#5th Annual Louder Than Life | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

themusicenthusiast · 6 years ago

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Nine Inch Nails, Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack and Deftones Set to Perform at Fifth Annual Louder Than Life, Returning to Louisville, KY’s Champions Park September 28-30; Ice Cube, Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin, Billy Idol and Shinedown Also Top Line Announcement

A massive music lineup led by Nine Inch Nails, Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack and Deftones has been announced for the 5th annual Louder Than Life, as the World's Largest Rock 'N' Roll Whiskey Festival expands to three days — Friday, September 28, Saturday, September 29, and Sunday, September 30 — at Champions Park in Louisville, KY. Louder Than Life features a selection of award-winning bourbons, whiskey, spirits, craft beer, and the best food Louisville has to offer, along with a powerful music lineup of rock legends and breaking talent performing on three stages. The festival celebrates the bourbon culture and culinary heritage of this unique American city. The general onsale for Louder Than Life General Admission tickets, VIP and Top Shelf VIP Packages, hotel and ticket packages, as well as tent and RV camping begins Friday, June 8 at 12:00 PM ET. The daily music lineup for Louder Than Life 2018 is as follows:

Friday, September 28: Avenged Sevenfold, Limp Bizkit, Breaking Benjamin, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, Seether, Black Stone Cherry, Skillet, Underoath, Suicidal Tendencies, Red Sun Rising, Tremonti, Bad Wolves, Turnstile, Jelly Roll, Hyro The Hero, Badflower, Islander, True Villains Saturday, September 29: Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, Bush, Bullet For My Valentine, Hellyeah, Body Count, Pop Evil, Sevendust, GWAR, Dance Gavin Dance, From Ashes To New, Sick Puppies, Cane Hill, Bad Omens, Blacktop Mojo, Awake At Last, Stone Broken, The Jacks Sunday, September 30: Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Ice Cube, Primus, Billy Idol, Action Bronson, Clutch, Asking Alexandria, Yelawolf, The Sword, Glassjaw, The Fever 333, Monster Magnet, Spirit Animal, The Dose, The Breton Sound Godsmack's Sully Erna said, "We're honored to be headlining the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville this year! Looking forward to partying with all of you again real soon!" Benjamin Burnley of Breaking Benjamin commented, "We're excited to come back to Louisville for Louder Than Life 2018 and play songs from our new album EMBER for the first time in Kentucky! We always have a good time there and look forward to what we know will be a kickass show." Festival producer Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, explained, "I couldn't be prouder of what we have accomplished since the inception of the festival. In five years, Louder Than Life has become the largest rock 'n' roll whiskey festival in the world, and I see no better way to celebrate its 5th year than to close out the weekend with Nine Inch Nails and Ice Cube." In addition to performances from top music artists, attendees at Louder Than Life will enjoy a variety of onsite food and beverage options celebrating the unique spirits and food of the Louisville region. Attendees 21+ up can choose to visit Bourbon World presented by the Louisville Courier Journal, and enjoy crafted cocktails at the exclusive Down The Rabbit Hole Speakeasy; sip fine wine at the Caduceus Wine Garden; or enjoy a local brew at the Craft Beer Bar. Other spirits can be enjoyed at the Heavy Tiki Bar presented by Jim Beam, or at the Jack Daniel's Experience for a "taste of Tennessee." Fans 21+ can explore the enormous Bourbon World presented by the Louisville Courier Journal. With 95% of the world's bourbon coming from Kentucky, festival producers Danny Wimmer Presents have hand-selected expressions from the top distilleries to create a unique opportunity to enjoy bourbons and exclusive one-time specialty cocktails inside what may be the World's Loudest—and Largest—Bourbon Tent. Site-wide, an enormous selection of bourbons will be available. Participating bourbon brands include: 1792, Angel's Envy, Barrell Bourbon, Basil Hayden's, Bloody Butcher's Creed, Booker's, Boone County Distilling, Bowman Brothers, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Contradiction, Cooper's Craft, Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor, Elijah Craig, Elmer T. Lee, Evan Williams, Four Roses, Jefferson's, Jim Beam, Jim Beam Black, Kentucky Owl, Knob Creek, Larceny, Maker's 46, Maker's Mark, Michter's, New Riff Bourbon, Old Forester, Peerless, Rabbit Hole, Rebel Yell, Rock Hill Farms, Wild Turkey, W.L. Weller, and Woodford Reserve. Additional featured spirits include: Jack Daniel's, Uncle Nearest Whiskey, Southern Comfort and Tito's Handmade Vodka. The Caduceus Wine Garden will highlight Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, owned by Arizona resident Maynard James Keenan, co-founder of international recording acts Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer. Having already dove headfirst into this venture, Maynard found out from a distant relative that wine making is in his blood. His Great Grandfather, "Spirito" Marzo, had vineyards and made wine in Venaus, Italy, just North of Turino in Piemonte. The Louder Than Life food and beverage options will be provided by Southern Hospitality Concessions LLC, DWP's affiliate concessionaire. Festival attendees will be able to experience a taste of Louisville. Selections from the following local and regional restaurants will be available: Bouquet, Boss Hog BBQ, Cellar Door Chocolates, Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar, Citizen 7, Gospel Bird, Longshot Lobsta, Mike's Kentucky Kitchen, Midway Café, Tumbleweed, 502 Café, and Whiskey Dry. Guests can also choose from regional and national festival favorites including Island Noodles, Pie Baby Wood Fired Pizza, Chicago Dog House, Angry Bird Grill, Ben's Cantina, Spicy Pie Pizza, Mount Olympus, Phat Daddy's Creole, Master of Patties, Red Top Dog, and much, much more! If patrons are looking for an elevated culinary experience, they are invited to take a tour of the newly added culinary food parties where guests can enjoy signature cocktails paired with gourmet plates. The "Lock and Key Pizza Parlor" will be presented by Larceny with signature selections from Spicy Pie Pizza. The "Southern Soul BBQ" presented by Maker's Mark will feature smoked delicacies from Boss Hog BBQ. The "Sip & Grill" presented by Southern Comfort will feature renowned Louisville chef Edward Lee of Whiskey Dry. Chef Lee will be offering a selection of his gourmet Whiskey Dryburgers paired with refreshing Southern Comfort cocktails. Louder Than Life is produced by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, a producer of some of the biggest rock festivals in America, including Rock On The Range, Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville, Monster Energy Aftershock, Monster Energy Fort Rock, Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, Chicago Open Air, Bourbon & Beyond, Monster Energy Rock Allegiance, Northern Invasion and more. DWP creates memorable and all-encompassing festival experiences, leaving both consumers and partners with lasting and meaningful impressions. By combining A-list music talent with local cuisine and culture, DWP has become recognized within the industry for delivering the highest-quality entertainment experiences to fans, artists, sponsors, partners and host cities. Louder Than Life 2018 partners and sponsors include: Monster Energy, f.y.e., The Music Experience, Miller-Coors, Jack Daniel's, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Robert Mondavi Private Select, Black Box Wines, Caduceus Wines, Diesel Cigars, SWFTCharge, Kentucky Lottery, Roadrunner Records, Fxck Cancer, Take Me Home, The Louisville Water Company and more.

