#Wilson city stadium

[pegawolph]

sorry I hav3nt posted in a hot minute with art and shit I don’t really like my art rn and I’m fucking with the style

[wilsoncitystadium]

NOVEMBER 13TH

[badnewswhatsleft]

rock sound #312 (nov 2024)

transcript below cut:

ROCK SOUND 25 ICON

FALL OUT BOY

A BAND THAT CAPTURED THE HEARTS, MINDS AND HEADPHONES OF A GENERATION OF KIDS WORLDWIDE, FALL OUT BOY UNDOUBTEDLY CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF THE ALTERNATIVE SCENE FOREVER, NEVER AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT, TAKE CHANCES AND MAKE BOLD CHOICES AS THEY PUSHED FORWARD. FOLLOWING A SUMMER SPENT EXPLORING THE 'DAYS OF FALL OUT PAST', PATRICK STUMP AND PETE  WENTZ REFLECT ON THEIR PATH FROM POP PUNK, HARDCORE MISFITS TO ALL-CONQUERING, STADIUM-FILLING SONGWRITERS AS THEY ACCEPT THEIR ROCK SOUND 25 ICON AWARD.

WORDS JAMES WILSON-TAYLOR

PHOTOS ELLIOTT INGHAM

Let's begin with your most recent performance which was at When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas. It was such a special weekend, how are you reflecting on that moment?

PATRICK: It's wild, because the band, I think, is going on 23 years now, which really came as a surprise to me. I know it's this thing that old people always say, 'Man, it really goes by so fast', but then it happens to you and you're just taken aback. There were so many times throughout the weekend, every 10 minutes, where I'd turn around and see somebody and be like, 'Holy shit, I haven't seen you in 18 years', or something crazy like that. It was hard not to have a good time. When I was going up to perform with Motion City Soundtrack, which was an exciting thing in itself, I turn around and Bayside is there. And I haven't seen Bayside since we toured with them. God, I don't remember when that was, you know? So there was so much of that. You couldn't help but have a good time.

PETE: I mean, that's an insane festival, right? When they announce it, it looks fake every time. The lineup looks like some kid drew it on their folder at school. For our band, the thing that's a little weird, I think, is that by deciding to change between every album, and then we had the three year break which caused another big time jump, I think that it would be hard for us to focus on one album for that show. We're a band where our fans will debate the best record. So it was amazing that we were able to look backwards and try to build this show that would go through all the eras - nod to Taylor obviously on that one. But it's also an insane idea to take a show that should really be put on for one weekend in a theatre and then try to take it around the world at festivals. The whole time on stage for this particular show production, I'm just like 'Is this thing going to go on time?' Because if the whole thing is working totally flawlessly, it just barely works, you know what I mean? So I give a lot of credit to our crew for doing that, because it's not really a rock show. I know we play rock music and it's a rock festival, but the show itself is not really a rock production, and our crew does a very good job of bending that to fit within the medium.

That show allows you to nod to the past but without falling fully into nostalgia. You are still pushing the band into newer places within it.

PATRICK: That's always been a central thing. We're a weird band, because a lot of bands I know went through a period of rejecting their past, and frankly, I encounter this thing a lot, where people have expected that we stopped interacting with older material. But we always maintained a connection with a lot of the older music. We still close with 'Saturday'. So for us, it was never about letting go of the past. It was about bringing that along with you wherever you go. I'm still the same weird little guy that likes too much music to really pin down. It's just that I've carried that with me through all the different things that I've done and that the band has done. So for us, in terms of going forward and playing new stuff, that's always the thing that's important to me; that there should be new stuff to propel it. I never wanted to be an artist that just gave up on new music and went out and played the hits and collected the check and moved on. It's all got to be creative. That's why I do it. I want to make new music. That's always why I do it. So something like When We Were Young is kind of odd really. It's an odd fit for that, because it's nostalgic, which is not really my vibe all that much. But I found a lot of nostalgia in it. I found a lot of value in looking back and going 'Wow, this was really cool. It was amazing that we did this, that we all did this'. That scene of bands, we're all old now, but it has taken off into such a moment culturally that people can point to.

Let's jump all the way back to the first ever Fall Out Boy show. There is very little evidence of it available online but what are your memories of that performance?

PATRICK: So the very first Fall Out Boy show was at DePaul University in a fancy looking dining hall. I actually applied to DePaul, but I never went there because the band went on tour. I think there were only two or three other bands. One was a band called Stillwell, who were kind of a math rock emo band, and then this heavier, more metallic band. And then we were there, and we had a guitar player, John Flamandan, who I have not seen since that show. He was only in the band for a week or two, and we were still figuring ourselves out. We had three songs and I had never sung before in front of people. I did a talent show at school one time when I was a kid and theatre kind of stuff where you would sing, but it was more in that context. And I was also a kid too. This was the first time ever that I'm the singer for a band and I was fucking terrified. We had a drummer named Ben Rose, really great guy. I haven't seen Ben in a million years, either, but we were still figuring ourselves out. The other thing is that all of us, with me being the exception, were in other bands, and all of our other bands were better than Fall Out Boy was. We were very sloppy and didn't know what we were doing, and so I don't think any of us really took it seriously. But there was a thing that was really funny about it, where even though we kind of thought we sucked, and even though we weren't really focusing on it, we had a lot of fun with each other. We enjoyed trying this other thing, because we were hardcore kids, and we were not the pop punk kids and the pop punk bands in town, that was like 'the thing', and we were not really welcome in that. There was a fun in trying to figure out how to make melodic and pop music when we really didn't have any history with that. It was very obvious that we didn't know what we were doing at the beginning.

So when did it begin to feel like things were finally clicking? When did you find your roles and what you wanted the band to be? 

PETE: In regards to the music, I liked Fall Out boy, way before I probably should have. I remember playing the early demos and it giving me a feeling that I hadn't felt with any of the other bands that I had been in. Now, looking back on it, I might have been a tad early on that. Then as far as the roles, I think that they've been carving themselves out over time. We've always allowed ourselves to gravitate to our strengths. Between me and Patrick, we'd probably make one great, atypical rock artist if we were one person. Because our strengths are things that the other doesn't love as much. But I think that what has happened more is it's less of a fight now and there's more trust. We have a trust with each other. There's things that Patrick will play for me or explain to me, and I don't even really need him to explain it, because I trust him. I may not totally understand it, but I trust him as an artist. On the other side of that, it's also very nice to have someone who can veto your idea, you know what I mean? It's nice to have those kind of checks and balances.

PATRICK: I had been in this band called Patterson, and all three of the other guys sang in kind of a gravelly, Hot Water Music vibe. I was not intending to be a singer, but I would try and sing backups and, it wasn't a criticism, but there was this vibe that, while I could do the gravelly thing, my voice was coming through and it didn't fit. It was too pretty and that became a thing I was kind of embarrassed of. So when Fall Out Boy started, I was actively trying to disguise that and mute it and hide behind affectation. Pete would really push me to stretch my vowels because that was in vogue in pop punk at the time. There were all these different ways that we were trying to suppress me, musically, because we were just trying to figure out how to do the things that the bands we liked did. But that wasn't really us, you know? It's really funny, because 'Take This To Your Grave' was recorded in three sections, about six months apart. Over the course of that time, I can hear us figuring it out. I think a really defining moment for me was 'Saturday', because I am not brave, I am not a bold person, and I do not put myself out there. When I was showing the band 'Saturday', we were jamming on the bit after the second chorus, and I was mumbling around, just mucking my way through it, and I did the falsetto thing. I didn't think anyone could hear me over us bashing around in Joe's parents house in this tiny little room. But Pete stopped, and he goes, 'Do that again'. I was so terrified of doing that in front of these guys, because you gotta remember, I was incredibly shy, but also a drummer. I'd never sung in front of anyone before, and now I'm singing in a band and I'm certainly not going to take chances. So I thought the falsetto thing was really not going to happen, but when I did it, there was this really funny thing. Somehow that song clicked, and it opened up this door for us where we do something different than everybody else. We were aiming to be a pop punk or hardcore band, but we found this thing that felt more natural to me.

As you embarked on Warped Tour, simultaneously you were finding this huge level of pop and mainstream success. How was it navigating and finding your way through those two very different spaces?

PATRICK: I used to work at a used record store and what shows up is all the records after their success. So I got really acquainted and really comfortable with and prepared for the idea of musical failure. I just wanted to do it because I enjoyed doing it. But in terms of planning one's life, I was certain that I would, at most, get to put out a record and then have to go to school when it didn't work out. My parents were very cautious. I said to them after 'Take This To Your Grave' came out that I'm gonna see where this goes, because I didn't expect to be on a label and get to tour. I'm gonna give it a semester, and then it will almost certainly fail, and then after it fails, I'll go to school. And then it didn't fail. Warped Tour was very crazy too, I was talking about this at When We Were Young with My Chem. Both of us were these little shit bands that no one cared about when we booked the tour. Then we got to the tour, and all these people were showing up for us, way more than we expected, way more than Warped Tour expected. So Warped Tour was putting both of us on these little side stages, and the stages would collapse because people were so excited. It was this moment that came out of nowhere all of a sudden. Then we go to Island Records, and I had another conversation with my parents, because every band that I had known up to that point, even the biggest bands in town, they would have their big indie record and then they would go to the major label and drop off the face of the planet forever. So I was certain that was going to happen. I told them again, I'm going to put out this record, and then I'll go to school when this fails. 

