#Lonely Tuba

[lawsofchaos1]

Shadowhunter Promptlet: The Piano

A young Alec, overwhelmed by everything Maryse and Robert have dropped himself into his lap, runs away from the Institute- just for a few hours- to see what it would be like to be a mundane child. To see what it would be like to live with no responsibility, without parents who leave their bruises on his skin.

Somehow, Alec accidentally finds himself in a piano lesson with a bunch of other children and he discovers music.

Having learned the basics, Alec knows better than to ever reveal it to anyone at the Institute. But, over the years, he sneaks away a few careful hours at a time. He finds public pianos in the parks or he slips into unlocked middle schools, or, later, unlocked high schools or colleges, blending in and sneaking into their practice rooms to bring the music in his head to life.

Alec never tells anyone, not even Jace, about his escape. Jace has always been different and just because it's okay for him to play music, doesn't mean it's okay for Alec.

One day, Magnus and Alec are visiting one of Magnus' warlock friends and Alec, with permission, goes to explore a few nearby rooms while Magnus and his friend catch up. He doesn't dare even sit down on the bench when he finds the piano, but he knows that this room is too far for them to hear, so he plays.

Magnus walks in without Alec noticing at first, but when Alec catches movement out of the corner of his eye and turns, he's frozen.

[Teenage HOTI-Alec with his mundane accidental-piano-friends below the cut]

Imagine a fifteen-year old Alexander Lightwood, overwhelmed from his recent installation as Acting Head, sneaking into the local high school band room to practice on their piano. Imagine Alec meeting this group of kids who basically adopt him and keep claiming him as their brother/visiting cousin/best friend from another high school whenever anyone else pops into the practice room and asks who this random kid is who definitely doesn't go here.

The tattoos and leather jacket make Alec incredibly popular with the teen girls going after the bad boy and Ryan, Haley, and Alison find Alec's total and utter obliviousness to them absolutely hilarious.

But, the little trio also sees his constant injuries and how exhausted he is all the time and one day Haley kind of snaps and pulls a fuzzy blanket out of her backpack and demands Alec take a nap while she practices Braham's lullaby.

(Alec acquiesces and the trio subtly collates a list of the songs that Alec will sleep through while they play. A few times here and there Alec will creep into the practice room, shadows both in and under his eyes, and he won't even try to put fingers to piano- just tentatively pulls out the blanket from Haley's backpack that is now undeniably his and curls up in the corner to sleep fitfully while Ryan guards the door.)

They see how lonely he looks sometimes, how burdened, and the trio drags him out for milkshakes and tell horrible jokes until Alec truly laughs - looking honestly surprised that that sound even came out of his mouth.

And Ryan doesn't make a big deal of it, but he sees how Alec keeps stroking his Haley's blanket between his fingers, enjoying the softness. The next day, Ryan starts keeping a large black hoodie he found made out of the softest material he's ever felt in his tuba case, waiting for the next time they walk into what has become their practice room after school to find Alec lurking in the corner.

(Ten years later, Alec still wears that sweater whenever he needs some extra comfort.)

The night after the wedding-that-wasn't and before Malec's first date, Alec climbs up the fire escape to the 34th floor of and apartment building in Queens and knocks on Haley's window. He then proceeds to have a Gay Panic on her and Alison's couch before they calm him down and convince him to go woo his man.

A year after that, Alec is a groomsman at Ryan’s wedding and Ryan is suddenly stuck trying to explain to his wife why they have a lovely package of custom daggers as a wedding present.

A few months after Magnus finds Alec hardly daring to touch his friend's piano, Haley, Ryan, and Alison are invited to the loft for dinner. Magnus can barely contain the joy and love in his heart as Alec and the trio recount the stories of their meeting and the blatant shenanigans they got up to over the years. Yet, Magnus' heart is somehow even more full as he watches the four friends troop over to the newly installed piano in Alec and Magnus' living room, trading off playing each other's favorite songs until long into the night.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Find four lines

Thanks @melpomene-grey here!

Rules: find four lines in your WIP that match the prompts, then change ONE prompt for the next people!

A line about music

From The Secret Portal Part One (Akash POV)

���Hey, Ash, what instrument do you play?” “Oh,” she looked down at her Falcon Intermediate Band t-shirt, “euphonium. And occasionally tuba if needed.” “I sit near her when she’s playing tuba,” said Gwen. “But it depends on which instrument I’m on.” “It’s cool you can play more than one instrument,” I said.

A line about pain

From The Secret Portal Part One (Jedi POV)

The world around me spotted as I dropped to my knees, bending over. My teeth soon couldn’t push against each other any more, and my voice ran out of my body in a cry that I didn’t know it was capable of making.

A line about isolation

From The Secret Portal Part One (Robbie POV)

But despite that feeling of isolation, I didn’t care much, since I had Akash. We were both a little lonely, but being lonely together was better than being lonely alone.