All live photos by Jordan Buford Photography

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livinginlandmarketing · 4 years ago

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Two weeks after scores of people of all races flooded downtown San Bernardino to protest police brutality and systemic racism in the wake of George Floyd‘s death, local school board President Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers and her colleagues did something new.

Representing more than 47,000 students, as well as administrators, teachers, staffers and parents on June 16, 2020, San Bernardino City Unified board members took turns reading portions of a resolution into the record.

The declaration?

That the county’s largest school district was “unequivocally” anti-racist, and that it condemns all acts of racism.

Now days before the nation marks the 36th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Dowdy-Rodgers and other Southern California leaders and activists are reflecting on the connection between the late civil rights icon’s lasting call for social justice and the summer’s Black Lives Matter movement and subsequent efforts to change policy in the region.

From right, Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, San Bernardino school board president, and board members Margaret Hill and Danny Tillman with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue at San Bernardino City Hall in San Bernardino on Thursday, January 14, 2021. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A reath was placed at the base of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue at San Bernardino City Hall in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in San Bernardino on Thursday, January 14, 2021. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, San Bernardino school board president, center with board members Danny Tillman, left and Margaret Hill with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue at San Bernardino City Hall in San Bernardino on Thursday, January 14, 2021. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

The statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has a hole in his hand over his heart at San Bernardino City Hall in San Bernardino on Thursday, January 14, 2021. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Gwen Dowdy-Rodgers, San Bernardino school board president, center with board members Margaret Hill, left and Danny Tillman with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue at San Bernardino City Hall in San Bernardino on Thursday, January 14, 2021. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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‘Send a message’

Three days after she and her San Bernardino school board colleagues condemned all acts of racism, brutality, racial profiling and the excessive use of force by law enforcement, Dowdy-Rodgers was part of a contingent of community members to implore San Bernardino County leaders to take a similar stand.

“It was very important for us to send the message that we are very serious about raising social justice issues and equity issues,” Dowdy-Rodgers said, “because policy is something we can point to when things are not the way they should be.”

Having met twice previously with faith leaders, activists and members of the Black community, the Board of Supervisors on June 23 declared racism a public health crisis.

Soon after, cities across the region adopted similar resolutions acknowledging racism exists and condemning it outright, and educators began exploring expanded ethnic studies programs and measures to create inclusive learning environments.

Such actions are a direct result of the mass protests that spread nationally after the death of Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody after an officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, said Darrin Johnson, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Inland Empire. But the 38-year-old said he will not be satisfied until concrete change – in schools, in government, in policing – is achieved.

