#every ensemble member was captivating and had so much personality

[captaincleverusernamehere]

Just saw Hadestown………. I have never sobbed more in my entire life omg it was so good

[itsonlystrange]

Since it’s the end of November, (literally 11:55pm as I’m writing this)

Here are my stranger things Hot Takes for No Nuance November!

Please respect my opinion :)

1. Billy is a racist and I don’t understand how ppl love him so much. He shouldn’t be idolized at all.

2. Steve would never date Billy after Billy assaulted Lucas, Max, and verbally assaulted almost everyone else. They’re enemies. Not enemies to lovers, just enemies

3. Btw Billy is dead lol, atleast I think he is.

4. Mike loves Will more than Will loves Mike

5. Season 3 wasn’t scary at all and I honestly wasn’t on the edge of my seat like i had been in prior seasons

6. Season 2 is superior. Not because of Byler. But because of the development we get, Bob, Max, autumn vibes, El being her own person, Kali, etc.

7. Season 3 is my least favorite. It just really missed the nail on the head for me.

8. Mileven would have been cute if season 3 never existed. I was fine with them being canon but then s3 ruined them

9. Hopper and Joyce would never work out as a married couple irl

10. Hopper was a horrible character In season 3 and a misogynist

11. Bob only died so that Joyce could end up with Hopper

12. Lucas is the most underrated party member

13. Lucas is Lowkey a misogynist

14. I love Lumax but it’s toxic that they’ve broken up six times in 6 months. I can’t see them getting married or being end game

15. We deserve Dr Brenner flash backs

16. Season 2 had the best monsters

17. Will’s bowl cut is adorable

18. El shouldn’t be in a relationship when she didn’t even know what a friend was when she was 12

19. Nobody is the main character. It’s an ensemble show

20. If el didn’t have powers most of the fandom wouldnt like her as much as they do

21. El is a phenomenal character but she gets stunted when she’s with Mike

22. If any of the kids are gonna do drugs, it’s gonna be Max or Mike

23. Will already has powers. Sensing the MF is literally a superpower how are we all ignoring that

24. Byler isn’t just a “fanon” ship that could never be canon. It has a huge possibility and it’s v possible.

25. Why does suzie even exist in the first place??

26. Dustin is the smartest out of the party

27. Dustin and Steve In s3 was basically just comic relief and I really wish they dug deeper into their characters

28. S1 e4, s2e6, s3e7 are the best episodes of stranger things

29. Season 1 was the scariest, season 2 was the most captivating, and season 3 was the saddest

30. I want Mike to be the next one to get possessed

31. Nancy can be a bit of a priss and she acts v privileged at times

32. The best sibling is Jonathon 100%

33. The best mom is Joyce

34. The best dad is Hopper (if that counts?)

35. Erica deserves to be more than just comic relief. She became a little repetitive

36. Season 3 feels more of a parody or a spin off instead of an actual continuation of seasons 1 and 2

37. The aesthetic and colors of s3 DO NOT fit the show at all. It felt so cheesy

38. Max is bisexual

39. Mike and Will are gay. I’m still unsure if Mike is bisexual or not but for now I believe he is gay

40. If el can’t decide what type of clothes she likes she shouldn’t be able to decide if she likes mike

41. One of the kids will die by the end of season 5. I have a feeling it’ll be El or Dustin

42. One of the teenagers will die by the end of s4 I think. (Robin, Steve, Nancy, Jonathon)

43. Every couple has had a cute moment but that doesn’t mean they aren’t toxic for eachother

44. Mike loves el but he isn’t IN love with her

45. El doesn’t have to die for Mileven to not be end game

46. I don’t think any of the Byers will die ever. I could be wrong, but they’ve just been through so much already.

47. Ok maybe Lonnie will die

48. My least favorite sibling is probably Erica or Holly

48 my least favorite mom is probably Terry- just bc we don’t know a ton abt her

49. My least favorite dad is ofc Lonnie

50. El Max was one of the best friendships of s3

51. El and hoppers reunion will be better than Hopper and Joyce’s

52. El and Max’s reunion will be better than Mike and El’s

53. Mike and Will’s reunion will be better than Mike and El’s

54. The four main boys reunion will be adorable oh my god

55. Mike is Christian, Lucas is catholic, Dustin is atheist, Max is atheist/Catholic, El is atheist, and Will is Jewish/Christian/atheist. Idk those are the vibes I get

56. Lucas and Dustin are straight

57. And finally, WE NEED MORE PETS IN STRANGER THINGS. GIVE DUSTIN A NEW CAT

[hoshigomi]

Valley of Xuanyao // RAY! (not a review.)

Some thoughts on Xuanyao/Genyou/Dazzling Valley/Mysterious Valley/whatever you want to call it + Ray!

(This isn’t a fully-formed, plot critical review by any stretch of the imagination, but I wanted a chance to say everything I loved about these pieces of theatre, as well as a few criticisms I have.) (These are all my opinions and I’m sure people would agree or disagree with plenty of them!) (It’s literally just a couple lists, read at your own discretion.)

There are MANY SPOILERS HERE so watch out.

First off: Genyou no Tani / Valley of Xuanyao / Chinese Aterui (I guess it’s not as much like Aterui as I initially assumed) / AVATAR (the blue people one) (but set in China) / not NOT Pocahantas ~

Call it what you want, I’ll admit right out of the gate that I didn’t follow the entirety of this show. It got a lot better on the second and third try, but the first go was a little rough. 

Official plot summary here. 

Things I LOVED:

This show is beautiful. The set is very Alphonse Mucha aesthetic in style, and it makes me very sad that exactly 0 pictures do it justice. Not only is the set STUNNING, but it’s INNOVATIVE as well, the way they used huge hilly mountainous set pieces to create, well, valleys (haha) and set the scene actually grabbed my attention SEVERAL times. There are also no pictures that do the palace set justice, but the grandeur of it took my breath away, as did the EASE with which the set took us between settings. Unfortunately the visual aesthetic of the show is like not something I’m skilled enough to describe in words, but my point here is that if you get the chance to see this show, it would be worth it for the visual feast alone. 

This show is beautiful (music edition). BOY! The music is HAUNTING and POWERFUL and simple and complex all at once. I have told several people that if either the opening or finale songs are put on that custom CD maker thing in the theatres I would literally buy a custom CD just to get my hands on these songs like a couple weeks before their official release. I got chills every time Shirotae Natsu opened the show (we could NOT ask for a better new fukukumichou), and without fail, at the (spoilers) mass exodus of the Wen people (hello, Coto Moses?) song. 

The show is beautiful (general stage edition): It’s SO DANCEY. IT IS SO EXPRESSIVE. Even though the vast majority of the cast is costumed… nearly identical to one another, watching a n y one of them is a treat different from any other. There is no shortage of opportunity for these women to emote physically, and not a single one of them holds back. There are also like a billion acrobatic tricks in this show for some reason. They don’t take you out of anything, it’s just all VERY PHYSICAL. The Wen men and women specifically use physicality HARD to express their… history, I guess? There are several scenes with a few singers and a few dancers working together to tell a story. They give me CHILLS. The women (led by Honoka) in the palace also serve to set the aesthetic world and honestly I don’t have anything smart to say about them but they blew me away. Aomi Sario does several cartwheels. Yuunagi Ryou jumps like five feet in the air and does a somersault. I don’t know why any of these women are airborne as much as they are but they sure are good at it. 

Other standout things I loved- there were a LOT more, but I need SOMEONE to talk about these people and moments, and I guess it’s my burden to bear. 

FOR SOME REASON OOKI MAKOTO TALKS LIKE A LOT. She may talk more than Amahana Ema, freshly-transferred Ayaki Hikari, or Kiwami Shin. I can’t stress enough how much there is NO REASON FOR THIS. She ALSO, in a TURN OF FATE, IS NOT PLAYING AN OLD MAN. She’s playing a young soldier (NO FACIAL HAIR!!!!!) who at one point is goofing around under a tree on the edge of a stage and does some incredible pantomime work getting a spider off of her. I’m a little in love with her. I could not be happier that they truly just let her GO OFF this show. If you have ever liked Ooki Makoto, you need to see this show. 

Ooki Makoto is always accompanied by Tenju Mitsuki who, as usual, is doing The Most for the Least Payoff because she like angered a God in her past life but not enough for the God to not give her the most beautiful face known to man. She doesn’t get to do much at all, unfortunately as USUAL, though her character very much has the vibe of her Kamatari character, and she does get to do a really fucking sick trick where she gets hit by an arrow and despite watching her through opera glasses three times in a row I have no idea how she does it. 

SEO YURIA REALLY STEPPED UP HER GAME? This was a good meaty role with a nice little bit of her Red Oni from Another World mixed in for like chaotic measure. She sounds vocally FANTASTIC and looks at times actually TRULY PHYSICALLY IMPOSING. I’ve always been theatrically on the fence about Seo, but it looks like she’s really finding where she fits onstage and her strengths and is working HARD. I’m really into it. 

Arisa Hitomi does beautiful work as the narrator of the whole piece, more or less, I just wish we could have seen more of her. That’s kinda how it’s gonna go from now on huh. Sigh.

Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon Amato Kanon . I will live and die in Hoshigumi, but if one day they move her to somewhere else to be top star, (after I mourn for a year and go through the five stages of grief), I will be right there by her side. Her character is spunky and fun and young and then gets tortured and killed (sorry, I said there were spoilers) in a way that I almost couldn’t WATCH. She’s an expert on throwing her (rapidly becoming lifeless) body around onstage in a way that really, really, really broke my heart. I winced. I’m sure I’m not the only one in the audience who would have put myself in her place to save her. 

It’s very cool when they use projections to enhance moments in this- like a sword striking a rock and the sparks that fly, or the mysterious man disappearing. Additionally, the SOUND DESIGN of this show was pretty flawless.

Current Kumichou and Soon-To-Be-Senka member Mari Yuzumi played, obviously, Coto’s mom, and the two of them share some really beautiful moments and part of a song- it was a fitting and sweet part to give her, and I’m so glad she got some real stage time here because lord am I gonna miss her. 

There’s a little drumline throughout some scenes of Wen people featuring (I THINK) Toudou Jun, Asamizu Ryou, Sayaka Rin, Sakuraba Mai, and POSSIBLY Kuresaki Rino. They don’t do anything to serve the plot, they just sometimes act as a transition in and out and winding through group scenes. It kicks ass. 

Though this show was by NO MEANS an “ensemble show” (it was obviously very heavily (and wonderfully!) pulled by Coto, and all the ensemble was…. To be honest, visually mostly indistinguishable from one another), it like… WAS an ensemble show. There are MANY scenes with the HUGE chunks of the troupe, whether it’s the soldiers doing some INCREDIBLE sword and spear work or the dancers as the Wen people telling stories through the sheer power of their NUMBERS, or the women in the palace with their ribbons and dance, the real power of this show is in the ensemble and what they give to the story. Personally, ensemble driven stories tick ALL my boxes, so even if the plot was a little rough for me, the sheer POWER of Hoshigumi really made this a show that I realize now, sitting at my desk in Tokyo, I wish I was seeing again like today. This show did a complete 180 for me, and I can not recommend it enough. It isn’t FUN, but I can’t find the words to express how MOVING and BEAUTIFUL it is. If you can’t see it in person, I guess I recommend buying the blu ray, renting out a movie theatre, and watching it on as big of a screen as you can possibly get.

RAY:

Ray was just OKAY to me, though I admit I DID love it a little more with each consecutive viewing. I wonder how I’ll feel about it at the end of the Tokyo run- it very well might grow on me and stick in my heart as a revue I really love, but for now I’m personally a bit lukewarm on this one. I’m gonna express my three gripes first, and then move on to the things I love. 

1.) God this revue really fucking abuses projections. Not only does it OPEN AND END with an unnecessary mini movie, and not only do they use the projections to transition us literally through the starry galaxy to the PANTHEON which they make with like Windows Screensaver level skill and then for some reason also show us on a real backdrop- if they had the REAL backdrop, why did they need to also show us a CGI version?, but they also straight up show us MOVIES while people are singing. As captivating as I find every single woman in Hoshigumi, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the acid trip that was the projections. They weren’t STILL EITHER. They were THIS distracting, down to the literal giant eye. I hated them so much. They didn’t make any visual sense, they didn’t enhance a thing, they really weren’t even vaguely thematically appropriate. I hope beyond hope that the venues they use for the tour just don’t have the tech power for this and the projections get cut. I didn’t like a SINGLE one of them. 

2.) I can’t really explain this one but something was… missing. The numbers weren’t…. varied , I guess? They were all the same like. Power level and mostly had the same amount of people onstage (a lot), and while there’s NOTHING I love more than a big group number, this one had… I guess maybe too many? Or maybe it wasn’t the amount that is the issue, maybe it’s just how they weren’t like tonally varied. The numbers were all GOOD, but the flow was weird? I don’t know. Something felt off. If anyone sees this and gets what I mean, please talk to me about it. 

3.) And this one is personal preference, but I thought the whole Ray theme was…. Much too heavy handed for an ohirome GT. To clarify, I think this would have been VERY suitable for a taidan revue, thematically, but I think it’s too early to be playing top star name games and adorning the whole stage with her name… repeatedly. I GET that it’s clever because like, ray of light, starlight, etc, but I didn’t like it. I wouldn’t have liked like, Dramatic ‘S’ as a first revue either, for example. This isn’t personal or about Coto, if they had made Kai top and called her first revue like ‘Seven Seas’ I also would have been like ….#yikes. I just wish they’d save this stuff for later in Coto’s run. 

That said, the good outweighed the bad! Some numbers of note (this is NOT all of them, just the ones that stuck with me) include: 

The opening, which was very fun! The set was cool, multi layered and opening with just Coto inside like a cut out diamond shape on a platform and made good use of a pretty bare stage to really give EVERYONE a moment. There were more featured faces in this number alone that I didn’t even RECOGNIZE than I can count- and that made me really happy to see! Special shoutout to Taiki Hayate and Ruri Hanaka for getting to stand on the edge of the stage and sing. I just think they’re neat. The opening was rock-y and sexy and mature and it was very fun to get to see so many people shine in it. 

