#its adrenaline mixed with post concert depression

[heartstopper-lover123]

It keeps hitting me that I've seen them in real life. On that stage. In those clothes. Singing those lyrics. I saw them

I SAW THEM!!!

Like I'm sorry but I can't contain that excitement. I find myself smiling uncontrollably when I think about it. I sing along to the songs a little louder now. I feel like I know the lyrics even better. I hear live Vessel when I listen to their songs. I need to be back there. Maybe it's because it was my first concert of theirs. Or concert period. But I've never felt like this. They've literally got me in a chokehold (may or may not be listening to it right now)

Can anyone tell me if it's normal. Like the adrenaline rush is insane. It's been 24 hours, and like 6 minutes since the concert ended, and I'm still giddy over it. I miss them sm

[lovejustforaday]

2021 Year-end list - #7

Smiling With No Teeth - Genesis Owusu

Main Genres: Synth Funk, Neo-Soul

A decent sampling of: Psychedelic Soul, Alternative R&B, Synth Punk, Conscious Rap, Dance Punk, Art Pop

This was actually a last minute inclusion. This record was the very last LP on my list of things to check out this year and I listened to it maybe three days before publishing this list. Maybe it’s recency bias but godDAMN this sounds fresh.

Also side note: this guy is younger than me? What the hell?

Kofi Owusu-Ansah a.k.a. Genesis Owusu is an Australian artist who recently went solo after performing alongside his older brother Australian rapper Citizen Kay as the Ansah Brothers. Over his still relatively new career arc, he's moved beyond the world of hip hop and gotten into making soul music with a punk edge and a taste for sonic experimentation.

On his debut LP Smiling With No Teeth, Genesis Owusu has made a name for himself as somewhat of a dark horse in the music world, generating spooky funk noises and pondering over the great social malaise of our times. I gotta say that this record honestly really took me by surprise; I didn't exactly know what to expect going in mostly blind, but the production and the songwriting are both really tight and fully-formed for a debut LP.

I love how this record sounds so slick and classy but yet is also so morbid, punk, and in your face. The album really embodies two very different voices in one person. I can visualize Owusu wearing a fancy tuxedo that’s been torn and lacerated all over, performing these songs while on stage at a big rowdy mosh pit inside of a luxurious concert hall.

The album immediately establishes an off-kilter tone with the freaky synth paychedelia of "On The Move!". This bleeds into "The Other Black Dog", a frantic dance-punk chase scene that introduces the album's core motif of the "black dog", a metaphor for the depression that follows Owusu wherever he goes. This is a really great one-two punch of an intro that immediately gets the adrenaline rushing.

"Centrefold" is a disorienting synth funk puzzle. It's as if the song has been run through a washer-dryer cycle and all of the dye colours ran off and got mixed up.

Of all the many fascinating angles Owusu takes on this record, I think he arguably sounds his best while making pretty straightforward neo-soul. "Waitin' On Ya" is like a 90s Lenny Kravitz song updated for the 2020s, with staccatoed falsetto vocals and an undeniable groove. I don't really see it talked about quite as much as the music, but Owusu really is a clever lyricist, particularly on this track. And I promise this will get stuck in your head, but fortunately it also fucks hard and therefore rightly earns its place in your noggin.

"Black Dogs!" is my favourite punk song of the year, which is really crazy seeing as how this is a neo-soul album. The absolutely pounding percussion with the funky post-punk bassline is a killer combination. This is music to flail your body around to. It's also really poignant commentary, bending the "black dog" metaphor to describe feelings of being perceived by others as a monster based on his race.

Owusu also proves that he's still a capable rapper as well, with exqusisite conscious rap takedowns of racism on the flashy "I Don't See Colour" and the more experimental "Whip Cracker". Truly, he's a jack of all trades.

The flow of the album itself is slightly off. The highlights for me were definitely clustered together, with whole runs of 3 or 4 brilliant tracks being followed by 3 or 4 just solid tracks. But there's enough really crazy highs here for me to mostly overlook this aspect of the tracklisting.

Anyhow, I'm really glad I decided to get this one in before the end of the year. Genesis Owusu has really turned a lot of critics' heads with this surreal, almost lynchian neo-soul record, and rightfully so. Smiling With No Teeth is one of the coolest and most original records to come out in 2021 and I can't wait to see what he's gonna do next.

9/10

Highlights: “Waitin’ On Ya”, “Black Dogs”, “Centrefold”, “The Other Black Dog”, "Smiling With No Teeth", “Whip Cracker”, "I Don't See Colour", "On The Move!"

