#Live at Hurricane Festival 2022

[mikeywayarchive]

OBITUARY

BOB BRYAR, FORMER DRUMMER OF MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, DEAD AT 44

The musician performed with the rock band on The Black Parade and Danger Days after joining in 2004

By EMILY ZEMLER

NOVEMBER 30, 2024

Full article under the cut:

Bob Bryar of My Chemical Romance performs at Big Day Out Festival 2007 at the Sydney Showground. PAUL MCCONNELL/GETTY IMAGES

Bob Bryar, the drummer of My Chemical Romance from 2004 to 2010, has died at the age of 44, Rolling Stone has confirmed. 

“The band asks for your patience and understanding as they process the news of Bob’s passing,” a spokesperson for the band tells Rolling Stone. 

Details surrounding his death were not given, but law enforcement sources told TMZ the musician was found in his Tennessee home, and no foul play is suspected. The medical examiner is investigating the cause of Bryar’s death.

Born in Chicago in 1979, Bryar started playing drums at a young age and got a degree in sound engineering from the University of Florida before becoming a touring sound engineer. He worked for Thrice and the Used and met My Chemical Romance while on tour with the Used in 2004.

Later that year, My Chemical Romance replaced drummer Matt Pelissier shortly after the release of the New Jersey rock band’s second LP, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. He went on to perform on three of the band’s subsequent releases, including their seminal 2006 album, The Black Parade, and their 2010 effort, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.

“This was the biggest record I have ever done and I was nervous,” Bryar recalled of recording The Black Parade in an interview with Alternative Press. “Along with being nervous, we all had to feel out the writing dynamic between all of us. I was very vocal about my drum parts, but let the other dudes do their thing because they were doing so well and didn’t need anyone chiming in every second. That leads me to remember one situation where it was super-late and only G, the engineer and myself were at the studio. There was a vocal harmony that I kept hearing. It was the first time I got the balls to ask someone to try something. That idea made it to the record, which was really nice for me to see happen.”

He added, “As we were recording the record, I was getting more and more excited. It was turning out to be a very complete and a very entertaining audio story… I really feel every part of that record, down to the artwork, is pretty unbeatable. I hope those songs will be around for a long time.”

Bryar departed from My Chemical Romance, who later disbanded in 2013, following the release of Danger Days, although he performed on the band’s singles collection, Conventional Weapons. Band member Frank Iero confirmed in a statement that Bryar’s exit was “a painful decision for all of us to make and was not taken lightly.” He added, “We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors and expect you all to do the same.”

My Chemical Romance replaced Bryar from 2011-2013 with Jarrod Alexander, who also joined the band for their 2022 reunion tour. After leaving the band, Bryar continued to tour behind the scenes with various bands and became involved in dog rescue charities and sanctuaries. In 2014, he quit the music industry to pursue a career in real estate.

In 2021, Bryar auctioned off the drum kit used during the band’s 2005 MTV VMAs performance to raise money for the Williamson County Animal Control and Adoption Center in Tennessee. “It’s my favorite finish of all of the kits I’ve had,” he wrote of the set. “If you look closely, there is still some confetti from tour that snuck into the bass drum hole. I’ll leave that in there for you.” In 2022, Bryar announced he would be selling his original Black Parade uniform to help “abandoned and sheltered animals in areas of Florida and South Carolina that are affected by Hurricane Ian.”

END

[hlseydaily]

August 20, 2022 | Halsey performing ‘Hurricane’ at Kraków Live Festival!

[black-arcana]

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Announces 'Armada Over North America' 2025 Tour

Symphonic metal pirates VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have announced the 2025 "Armada Over North America" tour. The thrilling voyage begins April 2 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and will plunder several major ports along the way including Baltimore, New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles before the closing celebration in Dallas, Texas on April 29.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS's latest opus, "Pirates II – Armada", continues and expands on the success of "Pirates" (2022),landing at No. 2 on the U.S. Hard Music Album chart and No. 3 on the Canadian Hard Music Album chart. Furthermore, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS has conquered the 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise, the Sabaton Cruise, ProgPower USA, U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air and several other festivals, as well as a 2023 North American headline tour. Their majestic soaring melodies and uplifting songwriting have carried them through treacherous waters and the crew emerged triumphant, hungry for their next adventure.

Pirate queen Clémentine Delauney proclaims: "We are delighted to finally announce that we're bringing our wonderful 'Armada' show over the Atlantic! Join this unique adventure, rich in colors and emotions, a massive pirate party! Come sing along your favorites tunes, jump, shout and row onboard our ship! We are so looking forward to many memorable moments with our North American Sailors and we can't wait to sail over there next spring!"

"Armada Over North America" 2025 tour dates:

Apr. 02 - Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedrafts Brewing Co Apr. 03 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar Apr. 04 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground Apr. 05 - New York, NY @ Meadows Apr. 06 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Apr. 08 - Quebec City, QC @ La Source de la Martinière Apr. 09 - Toronto, ON @ Lees Palace Apr. 10 - Detroit, MI @ The Sanctuary Apr. 11 - Joliet, IL @ The Forge Apr. 12 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club Apr. 14 - Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room Apr. 15 - Calgary, AB @ Dickens Apr. 16 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon Apr. 17 - Portland, OR @ The Bossanova Ballroom Apr. 18 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge Apr. 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go Apr. 21 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick Apr. 24 - Las Vegas, NV @ Sinwave Apr. 25 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge Apr. 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell Apr. 27 - Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater Apr. 28 - El Paso, TX @ RockHouse Bar & Grill

Ship's log: July 5, 2024; High Seas

"A new day of sailing begins, the wind on our side, and the sea speaks of recent battles. The air feels fresh - Hypocrisy, greed, envy - hearts of the old world finally disclose their deluded truth. Old leaders are losing ground, their lies are getting worse, and darkness creeps in. Each sunny day hides a coming storm, nature testing our strength for the last battle.

"We've become pirates as their counterparts, free-spirited and true at heart. Navigating storms that try to make us doubt, we see the light in the darkness. The old truth is fading, making room for a new story. Our destiny is in our hands, in our hearts, in every step we take. Reconnecting with ourselves, we touch the essence of life we share with all creatures. Together, unstoppable, connected to the truth, guided by the sun and storms.

"We'll rule the oceans, the mainland, every street, every house, spreading hope. Our pirate cries will last for centuries, with ancestors humming our tunes, our words sung in the new world we create. Our glory will live on forever. United as one force, one army, under a final ARMADA."

Emotions, depth, richness of sound. Not only a record, but a true hurricane of feelings is what VISIONS OF ATLANTIS delivers with the new album, "Pirates II - Armada". On a journey in which listeners face their own battles and cannot resist joining the "Armada", VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will have listeners facing the "Monsters" inside them, with catchy melodies destined to endlessly stick in their mind. The uplifting "Tonight I'm Alive" surprises and captivates with the rhythms of a pirate party on the eve of combat, with the electrifying rumble of a hurricane — a unique, uncharted showcase of talent from VISIONS OF ATLANTIS. The burning flames of "Hellfire" enchant the listener before the sweetness of delicate melodies accompany them "Underwater". The cinematic adventure of seven-minute-plus masterpiece "The Dead Of The Sea" conjures the salty scent of the sea, making the listener feel — in every melodic twist and theatrical orchestral hit — the cannons firing and the battle raging. Listeners will shed a tear while mourning under the melody of "Ashes To The Sea".

Photo by Robert Eikelpoth / Photo editing by Blake Armstrong

[soundslivemagazine]

Review: In Kingston, Bedouin Soundclash Are Home

Queen’s University alumni and former Kingston, ON residents Bedouin Soundclash returned to town on Sunday, 26 January to finish an intimate run of dates in smaller Canadian towns and cities, playing acoustic shows to sold-out halls and clubs.

Singer-guitarist Jay Malinowski and bassist Eon Sinclair met in 2000 when the two lived across from each other in residence at Waldron Tower as first-year students at Queen’s. Bonding over a shared love for reggae music helped Jay find his place in Kingston and at Queen’s, a university that had felt decidedly a little too hipster for him at times. Changing his mind about transferring out to somewhere else, Jay instead started Bedouin Soundclash with Eon, playing to modest but enthusiastic local crowds in dimly lit student pubs and at open mics.

They soon added percussionist Pat Pengelly to become a trio and their debut album Root Fire came out the following year, taking the band across Canada and beyond, playing to delighted audiences, all while the band still juggled midterms and assignments with their rockstar commitments. By the time they had graduated in 2004, released their acclaimed second album Sounding A Mosaic and moved base to Toronto, Bedouin were truly on their way to becoming one the best-loved bands of that ’00s Canadian indie music scene.

They have gone on to see it all— the Vancouver Olympics, CBC children’s television, #1 records, JUNOs, being darlings of BBC 6 Music, seas of fans, festival headlines and adoration from all over the world. It was a refreshing change of pace for them then, to bring it back home to where they began, in small, relaxed and lively rooms where the invisible barrier between artist and audience slowly disappears.

The band played songs from their latest album, the 2022 release We Will Meet In A Hurricane, such as the spirited ‘Walk Through Fire’, and classics celebrating 20 years of Sounding A Mosaic, both eagerly received by the crowd, who sang along and never made it feel like there were only two music makers in the room. Malinowski also took to the stage alone to perform some of his solo work as he plans to release an album later this year. There were some protest folk songs and other tender personal moments like his song ‘Deepest Blue’, written about his love for his son, all while lifting the curtain behind some of his and Bedouin’s best-loved work, revealing the Kingston streets he was walking down as he wrote their early songs (as well as an infamous foam party at Queen’s, where he and Tony Rabalao first met in passing).

More than anything else, the evening with Bedouin Soundclash was filled with a comfortable warmth and a sense of love, togetherness and community. Just before leaving the stage for the last time, Jay said to the crowd, I hope you all felt love tonight. Looking around the content room of Kingston fans, I can only affirm that they did.

In the chorus of their globally-loved 2004 single, the band sing, when the night hears my song, I’ll be home. On Sunday night in Kingston, ON, Bedouin Soundclash truly were home.