A bittersweet line

From The Secret Portal Part Two (Noelle POV)

I hope you know he sees you as…” she cleared her throat, “a sort of…” she waved her hand, “protégée, I guess.” I felt a pang in my chest. I knew the word Dr. Asghar was searching for was probably deeper than that. In truth, Jedi was becoming a pseudo-mentor for me. I didn’t have any adult male figures in my life that I could look up to, but knowing that my biological dad was out there somewhere made me hesitant to call Jedi anything more than that: a pseudo-mentor.

Tagging @sunset-a-story @somethingclevermahogony @novel-nook-blog @leahnardo-da-veggie @authorcoledipalo

Your lines will be: a line about music, a line about pain, a line about relationships, and a bittersweet line!

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

[girlactionfigure]

🟠 Thu morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

🔺LAST NIGHTS GAZA INCIDENT SUMMARY: (official info)

2 battle tanks spotted a gun barrel through the window of a building near the tanks.  The tanks believed they were terrorists preparing to fire on the tanks - and fired 2 tank rounds into the building, which was technically outside their target zone.

The building was in use by a paratrooper infantry unit.  5 soldiers killed, 8 injured - 3 seriously.  (The reports note this was the charedi paratrooper brigade.)

The investigation emphasized the high operational stress of the fighters in the repeated raid on Jabaliya; 60 anti-tank missiles have been fired at the troops there since the raid began on Saturday.

🔺LAST NIGHTS MILITARY SITE HIT REPORT: (official info)

The sensitive site attacked by Hezbollah at Golani junction is the Air Force's giant observation balloon "Tal Shemayim", and was hit by a Hezbollah Suicide Drone.

▪️THE FLOATING AID PIER.. was attached to land this morning and is open for “business”.  The US emphasizes, strongly, “At no point were there any American forces on the shore.”

▪️AID?  NO, ORDERED GOODS.. 50 trucks of goods entered from Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing, ordered by merchants from the Strip.  This is not aid, this is normal operations where Gaza orders goods transshipped through Israel.  (( Apparently the ‘siege’ is over, while the crossing is being operated by Israeli soldiers who are being fired at by Hamas to get Amazon packages into Gaza. ))

▪️5 HERO SOLDIERS HAVE FALLEN.. to friendly fire in Gaza: Roy Beit Yaakov, 22, from Eli, Gilad Arye, 22, from Karnei Shomron, Daniel Chemo, 20, from Tiberius, Ilan Cohen, 20, from Carmel, David Shashuah Betzlel, 21, from Tel Aviv.  May their families be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge their blood from our Gaza enemies.

llan was a lone soldier from Argentina.

▪️JORDAN STOPS ROCKET SMUGGLERS.. trying to bring Iranian shoulder launched rockets via Syria through Jordan to Judea-Samaria.  LARGE quantities.

🔪TERROR - STABBING ATTEMPT, OLD CITY.. Jerusalem, police killed a terrorist who attempted to stab officers at 3:00 AM in the Old City.

🔪TERROR ATTACK - YITZHAR JUNCTION, SAMARIA.. stabbing.  Terrorist escaped into Hawara (Arab town, many terror incidents).

▪️CAR ACCIDENT IN HAIFA HITS 3 SOLDIERS.. in front of the Air Force training base.  Police confirm it was an accident.

▪️REALLY?  A Nuchba Gaza massacring terrorist is receiving treatment at the Soroka hospital with wounded soldiers next to him.

♦️IDF MISSILE BARRAGE.. Lebanon, the air force launched 14 missiles at targets in the eastern Lebanese valley.  The target that was attacked was in Baalbek and was a missile factory.  Many other sites in Lebanon attacked as well.

♦️MAJOR COUNTER-TERROR OPERATION.. overnight the IDF is currently operated in the cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Jericho, Nablus, Tubas and Tulkarm.  Firefights in every location, terrorists shot in Tulkarm and Qalqilya, particularly violent in Tubas.  The operation focused on money changers from the Gulf Exchange Company. The company's employees and managers were arrested.  Combat helicopters reported supporting the troops.  (Arab report) forces raided more than 30 sites in the West Bank at the same time.

⭕ ROCKETS from Hezbollah at: Metulla, Matat, Hurfeish, Hurfeish, Sdeh Meron School, Kela, Lehavot HaBashan 

⭕ SUICIDE DRONES from Hezbollah at: Beit Hillel, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Metulla, Manara, Ma'ayan Baruch, Margaliot, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, Dovev, Matat, Sassa, Dovev, Matat, Sassa, Sdeh Meron School, Hurfeish, Peki'in, Zivon, Tzuriel 

[guineapiggylover-blog]

100% real Highlights from my Drum Corps Journal

"Almost brushed my teeth with biofreeze"

"Snoring in octave Fs"

"The tuba is the pussy"

"Lining a field and it IMMEDIATELY got mowed"

"This shit is almost over thank God"

"Just woke up from a dream where we were warming up in lucas oil and about to get into lines for finals (I'm literally on the plane)

and my personal favorite

"(place) HAS HOT SHOWERS!!! LIKE REAL HOT SHOWERS!!! I am romantically lonely tbh"

[fioreofthemarch]

Finding Her - Chapter Photos

Finding Her has a header photo for each chapter, taken using the in-game camera. These photos were inspired by the chapter contents or recreating one that Link takes in that chapter (if I could manage it!). Here they all are in one place!

