#103.1 the buzz

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Radio, Live Transmission: A 28th Anniversary Retrospective on 103.1 The Buzz And It's Lasting Legacy On South Florida

(Pictured Above: 2008 Logo for the Buzz Bake Sale, WPBZ’s annual music festival)

While the station signed off the FM airwaves in 2011, its impact, disappearance and legacy remains prominent to this day.

There is one constant to which you cannot deny; in some facet, in some way, FM radio is heard at least once a day.

Be it in your local coffee shop while you wait for the frother to cease its hissing, inside of a Lyft or your own car, in a retail store (RIP to almost all K-Mart’s) or even perhaps in your own workplace, the medium itself is the oldest driver and receptor of auditory media consumption.

And while there are some television events that will forever be integrated into the ever growing, and increasingly strange fabric of reality, it can arguably be stated that none are as special as radio transmissions.

Think on your childhood. How many of those memories are associated with one of your parents driving in their car, blaring some of their favorite songs with the windows down?

What songs were playing in the background of your first kiss, the volume turned down just enough to hear and feel those first precarious breaths as you both leaned into the unknown?

What songs did your family member have on in the kitchen as they began dinner prep, and you took in the scents and sounds of what would influence you later?

Or maybe your own experience is similar to this particular writers: anxiously waiting to press record as you counted down the minutes to 7pm on a Thursday night. Because this night, tonight on an evening in late September of 2006, when The Killers “When You Were Young” is going to be premiered on The Buzz during Dropping Trou with Ross Mahoney. Finger hovering right over the record button of an old (but reliable) ocean blue boom box. You’ve checked the tape inside about a dozen times, and now you’re just waiting for this Green Day song to finish so you can click it.

Finally, you hear the queue come on for the segment and you mash the button. It’s the World Premiere of the first single from the follow-up of the Las Vegas act and though it’s more than likely being premiered across the country, it somehow feels special. It feels like this is the debut of it on your home station, and the rest of the country can wait.

The special thing about radio, is that every experience is unique. And while every community may or may not have their own rallying call, 103.1 The Buzz, call sign WPBZ, made it somehow feel like this community was the best damn one.

“I was working with a radio consultant at my current station at the time, who was also going to be the consultant for The Buzz. “ says Jason Davis, one of the original DJ’s at the station and host of the weekly Buzz Light show every Sunday morning. “I had expressed my desire to work at a startup modern rock station in a cool market to that consultant before. So when this station was being formed, he had me in mind and recommended I send in an audition.  I did, and the program director, Amy Doyle, heard it and thought it was awful. She called me and told me so, but said I came highly recommended by the consultant so she wanted to give me another chance.  I sent in another audition tape and she liked it, flew me down for an in-person audition, and made me a job offer before I flew back home.”

WPBZ operated in West Palm Beach from 1995 to 2011, being not only a stalwart beacon for alternative music as the sole provider for newer alternative and rock music in West Palm Beach, but provided a rallying point for the entirety of Palm Beach County.

“Everyone who worked there was young and trying to figure out life.” said Dan Stone, who also worked as a DJ on the station and now works as a voice actor and audio producer. “The music and city kinda felt the same. It was where I started to learn production on a DAW which gave me a career as an imaging director and eventually voice actor.”

In addition to the myriad of radio personalities, the station also held the accolade of the Buzz Bake Sale, starting in 1996, with the tagline being 13 bands for $13. The first ever line-up cultivated artists Evan Dando, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Primitive Radio Gods, Butthole Surfers and more onto Coral Sky Amphitheater’s stage.

During its 16 year run, the lineups grew to include Green Day, Reel Big Fish, Foo Fighters, Drowning Pool, Our Lady Peace, Muse, My Chemical Romance, Chevelle and AWOLNATION, to just name a small few of the headliners that graced the bill throughout the years.

“A memorable moment with an artist (there were many) was at the after-party of the '97 Bake Sale and we were standing around having drinks with Green Day.” replied Davis, who is now based in Atlanta as the News Producer for WSB-TV. “I (or someone) asked the singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, if we could snap a photo.  When it came time for the pic, he unexpectedly leapt into my arms. So in the pic, I'm cradling him with a shocked look on my face. Good thing he's a wee little fella and I didn't drop him. Unfortunately that was back in the olden days before digital cameras and the hard copy of the photograph is long lost.”

(Pictured above: The logo for the 10th Year of Buzz Bake Sale in 2006)

“Probably my proudest moment was staying on the air for 36 or 32 hours straight to raise 10k for Forgotten Soldiers. It still upsets me that the only thing people remember was the Handlebars bit.”, said former Buzz DJ Tre Nation, who now works with SiriusXM as an Imaging Producer. “Also, this may not be my proudest but it's one of the things that affected me the most. Standing on stage at Bake Sale and listening to John O’ Connell (Program Director for the station) thank the listeners and say good bye. I still pull up that video on YouTube every now and then and it still chokes me up to this day. I think we all knew what was going to happen, but we didn’t dare say it to each other. I remember walking back stage with Ross (Mahoney, former Buzz DJ and current Regional Vice President of Audacy Alternative) and out of nowhere he told me he loved me. Most would have thought that to be weird but, I knew why he did.”

The station also held sessions such as Buzz Lounge, a special in-studio acoustic performance by an artist. While the performances were broadcasted on air, a select number of listeners would also be allowed in studio to watch the performance, as well as a short interview between the band and one of the DJ’s.

The below performance, uploaded to YouTube of Yellowcard’s “Ocean Avenue” was one such example.

“Working with the other DJ’s & managers, we were truly a TEAM. A band of brothers. And we got to do basically what we wanted.” said Metal Mick McCabe, who was the Production Director for 16 years with the station, and is still involved with the radio industry today. “With the Alternative format, the weirder the better! John (O’Connell) and I really pushed the boundaries of poor taste and humor with the station imaging. ‘Why is it 103.1 The Buzz always sounds better to the hooker tied up in your trunk?' comes to mind…."

Some of the station’s hijinks and various other clips, including the earlier mentioned Buzz Lounge are still available to watch on the station’s archived YouTube page, buzz103 .

“What made the Buzz great was the freedom it gave its staff to say and do what they thought in the moment to entertain and connect with an audience.  The world has become so politically correct that those freedoms have all but been taken away from broadcasters and instead lives in the world of un-regulated podcasts.” answered Mark Rider, former Buzz morning show host who now works as a VA and whose credits also include narration for National Geographic and various commercial campaigns such as “Into The Spiderverse”.

“I’m not sure it would work in WPB.” Nation responded, when asked if he felt a station could operate such as WPBZ did in the current market. “The Buzz came on the air before WPB and Treasure Coast grew into what they are now. That hometown audience has been diluted. Too many people have moved away or just outgrew the music. They have also been replaced by new residents that aren’t necessarily going to support a rock station. A lot like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Now it would probably work in a market that’s a bit isolated like a Buffalo or Rochester NY. No one is moving to those places and no one really leaves.”

Since WPBZ’s sign off on December 5th 2011, the city and county remains without a true local alternative or rock station which incorporates newer acts into its rotation.

Currently, the only locally based station within the city range and county remains 98.7 The Gator (WKGR), and while a more modern song does occasionally grace the airwaves, it's playlist caters mostly to classic rock for both this generation and its predecessor.

“I was there for the sign-off. I was the DJ tasked with telling the audience that 'this is it'. I got to thank them and speak from the heart for a little bit. It was very emotional. I played the last song on the air before it switched to the pop station.” elaborates Davis. “The last song was a sweet full-circle moment, Midnight Oil "Beds Are Burning." I smile every time I hear that song since then. The people who were going to launch the new pop station were gracious and allowed me to be in the studio alone for my last break. And I started the song and remained in the studio with it nice and loud for about half the song as I choked back tears. I left the studio, went down the hall, closed an office door and let those tears go. It was like mourning a loved one.”

Since the hole left by the station, there have been an occasional few music festivals to take up the place of an annual local alternative music festival, but none have truly lasted.

Rock venues itself have come down to only perhaps half a handful of major players for smaller acts, which include Respectable Street in Downtown West Palm Beach, and both Propaganda and Bamboo Room in Lake Worth. The lack of a rock radio station in the county has resulted in a ripple effect which has reduced the live music market for Southern Florida to arena shows with exorbitant prices (resell tickets for My Chemical Romance’s sold out show in Fort Lauderdale were upwards of $400 for nosebleed seats, and near double the amount for other closer areas), and a lack of attention, desire and traction for local acts in the area.

A trend which Broward publication New Times noted in their tributary article following WPBZ’s sign-off. “Concertgoers will soon start to notice that fewer and fewer tours will come our way. After all, why should agents book tours to an area where there is apparently no rock market and no avenue to help in promoting? Not everyone uses the internet to find out what concerts are coming to their area; radio has a hand in that one, as well as bringing the sounds of new music to our ears we otherwise would not have known about. A lot of smaller alternative artists may not have had a fan base in South Florida if not for the Buzz giving them the necessary spins for listeners to discover them and venture out to experience them live.”

This may also attribute to why the stations fans remain loyally dedicated to this day, almost 12 years since its last transmission. The Facebook group, REMEMBER Buzz 103.1, currently has nearly 900 active members, with past personalities of the station often active on the group as well.

(Pictured above: Logo for the station from its inception to it’s final sign off)

“What a unique time.  Maybe the last time in American history will a format of music be so powerful in uniting an entire generation of listeners. The music was like a drug that we all couldn't get enough of.  We lived it, thrived off of it and needed it to be complete human beings learning how to grow up in such a strange time.” Rider continued, when asked of the experience working with the station.

“It was a thrill for me. I love the fact that I got introduced to, and introduced so many others to, bands that were unheard of at the time and ended up being some of our lifelong favorites. I waved the 311 flag proudly since The Buzz first started. Those guys are still chugging along with a loyal fan base 30 years later.” Davis stated.

There are still glimmering beacons of hope around the country for flagship alternative stations.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Live 105 (KITS) returned to the airwaves on June 5th of this year, two years after going off air, when it was changed to Dave FM. And former Buzz DJ Ross Mahoney, as Davis states, “has been the King of Las Vegas radio for years now, and rightfully so.”

