#homegrown music festival

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

News/Announcements: Elsewhere Festival Announces Music and Conference Programming

News/Announcements: Elsewhere Festival Announces Music and Conference Programming @marauder @midtopia @VisitWichita @DowntownWichita @Greater_Wichita

Photo Credit: Catherine Horath With summer just around the corner, y’all know what that means. More festival announcements. Let’s get to it. Created and produced by Midtopia, a Wichita, KS-based nonprofit artist and music-worker collective striving to build new models for the music industry, Elsewhere Festival and Conference is a not-for-profit event created to facilitate the building of…

[honey-crypt]

could i possibly get a fic about sebastian helping adhd!farmer through their rejection dysphoria? i leave the rest up to you, go wild <3

- 🪩

★ like the stream - sebastian x adhd!farmer ★

word count: 1.5k

warnings: rejection sensitivity dysphoria episode

summary: it's the day of the flower dance! you're prepared to ask your friend sam to be your dance partner when you're met face to face with a kind but otherwise hard rejection from the other party. Unable to cope with the rejection because of your RSD, you find yourself spiraling when another friend of yours, Sebastian, finds you alone and distressed in the depths of Cindersap Forest.

a/n: hi hi request #2 for my write-a-thon! hope this is an okay fic, i made sure to do some research on rsd and adhd (beyond my personal knowledge of it) for this fic :D

Today had to be perfect. 

That was what you repeated to yourself, as you made your way towards Cindersap Forest for the Flower Dance. You double, even triple, checked that you had everything ready for today. It may have taken two or ten sticky note reminders, but you knew that everything was in the right place. Your outfit? Check. Your flowers? Check. Your confidence to ask Sam to be your dance partner? Check!

As you got closer and closer, the sound of upbeat classical music grew louder and louder. They should really install a better alternative to this, I don’t know George crosses this, you thought to yourself while crossing the bridge over to the festival. An open green space greeted you with the residents of Pelican Town scattered about. You exchanged pleasantries with your fellow townies, making a beeline to your friend group by a secluded corner of the festival. 

“Hey (Y/N)!” Abigail gave you a small, half salute, “Didn’t think you were going to make it.”

“I lost track of time,” you confessed, “Nonetheless, I made it!”

Your two other friends, Sam and Sebastian, paused their side conversation at mention of your arrival. Sam offered you a dazzling smile that made your heart flutter, “(Y/N)! Good to see you!” and, much to your disappointment, he gave you a friendly side hug. You forced a smile in return and responded, “Yeah, for sure. I’m just glad I made it before the dance started.”

“Would’ve sucked ass if you missed it,” mused Abigail. Sebastian didn’t respond, staring silently at you. A frown graced your lips, What’s his deal? you questioned. Your chest, however, had a different reaction, tightening up at the sight of Sebastian’s deadpan. He’s probably just having a bad day, you reassured yourself, He’s not mad at you. He’s not mad at you. 

“I’m gonna grab some of Gus’s drinks,” you perked up at Sam’s voice, “You guys got a preference for what?”

“Ooo, get me the Tulip Jubilee,” requested Abigail.

“The Blue Jazz Drop for me,” you eyed Sebastian when he spoke up. Sam looked at you expectantly, “How about you, (Y/N)?”

“Oh, uhhhhh…” you mentally thumbed through your options, “No preference, just grab me something you think I’ll like,” you adjusted your collar with your free hand, “I trust your judgement.”

“Will do!” Sam responded with a double thumbs up before leaving for the food and drinks table. You let out a deep sigh and fiddled with the flower in your hand, a small but homegrown tulip. Abigail quirked an eyebrow up at you, “Something on your mind?”

“Oh! Well,” you cleared your throat, “Just thinking about the dance.”

“Fingers crossed that you don’t have to dance with Clint like last year,” snorted the purple-haired goth. You grimaced at the memory and scanned the crowd for the aforementioned blacksmith, seeing him talk poor Emily’s ear off, “Anyone but him,” you grumbled.

“Which reminds me,” your friend directed her attention to Sebastian, “Dance partners this year?” to which the black-haired boy nodded quietly. You stared at him with narrowed eyes, Why are you so quiet today?

“Back with the drinks!” your blonde friend announced to the group, two drinks in hand and two held tight against his chest. Sam passed out the drinks and informed you, “I got you the Sunflower Tonic.”

You pressed your lips against the cup and took a sip, the sweetness of the drink evident, “This is good,” you let your friends know.

“Ew, mine’s too sour,” sighed Abigail, her lips puckered. She held her drink towards the group, “Any takers?”

“I’ll try it,” answered Sam. He grabbed the drink and sipped it, his face grimacing, “Yikes. Too sour,” before handing it in front of you, “Want a taste?”

You felt flushed at the idea of sipping the drink after Sam and seized the opportunity, accidentally taking a big swing of it. Immediately, you gagged at the taste, “Ugh! My tongue!” and spat out what little liquid was left in your mouth. Sebastian finally took the drink and drank it without any sign of sourness on his face, “Yeah, this is bad,” he stated, “I’ll stick with my drink,” the emo resumed his Blue Jazz Drop. 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Mayor Lewis’s voice echoed awkwardly through his microphone, “The Flower Dance will begin shortly! Last chance to find yourself a partner!”

You heard the man, this is your last chance! you grasped your flower and waited until Abigail and Sebastian went ahead to pull Sam aside, “Hey Sam, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” Yoba, his sunshine demeanor was too much. 

“Would you like to be my partner for the dance?” you held up the tulip. Sam’s sunshine self dimmed into a clouded version, “Oh, (Y/N), but Penny asked me to dance while I was getting the drinks. I’m really sorry.”

The sound of your world cracking rang through your ears, as you stood motionless in front of Sam, “Oh! I, uh…” tears pricked at your eyes, “I gotta go.”

Your surroundings began to blur and any outside noise turned into static, as you made your escape from the Flower Dance and deeper into Cindersap Forest. The bum bum of your heart and the swoosh of your blood pounded against your head. 

I hate him.

He hates me.

No, he just made a promise!

No, he thinks you’re the worst!

It was like being trapped on a carousel, your thoughts and emotions spinning around and around. Soon, you found yourself by a small stream, laying on the ground by it with sprawled out limbs. Tears rushed down your face and you heaved dryly, as your brain failed to comprehend Sam’s words and intent.

Oh, (Y/N), but Penny asked me to dance while I was getting the drinks. I’m really sorry.

You sat up, nearly flinging yourself forward towards the stream, and started to bite at your nails, “He hates me. He hates me. I hate myself. I hate myself. I-”

“(Y/N)?” 

You jerked your head to the left, Sebastian standing a few feet away from you. As he approached you, you hastily wiped your face with your sleeve, tears and snot staining the fabric, “Leave me alone,” you sniffled.

“(Y/N), what’s wrong?” he asked you, sitting down beside you with his knees to his chest. The tears resumed and coated your cheeks in the salty liquid, “I hate myself, okay?! I fucking hate myself, Sebastian!”

Sebastian tilted his head in confusion, “Why do you hate yourself?”

“Because I’m obviously such an awful person that Sam doesn’t want anything to do with me!” you cried out. Your friend frowned deeply, “(Y/N), you know that Sam usually dances with Penny at the Flower Dance.”

That made your blood steam, “I wanted it to be DIFFERENT, Sebastian! I wanted him to dance with me!” you heaved at Sebastian. He fell silent and fished out something from his suit pocket, a red tangle fidget. Your friend let it out to you and you snatched it without hesitation, fidgeting with it while you sobbed. You tried to get back to reality, but with each passing moment, the idea of returning to the present grew farther and farther away. Everything was hurting, your mind and your body, everything was hurting so much.

“I’m sorry that you’re hurting,” whispered Sebastian. You looked at him with watery eyes, “I can’t control this,” you admitted. He nodded quietly and held out a hand, to which you grasped and squeezed. Sebastian continued, “I know that these kinda things are a lot for you. I know that your mind is telling you a lot of awful stuff right now because of what Sam said, huh?”

“Yeah…” you squeezed his hand again. Sebastian added on, “I didn’t mean to watch, but I accidentally saw the whole situation go down. Sam looked upset when you ran away.”

“Well, he can shove,” you grumbled. Sebastian snorted and retorted, “He’s the one who wanted to check on you, but I told him that you seeing him while you’re in a RSD episode wouldn’t be that helpful.”

You moved closer to Sebastian and laid your head against his shoulders, “I hate my brain.”

“I get it, you’re not alone,” hummed the emo, “Isn’t this stream pretty, though?” he redirected your focus on the stream, the gentle rush of water humming against the swaying trees, “Maybe, just for a second, we can be like the stream.”

You closed your eyes and focused on the sound of the stream, envisioning yourself as one with the water. A sense of peace washed over you and you exhaled, still picturing yourself as the stream. It felt like an hour or so went by before you opened your eyes again, “I’m the stream,” you stated to Sebastian. 

“You’re the stream,” he repeated back, holding you close, “You’re the stream," your heartbeat and breathing returned to normal.

"I'm the stream."

[ladyveronikawrites]

AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME

Lady Midnight's Kinktober in the Concrete Jungle 2024

Pairing: Nicholas Ruffilo x Jolly Karlsson x OC x Noah Sebastian

Cw- masked men, roleplaying, sensory deprivation: blindfolds, scarf as bondage, unprotected vaginal sex, mean ex boyfriend, double penetration, oral sex (male and female receiving), mild thigh slapping, spitting, vaginal fingering,  jerking off, facial, cum eating,  revenge kink if you squint, getting caught, voyeurism, THICK DICK NICK, one hot foursome, If I missed anything please let me know!

AN: a little self-indulgent fic, Star Wars characters ahead - Nick as Kylo Ren makes me feral lol - pärla means 'gem' in Swedish

AO3 || Wattpad || Word Count: 3k || masterlist || Taglist sign up

dividers by saradika-graphics

Ruby swipes on her signature red lip as she looks over her outfit in the full-length mirror by the front door. She adjusts her boring brown Jedi robes Nathan insisted she wear to juxtapose his Darth Maul. She scoffs to herself knowing damn well he has no idea who Darth Maul is and probably found the costume at Spirit Halloween. Reluctantly she sighs, the distant dream of her Sabine Wren cosplay lying buried under clothes in her closet never to see the light of day.

