#I'm the mandolin's biggest fan.

[the-halfling-prince]

So you write, play an instrument, AND like Boy Meets World? How does it feel being the coolest guy ever?

its hard, but someone's gotta do it lmao

My list of hobbies is very extensive, and my list of fandoms is even longer.

Anyway I'm taking this as a chance to talk about my instrument of choice because I love love love telling people

I actually play two instruments, I've been playing the drums since I was 11, but I haven't picked up my sticks in like a year now lol. I've been playing the mandolin for the past four years, my dad played a lot when I was a kid and he taught me on his gorgeous f-style mandolin before getting me my own for Christmas a few years ago (mines an a-style which I painted flowers on. I named her Madilyn because of course I'm the type of person to name my instruments. I've got another one which is a fixer upper I picked up for 80 dollars at the thrift store) and while my dad taught me the basic chords and stuff, a lot of what I know I self taught. I like writing songs but I think I'm not very good at writing the instrument parts lol.

Mandolins are fun because they have eight strings, but you play is as if every two strings is one (if that makes any sense) and it uses the same tuning as a violin.

I will be able to identify a mandolin whenever I see one in literally the background of a video. There is a vine (the you can't sit with us, actually Megan I can't sit anywhere one) where the bottom corner of a mandolin in shown in one shot and I was like Mandolin Spotted. I am surprisingly bad at identifying them in songs tho. Like I will if it's obvious, but sometimes I'm like "is that a mandolin or a banjo I hear? Who knows"

Uhh anyway that's all I have to say.

[supercantaloupe]

don giovanni at wolf trap opera! this is long <3

right to the top of my list of don giovanni productions! while it does not take the place of my absolute favorite this was a REALLY solid production that i THOROUGHLY enjoyed; it might just be my new second place! desperately wish it was recorded for streaming or at the very least not a one-night-only performance but alas, at least i get to feel special about having been able to see it at all. director john de los santos you will always be famous to ME

the orchestra was definitely lacking some of the Oomph i really love in a good live performance but i think this is purely do to the acoustics of the theater being open air rather than the fault of like. the orchestra themselves. i thought they did a good job other than a couple of points when they were a little bit out of sync with the singers. great mandolin solo in deh vieni!

vocally speaking i thought ottavio (lunga eric hallam) and anna (renee richardson) were the standouts but everyone in the cast was very well suited to their roles. don giovanni (cory mcgee) was great but i am just personally not as into deh vieni being sung with That Much vibrato and grandeur behind it (i prefer it to sound more intimate) but that's me picking nits here

okay leporello is always gay in my heart but this is easily the most OVERTLY gay i've seen him yet. dramatic af. limp wristing everywhere. you can absolutely see why he follows the don around despite the Everything Else; he's obviously in love. it was pretty neat to see that played as obviously as it was for once!

definitely these are not MY versions of the characters exactly; leporello is a bit too "willing/enjoying the don's shenanigans", elvira a bit too bitchy, etc for my own personal interpretations of them. HOWEVER the production really COMMITTED to its characterization and i respect that. even if my own interpretations are a bit different, it was easy to follow along and still like the characters as they were presented. so kudos for that!

they made the don so. flamboyant is not exactly the right term for it because he wears mostly black with a bit of gold/dark purple accents throughout the show. but. there was a very strong Energy to him. the slightly silly mustache. the eyeshadow. the dangly earrings and sparkly necklace. the see-thru lacy black shirt. the way he moves like a dancer. being SHIRTLESS in the lass scene, possibly with glitter on his bare chest. Mother Fucker. absolutely captivating to watch. i hate him and i'm obsessed

this also has to be the FUNNIEST production i've yet to see; possibly this is due to it being the first production i've seen live in the theater surrounded by an audience, which i think always heightens the energy as compared to watching a video at home or even in a cinema, but regardless this was a really funny production of don giovanni. i'm a big fan; don giovanni IS a dramma giocoso, and i think a LOT of productions these days tend to forget that it's supposed to be at least kind of funny here and there. it should still be dramatic and emotional at times, yes, but you can (and should) strike a balance. and while this production was perhaps slightly less emotional than others, it was really funny in a way i haven't seen before in don giovanni, which thrilled me.

