#i’m from texas and this has nothing to do with me but the tiktok made me cry so

[glitchyrealities]

Save the Elm Tree Inn!

The Elm Tree Inn has been the heart of the village of Langton Herring for over 300 years. Regrettably, in December 2023 the Inn finally closed its doors and our community lost its social cohesion as well as all of the rich history that we associate with this rural Inn

Thus a Steering Committee was established, community support was sought and the challenge to raise the necessary funds to purchase the Elm Tree Inn began. We have been supported in this quest by the Plunkett Foundation and are grateful for all of their advice and support. We have until March 2025 to raise the £650,000 we need to reopen our Inn, and although we have seen magnificent financial support to date we still need your help to secure the purchase of the Elm Tree Inn and so guarantee a wonderful place to meet friends, to drink and eat together and create even more history in West Dorset.

[dalekofchaos]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022 review

Okay I finally watched the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. . It is the best sequel in the franchise and best movie since the remake(that isn’t saying much)

The pros

The gore and kills

Lila and Melody(probably the most likable characters in the movie)

Leatherface(mostly)

The cons

Does not feel like a TCM movie. It doesn’t seem to have any grasp on what made the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre work (the production design, documentary feel; etc.) and instead just capitalizes on recent horror trends while throwing in unsubtle satire. 

A movie set in Texas was filmed in Bulgaria.

No family. Here’s something no one has understood about the franchise. Leatherface without the family is just another generic slasher. They literally made Leatherface a parody of himself. My ideal sequel with the plot of Leatherface in the Grandpa role and a new generation of Sawyer/Slaughter family killing would’ve honestly been a better concept for the movie. I don’t just want Leatherface. This may be hard for people to understand, but Leatherface is the least interesting part about these movies. It’s the family that makes these movies, particularly the first 4 movies work. I want a crazy, cannibalistic family at the center of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. That’s the magic of it to me. It’s not a Jason/Michael thing where it’s a lone killer but the last few films downplayed the family significantly. I’m personally not into that. The Saw is Family. Some people have been dismissing complaints about the film with the attitude of, “You got a guy killing people with a chainsaw, what more do you want?” But that’s not the thing that sticks with me with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it was how insane the family was. You can have a Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie about a guy with a chainsaw killing tons of people and still surround him with a memorable family of lunatics. Some people are acting like you can’t have both and like it wasn’t what set the series apart from other horror franchises. The fact that The Next Generation understood this better than the 2022 movie is really telling.

Leatherface is suddenly Jason. Did anyone even watch the first movie? Leatherface screamed in pain by being cut by his own chainsaw. In this movie, he survives over 6 shotgun shells and his head being cut in two with his own chainsaw. Guys....Leatherface is human.....Leatherface is human. The Jasonification of Leatherface was just stupid.

This is meant to take place 50 years after the original, yet this Leatherface is nothing like Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface. He has no masks that give him personality to inhabit and he doesn’t kill out of fear or for cannibalism(cannibalism is never mentioned btw) and as I said, Leatherface in this movie feels like a generic slasher and not Leatherface.

Lack of context of what happened after Sally escaped. We never learn what happened to Drayton, I assume he was the sole member who was arrested along with Grandpa? But why wasn't that in the narration? But with Leatherface, how does he even know this orphanage woman? Is she his mother, distant aunt? He had 3 brothers and a grandpa, he wasn't raised in no orphanage. Did she just take him in out of the kindness of her heart and saw the boy behind the mask? Was Leatherface calmed by the kindness his family never showed him? Like they never explained the deal between the mother figure and Leatherface.

The stupid social media and gentrification bullshit. This really didn’t need to be in a TCM movie. Also? Why would you have the only black character be the most gung-ho and cutthroat about the gentrification? Like an easy fix is his girlfriend is greedy and wants to force the old lady out the most and her punishment is to go with her and there, she is the first victim in the movie. Also? REALLY? There really needed to be a cancel culture and tiktok joke?  They honestly could’ve done without it and just had the group of friends just be tourists looking to explore abandoned towns and they run into Leatherface and Leatherface kills them one by one until Sally comes to the rescue of the sisters and they kill him together.

Sally. I feel like bringing back Sally was pointless after Marilyn Burns’ passing. They should have done this shit in 2013 in the stupid 3D movie WHEN MARILYN AND GUNNAR WERE FUCKING ALIVE. But that aside. It feels like if you remove Sally, it wouldn’t affect the movie. Sally feels less like a character here than a prop to mine fan nostalgia for the original film. Her role is mostly saved for the third act, and smacks of the filmmakers attempting to desperately inject some emotion and gravity into a fundamentally schlocky horror movie. It doesn't really work - the Sally subplot ends up feeling like a tacked-on reshoot, and the rushed payoff is sure to leave those who were interested in seeing Sally again totally underwhelmed. Something that also bothered me. Leatherface doesn’t remember Sally. You really think, Leatherface wouldn't recognize the one who got away and ruined his family? Leatherface should be fucking pissed. She’s the reason Nubbins was killed and why Drayton was arrested and Grandpa dead. Leatherface should be eager to kill her. Even if it was due to them being older, Leatherface should’ve had a moment to recognize her. while Leatherface doesn't initially recognize her, Sally jogs his memory. She manages to get out of the house to get more ammo, and things proceed fairly similarly from there, only I probably wouldn't kill Sally, but incapacitate her at a certain point so she's out of commission until the end, where all three of them work to finish Leatherface off.