“The protests showed that when pressure is put to government, (officials) will be forced to act,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, as fall went through, our momentum was lost and I feel politicians were less compelled to take those kinds of actions.

“I feel like the people we have now in positions of power, especially career politicians, are too used to playing political games,” Johnson added. “That’s how they stay in power and continue to do the things they do. They throw us a crumb and are convinced they’re doing stuff for us.

“We need to hold everyone’s feet to the fire to keep this momentum going.”

Linking generations

As Dowdy-Rodgers reflects on summer 2020, what makes her most proud of the Black Lives Matter movement and subsequent policy discussions and changes is the bond now established between those with first-hand memories of King and those who’ve come to admire him through textbooks, biographies and iconic video clips.

“We are connecting the generations that had been disconnected,” Dowdy-Rodgers said. “Those who were part of or close to that time when civil rights was just coming to the forefront and those marching and fighting got us to where we are today. Now, we’re handing the baton over to this generation, this young generation, and saying ‘We want to support you.’”

Activist Kayla Booker, 26, is a small business owner and founder of The B.L.A.C.K. Collective, supporting black businesses and creators in the Inland Empire. (Photo courtesy of Kayla Booker)

Kayla Booker, a college student activist in Riverside, said King’s work and legacy have emboldened younger generations, decades later, to stand up in today’s social and political climates.

The 26-year-old who participated in a number of demonstrations and rallies in Riverside and across the Inland Empire said more young people of color need to be involved in their local communities and in leadership roles.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” Booker said, paraphrasing King’s 1965 sermon in Selma, Alabama. “If we’re not sitting at the table, then who is hearing our voices and concerns?”

Resilience, Booker said, is something she learned from King. She is president and founder of The B.L.A.C.K. Collective, a group of young Black leaders in Riverside working to uplift the area through events, community involvement, mentorship and entrepreneurship.

“We’re tired of not being heard, of feeling alone,” Booker said. “We’re the only African American group (in this area), run by youth, and no one has reached out to us about our concerns. Not the mayor or sheriff. They want to go out and take pictures with us, but they don’t ask us how we can help, what we can do, to really make a difference.

“At some point, you’re going to hear us.”

With help from three friends, Sage Hill School graduate Jackie Ni built SupplyCrate.org, an online nexus for procuring and distributing PPE (more than 375,000 pieces). Then came BLMsupplycrate.org, to facilitate requests and donations to organizers and activists involved in social justice protests. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

With college campuses offering only virtual classes this fall due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Sage Hill High School graduate Jackie Ni decided to postpone his freshman year of college to spend his free time addressing economic and social justice issues.

At first, that meant organizing other teens to secure thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment, or PPE, for health care workers at the onset of the pandemic. But after Floyd’s death, Ni pivoted to supporting Black Lives Matter organizers.

As a result, the Irvine teen formed the nonprofit BLMsupplycrate.org.

By the end of September, the group had raised a few thousand dollars to help pay for such necessities as permit fees and supplies of water, along with shipping more than 3,000 protective masks to protesters in California, New York and parts of the Midwest.

Ni’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement segued into forming a youth-led political action committee, called MemePAC, with three Orange County friends his age — Theodore Horn, Jason Yu and Vera Kong. In school, the 18-year-old had learned of King and the civil rights movement; but his own research this past year led to a deeper understanding of the economic equality King sought the last years of his life.

Ni, who plans to study public policy or political science in college, and perhaps run for office someday, sees King’s legacy in the passion and dedication that he and other young people show for systemic change.

“It definitely carries on what Martin Luther King set out to do, tackling issues in a logical way, in a peaceful way.”

Miranda Sheffield, 35, is a cultural arts commissioner in Pomona. (Courtesy of Miranda Sheffield)

‘We have to work’

On the heels of a nationwide call for social change, King’s message echoes louder than ever before, said Miranda Sheffield, a cultural arts commissioner in Pomona who helped organize demonstrations there over the summer.

“With everything that happened at the protests and the (Jan. 6) riot at the (U.S.) Capitol,” Sheffield said, “we need to listen to King’s words and demand change.”

New 5th Ward San Bernardino City Councilman Ben Reynoso is sworn in at San Bernardino City Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

San Bernardino City Councilman Ben Reynoso, who was in Mississippi with family when protesters began marching in communities across the nation following Floyd’s death, said he understood why so many felt compelled to unite.

“There’d been multiple times in my life when I’ve seen Black and brown people killed at the hands of police, or die in police custody,” said Reynoso. “When I was with family, I was reaching for understanding as an individual. For me, I had to be out near my mother and surrounded by people who understood and could express their emotions.

“What you saw this summer,” he added, “was a collection of people who couldn’t express their emotions in silence. They needed to express it publicly.”

The summer’s activism has a direct link to the civil rights movement King spearheaded in the 1950s and ’60s, Reynoso said.