a lot of it came down to little acting choices (blocking, gestures, tone of voice, etc; elvira threw a lot of shit across the stage in anger in this. good for her), some of it on creative liberty with the translation (eg. elvira calling the don a straight up jackass and bastard at Multiple Points lol), and a couple of tiny additions that amused me. there were SO many little moments that amused me.

i'd say the biggest thing that disappointed me with this production was the number of cuts they made. it seems like they were working with a very strict deadline of "final curtain at 11pm sharp" (to their credit, the show ended At 11pm Sharp) and decided to trim some bits deemed the most inessential for that reason. with that in mind i think the choices they made make Sense, but it's still kind of disappointing when you're expecting a particular aria and it never shows up, or if you're a weirdo like me who basically has the score memorized at this point and you're like "wait a minute there's supposed to be more recit here". the show started at 8pm but it was originally scheduled for a downbeat at 7:30; i'm not sure what the reason for the change is, but i can't help but wonder if those cuts wouldn't have been made if they'd had those thirty extra minutes to work with.

at any rate, if this production ever got revived (either here or somewhere else, ideally without cuts), i would be THRILLED to see it again, and heartily recommend it to anyone else who's even remotely interested. cuts aside (and really that's my only big criticism of the entire production) it was a FANTASTIC experience and i LOVED going to see it so so much <3

also final note on the venue. glad i brought my little handheld fan because an open air theater in virginia in august is STIFLING lol. that heat and humidity really lingers after sundown! but the seats were SURPRISINGLY comfortable for the three hours, moreso than a lot of, like, proper theaters i've been to lmao.

[borbersk]

Dude, that first picture is from their st Patrick's day show. I was there and the story behind it is so indicative of nick's sense of humour

He stopped between songs to ask who was wearing green for St Patrick's day, and of course like, half the people cheered. I'm sitting there rolling my eyes, because I figure he's just doing crowd service, but hoping he's about to say something funny, and fuck if this man has ever let me down on that hope to this day

He instantly launches into a monologue about how they're all sheep, following along with stupid traditions and they look like idiots. Classic nick. But then, when he's finished, the stupid Swedish bastard (sidenote: one of the nicest men you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting in your life) starts a basic drum beat, and nick steps away from the mic, and starts to strip

You see where that went, but what isn't pictured is when he called "the hairiest, sweatiest man in the audience" up and puts the bikini on him! Cockface, as he was then dubbed, spent the rest of the show running through the crowd causing havoc, and we were told to kiss his shoulders for good luck. Later, when nick felt we hadn't been fulfilling our duties to the necessary standard, he called a representative up from the crowd to kiss cockface's shoulders 17 times to make up for it

This was the first of two back-to-back shows (three for me. Days and daze had played the cambie the night before. Marco, the ssb, had played in the opening band that night, and ended up playing five sets in three nights). We spoke to nick afterwards and when he heard that I had come all the way from ireland he managed to get myself and my friend from oregon on the guest list for the second night.

Another sidenote: I gave nick a gift of a zine from my local scene as I knew he had an interest in different cultures and how they experience punk. He told me months later that he still has it in his office, which made me so incredibly happy. That's one of the trinity of main reasons I love the dreadnoughts. They actually give a fuck about their fans

Anyway, after I gave him the zine nick offered me to wear the bikini that night, which he had saved and set aside by the drumkit (it's possible I misunderstood. It was pretty loud but I thought his gesture was fairly clear). I didn't manage to get on stage in time in the end, but did get to dance with them during "cider cider cider cider", which was nice. I should have asked Steve to play the mandolin, though. Either way, that whole trip was an absolute dream come true, and the dreadnoughts will remain my favourite band for the foreseeable future, because they are just so fucking good at everything they do. Like, seriously. Fan service, live shows, lyrics, music, vocals, merch, they just have no weak points. Nick is very much a role model for my stage presence and as a band they're probably my biggest influence and motivation. Such nice dudes generally and I hope to fuck I haven't seen the last of them. Plus, what other band apart from turbonegro can boast a fanbase like I.D.E.A.?

