#describing the taste of column a using the words from columns b and c. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

amitapaul · 25 days ago

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1951-U

Format FF Using

7/6

6/4/25

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#25USNaPoGloPoWriMo #amitasinfinity25napo

Prompt Dated : 2025 April 6

Response No : 1

Poem No: 7

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Prompt : A mix-and-match word - game

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Featured Poem

DAY 5: Today’s prompt challenges to write a poem inspired by musical notation and particularly those little italicized –and often Italian – instructions you’ll find over the staves in sheet music, like con allegro or andante. Write a poem that takes inspiration from your musical genre and notation, and uses the word or words you picked from the third column. My poem is inspired by “improvisatory screaming” of death metal and these words: sharks, butterflies, vanilla, vampire, shadow, clock, centaur, banquet, and snow.

WRITTEN BY A SKIRT

after Feur Frei by Rammstein

my edges are sharks

I bruise butterflies

I’m a metal at will

my centaur is real

hooves and growls

twirl, twirl

the clock chimes

a banquet is laid

no hymns to pray

‘cos I am a prayer

of guitarish vanilla

I’m a dance at will

twirl, twirl

I need no wind

twirl, twirl

I need no stitches

twirl, twirl

I fear no vampires

twirl, twirl

I slay my shadows

twirl, twirl

time is my ally

I growl the skin

I’m a kill at will

my death begins

if still as snow

twirl, twirl

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Poetry Resource :

Today’s daily resource is the online tour section of the Louvre. Not in Paris? No problem! You can still stroll – albeit virtually – through the hallowed corridors of France’s most famous museum, checking out exhibitions on dance, puppetry, royal portraits, and more!

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Prompt :

Today’s prompt (optional, as always) veers slightly away from our ekphrastic theme. To get started,

pick a number between 1 and 10.

Got your number? Okay! 5

Now scroll down until you come to a chart.

Find the row with your number.

Then, write a poem describing

the taste of the item in Column A,

using the words that appear

in that row in Column B and C.

5 Oranges Gurgle Irreverent

For bonus points, give your poem the title of the word that appears in Column A for your row,

but don’t use that word in the poem itself.

ORANGES

An irreverent gurgle

as you suck at juicy segments

and spit out the pips

You’re smiling a lemongrass smile

boing ginger- snap opulent

and tea - cuckoo unfit

honey- sizzle pitter- patter

feeling cinnamon- wheeze velvet

and banana- rasp gentle

and watermelon-primitive

mint-and - cilantro eager

citrus-juice-drip gentle

unpardonable liberties taken

with a clockwork Marlon Brando

a basket at the breakfast table

in Seville, Spain, with Cape Grapes,

or the finest English Thick Cut

Guess our name - colour- song

nursery rhyme with lemons

so, so, many ! What zest !

What zing ! A dawn, a sunset,

A comedian’s hair, a county-

O ! Mountain ranges in morning light !

You got it, C-Vit Sunshine ! Yeah, right !

Don’t forget the breakfast cereal and milk

And Pekoe Tea. Riddle Me Ree !

A plurality.

Row Column A Column B Column C

1 Ginger Snap Opulent

2 Honey Sizzle Velvet

3 Cinnamon Wheeze Golden

4 Tea Cuckoo Unfit

5 Oranges Gurgle Irreverent

6 Mint Boing Primitive

7 Watermelon Splash Mocking

8 Banana Rasp Unpardonable

9 Lemongrass Pitter-Patter Eager

10 Cilantro Drip Gentle

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Poem Title : ORANGES

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An irreverent gurgle

as you suck at juicy segments

and spit out the pips

You’re smiling a lemongrass smile

boing ginger- snap opulent

and tea - cuckoo unfit

honey- sizzle pitter- patter

feeling cinnamon- wheeze velvet

and banana- rasp gentle

and watermelon-primitive

mint-and - cilantro eager

citrus-juice-drip gentle

unpardonable liberties taken

with a clockwork Marlon Brando

a basket at the breakfast table

in Seville, Spain, with Cape Grapes,

or the finest English Thick Cut

Guess our name - colour- song

nursery rhyme with lemons

so, so, many ! What zest !

What zing ! A dawn, a sunset,

A comedian’s hair, a county-

O ! Mountain ranges in morning light !

You got it, C-Vit Sunshine ! Yeah, right !

Don’t forget the breakfast cereal and milk

And Pekoe Tea. Riddle Me Ree !

A plurality. Forbidden Name.

Fruit. A Word Game.

Your guess, nonetheless.

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Poet : Amita Sarjit Ahluwalia

Poem 6/ Day 6

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Day Six

on APRIL 6, 2025

Hello all! We’re now up to six whole days of National/Global Poetry Writing Month. We hope you’re feeling satisfied with your work so far, and looking forward to what’s yet to come.

Our featured participant for today is Gloria Gonsalves, who brings us a death-metal skirt poem in response to Day 5’s notation prompt.

Today’s prompt (optional, as always) veers slightly away from our ekphrastic theme. To get started, pick a number between 1 and 10. Got your number? Okay! Now scroll down until you come to a chart. Find the row with your number. Then, write a poem describing the taste of the item in Column A, using the words that appear in that row in Column B and C. For bonus points, give your poem the title of the word that appears in Column A for your row, but don’t use that word in the poem itself.

