#The National Band Merchandise

[thenationalmerch1]

The National Merch

Formed in 1999, The National is an American rock band with its roots in Cincinnati, Ohio, although they found their initial footing in Brooklyn, New York City. The band comprises a talented ensemble featuring lead vocalist Matt Berninger, alongside twin brothers Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, as well as brothers Scott Devendorf and Bryan Devendorf. Their unique blend of alternative rock has carved out a niche in the music scene over the years. Buy The National Merch Here! #thenationalmerch #thenationalmerchandise

The National Merchandise The National Band Merch The National Band Merchandise The National Merch Europe The National Merch Uk The National Merch Store The National Tour Merch The National Merch Aus Official The National Merch Store New The National Merch Shop The National Merch 2024 The National Merch Long Sleeve The National Merch Women's Tee The National Merch Hoodie The National Merch T Shirt The National Merch Shirt

[creativity-island]

Belizean Flag Scrunchie

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[yuikomorii]

What is a IT boy and why do some people call Ayato like that? Is it a joke or?

// At first I considered it a joke but now that I think about it… Ayato being the IT boy of otome games makes so much sense?? xD

Ayato's design is regarded as perfect in the Japanese otoge and DL communities because he most closely resembles the beauty standards. He is known as "Dialovers' best visual," and his face is so loved that many people only bought DL because of it. Certain otome game lovers who aren't even into DL will buy his merchandise just for his appearance.

You can't get away from him, and these photos speak for themselves. (1)

He's somewhat of a trend setter, lol. Of course, these love interests aren't carbon copies, but it’s obvious that they were inspired by Ayato. (2)

IMPACT (most important part)

In 2020, according to jnetz, Ayato was the fans’ top choice and Rejet Fest was taking place, therefore he was invited to “Nino-san”, a TV show hosted by Kazunari Ninomiya, a famous idol of the ARASHI boy band. His appearance there stunned everyone and quickly went very viral.

It was also interesting to see how everyone knew who Ayato was outside of the DL fandom from the individuals who commented to Kazunari Ninomiya because I doubt a 39-year-old idol with such a busy schedule would have time to play vampire otome games, lol.

When the interviewee saw him, she was taken aback and admitted being a fan. Even Rejet was surprised to find Ayato there, haha.

But, yes, this day was truly legendary because it was the first time an otome game character co-starred in a TV show, with a national idol on top.

Here you have a few reactions, including Rejet’s post:

I honestly feel like Ayato got the biggest Japanese “solo” fanbase because I swear, everyone who isn’t directly involved in the DL fandom, seems to somehow be an Ayato stan; I guess these are IT boy things. :P

Also, I dedicate this post to @summercreolefanfictioner because she’s an Ayato IT boy supremacist. 🥰🥰

[siriusist]

Cool Heritage/Family Facts about Band of Brothers Characters:

George Luz had Portugese-descended parents and nine siblings.

Darrell "Shifty" Powers had Indigenous heritage.

Eugene Roe was Cajun, as shown in the show, but his early life was most likely more interesting than we know. Historical records say Eugene was born in 1922 in Bayou Chene (translated from French as Oak Bayou), which was a small, unincorporated community located in the Atchafalaya Basin, which is the largest swamplands in the United States.

Bayou Chene was a community settled in the 1830s, located approximately 40 miles north of Morgan City, Louisiana. The U.S. post office was established there in 1858. The settlers there ran a church, a school, a merchandise store and the post office, which were all located on the bayou. In the 1920s it had approximately 500 residents, most of whom had lived there for generations after settling there from other communities both within and outside of Louisiana. They were swampers, lumberjacks, trappers, farmers, fishermen and moss pickers.

Despite occasional flooding, Bayou Chene thrived until the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 destroyed much of the community. This would have been when Eugene Roe was five years old.

The community rebuilt but declined after construction of the Atchafalaya Spillway levees and dredging of river channels caused repeated flooding of the community. While we know the Roes at one time relocated to Morgan City (Most likely due to the flooding), what used to be Bayou Chene now no longer exists, and now lies under 12 feet of silt. So when we talk about Eugene being bayou, the man was BAYOU.

Ronald Spiers was actually born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Lewis Nixon's mother, Doris Ryer Nixon, was an American civic leader, particularly on the home front during World War II. She became a national vice-president of the American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS) during the war. The AWVS was a key organization for coordinating volunteer activities in support of the war effort. She had founded the California chapter, and had served as its first president.

She was also the founder and president of Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., and state commander of the California Cancer Society.

The reason Joseph Liebgott was good at haircuts was because his father was a barber. He also spoke the Austrian dialect of German, which was often confused with Yiddish by other military members.

[sterekotypes]

Okay I fucked up because I know I’m supposed to be working on my WIPS but I can’t stop thinking about delinquent Eli getting in so much trouble that the Sheriff can’t help him get out of it.

Then Eli gets put on parole with court-mandated community service and therapy. Somehow, Eli gets Stiles as a therapist and he doesn’t notice his new therapist and his single father making goo goo eyes at each other.

In fact, it takes five months before Eli catches them all over each other. And god, Eli was an idiot to think Stiles was there to help him. When he thinks back on it, it was so obvious that Stiles was just thirsting after his dad. That Stiles was just using him to get to his dad.

Maybe he didn’t give it much attention because it’s not like his dad ever fell for antics of horny PTA moms and slutty soccer dads. Maybe he didn’t expect his father to betray him with the only person who actually heard him when he spoke. Who didn’t lecture him over every little thing. Who didn’t breathe down his neck because Eli was never going to be the golden boy his dad was as a kid.

Eli can’t even look at them. He rushes off into the preserve ignoring the rain and the thunder and the lightning because his internal storm is so much bigger and scarier. It may have been a couple hours or a few minutes when he hears a shout and a crash, and that’s Stiles who just fell and knocked himself out.

And shit. Eli drags Stiles to the hospital because even though Stiles is a betrayer - he can’t let Stiles die. And the nurses are looking at Eli with that look when he finally gets Stiles in the door.