Keep listening to them mad bastards and supporting all they do. Fuck knows they deserve it

photos of The Dreadnoughts in drag from their March 18 substack post

When you are walking down Commercial drive in Vancouver looking for something goofy or fun to wear for a show on St. Patrick’s Day, you don’t necessarily expect to suddenly come upon a pure green, sequined bra and belly-dancer’s skirt in a window.  In such a moment, you turn to yourself and ask: how committed am I to entertaining this crowd tonight?

[…] Before the end of the night, the audience had stuffed more than $80 into the bra I was wearing.   I started to wonder whether music wasn’t really my true calling… 

[edelgoth]

Hi, I'm 2w1 for ennea and (I think) ENFP for MBTI. I am a big nerd (obviously :D) and for hobbies I do MMA, photography, play the Mandolin, love folk music and acting. I like meeting new people even though it tires me out. My humor can be snarky, and I apologize way too much. I am not assertive at all, but do not shy away from difficult heart-to-heart moments. I do try to be there for people and normally see the best in other by default. DA2 or DA:I? & any gender, if you don't mind. Thank You!!

(Hi. It’s that 2w1) I think I for got to mention that I’m female, and I enjoy writing. But, yeah, thank you so much for if you see this!! ( If you’d like, I’d be happy to do a Dragon Age match up for you as well!!) Thank you again.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you have no idea how excited i was to see a dragon age request in my inbox i’m,,, thank you so much! also, it’d be lovely if you did a matchup for me!! just message me! 

okay, so i tossed this one up a lot, but in dragon age ii, i match you with… 

fenris!!

i think you two have a nice amount of contrast! youhave the sort of personality that’ll help bring him some levity, while he has amore assertive edge

he strikes me of the certain of person to encourageyou to stop apologizing too much; not only have you not done anything wrong, but he has such a clear view of your valuethat the idea that you’re apologizing for nothing doesn’t make sense to him

you’d definitely be the “social point” of therelationship, if that makes sense; fenris is more than happy to let you dealwith other people, but he’s always there when you’re tired at the end ofthe day. he gets it,

he’d like to see your creative outlets, fromwriting to acting, and he’d be very supportive of them; he’s intrigued by howyou express yourself, and would value any extra understanding of you he couldgather from your work. i think he’d also really enjoy it when you played themandolin (i had to look up what that was for this and oh my goodness they’re so cute), and i think he’d be especiallyfond of the folk songs that had a story to them?

just imagine him resting his head on your legs withhis eyes closed as he listens to you pluck away at a laid-back tune,,, bless

i feel like he’d enjoy getting involved in mma withyou (or the thedas equivalent, depending on how you’d like to think of thismatchup), and it could be a good way for him to get more comfortable with beingtouched by others? that’s something he has to work through in a relationship,and while mma certainly isn’t intimate,it could be good practice? i have No Idea where this tangent is going, B U T itgives him a) an opportunity to get competitive for fun, and b) an opportunityto be close to you

fenris had a pretty good sense of humour, and ithink you’d bounce off each other quite well here. his humour is moreunderstated, so he’d like your snarky side 

but at the same time, i think being with someonewho has your outlook would be a good thing for him; he struggles with pessimism(with good reason), and he’s naturally distrustful (again, for very good reason). having someone whosaw the best in others would help remind him that things are okay, and that oneday, maybe things will get better

also, since you like meeting others, i feel likeyou’d help him get out of the house more? he has a habit of cooping himself up,but with the joint efforts of you and varric, he might see the light of day (orthe streetlights) just a little bit more

i think something else that’d be invaluable wouldbe your ability to have those difficult heart-to-heart conversations. fenrishas a lot to work through, and knowing he had someone with who he could behonest and vulnerable with would be precious. it would take him a while to getcomfortable with that, the dialogue you two would be able to have would helpyou both grow as people

and when all’s said and done, he’d try to be thatperson to you, too. i think a lot of people forget that fenris is a deeplycompassionate person at his core, and he wantsto connect with people; it’s just hard for him to really express thosesides of himself. but, knowing he was with someone who treated him with thekindness and patience he needed would inspire him to return that with attentivenessand care.

