Episode 3: Visiting Mom in Seattle, Washington

Sponsored by Peta2 and Veganessentials

DYLAN’S DIARY FOR THIS EPISODE:

This week we headed up north to Seattle to break the big news to my parents, throw around some opinions, and deliver some delicious homemade vegan treats. I was a little nervous about how my mom will react to the new diet.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with warm embrace and smiles for days (the goodies may have had something to do with that – who could resist “Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies” with extra cocoa powder, of course). Though right off the bat my mom voiced some serious doubts about my new diet–not off to the best start after all. But her mood lightened after a long conversation about the health and ecological benefits of an animal-free diet.

With the hard part out of the way, we treat ourselves to some delicious dinner and cocktails at Plum Bistro in Capitol Hill. On the menu: quinoa sliders and jalapeno pizza. I can’t emphasize enough how tasty this was! Honestly the best vegan food I’ve had so far; I definitely need to learn how to cook these up myself.

This trip to Seattle was greatly successful: a steadfast approval from the parents, and much thanks to Happycow.net and @veganscore for cuisine direction, I’m feeling better than ever! Just can’t forget to get my nutrients and drink lots of water (thanks Mom).

- Dylan Mandel, The Lives of Famous Men

ABOUT GOING VEGAN

No meat. No eggs. No cheese. No Jello.

Planet Verge challenged The Lives of Famous Men drummer Dylan Mandel to abstain from consuming animal products for one month and document the process for its On The Verge. The series, titled Going Vegan, will follow Mandel at his home in Portland and as he road trips across the USA, where he will cut flesh foods, eggs and dairy cold turkey (pardon the pun) from his diet. Follow him as he learns that being vegan goes beyond his diet, to his clothes, shampoo and even daily vitamins. He’ll meet vegan friends who help him along the way as he takes his 30 days one day at a time.

Hellogoodbye combine ukuleles, dance beats, and the most adorable lyrics ever.  They brought their pop rock sounds and affable demeanors to the Nokia Theater in New York City, where they talked to Planet Verge about what’s really important:  The victors in the Zombies vs. Aliens vs. Vampires vs. Dinosaurs battle.  (Hint:  It’s not who you think.)

And fun fact:  Jess and Forrest (vocals) had the same coat.

The back section of the main floor was unofficially reserved for people who wanted background music to their socializing, as it was frequently difficult to even hear the band over the chatter of yuppies wearing matching North Face coats. Closer to the stage, fans were a bit more interested in the music… or at least weren’t completely ignoring the band.

Still, there was a conspicuous lack of energy in the crowd, who may have been taking their cue from the mostly stationary band. With the notable exception of guitarist and signer Ian Ball, the members of Gomez rarely moved during their 90 minute set. These few moments of mobility were usually just enough to keep a beat or pick up new instruments. The performance may as well have been in a rehearsal studio for the “show” they put on. Towards the end of the set, guitarist Tom Grey commented to his band mates “wow, [the audience] is really sticking with us,” and sounded sincerely shocked that the crowd had stayed so long.

Clearly not attracted to the showmanship, the audience was there to hear the indie folk stars, who did put on a strong musical show. Energy saved from lack of movement was put into some impressive guitar riffs from Ben Ottewell and a few genuine rock-out moments from Ball. Aside from the minor complaint that multiple songs include “la la la” as a major part of the lyrics (“Rhythm & Blues,” “If I Ask You Nicely,” “Little Pieces,” etc), the band sounded great and played a strong set for their loyal fans.

While they sounded amazing, the group may not be at its best in live format. Still, their musical abilities are undeniable and will keep sold out crowds following them throughout their tour.

*By Jesy, who will have to find a new way to spot yuppies when it gets too warm for the North Face gear… sometime in July.

The Postelles are splashing on to the pop/rock scene in major ways. Fresh from finishing a February residency at the Bowery Electric, performing at Carnegie Hall’s The Who tribute concert with The Gaslight Anthem, and recording a rockin’ Buddy Holly cover for Playboy.com, The Postelles just released a new EP, White Night (out on Capitol/Astralwerks Records) and are celebrating with a national tour.