It’s the same look the mall security had when he caught Eli with a pocket full of borrowed merchandise. Then he called the cops. It’s the same look the manager had when Eli was grinding the railing in front of Beacon Hills First National Bank with his skateboard . Then he called the cops. It’s the same look the old man had when he caught Eli spray painting a dick under the overpass. Then he called the cops.

The nurses called the cops. But he doesn’t see Sheriff Stilinski, just that Parrish asshole. And Parrish is too happy to throw Eli into a holding cell taunting him about how juvie should really straighten him out. And fuck. His dad is going to be so mad. So so mad. And while he’s waiting for his dad to show up all he can think is how did his dad ever get such a fuck up for a son.

So he’s not prepared when his dad shows up. He doesn’t mean to start crying but Jesus. It’s been a stressful night. And who cares if he’s crying?

Its 2023. It’s manly to cry now. 🙄

And his dad is arguing with Parrish about false imprisonment being a federal crime and if he wanted to his dad could sue this department so hard for violating Eli’s rights that he would own this place. All the while he’s dripping all over the floor of this rinky dinky fucking office.

And Eli just wants to get out! He’s already got to tell his Judas of a father that his Brutus boyfriend is unconscious and it’s Eli’s fault because he was looking for him and and and -

Eli collapses into Derek’s arms instead and mumbles his confessions into his dad’s shoulder. They load into the car and his dad tells him about his childhood. How Eli’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins all burned to death. How his dad blamed himself. How his dad had his own wild streak living in New York with Aunt Laura.

And New York? Hot-wiring cars? Drugs? Breaking into buildings? Aunt Laura? Leather jackets?

Eli tried to see the delinquent that his father described but none of it matched with the man who drove Eli to his first date. Or the man who always added a little note in Eli’s lunches. Or the man who gave Eli tickets to his favorite band for his birthday last year.

And he doesn’t have much time to unpack it, because his dad ruffles his hair and slides out of the car. All casual, like he didn’t say a series of some of the most insane things to ever be spoken in the span of 15 minutes.

Instead he follows his dad through the hospital until they get to Stiles. And from the doorway of the room, Eli sees Sheriff Stilinski, shaken. And he sees Stiles smile at his dad and his dad smile back and - alright his dad has never smiled like that at anyone.

Then Stiles looks at Eli and smiles even wider. He calls Eli his hero. Says “It’s probably bad form to fire your hero right after he saves your life but I can’t be your therapist anymore.”

And Eli’s stomach turns into stone and his heart drops and - right of course, because Eli was dumb to think anyone would be able to stand him for too long. Plus he nearly got Stiles killed tonight.

“Don’t look like that dude!” Stiles says. “It’s like a huge conflict of interest to be in love with your patient’s father.” And the sheriff goes pinched like it did that time when he realized it was Eli who filled the high school pool with enough orbies that they starting coming out of the toilets and sinks.

And his dad. Omg it was sick. His dad gets the stupidest, dopiest look on his face and Eli almost vomits!

Then his dad says “you do?”

And Stiles! His face does the same look and Jesus! It was dis-gust-ting!

And Stiles says “yeah” all soft.

And his dad says “me. Me too. Uh. I love you too.”

And of course now Eli’s the asshole standing in the way of his freaking dad being happy. Which is not cool because they are Betrayers! Eli has a right to stand in the way, just so you know.

Like he didn’t HAVE to be okay with this at all.

He’s just such a good person that he chose to forgive them. And if he had plans to guilt them into getting him a car well… that’s the price they have to pay.

What? He said he was a good person. Not a saint.

[skrunklepng]

otto photoshoot!!

⭐️ lore update ⭐️

otto was born on the halloween of 1981 along with her twin sister lapis

when lapis started her band, Naughty Strawberries, the two started to mature and grow peacefully distant while they explored their own things. otto loved fashion and travel, and one day started a blog trying foods and clothes from around the Nation of Hatsu

after 2 years of traveling the world and blogging, lapis' band started to take off and otto returned to Yokio City to support their sister. otto took the role of advertising for the band creating merchandise. otto and lapis grew very close once more after otto's return. now, otto finds it hard to continue traveling after making new friends and seeing their sister thrive.

after settling back in Yokio otto took up modeling in their freetime as she still had a passion for fashion, which aided in her popularity. otto has their own sense of style, but they also model some of their parents' custom clothing sold at Magnolia Boutique

[quarterdollar]

FYI miraculous nation the alliance ring is official merch from the Zag website! it comes in all the standard sizes, it’s made of stainless steel, and it has all the detailing seen on the show’s 3D model with the addition of the ZAG logo on the inside of the band. it’s got good weight to it too, it definitely feels like you’d imagine a ring that is also a smartphone to feel. put my partner back $40 which is surprisingly fair pricing for merchandise that is also functional jewelry lol. i’ve been wearing it around and it’s done great resisting the general wear-and-tear of life so far!!

there’s quite a bit of good jewelry modeled after the miraculous aimed at older fans of the show :] from what i’ve seen all the reviews are really good so there shouldn’t be any issues with quality or longevity

[post-punk-author-anthony-day]

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/74rrLIgdHwrq4WwmcAtK1h?si=CDAqaYS7T6yaSc5nv72I9w 400 hours! 6000 Trax ! 1000s of bands ! ALL SUBGENRES (DARKWAVE, COLDWAVE, NOISE ROCK, CRANKWAVE, EGG PUNK, GOTHIC PUNK, SOVIET WAVE, ART PUNK)

INCLUDES 70S (Pere Ubu, Magazine, Gang of four, Television, Talking Heads, Martin Rev and Alan Vega, James Chance, Essential Logic, Siouxsie Sioux, Killing Joke, Public Image LTD, The Clash, The Cure, The Smiths)

80s New Wave (Simple Minds, New Order, Dead Can Dance, Kitchens of Distinction, Jesus and Mary Chain, XTC, The Opposition, ESG, Units, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,

Goth - Death in June, March Violets, Clan of Xymox, Christian Death, Southern Death Cult, Sisters of Mercy, Drab Majesty, Tropic of Cancer, Bauhaus, Lowlife

No Wave (Ice age, Sonic Youth)

SOVIET WAVE (Ploho, Molchat Doma, Utro, peremotka, Motorama, Serpien, Bitchevsky Park)

post punk revival & Garage - Interpol, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Longwave, TV on the Radio, Editors, The National, The Libertines, The Horrors, Soft Kill, Jakobinarina , The Drums, Wild Beasts, Merchandise

&

#PostPunk2K - Vundabar, Black Midi, Black Country New Road, Courting, Squid, Goat Girl, Automatic, High Vis, Enola Gay, Warmduscher, Shame

[beatle-yee]

what do you think of this alternate timeline where gen 4 of the rockafire gets released in the early 00's?

