Five years ago, when the magazine Hipnosis was founded (it was called The Page then, but that’s a whole other story), it was dedicated to fostering local poets and visual artists. Among the many changes that the magazine has weathered is the addition of sonic artists to that group. Case in point: Sunday’s Arts & Music Festival at the Whiskey Bar in Hoboken, which the magazine is sponsoring. “I want people to realize that there is an arts and music scene in New Jersey,” said Senior Editor Guy Tetro. “Too many people think that for art, music or theater, you have to go into New York.” Tetro, who used to say he wanted people to be hypnotized by art in all formats, has put his reputation where his mouth is. He’s the only remaining member of the magazine’s original staff, a motley crew of twentysomething idealists who couldn’t stick by through lean times. And lean they were, when the magazine stopped production for two years, re-emerging as a web-based publication in Feb. 1998. “We felt it would reach more readership,” said Tetro, explaining why they went to the web. “There was a limited distribution at that time, so we were basically targeting the northern part of New Jersey only. We wanted to reach the whole state.” The magazine is now more of an entertainment guide that includes only New Jersey-based events and artists. Due to the success of the web site, which gets 60,000 hits per month, Hipnosis is going paper again, with a glossy edition due out in the beginning of May. A paper companion to the web edition will be issued monthly after that. Another element of the magazine is the sponsored event, like Sunday’s festival. Tetro and other Hipnosis contributors have culled acts from places like the Liquid Lounge, Lovesexy and of course the Whiskey, a who’s who of hip Hudson (and some surrounding areas). Poetry will be included, with local heroes Ivan Other, Ed Zimmer, Alexander the Poet and Flo Wetzel (whose prose appears on our Back Page this week). Bands who will play include Lourds and Eugene, both of whom are currently generating will-they-reach-the-big-time buzz. Several solo acts who will perform are jazz bassist Bob White, folky guitarists Amy Johannessen and Leslie Yahia, and for an antidote, the bluesy Mike Ill (see sidebar). This is the night to catch the ethereal Rivka performing a cappella. If you still need to look at other stuff, there will be paintings, photos and sculptures by artists like Robert Carlise, Les Brown and Kevin Mooney. Mike Latch, who’s the guy running things for the Liquid Lounge’s Liquid Jam (an open mic night) every Tuesday, will host the event. “I’m doing the magazine 100 percent now,” said Tetro. “It’s a passion that I’ve never been able to put away. It’s like writing a book: you may stop and get sidetracked, but you never want to give up.”
It’s all about Jersey: Local mag hosts music and art festival