Read more

[dykehayleywilliams]

may I ask about the mitski curse or is it secret knowledge

*LONG POST INCOMING* It all started in 2016.

I've been a Mitski fan since 2014 when First Love/Late Spring premiered on Stereogum and desperately wanted to see her live. The chance finally came after I moved to New York; I had tickets for her show in February 2016 at The Knitting Factory. But then. A freeze hit the city that weekend, resulting in a pipe in the shitty apartment bursting so I missed the show because I had to wait for the emergency repair guy to come by. Okay, well that's a bummer, I though. I've been waiting for almost two years to see Mitski but surely I'll get another chance. July 2016. I was living in Texas for the summer, a few hours away from Austin, where Mitski had a show scheduled. Perfect! I can drive up to the show! My old, barely functioning truck can handle the drive! It did not. My car broke down two hours outside Austin.

November 2016. Third try to see Mitski in a year is the charm, right? Oh wait, I waited too long to buy a flight to my grandma's for thanksgiving and I had to fly out the day of the Mitski show because every other flight was $500 more expensive.

By 2017 I was starting to get worried. I had tickets to see her April 2017, but I got horrific food poisoning and couldn't get out of bed for three days.

I didn't get another try until late 2018 on the Be The Cowboy tour during her 4 night residency at Brooklyn Steel. Except Mitski's popularity had blown up significantly and I couldn't get tickets when they went on sale the first three shows. BUT THEN a fourth show was added, on a Monday night, and I finally got tickets! Perfect! Until I had a final project for one of my classes scheduled the same night that I could not miss without failing the class, and I desperately tried to find tickets for another night but none were available for under $300.

At that point I was convinced: I was cursed. There were no tour dates I was even able to TRY to make, and then in September 2019 Mitski played Summer Stage (two weeks after I moved from New York) and announced it would indefinitely be her last live show.

October 2021: Mitski releases Working for the Knife and announces a tour. The closest tour date to where I was living was 8 hours away, but I fought for my life for tickets and was determined I would finally break the curse.

I got COVID two days before Mitski's Denver show in March 2022.

BUT WAIT! Mitski was announced as one of the openers for HSLOT's European stadium leg! And my friends and I planned a bar trip to Scotland that lined up with the weekend of Harry's show in Glasgow! Okay, maybe seeing Mitski as an opener at a stadium show isn't ideal, but I was desperate. Except, of course, the stadium entry was a complete mess, and we didn't get into the show until the very end of Mitski's set. I had finally seen her live, but for 8 minutes and at what cost.

I wasn't happy, but I told myself it wasn't the end of the world because I already had plans to see Mitski at the All Things Go festival in October, so redemption would come soon enough. Then Hurricane Ian hit and my flight to DC that had a layover in Orlando was cancelled the day before I was supposed to leave. At that point, there was nothing I could do but laugh. Why did I think it would go any differently this time? No. I couldn't take it anymore. I dropped wayyyyy too much money on a different flight to DC with no layover. That flight was delayed by 5 hours, but I made it. Nothing was going to stop me.

Mitski's set starts. We're in the pit, I'm 5'2" so I'm on my tip toes, straining my neck to keep my eyes on Mitski. And then. Everyone's BeReals went off during Francis Forever and the crowd became a sea of phones. I was crushed. I had broken the curse, but 9 years too late.

[blackwomeninrock]

Black Women In Rock: #SeenLive (Part Two)

Doing a diary-like post featuring the #BlackWomenInRock related bands that I've gotten to see live over the years.

Had to split this up over two posts because of the 10 photo Tumblr post limit. Watch out for the first post! I’m going to try and get the videos from these shows reposted as well, but that will take longer.

----------

1st Photo: Kayla Dixon (Witch Mountain). 2018. The Earl (Atlanta).

2nd Photo: The Txlips. 2018. Union EAV (Atlanta).

3rd Photo: Diamond Rowe (Tetrarch). 2019. I developed a whiplash injury from headbanging at this show btw, no cap. The Masquerade (new location, Atlanta).

4: Don't remember this artist's name, but this was taken at the 2023 Punk Black festival. Boggs Social & Supply (Atlanta).

5: Angel Bunny (The Rack). 2023. Boggs Social & Supply (Atlanta).

6-7: Hurricane G (Böndbreakr). 2023. Boggs Social & Supply (Atlanta).

8-9: Cammie Gilbert (Oceans of Slumber). 2022. The Masquerade (new location, Atlanta).

----------

Honorable mentions of bands featured on this blog that I got to see live (but don't have any media for) are Bleed The Pigs and Little Tybee.

[notafraidofredyellowandblue]

Yep, it's that time again!

💥POLL TIME💥

Favourite (not the best) Rammstein show-

Völkerball (Nimes)

Live in Paris

Live Aus Berlin

Madison Square Garden

Hurricane Festival 2013

Bizarre 1996

Bizarre 1997

NOW CHOOSE! 😈

Okay, as we didn't have a poll all week (getting withdrawal symptoms here 😊) we'll do that one first and after that i'll say which is my fave 🥰

[nsomniacsdream]

www.aljazeera.com

I don’t care who wins the US presidential election

Andrew Mitrovica

7 - 8 minutes

It was a choreographed scene starring the US president and First Lady that was meant to convey the restorative spirit of the festive season.

Last week, Joe and Jill Biden emerged from behind a black curtain like giddy celebrities and took their red seats before a large Christmas tree brimming with decorations and gifts at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.

Their excited audience included a gaggle of young patients and their parents anxious to see the commander-in-chief and his wife who would read aloud the popular poem, The Night Before Christmas.

“Thanks for letting us come to see you,” President Biden said.

Indeed, every First Lady beginning with Bess Truman – 75 years ago – has made the annual pilgrimage to the children’s hospital “to spread holiday cheer”. In 2022, Biden became the first sitting president to tag along.

A frail-looking but animated Biden winked, waved and smiled as the First Lady read from the picture book, holding it aloft.

When the First Lady finished, Biden thanked the hospital staff. “It’s special, special what you do.”

He had this parting advice: “Where there is life, there is hope.”

With that, Biden urged the children to return after they had recovered to offer support to other kids spending the holidays in hospital rather than at home.

A hospital official applauded the Bidens for “continuing this annual tradition…[that] brings so much joy to all the children, the families and our staff”.

“God bless you all,” Biden said.

Their performance lasted less than 10 minutes.

However brief, it was designed in part, I suppose, to burnish “Uncle Joe’s” credentials as a kind guy who is all too familiar with the worry, heartache and searing pain of caring for ill children or losing them to a sudden, violent act with awful consequences.

But watching the Bidens stage this perfunctory ritual – with television cameras in tow of course – only deepened my contempt for a decrepit president who considers the welfare and lives of some children more valuable than others.

Instead of using his powers and influence to try to stop the maiming and killing of thousands of Palestinian children, Biden has, in odious effect, encouraged the maiming and killing of thousands of Palestinian children.

In occupied Palestine, Biden is not a harbinger of “joy”, but the co-architect of the dystopian carnage engulfing a shattered people and their shattered land.

This complicit president, who is fulsome party to a systematic campaign to snuff out life and hope in Gaza and the West Bank, had the near-sickening audacity to share what amounts to a cheap bit of greeting-card-like philosophy that “where there is life, there is hope”.

Astonishing.

Biden compounded this obscenity by visiting a hospital to praise doctors and nurses tending to the sick while America’s proxy, Israel, has ruthlessly gone about occupying, ransacking and destroying hospitals throughout Gaza and forcibly disappearing and killing Palestinian doctors and nurses.

What they did and how they did it – to borrow a phrase – was special, too.

That Biden and his handlers were blind to this blatant and ugly juxtaposition is a measure of how disposable and forgettable the promising lives and horrific deaths of Palestinians are in their misanthropic geopolitical calculus.

The litany of halting images of the dirt-caked faces of Palestinian children calling out for their lost mamas and babas or small, limp bodies wrapped in white shrouds apparently did not dissuade Biden from playing his part in an agreeable photo op that, given the lethal times and bleak context, stings of indecency.

The Bidens’ token appearance and all that it revealed about the president’s signature nature has served as the exclamation point to a brewing realisation that, like a hurricane, has gathered strength and momentum in me since early October.

I have been such a fool.

I have written columns – that I wish I could erase – praising Biden as a literate, if not honourable, alternative to the mayhem and madness embodied by an illiterate, dishonourable charlatan named Donald Trump.

I have written other columns – that I also wish I could erase – extolling the wisdom of enlightened Americans who, I was confident, would choose Biden over Trump again this coming November and spare a fretting world four more years of Trumpian madness and mayhem.

Enlightened Americans exist. There just aren’t enough of them.

I chided other, much wiser columnists, who wrote that beyond the rhetorical edges, both Biden and Trump were elected to protect the interests – at home and abroad – of the oligarchs they serve under the risible guise of a phantom “democracy” addicted to war and plunder for profit.

On this defining score, Biden has proven to be every bit as useful and reliable a marionette as his predecessor. Trump’s offish manners and profanity offend the delicate sensibilities of the liberal and progressive cognoscenti, not his loyalty to the disfiguring status quo.

I could not care less who prevails in the upcoming presidential campaign. I will not worry a whit about America’s “future” because if even the recent past is any litmus, history’s most efficient killing machine is bound to cause more death, pain and suffering across the globe – whoever is president.

This coming year I will enjoy the entertaining spectacle of a country slipping deeper into fanaticism and dissonance while much of it, predictably, turns to muppets with megaphones, such as Joe Rogan and Bill Maher, for a way out of (or into) the impending abyss.

Speaking of muppets, a note to the swarm of nitwits who will, no doubt, caution me to be “careful what I wish for”.

How much worse can it get? A genocide is being perpetrated against millions of innocent Palestinians while dear, old Uncle Joe twiddles his knotty thumbs. Rather than get incensed about that, you’ll get miffed at me for writing this “outrageous” column.

Priorities.

Finally, I think it would be fitting if Trump returned to the White House.

Then, all of the daffy guff about America being a nation founded on a sacrosanct constitution, the rule of law and a shining city on a hill that the rest of us should emulate will be extinguished emphatically.