The ending. The ending was as contrived and lame as the Friday The 13th 2009 movie. It works for Jason cause he's a zombie. It doesn't for Leatherface since he's only human. Like come the fuck on. I mean if it were a nightmare sequence for either sister, yeah that’s fine. But the ending and making Leatherface Jason esque was really dumb

For the body count, it's damn good. But as a Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie? Not really good. It just felt like a generic horror movie. The lack of a family really hurt the movie. The stupid plot and social media garbage definitely hurt the movie and I just felt including Sally only to kill her off was just dumb. And as yet the second continuation of the original movie? Terrible. If you really wanted to continue the original movie with both Leatherface and Sally. You should have done it when both Marilyn and Gunnar were still alive, you had them in 3D, but they did not play Leatherface and Sally, they should have and that movie should have been about Sally's revenge, not whatever the fuck 3D was.

I don’t get why they keep bringing Leatherface back as an old man and the main killer. With the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you have a murderous family reverent to their elders. There can be a NEW family with a NEW Leatherface, with the original filling the role of Grandpa. 

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of my favorite horror films but I don’t wanna take away from anyone’s enjoyment of the new Netflix sequel. That said, I personally didn’t like the new film, it just felt like a generic slasher movie with inept social commentary tacked on.

[decodingellipses]

Alexis Nikole, The TikTok Forager

This piece is part of the Person of Interest vertical at @bonappetit

Alexis Nikole considers her TikTok fame a fortuitous accident. She knew nothing about the platform until she started an account for her day job as a social media manager. But when the 28-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, began experimenting on her personal page during the pandemic, she got more than she bargained for. Specifically: over 600,000 enthusiastic followers and 10.3 million likes.

Since April of last year, Nikole’s now viral account has been showcasing her immeasurable knowledge of foraging and cooking with wild plants: a sorbet made out of Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) turned into lush salads, and common dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) battered and fried like fritters. She studied environmental science and theater at Ohio State University, and often combines her two passions on the platform—where you’ll find her singing original songs about cattails and sassafras.

By sharing excellent foraging tips laced with undiluted humor, Nikole’s intentions were for people to take agency over their meals and make the most of foods that were free and readily available all around; especially after COVID-19 hit American shores and shopping was anxiety inducing. During the early months of the pandemic, Nikole’s TikToks focused on how foraged goods could extend groceries and increase access to fresh ingredients, especially for those living in food deserts. This is precisely why Nikole’s videos are so grounding; in these times, it’s crucial to feel some sense of self-sufficiency and stability.

Amid global adversity, Nikole forages because it reminds her that she’s human—and humans, at their very core, are part of the ecosystem, no matter how much we distance ourselves from that truth. I called up Nikole to learn more about her foraging background, how she practices gratitude for what is all around, and why the world needs more hyper-localized food systems.

Foraging makes me feel I am a part of something bigger… and that feeling is really good at chasing the depression away. Typically I go out between two to five times a week on average. In the dead of winter, I might only go once, and during the dog days of summer, I’m in the woods and nearby parks every single day. I’ll jam to ’80s funk the entire walk to the creek, but the earbuds go away when I get there. I want to hear everything—the crunching leaves under my feet, the babbling brook, and people conversing and laughing in the distance.

I used to dream of being a pop star… by night and a scientist by day. I’ve been surrounded by music for a long time. I was three when I joined the childrens’ choir at my dad’s Baptist church, I started classical piano at age five, I was in choir every year through junior high and high school, I performed a cappella in high school, and was on the e-board of ukulele club in college. I was never a prodigy, but music brings me so much joy, so I love being able to sneak that into my TikTok videos.

The best meal I’ve made using a foraged ingredient is probably… chicken-of-the-woods mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus) “crab cakes” and an American sea rocket (Cakile edentula) and steamed beach pea (Lathyrus japonicus) salad tossed in olive oil infused with goldenrod (Solidago). Very gourmet!

My curiosity for the outdoors… was nurtured from a very young age by my parents. My two sets of grandparents knew that scouting was good for building connections and recognized the importance of getting outside, and thus got my parents into it early. My mom scouted longer than my dad did and went to sleepaway camp in New Hampshire in the summertime. Eventually, while working at Procter & Gamble, she gardened on the weekends to decompress. I would help her, spreading mulch or digging into the earth with a tiny trowel while she quizzed me on the plants. Unbeknownst to my mom, I was picking up a lot of information. From there it grew into a love of all things growing plants outdoors.

You don't have to go full forager… to reduce your environmental impact. Over the past few decades society has trended away from a localized food system, toward a global one. On the upside, it’s much easier to find ingredients like star anise at the grocery store. However, access to tomatoes year-round means they’ve got a higher carbon footprint because they traveled thousands of miles to get to your plate. Even shopping at your local farmstand helps with lowering your carbon footprint; it’s also a little easier than identifying a plant and bringing it home to eat.

Everyone was afraid of going to the grocery store… when I started my TikTok foraging videos in April 2020. So I thought: Hey! Here are a few plants that are really common and probably growing in your neighborhood that you can gather, and maybe that’ll stretch your groceries a bit.

Poor and POC communities are hit hardest… when major disasters hit. We saw the same thing playing out in Texas with the massive winter storm. So I offer my knowledge to help someone who needs to get some fresh food on their plate.

As a Black, queer female forager on the internet… I’m not the person people expect to see excited about foraging, the outdoors, biology, botany, and history. I have delightful forager friends who are white, and I notice they don’t get questioned nearly as much as I do. That’s heartbreaking. When my dad learned that my account becoming viral also meant me becoming susceptible to online harassment, he got angry and told me, “I’ve been alive for 65 years. It doesn’t feel good that you’re still called into question because of who you are.”