Her phone chimes, ripping her from her brief moment of sadness. 

She frantically types ‘OMW’ as she slides into the Uber.

Nathan <Ru, I have been waiting for over an hour.>

She can hear Nathan’s anger through the screen, silently sending a prayer for the driver to go faster. Ruby and Nathan were high school sweethearts that turned into an on-and-off-and-on-again situationship while they were away in college, but when Ruby dropped out of college to pursue music full-time as an indie artist - things went sour really fast. He never understood her passion for music, too self-absorbed in his reputation at the Ivy League university he got into thanks to his wealthy parents. 

Her fingers freeze over the screen as her heart shatters into a thousand pieces. 

Nathan <You know what, since it seems like you don’t care about MY time, we are done. For real this time. Don’t even bother coming.>

Tears stream down her face as she powers down her phone and shoves it into her purse. He can go fuck himself, Ruby thinks to herself - and she gets an even better idea. 

“S-sorry but can you take me downtown instead?” she asks, her voice wavering slightly as the realization sinks in. She takes a deep breath, drying her tear-stained cheeks as the driver pulls up to Nathan’s most hated bar- which happens to be her favorite, Third Base. 

The bar is bustling as she walks in. It’s been updated since she had been there, all those months ago when Nathan was doing a semester abroad in Rome. Ruby instantly fell in love with the quaint charm of the dive bar. It didn’t help that the bar owner was ruggedly handsome, the kind of personality that was homegrown from a small town. She ached for the slow stroll of home instead of the hustle and bustle of city life. Festive Halloween touches add to the ambiance and that’s when she realizes other patrons are also adorned in costume.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” his familiar twang wraps around her like a warm blanket. She should probably be sobbing into her wine glass in a rose-scented bubble bath in the comfort of her home instead she replies with “Whiskey neat, double.” She notices he’s the only one not dressed up, even his bartender is sporting a risque outfit. 

Ruby is about to mention the lack of costume when he asks “That kinda night?” Ruby downs the drink without a word, slides off the metal bar stool, and makes her way to the old jukebox in the corner of the bar. She scrolls through the CDs not really impressed with the selection. 

“Not finding what you’re looking for?” A distorted voice has Ruby turning. She opens her mouth to grumble about the lackluster music selection, but her brain turns to static. She’s met face-to-face with Kylo Ren. 

“I-” 

“Here, you might like this.” Another man dressed up as a Mandalorian pushes between them. Ruby stands in awe as the two men fight over a CD. Her awe turns into appreciation as she notices the small details in the homemade costume. Whoever’s in the suit spent hours making it.

“Can I buy you another drink?”  A deep voice comes from the bar.

She turns and freezes. “N-nathan? How’d yo-” She is silenced by a red-painted finger as the man towers over her. Realization strikes her that this man is too tall to be Nathan. 

“Nathan isn’t here Jedi.” Boldly, the stranger spits in her face - playing into the villainous role - yet Ruby can’t help but be even more aroused. 

Ruby finds herself being shoved into the back seat of an SUV. Not in a kidnappy way but in a rushed I-want-to-devour-you-way. The look Darth Maul is giving her has her pussy throbbing. She slides her way in as Kylo and Mando hop in the front. Warm lips pressed against her and; at this moment, she couldn't care less if she was covered in red and black body paint by the end of this. She pulls him in closer as his gloved hand teases the waistband of her leggings. Her head thuds against the window when he slips his fingers inside her as his tongue explores her mouth. Suddenly, his long finger slams into the sweet spot and she bites down on his bottom lip, hard. 

He groans, “You gonna surrender, Jedi?” 

“Fuck, don’t stop,” she whines as he finger fucks her all the way to her apartment. By the time they get to her apartment, his gloves are drenched and the back seat is damp where she was sitting, but Ruby could give a single fuck as in the span of 30 minutes she had already had more satisfying orgasms than Nathan could ever give her. Maybe it’s the adrenaline or the thrill? Probably both. If one of them can satisfy her alone with his fingers imagine all three of them.

“You wanna do this Jedi?” Kylo Ren asks once in Ruby’s apartment.

“It’s not every night you get three masked men in your apartment,” she smirks her hands roaming over his black robes. 

“You’ll have to wear this,” the foreign Mandalorian slides a blindfold over her eyes. 

“That’s fine,” her breath catches as her hands drift up to grip Ren’s mask. “Can I take this off?” 

Abruptly, she finds herself pressed against a solid chest behind her and warm lips devour her own. She tangles her fingers into long hair and he groans when she yanks. 

“I was not expecting long hair, but it’s so soft.” Ruby twirls a strand around her finger. Her hand cups his cheek and pulls him into another kiss.

“Ren’s not the only one here Jedi.” Her heartbeat skyrockets at the memory of Darth Maul in the backseat of the car. The way he towered over her, his eyes dark with lust, and his voice made her pussy flutter.

 The mattress groans with the added weight and Ruby’s mind begins to spiral. She yelps with teeth and stubble brush against the skin on her inner thigh. Fuck, Mando has facial hair that's fucking hot. Ruby giggles as he inches closer to her core and at the same time remembers how Nathan can only grow a pathetic and patchy beard. She squirms, aching for roughness against her pussy..

“Oh you’re a feisty one,” Maul whispers in her ear as he settles down beside her. Suddenly, her hands are bound loosely with something smooth and soft. Her brain rationalizes one of her summer scarves that hangs from the hooks over the door. A part of her hopes it’s her favorite one, the black one with skulls. 

“Our red hot Ruby.” he nips at her ear and at the same time one of them pinches her nipple. Ruby yelps at the sudden pain, endorphins surging through her body. “You like a little pain with your pleasure, hm?” 

Smack

A large hand makes contact with her inner thigh. “Fuck! Yes,” Ruby yelps. “Yes, I like pain ‘n pleasure!”

Lips brush against her cheek. “Our little pain slut.”

“Our little pain slut,” Mando mumbles against her throbbing clit as he sinks two thick fingers inside her. 

“Fuck,” she groans as her pussy walls stretch from the invasion. 

“God Ruby… have you ever- “ he trails off, lost in thought. He sucks her clit between his lips and thrusts his fingers into the spongy sweet spot. Ruby writhes as the coil winds tighter in her core. Large hands clamp down on her shoulders to keep her steady as her body starts to tremble. In a silent scream, the dam breaks, and euphoria floods through her body as she releases herself onto Mando’s face. She writhes oversensitive and overwhelmed as he laps up everything she gives him. 

“Little, pärla” Mando pants, “You are divine.” 

Ruby finds herself being pulled gently to sit upright. “Here’s some water,” Ren says softly, handing her a glass of water.

“Thank you.” Her cheeks warm to the kind gesture. “Nathan never took care of me like this.” Her lips press into a thin line and her shoulders slump forward as her mind flashes each disappointing experience. 

A warm hand settles on the small of her back, gently rubbing up and down. “Ain’t nothin’ but a good time, hm?” Mando whispers seductively, his breath is hot against the shell of her ear.  

Ruby briefly wonders if that would have been the track he chose at the bar. Her heart flutters at the parallels and she enthusiastically adds, “Hell yeah!” 

She squeals at first when hands grip her hips and hoist her onto his lap. His hard cock

“You ready for a good time, sweetheart?” Ren asks before pulling her into a heated kiss. His free hand roams over her tits as another set of hands rubs up and down her thighs. Sandwiched between the two men her heart races with anticipation. 

“Got any lube, darling?” Mando asks as Ren pulls her up onto her knees. 

“In… the… drawer…”  she replies between kisses. Her heart leaps into her throat when a cold and wet finger circles the tense muscle of her asshole.

“Can Mando fill you up back there while Ren plays with your pretty pussy?” Maul’s baritone makes her spine tingle. Mando’s finger stills at her back entrance and Ren nips at her other ear. 

“Can I watch?” Maul asks, pulling the blindfold off and Ruby’s eyes widen, taking in the sight before her. Ren’s stormy blue-gray eyes captivate her first, then his soft smile and tint of pink on his cheeks. She can’t resist carding her hand through his hair, so smooth. He leans into her touch, entranced by the gentleness. The world around them darkness slightly and she briefly forgets about the other two. She could stay here, locked in his gentle gaze but her eyes begin to wonder. Her other hand traces the tattoos on his shoulder to his wrist where in the corner of her vision she spies his large thick cock. 

Suddenly, a gloved hand grips her wrist and twists her sideways. His fingers entwine with hers as the other grips her chin. “Don’t forget about us, Jedi.” His deep brown eyes are piercing and she notices that his face is the only exposed skin free of paint. His abdominal muscles flex as her gaze lowers, she huffs disappointed that he is clothed from the waist down.

Her eyes widen at the sound of a deep moan. Maul tilts her head back so she can see the man behind her. His grasp loosens completely and she twists her body more to see Mando better. 

“Hello, pärla,” he moans her nickname, his eyelids flutter closed as he strokes himself. 

“Looks like Mando’s ready. Are you?” Maul asks. 

Ruby remains fixed on watching Mando touch himself. She mutters a breathless, “Yeah.” 

“Come back to your supreme leader.” A tinge of pain pricks at Ruby’s scalp when Ren fists her hair and tugs. She moans as the pain melts into pleasure. 

“Finally showing me your dark side, Ren,” Ruby smirks. “I like it.” 

“Good.” Ren crowds into Ruby’s space, thrusting his hand around her throat. He squeezes slightly then releases pressure completely. “Lean back.”

Ruby adjusts her stance to straddle Mando’s hips. Together, Mando and Ren guide her to lower herself onto him. Maul groans beside them.  The stretch takes her breath away, if only for a moment as the hand tightens around her neck and lips crash onto hers. Ruby succumbs to the sensations letting Mando set the pace while she battles for breath with the fallen Jedi. Ren shoves her back against Mando’s chest by the throat. She sucks in the air when he releases his hand, chest heaving with every inhalation. 