i love him so much thinking about him has made meemotional hhhhh 

alternative matchups

merrill: she was actually the first person i thought of, but i just felt more passionate about fenris tbh. that being said, i think your relationship with merrill would be quite different to that described above; you share the propensity to see the best in others, and you’re both very kind people. i can see merrill missing a lot of your snarky humour (to varying degrees of endearing), but she’d be as equally invested and supportive as you are. you’d have a very open, honest relationship, and it’d be the kind where you never went without affirmation and affection! 

varric tethras: honestly i can’t can’t quite put my finger on why i think you two would work well together, but this is a great match in my mind? varric is very different from the other two, but you guys would have a great rapport. you have similar senses of humour, artistic inclinations, and you both care a great deal about people. i think that while he definitely seems a tad more cynical than you, i think you’d understand each other very well. also, i think you’re the perfect mum for the kirkwall crew? and honestly, what else would varric look for in a partner? 

your inquisition matchup is under the cut because Big Yike guess i got carried away and this post is getting ridiculously long

in dragon age inquisition, i match you with… 

josephine montilyet!! 

i… love her so much i cannot put itinto words… and i think she would really love you!

first of all, kindest couple? you bothwant (and do) to see the best in people, and I’m guessing that extends to theworld in general, as well? josephine wants to make the world a better place,and you seem like the sort of person who can help her do that

also, beloved socialite couple! part ofher job is literally meeting new people, and she’d love taking her with you todo that. You’d flit through all those parties hand-in-hand, and she’d know exactlywhen to take over when you got tired

okay but josephine would want to takeyou everywhere with her, tbh. expectto travel the world with her, and whenever you meet anyone she knows, she’sdefinitely the sort to say “hello nice to see you have my met my partner? no? well, let me tell you—” before going ona long ramble about all your best qualities

your biggest fan, without a doubt. whileshe may not understand the wrestling (and certainly isn’t going to take partherself), she’ll be there cheering you on!

also loves seeing your creative work! she’senraptured whenever you’re on stage, she gets emotional when she reads yourprose (or poetry!), and she marvels at your ability to capture the beauty of theworld around you. It almost gets overwhelming tbh

she’d love your mandolin so much!! as anex-bard, she’d obviously have a bit of musical knowledge hidden in those puffedsleeves of hers, and she’d delight in hearing you play 

she’s not obviously nerdy, but I feellike josephine is a naturally curious person? Because of that, she’d lovehearing all about your interests and your hobbies, and would always have a cleverquestion to ask

she has a very stressful job, and she’dgreatly appreciate having a partner with whom she could be very honest and openwith. knowing she could be frank about her feelings with you would take amassive weight off her shoulders

you’d have a very good dialogue withone another, and it means that you don’t let things get bottled up or left tofester; your relationship is a very safe, comforting place for both of you, andit’s something you’re both thankful of!

and she’d be your biggest support too! josephineis a very emotional, loving person, and you’d never have to doubt how she feltabout you; she’d always be telling you how much she loves you and how much sheappreciates you

josephine is too good for the world andwe don’t deserve her,,, please duel for her hand in marriage and give her lotsof love

alternative matchups

blackwall: while he’s less bright than josephine, ifeel like the things he’d value in you would be the same. he’d appreciate theway you saw the best in other people, and i honestly think your lifephilosophies would be quite similar? i’m assuming here, but it just reads thatway to me. i feel like blackwall’s also very affirming, once you work out howhe shows love. he’s not as affectionate or overt as josephine, but he’d be justas supportive, once he felt secure in your relationship. he’s just a Good Man, youknow? it’s just going to take a while for him to relax and open up.

iron bull: okay so things would be very, very different withbull. your personalities would bounce off each other quite well, and ithink you’d be that couple that’s always laughing about something. bull would be the toughest nut to crack when it came toemotional openness, but i think he’d get there eventually. like fenris, he’dtell you that you don’t need to apologize so much. he’d teach you how to bemore assertive, and you’d teach him how to see the best in others. your ways ofseeing the world are more different than all the people listed above, but ithink that’d make for a really interesting relationship?

side note: i knowyou didn’t ask for a matchup for origins but,,, you sound perfect fororigins!leliana? softest couple