Davis continues. “These days I listen to a public radio station out of southern California, KCSN. They aren't 90's alternative rock like The Buzz was (hardly any station is these days, which makes sense). But they aren't beholden to ratings, so they can play what they want. It's very eclectic and they have lots of great specialty shows. You're not going to hear hard rock like Tool or Rage or anything. But you might hear some obscure Talking Heads, into Marley, into Garbage, into Jack White, into brand new Depeche Mode, into some new band you've probably never heard of, etc. You never really know what you're going to hear.”

Stone adds “I wish people demanded more from radio instead of letting corporations and hedge funds call the shots.  It’s a public trust and citizens could put pressure on the government to demand more live local content.”

Nation elaborates further. “Terrestrial radio is still the dominant platform. The reason people seek out other platforms is because of commercials and the fact that terrestrial radio lacks personality and won’t take real risks with new music and artists.”

“Radio as an industry destroyed itself when it decided that it was more important to focus on websites and apps than it did the connection between itself as a product and the consumer.” says Rider. “The clock is ticking like it has been for a long time now.  Radio as we knew it doesn't even exist anymore except for a few big major markets that still employ real people that actually live in that town.  Even though I am the station voice for over 30 radio stations around the country, I would be shocked if real personality radio is ever really a thing again."

The legacy that WPBZ instituted into the hot concrete of Florida remains a timeless and irrefutable staple. And it’s a token that the former personalities are thankful for.

(Pictured Above: Buzz Bake Sale 2006 Staff Photo, courtesy of Jason Davis)

“I’m incredibly grateful to have been a part of that station and its staff and to have experienced the leadership of John O. I'm also insanely thankful for the support and loyalty of the Buzz listeners. If my career would have ended with the station like it did for some, I would have considered my career incredibly successful. I deeply miss each and every one of you”, says Nation.

Davis adds, “I had so much fun hosting Buzz Light for all those years. Sure, it sucked to get up early most every Sunday (sometimes still "buzzed" from Saturday night) and drive in. But it was a true open format.  I could play what I want, play any request I wanted. Add any new music I wanted.  It was a blast.”

While it may be a more personal opinion, and perhaps even biased, it is an undeniable fact: South Florida has some of the most passionately driven music fans, and fanbases, of anywhere in the country.

It may not be the small-town hotspot that Washington is, or the underground chic that New York has always carried, but Florida is one of the most powerful markets.

Take out the tourism, strange animals, Florida Man and mounting news headlines against the state and look at its demographic.

Here are the young and in-between generation: a group which stands on a sinking piece of land that may very well be the next Venice, Italy. But we stand on its soggy, mosquito infested and sandy shores, supporting all our friends' bands.

We go to shows, even if our backs hurt and we have work the next morning. We mosh, sing our hearts out under a humid veranda of stars and then drive through the traffic the next day.

We wear band tees in the summer despite the fact that Gildan shirt brand clearly wants to kill us, because who else will rep these bands? Where else can we broadcast our love for new music, acts and show our passion for those acts which shaped our youth, along with the Buzz?

Local and national acts, once they come to the state and most especially West Palm Beach, seem to make a valiant effort to try and come on back once they do. Because they see a crazy, tired and passionately diverse group of people, who just want to sing the words we had etched in our hearts, right back to the people who gave us the words to begin with.

As Dio once said “The world is full of kings and queens, they’ll blind your eyes and steal your dreams, it’s heaven and hell”. And strangely, it encapsulates Florida pretty well.

Whether the FM radio will ever blast alternative once more, we carry that little piece with us.

The FM radio, playing softly in the background, narrating some of our favorite moments. In the car, in our room, and kitchens.

And where there’s a kid, getting excited to hear their favorite song on the radio, is hope for the next wave of possibility.

“The love and honest to God passion for this station is undeniably one of the most timeless things I have ever been a small part of and I am wicked proud to have been a part of such an amazing time in radio in West Palm Beach.” Rider stated. “There will NEVER be a tighter group of people who respected and understood each other more.”

-Jenelle DeGuzman

Additional Links:

The archive Buzz YouTube Page can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/@buzz103/videos

New Times full article, “RIP The Buzz 103.1 -- Goodbye South Florida Rock Shows?” written by the New Times Staff can be read in it’s entirety here: https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/music/rip-the-buzz-1031-goodbye-south-florida-rock-shows-6426023

The Wikipedia page for KITS, which has a partial and condensed history of the station can be viewed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KITS

The REMEMBER Buzz 103.1 Facebook Group Page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/242324635833984/

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103.1 TECHNOI⚡︎E FM

A fictive/headcanon radio station fit for Cyberpunk 2077 presenting German ebm artists. It is Ryder's overall favorite station he likes to listen to every day.

The first of two spotify playlists with a collection of songs I imagine to be one of Ryder's favorite radio stations (in my headcanon) he listens to when he e.g. drives around in the city or got it running in the background in his apartment. Had a hard time chosing the word 'Technoise" for one of them, yet I went with this one for the more ebm, industrial and dark wave focused tracks. I think it does fit better to the overall 'Technoise lore' (see further below) than the hard tech stuff on the second playlist. Some of the artists are already in business since the 80s/90s and especially Faderhead I would have loved to have in the game as he did a whole EP named '2077' dedicated to Cyberpunk when it came out. Overall these songs sound very 'tech'-like and each of them has this base of a repeating beat or melody and even words that stick to your ears. Some of them have actually lyrics, too, some are English, most in German.

—

109.6 HELL BUNKER FM

Mostly a hard techno playlist Ryder listens to, especially when he's working out. Most of these songs get played at 'Chrome Chamber Rave' a fictive/headcanon event occuring every 1st Saturday per month at the 'Hell Bunker', located in the underground of the Dark Matter Bld. Japantown.

This one is for the more hardcore ravers. When you listened to the other one first then for this one you may understand my decision why I've splitted it up. The beats are harder, there is much less to non lyrics and singing – all is focused on beats, repetition and other sounds. Wanna work out? Take this list if you like it. However, I've placed a few more 'melodic' ones in between so you can take a little break from the harder tracks. These are mostly by the artist 'Klanglos'. Also placed some with opera singing (Venezia, Hardtechno Anthem, Bella Ciao, Fortuna and Ameno) as it is the kind of techno Thyjs surprisingly will find good (because Ry will definitely listen to his music at home and even drag soldier boy to CCR).

—

All cover artwork done by me.

⚠️ READ: Please do not repost/reupload any of my art (the cover pics) here or to any other platform, or I will be forced to do anything to get it annihilated.

Why two?

There's two of them as I wanted to separate the (hard) techno beats from the more ebm (electro body music), dark wave and industrial ones which I also minimized to German (and one Austrian) artists only. I like the idea it is a station that plays only German as I've read in one of the many lore books that 'Technoise' is a German music genre:

"Technoise and its various derivations dominate much of the German scene. If you're hip, you already know about Technoise. If not, listen up. Technoise is quite popular with the discerning young punk; it was popularized by Germany's own NetWerk actually, you've got your Overlay style from London, Jazznetic from Rotterdam and Echo from Frankfurt. In addition, there are people producing Frock (Fractal Rock) all over the place. The good thing is, Technoise is quite easy to produce. You only need a small computer, some software and you're ready to buzz. Those of you with a message might miss the political attitude, but you're missing the point. Technoise is strictly for partying, tripping and dancing. People meet and dance up to the runner's point. Maybe that's a political statement in itself, oder?" — Eurosource Plus The New Eurotheater Sourcebook for Cyberpunk

Now I do not know how exactly the 'Lore Technoise' does sound as I can imagine it very well having more rock elements (as they speak of 'overlay style from london' (like punk back then swapping over to Germany in the mid or was it late? 70s -> German punk bands formed but also the New Wave came to exist, spread into the goth genre and so on, also Industrial so both ways; rock and electronic elements etc.) so I may have my own headcanon for it, while others maybe interpret it differently?

I definitely see some political messages in some ebm and industrial songs as well but a lot also are focused on something else less political. And if we go pure (hard) techno, it's definitely just for 'partying, tripping and dancing'. I can't say if it will stay like this, if I delete some songs or add new but for now I think it's good. If you want you can follow one or even both playlists. I would be happy about it though I know it's not everyone's music taste. ;)

And yeah ofc I placed Ryder into the covers, it's playlists for him, so yeah. If I ever do it with my other boys I'll do that the same way.

–

I'm also working on a list for Chrome Chamber Rave that will be even longer and have more songs by the artists that are already on Hell Bunker, but it's more for personal reasons as I started to dive so deeo into it I also searched pics that help me imgine how the location looks etc. Maybe I'll make another post for it, maybe not.

[catb-fics]

CATB Interviews 2015

Unbottled BBC 1 Documentary

Shure interview

B Sides on Air

T in the Park

NME: Favourite Festival Memories

NME: Writing Cocoon

Lotus Play Boston

AMBY (Alicia Atout) Round 2

AMBY (Alicia Atout) Round 3 (Bondy & Benji)

Zig Zag Live: Slow Burn

Zig Zag Live: On a Roll

Zig Zag Live: Proud to be Different

Zig Zag Live: Easy Rolling

Summer Block Party

Radio 1 Big Weekend Norwich

The Banter magazine

GRAMMY Pro

SXSW with Bruce Rave

SXSW - Van talks about his idols

96.5 The Buzz at SXSW

103.1 iHeart Austin at SXSW

Q104.3 with Kathleen acoustic

NME Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Billboard at Lollapalooza

93-XRT at Lollapalooza

Modern Rock 98.7 at Lollapalooza (Bondy & Benji)

British Airways: Meet the Band

British Airways: UK Festivals

British Airways: Behind the Scenes

MTV Soundchain Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

105.7 The Point

Radio 104.5

RXP 103 Soundstage with Kathleen & Cocoon acoustic

88 Seconds with CATB

106.5 The End at Weenie Roast

Interview for M3 (Gabriella de la Torre)

AP News - Go Mad on Tour

Interview with Bondy & Benji

Interview with Alice Dale

BBC Newsbeat with Bondy & Benji

Like a Version - Triple J (full audio)

Meeting Catfish the Bottleman - Triple J

XL102 Big Field Day

MusicNews.com

Ibiza Rocks

CD102.5 - Bob

JBTV Podcast

JBTV Podcast interview without music (found by @icouldntfindquiet) 🥰

Longitude interview found by @howlove-hasbeen 🥰 (original link below)

Longitude RTE Tubridy interview

Radio 1 Star Caller

CATB INTERVIEWS MASTERLIST

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U.C.L.A.’s Football Wins Can’t Mask Its Financial Woes

U.C.L.A.’s Football Wins Can’t Mask Its Financial Woes

The Bruins are having their best recent season on the field, yet attendance is falling rapidly. Free tickets haven’t helped, and the athletic department’s balance sheet has suffered.