Rockin' into the New Millennium: Gen 4 Rockafire Explosion (Early 2000s)

In this alternate timeline, Creative Engineering Inc. unveils their most ambitious project yet: Gen 4 of the Rockafire Explosion in the early 2000s. This iteration explodes onto the scene, pushing the boundaries of animatronics and entertainment while staying true to the band's original spirit.

Technological Spectacle:

Servo Revolution: Gone are the limitations of hydraulics. Gen 4 boasts advanced servo motors and early AI, enabling lifelike movements, fluid dance routines, and expressive facial features.

Immersive Stage: Lasers, synchronized lighting, and interactive projections transform the stage into a multimedia extravaganza. The audience becomes part of the show, triggering effects and animations through touchscreens and voice commands.

Musical Evolution: The band's repertoire expands beyond classic rock, incorporating popular hits from the 2000s, remixing their own classics, and even dabbling in genre-bending mashups.

Holographic Collaborations: The show features special guest appearances, not just with live musicians, but also with holographic projections of iconic music legends, creating a mind-blowing visual experience.

Character Evolution:

Amplified Personalities: While retaining their core traits, the characters' quirks are cranked up to eleven. Billy Bob becomes the ultimate hype man, Looney Bird's inventions become even more outrageous, and Dook's spacey antics reach interstellar levels.

Dynamic Costumes: Their iconic looks get a modern makeover, incorporating trends of the early 2000s. Rolfe dons a hip-hop-inspired outfit, Mitzi rocks a colorful cheerleader uniform with a futuristic twist, and Fatz sports a bold new hairstyle.

Individual Showcases: Each character receives dedicated solo segments highlighting their unique talents and personalities. Fatz showcases his beatboxing skills, Rolfe pulls off impressive magic tricks, and Mitzi leads the audience in interactive dance routines.

Beyond the Stage:

National Tour: The Rockafire Explosion embarks on a nationwide tour, performing at major venues and children's festivals, captivating audiences across the country.

Interactive Website: A dedicated website allows fans to interact with the band virtually. They can vote on song requests, play online games featuring the characters, and even submit their own jokes and ideas for future shows.

Merchandise Mania: A wider range of merchandise is released, including plush toys with hidden voice chips that play iconic soundbites, video games featuring the band in interactive adventures, and behind-the-scenes documentaries showcasing the creation of Gen 4.

Showbiz Transformation: Showbiz Pizza undergoes a complete overhaul, becoming a themed entertainment complex. Interactive exhibits allow guests to learn about the history of the Rockafire Explosion and even create their own mini-animatronic characters.

But it doesn't stop there:

Animated Series: A new CGI-animated Rockafire Explosion series airs on popular channels, introducing the band's adventures and humor to a whole new generation of fans.

Theme Park Attraction: A dedicated Rockafire Explosion ride is built at a major theme park, transporting guests on a thrilling musical journey through the characters' world.

Charity Partnerships: The band partners with children's charities, donating proceeds from merchandise sales and even hosting special benefit concerts.

This is just a glimpse into the possibilities of Gen 4 Rockafire Explosion in the early 2000s. This timeline shows how the beloved characters could have evolved and adapted to a new era, staying relevant and engaging for a new generation of fans. What other exciting twists and turns would you like to see in this alternate timeline? Perhaps a virtual reality concert experience, a robotic pet version of Billy Bob, or even a Rockafire video game with interactive stories? The possibilities are endless!

Actually an interesting concept however this timeline does expand on what would happen if we were past Gen 2. Since this is in the early 2000’s I could see them sporting that cool look like CEC avenger era plus them expanding into theme parks is also and unique concept.

[mysteriesmuse]

UA University Sports and Spirit Team

Coach Yagi - UA’s head football coach and legendary former graduate with an impressive career who went back to teaching after a career-ending injury 20 years ago. Is a watered down version of his former self, still buff but more more lean. Can still absolutely throw down with the boys and can be seen getting into the practice matches on the field often, but suffers from severe asthma issues — so he’s trying not to as much anymore.

Is adored by the team and university student body. Often takes the time to make small talk with the students in the cheer team, dance team, and marching band while the boys clear off field.

Absolutely abuses his coaches whistle during practices and he has a watch, but never uses it. Always causing awkward and profuse apologizes to the PE Professors, Intermural sportsmen, and espically the directors of the Spirit Teams. Plus Ultra! is his favorite catchphrase — and also no one on the team has any idea what “plus ultra!” actually means, but they still step it up a notch whenever Coach Yagi starts yelling “Go plus ultra on them!” from the sidelines nonetheless Overall a lovable, fierce, and effective coach who has a LOT of school pride . . .