What a moment it will be when Americans – well, 66 percent of eligible voters – make it official on November 5, 2024: electing a career criminal to lead a criminal regime.

So, happy jaundiced new year, everyone!

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

[concerthopperblog]

A La Sala 2024 Tour - Khruangbin Live at The Eastern

· Khruangbin announced on January 29th via their socials two tours in 2024 in support of their latest release, A La Sala, in Europe and North America. Some months later, on June 18th Khruangbin announced three special dates in Atlanta, GA. for this tour: September 26th & 27th at the Fox Theatre and September 28th at The Eastern. Tickets for the last show announced at The Eastern sold out fast and that was expected based on their previous two-night tour stop at the same venue back in 2021. Like the great poet Andre 3000 once said, “You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can’t predict the weather.” Unfortunately, Hurricane Helene decided to ramp up in the southern region right before this tour stop, and with the path of the tropical storm headed straight towards Atlanta. Khruangbin chose to cancel the first night of their two-night stand at the Fox Theatre for Thursday evening with immediate refunds available to the ticket holders. But Khruangbin did announce over the weekend that they would be adding a Sunday show (09/29/2024) at The Eastern to make up for the canceled Thursday show. Khruangbin fans rejoiced after hearing this wonderful news from the band. A lot of people in the area needed this break from the chaos that was happening around Georgia at the time. If you want to help those who have suffered loss during this dynamic situation, please take the time to donate via the American Red Cross/ All Hands and Hearts/ Americares.

For those who do not know, Khruangbin is a psychedelic rock/surf rock/funk/instrumental rock/dub/rock band from Houston, Texas that has been making music since 2010. This trio has released five (5) LPs, five (5) EPs, one (1) compilation album, three (3) remix albums, eight (8) live recordings, and several singles over their impressive and talented career. Khruangbin’s most recent release, A La Sala (April 5, 2024), released by Dead Oceans Records has received some amazing reviews since its debut. Pitchfork wrote that “the band thrives when it sheds all of the frills and creates a small world where anything is possible.” A La Sala (which translates as “to the room” in Spanish) is a call back to their humble beginnings as a band with a more stripped-down product that relies heavily on funk and 70s psych rock intertwined with catchy global ambiances. It is also worth noting, that A La Sala is the first full-length, release by Khruangbin without any additional musical collaborators. I was excited to hear some of the new tracks of A La Sala like “Pon Pon”, “Juegos y Nubes”, and “A Love International” played live on this tour for the first time in Georgia.

For the Atlanta portion of the A La Sala 2024 tour, Shabaka was announced on September 3rd as their opening support for all three dates. Shabaka Akua Lumumba Kamau Iyapo Hutchings is a jazz/Avant Garde jazz/ jazz fusion/afrobeat/world music/spiritual jazz musician/bandleader/composer from London, England who has been credited as performing since 2013. Shabaka has released multiple albums under his namesake, as a leader in bands, or as a co-leader:

·         Released as Shabaka – two (2) LPs

·         Sons of Kemet – four (4) LPs

·         Melt Yourself Down – two (2) LPs

·         The Comet is Coming – four (4) LPs

·         Shabaka & the Ancestors – two (2) LPs

·         Supporting others or as a sideman – ten (10) LPs

·         As a featured artist – eight (8) LPs

I was fortunate to catch Sons of Kemet at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (2022) with my best friend Markus based on his recommendation. Since he had never steered me wrong before, I went with him to their set and was very happy that I made that decision. Fast forward a few years, and I am now taking photos of Shabaka’s spirited and vibrant opening performance at The Eastern as opening support for Khruangbin. From start to finish, Shabaka and his band set a jazzy vibe that was very relaxing but continuously upbeat with some funky breakdowns. As an opener for this tour, Khruangbin knew what they were doing when they asked Shabaka to come out on tour. A big thank you to Khruangbin for bringing such talent and beauty with them on the A La Sala 2024 Tour.

You can check out Shabaka’s setlist from this evening at The Eastern below:

·         Drum/flute solo

·         “As the Planets and the Stars Collapse”

·         5-7

·         “I’ll Do Whatever You Want”

·         Flute solo

·         “Forest in the Dream”

·         “Living”

·         “Step Lightly”

You can stream some of Shabaka’s musical projects and follow Shabaka Hutchings on Bandcamp today! Or head over to the Verve Records website and pick out some Shabaka merchandise, CDs, and records.

It was time for Khruangbin to grace the stage, and you could tell each exuberant fan in attendance was ready for what was coming! The first night at The Eastern, Khruangbin brought out the fire with “Como Me Quieres” and “The Recital That Never Happened” as the first two songs of the night. That set the tempo for the evening, and you could tell the band was in the zone. Something about Khruangbin that I love and admire is how they continue to move, groove, and dance around the stage while entranced in the music that they are performing. And when you gaze into the crowd, the fans are doing the same thing around the venue. Upstairs and downstairs. What is not to love about that? A constant dance party by one of your favorite bands live. I tell you what, this is just what the doctor ordered for the state of Georgia. A few nights out of the week for the people of Georgia and some out of towners, to get together and forget about all of the troubles of the day. Focus on personal healing and try to make tomorrow a better day despite the clouds of Helene hovering above us.  

You can view the setlist from Khruangbin’s thrilling performance Saturday night at The Eastern below:

You can view the setlist from Khruangbin’s thrilling performance on Saturday night at The Eastern below:

·         “Como Me Quieres”

·         “The Recital That Never Happened”

·         “The Man Who Took My Sunglasses” > “Master of Life” > “Shades of Man”

·         “Dern Kala”

·         “Pon Pon”

·         “Todavia Viva”

·         “Juegos y Nubes”

·         “Hold Me Up (Thank You)”

·         “Summer Madness” (Kool & the Gang cover)

·         “Blind Man Can See It” (James Brown cover)

·         “Lady and Man”

·         “The Infamous Bill”

·         “Pelota”

·         “Time (You and I)”

·         “Evan Finds the Third Room”

·         “Maria Tambien”

·         “Firecracker” (Yellow Magic Orchestra cover)

ENCORE

·         “White Gloves”

·         “People Everywhere (Still Alive)”

You can check out some of my previous reviews featuring Khruangbin exclusively on Concerthopper.com: Khruangbin w/ Will Van Horn: Winter Tour 2018 and Night Two (SOLD-OUT) w/ Khruangbin & Nick Hakim at The Eastern (12/03/2021)! You can also check out some of their music by heading over to Khruangbin’s official Bandcamp page and give them a listen!

You can still catch Khruangbin on the following dates (U.S.A. & European dates included):

 Oct 2

St. Louis, MO

The Factory

Tickets

Oct 3

St. Louis, MO

The Factory

Tickets

Oct 5

Austin, TX

Austin City Limits

Tickets

Oct 7

Oklahoma City, OK

The Criterion

Tickets

Oct 9

New Orleans, LA

Saenger Theatre

Tickets

Oct 10

New Orleans, LA

Saenger Theatre

Tickets

Oct 12

Austin, TX

Austin City Limits

Tickets

Oct 31

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

AFAS

Tickets

Nov 1

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

AFAS

Tickets

Nov 2

Antwerp, Belgium

Lotto

Tickets

Nov 4

Paris, France

Olympia

Tickets

Nov 5

Paris, France

Olympia

Tickets

Nov 7

Berlin, Germany

Tempodrom

Tickets

Nov 8

Berlin, Germany

Tempodrom

Tickets

Nov 11

Milan, Italy

Alcatraz

Tickets

Nov 12

Zurich, Switzerland

Halle 662

Tickets

Nov 15

Glasgow, UK

OVO Hydro

Tickets

Nov 17

Manchester, UK

Apollo

Tickets

Nov 18

Manchester, UK

Apollo

Tickets

Nov 20

London, UK

Eventim Apollo

Tickets

Nov 21

London, UK

Eventim Apollo

Tickets

Nov 22

London, UK

Eventim Apollo

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[a-chuffed-floating-panda]

A love in the eye of the hurricane ch 4 (unedited)

(Originally posted 22 may 2022. Slightly better edited chapter)

The girl looked caught off guard by her words, she guessed by the way her eyes widened. Her eyebrows then scrunched up and her surprise morphed into confusion. 

Niji snored loudly in the panda pile on top of her chest. 

“Many other people back home have eyes like mine. They’re not special." She seemed appreciative of her words but hesitant to accept them. Confused at the compliment itself even. Jamyang frowned and disagreed. “Of course they’re special.” She huffed. “Eyes show where you’ve journeyed in previous lives. And,” She reached up with her hand, she made sure to do it slowly so that the girl could lean away if she wanted to. She didn’t. 

Jamyang grazed the side of the girl's high cheekbone, close to her eyes with her fingers. She was careful and light with her touch. 

“I’ve never seen eyes coloured like that before.” She smiled and gave the girl's masked cheek a light pat. “So they’re special to me.” The girl stared at her for a long couple of seconds, looking embarrassed at her words, but she accepted them. “Thank you.” 

“Why are you wearing a mask anyway.” She questioned. “Isn’t it difficult to breathe?” 

“Oh, my friends and I are gonna perform at the festival with this on, so our teacher said to wear it days before the festival to get used to it. Are you gonna perform too?” 

She did later come to learn that the girl she met was the  oh-so-famous  Gawa, that so many spoke about. (Thank you, Aden) Gawa wasn’t like she expected. She had high energy rivalling a flock of hungry lemurs, Aden was right with that description. Amanthi was right in her being similar to Jaya, who was social and knew everyone at the temple, and she was right about Gawa choosing to cloud watch to keep someone company.

They didn’t cloud watch that time though. They sat together and talked-  well  Gawa talked and Jamyang listened. And sometimes she would talk and Gawa would listen, it was mostly the latter that occurred. 

“Are you  sure  that you’re not a Jizo spirit?”  

“Yes, like 98%”  

"You're supposed to hide your weapons when you're here." She could clearly see the short sword that was strapped to her back in a harness around her shoulder.

"I know, but you don't seem to mind." 

They ended up being out so late that Jaya and Sister Gyalwo along with Abbot Dorji and Aden came looking for her. Aden made this weird face when he noticed just  who  she was with.