Happy writing!

0 notes

writingdirectory · 2 years ago

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Notes from a 5-day creative writing course:

Motivation

Make it a habit. That way, each time that familiar voice of self-doubt makes its appearance, it’ll be easier to ignore it, because writing will become something that you do-your thing-and you’ll gain confidence in it.

Visit your novel every single day. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to write something every day. You could outline the plot, or write character portraits, or draw a special part of your world. Your subconscious will work on your story even when you don’t. So, each time you visit the story consciously, you’ll find that things have developed in the story.

Manage the time of writing in a way that it is manageable for you. (It can be that one hour between classes or your lunch break or the morning before you go to work or at night before you sleep - Schedule it in a way that suits you and then, be serious about it.

Set a goal. For example, 100 or 500 words a day.

Character Development, Word Choice & Description

At first, characters incarnate ideas. A poor man who wins the lottery, a young boy who travels to a magical land. As we develop the story, they become people - real people with backgrounds and unique choices.

Ways we perceive character: through actions, thoughts (conflict), dialogue, interactions with others.

Bring intentionality to the representation of a character. Don't give arbitrary information.

How a character reacts is a question of how you want to represent them through all those multiplicities that are dialogue, actions, interactions, etc.

Characters always want something. They are never static. With wants come obstacles and transformation.

Create tension between what a characters thinks, feels and says. For example, set external confidence and internal fear and then change that as the story develops. Characters can also be comfortable or scared depending on the situation.

Explore complexity. How a character talks to their lover is different from how they talk to their friends and family.

Give secondary characters a characteristic beyond their function to make them more prominent.

Make a hierarchy out of characters.

Exercise: Write the portrait of a character, how you would introduce them in the story and a description of them from a character that a) likes them and b) dislikes them.

Word Choice. When it starts sounding like writing, cut it out - Kill your darlings. Example: The car was spotted with rust - shows the car. As opposed to: The car was acned with rust - shows the writing. Sometimes a more refined word works against the object/image.

Description: Don’t just put in details. The details need to be significant for the image you want the reader to see.

Don’t use metaphors and lyricism in the expense of clarity. Be precise. Metaphors and similes should fit the narrative and not distract the reader. For example, saying “He barked like a dog” sounds fine, but if there are no dogs in your world, it is out of place and breaks the narrative. Be specific. Name things. Don’t be vague. Precision grounds your fiction.

Determine if you need static or lively description. Lively description is when you describe things through actions. Like “She passed her fingers through her blond hair”, instead of “Her hair was blond”.

Sense of authenticity. When you describe a place precisely, you gain your reader’s trust. A column is different from a golden column. That kind of attention gives a sense of authority and makes the narrative convincing.

Parts of description: smell, sound, sight, taste, touch, temperature, pressure.

Dialogue & POVs

Dialogue a) informs the character, b) moves the story forward, c) develops relationships between characters.

Dialogue isn’t just about how people talk.

What’s said can suggest what isn’t being said.

Use dialogue interspersed with description and visuals.

Choose the POV that suits your story.

(From David Lodge, ‘The Art of Fiction’.) A fictional story is unlikely to engage our interest unless we know whose story it is. Even with an “omniscient” narrative method, the writer should privilege one or two “points of view”. An objective approach may be a worthy aim in journalism, but not in fiction.

Pros and cons of 1st person POV. Pros: personal and direct, immediacy, intimacy, immediate credibility, easier to build character. Cons: limited, biased, unreliable, writing can become simplistic. When writing in 1st person, keep in mind that characters change, hence their perception changes. That has to be obvious in the narrative.

Pros and cons of 3rd person limited POV. Pros: thoughts can still be on the page, flexibility, wider view of the world, more complex language can be used (usually we think in simple words, so complex writing might sound pretentious and out of place in 1st person POV). Cons: distance (he/she).

GOD MODE. Or, commonly, 3rd person omniscient. You can jump in and out of characters’ minds, but there’s a danger when writing with such freedom. Be aware of structural harmony. Don’t write 10 pages in Sally’s POV and then jump into omniscient.

Use free indirect speech (1st person thoughts in italicized form, eg. No!) to eliminate the distance in 3rd person POVs.

Change POV with reason. Don’t suddenly jump to another POV just because it is interesting. Plan it. Make the change of the POV deliberate and make the reason clear.

Give equal weight to all POVs.

Setting

The setting of a story is mediated through a character’s experience. It amplifies the theme. It shouldn’t be an arbitrary decision. The setting can make achievements more difficult for characters.

For children, places have magical properties, they are places of significance. The place of someone’s childhood can transform later in the novel, because the character has transformed. There’s a fluidity of meaning attached to places. But keep in mind that, places don’t change. Characters do.

How a character views a place is stated through the language we use.

When writing about a place that exists, have fidelity at the facts.

Editing

Be open to ideas changing.

If it’s not working after 3-4 rewrites, cut it out!

Make sentences active. Things don’t happen to characters. They do things.

Pay attention to rhythm.

Every sentence needs to have a reason to be there.

Usually, we overwrite in dialogue. Use context. Dialogue should be suggestive, rather than explicit.