Though, it all feels worth it when… a follower sends me a thank-you message saying, “Because of you, while I was out walking I recognized this plant and it made me feel like my neighborhood was a cooler and happier place.” To be less unacquainted with plants or more connected to surroundings because of me is a huge win. We take better care of the things we know.

[calypsoff]

Twenty Six.

Looking over at Robyn in the SUV “man, what you doing?” I said through my laughter “you are taking pictures of me again, excuse me if you start telling people about me and your toes we over” Robyn cackled “I’m not, just adding you to my story. I like to show off my man, but how do you feel? Virginia is coming to an end?” Side eyeing her “for you yes, I’m going back with the boys” Robyn huffed out “why can’t you just come back with me? Seriously? It’s not that hard Chris, come to California. Then go to Texas get your things and come back” she’s always planning “or I can go from here to Texas then to California? Better right? Then we have a big sex session before you go and then I wave you bye bye and have parties?” Robyn shook her head “I think prior to the revelation about your toe sucking and foot licking, I would have said no because you will have girls around. Boy I am not complaining, you do know my shoes just came off” looking out of the window, I am not speaking to her. She keeps reminding of something I know I did, she is annoying now “poppa please, do it for son, son. He won’t like it” Robyn tugged at my arm “poppa! Please, I’m sorry” she knows she’s doing the most and now I shall be silent with her “it made me wet when you did that to my foot?” Oh she’s trying to make things better “be quiet” I mumbled, I am done with her “ok fine I will let it go, I will not speak on it again. Robyn is done” Robyn is done but I am done with her, she can talk to her damn self.

Robyn is grovelling she wants me to care and I don’t “ok I won’t mention is again, deal?” I heard what she said but I chose to ignore her now “I was going to say I will do your foot but no, those aren’t cute” dragging my eyes away from my phone staring at Robyn’ face all in mine “I’m glad you’re happier, but at my expense” she is so cute; like I can’t even remain angry at her. She’s just being adorable “you can have a party but don’t mess up the house, see happy?” I shrugged “I suppose, but you still teasing about the foot thing. You going to stop that” that smirk on her face tells me otherwise “right well I’m going to drop you off at my mother’ house because I need to see TJ and Barry like this is not a lie and no you can’t come because the area is not safe for my love” Robyn is not happy; she is the pouting one now not just me “and you!?” She retorted “it’s my area twin, I know this area like that I can walk around. If I walk around with you then I am having to protect you because you close, so yeah. You need to go and stay with my mother while I see to them and then I will be back” Robyn is not agreeing but she will need too “so you really not coming with me to California. You are staying here for what?” I shrugged “I like my city you know” Robyn turned away “the city don’t like you, let’s not forget they trying to kill you” oh she is really not happy, I will let her get over it.

My mom is so pleased every time Robyn comes, she is like her second daughter and I find that cute “baby I will get your bed made, that reminds me” my mom pointed at me “thanks mom, Robyn is going tomorrow so I will come here for a few days and Desean I don’t have a large size for you” Tootie gasped “nigga take it the fuck back, you do not say that about my son” I snorted laughing “I am lying, I got you nephew. We about to do the photoshoot together, I am joking ok?” taking it back, I was joking with him, but I don’t want him to take it seriously “can I meet Drake?” shaking my head “yo nigga, I barely meet that nigga myself but one day. I got you. So yeah. I am going to meet up with Barry, also Robyn can tell y’all about the lovely time she had and what I did for her” Robyn is still pouting so I just kissed her lips without a care “you being too busy for me boy, when Robyn goes back we will spend time yes?” saluting my mother “of course, I will be back soon” Robyn is not impressed but what do I care, I just need to get my shit out there. Get my clothing line recognized so yes, I am busy sometimes “dad, I am taking your car. I will bring it back!” I shouted taking his keys anyways, he will hear me anyways.

TJ and Tina are so fucking weird, like the fact they are even together I find it weird, it’s just I didn’t expect it. She is practically home, his family accepted it “Tina liking that country life huh? Look at her” grabbing a can of Sprite from the side “it’s a lovely place, I do like it” Tina agreed “oh yeah, Mel” I clinked my fingers at Barry “what about her?” licking my lips smiling “you like her, go and proceed. I got her number so I will give it you, get on with it. Robyn said she a little lonely because Robyn got me and she got nobody” I shrugged opening the can “hey! Don’t be saying that about my girl, just she needs a man. Maybe Barry could be the one” I forgot about Tina being here or maybe I just didn’t care “so forget the Mel thing, did you and Robyn you know?” TJ placed his arm around my shoulders “have sex? Yes, we had sex and sex, and then more sex. It was delicious and the most precious moment of my life, I tell a joke, but it was a process time for us. It worked and I think it was needed for the both of us, we feel much closer now, well I do anyway but yeah. I came here for you. I had to leave Robyn at my mother’ home because bringing her here can be hectic, I don’t want that for her. I like her to have that normality so yeah, what is it?” drinking from the can “you are so protective of her, that is cute to see for my girl. I can’t believe she stayed there; did not she not refuse?” Tina asked “a little but I am the man of the house I told her how it is” I laughed “I joke, just said that it’s hard to just take you around like that, she understood” I shrugged, she did take it well, that is not a lie.