Abbot Dorji wasn’t that much better either, his face was less animated than Adens, but it looked like he was holding back something.

They-Jaya- had the  worst  timing. Just the  absolute  worst.

Niji quacked and ran around with the pandas in what looked like a game of tag.

The other girl had been telling her about that fire breathing bird. Holding the bird in her palms, she told her what type of bird it was, what the name of this bird was- it was Aika, a beautiful name- and explained why the feathers were red.

"They’re red because they represent fire. They also represent the south and summer seasons. Sometimes people call them the ‘Vermillion Bird of the South’" 

The other girl had continued with her lecture, and Jamyang had listened eagerly. " They’re not the only birds that can firebend."  The prospect of ‘normal’ animals being able to bend had never been  so  interesting before. And she’d told her, there was Aika, who was a Suzaku. There was a Suzaku hybrid, that had a long eel-like neck, the other girl had said that it looked similar to the eel-swan. And then there was the last one, the ho-oh or Fenghuang depending on the region. All of the birds grew big, but the Fenghuang was  the  biggest one. " Think dragon size, but for birds, you know."  Jamyang’s jaw had dropped at the comparison, dragons didn’t take that long to grow. They were the length of fifteen adult airbenders in only a couple of moons.

It was at that moment Jaya chose to burst into the scene. 

"Oh hey! This is where you’ve been! Ooh, that’s a pretty bird! What’s it call-."  She’d startled the bird with her loud greeting. Aika had let out an unruly shriek so loud that it made her ears ring. Both she and the other girl had fallen back on the ground startled; Jamyang had covered her face with her arm for protection from potential fire. When none of the fire hit her, she cautiously snuck at the bird. She inhaled sharply at the sight of the flames that Aika produced, they were the same colourful fire she had up to this point, only associated with dragons. Aika’s wings flapped aggressively in the air, creating weak gusts of wind. 

The other girl hurried up to her feet, cautious as she approached the bird from behind. With quick reflexes, she grabbed Aika’s body as her wings were wide open in a mid flap and hugged her close to her body, holding her head back from potential flames. Aika wriggled in the girls' arms, but the girls' grip didn’t relent. Only seconds after, Aika’s shrieks had lowered into squawks, then to high croons before quieting completely. Her wings tucked back into her body and she stilled in the other girls' grip. " There."  The other girl looked out of breath, probably stressed by the unexpected situation. She shifted the bird in her arms. " You’re okay, right? You didn’t get hit, did you?" 

Jamyang got up on her feet and she stared at the girl in utter awe. " Um, no. No, I didn’t get hit."  How did she manage to do that? The grass crunched behind them, and she remembered that they weren’t alone. Jaya’s jaw had been slack, her eyes wide and her arms had hung limply at her sides. Sister Gyalwo had a less animated look, but her shock had been evident with how wide her eyes were. Aden had looked concerned before his face turned weird when she looked at the other girl and Abbot Dorji was chuckling with his eyes closed.

Jaya had jogged up to them, wanting to pet the bird and Aika had been so offended that Jaya hadn’t asked  her , the one she wanted to pet if it was okay to pet her. She had clacked her beak loudly at her, the sound strikingly similar to Aden’s Sanjiegun, and she had glared Jaya down with such an intensity that Elder Yeshe would be proud.

"You’ve met an interesting student Jamyang."  Abbot Dorji had said with one of his cryptic smiles. Jamyang had looked at him,  really  looked at him and an odd feeling twisted around in her gut. Even Sister Gyalwo looked curious at his words, having glanced at him with the front of her brows tilted upwards.

" Oh, hey Aden."  The girl greeted him with a tiny upturn of her lips while Jaya was busy petting Aika. Aden had puffed his cheeks out and pressed his lips together, he leaned against Sister Gyalwo’s side for support. 

"Hi Gawa…" 

Very much in the manner of the big white owls that visit from the north, Jamyang had gradually turned her head to look at the other girl.

" You’re Gawa?!" 

Jamyang was quiet on the way back to the temple, descending to observe this individual- Gawa wasn’t that bad- she’d been teased about for a good while.

Gawa and Jaya talked animatedly with each other as they walked up the stairs to the temple; gliding wasn’t much of an option, only Jaya and Sister Gyalwo had brought theirs, but they opted not to use them; Jaya wanted to talk with Gawa and Jannu had chosen to rest on Sister Gyalwo’s upper breast and even if she probably could, out of politeness for the dozing panda, she chose not to use her glider. 

“There are  bigger  birds than Aika?!” Jaya gasped.

“Yeah!” Gawa grinned in reply. “ Squawk !”

“They’re not Suzaku's though. They’re called ho-oh, or Fenghuang depending on the region. I always think of them as dragon-sized birds or birds that have the potential to get to that size at least.”

" No way!” 

Cintsha licked her cheek from his place on her shoulder, nudging her with small head butts. “Why are you head butting me, hm?” She murmured to him and he twittered at her, she got the feeling he was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't understand him so he continued to lick her cheek.

Gawa smiled a lot, she noticed. Laughed a lot too. There was potential for a hungry flock of lemur energy, she could see that with how similar she and Jaya were when they talked to each other. And there was potential for floating cloud energy, remembering their first interactions before people came looking for them. A calm mellow nature with short outbursts that often were caused by the animals' mischief.

It was almost like she was matching the energy of the people around her. She wasn’t that bad. Not at all. 

“I saw one flying by as I hiked down a mountain one time,” Aden said as they neared the top of the main pagoda. Chuusei sat comfortably on his shoulders, his paws resting on Aden's head and it almost seemed like he was grinning. His mouth was open as he panted, showing two pairs of sharp fangs; she’d seen him easily crush bamboo stalks with them when he was eating. 

“ What?!”  Both of them turned to him, even Aika too seemed to articulate her surprise with a loud wheezy.  “Hr-squawk! ”

“When?” 

It turned out that they were so late that most people were finished with dinner, those people including Jaya and Aden and most of her classmates; the exception being Norbu and Dolkar who had just returned from a short trip to the nearby fire nation village. 

Some adults were still eating or had just started, like Fuji and Bankei who’d sat down. She could see Sister Jetsun and Sister Pema in the kitchen preparing bowls of food while little Jigme sat on the counter watching them.

Cintsha and Chuusei sat with her during dinner. They were polite companions and not at all messy when they ate. She only had to place their bowls on their backs before they went for refills and put the bowls back on the table.

“She’s different from what I expected.” She said to Amanthi when the older woman sat down at her table across from her. Amanthi didn’t hide her gleeful smile. “You met her then?” Jamyang nodded with a thoughtful expression, she twirled her noodles around with her chopsticks. She was told that the meal was called phó. It was good, especially when she mixed a mild hot sauce into it. It was a rather versatile meal, it was one of her first.

“Is it bad that she’s different from what you’ve expected?”

“No.” Her response was immediate as she shook her head. “It’s not bad at all.” If anything, it made her more interesting, and she was fun to be around too. 

“What’s a Jizo spirit?” Her question must’ve been unexpected because Amanthi coughed on her noodles and started laughing.

“She thought you were one too?”  Multiple people thought that?  Jamyang didn’t know how to react, much less respond to that, so she just nodded.

“Yeah…?”

“You know Jizo bosatsu by Sayi Nyingpo here.”  Oh, him . She knew of him from the history books and the statues in the memorial halls and the nearby grottoes. “A Jizo spirit is the spirit of a child who passed before their parents. Such a spirit can be reincarnated and one of the main characteristics is that they have an unusually calm presence, which you have.”

“I do?” The thought that she might be a reincarnation of a dead child, didn’t incite the reaction she thought it would. There was no shock or denial, but a feeling of compassion. If she in fact,  was  a reincarnated soul of a child who died before their parents, then she’ll make sure to live a long life. 

“You do,” Amanthi answered, her tone was light and her expression was gentle. “It’s difficult to sense you at times due to how calm you can be. I struggled to find you the other day when I was looking for Gohan.” That surprised her, she hadn’t noticed that. Did that have anything to do with the animals too?

“Huh, I hadn’t noticed that.”

“I’m not surprised, it’s not rare, but it isn’t as visible as it is with you often.”

“Did you think I was a Jizo spirit?” She asked and Amanthi gained a very sheepish expression.

“Yeah, I did.” 

“You thought what?” Amanthi was startled when Sister Jetsun sat down beside her with her bowl of phó.

“That I was a jizo spirit.” Sister Jetsun had looked weirdly at both of them, before laughing and agreeing with the statement.

On her way back to her room, she was joined by a dozen pandas that clung to her body and another black ringed lemur that flew about. It wasn’t the one that joined her while she was out reading, this one had a small chip on its ear and the one that joined her outside didn’t.

She heard a quick repeated thumping behind her. The sound could only be described as a  ‘patpatpatpat’  and she turned to see Aika running up to her; It looked a  lot  like waddling, but she thinks that Aika might be upset if she said that.

“ Squawk!”  

Jamyang stopped her trek back to her room, waiting for Aika to catch up to her. She had to stop herself from openly cooing at Aika as she ran up to her, she was  so  tiny. 

“You want to join me too?” She got a half croon and squawk in response. It was an interesting sound, starting loudly and ending softly. Taking it as a positive answer, it sounded like a  ‘yeah’  to her at least. “Okay.” She turned and started walking again. “My room isn’t that far.” She said turning the corner of the hallway.

Patpatpatpatpat. 

“Pfm.” She pressed her lips together to stop herself from cooing. The sound was so  cute. The term she probably was looking for was kinderschema. An odd word for why humans found babies and animals cute.

“ Squawk-caw! ” 

“I’m not laughing at you!”

The lit candles on her small altar cast a warm glow in the room.

The pandas, except for Tomoe, threw themselves on the floor, rolling around and huff-quacking in the tiny light that her candles illuminated. 

She sat on the warm floor with her back against her bed and stared at her ceiling. Tomoe had made herself comfortable on her lap, purring as Jamyang absentmindedly stroked through her wooly fur. She’d given Aika a pillow so that she could make herself cosy in a corner of her room. Glancing at the corner, she saw Aika resting with her head tucked back into her body, she was comfy. Good. That was good.