This was followed by Seocchi in a number with again, a BEAUTIFUL set. Seriously, when they aren’t abusing the hell out of a projector, this revue IS VISUALLY STUNNING. It’s like set on Jupiter kind of, there’s a swirling galaxy all lit up behind the dancers (Seo, Amato Kanon, Minato Rihi- who has big Renta energy and always makes me happy to look at) Aomi Sario, Ruri Hanaka, notably.) This number has big Look At The Youth Of Tomorrow energy. Seo sounds INCREDIBLE, and everyone who is featured here makes my heart leap. This was definitely one of my favorite numbers. 

There was a tango that would have been 90x sexier if only it didn’t feature those stupid turbans on literally everyone. Mikkii gets to sing her bridge solo (thank God), and the energy is rowdy. Everyone is in white pants.

The chuuzume is nice. It starts what feels like oddly early, but probably isn’t. They abuse the projections during the start of this one, (Hanagata Hikaru) and then thankfully pull the screen up and get rid of them for a while. The chuuzume is neat in that it also features a lot of little groups of siennes, from the young ones (who even get to SING small solos and things) (and I mean SMALL ones)- Amato Kanon has a solo at a point (and is CENTER ON THE BRIDGE for the kyakuseki part of the chuuzume), Aomi Sario and (iirc) Yuuhi Maki get a small duet, little groups are coming on and off constantly. It’s fun. They put the otokoyaku on the bridge and they do some sharp dancing and some kinda… seductive, to me, stuff. Most everyone is in red. The aesthetic of this chuuzume is GOOD.

THIS ROCKETTE MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE ROCKETTE EVER.

Aesthetically it is flawless, and it’s led by three girls including RURI HANAKA who gets a CENTER OF THE BRIDGE SOLO. These costumes are BEYOND adorable as well! Look at them! This rockette really shows off how skilled some of these girls are. They also do a lineup that goes as usual from shortest to tallest to shortest again, except they break this up by putting the three leads in the MIDDLE, which really means its like, short to tallest to SHORTEST to tallest to short again and believe me when I say it is COMICAL. There’s a solid foot difference between some of these women. 

The Olympics number which immediately follows the rockette is lovely, it features a biiiiiig group of the cast and then Mizuno Yuri, Otosaki Itsuki, Sazanami Reira, Aomi Sario, and Amato Kanon as the colors of the Olympic rings. Musically this one didn’t stick that hard with me, but it’s a visual treat, and everyone’s dance proficiency is on full display. Plus if you look at the back of the stage you’ll see Yuunagi Ryou and Hiroka Yuu doing like a dance battle and pulling and pushing each other around which is extremely relevant to my interests. 

From here it got really lovely for me personally. Amahana Ema and Kiwami Shin led Swingin’ On A Star on the bridge (and both of them sound lovely and sweet), and then theres a couple dance featuring about 10 or so people including  Toudou Jun and again Yuunagi Ryou (this is the only place in the revue I didn’t have trouble spotting her unfortunately, and I’m GOOD at finding her), going on while Maisora finishes up the number. It’s sweet and it’s sugary and it’s a piece of like small lightness after all the very Heavy and Full group numbers before. 

The kuroenbi is pretty good, it felt somehow… unfinished? But immediately after that is Coto jumping into You Are My Sunshine which I personally find to be the most charming thing in the world. It includes solos for Seo, Hanagata Hikaru, Aichan, and a LOT of attention on Hoshigumi’s musumeyaku who get to ALL line up on the bridge together and sing. It’s a treat. It made my heart happy and made me grin really big. 

Other shoutouts go to 

Sazanami Reira and her wild hair flips

Akachan who for some reason sounds vocally like she’s underwater, which was hard for me to place until recently 

Maisora and Coto who really DO work together well as a combi though these two shows didn’t give them much chance to see that (please watch Mozart once it’s out on DVD to see what these two can DO together)

Mari Yuzumi for still killing it with everyone else in every number despite the fact that she’s so up there that they’re moving her to senka after this- boy I am gonna MISS her

Amato Kanon for holding my future in her, soft, capable hands.

Minato Rihi for smiling like Renta

The upperclassmen for not letting being completely sidelined ruin their attitude and for still giving their all to everything and pulling my attention with their YEARS of expertise

Kisa Kaoru, Soua Takeru, Houma Toa, Hiroki Yuzuha, and Kuresaki Rino just because they make me smile.

Sakuraba Mai and Haruto Yuuho who should actually be a top combi together. 

Seo Yuria for really just like stepping it up all around and drawing my attention and taking up SPACE.

Ruri Hanaka because holy shit, girl….

All in all, this was a good pair. Not every revue works for everyone, and maybe this one just didn’t grab my heart the way I wished it did. It was still fun, and it definitely had enough numbers that I loved for me to want to go back multiple times, and whatever Ray lacked, Valley picked up for me. It’s a good set of shows, and everyone does really lovely work. I can’t wait to see where Coto and Maisora’s Hoshigumi goes!

[avelera]

HadesTown and POV

aka, Eurydice is actually the main character of HadesTown (or should be)

So I still have HadesTown meta very much on the brain right now, just tons of stuff about Hades vs. Orpheus and masculinity and all the visuals and tone of the story that comes from having the writer and director both be women, but there’s also one thing on my mind that’s a little more criticism. But first, a little context.

I went with my mother, and she struggled with the musical for a variety of reasons. Her criticism that stuck out to me was she called it, “all over the place” which I took to mean she had trouble following the story. Now, as a writer, I take that kind of criticism more seriously than I do content criticism ( “I don’t like the story because of xyz.” Well, maybe it’s just not for you.) So I’ve been thinking about it and I think I figured out the flaw in the structure she was referring to, and why it’s such a hard one for non-writers to articulate. 

HadesTown, at least onstage, struggles somewhat with “point of view”. Who is telling the story? Who is the main character? Whose eyes are we seeing this story through? 

Hermes is our narrator, but he tends to drop out on occasion to allow the drama to unfold without his filter. 

Orpheus is technically our protagonist, as he is in the original myth. He is the one with a mission and a goal that he tries (and fails) to accomplish by the end. However, there are long stretches of the narrative, especially at the beginning when the audience is being introduced to the story, where he’s absent or off in his own little world. This makes for fascinating meta about masculinity in storytelling, but does create some internal confusion for an audience member trying to pick out who this story is about.

This problem is exacerbated by the atmospheric and gorgeous choice to have most of the cast on stage all the time. Hades and Persephone are there from the beginning, genteelly looking down from the balcony to the proceedings. Orpheus is often off to the side of the stage while he composes and it’s several songs into the narrative before he is front and center. 

Then you have the fact that Orpheus/Eurydice and Hades/Persephone are being used as parallels for one another, and as a result they spread the story between them. The most confusing part of the setup of the story is when Orpheus plays his “unfinished” song to summon spring, and Persephone temporarily comes on stage. Now, this is quite a brilliant way to drag Hades and Persephone, as well as their story, into the narrative but I think if you’re not someone well versed in fantasy or myth, it may not be clear that Orpheus song is magical but because it was not yet finished, he couldn’t keep Persephone there for long.

The problem of portraying Orpheus as genuinely magical is compounded by the modern costume and set design. It’s gorgeous, but it doesn’t make it immediately clear that we’re in a fantasy setting where magic actually works, it takes a bit of mental gymnastics (especially difficult to pull off while trying to parse information from songs rather than spoken word) to realize this retelling’s use of Depression-era costume and set design is only meant to be evocative and creative, and does not signal that their story is being updated to a more “realistic” time without magic and therefore Orpheus’s musical magic is only metaphorical. His music’s power isn’t metaphorical, it’s real, but this clashes with his introduction as a poor boy working in some sort of shop or restaurant. 

But to go back to point of view (POV), this is a problem one sees with a lot of early writers, especially those with a fanfic background, and HadesTown is fanfic in the sense that it is derivative and heavily relies on knowledge of a separate story, (the tales of Orpheus & Eurydice and of Hades & Persephone) for the audience to immediately follow along and be invested. This problem is that because the author assumes you know this tale as well as she does, it doesn’t really need to be introduced on its own. That’s fine, until you begin introducing new elements, like the idea of Hades being the Boss Man of a modern Depression-era town and Persephone is his depressed, drunken wife, or the idea of Orpheus as a poor boy (and not the son of a mythological king) and Eurydice as a scrappy runaway. Those are new elements that muddle the original narrative and require more setup as a result. 

And then there’s Eurydice, who is much more fleshed out and brought center stage. I think it’s also clear that the female writer of the story had particular sympathy for her, but as with many writers, felt this character deserved more complicated motivationThe story has some amazing commentary on masculinity that I really want to get into in another essay, but it’s clear that it’s a female gaze story. Furthermore, Eurydice is transformed in HadesTown, at the very least to give her something to do and a reason for us to like her, because in the original she’s the quintessential damsel in distress and the fridged girlfriend all in one. She has no motivation besides, presumably, wanting to marry Orpheus and then wanting to be rescued by him when she’s killed on or just before her wedding day, but in HadesTown she becomes a heroine, if not the heroine of the story.

And here’s where I get to my one editorial tip for HadesTown, and why I think my mother wasn’t totally off base by saying it needed one more editing pass: Eurydice is the main character. The narrative voice clearly has sympathy for her, she goes on a journey to find food, she is the driving force behind much of the action, she is the one who brings change to Orpheus’s life and kicks off the narrative by asking him to sing his song. She is the one who acts, others react to her choices. 

But since the original myth focuses on Orpheus, it feels a bit like the narrator or writer felt compelled to have him as “the protagonist” when really, he is the traditional love interest. He’s fairly passive, even in going to rescue Eurydice he has to be prompted by Hermes and it’s Eurydice going to look for food which stirs him from his musical trance. Furthermore, even in the visuals for HadesTown, Eurydice is the one driving Orpheus forward, even during her own rescue when they’re ascending from the Underworld. 

However, we don’t really meet Eurydice until a few songs in and she is absent for long stretches on the stage. If the story had opened with her introduction superseding Orpheus, and made clearer that we’re seeing a reinvention of the story where Eurydice is the empowered one around whom events shift, I think we’d have a stronger, single narrative thread going through the story that through the haze of the music would be easier to follow. The building blocks are already there in the narrative, but the parallels with Hades/Persephone and the focus on Orpheus as a rescuer, albeit a fairly passive one, muddle the fact this is the story of Eurydice changing and influencing events and setting the action in motion. 

We can criticize audience members for not “getting” the story or for not keeping up, but authors should be wary when doing so. Trouble following a story is sometimes a lack of attention or genre savvy by an audience member, but it can also be indicative of a muddled narrative.

Point of View, who is transmitting the action of the story to us, how and when are they relating the story to us, and how do they filter the world around them, is an incredible and incredibly advanced tool in the writer’s toolbox. It’s often invisible to the audience and to even advanced readers, however. It takes a lot of attention to notice and it can be hard to articulate why it’s confusing when a strong POV isn’t there. 

Hamilton does not struggle with POV, we know when someone who isn’t Hamilton (usually Burr) is narrating because he takes center stage. Les Miserables has a huge ensemble cast, but we never question who the current song or scene is about, it’s usually Marius, Valjean, or Cosette and they take center stage when they give their view of the story. Phantom of the Opera has a somewhat more removed “once upon a time” ensemble POV because it takes place on a stage, but most of the time we’re seeing events from Christine or Raoul’s POV and they are center stage and loud as they observe events. The switch to the Phantom’s POV at the end of All I Ask Of You is jarring and shocking on purpose as a result, but again he takes center stage when he comments on the events he just witnessed. 

By crowding the stage and having so many POV characters witnessing and commenting on events at once, from the Fates, to Hermes, to Orpheus, to Eurydice, to Hades and Persephone, it becomes hard for an uninitiated audience member to know whose story this is and who they should be following and who will have the classic story structure of rising and falling action to build their expectations around. 

Ensemble pieces can be well done, and HadesTown is very well done, but for the non-genre savvy audience members, it may have been helpful to pick a single character and put them front and center in every action, and when they’re not front and center because of story circumstances, to have it clearly someone else who is front and center, with no one else with POV cluttering the stage at the same time. I vote that this person should be Eurydice, elevated to main protagonist, with Orpheus as secondary/love interest who only takes center stage when she is captive and first taken away, and that Hades/Persephone also get center stage in more isolation so it’s clear they’re commentary and parallels to Eurydice and her lover, not a second set of main characters. 