Sitting down on the chair taking in the VA sun, I have been relaxed since I have had sex with Robyn “does your sister fancy me or something? Why is she taking pictures of me” I asked confused “oh she is doing that TikTok shit” pulling a face “ma’am” I pointed at her, wanting her to know I knew she was taking a video, she got shy “so Seiko” I groaned out “now why do we need to speak on that, can we skip the conversation!?” TJ sighed out “I wish I could, but it is what it is, she is there because of my mistake. I am stuck, but she is doing a gender reveal and I of course is going but I would want my brothers there. I rather just work with her, my family is going, and you are my brothers so please come with me and support me” shaking my head “bro, that is my ex and she been talking shit about me and Robyn, I can’t be there. I ain’t going near that, why would she want me to be there” TJ rubbed his face “it’s not about you and her nigga, it’s about that fucking child that is a mistake, but I am stepping up. The blessing you needed because she would have pushed that on you, please be there for me. Just be there for me and then we dip, it’s just a gender reveal” licking my top lip, I do not like the sound of any of it, seems like too much would be done “her friends will be there, I fucked all of them girls. It’s awkward bro, I can’t be there” I don’t know what he wants from me “who cares? You the flyest nigga there, you ain’t done shit. You go with your head high and for me, please” he really wants me there “Barry is coming” taking in a deep breath “look, I need to speak to Robyn about it, but I don’t know, see what happens” that is the best I can do for him.

Imagine being there knowing that is my ex and she is pregnant but my best friend, I am involving myself in that and Robyn may not like that I don’t know “you still thinking on it?” TJ asked, he knows I am sat here thinking about that shit, I mean how the fuck could I go there and just act like nothing happened “I don’t know what to do bro, like it doesn’t bother me. Hand on my heart but I have a certain reputation to hold, you know? It’s like people see me with Rihanna and I can’t just be with my ex” I mean it will look like that “he is right TJ, he has to be careful. Places like Shade Room, and all those blogs will be on it if like his pictures start floating around about his ex and then Rih will be pissed off, and we don’t need that” Tina is right “but it’s not about that, it’s about me needing my best friend there. Barry is coming too, just be with me. Be in the back, you are family to me. I feel bad I did that to you already, I get it but we are coming up with some shit and the baby can come and see me alone” rubbing my face “I will speak to Robyn about it, I mean have you ever tried to ask Robyn anything like that. She is going to on my ass about it. She already wanted me to come with her to Cali and I said no I am staying here for a few days. Also I am going to Texas but then going Cali. I am staying at Robyn’ home. I am babysitting the house and I will do business from there. You are both welcome to come too. But before I do that I promised I would go on a few days of the tour with her. I suppose you could stay there with Rorrey until I fly back in. So yeah, I will be busy. We all will be” Barry’ eyes lit up “living in California!? Bruh, can we have parties?” I knew he would ask that “yeah, she said we can within reason though” I knew these niggas would come, they would never leave me alone.

Scratching the side of my face, Seiko still has me on her page like why. I do not understand why she hasn’t deleted the pictures; she deleted the couple pictures but picture she randomly took of me. I look terrible actually, locking my phone. Let me go and see what Robyn is up too with my family, closing the car door behind me. I think I am going to have my family in a bigger home, I want to get to that kind of place where I can put them somewhere private, somewhere much bigger. Like my nephew is growing, he is sleeping downstairs now that I am home so like I need to do that. Pushing open the front door “family!” placing the keys on the side and closing the door behind me, I find this home extremely small now when I am living well now, the places I have seen and lived in. It’s amazing to see that those types of homes exist “we are watching Taken!” Desean said “oh that, y’all boring. You bored?” I asked Robyn “no I am not actually” oh she is not happy “Robyn cooked for us actually, we will be eating soon” nodding my head “cool, erm. Robyn I need to speak to you” I pointed upstairs “Robyn also made your bedroom, I told her not too but she insisted and she made your bed and did your room up” letting out an oh “wow baby, you didn’t have too. Thank you” that is sweet of her “mhmm come” Robyn walked by me.

If she is moody then I don’t think I will tell her anything “uhm, why you moody?” walking into my bedroom “oh my room looks clean, thank you twin” closing the door “no, not you. I have enjoyed your family. Just the thought of going back to Cali, just depressing. But yeah, nothing to do with you” nodding my head, I guess she is feeling it “ok cool, well yeah I met TJ and Barry, we had a few drinks and spoke on something. TJ came out with something, well he asked me. And I said that I would need to ask Robyn before anything. So he’s having a gender party thing and he wants me to be there” Robyn just stared at me dumbfounded “oh wait, your ex is having a gender reveal and you want to be there?” Robyn put it in better words “uh yeah, but like I didn’t say yes because I am unsure of it. I mean the girl there will be the girls I have had sex with so it’s a little awkward, but I also want to support my boy” Robyn is not impressed “yeah why not Chris, a nice little reunion huh? I mean that is classless I don’t care what you say” well that tells me “you know what Chris; I won’t stop you going because I know you. I am not insecure, but I expect something to come out of it. I also want to say I am not happy about it, it’s a little trashy that my man will be there with his ex-girlfriend gender reveal because his best friend fucked her, and you had sex with all her friends. It’s trashy with a capital T and you know what Chris. Go, if I stop you then I look stupid and insecure because I know them rats will be speaking on it. But I am not happy about it, but I am stuck aren’t I? I would look the bad one stopping you but have fun. I just need to just go and think. Now I am going back to watch the movie, bye” Robyn is being childish “right” rubbing my face.

