it's pretty clear that tailored sweatpants have become so much more than Sunday lounge wear, and are now a sportswear staple. As autumn approaches, don't be left out in the cold. These are The Best Sweatpants to Buy for Fall Right Now.

Nike // Tech Fleece Pants

Uniqlo // Sweat Pants 

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Ami // Sarouel Lounge Pants

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Champion // Fleece Jogger Pants

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[vandalismnyc]

Leather Weather

A style every guy should learn to embrace and utilize is leatherware. Whether you're rockin a classic double-rider, a moto, shearling bomber, or an MA-1, you should familiarize yourself with the different types of styles and figure out what's best for you.

Here are three classic, timeless, styles to help jump start your leather-journey

1 - Double-Rider

  Saint Laurent // Leather Biker Jacket

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The essence of 'cool' since it's initial design, the notoriously stylish double-rider jacket is a staple for anyone looking to enter into the leather world. It's a familiar style which features an off-centered zippered enclosure in the front intended to improve windproofing while riding your bike, as well as epaulettes on the shoulders, slash pockets, ticket pocket, zippered sleeve cuff, and a cropped body with belts on the waist.  It's a bold look but definitely something you want to have in your rotation if you're looking to get serious with leather.

2- Moto/Tab-Collar/Cafe Racer Jacket

Schott // Leather Café Racer Jacket

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"Cafe racer" is a term that describes a particular model of bike with a minimal design and "naked body" style that were used by leisurely riders traveling from one coffee shop to another. This style of jacket screams "cool", while at the oozing serenity with it's simple and clean aesthetic. Definitely a great piece to have as a quiet little statement piece.

3 - Bomber

McQ Alexander McQueen // Shearling-Collar Leather Bomber Jacket

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Bomber jackets were an iconic piece worn by fighter pilots during WWII and the swag never died. This is a great piece to own, especially a model with a shearling-collar because that is going to keep you warm during those treacherous conditions, while keeping you looking absolutely cool as shit.

[vandalismnyc]

Justin Bieber was spotted leaving a medical building in Los Angeles, CA wearing navy blue tie dye button shirt, khaki pants, and red suede Prada slip-on sneakers. What do you think of his look?

[representclo-blog]

[vandalismnyc]

Stan Smiths


Lease on Life Society

Black Patchwrk Denim
 Socks