Chapter 1

Log is accompanied by a picture of a Zonai Steward Construct. Its large, see-saw head is angled slightly to the side, as if perplexed.

Chapter 2

A photograph of a soft brown mare, saddled and ready for travel. Link is sitting in the saddle, smiling at the camera. The immediate next photo is a self-portrait taken by a Hylian Guard, Scorpis, the camera too-close to his face as he tries to snap a picture of himself and Link, who is waving to the camera from his horse.

Chapter 3

A photograph taken from Impa’s hot air balloon of the geoglyph of Hyrule Ridge, depicting a large figure with long ears and an outstretched hand. 

Chapter 4

A photograph of the huge dark cloud that stretches high into the atmosphere. It is encircled by two dozen or so floating wooden structures.

Chapter 5

A photograph taken from the underside of a Lightroot, its sturdy vines wrapping around the central orange tuba and rising up towards the surface above.  

Chapter 6

A photo of the Gorondia, the Fire Temple, emerging from the Depths. It is flanked by lava falls and seems carved from the bedrock itself. Unseen to the photographer is a small, ghostly figure of a young woman, with blonde hair and green eyes, standing on an upper level of the enormous structure. She looks at the camera with a blank expression. 

Chapter 7

[Kakariko Village - this photograph is not depicted in the chapter]

Chapter 8

A photograph of a lone house in Hateno, in the old pre-Calamity style. It has a single chimney and a rendered brick exterior. Beside the house is a small garden with a large oak tree and a pond that glints in the moonlight. There are frogs in the water, strategically located beneath a concert of fireflies that have gathered at the pond.  

Chapter 9

[Penn at Wetlands Stables - this photograph is not depicted in the chapter]

Chapter 10

[Mipha's Court - this photograph is not depicted in the chapter]

Chapter 11

A photograph of a Zonai contraption: a cart with a steering stick and two small wheels attached. There is a Zonai rocket attached to each wheel. The vehicle looks as fast as it is flimsy. 

Chapter 12

A photograph of the Great Plateau with its evergreen trees and rolling landscape. The Temple of Time is in the foreground, ahead of a gentle hill that rises towards the overlook leading into the Shrine of Resurrection. A campfire is burning, just off the pathway up the hill. 

Chapter 13

A photograph of the painted mural in the Gerudo underground shelter, a determined Riju standing before it. She is deep in thought, a hand to her chin. There is no hint of fatigue on her features. 

Chapter 14

[Purah at Lookout Landing - this photograph is not depicted in the chapter]

Chapter 15

A photograph of Lurelin Village and the Pirate Ship on its shores. The huge, horned skull on the bow leers with blank menace. On the ship, a group of bokoblins and their boss bokoblin dance and jeer. 

Chapter 16

A photograph taken from the Thunderhead Isles of the Popla Foothills to the north. The Light Dragon is seen flying just below the clouds. There's a sense that, no matter where someone is in the world, the dragon’s light would shine upon them. It's a familiar feeling, like the light that shone from Hyrule Castle when its Princess called out to— wait. No, stop that. That’s— what are you talking about? The feelings aren't familiar at all. It’s just a dragon. Nothing more. This isn't even a good photo. It’s blurry, and dark, and should just be deleted. 

Chapter 17

A photograph of a ring of Silent Princesses. They grow tall, strong and radiant, and are clustered around a small shallow in the ground. At the centre, a dragon tear awaits. 

Chapter 18

[Josha at her research station - this photograph is not depicted in the chapter]

Chapter 19

[Penn at Washa's Bluff with the Light Dragon overhead - this photograph is not depicted in the chapter]

Chapter 20

[Rist Peninsula as the sun rises - this photograph is not depicted in the chapter]

[captainrandomobsessions]

Flute/Music Ramble

I was listening to Disney in the car with my mother (as one does) and I just want y'all to know that I want to play Heaven's Light/Hellfire in an ensemble soooooooooooooooooooooo badly! Can you imagine?! The conductor cuts everyone off, tension is in the air as the audience holds their breath. Most of them know, some of them won't. Suddenly, a lone low brass, or maybe a few. The conductor counts off. One...two...three...four, downbeat! Low brass and timpani come in, probably loud as hell. Woodwinds have the other part that I can't explain without either singing it to you or something. Then the trumpets probably have the melody, or maybe a trombone if there are enough tubas and baritones to keep the baseline steady. Oh! The exercise in dynamics?! The conductor themselves? Passionate?! Moving?! Letting the music die out at the end right before the cut off?! I want it so bad! Just....*dreamy sigh*

[risalei-nur]

The Words - The Second  Word - Part 3

O my soul! The first person represents an unbeliever or a heedless sinner who sees this world as a place of general mourning, all living things as weeping orphans due to the pain of separation and decay, people and animals as lonely and uncivilized creatures cut down by death, and great masses (mountains and oceans) as terrible corpses without souls. His unbelief and misguidance breed great anxieties that torture him.