“My turn,” Ren growls, nipping at her earlobe. He squeezes the soft tissue of her breasts as his mouth trails kisses down her torso. Grinning he spreads her legs apart wider and his lips gently kiss her tummy before descending through her silken folds. Mando thrusts into her as Ren teases her other hole with his tongue and then sucks at her clit. She’s teetering on the edge of bliss when it is abruptly ripped away.

“No cumming yet darling.” Mando stills inside her just as Ren flattens his tongue licking one final time before pulling away. 

“Do you want a taste?” Ren asks, his lips ghosting over hers. Her mouth drops open to respond but without warning, fingers slide their way in. Disappointment sours her stomach when Ren leans over and kisses Mando. Greedily, she flicks her tongue around Ren’s fingers in hopes of vying for his attention. 

“Is our Ruby a little jealous she is getting attention?” Maul laughs. In the heat of the moment, Ruby had forgotten all about him. “No… you aren’t jealous, but your needy little cunt is.” Desperation flashes through her as she bites down on Ren’s fingers. Ren huffs a laugh against Mando’s lips, 

“I heard that cunt is still needy, hm?” Ren tilts his head, his gaze scanning over her body. A small whine leaks out of her mouth. He slides his fingers out of her mouth and onto her throat. His lips curl into a devilish smirk, “You want more?” 

“Yes, yes, yes, please!” Ruby’s lashes flutter when Ren sinks into her dripping pussy. 

“So tight-” Ren groans.

“Dude, I can feel you,” Mando gasps when Ren bottoms out.

“This is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Maul muses.

Ren holds her steady as Mando slowly thrusts in and out of her. 

“Feeling good?” Maul whispers lowly in her ear.

“S-so good, so full.. he's so big” Her words melt into nothingness when Ren flexes inside her.

“Fuck fuck fuck, I’m gonna come… don’t-” Ruby whines as Mando and Ren alternate thrusting into her ass and cunt.

“Ru, you home? I saw your car out front.” Her ex’s voice booms through the apartment, his words slur together in one long word. But she can’t be bothered as pressure builds in her core. 

“Shhh,” Mando shushes her with a hand to her mouth

“Maybe,” Maul leans over and whispers turning Ruby slightly towards him. Grinning he offers his eager cock to her and she eagerly nods. Ren smacks Maul in the arms when he moans as Ruby takes him into her mouth. 

The bedroom door swings open and Maul’s cock throbs between her lips. Ren and Mando are too far gone to care when -

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

Ruby sighs against Maul’s softening cock slipping it from her mouth while she is still being pounded between two beautiful men. It takes all of her strength not to come when she leans around Ren to stare Nathan dead in the eyes. 

“Fuck! You!” she groans as she comes, flipping Nathan one and then sucking on each of her middle fingers. Her eyes roll back as she catches a glimpse of him stalking out the door. When the door slams shut she sinks into Mando as euphoria floods her body.

“Damn, that was hot!” Maul says impressed. Ruby peers up through her lashes at Maul who’s stoking his now hard cock. 

“Yeah?” Ruby cocks an eyebrow. Without hesitation, she pulls his free hand and sucks on his middle finger. 

Maul sucks in a curse. “Damn girl, fuck.” Ruby bites down at Maul’s finger, not painfully hard, but enough when her hair is yanked back and she is pulled off. 

“Wh-”

“Open up,” Mando commands as he grips her jaw forcing her mouth open. Ruby opens her mouth wide and sticks her tongue out with anticipation. Mando lowers his hands to rest around her throat squeezing gently. Ren tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear before leaning down to suck on her nipple. She jolts when he bites down, her pussy walls clenching around his semi-hard cock. Mando slides his hand down her middle to circle her clit as Ren plays with her tits. 

“Fuckfuckfuck,” Maul curses as he splatters his cum all over Ruby’s face. Small whimpers come from her open mouth as another orgasm wrecks through her. She swallows then licks her lips and smiles up at Maul before pulling him closer to lick and suck at his softening cock. She hisses when Ren pulls off her tit with an audible pop. 

Ruby hums satisfiedly, leaning back against Mando, as Ren slides out of her. Before he can say another word, she mumbles, “Baby wipes in the bathroom down the hall.” 

She doesn’t open her eyes but sinks further into bliss as Mando rubs his hands up and down her arms. “You did so well for us Pärla,” he whispers in her ear. All she can muster is a hummed agreement. 

“Let me clean you up,” Maul offers when Ren returns. She blinks to find soft brown eyes and a dazzling smile to greet her. “Thank you,” she whispers. “All of you,” she adds when Ren takes Maul’s place in front of her to press a gentle kiss to her cheek. As Ren and Maul redress, Mando steals more kisses as he helps Ruby up to dress her. 

“Here,” Maul hands Ruby her glass of water. “You can call me Noah.” 

“Hi, Noah.” she flashes him a dazzling smile in the afterglow.

“Food?” Ren asks before adding,” The name’s Nick and he’s Jolly.” 

“No please- you guys can go, I’ll be alright.” Ruby dismisses, gesturing to the door.  

“Please?” Jolly wraps her up in his arms. “Dinner and a movie and we will leave after that.”

“We just don’t want you to be alone,” Nick adds. 

“Fine.” Ruby relents as her stomach rumbles. “Thai food and the new Deadpool movie.” 

The four of them settle on blankets and pillows in the living room with Ruby in the middle. She finds herself leaning against Jolly’s shoulder and for the first time in a long time has finally felt at peace.

👑Royal Readers👑

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[esthelle-wanders]

The Chain: Dancing Headcanons

Because this poll sparked a train of thought, and it’s such a fun concept to explore!

Fairly detailed, so more beneath the cut:

Sky was actually the hardest— but I think he’s the kind of dancer who’s good, but you don’t really notice because he’s not trying to make it beautiful. His swordsmanship is graceful, powerful, and focused, and enough carries over from that to make footwork easy for him. When he’s dancing in a group, though, it doesn’t even occur to him to apply that degree of care and attention, because he’s relaxed and just having fun. He’s game to try anything and learns steps very quickly, but his stamina has limits. Takes frequent breaks and is definitely on the sidelines for the final stretch, applauding and/or nodding off. Likely to get a little goofy when he’s with a group of friends, if somebody pulls off a silly stunt he’ll try it too. Never steps on anybody’s feet.

Time doesn’t really dance in public. We all know he can— those moves in Majora’s Mask were smooth as butter— but most of what he knows is relatively “strange,” things he learned from the Kokiri or his Goron friends or Skull Kid etc., and while he’s not shy or secretive about it, it’s not the kind of thing he wants to exhibit to a room full of strangers. He’s learned from Malon too, so he’ll dance at home or at their own festivals and gatherings, but drag him onto a random floor and he’ll play up being awkward and uncoordinated until you leave him alone.

Wind is an excellent dancer! Kinda like Sky, though, he doesn’t see it as an art form. He has an outstanding sense of rhythm and general musicality; on top of that, he picks things up almost instantly, and can improvise at the drop of a hat. Can and will dance with anyone, anywhere. However, I think he prefers the styles he’s used to from Outset and Tetra’s ship— lots of stamping, clapping, flinging one another about, and singing until it becomes a test of endurance and you collapse. The kid’s all about exuberance, pulse, and the communal aspect— he’s the one pulling people onto the floor, he likes to set the pace, and he’s usually the last one standing— but as long as the music’s good, the aesthetic of the thing is kinda irrelevant to him. (Music does matter to him, though. Screw up the rhythm and he will canonically call you out in front of everybody, RIP Legend).

Twilight doesn’t strike me as a dancer. He knows his own from Ordon, and probably a few “elite” numbers from Castle Town, but he’s only really there for the camaraderie. Gets mixed up a bit and steps on a few feet, but he’s so good-natured about it that nobody minds. Solid stamina, but he’ll drop out relatively early so he can watch and talk to people. A dedicated hype man. I think he’s also the type to get a bit wistful, lonely, and withdrawn as the night goes on, so it’s a good idea to look out for him as much as he’s looking out for everyone else.

Four’s largely an enigma, because he’s the friend at the party who sits at the table and “people watches” all night. If he’s feeling especially sentimental you could probably drag him out on the floor for one or two dances, and he’s pretty decent, but it’s just not his thing. Not that he isn’t participating— he’s collecting memories like everyone else, but he likes to observe, and trade quips with whoever’s dropped out at the moment, and think his own thoughts. You can tell he’s really paying attention, because if anybody reminisces about it later and goes “does anyone remember when —?” Four is the one who recalls exactly what happened. The decisive authority on any disputed chain of events. Rather heartwarming, and shows he really cares (but also he has so much blackmail material).

Hyrule is like the polar opposite of Sky— his footwork’s shabby and he lacks poise, but his movements are so natural and agile that he’s delightful to watch in his own careless, homegrown way. Context and setting really matter with him: he‘s self-conscious in a high-class establishment, but put him somewhere he’s comfortable and he’s the one pulling goofy stunts and teasing people. In the latter environment, he’s the type who gets swept up in the experience and starts laughing. Frequently botches the rhythm, and it takes a while for him to warm up to the locale and the crowd, but once he gets going his endurance is high and he’s there until the music stops or everyone goes home (he may or may not be an extrovert, but the boy LOVES people).

Warriors is a mixed bag— he has beautiful posture, careful footwork, and he’s exceedingly graceful, but like Hyrule, how comfortable he is depends on the setting. Unlike Hyrule, though, he’s far more confident in a formal environment, because he knows what to expect and it’s easier to keep track of people. Dance is more of a social rite for him— not one he dislikes, but not the best conductor for vulnerability or expression. This seems ironic, since he’s also very familiar with the highly informal contexts he encountered during the war— impromptu dances in the barracks or around the campfires between campaigns, along with whatever he’s picked up from moving from place to place and interacting with citizens. To him, though, this is just another facet of dance as a social tool— a way to get to know other people on their own terms and in their own way. This doesn’t mean he’s cold or detached about it; on the contrary, he genuinely values it as a way to bond with people he cares about. It does mean that he’s not very demonstrative or inventive as a dancer, and unless there’s a social reason not to, he’ll also drop out fairly early to talk to people and keep tabs on everyone. He and Twilight are sideline buddies.