Edit backwards, because perfectionism kicks in at the beginning.

Isolate. Edit single parts of the story. A chapter, a scene.

Read aloud. It will help find long sentences, pretentious words and unreadable language.

When words become over-familiar, put it down, give it to someone else to read.

What to look out for: a) Character confusion. Make sure minor characters are introduced properly and find subtle ways to remind your readers who they are. b) Too much exposition. c) Plot holes, inconsistencies - there must rational reasons for coincidences, you must be able to provide logical and credible reasons behind the actions of a character. d) Over-written description.

What to do when editing: cut things out, put new things in, change sentence order and structure, look for repeated words, strengthen verbs (or prune), expand, trim, look for continuity errors, change order of events, introduce a delay in the reveals, rewrite using another POV or tense, determine if each sentence is pulling its weight.

Techniques: a) Prune. Delete text you don’t need. b) Isolate repetitions and delete or substitute with synonyms (look out for pretentious words). c) Cut and paste paragraphs to change order and rearrange. d) write a whole new draft, only looking to the previous one for factual material. e) Use a reader.

Bibliography

Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway (suggestive dialogue)

Concrete Island., by J.J. Ballot (how setting makes goals harder to achieve)

Driving Through Sawmill Towns, by Les Murray (lyricism, setting)

The Art of Fiction, by David Lodge (POV)

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On Writing, by Stephen King

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67midnightwriter · 7 years ago

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Ketch and Release

A/N: I was shoved into a deep hole by @curly-haired-disaster and this story is what has become of it. I hope you enjoy this first chapter of many! Beta’d by @curly-haired-disaster and @sculptorofbeginnings aesthetic by @curly-haired-disaster

Ketch x Reader, Dean, Sam

W/C: 2289

Warnings: this first chapter is just a nice smutty start

Chapter One

“Reckless?” Y/N scoffed over her whiskey as she looked between the two Winchesters, riding out a post hunt high in the local dive bar. “You only get one word to describe me and you pick reckless?”

“I’m siding with Dean on this one.” Sam replied with a half apologetic shrug. “You’re reckless.”

“I’m not reckless!” She protested, draining what was left of her drink. “I’m gutsy. There’s a difference.”

“Is there?” Dean asked as he swirled his own Jack around.

“Either way, I’m an excellent hunter, and that’s all that matters.”

Y/N glanced around the bar, bored with the conversation and needing to find some fun to burn off her excess hunting energy. She noticed the waitress pouring a high end scotch, and she followed the glass to a well dressed man hiding in the shadows. Y/N stood up, both Winchesters following her with their eyes.

“Where are you heading?”

“I’m going to go be reckless with someone who will appreciate it.” She winked as she slid out of the booth and made her way to the shadows, ignoring the feeling of Dean’s eyes on her back.

Y/N’s target watched as she made her way across the bar, his gaze causing the blood to buzz in her veins. Her confidence was fueled with whiskey and adrenaline, and there was no way she was leaving without him. She slid in the other side of the half-moon booth like an old friend, flashing him a smile and leaning forward. There was something in his eyes that captivated her, a knowing spark, as if he had a thousand secrets begging to be let out. He returned her smile, taking a sip from his scotch before returning it to the table.

Amusement danced in his eyes as he watched her over his drink, a small smile playing at the edges of his mouth. He sipped lightly on his scotch, letting it seep into his system, just enough to take the harsh edge off of his day. She hesitated a moment, and he noted the small details that he could see up close; her eyes were brilliant and intelligent, her hair wild. Whiskey had loosened her mood, but she would still be ready to strike at a moment’s notice. She was off limits, she was untamed, and he wanted her.

“What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” Y/N purred, noting the stark contrast of his sport coat and immaculate pressed white shirt to the sea of band t-shirts, flannel, and ripped denim.

“I could ask you the same thing.” His voice was smooth, his English accent thick. He was entertained by the way her tongue snuck out from between her teeth and drug in her bottom lip. It slid out slowly as they scrutinized one another.

“Well, why don’t you buy me a drink and we can talk about it?” An amused look crossed his face as she watched the wheels turning in his mind.

“Alright. What would you like?”

“You.”

Y/N reached forward and took a long drink from his glass, savoring the smooth burn of his scotch. She slid further into the booth until she was pressed against his side, tucked under the arm he had thrown over the back of the booth. She placed a hand on his thigh and leaned in until her lips nearly grazed his ear. “What do you say we get a bottle to go and we head back to your place?”

He ever so slightly raised his eyebrow in her direction, trying to hide a twitch of his lips by finishing off his scotch.

“Not very subtle, are we?” His hand fell to her knee and slowly slid upward as he turned his face toward her.

“What can I say? I know what I want and I’m not afraid to take it.”

Her lips brushed against his and his hand came up to settle on her cheek, gently controlling the angle of their kiss as he pressed his lips to hers, chasing the rush of the taste of her lips mixed with the scotch from his glass. Y/N’s head began to spin from a mixture of adrenaline and alcohol, and when he finally pulled away there was a soft smile on his face.

“I can admire that.”