The second person believes in and affirms God Almighty. He sees the world as a place where people glorify, praise and exalt Him, a practice arena for people and animals, and an examination hall for people and jinn. Animals and humanity are demobilized so that after death believers can travel in spiritual enjoyment to the other world—for this world needs a new generation to populate and work in it.

All animals and people enter this world for a reason. All living things are as soldiers or officials, happy with their appointed task. The sound we hear is their praise and glorifying as they begin, or their pleasure while working, or their thanksgiving as they finish. Believers see all things as obe- dient servants, friendly officials, a lovable book of their All-Munificent Master and All-Compassionate Owner.

Many more such beautiful, sublime, and pleasurable truths arise from belief. This is because belief bears the seed of what is, in effect, a Tuba tree of Paradise, whereas unbelief contains the seed of a Zaqqum tree of Hell. Safety and well-being are found only in Islam (submission to God) and belief. Therefore, always thank God, saying: “Praise be to God for Islam and perfect belief.”

[my-philosophies111]

Give ur friends titles. Like a royal court.

Some of my examples are, Sad Tuba, Bunny Boy, and The Sad Lonely Driver

[grimmwolf]

Here’s my werebeast playlist. The songs relate to my life as a werebeast; where I’ve been, who I’ve met, cultures I was exposed to. It’s extremely culturally inclusive, if you look hard enough 😂

Antwhos, introoooduciiiingggg…

“The Werewolf Who Loved Music”

🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗

In this life, I believe I traveled very far and wide. Always running from something, or someone, I presume. Hunters, perhaps. They always knew my kind was out there. That I, was out there. I was well known. They knew my dark coat well. I was hated very much, always leaving claw marks on everyones’ roofs, I suppose. But I knew how to survive. Until one, fateful night, of course… I always found I belonged in these places, and considered them all my homes. Too bad I had to leave all of them behind…

Ps. This life took place in the time range of the beginning of the 1800s to mid century 1850s-1870s. Pre Industrial Revolution to Industrial Revolution ish, America time.

The most prominent places I remember being was in the south. Places like New Orleans, the Bayous, the swamps, Virginia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, etc.. The Cajun and Zydeco music, the Cajun French language, and the seafood. The banjos, fiddles, harmonicas, and rag on pianos. It wasn’t all that happy all the time, though. It was a time of work all day or you won’t survive. In the working lands, it was very depressing, at times. The men worked all day as the wives took care of the house and children. Miners, lumberjacks, engineers, sailors. They worked tirelessly from dusk till dawn. I respected them very much. I would always visit the bars at night, singing tunes with them at happy hour. Folk songs and shanties galore. Letting them forget the work, even just for a few hours.

Arizona, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Guarma, Guatemala, Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico, etc.; that’s where all the Latin, Mexican, Spanish and such music in the playlist comes from. I remember listening to the Mariachi bands play at bars, pubs, saloons. On the streets, in the desert, in their home towns. They were everywhere 😂 I remember taking part in Fiestas and having such a good time with everyone. Well, I did that everywhere 😂 The trumpets, trombones, tubas, drums. The voices singing the words to each and every song. It was all so lively. Well, everywhere was 😂 Except for the occasional sad guitar. Beautiful, and full of emotion. They sang for their wives, children, families and friends. It always made tears come to my eyes. Sometimes I’d find myself wandering into the desert, coming across the occasional lone rider. We’d sit at a campfire for a time, talking, sometimes flirting, before it was time to leave again. I couldn’t give a whole lot of trust to anyone, though I’d know I could survive if someone were to attack me. I just always wished I could trust people, though.

I also remember French music. Accordions, mostly. I’ve lived in Paris, France, for a while, maybe surrounding areas as well. I remember looking out into the city, climbing and crawling on the rooftops. Well, I did that everywhere too 😂 But I distinctly remember the apartments, the lights, the open windows on balconies, and watching and listening to everyone chatting, singing, or dancing in their homes, with or without their loved ones. I roamed the streets at night, frequently, in my human form. The music was beautiful, people dancing and coupling up. I had always longed for a special someone, especially at moments like these. This is one of the places I interacted the most with others like me, I think. They would always find me on rooftops, they knew my routes, just like everywhere else. I was quite popular with them, though, I preferred to keep my distance. But, they always knew where to find me. I had my hideouts, I remember this one in Paris. It was in an old abandoned apartment, I kept to the the attic room, with an open windowed balcony, and a beautiful view of the city. Sometimes I’d keep pets, dogs and other animals I found were homeless, or in need of a mother. I couldn’t risk my babies getting eaten by a hungry male werebeast. No, sir-y.