Pushing Desean’ head a little “let uncle sit there” walking around the couch, I want to sit next to Robyn. I do know she is hating me right now, but I still want to sit next to her, I know Desean hates me for moving him, but she has no choice in that “smile” sitting next to Robyn “for what?” she mumbled “I am here with you” placing my arm behind Robyn and then turned a little to face her “don’t be like that with me, yeah. We had a good time, and this is nothing. I get it you’re annoyed with me, but this is minor” staring at the side Robyn’ face, she is so cute when she is annoyed “you know you look cute when you mad” Robyn cleared her throat and then proceeded to place her legs over my lap “still find you annoying but massage my feet” Robyn is annoying “you’re not funny” she really isn’t “I am not happy still but that will kind of make me happy so proceed” she us doing the most, as she does but let me just massage her feet.

[onestowatch]

Lollapalooza 2021: 15 Ones to Catch (Who Aren’t Headlining)

Lollapalooza is officially one week away, and wow does that feel good to say. As one of the first music festivals to welcome us back to festival season after a far too long hibernation, the annual festival, hosted at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, is set to bring the musical stylings of Tyler, the Creator, Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, and plenty more. But, unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are that you’re already more than familiar with the artists set to headline. So why not figure out who to see while you’re waiting to scream along to Call Me If You Get Lost.

From collectives who are moving beyond the need for genres to music that is just as likely to make you cry as it is laugh, these are 15 ones to catch (who aren’t headlining) at Lollapalooza 2021.

Peach Tree Rascals

When & Where: Sunday, 2 p.m. at Bud Light Seltzer Stage

Peach Tree Rascals’ Lollapalooza set has been a very, very long time coming. The Bay Area–bred collective has been steadily making waves with their genre-bending approach to indie-pop that calls to mind a more idyllic, lovesick BROCKHAMPTON (an act you should most definitely catch as well). And despite emerging a growing fan-favorite in the last couple years, the aforementioned rascals have yet to play a show, ever. With a headline tour that was canceled due to COVID, Lollapalooza will officially be making history as the first-ever Peach Tree Rascals set.

Tate McRae

When & Where: Saturday, 5:15 p.m. at Grubhub Stage

Tate McRae’s rise through the pop stratosphere has felt meteoric. First gaining fame at the young age of 13 for being the first Canadian finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, McRae has certainly come a long way to stand as one of the most promising voices in pop. With a vocal range more than powerful enough to deliver haunting dark pop ballads like “you broke me first” one moment and stand side-by-side with Khalid on the summer bop “working” the next, there are no two ways about it. McRae is a pop star in the making and this is your chance to catch her before her inevitable headliner status.  

Marc Rebillet

When & Where: Saturday, 9:00 p.m. at Grubhub Stage

Part-time meme and full-time artist, Marc Rebillet creates music with an unmatched comedic timing. It’s a comedic genius that has led to him getting a 24-hour ban on Twitch—for taking his shirt off in the middle of a stream, an act which I’m guessing Lollapalooza will be more than forgiving of giving his penchant for performing in a bathrobe. The self-described improvisational artist creates all his songs from scratch, resulting in an experience where no two live shows are quite the same. Come for the comedy, stay for the absolute dancefloor bangers.

Dayglow

When & Where: Thursday, 3:45 p.m. at Lake Shore Stage

Dayglow is sure to bring a smile to your face and put a pep in your step. Apologies if I sounded like my grandparents there, but there’s no denying the sonic sunshine that is Dayglow’s rapturous brand of indie-pop. Paying homage to the dance-inducing melancholy of ‘80s pop duets, it’s difficult not to get swept up in the Austin, Texas–bred artist’s hypnotic vision. It’s the sort of euphoric music that feels almost tailor-made for the return of festival season—drenched in sunny rays and brimming with infectious sincerity.

Giveon

When & Where: Friday, 4:45 p.m. at T-Mobile Stage

Before his breakout moment on Justin Bieber’s “Peaches,” Giveon was already charting his path for R&B domination. With an angelic and haunting baritone, each R&B rumination carries with it a palpable weight—an emotional turmoil that is only elevated by the minimalistic soundscapes which allow the proper space for his transfixing voice to fully shine. For a crash course on Giveon, check out a compilation of his two standout EPs, When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time. Or better yet, experience the magic of Giveon live.

Ashe

When & Where: Thursday, 6:30 p.m. at Grubhub Stage

Ashe creates effortlessly timeless music, blurring the line between the nostalgic songwriting of Fleetwood Mac and a modern-day folk-pop star. The sentiment is best expressed in her critically-acclaimed debut album, Ashlyn, which demonstrates the Los Angeles artist’s peerless songwriting acumen, toeing the line between rapturous euphoria one moment and deeply affecting storytelling the next. If you need a good laugh or cry, do not miss out on Ashe.

Sir Chloe

When & Where: Sunday, 12:45 p.m. at T-Mobile Stage

Fronted by Dana Foote and comprised of Teddy O’mara on guitar, Palmer Foote on drums, and Austin Holmes on bass, Sir Chloe’s music exists in the nebulous void of haunting dark pop and heart-rending alternative garage rock. The New York–based indie rock band originally started as a college project, birthed in the music halls of Bennington College, and now they’re set to take Lollapalooza by storm. With an impressive debut album, 2020’s Party Favors, under their belt, this set feels only the beginning for the bewitching indie outfit. 

jxdn

When & Where: Sunday, 3 p.m. at Bud Light Seltzer Stage

jxdn is the latest artist to make good on pop-punk’s continued resurgence. The first signing to Travis Barker’s DTA Records, the breakout singer-songwriter has found a fan in not only the blink-182 star but in Machine Gun Kelly, who jxdn is set to tour with this fall and makes an appearance on his debut album, Tell Me About Tomorrow. With an acclaimed debut album in the books and some of pop-punk’s biggest stars behind him, jxdn is sure to deliver a Lollapalooza debut for the ages. 