He laid a twenty on the table and took her hand, leading her out the door. She turned and gave Sam and Dean a wink on her way out, blatantly ignoring the way Dean scowled into his whiskey. She followed him out into the parking lot, her heart thudding as lightning flashed in the distance. She held her breath and waited for the thunder, the sounds of their footsteps on the pavement getting louder the further away from the hustle of the bar they got.

He pressed her against the side of a jet black bentley in the back corner lot, his thumbs digging into her hips as he pulled her lower body against his, grinding against her. Thunder rumbled through the sky as he pressed his lips to hers. She inhaled sharply, her hands settling on his shoulders and her fingers twisting in the collar of his jacket. The metal of the car felt cool against her exposed flush skin, serving as a focus point for her spinning mind.

Rain began to drip from the sky, a wayward thwap that broke them apart.

“We should get going.” She panted, coaxing a grin to his face.

“Right.” He opened her door and helped her inside, barely making it inside himself before the storm cut loose.

The car purred to life, almost silent compared to Baby’s roar. Frank Sinatra floated through the speakers, catching her off guard. She tilted her head to the side, letting the soothing melody calm her racing mind.

“Is something wrong?” He asked, cutting through her thoughts as he drove away from the bar.

“No, I just didn’t peg you for a Sinatra fan.” She smiled and turned towards him, letting her hand fall on his leg.

“When it’s good, it’s good.” He shrugged, another grin pulling at the edge of his lips.

“This,” she ran her hand upwards, palming him through his slacks as she leaned over the center console, “is very good.”

He hummed in agreement as her lips brushed over his neck. His hand wrung the leather on the steering wheel, his foot coaxing the car faster into the storm as she stroked him in time with the wiper blades. She pulled his earlobe between her teeth, causing him to inhale sharply. He let his right hand drop from the steering wheel to her thigh, and she couldn’t keep from gasping as he slowly moved up.

He deftly unclasped the button of her shorts without so much as swerving the car, instead seemingly hyper focused on the road rather than what he was doing with his hand. He slipped in between her shorts and her panties, his fingers easily finding the spot he was looking for, pressing just hard enough to send small waves of pleasure throughout her body, but not enough to get her higher. Y/N whimpered, her hips chasing his fingertips, trying to find the friction she needed. He grinned, pulling his hand away as he turned the car into the hotel drive.

Y/N quickly rebuttoned her pants as he pulled into valet, where a lone employee was awaiting their return for the night. He opened her door and helped her out, and she leaned against the car while taking in the view of the hotel. It was picture perfect, from the large columns to the slate siding, a far cry from the dilapidated motels she was used to. She turned her head to look at the man she picked up, drinking him in under the bright lights of the hotel drive. His suit was flawless, hugging his broad shoulders and chest, tailored perfectly to his body shape. He turned towards her, and her breath caught at the sight of his chiseled features. A small smile crept across his face as he watched her taking him in, and he let his eyes travel up and down her body as he made his way to her side.

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his side after tossing his keys to the valet. He pressed his lips to hers in another kiss, his hand traveling down to her hip and easily guiding her up to his suite. When the door was shut and locked once more, he pushed her up against the wall, his calm demeanor gone and his dark eyes shining with lust.

Y/N fumbled with his sport coat as his lips found their place at her pulse, sucking and nipping until her soft moans filled the room. She felt him grin against her neck as her fingers began to fumble at his tie. He ran his hands gently up the sides of her body, coaxing goosebumps to her skin and a shiver down her spine. He stopped at her wrists, grabbing them and pinning her arms to the wall. He held her wrists with one hand, the other swiftly undressing her.

Her legs found their place on his hips as his hand made its way down her abdomen. His fingers worked her clit in a circle, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as her hips bucked up, trying to find more. He pulled his hand away and stepped back suddenly, causing her to whine and stumble as she suddenly found herself standing on shaky legs.

“What’s your name?” His voice was thick as he removed his tie, his eyes never leaving her face.

“Does it matter?” She leaned back against the wall as the last of the alcohol slammed into her system, intensifying the tingle that was already dancing on her skin. Confidence radiated off her skin as she locked eyes with him and ran a hand down her abdomen, her eyes daring him to keep going.

“Not really.”

He picked her up, one hand going behind her knees as they buckled, and carried her over to the bed. The comforter billowed around her when he threw her down, her skin burning as his eyes travelled over her body while he undressed. Y/N blushed under his hungry gaze, her stomach fluttering with anticipation as he crawled, trailing random kisses up her body until he reached her neck. Her hands carded through his hair, pulling a groan from his chest as he braced himself on one hand next to her head, letting the other trail feather light across her skin.

He grabbed the back of her leg, hauling it up over his hips as they pistoned forward. She gasped, her hands sliding from his hair to his back and then downward, her nails leaving red welts down his back and drawing a hiss from his lips. He set a frantic pace, spurred on by her moans, kissing away anything louder. He memorized the way her face looked, head thrown back and eyes closed in ecstasy, through the split second flashes gifted to him by the lightning.