[noblehigh]

**slams fists down ** five times kissed !!! ( basically make me feel things )

send  five times kissed  for a drabble about five times our muses have kissed.

i. )  there was always a sort of unity when they were in the fireflies. they were a family, to a certain extent, but nothing like how it is here in jackson. it’s truly a  community, full of people who know everyone else, people who keep up with other’s troubles, and do their best to help  ease  those troubles. no one is given too much of a workload, and it’s fairly easy to get time off if you need it. it’s a sense of normalcy, something that’s one in a million. brian’s convinced that there’s no other place like it in the world. though, their world is very small compared to the endless opportunities that could be waiting somewhere else. they don’t know what could be waiting on another continent, if those places were even  effected.  he believes they were ; he believes everywhere is gone, everywhere is bits and pieces, and wherever there are people they’re trying to make due with what they’ve got.

tonight, the community has gathered out in the streets ; fires blazing, music playing. they’ve somehow convinced joel to play a little guitar, but most are amused by the way his brother strums on his own, taunting and joking with him. it’s not that tommy is bad, he’s just  definitely  got his own taste. laughs are shared, children run freely (  brian’s being one of them  ), and he finds himself snuggled back in a corner next to the stairs of the saloon with the one person who’s made this place truly feel like  home:  paul. 

there’s a hot cup of cocoa in his mitten-clad hands, and a gaze that was previously set on all the fuss around him slowly begins to focus on the man next to him. he just  watches.  watches as paul smiles, watching the music play and the children dance ; dina has managed to pull ellie up, and she’s up to her usual antics of putting on a show, this time with her lover. the flicker of the flames near them puts a special kind of sparkle in paul’s eyes, and brian can’t help but  smile. he leans over, presses a lingering kiss to the man’s temple. it’s sweet, soft ; it’s meant to show appreciation, more than anything. appreciation that paul is here, that he’s  alive, and that he’s  with  him. it’s an impulsive move, but at the same time it feels so  natural, like it’s the right thing to do.

ii. )  it didn’t take much convincing to get himself and paul put on a patrol together. maria and tommy are forgiving. they seem to sometimes  exude  love ; this deep care for everyone in the community, no matter the diversity or the situation. they want everyone to be happy, that much seems obvious to brian, and as long as it doesn’t harm anything and they can still get their work done, why  not  have two people who enjoy each other’s company on the same route?

brian has always had a love for horses, and has since gotten his own after being in the community for awhile. whiskey. his pride and joy. a large, brown horse who stands as tall as the highest building, with the elegance of a fine ensemble. he’s beauty, he’s  grace  --  he might just  be  mister united states. it’s why he rides him with such  pride. today, he managed to talk paul into just taking one horse ; yes, it’s due in part to him wanting to show off the stud, but also because he wanted to be  closer  to his favorite jackson patrol member. he follows along the muddy trail, sat high, hands loosely gripping the reigns as whiskey trots along through the tall grass. brian’s head turns to the side to glance over his shoulder, halfway keeping his gaze on the trail before them as he speaks to the other man,  ❛  -- i’ve always had a soft spot for animals, y’know?  ❜  oh, really?  ❛  yeah.. -- before all of this, we had a rottweiler named jackie -- she was badass. i had a horse for awhile, too-- and a  snake. i think, out of all of ‘em that the snake probably made it out.. maybe he got to live a long life. i don’t know how well they don’t out of captivity once they’ve been in it, though..  ❜  probably not  well. he turns his head back to the front, chuckles before adding,  ❛  -- his name was steve-o... y’know.. like that guy from  jackass? he was still little when everythin’ went to shit, only about two years old. he was a ball python, they’re great for p-- ❜  it’s when he glances back that he cuts himself off because, well.. quite frankly, he can see the way paul is looking at him. he’s looking at him like he’s the biggest  dork  on the planet. but that’s the thing with brian: you get him started on a subject he likes, something he’s  passionate  about, and he could talk for hours.

❛  -- what?  ❜  oh, nothing..  ❛  i’m ramblin’, aren’t i?  ❜  he gets a chuckle in response, no words, but a kiss to the corner of his mouth pairs with it. he’ll take it. smiling wide, he takes one of his hands off the reigns to reach back, giving paul a pat on his thigh. ❛  you’re by far my  favorite  person to run patrol with, you know that?  ❜

iii. )   ❛  ohhhh, c’mere, munchkin--  ❜  he drawls out, bending down to pick up his son from where he sits in the living room in front of paul. he’s got all of his legos out, and it’s no doubt going to be a  task  to clean them all up.  i don’t wanna!  ❛  well, i know you don’t  wanna, but you  gotta  go to bed. you know why?  ❜  the child shakes his head, looking rather bashful, and still rather  skeptical ; bedtime just doesn’t seem like it should be such a necessity... especially when you’re having so much fun!  ❛  ‘cause you gotta get big ‘n strong. and if you get a good sleep, maybe we can get up early and go play in the snow with dina tomorrow, huh?  ❜  that seems enough to persuade him. the boy smiles, nods his head quickly.  ❛  all right, then,  ❜  brian agrees, and he turns to look at paul before heading for the stairs,  ❛  i’ll be right back.  ❜

when he comes back down from putting oliver to bed, he notices the smile on paul’s lips. he’s intrigued, shown by the smirk that’s tugging at the corner of his mouth. ❛  -- and what are you smilin’ about?  ❜ he inquires as he heads over to the fridge to pull out two beers ; he then moseys on back over to where the other man sits, taking a seat next to him.  you’re a good dad, you know.  not even a question, a  statement. the once  uplifted  mood the man had has now turned a bit sour, proven in the way he loses eye contact with paul and looks down. he breaks open one of the beers, sliding it over on the coffee table to the other, then opening one for himself. well, he’s got some kind of vice now, so he’s willing to talk about the dirty past  (  as long as he can drown himself in  something  ).  ❛  wasn’t always like that.. -- don’t really know if it even  is  like that,  ❜  he comments, knocking bag a large swig of the amber liquid.  ❛  i wasn’t there like i should’ve been when he was a baby.. when he was  younger. had a lot of.. bad shit goin’ on in my head.  ❜  a multitude of things, but, mainly, a nasty drug habit. ❛  i’d probably still be just as shitty if the infected hadn’t started eatin’ everyone.  ❜  hey--  paul seems quick to cut off the harsh criticism of himself, and it’s probably best that way. if he lets it go, brian could easily spiral into spilling all the things he finds wrong with himself, and that would just ruin the mood of the night. he’s never been his biggest fan, and that’s one thing the end of the world  couldn’t  change.

a kiss to his shoulder is what finally makes him look back over, and he winds up resting his forehead against the other man’s, eyes slowly falling shut.  you can’t change the past.  he’s right, of course.  ❛  -- is there ever a time that you ain’t up to par on everythin’?  ❜  he swears, there’s never a time that paul  isn’t  right. still, it’s said with good intention, and it’s clear paul has lightened his mood a bit just by the faint smile on brian’s lips. he tips his chin up, lets their lips meet for a short, sweet kiss.  ❛  stay here tonight.. i don’t want you to go.  ❜

iv. )   ❛  hey!  ❜  it’s the first time he’s felt  frustration  towards the man, and he definitely isn’t scared to  show it.  paul begins to head towards the exit of their stationed patrol at the sound of a  shrilling  scream (  one asking for help, no less ), stating he’s going to go check it out.  ❛  -- we can’t just go out there like it’s nothin’, you don’t know what’s out there!  ❜  someone could be hurt, brian, you heard that. it was a call for help.  ❛  it’s outside of our zone--  ❜  brian. he’s right-- fuck, he  knows  he’s right, and it’s not like brian to be wary of going outside of zones or to even be wary of going and helping someone. he’s usually the first to jump to it, but there’s been more raiders around than usual lately, and he fears this one might be a trap. 

why are you fighting me on this?  because he’s  scared. he could give a  shit  about himself, but if something happened to  paul?  that’s something he’d never be able to forgive himself for. leaving the fireflies, all the damage and death that followed, including the death of  joel -- those are things he can find the time to push away, or find the time to get over  (  even if it comes back to haunt him every so often  ).  the more time he and paul spend together, the more he finds himself becoming  attached ; he’d be terrified to even think of it, the word  (  love  ), but he fears he’s edging closer and closer to it becoming his truth.  ❛  i’m sorry--  ❜  it’s a rarity for him to apologize, to admit he’s  wrong, but he  is. it’s out of character for him, and paul has to have noticed that, as well. he lets out a sigh, steps over to reach for his backpack that’s rested on an office chair, and he makes his way to where the other man stands. 

he fights with himself on what to say. he fights admitting that he doesn’t want anything to happen to him, that he doesn’t know what he’d do with himself if something did, that he’s increasingly becoming  scared  whenever they go out because of the countless possibility of  bad shit  that could happen to him. instead, he takes his hand, presses a lingering kiss to his forehead, and gives his hand a tight squeeze. he hopes he knows what it means without having to say it.  (  i want you safe, i want you with me when we get back to jackson. )  ❛  let’s go check it out, but let’s be smart about it.  ❜  always.

v. )  he would fight an army of infected, he would leap  bounds, if it all meant that he could savor in even  one  of these moments. he hangs onto these tightly, close to his heart. they’re both sat on paul’s bed having come back from a long patrol, the weight of his backpack finally falling as dead-weight to the floor. he brings his hand up, rubs at his sore shoulder. he watches paul as he sets his own backpack on the bed, beginning to unpack a few things he needs, and while he does that, brian pulls off his own jacket and his dirty shirt. 

when paul rids himself of his shirt, that’s when brian makes his way over to him. the bruises and scars that pepper the skin of the man he’s grown fond of are reminders of the fight they battle each day, and brian runs his calloused fingers along a few of them. his head dips down, soft kisses being sprinkled along the length of his shoulder to the curvature of his neck. one hand raises, loops a finger in the hair tie that holds the other’s hair, and he tugs until it’s loose and falls, cascading over his shoulders. palms run up and down his arms, squeezing soft at his biceps, and he nuzzles his nose against his jaw.  ❛  you’re so beautiful..  ❜  it’s spoken soft ; no one is around, but he wants to make sure only he can hear it. he wants him to know how  special  he is, because he feels like he doesn’t show it enough, and he definitely doesn’t  say  it enough. index and middle find paul’s jaw, and he turns his head until his entire body follows, and he’s facing brian. a kiss, slow, passionate, and  wanton graces his lips, fingers beginning to thread through the hair at the back of the man’s head.  ❛  you have to know how much you mean to me. i want you to know..  ❜  brian..  ❛  -- just let me love you.. even if it’s just tonight.  ❜

[umccall71]

Characters:Prince Liam x (mc) Lady Saige

Rating:Mature Content includes profanity, sexual content,talks about depression and attempted rape.

Word Count:3121

Disclaimer: All characters used are sole property of Pixelberry. I am simply borrowing them for entertainment.

Summary:After a summer of a Lifetime Prince Liam thought he could have it all. He was carefree, free, and sharing time with the woman of his dreams. When life as easy a balancing act between love and duty, he realizes his truths are lies, wrong is right, and decisions do have consequences.Lady Saige never imagined she would be one of his consequences. When an act of utter horror throws her world into a tailspin.

Warning: This series contains subject matter of depression and hopelessness .The story may trigger certain individuals. Please be advised. If your reading this series you are acknowledging you are at least 18 +.

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Liam had his bright future in front of him. He enjoyed life as a royal, even the perks of his privilege. There was nothing that could bring down his passion for life. Being the spare, he had the enjoyment without the full responsibility. He faced each day with vigor and energy. He was rather subdued compared to his older brother Leo. He had his pick of many noble women in Cordonia, but this was a decision he did not take lightly. He spent so much time presenting an image to his family and nobles, but deep down he really craved normalcy.The summer was off to a great start, days at the beach, nights around his friends, this was his life. A young man of 25 he knew he could have his hearts desire if he wanted it, but he never anticipated what comes next.

Lady Saige was visiting her close friend, Duchess Olivia for the summer. They had met during freshman year at university. Olivia was studying abroad in Texas , when she met her best friend with a zest and fearlessness she envied. Saige was wide eyed to the world of nobility. She was looking to spending time with Liv attending balls, crisscrossing the countryside, and taking in the beauty that is Cordonia.

“Liv, this estate is beautiful… you live here all alone… with servants?”, her eyes collected the ambiance of the elegant foyer. “I have never seen anything like this outside of magazines.”, she smiles in awe.Saige feels her head moving around in 360 degree swivel. Her eyes could not process the overwhelming image of Lythikos.

Olivia stood with her arms crossed, green eyes lighting up from the grandness of hearing the accolades all in honor of of her home. “I’m just glad you're here Saige, I have been so anxious to have you here in my home country for the entire summer.”, they both giggle. Liv leads Saige up the stairs to her bedroom that will be her home for the next two months.Olivia watches as Saige slaps her hand over her mouth as she gasps from surveying the lavender suite dawning crystal chandeliers, spacious bolstered bed, and surrounding delicate antiquities. “ I can have the staff unpack your things while we meet up with some of my friends from my childhood if you’d like?”, Olivia smiles.

“Your friends huh?..what are they like? I have no idea how to act around nobility. What will they think of me?”,self doubt creeping up in her mind.

“They will think of you what I do… that your an amazing woman with a wit and sense of humor. You and I hit it off as friends almost immediately in Texas. I felt like a fish out of water.”, Liv laughs and shakes her head.

“ You mean … how I feel right now. Anyway that doesn’t matter, I’m just happy to reconnect with my friend.”, Saige grins and tosses her arm around Liv’s shoulder. “ So what plans do you have for us?”, she sighs.

“Nothing too much, just having a seafood boil at the beach… followed by a bonfire. Trust me … you will enjoy it. The guys are great.. there’s Drake, Kiara, Penelope, ...and Liam.”, she hesitates with the last name. Olivia releases a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding.

Saige pauses, watching Olivia quizzically, “ why do I feel like there is a story there? Saige lifts her chin in the direction of Olivia… “ spill.”

“Saige … there’s nothing to spill, I lived with Liam’s family for awhile after my parents died. They were kind to me… he was kind to me. We grew to be best friends, I wouldn’t trade him for the world.” Olivia plops down on the edge of the bed, as if contemplating how much to share. She decides to let Saige in on the truth, “ there was a brief time that I thought I could possibly have feelings for him, but I realized it was more gratitude for him being there for me over the years. I have actually been seeing someone...but no one knows about us. Liam doesn’t even know about us.”

“Why would it matter if Liam knew about you dating someone?”,she grills her friend.

“Maybe because.. it’s… it’s his best friend. We all grew up together… I detested him growing up, so smug and condescending. You will meet him this afternoon, but you cannot tell anyone.”, Liv demands.

“How could I tell your secret to a group of strangers? I have no horse in this race.”, she giggles. “How long before we leave and what should I wear?”, she inquires.

“ Dress in something casual and comfortable, maybe even bring a bikini In case we go in the water.” Olivia strolls over to one of Saige’s bags and searches through prospects, “ this one… here, go.change.”, she instructs smirking. “ You will definitely make quite the impression in this dress.”,she turns to leave, “meet me downstairs in 30 minutes so we can leave.”, she shouts over her shoulder as she’s leaving.

Saige stands there with the outfit in hand, jaw on the floor from Olivia’s choice. She knew when Liv got that look in her eyes, there was no arguing with her. Saige’s sparkling blue eyes darted across the ensemble before she dashes off to the bathroom to freshen up and change into her bikini and the dress that was selected for her introduction to Cordonia.

Thirty minutes later, Saige bounces down the stairs wearing a Spaghetti-neck Backless Bohemian Maxi Dress.The outfit was flowing, yet sexy… it hugged her curves in all the right places. Saige has her hair pulled up into a messy bun with minimal makeup… not that she needed it. “Okay… I’m ready, let’s go meet these wonderful friends”, she snarked sarcastically. The ladies linked arms and headed out the door to the waiting car.