[perfectirishgifts]

Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili To Make Sparkling Music With Cartier

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/pianist-khatia-buniatishvili-to-make-sparkling-music-with-cartier/

Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili To Make Sparkling Music With Cartier

Concert pianist and Cartier cultural ambassador, Khatia Buniatishvili

When concert pianist Khatia Buniatishvili performs Clair de Lune, the Claude Debussy classic, she shows her sensitivity by allowing the notes to fade delicately like a sunset giving way to the night. When it comes to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s complex and lush “Piano Concerto No.2 – 3rd Movement,” the French-Georgian prodigy shows she can play with speed and power.

The 33-year-old artist also is willing to lend her name and talent to worthwhile causes. She played “To Russia with Love” in Berlin to raise awareness of the violation of human rights in Russia and repeated the performance at the United Nations’ 70th Anniversary Humanitarian Concert in Geneva, which benefited Syrian refugees.

Khatia Buniatishvili wearing a Cartier necklace

It is this combination of exceptional talent and sensitivity toward others that attracted Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier CEO, to Buniatishvili and eventually led him to ask her to become one of the luxury brand’s cultural ambassadors, which she happily accepted.

“We already had a nice connection because he is interested in art and culture,” Buniatishvili said in a recent video interview from Paris. “He very much likes classical music.”

Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier CEO

It’s easy to see that Vigneron – a capable guitarist himself – is a fan of Buniatishvili and the two have developed a close relationship. In the same video interview from his office in Geneva, he says she combines her exceptional skills as a pianist with sensitivity toward others and an elegant, easygoing persona.

“Khatia is one of the most interesting personalities of our time,” he says. “We can do many things together in terms of social commitment and philanthropy. She can do anything with the talent she has.”

Following her professional debut in 2008 at Carnegie Hall, Buniatishvili has performed as a headliner on some of the world’s largest stages, including London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan and Shanghai. She is perhaps best known for her interpretations of Franz Liszt and Rachmaninoff compositions but her repertoire is diverse. She performs as a soloist, with chamber ensembles and with full orchestras. She’s equally adept at connecting with audiences in intimate settings as well as pleasing large crowds. She once performed at a huge outdoor festival in the middle of Paris with a glittering Eiffel Tower as a backdrop.

Khatia Buniatishvili

Cartier and Buniatishvili announced their partnership in October in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic. Travel and opportunities for personal appearances are impossible at this time. They collaborated on a video for French audiences with Buniatishvili in a Cartier boutique trying on diamond necklaces as the song “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” plays.

The pandemic also caused Buniatishvili to put her touring schedule on hold. She has done a few streaming concerts but she misses performing in front of an audience.

“Playing in an empty concert hall is quite sad,” she says. “I’m hoping it’s just momentary phase. I miss the connection with people. I miss their energy and presence and the adrenaline. It’s important to meet people, shake hands and hug them.”

Buniatishvili and Vigneron are vague on how their partnership will work but it will no doubt include high jewelry promotion and initiatives that address social issues like inequality. Vigneron stresses that Cartier’s relationships with its ambassadors are all unique, like its high jewels and watches, based on their individual strengths, interests and personalities.

Buniatishvili says she has “sensitivity” towards inequality that stems from growing up in a post-communist and economically depressed Georgia in the 1990s. At the same time she had a strong appreciation of the finer things in life. She seems particularly passionate about addressing gender and education inequality. She says appreciating luxury and addressing social needs requires a balance of perspective. While she is interested in certain social issues, she rejects the “activist” label saying she spends most of her time performing and rehearsing.

“It’s about measuring essential and inessential human needs,” she says. “As a child I loved beautiful things even though my mother made my dresses from any materials that we could get. Cartier was the first jewelry brand I heard of in Georgia. It was a completely different world that was romantic and dreamy—a world very far from us. It’s about finding balance. It’s about knowing where you come from and to not restrict yourself of beauty such as jewelry and art, which are symbols of human desire.”

She adds that luxury brands like Cartier can use their international recognition as agents for good through philanthropy and their vast intellectual and organizational resources.

“They (luxury brands like Cartier) have huge power in the world today,” she explains. “Luxury attracts everybody and because of this luxury brands could be our conscience. They can battle against inequality in gender and education in certain parts of the world.”

Cartier is already involved in several social, arts and cultural projects. Among them is the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, which identifies, supports and encourages women entrepreneurs; and the Fondation Cartier, a contemporary art museum in Paris that currently contains more than 1,500 works by more than 350 artists.