By Billy Witz Nov. 11, 2022

David Brownfield, who grew up a few bends in Sunset Boulevard from Westwood Village, could sing the U.C.L.A. fight song before he could shave. He graduated from U.C.L.A. in 1985 and has had football season tickets with friends ever since — even grudgingly paying what he calls the annual “extortion fee,” the $800 donation that was required for the privilege of buying his season tickets this year.

As a 60th birthday present to themselves, Brownfield and several pals traveled to Eugene, Ore., last month for the Bruins’ showdown with Oregon for first place in the Pac-12 Conference.

Even though the Ducks stomped U.C.L.A., Brownfield was gobsmacked by what he saw — the kinetic capacity crowd, which roared at each touchdown and during the ritualistic playing of “Shout” by the Isley Brothers at the start of the fourth quarter; the gleaming football facilities within walking distance of campus; the sense of community that enveloped the town on game day.

This, he thought, was a college football postcard come to life.

“It was an awesome experience,” Brownfield said. “But I walked away even more depressed because of what it’s like at our games.”

The loss to Oregon notwithstanding, U.C.L.A.’s long-awaited rebuild under Coach Chip Kelly has finally arrived this season. The Bruins (8-1) are off to their best start since 2005 and at the fringes of the chase for the four-team College Football Playoff at No. 12.

They have one of the nation’s most prolific offenses, led by a defender-hurdling quarterback, Dorian Thompson-Robinson; a tackle-busting running back, Zach Charbonnet; and a blink-and-you-miss-him dynamo at receiver, Kazmeir Allen.

This would seem to be enough to ignite a fan base.

And yet crowds have continued to be so barren at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., that U.C.L.A. has averaged only 36,241 fans in six home games, despite the university routinely giving away tens of thousands of tickets.

The embarrassment of so many empty seats has become so acute that six sections near each end zone are covered by powder-blue tarps, tightening the 91,136-person seating capacity by more than one-third.

The Bruins, who host Arizona (3-6) on Saturday night, may need a sellout against crosstown rival Southern California on Nov. 19 to avoid their lowest average attendance since moving to the venerable Rose Bowl 40 years ago.

“It feels like a high school environment to me,” Brownfield said. “You’re sitting there and sometimes it’s hard to feel like you’re playing big-time college football at all.”

This might be written off as another L.A. story — the umpteenth example of a sports enterprise not named “Lakers” or “Dodgers” struggling to generate buzz in an entertainment wonderland. (Exhibit A is the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams, whose home fans in Inglewood, Calif., are regularly drowned out by visitors — even during the playoffs.)

Or it might be yet another example of college football’s attendance swoon. Last year marked the seventh consecutive season attendance declined nationally.

But U.C.L.A.’s struggle for football relevance has had consequences far beyond crowd aesthetics.

As college athletics are increasingly driven by billions in football television rights, there may be no better example of how an athletic department’s health is tied to the fortunes of its football team.

Thus, even as U.C.L.A.’s storied men’s basketball team has returned to national prominence, and as a well rounded athletic program with 119 team national championships has continued its broad success, football’s shortcomings have torpedoed U.C.L.A.’s athletic finances. By the end of the 2021 fiscal year, its shortfall had exceeded $103.1 million, according to the school’s statement of revenues and expenses.

A $12 million buyout of the former football Coach Jim Mora’s contract, an apparel contract rift with Under Armour, and the cratering of football ticket revenue — set off by five consecutive losing seasons and exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic — sent the athletic department so deeply into the red that last summer’s offer to join the Big Ten Conference was viewed as a financial lifeline.

“U.C.L.A. and U.S.C. made decisions in their football program and the rest of their athletic programs that have led to deficits and scandals and performance on the field that probably made the decision to join the Big Ten more attractive,” Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff said in an interview in Los Angeles in July.

(U.S.C., which is also experiencing a football rebirth this season, had suffered from declining attendance before it fired Coach Clay Helton last season. In 2019, U.S.C. coaches and administrators were embroiled in the “Operation Varsity Blues” admissions scandal.)

The financial fall for U.C.L.A. has been as swift as it has been steep.

Just eight years ago, with a top-10 preseason ranking and a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, Brett Hundley, the Bruins set an attendance record, averaging 76,650 and selling a school-record 46,617 season tickets. This year, season tickets have fallen to 23,077, less than half that high-water mark.

Ticket revenue for football has also dived — falling from just under $20 million in 2014 to $9.2 million for the 2019 season. No fans were permitted in the 2020 season because of the pandemic and revenue figures for last season have not been reported.

Donations to the athletic program have declined for two consecutive years, falling to $8.4 million for the 2021 fiscal year, which included the 2020 football season. In the 2019 fiscal year, donations were $16.4 million.

Efforts in recent years to fill empty seats by giving away huge blocks of free tickets haven’t worked. According to data released through a public records request, the school gave away an average of nearly 25,000 free tickets per game in 2019 and 2021. When U.C.L.A. drew 52,578 fans against Oklahoma in 2019, it gave away 39,202 tickets for that game. And last season, when the Bruins upset Louisiana State before 68,123, it gave away 29,279 tickets.

Free Tickets, Low Attendance U.C.L.A. struggled to fill seats in 2021 despite giving away thousands of free tickets.

Those free tickets show that even though U.C.L.A.’s attendance in 2019 and 2021 are the lowest since moving to the Rose Bowl, the bottom line has been even worse: Tickets sold accounted for less than 80 percent of the announced attendance in both seasons.

The number of free tickets given away this season is not available, according to a university spokesman.

U.C.L.A. had its two smallest crowds ever at the Rose Bowl this season, and when photos began circulating on social media of a nearly abandoned stadium, one of the program’s most decorated alums, Troy Aikman, took to Twitter to call it “an embarrassment.”

Aikman continues to agitate for an on-campus stadium, though he knows it’s all but impossible. Still, he calls the Rose Bowl, where he won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys and lost to U.S.C. in front of 100,741 fans, “a magical place.”

“It’s the greatest venue for a big game for football anywhere in the country,” Aikman said in a phone interview. “I wouldn’t trade my days there for anything. It’s just a hard place to fill.”

Attendance, and its impact on U.C.L.A.’s bottom line, is apparently a touchy subject in the athletic department. Martin Jarmond, the athletic director, has declined three interview requests from The New York Times in the last 15 months. In July, Jarmond declined an interview request to discuss the move to the Big Ten because an athletic department spokesman, Scott Markley, said he had already addressed the matter.

Jarmond, who makes $1.4 million per year, declined an interview request last week about football attendance because he was “not interested in rehashing old news,” Markley said in a email, adding, “perhaps we can make something happen later this winter.”

Markley also declined to make available athletic department marketing and ticketing officials for an interview.

Jarmond, who was hired as U.C.L.A.’s athletic director in May 2020, has been unable to reverse the slide he inherited from Dan Guerrero, who retired after 18 years running an athletic department that had balanced its books for 14 consecutive years until 2019.

Guerrero, though, had never been able to find a football coach who could make U.C.L.A. a consistent winner. For his final search, he enlisted Aikman as an adviser.

“We’ve had challenges over the years in getting candidates interested in the job,” Aikman said, ticking off reasons like high academic standards that hinder recruiting, salaries that did not account for the high cost of living, lack of an on-campus stadium and the bureaucracy of the sprawling University of California system. “Chip is the only one I can think of who has had other opportunities.”

Kelly, who is in his fifth season at U.C.L.A., has been painstakingly deliberate in building a winner. He shrugged as dozens of players left the program early on. And he did not waver in his insistence on recruiting earnest students and hard workers whom his coaches could develop into productive players, even if they were not highly rated by analysts.

His first season began with five consecutive losses. His second began with five losses in six games. Kelly’s flippant responses to questions about winning led some fans to an inevitable conclusion: If he doesn’t care, why should I?

Aikman, the longtime N.F.L. broadcaster who came to know Kelly when he was coaching the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, said he never discussed a timeline for a rebuild with Kelly, whose initial five-year contract was extended after last season. “It hasn’t been smooth. But it’s been exciting to see it all get put together,” Aikman said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had something to cheer about.”

Still, those first two seasons set the stage for U.C.L.A.’s financial calamity.

Then the pandemic struck. And Under Armour, in financial straits and not pleased with the early returns on a 15-year, $280 million apparel agreement — the richest deal in college sports — breached the contract, invoking a force majeure clause.

U.C.L.A. sued. Under Armour countersued.

In June, Under Armour agreed to pay U.C.L.A. $67 million — about half of what it would have paid over the remainder of the contract — to settle the claims. That erased a sizable chunk of U.C.L.A.’s deficit.

But the subsequent six-year deal that Jarmond finalized with Nike pays the university only $500,000 a year in cash, more than $10 million less per year than the Under Armour agreement. (Nike will provide about $7 million per year in athletic gear, about the same as the Under Armour agreement.)

That won’t put much of a dent in the deficit. And higher football ticket revenues are difficult to envision.

As iconic and idyllic as the Rose Bowl is, set in a ravine at the foot of the San Gabriel mountains, its marriage with U.C.L.A. has been one of necessity.

U.C.L.A., as it struggled to escape the shadow of U.S.C. in the 1970s, grew tired of playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Trojans’ home field across the street from the U.S.C. campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles. But there were few options and U.C.L.A. could never muster the political will to fight Bel-Air homeowners to build an on-campus stadium. So in 1982 it called the Rose Bowl home.