Wild’s a better-then-average dancer, but he gets moody, so it really depends on the day. When he’s feeling it, he’s smooth, playful, and creative. Like Time, he knows a “strange” smorgasbord of dances (possibly more than Time knows, though arguably less odd overall), but he doesn’t mind performing them wherever he is, and he isn’t afraid to play around with strange combinations during any given set. Since bits of his knight training have stuck, I figure he’s the type who can be comfortable virtually anywhere— not because he learns the dances quickly, but because he’s probably done something similar before, even if he can’t remember. On more melancholy days, he’s circling the periphery, chatting with Twi or sitting quietly with Four. The self-designated photographer, also has lots of blackmail. The mood and atmosphere have a big impact on him— tense situations really stress him out, but if everyone’s happy, he probably is, too.

Legend is, to nobody’s surprise, the best dancer of the group. Hands down, no contest, everybody else go home. Not only does his travel experience give him the broadest collection of styles, genres, and traditions to draw from, but he possesses the complete Triforce that nobody else quite has together: poise, care, and expression. Outstanding form and balance, and confident enough to make it his own, but he’s also invested in doing it “the right way,” and rarely mixes styles. Has mastered both focus and ease— everything is deliberate, but it looks almost nonchalant. Honestly enchanting to watch. He won’t dance every number, and he spends at least half the night heckling from the sidelines, but once he’s on the floor he’s serious. So good that you won’t even notice if he gets a liiitttle bit off-beat. (Wind will, though. Wind will notice. And Legend will take offense every time. One of those things in life to be relied upon).

[dailyniallnews]

Niall Horan: “Irish music’s on fire, and it has been for a while... I’m happy that we’re leaning into what makes us different”

Following the release of his chart-topping third album, The Show, Niall Horan is set to make his long-awaited return to the Midlands – with a major slot at Electric Picnic. Hot Press caught up with the star in Dublin, to talk Mullingar, Irish upbringings, the homegrown scene, emigration songs, Joe Biden, his first-ever festival circuit, and more.

Read the full article here.

[fangirlingfromdownunder]

12th Day of Christmas

Caroling in the Park

Summary/Prompt - going to the local Christmas Carols in the park, but your S/O has a big surprise

Pairing - Jensen Ackles x Reader

Christmas Masterlist | Masterlist

A/N: sorry this one’s super late, was starting to think I wouldn’t get it out at all.

You help Genevieve lay out the picnic rug on the grass of the hill just a few metres from the festively decorated stage. Jared is running around in the nearby playground with the kids keeping them distracted while you and Gen set up. Your husband should have been here by now to help also. He called you from the airport hours ago, but knowing the state of the weather in Vancouver this time of year it’s possible his flight was delayed. Still it’s a little strange he didn’t let you know, but you try to push the disappointment and concern away to be strong for your kids. Gen helps keep you distracted by opening the picnic basket and setting out some snacks and drinks for everyone. You lay out cushions and blankets for everyone.

A little while later the music starts to play so Jared calls the kids back and wanders over to join you and Gen. He sits beside his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders while you sit beside them with the kids lazing about on the cushions in front of you. You try to immerse yourself in the young choirs singing carols. You sing along quietly while smiling at the kids who are singing along joyously. Once the emcee comes out to introduce the event and lay down the basic ground rules and important information your eldest daughter leans over to you with a sad look.

“What’s wrong, Sweetie?” You ask as you lean forward next to her ear.

“Is daddy coming?” She asks.

“He’s on the plane, he’ll be here as soon as he can. You know he wants to be here with us, he’s doing his best.”

“I know, I just miss him.”

“Me too, Sweetie. Just try to enjoy the show and he’ll be here before you know it.” You kiss her cheek and sing quietly in her ear along with the next performer.

After another few songs the kids start to get hungry so you hand out the sandwiches you and Gen had made earlier.

As you go to take a bite of your own sandwich the host returns. “How good was that, Austin? Next up we have a very special homegrown artist who has agreed to sing a song for us all tonight. Please give him a warm Austin welcome!”

You can hardly believe your eyes when an extremely familiar tall man with long brown hair and piercing green eyes walks out from behind the makeshift curtain. Your jaw drops as you tear up. You kids scream out to him along with Jared and Gen’s. Gen gives you a comforting look while Jared gives you a knowing smirk.

“Hello out there Austin! How are we all doing tonight? Some of you may know me, but for those of you who don’t I’m Jensen Ackles and I have a very special song I want to share with you all tonight. If you know the words please sing along. This one goes out to my beautiful wife and kids over there.” He points out in the crowd to you and blows you a kiss as the first note plays.

“I don’t want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

I don’t care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true oh

All I want for Christmas is you”

His eyes meet yours and he smiles. You sing along with your husband. Sending every word back to him. You pull your kids into your lap as they sing along too. They don’t take their eyes off their dad for the entire song. You couldn’t have asked for a better reunion or surprise for you and your kids. As the song comes to an end he winks at you and puts the microphone back on the stand.

“Thank you Austin! Enjoy the rest of the show!” He climbs off the stage and joins you. Before you get a chance to hug or kiss him your kids are all over him. Your daughter jumps into his lap the second he sits down wrapping her arms around his neck. He instantly wraps his arms around her and kisses her head. Your younger son then climbs in his lap as well. Jensen brings one arm around him also.

“I missed you guys. How’s the show so far?”

“Great!” “Amazing!” They say in unison.

He looks over at you, you lean over resting your head on his shoulder.

“And you?” He asks.

“Better now that you’re here.”

He kisses you and your children gag playfully causing you to laugh. You all sing along to the next few songs together before the kids remember their sandwiches and climb off Jensen’s lap to eat and watch the show. He takes the opportunity to cuddle you. You offer him a sandwich as well and he takes it gratefully. You all eat and enjoy the show; now much happier and more comfortably knowing Jensen’s home for the holidays.

[mahalasashop]

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[scotianostra]

 Happy birthday Lena Martell, born May 15th 1940 in Possilpark, Glasgow.

Born Helen Thomson, she began singing at the age of 11 with her eldest brother's band. After his untimely death, Martell decided to pursue a career in music as a tribute.

Her rising popularity among the easy listening elite allowed for the release of Lena's Music Album in 1979. The record spawned a number one hit, a polished interpretation of Kris Kristofferson's "One Day at a Time," that helped launch the singer's career. Producer and bandleader George Elrick and Martell continued to release records throughout the 1980s, she recorded more than 30 albums, some of which went silver, gold and platinum, including By Request, Beautiful Sunday , Love Songs, and Feelings, before her retirement in the early '90s, for a decade Lena also had her own Saturday night BBC TV show with over 12 million viewers. Lena worked with Liza Minnelli and understudied for Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl on Broadway.

She has been through a lot in the years since her hey day, She almost lost her voice with cancerous nodes, has had a double masectomy, had two nervous breakdowns and the death of her mum after caring for her through the ravages of Alzheimer's, Lena is really one of life's survivors.

In 2004, her comeback CD My Homeland outsold Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears in Scottish record shops and went gold, how proud are we Scots of our homegrown talent!

In 2012 Lena Martell celebrated 50 years in show business with a tour that kicked off in Glasgow. Sean Connery Quoted at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004; “The best singer not to record a Bond soundtrack was Lena Martell”

[cricketpress]

A little sneak peek into next year's poster for the...

Kentucky Yoga Festival

Kentucky Yoga Festival is a 3 day locally homegrown and sustainable yoga, music, & arts festival located in the beautiful lands of Kentucky!

[jminter]

Vancouver Folk Music Festival returns for the 46th year with an impressive line up

The 46th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival returns this July 14-16 at Jericho Beach Park, thanks in no small part to audiences’ huge support and a groundswell of support. The 2023 edition of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival carries on the great legacy of musical excellence and eclectic discovery the annual summer tradition is renowned for bringing to the park.  From July 14-16, some of the world’s finest traditional and contemporary folk, world and roots music artists will spend the weekend bringing their works to friends, fans, appreciators of music and those who love the magic of this festival are invited to gather again to celebrate.

Board member and Programming Committee Chair, Fiona Black says: “This festival is a touchstone in the lives of so many of its far-reaching community: long-time and new audience members, out-of-town visitors who come year after year, volunteers, donors, sponsors, artists and so many more. I think this year everyone appreciates this iconic festival a little more. None of us take it for granted. For the VFMF, “folk music” is an inclusive term that encompasses as broad a range of roots-based music from around the world as you can imagine. The beauty of this festival is that it brings such an extensive range of artists together for three days of connecting with each other, inspiring unique collaborations and making lasting memories for the amazing gathering of folks that unite every year to celebrate life, community and music. That tradition continues this year with these artists, and we welcome everyone back to the park this summer to be part of this joyful experience.” Some 40 music acts from 10 countries, 6 states and 8 provinces will be found performing on the Festival’s three daytime stages and an evening stage over the summer  weekend. Additional artists will be announced shortly. The festival’s gates open at 3pm on Friday, July 14, and music runs on Saturday and Sunday, July 15 & 16 from 11am to 11pm. This year's lineup includes a number of acclaimed artists known to many in the festival’s audience, including: Arizona’s Tex-Mex outfit Calexico, women’s music icon Ferron, the multi-faceted Joachim Cooder, the award-winning William Prince, and two genuine music legends, Joe Henry and Albert Lee. Music from around the world takes centre stage at the festival as well, including a towering figure in the world of traditional Persian music, Kayhan Kalhor and, among other international visitors, three groups who live for the music of the dance. From Italy’s Kalàscima, teaming up at the festival with stunning singer, Andrea Ramolo comes the passion and energy of the tarantella; the Cláudio Rabeca Quartet with special guest, Serena Eades play forró, the popular dance music of Brazil, and; we’re exciting to share the remarkable collaboration in the Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong Flamenco-World Trio. From south of the border, a number of artists are slated to bring the sounds of the US to the Jericho stages. Including one of zydeco and Cajun music’s great accordionists, Cedric Watson, who performs with fiddler Jourdan Thibodeaux; East LA’s Las Cafeteras’ son jarocho tunes will sure to bring folks to their feet; and folk music treasure, Aoife O’Donovan, brings her beautiful voice. Emerging artists are also on the roster including the Berklee College vocal trio and internet sensations, Tiny Habits; a strong and clear voice for social justice, Tré Burt, and BC’s own hip hop adventurer, Ruby Singh and The Future Ancestors. Homegrown talents are well represented on this year’s roster, including Jim Byrnes, The High Bar Gang, Jill Barber, The Sojourners, Ceileigh Cardinal and Newfoundland’s Rum Ragged and many more. This year's Vancouver Folk Music Festival curates an event that offers a truly global spirit, broad and eclectic in range, with something for everyone of all ages. In addition to whetting your musical appetites, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival offers a wide range of ways to feed you soul with food and artisan vendors as well the festival prides itself on its environmental awareness, sustainability initiatives, and accessibility.  With over 30, 000 people expected to descend upon the park get your tickets soon. Find the full Festival line-up and information about performers, vendors and artists at thefestival.bc.ca https://youtu.be/G_tDW04H6P0 Read the full article