Liam and Drake had already arrived at the private beach.. making final preparations for the staff to handle food and refreshments. “ Liam, please make sure that you have that damn red wine the Olivia drinks”, he states exasperated. “Hey, when have I ever flubbed a gathering that I personally hosted?... don’t answer that”, they laugh aloud. Moments later Kiara and Penelope, arms snaking around each other’s waists, walk up to greet their old friends.Everyone had suspected for years that the two were more than mere friends, but finally they felt comfortable enough to share such an intimate relationship. The gang had was totally supportive of them , just as long as they were happy, that’s all that mattered. Both ladies feared that their conservative families may be bothered, but there was little pushback. Kiara’s mom had embraced Penelope as a second daughter, and Martin, Penelope’s dad was loving in every way.

“Hello all.. wow, everything looks amazing”, Penelope chimes in as the finishing touches were made to the elaborate tent and decorations.Drake and Liam exchange pleasantries with the ladies for awhile before they notice the sassy redhead arrive on the beach. “ I’m here… we can begin now”, Olivia smirks making her entrance.

“Only you would think a party would wait to start until you arrive”, Drake teases. “ It took you long enough to make it … anyways, glad you're here”, he whispers barely touching her fingers. “ Lucky for you all , I cleared my calendar today to slum with you”, she giggles. “Oh , where are my manners? I would love for you all to meet my best friend from my time in the states… Saige, Saige Prescott. We studied together at Texas A & M.”

Saige stood back taking in the sight of the dramatic green cliffs that plunge down towards a dazzling white pebble beach and the azure water of the Mediterranean Sea.She was enticed by the crystal clear waters lapping up on to the shoreline. Saige waves, quietly watching each member of the crew, her eyes went from brooding dark hair Drake, to the slender dark hair beauty Penelope, to the bronze sophistication of Kiara, and finally her breath hitches in her throat when her sparkling blue eyes meet the dazzling blue eyes of Liam. She exhales taking in the image of the athletically built blonde man.

She felt as if she were watching a scene in slow motion as Liam walks over to her and extends his hand.Olivia quietly nudges her, “fix your mouth… incoming”, she whispers snapping Saige out of her daze. “Lady Saige… what a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”, he gently grips her hand bending to kiss her knuckle. Saige jumps, surprised by the sudden gesture. In Texas, the guys can be polite, but she was not used to such gentlemanly actions. “Aah… the pleasure is all mine.” She speaks softly. He feels instantly drawn to the auburn goddess, Liam finds for the next several hours he can’t seem to avert his eyes from Saige as they ate and drank, enjoying the day. He flashes not too subtle glances, he smiles throughout the day to ease her nerves... working up his own nerve to strike up a conversation.

The sun began to set and no one had noticed Olivia and Drake slip away. Kiki and Penelope had settled into a comfortable lull of conversation and gentle touches. Saige couldn’t help but notice the whispers they shared and loving glances. She smiles in witnessing the apparent feelings between the two. She was so captivated by the lovely ladies, she didn’t hear Liam walk up and join her by the bonfire that had started. “Are you enjoying your time in my country so far?”, he grins adoringly. Saige nods gently in acknowledgment, “ it’s beautiful here. It’s like something out of a fairytale… the only thing missing is a prince riding up on a beautiful white steed.”, she chuckles. Liam tries to contain his laughter, knowing her spot on description in this moment.

She catches his reaction, “did I say something funny?”, she was caught by surprise with his reaction. Liam leans back on one of his elbows watching the crackling fire anticipating her thought when she learns his true role. “ I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to laugh… clearly Olivia didn’t tell you much about Cordonia. You see , this country is one of a very few remaining monarchies.”

“Wait… what … monarchies as in …having a king?”, she ask trying to follow his train of thought. “Yes… Cordonia is ruled by a king, but there’s also a royal council .The country has several noble houses that collectively help to strengthen the kingdom.”,he changes the subject,” why don’t you tell me about your time in Texas, is that where you are originally from Saige?”He stares intently into her eyes as she reflects on the mystique of her small Texas town.”I was born and raised in a small fishing town ,which recently became a thriving tourist destination. Kemah, it’s southeast of Houston. Its charm is in the old world boardwalks and amusements. I used to love spending Sundays with my dad on the boardwalk. We would have a seafood lunch, followed by salt water taffy as the sun would set. It was his only day off per week, but he would spend it with me, no matter how tired he was from a long week working in a oil refinery almost an hour away from home. It was just he and I , after my mom died when i was 9.”, her voice cracks sharing such a personal experience.

Liam notices that her voice was softened,”I ...I didn’t mean to pry. It sounds like an amazing place to live. How is your dad handling you being gone for the summer?”, he smiles encouragingly. He notices that she got quiet again, she looks off into the darkened waters hidden beneath the moonlight. “He’s ...he is no longer with me. My dad died my Sophomore year of college. That… leaves just me.”, her ocean blue eyes glistened holding back a stray tear from escaping.

Liam grabs the bridge of his nose, silently kicking himself for dredging up such emotional topics upon meeting Saige. “God i’m an idiot”,he blames himself.Liam extends his hand to help Saige to her feet.”Come... take a walk with me?”,he ask pleadingly. “This is the best time to enjoy the water.Something as large the ocean has a way of bringing things into perspective.” LIam laces his fingers with Saige’s fingers,she happily accepted. “You can never be as big as the ocean.. No matter how big you are, a celebrity, a politician, a spiritual leader, even a king. The ocean has a way of bringing a man or woman back down to size.”, she breathes in deep, her nasal passages overtaken with the fresh scent of saltwater ,and seaweed.Before they knew it, they had ventured a great distance from the bonfire site. Liam turns to face Saige and he thoughtfully studies her soft features, her porcelain skin, her ocean blue eyes, her auburn and chestnut colored hair, her curvaceous frame.It was as if he had lost his will to move from that spot. He found himself rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs. “Where are my manners?... i shouldn’t be presumptuous to take liberties with touching you. I couldn’t help myself...you are stunning”,he confesses smiling softly into her eyes. “If I had a problem with it… it’s not like I could not speak up. Really… I didn’t mind”, she blushes trying to shake off the awkward moment. “Perhaps we should be getting back to your friends. I am sure Olivia should be back by now”, she chuckles.

After strolling side by side back down the soft white sand, they came face to face with leering eyes and smirks. “LI… where have you been man?”, Drake hides a grin. “I could ask you the same...couldn’t I ?, Liam responds.

Olivia pulls Saige to the side , “where were you?’, she whispers. “I suppose i was a distraction for you and ….Drake suddenly disappearing from the beach?”,Saige shakes her head while arching her brow in the direction of Olivia. The two friends turn to glance at the two guy friends amused. “How long have been screwing Drake?”, she blurts out quiet enough for Liv to hear. “Who says i’m screwing Drake?”, she stoically stares trying to not give away her fear of being discovered. “I would say , maybe the hickey that your wearing right now… that you did not arrive with to this beach.”, Saige chuckles shaking her head. Olivia ghosts her hands around her neck trying to locate said hickey. “Are you ready to go Saige?Aren’t you getting tired or perhaps you want to take another stroll with Liam ?”, she quirks. “Haha...very funny. Maybe we should go, i could definitely get into trouble if I remained on this beach.”, she smiles making eye contact with Liam. He smiles back at her innocent doe like eyes as he approaches the girls. “ I hope you enjoyed the get together Saige… i look forward to doing it again… hopefully soon?” Liam locks eyes with Saige, completely oblivious to Olivia’s presence. “Ahem”, Olivia clears her throat, “Well Liam, thanks for inviting us , it was an enjoyable afternoon.”

He lifts Saige’s hand again to graze her delicate skin with his lips. “ Thank you for not objecting to me crashing your party.”. She smiles memorizing his handsome face silently as if she would never see him again. “Good night Liam”, she leans in and softly kisses his cheek in gratitude.He slowly closes his eyes for a moment, committing the feel of her soft lips on his skin to memory. He opens his alluring blue eyes staring at her, “Good night Lady Saige”, he turns to her cheek and places a gentle kiss.

Olivia started back up the path toward her waiting car, giving the two a chance to have a moment. “I’d … I better get going. Thanks again.”, she slowly turns walking away , glancing back seeing his eyes never leaving her as she made her way up the same path. She couldn’t wipe the grin from her face as she slid into the car beside Olivia. “ I must say… you move quickly Saige”, she chuckles as the tires slowly treads against the gravel heading back home.

“I have no idea what your talking about Liv”, she turns to face the window as the beach becomes a smaller vision.

“Earth to Liam.. man, that was unreal”,Drake laughs at the sight of his best friend obviously stuck in place. “Huh… you were saying something?”, he mumbles. “Man Liam, you even missed Kiki and Penelope leaving without you saying bye.” Liam runs his hands through his blonde hair, processing the events of the afternoon. Drake was not used to seeing his friend in such a visibly emotionally moved state. Liam was always the image of propriety,poise, and grace under pressure. Within a single afternoon with the girl from Texas, he was truly at a loss. “Drake… wow, i have no idea how i could have blown it so quickly. She’s… she is breathtaking”,Liam sounds spellbound from his very own interaction.

“Well … I have good news and bad news… good news is you have all summer prince charming to get to know her better… bad news is how are you going to handle saying goodbye when she has to go home?”, Drake slaps his buddy on the shoulder, finding comedy in his situation. “I suppose we could take things slow.. Get to know one another on a closer level.”,Liam thinks back to his time with Saige. “So how do you think she will handle finding out you are a member of the royal family?”, Drake gestures toward the exit. “ Come on loverboy… lets get you home before you turn into a frog.”, he laughs. “Drake I just want to take things one day at a time. We shall see where this summer takes me… Saige”, he mutters to himself as he follows Drake to the waiting SUV.

Olivia and Saige arrive back at Lythikos an hour later. Saige lost count of the number of times her mind drifted to Liam on the drive.His face and tall build flashed through her mind, the feel of his lips on her cheek, on her hand, his smile, all of it haunted her thoughts. “Saige, look i’m glad you had a good time, but just take the time to enjoy your summer.”, she warns with such care in her tone .

“Liv.. i spent a glorious afternoon with a handsome guy, that’s all. Liam was nothing but charming and respectful of me. We kept each other company, while our FRIENDS, slipped off . Nothing more… nothing less. Now…. night Liv. I am sure you will be busy with your secret par amour.”, she giggles as she leads LIv to the door. Saige closes the door behind Olivia and sashays over to the bed , falling back thinking of the next encounter with... “Liam”, she lets her mind wander to the debonair guy from the beach. Thinking...“This is gonna be quite the summer.”

[themusicenthusiast]

Friday, March 29th, 2019 – Hozier Leads Fans on a Compelling Trek Through the Wasteland as the Wasteland, Baby! Tour Hits Dallas

Photos by Jordan Buford Photography South Side Ballroom has hosted plenty of sold-out shows during it’s time, some stellar talent gracing the stage just in the past year and packing out the venue that can accommodate a couple thousand or so people. However, it had been a while since a show had taken place there with the sheer amount of excitement that enveloped the one occurring on this final Friday of March 2019. Andrew Hozier-Byrne, or as he is professionally known, Hozier, was returning to Dallas for the first time in roughly four years. Four years that have seen the artist growing more and more acclaimed, his successes most recently culminating with the release of his highly anticipated second studio album, Wasteland, Baby! (out via Rubyworks Ltd./Columbia Records). Nearly three weeks in to the North American leg of the Wasteland, Baby! Tour and Hozier and his band were finally getting to North Texas for a performance that likely could have taken place at place even more spacious than South Side Ballroom. No fans were complaining about it though, recognizing this was surely the last chance they would ever have to see Hozier in a venue whose layout boasts some sort of intimacy with the artist. They had been anticipating this for quite some time; the line to get in snaking from the door to the street a ways behind the venue, down it and into the parking lot where it continued to zig and zag. The staff worked to get people in as quickly as they could, making the wait time more than acceptable, yet the line consistently stayed the same as more people arrived and joined. And that was even before when the doors had been scheduled to open at seven, more than a couple hours yet to go before Hozier would ever take the stage. Those attendees were comprised almost exclusively of a young demographic, from teens to early twenty-somethings – a few parents seen bringing their kids to what was surely the concert of the year in their eyes – and of those it was largely a female fanbase whose adoration for Hozier was readily apparent. Jade Bird commented about that stark contrast as she warmed up the audience, asking the ladies in the crowd to make some noise followed by having the guys do the same. She made a quip about them being outnumbered, grinning as she spoke. It was just her, armed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar as the young, British singer-songwriter treated listeners to some bare-bones renditions of her songs, giving them a preview of sorts of her debut LP that is due out in April. Patrons highly enjoyed what Bird did, though by the time she was done they were ready to get to the main act. Fortunately, they didn’t have long to wait. Hozier and his accompanying ensemble cast of musicians (seven in all) took the stage at 9:01, deafening fanfare officially welcoming them to Dallas.

As Hozier’s music is built on a foundation of impassioned emotions, so, too, was the performance he gave, and it was aided by a quality of production that was phenomenal, rivaling the level of what is expected from an arena show. Nothing extravagant, it was just a rich, luscious display that captivated the senses, accenting the music so that the songs felt bolder and stronger than they already were. It was noticeable as they took the stage, flickers of light barely illuminating the outlines of each musician. Soon, Hozier’s gentle plucking of the strings of his acoustic guitar rang out through the room, “Would That I” beginning the 81-minute display they had planned. As they progressed the center stage gradually filled with light, revealing the man of the hour for all to see; the climatic and impassioned choruses bringing more of the band into focus as short bursts of light struck them. An enthralling atmosphere had been established by that opening number, and to say it felt spiritual – sonically and visually speaking – would not be an understatement. The stark contrast of that track as it ebbed and flowed between something tranquil and beautifully striking was wonderous, and Hozier would only build upon that, seizing that moment to further immerse the audience in the spectacle that he had planned.