Needless to say 2010 has been a successful start to the group, whose sound is reminiscent of the catchy 50s style rock & roll, making fans everywhere get up and shake a tail. I had the chance to talk to guitarist David Palk for Planet Verge about what inspires The Postelles’ music, their spring tour with Hockey, and what they hope lays ahead this year. Read the interview below and get to know The Postelles.

How has the New Year treated you guys so far?
It’s been a great year so far, looking forward to touring and releasing our album this year.

Give us the low down on how the band formed and your musical stylings.
We went to high school together and recruited Billy (drummer) to join once we all graduated.  It was once Billy joined we re-named the group The Postelles and wrote all of our current songs.

With a debut album soon to be released, what are you most looking forward to this spring?
We’re really excited to go across America playing our tunes for the first time.  It’s been pretty cold in NYC so we’re looking forward to more cheerful weather

Who are your biggest musical influences and why?
We love Sam Cooke’s music. He was so incredibly soulful yet a lot of his songs are really fun and catchy. We also are big fans of The Clash. We love Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff and thought The Clash did an amazing job incorporating reggae into Rock.

Your music has been described as catchy, full of rock and roll groove, with contagious hooks that mix dance and indie rock. Basically, word on the street is your music is fun. Are there any genres you hope to experiment with more in the future?
We’re not going to aim for a specific genre to come into the mix but expect a lot of Soul, R&B, Jazz, Reggae in the near future.

What can Postelles fans expect from your upcoming tour with Hockey?
We’re planning on playing big chunks of our debut LP along with the sporadic cover when the mood strikes.

You’ve had the privilege to play a residency here in New York City recently. How have the New York audiences responded to your music?
We love playing in New York. Most people think NY crowds are stiff but we definitely saw a lot of dancing, toe tapping and head bobbing.

Since you’ve been touring the country in support of your EP, White Night, do you have any crazy stories to share?
Our EP we just released is White Night and the album is going to be called The Postelles. We had a pretty great time in Miami, its a super fun diverse city and the weather was superb.

What has been your favorite city to play at?
Reykjavik, Iceland was really a thrill for the band. The people are really nice and beautiful and they stay out really late at night enjoying each others company.

We’re big fans of beards, vegetarian and vegan diets, bad reality shows, and cupcakes. What are some of your guilty pleasures in life?
We support Handle-Bar Mustaches, Beatles Rock Band, and Onesies.

Don’t miss The Postelles in New York on March 15th when they join Hockey at the Bowery Ballroom! Their new EP, “White Night” is out now so be sure to grab a copy for yourself.

*By Alisha, who thanks The Postelles for reminding her how much she loves Buddy Holly and The Beatles

EPISODE 2: Taking the Alternative

Sponsored by Peta2 and Veganessentials

DYLAN’S DIARY FOR THIS EPISODE:

Moving right along! In this episode I meet up with Jasmin Singer from www.ourhenhouse.com to share thoughts on the local community and different cuisine ideas at Herbivore Clothing, which is the place to go if you’re looking for a nice array of vegan attire and an awesome selection of vegan literature.

With me being new to veganism, Jasmin helps put things into perspective by offering words of advice over a warm cup of tea. I learn that although hanging with other vegans definitely helps with the transition, it’s important to not limit yourself to one crowd. The community in Portland has been especially supportive towards me so far. Even some of my meat-eating friends are opening up and trying new lifestyle options.

I also find out that new foods are on the horizon for me, and knowing how to cook is important for me in trying to be a healthy vegan. Not only am I learning new recipes through this challenge, but also ways to make them all-together more healthy. For example when I made the double chocolate chunk brownies, I used apple sauce instead of oil, and to give the Almond Joy cookies more of a doughier consistency I used a mashed up banana. Voila!