In terms of promotion, Vigneron is leaning towards having Buniatishvili as the face for its high jewelry and perhaps some of its women watches. He is particularly impressed with how she wears elegant diamond necklaces. Her daily timepiece is a panthère model.

“She wears high jewelry beautifully,” Vigneron says. “If you’re not used to wearing it, it can overwhelm the person. When she wears jewels, the stones appear full and vibrant. It tells the story between the jewels and the personality.”

Buniatishvili also is interested in the jewels as personal expression. “Each piece brings an individual story. The transmission of a unique and singular piece is vibrant and serves as a very important moment of my life because it’s personal.”

While working in a profession that attracts an older audience, Buniatishvili says Cartier’s powerful brand voice can bring her music and the issues she cares about to a broader group of people. Together, she says they can bring a message with multiple influences.  

“The most important thing that Cartier brings is a loud voice to say the things I want to say,” she explains. “Cartier brings me a louder voice by mixing cultural and musical artistic projects, mixing style and social expression. Only Cartier can communicate such an expression.”

More from Watches & Jewelry in Perfectirishgifts

[rileejacksonvisuals]

That’s a Wrap!  On the Road with FELICITY

I don’t even know where to start and I mean that in the best way. A little over a year ago (June 2016) I was introduced to my final project for school. A final project that I had to build up from scratch over the course of a year. Paperwork (so. much. paperwork.), sleep deprivation, and staring at editing programs for 8-10 hours at a time was basically what my life consisted of this past year. Add in my internship, dealing with the worst of my depression, and working part-time and you got it.

From the very beginning I was passionate about this project. I was nervous and anxious, but mostly excited. Out of all the styles of videos we could do, I chose to do a Music Promotional. During the very first lecture on this project, FELICITY came straight to mind. Earlier that week I remember seeing them on Facebook and we interacted in some way so I checked them out and liked their band page. The same night of the lecture, I went home and contacted them via their band page. Within an hour if not less, they got back to me and were all on board. The following week I went over to the band house and gave them the very, very, rough outline of the project. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect either so I winged it as best I could. The guys were super nice and presented a totally “go with the flow, tell us what you need from us and what we need to do” kind of vibe (which honestly, I could not have gotten more lucky on that front).

After I met with them, the first thing I had to do was submit a proposal. The proposal consisted of the kind of video and its duration, the client, the locations, the idea of what the video would convey, and how the video would be distributed. I had to make that proposal and a back-up proposal because, well, shit happens. Both of these proposals had to be approved by my program’s Board of Directors.

Proposal 1 

Fast forward to August and I’m shooting my very first show. FELICITY was playing at The Social; a popular hole-in-the-wall venue in downtown Orlando. For the most part, everything went smoothly. Luckily my sister Holly was visiting me so she was able to be there for me for support in case I freaked out. It was my first show so I just went with the flow and tried my best. It was such a comfortable, happy feeling and a major adrenaline rush! After that night, everything was pretty steady and consistent when it came to working with them. I shot every show they played thereafter and I have never felt happier while doing anything else.

Jump to January of 2017. This was the month where I had to write out an Audio Video Script which again, had to be approved by the Board. Audio Visual scripts are a little different than screenplays. They require scene and shot numbers, dialogue, color coding (for objects, actions, props, locations, etc), and the music/voiceovers that will be used in the video and at what time in the video they would be present. Basically, this was the outline of my video.

Lined Script 

This month had the first actual “shooting day”. It was the interview portion of the video. I had to create lighting diagrams, storyboards (minimum of 30 with a minimum amount of certain shot types), and interview questions. Besides getting establishing shots, this was the only time I really had to plan word for word, visual for visual because it was something I had control over. I had no control of the shows, their lighting, their venue, etcetera. That is probably what I’ve learned that I love most. Although it can be a major pain during post-production, you’re forced to go with what you have and make best of what is presented to you while shooting a concert. Every show is different so it’s always exciting and a challenge which I really enjoy!

The next few months were pretty smooth. I kept shooting their shows and stock piling footage. June is when I was probably the most stressed I’ve ever been while creating this project. First off, this was the first of two classes I had that was strictly about my project (in other words, I learned everything I needed to and it was time to focus on the project only). This month was nothing but paperwork. When I say paperwork I mean more than 100 sheets of paper, easy. I had to do location scoutings/maps, location permits and releases, talent releases, crew member deals, liability contracts (for myself and the school), safety plans, copyright documents for any audio and footage that was being used, casting calls, call sheets, scene breakdowns, shot breakdowns, budgeting sheets, and shooting schedules. I know you probably got lost about halfway into that sentence. Yeah, it was incredibly difficult and stressful simply because of the amount of time I had to do it (3 weeks) and how many people I had to get in contact with. Oh and not to mention, if you didn’t have all necessary contracts, you had to retake the classes the following month. I’m pretty sure I cried about three times during that month out of frustration, worry, and sleep deprivation.