Now what? She resumed staring at the ceiling. She should probably be doing something, it would be the polite thing to entertain her guests. But it looked like they were entertaining themselves by rolling around on her bedroom floor. It wasn’t that late, an hour and thirty minutes or so after dinner. Curfew was at nine, so she had about an hour and fifteen minutes left to entertain herself.

Suddenly a silly, but valid question in her opinion popped into her head.

“Tomoe?” She picked the panda up, the small body sagging in her grip as if she was disgruntled at being picked up.

“ Hrmp? ” The chirp in reply was hoarse and short. Jamyang was quiet for a couple of seconds, mulling over the idea of asking her the question.

“…Can you fly?” Tomoe proceeded to give her the most animated deadpan stare she’d ever gotten from an animal.  Ever.  

Tomoe moved closer, licked her cheek and wiggled out of her grip. She pranced over to her staff, picked it up with her mouth and pranced back to her. Jamyang had never thought she’d see a red panda pick up a staff and successfully carry it, but then the lemurs could carry staffs and letters with their tails  if  trained properly. 

Jamyang took her staff out of Tomoe’s mouth and watched curiously as Tomoe jumped onto her bed and up to the windowsill, she turned to look at her.

“ Chir, chir .”

“You-do you want me to follow you?” She was still new to the pandas' way of communication, but Gawa had said that it’ll get better when the bond gets stronger, like with her and Uma. 

“ Huff-quak. ” That must’ve been a yes as Tomoe turned and jumped out of her window.

Jamyang followed, but backtracked when she heard a “ Quack? ” and remembered that she was hosting more than one red panda in her room. They’d stopped rolling around and were staring at her when she looked at them. “Um…” She felt a bit guilty when Chuusei stared at her with confused puppy eyes. Acting on impulse, she set her staff against the wall, scooped all of them up in her arms and bundled them up with a thin blanket on her bed.

“Please don’t be sad.” She wrapped her arms around them, holding them tightly. 

Their purrs were loud and vibrating in her ear. “I’ll be back soon.” She placed a kiss on top of Chuusei’s head, was she allowed to do that?  Were  they close enough to do that? She’d ask Gawa about that in the morning.

Using her bending to pull her glider towards her, she hurried out of the window and after Tomoe.

She came to a stop by one of the smaller chortens when she noticed something in the sky.

Pandas could fly if that dot in the sky was Tomoe. That tiny dot was getting closer to her at an alarming speed, so yeah, that  was  Tomoe.

Tomoe crashed into her chest at such high speed that Jamyang stumbled a step backwards when she caught her. The sound she produced was different than her usual twitters, being more high pitched and stuttery. If the normal twitter was a laugh, then was this a belly laugh?

Tomoe wiggled out of her grip, still making that high pitched stuttery twitter and ran towards the edge of one of the smaller pagodas, but instead of jumping, she stopped and looked back at her. It was an expectant look like the one Jaya would give her when she said that she ‘just couldn’t wait for tomorrow’ to practise for the festival. 

“Do you want me to fly with you?” She got what looked like a nod, a very human-like nod. Tomoe bobbed her head up and down, the movement was small and Jamyang wondered if she was getting the hang of this panda communication thing. She jogged up to the edge with her. 

She opened her staff with her bending and looked down at Tomoe.

“Ready?”

“ Ger-cher! ” Tomoe didn’t wait for her and jumped. Jamyang sputtered and hurried after the panda, she had to use a lot of bending to catch up with Tomoe who was flying straight down into the canyon.

“Hey! Wait up!” The twitters Tomoe produced sounded awfully   like fox gekkering, now that it reverberated around her in the canyon. It  had  to be Tomoe’s version of a belly laugh if her normal twitters were laughter.

“ GEHEHE!”  Tomoe laughed as she abruptly, catching Jamyang off guard, changed her course of flight, making a swift swing close to some of the stone statues and went straight up.  Straight up.  “ Gahrk!”  The abrupt change made her almost crash into one of the statues.

“DON’T DO THAT!” She doesn’t yell often, but she didn’t feel much of the strain that she usually felt on the rare occasion that she yelled. Jamyang changed her course and followed Tomoe in her flight upwards.

“ GAHEHEHE!”  

“DON’T LAUGH AT ME!” 

Tsering liked to hold Hayma whenever she got tired. It felt good when she would lay across her lap when they’d meet and she got to dote on her and listen to her talk about recent life events. Her chest would still swell with happiness at the fact that Hayma  trusted  her enough to let her do so. 

“Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Not really.” She answered and moved a hand over the back of Hayma’s robe, looking for the small Jian that was strapped to her back and was currently digging into her thigh. Hayma even arched her back to help. 

“I have two close-knit classes to teach in the morning, the second one is five minutes after the first one finishes. Why?” Hayma didn’t respond immediately, closing her eyes and leaning into the hand stroking through her hair first.

Opening her eyes after some seconds, Tsering felt her mouth go dry at the intensity of her stare. “I wanted to try something with you.”  That …could mean many things, she’d been teased a multitude of times in the past for  assuming  what she’s assuming now. She’d learned it the  hard  way, that it was a way that Hayma flirted. 

“Yeah?” Hayma nodded sluggishly against her torso, blinking slowly and staring up at her with half-lidded eyes. Tsering swallowed hard, it wasn’t that she was nervous, just that-

“ GEHEHE!”  They both jolted at the unexpected sound of laughter. Hayma, recognising it, smothered her laughter against her torso. She didn’t recognise it immediately, but she  did  recognise the next sound.

“ Gahrk!”  

Tsering didn’t have to wait long to see a small dot propelling high up in the sky over them, quickly followed by her annoyed student.

“DON’T DO THAT!” 

“ GAHEHEHE!” 

“DON’T LAUGH AT ME!”

“I forget that they can fly, I don’t see it often.” She admitted after observing Tomoe loop around and Jamyang mimicking her. She was a good flyer in the making, she had that from her father. She hadn’t seen him in years.

“They can fly, but they prefer to float and use the wind current. I’ve tried it once and get the preference”

“You do?” In all the years of her life, she hadn’t thought of trying that

“Yeah, floating on the wind currents with no bending. You haven’t?” Hayma gave her a look of disbelief when she shook her head.

“When are you finished with the last class?”

“Two hours before lunch.”

“Great! I’m taking you out on a date.”

Jaya had, as soon as she’d sat down to eat her breakfast, hounded her into going with her and a couple of others to the nearby fire nation village.

“Won’t you come with us please?” Jamyang rolled her fondly eyes while chewing on her last piece of banana bread. “ Oh -kay.” She made sure to lay  heavy  emphasis on that ‘okay’. Pausing to take a sip of her buttermilk tea, she answered. “I’ll come.” 

Jaya, Norbu, Opame and Anzan had snuck out of the window ten minutes before the class ended to ready their bison. All in all, eight people would be joining on that trip, Jaya, Norbu, Dolkar, Opame, Anzan, Gawa, Choekyi and her.

Opame came from one of the smaller temples, it was a bison ride from the Wudang mountains and their temple was structured on big poles in the ocean. Jaya had  absolutely  fawned over that as soon as she heard the information. " In the ocean? That’s  so  cool!" 

Anzan on the other hand, came from the same temple as his best friend, Gawa, that being the Agari temple.

The idea was weird to her, boys  and  girls in the same temple? Gawa had said that all of them learned the same things, women learned to use weapons, men learned to use weapons, women learned to heal and men learned to heal. And all of them had teachers within different lineages so they could gain a different view on life, so why separate? 

That thought was  even  wilder, different teachers from  different  lineages? Many of the teachers at the temples here had varying opinions on it, all ranging from neutral acceptance to all knowledge is valuable to understand life and to extreme rejection; She had found herself being scolded by an older teacher for reading a book about nyingmapa dzogchen when she was kagyupa and was supposed to do mahamudra meditation. 

Jamyang did  not  understand the teachers' anger, why couldn’t she do dzogchen when many  other  kagyupas did dzogchen  and  mahamudra meditation?

Now that she thought about it, why were they separated here when they  also  learned the same things? 

“Is something bothering you Jamyang?” She was startled at Sister Tsering’s voice in front of her desk. The blackboard had been cleaned and many of the students were packing their stuff to leave. A quarter of them had already left, going by the empty wooden desks closest to the door.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders and began collecting her books. “I just think some things are stupid, I guess.” She  knew  that Sister Tsering shared her opinion. She had started holding her in higher regard after what Amanthi had told her of her.

“You too?” Jamyang hadn’t said what she found stupid, nor had Sister Tsering said that her opinion might change if she saw it from a different perspective.

“Yeah.” She nodded slowly, the feelings were conflicting to have. “Me too.”

Someone huff-quacked behind her, before she could turn and see who it was, Chuusei and Ketu, one of the pandas that joined her when she was out reading the other day, jumped onto Uma’s head. 

Uma didn’t startle, Uma  was rarely  startled, there was only a curious groan at the unexpected riders and she kept still as they climbed up her fur.

When she’d first chosen Uma, Sister Tsering had casually mentioned her observation that she and Uma shared a lot in common. She didn’t see it then, but she saw it now. 

“I…” She’d felt  so  guilty for making the pandas stay behind in her room last night, especially Chuusei. “ Chirchir?”  Their wide glossy puppy eyes and high pitched squeaks were difficult to resist. “…okay.” She relented, and they squealed and jumped around in her saddle.

“But you gotta behave okay?”  Oh Vayu,  she sounded like Sister Pema. “I’ve never travelled with red pandas- squik! -  or  brown pandas before, yes I remember you Ketu, so we can’t get into trouble. We’re not going to a temple, and many people don’t know that you exist. So you can’t go and scare them okay? You gotta be on your best behaviour.” She wasn’t sure if they actually saluted her or if the movement was pure coincidence and they just happened to move their paws like that.

It probably was a universal panda sign, that she didn’t know, of them saying that they wouldn’t do anything. She could ask Gawa later-

“No Aika,  no , you don’t do that. You sit, fly or pat around. You do  not  go and spew fire everywhere, that’s an  incredibly  rude thing to do.” Jamyang giggled into her hand as she overheard their conversation. Norbu had been the one to invite Aika to come, seeing it as an opportunity for her to be exposed to a new environment and as a way to confront her struggles.