Several members of his backing band served in multiple roles, such as Rachel Beauregard and Kristen Rogers, both of whom had provided backing vocals for that opening number, and afterwards approached the front of the stage where they contributed to the percussion and keys, respectively. It was with “Dinner & Diatribes” where one was able to better appreciate the intricacies of Hozier’s music, given that everyone was able to see just how much effort goes into bringing the expectations from the recording to life. Everyone’s role was vital; most of the musicians clapping along with the percussion when they could, encouraging the spectators to do the same, which they did with glee. With that track Hozier and company made it apparent just what a force to be reckoned with they were, the energy skyrocketing off the charges, Hozier himself finding a moment to just wail on his guitar with absolute ferocity. They were in top performing shape thanks to being well into the current tour, their chemistry binding everything together as they really hit their stride with plans to go beyond it.

Quickly escalating with those first couple numbers, it all culminated with “Nina Cried Power”, the powerhouse, anthemic track being an ideal song for the live environment. Only occasionally did Hozier play a guitar during that one, instead embracing and owning the role of frontman for the only real moment of the show. He did carry his guitar along with him, holding it to his side and even lifting it slightly in the air, but for the most part he roamed about the stage and belted out every line with immense passion. The connection he had to that song was obvious, the emotions that went into it bleeding through on his face; the subtle movements, such as the little gestures of the hand that he did, being quite keen, and as minute a detail as that was it went a long way in further thrilling the crowd. What was so surprising about that was how strongly the spectators reacted to that first handful of songs. Wasteland, Baby! has only been out for a couple of months, yet those songs already seemed to be as beloved as those from his debut LP. It’s a reaction seldom had, one where fans of any artist or act enjoy the new material as much as what they’ve become so familiar with, and it speaks to the respect and even loyalty that Hozier’s fans have for him. That said, they loved hearing the couple classics that immediately followed, after which Hozier declared the crowd to be one of the most enthusiastic and simply best audiences that they had ever played to. Fearing that could be construed as just a statement he stressed his sincerity about it, the slight state of awe over the amount of love he and his band were being shown affirming how genuine he intended that comment to be.

The stage was awash with brilliant pastel lighting for “Talk”, piercing through what was otherwise darkness, the faint outlines of the majority of the band members being all that was noticeable; while “From Eden” drew a joyous response from the crowd once they discerned what it was from Hozier’s picking at the acoustic guitar he had switched out to. Perhaps one of the neatest things about this show was how Hozier worked to make it feel like an intimate affair by injecting a bit of a storyteller vibe into it. For example, in setting up the title track he spoke of what a “weird time” it had been when he first began writing for this new record, around the time that 2016 had ended. In case anyone had forgot, he reminded them that was the year a seemingly abnormal amount of celebrities – and musicians in particular – passed away, which in turn had him thinking about the end. Thus, “Wasteland, Baby!” was born, a gorgeous song that alludes to the fragile and fleeting nature of existence; the band being pared down to a trio for that primarily acoustic piece.

It was followed by another new song as well as a story to accompany it, Hozier speaking of a type of bird known as a shrike. Rightfully assuming that most were unfamiliar with the species he described some of their habits, like how they impale insects or small animals on things, even hanging them on what could be called a hook, earning them the nickname of “butcher bird”. “…They’re a beautiful bird, but also horrifying… So, I thought it would be an appropriate name for a love song,” he finished, earning a hearty laugh from the onlookers. The subdued “Shrike” portrayed Hozier and company in a different light; Suzanne Santo, who was on guitar duty for most of the night switching out to a violin, the restrained nature of that strikingly lovely track putting more focus on Hozier’s voice and the vast range he commands so impeccably well.

Patrons were elated to hear “To Be Alone”; the hypnotic drum beats Rory Doyle steadily served up enrapturing all, some clapping along ensuing before a portion of the second chorus was ceded to the fans, who shouted it at the top of their lungs. “Moment's Silence (Common Tongue)” also stood out as a fan favorite of the night, the song being so much more than what is portrayed on the recording. Amazingly intense, it allowed for arguably the most raw, primal moment of the night, Hozier proving he has all of the hallmarks of a bonafide rock star. It was straight up rock ‘n’ roll, a seductive beat and gritty guitar riffs ensuring it was a beast; the dazzling display of lights that went with it adding to the impressive scale. Adding some insight to “Almost (Sweet Music)”, Hozier explained it was about attempting to “escape the inescapable”, speaking of how music establishes a lasting connection to whatever a person is experiencing in their life at that moment, and who they were with. That really seemed to resonate with everyone, as that is one of greatest powers that music has: providing a tether to every crucial moment of one’s past, be it wonderful or awful.

The closer came abruptly, “Take Me to Church” catching everyone off-guard in the most wonderful way. Mainly, it was just difficult to believe that the night was already over. Unexpected as it was, the couple thousand people hastily got on the same page, echoing along to every last word of the now classic breakout hit; a collective shriek filling the room in the latter part, Hozier having jumped into the pit in front of the stage, getting as up close and personal as he possibly could with the lucky fans who had scored a spot at the front. A phenomenal display on all fronts, Hozier wasn’t quite done with Dallas, a couple songs planned for the 10-minute long encore. They weren’t done dazzling, either, “Work Song” showcasing another gorgeous side of the collective talent gathered on stage, as they nearly all harmonized with one another, the layers of the vocals being astounding, resulting in a stunning finish to what had been a concert for the ages.

Hozier definitely has a throng of ardent supporters, but on the other hand, there are still just as many people out there who probably view him simply as the man who performs “Take Me to Church”. He is so much more than just the guy who crafted one massive chart-topping single, though. I’ll confess, even I was inclined to believe that notion prior to this night, but this performance totally revolutionized my perceptions of Hozier. The level of artistry he possessed was jaw-dropping, epitomizing what a legitimate artist is throughout every second of the performance. Whether he’s sweetly crooning on a more tender balled or investing everything into belting out something more spirited his voice is phenomenal and brimming with emotion. His guitar work may have been secondary for him, though when he was able to dedicate more of his focus to it his chops were readily apparent; and those rare moments where he acted solely as a frontman he stood as a vigorous one.

Furthermore, he is a true singer-songwriter, and in an age where it has become more prevalent for musicians to perform music that was written by a third-party, you have to respect that. Because of that, there’s a more personal connection formed, the life events that led to these songs and how much they really meant to Hozier being noticeable as he performed them, as if baring a portion of his soul for all to see. Hozier is the kind of talent that comes around about once a generation. Considering how relatively new he still is it’s remarkable how refined his talents are, already carrying himself and executing the songs in a manner that makes it appear as if he has spent a lifetime doing this. Yet he’s remained humble enough to still be slightly shocked over the reaction people have to his music, which is refreshing to see.

As high as fans’ expectations were going in to the concert this night, they were exceeded. The band he has surrounded himself with was responsible for part of that, all being top tier talent who fleshed out the music perfectly and made sure to invigorate the audience to boot. However, a lot of credit for that needs to go to the crew as well, especially those in charge of the lighting. A key element of any show, the production for this one was stunning. It worked in brilliant harmony with the music, allowing the songs to sound bolder and more emotive. It was artistic, further accenting the artistry that went into the performance. A once in a lifetime talent, it’s easy to envision Hozier moving up to arenas of various scales in the near future. And based on what he gave Dallas this night, he’d have no trouble commanding a crowd of thousands upon thousands of people. In fact, I’d be quite interested to see how the performance would be elevated for venues of that scale, because as much as he offered up on this Friday night, Hozier still has so much to give to the world. This North American leg of the Wasteland, Baby! Tour will run through April 14th, when it will conclude in Spokane, WA at First Interstate Center for the Arts. Other stops include The Pearl in Las Vegas, NV on April 7th and Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA on April 9th. Most of the shows are already sold-out. They’ll return to the U.S. in May and June for shows in the south and mid-west, including a performance at Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, AL on May 17th. A complete listing of Hozier’s upcoming events can be found HERE; and check out Wasteland, Baby! in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY. Set List: 1) “Would That I” 2) “Dinner & Diatribes” 3) “Nina Cried Power” 4) “Jackie and Wilson” 5) “Someone New” 6) “Talk” 7) “From Eden” 8) “Wasteland, Baby!” 9) “Shrike” 10) “No Plan” 11) “To Be Alone” 12) “Nobody” 13) “Moment's Silence (Common Tongue)” 14) “Almost (Sweet Music)” 15) “Movement” 16) “Take Me to Church” Encore 17) “Cherry Wine” (acoustic, solo) 18) “Work Song”

[amediocregay]

Now that the DCI season is over and I actually ended up getting a chance to watch every world class show at least once and most 2x I feel like briefly* breaking down my feelings on each one with an x/10 on personal enjoyment.

*brief is relative

Cascades- Pretty fun show. Looked and sounded great for the lowest placing corps. The ribbons had me stressed the entire show that someone would trip. 7/10

Jersey Surf- I was neutral on this show. Visually looked much better when the entire field stopped being blue. Cute ending. Performers were clearly giving their all. 6/10

Music City- Hated it :( just too cheesy for me i guess. Brass honestly surprised me with how good they sounded. Liked the guards flags a lot too. HATED the costumes. 5.5/10

Genesis- Liked it once the extended voiceover was done. Always love a good just hitting objects percussion moment. Wish I wasn’t on the side 2 35 for the brass stacked up so I could get the full impact. 8/10

Troopers- ... I don't like not liking them but... Positives: tried something new, trumpet soloist, the tarps were pretty, a few captivating individual movement moments. Negatives: uniform, visual, brass, overall design. I liked it more streamed than live but they were recovering from illness then. 5/10

Scouts- Similar to above. Liked the selection of music but that was about it. All their marching looked real frantic for some reason but still more consistent than troop. I don’t really remember anything particular for this show. I hope them and troop can do better next year. 6/10

Colts- Very impressed with them this season. Uniforms looked better than it seemed when revealed. Brass, especially trumpets and mellow, sounded great. Only thing I didn’t care for was the “freeze over” the blue shirts looked REAL cheap and the fabric just seemed to move too slowly to me. 8.5/10

Academy- Mixed feelings. The members were great but the show ending with like a rock version of london bridge is super lame. The staggered run towards the beginning was such simple but effective drill. Lovely ballad. Might have been one of my favorites of the season but those couple moments really dragged down the show for me. 7.5/10

Pacific Crest- One of the shows I only saw once. Really liked the uniforms and props. Nothing really is sticking in my mind and I think seeing it another time would have helped. ?/10

Spirit- A lot of corps I don’t typically like put on shows I was a big fan of and Spirit was one of those. Costumes were overall great; just wish the neon skintight ones were either a little loosed or had something hanging from the waist. Never thought I would hear Krump again lol. Just a very entertaining show. 8.8/10

Phantom- The guard pretending to be horns just doesn't do anything for me anymore. Brass sound good when they're allowed to; one of the worst on electronic support this year to me. Another nice ballad (with some wonderfully timed fireworks at Allentown) Not my favorite show of theirs but definitely not the worst 7/10

Crossmen- I feel like I should have liked the show more. Drum major looked great; loved the headpiece. Probably my favorite visually of their shows. I don’t know drums but I liked theirs. The stomp/clap section seemed awkward every time (probably because of audience participation during an accel) Ride trombones sounded very uncharacteristic in every stream I saw, not nearly as bad live. 6.7/10

Mandarins- I don’t know what it is but I always love their shows, have since their 20th place days. Brass sounded great especially at that ballad impact. Everyone moved pretty good. Didn't care for the corps proper uniform. The drum break with the song playing over it was pretty lame but the show ended strong after. 9.2/10

Cadets- Overused joke but Cadets can do better. Brass sounded really nice and everyone in the corps was doing their best to sell this show.  The stair/bridge props were really cool, probably the part of the show i liked most. The recorded stuff was too much and didn't work for me. A little surprised they didn't redo the Do Better section. Also didn't really understand the plot it was trying to tell, just something about equality or something. 4.5/10

Blue Stars- Least favorite of the year and maybe ever. HATE HATE the uniforms. hate the props. When i saw them the guard was a disaster which based on scores must have been a fluke. hated the quiet ending. there was some impressive drill in there and they sounded fine. 3/10

Blue Knights- First BK show I’ve ever liked and it solidly lands in my top 10 of the year. Probably most effective voiceover. I love mirrors on the field but they didn't really feel utilized. Loved the doppler drums at the beginning. Some really cool drill moments throughout. As with everyone soloist were wonderful. Ending gave me goosebumps. 9.3/10

Boston- I think I heard too much hype for them and they just didn’t quite live up to it for. Guard was great obviously. Same with brass. Those peg walls were really cool. HATED the uniforms a black leotard with gold accents will always look cheap. The brass choreo for some reason made me think of oompah loompah dances. Also don't want to hear hamilton. 7/10

Cavaliers- Absolutely my favorite of the year. The uniforms looked wonderful on most of the ensemble. Starting with some loud, aggressive clusters always works for me. Loved the soloists sounding like they were in the distance. Every seemed like they were having a good time every time i saw them. Biggest downside to me was the drill felt very compact the entire show. I was really rooting for them to move up through the season but oh well. I’d say this is probably in my top 5 and definitely top 10 of all shows 9.8/10

Crown- Love that opening. Love that ballad. Love the dance solo after the ballad. Confused but enjoy the like bollywood part of the show. “the detail of the pattern” is a little annoying but it’s not there too long. Don't think there's anything to dislike about this show, the love just wasn't quite as high as for cavies. 9.6/10

SCV- Cool show. Similar to last years in design but I liked this one a lot more. So much individual excellence. It’s getting closer but i still think they have the best mello line. Probably my favorite use of the field this year. Low brass and first mello solos were great. The trumpet solo thing was a neat effect in concept but it never really landed any time i saw it. 9/10

Bluecoats- This corps I have very polar responses to and this was a down year for me. Beatles started them at a deficit. I got a facebook memory reminding me of solo mic balance issues with them in 16 today and that was one of my biggest complaints this year too. Even though i said it was a down year for me those are my only issues. I think this is the best they've ever played or moved and probably have the best costuming of any corps. Its just nota show i personally enjoyed. 6.5/10

Blue Devils- Neat concept. Really liked the tap section. Violin seemed unnecessary. BD always has my favorite guard. Up there with Cadets and Boston for neatest prop. Everything BD does well they did well. A little boring for a BD show imo. 7/10

Only 3 shows were 5/10 or lower while 8 were 8/10 or higher. Cant wait to see what next year holds

[vskpop]

April 2018 ⋅ Diffuser

I would be lying if I said that there was anything relevant to me this month apart from Pentagon, Winner and EXID, even though the latter only released one new song.