————— Shouta Aizawa - defensive coach for the football team and another former graduate. Was a rotating player for multiple national football leagues before having an off-season where he helped coach from the side-lines and fell in love with it. Came back to his alma mater to work alongside Coach Yagi and despite his gruffy personality, they’re practically brothers. Is hard to recognize because he dresses the same as the footballers — sweats and hoodies all day baby! Loves to work the defensive boys until they’re a tired heap on the floor. It’s always extra reps, extra sprints, and extra tackles working under Aizawas regiment. Despite this he’s still regarded as an effective, if definitely unorthodox coach in some respects. How zig-zagging through the marching bands box drills is allowed or even permitted is beyond the defensive teams understanding. They just know that brass is coming for them! Frequently seen chit-chatting with director of said UA marching band while the boys are otherwise preoccupied by his crazy expectations. Furthermore, is known for having a very distinctive glare whenever one of his players gets flagged for being too aggressive (which happens way too often)

Overall respected by his team and the other directors around the field. —————

Hizashi Yamada - UA Marching Band Director. Another alum come to return to the university. Is famous for his music podcast on the side of work and has an astonishing amount of followers. The most personal thus far, loves to tell stories over the field speaker about what happened to him at the grocery store last Thursday. Is always cracking jokes into the DM’s headsets during game time. Even more so loves to go walk the stands and hang out with his favorite players aka the principals, leadership team, and that years seniors. Only dresses as loud as possible and constantly commanders fan merchandise to throw into the band stands. Everyone owns at least 3 foam fingers and a half decent pom by the end of their first season. Is always carrying a megaphone bc otherwise he’ll simply loose his voice. Occasionally forgets that’s he’s not on the field bc he’ll pick it up and shout into it all the same outside of the marching season. Got passerby’s on the brink of a heart attack at! all! times! Is best friends with former classmate and Cheer Coach Midnight and is consistently seen talking to the new Defensive Coach. Thus leading to the marching kids to awkwardly mingle with the other cheer and football students — like kids whose mom has found another mom in the grocery store and have to pass the time.

Actually, that would explain why his Thursday grocery stores stories are so longwinded. —————

Midnight - UA Cheer Coach and alum from the same graduating class as Yamada and Aizawa. Actively participates in her teams cheers at all times, super spirited, and super supportive. Actively enjoys trying to play matchmaker in her friends and students lives. She the cheer team swears she’s got a nose for crushes and it’s utterly terrifying when she uses that infomation — weirdly effective too. Always shouting the teams crushes-code-names into the microphone up in the press-box. Yes, she made them all up herself. Yes, it makes everyone a tad uncomfortable. Does she have a surprisingly successful wingwoman count though — also yes.

Encourages body positivity among her group because hey yes your outfits are a little skimpy, but every body is a beautiful body! And NO ONE is allowed to tell her team otherwise. The standard she upholds is you ought to be good at cheer — that’s it. Is an excellent role model for her students and a good mentor to her assistant Dance Team Coach.

—————

Mt. Lady - new directive assistant and assistant coach for the Dance Team. Recent business graduate from a former university and works with Midnight to promote the Cheer and Dance Teams better. Always a huge sweaty pile on the floor after making up new choreo. Is seen loosing everything all the time, but she’s purchased a new water bottle bag which is working. Loves to get student input on the choreo. Always an open invitation to choreo night and she likes to see what the students have come up with. Frequently misplaces her keys to the storage closet and is always sending Mina over as a runner to borrow them from Yamada instead of Midnight. However, misplacing things is a serious problem the entire Dance/Cheer team struggles with — because none their costumes ever have pockets! Is rallying a protest for pockets or lockers that are closer to the field areas. Because seriously has anybody seen anyone’s phone within the past hour?? A little bit of a ditzy clutz, but young vibrant and lovable all the same.

[archinform]

The Field Building, Chicago

by Roger Jones

June 19, 2024

Two views of the Field Building, c. 1930

The field building, 135 S. LaSalle St., Chicago, was built 1928 - 1934, and designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. Built by the estate of department store founder Marshall Field, it was the last major office building completed prior to a two-decade construction hiatus caused by the Great Depression and World War II. Its site formerly was occupied by the Home Insurance Building (1884), designed by William Le Baron Jenney.

Built at a cost of $12 million, the building featured 43 floors, and height of 163.1 m / 535 ft, and a surface of 111 484 m² / 1 200 000 ft. upon completion. It had entrances on both Lasalle and Clark Streets. The Field Building has also been known as the LaSalle National Bank Building, or Bank of America Building.

The building also featured 42 high-speed elevators, advanced technology at the time. Other innovations included polished aluminum window frames, radiant heat, dual elevators sharing one shaft, and pure drinking water delivered to drinking fountains in each office. The first and second floors were connected by escalators.

The building was designated a Chicago Landmark on February 9, 1994.

135 S. LaSalle, Solomon Cordwell Buenz

A distinctive moderne structure, the building's stripped-down design features smooth surfaces, limited ornament, and clean lines.

Straight vertical lines give the building a look as new as 1959. The main exterior material is limestone. The [lower] entrances made extensive use of white bronze and black granite, also with a complete lack of extraneous detail. As far as materials and craftsmanship are concerned, another Field building may never be built, architects say. The cost would be prohibitive. Three kinds of marble were used in the vast lobby arcade and corridors - white, from Vermont; a green variety, from Italy; and a delicately toned tan marble, also from Italy. The Field building took the entire output of the quarry producing the tan marble. It is irreplaceable, said Palmer. All the marble was cut and laid so that the patterns match from one slab to another. Source: Fuller, Ernest, "Famous Chicago Buildings," Chicago Tribune, January 3, 1959

Home Insurance Building, 1885 (demolished 1931), William Le Baron Jenney, architect

Plaque in the Field Building lobby

Postcard view

Photos from the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, Art Institute of Chicago

Photos from the Hedrich-Blessing Archive, Chicago History Museum

View of lobby, showing "bookend" tan marble above elevator doors

Field Building ground floor plan.

My photographs:

Graham, Anderson, Probst & White

The Chicago firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White was founded in 1912 originally as Graham, Burnham & Co., as the successor to the D.H. Burnham Company. In 1917, the Burnhams left the firm, and Graham and the others, (William) Pierce Anderson, Edward Mathias Probst, and Howard Judson White formed the subsequent firm.

The firm got the majority of the big commissions from 1912 to 1936, including iconic buildings such as the Wrigley Building, Merchandise Mart, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Civic Opera House, and the old main U. S. Post Office. They also designed built the Terminal Tower in Cleveland and Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City.