[dustedmagazine]

Kaja Draksler / Susana Santos Silva — Grow (Intakt)

Grow by KAJA DRAKSLER – SUSANA SANTOS SILVA

Sometimes you have to wander in order to do what you want to do. Slovenian pianist Kaja Draksler and Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva have both gone a long way, aesthetically and geographically, from their initial, homegrown classical training. Draksler is now based in Copenhagen, where she toggles between participation in ensembles that incorporate poetry and jazz into rigorously conceived structures, and total improvisation with such highly individual players as Terrie Ex and John Butcher. Silva resides in Stockholm, where she works frequently with jazz bassist Torbjörn Zetterberg and pursues a deepening investigation into electronic and electro-acoustic music. But their duo is not the product of peregrination, nor concerned with simple opposing relationships. Grow is what happens when two purposefully flexible players bring a full range of options and abilities to the task of making music in the moment.

The two women have made one previous album, This Love, that included pieces written by each, and they are both part of Hearth, a quartet with saxophonists Ada Rave and Mette Rasmussen. But Grow is a concert recording made at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 2021. While it is split into four parts, they comprise an unbroken thread of invention realized in continuous performance. Draksler opens with a weave of questing right-hand keyboard phrases, which clash tonally but mesh rhythmically with syncopated prepared piano figures. Silva soon launches a series of dark growls and long, gritty cries, and as she stretches out, the pianist tests her options, proposing first long sweeps up and down the keyboard, and then intricate, changing progressions. 

As the music evolves, both players seem to be listening for two sets of options — ones that enhance what the other is doing, and ones that will keep the music evolving. And they aren’t just listening to each other, but also figuring out what to add or subtract from their own playing. At some points, Draksler sounds like two different players at once, simultaneously manipulating glassy swells of resonance and an undercurrent of agitated chatter. At others, they collapse into one, such as an episode when the trumpet’s pops and the piano’s clatter sound an overheard huddle between the items on a Foley artist’s table of tools. The unusual sonorities never sound like mere novelties. Rather, they are expressions of a collective imagination, unhindered by convention or ego, but highly purposeful and satisfyingly on target. 

Bill Meyer

[blazehedgehog]

This almost doesn't even have anything to do with the above posts because it's so far out of the scope of laughing at modern day Burning Man, but I'm pretty sure, at one point, Burning Man was a music festival. Or at least something akin to that Simpsons episode where they sail out to international waters and realize they can do anything they want.

This is going to take a minute to set up, but trust me, it goes somewhere.

I bring this up because very, very, very early in internet video, like right before the dawn of Youtube and personal video streaming services like Twitch (so figure 2004-2005), Winamp, at the time the undisputed kings of homegrown internet radio (Shoutcast's original purpose), expanded into Shoutcast Video. It was accessed via a menu called Winamp TV, which was a directory of currently-live channels.

As you might expect, it was only ever really used for piracy. Almost immediately, a bunch of streaming channels cropped up that were basically dedicated to one show 24/7. There was a Simpsons channel. There was a South Park channel. A Seinfeld channel. Even a porn channel. I look at the modern streaming landscape now, where a service like Pluto TV has 24/7 Mystery Science Theater or Baywatch or whatever, and I remember that Winamp TV started that trend nearly 20 years ago because some college kid pirated every episode of Futurama and decided to host a Shoutcast Video server just because he could.

Anyway, literally one of the only non-piracy channels was... I don't even remember what it was called. But it was some sort of counter-culture programming that I found fascinating and a little disturbing. Very much "what am I even WATCHING" kind of content.

It was this guy, maybe mid-20's, early 30's, and he was what he referred to as a "wog." And he used it in a way that seems to have no mainstream definition, because by his account, a "wog" was a modern day ronin of sorts. Or to cut to the heart of my interpretation, he was an anti-capitalist prepper of sorts. He only bought clothing and gear from the military supply store and made sure to strip all corporate logos and branding off of everything.

He always had a knife and possibly even a gun on him at all times, but he also maintained what could best be described as a utility belt full of all sorts of stuff, and to some degree, he lived his life sort of as a ghost. Deliberately out of public view, deliberately as far off the grid as he could get, but at the same time, he said he would go out of his way to help anyone that needed aid. That was his purpose in life.

He never mentioned any family. No kids, no wife, no girlfriend.

He was a very strange individual. A little unnerving to realize this type of person existed out there. But he did not seem to be hurting anyone.

And he shot a handful of videos on his lifestyle, his mantras, his every day carry gear list, so on and so forth. And he threw all of this up on to a Winamp TV streaming channel. But the bulk of what was on that channel was a multi-part video series where he documented visiting Burning Man. And, at least to me, this was before the modern glitz and glamour of current Burning Man. It's been running since 1986, so these videos were produced a good 18 years after its induction, but from my perspective it felt like the early days of the event before all the money took over and was just a bunch of burnt out hippies smoking salvia and listening to music or whatever.

Watching this strange tacticool hermit enter 2004 Burning Man and talk to dudes who smoked so much meth all their teeth fell out was kind of haunting, but like watching a car accident, I could not look away.

I only bring this up because I have no idea what happened to this guy. That Winamp TV station is the only record I've ever found of his existence, which, going by his intended life style, is honestly probably what he wanted. I keep wishing I could find it again, if only to gawk at how eerie it all felt.

burning man 2023 explained

burning man is a festival for rich white people who want to smoke weed and trip acid in the nevada desert and pretend they're one with the earth. it's not a music festival or anything that serves any purpose, it's just vibes

a hundred year flash flood just hit nevada, including where burning man is being held this very weekend

dry desert ground can't suddenly absorb water, let alone that much water all at once, so now burning man is a giant mud pit with THICK deep mud

nobody can get in or out, so they closed all the roads

FEMA just told the *73,000 PEOPLE* stranded at burning man to shelter in place, ration food and water, and essentially "you're on your own, good luck"

the port-o-potties are overflowing into the mud they're all walking around in

the official CDC twitter account tweeted (and then deleted) that there's a confirmed ebola outbreak at burning man, but people are pretty sure it's just trench illnesses. like actual WWI trench illnesses

earlier this week, climate activists protested against burning man, and all the attendees drove right past them (and yelled at them, and tried to get them arrested, etc)

there's a private jet at burning man where people can join the mile high club. it just takes off and lands all day and lets people fuck in it. no word yet on the fuck plane's current status/location

and lastly: when the ground here gets wet, the sea monkeys hatch

[vhicpauline]

5 Amazing Businesses to Explore at SM Uptown Cagayan de Oro and Centrio Ayala

Technopreneurship Blog: Week 5-6

THOMPSON'S NATURAL

Thompson's Natural, based in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, is known for offering a variety of natural products. Owned by Charlene Thompson, the brand has four branches, with the main one located at SM Uptown, which opened in 2019. Thompson's Natural competes with other brands like Bless Potion.

INSIGHTS

Thompson's Natural is dedicated to offering high-quality, natural products that cater to the increasing demand for healthier and environmentally conscious alternatives. With a strong commitment to sustainability, the brand responsibly sources its ingredients and ensures its manufacturing processes have minimal environmental impact. Emphasizing transparency and authenticity, Thompson's Natural resonates with health-conscious consumers who seek products they can trust. By staying true to its core values while innovating to meet changing customer preferences, the brand aims to maintain its competitive edge.

HINAM-IS

Hinam-is is a homegrown food manufacturing company based in Cagayan de Oro City, owned by Maynardo Carpio. The company operates three branches: one at SM Uptown (opened in 2019), another at SM Downtown, and the third at Panagatan. While Hinam-is does not have a single main branch, it has a production facility that manufactures its products and distributes them to stores nationwide. The brand is well-known for its popular offerings, particularly its pyramid yema and pastillas with filling.

INSIGHTS

Hinam-is can focus on promoting and celebrating traditional Filipino culture by offering regional products, handicrafts, and hosting cultural events. By collaborating with local artisans, the company could feature handcrafted items such as woven fabrics, ceramics, and traditional treats, appealing to both local customers and tourists interested in preserving cultural heritage. Adding cultural workshops, like cooking or weaving classes, would enhance customer engagement and create unique, experiential products. Expanding its reach through an online platform could attract a global audience, including the Filipino diaspora and those passionate about authentic Filipino goods.

BIAS KPOP

Bias Kpop, owned by Guiann Anne, is a bazaar store selling K-pop merch and anime figurines, established in December 2019. The store has participated in seasonal markets at SM City CDO, offering local businesses a chance to reach a larger audience. Events like the Christmas Markets have helped create a lively, festive atmosphere, attracting K-pop fans and supporting local entrepreneurs. The presence of stores like Bias Kpop has added to the vibrant shopping scene, especially appealing to younger shoppers.