Pentagon have been a very well-documented obsession since their terrible reality show. From their debut, I’ve been terrified that they would fall in the limbo that has been the destiny of many third generation groups, especially those who came out with a 10+ member ensemble after Seventeen had hit big.

I will be forever thankful that Pentagon are managing to carve a niche for themselves and building an identity that is not based on “looks like…” and “sounds like…”. While they don’t do massive numbers (YET), it fills me with joy to see their sales grow comeback after comeback.

In particular, I would have been personally offended if Shine, one of their best songs so far, hadn’t done well. Pentagon started their career with a fairly conventional post-BTS sound, but the more the members get the space to compose and produce, the more their songs become kind of weird, in the good way.

Shine isn’t especially original in itself, but the way it’s delivered, so expressive it’s comical, really sets it apart from anything else in that style (think Love Scenario and its clones). The chorus is the hookiest of hooks (with matching choreography), but it’s delivered in such a strange, shouty way that it loses a bit of its corniness and it’s just plain fun.

Since last summer’s Critical Beauty, Pentagon have been evolving their cheekily awkward image; what sets them apart is that they don’t seem afraid to look genuinely odd, rather than trying to be cute. It’s so captivating to see a group that instead of going for cuteness or badassness decides to put their all on being (handsome, mostly well groomed, shockingly talented) weirdos.

It’s hard to see Pentagon and Winner as part of the same “generation” of k-pop. Maybe because they’ve been through so much, or maybe because they are my very favourites, it feels like Winner have been around for a million years.

I’ve been feeling quite ambivalent about their post-Taehyun releases. I enjoy them, but I miss their more refined image and sound; this proved true for their latest comeback, Everyday, which I obviously listened to until it had drilled a hole through my brain, but I found – at least on paper – fairly disappointing.

I don’t know if it’s because “trap sounds” have been seeping into k-pop for years, or because I hate autotune more than disbandments, but I’m not sure I liked Everyday quite as much as I wanted to – or even as much as Really Really and Love Me Love Me.

Winner are my favourites, but I don’t care for the yolo swag turn that they seem to have taken.  Every time I see some dumb trousers I think of the sleek outfits of their debut. Every time I hear autotune I think of the crystal clear vocals of Baby Baby. It’s not that  I hate Everyday (or maybe I do and I can’t bring myself to say it?) but I know that it’s possible to see even better stuff from them.

Thankfully, the rest of the album is amazing. I have to agree with general consensus that the best song is Air: it’s completely in my wheelhouse, and “You’re my one and only diffuser” could be the verse of the year.

While I wanted to like Everyday and didn’t, I thought I was going to hate EXID’s Lady and I ended up singing it constantly for the whole month. I can say with almost 100% certainty that it was inspired to Bruno Mars’ Finesse and not to actual new jack swing, but I adored seeing EXID promote in ridiculous trousers and the ugliest jackets on Earth.

It’s sad to see them promote without Solji, but I love that in the past few comebacks they have been taking risks with their music and looks. I love that they have been able to show what great singers and performers they are without having to renounce the sexy concept that made them famous, but most of all without stopping being goofballs (see Mamamoo). They’re being dorks in 90s space buns, and at the same time ad-libbing for their lives. I love them.

The release that hurt the most this month, all in all, was Oh My Girl Banhana’s Banhana Allergy Monkey. My first thought is that they were going for an Orange Caramel level of weirdness, but scrubbed clean of all the sexy elements – a babyish, cute version. There’s the three-member structure, the fruit in the name, the ...eccentric concept. I know that many people loved it, but those airy, super-high-pitched vocals and, you know, everything about the concept and styling, made me want to cry.

It’s kind of appropriate that this offshoot of Oh My Girl went for an Orange Caramel-ly concept: I always thought that their kooky aesthetic had the potential to become truly shocking and flamboyant. It’s disappointing to see them go straight to aegyo when I know they have something more interesting to say and the skills to say it.

The biggest surprise of the month was VIXX – not so much because I didn’t know them, but because I finally get it. I don’t know if it’s because they’ve reached a part of their career that’s attuned to my taste, but after Shangri-La, their most recent comeback Scentist pushed me over the edge. I was too squeamish for their darker concepts, but now that they’ve focussed on a refined, seductive aesthetic I am all in.

I think Eau De VIXX (greatest title ever) might actually be one of their most boring, conventional albums from a musical standpoint, but I do think that a blend of more accessible music and the cryptic, what-the-fuck-is-happening aesthetic can only help make them more popular and, most of all, more interesting to me and my VIXX FOMO.

Lastly, I want to spend a few words on IN2IT’s Snapshot. It’s not a very seasonal song, but I can never ignore a song that bravely dips into deep house (and makes me think of Kazaky, for some reason).

I absolutely didn’t follow BOYS24 (the survival show that formed IN2IT), and I had no memory of IN2IT’s debut, which turned out to be yet another pseudo-tropical song. I don’t dare to look into the group members and their lore, but I’ve been listening to Snapshot constantly since it was released: it’s such a throwback genre visually and musically, but seeing how fast trends come and go in k-pop, it might well be time for a return of the SHINee Lucifer era. RISE, IN2IT.

[izumisays]

Dear creator,

Thank you so much for reading this and signing up for this wonderful annual conspiracy!

I hope you have a lovely time, and that this letter can contribute to it. If any of the fandoms below pique your interest, I’m delighted already, and very interested to hear your thoughts on them. 

Fandoms: Nimona, In Other Lands, Captive Prince, Machineries of the Empire

As for reading preferences, I’m happy with a wide variety of tones and genres, from lighthearted shenanigans to dramatic casefics, and pretty much all ratings, but the core of all stories I love is always character interaction. How they play off each other and bring out their best/worst, how they would react to a divergence of events, how true would they stay to their selves in a different setting - these are the kind of questions I’m all chinhands for. POV games, a missing scene, a casefic, canon expansion, backstories and what-ifs are all fair game, so choose your weapon!

I would be very grateful if you could avoid a/b/o and similar kinktropes, played-straight soulmate fic, and character interpretation that runs contrary to their core values. If in doubt, please reach out to me on anon - the askbox is open!

NIMONA (any characters)

It is no mystery at all why I completely imprinted on this book. What is a mystery, however, is how I survived to this day and age without having loved Nimona for years - how did I even live unaware of its existence, up until an impulse purchase a month ago? WHAT A TRAVESTY.

Anyway, I massively adore Nimona to bits: a perfect fusion of story and pictures, chaotic evil Nimona (CHOMP!), Ballister of the big heart and stoic love for strays and SCIENCE, Ambrosius of awkward good instincts and poor decisions  - I just want to pinch everyone’s cheeks and hug them to my chest. For six hours. Approximately. It’s open for negotiation :’)

I’m requesting any characters because I’d be honestly delighted by seeing each one of them <3

A day in casa de Blackheart with Nimona and Ballister! Hatching evil schemes or having a pizza night - or both. BOTH IS GOOD. A flashback to Ballister and Ambrosius’s younger days (that christmas special *clutches heart*). A future with Nimona infiltrating Ballister’s lab and his & Ambrosius’s couch with popcorn and underhanded science! Nimona grumpily acquiescing to Goldenloin’s presence in Ballister’s life! Generally ANY AND ALL HIJINKS feat. heartwarmth and unapologetic monster girl love and fierce protectiveness of each other, much in the spirit of the lovely, lovely source material.

IN OTHER LANDS (Luke Sunborn)

Elliot is a spectacular narrator. Novel-shaped case in point: In Other Lands.

Having said that, what I really, really want to see is a story that makes Luke a narrator, or otherwise puts him at the center. I have it on good authority that he makes one fucking adorable narrator (novella-shaped case in point: Wings in the Morning), but why stop there, right?

Luke/Elliot, either post-canon or slightly amending canon, is always a delight. Luke crushing on Elliot for years in a resigned, semi-unaware (or aware!) manner - he gives Elliot Dale’s name only as a distraction, to get Elliot off his back, and watches with horrified eyes how every member of his family is suddenly out there to set him up with the wrong boy! Luke handling the thought of Elliot the boyfriend with awkwardness unbefitting a Trigon champion (granted, Elliot is kinda more prickly than an average glass ball). Luke having 110% confidence in Elliot and admiring him sass people into submission from the sidelines.

A look at Luke’s friendship with Serene - completely compatible with Luke forever crushing on Elliot, just saying ^^. I suspect lack of Elliot’s Serene goggles could do marvels to building nuance to her character: a little less reverse gender comedy just for the sake of comedy, a little more someone who is clever enough to balance multiple things, connect the dots, and learn, and stand by what she believes is right.

Competence kinkkk. Forever admiring the bookish people, refusing to stop trying to catch up, and zero time spent being conceited about own achievements while fully embracing his role of a champion and defender - that’s the Luke I love <3 Luke’s brand of leadership & charisma - an introverted champion, well-loved by people and easily tired of company of not his people.

Figuring out life after graduation! Casefic of them solving a mystery and preventing a war breakout! Getting assignments and storming the castles! Building cross-cultural competence by throwing Elliot at new people and watching him sign up new pen friends and treaties!

Sunborn family fic! A holiday get together? Drunken exchange of family stories? Another terrible competition that Elliot boycotts? Rachel reading Luke’s letters from year one and with great amusement observing the progression of his “THAT ELLIOT” feelings. God I love the Sunborns <3

I’m not particularly fond of Dale, on understanding that he got enough screentime as is already I’d be grateful if you didn’t center the fic around him. Obviously no objections to him as part of class ensemble, whose names Luke will never bloody remember.

CAPTIVE PRINCE (Damen, Laurent, Auguste, Jokaste)

You would not have wanted to see me at the peak of my CP obsession - dignity readers for miles around were in the red zone for months, I can tell you that. Even my bitter disappointment with many things in the third book didn’t survive the onslaught of feelings that overcome me every time I turn my thoughts to this series. R e g u l a r l y. (If you don’t think Prince’s Gambit is the high point of modern literature, f i t e   m e)

Things that make me happy:

Laurent/Damen endgame, always.

Auguste! Alive and well and fiercely proud of Laurent and quite possibly giving young Damen - his admiring bro - confused boners. Which he manfully swoonstruggles against, because see above.

Clever, competent Damen that drives Laurent up the wall of his fervent refusal to admit any of it affects him

Laurent POVs in general. There is nothing more delightful than a well-crafted narration of acerbic denial of hearteyes, self-crafted personality, hardwon competence and utter self-awareness.

Did I say competence porn yet? Hearteyes, motherfucker, hearteyes!!

Jokaste-Laurent queenbee friendships - vipers united!

Consider this: FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS arrangement for a CERTAIN AGENDA feat. Jokaste and Laurent - preceding or purposefully leading to Laurent/Damen endgame. Benefits as imagined by Damen, the poor cookie? Fake dating for purposes of short-circuiting Damen’s brain with the blonde ratio? :DD

Mafia/noir AUs *swoon* In fact, a variety of modern or historic AUs would be an a+ sandbox to play in and watch the chemistry unfold.

On another note, I have the soft spot the size of Delfeur for Nicaise and particularly Nicaise & Laurent spiky sibling-like affection, so if you think your story could benefit from that, please don’t hesitate to include it <3

I’m absolutely okay with fic that would not include all four - it’s just that I couldn’t omit either Auguste and Jokaste from the list of happy things. You are most welcome to include only one of the two, or none, if you want to concentrate on Laurent and Damen only.

Canon divergences, what-ifs and AUs are super-welcome for this canon. Please feel free to play to your heart’s content!

MACHINERIES OF THE EMPIRE (Shuos Mikodez)

I didn’t know how to request what would essentially be just heartfelt sobbing of PLEASE WRITE FIC FOR THIS AMAZING MEME ART (“please send help my family is starving!!”) - but if! By any chance! This is what you want to do, please disregard everything from math rules to heretic calendrical rituals, and go for it :DD i keep shoving this picture into all of my friends’ faces and get vaguely upset that they don’t immediately agree with me on how brilliant it is; maybe I should revise my strategy and give them the books to read first, hmm.

I’m fond of most of the cast of the books, especially of how competent and done with nonsense they are 99% of their screen time. Mentor relationships were amazing - Cheris and Jedao in Ninefox Gambit was a thing of true beauty, Zehun and Mikodez continuously delight me, and I’m looking forward to what book 3 will bring on this front, too (Nija? Please say Nija!). But as I need to choose something that won’t be guaranteed to make the matching algorithm cry, let me center it around a character that delights me and makes others cry instead.

Mikodez in his younger days! Zehun, I’m so sorry for your loss of sleep and possibly hair, teenagers are the worst, teenage Miki is the worst best Miki, and I am dying to hear all about his notorious Academy heroics.

Mikodez, Zehun, Nija and Cheris, the most terrifying parental equation of this calendar <3

Mikodez and his Questionable Alliances. Kujen “I had a friend once and then the leash broke” Nirai. Jedao - how does Miki’s view of the man change with Cheris in the game, and her (literal) insights about the dead mad general?

Mikodez throwing endless shade on all other factions, especially Andan. (Sorry, Andan. At least you’re pretty.)

Mikodez and his secret humanitarian agenda that he will politely deny forever, get fake-distracted by one of his bazillion hobbies and miss whatever sleep time he had scheduled in the day because he will inevitably get genuinely carried away. Every. Fucking. Time.

As a sidenote, I’m terribly fond of Vahenz <3 Bring her back! Let Vahenz have her fun! Let Mikodez meet his true competition for world domination and in the race towards diabetes.

I really liked Istradez, and would be happy to see him among the army of Mikodez’s high powered babysitters, but am not really in the market for Mikodez/Istradez shipfics.