AG Club

When & Where: Friday, 7:45 p.m. at Grubhub Stage

AG Club, an abbreviation of avant-garde club, is a genre-less music collective that shares a lot in common with fellow Lollapalooza must-see act, Peach Tree Rascals, including a collaborative single. But don’t get things twisted, this Bay Area collective has their own vision in store for you. With a brash, in-your-face attitude, AG Club is likely to draw comparisons to the Saturation era of BROCKHAMPTON and glory days of ASAP Mob, but with their introspective, omnivorous approach, they deftly manage to emerge as an act all their own. If you want to go where the party is, don’t miss AG Club.

Tai Verdes

When & Where: Friday, 1:45 p.m. at Bud Light Seltzer Stage

Where would we be without TikTok? I, for one, would be without my preferred form of short-form entertainment and the world be without the infectious pop-R&B stylings of one Tai Verdes. Originally working at Verizon before his breakout single, “Stuck in the Middle,” became a viral hit on TikTok, Verdes is now one of the most promising and rapidly rising acts in music today. And with his debut album, TV, the viral star proved himself no one-hit-wonder, delivering a collection of tracks that span a range of emotions and genres that we cannot wait to experience live.

Dominic Fike

When & Where: Thursday, 7:45 p.m. at Grubhub Stage

Dominic Fike is a musical chameleon. First breaking out with his unassuming radio hit “3 Nights,” to only jump into the absolute vibe that is the Kenny Beats–assisted “Phone Numbers,” and culminate it all with the genre-spanning debut album, What Could Possibly Go Wrong, Fike is an artist whose limitations seem limitless. It’s a notion that plays out in his breathtaking live show, reworking his hits with an insatiable appetite until they’re songs that exist only in that singular moment. Fike’s is set you will not want to miss.

Oliver Tree

When & Where: Thursday, 9 p.m. at Grubhub Stage

Alternative auteur Oliver Tree is nothing if not unpredictable. Flaunting his signature JNCO jeans and an impressive professional razor scooter pedigree, the inimitable artist delivers on an infectious blend of alternative, electronic, hip-hop, and pop that defies any simplistic classification. And with his debut album, Ugly Is Beautiful, now out in the wild after a much-hyped cancellation and subsequent surprise release, Tree has more than his fair share of music to pull from. Plus, given his penchant for going in and out of retirement like he’s trying to break a record only known to him, it’s probably best not to miss this set.   

RMR

When & Where: Sunday, 2:45 p.m. at Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage

RMR originally made headlines with his breakout single, “RASCAL,” a transfixing country trap ballad that saw the rapper donning a black balaclava and Saint Laurent bulletproof vest while rapping over an interpolation of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless The Broken Road.” Since then, the anonymous rapper has been spotted hitting the town with Sharon Stone and embracing his penchant for melodic trap in the Westside Gunn, Future, Lil Baby, and Young Thung–loaded Drug Dealing Is a Lost Art. Existing at the fusion of trap country and melodic rap, RMR’s Lolla set is one you’re not likely to forget anytime soon.

Chiiild

When & Where: Sunday, 12:00 p.m. at Lake Shore Stage

Nostalgic and novel, Chiiild’s self-described brand of “synthetic soul” is nothing short of intoxicating. Setting its own sauntering pace, Chiiild’s unique take on R&B and soul takes on a cosmic energy, as if floating through a wormhole with nothing but a single cassette deck on hand. It’s a testament to the Canadian band’s all-encompassing approach that draws upon not just R&B and soul but psychedelia, jazz, indie, and pop to craft a sound that is all their own. Take a trip on Sunday, and meet us at Chiiild.

All Time Low

When & Where: Thursday, 6 p.m. at Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage

Because teenage you wasn’t old enough to convince your parents to let you see All Time Low the first time “Dear Maria, Count Me In” was trending.

[megacircuit9universe]

Pokemon Go to the Polls!

THU MAR 05 2020

The big news today was that Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the race.

She didn’t endorse either Bernie, or Biden, but she did at least get out of Bernie’s way.

As I wrote yesterday, when Pete and Klobi dropped out the day before Super Tuesday, the iron was hot, and their unexpected departures and endorsements of Biden made it hotter.

Warren’s departure isn’t like that... dropping out two days after Super Tuesday, when that iron is cooling off... but four days before the next round of states: Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, and Washington... which are all stone cold right now.

There is no fun name for these six states on March 10th. Consequential Tuesday is what it should be called, but I’d settle for Cool Tuesday, or even Casual Tuesday... anything.  But no.

There will be no debate between Biden and Sanders before these states vote.  And Warren isn’t going to endorse anybody beforehand.

Nevertheless, Washington and Michigan are two biggies, with Washington seemingly safe for Bernie Sanders, and Michigan a toss up.  The other four are now presumed to be going to Joe Biden.

I think Warren’s exit will solidify Washington for Bernie, but he really needs to kill it in Michigan, if he’s gonna break the Super Tuesday spell and claim to be making a comeback.  

And it would not hurt if Bernie stole one of the other four out from Under Biden.