“Martin Luther King understood narrative,” he said. “That’s why he was willing, and the young organizers around him were willing, to do things like sit in diners where people of color weren’t allowed, to be beat up on live TV. Because they knew America and the world wouldn’t understand what they were going through without seeing it.

Naomi Rainey-Pierson, the longtime president of Long Beach’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said she applauds the work that younger people have been doing this past year, but added that protests alone won’t bring change.

“We have to not just stand up and scream, shout, holler and march when there is an outcry,” she said. “We have to continually march, we have to continually stand up, we have to continue using our voice. We have to stop pitting one group against the other.

“We have to work for equality and justice.”

In this file photo, Naomi Rainey-Pierson receives her honorary doctoral degree at Cal Sate Long Beach at the commencement for College of Liberal Arts on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Sean DuFrene, photographer for Cal State Long Beach)

Rainey-Pierson, a Black woman who grew up going to segregated schools in Mississippi, said injustice and inequality is nothing new, but that in order to follow King’s visions and goals, people must come together.

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“I commend all of the young people, of all colors and hues, marching, speaking, fighting and reaching out,” she said. “But we have to speak collectively for all: not just one race, not just one gender, but it has to be for all mankind because there’s an old saying, ‘For whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.’

That, Rainey-Pierson said, is what Martin Luther King stood for.

-on January 15, 2021 at 01:35PM by Brian Whitehead, Allyson Escobar, Emily Rasmussen, Javier Rojas, Theresa Walker

#riversidenews

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antiheromag · 6 years ago

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Louder Than Life Announces Addition Of Alice In Chains To World’s Largest Rock ‘N’ Roll Whiskey Festival

Tickets On Sale Now For The 5th Annual Festival

Friday, September 28, Saturday, September 29 & Sunday, September 30

At Champions Park In Louisville, KY

Louder Than Life has announced that Seattle alt-rockers Alice In Chains will be joining the lineup for the 5th annual festival, which comes shortly after the release of the band’s new album, Rainier Fog. They join previously announced artists Nin…

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#LOUDER THAN LIFE

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maentglobal · 7 years ago

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#LouderThanLife2018 Early Bird Ticket Sale Underway Limited Number Of General Admission Weekend Tickets Available For $94.50 - An Early Bird ticket sale is now underway for the 5th annual #LouderThanLife, to be held Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30, 2018 at #ChampionsPark in Louisville, KY. - To see the 2017 Louder Than Life video recap, go to: www.facebook.com/louderthanlifefestival/videos/1325054730955468/ The 2018 Louder Than Life music lineup and other details will be announced in late spring 2018. Visit www.LouderThanLifeFestival.com for details. (at Los Angeles, California)

#championspark #louderthanlife #louderthanlife2018

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ignitemusicmag · 7 years ago

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Festival News- Danny Wimmer Presents Announces 2018 Dates For Nationally Acclaimed Festivals In Louisville, KY

Danny Wimmer Presents Announces 2018 Date For Nationally Acclaimed Festivals In Louisville, KY

Danny Wimmer Presents Announces 2018 Dates For Nationally Acclaimed Festivals In Louisville, KY:

2nd Annual Bourbon & Beyond — September 22 & 23 5th Annual Louder Than Life — September 29 & 30 Bourbon & Beyond 2018 Early Bird Ticket Sale Underway Now With Limited Number Of Tickets Priced At Just $119.50

Danny Wimmer Presents has announced the 2018 dates for its nationally acclaimed festivals…

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#Bourbon & Beyond #Danny Wimmer #Danny Wimmer Presents #LOUDER THAN LIFE #Louisville

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sending-the-message · 7 years ago

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The Campbell's by moonring_

I’ve always been proud of my granddad. He’s still alive, on an Irish farm that overlooks a small mountain. Every summer we bond by trekking up and down this mountain (which he owns might I add, no trespassing), and after every small ruin of a house, he loves to tell me the stories of who lived there, if he remembers them, what they did and how they died. As a teenager I loved these stories, I was always so interested in social history and how the old Irish folk lived. To top off the little annual cultural trips, (and what used to keep me up at night), he told me ancient stories the superstitious old folk once believed. These included orally passed down tales of fairies, ghosts, the banshee, and other creatures; of people offering their things to the fairies in order to be left alone and playing cards with the devil in a bet for their own souls. My story begins about one particular ruin up this mountain – the Campbell house, situated at the very top in between two bending oak trees. What I was simply told about it was the Campbells’ lived there during the time of the Great Famine (1840s); they had 10 children that all grew up and left for England or America in search of a better life, and were never heard of again. The parents then died, and the house left to the elements because they couldn’t find relatives. Now here it stands as a few crumbled walls nearly 170 years later. No Campbells have been in the area since, the neighbours have all died and that’s all we’ll ever know about them.