Thank you very much for reading the letter! Please be assured I’m super excited to read everything you write already <3

[performingeight-blog]

Evaluation

The performance took place on Saturday 11th May. The delivery of the monologues on the whole was believable and kept the audience captivated. The physical theatre work, when combined with the lighting design offered a clear contrast that added a deeper layer to the piece and ultimately achieving the impact I had hoped for.

As the director of this piece, I had to ensure that throughout the process I always questioned myself on why I was making certain dramaturgical choices. For example, I chose to make the transitions between the sections very unnaturalistic along with the physical theatre support during the monologues. The members of the ensemble acted more as bodies in the space, contrasting to the focal characters of the section. I aimed to make the ensemble a physical embodiment of trauma and they would enter the stage throughout the monologues where trauma was present. It was here that I realised the usefulness of one of the first exercises I led with the cast – the mapping of the emotional journey in each monologue as it allowed us to recognise these traumatic moments easily. My lighting choices reflected this with the use of stronger colours when the ensemble entered. The dramaturgy behind my choice is that I wanted to portray the idea of isolation throughout the piece, making the characters appear lost on the stage amongst the bodies. The second justification for my choices is that I drew inspiration from and aimed to achieve a version of Bertolt Brecht’s ‘Alienation effect’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018). With our piece being a statement about society’s impact upon a generation and having such strong themes; it was important to me to ‘keep the spectators aware of being in a theatre’ and distanced their ‘emotional involvement’ with the characters. I feel as though this approach worked well as I used key methods to achieve the effect such as the stepping in and out of characters, making the ensemble cold and emotionless, the minimalistic and unnaturalistic set, and the unusual lighting choices.

Another aspect of the piece that I thought worked well was the grid. There are several justifications for this dramaturgical choice. It served as a metaphor throughout the piece, assuming different meanings. Firstly, the grid represented society and conforming to what is ‘right’. The ensemble would grid-walk on it, creating this idea of keeping in line with the rules that society imposes and allowed the characters of the monologues to move freely to highlight their traumatic experiences. The grid would later become a method of keeping the stage space symmetrical and ‘perfect’, linking to the section focusing on body image. It symbolised lack of freedom within society; it became a portrayal of control, with the characters ‘falling off the grid’ when they lost it. Finally, it contributed to the ‘Alienation effect’ acting as not only an aid for the ensemble to stick to, but for the audience to see exactly what the ensemble were doing, following literal lines on the floor.

However, I consider the use of the grid slightly restricting. It meant that the synchronisation of the ensemble needed to be perfect and choreographing the smallest of sequences was difficult. I feel as though the impact was successful but due to a limited time within the performance space and the amount of tape we had throughout the process, it made the rehearsal process challenging. As this was part of my creative vision, it was my responsibility to design the grid which involved measuring the area and ensuring a symmetrical design. This was very time consuming, but I am happy with the aesthetic I created.

I feel as though I was a fair director. I had many roles to fill within the process such as booking rooms, organising rehearsals around the groups availability and planning what we would do within the rehearsals. I involved myself within the stages of character development and gave the actors detailed feedback. I allowed time to ‘play’ with ideas and treated each member of the group with respect. I feel as though I instilled a fair level of discipline within the rehearsal room but maintained a high work place moral. Despite saying this, I should have been more organised in terms of having a plan for progression. We worked slowly at the beginning of the process and while we were active within our exercises and discussions, we could have introduced work on character development sooner. Personal deadlines would have also helped with learning lines as I should have been more insistent on being off-script. We needed to work much faster within the last few weeks and had to meet more often. I feel as though this put added pressure upon the group as a whole. Ultimately, it was professionalism that was our weakest area. Punctuality and attendance were issues that should have been addressed as it was unfair on those who were at every rehearsal, on time. Due to the nature of the piece; it being so heavily based on ensemble work; a rehearsal without everyone was not very useful.

If I was to stage this piece again, I think I would make it more light-hearted. I would not consider all eight monologues – I would do as originally performed and allow the audience to choose 4. I think this is a clever twist that makes the piece unique and I would like to appreciate the play’s history - I would also focus more on one area/theme as I feel as though I tried to cover too many.

I have learnt from this experience is that you cannot force ideas. I recognised when we needed to stop rehearsing and when to walk away from the piece for a while; as returning with a fresh mindset helped when hitting creative blocks. I have learnt that it is very important to learn and devise through playing, especially when dealing with some of the topics that came up – when considering your place in modern day society, you need to keep it light. Lastly, I have learnt the importance of collaborating. Ideas flow better when they are being bounced off one another and it removes the pressure from one individual to come up with everything. I would continue in the future using this method of creating through play. Theatre is to be enjoyed, for those who make it and those who watch it, therefore I believe that the process should be too. All in all, I believe that I was successful within my role as the director and I am happy with my work. Ultimately, ‘the main skills required from the director are patience and long-term thinking’ (Mitchell, 2009, pg.115), and I believe that I exhibited these qualities.

 Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018, Alienation Effect, online resource, available here: https://www.britannica.com/art/alienation-effect    [accessed 09/04/19]

Mitchell, K. 2009, The Director’s Craft - a Handbook for the Theatre, Rehearsals, pg. 115, London, Routledge, online version available here: https://www.dawsonera.com/readonline/9780203889701

[music2liveby]

DAY 179: What Would You Say by Dave Matthews Band

Album: Under the Table and Dreaming Release: September 24th, 1993 Genre: Rock

Jazz is unironically one of my favorite genres to listen to. The caliber of musicianship exhibited by performers is mesmerizing. My first taste of jazz came in high school through jazz ensembles, so imagine my sheer disbelief after attending several jazz gigs from college professors and contemporaries of my own peers studying music. Ultimately, the music theory knowledge that jazz musicians possess make for so much more of an immersive experience as an audience; the improvisation and structural integrity that runs rampant throughout long drawn jazz odysseys is captivating to say the least. Personal experiences aside, I only bring up the prowess of jazz musicians in general because just about every member of the Dave Matthews Band has their roots laid in jazz performance. Our story begins humbly enough at Miller’s Bar in Charlottesville, Virginia, where namesake Dave Matthews was a bartender. During Miller’s occasional jazz nights, Matthews would sit back and watch many of the acts that played Miller’s regularly, including saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Inspired by his surroundings but intimidated by public perception, Dave finally mustered up the courage to record a demo tape at the suggestion of his friend Ross Hoffman, who then showed the demo to locally renowned jazz drummer Carter Beauford and eventually made its way to LeRoi Moore. Skeptical at first, the two were impressed by the folk-inspired softness of Dave Matthews, and eventually led to a rehearsal session between the trio. While the unnamed group had gotten off to a rocky start due to their limited lineup, the band slowly began adding more musicians over time from corners of their own worlds. Bassist Stefan Lessard was only 15 when his mentor and conductor of the University of Virginia orchestra John D’earth suggested he help in the demo process, but ended up joining the band after the members liked his sound. Although he was not an official member until 2004, violinist Boyd Tinsley contributed his fiddle skills during the demo sessions and on subsequent studio releases for the band. Suddenly, the band had nearly doubled in size, and was ready to take on the world in its true form. Popular around the college circuit during their time, much of the Dave Matthews Band’s early success came from their encouragement of fan show recordings that led to plenty of tape swapping between fans a la Grateful Dead fans. As their presence began to grow, the group played more shows together, but still lacked a name. Dave Matthews recalls of his rise as the face of the group saying, "Boyd Tinsley wrote 'Dave Matthews Band' on this flyer for the show. There was no time when we said, 'Let's call this band the Dave Matthews Band.' It just became that, and it sort of was too late to change when we started thinking that this could focus unfairly on me. People sort of made that association, but it's really not like that." Co-founder Chris Beauford added to this sentiment, denoting, “That's one of the things about this band that everybody likes: there isn't a leader. Each one of us can express ourselves musically without being choked by a leader. Everybody can offer what they feel is gonna enhance the music. It's the freedom that we have to speak with our instruments." This talent was on full display in their mainstream debut Under the Table and Dreaming, one of the 90′s most unique albums that resonated well with young adults for its ability to mix intimacy with groove. Today’s featured track What Would You Say was the lead single from the album, sporting a spunky acoustic guitar riff and featuring a harmonica solo by John Popper of Blues Traveler that was reportedly written in less than ten minutes while Matthews was in the bathroom. Every member gets their turn to show off a little bit in this upbeat and feel good track, and puts the chemistry of the Dave Matthews Band to the test who all pass with flying colors. Harmonization, breakdowns that feel more like instrumental conversations, and an overall good vibe solidify the legacy of this now legendary band. Coming off the release of their most recent album Come Tomorrow in 2018, the band became the only group to have seven consecutive releases debut at number one on the charts. I don’t think these guys are going anywhere soon!

[jackgibbsreviews-blog]

Darkest Hour

Churchill has cemented his place in our country’s history as the shining example of a leader born to lead a beleaguered and concerned nation through the crucible of war, exemplifying the traditional British spirit of an unwaveringly stiff upper lip, indefatigable determination in the face of impossible odds, and unyielding national spirit. Many an actor has portrayed the man in innumerable cinematic works – in the past year alone, we have had icons of the screen such as Brian Cox, Michael Gambon and John Lithgow portray the immortal Bulldog. But of all these and more, Darkest Hour endeavors to rise above the competition off the back of one of the strongest depictions of the Prime Minister in years.

The span of the film is limited, a drawback for those who were expecting more of Churchill’s history even if the decision was intentional, but that makes Oldman’s thoroughly captivating performance no less spectacular. During the film’s production, much news made the rounds in regards to the level of Oldman’s preparation for the role – extensively studying biographies, conversing with family members, nailing Churchill’s distinctive accent, shaving his head and wearing several pounds of foam, prosthetics and silicon, yet he could hardly look more natural in the part. So often is he depicted as vigorously puffing on a cigar, face framed by light both dim and intense when the situation calls for it,  As a Churchill beset by the early difficulties of Britain’s role in the Second World War, facing opposition from within and without, he contends with political jockeying from dissatisfied rebels in Parliament – chief among them Lord Halifax, who is of the opinion that Britain’s position in the war has become increasingly untenable – and grapples with affairs overseas, particularly the invasion of France and the prelude to Operation Dynamo. As the film directly states, this is an examination of the country’s own darkest hour in a time of almost impossible crisis – and it is a dark hour made bright indeed by the overwhelming magnetism of Oldman’s compelling performance.

To say that Oldman may well have produced one of the strongest depictions of Churchill in cinematic history is no overstatement. It is not only his willingness to research that has paid dividends; he brings the entirety of his experience to the role, calling upon his catalog of films and thespian workings to give us a Churchill so artfully crafted that one forgets they are watching an acted production entirely. Oldman flawlessly captures the bombast and grand, sweeping oratory that Churchill is known and lionized for, but so too does he not overstep his boundaries into relentless chest-thumping. The full scope of the PM’s emotions and actions are encapsulated entirely in his performance, from moments of dry wit and quintessentially British humor with his wife and colleagues to the peculiar sort of care he displays for those close to him, particularly Lily James’ at-first nervous yet eventually determined take on Elizabeth Layton. The moments of quiet doubt, of silent rumination and personal admittance, are by no means a weakness. They serve to craft a fuller picture of the man, making him as human as he is mythical, as emotional as he is outspoken, and the end result is a welcomingly multi-faceted portrait that lends a truly historical and genuine air to the proceedings. For every energizing speech and defiant declaration – “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth!”, thunders Churchill to his rebellious fellows – there is an understated counterpoint as the scenes change from arguments or patriotic oration to moments of solitude. All this is underlined and emphasized further by an unobtrusive, effectively stirring score from Dario Marianelli, making the emotional impact of the film as a whole that much more pronounced.

 The other members of the cast shine too, though Oldman’s radiance is so brilliant that they find themselves almost inevitably eclipsed – Ben Mendelsohn plays a reserved yet captivating take on King George VI, a role that is both the source of dry humour and inspiration in equal measure and one that was similarly meticulously researched, as Mendelsohn goes to great pains to emulate the monarch’s noted lisp. Lily James and Kristin Scott Thomas both excel as Layton and Clementine Churchill, respectively, displaying convincing pluck and courage under fire of their own all while drawing out the Prime Minister’s softer, more intimate qualities. Stephen Dillane and Ronald Pickup end up being rather overshadowed by comparison, but that hardly dampens the earnest nature of their own performances. It is a true ensemble cast, with years of collective experience behind them, and they play their roles with almost immaculate care and perfection.

Churchill, as a subject, is admittedly rather old hat, and he has been covered so many times before that one could be forgiven for feeling reluctance towards seeing Joe Wright’s take on the subject, the latest in a long line of cinematic odes to the man’s enduring spirit and unyielding perseverance. Oldman’s flair and love for the role, combined with technical finesse, a solid script and a comfortable running time almost entirely bereft of dull moments, make this stand tall above its predecessors. This film covers a harrowing time, a time where tyranny, bloodshed and oppression lay at our doorstep, and for a few perilous months, we never looked closer to defeat. This is, indeed, a tale about our darkest hour – but in its superb depiction of the man who brought Britain back from the brink, those involved, and indeed those who see it, should look back upon it and say, without hesitation, that this was their finest hour.

[thepermanentrainpress]

BUMBERSHOOT: DAY 3 RECAP

I began Day 3, the final one of the feat, with soulful act Bibi Bourelly. She's only 23, but has the talent and stage presence of someone much more seasoned and older. Originally from Germany and the daughter of popular Haitian-American jazz guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly, her career has included writing popular songs for other artists in addition to her own tunes. Her own style is a sort of unique R&B style—not quite rock, not quite rap, but all soul and groove. As she explained on stage, she co-wrote “Higher” and “Bitch Better Have My Money,” both performed by Rihanna, at only 19! She played the main stage early in the day and for only half an hour, but nevertheless there was a huge crowd turnout. Her soulful, smooth set was sucking us all in, and she definitely could've played a longer set and/or later in the day. I had never heard of Bibi before, but I suspect I'll be hearing a lot more about her in the future. She was absolutely a highlight of the day and of Bumbershoot, and contributed to the diversity of the artists there (a trend repeated throughout the day).