PETE: I think that if you really wanted someone to feel like an alien, you would put them on TRL while they were on Warped Tour. You know what I mean? Because it is just bananas. On our bus, the air conditioning didn't work, so we were basically blowing out heat in the summer, but we were just so happy to be on a bus and so happy to be playing shows. You go from that to, two days later, stepping off the bus to brush your teeth and there's a line of people wanting to watch you brush your teeth. In some ways, it was super cool that it was happening with My Chemical Romance too because it didn't feel as random, right? It feels more meant to be. It feels like something is happening. To be on Warped Tour at that time - and if you weren't there, it would be probably hard to imagine, because it's like if Cirque Du Soleil had none of the acrobatics and ran on Monster energy drink. It was a traveling circus, but for it to reach critical mass while we were there, in some ways, was great, because you're not just sitting at home. In between touring, I would come home and I'd be sitting in my bedroom at my parents house. I would think about mortality and the edge of the whole thing and all these existential thoughts you feel when you're by yourself. But on Warped Tour, you go to the signing, you play laser tag, you go to the radio station. So in some ways, it's like you're in this little boot camp, and you don't really even think about anything too much. I guess it was a little bit of a blur.

Pete, when you introduced 'Bang The Doldrums' at When We Were Young, you encouraged the crowd to 'keep making weird shit'. That could almost be a mantra for the band as a whole. Your weirder moments are the ones that made you. Even a song like 'Dance Dance' has a rhythm section you never would have expected to hear on a rock track at that time.

PETE: You know, I just watched 'Joker 2' and I loved it. I do understand why people wouldn't because it subverts the whole thing. It subverts everything about the first one. That's something I've always really loved, when I watch artists who could keep making the same thing, and instead they make something that's challenging to them or challenging to their audience. Sometimes you miss, sometimes you do a big thing and you miss, and we've definitely done that. But I gotta say, all the things that I've really loved about art and music, and that has enriched my life, is when people take chances. You don't get the invention of anything new without that. To not make weird stuff would feel odd, and I personally would much rather lose and miss doing our own thing. To play it safe and cut yourself off around the edges and sand it down and then miss also, those are the worst misses, because you didn't even go big as yourself. This is where we connect with each other, we connect by our flaws and the little weird neuroses that we have. I rarely look at something and go 'Wow, that safe little idea really moved me'. I guess it happens, but I think about this with something like 'Joker 2' where this director was given the keys and you can just do anything. I think a lot of times somebody would just make an expected follow up but some people turn right when they're supposed to turn left. That's always been interesting on an artistic level, but at the same time, I think you're more likely to miss big when you do that.

PATRICK: Going into 'From Under The Cork Tree', I had this sense that this is my only shot. It has already outperformed what I expected. I don't want to be locked into doing the same thing forever, because I know me. I know I'm not Mr. Pop Punk, that's just one of many things I like. So I would be so bummed if for the rest of my life, I had to impersonate myself from when I was 17 and have to live in that forever. So I consciously wanted to put a lot of weird stuff on that record because I thought it was probably my only moment. 'Sugar, We're Goin Down' was a fairly straight ahead pop punk song but even that was weird for us, because it was slow. I remember being really scared about how slow it was, because it's almost mosh tempo for the whole song, which was not anything we had done up to that point. But in every direction, in every song, I was actively trying to push the boundaries as much as I could. 'Dance, Dance' was one of those ones where I was seeing what I can get away with, because I might never get this chance again. We were on tour with a friend's band, and I remember playing the record for them. I remember specifically playing 'Our Lawyer…' that opens the record, which has that 6/8 time feel, and they kind of look at me, like 'What?'. Then I played 'Dance, Dance', and they're like, 'Hey man, you know, whatever works for you. It's been nice knowing you'. But I just knew that, on the off chance that I ended up still being a musician in my 40s, I wanted to still love the music that we made. I didn't want to ever resent it. It's ironic because people say that bands sell out when they don't make the same thing over and over again. But wait a second. Say that again. Think about that.

That attitude seemed to carry directly into 'Infinity On High'. If you may never end up doing this again then let's make sure we bring in the orchestra while we still can... 

PATRICK: That was literally something that I did say to myself this might be the last time, the likelihood is we're going to fail because that's what happens, so this might be the last time that I ever get a chance to have somebody pay for an orchestra and a choir. I always think of The Who when they did 'A Quick One, While He's Away' and there's a part where they go 'cello, cello', because they couldn't afford real cellos, they couldn't afford players. That's what I thought would happen for me in life. So I went in and thought, let's do it all. Let's throw everything at the wall, because there's no chance that it's going to happen again. So many things came together on that record, but I didn't expect it. 'Arms Race' was a very weird song, and I was shocked when management went along with it and had kind of decided that would be the single. I was in disbelief. It did not feel like a single but it worked for us. It was a pretty big song and then 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' was easily the big hit off that record. So then we have two hit songs off of an album that I didn't even know would come out at that point. But again, it was very much just about taking the risks and seeing what the hell happened.

As you went on hiatus for a few years, you worked on a number of other creative projects. How did those end up influencing your approach to the band when you returned?

PETE: On the areas of the band where I led, I wanted to be a better leader. When you're younger and you're fighting for your ideas, I don't think that I was the greatest listener. I just wanted to be a better cog in the machine. When you're in a band originally, no one gives you the little band handbook and says 'these are the things you should do', you know? I just wanted to be a better version of who I was in the band. 

PATRICK: There's a combination of things. 'Soul Punk' is a weird record. I love that record but I kind of resent that record for so many things. It's my solo record, but it's also not very me in a lot of ways. I had started with a very odd little art rock record, and then I had some personal tragedies happen. My EP that I put out far out sold expectations so then all of a sudden, Island Records goes, 'Oh, we think this could actually be something we want singles for'. I think we had all expected that I would be putting out a smaller indie record but then all of a sudden they were like 'oh, you could be a pop star'. So then I have to retrofit this art rock record into pop star hit music, and also channel personal tragedy through it. I hadn't ever really been a front man - I'd been a singer, but I hadn't really been a front man, and I hadn't really written lyrics, certainly not introspective, personal lyrics. So that whole record is so strange and muted to me. So I went from that album, which also failed so fucking hard - I should have gone to school after that one. But Pete had reached out to me just as a friend, and said 'I know you're in your own thing right now, and I know that you're not the kind of person that is going to be in my fantasy football league, so I'm not going to see you unless we make music. But you're my buddy, and that kind of bums me out that I don't see you at all, so I guess we have to make music'. I thought that was a fairly convincing pitch. It's true, that was what we do when we hang out - we make music. So we reconvene, and going into it, I had all these lessons that really made me understand Pete better, because Pete is the natural front end person. So many of our arguments and frustrations and the things that we didn't see eye to eye on, I grew to understand having now been in the position of the point man that had to make all the decisions for my solo thing. It really flipped my understanding of why he said the things he would say, or why he did things he would do. I remember early on thinking he was so pushy, but then, in retrospect, you realise he was doing it for a reason. There's so many little things that really changed for me doing 'Soul Punk' that were not musical but were more about how you run a band and how you run a business, that made me understand and respect him a lot more.

What are memories of that initial return and, specifically, that tiny first show back at the Metro venue in Chicago?

PETE: Those first shows were definitely magical because I really wasn't sure that we would be on a stage again together. I don't have as many memories of some of our other first things. We were just talking about Warped Tour, I don't have many memories of those because it is almost wasted on you when it's a blur and there's so many things happening. But with this, I really wanted to not take it for granted and wanted to take in all the moments and have snapshots in our own heads of that show. I did a lot of other art during the time when we were off, everybody did, but there's a magic between the four of us and it was nice to know that it was real. When we got on that stage again at the Metro for the first time, there was something that's just a little different. I can't really put my finger on it, but it makes that art that we were making separately different than all the other stuff.

Musically, as you moved forward, everything sounded much bigger, almost ready for arenas and stadiums. Was that a conscious decision on your part?

PETE: Patrick felt like he was bursting with these ideas. It felt like these had been lying in wait, and they were big, and they were out there, and whether he'd saved them for those records, I don't really know. That's what it felt like to me. With 'Save Rock And Roll', we knew we had basically one shot. There were really three options; you'll have this other period in your career, no one will care or this will be the torch that burns the whole thing down. So we wanted to have it be at least on our terms. Then I think with 'American Beauty...' it was slightly different, because we made that record as fast as we could. We were in a pop sphere. Is there a way for a band to be competitive with DJs and rappers in terms of response time? Are we able to be on the scene and have it happen as quickly? I think it kind of made us insane a little bit. With 'American Beauty…', we really realised that we were not going to walk that same path in pop culture and that we would need to 'Trojan horse' our way into the conversation in some way. So we thought these songs could be played in stadiums, that these songs could be end titles. What are other avenues? Because radio didn't want this right now, so what are other avenues to make it to that conversation? Maybe this is just in my head but I thought 'Uma Thurman' could be a sister song to 'Dance, Dance' or maybe even 'Arms Race' where it is weird but it has pop elements to it.

PATRICK: I had a feeling on 'Save Rock And Roll' that it was kind of disjointed. It was a lot of good songs, but they were all over the place. So when we went into 'American Beauty…', I really wanted to make something cohesive. I do think that record is very coherent and very succinct - you either like it or you don't, and that's pretty much it all the way through. By the time we got to 'MANIA', I had done all this production and I'd started to get into scoring. The band had done so many things and taken so many weird chances that I just felt free to do whatever. At that point, no one's going to disown me if I try something really strange so let's see what happens. 'Young And Menace' was a big part of that experiment. People hate that song, and that's okay. It was meant to be challenging, it's obviously not supposed to be a pop song. It's an abrasive song, it should not have been a single. However, I do think that record should have been more like that. Towards the end of the production, there was this scramble of like, 'Oh, fuck, we have no pop music on this and we need to have singles' and things like that. That took over that record and became the last minute push. I think the last half of that record was recorded in the span of two weeks towards the end of the recording to try and pad it with more pop related songs. I look at that record and think it should have all been 'Young And Menace'. That should have been our 'Kid A' or something. It should have really challenged people.

But we have spoken before about how 'Folie à Deux' found its audience much later. It does feel like something similar is already beginning to happen with 'MANIA'...