Right? Wrong. I needed to know more, I felt there was more to the story than this. You know when you just get a creepy but alluring feeling about a place? I had that. All other ruins had something more to them; an untold tale, a character. A naughty maid sleeping with the master of the house perhaps, or a fairy’s curse put on the family due to theft or disrespect for the ancient creatures. But this ruin was too old for any living person to know its secrets. Nothing was left of it bar old stone walls and crags in the ground where potatoes were grown, but I felt in my heart its untold mysteries needed brought to life. So this summer I went alone up the mountain to explore myself. I parked my car at my granddads place while he was away and began my journey. He always gets very uneasy when I go for a walk around the area alone (although I’m 21), but I guess he’s just protective of his granddaughter. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and I’ll be back in time before he comes home. It took me nearly an hour to walk through marsh land, barbed wire and sheep shite before I reached the enchanting ruins, but I soon began exploring the place. I really didn’t know what it was I wanted to find, but I looked under every rock, beside every wall to find some clue of the mysterious Campbells. And what did I find? Nothing. What did I expect really, there’s been no habitable life bar sheep and cows on this thing for 150 years.

As I was ready to give up and go home (my hands were freezing and wind was cutting my face), I noticed the Brannigan ruins opposite the Campbell ruins, and thought what the hell, may as well make a day out of it. This house was much better preserved, as relatives of the Brannigans had lived here right up until the 1950s. It still had a tin roof and some things inside, like an old stove, a teapot, a shoe etc - all typical things you’d find in an abandoned cottage. The place inside was much darker because it actually had a roof, so I took out my phone and started looking through all the cool little creepy things inside. As I looked at the beams above (must have been a thatched roof before it was tin), I noticed some papers wrapped up in cord perched between the beams and the tin. It was very high up, impossible for me to reach and hardly noticeable, but I began to get very excited thinking it was old photos or letters. I grabbed the table at the side of the room and bringing it to the middle, I got on top of it and was just able to reach the pile of papers. Lots of dust fell in my face though and I dropped them on the floor. When I had wiped myself down, I noticed I had really hit the jackpot.

Inside the folded up newspapers lay a diary. What better way to find out social history than a diary! I grabbed it and took it outside into the light, and running over to the big oak tree by the Campbell ruin, I opened the cord and read a story that has changed me ever since. This was no Brannigan diary, but the diary of Martha Campbell, wife of James Campbell, mother of 5 girls and 5 boys. This biography was a tale about their livelihoods, their downfalls, and their deaths. I thought Irish folklore was nonsense, but these letters still haunt me and made me question what is real and what is not.

I don’t have time to write out every single entry, and to be honest they’re not all exciting, not the first ones anyway. They start off as normal but they end, well, I’ll show you. The famine years were clearly hard:

June 5th, 1845

Praise the Lord my 10th child is born and I am well. He is named Henry James Campbell, a blessing to us and our home. Mr Campbell and the children are busy digging the first of our potatoes, and I pray to God they are healthier than the ones last year – a good to a half of them bad. We cannot starve for another winter, not with a new mouth to feed. My sister Bridget is off to England to find work, and my heart grieves for her well-being. She has not yet seen my new born and the likelihood is she never will. The twins cry because they are hungry and there is no consoling them. They have nightmares that we are cursed never to grow fresh food again. I wish they would stop with their terrible imaginations, it puts us all in an ill humour. The priest will soon be round with bread and stout to ease our suffering, but he has many a rounds to do as the towns folk are also poor and starving. Mrs McCullough tells me the fishermen are catching naught. We are heavily relying on this new batch of potatoes to fend us from death’s door.

But the Campbells had something dark stirring. There was only an entry every couple of months, but the entries during 1854 really sent shivers down my spine.

December 15th 1853

Three years have passed since I buried my first born Thomas, but I feel he is still with me. I hear knocks on the walls and doors at night, I have dreams of him staring in through my bedroom window and the twins suddenly scream at the corner of the room and run crying. I have seen shadows in the field and I think of him. I feel he is protecting us. Mr Campbell does not believe me and thinks me wicked for imaging a ghoul like figure when there is only the living, a heaven and a hell. I have begun reading my Bible more often and I keep my Bible close at hand for two purposes. I often lose it then find it turned upside down or thrown across the room, but I also keep it for solace sake. I feel Thomas is playing games with me, he always loved to play. I will light a candle for him this Christmas.

February 9th 1854

Now he believes me. Thomas has returned praise be to God. Although his presence gets louder and I now feel him constantly. The other children are too frightened to share a room with me, but I tell them they should not be frightened of their eldest brother. They say they see a cloud of darkness around me and I speak in an unknown language in my slumber. They have such wild imaginations, children. Thomas did frighten them once but I shouted at him for it. He sometimes hisses from the corner at them in the darkness and claws them while they sleep. He makes figures of wolves with red eyes and a handful of snakes in the bedsheets. He is awfully jealous for my attentions but all my children need disciplining. Even Mr Campbell is uneasy when spending time with me and would rather work in the fields. Does he neglect all his children? His firstborn son? I am content that all my children are returned home, why can my family not be.