I next caught The New Respects, an up-and-coming all-African-American group (who are also siblings and cousins to each other) with their own unique musical style. It's a blend of rock, soul, and even some pop. They packed a ton of upbeat fun into their performance and were continuously attracting more of a crowd as their set went on. Towards the end they did a cover of “Come Together” – something the entire crowd grooved/danced/sang along to. I'd love to see this group play a longer set and/or perhaps headline a venue, and I hope they tour soon and return to Bumbershoot next year!

Bumbershoot has a lot of art to offer outside of the music, including laser light shows at the Science Center on the grounds and many visual exhibitions. I was able to visit a painting and photography exhibit displaying some great local art, and I'm glad this Seattle festival focuses on the local aspect and gives a platform to underappreciated artists. Across the grounds were giant inflated bunnies, marching bands, street buskers, and coolest of all, projections onto a large water fountain. This meant a silhouette of Odesza playing could be seen with water as a screen, making a trippy illusion.

I caught Swedish singer Léon mid-afternoon. While she's only toured North America once, she's becoming a rising star and her stage area was almost filled up with people. She looked absolutely dazzling in a red dress, her smooth elegance and brown hair giving me reminders of the Lorde show from the night before. She told us she had heard Seattle is one of the rainiest cities in America and was shocked by the beautiful weather all weekend, then removed her boots on stage. Her stage presence doesn't involve a ton of dancing, but the moves she did do were just as graceful as the rest of her.

Her voice and music is very soulful, calming, and relaxing. At one point she covered the Arctic Monkeys’ “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” as a more stripped-down version, and absolutely killed it. I think I prefer her version to the original.

Playing on the main stage was alternative rock group X-Ambassadors, opening with the hard rock anthem “Jungle.” These guys are really intense live, the lead singer’s vocals really carrying the live show. He can hit a wide vocal range of really high or really low, and this backed up with a loud and pulsing guitar led to an impressive live show. All members of the band are particularly passionate and immersive in their performance on stage – particularly the keyboardist, who is blind.

We got a unique surprise when they performed a brand new song that had never been played before, studio or live. Just before their biggest hit and final song “Renegades” (which was great fun to sing along to with thousands of others), frontman Sam Harris gave a heated and important speech on diversity. The song’s lyrics celebrate differences, and Sam emphasized our differences are what make the audience important and special. Even more importantly, he furiously condemned “homophobia, racism, sexism, and bigotry” and made it clear the band would always fight those concepts. They weren't the only group to give this sort of speech that weekend. In an extremely divisive and terrifying time for America with the political situation, I think it's really important and inspirational for music fans to feel safe and protected by artists at festivals. Particularly if you're a minority, it's easy to feel scared and uneasy in large gatherings, and I am proud of Bumbershoot and the acts for committing to respect and safety at this festival. I saw signs in Key Arena emphasizing all types of people were welcome, and this sort of thing can make a big difference. As a white male I don't know the struggles or fears many feel more than ever. For many attendees, the words that Sam and others said have a major impact. This reassurance isn't just words: it is commitment to respecting others and keeping them safe from oppression. Concerts in particular should be safe spaces where everyone is happy, and I am impressed with Bumbershoot’s policies and respect in that regard.

I have seen hundreds of concerts in many genres in my lifetime, and Solange was in my top 10 ever. While she is the less famous of the Knowles sisters, the talent in that family clearly extended to both. Notably, the Bumbershoot app’s artist biography for her was the longest one by far and written by Solange. It was a long, personal story of her roots and feelings of her career – reading it gave me the impression this was to be one powerful set indeed, and she absolutely slayed.

Not only does Solange perform with a full backing band and backup dancers, but some of her musicians WERE the dancers. I was floored by how smoothly someone could perform choreography while holding a trumpet or guitar. Solange has been performing and directing choreography since the days of Destiny’s Child almost 15 years ago, and as she told the audience, she designed all of the stage choreo herself! Naturally, she is a fantastic dancer, and I was impressed by how much she was able to synchronize her band and set with some truly elaborate arrangements. It wasn't just Solange that brought an amazing stage show, but her ensemble really brought another dimension and layer of talent. The stage was a single, vibrant red for most of the set, and the simple design contributed to where the attention should be – on the musicians performing.

Of course, Solange is still the main star, and every single song on her set was basically flawless. All eyes in the fully-packed stadium were on her as night fell for a full hour. She is captivating, soulful, and knows how to fully perform in a style I've rarely seen before. She told the crowd how she used to live in a Seattle neighbourhood and thus the city was very special to her. She even came down to the front and sang to many audience members while dancing groovily with them—something I'm sure was worth the wait to be in the front. She might be compared to her sister a lot, but Solange proved that night she is her own person with a different, but just as memorable performance style.

Rock trio and sisters HAIM were supposed to play towards the end of the night, but unfortunately had to cancel due to illness. I was curious if they would be replaced last minute, but the festival simply extended later acts sets’ instead. I finished the night (and Bumbershoot) by catching local electronic duo Odesza’s full 90-minute set. As standard for EDM shows, there was a light show—and it was absolutely spectacular. Pulsing vocals, lasers and graphics of all sorts rocked a crowd of thousands as heavy bass vibrated through excited festival goers on the final night. I’ve never seen graphics as diverse or bright as I have at that set. While I wish the final headliner wasn’t another electronic act (since Flume was on the Friday), these locals were certainly one of the most popular and exciting performances. As a real treat, they brought out rising soul star Leon Bridges for one song close to the very end. Leon is not from Seattle nor did he perform at the festival prior, so to see him was a truly lovely surprise indeed. As the crowd dispersed, another Bumbershoot finished—and it was another success.

Written by: Cazzy Lewchuk Bibou Bourelly photographed by: Timothy Nguyen

[identity-matters]

Edinburgh Fringe: My Reviews

I've just come back from The Fringe and these are my thoughts. You can scroll down to see play-by-play reviews but I have a short pre-amble first. Theatre has been a passion of mine for quite a long time so I'm surprised it's taken this long to get up to Edinburgh. On the basis that I didn't know when I'd next be up I took full advantage of my trip and saw as much stuff as I could; and as varied stuff as I could. I like taking risks with theatre because in my experience, for every 3 shit things you see, you see 1 thing that stays with you for a very long time. I've rated what I saw below but it comes with two very strong provisos: 1. These are personal opinions shaped by, among other things: my life; my hopes and expectations of theatre; how I felt during the show and the particular performance I saw. A high grade means I enjoyed it and is no guarantee you will do the same. 2. Everybody who came up to Edinburgh to put a show on is amazing for contributing to the cultural hotpot. A poorer review does not reflect on my views on the people behind it. They are all genuinely great artists for throwing so much into the melting pot. I've given 'A' to three shows, all very different. This is as close as I'll get to giving you my 'pick of the fringe'. * Michelle McManus: The Musical. A great crowd pleaser for lovers of cheese and musicals. * The Last Resort. A dark semi-immersive examination of Guantanamo Bay. * John Robertson (Dominant). Do not go if you are at all prudish or shy, but if you are not this is a anarchic comedy tour de force. With that, on to the reviews: (Monday August 7th) The Dark Room: B+ Comedy based on getting audience members to play an impossible 80s retro text-based game. It had built a cult following - which did not improve the show for first time viewers. The formulaic game portion was surely innovative and hilarious at one point, but now felt like an inside joke with the repeat audience chanting along from the start. That said, the new material and the improvised audience interaction was great and kept it fast-paced and snappy. 5 Guys Chillin': B- A drama exploring the gay 'chill'/sex party scene using verbatim quotes from interviews. This felt like it wanted to be eye-opening and expose a subculture. The problem is that it was exposing a subculture I'm well aware of. I knew the people they speak about and their words. It was certainly interesting and well-acted, but (for me), it slightly outstayed its welcome. This is not culturally significant: D A naked one-man character-driven show that seemed to build itself on the brief 'emotional whiplash: the sketch show.' It seemed to be well-received by many in the audience so it's possible I missed something. The problem for me was that the humour never hit hard enough and the vulnerability felt quite contrived. The actor and especially the technical team were excellent, but the content felt like it was at 60% of what it needed to be to make an impact. (Tuesday August 8th) Briony Redman: B A traditional 'Harold' comedy sketch show exploring screenwriting and modern genres. It was an gentle show, never offensive, often giggly. However, it lacked the bite to be hysterical. None the less, it was sweet and fast-paced and always had something interesting to say. The Canon: B A comedy sketch show based around the literary canon. There is nothing groundbreaking or truly original about this show, but it does present a lot of interesting scenarios and garners a steady stream of laughs. Bonus points for Taylor Swift/Shakespeare mash-up. Shame: B+ A drama about female sexuality told half through vlog and half through live action theatre. This was a really interesting medium that added to the story, made up of likeable but distinctly human characters. The ending packed an emotional punch but the moments leading up to it were slightly too expositionary and fell a bit tepid. Michelle McManus: The Musical: A Actual Michelle McManus from actual Pop Idol puts on a Glaswegian Hyacinth Bucket character for her fictional comedy musical revue. This is a riot from start to end. The songs (ballads from broadway) add to the show and are delivered powerfully and comically. The numbers are linked by an extremely funny and well-delivered performance that surprised a lot of the audience. Evocation: E A retelling of Giraud poems through the medium of gothic puppetry and drone music. This mark may be very harsh, and reflects more my inability to interpret what the hell went on than any mistakes the production team made. It looked gorgeous and chilled me out. It turns out watching theatre has a hard mode and this is it. Reformed Whores: B Musical comedy duo, satirising country and western through sex-positive messages. I like country music and the songs here were definitely catchy. There was a danger they relied a little too strongly on shock humour at times. The biggest problem here was the venue. These are performers that need interaction and raucousness. You're never going to get that in a sterile, small conference room. (Wednesday August 9th) Heroes: B+ A drama from an Icelandic company about how demonising enemies of war impacts young communities. This was well-acted, and the young cast clearly had a great time putting it on. There were definitely scenes in this that had strong impacts on the audience, and this made it well worth watching. However, the characters and fictional backdrop of the play were so one-dimensional and far-removed from reality. I feel like this eroded the social commentary they wanted the play to take on. The Last Resort: A A dark and invasive play, in which you play residents of the recently converted Guantanamo Bay holiday resort. This is excellent and a key example of why it's worth taking risks with theatre. The semi-immersive approach is a great way to make you laugh and relax before the show takes a dark and eye-opening turn. You will feel uncomfortable and you will love it. Oxford Imps: C A standard improv troupe from Oxford Uni. I saw them a lot whilst I was there and enjoyed them, so I went in with high hopes. Despite a few great moments, this was generally a disappointment. Enough of the troupe felt like they were trying to get their own ideas heard at all costs. This made the scenes feel messy and loose because they didn't agree on a reality. Monster: B+ A one man show about toxic masculinity as it relates to domestic abuse. An excellent character actor explains how tapping into unsavoury characters to method act leaks into his every day life. The blurring of all the characters builds into a heavy momentum. There's no payoff here - though I wonder if possibly that's the point. It's an interesting piece of theatre with a great actor but one that feels a little unsatisfying at the end Paul Sinha (Shout out to my ex): B Chaser/Comedian/Former GP performs a stand-up set about the annus horribilis since his partner left him. Stand-up comedy has a different job from a lot of the other work I've seen. First and foremost it's about making you laugh: and the show did that. The audience was in a good mood and the personal anecdotal style kept the laughs rolling. It may not have made me cry, or think, or challenge my beliefs but that's likely beyond its brief. John Robertson (Dominant): A This was billed as stand-up, by a crude and acerbic Australian (host of The Dark Room). In reality, none of it was scripted and instead we got a loose collection of thoughts inspired by the audience and his S&M past. It was a small audience (15ish people) and so all bets were off. Anarchy reigned and all audience members were involved. It was shocking, anarchic and unsubtle but constantly hysterical. He is a master of his work. We're All Going to Die: C+ An ensemble comedy about a group of scientists dying one-by-one on a remote research station. This had a young cast, and I assume this was scripted by them as well. The script was trite and lacked direction or purpose. The constant quipping removed anything but facile humour from what we watched. The characters were all one-directional. That said, it was enjoyable enough. There were some fun one-liners and set ups. It was a perfectly pleasant way to pass an hour. Thief: B+ A dramatic monologue by a queer sailor who puts a brave and defiant face on being forced into sex work. The acting deserves considerable credit here for bringing this complex character to life. In lesser hands this would surely fail, but it was a captivating if invasive performance. The show never knows what it wants to do with the character, though, making his backstory almost comically dark. There is an attempt at moralising at the end that feels a little too neat and tidy. At the end, I left feeling impressed at what I watched, but wondering why I watched it. (Thursday August 10th) Salome: D A one-man production of the Oscar Wilde epic. In typical Wilde fashion the dialogue is clever and knowing and that pulls you through this otherwise ropey production. Production values are low; characters are barely distinguished (Salome speaks falsetto and wears a scarf) and audiences are left questioning whether Salome really needed a one-man production. Kafka & Son: B A dramatic monologue adapted from a letter Kafka wrote to his father explaining his fear. The aesthetics of the play were beautiful and the team clearly had a great deal of respect for Kafka. It was an interesting and relevant biography: I feel like I'll see Kafka's works very differently now. The issue was the content of the show was dry, and at multiple times I found myself looking at my watch. The Odyssey: B+ A highly energetic physical performer reads the story of the Odyssey with pep, gusto and silly noises. The energy and tightness over the whole 70 minute show was impressive and brought a lot of life to the performance. The problem was, I felt like nothing was added to above the story. It brought back feelings of sitting cross legged on the floor in primary school being read classics. It was certainly charismatic and enjoyable but unmemorable. Noose Women: C- A comedy-drama about a TV production company who are convinced by a charismatic cult leader to host a reality show where the prize is death. It was perfectly watchable but a deeply flawed production. The story was paper thin and all drama was resolved within seconds. The central conceit took a back foot to meandering subplots that went nowhere. None of the characters were likeable or consistent; and unfortunately the humour did not make up for it. You could do much better than this at The Fringe.