INSIGHTS

Bias Kpop Bazaar could deepen its connection with fans by creating immersive experiences, like themed displays, a café with K-pop music, and picture booths with idol cutouts. Partnering with local K-pop dance groups for workshops or in-store performances could boost foot traffic and build community ties. Offering pre-orders for concert tickets, fan goods, and fan art would make it a go-to spot for true K-pop enthusiasts. Additionally, pop-up shops or collaborations with other K-pop brands could further expand its reach and grow its fan base.

Red Chad Flowers Uptown Branch

RegChad Flowers is a flower shop offering beautiful bouquets for all occasions, owned by Regine Galamado and Richard Berhamin. Established last year, RegChad has two branches: the main branch in Iponan (opened in May 2021) and the SM Uptown branch.

INSIGHTS

RegChad Flowers can thrive by focusing on modern trends like sustainability and personalized floral arrangements. Offering eco-friendly bouquets, floral subscriptions, and custom arrangements for weddings and events would appeal to urban professionals, corporate clients, and event planners. Brand awareness can be boosted with loyalty programs, seasonal promotions, and a strong social media presence. Operational efficiency, especially in sourcing, inventory, and delivery, is key to smooth operations. Additionally, offering floral workshops and related gift items could create new revenue streams. A focus on a seamless customer experience and sustainability will be vital to its success.

SUNGLASS HEAVEN

Sunglass Haven is a local Filipino brand, known as the country's first and only luxury concept store specializing in designer sunglasses. Owned by Ramish Dargani, Sunglass Haven CDO was established on December 9, 2012, and is a DTI-registered business.

INSIGHTS

Sunglass Haven in CDO can grow by positioning itself as a lifestyle brand, offering collections that cater to different consumer personas, such as Adventure Seekers or Urban Trendsetters. Collaborating with local influencers could increase brand visibility, while exclusive seasonal drops or limited-edition releases could generate excitement. Additionally, personalized recommendations through customer profiles or a loyalty program can boost retention and strengthen brand loyalty, creating a more engaging and dynamic shopping experience.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Parimatch News, the largest community of sports fans in India, is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Gully Fest 2024 Mumbai edition, India's premier hip-hop festival, taking place at the NESCO Center on October 26th and 27th.Gully Fest, originally launched in 2018 by the iconic Indian rapper DIVINE and his Gully Gang, makes its return after a six-year break. Event brings together a star-studded lineup of both international artists and homegrown talents: Pusha T, DIVINE, Gully Gang All Stars, Prabh Deep, Sambata, Lisa Mishra, Yashraj, Gravity, Siege, Reble, Bombay Bassment, DJ Proof, OG Shez and others. This unique two-day cultural spectacle promises to be a cornerstone of India's hip-hop revolution, celebrating the culture that unites fans and performers from around the globe while showcasing the flourishing Indian music scene.As the Association Partner of Gully Fest, Parimatch News will set up the Brand Zone, a dedicated space where festival-goers can unwind, take part in exciting activities, and join a no-loss lottery. Attendees can look forward to exclusive on-site rewards, including Parimatch News branded backpacks along with a chance to win a brand-new iPhone! "This collaboration is all about celebrating the beat of victory-whether it's on the field, in sports, or in life. Every triumph comes with its own soundtrack, reflecting the emotions and experiences that shape our journey, from the adrenaline of competition to the joy of everyday achievements. Hip-hop and sports are both powered by this rhythm, bringing people together through shared passion, creativity, and ambition," commented the Parimatch News Press Office.The partnership between Parimatch News and Gully Fest represents a shared vision of promoting and uplifting the robust nature of India's street culture. By supporting such initiatives, Parimatch News aims to foster community engagement and showcase the immense talent within the urban landscape.Join Parimatch News at the Gully Fest and stay tuned to the beat of victory! About Parimatch News Parimatch News is the largest community of sports fans in India, united by a passion for sports. Considered the best sports blog, Parimatch News provides Indians with the most up-to-date news and cutting-edge analytics from the world of sports, empowering them to enjoy sporting events to the fullest. Top celebrities and athletes choose Parimatch News as a worshipful partner. Website Link: parimatchnews.com. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Parimatch News, the largest community of sports fans in India, is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Gully Fest 2024 Mumbai edition, India's premier hip-hop festival, taking place at the NESCO Center on October 26th and 27th.Gully Fest, originally launched in 2018 by the iconic Indian rapper DIVINE and his Gully Gang, makes its return after a six-year break. Event brings together a star-studded lineup of both international artists and homegrown talents: Pusha T, DIVINE, Gully Gang All Stars, Prabh Deep, Sambata, Lisa Mishra, Yashraj, Gravity, Siege, Reble, Bombay Bassment, DJ Proof, OG Shez and others. This unique two-day cultural spectacle promises to be a cornerstone of India's hip-hop revolution, celebrating the culture that unites fans and performers from around the globe while showcasing the flourishing Indian music scene.As the Association Partner of Gully Fest, Parimatch News will set up the Brand Zone, a dedicated space where festival-goers can unwind, take part in exciting activities, and join a no-loss lottery. Attendees can look forward to exclusive on-site rewards, including Parimatch News branded backpacks along with a chance to win a brand-new iPhone! "This collaboration is all about celebrating the beat of victory-whether it's on the field, in sports, or in life. Every triumph comes with its own soundtrack, reflecting the emotions and experiences that shape our journey, from the adrenaline of competition to the joy of everyday achievements. Hip-hop and sports are both powered by this rhythm, bringing people together through shared passion, creativity, and ambition," commented the Parimatch News Press Office.The partnership between Parimatch News and Gully Fest represents a shared vision of promoting and uplifting the robust nature of India's street culture. By supporting such initiatives, Parimatch News aims to foster community engagement and showcase the immense talent within the urban landscape.Join Parimatch News at the Gully Fest and stay tuned to the beat of victory! About Parimatch News Parimatch News is the largest community of sports fans in India, united by a passion for sports. Considered the best sports blog, Parimatch News provides Indians with the most up-to-date news and cutting-edge analytics from the world of sports, empowering them to enjoy sporting events to the fullest. Top celebrities and athletes choose Parimatch News as a worshipful partner. Website Link: parimatchnews.com. [ad_2] Source link

[hillbillyhippiemusicreview]

THE HAYFIELD OF DREAMS: NORTH SPRINGS MUSIC FESTIVAL

***DISCLAIMER: This is a rather long article recapping NSMF. Our apologies on the length, but there was so much goodness to report on. Scroll to the end for a TL:DR as well as a YouTube playlist of videos from the festival.***

Much like Kevin Costner’s character in the classic movie Field of Dreams heard a voice say “if you build it, he will come” while standing in the middle of a cornfield, I imagine music promoter Dustin Kennedy once heard a voice which prophesied to him that “if you build it, they will come” whilst standing amongst the hay filling the unassuming pastures that have been in his family for generations down in Tennessee. That phrase has been Kennedy’s mantra for the last five years as he’s worked tirelessly to build the little festival that could, the one in what is becoming known as the "magic" hayfield: North Springs Music Festival.

Throughout its short life, the festival has begun to gain major traction within music circles across America to the point that this year alone it welcomed people from twenty-three states and two countries to its mountain home, growing from a previously one day event to a now three night/two day festival packed slap full of some of the country's best singer-songwriters, country music acts, and rock and roll bands. Almost as quickly, it has seemingly become one of the "must play" festivals on artists' hopeful tour schedules as word-of-mouth spreads like wildfire about the allure down in the tiny unincorporated community of North Springs, by way of Whitleyville, Tennessee. Perhaps the name of the town is all you need to imagine the magic, maybe the ghost of Keith Whitley is visiting that hayfield to send good luck Kennedy's way, or maybe it's all just due to good ol' fashioned hard work. After finally having my chance to witness it this year, I like to believe it's a bit of both—there is a magical musical hayfield in those mountains, but there’s also a zealous promoter with big dreams destined to bring one of the nation's top homegrown grassroots music festivals to the very people who crave it the most: the fans.

North Springs Music Festival is something special, and I'm positive almost every person who sets foot in the field will tell you the same, if not all of them. What is better than a big, laid-back & family-friendly farm party with hundreds of your closest friends, bonfires, camping, beautiful scenery, and of course some of the best tunes out there, all in a place that somehow feels like home? Not much, if anything at all! Of course, the picturesque setting of the mountains and the natural acoustics that reverb perfectly within the hills make it noteworthy enough, but it's even more than that. As Kennedy said in a social media post made after the event, "People come to North Springs reliant on GPS knowing they'll be in a hayfield with no service for 2-3 days because they love music and they love each other. You know how many acts tell me people sing their songs back louder to them in North Springs? That's the magic right there." We'd be inclined to agree that the magic is certainly in those moments, and there were more magical moments than we could count. Read more about them below in our NSMF 2024 recap: ------------------------------------------------------------

Kickoff Party

The festival began with a kickoff party on Thursday, October 10th, at the Bull & Thistle Pub, spearheaded by both Kennedy and the Mountain View Talent group. Unfortunately, HHMR was unable to make it, but we heard from many attendees that it was quite the night. With appearances by Rye & Brandy Davis, Braden Mitchell Wall, Cody Lee Moomey, Jim Bachmann, Justin Clyde Williams, and Clint Park, with a stellar headliner in Dallas Moore, there's no doubt in my mind that it was the perfect prequel to the weekend to come. I heard they brought the sold-out house down, and with all that good music already, how could it get any better?! Well, you may not think it could….but I’m here to tell you: it did.