An anxious bird was joining them. An anxious  four moon  aged bird, practically a duckling, was joining them. An anxious fire breathing bird at that. She prayed that Aika would persevere on this trip.

The nearby fire nation village of Torokawa had always been welcoming to them, with many of the grown-ups knowing their caretakers personally. Michiko’s uncle had waved them down and let their bison stay at his farm. It was an enormous farm close to the outskirts of the forests where he had enough space to raise many koala sheep. The first thing Michiko did when she left her uncle's house to greet them was to compliment Opame’s pretty light pink robes.

Which, yeah, Jamyang and her classmates thought the same. 

“You wouldn’t happen to be hungry would you?” She asked them. “There’s this new food stand that just opened up last month and the food is absolutely  delicious! I stop there every Friday to kick start the weekend with something great.” 

“It’s not meat, is it?” Choekyi and Norbu seemed the only ones to be hesitant.

“Ah pft, stupid me.” She laughed and facepalmed. “There are options to choose from, there’s meat, fish and vegetarian. So there isn’t anything to worry about.” With that reassurance, they all agreed and Michiko excitedly guided them around the village; she  did  get sidetracked a few times before they arrived at the food stand.

An important person was visiting the village , according to Izumi, a friend of Norbu had told them when she had stumbled upon them by the new food stand.

Jamyang thinks, she  thinks,  that they might've crashed the occasion when she heard Aden head butting an important-looking general that was making a group of young ladies uncomfortable.

“What was that?” Izumi looked around for the source, her jaw-dropping when she saw the scene. “What was what?” Michiko, just having accepted two plates of warm freshly made spicy rice cakes, asked. She was careful when she turned around, giving Anzan one of her plates mid-turn because she didn’t want to spill anything. She accepted the plate back and she gasped when she saw what Izumi was looking at

Jamyang  heard  the sound of Adens' forehead hitting the generals. A went shiver up her spine, that sound was  loud,  and it startled her so much that she ended up coughing on her rice cake.

Gawa patted her on the back and Jaya was quick to hand her a drink. “Thank you.” She gave the drink back after a big gulp and slumped against Gawa, who easily adjusted to her added weight. Aika crooned and poked at her with her beak. “Can Chuusei and Ketu eat rice cakes? I don’t think I want them anymore.”

The loud head butt drew the attention of everyone in their vicinity. Every one of them watched in quiet surprise and shock, but  mostly  shock as a 4 ft tall boy head-butted a 6ft tall, burly looking man.

“Ugh.” Blood trickled down from the general's forehead and nose, he stumbled a step backwards and finally fell with a loud thud. Jamyang could see the immediate relief on the women's faces, one of them even sagged and sighed so loudly that her cheeks puffed out slightly. 

She only noticed the small boy that must’ve been standing beside the general when he was knocked out. His clothes were the same autumn red as some of the visiting Brothers and Sisters wore, they seemed to be too big on him. There was a mix of emotions on his face, apologetic, stress, and confusion.

The important burly looking general didn’t rise again.

Aden frowned down at the knocked out general with an air of disappointment. His arms were crossed and his lips were pressed together tightly. She’d never seen him look like that before, she hadn’t seen him do something like that either. This was the first.

She looked to her right where Choekyi was standing with Opame and Dolkar. Her expression was weird, there wasn't any shock or any outward emotion she’d expect from children at the temple. The front of her brows were tilted upwards and she  did  seem concerned for the general and yet, there was a curiosity of sorts. Maybe how he managed to knock a general out with a single head butt? She couldn’t tell.

Adens' frown disappeared, he uncrossed his arms and he turned to the group of women with a concerned expression.

“Are you okay? He didn’t do anything to you did he?”

“Uh, no? I dunno, he wouldn’t step away when I asked him to, he kept moving closer.” One stuttered. “He did try to get handsy.” Another one said.

Aden puffed his right cheek out and he crossed his arms again, he had the air of an overprotective parent this time. He shuffled over and crouched down over the general's head.

“Never hesitate to assert your boundaries regardless of the person or their title.” His hands hovered over the general's head and they glowed a dull grey. “Or take advantage of the people and surroundings around you. And there!” His hands stopped glowing and stood up with a satisfied grin, he turned to the young boy.

“You are Prince Shaohao, right?” There was a strong wave of unknown emotions that washed over her. The feeling of Chuusei’s cold nose nudging at her cheek was suddenly a distant feeling.  Prince  Shaohao? The child  crown prince  of the fire nation? Jamyang leaned in close and whispered to a stupefied Michiko.

“The Prince is the important person visiting?”

“Y-yeah, that and the Fire Lord too.” She stuttered. “The Prince had been wanting to see the big river and waterfall in the village. I hope this doesn’t cause a problem.” Jamyang didn’t think that it would cause a problem. She’d heard that Fire Lord Yosor had a strong sense of justice and had with the advice of Avatar Szeto removed and demoted a well-known general that had continuously abused his title after many warnings. She’s ignorant of topics within the military, so she won’t guess if this general would get a punishment or not.

“Y-yes, I am Prince Shaohao.”  Ah, the poor boy looked so nervous.  His small tightened into fists at his sides. It must’ve been surprising when Aden bowed deeply to him, the Prince was hesitant to bow back. “Where is your father? Such dishonourable behaviour shouldn’t go unpunished.”

“Oh.” He shifted on his feet. “He's speaking with the Mayor. I can take you to him if you want.” He seemed to be more at ease when Aden smiled at him. “That would be great, thank you. Anzan, help me please.” Aden held one shoulder and Anzan the other, they hauled the general onto their backs and followed after Prince Shaohao.

The image was funny. Two young boys were carrying a big general on their backs with such ease like they were carrying cotton. 

Prince Shaohao would periodically look over his shoulder with admiration and awe in his big eyes.

“Did-did he just head-butt that general?” Izumi asked her question not particularly aimed at anyone. The man by the clothing stand tried to muffle his laughter. It ultimately failed and others joined in. Jamyang could tell that his laughter was genuine amusement, most of the others were more of shock laughter.

“Agnis flames! So many of my problems would be solved with a forehead like that!” 

Jaya and Michiko got the others out of their shock.

"Come on, let's follow them."

Jamyang was right that it didn’t cause a problem. Fire Lord Yosor had been so appalled at the generals' behaviour that he’d gone and apologised to the group of women personally.

He had been a little perplexed that it was a young monk that had done it when they’d presented themselves in front of him, but he didn’t press him for information.

“ You are a monk, are you not?”  He had asked after listening to Adens and Prince Shaohao’s accounts of events and interviewing the witnesses’

“I am, Fire Lord.”  

“Isn’t it dishonourable behaviour for air nomads to bring harm onto others?”  

“I’m not from the air temples here.”  The Fire Lord had looked intrigued when he mentioned that.  “The temple I come from has rules that say that if I were to bring harm to someone, then I should also be the one to bring them to a healer or be the one to heal them personally. Which I have done.”  The Fire Lord had eyed him for at least thirty seconds- that’s what she counted at least- before he gave Aden a small nod, seeing the rule as good for instilling honourable behaviour in people.

“May my son join your friends?” He asked them while glancing disdainfully at the knocked out general. “I brought two high ranking generals with me as guards for this trip, but I see that he can’t act properly around our citizens.”

Izumi choked on her rice cake and Michiko looked lost for words. 

“I…uh…” Aden thankfully came to her rescue.

“Where should we return him when it gets late?”

“Hm, the mayor's estate. I will be spending most of my time there.” He turned to the mayor, a thin lanky man with glasses and a permanent book under his arm that she always saw him with, on the rare occasion she visited.

“Wouldn’t that be okay with you, mayor?”

“Y-yes! O-of course! T-that would be great Fire Lord!”

Aden bowed out to the Fire Lord and grabbed Prince Shaohao’s hand.

“Be back at a reasonable time, okay?”

“We will!”

Tsering found it amusing when Hayma didn’t make it a secret where she was taking her for their date; she’d blatantly told her that she was taking her to her favourite restaurant.

“How is the food?” Tsering took a sip of the noodle broth, feeling it melt into her taste buds. “Delicious as always.” Even when she knew the answer- they’d been here  plenty  of times before, the old owner still loved to tease her about it- Hayma grinned satisfied at her answer.

“ Good , we can’t have you getting hungry or tired when we're flying later.” Tsering laughed into her spoonful of noodles. “I’ve been the one to catch  you  the many times you’d flown while being tired if you remember.” Hayma chuckled, having the decency to look embarrassed 

“Of course, I remember.” She put her arm on the table and leaned into her hand, the left corner of her mouth quirking up ever so slightly in that way Tsering had learned meant that, ‘yeah, I am embarrassed and I  probably  should take more care of myself, but I’m talking to  you , so it’s okay for me to be embarrassed about my bad habits.’

The gentle love in her green eyes warmed her chest, spreading out to her limbs, down to her very nerves. “Nyingdu-la, I know how to return the favour.”

“I know yo-.”

Patpatpatpatpatpatpatpat 

They both look out of the window, seeing the Aika the red Suzaku bird run by, followed by a young boy who was hot on her heels, and he was followed by a group of girls. Tsering recognised four of those girls to be  her  students.  Spirits to Vayu and Buddha, they didn’t get themselves into trouble, did they? 

“Squ-wak! Squawk!” 

Patpatpatpatpat 

“Aika, no!”

“Wait, I almost got her.” Tsering heard the boy say determinedly. Then she heard a thud, someone rolling on the ground and at last, a frustrated yell.

They looked back at each other and started laughing.

[luizlara04]

Dave Grohl’s collaborations

It’s not news Dave Grohl is one of the most beloved people of the music universe. In addition, he is a very talented musician who sings and plays a lot of instruments. Here we’ve got the recipe to the high amount of collaboration he already had over about three decades of his career.