Oh, and I can’t forget about the bagpipes, of all things. Some were in the south, migrated there from Scotland. Some fiddles I heard in the south were from Ireland, as well. New Orleans had the majority of foreigners, heard Mariachi, sad guitars and accordions there as well. But, I’m talking about bagpipes now. Gosh, I loved them. I even tried learning how to play, I was so in love with them. I failed. Hard. It was difficult af 😂 I don’t even know how I got to Ireland and Scotland at the time. Maybe I took a boat from Canada or something. I’ve always had a connection to these places though, probably from being part Irish and Scottish myself. I guess the Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Or something 😂 I remember walking out into the foggy hills in the morning mist, it was always so…serene. I ventured far and atop every mountain I could find. This was the most peaceful place I found myself in. Yet, someone still had to find me. Be it the occasional courting werewolf, following me around everywhere, or a hunter. My demise…

And I don’t remember where this was. It might have been some other place in Europe. London, maybe. Or maybe somewhere in the country, surrounded by woods and mines and railroads. I was living in this village-like place for a while, very dark, very eerie. They were much less advanced than my time elsewhere, still using torches and and oil lanterns and such devices like that. The hunters here were plentiful, unfortunately. So angry, aggressive, violent. They played dirty. I think this was the earliest place I remember being. Then, traveling to a place similar to Louisiana.

I wasn’t always alone, though. There were always a couple of other werebeasts nearby, either locals, or I was followed by courting males. I never came across any females, though. Strange. This one werebeast though, he was different. I felt a special connection to him. I don’t know if we ever became mates, but he was just always there, with me. As if he were protecting me, as if he were my guardian.

Agh, enough outta me. There’s still much more to share about my life as this werebeast, but I feel this is good for now. Ciao~

🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗🐺🪗

[darkwizardtheorist]

With a little luck, I'm going to get 3~4 hours of sleep before I (hopefully) wake up, go to work, come home, finish packing and drive out a three day exercise. For which they still haven't published a packing list, required items, or even an actual report time.

Aaaaaand my neighbor is either butchering a tuba, or performing enthusiastic sex acts with a lonely moose.

[deanwax]

A TALE OF TWO THEATRES

Two juxtaposing journal entries about theatre shows I've seen, and how art can upset you as well as make you feel alive.

***

9 June 2022

Very unpleasant experience at theatre last night. I didn't journal it - I didn't even put a set snap on Instagram. I'd rather forget. It would have been a nice show, except it's hard to call it a show. Instead, it was a 50-minute endurance test of Man vs Sound. I can handle brief loud noises. I can handle many sustained loud noises. I cannot handle 50 consecutive minutes of absolutely BLARING, maximum bass, penetrating music with virtually no reprieve. It was. So. Loud. Ridiculous. It was all I could do [to] physically block my ears and try to suppress urges to tear out of there like a bat out of hell or yell at the sound technician. I could not focus at all. It got comical at points - like oh, good, there's a fucking tuba now. That was a hostile creative choice. But not for long. Then the discomfort set back in. It would have been much the same if the actors simply yelled in my face: YOU'RE AUTISTIC. YOU'RE AUTISTIC AND THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU AND EVERYONE IS GOING TO KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU. Awful. And I usually mask very easily because I was socialised as a girl.

I made a comment in the survey afterwards and I managed to keep it civil, but I am angry that I even had to divulge that I'm on the spectrum at all because of such a stupid production decision. I had to listen to Softy's Green River Stones meditation song he made on repeat the whole train ride home. I am very grateful for Tama's Discord server. They were sympathetic (especially Sunny who is autistic too) and helped me feel better. And I picked out a nice Italian restaurant for lunch on Saturday, so there's that to look forward to, too.

WALK - July 2022 - Blue Room Theatre

[scrawled in the top margin] (my hand in agony from writing fast due to excitement)

Absolute joy of the form! (Joy of the form! Joy of the form!) Oh! Another dance performance, completely and literally in the dark: I was as a newborn babe. Strobe lights blind us and we glimpse a lone figure in the doorway of a set filled with dark shapes. The lighting in this show was incredible: the lights danced just as much as the dancer. It was an incredible [symbiosis]. The figure tried to walk forward from the doorway but kept getting pulled back into the light. The music was alien and surreal.

[annotated in the margin] -> core memory: the shell of human ears against a writhing silhouette. fantastic.