March 23rd 1854

He is thirsty. He is thirsty and he wants blood. But I love all my children. Why not me? I am his, he wants me to himself. He whispers to me at night. I cannot sleep for my mind is awake to his whisperings. My child. My dear. I long for death. My children long for death. They suffer. They suffer in an unprofitable world. I could ease their suffering. With a pillow. With a knife. Thomas will be with me always. The rest would never leave if I soothed them. If I eased their pain. I am almost convinced. I am a mother and my duty is to protect all my children. From the world. From themselves. From me. Oh Lord into your kingdom I commend my spirit. Show me the light for all I see is darkness and death.

June 2nd 1854

They are gone. My children. Mr Campbell conspired against me and they are gone. They are banished from me and all I do is weep and pray. He sent them away to the farthest place from me so I may die with a broken heart. He says I am unfit, I have invited a spirit to harm our family and I am possessed with the devil himself. What lunacy, he should be tested not I. I still have my Thomas about me but my living darlings, they are departed for the sea. I tried to ease the twins of their sufferings. And my dearest Henry, he saw. He was ashamed, he cried. But I was doing the Lords work. For heaven is the goal, not this life. My darling angels all in heaven. With Thomas. Oh glory be to God in the highest! But now my heart will never mend and my wailings never cease. They are gone into the world to suffer, when I offered them rest. Thomas still whispers to me at night, and the Priest will not enter the house unless he is guarded with holy water. He empathises with Mr Campbell, he says I am mad and doing the devils work. They know nothing. They are not mothers. They will rue the day they took my babies from me.

August 7th 1854

Tonight. Tonight I am a widow. Mr Campbell is not my husband, he is an imposter to sever Thomas from me. This I will not allow. My last child he will not take. The banshee will cry her terrible wail and I will be free.

Here the entries end, and I was thoroughly freaked out. I ran over to Brannigans and put the diary back where I found it. I didn’t need to know the untold mystery. It should remain untold. My guess is the Brannigans found the murder scene at the Campbells and the diary, and took the diary to be kept and never found. I’ll never know what happened to Martha and to be frank, I don’t even want to know. I’m too disturbed. Maybe the neighbourhood know the secret and refuse to tell it, maybe my granddad even knows. But what I know is, I sure as hell will never come back up here alone. Some past mysteries should be kept in the past.

#reddit #nosleep #scary #story

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usstatesofsong · 8 years ago

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Countdown to #Eurovision: Yearly Reviews - 1981

We’re approximately three months away from the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, and while we’re waiting for more of the 2017 songs to be released before reviewing them (as we did last year), we’re going to revisit Eurovision song contests from the past and rank our favorites in each contest.

We started two days ago with our first post, 1980, so we move forward to Dublin and 1981! This contest I actually know very little about, other than the country that won and a few of the other songs. ‘81 is still a bit early for me in the decade, and so the music itself doesn’t feel so “80′s” to me. Nevertheless, there’s some awesome things about the ‘81 contest - we get Cyprus for the first time, we get a Norway “nul points” entry, and we get a lot of dancing! Although I would argue that dancing had been around for many years; people just make a big deal out of it because the winning group had such a memorable act.

On with the entries, they say... although I say “Shut up and get to the point, you dunce!”

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#1 - AUSTRIA - Marty Brem, “Wenn du da bist” (17th place, 20 pts)

Oh. Well... maybe I do remember more of this contest than I thought. First things first: the song itself is actually a pretty ballad, and Marty’s voice is clear - but I feel it’s disrupted by the female vocalist. On top of that, the obvious elephant in the room: the presentation. Should I have gotten a hard drink, or have taken some kind of philosophical course to understand what’s going on here? What’s the art direction here? Why put a pretty girl in an American football helmet? Ah well... We’ll see if this holds up as we hear more of the entries.

#2 - TURKEY - Modern Folk Üçlüsü & Aysegül Aldinç, "Dönme Dolap" (18th place, 9 pts)

Strangely enough, the first two countries to start 1980 are the same two to start 1981′s contest. But Turkey here is the weaker of the two. Disco died a year earlier, but I don’t think Turkey got the message, and they sent a bunch of 40-year-old people to shuffle around mics and clap their hands. In fact I always felt that they were a few years behind musically from the rest of Europe. I will probably remember this song, but not for the best reasons - and it certainly doesn’t sound like a winner.

#3 - GERMANY - Lena Valaitis, "Johnny Blue" (2nd place, 132 pts)

This has a dark, melodic, and storybook type feel to it, like I’m being told about the story of Johnny Blue. Without looking up the lyrics, that’s how it feels, at least. I was... actually kinda hoping for a bit more, to be honest, just because we haven’t heard the rest of the entries and I want to know how this got 2nd place. Typically Eurovision entries don’t sound like this. But maybe the complexity and lyrical content boosted it? As it stands, a very solid entry, but I yearn for more.