Meanwhile, the Rose Bowl needed U.C.L.A. to remain viable — the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl stadiums eventually fell to the wrecking ball when their tenants left for new buildings. After efforts to land an N.F.L. team fizzled, the Rose Bowl underwent an approximately $200 million renovation a decade ago that is being paid for largely by revenue generated by U.C.L.A., which is under a contract to play at the stadium through 2042.

That the Rose Bowl is a grueling 27-mile drive from campus and the winding lanes leading into the Arroyo Seco are clogged with traffic has long been part of the bargain.

So, too, is seating that is comfortable only for Lilliputians, interminable concession lines and culinary options that struggle to rise above sustenance. Kickoff times are uncertain and inconvenient thanks to television dictates. Saturday’s Arizona game, for example, was announced as a 7:30 p.m. Pacific start just six days earlier and the season opener was played at 11:30 a.m. under 100-degree temperatures.

Unappealing opponents do not help — the Bruins’ nonconference home games this season were against Bowling Green, Alabama State and South Alabama. Next season is no more attractive: Coastal Carolina and North Carolina Central are the nonconference opponents scheduled to visit the Rose Bowl.

“We found ourselves going to less and less games, and paying for the entire season package on top of making a donation to the Wooden fund,” said David Senensieb, an alumnus who dropped his season tickets last year after 35 seasons. “With the team not doing well, it made it easy to say, ‘Let’s just buy tickets’ to the games we wanted to go to.’ We’re always able to find tickets.”

Over the years, U.C.L.A.’s marketing department has tried to retain fans like Senensieb and cultivate interest. One year, blue roses were sent to season-ticket holders. Another year, fans were sent a faux lottery ticket, which they could scratch off for a complimentary ticket to a particular game. In 2019, fans received robocalls with a recording from Aikman urging them to support the team.

It has provided free tickets to elementary schools, veterans organizations and charities over the years, hoping they will come back.

But if U.C.L.A. beats Arizona on Saturday night, it will mark only the fifth time since 1998 that the Bruins will have won nine games or more.

“It’s easier to keep somebody than it is to find somebody new,” said Scott Mitchell, the longtime marketing director who retired before the 2020 season. “There’s been a long time of not meeting the perception of what a U.C.L.A. fan would want — an exciting team, a fun team, a winning team.”

Now that the Bruins have that, fans may be gingerly getting back on the bandwagon, which — just like the Rose Bowl itself — has plenty of good seats available.

[buzzingonlinenow]

Sport Clips Jason Davis from 103.1 The Buzz recently visited Sport Clips. Here's what you can expect in a hair cut at any Sport Clips location.

[fiifiadinkra]

Video: Joyce Blessing Teases Delay And Other Haters With Both For Boot

Video: Joyce Blessing Teases Delay And Other Haters With Both For Boot

Joyce Blessing

Gospel musician of the moment Joyce Blessing never ceases to amaze her aficionados with her unquenchable strength.

This Wednesday morning on Accra based radio Top 103.1 FM , the Agyebum crooner was seen in a video singing one of the buzzing songs “Boot4Boot” on her latest album christened “Agyebum”.

Check Out : Dj Vyrusky x Darko Vibes – Mercy Afro Trap Remix (Prod. By DJ Vyrusky)

[myadvicelover-blog]

The most widely covered program on the face of the earth with both local and international Radio and TV Stations all connected and on the internet also.

The event was a spiritual program and the purpose was not meant to break such records and so there was no need to invite the record company for observation. But one cannot but observe some things that are unbelievable in humans mind. And that is just the beginning of such programmes with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc. One cannot but imagine what will happen next and when such event will take place again.

We are in the last days and these are some of the positive things we should be expecting in the last days. The last days was not meant to bring only evil things as some assume. There are a lot of good things one should expect to see in the last days. Things of Praise, Things of Glory and of Honour. And this things are worth reporting.

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc is preparing the world to meet with Jesus Christ soon at his appearing in the sky to welcome the saints and He is doing it systematically. He is preparing them also for His second coming. He is not just preparing Loveworld incorporated or Christ Embassy Members but the whole world. And so is the need for such massive event with over 100 Radio and TV Stations completely paid to connect. Not counting those on Cable TV and internet radio.

The impact of such programme is enormous. Expect more of such programme later in the year. That is just rehearsals.

You can be a part of what Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc is doing around the world by sponsoring and sending Rhapsody of Realities to people in Asia. 1 dollar, 2 dollars 4 and 5 dollars is enough. Click on this link to pay for some copies. A copy represent a Soul. You don’thave to be a member of Christ Embassy or Loveworld incorporated before you can touch lives and win souls for God.

Hi! I am inviting you to be a Rhapsody Ambassador! I am committed to the sponsorship of specific copies of Rhapsody of Realities each month! JOIN ME and lets make a difference in our World! – Click to Sign Up Now!

I know that the 31st New Years Eve Service with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc have come and gone with remarkable blessings and testimonies all around the world. But the vision still remains To take God’s divine presence to the people of the world and to demonstrate the character of the Holy Spirit. Bringing men to their inheritance in Christ.

One thing that happens when you attend a programme or listens to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is The word of God comes alive in your spirit as you listen.

Get the new years message at Pastor Chris Digital library (PCDL App). You can download pcdl at google play store.

We will update you with some of the event that will be coming in the year. Higher Life Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Healing School etc.

Keep watching our post and our Facebook page you will be fully updated.

Websites, radio and TV stations that showed the 31st December New year’s Eve service with Pastor Chris presented below.