PETE: I agree with you, and I think that's a great question, because I always thought like that. There's things that you're not there for, but you wish you were there. I always thought about it when we put out 'MANIA', because I don't know if it's for everyone, but this is your moment where you could change the course of history, you know, this could be your next 'Folie à Deux', which is bizarre because they're completely different records. But it also seems, and I think I have this with films and bands and stuff as well, that while one thing ascends, you see people grab onto the thing that other people wouldn't know, right? It's like me talking about 'Joker 2' - why not talk about the first one? That's the one that everybody likes. Maybe it's contrarian, I don't really know. I just purely like it. I'm sure that's what people say about 'Folie à Deux' and 'MANIA' as well. But there's something in the ascent where people begin to diverge, you are able to separate them and go 'Well, maybe this one's just for me and people like me. I like these other ones that other people talk about, but this one speaks to me'. I think over time, as they separate, the more people are able to say that. And then I can say this, because Patrick does music, I think that sometimes he's early on ideas, and time catches up with it a little bit as well. The ideas, and the guest on the record, they all make a little bit more sense as time goes on.

'MANIA' is almost the first of your albums designed for the streaming era. Everything is so different so people could almost pick and choose their own playlist.

PETE: Of course, you can curate it yourself. That's a great point. I think that the other point that you just made me think of is this was the first time where we realised, well, there's not really gatekeepers. The song will raise its hand, just like exactly what you're saying. So we should have probably just had 'The Last Of The Real Ones' be an early single, because that song was the one that people reacted to. But I think that there was still the old way of thinking in terms of picking the song that we think has the best chance, or whatever. But since then, we've just allowed the songs to dictate what path they take. I think that that's brilliant. If I'd had a chance to do that, curate my own record and pick the Metallica songs or whatever,that would be fantastic. So it was truly a learning experience in the way you release art to me.

PATRICK: After 'MANIA', I realised Fall Out Boy can't be the place for me to try everything. It's just not. We've been around for too long. We've been doing things for too long. It can't be my place to throw everything at the wall. There's too much that I've learned from scoring and from production now to put it all into it. So the scoring thing really became even more necessary. I needed it, emotionally. I needed a place to do everything, to have tubas and learn how to write jazz and how to write for the first trumpet. So then going into 'So Much (For) Stardust', it had the effect of making me more excited about rock music again, because I didn't feel the weight of all of this musical experimentation so I could just enjoy writing a rock song. It's funny, because I think it really grew into that towards the end of writing the record. I'd bet you, if we waited another month, it would probably be all more rock, because I had a rediscovered interest in it.

It's interesting you talk about the enjoyment of rock music again because that joy comes through on 'So Much (For) Stardust' in a major way, particularly on something like the title track. When the four of you all hit those closing harmonies together, especially live, that's a moment where everything feels fully cohesive and together and you can really enjoy yourselves. There's still experimental moments on the album but you guys are in a very confident and comfortable space right now and it definitely shows in the music. 

PATRICK: Yeah, I think that's a great point. When you talk about experimentation too and comfort, that's really the thing isn't it? This is always a thing that bugged me, because I never liked to jam when I was a kid. I really wanted to learn the part, memorise it and play it. Miles Davis was a side man for 20 years before he started doing his thing. You need to learn the shit out of your music theory and your instrument - you need to learn all the rules before you break them. I always had that mindset. But at this point, we as a band have worked with each other so much that now we can fuck around musically in ways that we didn't used to be able to and it's really exciting. There's just so much I notice now. There are ways that we all play that are really hard to describe. I think if you were to pull any one of the four of us out of it, I would really miss it. I would really miss that. It is this kind of alchemy of the way everyone works together. It's confidence, it's also comfort. It's like there's a home to it that I feel works so well. It's how I'm able to sing the way I sing, or it's how Andy's able to play the way he plays. There's something to it. We unlock stuff for each other.

Before we close, we must mention the other big live moment you had this year. You had played at Download Festival before but taking the headline slot, especially given the history of Donington, must have felt extra special. 

PETE: It felt insane. We always have a little bit of nerves about Download, wondering are we heavy enough? To the credit of the fans and the other bands playing, we have always felt so welcomed when we're there. There's very few times where you can look back on a time when... so, if I was a professional baseball player, and I'm throwing a ball against the wall in my parents garage as a kid, I could draw a direct link from the feeling of wanting to do that. I remember watching Metallica videos at Donington and thinking 'I want to be in Metallica at Donington'. That's not exactly how it turned out, but in some ways there is that direct link. On just a personal level, my family came over and got to see the festival. They were wearing the boots and we were in the mud. All this stuff that I would describe to them sounds insane when you tell your family in America - 'It's raining, but people love it'. For them to get to experience that was super special for me as well. We played the biggest production we've ever had and to get to do that there, the whole thing really made my summer.

PATRICK: There's not really words for it. It feels so improbable and so unlikely. Something hit me this last year, this last tour, where I would get out on stage and I'd be like, 'Wait, fucking seriously? People still want to see us and want to hear us?' It feels so strange and surreal. I go home and I'm just some schlubby Dad and I have to take out the compost and I have to remember to run the dishwasher. I live this not very exciting life, and then I get out there at Download and it's all these people. Because I'm naturally kind of shy, for years, I would look down when I played because I was so stressed about what was happening. Confidence and all these have given me a different posture so when I go out there, I can really see it, and it really hits you. Download, like you said, we've done before, but there's something very different about where I am now as a person. So I can really be there. And when you walk out on that stage, it is astounding. It forces you to play better and work harder, because these people waited for us. The show is the audience and your interaction with it. In the same way that the band has this alchemy to it, we can't play a show like that without that audience.

[louisupdates]

FITFWT24: FASHION

ASIA

24 Jan - Bengkel Space SCBD, JAKARTA: [Axel Arigato shoes] [Nike shoes] [Nike pants] [Matsuda glasses] [Raye sweatshirt and shorts] [Balenciaga socks] [Matsuda sunglasses]

AUSTRALIA

25 Jan - SYDNEY and MELBOURNE airports: [1017 Alyx 9SM bomber shirt and jacket] [Dior sunglasses] [Balenciaga sneakers and pants] [Stone Island cap]

27 Jan - Australian Open 2024: [Balmain polo] Garret Leight Wilson sunglasses]

28 Jan - Sidney Myer Music Bowl, MELBOURNE: [Calvin Klein white tanktop] [Stone Island shirt] [Nike trackpants] [Nike Zoom Vomero 5 shoes] [Adidas Oswego shoes]

29 Jan - MELBOURNE to BRISBANE: [DRFCOfficial sweatshirt] [Martine Rose track pants] [Salomon sneakers] [Ray Ban sunglasses]

30 Jan - Riverstage, BRISBANE: [Stone Island pants] [Neil Barrett t-shirt]

31 Jan - BRISBANE to SYDNEY: [Balenciaga hoodie]

2 Feb - Qudos Bank Arena, SYDNEY: [Burberry t-shirt]

8 Feb/ 9 Feb - SYDNEY: [Leones flames tank top] [Burberry white T-shirt]

TEKATE PAL NORTE FESTIVAL

30 Mar - MONTERREY, MEXICO: [Stone Island pants] [A Bathing Ape t-shirt] [Burberry shorts]

IHEART RADIO AWARDS - 1 APR 2023

LATAM [Fandom votes]

2 May - Centro de Convenciones Amador, PANAMA CITY: [Converse x A-COLD-WALL* Reversible Gale pants and shoes]

5 May - Coliseo de Puerto Rico, SAN JUAN: [CDLP tank top, Stone Island pants, Nike shoes]

8 May - Jeunesse Arena, RIO DE JANEIRO: [Saul Nash trousers] [Wales Bonner tank top]

11 May - Allianz Parquq, SÃO PAULO: [MSGM x Google Pixel “Daily Metro” print All-over Set]

12 May - Ligga Arena Cap, CURITIBA: [Y-3 shirt] [Adidas x Y-3 pants]

15 May - Antel Arena, MONTEVIDEO [black Burberry tank top] [Stone Island pants] [Axel Arigato shoes] [Palace x Gap jacket] [Palace x Gap track pants]

18 May - Velez Sarsfield, BUENOS AIRES: [CP Company t-shirt, pants, and jacket]

21 May - Jockey Club del Paraguay, ASUNCIÓN: [Acne Studios white tank top]. [Adidas Y3 pants] [Adidas shoes]

23 May - Bicentenario Stadium, SANTIAGO: [Wales Bonner jacket]

26 May - Arena 1, LIMA: [Mastermind t-shirt] [Stone Island pants]

28 May - Coliseo Medplus, BOGOTÁ: [Prada polo shirt and pants] [Salomon shoes]

30 May - Parque Viva, SAN JOSE: [Saul Nash tank top] [CP company pants] [Axel Arigato shoes]

1 Jun - Autodrómo Hermanos Rodriguez - Curva 4, MEXICO CITY: [Burberry shirt]

4 Jun - Auditorio Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, QUERETARO: [Maison Margiela tank] [Stone Island pants]

6 Jun - Arena VFG, GUADALAJARA: [Saul Nash tank top] [CP company pants] [Axel Arigato shoes]

AWAY FROM HOME FESTIVAL 2024

8 June- MERIDA, Mexico: [Mastermind t-shirt] [Casablanca football set] [Stone Island shorts]

PINKPOP FESTIVAL

22 Jun - LANDGRAAF, Netherlands: [Givenchy t-shirt and pants]

MAIN SQUARE FEST

4 Jul - ARRAS, France: [Givenchy t-shirt] [Stone Island pants]

RUISROCK FESTIVAL

7 Jul - Ruissalo Island, TURKU, Finland: [Maison Margiela black numeric wool gilet] [Adidas Y3 pants]

MEO MARES VIVAS FESTIVAL

21 Jul - VILA NOVA DE GAIA, Portugal: [Casablanca powder blue jacket] [Adidas black track jacket: backstage] [Moncler white sneakers]