There was no pillow talk afterwards, but window-rattling rumbles of thunder pushed her into his arms nonetheless, while the rain lulled her to sleep. He laid awake staring at her in his arms, marveling at how wild she looked even in sleep, with her hair fanned out behind her and makeup smudged against her face. He knew that he would catch hell for this later; becoming involved with a mission was against more than one rule, and breaking it had dire consequences, but as he watched her sleeping he had a feeling that it would be worth it. In the morning he could surely convince himself that this had been a tactic move, a way to weasel into their operation, to convince the American hunters of their incompetent strategies and enlighten them to their biggest faults, but in that moment the dark was whispering other things in the back of his mind. He closed his eyes against the voice and allowed himself to drift into a light slumber, his subconscious replaying the last few hours over in his mind.

He woke when the bed shifted beside him, but he didn’t move. Hearing her shuffling, and he risked cracking his eye to peak at the time. 4:24 glared back at him through the dark. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was up to. He sat up as he heard the room door shut and lock, reaching for the bedside table light and taking a quick survey of the room.

Her clothes were gone, his were still strewn across the floor. He stepped out of bed and picked them up out of habit, folding them across the arm of the chair on his way to the bathroom. He flicked on the lights, stepping in front of the sink to splash some water on his face. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, gearing up to scold himself for a lapse in judgement. He knew a few more hours of sleep would help set him straight again, and he mourned the loss of the sweet scent her hair gave off as it scattered across the pillow. He longed for just a bit more of the sweet nothingness of sleep he got with her next to him. Shaking to clear his head, Ketch looked away from his own tired gaze, and that's when he noticed it in the corner. His lips ticked up in the ghost of a smile as he leaned forward, inspecting it closer. A lipstick imprint and a one word eyeliner note: Annie.

Tags: @impala-dreamer @sculptorofbeginnings @rideandwritethings @curly-haired-disaster @supernatural-idjit-95 @adoptdontshoppets

#supernatural fanfiction #supernatural #supernatural fanfic #spn fanfiction #spn fic #ketch #ketch x reader smut #ketch x reader #ketch series #reader insert #Ketch and Release

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concerthopperblog · 5 years ago

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25th Anniversary Tour- Burn My Eyes: Machine Head (Atlanta - Center Stage)

Machine Head (heavy/groove/nu/thrash metal) started their most recent Burn My Eyes 25th Anniversary Tour in Phoenix, AZ (January 16th) at The Van Buren and since then all I could do was look at the calendar in anticipation for their January 30th tour stop at Center Stage in Atlanta. Why, you might ask? Well, let me tell you why this tour is very special for all Head Cases (this is a term used to describe fans of the band) out there. This show will actually consist of two (2) sets from Machine Head. The first set will consist of hits from the band over the years with the latest lineup of Machine Head performing. Currently, Machine Head is comprised of founding member Robb Flynn (vocals/guitar), Waclaw “Vogg” Kieltyka (guitar/backing vocals), Jared MacEachern (bass/backing vocals), and Matt Alston (drums/percussion).

Now since this is the 25th anniversary of their debut LP, Burn My Eyes, the second (2) set will be a happy reunion with most of the OG Machine Head lineup: Robb Flynn, Logan Mader (guitar/backing vocals), and Chris Kontos (drums/percussion) as they play the entirety of Burn My Eyes. Now to be fair, the LP was released in 1994 so technically the 25th anniversary was last year but, who really cares… 30 days into 2020 doesn’t matter to me or to the nearly sold out crowd in attendance at Center Stage for tonight’s show. I can still remember going with my friends up to Columbia, S.C. to a little club (I believe the name was Rockefellas’?) to see Machine Head play with Stuck Mojo while on the original Burn My Eyes Tour in 1995. What a night! Now I can experience it all again but this time I am behind the lens, capturing this moment for everyone who attends.

For their “hits” set, Machine Head gave us all a dose of what was to come with the new lineup. Hard, heavy, and full of energy, Machine Head completely leveled Center Stage with a barrage of songs that covered Machine Head’s nine (9) LP catalog. The smile on Robb’s face as the band took the stage said it all: Machine Head was still touring after 29 years as a band. That is a long time to dedicate to the constant grind of making an album, touring, resting, and repeat; but, Robb Flynn has been the man to do it successfully despite some bumps in the road along the way.

Take a look at the first set list… holy shit what mind-blowing start to the night!

Set list: 1st set

Entrance music: “Diary of a Madman” – Ozzy Osbourne

1. “Imperium”

2. “Take My Scars”

3. “Now We Die”

4. “Beautiful Morning”

5. “Locust”

6. “I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)

7. “Aesthetics of Hate” (w/ guitar solo)

8. “Darkness Within”

9. “Catharsis”

10. “From This Day”

11. “Ten Ton Hammer”

12. “Is There Anybody Out There?”

13. “Hallowed Be Thy Name” (Iron Maiden cover)

14. “Halo”

Now for what we all have been waiting for- Burn My Eyes from beginning to end, with three (3) of the original members from this era of Machine Head. Seeing Logan and Chris back on stage with Robb was pretty magical… not going to lie. And I am pretty positive by the crowd’s reaction to the band taking the stage, that they all felt the same exact way. Since the track “Real Eyes. Realize. Real Lies” was the music that they used as entrance music, Machine Head had been substituting a mix of various hard rock/metal classics such as Slayer’s “South of Heaven” and “Raining Blood”, White Zombie’s “Thunder Kiss ‘65”, and Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade”. For Atlanta’s show, we were treated to a mash up of Accept’s “Fast As a Shark” / “Balls to the Wall” and then a heartfelt tribute to Reed Mullin (Corrosion of Conformity’s drummer who recently passed away at the age of 53) by playing C.O.C.’s “Loss for Words”.