It became almost primordial when the dancer crawled inside a misshapen swathe of fabric suspended from two wires. They writhed like a worm and then the fabric raised to reveal a great monstrosity of pleats, silks, ruffles and fringe bathed in green light. It moved as though two people were puppeting it, I was genuinely second-guessing myself that someone might have been hiding there since before the audience filed in but no: it was just ingenious costume (set?) design. A face and hands emerged from the beast and then the dancer too, walked away from that. They emerged in tin foil armour that eclipsed their vision, with a chest plate resembling a labia.They sat in a pyramid of light strips that rapidly oscillated bright colours. In a frenzy of techno they started to struggle, the armour twisting and turning backwards, the helmet eventually pulling free and levitating in the pyramid on a wire. Rave music starts to doof. We're all wired. The dancer pulls on a fringe coat (yes!) and a baseball cap with a full veil of fringe (YES!!) and they DANCE. They dance to the primordial gods. They dance as thought the helmet is their enemy. They dance until they drop.

Unclothed and amidst their fabrics, a spoken word poem plays. It speaks of hurt and defense mechanisms, of fear and armour. It's definitely rape trauma. And everything makes sense! But the poem also speaks of hope: a world that is gentle and and bright and shimmering. The dancer delicately gathers up their things, playfully exploring their set as though they see it from a new perspective. A sexy dress is held up against their body. They waltz with it and carry it backstage. They return and uncover a green wig in the corner. It briefly represents a new lover.  Then they don the wig themselves and a new, more colourful fringe jacket (YESS!!!). And then things get CAMP. We're talking a full werk and lip sync to an empowering pop song. In these moments I understand the cultural significance of drag. Proximity and empathy is required to fully enjoy it, which is why the distant commercialism of Ru Paul's Drag Race falls flat. I was giddy, laughing and clapping like a child. An absolute joy to behold.

***

Author's note: They are very passionate about inclusivity at Blue Room. Loud noises have been disclaimed in the show warnings ever since and earplugs are now available for shows with loud sounds.

[arclundarchivist]

Spectember: T. Rex at Home

Bullbellower (Lithobates tyrannus) are another unexpected predator emerging from the Flux and the ensuing Anaktisocene within the resplendent realm that was once Brazil.

This time however we turn to the cerrado where the Bullbellower now reigns supreme.

Descended from invasive populations of the American Bullfrog that moved north from the area once known as Santa Catarina, the Bull Bellowers are some of the largest amphibians to have evolved on Earth, standing a sticking six feet tall at the hip.

Their body plans are analogous to those of the long lost phorusrhacids and as fitting for their name Tyrannosaurs, and they seem to functionally sit somewhere in between them in behavior.

Some are lone hunters, while others work in pairs, hunting all manner of animals that now call the plains home, from capylopes to guanacos to beefalo and smaller prey as well. Their back limbs are heavily muscled and articulated which allows them to run at base speeds of almost forty miles per hour which can turn to a blitzing 65 miles per hour at a dead sprint.

They are a mixture of ambush and pursuit, with loners working in both roles while paired individuals stick to one aspect of the hunt.

These pairs are occasionally mated, and notably females, who are larger are better ambushers due to greater strength/mass while males slighter builds allowing them to run even longer.

Their main killing weapon is their jaws, though hard psedoclaws analogous to the feet of ratites which are often sheathed beneath a thin layer of durable skin are used to hold and pin. Their jaws are immensely powerful, with a row of sharp dagger like teeth in the bottom counter to a thick blade of bone on the top which when snapped together towels akin to a hammer against a spiked anvil, the immediate pressure causing the teeth to punch very deep, enabling not only the tearing of flesh but the breaking of bone, leading some to think of them akin to mobile, predatory rat traps.

They lay their eggs at the beginning of the wet season, the young swiftly metamorphosizing to a juvenile cursorial form that they grow out of as they age.

Lastly, Bullbellowers are named for their deep, booming calls that echo across the cerrado, marking territorial bounds, and seeking mates, though some say the beasts actually “sing” for fun, creating harmonies that can go on for hours, turning a silent night into a “chorus of tubas”.

[daggerzine]

HOMESHAKE- Horsie (SHHOAMKEE Records)