So a big thank you to Jasmin and to Josh at Herbivore Clothing, for all the helpful insight and good company. Be the example!

- Dylan Mandel, The Lives of Famous Men

Dylan’s Almond Joy Cookie Recipe

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp.salt
1 T coconut extract
12 oz bag of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips
1 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce
2 T vanilla
1/4 cup water
1 banana

1) Sift together dry ingredients
2) Blend banana in blender until smooth
3) Add banana, apple sauce, water, vanilla, coconut extract to dry ingredients and mix well
4) Once there are no clumps, fold in dark chocolate chips
5) Use a tablespoon to portion out the cookies on a baking sheet
6) Bake at 350 degrees for between 13 and 15 minutes

ABOUT GOING VEGAN:

No meat. No eggs. No cheese. No Jello.

Planet Verge challenged The Lives of Famous Men drummer Dylan Mandel to abstain from consuming animal products for one month and document the process for its On The Verge. The series, titled Going Vegan, will follow Mandel at his home in Portland and as he road trips across the USA, where he will cut flesh foods, eggs and dairy cold turkey (pardon the pun) from his diet. Follow him as he learns that being vegan goes beyond his diet, to his clothes, shampoo and even daily vitamins. He’ll meet vegan friends who help him along the way as he takes his 30 days one day at a time.

But not before an ending ceremony spectacle to end all Olympic spectacles!

To be fair, I came into the celebration a little late (apparently missing Avril Lavigne and Nickelback, to which I can only say “thank you” to my pal whose traffic jam kept me from heading to the bar sooner). But I got there in plenty of time for some seriously ridiculous Canadian spirit. Without going into too much amazing detail, here’s a rundown of the highlights. These were moments when viewers had to wonder if Canada is really in on the joke of their existence. Otherwise they’re just really excited about beaver balloons on ice skates.

- Michael Buble’s Canadian Rockettes

Like a Halloween costume gone wrong, these girls took Mounties to a new, slutty level

- Maple Leaf Mermaids

The pages I could write to explain why maple leaves don’t require women strapped to them would be lengthy enough, but put those women in coral red wigs and a green onesie, and I could post a dissertation on poor taste. Sadly (or thankfully) no pictures were available.

- Mounties on Ice

Does Canada have nothing else to represent it to the world?

- Fake Hockey Match (and requisite fight)

Oh, that’s right – hockey, too.

- Canadian Thanksgiving Day Parade

Thankfully Santa didn’t make an appearance at the end of this huge balloon rip-off

- Human-Sized Hamster Balls

With a lit up human inside. It looked like a blast to try, but really, what inspired designers for this idea?

Overall, I can’t hate on Canada for the ceremony, since they are inherently a bit cheesy and certainly difficult to pull one together. Plus, they did throw in the entirely random, but definitely appreciated, appearance of Canadian opera and ballet stars. Of course that was mixed in with the giant beavers on ice, so there was probably room for improvement.

*By Jesy, who accidentally watched curling on at least four separate days during the Olympics.

No meat. No eggs. No cheese. No Jello.

Planet Verge challenged The Lives of Famous Men drummer Dylan Mandel to abstain from consuming animal products for one month and document the process for its On The Verge. The series, titled Going Vegan, will follow Mandel at his home in Portland and as he road trips across the USA, where he will cut flesh foods, eggs and dairy cold turkey (pardon the pun) from his diet. Follow him as he learns that being vegan goes beyond his diet, to his clothes, shampoo and even daily vitamins. He’ll meet vegan friends who help him along the way as he takes his 30 days one day at a time.

Presenting…

EPISODE 1: Going VEGAN in Portland, Oregon

Sponsored by Peta2 and Veganessentials

DYLAN’S DIARY FOR THIS EPISODE:

And we’re off! It’s the first week of my one-month Vegan Challenge. In this episode you’ll see the highlights from my first day–from my first visit to the vegan mini mall in Portland, OR to my first cooking adventure.