2nd set list: Burn My Eyes

Entrance music: “Real Eyes. Realize. Real Lies.”

1. “Davidian”

2. “Old”

3. “A Thousand Lies”

4. “None But My Own”

5. “The Rage To Overcome”

6. “Death Church”

7. “A Nation On Fire”

8. “Blood For Blood”

9. “I’m Your God Now”

10. Mash up: “Fast As a Shark” – Accept / “Balls to the Wall” – Accept / “Loss for Words” – Corrosion of Conformity (R.I.P. Reed Mullin)

11. “Block”

Head over to Machine Head’s tour page and check out the remaining dates left on this tour before they finish up February 22nd in Anaheim, CA. at House of Blues. Now Machine Head did release a new single, “Do or Die” on October 15th, 2019, so a new album should be on its way, so keep an eye open on Machine Head to release more new material in 2020!

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our very own ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram in order to stay up to date in 2019 on all music related events/festivals such as: Gravity X Tour: Truckfighters w/ Valley of the Sun (Masquerade), Brainquility Music Festival, Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, Cult of Luna / Emma Ruth Rundle / Intronaut: Live at The Masquerade, Drink the Sea 10th Anniversary Tour: The Glitch Mob live at Buckhead Theatre, OM w/ Wovenhand: Live at Terminal West, Black Label Society: Live at Georgia Theatre, Beach Slang: Live at The Masquerade, Weedeater / The Goddam Gallows / The Atomic Bitchwax: Live at The Masquerade, Devastation of the Nation Tour (The Masquerade): Rotting Christ / Borknagar / Wolfheart / Abigail Williams / Imperial Triumphant, The 69 Eyes / Wednesday 13: Live at The Masquerade, While She Sleeps / He is Legend: Live at The Masquerade, Bad Omens: Live at The Masquerade, Welcome to Rockville, Epicenter Music Festival, Sweetwater’s 420 Music Festival, Shaky Knees Music Festival, Trondossa Music & Arts Festival, Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Music Festival, The Acacia Strain: Live at The Masquerade, Atonement Tour w/ Killswitch Engage & August Burns Red: Live at The Tabernacle, Inkcarceration Festival, In This Moment & Black Veil Brides: Live at The Tabernacle, Jinjer / Suicide Silence: Live at Buckhead Theatre, Celebrating 30 Years of The Mind is a Terrible Thing To Taste: Ministry, KMFDM, and Front Line Assembly live at The Masquerade, and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, you can follow my personal concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.

#heavy metal #metal #Alternative metal #thrash metal #Concerthopper #concert #Concert Photography #concert review #Center Stage #Atlanta #Georgia

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dawnajaynes32 · 8 years ago

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The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers

[Call for Entries: The International Design Awards]

Meet The Vacvvm, a creative “cult” that empowers like-minded illustrators from around the world.

On Oct. 10, 2014, a new page appeared on Facebook, attributed to illustrator Aaron Horkey and creative director Mitch Putnam. The first post was a sketch of distinctly Horkey-an creation—an ink drawing of a building, organic sacs clinging to Ionic columns. Etched in the marble frontispiece was a single word: VACVVM.

A day later, there was a rumbling in the niche world of poster collectors. Horkey had started an Instagram account. With a career cloaked in radio silence, his fans’ surprise was palpable. His first post was a pencil and gouache piece titled “Osprey #1.” It was hashtagged #itsme #aaronhorkey. “I don’t possess the desire to bask in the spotlight or be the center of attention,” Horkey says. “When Mitch suggested having a dedicated online outlet for my work, I thought I’d rather build a team with my friends than go it alone.”

The lone bit of information the mysterious Minneapolis-based illustration group known as The Vacvvm offers about itself on its social media platforms simply reads: “An international illustration cult. Co-founded by Aaron Horkey and Mitch Putnam.” It’s an altogether vague explanation if you are not aware of either of those names, and the “illustration cult” descriptor does nothing to clarify its purpose or goal. But for fans who follow the group’s work on its website and social media accounts—including an Instagram following of 45,000 and counting—The Vacvvm acts as a brand, creating and selling limited-edition art prints and goods from top-tier illustrators and artists. In Putnam and Horkey combined, the art collectibles world has its own Steve Jobs—a name that guarantees a preeminent level of quality control. Many devotees preorder limited-edition prints they’ve never seen, in full confidence they will not be disappointed.

[Related: 20 Beautifully Illustrated Alternative Movie Posters | 7 Video Tutorials and Exercises for Poster Designers]

As a concept, The Vacvvm is an attempt to turn the inherent solitude of the artist and illustrator into a group effort—creative motivation found beneath a common banner. The group takes the role of the isolated illustrator and places it in the context of a team. The Vacvvm is cult-building, a brand applying the existing tools of spectator sports to the craft of art creation. Horkey explains: “Growing up I was obsessed with underground comix and skateboarding. The mythos of the Zap artists in the late ’60s/early ’70s and the assembling of the Bones Brigade and, later, the formation of the initial Plan B team in the early ’90s, were serious inspirational touchstones for putting together The Vacvvm.”