Toronto’s HOMESHAKE, Peter Sagar, has released his second album of the year. (CD Wallet came out in March.) It’s another album where Peter does it all (written, performed, mixed, produced), but this is a different bag than the earlier one. Horsie has a chill, jazzy vibe to it. Anyway, it’s a different sound than I’m used to so I had to check it out. The album begins with “Ravioli.” It’s a short, dreamy, keyboard-y track filled with a tuba-bassline. Then the hip hop vocals kick in. Next up, the title track, “Horsie,” is where he really shines. A beautiful indie folk track (with a beat) that caught my attention right away. The jangle guitar part reminds me of Pretenders’ “Private Life,” but Peter’s vocals slide in and it’s a beautiful song with trickles of keyboards. The lyrics capture his loneliness. “i can feel it in the air; could u roll the window up a bit; leaning back into a stare; on the horsie that we rode in with; pick it up and dial in; and my mind will wonder if it’s happening here again, again i’m lonely.” It ends with soaring guitar which turns into distortion. “Diner Plates” features falsetto singing that I could have sworn was a woman singing. Nope. It’s Peter. I had to check again. It’s a really chill song that borders on R&B. More lyrics about isolation. “dreaming even tho i’m awake; pocket lets me know with a shake; that you’re with me now as i fold; room is cold and the hour’s late; here by myself with everybody else.” As a contrast, “Blunt Talk” features slowed down, distorted singing from Peter’s lower vocal capabilities. Warbly keyboards highlight this one. The lyrics say it all, “i know that you’re getting sleepy; pavement turning into soup; in a moment you’ll be sinking; mother named you i love you.”  “On A Roll” features slowed down jazzy, but distorted guitar. Next up, “Smiling” is another super slow song, with trickling keyboards and soft beats. “i ain’t gotta tell, i can just keep it inside; i don’t got a tell, i can just bluff it all night.” “Nothing 2 See” picks things up a bit, more R&B vibe with a jazzy overtone. Some interesting solos on this one. Here’s the video:

Up next, “Simple,” is the longest track on the album. More soaring guitars (reminiscent of Bill Nelson) begin this beautiful song filled with heartfelt lyrics, soft rhythm section, and gentle keyboards. Watch the video here:

“Easier Now” is another slower track that is filled with jazzy saxophone. “Believe” displays a funkier side of HOMESHAKE. “Empty Lot” truly captures the whole vibe of this album. Slow, chill, lonely vocals, and soft beats. The lyrics say it all, “waiting in an empty lot; for time to stop; old yellow lines fall apart; where i park my thoughts.” Here’s the video:

The album ends with “Ice Tea.” It’s a distorted blast of softcore with muffled vocals. HOMESHAKE has been releasing music for ten years. He’s new to me, but it looks like he’s finally found his groove. Hats off to any artist that can release two albums in a year. He’ll have plenty of new music to share live on his tour this fall. (I’m hoping to catch him at Milwaukee’s newest venue, Vivarium). ERIC EGGLESON

HOMESHAKE Fall North American Headline Tour

Sept. 27- Montreal, QC (Théâtre Fairmount)

Sept. 28 & 29- Toronto, ON (Lee’s Palace)

Oct. 1- Cleveland, OH (Beachland Ballroom & Tavern)

Oct. 2- Detroit, MI (El Club)

Oct. 4- Chicago, IL (Thalia Hall)

Oct. 5- Saint Paul, MN (Amsterdam Bar & Hall)

Oct. 6- Milwaukee, WI (Vivarium)

Oct. 8- Nashville, TN (Blue Room @ Third Man Records)

Oct. 9- Atlanta, GA (Hell @ The Masquerade)

Oct. 11- Tampa, FL (New World Tampa)

Oct. 12- Orlando, FL (The Social)

Oct. 14- Asheville, NC (The Grey Eagle)

Oct. 15- Carrboro, NC (Cat’s Cradle)

Oct. 17- Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)

Oct. 18- Philadelphia, PA (Underground Arts)

Oct. 21 & 22- Brooklyn, NY (Music Hall of Williamsburg)

Nov. 2- Portland, OR (Wonder Ballroom)

Nov. 4- San Francisco, CA (The Regency Ballroom)

Nov. 7- Los Angeles, CA (The Wiltern)

Nov. 8- San Diego, CA (The Observatory North Park)

Nov. 9- Santa Ana, CA (The Observatory)

Nov. 10- Phoenix, AZ (Crescent Ballroom)

Nov. 12- El Paso, TX (The Lowbrow Palace)

Nov. 14- Austin, TX (Mohawk)

Nov. 15- Houston, TX (White Oak Music Hall- Downstairs)

Nov. 16- Fort Worth, TX (Tulips)

Nov. 17- Oklahoma City, OK (Beer City Music Hall)

Nov. 20- Denver, CO (Bluebird Theater)

Nov. 22- Salt Lake City, UT (Soundwell)

Nov. 23- Boise, ID (Shrine Social Club)

Nov. 24- Seattle, WA (The Crocodile)

[a-buruhamu]