https://www.christembassy.org/?p=17397

1 Botswana Duma Fm Live 2 Burundi Isaganiro Radio Live 3 Cameroon Balafon – Douala Live 4 Cameroon El’ Fm – Douala Live 5 Cameroon Mediafique Radio – Bamenda Live 6 Cameroon Nkhotakota Community Radio Live 7 Cameroon Nkongsamba Fm – Bamenda Live 8 Cameroon Radio Balafon Fm: Live 9 Cameroon Radio Bonne Nouvelle Fm: Live 10 Cameroon Radio Dunamis Fm Bafoussam Live 11 Cameroon Radio Eden Live 12 Cameroon Radio Ell’Fm: Live 13 Cameroon Radio Mediafrique 86.9 CE Buea Live 14 Cameroon Radio Nkongsamba: Live 15 Cameroon Radio Océan City Live 16 Cameroon Radio Rush Fm – Bamenda Live 17 Cameroon Radio Yemba Live 18 Cameroon Rbn – Douala Live 19 Cameroon Rvn – Douala Live 20 Cameroon Santo Meteo Radio – Bamenda Live 21 Congo DR Radio Ralik Live 22 Congo DR RTNC Kinshasa Live 23 Country Name of Radio Station 24 Gabon Radio Colombe Libreville Live 25 Gabon Radio Umucho Live 26 Gambia Westcost Radio Live 27 Island Of Tonga TBC Radio Live 28 Madagascar RMK 104.2 Antananarivo 29 Malawi Times Radio Live 30 Namibia NBC Radio, Namibia 31 Rwanda Umucyo Radio Live 32 Sierra Leone Citizens Radio Live 33 Sierra Leone Freetown Radio Live 34 Sierra Leone Kalleone Radio Live 35 Sierra Leone Slbc Radio Live 36 Sierra Leone Star Radio Live 37 Sierra Leone Tumac Radio Live 38 Soa Tome & Principe Radio national Live 39 South Africa Alex FM 89.1FM(SA) 40 South Africa Kofifi FM 97.2FM (SA) 41 South Africa TUT FM 96.2FM (SA) 42 South Sudan Favour Fm Live 43 South Sudan Nehemiah Radio Live 44 South Sudan Radio One Live 45 Sweden Stockholm Radio 88.0 Live 46 Tonga One Radio Live 47 Tonga Tonga Broadcasting Commission (Tbc) – A3Z Live 48 Uganda Ejazz Fm Live 49 Uganda Family Fm Live 50 Uganda Family Radio Live 51 Uganda Gulu Fm Live 52 Uganda Smart Fm Live 53 Uganda Yofocom Fm Live 54 United States Heaven 1120 Radio Live 55 United States Love 360 Live 56 United States Wjfp Live 57 Zambia Kyeeya Radio Live 58 Zambia One Love Radio Live 59 Zambia Pan Africa Radio Live 60 Zambia Radio Chimwemwe Live 61 Zambia Radio Chimwemwe – Ndola Live 62 Zambia Znbc Radio 4 Live 63 Zimbabwe Power Fm Live 64 Zimbabwe Radio Zimbabwe Live 65 Nigeria Blaze FM Live 66 Nigeria EBBC Radio Live 67 Nigeria Unity Radio Live 68 Nigeria Abs Live 69 Nigeria Ajilete Fm – Oyo State Live 70 Nigeria Al Barka Fm – Kwara State Live 71 Nigeria Atlantic Fm (104.5 Mhz) – Akwa Ibom Live 72 Nigeria Atlantic Radio – Uyo Live 73 Nigeria Bauchi Radio Cooperation Live 74 Nigeria Blaze Fm Live 75 Nigeria Bond Fm – Lagos Live 76 Nigeria Bronze Fm (101.5Mhz) – Edo Live 77 Nigeria Buzz Fm Live/Rebroadcast 78 Nigeria Charity Fm (104.4Mhz) – Delta Live 79 Nigeria Choice Fm – Lagos Live 80 Nigeria Coal City Fm (92.85 Mhz) – Enugu Live 81 Nigeria Comfort Fm Live 82 Nigeria Companion Fm (104.5 Mhz) – Katsina Live 83 Nigeria Creek Fm (101.5 Mhz – Bayelsa Live 84 Nigeria Ebs Radio Rebroadcast 85 Nigeria Equity Fm (103.5 Mhz) – Birnin Kebbi Live 86 Nigeria Garden City Fm Rebroadcast 87 Nigeria Gift Fm (104.5 Mhz) – Taraba Live 88 Nigeria Globe Fm (98.5 Mhz) – Bauchi Live 89 Nigeria Gold Fm (95.5 Mhz) – Osun Live 90 Nigeria Harmony Fm (103.5 Mhz) – Kwara Live 91 Nigeria Harvest Fm (103.5 Mhz) – Benue Live 92 Nigeria Heartland Fm (100.5 Mhz) – Imo Live 93 Nigeria Highland Fm (101.5 Mhz) – Plateau Live 94 Nigeria Horizon Fm (100.5 Mhz) – Jigawa Live 95 Nigeria Inspiration Fm Live 96 Nigeria Itv Radio Rebroadcast 97 Nigeria Jewel Fm (103.5Mhz) – Gombe Live 98 Nigeria Liberty Fm Live 99 Nigeria Metro Fm (97.6Mhz) – Lagos Live 100 Nigeria Okada Radio Rebroadcast 101 Nigeria Okin Fm – Kwara State Live 102 Nigeria Orient Fm – Owerri Live 103 Nigeria Paradise Fm (99.5 Mhz) – Cross River Live 104 Nigeria Paramount Fm (94.5 Mhz) – Ogun Live 105 Nigeria Parrot Fm – Oyo State Live 106 Nigeria Passion Fm Live 107 Nigeria Peace Fm (102.5 Mhz) – Borno Live 108 Nigeria Planet Fm – Uyo Live 109 Nigeria Positive Fm (102.5 Mhz) – Ondo Live 110 Nigeria Power Fm (100.5 Mhz) – Niger Live 111 Nigeria Premier Fm (93.5 Mhz) – Oyo Live 112 Nigeria Pride Fm (102.5 Mhz) – Zamfara Live 113 Nigeria Prime Fm (101.5 Mhz) – Kogi Live 114 Nigeria Progress Fm (100.5 Mhz) – Ekiti Live 115 Nigeria Purity Fm (102.5Mhz) – Anambia Live 116 Nigeria Pyramid Fm (103.5 Mhz) – Kano Live 117 Nigeria Queen Amina Fm Live/Rebroadcast 118 Nigeria Raypower Abuja 100.5 Fm Live 119 Nigeria Raypower Akure 96.1 Fm Live 120 Nigeria Raypower Akwa-Lbom 102.5 Fm Live 121 Nigeria Raypower Asaba 100.9 Fm Live 122 Nigeria Raypower Awka 105.7.Fm Live 123 Nigeria Raypower Bauchi 93.1.Fm Live 124 Nigeria Raypower Bayelsa 102.5 Fm Live 125 Nigeria Raypower Benin 102.5 Fm Live 126 Nigeria Raypower Benin City 105.5 Fm Live 127 Nigeria Raypower Birnin Kebbi 99.5 Fm Live 128 Nigeria Raypower Borno 97.7 Fm Live 129 Nigeria Raypower Cross Rivers 103.1 Fm Live 130 Nigeria Raypower Delta 96.1 Fm Live 131 Nigeria Raypower Enugu 105.3 Fm Live 132 Nigeria Raypower Gusau-Sokoto 98.7 Fm Live 133 Nigeria Raypower Ibadan 100.9 Fm Live 134 Nigeria Raypower Jos 100.5 Fm Live 135 Nigeria Raypower Kaduna 106.5 Fm Live 136 Nigeria Raypower Kano 106.5 Fm Live 137 Nigeria Raypower Kastina 106.5 Fm Live 138 Nigeria Raypower Lagos 100.5 Fm Live 139 Nigeria Raypower Llorin 106.5 Fm Live 140 Nigeria Raypower Lokoja 100.9 Fm Live 141 Nigeria Raypower Maiduguri 95.7 Fm Live 142 Nigeria Raypower Makurdi 100.9 Fm Live 143 Nigeria Raypower Minna 100.9 Fm Live 144 Nigeria Raypower Osogbo 96.1 Fm Live 145 Nigeria Raypower Owerri 105.7 Fm Live 146 Nigeria Raypower Ph 106.5 Fm Live 147 Nigeria Raypower Sokoto 100.3.Fm Live 148 Nigeria Raypower Yola 98.1 Fm Live 149 Nigeria Rhythm Fm Rebroadcast 150 Nigeria Rhythm Fm Abuja Live 151 Nigeria Rhythm Fm Bayelsa Live 152 Nigeria Rhythm Fm Benin Live 153 Nigeria Rhythm Fm Jos Live 154 Nigeria Rhythm Fm Lagos Live 155 Nigeria Rhythm Fm Port Harcourt Live 156 Nigeria Royal Fm (101.5 Mhz) – Sokoto Live 157 Nigeria Sobi Fm – Kwara State Live 158 Nigeria Solid Fm (102.5 Mhz) – Nassarawa Live 159 Nigeria Sound City Fm – Ondo State Live 160 Nigeria Sunshine Fm (104.5 Mhz) – Yobe Live 161 Nigeria Supreme Fm (96.1 Mhz) – Kaduna Live 162 Nigeria Taraba State Broadcasting Station Rebroadcast 163 Nigeria Treasure Fm (98.5 Mhz) – Rivers Live 164 Nigeria Unilorin Fm – Kwara State Live 165 Nigeria Unity Fm (101.5Mhz) – Ebonyi Live 166 Nigeria Vibes Fm Rebroadcast 167 Nigeria Wave Fm Rebroadcast LoveWorld Radio Networks 168 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Algeria LIVE 169 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Andora LIVE 170 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Angola LIVE 171 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Antigua LIVE 172 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Argentina LIVE 173 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Armenia LIVE 174 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Austria LIVE 175 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Azerbiajan LIVE 176 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Bahamas LIVE 177 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Bangladesh LIVE 178 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Bangui LIVE 179 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Barbados LIVE 180 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Belarus LIVE 181 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Belgium LIVE 182 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Belize LIVE 183 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Benin LIVE 184 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Bhutan LIVE 185 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Bolivia LIVE 186 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Bosnia LIVE 187 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Brunei LIVE 188 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Cambodia LIVE 189 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Cape Verde LIVE 190 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Chile LIVE 191 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Colombia LIVE 192 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Comoros LIVE 193 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Costa Rica LIVE 194 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Croatia LIVE 195 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Cuba LIVE 196 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Denmark LIVE 197 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Djibouti LIVE 198 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Dominica LIVE 199 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio DRC Congo LIVE 200 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio East Timor LIVE 201 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Ecuador LIVE 202 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio El Salvador LIVE 203 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Equatoria Guinea LIVE 204 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Espana LIVE 205 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Ethiopia LIVE 206 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Fiji LIVE 207 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio French Guiana LIVE 208 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Gambia LIVE 209 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Georgia LIVE 210 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Grenada LIVE 211 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Guadeloupe LIVE 212 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Guyana LIVE 213 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Haiti LIVE 214 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Honduras LIVE 215 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Hungary LIVE 216 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Indonesia LIVE 217 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Iran LIVE 218 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Iraq LIVE 219 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Jordan LIVE 220 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Kenya LIVE 221 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Kikongo LIVE 222 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Kiribati LIVE 223 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Kosovo LIVE 224 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Kuwait LIVE 225 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Lesotho LIVE 226 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Libya LIVE 227 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Madagascar LIVE 228 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Malawi LIVE 229 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Malaysia LIVE 230 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Malta LIVE 231 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Martinique chi LIVE 232 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mauritania LIVE 233 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mauritius LIVE 234 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mayotte LIVE 235 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mexico LIVE 236 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Micronesia LIVE 237 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Monaco LIVE 238 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Namibia LIVE 239 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio New Zealand LIVE 240 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Panama LIVE 241 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Paraguy LIVE 242 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Peru LIVE 243 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Rwanda LIVE 244 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Saint Pierre LIVE 245 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Somalia LIVE 246 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio South Sudan LIVE 247 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio St Barthelemy LIVE 248 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio St Lucia LIVE 249 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Sudan LIVE 250 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Swaziland LIVE 251 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Syria LIVE 252 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Tanzania LIVE 253 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Turkey LIVE 254 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio UAE LIVE 255 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio UK LIVE 256 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Venezuela LIVE 257 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Yemen LIVE 258 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Zambia LIVE 259 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Health Radio LIVE 260 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Palau LIVE 261 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio 360 Mix LIVE 262 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Albania LIVE 263 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Andorra LIVE 264 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Arabic LIVE 265 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Benin Rep LIVE 266 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Botswana LIVE 267 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Brazil LIVE 268 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Bulgaria LIVE 269 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Burkina Faso LIVE 270 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Burundi LIVE 271 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Cameroon LIVE 272 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Canada LIVE 273 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Caribbean LIVE 274 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Central Africa LIVE 275 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Chad LIVE 276 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio China LIVE 277 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Coal City LIVE 278 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Congo Brazza LIVE 279 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Cote d’Ivoire LIVE 280 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Cross River LIVE 281 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Cyprus LIVE 282 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Czetch Republic LIVE 283 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Egypt LIVE 284 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Estonia LIVE 285 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Europe LIVE 286 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Finland LIVE 287 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio France LIVE 288 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Francophone LIVE 289 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Gabon LIVE 290 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Germany LIVE 291 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Ghana LIVE 292 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Gombe LIVE 293 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Greece LIVE 294 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Guatemala LIVE 295 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Guinea LIVE 296 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Guinea Conakry LIVE 297 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Hausa LIVE 298 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Iceland LIVE 299 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio India LIVE 300 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Ireland LIVE 301 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Isreal LIVE 302 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Italy LIVE 303 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Jamaica LIVE 304 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Japan LIVE 305 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Kazakhstan LIVE 306 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Korea North LIVE 307 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Korea South LIVE 308 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Kyrgyzstan LIVE 309 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Laos LIVE 310 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Lebanon LIVE 311 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Liberia LIVE 312 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Liechtenstein LIVE 313 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Lingala LIVE 314 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Lithuania LIVE 315 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Luxembourg LIVE 316 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Macedinia LIVE 317 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Maldives LIVE 318 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mali LIVE 319 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mali LIVE 320 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Marshall Island LIVE 321 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Minna LIVE 322 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Moldova LIVE 323 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mongolia LIVE 324 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Montenegro LIVE 325 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Morocco LIVE 326 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Mozambique LIVE 327 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Myanmar LIVE 328 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Nauru LIVE 329 LoveWorld Radio Networks LoveWorld Radio Netherlands LIVE 330 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Niger Delta LIVE 331 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Niger Republic LIVE 332 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Norway LIVE 333 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Oman LIVE 334 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Pacific’s LIVE 335 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Pakistan LIVE 336 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Palestinian LIVE 337 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Papua LIVE 338 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Philipines LIVE 339 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Poland LIVE 340 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Portugal LIVE 341 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Qatar LIVE 342 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Reunion LIVE 343 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Russia LIVE 344 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Saint Pierre LIVE 345 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Samoa LIVE 346 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio San Marino LIVE 347 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Sao Tome LIVE 348 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Saudi Arabia LIVE 349 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Senegal LIVE 350 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Serbia LIVE 351 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Sierre Lone LIVE 352 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Singapore LIVE 353 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Slovakia LIVE 354 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Slovenia LIVE 355 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Solomons Islands LIVE 356 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Spain LIVE 357 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Srilanka LIVE 358 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio St Kitts LIVE 359 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio St Martin LIVE 360 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio St Vincent LIVE 361 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Suriname LIVE 362 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Swahili LIVE 363 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Swiss LIVE 364 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Sychelles LIVE 365 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Taiwan LIVE 366 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Tajikistan LIVE 367 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Thailand LIVE 368 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Tobago LIVE 369 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Turkey LIVE 370 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Turkmenistan LIVE 371 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Uganda LIVE 372 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Ughelli LIVE 373 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Ukraine LIVE 374 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio USA LIVE 375 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Uzbekistan LIVE 376 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Vanuatu LIVE 377 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Warri LIVE 378 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Western Sahara LIVE 379 LoveWorld Radio Networks Loveworld Radio Zimbabwe LIVE 380 LoveWorld Radio Networks Radio Lambano LIVE 381 LoveWorld Radio Networks ISM Networks Radio LIVE 382 LoveWorld Radio Networks Kings Radio LIVE 383 LoveWorld Radio Networks LMAM Radio LIVE