The Vacvvm is comprised of illustrators who work in the world of gig posters, editorial illustration, book and package design, as well as personally commissioned work. Through his role as creative director at Mondo, the boutique poster gallery and art department of the Alamo Drafthouse, Putnam is constantly working with illustrators and printmakers on pop culture–based posters and other collectibles. With Horkey at his side, they set out to take those creatives and, as Putnam puts it, “create an environment conducive to the creation of personal, exploratory work.”

Randy Ortiz

The roster of The Vacvvm is an international collection of like-minded illustrators including Randy Ortiz (Canada), João Ruas (Brazil), Nicolas Delort (France), Ken Taylor (Australia), Vania Zouravliov (Russia), Vanessa Foley (England), as well as U.S.–based artists Mike Sutfin, Brandon Holt, Teagan White and Jes Seamans. The number of members continues to grow as Putnam and Horkey discover new artists that fit within the aesthetic of their vision for the team.

The makeup of the group began with Horkey and Putnam’s own tastes. Each artist invited to join was seen through a lens of kinship. These are artists Horkey and Putnam admired and felt deserved more attention than they were receiving. “We also tried to keep the domestic artists rooted in some way to the Midwest,” Putnam says. “We are headquartered in Minneapolis, and the five American members are either living in Minnesota, or are close to the area. The other six are international, which we felt was important, as they often face the biggest challenges with print publishing, selling and shipping.” The concept is as practical as it is altruistic.

“Hibernal Solstice,” Teagan White

Mike Sutfin

Winnipeg, Canada–based member Randy Ortiz echoes Putnam’s sentiment. “I think The Vacvvm has exposed (I know this a trigger word for most professional artists, but stick with me here) me to a wider audience,” he says. “I know when they post some of my work on their Instagram, I get a ton of new followers and eyes on my work. But aside from that, it’s also a great way to sell my prints. I don’t think I’d get half as many prints sold on my own. Plus, Mitch does all the fancy packaging and shipping stuff that I passionately hate doing myself. It might seem minor, but it really helps free up my time to just keep making more art.”

In Putnam, each member has an outlet for turning their personal work into something tangible—a poster, a T-shirt, a pin, button or patch. Once the art is final, Putnam takes over and makes it a reality, handling all aspects of the production, marketing and shipping. As Australian member Ken Taylor puts it, “Being part of The Vacvvm enables me to have the confidence to be able to release something purely based on the idea of doing something I love, with no real regard to commercial confines. Releasing a piece through The Vacvvm ensures that all the right eyes will see the work and more often than not appreciate it accordingly.”

Vania Zouravliov

“Black Lake,” Aaron Horkey

“The Snare,” Aaron Horkey

For the first year of its existence, The Vacvvm was purely a digital endeavor. The artists joined together via the group’s website and communications with Putnam. There were no set release dates and no deadlines for any of the members. The group was there to act as a catalyst for the creation of personal work in between paying gigs. “Going into this, I knew that each member would have varied output,” explains Putnam. “Plus many of them work very slowly. I do my best to work around everyone’s schedule while also suggesting projects that will advance the presence of the group.”

The first release, “Black Lake,” was a timed edition by Horkey. The art was from a gig poster Horkey had done for the Portland-based metal band Agalloch, for a leg of performances in 2011. At the end of the 24-hour purchase window, the one-color letterpress print ended as an edition of 442. With no marketing outside of a Facebook post, The Vacvvm was an immediate success.

Art is Not Made in a Vacuum

“A lot of good and regular art gets made because of who you talk to. No one is immune to human contact and art is not made in a vacuum.” This quote, attributed to the artist R.B. Kitaj, has been used in art history texts as a way to explain the phenomenon of iterations of ideas.

For Horkey and his illustration cult, the name of the group can be seen as acceptance of this fact. The Vacvvm’s artists carry with them the wealth of experience, both shared and in solitude, that has formed their visual styles. Art is not made in a vacuum, but is an active dialogue between yesterday and today, the internal and the external. In the illustrations of Brandon Holt and Nicolas Delort, you see the influence of the classic engravings of Gustave Doré—an ongoing conversation across history.

The name and logo are Horkey creations, ones he chose for their design quality. “A big consideration was how the word would appear visually, and having all those zigzag lines broken up by a single curve of the ‘C’ was very appealing.”

The constricted band of inverted lines has been used on a body of merchandise that is integral to The Vacvvm. Putnam clarifies the role of these branded items: “I think part of the idea was always to put more branded projects out there. We like to refer to The Vacvvm as a cult, and we’re constantly trying to expand the cult. It is my job to make sure that as many people know these artists as possible, and every time someone sees a shirt or a pin on a friend, the message spreads. So even though merch isn’t a big profit center, it is our chosen form of advertising, while also putting small, affordable pieces of art into the world.”

The logo, printed across various products in a bevy of styles, applies the brand-awareness tools of a company like Nike or Adidas to a crew of reclusive illustrators. It serves as a step toward making art as vital to everyday life as more accessible forms of entertainment from the worlds of sports, music and film.