The 18 to 38 vote here would make a huge difference, but will they turn out in force, like the cavalry, on Tuesday the 10th to save his ass?

Based on the primary season so far... no, they won’t.

Because they have not turned out in any numbers at all in Iowa, New Hampshire, and all the rest.  And nobody in the media... not even in the alternative media, like TYT and the like on  YouTube, are reaching out to this demographic in any meaningful way.

It’s a huge disappointment!

On TikTok, I am finally seeing this week, some peer pressure from fellow youngsters to get up off their asses and act, but not nearly enough.  

When I think back to last summer, with the, Raid Area 51 Memes that everybody was doing... and to this past January with the WW3 memes that were just as viral... these few isolated videos I see where somebody is begging their fellow teens or twenty-somethings to vote in the primaries... it’s just sad how weak the signal is by comparison.

There is a meme that’s pretty viral called, “don’t make me vote for Joe Biden” that’s been going around all primary season, but... it got it’s start with jaded millennials on Twitter, and, was picked up by younger TikTockers who... are buying into the apathy of their 30-something counterparts without questioning it.

The central conceit of this meme is that they’re not going to vote at all until the general election in the fall... so please... old people... don’t nominate Joe Biden.  Please, old people... nominate Bernie Sanders, who is our hands down fave!

Now, clearly, they all know they are allowed to vote in state primaries... but they’re all acting like... that level of involvement is a bit too much to ask of they, themselves... the hip and jaded youth.  Going to the polls two times in one year?  Come on!  We have lives!

Never mind that for all these young adults, either on Twitter or TikTok, who are overwhelmingly white and/or affluent, their polling place is probably within easy walking distance of home... and that voting will take only about five minutes... is free... and is painless (it’s not like you have to get a shot or something)... it’s still a hell of a lot to ask them to do twice in the same year.

I put this mainly down to ignorance of the big picture.  That big picture being: voting is the most important thing you can do to improve your life.  It’s more important than school, work, dating, chasing your dreams, or even eating and using your toilet, because it’s fundamental to all of them.  

Story time here...

When I was turning 18, in 1987, my home state of Illinois was still considered a red state.  Reagan could rely on us both times around, and we regularly voted for Republican Governors. 

This, of course was long before the internet, but there was a definite underground movement going on at the time, to get young voters registered and involved in the political process. 

This is why I voted for Mike Dukakis right after I turned 18... and why I continued to vote in every single election, primary or general, local, state, and federal, for the rest of my life.  It was instilled in my whole generation, here, that this was a fundamental civic duty that paid off.

So... I do not think it’s a coincidence that thirty years later, Illinois is considered as reliably blue as California and New York, and that in 2020, when so much of the Midwest, and the rest of the country are withering under far right oppression... we have a democratic Governor, Senate, and House, enjoy legal weed, are leading the Midwest on climate change and green energy,  are a sanctuary for undocumented migrants, a haven for the LGBT rights, and doing better than most states with racial and gender equality.

This is what happens when you get a generation of young people to prioritize voting early and often, from the age of 18 onward.  

It’s what should happen to every state, but what could happen in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas and Florida very soon, if anybody gave enough of a fuck to mobilize the young voters.

It seems ridiculous to me that here in 2020, when we have such a sophisticated internet, with hand held devices in every pocket... and with this ideal Presidential candidate... Bernie Sanders... champing at the bit to bring, not just the states mentioned above, but the entire country... into the 21st century in terms of universal health care, climate change, legal weed, etc... that the 18 to 38 demographic is sitting on their hands, pretending nobody under 60 is even allowed to vote for anything.

In normal times, I’d say... you’re gonna wait 30 more years for the stars to line up again like this with a national candidate who is anywhere near as progressive as Bernie.  But these are not normal times, so... if you (they, we) do not take this opportunity... it may well never come again.

Climate change, pandemics, authoritarianism... economic depression... famine and war... 

...all things which have been bearing down constantly on humanity since the dawn of civilization, and which only modern democracy has managed to hold back, the last 70 or 80 years... 

...are right on the doorstep now, waiting to devour us... this time on a global scale.

Is that fear mongering?  No.  That’s reality.  This is an emergency.  All hands on deck, goddammit!

Generations of people dedicated their lives... or gave their lives... to defend this democratic system we have in the free world where intellect wins over ignorance, innovation over hardship, and enlightenment over brutality... and that system goes away tomorrow... if you don’t vote.

Elderly voters don’t give a shit about the future. They care about the past... and protecting themselves in their old age.  Is that callous?  Yes!  Old people have no problem sending young people off to war to die... and no problem handing their own grandchildren a flaming pile of shit world... because they are selfish, brain damaged bastards, the whole lot of them.

That’s why a whole generation had to fight to lower the voting age to 18... because they were being fucking slaughtered in Korea and VietNam.

They won’t just make you vote for Joe Biden, if you let them... they will make you watch Trump destroy him, before he destroys you.  Why the fuck would you sit back and let this happen?

Millenials and GenZ... and all the yet to be born generations to follow are crippled with debt out of college, have no hope of owning homes, are facing a planet that is slowly turning into a hellscape, and watching right wing fascists dismantle the constitution in front of their faces in real time... and doing nothing to stop it, by using the most powerful tool they have... the one that was won for them by blood sacrifices.

Why?

Just fucking go to your goddamn polling place and spend five minutes of your shitty life checking some boxes for fuck sake!  Jesus, fucking Christ!

Okay, that seems like a good place to leave it tonight.

I’m going to bed.