It is a long list with various artists, from different styles, such as rock(obviously!), pop, hip hop, electronic. The list has names like Puff Daddy (Dave plays drums), Queens of the Stone Age (Dave plays drums and percussion), David Bowie (Dave plays guitar), Tony Iommi and Bryan May, legends of the guitar, from Black Sabbath and Queen (Dave plays drums and sings), The Bangles (backing vocals from Dave), Lemmy Kilmister, legend of Motorhead (Dave plays drums), The Prodigy (Dave also plays drums), Liam Gallagher, Rush, Bruce Springsteen, Slash, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (legends of Led Zeppelin), Garbage, Nine Inch Nails, Ghost (Dave plays drums in all of these) and so on.

There is another one I haven’t mentioned yet, that is my favorite: I’m talking about one of the greatest living legends of the music, Sir Paul MCCartney! It happened first in December 2012 during a “Nirvana reunion” concert, Paul joined Dave, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic to perform “Cut Me Some Slack” to raise some funds to help the hurricane Sandy victims. It happened again last year, June, 2022, during the famous Glastonbury festival, in England. It was the first time Foo Fighters performed, since Taylor Hawkings, former drummer, died. They played “Band on the Run”, a classic from the “Wings”, one of Paul's bands and “I Saw Her Standing There” classic from The Beatles that needs no explanation.

Well, let us wait for the next great Dave Grohl’s collaboration!

That 's it! See you soon!

[chorusfm]

Something Corporate Announce Las Vegas Show

Something Corporate have announced a headlining show in Las Vegas on October 20th. Ahead of their performances at this year’s sold-out When We Were Young, beloved early 2000s pop-punk band Something Corporate has announced a pre-festival headlining show at the House of Blues Las Vegas for Friday, October 20th. This will mark the first official headlining gig from the original lineup of the Orange County quintet – Andrew McMahon (vocals, piano), Josh Partington (guitar), Kevin “Clutch” Page (bass), Brian Ireland (drums), and William Tell (guitar) – in 20 years. Pre-sale tickets for the official When We Were Young: Sideshow will be available starting Tuesday, August 15th at 10am Pacific Time with various pre-sale options running through Thursday, August 17th. The general on sale will commence on Friday, August 18th at 10am Pacific Time. PRESS HERE for more info and to purchase.    “When we got back together for my birthday show, everything just clicked and we knew it was time,” shares front man Andrew McMahon. “We’re all so excited to play these songs again and to share a stage together. I think it’s going to be a cathartic weekend for all of us.”   Something Corporate first formed in 1998 when its members were in high school and in a short period of time created quite the stir before going on hiatus in 2005. During its tenure, the highly adored SoCal band released multiple albums, including their major label debut, Leaving Through The Window, in 2002 via MCA Records/Drive-Thru Records, which premiered at the top of the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, and 2003’s North, which entered the Billboard 200 at #24. In addition, they toured extensively worldwide, including a summer on the Vans Warped Tour, graced the cover of Alternative Press magazine, and performed on late-night TV including an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Collectively, Something Corporate – hailed as “one of the most respected groups in the scene with their incredible hooks and emotionally transparent music” (Alternative Press) – has sold over 1 million total records. The five-piece has reunited for various appearances over the years, most recently in September 2022 for McMahon’s 40th birthday concert in Anaheim, California. The surprise 6-song set included the fan-favorite “Konstantine” along with “Fall,” “Woke Up In A Car,” “Straw Dog,” “Hurricane” and “She Paints Me Blue.” --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/news/something-corporate-announce-las-vegas-show/

[meadow-dusk]

Albums I Loved in 2022

November - Live Rust (1978)

"Every band rusts," we're told by a man dressed as a research scientist while Neil looks on in playful childlike wonder. This is presented to be the consequence of the musicians getting caught in the rain a bit earlier in the show, an uncanny echo of the stormy memory of the Woodstock Festival. They play on.

At the time of this post, Neil and Crazy Horse have been rusting together for over five decades, recently releasing their World Record album. No one seems to know exactly which number it is in their chronology, but it's certainly up there. And it's a gift in every way. I very seriously contemplated awarding it the first place spot this month, but it was hard to knock this one off of the podium for fear of retaliation. It's that strong.

I think I'm finally starting to get it. Crazy Horse is a relentless beast that clops along at a strenuous but sustained pace, and Neil is the six-foot jockey steering them down the track. By the same token, they're his tether to earth, so he doesn't go flying off into space when they round the curves (which, from the sound of it, could be entirely possible). He's comfortably saddled atop knowing that they've got it down, and it gives him freedom to let go of the reins. It worked then, and it works now. They're still going. It's 75% of the same exact unit that plays on the new album, and it's given me perspective in hearing this record as it reveals the threads that continue to hold them together. They've got the range to round out "Lotta Love" and reenergize "Tonight's the Night" and endure the exhaustive force of "Like A Hurricane." You can let yourself get a little lost in it and trust that you'll be brought back no sooner than you need to be.

But we get to experience that rush only after we're treated to the proven formula of Neil opening alone on harmonica and a twelve-string guitar (😍), illustrating what would be the story of his life through song. And he is completely radiant: absolutely nothing's missing. In fact, that's exactly what I wanted when I first sought out this performance (blessedly, captured on video in the film of the same name). It was one of those nights where I felt like disappearing from the rest of the world. So I just lay in bed and watched, letting it erase everything that wasn't Neil. Little by little I felt myself soften with it, and by the time they brought out the electrics the feeling in my veins was something completely different. What an incredible power music has. There's not much more to say.

>> see my Albums I Loved in 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019

[laresearchette]

Sunday, December 18, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: 1923 (Paramount +) HANUKKAH ON RYE (W Network) 8:00pm WHEN CHRISTMAS WAS YOUNG (Global) 8:30pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CBC GEM MY SALINGER YEAR

CRAVE TV B&B MERRY MENORAH IN THE MIDDLE

NETFLIX CANADA LETHAL WEAPON 2 LETHAL WEAPON 3 LETHAL WEAPON 4

FIFA WORLD CUP SOCCER (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 9:45am: Final: Argentina vs. France

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN/TSN3/TSN4) 1:00pm: Eagles vs. Bears (TSN/TSN3) 4:00pm: Patriots vs. Raiders (TSN/TSN5) 8:15pm: Giants vs. Commanders

NHL HOCKEY (TSN5) 2:00pm: Sens vs. Wild (SN) 5:00pm: Penguins vs. Hurricanes (SN) 7:30pm: Rangers vs. Chicago (TSN3) 8:00pm: Jets vs. Kraken (SNWest) 10:00pm: Flames vs. Sharks

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4) 6:00pm: Warriors vs. Raptors (SN1) 6:00pm: Nets vs. Pistons (SN1) 9:30pm: Wizards vs. Lakers

FIVE MORE MINUTES: MOMENTS LIKE THESE (W Network) 6:00pm: Returning to her old home for the holidays, a young widow's Christmas wish for her son gets answered in unexpected ways.

DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (2000) (CBC) 8:00pm: A curmudgeon (Jim Carrey) living atop Mount Crumpit sets out to quash the yuletide preparations of the Christmas-loving Whos of Whoville. Anthony Hopkins narrates.

THE BIG BAKE (Food Network Canada) 8:00pm (SEASON FINALE): When it comes to gifts and coal, only Santa decides who's naughty or nice! Brad Smith makes sure the baking teams are on their best behavior as they create cakes inspired by Santa's list for judges Ron Ben-Israel, Eddie Jackson and Danni Rose.

A CHRISTMAS TO TREASURE (CTV Life) 8:00pm: Sparks fly between former best friends Austin and Everett as they reunite for a holiday treasure hunt.

SANDI TOKSVIG'S TINY CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE  (Makeful) 8:00pm:   Sandi Toksvig presents a tiny Christmas competition in which eight amateur crafters get festive and make miniature Christmas trees, dinky decorations and teeny turkeys.

CHRISTMAS ON MISTLETOE LAKE (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm: Interior designer Reilly finds herself this Christmas in the town of Mistletoe Lake with no place to stay. She accepts an offer from Ray to stay on his boat and helps him renovate it for the town's Christmas Harbor Festival.

CHRISTMAS LUCKY CHARM (City TV) 9:00pm: Just as Jessica leans into her unlucky love life and swears off dating for the Christmas season, a handsome gallery owner moves in across the street.

AUSSIE GOLD HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm

OUTBACK OPAL HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm: The Bushmen's super digger is damaged; Pete and Sam hunt for better opal dirt.

THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND (History Canada) 10:00pm: The discovery of mysterious ship logs provides more evidence that a 1746 French armada led by the Duc D'Anville landed on Oak Island; at the Money Pit, the team gets closer to getting a team member underground.

GREATEST HOLIDAY COMMERCIALS COUNTDOWN 2022 (Global) 10:30pm: Counting down 12 of the world's best holiday commercials; a look at other great commercials that capture the true spirit of the holiday season.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

NITA STRAUSS Officially Joins DEMI LOVATO's Touring Band, Performs On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

Former ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss has officially joined the touring band of singer Demi Lovato. Nita's new gig was first reported as a rumor on Monday (July 11) on the Metal Sludge web site.

Nita made her live debut with Demi Thursday night (July 14) with a performance of Lovato's new single, "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". Video of the appearance can be seen below.

Lovato is about to hit the road in support of her eighth studio album, "Holy Fvck", which will be released on August 19 via Island Records. The LP's first single, "Skin Of My Teeth", was made available last month.

The follow-up to last year's "Dancing With The Devil…The Art Of Starting Over", "Holy Fvck" is reportedly a departure from Lovato's typical pop aesthetic and features a more punk-rock-flavored sound.

Lovato implied that "Holy Fvck" would usher in a new era for her after she posted a photo in January along with the caption, "A funeral for my pop music." She later told Rolling Stone that fans can expect to hear some "heaviness" in her new sound.

"It's a new era reminiscent of my first era," she said. "I'm ever-evolving, ever-changing. I'd like to put the rest of my music behind me and start fresh in this new era for this next album — but I do that every album cycle."

Lovato recently announced a fall tour in support of "Holy Fvck" featuring special guests DEAD SARA and ROYAL & THE SERPENT. The trek will launch September 22 in Wheatland, California and through November 6 in Irving, Texas. Prior to that, Demi will make appearances at the Illinois State Fair on August 13 and Iowa State Fair on August 14. She also has a seven-date South American tour scheduled for late August and early September.