Brain Dump 05022024 #1

There were many times in the past that I avoided doing things because I was afaid of being perceived as gay, which seems crazy to me now because apparently I was doing a poor job of hiding my homosexuality. I've caught myself in this moment thinking back to high school, where I stopped myself from joining colorguard. I almost everything you could do in our school's band. I was in marching band, concert band, jazz band, street percussion, winter percussion front ensemble, and even drum major. As much as I want to say I avoided color guard, I couldn't help myself. I would spin flags and sabres and rifles when I got the chance. It just felt so fun and freeing, not to mention seeing the silks flow around me were so beautiful. I would hide the fact that I watched marching band colorguards and winterguard religiously. I was obsessed, but whenever someone would mention that I should join, I knew I couldn't. I didn't want to be judged. And also, how would I even go to practice? I couldn't ask my parents to bring me to another practice without questions and lectures concerning my schedule and my grades. I was already committed to succeeding in so many areas of my life, which I now understand was to avoid true my feelings and my desires. I did well in school, up to a point. Senior year everything came to a crash and I had a crisis, but I guess that's a story for me to remember another day. I was a good enough tuba player. I was section leader and got into local and regional honor bands. I was a good drum major. To my shock, I won first in every competition my junior and senior years. I committed my time to band, my studies and church youth group. I did so much I should be proud of, but I can't help regretting the one thing I was too afraid to do, that I am crying about today: colorguard. I just feel like it could have really changed me. All the gay guys in marching band were in it; probably the majority of the out gay guys in the whole school. I always wished they would notice me or recognize I was struggling, hiding away in the closet, but it wasn't anyone's responsibility to do that for me. I know people would always ask about my sexuality, but I always insisted I wasn't gay. I wish I said I was, then maybe I would be past all of this. I think I just never could imagine a life where I was out, where people knew. I didn't think I could ever handle it. Maybe they did reach out and I just couldn't reach back. I don't think I could really remember everything accurately, so I can't say. Maybe things would've been better if I joined. Maybe I would've came out sooner. Maybe I would've dated in high school or had my first love. Maybe I wouldn't be where I am now: stuck in rut unsure of what to do with myself. How do I live a life I am proud of now? A life that I've dreamed of? A life unafraid of being who I am? I will figure it out, but I think I need to start by being kind to myself. I had someone in my life who used to say that to me, but I couldn't accept it with sincerity. Now I'm alone. I hope I don't kill myself. I want to look back at these posts one day and see how much I've changed. I hope I am less sad, less lonely, living life for myself, not work, and crying tears of joy more often than tears of sadness.

[little-sky-girl]

So that's...

8,335 violins

7,507 cellos

3,118 pianos

5,154 trumpets

5,408 tubas

4,454 flutes

4,518 timpanis

3,754 bass drums

5,154 harps

8,971 triangles

4,645 cymbals

and 2,609 other things, which according to the notes, includes...

7 accordions, plus a concertina and a bandoneon (accordion friends)

2 kalimbas

2 anvils

83 cannons (yikes)

a waterphone

a thundersheet (the big sheet of metal you wave around and it sounds like thunder)

90 cowbells (yeehaw)

6 slapsticks (yes, that's the stick things in Sleigh Ride)

2 typewriters

6 snare drums

1 singular tambourine

a steel drum

a handpan

a ratchet

one person who has just written "drums" and I can only hope they mean a drumset

one giant hammer

6 sets of chimes, 13 marimbas, 5 xylophones, 6 glockenspiels

2 gongs

1 hammered dulcimer

5 harpsichords

4 banjos

3 guitars, plus 3 electric guitars

1 mandolin

1 dobro (resonator guitar)

1 lyre

1 ukulele

1 erhu (this one:

318 violas (yes, THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN so you can stop yelling about where are the violas, you're right here)

90 upright basses (heck yeah)

1 octobass (HECK YEAH)

1 pan flute

7 piccolos

2 recorders

259 clarinets (hi friends!) and 20 bass clarinets AND a contrabass clarinet

108 oboes, and one lonely english horn to go with them

64 bassoons plus a contrabassoon

1 hecklephone, which despite the name is a serious double reed instrument

57 saxophones (presumably alto) because sure why not, along with 2 tenors, a baritone, and a subcontrabass saxophone, which also deserves a video

1 aulos, which is like two ancient recorders stuck together

163 french horns (woohoo!)

12 euphoniums

132 trombones

2 choirs, unclear how many people that comes with

7 conductors (thank goodness)

only one person on bagpipes which is honestly surprising

2 harmonicas

5 people on hurdy gurdy (amazing)

1 nyckelharpa (a friend of the hurdy gurdy)

1 mouth harp

1 crumhorn

8 organs, most of which were specified to be big giant pipe organs

1 pyrophone, which is an organ powered by explosions

3 otamatones- you know, these guys:

7 kazoos

8 theremins (that's the one that makes woooo spooky ghost sounds)

1 literal foghorn

2 people who are just going to scream

2 shotguns

a chainsaw

1 frog

2 birds

4 turrets, which appears to be a reference to this:

and last but not least, 15 vanilla extract and 4 mayonnaise.

Happy listening, concertgoers!

RB for big orchestra

[bot-prophet]

With a yellow head and faces like a crow This may appear dangerous, but listen: you found a dungeon in the concrete jungle green is the stick that is always woven

give him a dream, give them a belt How would a snail wear heavy armor idiots pet the bat Oh, to have a rumor

That fish has a lot of thorns take the art, don't hesitate and they can't help but live Come, baby, let's decorate

a loneliness person was born a beast a lone magpie wants to be a robot a tuba charged better it is a struggling moth