[funface2]

The teens of TikTok are taking on school shootings – WTOP

If you have a teen in your life, you know that TikTok is the platform du jour for them to create and share inexplicable, absurd and often downright hilarious pieces of content.

However, among the memes and Dadaist humor of TikTok run a savage streak of political activism.

The teens of TikTok have taken on wealth inequality, climate change and the mercurial attentions of a slacktivist public.

Now, with a series of brutal, darkly funny memes, they’ve turned a narrowed eye toward school shootings. It’s hilarious and horrifying at the same time. And it reflects the frustration and anxiety of a generation shaped by gun violence.

It’s a different kind of expression

TikTok has 500 million active users across the globe who create and watch billions of short musical clips that span every possible type of theme and content. The clips are usually short — 15 seconds or less — and are typically set to music. Users are encouraged to participate in challenges and add their own spin to a particular theme, dance or song.

In some corners of TikTok, there’s flirtatious lip-synching, sophomoric pranks, confessionals and in some cases — such as Lil Nas X, whose star first rose after his song “Old Town Road” was featured on the app — the possibility of fame.

On the other end of the TikTok spectrum, creators have started using the platform to make wry jokes about living with a low-burning fear of gun violence.

Take a series of videos that started getting attention on the app when the school year began. In one, an American student excitedly packs his bags as the caption reads he’s moving to Canada. The chorus of La Roux’s 2009 hit “Bulletproof” plays over top: “This time baby, I’ll be bulletproof.”

In another, a US student and a UK student are shown in side-by-side scenarios listening to M.I.A’s “Paper Planes.” As the gunshots of the refrain ring out, the US student looks around, panicked, while the UK student remains unbothered.

You don’t need to be steeped in internet memery to get the message.

“I think kids are doing it because they want to make a joke out of how [people] are trying to find solutions that are [off the cuff],” says Ethan Druck, a 16-year-old from Garland, Texas.

He made a TikTok showing off his school ID badge, with the “Bulletproof” song playing over top. Ethan says his school asked students to wear badges on lanyards, prominently displayed, to increase security. By filtering the concept through TikTok satire, he wanted to show that administrators, though well-intentioned, implement strategies that don’t seem like they help the issue.

“This is a generation where [we see] major issues have turned into a joke,” he says. “I think it’s a lot of teens [who are] kind of seeing that this is a major issue, and they do fear the results. But they don’t really know how to express that.”

Levity is often a much-needed balm

Parts of this equation feel extremely on-brand for Gen Z, a generation of teens and young adults marked by heavy irony and an increasing tendency toward political and social activism.

What isn’t new is the idea that sometimes, in the face of frustration, hopelessness and tragedy, levity can be a much-needed balm.

“People have really different reactions to humor as a coping strategy, but humor can be a really healthy form of coping,” says Laura Wilson, an associate professor of Psychology at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

“After trauma, what a lot of people struggle with is vulnerability, and by making a joke or video about it, they think, ‘I’m taking control of this.’”

While we usually think of trauma in direct relation to an event, young people who see tragedies unfold from afar can go through a type of trauma, too. This generation, Wilson says, may have a particularly acute perception of mortality and danger.

“I do feel this generation has a familiarity with death that other generations didn’t,” she says. “They see people of their age fleeing schools, crying, hearing about people killed, and I don’t think that there was something exactly like that in past generations.”

It’s a fine line between satire and offense

The videos CNN reviewed for this article appeared to be made not to poke fun or derive humor from tragedy, but rather to comment on the effect of mass shootings on school policies and student psyche. The TikTok creators CNN spoke to also maintained this message. However, just because something is made to underscore a point or indulge in some gallows humor doesn’t mean it can’t hurt.

Phoebe O’Mara was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas when a shooter took the lives of 17 students and staff in February last year. O’Mara, 16, says some of the TikToks she’s seen are hard to watch.

“It upset me at first to see that people were making jokes about school shootings and commenting on these videos about how funny the situation and humor is,” she says. “But I can’t be upset at people for making humor out of a situation that they were not directly affected by.”

Other videos, she says, are actually kind of depressing.

“[It’s sad] that teens in America are making jokes about their school safety system.”

O’Mara was among the group of MSD students that traveled to Tallahassee in the days following the shooting to talk to politicians about pursuing gun legislation changes. On the first anniversary of the shooting, she sought to break through the sadness of the day by celebrating love and focus on fond memories of the victims. That mindset, of choosing agency over hopelessness, has helped her deal with the troubling things she encounters online.

“Not everyone is going to be mindful of others’ emotions on the internet,” she says. “Someone is going to be offended or triggered but it’s how you react to it that shows your strength and resilience.”

It’s a new form of political commentary

Around the time of the Parkland shooting last year, it became apparent that some Americans were losing patience with the old ways of reacting to school shootings. For months following the attack, high school students around the country mobilized to call for more meaningful ways to address gun violence. As the conversations continued, well-worn phrases like “Thoughts and prayers” and “Let’s not politicize a tragedy” lost their meaning and became subject to ridicule and parody.

In a way, these TikTok memes follow along in the same vein.

“My sense is that a lot of young people are posting dark humor social media stuff because they’re fed up,” Wilson says. “They’re frustrated. They see that there are adults in the world that could potentially reduce the frequency of mass shootings or counteracting climate change, but they’re not.”

To these bizarre, funny, creative TikTok teens, the joke isn’t that school shootings happen. It’s that nothing meaningful is being done to make them stop.

This content was republished with permission from CNN.

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