On Monday (July 11), Nita announced that she would sit out Cooper's fall 2022 tour. She has also scrapped the festival dates her solo band had planned for the rest of the year. The 35-year-old said in a statement that her "touring year" was "still VERY full" and revealed that she was "on a flight straight into the next adventure," adding cryptically that she would "be on stage again much sooner than you think."

A couple of Nita's Cooper bandmates commented on her post, with guitarist Ryan Roxie writing: "No words — just notes... and lord knows we harmonized a lot of them over the years... nothing but love and respect." Drummer Glen Sobel added: "You're super pro and prepared no matter what the situation. We're gonna miss you but we're also proud to be associated with Hurricane."

Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Last October, Nita shared "Dead Inside", her first new solo music since the release of her debut album, 2018's "Controlled Chaos". The track is her first-ever solo collaboration with a vocalist, David Draiman, frontman of Grammy-nominated rock icons DISTURBED.

Nita released "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".

As well as performing with Cooper, Nita has also played with R&B star Jermaine Jackson, early MTV darlings FEMME FATALE, video game supergroup CRITICAL HIT and popular tribute band THE IRON MAIDENS.

In April 2020, Nita launched "Rock Guitar Fundamentals" — a three-module online guitar teaching program suitable for learners of all levels. The course is available at www.iwanttoplayguitar.com.

Nita's solo live show is mostly instrumental in nature, combining originals with covers.

[eurosong]

Undo my ESC '21 (semi-final two)

Good afternoon folks, and welcome to the second part of Undo my ESC – my annual quest to make the year’s Eurovision better (at least, for me xD) by making a feasible change in each country – it could be something as small as altering a lyric or a staging detail, or as big as a different artist entirely winning the NF. Semi-final one was here so let's jump straight into SF2!

🇸🇲 San Marino: We're thrown into the deep end here with a fan fav that doesn't do at all for me. I'm one of maybe 5 people on the planet who prefers Freaky by far, I guess? I'm happy for Senhit to be getting so much love and for the diminutive serene republic to finally have a shot at a good result - but I'm not so keen on the way it's been done. There's a bit of cognitive dissonance for me because my favourite thing about Adrenalina is Flo Rida's rap, but I don't like the idea of bringing in famed American artists like "ringers" to elevate a song above one with "only" local talent. I would be so tempted to give the rap part to local artist IROL instead to spit some hot bars in Italian.

🇪🇪 Estonia: I had hope this year, I really did, for my era of absolutely adoring Estonia at ESC to be revived after 4 painful years. There were so many good songs at this year's Eesti Laul, like those of Ivo Linna, Egert, Gram of fun, Heleza - but ultimately, my huge favourite was, as expected, Jüri Pootsmann. Anyone who followed this blog back in 2016 knows how much I adore Jüri and was desperate to see him get a redemption arc at ESC itself. Magus melanhoolia was one of the best songs of the season for me and one of the best stagings. As much as I prefer '20 artists to get their shot in '21, problematic Uku with his toxic ex vibes song will have to step aside and let the Jüri renaissance happen here.

🇨🇿 Czechia: I really dig Benny Cristo - he has personality, presence and his own enjoyable style. At first I was kinda disappointed with Omaga because I was expecting something more in the vein of Kemama, with more pronounced Afrobeat influences. But it has grown on me a lot too. My change? Add more Czech than just one blink-and-you-miss-it line, mate! (Article continues below)

🇬🇷 Greece: I see this being talked up as potential televote top 3 and I just don't get it. Maybe it's the way the chorus rhymes dance with itself three times (and uses the term rockin' romance unironically); maybe it's the way that there are better 80s-inspired songs both in ESC and many fallen tributes in the NF season... it just leaves me cold. I actually preferred Supergirl and my change would be for Stefania to bring something with some actual Greek flair.

🇦🇹 Austria: I’ll echo what I said last year about Österreich – how did they go from Conchita to a guy who wished he wouldn’t have gay kids like this? I find both of this guy's songs insipid in different ways and I would invite Pænda back instead to avenge her getting robbed with the beautiful Limits. Or give a second shot at glory to the incredible Cesár!

🇵🇱 Poland: Unpopular opinion, but I absolutely love The Ride, and I feel bad for Alicja, but I much prefer it to Empires. What started as an ironic fondness for Rafał's cringy uncle vibes ended up being genuine appreciation - it's one of the few 80s-inspired songs that sound like they actually could have come out of that decade rather than like modern pastiches. And Raf actually does have an awkward charisma. My change - insert some Polish! Poland does so well with natural sounding bilingual efforts in JESC, they should bring it to the main contest too!

🇲🇩 Moldova: I was lowkey prepared to be disappointed by Moldova - I actually enjoyed Prison a lot and the news that they were going in a completely different direction didn't sit so well with me. And yet, I also love Sugar. Natalia's power! My changes: get rid of that weird scene with literally egg on her face - too on the nose for me. And incorporate a bit of the stellar Russian translation, Tuz bubi, because I'm always going to be advocating for more linguistic diversity xD

🇮🇸 Iceland: Daði Freyr can literally do no wrong with me. Whilst it doesn't have the same intense extra-fandom hype that Think about things did, I think I like Ten years even more. Nothing to change here.

🇷🇸 Serbia: It's no secret that Hurricane were far from my favourites at Beovizija 20, and that I find this a downgrade for Sanja compared to her powerful '16 song. And yet... Hasta la vista grew on me a lot, and so has Loco loco. It's something that is definitely scratching an itch at this year's ESC and the burst of anarchic energy it'll provide will be amazing. I am seriously tempted to change to the acoustic version, though, which has all the attitude of the original but is more beautiful for me and lets the girls' voices shine more.

🇬🇪 Georgia: Georgia keeps serving acquired tastes, and as a patron saint of marginal genres and I love them for that. This year, they've gone for something that even many fans of Tornike find hard to swallow - gone is the roaring rock of last year, replaced with a much more contemplative, soft effort that reminds me a little of Lou Reed. I enjoy both songs, but I can't deny preferring 2020. At the same time, I admire the chutzpah required to send something so different. I just wish there could be a moment to properly showcase T's powerhouse vocals.

🇦🇱 Albania: It was an odd Festival i këngës this year, outdoors in the freezing cold and without the orchestra that makes the songs soar so much more for me. Karma is a perfectly respectable winner, albeit one that lacks the immediacy and rawness of Shaj, Ktheju tokës and Mall. In my ideal alternate reälity, Arilena Ara would have been invited back. She'd bring a song as beautiful as Shaj - and not do a revamp into English that removes its edge this time.

🇵🇹 Portugal: 2015-2020 was a full on Portugal stan era for me. I want to believe that this year is an aberration and that in 2022, our lusitanian neighbours will produce the goods once again. Because ending a colossal streak of not sending songs that don't include Portuguese for this? I am baffled. I wanted the anthemic Joana do mar, produced beautifully by Luísa Sobral, or the timeless Contramão, which sounds like it escaped a Nouvelle Vague soundtrack. Saudade, Por um triz or a number of others would have been grand too.

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: I wasn't expecting much from Bulgaria - I really didn't and don't like TGS and the majority of songs in Victoria's NF-but-not-really aren't my cup of tea. I was happy she got her second chance, but resigned to not liking the song much that would get picked. And then, my fav, which was last in many community ratings, ended up being her pick. I adore GUIGO and believe it has the possibility to do very, very well at Rotterdam and be one of the 'moments' of the evening.

🇫🇮 Finland: CRIMINAL how YLE treated Aksel - it felt like he wasn't the defending champion, and that Erika Vikman had won the previous year. They also - I believe, deliberately - split his vote by making his just one of a number of ballads, so of course what stood out most were the two decidedly non-ballady songs. Finland only two years ago had a single-artist UMK. They could and should have brought it back for Aksel. I'd hope Hurt would win it, because that song is stunning.

🇱🇻 Latvia: I was, and am, delighted that Latvia stuck with Samanta Tina. The lady lives and breathes ESC, even wrote a university thesis about it, and if she tried so many times, finally won and then DIDN'T get to go to ESC, I would have gone to LTV headquarters personally to remonstrate. I really like both her songs. The moon is rising is poised, powerful and like nothing else this year. The only thing I'd change is adding some Latvian because it's a gorgeous language and we've been waiting for ages to hear it again.

🇨🇭 Switzerland: Gjon's song is once again not really my cup of tea, or tears - but I enjoy it better than last year's and I'm glad he's back. Highkey wish it did include Albanian or Romansch like confused commenters last year thought it did.

🇩🇰 Denmark: There is literally no excuse for Denmark's treatment of Ben & Tan. I'm not even a big fan of their music at all, out to not even allow them to compete in DMGP to defend their win with Iron heart? Even though there are songs that competed in DMGP that I prefer a lot, most notably Står lige her, I would probably have let them have a proper second chance.

And the automatic qualifiers voting in this semi -

🇫🇷 France: For me, France had an absolutely enthralling, sincere, perfectly Gallic entry that hit me so hard in the feels. And whilst I respect Voilà, no, that wasn't it. It was Pourvu qu'on m'aime, easily one of the best songs I heard all year inside NFs or out. I find Voilà a little too mannered and affected, whilst PQM is a shot straight from Juliette's heart into mine. In my dream, it'd have won CVQD and be receiving the same love that Voilà is right now.

🇪🇸 Spain: Whilst it is getting next to no love in the fandom and seems quite forgotten, I find Voy a quedarme one of the best songs sent from this country in several years - and I say that having preferred Memoria. I am proud of Blas and love that he had a hand in writing this song. My change? He said recently that the staging in Rotterdam won't be inspired by the poignant music video despite wanting it to be - I would incorporate elements from it in the live.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Frankly, I think almost all the Big 5+1 brought it this year, with the notable exception of Germany. Embers is the banger that I never thought was coming from James Newman, and it's been one of the biggest earworms of the season. I wouldn't change anything about it - I'd just ensure that the staging replicated the energy of the video as much as possible!