Shot Breakdown Sheet

During July things kept rolling, but the paperwork portion was finished! This was the production month of the project. So it consisted of more shooting and submitting 3-4 minute videos, aka dailies, of footage each week that was going to be used in the final edit. I was pretty nervous about this month mainly because this was the month right before the guy’s began their tour so I didn’t have any recent footage to submit. From what I submitted, my teacher for that month didn’t think I had enough content to move on. I passed that class by the skin of my teeth.

Now, August- my favorite month by far! This month was all about the post-production stage. After getting home from work, I spent an average of 8 hours a day in front of my computer editing in Adobe Premiere. Those 8 hours quickly rolled into the early mornings till about 3am. My sleep schedule was terrible and barely even there, really. For this Post-Production class, I had to submit an edit each week. The first week an assembly edit was due. An assembly edit is the roughest kind of edit one can do. No music, no fancy editing or transitions. You literally place the clips in the order you think you want them in and you’re done. It looks awful. I got a 100 on it. The second week the rough edit was due. This edit is where you added in the music, trimmed the clips to your liking, and added the transitions in. The third edit was the final edit. All color grading and correction needed to be done and the title/introduction of the video needed to be added. Any effects you wanted to add were required as well. Finally, the fine cut was due aka, mother of all edits. Up to this point, everything visually should have been fixed and polished. This edit was where you focused on the audio levels between all dialogue and music. You focused on the audio effects and overall balance of the mix which needed to average around -6dB. I got a 100 on the last edit, too!

Fine Cut Edit 

I received my grade and tears came to my eyes. This project has been my baby for the past year and the fact that it’s all finished is very bittersweet. With that being said, I still had to show the guys. A year of shooting and I never showed any of the guys of FELICITY any part of any edits. I wanted it to be a surprised and to be the best it could be! So I went over to the band house during rehearsal and we all watched it together. It was such a great moment. I was smiling the whole time with butterflies in my stomach, slightly nervous because I didn’t know what they would say. Thankfully, they loved it and wanted to watch it over again!

I’ve already had my sappy moment with the guys, but I will never be able to repay them or thank them enough. They did this to me as a favor. I had nothing to give them except a finished product. I was a stranger to them and they let me in with open arms. Without a doubt, they are five of the sweetest, respectful, funniest, easy-going, most talented guys I’ve ever met. I’ve gained a friendship with each of them and will forever cherish this project and them for helping me get started on the path of my career. This past year has been one of the best. I’ve made some great memories, experienced so much, met and worked with awesome people, learned a lot about myself as a videographer and photographer, and have become confident in my work. I’m doing exactly what I’ve wanted to do, exactly what I’m passionate about and it all started with them.

With that being said, they’ve decided they still want me around! I’m going to continue working with them for the rest of this tour and beyond (...or at least until they get tired of me). I am still working at my internship and plan to stay in Orlando once I graduate on September 29th. And if things keep going how they are, I’ll have a big announcement to make soon!

Again, this is such a bittersweet time in my life and I’ve loved every minute of it.  Thank you to my mom and sisters for the continuous support and for watching every edit of this project even when the slightest of changes were made. Thank you to my friends who have understood my passion for what I do and have stuck around even when I can’t see them as often as I’d like to. And thank you to Andrew, Damien, Mike, Tyler, and Cory for trusting me to portray your music and brand to your fans and for just being you. I am grateful for you all. 

-R

[themusicenthusiast]