It was the largest architectural firm under one roof during the first half of the twentieth century, its closest rival being the firm of Holabird and Root.

Architectural historian Carl Condit commented on the Field Building: "Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White turned their backs once and for all on the past and produced a Sullivanesque skyscraper stripped down to essentials, a dense array of uniform vertical limestone bands, topped by a horizontal spandrel that simply marks the outer face of the parapet at the roof."

Major works by the firm in Chicago: the Wrigley Building, Merchandise Mart, Civic Opera House, Union Station, and Field Museum

Sources:

Online:

Chicagology: Field Building

Chicago Landmarks

Lasalle Reimagined

Chicago History Museum images

YouTube: Why Chicago razed the first skyscraper / The Field Building

Architecture and planning of Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White, 1912-1936 : transforming tradition, by Chappell, Sally Anderson. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1992. Available on Internet Archive

Journals:

Field Building, Chicago Ill. Architectural record. 1932 Apr., v. 71, p. 277. Ill 

The sky's the limit: high-rise history in Chicago. Inland Architect. 1990 Jan.-Feb., v.34, no.1, p.60-[63]. Photos

The Field building, Chicago's newest skyscraper. Architectural Record. 1934 Aug., v. 76, p. 120-128. ill, plans

[dk-thrive]

not the major devastations but the strange little ache that feels like a precondition to being human...the slow accumulation of ordinary losses

Last fall, the National débuted a new piece of merchandise: a black zippered sweatshirt featuring the words “SAD DADS” in block letters. The band—which formed in 1999, in Brooklyn—was lampooning its reputation as a font of midlife ennui, the sort of rudderless melancholy that takes hold when a person realizes that the dusty hallmarks of American happiness (marriage, children, a job in an office) aren’t a guarantee against despair. For more than two decades, this has been the National’s grist: not the major devastations but the strange little ache that feels like a precondition to being human. No amount of Transcendental Meditation, Pilates, turmeric, rose quartz, direct sunlight, jogging, oat milk, sleep hygiene, or psychoanalysis can fully alleviate that ambient sadness. Part of it is surely existential—our lives are temporary and inscrutable; death is compulsory and forever—but another part feels more quotidian and incremental, the slow accumulation of ordinary losses. Maybe there’s a person you once loved but lost touch with. A friend who moved to a new town. An apple tree that stood outside your bedroom window, levelled to make way for broadband cable. An old dog. A former colleague. We are always losing, or leaving, or being left, in ways both minor and vast. “The grief it gets me, the weird goodbyes,” Matt Berninger, the band’s vocalist, sings on “Weird Goodbyes,” a recent song featuring Justin Vernon, of Bon Iver. Berninger steels himself to confront the next loss: “Memorize the bathwater, memorize the air / There’ll come a time I’ll wanna know I was here.”

— Amanda Petrusich, "The Sad Dads of the National" (The New Yorker · April 28, 2023)

[shittytokudetails]

Hey there, hope you're doing well! I wanted to ask you, inspired by your Zi-O edit with "Maquina do Tempo". "Is there a song from the band Fresno that fits in a specific toku in your opinion?"

No need to answer if you don't care or don't like the band; I ask you cuz I've got into their music without being from Brazil myself, and I wanted to hear your perspective of both a toku fan and a brazilian.

If you don't know this is the post being referred to, anyway onto the explanation

Máquina do tempo by Banda 9 volts is the theme song of the movie Turma da Mônica Uma Aventura no Tempo (2007), roughly translate to monica's gang an adventure in time, which is a popular cartoon in Brazil, one of few wich is fully national, this movie was huge when I was a kid, and this song in particular played on the website that i used to visit constantly just to hear the song. Turma da mônica it exists since 1960 and is absolutely huge in brazil, everyone has read the comics, and it's now a empire of comics, cartoons, merchandising, theme parks, movies and a live action series.

The movie tell a story where monica and her friends goes to retrieve the four elements that power a time machine in different eras.

The lyrics goes like this:

let's get going, it's time

let's go, I'm in a hurry

i've got no time, bye

how good it would be to not be in such a hurry

and have more hours on my day to sleep well

i need a time machine

to get where I should be in a moment

with my machine I spend my time

with no stress, with no hurry and never getting late

So yeah it roughly fits, but it's mostly nostalgia factor that lead me to choose the song.

Fresno is a emo-esque band with very romantic lyrics that I don't see fitting toku at all

[mazovshanka]

No luck with catching plectrums or drumsticks during gigs so I bought that one. I've been into j-rock and visual kei for so long. I attended many concerts though not as many as I wanted. I hope I'll be able to see and hear more bands. I'm so happy all those Japanese artists came to my country and gave such wonderful shows. I still have their photos, posters, autographs and some merchandise gadgets. I've even written some reviews of the shows. Music is truly something that connects people regardless age, nationality, faith, etc.

[thegeeksmerch]

The Geeks Merch

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Best Live Shows of 2023

In the age of streaming and with ever-mounting logistical cost pressures, it is more important than ever to go support the bands you love by catching their live show and, if you can, pick up a record or some merchandise whilst you’re there.

Of course, the price of live music itself for the average fan is going up too, with £100+ tickets for stadium/arena shows and £40+ tickets for academy shows, quickly becoming the norm. That said, if you look beyond the household names selling through Ticketmaster’s exploitive dynamic pricing system, you can still find plenty of great acts playing live shows for £10-£20. So, if you find yourself constantly being priced out of the large stadium shows, why not spend that money on five grassroots shows instead – you may just find your next favourite artist in the process!

As for myself, I live for live music and by avoiding those top tier tickets and focussing on cost-effective festivals and shows with great line-ups, I’ve packed in more live music in 2023 than I ever have in my life. Including festival performances and warm-up acts, I’m grateful to have caught 127 performances in 2023, hopefully helping in some small way to support the artists and up-and-coming acts I adore.

With that mass of live music, it’s been hard to whittle this down to just my 10 favourites. So, in true New Music Weekly fashion of avoiding difficult decisions and leaving stuff out, firstly here’s the honourable mentions in chronological order:

Honourable mentions:

Foals at Engine Rooms, Southampton, May

Simply one of my all-time favourite bands at the peak of their powers, in the smallest venue I’ve ever seen them play (800 cap). Biblical!

Opus Kink at Dot-to-Dot Festival, Nottingham, May

The annual “get-me-in-that-pit” performance at Dot-to-Dot festival, proving I’m not too old yet for at least one moshing session per annum. Just like Bob Vylan the year before, my friendship group approached the ska-punk outfit with trepidation, but all ended up fans by the end of the set.

Mickey Callisto at Dot-to-Dot Festival, Nottingham, May

Imagine Freddie Mercury’s Live Aid performance, but in a tiny loft venue – that is essentially what synth-pop superstar Mickey Callisto delivered at Dot-to-Dot festival this year. Next level showmanship and an electric end to the day’s proceedings.

Swim Deep at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, June

The Brummie indie darlings celebrated 10 years of Where The Heaven Are We this summer, performing one of my all-time favourite albums in full. They also played the ever-magnificent King City twice in the career-spanning set!

Young Fathers at Best Kept Secret Festival, Beekse Bergen, June

The band that have defined 2023 for me, it seemed like much of the audience in the tent with me at Best Kept Secret were catching the Scottish trio for the first time and weren’t sure what to expect. The result was a truly mind-blowing performance, with the energy from the stage radiating around the tent to the point of elation and thunderous applause by the end of the set.

Watch Young Fathers at Best Kept Secret 2023 here

The War On Drugs at The Piece Hall, Halifax, June

American rockers The War On Drugs performing anywhere would probably be enough to get a mention here, such is their stature as a live force. However, with support from Warpaint, a euphoric rendition of Under The Pressure and the gig itself taking place in the beautiful surroundings of the Grade I Listed Piece Hall, outdoor summer shows don’t get much better.

Confidence Man at Splendour Festival, Nottingham, July

When you need a lift during a washed-out festival, get Confidence Man to save the day. Having waited a long time to see them perform live, the Aussie dance outfit didn’t disappoint as the sun cleared just in time for their dazzling half hour of power. Immaculate choreography and joyous vibes aplenty!

Walt Disco at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, September

A special shout-out to Walt Disco, who supported Nation of Language at their Rescue Rooms show in September. They are my pick for the best warm-up act of the year, with their David Bowie-inspired dramatics and glam rock chic leaving me eager to catch them again in the future.

Read the full review for both Walt Disco and Nation of Language here

Don Broco at O2 Academy Leicester, Leicester, December

Genre-bending heroes Don Broco are one of the most fun live acts around and even with a neck brace leaving frontman Rob Damiani more restricted than usual, they still blew the roof off. Usually not a fan of O2 Academy venues, this was also one of the better ones I’ve visited and it all just made for a great Saturday night.

Jadu Heart at JT Soar, Nottingham, December

My final show of 2023 and easily one of the most magical of the year. Performing in JT Soar which is an old garage turned Sleaford Mods’ recording studio, electro-folk outfit Jadu Heart brought string-tinged beauty and festive spirit to the intimate space. With only around 30 people in attendance and the bargain price of just £5 for the ticket, it was capped off with a pair of singalongs to Christmas classics Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and Fairytale of New York.

Read the full review for LeftLion here

That’s the honourable mentions then, now onto the main event – out of the 120+ performances I’ve seen in 2023, these are the ten that ended up leaving the biggest impression.

Top 10 Live Shows of 2023

10. The 1975 at Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, January

One of the most discussed arena tours of the year, The 1975 kicked 2023 off with a spectacle. Split into two parts, the first half covered their latest album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language, and then the second half was just wall-to-wall greatest hits with 10,000 people losing their minds. Add in some unique staging and some surreal, theatrical interludes, it made for one of the most memorable arena gigs of the year. In fact it was so good, we’ve already booked to see The 1975 Still At Their Very Best in 2024, this time over in Brussels.

If you’re intrigued to see the show for yourself, their Madison Square Garden performance is streaming on YouTube and Amazon – check it out below.

Watch it here

Stream the live album here

9. The Lottery Winners at Rock City, Nottingham, November

Sometimes the best gigs are the ones that come along and surprise you. With support act Deco a favourite in our household and having seen indie-pop outfit Lottery Winners once previously at 110 Above festival, this one was booked purely on the basis that it looked like a fun Saturday night. Add in up-and-coming Notts rockers The Publics, you’ve got three quality bands at Rock City for £18. However, what I didn’t expect, was this show to be as life-affirming as it ended up being.

For context, once upon a time Lottery Winners were due to support Embrace at Rock City only to be dropped when Embrace feared The Lottery Winners would receive a bigger reception than them. So finally getting the opportunity to play the iconic stage where legends such as David Bowie and Nirvana have played before, you could see The Lottery Winners were putting everything into the performance. The fact I didn’t really know a single song of The Lottery Winners didn’t matter at all either. With plenty of laugh-out-loud, inter-song banter, some thunderous crowd singalongs and the band themselves in genuine tears at certain points in the set, it was just an incredible, emotionally uplifting night.

8. ROB GREEN at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, February / ROB GREEN at Hockley Hustle Festival, Nottingham, October

Yes, I’m cheating again! But twice I saw Notts’ soul/pop artist ROB GREEN in 2023 and both were magical in their own unique way - so it was impossible to separate them.

Back at Hockley Hustle festival in October 2022, I saw Rob play an acoustic set that just completely blew me away. Having heard only positive things about him up until that point but not knowing too much about his music beyond that, it was one of those performances where I went in with not too much expectation of what I was going to hear, and then left just in complete awe of what I had just experienced. It was a borderline spiritual experience at times, with Rob’s mix of spoken word poetry and gospel-inspired singalongs just captivating and immensely uplifting.

So fast forward to February this year and I finally got to see Rob perform with a full live band setup. However, thanks to the utter jubilance from the crowd, his impressive backing vocalists and immensely talented band, it just amplified that feeling from Hockley Hustle 2022 tenfold. With my whole immediate family in attendance with me too to celebrate my mum’s birthday, it made it even more special.

Fast forward again to Hockley Hustle 2023 and Rob somehow managed to top his 2022 performance by pulling in a string quartet to perform alongside him. Here’s what I said in my review for LeftLion:

“Performing in the corner of Broadway Cinema’s café with the Rob Rosa String Quartet accompanying him, people are literally queueing at the door to catch even the smallest glimpse of his incredible thirty-minute set. And rightfully so, as the enigmatic performer has this unrivalled ability to bring immeasurable positive energy to a room and leave the audience sitting on Cloud Nine. Storming through performances of early singles Life Goes on and Sleeping on My Own, Rob gets noticeably emotional when the crowd singalong with recent single from his forthcoming EP, I’ll Be Around. “It’s so good to be back in NG1,” he exclaims, with the Nottingham faithful grateful to have him back. He then ends as he always does with a joyously euphoric medley of classic covers, leaving the crowd in Broadway Cinema fully uplifted and proving once again why he’s the best live performer in Nottingham.”

Read the full LeftLion roundup of Hockley Hustle 2023 here

7. Spector at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, December

A band that have defined the last 10 years of my life but most definitely the last two months of my 2023, Spector delivered one of the best albums of their career to date in November with Here Come The Early Nights. Eager to hear the new songs from that record live, I headed down to Rescue Rooms to catch them for the third time in that venue, for the sixth time in Nottingham and for the tenth time in total! With fierce competition from their past selves, Spector pulled out all the stops and delivered a rip-roaring set that packed in so many anthems, I lost my voice completely from all the singing along.

Of course, it may be recency bias but for me this was right up there as one of the best performances I’ve seen from them over the years. It just further cemented why they are one of my favourite bands and also one of the best bands to see perform live. If you want all the details from the night, you can read my review for LeftLion below.

Read the full review for LeftLion here

6. The Chemical Brothers at First Direct Arena, Leeds, October

The legendary Chemical Brothers were another band that I saw live twice in 2023, however as fantastic as they were at Best Kept Festival over the summer, their own arena show in October was just the next level up.

If you’ve not had the pleasure of seeing Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands before, let me assure you they put on one of the best live shows on the planet, especially in an arena setting. The hypnotic, mind-melting visuals they put together to accompany their set is just like no other, in addition to all the big production tricks like confetti, lasers, giant balloons and even massive robots too.

However, all of that will only get you so far, you still need the bangers to back it up. Thankfully with a career-spanning 30+ years they have them in abundance and their setlist in Leeds was near faultless. A lot of cuts from their 2023 album For That Beautiful Feeling were included with Goodbye in particular standing out, as well as all the classics you’d want to hear such as Galvanize, Go, Hey Boy Hey Girl and Block Rockin’ Beats. They even had space for one of my all-time favourite songs, Wide Open. Probably the best show from them of the five times I’ve seen them and easily one of my favourite arena gigs of the year.

5. Oscar and the Wolf at Best Kept Secret Festival, Beekse Bergen, June

When you travel to another country and spend hundreds of pounds on a festival for one particular artist, it’s important they deliver. Sure, Best Kept Secret had a phenomenal line-up this year that also boasted The Chemical Brothers, The 1975, Aphex Twin, Young Fathers, Caroline Polachek, Christine & The Queens, Nation of Language, Arlo Parks, Billy Nomates, Interpol and so many more, so I would have gotten the value anyway. But Best Kept Secret Festival was really all about seeing one man – Max Colombie AKA Oscar and the Wolf.

You see having discovered Oscar and the Wolf at Dot-to-Dot festival in 2015, his music instantly resonated with me and he quickly became a favourite of mine. The issue is the Belgian indie-pop superstar isn’t really known here in the UK. So, whenever I have been able to see him live over the years since, it’s been in quiet festival slots with short sets and a small crowd who aren’t familiar with his output. So, when choosing a festival to attend in 2023, we chose Best Kept Secret for one key reason – Oscar and the Wolf was headlining it.

You see whilst the UK hasn’t caught on to Max Colombie’s talents, over in Europe he is a headline act on the level Muse, Liam Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys, etc. So having decided on Best Kept Secret over Rock Werchter as it looked less commercial and a much more manageable capacity, we ventured to the Netherlands to catch Oscar and the Wolf live with a crowd of 20,000 and, importantly, one which knew the words to all of his songs.

And with that massive expectation on it, Max and his band still managed to exceed all expectations to deliver a dazzling Saturday evening performance. Full of brain-melting guitar solos, a flawless setlist, Max’s own incredible vocals and all the big production tricks, it was everything I hoped for when booking the festival. To finally see one of my favourite artists with a crowd deserving of his music, it was such a special moment.

If you’re intrigued to see more and want an introduction to Max’s output, you can watch a 30-minute snippet of his performance from Best Kept Secret below.

Watch Oscar and the Wolf at Best Kept Secret here

4. Stevie Nicks at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, March

It is very rare I get to tick off two bucket list items, let alone two in a single week. But earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to travel over to Las Vegas for work, a place I had always wanted to visit. Whilst I didn’t get to see everything in the short time I was there, I did have enough free time to get a flavour of the one-of-a-kind city. Of course, seeing a show is a must out there and when looking at what was on, I noticed that none other than music legend Stevie Nicks was in town for one night only. Biting the bullet on a last-minute ticket, whilst I will never get to see Fleetwood Mac perform live, I was fortunate to catch Stevie that night – which feels like the next best thing.

The production of the stage was utterly entrancing, with montages and artistic visuals projected on the screens behind her throughout. Her voice sounded as good as ever even at 74 too, with the live band playing alongside her also fantastic. Playing through all the classics from both her solo career and time in Fleetwood Mac, it made for a really special show. It also ended on quite an emotional note, as Stevie paid tribute to both Tom Petty and Christine McVie in the encore. Performing Free Falling and Landslide to round it off, she was noticeably moved following her performance of the latter.

I feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to experience that, seeing a genuine musical legend on the opposite side of the world. One of the defining highlights of my 2023 and a moment I truly will never forget.

3. Self Esteem at Eventim Apollo, London, March

These days, the performance happening on stage is only 50% of what makes a good show. If you get the wrong crowd of people more interested in getting pissed or talking through the set, then you can quickly end up distracted during key moments. But for the final stop on Self Esteem’s Prioritise Pleasure UKtour at the Hammersmith Apollo, the entire audience were there for one thing and one thing only – a performance from Rebecca Lucy Taylor.

Off the back of a huge breakout year following the success of Prioritise Pleasure, this one felt like a victory lap as the crowd erupted into thunderous ovation after every single song. The production of the show itself was incredible too, from the dazzling choreography and vocal performances to the impressive costume changes and staging. It felt like an arena-level pop show but with the intimacy of an academy venue, just the best of both worlds.

The biggest testament I can give it though is what I touched on at the start. A lot of shows I’ve been to post-COVID, when it comes time for the acoustic songs they are sadly often spoilt now by crowd chatter, with people’s loud conversations disrupting these intimate moments. That didn’t happen with Self Esteem, as at one point she took centre stage just her and a guitar to perform her track John Elton and honestly you couldn’t hear a pin drop. Instead, everyone just stood in awe and respectfully engaged with what they were witnessing on the stage.

I said back in March this was one of the best shows I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing and I think I stand by that. An unbelievably special night thanks to a respectful crowd and an artist right at the top of their game.

2. Creeper at Rock City, Nottingham, November

Speaking of one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, I think it’s well documented at this point just how blown away I was seeing Creeper at Rock City last month. The only other time I had seen the Southampton-hailing goth-rockers previously was years ago at Slam Dunk festival and I’ll be honest, their show didn’t leave much of an impression on me at that time. However, with this performance coming less than a month since the release of their operatic third album Sanguivore, which I had been playing constantly, it seemed like the perfect storm for a special night – and my assumptions were correct.

Here's what I said in my review for LeftLion:

“Bringing with them a uniquely theatrical live show unlike any I saw in 2023, it was full of dramatic production, crowd surfers, circle pits, plenty of monstrous riffs and a faultless setlist. The moment of the night however came in the form of a stunning rendition of debut album favourite, Misery. Driving home the special connection Creeper have with their fans, phone torches were switched on and several audience members climbed onto shoulders to emotionally sing along with frontman, Will Gould. As the song reached its peak, Will didn’t even have to say a word or move a muscle - the crowd just instinctively belted out the song’s gut-punching refrain. A beautifully powerful moment and one of the most spine-tingling I’ve ever experienced inside that venue. With red confetti then shooting out of cannons onstage during the triumphant closing performance of 2023 single Cry To Heaven, it was a suitably mind-blowing finish to a truly mind-blowing rock show.”

See LeftLion’s full list of Best Gigs of 2023 here

Read my LeftLion review for Creeper at Rock City here

1. James at Northern Echo Arena, Darlington, August / James at Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, October

So here we are at my favourite live show of 2023 and guess what – I’ve cheated again. Here we have two shows that both had the recipe for an all-timer - one of my favourite bands of all-time, one of the best live acts in the country and a band with 40+ years of exceptional music in their catalogue. Funnily enough, all three of those ingredients are Mancunian indie legends, James.

I saw James twice in 2023 and what has landed them in the top spot is the fact that each time I saw them this year, they delivered a unique experience. Each of these gigs, one in Darlington and one in Nottingham, offered something completely different from the other but ended up equally as sensational for their own reasons.

The first in Darlington was just the perfect line up in the most perfect setting. An August summer’s day with three of my favourite bands on the bill together – Maximo Park, Editors and James. The venue was a decent-sized Rugby stadium, but rather than having the whole thing open, the stage was to one side of the pitch, with one side of seating open and then the pitch the standing area – so it was set up more like a bowl than an open stadium.

What worked perfectly was the fact that although we had booked seats, we didn’t have to stay in them all day. We could sit in the seats and chill for the support, make use of the toilets and quieter bars etc. but then when we wanted to go have a dance and get into the mix, we could walk down onto the pitch and join the standing crowd. This is the first gig I’ve been to with that set up and it just added to the whole experience.

In terms of the bands themselves though, it was just a fantastic day of music. Even before the trio of Maximo Park, Editors and James, you had shoegazers Pale Blue Eyes, up-and-comers The Kairos and 00s indie outfit The Pigeon Detectives, who in particular were much better than I expected. Then as fantastic as Maximo Park and Editors were, it really was all about James who just reaffirmed to me why they’re one of my favourite bands. Ploughing through the hits as the sun was setting, Tim Booth wandering gracefully through the crowd and the band on stage sounding so effortlessly tight-knit, just like a band who have been playing together for 40 years should sound. It may have been the booze, it may have been the life-defining songs, it may well have been a bit of both – but I’m not ashamed to say I was near tears at a couple of points. Just magical.

If that wasn’t enough, I would see them again a few months later at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, this time backed by a full choir and orchestra. Having had the devastation of the cancellation back in April, after waiting over a decade for them to repeat their 2011 orchestral tour, this was a rescheduled show I had been waiting a long, long time to see. And boy was it worth the wait.

Playing some of my favourite deep cuts that I would never get to hear in a normal set like Space, Alaskan Pipeline, Ten Below and Someone’s Got It In For Me, but then with the strings and extra voices accompanying them too, it just amplified their already world class live show to another level. With goosebump-inducing singalongs to Many Faces and Sometimes also throughout the night, this was another special gig that I’ll remember for a long time.

So there you have it, my favourite shows of 2023. Just one final part of my New Music Weekly awards still left to come and it’s a big one – my Top 100 Songs of 2023 playlist.

It’ll be dropping soon so keep your eyes peeled and thanks for following along so far!