WEBSITES SHOWING THE 31st December New year’s Eve service with Pastor Chris live tonight at 22:00 GMT+1

1 Live TV Mobile app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.celivetv.mobile2 2 CeFlix Mobile app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imm.ceflix 3 Christ Embassy Online http://www.christembassy.org 4 CeFlix Website http://www.ceflix.org 5 Christ Embassy Virtual Church http://www.cevirtualchurch.org 6 LoveWorld USA http://www.loveworldusa.org 7 LoveWorld SAT http://www.loveworldsat.org 8 LoveWorld PLUS http://www.loveworldplus.org 9 LoveWorld TV UK http://www.loveworldtv.co.uk 10 Pastor Chris Online http://www.pastorchrisonline.org 11 Christ Embassy Digital Media http://www.christembassydigitalmedia.com 12 Christ Embassy Online Missions Social Media Page https://www.facebook.com/ceonlinemissions/?referrer=whatsapp 13 LTM Website http://loveworldtelevisionministry.org/site/tv/home/ 14 Christ Embassy Healing School http://www.enterthehealingschool.org 15 Rhapsody of Realities http://www.rhapsodyofrealities.org

The most widely covered event on the face of the earth was the 31st New Year’s Eve Service with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome DSc. The most widely covered program on the face of the earth with both local and international Radio and TV Stations all connected and on the internet also.

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/black-panther-continues-box-office-domination-hitting-700-million-globally/

'Black Panther' continues box office domination hitting $700 million globally

Marvel's "Black Panther" is on track to being one of the fastest films to hit $1 billion as it pulled in another $108 million in its second week in theaters bringing the global total to $704 million. To give you an idea of how quick this has been, Marvel's other solid hit "Guardians of the Galaxy" took in $773 million back in 2014, but that was over a five-month run. "Black Panther" has only been in theaters for thirteen days now. “Black Panther” scored one of the best second weekends ever with an estimated $108 million in ticket sales, putting it on track to rank among the highest-grossing blockbusters ever. Ryan Coogler’s Marvel sensation is on a box-office course that few films have managed, according to studio estimates Sunday. It is only the fourth film to earn $100 million in its second weekend, along with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($149.2 million), “Jurassic World” ($106.6 million) and “The Avengers” ($103.1 million). Only “The Force Awakens” had a better second weekend than “Black Panther,” which dropped 47 percent after its opening weekend of $201.8 million. “Black Panther” has grossed $400 million domestically and $704 million worldwide in two weeks. The film, starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan, has held even better overseas, where it dropped 42 percent this weekend. Its release in China, the world’s second-largest film market, is set for March 9. “Whatever your projections for ‘Black Panther’ might be, just increase them by 20 percent, and you might be on point,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. “Now the question isn’t so much if it gets to $1 billion, but how far beyond that number does it go.” The results so far put it in the company of “Jurassic World,” which ended up grossing $1.67 billion worldwide, and “The Avengers,” which ultimately hauled in $1.52 billion. Both rank among the top five of all time, not accounting for inflation. “Black Panther” is spurring a surge for the industry. The overall box office is up 12.5 percent from last year, according to comScore. And the movie is doing it with an especially diverse audience. This weekend’s audience was 33 percent African-American, 37 percent Caucasian, 18 percent Hispanic and 7 percent Asian, according to comScore. Imax, which is playing “Black Panther” in more than 60 countries, said people are paying to see the film more than once, a quality that the biggest of the big movies share. “This movie has very strong word of mouth and a deeply loyal core fan base, which are both necessary criteria for repeat business,” said Greg Foster, Imax’s entertainment chief.

And the euphorically reviewed film has yet to arrive in China and Japan, two of Hollywood’s biggest markets. Strong results in other Asian countries, including South Korea, bode well.

The film’s success didn’t appear to hurt the handful of new releases. Faring the best was “Game Night,” starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, from Warner Bros.′ New Line. The comedy, which cost about $37 million to make and was directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, debuted with $16.6 million, coming in slightly above forecasts. Though comedies have struggled at the box office in recent years, “Game Night” got a modest boost from good reviews and perhaps from the waves of moviegoers brought in by “Black Panther.” “It’s that whole ‘a rising tide floats all boats,’” said Jeff Goldstein, distribution head for Warner Bros. “The whole (comedy) genre is just really troubled,” he added. “New Line is, I think, particularly good at teasing these movies out to be the best versions of them. They’ve had a lot of success in the past, whether it be ‘Horrible Bosses’ or ‘Central Intelligence.’” Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller “Annihilation,” starring Natalie Portman, also debuted with some momentum thanks to strong reviews. It opened with $11 million on about 2,000 screens (or about half the number of “Black Panther”). Paramount earlier sold the film’s international rights (except in China) to Netflix after disappointing reactions in test screenings. Opening weekend audiences largely responded similarly, giving the film a poor C CinemaScore. Most critics loved “Annihilation,” but multiplex ticket buyers gave it a C grade in CinemaScore exit polls. Had it cost less to produce, Mr. Garland’s movie possibly could have succeeded as an art-house film.

But Paramount, which has struggled badly of late, wants to compete in the wide-release business. “Annihilation” was a holdover from a previous management team at the studio, where a large number of senior executives have quit or been fired over the last year as the studio attempts a turnaround. New managers sold off overseas rights for “Annihilation” to Netflix.

It’s not uncommon for studios to offload international rights to recoup their costs. But selling an ambitious film from Garland, writer-director of 2015′s acclaimed “Ex Machina,” to Netflix was seen by some as a sign of diminishing aspirations for a Hollywood major studio. But Paramount has been behind some of the more artistically audacious releases in recent years, including Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!,” Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” and Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” “Annihilation,” an unusually challenging and psychedelic sci-fi release for a major studio, cost about $40 million to produce. It’s among the last releases green-lit by previous Paramount head Brad Grey. Jim Gianopulos took over as chief executive and chairman last year, and he is pushing a more franchise-focused agenda. Kyle Davies, Paramount’s domestic distribution chief, declined to comment on the Netflix deal but said he was pleased with the film’s performance. “Alex is a very talented filmmaker, and he’s created this mind-bending experience,” Davies said. “And I think there’s going to be a lot of chatter and a lot of buzz that will propel the movie into the spring moviegoing season.” The weekend’s remaining new wide-release film was “Every Day,” a microbudgeted teenage fantasy-romance that took in about $3.1 million and was marketed mostly online. The movie was the first from a rebooted Orion Pictures, which is owned by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final three-day domestic figures will be released Monday.

“Black Panther,” $108 million ($83.8 million international).

“Game Night,” $16.6 million ($5.2 million international).

“Peter Rabbit,” $12.5 million.

“Annihilation,” $11 million.

“Fifty Shades Freed,” $6.9 million ($22.3 million international).

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” $5.7 million ($3 million international).

“The 15:17 to Paris,” $3.6 million ($1.3 million international).

“The Greatest Showman,” $3.4 million ($7.7 million international).

“Every Day,” $3.1 million.

“MET Opera: La Boheme,” $1.9 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:

“Operation Red Sea,” $107 million.

“Black Panther,” $83.8 million.

“Detective Chinatown 2,” $80 million.

“Monster Hunt 2,” $33.5 million.

“Fifty Shades Freed,” $22.3 million.

“Boonie Bears: The Big Shrink,” $12.7 million.

“The Shape of Water,” $11.6 million.

“The Greatest Showman,” $7.7 million.

“Monkey King 3: The Kingdom of Women,” $7.6 million.

“Maze Runner: The Death Cure,” $7.1 million.

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

[readablenoise]

Neon Waves and the Unexpected Sound: Readable Noise reviews Riptide Music Festival- Day 1

South Florida’s premiere alternative music festival continues to hit it’s mark in combining the old and new

Fort Lauderdale- FTL has always been a city within a city.

Bordering the Miami gateway and its Northern areas of suburbia, it’s an odd metropolitan escape that has never quite received the note of recognition it deserves. Except for of course, in the arms of its beaches.

Stretching for miles, the solar mirrored sand along the Atlantic is serene as it is comforting, with a State Park nestled almost oddly alongside it. And it’s in this multi leveled plateau that 104.3 The Shark makes it’s home for Riptide Music Festival; South Florida’s only alternative based music festival, following the departure of it’s predecessor, 103.1 The Buzz’s annual Buzz Bake Sale.

The station, started by the former operator of the aforementioned FM local staple, John O’ Connell, is done in good hands and with good intentions; the festival occupying a good stretch and interspersed with two stages in one hand, and a cavalcade of acts in the other including modern staples in the form of The Killers, Silversun Pick-Ups and newcomers, the 1975.

What is so vastly important however, is the reception and welcoming of new acts to the fold; such as White Reaper, who opened the festivities on the Sharkwrecked Main Stage, Friday afternoon.

The quartet from Kentucky are an interesting and refreshing mix of The Cars sensibilities, alongside 90’s pop-punk. With tight melodies, and that special thrill that comes from seeing an act fresh not only in their element, but their ambition. It’s something that instantly makes you smile, and happily sway in their sound, with songs rooted in proper composition but with an unexpected, exciting edge to the performance.

It’s an introduction that is not only needed, but necessary in the genre, allowing new blood in as, no pun intended, chumming the water as proof of existence that the genre is still alive and well.

Whether through the open and unique performance of Morgxn, whose infectious smile and honesty in their performance that touched on Southern gospel rock with an Elton John showmanship, or the female version of Rhye’s silky smooth vocals, in the form of DC’s own Shaed; it’s an infusion that leaves you breathless. This is the new class in it’s prime, and just a taste of some of the forms that are to come.

One of those interests being K. Flay. There is an undeniable, enjoyable bite to her tracks, like a flavor you can’t quite describe but enjoy all the same. It’s a feeling that carries into whose live performance, and makes itself more clear. A gritter version of Phantogram’s Sarah Barthel, Flay’s stage presence is electric, opening “Not In California” to an already palpable crowd, she carriers herself in her words, and using that presence as an instrument itself. It’s something wonderful, and a wonderful addition to the start of the festival.

And with the new, so comes due respect to the those that helped pave way to the current path, in the form of Silversun Pick-Ups.

It’s also here, that we unfortunately ran into the sole issue of the ambitious festival and its current venue.

While the experience is rightfully and Thankfully fan friendly, geared with the right intentions (a day out on the Florida sands, with music and good memories in both the sun and moonlit hours), it made behind the scenes work at times, tenuous. Due to the venue itself, and the corporate strings that do follow with more major festivals operated by outside hands, we were unable to watch more than three songs of most of the bands featured in this review, including that of SSPU, Matt Maeson, and all acts throughout Saturday’s festivities as well.

This is not at all to say the fault fell with the behind the scenes crew, who were more than gracious to all reporting on the festival.

However, with tied hands, the opportunity of accurately capturing the tempo, surprises and the elation of both bands and fans present were a bit chaotic at times, given the strict time restraint allowed by higher powers to capture photographic moments. It was truly the only downside of this otherwise truly special music festival.

After all, where else would you find Silversun Pick-Ups, whose glistening opening song “Neon Wound” was met with incredible, and deserved reception from the audience and perfectly cascading into latest “It Doesn’t Matter”, proudly showing the incredible power and chemistry the quartet still have; or The Revivalists, whose Southern honey tinged rock feels as at home on the picture perfect shore as it does in the glades, dancing to their sway of smooth ballads and jam oriented blues?

In that same vein of great surprises featured in this festival, were Judah & The Lion; a Cage The Elephant style of bombast meets Johnny Rotten explosion. With a flurry of strobe lights greeting their arrival, it was an unexpected and special treat to witness, opening with “Pep Talk” and seamlessly crescending into “Quarter Life Crisis”, frontman Brian Macdonald is a powerhouse to watch, and is reminiscent of those legendary live shows.

Their performance was a truly wonderful treat, with tracks that while undeniably smooth, formed like a punk show and leaving the crowd alight with excitement. Nowhere else will you get audio fireworks other than with this sound, and it’s one we were grateful to see for the time we were given to.

And as the sun set, and the muggy Florida cool of the night set in, the Main Stage crowd began to grow closer in quarters, as the 1975 set the beginning machinations for the final songs of the first night to a frenzied crowd.

It isn’t a stretch to say the fervor attached with the Manchester based group is that of almost reminiscent of The Beatles in the frenetic frenzy that follows them with their audience, which while perhaps surprising at some moments, is not out of the ordinary.

Their digital aesthetic intertwined with modern age love songs are relatable on an odd wavelength, and never left feeling out of place. In addition, their stage performance is electric, with frontman Matthew Healy coming out in full form wearing a Fugazi longsleeve and swinging his mic around as the act performed “Give It A Try”. And while most bands reach for their own brand of identity, as all acts should, it’s extremely rare that a band can actually make their own aesthetic, with a following that actively and appropriately combines photographs of love, heartache and neon with the act’s lyrics; something that the band also do in graphics of vaporwave stylings throughout their performance. Say what you may about the band, who are definitely riding and enjoying their wave, it’s always something special when an act can connect on such a level that sound becomes material.

And it’s on that note that we get to the main headliner for the night, alternative and rock legends, The Killers.

The Las Vegas act first arrived on the scene in 2004 with a then uncarried bombast, catering to a curve no one had quite yet acknowledged, much less heard of. Following in the footsteps of New Order, The Cars and Depeche Mode, it was still a ground less followed as it was sacred.

As it should be, with the new wave acts paving the way for the future, which following the Madchester and deep house tiering, coupled with the arrival of grunge rock and nu-metal, remained a path that seemed to have stopped dead. Enter in the quartet, who not only took back up the mantle, but aimed to become it, releasing “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” with a glamour and decadence not quite Las Vegas, but not quite English either. They were the perfect hybrid of UK arena interspersed with American ambition, and it’s a formula that is still followed today by the band, albeit with a pinch more Springsteen.

As the band open with signature “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine” if you have followed the band since their debut, it’s a consistent and almost parental wonder to see how far they have come.

As with any band you may have grown up with, there is always that glimmer of wonder; something uncontainable that rises like static electricity after it’s first viewing, or listen. It’s a hard feeling to ensure, time after time and after nearly two decades, their formula is still potent.

With frontman Brandon Flowers coming more into his own, drummer Ronnie Vannucci still being the electrifying mixture of John Bonham meets Keith Moon and even adapting with evolution; allowing  guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer optional time away from touring while still being part of the experience, something that no band never truly been done before.

It’s a testament to the strength of the act themselves, still able to carry a crowd like absolute ease, performing “The Way It Was” with earnest bombast, and proof of the faith in their tracks. Whereas some acts might choose to leave their hits for the latter part of the set and lure potential new ears into the fold by keeping those immediately recognizable songs to the end, they proudly display it on their sleeve; Flowers leading into “Smile Like You Mean It” with a serene build-up of synths, or even the instant crowd pleaser of “Somebody Told Me”, all with neon graphics accompanying, alongside a glittering assembly of lights, complimenting the show as it’s own type of instrument.

Their regard of the experience to be a apart of the music, giving support to each respective feel is the showmanship of Vegas coming off their sleeves, and it works well.

Including, and most importantly, for the audience themselves, with a recent concert rite of passage that The Killers have started doing at their shows: inviting any potential audience members who dare hold up signs asking to play a track with the band, and honoring that request. Tonight’s aptly named “Victim” was Jayson, a native of Gainesville who accompanied the act on  “For Reasons Unknown” and absolutely nail it; mirroring Vannucci’s signature energic frenzy throughout the hills and valleys of the tracks composition, had the crowd chanting following his performance, and deservedly so. 

And as the night continued with a spectacular cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl”, and the act’s own “Run For Cover” you see the Las Vegas act still elicit that same special blend of magic the band have created; raising crowds to an electric level, and bringing the best out of tired feet and glittering eyes. It’s a recipe that’s hard to nail, and even harder to consistently deliver. And as The Killers arrived at their closing track, “Mr. Brightside” (cooly and beautifully split up into half Jacques Lu Cont remix and half original banger), with Flowers remarking earlier in the night the incredible spirit of the tightly packed crowd, promising to return next year, is where you see it. 

Underneath the moonlight, and river of lasers and lights the desert act combine into their shows, the heartbeat of a crowd coming together for one more song. Right as the last note plays, and the sand settles once more, that smile starts creeping up without any necessary thought. It’s the strength of music delivered right, in a climate that’s created in the best components. And 

Thankfully, bands like those featured today, alongside Riptide itself, are helping to truly keep that feeling alive.

See our exclusive live captures of White Reaper here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReS-lFOhMAM

And Shaed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5aNNCRAvec

(Words and Photos: Jenelle DeGuzman)

[exclusiveboafo]

Video: Joyce Blessing Teases Delay And Other Haters With Both For Boot

Gospel musician of the moment Joyce Blessing never ceases to amaze her aficionados with her unquenchable strength. This Wednesday morning on Accra based  radio Top 103.1 FM , the Agyebum crooner was seen in a video singing one of the buzzing songs “Boot4Boot” on her latest album christened “Agyebum”. One could clearly cogitate that the gospel […] The post Video: Joyce Blessing Teases Delay And Other Haters With Both For Boot appeared first on Exclusive Boafo. http://dlvr.it/PjjFtD

[othersportsnews-blog]

Does Kyrie Irving have a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James problem?

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/does-kyrie-irving-have-a-kobe-bryant-or-lebron-james-problem/

Does Kyrie Irving have a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James problem?

You’ve got almost certainly witnessed the clip. It is really the just one in which LeBron James is shouting at Kyrie Irving on the bench in an time beyond regulation timeout whilst forcefully poking the shoulder of the point guard seated two chairs away. Alternatively of dealing with James, Irving seems straight ahead and refuses to make eye contact. James gives him an earful.

As James appears to wrap up his speech to the unengaged viewers of just one, Irving seems the other way and smirks.

Irving was no boy or girl, even although he was seemingly addressed like just one in that instant. The scene took position in April 2016 from the Atlanta Hawks. Irving was a No. 1 all round select, a a few-time All-Star and just lately the commencing point guard for a Team Usa squad that won gold at the 2014 FIBA Entire world Cup. To a lot of, he was Uncle Drew. At 22, Nike had now offered him his very own signature shoe line.

But the context encompassing that instant amongst Irving and James appears to talk volumes. It was not Irving’s ideal instant, in the last seconds of a heated time beyond regulation regular-time match from the Hawks with the rating one hundred and five-104 in favor of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jeff Teague had been lighting Irving up, forcing Tristan Thompson to swap to Teague in select-and-rolls to rescue the Cleveland point guard. About a minute in advance of that clip, Irving went just one-on-just one and received blocked by Kent Bazemore and then received blown by once again defensively — only to have James soar from the weak side and swat Teague’s shot out of bounds. James ran the offense the following a few belongings, whilst Irving largely hunched over by the fifty percent-court docket line with his palms on his knees. The sequence screamed that this was James’ crew, every person else stage apart.

Irving regarded as inquiring for a trade two months later but in the long run made a decision from it, in accordance to a report by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. A 12 months later, Irving reportedly has had plenty of and would like out.

“He is completely ready to have his very own crew,” a source near to the problem stated.

But is he good plenty of to do that and earn?

Kyrie’s losing track report

Just minutes immediately after 2014 absolutely free agency began on July 1, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert proudly announced in a tweet close to 2 a.m. that Irving agreed to a 5-12 months extension. A couple minutes later, Irving chimed in:

I am here for the long haul Cleveland!!! and I am ecstatic!! Super psyched and blessed to be here and aside of some thing unique.#ClevelandKID

– Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) July 1, 2014

From a distance, there was not significantly to be psyched about in Cleveland. In a few seasons with Irving, the Cavs have been seventy four video games below .five hundred and cycling by means of head coaches. The Cavs’ 2013 No. 1 all round select, Anthony Bennett, looked misplaced in the NBA, and their 2012 No. four all round select, Dion Waiters, was not precisely clicking with Irving. Just in advance of Irving signed long phrase, David Blatt was employed to be the 3rd mentor of Irving’s youthful vocation. The 2014 No. 1 all round select, Andrew Wiggins, was on the way, but from all accounts, this was likely to be Irving’s crew.

10 days later, James announced he was coming property to Cleveland, turning Irving’s environment upside down. Soon after a few trips to the NBA Finals and a championship with James, Irving’s value on the court docket is tougher than ever to peg. Is he an MVP in waiting around or simply a high-volume scorer?

Irving’s stat line has celebrity published all over it. In 2016-17 — his age-24 time — Irving scored a vocation-high twenty five.2 factors per match, whilst sharing the ball with James and Kevin Really like. To put his scoring potential in point of view, when James went to the bench last time, Irving’s scoring common per 36 minutes soared from 23.2 factors to a staggering 35.2 factors. Irving can get buckets.

But he is not James Harden or Russell Westbrook. Irving has not proven the potential to regularly set up his teammates like this year’s MVP and runner-up. In the earlier a few seasons, Irving has used precisely 2,000 minutes on the floor without the need of James, which amounts to essentially a whole time of action. All through that time, Irving has averaged thirty.six factors, six.3 assists and 3.3 turnovers per 36 minutes. For point of view, Isaiah Thomas last time put up a nearly equivalent line: thirty.8 factors, six.3 assists and 2.9 turnovers per 36 minutes.

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As a participant, Thomas and Damian Lillard are almost certainly the ideal comps for Irving, who has struggled to earn as the dude. In the 17 video games that James has sat the earlier a few seasons with Irving commencing, the Cavs’ report is a woeful four-13 (.235). Hold in thoughts, Really like shared the floor with Irving in all but two of these video games, so it was not like Irving was likely at it on your own out there. To put that earn-decline report in point of view, it is essentially lower than the Cavs’ earn proportion in a few seasons with Irving functioning the present pre-James (.339). Yikes.

That will not bode properly for Irving. And it seems worse if you turn the tables. When James played without the need of Irving the earlier a few seasons, the Cavs went twenty five-11 (.694). With Irving off the court docket and James on the court docket, the LeBron-led Cavs outscored opponents by 585 factors in 3,074 minutes, or as well as-9.1 per 48 minutes — a point margin that would have been good for next in the NBA guiding the Golden Condition Warriors last time.

Let us flip that. With Irving on the court docket and James off the court docket, the Irving-led Cavs have been outscored by 94 factors in 2,000 minutes, or minus-1.7 per 48 minutes — a point margin roughly on tempo with a New Orleans Pelicans crew that completed fourteen video games below .five hundred last time. Not good.

What is crystal clear is that when it arrived to winning basketball video games, Irving required James much more than James required Irving. That dynamic speaks to Irving’s just one-dimensional match, where by he’s excellent in just one-on-just one circumstances but struggles in other locations. As ESPN’s Kevin Pelton pointed out, Irving ranks twelfth amongst point guards in genuine as well as-minus, many thanks to a defensive RPM that spots him 440th amongst all gamers on that end of the floor. With protection bogging him down, Irving failed to sign-up in the best 50 all round in RPM last time, nor did he in 2015-16 or 2013-fourteen (but he completed thirty eighth in 2014-fifteen, in advance of his knee injuries).

All-Star ballots, Team Usa officials and Nike execs are unanimous: Kyrie Irving is a celebrity. But the on-court docket numbers never agree. As the No. 1 option on the crew, Irving’s report in the NBA is 132-247 (.348), or the equivalent of a 29-earn crew.

To be good, Irving’s sorry report without the need of James the earlier couple seasons has been on a shooter-hefty roster that has mostly been geared towards James’ talents. Nevertheless staying surrounded by sharpshooters like Really like, JR Smith and Kyle Korver would seemingly aid area the floor for Irving’s dribble-hefty match, it has not delivered winning effects, unless James is out there. The Cavs scored a paltry 103.1 factors per one hundred belongings with Irving on the floor and no James last time, down from 117.5 with James and Irving both of those on the court docket.

If Irving’s talents are on the offensive end, why are not able to his crew rating when he’s the No.1 option? Will that adjust on a distinct crew?

Kyrie Irving credited his “Mamba mentality” — a nod to his idol, Kobe Bryant, at remaining — immediately after his clutch 3 in the 2016 NBA Finals. Gary A. Vasquez/Usa Today Sporting activities

The Bean vs. Ben Gordon

When Kevin Durant remaining Oklahoma Town last summer season, the NBA had an concept of what the Thunder would appear like with Westbrook as the confront of the franchise. In 2014-fifteen, Durant missed most of the time with a broken foot and the Thunder held their very own by submitting a 22-18 (.550) report with Westbrook in the lineup and Durant in a fit. The Thunder had won without the need of Durant in advance of, and they confirmed the exact solve last time, finishing 47-35 and with Westbrook staying named MVP.

Westbrook has a winning track report. Irving will not. When James took a couple of weeks off to hang out in Miami in the course of the 2014-fifteen time, it was a golden prospect for Irving to showcase his advancement. Alternatively, the Cavs misplaced six of 7 video games with Irving at the helm over that stretch. James arrived back again and they started out winning once again.

What Irving has and Westbrook will not have is a ring. In that feeling, Kyrie is much more Kobe Bryant than Westbrook. (It is really no mystery that Irving and Bryant are near. Soon after his Finals-clinching 3-pointer in 2016, Irving stated that all he was wondering was “Mamba mentality.”) That championship could make Irving believe that he can do it on his very own, but Bryant’s tale can offer a sobering lesson: Alpha dogs are practically nothing without the need of the supporting cast.

Kyrie Irving expressed a willingness to return to the NBA Finals with LeBron James just two months back. Paul George was nearly a Cavalier. Now, Irving’s trade need has thrown Cleveland for but a different loop this offseason.

Cleveland would like a king’s ransom in a Kyrie Irving deal. Zach Lowe seems at the Cavs’ prospective trade associates.

What will the Cavs do now immediately after Kyrie Irving’s surprising trade request? Kevin Pelton breaks down Cleveland’s four choices likely ahead.

2 Connected

Soon after a 2004 Finals decline to the Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Lakers traded Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson retired from coaching duties. Bryant was the guy. And a losing just one at that. Without O’Neal or Jackson there to aid, Bryant’s Lakers went 34-48 the pursuing time and missed the playoffs. Rudy Tomjanovich stop as mentor halfway by means of the time and Jackson wrote that Bryant was “uncoachable” in his reserve detailing the 2003-04 time. Bryant’s popularity cratered as he slipped from initial-crew All-NBA to 3rd-crew honors and fell off the All-Defensive crew entirely.

It was not until finally Jackson arrived back again in the 2005-06 time that points received better for Bryant. But all round, it was a blended bag. In the a few seasons immediately after Bryant received his want to have his very own crew, the Lakers went 121-one hundred twenty five (.491) and by no means received out of the initial round. Bryant won his MVP award only immediately after Pau Gasol received traded to the Lakers midseason in 2007-08. With star talent close to him and a Hall of Fame mentor, Bryant won back again-to-back again titles in 2009 and 2010.

It is really attainable that when Irving seems in the mirror, he sees Bryant. The playbook appears inside reach: obtain championship glory at a youthful age, go off on your very own, perhaps get humbled a little bit, surround you with stars once again, earn titles. But which is assuming Irving is as good as Bryant.

According to FiveThirtyEight’s CARMELO projections, the two closest facsimiles for Irving are Lillard and Ben Gordon. The following 5 names are a combine of champs and forgotten stars: Stephen Curry, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Reggie Theus and Jerry Stackhouse.

Irving could extravagant himself as the following Kobe or Westbrook — alpha dogs who turned MVPs immediately after their co-star remaining the picture — but you are not able to just overlook Irving’s losing track report as the No. 1 dude. The much more reasonable expectation is that he’s a different Lillard.

Of program, it is also attainable that points awesome down and Irving returns to the Cavs for following time. Soon after all, pursuing that unappealing instant with James on the bench from Atlanta in 2016, the Cavs moved on and later won the match. Two months later, Irving and James won the championship.

Now, we could get to see, likely ahead, whether or not they can earn a title aside. James has proven he can. But Irving’s track report suggests if not, even if he will not want to hear that.

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[nekkoburnsred]

if you're from south Florida then you miss this just as much as i do 

[jpcosplayantics]

Buzz Bake Sale lives!

[forever-ginger]

This is what I do when I get mad. :c

[annagotohim-blog]

THE BUZZ IS GONE

WHERE ARE YOU RANDI AND LOPER I LOVE YOU COME BACK!

[dotheevolutionbaby]

Anberlin at The Buzz Bake Sale (103.1 The Buzz) 12/04/10