To prepare myself for the challenge, I’ve been hitting up www.vegweb.com (recipes!) and www.veganessentials.com (where I’m getting my ingredients!), and reading two particularly helpful books, Vegan Freak and World Peace Diet.

Challenger and good friend Jordana Reim stopped in Portland for a few days to show me the ropes. Within the first few days, we managed to cook up mac ‘n cheese, double chocolate chunk brownies, and a mysterious concoction we’ve deemed “Almond Joy” cookies, all recipes are of course free of any animal products.

Having the support from Jordana really helped in the first few days. I’ve also received a surprising amount of support from my family and peers, especially my roommate Jason. Just the other day, I woke up to find he’d been up late baking a loaf of vegan banana bread. I’m now beginning to suspect Jason is a “closet vegan.”

So, here I am in the first week and I feel great. Ironically, I think I’m actually gaining weight, but I haven’t eaten this well in… Well, I can’t remember! It honestly doesn’t even feel like a challenge so far, being home in Portland with all of this help and unexpected support, but I know when we hit the road for tour later this month things will change. No fridge for veggies… No oven…

Wish me luck on this venture into the unknown!

- Dylan Mandel, The Lives of Famous Men

Dylan’s Vegan Mac-n-Cheese Recipe

1) Boil 2 lbs. of choice pasta
2) Put drained pasta in large casserole pan
3) Add tons veggies to casserole pan: broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, artichokes – the more veggies the better
4) Coat veggies and pasta with “cheese” sauce and bake for 15 min uncovered
Remove from oven, stir and serve

To make cheese sauce put all these ingredients in the blender:
-1 package of firm tofu
-2 cups of nutritional yeast
-tablespoon of mustard
-tablespoon of salt
-few shakes of paprika
-approx 2 cups (maybe more-usually just fill blender to top) of almond milk (unflavored)
-soy sauce to taste (usually abt 1/3 cup but do less then add more)
-olive oil – between 1/3 and 1/2 cup

I could not have prepared for this. The frazzled employees working the door showed the wear of truly fervent fans. The exasperated list girl asked, pleaded to know if we had tickets. The sold out show left a lot of last minute planners disappointed and this poor girl had clearly taken the brunt of their frustrations.

Once in, it was wall to wall in the 500 person venue and there was a palpable anticipation for the band to make its appearance. The reasonably sized stage looked cramped with the multiple drum sets, keyboards, guitars and xylophones – enough instruments for a small high school band. The five person piece was going to get around during this set.

And get around they did. Showing very little loyalty to their instruments, Tortoise proceeded to rock the hell out of their attentive audience for nearly 2 hours. This, while keeping the banter to a bare minimum – there were maybe 10 words spoken all night (mostly “thank you”s) and no lyrics to any songs. Pulling in some old favorites like “I Set My Face to the Hillside,” as well as several tunes off their latest, Beacons of Ancestorship, Tortoise hit most of the notes the crowd was looking for.

Even so, after a 90 minute set, the crowd still yelled for more and shouted their appreciation for the band. During one of the two encores, the band finally started asking for something back, in the form of a fairly complicated clap-a-long. Fortunately, the band performed better at their tasks than the crowd. Though, in their defense, the audience was also trying to balance their beers while keeping the beat.

Far from a standard jam band set, the clearly talented musicians kept the energy up throughout the entire set and impressed even the most casual of music fans with their outrageous rhythms and cohesion. It was nearly 1am when the lights went up and the exhausted but still psyched crowd made their way out of the venue.

*By Jesy, who, in addition to seeing a great band, has finally learned how to spell “tortoise” correctly. Thanks, Tortoise.

PV Girls reveal their boy band pasts during some downtime before a show. Hanson VS. Backstreet Boys VS. ‘N Sync.. Find out who we think you should STILL be listening to!

Alisha’s PV life revolves around commuting from upstate New York to NYC and NJ for shows. Here’s what she has to say about it.