Shinedown Announces 2019 ATTENTION ATTENTION World Tour Dates

Multi-platinum rock band Shinedown has announced the first dates of their 2019 ATTENTION ATTENTION World Tour. The U.S. headlining shows kick off this winter on February 20th in Estero, FL, and feature support from Papa Roach and Asking Alexandria. Fan club pre-sale begins on October 2nd at 10am local. Citi is the official presale credit card of the Shinedown tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, October 2th at 12pm local time until Thursday, October 4th at 10pm local timethrough Citi's Private Pass program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.  Spotify pre-sale begins October 3rd at 10am local and radio/local pre-sales begin October 4th at 10am local and general on-sale begins October 5th at 10am local. Shinedown's uplifting new single "GET UP" from their chart-topping album ATTENTION ATTENTION (Atlantic Records) has been moving listeners around the globe with its offer of hope, empathy and encouragement in the face of personal struggles, whatever they may be.Offering a light in a time of darkness, especially with mental health issues, is somethingfront man Brent Smith is deeply connected to after battling his own personal demons, and"GET UP" was born out of watching his friend, Shinedown bassist Eric Bass, deal with clinical depression. When Brent put pen to paper, a beautiful, universal song rooted in Brent and Eric's raw vulnerability took shape. Reaching far beyond any genre or label, "GET UP" speaks to the human spirit in a time of need, and it's a song that has already resonated with the masses - becoming a fan favorite at arena shows on tour where the crowd response is palpable. It has drawn attention from the likes of Huffington Post, Salon, Buzzfeed, Parade, Grammy.com and more, has garnered more than 13 million total streams with key playlisting on Spotify and Apple Music, and is currently at Alternative Radio as well as Active Rock Radio, where it is sailing up the Top 10.

ATTENTION ATTENTION simultaneously hit #1 on Billboard's Alternative, Top Rock and Hard Rock Albums Charts and debuted Top 5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on iTunes.The story that unfolds as the album progresses is a poignant and enduring statement about humanity, touching on topics such as overcoming struggles, mental health, not being afraid to fail and the resolve of the human spirit as seen on tracks like the #1 Active Rock hit "DEVIL"(which became the band's 12th #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs Chart - one step away from the record of most #1s in the history of the chart) and the anthemic "THE HUMAN RADIO". Given the deeply personal nature of the record, Shinedownwent in-house for production for the first time ever, enlisting bassist Eric Bass to produce and mix the album in its entirety. Shinedown is currently on the road for their co-headlining U.S. tour with Godsmack - one of the biggest rock tours of the summer - before heading overseas for a headline UK/Europe tour set to kick off October 29th. Many of these shows are already sold out so be sure to grab tickets now! Current Tour Dates: 2018 October 7--Spokane, WA--Spokane Arena 9--Boise, ID--Taco Bell Arena 10--Everett, WA--Angel Of The Winds Arena 11--Portland, OR--Veteran Memorial Coliseum 13--Sacramento, CA--Aftershock Festival 29--Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom--Newcastle Academy 30--Glasgow, United Kingdom--02 acadamy 31--Manchester, United Kingdom--Manchester Academy November 2--Norwich, United Kingdom--Norwich UEA 3--Southampton, United Kingdom--Southampton Guildhall 5--Birmingham, United Kingdom--Birmingham Academy 6--Moffat, United Kingdom--Bristol Academy 7--Brixton, United Kingdom--Brixton Academy 9--Paris, France--Cabaret Sauvage 11--Cologne, Germany--Live Music Hall 12--Tilburg, Netherlands--Tillburg 013 13--Frankfurt, Germany--Batschkapp 15--Pratteln, Switzerland--PratteIn Konzertfabrik Z7 16--Antwerp, Belgium--Trix Hall 18--Warsaw, Poland--Stodola 20--Munich, Germany--Muffathalle 22--Milano, Italy--Alcatraz 23--Stuttgart, Germany--LKA Longhorn 25--Hamburg, Germany--Docks 27--Copenhagen, Denmark--VEGA Main Hall 28--Oslo, Norway--Sentrum Scene 29--Stockholm, Sweden--The Annex December 1--Helsinki, Finland--The Circus 3--Saint Petersburg, Russia--A2 4--Moscow, Russia--Adrenaline Stadium 6--Nizhny Novgorod, Russia--Milo Hall 7--Kazan, Russia--Ermitazh Concert Hall 27--Lake Buena Vista, FL--House of Blues 28--Lake Buena Vista, FL--House of Blues 29--Lake Buena Vista, FL--House of Blues 2019 February 20--Estero, FL--Hertz Arena 23--Knoxville, TN--Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum 24--Huntington, WV--Big Sandy Superstore Arena 26--Fairborn, OH--WSU Nutter Center 28--Baltimore, MD--UMBC Fieldhouse March 1--Hershey, PA--Giant Center 2--Uncasville, CT--Mohegan Sun Arena 5--Youngstown, OH--Covelli Centre 7--Fort Wayne, IN--Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 8--Milwaukee, WI--Fiserv Forum 9--Green Bay, WI--Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena 11--Minneapolis, MN--Target Center 12--Fargo, ND--FargoDome 15--Lincoln, NE--Pinnacle Bank Arena 16--Cedar Rapids, IA--U.S. Cellular Center 17--St. Louis, MO--Chaifetz Arena 19--Wichita, KS--INTRUST Bank Arena 20--Loveland, CO--Budweiser Events Center

Photos by Jordan Buford Photography