Dallas Moore on stage at the NSMF Kickoff Party—photo by Mary Suminski who came all the way from Alaska

Day 1

HHMR rolled into North Springs after a beautiful drive through the fall-tipped mountains in the early afternoon on Friday, with just enough time to set up camp, take in the picturesque surroundings, and mingle for a bit before running to the stage to catch the beginning acts. It was a bit toasty, but the openers in the beginning of the day kept us cool with their melodic tunes and exemplary storytelling. However, as night began to fall, the evening's artists heated it back up as they laid everything they had on the stage. Music began with local singer-songwriter Cherokee Hope and her band while attendees continued to arrive. As her songbird voice warbled through the hills between her heartfelt originals and a fantastic Loretta Lynn cover (who her essence was very reminiscent of), we knew the caliber of talent set for that stage over the course of the weekend couldn't be matched. I believe she was the perfect opener and can't wait to hear more from her. Following Hope, Sam Lowe had the crowd enthused over his acoustic set with an accompanying harp—his rendition of "Long Haired Country Boy" was especially enjoyable. With stellar stage presence and crowd interaction on top of his bona fide country vocals, he often had the crowd chuckling…even once admitting to drinking water on stage so that he "didn't run 'nekkid' through a cow field," which would have undoubtedly broken NSMF's #1 rule: Act Like You've Been in Public Before. Thankfully, Lowe and everyone else managed to follow that rule all weekend and the positive vibes flowing couldn't have been beat.

Next up, to our pleasant surprise, we got to see Wes Shipp not only perform for the first time, but also perform with a full band and lemme tell ya'll—he's one to watch if you dig the quintessential outlaw country sound. Around the time Shipp took the stage, most attendees had settled in and began to make their way to the stage to hear his songs and stories of writing with artists like Billy Don Burns, Creed Fisher, and Jared Hill, as well as an impressive ode to Keith Whitley where he put his own spin on one of Whitley's classics. One thing we love about Shipp is his openness and authenticity, so readers, listen to me—if you don't know his story, it's definitely one to learn...it makes his music all the more powerful. After Shipp came one of the underground Americana & roots scene's favorite songwriters, Ritch Henderson. Accompanied by Daniel Harbinson on acoustic guitar and harmonies, the duo had concertgoers entranced with the words they sang from Henderson's critically acclaimed debut record. At HHMR, we are pro-original music and that's what we prefer to hear when we set out to a show, but we also believe covers serve a purpose in a set, as they can often bring memorable moments, such as when Wes Shipp requested a popular cover of Henderson's, "Red Rag Top" by Tim McGraw. As Henderson began to strum the chords to the song, Shipp kneeled side-stage, with head, arms, and beer rested on the stage, never once breaking his gaze set on Henderson as he sang. It was one of the coolest moments of the event to witness, because one thing we champion entirely is comradery and artists truly supporting other artists—and at NSMF, that is all you see. The community and family feel is a beautiful thing to experience. With artists milling around and mixing in with fans during others' sets—I rarely witnessed an artist stay backstage for a long period of time—and joyfully interacting with the very people who help keep their tires burning down the highway, as well as making sure to fully immerse themselves in their fellow musicians' sets, NSMF is a unique festival experience that we feel cannot be easily replicated.

Attendees gather to watch Day 1 openers

HHMR videographer Linda captures a video of Wes Shipp performing

Wes Shipp watches as Ritch Henderson performs "Red Rag Top"

Kentucky's own Hunter Flynn took the stage next as an acoustic act with only himself and his passionate vocals juxtaposed with his guitar. His songwriting is top notch and his vocals unique, and we were highly impressed with his set, especially after he told the story of how long he had been playing music—since early 2022! Knowing that, the defining moment of his set was when his mic went out mid-song as he sang his single "Can't Never Could" (written by another phenomenal Appalachian artist, Cody Lee Meece) and he stepped up to the edge of the stage and began belting out the remainder of the song to the spellbound crowd that had gathered in front of him. Chills, absolute chills! After we had to wipe away a few tears from Flynn's set—"F***ed Up Brain" and "Granny's Song" are two that will get you right in the heart—Rye Davis and his band took the stage and began to rowdy the melancholy out of the crowd by getting them dancing along to his tunes. Now, it's not his impeccable Willie and Waylon impersonation and humor during his hilarious version of "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," that makes him a dynamic performer, crowd favorite, and yearly NSMF performer, it's that Davis is the whole package. His stage presence, uncanny wit & humor, the interplay between him and the crowd, and everything else he lays out on the stage when he performs, as well as his heartfelt songwriting, make him someone your mama'n'em ought to know about. Another of the most memorable moments of NSMF 2024 was when Davis took a break from jamming his brand of entertainment and country music to play one of his nostalgic ballads, "Monsters." The FL Tribe, a group of NSMF fans and friends that travel from Florida to North Springs yearly for the festival, planned a surprise to throw paper airplanes on stage when Davis sang the chorus that reminisces on childhood treasures. Luckily for us, we were given a heads-up for the surprise, and I was able to catch it on video, (which can be seen by clicking here). Davis expressed that it was "one of the coolest things that had ever happened to him on stage," and I think that speaks volumes for not only the performers but also the attendees of this festival—every single moment means something to them, and they find ways to create some of the most special.

After Rye Davis proverbially burnt the stage down, a new-to-us artist from Oklahoma took the stage to stoke the flames a little more. Blaine Bailey brought his brand of mellow, red-dirt country rock to North Springs and undoubtedly left with many new fans. His music is a tribute to where he comes from and his Keetowah (Native American) heritage, and the tunes are as smooth as his vocals, with idyllic storytelling to boot. I tend to have to see an act live before I reserve my judgements on them, and I have to say I was extremely impressed with his set and will be taking a deep dive into his catalogue. With what was left of the at that point stage, The Comancheros played distinct brand of rock and roll and left metaphorical embers to stand on. If you've never witnessed a Comancheros show, I can assure you will equally be left with your face melted and wondering if what you just saw was real life--aside from being gifted musicians, the members of this band are exhibit extremely good showmanship; they truly know how to keep a crowd entertained with their unique songs and stage antics. Despite the cold, the crowd was hanging in there having the time of their lives rocking out. To tie night one up into an awesome musical package, headliner Whey Jennings took the stage last and gave it all to his fans. Unfortunately, HHMR did not get to see his set due to having to go back to camp, but what we could hear was phenomenal. Fan and NSMF repeat attendee Sherry Mullins shared her thoughts on Jennings' performance with us: "There were moments that if I closed my eyes, it was like I was hearing Waylon! I think it's awesome that he is using his spotlight to share his faith in God, and how it has helped him overcome his struggles with alcohol & drug abuse and achieve sobriety. Using his platform in this way gives people hope and inspiration to do better!" I believe her statement accurately sums up not only Jennings, but his counterparts on day 1 of NSMF—they all used their music in some way to bring something healing to others, whether it was in fun or inspiration.

Hunter Flynn belts out "Can't Never Could" after mic goes out

Rye Davis and his band performing to an enthusiastic crowd

Blaine Bailey captivated the audience with his blend of red-dirt country rock

The Comancheros set the stage ablaze during their set (proverbially, of course)

Friday night headliner Whey Jennings interacts with the crowd—photo by Kristen Drum

Day 2

After the first day of North Springs Music Festival, it was almost impossible to think that Day 2 could bring anything better--but boy, did it. If waking up to coffee and breakfast with friends both new and old at camp amidst a gorgeous day in the hills and hollers of Tennessee with the sounds of music in the air wasn't special enough, what Dustin Kennedy had planned out for Day 2 sure was. As campers were coming alive again, warming up frozen bones to get ready for the absolutely scorching musical day to come, and other concertgoers were beginning to fill in, around 11:30 we heard Kennedy announce that the day was about to begin. What stood out to me in that moment was not that he was encouraging people to show up for his festival, but that he was encouraging folks to head to the stage for the opening acts because he believed they deserved as much attention as the headliners, and he was right on the money! In a social media post summing up the experience, he said "I take pride in the acts who take this stage, more so every year. . .if you see them on our stage, it's because I believe in them or someone close to me that I trust believes in them. Since the start I've told musicians that if you take a chance on our festival in the middle of nowhere, you won't regret it. Matter of fact, these people will become some of the most loyal fans you'll ever have. People don't wait for next year; they go see these acts all over the place. The people treat these acts like family." Treating each and every act on the lineup like family is certainly what Kennedy expected and was definitely what fans delivered.

At HHMR we believe that often times some of the best music is found within the smaller font on festival lineups, and we believe in always going to the show to hear the opener. The caliber of talent Kennedy put in the opening slots is prime evidence of his attention to detail and wise curation of music trends. Bayker Blakenship, a young, albeit rapidly-rising star from Tennessee, brought a score of fans up to the stage already as he played an acoustic set full of originals from his April 2024 EP release, Lost Time, which highlighted his talent in the modern country world quite well. He was not only talented, but truly and courteously appreciative of the listeners. Coming all the way from Michigan, another young country crooner in the making, Waylon Hanel, took the stage next. As if he was emulating his namesake, Hanel's star shone bright as the crowd ate up his 90s country and outlaw/honkytonk fusion: his latest release, "Keith Whitley Blue," ought to be an earworm for lovers of that throwback sound. Not to mention, the young man is just as kind and humble as they come—we really enjoyed speaking with him. It spoke volumes when he asked to do “just one more” and fired into a rousing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” simply to honor veterans in attendance. The first two acts of Day 2 proved that age is just a number, and years of experience do not necessarily beget talent. Also ushering in fresh faces and exuberant youth, as well as a newfangled take on classic rock and roll, was act three of the day, Parker Barrow. Hailing from Alabama, the band led by frontwoman Megan Kane has not only southern rock in its blood, but blues covered in some funk deep in its soul. I could easily write a 1,000 word essay about this band and it's standout performance, but I can best sum it up with the fact that they rocked so hard that a transformer was blown, knocking power out to not only the stage, but the whole festival—and even a week later, people are still talking about it! It was as if we all entered a teleportation device and were taken back to 1972 as they jammed out...and a blown transformer was all that could have brought us back to present day.