MORRIÑA FESTIVAL

20 July- PORTO DE A CORUÑA, Spain: [Burberry black cotton track pants] [Burberry cotton mesh vest in jungle]

ARENAL SOUND FESTIVAL

2 Aug - BURRIANA, CASTELLO, Spain: [Burberry green shirt and swim shorts] [Nike white shoes]

SANTANDER FESTIVAL

3 Aug - SANTANDER, Spain: [Stone Island t-shirt] [Adidas Y3 black shoes] [Stone Island black pants] [ [Lacoste t-shirt] [Stone Island shorts]

UNTOLD FESTIVAL

8 Aug - CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania: [Prada black tank] [CP Company track pants in “Thyme”]

SZIGET FESTIVAL

10 Aug - BUDAPEST, Hungary: [Adidas UK x Wales Bonner neon yellow tank top] [Adidas x jjjjound track pants]

FREQUENCY FESTIVAL

16 Aug - ST. PÖLTEN, Austria: [CP company t-shirt] [CP company cargo pants]

CABARET VERT FESTIVAL

18 AUG - CHARLEVILLE-MÉZIÈRES, France: [Ahluwalia polo shirt]

VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL

23 Aug - PORTSMOUTH, UK: [Saul Nash black vest and pants] [Martine Rose baseball cap] [Ray Ban sunglasses] [Axel Arigato shoes]

ZURICH OPEN AIR FESTIVAL

24 AUG - ZURICH, Switzerland: [Casablanca Paris t-shirt] [Nike shorts]

FESTNINGEN FESTIVAL

30 Aug - TRONDHEIM, Norway: [Burberry black t-shirt and jogging pants]

MONZA GRAND PRIX 2024

31 AUG - 1 SEP - MONZA, Italy: [Axel Arigato Drew knitted vest] [Prada denim jeans] [Palmes Olde shorts]

LIVE FROM FEST ISTANBUL

6 Sep - Festival Park Yenikapı, ISTANBUL, Turkey: [Stone Island t-shirt in onion rose]

LOLLAPALOOZA BERLIN

7 Sep - Olympiastadion & Olympiapark, BERLIN, Germany: [Amiri shirt and shorts] [Sex Pistols t-shirt] [Sex Pistol white t-shirt]

SUPERBLOOM FESTIVAL

8 Sep - Olympiapark and Olympiastadion, MUNICH, Germany: [Prada jacket] [Nike shorts] [Stone Island t-shirt]

[sunburnacoustic]

Muse - Q Awards 2007

Some shitty quality but fascinating pics of Muse with other musical stars of the 00s at the 2007 Q Awards, where Muse were seen talking to Shirley Bassey, Nicky Wire (Manic Street Preachers), Ricky Wilson (Kaiser Chiefs), Ian Brown (Stone Roses), the singer Mika (who apparently really likes Muse!) and Kate Nash.

And Muse themselves, triumphant winners of the Best Live Act award at 2007 Q's, beating Arcade Fire, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian.

Q Magazine did feature their awards in the Nov 2007 edition of Q, so I can sneak in a picture from there too (thanks Musewiki <3)

Here's what Muse had to say about it all (Q interview)

Rate your day on a scale of 1 to 10. Dominic Howard (drums): I'd say pushing eight. When we woke up hung over in Serbia this morning, it was about minus 5. But getting back to London pushed it up a few points and then winning this award pushed it up further again. By the time we get to the party later we'll hopefully have pushed it to 11.

This is the 3rd time you've picked up the Best Live Act Award. Not getting bored of it yet, are you? Matthew Bellamy (vocals/guitar): No, it's nice that we've bagged this again. We're not getting bored of playing live and we're not bored of people liking our performances either.

Your plane from Belgrade landed about an hour ago. you didn't get a nice early night in preparation for today, then?

MB: Not quite. Last night Belgrade was Bel-degrade. It got quite dark. I wasn't involved, but it included a transsexual called Pete. And a dildo. Pete was sat on your knee for quite a while Dom, wasn't that right? DH: (Solemnly) No.

Does visiting new cities give you more licence to misbehave? MB: Yeah, a bit. We've been lucky this year in that we've been able to go to new places - Eastern Europe, Asia, Mexico. Sometimes on tour you just cocoon yourself in your hotel room and keep your head down until gig time. being somewhere new puts you in the mood to get out more and meet new people, just to find new experiences.

So what's the oddest experience on tour this year? DH: Sorry, I can't get the transsexual out of my head now. Indonesia was interesting, mainly because I could've got killed. We'd taken a few silly things and we decided to check out some local bars in a really rough part of town. The houses were all corrugated iron and we had chickens running over the bonnet of the car, people banging on our windows. One of the guys got out of our car and he got shouted at, so we got out of there as fast as possible. But we were told later that we were lucky we didn't get shot, then robbed.

MB: Our tour manager got robbed by three ladyboys in a lift there, too.

Have you had any celebrity fans coming to the shows?

Christopher Wolstenholme (bass): In LA the kid for The Sixth Sense (Hayley Joe Osment) came to see us. I think he crashed his car on the way home.

MB: Paris Hilton to the LA show, too. But she left during Knights of Cydonia, which is the first song on the set. If we're offending Paris Hilton we must be doing something right.

The UK people will see your two Wembley Stadium shows in the summer as the pinnacle of the Muse live experience. How were those shows for you?

MB: I think we did our best. It's an amazing venue and the crowds made those shows. Big shows like that aren't just about the band, its about the whole experience and watching the crowd is part of the fun. It definitely gave us a taste for more of those big shows.

Any outrageous stage props that got vetoed by the council? Ten-foot-high robots and the like?

MB: Well, we wanted to have helicopters doing a balloon drop and circling above us with searchlights spotlighting the crowd, but apparently you're not allowed to have helicopters fly over big crowds in case they fall out of the sky and start mincing up. Which is fair enough, I suppose.

DH: We wanted to arrive by Zeppelins and drop down to the stage, but we weren't allowed to do that either...

MB: We're gonna make that happen next time. You can get these business Zeppelins now, like a private jet, so we could fly from gig to gig, descend for the gig and then get lifted back into the Zeppelin lounge.

So how do you go about topping Wembley? MB: We'll probably start from scratch again and build things back up with smaller gigs. DH: We'd like to do multiple nights in smaller venues. We might have more people onstage.

[Q mishears] Q: Small people onstage? DH: Yeah, more small people. Like Spinal Tap. No, it'd just be good to have the time to evolve the whole musical side of the show.

Is this tour ever going to end? MB: Technically, it's over in December. But there are a few more things that we've been offered for next year, so who knows?

The rumour is that you're going to headline Glastonbury again next year... MB: Ooh, that's a strong question! Very strong. Well, Glastonbury is a festival that's very close to our hearts. And it'll be amazing to play it again...sometime. But next year's plans have yet to be settled upon.

So we'll take that as a "yes" then? MB: No, don't take it as anything. DH: It's a maybe. CW: It's a flat "no".

Back to today: is there anyone here you really want to meet? MB: I'd love to say hello to Paul McCartney. But so would everyone here, I bet. We'll not be allowed near him.

Are you pretty sociable when you're at parties without musicians? MB: It's like when two dogs meet in the park: they eye each other up for a bit, then have a sniff around each other. So we'll see who's smelling OK later. Who's that? (Points at Damon Albarn posing for Q's photographer) Damon Albarn? (Unimpressed) Oh...

What do you want for pudding? DH: What's the obsession with pudding here? Someone else just asked us that. CW: We'll say something classic. Bread-and-butter pudding. Can't go wrong there.

So what are you doing next? MB: I have a meeting with out lawyers. Very rock'n'roll. But we'll be out at the party later. These days if we're in London it usually means we have to work, so one of the ideas in coming to this was to have a big night out.

Pics - microcuts.net archives | article - MuseWiki.

[random-of-random]

Can I Save You?

Chapter 1: It all started….

Author’s Note: Alright, here it is. I did some editing on it from when I first wrote it. Changed a few things that didn’t fit. But, it’s mostly the same story I wrote back in 2015. Italic writing indicates it’s in the past.

Patricia stood staring at the rows of televisions in front of her desk. The MI6 badge, hanging from her belt loop, reflected the gruesome images that were now being broadcast to the entire world. It all started in an American city, at an American football game. It was a place where everyone thought they were safe, until a series of explosions caused the ground to crumble beneath the players, killing more than a few. That was when the scene was brought to her attention. A ring of the telephone brought the entire department, including the Director of MI6 - Samuel Wilson, to watch with baited breath. The crowd at the Gothem arena looked terrified, confused, and panicked as some ran for the exits.

“Gotham, take control... take control of your city. Behold, the instrument of your liberation!” A masked man, known to certain agencies simply as Bane, was speaking into the microphone once belonging to the game referee.

He had come out on the field surrounded by men with machine guns. The mayor had been killed first, his VIP booth blown up. A disheveled man was kneeling in front of Bane. His clothes were torn and ragged, his face dirty and worn, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“Identify yourself to the world.” Bane’s voice was muffled through the mask covering his face. His accent thick. Bane’s brown eyes were focused on the man in front of him on his knees. The football stadium was a mess, though it wasn’t the only place in Gothem where bombs had been detonated. The group cut Gotham off from the mainland. At that moment every allied country in the world was coordinating with the American government.

“I am Dr Leonid Pavel, a nuclear scientist.” His voice shook as he looked up at his intimidating captor. Leonid Pavel had been missing, presumed dead for weeks.

“It’s him.” A man in Patricia’s office yelled. “Our systems have a 100% facial recognition match, so do the yanks.” Patricia Robertson couldn’t tear her eyes away. She was now holding both sides of the desk in front of her, desperately trying to hide the fact that she was shaking, and it wasn’t from the cold. The office, underground, had a colder temperature than most, and technology was the only light. When you worked with MI6, people didn't know where you were, and it was expected to stay that way.

“What have you done to this device?” Bane asked, addressing the large piece of equipment that had been brought on the field behind him. The office had gone almost as quiet as the football stadium.

“I've turned it into a working nuclear bomb.” People had become numb, shocked. Several people in her office gasped. This wasn’t threatening stadium of several thousand people, this was an entire large city, millions of people. The yanks were on the phones immediately.