#4 - LUXEMBOURG - Jean-Claude Pascal, “C’est peut-être pas l'Amérique” (T-11th place, 41 pts)

And song #4 is Luxembourg again, too? Are you sure these picks were under the auspice of the EBU back then? Ah, well. I love the way this guy sings; he’s a previous winner (from 1961), and he works the camera to his advantage. But with his age, I think this song is a bit old as well. I’m also not clear on the lyrics (I do know some French) but it seemed a bit corny to me. Was being American a cliche back in 1981?

#5 - ISRAEL - Hakol Over Habibi, "Halayla" (7th place, 56 pts)

Yay, Israel is back! They had to miss the ‘80 contest for various reasons. They brought the group shuffle dances back, and they make them ten times more cool than Turkey does! First of all, major props to the female lead - she was 6-7 months pregnant when she performed on stage. The song itself is a bit Motown, a bit Israeli, a bit pop-dance... it covers a bunch of bases. Not sure how much I like this, however, or how much I care. My biggest memory from the song itself is the cringe-worthy falsetto delivery from one of the backup singers. Not a good sign.

#6 - DENMARK - Debbie Cameron & Tommy Seebach, "Krøller eller ej" (T-11th place, 41 pts)

Alright, so - when I first saw the name “Tommy Seebach” my mind instantly thought of 1993, when Seebach returned to the contest and made a lame-o of himself by... well, that’s a though for another day. My eyes widened when the conductor started waving his baton and sounds of laser guns filled the air. For reasons I can’t describe, I love this so much! Maybe it’s just the clusterfuck of things going on, or the fact that this hearkens to really good disco vibes - again, not what Turkey did. And those dances moves! I think this is my first true favorite of the night. Unexpectedly, too!

#7 - YUGOSLAVIA - Seid Memić (Vajta), "Lejla" (15th place, 35 pts)

*Note - I want to keep track of “winners” by adding up points overall scored from these reviews at the end of each post. Since Yugoslavia is now defunct, the points scored will go to the current-day country of whichever language sung that night. So, for 1981, it would go to Bosnia-Herzegovina, since the act sung in Bosnian.

Now, with that out of the way, this one started out pretty but went nowhere quickly. The composition was flat and cheap. Next.

#8 - FINLAND - Riki Sorsa, "Reggae OK" (16th place, 27 pts)

Give it to the Finns for bringing something original, unique, and certainly colorful to the contest! Albeit a little cheap, reggae was certainly “ok” to me! An improvement from 1980, but again - a bit disturbed by what is going on on-stage. That guy just got on the floor and wiggled his legs around. Who are you, Alice Cooper? Anywho, this may get a few points from me as well, when it’s all said and done.

#9 - FRANCE - Jean Gabilou, “Humanahum” (3rd place, 125 pts)

More ‘big voice’ from the men who sing in French! Well, this blows Luxembourg out of the park (sorry, JCP.) I think this is the first time I’ve heard such great female background vocal singers, as well. I’m not sure where ‘Humanahum’ fits into the French language, but I digress. I would have voted this higher than Germany back in ‘81.

#10 - SPAIN - Bacchelli, "Y sólo tú" (14th place, 38 pts)

A bit of a Latin-Caribbean vibe from this one! It’s very “1981″ and carries a softer pop vibe, which doesn’t make it a hugely challenging contender for me. But I appreciate it for what it does. I’m locked in to the lack of stage presence by Bacchelli, but his steady voice (again) makes up for it. I just realized how many male lead singers there are in 1981′s contest...

#11 - NETHERLANDS - Linda Williams, "Het is een wonder" - 9th place, 51 pts

This is very Karen Carpenter, or Helen Reddy... another soft-pop late-70′s vibe kicking in here. The 70′s music really did die hard, huh? Well, part of my opinion of this song is thrown off by another reviewer who really hated this one. It’s a bizarre tune, for sure. It’s not the worst, but it’s not the best. And the organs used by the Irish orchestra deconstruct the otherwise homely composition this is supposed to represent. I don’t hate it, but it’s probably not getting points from me.

#12 - IRELAND - Sheeba, “Horoscopes” - 5th place, 105 pts

Hmmm. Well? The home entry takes up the first ‘interesting topic’ of the evening. A song about horoscopes? Zodiac signs, celestial objects, and a bunch of other-wordly things. I was more entertained by the lyrical content than I should have been. The women are so enticing... except that braided-hair one, she can go. I’m tired of disco on the evening, I don’t get why it was gone in 1980 but reemerged so heavily in ‘81. But this is on the good side with Denmark, and is certainly worth a full listen.