Bayker Blankenship delivers a performance of one of his fan-favorite songs

Waylon Hanel plays to a legion of well-earned new fans

Megan Kane and Dylan Turner of Parker Barrow in their groove

When the power was knocked out, the tension could momentarily be felt from all in attendance, because the rest of the evening was inevitably left up in the air. NSMF organizer Kennedy was undoubtedly feeling the pressure, but he didn't let it show for long, if at all as he handled it with a calm grace I'm not sure I could have mustered. Quick thinking had someone from the power company coming to check it out and try to get the show back up and running as soon as possible, but a true heart for music is truly what set it in motion as Bill Taylor and the Appalachian Heatherns offered to take the stage and play a fully unplugged, acoustic set to keep the ball rolling. Kennedy utilized a bullhorn to encourage the crowd to move closer to the stage in order to hear and give the band their due attention. Emotions were high as all this took place, and for good reason. As Taylor and his band moved as close to the edge of the stage as possible and he began to belt out their first song, the way his voice echoed in the hearts and minds of the crowd, as well as the mountains, made it nearly impossible to even know that they were unplugged. Almost instantly, what had been a rambunctious rock-and-roll show turned into an intimate listening room, in the middle of nowhere in a hayfield capable of producing magical moments like this. We talk a lot at HHMR about the "power of music" and I'd like to believe this was a moment of divine intervention that aimed to put the true power of music on display to all in attendance and those who would hear about it later—it was an undeniably unforgettable moment.

At some point during their set, and rather quickly considering, power was re-established to the hayfield and the sound techs offered to plug everything in for the Heatherns; however, Taylor left the decision up to the crowd—and they wanted more of what they were already hearing, so Taylor and his band wound up doing their entire set entirely unplugged. Magic has been the theme of this festival, and moments like this are what we're all raving about. It was an unprecedented event, as power had never been lost in the history of NSMF, but it wound up being one of the most important--and spellbinding—moments of the entire weekend. Following the end of the Heatherns performance, there was no better way to celebrate being powered up adn plugged in again than to have the Low Water Bridge Band take the stage with their insanely talented musicians—the pedal steel was BEYOND heavenly—alongside the trill of frontman Logan Moore's mountainous vocals. The band played several songs off their albums and began to loosen the crowd back up as the impending evening chill began to set in. It was during their set that I began to ramble around the grounds, people watching, and I have to say: I loved what I saw. What I saw was joy, happiness, friendship, community, and history being made in action. Mark my words: If Dustin Kennedy continues to build North Springs Music Festival, they will continue to come—and this festival will one day go down as one of the best in the world. The heart and soul that is put into this thing from everyone involved beats anything I've ever seen. I'm not just blowing smoke, either...all the bands did enough of that each time they got on stage just to burn it down again. 🔥

Bill Taylor & the Appalachian Heatherns play an entirely unplugged set

Low Water Bridge Band entertains the crowd

Before the mind-blowing electricity of the evening acts began to light up the stage and after a very short intermission, a much-loved veteran NSMF performer played his set acoustically...but by the looks of the crowd you would have never known he was up there playing a singer-songwriter set versus a full band one. Addison Johnson is a well-known name to the NSMF community, and for good reason: he's one hell of an artist and an even better soul. Aside from the enthusiastic sing along to his hit "Out of Control" by his fans while he was on stage, it was a joy to witness how he made time for each and every one off stage. Something I loved seeing at this festival was how long the artists stayed at their merch booths to interact with concertgoers, and I observed Johnson at his nearly all day long, well before his set and after. He's the true meaning of a road-worn troubadour, and his talent and humbleness speak for themselves.

As the crowd was getting their boogie shoes warmed back up for the night to come, Tony Logue & the 184 began to rock it out. It was during their set that I foolishly decided to make a mad-dash back to camp to change into warmer clothes before nightfall, and I kicked myself the entire time because they sounded so damn good. When I was trying to slip away during the first song, a fan tapped me on the back and stopped me, warning me not to miss Logue and his band because they were about to "turn it up." Man….he was right on the money! I was all the way on the other side of the hayfield and so enamored with what I was hearing that I lost my phone and notepad, just to finally find them and make a mad dash back to the stage area to not miss a moment more. I could feel the heat from what felt like five miles away—so learn from my mistake, just bring 100 layers with you to your seat for the hormonal October weather and never leave; inevitably you'll miss something amazing at North Springs! Thankfully, HHMR videographer Linda caught a bit of the set I missed and all I gotta say is if ya'll haven't tuned into the music coming out of every part of Kentucky—not just Appalachia—it's well past time you acquainted yourself with Louge's brand of "Southern Rock & Roll." Next up, by way of Alabama & Kentucky, a "Son of Appalachia" through and through, artist Tim Goodin brought his brand of Appalachian music to NSMF alongside his band the Blue Gems, wowing the crowd with his soul stirring songwriting and beautiful melodies to match. His passion for music shone through his songs, and that's one defining word that fans can take away from not only his set, but NSMF as a whole: passion. Passion can be found in every single piece of this festival.

Addison Johnson had the fans hanging on his every word

Tony Logue and the 184 playing their brand of "Southern Rock & Roll"

When Goodin finished his set, if it didn't occur to Kennedy with the twenty-four previous acts that he ought to have the fire department on standby—in addition to the power company—t was a definite need when Taylor Hunnicutt and her band set foot on that stage and rocked it like it owed them rent money because it was plumb burnt to smithereens. Having rolled in after a long day on the road from playing Peacemaker Fest the night before, they had to of been road-weary and past exhausted, but fans would have never known after the action-packed show they put on—there was not a single bit of half-assery involved. The crowd was hungry and eager to hear what the band had to say, and after performing "All or Nothin,'" Hunnicutt became a bit teary-eyed and shared that the moment was the loudest any crowd had ever sang her songs back to her…and it was louder than an already impressively loud sound system that sonically was bumpin' so loud they probably heard these bands play up in Alaska! All jokes aside, seriously—the fans were that loud and it was a magical moment. There's that MAGIC again—it was everywhere at NSMF. One of my favorite moments was witnessing a young boy who was sat on the edge of the stage during Hunnicutt's set: he had picked up her dropped tambourine and began to play along with the band, eyes on the bourgeoning superstar in front of him the entire time. No doubt that moment will be a core memory for him as much as it was for the band and people around him.

Speaking of core memories, when Them Dirty Roses (TDR) came on stage, it definitely created one for everyone there, new fans and old! I heard last year's festival attendees demanded to have them back, and for good reason: they rock, and they rock hard. TDR sings in their opening song, "Every bad girl loves the smell of a rose," and I'd imagine that's true...but I think the way the crowd showed up and showed out for their set proves that everybody simply loves Them Dirty Roses—man, woman, child, animal (Hunnicutt's road-dawg Trudy was a little star struck, too). It was cold as ice as they sang fan favorites from their first EP released years ago to hits from their 2023 album, Lost in the Valley of Hate and Love, Vol. 1, yet a cold night was suddenly that much hotter…because what proverbial embers were left from the stage at that point were once again set ablaze! Having befriended the Roses after finding their music almost a decade ago, I've spent many a mile on the road singing my heart out to their songs in various states—but this time I spent most of my time watching the crowd and my music-lovin' heart couldn't help but get a bit weepy from what I saw, especially the looks on the children's faces and drummer Frank Ford's toddler....absolutely magical, and the kids being involved is so meaningful. I imagine some were watching their new heroes in action! I always say the magic of music is like none other, and there's so much magic being made in the "hayfield of dreams" that is NSMF and the community of fans were going absolutely nuts over what they were seeing and hearing all day and night long. I imagine twenty years from now attendees will be looking back thinking warm thoughts about the country and rock-and-roll legends they saw on that small, rented stage…well, what was left of it anyways. 🤣

The Queen of Alabama, Taylor Hunnicutt, and her band earned their status as crowd-favorite with their raucous performance

Them Dirty Roses had the fans in a rock-fueled tizzy

There wasn't a doubt in anybody's mind that Saturday night headliner Ward Davis had some tough acts to follow, yet he did it well and with the expertise and skill of someone who has spent more than "15 Years in a 10 Year Town" writing his songs and singing his dues. Davis is a verifiable legend in his own right, and the scores of fans that came to NSMF to see him headline the entire event was astounding. It was the perfect way to wind up three nights of incredible music--and Davis played well past midnight to adoring fans hanging on his every word. Sure, the late-late night set was ultimately due to the power incident, but I'd imagine that even if Davis had kept playing until the wee hours of the morning that the enthusiastic crowd—who was like putty in his hands—would have gladly hung around to listen to the last enigmatic performer to grace the stage. The personal highlight of his set and the entire festival for me was witnessing him play his tune "I'm Not the Devil" live, as it was a song that saved my soul years ago when I stumbled into making a major life change and began to chase my dreams involving music…the same dreams that led me to the pure magic of North Springs Music Festival. It was a full circle moment for me, and I'd imagine there were multiple of the same sort of moments for many others who stood next to me in that hayfield of dreams. In such a dreamy setting, how could there not be?

Ward Davis closing out the festival to adoring fans

Overall, the entire festival exceeded my expectations—and they were already high from all the impressive murmurs I've heard about North Springs Music Festival over the last few years. I'd love to see ways to get music and activity in the hands of the many children rambling around the festival grounds because they are the future of music, but I do not have a single complaint come to mind about the event at all. From the delicious food trucks to the myriad of vendors, to many other small but important details, it was well and thoughtfully executed—and I gotta say, it was impressive to witness how Dustin Kennedy was involved in every second of the festival from planning to promoting but also from set-up to tear-down...he's all in! Not to mention how in the event of the unexpected, Kennedy, his family & festival staff, musicians, and the fans also epitomized the saying "the show must go on," and go on, it did! I can't speak for anyone other than Hillbilly Hippie Music Review, but it truly went on down as one of the best festivals we've ever witnessed. If you don't know where the heck North Springs is or why that's even a question, I suggest you plan to find out next October and join us for some hayfield honkytonkin’!

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Head on over to Facebook to check out the auction for the *ORIGINAL* 2024 NSMF handpainted poster by one of the vendors, Issac Denton Art.

Read our interview with NSMF founder Dustin Kennedy at the following link:

TL:DR—NSMF is a fantastic smaller-sized music festival that is absolutely worth your time and money to see in person. All 27 acts that played in 2024 are deserving of a listen. Check them out and join us next year on the farm for some hayfield honky-tonkin’!

Check out our playlist of videos from several NSMF 2024 performers below: