#i miss the josh era every single living day

[idkhowthisworksx]

I cannot believe no one has posted this on tumblr yet so here we go

[snapbackslide]

a reward for staying alive ❤️‍🔥

the post-concert depression is always severe with this band... i had to pull myself back to reality many times yesterday. today i'm able to put my thoughts down and reminisce - i don't want to forget a single thing, so i'm trying my best to write everything down - this is why my posts end up being so long. so, regarding the clancy concert in montreal, and how this band feels like a reward for staying alive... novel below.

um, the concert lasted like 5 minutes?! way too short for my soul, corazón... it seems every show goes by faster and faster, probably because i love them more and more every time 🥲

i don't know how, but the more i go to the bell centre, the smaller of a venue it seems. it felt so intimate, not sure if it's the familiarity of it all, or if they're just that good at including us in everything.

josh was funny and interactive and he wore a montreal shirt, tyler brought so much energy and spoke french, vocals and drums and every other instrument were flawless, they tore the place down.

from the moment trees ended, i already started missing them so much. every time i know trees is coming up and every time they play it, i get this bittersweet feeling. one of my favourite songs of theirs, that also signals the end of the show... it's a beautifully sad experience 🥺

and when i got home, my first thought was "they did it again". i've felt this way after each of their shows.

in regards to past experiences;

the bandito tour, 2019. my first tøp show, so probably the one that will always mean the most. i had never seen an artist perform every song off the album they were touring before. that was incredibly special, not just because trench means so much to me, but because the show itself felt magical. it is actually the reason why i'm so into the band today - i'd loved them and their songs for a while, but seeing them live is what cemented it for me.

the icy tour, 2022. this one was a bit of a last minute decision. it was straight up just fun, very reflective of the era as a whole. they played so many songs, some of my absolute favourites, and i had great seats and got to take some really cool photos and videos.

the clancy tour, 2024. well, there's obviously a lot to say, seeing as it's still fresh in my mind. an even more last minute decision... it needs its own section. and i love to see others enjoying it as much i have 🥲

i went into the bandito show with no prior knowledge whatsoever. i had checked the setlist before the icy show, but didn't know how it was going to play out. this time, i had watched an entire livestream of the first clancy show of the tour, so i knew everything beforehand. and yet, every single one left me mesmerized at how much the songs come alive, and all three are my favourites i've ever attended.

and on a personal level... - the bandito show was rough. i was on an ongoing anxiety attack that didn't go away until the next day, and it was the show that caused the worst pcd 😓 didn't help that i was also in a tough time of my life, in university and struggling with careers and mental health and friendships... - the icy show had its own set of challenges. it was friday night, i got there straight from work, tired and worn out from the week, and i had to pee the entire show 😣 ever since, i have to go to the bathroom like 3 times before an event, lol. i'm truly scarred from that 😅 - the clancy show had none of that. no anxiety, no urges, no discomfort. no waiting in lines, not for entrance, not for merch, not for the bathroom, not for the show (i am also scarred from having to wait over an hour in the pit for other artists before...). i'm in a better place in my life. didn't care what people thought of me. no problems, everything was smooth. it was perfect.

a few key moments;

perhaps the moment that marked me the most wasn't even about tyler or josh. it was the kid in the row in front of me. when tyler announced he was about the play oldies station, the kid (well, maybe not a kid - he seemed to be in his late teens) absolutely rejoiced. he was singing his heart out, and when it ended, he fist pumped to himself, and that moment alone… meant everything. context and timing considered, it continues to amaze me the impact this song has. it made me so happy 🥺

josh looking up to my section after he walked to his mini stage, connecting with us and airdrumming sometimes, specifically during mulberry street. after the intro and before the first verse without drums, he continued his arm movements but without touching the drums, and made funny faces to us 🥹

tyler saying "you're crrraaaazzzyyyyyy" after we had rapped the entire second verse of ride by ourselves, with just the backing track, neither one of them playing or singing 😭😭😭

josh singing along to himself while drumming, and the parts where he actually sang… my goodness. during paladin, i was so lost in the moment that i forgot he did the backing vocal parts, and as soon as he started singing, the crowd erupted. pulled me out of my trance and made me smile so hard.

oh yeah, tyler saying we might be his favourite show of the tour so far? yeah okay, artists say that all the time, he probably didn't mean it… but i choose to believe he did 🤪 he's never said that to us before!!

at 8:43 i heard a loud, distorted noise that it took me a few seconds to make out… "what's your ETA" 😭 exactly two minutes before they came on 😭😭 gosh i love this band so much.

speaking of right before the show started, idk if it was tyler & josh or others, but during those two minutes they were peeking their hands out through the curtains and making gestures, getting us amped up, it was so funny and sweet 🥹

those first few notes of overcompensate… and when the song actually started… and that whole song, really… whew. it will always be a fav of mine. sooooo so happy i got to hear it live.

it was incredibly healing to scream along the lyrics, especially to the songs off clancy. it's hard to even explain. backslide… that and overcompensate were the ones i was excited for the most, they're 2/4 of my favs (the other two being the only songs from clancy not being performed 😢), and they definitely didn't disappoint. and again, oldies station... i'm not even joking when i say that my heart felt like this emoji ❤️‍🩹 so, so, so glad the song was on my setlist. and of course, next semester, yelling hey kid, get out of the road and start fresh next semester, wow. and navigating... the craving... PALADIN STRAIT... just magic.

i love this band so much.

they're the people's band. i love the relationship i have with them. i see them and i don't see celebrities, i see people who make art, people who have gone through similar things. i see the crowd and the way they're touched by them. i see family. we don't know each other, but they help me when i need them. their music is always there, within reach, it's always meaningful, always of high quality, there's always more to learn, always more to love.

that's why i don't participate in the fandom as much, i don't dig into the lore to try and solve things, i don't fight for barricade or travel to multiple shows (no offence to anyone who does). that's what allows me to have my own relationship with each and every song. that's what makes each show i do go to all the more special.

and just like every time, going to one of their shows feels like a reset button. it quite literally reminds me of why i fight, just what tyler intended. surrounded by others also fighting, people who have survived, growing older together, knowing that things do get better, and healing is possible... i'm truly so grateful to have them in my life, and so blessed to have gotten to see them three times. i hope for many more, years down the road, one for every era, and to continue to grow with them.

they're a motivation to push on through. with every new album, every new show... they're a reward for staying alive.

thank you, twenty one pilots. for everything. i'm so proud to call you my favourite band, i'm so glad you're my band. i love you forever.

[berriesandjunnie]

❝ dernière danse ❞

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° synopsis a bit of love, a drop of honey - a kitchen is as much of a dance floor as a ballroom is. ┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° genre & tags fluff / idol!joshua / late evening romance with mr hong / short fluff ┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° pairing joshua x afab!reader ┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° w.c 1.0k words

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° author’s note requested by @nobodys-h0m3 - i love you for this AAAA

˚ ༘♡ ·˚꒰ now loading… enjoy! ꒱ ₊˚ˑ༄

The mellow tunes of your chosen playlist resonated through the apartment as you thoroughly cleaned the kitchen. In honour of your boyfriend and his group finishing their promotions for yet another comeback, you’d invited them all over for dinner - that you were cooking, Joshua always boasted about your food even if you were doubtful about the quality. 

Your relationship with Joshua had been ongoing for two years now. You’d met each other since you previously worked at Pledis as staff, however you promptly left when you developed feelings for Joshua and discussed it with him. Joshua was convinced you wouldn’t need to leave Pledis if anything happened between the two of you yet you were determined to not start any drama professionally. Shortly after, you picked up a job working for a local preschool to your apartment. 

There was no doubt about it that the relationship was one of absolute pure love. Everyone aware of it would agree that Joshua was absolutely obsessed with you. Every single part of you and as he unlocked the front door and led in his herd of members, nothing could stop the worn out excitement he felt in his body that he got to see you again after a long day. He showed the group to the living room, that he assumed they’d barely squeeze into with the lack of space but that was far from his priority as he disappeared towards the kitchen where your music was echoing softly. 

“Hey Darling,” Joshua breathed softly as he wrapped himself around your lithe body from behind, resting his head against yours as you washed the dishes you’d dirtied while cooking, “I missed you.”

“You were literally gone for the day,” you mused, catching his reflection in the stainless steel cutlery you were rinsing over, “tired? Are the guys okay?”

“They’re fine, yeah,” he yawned a little, pressing his lips to your hair before he leaned down and kissed your shoulder, sending shivers through your body, “I’m so tired.”

He emphasised the ‘so,’ groaning lightly as he stood straight again and stretched his shoulders and arms. You dried your hands on a nearby tea towel, spinning on your heel to face the tall male. You could look at him all day, with no shame too. The way his cat-like eyes crease when he smiles, showing his small teeth that his fans love just as much as you. Not to mention the way he currently styles his hair for this comeback era, making his hair look so fluffy to touch and play with. Joshua wasn’t surprised that you was listening to your orchestral pop playlist, something so calm and soothing yet upbeat as Dernière Danse began to play. It had become a favourite song of the two of you, Joshua was even hellbent on having it play at your wedding. You’d call the idea crazy but you secretly wished for that day to be tomorrow. 

Joshua knew it was no time to be treating you like royalty - which he did daily - due to the fact he had his whole group awaiting the two of you but his left hand found itself on your waist, his other hand grasping at your hand as he raised it, began to slowly waltz to the song. You let out a small laugh, contesting to the dance.

“Josh, now is not the time.” You whined, wishing the cheeky smile he gave you in response didn’t make your stomach do literal flips as he leaned to press his forehead to yours, the two of you swirling peacefully around the kitchen. Every single part of you, he thought as he admired your eye colour, the tint of colour in your lips and the way your hair framed your face. How you’d managed to dress to impress yet still look so casual for his members, despite never needing to impress them. 

It was always the little things about you that made Joshua utterly infatuated by you, willing to do anything if it meant your happiness. How you had hundreds of playlists for different genres, some even especially for a specific artist - he’d discovered you had a playlist specifically for Seventeen’s discography and he cried a little in the shower afterwards. The way that you’d braid his hair sometimes when he let you play with it, depending on the length his stylists had cut it to. As annoying as you thought your clinging co-dependency issues were, Joshua loved them. He loved that you could rely on him in even the slightest, so he knew he could be there for you when you need it. He wouldn’t personally admit it but he would struggle to sleep at night if you weren’t cuddled up to him like a sloth. 

After a long day at work, or even a long week or month, Joshua’s favourite place in the apartment was the kitchen that you had both renovated together. Because the two of you liked to cook and Joshua usually had a headache, you’d opted for dim, warm lights in the kitchen that weren’t strong on your eyes which meant as much as Joshua wanted to face plant the bed right now, at least his head wasn’t thudding in such a precious moment to him. Completely encapsulated in each other’s presence as the music took over your senses, the two of you didn’t notice the way Joshua’s members had gathered at the kitchen’s entrance, captivated by the way you two could just waltz around your kitchen like it was a ball room.

Seventeen adored you more than they were keen to express in front of both Joshua and yourself. It began while you were still a Pledis staff member, how you treated them as friends and not idols. They loved it and spoke about it daily when you wasn’t around - “why can’t they all be like her?” and “sometimes I wish she was our actual friend.” This meant when Joshua announced the two of you had began dating they were overloaded on ecstasy - their wishes were coming true, after all. You would be their actual friend. 

Not only that, they recognised that you were the greater good for Joshua. So as they watched your intimate moment under the dim lights of your Seoul apartment’s kitchen, they couldn’t be more thankful for the stars aligning in the very sky above them that the two of you crossed paths to begin with. 

[dreams-madeof-strawberrylemonade]

Reunion

Request: HERE  A/N: UPLOADING IT AGAIN BC I FORGOT TO TAG IT SORRY Soo it’s been what, one year, since I last posted a fic here? I’m kind of rusty ngl but nevertheless, it felt comforting to write something like this :) As usual, critiques and comments are welcome  Word count: 1.7 K+ Warnings: none

To be added - or removed - from the taglist, please DM me or leave me an ask!

GIF credit goes to @edgeofgreta; the original post is HERE

You walked into the apartment and set the two groceries-filled shopping bags onto the laminated floor. You kicked off your shoes and carried the bags into the open kitchen, placing them on the counter. With boredom, you took out every single item and placed them in their designated spaces. With the same growing boredom, you made your way back into the living room and threw yourself on the navy-blue sofa with your head sinking in one of the biggest pillows.

You pick up your phone and look at the screen – specifically, at the lockscreen wallpaper, which was a photo of you and Jake. Josh had taken that photo on one of the getaways you made together. Jake had on a beige shirt with his top four buttons undone – in other words, only with his lower two buttons done – and his favorite black hat. He was standing up tall, a wide smile on his face, and you were leaning against him, with your head placed on his right shoulder. You smiled and unlocked your phone, then opened the messages app and texted Jake.

I miss you :( Why does tour have to last this long?

Underneath the blue message bubble appeared the notification that the message had been read, then three typing dots appeared on Jake’s end.

I miss you too, honey. I can’t wait to get home and see you.

You begin to type.

Can we facetime later?

The answer came shortly.

Sorry, but tonight we have a gig. Tomorrow, too… We’re having practice now. Josh has again too much energy and needs to drain it a little bit before going onstage. Got to go now :( Love you

You typed back a formal luck-wishing message and threw the phone on the coffee table in front of the sofa. You were bored out of your mind and in the mood to do nothing whatsoever. Jake had been gone for almost three months now. You understood that it was his job and those were the terms and conditions you agreed to when you started dating him, but you didn’t figure at the time that separation would feel like that. It was safe to say that from time to time you missed him so much it hurt you.

You curled into a fetal position and turned on the TV. Flicking through the channels, you stopped at MTV. Highway Tune just began to play. Your heart grew at the sight of the boys and especially at the sight of Jake. You were so proud of them for getting that far and the mere thought that there actually is a far longer way for them to go made your heart beat in exhilaration. As the last notes of the song echoed through the room, you closed your eyes, pleased that you had seen the band on TV again.

You woke up from the “nap” way too late – it was 1 AM when you opened your eyes – so you moved from the living room to the bedroom. You didn’t bother changing your clothes and you just got underneath the blankets covering the double bed. Before falling asleep again, you looked over at the empty space next to you and you caressed the sheets, wishing that Jake would be there.

The new morning brought along a new day, but unfortunately, the base routine was the same: breakfast, staying in bed for way longer than you should’ve, going outside for some more groceries, flipping through magazines, watching TV, texting – or at least trying to text – Jake. The difference was that today, you called in sick for work and decided to do something fun.

After calling multiple of your friends, asking if they were free to go shopping with you, you finally let yourself defeated and decided you’d visit some shops on your own.

While you were at the bookshop – the one you frequently visited with Jake – you found a puzzle which, put together, should create a 3D globe with multiple images from the Renaissance era. You figured that Jake would find that puzzle at least as intriguing as you did. I could start putting together a welcome-home gift for Jake, you grinned as the thought crossed your mind. You picked the puzzle box off the shelf and walked around the bookshop with it. You stopped in front of the vinyl-filled boxes and you began browsing through them. Jake had a ridiculously large vinyl collection, but you listened to it together so many times that you almost knew every record by heart.

After way too much time spent pondering which records to get, you finally settled for The Doors’ Morrison Hotel and T-Rex’s Electric Warrior. On your way to the register, you stopped by the wine-for-special-occasions section and picked up a bottle.

With your heart filled with excitement, you came back home and called out. “Jake, I’m –,” but you stopped as you remembered that he wasn’t actually home. You slowly let the paper bag containing the puzzle, the wine bottle and the two records on the ground as you locked the door. Before unpacking, you checked your phone. No notifications from Jake. You felt your heart lightly twitch. You couldn’t blame Jake: he was just busy and most likely tired.

You took out the new acquisitions and arranged them on the low coffee table and smiled at the thought of Jake coming in through the front door.

You were tired, so you quickly did your night routine and you got into bed. Once you were in bed though, you couldn’t fall asleep. You just kept tossing back and forth, unable to find a comfortable position. Unannouncedly and unexpectedly, tears welled up in your eyes as you laid there, alone, facing the empty space to your left. You didn’t fight the tears back; you were alone in the darkness, there was no one who could see you. You just missed Jake so much. You missed the smell of his cologne imprinted even in his pajamas. You missed his laughter that managed to make you laugh all the time and you missed those moments when you’d both begin to laugh hysterically and you’d laugh at Jake’s laugh and he’d laugh at yours, and you both laughed so much that you forgot what started it in the first place. You missed his random moments of dancing around the house and you missed his complaints mostly aimed at Josh. As the memories reeled in the back of your mind, your sobs got more frequent. Thinking of it, three months didn’t sound like such a long time, but in reality, time is tricky. Three months can easily feel like three hours and just as easy can feel like three years. For you, it felt like three decades. You mindlessly grabbed Jake’s pillow and hugged it tightly to your chest, wishing it would be Jake instead of just a pillow.

As a new day dawned, you shuffled in your sleep and hugged the pillow again. You didn’t want to wake up just yet.

“Wakey, wakey,” a voice said from somewhere behind you, almost through a dream.

“Five more minutes,” you groaned, unwilling to open your eyes. You paused then and held your breath.

“You’re gonna be late for work,” the voice spoke again and a warm finger traced your side.

You jumped almost instantly. “Jake!” you shouted and collapsed over him, your arms circling his shoulders. You buried your face in the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply – that faint smell of freshly squeezed lemons, mint and cigarettes. His arms circled your waist and you both fell onto the bed. “God, I missed you so much,” you whisper.

“I missed you too… I am so happy to be back home,” he said and hugged you tighter.

Time stood still for you. You were in your happy place and nothing could get you away from there. You pulled away and looked at Jake. You ran your index fingers on both sides of his face and then cupped his face in your hands. Jake didn’t break eye contact with you not even for a second. He softly leaned into your right hand and with his right hand, he took your free one and brought it up to his lips, leaving a kiss on it. “Come here,” he whispered and smiled at you, as his hand made its way up to your cheek, slowly guiding you in towards his lips. You closed your eyes and slightly tilted your head to the side, anticipation growing in your stomach. His lips on yours felt so soft, so satin-like and sweet. You couldn’t get enough of this feeling. As an instinctive gesture, you brought your hand up to Jake’s face and let your fingers roam over his soft skin until they mindlessly tangled into his hair. Jake chuckled in-between needier and needier kisses, “More to come later.” He softly pulled away and rested his forehead against yours. “Next time, you’ll quit your job and come with me on tour.”

“Definitely,” you giggle, already picturing it in your mind. City after city, state after state – and you’d be there to see it all. “Jakey,” you say and pout a little.

“Yes, I will cuddle with you,” he nodded his head before you even got the occasion to ask the question. You break out in laughter and fall into the bed which, now that Jake was home, was even more comfortable.

You snaked your arms around Jake’s torso and pulled yourself closer to him. Jake pulled the blanket over the two of you in one swift move and wrapped his arms around your shoulders. “I’m never letting you go,” you whisper and cuddle closer to his chest.

“Please never do,” he answered and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Did one of the boys tell you by any chance that we’re coming back early?”

“No, why?”

“Oh, that’s good. I wanted it to be a surprise,” he spoke lowly. “I saw you had some wine in the kitchen.”

You giggled. “It’s for us, for when you would come home.”

“I am home now,” Jake raised an eyebrow.

“I’m calling in sick again,” you announced and Jake’s laugh echoed through the room.

“That’s my girl.”

Tags: @myownparadise96, @satans-helper, @littlegeekwonder, @songbirdkisses, @angelstraightfr0mhell, @freeeshavacadoo, @safari-karrot​, @mountainofthesunn​, @bigthighsandstupidguys​, @starshinekiszka

[darklightmiwxo]

MIW history

Hello I want to make a history and facts post of MIW. I been a fan for a few months so I may miss some stuff out. New fans can check this out to understand more of the band.

Motionless in white members:

[IMG=OAA]

Name: Chris motionless (cerulli)

Full name: Christopher Cerulli)

Age: 34

Birthday: October 17 1986

Zodiac: Libra

Birth place: Scranton Pennsylvania

Height: 6'1

Role: main singer

Relationship Status: single

Chris says he doesn't want to get married.

Fear: heights and flying

Personality: a really kind person who cares for his fans he's funny and has a dad humor. Everyone just see him as a dad to them.

Interest: Chris really loves dogs. He plays video games halo and call of duty he plays it all the time. His fave bands is slipknot,marlin manson,korn,HIM,and more rock bands.

[IMG=EOZ]

Name: Ricky Olson (horror)

Full name: Richard Alison Olson the third

Nick name: Rick

Age: 32

Birthday: September 1st 1988

Birth place: Seattle WA

Lives: Scranton Pennsylvania

Zodiac: Virgo

Height: 5'6

Uni: he studied film production in college but dropped out for the band.

Role: rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist

Relationship status: taken by Jamie L

Fear: dying alone,being hated,failing

Personality: he's a calm sweet person he's very smart and also really kind. He's a good caring friend. However he can be a troll sometimes and mess around with everyone because he loves doing it. He loves his fans so much. He's a shy boy.

Interest: he loves to write,draw,edit,take photos, record videos,run his YouTube channel,create a mini sketch video to post on his channel, being a director,he loves cats and reading books.

Ricky fave bands is: muse,HIM,afi,slipknot,BMTH,Ariana grande,Ellie goulding.

[IMG=NEP]

Name: Vinny Mauro

Full name: Vinchenzo Mauro

Nick name: vin,chenzo,sachetti

Nationality: Italian American

Age: 27

Birthday: Nov 22 1993

Birth place: jersey shore Pennsylvania

Zodiac: Sagittarius

(he's also a Sagittarius Scorpio cusp)

Height: 5'6

Uni: vinny study computer programming but he dropped out of college to join the band in 2014

Role: drummer

Bands: MIW,suffer club,trap demon

Relationship Status: single

Fear: being hated by people

Personality: in most of Ricky vlogs vinny seem extroverted he is loud around friends and has lots of fun being silly. But in reality there is a side to him that isn't easy to see you can see it in his twitch stream. He's actually really introverted he said this himself. He's calming and sweet he interact with fans a lot and making sure fans respect each other. He loves to be alone in his room for many days avoiding human contact. Vinny mention being too shy to go up to new people but he is fine if people go up to him. He doesn't feel comfortable talking to new people. He likes being alone.

Interest: creating rap beats,playing video games,making music,dogs and cats,playing drums.

Vinny fave artist are: Fall out boy,paramore,korn,panic! At the disco,HIM,my chemical romance,arch enemy,maroon 5,emeiem,Ariana grande,dua lipa,Mack millo,doji cat,bring me the horizon,pierce the veil,sleeping with sirens,all time low,black veil brides,Rihanna,linkin park,green day,evanescences.

[IMG=XHH]

Name: Ryan Sitkowski

Age: 30

Birthday: Jan 8,1991

Zodiac: Capricorn

Birth place: Pennsylvania

Height: 5'11?

Uni: he dropped out of college to join MIW

Role: lead guitarist

Relationship Status: taken

Fear: spiders

Personality: Ryan is a chill person he's shy and caring to fans. He's also a troll he loves to mess around with his friends.

Interest: guitar,video games,trading card games.

Bands: the same as the rest of miw probably.

[IMG=QFE]

Name: Justin morrow

Age: 32?

Birthday: May 11th

Birth place: Caledonia, New York

Zodiac: Taurus

Height: 6'1

Role: bassist

Relationship Status: married

Fear: ?

Personality: Justin is a kind chill person who cares for his fans and his friends. He left ice nine kills to right away help MIW on tour. Justin is also a troll he loves trolling his friends.

Interest: videos games but not a nerd like the others,bass,cosplaying,putting makeup on.

Bands: the same as MIW

Motionless in white history:

The band started in high school of 2005

Chris,Angelo,Frank p,Kyle white being the first members of the band. Later after college and the bands demo releases Josh joined the band. Frank moved to bass. Micheal and TJ join as guitarist. Later on micheal left the band and Chris met Ryan. Ryan then joined as guitarist of the band. Chris met Ricky in 2009. Frank left the band and Ricky was the new bassist for MIW.

MIW got more popular in 2009 when they tour around the state's in a van. Tj left the band a year later to join escape the fate (Ronnie radke of falling in reverse old band and bless the fall singer Craig band) Ricky then became the new rythmn guitarist of the band. Ghost (Devin) join as the bass player of the band. During the infamous album creation Angelo was feeling ill he couldn't play drums well anymore he gets tired easily and his drum skills wasn't good at all he was eating bad that it make him weak. He couldn't drum anymore so he left the band. The band had other drummers help record their albums. Brandon was the touring drummer for the band till the end of the reincarnated album. The band met vinny and he became the new drummer he was in the reincarnated music video playing drums but you can't see him much in the music video. Vinny then became a member of MIW not a tour drummer anymore but a actually member of MIW. Josh left the band around this time. In the graveyard shift era after the making of the album the whole band kicked ghost out of the band because the fans told the band what ghost did to fans which was very gross. The band kicked him out and Justin from ice nine kills join the band as bassist then he quit ice nine kills to be working full time for MIW. Disguise is the first album where the whole current members of the band created songs without other people doing it for them.

Chris history from high school to now:

Chris grew up in Pennsylvania. He met his friends who end up being the band members of the band he wanted to create he wasn't expecting to be the main singer. At a young age Chris started getting tattoos everywhere.

Chris cared about the band and just went for it.

Demos of the band was created. Chris is a perfectionist he wants the album to be perfect so he was judging everything in order to make a album he liked. Band members left but he didn't quit the band he try to find new band members and try to meet new bands. He worked hard for the band he carry the whole band and make sure the band was doing well. Chris thanks Ryan and Ricky for being the most loyal band members staying with him all these years and not leaving him. Chris had the fear of failing the band breaking up and Chris dreams crushing down but Chris didn't let that happen at all. And here we are today.

Ryan Sitkowski college to now:

Ryan dropped out of college to join MIW at age 17. He was new to the band and Josh didn't like him at all. Ryan was at a young age traveling all over the state with the band. Ryan haven't shared much of his life on the internet he kept it more private. Ryan got a girlfriend and then when the lockdown happen he started streaming on twitch to interact with fans and made a discord too.

Ricky Olson high school to now:

Ricky is the oldest of his siblings. When Ricky was young he was playing with his friends sports and something hit his tooth so half of Ricky teeth is fake. He mention he cry to his mom on the phone because of it. Ricky in middle school wanted to be in a band because his friends played instruments and he wanted to join them. Ricky in high school was a shy boy who had a few friends but they were mostly fake friends. Ricky Olson begin to play guitar and write stories because of the inspiration of Ville Valo from HIM. He became obsessed with HIM. Ricky was in a band in high school as the lead singer but was kicked out for sounding like Ville valo. One of Ricky dreams was to be in a band and also a film maker. In college he study film production. While also working in band merch booth selling band merch to people. But since Ricky was too shy he got yelled at for not speaking up and selling more. Ricky was in a bad time around 2008 and 2009. He share this in a blog years ago about this. He was in a lost place had a bad past and he was thinking of the past all the time and future worrying about failing the future he wanted to be in a band but he was so lost he had no idea what to do in his life. He would day dream about being in a band and then cry to sleep every night about his life. He had depression and gave up with everything in his life. He drank achoul every day. One day on his sister 16 birthday Ricky was drunk coming home from work to go to his parents house his sister was sleeping in her bed.

Tw// self harm and suicide attempt:

Ricky was laying in his sister's bed he cut his arm with a knife it was a lot Ricky was sobbing while watching the blood going down his arm to the floor his dad saw what happen and ask Ricky what happen. Ricky was sobbing and yelling he wanted to die many times. He passed out and went to the hospital he lost a lot of blood and the achoul level was really high he drank way too much. He almost died. He end up getting better and went to see a therapist. He went to see MIW with a friend. Ricky met Chris and the band thought Ricky was cool so he invited them to stay at his house. Chris text Ricky being like should join our band. Ricky would often say idk if I should he didn't know if he would be good enough for the band.

He later on join and quit college but Ricky mention still feeling depressed while in the band. Josh ballaz disliked Ricky when he joined too. 2 years later Ricky moved to rythmn guitarist but he wasn't used to playing guitar since he mostly did bass so he often made mistakes on guitar. He was still learning to play guitar. Things got better for Ricky. But his dream job was always filming he does some film stuff on tour and at home. Though he knew he probably won't be a film maker for movies like he dream of doing he makes whatever he can make. Ricky has stomach problems he often went to the doctor because of it.

Vinny Mauro childhood to now:

Vinny is one of the youngest children of his family. He has many siblings. Vinny mention on stream that he had a bad past. He mention that his dad would take achoul all the time and not give a fuck about vinny. Vinny mom would always go after Vinny. Vinny as a kid was a trouble maker he would disobey his parents and think it was funny. His mom would throw stuff at him and threaten him. His dad gave him a drum set so vinny end up learning to play drums he self taught himself to play drums. He listen to music and got into new types of music he likes all types of music. In middle school a girl that he liked asked him if he can play paramore on drums and vinny played it for her.

In high school vinny was a outcast and loner he made friends in his neighborhood but at school he had no friend. He didn't fit in with anyone. He mention in Ricky Olson podcast his high school life. Ricky ask him how he didn't find friends in high school. Vinny mention saying he didn't fit in with anyone he is also a shy person so he doesn't go up to new people. He was more a loner and was fine with it. Vinny went to uni to study computer programming but he didn't like it at all he was often bored he posted videos of him drumming on his YouTube channel. He knew a guy who knew MIW. MIW was looking for a drummer and they asked vinny to try out for drums in another country which was Australia. Vinny dropped out of college and told his parents what he was doing they weren't happy about that but he end up going over there trying out drums but he was very nervous. He met the band and then went to start drumming. Chris and Ricky were in the same room as vinny they were watching him play drums. Chris being very judgemental. He often scares Ricky when he's on guitar and Ricky fear to make a single mistake in front of Chris and vinny felt that fear. He even said I think I mess up a few times on drums. After he finish drumming. Ricky and Chris went to talk said not a single word and vinny was sweating so much thinking he made a mistake and he won't be part of the band. Later on Chris made vinny part of the band. Vinny became the tour member of the band then he became a member of MIW.

Years later vinny decided to interact more with fans since he had time to so he livestreams on twitch and has discord to interact with fans.

The lock down happen and vinny spend time interacting with fans. He lives with his friend in a house together. But something about vinny these few years mostly months to now that was starting to show. Vinny was suddenly showing signs of depression he often tweet depressing stuff but each year got worst for him. 2020 was the start of vinny's down fall. He had so much self hate he hated his hair,his body,his looks everything about himself he hate. He even tweeted saying I'm sad so I'm going to make a song. He release alone. Even he tweeted about something sad saying 2020 was a bad start for him and Ricky ask if he was ok and hoping vinny was just joking around. During December vinny had back pains because of a sneeze that hurt his nerves so vinny was in so much pain and he didn't see a doctor he thought he could fight it himself just taking pain meds to him. In Jan of 2021 the start of vinny down hill. He was in so much pain he couldn't leave his room or chair he couldn't even drum. He was very depressed. He hated life so much. A month later he got better and went back to streaming but still he was struggling there was some bad stuff happening anyway with him. The covid shot made him sick Saying he didnt eat anything for 4 days he felt like throwing up he even woke up in the middle of the night thinking he was going to do it and other stuff that made him depressed. Around April of this year small amount of fans notice something was going on with vinny he mention so much self hate about himself. In May he mention he was fine but a week later he said he was depressed and talking about what happen months ago and years ago. Sharing something about his family past and he stopped himself saying he doesn't want to get too into it. Vinny mention that he was eating food once a day because he felt like he is fat for over eating food all the time so he end up just eating dinner only everyday. He done it since the beginning of March and still is doing it. He wanted to loss weight. So he doesn't want breakfast and lunch but he eats dinner.

Around may vinny was in rock bottom he talk to no one at all even Ryan was 30 mins away from vinny and he ask him why he didn't go to see him and vinny said he didn't know why. Vinny mention saying he talked to no one for a week straight he also mention he isn't the kind of person to go up to people he said he's very introverted. he stopped streaming for weeks because he was doing bad. He said he felt burnt out and tired.

He took his break off social media for many weeks. Around this time many fans notice vinny was really not doing well.

Then he return to streaming around the 18th of June. Just to say hi he said he miss his fans but he plans to stream again a few weeks later. He mention that he have been avoiding all human contact and was staying in his room playing video games and drums all day still with the once a meal thing he does. Vinny said he's not depressed but people ask him about his depressing tweets and he said is it really depressing. Someone ask him why he is listening to sad music and he said am I not allowed to enjoy music. Now more fans are worried about him. Many more fans noticing that vinny isn't ok and he's hiding it.

That's basically all of MIW history I could give.

I will update and add more to the list later when something new happens. The vinny stuff is true I been watching his streams a lot and he mention those stuff so I just wanted to share what he said. I been a MIW fan for 8 months so I may not know Ryan and Justin as much as the others. Since they don't share much about themselves.

Hoping you enjoy this. Free feel to comment somethings I forgot to add.

Please don't argue about ghost ok. Ty

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Timothy Snyder [don't miss a word]

When Donald Trump stood before his followers on Jan. 6 and urged them to march on the United States Capitol, he was doing what he had always done. He never took electoral democracy  seriously nor accepted the legitimacy of its American version. Even when he won, in 2016, he insisted that the election was fraudulent — that millions of false votes were cast for his opponent. In 2020, in  the knowledge that he was trailing Joseph R. Biden in the polls, he spent months claiming that the presidential election would be rigged and signaling that he  would not accept the results if they did not favor him. He wrongly  claimed on Election Day that he had won and then steadily hardened his  rhetoric: With time, his victory became a historic landslide and the  various conspiracies that denied it ever more sophisticated and  implausible.                                                

People believed him,  which is not at all surprising. It takes a tremendous amount of work to  educate citizens to resist the powerful pull of believing what they  already believe, or what others around them believe, or what would make  sense of their own previous choices. Plato noted a particular risk for  tyrants: that they would be surrounded in the end by yes-men and  enablers. Aristotle worried that, in a democracy, a wealthy and talented  demagogue could all too easily master the minds of the populace. Aware  of these risks and others, the framers of the Constitution instituted a  system of checks and balances. The point was not simply to ensure that  no one branch of government dominated the others but also to anchor in  institutions different points of view.                                                                                                                          

In  this sense, the responsibility for Trump’s push to overturn an election  must be shared by a very large number of Republican members of  Congress. Rather than contradict Trump from the beginning, they allowed  his electoral fiction to flourish. They had different reasons for doing  so. One group of Republicans is concerned above all with gaming the  system to maintain power, taking full advantage of constitutional  obscurities, gerrymandering and dark money to win elections with a  minority of motivated voters. They have no interest in the collapse of  the peculiar form of representation that allows their minority party  disproportionate control of government. The most important among them,  Mitch McConnell, indulged Trump’s lie while making no comment on its  consequences.                                  

Yet  other Republicans saw the situation differently: They might actually  break the system and have power without democracy. The split between  these two groups, the gamers and the breakers, became sharply visible on  Dec. 30, when Senator Josh Hawley announced that he would support Trump’s challenge by questioning the validity of the electoral votes on Jan. 6. Ted Cruz then promised his own support, joined by about 10 other senators. More than a hundred Republican  representatives took the same position. For many, this seemed like  nothing more than a show: challenges to states’ electoral votes would  force delays and floor votes but would not affect the outcome.

Yet  for Congress to traduce its basic functions had a price. An elected  institution that opposes elections is inviting its own overthrow.  Members of Congress who sustained the president’s lie, despite the  available and unambiguous evidence, betrayed their constitutional  mission. Making his fictions the basis of congressional action gave them  flesh. Now Trump could demand that senators and congressmen bow to his  will. He could place personal responsibility upon Mike Pence, in charge  of the formal proceedings, to pervert them. And on Jan. 6, he directed  his followers to exert pressure on these elected representatives, which  they proceeded to do: storming the Capitol building, searching for people to punish, ransacking the place.

Of  course this did make a kind of sense: If the election really had been  stolen, as senators and congressmen were themselves suggesting, then how  could Congress be allowed to move forward? For some Republicans, the  invasion of the Capitol must have been a shock, or even a lesson. For  the breakers, however, it may have been a taste of the future.  Afterward, eight senators and more than 100 representatives voted for  the lie that had forced them to flee their chambers.Post-truth is pre-fascism,  and Trump has been our post-truth president. When we give up on truth,  we concede power to those with the wealth and charisma to create  spectacle in its place. Without agreement about some basic facts,  citizens cannot form the civil society that would allow them to defend  themselves. If we lose the institutions that produce facts that are pertinent to us, then we tend to wallow in attractive abstractions and  fictions.

Truth defends itself particularly poorly when there is not  very much of it around, and the era of Trump — like the era of Vladimir  Putin in Russia — is one of the decline of local news. Social media is  no substitute: It supercharges the mental habits by which we seek  emotional stimulation and comfort, which means losing the distinction  between what feels true and what actually is true.Post-truth  wears away the rule of law and invites a regime of myth. These last  four years, scholars have discussed the legitimacy and value of invoking  fascism in reference to Trumpian propaganda. One comfortable position  has been to label any such effort as a direct comparison and then to  treat such comparisons as taboo. More productively, the philosopher  Jason Stanley has treated fascism as a phenomenon, as a series of  patterns that can be observed not only in interwar Europe but beyond it.

My  own view is that greater knowledge of the past, fascist or otherwise,  allows us to notice and conceptualize elements of the present that we  might otherwise disregard and to think more broadly about future  possibilities. It was clear to me in October that Trump’s behavior  presaged a coup, and I said so in print; this is not because the present  repeats the past, but because the past enlightens the present.Like  historical fascist leaders, Trump has presented himself as the single  source of truth. His use of the term “fake news” echoed the Nazi smear Lügenpresse (“lying press”); like the Nazis, he referred to reporters as “enemies  of the people.” Like Adolf Hitler, he came to power at a moment when the  conventional press had taken a beating; the financial crisis of 2008  did to American newspapers what the Great Depression did to German ones.  The Nazis thought that they could use radio to replace the old  pluralism of the newspaper; Trump tried to do the same with Twitter.

Thanks  to technological capacity and personal talent, Donald Trump lied at a  pace perhaps unmatched by any other leader in history. For the most part  these were small lies, and their main effect was cumulative. To believe  in all of them was to accept the authority of a single man, because to  believe in all of them was to disbelieve everything else. Once such  personal authority was established, the president could treat everyone  else as the liars; he even had the power to turn someone from a trusted  adviser into a dishonest scoundrel with a single tweet. Yet so long as  he was unable to enforce some truly big lie, some fantasy that created  an alternative reality where people could live and die, his pre-fascism  fell short of the thing itself.

Some  of his lies were, admittedly, medium-size: that he was a successful  businessman; that Russia did not support him in 2016; that Barack Obama  was born in Kenya. Such medium-size lies were the standard fare of  aspiring authoritarians in the 21st century. In Poland the right-wing  party built a martyrdom cult around assigning blame to political rivals  for an airplane crash that killed the nation’s president. Hungary’s  Viktor Orban blames a vanishingly small number of Muslim refugees for his country’s problems. But such claims were not quite big lies; they stretched but did not rend what Hannah Arendt called “the fabric of factuality.”

One  historical big lie discussed by Arendt is Joseph Stalin’s explanation  of starvation in Soviet Ukraine in 1932-33. The state had collectivized  agriculture, then applied a series of punitive measures to Ukraine that  ensured millions would die. Yet the official line was that the starving  were provocateurs, agents of Western powers who hated socialism so much  they were killing themselves. A still grander fiction, in Arendt’s  account, is Hitlerian anti-Semitism: the claims that Jews ran the world,  Jews were responsible for ideas that poisoned German minds, Jews  stabbed Germany in the back during the First World War. Intriguingly,  Arendt thought big lies work only in lonely minds; their coherence  substitutes for experience and companionship.In November 2020, reaching millions of lonely minds through social media, Trump told a lie that was dangerously ambitious: that he had won an election that in fact he had lost. 

This lie was big in every pertinent respect: not as big as “Jews run  the world,” but big enough. The significance of the matter at hand was  great: the right to rule the most powerful country in the world and the  efficacy and trustworthiness of its succession procedures. The level of  mendacity was profound. The claim was not only wrong, but it was also  made in bad faith, amid unreliable sources. It challenged not just  evidence but logic: Just how could (and why would) an election have been  rigged against a Republican president but not against Republican  senators and representatives? Trump had to speak, absurdly, of a “Rigged  (for President) Election.”

The  force of a big lie resides in its demand that many other things must be believed or disbelieved. To make sense of a world in which the 2020 presidential election was stolen requires distrust not only of reporters  and of experts but also of local, state and federal government  institutions, from poll workers to elected officials, Homeland Security  and all the way to the Supreme Court. It brings with it, of necessity, a  conspiracy theory: Imagine all the people who must have been in on such  a plot and all the people who would have had to work on the cover-up.Trump’s  electoral fiction floats free of verifiable reality. It is defended not  so much by facts as by claims that someone else has made some claims.  The sensibility is that something must be wrong because I feel it to be  wrong, and I know others feel the same way. When political leaders such  as Ted Cruz or Jim Jordan spoke like this, what they meant was: You  believe my lies, which compels me to repeat them. Social media provides  an infinity of apparent evidence for any conviction, especially one  seemingly held by a president.

On the  surface, a conspiracy theory makes its victim look strong: It sees Trump  as resisting the Democrats, the Republicans, the Deep State, the  pedophiles, the Satanists. More profoundly, however, it inverts the  position of the strong and the weak. Trump’s focus on alleged  “irregularities” and “contested states” comes down to cities where Black  people live and vote. At bottom, the fantasy of fraud is that of a  crime committed by Black people against white people.It’s  not just that electoral fraud by African-Americans against Donald Trump  never happened. It is that it is the very opposite of what happened, in  2020 and in every American election. As always, Black people waited longer than others to vote and were more likely to have their votes challenged. They were more likely to be suffering or dying from Covid-19, and less likely to be able to take time away from work. The historical  protection of their right to vote has been removed by the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, and states have rushed to pass measures of a kind that historically reduce voting by the poor and communities of color.

The  claim that Trump was denied a win by fraud is a big lie not just  because it mauls logic, misdescribes the present and demands belief in a  conspiracy. It is a big lie, fundamentally, because it reverses the  moral field of American politics and the basic structure of American  history.

When Senator Ted Cruz  announced his intention to challenge the Electoral College vote, he  invoked the Compromise of 1877, which resolved the presidential election  of 1876. Commentators pointed out that this was no relevant precedent,  since back then there really were serious voter irregularities and there  really was a stalemate in Congress. For African-Americans, however, the  seemingly gratuitous reference led somewhere else. The Compromise of  1877 — in which Rutherford B. Hayes would have the presidency, provided  that he withdrew federal power from the South — was the very arrangement  whereby African-Americans were driven from voting booths for the better  part of a century. It was effectively the end of Reconstruction, the  beginning of segregation, legal discrimination and Jim Crow. It is the  original sin of American history in the post-slavery era, our closest  brush with fascism so far.If the  reference seemed distant when Ted Cruz and 10 senatorial colleagues  released their statement on Jan. 2, it was brought very close four days  later, when Confederate flags were paraded through the Capitol.

Some things have changed since 1877, of course. Back then, it was the Republicans, or  many of them, who supported racial equality; it was the Democrats, the  party of the South, who wanted apartheid. It was the Democrats, back  then, who called African-Americans’ votes fraudulent, and the  Republicans who wanted them counted. This is now reversed. In the past  half century, since the Civil Rights Act, Republicans have become a  predominantly white party interested — as Trump openly declared — in  keeping the number of voters, and particularly the number of Black  voters, as low as possible. Yet the common thread remains. Watching  white supremacists among the people storming the Capitol, it was easy to  yield to the feeling that something pure had been violated. It might be  better to see the episode as part of a long American argument about who  deserves representation.

The  Democrats, today, have become a coalition, one that does better than Republicans with female and nonwhite voters and collects votes from both labor unions and the college-educated. Yet it’s not quite right to  contrast this coalition with a monolithic Republican Party. Right now,  the Republican Party is a coalition of two types of people: those who  would game the system (most of the politicians, some of the voters) and  those who dream of breaking it (a few of the politicians, many of the  voters). In January 2021, this was visible as the difference between  those Republicans who defended the present system on the grounds that it  favored them and those who tried to upend it.In  the four decades since the election of Ronald Reagan, Republicans have  overcome the tension between the gamers and the breakers by governing in  opposition to government, or by calling elections a revolution (the Tea  Party), or by claiming to oppose elites. The breakers, in this  arrangement, provide cover for the gamers, putting forth an ideology  that distracts from the basic reality that government under Republicans  is not made smaller but simply diverted to serve a handful of interests.

At  first, Trump seemed like a threat to this balance. His lack of  experience in politics and his open racism made him a very uncomfortable  figure for the party; his habit of continually telling lies was  initially found by prominent Republicans to be uncouth. Yet after he won  the presidency, his particular skills as a breaker seemed to create a  tremendous opportunity for the gamers. Led by the gamer in chief,  McConnell, they secured hundreds of federal judges and tax cuts for the  rich.

Trump  was unlike other breakers in that he seemed to have no ideology. His  objection to institutions was that they might constrain him personally.  He intended to break the system to serve himself — and this is partly  why he has failed. Trump is a charismatic politician and inspires  devotion not only among voters but among a surprising number of  lawmakers, but he has no vision that is greater than himself or what his  admirers project upon him. In this respect his pre-fascism fell short  of fascism: His vision never went further than a mirror. He arrived at a  truly big lie not from any view of the world but from the reality that  he might lose something.

Yet Trump  never prepared a decisive blow. He lacked the support of the military,  some of whose leaders he had alienated. (No true fascist would have made  the mistake he did there, which was to openly love foreign dictators;  supporters convinced that the enemy was at home might not mind, but  those sworn to protect from enemies abroad did.) Trump’s secret police  force, the men carrying out snatch operations in Portland, was violent but also small and ludicrous. Social media proved to be a  blunt weapon: Trump could announce his intentions on Twitter, and white  supremacists could plan their invasion of the Capitol on Facebook or  Gab. 

But the president, for all his lawsuits and entreaties and threats  to public officials, could not engineer a situation that ended with the  right people doing the wrong thing. Trump could make some voters believe  that he had won the 2020 election, but he was unable to bring  institutions along with his big lie. And he could bring his supporters  to Washington and send them on a rampage in the Capitol, but none  appeared to have any very clear idea of how this was to work or what  their presence would accomplish. It is hard to think of a comparable  insurrectionary moment, when a building of great significance was seized, that involved so much milling around.

The lie outlasts the  liar. The idea that Germany lost the First World War in 1918 because of  a Jewish “stab in the back” was 15 years old when Hitler came to power.  How will Trump’s myth of victimhood function in American life 15 years from now? And to whose benefit?

On  Jan. 7, Trump called for a peaceful transition of power, implicitly  conceding that his putsch had failed. Even then, though, he repeated and  even amplified his electoral fiction: It was now a sacred cause for  which people had sacrificed. Trump’s imagined stab in the back will live  on chiefly thanks to its endorsement by members of Congress. In  November and December 2020, Republicans repeated it, giving it a life it  would not otherwise have had. In retrospect, it now seems as though the  last shaky compromise between the gamers and the breakers was the idea  that Trump should have every chance to prove that wrong had been done to  him. That position implicitly endorsed the big lie for Trump supporters  who were inclined to believe it. It failed to restrain Trump, whose big  lie only grew bigger.

The breakers  and the gamers then saw a different world ahead, where the big lie was  either a treasure to be had or a danger to be avoided. The breakers had  no choice but to rush to be first to claim to believe in it. Because the  breakers Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz must compete to claim the brimstone  and bile, the gamers were forced to reveal their own hand, and the  division within the Republican coalition became visible on Jan. 6. The  invasion of the Capitol only reinforced this division. To be sure, a few  senators withdrew their objections, but Cruz and Hawley moved forward  anyway, along with six other senators. More than 100 representatives  doubled down on the big lie. Some, like Matt Gaetz, even added their own  flourishes, such as the claim that the mob was led not by Trump’s  supporters but by his opponents.Trump  is, for now, the martyr in chief, the high priest of the big lie. He is  the leader of the breakers, at least in the minds of his supporters. By  now, the gamers do not want Trump around. Discredited in his last  weeks, he is useless; shorn of the obligations of the presidency, he  will become embarrassing again, much as he was in 2015. Unable to  provide cover for their gamesmanship, he will be irrelevant to their daily purposes. But the breakers have an even stronger reason to see  Trump disappear: It is impossible to inherit from someone who is still  around. Seizing Trump’s big lie might appear to be a gesture of support.  In fact it expresses a wish for his political death. Transforming the  myth from one about Trump to one about the nation will be easier when he  is out of the way.

As Cruz and Hawley  may learn, to tell the big lie is to be owned by it. Just because you  have sold your soul does not mean that you have driven a hard bargain.  Hawley shies from no level of hypocrisy; the son of a banker, educated at Stanford University and Yale Law School, he denounces elites. Insofar  as Cruz was thought to have a principle, it was that of states’ rights,  which Trump’s calls to action brazenly violated. A joint statement Cruz  issued about the senators’ challenge to the vote nicely captured the  post-truth aspect of the whole: It never alleged that there was fraud,  only that there were allegations of fraud. Allegations of allegations,  allegations all the way down.The  big lie requires commitment. When Republican gamers do not exhibit  enough of that, Republican breakers call them “RINOs”: Republicans in  name only. This term once suggested a lack of ideological commitment. It  now means an unwillingness to throw away an election. The gamers, in  response, close ranks around the Constitution and speak of principles  and traditions. The breakers must all know (with the possible exception  of the Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville) that they are participating in a  sham, but they will have an audience of tens of millions who do not.

If  Trump remains present in American political life, he will surely repeat  his big lie incessantly. Hawley and Cruz and the other breakers share  responsibility for where this leads. Cruz and Hawley seem to be running  for president. Yet what does it mean to be a candidate for office and  denounce voting? If you claim that the other side has cheated, and your  supporters believe you, they will expect you to cheat yourself. By  defending Trump’s big lie on Jan. 6, they set a precedent: A Republican  presidential candidate who loses an election should be appointed anyway  by Congress. Republicans in the future, at least breaker candidates for  president, will presumably have a Plan A, to win and win, and a Plan B,  to lose and win. No fraud is necessary; only allegations that there are allegations of fraud. Truth is to be replaced by spectacle, facts by  faith.Trump’s coup attempt of 2020-21, like other failed coup attempts, is a warning  for those who care about the rule of law and a lesson for those who do  not. His pre-fascism revealed a possibility for American politics. For a  coup to work in 2024, the breakers will require something that Trump  never quite had: an angry minority, organized for nationwide violence,  ready to add intimidation to an election. Four years of amplifying a big  lie just might get them this. To claim that the other side stole an  election is to promise to steal one yourself. It is also to claim that  the other side deserves to be punished.Informed  observers inside and outside government agree that right-wing white  supremacism is the greatest terrorist threat to the United States. 

Gun  sales in 2020 hit an astonishing high. History shows that political  violence follows when prominent leaders of major political parties  openly embrace paranoia.Our big lie  is typically American, wrapped in our odd electoral system, depending  upon our particular traditions of racism. Yet our big lie is also  structurally fascist, with its extreme mendacity, its conspiratorial  thinking, its reversal of perpetrators and victims and its implication  that the world is divided into us and them. To keep it going for four  years courts terrorism and assassination.

When  that violence comes, the breakers will have to react. If they embrace  it, they become the fascist faction. The Republican Party will be  divided, at least for a time. One can of course imagine a dismal  reunification: A breaker candidate loses a narrow presidential election  in November 2024 and cries fraud, the Republicans win both houses of  Congress and rioters in the street, educated by four years of the big lie,  demand what they see as justice. Would the gamers stand on principle if  those were the circumstances of Jan. 6, 2025?To  be sure, this moment is also a chance. It is possible that a divided Republican Party might better serve American democracy; that the gamers, separated from the breakers, might start to think of policy as a way to  win elections. It is very likely that the Biden-Harris administration  will have an easier first few months than expected; perhaps  obstructionism will give way, at least among a few Republicans and for a  short time, to a moment of self-questioning. 

Politicians who want  Trumpism to end have a simple way forward: Tell the truth about the  election.America will not survive the  big lie just because a liar is separated from power. It will need a  thoughtful repluralization of media and a commitment to facts as a  public good. The racism structured into every aspect of the coup attempt  is a call to heed our own history. Serious attention to the past helps  us to see risks but also suggests future possibility. We cannot be a  democratic republic if we tell lies about race, big or small.Democracy  is not about minimizing the vote nor ignoring it, neither a matter of  gaming nor of breaking a system, but of accepting the equality of  others, heeding their voices and counting their votes.

[grimelords]

My March playlist is finished! This one is slightly more diverse than usual, swinging all the way from vibraphone jazz to Bhad Bhabie to black metal so I’ve taken the liberty of actually sequencing it properly for you. So if you’ve got 3 hours you can listen to this straight through and be taken for a hell of a ride. No matter what you like I’m sure you’ll find something in here that you love.

Tahiti - Milt Jackson: For an unknown reason I had a big jazz vibraphone phase this month and when you're talking jazz vibraphone you're talking the Wizard Of The Vibes himself, Milt Jackson. I feel insane even having an opinion on this but it's a shame that some of the best vibraphone performances were made at a time when the actual recording technology wasn't really there, they all have this very thin quality that I think misses a lot of the great character of the instrument.

Detour - Bill Le Sage: Like compare this from 1971 to Wizard Of The Vibes from 1952, the sounds is miles warmer and gives so much more of the full range and detail of the instrument. I also listened to this song five times in a row when I first heard it, the central refrain is just so fuckin good. Like I said, big vibes vibe and who knows why.

Blowin' The Blues Away - Buddy Rich And His Sextet: Superhuman playing aside, it's unbelievable how good these drums sound. The whole first minute just feels like a tour of each specific drum and I absolutely revel in it. I feel like flute and vibes is a relatively rare combo so it's extremely nice to hear Sam Most and Mike Manieri go ham in tandem.

Yama Yama - Yamasuki Singers: A friend sent me this song that he's had stuck in his head for ten years ever since it was in a beer ad from the days when beer ads were incredible strange for complicated legal reasons about not showing people enjoying the product or something https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORfkh0OojxY and this incredible song is apparently from a 1971 French concept album where a couple of guys wrote a bunch of psychedelic songs in Japanese for an unknown reason that later became a massive drum and bass breaks album, and one of the guys was Thomas Bangalter from Daft Punk's dad! Music is crazy.

Alfonso Muskedunder - Todd Terje: I'm starting a petition to get Todd Terje to write the soundtrack for the next Mario Kart. I absolutely love this song and this whole album because it's so joyful and strange and it just sounds like nothing else I've ever heard. He seem to truly operate in a world entirely of his own.

Pala - Roland Tings: I love this song. It's like he wrote it with normal sounds and then went back and replaced every instrument with the party version. This song hands you a coconut and says welcome to the island where bad vibes are punishable by firing squad.

Keygen 13 - Haze Edit - Dubmood: There's a fucking album of keygen music on spotify and it's absolutely great and so good that someone's doing the work to recognize the value of the music this extremely weird scene produced and preserve it. If you don't know, back in the day when you pirated photoshop or whatever, you would download a license key generator which was a program made by extreme nerds who had cracked the license key algorithm to give you a fake one, and for unknown reasons they would make the keygen program play original chiptune music that someone in their nerd crew would compose. Who knows why but god bless them.

My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix) - Feist: The very concept of a Boys Noize remix of My Moon My Man is hilarious and it turns out it sounds absolutely amazing as well. Two great tastes that taste great together.

Low Blows - Meg Mac: I had a big Meg Mac phase this month too, listened to her album a lot and it's extremely solid. Great timing too cause her new one comes out in a month or so too. I really am excited to hear her next album because she's so good but I've always got this feeling that she hasn't reached her full potential yet, she's only going to get a million times better in an album or two.

Patience - Tame Impala: I love that the cover of this single is a pic of congas because it feels like that's the central thesis here. Kevin Parker bought some congas and is making disco Tame Impala now and I really couldn't be happier about it.

Unconditional (feat. Kitten) - Touch Sensitive: I love a 90s throwback done with love. There's nothing cynical or ironic about this it's just fun as hell!

Last Hurrah - Bebe Rexha: Get a fucking load of this Bebe Rexha song that interpolates Buy U A Drank by T-Pain for the chorus! It's a testament to how good that song is that she's using the verse melody as the chorus. T-Pain will quite literally never get the respect he deserves. Also this song goes for 2.5 minutes. There's something happening where pop songwriting is getting more and more compact, completely trimming the fat and ornamentation and it's very interesting.

Hi Bich - Bad Bhabie: Also I'm fully six months late on Hi Bich but I'm of the opinion that it's extremely fucking good. A perfect little reaction gif of a song and it only goes for 1m45!

Friends - Flume: I'm doubling down on my thesis about emo rap from last month but this song literally sounds like a Flume remix of a Hawthorne Heights song. The whole melody of it, the overlapping yelled/clean vocals. The lyrics obviously. I don't know it's just very odd how close it is. A sort of emo trojan horse to trick people into thinking The Used are cool again. 

How To Build A Relationship (feat. JPEGMAFIA) - Flume: I've been meaning to check out JPEGMAFIA (AKA Buttermilk Jesus AKA DJ Half-Court Violation AKA Lil' World Cup) for a while but this is the song that convinced me. There's just so much to digest in this. Every line is gold and delivered with massive conviction even when he realises it's total nonsense like 'dont call me unless I gave you my number'.

Bells & Circles (feat. Iggy Pop) - Underworld: Underworld alive 2019?? I love this song becuase Iggy Pop has been riding a fine line between punk provocateur and old man yells at cloud for a while now and this song is the perfect mix of both. You can't hijack airplanes and redirect them to cuba anymore and as a result it's over for liberal democracies. Just yelling about air travel for six minutes and it's good.

Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death Pt. 1) - UNKLE: This beat is some of my favourite DJ Shadow work I think. The menacing organ bass throughout, and especially the distorted drum freakout near the end. It's just great all the way through.

Homo Deus IV - Deantoni Parks: Another Deantoni Parks track like I was raving about last month. This whole album is great and flows together as a single piece of work amazingly. I love the purposefully limited sample palette of each track forcing an evolving groove throughout. He absolutely wrings every bit of variation he can get out of every single sound he uses and once you get into the groove of it it's absolutely mind blowing.

Boredom - The Drones: I love that The Drones can write a song about joining ISIS that's also a lot of fun. Spelling out radicalization in a way anyone can understand and sympathise with and then switching it in the second verse to spell out how we got into this situation anyway. 

Loinclothing - Hunters And Collectors: I love how much this song sounds like a voodoo celebration in christian hell.

The Fun Machine Took A Shit And Died - Queens Of The Stone Age: There's a good bit on the live dvd they put out after Lullabies To Paralyze where they play this song and they say it was supposed to be on the album but somebody stole the master recordings from the studio, which is an incredible and brazen crime. Then when they put it out on Era Vulgaris as a bonus track Josh Homme said in an interview "The tapes got lost. Actually, they were just at another studio, but we falsely accused everyone in the world of theft" which is extremely funny. This is really one of their best songs and I sort of really with it had been on Lullabies because it fits perfectly between The Blood Is Love and Someone's In The Wolf type of vibes, I love how it just kind of keeps shifting ideas and riffs throughout. An absolute jam overflowing with ideas.

10AM Automatic - The Black Keys: This song is an all time great in my opinion. It's so straightforward and so effective. I wonder if we'll get a blues rock revival ever or if Jack White still being alive and bad is souring everyone on that idea. This song also has one of my favourite guitar sounds in history I think - the outrageously huge sounding solo that comes out of nowhere and swallows up the rest of the mix like a swirling black hole near the end.

Gamma Knife - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: I've never gotten much into King Gizzard and because of their one million albums already it's hard to know where to start but I've been listening to Nonagon Infinity a bit and it's great, it's just good old fashioned 70s prog jams front to back.

Gina Works At Hearts - DZ Deathrays: I absolutely love this song and I absolutely love the second guitar sound in the chorus of this song that sounds like it's made out of thin steel.

Black Brick - Deafheaven: When I saw Deafheaven the other month I was right up the front and it was a life changingly great experience AND they played this new song live for the first time before it went up everywhere like three hours later which was very exciting to be given a sclusie like that. After they finished a guy behind me whispered to his friend "Slayer..." which was very funny to me.

Gemini - Elder: I found this band because one of my Spotify Daily Mixes was all stoner metal for a while, which is a good genre to see all lined up because it'll have Weedeater, Bongripper AND Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats right there in a row for you. Anyway this album is extremely good, the very best kind of stoner metal where it's groovy and fun and has big meaty riffs and ripping big solos and it's extremely easy to listen to three times in a row.

The Paradise Gallows - Inter Arma: My big obsession the past little while has been Inter Arma ever since Stereogum posted The Atavist's Meridian from their new album. It is just so fucking good and I can't believe I've never heard of them before. You know when you find out about an amazing band and then you find out they've been around for nearly ten years and you can't believe everyone in your life has been selfishly hiding them from you?

The Atavist's Meridian - Inter Arma: I think a big part of my enjoyment of this band has also been that I discovered them at the same time as I'm listening to an audiobook of the complete Conan The Barbarian omnibus so I'm very much in the brain space for music that sounds like it would be nice to swing an axe to.

Untoward Evocation - Impetuous Ritual: I love how halfway through this kind of just turns into a big swirling mist of dark sounds. It feels so formless and dark that it could just shake apart and dissipate at any moment and you'd look down to realise your skin is gone.

Eagle On A Pole - Conor Oberst: from Genius: 'In an interview with MTV news, Oberst stated “We were on the bus one day and a friend of ours that travels with us and works for the band kind of came out from the back of the bus and said that first line: ‘Saw an eagle on a pole… I think it was an eagle.’ And then this guy Simon Joyner, who is a great songwriter from Omaha and one of my great friends, he was on tour with us and sitting there and he was like, ‘You know, that’s a great name for a song.’ We kind of had a contest where he wrote a song with that first line, and [then] I did, and a couple of our other friends. We kind of all played them for each other. Simon’s is better than mine, but it is a good line to start a song.” Another version–Mystic Valley Band drummer Jason Boesel’s interpretation–is on the next album, Outer South.' The idea that such a good song has such a braindead origin only makes me love it more.

Lake Marie - John Prine: When I saw John Prine the other month he played this song that I had never heard before and I had to look it up after and now I'm completely obsessed with it. It feels like falling asleep during a movie and missing a critical plot point so the rest doesn't make sense when you wake up but is thrilling nonetheless. Also he absolutely screamed "SHADOWS!!!" when he played it which was a fucking cool thing to see a 72 year old man do.

Little White Dove - Jenny Lewis: The drums on this whole album are absolutely huge for some reason and I love it. My favourite recent sound is in the first chorus where there's a funny little pitch correction noise as she sings 'dove'. It's very strange and very very good.

Locked Up - The Ocean Party: I only found out The Ocean Party existed as they announced their farewell show this month which is a real shame but I'm glad I got to hear of them at all because they're very good. A very good song about that feeling we all know and love: driving for a long long time.

Plain & Sane & Simple Melody - Ted Lucas: I found out about this song from Emma Ruth Rundle's Amoeba Records video and she makes a good point about this whole album sounding like something's gone wrong and it got accidentally pitched down slightly in the recording process. It's unclear if that's what happened or that's just how he sounds but it adds a very softly spooky undercurrent to a very nice song.​ 

listen here

[teeentyonepilots]

Please do write an essey about the energy between the boys. Please!!

here it goes, and please try not to regret asking me this.

so no matter which way you slice it, Josh and Tyler have spent a significantly large time apart from each other over this hiatus. Keep in mind that we aren’t at all clued into how often they spoke to each other since they both took a social media hiatus and we are far from being in a position to assume what they do. Yes, they definitely spoke a lot because uh, they wrote and recorded a whole album, planned an entire concept and universe, and designed the upcoming era and tour. They probably did end up spending time together, especially at the end when the album had to be finished up.

But, keep in mind that for years and years and year they saw each other every single day with only the occasional breaks for a few weeks or maybe a month or two at a time. So any amount of time physically apart (especially with most of the country between them) is a huge change. 

They’ve always said, and Tyler has already stated multiple time since coming back (and it’s not like he’s spoken all that much), that they never got sick of each other–it’s not like they really really really needed to get away from each other. Josh said they’re closer than ever. No one but them knows in what way or how–they’ve always been super open with each other since the beginning, but did they reach a new level of collaboration? Is this what it’s like to have aged with someone for so many years that you’re just reaching a different level every time. They stripped away all the extra from their unusual friendship–the fans, the fame, as much as they could and maybe they returned to just being them.

I’ve set the scene for you now– they’ve had a lot of time apart, but they love each other so much that the distance made them grow even fonder. Who knows what they may have experience together in that time, but now they’re on the precipice of something new. An entire cycle–as @syrupyjoshler and myself brain melded yesterday–the chain is clicking on the rollercoaster as the car reaches the peak of the first hill. Anticipation is mounting. They’ve been keeping this to such a small circle of people what exactly is in the works. I’m sure there were late nights of talking and creating music, texts shooting back and forth with ideas for the stage show. 

They are so excited to share everything with the world. Have talked endlessly on what people may think; both have talked about their discussions and fear that no one will show up to the concerts–so we know they talk about this to no end. 

Excitement, fear, anticipation, pride, longing, happiness, anxiety

There’s a whole mess of emotions they probably share, and only they can understand.

So my main points:

They missed each other a lot

They’re excited and scared to start the new cycle

And so far what we’ve seen of the two of them together (and there will be even more soon), is just…. joy at being together doing what they both love and have dedicated their lives to do. Best friends, it’s all about them and their friendship and making this work. And how they’re looking at each other when they’re finally side by side… I don’t know if it’s just the fact that we all missed them and we’re over the moon to see them together, but it seems like they’re just as or even more happy than we are.

you can see the hearts flying between them, okay?

[jui-imouto-chan]

Finding His Way Home

Part 1/?

—This is the story that destroyed some members of the New Era Discord and created the “Suspended Fic” channel. I just cleaned up the story and added padding.) This is not the happiest fic, just in case you’re wondering.—

•

Cole and Connor were almost inseparable. Connor taught the younger a plethora of things, but that wasn't to say that Connor didn't learn from him, in return. Cole was like Connor's guide to the world around him, a teacher of the idea of humanity.

It wasn't entirely intentional, but the two opened each other up to so many new ideas.

Cole adored Connor, eyes lighting up like stars as he looked up at the android. He did his best to have the android with him wherever he went. And he always had excuses prepared to keep Connor around for as long as he could. He'd ask for assistance with his homework and for Connor to cook certain foods for him, helping the android with the cooking because all he wanted was to spend time with his older brother.

He got the other to tell him bedtime stories, to tuck him in, to smile at him.

("Hey, Connor, did you know? The last thing you think about is what you usually end up dreaming about!" "No, I didn't know that. What an interesting tidbit." Connor knew, but he was more than willing to humor the eight year-old. "So, can you smile at me before you turn off the lights? I wanna see you smiling when I fall asleep!" Connor couldn't stop himself from smiling anyway, a blue blush dusting his cheeks lightly. "Of course. Anything for you, Cole.")

Connor would come up with excuses to be with him, too. Coming over to work on files they already finished, talking about Hank's health, making sure Cole didn't burn himself trying to surprise his father with breakfast.

Hank would always invite Connor to live with them, even willing to move to a larger house if it meant that the man would stay. But Connor always politely refused, a soft smile with a hint of sadness spreading across his lips. Connor would always return to Cyberlife. He'd walk off into the dark of the night, taking a small piece of Hank's heart with him.

Cole was always reluctant to let Connor leave. But he'd let him anyways, since he knew the android would always come home.

...Until one day, he didn't.

He'd gone and hadn't come back, and suddenly, two pieces were added to what the android took as he left. Pieces of Cole and Sumo.

Cole thinks to himself that Connor didn't ever return, but in a way, he did. It just wasn't...him.

He looked like Connor. He sounded like Connor. He was even named Connor. But he was not, in any way, actually Connor. That was not his older brother.

He didn't smile the way Connor did, not as often or as brightly. He didn't light up when Sumo approached him, nor did he even move to pet the large dog. Connor used to always have treats in his pocket, the best he could manage to get for the St. Bernard.

Cole missed Connor so much. The Fake Connor never hugged Cole, and it took Cole longer to convince him to tell stories, and the other simply read them from books with a flat tone. Cole gave up on him, not willing to go out of his way to spend time with the imposter, and vice versa.

Even Hank was uneasy around the Fake Connor.

Connor would ask so many questions, childlike in his naivete, despite his appearances. When he’d be the one questioned, he’d rattle off information until someone told him to stop. The Fake Connor was quiet and to the point.

Cole just wanted his Connor back.

Cole...

Cole just wanted his older brother to come home.

As a revolution began sweeping over the city of Detroit like a fresh spring breeze, Cole began to encounter plenty of androids. The nine year-old even met the leader of the androids, the one who spearheaded the revolution, Markus, during one of the days his father took him along to the department.

Through Markus, Cole met Alice, alongside her parents, Kara and Luther. He’d also met the others in Markus’ circle, like North, Simon, and Josh. And another android, one who Cole always did his best to avoid looking at and interacting with.

Hank trusted the androids to keep his son safe while he was away, so Cole had ample time to forge bonds. Yet, there was always a distance he kept between himself and the others.

It was yet another day spent in front of New Jericho, a cathedral that had been modified heavily to become a perfect home for the androids that had needed one. Sumo panted at his feet, tail swinging back and forth.

Cole felt someone settle beside him on the bench. Their eyes met, brown meeting blue.

“You know, Cole, I really like dogs.”

Cole nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Yeah, I know, Luther.”

Behind the large figure of the man sat Alice, who was peering at Sumo with adoration and awe overtaking her face.

“Can I pet him?” she asked, still looking and sounding the same age as when he’d first met her two years ago. He was almost older than her now, which was a strange concept.

He let amusement control his tone as he told her to go ahead.

She was petting the dog enthusiastically, to which Sumo responded with happy little noises and flopping down to expose his belly.

It was five minutes before she gave her last pat to Sumo’s fur and settled back on the bench. The three of them chatted while Sumo busied himself with sniffing something nearby.

The dog’s head perked up suddenly, which was caught in Cole’s peripherals, but ultimately ignored.

And then Sumo took off, and Cole felt dumb for letting his grip on the dog’s leash become lax. Calling out goodbyes over his shoulder, he dashed after his St. Bernard, barely dodging people walking past until he reached the grassy area that Sumo was now stopped at.

While making his way over to the dog, he found himself tripping and tumbling to the floor.

“Are you okay?” a voice asked, one so familiar that he felt himself tremble slightly. He grasped at the grass, trying to ground himself.

He looked up, then looked away. He would not fall for brown doe eyes; he would not fall for the gentle, concerned tone. Cole wouldn’t let himself--

“‘M fine.” he muttered. He could hear Sumo’s panting grow louder as the furry beast approached.

“Oh, is this your dog? He’s very cute!”

Sumo picked up his pace, chasing affection.

Cole went to get up, ignoring the hand offered to him.

You don’t matter to me.

You don’t....

His eyes darted up towards the other’s face. He stared into eyes glimmering in the sun, so full of emotion. Cole felt tears prick at his own.

Cole reached up, fingers brushing gently against the synthetic skin of a cheek.

Confusion was written all over the other’s expression. He looked down at him curiously.

Cole felt warmth grace his fingertips, felt warmth swirl inside his chest.

Then Sumo snuffled his side, bringing him back into the moment, and the warmth dissipated into an empty cold.

“You….” Cole almost whispered, voice weak. “You aren’t him, are you?”

The android scrunched his eyebrows in worried puzzlement.

“I’m not… who?”

Cole felt a new heat start up inside of him. Burning anger that made him bristle in rage. Memories flurried past him in a blizzard of hurt, his teeth grit and fist clenched in fury, his eyes flooded with tears.

Cole remembered sitting on the porch with Sumo, an excited sparkle in his eyes as he eagerly awaited his brother’s arrival home.

He remembered the smile dropping as the sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon.

He remembered his father pulling him inside as the stars blinked into existence.

He remembered fighting with his father every day, trying to wait. Because his brother would come home.

After days became weeks, became months, became years, Cole remembered his father, half full bottle in hand, breaking both of their hearts in a single slurred sentence.

“I don’t think Connor is coming back, son.”

He remembered denial, he remembered despair, anger at himself, at his father, at Connor, and that anger all swelled in him with each fast breath that lifted his chest.

Then everything rushed out of him when his lungs forced him to breathe out.

Cole felt nothing. He was shaking, he was upset.

“No, I’m sure you just look like him. Androids have plenty that look the same, right? Maybe you’re just another of his same model. That’s probably it, yeah. Y-yeah. I’ll go, now.”

With a quivering hand, he grabbed Sumo’s leash and walked off, ignoring the way the RK800 behind him hesitated, a hand lifting to weakly reach out just as his back turned.

Cole didn’t say goodbye.

Why would he?

Connor hadn’t.

(“Don’t say goodbye, Con.” Hank told the android before he left, one night. “Even if you get lost on your way, you’ll always make it back home.”

“What should I say instead?” Connor asked, seemingly trying not to smile at the word ‘home’.

“How ‘bout ‘see you tomorrow’? We say that in class every day.” Cole suggested, swinging their clasped hands.

Connor patted his head. “I can’t say I’ll be here every day, that’d be lying.” Cole pouted at him. Connor’s LED rolled yellow as he thinks for a moment. “Alright, how about, ‘see you soon’?”)

He forced the numbers written on the other’s jacket out of his head.

(“313,” Connor began.

“248!” Cole said back.

“317,” They finish together, Cole giggling happily.

“Number 51.” Hank added, looking over the back of the couch.

“My name is Connor,” Cole imitated Connor’s voice as best as he could, “I’m the android sent by Cyberlife.”

Hank barked out a laugh and Connor pushed at Cole gently, as though he were offended at the cute mockery, the younger sticking his tongue out at him.)

That android was not his brother.

Cole refused get his hopes up dashed again.

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update #62: They’re *Really* Back (9/14/18)

We knew going into this week that there was a real storm coming, and that was an understatement. Though the complete Trench album is still waiting to be released, it really feels like the band is back more than ever. 

This update is a novel-sized doozy. Grab your new merch, and let’s dive into it.

This Week’s TØPics:

A Complete Diversion in London Brings Trench (and a Flaming Car) to the Stage

The Boys Speak to the Press: Rock Sound and Alt Press Announce Special TØP Issues, and the Boys Hop Back Onto Radio

First Details Emerge About “Neon Gravestones”, “Pet Cheetah”, Clancy, Nico, and More As the Press Hear the Album for the First Time

Major News and Announcements:

The big one finally hit: after over a year, Twenty One Pilots returned to their home on the stage. They started making flex moves before the show even started. They arrived in London two days in advance, rehearsing and playing soundchecks into the night that die-hard campers could hear from outside the venue. They arranged for folks in Bandito uniforms to dispense 150 tickets to those that showed up at the box office.  The venue delivered food to the queue, and the Clique in turn donated their blankets and duvets to a local soup kitchen. Pretty darn sweet.

The real event was even sweeter. 

Twenty One Pilots did not quite pull out all of the stops for their first performance in over a year. The set was just over an hour, did not debut any never-before-heard songs, did not include any special guests, and mainly stuck to the skeleton of the Blurryface Era setlist. And you know what? There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. If anything, Tyler and Josh keeping things focused on dusting off the old gears and introducing a few new elements for the Trench era resulted in a tight and emotional return for today’s greatest band. (Shout out to Ohio Clique for editing fifteen different Periscope and Instagram Live streams together to make a cohesive concert movie.)

Highlights of the show include:

There were no screens present in the smaller venue, but the production crew did make sure to bust out a ton of other great production elements, including tons of lights and, most notably, the car from the  “Heavydirtysoul” video that bursts into flames at key points during certain songs- including, at one point, when Tyler was standing on it.

The Clique brought the production value in the crowd, too: beyond all the folks dressed up as Banditos and Bishops, you also had plenty of people bring in yellow screens for their flashlights and yellow flowers and petals to offer Tyler.

The setlist was pretty sensible, with the four new Trench singles plus all of the songs that you would have expected them to play at an old festival show (minus “Guns for Hands” and “Tear In My Heart”, no I’m not sweating, why?). It is interesting that “WDBWOTV” and “The Judge” were played, but I suspect that it was mainly to justify bringing out the ukulele for “Nico”; if there are more uke tracks on Trench, I would not be surprised to see one or both of these songs dip out of the regular rotation.

Tyler had to stop the show twice to help people out of the pit- it was that kind of show.

The show opened with Josh coming out on stage in full Bandito regalia, torch in hand, looking like a badass. After sitting down at the drums and playing a few simple sequences, a masked man with a bass guitar walked out on the stage, started playing “Jumpsuit”’s gnarly riff, and yelled for the crowd to “GET UP!” Awesome. Twenty One Pilots is back, mate.

Tyler stumbled over a few lyrics in “Jumpsuit” and “Levitate”, but he successfully played it off- only the most diehard fans would have caught that he wasn’t just pausing for breath or to hear the crowd.

Tyler actually yelled “Why’d you come, you know you should have stayed?” at the end of “Heathens”, and it sounded damn good. Hope it sticks for future shows.

Tyler’s “WDBWOTV” pre-speech was a pretty good inaugural address for the Trench Era. He let the rabid audience know that he had been watching them since before the concert (both literally and metaphorically), joked about needing to get back in “show shape”, and thanked London for being a home away from home for them. In gratitude for hosting them, Tyler even announced that they were adding a third arena show at Wembley and joked that Mark should tweet it or something (he did).

Prior to playing “Nico”, Tyler adorned a bright yellow jacket over his usual uke kimono; Josh helpfully banged the drums dramatically for every successful button.

Tyler and Josh did the handshake during “Nico”, because of course they did.

For “My Blood”, Tyler drew from the old playbook and attempted to direct the two halves of the audience to sing harmonies. It worked even better than it used to with “Doubt”, much to Tyler’s evident glee- his smile and little dance to everyone singing his new song back at him was probably the best moment of the whole show.

The Trees Speech was short and sweet, with Tyler promising that he’s written “pages and pages” of things he wants to say, but for now all he can say is that they’ll be coming back on the new tour with “things we’ve never seen before” and that the fans look so good.

#YellowConfettiConfirmed

In the last bit of major news: new merch (that Josh stitched himself, be nice) and a new yellow Trench vinyl that I’m sure won’t immediately sell out. Have fun spending your life savings, kids!

Other Shenanigans:

The band was active in other spaces this week, of course. After Zane Lowe broke open the floodgates last week, both Rock Sound and Alternative Press announced that they would release some exclusive Trench Era Content (tm). Rock Sound’s came in the form of a thirty-page mag featuring a lengthy 22-page feature comprised of the first interview the two bands gave together since before the hiatus, Tyler and Josh’s first full photoshoot in over a year, and tons of awesome posters and Clique art. It definitely is not available in any form on the Internet that I’m afraid to link to lest I get pegged for copyright and sent to jail. Highlights of this interview that I certainly haven’t read include:

Lots of typical Rock Sound purple prose, in which the writer goes off on more tangential metaphors than even Tyler Robert Joseph.

The reporter describes Tyler’s house as “quite stunning” (yeah, with that Blurryface money combined with Columbus real estate values, I should hope so).

Josh laughs at the memory of some of their old costumes. “Those suits were so hot,” he says, as if those heavy coats aren’t a billion degrees inside.

Tyler: “There’s something healthy about realizing that the world keeps turning. Sometimes it can feel like the whole world is revolving around you- I think we all selfishly get to that point. When you have those moments, when you stop and realize that even if you weren’t there those other people would be, it lifts a weight that can feel very heavy. It motivates you to want to come up with a reason why you’re here.”

Tyler says they cut out social media during the hiatus in part because “removing the ability to run straight to it was important. For me, writing music is the thing I want to run to when I feel compelled or inspired. Whether it’s frustration or anger or compassion, whatever it is that I wanted to express, I wanted it to live somewhere new. I didn’t want one drop of meaningful expression to live anywhere else.” Additionally, they did want to test whether the Clique would stick around, and even kinda hint that they wanted to shrink how crowded some of the rooms they entered were becoming.

We are assured, however, that the next “hiatus” will not be the exact same as this. Tyler: “Going away broke my heart. It hurt that we weren’t able to tell people why we had gone, but I’m an advocate of showing people what I’ve been working on rather than telling them how hard I’m working. [...] That said, though we don’t know what the timeframe will be or if we’ll take another break, the manner in which we left... we’ll never do that again.”

I’m just gonna leave this here: “He tells us also of the beautiful relationship he has with his wife, Jenna, and the role that she played in helping him unlock the words and the sounds that would form the basis of this new chapter; of the times he would hand her the phone while behind the wheel of his car to allow her to record anything from melodies to simple poems.” Yeah, will someone sweep up all the pieces of my heart that are just lying on the floor, that’d be great.

Tyler has long had the idea to tell a geographic story, much longer than since the end of the last cycle, and he didn’t always intend to tell it through music. “I feel like in our mind there are places we learn we shouldn’t go.”

Tyler says that there are lots of songs that he writes that never see the light of day because he has moved past the season he wrote them in by the time it comes to record them.

Rock Sound is positively glowing in its brief advance review of the album, saying it is undoubtedly the best project of 2018, “a labor of love”, “a varied, often spectacular collection” with some of the band’s all-time greatest moments. It will be even more sonically diverse than we’ve come to expect: “Morph” is described as “old-school R&B”, “The Hype” “anthemic indie-rock”, “Pet Cheetah” has “stomping beats and a fiery rap verse.” The highlight, though, is apparently “Neon Gravestones”, “a piano-laden spoken word masterpiece” with lyrical content that “will save at least one person’s life”. Damn.

Alt Press will also be releasing a 24-page cover feature on the band and were even nice enough to include a fun video ad from the boys. They’re so cute, and I’ve missed them so much. (Also, Tyler’s checkered pants are a quality meme.)

After the Complete Diversion, Tyler and Josh performed a mini-press tour. First, they gave five-minute interview with Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 and an Instagram Stories AMA on the station’s account. Highlights of this quickie include:

Josh and Tyler joke that specifying the exact number of months they’ve been away sounds like a mother saying their kid is “14 months” instead of a year old.

Tyler notes that this was the first performance in a long time that they’ve felt truly nervous, as they could no longer rely on muscle memory to carry them through after the long break, particularly with the new songs.

Annie references her last interview with Josh, where he confessed to be nervous about whether the fans would return. When asked if the first show helped them overcome those nerves, Tyler replied honestly, “To an extent, yes.” They chuckle about it, but the implication remains thick: the dedicated fanbase certainly turned up, but there is no assurance that they’ll have long-term mainstream success in the future. They seem cool with that.

Tyler states that they chose London specifically to make their return because, besides Columbus, it’s the only city where they have played in every size of venue, from the Barfly club to the Ally Pally and everything in-between over the course of fifteen shows. That type of home atmosphere made it feel right to start the new era there.

Josh says they played a bowling alley in London once. He did not wear bowling shoes in the set nor when he bowled afterward, which, as Tyler points out, is very punk rock.

Tyler reflects on how this show represents years of preparation and practice teaching them how to “trim the fat” and master the tempo and flow of the concert to appear as confident as possible and bring the audience along for a well-planned journey.

“My Blood” is one of the most challenging songs for both artists to play, particularly Tyler, as he has to balance the difficult falsetto with keeping that bassline groovy and consistent.

The IG answers were mostly just the dudes trying and failing to answer basic questions like “Are you happy to be back?” and “What’s it like to be famous?” in as few words as possible without giggling, hugging, and tickling each other. Best Q/A: Why did they watch the Grammys in their underwear? “We didn’t have air-conditioning.”

South African DJ Rob Forbes from Radio 5FM also conducted a truly fascinating interview with the band, the first that dives into the lore and one that gives us even more of a glimpse into some of the future songs. Additionally, Mr. Forbes briefly posted the tracklist w/ time-codes, revealing that both “Chlorine” and “Bandito” go over five minutes- get hyped, kids. Highlights from this interview include:

When asked about Clancy, Tyler responds with a pregnant silence before asking how the the interviewer knew about him. DJ Forbes stutters an answer about having listened to the record, but Tyler replies that Clancy’s not on the record. All he does say about Clancy is “I’ve heard about him, and I know we’re from the same place.” What is up with your cryptic nonsense, Tyler Robert Joseph?

The band intentionally left the Trench Trilogy open-ended to be able to continue it in the future. Tyler did not mean to make the timeline confusing, but did note that its cyclical nature left it open for the Clique to pursue that interpretation.

Tyler is careful with choosing his words to describe Nico. He admits the whole thing is pretty confusing (his grandma asked him once, “What’s a Nico?”), but that was his intention: he wanted to give the Clique a lot to think about and discuss as a reward for waiting so long. He does seem to confirm that Nico is Blurryface, or at least an aspect of him that represents how much more familiar Tyler has become with the nature of his own insecurities as he writes about it.

Tyler denies that the final verse of “Neon Gravestones” has a specifically political bend and actually sounds a little offended that something so important to him could be cast in that light. No idea what that means, I need to hear this song.

The interviewer says that Tyler calls his “Pet Cheetah” “Jason Statham” within the song itself in a fun rap verse. Tyler laughs and says that came from an inside joke between him and Josh that he was excited to bring to life. I am SO confused, you have no idea.

Tyler says that they had plans at one point to come to South Africa for a show that fell through at the last second, but that they’re still interested in going at some point in the future.

Additionally, the music production interest site Mix did a small spotlight on the producers behind Trench. We already knew that Paul Meany was handling main production duty; Darrell Thorpe, whose credits include Radiohead, OutKast, Paul McCartney, and Foster the People, joined him as an engineer while the band captured the album’s drum tracks at United Recording Studios in LA, the only studio they used outside of the one in Tyler’s home. It’s always cool to see the dudes who bring the band’s music to life, but, to be honest, the best part of this short little article is Tyler’s dad socks in the photo.

Oh, and music video director Andrew Donoho told Billboard that he can’t spoil the album or Tyler will burn down his house. So... yeah, okay, moving on.

Chart Performance:

After its first full week of sales and streaming, “My Blood” secured a debut at #16 on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart ranking the songs that have yet to reach the Hot 100. The song gains at all metrics, and according to some industry sources like Headline Planet, it is receiving a concentrated marketing push to pop and adult contemporary markets that its predecessors have not. “Jumpsuit” continues to fade, but its run was respectable, and I remain optimistic about Trench’s commercial prospects going forward, especially in the midst of this hype wave.

Whew. That was a long run. Congrats to everyone who made it all the way to the end. We’re so close to Trench, you guys. Keep powering through. Stay alive. And power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[ohitsjustjimmy]

Coheed & Cambria: Vaxis Act 1 - The Unheavenly Creatures

“Welcome Home...”

The Second Stage Turbine Blade, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness; these 3 albums, while being a mouthful, ultimately defined in my opinion at the time what a perfect rock band should sound like. ‘In the pocket’ instrumentation, lyrics that grab your attention and keep it there song after song, and a voice that is powerful, yet distinctive to tie it all together and bring to the table something that other bands that have been categorized with Coheed and Cambria just don’t have. Context has always been the defining feature that this quartet hailing from Nyack, New York possesses, and what ultimately gives them their own specific watermark in the era of today’s convoluted smorgasbord that is modern rock music. That’s not to say that the group didn’t have it’s fair share of less than stellar moments. When the 4th record in the band’s discography dropped titled No World For Tomorrow, like many I felt that they could clearly do no wrong, as the album had practically all of the elements that the previous releases presented, and even more in some instances. As cliche’ as it might sound, the band just had some kind of magical quality to their music. It was a perfectly calculated mix of prog rock, experimental, pop and emo rock crafted in such a precise way that every note from the instruments at play gave life to each story that stemmed from which track was playing. However, that feeling started to fall short when the band decided to write their next few albums in a direction that didn’t pertain at all to the saga that had been told through song so well. That’s not to say Claudio Sanchez dropped the ball on his genius songwriting and story telling, the thing is that it was then when my interest sadly started to fade for the band’s music, not to mention I was at the time both listening to and appreciating so many new artists in such a short period of time. It wasn’t until the day I saw the band live at the Greek Theatre in Berkely alongside Taking Back Sunday and The Story So Far that I started to have faith in their upcoming release, with the band blowing my mind as they opened their set with “The Dark Sentencer”. Coheed is back, and oh how I’ve missed them.

The thing about this album that intrigues me the most is how it incorporates several qualities, if not straight similarities from the band’s previous albums, but not in a way that makes it sound repetitive, or recycled in any sense. This is an impressive feat for any band or artist, especially those with a hefty discography under their belt. The Prologue sets the tone for the newest signature theme that will ultimately ring throughout your listening of the album’s entirety. It’s vintage piano keyed quality is a love letter to the Second Stage era, while The Dark Sentencer easily takes it’s place as the albums “In Keeping Secrets”, as the immersiveness of it’s epic soundscape effortlessly hits over the seven minute mark, which in turn makes it the longest song on the album. The dual guitar work of both Claudio and Travis take the main stage here, just as they did on IKSSE, with the notes harmonizing in such an aggresively, yet beautiful manner. Claudio doesn’t slack on his vocal prowess either, proving that he can carry the band’s sound just as easily. The album’s title track Unheavenly Creatures is a tasty, single worthy tune that will undoubtedly embed it’s catchiness into your brain with one of the most infectious choruses that the band has had to offer since the Good Apollo days. Hell, i’d even be just as daring to say that it comes close to rivaling classics such as Blood Red Summer or A Favor House Atlantic, in terms of how well the band knows how to craft songs that will get you singing along so willingly. Tracks like Black Sunday and Queen of the Dark paint quite a bleak picture, giving the album a colorful shift in direction than what it originally started in. The track True Ugly, drummer Josh Eppard’s favorite off of the album chugs the pace back up to speed with it’s relentless tempo and epic chorus, filled with soaring vocals and gargantuan musicianship. Love Protocol keeps that train going with a similar formula, however still being a great track overall. The Pavilion (A Long Way Back), while not being breathtaking, goes back to a more pleasantly sounding manner, similar to what the 3rd track, Toys portrayed. The Gutter proves to be another one of the albums strong standouts, with engaging verses that lead to an anthemic chorus, showcasing some of the album’s best moments in my opinion. As the album nears it’s end, the tracks All On Fire and It Walks Among Us don’t necessarily stand out in any particular way in favor of paving the way for the record’s last real amazing moment that is Old Flames. This track plays it’s part as the perfect way to summarize the endearing, yet lengthy journey of an album, with the beautiful acoustic ballad, Lucky Stars being the last page as the book of Vaxis Part one finally comes to an end. Unheavenly Creatures, with repeated listens ultimately became the album that I wanted from the band. It is undoubtedly a return to form, but with a fresh, new taste of what is to come from the legendary couple who’s tragic fates were both integral to what this extensive saga continues to grow into, and what it will eventually become.

Favorite Tracks:

2. The Dark Sentencer

6. Queen of the Dark

11. The Gutter

14. Old Flames

[slyke25]

2002-2008

Before I dive into the shows I’ve covered on this site, I’ll give you a ittle background on the events that led up to it.  I grew up in Indiana, about an hour from Chicago, and the first concert I ever attended was at Chicago’s Vic Theatre (capacity 1,000) to see House of Pain (don’t judge).  My friends and I got there early and secured a spot close to the stage.  The opening band soon came out, and to our surprise, they absolutely killed it.  That unknown band was Rage Against the Machine.  In hindsight, I was likely chasing the high of that first show by attending so many concerts over the years.  I actually put together a short post on that show a while back, which you can read here.

During the 90′s, I would attend a handful of shows each year, and managed to see bands like Radiohead, Blur, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Mould, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, several Lollapaloozas, U2, Beastie Boys, Oasis, etc.  I successfully managed to save about 90% of my concert stubs, which makes it a bit easier to remember.

I moved to Boston in the fall of ‘02 (by way of New Jersey), and found myself in a city with no shortage of music venues and concerts, as Boston is an incredible concert market due to all the colleges.  This was also a great time for music, especially indie rock, which I became partial to, and went to several shows at the Paradise, Great Scott, Middle East, and TT the Bear’s Place.

I saw plenty of shows during this 2002-’08 era, both, big and small, but the larger ones (Neil Young, Billy Joel, Elton John, Oasis, Springsteen, Tom Petty, Phish, Peter Gabriel, Simon & Garfunkel, etc.) didn’t quite have the same feeling as the smaller, more intimate shows.  The bands that played the smaller, sweatier clubs had something to prove and played their hearts out, leaving the audience with a lasting impression, so they could hopefully make it to the next level.  It was no surprise that I liked those shows the best.  

In 2007, I was armed with a nice little Canon SD1000 Powershot point & shoot camera that took fairly decent photos for the time.  Luckily the audio wasn’t too bad either, as many of the other digital cameras seemed to struggle with recording bass, but this little camera actually worked well for recording live concert videos.

In October of ‘07, I recorded and uploaded my first video to YouTube.  It was The National singing “Fake Empire” at an extremely tiny Boston bar.  Throughout the years, I managed to record over 600 videos in less than ten years, and they often became a staple of my reviews, and was something most of the other music blogs weren’t doing at the time.

For General Admission shows, I would always arrive early for a spot against the stage, so it just kind of made sense to film a song or two, as nobody was in front of me.  I also enjoyed recording because of the challenge; I only had one shot at recording the song.  I made no edits and needed to have a steady hand.

You can view all of my videos at my YouTube channel here.

Below are a few shows from ‘02-’08 (prior to my music blog) that stuck with me, and ultimately inspired me to start mu music site in ‘09.

Bright Eyes at the Harvard Sanders Theatre (’05) - This was during the I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning tour.  The show was sold out, but I managed to score a last minute ticket on Craigslist.  The Sanders Theatre is an incredible venue, and the show was just as beautiful.  I found a recording of the D.C show at the 9:30 Club (a few days later) via NPR here.

Ryan Adams the Hampton Beach Casino (’05) - I’d been a huge fan of Ryan Adams since his ‘01 debut solo album, Gold, which really seemed to connect with me, but I wouldn’t see him live until two years later in ‘03 at the Paradise Rock Club.  His shows were notoriously hit or miss due to drugs and alcohol, and in ‘05 he released the jam heavy album Cold Roses with The Cardinals. 

I actually ended up meeting Ryan before this Hampton Beach show, which was kind of a big deal for me because he was my favorite artist at the time.  I just happened to be strolling around Hampton Beach earlier in the day, and stumbled upon him at a tie-dye shirt store (he actually bought one and wore it at the show).  

Ryan, who often plays improv songs, played an incredible song to close the show.  “Beachfront Town” is a sad, yet beautiful, ballad about how Hampton Beach reminded him of back home (Jacksonville NC).  Here are a few posts I made about this show.

Small review and a few photos

"Beachfront Town” 

A recording of the entire show can be heard here.  

Ryan Adams at the Somerville Theatre (’07) - As I said before, Ryan Adams shows were kind of hit or miss due to drugs and alcohol, and I walked into this show with such expectations.  However, this night was different, and would be the best Ryan Adams show I would ever see.

I had a 4th row center seat, and remember seeing a suit-wearing Ryan Adams walk on stage.  His singing and playing were flawless that night, and when he changed the lyrics of “Peaceful Valley”  from “Up there in heaven with a bottle of wine” to “bottle of diet Sprite”, I just couldn’t help but smile.  He appeared to be sober, and he and the band never sounded better.  I was truly proud of him.  

Someone actually recorded the show, which you can listen to here.

Josh Ritter at Club Passim (’07)  - I fist saw Josh back in ‘06 at the intimate Narrows Center in Fall River.  I quickly became a fan after hearing his newly released album, The Animal Years.

He played two shows at Club Passim in ‘07 to benefit a friend that was ill with cancer, and I ended up recording four videos that night.

”Good Man”

“Monster Ballads”

“Empty Hearts”

“Bandits”

Bon Iver at the MFA (’08) -  I remember listening to their debut album For Emma, Forever Ago in February of ‘08 and was blown away by how incredible it sounded.  I checked to see if they were playing and live shows, and indeed they were.  They were playing the Middle East (upstairs) in Cambridge, but it was very sold out, and many people were posting on Craigslist looking for one.

However, it wasn’t long before I got to see them live, and in July of ‘08, they put on an amazing display of music at the MFA.  They basically played For Emma, Forever Ago in full since it was their only album at the time, and they sounded flawless.

I’d see them one more time in December of ‘08 at the Wilbur Theatre.  You can watch “Wolves” and “Skinny Love” from that show.  Fun fact, and unknown (even to me) Tallest Man On Earth opened.

MGMT at Great Scott (’08) - I actually recorded a couple videos at this show.  Feel free to check out “Time To Pretend” and “Kids”.  During “Time To Pretend”, I’m holding the camera very still, but the footage appears to be slightly bouncy.  That’s because the floor is giving ever so slightly, due to everyone bouncing up and down.  It was crazy.  Fun fact - Yeasayer opened.

Wolf Parade at the Paradise Rock Club (’08) - This was actually my second time seeing the band (first time in ‘06, same venue), and their album Apologies To the Queen Mary is an absolute favorite of mine.  I ended up recording six videos at this show, and my favorite was “This Heart’s On Fire”, which is crazy intense.  100% Rock & Roll.

Langhore Slim at Middle East Upstairs (2008) - I always looked forward to his shows.  They were intimate, intense, and genuinely good times.  Not many people heard of him at the time, and I recall two guys I’d see at every early Langhore Slim show.  These dudes were super fans.  They knew all the songs and cheered louder than anyone.  I recorded a couple videos from this show - “In the Midnight” and “Restless”.  Notice The band was a trio back then, with Paul was on bass.

The National at Paddy O’s Pub (’08) - The album Boxer had just come out, and I believe Miller Light sponsored this show at the very small Faneuil Hall pub.  It doesn’t get much more intimate than this, and I shot my first video ever that night, “Fake Empire”

The one that got away - I’l share a little story about the time I headed to the Orpheum Theatre in ‘02 in search of a ticket to a sold out show.  I had good success scoring single tickets way below face value outside of large venues close to showtime.  I recall seeing Simon & Garfunkel at the Garden in ‘02 for $10 ($100 face value), and Peter Gabriel for $20 (also $100 face).  For some stupid reason, I thought I’d have the same luck for David Bowie who was playing the Orpheum that night.  I managed to find someone selling a single ticket for face value, which was $75, but I has no idea tickets were that much before I headed down to the theater.  I recently moved to Boston and didn’t have much money, so $75 was a lot, and I unfortunately had to pass.  I told myself, no big deal, I’ll catch him next time.  Sadly, there was no next time.  

While living in Boston, it seemed each year I’d attend more shows than the last, and by 2009, I felt the need to create a music website.  In the days to come, I’ll share some of the most memorable shows I saw, with a post for each year (’09-’16).

[patriotsnet]

Do The Republicans Have The House

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/do-the-republicans-have-the-house/

Do The Republicans Have The House

I Do Not Buy That A Social Media Ban Hurts Trumps 2024 Aspirations: Nate Silver

Midterm elections: Do Republicans have a chance of keeping the House?

sarah: Yeah, Democrats might not have their worst Senate map in 2022, but it will by no means be easy, and how they fare will have a lot to do with the national environment. And as we touched on earlier, Bidens overall approval rating will also make a big difference in Democrats midterm chances.

nrakich: Yeah, if the national environment is even a bit Republican-leaning, that could be enough to allow solid Republican recruits to flip even Nevada and New Hampshire. And then it wouldnt even matter if Democrats win Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

One thing is for sure, though whichever party wins the Senate will have only a narrow majority, so I think were stuck in this era of moderates like Sens. Joe Manchin and Lisa Murkowski controlling every bills fate for at least a while longer.;

sarah: Lets talk about big picture strategy, then, and where that leaves us moving forward. Its still early and far too easy to prescribe election narratives that arent grounded in anything, but one gambit the Republican Party seems to be making at this point is that attacking the Democratic Party for being too progressive or woke will help them win.

What do we make of that playbook headed into 2022? Likewise, as the party in charge, what are Democrats planning for?

With that being said, the GOPs strategies could still gin up turnout among its base, in particular, but its hard to separate that from general dissatisfaction with Biden.

Many Republicans Mobilizing Against Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

The bipartisan group of senators who crafted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is preparing to take a victory lap as the Senate moves toward passing the bill in the coming days.

But a large number of Republicans are mobilizing against the bill that includes $1.2 trillion of spending and $550 billion in new spending on hard infrastructure projects, such as rail, ports, electric vehicle charging stations, and broadband.

Right after the group of bipartisan senators introduced the bills text on Sunday night, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee gave a long floor speech in opposition to the legislation, arguing that the Constitution does not give Congress to go out and spend money on anything that we deem appropriate and that the price tag is too high.

Shame on us for making poor and middle-class Americans poorer so that we can bring praise and adulation to ourselves and more money to a small handful of wealthy, well-connected interests in America, Lee said.

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said that he would vote against the bill, sharing an article that called it an epic binge of green subsidies and more handouts for states and localities.

Several Republicans in the House are also stating their opposition to the bill.

No one should support something that will serve as a trojan horse for the Democrats reconciliation package, which the White House wants to use to pass massive amnesty, the RSC memo read.

Washington Examiner Videos

Is A Dream A Lie If It Dont Come True

Americas various disproportional representations are the result of winner-takes-all voting and a two-party system where party allegiance and geography have become surprisingly highly correlated. Places where people live close together vote Democratic, places where they live farther apart vote Republican . Under some electoral systems this would not matter very much. Under Americas it has come to matter a lot, in part because of an anti-party constitution.

Americas founders wanted power to be hard to concentrate, and for people who held some powers to be structurally at odds with those who held others. To this end they created a system in which distinct branches and levels of government provided checks and balances on each other. They hoped these arrangements would be sufficient to hobble any factions which sought to co-ordinate their actions across various levels and branches of government. The first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, both warned that a two-party system, in particular, would be anathema to the model of government they were trying to build.

Take the Senate. To make sure the largest states do not dominate the rest, the constitution provides equal representation for all the states, large and small alike. This builds in an over-representation for people in small or sparsely populated places.

Don’t Miss: How Many Republicans Caucused In Iowa

Key Points From This Article

Single-member districts, natural sorting, and gerrymandering are the origins of bias in the House of Representatives.

One form of bias consistently helps House Republicans, vindicating liberal concerns of a structural imbalance. Another form of bias reliably benefits the party that wins control of the House, disrupting claims of a Democratic disadvantage.

If Democrats keep their current 7.6% lead in the two-party Generic Ballot through November 2020, they will probably hold the House and win more than the proportionate 53.8% of House seats .

Redistricting Is The Next Step On A Path To One

The redistricting process kicked off this week in Washington. The Census Bureau released initial data from the 2020 census Monday afternoon, , which means that congressional district boundaries will soon be redrawn to account for changes in population.

These changes will probably tend to benefit the Republican Party, as conservative states will get more seats for instance, Texas will gain two seats, while New York, California, and Illinois will all lose one. Republicans are also certain to use the process to try to gerrymander themselves as many additional congressional seats as possible by leveraging their control of a majority of state legislatures. And that is just the opening tactic in a long-term strategy to abolish American democracy and set up one-party rule.

Today in Michigan, gerrymandering means Republicans enjoy a 3.4-point handicap in the state House and a 10.7-point handicap in the state Senate; in Pennsylvania, it’s a 3.1-point handicap in the House and a 5.9-point handicap in the Senate; and in Wisconsin, a 7.1-point handicap in the House and a 10.1-point handicap in the Senate.

It’s impossible to gerrymander the Senate, of course, but luckily for Republicans that chamber is inherently gerrymandered due to the large number of disproportionately white, low-population rural states that lean conservative. The swing seat in the Senate is biased something like 7 points to the right.

Also Check: What Do Democrats Believe Vs Republicans

Are Senators Chosen By Popular Vote

Beginning with the 1914 general election, all U.S. senators have been chosen by direct popular election. The Seventeenth Amendment also provided for the appointment of senators to fill vacancies. There have been many landmark contests, such as the election of Hiram Revels, the first African American senator, in 1870.

Ernst Promises To Make Washington Squeal After Senate Win

In Louisiana, Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu was forced into a December runoff with Republican Bill Cassidy. In Georgia, Republican David Perdue cleared the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff.

Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas beat independent Greg Orman, who had refused to say which party he would vote with. For a time, it appeared he alone might determine the Senate majority. It ultimately didnt matter.

Obama, with a new Congress to deal with, invited leaders of both parties and both chambers to the White House on Friday for a post-election meeting, a White House official told NBC News. The presidents approval rating has bounced around the low 40s all year 42 percent in the final reading before Election Day.

Almost across the board, Republicans sought to tie their Democratic opponents to the president throughout the campaign. And the president mostly stayed away from states with close races, knowing his presence could hinder vulnerable Democrats seeking to distance themselves from the leader of their party.

The Republican takeover of the Senate will force Obama to use his veto power more often he has wielded it only twice in six years and could complicate his efforts to make judicial appointments, including to the Supreme Court.

Incumbent republican Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania was ousted by Democrat Tom Wolf. In Texas, Republican Greg Abbott beat Democrat Wendy Davis, who gained national fame last year by filibustering an abortion bill.

Also Check: What Is The Number Of Republicans And Democrats In Congress

Republicans Control Both Houses Of Congress; Democrats The Presidency: So What Does The Future Hold

After the 2008 election, Republicans vowed to do everything to obstruct President Obama and keep anything he supported from passing. When they lost again in 2012, they doubled down on this philosophy. Unfortunately for the country, this strategy, coupled with falsehoods about Democratic programs and the Democrats cowardly showing in 2014, Republicans now control both the House and the Senate.

The question facing Republicans now is what to do with this power. If they continue their obstruction and do nothing, they will not be able to shift the blame to Obama and the Democrats. If they yield to their conservative base, Obama will veto whatever they propose and two more years will pass with nothing being accomplished. If they work with Obama, their conservative base will rebel causing internal turmoil and damage to their brand going into the 2016 election.

On the other hand, the Democrats have to prove to their once loyal base, that they still stand for middle class values, job creation and strong financial reform. Their quietness in 2014 and lack of support for their president was a huge tactical error. As Obama angers the Republicans by passing immigration reform, opening diplomatic relations with Cuba and maybe vetoing the Keystone Pipeline, the Republicans have to prove they have workable ideas that will create jobs, improve the economy for everyone and that they can govern and get things done.

Explaining The Seat Bonus Bias

Republicans maintain control of the House and the Senate

To explain the seat bonus, we need to know what dynamics boost a partys share of House seats relative to its share of the national popular vote. Such explanations revolve around overperformance in swing seats. This is because small improvements in close races could push a party over the top to win these districts while barely registering in the national popular vote. Imagine that Democrats got a 3% boost in their 10 closest losses of 2018. They would have won each of those districts, increasing their House representation by 2% while boosting their national popular vote total less than 0.1% : a seat bonus of 2.9%. So, what could cause this kind of overperformance in swing seats?

One lies in the sheer number of swing seats, defined here as those won by either party by less than 10%. This range from +10% Democratic to +10% Republican covers a scope of 20%. There were 88 such districts in 2018. Election margins on the whole can range from 100% Democratic to 100% Republican, a scope of 200%. Our definition of swing seats accounts for 10% of all possible results. The 88 swing seats of 2018, though, make up 20% of all 435 House seats. This overrepresentation of competitive districts means that a small increase of a partys national popular vote could flip a disproportionate number of close races.

Each of these factors the incumbency advantage, the overrepresentation of swing seats and elasticity and more contribute to the Seat Bonus Bias.

Recommended Reading: How Many Republicans In Congress Support Trump

Four Flips For Democrats One For Republicans

Going into the election, the Democrats held 47 seats in the U.S. Senate while the Republicans held 53.

The Democrats have succeeded in flipping four seats: in Colorado, where former Governor John Hickenlooper easily ousted incumbent Cory Gardner, in Arizona, where former astronaut Mark Kelly defeated incumbent Martha McSally, and in Georgia, where Raphael Warnock defeated incumbent Kelly Loeffler and Jon Ossoff defeated incumbent David Perdue.

The Republicans have wrested back one previously Democratic seat in Alabama, where one-term incumbent Doug Jones was emphatically denied a second term by Tommy Tuberville, a former college head football coach, most recently at the University of Cincinnati.

Outgoing freshman Sens. Jones and Gardner were both considered vulnerable, as each was elected with less than 50% of the vote in 2018.

Republican Thom Tilliss victory over Cal Cunningham in North Carolinaby less than 2 percentage points according to the North Carolina Secretary of States latest tallyis one of several close Senate races that were not called until after election night. In addition to the seats from Georgia, close races also include the victories of incumbent senators Gary Peters and Susan Collins , which were not called until Nov. 4.

Republicans Win Fewer Votes But More Seats Than Democrats

Republicans controlled the post2010 redistricting process in the four states, and drew new lines that helped the GOP win the bulk of the House delegation in each. Republicans captured 13 of 18 seats in Pennsylvania, 12 of 16 in Ohio, nine of 14 in Michigan, and five of eight in Wisconsin. Added together, that was 39 seats for the Republicans and 17 seats for the Democrats in the four proObama states.

The key to GOP congressional success was to cluster the Democratic vote into a handful of districts, while spreading out the Republican vote elsewhere. In Pennsylvania, for example, Republicans won nine of their 13 House seats with less than 60% of the vote, while Democrats carried three of their five with more than 75%.

One of the latter was the Philadelphiabased 2nd District, where 356,386 votes for Congress were tallied. Not only was it the highest number of ballots cast in any district in the state, but Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah won 318,176 of the votes. It was the largest number received by any House candidate in the country in 2012, Democrat or Republican. If some of these Democratic votes had been unclustered and distributed to other districts nearby, the party might have won a couple more seats in the Philadelphia area alone.

The Closest House Races of 2012

NARROW DEMOCRATIC WINNERS

Recommended Reading: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

Democrats Got Millions More Votes So How Did Republicans Win The Senate

Senate electoral process means although Democrats received more overall votes for the Senate than Republicans, that does not translate to more seats

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The 2018 midterm elections brought significant gains for Democrats, who retook the House of Representatives and snatched several governorships from the grip of Republicans.

But some were left questioning why Democrats suffered a series of setbacks that prevented the party from picking up even more seats and, perhaps most consequentially, left the US Senate in Republican hands.

Among the most eye-catching was a statistic showing Democrats led Republicans by more than 12 million votes in Senate races, and yet still suffered losses on the night and failed to win a majority of seats in the chamber.

Constitutional experts said the discrepancy between votes cast and seats won was the result of misplaced ire that ignored the Senate electoral process.

Because each state gets two senators, irrespective of population, states such as Wyoming have as many seats as California, despite the latter having more than 60 times the population. The smaller states also tend to be the more rural, and rural areas traditionally favor Republicans.

This year, because Democrats were defending more seats, including California, they received more overall votes for the Senate than Republicans, but that does not translate to more seats.

The rise of minority rule in America is now unmistakable

The Fossil Fuel Industrys Funding Of Denial

CAPs analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics shows that these 139 climate science deniers have accepted more than $61 million in lifetime direct contributions from the oil, gas, and coal industries, which comes out to an average of $442,293 per elected official of Congress that denies climate change. This figure includes all contributions above the Federal Election Commissions mandated reporting threshold of $200 from management, employees, and political action committees in the fossil fuel industries. Not included in this data are the many other avenues available to fossil fuel interests to influence campaigns and elected officials. For example, oil, gas, and coal companies spent heavily during the 2020 election cycle to keep the Senate under the control of former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a known climate denierwith major oil companies like Valero, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips contributing more than $1 million each to the conservative Senate Leadership Fund.

This analysis only shows direct, publicly disclosed contributions to federal candidates. The fossil fuel industry regularly spends millions of dollars of dark money advertising to the public; shaping corporate decisions; lobbying members of Congress; and otherwise funding the infrastructure that makes climate denial politically feasible and even profitable.

Read Also: How Many Republicans Voted To Impeach Trump In The House

Also Check: How Many Republicans Are Against Trump

What The Midterms Mean For President Obama And 2016

Only one in three voters in exit polls said the country was on the right track, and one in five said the government in Washington could never be trusted to do whats right. Two-thirds said the economic system is unfair.

The Republican swing fit a historical pattern: The last three two-term presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all served their last two years with the opposing party controlling both houses of Congress.

And the party controlling the White House has lost seats in the House in the midterm election every time but twice since World War II.

In the Senate, Democrat Mark Pryor of Arkansas was ousted by Rep. Tom Cotton, and Mark Udall of Colorado was bounced by Rep. Cory Gardner. Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan lost her seat to Thom Tillis.

Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire held off a furious challenge by ex-Sen. Scott Brown.

Republicans Joni Ernst in Iowa, Steve Daines in Montana, Mike Rounds in South Dakota and Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia all captured seats held by retiring Democrats.

[babimochi]

My Top 7 Black Style Icons in Music: 60s-Today

For as long as I can remember, my style has been something I have always taken seriously. From my favorite Dora tees to my Barbie dolls, I always made fashion my main priority. As I’ve gotten older and have begun to study different eras of fashion, I found many people that stood out to me in ways I’ve never seen. However, growing up black you tend to find people who look like you as the people you grow inspiration from, and I will be sharing who those people are. 

1. Diana Ross (1960s): 

(Photo:  Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank)

Diana Ross has always been one of my biggest fashion inspirations due to her beauty, poise, and indescribable style. Dressed in designer costumes, Ross was always the center of attention whenever she entered the room. From her hair to her shoes, Diana never missed a thing to top off her extravagant outfits. She has been sure to make it known that her style is one of a kind and that she’ll forever be a trendsetter.

2. Donna Summer (1970s):

(Photo:  Richie Aaron/Redferns/Retna)

My dear Donna Summer, the true definition of “hot stuff”! Every outfit, makeup look, stage costume, everything! It was all flawless. The disco queen loved to dress as boldly as her attitude, wearing bright colors and large furs and feathers that would beautifully drape over her tall, slim, 5′ 7′’ silhouette. Just like her music, she and her style are truly unforgettable. 

3. Prince (1980s):

(Photo: Paul Natkin/WireImage/GettyImages)

Prince, a man who truly lived up to his royal title. Known for his feminine and sexually expressive style, the singer was always dressed in his most stunning and pristine fabrics, not a single thread out of place. Prince’s style was unlike any other artist, then, now, or ever. He was always daring and risque with his looks, so much as to have his butt showing through a yellow jumpsuit at the MTV VMAs in 1991. Talk about legendary! The ever-so-talented risk taker will greatly be missed, along with his style and grace.

4. Mel B/Scary Spice (1990s):

(Photo: REX)

Ahh, Scary Spice - everyone’s favorite spice girl. Was she everyone’s favorite, or is it just me? Nope, everyone’s favorite is confirmed to be Mel B. As the standout star in the 90′s pop girl group, The Spice Girls, Mel was usually styled in outrageously cute outfits that I’m sure we all wish we could’ve worn. Golds, browns, reds, and oranges were the standard colors for her fierce fits. She was usually styled in a matching two-piece set and a pair of 5′’ platform boots (don’t we just miss the 90s?) Mel was often criticised in the media for her “revealing, over-the-top outfits”, which every girl in the group wore (but we know why the media only spoke about her.) She truly was an it-girl and had a style that every girl wanted to snatch.

5. Lil’ Kim (1990s/2000s):

(Photo: Ron Galella/WireImage)

Lil’ Kim is the personification of a bad bitch. Look after look was a brand new trend that the explicit rapper would begin. From bright furs to designer logo wigs, Kim was never afraid to turn up the heat with her fierce and sexy style. Her wigs and furs would usually match, with a tight, sometimes see-through, bodysuit or two-piece underneath. To top it off, she would wear high boots and a sleek pair of shades to pull together her infamous looks. Hands down, Lil’ Kim has the most influential style in the female rap game, matter of fact, the entire music industry. People today still pay homage to Kim’s bold costumes, but as we all know- no one does it better than the queen bee herself.

6. Andre 3000 (1990s/2000s):

(Photo: Josh Brasted/FilmMagic)

Atlanta’s very own, Andre 3000! The untouchable rap god Andre has always stood out in the hip-hop industry due to his otherworldly style. Bright suits, crazy patterns, and top-dollar streetwear were staples in the musician’s wardrobe. You never knew what to expect from Andre, whether it was a simple jersey and jeans, or a wig and colorful jumpsuit. 3K is a definite source of Atlanta’s superior sense of style, and he always keeps us on the edge of our seats with his musical talents and his fashion.

7. Rihanna (2000s-Present):

(Photo: Getty Images)

Yes, I know you were waiting for her. The Carribean queen Rihanna is one of everyone’s favorite style icons. She’s always the first to have it, the first to do it, and the best to do it with any look she wears. Rihanna loves to wear many different designers and brands as she loves to switch up her look quite often. Whether she’s dressy, formal, casual, street, or runway ready, Bad Gal RiRi always has a stunner fit that we all want to get our hands on. Being that she’s such an influence on many people’s fashion tastes, she started her own fashion collaboration with Puma, FentyXPuma. The pop star's clothing line is only one part of the Fenty empire, with Fenty Beauty, SavageXFenty, and her sock collaboration with Stance. As each day goes by, Rihanna is giving us another look, completely different from any other you’ve seen before. Her hair, makeup, and outfits are always changing, so you have to keep an eye on her so you don’t miss anything!

I hope my style inspirations gave you a look into my sense of style and a view of my favorite artists. It’s not easy having such stylish idols, as I can’t snatch every killer look they wear for myself, but it does come in handy when you need some inspiration.

Who are your favorite black style icons? Should I write a part two? Let me know your thoughts as they are always appreciated!

Stay beautiful,

Bree xx

[highbuttonsports]

George Springer and Teoscar Hernandez (2021)(theathletic.com)

The Early Bird Special

During the course of the marathon that is the 162 game MLB season, there are a multitude of issues that every team has to deal with. How each team handles and overcomes those issues plays a significant role in determining their fates. From injuries to hitting slumps to blown saves to everything in between, they all pose varying degrees of threats to the end result. The Toronto Blue Jays have faced more than their fair share of those hurdles in the first few weeks of the season. Through their first 16 games they sit at an underwhelming 7-9, but that’s pretty good considering all the adversity they have had to fight through already. The most challenging obstacle to Toronto’s success has been injuries. Currently there are 9 players on the injured list (plus Biggio and Phelps who are day-to-day) that were expected to be full time contributors. Sure, injuries are part of the game, every team goes through them, and nobody wants to use them as an excuse, but the fact is the Jays have seen their lineup, rotation, and bullpen all decimated by injury.

Out of the batting order are George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez, and Cavan Biggio. That’s 3 of the top 6 bats all out of the order. There isn’t a team in baseball that wouldn’t be negatively affected by that. It’s no wonder they have been one of the worst teams in baseball at hitting with runners in scoring position (27th out of 30 with a paltry .192 BA and .534 OPS). It makes the fact they are 3rd best in the AL in run differential at +9 even more surprising. Hopefully all 3 of those guys will be back sooner than later and we will finally get to see what the lineup is capable of. For George Springer, the big offseason addition hasn’t played a single game yet. He injured his oblique in spring training and then strained his quad while rehabbing the oblique strain. He has been taking BP regularly and running as GM Ross Atkins said on Sunday that he’s “Not quite at 100 percent with all of it, but getting live [batting practice] reps here in the coming hours and days," Atkins said. "He's had good defensive action. He's had plenty of reps in the batting cage and he's running again, so I think it's a matter of us being disciplined to the process.” What that means for the exact date of his return is unknown, but they will certainly be careful with their new high-priced talent so he is ready to stay on the field once he does return. As for Teoscar, he has been out since April 9th due to testing positive for and having symptoms from COVID-19. He is symptom free now thankfully and once he clears protocol in the next 4 days while testing negative, he should be back. With Biggio, he is day-to-day with hand soreness having missed the past 3 games. X-rays were negative so the hope is he will avoid a stint on the IL. For an offence that was expected to be one of the better ones in the entire league, it has been a struggle that has maybe caused the hitters that are healthy to put extra pressure on themselves to perform. Semien, Biggio, Gurriel, and Tellez are all batting .205 or under in the early going. Small sample sure, but between the missing players and slow starts, the runs have not been as fruitful as they were expected to be. It has given younger players like Josh Palacios, Jonathan Davis, and Santiago Espinal more of an opportunity, but those are not the players needed for the order to be at it’s best.

Since the hitting hasn’t been producing as expected, that has put added focus on the starting rotation. Hyun Jin Ryu has been his dominant self and Steven Matz has been equally as impressive, but beyond that things haven’t gone very well. The rotation is still missing Nate Pearson (who hasn’t pitched yet) and then his fill in, Ross Stripling, went down himself. Pearson has been out all year recovering from a groin strain. His potential is immense though, so Toronto is going to be careful not to push him back. He will start throwing live bp this week with simulated games the next step after that. Best bet is an early may return which puts the depth of the starting pitching that was in question coming into the year even more into focus. The next in line duo of T.J. Zeuch and Anthony Kay have simply not been good enough. Zeuch has a 6.75 ERA and 1.92 WHIP through 4 games and 2 starts. Kay has a 10.80 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 1 start. On the bright side, the Jays did get back Robbie Ray to help stabilize things. After 2 typically volatile starts, he holds a 1.80 ERA, but that comes with his troubling 1.60 WHIP. If he could ever harness his great arm and gain command of his pitches Robbie could be the one of the better pitchers in the AL. Until then getting through 5 innings is going to be difficult for Robbie and further tax a bullpen that has been stretched thin already.

Even though the bullpen has seen it’s share of injuries, it has been a bright spot for the Jays. There are 5 relievers currently on the IL with David Phelps day-to-day after taking a line drive off his back. Of those 5 though, 3 were lined up to pitch the 7th, 8th, and 9th in Julian Merryweather, Jordan Romano, and Kirby Yates. Yates is out for the season with Tommy John which opened up the closer’s role coming in. Merryweather was amazing in his 4 appearances while nailing down his 2 save chances. With and electric 100 mph fastball he had 7 strikeouts in 4 innings while looking every part of a major league closer. Unfortunately, he went down on the 14th with an oblique injury that is rumoured to be a long-term issue. That means likely 4-6 weeks. His loss looks like it will be a big one, but that would be mitigated by Romano returning from his arm injury as soon as his 10 days are up on Saturday. All indications are that will be the case. Even with those 3 out (plus Chatwood, Hatch, and Phelps) the bullpen has been spectacular. The Jays have the best bullpen in all of baseball! As a group, they have a stingy 2.24 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 61 K’s in 64.1 innings, while holding the opposition to a .221 BA. Most surprising out of the pen has been unexpected guys stepping up. Lesser-known arms such as Joel Payamps, Tim Mayza, and Anthony Castro have been fantastic in giving up 1 run in 14.2 innings combined. With the impending return of Romano, Chatwood (should be activated before Tuesday’s game), and Phelps (once his contusion is healed enough to pitch, he’ll be back), reinforcements are on the way for a group of relivers that has seen more work than the team was hoping they would get. The Jays definitely don’t want the bullpen to be worn down too much too early. Relievers will be even more critical due to the innings limits/concerns of the starters after last season’s shortened season.

It has been a trying first few weeks for the Blue Jays, especially when it comes to managing through all the injuries. They haven’t been just depth injuries either. They are injuries to key cogs for a team with playoff aspirations. Optimistically though, they do provide opportunities for younger players to step up as well as providing an opportunity to the team to test themselves when things get tough. Sure, it’s not ideal so early in the season, but the lessons learned now will serve the team well as the season progresses. As the dog days of summer roll around the Jays will be battle tested. That goes a long way for a mostly young roster that isn’t used to being in a position of having winning expectations. That’s where a guy like Springer comes in handy. Not only is he an established star, but he has been there and done that. So, as much as there are positives to being tested, it will be a welcome sight when the Springer and the boys can finally all come together.

*all stats and quotes courtesy of ESPN.com

By: Jaymee Kitchenham

[insidethegiftbasket]

Jameson Taillon

Jaaaaaaaaaa-mo! I say Jaaaaaaaaaa-mo! No, I did that with O’Day. Shit. Okay. Let’s do a whiskey joke, because of Jameson? I don’t know enough about whiskey for that—I’m a vodka man. Oh, I can just joke about the Pirates being an absolute dumpster fire franchise that has more on-field turnover than Tony Romo in a playoff game. But that’s a bit lazy, isn’t it? Eh, screw it. Unrelated, but thematically sound reference time.

Welcome Inside the Gift Basket of Jameson Taillon.

How Did I Get Here?

Jameson Taillon is the latest victim of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A few years ago, after they finally let Cutch go and dedicated themselves to building something new from the ground up around quality young pieces like Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, and Josh Bell, well, none of these guys play for the Pirates anymore. But that’s what the Pirates do. They talk out of both sides of their mouths while putting absolute dogshit on the field. They’re the reason the sport needs a salary floor. At least the Rays and A’s try and put a competitive team out there and both are perennial playoff participants. The Pirates are a disgrace, and Taillon should be thrilled that they’re no longer his beautiful house or beautiful wife.

Oh right, the breakdown. Sorry. JMo as he likes to be called is 29, he’s right handed, he’s still in arbitration this year and next and is making just 2.25M this year. We got him for literally nothing. He’s coming off of Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched since 2019, and he has a very unfortunate hairline. He’s going to be one of those guys that his friends are going to beg him to just shave it all off and go for the bald look somewhere around his 33rd birthday. He’s going to be a major piece of our rotation if he can stay healthy.

Letting The Days Go By

Since entering the league in 2016, Taillon has basically only had 1 actual complete season. 2016 was a rookie call up. 2017 he had some minor injuries that limited him to 25 starts (not bad). 2019 he blew out his elbow and needed TJS. But, in 2018, he started all 32 starts you pencil a guy in for and man was he a dude out there.

Look at that 2018. That’s a season right there. Sure, it’s not the most mind blowing numbers you’ve ever seen. He’s not Prime Pedro. But you take that 2018 every single time. You trade for Taillon in the hopes that he gets back to being that guy post-TJS, same as he ever was. And the advanced numbers back up the traditional stats.

Even with a slightly above average WHIP and BABIP, he basically told guys to fuck off once they actually made it to the basepaths. A near 80% LOB% is just absolutely dumb for a starter. Relievers post numbers like that. Starters, especially starters on bad teams like the 2018 Pirates should absolutely be letting more of those guys come around to score.

Well, the reason he was able to get out of so many situations with the score intact has to do with this chart.

You don’t get a lot of 5-pitch pitchers in the MLB these days, but he’s one of the few true 5-pitch guys. Throwing his heater less than 40% of the time, and tossing between 3 and 6 changes a game, he mixes speeds from 95 to 82 and hits all parts of the zone with one pitch or another.

And perhaps most importantly, his offspeed stuff are his true plus pitches, and they play so well coming off that 95MPH gas that he can get to any part of the zone.

And yeah, he can put the ball wherever he wants, more or less, but look where he loves to live.

This is a man who was made ready for the launch angle revolution. He keeps the ball down, down, down, down and gets people swing over the top and beat it into the dirt, or try to get under it and just send a lazy fly out into the blue again. Which, yup. Look at these batted ball stats. Almost 80% of his balls in play are way up or way down and he does not get a lot of hard contact either—in no small part due to the ability to keep guys off balance with the speed differentials.

If he can cut down on the walks a bit, which you can see he is a bit prone to, he can become someone truly elite. Like, for real. Like top of the rotation type of guy. Yankees got him for literal nothing. Just a once in a lifetime chance for both him and us.

Time Isn’t Holding Up, Time Isn’t After Us

Well, what’s the future hold for Taillon?

I don’t know why all the projections are building in 2 missed months for him given that he’s fully recovered from TJS and isn’t on any kind of innings limit that we’ve been made aware of. But, that said, if you just scale everything up by a few starts you’re looking a guy you’d probably pay $15-20M for on the open market. Again. We got him for Miguel Yajure and no one. Life is good if you’re team trading with the Pirates after the money’s gone.

Water Flowing Underground Prediction

He gets hurt again, as he’s been a bit prone to do and we’re the post-2018 Yankees and we all get hurt constantly. I think Jake Junis cursed this team somehow. Anyway, he gets hurt and doesn’t pitch much and we look to his 2022 with maybe some optimism.

Behind the Wheel of a Large Automobile Prediction

He does exactly what I said could happen above. He stays healthy, gets us at least 27 starts and pitches well during them. Even in the AL East he has the potential post an ERA in the mid-to-low 3’s and be a 15-win type guy, slotting in as a key piece of the rotation at #2 or #3 depending on how Kluber shakes out. He’s young, has good stuff, doesn’t have much mileage on his arm, and is not going to be under much pressure with the Yankee offense out there behind him. He might just go off the charts. It’s entirely possible.

Evan’s Official What Do Talking Heads Have to Do with Jameson Taillon? Gift Basket Prediction

I think he’s gonna crush it. I think the optimism with him is more than well-deserved and I think we’re going to be treated to something really special with him over the course of the year. Him and Cole are going to make a terrifying 1-2 punch and THEN Taillon is going to win over the fanbase forever and ever more with some big time games in the playoffs, including a humungous Game 2 win in the World Series that sets us on the path to a 4-2 series win over the San Diego Padres.

Join us tomorrow when Sam takes you Inside the Gift Basket on a bunch of prospects!

(And to answer my own question: JMo and Talking Heads are related in that I really like the both of them.)