#13 - NORWAY - Finn Kalvik, "Aldri i livet" - 20th place, 0 pts

Based on the Irish commentary, this song had all the ingredients to be great, and all of the international success. So why did this song get nul points? Well, the backing singers on the chorus lines were soooo out of sync, and at times were louder than Finn himself. Finn also does this one-syllable-per-note thing that can get grating. The verses are definitely the strongest part of the song. I would have spent more time perfecting the composition and working with the orchestra to make something more tolerable, melodically speaking. But I don’t think this really deserved no points at all.

#14 - UNITED KINGDOM - Bucks Fizz, “Making Your Mind Up” - 1st place, 136 pts

What can be said that hasn’t already been said? Well, if you’ve gotten this far in your life without knowing, I pity you. About 1:40 into the song, the skirts of the two female singers are yanked right off! I found myself tapping my feet to this, despite having heard it several times before. It’s too bad that the composition here is also pretty weak, and that the vocals weren’t strong, but the performance itself carried this song to victory. It’s a defining moment of Eurovision history, and - yeah, it deserved to win. A very fun pop song.

#15 - PORTUGAL - Carlos Paião, “Playback” - T-18th place, 9 pts

I... I love it. I LOVE IT! Why, oh why, couldn’t this get more points? Oh, right, it’s Portugal. Sigh... My friends, it’s time to acknowledge that Portugal annually places 10 spots lower than they should in most years. This fits right into the music scene of that time, and Carlos is having so much fun on stage with his colorful crew. From the dance moves, to the electro sounds, to the chaotic blurts of the trumpet. The last two songs have awakened me.

#16 - BELGIUM - Emly Starr, “Samson” - 13th place, 40 pts

Yes, yes, yes! Bring it forth, Emly, for what has been an otherwise slow-going contest has certainly picked up some steam! This is another disco-pop leftover, for sure, but she’s working the stage with her long legs and there’s elements of rock and tru-pop in there, as well. The melody is still in my head as I write this out - something that doesn’t always happen with the ballads. I thought I liked Denmark’s song more until I heard this, and this certainly beats Ireland.

#17 - GREECE - Yiannis Dimitras, "Feggari Kalokerino" - 8th place, 55 pts

I feel like this contest has taken an absolute 180 turn in song interest. This is male-led ballad, nothing new... but dare I say it’s even better than France! Another well-told story, there’s some kind of connection between the girl on the piano and the lead singer, symbolized by the rose. I don’t know what more Greece could’ve added to this to make it soar, other than a clearer microphone.

#18 - CYPRUS - Island, “Monika” - 6th place, 69 pts

Welcome to ESC, Cyprus! You’ve yet to win, but here’s to hoping you bring us all to your beautiful little corner of the earth some day. As for their first entry, it’s the ‘schlager’-iest of the night, and I’m not impressed, really. It’s not bad, but given what I heard and saw the last four or five songs, it’s a let down. I think juries gave Cyprus some freebie points in this first contest.

#19 - SWITZERLAND - Peter, Sue, and Marc, “Io senza te” - 4th place, 121 pts

Oh. These three. Ha, well, I don’t immediately remember their other entries from the 70′s, but this one seems like their best. But, then again, I find this dated, especially with the way she sings. It was a cool idea to have the pan flute - if you were actually playing it! Oh well. I suppose this was the kind of pop ballad music that really wanted back in 1981.

#20 - SWEDEN - Björn Skifs, "Fångad i en dröm" - 10th place, 50 pts

And we finish off with the Swedes, and coincidentally, the only singer known states-side - Blue Swede lead singer Bjorn Skifs! He brought the lone rock song to the contest, and while I can’t manage to really put this one down, this feels like a really reserved presentation. He could’ve rocked out a bit more during the thumping drums and guitar riffs, huh? Even if the lyrics didn’t call for it. Ah, well. I’m nitpicking. I like this to a degree, but methinks there’s something more that could’ve been done here. It’s missing the je-ne-sais-quoi quality of a Eurovision winner.

And there you have it! The rest was history, and Britain were rewarded for shedding their clothes. I wasn’t expecting so much disco music, to be honest, and that was a let-down. My best guess is that the contemporary, conservative music world was still trying to find its sound for the 80′s. My winner is not the United Kingdom, just because I feel there were stronger performances on the night and those songs should’ve been rewarded as such. However, no denying that the UK had a solid pop hit with Bucks Fizz, one that got stuck in your head like an earworm. Here are my points for 1981′s contest:

12 - Greece 10 - Portugal 8 - United Kingdom 7 - Belgium 6 - Denmark 5 - France 4 - Germany 3 - Spain 2 - Finland 1 - Ireland

And here is the overall count of points thus far:

1st - 18 - Greece (1981) 2nd - 14 - Germany 3rd - 13 - Ireland (1980) 4th - 11 - Portugal 4th - 11 - Belgium 10 - France 8 - Luxembourg 8 - United Kingdom 7 - Norway 6 - Denmark 3 - Spain 3 - Turkey 2 - Sweden 2 - Finland

- 50SS

#esc 1981 #esc #eurovision 1981 #eurovision #eurovision song contest #bucks fizz

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