“Who among the people in this city can disarm this device?” Bane asked.

“Only me...” The doctor replied. Patricia’s breathing quickened. He couldn’t be doing this.

“We need to get planes in the air.” Their director was saying. “We need specialists in that city.” He walked over to her. “Robertson.” Patricia put her hand up and watched the screen.

“I highly doubt he’s done sir.” She said barely above a whisper.

“Only you... “ Bane’s voice echoed across the quiet stadium. “Thank you, good doctor.” He reached for Pavel and in mere seconds, the doctor lay dead. His neck broken. Patricia lowered her head. Screaming was now filling the stadium as children clung to their mothers and Bane continued his speech.

“Patricia, come on. Situation room.” Director Wilson said quietly. She tore her eyes away from the brown eyes on the screen. The brown eyes with no compassion, with no love left in them. The situation room was deserted. Bullet and soundproof glass covered one wall. Many conversations kept secret and classified had occurred there over the years and another was about to. The phone that sat in the center of the room connected them with the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the President of the United States.

“Something must be done.” The President was saying confidently. “We can not allow him to hurt any innocent civilians.”

“Mr. President.” The head of the FBI started. “We’ll have to send in armies. We aren’t sure how many men this terrorist has.” Patricia winced. She hated him being called that. She hated that he had become that, but luckily, no one noticed. “The last Intel we received from the acting commissioner said that Bane’s army was underground. The cops were going into the sewers to try to catch them. Unfortunately, when the bombs blew they got trapped.”

“How many of them?” Patricia asked.

“Gentleman, this is Patricia Robertson. She is one of our top agents. She specializes in terrorist cells. She’s been looking for Bane for a number of years now.”

“A large number, Miss Robertson. Many cops had been called in off duty. There is only a handful still on the surface.” The FBI director stated.

“My god.” The President added, sullenly.

“Sir.” Another MI6 agent had come in. “It’s Bane sir.”

“What is it?” The Wilson asked. Patricia could hear the other important men all getting similar notifications.

“He says that a civilian of Gotham is in control of the detonator. That if anyone military or any kind of police go into the city, or if any civilian tries to leave, even by swimming, the bomb will be triggered.”

“How serious is he?” Wilson asked Patricia. Her eyes were glossy as she concentrated. Thinking back to all of his other crimes, all of the horrible things he had done, she knew the odds.

“Director Parsons.” She called suddenly, asking for the head of the FBI.

“Yes ma’am.”

“You said acting commissioner earlier. What happened to the original?”

“Commissioner Gordon was taken into the sewers, some time ago. He managed to escape but not before being shot by Bane’s men. Another officer, uh, John Blake, found him and took him to the hospital. That’s where he’s been ever since. He had said something about an underground army, but no one took him seriously until the board of a major company was taken.”

“What company?” Patricia asked.

“Wayne Enterprises.” He paused and she could tell he was reading from a police report. “They took three of the board members.”

“Where are the board members now?” Wilson asked.

“Still missing.” Parsons responded.

“Get information to people in the city in any way possible.” Patricia said quickly. “The cops that were off that day and are still in the upper city, tell them to be careful. Whatever they plan they need to not draw attention to the fact that they’re cops. Bane and his forces clearly had a plan to get rid of the local law enforcement.” She paused. “Also, we need to figure out what’s so special about Wayne Enterprises, why members of that board. Why only three?”

“Miss Robertson.” The President said.

“Yes, sir.” She replied.

“You seem to know this man well. Is his threat credible?”

“Extremely.” Patricia answered, her stomach ached just thinking about it.

"Pardon my interruption, but we just received some news." Parsons announced. "Bane and his men will allow food and other provisions to be brought into the city."

"That's one way in." Wilson stated. "We send in agents with food trucks. No badges, no weapons, different ID's"

"Another message we need to get in there." Patricia said pulling up files on the computer screen in front of them. "Any socialites in Gotham. They need to hide."

"Hide?" Parsons asked, quizzically.

"Yes. Bane, in recent years, has been about taking control of local government, by violence if necessary. The idea the upper class having everything, in abundance, while there is barely a distinction between the middle and lower classes repulses him. He wants a revolution." She kept looking through files, bringing up a random one. "Like this guy." His file name was Bruce Wayne. She paused as a pang of recognition shot through her, but she pushed it aside. “How heavily is Mr. Wayne still associated with Wayne Enterprises?”

“Very.” Parson’s replied.

"He has to hide. Anyone with large amounts of money, anyone who worked in any type of government; tell them to find safety and shelter. For now, their old lives are gone." She pulled up more files, the board of directors for Wayne Enterprises. Lucius Fox, Miranda Tate. Patricia's eyes narrowed.

"Is everything alright?" Director Wilson asked.

"Yeah." She shook the feeling. There was something in that woman's eyes she knew, she just couldn't place it.

"This is the town with that Batman fellow, correct?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, this is the place." Parsons replied.

"Where is he?” Wilson continued. “Does anyone know how to get in touch with him?"

"No one has seen him in some time, no one knows why." The President added.

"Bane probably did something with him before this whole charade." Parsons replied. Director Wilson changed the screen from computer mode to television mode and every news station in every language was replaying Bane's announcements. A picture was brought up on the screen of just Bane and Patricia could feel her blood go cold.

"I'm going." She said simply.

"Excuse me?" Her director asked.

"I'm going to try to get into Gotham with the other agents. I know this guy better than almost anyone."

"Parsons. One of my best agents is coming to the States with me.”

"We look forward to the expertise Miss Robertson."

Patricia's eyes looked back toward the screen. Bane's face was still on the screen and she had to look away. She was trying to find him to save him. Now what could she do?

- - - - - - - -

Patricia's heart pounded in her chest as she ran down the cobblestone streets of Italy. A young man was running beside her, much taller and faster, but he kept her pace because he refused to leave her.

She could feel the stones through her worn out converse shoes, but the pain was nothing compared to the fear she felt. Even the beauty of the landscape she was running through didn’t strike her. She'd always wanted to see Italy and growing up in the UK gave her a lot of opportunities, but for one reason or another, she never took them. Now, she didn't have time to stop and see it.

They thought they were going to be there for at least a month, but their young looks had drawn too much suspicion.

"I can't do it anymore." Dominic's eyes were contorted in pain. A towel was pulled across his face, hiding things he didn't want to show. He had stopped and fell against the side of a white stone building in the middle of a market. "I don't have anymore medicine." Patricia could see tears falling from his eyes as pain raked his body.

"Please, we have to keep going." She begged him.

"I'm sorry." His soft hand touched her face.

"Don't move." She said quickly, her eyes darting around. They were behind an empty stand. The proprietor must have left for an early lunch. "Stay here and do not make a sound."

"No, Tricia, don't." He pleaded. Not listening, she jumped up and ran to the other side of the road near a fountain. She could see the men running through the city of Rome, looking for them. They caught her eye and she took off, drawing them away from Dominic. She ran through the city, the two men tearing after her. She turned around for just a moment, trying to catch a glimpse of how far the men were behind her. However, to her surprise she only saw one. When she turned back around a pair of strong arms had grabbed her around the waist.

"Let me go!" she shouted.

"Where is he?" The man had pushed her against a stand making the woman behind it jump back before running. He placed the barrel of a gun to Patricia’s head. Several locals screamed and ran into their homes.

"He's already gone." Patricia lied.

"Damn it!" The second man said, his voice strained from the running. "We have to bring him back or we'll be stuck in there."

"Where was he going!" The first man screamed.

"Why would you ever think that I'd tell you?" She was speaking through clenched teeth, only thinking of how to draw their attention away.

"Because if you don't he'll come back to nothing but your blood splattered on the ground." She heard the safety of the gun click off and felt the cold barrel against her head. She closed her eyes and waited for darkness to overcome her. The next thing she felt was the man being forcefully pushed away from her, and she heard a groan as one of the men was slammed to the ground. Seeing the gun fly from the man’s hands and under the stand she dove for it. When she finally had it in her hands and she turned around the two men were both cowering. The man who originally had the gun was trying to stop his nose from bleeding, and the other was helping his friend to his feet. Dominic stood a few feet away from her, staring menacingly at their pursuers. His towel had fallen and the men were looking in horror upon his face. A mask was covering his mouth and nose, a dark black mask that contrasted with his pale skin. It looked primitive. The first man finally got to his feet, his nose still bleeding.

"There is a heavy price on your head boy, you have a debt to pay and you've been avoiding it for too long."

"If you know what's good for you, you will run as fast as you can." Dominic's hand was shaking, no matter how hard he tried to keep it steady, but only Patricia noticed.

"We'll be back. Someone will get you, and you will spend your life in that prison, while your pretty little girl plays with us." Dominic screamed and pulled the gun from Patricia's hand. He aimed.

"Don't." Patricia pleaded. Her hand softly gripped his arm. "Don't become what they want you to be." His brown eyes, the same shade as hers, focus on her then the men.

"Run." They didn't wait. They turned and moved as fast as they could. As soon as they were out of eye sight Dominic fell. Patricia helped him to rest against a wall. The amount of pain he was in had to be almost unbearable. Older men and women had started to walk over.

"Is he alright?" One brave older man asked, kneeling beside him. He was the only one who came close, everyone else was weary, looking at his mask. Patricia could see that the mask needed repairing.

"I need medicine. A type of anesthetic." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Can you or anyone get me this? I have money." The man quickly spoke in Italian calling over a younger boy. Patricia handed the boy the paper and a few bills before turning her attention back to Dominic.

"My love..." She said softly. His eyes fluttered open. "I have to take off your mask." He nodded. "Will you hold his hand?" She asked the older man and he immediately did. Patricia pulled off his mask and he let out a animal like moan. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry my love." She was trying to fix it as quickly as possible. His body was shaking from pain and he looked as if he would pass out at any moment. The boy ran up with the medicine, and she added it to his mask, quickly encouraging them to keep the change for their help. She went to put the mask back on but he grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

"Don't say that. You saved me. I'm going to get you out of this, one way or another." He kissed her softly, but she felt his body shudder under the pain. Fixing the mask to his face a look of serenity came over him. She could tell he was close to passing out.