A Move Toward the Physical

The Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis sits alongside two sets of train tracks, an optimal location for its first use when it was built in 1917, to store and ship seeds across the country. The building now hosts more than 180 tenants, most of whom are artists. This is the home of The Vacvvm.

Putnam relocated his family from Sioux City, IA, to Minneapolis with the intention of moving his inventory of posters and other merchandise out of his house and into a proper space. With members Mike Sutfin, Holt, Horkey and Teagan White calling Minneapolis home, the space also acts as a workshop. “Spending time together definitely leads to more camaraderie, and the conversations naturally gravitate toward future projects.” This is how Putnam describes the beginning of a new endeavor for The Vacvvm: “gallery events.”

“Occultation,” Vanessa Foley

“Masque,” Ken Taylor

“Silent Aviary,” the first exhibit from The Vacvvm, combined the talents of White and the group’s newest member, the England-based Vanessa Foley. Together, they have a shared love of flora and fauna, the wilderness and the creatures that mill about the forest terrain. “The theme for the show was native Minnesotan birds—again, Mitch’s idea—but after that each artist had free reign as to how that was interpreted,” Foley explains. Each member of The Vacvvm (minus Zouravliov) contributed a piece, as did a host of outside illustrators and fine artists.

The majority of Foley’s work is for American galleries, which she rarely gets to visit. She was flown out to attend the opening of “Silent Aviary,” a chance to meet and shake hands and put faces to names. Providing this opportunity is essential to The Vacvvm and Putnam’s other projects.

They are attempts at creating connections and community, building something beyond an email list, and putting artists in the same room to see what happens—“Magic, for lack of a better descriptor,” Horkey says. He puts this above all else in his vision for the group. “It’s more than just raw talent, which everyone in the crew has in spades. All the members of The Vacvvm produce work which excites me to no end, and they all do so with an unnervingly natural ease; nothing is forced or contrived. For instance, when you watch Brandon [Holt] summon a drawing, there’s no hesitation involved. The piece is just lying beneath the surface, and he’s excavating it—pure alchemy. I also wanted to build a squad of not only the finest draughtsmen, but of honest, stand-up humans, and that’s precisely what we ended up with.”

Nicolas Delort

Brandon Holt

Jes Seamans

‘Machine Hat’ by João Ruas for The Vacvvm’s MondoCon 2015 release

In late 2016, Delort arrived in Austin, TX, from Paris to attend MondoCon, a poster and collectibles convention where The Vacvvm had a booth. For Delort, it was a chance to meet collectors, fans and others that had supported his career throughout the years. Putnam brought out fellow members Taylor from Australia and João Ruas from Brazil to simply be there and be seen. Taylor spent the weekend painting a mural and signing posters for fans while Ruas and Delort sketched at the booth alongside Sutfin and Holt.

Each member had a new print released at the event, but what the group’s attendance gave the spectators falls in line with Horkey’s initial inspiration for the group: “I think of The Vacvvm more as a skateboard team than an art collective; we have a team manager, an insane roster of pros, a few amateurs working their way through the ranks, and some younger folks on flow. Most of us travel together and just shred.”

Brand Building 101: How to Build, Manage and Market a Brand

The post The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers appeared first on HOW Design.

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dawnajaynes32 · 8 years ago

Text

The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers

[Call for Entries: The International Design Awards]

Meet The Vacvvm, a creative “cult” that empowers like-minded illustrators from around the world.

[Related: 20 Beautifully Illustrated Alternative Movie Posters | 7 Video Tutorials and Exercises for Poster Designers]

Randy Ortiz

“Hibernal Solstice,” Teagan White

Mike Sutfin

Vania Zouravliov

“Black Lake,” Aaron Horkey

“The Snare,” Aaron Horkey

Art is Not Made in a Vacuum

A Move Toward the Physical

“Occultation,” Vanessa Foley

“Masque,” Ken Taylor

Nicolas Delort

Brandon Holt

Jes Seamans

‘Machine Hat’ by João Ruas for The Vacvvm’s MondoCon 2015 release

Brand Building 101: How to Build, Manage and Market a Brand

The post The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers appeared first on HOW Design.

The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers syndicated post

0 notes

dawnajaynes32 · 8 years ago

Text

The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers

[Call for Entries: The International Design Awards]

Meet The Vacvvm, a creative “cult” that empowers like-minded illustrators from around the world.

[Related: 20 Beautifully Illustrated Alternative Movie Posters | 7 Video Tutorials and Exercises for Poster Designers]

Randy Ortiz

“Hibernal Solstice,” Teagan White

Mike Sutfin

Vania Zouravliov

“Black Lake,” Aaron Horkey

“The Snare,” Aaron Horkey

Art is Not Made in a Vacuum

A Move Toward the Physical

“Occultation,” Vanessa Foley

“Masque,” Ken Taylor

Nicolas Delort

Brandon Holt

Jes Seamans

‘Machine Hat’ by João Ruas for The Vacvvm’s MondoCon 2015 release

Brand Building 101: How to Build, Manage and Market a Brand

The post The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers appeared first on HOW Design.

The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers syndicated post

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