"Tricia..." He said, his eyes closing. "Tricia.."

————————

“Patricia." She was pulled quickly out of her haze, but she was trying to hold onto that image. The scariest and best time of her life. She would give anything to go back there again.

"You seemed to be in your own little world." Wilson commented. They were flying on a plane to Washington D.C.

"Just planning, sir." She replied.

"I know it's a great risk going in there."

"You have no idea, sir." She added, looking out the plane window. In a few hours she would be touching down in the DC airport. Then on to the White House situation room. To make a plan on how to attack and kill the person she worked her entire career to save

[keyshui]

i present to you, a very unserious post in which i insult every NHL team!

(this is all exaggerated so don’t get mad at me)

anaheim ducks - why is it that 1/3 of the way through the season you remember how to play hockey? like at this point it’s useless since you’re not making the playoffs and if you keep up like this you sure aren’t getting bedard

arizona coyotes - i do not like your jerseys. you would be forgettable but you suck too much for it

boston bruins - the only thing your team has going for you are your goalies and i hope next season you end up where the ducks are rn: not good enough for the playoffs and not bad enough for the draft lottery. sorry garnet hathaway (please come back)

buffalo sabres - i can define your entire team in one word: disappointment

calgary flames - anything good about you died when matthew tkachuk decided to go to florida. sorry!

carolina hurricanes - something about the “canes” nickname annoys the shit out of me. i hope you get a first round exit purely so the fans enjoying their team being good for once can be upset about it

chicago blackhawks - do i even have to say anything? because ew

colorado avalanche - literally how did you win the cup last year? thanks for the cup winning goalie btw <3 kuemper is better as a cap

columbus blue jackets - you don’t deserve bedard and i hope you lose the lottery since you’re clearly not pulling yourself out of the tank like the ducks

dallas stars - your jerseys are fucking ugly and the only stars player i can think of is tyler seguin (seriously… why that green…)

detroit red wings - you have the most obnoxious fan base i have ever had the displeasure of being in the same stadium with. LET GO OF THE 90s!!! PLEASE

edmonton oilers - how do you have two of the best players in the league and still manage to fail to get a cup every single playoffs

florida panthers - honestly if it weren’t for matthew tkachuk trade and the all stars game you’d be a dying, forgettable team

los angeles kings - i literally cant think of anything to put here. that’s how little you matter.

minnesota wild - one time in like 2019 the wild squished the caps at a game i was at so i decided that the wild suck. other than that y’all are so forgettable that i don’t have anything else to say

montreal canadiens - how is it that you keep managing to get beaten so so badly by teams that suck?

nashville predators - uuuugly ass jerseys and stuuuupid ass name

new jersey devils - jack hughes isn’t as hot as y’all think he is both in terms of attraction and skill

new york islanders - i hold a deep seated hatred for all new york city teams. you and your fanbases are so goddamn annoying

new york rangers - same with the islanders except 10x worse purely because of the little rivalry the caps hage with you (hope tom wilson squishes you tonight <3)

ottawa senators - really says something about your team that you had to name brady tkachuk of all people captain

philadelphia flyers - literally what is your logo i hate it. the only thing you have going for you is gritty and even that gets tiring REAL fast

pittsburgh penguins - i don’t care if the caps/pens rivalry doesn’t exist anymore it’s ingrained into me i hate you all and especially sidney crosby. you’re an aging team. retire already. ovechkin is better and malkin is overhyped

san jose sharks - wasted a sick ass team name on a depressing team

seattle kraken - y’all were doing so good at the start of the season what the hell happened. now it’s just disappointment…

st. louis blues - you’re one of those teams that i forget isn’t fake sometimes. like you’re not forgettable you’re just not… real

tampa bay lightning - i don’t get the hype the fanbase has for vasilevsky and your gray/yellow jerseys are way better than the normal ones

toronto maple leafs - auston matthews is not hot even slightly y’all just have competency kinks and it’s sad

vancouver canucks - quinn hughes looks so haunted and depressed all the time for a reason

vegas golden knights - did y’all think you were being funny when you decided to match with the kings?

washington capitals - jesus fuck just retire the entire goddamn team at this point. stop sending your prospects to the ahl and fucking play them if you want to give your roster some “youth” (i’m looking at you gmbm & laviolette)

winnipeg jets - if it weren’t for the fact that i used a website to make this list alphabetical order i would’ve forgotten you

[pegawolph]

Barry and uni in the style of Wilson city stadium

[jennyboom21]

As a football fan, it’s not uncommon to see big NFL stars date celebrities. When I was growing up in Pittsburgh, the Steelers’ quarterback Terry Bradshaw dated figure skater JoJo Starbuck. That was such a big deal at the time. For a brief period, they were the "it couple."

Now, that pairing seems so simple.

A few years ago quarterback Russell Wilson, when he was with the Seattle Seahawks, married global singing superstar Ciara. Before their nuptials, it was Tom Brady, who of course married supermodel Gisele Bündchen. Sadly, the two divorced last year. Then, Brady made big headlines in late summer with rumors he was dating another model, Irina Shayk.

That pairing seems so simple now.

This weekend, the Miami Dolphins scored 70 points in their win against the Denver Broncos, whose quarterback is Wilson. Presumably, Wilson was consoled by his famous wife after that embarrassing defeat. The Dolphins had a total offense of 726 yards, just nine yards short of the NFL's all-time record set by the Los Angeles Rams way back in 1951.

During any other weekend, the Dolphins's history-making win would dominate sports news, and spill into general news as well, because wins and yardage like that are unheard of, even in a league where high passing and high-scoring games are the norm.

Also on Sunday night, the plane carrying my beloved Steelers was forced to land in Kansas City, Mo., on their way back from Las Vegas after defeating the Raiders. That, too, would be huge sports news and general news, but alas, the emergency landing in Kansas City wasn't the biggest thing to even happen in that city on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Taylor Swift appeared in a private box at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, to watch the Chiefs manhandle the Chicago Bears 41-10. Presumably, Swift wasn’t there as a Chiefs fan or to watch the action. She was there to watch her new beau, the Chiefs's tight-end, Travis Kelce — who scored a touchdown probably just to show off. Images of Swift cheering and screaming for Kelce in that private box with his family almost crashed social media.

Is Swift dating Kelce? Well, who knows, and you might say, who cares? But, a lot of the world cares, to put it bluntly. Starbuck, Ciara, and Gisele pale in comparison to the enormity of Swift. If Swift decided to date a tree, that tree would become a top tourist destination.

It’s called the Swift effect; similar it seems to the Oprah effect. Everything Swift touches turns to gold. Swift walked hand-in-hand with Kelce out of Arrowhead Stadium Sunday after the game, and since then, sales of Kelce’s #87 Chiefs’ jersey have soared over 400 percent, according to TMZ.

This relationship between Swift and Kelce – whatever or however long it is – has also caused the interwebs to almost crash. Young women and young gay men around the world are Googling “Travis Kelce” to find out all they can about Swift’s new hunk of a football player boyfriend – or acquaintance?

Similarly, many of the gay “Swifties” I know were reaching out to me on Sunday about Kelce. They know I’m a football fan, so they had many questions for me; Is Kelce any good Where is he from? Who are the Chiefs? Is he a homophobe?

Kelce is good, in fact, he’s one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Kelce has an older brother, Jason who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. Their mother Donna has become somewhat of a celebrity herself. During the Super Bowl last year, where Travis’s team the Chiefs beat Jason's team, the Eagles, Donna was all over the place. The ultimate football mother. Happy for one son. Sad for the other. And now? After her picture alongside Swift ran wild over social media and the news on Sunday, Mrs. Kelce is the third biggest and current global superstar, behind Taylor and Travis.

As a side note, and for those who are obsessed with garnering as much knowledge about Kelce as they can get, this year’s Super Bowl win was his second win; the first being in 2020 when Kelce and the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers.

The Kelce brothers are creating a cottage industry for themselves. They have their own podcast, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, and they have a documentary, Kelce, on Prime Video that is more about Jason, with Travis making frequent appearances. It’s actually pretty good, even if you’re not a football fan. Not to be outdone by his brother, Travis had a reality show on E! called Catching Kelce, that featured 50 women from 50 states in a dating competition. I guess Taylor decided to wait until the dust cleared with that many women pining for Kelce?

There’s no doubt in the world that every Swifty is downloading all the episodes of that The Bachelor riff, so that they can find out how to catch Kelce too, or about how Swift caught Kelce.

Finally, Travis Kelce is anything but a homophobe. Kelce told Outsports at the 2017 Pro Bowl (this is the game that features the NFL’s best players) that he’d support a gay teammate. “Anybody in this world [can play]. I’m comfortable with who I am and I expect everyone to be comfortable with who they are. I respect people for their views and opinions.”

And here’s a story about why you can love Kelce even if you’re not a Swifty or even a Gaylor — which is a subgroup of Swift fans who believe Taylor Swift is actually queer. In July, Bud Light released a commercial starring Kelce. In any other year, that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow, but we all know what happened with Bud Light in April with the Dylan Mulvaney imbroglio, and Bud Light’s inexcusable reaction to the extreme right boycotting the beer.

In the face of that boycott, by angry cisgender straight white men who were shooting cans of Bud Light or pouring them down the drain, Kelce metaphorically flipped them the bird by swigging the beer. And for his bravery and f-you attitude towards the narrow-minded, they retaliated by calling for a boycott of Kelce and by calling him "woke." (How do you boycott a human being, let alone one that is 6’5” and weighs 250 pounds?) Kelce could have cared less about what they thought of him endorsing Bud Light. In fact, he was seen drinking the beer at a golf tournament soon after the ad was released.

This week, Kelce released a video announcing his partnership with Pfizer as part of an educational campaign to remind people to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccine shots, preferably at the same time. In his Instagram video, Kelce says, “With my schedule, saving time is key. The CDC says you can get this season’s updated COVID-19 shot when you get your flu shot if you’re due for both. That’s why I got two shots in one stop! Ask your doctor or pharmacist if it would be right for you. You can also visit CDC’s vaccines.gov to learn more and schedule an appointment.”

As you can imagine, the anti-vaxxers and the extreme right are horrified that Kelce is endorsing the same "phooey" and hawking the same “poisons” that their number one vaxxing nemesis Dr. Fauci championed. For his efforts, Kelce is a champion too.

Finally, Kelce hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year after winning the Super Bowl, and appeared in a memorable sketch with Bowen Yang as his “Straight Male Friend,” as Yang's character seeks some balance after being the one gay guy in a group of straight women.

While the world tries to dissect Kelce in every imaginable way possible, as they scoop up his jersey in record numbers, we can take some solace in the fact that Kelce will have no problem with queer Swifties or even the Gaylors.

One of my gay Swifty friends asked me what the story is with Travis's hunky brother Jason. I was sorry to tell him that he is happily married to his wife Kylie, and that they have three young daughters who will be the envy of young girls worldwide some day soon, when they get a new Aunt Taylor.

[aworldofimportance]

not a sports person but the vancouver canucks are trending and which is WILD because 1) thats my city and 2) I was outside the stadium just now as that game was letting out and OWEN WILSON WAS THERE

[picturesofthearsenal]

Jorginho of Arsenal winks during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on February 15, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

[billyjoelmutt]

United Universes Tour 2024! Hey Santa!

After that the stadium again went Green and Red with the tree lighting up!!!

Dalmatian pups- If everyday was Christmas If we could make believe If everyone would care a little more There'd be harmony :)

But then in the middle of the arena came two female dogs who both love Christmas so much!! One was the Christmas dog Noella!! The other was the beautiful daughter of Dodger! Mila!!!

Both- The city is covered in snow tonight The children fast asleep I'm waiting for him, but he's nowhere in sight And I wonder if he could hear me

Just then the stadium lit up and Santa Claus appeared!!!

Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa I wish with all my might Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa Bring my baby home tonight!

Why does it feel like it's colder than winter Even by the fireside My baby said that he'd be home for Christmas And now it's almost midnight

The Christmas lights up and down the street Are such a sight to see But all the presents by the tree They don't mean a thing till he's with me

Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa I wish with all my might Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa Bring my baby home tonight!!

I know your sleigh is full inside But won't you stop and give my baby a ride I'll be waiting by candlelight this Christmas

The Christmas lights up and down the street Are such a sight to see But all the presents by the tree They don't mean a thing Santa please hear me!

Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa I wish with all my might Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa Bring my baby home tonight!!

The Christmas lights up and down the street The presents by the tree I hear a knock, oh... can it be? My wish is staring back at me!

Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa I guess you heard me tonight Hey, Santa Hey, Santa... Santa

I'm underneath the mistletoe With my baby tonight Sleigh ride... It's Christmas time...

It continued but then..HE flew in!!! SANTA CLAUS!!!!!!! In his sleigh!!!!!

EVERYONE CHEERED LOUDLY!!!!

Santa- "HO HO HO!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! He then dropped presents into the stands for all the audience!!!!

Amitys jaw dropped!!! She never saw anything like it before!!!!!

Santa then did a few laps around the stadium and then took off!

Santa- "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!! AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!!!!

@thelittlemermaidfan1989

@mellowwpopper

@mellowwpuphub

@teen-lyoko-fan7777

@goldmudder

@andy-squirrel-and-friends

@askdj-timelord2

@keirastarlightdraconequus

(Credits to Disney, WIlson Philips Rudolph, the Year without a Santa Claus and all image and video makers!)

[cksmart-world]

December 17, 2024

THANK GOD FOR REAL HOUSEWIVES OF SALT LAKE

Wilson, did you ever wonder what would happen to The Salt Lake Tribune's “Culture” section were it not for “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City?” It's apparently a vast dessert here in Utah when looking for culture. Let's see, we've got the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, aka MoTabs. We've got Jell-O, dirty soda, the Sundance Film Festival and The Day's of '47 Parade — hardly enough to fill up the Culture pages. Thank heavens for Real Housewives. Just to catch you up, Wilson, The Trib has provided us with this timely update: Last week security guards had to remove Angie Katsanevas from Meredith Marks’ post-bat mitzvah party. (Bat Mitzvah in Utah? Who knew?) Later, Mary Crosby visits Angie and says her son is using Xanax and LSD. No Wilson, we are not making this up. Mary tells Angie she is going to Mexico with the rest of the cast. Bronwyn Newport shows up at the airport with bruises and bites on her calf and arm, from a dog that attacked her in the park... We're just clinging to our seats for what's next. Of course, we do have symphony, ballet, dance companies and theater troops, but who cares about that stuff when you can watch these “ladies” scratch each other's eyes out. We're just fortunate that Trib editors can find space in their crowded “Culture” pages to keep us up to date on what defines us in this age of... reality TV.

TRUMP WORLD — STRANGER THAN FICTION

Say you wanted to write a scary political thriller. The protagonist in your novel is the director of the FBI who rose to his position when his former boss was canned because he investigated Russian interference in the presidential election. As the book progresses, the president who appointed the new director is out of office and it turns out that he purloined a truckload of classified documents to his private residence illegally. The FBI director executes a search warrant at the former president's private residence and turns up classified documents here, there and everywhere in places they could be found by any old Tom, Dick or Harry. Despite overwhelming evidence of felonies a judge appointed by the former president kicks the case out of court. Then in a bizarre twist, four years later the former president gets reelected and is looking for payback. So your FBI director protagonist, reading the writing on the wall, resigns to be replaced by one of the president-elect's sycophants who would never ever investigate the president who breaks laws as a matter of course. You take the manuscript to your editor who reads it like he's got splinters under his fingernails. Are you kidding, he bellows, this is ridiculous! No one could possibly, remotely ever believe anything like this could ever happen. This is unbelievable and freakin' insane.

URBAN PLANNING IS SO YESTERDAY — BUILD BABY BUILD

Well Wilson, the future is here and that means that AI or someone/something else is doing the urban planning, replacing antiquated, outmoded human beings. Salt Lake City is in for a big makeover and it's going to be wonderful and beautiful and every other superlative City Council Chair Victoria Petro can come up with. “Big and different does not equate to bad, scary or wrong,” she said as the city approved a plan from the Larry H. Miller Co. The only rub is that other than a Major League Baseball stadium no one knows exactly what Miller has in mind for the $3.5 billion project on 93 acres straddling North Temple at 1500 West. Retail, entertainment, and housing? Buildings up to 400 feet tall? But don't worry it will be great. Sound familiar? Earlier this year Salt Lake City struck a deal with billionaire Ryan Smith to build a $3 billion sports/entertainment district around the Delta Center. We don't know what that will look like, either. Salt Lake City taxpayers are on the hook for $900 million for Smith's project. But don't worry, be happy. City officials didn't have to fast-track these vague pie-in-the-sky plans but if a deal wasn't inked with Smith and Miller by year's end, state lawmakers wouldn't make Salt Lake City residents cough up taxes to help the developers get richer. Confused? That's the American way. Feeling patriotic?

Post script — That's going to do it for another festive week here at Smart Bomb where we keep track of when Homo sapiens began interbreeding with Neanderthals. For real, scientists have pinpointed, more or less, when humans began getting it on with our stout, redheaded cousins. According to two different analyses, the two groups began intermingling about 50,500 years ago in northern Europe. And apparently there was no stigma attached to the intermarriages — if you can call it that. It's quite progressive, wouldn't you say, Wilson. Or maybe it's just the old, men will be men, thing. At any rate the phenomenon continued for about 7,000 years until Neanderthals disappeared. Wonders never cease when it comes to men and women. Do you remember that Paul Simon song, Wilson, called, “50 ways to leave your lover.” Well, Donald Trump Jr. has got a brand new way to leave your lover. It goes like this, you get sick and tired of your loud mouthed, inappropriately dressed fiance, Kimberly Guilfoyle, so you have your president-elect father appoint her to be ambassador to Greece. She's out of the picture and you're free to move on, in this case to glam socialite Bettina Anderson. According to The New York Post, Anderson, a model and influencer comes from the height of Palm Beach society. Nothing like presidential powers.

Well Wilson, maybe Kimberly Guilfoyle can find a rich Greece shipping magnate and when she finishes up her patriotic duty she could become one of the Real Housewives of Athens. Poor Kimberly, she won't be missed. So Wilson, maybe you and the guys in the band can can help out those would-be Don Juniors whose father can't help them ditch their lover:

"The problem is all inside your head" She said to me "The answer is easy if you Take it logically I'd like to help you in your struggle To be free There must be fifty ways To leave your lover" You just slip out the back, Jack Make a new plan, Stan You don't need to be coy, Roy Just get yourself free Hop on the bus, Gus You don't need to discuss much Just drop off the key, Lee And get yourself free She said, "It grieves me so To see you in such pain I wish there was something I could do To make you smile again" I said, "I appreciate that And would you please explain About the fifty ways?" You just slip out the back, Jack Make a new plan, Stan You don't need to be coy, Roy Just get yourself free Hop on the bus, Gus You don't need to discuss much Just drop off the key, Lee And get yourself free

(50 Ways to Leave Your Lover — Paul Simon)

[masg1313]

NYC Music Venue Guide

Brooklyn

Alphaville

140 Wilson Avenue (Bushwick)

alphavillebk.com

Baby’s All Right

146 Broadway (South Williamsburg)

babysallright.com

Barclays Center

620 Atlantic Avenue (Prospect Heights)

barclayscenter.com

The Broadway

1272 Broadway (Bushwick/Bed-Stuy)

thebroadway.nyc

Brooklyn Bowl

61 Wythe Avenue (Williamsburg)

brooklynbowl.com/brooklyn

Brooklyn Made

428 Troutman Street (Bushwick)

brooklynmadepresents.com

The Brooklyn Monarch

23 Meadow Street (East Williamsburg)

thebrooklynmonarch.com

Brooklyn Paramount

385 Flatbush Avenue Extension (Downtown Brooklyn)

brooklynparamount.com

Brooklyn Steel

319 Frost Street (East Williamsburg)

boweypresents.com/venues/brooklyn-steel

Elsewhere

599 Johnson Avenue (East Williamsburg)

elsewhere.club

Kings Theatre

1027 Flatbush Avenue (Flatbush)

kingstheatre.com

Market Hotel

1140 Myrtle Avenue (Bushwick)

markethotel.org

The Meadows

17 Meadow Street (East Williamsburg)

thebrooklynmonarch.com

Music Hall of Williamsburg

66 North 6th Street (Williamsburg)

musichallofwilliamsburg.com

Pioneer Works

159 Pioneer Street (Red Hook)

pioneerworks.org

Purgatory

675 Central Avenue (Bushwick)

purgatorybk.com

The Sultan Room

234 Starr Street (Bushwick)

thesultanroom.com

Warsaw

261 Driggs Avenue (Greenpoint)

warsawconcerts.com

The Woodshop

21A Meadow Street (East Williamsburg)

thebrooklynmonarch.com

Xanadu (Roller Arts)

262 Starr Street (Bushwick)

xanadu.nyc

Manhattan

Apollo Theater

25 West 125th Street (Harlem)

apollotheater.org

The Beacon Theatre

2124 Broadway (Upper West Side)

beacontheatre.com

Bowery Ballroom

6 Delancey Street (Bowery)

boweryballroom.com

Central Park SummerStage

East 71st Street & East Drive (Upper East Side)

summerstage.com

City Winery

25 11th Avenue (Pier 57) (Chelsea)

citywinery.com/new-york-city

Gramercy Theatre

127 East 23rd Street (Gramercy Park)

thegramercytheatre.com

Hammerstein Ballroom

311 West 34th Street (Midtown)

hammersteinballroom.com

Irving Plaza

17 Irving Place (Union Square)

irvingplaza.com

Joe’s Pub

425 Lafayette Street (NoHo)

joespub.com

Knitting Factory

101 Avenue A (Alphabet City)

ny.knittingfactory.com

(Le) Poisson Rouge

158 Bleeker Street (Greenwich Village)

lpr.com

Madison Square Garden

4 Penn Plaza (Midtown)

msg.com

Mercury Lounge

217 East Houston Street (Lower East Side)

mercuryloungenyc.com

Palladium Times Square

1515 Broadway (Times Square)

palladiumtimessquare.com

Racket

431 West 16th Street (Chelsea)

racketnyc.com

Radio City Music Hall

1260 Avenue of the Americas (Rockefeller Center)

radiocitymusichall.com

Rockwood Music Hall

196 Allen Street (Lower East Side)

rockwoodnyc.com

The Rooftop at Pier 17

89 South Street (The Seaport)

rooftopatpier17.com

Sony Hall

235 West 46th Street

sonyhall.com

Terminal 5

610 West 56th Street (Hell’s Kitchen)

terminal5nyc.com

The Theater at Madison Square Garden

4 Penn Plaza (Midtown)

thetheateratmsg.com

The Town Hall

123 West 43rd Street (Theater District)

thetownhall.com

United Palace

4140 Broadway (Washington Heights)

unitedpalace.org

Webster Hall

125 East 11th Street (East Village)

websterhall.com

Queens

Cassette

68-38 Forest Avenue (Ridgewood)

sundownbar.com

Forest Hills Stadium

1 Tennis Place (Forest Hills)

foresthillsstadium.com

Knockdown Center

52-19 Flushing Avenue (Maspeth)

knockdown.center

The Rockaway Hotel

108-10 Rockaway Beach Drive (Rockaway Park)

therockawayhotel.com

Trans-Pecos

9-15 Wyckoff Avenue (Ridgewood)

thetranspecos.com

TV Eye

1647 Weirfield Street (Ridgewood)

tveyenyc.com

[pint4punt]

Davante Finally Answered the Jets’ Bat Signal

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the New York Jets (much like Gotham City) have been in complete disarray to start the year. Shocking? Not at all. But it’s the manner in which the chaos is unfolding this year that has been so utterly delightful. Hell the only thing more chaotic than this team might be the rollout of Joker: Folie à Deux. Two weeks ago they fired their Head Coach who was one game below .500 and coming off a spirited performance against one of the two remaining undefeated teams this season. As if that wasn’t enough, they had security escort him out of the building like he was an inmate of Arkham Asylum hell bent on burning the place down or….stealing office supplies.

This week, however, Woody Johnson showed how two-faced he can be by trading for All-Pro Wide Receiver Davante Adams and appeasing every football fan alive in the process. Now reunited with the Quarterback he set the league on fire with in Green Bay, the dynamic duo are ready to set things right for Jets’ fandom after years of decay and darkness. Davante could not have made the climb out of Allegiant Stadium to answer the bat signal at a better time after last week’s incredibly frustrating loss to the arch-nemesis Bills on Monday Night Football. For the first time in over a decade, the Jets have legitimate reason for hope. Yet for some reason, firing their Defensive-minded Head Coach didn’t fix their offensive woes. Who could have guessed? Rodgers had a strong outing and penalties certainly didn’t help, but it was clear their offense was missing a few tools in the old utility belt.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of the Jets as a franchise (yes, many reprehensible adjectives come to mind shockingly quick), it is impossible not to be excited about this move. Rodgers and Davante Adams are one of the best duos never to win a Super Bowl together and Garrett Wilson might be the best Wide Receiver two the league. Wilson, who has been good in his own right, was clearly more of a Robin and needed a Batman to step in the lineup and mentor him. Maybe he had already caught a glance of the bat signal when he changed his number this offseason. With one of the best defenses in the league now reinforced with pass rusher Haason Reddick (who finally ended his ridiculous holdout) and a suddenly loaded offense, the Batmobile is finally up and running and they might still have time to instill fear in all the wrongdoers of the AFC.

However before they earn that level of intimidation in the league, they’re going to be tested immediately in another Prime Time game this week. Rodgers, Davante, & Co. will have to board the bat plane to fly into Acrisure Stadium on a short week to take on the dastardly Steelers and their 8th ranked defense starring Bane in a 90 jersey and the ever cringey Mr. UNLIMITED making his 2024 debut.

At 2-4 the Jets are going to have to quickly gel as an offense. But if this team can start clicking before it’s too late, they might just run the table.

[shanzablogbola]

Prediksi Manchester City vs Watford 25 September 2024

Manchester City dan Watford akan berjumpa di Etihad Stadium pada putaran ke-3 Carabao Cup 2024/2025. Pertandingan EFL Cup antara Manchester City vs Watford ini dijadwalkan kick-off Rabu, 25 September 2024, jam 01.45 WIB, live streaming Champions TV 5 di Vidio.

Man City akan main kandang, dan lawannya adalah tim divisi 2. Di atas kertas, Man City tentu sangat pantas untuk diunggulkan.

Watford sendiri datang dengan performa yang mencemaskan. Dalam tiga laga terakhirnya di Championship, tim yang ditangani Tom Cleverley itu selalu gagal menang. Mereka kalah 0-1 dari Sheffield United, seri 1-1 dengan Coventry City, dan kalah telak dari Norwich City dengan skor 1-4.

Man City baru saja kehilangan start sempurnanya di Premier League dengan hasil imbang 2-2 saat menjamu Arsenal. Erling Haaland sempat membawa timnya unggul, tapi Arsenal bisa membalikkan keadaan. Gol John Stones di pengujung laga menghindarkan Man City dari kekalahan.

Dengan hasil itu, berarti Man City selalu imbang dalam dua laga terkini, yang semuanya adalah laga-laga kandang. Mereka ditahan Inter Milan 0-0 di Liga Champions, kemudian berbagi poin dengan Arsenal.

Namun, melawan Watford, meski tak bakal turun dengan tim inti, Man City seharusnya bisa mengamankan kemenangan.

Prediksi Starting XI Manchester City vs Watford

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Simpson-Pusey, Wilson-Esbrand; Nunes, Wright; O'Reilly, McAtee, Grealish; Foden.

Pelatih: Josep Guardiola.

Watford (3-4-2-1): Bond; Morris, Pollock, Porteous; Andrews, Dele-Bashiru, Sissoko, Sema; Chakvetadze, Baah; Bayo.

Pelatih: Tom Cleverley.

Head to Head dan Prediksi Skor Manchester City vs Watford

5 pertemuan terakhir

23/04/22 Manchester City 5-1 Watford (Premier League)

05/12/21 Watford 1-3 Manchester City (Premier League)

22/07/20 Watford 0-4 Manchester City (Premier League)

21/09/19 Manchester City 8-0 Watford (Premier League)

18/05/19 Manchester City 6-0 Watford (FA Cup).

5 pertandingan terakhir Manchester City (M-M-M-S-S)

24/08/24 Manchester City 4-1 Ipswich Town (Premier League)

31/08/24 West Ham 1-3 Manchester City (Premier League)

14/09/24 Manchester City 2-1 Brentford (Premier League)

19/09/24 Manchester City 0-0 Inter Milan (Liga Champions)

22/09/24 Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal (Premier League).

5 pertandingan terakhir Watford (M-M-K-S-K)

24/08/24 Watford 2-1 Derby County (Championship)

28/08/24 Watford 2-0 Plymouth Argyle (League Cup)

01/09/24 Sheffield United 1-0 Watford (Championship)

14/09/24 Watford 1-1 Coventry City (Championship)

21/09/24 Norwich City 4-1 Watford (Championship).

Prediksi skor akhir: Manchester City 5-0 Watford.

L4P4K303